#it truly made my heart melt like I was so touched that’s the nicest thing 😭🩷

[jooniez]

my friend told me he wanted to surprise me by buying me a signed edition of the lightning thief cause he knows percy jacksons my favorite series and is really important to me 🥹💙

[conretewings]

what about some random dude out in public sees viktor’s cane and limp and tells reader he could show her what it’s like to be with a ‘real man.’ back home, viktor shows her just what a real man can do (wink wink)

-Aaaah, intriguing. *runs hands together* I've never written for Viktor but! I do also love him, and I'll do my best here. :)

Viktor x fem!reader (NSFW! 18+ only!!)

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"Can you believe they mixed up the Acacia and Acaena genuses? I mean, I understand they're similarly spelled but honestly..."

"Well, not everyone is as passionate and sharp-eyed as you, dear."

Stars twinkle above in the blue-purple evening skies, the rain shower from earlier making the cobblestones shine under the light from streetlamps and windows as you walk arm-in-arm with Viktor down a shop-lined street. Having both been cooped up in your respective labs for the greater part of a week and not having time to see each other, you'd finally managed to find said time (and managed to pry him away from his desk) to head out on a much-needed date.

You'd heard about an upcoming exhibition on plants, flowers and their various adaptations to different environments at the largest and nicest museum in Piltover, and being an enthusiastic botanist you couldn't pass up the chance. When you'd suggested the idea Viktor had been...less enthused yet still intrigued; perhaps this would be a welcome distraction from his own intense schedule, a breath of fresh air to help him refocus. Not to mention, spending an evening with you was a delightful idea in itself.

"One would think that, being a scientific institution, they would make certain displays were correctly labeled before it opened. What if people learned the wrong plant names and made a fool of themselves? Or which would be pleasant in your home and which would release revolting smelling pollen?!" you continue with self-assured indignation.

A bemused, teasing smile tugs at Viktor's mouth, "What indeed. Goodness it would be a shame if someone walked into their kitchen to find it ruined by a houseplant. Truly a tragedy."

"Very funny, Viktor." you dryly reply, then pause suddenly, gently pulling your arm from his and gazing forlornly at your feet. He stops as well, eyebrow raised in question and you sigh, "I'm...sorry I get so...into my field. I know it's not your thing."

He hums, shifting his weight and giving his cane a few thoughtful taps on the ground, then points to a nearby planter overflowing with red and pink blooms, "What are those flowers called?"

"They're begonias...?" you reply, mildly confused.

"Ah, see, without you I might never have known that," he turns to look at you, "But now I do. The point is, though our passions and fields of study are different, it doesn't mean we can't appreciate and even learn from each other's," his lips quirk up in a small smile, slender fingers on your chin to tilt your face upward and you almost have to stop yourself from kissing him right then, "Sometimes looking at different things, or the same from a new angle, affords you a better understanding and love for them."

Touched, you break into a shy yet beaming grin, simultaneously hating and loving how easily he could make your face warm and heart flutter. You lean forward enough to bump your nose against his with a tiny huff of a laugh.

"How dare you make me blush like a smitten teenager...but thank you..."

He tilts his head ever so much, a silent signal and you do the same, your lips finally meeting with the softest touch and you swear you could melt to join the puddles in the cobblestones below. Pulling away, he moves to take your arm again and you both resume walking, chatting more about the exhibit and Viktor's newest discoveries with his own research.

A few minutes later, among the many small shops you pass a bakery and patisserie, it's windows bordered with tiny lights and displaying a neatly written sign declaring a '50% off sale on our famous macaroons!'

"I've actually never had a macaroon." you muse aloud, and Viktor shrugs, "Nor have I."

An idea grabs hold and you grin, telling him with a quick peck on the cheek you'll 'be right back!' and pull away to slip inside. Viktor shakes his head lightly with another crooked smile, then pulls a book from his coat pocket and steps off more out of the way to await.

Mere minutes later, you emerge cradling a neatly folded white paper bag containing four assorted flavors-in your enthusiasm you'd forgotten to ask Viktor what sort he may like-when you pass an all-too-familiar figure just entering the shop, who does a double-take and smirks, faking surprise.

"Ah, we meet again, miss." he says coolly, his voice like velvet and yet sandpaper.

Oh no. Your smile and stomach drop as you remember dealing with him a mere couple hours before at the very exhibit you and Viktor had recently left; he'd approached you when you'd wandered away from your date for a moment to more closely inspect a display, asking if you'd like to join him for drinks...and it had taken several increasingly curt refusals before he'd begrudgingly given up.

"That offer still stands, you know," he continues with a clumsy bow, "I would love to show such a lovely creature a lovely time..."

"As I've already stated, several times if I recall, I'm not interested, and happily spoken for thank you-" close to him as you are, you're able to catch the whiff of alcohol on his breath and clothes; apparently he'd already started without you and your nose wrinkles, "And it seems my company wasn't needed for your inebriation anyway. Good night."

Without waiting you turn on your heel and stalk back to Viktor, your heart instantly at ease when he looks up-then his expression shifts as his eyes dart behind you, and you glance to see you, unfortunately, had a tag along. Reaching Viktor you immediately link your arm with his and spin to face the absolute buffoon who it seemed was more determined than you thought.

"Erm, who...?" wonders Viktor aloud, catching your gaze as he slips the book back into his pocket.

That gaze then settles fiercely on the man, silently warning him to leave, "He asked if I wished to join him. I politely declined. Multiple times. Let's go, darling."

The man takes a quick step to the side, blocking your paths. His face has warped from a cool yet polite smile to one of irritable disgust as he suddenly scans Viktor up and down, noting his slender frame, cane and slightly unsteady gait. Viktor glowers back at him, as much for your sake as his own, knowing exactly what the man was thinking.

Unable or unwilling to suppress a sarcastic laugh the man scoffs, "Really now? You would choose him, this frail thing, over someone like myself? Goodness my sweet, you're beautiful and vibrant! Surely you can find a real man to attach yourself to! Luckily for you," he tugs on his lapels and tosses you a wink, "I'm more than happy to show you what it's like to be with a real man..."

You feel your rage bubble up so swiftly it steals your voice for a moment, but just as you open your mouth, Viktor lays his hand across your arm reassuringly before standing up tall, a cold fire in his eyes and voice steely, "In my experience, sir, I've always observed that those who feel it necessary to declare themselves 'real men' with the most conviction are often, ironically, farthest from it."

The silence that follows is deafening, as the man's face reddens from indignation and fury. It takes much of your self-control not to laugh at the sight, and without another word you and Viktor quickly step around him and vanish into the crowd.

-When you two finally reach your humble but cozy apartment, you were both chuckling about the whole situation, though you were still fuming as well. You toss your coat over a chair, kick off your high-heeled shoes and stalk to your kitchenette to prep some tea, having to move a tray of seedlings you'd placed on the stovetop earlier.

"The sheer audacity-!" you huff, grabbing two mugs from a cupboard, "Who does he think he is?! Pestering me and insulting you! What an oaf."

Viktor has, meanwhile, settled himself into a cushion covered dining chair and rests his chin on his knuckles as he watches you bustle about. Observing you work, whether in your greenhouse lab or here, is something he always enjoys; your quick, graceful movements almost like a dance, he realizes. He smiles, remembering what he'd said earlier about appreciating different ways of looking at things.

Bringing over both your steaming, fragrant mugs on a small tray with proper accompaniments and a plate containing the macaroons you set the lot on the table and flop into a high back wicker chair next to him, still mumbling about what the man had said to Viktor and move to prep your tea.

At last you register him watching you, a bemused smile tugging at his mouth and wonder, "What?"

"It seems you're more upset by this matter than myself."

"Well how could I not be upset after what he said to you? Insinuating you're somehow lesser than him just because you need a cane. If ever we see him again you should see how he would like it stuck in certain places."

Viktor snorts out a laugh, then gestures to your leg, and you gracefully lift it to rest your ankle across his knee as he begins to massage the muscles of your foot and calf with one slender hand, the other holding his mug, "No, no, that would be terrible, and besides I like this one..." a mischievous smirk tugs at his mouth, "Perhaps we'll find a more suitable item instead."

You both share a devious laugh, turning the conversation then to other topics, sipping your tea and enjoying this treasured, all-too-brief time together. Lazily, you stretch out the leg Viktor was still absently massaging with a contented sigh, "Thnak you again for this, love. It's so wonderfully soothing..."

As you stretch, your dress slips, sliding down your legs so far your upper thighs are fully exposed, a tantalizing glimpse of the garter straps that hold your stockings and lace-edged panties just visible. Viktor's sharp eyes do not fail to notice, and a jolt of heat courses through him to settle in his core, spreading to other areas and words are suddenly harder to grasp. The ever-constant analytical portion of his mind turns this over, pondering why his reaction is so strong and quickly finds the answer; your intellect and passion for knowledge has been on full display tonight, as well as your ferocity and unwillingness to roll over and let injustices toward things or people you care about stand. All of these are things he finds irresistibly magnetic about you, and though he dared not admit it aloud, quite arousing. Those coupled with the lack of any time for...intimate activity lately and now abrutply finding your negligee on display combine to temporarily muddle his senses.

You can't help but notice his silence, nor the way his cheeks and ears redden or the sudden flash in his golden eyes.

"What is it-oh, goodness-" you ask then stammer upon glancing down and seeing the state you're in. You reach to pull your dress back into place when his hand shoots forward and covers yours, holding it fast. His skin is so warm, and his thumb rubs small circles on your inner thigh; between his touch and the intensity of his gaze you feel a shiver dance up your spine. The mood in the air between the both of you shifts, and you barely resist biting your lip at the anticipation of what that gaze promised.

"What's all this about?" you smirk, full well recognizing the suggestive gleam in his eyes and welcoming what came with it but playing coyly innocent.

He huffs out a small laugh and answers in a low tone, "It just occurred to me what would have been, perhaps, an even better answer for that bastard..." just as slowly, he moves himself off his chair to kneel in front of you, gliding his hands up both your legs until they rest against your hips, enjoying your ever reddening face as you realize his intentions, "A real man is one who loves and appreciates his partner, one who helps and supports them..." his lips graze the inside of your thigh, thumb gliding under the edge of your panties as he moves your legs apart more and you let out a sound somewhere between a moan and a sigh. He can feel his cock twitch at the noise and knowing how much he's already turning you on but focuses.

"And also..." he hums, breath ghosting over your most sensitive spots, making you have to fight back a squirm, "One who loves to please and make them happy..."

Your heart is racing, heat pooling in your belly and hands gripping the chair, marveling at and welcoming this unexpected boldness, but you have little more time to admire the downright sinful look in his eyes before he moves your panties aside with deft fingers and plants a soft kiss upon your mound. That alone is enough to elicit a gasp, yet those gasps swiftly turn to soft moans as his tongue joins in, gently and lovingly lapping at your folds. One shaking hand goes to his hair, tangling itself in his deep chocolate tresses and you whisper his name.

His gaze, now positively burning with desire, meets yours and you can feel more than see his smile, free hand gripping the smooth skin of your thigh to keep you where he wanted. He moves his attentions upwards, dragging his tongue over your clit and gently sucking and you nearly come undone right then, head falling back against the wicker with a loud whine.

It's far too short a time, not that either of you are noting it's passage, before you can feel the burning, familiar coiling in your core, threatening to snap and your back involuntarily arches, your body seeming to move on it's own toward his, seeking more of the pleasure coursing through you.

"V-Viktor-!" you groan, "I-!"

His own groans, lustful and encouraging, rumble from deep in his chest and reverberate through you, aided by his tongue delving briefly inside you before sliding up again to circle that sensitive pearl, faster this time and finally, you fall over the edge.

Gasping, shaking, your body arcs, moaning his name repeatedly like a prayer while the waves of ecstasy wash over you and his strong grip holds you in place as much as possible as his mouth continues it's work until you're almost overstimulated and definitely spent.

Both your breaths ragged, he tenderly kisses the inside of your thighs again, one then the other before meeting your eyes with his golden ones, the smugness and desire burning there. You reach a shaking hand to run your fingers down his face and murmur your love for him, still half out of it from the intensity of your orgasm.

A tiny, falsely innocent grin graces his handsome face, "You seem a bit, eh, out of sorts darling. What happened?"

You chuckle, "Cheeky man...I wasn't expecting, well, that."

He helps you stand, pulling you into a hug and you shudder anew at feeling a familiar pressure against your lower belly. Smirking up at him you raise your eyebrow, "What do you think about continuing this in my room love...?"

"What about the tea? It'll get cold." he teases, pulling you a little closer.

"Oh sweet Viktor..." you smirk, running your hands from his shoulders to his waist, letting them drift to his ass and biting your lip, "I trust it's going to be hot enough in here it won't matter..."

[hwangsbbg]

Jealous? - Yangyang

In which female reader is jealous of a girl who keeps flirting with her best friend, yangyang

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Why can't she just shut up for one. There's only 10 minutes left until the class ends and she's still won't stop bothering you.

"I hope you know Yangyang doesn't care about you. As soon as you give him what he wants he'll come back to me" She told you.

The teacher had gone out to retrieve a few papers from the office and you knew he wouldn't be back before the class ends, giving her enough time to say whatever you want.

"Yangyang and I are not even dating and besides he was never with you in the first place, what is he gonna come back to"

"You bitch! The only reason he isn't coming for me is because you have him brainwashed" she seethed. She had been obsessed with Yangyang for so long and truly hated how close you guys were.

You glanced at Yangyang who had his earphones in and had no idea what was going on.

"I didn't do anything. There must be a reason he's my best friend and not yours Talia. Can you just leave me alone"

"No! Not until you leave him alone you disgusting man stealing fat whore" She spat. That fucking pissed you off. They weren't true but they certainly made you angry.

"I didn't steal him! He's not even yours" you raised your voice making the entire class stare at you. You hadn't noticed Yangyang remove his earphones and turn to you.

"You did steal him! You're probably sleeping with him! That's why hes not leaving you" she yelled. You were about to answer until somebody intervened.

"So what if she is" Yangyang stood up from his seat and walked over to where the discussion was. The entire class forming a crowd around the three of you.

"Wh-What! You whore! So you are sleeping with him" She reached out to slap you before Yangyang caught her hand and put it back down.

"Whether she's doing anything with me or not it's none of your business Talia and frankly this might shock you but there's not a bone in my body that's attracted to you"

The class was shocked. Beyond shocked. Yangyang was probably the nicest kid in your class, always smiling and laughing around with everyone. Everyone loved him but nobody ever saw this side of him when he got angry.

"I could totally show you a much better time then her though" she stood up, trailing her hand on his chest. You watched her.

"Fucking hell Talia can you stop being such a desperate bitch and leave us alone. He doesn't want you. Find someone else to give your STDs to and leave us the fuck alone" you exploded. You were beyond angry at this point and she definitely didn't know when to give up.

The class erupted in oohs as she looked at you in shock before storming out of the classroom. Yangyang looked at you as well but before he could say anything, the bell rang.

You waited for Yangyang to take you home as he was the only one between the two of you to possess a car. As soon as he arrived you got in without a word.

The drive back home was silent and he began sensing something was wrong but before he could speak up you pulled out your phone and pretended to be texting someone.

You arrived after about five minutes and got out of the car without a single word. You immediately made your way to your house, not noticing he was following you.

"Are you mad at me" you turned around and saw him standing in front of the closed door of your house. You stayed silent.

"You're seriously mad after I helped you" he looked at you in disbelief. Thankfully, your parents were still at work.

"You told the entire class we were sleeping together. Besides I could've handled it on my own" you turned back around making your way into the living room as he followed you.

"I was just trying to help"

"I know but I don't need a man to come in and save me. I could've handled that perfectly fine" you didn't know why you were that angry.

Deep inside, it's probably the thought of Talia that pissed you off and you felt bad that you were taking your anger out on him.

"I didn't mean to make you mad. If you want I can call her right now and tell her the truth" He walked closer to you.

"NO" you didn't mean to yell but it came out like that. He looked at you in confusion.

"You can't call her" You set your book bag on the table before staring at him.

"Why? It'll clear everything up" "No because then she'll be all over you again" "I don't mind it I mean I've been dealing with this for so long" He replied making you even more frustrated.

"Well I fucking mind. I don't want her all over you" you rolled your eyes.

"Wh- are you jealous" he looked at you in disbelief making your eyes widen.

"I am not jealous. I just don't want her to keep touching you all the time or trying to get with you" you tried to explain yourself but you totally contradicted yourself, only validating his statement.

"So you're jealous. Is it because you think we're not going to be as close if I ever start dating someone" he walked closer to you, until he was right in front of you.

"No you asshole, I just don't like the way she acts around you ok"

"Is it because you'd rather be the one to act like that with me" he quirked an eyebrow, his reply making your heart skip a beat as you stared at him not knowing what to say.

"I- I just-" before you could finish what you were saying he'd already pushed his lips onto yours. You felt your entire body weaken under his kiss before he pulled away.

"You like me" He finishes your sentence, staring at you, waiting for you to say something before you pulled him back into another kiss, just deeper this time. He skillfully managed to get his tongue into your mouth, dominating over yours as his hands roamed around your body.

It's as if both of you were in a rush to take things further before one had a change of heart and decided to stop the entire thing.

"Jump" "What! No, I'll fall" you shook your head. "I've been dancing for years trust me I won't let you fall" he referred to the muscles he'd gained from dancing.

You jumped and he swiftly caught you, making his way upstairs with your legs wrapped around his waist.

He grinned at you when you successfully arrived in your bedroom before setting you down on the bed and standing between your legs.

"How far are we taking this" "As far as you're willing to go" he replied, removing his shirt.

You could've melted at that moment. You admired his collarbones, his neck decorated by a small gold chain, his chest and his abs. He was so fucking hot. And he was yours at this very moment, not Talia's.

"I knew I was handsome but not that handsome" he teased you, his hands going over to your shirt and removing it.

You watched him lick his lips before he laid you down, pushing himself on top of you and once again attached his lips yours, this kiss being more passionate as your hands fumbled with the buttons of his jeans.

You finally managed to get them undone as he pulled away to remove his jeans, leaving him in only boxers that perfectly outlined the shape of his hard on.

He, this time, attached his lips to your neck, leaving a trail of kisses all over your collarbones as his hands held tightly onto your waist.

His hands palmed your breasts, making you let out a breathy moan as you lifted yourself up a little allowing him to remove your bra and throw it to the other side of the room.

He took one of your breasts in his mouth, using his hand to pleasure the other before switching. Your moans only became more frequent.

He kissed all over your bare stomach before finding your lips once again as you reached your hand down to palm him through his boxers as your other hands tried to undo your jean shorts. You heard him moan out your name only further encouraging you as you continued rubbing on his member.

You stopped as he pulled away, his fingers hooking on to the waistband if your short and pulling them down, along with your underwear.

"Fuck" you watched him stare at you, biting down on his lower lip as he removed his own boxers revealing his throbbing member.

"Wait! Condom" you warned him. He bashfully grinned at you before grabbing one from your desk after you told him where to find it, quickly putting it on and positioning himself at your entrance.

Slow at first, faster towards the middle and sloppy at the end. That's how it went. If you were to describe it however, it was nothing short of the scenes you often dreamt about.

His hands on your body, he lips occasionally finding yours, the string of praises that left his mouth as he reached his high. And he was so beautiful, almost indescribable towering over you, his amazing body in full display, his hair stuck to his forehead with sweat dripping down his body, the marks your fingers had made from digging into his shoulder, you were in awe.

"God, why didn't you tell me you liked me earlier" he groans, laying down next to you, almost out of breath.

"It's not like I knew and besides-" you were stopped halfway through your sentence as you hear a car pull up in your driveway. You had no idea what time it was but you were sure it was your dad. And if your dad saw Yangyang like this, none of you would live to see the day tomorrow.

You both looked at each other, wide eyed before he got up and ran towards the bathroom in your room.

You heard your father call out your name as you grabbed a random dress from your closet and put it on, kicking Yangyang's and your clothes under the bed.

"Hey! I didn't know you were coming early today" you greeted your dad as soon as he opened your bedroom door.

"I was calling you. Why didn't you answer. You got me worried for a second" your dad replied, sternly.

"Oh sorry I didn't hear you" you lied. He raised an eyebrow at you before speaking up once more.

"Those aren't the clothes you wore this morning" he scanned you up and down. You were now wearing a dress instead of the shorts and shirt from this morning.

"Oh um I changed into something more comfortable" you were surprised at how well you were lying and how easily he seemed to have bought it. He shrugged and spoke up once more.

"Where's Yangyang? I saw both of your bags in the living room" he questioned.

Your dad was a big fan of Yangyang. He was a good influence on you according to your dad who Yangyang acted like an angel around.

"He's in the bathroom" you weren't exactly lying, he was in the bathroom, not for the reason your dad probably thought though.

"Oh ok, tell him to come see me when he gets out, I got him those tickets he wanted" your dad spoke.

You smiled at him, nodding. He looked down to the edge of the bed where he saw Yangyang's shirt poking out from under and before he could ask any questions you bid him goodbye and locked your door.

Yangyang peeked his head out to make sure your dad was actually gone before grabbing his clothes and putting them on.

"You're not wearing anything under that are you" he smirked, scanning you and your new dress.

"Shut up! We almost got caught! Oh my-! Anyways my dad wants to see you downstairs. He said he got the tickets you wanted"

"SHUT UP! For the race!? Whoa this is even better than sex!" He immediately made his way downstairs, leaving you shaking your head at him.

[lizzy-williams]

𝐭𝐰𝐨

♡ Warnings: sexual intercourse, language, drugs, sexual assult, threesome

♡ Request: Would you do a imagine where the reader is best friends with Colson and Yungblud and they go to a bar and this guy is touching on the reader and her trying to get away and they come and save her and ends with jealous kinky ASF smut??

♡ Theme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-URGVmuYIQ

Animal by Sir Chloe

masterlist

𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐎 admit, even though you weren’t really an extroverted person, dancing with your two friends was enjoyable, and actually fun. It was nice to let loose and move your body like nobody was watching. 

I Think I’m Okay was now an award winning song, and you were there to watch it all, being friends with Colson before hand. And meeting Domanic was just the thing you needed. He brought a sense of energy to the group, and Colson became instant friends. 

Their friendship was close, and you were thankful to have such a good friendship triangle. Each of you balanced each other out, and at the center of the two boys was you. You were the peace before the disturbance. You were good for them, almost like a guardian, keeping them in check. 

But over time, you felt yourself gain feelings. But for both of them. And you hated it. Being the person you were, you were indecisive as hell. And you weren’t stupid, you saw the way they would look at you. Like there was something they wanted. So in retrospect, you could have either of them. But you wanted them both. 

But now that you were on a crowded club floor, dancing and touching the boys, switching back and forth. You were with Colson at the moment, his hands on your waist as he stood behind you, his breath felt in the crook of your neck, making you back up more into him, and it was obvious that he had a hard on, making you smile to yourself. You loved how tightly you had him wrapped around your finger. 

“I’m gonna go get a drink, okay?” you finally said, trying your best to talk over the music streaming through the large speakers. 

Colson was close to coming with you, not wanting to lose the contact that he had an insatitable craving for. But instead, all he did was nod his head, which he mentally kicked himself for. 

You smiled, sinking away in the stuffed crowd of people, Colson keeping his eyes on you until you were out of sight. 

As you walked up to the bar, you ordered a Sex On the Beach, leaning over the counter as you waited. 

“You here alone?” a voice brushed up closely to your right ear as you whipped around in shock, frightened; it was a voice you had never heard before. 

Your thoughts scrambled to find a response that would make him leave you alone, the vibes he gave you were totally off, and you wanted nothing to do with him as his eyes raked up and down your body.

“Uh, yeah, I have a boyfriend.” you responded confidently, trying not to seem scared, even though you were terrified.

He suddenly grabbed your wrist making you yelp out, trying to get away as he struggled to get away. Out of self-defence, you held up your hand, giving him a harsh and brutal slap to his face, almost loud enough for people to hear over the speakers.

“You fucking slut!” he yelled, pushing you to the ground making you hit your head... hard.

It was honestly a fuzzy blur what happened next, your vision hazy as you tried to make sense of what was happening. You saw two blurry figures make their way quickly towards you, one of them holding you up, shaking you a little. The other hazy form proceeded to kick the shit out of the guy that caused all this, your confused mind trying to make sense of all of this.

You were then stood up and walked out the front door. When your vision was finally coming to, you were face to face with Dominic, who had a severely concerned look etched onto his face.

“Wh-What the fuck,” you mumbled.

“My thoughts exactly, what the fook happened?” Dominic’s voice was almost frantic with worry.

“I dunno... where’s Colson??” you asked, noticing that the tall blond was absent from your view.

“Currently beating the shit out of the guy that shoved you. Did he hurt you anywhere else?” he asked, touching your head lightly to see where your head hit the solid floor.

“No, he just scared me, that’s all,” that’s all you muttered, suddenly feeling sick to your stomach as you recalled the events leading up to your head injury.

“Come ‘ere,” he hummed, pulling you into a tight hug, happy that you were okay.

“You have to admit, that was a pretty good hit though,” you laughed into the side of his neck, his arms squeezing gently, pulling your small frame closer to his.

“I only saw the half of it. I’m proud of ya, love, you really handled yourself in there,” he smiled, resting his chin on the top of your head, smiling contently.

The door to the club suddenly burst open, a bloody Kells coming into view, his eyes frantically looking around for you. Once he caught sight of both you and Dom, he rushed over, hugging the both of you.

“Jesus fuck, are you okay, [ y / n ]??” he question, looking at your head to see a bruise forming from where it was struck.

You nodded, wondering how many times the two boys would be asking you that. It felt nice, having your two best friends check on you like this. Of course it was no surprise that they would make sure you were okay, but they went out of their way to protect you, Dom for emotional support and Colson for physical protection, beating the fuck out of a perv was probably one of the nicest things someone had done for you, and for that, you were grateful.

“We should head to your place, Cols.” Dom spoke up, Colson giving a quick and steady nod.

*****

As you reached Colson’s house, you were exhausted, but mostly trying to get over the throbbing headache making its assault on your brain. You collapsed on the couch, leaning all the way back, trying your best to relax, your head thrown back against the back cushion of the piece of furniture, letting out a deep exhale.

Little did you know that the two boys watched the unintentionally erotic actions, the two of them awkwardly shuffling to the kitchen trying to hide their obvious hard-ons.

You heard them from the living room, whisper yelling at each other, as you tried to make out what they were actually saying. Soon enough, they came back to the living room.

“Hey, I was thinking that all of us could chill upstairs and watch a movie or something, if that’s okay with you,” Colson spoke up, and you had to say, it didn’t sound like a bad idea.

Watching movies with Dom and Colson was fun, because you were basically movie commentators. And you had gained many inside jokes from movie nights, so needless to say, you were down for it.

“Yeah, but what about this,” you motioned to your body that was still displaying your short black club dress, your heels already kicked off and on the floor.

“You can use one of my hoodies,” Colson suggested.

“Pants?”

“Who needs pants, we’re your best friends, [ y / n ], we don’t care.” Colson objected, trying everything in his power to see you in an outfit that he had only dreamed about... you in his sweatshirt, with nothing but your panties on underneath? The thought made him almost drool.

“Come on, love, what’s the worst that could happen?” Dom chirped.

*****

“Yo, [ y / n ], you almost done in there?!” Colson yelled out to you in his bathroom, the two other boys already comfortable in Colson’s king sized bed, the TV displaying Netflix.

You just looked at yourself in the mirror. You were about to walk out in this? It’s not like the sweatshirt was the problem, the damn thing went nearly down to your lower thigh. It was the fact that you were pants-less. Colson did have a point, they were your best friends, and they truly wouldn’t care, but something in the back of your head told you that there was a part of them that did care, and not in an innocent way.

“Yeah, coming!” you called out, fixing your hair best you could before stepping out.

As you opened the door, you watched at the two boys looked your way, the reactions priceless. Dominic loved how sweet and innocent you looked, the sweater reaching over your hands was the cutest thing he had ever seen. And Colson felt a swell of pride in his chest, knowing that the girl he was falling for was wearing his sweatshirt almost like a trophy.

“Come on, then,” Dom patted the open space between him and Colson, a bright smile on his face.

You smiled in return, jumping into bed and snuggling under the covers quickly, pulling them up. Dominic couldn’t hide the hearts in his eyes as he snaked his hand around your waist and Colson’s hand gently finding your own.

The movie went on, and the three of you were more quiet than usual. Even though the movie in front of you on the screen was one of the stupidest movies you had ever seen. Nothing would make any of you crack.

After almost an hour of deafening silence, you finally spoke, “ Thank you guys...,” you muttered, your voice barely higher than a whisper.

The two turned to you and they smiled, “Of course,” Colson said, his hand squeezing yours.

“Anytime, m’love.” Dom agreed.

You then took notice how the boys had now moved closer to you, the space between the three of you closing in. And almost like a dream, the two of them let their hands roam. But you didn’t stop them. You didn’t want to.

“Wh-What are you-”

“Shh, just let us make you feel good, princess,” Colson muttered against you as you felt him lick the shell of your ear, Dom’s hands shifting up and down your waist, leaving goosebumps in it’s wake. 

Considering what happens only a few hours ago, a normal person would push them away, it was almost common sense. But they weren’t the perv at the bar, they were people you trusted. And you trusted them with everything. 

You let Colson’s hands found their way under the sweatshirt, while Dom’s hands found their way to your thighs, squeezing and prodding. And usually what would be self consciousness, you felt it melt away as he muttered praise, your body confidence raising with every admiring comment. 

Colson’s hand found it’s way to your breasts, kneading and rubbing his thumb over the pebbled nipples, making you let out a small whimper of want. You wanted so much more. 

“Such a needy lil thing, aren’t ya, [ y / n ]?” Dom whispered, his hand taking the hem of your underwear and pulling it down slowly, your legs seemingly had a mind of their own as they moved to accommodate his actions. 

Dom’s fingers gently drifted up your thighs, than to your slit, grazing your clit as you whined. Colson’s hands were now all the way up your shirt. 

“No bra, huh?” Colson smirked, tweaking your nipple as you let out a sigh, your eyes meeting his, “You wanted this, didn’t you?” 

“You wanted both of us?” Dom pressed, the pads of his digits now pressing harshly against your clit, making you whine out, making your head throw back. 

Colson took this opportunity to attack your neck with needy, wet kisses. You hand went up to his hair, your fingers pulling gently against his hair, as his tongue licked a strip up your throat. 

You let out a full on moan at the erotic action, and the two boys couldn’t lie, they were taken back by it. But shock soon turned into want as you watched Dom shift, pulling your legs open, his form going between your thighs. 

“You like it dirty, huh princess?” Colson continued to whisper dark nothings into your neck, “I never took you as a kinky girl... do you wanna be our good girl? At least for to night?”

You nodded your head, “Yes.”

“Yes what, baby?” he lifted his hands up, his fingers gently covering your neck. 

“Yes, daddy, I want to be your good girl,” you sighed, and your body soon relaxed as his lips met yours. 

Meanwhile, Dom was staring at your pussy. This was something that he had been picturing for weeks. He touched himself to the possiblities of what it was look like. But now that he was face to face with it, he could feel the painful strain his pants had on his shaft. 

“Gotta stretch you out, love, are you alright with that?” he asked. 

“Yes, daddy...,” you muttered out. 

“Daddy, huh?” realizing that he was zoned out while you had your exchange with Colson. He had been called many things. Maybe even Master. But daddy was a change of pace, and he thought he would try it on for size. 

Dom looked at you face the entire time as you felt his finger sink deep into your core. You let out loud moans. You wanted this more than anything. He then leaned down, never shifting his eyes away from your face as you threw your head back, letting out moans when his tongue finally made contact with your clit. It was heaven, and he obviously knew what he was doing. 

Colson messed with your breasts. But soon he became irritated by the fabric covering your upper half. He stripped you of his sweatshirt, and his lips went directly to your breasts. 

You were in nirvana as the two boys ravished your body. The coil inside of you began to tighten, and you knew it would snap if Dom kept hitting you just right and harshly sucking your clit. 

“Daddy! F-Fuck! I’m gonna cum, please don’t stop!” desperate for release, you held onto his hair. 

“Let go, baby, we have you,” Colson muttered against your temple before giving a sweet kiss to the area. Almost out of instinct, you took one of your hands away from Dom’s hair and intertwined it with Colson’s large hands. 

You suddenly felt your orgasm crash over you violently like a tidal wave, your core clenching Dom’s fingers like a fist, your legs shaking, Dom’s hands holding them still as he licked you clean, helping you ride out your high. 

Colson suddenly reached his free hand down to your sensitive pussy and swiped his fingers along your slit, gathering your cum on his fingers as he brought it up to his mouth, sucking on them.

“Fuck, darlin’, you taste amazing...,” Dom cut in, licking his lips that were once coated in your essence. 

Dom ripped your small hand away from his hair, pressing a soft kiss to your wrist, peppering it with affection. 

“If you two don’t get undressed soon, I might flip out,” you enquired, almost too excited to see the fully exposed bodies of the forms you had been fantasizing about ever since you found out you had feelings for them. 

They obliged but they made sure that that was the only demand you were making that night. once they were fully nude, you almost felt like drooling, the both of them bigger than you had pictured them.

And now you could see how many tattoos Colson actually had.

You watched as the two got nearer, both of them closing in around you. You felt like you were going to burst, wanting them both so badly. 

Dom immediately went to your side, Colson taking position at the foot of the bed, his eyes trained on you as he gave a few swift pumps to his shaft. Dominic kissed you passionately, his tongue running over your bottom lip. 

Colson soon got on top of you, the feeling of his cock dragging right over your pussy making you moan out silently. 

“Ready, princess?” he growled, his head going to the side of your neck. 

You nodded. 

“Now, come on love, use your words darlin’,” Dom tisked, his hand running over your breast. 

“Yes, Daddy.” you muttered, Colson’s lips meeting yours as he began to slowly sink into you, your hand clutching Dom’s as you tried to adjust. 

“Fuck, princess, so fucking tight, aren’t you, huh?” Colson groaned against the skin of your neck. 

“Does it feel good, love?” Dom asked, wanting to hear you tell him everything you were feeling. He, in fact, had a slight voyeurism kink. 

“It feels so good, daddy, fuck he’s stretching me out so fucking good,” you cursed rapidly as Colson started to move, his hips slamming into yours harshly, giving you somewhat little time to adjust. 

You let out loud moans of pleasure, Dom taking your breasts and putting them in your mouth, wanting nothing more than to give you as much pleasure as he could. You loved the feeling of his tongue rolling over your pebbled nipples, the heat radiating off the two boys highly erotic, making you only want them more. 

“F-Faster daddy,” you muttered, your hand reaching up to his hair, his other hand now on his back, scratching it up as you felt Colson’s groan let out vibrations that made you whine. 

“Anything for you, princess,” he groaned, his hips soon slamming against yours, fucking you hard, fast, and raw. It was amazing, and nothing like you had ever had before. It was thrilling. 

You watched as Dom continued to lick your nipples. But you felt bad. Colson was getting his pleasure. And you decided Dom did too. You took your hand that was on Colson’s back, and taking his cock in your hands, giving it a squeeze as you watched his reaction. It almost made you cum right then and there. 

“Fuck, you look so gorgeous like this,” he grunted, your hand now moving up and down quickly, your thumb occasionally brushing over a throbbing vein. 

Colson violently fucked you, his shaft appearing and disappearing in your folds. It felt amazing as you felt two pair of hands ravaging your body like they were. Dom’s hand was now between your legs, pinching you clit, making you clench. 

The feeling of euphoria came closer and closer as you began to tense up. 

“You gonna cum, baby?” Colson hissed against your skin. 

“Yes, daddy, please let me cum! I’ve earned it...,” you pleaded, wanting nothing more than to let go, but not without they’re say so. 

“Hold on just as little while longer, love, I want us all to cum together,” Dom sighed, his hand now rubbing quicker. 

But you couldn’t. You were so close, so selfish, you wanted to cum. So bad. 

And you did. And it felt so fucking good, your legs shaking, your core tensing, and your grip on Dom’s cock tightening. 

It started a chain reaction, Colson’s hips stuttering as he felt you clench, his cum shooting into you, Dom cumming right after you. 

You all road out your highs. But after all of you were down to earth, they each gave you deadly glares of disappointment. You had a look of guilt etched on your face. 

“And you were doin’ so good,” Dom muttered, getting up and standing at the foot of the bed, Colson doing the same thing. 

“Get the rope.” Colson gave you a dangerous look.

You fucked up. 

[clareguilty]

Nice

Read this one on the AO3 you sluts

This is my 69th fic on AO3 which means you should definitely click the link and leave a kudos and a comment saying “Nice”

Mandalorian/Gn!Reader (reader has a coochie)

Rating: Explicit | No Warnings, just 69

Word Count: ~2400

You made doubly sure to lock the door as you trudged into your quarters, engaging both the electronic lock and the manual bolt. Afternoon sun poured into the room from the large window; the sky on this planet turned everything a strange lilac color that you had never seen before -- so used to the orange of Tatooine, but that was about the nicest thing you had found so far since landing here.

Your travels with Din had landed you smack in the middle of some kind of galactic conflict, and neither of you were happy about it. Sure, you supported the New Republic and you wanted to see the last of the Empire wiped away, but you didn’t necessarily want to be on the front lines of that whole mess.

And Din hated it even more than you. Grogu was away training with Commander Skywalker while the two of you had gotten trapped in this horrible diplomatic dispute. From dawn to nightfall it was nothing but meetings and councils and speeches. Din had no choice but to go, an unwilling participant in the Republic after his accidental takeover of the Mandalorian throne. You weren’t necessarily required to attend, but you had very quickly grown bored of sitting idly around the New Republic base and decided that listening to delegates drone on and on about unity and healing was slightly more appealing. Bo Katan had ignored both of your endless pleas to just take the kriffing darksaber, instead scowling from the sidelines of every meeting.

It wasn’t like Din was making these decisions anyways. The other Mandos deliberated over every choice, and he simply passed the messages on as their representative. He was a figure head. Nothing more.

But still, it was only late afternoon, and you were already bone tired. You pulled off your boots and made your way to where Din was sitting on the bed, hunched over with his elbows on his knees. The lilac light reflected off of his newly polished beskar. You thought it looked nice.

“We have to meet everyone for supper this evening,” you reminded him. “I was going to sleep a few hours and then spend tonight drinking as much spotchka as I can get my hands on.”

Din chuckled. “As long as you don’t pass out and leave me to fend off everyone by myself.”

“Sounds tempting.” You draped your overcoat over the nearest chair and pulled your top off. The fancy clothes the New Republic had given you were far less comfortable than the loose, desert-wear you were accustomed to, and you stretched and sighed as soon as you were free from the constricting garments.

Din had glanced up, but you weren’t sure if he was watching you. He had seen you naked plenty of times now, and you were perfectly fine being undressed around him. It had never seemed to bother him, though he was still most comfortable in his armor and helmet. 

Since meeting the other Mandos and rescuing Grogu from the imperials -- and then subsequently letting Commander Skywalker take Grogu for training, Din had been willing to take his helmet off around others. It wasn’t a common occurrence, only in dire situations or at times when he felt completely safe. You had only seen him without it a few times, and you were honored that he trusted you enough to show you his face.

His eyes were so warm, so expressive. His lips were so soft. You cherished every chance to see him, to feel him.

You were folding your pants when Din reached up and pulled his helmet off. Instinctively, you turned away at the first sight of his stubbled jaw. 

“It’s okay,” he said. “You can look.”

You hated the way that your heart sped up as you turned back toward him. You never would have thought that seeing your lover’s face would send such a thrill through you. 

He looked… not very good. Dark circles under his eyes, shoulders hunched with exhaustion. He was under much more stress than you, and it was wearing on him. It pained you to see him this way. You sat next to him on the bed, completely naked while he was still in full armor.

“Maybe you should stay in tonight? It’s just supper. I can pick up something from the kitchen and bring it back here for us. We can get drunk on spotchka in the privacy of our room.” You didn’t even try to hide your staring as you rememorized his features, resisting the urge to brush his flattened curls away from his face.

He shook his head. “It’ll be fine.” Despite not even wanting to be the representative for the Mandalorians, he took the responsibility very seriously. He pushed himself so hard trying to do everything he could for his people. You loved him more for it, but you wanted him to put himself first for once.

You reached out and very gently tugged at his armor. “You’ll rest with me, won’t you?”

He looked at you, his eyes roaming over your body. His eyes darkened, pupils blowing wide. You could tell exactly what he was thinking as he licked his lips.

“Rest,” you insisted, smiling. It was exciting to see the desire in his expression. Din wanted you. It was reassuring to know. He was always so shy, so scared to ask for what he needed, letting you take the lead. You had been with each other many times before, but rarely had he let you see his face. It was sweet, how clearly his desire and arousal were written in his features.

He sighed and rolled his eyes. You couldn’t take your eyes off of him as he began undressing as well. Beskar and tough fabric gave way to tanned, scarred skin and muscle. Your mouth went dry as he bent forward to pull off his boots. He didn’t make the same effort as you to fold his things, simply letting them lay to the side of the bed where he would fetch them later. He was usually so careful with his armor, you knew he must have truly been exhausted.

He tugged his pants off and you noticed that, despite how tired he looked, his cock was already half hard. Maybe... your nap could wait a little while.

When he turned back to you, you were laying back against the pillows, legs splayed, smirking with your lip caught between your teeth. “I changed my mind,” you grinned.

Din flushed bright red, eyes darting everywhere. It was adorable. You knew he could get overwhelmed easily, but it was fun to watch him flush and stammer when you were particularly forward.

“Come here,” you sat up and patted the bed next to you. “What do you need?”

He settled in beside you. And when he didn’t pull away, you leaned in to press a kiss to his cheekbone, gently running your fingers through his helmet-hair. You loved the way he melted into the feeling of your fingers against his scalp. He let out the softest moan, shuddering under your touch.

He didn’t say anything, but he pulled you in so he could cover your chest in chaste kisses, trailing down over your stomach and toward your hips. Occasionally, he stopped to suck a mark into your skin. He enjoyed leaving little reminders, and he absolutely loved when you returned the favor. Even though no one would see the marks, you had caught him admiring them one morning before he put his armor on.

He seemed directionless, unsure as he kissed across your body. You let him take as much time as he needed. He deserved this chance to explore you. He seemed to be working up the courage for something. You got the message when he tried to nudge your thighs apart. Stubble rasping over the soft skin.

Oh.

The two of you had never done that before. Din was hardly comfortable with his helmet off, much less with something as intimate as this. But here he was, kissing along the inside of your thighs.

You had to be careful. So many things were new to Din and you didn’t want to ruin any of his first experiences.

You nudged him away, pulling him in for a breathy kiss. “I’ve got an idea,” you said. “Lay down for me, okay?”

He did as you asked, hands trailing over your skin as you rearranged yourself. You planted your thighs on either side of his head, bracing your hands on his chest as you lined yourself up.  “This okay?” you asked as you peered down at him.

“Yeah,” Din nodded, eyes wide. “More than okay.” He had never been this close to you before -- not like this at least. Now, there were mere centimeters between your pussy and his lips.

You slowly lowered your hips. Din was light, tentative at first. As much as he wanted this, he was out of his depth. You knew this kind of thing was new to him. His tongue found your clit and you moaned. “Just like that,” you encouraged him.

Spurred on by your words, he licked a broad strip over your slit. You couldn’t help but grind down against him. It was slow, teasing for you as he found a pace he was comfortable with. Din had certainly learned how to make you come on his fingers and cock, and he was going to take his time to master this as well.

Without warning, he wrapped his arms around your thighs, gripping tightly as he pulled you closer. You gasped, raking your nails over his stomach. For all of Din’s inexperience, he wanted to make you feel good. 

“Stars! Din!” you gasped. He moaned and his cock twitched where it was resting against his hips. He was already leaking onto his stomach and painfully hard just from having you like this. It was so easy to get him worked up. You knew it would be overwhelming for him, but you couldn’t stop yourself as you reached out to stroke him. He groaned low between your thighs, abs tensing as you dragged your fingers along his length. It didn’t matter to you that he became uncoordinated; you just wanted to show him how good he made you feel, how wonderful it felt to be with him, that even with all of the pressure he was under, he deserved this pleasure.

You leaned down, wrapping your lips around his cock. You weren’t trying to break him, but he gasped and dug his fingers into your thighs, bucking his hips where they were pinned beneath you. It took all of your self restraint to give him a moment to come down. You knew he would finish quickly, overwhelmed as he was. 

Din felt vulnerable without his armor and out of his depth as he tried to pleasure you, but he loved the sounds you made above him, loved the warmth of your body against his and the softness of your breasts against stomach. The way your thighs felt in his grip, and the taste of you. It was too much but in the best of ways. He thought he was going to die the most pleasurable death beneath you.

And he wanted you to feel the same. Even though he was clumsy and uncoordinated and inexperienced, he wanted to make you come. Pulling you close, he licked and sucked your clit, using your moans and praise as guidance.

You came with shaking hips and loud moans around his cock that had him finishing in your mouth with a choked off groan. You continued stroking him even after his cock stopped pulsing. He didn’t stop his own efforts until you were squirming and pulling away from him, rolling to the side with a satisfied sigh. Din was still reeling from the overstimulation. He had wanted to try something new, try to pleasure you in a way he hadn’t been able to before. Now that you could see him -- that you could feel him and know him -- he wanted to give you everything. And you had given him everything in return.

It took several long moments for him to come back to his senses, in which you laid against his side and pulled the cover over you both. You grabbed his face and kissed him deeply, tasting yourself on his tongue as he could taste himself on yours. He shouldn’t have found it as arousing as he did, but he moaned into the kiss.

You held him in your arms, and he placed soft, open-mouthed kisses to your chest. While he knew it would be a while before he wanted anything more, he still wasn’t satisfied, and he slipped his fingers down between your legs to try and coax another orgasm out of you. You let out a small, surprised gasp as he curled his fingers inside you.

Exhaustion had finally gotten to the both of you. When you came, it was a lovely, floating pleasure. Your eyes fluttered shut as you drifted on the haze of orgasm.

Din curled into your chest. You wrapped your arms around him and pressed a kiss to his hair. You still had a few hours before supper, and you were going to make sure Din slept if it was the last thing you did.

“I miss Grogu,” he murmured, half asleep. You felt a pang in your chest. Even if it was for his own good, letting Grogu go with Commander Skywalker was one of the hardest choices both of you had been forced to make. It had been weeks now, and you still expected the little beast to be around every time you woke. You missed the weight of him in your arms and his strange, all knowing eyes. You knew Din only had it worse.

“Me too.” You blinked away tears. “First chance I get, I’ll break us out of here and we can go get him back from Commander Skywalker. What’s one Jedi against two angry parents?”

You felt him smile against your skin. “We’ll be on the run from the Empire and the New Republic.”

“We’ll have the kid hide us with The Force or something. No one will ever find us.” You ran your fingers through his hair, unable to even keep your eyes open.

Din snored softly in your arms. You let yourself drift off as well. After everything, both of you desperately needed the rest. A few hours of sleep would be nice.

[hrmdream]

Ho Ho Ho! MERRY PITCHMAS @beca-mitchell​ !!! ‘Tis be your damn Secret Santa here, and I have presents for one of the naughtiest nicest on Santa’s list. That’s right. I said presents!!! I tried my best to create a supernatural world for you and got carried away. There is a lot I wanted to pack in, so this is a two-parter. If You Lead, I Will Follow Rating: M (Language) Summary: Think supernaturals kinda sorta AND THEN, because I could not give you just half of a present and I know you like your pain... I tried my hand at some light angst with a happy ending. I hope you enjoy and have a happy holiday :D Below the cut: Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop Rating: G Word Count: 1201 Summary: Beca can’t stop the bitterness that comes from missing someone

A heavy sigh escapes through Beca’s parted lips. She presses her back against her front door and slides her tongue over her teeth and sucks. It is a lame attempt to rid herself of the unwanted, invasive taste seeping over her tongue and permeating into the smallest recesses of her mouth.

For being just a feeling, bitterness was making its presence known throughout all her senses. Sour on her tongue. Pungent in her nose. Pressure in her mind. Beca clenches her fists and hangs her head low. Flurries of snow from the snowfall coating the streets of New York City fall from her head and land at her feet.

Beca breathes in slowly. Her chest steadily rises and falls as she watches the snow melt against the hardwood floors of her apartment.

It has been a while since Beca’s bitter monster last reared its ugly head. Beca would think after such time it would have packed up and moved on to a different home, but apparently she provides it a healthy environment to thrive. Considering its neighbors are inconsolable regret and haunting self-loathing, Beca guesses perpetual bitterness fits in just fine.

The images of the night Beca is just returning from flash in her mind. Comforting blue eyes. Easy conversation. Charming and bubbly laughter.

Beca sighs.

Anyone else would have considered the night she was returning from a good night. No - not simply ‘good’. More likely great. See, Beca was returning home from a date. A date in which she had received a goodnight kiss and a promise for future plans as a form of farewell.

But the thing is, Beca is not just anyone. And the cause for the bitter ache in her chest is because there is a hole in her heart no one, no matter how meticulously dressed, kind and beautiful, seems to be able to fill.

So no, Beca does not find giddiness in the kiss. And no, she does not consider the night a success.

Beca knows it is unfair. Not just to her date who was trying, truly trying, with all of her laughter, eye-catching smiles, gentle touches and bright and optimistic attitude, but to Beca herself.

Beca recalls the bitter pain that shot through to her gut when her date had reached out to hold her hand. The whole action was timid, but confident, and Beca found it a little bit endearing, so Beca let their fingers lock together. She let the fantasy of naturally fitting continue. But in her heart and mind, Beca was imagining she was holding the hand of another.

Beca’s will to believe was so strong, she gripped the hand in hers. And when small circles were rubbed against the back of her hand, she relished in the warmth that travelled up her arm with it, thinking back on gentle coaxes that always came when Beca needed them most.

Beca hates herself for it - the disservice to both her and her date. Beca has no idea if the other woman’s hands are in fact soft. She only knows that they are warm. And Beca knows the momentary bliss in her daydream has obviously fogged her date’s reality. It’s why she was given a good night kiss. At least there Beca did not let herself get lost.

Beca sighs again.

She is not sure how long she has been standing against her front door, but the realization brings with it weird company. The silence of her apartment grows around her in an ironic deafening kind of way - pounding against her eardrums and overpowering the thudding of her heart.

Overwhelmed, Beca closes her eyes only to be jolted back to alertness from the ghost of a laugh. From the corner of her eye, Beca swears she catches a blur of red. When she whips her head, she finds nothing. Just her apartment. Exactly as it is. Though vastly different from how it was.

There are no more odds and ends. No collection of random items picked up from street markets, bargain bins and thrift stores and stuffed into spaces where ‘if they fits, they sits’. Only neat, tidy collections of things in places where they belong. Quite boring if Beca lets herself think about it too much. Which she does.

As her mind floods with memories, Beca’s chest quickly constricts. She streams hot air through her nose and shakes her head, telling herself to come to. To get it together. She vowed to herself before her date to stop letting herself be reminded everywhere, anytime, doing anything (even if she failed already tonight, that does not mean she stops trying).

It has been one month, twenty-two days and fifteen hours. That is one month, twenty-two days and fifteen hours filled with moments Beca has let herself crumble at the slightest hint of another time.

But no more.

No more will Beca’s heart ache.

No more will Beca forget to breathe.

No more will Beca, with her windows down, music drowning, and heartbreak on her mind feel the hole left behind.

“Becs, I don’t think this is working out.”

Beca fights back the tears forming in her eyes. Right. No more of that either.

Her head nods with strong conviction. New resolve in her heart, Beca brushes herself off and straightens up. In the spirit of getting it together, Beca is taking off her shoes to prepare to unwind from the night when she realizes her phone is buzzing in her jacket pocket.

Her brow furrows when she checks the clock on the wall.

At one in the morning, Beca thinks the only calls being made should be urgent ones. She pulls her phone from her pocket and nearly drops it when her heart skips a beat. Staring down at the phone screen, she almost forgets to breathe.

Yet, in all of the state of freeze, Beca feels more aware than she has in days (okay, months-ish. You know exactly how many).

Her incoming call is reading “Chloe Beale”.

Beca has a momentary panic of wondering what she should do, whether it is real, should she pick up, and how she should answer. All of that comes to a halt when a stronger voice in her mind tells her to pick up the damn call.

So she does.

“Hello?” Beca wonders if her uncertainty, shaking fear, and trembling resolve can be heard. The continued silence also makes her wonder what is happening, what she should do, and if anyone is even on the other line.

“Hi. I miss you.”

Pang. Ache.

“Becs, I’m sorry. I miss you. I love you.”

Boom. Breathe.

“Becs? Are you- are you there?”

“Yes. Yeah. I’m here, Chlo.”

“Can I - Can I come over?”

“Please. Come over.”

“Okay. I’ll be there soon.”

Beca stares and blinks down at the phone in her hand. She looks around, forgetting what she was in the middle of doing before the call. What she does know is that tingles are rupturing goosebumps across her skin from her fingers all the way down to her toes. Every nerve in her body is in a jumble.

She feels giddy.

She feels alive.

Happy Holidays to her.

[deathisanartmetzli]

Two for One || Bex & Metzli

TIMING: Current

PARTIES: @inbextween @deathisanartmetzli​

SUMMARY: Metzli gets more than just a donation from Bex, and they really don’t like it.

CONTAINS: TW- Mentions of Child Death, Mentions of Parental Death, Mentions of Domestic Abuse, Mentions of Homophobia and Transphobia, Vampire Compelling-

It wasn’t technically nerves that coursed through Bex as the uber pulled up to the art gallery, but there was a sense of excitement tingeing her cheeks. On Bex, it could have easily been mistaken for anxiety or nerves, as she stared wide-eyed up at the sign above the doors. There were so many things she didn’t know about White Crest and it’s people, and she found herself almost desperate to know them. Desperate to know the world she was always supposed to be part of. Anyone who offered even a morsel of that was on her list of people to talk to, to befriend, to know. Metzli was at the top of the list, if only because they hadn’t beat around the bush with anything, and Bex appreciated the candor. As well as the shmoozing. It wasn’t necessary, she’d write them a check for whatever amount they wanted, but it was still...flattering. She was still letting herself get used to being okay with being openly out, and it felt nice, she supposed, to be seen in that way. Not that she needed it! Mina was more than enough, and Bex wasn’t that daft (though she still was holding out hope that maybe Metzli was just being nice, maybe they were just trying to butter her up and just wanted to be her friend), but as she always did, she wanted to give them a chance, first. She couldn’t help it, it was as much a flaw as it was a strength. She supposed it was only a matter of time before it bit her in the ass, but she was really hoping that wouldn’t be the case here.

Pushing the front door open, Bex glanced up as the bell chimed to announce her arrival. It was quiet inside, no one else was really around, and she was grateful for that-- she still had a hard time in crowds, fearing the magic that pulsed beneath her fingers, and what harm it could do to people. But Metzli was a vampire, and her magic was mostly harmless against the undead. Which, again, both good and bad. Sai hadn’t taught her any barrier spells yet, so she really had no way to defend herself, other than the can of mace she always carried in her purse. It was a last resort only, though.

Bex perked up when she heard footsteps approaching and grinned, smoothing down the fringes of her dress. “Hi! It’s-- you’re Metzli, right? It’s me. Bex. But you probably already figured that out. Sorry. I’m much better at talking online.” Held her hand out. “It’s nice to finally meet you for, like, real!”

The prospect of meeting Bex in person was one that Metzli looked forward to greatly. Not only was she going to donate to the gallery, but she was a possible fun friend to get…close to. Needless to say, when Bex walked through the door, the vampire was excited, no, tantalizingly thrilled. “Yes, I am. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Bex.” They took Bex’s hand, their hand firm and extremely cold. Acting on their dated customs, they bowed and laid a gentle kiss to the back of her hand. Their smile was one that could win the hearts of most, and could melt even the coldest of them.

Metzli always wore suits to the gallery, but chose the best ones this week in anticipation of this meeting. Today they sported a blue suit with a plaid pattern, a black tie, and black dress shoes to complete the ensemble. Trying to “put their best foot forward,” if you will. “You’re certainly an energetic one. I like that.” Their smile grew wider, not too wide as to cause alarm, but enough to make the warmth grow. “Welcome to my gallery,” Arms extended as they gestured to the open building. “Would you like anything to drink before I give you the tour? Water, wine?” They asked, adjusting the cuffs of their shirt.

“I keep an assortment of reds, but I have some sparkling whites if you prefer,” Metzli continued, trying to be the best host possible. Though Bex did say she would donate regardless, the vampire had to put on a show.

Bex had eyes, good eye sight at that, and they stuck on Metzli’s form as they approached, on the rather suave suit they were wearing, and she felt her inside begin to vibrate. Maybe this was a bad idea. This could go bad very quickly. Really, all she had to do to solve her problem was tell Metzli she had a girlfriend, but how was she supposed to insert that into casual conversation? And why was it that the words still stuck in her throat? She glanced around the gallery again and found it still empty and wondered how long it would take her mind-- and her body-- to stop sending alarms to run away when confronted publicly with her queerness. But it was just...looking. Nothing would happen. She could look. And so she looked.

“Oh, well, don’t get too excited. Sometimes my energy can be a lot. I don’t shut up half the time and then most of the time I don’t even realize I’m not shutting up or talking too much. It’s really kind of a drag. Blessing and a curse? It’s-- see? I’m kind of already doing it.” She took Metzli’s hand to shut herself up and felt a chill run up her arm, into her spine. They felt like Morgan’s hands, cool, soft, but where Morgan’s grip was always gentle, Metzli’s was firm. The swift kiss to the back of her hand just as cold, despite the warmth now in her cheeks. “I-I’m okay right now! Why don’t we just save the drinking for later?”

Her dress-- a nice dress, but certainly not her nicest-- was a blue number, with a floral pattern and frilly, short sleeves. She liked to dress up nice-- an old habit she didn’t really know how to break-- but now she was wondering if, maybe, a more casual outfit would’ve been a better idea. “So how long have you been doing art? Did you own a gallery before this? Where did you live before this?”

Metzli could always tell when they were being checked out, which was often. Confidence emanated from them as they ogled back, a little more subtly. The way Bex stuttered only made them feel empowered, like they had her right where they wanted her. It was something they enjoyed a lot, maybe too much. “As you wish, cariña.” They replied flirtatiously and motioned for her to follow them.

“Please, follow me. I’ll answer your questions along the way as I lead you through the current showings, and maybe if you want, I can show you…the secret gallery. But that’ll have to wait until the end.” Metzli guided Bex down a hallway that led to a large, open room filled with sculptures and paintings. “In this section, I have a collection of works by local artists. Several of which were donated, and many others purchased right from the artists themselves. And if you look in the back corner, you’ll see my most recent painting.” A large painting of a decaying crow was on display. So far it had received much praise and was one of their favorites as of yet.

“As for your current questions, I’ve been practicing art, painting in particular, for about 90 years. After roaming for a bit once I left my clan, I decided to open my first gallery, this very one. I traveled all the way from Jalisco, Mexico. I resided there until I heard of White Crest. It took a while, but I finally made it here. Word travels far when it comes to special places.”

It was just Metzli being nice, Bex told herself. Obviously that’s all it was. They were just being nice because people could just be nice without any ulterior motive. Bex truly believed that. She really wanted to believe that right now. She could convince herself of that. Why would anyone want to flirt with her anyway? Especially a vampire who owned their own art gallery and had probably seen so much in the world. Someone like Bex wasn’t worth that time or effort. They were just being nice because Bex was donating to their gallery, that was all. Surely that was all.

She followed behind Metzli and stepped into the large room that displayed, as they explained it, the local works. Her gaze traced across all the different pieces on display, mouth slightly agape. She hadn’t known there were so many talented people right here in White Crest, but, really, what did she know about White Crest? Not much. It had been stolen from her. She was drawn towards a sculpture in the middle, of some sort of nightmarish, amorphous creature. Her eyes skated over the piece and she longed to reach out and touch it, but held herself back, looking up again when Metzli pointed out their own work.

“Oh, you painted that one!?” She moved quickly towards it, drawn in by the glowing red eye of the crow. It looked half dead, perhaps decaying, encompassing the canvas, and Bex stared at it in wonder. She’d always wished her hands were disciplined enough to put down onto paper what was in her mind, her dreams. Drawing maps of made-up worlds hardly counted. She glanced back over at Metzli, realizing how close she’d gotten to the painting and stepped away. “It’s beautiful.”

Bex had almost forgotten Metzli’s undead-ness, and balked for only a moment when they announced they’d been at this for ninety years. Her grandmother wasn’t even that old. Hands skated over the ridges of the painting, only touching the air in front of it as if she were a ghost. “What did you do before, then?” Looked back over at Metzli, eyes wide with wonder. “Ninety years is a long time. I can’t even imagine being alive for that long, let alone practicing something for all that time…”

Metzli watched as Bex marveled at their painting. Their skill always did a number on women. It was one of the many benefits of honing it. “Before? Oh, well…I didn’t do much of anything besides what my master commanded. Going into those details is not something I will do, though.” Their arms rested behind their back as they spoke, and their voice took on a more serious tone. Memories of that time flooded their mind, making them squeeze their eyes shut to push them away.

Once their eyes opened again, they slapped a smile on their face and turned to face the other pieces in the gallery. “Thank you for your praise. It’s always a pleasure to see my art taken so well.” Metzli continued walking away, motioning Bex once again to follow them. “Next I’ll show you the works I’ve collected nationwide, and even internationally. The collection is smaller, but still striking.”

They felt a little off. The flashes of memories long past made their facade wane slightly and they used the short walk to collect themselves. Showing the gallery to Bex was supposed to be an easy way to get money and possibly a fun time for the night. It was not supposed to make them feel any sort of way. Especially not sad. Lucky for Metzli, the moment of sorrow quickly passed and they moved on. “Do you have any further questions?”

Bex drew her brows in concern, worried she might’ve said something that upset Metzli. She had never been any good at telling people’s emotions from their faces, but the one thing she could recognize aside from anger-- perhaps even more so than-- was sorrow. It passed briefly over Metzli’s face and Bex turned her gaze away, pretending to have not seen it at all. Sorrow was something felt in solitude. It didn’t need to be looked at the way art was. She shifted her gaze back up when Metzli spoke up again, and Bex moved away from the painting and towards them. “It’s incredible,” she said again, stealing one more glance at it before they exited the room. “You’re incredible.”

As they walked, Bex wondered. She couldn’t help it. Her mind raced away with thoughts all the time, and Metzli’s words were making trails through her mind like a flood. Their master, whatever that meant, had made them do things. Probably things they hadn’t wanted to do, from the sound of it. Bex could understand that. Maybe too closely. Her parents had controlled everything about her life, so much to the point that the freedom she now enjoyed felt wrong. She didn’t know what to do with it. She blinked from her thoughts when Metzli spoke up again and found herself in a new room. “Oh, um-- you mentioned that you do, like, community stuff. Art classes. What kind of classes are they? And how often? Do you do them here? If you need a bigger space, I could probably give you the money for that. And supplies. Really, just, whatever you might need. I think a place like this is worth investing in.” She smiled, gently, sweetly. Her father would’ve called this a waste and her mother would have scolded her, but they weren’t around anymore, and even if Bex didn’t know how to feel about her new found freedom, she wasn't going to waste it.

Bex’s comment didn’t go unheard, but with their ego, they were just going to gloss over it so they wouldn’t blow their cover. “Oh, the art classes are held in these two rooms.” Metzli trotted over to two doors next to each other. “Currently only one is being used for now. I’m setting up the other for sculpture classes. Everything has been purchased out of my own pocket, so it’s taking longer than I’d like. But, the painting classes are held every Tuesday and Thursday. Rookies on Tuesday’s and Novices on Thursday’s. With your donation I’ll be able to hire a sculpting teacher and continue to purchase the supplies necessary.”

The excitement in Metzli’s voice surprised them. Crest Works Art was their pride and joy. It was their dream to use art to heal, only themselves and maybe a few others inadvertently, but that was something for them to know, not anyone else. “I was honestly only expecting a donation of five grand, which is more than enough.” The truth of the matter was that they were lowballing in hopes of getting more. The money would help the gallery but the leftovers would go to them. But the more they discussed the matter, the more they wanted it for the gallery. What the hell was going on?

“Whatever you see best though, is just fine. It would be an honor to take a donation from Miss Not-So-Fragile.” Metzli referenced an earlier message the two shared, clearly turning on their charm again. It was an attempt to get back in the zone, get back to what they were supposed to be doing. Which was not getting lost in pointless emotions.

“Out of your own pocket? Wow, you must really love this place,” Bex sighed, a bit of a dreamy tone to her voice as she did. She reached out and slid her fingers along the cool wall, between two of the paintings. Sometimes, she liked to believe she could feel the energy in the world, she was supposed to be able to, as a spellcaster. When she was outside, she could swear she could hear the thrum of the earth, as energy flowed through it, like invisible rivers. It was in everything. She wished she could feel that all the time, like the moonlight with Sai, and the warmth with Mina. “White Crest is lucky to have you here,” she said again, smiling.

“Oh, only five-thousand?” Bex didn’t really know how much was a good donation amount, but in the end, she’d decided she didn’t really care. If it meant keeping a place like this open and running, she’d give whatever. If she could be the person helping someone achieve their dream, then of course she would help them. She turned away from the wall and headed towards Metzli again, in the middle of the room. She chuckled, hiding her face behind her hand for a moment. “You know you don’t have to keep buttering me up,” she stated, pulling her wallet out, “I wouldn’t have come if I didn’t like you or didn’t want to do this.” Because she had the ability to choose to do that now. No one to tell her how to live her life. “How’s 50k?”

“It’s not buttering up if I’m enjoying it.” The way Bex just didn’t see how Metzli was laying it on super thick with the flirting was astounding. Completely baffled, they chuckled and were going to continue to flirt when Bex gave her offer. 50k? 50k? They were expecting a higher amount than five thousand, but that? “Holy shit,” was all that was muttered in that moment. “A-are you sure?!”

Metzli didn’t mean to be so loud, but the plan had gone well, too well in fact. Sure they were confident, but it never got them something of this magnitude. “Sorry, sorry. Just wasn’t expecting that.” They chuckled out of pure disbelief. Fooling Bex had obviously paid off, but it was much more than that now. Having a donation of that amount meant they could do more than just the few things they mentioned. This could be the breakthrough the gallery needed to be as successful as they had dreamed. Their master, just like Bex’s parents had no hold on her, had no hold on them. Not anymore.

For a moment, the facade fell again, and actual gratitude showed on Metzli’s face. Bowing like before, they took Bex’s hand and pressed another kiss to the back of her hand. This time though, their hold was gentle, maybe even hinging on being soft. “Thank you, Bex.”

That look right there was what Bex cared about the most. Through the astonishment, it was the look of hope that made Bex’s heart soar. She wanted to give people hope. Hope that they could finally have something good. It was like she’d told Bly-- hope was never bad, it couldn’t be, by nature. Bex wanted to truly believe that. She did. It was nice, too, to watch Metzli trip over their words and stutter, instead of her. She was usually so bad at talking, but something about this place had rendered Bex relatively quiet as she observed the space around her. The paintings, the sculptures, the pictures. They were worth investing in, they were worth giving back to. “I’m sure,” she answered, smiling. She scribbled on the check, before tearing one out and handing it to Metzli. “I really hate saying this, but that’s barely even a dent in the wallet. Like I told you, no one needs this much money. I’d give you more if I didn’t think you’d pass out, or the government wouldn’t try and take it all for taxes.”

Bex wasn’t expecting another bow, and she stayed frozen a moment as Metzli leaned down to kiss the back of her hand again. It felt somehow gentler this time. She felt her face flush and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, chuckling nervously. “Y-you don’t have to thank me! Honest. I’m not doing this for the thanks. I just want to give back to the community and the town and-- and people. People who deserve it.” This was just what people did, right? This was just being nice. People had different customs, was all. “I-- I do expect special treatment when I show up to the beginner painting classes, though.”

And just like that, Metzli knew they had done it again. Another successful event that flustered the naive woman. That was what they were trying to twist it into at least. Gratitude filled their cold heart, but they were determined to believe this was all according to their plan to seduce a millionaire. “Special treatment for you? You’ll get that any time, anywhere, cariña.” A flair of their accent came through and they cleared their throat to breeze past it.

Taking the check, they eyed it with amazement before pocketing it into the inside of their suit jacket. “Maybe we can leave the secret gallery for another time. After such a gracious donation, I believe I’d like to celebrate with a drink. What do you say? The Bloody Stake is calling to us.” Metzli’s charm was subtle and had an air about it that made people want to listen, want to do what they said. Or was that just their compelling? No, that wasn’t it, not now. That was for very special occasions. This was just their natural personality.

Metzli just hoped their luck continued into the night. Having a woman like Bex at their disposal would prove to be beneficial. They’d have to monitor how they approached everything. A one night stand may not be in the cards if Bex was as sweet as she appeared to be. Not to mention that could ruin any chance of them reaping the benefits of having Bex on their side.

Bex stared for a long moment, pretending that the word was just a common thing people from Mexico said. It was just like when people called her sweetheart or darling. That was all. The heat in her cheeks was just from her anxiety, she was always anxious, Morgan said she needed medication for her anxiety. So, clearly, it was just that. She heard the tint of Metzli’s accent and wondered why they tried to cover it up, but didn’t want to ask.

“You know, I’m only a little worried about what might be in this secret gallery,” she finally said, clearing her throat, “more so curious, though. But-- you know, drinks sound nice, too. I could do drinks.” Metzli was smooth, Bex had to admit it, but she was still clinging to the idea that this was just two people getting drinks and nothing more. Like they said, they just wanted to celebrate. Bex could get on board with that, and the idea of drowning the stupid thoughts in her head about her mother for just one night was the most compelling part of it all. But there was also just something...compelling about Metzli, that made Bex want to just say yes and follow them and ignore the alarms going off in her head. They were stupid alarms and she wanted to stop listening to them. She was free now, she could do what she wanted.

After a moment, once the check was tucked safely away, Bex curtsied slightly as she motioned towards the door. “Shall we? Is it close enough to walk?”

The crimson on Bex’s cheeks was noticeable on visual alone, but Metzli heard the rush of blood after her heartbeat picked up. With a bright smile, they walked over to a light switch, and turned it off. Upon this action, a blue light was activated, subtly revealing a door. Due to the light from the windows and other fixtures, it was a little hard to see. “The secret gallery is right behind this door. There’s nothing to worry about, though. Many protective measures have been taken so that the cursed works stay put. Maybe after drinks, we can come here and I can show you.”

As instantly as the door appeared, it disappeared just the same with another flick of the switch. “The bar isn’t walking distance, but I have a car that I can drive us in, if you’re comfortable enough. It’s the black Mercedes out front.” Metzli said, using a tone as smooth and sweet as saccharine. Clasping their arms behind their back, they guided Bex back to the front so they could get to their office. “Give me a moment so I can dress down a little.”

Metzli faded into their office for a moment, removing their tie and suit jacket, and unbuttoning their shirt to their sternum. It revealed a portion of their clan tattoo, a custom ankh with three strikes through it. A tattoo they were ashamed of, but figured there was no use hiding it. With a shrug, all the lights were shut off and they exited their office. “Have you decided whether or not you’ll ride with me, Miss Not-So-Fragile?”

Bex felt that insatiable tug of curiosity again when the lights flickered out. Her heartbeat quickened even more as she looked at the door, now illuminated in blue light-- even took a step towards it-- before the lights were turned back on and Metzli was ushering her back towards the front. “Cursed!?” she asked, brows raising. She wanted to see those, she definitely wanted to see those. She wanted to know if they felt like magic, if she could sense the magic infused in them. She wondered what kind of curses they were. She wondered who put them on them. There was so much she wanted to know.

Instead, she stood and waited patiently while Metzli changed, her eyes flicking back and forth between the office door they’d disappeared behind, and the hallway that led to the room with the secret door. She perked back up when Metzli returned and beamed a smile. “Well, considering I didn’t drive here, I think that might be the best idea.” She didn’t need to mention that she couldn’t drive, and a small part of her worried how she might be getting home later, but a bigger part of her just didn’t care. Maybe the walk would be nice. She headed towards the door, motioning towards Metzli, hands clasped together as she leaned back against the door, hearing the little bell chime once again when it opened slightly. She glanced one more time towards where the secret door was. “Ready?”

“Ready indeed,” Metzli said, following Bex out the door, and promptly locking it. The alarm was set and they were good to go. As per usual, they opened the passenger door for Bex. It was another dated custom, but it always did well with the female population. “Your chariot awaits,” They joked, and went on to the driver’s side once Bex was set up.

Metzli never bothered with a seatbelt, there was no point. The only thing that could hurt them right now was that damn sun, but they would be rid of that monstrosity in a matter of minutes. Turning over the engine, they shifted the car into drive, and began the commute to the bar. “We’re not too far by car, so we’ll be there soon.” A smile spread over their lips as they moved their hand towards Bex’s thigh, no, the gear shift actually. With a flick of their wrist, the gears changed and the car sped closer to their destination.

Just like they said, the two arrived quickly and Metzli winced at the exposure to the sun again. “Let’s get in quickly. The sun…stings.” Thanks to the time of day, which was 5pm, the toxic sphere would linger for a few hours more. But soon they’d be greeted with a dark room and the perfect drinks, with a woman they had just taken 50k from. Happily, they gently pressed their hand to the small of Bex’s back and guided her towards the door.

It was just polite, really, for someone to open the door for her, right? Bex slid into the car, just as suave and nice as she thought someone like Metzli might own, and folded her hands into her lap, adjusting the edge of her dress to rest over her thigh. She swallowed. This was fine, it was just someone taking her for a drink, it didn’t have to be anything more than that. She kept telling herself that. She would never do anything to be unfaithful to Mina, she loved Mina, this wasn’t anything like that. After all, all Bex wanted was a friend.

She kept her eyes on the road, barely noticed Metzli’s hand moving towards her, as she tried to keep her mind calm. It kept going back to that secret room, or to the way Metzli looked at her, or to Mina back home, still frightened over the warden. Or to her mom. They were all things she wanted to forget about for tonight. She just wanted one night where she didn’t have to think about anything stressful, anything painful, anything hard. Finally, the car pulled up and Bex felt her body loosen, not even realizing how tense she’d become.

She slipped from the car and adjusted herself again, feeling a shiver run up her back when Metzli’s hand came to rest on it. She shuffled slightly, but didn’t move away, instead moving quickly towards the door and slipping inside. Metzli’s chivalry was a little old-fashioned, but that was what Bex had grown up with. The inside of the bar was dark, and red-- a lot of red. Bex glanced around, as eyes turned on her. They could smell her, she realized, her humanness. Could they smell her magic, too? She looked back at Metzli. “Where uh-- where should we sit?”

The effect Metzli was having on Bex was obvious in every flutter of her heart, and every hitch of breath. She didn’t need to utter a word of her attraction, they already had it confirmed. With eyes on the two, they bent down at the waist to whisper on Bex’s ear. “No one will touch you so long as I’m around. You don’t have to worry, okay?” They attempted to reassure her, knowing she was probably a little nervous. No. It was to show their dominance in the bar. It was an attractive trait. That’s all. “We can sit in a booth in the back corner. I see that it’s free right now, but let’s get drinks first.”

With their hand still in place, they guided Bex to the bar and requested a special red wine for themselves, and then motioned to Bex. “And you? What would you like, cariña?” An elbow propped them up as they leaned on the bar, removing their hand from her back finally. The bartender made Metzli’s drink as they waited for Bex’s request.

It was comforting to know and Bex felt herself relaxing a bit more. She wondered if it was the check in Metzli’s pocket that was providing her sanctuary here, or something else. Not that Bex was scared-- it wasn’t fear of someone trying to hurt her, she’d been attacked by a vampire before, but that woman had been cruel, perhaps feral, and she wasn’t going to let one incident color her views on vampires-- but the attention drawn to her made her anxiety rocket. She wasn’t used to being perceived like this, it made her stomach churn a little. She wished she wasn’t always so self-conscious. Did they know? Could they see? Could they tell?

She shuffled closer to Metzli subconsciously and looked across the bartop towards the bartender. “Uh, vodka cranberry,” she ordered, leaning against the bar. Drummed her fingers on the bartop. This is where Kyle had worked. In fact, the alley behind it was where he’d attacked her, causing the scarring that was probably visible on her chest. She tried not to think about that. “So you come here a lot? I can see why. Totally has that vampy vibe. Do they serve actual blood here?” she asked, curious.

“Yes, they do. That’s what makes my wine special, actually. Makes partying much more fun when the drinks taste divine.” Metzli replied, sipping on their wine. Instantly, their eyes turned red and fangs extended from their canines. “Hope this doesn’t put you off. It feels like taking off a mask when I can do this freely.” They smiled and requested a special shot and a tequila shot for Bex. Gathering the shots and their wine, they pointed with their head and walked towards the booth they mentioned when the two first entered.

Metzli sat across from Bex and carefully placed all the drinks down. “Okay, I got these for us. Don’t drink this one though. You’ll hate it,” A small chuckle escaped their lips as they scooted their shot closer to them. “To art and to new friendship,” They raised their shot, which prompted Bex to clink hers with Metzli’s. Today had been fantastic so far, and they hoped it would only get better. Much better.

“You did say you wanted to get too wasted, right?” Another chuckle escaped right before taking their bloody concoction of inebriation.

“Can you taste normal food? I know a zombie and they say they can’t taste like, normal human food anymore. Is it like that for you?” Bex was blurting the questions before she could help herself, staring perhaps a little too excitedly as fangs formed in their mouth and eyes shimmered red. She remembered how the other woman’s face had looked when Bex had seen her outside the library, eyes glinting through the dark at her before teeth sunk into her neck. She blinked and looked away. “Oh, no! You’re totally fine! I don’t mind at all. I think it’s actually pretty cool,” she said, smiling. If she could trust Milo, she could trust Metzli. She was trying to get over all that, anyway. If she could trust Kyle, she could trust others. And she did, trust Kyle. “Is it, like, painful? To hold it in?”

She already felt more questions bubbling in her throat, but held them back for now, following Metzli back to the booth they’d pointed out earlier. Her eyes fell from Metzli’s face to the drinks and the shot that was handed to her. She had said that, hadn’t she? “To art and friendship.”Lifted her shot glass and clinked it to Metzli’s before downing it in one gulp, wincing only a little. “Tequila always burns more than I remember,” she admitted, chuckling slightly as she bit down into the lime that had come with it.

“Do different blood types taste different?” she asked, watching Metzli partake in their special wine, eyes wide, once again, with curiosity.

“You sure have a lot of questions, don’t you?” Metzli teased with a smile, and continued on to answer everything once the shots were taken. Bex’s face at the shot made them laugh right as they answered. “Can’t really taste normal food. Haven’t been able to since I was…I guess 20? I don’t remember. I really do miss conchas and coffee though. They were my favorite.” Memories of the late night sweet bread and coffee made them smile to themselves. Some memories were just too sweet to not smile at. “As for different blood types, yeah they do taste different. Blood from slayers tastes especially euphoric.”

Even more memories raced through their head, until a particular memory made their face fall. The one and only slayer they had killed themselves wasn’t even a slayer yet. Their master convinced them it was for the betterment of the clan, that it would save countless of vampiric lives. “But I’ve only ever had a few tastes,” Metzli attempted to shake free of the sorrowful hold the memory had on them. It frustrated them that they kept behaving this way.

“Um…are you going to finally tell me what you are? It’s only fair since you know what I am.” Their signature smile wasn’t as strong, but the attempt was there. They just wanted to move on.

“Oh, s-sorry! I can totally stop if it’s making you uncomfortable, I just kinda always do this,” Bex stumbled through the explanation, “I ask a lot of questions. I don’t mean to! I just get-- excited?” She gave a sheepish grin. “I like learning about new things and people and, well, I mean, you’re just such a fascinating person! I’ve met a lot of people here that I think are interesting or amazing, but none like you. I do even know another vampire, but they’re kinda new to it.” She paused, stopped herself from rambling more by picking up her drink and hovering it by her lips as she took a large gulp. That felt better. She needed to stop being so annoying. Fingers wrung together for a moment. “Sorry. I ramble a lot.”

The mention of slayers made Bex stiffen. She didn’t really think about how vampires-- and zombies, in turn-- could hurt hunters in the way the hunters themselves tried to keep them from doing. She swallowed. She wanted to ask more, but that distantly sad look was on Metzli’s face again, so she clenched her jaw shut instead.

When the subject turned on her, she welcomed it, even if it made her heart beat a little faster again. “What? You haven’t guessed yet?” she teased, smiling, hoping to lighten the mood after her slip up. “Obviously I’m some sort of human. A special kind.” A kind she was still learning to love, but her magic didn’t have to be a terrible thing-- that was the lesson she’d finally learned. Her magic could be special, if she let it.

“No, no. Don’t be sorry. You know what?” Metzli groaned, feeling like they were behaving like a vampire with a stupid soul. What they did was nothing. It was in their nature, so what did it matter in the long run? “Rambling is good. At least what you have on your mind will get out. Better that way.” Before continuing, they motioned for the bartender for refills and two more shots. Drinks would help, they were sure of it. “You did nothing wrong. It’s just—and you know, we’re gonna get back to what you are, but—“ They cut themselves off with a sip of their wine.

“Look, I don’t have a soul. And I did that by killing a slayer. But the kid wasn’t a slayer yet. Actually, they weren’t a slayer at all. My master said they were though. Greater good for my clan and all that. My master wanted me to believe that, so I did. I’m not supposed to feel bad, and for a stupid second, I did. What’s a stupid kid’s life matter anyway?” Metzli practically spat the last few words out, sounding like they were trying to convince themselves more than anyone else.

As they always did when they were frustrated, they combed their hand through their hair, making it fluff up a tiny bit more. Metzli was feeling. They were actually feeling. This wasn’t right. “Now I’m rambling. Puta madre.” The drinks came at just the right time and they downed the wine in their hand before reaching for the shot and taking it. “You can leave now if you want. Nice vampire facade over.” For once, they had actually given up and didn’t care about an easy lay or even about the benefits they could reap. What the hell is going on.

Bex was quiet was Metzli explained. She didn’t really know or understand what it meant to not have a soul, or that vampires could get rid of them. Could zombies? Could fae? Could humans? What was a soul, anyway? Was Bex just a soul whenever she left her body? What did a soul give a person, or make a person? She ruffled her brow, tapped her fingers on the side of her glass in thought. “I don’t want to leave,” she finally said, and, really, there’d never been any point in Metzli’s explanation that had made her want to. Maybe that was the wrong response, but like Bex had said several times before, she wanted to give people chances. As many as they needed. And Metzli had done nothing to Bex to indicate that they wanted to hurt her or anything like that. So what reason did Bex have to leave? “None of what you said makes me want to leave.”

She smiled gently, licking her lips as she took another sip. “I don’t, I mean-- that’s a lot. That you just-- told me. And, really, it feels nice to know you trusted me enough to tell me that. And I don’t think any of it makes you, like, a bad person? If-- if someone made you do it, it’s not your fault, you know.” They were words she’d said to MIna, as well. It didn’t matter how many people her father had led her to help kill, that blood wasn’t on Mina’s hands. She had been manipulated by someone who she thought she loved, and she had been a child. None of that was her fault. None of that sounded like Metzli’s fault. “It’s not bad for...believing in something someone you trusted told you to do. If it was, then I guess I’m bad, too, because I spent pretty much my entire life doing whatever my mom wanted me to do, only to find out that she wasn’t even my real mom.”

And then, in a relatively bold and perhaps stupid gesture, Bex leaned forward and reached across the table, putting her hands over Metzli’s on their glass. “People are just people,” she shrugged, “nice and good and bad are circumstantial things.”

Bex’s little speech made Metzli want to rip off their ears and end their misery. It was a load of bullshit. They couldn’t do that though, and so they continued to suffer. Having no soul made them have no empathy and not feel much of anything really. But somehow, someway, Bex made something snap. “You’re crazy, you know that? Having no soul means I have no remorse. I have no empathy. Everything I do is self serving.” They tried to get that point across, more so to see what she would do. The curiosity won over any want to keep her around for the benefits.

“Even knowing that, you don’t wanna run?” It baffled them, but it also amused them. Bex was so naive and innocent. Her touch only further proved that, and fed into the want to do more with her. “Frankly, it does make me a bad person. I do bad things with no remorse. Hypothetically, I could kill you now and it wouldn’t bother me. I’d feel nothing.” Knowing this might incite fear, Metzli rose from their seat and got into her booth. “Does that not scare you, even a little?” Their brow arched in curiosity and their arm swung around the top of the seat, letting a hand rest on Bex’s shoulder.

“Sometimes people aren’t just people. Sometimes, they’re cold monsters.” This was the most honest Metzli had been all night, but were fairly positive it would fly over Bex’s head.

“Empathy is a learned skill,” Bex said, tracing her finger along the rim of her glass. Everything Metzli was describing just sounded like the kind of person her mother was, but her mother had chosen to be that way, even with a soul. She didn’t know what it meant, that Metzli seemed better even without one, but it crinkled her brow and made the anger that was always in the pit of her stomach taste sour. She took another long sip of her drink, ready to feel the buzz. “Even if you can’t feel it, you can still know it and understand it. I think you...want people to think you’re a bad person.” But Bex didn’t believe bad and good were so simple, so easy. Maybe society told Metzli they were bad, but, really, what made them bad? She drummed her fingers on her glass again. The more she drank, the less anxious she got. The more bold. She licked her lips.

“If that’s how you want to live your life, then that’s fine. I don’t really have any room to judge. It doesn’t matter to me, anyway. Not really. So, no,” she stated firmly, her eyes watching as Metzli stood up from the booth, “I don’t want to run.” Even if her legs began to tingle and her heart pounded as Metzli slid into the booth next to her. She turned her face away and took another drink. “If you really wanted to kill me, you would’ve done it right after I handed you that check.” She pointed towards Metzli’s breast pocket, knowing it was in the suit jacket they’d left back in the gallery.

“I don’t think you’d kill me,” she said, “I’m not afraid of you.” She turned to look at Metzli, meeting their eyes. “People choose to be monsters. With or without a soul, it’s still a choice.”

Brows furrowed at Bex’s speech. Not out of annoyance or even anger, but actual understanding. How much Bex had gone through was unknown to Metzli, but it was becoming abundantly clear that the two were more similar than they had initially thought. They didn’t like this. They didn’t like how her words were having an actual effect on them. “Some choices come easier to others. The harder choices. The ones no one wants to make. The—” Words got stuck in their throat. Metzli felt incredibly flustered even with the agitation building. Bex was being the firm and confident one. She had successfully flipped the script right in front of them.

Lost for words, and lost in thought, Metzli’s free hand fell to their sternum lightly grazing their tattoo. “What are you anyway? Besides all this confidence in knowing my character, you’ve got to have some form of power that makes you feel safe, right? You’ve asked all the questions, it’s my turn.” They hoped the attempt to get back on track would work. It felt so off to feel. How on earth was she doing this? Might as well ask.

Metzli waved for another round that was brought swiftly to their booth and they took their shot, scooting the two untaken ones to Bex. “You’ve missed out on two,” they tapped on the drinks, feeling better now that it seemed the conversation was being swayed another direction.

“Sure, yeah,” Bex nodded, “but that’s just life, right? Some of us have to make harder choices. I guess what I believe is...what choice we make is who we are.” And while she’d made the wrong choices at first, she was making the right ones now. She was choosing to fight for herself and her own life, and she was free now. She would always be free. She even felt relatively satisfied when Metzli was lost for words, and she grinned over the rim of her cup. Her eyes followed their hand as it traced along the tattoo on their chest, and after only a moment of staring, Bex realized herself and turned her gaze back to the table and the drinks on it.

“I’m a spellcaster,” she finally answered, reaching out to take one of the two shots that were still calling her name. It warmed her stomach and she licked the lime off her lips. “I sort of just found out recently, but I’m getting better at it. And, to be clear, it’s not that I have magic that I’m not afraid. I just...don’t think of the world in the way other people do, I guess. I’m not afraid to die, if it’s for the sake of learning. My mom used to always say my curiosity was insatiable and that it would ruin me one day,” she breathed in and picked up the last shot. “Probably the only thing she was right about.” She downed the shot and felt her fingers begin to tingle and her head became lighter. She smiled.

“Better?” she asked, scooting the two empty shot glasses toward Metzli.

Bex definitely had a way with words despite how naive she first appeared to be. Hell, she’d somehow moved Metzli a little, and completely baffled them. “You’re not afraid to die? I guess you and I have that in common. Most of the time I just think existence is pointless. Some parts are fun, but most are so mundane or…painful,” The last word came out a little strained, like it hurt to say it. Quickly though, they glossed over it and teased Bex. “You staring at my chest? Perv.” It was a lousy effort, and she could probably see right through it. But probably not too. Metzli wasn’t sure anymore and it could honestly go either way at this point.

“You’re full of surprises, you know that?” With widened eyes, they watched as she took her shots and caressed her shoulder with the hand that draped over the top of the booth. “Spellcaster, huh? That’s impressive. Sucks that most magic is useless against me though. But you did say you’re not scared, right?” More teasing. But now, they wanted to prod more. See if she felt anything other than compassion for the vampire.

With their compelling in full effect, they locked eyes with Bex and continued to speak. “Tell me though, are you as gay as you give off? ‘Cause my gaydar has been going off from the moment we spoke online.” They figured they might as well see if she’s even interested before they move on to more interesting questions.

“Not really, no. I-- don’t want to die, of course. I have people who would mourn and be hurt if I died, but I don’t think I’m afraid to. It’s just a part of life, right?” Bex explained, still unsure herself what it truly meant or why she felt that way. There were so many other things to worry and wonder about in life, death didn’t seem like something she needed to fear. Maybe that was the problem with it all, but she couldn’t bring herself to. If she died right here, right now, then that was simply it for her. There was probably nothing after. She’d probably never know. It wouldn’t hurt her. She didn’t fear her own death, she feared other people’s death. She feared loss. She swallowed, barely aware of the hand on her shoulder through the haze of alcohol now in her stomach. Cheeks tinged and she shook her head. “No! No, I-- I was just-- your hand--” she stuttered out, hiding the blush behind her cup again, subconsciously leaning over the table.

She opened her mouth to say something more about her magic, but those weren’t the words that came out. Instead, she said, “I’m gay. Very gay. I just sort of recently came out, it wasn’t safe before, but it is now. Sort of. Mostly. I think? It’s-- complicated. Because I’m also trans and not everyone is, um-- okay with that, even in the queer community.” She swallowed back the rest of the words. Why had she said all that? She did seem to have looser lips the more she drank. Still, she took another drink. “Do I really give off that much gay vibes?”

Metzli could relate to that, too much even. Their master frowned upon their sexuality, and even forced them to keep their hair long. Finding their identity didn’t come until after they left their clan. That was a freedom that only they could attain by escaping. “Well, you’re very much safe now. And you’re a beautiful woman. Anyone in the queer community that isn’t okay with that is not truly a part of the community.” Every word was honest, and even had hints of sympathy to them. Being who you are can come with a cost, and it looked like Bex had paid that in more ways than one.

“Your gay vibes are off the charts, but that isn’t a bad thing. Not to me at least.” A charming smile was strewn on their face and they gently laid their hand atop hers. If it was out of actual sympathy to comfort or to continue to flirt, they weren’t sure. Not anymore. They wanted to believe it was the latter, so that’s how they approached it, still compelling. “Tell me though, is it just me, or have you actually wanted me to be this close all night? To maybe even kiss you? And if so, just do what you’ve wanted to.” Metzli continued, thinking out loud this time. “I find you attractive, very much so, and you find me attractive too, so why hold it off?” It was rather bold, but now was as good a time as any. Especially with the buzz they had going now.

Bex felt her cheeks growing more flushed at the compliment. She couldn’t ignore it anymore-- Metzli was coming onto her. Suddenly, her heartbeat picked up and her fingers tingled and the alcohol mixed in with her nerves and she felt exposed, in this corner, in this booth. The idea that people could look at her and know, sense it, that she was queer, frightened her. It shouldn’t have. She wanted to be brave. She’d told Mina she could be brave, that she wanted people to know. But not like this, not like this. Still, something compelled her to stay seated as she looked over at Metzli. “I-- I’m glad it’s not a bad thing. Not that I thought you would think that! But, y-you know. It’s-- a lot. Being visible. Knowing that people know.” Especially when she’d tried so hard to hide it. She didn’t have to hide it anymore. She was free. She let out a long breath.

Her body stiffened again at the words. A hand over top hers on the table. Her mind raced, every thought landing on Mina. Still, she said, “I have. You’re very attractive and maybe I did want you to, a l-little.” The words tumbled from her mouth and she felt sick saying them. She didn’t know what to do anymore. “I have a girlfriend!” she squeaked finally. “So I shouldn’t want any of that and I don’t know why I said that and I-- I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” She didn’t know why she was apologizing, but she was. She pulled her hand away and clasped them together. How could she have been so stupid? Of course Metzli wouldn’t simply like her for her. Why would anyone?

Bex rambled some more, and it overwhelmed Metzli this time. The feeling of victory didn’t last long as they saw how all of their actions had actually affected Bex. Fuck. What in the fuck was happening. Did that actually care? No. Yes. No. They saw themselves in her. That’s why they cared. “Girlfriend?” The next few words were important. Especially if they wanted to keep her around. Why did they want to? “Should’ve known a woman like you would be taken. Sorry for the advances.” Moving back to the other side of the booth, they gave Bex space.

“You’re a good person. One of the only truly good people.” Their words were trembled and unsteady. Was this disappointment from feeling like they lost, or because they actually began to genuinely like her? There were way too many questions. None of which had answers. Not answers that came easy, or that Metzli would like. “I should go, shouldn’t I? Don’t mistake this for anything but…but embarrassment, okay? I’m not being nice here. I have no soul, I feel no remorse. Got it?”

“I-- no, it-- it’s okay.” Bex wasn’t sure if that was true, but the disappointment was palpable. She bit her lip and held on tight to her drink, wondering if it might shatter under her grip. She knew how to make it shatter if she wanted to, she was getting good at that. She looked across the table at Metzli. “You didn’t-- you didn’t know. I should’ve just said something earlier. I’m sorry, I just--” but she stopped talking, because she didn’t actually know why she hadn’t said anything earlier. Fear? Anxiety? Or something else? Maybe she’d like it, the attention. She shouldn’t have. She really shouldn’t have. But she had and it tinged her cheeks and she looked down at her lap. “I’m trying to be better, but I’m not really comfortable being so out yet.”

Then Metzli said that thing that so many other people had said to her-- that she was good, maybe too good, truly good-- and Bex let out a long huff of air. “I’m not,” she mumbled, and this was proof, wasn’t it? Because she didn’t want Metzli to leave. She liked them. She wished they’d liked her, too, in a ‘let’s just get drinks’ way. Why did it always have to end this way? Bex wasn’t used to this happening with people who weren’t guys. But Metzli was like her, they understood a side of the world that most people couldn’t. Not even Mina. She met their eyes as they began to stand from the booth.

“I don’t believe that,” she said to them, but it was quiet, and she wasn’t looking at them anymore. “But I can pretend to if that’s what you want.” She swallowed. “And this doesn’t-- change anything. Not for me.” She downed the rest of her drink and pulled out her phone. “Do something good with that money, okay? I like your gallery, I think you deserve the chance.”

The disappointment in Bex’s voice was evident, and again, somehow she tugged at whatever humanity was left in them. “How do you do that?!” Their tone was frustrated but not inherently angry. Usually once Metzli had gotten such sensitive information, they could use it to their advantage. But this information was sensitive in a way that meant something to them too. Both of them were two different results of the same tragedy. And even though tragedy came in different ways, it hurt the same.

“Stop being so…fucking similar! I—I keep seeing the similarities and I just want to actually…whatever!” Metzli wasn’t yelling, but they were whispering loudly in frustration. Sitting back down, they locked eyes with Bex and sighed. “I’m…I’m sorry.” It was a sincere apology. If anyone deserved one, it was Bex. “I think I’m still gonna go, but I want to make it clear that I guess—I guess I want to be friends. No more flirting either.”

Bex was surprised by the sudden outburst, and while it wasn’t loud or angry, she still startled, sitting up straighter. Metzli was grumbling things at her, about her, something about being similar, but Bex had a hard time concentrating through the haze in her head. The shots were hitting her quickly. She needed to be careful about this, or she’d say something she regretted. Like, ‘Don’t go!’ or ‘I don’t mind the flirting’. Because she did and she should, but alcohol made things like that seem okay. Seem better. She blinked, nodded. “Sorry,” she said again, the word a bit slurred. “I do really like you. I want you to be my friend, too.”

There was a genuine surprise at the apology, though, and Bex couldn’t help but smile. It seemed like she was right. Metzli could blab all day about how they had no soul and didn’t feel remorse or guilt, but here they were, apologizing for making advances on her, for possibly ruining something. Not that it would have. “We can be friends,” she agreed. That was what she wanted most, anyway. “You can go, if you want, though. I’ll be okay.” She tapped her fingers on the table, little sparks of magic dancing on her fingertips. The other vampires in here didn’t scare her. The tequila shots had emboldened her, drawing a lazy smile on her face. “No one touches me anymore unless I want them to.”

If Metzli had a heart, it would probably jump a little, but luckily they didn’t. “Ah, fuck. Look, I’ll take you home. You’re drunk, and I—I guess I would feel a little…a little bad if anything even remotely happened. Lurking in the dark is my job. But this doesn’t mean I feel shit. Okay?” They extended their hand, hoping she’d take their offer. There would be no funny business either. She’d get home safely and that would be the end of it.

“You can also visit another time for the secret gallery. Promise.”

Bex took Metzli’s hand. She trusted them, and maybe that would bite her in the ass, but Bex truly believed that they were a good person, at least by her definition. Maybe other people thought they weren’t, but Bex didn’t care about that. As she was becoming a part of this world, she was figuring out for herself what everything meant to her. There were too many different things about, human morality, human values could be applied to much of it. And even if Bex was human, she wanted to understand. She wanted to know. She would let her curiosity guide her to her death. She took Metzli’s hand and stood up, wobbly.

“Well, you did make me take 3 tequila shots in rapid succession,” she slurred, smiling. She prodded Metzli’s shoulder. “I’ll hold you to that promise,” was all she said, before she headed for the exit. No one else had to know about this, she decided. This could just be hers.

[spicysoftsweet]

Camera with Chrollo pls?

Forgive me, I only did a once-through on Yorknew City Arc so it’s my first time writing Chrollo seriously lmfao

Camera: “You were beautiful in the photos I took, but you’re absolutely perfect in my arms.”

He’d introduced himself to you as Chrollo. Chrollo Lucilfer. 

It was somewhat disconcerting to meet someone who had a name so close to an actual demon, but his kind smile, soft features and poetic words put you at ease the moment you’d met at your favorite coffee shop. You had been trying to review material for the final exam of your college career, and were more than a little stressed, and he’d made his way over to you and wooed you with the cheesiest pickup line you could ever have imagined. You would have brushed him off to focus on your studies, but the way he strategically laid his palm on the back of your hand, and told him that you were one of the prettiest beings he had ever met was enough to melt you. Just enough.

He had a habit of taking photographs of you every time you met up again at the coffee shop, then while on a picnic in Yorknew City’s central park, and then at dinner in one of the nicest spots in the city. 

In this last photograph, you smiled and posed for the camera as usual, showing off the overly expensive meal you had been treated to. But this time you ventured to ask him what he did with all of the pictures. He had been reluctant to take selfies on your own phone and never had a stranger take pictures of you together, which struck you as odd. 

“Why do you love taking pictures of me so much?” You teased, tapping him on his bandaged forehead with the blunt end of your fork. The bandage was another mystery - you were sometimes concerned about what injury or large pimple but let it go. One puzzle to solve at a time.

He smiled knowingly, looking down at his plate and then up at you seductively once more. 

“You are a work of art. It’s only my duty to capture it.”

You smiled like a fool, twirling your pasta. “Thank goodness I have you, I was worried I didn’t have enough cheese on my entree.”

You took a sip of red wine and nodded as he finally excused himself from the table after receiving a phone call. “Business,” he said, simply. You accepted this answer, still unsure of what he actually did for a living.

While he was gone, you noticed that on the side of his chair, he had left his camera hanging. A curiosity overwhelmed you, and you had an urge to check the photos he had just taken. He never let you review them past the actual moments in which he took them. 

Looking to the side to make sure he was actually gone, you quickly grabbed his camera and went through the photos. As expected, they were truly beautiful. He had a talent, and your heart swelled with pride knowing that he had chosen you as his muse. 

Until you continued to scroll deeper and deeper into his camera roll. What you then saw shocked you.

Pictures he shouldn’t have. Pictures of you up to a month before he had met you, taken at a distance. Pictures of you with family he’d never met. Pictures of you doing mundane household chores, jogging out in the city, asleep.

Your stomach started to lurch and you immediately got up, picking up your things. Unfortunately, he must have seen you at a distance and followed you as you attempted to leave the floor and exit the building. You had already called your taxi, terrified out of your mind.

“Where are you going?” He called out from the lobby, his usual warm, comforting smile, now deceitful and horrifying.

“These pictures are… you’ve been taking pictures of me longer than we’ve known each other,” you accused, your voice sounding more and more ridiculous the longer you spoke. 

“That’s true,” he said, remorseless, walking towards you. As you backed up, you lost your balance, stumbling on the very high heels you wore for this occasion, and to your fortune, or misfortune, he caught you in a swift motion. 

You froze at his touch now, disgusted by the man you had previously been smitten with, but he continued to look at you with the same love and affection, he always had. You started to wonder if it were genuine.

“You were beautiful in the photos I took, but you’re absolutely perfect in my arms.”

He truly was a demon, you thought.

[allexiaah]

For the cottagecore ask: 🥧 🍄🥐 and 🍀 !

🥧 - What's one thing you genuinely, truly love?

Man, there's so many. Idek. I could say my hyperfixations, and a whole bunch of things that you'd typically expect, because they're all true. But I'm going to say my friends anyways, because honestly without em? I don't think I'd have made it through last year. I love them with my whole little heart.

I know it said one lol. But for a less cheesy thing, probably sitting inside with calm music and a warm blanket watching the rain with the lights off, only the light from the window illuminating the room. It's like a different world. That or reading while it rains, the same cloudy light coming through the window with the sound of the raindrops hitting the roof. I have good memories of the stuff I've read during times like that.

🍄 - What's the kindest thing anyone's ever said to you? Has it influenced you in any way?

There's so many. And they all influence me, I think about them every day and how much it means to me. I get one compliment and I pin it to the little fridge in my heart. Some good contenders are:

- Stay rootin' and tootin', lil gaymer

- Very good vibes and always ready to spill blood (about me not to me but still. I'm touched)

- I was once told that my interpretation of Claudette is canon in their heart in the tags of a reblog (your Claudette = canon) and I just melted.

- Any nice comment I've had about my art. A friend told me once that my art's like a warm hug, and recently another said it was like hot chocolate, and once a third in the tags said they were proud of how far I'd come with my art, and that I did a fantastic job and honestly it all made me want to cry.

My memory is too horrible to remember all of the nice things people have said to me, and I've never been able to pick a "nicest," but these are all strong contenders. The art comments in particular are a huge motivation and inspiration to keep drawing, and I look back on em often when I'm feeling down ab my art. I don't remember specifics, but one friend of mine has told me a few times just how proud of me he is and every time it makes me want to keep trying to be the best person I can, and to be someone he can love and respect and approve of. And I'll always strive for that. For him, and for the others who've said the same things to me. If the people I care about so dearly can believe I'm someone to be proud of, I want to keep that. Not only keep it close to me and remember it, but to keep that by being the best person I can. By being me. It's a huge help for me, because I've always had huge self esteem issues and for the longest time didn't have a clue how people could tolerate me. I'm just glad I can be me, and do my best, and have people who love me that I love too. I dunno. It goes a long way, and even if I never remember the words exactly, every little compliment or encouragement is so sweet to me and means the world. I hold the nice things like that so close to my heart.

🥐 - What color do you think most represents you?

Man.. if I had to pick ONE color? I'd have to say maybe a pink, or a purple. Something bold and energetic but not angry, not anymore, and something that still feels kind, in a way. I don't know. Maybe a yellow-orange then?? One of the two. Favorite color doesn't quite mean it represents me the best, otherwise I'd say green, turquoise or blue.

🍀 - What's one thing you wish people knew about you?

Man. There's a lot I could put here... Most of what I'm coming up with are things that I'd say to a specific handful of people if they could see it rather than just.. something I wish people as a whole knew about me.

Probably that I'm trying my best to grow and be as good of a person as I can be, and I think about what I say, and do, but I know I'm not perfect, and even when I do think about what I'm trying to say, I still make mistakes, or say/do things wrong. But I'm trying. And I learn. I just need a little patience where it can be lent, or something to go by. I say things I don't mean because words are hard, so forgive me if I mess something up. Don't be afraid to tell me if I'm making a fool or an asshole of myself ^^'' That's really all that's coming to me.

Sorry for the real wordy answers lol, I couldn't simplify them as much as I wanted to, because I feel like it's all kind of important. Idk. But ty for the ask Nekrosmos!! Means a lot that you felt like sending these in <3 it was good to do a little bit of introspection.

[frostspoken]

Extra fluffy drabble time: 1/2

The last thing they were expecting when they’d been invited over to candela’s for a night over was the flourish she’d put on, Music was playing from a small speaker in her living room, the ever delicious allure of food was being cooked in the kitchen. They couldn’t tell what by the smell alone but they weren’t picky when it came to candela’s cooking, it was something they enjoyed no matter what was coming to fruition, The sound of the front door had candela in all of her glory poking out from her kitchen and grinning at her partner with that sharkish grin that accentuated those bright, golden eyes and sent their heart a flutter 

though it was interrupted as her arcanine ran at them and jumped up. nearly knocking them back if not for the fact they were used to the canine’s antics. Face lighting up it truly only did around pokemon as they cooed at the big pupper. Flopping their large paws over their shoulders to steady the dog before proceeding to smother them with kisses and fur ruffles.

“Oh hello artemis...!! look at you!, you must have gotten groomed today because you are positively stunning, you truly are the most perfect specimen of an arcanine i have ever seen.”

For his credit, He seemed so very pleased with the affection from their frequent visitor and nearly started to howl right then and there from excitement, His tail wagging near to knock him off his hind feet if it went on any longer so blanche let them down. still ensuring to give their ear another good foot kicking scratch before being startled by candela who slung an arm over them and pressed a hearty smooch on their lips. Momentarily stumping them for words.

“What a dear offense, my big baby getting all this love before me? I could swear you were datin’ him instead with all the kisses you were gettin’ Pft, Kiddin’, get ya butt over here for a hug before i suplex ya instead.”

---------- readmore solely for length so the dash doesn’t suffer -----------

“Whh-..Candy! you know that isn’t remotely true, he’s just a perfect pokemon and- OOF.”

“Yeah, yeah, you analytical grump, hush a moment. I missed ya like all day!”

“It’s only been a day!!”

“A day to long if you ask me.”

“This is why i don’t ask you.”

Her mouth filtered into a fake offended gasp even as she felt the other hug her back and melt into her touch she knew so few people could accomplish with them and nuzzled into their hair briefly, It smelled like sea salt. Clearly it meant they’d been spending some time in the sea today, Ever so rare was it that blanche didn’t swim at a point in the day, She held them long enough that after a moment, she got to hear a brief murmur.

“I missed you to candy..~”

And for blanche’s sake, she didn’t point it out instead she’d be content to cherish it as it was, A sweet affirmation of how sweet blanche could be if given the time to present it. She finally releases them from her grasp and they already look more relaxed, A small smile tugs at a otherwise normally neutral expression, they set about taking their coat off, Hanging it over a door hook, they didn’t have their wetsuit on for once. Instead a simple flowing shirt and long pants that still obscured their figure, their shoes were kicked off next and candela quirked an eyebrow.

“I’ll have you know, I still think those things are astoundingly fuckin’ cursed.”

“And i’ll tell you right back, My crocs are comfy and i will gladly be cursed because unfortunately you fell for every part of me, including those.”

“Can’t believe i have to throw the whole blanche out because of their footwea- Wait no i was kidding, blanche please-.”

And there they go, getting smoshed in the face by their partner’s hand, though it’s clear they aren’t taking it to seriously either because the small smile had grown into a bigger one that wasn’t quite full but would likely be achieved in a short duration.

“One more comment bout the crocs and i’ll buy you some as your only birthday present, custom made to be valor themed.”

“You wouldn’t-!”

“Oh i would~.”

The look on her face nearly made them start laughing, it was such a unique blend of playful horror and horrendous offense, Still. She put that look back to a softer smile even as she pulled them in again for another soft kiss to their forehead. 

Her warmth was ever so soothing that they couldn’t help but wish there’d been another though instead they found themselves watching candela as she moved over to the kitchen with a sudden excited exclamation.

“Foods done! come get some dinner blanche, I made one of your favorites and somethin’ a bit extra special for desert.”

It took them a moment to puzzle over this before their face lit up.

“Creampuffs?”

“Fuck yeah i made creampuffs, i know how much you like em’, looked up how to make em’ and just went for it, it wasn’ even that har- OOF, Blanche-”

She found herself practically tackled into a hug and looked down at the other in surprise, Oh...oh that was adorable, They looked so excited at the thought of their favorite desert. Homemade by one of their favorite people solely for the fact that they’d been coming over.

“That is probably the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.”

She finds color coming to her own cheeks in a small blush at their gratitude and she nearly tries to brush it off.

“It’s not that big of ah deal blanche, really-”

“No! don’t brush this off, it is, You didn’t have to do any of this yet here you are. Doing it just because you can.”

The blush darkens and she uses this moment to scoop blanche up into her arms, making them squeak in surprise as she carries them into the kitchen.

“Yeah, yeeeeah, ya big ol’ nerd, your worth it. Now come on, it’s all gonna get cold with your proclomations of love over creampuffs-”

“CANDY!”

[hoodoo12]

Ménage (9/13ish)

SFW. Confessions, soft kisses, coming to an agreement, surprise.

@beetlewise-and-pennyjuice @janitor-boy @thewolfisapartofmysoul @dilfyjuice @yogsathot

Enjoy! ~

With another sincere, if tight-lipped, smile at the demon, Dewey walked out the back door. The clouds had swiftly covered the sun, and for a moment he mourned the opportunity to see the way her hair caught the sunlight as she knelt in her garden, thick gloves protecting her hands as she pulled weeds with single-minded tenacity. Feeling shy all of a sudden, his toe dug into the soft dirt at the edge of her garden, clearing his throat after a moment and feeling that gentle shock of seeing her eyes settle on him, rather than through him, as they had done for so long.

“Molly, I . . . I’ve got something I wanted to tell you.”

Her brows furrowed slightly. There was more, on top of everything else? She got to her feet, dusting off her knees, and tugged the gloves from her hands. “Okay. What is it?”

Dewey took a deep breath, and for the first time since he had been alive, he felt the faint stirrings of butterflies in his stomach, such a foreign and startlingly human reaction.

“First of all, I want to say again how . . . how sorry I am. Truly. You’ve been so sad and so lonely, and I didn’t do a thing to help.” There was an inscrutable shift in her expression when she registered the word change from couldn’t to didn’t. “You have every right to be angry with me. I . . . I guess I understand now why you . . . ” He gestured toward the house. “Why you’re so attached to him. I hate to admit it, but for a demon, he seems . . . solid.”

Which was honestly the nicest thing he would allow himself to say about Beetlejuice right now.

Molly continued to listen in silence, so he plunged ahead.

“For an angel, I've been kinda selfish. For the longest time, at least in my mind, it was just you and me, y'know? You were my charge, my girl, and then you just . . . just invite some stranger in. He just happened to be a demon, which meant I could make the case that your soul was in danger and, well, here we are. Honestly, I should have found a way to appear to you sooner, but . . ."  Dewey stalled, scratching nervously at the back of his head. "I . . . I wanted to be near you for the wrong reasons."

She spoke up then, her head tilted to the side in confusion. "The wrong reasons?"

His wings ruffles uncomfortably, his teeth worrying his lower lip as he had seen her on so many times.

"As your guardian, it's natural for me to . . . to bond with you, even if you're unaware of it. I'm supposed to care for you, and I do. But . . . I care about you too. More than I should. And I was afraid that if I . . . if I let you see me, if I got close to you . . . the temptation would be too much."

"Temptation?" Her brow furrowed, and he felt ice slip down his gullet at the look of near dread on her face. "Dewey, what are you talking about?"

He tried to find the words to tell her. He wanted to string together every poem he'd ever read, every love song he'd ever heard, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to properly express how he felt in words alone. So instead he took her hands, leaned in, and kissed her.

It was everything he had dreamed it would be. It was the most terrifying moment of his existence. She was soft, warm, her scent surrounding him like drugged perfume, and she wasn't pulling away. He let his lips linger against hers for a moment, a single second that held years of longing, before stepping back. There was a tug at his heart when he saw her eyes had closed, dismay twisting in his gut when he saw tears leaking out from beneath her lashes.

“Oh honey, don’t cry, please . . . I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have done that.”

Despite the worry that sent a chill through his body, he couldn’t help but marvel at the ability to brush her tears away, lifting them from her cheeks as he had wished to do for ages. Her breath hitched as she opened her eyes, and she shook her head.

“I-It’s not that . . . Dewey, I . . . I felt you.”

Confused at first, he looked down to see where his hand still cradled hers, astonished to find that his golden aura had enveloped her almost up to the elbow. Molly let out a sob, and he let go of her hands, watching the glow fade. For those moments, just for a few precious seconds, she had been able to feel the depth of his feeling for her, felt each second he had spent loving her from a distance, and it had overwhelmed her.

“Moly . . .”

He didn’t know what to say after that. A lump gathered in his throat as he watched her regain her composure, terrified of what she would say next while simultaneously dying to know. After a minute or so, her tears dry though there was still a slight quiver to her mouth, she took a deep breath and caught his eyes with hers.

“I’m . . . I’m sorry I yelled at you,” she said softly, and Dewey let out a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding.

“Don’t be. I probably would have done the same thing.”

It was Molly’s turn to take a step closer, though she didn’t reach for him. “This, um . . . this is an awful lot for me to process.”

Almost imperceptibly, his wings began to droop; that sounded an awful lot like the beginning of a rejection. Then, her warm fingers stroked down his arm, linking momentarily with his.

“But I think I understand now, at least a little. I just wish . . . I wish you could have done this sooner.”

“Me too, sweetheart.” A soft smile curled on his face, and for just a moment, he allowed himself to feel hopeful.

Though it was still sore from her chewing the previous night, her teeth nipped at the broken spot on her lip, which quickly grew red.

“I’ll admit . . . I don’t know what to do now.” She nodded toward the house, and he understood what she meant. “I summoned him. I brought him here. And he’s been so kind to me. He’s a demon, he can take what he wants, but he was patient, he asked what I wanted. He . . . you know, he’s just a lonely guy. Just as lonely as you and me, maybe more. That’s probably why the spell brought him here.”

She took a breath. “I’m willing to try this out, to let you stay with me . . . to be with you. But he’s part of the deal. As far as I’m concerned, this is his home now, just as much as it is mine.” Her brow raised in question. “Can you live with that?”

Dewey smiled, lifting a hand to gently push a stray curl back behind her ear. “For you? Absolutely. Besides, as far as demons go, I’ll admit . . . he’s pretty cute.”

That caused her to laugh, the first genuine smile gracing her mouth since he’d arrived, and his heart melted in relief.

“Okay,” she breathed, pausing for a moment before leaning forward and brushing a kiss over his cheek; a spot of heat lingered where her lips touched his skin.

With Dewey following, Molly went back inside the house, not surprised to find Beetlejuice roaming around her home again, fully clothed this time.

“Beej, can we talk for a sec?”

⁂

Beetlejuice watched Dewey walk--walk!--out of the house. To find Molly, to talk to Molly, to explain himself to Molly, all at his suggestion. Her house felt empty now, with no one else in it. That shouldn’t hurt as much as it did; he was used to being alone, and it was going to happen again pretty quickly, so why should there be a bitter taste in the back of his mouth? Alone was his lot in life. He should be used to it.

He picked at the frayed strings on his jacket’s sleeve. He could only imagine what an angel approaching Molly outside was going to look like. Although Dewey wasn’t in a flowing gown, he was at least dressed nicer. And with the snow white wings, and with the sun coming down, creating a golden corona of light around him . . . shit.

Shit.

He’d shot himself in the foot. He should’ve stayed angry, stayed indignant, and forced this celestial interloper the fuck out of here. Now he just felt reduced and stupid.

He wondered how long he’d spend by himself before someone messed up and accidently called him again, after Molly sent him away.

With a moan of despair that no one heard--also a standard thing in his life--Beetlejuice got up from the couch. He went the altar Molly had set up and ran his fingers over the candles and grimoire she’d put there. A small bowl held charred remains of plant material and on closer examination, a few strands of her hair that she’d used in her ritual. They weren’t much, all heat curled at the ends, but they were as blue as the sea and he pocketed them as a reminder of her. He doubted she’d give him any long strands, after Dewey would explain how demons could continue to influence people if they had tangible things to focus on.

They were still outside talking. He wandered into the kitchen under the pretense of getting more coffee, but also to get a peek at them. He was a world class voyeur, and should have been spying on them all along, but the pain that settled into his gut had pinned him to the couch.

The window over the sink was open. He’d forgotten that. Beetlejuice saw them in her garden, standing so close. Her hand was in his! He pushed her hair behind her ear!

He should be seething, but he just felt tired. This was the expected result, after all.

He couldn’t hear much, but with his head down he caught a little. Dewey was saying something about "for her? Absolutely!"

Beetlejuice flinched. She was asking the angel to help banish him. He tensed in anticipation of being sent away without even being next to her again.

But then--

“For a demon, he’s pretty cute”?

Beetlejuice’s head snapped up as those words made it to his ears. He must have heard wrong, because Molly laughed like she was delighted to hear that. He watched her press a kiss to Dewey’s face, and then lead him back to the house, towards the back door.

Quickly, Beetlejuice skipped back to the living room and stood by the altar again, picking up the green candle like he’d been there all along. Hoping his expression was neutral enough to disguise he’d overheard tail end of their conversation, he turned when she said they should talk.

“Sure,” he replied to her question quietly. “I’m ready to go.”

“Go?” Her brow furrowed, and in a split second, she realized that he must have seen them talking in the garden, might have even seen the kiss, and had come to the conclusion that she had chosen Dewey over him.

Indeed, his face was a stony mask of resignation, but those amber eyes couldn’t completely conceal his hurt, and Molly felt her heart splinter inside her chest.

“Oh, honey, no. No, you’re not going anywhere.”

She crossed immediately to him and reached up to cradle his face between her hands, softly kissing the corner of his mouth. No matter how many times she reassured him that she wanted him around, that he could stay as long as he wanted, he always seemed convinced that he was moments from being sent away, and it broke her heart.

“That’s what we need to talk about.”

Dewey let his eyes trail across her form as Molly made her way across the room, a little less ashamed now to be looking so brazenly. The euphoria of kissing her, of telling her, showing her his feelings for her and to not be turned down was still running hot through his body, and he was surprised to find that seeing her kiss Beetlejuice didn’t sting the way it did the night before. This might not be quite the challenge he was expecting it to be.

Molly took the demon’s hand and led him over to where Dewey was standing, waiting. He smiled, shoving his hands almost shyly in his pockets.

He’d thought they’d come back in to at least banish him in person, and he hadn’t been looking forward to seeing the gloating triumph in the angel’s face. Molly walking over to him, Molly telling him he was staying, Molly kissing him was all unexpected, and Beetlejuice gaped for a moment.

Then while he was stunned she took him over to Dewey, and the angel continued where she’d left off.

“We decided . . . well, we think we could make this work.” Dewey gestured to the three of them, his hand plunging immediately back into his pocket, a nervous trait he had never managed to shake. “If you wanna give it a try. She obviously cares a lot about you, and . . . I think we could manage. If it makes Molly happy, it’s worth a shot.”

His brows raised, questioning, hopeful. “What do you say?”

“Make this work?” he repeated stupidly. He glanced back and forth between the two of them, trying to understand what that meant, exactly. “Like, I stay here, and you stay here, and Molly . . .?”

"Yeah," she said encouragingly, squeezing his hand. "I would never make you leave, Beej; if you go, it's because you want to, not because anyone is making you. I told Dewey that as far as I'm concerned, this is your home too. He's willing to keep the peace, and if you're willing to do the same, then there's no reason we can't all stay here."

Still lacing her fingers between his, she leaned her head against his shoulder, reaching out to take Dewey's hand in her free one. "I know it's not going to be easy right off the bat, but . . . I think it's worth a try."

Dewey squeezed her hand gratefully, moving just a bit closer, still a little unsure about how  Beetlejuice would react. He still wasn’t sure what all of this meant for his angelic status, but since he hadn’t burst into flame or had his wings vaporized, perhaps . . . perhaps this really could work. Maybe he could gain more than he bargained for.

Slowly, Dewey reached forward with his free hand, skimming his fingertips along the back of Beetlejuice’s hand before tentatively linking their fingers.

“You know, I’ve never been much of a rule follower. Definitely not when I was alive. So why now, right? If it makes my charge happy to have you here, to have us both here, then what’s so wrong about that?”

If his brain wasn’t so occupied with trying to make all this fit together, he’d had made some biting remark about how that sounded like a pitch for the lamest, most common denominator sit com idea ever: "A Demon, An Angel, And Her!" But Molly was leaning on him, her hair smelling of shampoo and sunlight, and Dewey had stepped closer and took his hand, and that nothing else in the world important right now.

He already knew how warm Molly was. He was not expecting Dewey to be just as warm, maybe even more, and his fingers twitched against the angel’s, automatically wanting more.

His brow still furrowed, he knew his hair would be a wild mix of green, yellow, and embarrassingly, pink at the heat from the simple handholding. Fully expecting to be sent away, this option wasn’t one that even crossed his mind.

The three of them? Here? Together? How--?

Details could be sorted out later. He’d made worse deals, for less.

The pause he took in coming up with his answer made Molly nervous, her stomach rolling into a tight, squirming pit. What if he said no? What if he refused to be around an angel? Would he territorial, possessive, or would he simply leave? Dewey seemed equally anxious, his thumb running back and forth over the back of the demon's pale, shaking hand.

Licking his lips in more a nervous gesture than a sensual one, Beetlejuice nodded.

“Yeah . . . okay?” He cleared his throat and tried to eliminate the squeak in his voice, to sound more like he’d been earlier: confident and on top of things. “Yeah. Sure. Let’s give it a go.”

Her heart lifted, a smile like the sun coming out from behind the clouds spreading across her face as she squeezed his hand. Molly felt buoyant, hopeful, and perhaps, even genuinely happy for the first time in her adult life. In less than a day, her life had gone from hopeless and empty, to chaotic, to bursting with promise. Maybe that heavy feeling of being beneath a shadow, being cursed, would finally lift. Maybe, finally, she could see the sun.

Dewey's dark brown eyes watched as Beetlejuice's hair flickered in different colors, like a shifting, uncertain kaleidoscope. Did the colors mean something? Certainly every time a new emotion seemed to drift across his face, a new color filtered up like colored water through flower petals.

But then the demon agreed, and Dewey could practically feel Molly's relief as if it were his own, his smile widening as she pressed herself closer to him, her eyes warm and wide as a summer sky. For a brief instant, he saw a glimpse of a future that was hard-won, but peaceful, the three of them able to fill her home corner to corner with life and affection. He would get to be with her, be there for her, in all he ways he couldn't before. Two souls placed on opposite sides of the chessboard could find kinship and mutual respect for one another. It was everything he could have ever dreamed for, and more.

And then it fractured, darkened, shattered when he heard the prim clearing of a throat from her living room, his entire body going cold with dread when he let go of Molly and Beetlejuice's hands, darting around them to see another winged figure, tall and slender as a willow, their wings easily twice as large as his and a deep, rich gold in color. Their head lifted, sculpted brow arching as the cast a disapproving gaze in his direction. A voice that seemed to echo, a voice as androgynous as its maker, filled the room.

"Honestly, fledgling, I expected more from you."

 tbc . . .

[lilacmoon83]

Dreaming Out Loud

Also on Fanfiction.net and A03

Chapter 102: Trouble Melts Like Lemon Drops

Snow looked at herself in the mirror, as she had allowed her mother to magically dress her, while Eli anxiously waited outside the room. As an infant, her mother and grandmother had made the decision to strip her of her immortality and most of the magic she might have acquired because of her blood. It was a difficult decision, but it was determined that letting her human side be dominant would actually keep her safer.

Eli's Kingdom had already been up in arms at her existence and the scandal that their crown Prince had fathered a child, not only out of royal wedlock, but one with a Goddess. The years where that would have made Snow revered had long since passed and the Gods were no longer respected by mortals as they once were.

A lot of that was due to all the wars and bloodshed they had been involved in centuries before Snow was even born. Humans and the Gods had a bloody history and it had only created a deep seeded animosity. A lot of mortal hatred was due directly to Zeus and many of his own actions and involvement with humans. He had done nothing to endear himself to humans, used them, killed them outright, and was often hypocritical by breaking his own laws that he expected humans to follow. Zeus was unforgiving and saw mortals as lesser beings, rather than beings created in the image of the Gods, as many of the other Gods did. He had falsely represented his siblings too. He had made mortals fear all of them, especially Hades.

Many cultures equated Hades with a devil-like figure in many mortal, religious practices. But Hades was not the demon he had been portrayed to be, though that image was something that had plagued him and contributed to the times when he was ruling tyrannically.

Naturally with these types of attitudes, Demeter had reluctantly advised that they let Snow's human side be dominant. Persephone had worried about that simply because it meant Snow would live a mortal lifespan, but Athena had ascertained that this would be addressed when the time was right, though she was vague on the hows and whys of that, as Athena often was. The wise Goddess never gave much away, but Persephone trusted her.

That being said, Snow retained a tiny bit of magic, enough to ensure she was unique among mortals. Her ability to speak to birds and affinity for wildlife was a gift left to her by her Godly origins and Snow had always considered it a wonderful gift, even if some people thought her to be odd because of it.

When she was born, her grandmother had declared that she would be the fairest in the lands and that had stuck with her. Even though many in her father's court had a great amount of disdain for her, it was never missed by them at how beautiful she was. The men had suggested to her father that at least he would be able to marry her off to some Prince and thus somehow by their thinking turn her into a suitable royal. Her father had quickly quashed those opinions though. He may have often been at the mercy of his court, but he was always clear that he would not marry his precious little girl off to some undeserving, pompous Prince that he knew would mistreat her. He had always insisted that Snow would be allowed to marry for love, something he had not been allowed, and had been steadfast in that. He didn't miss being King. In fact, being free, despite being a wanted man had been the best times in his life. He wished there wasn't King Arawn hunting him and his daughter, but he had been able to spend more time with her on the run than in his time as King when sometimes she had been under the same roof.

He had noticed the modification made to Snow's wanted posters. They now wanted his daughter alive, whereas before, they had stated that dead would be preferable. And he knew what that meant. Arawn had control of his Throne, which meant he could technically barter his daughter in an arranged marriage if he wanted to. That had been a disturbing fact to him, as well as Persephone and Hades, for they had noticed the shift as well. He could only surmise that Arawn saw the value of keeping Snow alive. Having the daughter of a Goddess to use as some kind of pawn was an attractive thing to the evil King and he was almost certain the idea had probably come from Claude Frollo. He had not missed the way Frollo had looked at his daughter when she had come to save him from execution. The religious zealot even had the nerve to blame his little girl's beauty as the reason for the perversion inside him. It made him want to rip Frollo's head off with his bare hands and knew that if the man touched his daughter again, there would be another murder and he'd be the culprit. At one time, he had scoffed that he would ever join or team up with Hades to do anything, but he knew the God of the Underworld would be right there, helping him to hold the man down while they ended him.

So when Snow met David, he was very happy for his little girl. To find true love and be with someone he could trust with her was ease for his weary heart and soul. David was a very good man, who loved and cherished his daughter with every fiber of his being. He knew David would die for his daughter in a heartbeat, though he hoped that was never necessary. Despite the Kingdoms being war torn and Arawn's latest grab for power with this black god, whatever that may be, this happy occasion was extremely welcome and the fact that Snow was happy was everything to him. He heard the door open and he turned to see Persephone there with a smile.

"Okay...you can come in now," she said. He smiled and went into the room to spend a few moments with his little girl on her wedding day.

~*~

"Well...what do you think?" Persephone asked.

"It's beautiful...mother. It's perfect," she gushed, as she was in awe of the beautiful gown. The dress was pure white, of course, and the satin material shimmered in the light. Her hair was up in an intricate twist and she wore a crown of snowdrops around her head.

"You are beautiful, my sweet daughter…" Persephone said, as tears filled her eyes.

"Mama...if you cry, then I'll start crying," Snow warned.

"Sorry sweetheart...it's just that I'm so happy that you've found true love and I promise you that we will stop this war so that someday, you and David will never have to be separated," she promised. Snow nodded, as they hugged.

"I know you will," she replied, as her mother opened the door.

"Okay...you can come in now," she told Eli and he walked in.

"Oh Snow…" he uttered, as he gently hugged her.

"You are certainly the most beautiful bride ever," he added, as he tearfully kissed her forehead.

"I love you Daddy," she said. He smiled.

"I love you too, sweet pea," he replied, as fished something out of his pocket and she gasped at the beautiful ring.

"This ring has been passed down in our family for generations. It's a star stone...very rare," he said, as he put it on her finger. Snow gazed at the beautiful sapphire, which had a star inside it with six rays.

"Daddy...it's gorgeous," Snow uttered.

"I was once going to give it to your mother...but that didn't work out. And I could never have given such a precious family heirloom to Ravenna," he said sadly.

"But I knew that it would be different for you and that you would find love. I knew I would give it to you someday and that day is here," he added, as they hugged again.

~*~

David was both a bundle of nerves and anticipation, as he prepared to marry the woman he loved. He was decidedly disappointed by the options in his wardrobe though and was feeling a bit uncertain.

"What was I thinking? I'm marry a Princess...even my nicest clothes are in no shape for this," he lamented.

"Honey...Snow will not care what you are wearing," Ruth admonished. He sighed.

"I know mother...I just want to at least look the part," he said.

"There is no one more worthy or deserving of Snow than you," Hades interjected, as he appeared in the doorway.

"Snow wants to marry you and will barely notice what you are wearing," he added, as he walked into the room.

"He's right, son," Robert agreed.

"However...if it would ease your mind, I think I can help with you attire," Hades offered. Sera smiled at them both and David nodded.

"I'd like that," David agreed, as Snow's stepfather snapped his fingers and supplied his soon to be son-in-law with new attire. He was now wearing a silvery gray tunic, adorned with a regal pattern, a gray cape and sash, with black leather pants and boots to complete the ensemble.

"Oh look at you...so handsome, though you were that before," Sera gushed, as she looked at her grown, adopted son. She swallowed thickly, as it made her think of James and how he looked exactly like David. She recalled holding him in her arms and finding the most joy she ever had in him. She had been ripped away from him and felt lost in an abyss of despair, even thinking that death might have been better than feeling that pain. But then she met Ruth and little David, which awoke the light inside her again. She missed James terribly every day, but helping her beloved wife raise their son together had truly been the thing that pulled her out of the depths of grief. It was her second chance, though she would forever mourn losing James. But David made her very happy and proud. And all three of them, herself, Ruth, and Robert were ecstatic at gaining a daughter-in-law like Snow.

"Thank you...this is perfect," David said graciously.

"Well, you're my son-in-law now, so I can't have you marrying our little girl looking like a ragamuffin," Hades quipped, though there was mirth behind his statement, before he turned serious and put a hand on David's shoulder.

"When I first found out Persephone was pregnant and she wasn't biologically mine, I was very angry and almost did some things that would have been terrible. But then I promised to stand by my wife, knowing that I had a lot of responsibility in our broken marriage," he said.

"And though I promised to support her, I swore that I would never love this child. Then I saw her and felt love again for the first time in a very long time," he continued.

"There is literally no one else in this realm or any other that I would trust with her, but I know that I can with you," he finished. David felt incredibly humbled.

"I love her...she's everything and I'll make her happy," he promised. Hades smiled.

"Well, you already do so you just have to keep that up," he quipped. David smiled, as they followed him out. He was very anxious to marry the woman he loved.

~*~

The Sorcerer's Apprentice carried out his mundane existence as he did every day. He lived in seclusion in his cabin near the mountains and maintained a hermitage lifestyle, all in the name of guarding his Master's magical legacy.

He was saddened when the powerful Sorcerer was sealed away in a tree by the Dark One, centuries ago, but he did not mind the quiet life. He had left Camelot at that point and guarded the powerful artifact against anyone that might attempt to take it for their own personal use.

In the wrong hands, the Sorcerer's power could be used to exact great devastation. And it was his life's mission to make sure that did not happen. He was a very old man now, but life would sustain him until the magic had another guardian or the Sorcerer returned. Until then, he would do his duty and had for centuries with nary a hiccup. But as he returned from a three day journey for supplies, he felt something ominous in the air that told him today would be different than the thousands of days before. And he felt his senses warn him of danger, as he heard a knock at his door. But he remained calm and unsuspecting, as he answered it and found a lone man there. He appeared to be aging and weathered, but he was no ordinary man and the Apprentice could sense that he was not what he appeared. There was a sophistication about him and a cruelty in his eyes.

"I've been traveling for many days...can you spare some water and something to eat?" the man questioned.

"Of course...please come in," the Apprentice responded.

"Thank you...you are very kind," the white haired man said graciously.

"Please...I will get you some water. Please help yourself to the biscuits I just made and warm yourself by the fire," the Apprentice offered, as he watched the man's eyes wander around his home.

"You live so far away from civilization...I didn't expect to find anyone up here. I surely thought I would be doomed," the man said.

"I prefer a hermitage sort of existence...it suits me," the Apprentice replied, as he offered the man a cup.

"Now...what brings you out this far?" he questioned.

"I am man of the cloth and left my cathedral on a sabbatical retreat to gain perspective and re-focus my life," the other man offered.

"I see...are you struggling with temptations?" the Apprentice asked.

"Very much so...I took a vow of celibacy and have struggled greatly with lust. There was a witch that was nearly my undoing, a filthy gypsy of all things. I left the cathedral to conquer my lust," he replied.

"Is that so? From the pleasures of the flesh or for power?" the Apprentice questioned, as their eyes met.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you have seen through my ruse," Frollo responded.

"A ruse based on truth, I can sense. You blame your perversion on the wiles of beautiful women, but you are the only one with ownership for the sickness inside you," the Apprentice responded.

"This does not have to involve violence. I require only one thing for my King and I will have it, regardless of what is in my way," Frollo stated.

"I will never give you my Master's hat. Your King is an evil soul and will only use my Master's great magic to spread his evil. I will never allow that to happen," the Apprentice stated.

"Then I guess we should get to it," Frollo responded, as he stood up and the Apprentice with him. The apprentice used his wand and unleashed his magic on Frollo, but his eyes widened in surprise, as Frollo came with his own weapon and wielded a type of sorcery unlike anything the Apprentice had ever seen in his very long life...

~*~

With the flick of her wrist, Persephone had fashioned the meadow into the perfect setting for her daughter's wedding. The meadow was already full of lush flowers and an abundance of snowdrops. She had cleared a path through the flora to make a proper aisle and Hades had created a white and golden archway. Apollo stood there, ready to officiate the ceremony, while Artemis and Demeter had arrived to witness too.

David stood at the altar, with his father standing next to him and his mothers there as well. Artemis and Demeter stood on Snow's side, opposite his mothers, while Persephone and Hades walked down the aisle arm in arm, to take their place across from his parents. Anything else that might have been happening around him was then unseen, as his attention was captured by Snow, floating toward him like the angel and Goddess she was, on her father's arm. When they reached the altar, Eli kissed her cheek and hugged her. Persephone and Hades hugged her as well, before she came to stand before David.

"I'm honored to be here today to officiate this union; a union which has been written in the stars," Apollo began.

"In this world, love can be fleeting and very difficult to find. I am very old and I have seen many false accounts of love and failed relationships, so to find a love so true as this one is very refreshing," he continued.

"We have all come together today to bond this already truest love in the sanctity of marriage," he said, as he made a motion with his hands and the sapling they had created on the first day they had met appeared floating between them.

"On the very first day you met, the first spark of true love was ignited. This very rare occurrence gave birth to your destined love and this became a symbol of that love," he stated.

"Now that we join you in eternal matrimony, this sapling must take root and like your love and devotion, it will now grow and flourish," Apollo decreed, as he used his magic to plant the sapling in the meadow and it took root, as it grew a bit, ensuring that it would eventually tower over them like a beacon of their love.

"Snow...you already wear two rings. One from your father's lineage and another from David's. The star gem is a very rare gem, much like you and this love between you," he stated.

"And the other ring follows true love and led you together. So I take a leaf from your sapling and fashion another ring for you to place on your beloved's finger," Apollo stated, as he plucked a leaf from the sapling and used magic to transform it into a wedding band that was imbued with the power of their true love from the sapling. He handed it to Snow and she slipped it onto David's finger.

"I think I can speak for all present when I say that we are in the presence of an incredible love, but we should hear those vows from the two of you," Apollo prompted, as David took a deep breath and prepared to confess his heart to her.

"When I was a little boy...I loved to gaze up at the stars. I was always so drawn to them and my mothers told me that it was because I sought true love in them," he began.

"I didn't know it, but I've been looking for you all my life and the stars were my map. Then I finally found you and suddenly knew that you were what I had been looking for all my life. And I'll keep looking for you and finding you. When we're together, I'll love you and cherish you. Then when we're apart, I'll miss you terribly, but take heart in knowing that you are safe from evil. And I'll never lose the faith that there will be a day when we never have to be apart again," he continued.

"But knowing that you're my wife will get me through those times. You're the love of my life. I knew from the moment I looked at you that I wanted to marry you, so I strive to be a man worthy of your love. What we have is true love, without a doubt and eternal. It goes beyond just this life and I know that whatever life we find ourselves in that I will always find you, just as you found me. And I know that no matter what we face, we shall do so together," he finished and she had to wipe a few tears away.

"When I was a little girl, my mother and my Nana said that I would find true love. I believed them and dreamed about what it would be like," she began.

"And then I was framed for murder and almost lost hope that finding love would be possible. I almost wondered if love was even real...and then you found me in that moment where I was ready to give up and awakened hope in me again. True love is magic and I knew that the moment my hand touched yours and we created this sapling," she continued tearfully.

"You were better than anything I could have dreamed. You're my Charming...and there is no other that deserves to be called that, because you embody what it means to be a Prince Charming. You're my hero and now I get to call you my husband, which brings me more joy than I ever thought possible," she added.

"You're the love of my life and I know that our love is eternal and true. I know you'll always find me and I will always find you. And I know we will get through anything, because we will do it together," she finished.

"There is no question that we are in the presence of the true, everlasting love that not men or Gods can tear asunder. Snow and David...by the cosmic powers in me, I bond you in an eternal union of the highest devotion, love, and commitment. I declare you husband and wife for all time," Apollo announced, as they joined hands.

"I think you know what to do now," he added coyly. They beamed at him and then each other, before coming together, their lips meeting in a passionate kiss. Their family cheered and clapped for them.

Shortly after, they saw Hades and Persephone off. They were leaving right away to follow Frollo into the eastern mountains and stop him from whatever plot he had conceived. They hugged their daughter and new son-in-law, as they prepared to leave.

"Please be careful," Snow pleaded.

"We will, Snowdrop," Persephone promised.

"We're just worried...because Frollo has proved to be really dangerous," David added.

"Yes, he has...but magic is still on our side and we won't let him succeed," Hades promised, as he joined hands with his wife and they disappeared in twin puffs of smoke.

"Well...the rest of us will leave you two to enjoy your wedding night," Sera gushed, as she ushered the rest of them to their cabin. David rolled his eyes at their antics and then swept his new bride into his arms. Snow yelped in surprise, but then put her arms around his neck, as he carried her into their cabin.

~*~

Hades and Persephone arrived the cabin where they knew Merlin's Apprentice lived and guarded the hat. Immediately, they knew something was very wrong, as the door was open and they went inside. They found the old man on the floor, still shaking and recognized this as likely the after effects of Frollo's weapon.

"Please tell me he doesn't have it!" Hades snapped, as light blue flames licked at the tips of his hair.

"Hades…" Persephone scolded and he attempted to compose himself.

"I'm...sorry, he had some sort of item that nullified my magic…" the Apprentice apologized.

"Yes...that was King Arawn's Royal Vizier and he has been mixing science with alchemy and sorcery. It's created some very dangerous things he is able to use against magic wielders," Persephone explained.

"I am sorry, Goddess...but I'm afraid he found and took the hat," he explained regrettably.

"How?! Even if he subdued you...it should have been hidden where no one could find it!" Hades cried, as his wife gave him another look, though she herself was close to panicking as well.

"He had a needle and injected me with some sort of serum. He said it was a scientific concoction he had made to force people to tell the truth. And to my horror...he was correct," the Apprentice revealed.

"Okay...Frollo is one customer I'd like to see in the Underworld. I know I gave up the whole torture thing, but he is very deserving of a session. I just can't decide between fingernail pulling or target practice with flaming arrows," Hades quipped.

"Hades…" Persephone scolded.

"You're right...both are wildly messy. I think I'll go with letting Cerberus play fetch with his body parts after he's torn him apart, of course," he replied.

"No," she said sternly and looked disappointed.

"Like you don't want to take a hammer to him for the way he looked at Snow," he retorted.

"Maybe...but he's still alive for now and we have to stop him. We'll deal with his afterlife later," she reasoned.

"He must be headed for bald mountain...the hat will show him the way. The entire realm will be doomed if he releases the Chernabog," the Apprentice said, as he used the black god's real name.

"Of course the entire realm will be doomed! That's why we locked it away and burned all the maps! I can't believe I missed one," Hades lamented.

"Unless you didn't," Persephone responded. He turned to her.

"What do you mean?" he questioned.

"You did destroy all the maps in the realm...except for the one in the Underworld," she reminded.

"But we're the only ones with access to that one. No other Gods except…" he started to say, but then paused and she nodded.

"Hermes...that little gutter worm," he hissed and then shook his head.

"But why? What does Hermes have to gain by releasing the black god?" he questioned.

"We know that Hermes will side with whoever is the most powerful. We know that Arawn would love nothing more than to possess that power, but what if he is only a pawn for someone even more powerful?" she questioned and his eyes widened in realization.

"Deimos…" he realized and they joined hands.

"Will you be all right?" she asked the Apprentice. He nodded.

"Go...stop Frollo from unleashing doom on us all," he pleaded. They nodded and disappeared again in twin puffs of smoke...

[superfreakerz]

SWF 9

"Sailing with Fire"

Rated M for eventual smut.

Summary: Lucy is in desperate need of a break from the mage life and embarks on a two week cruise alongside her partner, Natsu. What they don't know is that it's a cruise designed specifically for couples. With no other choice than to pretend they are married, the two try to enjoy the cruise the best they can, all the while dealing with uncharted feelings.

Read earlier chapters on FF.net

The next morning, Natsu woke up with a loud groan. His body ached from sleeping on the floor. To make matters worse, his body was overcome with motion sickness immediately, forcing him to rush to the bathroom. Tears pricked his eyes as he puked into the toilet, gripping the outer edge of the bowl for support.

Lucy's eyes blinked open at the sound of Natsu throwing up. A frown instantly graced her face not only out of pity for her partner, but also because she remembered the events that transpired the night before. She had fallen asleep before Natsu returned and she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do. Still, she couldn't just let him suffer alone.

Getting out of bed, Lucy threw on some fresh clothes, not bothering to close the bathroom door knowing that Natsu wouldn't be able to peek at her in his state. Tiptoeing into the bathroom, the blonde quickly grabbed her toothbrush and toothpaste and left so she could brush her teeth in the other sink in their room. She didn't want to brush while he puked next to her.

Lucy got ready as quickly as she could and returned to the bathroom, frowning at the pitiful sight. Natsu had tears welled in his eyes as he hunched over the toilet, not sparing her a glance. This had become their routine since their trip so she already knew what to do. Wrapping an arm around Natsu, the blonde began to lead him out the door and towards the front desk.

It took them a while to reach the lobby considering Natsu was dragging his feet, but they eventually made it to the front desk. The medical mage was already waiting for him, having expected him after treating him every morning. He had the worst case of motion sickness she had ever seen before.

Lucy and Natsu gave the mage a quick thanks before turning to head back to their room. Lucy frowned as she slid her hand over Natsu's. He intertwined their fingers together, looser than normal and informing Lucy that he was holding her hand strictly because he wanted to uphold their cover. Neither of them said a word to each other the walk back and let go of each other's hands the moment they reached their room.

Lucy sat on the bed and stared blankly at her lap, fiddling with her fingers. The silence was killing her and she didn't want to leave things the way they were. But what was she supposed to say? Her eyes landed on their book on the nightstand. Reading always cheered her up when she was in a bad mood. Perhaps it could help them now.

Lucy smiled weakly at Natsu and asked, "Do you want to read our book?"

Natsu studied her for a few moments, not saying a word. Was she really going to pretend that last night didn't happen? No. He wasn't going to let her. He stared back at her without cracking even a slight smile. His eyes were hard and bore into hers.

Lucy fidgeted in her seat and broke her gaze away. Okay, so he was still mad. That much was obvious.

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened last night," Lucy said, forcing herself to meet his gaze again to properly apologize. "I guess I got caught up in everything. It won't happen again, so can we just forget about it?"

Natsu's frown grew and his brows furrowed. "You want to just forget about it?"

"Yes."

Natsu's anger bubbled within him and he stalked closer to her. He stopped in front of her and firmly grabbed her wrist to stand her up. Though he was mad, he was still careful not to hurt her.

He peered into her eyes, glaring at her.

"That's not happening," he said, his voice low.

Lucy frowned, her own irritation growing as well. Why was he getting so worked up about it? Was it really that bad that she kissed him? Why did he have to keep bringing it up? Did he really want to reject her that badly? Well she wasn't going to give him that chance.

"And why not?" Lucy asked, narrowing her eyes at him. "I already said it won't happen again! So just drop it, Natsu!"

"You can't keep pretending it didn't happen because guess what? It did!"

"I know it did, idiot! So what? Why don't you just leave it alone already?" Lucy asked, tears pricking her eyes. Her anger was boiling over and if she didn't leave now, she was going to break. Pushing past Natsu, she made her way towards the door, only for him to grab her wrist to stop her.

Natsu turned her around and glared harshly at her.

"Because I'm in love with you!" he shouted.

Lucy's breath hitched in her throat and her eyes went wide. Her jaw slacked and she stood gaping at Natsu, who was now going on an angry spiel.

"I'm in love with you alright, Lucy?" he repeated, still angry. "That's why we can't just pretend it didn't happen last night!"

Lucy's heart sped up and thrashed around in her chest. He loved her. Her feelings weren't unreciprocated. He loved her! Her lips twitched upwards into a smile.

All this time, she believed that Natsu didn't feel the same way about her. She believed that he was someone that didn't have any romantic feelings at all, actually. But now here he was, confessing to her.

It was then that she recalled his fake confession from two days ago.

"Lucy. You're one of the nicest people I know, and that's important to me. You're also funny as hell, especially when you're annoyed. You're really strong too, a lot stronger than you think. But above all, you're the weirdest person I know. You say and do weird things that I'm sure nobody else would do and I find it really amusing. A-And that is why I love you too."

A happy smile graced her lips. It turned out his fake confession wasn't so fake after all. That was truly how he felt and it melted her heart.

"Natsu, listen-"

"No you listen, Lucy!" Natsu interrupted. His gaze was hard and his eyes were narrowed as he continued, "You kissed me last night! There was nobody around so don't even think about telling me it was because of this whole fake marriage bullshit! And I know you aren't the type of person that goes around kissing people! You feel the same way about me! We aren't just friends and you fucking know it!"

"Natsu, I-"

"Why the hell are you smiling? You think this is-"

Lucy interrupted him by quickly wrapping her arms around his neck and crashing her lips over his in a haste kiss. Natsu's eyes widened in shock and his arms laid limply by his sides. Before he could register what was going on, Lucy pulled away and gave him a bright smile.

"I love you too," she said, her face flushed with heat.

"Wait… What?" Natsu asked. He knew she felt that way but wasn't expecting her to give in like that.

"I love you," Lucy repeated sincerely. "This was all just a big misunderstanding. I-I thought that you didn't feel the same way about me so I got scared of you rejecting me last night and I pushed you away. I didn't know that you loved me too."

Natsu, in his confused state, stared back at Lucy. Yelling all of his frustrations left him winded, along with the sudden kiss that took his breath away. With a sigh, he rested his forehead over Lucy's.

"So… We're okay?" he asked in concern. His cheeks were pink from Lucy's confession along with the kiss.

"Yeah," Lucy answered with a nod. "Do you forgive me?"

Natsu grinned and ruffled the girl's hair. "Of course, you weirdo." Breathing a heavy sigh of relief, he sat on the bed, dragging Lucy with him. They laid under the covers and spooned, all of their worries melting away. "My back is killing me."

"You shouldn't have slept on the floor then."

"Well I wouldn't have if somebody wasn't so confusing and complicated."

"Oh hush. Did you get enough sleep at least?"

"Nope."

"Oh. Well did you want to take a nap then?"

"Nope."

Natsu propped himself on his elbow and brushed Lucy's golden hair off of her face and neck. She colored immediately from the touch, prompting him to lean forward and leave a gentle kiss on her cheek. Now that their feelings were out in the open and their argument was resolved, he was going to act on his feelings.

Natsu trailed gentle kisses from her cheek down to her jaw. He continued downwards and gently sucked on her neck, eliciting a squeal from the girl wriggling beneath him.

Natsu pulled back. "Is this okay? I just thought that-"

"It's fine," Lucy interrupted, her face a bright pink. "It's just that I've never done this before… It kind of tickles."

Natsu gave her a toothy grin, glad that he got her permission to continue. He didn't want to cross the line and make her feel uncomfortable, especially when things were just beginning between them. He just couldn't control himself. He had been having endless fantasies about kissing her in various spots, some of them not so innocent, and he couldn't contain his hunger any longer.

Placing his hand over her hip, Natsu continued to leave soft kisses over Lucy's neck, enjoying the way she squirmed below him. It caused a familiar heat to travel through his body and his groin twitched in excitement, not that he was planning on taking it that far. Though if Lucy wanted it, he would gladly surrender.

Meanwhile, Lucy was in pure bliss. Every kiss had her breaths growing heavier and she hummed in pleasure. Natsu's hand on her hip made it more sensual, especially when he gave her hip a gentle squeeze or rubbed circles over her skin. She wanted to be closer.

Turning around, Lucy quickly wrapped her arms around Natsu and planted her lips over his. She pressed their bodies together and fisted his pink tufts of hair. Natsu's hands found home on her hips. Their lips were in a constant rhythm until Natsu invaded her mouth with his tongue, tasting every inch of her mouth before joining their tongues. Lucy couldn't help but give a quiet moan, which elicited a low growl from Natsu.

Natsu nipped at her lip and his hands began to travel, slowly grazing up her side and then over her arm. This was what he had been missing out on. He thought that he would be fine with just being friends, but after tasting her and touching her skin, he knew there was no going back and that he could never solely be just friends with her ever again.

She was his. And he was hers.

The mere thought sent shivers down his spine and heat flushing through him. His hands traveled back down from the top of her back to the hem of her silk pajama shorts. His fingers went just below the hem, silently asking for permission.

Luckily for him, Lucy was in the giving mood. Lucy knew what he wanted and she couldn't deny that she wanted it too. In that moment, it felt like it was just them in the world. With all of the touching, soft moans, and endless kisses, of course she wanted to go further. So, she reached behind herself and guided his hands deeper beneath her shorts and over her bum.

Natsu's heart nearly catapulted out of his chest as his hand glazed over the lacy underwear and her soft flesh. Lucy was giving him permission to touch her, and he was not going to miss out on the opportunity. He gave her a hard squeeze while increasing the pressure of their kiss.

Lucy moaned and grinded against him. Her eyes opened wide and her face flushed with heat after feeling something hard pressed against her thighs. She wasn't dumb, she knew exactly what it was. Her lips curled upwards into a proud smile as she kissed Natsu. So she got him aroused, huh? To think that she was able to do this to one of her guild's strongest member's excited her.

Natsu wasn't the only aroused one, however. She knew what the tingling sensation between her thighs meant. She knew that they were moving fast, that they had just figured out their feelings and that they didn't even define their relationship yet. But did they need to? They already knew they loved each other anyways. And some people have sex despite not being in love. There was nothing wrong with it at all.

She wanted it. He wanted it.

Lucy broke away from their kiss and reached for Natsu's vest, practically ripping it off of him in her haste. With that, she allowed her eyes to glaze over his abs, which were chiseled to absolute perfection. Her fingers roamed over the toned skin, causing a shiver to run through Natsu.

Natsu, becoming more and more excited by the second, lost his patience and wrapped his arms around Lucy before throwing her on top of him. She straddled him while he devoured her neck. He wasn't embarrassed about his hardened member, which he was positive Lucy felt considering she took it upon herself to grind against it. He wasn't embarrassed that he was reaching his breaking point. All he could think about was touching Lucy in that moment and pleasuring her.

Lucy's breaths grew shaky as she grinded against Natsu's clothed length. A fire was ignited within her and there was only one way to put it out. Pausing from her erotic movements, the blonde shimmied out of her silk shorts, leaving her in a tank top and lacy underwear. Then, she laid on top of Natsu again, allowing him to suck at her neck while she grinded over him once again.

It felt great. Every hard grind against him relieved the ache between her legs and brought her closer to climaxing. She had done some self-exploration before but it was nothing compared to this. Natsu's hands found themselves over her rear once again, squeezing her flesh while he nipped at her neck. Everything was so passionate and sensual; her eyes were rolling to the back of her head in pleasure.

Lucy couldn't help but remember a story Cana brought up in the guild once, a story about one of her many sexual conquers. Back then, Lucy had tuned her out, too embarrassed to listen. But she did manage to get the moral of her story.

"Make-up sex is the best sex."

And despite the fact that she wasn't having sex with Natsu at the moment, Lucy found herself already believing her friend and wanting to experience it for herself.

Lucy pulled away from the kiss and panted while staring into Natsu's eyes. His dark orbs shone with lust, just as she was sure hers did. Her cheeks were pink and her eyes showed how shy she was, but she knew what she wanted.

"Natsu," Lucy breathed out.

Natsu stared into her eyes and knew what she wanted. He would be lying if he said he didn't want it too.

"Are you sure?" he asked. He didn't want to pressure her into anything she wasn't ready for. He wanted her to look back on this moment with a smile, not regret.

"I'm sure," Lucy answered with a small nod. Her voice was breathy as she continued, "I've never been more sure about anything other than the fact that I love you."

That gave Natsu all he needed to know. Cupping the back of her head, he brought her face back down to his and gave her a passionate kiss. Then, he flipped them over so that Lucy was on the bottom. She looked shyly up at him, her golden hair splayed messily around her. Her face was pink and she was squirming below him.

And god did she look beautiful.

Natsu brought his hands to his pants, ready to take them off when a loud horn blew. Natsu winced and covered his sensitive ears.

Over the intercom, which hadn't been used once since they boarded the ship, the Captain's voiced boomed.

"Good morning, everyone," he greeted. "We will be arriving at the docks of Caelum in around fifteen minutes. That is all."

The intercom cut off, leaving Natsu and Lucy sitting in a thick silence. The mood that they had before was now gone, replaced with annoyance after being interrupted during a big step for them.

Natsu gave Lucy a lopsided grin and shrugged. "Wanna go check it out?"

The girl frowned. "But what about this?"

Natsu smiled at her and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "We'll have time to do this some other time."

"Promise?"

"Promise. Now let's go on deck and check it out!" Natsu exclaimed with a grin before placing a chaste kiss on the girl's forehead.

Lucy returned the smile and nodded. "Okay."

With that, the two were scrambling to get ready so that they could watch the ship approach land. Lucy chose to wear another sundress, this one flowy and loose, reaching her ankles. It was sky blue with white clouds printed over it. Underneath was her bikini, just in case they wanted to swim. Natsu, dressed in his vest and swim trunks, teased her, saying that her hair was like the sun in the sky.

Once they were finished, the two rushed out of the room, laughing as they squeezed past other guests to reach the front of the ship. Other couples were there as well, awing at the sight in front of them. Caelum Island was in view, surrounded by beautiful, unpolluted water. The water was so blue, the two were tempted to jump overboard and swim in it.

After fifteen minutes of their excitement growing within them, they were finally reaching the dock. The Captain carefully steered and anchored the ship, which would be in that spot for the next two days until it was time to leave. This left the guests two and a half days on Caelum Island.

Once the boat stilled and the ramp was stationed on the dock, the Captain met up with everyone else on deck, giving them a wide grin and showing off his pearly whites.

"We're now at Caelum Island, everyone!" he said. Everyone clapped and whistled, prompting him to continue. "You're all free to come and go as you please, the ramp will be lowered the entire time we're here. However, if you are out past midnight, you will need to show some sort of identification to board the ship again. My crew will be handing out pamphlets of fun attractions in Caelum if anyone is interested. Now, go and have some fun!"

With that, couples began to file out of the ship and carefully step down the ramp and onto Caelum's sand. The island was specifically a tourist's destination, made for outsiders to come and visit. There weren't any paved roads, simply miles of sand and buildings. In the center of an island stood a large volcano- dormant, of course.

Lucy thanked an attendant after accepting a pamphlet. With a wide grin, the blonde slipped her hand with Natsu's and intertwined their fingers.

"Where to first?" Natsu asked with a toothy grin.

"I don't see why you're asking when I know you're just going to drag me to the closest restaurant," Lucy replied, returning the smile.

Natsu's grin grew and he nudged her playfully. "You know me so well. C'mon, Luce!"

Lucy giggled as Natsu began to drag her behind him in his hungry wake. When wasn't he hungry? Of course the first thing he would choose to do on a tourist island is look for food. Not that she minded, though. As long as her hand was in his, she didn't care what they did.

The two grinned as they entered a nearby restaurant. The lights were dimmed, giving the place a romantic feel. The furniture and staff, however, gave off a completely different vibe. There were straw chairs, leis hanging over each one for the customers to keep. The tables were made of birch wood and had seashells glued to the edges. The waitresses wore hula skirts and coconut bras, a flower pinned in their hair. The waiters wore khakis and tacky tourist shirts.

"Hello, table for two?" an employee questioned.

Natsu nodded. "Yeah."

"Right this way."

The two were led to a table near the back of the restaurant. They were handed two menus before the employee walked away and was replaced with a waitress. She had beautiful, long curly locks of brown hair, reminding them of Cana. She even dressed similarly seeing as how their alcoholic friend always roamed in a bikini top.

"Hi there! My name is Leah! Can I get you started with some drinks?" she asked with a kind smile and a chipper voice. So she had the looks of Cana and the personality of Mira. Well, save for the underlying demonic personality. They weren't sure about that yet.

"I'll just have a water," Lucy ordered, returning the smile.

"I'll take some water too," Natsu added.

"Coming right up!" Leah said, strutting back to the kitchen.

Lucy surveyed the room again with a content smile. The place was nice, though it was getting louder as more guests from the ship filed into the building. She supposed it was because the girls adorned coconut bras. The blonde wasn't jealous at all. She knew Natsu was only interested in her. She had no reason to worry.

"What do you want to do next?" Natsu asked, bringing her out of her thoughts. His lips curled upwards into an amused smirk. Lucy always seemed to zone out. It was funny when he would call out to her in those times because she would jump and her eyes would get all wide.

Lucy shrugged and retrieved the pamphlet she got from the crew workers. Opening it up, they found that it was a large map of the entire island, next to which being a legend to show the names of the sights and attractions. On the other side, there was a schedule of fun events planned over the next two days.

"There's a welcoming luau tonight!" Lucy exclaimed, glancing towards her partner excitedly. "We should definitely go!"

"What's a luau?" Natsu asked. He would go no matter what it was considering Lucy seemed to want to go, but he would still like to know in advance.

"It's like a party pretty much. I've never been to one but from the books I've read, they sound like a lot of fun! There's a bunch of leis, food, and games!"

"That does sound fun! What are we going to do before that? Check out the volcano? We're definitely seeing it before we leave!"

"I think we should save that for tomorrow. I'm sure most of the guests are going to go today because it's our first day here and they're excited. If we go tomorrow, it won't be so packed. Besides, I'm not wearing the right clothes for hiking to the top of a volcano right now."

Natsu shrugged. "As long as we see it sometime before we leave."

Leah then returned with their drinks, placing them in front of the two.

"Are you two ready to order?" she asked, pen and notepad ready in hand.

Lucy flushed, having forgotten to look over the menu because she was too busy looking at their pamphlet. She opened the menu and quickly ordered the first thing that appealed her.

"I'll have the salmon," the blonde ordered.

"Would you like salad or fries on the side?"

"Fries, please."

"Alright! And for you sir?"

Natsu shrugged. "I'll just have a steak."

"How would you like it prepared?"

"Rare!"

"Fries on the side?"

Natsu nodded. With that, Leah took their menus and was on her way back to the kitchen. The two resumed looking over their pamphlet again, pointing out anything that sounded interesting to them. As they waited for their food, they came up with a plan for that day.

They were going to finish eating and then explore the island. Though the pamphlet was useful giving a map, simple names weren't enough to give enough information. Besides, who wouldn't want to explore such a beautiful island on such a nice day?

When Leah returned with their food, the two's mouths watered instantly. Natsu didn't waste a second before diving into eating, chunks of food flying everywhere while he inhaled his food. Lucy took a moment to stare at her partner in disgust before looking back to her own food. Licking her lips, the blonde gave an eager smile and picked up her fork, cutting the steamy fish.

Popping the small bite into her mouth, the girl swooned. The fish was lightly crisp on the outside but oh so juicy on the inside. It was seasoned with spices she couldn't name- she wasn't much of a chef- but she could taste just the right amount of lemon juice.

"This is the best salmon I've ever had in my entire life," Lucy said after swallowing the fish down. "And I've had some topnotch chefs cook for me before."

"This steak is good too," Natsu replied with a full mouth, food spewing out from the action.

"I never want to finish."

"There's always dinner."

Lucy nodded and with that, the two began to munch on their food in a content silence.

Once they finished, the two quickly paid and walked out of the restaurant, their stomachs full and pleased. They made sure to eat every bite to get their money's worth because they didn't want to go all the way back to the ship just to drop off some leftovers.

Lucy placed a hand over her slightly bloated stomach as she walked beside Natsu.

"We probably should've waited a bit longer before we started walking," she said. It was like she could feel all of her chewed up food swishing around in her stomach. "We're probably going to have some bad cramps."

"Nah," Natsu replied, crossing his hands behind his head. "That's not a real thing."

"Yes it is! You're supposed to wait half an hour before doing anything after you eat!"

"We'll be fine, Luce. But if you're really that worried, we can just relax at the beach for a while before going on a walk."

"Good. Let's get a drink first!"

Lucy grabbed Natsu's hand and led the way towards a shack where people were sitting by the counter drinking different alcoholic beverages, all of them colorful and topped with tropical fruits. Lucy, feeling like she deserved a drink, ordered a strawberry daiquiri. The bartender's eyes glazed over her form, lust pooling in his eyes until Natsu glared at him and wrapped an arm around the blonde. The bartender sighed in disappointment and made Lucy her drink.

Lucy grinned and thanked the man, giving him the money before walking towards the beach with Natsu by her side. She brought her lips to the curly straw and sucked the sweet drink with a pleased hum.

Natsu smirked and nudged the girl. "Thought you weren't going to drink at all during our trip?"

Lucy stuck her tongue out at him. "This doesn't count! There's barely any alcohol in here!"

"Still alcohol."

"Shut up!"

Natsu chuckled and laced his hand with Lucy's, dragging her to the beach. There weren't as many other people at the beach because just as Lucy assumed earlier, most decided to visit the volcano.

Lucy settled herself on a plastic chair that overlooked the water, her daiquiri in hand. Natsu sat beside her on the sand. They sat in a peaceful silence, soaking up the sun and watching the sea's gentle waves wash over the shore.

As soon as Lucy finished her drink, Natsu took it upon himself to take her cup and throw it into the garbage. Returning, he gave the blonde a grin and removed his vest before tying his scarf around his forehead. Lucy blushed immediately and swallowed thickly. She always loved how he looked with his scarf tired around his head.

"Let's go swimming!" Natsu suggested, grabbing the girl's hand to stand her up.

Lucy quirked a brow. "What about our walk?"

"We're at the beach, Luce! C'mon, let's go! We'll walk and dry off after."

Lucy grinned. "Okay!" Grabbing her dress and bunching the hem into her hands, the blonde raised it above her head, revealing her white bikini with pink hibiscuses. Natsu licked his lips as her breasts bounced slightly after being released.

Lucy laid her dress gently over the chair and gave Natsu an eager grin. "Well? Let's go!"

Natsu nodded. "Race you to the water!"

"What are we? Five? We don't have to race to the water."

"Scared to lose, Luce?"

The blonde narrowed her eyes but recovered quickly with an eerily cheery grin, one that reminded Natsu of a certain take-over mage back home. In a split second, she swept his feet out from under him and made a dash towards the water.

Natsu blinked once, then twice, taking a moment to register what the hell just happened. A wide grin settled over his face as he jumped to his feet. God did he love a feisty Lucy.

"Yosh! I'm all fired up now!"

Natsu put every ounce of strength towards his legs as he attempted to catch up to Lucy, who was already nearing the blue water. Lucy looked behind her to see her partner's distance, only to squeal realizing he was catching up to her insanely fast.

The two were neck to neck but only one was victorious.

Lucy cheered as she dunked a foot into the water, not minding the initial coldness of the water. Turning, she gave Natsu the smuggest of grins, placing her hands on her hips.

"What was that you were saying earlier?" she baited. "Something about me losing?"

Natsu crossed his arms with a fiery huff. "You only won because you cheated."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night!"

Natsu smirked as he bent down and cupped water before splashing it in the girl's face. Lucy didn't even react, instead telling herself that she should've seen it coming.

With that, the two lost track of time while swimming. At one point, they decided to swim as far away from shore as they could. Lucy was surprised that they actually got a decent distance away from the island.

When they finished, the sun was already setting and the luau as almost beginning. In the end, they didn't have time to explore the island like they had planned. Instead, they walked along the shore, their hands intertwined as they dried off. Once dry, they made their way to the luau.

Torches were posted around the site, spread apart enough to keep it dim. The main source of light, however, was the large bonfire in the middle of grounds. Everyone was dressed in touristy clothes. There was a long table of food and dishes, where people were helping themselves to the steamy food. Colorful flowers were everywhere, though most of them were around people's necks in beautiful leis.

Lucy and Natsu grinned as an older woman with a kind smile dangled leis over them. To their luck, they were their favorite colors, pink and red respectively. The two ventured deeper into the grounds and found mages putting on a show. Fire and water mages danced as their magic twirled around their bodies. Natsu's mouth watered and he wanted to eat their fire but knew better. He didn't want to receive a Lucy Kick in front of everyone.

"This is amazing," Lucy breathed out in awe. It was as if she feared speaking any louder would ruin the moment.

Natsu smiled and gave her hand a gentle squeeze. She was breathtaking. The warm light from the bonfire gently caressed her face, outlining her edges. With absolutely no hesitation, he cupped her face and brought her in for a soft kiss.

When they pulled away, Lucy's eyes were heavy and her cheeks were rosy.

"What was that for?" she asked, her voice just a whisper.

Natsu shrugged and gave her a lopsided grin. "Just felt like it."

They stared into each other's eyes, drinking in the unique colors before a woman's voice distracted them.

"Hello, everyone!" the woman greeted. She was chunky with black hair and soft blue eyes. She was adorned in a green lei and a hula skirt and coconut bra. "Thanks for coming out tonight and welcome to our island! We will now be commencing our limbo tournament! If you're interested in playing, please gather at the limbo station!"

Lucy and Natsu shared an excited grin before heading towards the limbo station, where other couples were standing in line to try to win or have fun. The limbo stick was a rod that changed colors and glowed in the dark and was propped up between two posts. Music played as the game began.

The first walkthrough was easy considering the rod was set high enough that most people could walk underneath it without having to bend at all. Only those that were exceptionally tall had to make a small effort. After that, the employees lowered it about five inches.

The game continued on for a while, quickly knocking out many competitors. Soon enough, Natsu was beginning to struggle as he bent backwards and inched below the stick. It felt like his spine was breaking. Luckily, he made it through. On the next walkthrough, however, he was eliminated from the game as he wasn't able to bend backwards enough to avoid his stomach from touching the rod.

Natsu huffed childishly but watched with a smile as Lucy approached the stick. It was clear that she was more flexible than him as she lowered herself under. But though she was more flexible than him, she wasn't too flexible and was soon eliminated from the game as well.

Lucy walked towards Natsu and gave him a grin.

"You got knocked out early," she teased.

Natsu nudged her and replied, "You only won that because you're shorter than me. It wasn't fair from the start!"

"Whatever you say!"

"It's true!"

The two shared a laugh and watched as the rest of the contestants struggled. In the end, a young woman just a couple years older than them won, but after hearing that she was a professional dancer, they couldn't help but feel ripped off. Shrugging it off, they moved towards the food table, ready for another amazing meal.

It was hours later that Lucy and Natsu returned to their room on the ship. Their feet dragged behind them as they carried themselves inside and plopped onto the bed. They had spent the last four hours dancing, playing games, and meeting other couples and they were beyond excited.

Lucy grabbed a pair of underwear along with pajamas and went to the bathroom to get ready for the night. Her body moved slowly and tiredly as she threw on her clothes and brushed her teeth. She didn't even bother brushing through her hair and instead plopped beside Natsu on the bed once again after turning the lights on.

"Too tired to do stuff," Lucy said, her voice muffled as her face was against the pillow.

"Same," Natsu replied. Though he was tired, he still wanted to hold her in his arms. So, he slid his arm underneath Lucy's head and pulled her back against him, letting his hand rest over her thigh.

Lucy breathed a content sigh, savoring the warmth that Natsu had to offer. With that, their eyes drooped closed and they had the best night's sleep thanks to each other's presence.

[queercapwriting]

Alex Maggie and Kara visit Eliza and Alex falls back into old habbits

Maggie knew.

She knew that Alex’sweight-of-the-world-responsibility-I-need-to-be-perfect-in-all-ways-at-all-timesdidn’t come from being Kara’s sister.

She knew that Alex’sweight-of-the-world-responsibility-I-need-to-be-perfect-in-all-ways-at-all-timescame from being Eliza’s daughter.

And she was glad – truly – that Eliza had apparently takenAlex’s coming out better than Alex had at first.

But she also knew – and she wasn’t sure if Alex realizedexplicitly, so she said nothing, because it was something for Alex to work outon her own, and Maggie would be there to support her and love herunconditionally when she did – that Eliza was the reason it took Alex solong to realize she’s gay. Well, Eliza and the violence of heteronormativity.But Eliza. Because Eliza is what that perfection speech was all about.

And it made Maggie furious.

But she said nothing, and Eliza was Alex’s mom, afterall, and she of all people knew how complicated parents are, how strange andcounterintuitive and unhealthy love from a parent can be, so she was flatteredand honored and more than a little nervous when Alex invited her to come out toMidvale with her and Kara for the long weekend.

She packed only her nicest flannels, her sharpest jeans, hermost dapper jacket, her hottest boots, because the habit of being as herself,as gay, as humanly possible around women’s parents ran strong in her.

Alex shook harder the closer they got to Midvale. Sherambled more and then lapsed into longer silences. Maggie glanced at Kara, whogrimaced in solidarity, who grimaced in anticipation, who grimaced because Karaknew, too.

“It’ll be fine, right?” Alex suddenly squeaks out ofnowhere. “Right, it’ll be fine, last time I saw her she said I was exceptional,right, I mean, you don’t call someone you’re disappointed in exceptional,right? And Kara, you haven’t really gotten hurt lately – I mean, you went toEarth 2 and that slave trading hell hole all by yourself, she’s bound to hateme for that – ”

“Alex,” Kara soothes, reaching up into the front seat,grateful that Maggie’s driving. “Alex, Eliza loves you. She doesn’t know how tocommunicate that well all the time – ”

“Or at all, most of the time – ”

“Okay, right. But she loves you, Alex. And you knowwhat, if she doesn’t love you right, Maggie and I are here, okay? Welove you. Unconditionally. Okay? It’s gonna be okay.”

Alex grimaced a smile and Alex nodded and Alex squeezedKara’s hand and Alex held her breath, because they were pulling into Eliza’sdriveway.

They got a couple of hours in without an incident, largelybecause Kara changed the subject when Eliza asked about where Alex was when shewent to Earth 2; largely because Maggie let Alex squeeze her hand as hard asshe damn well pleased whenever Eliza turned to ask Alex a question; largelybecause Maggie put a steady hand on Alex’s knee, gave her a significant glance,to tell her that she didn’t mind that Eliza was interrogating her on hereducation, on her history with the science division, on her motivation tobecome a police officer, to work with aliens.

They got a couple of hours in without an incident, but afterEliza asked what seemed to be the problem with locating Cadmus’s new strongholdand finding Jeremiah, Alex excused herself to go to the bathroom. Maggie didn’twant to make it seem like they had a codependent relationship and Kara didn’twant to make it seem like Alex couldn’t go pee on her own when she was aroundEliza, so neither of them accompanied her.

But there was bourbon on her breath when she came back; therewas bourbon on her breath and fire in her eyes and a slight wobble to her step,because she must have had way more than one shot, way more than two, way morethan three, in the space of the five minutes she’d been out of the room.

Maggie and Kara exchange a worried glance, because they’dtaken all the alcohol out of both of their homes, out of Alex’s, but Alex grewup in this home and Alex knew where Eliza kept the best liquor.

Kara excused herself to get water for everyone – but really,for Alex – and Eliza narrowed her eyes as she watched Alex collapse on thecouch next to Maggie, tossing her arms around her and her legs onto her lap.

“Maggie loves me, Mom,” she said from her spot nuzzled intoMaggie’s neck. “Isn’t that wild? A woman who loves me for exactly who I am?Funny thing is, growing up, after Dad, you know, I didn’t think that waspossible. For someone – someone who wasn’t Kara, isn’t that ironic, that Kara’sthe reason you put all that pressure on me and yet Kara’s the only one whoreally loved me – someone to love me. Like, unconditionally love me.”

“Ally, baby, do you wanna show me the beach, take a nicewalk?”

“No, Detective Sawyer, I think my daughter’s too out ofsorts at the moment to be strolling about.”

“What’samatter, Mom, don’t want the neighbors to know youraised a daughter whose body can’t break alcohol down before it goes to herhead?”

“Al, honey – ”

“What brought this on, Alexandra?” Eliza wanted to know, andAlex glared as Kara stepped back into the room with a tray of full waterglasses, eyes wide and eyes nervous.

“Do you have to ask about Dad like that?”

Eliza scoffed. “Alexandra, I have the right to ask after thewelfare of my husband – ”

“No, no, I mean, like that. You have to make it intoan accusation, don’t you, like it’s my fault that we can’t find him,like it’s my fault he’s still suffering. Just like everything’s myfault, just like – ”

“Alex – ”

“No, Kara, I love you, but god, Kara, sometimes you don’tget to play mediator! Sometimes you don’t get to be in the middle! Sometimesyou have to pick a side!”

“My daughter, the soldier. Who would have thought?”

“Eliza, she’s upset, she’s – ”

“No, Kara, Alex is right. She usually is, isn’t she? You canchoose your sister’s side, dear, I won’t hold it against you. After all, I’monly your adoptive mother. But Alex is your sister, through and through.” Shestares through tears at Alex, and is silent for a long moment before she says,“At least I gave you one good thing in your life, Alexandra. By taking in Kara,I gave you your sister. At least I can you that one good thing.”

Alex withered immediately and Alex tried to stand as Elizadid, but she stumbled into Maggie’s arms instead.

“No, Mom, I didn’t – I didn’t mean you never – Mom. Mom!”

But the door to Eliza’s room had snapped shut, and Kara wassetting down the tray of glasses and rushing to helping Maggie set Alex backdown on the couch, rushing to help Maggie hold her shaking, sobbing, torn messof a big sister.

“I did it again, I did it again, I could havejust let it go, I could have just ignored it, why didn’t I ignoreit?” Alex gasped, and Kara cooed wordlessly into her ear and kissed herforehead.

“Because you have to stand up for yourself at some point,Alex. And, okay, you know, you and your mom don’t have the most complimentarycommunication styles. But she needs to know what’s acceptable and what’s not. Iwould have been upset if she implied that about me too, babe. I was upsetthat she implied that about you. Because it is not your fault you haven’tfound your dad yet. You’re allowed to stand up for yourself, Al. You’reallowed. You’re allowed, babygirl.”

She tugged her into her chest because Alex was sobbingharder, then, and Alex was reaching for Maggie with one hand and Kara with theother, and she was shaking and she was gasping for breath and she would havebeen inconsolable, but she was in the arms of the two women who loved her morethan anything else in the world, so she calmed eventually, eventually,eventually.

None of the three girls noticed that Eliza had slipped backinto the room until she was squatting in front of them, a glass of the waterKara had brought in her hand.

“When you were a little girl, Alex, you would always wantwater when you were upset about something.”

“Not just bringing it to me because I’m a drunken mess onyour couch?” Alex grunted as Kara took the glass and brought it to Alex’sbegrudging lips.

“I’m bringing it to you because you are my daughter,Alexandra. And I don’t have superhearing, sure, but I heard enough of whatMaggie told you, and I… she’s right, Alex. I don’t always know how to talk toyou. I don’t always know how to love you. But that doesn’t mean I don’t.You are my world, Alex Danvers. My entire world.”

Kara gulped and Maggie held in a skeptical sigh. Alex leanedfurther into Maggie for support, for warmth, for a love that she knew for afact was unconditional, was active, was healthy, was home.

“Then treat me like it,” Alex said simply, and her words werestrong, but her voice was small.

Eliza bit down tears and nodded and reached a trembling handup to touch her daughter’s face.

“I’m going to try harder, Alex. Because when you rescue yourfather, I want him to see that we’re stronger together. Yes?”

Alex squeezed Maggie’s hand and melted at Kara’s sad smileand nodded down at her mother, hope crawling its way back into her heart.

“Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.”