#it makes gesture visibility easier!

[shipverse]

Deadpool doesn’t like ‘paparazzis’

(...or are there exceptions?)

Poor Peter just trying to make ends meet, especially with Jameson demanding photos of the newest public "menace" in action. Deadpool isn’t entirely an unfamiliar face though, he just doesn’t know him as "Peter"… which might make this risky …or so it seems for a moment. (peter’s one sole main worry though: will he be able to make rent this month-)

デッドプラールはパパラッチが嫌い… なのか？

特にジェイムソンは、最新の "公害 "の活動中の写真を要求している。デッドプールは全く知らない顔ではないが、デップはウェブズを「ピーター」と知らないだけで、これは危険かもしれない...いや、一瞬そうにも見えるが。(ピーターの唯一の心配事は、今月の家賃を払えるかどうかだが......）

twitter

[lunarw0rks]

*groveling on the floor* nice simon

pleeaase anything w big sweet man simon 😭🩵

ugh… you know what's been on my mind lately?? neighbor!au with all my favorite men - but especially simon! here are some of my thots;

he's so... awkward and off-putting. in the sweetest way. like a stray dog that's only allowed to bite you. neighbor!simon, who's the perfect coresident. rarely home, and if he is, you don't even notice! except for those awkward elevator rides...

obviously, simon being the most vehement introvert, does his best to avoid him. but it's a shady apartment building. things happen; maintenance or rowdy visitors blocking the stairway. so sometimes it's easier to suffer thirty seconds of agonizing silence.

there was you. across the hall from the strange, intimidating man. it's difficult not to be frightened, especially when his way of communicating is through grim eye contact, or god forbid a deep sigh when you accidentally bump into him.

neighbor!simon is never upset with you, though. grumpy is merely his default :( for many reasons. but he always feels awful when you give him that anxious look or go out of your way to make space for him in the narrow hall.

it's not every day he meets someone like you, quiet and respectful of his boundaries. let alone live next to. so... he began to make peace his own way. taking advantage of him always being up at dawn; salting the pavement by your patio to ensure your safe commute to work. cleaning up the stack of mail that the courier tossed at your box, tucking it in neatly.

aaaand eventually moves on to more outgoing gestures. knocking on your door, two little taps with his knuckle. asking if you heard "that noise" outside, purely to make sure you were alright. partially his overthinking getting the better of him, also a cheeky move on his part to see your face.

finds a way to learn more about you, even when you're at your most bashful. typically, when he's caught you in your nightclothes, all pampered and ready for bed. next to him, you feel ridiculous, as if he's not wearing the most basic athleisure.

sometimes neighbor!simon will lean against the entrance of the building, watching cars and listening to the city noise. but he isn't out there for fun. in his mind he's waiting on someone; you. when he hears the creak of the rickety door opening, his posture becomes even straighter than usual.

"bloody cold out here, isn't it?" his gruff voice murmurs, breath visible with every word. months ago, the presence would've startled you. but you'd grown used to his very predictable, unpredictable routine of running into you.

you sigh out your words, rubbing your icy fingers together. no gloves, he notices, but doesn't acknowledge. "why aren't you inside, simon? place is pretty cozy if you look past the water damage."

simon scoffs, "i like the cold," he places his hands into his pockets and reaches for the door handle. "y' workin' today, love?" he inquires, despite noticing your work bag slung over your shoulder.

you mutter an unenthusiastic 'yes', exhaustion evident in your features. it's too damn early for you to be out and about, struggling to make ends meet.

he hums to himself as he walks away, waiting until your figure disappears before crossing the street. he's on his way to the nearest shop.

that evening, when you return to your flat with dragging feet, there's no sign of neighbor!simon. out front, out back, or in the hall. only sign of life is the flickering lamp peaking under the gap of his front door. frankly, you're too exhausted to think about it much.

you raise your key to the lock, stepping forward when it gives way. something blocks your foot, nearly sending you tumbling forward. you peer down at the quaint gift box, nearly embarrassed at the tumble it gave you. proves that your post-work tunnel vision is no joke.

curiously, you examine it. no fancy wrapping paper, plain cardboard. and in place of the ribbon is some decorative twine, halfway decently tied into the shape of a bow. with a gentle tug, you release it and take off the lid. the aroma of cardboard is stronger now, as well as a spritz of a very familiar cologne.

gloves; knitted and coordinated to match your winter jacket. you smile to yourself, taking one last look at simon's door behind you, just as he shuts off the lamp for the night, the spotty yellow glow ceasing.

waiting on you to get home safe, no matter how late. of course, there's a price tag on them. he's not that showy, or crafty. anything he'd try to knit would end up a crumpled slab of yarn.

stepping inside your flat, you set your things down on the counter and run your finger over the soft, thick material. you can already picture the relief these will be on your walk, no longer clocking in with stiff, frozen fingers. new winterwear was on your list for months, but you're notoriously bad at gifting yourself nice — basic — things. and apparently, it shows.

the hollow box rattles when you set it down, as do your keys. finally, you slip them on, thinking of all the days you passed your neighbor simon. never knowing how observant he could be, in the sweetest way.

and they're a perfect fit, of course.

[frostbitebakery]

A Disturbed State Of The Natural Environment, Gods-Fucking-Dammit

A Pada-Wan Story

for @lttrsfrmlnrrgby

“Obi— Commander Kenobi-“

“You can call me Obi-Wan, Cody,” the kid huffs. “Neither you nor I will suddenly combust into a ball of fire if you do.”

You don’t know that, Cody thinks, not liking how his voice sounds in his mind.

Four days since the incident - or, “The Incident,” how Boil and Waxer like to say in unison with the bucket lights under their chins -, two since the 104th of all Battalions received their signal and towed the 212th fleet to the nearest station within the Republic that would allow them to overhaul the ships’ electronics.

It has been exactly two point five hours since Wolffe stopped wheezing at Cody over comms. Nearly as much time as the kid had vanished from under Cody’s paranoid nose.

“Councilor Kenobi is safe and sound,” General Koon had assured him while Wolffe stood at perfect parade rest a step behind, shriek-laughing his armor off.

The kid sighs. “You have come here for a reason?” he asks, stubborn and prim. “Or is Wooley babysitting me not enough?” He points a thumb over his shoulder to Wooley popping up several yards away, waving.

“If you haven’t noticed Hook, Line, and Sinker also keeping an eye on you, my trepidations are justified.”

The kid rolls his eyes, gesturing to three empty looking spots in the distance. “I am well aware Master Koon is in league with you.”

Cody will not explain safety precautions again. He’s saving that for when the kid really sets out to stomp on any and all walls Cody had to hastily and thoroughly built when his General, his partner, suddenly turned into a child at the worst possible development stage for Cody’s sanity.

The kid studies him while Cody is trying to come up with a legitimate reason for looking for him. Direct admittance to personal concern would backfire on Cody in multiple, entertaining ways, and he frankly doesn’t want to deal with that. From the kid being smug that Cody cares about him very much so keeping his distance must mean something more. To accusations of not trusting Obi-Wan (which, correct, Cody doesn’t know him after all), seeing him as a kid (also true) when he’s sixteen and basically a stone’s throw away from becoming a geezer.

Sixteen. Cody shudders. He remembers very well that half year when he was that developmental age. He shudders again. Gods, the mood swings alone.

“I am reasonably paranoid about your welfare,” he says at last. Wooden which makes him cringe but he’s never lied to Obi-Wan and he’s not starting now.

The kid stares at him for a while. One corner of his mouth quirks up with a shrug and a shuttered look in his eyes Cody desperately wants to make better. “It’s different when they really are out to get you, isn’t it.” The Council had explained how precarious his older self’s safety was at the best of times. Cody had only seen the aftermath and the accompanying ranting about life choices with the occasional visibly happy understanding that Obi-Wan could, actually, grow a non-patchy beard when he’s got a few more years on him.

“May I sit with you?” Cody asks. Shoveling his own metaphorical grave is so much easier with mixed signals after all. But he misses the older Obi-Wan. It’s not fair of him but he needs this.

The expected blush blooms on freckled cheeks. “Yes, of course!” is the eager reply, followed by more blushing.

It’s endearingly cute and Cody would like to chew on his bucket now.

The kid scoots over, wide eyed and expectant.

Gingerly, Cody lowers himself, ignoring the armor digging into his ass and thighs. And lets the silence stretch.

This, really, is what he came here for. A self-indulgent little break to catch his breath. The High General of a Systems Army is compromised and that fact has to remain eyes only to an exclusive handful of people. Only the Jedi Council knows out of obvious necessity. So it’s up to Cody to keep everything else running, keeping the admiralty in the dark because even teenaged Obi-Wan had said he’s got a bad feeling if they were to tell the brass. So they haven’t.

Usually, when flimsiwork and war horrors keep stacking up and expand into an avalanche, Obi-Wan and Cody sit together in silence, sharing a precious cup of real tea, being together and lending support and strength they can’t find for themselves but can always, always find for each other.

Selfishly he wants that strength from Obi-Wan now, the warmth of his body nearby. He’s already breathing easier.

The kid is looking at him curiously, but Cody chooses not to say anything. Instead he turns forward once more, watching the busy night markets of the station and the stars behind it. After a moment the kid does the same.

Shoulders slowly relax and the silence becomes comfortable.

[itsspiiit]

Unexpected…

Parings: Hobie Brown x Reader

Summary:You’ve been staying up at ungodly hours due to the bountiful amount of work you had from school. Your good friend Hobie comes over one night to help you stop your stressing and sleep. But the night had different plans for you both.

Inspo: Wet by GRLWood

Warning(s): NSFW (mdni), mutual masturbation, oral (m receiving), dirty talk, mentions of sex work, NOT proofread (cause I didn’t feel like it). If you see any errors… no you didn’t.

Thursday, 3AM

You sat at the desk in your room typing away on your laptop with a bowl of various fruits next to it. The flexi rod curls you put every ounce of arm strength you had into almost didn’t exist anymore. Your reading glasses slid from the bridge of your nose to the tip of it, making it easier to see the chanel bags slowly forming under your eyes. Unknowingly, your back hunched over the longer you sat down and tried to complete the third essay assigned to you this week.

You were exhausted. But you had a fuck ton of english work to do and insomnia kept you awake. Your regret for majoring in psychology grew with every indentation and word you typed on the keyboard.

Just as you were about to start typing the third to last paragraph, a soft rhythmic knock on the window startled you. Your body jolted at the unexpected sound causing your glasses to slide further down your nose. Using your middle finger to push them back to their proper position, you turned your head in the direction of the window and almost all of your stress left your body when you saw him.

Hobie, your best friend with the cool hair, stood outside with his contagious smile painted across his face as he waved at you with his long, slender, ring decorated fingers. His torso was covered halfway with a black crop top you ripped and designed for him and a spiked leather vest you spray painted the anarchy symbol on the back of. He wore black ripped jeans that were secured on his hips by a spiked belt and chains dangling from the belt loops.

Fuck, he looks so good.

Pushing your thoughts to the side, you pushed your chair back and stood up to open your window for for the 6’5 man. “Hey, Hobie.” You greeted him with a soft smile, watching him climb into your room and start to take his boots off before closing the window. He walked towards your bed and threw himself on it, placing his hands behind his head and crossed one leg over the other.

“Wagwaan.” He greeted back with a lopsided smile. His smooth, deep voice and british accent always sounded so sultry to you. Every time you guys talked it felt like a challenge to see how long you can keep your self respect before you up and pounced on him.

“Well,” you began to respond as you sat back in your desk chair and tossed a grape into your mouth, “it’s three in the morning and I’m trying to finish… what? Like… the third, fourth essay I was assigned? Been working on it since probably ten or eleven.”

His beautiful pierced face immediately fell into a shocked expression with his eyebrows furrowed in confusion and frustration. “You haven’t taken a break, have you?” All you could is shake your head and let out a long stressful sigh as you looked at your computer screen with visibly tired eyes.

“Not only is it because I can’t sleep, but I wanna get everything done ASAP. My work is do on Sunday an-”

“It’s due Sunday?!” He cut you off, his tone bursting with disbelief. You felt a laugh bubbling up in your chest hearing his thick accent but held it in, reaching into the bowl and eating a pineapple chunk. “You know that’s in three days, right?” He continued as he pressed his elbows into your soft mattress and sat up giving you a look that read “are you serious?”

“Of course I know that, but-”

“But nothin’, mate. Close the computer.” He cut you off again, gesturing his head towards it.

“Hobie-”

“Close it.”

Not having the energy to go back and forth with him, your eyes rolled in annoyance and you shut your laptop. You turned your head in his direction and saw that a closed mouth smile was painted across his face. “Oh, you’re happy now?” You asked with a deadpanned expression.

A low chuckle escaped his throat watching you mug him as he nodded his head. The sound had you doing backflips mentally as your face began to heat up slightly. “Knowin’ that you aren’t nose deep into a screen goin’ mad about somethin’ that’s due in seventy two hours? Yeah, I’m quite happy.”

He swung his legs off your bed and sat up, reaching over to grab a mango chunk and tossed it into his mouth. As he chewed he saw your face drop into a “are you deadass?” look. He stopped chewing for a moment, awkwardly looked to the side and back to your face.

“Yeah, Hobs! You can take one!” You voiced with sarcasm as you threw your arms up and back down to your sides. He gave you an apologetic smile as he started to slowly chew the sweet and refreshing fruit again. “What made you come here at this time of night though? Can’t think of anywhere to steal from?” You asked playfully with a teasing smirk.

A light laugh came from him as he finished chewing before he responded. “I actually didn’t feel like stealin’ until you mentioned it.” You chuckled and shook your head at his antics. “But, nah. I couldn’t sleep and I knew you’d be up so I thought why not come over and bother you.”

“Ahhh… so what you do almost every day!” Both of you erupted into laughter at your comment. He knew that you were joking, and you knew you enjoyed his presence a little too much.

“Oh, come out of it. You know you love when I’m around.” He spoke as you guys’ laughter died down. Placing his hands on your bed, he leaned back bit and gave you a cocky smile.

Oh, he know he fine.

“Eh, sometimes.” You shrug playfully, reaching into the fruit bowl and munching on another grape. He reaches for the bowl again and takes a kiwi slice, but you don’t mind this time.

Once he done chewing he begins to speak. “Are you saying that because I always beat you in Uno?” You gave him a bored expression as you watched the smile on face grow.

“Hobie, please. You beat me that one time-”

“And I beat you three times in a row.”

You scoffed at his cocky behavior and crossed your arms. “I bet it won’t happen again.” You eyed him up and down with a mischievous glint in your eyes.

He gave you the same look as one of his eyebrows lifted in feigned curiosity. “Is that a challenge?”

It was now four in the morning. You sat on your bed with your back against the headboard and the gorgeous punk sat in front of you with crisscrossed legs, his leather vest now off his shoulders and hung on the back of your desk chair. You guys were two intense Uno games in, Hobie being the winner of both of them.

“Uno.” He announced with a lopsided grin as he placed a yellow three card and red three card down at the same time. You were starting to lose hope. You held the two cards you had thinking hard about the multiple possibilities of how this game could end. Until…

“UNO OUT!” You exclaimed slightly with a proud grin as you slammed a red skip card and red eight card down. You finally won a game after what felt like hours of playing.

He also gave you a proud smile as he began to pick up all of the cards that were piled on your mattress. “You finally beat my streak. ‘M proud of you.”

The voice. The Smile. His Confidence. Now the praise. It was all slowly becoming too much. His comment made your heart beat a bit faster, waves of heat traveling from your head and down to your lower region. It caused your sensitive bud to throb gently, and you crossed one leg over the other to somehow bring it to a halt.

He’s gonna be the death of me, I swear.

“Wanna play another game?” He asked when he was done picking up all of the playing cards. You sighed softly as you crossed your arms and shook your head.

“Nah, I just wanted to beat you in at least one game of Uno. Got tired of you talking shit.” He chucked at your confession and wrapped the rubber band you used to keep the cards together back around them. “But we can play connect four if you’re down. I’ll definitely win the first game.”

“Oh, I’ve got to see this.” He spoke with a sarcastic laugh. “I’ll go get the game.”

He got off your bed and walked towards the closet, opening it and instantly scanning the top shelf for the box. You pulled your phone from underneath your pillows and scrolled through instagram as you waited for him to come back with the second challenge for the night. Your cluttered top shelf slipped your mind as you thought you wouldn’t even have company today.

When he found the game, he tried to pull it out of its position without knocking anything down. But it all happened so quickly. As he began to pull the Connect 4 box out, so did Candy Land which was right beneath it. He reached his unoccupied hand out to make sure that game didn’t fall in the process, but he didn’t know that these two board games were keeping a pink Shoe Dazzle box from falling as well.

He successfully got Connect 4 from your top shelf without another game falling, but he didn’t see the pink box making its way out of the closet as well. When it fell, it landed on the side which caused the top to fall off as it hit the floor. He looked down and watched what was inside of the box roll out in awe.

Various sex toys with different shapes, sizes and functions were now scattered across the floor in front of her closet. A pink massage wand, black seven inch dildo and a black silicone butt plug with a blue gemstone on the bottom of it were the main toys that caught his attention since they were so close to his feet. He wanted to speak. He tried to speak. But he was too stunned to try and even utter a word.

There’s no way she has all of this. Am I dreaming?

The sound of the box hitting the floor made you look up from your phone with a confused expression, but it was immediately taken over with disbelief and shock. Your eyes were so wide you’re surprised they didn’t fall out of your head. Your jaw hung so low it would probably hit the floor if you were standing. The gasp you let out was so sharp and loud it made Hobie turn his head in your direction. You can see the disbelief in his face as well and that alone made tears start to form into your eyes.

All you could do is grab a pillow and sit it on your lap, plop your head on it to hide your face and scream. Your face was so warm in embarrassment that it felt like it could melt off any second now. You can feel your friends stare on you, searching for answers in a way, but you couldn’t even look at the man.

There was a long, unbearable silence between the both of you. So much tension in the room that it could be cut with a knife. You sat with your face buried into your pillow, take deep breaths to calm yourself down before you finally built the courage to get off your bed and walk towards the “mess” that was created. Without looking at the handsome man next to you, you squatted down and placed the box down with the opening facing the ceiling and began putting everything back where it was before.

“Uhh… you need help with tha-” Hobie spoke awkwardly in attempt to break the loud silence. He put his hands up in surrender and backed up a bit when he saw you side eye him with a displeased expression.

(I had to use the picture this was the PERFECT opportunity to do so 😭)

You continued to pick up your toys, still without uttering a word or even looking at him. From your peripheral vision you saw his feet step away from his position next to you and heard his footsteps stop where your bed was located. You assumed he sat and your bed again, maybe to give you some space. You picked up the cardboard top and slammed it onto the box when you were done picking everything up, instantly getting up and putting it back on the top shelf in your closet.

You kept your head down as you closed the closet and walked to your previous spot before all of this: your desk chair. Still not being able to look at the company on your bed, your hand reached for your closed laptop until…

“Don’t even think about it, bruv.” Hobie stopped you with a playful scowl in his tone crossing his arms. All you could do is let out a dramatic sigh, cross your arms on the desk and place your head on them, hiding your face once again.

Hobie eyed your movements the entire time. He understood why you were embarrassed, wanting to curl yourself into ball and just hide. But he didn’t understand why you were acting this way towards him. Of course he was shocked that you out of all people had all of this… material. You’re the introverted, shy, kind of nerdy and laid back friend. Always at home with your head stuffed into a comic or manga, loved sleep more than anything, would rather write than talk. Just the opposite of him and he didn’t mind that.

But he didn’t understand why you thought he cared about your secret box so much. This wasn’t gonna make him think about you any different. If anything, he was more curious and a bit turned on after finding out such covert information.

He decided to try and break the silence again. “This isn’t as bad as you’re makin’ it seem, love.” You can hear the sincerity in his tone, his sultry voice and the pet name he used still had your sensitive bud aching for attention.

He couldn’t see it, but your eyebrows furrowed in confusion at his statement. “What do you mean?” You questioned without lifting your head.

“It was a little unexpected, but it’s not botherin’ me in any way. Your personality isn’t in that box.” His honesty never faltered as he let out a light chuckle, gesturing his hand in the direction of your closet.

You scoffed at his statement in disbelief, finally sitting up and crossing your arms as you gazed at the wall in front of you. He was starting to get annoyed at the lack of eye contact and he sucked his teeth, glaring at the side of your face. “Look at me, mate.”

You heard the seriousness in his voice, and you closed your eyes taking a a deep breath before opening them and turning your head in his direction. Finally locking your eyes with his, you searched for any vacillation that could be hidden. But there was only sincerity. He meant every word he said.

“I’m sorry, Hobie. It’s just…” You trailed off looking to the side for a moment before looking back him. “You saw everything in that box. My childhood best friend doesn’t even know what’s in there. How am I supposed to believe that you don’t care about what you just saw?”

“Because I don’t.” He shrugged with a sarcastic laugh. “If I’m bein’ completely honest, the only thing I’m wonderin’ is how and why you have so many. I’ve never met someone with a box full of sex toys. Shit, I don’t even have that many.”

Your face fell into a curious expression as you listened to his words. “You have sex toys-”

“It’s not about me right now.” He spoke quickly shaking his head.

You chuckled at his quickness to dismiss your question. “Well, to stop your wondering…” You trailed off again with a sigh, scratching the back of your head nervously.

Am I really gonna tell him this?

You saw his eyebrows raise, eager to hear what you had to say.

Might as well just tell him. It doesn’t make sense to hide this now.

You blew a raspberry, preparing yourself to inform your friend of your biggest secret. “Long story short… I’m a sex worker. About a year and some change now. The financial aid package I receive from my college falls short on covering the cost of the tuition and other expenses. I don’t wanna put myself through five hours of class and then seven to eight hours of labor to make ends meet. So, I started looking into sex work. Seeing how much I could possibly make, the different types of content that people would pay for, the fact that I’d be working any time and anywhere I wanted was a plus as well. Now, here I am: I make about eight hundred dollars weekly, two to three thousand monthly. It’s enough to make sure I can pay for college and still do what I want.”

When you finished your confession, Hobie was left speechless with a slack jaw. He blinked a couple times to try and process the information he was given. His friend who couldn’t even socialize for more than two hours… Is a cam girl?

…Why is this kind of hot?

He picked up his jaw and cleared his throat, shaking the thoughts out of his head with a deep sigh. His behavior made all of the negative feelings you had before resurface. You looked down at the floor with shame as you shook your head.

“I knew I should’ve just kept my mouth shut-”

“No, no, no, no, no!” He quickly stopped you from finishing your sentence waving his hands. “I meant everythin’ I said before. None of this is gonna change my perspective of you. It’s just…”

He trailed off, the naughty thoughts he had slowly clouded his mind again. He felt his blood slowly rush to the head of his member thinking about the fact that he was sitting on the bed that you made some of your content on. You could’ve made yourself cum on the sheets you currently have on your mattress today, and thought of him sitting in the spot where you probably left a big, creamy mess was driving him mad.

“Hobie?” You spoke with a bit of worry as you noticed him zone out. You watched as he swallowed thickly and blinked twice, the leg that hung off your bed beginning to sway from side to side. You bit your lip to hide the smile that was threatening to paint your face at the scene.

Ahh, I see what’s up.

He felt his length throb softly, the feeling made him groan but he attempted to hide it with a deep, throaty chuckle. The sound not only made your entrance clench with need, but it gave you a bit of confidence to say your next words.

“Do you wanna see how I make my content?” The slight seduction in your voice caught him off guard, his head shot up to look at you with a shocked expression. You could see the desire in his eyes start to expand at your question.

“Wai- what?” He stammered breathlessly. He didn’t know where your sudden boldness came from, but he didn’t mind as it made it him throb again, his manhood slowly becoming erect.

“I know you heard me, Hobie.” You answered teasingly with a voluptuous grin and. “It’s a simple yes or no question.”

There goes that silence again. Sexual tension building as you eyed each other down. Once you both saw that y’all were on the same page, you smiled at each other with a knowing glint in your eyes. Y’all began to stand and walk towards each other with only one thought in mind:

“Finally.”

You were now laying on your bed with your torso completely exposed, showing off the nipple piercings that Hobie didn’t know you had. He swore it was as if he was finding treasure with every second he spent with you. Your legs were spread wide open to expose the red lace thong you’ve been sporting, revealing a small wet stain that your aching core left on it.

Hobie sat in your desk chair that he moved to the front of your bed, his torso also completely on display. The sight of his lanky yet toned and muscular physique only made you wetter. His boxer briefs were still attached to his lower half, his erection very prominent and aching to see what was next. Your tripod stood next him with your phone placed on it horizontally as it recorded.

“I’m so wet for you already. Dripping through my thong for you.” You spoke seductively, moving your body closer to the tripod and gorgeous man in front of you. Even though you looked into camera the whole time, he knew every word was meant for him.

“I only get this wet for you, baby. I’ve been waiting so fucking long to show you how I make myself cum when I think about you.” As if read each other’s minds, both of you placed a hand on your chest and slowly dragged it down to your most sensitive parts. Your hand slid inside your thong as his began to gently palm his shaft over his boxers, biting his lip to hold the groan that was ready to escape his throat.

The hand you slipped into your underwear made it’s way to your throbbing clit, your natural juices already coated all over your flower. You slowly and gently began to rub your sensitive button in circles, a low moan escaping your lips at the smooth feeling. The sound of your arousal squelching echoed off the walls in your room, drawing a low grunt from the half naked man at the foot of your bed as he continued to palm himself.

“I’ll show you how pretty she is, only if I get to see how hard the sound of my needy pussy made you first. Can you do that for me?” You continued to play with yourself, applying the tiniest amount of pressure. He immediately lifted his hips and slid his boxers off of his hips with ease.

His length was finally revealed to you, springing out effortlessly with him sighing blissfully at the feeling. Watching it slap his stomach gently, the tip going past his belly button, had you moaning at the sight. Your leaking entrance clenched with need as you thought of his member thrusting into you slow and hard, the prominent veins rubbing against your smooth, wet walls deliciously.

“Mmmm~ that dick is so pretty.” You admitted as you lifted your hips to remove your thong. You slid it off your legs and threw it in a random direction away from you. Your other set of lips spread slowly as you opened your legs again, showcasing your beautiful sensitive flower glistening with your wetness. “It’s so hard for me already, babe. I know you wish you stretching this tight, wet, warm pussy with every inch.” Your hand reached for your slit, spreading your labia to display your opening.

It was already starting to become too much for Hobie. The way you uttered such naughty words with ease, how you played with your beautiful pussy so delicately, the way you looked into the camera with such lust and longing desire. He bit his lip at the alluring sight before him, eyes rolling back as they closed for a moment when his shaft throb for attention.

You moved your hand so that you were touching your delicate bud again, letting out a pornographic moan as you started to rub it in circles again. “I wanna watch you make yourself feel good too, baby. Spit on your hand, get that aching cock nice and wet for me, and stroke it nice and slow. I don’t want you getting close too fast, okay?”

He instantly did what your smooth, gentle voice commanded him to do. The sensation of his moisturized hand slowly sliding down to the base of his length made a deep groan fall from his lips. He slid his hand up to his tip with the same pace, hissing at the feeling of himself softly pulsate in his grip. He found a rhythm rather quickly, a rhythm that already had his head lulling back in bliss as he imagined it was your pretty, dripping hole gripping him gently as you rode his erect member.

“Mmn~ fuck.” You whimpered as you felt your opening leak more of your sweet extract at the lustful view of his now glistening girth pulsate in his slender hands. The friction of his hand spreading his spit around him could be heard as he watched you play with yourself. “You’re throbbing so hard for me already. You like watching me play with my needy pussy for you, baby?” Your hand moved downward to tease your leaking hole, and you let out a short, low purr followed by a sharp gasp when you felt the tip of your middle finger almost enter.

The pretty boy in front of you analyzed your face and body with hooded eyes clouded with hunger and eagerness to cum with you, wishing it was the tip of his dick teasing your entrance. A deep, animalistic growl escaped his throat as he began to thrust his hips into hand at a steady pace. “Shit.” He moaned when he started to flick his wrist as he continued to caress his length, stroking at faster pace.

“Ooh~ my finger slides in so easily.” You moaned breathlessly when you felt your smooth, greedy walls suck your digit into yourself. You slowly thrusted your coated finger in and out twice before pulling it out, watching a string of your arousal stretch from your core attached to your digit. The strand of your extract broke when brought your hand to your face, sucking the juices off but making sure your finger was still moist enough so you can slip it into your hungry opening again.

Hobie grunted eagerly as he watched you. His release was building up slowly, but he held it in. “So fucking good.” He groaned lowly feeling his pleasure intensify, the pace he stroked his girth never faltering.

You eased your index finger in after penetrating yourself with your middle for a while, your mouth falling agape at the delightful feeling of being stretched out slightly. Curving your slick digits upwards, another sharp gasp escaped your mouth as you felt the tip of them gently press again a spongy spot inside your dripping core. “Oh, yes, right fucking there.” You whined desperately at the new feeling, eyes rolling to the back of your head as you continued motioning your fingers upward.

At this point you and Hobie forgot about the phone that was recording your sinful actions and naughty sounds. You were both in a state of euphoria— the sensual noises coming from guy’s mouth, your arousal squelching and leaking nonstop with every thrust of your fingers, the sight you both had as you watched each other masturbate intensely with the same amount of eagerness. It was enough to bring you both closer to that release y’all were so desperate to receive.

Your hips bucked into your hand as the pace you thrusted your dripping fingers became faster and sloppier, your free hand gripping the covers on your bed tightly as you felt the small pressure in your stomach start to expand. “Fuck, Hobie, I’m gonna cum so hard for you. I’m so close, baby~, i’m so close.” You babbled mindlessly as you brought the hand that was gripping your sheets to you aching clit, rubbing it in steady circles to quicken the arrival of your powerful orgasm.

“M’ right behind you, love. Get that nut, baby. Fuck… I’m right there with you.” He encouraged you with a growl. The pet names, his seductive voice, and seeing the pace of his thrusting hips increase as he watched you bring yourself to the most mind shattering orgasm was all you needed to make the pressure in stomach pop as you made a delicious mess on the bed and floor below you.

Your eyes slowly rolled to the back of your head and jaw fell open as you came with a long, loud, moan. Your juices flew out of your pulsating entrance when you quickly removed your fingers from inside of you, rubbing your clit in circles rapidly making your squirting essence fly in any and every direction.

Hobie watched the voluptuous scene in front of him with a slightly gaped mouth, breathing heavily and rapidly as it brought him to his climax. His eyebrows furrowed in bliss, his stomach and testicles tightening as he milked himself with his hand. A loud groan exited his throat as he angled his girth towards his stomach and released, ropes of his seed painting his beautiful melanated torso. The hand he used to jerk himself off reduced its speed as he slowly came down from his high.

You both sat in your current positions regulating your breathing after the intense mutual masturbation session. When your breathing began to balance out, you heard a quiet whimper come from the attractive man in front of you. Your eyes made their way to him, seeing him slowly stroke his still erect girth with his head thrown back.

You threw your legs off your bed and got off of it, walking towards the tripod and stopping the recording. You sent the video to Hobie before making your way in front him, kneeling down and gently placing your hand on his thighs as you looked up at his pretty fucked out face. He felt your hands run up his thighs and to his hand to remove it from his length.

He looked down at the beautiful woman in front of him with a raised eyebrow, wondering what she planned on doing. All of his wonder went out the window when he watched her bring one of her hands to his thick, long member jerking him up and down once just to feel him throb. She then brought her head down a bit, slowly licking a wet line from his balls to the sensitive spot below his tip as she looked him in his eyes with hers feigning innocence.

“Fuck. Baby, don’t tease me like that.” He he groaned breathlessly at the sensation. She chuckled seductively at his words, kissing the head of his dick before spitting on it. She brought her hand back to his length to spread the moisture around him, feeling her lower region begin to ache for attention again when she heard him whine at the feeling of her warm fist starting to jerk him off at an agonizingly slow pace.

Hobie’s eyebrows creased in confusion when he felt her stop her movements, but his confused expression was immediately replaced with a slack jaw and his eyes rolling back when he felt her lips wrap around him gently. “Mmm~ so soft.” He moaned as she pushed her head lower onto him with her humming at the taste of him taking over her tastebuds.

“Oh- ooh, shit. What the fuck?” He moaned blissfully in bewilderment as she immediately slid his girth down her throat. She contracted the walls of her throat around his manhood as she started moving her head up and down.

The feeling of her warm lips and wet, tight throat wrapped around him has his eyes behind his head for the thousandth time tonight. One of his slender hands made their way to her soft, messy hair, gripping it gently as he held her head down and began to thrust his hips into her face. “Your throat feels so good, doll. Oh, my…” He trailed off with a needy whine.

He thrusted his hips faster, her eyes beginning to water as he slid further and further down her esophagus. She felt him gently throb in her mouth as she mentally thanked the man above for not having a gag reflex. She hummed around him once more to bring him closer to his second release.

“Yes, yes, yes, yes! Oh, f-fuck, baby. I’m gonna cum. I’m-” His babbling stopped abruptly due to his climax crashing down on him. He groaned breathlessly as he throbbed repeatedly and came down her throat, still holding her head down and keeping his hips still.

Once she felt his member slowly start to become flaccid, she pulled her head up and removed her lips from him with a pop. She looked up at him with innocent eyes as she swallowed every drop of cum he fed her, opening her mouth and sticking her tongue out to show him afterwards.

He smiled proudly at the sight, watching her come up from her position on the floor and straddle his laptop. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hers made their way around his neck and rested on the back of her chair. “I didn’t think you had that in you, love.” He spoke teasingly as he looked up at her with his bright, gorgeous smile.

She chuckled at his comments before responding. “You didn’t think I had a lot of things inside me. Now look at where we are.” You both laughed lightly at your statement, Hobie pushing you down towards him by your back and gently pressing his lips onto yours.

You instantly melted into the kiss as he gripped your thighs and stood up with your legs wrapped around his hips. He walked towards your bed and laid you down on it, him laying next to you as you guy’s lips separated. You faced each other, one of your hands making their way to the back his neck as you started to playing in his hair.

“So, about those sex toys you mentioned earlier…” You spoke with a playful grin.

“Oh, my days- no. Good night.” He responded with playful frustration, Shuffling his body closer to yours and stuffing his face into your neck and wrapping his arms around you. You laughed at his tone and words, holding him close to you as you rubbed his back gently.

Both of you enjoyed the fact that after engaging in such sinful activities, you can still joke around like nothing happened. You also really appreciated how he didn’t judge you and made sure that you knew his intentions and perspective of you were still pure… kind of. He really enjoyed what went down tonight, and he hoped that you guys could do it again sometime.

And you felt the same exact way.

I know the ending seems rushed I apologize guys 😭 I said this was gonna be posted Thursday night and I MEANT IT okay. But I hope you guys enjoyed!! My first smut on tumblr and more to come 💕

[namelessdumbass]

Meliora/Popestar Ghouls guide

I noticed some people still have trouble telling the Ghouls apart. Specifically Meliora era Ghouls. So i'll try to make things easier for all of you :)

WARNING: lots of text, my silly comments

Happy reading 😏

Learning which symbol/alchemic element (which was Martin Persner's/Omega's idea btw!) belongs to a certain Ghoul is essential:

🜂- Fire, 🜄- Water, 🜁 - Air, 🜃 - Earth, 🜀 - Quintessence. The first Fire Ghoul was also called Alpha and the first Quintessence Ghoul - Omega. Why such names? Because Quintessence/Ether Ghoul had Ω sticker on his guitar and fans started calling him Omega and his counterpart - Alpha. These names just fit them perfectly. Meliora era was unique because neither of previous Papas, nor Cardinal/Papa 4 called Ghouls by their names/elements. Only Papa III did that.

There were few changes of lineups during Era 3 and some Ghouls were given different names by fans. Simply because naming their elements wasn't enough. Examples will be seen below.

Ways to tell them apart when they are on stage:

Their instruments and stickers.

They are placed in certain areas of the stage: Quintessence and Earth on Papa's right, Water in the middle, Air and Fire on Papa's left.

Different body types, eyes, rings, bracelets and tattoos.

The way they behave.

When they are off stage, on promo photos etc just take a look at their chests.

Even though every Ghoul has 5 elements embroidered on their suits, their respective element is highlighted.

HQ pictures are pretty helpful if y'all wanna find your favorite Ghoul.

(from left to right: Air, Earth, Omega/Quintessence, Water and Alpha/Fire)

Also check this video of Papa III introducing Ghouls.

2015 lineup:

Air Ghoul #1. Simply Air. Joined Ghost in 2011. No tattoos, no rings. Usually quite calm on stage, favorite gesture is🤘 . Was the tallest Ghoul till 2017. Had cool keytar solo. Didn't move much.

Pebble aka Earth Ghoul #2. Joined Ghost in June 2015. Smol (yes, smaller than Papa). Has intense stare. Literal beast when it comes to playing drums. Had a special way of throwing sticks to fans (literally footballed them into the crowd lol). Funny one.

Quintessence Ghoul #1 aka Omega. Terzo's favorite Ghoul. His butt was smacked and grabbed by Papa countless times during Year Zero solo. Known for his stomping, graceful guitar playing style, has big silver rings on both hands and pretty eyes. Has the cutest laugh. Did lots of interviews when Special Ghoul wasn't around. Loves Abba. Has been in the band from 2010 till july 2016.

Water Ghoul #4 aka Delta. Slightly shorter than Papa III. Joined in 2015. Sometimes kicks air (literal air, not his fellow Ghoul) on stage, also filled in for Alpha (when he injured his shoulder) and Omega for a few shows. Played rhythm guitar after Omega left. Has no rings, no visible tattoos, but has mad skills. Allegedly he's the one who tried to kick the dude who got on stage and kissed Terzo lol

His regular bass Omega's guitar

Fire Ghoul #1 aka Alpha. Popular among fans. Hangs out with every Ghoul on stage, especially with Water and Pebble. Loves cameras, does✌ a lot, humps his guitar sometimes. Enjoys attention, a bit horny:) Also did a few interviews (mostly with Omega), has strong accent, also speaks Italian. Has rings and tattoos on both hands (had none during era 1 and 2!). Taller than Papa. Joined in 2010, left in november 2016.

2016

Omega left in july, so Water took over rhythm guitar and the first Ghoulette of the Ghost, Mist, was introduced. This lineup toured till the end of the year and nobody returned for Popestar tour in 2017.

Quintessence Ghoul #2. Basically just Water, but with different guitar and highlighted QE symbol on his uniform.

Mist Ghoulette aka Water#5. Tiny💜, unlike Copia's Ghoulettes she wore the same outfit and mask (that looked a bit too big for her) just like other Ghouls. Badass bass player, has a ring, a tattoo on her finger and painted nails. Veeeeery calm. Cute as hell. Alpha liked her a lot.

Fire, Earth and Air Ghouls were same as in 2015:

(from left to right on this picture: Mist, Quintessence #2 (aka Delta/Water Ghoul#4), Alpha/Fire, Earth/Pebble, Air)

2017

All of the previous Ghouls left and the new pack replaced them. If you see Ghouls who are +- same height as Papa, that's them!

(Dewdrop/Water #7, Aether/Quintessence #3, Zephyr/Air #2, Ifrit/Fire #2, Ivy/Earth #3)

Ifrit aka Fire Ghoul #2. Chaotic, hyperactive, Papa's hype man. Same height as Terzo, sweet bean, has wiiiide chest dorito shaped No tattoos, no rings. Spins, dances, jumps a lot. Gets "shot" during Ghuleh/Zombie Queen. No 🜂 sticker on his guitar. Only toured till 2018.

Aether aka Quintessence Ghoul #3. Beefy, jumps a lot, has rings and a bracelet. Always looks friendly. Plain black guitar with no QE symbol. Also pretty active, especially with his pal Ifrit. A bit taller than Papa III. Ran after Terzo when he got gragged off the stage by Papa Nihil's people. Joined in 2017, left in 2022.

P.S. since he's not Omega, his butt was safe during Year Zero solo 🙃

Dewdrop aka Water Ghoul #6 aka Sodo. Smaller than Terzo. Has an aggressive guitar playing style. A bit horny (it got worse). No visible tattoos. Proudly played bass with someone's panties. Syncs with Ifrit and Aether during Ghuleh/Zombie Queen outro. Became Fire Ghoul #3 in 2018. He's still in the Ghost (as of february 2024).

Zephyr aka chAir Ghoul #2. Sits on chair, a lot :) Charming, more active than previous Air ghoul. Loses it during Monstrance Clock, Per Aspera Ad Inferi and Cirice. Could be a great DJ. Almost the same height as Papa. Has a ring. His Mummy Dust keytar solo -[X]. Only toured till 2018.

Ivy aka Earth Ghoul #3. Underrated, many don't know much about him. Was present only during European leg of the Popestar tour (from march till july). Has brown eyes, a tattoo and bracelets. Same height as Ifrit. Wasn't around much, but still did a great job. Was later replaced by Mountain.

Mountain aka Earth Ghoul #4. Joined Ghost in july 2017. The tallest Ghoul. Hates shoes. Has a tattoo on the finger of his right hand, but you won't see shit on photos from this era because he wasn't photographed much and drummers usually get less attention than others in general:/ Quite calm comparing to Pebble. He's still in the band (as of february 2024).

Honorable mentions:

Special Ghoul aka Phil. Has green eyes, speaks Swedish. Did lots of interviews, showed up to grab a few awards for Ghost, worships cats and loves Abba. Literally Papa in disguise (aka Fire Ghoul's uniform and mask). Has been in the shadows since 2017.

Cowbell Ghoul. The myth, the legend. Played cowbell during "Ritual" and "If You Have Ghosts" a few times at the end of the Popestar tour in 2016. Tall, has a posture of a shrimp, always got shooed by Papa. Many want him back.

Aaaand that's it. I hope it was helpful. Thanks for reading :)

🌈👻

[yandere-daydreams]

Title: To Mark.

A Grab-Bag Commission For The Very Lovely @ohsotearful.

Pairing: Yandere!Wanderer x Reader (Genshin).

Word Count: 1.0k.

TW: Biting/Marking, Set Before Wanderer Regains His Memories, Unhealthy Relationships, and Slight Manipulation.

You’d almost gotten used to the feeling of your husband’s teeth sinking into your shoulder.

A sharp sting, a tight stretch, then finally, the burning relief of his dull canines drawing back and warm blood washing over your skin. His chest was pressed against yours, your legs tangled loosely around his waist, but the closeness brought little comfort when his skin seemed to sap the heat from your own and his hands were wrapped so tightly around your hips. There’d be bruises tomorrow – pinpricks of discolored skin that he’d want to strip bare and examine as soon as they were visible, but you tried not to think about that. His little fixation was one of the more unfortunate parts of your relationship, and you did your best to keep it out of your mind whenever you could.

This, unfortunately, was not one of those times. He found a new spot – the tender junction between your throat and your shoulder – and latched on. Rather than pierce, he chose to suckle, catching your skin between the flat edges of his teeth and sucking gently until his chosen patch was irritated and reddened, until he could be sure there’d be a mark to match the collection he’d already painted across your collarbones, up the curve of your throat, at each corner of your jaw. Most of them were fresh, others older, allowed to fade before your husband remembered to revisit them. None would be allowed to disappear completely, and if they managed the impossible, he’d be sure to lay you down and spend the better half of a day making up for his negligence. Your husband had always been attentive, like that.

His teeth sunk into your jugular and you shrunk into him, an airy whimper escaping your sealed lips. Immediately, he detached from you, raising his head and bringing his stare up to meet your own. You’d never been able to say ‘no’ to him, not when he looked at you with those big, pleading eyes. “Did I…” A slight pause, his tongue darting out to swipe a dot of your blood off his bottom lip. “Did I hurt you?”

Obviously. You had to remind yourself that he wasn’t like you, that pain wasn’t something he had experience with. His porcelain skin would never bruise, and in as much time as you’d spent together, you’d never seen him bleeding or burnt. You had to be empathetic. You had to be patient.

Unfortunately, patience wasn’t a skill both of you saw the value of. When you failed to answer immediately, he took your silence as affirmation and frowned, leaning towards you. “I’m sorry.” It was a familiar apology, but no less sincere than it’d been the first half-dozen times he’d used it. Hesitantly, he brought a hand up to your forehead before remembering that the gesture was meant for a different type of pain and letting it fall back to your waist. “Is it bad? I can get the bandages, if you need them. Or, there’s a pharmacy on the other side of the city—”

“I’m fine, I swear.” You forced out an airy laugh, letting your lips brush against his cheek, then the corner of his mouth. It wasn’t a lie. You’d be nearly too sore to move in the morning, but for now, you were fine. “But, I think it might be time to stop. I don’t want the innkeeper to think that you, I don’t know, mauled me in my sleep or something.”

Immediately, his expression turned from worried to panicky. “But we just started,” he whined, his tone childish, desperate. You hadn’t – you’d been in his lap of just over an hour, now – but he’d always been prone to losing track of time. “I’ll be gentle, and.. and I can move to your chest, if you don’t want anyone to see! I don’t have to—”

“My love,” you cut in, sighing as you cupped his face in your hands. Reflexively, he nuzzled into your palm, melting into your affection far easier than you’d ever be able to melt into his. “I hate having to stop as much as you do, but I’m tired. I might not be hurt now, but I will be if we keep going for any longer.” You smiled, bringing him close enough to kiss properly. It was shallow, fleeting, but you could taste metal on his lips. You tried not to feel sick. “I want to get some sleep. I promise, you can dig your teeth into whatever you—”

It was his turn to interrupt you, this time, his request more simple than yours. "Just a little more?" And then, when your smile wavered, “Please?”

You started to sigh, to shake your head, but against your better judgement, you met those awful, saccharine eyes and…

And, it was over in an instant.

“Fine,” you muttered, dread and self-loathing already welling up in the back of your throat. “Just a few more minutes, the—"

He didn’t wait for you to finish. Your body was wretched away from his in a moment, thrown onto the downy futon below you in another. He was buried between your legs and attacking the vulnerable flesh between your thighs before you could so much as think about asking him to try to hold himself back. His teeth sunk into your flesh, but you didn’t scream, didn’t whimper.

You just let your head roll back, shut your eyes, and tried to pretend you didn’t feel a thing.

[gleamingyu]

hits different.

part I of the midnights series. inspired by taylor swift’s midnights. part II

pairing: music-producer!seungcheol x lawyer!fem!reader [exes-to-lovers]

genre: romance. slight angst. drama.

warnings: she/her pronouns for reader (but no specific physical characteristics). mentions of a pretty rough breakup. slight angst. some light cursing. mentions of death (jokingly though). terrible knowledge of law stuff (thank my brief interest in htgawm). yearning. loads of miscommunication. slow burn. cheol & reader are both stubborn. mentions of drinking. alternating povs. lower caps intended [if there’s anything i missed, please let me know!]

word count: 4.7k

notes: this is the first part of a new series i thought of! this is also my first time writing (or more like, finishing writing) something, so please be kind! any comments, reblogs or likes are welcome. and thank you to whoever decides to give this a chance :)

summary: still recovering from a not-so-fresh breakup, seungcheol leans on his friends to get back on his feet. it turns out to be much easier said than done, especially when his record label recruits the help of a law firm to deal with a recent scandal, which just so happens to be the same firm his ex works at. just his luck.

if anyone could see the scene in front of mingyu, they’d be severely concerned, much like he is at this very moment.

seungcheol is quite literally buried under a pile of blankets on his bed, the only visible part of his body a tuft of his dark brown hair. the floor of his bedroom is covered in clothes and empty food containers, and the air feels so stale and hot, it’s taking everything in mingyu not to gag. there is no light coming into the room except from the lightbulb shining in the hallway where mingyu is standing, and… is that… phoebe bridgers he can hear playing from somewhere?

mingyu glances down at his feet where kkuma, seungcheol’s devoted dog – and only girl who’s ever truly loved him, according to him – is sitting staring right back at him, a look on her fluffy face that mingyu swears looks just as depressed as her dad.

“this is way worse than i thought,” mingyu sighs, finally stepping into the bedroom. “okay, enough of this!”

mingyu grabs the blankets on the bed and pulls them away, revealing a very aggravated seungcheol. “what the hell are you doing?!”

“i’m not sure yet, because this,” mingyu gestures around the room, “is a lot. but it starts with you getting your ass out of bed and into the shower. immediately. this place smells like there’s a corpse somewhere in here.”

“yeah, it’s me. i’m the corpse. or i wish i was, because that would mean i’ve finally died,” seungcheol groans, turning away from mingyu and effectively shoving his face into the bed.

mingyu sighs, turning around to start collecting some of the dirty clothes on the floor. he finds himself regretting not calling jeonghan or joshua to come with him, because seungcheol might have been more easily persuaded to stop moping with them around. the reality is, they all thought seungcheol was doing better; he was back on his grind at work, finishing several albums he had been producing for, he was making progress in his jiu-jitsu classes, and he even joined the rest of the guys on their trip to australia last month, with minimal persuasion from his friends.

looking at the shell of a man laying on the bed in front of him, mingyu realizes he should’ve asked. he should’ve asked his friend how he was really doing, what he was feeling, what he could actually do to help him move past this.

better late than never.

“listen,” mingyu starts, going to sit on the edge of seungcheol’s bed but reconsidering. who knows when he last changed these. “i’m sorry if we haven’t really been there for you. i know a thing or two about breakups and heartbreak, so i guess i should’ve figured you weren’t alright, not like you said you were. you don’t have to keep all you’re feeling locked up. you can talk to us.”

seungcheol’s head moves slightly to the side, peeking at mingyu from the corner of his eye. he sighs, and turns on his back. mingyu tries not to cringe at seungcheol’s sullen face, his eyes red and still wet, as if he was still crying when mingyu arrived at his apartment.

“don’t beat yourself up, gyu. believe it or not, i was actually doing better. but a few days ago, i … i was cleaning around the closet by the entrance and …” he pauses, and mingyu thinks he might burst into tears. seungcheol breathes in however, closes his eyes, and continues. “i found one of her old hats. you know, the yellow crochet bucket hat she always used to wear in the summer? i bought it for her birthday when we had just started dating and … i don’t know, i just broke down. it hit me again that we’re over. like really.”

you and seungcheol broke up … four, five months ago? seungcheol shakes his head, he feels like time hasn’t passed the same since. days pass him by where he just goes over and over your last conversation – which was more of a fight, really – and he always ends up regretting everything he said that day. regrets resenting you for always working late, for never asking him to accompany you to firm events… regrets accusing you of some unspeakable things.

looking back, he can’t believe how big of an idiot he was. no wonder you left and didn’t even bother to come back to get your things. you left everything behind, all your clothes that still smelled of the lavender detergent you used to buy, your makeup haphazardly thrown into one of the bathroom drawers, the cooking books you always bought “for inspiration” but never, ever actually opened… and the yellow bucket hat you got from seungcheol for the first birthday you spent together. seungcheol had left everything where it was, a tiny part of him hoping you two would work this out somehow. but weeks went by with no word from you, and when he had tried reaching you, he came to the grave conclusion that you had blocked him on all platforms, cut him off from your life like a dead limb. back then he thought he deserved it. he still does.

“i’m sorry, hyung. i really am,” mingyu shakes seungcheol from his reverie, reaching a hand to pet his shoulder. a beat passes between them. “have you tried… calling her again since?”

“no. i don’t know what good it would do,” seungcheol sighs. “even if she answered, i doubt all the apologies i could offer would fix anything. i said some pretty fucked up shit.”

“yeah, i know. if you remember, i was there the next day ripping you a new one,” mingyu teases, desperately trying to cheer up his friend somehow. he swears he can see seungcheol’s lips twitch a bit. “but who knows… now that you both had some time to yourselves, you might actually be able to overcome this calmly. and if… if it doesn’t work out in the end, at least you’ll both have some closure.”

closure. that’s a funny word, because seungcheol wants the furthest thing from closure. he wants you back in his bed and your arms around him, he wants your indie artists he’s never heard of playing around the apartment in the morning, he wants your laugh echoing in the halls. he wants you.

he knows that the only way this ending could even be a possibility would be if he actually took mingyu’s advice and called you up, but another part of him is terrified of the other possibility: the one where you pick up and tell him to go to hell and fuck himself and never call you again or show his face around you. so for now, seungcheol opts for a third option: emotional limbo, with a side of trying-to-move-on.

he gets up from the bed and asks mingyu if he could help him straighten out the place. mingyu, bless his sweet heart, of course says yes and gets to work after sending seungcheol to clean himself up. just as he’s about to close the bathroom door, he hears mingyu’s exasperated voice.

“oh, for the love of god, where is that god-awful music coming from?!”

seungcheol can’t remember the last time he laughed so heartily.

the bar you find yourself in is bustling with people, laughter and cheerful conversations filling the space. you’re only half listening to whatever topic your two best friends, yunjin and chaeyoung, are discussing – something about “that bitch” in yunjin’s department at work that’s been giving her a hard time – instead reveling in the pleasant buzz of the champagne you’re nursing.

it had been a while since you were able to enjoy a nice evening with your girls. the past few months had been filled with endless meetings, client-induced headaches and sleepless nights, but thankfully, today you had managed to finally strike a deal for one of the firm’s most important clients (to be read as filthy rich), which you had been working towards all these months. naturally, upon hearing the news, chaeyoung and yunjin had begged you to join them at a bar in the city, “to celebrate your newfound freedom.”

you splurged on a bottle of champagne for the three of you and decided that tonight, you were going to have fun. you were going to relax, enjoy some drink, and catch up with your friends who you hadn’t seen in weeks.

and you will not, under any circumstances, bring up seungcheol.

you like to believe that in the last two months you had gotten better at shutting out any thought of your ex-boyfriend. in the days – more like weeks, if you were to ask chaeyoung and yunjin – following the ugly breakup, you were quite the literal mess. finding yourself alone and with nowhere to go, considering you had left the apartment you shared with seungcheol with nothing but your work stuff (how on-brand for you), it wasn’t surprising that your mental and emotional health had taken a massive hit. thankfully, at the insistence of yunjin, you agreed to crash at her place while you put yourself back together and took time off from work – something you had never done before.

to the surprise of your friends, it only took you two weeks to go back to work and start looking for your own place. two weeks after that, you were moving into a new apartment and claimed that you were feeling much better since the breakup. or at least starting to. chaeyoung and yunjin didn’t want to argue with you on this – even thought they 100% believed the front you were putting up was a load of crap – but in the end, they didn’t even have to, because the first time you went out with them again since the breakup, you had your first meltdown.

but was it really your fault that the man sitting two seats down the bar from you had ordered whiskey neat, just like seungcheol always used to? and was it really your fault that he was wearing a maroon leather jacket similar to the one seungcheol always used to wear in the fall, which you absolutely adored?

could they really blame you for bursting into tears right then and there and wailing about how much of a jerk seungcheol was for never understanding your dedication to your work? how much of a hypocrite he was for expecting you to just dip from the office when he suddenly had some free time, when he had never done so for you?

that night, chaeyoung and yunjin quite literally dragged you back to chaeyoung’s place and held you while you cried yourself to sleep, and in the morning, when you had embarrassingly admitted that “no, you weren’t really doing fine,” they held you again and offered soft-spoken words of support, opting to keep the classic we told you so in their thoughts.

four months passed since that incident and now, you could confidently say that you were truly feeling better. you weren’t quite over seungcheol per se; there were nights when you still thought about the smell of vanilla that filled the room whenever he was fresh out of a shower, the way he always got so giggly when you brought home a tray of cherries… yeah, you still found yourself missing him terribly sometimes. but the more time passed, you realized that seungcheol hadn’t tried reaching you at all in the months since the breakup, and so you thought he might be moving on as well.

it is true you had blocked him on all social platforms for weeks after you stormed out of your place. but on a particularly bad day, when all you did was cry and cry and cry after him, the thought of calling him up and asking him to go back to how things were crossed your mind, and you unblocked his number. unfortunately, your pride had set itself in your way, convincing you that it was seungcheol that needed to make the first step, considering he was the one who quite literally cornered you into a fight. so you didn’t call and instead prayed to whatever forces exist in the universe, that seungcheol would try your number again.

he never did.

“soooo, cheers to the lady of the hour! finally free from the clutches of corporate law!” yunjin cheered, clinking her glass against yours and knocking you out of your reverie.

damn it, seungcheol, i said i would not think of you tonight!

“yes, cheers!” chaeyoung joined in. “how do you feel? are you going to get a big ass bonus for the amount of time you put into this asshole?”

chaeyoung was probably right, you probably did deserve a huge ass bonus for the deal you pulled for the client you were handling. when you were in law school, you had never imagined yourself working for sleazy, corporate pigs who behaved like none of their actions would bite them in the ass eventually, and expecting others – like yourself – to clean up after them. but, as your boss grimly explained to you the day you had complained about your client, everybody has to start somewhere. “and junior partners don’t get to choose cases, sweetheart.”

life at the firm wasn’t always terrible. you were lucky enough to be part of an amazing team, and the firm worked with plenty of influential and big personalities, so you almost never had to worry about your income. but sometimes, some of the people you were asked to represent brought you to the brink of just quitting your job altogether.

“i just feel relieved,” you say. “if i had to hear the incessant whining and nagging of that idiot for one more day, i might have gone insane!”

“well, thank god you’re a stellar lawyer and managed to get rid of him,” yunjin teases, taking a sip of her drink. “do you already have anything else lined up?”

“god, no! i have a few days off just to take care of paperwork, maybe help out some of my colleagues around the office… but nothing big for now, thankfully.”

“oh, that’s amazing! which reminds me, this means you can actually join us on that weekend spa trip we were talking about last week,” chaeyoung happily suggests, as she’s already pulling up the website of the spa retreat.

“i guess a spa day would be nice,” you say, looking over at chaeyoung’s phone. you feel your body already going lax at the thought of a hot stone massage.

“oh, that would be so nice!” yunjin pouts. “we haven’t gone on a girls trip in so long! i miss going away, just the three of us… do you guys remember that trip we took to croatia two years ago? that was the best one we ever did, i swear!”

while chaeyoung joins yunjin in reminiscing about all the trips the three of you took over the years, you feel your phone buzzing in the pocket of your dress paints. pulling it out, you see an email notification…

“oh, no…” your voice trails off, reading over the email you had just received.

“what? what’s the matter?” yunjin asks, her conversation with chaeyoung coming to a halt.

“my boss just emailed me. he wants me in the office tomorrow morning. some big case that just came in,” you explain, already feeling a headache coming in.

“but tomorrow’s saturday,” chaeyoung frowns.

“i know… i know.”

when monday rolls around, seungcheol really wished that he had died before mingyu had found him the week before.

the day started normal enough. he woke up at 5 a.m. and took kkuma for a walk in the park near his apartment building, just like every morning. by 8 a.m., he was already set up in his studio inside the PLEDIS building, ready to work on the tracks he was supposed to finish mixing by the end of the week. seungcheol liked the buzz of the label, people from all different departments running around trying to stay on their schedules; it motivated him to also do his part diligently, and reminded him that he was extremely lucky to be doing one of the things he loves most: music.

seungcheol should’ve guessed something was up today the moment the clock struck 11 and jihoon, the other in-house producer of PLEDIS, and one of his oldest friends, hadn’t come by his studio. he and jihoon had known each other since their college days, having met in an audio engineering class they apparently shared, and had been friends for 8 years now. during their last year of college, they were recruited by a record label that was just starting out (which became the PLEDIS of today), and despite all warnings from their families, they decided to take a leap of faith together and join the company. it all worked out for the better, it turned out, as PLEDIS only grew and soon became a household name in the music industry.

as the only producers that have stuck around PLEDIS since the beginning, they developed several… traditions, or rituals over the years, one of which was jihoon’s 11 a.m. coffee run, which they’d spend sharing ideas and notes over each other’s work, and, if jihoon was in a particularly good mood, engage in some office gossip (not that either of them would ever admit it). today, however, jihoon is a no-show and seungcheol can’t help but wonder what his friend is up to.

when he shoots jihoon a quick text, asking if he’s alright, his friend only replies with a “just busy,” and tells seungcheol not to wait up for him at lunch, as he’ll probably be stuck in the studio all day. this doesn’t surprise him that much, seeing as jihoon might be an even bigger workaholic than he is, but he still can’t shake the feeling that something must be up with his friend. he decides that instead of going out for lunch, he’s gonna pick up some takeout and join jihoon in his studio. he wouldn’t be able to rest easy knowing his friend will go a day without eating anything.

once lunch hours begin, seungcheol takes a quick walk two blocks down the street to the restaurant mingyu works in, who’s already waiting for him with the food seungcheol had requested for him and jihoon. on his way back to PLEDIS, he texts jihoon again, just to make sure he’s still in the studio, but there’s no answer, and now seungcheol is seriously starting to get worried. he jogs the rest of the way until he’s back inside the building, and takes the elevator to the 6th floor where jihoon’s studio is stationed.

walking up to the door that reads UNIVERSE FACTORY, he stops in his tracks when he hears more than one voice from the other side of the door. he easily recognizes jihoon’s voice, but the other voices – two other men and a woman – are harder to make out. except… except the woman’s voice is eerily familiar, and without a second thought, seungcheol grips the handle and swings the door open, four pairs of eyes whipping in his direction.

his eyes land on jihoon, who looks like he wishes he was anywhere else in that moment, and then scan the rest of room, recognizing mr. han, their CEO, and… you. it’s you.

seungcheol feels like he’s going to faint. mr. han does not look the least bit happy about seungcheol’s intrusion, and he really wishes the man would slap him just so he can know for sure if he’s dreaming. if you’re surprised to see seungcheol, your face shows no sign of it, and seungcheol can’t help but stare at you. you look so beautiful, so put together; your make-up is soft, almost unnoticeable, your hair pushed behind your ears, and you’re wearing a dark green suit… oh, how he loved you in green.

you were the picture of grace and professionalism and he was… not. he really wishes he hadn’t come to the studio in sweatpants right now.

“mr. choi, what a… surprise,” mr. han exclaims, standing up from his seat, you and the other man – who seungcheol has no idea who he is, but he knows he doesn’t like the way he’s standing so close to you – following suit. “i didn’t know mr. lee was expecting you,” mr. han continues, glancing towards jihoon, who turned red as a tomato.

“i wasn’t, actually,” jihoon squeaks, avoiding both seungcheol and mr. han’s gazes.

“i apologize, i was… i was just bringing jihoon some lunch. i didn’t know there was… a meeting happening,” seungcheol says, looking towards you, and he’s almost thrown back by the way you’re just… staring directly at him.

mr. han sighs, but remembering the situation, he quickly puts on a polite smile as he turns towards you and the other man. “mr. choi is one of our other in-house producers. mr. choi, this is mr. jeon and miss L/N. they’re helping us with some… legal matters.”

so that’s why you were here. and who the other guy was. but what legal matters? and why was jihoon involved? and why didn’t he tell seungcheol?!

before seungcheol can ask more questions, mr. han gestures towards the door he came through and says “now, if you don’t mind, you can come back in a few minutes, mr. choi. we’ll be done soon.”

soon. soon, his ass!

seungcheol had been pacing the hallway outside jihoon’s studio for the past 20 minutes (he checked, he wasn’t exaggerating!), trying very hard not to eavesdrop through the door, and thinking of every possible reason why jihoon would need legal help and why you would be here.

jihoon was definitely in some kind of trouble. for the CEO to be involved as well, it for sure must be something that could affect the whole label. seungcheol just can’t understand why jihoon wouldn’t tell him if he had any kind of problem. they were colleagues, but most importantly, they were friends. he would’ve dropped everything to come to his aid.

now, when it comes to you… seungcheol knows you’re a lawyer, obviously he does. he met you when you were halfway through law school, and he was there for every failed and aced exam, for your graduation (he was so proud of you that day, it was the first time you’d ever seen him cry), for every measly job you had before finally securing the one you currently held at one of the top firms in the city. he also knows you’re a damn good lawyer, seeing how hard you work and how dedicated you are. he supposes it’s not surprising you were chosen to represent jihoon in whatever mess he got himself in.

he feels bad now that he remembers how he held these things above your head during your last fight. how you were working late so often, how you never asked him to join you at office parties, despite how eager you always were to go out with your coworkers for drinks, how you always asked him to wait for you outside the office building, as if you didn’t want people to know you had a partner...

he knows that both of you were to blame for how things went down between you, but since he started the argument in the first place, he thinks he could’ve brought all this up in a better way, at a better time.

his thoughts are interrupted when the door to jihoon’s studio opens again, and he finds himself regretting waiting in the hallway because now he has to face you again and he’s not ready and he doesn’t know what to say and he still looks like a hobo and –

“mr. choi!”

he looks up to see who he imagines is your colleague – mr. jeon – step towards him, as you and mr. han step out after him, discussing something. you glance once towards seungcheol before turning back to the conversation, and seungcheol feels his heart clench.

“mr. jeon, i’m sorry once again for interrupting your meeting,” seungcheol says, extending his hand to shake mr. jeon’s.

“don’t worry, no harm done at all. i’m actually glad you stuck around, because i had something to ask you. seeing as you and mr. lee are close, would you be available for a short talk with us, sometime in the next days? we’ll have to build a strong case for mr. lee and, well, some insight from his colleagues would be very helpful,” mr. jeon explains, fixing the thin-rimmed glasses perched on his nose.

seungcheol is taken aback by the man’s soft tone. his sharp eyes and cold look on his face made him look pretty intimidating, but his voice is the complete opposite, putting seungcheol weirdly at ease.

“o-of course, anything for jihoon,” seungcheol quickly replies. “can i ask, though, what exactly does he need help with?”

“plagiarism.”

“PLAGIARISM?!”

“you’re being sued. for plagiarism.”

“yes.”

“and you just found out last friday.”

“yes.”

“last friday when we all went out for barbeque and you didn’t even think to mention it? not even once?!”

“will you stop pacing and sit down? you’re making me even more nervous than i already am,” jihoon sighs, dropping his head in his hands.

seungcheol sighs as well, muttering a sorry, and sits down on the couch opposite jihoon’s chair.

jihoon continues. “i didn’t mention anything because i didn’t want to piss on everyone’s good mood. it was joshua’s birthday… besides, i didn’t know all the details of the situation at that point. i thought it was another baseless accusation, you know? but they’re serious about it. they wanna take me to court.”

“what? that’s insane,” seungcheol says. “i feel weird even asking, but did you even plagiarize?”

“no! of course not! i don’t even know the people!” jihoon exclaims, flopping down on the couch next to seungcheol. he lets out a long groan. “this is just what i needed.”

seungcheol pats his friend’s back, thinking of some encouraging words. jihoon was the most talented and creative guy he knew. to think that someone would accuse him of using somebody else’s work was a concept seungcheol couldn’t even entertain.

“don’t worry. that jeon guy looks like he’s already got a game plan.”

“and Y/N,” jihoon says.

silence falls around the two of them, until jihoon stirs from the couch, sitting up to look at seungcheol.

“are we just not going to acknowledge her or what?”

“no! that’s not what i…” seungcheol sighs, hanging his head. “i just wasn’t expecting to see her. i don’t know how to feel.”

“that’s understandable. you guys haven’t seen each other in a while, right?”

seungcheol shakes his head. “did she… did she say anything to you?”

“oh, no. she was super professional, went straight to business. but…” jihoon trails off, debating whether he should say what he was thinking.

“but? but what?!” seungcheol grabs jihoon’s shoulders, shaking him a little.

“but i think she was just as rattled to see you as you were. her hand kept shaking while she was writing, after you left. i guess she was just better at hiding her surprise,” jihoon continues. “now let go of me, you animal!”

seungcheol sighs. could it be that you were just as much of a mess inside as he was? the hopeful part of him thinks you might have thought of him all these months, just as he thought of you. the other part of him thinks your hand might as well just have been shaking from anger.

“you know, this might be a good thing,” jihoon says, getting up and sitting back in front of his computer.

“what, you getting sued and her being around?”

“yeah. maybe this way you’ll finally grow some balls, put your pride aside, and actually fix things,” jihoon deadpans, and seungcheol knows the conversation is over.

yeah. easier said than done.

[normal-internet-user]

AAAH! I LOVED THE MIKEY WITH AN ASSANIAN GF! AND I WAS GONNA REQUEST SOMETHING SIMILAR BUT I SAW THAT YOUR REQUESTS WERE CLOSED!

sorry about the caps!

Could I request Leo(2012) with a secret S/O(reader) who is quiet and reserved, not because she's shy, but because she just finds it easier to respond with gestures and expressions! Maybe she is very confident and skilled at fighting, but she prefers to work as a hacker.

When they start dating Leo gets a little jumpier when he sneaks out to see her and splinter notices so he confronts Leo about it maybe Mikey overhears and he gets curious so he goes to meet the reader and brings her back to the liar to surprise Leo?

-🍵

(bonus if the reader has a very chill reaction to everything and does not scare easily at all! like the feeling of being jumpscared is foreign to her)

I LOVE THE SECRET LOVER TROPE SO MUCH YA'LL HAVE NO IDEA -

LEO WITH A SECRET HACKER GIRLFRIEND

Ya'll would meet completely and 100% by chance.

He was probably scouting or on patrol or something when he saw you cornered in an alley by some guys that were like, 2× your size.

By the time he got there to help, you had already knocked the last guy down and were dusting yourself off.

Bro just kinda stood there, stunned that you had just done that.

You guys exchanged numbers and kept in touch, becoming friends pretty quick.

Leo thought it was stressful trying to have a secret friend, But when ya'll start dating,

His anxiety goes through the roof.

Obviously Splinter is the first to notice him being so jumpy and secretive.

He won't directly ask Leo about it,

Just quietly observe.

Donnie is the second to suspect about you, and it may have been your fault...

You see, Leo came to ask you for help with some of Baxtor Stockman's files, and you might have accidentally left a small teeny-weeny digital footprint.

Not enough to directly trace back to specifically you,

But enough for Donnie to suspect Leo having outside help.

The real kicker was when Mikey overheard one of Leo's phone calls with you.

He overheard him planning a day to come visit and there was an awful lot of, "Love" and "Angel" being said.

He may or may not have followed Leo to see if he was right, and he was.

One day, Mikey just can't take it anymore, and he shows up on your fire escape to introduce himself.

You were incredibly chill about it, and even agreed to let Mikey take you to the Lair.

When he arrived, he shouted out as loud as he freaking could, "I BROUGHT LEO'S GIRLFRIEEENNNDDD!"

"Leo's what!?"

"You brought who???"

"Mikey!"

Leo tripped over himself running into the room, immediatly he rushed over to you and pulled you off to the side while Donnie and Raph asked Mikey questions.

"What are you doing here?" Leo whispered to you,

You shrugged, and answered in your normal, quiet voice, "Your brother showed up at my apartment and asked if I wanted to meet your family. I texted you about it."

He pulled out his t-phone and saw that he did infact have multiple messages from you. He face palmed, and sighed.

"It's fine. It's about time they met you anyway."

You fiddled with your fingers, "Sorry I didn't talk to you about it, Hun."

Leo shook his head and kissed you on the cheek, "It's ok, Angel. Really, it's fine."

He then turned around to face his brothers, "Guys, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, (Name), these are my brothers."

Donnie moved forward to shake your hand, Raph shoved Leo out of the way to ask you questions and Mikey sat back and enjoyed the chaos he'd created.

Splinter entered the room, amd Leo visibly tensed up.

You greeted him respectfully, and he asked you to follow you to the dojo, leaving Leo to be bombarded by his brothers.

"So, I assume you are who my son was sneaking away to see?"

You nodded, "Probably, sir."

Splinter waved his hand in a dissmisive gesture, "Call me Splinter, 'sir' makes me sound old."

You giggled, "Ok, Splinter."

Leo was so happy you got along well with his family, your relativly chill and reserved attitude contrasted well with his loud and essentric family.

You are now the teams designated "Gal in the chair", as Mikey calls it,

You'll help them with gathering info, breaking into systems etc.

Leo is more than happy to have you around more often, with no more need to sneak around!

.........................................

Voilà! Here you go 🍵 Anon! I hope you enjoyed💕

[skybluewritings]

Last summer part 3, Felix Catton x fem!reader

word count: 2.1 K

Her first dinner at Saltburn had gone as well as she could have hoped. She had worn a lovely teal slip dress that Venetia had immediately complimented her on, she in turn had complimented the girl on a black halter neck she was sporting. They’d only met once and she was looking forward to getting to know her better. Farleigh was also seated at the table, despite how much his teasing sometimes annoyed her she was still glad to see her friend.

Thankfully Elspeth didn’t press anymore for details about her friendship with Felix and oddly asked her questions about her upcoming masters degree. Although the questions were then followed by the story of an orgy Elspeth had experienced on her own masters degree. She had nodded politely throughout the story (she had to admit it was weirdly interesting), Felix and Venetia looked as if they wanted to die. Felix’s father-James, was a little more difficult to make conversation with, she hoped in the next few weeks this would get easier.

 *

The next day they had made plans to hangout by the pool. She wore a short sundress, the straps of her red bikini visibly tied around her neck. She opened the bathroom door, her flipflops slapping against the tiles. She knocked on the door,  there was a moment where no one answered. Felix opened his door, he was wearing sandals and dark swimming trunks.

She couldn’t help her eyes tracing the panes of muscle and his broad shoulders. She’d never seen him completely shirtless and had occasionally wondered what it would look like, nothing could have prepared for the effect it would finally have on her.

 

“My eyes are up here.” He teased.

 

She blinked at him, how long had she gone without speaking? “Uh sorry what-what were you asking me?”

 

He gave her a cheeky grin. “I didn’t ask you anything.”

 

“Let’s just go outside.” She said pushing past him, desperate to put distance between them and the conversation. He laughed at how obviously flustered she had become.

 *

 "Look who finally decided to join us.” Farleigh said cheekily to them.

 

Felix gestured in her direction. “It’s not my fault certain people take years to get ready.”

 

(Name) gasped in outrage. “That is totally unfair! And besides I’m not the one who took ages styling his hair, despite the fact we’re going swimming!” Venetia laughed at the comment.

 

“All the more reason to not splash me.” He replied defensively.

 

“If you think that’s going to stop me you’re wrong.”

 

She pulled off the sundress and tossed it onto one of the loungers behind her leaving her in just the red bikini. Both Farleigh and Venetia wolf whistled at her causing her to laugh flusteredly.

 

She turned to Felix. “Are you getting straight in?..” Her voice trailed off when she noticed how intently Felix was staring at her, a dark pink tint present in his cheeks. She wondered what had caused it?

 

“You look a little flushed are you alright?” She asked moving closer to him to inspect his face.

 

He seemed to snap out of it and swallowed hard. “Yes, I’m perfectly fine.”

 

She reached forward to feel his face. “Are you sure because-“

 

“Wh-what are you-” He dodged her and moved back. “I feel fine, promise.”

 

Her heart sank a little. “Okay, if you insist.” She agreed.

 

She gave him a concerned look before walking past him to jump in the pool. When she emerged to the surface of the cool water, she ran a hand through her hair pushing it away from her face.

 

“Ugh he’s in one of his moods again.” Venetia complained nodding her head towards Felix who was now laid out on one of the loungers book in hand.

 

“He was fine this morning, what could have changed in the past few minutes?” (Name) replied quiet enough for both Venetia and Farleigh to hear.

 

Venetia rolled her eyes. “Knowing him could be anything.”

 

“Should I go check on him?” She asked.

 

Farleigh shook his head. “I wouldn’t worry, he’ll get over it. Just leave him.”

 

She was able to temporarily ignore her worries by chatting away to Venetia and Farleigh, it seemed that light fun conversation was what she needed.

*

After awhile Felix came to sit at the edge of the pool dangling his legs in the water. She swam over to him.

 

She raised her brows. “You finally getting in?”

 

He gave her a small smile that almost didn’t feel real. “Maybe in a minute.”

 

She didn’t instantly reply, instead she nodded at him, gnawing in thought at her bottom lip. “Can you do me a favour and help me out the pool?”

 

“Sure.”

 

He held out his hand to her which she gladly took yanking him forward into the pool, water violently splashing around him. Farleigh and Venetia shrieked with laughter when Felix came up for air. He glared down at her, she pressed her mouth into the back of her hand to supress the laughter that threatened to explode.

 

A snort escaped her. “I’m sorry but come on you have to admit that it’s funny?”

 

“Do you know what’s really funny?” He asked her seriously.

 

Farleigh and Venetia stopped laughing not sure how Felix had taken the joke.

 

“Uh no.” She answered slowly.

 

A wide grin broke out across his face. “Being dunked under water.”

 

A scream left her as he grabbed her, she squirmed in his arms giggling through pleads to be put down. Her back was pressed to his chest as he sunk underwater with her, taking his revenge.

 

*

The rest of the afternoon passed by pleasantly, after they had all grown tired of the pool, they had decided to play cards at the patio table. She had put her sundress back on.

 

“How the fuck do you keep beating me?” Venetia demanded from Farleigh.

 

Farleigh smirked at her. “My mom spent time in Vegas and taught me some tricks.”

 

Venetia threw down her cards. “I don’t want to play if you’re just going to gloat in my face the whole time.”

 

“You being a sore loser doesn’t help.” Farleigh pointed out, she stuck her tongue out at him in response.

 

Felix and (Name) exchanged amused looks.

 

“You too can hardly ever stop making eyes at each other.” Venetia told them.

 

Farleigh made a tutting sound. “You should have seen them at College they always looked five seconds for jumping each other.”  

 

(Name) let out a sigh, choosing to focus on shuffling her cards. “Is every other comment going to be about me and Felix, cause it’s getting boring.”

 

“Not to me it isn’t.” Farleigh hummed making her roll her eyes.

 

(Name) straightened her posture, but felt a sudden stinging sensation coming from her back. “Ow.” She hissed out.

 

“What is it?” Felix asked her.

 

“I think I might be sunburnt.”

 

He looked at her back and nodded. “Yeah you’ve definitely caught the sun. Let’s get you some Aloe Vera, it’s upstairs in the bathroom.”

 

“See you guys in a bit, hopefully my recovery will be speedy.” She said to Farleigh and Venetia.

 

Felix and her got out from the table. Once Felix’s back was turned Farleigh raised a brow at her. ‘Stop’ she mouthed at him, in return he mouthed back ‘no’.

 

*

She leant against the sink whilst Felix rummaged in the cabinet for the Aloe Vera.

 

“Ah here we are!” He said victoriously, handing over a plastic tub.

 

She unscrewed the tub, dipping her fingers into the container. She craned her neck to look at her back in the mirror wincing when she saw the redness. It was thankfully a small patch under her shoulder blade obscured slightly by the strap of her sundress. She tried hard to reach the burn, alternating angles and arms. Eventually she ended up with not only a sore back but a sore neck and shoulders.

 

“Do you want help?”

 

“If you don’t mind!”

 

He took the pot from her and moved to stand behind her. He cleared his throat. “I might need you to remove your dress, it’s in the way.”

 

She peered back at him; his face was once again flushed much like it had been at the pool. It hit her that she was now the cause of it. So did that mean that at the pool he had been-maybe because of her? The realisation made her look away from him.

 

She slipped the straps of the dress down her shoulders, the material of the dress bunched at her waist. This was starting to feel way too intimate. He rubbed the Aloe Vera into her back massaging the muscle as he did.

 

She exhaled contently. “That actually feels kind of good.”

 

“I’m uh glad.” He replied.

 

The coolness of the cream and his warm palms felt incredible. Her nerves of him so close to her gave way to relaxation, her eyes fell shut. It felt like she existed in a peaceful limbo until what sounded like the bathroom door opening.

 

“Oh gosh I’m so terribly sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude.” A panicked voice apologised.

 

Her eyes flicked open, to see a bashful maid clutching a cady containing cleaning products. Of course what was actually happening was completely innocent but to the maid it looked as if he'd been about to undress her. She sprung away from Felix and pulled her dress back up.

 

“I’ll come back later, sorry again.” The poor maid stammered leaving the bathroom.

(Name) looked to her bestfriend her mouth open in shock, he shook his head at a loss for words. She needed some space from him.

"I think I might go have a lie down." She told him pulse racing.

"Sure, I'll see you for dinner." He replied weakly struggling to look at her.

Was she ever going to catch a break?

[sparrowrye]

Demi Demon || Alastor x Reader, A3 part 2

Synopsis: Alastor disappeared for 8 years, leaving you confused, crushed, and angry. You spent those years building up your new self and protecting the haven from dangers left and right. What will happen when he returns to the new changes? Will he return anytime soon? Could you even go back to the way things were?

Previous part

Part 2: constricting deals

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Come on Mrs. Dragon Demon, you really think I don't have cameras everywhere?" Vox remarked from his chair. We were in his dressing room, where there were no visible cameras, and I sat on the other only comfortable chair in the room. We were both exhibiting relaxed, nonchalant behavior. Vox was leaning his screen on his hand while the other tapped or gestured every so often.

I was leaning back in the chair, legs crossed elegantly, and hands folded comfortably in my lap. "You haven't noticed anything strange about trucks going into certain towns or cities?"

I wore the same outfit I always wore when dealing with anything outside the haven. It was the same maroon shirt and gray dress pants I wore when interrogating the women from Blackwater's remaining clan. My Demon attributes were clearly visible, minus my wings, and my face was set in a hard stare.

"Hundreds of trucks go into cities. None of them have Blackwater's symbol on them."

"He--they--wouldn't be that obvious," I reminded.

"Then what do you want me to do?" He turned both palms to the sky in annoyance.

I let out a sigh, showing my own annoyance. "I want you to watch all the trucks that come into major cities and park in suspicious areas and alleys."

"You must have a lot of faith in my abilities." His annoyance turned to smugness, his sharp blue teeth making their appearance. "But I cannot focus my attention on over a hundred cities and towns."

"Just cities. The clan is small so they'll go to places with the most buyers. And you have plenty of souls to do that work for you."

"And why exactly would I do this?" he raised a single eyebrow in question, "This doesn't fall under the terms of our deal."

"Everyone wants to claim victory over Blackwater. You would share that victory with me."

"Now that you've told me how to do it, why would I need to share it with you?"

I abruptly stood up at that. "Need I remind you who actually killed him?" His smile fell. "I don't actually need your help. It would make things easier but I am in no need of your assistance. If you do not wish to be known as one of the Overlords who rid the surface of the last traces of Blackwater, then this conversation is over."

I turned, tail smoothly flicking behind me, and walked to the door. I had grabbed the door handle when he asked, "You consider yourself an Overlord, now?"

There was a pause. "I do. What of it?" I looked over my shoulder, not yet fully facing him.

"I figured you would keep the title open for Alastor's return." He paused. "He has returned, hasn't he? It's been seven years."

"It's been eight, actually." I finally faced him and slid my hands into my pockets. "And no, he hasn't. I will not stand by and wait for him to return. I have more important things to take care of in his absence."

Vox stood from his chair and crossed the room. He put his hands behind his back like Alastor, one of the many traits he purposefully picked up, and said with a smile, "He hasn't even left a note for you?"

"This conversation is about Blackwater, not Alastor," I hissed, baring my teeth, "Will you assist me or will you hide away in your station to let me do all the hard work?"

Again, his smile fell. "I'll let you know if I find anything suspicious." His sarcastic, bothered tone was bothering me.

I nodded and opened the door. Before disappearing down the hall I said, "Give Valentino my regards," and flipped him off.

****

I finished the cold glass of water and placed it quietly in the sink. A vision about Adam being in Nym and Thatcher's room had interrupted a dream. I had immediately checked their room but they were both sound asleep in their own beds. Adam was nowhere in sight.

I noticed my hand shaking as I put the cup in the sink. I gripped the edges of the counter and leaned over, forcefully taking deep breaths to calm myself. It had been awhile since I last shook like this, since I last felt such a strong sense of fear. One day he was going to intervene again and he was going to use Nym and Thatcher. Since I moved them into the house to join the family, I had been very careful to keep them separated from my life outside the haven.

The vision hadn't shown them dying, only him keeping them really close as a threat. That meant I still had the chance to keep them safe when he did come. Why was he going to intervene again? Was I on Heaven's radar now? Had I become as much of a problem as Alastor had? What exactly did they not like about my actions that warranted an intervention? Was it because I was half Angel? Was it because I was successful half Demon?

My questions would remain unanswered.

Finally composing myself, I left the kitchen and stretched out on the couch. Bad nightmares or visions always made it impossible to go back to sleep in my room. I spread out my magic as I drifted into a half sleep, my magic keeping vigil for any unwanted, divine visitors.

The familiar, warm presence of my family surrounded my mind. Their colorful souls lay still as they drifted in their dreams, as did the rest of the haven. The warmth of the sun touched my feet as it tried desperately to squeezed through the curtains. Soon the children would wake up and pull me from a restless sleep.

Yet it wasn't them who woke me up.

Alastor's hallucination came back. It was the fourth time this week he had appeared. I thought I had gotten over his disappearance but the anniversary of it two days ago seemed to send me back twelve steps. My emotions were all over the place and my irritation with Blackwater's legacy was ever growing.

I looked over my shoulder at the hallucination to acknowledge it, which was the first step in dealing with them, then turned back to press my face into the couch.

"I'm back, my love."

My ears pinned back against my head. It had been years since one of his hallucinations spoke. The first two years of it had been torturous for me, sending me up and down and back and forth. It took help from Lucifer to learn how to manage them. Eventually they turned into speechless hallucinations until they no longer plagued me.

But now they were returning. It was getting bad again.

"Go away," I said. It didn't answer me right away.

"Darling?"

"I said go away. I know you're not real." The second step to the speaking hallucination was to repeatedly remind myself it wasn't actually there. "I know you're not real."

"My love I am very real." Those were the exact words his previous ones had spoken, too.

"I just want to sleep. Go away. You're not real."

"My darling, I am real. I am back. I am home." I heard it shuffle and turned to see his hallucination kneeling beside the couch, hand grabbing my shoulder.

I freaked.

I slapped the hand off my shoulder and launched myself backwards off the couch. "No! This isn't happening again!" I scrambled back into the corner of the room and covered myself with my wings. My claws dug dangerously hard into my scalp as I squeezed my eyes shut.

The last time a hallucination had gotten physical, I nearly lost myself to my trapped souls. Had Charlie not come to meet with me about the haven, she wouldn't have gotten her father in time and my own magic and owned souls would have torn me apart.

"You're not real! You're not real! Go away! You can't take me again!" I repeatedly yelled, careful not to be too loud. I didn't want Nym and Thatcher to see me like this. Worst of all, I didn't want them to be unable to see my hallucination. It terrified me when people couldn't see what I could see. It made me feel alone in the struggle, fearful of something that no one could protect me against.

But Lucifer could help. He led me through it last time, he could do it again.

I reached for Reagan's soul and grabbed it. She jerked awake in time to hear my call. Her feet tapped loudly on the wood as she jumped every two stairs. The quick patter of her feet stopped at the entrance of the living room.

"You."

I lowered my wings just enough to see her standing in her night clothes, eyes fixated on Alastor's towering figure near the fireplace.

My wings disappeared as I slowly pushed myself to my knees. My mouth dropped open, my eyes jumped from him to her, and my heart drummed in my ears. She could see him. She could see him.

"You can see him?" I asked quietly. Reagan's eyes were sympathetic at my question.

"My dear, I am real. I am home. This isn't—"

"Get away from her!" Reagan snapped, jumping between me and him. His eyebrows lifted in surprise.

"How long has it been?" he asked carefully, voice restrained and full of radio static.

"Eight fucking years."

There was a pause. "Do not speak to me in such a way." He took a step forward but Reagan didn't move. Once upon a time, she was barely past his hip height and hardly spent five seconds in the same room as him. Now, she stood at his shoulder level going toe to toe with him.

"Then don't treat my mother in such a way," she shot back.

"Mother?" Alastor's eyes fell on my huddled form. He attempted to move past her again but she stepped in his way. He slammed his cane on the floor loudly. "This is a matter between the two of us. Kindly step aside."

"Your disappearance did so much damage that it's become a matter between all of us." She gestured widely, referring to everyone I knew.

As if on cue, Husker walked in the front door. His eyes instantly fell on his old master and his fur stood straight up. "You're back?" he hissed, "Where have you been?"

Alastor was visibly frustrated. "I wish to have a conversation with her alone."

Everyone turned their eyes on me. I had fallen back in the corner with my claws digging into my scalp, whispering to myself that it was just a dream. I would wake up soon. It was just a nightmare.

Time to wake up.

"Look what you've done to her!" Regan pointed a finger at my pathetic, huddled form. "This involves all of us, especially me and Husker, because we're the ones who had to deal with how it affected her."

Deal with?

I glanced at Husker but he wasn't looking at me. Had I been difficult to be around? Everyone kept telling me to rely on them, to talk to them, to not keep everything bottled up. It had become annoying to me that they kept asking so I eventually obliged. Had that been the wrong decision? Had they regretted telling me to open up?

I watched something in Alastor's eyes and demeanor change. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. He said, "This is the last time I ask. Step aside so I can speak with her alone."

Reagan touched her shoulder blades together and lifted her chin defiantly.

"No."

Alastor's shadow slipped from his feet to grab her legs. I launched from the corner as Alcine snatched his shadow away. I morphed into a form halfway between my Demon and Dragon form, claws firmly on either side of Reagan and mouth open in a slimy snarl over her shoulder.

"Do not touch her," I snapped near his face. He stumbled back into the mantle, causing the frame of his mother's picture to shatter on the floor. Something red snapped in my mind, in his mind, a moment before both of us were engulfed in shadows.

I wrestled with his magic and managed to pull myself out and splash into the ocean. I casted myself onto the beach as he manifested. His black tentacles sprouted from his back to grab at my limbs. I changed into my Dragon form and closed my jaws around the tentacles. Several more grabbed at my arms and feet but I casted water to slice them off.

I spun around with my tail outstretched. He disappeared a breath's moment before it contacted his body. My tail slammed painfully into the sharp rocks.

Stop! Stop fighting! Calm down!

My own thoughts had no control over my actions. The most I could do was pull my punches but it wasn't a great amount. I was so angry. It was blinding. It was satisfying. It was dangerous.

He was dangerous.

His presence striked down on my mind and physically slammed my head into the sand with it. I followed his magic and attempted to do the same to him. His mind abruptly closed shut before I could, slingshotting me back into my own body.

He attempted to deprive me of oxygen but that was easy to deflect, forcefully opening my throat and sucking the air in. I felt him manifest behind me and kicked up sand in his face. I heard him yell as his grip on my mind loosened.

I wrenched my head off the ground and lunged for him. My body unwillingly changed into my Demon form before I could reach him. Tentacles grabbed my body and pulled me so hard into the ground that it knocked the wind out of me.

Alastor's magic grabbed my mind more forcefully, enveloping it in his magic and squeezing my veins painfully tight. I contorted in the sand, mouth agape in a silent scream, as he moved to stand beside me.

My anger changed to fury. I pushed against his mind as my body pushed against his tentacles. I attempted magic again but he shut that down instantaneously. My face dug roughly into the sand as I tried to physically wiggle out of the extra limbs to no avail.

Tears streamed down my face at the helplessness, at the hurt, at the rage I was feeling towards someone I cared so much about. I hadn't even realized until he was gone how much I actually cared about him. Our relationship had progressed so far but was stripped away when he disappeared. Struggling in the sand, it felt like we had gone back to when I was first trapped in the house.

"Darling, please hear what I have to say," he tried gently.

"You left me!" I screamed. I dug my heels into the sand further until my claws were separating to a painful degree.

"It was not intentional."

"You did it anyway!" I pressed my chest off the beach, slowly pushing myself to all fours. "Why the hell did you leave me?" The tears wouldn't stop. I looked so pathetic trapped by his magic, sobbing, and screaming. My breathing came in horrible gasped whines.

"If you will calm yourself enough to have a conversation, I can explain myself."

"I have every right to be angry." I managed to lift my head enough to glare up at his red, towering form. His claw was clinging to his microphone, the other arm behind his back. I attempted magic again, this time reaching for his soul. Something sharp and vile grabbed at my own soul in response. My strength was ripped from my grip and I fell back into the sand.

"Do not attempt that again," he commanded.

"I'll do whatever I want." I coughed on inhaled sand. "It's what I've been doing since you left eight years ago."

He let out an irritated sigh. "You are being difficult. I am attempting to be civil so we can properly reunite."

His tentacles were bruising me. "Properly? You didn't properly leave!"

I was pulled up to my knees and he roughly grabbed my chin so we would meet eyes. "This is as painful for me as it is for you. You deserve the right to an explanation. That is what I am attempting to give you."

I jerked my chain out of his grip and stared down at the black appendages. My ears were pinned back and my throat squeezed from another onslaught of tears. I had so much anger still left in me.

He knelt down so we were eye level and held out a red claw. "I have missed you so much, my dear. Please allow me to explain what happened, to explain why I couldn't return sooner."

"Couldn't or wouldn't?" I grumbled, glancing once at his red eyes.

"Couldn't."

I looked at him again. His smile was close-lipped and as small as I had ever seen him able to do. The tears clouded my vision so I dropped my head further, my hair a curtain between both our faces. My anger was dissipating and slowly being replaced with overwhelming sadness.

He withdrew his magic from my mind and his tentacles from my body. I slumped backwards on my tail before repositioning on my heels. I folded my arms in my lap and kept my face downcasted. I had to force my breathing in a steady pattern.

I heard him let out a sigh as he stood up. "I dealt my soul to someone long ago." He came to kneel in front of me again, black clothed knee coming into view. He tried to touch my hand but I pulled it away. He didn't press. "They called upon me and I could not ignore it."

I took a deep breath before asking, "Why didn't you leave a note?"

"It was sudden. I was called and trapped within...something."

"What do you mean?" I lifted my head just enough to see the collar flaps of his coat.

"It was...dark. There was nothing and no one else around me. I suppose you could call it a type of limbo."

I was inclined to believe him. For all eight years I had no way of reaching him in Hell or on the surface. "You couldn't leave?"

"Not until my dealer permitted me so," the answer sounded angry and strained.

"Why did they...do that to you?"

"They wouldn't explain."

That one felt like a lie.

I rubbed my hands up and down my arms, feeling the invisible bruises from our fight. Was this real or would I wake up tomorrow to an empty bed and broken soulbond?

"You were the only thing on my mind," he went on, "I wanted to do nothing more than to return to you. I knew you were suffering on my behalf but I wasn't aware how badly."

"I don't believe you're actually here."

"I am here, my love." He dared a gentle claw on my chin and lifted my eyes to meet his own. "I am real. I am here in front of you. I am home. I will not leave you alone again. That was not fair to you."

I pulled my face away as tears fell down my cheeks. He softly cupped my face with both claws and pulled my head up again. I grabbed his wrists and tried to pull free from his grip.

"Please do not fight me, love."

"You were gone for so long." My voice wavered. "I had to...had to pick myself up and piece it back together again."

"That must've been hard." He drew my face in closer, touching our foreheads despite my attempts to keep away.

"I had to protect the haven. I had to take care of everyone. I had to take care of myself. All on my own."

"You did well."

"I had to live every day like I didn't love you."

"Love me?"

I stopped resisting. My eyes widened, jumping up to see his surprise.

I wrenched my face free from his hands and hopped away. He grabbed my tail and held it long enough to wrap an arm around my waist. My hands closed around his wrists but he was impossibly stronger than me, arms fully encasing me in a tight embrace.

He held my back firmly against his chest as his face rubbed against my red cheek. I dropped my weight but, as expected, it did nothing. His one arm was over my shoulder and holding onto the other while his second arm stayed hooked on my hip. My claws gripped his arms dangerously tight.

"Do you mean that?" I felt his smile against my neck.

"Mean what?" I muttered with a sniffle.

"That you love me."

"I did until you left me." I pushed back into him but all it did was make him take a step back to catch himself.

He placed a kiss on my cheek and it brought me to a screeching halt. "I am sorry I caused you such pain. It was not of my own choosing and I was suffering just the same."

He drew me into his mind just enough to see the vast emptiness. I could only see his red claws and coat. There was no sound, no light, no soul, nothing. It felt cold.

I blinked back to the beach. He unwrapped his arms and I turned around to face him. His smile had no teeth and his eyes looked concerned. I couldn't hear his thoughts but I could feel the ghost traces of something painful.

He placed his hands on my shoulders. "I have missed you so much." He drew one hand up to run the back of his knuckles along my cheek, just like he used to do. "May I kiss you?"

I almost laughed. Blunt and forthcoming. That was the way of Alastor.

My nod was so small I worried he didn't see it. A second later, though, he leaned down to press his warm lips into mine. His claws hooked on that sweet spot behind my jaw and under my ear, pulling me further into the kiss. A jolt of excitement coursed through my body.

It felt foreign yet familiar. Warmth radiated off him as if it were sun stroking my cheek. His hair brushed against my forehead and his lips moved ever slightly against mine.

He pulled away too soon and placed a soft kiss on my forehead. Something unraveled in me.

I dropped my head as I choked on a sob. He put a hand on the back of my head as the other drew me in from behind. I fisted the back of his coat, face pressing firmly into his chest. I could barely smell his sweet, smokey wood scent through my clogged nose.

My whole body shook with every sob. The tears were releasing every possible emotion and feeling I had stored away so deeply for so long. The anger, the sadness, the confusion, the relief, all of it. It hurt my head and turned everything white when I coughed on my own spit.

"You will make yourself sick, darling." He pulled me away just enough to look down at my wet face. He used magic to dampen the overwhelming feelings, drying my face, unclogging my nose, and easing the headache.

"I've been through worse," I gurgled.

"You won't have to face anything alone, anymore." He kissed my forehead again.

I sniffed on nothing. "I wasn't done crying, you know."

"I know." He pulled me in for another hug. This time I drew in long, deep breaths of his scent. I heard him do the same on the top of my head. "But I need you to calm a raging teenager before she reaches us."

I looked over my shoulder to see Reagan sprinting up the beach. I didn't realize how far we had gone from the house. I could see it sitting on the cliffside but the haven wasn't visible from here. We were on the uninhabited side.

"She's not a teenager anymore. She's twenty-one now." I saw Husker flapping from the land side.

"Good thing Humans don't live long."

I pulled out of his embrace and crossed my arms. "I have half the mind to let her rip you apart on my behalf."

"That would not be ideal," he remarked gently.

I smiled despite myself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author's Note:

Ta daaaaa

I wrote this scene like four different times before I settled on this version

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taglist:

@wendigonamecaller @saccharine-nectarine @thesimpybitch @papas-ghoulette @masochist-downfall

[antighst]

okay bc like, könig & gaz are such wingsmen i ain’t gonna lie ✊✊

summary könig and gaz helping you get with someone but ghosty boy intervenes

tags platonic!könig x reader, platonic!gaz x reader, jealous!ghost x reader, gaz and konig snickering, suggestive at the end !!

guys please this is so baddd!! also not proof read.

“Gaz.” konig deadpanned, he grabbed his shoulder facing him towards ghost in the corner nodding along to something soap is saying but his eyes followed you in the crowd.

“oh, come on konig! nothings going to happen between the two. they’re… how do i say it.. idiots! they’re idiots.” he mused, laughing at himself.

konig and gaz moved their eyes to you, watching as you apologized to some man who ran into you, quickly passing through until you reached the man you were talking about with konig and gaz a couple minutes prior.

you sat at the bar, eyes roaming in the sea of people, your gaze stuck on simon riley, a couple seconds too long. you groaned, “i need to get laid.”

konig and gaz instantly turned to you, confusion settling on gaz’s visible face. konig sighed “i’m not sure ghost would “keep the mask on”” he put air quotes on the last part.

“no!” you instantly defended yourself, you took the last sip of your drink, placing the glass down with a nice clink “i need to get laid so i can fall hopelessly in love with someone else.”

“sweetheart, mmm. no.”

gaz nodded, agreeing with konig, “what kind of friends would we be if we let some random dude “go down on you—“”

“stop quoting me!” you groaned.

“you talk about simon far too much.”

“ha. ha.”

konig looked at ghost, then scanned the room, eyes landing on some man against the wall in front of him. “okay how about him?” he asked, pointing, “he looks like he is a respectable man.”

you and gaz both turned to the man, he looked nice, obviously well dressed, hair looked nice and clean. no ring on his left hand.

gaz patted your back ushering you off the chair. “go. shoo.”

konig gave you a high five as you passed him. “remember. one and done. if you need help. yell gaz or something.”

“why my name?”

“i don’t know. it’s easier to yell..?”

“of course, you would know.”

konig tilted his head, brows furrowing under the mask, “are you flirting with me?”

“no?!”

ghost watched you make your way through people, nodding his head every so often when soap said something.

you made your way up to some guy at the wall of the bar, his eyes checking out your body almost as soon as you got there.

ghost watched you for about ten - twenty minutes before he saw the man place his hand on your hip gesturing to the bathroom to the left of you.

“dude, ghost? are you listening to me?” soap asked

“hold on.”

konig and gaz gagged at the sight of that man motioning to the bathroom. “konig, you said he looked respectable.”

“look at his clothes gaz. i didn’t know he was willing to strip in a bathroom!”

gaz watched you kindly take his hand off your hip, your genuine laugh become a nervous one, and you backing up a bit looking around for some help.

gaz hit the back of his hand on konigs chest, signaling the obvious discomfort. konig started moving before he saw ghost make his way towards you.

“konig what the hell. go!”

“no wait, look.”

gaz saw simons long stride to you, “oh what a shit show this is gonna be.”

the two sat back in their seat, turning to you.. and ghost.

“hey no mhm, sorry i must’ve mistaken you for someone else.” you nervously laughed backing up a bit.

“no, i don’t think you did.” the man replied, continuing to look you up and down. “why don’t we just get this over with and you can go back to your buddies over there—“

“babe!”

both of your heads turned to the side. ghost.

oh you loved this man. his timing… impeccable.

“what are you doing?” simon asked, his hand going to the small of your back.

“i—“ you stuttered, eyes moving between the two men.

“hey man, she was all up on me.”

“and you’re practically sober. she obviously isn’t. don’t be a fuckin creep next time.” simon deadpanned, grabbing your torso pushing you away from the man.

“hi ghost.”

“yeah, hi lovie.”

oh that nickname. that damn nickname.

ghost took you to a spot in the bar, not as loud and filled with people as the other areas.

“okay, what were you doing?” ghost asked.

“i don’t know.”

“did you want something out of that.” he asked, again.

“i don’t know.” you groaned this time a hand coming to your forehead. “i was being stupid—“

“damn right.”

“i’m not even drunk.”

“i know, i was trying to help you.”

“i— thank you.” you offered him a smile, a genuine smile. “seriously. thank you. when we— i, when i first saw him he looked nice and respectable.”

“we?”

“there’s no we. i. me. alone.” you glare at him, “i didnt think he would want to do it in the damn bathroom.”

“do you did want something out of it.”

“this feels like an interrogation.” you mused. a small laugh creeping up. it quickly dying down at the sight of his mask. “sorry.”

“was it a dare?” he asked, leaning his whole back on the wall now. “did konig and gaz dare you to be an idiot?”

“what? no!”

“okay then what—“

“i wanted to see if it could help me get over you.” you blurted out, taking a step back.

konig and gaz watched you and ghost talk. his hands grabbing your hips pulling you back into him, simon whispering something in your ear.

“oh shit, konig.” gaz placed a hand on his own chest letting out a laugh. “what the fuck.”

“oh boy.”

the two watched as simon took you out of the bar.

“they’re totally gonna have sex”

“definitely.”

[chrollohearttags]

four letter word • reiner braun

romance didn’t come easy and learning was even harder but he’d do everything he could to make sure you felt loved.

no hardcore warnings, mainly fluff and a little angst (.1 second sex mention). Self indulgent because my lil aro ass is feeling dysphoric and moody tonight 🥺

“Whaddaya think, sugar? You like it?”

“It’s beautiful…”

you were speechless, at a loss for words for a better lack of terms. Tonight was like any other that you had shared with your partner of six months and some change, Reiner. Seated on the tailgate of his pickup, gazing at the stars above as he cradled you close with his arm and jacket draped across your shoulders. Out in the miles of fields and grassland that he and his hands tended to on the daily. For this particular occasion, your anniversary, he had littered the greenery with your favorite flowers and surrounded them with lights that spelled out three words ‘I love you.’ A very sentimental and shocking gesture to say the least. Not one person in your lifetime had ever even thought to do such a thing. On top of the amazing dinner at one of your favorite places and the countless other gifts. You were thankful…beyond blessed to have someone like him in your life.

“Well I wanted to do somethin’ special for ya’..”

“Special is understatement, pumpkin. I think you’ve outdone yourself..thank you..”

however, as the words left your mouth, Reiner couldn’t help but to note the faintest glimmer of gloom in your eyes. Underneath the pale moonlight, he’d gently reach for your chin and tip your face up towards his. You looked beautiful; a vision of pure perfection to him but even so, underneath your makeup and beaming smile, he could tell that something was amiss. So he decided to test his looking theory and utter the phrase he had been waiting to say all night:

“Of course, poundcake. I’d do anything to see ya’ smile. I love you, (y/n).”

it was then, whilst holding your face, he’d feel you tense up within in his grasp and the visible reaction spread across your face. You always did it..hesitated when he confessed his admiration for you. It wasn’t for a lack of feeling the same. You cared deeply for him..more so than any man who’d ever come into your life. But no matter how many times he told you, how many touches he bared and the kisses he gave you, you still found it difficult to mimic the words back. This was something he knew when he met you. That dating, relationships…it was all a challenge for you. He hadn’t had many partners in his own life either so he understood but it didn’t make it easier to quell his overly affectionate urges. Even so, he wanted to make you happy and he’d be as patient as possible to ensure you were comfortable. But you still felt bad! You felt as if you’d failed him as a partner. You were trying your hardest to but it felt like the words just caught in the back of your throat each time.

“..you did it again.”

“What?”

to which he’d only respond with a rather stern and somber look and you couldn’t take it. You’d begin to tear up a little before bursting into laughter. Which confused him all the same! “God, I suck. Don’t I?” “Of course not, baby! Why would you say that?!”

you knew he was trying to see the best in the situation as he’d always done but you couldn’t forgive yourself for nearly ruining this entire night. Not when he put so much thought into it. Not when he spent every single day living only to treat you like the queen you were! But just as you’d begin to cry, he’d gently brush a thumb over your cheek and continue to reassure you as he had done time and again before. “(Y/N). I know this is all new to ya’ and it’s hard. I know you’re trying your best and that ya’ care for me too. I feel it every single day..in the things you do for me. The food you make me on my lunch break, the little gifts ya’ buy me..and especially that thing you do with your tongue and the whipped cream—“ earning him a playful slap to the shoulder. “My point is, just because you don’t express it in the way everybody else does, doesn’t mean you don’t care. And it damn sure doesn’t mean that I love you any less. I couldn’t stop doing that if I tried.”

and if you weren’t already an emotional wreck prior, you were done for now! Wiping away those few strays, you’d begin to cheer up, feeling relief that he didn’t resent you for your romantic displays or lack thereof..no matter what, he wasn’t going anywhere! Not for now and not for a million lifetimes. You guys were in it for the long haul..reaching over, he’d pull you into a big embrace and eventually, a passionate kiss, leaving you with a peck to your forehead. “I love you, Rei..so much.” And he’d never let you forget that he felt the same! Now that that was all settled, he just had one more pressing matter to address:

“Now…speaking of that whipped cream—“ asking with his face tip downward as he eyed you and you’d merely shake your head and laugh.

“Hold on, papa. We just had dinner. Gonna have to wait a lil’ bit for dessert now.”

[macbethsymphony]

The Swordsman and the Blacksmith | Chapter 6

Roronoa Zoro x Reader

Chapter wc: 3k

Chapter rating: SFW

Content/Warnings: NSFW, 18+, Fem!Reader, Enemies to lovers, SLOW slow burn, Eventual smut

Summary: Your skills as a blacksmith have made you desirable to both the government and pirates. You know you have to leave this island if you want to escape your fate, but that doesn't make the choice of leaving any easier. Roronoa Zoro is intrigued by your skills as a blacksmith. Your work is like nothing he's ever seen before. Unfortunately, you're hot-headed and he's rude and you both definitely hate each other.

Chapters [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Masterlist

Slowly crossposting from AO3 Feel like binging the rest of it? it's all there!

Chapter 6: A Heist Gone Wrong: Part 1

It was the ass crack of dawn when Nami's unceremonious shake roused you from slumber. The determination in her eyes shut any protest you had right out of your mouth. She hastily guided you to the galley as you fought the sleep off your limbs. As you stepped inside, you were met with an unmistakable aura of anticipation. Each member of the crew focused and awake, their eagerness to embark on this new adventure palpable in the air. You poured yourself a cup of coffee, muffling a yawn as you sat down in your usual seat.

Nami swiftly took charge, unfolding a map on the table. Her voice cut through the idle chatter like a blade, demanding attention. "Listen up, everyone," she commanded, her tone unwavering. "We're on a tight schedule, and our success hinges on flawless execution." With a decisive gesture, she produced a hat filled with slips of paper, each containing a number. "Everybody take one," she instructed, her gaze firm. "We need to form teams."

The hat passed from hand to hand, finally settling on you. With a deep breath, you reached into the hat, fingers brushing against the slips of paper until you found one. Pulling it out, you unfolded it to reveal the number 2 scrawled in bold print. A sense of anticipation mingled with your nervous energy as the realization that you were about to infiltrate a Navy base hit you. You passed the hat on to Chopper, sitting next to you.

Nami’s eyes scanned the room, her expression expectant as she waited for everyone to draw their fate. As the last paper was chosen, she nodded in satisfaction. “Alright, who’s team 1?” She asked.

“Me!” Luffy and Sanji, said in unison.

“You’re on food duty. Like usual, try to bring back as much as you can.” She said. “Team 2?”

You hesitantly raised your hand, watching your surroundings in search of who was going to be your partner. The swordsman visibly scowled before saying “Me.”

You matched his expression.

Nami couldn’t help the amused smirk on her face at the twist of fate. “You two, are in charge of retrieving these medical supplies.” She handed you a list. Chopper’s clear handwriting outlining the equipment and supplies he needed. “There isn’t too much on there so it should be easy enough to do as a first mission with us.” She said with a reassuring smile. “Just make sure to keep an eye on Zoro so he doesn’t get lost.” She added with a playful wink, eliciting a grunt of protest from the swordsman.

“I will?” You agreed, question in your tone.

“I won’t get lost” Zoro retorted voice still rough with sleep.

Nami rolled her eyes at his comment. “Just trust me, don’t let him get out of your sight, alright?”

You nodded.

Satisfied, Nami continued. “Who’s on team 3 with me?” She asked.

“That would be me” Brook shot his hand up.

The smile on Nami’s face was downright evil as she said. “We’re in charge of the treasury.” She didn’t have to say more, understanding flowed between her and the skeleton.

“Aye, aye, Nami-san! Let’s make sure not to leave a single Berry behind!” He chimed in, bony fingers tapping excitedly on the wooden table in a rhythmic manner.

She seemed pleased with the answer. “Good! Team 4, you’re in charge of the distraction. Make sure they don’t see us leaving.”

“Leave it to us!” Franky said with a booming voice pointing at him and Robin.

“That leaves Chopper and Usopp, you guys make sure to keep the Sunny safe and sound.” She instructed. “Now, here’s how we’re going to go about it.” She pointed at a spot in the makeshift map. “Franky, you’re going to take the Mini Merry and bring each team to this entrance. If we’re quick enough about it, they shouldn’t notice anything through the shift rotation.” She explained. “The kitchen should be around here, and the infirmary around here.” She pointed at two different points on the map.

You took a mental note of the rough directions you’d have to follow.

"Now, let's get suited up!" Nami declared, her voice commanding as she put down a stack of Marine uniforms atop the map. With efficient movements, she distributed the attires, handing you and Zoro a nurse and doctor’s uniform respectively.

As you unfolded the short pink dress and apron, a small hat tumbled to the ground, eliciting an incredulous remark under your breath. "You can't be serious," you muttered, eyeing the costume with a mixture of disbelief and resignation.

Nami offered a sympathetic smile in response to your incredulity. "Come on, guys, we're leaving in 15 minutes!" she reminded, her tone laced with urgency.

Zoro grumbled unintelligibly as he reluctantly began to strip off his usual attire, joining the other men in the men’s quarters. With a resigned sigh, you headed back to the women's quarters to change, the fabric of the absurd outfit feeling uncomfortably tight against your skin. Clearly tailored to fit Nami and Robin's curves, it left you feeling constrained and awkward.

As Nami helped you tie the apron into a neat bow at your back, you couldn't help but voice your discontent. "Next time, I swear I'm the one playing doctor. Put the idiot in the skimpy nurse outfit instead." you grumbled, the absurdity of the idea not lost on you.

Nami laughed, her amusement infectious as she offered an apologetic shrug. "Sorry, (Y/n), but sometimes we have to make do with what we've got," she replied, adjusting her own uniform with practiced ease.

Robin chimed in with a chuckle, her gaze soft as she looked at you through the reflection in the mirror. "Don't worry too much about it. Besides, you look absolutely adorable," she reassured, her tone gentle.

Rolling your eyes at the compliment, you couldn't help but smirk slightly. "Adorable until I have to run for my fucking life through a Marine base in this," you retorted bitterly.

Nami's laughter only grew louder at your remark, the sound echoing through the room. With the final touches to your attire complete, you hurried back to your forge, hesitantly grabbing Yokubari before rejoining the crew on deck.

Zoro emerged from the men’s quarters, looking less than pleased with his attire. His bright green hair was concealed under a doctor’s cap, the stethoscope draped around his neck seemed entirely out of place. His swords protruded awkwardly beneath the clearly too tight doctor's coat. The swordsman’s scowl deepened as he took in your form but despite his clear discontent, he took his place next to you without protest. You let out a sigh, his own getup somehow making yours feel a little less awkward.

You were about to ask the swordsman your usual question when Sanji's voice cut through the tension, his flirtatious charm in full swing. You couldn't help but roll your eyes shyly at his predictable antics. "(Y/n)-chwan! You're a vision straight out of paradise," he crooned, his gaze fixated on you with unabashed admiration.

Zoro's muttered curse next to you only added to the amusement, his irritation palpable as he shot a scowl in Sanji's direction. "Freaking pervy cook," he grumbled under his breath, his exasperation evident in his tone.

Amidst the banter, Franky's booming voice rang out from the Mini Merry below, announcing their readiness for action. "Alright, everyone! The Mini Merry is all set to go!" he called out, his marine attire contrasting with the usual flamboyance of his style.

Let's go, Sanji!" Luffy shouted eagerly, the chef still twirling around you in exaggerated admiration. When Sanji failed to respond, Luffy’s arm shot up from below, seizing him by the collar and hauling him down on the small ship, leaving the deck feeling silent.

Left standing awkwardly next to each other, you and Zoro exchanged a glance, the tension between you momentarily broken by the absurdity of the situation. The soft hum of the steam engine filled the air as the Mini Merry set off towards its destination, each rhythmic thud of the waves against the hull a reminder of the impending mission.

It didn’t take long for the small boat to return, cutting through the water with precision as it reapproached the ship. Nami's voice carried across the deck, calling out to you and Zoro with a sense of urgency. "Hurry up, you two! Get on board!" she commanded, her tone leaving no room for hesitation.

You exchanged a quick glance with Zoro before heading down the ladder.

"Don't screw this up, witch," Zoro's remark cut through the air with the sharpness of his tone, his gaze piercing as he looked down at you from above.

Your indignation flared instantly at his words. "Huh?" you screeched in disbelief, the insult stinging your pride. But before you could unleash a retort, Zoro had already leaped down onto the smaller boat, his movements nonchalant.

"Freaking asshole! What's that supposed to mean, 'don't mess this up'?" you shot back angrily as you followed suit, stepping onto the wobbly surface of the Mini Merry.

Franky wasted no time, guiding the boat swiftly toward the island once more, his focus unwavering.

"You heard me loud and clear," Zoro retorted with a smirk, his expression unapologetic.

"Cut it out, you two," Franky interjected, his tone firm as he glanced back at you both. "Save the bickering for later. Sound carries over water."

You glared at the swordsman, hoping it carried all the colorful words you wanted to throw at him in this moment.

He ignored you.

Stepping onto the firm ground with angry strides, you couldn't help but watch in disbelief as Zoro sauntered past the glaringly obvious entrance. With sudden urgency, you hurried after him, catching up to the swordsman with determined strides.

"Zoro, wait!" You called out his name, an unusual sound on your lips, your voice a mixture of frustration and urgency. "We're supposed to go this way," you insisted, gesturing towards the clear entrance to the base.

The swordsman paused, his expression a mix of annoyance and begrudging acceptance as he followed your lead, allowing you to guide him towards the correct path.

“Just so you know, I knew exactly where I was going” He said as you closed the door softly behind you.

“You can’t be serious, the door was right there!” You retorted in amazement, sprinting to match his pace down the cold empty corridor.

“I wasn’t lost, witch” He said with certainty.

“What the fuck is your problem, swordsman?” You snapped, whisper shouting at him.

He looked down at you unimpressed. “My problem? Maybe if you stopped being such a pain in the ass, I wouldn’t have one.” He whispered back at you, his pace increasingly fast as he navigated through the corridors. You followed suit with quick strides.

You scoffed, feeling the anger bubbling inside you. “Oh, poor Mr. Brooding swordsman! Maybe if you weren’t so damned stubborn, we could have a civil conversation for once!”

Zoro’s eye narrowed, a dangerous glint flickering in his gaze. “Civil conversation? Ha! That’s rich, coming from you.”

You both took a quick turn, the end of the corridor was a dead end.

You blanched as realization hit you.

You were lost.

“Shit!” You swore under your breath. “This is all your fault” you barked at him, uncaring how loud you were being in the moment.

Zoro's gaze hardened as he turned to face you, his irritation palpable. "My fault?" he retorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he continued. "Last time I checked, you were the one who was leading the way."

You bristled at his accusation, the tension between you reaching a boiling point as frustration threatened to consume both of you. "I was following you! You bastard!" you shot back, your voice rising with each word.

Zoro's jaw clenched visibly, his temper flaring as he took a step closer to you, his proximity heightening the intensity of the confrontation. "Listen, witch," he growled, his tone low and menacing. "We don’t have time for your temper tantrums.”

“Fuck!” Your voice reverberated against the walls. YOUR temper tantrums? He was the one behaving like a fucking child!! “Fine, but this isn’t over, you asshole.” You whispered violently back at him. You took a deep breath, forcing yourself to calm down. “We need a map.” You admitted after a few seconds.

“Agreed.” He said, crossing his arms.

“This is a marine base. There has to be a map plastered on some wall somewhere.” You said thinking hard on how you could salvage this major fuck up. “I say we go back on our steps and figure this out.”

Zoro's nod of acknowledgment eased the tension between you slightly as you both turned back towards the intersection. Your heart raced with a mix of frustration and urgency as you struggled to recall the path you had just taken. The haze of anger had clouded your memory, leaving you disoriented in the labyrinthine corridors of the marine base.

Glancing down both sides of the corridor, you weighed your options. To your left, the passage ended abruptly in a dead end, while to the right, it seemed to stretch on indefinitely. With a determined breath, you formulated a plan.

"You go check if there's a map on the left, I'll check the right. We regroup right here, understood?" you instructed Zoro, your voice firm with determination.

He grunted in approval, his gaze meeting yours with a silent understanding of the task at hand. You watched him go, ensuring he headed in the right direction before turning your attention to your own task.

Scouring the walls for any sign of a map, you felt a pang of frustration as you came up empty-handed. Sighing in resignation, you turned back towards the intersection, expecting to find Zoro waiting for you.

But he wasn't there.

Panic surged through you as you scanned the empty corridor, the realization sinking in that Zoro had vanished from sight. It was impossible, there were only dead ends that way. He couldn’t have taken a wrong turn. Had he encountered trouble? No. If it had been trouble, you would have heard something.

Heart pounding, you retraced your steps, racing back to the intersection in search of any sign of the swordsman. But the corridor remained eerily silent, devoid of any trace of Zoro's presence.

You frantically opened door after door, hoping that it was some kind of bad joke.

“Swordsman, this isn’t fucking funny” You said in the void.

No answer.

“Zoro! Get back here!” You said, voice reverberating in the silence of dawn.

Still nothing.

You grit your teeth. Nami had warned you but still, how could someone get themselves lost when there was nowhere to go? Your mind raced with worry as you desperately called out Zoro's name every few steps, each echo bouncing back to you. But there was no response, no sign of the swordsman returning. The bastard had vanished into thin air, leaving you alone in the maze-like base.

With a frustrated growl, you clenched your fists, fighting back the rising panic threatening to overwhelm you. Taking a deep breath to steady your nerves, you made a decision. You couldn't afford to stay rooted in one spot, hoping for the swordsman to miraculously reappear. You had a mission to complete, and every wasted moment increased the risk of discovery by the marines.

Pushing aside your concern for the asshole, you squared your shoulders and pressed forward, determination driving you to find the medical supplies on Chopper's list. Each step forward felt like a leap into the unknown, the silence of the base amplifying the sound of your own footsteps.

As you navigated the winding corridors, you kept a vigilant eye out for any sign of a map or the infirmary. The minutes stretched into what felt like hours, the oppressive atmosphere of the base weighing heavily on your shoulders as you prayed you wouldn’t encounter anyone.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of searching, you stumbled upon a door marked with a red cross, a faint glimmer of hope igniting within you. You pushed open the door and stepped into the dimly lit room beyond.

The infirmary was surprisingly well-equipped, rows of medical supplies neatly organized on shelves lining the walls. Your heart leaped with relief as you saw no one in sight.

With a sense of urgency, you retrieved the list from the small pocket nestled against your breast, your eyes scanning its contents with rapid precision. Each item was committed to memory as you mentally checked off the necessary supplies, your focus unwavering despite the mounting tension in the air.

You set Yokubari of a small wooden desk before facing the multitude of shelves before you.

As you approached the rows of neatly organized bottles, your hands moved with efficiency, selecting each item with careful consideration. The soft thump of your heart was loud in your ears as you added each bottle in the small bag Nami had entrusted to you.

That was it! You felt a small sense of accomplishment wash over you, at the completed task. You reviewed the list once again for good measure.

Gauze.

You’d forgotten gauze.

Frantically, you scanned the shelves, searching for the missing item, but it was nowhere to be found. Something moved in the corner of your eye. Then a sharp pain in your neck. You turned back in shock.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" a deep voice cut through the air like a knife. A man in a lab coat was staring down at you, a syringe in his hand.

Panic seized you, stumbling backwards, you felt your legs give way beneath you. The tips of your fingers felt numb, but your mind was still sharp. With a trembling hand, you reached for your sword, the familiar weight providing a sliver of reassurance amidst the chaos.

In a desperate bid for survival, you drew upon the depths of your strength, unsheathing Yokubari. Its haki instantly dominated your mind, taking over your senses. A wave of power rippled through the air, the man instantly dropped down unconscious in the wake of its power.

Good. He wouldn’t be able to sound the alarm. Everyone was still safe.

Yokubari clattered to the ground instants before you did. You tried to get up unsuccessfully.

Fuck.

Everything felt numb.

Fuck.

You’d messed up.

Fuck.

← Previous Chapter | Next Chapter →

Masterlist

[trashytoastboi]

Hi mate! :D If ya have time, Can i ask hcs for Hawkins, Law, Kid and Killer reacting to seeing s/o's face for the first time?, (male, pirate ally s/o) Since his very conscious of the big scar on his forehead reaching to his chin and why he always wear a mask

Hiya! Of course! Sorry for the long wait on this and hope you enjoy 🍞🍀

Headcanons: Hawkins, Law, Kid, Killer x Male! S/O – Reacting to seeing their S/O's face for the first time

(Male Pronouns)

Basil Hawkins

🔮 {Name} and Hawkins had hit it off so well that Hawkins fell pretty hard in a short amount of time. He truly was so charmed by {Name}, his personality and his little quirks or his witty sense of humour all became points that Hawkins really enjoyed about his partner. Some people brought up the curious question if Hawkins had even seen {Name’s} face as having it constantly covered created a very mysterious impression of him. 

🔮 The mask did have some difficulties such as eating and drinking restrictions, {Name} mostly ate by himself as the mask was not flexible enough to eat with it on. Hawkins never really minded so long as {Name} was comfortable. Hawkins being himself over held immense curiosity for anything unknown to him. Earlier on in the relationship he had the impulsivity to ask his cards for reason, even considering scrying to learn of {Name’s} appearance. Though he decided against it in respect for his partner. 

🔮 {Name} cautiously looked around the room, making sure no one was around before he took off his mask. Desperately needing a drink of water to ease his thirst in the oppressive heat wave. The mask was hot enough without the heat wave making it feel like an oven. His face was covered in sweat and he felt like he could breathe properly. {Name} reached for a towel to wipe the sweat, failing to notice when Hawkins had walked into the room and for the first time locked eyes with his partner without the mask. 

🔮 Hawkins is surprised to see {Name’s} face. By all means he really found {Name} attractive, but seeing how he panicked and tried to cover his face made Hawkins worry. “I didn’t want you to see it…” {Name} murmured sadly. The thing in mention was a rather prominent scar on his face, one that ran along the length of his face. So many people avoided {Name} and mocked his appearance that it became easier to conceal everything. He grew to hate his reflection just for the sight that was reflected back. He always assumed that others would hold an even harsher outlook. 

🔮 Hating oneself was not exactly a foreign concept to Hawkins, and while he could say from where he stood that {Name} shouldn’t have minded the comments of others he knew it was not as simple when on the receiving end. {Name} tried to awkwardly shuffle to where he left his mask and ended up tripping due to the poor visibility. Hawkins helped {Name} up and passed his mask to him. Hawkins felt a sliver of happiness finally being able to see the face of the one he so dearly loves, but his happiness is irrelevant if it caused {Name} so much distress. 

🔮 {Name} secured his mask on. Hawkins placed a kiss on the mask, an affectionate gesture the two of them developed. “I know it’s hard for you my love, but truly, you are still so beautiful in my eyes” Hawkins awkwardly said, attempting to comfort {Name}. Seeing his efforts really made {Name} happy, he felt a little more trusting and confident in slowly getting used to the idea of showing his face a little more around Hawkins. 

Trafalgar Law

🍄 Seeing someone with an out of ordinary fashion sense, was actually pretty normal amongst the various pirates. {Name} didn’t stand out even when wearing a mask that entirely concealed his face. Law is a very thoughtful person, physical appearance didn’t hold the first and foremost consideration of his partners. He wanted someone who resonated with him on an intellectual and emotional level. 

🍄 {Name} had yet to work up the courage to show Law his face. {Name} knew Law, and knew that Law most likely wouldn’t react badly when he discovered the scar on his face. {Name} flinched every time he thought about revealing his face. Picturing Law’s disgusted face or his expression when he saw his scar, {Name} pulled himself back and away from the idea of showing his face. 

🍄 Unfortunate for {Name} but a situation in which Law saw his face did arise. Law noticed his partner being out of sorts that in turn led to discovering that [Name} caught a cold and was running a very bad fever. Law had the savvy to get {Name} to bed to rest as quickly as possible. Law insisted on him removing his mask so he could have water, medication, and breathe properly without the masks’ obstruction. Law was not in any way rude about it, but was a bit forceful purely out of worry for {Name}, he did offer to leave the room or turn around if it would make {Name} feel better. 

🍄 {Name} could feel the genuine concern from Law over his health and decided to remove his mask. The entire lead up felt nerve wracking, so much so he wanted to hide or cry. It had been so long since anyone saw his face, and {Name} dreaded the idea of Law feeling repulsed by his appearance. After he removed his mask he averted his gaze, waiting for the gasp of shock and horror. {Name} felt a cool hand press against his forehead. “Your temperature is really high.” Law stated with a worried tone. 

🍄 Law smiled softly, his hand cradling {Name’s} face. He understood {Name’s} hesitance to show his face due to the large scar that ran from his forehead to his chin. A rather deep and grizzly scar that more than anything had Law concerned over how badly it must have hurt {Name.} Not only in the physical sense but in the psychological sense to completely conceal his face for years. Without thinking Law leaned in and softly kissed the scar, {Name} backed away slightly out of surprise. 

🍄 {Name} felt so reassured that all of his worry and expectation was shattered by Law’s honest and gentle affections. Law didn’t flinch or think it was disgusting, rather he showed concern and sadness for the reasons that had to do with his care for {Name}. Law comforted him with constant reassurance and telling him how handsome he looked. It created a safe space where {Name} slowly felt he could be accepted and grew comfortable enough to start removing his mask around Law.

Eustass Kid

🛠 Kid is direct and insistent that even if he didn’t care about {Name’s} face since he already liked him, he still wanted to sate his deep rooted curiosity of seeing {Name’s} face. Kid would never force {Name} to show Kid his face, but still he sometimes would tell {Name} about the kind of ideas he formed in his mind of his appearance. The lizard man was an interesting theory but {Name} did outright deny that one. To give Kid a crumb, something hopefully enough to satiate his curiosity {Name} explained how he looked, his features, some random marks or how some people have commented on his appearance. 

🛠 “So you’re a handsome bastard and you’re bragging about it?” Kid replied after his takeaway from {Name’s} explanation. “I also have a really large scar…It doesn’t look so nice…” {Name} explained running his fingers over the mask where his scar lay underneath. Kid stared at him with absolute shock, he frantically gestured to his face showing off his own scars. “So you don’t like my scars?” He asked, {Name} stumbled over his words saying it was different. 

🛠 “How so?” Kid questioned, well it came apparent in the way they regarded their scars. Kid wore them proudly, boasted the fact that he clashed head on with an emperor of the sea and survived with his life, one arm lighter and covered in the evidence tattered all over his body. Even if it hurt, it stung his pride that he lost in the first place he turned them into his point of pride. [Name} was the opposite, his scar became a point of insecurity and shame, he covered it and hid it away from others and himself. 

🛠 “So, are you going to show me or what?” Kid grinned, almost trying to challenge {Name}. Well, nothing to lose, Kid was practically covered in scars and it probably wouldn’t be anything new for him to see. {Name} slowly removed his mask, feeling awkward and a little regretful that he gave into Kid’s provocations so easily. Kid closed the distance to look at {Name’s} face from close up. Kid sighed. “It’s a crime covering up a face like that. Your scar barely affects how good looking you are.”  

🛠 “What..?” he muttered, confused over what Kid said so plainly. Kid’s hand grabbed {Name’s} face and pulled him into an unexpected and deep kiss. Kid grinned, “I’ve been wanting to do that for a while now.” {Name} could feel the heat rising to his face, trying to process the last few minutes of compliments and the sudden kiss. “Oh? You can make a face like that huh?” Kid jeered, his grin only growing wider as he loved seeing the diverse reactions {Name} had to offer. 

🛠 Kid made a point of asking and encouraging {Name} to have his mask off around him, of course he relentlessly teased and flirted with {Name} including a stolen kiss or two. Kid’s abrupt and nonchalant attitude towards {Name’s} scar actually made him feel better about it, realizing that it did not encompass everything about him. There was so much more to him that just appearance and with Kid’s constant comments about how {Name} is actually good looking. 

Killer

🍜 Killer and {Name} occasionally got a few odd looks when they went on dates, two fully masked men awkwardly trying to eat or drink with their masks on without removing them. Killer and {Name} could equally agree they had a deeper understanding of their insecurities, more so than others. They often confided in one another about the things that troubled them or what they didn’t like about themselves. These discussions usually ended in a lot of back and forth of one another trying to explain that they were more than their insecurities. 

🍜 Killer and {Name} had been discussing the possibility of encouraging each other to remove their masks. In their own space when they each had the courage to do so. People may not have understood the courage that hiding behind a mask provided, or that you may have seen a person in a more genuine manner when they could differentiate themselves away from what they disliked. 

🍜 The act of showing each other their faces held a much deeper meaning than just curiosity, it was a form of vulnerability and trust between them. “One, two, three…” In unison they spoke, counting to the moment of their reveal. {Name} and Killer removed their masks. The surge of self-doubt came up. {Name} was happy to see Killer’s face, the joy of which eased his own distress. Killer looked up to {Name’s} face, he saw a large scar and could see {Name’s} aversion to his gaze. 

🍜 Killer didn’t want to dismiss {Name’s} insecurity over his scar, but on the same hand he failed to see anything wrong with {Name}. He is still as wonderful as he always has been in Killer’s eyes, if anything more so now that he had a face to put to him. Killer’s hand reached up to touch the scar, running his fingers along its length. “I know this won’t mean much, but your scar isn’t everything. You still have some of the prettiest eyes I’ve seen, and…-” Killer was cut off by {Name’s} laughter, “I appreciate it Kil” Seeing how Killer recited this like a romance novel actually convinced him all the more of the sincerity and truth all the more. 

🍜 {Name’s} initial worries had easily been laid to rest, though he still couldn’t deny that years of his growing distaste towards his appearance would not be so easily overturned. He found comfort in Killer’s attempts to reassure him and his awkward arguments of convincing {Name} that he was still so wonderful, regardless of his scar. Killer had an almost resonating understanding of how deep insecurities could go, how deep they could burrow in your mind and entire identity. He is still determined to try to encourage and comfort his partner. 

🍜 Killer and {Name} started to spend time together without their masks, getting used to the idea of being more comfortable without them. Killer grew a little more affectionate with this deeper sense of trust and intimacy. Not to mention having easier access for the occasional kiss or two. 

[ao719]

Best Kept Secrets

Best Kept Secrets - A Lot of Learning To Do (Chapter 17)

Characters belong to Pixelberry.

Summary: An unforeseen encounter with the past proves that even the best-kept secrets eventually make their way into the light. 

Title inspiration: Perfect - Rachel AO

Book/Pairing: TRR; Liam x F!OC

A/N: Thank you to @burnsoslow for prereading most of this. Please excuse any errors. 

Rating: M • Warning: This series will contain NSFW material. If you read, you acknowledge you are 18+

Catch up here

Liam stared down at Amara, who was frozen in place as she held the door to the north wing open, looking up at him in stunned silence. Her complexion was slightly pale, her eyes were puffy and rimmed red, and her cheeks were blotchy and still glistened with the remnants of tears she’d attempted to wipe away only moments ago. 

Liam cleared his throat and finally broke the silence. “Hi,” he said quietly. 

“Hi …” Amara’s voice came out slightly cracked and just above a whisper. 

“May I come in?” Liam asked. 

Amara bit her lip to keep it from trembling as she slowly nodded and stepped aside. Once he was over the threshold, she softly shut the door; her palm rested against the wood as she closed her eyes, trying to rein in her emotions, but she was failing. 

Liam paused at the entryway into the living and kitchen area to wait for her; he glanced over to see her back still to him and her head slightly bowed. “Amara?” He watched her stiffen at the sound of her name from his lips before lifting her head; she raised a hand to her face, seemingly wiping more tears from her cheeks as she let out a breath.

Amara turned, not meeting his eyes as she gestured for him to go ahead. 

Liam walked to the sofa and lowered himself down as he studied her. When Amara sat, she left an ample amount of space between them; she tucked herself into the corner, pulling her knees to her chest. He could tell she was nervous. More than nervous. 

“Where is Sophia?” Amara asked quietly.

“She’s with Imogen in my quarters,” Liam answered. “I figured it would be easier for us to talk without her here.” She nodded her agreement, still not looking at him. “I, uh …” He cleared his throat; he was nervous too, although he couldn’t pinpoint exactly why. “I wanted to come talk to you about Bradshaw and what happened …” She offered another silent nod. “I wanted to let you know that the situation with him has been dealt with and handled. He won’t be a problem again. For anyone, least of all us.”

“Thank you,” Amara said through a cracked whisper, and her brows knit as she continued to fight against the wave of emotions threatening to drown her. “For everything you did … to get Sophia out of that.”

“You don’t need to thank me,” Liam replied. “But I think we need to talk about the statement that was made …” He watched her tense at his words. “Amara … why would you do that? Why would you willingly throw yourself under the bus like that?” 

Yes, Daniel had told him why, but Liam needed to hear it from her. 

“Because … because it was the right thing to do.” Amara shook her head; her brows creased as she tried to blink away the rising sting in her eyes. “I know it’s not what you wanted … but I couldn’t let them scrutinize you … and, in turn, Sophia … for what I had done.” 

“We could have figured out something else. You didn’t need to make yourself a damn martyr.” 

“There wasn’t another way …” 

Liam watched her, studied her; she stared straight ahead and he could see her jaw tick. And in the deafening silence that lay between them, he could hear her struggling not to let her breath stutter as she visibly fought back her tears, trying and failing not to let him glimpse that struggle. 

“Are you alright?” Liam asked. He knew it was a silly question, but his goal in coming there was not only to have a conversation with her about everything but to get her to open up. He’d been told by both Riley and Daniel how she’d completely shut down in the last month since everything happened. She still wouldn’t meet his gaze as she nodded in response to his question. “Amara, look at me.” At his words, she started to lose that battle to control her emotions; he watched her chin tremble as her eyes welled to the brim with tears. “Look at me,” he said more sternly. Her brows knit and her breath hitched; she hesitated before slowly turning her head, finally lifting her eyes to his. “Are you alright?” he asked again, his voice softer and laced with a touch of concern. 

That was all it took.

Amara shook her head in answer to his question as that thread of control she was barely clinging to snapped; a sob escaped her as she covered her face with her hands. When Liam instinctively shifted closer to her and she felt his arms wrap around her for comfort, she completely broke down. Everything she’d been trying to hold in over the last month — hell, the last two years — came pouring out all at once, causing what little composure she had left to crumble from beneath her. 

Liam had never seen her this way. Amara was a wall, even two years ago. She was an immovable wall of practiced impassiveness, honed from years of depending on nothing and no one but herself. He’d seen glimpses beyond that wall two years ago, more than she had ever allowed anyone before, and he’d been given those same glimpses again when she returned. At that moment, however, the wall had completely shattered. 

Despite everything that had happened, it broke Liam to witness it. He pulled her closer, curling one hand around the back of her head and his other rubbed her back in an attempt to try and calm her as she cried into his chest. 

Tucking his head, Liam brought his lips to her ear. “Amara, breathe,” he whispered. His words didn’t appear to be of much help; she cried harder, her breath hitching between sobs that she couldn’t seem to control. He drew back slightly, cupping her face in his hands and forcing her gaze to his. “Breathe.” 

Amara grasped his wrists, trying and failing to take a full breath as she squeezed her eyes shut. “I-I … I’m … sorry, Liam,” she choked out through another sob.

“I know you are.”

Liam pulled her back to him as she continued to whisper broken apologies through cries; her one hand was still clutching his wrist and he could feel it trembling. Daniel told him she’d been struggling with guilt, but he never expected this. 

It was consuming her, strangling her from the inside. 

“I know that you’re sorry,” Liam said softly. 

“You must … hate me,” Amara cried.

Liam felt an immediate lump swell in his throat at her words. “I do not hate you, Amara.” 

“I-I didn’t — I should’ve —” Amara’s words were choked off by another sob. “I-I’m so sorry.” 

“Shhh,” Liam pulled her tighter against him, resting his chin atop her head as he closed his eyes. “I know.” 

And he did know. 

There wasn’t a single part of him that doubted her remorse, doubted how horrible she felt, or doubted how badly she wished she could go back and do things differently. 

Liam wasn’t sure how much time passed as he sat and held Amara until she finally started to calm down some; her breath continued to hitch but her cries had quieted. 

Reaching over, Liam grabbed a couple of tissues from a box on the coffee table and he glanced down at her still tucked against his chest, offering them to her. She took them before she slowly sat back, wiping her eyes; she kept her gaze cast downward, fidgeting with the tissues now in her hands. He could both see and feel the guilt still seeping out of her, though. 

“Are you ok?” Liam asked.

Amara nodded, but her brows knit as her breath stuttered. “S-Sorry about …” She trailed off, gesturing to herself. 

“You don’t need to apologize.” 

“I do,” Amara said with a nod as her eyes filled with tears again. He knew she didn’t mean just about her breakdown; she was still referring to everything else. 

“Amara, please stop apologizing,” Liam said. “I know that you’re sorry. You don’t need to keep saying it.” He ran his fingers through his hair as he let out a breath. “Look …” He paused, searching his mind for the right words as she finally lifted her apprehensive gaze to his. “I know this past month has been hard on you … not only because Daniel and Riley both told me that you haven’t at all been yourself but because the times I saw you, I could see it myself. And I’m not going to lie and say that it’s been easy on me. It hasn’t. It’s been … overwhelming and difficult, among other things. But we need to move past all of this … not only for both of our sakes but Sophia’s as well.” When she subtly shook her head and looked down, he reached out, gently grasping her chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting her gaze back to his. “Talk to me.”

Amara’s breath hitched. “I don’t know how you can even look at me,” she choked out. “Let alone sit here … and be civil toward me after what I did.” 

“Because I don’t want to keep dwelling on what happened, Amara,” Liam answered. “As I said, I know that you’re sorry. I believe you. And I forgive you.” 

At those last three words, more tears fell. I forgive you. Hearing him say them flooded her with relief … but also more guilt. “I … I don’t deserve your forgiveness,” Amara cried, shaking her head. 

“You do. And you have it,” Liam replied. “Me forgiving you and you forgiving yourself is the only way we’re going to move forward. It’s in the past and it needs to stay there because nothing good is going to come from either of us living there. There’s nothing either of us can do to change what’s already been done.” 

The past month that Liam had to reflect on everything had shown him just that. Sure, he could remain angry and resentful toward her and the situation, but no good was going to come of it. And Amara could continue wallowing in her guilt, but nothing would come of that either except to destroy her.  

Sophia deserved better than what dwelling on the past would do to her parents. 

“I just want us to figure out a way to move forward together.” When she glanced up at him with surprise in her eyes, Liam realized how what he’d said may have sounded. “For Sophia, I mean …” 

Liam hadn’t thought about them, not in that sense anyway. It was clear from her reaction that Amara hadn’t expected him to either. 

Yes, he missed her and he missed where they were and what they started to rebuild before everything happened. Of course he did. He hadn’t just been dealing with the rollercoaster of emotions from discovering he had a child he knew nothing about over the past month; he’d also been dealing with the heartbreak over what felt like losing Amara for a second time. He couldn’t just shut off his feelings for her. He loved her. But those feelings were something he’d have to deal with at another time.

As far as where they stood and what the future held for them, if anything at all, Liam wasn’t sure. They needed to focus on one thing at a time, and right now, that was rebuilding a foundation from scratch and getting themselves back to a certain place for Sophia’s sake. 

“I know we have things we need to discuss and figure out,” Liam said. “I’m here … and your home is in New York, so—”

“I’ll stay here,” Amara interrupted.

Liam reared back and furrowed his brows. “What?”

“Now that her existence has been made public … I don’t think anyone here would approve of me taking her back to the States, including your council.” Amara took in a shuddered breath. “We both know that if it came down to it and they pushed you hard enough … you’d be able to keep her here …” 

Liam felt a tightening in his chest and his own wave of guilt crashed over him as his mind flashed back to the last conversation they had in his study a month ago and what he’d said to her. 

“By all technicality — because of who I am, who she is, and where you happen to be right now — I have every legal right to keep Sophia with me. I don’t want it to come to that, but if you try to leave with her, I will do what I need to do to not only ensure the safety of my child but that I maintain a relationship with her as well. Do not put me in a position where I have to show you how much power I truly wield, Amara, because you will never look at me the same again.” 

Liam had been so angry and emotional during that conversation that he hadn’t even realized the vehement threat his words truly were. And it was clear she hadn’t forgotten them, either. “You know I would never do that to you, right?” he asked, and she looked at him apprehensively. “I’d never keep her with me out of spite, Amara. What I said when we last spoke … I said out of anger … out of fear and uncertainty. But I need you to believe that I wouldn’t — I couldn’t do that to you or her.” 

“That aside … I don’t … I don’t want to take her away from you, Liam,” Amara shook her head. “I don’t want to take any more time away from you. I don’t want her to go weeks or months without seeing you. I don’t want to put either of you through that.” 

“But what about your life there? Your company?” 

“What’s best for her is to have access to you, so my life there doesn’t matter. As far as the company … I don’t know. I have to look into some things … but that’s not exactly at the top of my list of priorities at the moment.” 

To say Liam was surprised would be an understatement. Not that he was complaining; he wasn’t. Knowing that she was willing to stay there to allow him to see and be with Sophia any time he wanted … he was beyond grateful. But the way in which she was so willing to uproot her entire life without an ounce of hesitation left a heavy weight on his chest. 

Was Amara willing to do it because she wanted to or was this a choice she made out of guilt, a choice she’d come to regret in the future?

“We can talk about it, Amara. We don’t need to jump to any decisions right now.”

“I’m not … I’m not jumping to decisions. I’ve thought about it. This is what needs to be done … for both you and Sophia.” 

“And what about you?” Liam asked, and she looked at him questioningly. “I appreciate you being willing to do that. Truly, I do. And I’d be lying if I said I don’t want that because after this past month, the idea of not seeing her every day … It’s not easy to imagine. But I also don’t want you to give up your life because you feel like you have to.”

“Sophia is my life, Liam.” Amara’s breath stuttered again, and if he didn’t already know, the conviction in her tone would have made him believe it. “I don’t have much I’d be leaving behind in New York—”

“I think Daniel might take offense to that,” Liam cut in with a quip in hopes of lessening the tension in the air. He thought he saw the corner of her mouth begin to curl, but it was gone a heartbeat later. 

“I just mean … Sophia has more here than she does there. She has family here, more of a support system. And most importantly … you. And you being … you and who you are … you don’t have the luxury of making this kind of sacrifice. I do. I won’t be the reason you two miss out on time together … not again. So I will stay.” 

It was clear her mind had been made up and Liam wasn’t about to argue it. Truthfully, it was something that had been on his mind a lot over the past month, wondering what was going to happen and how things would work when she left — not if she left because he had every reason to believe she would. Now, it was like a weight had been lifted. He still wanted her to know that it was her choice, however. 

“If that’s what you want to do … and you’re sure …” 

Amara nodded. “It is. And I am.” She swiped the tissue against her stuffy nose. “I have things I’ll need to figure out … like finding a place … and I’ll have to make a trip or two to New York to tie up some loose ends and get our things, but …”

“Finding a place and getting your things is nothing you need to rush to figure out or do,” Liam said. “You’re more than welcome to stay right here for as long as you want and need. And when you need to go to New York, the jet will be at your disposal.” He heard her let out a subtle scoff, but it wasn’t subtle enough. “What?”

Amara shook her head and glanced away from him, chewing the inside of her lower lip to keep it from trembling as her emotions started to get the better of her again. “I don’t know why or how you’re being so nice to me,” she said through a cracked whisper. 

Liam mindlessly slipped his hand into hers. “Because I care about you,” he said, not an ounce of hesitation in his tone, and she looked at him again. “You’re the mother of my child, Amara … I’m not going to cast you away. As I said … I don’t want to dwell on the past. I want to focus on Sophia … on the here and now.” When she glanced down at their intertwined hands, he cleared his throat and gently pulled his hand away. “I know we have a lot more we need to talk about … but for now …” He was sure she still had questions and worries regarding the statement now being released, what exactly that meant, and the next steps. He had his own. But they could deal with those another time; he didn’t have all of the answers at the moment anyway. She nodded her understanding and agreement. “How about, if you’re feeling up to it … you join Sophia and me for dinner tonight.” 

Amara glanced at him again, seeing in his eyes the invitation for exactly what it was. An olive branch. A first step. “Ok.”

Liam nodded. “I have some things I need to do, so no need to rush. Take your time.” With that, he stood, looking down at her. “I’ll see you in a little while.” 

****

Standing beneath the spray of the shower, Amara let the hot water run over her, hoping to wash away her tension and exhaustion so she could appear somewhat put together at dinner. It had been a couple of hours since Liam had left and she’d still been struggling to get her emotions under control as she replayed their conversation over and over in her head. 

When Amara opened the door and saw Liam standing on the other side, she didn’t know exactly what to make of it after the month of silence between them. She assumed he’d be even more angry with her than he already was given the statement made that morning, half-expecting him to yell that it wasn’t what he had wanted and that she had no right to interfere. 

Instead, Liam had decided that he wanted to let bygones be bygones. In a surprising twist Amara didn’t see coming, he’d forgiven her. She was still trying to wrap her mind around it, to make sense of it. Yes, she understood his reasoning for wanting to leave everything in the past and saying that it was the only way they could move forward, but given what she had done … what she had kept from him … his forgiveness felt undeserving. She would need to try, however, to do what he asked … try to forgive herself, if not for him, for Sophia.

Amara tilted her head back, letting the water hit her face and wash away the tears that continued to fall. She turned so the spray hit her hair as she took in a breath and let it out slowly. 

****

After drying her hair and getting dressed, Amara stepped out of her bedroom inside the north wing and walked down the hall toward the living area; she didn’t know what time Liam wanted her to meet him. 

As she neared the entryway, Amara’s brows furrowed when she heard voices; when she stepped into the archway, she saw Liam sitting on the floor with Sophia as she played. 

Liam’s eyes flickered up to see her, and he smiled sheepishly. “Hi.”

“Hi.”

Sophia looked over her shoulder, and a toothy grin spread across her face as she turned and toddled toward her. “Mama!” she squealed with a clap of her hands.

Amara smiled, the first genuine smile Liam had seen from her in some time, as she bent down and scooped her into her arms. “Hi, baby girl.”

Sophia tucked her body into her mother as she rested her head on her shoulder. Liam smiled at the sight. “I hope you don’t mind the intrusion,” he said. “She was asking for you, so I figured I’d bring her down and just have the kitchen bring dinner here.”

“That’s fine,” Amara nodded. “And I don’t mind.” 

Sophia’s head popped up from her mother’s shoulder and she turned toward the sound of Liam’s voice; another toothy grin emerged as she looked back at Amara, pointing at him. “Dada.” 

“Yes,” Amara smiled, smoothing her hand over her hair as she kissed her cheek. 

Sophia wriggled from Amara’s embrace a moment later; she set her down and she headed to Liam, falling into his lap and pointing. “Mama,” she said as she looked up at him with her big blue eyes. 

“Uh-huh,” Liam chuckled with a nod. 

Sophia looked back at Amara and pressed a tiny, stubby finger to Liam’s chest. “Dada.” 

“Yes, baby,” Amara nodded, meeting his gaze. “That’s your daddy.” 

Sophia continued to glance between the two of them as her broad grin grew. She carried on with alternating her pointing and making introductions that she didn’t understand weren’t needed. 

Liam realized why she was doing it: it was the first time she had been with them in the same room together. It was as if some small part of her somehow knew and understood that this was how it was supposed to be. 

The two of them met gazes again as Sophia pushed herself off Liam’s lap and started back toward Amara, both knowing. 

****

After dinner, Amara sat on the sofa, watching Liam play with Sophia; he crawled around the floor chasing after her as she belly laughed. It was the first time she’d seen him in his role as a father, the first time she’d gotten to watch them interact together. And while it made her heart feel like it was going to burst at seeing how happy his presence made their daughter, it also brought a fresh wave of guilt from seeing what they both had missed out on because of her choices. 

It was hard to imagine being able to move forward from her guilt when new bits of it added themselves to the already heaping pile. She remembered what Liam said, however … how the only way for them to move forward was to leave the past in the past. 

Liam sat, chuckling when Sophia mimicked him and sat down, letting out a breath just as he did. A moment later, she yawned, and he glanced at his watch. “I suppose she should be getting ready for bed soon.” 

“Yeah,” Amara nodded, not having realized what time it was. 

“Can I still take her back to my quarters? Or do you want her to stay here?”

“She can go with you,” Amara replied. “She was supposed to stay with you tonight anyway.” 

Liam nodded and looked back at Sophia. “You ready to get your pajamas on?” Sophia answered with another yawn, and he chuckled. “Come on, little love.”

Amara smiled at the term of endearment, feeling her eyes prick as she watched him stand and scoop Sophia up. She blinked the tears away as she rose from the sofa; she walked over and Liam tilted Sophia down so she could kiss her cheek. “Goodnight, baby girl.” 

Liam headed for the door and Amara followed; when he stepped into the hall he turned to look at her. “You’re more than welcome to come join us for breakfast if you’d like.” 

Amara stared at him for a moment before nodding. “Ok.” 

“I’ll shoot you a text when she wakes up,” Liam smiled.

Amara nodded again, and he offered her one in return before he turned and headed down the corridor.

*******

“So … how have things been going?” Drake quietly asked Liam as they stood near the bar cart inside his quarters. 

Liam glanced over his shoulder to where Amara sat on the sofa between Riley and Daniel while Sophia played in front of them; he’d invited everyone for dinner so both he and Amara could have some adult interaction besides the ones they had with each other. “Good,” he nodded, turning his attention back to pouring his drink. “We’re just … doing as much together with Sophia as we can.” 

It had been a week since the statement and Liam and Amara’s talk. In hopes of letting some of the frenzy surrounding the news die down, he had taken that week to himself; it was more so to avoid having to leave the palace and deal with the press and the slew of questions he was sure they would throw his way. 

Truthfully, Liam wasn’t sure exactly how to handle it. As Amara had suspected, any reports about the situation had focused more on her and what was considered her betrayal to the King than anything else; they painted her as the villain in the story, crucifying her for not only keeping a father from his child but an heir from its kingdom. He wasn’t sure how to go about taking the negative attention off of her that she had so willingly placed on herself. 

Instead of worrying himself with a solution, Liam had spent the week working on rebuilding that foundation with Amara. They’d been together every day since their talk, spending time with Sophia within the confines of the palace. They alternated between his quarters and the north wing and Sophia staying with one or the other at night. 

It was the moments when it was just the two of them that threw Liam for a loop, however. That first day after their talk, they agreed to both be there to do things together with Sophia, like put her to bed. And it was in those quiet moments once she was asleep in one of her rooms in either his quarters or the north wing that he found himself struggling most with his feelings. They always lingered behind for a half hour or so once Sophia was asleep, talking quietly, neither seeming eager to rush out the moment those little eyes were no longer watching. And he found himself hating how they went their separate ways after spending each day together as a family. 

As much as Liam was enjoying that time with them all together, parting at the end of each day made it feel … not right in a sense. It felt like there was still something missing from the picture as a whole. He pushed those thoughts and feelings aside, however, knowing the importance of rebuilding that foundation before even thinking about venturing down that road. 

“Riley’s been worried about her, but she seems better,” Drake noted as he gestured toward Amara. 

“I told her we needed to leave the past in the past,” Liam replied. “She’s coming around.” 

Amara did seem to be better in the time since their talk, but Liam could still sense the guilt weighing on her some. Save for the one or two moments when he’d caught her emotions getting the better of her, she did her best to mask it, however. 

“And … things between you two?” Drake questioned.

“It hasn’t been brought up,” Liam responded. “We have other things to focus on at the moment.” 

Drake nodded, knowing the quick response meant that Liam wanted to drop the subject. The two of them rejoined the others in the living area, sitting in the two armchairs across from the sofa. 

While they talked over drinks and simultaneously played with Sophia, Riley couldn’t help that tendency — one no doubt drilled into her during her time working for Amara back in New York — to wonder what their next steps were as far as dealing with the aftermath of the statement. 

“So,” Riley said, looking from Amara to Liam. “Have you guys figured out how you’re going to handle the press?” 

Amara cast her gaze downward; she had no answer to give. They hadn’t talked about it at all and she wasn’t going to assume what Liam’s intentions were. She hadn’t even turned on the television or opened a newspaper since the statement was made, not wanting to see what was being said, but she had her guesses. Her first clue was the way Liam immediately turned off the television or made the newspapers vanish before she could catch a glimpse of the headlines each morning she’d met him and Sophia for breakfast; it was obvious he was trying to spare her feelings. 

Liam looked at Amara for a moment before glancing at Riley. “I … I don’t know, honestly.” They all knew he’d intended for the statement to go much differently. “I don’t know how to get them to shift their … focus and attention.”

Amara knew by focus and attention that he meant her.

Liam’s eyes shifted to Daniel, half curious, half expectant. Daniel cleared his throat and shifted on the sofa. “Well … that’s going to depend entirely on you and what you want them to see.”

Amara glanced over at him and then at Liam, meeting his gaze for a moment before he looked back at Daniel. “What do you mean?” 

“If you want them to focus on you raising your daughter as co-parents, you need to show them where your priorities are,” Daniel explained. “If you want the people and press to forgive her and move forward, then you need to show them that you’ve done the same.”

“By letting them see the three of us together,” Liam said in understanding.

Daniel nodded. “Wherever you go, the press is sure to follow to try and catch glimpses of you. And if you get tossed any questions, which we know is inevitable at this point once you step beyond the gilded gates of the palace, then you give them a brief account of the truth — that mistakes were made but you’re putting the past behind you because it’s what’s best for everyone involved, most importantly, Sophia. You can even toss in that you two are co-parenting amicably. And you leave it there and just focus on yourselves after that. They’ll have no choice but to follow suit eventually, especially when they’ll have no proof of the contrary. Plus, everyone loves a good comeback story … usually. So, hopefully doing that will draw in the attention that the press is looking for from the people.” 

Liam and Amara met gazes, a silent understanding passing between them as they both nodded.

***************************************

Perma Tags (if you’d like to be added or removed for this story, please let me know): @zaffrenotes @cocomaxley @emichelle @sweetest-marbear @indiacater @gibbles82 @the-soot-sprite @ladyangel70 @esmckenzie @dcbbw @burnsoslow @deb-1106 @bbrandy2002 @charlotteg234 @neotericthemis @foreverethereal123 @choiceskatie @sirbeepsalot @gnatbrain @openheart12 @sincerelyella @superharriet @queenrileyrose @aestheticartsx @kingliam2019 @indiana-jr @bascmve01 @rainbowsinthestorm @emkay512 @marshmallowsaremyfavorite @forallthatitsworth @walker7519 @iaminlovewithtrr @amandablink @mainstreetreader @mom2000aggie @princessleac1 @21-wishes @appleone @tessa-liam @pixelatedpassion @malblk21 @lovingchoices14 @nestledonthaveone @forthebrokenheartedthings @nomadics-stuff @differenttyphoonwerewolf

[skyeslittlecorner]

Tails for all! - Nilfheim edition

Other parts: Kings | Gehenna | Tartaros | Hades | Avisos | Abaddon | Paradise Lost

Bathin

The Ars Goetia talks about a serpent's tail, but it also mentions a light horse. I was tempted. A light ponytail, a shade similar to his hair, knee-length. Silky to the touch, the texture is second only to Satan's hair in softness. 

The light blue highlights are not fully visible in the daylight, but when the light is turned off they shine slightly brighter. Interestingly, they seem to glow with irregular light, so they look like tiny comets interwoven.

In the army, they wanted to cut off his long locks because they thought it would hinder him in battle, but he refused. He promised in return that he would wear a braid, but he only does it for mandatory exercises. He doesn't like to tie his tail.

By the way, his tail doesn't stop him from fighting at all.

He only cut his tail once. When Stolas returned from Tartaros plucked and realized what he had done, Bathin trimed his tail in solidarity.

Sensitivity 2/10. Not very affectionate, but he likes to lie on your lap and let you play with his tail while he reads a book.

Gusion

Baboon tail, this is also how he is presented in Ars Goetia, but longer and black, so it’s also similar to a panther. The most similar to Sitri’s, but not so fluffy, thinner, longer, more grippy and Gusion won't bite your hand off if you pull it.

When he was teaching young Satan and Beel and they were naughty (i.e. 90% of the time), he would lift the one closest to him by the foot with his tail and make them repeat the formulas upside down.

He stopped when it turned out they were having fun. 

And started using it again because it turned out that they remembered the formulas way more effectively.

Unlike Amon, he can hold a pen with his tail. He can even write with it. Even if he's not doing anything with his tail, the tip twitches as if he's counting something in his mind.

Overworked boy, even if he doesn't admit it. You saw that when he sleeps on the desk, he covers his eyes with his tail like a blindfold.

Sensitivity 7/10, especially because of how grippy and flexible it is. The fur is quite rough, so if you feel brave, you can rub against it. He definitely prefers to immobilize your hands.

Andrealphus

A long peacock tail, as black as horns. It flows behind him like the train of a dress. The silky feathers are black, or should be, but due to partial albinism the middle part of his tail is white. 

He is unaware of his albinism. Only heard rumors that he poured bleach on his tail to make it match his torn-off wings. And to make it easier to see traces of blood on them.

Peacocks spread their tails when they want to impress someone, but he never spread his. At most, when he is irritated, he raises his tail, but it is still closed.

Once he got angry with Gusion and, in order not to quarrel with him, he turned his back and left. Didn't even notice that his tail had hit him. You know that gesture of turning around and throwing your hair back into someone's face? This vibe. He does fabulous bitchslaps. 

Because he has a feathered tail and is half albinistic, it is considered unique even among the most beautiful ones. Which makes people feel even more sorry for him, because “it's not a warrior's tail, he shouldn't have fought”. He hates this pity.

Sensitivity 4/10… except your every touch is 10/10 to him. He will let you stroke, comb, caress those feathers, ruffle them with pleasure and demand praise. However, since his tail isn't extremely sensitive, and he doesn't pay much attention to his surroundings when you're around him, you have to be careful not to trample him.

If you pamper him enough, you will see this beautiful tail in all its glory.