#i hope i picked interesting ones i brooded over it for a long time

[lalacliffthorne]

📃 the basic rules of friendship 📃

Azriel x Reader

summary: the basic rules of friendship. and how to break them.

notes: oh boy. writing this one was pure and utter chaos. it gave me a headache. it did not want to work out. I changed the whole damn plot like five times, because I just wasn't happy with my ideas; they didn't work, they didn't feel right, but I had this specific part that I really wanted to write around, so I couldn't just give it up and call it a day either. then once I finally had it figured out, it still took ages to finish the whole thing, because my brain just wasn't braining - to sum it up, this lil piece of writing basically fried me. but, the last few days, it got easier, I wasn't just staring at the words anymore and what I wrote finally didn't feel blah - and I made it!

so here are the basic rules of friendship. they are long af, and even though they strongly advise against it, there's smut. steamy steamy smut.

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the basic rules of friendship

no. 1: friends are there for each other (friends also never get jealous).

Staring up at the male in front of me, I hoped my facial expression didn´t convey my current thoughts.

Someone help me.

" - so of course we went in, and even though it was a bit of a struggle, we managed to get them all." The male sent me a grin, and I felt my lips curve, though it probably looked slightly pained.

Mor had decided it was that time of year again where she tried herself at being matchmaker. She had picked me as target of the night, using the festivities as a clever cover to drag me from one male she thought might fit the requirements to the next.

The one I was talking to now was by far the most pleasant one this evening, which was probably why I hadn't bolted yet. He had even managed to make me laugh a few times, while the few males before that had been closer to making me cry in despair. He was fairly pretty too, with a cheeky smile, dimples and warm eyes. And I really should have been interested, because he seemed sweet, and funny, and actually charming.

But it just didn't click.

There was something about him - no, actually, it was something that wasn't there. His humor wasn't dry enough. He was a bit too reserved. He didn't quite get my teasing.

There was just something missing.

The way he smiled didn't do anything for me; no little skip in my chest, no hitch in my breath. His voice didn't send tingles down my spine, the dimple in his cheek was not quite right, he was a bit too hulky -

Something churned a little in my chest, and I almost winced.

Gods, what was wrong with me?

The air behind me shifted, and for a second, I wondered if maybe I had left my mental shields down and either Rhys or Feyre had caught onto my thoughts and had decided to step in before I went down a rabbithole of possibilties of what could be wrong with me.

But then the male in front of me straightened a little, suddenly looking alert, and a familiar scent washed over me, cool and frosty, like pine woods in winter, and something skipped softly against my ribs.

Quickly looking over my shoulder, my eyes moved up, and up, and my shoulders sank a little when they found the face of the male suddenly towering behind me.

Azriel's eyes were piercing, unwavering and unreadable as usual, and they were fixed onto the male in front of me. Shadows were swirling around him, creeping over his wings and shoulders, some gently brushing over my back like a happy greeting.

The shadowsinger's face itself looked like carved from marble, jaw sharp and set, the muscles in his cheeks shifting with what looked strangely like tension.

"Hey." I hoped the relief didn't vibrate too strongly through my voice, quickly turning back towards the male in front of me with an apologetic smile.

I had to give it to him, he had balls: Even though the Spymaster of the Night Court was staring right at him, unsettlingly quiet and brooding, the male hadn't immediately shrunk into himself.

Though he did look very uncomfortable.

"I'm going to -" He pointed over his shoulder, sending me a soft grin, and I smiled back, again hoping the relief wasn't too visible in how bright it was.

One corner of the male's lips curved. Then he turned around, and I felt my shoulders sag.

"Thanks." I breathed out, turning around to send Azriel a relieved, crooked smile.

The shadowsinger's eyes followed after the male for another second before they turned down towards me, and his gaze lost some of that unreadable coolness, softening. His eyes moved over my face, and he seemed to catch onto something, because his gaze narrowed in, and a slight crease formed between his brows.

And because it was Azriel, he didn't even have to ask.

The words just tumbled out before i could stop them.

"Is there something wrong with me?"

Azriel's lips parted a little. Then his eyes sharpened, his shoulders shifting as his gaze moved up over my head, zeroing in on somebody behind me, and something skipped high in my chest at the way his gaze froze over, becoming steely and quietly raging like a rising tide-

Hastily, I widened my eyes.

"No, no; he didn't -", I huffed and breathed out, turning my eyes towards the twinkling night sky in a half-laugh. "It's not because of him, it's - me."

The dangerous promise in Azriel's eyes vanished with a blink, but the light crease between his brows deepend as his gaze returned to my face. The warm lights dotted all over the House of Winds' terraces threw shadows under his jaw and made his amber eyes glow softly, his dark hair tousled and skin rosy from the cool wind.

"It's just -" I exhaled again, furrowing my brows softly at myself.

"There's this male, who's actually not a jerk, and who seems good and funny and interested, and - nothing. Absolutely nothing. I just kept finding things that were wrong, even though I don't even know what would have been right, and -", I shook my head and looked up at Azriel, frowning gently as something churned a little in my chest.

"Is there? Something wrong with me?"

Azriel stared at me before huffing, and something tipped over in my chest when a soft snorted laugh broke from his throat.

I frowned, feeling something tighten a little under my ribs. "What?"

Azriel's lips were still twitching upwards like I had just made some sort of joke only he understood as he turned his face away, shaking his head a little. Then he looked back down at me. His amber eyes moved over me for a moment, and there was something in the way he stared at me that soothed the soft twinge under my ribs.

Azriel blinked, then he said steadily, his low, deep voice gently tickling my spine: "There's nothing wrong with you." His gaze moved over my face, and something I couldn't place shifted in his eyes, tinging his voice when he added: "He just wasn't what you're looking for."

"I don't even know what I'm looking for,", I grumbled under my breath, but there was a soft skip in my chest, that bit of tightness gone when I looked up at Azriel. "How am I supposed to find something when I don't know what it looks like?"

Az blinked again, eyes resting on mine. "You'll know."

I felt my brows furrow gently at the sound of his voice, a little quiet and distant but so, so sure.

Feeling my lips twitch, I raised an eyebrow. "That's sappy."

Azriel huffed, but his lips twitched even as he glared down at me, almost like he couldn't hold back the way they curved at the corners. Then he lightly raised a brow. "Mor looks like she's got the next target."

I cursed softly and quickly slid my hand into the crook of his arm, bumping my shoulder into his biceps.

"Come on, let's go, I need a drink."

no. 2: friends talk about their feelings.

“What the fuck was that?”

The door slammed behind me, and I raised my head just in time to see Azriel turn around, his eyes burning into mine so fiercely, I almost held my breath.

Running a hand down my face, I shook my head, my voice tired when I mumbled: “Can we not –“

“I told you to get out, and you didn't listen, you disobeyed orders –“

“Orders?” I stared at him, feeling something begin to bubble in my chest. “You told me to run and fucking leave you!”

“And you didn't!” Azriel´s voice sounded like thunder, not simmering anger, but loud and deep. Shadows gathered around his feet, and his wings flared when he stalked towards me, blood dripping from the wound in his side, but he didn't even seem to notice. “You came back when I told you to leave, you could've died!”

“You would have died!” My voice was incredulous as I stared at him with wide eyes, and Azriel's jaw tightened as he took one last step forward, his chest almost pressing into mine as he glared down at me.

“Then I would have died.” His voice was quiet again and cold, so cold, but his eyes were whirling with emotions I couldn't decipher as they burned into mine. “But you would have been safe.”

Staring up at him, my eyes blown wide, I felt my breathing pick up as I tried to fight against the way my chest grew tighter with every second. Then I exploded.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?!”

Azriel blinked like I had slapped him across the face, but it felt like some kind of dam had broken, because the words just started falling, becoming louder with every second.

“I don't give a shit about being safe if it means you try and sacrifice yourself! You asshole! What the fuck is wrong with you?! I couldn't just leave you because I will never leave you to sacrifice yourself like your fucking life means nothing, because it does, it means everything!” My voice broke as my voice rose into a scream, and I felt tears well in my eyes as the ache under my ribs grew and I hit my fist against his chest.

“You're hurt, you would have died!! What the hell is wrong with you that you think I could just leave you for death, you moron, what would I be living for if you died, especially because of me; it wouldn't mean a thing!” My vision blurred as tears streamed over my cheeks. Azriel stared at me like he had never seen me before, frozen in place as I heaved with quiet sobs, my whole body trembling as I tried to fight for air.

“Don't you get it? You're –“ My voice broke.

Everything.

Azriel's eyes pierced mine, emotion whirling in them, jumbled, indiscernable. Then he blinked.

“Come here,”, he mumbled, his voice hoarse, and I breathed in shudderingly, tears streaming over my face when his hand closed around my elbow and he pulled me forward, not caring a bit that he was still dripping blood onto the carpet as he dragged me into his chest.

“I'm sorry.” I could feel his low voice vibrating through my body, quiet and rough when he wrapped his arms around my shoulders and buried his nose in my hair, and I hiccuped, feeling tears stream over my face as I slid my own arms around his middle and clung to him.

“Never ask that of me -” My voice broke, and Azriel tightened his grip, the tension not leaving his frame as he slipped his hand up my back to tangle his fingers in my hair, his thumb slowly brushing over my skin when he raised his head a little to press his lips against my temple.

“I'm sorry,”, he mumbled against my skin, soft but hoarse, and I pressed my face into the crook of his neck, my body trembling with silent, heaving sobs as I held onto the male who held me.

no. 3: friends might engage in the occasional amicable teasing.

That was it.

Stopping in the middle of the street only a few feet away from the entrance to Rita's, I barely kept myself from wincing as I leaned forward, trying to balance on one foot as I started unlacing the straps of my high heels. They were murderously high, and, together with the cobblestone streets and the drinks I had, that meant mortal danger for my ankles and my dignity.

Plus, they were beginning to hurt like shi-

I almost lost my balance, feeling myself tip to the side and how my eyes widened. But then a hand slipped under my arm and steadied me, and my breath hitched a little when my gaze darted up.

Azriel raised a brow at me.

“Oh, shut up,”, I grumbled quickly under my breath, trying to ignore the soft skip in my chest at the way his golden eyes were twinkling almost indiscernably as I slipped out of the first heel.

Groaning happily in relief as I rolled my ankle, I carefully placed my foot on the cold ground, trying not to wince at the ache jolting through it when I shifted my weight onto it.

Azriel kept his hand under my arm, his scarred skin warm in the cool night air, even as I balanced a lot easier, undoing the laces of the second heel.

Slipping out of it, I straightened, breathing out and trying not to squirm at the soreness of my feet when I shifted on the cold cobblestone. Then I raised my head, and my heart skipped softly.

Az was still staring down at me, brows drawn together a little as he narrowed his eyes at me.

I frowned back at him suspiciously. “What?”

Azriel huffed, but his lips twitched upwards as he shook his head and stepped forward, and I felt my eyes widen when he leaned down.

“No, wait –“

The shadowsinger slipped his arms under my thighs and lower back, and a soft squeal broke from my lips when he straightened back up, easily sweeping me off my feet.

My hands gripped his back, and my heart jumped into my throat when Azriel hoisted me up a little to adjust his grip, the motion causing me to slide up and down in his arms. I hastily clung to him and stared at him desperately.

“Are you serious?”

Azriel's eyes were twinkling a little when he threw me a look. “You looked like you were going to hobble the way home.”

I huffed, scowling at him, but it probably looked more like a pout, because the shadow of a crease formed in Azriel's cheek. Then he raised a brow at me.

“All set?”

Grumbling softly under my breath, I leaned forward a little to gather my shoes in one hand. Azriel changed his grip to hold me steady, his breath brushing over my temple and causing something to flutter gently against my ribs, and I tried to ignore the sudden dip in my throat.

Wrapping my arms tightly around his neck, I pressed my forehead against his shoulder and squeezed my eyes shut.

“Alright, ready.”

There was a soft, amused huff that made Azriel's body vibrate. Then he started moving, setting down the street, every long, steady step sending a soft jolt through my body.

I blinked before cracking open an eye and furrowing my brows in confusion.

“We're walking?”

From my position, I saw only one side of Azriel's face as he looked ahead, but there was a curve to his lips that caused something to swerve sharply in my chest when he threw me a look.

“Unless you want to almost throw up again.”

I raised my head quickly to glower at him.

“That was one time."

"I wasn't actually aware anyone could turn that shade of green before you did." One corner of Azriel's lips tipped upwards.

I scowled at him. "Are you ever going to let me live that down?”

Azriel still looked ahead, but I saw the crease in his cheek deepening.

“Unlikely.”

I scowled, trying to bite back the stupidly wide smile that was suddenly threatening to break out over my face as I narrowed my eyes at him. “I don't like you.”

“I know. You want to hold on any tighter?”

I lightly bonked one of my shoes against the side of his head and earned myself a glare.

Breathing a soft giggle that bubbled in my chest, I exhaled, slowly melting into Azriel's hold as I loosely draped one arm over his collarbones and propped my chin onto his shoulder. Staring at his profile, I felt something flutter softly against my ribs, my heart skipping steadily as my eyes tracked over his straight nose, the sharp line of his jaw illuminated by the warm light of the lanterns and his soft looking lips.

The shadowsinger threw me a look, and I could see the amusement flashing through in his eyes.

“What?”

I shrugged.

“You're pretty.” I sent him a bright, cheeky smile.

Azriel blinked, and it almost looked like the top of his cheekbones started to darken a little, like the lightest shade of pink dusted his skin –

One corner of my lips slowly quirked as I softly narrowed my eyes.

“Are you blushing?” I started to grin widely. “Azriel, are you –“

The shadowsinger's grip shifted, and I squealed softly when I could feel myself being dropped for nothing more than a heartbeat.

Hastily clinging to his shoulders, I raised my head to glare at Azriel incredulously only to find him smirking, just the tiniest bit.

I huffed, something flutter harshly against my ribs as I scowled at the shadowsinger.

“I really don't like you."

no. 4: friends spend quality time together.

Diving, I avoided a swing of Azriel's wing, sliding over the mats and raising my head.

My heart skipped high, and I barely ducked out of the way, Azriel's wings almost translucent in the light of the sinking sun when he flared them to keep his balance, shadows whirling around him as he dodged a blow, a strand of dark hair falling into his forehead, muscles working under his sweaty, glowing skin -

Something caught against the back of my heel and ripped me off my feet.

My back hit the mats with a thud, and all the air was pressed out of my lungs, causing me to grunt softly. My heart skipped in its race against my ribs, and I relaxed into the mats with a huff, scowling when Azriel appeared above me, lips curving upwards as he squinted down at me, barely out of breath.

"Didn't we just talk about never letting your guard down?"

Huffing, I rolled my eyes, feeling a bead of sweat run over my temple and how my hair stuck to my skin when I just laid flat on the mats for a second before holding out my hand with a grumble.

The second Azriel's fingers closed firmly around my wrist, I pulled, my foot catching against his chest and using his own momentum to send him flying over my head.

The shadowsinger crashed onto his back with a heavy thud and a grunt, and I whirled around, using his hand to pull myself up and onto his torso, thighs clamping down next to his hips and my whole weight pressing down onto his chest as I pinned his wrists onto the mats right above his head and smiled widely.

But my remark along the lines of Right back at you, pretty boy got stuck in my throat.

Azriel's eyes were barely an inch away. I could count the golden spots in his amber iris, and the dark lashes framing them under dark brows between which a little crease sat that smoothed over slowly. And they were staring up at mine. I could feel his breath, warm and a little uneven as it brushed over my skin, could feel the steadiness of his piercing eyes as they stared into mine and how solid his chest was, pressed against mine.

My heart fluttered wildly; I hastily moved back a little, and suddenly, something in Azriel's eyes shifted, his body going still beneath mine.

I needed a second until I realised why; why suddenly, Azriel's gaze burning into mine looked different, why he had tensed and his lips were standing just a little agape. But then I shifted again, and Azriel grunted softly, his hips twitching.

Right under my ass.

My breath caught in my throat, my eyes widened a little, and I grew still, staring down at the male pinned onto the mats who'd completely frozen beneath me as my heart suddenly thumped in my throat and something twinged tightly in my lower stomach.

"Sorry,", I whispered, my voice soft and a little breathy, and a spark flashed through Azriel's eyes.

The next second, I was pushed around, all the air escaping my lungs when I crashed onto my back again, and my heart simply gave out when my body was pressed into the mats, hips lodged between my thighs keeping me down and Azriel's face only an inch away, dark hair falling down onto his forehead as his eyes twinkled and one corner of his lips rose.

"Got you."

I blinked, something pounding and fluttering harshly against my ribs as my breath hitched and I stared up into Azriel's golden amber eyes, his lips curving and fingers loosely wrapped around my wrists, just lightly holding them to the ground next to my head as shadows whispered, slowly swirling around his shoulders. Then Azriel's lips twitched, and his hands slipped away, pressing into the mats as he pushed himself up and his weight disappeared.

I stared up at the soft blue sky high above, the first stars twinkling down at me while my heart was skipping, missing beats in my chest until Azriel offered me a hand, the twinkle still in his eyes causing me to huff.

no. 5: friends are comfortable with each other (but not overly).

Grumbling softly, I buried deeper in the cushions. There was a heavy weight resting on my waist, and something warm pressed into my back, a body, tall and solid, wrapped around me. A familiar scent surrounded me like a blanket, engulfing me and filling my lungs, and something started to flutter softly against my ribs when I tiredly cracked open an eye.

My sight was blurry with sleep as my gaze slowly tracked over the coffee table and the open doors leading into the garden, the sun already sinking and dipping everything in a golden light -

My heart jumped softly when the tall body curved around mine shifted, the arm closed around my waist tightening, and my gaze slowly focused on the hand wrapped around my wrist, laying on the cushion of the couch right in front of my face.

My mind was still tired and foggy with sleep as from under half-closed lids, my gaze dragged over the long, slim fingers, a palm far bigger than my own, veins running up a tanned forearm and the marred skin, scarred tissue rough but warm against my skin.

A soft, tired sound vibrated through my body, the thighs lodged between my calves shifting. Then I felt warm breath brush over my skin, and as I shivered softly, Azriel buried his nose at the back of my neck and grumbled lightly. Something skipped high in my chest at the deepness of the sound, how raspy it was.

There was a soft tap against my mental shields, and with a huff, I let them down.

"Please don't tell me you two are still napping."

Rhys' amused voice vibrating through my head made me grumble softly into the cushions, and from the way Azriel's lips curved upwards as he huffed softly against my neck, sending another shiver down my spine, the same question had sounded through his mind as well.

"Weren't you the one who told me that with less than ten hours of sleep, I get unbearably grumpy?", I thought.

There was a light snicker in my mind. Then Azriel growled softly. I didn't know what Rhys had said to him, but it made his grip tighten as he scowled into my neck.

There was one last chuckle in my head followed by a gentle sensation resembling a friendly headbutt before the familiar presence disappeared, leaving everything quiet again.

Breathing out, I squinted tiredly, the haze of sleep slowly dissipating.

Shifting on the spot, I started to wrestle myself around. Azriel grunted softly when I accidentally kicked his shin, and a breathy, sleepy giggle broke from my throat, then I buried myself in his chest. Exhaling, I felt Azriel slide his arm around my waist, his hand coming up to tuck my head under his chin. His fingers slipped into my hair, scratching gently over my scalp, and I groaned happily, causing the shadowsinger to huff in amusement.

His thumb lightly brushed over my cheek, and something skipped gently against my ribs, fluttering lightly.

no. 6: friends don't stare at each other (for too long).

Moving down the stairs, I slipped my fingers under one of the thin straps of the black silk dress softly swishing around my legs, pulling it up my shoulder. I could feel the hilts of my knives gently press against my thigh where they were tucked into the legs of my boots, the heavy heels thumping softly on the steps and the golden earrings Mor had lent me clinking softly. The heavy black leather coat Cass had gifted me a few years ago was draped over my arm, daggers hidden in the specially constructed lining.

It was time to charme some people. Maybe kick some ass.

Hopefully the latter.

Turning to walk down the last pair of stairs into the entrance hall, I grinned when Feyre tapped against my mind's walls, and when I let her in, her voice echoed through my head.

"Are you ready?"

Ready as ever.

"Alright, we'll be there and pick you up in a second."

Feeling my lips quirk as I sent an enthusiastic mental thumbs up her way and hearing her laugh, I raised my head.

My eyes met amber ones, and my breath hitched a little, my movement faltering for just a second.

Azriel stilled. Went completely quiet, head turned back to look up at me, eyes flickering over me, and his lips parted. Just a bit, nothing more than a little gap as his gaze slowly dragged down and up again, and he blinked, the crease between his brows smoothing over into nothing as he simply - stared.

"What?", I mumbled, feeling my lips curve in a soft, sheepish smile as I moved down the last step.

Azriel blinked again, gaze sliding over me, and something shifted in his eyes, something I couldn't decipher but that made my breath hitch.

My gaze flickered over him, and there was a strange little hop in my chest. He was wearing his fighting leathers, nothing unusual, black shoulderplates making him look even broader, daggers strapped around his lean torso and onto his thighs.

Tearing my eyes away from his chest, I tried to ignore the way my heart performed a double flip when I found Azriel's gaze still pinned onto me, piercing my skin.

The shadowsinger blinked, and his throat worked a little like he was suppressing the urge to swallow. Then he slowly turned and stepped towards me. Wordlessly, he held out a hand, and I needed a second before realising what he wanted.

Huffing at myself and cracking a grin, I handed him my coat, and Azriel unfolded it, holding it open for me to slide into the sleeves. The lining was cool against my skin as Az slipped it over my shoulders, and I barely suppressed a soft shudder when his fingers, still out of his gloves, brushed against my neck, carefully pulling my braid out from under the heavy leather.

Turning around, I straightened the lapels and raised my head, and my heart fluttered up, getting caught on in my throat like my breath when Azriel reached out.

His fingers brushed against my waist as he pushed the coat to the side, and a small crease formed between his brows when his hand ghosted over an empty sheath. He straightened a little, and my lips parted, something suddenly rising in my chest when he pulled a dagger from one of the sheaths strapped to his chest. The silver blade flashed in the warm light when Azriel carefully pulled my coat to the side and slid it into the lining. Then his fingers brushed over the hilts concealed by the black silk, checking every single one of them as my heart thrummed into my throat and I stared up at him, his face a lot closer with his head dipped for a better view of the lining, brows drawn together in concentration, amber eyes clear and focused.

Sliding his hand against my waist to check the other side, Azriel raised his head; his gaze found mine, and my breath hitched when he slowly straightened back up a little.

With a soft swoosh of air, Feyre appeared in the middle of the foyer, and somehow, I managed to tear my gaze away from Azriel's to look over at her. She was wearing a silky dress similiar to mine, dark like the night sky and with high slits very practical for any sort of well-placed kick.

Feyre stilled for just a second when her eyes moved over Azriel, standing so close to me that his chest almost touched mine and yet not making any move to step back, before finding mine, and something like a light twinkle flashed through her iris. Then she blinked and raised her brows. "You two ready?"

Blinking, I looked back up at Az, and my breath hitched.

The shadowsinger was still staring down at me. I wasn't sure he had even looked when Feyre had winnowed in, and he didn't react when Mor appeared next to Feyre either, wearing a dark red dress with a deep neckline. Both of them looked ready to smile charmingly and, if necessary, press a knife to someone's throat, but Azriel didn't even cast them a glance.

His eyes were on me, and suddenly, it felt a little hard to breathe.

Azriel's gaze cleared just a little, and he shifted, shoulders straightening.

"Give me a sign if you need me." I knew his deep voice was directed at the other two as well, but his eyes didn't stray away from mine, waiting until I nodded lightly. Then he took a step back, and shadows swallowed him.

Feyre cleared her throat lightly, and when I looked over at her with a blink, one corner of her lips had curved upwards, her iris twinkling. But she just raised her brows, and Mor held out her hand, her eyes bright as she beamed at me.

Staring at the two of them for a moment in confusion, I then blinked and shook my head lightly, moving towards them. Mor sent me a wink.

"You look hot."

I nodded. "As opposed to how I usually look."

Feyre lightly rolled her eyes and Mor flicked my forehead, and snickering, I took her offered hand.

no. 7: friends don't kiss.

Closing the bathroom door behind me, I raised my head, and my heart skipped softly against my ribs when Azriel raised his head.

He was sitting on the edge of my mattress, wearing only soft looking pyjama pants, his hair tousled and a little damp, like he had taken a shower earlier.

Sending him a soft, cheeky grin, I felt my brows furrow gentle. "Hey."

Azriel's eyes tracked down my body, over the large soft sweater and the too big pyjama pants that both had probably belonged to him at some point, and I shifted a little on the spot. Then his gaze turned back towards my face, and one corner of his lips rose into a small, crooked smile.

Slowly starting to walk towards him, I let my gaze flicker over his face, feeling the curious crease between my brows deepen.

"What are you doing here?"

Azriel blinked. His eyes tracked over my face, slow, a little tired but warm in the soft light.

"Just -" He broke off before huffing and shaking his head. "I don't know. Can´t sleep."

I felt my lips curve and sent him a cheeky smile. "I could read something to you."

Azriel's lips curved, and his gaze moved over mine. "I doubt that would help."

"Hey, my reading skills aren't that bad, alright?" I grinned.

Azriel raised his brows, and I lost the fight against the soft giggle building in my throat.

"Oh, shut up."

The shadowsinger's cheek creased a little. He was still staring at me, and I caught something shifting in his eyes as a muscle in his jaw tightened and relaxed again.

Something shifted in my chest, and before I could stop myself, I quickly moved forward and hugged him tightly.

I could feel Azriel freeze a little. One second. Two. Then his shoulders sagged a bit, and his arms slowly slid around my waist, squeezing lightly. It was funny, like this; with him sitting on the edge of the mattress, the size different was reversed for once, me dropping my head to press my nose against his shoulder and Az burying his face at my collarbone.

Holding onto him for another second, I slowly moved back, feeling my lips rise softly. Azriel's arms slipped off my waist, and his muscles shifted when he turned his head. Then he went still, and when I looked up in confusion, my breath hitched.

Golden eyes stared into mine, lips opened just a bit. I could see the shadow of a few freckles on a straight nose, the softness of his lips. And suddenly, my heart was quiet.

The tip of my nose softly nudged against Azriel's, and his eyes fluttered, the muscles in his jaw working as his fingers dug into the cotton of my pants. Then he lightly raised his chin, and his nose brushed past mine again, causing a tingling shiver to travel over my skin, down my spine and into my fingers, making them tremble as I curled them into his shoulders.

I didn't know if I leaned down or Azriel up.

Didn't know if my hand slipping to the back of his neck was first, or his fingers closing around my hips, dragging me forward a little.

All I knew was that his lips were warm and soft and that they were pressed against mine, gentle but soon almost a little feverish.

That his breath was harsh, trembling when he exhaled against my skin.

And that suddenly, my heart wasn't quiet anymore. That it was rising in my chest like a storm, fluttering more violently with every second until breathing was difficult.

Slowly, Azriel broke away, just far enough for his nose to bump against mine again and his unsteady breath to hit my lips. When I forced open my eyes, something flipped against my ribs, because his were still closed, his chest moving quickly as his finger dug into my hips and he swallowed harshly. Then Azriel opened his eyes, and all air I had managed to get left me. Because the gold in his iris was melting together and his lids were heavy and for a moment, he looked a little bit like he wasn't quite there. But then our noses brushed and his lids fluttered and a soft sound broke from his chest that made the world tip over.

"You -" His deep voice sent a shiver down my spine, uneven and more hoarse than I had ever heard it, and Azriel's jaw worked, brows drawing together like he was forcing himself to focus as his eyes found mine, something in them that was strange and pleading and burning when he mumbled raspily: "If you let me kiss you again, I won't be able stop."

My heart skipped once and high and harsh. Then I whispered, soft and a little shakily: "I don't think I want you to stop."

Azriel's cheek muscles shifted and he shuddered, like the thought alone -

His fingers dug into my hips, tugging me closer as he pressed his forehead against mine and mumbled roughly: "If you kiss me again -"

I leaned forward and kissed him breathlessly, and Azriel's grip slipped before tightening as a deep rumble built in his throat and he pushed forward and kissed me back like he'd been waiting for centuries.

no. 8: friends never, ever, under no circumstances - well, you can probably guess where this is going.

My breath tumbled when Azriel dragged me closer, closer until my body curved into his sitting one and he kissed me like it was the only thing keeping him afloat, deep and desperate and causing my heart to tip over in my chest when his tongue dragged over mine and his hand slipped under my soft sweater.

A soft shuddering breath left me when his rough fingers ghosted over my back, trailing up my spine, and my fingers curled into his hair, causing a deep sound to rumble through Azriel's body. His other hand closed firmly around my hips, then he pulled back, and my heart skipped into my throat at the sight of his eyes, glazed over and hazy.

Azriel's lips parted just a little and his throat worked when he slid his hand from my back to my front, fingers pushing up the hem of my sweater, up until it was bunched up under my breasts, and my spine turned to jelly when Azriel turned his burning gaze away from my face and dropped his head to press a slow, open-mouthed kiss against my ribs.

My hand flew up to tangle in the soft hair at the back of his head, my eyes fluttering, and Azriel groaned softly, deep in his throat as his hand slipped up to press against my back, pushing me into him until my thighs were pressed against the inside of his and he leaned forward, lips dragging over my skin as he began to trail hot kisses over my stomach.

My head fell back as something rose in my chest, wild and madly fluttering. My lower stomach tightened, quivering, causing my breath to hitch.

It felt like with every kiss, Azriel pulled the floor out from under me, over and over again, the whole world swaying around me whenever he got closer to where my sweater was bunched up under my breasts, my fingers digging into his hair when he dipped down again.

It seemed like he was trying to taste every inch of my skin, breath heavy and uneven, grip tightening around me when his teeth grazed over the skin right under the seam of my bra, and I whimpered.

A small, guttural sound built in Azriel's chest, and he attacked the spot, dragging my body into his, kissing and biting until I could feel my skin pulse. My eyes fluttered as my head tipped back a little and I felt my lips open, and the shadowsinger pressed a scarred hand flat against my spine, running his nose over the bruise like a breathless apology. Then he raised his head, and my heart skipped, tipping over at the sight of his hazy eyes, honeyed iris clouded, lids heavy and soft lips swollen. A strand of dark hair fell into his forehead, and the way he was staring at me caused my breath to stumble, hitch and flutter, his throat working as he swallowed and tugged me forward, slowly pulling me with him as he leaned back, and my heart tipped over in my chest when he dragged me down into his lap.

I could feel Azriel's grip shift, saw the flutter of his lids as my chest pressed into his, and everything under my ribs coiled when his hot, unsteady breath brushed over my lips, his nose softly nudging against mine.

My fingers curled into his shoulders as I tried to breathe, even though it felt impossible with his scent invading my senses, his chest against mine and his arm heavy on my waist as his palm pressed against my back, gently urging me forward.

My hips rolled down, and Azriel's lids fluttered the same second my lips fell open as I felt his hard cock press against me, his hands slipping down to close around my hips, and I almost expected him to push me away, bring distance between us -

Azriel dragged my hips forward, and I inhaled softly, sharply, something hot zipping through my lower stomach and pulsing when I ground down against the bulge in Azriel's pants. His lips were parted just a bit, his breathing harsh as his nose nudged against mine, lids heavy. Then his grip around my hips tightened, fingers digging into my skin, and my breath hitched and stumbled when he started guiding my movements, his eyes fixed onto my face like they were burning through me, hazy but piercing.

I barely bit back a soft whimper when Azriel's hot, unsteady breath grazed over my lips, my fingers digging into his hair as I rocked against him, tantalizingly but deliciously slow. Azriel's nose brushed over mine, his hands shifting on my hips, rocking me down harder, and something twisted harshly in my stomach, a wave of heat washing over me.

Before I could stop myself, I pulled him towards me, and Azriel's lips crashed onto mine.

My heart rose into my throat, fluttering as I felt myself twist around nothing, and I whimpered, curling my fingers into the back of Azriel's neck when he kissed me like I was his last breath, devouring, desperate. His tongue slid against mine as his hands slipped under my sweater, curving around my waist, and something swelled in my chest when his rough warm skin pressed against mine, his thumb brushing over my ribs, up against the underside of my breast.

I moaned softly into his mouth, causing his grip to tighten and drag me closer like I wasn't already pressed flush into his chest. His hands closed around the hem of my sweater and pulled it up, up until I had to break away for him to tug it over my head. My arms slipped back over his shoulders, and Azriel leaned forward, into me, kissing me again, deep and hard as he threw my sweater carelessly into the room.

My fingers dug into Azriel's shoulders when his hands slipped under my thighs. Then he lifted me up, turning to place my back on the mattress, his warm, solid body between my legs pushing my knees apart and causing something in my chest to rise and flutter madly, and a soft groan broke from his chest when his body pressed down into mine.

My fingers curled into his hair, and Azriel broke the kiss to drop his head, his hand sliding to the nape of my neck, tangling in my hair and dragging my head back as he began to press hard kisses against my throat, his heavy, uneven breath hitting my skin as his teeth grazed over my skin. A whimper fled my throat, and my eyes rolled back lightly.

A deep, rough sound rumbled through Azriel´s chest, and his lips brushed lower, kisses growing more deep, more desperate the lower his rough hands slipped on my sides as he slowly made his way down my torso. My body arched into him as he breathed harshly, kissing and nipping at my skin as he pulled down my pants. Then his nose grazed the rim of my panties, and my head fell back as my insides twitched and Azriel groaned deep in his chest.

His hot, harsh breath brushed over the soaked material, and his nose nuzzled against my hip like he was trying to reign himself in, the tension in his shoulders looking unbearable as his lips ghosted over where my thigh and middle met. Then Azriel's fingers hooked into the waistband of my panties and pulled them down, and a soft groan left him, almost desperate.

Raising my hips to help him shimmy the material down my legs, I expected him to move back up my body. But Azriel didn't. His shoulders pushed my thighs apart, and my heart stilled, simply stopped when without hesitation, Azriel sank to his knees.

My breath caught when his hands closed around my hips and dragged me towards him, and a whimpering sound left me when I felt his nose gently nudge against my skin, an ache spreading through my lower stomach like a weight.

My hips bucked, my fingers digging into the sheets, and with a soft rumbling sound leaving him, Azriel pushed one of my legs over his shoulder and dipped his head.

My lips fell open, my heart stilled, and my whole body became weightless when Azriel slowly ran his tongue through my folds. My eyes flew down, finding his, heavily lidded and hazy, a strand of dark hair falling into his face between my legs, and a deep groan rumbled deep in his chest. Then he dropped his head and dove in.

My head fell back against the mattress, and my back arched.

Azriel moved like a male starving devouring his last meal. His warm tongue lapped at me, running over my clit, pressing down and flicking before his mouth closed over it, and my eyes rolled into my head as breathless moans spilled from my lips.

Azriel's fingers dug into the top of my thigh, his other hand slipping up to press onto my stomach as his eyes fluttered and a moan vibrated in his chest. He sounded more enthusiastic than I had ever heard him; like right where he was, settled between my legs, his nose brushing over my skin as he dipped his head to lap and suck at me eagerly, was exactly, precisely where he had always wanted to be –

His tongue flicked over my clit, and my hand flew up to press over my mouth as a loud whimper broke from my lips. But Azriel's fingers slipped around my elbow, and something flipped in my chest, rising and fluttering violently when he gently tugged my hand away from my mouth, his own sliding down my arm until his rough, scarred fingers slid between mine, lacing them together as his eyes pierced my face, clouded and lids heavy like he wasn´t quite there. Then he ran his tongue firmly over my clit, and I moaned, breathily and drawn as I curled my fingers into the sheets above my head.

The weight in my stomach grew slowly, twisting tighter and tighter, and my back arched as a deep groan left Azriel, like what he was doing right now, fingers laced with mine, eyes hazy and hair dishevelled, was the best satisfaction I could give him. The muscles in his cheeks worked as he sucked eagerly on my clit, pressing his tongue against the sensitive spot, eyes never leaving my face even as they fluttered, and I felt my lips part at the sight of him.

My fingers dug into the sheets as I could feel myself pulse around nothing, the pressure in my lower stomach slowly building as whimpers left me and I squeezed my eyes shut tightly as whispered curses broke from my lips and my breath heaved, and Azriel's hum vibrated through me. Then his tongue ran over my clit and he sucked, hard, obscene sounds filling the room as he kept pushing and pushing –

The knot in my stomach collapsed and my back arched off the mattress, hips bucking as waves of pleasure crashed over me, my insides twisting and exploding like stars and loud whining sounds breaking from my lips as my eyes rolled back.

I felt Azriel's soft moan more than I heard it, sending vibrations through my body and causing my hand to fly down and dig into his hair. My hips jerked and rolled as my thighs twitched, sharp twinges of pleasure causing my whole body to spasm, but Azriel didn't stop. His tongue lapped at everything he could get, eyes fluttering as another groan rumbled through his body, making me whimper, and he moved, fingers digging into my thigh, keeping it wrapped over his shoulder as he pushed closer, sucking harshly, tongue swirling, and I could feel my stomach twist and turn as another knot built, even tighter and bigger than before.

My mouth fell open, my head pressing into the mattress; Azriel gave a soft sound, maybe an encouragement or a plea, and the world simply slipped away, bursting into a million pieces as the knot exploded, crashing down into a wave so violent, my body shuddered.

My insides tightened, tightened with pleasure so blinding, I couldn't breathe, no sound leaving me as I twitched and writhed, and Azriel kept going, kept sucking my clit into his mouth, tongue pressing against it and flicking over me until my trembling fingers curled deeper into his hair, because it was too much, too good, too much -

My insides twisted, twitching as my knees shook and a breathless whimper left me, and I dug my nails into Azriel's scalp and tugged, tugged harshly until with a soft rumbled growl, the shadowsinger pulled away.

My heart missed a beat, another.

Azriel's pupils were blown, eyes heavily lidded and a little far away when he raised his head, licking his swollen lips. His mouth and chin were glistening as he slid his hands off my thighs, and my breath hitched.

The bed dipped when Azriel pushed himself to his feet to move up my body, his arms pressing down next to my head, his bare chest brushing over mine and his knee pressing into the mattress between my thighs. His nose softly nudged against mine, like a silent question of you alright, and something tipped over in my chest, rising and fluttering.

Quickly, I slipped my hands into his hair and pulled him down, and Azriel groaned softly when I pressed my lips feverishly against his. His body sank into mine when he kissed back, deep and desperate.

My heart skipped against my ribs, and I wrapped a leg over his back, because he still wasn't close enough, not where my middle was pulsing -

The shadowsinger went rigid under my touch when I dragged him down, down until his whole body pressed into mine and I could feel -

Azriel caught my hand, grip tight around my fingers as he breathed heavily, his voice hoarse as he mumbled against my lips: "Are you sure -"

A moan slipped past my lips, soft and pleading as my insides turned, something hot washing over me as I nodded into the kiss, maybe a bit too frantic, too eager, but it didn't matter, not with the groan leaving Azriel's throat, rumbling through his body in what felt like pure relief and desperation.

I tugged at his pants, feeling them slip down his hips and over his legs as Azriel pushed my thighs apart. His lips dragged over mine, then I could feel the tip of his cock nudging against my folds.

My breath gave out, an ache spreading through my body as I whimpered, and Azriel's jaw shifted as he moved in the spot, trying to find an angle with him kneeling on the side of the mattress -

A soft, impatient sound left him; his hands slipped under my backside, and Az lifted me up.

My breath hitched, my arms quickly sliding over his shoulders when Azriel straightened, lips crashing against mine as my chest pressed into his, and I moaned when I could feel him rub up against me as he turned around.

My back hit the wall, and I whimpered, Azriel's tongue dragging over mine as he pushed closer, dragging my thigh up his side as his tip brushed through my folds, way easier like this for him to -

My heart got caught in my throat. My lips fell open, and my heart rose into my throat as I felt myself stretch around Azriel's cock, his hard length pressing at my walls he slowly began to push in.

Azriel dropped his forehead against mine with a strained grunt, his back muscles flexing as my fingers dug into the back of his shoulders, harsh breath hitting my skin as he slowly began to work his way in.

Whimpering softly, I shifted my hips, because he was big and I felt too tight and -

My eyes fluttered, a quiet sound leaving me when my walls closed around him, pulling him in, and Azriel's grip tightened when his hips settled against mine. His hand pressed against the wall over my head he breathed heavily against my lips, nose nudging against mine, and I whimpered, tugging him closer.

A soft groan left Azriel, and his hand slid down to the side of my neck, tilting my head back to kiss me. It was messy and breathless and I whimpered when his tongue slid against mine, his teeth sinking softly into my bottom lip and pulling lightly. His nose nudged against mine, then Azriel slipped his hand down to grip the back of my thigh, pulling it higher up his side, and I felt my lips part when it caused him to slide inside of me.

Azriel pressed his forehead against mine, out of breath as his throat worked, and I curled my fingers into his hair, nodding frantically as my insides tightened, and my head tipped back against the wall when Az slowly pulled out. Then he thrusted back in, and my lips fell open.

Slowly, little by little, Azriel took me apart. His lips dragging over my throat, heavy breaths hitting my skin, hot and ragged, his fingers digging into my thighs as his slow, deep rhythm shook me to my very core. With every thrust, the world seemed to tip a little more, until there was nothing anymore, nothing but him, body rocking mine into the wall, his cock hitting deeper with every thrust. His arm gripped me tighter, then his hand tugged down one strap of my soft bra and his palm closed over my breast, causing a whimper to break from my lips that turned into a moan when Azriel's lips latched onto my nipple, a groan rumbling deep in his throat when he bit and sucked on my skin, rough palm squeezing and tugging at my breast until my insides tightened around him, squeezing as I shuddered and dug my fingers into his hair, dragging him back up, and Azriel moaned hoarsely into my mouth as our lips crashed together. His hips snapped forward, and my hand flew out to grip the mantlepiece as my own rolled down to meet his next thrust.

Azriel's shoulders trembled as his fingers almost slipped off my thighs, and a sound left him that caused my chest to rise when his cock hit a spot so deep inside of me, I lost my breath. Lost my grip, felt my stomach pulse, and Az groaned against my lips when I dug my fingers into his neck and started meeting his hard, slowly quickening thrusts.

My lips fell open, my eyes fluttering as little by little, that familiar tightness began to form in my lower stomach. Only it felt even brighter, hotter and more pulsing than before, with Azriel buried deep inside me, hitting that spot that made my body writhe with every hard snap of his hips. I knew he could feel it too, the way my insides wound tighter with every thrust, fluttering and pulling him in, his grip bruising as he breathed harshly against my neck, deep, hoarse sounds leaving him somewhere halfway between moans and whimpers, and maybe those sounds alone would have done me in. But then his nose dragged up my cheek, and Azriel pressed his forehead against mine as my fingers scratched over his scalp, his ragged breath hitting my lips as his lids fluttered over his eyes that looked like melted amber.

His hand slipped between us, and my breath caught. Simply stopped when Azriel's rough thumb brushed over my clit, slow and hard, and the world fell apart. Became exploding galaxies and stardust as waves of pleasure crashed over me so intensely, I felt my body tremble and shake beyond measure, my eyes rolling back as my sight went blurry, and Azriel's thrusts faltered. His hips snapped once, twice before pushing in deep, then his head fell forward and lips opened soundlessly as his body shuddered.

no. 9: friends don't fall in love with each other.

When I woke up, Azriel was gone.

Something tightened a little in my chest, and I quickly sat up, my gaze moving over my clothes haphazardly strewn over the floor, the crinkled sheets and the window behind which, the sky was still a deep black, with galaxies twinkling in the far, far distance.

I couldn't have been asleep for long.

A little bit of pressure built in my throat, a gentle ache forming in my chest, and I quickly slipped off the mattress, picking up my sweater and tugging it over my head as I padded towards the door.

The townhouse was submerged in peaceful silence, the moon shining through the windows onto the stairs the only source of light as I soundlessly moved down the steps.

On the third floor, there was faint light shimmering out from under the door to the library, and my breath got caught in my throat.

Swallowing softly, I carefully opened the door and slipped through. Gently closing it behind me, I started to quietly move past the shelves until I caught movement over at the window, and my heart did a flip against my ribs when I came to a slow halt.

Azriel was with his back to me, slowly wandering from side to side, his bare feet making no sound on the hardwood floors, his shoulders tense, wings shifting and muscles working under his skin as he ran a hands through his hair. Shadows were pooling around his feet, completely quiet for once, just gently brushing against his ankles when he leaned forward, pressing his palms onto the window sill and dropping his head.

Something tightened a little in my chest, and I pulled up my shoulders, whispering softly and a bit hesitantly: "Az?"

Azriel stilled for a moment. Then he looked over his shoulder, and his eyes found mine, amber in the warmth of the fae lights.

I tried to fight against the soft skip in my chest and stared at him.

Azriel blinked before straightening slowly, his deep voice sending rushs of soft tingles down my spine when he mumbled: "Are you okay?"

I nodded, feeling one corner of my lips rise carefully as I fiddled with my sleeve and my eyes flickered back and forth between his.

"You?"

Azriel's gaze wandered over my face as he slowly turned to look at me, eyes moving over mine, almost like he was looking for something. Then he nodded lightly.

Feeling the curve of my lips deepen, I shifted a little on the spot, mumbling softly: "You don't look like it."

Azriel blinked again, and his throat worked a little, something shifting in his jaw. The tightness in my chest grew a little as I stared at him, feeling my throat close up.

I knew that look, knew how it meant he was in his head.

"Th-this doesn't have to change anything." I quickly shook my head, taking a step forward as I stared at him. "We can just forget about it, if you -" My eyes darted over his face, something tightened sharply in my chest, and I blurted hastily: "I'll get over it; I can push it away, I mean I think I have for centuries, I can pretend, and it'll go away, and we'll just -"

I broke off, my eyes darted up, and my heart did one mighty flip.

Because I had just realised what in my hurry to make Azriel's doubt go away had slipped from my lips.

And because Azriel had straightened. His lips parted as his eyes rushed over my face, and I barely suppressed the urge to swallow.

Shit.

"What?" Azriel's voice was hoarse as he stared at me, and I nearly winced.

"I don't know;", my voice rose to a panicked, high tone as I widened my eyes and quickly raised my shoulders, "you looked so in your head, and I know we messed up, but I can't lose you, and if you think this was a mistake or you don't like me like that, I -"

The shadowsinger stared at me, and suddenly, his eyes brightened. Started to shine like amber held into the sun, and his shoulders sank like a tension of centuries had flooded from his body. His lips parted a little more as he stared at me, and suddenly, the shadow of a crease formed in his cheek.

"Push what away?"

Something started rising in my chest, fluttering wildly as Azriel's eyes pierced mine and the golden spots in his iris started to dance.

Azriel stared at me. Then he began to slowly walk towards me, iris bright and twinkling. My heart tipped and tilted, and I swallowed, my gaze darting around the room.

Rough fingers gently closed around my chin, and my breath got caught in my throat, simply stopping when Azriel mumbled: "No, no, come on, sweetheart." His thumb and forefinger gently forced me to look up, up until I met his bright eyes flickering over my face, his deep voice tickling my spine and something shifting through his gaze, careful, anxious, when he said softly: "Push what away?"

I felt my lips open, my heart pounding harshly against my ribs, and my brows arched on their own accord.

"Oh, come on; really?" My voice rose desperately, and in any other situation, it would have been hilarious.

"What do you want to hear; that kissing you made the fucking world stop? That you probably ruined me for every godsdamned male out there, because there's no way anyone could ever make me feel that way again? That I was too stupid to realise I've fallen for my best friend like a complete idiot, even though you make my heart beat out of my chest everytime you just look at me? That you're everything? Tha-"

Azriel leaned down, and the world tipped off its axis when he kissed me, his hand slipping to the nape of my neck to tug me closer, fingers tangling in my hair. Then he started to smile against my lips, slow and wide, and my breath caught when he dipped forward and kissed me deeper.

Digging my fingers into his sides, I tried to keep my heart from fluttering out of my chest as something rose so violently under my ribs, a soft sound broke from my throat when Azriel's tongue slid against mine, and a slightly shaking exhale left him.

Gently brushing his thumbs over the side of my neck, Azriel slowly pulled away, his nose nudging against mine when he mumbled roughly against my lips: "If it makes you feel any better, you definitely ruined me for everyone I'll ever meet."

A trembling breath left me, and I pulled my head back to stare up at Azriel, that flutter in my chest growing when I saw the light in his eyes when he stared back down at me.

"You -" My voice gave out, and one corner of Azriel's lips quirked a little.

"I?" His voice was a little hoarse as his eyes tracked over mine, and he swallowed softly. "Am in love with you."

My breath caught in my throat.

Azriel's eyes moved over my face, and I could feel a gentle exhale leaving him as his hands pulled me closer until I gently bumped into his chest and he dropped his head, staring at me, looking like he was trying not to swallow as he mumbled lowly: "I've loved you for as long as I can remember. And I'll probably still love you when we're nothing but dust under the sky. The only reason I didn't tell you sooner was that I was scared to lose you if you didn't feel the same."

I breathed out and closed my eyes as my heart rose in a wild flutter and a warm thrum built in my chest as my lips started to curve into a ridiculously wide, desperate smile. "We're so stupid."

I felt Azriel's soft huff more than I heard it. Then his breath brushed over my face, and the next second, his hands slipped under the underside of my thighs and lifted me up.

My legs locked around his waist like instinct, my breath hitching as I held onto his shoulders, and my heart skipped when my nose almost bumped into Azriel's, his eyes bright as he stared at me.

"Remember when you asked me how you're supposed to know what you're looking for and I said you just know?" His low, deep voice sent a shiver down my spine, and I swallowed and somehow managed a nod.

One corner of Azriel's lips curved, then he dropped his head, and my breath caught in my throat, my eyes fluttering close when he leaned his forehead against mine.

"I was thinking of you." Azriel's quiet voice vibrated over my skin. "Because you became all I ever wanted, all I could see when I realised you were what I had been looking for my whole life."

My fingers curled into his hair, and a soft sound left Azriel's lips the same moment my heart rose into my throat.

"Sappy,", I whispered, my voice breaking a little, and Azriel chuckled against my lips before he pulled back, and something tipped over in my chest at the way he stared at me.

I blinked before looking down at his arms holding me up, chest pressing into mine, and something rose under my ribs.

"Now what?"

Azriel's lips curved, and my heart stumbled and skipped at the way his golden eyes twinkled when he raised a brow.

"Now I'll take you back upstairs and we'll do some more things that will ruin just thinking about anybody else."

no. 10 - the golden rule: friends make their own rules.

(and occasionally realize they aren't friends at all and they're idiots.)

@waytoomanyteenagefeels @ailyr92

[shunsuiken]

HOW THE GENSHIN MEN FIND YOU DRUNK

pairing(s). kaeya, diluc, zhongli, childe, ayato, thoma, tighnari, kaveh, wanderer x gn!reader

genre. fluff + mentions of alcohol use ofc + reader is a lightweight (welcome to my life guys <3)

wc. 400-800 for each character

an. SOOOOO this was inspired by a cdrama i watched back in 2021 and when i saw it i just HAD to write about it <3 also i think i had a bit too much fun on zhongli’s and childe’s i hope its not so obvious dear god. also??? for some reason the ones i had the hardest time writing for ended up being the longer parts omg

kaeya alberich

after spending some time upstairs with a couple of treasure hoarders who were completely unaware of being thoroughly deceived by the cunning cavalry captain, kaeya decides to head down and run over the knowledge he collected with mond’s famed beverage, death after noon.

but as he walks down the staircase, he spots a familiar figure sitting by the bar. he squints his eye slightly, almost not believing the sight in front of him. is that y/n? on the high stool by the bar? dozing off to only a few shots of liquor? tonight just became even more interesting. now he’s starting to wonder what things you would say under the influence—for no shady reasons, obviously, as he genuinely enjoyed your company and witiful mouth. he’s just a curious man with the goal of unveiling a few other things about you.

he makes a beeline to the bar, setting himself on your right side so you’re in his line of vision. glancing around, he motions for charles for his death after noon. kaeya only turns to you once his drink arrives, quickly giving you a once over. seeing as how it looked like you came to angel’s share after work he might as well stir up a conversation.

your vision is blurry but you can definitely feel the presence of another person beside you. as you lift your head from your crossed arms, your brows crease in irritation. which imbecile decided to disturb your time alone? you’re literally brooding over the fact that captain kaeya would never be yours, so you irresponsibly decided an hour ago that some liquor would magically help you forget your worries.

you’re ready to scare the person off with a glare but what you’re met with is quite literally, much worse (because your glares don’t work on him and also because he's part of the reason you’re in your drunken state).

kaeya chuckles at your expression. “why the long face? it’s just me.”

you rub your eyes, groaning from the bitterness lingering in your throat. of all people, you weren’t expecting him. “you never stop by on wednesday’s. is something up?” you ask drowsily as kaeya watches you pick up your glass, clumsily squinting at the bottom of it to see if there was any more of your liquor left.

kaeya dodges your question, humming, “y/n sweetheart, you look like you’re on the brink of passing out.” he tilts his head, observing your flushed expression. if you can’t handle your liquor, he doesn’t mind taking you back home if it means securing your safety.

“am not,” you reply, turning your gaze to him. it’s all thanks to the alcohol that you can do so when in reality you actually struggle to maintain eye contact with him. “you… you haven’t answered my question yet. why’re you here?” your voice is hoarse and you’ve made enough voice cracks to entertain a crowd, but kaeya finds it rather endearing instead.

kaeya could reply honestly. but this conversation is one to be forgotten after you woke up tomorrow morning. he could lie and you would never know he did, but for a reason unknown the lie he was supposed to tell never left his lips. instead he blurts out the plain truth.

“somebody has to be responsible for you, y’know,” kaeya teases you with a grin but his actions are the opposite of his tone. he stands from his seat, pulling your arm over his shoulders to support your weight even when you attempt to resist his help. he keeps your body close to his so you don’t fall over. hopefully you’re drunk enough to be oblivious of the erratic beats of his heart alongside the cautious and warm touch of his hand on your waist.

diluc ragnvindr

he still can’t believe he has such a massive crush on you. it’s almost embarrassing to let others know about this secret because nobody would expect someone like diluc to have a thing for you. it’s even harder to hide that fact when you’re sitting at a table with venti and kaeya. they’re laughing their asses off at some joke you told them.

“cheers to y/n!” venti hollers, cheeks undeniably pink. “you are paying for this, right?” he leans back down momentarily, making you release another burst of laughter from your lungs at the way he mentioned it. “of course!”

after chatting, you decide to greet the man of the house by the bar. it’s been a while since you’ve seen the master diluc of dawn winery anyway. as you get up from the table to make your way over, you accidentally bump into a crowd of big, brawny adventurers who’ve just arrived.

“oh—!” tripping backwards, your hands fail to find something to keep yourself on your feet before your fall is cushioned by someone.

they hold onto your shoulder as your back collides with their chest. the force from being pushed aside has you breathing unsteadily, and it doesn’t help that you’re pretty tipsy right now too. however, despite how tipsy you are, you feel as though air is sucked right out of your lungs when you spot a tuft of crimson red hair from the corner of your eye.

you stand right up immediately, facing the person you fell onto.

“master diluc!” the dazed and naive look on a drunkard's face normally doesn’t appeal to diluc but this expression on yours actually makes you look rather adorable. your eyes are half-lidded and your smile is lopsided, and oh if he could squish those cheeks of yours-

“uh, master diluc?” you blink, toning your voice down a bit.

“oh.” diluc slides out of his mindscape, paying attention to your words. “yes? would you like a drink on the house?” because if you actually asked that, he would have sent one your way on the spot.

you wave your hands dismissively. “n- no no, not that! i was just asking how you were doing. you haven’t stopped by angel’s share since last month, i thought something was up so when i heard you were here today i…” you trail off, realising that you’re rambling and that diluc probably didn’t want to be greeted like this after taking a month off but when you look back at him, he’s still looking at you (and has been since you fell into his arms).

diluc raises his brow when he no longer hears your voice. but when he sees an expectant look in your eyes, he offers you his arm with a smile. “how about you tell me everything by the bar? that way i can serve you properly.”

your cheeks burn like a wild bonfire as you take his arm, now struggling to find excuses to somehow change the topic of conversation because if you continued your sentence from a minute ago, you would have exposed your secret attraction for the man in front of you.

(funny how you don’t even need kaeya or venti to expose you, you’re already the man for the job!)

diluc senses your sudden nervousness at the invitation. he does his best to bite away at the fond smile making its way to his lips. if he can help calm your nerves then maybe you’ll tell him about how much you missed his company at the tavern.

zhongli

zhongli didn’t know that his late night stroll around the streets of chihu rock would include witnessing your drunk state at third-round knockout. the streets have thinned out and it’s rather late too. he wonders what brought you over to the distinguished tavern.

the curious adeptus makes silent haste to peer over your shoulder. a cup in your hand and your head is lolling over. putting two and two together, you must have had your fill of alcohol for tonight.

zhongli finds himself chuckling before neatly folding his hands behind his back. “i wonder how y/n is faring on this wonderful night?”

your head snaps out of your drunken state momentarily, the coherent cells in your brain recognise that voice immediately but your vision is blurry. so instead of being able to greet the gentleman with dignity and grace, you end up tripping over the levelled bricks below you. 

“oh—!”

zhongli is quick to open his arms and catch you, his reflexes still polished despite his retirement as the geo archon. your head bumps into his chest as you grunt at the slight fright. and after regaining your foothold on the bricked ground, it comes to your attention that your body is flat against the man in front of you. more specifically, his arms are wrapped around your waist to keep you steady and your hands are fumbling awkwardly in the air because you don’t know where to put them.

looking up to meet zhongli’s eyes is exactly what you expected but you can never maintain eye contact with him. it’s not your fault he’s so handsome! his kind gesture makes your cheeks warm up, and he probably doesn’t even mean anything out of it but sometimes your mind likes to be a little creative and indulges you in a variety of impossible scenarios.

“archons, zhongli i’m sorry—i didn’t see you i—” 

“it’s not a problem, y/n. shall i walk you home?” zhongli offers, voice gentle and non-judgemental, like you didn’t just trip over a couple of bricks.

you shake your head, earning a raised brow from him. “i only live a few minutes away. plus, look at the time, we’ll look weird.”

“holding you in my arms will not make us look weird, rather i believe this is appropriate for us both. don’t you think?” the way zhongli tilts his head to the dominating tone in his voice makes you feel so small.

“i mean—sure but,” you reply, not daring to look directly into his eyes unless you were going to expose your hidden feelings for him. “but i’m drunk. it’s my fault, i can take myself ho—” your words are caught in your throat when zhongli lifts you up into his arms, carrying you bridal style down the steps and continuing down the street to bring you home.

this extra pinch of boldness is something that lays dormant within zhongli. but it always comes alive when you’re around. he has spent enough time around mortals to pick up the signs of the heart. your reactions to his touch, your flickering gaze and the heat from your face is no brainer. however, he will have to properly communicate with you when you’re sober.

for now, he only hopes that you will disregard the warmth radiating off his neck when you lean in to rest your forehead there.

childe

he’s dancing. dancing to his heart’s content. the band plays the second to last song but the harbinger barely feels like he’s lived up to the heights of the night. he requires more vigour, more energy from his dancing partners. sure, they were all wonderful dancers but he’s really only waiting for someone else to enter his field of vision.

childe knows you’re around here somewhere, you told him personally a week before the ball that you and your father were invited. after all, only the most distinguished noblemen and women were eligible to attend. and you, being the one and only child of one of the leading snezhnayan trade merchants, are an obvious guest on the list of invites.

childe dances, switching and gliding between different and eager dance partners, secretly hoping that the next gloved hand he would take would be yours. unfortunately, for the second to last song, he still doesn’t manage to find you amongst the crowd of participants dancing. so when the music stops he makes sure to return everyone a wave and entertain those who greet him warmly, doing everything in his power to stop the itch of impatience showing on his sweaty face. thankfully, he manages to maintain a calm and composed expression.

childe’s head perks up to a certain sound. amongst the music, the cheers and the clings of wine glasses he recognises a laugh. a laugh, to the extent of his knowledge, only he’s able to get out of you. he brings his wine glass away from his lips, licking the remnants of it from his bottom lip as he captures the sight of you chatting away with other guests.

scanning the guests’ faces, he concludes that they’re harmless thanks to information he was told prior to the event. so he makes his way over, smoothly including himself in conversation just to make an excuse to the other guests to ‘borrow your attention’ for a moment.

you take his arm that he offers you, holding your wine glass in your other hand. childe has always been a gentleman towards you, such a passionate person with excellent manners. you’re almost always guaranteed to have a grand time whenever he invites you out (obviously as friends, which you two have made known to the entire town).

“so ajax, tell me about your journey to liyue—” your throat interrupts your speech with a very clear hiccup. “—harbour.” your cheeks burn, quickly apologising for your lack of manners under your breath.

childe hums, loving how you used the name he told you to use when it’s just you and him. “your grace, are you drunk?” he gazes at your flushed face and how your styled hair looks more undone. he thinks you look better this way actually.

“i might be,” you sigh, wanting to hand your glass over to a butler but childe stops you before you can, taking your glass to quickly down the last sips of your beverage.

“ajax, what are you doing?!” you tap his arm repeatedly with concern, telling him to slow down.

you just got that glass a few minutes ago! but besides that, he’s drinking the wine you just had?! what if his lips touch the part yours did on the glass? not that you mind at all—you wouldn’t dare say that out loud but your thoughts are as clear as day on your expression.

childe enjoys the look on your face, satisfied and relieved that you didn’t show a hint of dissatisfaction. “i’ve not had the honour to dance with you tonight.” he passes the empty glass onto a passing butler’s tray. “shall i have the pleasure now?”

kamisato ayato

by this time in the evening, you, thoma and ayaka are probably done playing the hot pot game. which is alright since ayato knew he would return home from business later than usual tonight, but that doesn’t stop him from checking up on all of you. so when he slides the door open to see his faithful retainer, his sister and you sleeping soundly in the designated hot pot room at komore teahouse, the lord cannot help but stifle a fond laugh.

it then comes to his attention that the room reeks of alcohol. oh dear. that explains why everyone’s blacked out.

“‘yato?” he watches you lift your head from the table. ah, you’re still awake… and definitely drunk. no wonder you dropped the formalities all of a sudden. if you were sober you would have rushed to greet him by the door and refer to him by “my lord” despite all the protests he’s made to call you by his first name instead.

ayato hushes you gently, ignoring how his heart skips a beat at the mention of his first name leaving your lips and sits himself beside you. he’s almost taken aback by how you immediately lean onto his body for support. he knew you were an affectionate person but you normally asked before proceeding with anything just in case he felt uncomfortable (surprise! he never did). so seeing this side of you is rather refreshing to his eyes.

“what’re you doing here?” you blink hardly at him but it’s to no avail as the alcohol in your veins distorts your vision.

he brings you closer, gloved hand rising to caress the back of your head. “i just came to visit. however, it didn’t occur to me that you would all have so much fun without my presence.” 

“nonsense!” you claim dramatically, a satisfied smile immediately appearing on ayato’s face at your predictable reaction.

you poke his arm you don’t realise is already sat on your waist. you’re too ready to defend your lord from his own words to notice anyway.

ayato scans your face. lavender eyes find your plumped lips, the thin sheen of sweat along your cheeks and your hair attempting to escape the confines of your hairpin—hold on a moment, he got you that hairpin!

the way ayato has to physically restrain a grin from showing on his face is uncharacteristic of him. he’s noticed that he uncovers new parts of himself whenever you’re beside him. such an interesting person you are…

“we were waiting for you—hic—however, we got a little distracted.” you admit, gesturing at ayaka who sleeps soundly on thoma’s jacket. you look up at ayato through your eyelashes, giving him a lopsided smile.

“i remembered your—hic—advice when you said ayaka can’t drink more than a glass. she might even have it worse than me. but thoma, on the other hand, was a completely different story. that man was a mess!” you move your head to look at thoma’s body sprawled over the floor, ugly giggles leaving the back of your throat at how much of an idiot he looks like right now.

your hair tickles ayato’s chin but he pays no mind to it when he’s so immensely amused by your relaxed nature when drunk.

thoma

thoma mentally checks his list of things to do before retiring for the night. his lord is in his office, accompanied by a freshly made pot of tea, his lady should already be sound asleep and the other retainers are also readying to retire too. he sighs to himself, patting his jacket down as he heads to the kitchen to finalise his cleaning.

when he enters the kitchen, he is baffled at the sight in front of him. he stares blankly for a moment to process it.

there’s remnants of sake dripping out of a tipped-over tokkuri and his lover who plays with the o-choko absentmindedly with their finger, drawing invisible lines along the rim. thoma stifles a giggle, a curled finger covering his lips.

his giggle sends your consciousness back into focus. you only have the power to tilt your head ever so slightly to the right, your movements pausing on the o-choko when your gaze falls upon the view of your lover.

“tho—ma,” your cracked voice calls for him, making him rush toward you in such fondness so he could pinch your cheeks.

“oh, y/n, what are you doing?” thoma asks as giggles leave his lips, watching you squint at him dazedly. “it’s dripping from the corner of your lips as well!” he takes a napkin, sitting next to you to wipe it away gently.

“wh- where’ve you been, pretty?” your words are slurred but thoma hears you perfectly well.

the pet name makes him blush, but you’re too drunk to notice. “i’ve been doing my job—oh, honey—” he huffs when he brings you to lean on him instead. the longer you lay your head on the table, the more you’ll want to throw up later (and thoma makes sure to prevent that from happening).

you giggle at the little voice crack you hear when he calls you by your pet name, leaning onto his chest as your head rests on his shoulder blade. taking advantage of this position, thoma presses a cool ceramic cup filled with water by your lips and when you lazily open your eyes, you see that it’s the glass that’s been sitting on the side from earlier.

“drink up, honey.” you can’t refuse such a request when it’s mumbled so affectionately by your ear. you’re probably even warm at your cheeks from it, but then again, the sake has kept your cheeks warm for a while. you can’t even tell anymore.

after taking a few sips of water, your throat feels fresh and renewed—if thoma heard your thoughts, he would deadpan at you and say “y/n. it’s called getting hydrated” in a sassy little voice. this scenario amuses you and it causes a small laugh to leave your lips.

above you, thoma is confused. “what are you thinking about?” he asks curiously with a smile.

as you rest your head on thoma’s shoulder again, you reply, “you. i’m just thinking about you.”

tighnari

a shout from outside tighnari’s lodging brings his attention away from his documents, brows furrowing and pushing himself up from his chair to see why his forest rangers are making such a fuss at an ungodly hour (yes, tighnari was awake at said ungodly hour but that wasn’t because he was with his fellow rangers after a night out!).

“tighnari, we’re back!” a drunk forest watcher waves and yells at the figure of tighnari, who has his arms crossed in front of him.

a sigh leaves tighnari’s mouth, one of exhaustion, to be precise. “do you intend to wake all of gandharva ville up? go find yourselves home and rest.” he turns around to head back inside until another forest watcher pipes up.

“wait, tighnari! y/n’s black out drunk!” a female forest watcher, who’s eyes can’t even look at a single point any longer due to the alcohol running in her veins, displays your figure with your arm dangling over her shoulders. “you need to take them back, i don’t know where they live!”

tighnari raises a brow and chuckles, shaking his head. “yet you’re sober enough to tell me this.” he walks towards the group of drunkards and collects you easily from the forest watcher, carefully placing your arm over his shoulders while his other hand holds your hip.

you barely know where you are and what’s happening but it appears that your assigned guardian angel for the night has retired and put you in more capable hands—or, arms. you blink in an attempt to gather knowledge of your surroundings but it’s to no avail when everything is a blur of darkness with hints of warm light from the dew lights.

a grunt escapes your lips in slight frustration as you walk away with this other person, but they’re quick to hush you gently and in a soft voice you hear, “i promise we’re almost there, just walk with me, okay?”

“yeah, okay,” you reply promptly but to tighnari’s ears, he’s never heard such a tone in your voice ever since you were recruited. his heart skips a beat and his ear twitches along. it’s rare to see you so vulnerable and he can tell you have no idea that he’s the one carrying you back to… well, his lodging. because your lodging is simply too far away (it’s only a bridge away) and he can’t have you walking any longer when you look like you’re on the verge of passing out! 

he doesn’t know what’s gotten into him when his gloved hand holds onto your forearm to keep your body steady against his as he walks you to his lodging. his body is going against him and his heart can only take the blame for such ridiculous delusions. what does he think he will get out of this?

he’s just your chief forest watcher, that’s all he will ever be to you—is what tighnari thinks. but in reality, you only went out with the others to spiral in alcohol due to your failed attempts of romancing your handsome superior. it seemed that the sumeru roses and the letter you left at his doorstep were blown away by the wind (you had to commit blasphemy on that day and curse the anemo archon), the pita pockets you made for him were stolen away by some petty treasure hoarders when you weren’t looking and overall, your thoughts were a mess thinking about your failed attempts. it was like your beloved archon forgot to bless you with wisdom to avoid these situations.

“see! i told you he had a soft spot for them!”

“it’s so obvious the feelings mutual, i can’t believe they didn’t believe us.”

“they’re literally the only one who can’t see it!”

tighnari clears his throat loud enough for the group to hear him. he turns around and gives them a pointed look until they’re all skipping away to their respective lodgings.

he glances at your drunken face for a brief moment and smiles to himself, continuing to walk you back.

it appears that all his worries were meaningless.

kaveh

the sight of you leaning against the door to his home almost makes his soul fly right out of his body.

“hello y/n, i thought we were meeting for dinner?” but when kaveh finally makes it to where you are, you are nowhere near sober. no wonder your figure was leaning against the wood so flimsily. you were akin to a ragdoll at this point. “great heavens, is the end of the world upon us? why are you drunk before me?” he hesitantly collects you in his arms while mehrak hovers beside him. he can’t have you just leaning like that!

“went to… birthday party… drinks…”

that’s enough information to bring kaveh up to speed with the situation. but also… why did you decide to go to his house?! was it instinctive?

kaveh cringes at his thoughts and opens the door with his free hand while his other hand supports you by your waist (he can feel his palm warming up to the touch on your body and it’s making the poor man sweat). “come on in, let’s sober you up.” 

when you’re sat nicely on the couch, your eyes are still closed with zero awareness of your surroundings. how your head suddenly tilts backwards at such speed almost brings the most horrific yelp out of kaveh, he’s relieved to know his reflexes are still sharp enough to have caught your head before it snapped right off your neck.

“archons, you’re going to give me a heart attack!” he holds the back of your head and somehow manages to bring your body to lean against the spine of the couch. he doesn’t forget to put a pillow behind your back either, because you being drunk doesn’t mean you’re drunk enough to not feel discomfort.

after collecting himself from that scare, he returns with a cup of water, hands carefully hovering it in front of your lips. “here, drink up,” he says but you keep moving your mouth away from the cup that it’s slowly beginning to irritate him.

“y/n, you need to sober up if you’re going to walk home later,” he tells you in a more serious voice which makes you groan, throwing your head forward into your hands.

“you don’t understand.”

“what don’t i understand?”

what am i doing here? i swear i was in front of my friend's place… how is it that my drunk feet led me here? out of all the places on this continent, why did i take myself to the one place i’m trying to avoid?!

kaveh raises a brow and puts down the glass of water. “is something wrong, y/n? i haven’t even seen you since last week.”

“i’ve been… busy…” trying to keep my feelings at bay!

“i see,” kaveh responds before adding, “do you still feel drunk?”

“i wouldn’t say i’m drunk to the point of passing out—i did feel like that earlier but now that i’m sitting i can at least participate in conversation.” you remove your face from your hands.

why is his face so pink? you think to yourself, grabbing the glass of water from the table to take a sip before leaning back with your free arm supporting you. you grin to yourself, feeling a little cheeky.

you offer the glass of water you just drank from to kaveh, hovering it in front of his lips and you swear you almost watch his eyes fall out of their eye sockets.

“what—what are you doing?!” kaveh’s voice shakes and you let out this cute drunken giggle that makes his heart leap. 

“i know i’m the one drunk, but for some reason you look drunk without even having drinks!”

kaveh touches his face and he purses his lips. his cheeks are so used to being hot from being in your presence that he didn’t even realise!

“allow me to assist you.” you lean your body a little closer so you can press the chilled glass of water against kaveh’s cheek.

his bottom lip falls and quivers when you lean closer towards him. last time you were this close, you were putting medication on his face after a run in with fungi.

the coldness of the glass somehow gives him time to think to himself—rationally. maybe in this moment right now he could…

“thank you, y/n.” you’ve never heard this tone in kaveh’s voice, it’s unfamiliar and so… tender. what he does next makes you finally meet his scarlet eyes.

a warm hand wraps around your wrist that holds the glass to his cheeks, your skin immediately lights up in fire at the contact. it makes you gulp so embarrassingly loudly before him.

he leans into the coolness of the glass, gazing at you with such gentle eyes that it’s tempting you to look away. as his thumb gently caresses your skin, he smiles. “it helps.”

wanderer

wanderer returns to his home a little later than usual tonight. he made sure to leave a note on the dining table to let you know of his whereabouts for the day. he knows you have the propensity to worry about him, despite his claims that he’ll be perfectly fine because of how well-versed he is in the arts of defence (and nasty attacks). which is why he left the note on the table, and he acknowledges how it was moved to another spot on the table from this morning.

you’ve seen it. he thinks to himself and now he wonders where you are. you’re not normally out at this time and from your cute daily schedule reports you tell him before bed, he doesn’t remember you mentioning that you would be out until this time. or if you were going out with friends.

that’s alright. wanderer can wait.

the tapping of his own foot is driving the man on edge. it’s been two whole hours—the sun is far beneath the horizon and the birds are already snoring. where the hell are you? wanderer cannot do this anymore, he rises from his seat and takes flight with his anemo abilities.

the city is rather easy to navigate at this height. in the dark, the city is at least still lit up by streetlights and with the help of one nearby lambad’s tavern, he spots your curled figure sitting on the floor very easily.

he hovers over the cement before landing smoothly on his feet. “what are you doing here at this time? it’s so late,” wanderer remarks with irritation, standing in front of you with his arms folded. he stares at your figure with a frown.

“h-huh?” your voice comes out hoarse, lifting your head and your eyes slowly make out the figure of wanderer. “o-oh it’s youi… where’ve you been?” you manage to say despite how the world shakes around you.

“tch, what do you—” wanderer stops himself, raising a brow then finally taking the time to scan your face and posture and it hits him.

you’re fucking drunk.

“you’re insane,” wanderer scoffs, kneeling down to silently take a closer look at your face and body for any drunkenly bruises. “do you even know what time it is? i was waiting for you.” he doesn’t exactly know what to do with his hands but he decides to offer you one to help you get up on your feet.

“you think i’m insane but really, you’re the one doing insane things all the time! you know, like fighting fatui agents in the rain… to avenge a bird!” you put emphasis on the word ‘bird’ and wanderer scoffs at the finger you point at him.

“it was in danger,” he replies simply before sighing, “but that’s not the point. you’re drunk outside at a time like this so i’ll be taking you home now.”

talking to him magically makes you more sober with every passing second. you decide to play with him a little, leaning back on the brick wall as the crease in your brow melts away. “ooh, shouldn’t you take me on a date first?”

wanderer groans, pulling his hand back. he’s never had to deal with you drunk before! so he thinks for a moment, and he stands tall on his feet, turning his head the other direction. “if this is how you will continue to act then i will leave you to your own devices, however if you come back crawling to me—”

wanderer almost gasps at your figure suddenly standing beside him, steady on your feet as you give him a hard and long stare. “you don’t have to tell me twice about how you wait for me at home, i’m well aware of that. complain all you want about me but your words aren’t consistent with your actions, my love.” you slide your hand down his arm to reach for his hand as you lean your head on his shoulder.

you feel him tilt his face in the other direction. curious, you briefly lift your head for a moment to spot your pretty artificial lover gritting his teeth as a sheet of pink blankets his cheeks.

“fool,” he whispers, but there is no malice behind it.

[bbydeathclaw]

Petulance

pairing: silco x fem!reader (nsfw)

AO3

summary: Silco sends you away to try to get some work done and you decide to be a horrendous little shit about it.

tags: fluff, smut, established relationship, fingering, oral sex (f!receiving), good ol' mating press, teasing, bratty reader, simp silco

word count: 5.4k

adorably aesthetic mdni banner by @cafekitsune

a/n: hello! this is my first time writing in a looong while almost 10 years to be exact please don't look at me. but I had to get back into it with this shamelessly self indulgent fic of my favorite brooding king pin. I hope you enjoy!

Silco had thought it a bit odd at first, the ease with which you’d taken your leave from his office tonight. Ordinarily when he’d attempt to send you away in favor of getting his paperwork done in a more timely manner, you’d put up some form of sulky little protest.

An overemphasized pout coupled with a look of feigned sadness, eyebrows furrowed together when you’d offer to assist him with said work. Your reason being that it would ‘probably get done faster’ between the two of you. 

A lie, and a blatant one at that. You were, on all counts, absolutely shit at keeping your focus on any tasks he’d try to give you. You knew it. He most certainly knew it. Truly he’d wonder why you’d even bother offering at all if you just spent most of the time trying to distract him anyway. 

Still, he can’t say he isn’t amused by your actions. He finds these juvenile acts of yours terribly endearing for the most part, and even starts to look forward to them, knowing full well that he'll give in to just about anything if you’d simply ask it of him. 

Which is why he can’t help but feel somewhat disappointed when you don’t do any of this at all, and Silco starts to regret his idiotic suggestion entirely until you throw a cheeky smirk his way instead. 

“Alright, I think I’ll go bug Sevika for a bit.”

A single eyebrow quirk, followed by a low hum of approval. 

“I’m sure she’ll be positively thrilled by that,” he replies, suppressing a smirk of his own at the thought of his second in command being pestered by someone almost half her size. 

He’s still disheartened by your willingness to leave, but ultimately makes peace with it knowing that you’d more than likely return at some point. You give him a small wave with your fingers followed by a wink over your shoulder, and Silco doesn't hesitate to drag his gaze over your body shamelessly as it saunters out of his office.

About an hour passes, and the music coming from downstairs is just starting to pick up for the evening. You enter the room with a fluid sidestep, leaning back against the door once it closes behind you. His good brow raises slightly. “Back so soon?”

You don’t answer at first, instead making your way over to one of the tables in his office, like a cat quietly stalking about until something catches its interest. He watches you methodically as you settle for one of Jinx’s old trinkets that had been long discarded, carefully turning it over in your hand. “Sevika called me a menace.”

This time he makes no attempt to hide the subtle upturn from the corner of his lips. “I’m afraid I’m inclined to agree with her, my dear.”

“She seems pretty cranky tonight.” 

“Hm, surely through absolutely no fault of your own.”

You bite the inside of your cheek in what he can only assume is an attempt to stifle a giggle before turning to face him with an adorably giddy expression that makes his chest tighten. 

“Whatcha doin’?” 

So innocent, as if you were completely unaware of the effect you had on him. Silco doesn’t answer you verbally, merely bringing his forehead to rest against his hand and lifting the piece of paper he’s holding in the air with the other. The sullen face you make doesn’t go unnoticed by him as you turn to put the gadget back down with an airy sigh.

“Well,” you drag the word out. “I guess I’d better let you get back to it.”  

“Yes, that would be nice,” he says in turn, though it comes off more teasing rather than the displeasure he’s trying to convey. 

You study his face for another beat or two before you finally respond. “Okay, if that’s really what you want.” It’s not. Not even in the slightest. “I’ll go see if Thieram needs any help at the bar.”

“My love, Theiram is more than capable of handling his responsibilities as a bartender alone. It’s why I hired him, in fact.” He pauses. “Have you perhaps considered staying up here and behaving yourself, rather than looking for more ways to wreak havoc amongst my employees?” 

For a moment Silco thinks that he may be tipping his hand too soon, fearing that you’ve caught on to the fact that he’s basically been doing fuck all except sitting here and waiting for you to come back to his office. His suspicion only rises with the way you’re tilting your head and downright beaming at him with ill-disguised glee, like you’d been reading his every thought. 

“If I stayed up here it certainly wouldn’t be to behave myself.”

The paper he’s holding makes an audible crunch sound, his hand crumpling the edge of it faintly in response to your suggestive remark. 

Before he has the chance to reply with some snarky comment, you’re already heading towards the door, making a show of swaying your hips and giving him another view of the delicious swell of your backside before you take your leave again. His chair makes an audible groan as he leans back against it and lets out a lengthy sigh, running a hand through his hair and glancing down into his lap at the result of your seemingly endless torment.

Intolerable minx.

By the third time you make your way back up, only about half an hour has passed, and Silco’s all but given up on the prospects of getting any semblance of work done tonight. His thoughts being entirely permeated by you and the state you’d left him in. 

The Last Drop is in full swing now, and the liveliness of everything going on downstairs comes through the open door as you re-enter his office. However this time, he makes no effort to acknowledge your arrival, his chair now facing away from his desk, turned instead towards the large stained glass window that bathes him in a sickly, pale green light. All the noise from the club gets muffled when the door shuts once again, followed by the sound of purposeful footsteps making their way over to him.

“Welcome back,” he states flatly, trying to sound as disinterested as he can manage in his current predicament while he looks over his clipboard in a vain attempt at trying to salvage what was supposed to be a productive evening.

“Hello there, almighty Eye of Zaun,” you chime back with a playful lilt in your voice. “Did you miss me?”

Silco’s eyes tick upwards and stare blankly at the window straight ahead, actively suppressing the urge to let out another heavy sigh. You were going to be the death of him at this rate, there was absolutely no doubt in his mind. How you managed to be both so insufferable and still so unbelievably charming he’ll never quite understand. Before he has the chance to turn his chair with an already fixed scowl, he hears a faint thud behind him, the distinct sound of glass meeting wood only slightly muted by a soft shuffling of papers. 

A few seconds pass before Silco finally spins around to face you, seeing that a tumbler has been set down right on top of the paperwork he had been ruminating over all night. He’s also greeted by the sight of you already sitting in a chair directly in front of his desk, grinning from ear to ear. His heart swells at the sight and his scowl gradually melts away, only to be replaced by something more along the lines of skepticism when he takes in your expression fully. 

Your smile is accompanied by what appears to be a look of pure satisfaction, though he has no clue as to why. His non-discolored eye narrows at you, like a parent trying to figure out what misdeed their child has committed behind their back. 

Silco regards you warily for another moment, taking in every minute detail of your face in hopes of detecting something that might give you away while he reaches for the glass set in front of him. Ice clinks against the sides as he swirls it around before bringing it to his lips, taking a long sip followed by a hum of appreciation. His eyes shoot back up to meet yours, and finds you now biting your lip while trying, and failing, to suppress a huge grin. 

You’re definitely up to something, that much he’s certain of now, and the fact that he still can’t figure out what it is causes his previously feigned discontent to turn into more of a bubbling frustration, having just about enough of whatever game you’re playing. A fleeting thought crosses his mind as he glances down at the drink now dangling from his fingertips, then back up to you. 

Silco knows you’ve taken in the brief look of suspicion on his face when you let out a laugh that, despite the visible displeasure he's exuding towards you, is still one of the sweetest sounds he's ever heard.

“I didn’t poison you, if that’s what you’re wondering,” you quip, clearly amused at the implication.

“At this point I would be grateful if you did.”

You laugh again, but it comes out more like a short exhale through your nose along with a relaxed grin, taking a sip of your own beverage, and Silco’s good eye narrows at you once again. 

“Are you drunk?”

“What? No.”

Silence.

“Then what did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything.”

He practically glares at you for what feels like a considerable amount of time before it finally dawns on him that you haven’t left yet. 

“Did you need something darling? Or have you just come to find more ways to elicit whatever reaction you’ve been hoping for this evening?” Silco brings the tumbler to his mouth once more, letting it hover there momentarily in order to get the rest of his words out. “Because if the intended reaction was to see how far you can test my patience I can assure you-” 

Words die on his lips immediately when you make a move to stand, mismatched eyes shooting down to your waist to see what appears to be quite possibly the shortest skirt he’s ever seen you in, leaving so very little to the imagination.

He’s still holding the glass right up to his face while he watches you make your way around the only obstacle that separates the two of you before hopping onto one of the corners, your butt and thighs jiggling faintly when they make contact with the solid piece of furniture. “I just figured you could use a drink after such a long night of hard work. Is that so wrong?”

Silco tracks your movements with an almost predatory fixation, watching you lean back slightly to rest against your arms, crossing one leg over the other and he has to actively resist the urge to scoff. This thing is hardly covering anything, you’re essentially sitting there with your bare ass on his desk. The realization of that along with the sight of everything you’re showing has his cock hardening at an alarming rate.

You don’t seem to notice, or if you do you don’t say anything, eyebrows knitting together in a poorly disguised attempt at looking genuinely worried. “What’s wrong? You don’t look very happy to see me.” 

Silco sets the glass down onto his desk with a bit more force than intended, turning his chair to face all the way forward and bringing his mouth to rest against interlocked fingers. Any moment now he’s expecting you to hop right off that corner and make your way back downstairs, back to a place filled with depraved and perverted onlookers. 

Realistically he knows no harm would ever befall you while you were down in the Last Drop. All of his subordinates had been given clear instruction to keep a watchful eye on you at all times, and after a while a lot of them had started to do it less out of obligation and more so out of genuine care, especially Jinx and Sevika. 

Plus, he knows you can hold your own in a fight. Growing up in the undercity had hardened you just enough to make you a scrappy but formidable opponent. So logically speaking, Silco knows there's no safer place for you to be, but the thought of anyone other than himself seeing you in that, especially the less than respectable patrons that frequent his establishment nearly every night, makes his blood boil.

“Of course I'm happy to see you, my dear,” he retorts, turning his head to look over at you once more, eyes darting downwards to that indecent piece of fabric wrapped around your waist then back up to meet your gaze. “It's just that I'm seeing quite a lot of you at the moment, and if you go back downstairs, so will everyone else.” His last words come out strained as he shifts in his chair in a poor attempt to alleviate his growing erection.

“Oh, you mean my skirt? Is there…something wrong with it?” You lift your hips to take the tiniest of scoots towards him, and Silco’s eyes immediately hone in on the action. 

“Don’t be cheeky.”

Another scoot. “I’m afraid that can’t be helped, especially in this.”

At this point he wouldn’t be surprised if you really are trying to kill him, taking controlled and steady breaths while he attempts to suppress his growing ire in response to such a ridiculous question. Of course there’s something wrong with it. Silco’s sure he’d nearly be able to see the soft outline of your mound if you were to spread your legs, even in the slightest.

He lets out another deep breath before picking up his pen and casually scribbling his signature on one of the invoices strewn about in front of him. “You will not be going back down there like that.”

He’s not looking at you, but Silco can see the movements of you moving closer out of the corner of his unmarred eye.

“Are you..asking me to stay?” 

He doesn’t respond, instead electing to take another piece of paper to scrawl his name at the bottom offhandedly. He knows what you’re playing at, the fact that it took him so long to realize it irks him to no end. He wouldn’t mind answering honestly and just telling you that yes, he does want you to stay, but the thought of giving into your bratty little antics this evening doesn’t sit quite right with him. 

Which is why he makes the conscious decision to ignore you as you move close enough to where your upper leg is now narrowly brushing his elbow, the shift causing him to mess up the tail end of another signature. Silco chances a glance towards the movement and regrets it almost immediately when he takes in the soft curve of your thigh, his cock twitching painfully at the sight.

He makes his second mistake when he follows the tantalizing trail of your body upwards and is met with the most unabashed, shit eating grin plastered across your face. He has to force himself to look away, the hand not holding his pen coming up to drag his long fingers back and forth across his mouth as he contemplates the idea of sending you away all together, leaving you pouty and disappointed. And for a moment he comes close to doing just that, until he makes the grave error of risking a glance up at your face again.

You’re not smiling anymore, expression replaced by something far more lustful and serious. Silco simply stares as your tongue slides out to pull your bottom lip in between your teeth before gently nudging his elbow with your knee. He doesn’t hesitate in dropping his arm to offer you the space in front of him, and you slide over gracefully. He stays perfectly still while you plant a foot atop each of the armrests of his ornate chair, knees pressed tightly together.

He finally responds to your earlier question with one of his own. 

“What would possibly give you that idea?” His voice is light and teasing, all traces of anger gone. “You’ve been nothing short of a nightmare all evening, love. And now this?” Fingertips come up to stroke the side of your calf, humming appreciatively.  “What am I going to do with you?”

This earns Silco a wide, toothy grin as you scoot forward. “Whatever do you mean? I’m just sitting here.”

“Don't be coy with me, sweetheart.” He leans forward, breath fanning over your knees as he speaks. “Be a good girl and tell me what you want.”

“I want you,” knees parting just barely, “to answer my question.”

Silco pushes his tongue against his cheek in minor annoyance before sliding both hands up your legs and over your knees, then back down until he reaches your hips. He grips firmly at the supple flesh and yanks you closer towards him, eliciting a sharp squeak followed by a string of giggles.

“I think you might be the most aggravating creature I’ve ever had the displeasure of courting.”

Your face adorns a look of mock appreciation. “Awe, thank you!”

Slender hands travel back up to your knees. “Truly just a tantalizing little menace.” He waits for you to part them further, granting him the access he’s so desperately craving. “One that I’m both drawn to and irritated by all at once.”

Your smile is nothing short of haughty, as if you’re truly taking everything he’s telling you as a compliment. “Well now you’ve really got me hot and bothered,” you shoot back, knees moving further away from each other until you’re spread all the way open for him.

Although spoken in a sarcastic tone, Silco sees that your words are in fact true, his eyes taking in the sight of your already dripping cunt.

“Indulge me, sweetheart,” he says, one hand coming up to trace the backs of your thighs with his knuckles, causing goosebumps to decorate your soft skin. “Why the need to be so difficult tonight?” 

You shiver at the touch, bottom lip still tucked between your teeth as he brings a thumb up to stroke lazily over your pussy. 

“J-just for fun,” you retort, but your voice doesn’t hold the same conviction. “Wanted to see..how long it would take.”

“How long what would take?”

The laugh you let out is shaky at best, but there’s still a bit of confidence left when you answer. “For you to ask me to stay.”

It only takes about half a second before Silco’s thumb pushes into your core and his tongue cards a long, hot stripe along your folds. The noise you make spurring him on further as his mouth envelopes your clit, giving it a harsh suck before pulling away with a satisfying wet plop sound.

“I don’t recall asking anything of the sort,” he chides, sliding his thumb back out. “If memory serves me correctly, you came into my office several times practically demanding my attention.”

Silco punctuates his last few words by pushing two fingers into you, pulling another sharp inhale from your lips as he turns his palm to face upward and curls them inside of you.

“Has it ever occurred to you,” he starts, bringing his thumb to circle against your now swollen clit, drawing a long whine out of you as you work your hips against him. “..that perhaps I attempt to send you away in order to finish with my tasks quickly, just so I can get back to doting on you with said attention? Selfish little creature.”

Your eyebrows pinch together, speaking between shallow breaths. “You.. could have just.. said that.. you know.”

Silco smirks, watching you look back at him with a pair of pleading eyes. “And deny myself the pleasure of seeing your lovely pouts and open displays of petulance?” He adds a third finger. “I think not.” 

“Silco,” you whine, “please.”

His cock twitches in response, and he doesn’t waste any time bringing his mouth back down to your bud and swirling his tongue around it lavishly while his fingers twist and turn inside of you. He watches you throw your head back, one of your hands snaking upwards to grip the edge of the desk above your head, the other coming to latch onto the top of his head hard as you roll your hips against him. 

“There, that’s it,” he coos, “show me how eager you are. Use me.” 

This draws another string of small gasps and moans from you, coupled with lewd, wet, slurping sounds as Silco continues to lap and suck at your clit, bringing his free hand to grip your thigh and anchor you to him. The strain in his pants grows increasingly more painful when you sigh his name affectionately, followed by a noise of protest when he removes his fingers from you all together in an effort to tug at intricate buttons of his trousers, freeing his aching cock and palming himself to the sight of your ruined state. 

Your arousal coating his fingers serves as a welcome lubricant for him to stroke himself languidly, relishing in the feeling of you bucking up into him, using him to chase your own end. His licks are hot and thorough, leaving no part of your heat untouched.

“Yes,” Silco groans into you, “just like that.”  

Your other hand comes down to unbutton your top, cupping and squeezing at one of your breasts, and he knows you’re close by the way you’re begging and pleading above him. The sound of your voice feeds into his determination, letting go of his cock in order to wrap both arms around your thighs, securing you in place and devouring you like a starved man.

The way you cry out his name while your walls flutter around his tongue has him reeling, mismatched eyes boring into you, watching your orgasm in complete reverence as your fluids run down his chin.

“Good girl,” Silco sighs, his movements slowing down to let you ride out your climax. “You always make such sweet sounds for me.” 

Your legs tremble and the vicelike grasp you have on his hair loosens before you slump back down onto his desk, words barely managing to come through your short and labored breaths.

“Could've been making them a lot earlier if you’d…stop trying to kick me out.”

A hint of a smile creeps up on his face as he presses small, feather light kisses up the backs of your thighs, leaving glistening spots of your slick behind in their wake. “You know, it is possible to keep your unsolicited remarks to yourself every once in a while.”

Yours breaks into a devious grin that tugs at his heart without mercy. “Yeah, but where’s the fun in that?” 

“Mmm, point taken.” 

Silco stands to turn your body so that you’re taking up the full length of his desk before climbing up onto it and bracing himself with a hand on either side of your head. His length bobs thick and heavy with need, bringing it to rest against your slit.

“Do you have any idea what you do to me?”

You roll your hips against him needily, coating his cock with your arousal. “Maybe.”

“You drive me absolutely mad,” he growls, voice dripping with carnal hunger as he pushes your legs up against your chest once again, lining himself up with your entrance. And it’s the way you're looking up at him with your lip tucked in between your teeth in anticipation, the slight inward curl of your eyebrows in an almost pleading expression that has him pushing into you in one, smooth buck forward, making you gasp as he bottoms out inside of you.

Silco sees your eyes roll back, and he has to physically stop himself from doing the same. He wants to see it all, wants to see your blissed out expression while he fucks you, wants to see all the different ways he can make you come undone beneath him.

You make a pitiful attempt at stifling a moan, one that ultimately fails when Silco starts to rock his hips against yours, pulling them back slowly and savoring the feeling of his cock dragging along your walls before driving them forward with a sharp, pointed thrust. But he’s right there with you, exhaling a throaty groan at the feeling of your walls engulfing him so deliciously, the sensation being nothing short of divine.

“Look at you, taking me so well,” he whispers, lowering his head and tilting it to place gentle kisses along your jawline before nipping at your earlobe. “Like we were made for each other.”

The breathy whine this elicits causes him to straighten himself upright again, picking up his pace steadily, and soon the room is filled with the obscene, wet smacking of skin against skin as Silco begins to pump into you with feral-like need. He readjusts your legs so that your calves are hooked over his shoulders, letting him fuck you so much deeper. 

You’re a mess of broken pleas beneath him, and he clings to every single one, a symphony meant solely for him and him alone. Silco watches you with wholly, unabashed devotion as your face twists and contorts in pleasure, pleasure that only he can bring you. And though he wants to feel like he’s still in control, he knows deep down he’s equally ruined by what you do to him, maybe even more so. His seafoam eye glazes over, and strands of hair fall loosely around his face as he ruts into you. 

You reach up and try to put your arms around his neck, but the position your legs are in only allow you to claw at his shoulders helplessly. “S-silco, please..”

“Oh? I see someone’s finally learned some manners,” he taunts.

The huff of annoyance you let out amuses him more than he’d care to admit, “For fuck’s sake, Sil. Let me hold you.”

“Demanding thing,” he scolds, but gives into your ‘request’ regardless, lowering your legs just enough so that your knees fall to the side and hook over his forearms, letting you wrap your arms around his neck with open urgency. And now you’re pulling him down and holding him there, like the waters he'd nearly drowned in.

Silco’s jaw goes slack as he turns his head and pants in your ear like some wild beast, whose sole purpose is to bring you to your end. Like it was all he was ever made for. Your head turns to meet his lips with your own, and he tries to keep some semblance of restraint while he kisses you, but he can’t, not with you. It’s hungry and sloppy, full of exceeding desperation. 

He breaks the kiss reluctantly to make his way down to your neck, lips and tongue moving against the delicate flesh and littering your throat with marks of all kinds, leaving no room for anyone to question who you belong to. “Mine,” Silco snarls possessively in between sucks and bites.

He's about to pull away when one of your hands slides up to the nape of his neck, tangling your fingers in his hair and locking him in place, begging for more, more, more, and Silco’s more than happy to oblige. You’ve got him wrapped around your finger so tightly, and this realization both excites and ruins him as he begins to ram everything he has into you with new purpose.

“Oh fuck, Silco. Right there,” you cry out, voice becoming raspy and hoarse from your continuous gasps in between moans. 

"Yes, that's it. Show me how much you want this, how much you need this," he huffs out through gritted teeth, trying to establish some form of dominance once again, but it's no use when he realizes his words are just as applicable to him as they are to you.

He forgoes his hold on your legs, letting them fall to your sides briefly before wrapping them around his waist. Your eyes flutter shut and your head starts to loll to the side, but Silco grabs your jaw quickly and forces you to look directly at him.

“None of that, darling. I want you to look at me when you come undone,”  His breath comes out ragged and primal. “You want to be a good girl for me, don’t you?”

You nod frantically in response, eyes drifting downward to stare at his mouth, like a silent plea. He takes the hint without delay, squishing your cheeks together until your lips form a small pout before leaning down to kiss you fervently. His tongue swirls around yours, hot and wanting, before he pulls away just enough for him to pant into your open mouth, his connecting to yours by the thinnest string of saliva. 

Silco can sense your second orgasm approaching rapidly, and he brings his fingers towards your lips. You take the hint right away, wrapping them around his digits and sucking on them lavishly. Once he’s satisfied enough, he removes them and snakes his hand down through your intertwined bodies, settling for the bundle of nerves located between your legs.

Your moans increase in pitch, arms and legs squeezing even tighter around him as he works you with skilled flicks of his wrist.

“You’ve endured this so well, my love,” he whispers against your ear, voice laced with unrestrained hedonism and resolve. “Let’s reward all that effort of yours tonight, shall we?”

His question is rhetorical, but you nod so eagerly for him nonetheless as your walls begin to pulsate, clenching so unbelievably tight around him you’re practically pushing his cock out, nearly sending him over the edge himself.  

“That’s my girl,” he sighs with heavy grit and worship. “You feel incredible.”  

Silco’s face comes back up to hover over yours, looking directly into your eyes while he fucks you through your climax, his own looming closer and closer. He leans down to kiss you, swallowing your labored breaths greedily as his thrusts begin to stagger before coming to a complete halt, his pelvis flush against yours as his cock twitches obscenely within your heat. He lets out a harsh, guttural moan right into your mouth as he spills into you, your walls continuing to milk him with stuttered squeezes, and he has to pull away sharply to exhale a series of delirious gasps. 

Your chests heave against one another, waves of pleasure slowly dissipating as your sweat soaked bodies stay interlocked. Silco shifts slightly, bringing his hands to stroke the top of your head lazily with his fingertips. His forehead comes to rest against yours as he places soft, tender kisses along your cheeks, your eyes, your lips, anything within reach.

He’s rewarded with a giggle, followed by a dopey little grin.

“You know,” you say as your breaths finally return to normal. “I just remembered the other reason you try to send me away while you work.”

Silco already knows the answer, but you punctuate your words anyway by wiggling your ass, causing the sound of his paperwork shuffling beneath you, followed by a light yelp as he smacks your bottom lightly. 

“Impossible little wench,” he chastises, lifting himself off of you and being greeted once again by the sight of the thing you keep referring to as a ‘skirt’. He grabs the edge of it with his fingertips, holding it up like it was a cursed object. “Where in Janna’s name did you even get this from?”

You bark out a laugh before propping yourself up hastily to look down at it with pride. “Ran let me borrow it.”

“Excuse me?”

“What?”

“Borrow it,” he repeats, “as in you have every intention of giving it back to them?”

You stare at him for a moment, no doubt mulling over your answer.

“...No?”

Silco smirks at your response before leaning in. “Good girl. Besides, I think we may find many more uses for it still.”

Your eyes widen with child-like wonder, but for the entirely wrong reason. “Oh, so you’ll wear it for me, too?”

He stares back at you blankly, blinking several times before rolling his eyes almost theatrically, earning him another small fit of laughter as he finally graces you with a response.

“Whatever pleases you, I suppose.” 

[theblack3stday]

YOUR RAREST OF FLOWERS — Marlene Mckinnon

Pairing: Marlene Mckinnon x shy!reader

Summary: You are a naturally shy girl and you usually only hang out with Remus. But, one day, you find yourself hanging out with the Marauders and being teased by Marlene.

A/N💌: Thanks for the request, I hope you like it🫶🏻🫶🏻

Word count: 2.7k

Warnings: probably none

The weather was a perfect fit for the beauty of spring. The budding of the flowers, the greening of the leaves on the trees, the gentle wind blowing, and the shining sun made it all worthwhile.

As the wind passing through the open windows of the greenhouse spilled out, it also brought the scent of the flowers in the greenhouse and filled the noses of the students.

"The classes are over," said James excitedly as he sunbathed on the grass.

He turned his face to the sun and closed his eyes. In order to enjoy the heat better, he unbuttoned the top three buttons of his shirt, took off his tie and put it in his pocket.

"We are free and we can do whatever we want!" Sirius concluded James' words. He was sitting cross-legged next to James.

He grinned and extended his hand to his best friend, who completed his sentence as he wished. James and Sirius high-fived each other. Remus and Peter chuckled at them.

As Lily and Marlene come, boys’ attention turned to their friends.

“My flower!” he jumped from his place to give a kiss to his girlfriend. Marlene set her place next to Peter.

“Oh, fuck!” Remus cursed with realisation. “I have to meet Y/n at the library!”

Remus quickly hurried to meet up with you.

Meanwhile, James continued to fawn over Lily, who smiled with satisfaction. Marlene frowned and shouted after Remus. “Who the hell is Y/N?”

“His book buddy.” Peter answered.

Remus rushed through the hallways, desperate to make his way to the library. Once there, he found you already occupying a seat, buried in a book.

You have been Remus Lupin’s book buddy for quite some time now. Despite his quiet and sometimes brooding nature, you always enjoyed your time together spent discussing your latest books and their characters. Before you knew him, you had thought that he’s a noisy annoying idiot like his friends, but he was the opposite. He was calm, nice and understanding. You were a shy person, but when you were with him, you feel like you are with your brother.

Remus had quickly picked up on the fact that you were a shy person, even if you didn’t realize it yourselves. But he didn’t mind at all, because he knew that he was the same way. He found comfort in your quiet nature, and he enjoyed having someone who he could truly share his thoughts and feelings with. It was one of the main reasons why he enjoyed spending time with you so much.

As spotted you reading, he paused to take a few deep breaths to calm his nerves. Once he was sure he would not let his anxiety get the best of him, he approached you with a small smile. "Hey, Y/n. Sorry, I'm a bit late." he greeted you, his tone gentle and warm.

You smiled back at Remus, your face instantly warmed by his gentle demeanor.

"It's okay, I haven't been waiting for too long. Don't worry about it." you assured him, keeping your tone equally as gentle as his.

The two of you sat in comfortable silence for a few moments, both enjoying the feel of the other's company.

“So, what's the book you were reading?” Remus eventually asked, breaking the silence with a lighthearted, inquisitive tone.

You told Remus the title of the book you were reading, explaining that you had just started it but that it had instantly piqued your interest. Remus nodded along as he listened, his own curiosity piqued by your description.

“I can give you the book, when i finish it.” you said. Remus nodded as you offered him that “Thanks.”

“Do you want to read outside? The weather seems nice.” you asked him, closing your book.

As you and Remus walk outside, you see the Marauders lying on the grass, enjoying the sunlight and chatting amongst themselves. You recognize them as James, Sirius, Lily, Marlene and Peter, and they seem to be having a good time. They notice Remus and smile at him, but don't seem to notice you just yet. You feel a bit uncomfortable as your presence seems unnoticed by the Marauders, who continue to chat and laugh amongst themselves. Remus notices your discomfort and asks you, “Is everything alright?”

You shake your head and tell Remus, “Maybe we can read tomorrow, you know..”

Remus understands where you are coming from, and he comforts you, “We are not intruding. They are just chatting amongst themselves, and they are actually friendly people if you get to know them. Trust me, they are not that what you think.” he whispered, so only you could hear him.

“Hey, who’s this, Moony?” James noticed you first. Or you thought like that. Marlene was the one who noticed you. She noticed you before the others, and she quickly looks away, a slight smile on her face. Your shyness was so cute she thought. As you look around to see that the Marauders have noticed you, you see Marlene's gaze turn away with a slight smile on her face. You feel a bit embarrassed and shy being noticed, but you can't help but feel like Marlene's faint smile was directed at you.

“This is Y/N.” Remus said placing his hand to your shoulder. Marlene's faint smile seems to grow larger for a moment when she hears Remus mention your name. You can sense Marlene's gaze lingering on you after you've been introduced to the Marauders. She seems curious about you, and there's the faintest hint of a smile on her face.

As Remus introduced you to them, your shyness seemed to catch their attention. Particularly, Marlene appeared to gaze at you intently as you nervously looked away from her, feeling a little embarrassed by the attention. Her grin seemed to grow larger when she understands that you realised that she was interested in you. That made you blush even harder.

"I guess this is our book buddy, eh James?" Marlene added with a teasing wink, throwing you a flirtatious glance.

James laughed and agreed, "The one and only! We can't wait for you to hang out with us more often, " He joked, a playful glint of mischief in his eye.

As Marlene made the teasing comment, you felt your ears heat up with an instant blush. You could feel the Marauders' gaze on you, each of them finding your blush immensely adorable in its own way.

"Oh, I'm sure she will," Remus replied with a grin as he looked over to you, his tone playful but also reassuring.

"Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves now."

James let out a boisterous laugh as he slapped Remus' shoulder jokingly.

Remus returned a wink, as he smiled at you reassuringly. Marlene playfully rolled her eyes and shot Remus a small smirk before turning her gaze back towards you, her playful flirtatious glances now laced with curiosity.

You could sense a playful tension in the air between the four of them. You didn’t know what to say. You just stand there watching them making jokes, having fun and enjoying the day. You laughed with them, but never joined the conversations. You stood quietly in the background. Remus seemed to sense your nervousness and reluctance to join in on the conversations. He kept a close eye on you as well, and his playful tone became a little more gentle in his efforts to include you.

Meanwhile, Marlene couldn't help but watch you with growing curiosity. Her playful glances kept getting longer, she was becoming more and more intrigued by your soft shyness.

You could feel her gaze, and you found it difficult to not look at her in disbelief as she continued to flirt with you in such a subtle yet noticeable way.

As Marlene watched you, you were unaware that she had been looking at you for longer than you'd expect. She suddenly picked up a flower from near her feet, quietly and subtly.

She then reached up and handed it to you, not saying anything but hoping you'd understand the gesture.

As Marlene gracefully handed you the flower, she smiled with a slight blush filling her cheeks. The gesture was innocent yet clearly filled with romantic meaning, sending your heart fluttering in delight. You felt your ears heat up and your heart beat a bit faster as you softly smiled back at Marlene.

As you accepted the flower from Marlene, a warm feeling spread through you, and you couldn't help but return her smile. The simple gesture spoke volumes, and you felt a connection with her that went beyond words.

"Thanks," you murmured softly, your voice barely above a whisper, but carrying a depth of gratitude.

Marlene's smile widened at your response, and she nodded gently, her eyes sparkling with understanding.

The exchange between you and Marlene didn't go unnoticed by the others. James nudged Sirius playfully, a knowing smirk on his face, while Lily observed the interaction with a fond expression. Even Peter couldn't help but glance over, his curiosity piqued by the subtle yet significant moment unfolding before them.

Remus, ever observant, caught the exchange between you and Marlene, and a soft smile tugged at the corners of his lips. He felt a sense of warmth and happiness seeing you connect with one of his closest friends.

"So, Y/N, what's your favorite book?" James asked you. As the group turned their attention towards you, you felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness fluttering in your chest. You swallowed softly, meeting their curious gazes with a tentative smile, ready to answer any question they had for you.

“You read?” Sirius frowned. James rolled his eyes to his best mate. You chuckled to their silly little ‘argument’. "Um, well, I really love that muggle book called ‘Little Women’"

“She read it 7 times!” Remus added.

James and Sirius were surprised to hear that information. “Did I hear that right?" James turned to his best friend.

“I think so.” Sirius said. Lily playfully rolled her eyes.

“This is a classic, I really love that book too! Do you have any other hobbies besides reading?" she smiled at you gently. You knew she was a nice and calm person. Once you were a group in the potions project.

“Hmm, I like to draw and paint in my free time. It's a nice way to unwind." you said.

“Maybe you could show us some of your works sometime?” Marlene grinned. The playful banter between you two continued, as Marlene seemed intrigued by your interests.

“Sure.” you played with your hair trying to avoid the eye contact between you and her.

“Maybe sometime, we could paint together?” she suggested.

“Sure, yeah.” you replied softly, continuing to avoid the eye contact.

After that day, you began to spend more time with the Marauders. The playful banter and flirtatious tones became a frequent occurrence for you, but you didn't mind it. Remus was still your best friend, but you get along with Lily too. She was so nice and obviously she was a crazy reader like you. The boys, Sirius, James and Peter, sometimes were very noisy, but you got used to it. They were fun, and it felt as if you could truly be yourself with them. Marlene continued to play with you. She loved making you blush, especially when your cheeks turned red. When you avoided eye contact, she knew she was doing it right.

It was an another sunny day. The year was almost over. The Hogwarts hallways were bathed in the warm glow of the midday sun, casting long shadows along the stone walls. Sunlight streamed through the high windows, painting intricate patterns on the polished floors. As students bustled between classes, the air was filled with a sense of energy and excitement.

“Y/N!” Marlene spotted you in the hallway outside of class. She playfully sprinted to keep up with your pace, she run towards you She tried to synchronise to your steps. She eventually caught up, giggling innocently at the sight of her chasing you around. “Do you remember that you promised me to paint together?” she playfully asked, matching your steps and rhythm.

You rolled your eyes “That was before I learned you can’t paint.”

"Then you can teach me, huh?" she said while placing her arm on your shoulder, continuing her playful flirtatious tone.

"Maybe..." you replied, with a confused glance to Marlene, who had a playful look on her face.

The two of you continued to have a playful exchange, with Marlene still matching your pace quite expertly.

"Come on, surely I can't be that bad!" Marlene said, continuing to playfully chase you.

"I wouldn't be so sure." you replied with a smirk, before continuing to walk casually as if the chase was no big deal.

Marlene playfully let out a playful huff of frustration as she continued to try and catch up to you.

"Well, if you want to see it so badly, I guess we're just gonna have to have that painting session soon!" she playfully pouted, clearly enjoying her own pouty behavior.

"If we do, I'll be sure to judge you mercilessly." you teased back with a laugh, as Marlene replied with an apologetic grimace.

As the two of you eventually made your way to the lake where the Marauders usually hung out, Marlene playfully commented on her lack of artistic talent.

"I may not be talented in painting, but I have other skills," she said playfully, as the two of you continued to walk along the quiet path.

“Like teasing shy girls?” you felt your heart beating quickly when you asked her that. You didn’t mean it, it just came out from your mouth and there were you, standing in front of her like a tomato.

"Like teasing shy girls." Marlene replied with a playful grin, causing your ears to warm with a blush of embarrassment.

Your shyness was something Marlene had grown quite fond of, and as such, she regularly enjoyed teasing you whenever the two of you interacted. The playful tone and flirtatious banter only made her teasing more enjoyable, causing you to blush more heavily and smile softly, albeit still feeling a little bit of embarrassment.

You were still blushing profusely when Marlene suddenly leaned forward and kissed you, completely taking you off guard.

You were stunned for a moment, but the feeling of her lips against your own was electrifying and made your blush grow even brighter.

Your shock at her sudden actions soon turned into pure ecstasy, and your cheeks felt warm and fuzzy as you enjoyed the unexpected kiss.

Marlene pulled her face away from yours after the kiss, her expression one of pleasure.

"I hope the shy girl likes me teasing her?" she asked with a giggle, her flirty voice filled with playfulness.

You were still a bit taken aback from the unexpected kiss, but you managed to reply with a soft smile and a nod.

"Good," Marlene said playfully, her playful tone and flirty energy still flowing through her voice.

Marlene giggled softly as she leaned closer and kisses you again, this time leaving no doubt that she had every intention of doing so. The playful flirtatious tension between the two of you only grew stronger with the repeated act of kissing, making both sides eager for more.

As Marlene and you engaged in another series of kisses, the tension and flirttous energy between the two of you escalated intensely, as if to compensate for the shyness and awkwardness you had experienced previously.

Your kisses grew more passionate and intense, and before you knew it, the two of you were deeply involved in a heated and fiery makeout session, oblivious to the world around you. Your hearts were pounding in your throats, and your breaths were coming quickly as you both enjoyed the intimacy of the moment.

@hrts4prongs ‘s request

[crystaldivination]

𝐘𝐎𝐔, 𝐀 𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐁𝐄𝐈𝐍𝐆 .˚

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐰𝐞?

Hello beautiful souls and welcome to another intuitive pick a card reading. Today we will be looking at what’s so special about you that makes you drop-dead gorgeous. I hope to be able to bring you some delight feelings and contentment with this reading. It’s quite long so as always please let me know if this resonates with you in some way. I’d be happy to know if you enjoy my works. Likes, reblogs, comments and follows are highly appreciated. Thank you ♡︎

✰ masterlist • paid services • tips & donation

© 2023 Crystaldivination | All rights reserved.

how to choose your pile. take a few deep breaths & look at each piles separately. Which pile sparks an interest in you? Which pile do you feel called out to the most or reminds you of something? Take your time and come back later to it again if you can't seem to choose.

The piles

from left -> right

Disclaimer: this is a general reading which may or may not resonate with you. Take what resonates and leave out anything that doesn't. Feel free to choose another pile if you'd like.

𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐄: 𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐗𝐀 𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐄.

La feminine mystique

Hello pile 1,

you’re so powerful. Let me tell you what I mean by that. You possess an enormous energy in you which seems to have no limit. This can be an extremely powerful force that can benefit you in the long run if you know how to use it wisely and it seems like you do. Other people often feel "intimidated" by you. They feel compelled to respect you and treat you with dignity. You attract attention without meaning to. For some of you this confidence may stem from what you’ve been through in your past. Your experiences shape and form you to be the person you are now and you know it. That’s why you’re proud of yourself, proud of the strength you’ve gained from your pain and always carry yourself with pride. You don’t let others step on your boundaries and your well-established values. Other people can sense and see this attitude coming from you even if you don’t openly express this directly. You make a statement with your presence. You subconsciously challenge other people as well especially men. You radiate an energy that’s just as bright and powerful as the sun or hot and passionate as Mars or dangerous and brooding like Pluto. You don’t sit around waiting for a prince on a white horse to come to your rescue, you dive into the challenges and face them head one. You stand up and get things done and you do it YOUR WAY. You don’t give in to anyone even if it means to hurt someone’s feelings if you truly believe in something firmly. You’re daring and sassy. You’re words might be harsh sometimes but the truth hurts so for you your bluntness just simply means that "It’s better to get hurt by the truth than to hear sugarcoating false lies". That quality of yours makes you admirable in the eyes of many although for people who is more on the traditional side (referring to the fixed gender roles of masculinity and femininity) they could see you as being too intense, overwhelming or over empowering but that’s okay because you’re not here to please or fit anyone. You know your worth and you’re not afraid to face any criticism because that’s part of life. You’re familiar with that but you couldn’t care less for you’re the one who create your own reality.

To conclude what makes you so special is your renowned sense of self and self-confidence. You believe 100% in yourself. You know what you want and know how to get that bag. You’re just a girl boss and most importantly you’re priceless. You don’t give away too much from yourself yet enough to show who you are. You represent real womanhood and stand for feminism. You’re the mysterious femme fatale who’s giving everyone weak knees. It’s giving successful business woman/entrepreneur vibe. You’re such a win overall.

[Astrology placements] Leo, Scorpio, Aries, Capricorn, Virgo, Pluto-mercury, Pluto-ascendant, Mars-asc/mc, Pluto/Mars/Neptune dom or influence

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠! 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤, 𝐩��𝐥𝐞 𝟏 ♥︎

𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐖𝐎: 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑

A supernova

Hello pile 2,

you’re well-liked for a reason. You’re charming and always outrank others with your tenderness. Your kind demeanor and attitude just make others mesmerized by you. You put others above you and never seem to really want the "prize" of being the best everyone is looking for. You surpass all superficiality of this world. Jealousy, competition or intentionally stepping on others to get to where we want is not a solution for you. You dislike that. You believe in a peaceful and harmonious world. Hostile, judgmental attitudes create a negative, pessimistic picture of the world we live in so you choose to be kind and fair. You see that relying on one’s ego and be full of greediness won’t do anyone any good. People really notice this difference in you hence most might see you as superior to others. You’re so empathetic that people can’t help but want to protect you. You’re very balanced in your way. You care for others but never forget about your own needs. You’re always so put together and professional when dealing with other yet you can relate and connect with them on a personal or emotional level as well. You just have a knack for being sociable. You’re diplomatic and gentle. Others might view you as a soft or even obedient kind of individual but you know when to stand up. For yourself and for others. This makes you admirable and respected by anyone. You very much stand for justice and righteousness. You believe everyone is the same regardless their race, status or anything society would judge a person by. You’re definitely a pacifist. People love you and most importantly they believe you. They believe in you and your power to change the world FOR THE BETTER. A world where everyone can live in peace with each other, where there is no useless competition or harmful intentions. Your picture of a beautiful place where one live harmoniously together and function together as one is a desirable wish for many who believe in togetherness and the collective.

To conclude what makes you so special is your sense of purpose. You call out for a meaning to live and exist in this world. You impress other people with your vision of a world filled with love. Love for oneself and others by being kind. And indeed people who are truly kind have the ultimate leverage. If you give without expectation of getting anything in return, you've won. The obvious benefit of being kind, honest, and loving to others is to affect positively those around us. If you respond with kindness, all the hate will be defused. You only force yourself to be bigger than the negativity. If given the choice, most of us would prefer to be in the presence of a person with a humble spirit and YOU are one. Your energy and vibe reminds me of Marilyn Monroe’s.

[Astrology placements] pisces, cancer, libra, venus-Pluto, sun-venus, moon-Jupiter, venus/sun/Jupiter dom or influence

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠! 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤, 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝟐 ♥︎

𝐏𝐈𝐋𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄: 𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇 𝐒𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐍.

A rebel

Hello pile 3,

let me start by saying that you’re so innovative. You have the craziest ideas but they are all so forward thinking. People see you as a genius most likely. People might even call you "mad" because of your weird ideas but you probably easily prove to them about it. You’re the definition of an intellectual and knowledgeable individual. What makes you superior to other people is that you know you’re different from them and you embrace this so well. You may be proud in nature but never arrogant. Your easy-going attitude is what attract a lot of suitors. Eyes are being laid on you all the time. You’re the cool and fun sis/bro in the hood. What’s unique about you is that you create or like have a different form of expression and you know how to get your messages across using different amount of mediums or modalities. Your different perspectives makes you incredible interesting in the eyes of other people. Furthermore you’re a very good debater. You have your own visions and you’re all about evoking a revolution, changes and progressiveness. You’re most likely known for being a shock factor. Your purpose might be here to literally disrupt the system that we live in now. It's like actually you don't want to do it the same way it's been done before so you create something completely new. You might see that it’s because our evolution is changing and you feel like you're in a role or a position to bring in new strategies for a good cause. You have your own moral spine. You’re strong enough to rely on yourself and do everything on your own. You don’t need help from anyone yet you’re not scared to ask for help when you need it. It’s very admirable to have this kind of balance in you. You’re not trapped, bound or driven by your own ego. If it serves the intention for a new growth and more developed world you’re ready for everything to make it happen. You’re a warrior. You break the norms and find way to improve society like no one else does and that’s for everyone in it not just a certain percent of people. People see you as a source of inspiration. You walk your own path but never alone.

To conclude what makes you so special is your inventive skills and mind. You stand out from the crowd because you own your uniqueness and new ideas. You don’t shy away if you or your different views aren’t being well-received by others. You stay true to yourself while being understanding of them and accepting their differences and opinions. You just continue to do your own thing. It’s really giving Gen Z vibe.

[Astrology placements] Gemini, Aquarius, Sagittarius, Uranus-nn, Saturn-Pluto, Jupiter/Saturn/Uranus dom or influence

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠! 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤, 𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝟑 ♥︎

© 2023 crystaldivination ── all rights reserved. do not copy, translate, edit, alter, or redistribute my work. Plagiarism in any form is prohibited.

[citrinesparkles]

stormy weather

jason todd x gender neutral reader. 720 words. notes: a very abstract take on 'write a true story about you with characters instead of people', one of the prompts from the ever lovely @reaperintheroses drabble december! this was more 'write about feelings', but i tried. warnings: vague bad headspace on jason's part

he was in a mood.

you weren't sure what mood, but it wasn't good.

it was, however, familiar enough that you weren't surprised when he walked through the bedroom like a ghost.

all he took with him as he left it was a nail file.

you sat quietly, listening for the window.

there it was, about half a minute later: the sliding sound of the window in the frame was quiet but unmistakable, as was the sound of it sliding shut behind him.

fire escape brooding.

you sighed- that was a surefire sign that the mood had settled in completely. you had hoped, somewhat naïvely, that it would be a "wrong side of the bed" situation; had hoped he would be able to shake it off.

with the mood here to stay, you put your phone aside and slid out of bed.

it wasn't something to fix. not days like this. as much as you wished you could carry the weight of this for him, you settled instead for trying to share the load.

you took your time walking through the apartment, giving him his space for a little while as you boiled water and steeped tea for him.

you dug out his largest, warmest sweatshirt, tugging it on to brace against the cold you knew was wrapped around him both mentally and literally. then, with a glance at his silhouette in the window, you picked up his mug and approached.

he barely reacted to the sound of the window opening, only shifting slightly so his ear was towards you in silent acknowledgement.

"i made tea," you said softly, leaning on the sill. "interested?"

jason hesitated a moment, the only sounds the traffic below.

he shrugged, twirling the nail file between two fingers.

you reached over, gently pressing the mug into his free hand, watching as he pulled it to his chest with a hum.

"do you want space, or would you prefer i join you?"

"...you can." his voice was steady, but uncharacteristically quiet and lifeless. "not gonna be much company right now."

you slid out the window, closing it behind you, and he glanced up at you blankly. "you don't have to be," you said firmly, quietly, as you sat down beside him. "i'm just here."

the metal was freezing, even through your thick sweatpants. it would take more than a stretch of the imagination to call it comfortable, but you settled in like it was memory foam.

you sat in silence, listening to him breathe beside you and watching it fog in your peripheral.

you sat until your legs ached and your nose felt about ready to fall off from the cold. you sat for far longer than it took him to drain his mug. you sat long enough that the rush of lunch traffic came and went below you.

you sat watching gray clouds churn in the sky, offering the only comfort you could: he wasn't alone.

eventually, he inhaled deeply, and you felt something shift.

"you want a grilled cheese?" his voice was rough and quiet, but using it was a good sign.

you recognized the offer as the thank you that it was.

"yeah," you matched his volume, gently breaking your silence. "that sounds good."

it wasn't over, not by a long shot. you could feel it in the air around you, as though jason was a storm and the front was rolling in. it would be a few days, you suspected, of this- of disconnect, of that distant look in his eyes.

and that was the best case scenario.

he pushed himself up and off the ground, wincing when his bad ankle popped unpleasantly, and you changed your mind. he wasn't the storm. a storm in his own right, sure, strong and beautiful and immovable to all the world, but in this case he was standing on the coast and watching the storm turn the ocean angry.

he reached a hand down to help you up.

you took it, squeezing it once, twice, three times in quick succession as you hauled yourself to your feet. once there, you relaxed your grip.

he kept his, keeping your palm against his own. bracing himself against the wind.

you'd be damned if you let him board up the windows and sandbag the doorways on his own.

[just-jordie-things]

the koi pond - fushiguro megumi

word count: 4.6k warnings: i think just swearing summary: just a simple fic about megumi realizing he has more-than-friendly feelings for his partner in curse fighting :) more info: characters are aged up ___

The lack of jujutsu sorcerers was usually a problem.  It usually meant that assignments were spread thin between the available sorcerers, and depending on how far away the mission was, it could be days before you returned.

Okkotsu Yuuta, for example, had been gone for months.  And there were still nights that (y/n) would wander into the common room to find the other upperclassmen gathered in a solemn silence.

So why the hell was this assignment a two-person requirement?

“I can feel you’re brooding from here,”

A voice drew (y/n) from her irritated mess of thoughts, and she raised her head from where she’d chosen to follow a butterfly in the field rather than help her partner with their assignment.

Megumi’s got his hands tucked into the pockets of his trousers, and as usual he’s giving her that look she despises.  It was just so neutral- as though there wasn’t a single feeling within him.

Of course she knew this wasn’t true, and that’s what made him so interesting.

She rolls her eyes at him.

“Come on, I think it’s this way” He tosses his head in the other direction, beckoning her to follow him, and with a sigh, she does.

“You must think this is ridiculous, too,” She says quietly, while her eyes survey the high school students in the courtyard.

For a minute she gets lost in them the same way she had the butterfly.  All lost in their own little worlds.  Her heart sinks.

“It’s just one finger” She finishes her thought moments later, but Megumi doesn’t comment on her delay.

“You know Gojo Sensei favors you.  He just wants to mess with me” He replies.

It’s a half truth, which is as much of a lie as Megumi’s capable of telling.  Well, as much of a lie as he’s capable of getting away with.  (y/n) had a pretty airtight bullshit meter.

“You’re lying” She scoffs out.

But from the corner of his eye, he can see the tension she’d been carrying had disappeared.  He smiles to himself.

“I don’t mind that we’re both here” He tells her.

As usual, she’s annoyed that when she glances up at him, he’s making that stupid face.  Just once she’d like to get a read on him.

It’s always just been the two of them in their year.  And even over the last four months, there wasn’t any word on any other sorcerers enrolling.  So as far as (y/n) could tell, it was only going to be them, for a long time.

And despite his quirks, which she’s grown used to by now, she had grown quite fond of Fushiguro Megumi.  His ability to keep cool in tense situations, and his strength and persistence were all very inspiring to her.  She hoped that she could learn to be the sorcerer he is.

“Aw, Megumi,” She picks up a teasing tone as she bumps her elbow into his, batting her eyelashes when he looks down at her again.  “You gettin’ soft on me?”

With a gentle hand he shoves her off of him, but it only made (y/n) burst into a fit of laughter.  Megumi had to fight the urge to look her way so that she wouldn’t notice the color in his face.

“Let’s just finish this dumb assignment.  Looks like it’s-”

As he raises his hand to point in the direction of the coordinates he’d been sent, a commotion caught both his and (y/n’s) attention, and the both of them were swiveling in the direction of the hollering and cheering students.

“Let’s go check that out!” (y/n) spoke animatedly, taking off before Megumi could protest.

He could go off and collect the cursed item himself, and leave her to engage with the regular people like she always did.

But as he always did, he followed after her.

With his hands still in his pockets, Megumi leisurely made his way in the opposite direction of his- very simple- assignment, and found himself wondering just when it got this bad.

How long had it taken him to start following her instead of any direct order or instinct?

As he approaches where she’s standing at a fence, fingers hooked through the metal wires as she watches what seems to be shot put practice, with wide eyes.

In what world a bunch of average teenagers practicing an average sport was more interesting than exorcisizing curses, Megumi would never know.

After what happens next, Megumi thinks he might have to undergo a change of heart.

(y/n’s) jaw is nearly on the ground, her eyes trained on the sixteen pound ball that was still lodged in the frame of the soccer goal.

It seems that everyone around them were in the same state of shock.

And then all eyes were on the boy who threw it.  With the sheepish grin and pink hair, you couldn’t miss him.

And that strength was no average teenager. ___

Hands over his eyes, Megumi winced as he let out a quiet groan, trying not to bring attention to himself even as he was growing more annoyed by the second.

His sensei was an idiot, he’d known that his whole life.  But this was just a new low.

“Oh cheer up Megumi,” Gojo said with that stupid grin, before clapping his apprentice on the back.

Megumi dropped his hands so he could properly glare at the man, before turning his attention back towards the cause of his misery.

(y/n) had been showing Itadori around the place, getting him used to the campus as well as trying to be his friend.

“Now you don’t have to be so annoyed being partnered up together all the time” Gojo says, his grin subtly shifting into a smirk while he watches the ravenette narrow his eyes at the too friendly pair.

“I wasn’t annoyed about being partnered together all the time” Megumi grumbles back, his eyes never leaving his peers.

He seems funny.  She sure is laughing a lot.  Does she usually laugh this much? Is she just trying to be nice or is he really this funny?

Gojo hums, his grin returning as he pushes his sunglasses to the top of his head so he could fully take in the scene before him.

“Oh, young pupil, finally taking after the master and setting your sights on a lovely woman”

“You’ve never set your sights on one woman a day in your life” Megumi retorts.

Gojo only laughs, not taking an ounce of offense from the cold response.  He was more amused by the pink in Megumi’s cheeks than anything else.  He had been waiting quite a while for the young man to come around on his pent up feelings after all.

“The way I see it, you’ve got two options,” Gojo said, knocking his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose.  “You could keep it to yourself, and watch her while she shares her life with others.  Or, you could tell her, and share your lives together”

Megumi turns to his sensei with furrowed brows.

“First of all, that was the worst advice I’ve ever heard,” He said in monotone.  “And second of all, you’re wrong.  I don’t- I don’t have like- feelings- or- or whatever- for (y/n).  Itadori is just annoying.  That’s it”

“Oh, alright then,” Gojo shrugs, but from the way his grin never falters, Megumi knows he doesn’t believe him.  “Well, then there’s nothing to worry about I suppose”

There’s a pregnant pause as Megumi’s eyes shift to the commotion of (y/n) cheering loudly for something, before grabbing onto Yuji’s arm and tugging him after her back in the direction of the dorms.

It feels like there’s a fist around his heart, squeezing tightly.

“Right” He answers Gojo a few seconds too late to be remotely believable.

Gojo bids him a good night before heading off to whatever it was he did with his free time.  Leaving Megumi alone in the courtyard before the koi pond.

He tries to remember when this suffocating feeling first settled into his chest.  When he started to worry less about his own well being and worry more about making sure (y/n) was never knocked down for too long.  Surely it hadn’t always been this way, there must have been a gradual build up?

Sitting before the hungry and impatient koi, his mind begins to overthink.

When (y/n) had been recruited those few months ago, he’d been hesitant, he remembers that much.  He remembers not knowing what to expect having another sorcerer around to train with and study with and to pretty much spend his every day with.  His grumpiness had quickly turned to anxiety.

What if they were annoying? What if they were unprepared? What if they didn’t like him? What if they hated each other?

But then (y/n) showed up, with her bright smile and warm personality.  He remembered her handshake being warm, too.  Warm and gentle, with no more urgency than she would give to picking out just the right croissant at the bakery in Tokyo they’d gone to together once- he remembered it taking her a few minutes to tell the cashier just which one looked the best.

She was everything he hadn’t prepared for.  Funny and friendly and beautiful, the most beautiful person he’d ever seen.  And that didn’t even begin to cover how good of a sorcerer she was.  He could barely keep up with her in training, her stamina was off the charts.

(Sure, he could tell her to just train with Maki, since they’d probably be a better match.  But that would be stupid of him, because then he wouldn’t get to see that token victory smile she wears every time she defeats her foe, curse or training partner)

And then it dawns on him, all too slow, but all at once.

He’d been in love with her this whole time, and he just hadn’t known it. ___

“This place is amazing,” Yuji declared, mouth stuffed full of the breakfast burrito he’d made for himself, even though it was well into the evening.  “I mean, you’ve got it all!” He added, presenting the half-eaten burrito to (y/n) as if she hadn’t watched him make it just minutes ago.

She laughs, elated that he had settled in so easily to the place she called home.  It was nice to have a new company, it wasn’t often that she got to meet new people, much less someone she shared any similarities with.

(Minus the whole harboring a very very evil curse inside of him, anyways)

“I’m glad you love it already,” She tells him as they begin to walk back through the dorms to go their separate ways.  “I fell in love with this place really fast, too” She adds.

And maybe there’s a bit more softness to her voice as she says it, because Yuji notices the small change in demeanor almost instantly.

He doesn’t say anything, as he’s still new to it all and he doesn’t know everyone too well yet.  But something tells him it has more to do with the other sorcerer with the crazy hair than it does with the killing evil spirits of it all.

So he decides to play his cards right and play dumb- that way he can gather more intel on what’s going on with the tension between his new classmates.

“Because of the burritos?” He asks, and they both burst into laughter again.

Wiping the tears of joy from her eyes, (y/n) nods.

“Of course, what else would it be?” She teases.

As they pass the main doors for the building, she notices one has been left ajar, and a stream of light spills down the stairs and faintly into the courtyard.  It reaches far enough that she could just barely make out a familiar silhouette.

A curious look flickers over her features for a passing moment, but Yuji notices it quick enough to peek his head out the door.  Sure enough there’s Megumi, sitting alone, a ways away by the koi pond.

“He sure likes fish, huh?” Itadori asks, making (y/n) snort.

“I’m gonna go give him some company,” She says, her voice taking that soft tone that he’d heard earlier.  “But I’ll see you tomorrow for class?” She adds, giving him a smile and hoping he doesn’t start teasing her.

“Yeah, totally!” Yuji agreed.  “Thanks for the tour!”

He heads off in the direction of his dorm with a wave, and (y/n) bids him goodnight.

Her voice echos just enough for the lonely boy outside to pick it up.  He sits up straight immediately, turning his gaze away from the fish that seemed to be mocking him for the last hour, in the direction of where (y/n) was now heading down the stairs, and towards him.

Did his throat always close up when she was around?

She’d left the door ajar, so as she walked towards him there was a heavenly glow around her angelic figure.  He wondered if she did this on purpose, if she was aware of the generous gift of beauty bestowed to her.

Did his hands always get clammy when she was around?

“Hey” Her voice was soft, but even from afar he could hear it.

“Hey” Megumi barely rasped out the single word.

As she closed the distance between them, he was able to notice that she had changed into a nightgown.  He briefly wondered what time it was, if he had been out here too late.  The thought disappeared from his mind as soon as she spoke again.

“Can I sit?”

She’s pointing to the space next to him, a hopeful smile on her face.

Megumi swallows before nodding.  He pushes himself to the side to make space for her- an unnecessary adjustment, but she doesn’t comment on it, she simply lowers herself to the ground, happily filling the space beside him.

He feels like he should say something once she’s beside him.  It’s quiet for a few beats, long enough that his overworked mind begins to think it’s been too long, and his anxiety begins to sink in.

“I hope I’m not interrupting anything” (y/n) voices before he can think of something to say.

“N-no!” He shouts, flushes, then tries again.  “No,” He repeats, quieter, and (y/n) beams.  “I was just… sitting”

It’s not a lie, he knows that.  But still, it sounds like he’s lying right through his teeth.

“Okay, good,” (y/n) hums, bringing her attention back to the koi that were eagerly swimming before them.  “They seem to enjoy your company” She comments, smiling as she dips her fingers into the surface of the water, a few of the fish brushing up against her, making her giggle.

“I guess” Megumi mutters, glaring down at the koi he had so blatantly assumed were laughing at his loneliness from under the surface.

“Who wouldn’t?” (y/n) tells him oh so sweetly.

As she turns to look up at him again, he quickly averts his gaze, feigning interest in the cuffed sleeve of the button down he was still wearing.

“Yuji seems to like you a lot,” She continues, her eyes also watching his fingers as he fiddles with his sleeve until the cuff comes unrolled, covering his forearm.  “He asked about you a couple times”

“He seems to like you a lot too” Megumi retorts, but something in his tone is less than friendly, and (y/n’s) brows furrow.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

The question comes out in a mumble, she can’t bring herself to take on a defensive tone.

Megumi’s eyes flicker between her and his sleeve for a brief moment, before he shakes his head.

“Nothing.  He just seems to like you.  That’s all”

It’s quiet for a minute.  A long minute.  Her eyes are boring into his, even as he begins to fidget with his other sleeve, he can feel her staring at him, waiting for something more, but it doesn’t come.

“I hate when you do that, you know”

His surprise when she speaks is evident as he looks up at her again, eyes slightly rounded and lips parted like he’s about to say something, but he falters for a moment before words come to mind.

“Do what?” He asked.

“That,” (y/n) replies, pointing directly at him.  “That thing where- where you act like you don’t care, but I know you do- and I don’t understand why you’re bothering to lie about it”

“I’m not lying about anything” Megumi replied smoothly, dropping his hand from his sleeve.

(y/n) blinks, staring at him for a long moment before sighing softly.

She gets a little more comfortable, adjusting to sit with her legs crossed and the material of her nightgown pooled in her lap.  She rests her elbow on her knee, and drops her head into her palm, gazing into the water with a sad look in her eye.

Did he always make her feel like this?

“I’m going to open up to you about something,” She declares, without looking at him.  He doesn’t know what to say, so he simply nods his head.

Still, she pauses before speaking again.

“I never wanted any of this,” She begins, her free hand gesturing weakly to the area around them.  “I didn’t want to be a sorcerer, I didn’t want to give up what little of a life I had to move here away from everything and everyone I knew.  I didn’t want to spend every day training, I didn’t want to exorcize curses- in fact, when I first came here, I planned on running away,”

Megumi’s brows raise, surprised by this sudden bomb she’s chosen to drop on him.  He wasn’t expecting it at all.  She was such a talented sorcerer- brave and strong- she would have given up so much had she left it behind.

She looks over at him, a faint smile on her lips as her eyes wander lazily over his features.  He looked shocked, as she expected.

But he also looked… pretty.  The small patch of light that reflected off the water decorated his face beautifully.  He looked like a painting.

“But then I got here…” She sighs out, eyes trailing down to the messed up sleeve on his right arm that he’d given up on unraveling.  “And then I met you,”

His palms got that clammy, twitchy feeling again.

(y/n) leans off of her hand and more towards him, and his eyes widen at her closeness, following her every move, until her hands land on his arm, and gently she’s unrolling his sleeve for him, until it falls properly around his wrist.

“And I realized I wasn’t giving up anything at all,” She continues with her story, while Megumi watches as she buttons up the cuff of his sleeve so it stays secure at his wrist.  “I didn’t have any friends at my old school, I didn’t participate in extracurriculars, or go out of my way to meet people at all.  I was… bored, I guess,”

She brings her gaze back to his, happy to find that he holds eye contact with her.

“But you became my friend right away,” She says softly, whispered, like it was a secret between them.  “You treated me like an equal, even though you were way out of my league,” She chuckles for a moment, “Still are” She adds in a murmur.

“That’s not true at all,” Megumi shakes his head, certain of himself.  “You’re so much more-”

He knew what he was going to say, but then those damn (y/e/c) eyes are gazing into his again and not a single word at all comes to mind.  He forgets to speak entirely, and so he sits there with his mouth hanging open and his eyes darting between hers like they’ll give him the answer he’s looking for.

A rosy color spreads across her cheeks and over her nose, and bashfully she drops her head, biting down on her lip to keep herself from giggling from the butterflies fluttering in her chest.

“Alright, I opened up to you,” She says, looking up at him again when she deems it safe to do so.  “So, humor me, Megumi,”

She says his name and the stars in the sky are nothing compared to the stars behind his eyes.

“Tell me something I don’t know yet”

He swallows, and the hand that she has resting over his wrist suddenly makes his skin burn hot even though the material of his shirt.

Sure, it’s an easy enough question to answer.  There’s plenty of things she doesn’t know about him, he wasn’t exactly an open book.

But he gets the feeling, deep in his chest, that when she’s looking into his eyes the way she is now, she’s not looking for him to tell her he actually prefers beef ramen to chicken.

Curiously, her head tilts to the side while she studies him.  She had always naturally been very good at reading people.  She could pinpoint an exact emotion from a mile away.  But when it came to Megumi, it was like pulling teeth to try and figure out what was going through his head.

Right now was no different, she still struggled to read his expression.  But there was something new there, behind the striking azure of his eyes, something… glimmered there.  And she was dying to know what it was.

“Okay…” Megumi sighs out, and leans back with his palms on the ground to prop himself up.  “You… you make me nervous.  Most of the time.  Maybe all of the time”

“Really?”

She’s grinning, from ear to ear, like it was the most exciting thing he could have shared.  With furrowed brows, Megumi nods his head a little bit.

“Why?” She asks, a breathless laugh falling past her lips while she tries to rack her brain for any reason she could have given him for being wary around her.

“I don’t really know.  You just do,” Megumi shrugs his shoulders, tilting his head back to trace the constellations with his eyes.  “I guess it’s probably because no one’s ever been interested in me the way you are”

He doesn’t see it, but it makes her face heat up with a bright pink color.

She wants to tease him for it, playfully ask him what makes him think she was so interested in him, but she can’t bring herself to do it.

“Well that simply can’t be true” She hums to herself, but Megumi hears her perfectly clear.

He shakes his head in disbelief, before letting out a humorless laugh.

(y/n’s) brows fall to a furrow, confused, and somewhat hurt.

Did he really think so little of himself? Was he such a downer that he couldn’t even entertain the thought of anyone being interested in him? When here she was, trying to get a little closer to him day after day.  And here she thought she’d made her interest clear, very clear.  

Maybe he was more of an idiot than she thought.

“What are you laughing about?” She asks, her face pulling into a pout as she looks at him.

“You” He replies, still shaking his head.

“Well- well stop laughing! And stop shaking your head.  You’re wrong”

She’s full on glaring at him now, while he laughs like it’s the funniest thing in the world.  And the longer she stares at him like that, the harder he laughs.

“Megumi! Cut it out already!” She has to shout over his laughter, and it hits her then that she doesn’t think she’s ever seen him laugh this much.

It’d be cute, if she wasn’t so annoyed.

“What?” He asked through his cackles.  “You’re the one that wanted a little quid pro quo.  I’m sorry that it’s not what you wanted to hear but-”  

“No, Megumi, that’s not what this is about.  I don’t care that I make you nervous- I mean I’m a little flattered- that’s besides the point- but I don’t like hearing you talk about yourself like that!”

She swats his arm for emphasis.  Megumi gives her an incredulous look.

He’d never seen her worked up like this before.  It was pretty cute.

“That didn’t hurt” He monotones.

“If I was trying to hurt you, you’d be at the bottom of that koi pond” (y/n) mutters back.

“I believe you” Megumi chuckles.

“But you don’t,” She argues, her voice lowering from it’s dramatic volume.  “I’m trying to tell you that you’re important to me, and a lot of other people, and you’re not taking me seriously,”

He blinks, taken aback by the genuity in her features.  Her eyes were boring into his.  It would have been unsettling, but her eyes were so pretty-

“You’re too hard on yourself, you know?”

Her voice has grown soft, but she doesn’t sound any less sincere.  If anything, she’s completely captured his attention.

“And that’s good sometimes, it’s good to push yourself when you need it but… but sometimes you need to take it easy and accept it when people want…”

She trails off, and her eyes fall away, hoping the koi would give her the right words so she wouldn’t embarrass herself.

“When people want what?” Megumi asked.

“When people… want to… be close to you” She finishes her thought slowly, her teeth gnawing into her lip as she waits for his teasing to start.

It takes a minute or two for Megumi to process, while (y/n) fidgets and stares down at the fish, who had seemingly become bored of this conversation.

Screw you, koi.  I’m trying to pour my heart out here.

“You don’t think you’re close to me?”

Her head shoots back up to look at him.

“No- I mean- I know we’re friends but-”

“(y/n), you’re my favorite person, probably ever,” He cuts off her stammering, rather effectively.

Her cheeks flush with pink again.

“I know I don’t, uh, show it well, but you are, I guess I thought you’d at least know that,” He explains.

Now her heart’s melting.

“You’re very close to me.  I’m sorry it doesn’t feel like it”

And now she’s completely swooning.

“Oh, Megumi,” She grins, and leaps forward to throw her arms around his neck and hug him tightly.  

He freezes, naturally, but after a moment he finds himself wrapping his arms around her waist and hugging her back.  Maybe even a little tighter than necessary.

“That’s the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard,” She sighs into his ear.  “I just hope you know how important you are to me, okay?”

“Yeah… yeah, you’re important to me too” He mumbled back.

(y/n) slipped out of his hold then, giving him a bright smile.

“I’m glad you let me talk to you about all this,” She said sheepishly.  “And now we can talk to each other anytime, right?”

“Right,” Megumi agreed with a short nod.  “Anytime”

“Okay, well, I’m gonna get to bed then, it’s late,” She sighed.  “You should soon too”

“I will,” Megumi chuckled.  “Are you going to start worrying over me now?”

He got a swat to the shoulder as she stood up.

“You’re not as cute when you’re trying to be a smartass,” She says, effectively making his whole face turn red.  “G’night, Megumi”

He forces a smile as he bids her goodnight, and watches her retreat back to the dorms.

If Gojo were here, he’d surely call him a coward.  But even though he didn’t tell her the full truth, he still feels good about their conversation.  It’s hard to admit your feelings for someone, at least he was able to manage telling her what was really important.  That she was important.

By the time he finally got up from his spot, glaring at the koi that teased him for being a wuss, he figured he’s going to have to do better, and work up the nerve to tell her how he really felt. ___

xoxo - jordie

[thatdammchickennugget]

Hiii 💚 Congrats on 2k followers! You write so well and have amazing ideas. Plus you’re so kind and fun to interact with. Very well deserved! 

I’d love to join your 1.5k celebration please.

Can I request for a romantic pair with the Slytherin boys? Enzo is my fave but I’m curious if you think I’d pair better with someone else 👀 I love a good enemies to lovers trope, but will leave that up to you.

Also curious about PJO and ATLA but no need if it’s going to be too long. I’m mostly interested in HP.

Here’s some info about me:

✿ I have 1 black cat who’s super clingy and sweet but he meows a lot when he wants something and always looks confused. He’s a rescue.

✿ I love flowers, my friends always tell me they remember me when they see something floral. I generally love being in nature and go for regular walks outdoors.

✿ Generally cheerful, calm, and positive. I’m introverted at first but outgoing with friends and tend to be the therapist in the group. People feel comfortable sharing things and asking for advice, knowing I won’t judge them.

✿ I love reading, writing, journaling. My fave genres for books are murder mysteries, rom coms, fantasy, bit of sci fi. Mostly fiction.

✿ I enjoy studying and got good grades but was also a student leader in one of the organizations at my university. So I’d say pretty well rounded? Refined my academic skills and practical experience.

Thank you 💚 Hope you have a great day!

hey sweet girl, thank you so much 💕you're getting all three of course💕

Harry Potter; Romantic Match-Up: Lorenzo Berkshire

enzo and you clicked almost immediately, bonding over your shared love for nature and your quirky personalities. your black cat, with his constant meowing and perpetually confused expression, quickly became enzo’s excuse to be near you, with him covering up his crush on you by telling you he just wants to hang out with your cat.

enzo loved surprising you with bouquets of your favorite flowers, knowing that they never failed to bring a smile to your face. he'd often show up at your dorm with a bunch of wildflowers he'd picked during his runs, just to see the joy light up your eyes.

despite your generally cheerful demeanor, there were times when you needed a shoulder to lean on, and enzo was always there for you. he'd listen patiently as you poured out your heart, offering sage advice and terrible jokes in equal measure to lift your spirits.

your shared love for reading and writing infected him, leading to many late-night conversations, as you discussed your favorite books and exchanged stories and ideas. enzo loved hearing your thoughts on different genres and authors, often finding himself inspired by your passion and creativity.

as your friendship deepened, you discovered all sorts of quirks about each other, from enzo's love for cheesy romantic comedies to your obsession with solving murder mysteries. you'd spend hours binge-watching movies together, laughing at the ridiculous plotlines and trading theories about who the killer was.

as your bond with enzo grew stronger, you began to notice little signs of his crush on you, despite his attempts to play it cool. he'd find any excuse to spend time with you, whether it was helping you study or joining you on your nature walks, all while still insisting that he was just there for your cat.

Song: Ho Hey by The Lumineers

Avatar The Last Airbender; Romantic Match-Up: Zuko

you and zuko were destined to clash from the moment you first crossed paths in the Earth kingdom. your cheerful and positive demeanor stood in stark contrast to zuko's brooding and intense personality, making you natural adversaries in the ongoing conflict between the fire Nation and the avatar.

despite your initial animosity towards each other, fate seemed to constantly throw you together on your journey to help aang. your encounters were filled with heated arguments and tense standoffs, as you both stubbornly clung to your beliefs and loyalties.

however, amidst the chaos of the war, you found moments of quiet understanding and shared vulnerability. zuko's troubled past and inner turmoil mirrored your own struggles, creating an unexpected bond between you that neither of you could fully understand.

as you journeyed together alongside the avatar and his friends, after he joined your group, facing danger and adversity at every turn, you began to see zuko in a new light. beneath his tough exterior, you glimpsed a flicker of warmth and compassion that drew you to him despite your better judgment.

with each shared hardship and triumph, the barriers between you began to crumble, revealing layers of complexity and depth beneath the surface. you couldn't deny the growing admiration and respect you felt for him as he fought alongside you with unwavering determination.

as the journey progressed, you found yourself gravitating towards him, drawn to his unwavering sense of honor and his commitment to redemption. his past mistakes and inner struggles resonated with your own, forging a connection between you that transcended the boundaries of friendship.

though you tried to resist the pull of your feelings, you couldn't deny the undeniable chemistry and tension that simmered between you. your heart softened towards him as you witnessed his gradual transformation from enemy to ally, finding solace in his presence amidst the chaos of war.

Song: Demons by Imagine Dragons

Percy Jackson And The Olympians; Romantic Match-Up: Grover Underwood

you and grover have been friends since the day you first arrived at camp. you were immediately drawn to his tranquil demeanor. your shared love for nature formed an instant connection between you.

as cabin leader, you often sought out grover's advice on how to create a welcoming and harmonious environment for your fellow campers. he admired your dedication and leadership skills, always offering his support and guidance whenever you needed it.

despite the demands of your role, you always made sure you made time for him, finding solace in the peacefulness of the natural world. he became a confidant and a trusted friend, someone you could always rely on to lift your spirits and offer a listening ear.

your friendship with blossomed over the years, deepening with each passing summer. you shared laughter and stories amidst the blooming flowers, forging memories that would last a lifetime.

and as the years went by, you couldn't help but feel a growing warmth in your heart whenever you were around himr. with the beauty of nature as your backdrop and the support of your friends by your side, you began to realize that your feelings for Grover were more than just friendship.

at first, you brushed off those feelings, convincing yourself that it was just a deep appreciation for your friend. but as time went on, you couldn't deny the flutter in your stomach whenever he smiled at you or the way your heart skipped a beat when your hands accidentally brushed against each other.

Song: Count on Me by Bruno Mars

[triple-asstro]

relationship: thorin x reader

length: 1.3k

tw: mentions of burns, scars

ao3

a/n: i am alive! so sry for not posting lately. school and life in general is once again kicking my ass and now, here we are. love you all &lt;;33

It stung, that’s for damn sure. If you had to describe what having half of your face burnt off was like, it would be stinging. A lot of it too. Though you hadn’t lived in the town of Dale, you were there when Smaug decimated it. Only passing through to pick up some needed fruit. You could still remember the terror of it all. The screaming children, the smell of ash and smoke and the pain. That fateful day played through your head constantly; the screams and horrifying sights were too hurtful to mention. Thankfully, you managed to get some help in the form of a kind elf who covered your burn and made you look unscathed. You never found out what happened to that kind soul when you left the next day, however.

After the incident you encountered, you never wanted to face a dragon ever again. You simply wanted to go home and live the rest of your life in comforting peace. However, when the company of Thorin Oakenshield approached the Shire during teatime, you couldn’t help it. You had to go; to show that dragon what you caused him. Even if it wouldn’t do anything in the long run, you needed that closure.

As for the company itself, it showed quite interesting characters. Bilbo and Balin offered some peace and advice from the more rambunctious of the bunch, Bilbo’s blunter than Balin’s, and Bofur and Kili provided some much-needed humour and joy into the otherwise deadly and serious adventure. During the campfires and the numerous amount of stories you were told about the dwarfs' exciting lives, you mostly were an open book, never mentioning your burns and scars. The leader, Thorin, however, got you curious. He’d always keep to himself during the nightly campfires, always drifting away to a nearby rock or cliff. One time, during Beorn’s cabin, you woke up to the sight of a noticeably empty blanketed spot. Curiosity took hold of you and you quietly snuck out of your spot and crept towards the door. Creaking the door open and slowly squeezing through the giant oak door, the moonlight glistened onto your skin and the wind harmonized into your ears.

It was quite a beautiful night indeed. The gorgeous navy blue mixed with the sparkling twinkles of the stars truly gave you the most delightful sight to see. However, the tiny sliver of orange hue brought you away from the masterpiece and around a corner. As you peered over, you saw Thorin hunched over a brooding fire. His eyes looked tired and dishevelled; his hair was frizzy yet magnificently gorgeous at the same exact time. You and Thorin hadn’t gotten off the best foot, considering the circumstances given, but you’d kept your slimmest of hopes up. It just needed time.

Those moments you missed fondly and wished you were in right now. The soft warmth of the fire and Thorin’s comforting presence and words. Instead, you were fighting the Mirkwood elves. And orcs. While you thought that the barrel idea was ingenious, the harsh currents weren’t exactly favourable. It was pure chaos trying to both attack the elves and the orcs. It was a surprise that you still had your head intact. Everyone was swinging and slicing anything that lunged their way while you were observing the chaos that unfurled itself to you. In the midst of your confusion, a guard elf shot an incoming arrow towards you. The noise was silent; only becoming noticeable once it had grazed your cheek, leaving a drop of blood oozing from the wound.

Shock. The only emotion you could register in your mind. You reached your hand to feel the wound, only to realise it wasn’t the only would appear. As panic settled in, you grazed your hand to feel the leathery texture of your own flesh. You darted your head around, looking to see if anyone had noticed your new appearance, only to see Thorin staring straight at you. Now, the shock had truly enveloped every sense you had. What could you do? His gaze had an emotion you couldn’t identify. Was it concern? Disgust? Curiosity? Resentment? The thoughts plagued you endlessly, and the staring didn’t help those thoughts one bit. They only increased the speed as they flew by.

You couldn’t remember the rest of the battle, only snippets of your conscience snapped back in when Kili got injured or when Bombur flew above in his barrel. Though, that second moment was only because of the pure baffling oddity of it. The only time your mind fully resumed was when the company stopped on a nearby shore. As you heaved yourself out of the wet barrel, you marched towards a secluded spot; not too far from the company, but distant enough to offer you some space. Of course, when you sat down, you heard the wet sounds of following footsteps approaching you. You weren’t surprised when you looked behind you and saw a wet-haired Thorin, still staring at you.

“...What is it?” you stated. “You have something you want to say, so spit it out.”

He sat down beside you, staring into your eyes. While the mixed staring at the river caused you to panic, this stare was easier to decode. And easier to make your stomach stir.

“Was that wound real?” he asked, the royal tone causing you to hang your head low.

“Yes, it is real.”

“May I see it?” he said. You sighed, clasping your hands and squeezed rhythmically before turning towards him. You tried your best to focus on what the kind elf had said to you all those years ago.

If you ever needed the cover to unfurl at any time, simply focus on it. Acknowledge that it’s there. You don’t have to give it any further meaning; only simply acknowledge that it exists and that it’s a part of you. Then, and only then, will the cover reveal itself.

You kept reminding yourself of that passage; of the words that the elf said to you. You repeated it until it felt like second nature to you and once you opened your eyes; you saw Thorin’s eyes. His gaze had softened; his eyes filled with care and hurt. You could feel the sincerity and love of that gaze; all the feelings that you didn’t quite expect, but that you welcomed.

“How long have you had this scar?” he asked, placing his hand underneath your chin and tilting it towards him.

“Since centuries ago, I can’t remember and I do not wish to.”

“Understood.”

“Do you not feel repulsed? Disgusted, resentment even?” you asked.

“Why would I? Scars and burns simply show how far a warrior has come,” he said, turning his head to the side once he realized what he was doing with your face. “That’s what dwarven culture taught us. I can assume it isn’t the same as yours.”

“You’re right. In fact, if I were to show this in public, I would be ostracized immediately.” You said, chuckling at the statement until you saw Thorin’s expression. It seemed melancholic and solemn. As you were beginning to wonder if he was staring out into oblivion, he grasped your hands and cupped them together with his.

“My madtubirzul, I promise you, you need not be ashamed of this. This scar is a reminder of what you survived. I will be with you, right by your side, if I must. If you wish, I will find the thing that caused this and let its blood flow through the hills. I’ll be here with you until the end of days is upon us.”

You stopped, soaking in everything he had said towards you. As he was called away by Balin, you sat there, still leaving your hands clasped together. The affirmations he had given to you warmed your heart to its very core and, though you had no idea what the word madtubirzul meant, you knew it was something special; something he didn’t tell you the meaning about. You kept feeling the burn marks on your skin as the passage kept repeating itself in your mind. Maybe it was time to acknowledge that this mark is simply a part of your body; perhaps find beauty in it as well.

And maybe it was time to start learning Khuzdul.

[dizzyedgc]

[ tom blyth, man, he/they ] — whoa! CERRUS BALFOUR just stole my cab! not cool, but maybe they needed it more. they have lived in the city for TWO YEARS, working as an UBER DRIVER & UBER EATS DELIVERY MAN. that can’t be easy, especially at only TWENTY-FIVE. some people say they can be a little bit PESSIMISTIC and GLOOMY, but i know them to be CREATIVE and COMPASSIONATE. whatever. i guess i’ll catch the next cab. hope they like the ride back to MANHATTAN! — (freddie, twenty-four, aest, they/them)

BASIC INFO —

full name: cerrus chord balfour nickname/s: cer preferred name: cerrus age: twenty-five birthday: december 17th zodiac: sagittarius gender: man pronouns: he/him & they/them occupation: uber driver & uber eats delivery man sexuality: bisexualrelationship status: single ( + open for ships )

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE —

faceclaim: tom blyth hair colour: brownhair length / style: short & wavy eye colour: blue height: 6'2" tattoos: none currently piercings: none currently scars: small scars littered around body - hardly noticeable unless you're properly looking

PERSONALITY —

positive traits: creative, compassionate, street smart, athletic, flexible, gentle, kind-hearted, considerate, loyal, loving, devoted, caring, experienced, worldly, good-intentioned negative traits: pessimistic, gloomy, frustrated, burnt, stubborn, reserved, nosey, scatterbrained, brooding, distracted, conflicted likes: music, films, theatre, dancing, outdoors, nature, animals, fresh air, the smell of popcorn, sweets, fresh sheets, days off dislikes: traffic, deadlines, strict timeframes, insincerity, hypocrites, being stuck inside, boats, being in one place for too long, heartbreak, broken promises hobbies: working, watching films, listening to music, going for walks - he's actively trying to avoid most of his regular / previous hobbies bad habits: smoking, being overly stubborn, working too much, being unable to say no

BACKGROUND —

cerrus was born to eccentric performers, raised all over the world in their very own travelling circus. it was unconventional, but so magical for the young boy.

he became a performer before he could even walk, quickly developing his own skills, roles, and interests in each town they passed.

life on the road was as isolating as it was exciting; there were always pros and cons, but cerrus found it so much easier to love when he was so young.

the older he got, the more unconventional he felt, and the more trouble he faced from the kids in each neighbourhood he passed through that he tried to befriend.

at fourteen, cerrus experienced his first true feelings of hate for the lifestyle.

at this age, he developed his first crush, and while he had had to leave friends before, leaving somebody that he developed a much more special connection with was much harder.

unfortunately, this routine became his norm. each time cerrus met somebody who showed a real interest in him - something that was rare for the constantly picked on boy - he had to up and leave them before long.

he settled into an unhappy role in the circus until at twenty, he fell hard, and for somebody who reciprocated his feelings.

upon having to leave the town in which he found love, cerrus finally stood up and admitted to his parents that he could no longer live the nomadic lifestyle, and one that constantly had him labelled unpleasant things.

in his desperation to save his love, and due to his parents shock as cerrus had never voiced concerns before, the discussion turned into an enormous fight that ended with cerrus leaving on bad terms with his parents.

the fight was so ugly that cerrus developed an aversion for everything that reminded him of his old life; after not too long, this was what lost him his love.

saddened and in search of a life opposite to the one he had lived, cerrus found himself in search of the most mundane job in the most 'normal' place.

he moved into the city of new york, the closest city to him at the time, and he settled into what he tried to make the most mundane life possible - something that's proven hard, as it's as if cerrus is a magnet to those more peculiar, those like who he is deep down at his core.

WANTED CONNECTIONS —

ex love interest - the person that cerrus fell in love with at twenty years old; they eventually broke up as cerrus changed too much as he forced himself to be someone who he's not. i imagine they broke up with him, and he's still gutted about it. they met not too far from new york, but out of the city. any gender, similar age preferred, really open to plotting more together!

past audience - people who recognise cerrus from his time in the circus; they caught a show ( or maybe even multiple if they ever travelled themselves ) and they're shocked to see him acting as he is now. he likely pretended that he didn't know what they were talking about upon initially interacting.

oddballs - they could be friends, neighbours, roommates, enemies, anything! the only requirement is that they're a little odd, an unconventional person. cerrus tries so hard to live a 'normal' life, but he can't escape his true self - which is what i'm hoping they bring out of him more!

ex crush / flings from his circus days - cerrus travelled through their town with his family's circus aged fourteen to twenty, and either crushed on them, or had a fling with them before he had to leave town to go to his next destination. any gender, similar age required, open to plotting more together!

ex crush / flings / relationships in new york - cerrus hasn't been in any situationship or relationship especially serious, but he has dipped his toes into the dating pool in the city. it's hard as he's not being the most authentic version of himself, and searching for all of the wrong people, but maybe something interesting could have still come from it!

roommates - i don't imagine cerrus being able to afford his own place in manhattan ( can anyone ? ) so he's definitely got multiple roommates that he shares an apartment with. he's a relatively good person to live with, being considerate and caring to make good connections, but he is known to shut himself in his room for days on end when he's feeling blue.

friends - a big part of why he left his previous situation was to build connections he wouldn't have to leave. i picture cerrus having a group of close friends that he never takes for granted; they likely see his more authentic self more than others, and with them cerrus experiences true moments of happiness.

crush / love interest - similar to the friend connection, cerrus left the circus for a purpose, so it'd be super nice to see him romantically involved with somebody that he doesn't have to leave! unfortunately i think he looks for all of the wrong people, but it'd be super cool if he formed a connection with someone more like his true self ( an oddball, perhaps ) and if something happened real naturally.

customers - people who he consistently drives around, or delivers food to. maybe they don't get along, but he's the only uber driver who's always closest at the odd time that they need him, or maybe they've struck up a real friendship and he comes inside with their food delivery so that they can share meals together.

cerrus is also open to so much more, i'm happy to brainstorm or listen to any / all of your ideas !

[dotster001]

hello congrats on 1.5k!! may I request a type 1 matchup? for twisted wonderland please.

- I'd like to believe I'm funny, I'm someone who laughs a lot (?) even at the most dumbest things as long I get it and I actually find it funny lol. I don't like being alone outside but at home I'd like to have some alone time, I just like to surround myself with people (ex. family) I like and I'm comfortable with outside of home (doesn't have to be a large group of friends either). I get super excited if I found someone who share the same interests as me (cause rarely all my friends do), I like otome games, story games, manhwa, manga, anime, music, fanfics, cats, and etc

- I can probably talk for hours about my interests. But I'm also someone who gets bored easily (mostly toward games doe), and I get over things easily (like I could dislike this person's persona one moment and the next I wouldn't feel anything about them). I smile a lot around my friends but some say I have a rbf. I'm quite blunt and sometimes my mouth works faster than my brain. I find myself having a hard time trusting people with my more private worries but it's not that big of a deal.

- I'd like to think I'm someone who doesn't have a lot of worries (but ofc there's some days where it just hits but rarely), I just go with the flow. I'm pretty open-minded and is okay with trying out new things, I love having fun (doe I get scared by bungee jumping and stuff, I'd still try it out at least once). Although I'm not very open and chatty with strangers, I open up more if we have smth in common or we talk often. But I'd try to start some small talk if none of us says anything or just sit in silence fiddling with something (either my phone or anything I can touch) 😭

thank you in advance!! ❤️

- ☀️

Event Closed

(I hope you enjoy this! I just got the vibes that you two would get along amazingly 😁)

I match you with Lilia Vanrouge.

Ah, the beloved trickster. He loves to make you laugh. He doesn't even really need a joke, he just pranks people and watches your expressions. He loves your laugh.  If the only thing he could hear for the rest of his life was your laughter, he'd be so happy!

He's taken you to cat cafes before, just to watch you interact with one of the things you love the most. Don't worry too much about it. He also enjoys cats, and is partially using you as an excuse to visit the cafe more often. He has three cats that are his favorites, and sit with him every time…they kind of act like people you know, but you can't quite put your finger on who…

He's a man who likes a good story. He is totally ready to listen to you discussing your interests. He hopes in return you'll listen to one or two of his. Did you hear about the time he stole a tart from the queen of hearts? Well, have a sit down, cause about 400 years ago…

He's willing to try bungee jumping with you. He'll try anything once. If it's clear you hate hit, he'll just ditch the jump and fly you away from everything, holding you close and calming you down. If you enjoy it though, he wants to do it all the time. He's an excitable little guy, that's for sure.

He's ready to be your buffer with strangers you have nothing in common with.  You can small talk if you like, but Lilia can figure things out about people remarkably quickly, so he'll find something you both like, and it'll suddenly be like you three have always been best friends. And if not, well, you can always just talk to him or fiddle with his hands while he talks the stranger into a circle.

"Oh that one's a hunk, pick him!"

Lilia was very willing to "help" you play the new otome game you found. He'd already told you the character that was exactly like him was "riddled with red flags and clearly no good for a boyfriend". And now he had settled on a dark brooding character for you.

"Lilia, I'm not sure if that's the character I want…"

"Maybe, but he's definitely the hottest one. And that's what's important."

"Look, I'm just gonna go with this one," you said, indicating the character like Lilia. "His character arc is probably gonna be way more unique than the dark brooding arc. I've played a lot of these kinds of games. I know what I'm talking about."

Lilia stared at you blankly, before pulling out his own phone. You thought maybe he'd gotten bored, or had to answer some messages from his boys. But after about an hour of you playing your game, you heard him giggle.

"Oh Samsonius, you are too much!"

Startled, you looked over at his phone, and saw him playing the dark character's route.

"I'm sorry, what the heck?" You asked.

Lilia turned to you with a pout. "Look, I have better taste in men than you, I'm sorry. Now go back to your "trickster" route."

And so the war to passive aggressively seduce fictional characters had begun.

[misssakuramochi]

Hi!! Could I please request a romantic matchup with a male character from One Piece?

My pronouns are she/her and I’m heterosexual. My zodiac sign is Taurus and I’m an INFP! I have pretty dark brown hair and I have brown eyes.I also have freckles across my cheeks.

I’m definitely a more introverted person, I’m very shy when I’m talking to people I don’t know, and I tend to avoid conversation as much as possible. However, if I get to know someone, I can be very talkative and cheery! I’m a very creative person and have a big imagination! I can also be very stubborn, and I don’t really like to admit that I’m wrong. 

I have a lot of hobbies, and I really enjoy trying out new things! I have a passion for baking, and I try to bake something new at least once a month! I also enjoy figure skating, and I’ve recently learned how to play the harp! Some other various hobbies of mine include calligraphy, digital art and quilting. I absolutely love going antique shopping! It’s a really fun past time, and I definitely like looking through decorations and utilities from the past. I collect records, old comics, pins, and paper dolls, so those are all things I like! I have a very strong dislike for bugs and I also hate seafood.

Thank you!! I hope this is good!

I match you with...

MIKAWK

○ Mihawk needs an introvert who understands his need for time spent alone to think and recharge. You would likely benefit (imo) from someone who understands your reservation and need to warm up slowly. Though to everyone else it seems like the slowest of slow burn romances, the two of you get to come out of your shells at your own paces in a natural way.

○ As you warm up and become more talkative, Mihawk becomes a bit surprised with your wild imagination (wild in his eyes, anyway, seeing as he is the much less imaginative of the two of you.) That bring said, he adores hearing you go on about your ideas. You do most of the talking, but he's more than happy to listen over tea

○ Both of you are quieter people, it seems. Quiet nights in over parties, museums Ober clubs - you get the idea. Your idea of a good date lines up well, which keeps things fresh and romance alive

○ Outwardly, the two of you are opposites - uptrend cheerful and bright, he's brooding and dark; you're a jack of all trades, he's a master of one; you get the idea. Inwardly though, you're similar enough to understand one another and where the other comes from when they approach things differently. Together, your differences and similarities together make you unstoppable

HEADCANONS

○ Mihawk has not just a hobby room, but a whole wing dedicated to your interests added to his castle. Sewing room, art room, collection room - the only thing not in the castle is a skating rink and that's only because it's outside. You even have your own bedroom in the wing. Like, you share the master bedroom, but for nights you're too exhausted to make it after a long night crafting, or too socially worn out to even want to spend time with him, its there.

○ With your cheery nature and Mihawks... uh. Well you know him being himself, you become known as the sun and the moon.

○ You sound like something of an old soul, and I feel like you and Mihawk end up dressing like a historical vampire-esque manner. You don't really wear couples clothes exactly, but you do match quite perfectly

○ Learning swordplay is an absolute must for you. Even if you were somewhat proficient before, there is much for you to learn from the greatest swordsman in the world. He won't say it, but he does this because he worries for you - the waters you live in are dangerous, after all. In turn though, Mihawk can be convinced to pick up one of your hobbies if you play your cards right. Turns out he's quite a handy seamstress.

[ahqgg]

Good evening. As we know the bonfire is long past and everyone is just dying to know everything that went on, so let’s get on with it, shall we? I’m in the mood to be viciously blunt and you’re going to be in the mood to hear what I have to say.

So let’s go.

It looks like our dearest Rapunzel is finally moving on. That’s good, since Kit Charming was absent for most of the party to celebrate his engagement to Marie Bonfamille. He couldn’t have picked a more damaged woman, congrats! It’s nice to see what happens when people listen for once, hmm? But back to blondie. She was seen getting extra close and extra intimate with none other than Charlie Cheshire. Cat certainly has her tongue in this situation; I wonder what else he had that night? Our favorite kitty was busy pouncing on whoever he could, so it doesn’t shock me to see him finally have his way with her. 

Our “former local slut” is apparently still just as slutty. That’s right, our favorite mention Blaise Lumiere is at it again. It comes to no one’s surprise that he was seen drinking and grinding against every person he came into contact with. A few stolen kisses and a few quickies in the bathrooms, which by the way are not large at all, says all we need to say for us. Sluttiness comes in pairs though. While he was bumping and grinding, so was his best friend Claude. I guess we can officially say the stick is finally out of his ass. 

Our favorite fear monger Harold is finally out of hiding. He managed to scare his little ward Paislee away and piss of everyone around him in the same night. For him, I’m sure that was a success. I’m eager to see who he is going to take prisoner next. Meg is fun and all, but she has been rather boring these days, don’t you think? She is stuffing her mouth with baguettes a plenty but remember Meg...bread makes you fat. And we would hate to see you fall for the exact same set-up that got you where you are now. Then again....maybe we wouldn’t. 

What a few of you all missed was Hans and Alex getting into a fight over their precious manic pixie dream girl. If I was Anna I would be putting my man in a much needed time-out until he remembered who he was engaged to. Then again, if I was the one engaged to Hans he wouldn’t be so loudly disloyal to my face. I’m sure she is going to go to her local sad boy Jim for some affection and cuddles, but Anna, he isn’t who he seems either. He’s got a web woven of beautiful girls who are far more interesting and far more scandalous. I guess what I’m saying is...start keeping your future hubby’s interest, because there is no Plan B. Pun intended. 

In our happy little lesbian world, Samantha Manson and Wendy Corduroy were seen getting fairly hot and heavy. Has anyone told Sam yet about their track record? I’m giving it a month before they move on to the next hot brooding person on their never-ending list of conquests. Lil and Riley were surprisingly absent in the affection category. Trouble in paradise? I’m sure there are a few lucky ladies out there that would hope so! I’m not even sure which one of them is sought after the most, but I know both of them have a fair share of women at the ready to make them feel special.

Peyton Pascal seems to be in love. It didn’t take long, it didn’t take a lot, but here we have it. He seems to be taking a few notes from Rapunzel’s book here. I wonder if Bentley is ready for a spring wedding yet? Counter wise, we have a new bachelor in paradise! His name is Shaggy Rogers, there is so much left to be desired, and yet he has people falling over him like he is the hottest thing since sliced bread! He’s hot, I’ll give you all that....but again, there is just so much left to be desired. I’m sure if he takes a page from his little gang’s book he will be fumbling his title in no time! Or he could always seek out Victor Van Dort. He seems to have women at his feet and he doesn’t do a damn thing to earn it. Will Victor ever make a choice? Or will he become as vicious as our Blaisie and become the new slut in town?

As you can see, so much scandal, so little time. I’m sure there’s more, but the people of Animania are starting to bore me a little. 

Until next time

xoxo

gossip girl

[tetsuro-wulf]

The Wulf's Eye: RP Journal #81 | Summer's End

I'm finally writing after everything. A lot of preparation and practice was put into Y☆KAI's summer concert, so that is where I've been.. Honestly, it was a blast. This would be my second-- well, third time technically being part of a concert. Though, the last concert I had done revolved around rock at the Lunar Cry. I aim to bring it back in the next few moons! That aside, a lot of friends and familiar faces came to watch or say hello. Truly, it warmed my heart to no end. It's strange having merch dedicated to.. us. As humble as I am, it merely put a smile on my face to see how delighted those who approached me were. For now, a break has been long overdue.

There was no time for rest, to be frank. The following day, I was helping with the Obon Odori.. one of my favorite festivals. This year I ran the storytelling segment. I was pleased to see 'Se' return, for his words were excellent as always. I retold my own, that of the Nekomata.. a glimpse into the evolving view of yokai co-existing amongst mortals. I do hope it reached the hearts of man, though I caught some smiles and intrigue in the crowd. I participated in the Bon Dance for the first time.. another thing we had been practicing alongside the summer concert. Ending off with the ceremony and release of lanterns.. It was actually my first year making a lantern and releasing it. I hadn't exactly known my ancestors until.. well.. I was introduced to the Okami bloodline I was unknowingly apart of. A descendent of. I wanted to honor the Okami who entrusted such to me. And it was even more meaningful to have Li by my side whilst doing it. I know he released a lantern for his Great Uncle and we both ended the night with seafood at the holstery.

As for the other days between such preparation, I was thankful to see my loved ones at Nightraid finally getting the chance to relax and decompress from all that had.. transpired regarding the Mogui incident. Fudoo mentioned taking care of some remaining concerns.. so I cannot believe I am saying that I am entrusting him with as much. The lot of us relaxed at HQ's onsen for a bit.. Haruko brought up the fellow we saw in his Mind's Eye. I can't help but feel dissatisfactory upon hearing the bastard still lives. But for now, that is not exactly my call..

Is it?

Properly contacted Gramps about introducing to me the Kusarigama. It was fun, really! I hadn't learned a new weapon in ages. I was glad it was one of the east, for those I favor. He showed me the basic ropes, and it has been good opening up to a few folks about learning more things. It was different from being deep in my book studies lately.. something physical. Afterward, I found myself training a lot with the dummies he gifted me. And by a lot, I mean.. well, seems I have another morning routine. I visited Ranmaru to see how he was doing whilst also ordering a properly forged Kusarigama, as much as I like the training one Gramps gifted me. Ranmaru seemed to be in.. a really good mood. It's strange, considering I've known him mostly as a man who often broods.

Recently, Kayah visited me with a few questions regarding the spiritual. I recalled he was interested in helping with purifying things such as blight, given we've run into such trouble on the field. He brought a hefty basket of treats, which I couldn't hide my excitement over. We chatted in the study for some time, and it seemed Kayah was looking at various methods to deeper connect with his spiritual side in order to aid in the Vault's jobs. I thought it wouldn't hurt, considering sometimes blight or corruption is what may inflict further ruin or harm to a patient. With what Kayah and I discussed, I figured he needed to begin disciplining himself with in-depth meditation and self-discovery. That's when I offered to be his teacher in such. He opened up to me a lot and.. I couldn't help but feel driven to be his guide. I want to see him grow, more than anything. I had Kayah pick out bead colors for the focuses he wants to achieve in these sessions so I may craft him a set for our first session.

For the next moon I intend to get back to training my number of students as I've missed. I look forward to their growth, most of all!

08.17.2022 - 08.25.2022

[serendipitous-mythicality]

With ever-lasting madness Gazing through empty, flashing eyes Golden wheat sounds fill my head Over something seldom sung  Wandering with broken feet Over hills in distant sands While white birds battle black In thunder-strewn winds  Drunken mercies shattered, From screams, escape desperate times Still, outlawed hope beats with heavy wings Amongst tombstone-blackened minds   Winding maze concealed With parting drifting seas Finds poets’ dying whispers Over abandoned love’s remains Buried deep without compassion Crazed within the storm Lost without redemption Will it all be mourned?

Years ago, I used to write poetry. I keep meaning to pick the habit back up. It's been somewhere shy of twenty years now since it was a regular habit. Couldn't even begin to guess at how long it's been since I've written anything. The first one on this post was completely outside anything I'd ever done. I was inspired by Paul McCartney of all people. This was when I was really researching The Beatles. I used to come home from school (high school and college) and listen to music, write, and play solitaire. All day long, I'd fill notebooks full of my favourite lyrics and write story ideas, poetry, etcetera. Been going through various past writings of mine looking for loose papers I wrote in regards to the novel that has been in my head for most of my life. It's funny that I thought I had majorly changed the plot as I finally sit down to write it instead of only researching mythological lore. Instead, I'm finding scraps from many, many years ago with these same plotlines in them. It's been with me for a long time. I'm been finding various things as I go. Such as: Butterfly playing skip rope with the dog's tale A wrinkly hound With a long nose of butterscotch And: A day without days is like a moment without moments. Broken wings flutter sobbing on the wind while lopsided suns salute frivolously from a grey-bent sky. All the while, tears well within the dusty cracks of civilization proving to be too much for the sinner to hold fast in trembling hands. You can't escape them and the moments become moments as the grains of sand join the tears. Sighs lament over lost words and broken hearts as brooding trees echo the wind's rage over being left to face the truth. Really not sure WTF was going on in my head as I wrote some of this stuff. The first line makes no sense.

Then there's this:

THE BLACK ROSE

Faded yet vibrant Its beauty cuts like a knife A haunted, forlorn quality Its darkness shimmering Like the water's reflection Reflecting nothing Its thorns hold a sacred price Forsaken life A single cut rose - in black Mistaken Wild darkness A commitment made unaware Beware 

I was certainly moody back in the early 2000s on. It's an interesting time capsule. Really got going on haikus and their 5-7-5 form for a while there too. Should pick that habit back up as it's a simpler way to be creative throughout the day.

The only writing I've done since is Rhett and Link fan fiction. Was reading some of it today (a couple of years old now) and was tempted to tinker around and fix them up better. Still have a chapter to go on the one. However, this is how I always lose track of my novel. Not pausing it. Need to get a good schedule going.

[senstless]

Splinterlands Share Your Battle Weekly Challenge MAGI NECROSI

Back To Splinterlands Highlighting Magi Necrosi Bronze league level - beating Silver League teams.

I'm back to share another post to highlight that using Superior lineups and strategy can defeat higher ranking cards. In this battle I will use bronze League cap cards or below to defeat silver capped league cards. This should help show new players that strategy can outperform cards even when there's a disparity in levels.

Weekly Challenge - MAGI NECROSI

Edition: CHAOS LEGION Rarity: EPIC Element: DEATH Attack: MAGIC Abilities: SNIPE Abilities CAMOUFLAGE Health: 4 Speed: 4 Attack: 2

Reasons Why I like it I have had a lot of matches with Magic Necrosis since Chaos agent came out it's been interesting to see how my selection of the card has changed over time. When chaos first came out I used it heavily in mini matches highlighting death and in fact really leaned on it heavily as a great way to build a snipe team. As more cards have been released through rewards cards, and rift watchers I have utilized it less. While it's still a great card I just haven't had as many uses for it. I love the card because of its high speed, high magic damage, and camouflage which usually keeps it around for a long time. If you can manage to bury it towards the back of your lineup it should last until the end.

Biggest drawbacks of course are it's low health of only four, and while it does to magic damage, the majority of death splinter summoners will reduce that down to one leaving it a little costly compared to other magic cards.

The Matchup

The Rule Sets

Watch the Match Here

MANA: 26

Ruleset: Broken Arrows: Monsters with ranged attack cannot be used.

Ruleset: Noxious Fumes: All monsters are afflicted with the poison debuff at the start of the game.

SPLINTERS: Fire, Water, Earth, Death

Initial Rule Set and Mana Gameplay Thoughts

This was an interesting ruleset to plan for. Having only 26 mana, no range attack, and noxious fumes meaning monsters will take a two poison damage every round made it challenging to balance your lineup between attack and longevity.

Summoner THADDISU BROOD this is great for a couple of reasons, it will reduce their magic attack by One but almost as or more importantly will reduce the health by one. Given that all monsters will be taking two poison damage each round this cannot many of the three health cards out after the first round and provide my team a significant advantage

First Position CORPSE FIEND Since it's not going to last past the first round might as well put it here first to take out and absorb the first attack

Second Position NIGHTMARE Nightmare doesn't get enough play for me but I liked the combo of high health, high speed and splash damage to try to help take out the second card a little faster when it gets hit with the poison.

Third Position RIGTWING Since I figured there's going to be at least a couple of cards exiting on the first round I might as well plan on using a scavenger card to pick up as much additional help as I can to give myself a longer lasting lineup

Fourth Position MAGI NECROSI A bit of a risky play given it will only last one or two rounds but given its high magic damage and snipe I'm hoping to take out a card that would otherwise stick around and cause me issues. Knowing my car should stick around for two rounds is enough of a trade off

Fifth Position XENITH MONK I like to put the monk at the back so we can heal itself and hopefully regenerate until it moves to first position where it can hopefully give me a victory

Opponent Lineup & Match Play

Summoner KELYA FRENDUL not a bad choice here, the armor will help protect it from attacks and have most of its health loss only due to the poison, and speed is always helpful

DJINN OSHHANNUS great choice with high speed, health, void and magic damage one of my favorites to put in first position for these matches

RIVER NUMPH having cleanse will provide a real boost to the team and give me issues if I can't take it out first

MERDAALI GUARDIAN not surprising they're all so banking on having a healer, which will really make Djinn Oshannus a problem to take out

DEEPLURKER Great play here, plus it's a level 5 which means it has additional health speed and melee damage. It alone could read significant havoc on my team

Round 1

Before round one starts I really have no idea how this will play out, I'm not sure if I will even do any damage to Djinn Oshannus given its speed phase and void. The biggest impact in round one was Thaddeus reduced the health of River Nymph down to two, allowing Magi Necrosi take it out prior to it cleansing Djinn Oshannus. This might have given me a chance to win. The rest of the round played out as expected

Round 2

On two starts off and well my team looks good, this is prior to having the boys applied all the way around. Wow it mostly just reduces the health of my cards down to critical levels it also knocks out Merdalli Guardian improving my odds of a victory. Well I did lose Zenith Monk to deep lurker and Magi Necrosi Djinn Oshannus.

Round 3

Prior to the poison around three things are looking like it's going to be over quickly one way or the other. I am likely to lose Nightmare and Magi Necrosi this round but the start of next round will do significant damage to my opponent's health. In fact I don't even deal with any damage this round, but Riftwing just pick up two extra house from my dying monsters.

Round 4

Has the round starts it looks like I should lose, but then the poison is applied to All The monsters while this drops me by two health, it also kills Deeplurker Djinn Oshannus down to a critical level where it will die the next round.

Round 5

Again I don't actually deal any damage, but I have a higher health count to stave off the poison attacks and give myself to victory. This is exceptionally frustrating when it happens to you and you have the only monster doing damage but not enough health to Outlast The other monster.

Thoughts - and Chances to Win Again

Link: https://splintertools.io/custom?league=1&team1=437,4,339,2,389,4,387,1,385,5&team2=438,2,366,1,285,3,354,3,362,1,428,2&rulesets=NOXIOUS_FUMES|BROKEN_ARROWS&modern=true It looks like I was for their head than I thought. It tells me that I have a 100% chance for a victory against much higher card levels because of my team set up, abilities chosen, and overall strategy. It was a bit surprising to me to see that I had a 100% win rate and even after running the scenario multiple times it always came back the same.

It's always refreshing to take out higher level cards due to the strategy and not just RNG look. Hopefully this post was helpful and gives you ideas for the future.