#i’d give anything to braid his hair and take care of it and put my curl products in it so it would wave

[thatapostateboy]

wonderstruck

Pairing: Brenna Lavellan x Cremisius 'Krem' Acclasi

Word Count: 3239

Listening Suggestion: Enchanting - Taylor Swift

Synopsis: in which Krem meets Lavellan, but does not put two and two together

Warnings: Very brief description of battle

Crossposted: Here on AO3

Haven was bloody cold.

He had dressed for winter, and yet the cold was finding a way to seep into his bones. He could usually handle the weather, if he was fighting or travelling, keeping his blood pumping. But he had been stood outside of the Haven Chantry for what had felt like an age, having arrived on horseback a little past dawn, trying to find someone of authority to speak to. But he had either been brushed off or straight up ignored.

Perhaps they had assumed he was there to make trouble; couldn’t be too careful when you were part of an organisation that some considered heretical.  

Either that or the entire Inquisition were not morning people.

“Are you alright, soldier?”

He turned to see an elven woman behind him, dressed in the traditional furs and leathers of a Dalish hunter, with vallaslin on her face to confirm his assumption. Her grey eyes met his, and even in the low light of morning, he was struck by how they shone like silver.

Her eyebrows rose a little, as though hinting that she was waiting on a response, and he realised that he had been staring for beat of a moment too long.

“Oh I-” he cleared his throat, straightening up his posture, remembering why he was here, “I’ve been trying to find someone to speak to. My name is Lieutenant Cremisius Aclassi, I represent a mercenary company looking to aid the Inquisition.”

A soft smile passed over her face, “I believe most of the leadership is in a meeting presently, but I’d be happy to pass on a message if you can give me the details.”

He began to explain about the Chargers, answering her questions about their credentials, Bull’s leadership style, even their cost, relaxing the more he went on. Selling the Chargers was second nature, their work spoke for itself, and she asked the right questions of a prospective client. She wrote down no details, but he had no doubt in his mind that she would remember everything he said. She listened with rapt attention, grey eyes watching him intently as he spoke.

She was a beautiful young woman, her elven figure shorter than his own, muscles clearly toned from use of the bow she carried, but a subtle femininity to her that softened her edges, her dark hair long and braided off of her face, a few wildflowers twisted into it. He noticed a few scars scattered across her skin, some older, some much fresher; signs of more recent battle wounds. Whatever her role was within the Inquisition, she was clearly no stranger to a fight.

Once he had finished his pitch, she nodded him towards the centre of the village where people had begun to queue up for breakfast, “It seems you’ve had a long journey, lieutenant. Take a rest by the fire, get something to eat. I’ll pass along a message to those in charge and come find you once they have reached a decision.”

“Thank you. What about you?”

“What about me?” her eyebrows raised a little.

He glanced towards the porridge that was now being ladled out to those waiting and back to her, “Won’t you miss breakfast if you await their outcome?”

She let out a soft breath, a look of surprise in her expression, “I’ve already eaten, I’ve not quite acclimatised to human cooking as yet. But you’re very sweet to worry.”

He laughed a little at that, mostly to cover the warmth in his cheeks as she called him sweet, “Very well then.”

“I’ll be back soon.”

He watched her go as she headed back inside the Chantry, an odd stirring settling into his chest. He shook his head to himself and turned to go find some food, now was not the time to be thinking with anything other than his stomach or his head.

~*~*~

It was a short while later that she returned, finding him having finished his breakfast and wandered further into the village to investigate more about the Inquisition that he had found himself determined to work for. He had heard about the work they were doing, knew in his heart that the Chargers could be of assistance, and seeing it in person only strengthened his resolve.

“Lieutenant!” she called to him, joining him where he was watching some of the soldiers training, “How was breakfast?”

“Not the worst porridge I’ve eaten by a long shot,” he admitted, “But it’s a far cry from a Dalish recipe.”

“You know Dalish cooking?”

“A member of our company was born into a Dalish clan, she’s made us a few things she remembers from her childhood when it’s her turn to cook.”

“Your group truly is full of surprises,” she said with a smile before she straightened up her form a little, as though remembering why she was actually there, “The Herald apologises for not coming to meet you in person, but she said she would be happy to meet your group. Business will take her to the Storm Coast in the next few days.”

He nodded, “That’s good to hear.”

“Will you be staying to travel there with the Herald?”

“I should be heading back as soon as possible, let the Chief know to expect the Herald, make sure he hasn’t gotten himself into too much trouble whilst I’ve been gone.”

“That’s understandable, though the Herald asked me to let you know that if you require any supplies to ensure that you had them.”

“A most generous offer, though I think I’ll be okay. I brought plenty of provisions for the return trip.”

“Well, there is one thing for you to take with you. See to your horse and I’ll find you before you go.”

They parted once again, and true to her word, she returned as he was leading his mount from the stable, who had been fed and watered without want for any gold in exchange. The horsemaster had simply told him that the Inquisition looked after their own.

“Here,” she said, handing a bundle out to him, “For the road.”

He took it from her, feeling the warmth of the contents through the linen wrapping. He pulled on the string holding it together, the sweet smell wafting from within. Inside were half a dozen sweet buns, covered with a sticky glaze.

“Honey cakes,” she clarified, “They just finished cooking.”

“They smell incredible. What’s in these?”

“Well, the trick is-” she met his eyes, a grin spreading across her face, “If things work out between your boss and the Herald, I’ll tell you the secret ingredient when you come back to Haven.”

He gave a nod and a soft laugh, “I’ll hold you to that.”

“I wish you safe travels, Lieutenant.”

“Thank you, for everything… my apologies, I never got your name.”

“No, you didn’t. Something else I’ll tell you when you come back to Haven.”

He chuckled, “Very well.” He took her gloved hand, and her form stiffened for a brief moment before he brushed a kiss against the leather on the back on her hand, “Until we meet again.”

He noted the flush in her cheeks before she returned his warm smile, “Until we meet again.”

~*~*~

“Krem, is that a pack of baked goods?”

He had been back with the Chargers for less than an hour, finally taking a well-earned rest from his journey to enjoy one of the honey cakes away from the main part of their campsite, having no intention of sharing this gift with them, until a familiar horned shadow had loomed over him.

“Sure is, Chief,” he responded.

“Did you swing into the city on the way here? Where did you get those?”

“Haven.”

“You found cakes in Haven?”

“I didn’t steal them, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“Well I’ve never seen you buy them either, so what’s...” he glanced at his lieutenant’s face, and the subtle hint of the flush in his cheeks, “Someone gave them to you. The question is if they’re as sweet on you as you are on them.”

Krem didn’t even bother to hide his growing smile at that point, “She was just being kind, but she was...”

“Yeah?”

“Possibly the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.”

“Atta’ boy,” Bull clapped a hand to his back, taking a seat beside him, “So, c’mon, tell me about her.”

“She was elven, Dalish by the look of her tattoos and that hunting gear they wear-”

“The tight leather wraps, I’m familiar,” he nodded.

“She was the first person to actually stop and speak to me. I told her about the Chargers, she said she’d make sure the Herald got the message. She came and found me again before I could leave, said the Herald would love to come meet us and she gave me these for the road. She made them herself.”

“Well, damn. Even if things don’t work out with the Herald, we should swing by Haven when we’re next out that way.”

“We don’t-”

“Hey, it’s not every day my right-hand man meets an enchanting woman that captures his heart. Now, finish those up before Skinner spots them and tries to shiv you for them.”

He snorted a laugh, the warmth in his cheeks at the thought of meeting that young woman again still making itself known, “Yes, Chief.”

~*~*~

The fight had been a bloody disaster from the start.

They had been tracking the Tevinter mages along the coastline since his return from Haven, but one wrong move had left them fenced in; the sea on one side, a cliff face on the other, encroaching waves of Venatori, all whilst trying to fight on a pebble beach in a thunderstorm.

His heavy armour didn’t fare well against the salt spray of the seawater, nor the loose stone underfoot, breathing heavily under his helm as he knocked down mage after mage with his hammer, trying to hold the line to protect their ranged fighters.

Somewhere to the side of him he could hear Bull’s familiar battle roar as he cut down another Venatori, followed by a string of curses as another group of mages appeared on the periphery.

There was a hum of magic cast over them, a wavering barrier, and he gave a call of thanks to Dalish, who didn’t even give the obligatory protest of not being a mage, but warned that she couldn’t keep this up much longer.

They were all near spent, he could see it in the way Grim’s shoulder sagged under the weight of his shield as he blocked an incoming spell, or how Skinner’s usually deadly blows had grown sloppy, desperate.

Bull gave a bellowing call of encouragement to them all, receiving an exhausted but determined, “Horns up!” in response from his company.

They could do this. They had gotten out of worse fights than this. They could-

His foot slid out from under him as the pebbles shifted, distracting him for a split second long enough that he didn’t defend against the spell coming his way, knocking him clean on his back, head ringing as he hit the ground hard, vision swimming from the pain and the rain now thundering into his face through the slit in his visor.

Eyes silver like starlight. White wildflowers stark against dark hair. The warmth of freshly baked goods. He didn’t know her name yet.

With a groan of pain, he hauled himself to his feet, hefting his hammer onto his shoulder, tensing himself to bring it crashing down into the sternum of the approaching mage. Yet before he could make his move, an arrow whistled past his ear, sinking into the jugular of the ‘vint, felling him in a single shot.

He turned, looking to thank one of Skinner’s skirmishers, but instead saw a figure sliding down the cliff face towards them, bow in hand, firing another arrow as they went, taking down another approaching soldier. He lifted the visor of his helm, wiping the rain from his eyes and saw the elven woman from Haven approaching him.

“Nice hammer, lieutenant,” she flashed him a smile then ran past him, throwing herself into the fray firing arrow after arrow.

Other members of the Inquisition soon joined them, having taken a more stable route down the cliff face; an elven mage, the Seeker and a man in the armour of a Grey Warden. It was more than enough to tip the fight in their favour, finishing off the final Venatori on the beach.

As he allowed himself a few breaths to recover, he couldn’t help but admire the elven rogue, watching her move gracefully across the battlefield, light enough on her feet that the pebbles barely shifted under her movements, unperturbed by the storm that raged around them; a true Dalish hunter.

Hells, if nothing else worked out with the Inquisition, she would make an incredible addition to the Chargers.

He set to his post-battle routine, checking on the others, ensuring the throat-cutters were getting to work at the Chief’s orders, though he kept half an eye on the group from the Inquisition as they began talking to Bull. He saw him beginning to talk to the elven woman alone and he felt a knot in his stomach.

He trusted Bull with his life, but the thought of him saying anything at all untoward her in an attempt to aid his love life had him wandering over, determined to interrupt so that he could make sure that Bull finalised their contract with no damned distractions.

“The, uh, the throat-cutters are all done, Chief,” he said as he approached, “Stitches is looking after the wounded.”

Bull looked between him and the elf, and he could tell he was holding back a shit eating grin.

“I assume you remember my lieutenant, Cremisius Aclassi.”

Krem met her eyes as she smiled at him, and he nodded, “It’s good to see you again, I-”

“Krem, this is Brenna of Clan Lavellan,” Bull cut him off, an inordinate amount of glee in his eye, “She’s the Herald of Andraste.”

Shit.

“Y-Your Worship,” he fully bowed his head, partially out of respect, mostly to hide the look of horror on his face.

“Oh!” she said, surprised, “There’s really no need for any of that.”

“Get everyone up together, Krem, we’re headed out,” Bull told him, “We just got hired.”

Of fucking course.

~*~*~

“Buy her a drink,” Bull insisted.

It had been a few weeks since they had joined the Inquisition formally. Bull had begun travelling at the Herald’s side, leaving him to lead the Chargers. They had been travelling around the Hinterlands for the most part, aiding with relief efforts, clearing bandit camps, but during the pockets of time between assignments, he found himself in Haven, avoiding the Herald of Andraste.

It would be easier that way, he could move on from his stupid bloody crush, and pretend that he wasn’t pining for the woman who had physically walked out of the Fade and potentially held the fate of the world in her hands.

And yet, despite his efforts, she was bloody everywhere.

He was running the Chargers through some training drills in the snowy fields outside Haven, only for her to go hurtling past, bow in hand, calling out a greeting before she disappeared off into the woods, returning later to call for some help to carry her goods, having hunted down some wild druffalo for meat and furs to keep members of the Inquisition fed and warm. He had gone to her without thought, and followed her back to the village, arms laden with furs, heart hammering in his chest as she laughed and joked with him.

He had volunteered for a night watch, determined to help out around Haven whenever he was there, and as he stood shivering in the cold, regretting not bringing his warmer cloak with him from his tent, he suddenly found a steaming cup of tea held out in front of him, the Herald telling him that it was a special Dalish blend designed to warm the body on winter nights. It was herbal, but he couldn’t ignore the sweetness of the honey that she had clearly mixed into it to detract from the bitterness. He had thanked her, and hoped she thought the blush in his cheeks was simply from the cold.

Even when he had been stationed out in the Hinterlands, the Chargers making quick work of some bandits that had been hassling refugees, there she was, brining supplies to the smallfolk, talking to a young girl about her vallaslin as the curious child asked questions, not shunning her away as some would. There was a patience to her, a kindness that he was surprised still endured after everything that had happened in the last few weeks to her. Even if members of the Chantry still doubted her innocence, still claimed she was responsible for the destruction of the Conclave, called her a heretic, there was no doubt in him that she was a hero. Not for the mark on her hand, or the title that had been thrust upon her, but for who she was at heart.  

And now, once again, here she was, sitting a few tables away in the tavern in Haven, close enough to hear her laughter as she conversed with Dorian and Varric. Her dark hair was loose around her shoulders for once, looking more at ease than she had in a while.

He sighed, “She’s the Herald of Andraste, Chief, she’s not going to want to drink with some common mercenary.”

“Hey now, the Chargers are no common band of mercs, and you’re a damn fine soldier, any woman would be lucky to have a drink with you,” Bull said, “Besides, she’s not exactly been one for airs and graces, you know she doesn’t give a shit about the title. If anything, she probably needs someone to treat her like a regular woman again.”

He watched her bid goodnight to her friends, even flashing him a warm smile when she caught his eye, then headed outside.

“Krem,” Bull’s tone turned a little more serious, “You don’t let a woman like that get away. Take a chance.”

Fuck it.

He slammed back the rest of his drink, and got to his feet, earning a hefty pat on the back from the Chief before he followed her out into the cool night air.

She was quicker than him, light on her feet as always, headed away from the tavern. He followed her for a few paces, opening his mouth to call to her, but he stopped in his tracks when he saw someone else approach her.

It was the elf, the one who had been with her at the Coast, the one who travelled diligently at her side, Solas. The Herald smile at him, wide eyed in the moonlight, her hand gently squeezing one of his as they spoke before she let go, a flush in her cheeks.

Oh.

They turned, clearly headed somewhere together, and she spotted him.

“Are you alright, Krem?” she asked.

“Y-Yes, Your Worship,” he nodded quickly, “Just getting some air. You have a pleasant evening.”

“You as well,” she said, “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” he replied softly, waiting until she and Solas were out of sight to rest his head against the side of the tavern, letting out a hard breath that clouded on the air.

Idiot.

[hufflepuff-princess01]

Amortentia and Panic Attacks:

Content: Ominis x Y/N

Summary: whilst in potions class y/n has no other choice but to accept her feelings for Ominis but she panics and runs away. A few days later Ominis sends her an owl asking to meet her in the undercroft so he can make sure she’s okay.

I had spent the day like I normally do on the weekends. I went to The Three Broomsticks, found a nice corner to read, and went to Honeydukes to get a couple of butterbeer fudge and an assortment of different types of chocolates before retreating back to Hogwarts. It had been a pretty well spent day. Up until Ominis sent an owl asking if I could meet with him in the undercroft. Then I started to get very very nervous. Not that I hadn’t loved spending time with him or anything of the sort but anytime I was near him my brain turned into mush and coherent sentences were out of the question. It started in potions class a few days ago when Professor Sharp taught us about amortentia and when it came for my turn to describe what I smelled I wasn’t exactly ready to confirm my own feelings just yet. Ominis’ cologne was very unique, very subtle but I think it’s because his other senses are so heightened that he goes for more subtle colognes than most guys our age. The whole room basically smelled of his cologne, pumpkin pasties (his favorite snack), and of parchment. The smell was overpowering, in a good way. It made my head spin, his scent possibly being my favorite thing on the entire planet. I could feel everyone’s eyes on me that day, waiting for my answer and I had begun to panic because Sebastian and Ominis had the same potions class with me and they were bound to figure out exactly who I would have been describing if I gave them the chance. So, in a very panicked not-so-thought-out-move, I ran out of the class receiving a disappointed letter from Professor Sharp at the end of the day. Luckily it was my last class that day and it was a Friday so I was able to spend the entire weekend hiding in the room of requirements not talking to anyone except Deek who made sure to bring something by the room to make sure I had at least eaten. I was in the middle of brewing a few wiggenweld potions and tending to my dittany leaves when his owl came in. I read and re-read his letter about five times before I sent a letter back saying that I’d meet him after everyone went to sleep. I rushed to the bedroom that I had conjured up a while back when I started spending nights in this room besides my own dorm. I’d fallen asleep in here quite often since I’d spent so much time taking care of my plants and magical creatures that it’d often get too late for me to walk across the castle back to my own room by the time I’d be finished. I took a quick hot shower trying to make sure I smelled nice for my meeting with Ominis. Even went as far as dressing in my nicer sweater and pants and braiding my hair in two braids to try and look nice even though I knew he wouldn’t be able to actually see me and the effort I had put in. I looked down at my watch and realized I gave myself just enough time to be able to give myself a pep talk as I set a comfortable pace to the undercroft. My feet inch closer and closer to my destination and my heart rate quickens to a pace I feel as though I was going to pass out. With a shaky hand I enter through the door and try to steady my beating heart which I knew Ominis could probably hear. As soon as the door opens his head shoots up in my direction and my heart plummets to the floor.

“Hello y/n I’m glad you came.” His voice soft as silk rang through the undercroft making my knees go weak. Come on y/n get yourself together he’s still your best friend nothing changed except your feelings for him which he cannot know about yet because you’ve never told anyone.

“I apologize for asking to meet so late. After…’ I took a quick breath trying to calm my voice ‘after Professor Sharps class on Friday I just really wasn’t up for seeing anyone yet.” A soft sigh left my lips and I tried to carry myself to the couch Sebastion had conjured last year for reading. Ominis was already sitting on the couch and I tried to keep a small distance between us because I didn’t want him to sense what was going on with me. I’d never be able to face him again if he knew my true feelings for him.

“I don’t mind meeting after hours sweetheart. I’m just glad you decided to meet me at all. That’s what I wanted to talk about though, why had you rushed out after smelling the amortentia? Were you alright? Had you fallen ill?” Sweetheart. Sweetheart! He called me sweetheart. Merlin, this man is going to be the death me. He’s always called me pet names like love or darling but this was the first time he had used sweetheart and it made my stomach do backflips and the butterflies to go crazy.

“Y-yes, yes I’m alright just wasn’t ready to face my emotions is all.” I tried to laugh it off but he just turned to me with a concerned expression written across his face. His hand reached out finding my own slowly intertwined our fingers and I knew he could feel how clammy my hand was. I wanted to pull away from his grip but I didn’t want him to think he had done anything wrong. With how sweaty my hand was though I'm sure he’d be able to figure me out soon.

“Y/n, your hands are sweaty and you're stuttering. Are you sure you’re okay? You don’t seem fine. I’m starting to feel worried for you. Do you need to go to the hospital wing? I’m sure someone will be able to help you there if you-“

“No! I-i mean no thank you. Truly Ominis I’m okay just nervous is all I haven’t been feeling like myself sense potions class.” I could barely control my breathing now and my leg had begun to bounce uncontrollably. Deep breaths y/n just take deep breaths it’s only Ominis. He’d never make fun of me and I’m sure he’d let me down gently once he knew. Or at least that’s what I hoped. I definitely don’t want him this worried about me. It pained my heart knowing he was this concerned about me and I was being a total coward about my feelings for him.

“Nervous? Why would you be nervous sweetheart? It's only me. You can trust me with anything you know that.” His face had softened, his concerned expression almost gone and now he was fully turned towards me. His thumb started to run across my knuckles and my heart skipped a beat or two and I let out a soft whimper at the feeling. This was doing horrible things for my anxiety, and my heart. Having him call me pet names and treating me with such kindness usually calmed my panic attacks down but knowing that I could potentially ruin our friendship outweighed any calmness he usually brought me.

“I’m afraid if I tell you why I’m so nervous you’ll never want to speak to me again and I’ll ruin our friendship. I can’t lose you too Ominis.” My voice cracked and began to shake, tears pricking at my eyes begging to fall. I already had lost so many people in my short lifetime I wasn’t ready to add Ominis to that list.

“My love, there is nothing you could do or say that would ruin our friendship. I’m certain of it. I care too deeply for you for something like that to happen. Please, tell me what’s causing you this much stress and anxiety.” His soft words practically coaxing me into confessing and my breath to pick up. I was going to have another panic attack if I kept sitting so close to him. Breathing in his scent made my head dizzy and my thoughts jumbled.

“Ominis I, well I’m not really sure h-how to begin.” I'm already beginning to stutter and the panic is starting to kick in. He brought one of his hands up to caress my cheek as he softly encouraged me to continue.

“I’ve ,well, I have felt this way for a while now and the amortentia has proven my own feelings to me. Gosh I’m- what I’m trying to say is-I” the words wouldn’t form a complete thought and I was stumbling and stuttering through the whole speech. Ominis must have had a feeling what I was trying to say because he pulled me so close to him that his forehead rested against my own as he continued running his thumb along the back of my hand in a comforting rhythm. It was slowly starting to drive me insane.

“Darling please tell me, I need to hear you say the words or I fear I might not be able to contain myself.” Contain himself. Merlin, what does he mean by that? I feel my heart stop completely as I look into his eyes and my whole body starts to shake. Those beautiful eyes. His beautiful smile. His beautiful everything really. Everything about him was perfect. He was perfect. Making a mental imprint of how he looks now for when he inevitably rejects me I begin to ramble,

“I, well, umm my have, sort of kind of developed some feelings f-for you and I wasn’t ready to admit that to the whole c-class with you being there because well you’re you and I’m me and I never thought it would ever be pos-possible for you to ever return my feelings so I kind of just wanted to seclude myself for as long as I could to prevent myself from h-having this conversat-tion with you and now I’m ram-rambling because you make me extremely nervous because you’re so beautiful and I don’t think I can stop the words from falling out of my mouth-” before any more words could spill from my lips his hand that was holding my own trailed up to caress my other cheek and his lips softly pressed onto mine. It felt like all the oxygen had been stolen from my lungs and I completely froze against him. His lips were so soft and it literally took me a few seconds to realize what was actually happening. He was kissing me, he was actually kissing ME! Oh Merlin, I think I’m going to faint. This is a thousand times better than anything I could have ever imagined it being like. I melted into his touch, into his kiss, and my whole body relaxing against him. He started peppering hundreds of kisses along my cheeks and pressed a kiss on top of my nose causing me to giggle and blush.

“I have always had feelings for you y/n. Every sense I first met you I have been completely and utterly entranced by you. You never cared what other people thought about me and you always helped me when I needed it. You helped me with my family issues and never once was afraid of me even though my family has a horrible history. You have the most beautiful soul I have had the pleasure of meeting in my entire lifetime. How could I not fall for you? You are perfect to me.” If I thought his kiss took my breath away I was simply mistaken. His gentle words caused a sigh to fall from my lips and the breath to escape my lungs. As if sensing this he smiled and began to chuckle.

“Darling I need you to breathe alright? How can I continue to kiss you and ask you to be mine properly if you pass out on me” I leaned forward and kissed him then, savoring this as much as I could because it was more than I ever could have dreamed of. We simply kissed for what felt like forever before he pulled away and, as he said, properly asked me to be his girlfriend. To which I obviously said yes to and we spent the rest of the night talking and cuddling and it was the best night I ever had during my entire stay at Hogwarts.

[kyoroju]

Shine - Giyu Tomioka

Hello hello, here's a small fiction with our stoic water boy~

No warnings, AFAB! Reader.

Word Count: 3.6k

I leaned my wooden practice sword against the dummy I used. Giyu placed his sword next to mine and thanked me for training with him before promptly walking off without saying anything else. So much for having a conversation with him, I thought, I wonder if he’d ever accept me as his tsuguko. 

I cleaned up the area Giyu and I were training in since we made quite a mess. I swept the fallen leaves from the tree that had several new dents from today. I apologized to the tree and ran my hand over the marks. I piled the leaves nicely at the roots and I put the broom away. I watered the plants that were around the area and pulled some weeds that I noticed. I was thankful that Oyakata-sama let me use their training grounds so I did my best to take care of them. I wiped off the sweat on my forehead and left for my own home to run a bath. 

The walk home was short and quiet, I never really understood how I could live so close to the headquarters and never realize what they did there. I slipped my shoes off at the door and went to the bathroom to run the water to my bath. I made sure the water was warm enough to give my muscles a chance to relax but not too warm so I could still go under the water. I submerged my head underwater for as long as I could hold my breath. It was a simple task to hold my breath, but Giyu had said holding his breath underwater helped him while learning water breathing. Water breathing didn’t come very easy to me, but neither did any of the other styles that were currently in use. Tokito tried showing me Mist breathing a while back, but I couldn’t wrap my brain around it at all. Maybe I just have an undiscovered breathing style. After the bath, I continued to do breathing exercises until I was tired enough to go to bed. 

The next morning, I woke up to knocking on my door. I called out to say I’d be there to answer in a second and quickly got dressed in my uniform. I opened my door to Giyu standing there with his hand on his sword handle. The wind blew through his hair and haori as he turned his head to face me. I found myself staring just a second longer than I usually would. When his hair wasn’t so spiky looking, it was very tame and looked much softer. His haori fit him perfectly, showing two different sides of the same person. 

“Are you available today, (Y/N)?” Giyu asked. 

“Um, uh, yeah,” I said. “Give me one second, here you can come inside.”  

I stepped aside and waved for him to enter. Giyu took his shoes off and sat on the couch while I left to finish getting ready for the day. I quickly brushed my hair and put it in a braid, much like Mitsuri’s. I grabbed my own haori from the end of my bed and put it on after fixing my uniform. It was light blue and periwinkle, with hints of sea green along the seams. It contrasted the dark indigo of my uniform and reminded me of the sea, perfect for water breathing. It was a gift from Giyu when I completed the first few forms of Water Breathing. 

I patted down my outfit and made sure to attach my sword to my belt. When I popped back into my living room, Giyu had his eyes closed. “Hey Giyu, I’m ready,” I said. “What did you have planned for the day?” 

“I have to go check up on a mission, I was wondering if you’d like to come with me,” Giyu said. 

I internally squealed. I loved going on missions with Giyu and seeing him in action. It made me all the more excited to practice water breathing. Secretly I hoped that one of these times I’d be able to ask if I could become his tsuguko. I figured going with him on this trip would be my chance to ask. 

“Of course I would,” I replied. “I don’t have anything else planned, and I don’t have my own mission right now.” 

“Good, let’s go,” he said. 

Giyu got up and was at the door putting his shoes on before I could blink. I followed suit and locked the door behind us. Giyu explained a bit about where we were going and that we would likely see Tanjiro and Nezuko. There were sighting reports of a higher up demon in the same area. We assumed they were after Nezuko since she’s constantly learning how to be more human.  

Giyu and I made small talk throughout the trip. I tried to get him to loosen up a little in preparation to ask him if he would be my mentor, but he kept his eyes on the trails and his hand near his sword. I puffed out my cheek before taking a deep breath. I sighed mentally and decided I just needed to ask him. 

“Hey, Giyu,” I said.  

I sheepishly played with the hem of my skirt. Giyu hadn’t looked in my direction once since we left my house and I felt self-conscious. I realized I was whispering, and I called out to him once more. 

“Hm?” Giyu asked. 

“Would you consider taking me as your tsuguko?” 

“No.” 

Giyu answered so quickly, I had to do a mental double-take. I opened my mouth to respond or say anything to let him know that I heard him. The sharpness of his tone surprised me, even if it was just one word, he never talked to me like that. 

“What?” I asked. 

“No,” he repeated. 

I nodded and kept quiet for the rest of the walk. I wondered about why he would deny me so quickly. We always train together anyways, so I thought it would be an easy “yes.” He was also always the one to ask me if I wanted to train with him, so I just assumed he’d eventually take me under his wing. I fidgeted with my sword’s handle and the hem of my skirt. I hope I didn’t make him angry. 

Far away sounds that resembled screaming and yelling came from our right, where a forest was located. We rushed over and found several demons surrounding other demon slayers. Giyu made quick work of the demons and I tended to the slayers so the kakushi would have an easier time later. If I wasn’t such a good slayer myself, I’d be a kakushi. Giyu went on ahead and I couldn’t help but feel like he didn’t want to be around me at the moment. My heart felt heavy, but I did my best to not let it affect me while there were demons lurking around. 

I heard the familiar sound of water coming from further ahead and ran toward it. I stayed hidden by trees to make sure I didn’t ruin Giyu’s concentration, even though doing that is nearly impossible. I watched as Giyu calmly attacked the demon, which I recognized as one of the lower twelve.  

I had run into him before, the spider demon, but he chose to run away from me rather than fight that night. The sun arose shortly after our meeting, so I just assumed he didn’t want to get caught by the sun. I watched as he used webs to counteract Giyu’s water. The fight was fascinating to watch. I heard someone call out and another flash of water was seen. Tanjiro landed shortly away from me and sent a greeting before hopping back into the fight. Nezuko followed after him but managed to give me a hug before running off. I decided that they didn’t necessarily need my help. 

Screams came from further in and I found my feet taking me toward them. Slayers were on the ground clutching various limbs and wounds. Some were moving weirdly as if they were being controlled so I pushed past them and continued my trek. I heard a demon talking to herself and I hid as best I could. Her head turned in my direction and I panicked. 

“You know,” she said, “I almost couldn’t hear you.” 

I didn’t say anything back and held my breathing. 

“You don’t breathe very loud,” she continued. 

I pulled my sword from the sheath and prepared myself for a fight. 

“You can come out now, let’s have a chat,” she said. 

I walked out from behind my tree, and she let her hands fall to her sides. I was cautious, but she really didn’t seem to have an itch to kill me like most demons would. She explained what was happening and that the slayers I passed on the way were her doing. I wondered why I didn’t just end her life there. It just doesn’t seem fair. 

As soon as she stopped talking, a faint glimmer of a water droplet passed my eyes. I saw the demon’s head fly away from the rest of her body and blinked. 

“Why were you just standing there?” Giyu asked. 

I couldn’t answer. 

“(Y/N),” he said. 

“Sorry, I…she was just so tranquil,” I said. 

“Don’t let it happen again.” 

I shook my head. “It won’t.” 

“Tanjiro and Nezuko still need help, I’m going.” 

I raced after Giyu. If he wasn’t mad at me for earlier, he was definitely pissed now. I thought about the girl demon while running after him and wondered why she didn’t just kill me when she had the chance. Maybe she just wanted to be free from something. 

I was immediately thrown into the fight when I got there. I was hit by some webbing and fell back. Before I realized it, I was in a bubble-like shield. It reminded me of a dewdrop on a blade of grass. The webbing couldn’t get past the dewdrop, and I sat there dumbfounded. No one else really used a shield-like breathing technique, not that I knew of anyways. I watched as Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Giyu fought against the demon. 

I saw an opening between everyone’s attacks and took my chance to attack. I released a new form of breathing, Dew Breathing. Together with Giyu, we took the demon’s head off. The kakushi quickly moved in after the demon turned to dust and tended to the wounded. I tended to Tanjiro and Nezuko while waiting for the kakushi to reach us and Tanjiro thanked me. I told him I’d visit him at Shinobu’s place later. 

I felt another pair of eyes on me as I was talking to Tanjiro. I turned to Giyu and asked if he was okay. He simply nodded and asked me the same. I told him I was fine, just a few bruises since I didn’t really get a chance to be part of the battle. I apologized again for earlier when I was just listening to the demon talk to me. Giyu shrugged it off and I apologized for when I asked about being his tsuguko too. 

“You don’t have to keep apologizing,” Giyu said. 

I nodded. I held my hand out to Giyu. He stared at it for a moment before taking it in his and I gave him a hug. He returned it, much to my surprise. “Oh,” I said, “Giyu…” 

“Hm?” 

“Ah, nothing…” 

I felt my cheeks grow warm and I turned away from him. I didn’t even know what overcame me in the moment to give Giyu a hug, but it made me feel happy. We walked back with the kakushi to the Butterfly Mansion. I explained to Giyu that I wanted to check in on all the injured slayers and he said he’d come with me. 

We chatted the whole way to the mansion which made me feel better about our journey here. Giyu asked me about the demon from earlier and I couldn’t explain what had happened. I told him about how she just wanted to talk, and I found myself unable to end her life. We mulled over reasons why and I suggested that maybe she wanted to die and not be a demon. Giyu accepted that as a good reason and that’s what we decided to believe for reports later. 

Once we reached the Butterfly Mansion, Giyu held the door open for me while I took my shoes off. I greeted Shinobu and asked where everyone was resting. She mentioned that the girls were about to go visit Tanjiro with a meal. I told Giyu I was going to go with them if he wanted to stay there with Shinobu. Giyu nodded and Shinobu dragged him away. I giggled, for two people who seemingly hated each other, they got along pretty well. I then walked into the room where Tanjiro was. 

Tanjiro waved hello and the girls, Sumi, Kiyo, and Naho, popped out from behind me with a tray of food. I took a seat next to Tanjiro’s bed and started asking about the battle. Tanjiro started explaining his side of the battle in between bites of his food. He then cut himself off to ask about the dewdrop shield I created. 

“I don’t even know!” I said. 

“It looked amazing, I’ve never seen someone make a shield like that!” Tanjiro said. 

“I call it ‘Dew Breathing.’” 

“What else can you do?” 

Tanjiro and I chatted about my newfound breathing technique, and he mentioned practicing together so he could see it in action. I agreed, especially since I didn’t even know what it could fully do yet. I told Tanjiro to feel better soon so we could practice, gave Nezuko a hug, and left to go find Giyu. 

I found Giyu talking with Shinobu while she was working on something at her desk. It looked like she was working on another poison and antidote mixture. I called out to them both and Giyu quickly turned around. I saw a faint pink hue on his cheeks. Shinobu waved me over and I came right up to her table and watched as various flowers and liquids interacted with each other. 

“What are you working on?” I asked. 

“I found a new variation of spider lily on my journey to my last mission. I wanted to study its properties,” she said. 

“Ooh, have you found anything out yet?” 

“Not quite, but it does make a lovely tea. Want some?” 

I nodded and she pointed over at the tea set by the window. I poured myself a glass and asked Giyu if he wanted any. He shook his head ‘no’ and I took a sip. “You were right, it is lovely.” 

I finished my cup of tea and brought the dirty dish into the kitchen before meeting up with Giyu once again. We left and he suggested getting something to eat. I agreed and we went to a local noodle shop not too far from the Butterfly Mansion. We sat down at one of the tables and ordered. 

Giyu spoke up which surprised me. “I’m sorry for being short with you the other day,” he said. 

“Oh! No, you don’t have to apologize, I didn’t mean to strike a soft spot by asking,” I said. 

“It’s not that, I wasn’t expecting you to ask.” 

“Well, why not? I always train with you anyways and I’m actively learning water breathing. I just thought it might be easier if it were official.” 

“Ah….” Giyu’s voice trailed off and another wave of light pink dusted his face. I asked if he was okay and he shrugged it off. “Yeah, I’m fine. I just don’t want to take you as a student.” 

I nodded. He had a point; it would make our relationship different. Right now, it was just a casual, friendly thing that we happened to do nearly every day, while if I were to be his student, it’d likely be more tiring for him since he’d have to instruct as well as practice on his own time. I gave him a smile in understanding and wondered what his full reasoning was. 

Our noodles came to the table, and we started eating before I could ask him. The noodles were soft and full of flavor. I got the house noodle dish, which was just stir-fried noodles garnished with some spring onion. Giyu had gotten some other dish with a side of soy broth. He let me try a bite and I thought that mine tasted better. He waited for me to finish my food and we made small talk while I was in-between bites. 

Giyu insisted on paying and covered my half of the bill. I thanked him and said that our next meal together would be on me. While we were still out of the way of my house, I took the opportunity to ask Giyu why he wouldn’t take me as a student. 

“There’s no other reason,” he said. “I just don’t want to.” 

I slightly tugged on his haori sleeve. I whined a little and told him that there had to be an underlying reason he wouldn’t want to take me as his tsuguko. “Please tell me,” I said. 

“I don’t want to.” 

“See! There is a reason!” 

He turned his head and walked a little faster. I figured pestering him about it wouldn’t help the situation, but I wasn’t going to drop it either. I’d find out one way or another. It occurred to me that I could ask Shinobu, and I told him that I would if he wouldn’t tell me. He rolled his eyes and told me that I wouldn’t ask her because I was too scared to. I sighed knowing he was right and dropped the question for now.  

When we reached my house, Giyu asked if he could come in for a while before heading off to his own place. I let him in and told him I was going to change out of my uniform before starting a pot of tea for us. After changing out of my uniform I felt much lighter and comfier. I was in an old kimono from my mother when she was still alive. It was light blue and had pink flowers along the hem. I quickly shuffled to the kitchen to start a pot of tea and asked Giyu if he wanted anything else to snack on. 

He shook his head ‘no’ and I turned my focus back to the tea. I felt self-conscious about my kitchen being dirty, even though we had been gone for a few days. I cleaned up while I waited for the pot to boil and told Giyu I’d take out the trash. He offered to take it out for me, and I thanked him. 

When the tea was finished, I joined Giyu in my living room. I poured us cups of tea and asked if he had any new missions coming up. He said he had the next few days off to recover from the Lower Five fight. Even though it wasn’t a terribly difficult fight, he hadn’t had a day off in weeks. He said he was tired, and I offered to sit on the floor so he could lay down. He asked if he could just use my lap to lay down and I sheepishly looked away. I nodded and let him lay down. 

“Are…are you comfortable?” I asked. 

Giyu nodded. “Yeah, thank you.” 

I looked down at him and found him looking up at me. “Hi,” I said. I felt clammy on the inside and shifted a bit so I was more comfortable. I gave Giyu a smile and he gave me a small one back. 

“I have something to tell you, (Y/N),” Giyu said. 

His eyes were half lidded and tired. I wondered if he was sleep talking for a second. I nodded and asked what he wanted to say. He raised his hand and asked me to move a little closer. I assumed he didn’t want to speak so loud and moved in a little closer so I could hear. He moved his hand to the back of my head and placed a quick kiss on my lips. 

My eyes widened and I felt my cheeks flush. I made a surprised squeak noise and Giyu pulled away. I just stared at Giyu and he stared back at me. “I…,” I whispered. 

Giyu shook his head and brought me in once more. This time I shyly gave a kiss back. “I told you I didn’t want you as my student,” he said. 

I covered my face and tried to hide my growing smile. I knew Giyu was usually softer with me, but I didn’t think it was because he had any feelings for me. “Giyu,” I said, “You should’ve just said so!” 

“I did.” 

“That’s the Giyu I know.” 

He sat up and asked if I wanted to practice for a little while the sun was setting. I smiled and said I would practice my Dew Breathing with him. 

When we went outside, we were met with a beautiful sunset where the sky was all shades of blue and purple and pink. I threw up some dew with my sword and watched as the remaining rays hit the water. The colors reflected onto us and I grinned. Giyu looked over at me and smiled. He then slashed my dew drops and got into stance. I jumped back a bit and readied myself. Training was about to be even more fun. 

[aemonds-wifey]

Summary: You went to spend the afternoon with the enigmatic Tom Bennett

It was warm and for the first time it felt like a proper summers day. After your shower you stood by your bed looking at your open suitcase , deciding what to wear today. You picked up your

Dark blue flare dotted dress, to accompany it you decided on a light mustard cardigan and your blue shoes to match. Once had fixed your long auburn hair into a braided crown you applied light make up. You puckered your now ruby lips before the mirror to even distribute your lipstick, your green eyes highlighted from the eyeliner you used .

You walked down the stairs and just before you got to the door , as your hand reached the handle you froze - what were you doing? You hardly knew this man, a stranger and yet you were ashamed to be dressed as if you were expecting George. Your thoughts were broken by Norman appearing from the kitchen “Hello love. Off to the library again?”

You nodded “Yeah just going to stretch my legs…see if I can get anything good to read…do you need anything whilst I am out?” You asked

Normal smiled as he sat by the table “ah bless you no, I’m good. I’m going to see a couple of friends so I might be late.”

You picked up the spare key from the table “I’ll take this just in case…” you reached for your bag which rested on the back of the chair opposite Norman.

Normal picked up his newspaper “You written to your mum and dad yet?”

As you placed the key in your bag you cleared your throat “Not yet…I’ve got some change I might give them a ring. Besides they will be busy.” You said putting the bag strap over your arm.

“True true…well keep safe and I’ll see you later! I hope you find a good book.”

You smiled “Thanks Norm. See you soon!”

And with that you stepped out the door, closing it firmly you looked at it for a second , the temptation to go back in and tell Norman that you weren’t really going to the library was so tempting….but the secrecy of meeting up with Tom was all to exciting. You turned and walked in the direction of the square.

When you found your way

To the square, but with every step that took you closer you indistinctly slowed down. You had butterflies and it baffled you. Tom was a stranger and yet here you were , approaching the library steps and you saw him.

He was stood leaning against the wall that sat by the stairs, hands in his pockets looking around. He wore the same dark blue jacket he had the night before, a white t shirt on and tan trousers and dark brown boots to match. His hair was slightly ruffled with the wind blowing on it. You took a moment , your hands behind your back and you approached him

“Hello.” You said softly

He turned his head to you, a smile grew which was so beautiful it reignited the butterflies

“Alright love.” He said standing up straight.

He looked you up and down and didn’t say a word, he just smiled and brushed your forearm so carefully “You recovered from last night?”

You nodded “I have…I’m glad I did not see him again and even more glad I bumped into you…you know how to take care of yourself.” You said

He shrugged “Can’t do much else round here.”

“That can’t be true…”

You said

He laughed lightly , looking round “So…what do you wanna do?” He asked

You raised an eyebrow “You mean you have no plan?”

“Na…thought I’d wing it.” He chuckled

“Well what would you suggest…I do not know Manchester…”

“This way.” He smiles as he indicates with a nod to walk off in the direction to where you see the top of trees behind a block of shops.

“Shopping?” You asked as you followed hun crossing the road

He snorted “No way…thought we could walk around Platt Fields Park …too nice to be stuck inside or stood on a corner selling peace pledge papers.”

As you entered the park you looked at him “I haven’t got to that stage yet…besides there was may not be a war to even try and stop.”

He nodded as he put his hands in his pockets, “So is London home? Your definitely not from round here ..” he asked

“Oxford.” You smiled as you both approached the huge pond. He nodded and looked at his feet briefly before looking out around “And you what fancied a holiday so you came here?” He teased

“No I ..just visiting my uncle for a few weeks…” y answered.

“What bout your mum and dad? “ he asked

You looked at him with a quizzical smile “You ask a lot of questions don’t you.”

He smiled “is it such a bad thing? ”

You fought against every urge to blush as you told him about your home life, what you liked to do in your spare time , your pro-war parents, that you worked in the bodleian library. Before you knew it you realized you had been talking for hours , and you knew nothing about him.

“Can’t stay away from those books eh…”

“And you Tom? What do you get up to round here?”

He playfully nudged you with his elbow “Now who is asking all the questions …”

You both laughed as you kept walking around the pound and into different parts of the park. It was so big x

“I don’t go to much apart from trouble .” He said looking down for a moment

“You mean you don’t spend your nights rescuing girls from drunks ?”

His eyes Mets yours , something was on the tip of his tongue when your eyes connected , he bit his lip ever so briefly and you lost yourself in his gaze . He broke it and looked forward “Na…don’t make a habit of it love.”

“You got a big family here?” You asked

He shook his head “Just me sister and me dad …mum passed when I was younger .”

“Oh Tom I’m so sorry…that must have been hard.” You said softly.

He shrugged “I was only a lad I don’t really recall it….”

“You close with your sister ?” You asked after a moment .

He nodded “Aye. Lois is great. Keeps me and me dad in check like.”

You chuckled “That must be nice.”

He frowned looking at you “What you not close to your parents?”

You shook your head “Not really …”

A moment of silence was agonizing , the crunching sound of the gravel you walked on amplified just how quiet it was. Your thoughts raced to think of another question but he beat you to it…and it was a question you were dreading

“No one back home waiting for you? Pretty girl like you just have a fella ?” He asked

Your stomach nodded, in a split second you had to be honest or lie

You only nodded “I have…someone waiting but I only just met him…”

He did so well to mask his disappointment by smiling with a teasing tone to his voice “How long?”

“Just a month..” you answered “He studies at the University.”

“Posh lad eh.” Tom said.

You could not even get annoyed at his teasing , the way he spoke and smiled at you just gave you more butterflies .

“He’s not posh…just…I dunno worldly and sensitive…” you said . In that brief moment you realized there was something missing about George, you liked him sure and before you left Oxford you had already pictured your lives together , but now that was becoming fractured.

“Has he written or called ya ?” Tom pointed out.

“No…but I wrote him yesterday so hopefully soon. Maybe when he goes to Devon to relax with his parents he might…” Your tone was painfully enthusiastic despite your best efforts

Tom tutted a little “If you were my bird I wouldn’t have let you go.”

“Is that so?” You smirked a little.

He nodded “Course . Could meet anybody up here- or he could meet someone down in Devon.”

You stopped in your tracks and shot him a rather scared look “What?”

“I’m joking!” He said laughing “Posh boy got a name?”

You playfully pushed him “George.”

He only nodded “And what does George study at the university like?”

The way he amusingly emphasized George’s name in a posh accent made you giggle a little

“Philosophy…he wants to be a professor.” You explained “He rows too for the university club, plays rugby too…”

“posh boy by the sound of jt.” tom said playfully

“He’s not posh he’s just…he” you stopped and looked at Tom “I don’t know.”

“Gonna spend the summer with him I take it? Go strolling round Oxford and what not.” He teased

“Something like that but…I came up here and he’s ..busy.”

Tom looked at you with a genuine look “More busy than writing to you?”

You shrugged, looking around begging for a distraction.

“Do you like Ice Cream Tom?” You asked spying a man selling them in a vender by the park archway

“Of course . Who doesn’t like Ice Cream?” He said

You paused and met his gaze as you both approached the vender, you both giggled like disobedient school children

“Oh Posh boy doesn’t like ice cream?!” Tom mocked

“Guess it’s not for everyone …what are you having?” You asked as you browsed the flavours

“I’ll have chocolate and you’re not paying.” Tom said

“I am. I owe you for your rescue.” You pointed out.

“Na love. You don’t owe me for that!” He protested

You looked at the man selling the ice cream “Hi can I get one scoop of chocolate and I’ll have one scoop of the cinder toffee please .”

Tom began to look in his pockets for any scraps of change but you beat him to it and paid the man.

“Thank you.” You said as the man handed you your ice creams, you handed the chocolate one to Tom. He had a stern yet roguish smile “Should have let me get these.”

“Nonsense.” You said smiling , tasting the crispy sweet cinder toffee chunks .

He smiled “Stubborn aren’t ya. College boy has his work cut out with you Y/N.” He licked the scoop of chocolate ices cream and for a moment you could only watch , it was hypnotic

“Is it..good?” You asked

He nodded “Pretty good. Wanna taste?”

You gulped qquietly , he offered the cone and you leant forward to lick it he dipped it forward and you felt the cool cold ice cream hit your nose “Ahhh! Tom!!!” You laughed as he laughed

“Suits you” he snickered .

You wiped it from your nose “You are hilarious.”

“Missed a bit .” He licked the edge of his thumb and wiped the top of your nose.

You didn’t move when he touched it. He licked the ice cream from the cone and you resumed eating yours Hoping the creamy coolness would mask your flushing cheeks.

“It’s pretty good.” You said as you quickly finished the delicious ice cream.

“So what else are you gonna do whilst you’re up here? “ he asked as he started to eat the tan wafer cone.

You finished your scoop and took a bite from your own cone, as tou swallowed the sugared goodness you looked at him “I really do not know…”

He smiled as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand “Alright what did you planned with Posh boy?”

You suddenly drew a blank, the way Tom quickly licked his lips to scoop any remaining drops of ice cream had your legs feel wobbly, you felt a twinge in between your legs you never experienced.

“Walks in the parks, maybe the cinema and perhaps dancing or something.” You remembered after finishing your cone. You took your napkin and dabbed at the spots of ice cream on your chin, doing your best not to ruin your lipstick.

“So you’ve already done one of those things…walked round the park…how about next week we go to the cinema?” He asked

Every nerve that ran through your head told you to remember you had George to think of, but your heart leapt ahead and answered his question “Yeah…I’d like that.”

With his smile that curved on his chin so perfectly you both continued to walk “I’ll let you pick the film…” you said

“Good. And I’ll pay for it.” He said putting his hands in his coat pocket fidgeting around for something , he produced a lighter and checked the pocket on his trousers and found a small

Box of cigarettes . You watched him with utter fascination, you never tried smoking and your parents always said it was a bad habit but when you watched Tom wet the end of the cigarette with the edge of his lips and light it , it stirred something in you. As he blew the first puff of smoke the light at the end flowed like an ember . You unconsciously bit your bottom lip and he caught you looking, but he just laughed and held the cigarette between his fingers “Do you smoke love?”

You shook your head “No I ..I don’t .” You answered.

“Suppose posh lad doesn’t either .” He said taking another drag.

“I actually do not know if he does…” you felt slight humiliation at admitting that, and as you and Tom exchanged a look for a brief moment you realized you knew lord about this Man Tom Bennett than you did of George.

🌛

Tom walked you home, and you both agreed that you would go to the cinema on Wedsnday. Two whole days away. Thr afternoon you had spent in the park with Tom had flown by like a dream. When he said goodnight to you at the door you did not want to say goodbye…

You couldn’t sleep, the smell of nicotine lingered on your clothes and you inhaled your dress and the sleeves of your cardigan as you laid on top of your bed. He was in your thoughts, this man you met only yesterday was keeping your brain electrified with questions and musings, yet within your heart you knew you should have been feeling this giddy about George…but you could not shake off the conversations you had with Tom. Two days was too long to wait.

Chapter 4

TAGS

@schniiipsel @moonchildrenandflowercrowns @mischiefmanaged71 @dothrckis @virginslut08 @nolongereviliwantlove @motley-baby @bcon24 @lauraneedstochill

[nowandajenn]

Blue Christmas -chapter 11

Summary: After almost three years of marriage, everyone would tell you that Chris and his wife Kelly are the most stable, solid couple they know. But behind closed doors, things are tense as they keep trying for a baby, to no avail. When a secret threatens to shake their solid marriage to it’s core, will they be able to pick up the pieces?

Series warnings: angst (like a lot), mentions of infidelity, language, family drama, pregnancy, sexual situations.

Author’s Note: I do not consent to have my content, whether it be this story or anything else of my creation, posted by a third party on any other platform other than right here without my permission. This blog is 18+ and is not intended for minors. Your media consumption is your own responsibility. Heed the warnings.

January 8th (Six days post accident)

The pain meds they give people in the hospital following surgery pack a wallop, especially when given through an IV. They make me have crazy dreams, turn my attention span paper thin, and have the added bonus of turning my brain/mouth filter virtually non-existent.

I’m trying to pay attention to the conversation that Chris is trying to have with me. I really am. To be fair, he knew when he got here an hour ago that I had just gotten another dose. 

“What about this one?”

 Chris turns the iPad towards me so I can see yet another picture and resume’ of a home health nurse. It was an idea that he was originally against, but both Lisa and Andi, my main nurse, had both suggested that maybe having someone come in for a few hours a day a couple times a week would be a good thing. As much as he wants to do everything he possibly can for you, he also knows he’s only one person. After not hearing a response, and thinking maybe I had dozed off into a narcotic induced nap, he looks up to see me using my good hand to fiddle with the end of the braid that the nurse had put my hair into earlier after the shower that I’d finally been allowed to have after days of bed baths. 

Showers used to be glorious things. Water turned up to near scalding levels, music playing loud with me singing loudly (and badly) along, and nice shampoo and shower gel that smells amazing. This was not that. This was an entire process that took nearly an hour, starting with my casted leg and equally casted arm being wrapped in waterproof plastic and ending with me in tears because washing long hair takes two functional hands, and I only had one. There’s zero dignity in having another person give you a shower when you’re a grown woman who’s been showering and bathing by herself for many years now without issue. The nurse had been amazingly sweet and sympathetic and helped me with whatever I couldn’t do on my own (which was a lot), but the whole experience just left me feeling useless and depressed. 

 A soft touch to my hand brings me back to the present. 

“Where’d you go?” he asks softly. 

”My hair smells weird.” 

He leans forward a bit so he can get a whiff of my hair. “It smells okay to me.” 

“It’s not the same. It’s weird, clinical hospital shampoo. It doesn’t smell good like mine.” I lament. “I couldn’t even wash my own hair today. It’s too long, and I couldn’t do it with one hand. I can’t even-”

My voice starts to waver and I look down at my arm that’s laying useless in a sling across my chest. Even my fingers are so swollen and bruised that I couldn’t even put my rings on if I tried. My ring finger, which hasn’t been naked since Chris slipped my engagement ring on it some four and a half years ago, feels very bare and just wrong. Everything about the accident and my injuries keeps hitting me in different ways. 

I look over at Chris and then down at the iPad that he’s still holding. “Hire whoever you want. I honestly don’t care, and it’s not like I have any choice in the matter.”

He sighs softly, knowing that this conversation was never going to go over well. He knows that I know that I’m going to need as much help as I can get when I finally get released to go home, but he also knows that being as stubborn and self sufficient as I am, my worst nightmare is having someone have to help me do something as simple as get out of fucking bed. 

“This is the one thing that’s happened lately that you do get to choose. I want to get someone that you’re going to like and be comfortable with. I can’t imagine what this is like for you right now, and I’m just trying to make life as easy as it can get when you’re home.”

“I don’t know if I’m going to like someone from a goddamn resume’. As long as they can do the job without fucking me up more than I already am, great.” My back is starting to ache because of the position that I’m laying in, and when I go to slide further up the bed, I’m rewarded with a searing pain in my stomach from the movement pulling at my still healing splenectomy incisions. 

“Fuck, honey-”

I fall back on the pillows, irritated as hell and over this damn conversation, and the words fly out of my mouth before I can even think about stopping them. 

“Just pick someone! Maybe you’ll get lucky and you’ll get another girl who’s going to fall for the irresistible Chris Evans charm, who has no moral compass and no compunction about sleeping with married men. Then you can throw a shot into her too.”

I watch as his face falls, his hand pulling back from where it’s been resting on my arm and a lump the size of a golf ball forms in my throat. I didn’t mean to say that. I might as well just be wearing a name tag that says Hi, I’m: Here To Make Things Worse. I cover my mouth with my hand and glance up towards the ceiling, trying to blink the tears away before they can fully form. 

“I’m…..I’m sorry. I didn’t mean….” I start, but the words don’t want to come out. 

“It’s okay.” he tries to assure me. 

“No, it’s not.” I look down at the fluffy blue blanket that Chris brought me from home and I play with the slightly frayed edge, ashamed and unable to look at the broken look on his face. “This is a bad idea.” 

He pops a shoulder. “Could always hire a male nurse.” he says, raising his eyebrow. 

I let out a small snort, knowing he said it to try and lighten the mood, but all I can feel right now is trepidation at the thought of coming home with Chris to recover and him taking the brunt of all of my frustrations and emotional eruptions. 

He turns the iPad off and puts it on the side table and I watch as he stands up and grabs his jacket off the back of the chair, and my eyes widen.

“Don’t leave. Please, I-” I sputter out, trying to push down my panic. 

“I’m not. I’m just going to run down and get a coffee and check in with Shanna and see how Dodger’s doing. Are you getting hungry? You want me to grab you something?” 

I squint, trying to remember the dinner options on the meal sheet they give me every day and which one I might have picked. 

“Uhhhhh….no. I’ll be okay. They should be bringing whatever I picked out soon anyway. I’ll live.” 

“Okay. Text me if you change your mind. I’ll be back. No more than half an hour, I promise.” he says, resting his palm on the top of my head gently. 

When Chris gets back twenty or so minutes later, I’m honestly sort of surprised he came back instead of just going home and getting away from my emotional, broken ass for a while. And even more surprised that his mom is with him, since I didn’t know she was planning on coming by today. 

When they walk in, I’m sitting in one of the chairs in the room with my leg propped up, poking at a dish of red jello with a spoon. 

“What are you doing out of bed?” Chris asks, surprised. 

“I had to pee after you left, and being in bed was making my back hurt, so I asked if they could just park me here for a while. There’s not a ton of options when all you can really do is sit, so…I’ll be ready to get back in bed in a while.” 

Lisa starts towards me and I push the wheeled table away from me slightly so she can bend down and give me a hug, which I return with a strength that takes her by surprise a little bit. Knowing how hard the last few days (hell, weeks for that matter) have been and the fact that your mom isn’t around, she just had a feeling today that you could probably use a big dose of love that only a mama can provide, which is why she decided to pop by and surprise both you and Chris. 

She tilts my cheek to the side gently as she examines my face. “Your bruises are looking better.” 

“Mmm. Still hurts. Airbags will save your life, but you’re going to feel like you went twelve rounds with Mike Tyson after they go off in your face.”

“So, Chris and I were talking downstairs, and I had an idea.” I swallow my mouthful of jello and look towards Chris, really hoping that he didn’t tell her about what I said. He shakes his head almost imperceptibly and the anxiety in my gut loosens up a bit. 

“What would you think about me coming to stay with you guys for a bit when you got home?” 

“Chris, tell me you didn’t ask your mom to come home with us to be my babysitter.” I groan. Lisa snorts slightly. “He didn’t ask. I’m offering. I know you’re not crazy about someone you don’t know being in your house and….” she searches for the right words “helping you. And it wouldn’t be for too long; just until you guys get yourselves situated at home and get into a routine with things. It’s just to make the transition a little smoother.” she assures me. 

I look over at Chris and he shrugs, gesturing to me. “This is your call.” 

I sigh, looking over at my mother in law, who I adore more than anyone in the world. “I’m not great to be around lately. I’m still not convinced that coming home after this is the right thing to do, and I’m afraid it’s really just going to make things worse. I don’t want you both to have to deal with my psychotic mood swings.”

“Sweetheart, if your mood was completely stable after everything that’s happened, I’d be terrified. You’re hurt, and you can’t do the things that everyone else takes for granted without help, and everyone knows how frustrating that is. I know you’re angry and sad and frustrated. And that’s okay. We’re-” she gestures between herself and her eldest son “made of tough stuff. Well, I’m tougher than him. We all know he’s a big baby who cries at the drop of a Hallmark movie.” I sputter out a laugh while wiping my eyes. 

“We all love you, and we’re all here for you no matter what.”

January 17th (Fifteen days post accident)

“They would release you on the coldest day of the year.” Chris says as he makes a final sweep around the hospital room that I’ve called home for the last two weeks. 

I huff out a small laugh. “Let’s just get the hell out of here before they come back here and tell me that they’ve decided to keep me for another week.”

“They should be back any minute with your discharge papers, and then we’ll go. The doc said he was going to call in your prescriptions to Walgreens, so hopefully they’ll be ready by the time we get there. Or I can get you home and settled in and run back out and grab them.” 

“We can wait for them. It’s too cold to be running back and forth.”

I look down at my “going home” outfit and can’t help but feel completely ridiculous. A pair of pink flannel pajama pants with penguins on them (they’re the only thing besides sweats that I can get up over the cast on my leg), a long sleeved white shirt, and one of Chris’ hoodies that’s zipped up over my sling, leaving just my good arm in the sleeve. They removed the stitches from my arm yesterday, but I haven’t been able to bring myself to look at it. The compression bandage that I’ve been instructed to wear all the time (with the exception of showers) is a lot more comfortable than the layers of wrapping my arm was encased in, but still annoying. And it itches like the devil. My right foot is encased in fluffy socks and a shoe, and my left leg is of course still in a cast, a sock pulled down over my exposed toes so they don’t freeze off when I go outside. 

My eyes go to the small black wheelchair that’s coming home with me and I squeeze my eyes shut. Because I’ve been instructed not to use my damaged arm for ANYTHING more strenuous than moving it gently to maneuver a shirt on and off, I can’t use crutches. 

Chris finishes packing up my backpack, and stops when he sees me staring vacantly at the wheelchair. He frowns, and walks over slowly, sitting on his heels in front of me. 

“Hey.” he murmurs softly, snapping me out of my reverie. 

“Hmm?”

“This isn’t going to be forever. They said the cast is going to come off hopefully in a couple of weeks, and then they’re going to put you in a walking boot. At least then you’ll be able to get up and move around. I know, I know how much you hate this. I do. But it is not forever.”

“I know.” I hate how small my voice is. “I hate how I have to think about every move I make. I can’t reach for anything because I can’t use my arm. I have to be careful when I stretch or it hurts my stomach. I have to cough or sneeze as soft as I can or else my ribs hurt. It’s just….I feel like a prisoner in my own body right now.” 

“But you’re going to get the chance to get stronger and recover.” I look up at him and our eyes meet, and I know we’re both thinking about the fact that the driver of the car that hit me died four days ago from his injuries sustained in the crash, and how that could have been me instead. 

When the nurse comes in with my discharge papers and the litany of aftercare instructions, Chris takes them and heads downstairs with my stuff so he can bring the car around to the front entrance. The nurse helps me put my coat and hat on before helping me maneuver myself into the wheelchair and we head down to the first floor. 

“You excited you’re finally out of here?” she asks me with a smile. 

“And nervous. It was kind of comforting knowing that even though I was stuck in here, if anything went wrong, I was in the right place.”

I see Chris pull up at the curb, and the nurse wheels me outside, and I gasp at the biting cold. It’s the first time I’ve felt fresh air on my skin since the day of the accident, and although it’s beyond freezing, it still feels amazing to breathe it in. It isn’t until I get situated in the passenger seat and we’re ready to drive home that the panic sets in. 

“The last time I was in a car I almost died.”

Chris takes his hands off the steering wheel and reaches over to hold my right hand. 

“I know.”

“You drive like an insane person.” 

Despite the seriousness of the conversation, he snorts, because he knows the amount of speeding tickets he’s accumulated since he started driving is ridiculous. But he also knows that since the accident, he’s been almost hyper aware of his speed and everything going on around him, when he usually just goes on autopilot when he’s driving, like anyone else who drives every day. 

“I promise I won’t drive like an insane person with you in the car.” 

“Don’t drive like an insane person ever. You can’t control the way other idiots drive, but you can control how you do. I need you around.”

Those words make hope bloom in his chest. 

“I promise.”

When we get home, relief washes over me. As promised, Chris drove very carefully and obeyed the speed limit, but I was still a nervous wreck the whole 25 minute drive. Plus, being scrunched in the roomy, but limited space of the passenger seat isn’t very comfortable with my injuries. One the car is parked inside the garage and Chris has my door open, he realizes that he didn’t really think this part through very well. 

The furniture inside has been arranged and re-arranged about a dozen times in different configurations to accommodate the wheelchair in the house. He purchased a shower chair for me to make showers easier, he got cast wraps to keep the cast on my leg dry, he set up a perfect little nest with pillows and blankets on our sectional so I’d be comfortable, with remotes and chargers and books, and even a little cooler within reach. 

I notice the look on his face that he gets when he’s confused about something or trying to find a solution to a problem, and turn to him. 

“You’re trying to figure out how you’re going to get me in the house, aren’t you?”

The sheepish, yet slightly guilty look on his face tells me I’m right. “I have guys coming on Monday to put in a temporary ramp over the stairs in front. But I didn’t think about today.”

There’s two steps to get from the garage into the house, and the wheelchair isn’t going to make it up them. 

“You’re going to have to carry me in the house.”

“I was thinking that, but I don’t want to hurt you. You’re still really sore.” he says, gesturing to his chest and stomach. 

“I’m pretty sure everything I do for a while is going to be somewhat painful, but I think this is our only option. Why don’t you grab the wheelchair and bring it in, put Dodger in the bedroom until we get inside so he doesn’t knock me down when he sees me, and then come back out and grab me?”

He exhales slowly. “Okay. I’ll be right back. Just…..” he trails off, gesturing vaguely at me. 

“Trust me, I’m not going anywhere.” 

When Chris comes back out, he comes around to the passenger side and opens the door for me. I turn in the seat, angling myself as much as I can to make it easier for him to grab me and carry me inside. I’m slightly nervous about how much this is going to hurt, but I’m determined to not let it show. 

“You ready?” 

I take a deep breath and nod. He stoops down and slides his left arm around my back, while his right arm loops under my legs and he lifts me gently, my good arm going around his neck. He’s carried me like this about a million times in the years that we’ve been together, but for some reason, all I can think about is how he carried me (both of us slightly tipsy)  like this up to our hotel room after our wedding reception, and me laughing and telling him not to drop me or else I’d get our marriage annulled. I squeeze my eyes shut at the memory. 

I open them back up when I feel Chris setting me down on the end of the sofa and helping me get comfortable. 

“Are you okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he asks nervously. 

“I’m okay. Can you just grab a couple pillows so I can put my leg up though?” 

He hits the button on the side of the couch for the foot rest to come up and slides a couple throw pillows under my leg. 

“Can I get you anything? Are you hungry? Thirsty?” 

“I”m okay for right now. Can you go get Dodger though? I missed him like crazy.”

He smiles and goes to the bedroom to let the dog out, and a second later, I hear the sound of his nails clicking rapidly on the hardwood. 

“Hi, baby!” I exclaim, holding my arm out. 

“Dodge, be gentle, okay? Careful.” Chris warns. 

Dodger jumps up on the couch next to me and immediately snuggles into my side. Luckily enough, he’s on my good side so I can give him pets and belly rubs. 

“Mom’s going to be over in a few hours. She said she wanted to give us a little bit of time to get settled in and such. I’m gonna go and unpack our stuff and start some laundry. You have the remotes and your phone and charger nearby….if you need anything, just yell. Or tell Dodger to come get me.” 

“I will. I think I’m going to try and take a nap though, honestly. The trip home kind of took it out of me.”

“Okay.” He grabs a blanket from the back of the sofa and drapes it over me, dropping a kiss to my head before he leaves to go get started on unpacking our stuff. As he walks away, he stops to look back at me again, thinking to himself how it seems like it’s been a lifetime since the last time the both of us were in this house together, even though it’s only been about three weeks. As much as he wanted you back home, he never in a million years thought this would be how it happened. 

January 25th (23 days post accident)

“God, that feels nice.” I moan at the feeling of Chris’ fingers in my hair, massaging the shampoo in. 

“Why do you think I always beg you to wash my hair?” he says, smirking. I catch his use of the present tense, and try and think about how long it’s been since the last shower we took together before the accident. I’m damn near positive it was way different than the ones that have happened since I’ve been home, and probably ended in orgasms all around. 

“This is infinitely better than the showers in the hospital. The nurse who always used to do mine had long ass nails. I’m pretty sure one of them is still embedded in my brain somewhere.” 

He laughs as he rinses my hair with the detachable shower head. After working conditioner through my hair and helping me scrub myself down and even shaving my right leg and under my arms for me, he steps out of the shower and wraps a towel around his waist before grabbing another one to dry me off. I’m sitting on the toilet lid in my underwear while Chris smooths lotion on me, letting me do what I can reach with my good arm when I say his name softly. 

“Thank you.” I watch his eyebrow quirk up in confusion. 

“What for?”

“This. The- everything. When we got married, I bet you never imagined you’d have to help me shower and put on clean underwear and take me to go pee.”

He looks down as he continues to rub the lotion into my leg. “No, but I don’t think anyone goes in ever thinking about the worst case scenario where those things would ever come up. But that’s part of the deal, right? For better or worse? That covers everything; not just the good stuff. You don’t have to thank me. It’s my job.” 

“You could have just let my mom have her way and let them take me home.” I point out. 

He scoffs and shakes his head. 

“Absolutely not. For one thing, you and your mom would have ended up killing each other. And for another…..your head is giving you enough grief as it is right now, and being around her would have just made it worse. I couldn’t do that to you.” 

I see Chris reach for my shirt and groan, knowing how much it hurts my arm to put a damn shirt on. 

“How bad does it look?”

“Your arm?” 

I nod slightly and he sighs. “It’s still really raw and red. It’s going to fade, but it’s going to take some time. The doctor recommended some stuff that’s supposed to help with scars. Make them less visible over time.” 

“Can I see it?” I ask. 

“Are you sure?” he asks. I shrug a bit. 

He picks me up off the toilet seat and walks us in front of the bathroom mirror and turns so I can see my arm. I suck in a shuddering breath and close my eyes. It’s ugly. A roughly five inch or so vertical incision straight down my upper arm, red and raw and glaringly obvious. Even when it’s fully healed, it’s going to be ugly. 

“If you want, I can always talk to Josh. We can see if he can draw something up so you can cover it up once it’s fully healed.”

I nod as tears leak out of my eyes. Chris tilts my chin up. “It’s just a scar. It doesn’t define you and it’s not the end of the world. It doesn’t make you any less beautiful.” He pivots so my ass is sat on the bathroom vanity and once I’m settled, he pulls the shirt over my head, being gentle with  my arm, and then helps me into a clean pair of pajama pants. 

“You know, we’re actually getting kind of good at this.” he says as he carries me out of the bathroom and sets me down in our bed. 

“I hate that that’s something to brag about.” I tell him, rolling my eyes. “Although, I guess after doing the same thing day after day for a couple weeks, it’s to be expected. You don’t look quite as terrified now as you did the first time we did this.” 

February 2nd (one month post accident)

“I’m sorry I didn’t call sooner….I was in a pretty serious car accident a month ago and things have been a little hectic since then. I haven’t been cleared by my doctor to fly yet, so there’s no way we can make it out there. Mmmmhmmm. Yeah, the reservation is under Kelly Evans.” 

Chris walks into the kitchen and starts making himself a cup of coffee while I’m on hold with the resort to cancel the Valentines Day reservations I had made back in November. I had a solid plan that I had cooked up with Meghan and his team so he wouldn’t have anything scheduled for the three days I had booked at Post Ranch Inn, but then between finding out about the affair and the accident, my carefully made plan got blown straight to hell, leaving me feeling a little (lot) angry. 

“Okay. Thank you again for all your help. I’m sorry again for the late notice.” 

I end the call and toss my cell phone onto the island, irritation bubbling up inside me. 

“Who was that?” 

“Canceling the reservation I made for us for Valentines Day at Post Ranch Inn. I made it before I found out about you fucking someone else. That kind of took the romance out of it a little bit. Well, that and the fact that my body’s still mostly useless.” 

My newly (as of two days ago) uncasted leg starts itching to high hell under the walking boot and compression sock I have on, and I start the process of unstrapping the boot one handed so I can enjoy scratching my leg to my heart’s content. I wish I could have gotten a picture of Chris and the doctor’s faces when my cast was finally cut off and a fork, two pens, and a plastic ruler came tumbling out of it, all lost in my attempt to wedge something down there to scratch the itch. 

He sighs lightly and turns so his back is to the counter, giving me what I’ve coined his “kicked puppy look.” Most of the time, I feel guilty for whatever I said to make that look appear, but today I’m just too agitated to care. 

“Don’t give me that look. You do it every single time I mention the fact that you had sex with someone else. You know what you did. You don’t get to make that face and look like I just told you that Disneyland is closing down forever.”

He walks over to where I’m sitting with a sigh, and reaches to help me with the straps on my boot. “Can we not fight? Please? I know that there’s an ocean of stuff we have to work through, and I know none of this is easy…I just don’t want to fight with you.” 

“Just stop. I can do it myself. You know, just because I still need you to help with most of my basic human functions doesn’t mean that I necessarily like being around you all the time. You’re my husband and for some God forsaken reason, even though you did what you did, I still love you, despite me calling you a cheating shitbag in my head at least once a day. So, just leave me alone for a little while, okay? I was really excited about having this trip happen, and it all got blown to hell in a really magnificent fashion, so let me just sit here and be pissed off and sad about it.” 

He holds his hands up and backs away. “Okay. I can do that. Just, we have your doctor’s appointment at 2, so let me know when you need me to come help you get ready.” I look up at him and nod, spinning my phone on the table. He starts to walk away, but then turns back towards me. 

“You know, when the accident happened and you were out of surgery, I kind of went into crisis mode. I called my team and canceled everything, because I knew that you were going to need someone to be there for you and help take care of you until you were stronger. And I know that you have a million people that are in our lives that would drop everything and do that for you, because you’re amazing and everyone loves you so much. The parade of people that have come and gone through here since you’ve been home is proof of that. I kind of just took charge, because I didn’t know what else to do….and I don’t think I took the time to stop and ask myself if you even wanted it to be me, given everything that happened.”

“Chris….I did. I wouldn’t have felt comfortable having anyone else do it.” 

He nods. “I know that it’s hard for you to be around me sometimes. I know that you’re still angry, and hurt and upset and you have every right to be. I know we’re a mess, but once things settle down a little bit, we’ll get in to go see that therapist that Carly told me about, and we’ll start working through it. That is, if you still want to.”

“I do.”

A few hours later, we’re sitting in the waiting room of my gynecologist’s office, and Chris is just staring around the room at the posters on the wall, and occasionally glancing at the couple of pregnant women that are in the waiting room with us. 

“Why did you need to see her?” he asks softly. 

“I’m overdue for my annual exam, and since all I do lately is go to the doctor, I figured I should probably just get it out of the way.” It’s a half truth. Well, ⅓ truth. If the doctor was right about my hcG levels when I was in the hospital, I’m about six weeks pregnant, and it’s probably time to get official confirmation in black and white. And if I am, Chris deserves to be there to hear it. But first, he needs to get something done himself. 

The nurse comes by and hands us both a clipboard with paperwork on it, and Chris’ eyebrows raise. “Why do I get paperwork?”

The nurse clears her throat nervously and taps a section on the paperwork. STD test, with the works. She walks away to let us fill out the papers, and his eyes shoot to mine. 

“Really? I told you, I used a condom.” he whispers. 

“I don’t care. I need to see it for myself, for my own peace of mind.”

He’s called back first, and with a nervous swallow and a look back at me, he follows the nurse. I’m called back shortly after, and after blood work, urine test, and the internal exam, Chris is allowed back into the exam room to wait with me while the results come back. 

“You want to grab something to eat after this? You didn’t have much for breakfast earlier.” he asks. 

“Uh, yeah, I-” I’m interrupted by a knock on the door followed by Dr. Hartman coming back in. By the look on her face, I just know. 

“Congratulations, you guys are pregnant.”

Chris is lucky that there’s a chair right behind him, or he would have been in a world of pain. When I see him basically collapse into the chair, I get worried. 

“Mr. Evans, are you okay?” Dr. Hartman asks, reaching for his wrist to check his pulse. His face is a look of pure shock, like he can’t begin to comprehend what he just heard. 

“Chris?” I ask, my own emotions threatening to spill out despite knowing this was coming. I instantly feel bad for not giving him a heads up that this was a very real chance. His eyes find mine and we just stare at each other. 

“I’m okay. I just- it’s- are you sure?” he asks, his voice unsteady. The doctor steps away, seemingly convinced that a movie star isn’t going to drop dead of shock in one of her exam rooms. “The tests are extremely accurate, but I’m going to go ahead and do a transvaginal ultrasound so we can take a look. If you’re far enough along, we should be able to hear the heartbeat.” 

Since I’m still in the gown and haven’t gotten dressed yet, I lay back on the table and assume the position again as she pulls the ultrasound machine towards her. Chris gets up on unsteady legs and stands next to me, still looking shell shocked. 

“Okay, this is going to be a little uncomfortable. Just take a nice deep breath.” she warns. I do as she says, but I still make a face when the probe is inserted. Chris is torn between watching my face and wanting to see what’s happening on the screen. Me, I’m too afraid to look anywhere but his face. For as much trepidation as I’m feeling over this pregnancy, I’m overcome with the sudden fear that she’s going to find the baby and there’s not going to be a heartbeat, just like last time, and I honestly don’t know if I can go through that twice.

“There it is.” I hear from next to me. I watch as his eyes move from mine to the screen, seeing the tiny blob in the middle of my uterus with the little flicker in the middle. A heartbeat. I still can’t bring myself to look though. Dr. Hartman, who was the one who told me that I had miscarried and performed my D&C, senses my fear, and quietly hits a button on the machine. The sound is almost overwhelming as it fills the room. I have a crazy thought that it almost sounds like clothes in the washer as it’s agitating. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. My eyes snap to the screen, and I immediately bring my hand to my mouth and burst into tears. 

“From the size, it looks like you’re about six or seven weeks. Which is going to put the due date at about….” she stops to put some numbers into the computer. September 23rd, give or take.”

After printing off some pictures and leaving the room to let me get cleaned up and get dressed, we leave the office feeling a million different emotions. We’re both quiet on the drive home, both lost in thought. How many times have we wished for this? How many negative pregnancy tests have we seen and tossed angrily into the trash, tears threatening to spill. How many times did we say “It’s okay. It’ll happen. I know it.” only for it to happen during the worst period in our marriage? 

When we get home, I slowly waddle into the house, still enjoying the feeling of being able to (somewhat) walk instead of being chained to that damn wheelchair. I make my way to the back door to let Dodger out, passing Lisa, who’s watching both Chris and I with a curious, careful gaze. 

I feel him behind me as I turn on the tap, filling a glass with water and downing it almost all in one gulp. 

“How are you feeling?” he asks softly. He can see my hand trembling slightly as I hold the glass, and he knows he has to tread lightly. 

“In general? Or about the fact that we found out I’m pregnant in the middle of our personal shit storm?” 

“Both.” I drop my head. Truth be told, I’m exhausted. My arm is killing me, the nerve pain making burning pins and needles radiate over my whole arm. My leg is aching from being on it for an extended amount of time. 

I’ve been trying to roll it over and around in my head for weeks. What to do if I really did have the shittiest luck in the world, and I did end up actually pregnant in this situation. I keep coming back to the bad joke that my brother made the night I found out about Chris about me not having to deal with all of this while I was pregnant. 

“I don’t know if I can do this.” My voice is soft, but he hears it like I’m screaming it. “I don’t know if I can have this baby. I don’t know if my body can handle it, and I don’t know if I can handle it emotionally.” 

The words punch through him like a hit from a prize fighter. He knows exactly when it happened; the night that you had come over to get a dress from your closet and we had ended up defling quite a few surfaces in the house. There’s a good chance that our baby was conceived on the dining room table. 

“Are you talking about-” he can’t even bring himself to say the words. He KNOWS this the worst timing for this to happen. He KNOWS that no matter what, it’s your choice. But the thought of not having this baby with you almost brings him to his knees. 

My breath hitches. “Chris, look at us. Take a good look at me, at my body. I’m broken. I’m still recovering. I’d have to be monitored more closely to make sure that everything is okay. Because we don’t know if it will be.” The thought of finally getting everything I wanted with my husband and then not having it makes my chest hurt. 

“I’ve wanted kids with you since the moment you told me you loved me for the first time, and that I was it for you. I knew that you were going to be the father of my kids one day. But now, with everything, I don’t know if that’s the case anymore.” 

The tears are burning my eyes, and I can feel the sobs starting to build in my throat, and I know if I don’t get out of this room right now, I’m going to lose it. I’m pretty sure that Lisa heard at least part of our conversation, and I can’t talk about it anymore without losing my mind. I set my glass in the sink and silently make my way upstairs, thinking that two of the worst conversations I’ve had in my life have taken place in the kitchen that I loved. Now I can barely stand to be in it. 

[redhairedgirl95]

I'll be sharing some AMAZING mood boards paired with pieces of my writing. All the mood boards have been created by the WONDERFUL @weasley-05 taking inspiration from my fics/asks/headcanons. Go give them some love, they are EXTRAORDINARY <3

I LOVE YOU SO MUCH

Stella mood board

Face masks

“You’ve such beautiful skin …”

“You sound jealous.” He opened one eye, smirking.

“’Cause I am! Your skin is so smooth, and I know you don’t go through all the things I do. It’s just unfair. I’d be hideous if I didn’t do skincare twice a day.”

“I find it hard to believe that.” He replied. “Are you finished?”

“Yeah.” She sighed.

“Good. Your turn.” Brandon took the other jar, opened it, and applied the mask to her face, avoiding lips, eyes, and eyebrows, as previously instructed. The whole operation took him a good five minutes, but just because he enjoyed taking care of Stella any way he could. “Done. Now what?”

She opened her eyes, closed the two jars, and put them back in her make-up bag. “Now we go to sleep and tomorrow all of Red Fountain will be blinded by our combined beauties.”

“As if it wasn’t already …” Brandon took her by the hand and opened the door to the room.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Looking at the stars, but only seeing one - Chapter 12

Stella looked up at the stars and Sky did the same, both replaying in their minds the first – and up to that moment, only – time they had stargazed together, that night of so many months before.

“How many are there?” He asked.

Stella didn’t even stop to think. “Two hundred billion trillion.” She answered, like it was obvious.

“What?! That isn’t even a number.” He said, looking back at her.

“But it is. Ask Timmy.” She loved being the smartest in the room (or on the beach).

“That’s crazy …” He replied, with his eyes back to the night sky. “Do you have a favorite one?”

“I’ve never thought about that.” Stella looked up. “But no. Each and every one is beautiful in its own way. I can’t choose. Can you?”

And when she turned to look at him, he was already looking at her. “I can. I …” He took a deep breath to gather the courage to go on. “I am looking at her right now.”

He gently took her chin and slowly drew her closer, giving her every chance to pull back. She didn’t.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

EM1 - Chapter 3 - By your side

She came out into the garden more or less one hour later, her wheelchair (which she hated, but she couldn’t walk or fly, so … well, she was stuck in it) pushed by Musa and Flora. Stella was wearing a green long sleeved blouse and a pair of skinny black trousers, but it was her hair the most peculiar thing: it was divided into two braids, which were decorated with colorful flowers. The princess was positively beaming: she usually didn’t like to be seen while she was on the wheelchair, but that day she felt beautiful. It was the first time she had really felt it after all those days spent in the infirmary.

Flora and Musa helped her up so that she didn’t have to put all her weight on her hurt feet, then made her sit down on the grass and sat next to her. They looked at the two Specialists training with their phantoblades.

“Mmm … I bet I can get them to take off their T-shirts.”

“Stella!” It was Flora.

Musa giggled. “How?”

“I can … make it hotter.” She suggested, grinning.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Stella and Flora

“It’s fifty pages.”

“And? It’s not that many.”

“It took you two hours to read two.” She reminded her. It wasn’t always easy remaining calm when dealing with Stella, but Flora was calm by nature, and she’d volunteer to help her study. Not that Stella had actually asked her – she’d do anything to avoid spending time bent down on a book – but Bloom gave in too easily to the Princess’ proposals, Tecna would have screamed at her, Musa didn’t have the patience for it, and Aisha kept repeating she should already know all of that. In short, the other Winx weren’t suited for the task. It was a mission only Flora could accomplish, and she was determined to ace it. Stella wouldn’t fail that exam; she would pass it. Whatever the cost.

The princess snorted. “Okay, okay. You’re right, but what happens if I fail this exam too? I’ll be a bit behind, like always. It’s not like they can expel me twice.” She joked, but Flora could see that, behind all the smiles, the perfect make-up, and the shiny clothes, Stella was worried.

“They won’t expel you, Stella.” She reassured her. “But … wouldn’t you like to show Griselda you can do it? I’m sure she is ready to talk you down in front of the class. Imagine her face when she sees you’ve passed!”

“That would be glorious … but I can’t do it, Flora.” She sighed. “I know it, Griselda knows it, and you know it too. I’m not good at school.”

“Why don’t you try? I’ll help you; I promise.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

EM2 - Chapter 7 - Royal pains

“And how do you know that?” Stella asked.

“Sky told me. And he said that you fell at his feet the first day you met him!”

“I tripped! I tripped, guys!” Stella tried to talk over her friends’ laughter, but she joined in soon enough when Bloom offered to re-enact a scene she had only been told about.

“Bloom is a really good actress.” Lockette clapped.

“I am way more graceful when I fall.” The Princess of the Sun complained, unable to fight back a smile.

“No, you aren’t.” Tecna intervened. “You fall at least twice a week. Never gracefully.”

Stella gasped. “And I thought the Trix were vicious!” She exclaimed. “Look at you! Five evil Winx!”

“Six, Stella.” Musa reminded her.

“Nope. Five. I am not evil at all. I am beauty. I am grace.”

“You’ll fall on your face.” Flora added, and even more laughter resonated in the apartment.

“Flora!” An outraged Tune turned to her as if she’d just said the most hideous thing. They all laughed even more. All except for Piff, of course, who was snoring peacefully without a care in the world.

Laughter couldn’t fix all their problems: Stella’s worries, Musa’s constant quarrels with Riven, Tecna’s inability to express what she felt for Timmy, Bloom’s misunderstandings with Sky, Flora’s extreme shyness, Aisha’s fear of being left out; but it made them seem smaller, weaker. Together, everything seemed easier.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Stella and Bloom take a day off

“No thanks needed. But you owe me a portrait.” She said, taking her place on a chair behind a white canvas. “I think it will improve Brandon’s bedroom wall. Don’t you think?”

“I’m not sure Sky will like it.” Bloom chuckled as she settled in front of the tripod.

“Well, I’d return the favor, but I can only draw clothes. And you’re not wearing that many right now.”

“I love you, Stellie.”

“Tell me something I don’t know … like, should I pose like this?” She turned her body to the side and her face to her, lowering a sleeve to show her shoulder. “Should I ditch the robe altogether? I can pose naked, I’m sure Brandon would like it.”

“Keep your clothes on!” They both burst out laughing.

Study 0 – Stella 1. Mission accomplished.

[a-study-of-grief]

Chapter 1: The Calling

My eyes creak open and I am greeted by emptiness. There is nothing and no one except for me inside these awful walls. At least, nothing meaningful. There’s supposed to be meaning. There’s supposed to be love, but there is nothing. And that’s what’s wrong here.

Everything changes and nothing persists. I stay like this for a little longer, wallowing in my own woe and misery… then I get a call. The sound of California Boyz makes me jolt upright and grab the phone. It’s an unknown number. “This is Kieran Roe speaking.” “Do you give out yer name to everyone like that, boy?” They had a thick, Welsh accent. I couldn’t quite place it as either northern or southern. It seemed to be leaning more north, though. “Who is this?” “No, seriously, do you really just hand out yer true name to every bloody person you come across? Like fuckin’ candy at a parade. I’d expect better of someone as educated as you.” This time I clock the words. So they’re magical, or at least, aware of the supernatural. I sigh, “Look, if you’re just gonna reprimand me then we can just–” “No, no, yer gonna wanna hear what I have to say.” “Then say it.” “Feisty, innit?” They audibly click their teeth together. “Alright, well, to introduce myself, people call me Collector.” “Oh... You.” “My reputation precedes me then?” He giggles. “Yeah. What’s your business with me?” “I hear ya got a story. A few, actually,” Collector explains. “Newest one bein’ some real Orpheus and Eurydice shite, I hear.” I hang up and he calls right back. I let it ring twice before sighing and hitting the answer button. I know he doesn’t just take, he trades, but that doesn’t stop the fact he struck a nerve. It’s a wonder he gets any clients with this dogshit business strategy. “Leave me alone,” I bark. “Wait!” He yells through the phone. “Listen, I’m sorry ‘bout it. Really am. It’s tragic, innit?” Collector clicks his teeth together again. “I didn’t call ya to tease. Really.” “Then why?” The question came out shakier than I wanted. I was practically oozing venom. Who gave this bastard the right to talk to me like this and then backpedal. Hell, all I know is his title and his pronouns. I don’t even know who he is. “I got whatcha need.” I inhale sharply. “And what is that?” “You wanna look for yer lover boy, yeah? See where they are in all of the realms? A way to divine ‘im?” “... Y-yeah. Actually.” I take a few deep breaths. I fumble with the day-old braid in my hair to ground myself. This is it. This is my shot, but why would it fall into my lap like this? It just didn’t sit well, but I couldn’t just let it pass me either. “Great,” Collector continues, noticing my baited breath. “I got just that. But business is a face to face affair I reckon. So listen up. Grab a pen n’ paper, or whatever you have to fuckin’ record this. I don’t care.” I quickly scavenge my nightstand like a man possessed. I shove magical artefacts of unknown power and origin aside and onto the floor. I need this. Finally, I find my journal of spells. I don’t even care if it wasn’t made for this purpose. I just have to record this. I have to know. And so I do as told. I transcribe it and even have him repeat it for good measure. “When?” I asked. “Whenever. ‘Fore you do, you’ll have to scrawl a lil symbol on the door. It oughta be in…” He pauses. He pauses for so long, in fact, that I start wondering whether or not he had hung up. Or died. Eventually, he pipes up. “You got a copy of ‘Sigil Magick and How To Annoy The Gods’, yeah?” “Yeah. How’d you know?” “I assumed. Anyhow, page 54. If you have the first edition, then it’s 52. If you have the collector’s edition, 69.” “Thanks. Anything else?” “Yeah. Be ready to impress me.” And he hangs up. “Yeah, definitely not ominous at all,” I mumble. I flop onto the bed, flip phone still in hand. And I stay like that for a while, occasionally letting out loud, dramatic sighs. I even move to put my hands in my face. Before I can even grumble out the rest of my grievances, I fall. I fall deeper and deeper. The dull sunlight hitting my eyelids falls away into nothing. It’s just a void. A sea of nothing but stars. Me and the stars. Millions of stars surrounded by billions of worlds. So small. So alone. It’s cold in the vastness. It always is. Without love, there’s nothing left but a cold eternity. The love of friends and family. When you cannot claim or create happiness in a cruel world, what’s left but that world? I fall deeper and into a memory. Suddenly it’s a tepid day and I’m on that old farmstead. Scarless hands feel the grass and I look over to see them. “Blaidd,” The name rolls off my tongue naturally. In this state, the horrors have yet to touch me- us. Everything’s alright. “Yeah, what’s up, Roeboat?” I roll my eyes at the name. “Tough crowd… How about Roebot?” They ask. “I think Roeboat was cuter,” I shake my head, “Listen… I was thinkin’-” “Dangerous thing for you, y’know?” Blaidd interjects, now laying in the grass. Limbs spread. “Yeah, I know. Don’t wanna strain my brain cells.” “All two of ‘em.” “Yup,” I start joining them in the grass. I turn and stare at them. They were so beautiful. In so many different ways. I loved every part of them, even the parts they thought unlovable. It was an unconditional kind of love. My favourite sort. I blink and continue. This is still a memory and I am forced to play it out as planned. Lest my brain twist it. “Anyway. I wanted to ask you. Do you think this’ll last? Us? This view. This life.” “I dunno. Prolly not, but that’s fine y’know?” “Yeah?” “Yeah,” Blaidd plants a little kiss on my cheek. “Things change, but that doesn’t mean things are gone. Got it? What’s with the existential questioning anyhow?” “I dunno. I guess I just get like that sometimes.” “Pft. Brains are weird,” Blaidd chuckles. “You gotta try livin’ with no thoughts sometime.” “Like you?” I look over at them. The grass only slightly gets in my eye, but that’s alright. I get to look at them and that makes it okay. “Yeah! Ex-act-ly.” I giggle and fall asleep, content And so, I fall up. My flesh begins to sear painlessly again as new scars begin to reform. I am no longer untouched, but rather, in the present again. I rise above the vastness and eventually into consciousness.

[demoiselettes]

If your not doing match-ups you don’t have to do this!

Hi Nanako! It’s Yume, I’d to request a match-up. (I’m going to give you my irl appearance) Here’s some info about me:

~ I have short-ish brown hair and I have brown eyes

~ I have white skin (if you didn’t see my posts that show my hand or so)

~ I’m usually in oversized hoodies because I love them

~ I go by ‘Phi’ (I know my name is gonna get exposed or at least figured out)

~ I love hugs and cuddles

~ I like read, listen to music, and draw sometimes

~ My personality when I’m around people I don’t know; I’m really quiet and I only talk when I’m spoken to and I feel weird when I’m talking to someone I barely know

~ My personality when I’m around people I know/my friends; I’m really talkative and more happier

~ I like sleeping, playing with my sister, my plushies, and anything thing else that makes me happy and comfortable

~ I dislike loud noises, people against the LGBT community, racist and/or sexist people, getting up in the morning at an early time (but I don’t complain about it)

I think that’s everything I can put about me.

Also, I don’t care about who I get matched-up with, I just wanted to know who you would match me up with.

Have the nice day, Nanako! 💖💘💕💝💗💖💗💖💕💞💖💖

Eventide

I match you with you with Nezuko Kamado!

•The thing that did it for me, is you saying you love hugs & cuddles 🥺

•Nezuko loves showing affection to her loved ones and has no qualms submerging them with hugs

•Anytime you’re feeling down or really just minding your own business, she’s just jump on you and cuddle you, she’s a real cuddle monster

•Ahh nezuko would have no problem getting you to come out of your shell

•I assume you’d meet Tanjiro first, who’d then introduce you to Nezuko once he’s gotten comfortable with you

•Nezuko would pretty much rely on her brother’s opinions abt you to come up with her own opinions on you and lucky for you, Tanjiro seems to like you!!

•She would be pretty stiff at first, not really knowing how to approach you since you seem pretty timid and she doesn’t rlly understand how to get you to talk 😭

•In all honesty, it’d be after you’ve began opening up to Tanjiro that she’d be willing to spend more time around you

•You give off this super sweet and peaceful and familiar aura, one that Nezuko hasn’t felt in such a long time she can’t help being drawn to you

•Tanjiro definitely notices her being more comfortable around you and everytime he sees you giving her headpats, or her hugging you he dies a little of cuteness

•Most of the time spent with her is you ranting/ talking while occasionally utters little ‘mm’ or ‘hmp’

•You like sleeping? Nezuko too! you both take the longest fucking naps together and sometimes ppl have to poke you both to see if you’re alive she just rlly loves snuggling up to you

•See, Nezuko would probably have some level of experience with sewing dolls for her younger siblings, and she might just do that for you if she picks up on your penchant for plushies!! She might make ones that look like you and her

•She’s so in awe everytime you draw, she just stays by your side and stares at the paper with wide eyes (she’s pretty clumsy at it herself)

•She’d probs get angry at Zenitsu for being too loud if it bothers you and i cannot tell you how jealous that boy is of you 💀

•Also, don’t be surprised if you wake up covered in flowers braided in your hair/ flower crowns, she found out you look so pretty in them 🥺

[the-fiction-witch]

The Last Inn P3

Media IRL X Fantasy DnD 

Character Thomas Brodie Sangster (Elf)

Couple Thomas x Reader

Rating Flirty Af + adorable

Concept Tavern

I grabbed myself a fresh fluffy towel and headed down though the almost empty inn and out the backdoors onto the courtyard filled with rocks and sweet pools all overlooking the little River that ran beside the inn, the hot steam rising from the pools immediately made me excited to climb in but I stopped short as I noticed the little singing comic from the pools, I looked around the rocks and saw y/n her hair up in a tight twisted braid pinned up to her head, gently singing to herself as she used the hot magic enriched waters to rub up and down her bare arms and chest anything important hidden below the water but still. She stopped her song as she saw me and she smiled "oohh hello Thomas"

"Uuuhhh hi y/n"

"You coming in?" She asks

"Ohh uhh I don't want to be a bother"

"It's no trouble, nice to have someone to talk to"

"You sure its okay? For me?"

"Of course, come on" she smiled moving to the other side of the pool and kicking her foot to splash the water at me so I slipped my towel away and climbed into the pool with her immediately feeling warm, soft and revitalised

"Ummmm…"

"It's nice Isn't it"

"It is, were the pools here before the inn or the inn built the pools?"

"Before it's why I choose to built the inn here beside such sweet pools and of course the rivers ever so beautiful"

"It is, it's a really nice place here y/n"

"Thank you worked really hard to make it this nice"

"It's paid off, really it has, this is probably the only place in the world that I feel happy in,"

"Really?"

"Well… the rest of the world isn't as kind to people like me as you are"

"I don't see why'

'yes you do. You know what I am you know people aren't exactly fond of me"

"True. I don't know I don't see why they do your always ever so sweet"

"I'm always sweet to you, your always kind to me"

"Thats because you're lovely" she smiled giving my cheek a kiss which turned my face bright red "I know things aren't easy for you so I like to make sure you feel comfortable have somewhere nice to go whenever you feel a bit burdened by it all"

"That's very kind of you y/n, honestly this little Inns the only place in the world I feel… at home anymore"

"Really?"

"Really, I always plan my trips to come back here. Whenever I'm away huddled in my cart away from the rain I think about how nice it would be to be here warm at the inn with you. Anytime that i get upset or hurt about how the world treats me I just remember how sweet and kind you are to me. I always make my way here, because it feels like coming home"

"Awww Tommy that's so sweet, well I like taking care of you and if you liked you could make the inn your home"

"I could?"

"If you liked, I could always do with a hand in the bar and all your more then welcome to move things up to your room more permanently"

"You'd really do that for me?"

"Of course, if you wanted to say that is"

"I'd love to stay y/n. Thank you so so much" I smiled hugging her tightly then I remembered "ohh uhh sorry" I blushed

"it's alright" she smiled "if you like you'd be welcome up in the top apartment?"

"Ohh uhhh... really?" I stuttered

"If you'd like too"

"I'd love too, if that's okay"

"Absolutely, I've head good things about you boys and your bed warming capabilities" she giggled giving my cheek a kiss before she swam across the other side

I stood behind the bar cleaning the glass in hand as y/n was busy pouring some tankards of ale, I glanced up as I heard a loud shout as some goblin boys began fighting throwing a chair over the other

"Hey!" I yelled to him "put the chair down"

"what you gonna do about it!" One yelled

"Oi! take it outside" Y/n yelled

"Screw you tavern girl!" the other yelled

"Okay your cut off get the hell out!" I told him "Both of you"

"Or what?"

"Okay you little shits" she yelled putting the drinks down and grabbing her sword

"Ohhh No. I'd recommend you run"

[sukirichi]

black magic [01]

REQUEST. arranged marriage + enemies to lovers (sukuna is a simp and lowkey a housewife)

CONTENT/WARNINGS. some suggestive scenes, but overall fluff and romance! slight crack fic, I guess? I was laughing when I wrote this lol

NOTES. I NEED A HUSBAND! SUKUNA I’M GOING TO CRY GOODBYE THIS HAS ME SOFT. also anon i’m not sure if you wanted something with more ~sexual tension~ since this is kind of just comedic, but I hope you like it anyway!

part one | part two (nsfw)

“This is new,” you comment with a glare, your ankle propped on Sukuna’s knee.

“Shut up,” he rolls his eyes, pushing your skirt aside to clean the wounds you attained through exorcising curses. You’ve taken a particularly strong curse today and you’re caught off guard, barely finishing the mission unscathed. Limping all the way back home isn’t easy especially since you live on top of the darned mountain, but if Sukuna’s going to kneel in front of you like this...maybe it wasn’t too tough a journey. “You should stop going to missions you’re not ready for. Look at you, all wounded and bloody.”

“You sound like you care.”

“You’re my wife,” he huffs while dropping the bloody towel on the floor. Sukuna wraps the bandage around your ankle and carries you bridal style even though you’re perfectly capable of walking, but he shoots you a silencing glare. You’d have knocked him in the face any other day, but he’s particularly warm and smells nice today – plus you’re beat – that you bury your face in his chest, ignoring that stupid fluttering in your stomach. “Of course I do.”

You snicker, mind tracing back to your earlier years of this dreaded marriage.

It definitely wasn’t the best – the memories blurring between strangling each other to making out as if breathing was never a thing – and it felt like forever ago when you first met him.

You’d never say it out loud, but... you don’t regret this arranged marriage. Not when Sukuna is tucking himself beside you on the bed, your head above his muscular chest a place similar to home. He covers both your bodies over with a blanket, pulling your body closer to him with a strong arm, his lips pressing onto the crown of your head.

Ugh, you think to yourself, giving in to the need to cuddle your husband after a long day of work. You still refuse to say it out loud, though, and you irk him further by muttering, “That’s not what you said two years ago.”

“I wasn’t in love with you then.”

 “I refuse to be married to you!”

Sukuna fights back the urge to cover his ears. Ever since your clan decided to visit his land and started exorcising curses one by one, his life has been nothing but hell. Not only are your relatives the most arrogant people ever with a consistent god complex, they just had to let their little mortal child be in charge of taking on the stronger curses. Seriously, what were they thinking, sending you – who’s barely even out of their training bra years – to deal with curses like him?

Everyone knows Sukuna is a no bullshit man. He won’t hesitate to cut your head off the moment you came raging at him, but then he sees how young you are and decides to send you back to your family.

Expecting that everyone would just call it a day and he’d get offerings for his unexpected mercy, Sukuna is beyond stupefied when they send you back to his temple, all dressed pretty with a basket of fruits and flowers braided in your hair. He remembers growling because you look adorable, but that’s easily wiped away when you open your mouth, your voice scratchy against his ears as you stomp your feet like the young mortal you are.

Sukuna pushes a thumb to his forehead to ease the impending headache, and that’s just from your presence. Something inside him tells that you’re going to be a bigger pain than you look.

“You don’t have much of a choice. You should’ve thought of that before deciding to run rampage over my land,” he reminds, turning boredly to his lone servant from above his throne. Sukuna isn’t impressed, to say the least, especially with your clan’s audacious proposition to gain his favour just this once. “Is this really the woman you bring me – the one they insist to be my wife?”

“She is their best fighter, my Lord.”

Well, he can’t disagree to that. You did, after all, single-handedly give him a cut on the cheek. “She’s feisty indeed.”

“Don’t talk as if I’m not here!”

“Mouthy too,” he mumbles to himself, but your sorcerer senses are sharp and easily picks up on it. He sees you flush angry again, looking immensely adorable with your tiny fists clenched like that and he snorts, waving a hand in the air. “Whatever. Get the wedding over with,” he nods to his servant, his sigh loud and tired as he makes his way to you.

You don’t stiffen at each haunting step, his eyes only glimmering harder with entertainment. It’s rare to find a mortal that doesn’t quiver at the sight of him, the urge to break you only growing stronger.

Even as he cups your face, making sure to not let his claws dig into your precious skin, Sukuna smirks. You’ll be entertaining indeed.

So Sukuna makes a promise, four eyes surveying the way your body is starting to fill in curves at the right places, the swell of your flesh just perfect in his hands... He chuckles to himself, daunting you further as he leans down to your ear, taking pleasure in the slight way your breath hitches. “Maybe then I’ll get to teach you a lesson or two.”

You’re definitely something else, taking advantage of each presented opportunity and not wasting any time before you make your move. Right after the wedding and everyone’s left, leaving you alone with your new husband behind closed doors; you push him until he’s on the ground, legs straddling each side of his hips while you growl above him – the sound similar to a battle cry.

Sukuna merely smirks, barely moving a muscle as his large hands come up to rest on your hips to steady you. “I’ve imagined countless ways you’d be on top of me like this,” his eyes light up with humour upon feeling the cold blade on his skin, “None of them included a knife on my neck though.”

“Shut your mouth. I will kill you myself,” you warn, pressing your knife harder until it draws a slight tinge of blood.

You hardly look threatening above him like this, dolled up to look the best in your wedding with this cursed being. If anything, you look more divine than deadly, and Sukuna thinks that perhaps your beauty could be your best weapon. You are bewitching, after all.

“I refuse to be your Queen and sit next to your throne.”

“Then why didn’t you stop the wedding?”

“I—”

Sukuna’s teasing grin grows wider when you pull back, trying so hard to not trip over your words. It takes all of his self-restraint to not take you right then and there, but he does a good job of holding back, enjoying this view above him instead. “Could it be you’re attracted to me after all, hm, little one?”

“Do not test me, Curse. I’m more than capable of exorcising you myself.”

“Oh, I don’t doubt that. You’re the strongest in the Gojo clan, are you not?” he prompts to appease you, “I don’t even want to see what you’re capable of, but maybe, just maybe...” just as his eyes darken, the edges of his lips turning up into a smirk, Sukuna digs his claws into your thigh in a possessive show of ownership, a painful reminder that you’re his now. “...You could put on a little show for me?”

“I hate you!”

Experienced and strong as you are, you’re nothing compared to a thousand year old curse who’s killed a lot more people faster than you could blink. Sukuna immediately notices the animalistic way you draw your blade, arm swung back with rage written all over your face. Before you could so much as bat an eye, he easily switches the positions until you’re under him, using only one hand to pin your arms above your head, your blade effortlessly thrown to the other side of the room.

“As I thought, you’re a lot prettier under me like this,” he observes, roaming his eyes shamelessly over the fabric clinging prettily to your body. You’ve fallen silent at his unconcealed attention, your compliance enticing him to lean closer just to inhale your intoxicating scent.

“Not so feisty now, little one? Where’d all your hatred for me go?” Sukuna pulls back with widened eyes, “Oh? Am I hearing it wrong or is your pathetic human heart beating so loud right now?” You refuse to look at him, wriggling your hips in an attempt to leave, completely unaware that the mere movement is hypnotizing the curse above you. Sukuna grips your hips in warning, not wanting to destroy you – not now, anyway. “You know all you need to do is say it. I’d gladly take you right here and then.” His words spoken with that deep, throaty voice immediately sends a wave of heat down your core, but you turn away from him, breathing hard and nervously; something Sukuna picks up on in an instant. “Little one...have you never had a man hold you like this before?”

“N-no...”

“I see. Pure and innocent behind that ferocity, huh?” He surprises you by pulling away, smoothening his white robes down as he leaves you panting still on the floor. “Fine. I won’t touch you unless you ask me to.”

“I’d rather die before that ever comes out from my mouth.”

“We’ll see about that,” he smirks, winking at you before he shuts the door. “Little one.”

There’s a lot of weird – and utterly inconvenient things – about being Sukuna’s wife. The man eats everything, absolutely everything, and it doesn’t help that he sucks at hunting too. For a man so huge and burly, he sure is lazy, preferring to do the laundry in the riverside instead while you go out every day to prepare your meals.

You actually don’t mind, but it’s very fun to complain around him.

You’re on your way back to the temple when Sukuna grabs at you, making you drop the freshly caught birds onto the ground. Your brows furrow, about to scold him for being too eager again when Sukuna stares at your arm, his lips pressing into a thin line.

Following his line of sight, your lips form an ‘o’ shape. There’s blood trickling down your forearm from his claws accidentally cutting you, guilt written all over his face. Another weird thing about Sukuna is that he babbles a lot when he’s emotional, and you’re too tired to hear him beat himself over it that you just drag him inside your room, sitting his ass down before taking a clipper.

Sukuna scoffs when you start cutting his nails. It irks him that you don’t even bother wiping the blood off first and he tsks, eyes narrowed at you. “You should have thicker skin.”

You roll your eyes as you file his nails; you’ve been married to him long enough to know it’s his way of saying sorry. Not wanting to let him wallow in guilt any louder, you pad kisses over his knuckles before swiping the black ink off your desk, using a pen brush to colour your nails instead. Sukuna hovers behind you, head tilted to the side as he watched you. “Are you painting your nails black?” he utters in disbelief, trying to ignore the fact he feels...proud and even a little smug. “Not so fitting for the angelic sorcerer now, isn’t it?”

“I’m only doing this so you don’t feel left out.”

“Maybe I’ll add markings to your pretty face too,” he cups your jaw to make you turn to him, landing a solid kiss flat to your lips which makes you sigh, pretending to be annoyed but leaning over for another peck anyway. Sukuna laughs and pulls you onto his lap, kissing your neck this time around, a little annoyed that you don’t stop in brandishing your nails. “Wife, what do you think?”

“I have work, Sukuna. You flirting with me doesn’t change the fact I need to go.”

“Come home safe for me, at least?” he breathes down your neck, his touch sending shivers down your spine. You’ve definitely changed since the first time he’s met you, starting from a mean (although he stands strong that you are still mean to him sometimes) temperamental little one to a mature, stronger sorcerer who’s secretly weak for his wife.

Unable to resist him as always, you turn around once you’ve finished painting your nails, rubbing your nose over his until your strong, scary husband is turning into putty at your hands. “Of course I will,” you peck his lips one last time, Sukuna’s eyes closing as he dives in for a deeper kiss. “I’ll always come back home to my handsome husband.”

If anyone were to ask how it’s possible that the King of Curses is actually very soft for his sorcerer wife, everyone would claim it’s impossible and a heresy – but if you ask Sukuna, it’s probably just black magic doing its wonders.

[allthingsfangirl101]

Lifeguard Fun–Joe Keery

Usually being a lifeguard at a fancy hotel was easy. Just families on vacations and teens on Prom night. Once a year, our hotel hosts a press tour for Netflix. Each time we host it, it's a different show. This year it's the cast of Stranger Things.

And they were by far some of the worst guests we've ever had. They were children, running around the hotel, destroying anything they can get their hands on.

The worst part was the pool. They've come down every day after their panel. And every time they do, the girls sit outside and tan while the boys put all their attention on me.

"Hey!"

I turned around and looked down to see Joe Keery smirking up at me with the rest of the Stranger Things boys standing behind him.

"Can I help you?" I sighed.

"We were just wondering what it was like to lifeguard at a fancy hotel like this," Joe said. I rolled my eyes at his not-so-subtle attempt of checking me out.

I crossed my arms over my chest and sighed. "It's more like babysitting the water than babysitting swimmers."

They kept trying to get me to talk to them, but eventually, they had to go get ready for an interview or something. I wasn't listening and I didn't care. I was just relieved when they were finally gone.

I didn't see them for a couple of days which must have meant they had a busy schedule. The day I did see them, I was not excited. The girls went back to tanning and the boys went back to roughhousing by the pool.

"Alright, boys," I sighed. "Take it easy."

"Aww she's worried about us," Charlie cooed.

"It's my job," I deadpanned.

"We got feisty lifeguard today," Joe teased.

"Just try and not hurt each other," I sighed.

The rest of the afternoon, the boys continued to run around the pool. It didn't matter how many times I told them not to run, it just made them run faster.

"Whoa!"

I looked over, my lifeguard training kicking into gear when I heard a splash. I ran by the kids, ignoring their shouts as I dove into the pool. I swam over to an unconscious Joe. I wrapped my arms around my waist and swam to the surface.

"Call 911," I instructed the second I broke through the surface.

I swam Joe over to the shallow end of the pool and pulled him out. I carefully set him down.

"Is he going to be okay?" Gaten panicked.

I leaned down and listened for his breathing. When I heard nothing, I quickly sat back and tilted his head.

"Did you call 911?" I asked.

"Yeah," stuttered Finn stuttered. "They said. . ."

He stopped talking when I leaned down and started giving Joe CPR. The kids continued to watch as I went back and forth from doing chest compressions and giving him mouth-to-mouth.

After a few more attempts, Joe woke up and coughed up water. I rolled him onto his side so he could get the water out of his lungs. That's when I saw the blood.

"Who pushed him into the pool?"

When they didn't answer, I asked again. "Which one of you idiots pushed him into the pool?"

"I did," Charlie stuttered.

"Well, congratulations, Hulk. You pushing him in caused him to hit his head at the bottom and almost drown."

I stood up but stopped when Joe started to sit up. "Whoa," I said, stopping him. "Take it easy, Joe. You need to wait until the ambulance gets here. They'll take a look at your wound and make sure it isn't too bad. They need to clear you."

I sat with him until the ambulance arrived. As soon as they got here, I left. I went back into my locker room and changed out of my suit. I quickly threw my hair into a braid before leaving. I was walking across the lobby when someone yelled to catch my attention.

"Hey, lifeguard!"

I sighed, rolling my shoulders, before turning around. I didn't even have the energy to put my "customer service" smile on. One look at Joe's smirk and the anger I've been holding back all day snapped.

"You know what?" I deadpanned. "You and your famous friends have been harassing me all week. Then I saved your ass. I'm really not in the mood for this one way back and forth anymore. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to go home and try to forget about the fact that I work here."

I started to walk away but he quickly jogged and caught up to me. I gasped when he grabbed my wrist.

"I'm sorry," he sighed. He looked down at his hand on my arm and quickly let me go. He ran his fingers through his hair as he struggled to think of something to say.

"You're right," he said. "It was rude and childish and we never should've treated you like that. I especially shouldn't have allowed my friends to continue to tease you."

"That wasn't teasing," I said as I crossed my arms over my chest.

"You're right," he said, slightly clearing his throat. "That wasn't teasing. That was harassing."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Why? Why treat people like that? I mean, did you ever once stop and think how those comments would make me feel?"

"I'm not usually like that," he tried to defend himself. He laughed when he saw the look on my face. "I just mean that I'm expected to act a certain way, but it's not my style. It gets confusing. When I'm around people, I don't always know how to act. Especially if I like them."

"That's no excuse, Joe," I sighed, ignoring his comment about liking me. "Fame shouldn't influence how you treat people. It shouldn't influence any kind of behavior."

"You're right," Joe sighed. We stared at each other for a minute before I sighed and broke eye contact.

"Look," I sighed. "You guys leave tomorrow so let's just forget it."

I was about to walk away but he spoke up and stopped me.

"I can't."

"You should," I said, turning on my heel towards him. "Tomorrow, you are going somewhere else and I doubt you'll be back any time soon. You apologized. That's enough."

"Wait. . ."

"Travel safe, Joe."

As I walked away, I heard him mumble the last thing I expected.

"I don't even know your name."

                                * * * * *

The next day, you could tell the cast was gone. The rooms were being cleaned out, there wasn't any yelling in the lobby, and no one visited the pool multiple times today.

"Hey, Y/N."

I looked up and smiled when I saw Libby, the other lifeguard at the hotel.

"You off to lunch?" She asked.

"Yep," I sighed. "I'll be back before the afternoon rush."

I walked out of the employee lounge and grabbed my keys out of my purse. I was busy looking at my phone that I didn't notice someone coming into the hotel.

"Hey, lifeguard."

I looked up, my throat getting stuck in my throat when I saw who had called out to me.

"Joe," I whispered. "I thought. . . You guys left this morning."

"The rest of the cast did," he chuckled awkwardly. "I told them I'd catch up."

"Why?"

"I just did," he shrugged. He cleared his throat before saying, "Actually, I couldn't sleep last night. I hate the idea of you thinking poorly of me."

"Joe," I tried to interrupt him.

"It's not that I couldn't sleep because someone thought poorly of me," he continued. "It's because you thought poorly of me."

"Why do you care so much what I think about you?" I asked. "I'm just the lifeguard at a hotel you stayed at."

"No, you're not," he said, taking another step towards me.

"You don't know me," I sighed.

"I'd like to."

"You don't mean that," I said under my breath.

"I do. . ."

"This hotel caters to a lot of actors and actresses. They all come and go, never blinking an eye. They definitely don't come back. I've been through this, Joe. The hotel lifeguard is always ignored. The occasional actor will try to communicate with me, so they aren't seen as a stuck-up actor. That only last one, maybe two conversations. Nothing more. That doesn't mean you should feel the need to go out of your way to be nice to me."

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"You don't have to be," I shrugged. "Working around actors and actresses without being one, you get used to it."

"You shouldn't have to," he said quickly, almost like he was angry. He sighed before saying, "I'd really like to help show you that we aren't all like that."

"How?" I found myself asking.

"You about to leave on your lunch break?"

"I am."

"Would you like some company?" He asked with a nervous smile.

"One lunch won't hurt anybody."

[outivv]

I absolutely loved your mute!Aether !! It got me thinking about how would he be in a relationship? Like just general relationship head canons?

Synopsis: mute! Aether relationship headcanons (some are just general relationship headcanons :))

Warnings: not proofread

Game/ fandom: genshin impact

Character: aether

Pronouns for reader: gender neutral/ not mentioned

A/n: hello! I’m glad you enjoy my take on mute! Aether! I genuinely love writing for him, which is strange because for a while I thought that the traveler was a bland character, but I weirdly love writing for aether???? (I haven’t written for lumine yet so… I’m not sure if I’d actually enjoy writing for her ¯\_(ツ)_/¯) but anyway! Hope you enjoy!

Aether I feel would he rather clingy in a relationship, and he especially relies on conveying his love through physical affections, and actions.

You’d definitely have to do most of the talking in the relationship since not many people in teyvat know sign language, so at restaurants, grocery store, and so on, you’d do the talking. He definitely appreciates it and will give you a ton of kisses as a thank you :)

I think when he’s upset he just wouldn’t sign anything, just frantically wave his arms around. I think he’s a very emotional person honestly, so when he’s upset he’s u p s e t so trying to understand what he’s saying is a bit difficult. But, thankfully you can calm him down fairly easily.

If you don’t know sign language when you meet he definitely is going to have some trouble communicating with you, but thankfully you find someone to teach you :)

Aether has a strange fondness for when you put flowers in his hair, I just had to say it. I think lumine would braid his hair for him, and put flowers in it so they would match, and now his s/o does the same thing!

Aether has absolutely mastered communicating through body language, and facial expressions, and that plays into when he’s jealous or just wants your attention. He’ll make it obvious something is up, and that he does not like it.

You probably have signals for when you see or hear something while traveling. Aether is literally being hunted down by the fatui, I would be astonished if you didn’t have some kind of signal that let the other person know When you saw/ heard a fatui agent.

Keeps his eye on you at all times. He will not lose someone else he loves, and especially since you have gone through so much effort to help him find his sister. He genuinely cares.

Probably have matching bracelets, that rest on your dominant hand. I’m not sure why but I think aether is really into that kind of thing.

Most definitely makes extra time to go to all the festivals across teyvat, and at said festivals aether absolutely spoils you. He makes sure you have an amazing time.

Speaking of spoiling you, he definitely gets you a fair amount of gifts to show he loves you, but their smaller things because you both can only carry so much on your travels, like the bracelets I talked about! They’re small, but they mean a lot.

[elias-code]

The Swine’s Scribe

Characters: c!Technoblade x gn!reader, an appearance by Philza

Background: You're in Techno's cabin after getting the rest of his wolves from L’Manburg after the second war. You were originally rescued by Techno from a blizzard after running from the first L'Manburg explosion (your house was among those destroyed.)

Summary: When Techno gets back from the second L'Manburg war, he lets go of a lot of emotions by ranting to you. You, being concerned about his mental wellbeing, ask if you can do anything for him, and eventually, he kisses you, which leads to some close-calls with Phil and a whole lot of smut and fluff.

Wordcount: 3291 (according to google docs lmao)

Warnings: NSFW, swearing, blood/wounds, biting, getting caught

I REPEAT NSFW, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT

-------------------------------- Enjoy :) ----------------------------------

Ever since Techno brought you in from the cold months ago, you've been doing little chores for him in a way to repay his kindness. Even though he was the one who summoned the withers after the initial explosions, you felt safe around him. It had been hard to get used to at first, but now you felt comforted by his presence.

For the past week, you've been writing his journal for him after he broke his hand sparring with Phil. His hand has since healed, but you insisted that you do it for him, and he put up little protest.

"It was stressful, seeing your friends leave like that, in the blink of an eye. I don't trust anyone anymore, not after Tommy betrayed me. I gave him a roof over his head, hid him from Dream, one of the most powerful people on the server, AND I trusted him with my Axe of Peace." Technoblade's tone was strained and he let out a huff.

"Techno," you empathised, "are you sure you're okay after today?"

"I'm fine, please keep writing." He only ever said please when he was really serious, clearly, he was not interested in talking.

"Now, I refuse to bow to the voices. They want blood and I won't let them. Too many allies have died for me or have disappeared onto the other side, only to reemerge when they need ME, never when I need THEM."

Again, you piped in, "Techno, you're clearly not ok," his pale skin was flushed red and his eyebrows knit together into a grimace, "If there's anything I can do to help, please tell me."

He went silent.

"You don't have to talk about it if it's really getting to you... Or you could let it out. Either way, I'm here to help," You said.

"I'll think about it. For now, keep writing,"

For another half hour, he ranted about the destruction of L'Manburg and his dramatic reenactment was accented by occasional yelling and hand gestures. Suddenly, he stops speaking and gets a puzzled look on his face, "Um, what- what's the correct phrasing for - I guess - 'horny for violence'?" The tips of his ears were bright red, matching the blush now forming on his cheeks.

You chuckle, "I think it's hungry for violence..."

"Ah, that's it," Techno states, and then he completed his recounting of events. There's a bubble of silence in the air and he bursts it by asking, "Do you have any thoughts?"

"You know my thoughts, Techno..."

"I think I know, but give me words, I can't read minds."

"You're not healthy, you need help. You need better friends and a proper support system. Right now you really only have Phil, and I guess me if I even count."

"You count."

Now it was your turn to blush, but you continue, "Either way, that's not enough! You deserve more than you're getting. I can tell that even without the things you've had me write down. You're carrying so much weight, Tech."

"I didn't know you cared," he seems touched by your words, "I suppose I don't know a whole lot about you."

"And yet, you trust me with your deepest, darkest secrets, Technoblade."

"One thing I can trust you to do is help me with my armour."

He was still wearing the enchanted netherite chestplate and pants, both of which you started fumbling with. The leather straps were clasped tightly, as to not come off in battle, but you managed to manoeuvre them enough to get them to let go.

As the chestplate was lifted off of him, he hissed and then grunted. You look at the spot his hand flew to on his back, where his shirt had torn to reveal a big gash in his shoulder. It ran from his shoulder blade to his left pec, one of the only places where he was unarmoured.

"Holy shit Tech, why didn't you tell me this was here?!"

"I didn't want to worry you," He chuckled and then hissed again, "I guess that plan failed."

You did not find it funny. You immediately went to get the supplies Phil kept in his house, knowing that Techno didn't keep anything but healing potions in his chests. Phil was eager to help and he handed some bandages and rubbing alcohol to you so you could clean the wound. You also grabbed a spare scrap of leather for him to bite down on.

When you returned, Techno had moved to sit on his bed where he had already removed the greaves and discarded them beside him. You came to his side, putting down the alcohol, rag, and bandage.

"This is probably going to hurt, so I need you to bite down on this," you said, handing him the leather scrap.

"Ok," he said, watching you grab the alcohol and rag from the floor, "Just- just tell me when,"

"Alright," He put the leather in between his teeth, biting lightly, "you ready?"

He nodded, you put the alcohol rag onto the blood-crusted gash. He let out a sharp, low hiss, tightening his jaw on the leather to release some of the pain. You cleaned up quickly to minimise the pain and then wrapped it in the bandage, leaving some so you could clean and replace it later.

"All done, you ok?" You looked at him, one of his eyes was watering.

"Yeah, the pain's much worse when you're not pumped full of adrenaline."

"You better not be hiding any more gashes under all of those clothes,"

"Wanna find out?" He flashed you a smirk, amused by his own confidence.

"I'll take your word for it, but you're going to need to change that shirt, it's covered in blood."

"At least it's not my blood," you shivered a bit at that remark and helped him take his shirt off, careful not to remove the fresh bandages along with it.

For the first time, you saw him without a shirt off. He seemed surprisingly slender for being as strong as he is. There were numerous scars that etched every battle and lesson learned into his skin. Lots of them looked older than you expected and you suddenly realised that he must have been fighting for a long time before coming to the server.

"Like what you see?" he asked, and you rushed to put the shirt down and find an excuse.

"Um, I- I was just looking at your scars, I'll bring this downstairs,"

You rushed away, turning bright red, embarrassed that he had noticed your stares. You absent-mindedly tossed the shirt into the 'wash pile' and then you remembered, in your rush, you had forgotten his greaves. With a huff, you climbed the ladder back to his room.

Techno sat in front of the fireplace, now roaring with renewed vigour from the log he'd tossed in. His pink hair had been undone from the messy braid he had put in that morning. It was almost dyed red and black by the blood and soot in it. He was playing with it, picking out debris and running his fingers through the more knotted bits.

“Tech?”

“Hmm?” he looked up at you, still fiddling with the hair in his hands.

You sat down next to him and he relaxed into a cross-legged position, with one knee tucked under his chin. His free hand is right next to yours and he doesn’t look at you. His face is red, probably from the fire.

“You looked like you were in a trance? Are you ok?”

Silence filled the room again,"

“You don’t have to tell me but just know I’m here if you need to talk. Obviously, I haven’t tattled about anything yet or Tommy and the Butchers would be knocking your door down by now.”

“The voices are quieter than normal. I can hear myself think.”

You try to be encouraging “So? What are you thinking about?”

He looks you in the eyes, they’re deep, his pupils adjusting makes you feel like he’s looking into your soul.

“Um, I’m not sure you’d want to know.”

You frown and protest since you’re now more curious than ever but still a bit freaked out. "C'mon now you've got me curious,"

Techno looked away, solemnly gazing at the fire “I meant what I said about you being a trusted friend. I don't get many of those so, thanks. As for why this is coming up now, well, I guess I’m lonely.”

You hesitated, “Me too, Tech. You're kind of the only one I trust, and I guess Phil, too, but I'd trust you with my life.”

He blushes, looks away, and tucks a strand of hair behind his ear before turning back to you and putting his hand on yours.

You immediately flush and you see a grin seep onto his face.

"I'm not really talking about friends anymore. I want... someone..." he almost whispers

"You mean?" he nods, "I guess I've never had anyone before. I think it'd be nice to see what it'd be like."

“I think we can kill two birds with one stone here, don’t you?”

Now you're both bright red, nervous, schoolkids who gingerly lean into each other's faces, gaze fixed on the other's lips. Your hearts beat hard while your brains rush to make sure you feel insecure, the voices in Techno's mind screaming excitedly.

“You good up there Techno? Your light is still on, it's far past midnight, mate!” Phil shouts from the bottom of the ladder.

“I’m fine, just," He pulls away from you, "reading. Goodnight Phil,”

Techno's ears perk up to listen to the receding footsteps. You’re both standing now, he's standing over the trapdoor, making sure Phil had gone. Once he was sure, he comes over and kisses you hard.

“Tech-"

“Is this ok? I’m not doing anything wrong am I?”

You think He’s clearly never done this before, as you respond "Yeah, I like it..." you continue, stumbling towards his bed where you’re initially just kissing like two teenagers as if it were your first time, desperate, but awkward.

Your hand was pressing against his chest as you laid next to him, tasting each other's spit, learning the ropes since neither of you had ever done this before.

The light from the fire made your shadows dance across the wall, arms moving to hold each other closer, legs wrapping around Techno's, bodies shifting so he's on top of you. Only the roar and crackle of the fire and the occasional grunt or gasp from you or Techno could be heard.

--- Smut begins here ---

As you both part to take a breath, he pulls your shirt over his head. When he leans into the crook of your neck, you notice the tent in his pants pressing against your inner thigh. In between your own legs, there was a pool of slick forming.

You moan, loud, fully knowing that would send Techno wild. He pushes further towards you and holds your arms above your head so he could press his mouth against your neck, leaving red, hot, sticky marks leading from your collarbone to your abdomen.

You're both panting as he lets go of your arms and you wrap them around his neck, pulling his head in for a long, deep kiss. His hot breath warms your cheeks as he repositions himself.

"Hey, is this still ok?" He asks between breaths.

"Abso-fucking-lutely,"

He fully loses himself, taking his hand from your cheek and moving it to your pants, never losing eye contact. You nod and he pushes his hand into the spot between your legs which was now drenched in slick. He found his way to your hole and pushed his index finger into it, creating a sensation you'd never felt before.

Instinctually, you gasp and then moan, harder than before. You rock your hips to his rhythm while he continues to press bruises into your torso. Eventually, he brings his face back to yours and kisses you. You let out another moan into his mouth. He grunts and then chuckles, kissing your cheek before pulling his finger out and then going back in with two.

Now, you're whining, pulling on his long, pink hair. You notice everything in those moments, his rhythmic breaths into your neck and pumping of his finger in and out of your sex, his other hand holding your waist, pushing upwards to caress you, his soft hair in your hand.

"Is it my turn now?" He gruffs.

You hum in affirmation as he pulls away and you kick off your pants as he undoes his own. You immediately notice his size. Compared to his fingers, which were pretty long and thick, to begin with, due to his big hands, his member was a giant. His hand that had previously been half inside of you was now working his dick, its head coated in pre-cum.

While you had seen other penises before, mostly in study, you had never seen one up close, and you'd only seen ones on humans. The hybrid piglin-shapeshifter was sporting a human-like head and shaft, 9 inches (at least) all the way down to a knot... he had a knot...

He notices you gaping at his dick and grins, leaning into you again. "Wanna help me with this, or... should I help m'self?"

Eager to please, you lightly push him forward so you're both sitting up while your hand inspects the new acquaintance. You look up at Techno for guidance. He nods and pushes your hand down with his own. He guides your hand up and down the shaft until he’s no longer guiding you and you’re doing it all yourself.

He does the same with you. The space between your legs was now, simply put, slippery. He did his best to please you, eventually managing three fingers easily.

The pants and gasps were syncing, the knot in your stomach growing stronger while you danced your mouth on the head of his member. He lets out a particularly loud grunt and removes his fingers from your sex. You suddenly feel empty, and he pushes you over onto your stomach.

He puts himself under you, his dick under your mouth. You lick the ever-present pre-cum off of the head of his dick once again and then begin to bob your head up and down, managing to fit him halfway before choking on him. His groans were now louder than yours, becoming more frequent.

"Ughh- fuck," he moans.

Now he holds your head and gently begins to fuck your mouth. Your bobbing was no longer enough, he wanted more. He thrust his hips into you, managing to get a third of the way into you and then it turns into deepthroating after every thrust.

You gag, unable to take him all the way, and so he decides enough is enough and you both rush to get him inside of you. He gets up, moving to position himself above you. You continue to stay in the position he left you in, on your hands and knees.

"Turn around," Techno says.

And so you do, you lay on your back, full of anticipation and covered in juices. He puts his hand on your stomach, leaning in to kiss you lightly, pressing more red marks into your sides, slowly turning you so you face the wall.

He pulls away and holds your leg away from the other, practically putting you into the splits.

"Techno..." You whisper.

"Hmm?"

"Is this gonna hurt?"

"Dunno, darlin'," He leans in again, "let me know if it gets too hard, ok? I'll stop if you say so."

You nod and kiss for confirmation, reaching to hold your own leg up to give him full access.

He inserts the head and you can already feel the stretch, slightly painful but you push on, your fingers grasping the sheets to keep yourself grounded. He’s pushing into you slowly, making sure you're not getting in over your head. You hold the sheet tighter, groaning from the stretch.

He pulls out slightly and the pressure releases. You moan hard, making sure Techno knows that you like what you feel. He pushes in again and begins to thrust into you. Techno is getting further and further with every thrust, and you moan between every breath. He's three-fifths of the way in and he's only getting harder.

Techno's hand replaces yours, keeping your leg raised as you move your hand to work yourself along with him. Your heart beats faster and he picks up the pace. He can get all the way to the knot before pulling out and thrusting in again.

"Tech... Fuck, it's so gooood..."

Now he's becoming sparattic and his face goes into your neck, biting softly, barely enough for blood to form. The knot in your stomach tightens and you scream into the pillow as he pushes all the way in, his skin hitting yours as his knot slips into you.

He moans and thrusts lightly into you, coming inside of you. You feel the pressure inside of you release as you come with him. You're being filled with his sperm, eventually spilling out along with your own come onto the sheet.

He continues to work you with his hand, breathing heavily into your neck. Your heartbeats are in sync and his juices continue to spill out of you, soaking everything below you. You try to look him in the eye as he shakes slightly, somehow still coming.

"Tech? You're still..." you gasp. "I know, sorry... it might be a while..." He grunts out.

Techno's ears perk up and he shoves you under the blanket, still stuck inside of you with the knot.

"What-"

He puts a hand over your mouth as you quiver underneath him, overstimulated by the pressure and his hand which still rested in between your thighs. What the hell is he doing?! The non-stop cum is weird enough, what-

Soon enough, your questions were answered when you heard the footsteps downstairs.

“Do you have my hat?” Phil's voice yells from the base of the ladder.

“Can't you-" he breathes, "you get it in the morning?”

“No, I'm going out super early tomorrow to scout out and make sure we haven’t been followed back.”

“Uh," fuck "it’s on the chair next to my desk up here? I’m in bed…”

Phil comes up the ladder and opens the hatch, eventually finding his hat while techno covers your mouth and lays belly to belly with you, he’s still dribbling a bit, so are you. You’re whimpering slightly.

Phil stops at the trapdoor. “Did you mean to leave the fire on mate?”

“Uh, yeah I was gonna let it burn… I was cold”

“Where’s your friend, loverboy?”

You feel Techno blush above you, his warmth suddenly radiating out from him.

“Um. They went to trade with some piglins since we’re almost out of spectral arrows.”

“Alright let me know when they get back, I just want to make sure they’re ok. Ever since you found them in the snow you’ve been doing better, it seems. Almost like you two are a... thing?”

The question lingered momentarily and you could almost hear Phil's eyebrow raise before Techno answered.

“Hmm, thank you, Phil. Close the trapdoor when you leave, I don’t want the warmth to leave.”

“Alright.”

Finally, the footsteps were gone. He pulls the blanket off of them and he takes his hand off of your mouth. You gasp for dramatic effect, laughing quietly to yourselves at the close call.

"Can I tell you something?" Techno whispers into your ear.

"Yes, you're literally deep inside of me, I'm guaranteed to be interested in what you have to say,"

"I love you"

"I love you, too..."

[tommybaholland]

when they’re needy for their s/o’s attention

featuring: kuroo, kenma, akaashi, kageyama, and nishinoya

kuroo

he walks into the room where he sees you diligently trying to read something in one of your textbooks

he smiles bc you’re so cute and hardworking 

and he almost (almost) feels bad that he’s about to ruin it 

he gets closer and observes that it’s more like you’re staring at the words on the page rather than reading them

“oh, there you are, lovely. do you have a minute?”

you look at him with a dropped expression, slumping over in your chair

“babe, you’ve been in here almost all day. i think it’s time for a break.”

you tell him about the huge chapter that you have to read, annotate, and generate several questions on by tomorrow 

“please, baby? i just want to show you something. you can come back in here after if you want but i wanna show you what i’ve been working on.” 

you halfheartedly agree and he takes you by the hand to lead you into your room 

the first thing you see when you walk in is all the pillows removed from your bed, including your stuffed animals and squishmallows 

they seemed to have migrated to the floor where there was a little awning of blankets which were held up by desk chairs 

“here it is! it’s a cozy, little blanket corner and it’s the perfect size for two.”

you smile and laugh a little at the craftsmanship

he had obviously put some time into this

you feel his fingertips trace over your shoulders as he wraps his arm around you

“so i thought we could watch a movie as a little break and i promise i’ll make sure you get your work done before tomorrow but you don’t have to if you feel like you want to get it done now--”

you respond by simply hugging him tightly around his waist as you thank him, telling him you love it 

he smiles earnestly as he pets down your hair and rubs your back

“of course, kitten.”

he feels smug but happy that his plan had worked 

because he loves getting to spend care-free time with you 

kenma  

less about words, more about (wholesome) actions

and therefore he’s not very subtle about wanting attention 

sits down next to you as you’re doing something for school and will pout like >:| when you don’t immediately greet him or acknowledge his presence

so he decides he has to resort to drastic measures 

he’s a literal cat

bumps his forehead into your shoulder multiple times until you look at him 

sometimes he’ll just simply rest it there and lean into you 

you feel his little forehead bumps or the weight of his head on your shoulder

and you’re like, ‘what is it, ken’

again, he doesn’t speak, he just takes your hand and places it on top of his head 

the silent signal that he wants you to play with his hair 

it’s, without a doubt, one of the cutest things he does 

he lays his head next to your thigh as you rub over the side of his head with one hand as you continue to try to work 

he’ll try to slowly inch his head to rest in your lap 

it’s beginning to hinder your work time, so you suggest that he go play a game or something 

*sigh* “i want to lay with you...also i already played today.”

buries his face into your tummy as he hugs you around your hips

“i’ll help you finish whatever you need later but please, can you just do that thing with my hair? i like that.”

it’s that serious 

and your only choice is to surrender 

so you decide to stop what you’re doing and lean back, placing both your hands in his hair, letting strands slide through your fingers

you put little braids in it like he likes

he sighs contently at the feeling, as it gives him little tingles from his scalp all the way down his spine 

akaashi 

he’s very discrete about wanting attention 

he’ll find you on the couch, working on something on your laptop 

he gets you out of the work trance momentarily to greet and kiss you sweetly on the lips 

he sits down close next to you and peers over your shoulder and asks you what you’re working on 

he’s interested but has no idea what you’re talking about 

“sounds...complex. do you need anything? or maybe want to take a little break?”

you know the ‘do you need anything’ is just his way of saying, “it’s my turn to have your attention.” 

you shake your head and tell him that you’re almost finished

“okay. can i sit here with you, baby?” 

you allow him under one condition

“no, i won’t distract you. i promise.”

that promise doesn’t go very far as he inches closer to you and tries to fit himself behind you, nudging his shoulder behind yours

you eventually ask if he wants to sit behind you

he smiles softly, “yes, please. i’d like that.”

you shift around and get comfy with him now sitting behind you

“just relax and lean into me, babe. there we go. do you mind if i...play with your hair?”

even though you can tell he wants your attention, consent is still at the top of his priorities

(which makes him the sweetest boy)

fools with your hair for a bit until he brushes it all to one shoulder

“is it okay if i..kiss your neck a bit?”

it’s getting harder to concentrate with the feeling of his feather light kisses on your skin, but luckily you only have a few sentences left to write

you feel him pressing closer to you and you ask him what he’s doing

“i’m just wrapping my arms around you and holding you, baby.”

he sits quietly for a bit, holding you tightly around the waist as you finish up your assignment and close your laptop

“oh, you’re finished? do you wanna... finish that show and cuddle now?”

you nod and he grins, “yeah? okay. now, can i have a kiss?”

kageyama

this man is not known to be a master communicator alright 

doesn’t really know how to express his feelings verbally :’(

so he generally tries to hide when he wants your attention 

but then hinata shows him the ‘i want the cuddles’ tiktok 

and at first he cringes and thinks it’s gross 

“i bet your poor s/o must wish they had a boyfriend who would do that!”

“shut UP you turd licker! you’re just jealous that i’m actually in a relationship, unlike YOU >:P”

but in the back of his mind, he wishes he could be the one to do that for you

fortunately you make it very easy for him  

you’ll be reading a book and he’ll come sit close to you and just kinda stare at you 

you feel it on you and you ask him if everything’s okay

“what? ye- yeah, i’m fine.”

you grin, knowing something’s up and ask if he wants to be held  

“no, actually-- i, uh, just, um, i wanted to hold you this time? if that’s okay?”

you’re like, ‘of course it’s okay!!’ but first you finish reading the page of your book that you’re on

once you’re done and the book is officially put down, you ask him where he wants you

he’s visibly nervous and doesn’t know how to say it so he just opens up his arms 

you wrap your arms around his waist and hug him close to you and he leans back so you’re resting on his chest 

his arms wrap around you and the one plays with the hem of your shirt, his fingertips occasionally brushing your skin

he lets out a content sigh at the pressure from you being on top of him 

you ask him if it’s okay for him

“yes, thank you.”

he loves that he has someone as patient as you 

nishinoya 

in terms of level of discreteness, he’s at the bottom out of these boys

honestly will attack you if you’re not doing anything

but you’ll usually hear him before you see him so you’re prepared for the impact

he literally yells and practically jumps at you when he sees you anywhere so you’re pretty used to this very ‘noya display of affection’ 

and it’s no different when you’re alone 

except he tries to be not as loud, especially when it looks like you’re doing something important

“hey, my sweet and gorgeous-- oh, look at you working hard. sorry, i’ll be quiet.”

he’s someone who’s the type to annoy you every five seconds, even in a quieter voice

and he asks about a million questions 

“what are you doing?”

“what does that mean?”

“why do you have to do it like that?”

“haha! sounds like that time me and tanaka had to study for our english final.”

“okay, sorry, i’ll let you do your work.”

but this boy can literally not sit still either and has to change his position on the couch every minute or so

you eventually decide to get up from your seat, wanting to move to the desk where you know you’ll probably get more work done

“hey, where are you going? come back here!”

and you’re like, ‘i love you but..’

“well, maybe if you held me in place, i wouldn’t move around so much!”

you knew exactly where this was going, looking unamused

“aww, c’mon sweetheart.”

and then he starts making that ‘psppspsps’ sound like you do with cats, as if it’s going to get you to willingly go back over to him

“yeah, you’re my cat now. hahahahaha”

you just ignore him and that’s when he gets whiny, very whiny and pouty and kinda dramatic

“c’monnnnnnnnn ughhhhhhhh. please, babyyyyyyyyy i need your cuddles or i’m gonna dieeeeeeee.”

at this point, you’d just give in but there are days were you can ignore him long enough to miraculously get your work done

“are you finished yet-- oh, you are? yay!”

will either sit in your lap or pull you into him to attack your face with kisses 

“let’s go get something to eat! are you hungry? i’m starving.”

hope we’re having fun on this haikyuu night! got any requests??

[drarrily-we-row-along]

Day 63: Hair

After the war, after his eighth year at Hogwarts, after training to be an Auror, after quitting that soul-sucking job, and after accepting the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts, Harry started to let his hair grow out. It wasn’t intentional at first, not really, he was just unbelievably busy teaching. But after a few months, his hair, which had always had a mind of its own, had grown long enough that the wavy-curls brushed his jaw.

He'd looked at himself in the mirror one morning and heard his Aunt Petunia's voice in his head, scolding him and telling him that only girls had long hair. He told that voice in his head to fuck right off and kept growing his hair out.

Not that it mattered what anyone else thought, but nearly everyone had said that his hair suited him. The exception, as it so often seemed to be, was Draco Malfoy. It wasn't as that the Potion's Professor had said outright that he didn't like Harry's hair, but his eyes were always slightly narrowed as though his hair was doing something offensive just by existing. Harry couldn’t understand it.

It all came to a head one afternoon, Harry was in the staff room grading papers and generally minding his own business, when Malfoy marched in and plopped down a pile of his own parchments on the table to mark, “Do you mind if I work here, too?” he asked.

"Not at all," Harry said, gesturing to the place Malfoy had already decided to occupy. He looked down and marked his place on the paper he was struggling through before looking up at Draco and pushing his hair out of his face.

Draco rolled his eyes and gave his head a little shake.

“What?” Harry asked.

“Nothing,” he replied, very clearly looking at Harry’s wild curls.

He sighed, “Out with it.” It had been a very long day, in Harry’s defense, and he just couldn't take another minute more.

“It’s nothing,” Draco insisted, even as his eyes flicked over to where Harry’s fingers were toying with the ends of a strand of hair.

“What have you got against my hair, Malfoy?”

(Read more below the cut)

“Oh, it’s back to Malfoy is it?” he asked, voice light and teasing. “I haven’t got anything against your hair,” he repeated.

“Come on," Harry urged, "You think because your hair is cut short and is always a perfect quiff that it’s better than mine?” Harry asked, and he knew it was childish but he couldn’t stand Draco thinking mean things about his hair for one more instant. “Do you think I look like a girl?”

“What?” Draco asked, sounding startled. “Of course I don’t think you look like a girl. What are you even saying? My father always had long hair, if you remember,” Harry flushed, knowing that was indeed the case. “And while my hair does, as you said, always look perfect,” he added with a smirk, “Your hair is very nice as well. Very healthy, the curls suit you.”

Harry felt his neck grow warm at the compliment, “Then why are you always glaring at it?”

“Because you’re always fussing with it. When you’re anxious or grading papers, it seems like it’s in your way and there are a million things you could do with it so it wouldn’t hassle you so.”

“Like what, cut it?”

“No, don’t be an idiot,” Draco said, rolling his eyes.

“Then what?” Harry muttered, petulantly pushing his hair out of his face once more.

“Like a plait, or a bun, a twist, a half bun even. There are also a myriad of products that could help you.”

Harry chewed on his lip, shoving his curls back behind his ear and thinking about what the other man was suggesting.

“For Merlin’s sake,” Draco muttered. "Here," he snapped, standing up and moving around the table near Harry.

"What are you doing?" Harry asked.

Draco's fingers slipped into his hair, "Trust me."

I do. Harry thought as Draco's fingers started weaving through his hair. It felt surprisingly nice, actually, and Harry found his eyes drifting shut.

"There," Draco said and Harry opened his eyes to see that he'd conjured a mirror and was holding it up for Harry to look into. He'd braided part of his hair back, clasping the hair that was always in his face and pulling it back into a barrette while the rest remained down around his shoulders.

"Thanks," Harry said.

"No problem," Draco replied carelessly as he sat back down to grade papers.

Harry went back to marking his own and they graded in silence for quite a while until Harry spoke up, "This is actually pretty nice."

"Hmm?" Draco hummed, scratching out something a student had written and writing a note in the margins.

"Having my hair back," Harry replied.

Draco looked up at him, giving him a little smile, "You have perfect hair for braids and buns, lots of volume."

"This would be good for teaching," Harry mused, "Especially on days like tomorrow when I have my older students practicing dueling."

"I could stop by in the morning before breakfast," Draco offered, "put it in a braid or something?"

"I wouldn't want to impose-"

"It's no imposition," Draco interrupted. "Honestly, I'll be glad not to watch you fiddling with it all day."

-----

And so began their tradition of Draco stopping by Harry's rooms before breakfast. Harry made coffee for both of them and they enjoyed the quiet together while Draco did something with Harry's hair.

How he would do Harry's hair each morning was always a mystery but every day when he showed him the finished result, something warm and pleased unfurled in Harry's chest.

After about a month of this Draco asked him one morning, "What's your hair care routine like?"

Harry shrugged, eye's closed as Draco's fingers worked through his curls, "shower, shampoo, conditioner," he replied. "Every other day usually."

"That's it?" he asked.

"What else is there?" Harry replied, too relaxed by the way Draco's fingers were moving through his hair to get worked up by his indignant tone.

"Potter, do you know what I did while you were training to be an Auror and all that nonsense?”

“Err? Your potions proficiencies?” Harry ventured.

“Well, yes, obviously,” he said as he tucked some hair up into what Harry suspected was becoming an elaborate bun at the base of his neck. “But I also developed potions for a beauty company. Especially potions for healthy hair.” Harry felt a hair pin sliding into place, “when Minerva offered me this position I almost didn’t take it. I had several offers from businesses who wanted to fund my research and allow me to build a brand for them.”

"Really?" Harry asked. "I didn't know that."

"Yes," he replied, "And you are literally killing me. We're going to start doing weekly conditioning masks for your curls. Spa night," he demanded. "Every Saturday."

"Alright," Harry agreed.

"I'll bring the hair care and skin care supplements."

Harry hummed, "Alright. What should I bring?"

"Dinner."

-----------

So they did. Spa nights on Saturdays and Draco every morning to do something different with his hair, and he loved every moment of it.

Harry had never been a morning person but for the first time in his life he found himself looking forward to being awake and out of bed each morning. He was happy and his hair seemed to be, too.

It seemed impossible, but Harry's hair had grown and grown and grown in the past five months since Draco had started all of this. His wavy curls reached halfway down his back by this point and Draco never seemed to tire of coming up with new ways to do his hair.

One warm Sunday afternoon in May, Harry invited Draco for a picnic and Draco had given him a pleased smile and said yes.

They found a quiet spot on a hill and ate lunch while they chatted and laughed as they watched students goofing around and generally just having fun.

"Merlin," Draco laughed as a group of second years rolled down the hill, sending up puffs of dandelions in the wind, "Were we ever that young."

"Honestly?" Harry asked, glancing over and tossing the curls that Draco had left loose over his shoulder, "I don't think so."

Draco frowned at him, "Even before you knew about Voldemort?" he asked.

Harry laughed and looked at the kids who were skipping rocks over the lake, "Especially then."

Draco moved to kneel behind him, taking down the part of Harry's hair that he'd put up earlier that morning, "Tell me about it?" he asked softly.

He hummed, "Not much to tell, really," he replied.

Draco's fingers started at the hair just above his right temple, "Tell me anyway?"

"Well this," he sighed as Draco started braiding, "Would never have been allowed. Long hair was for girls."

"Pfft," Draco huffed.

Harry smiled, "they," he swallowed, the words still somehow causing him bitter grief, "they didn't want me."

"What?"

"Just," he shrugged, "They had their own child and I was just a burden dumped on them. I wasn't allowed to be a child, I was there to do chores and not get in the way. Everything about me was wrong from my skin color, to my hair, to my eyesight, to my accidental magic."

"That's horrible."

"Yeah," he agreed, "But it was a long time ago. And I turned out alright."

"You did," Draco affirmed and Harry saw him pluck a flower from the grass beside them.

"Were you allowed to be a kid?" Harry asked.

"Sort of." Harry saw flowers zip past him and into Draco's outstretched hand. "There were things that were befitting of Malfoys and things that weren't. Anything that was appropriate for an heir of a noble pureblood house was fair game."

"Draco?"

"Mmhmm?" he hummed.

"It's been nice defying my childhood with you."

When Draco spoke he could hear the smile in his voice, "Likewise, Harry." He tied off the elaborate seven-strand braid he'd been working on and put it over Harry's shoulder to show him to flowers he'd woven in.

"Beautiful," Harry murmured, brushing his fingers over the array of flowers.

"Yes, you are," he replied.

Harry's gaze snapped up to find Draco watching him closely. "There's another way that I'd very much like to defy my upbringing with you," he ventured, clinging to every shred of Griffyndor bravery he'd ever possessed.

"Oh?" Draco asked with a little smile.

He nodded and reached out to cup Draco's cheek in his palm, "Can I kiss you?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Draco replied, leaning in and pressing his lips to Harry's as he buried his fingers in Harry's hair.

And if several groups of students caught sight of the two of them kissing on the hill, well, no one was surprised.

-----------

ahhhh! Sorry friends. This one got a bit out of control. I was just feeling a lot of feelings about Harry having long hair.

Side note, if anyone feels inspired draw Draco doing Harry's lovely flower braid (and I'm not saying it has to be @pato-roldnart but I'm obsessed with your art) I'd love that more than anything.

AHHHHH pato-roldnart did the thing! Look at this GORGEOUS art. I'm in love, please go look at it!

Anyway! I hope you guys enjoy it even though it's long! <3 Thanks for the prompt anon!

Day 62: Clothes | Day 64: Shower

[artzee-bee]

End of all things [1] | Chat Noir x witch!reader

Fandom: Miraculous Ladybug (Adrien Agreste/Chat Noir)

Summary: Y/N had been Chat Noir’s friend and moral support for a long time now. Even though she had magical powers too, she never liked getting involved with akuma attacks, but now, as Hawkmoth’s gotten control of the miraculous of creation, she couldn’t stay indiferent anymore. She had to save her friend and Paris!

Genre: Mostly angst? A little fluff

Warnings: canon typical violence, mentions of death/dying

A/N: This was requested, but as I was writting it, it got very long and I’ve decided to post it in 2 parts. I’m not gonna post the request just now, so as to not spoil the rest of the story but Part 2 will be coming out on friday!!!

Part 2

~~~

Chat was pacing around the room, waiting for you to be done with your potion. You had heard from your parents that there had been a new akuma attack today, but as the news reported, the two parisian heros took care of the problem in no time. For this reason, Chat’s presence at your house felt unusual. Normally he would stop by when he needed to rant, when he was in need of comfort and reassurance but the fight today went well, so what could possibly be bothering him?

“Ok, I’m done” you said, screwing the cap on the little bottle and placing it on your shelf “Wanna talk?” you asked, to which Chat gave you a shy smile

“Yeah, a little”

You made your way to your bed, motioning for him to follow you. You got under your covers and passed him his favorite plushie, a cat to no one’s surprise

“So what’s up? Is it about the fight today?”

“Well no it’s more like a...personal problem?”

“Oh…”

“Claws out” in a rush of light and electricity, the infamous hero vanished before you, transforming into Adrien Agrest

“Well, what is it?” 

Adrien revealed his identity to you months ago. You first met him as Chat, but when you really got to know each other, he decided you needed to know all of him. Well, he needed you to know all of him.

You listened to him rant until way past midnight. Until you were both too tired to stand up straight, so you laid down in your bed, covers up to your necks, muffled stories told in between yawns. You listened carefully, giving him your full attention. He fidgeted with the collar of the stuffed toy and you used your magic to make 2 hot chocolates. Eventually, everything that needed to be said, was said. You offered Adrien to watch a movie, since that always cheered him up, but he refused

“It’s late and I have a photoshoot early in the morning. My makeup team will be angry with my dark circles anyways, better not make it worse” he joked

Adrien transformed back into Chat and you cast a safety spell on him, which you did every time he left your house late at night. He always teased you about being ‘too protective’, but deep down he found it sweet how much you cared and wanted to know that he would get home in one piece.

“Night Chat” you said, wrapping your arms around the hero

“Good night Y/N!”

The next few days went by quietly. You hadn’t run into Adrien at all, but you texted a bit back and forth. Sunday evening however, things took a toll for the worst. You turned on your tv, ready to catch up with your show when you heard Nadja Chamack’s voice doing the news report

“It seems as though Rena Rouge and Chat Noir are struggling to stay on their feet! They have taken shelter under a fallen bus, leaving Ladybug alone to defeat Hawkmoth'' your pulse skyrocketed. As you watched the screen you could see Chat and Rena off to the side, struggling to catch their breath. Rena seemed to be in pain while Chat was trying to help. Ladybug was using her yoyo the best she could in order to protect herself from the supervillain, who was wielding his cane like a sword over her head. The fight was clearly going in Hawkmoth's favour! You grabbed your jacket and ran out the front door and onto the empty streets of Paris, towards the Eiffel Tower, where the fight was taking place. 

People screamed at you from their balconies to go home, warning you about the fight and the danger you were putting your life in but you didn’t care. All you could think about was how they needed you. Chat needed you! Every late night talk and every inside joke shared between you two replaid in your head like a broken record. Behind Chat’s tough mask, his alter ego of hero and protector, was the fragile figure of Adrien Agreste. The young blonde boy who cried during romantic comedies, who liked to have his hair braided and forgot how to speak when someone complimented him. If you didn’t help, the heros would loose and he would most likely die! Alongside Ladybug and Rena who, even though you didn’t know their real identities, were still young girls. As you ran down the street, you heard kids crying inside one of the homes. You ran past but at the last second you heard Nadia’s voice coming from their tv

“Ladybug was akumatized”

You approached the Eiffel tower from the side, where you could see everything going on. In front of the tower, right next to Hawkmoth, stood Marinette Dupain-Cheng, dressed in a tight, dark red suit, darker than Ladybug’s. Black butterflies replaced the dots of the heroine's suit and the purple butterfly mask of Hawkmoth’s control was shining over her face. Marinette was Ladybug! She did, in fact, get akumatized. On the other side, you saw Rena and Chat, struggling to stay up right. They were obviously in a lot of pain and extremely tired, but Hawkmoth was merely mocking them.

“After all this time” Chat spoke up, but his breaths were shallow and rapid “I thought you’d know one thing about us! We don’t give up without a fight. Never will. Especially not against you” and with that, the two ran at each other.

“It doesn’t have to end like this, you know?” he said “We don’t have to fight to death. I wouldn’t want to have that on my conscience. All you have to do is give me your miraculouses willingly. The town will be safe, you will be safe! It’s the most heroic option you’ve got. You won’t be any good to Paris if you are dead”

You knew this was not just another fight between them. This was it. Either the heros won or everything they’ve worked for would be lost. Hawkmoth would win and get his hands on both miraculous and god knows what kind of destruction that would bring not only upon Paris, but the world. You focused all your energy in one spot in the air, right between where Chat and Hawkmoth were supposed to clash but before they could reach each other, you sent a wave of energy that blew both of them apart, like a bomb. Hawkmoth flew back into the Eiffel tower while Chat hit the pavement with a thud. Confused and certainly disturbed, both of them began looking around for an answer as to what happened when, finally, Hawkmoth’s eyes landed on yours.

“Aha, miss Y/L/N. What a spectacular honor to finally meet you!” you didn’t reply, instead you stood tall, maintaining eye contact

“I know a lot about you. Seen a lot. Felt a lot of your emotions. None of them can compare to the powers I’ll have with the two miraculouses. With Ladybug’s earrings and the guardian under my control, I’d say my mission here is almost over’’

“Y/N get back!’’ Chat screamed but you were too involved now to run. This was your fight too.

“It is time you give up Hawkmoth. Paris is not yours, neither are the miraculouses. We will destroy you, no matter what it takes!”

“Listen to yourself, kid! <<Destroy me>>? The most you can do is pull a rabbit out of your hat…” before he could finish his sentence, you snapped your fingers in his direction and instantly, the ground around beneath Hawkmoth and akumatized Marinette, fractured. From within the cracks, many tangled plants came out, encapsulating the 2 villains. You sprinted towards Chat and Rena, ignoring the signs of struggle coming from the prison of weeds.

 Alongside the two superheros, you hid inside a corner coffee shop, which was now empty.

“Y/N, you need to leave!! You are putting yourself in too much danger!” Rena told you, as she collapsed to the ground from exhaustion

“Stop with that already! I am here and I’m not going anywhere!”

“Yes you are!” Chat looked at you. His voice was calm and yet, his eyes were filled with disappointment “You are not a superhero. This is our job!”

“You need help”

“No we don’t!” Chat had never, in all your years of friendship, raised his voice at you, let alone yell “ You need to stay safe! You could die! Hawkmoth doesn’t care about anything if it helps him get what he wants! I am ready to take that risk. Rena is too” you both turned to the red headed hero, only to see her slowly nod “But I can’t allow you to take it”

“You can’t tell me what to do”

“I don’t want you to die!” he screamed again “I love you and I will never forgive myself if you don’t come out of this alive!”

Before you could say anything, you saw Hawkmoth and his minion, through the cafe window, cutting through the last of the plants and escaping your trap. You grabbed Chat’s arm and pulled him to the floor, from where you could not be seen

“We’re in this together now” you said in a stern voice, looking the blonde kid right in his eyes “Whether you like it or not '' this time, he simply nodded.

You stuffed your hands into the pocket of your jacket and pulled out 3 little bottles, containing a mate, green liquid. You had prepared one for each of the heros, now you’d only need two.

“Here, drink this!” You handed each of them one “Regeneration potion. Should put you back on your feet.” as soon as they finished drinking the brew, you could see color coming back to their faces

“Where’s Marinette’s akuma??” 

“Her necklace” replied Rena “It’s a gift from her kwami”

“Got it. You deal with Hawkmoth. I’ll bring Marinette back!”

Chat and Rena exited through the front door, grabbing Hawkmoth’s attention. He called out to Marinette to attack, but before she could take a single step in your direction, you had snuck up behind her. Using a simple invisibility spell, you managed to exit unnoticed behind the two heros. It finally felt like the fight had truly begun. From the corner of your eye you could see Chat and Rena doging Hawkmoth’s attacks while you, were doing your best to get your hands on the stupid necklace! Even though she couldn’t see you, Marinette seemed to almost always know what your next move was. She would expertly block all your attack and would keep you an arm’s length away at all times. Finally, you had enough and in one swift motion, you pinned her back to your chest, ripping the necklace away. A wave of black and purple took over the both of you and when it vanished, all you were left with was a half unconscious Marinette in your arms. You dropped her to the ground slowly as she was coming back to her senses. You wanted to talk to her but your thoughts were driven away as you heard Chat scream bloody murder.

On the opposite side of the platza, you saw Hawkmoth rip Chat’s ring off his finger, forcing him to detransform. The exhausted figure of Adrien Agreste fell to the ground with a thud. Hawkmoth had, indeed, gotten his hand on both the miraculouses.