#its just like 'girl gets invisibility powers and then meets this other girl & they do Espionage at another school in the area

[fruitsyrups]

I tried to type the word lives but accidentally said loves and then it autocorrected to lobes. What.

[frenchkisstheabyss]

♡ ｌｏｖｅｒ ｂｏｙ♡

Pairing: boyfriend!felix x chubby!fem!reader

Summary: Your new boyfriend comforts you during a depressive episode.

Genre: fluff/angst-ish

Word Count: 849

Warnings: mention of depression/some dark thoughts & feelings

A/N: Just wanted to write something for anyone out there who might struggle with depression and need some comfort ♡

This couldn’t have happened at a worse time...

But it was bound to happen at some point, you think, burying your face in your hands, a puddle of tears forming in your palms. Things have been going so well with Felix, better than they have with any other guy. From day one he’s been your Prince Charming.

Taking you on dates to botanical gardens blooming with flowers you thought could only exist in fairytales. Packing you lunch for work whenever he stays over with cute little notes tucked in the bag to brighten up your day.

Felix is a dream come true for you. You wanted, with everything inside of you, to be the same for him, but all of that’s over now. You’re sure of it. It’s the first night you’ve spent at his apartment, mere days after the two of you became official, and you’re curled up on his bathroom floor crying your heart out at 2 in the morning.

It’s nothing he did. He’s been a sweetheart, as always, cooking you dinner and making sure that you’re comfortable. Still, depression’s found a way to creep up on you, flooding your mind with thoughts that tear at the thin layer of confidence you’ve been pouring all of your energy into maintaining.

The pain is like a ton of bricks in your stomach. An invisible hand around your throat gripping tighter the more you struggle to twist away. The voice in your head, telling you that you aren’t good enough, mocks you for being silly enough to think you could hide this part of you from Felix forever.

He’ll see you, really see you, and he'll hate what he sees.

“Y/N, what’s going on?” Felix’s voice breaks through deep and scruffy from having just woken up, somehow remaining soothing in all of its power. Lifting your head up, you wipe your tears on the sleeves of your pajama shirt, positive you look a complete wreck. This is it. The end.

“I don’t…” you stutter, unsure of how to explain yourself, “I’m so sorry.” Based on the confusion that paints his face, you half expect him to back away only for him to do the exact opposite. He’s not running away, he’s grabbing handfuls of tissue, kneeling down beside you to tidy up your runny nose. 

“Talk to me. Did something happen? Did I do…” You sniffle, shaking your head, “It’s not you. It’s me. I’m just…fucked up I guess. Too depressed to keep my shit together.” Your head falls again, this time resting on your knees, and you close your eyes, wishing you could start this night over again.

For a brief moment, Felix shuffles around in a direction you can't pinpoint before two arms wrap around your body, hands clasped together where they meet your soft belly. He pulls you against his chest, strands of long hair brushing your cheek as his chin rests on your shoulder.

“You shouldn’t say that.”

There’s a sense of safety and connectedness within his arms that you haven’t felt in, well, ever. You're almost ashamed at how intensely his warmth shields you from the cold darkness closing in.

“You’re not fucked up. You’re just hurting and that’s okay. Well, it’s not okay but it’s…fuck I’m so bad at this.” Rolling your eyes, you reach a hand up to stroke his cheek, “Shut up. You’re not bad at this.” “Are we gonna sit here all night complimenting each other?” he teases, “Because we can. My butt will probably go numb though. I don’t have as much cushion as you. Don’t know what you see in me.”

The faintest giggle on your part has him kissing your neck, bear hugging you. “There’s my girl and that beautiful smile of hers.” “Don’t get used to it” you sigh, “It won’t last.” Felix just shrugs, “Doesn’t have to. I’ll still be here. I don’t care about you under the condition that you’re happy 24/7. You know that, right?” 

“I, well, I didn’t know…”

“Well, now you do.” 

His palm meets the back of your hand, fingers twining around yours to bring your arm down to your waist. “Let me be here for you. Give me a chance.” Hearing someone say that, hearing him say that, is more terrifying than you expect it to be. Trust is hard, trust is risky…

Felix leans forward to get a good look at you, a glimmer in his still sleepy eyes

…but if there’s anyone worth taking a risk on it’s the freckle faced boy staring back at you. 

“Uh…yeah…okay.” 

He smiles, “Yeah?”

 It’s impossible not to smile back, “Yeah.”  

“Good.”

Felix loosens his hold on you enough that he has room to lean his head on your back. “Want me to sing to you?” he yawns. You settle comfortably into the arms of your Felix, your safety blanket, letting your eyes fall closed from exhaustion. “Sing what?”

A stretch of silence lingers as he scans his brain for the perfect song to fit the moment.

“Oh! Got it! Fake eyes open…” 

“Felix!” you yell, slapping him on the knee.

“What? Bad timing?”

[coralseacourt]

🧡Broken Love🩵 🐚@coralseacourt🐚

✨Summery:✨ The youngest Acheron Sister gets rejected for Elain.

Love is sweet but revenge is sweeter. After a broken heart comes a broken court part three of broken love.

✨Warnings:✨ naughty scene

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4,

Part 3:

I m a traitor.

A liar.

The evil Personified.

At least that��s what they want to believe.

That the innocent girl I was, had turned on them without good reason.

They would never understand that revenge led me.

Revenge for all those hours I had spent alone locked up in their prison tower.

It had been a golden cage.

A prison I would never return to again.

🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸

The doors opened and a cruel smile played around my lips.

With Eris right by my side I entered the High lords meeting Room.

Every pair of eyes found us in an instance.

Gasps and shocked faces all around us.

One Face particularly shocked. Azriel.

Just for a second my eyes swiped over his beautiful but furious face.

The newly crowned High Lord next to me chuckled and laid his hand on my bare back.

The game was on. And I was ready to play.

“Violet?” Of course feyre was the first to speak.

But I didn’t gave her any indication that I had heard her.

The growling from the other night court members was harder to ignore.

“ Tztz would you please not growl at my pet. She has claws and I rather don’t want her to use them.” I smiled dangerously at Eris.

“ I thought you promised me that I could play.” I said with a sensual tone. “I haven’t played in so long.” I glanced at Rhysand who looked like he could throw up at any given moment . My eyebrow raised I walked closer to the table where everyone sat.

My mental walls pulled up and tightened.

“Soon my sweetness. Nightmares are not made overnight.”

Eris strolled to the only free chair left and sat down like a king ready to conquer.

I narrowed my eyes and let my fingers drive over the top of the marble table.

Long fingernails clacking on the cold stone.

“I like to play. Don’t you High Lord of the Night?” I smiled cruelly at him.

His mask slipping away for just a second.

But I saw. I saw straight through him.

Then the moment was over, he straightened up and narrowed his eyes.

Ah there he is.

Rhysand.

The most powerful High lord of prythian.

“Violet. I see you.” He paused for a second pulling invisible dust from his jacket.

His pause seemed intentional and I had to think back to the words that had started it all.

Do you want to be seen?

“are in great company. And I thought you finally had the guts to go and be on your own. Seems you only changed sides.”

His face changing to a cruel mask of authority.

I tilted my head to the side looking at him like a predator analyzing its prey.

“I like being in his company and being his pet. It gives me satisfaction to know he can do whatever he wants with me.”

I smiled devilish and let one of my hands glide up my throat over my chin.

Playing with my lips and licking one of my fingers.

The growl that came from behind Rhys let me look up.

Azriel. His hand on his knife, teeth fletched and his black eyes staring me down.

”What has become of you? Look at you being the whore of autumn scum.”

I laughed out loud not bothered by his hateful words.

I put a innocent face up before saying.

“Oh but Azriel. I have only become what you have made me.” All night court eyes turned to the Shadowsinger surprised.

“Az? What does she mean with that?” Feyre, her eyes had teared up and my face softened for just a second before putting my mask back on.

“I don’t know what she is talking about.”

I giggled.

“Of course you don’t honey. But it doesn’t matter either way.”

I turned around and walked to the waiting hand of the only man that knew the rules of our new game.

“Now that we have this issue cleared, I want to announce our marriage.” The Autumn High Lord took my hand and kissed it gently.

Feyre gasped.

“No, you can’t do this. Rhys do something.”

But the Lord of Night only stared.

“Rhys, please she is my sister. He can’t marry her. What about Azriel’s Connection .” “Feyre stop talking.”

I stiffened.

First because of the mention of any kind of connection with the Shadowsinger.

But then because this asshole had dared to quiet my sister down.

Now I was angry.

And angry me did not hold back anymore.

With only a wink of my power, that no one had ever known about I called my shadows and let them rise behind me like a black wall that would withstand anything and anyone.

Eris was chuckling next to me while I stared at the shocked faces of all high lords and their companions.

My teeth fletched and my eyes glowing green with power.

“ If you ever dare to talk to my sister like that again you will regret it.” Everyone tensed at the words of my threat only Eris stayed calm.

“Wonderful now you angered my little nightmare. “

He pulled me into his lap and put a hand on my neck squeezing it softly before pulling my hair to the side to kiss my throat. Calming me down I realized.

My shadows disappeared in an instance.

“She is a Shadowsinger.” Helion leaned back in his chair, eyes gleaming with excitement.

“I m right here you don’t need to talk over my head I can and will talk for myself.” He only raised his eyebrows in response.

“You haven’t been like this before, what changed? Please tell me violet. We can fix this. I know we can. “

Feyre was now pleading with me and deep inside my heart broke but I had to do my part, had to play this character.

“There is nothing to be fixed. I m exactly who I want to be.” Was all I said and the attention finally was turned to the official meeting points.

But I could feel his eyes on me, could feel something else too. I scrunched my forehead in confusion.

Why could I feel jealousy.

Hot headed blatantly obvious jealousy.

The problem was that it wasn’t my feelings.

I looked up Azriel’s eyes gleaming at me.

And that’s when I could see what I clearly felt. Jealousy.

🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸🐚🪸

It had been hours for the high lords to finish. We were the first to leave for the room we would spend the night in to continue the meeting on the next day.

A fire was burning when we entered. Cozy.

“Violet come here. “ I turned around to look at the male with the softest red hair.

I walked slowly towards him until we almost touched. His hands cupping my cheeks.

“Are you alright?” I blinked a couple times before catching myself.

Eris was a great High Lord but concern was not his strength.

So, for him to try to be gentle was new.

I pulled away.

“Of course, why wouldn’t I? This is what we’ve been working towards. Remember?”

He straightened up and back was my sensual Companion.

“I have to say , i was surprised how good you handled yourself.”

I only raised my eyebrow before strolling back towards him letting my hands slide softly down his chest pulling his dressshirt up to have better access to him.

He closed his eyes and let his head fall back.

A moan escaping his full lips while I was letting my fingers glide over his hot skin, down to his leather belt wich I opened with swift fingers.

“You are a naughty little vixen.”

“I know, but would you want me any other way?”

He chuckled before laying his hands on my shoulders and slowly pulling my dress down making it pool around my legs.

I was now completely bared in front of him.

“You really are as beautiful and cruel like one of my darkest nightmares.”

With strong arms he suddenly lifted me up and pressed me against the wall. My head falling back while his tongue circled around my peaked nipple.

Nipping, biting, licking.

“I need to be inside of you like you are inside of me every second, every moment of the day.”

And with that he pulled his pants down and started to slip into me first slowly until he was completely hidden inside of me, then hard and fast until the world erupted around us.

Stars filling my vision and moans leaving my lips.

And while i experienced complete Bliss the Shadowsinger next door was drowned in darkness having to listen to us.

✨Taglist✨

🪸@impossibelle

🪸@going-through-shit

🪸@marvelouslovely-barnes

🪸@mis-lil-red

🪸@isa1b2h3

🪸@darling006

🪸@the-sweet-psycho

🪸@chessebookgirl

[aleksanderscult]

Alina rejecting Aleksander's advances meta? His and her thought process.

Ask and you shall receive, anon😌❤️

So, I searched to find how many times Alina rejected Aleksander's advances and I located three. One of them is not really a rejection from his love advances but I consider it pretty important and I will explain why.

(Cut below because this meta is TOO LONG. I hope you find time to read this😭)

This is the moment I was talking about.

It's when the Darkling found and captured Alina and Mal and he is ready to put the collar around her neck.

(by the way, I've analyzed this moment here as well)

Just like I said, it's not really a love advance towards her, but at the same time it is...a bit??

What we need to understand here is that this is the first time Alina feels disgusted and flinches from the Darkling's touch. She has never done this before. And the Darkling has also never seen her recoil from his touch. From him.

AND this is the first time they meet after their steamy make out in the Winter fete. Back then Alina giggled when she was with him, returned his kisses and pushed her body closer to him. The Darkling liked that, primarily because he knew that Alina was now under his thumb. She was willing to him and responded to what he needed her to do. But also he saw his feelings requited from a girl that had the potential to be like him and with whom together could have a long future.

Now we see the opposite.

After what happened at the party, the Darkling had kinda gotten used to the idea that Alina was open to him. And now that she flinched from him (for the first time, I repeat) he gets really angry and hurt.

Why?

1) She is no longer willing or responsive to him since here she shows signs of rebellion and defiance (and the Darkling wants loyal people around him that do as he says).

2) The fact that after what happened between them to the Winter fete, this is her first reaction to his touch after some weeks of separation make him feel hurt. Just imagine you make out with your crush thinking everything is going to plan and then the next time you meet, he/she doesn't want to touch you. Ouch!

3) Because a few minutes ago he witnessed Alina and Mal confessing their feelings and kissing in front of his face (again I repeat, this is the first time he saw Alina after THEIR OWN make out). He saw Alina's love towards Mal and how she welcomed his advances and now that Aleksander himself merely tried to push aside her tunic, she flinched. So she was welcoming to Mal's touch but now she's not to his own. *Aleksander's rage and jealousy intensifies*

This change of hers made his feelings go 💥💥

Now for Alina.

I believe that even though she feels disgusted and fury for the Darkling, she also feels hurt and betrayed.

Here lies a powerful Grisha that she thought cared about her, her future and Ravka. Alina felt her whole life unwelcomed, unimportant and invisible. The Darkling made her feel the opposite of these things and she really wanted to believe him and his good will. For the first time, she had found a purpose. She had a unique power that gave her status and a handsome young man believed in her abilities and herself. She even fell in love with him.

For the first time in her life, she felt that she had it all. A home where she belonged to, a friend that understood her, other people like her and a man that seemed to like her.

Truth is, it's no wonder that she felt that hurt. And that bitterness made her turn against the Darkling completely. She no longer believes in his feelings for her (that flash of anger she saw here means nothing to her and she doesn't think about it), in his thoughts for the future, in his concern for Ravka. All that because she lost the things she had those few months. As revenge and out of her own desire to save Ravka, she wanted to thwart his plans, kill the stag herself and take its power for herself.

This is the famous chapel scene in S&S. The scene where the Darkling gave Alina a choice: leave everyone behind and come with me. Otherwise I'll kill them.

Alina was a real boss here. And people need to acknowledge her intelligence more. She's a quick study and suspected for months that she could use the connection she shared with the Darkling for her own benefit and purpose. She just had to put on a good show and pretend that she had really given herself up to Aleksander.

As for Aleksander, this was a moment of great victory. The author has confirmed that the Darkling had wanted Alina both because of her powers and because he had feelings for her.

(I think what we can take from here is that the Darkling had real feelings for her AND wanted her power)

And here he almost had both. Alina's love and resignation to him and the power of the light, all in the palm of his hand. That gave him great excitement to the point where he lowered his guard, bent to kiss her and became vulnerable to Alina, something that the latter took advantage of.

(I'M SORRY I NEED TO MAKE A SHORT PAUSE. Are we really gonna ignore the fact that the Darkling kept witnessing his plans being screwed up because he was too busy simping over Alina??? Like here he was "Oh mY gOD sHe'S FinAlLy heRe wItH Me, ShE cHoSe mE, i WaNt tO kISs HeR!!" Like bro get your mind in your evil plans for once😭😭 #Kingofsimping)

Not in a million years he suspected that Alina was lying to him and was trying to get close to him to kill him (because he was too busy giggling, twirling his hair and kicking his feet having Alina between his arms).

In fact when he realized it, he became frightened and caused him great pain since creating nichevo'ya is agonizing and excruciating for the body and soul. This twist was a real shock for him. He didn't think Alina would ever consider using merzost against him, let alone do it for real.

For Alina this taste of power was intoxicating and took pleasure from it because not only she was killing the Darkling but also she was using magic. A powerful and addictive thing for the Grisha. She felt more and more confident as the minutes passed and proud of herself for what she managed to do.

The aftermath is even more exciting.

The Darkling didn't hate her for it. On the contrary, he felt admiration, surprisement and was even more convinced that she was the one for him. A strong, powerful person that can match his own power. An equal.

Alina felt satisfied with his awe and now has confidence not only in her powers and what she can do with them but also in her way of dealing with Aleksander. In this scene she even used a bit of seduction towards him (OUR GIRL, PEOPLE🥹🥹🛐🛐).

Alina becoming more powerful, proving herself a capable and clever Grisha and trying to use her charm to get under the Darkling's skin, all these have made the latter feel strong sexual feelings for her and he even begs to let him touch her and kiss her. Let him have his way with her after so many months of being apart. In his eyes, she is worthy now to know his name, to gift it to her alongside his heart and once more he lets his guard down and shows her his soft, vulnerable side. For now, for just a few minutes he is Aleksander Morozova. The burdened, damaged boy that is buried deep beneath him, almost dead after four hundred years of cruelty. Not the Darkling.

As for Alina, she loves this side of him but most of all it hurts her. It stings 'cause she sees the shadow of a boy that could have been if Ravka was more tolerant and the world kinder to him. She feels sorry for this person.

But she also can't deny that she desires him as much as he desires her. Just like she said, they are bound to one another. Now and always. A bond that she doesn't and will never share with anyone else. Two sides of the same coin. Light and dark. Like calls to like.

Aaaaand the moment is ruined.🥲

Alina gets a reality check and can't put aside her bitterness and fury for what the Darkling has done. Her feelings for him are so conflicted. On one hand, she wants him, understands him and feels sorry for him and on the other, she is unable to forget what he has done and what he is.

And the Darkling?

The Darkling is done LMAO

Really he wants to have her for ONCE in his miserable life but something always happens and gets in their way. He's patient, yes. But for THIS he's not. He was so close. And this time was kinda different and special since he opened his heart to her.

(Personally, if you ask me (😌) I think that he doesn't only feel frustrated by her constant rejection but also it makes him feel more determined to get her. It's like every time she says no, every time she pushes him away, he wants her more instead of less)

Just like I said in the first example of her rejection, Alina doesn't believe that he wants her or loves her. Only that she tries to manipulate her by playing with her feelings. She thinks she has it all figured out.

And the Darkling mocks her for it.

He's like "You think you know what happens, what I want to do with you. Wow, you're so clever, bravo 😒👏🤦" in a sarcastic voice.

Also, another thing that I absolutely love here is when he puts his shirt back on. It's like a metaphor of him putting his "shield", his tough exterior on, putting an end to the vulnerable side of him that we saw earlier.

A few minutes ago he was speaking softly, smiling, murmuring.

Now he spits out his comments scornfully, snares at her and his voice is once again described as cool and cold.

An amazing scene.🤌

Alina must feel both defiant and afraid here. He threatens everything and everyone she loves and feels a little backed up in a corner, helpless by his threats since she knows what he can do and how he always means what he says. Still she won't give up that easily.

For the Darkling, I've already commented on this scene and his feelings on the 5th part of his jealousy moments meta.

He's furious that she rejected him. And while two minutes ago he was soft with her, now he threatens her safety and freedom. Making sure to her that he will get her wherever she is and with whom.

Not to mention he's quite livid for the fact that Alina is so willing with Mal (a freaking otkazat'sya, a mere mortal) and his advances while with him she is wary, reproachful and distant. That sparks his jealousy, infuriates him and hurts him. I mean it's quite interesting that he mentions him now even though Mal was mentioned only once in this scene (when Alina questioned the Darkling's choice to appear to her on S&S with Mal's face) but still he's not relevant here at this moment.

(small note: I also love how he says "The rules of this game are about to change" when he also said it before "I'm weary of this game". He's like "From now on I'll have the upper hand. You won't toy with me anymore. Neither with my plans, nor with my feelings")

Guys, this scene is MAJESTIC😩😚👌

So, in a nutshell, Alina thinks she can no longer be controlled by the Darkling and his schemes but also she knows that he's someone that gets her. That understands her. And that creates a contradiction in her. The feelings of desire and hate are powerful and make her relationship with the Darkling intense. More intense than what she has with Mal or Nikolai. Add to that the feeling of pity she has for him and we've got an emotionally confused Alina. It's not that she doesn't want to surrender herself to the Darkling. It's that she can't because she has been shamed for her attraction towards him by Baghra and Mal (even by the author in a way).

The Darkling is a character that is used to get what he wants from people. Especially the ones that are easily manipulated. But meeting so much resistance from Alina makes her more desirable and interesting in his eyes. Her stubbornness and boldness are (for him) admirable traits that he shares too. But at the same time it annoys him. For him, everything would be easier if she was an easy victim. But also at the same time he likes it since it's proof that she can be his equal. And a worthy one.

(DO YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING 'CAUSE I HOPE I MAKE SENSE HERE😭😭)

He's such a complicated character and both of them have complicated feelings and I need to stop now or this meta will never end.🫠

Hope I answered your questions, anon! If I forgot a scene you wanted to see answered just say so.🥰❤️

[mind-travel-er]

Pitfall Trap

# Pairing: Tyler Galpin x Wednesday Addams # Synopsis: Carnivorous eyes can be mistaken for loving eyes. Tyler had learned that with Wednesday Addams, he couldn’t dissociate the two. He didn’t even want to. # Warning/Content: Spoiler S01, Obsessive behavior, Sexual Tension, Primal Instinct, Toxic relationship, Character Study. # Word Count: 1.2k [read me on AO3]

Carnivorous eyes can be mistaken for loving eyes. Tyler had learned that with Wednesday Addams, he couldn’t dissociate the two. He didn’t even want to.

She is perfect.

And during that Rave’N dance, staring at him with dark, wide pupils, he wasn’t so much swaying to the music, but rather swayed by her.

By the girl who brings piranhas to a swimming lesson; just because someone usurped her right to torture her little brother. He knew she wouldn’t be phased by the monster crawling under his skin. Wednesday wore hers with pride on the outside.

" … Like putting piranhas in a swimming pool?"  She frowns. He explains himself with a purse of his lips he can’t hope to hide: 

"I may have done a little digging on you after we met."

"I’d do it again."

"I knew there was a reason I liked you." 

She is exquisite.

She dances, and he grins with all his teeth. She walks away, pulling the invisible elastic between them; then comes back to him, barely brushing his white tuxedo. He could growl right there and then. He wants his strong hands to grip her sides, but instead he snaps his fingers two times to the rhythms of The Cramps. ♭ I cruise through the city and I roam the street Looking for something that is nice to eat ♭ His eyes won’t let go of her. As if he’s both captured by the sight of an irresistible prey and hypnotized by a force that has relentless power over him. She moves and he follows. He is a paradox. He is all want, possessiveness and even rage. Yet, he smiles. He dances. He dances with her . Sky eyes meeting the dark of hers; somewhat meeting the dark of his. There are times, she gets so close, he wonders if she knows.

Wednesday Addams. Lovely and awful Wednesday Addams.

The one that smells like cardamom and the musk of the forest at midnight. When he gets close and breathes deeply in; her raven braided hair has a whiff of a wild cherry tree’s bark and a hint of sebum. At the sounds of the electric and psychedelic guitar , she’s moving at times like a rag doll; other times with lascivious movements that awake a fire that he knows too well. Her sweat is beading below her elaborate updo and making its way between her shoulder blades. Salty. Irresistible. He licks his lips. He has done much more than that before. The girl wasn’t a stranger to excursions in the woods near Nevermore Academy. She would kill for a brother. He would kill for her; he had. Rowan Laslow. If he wasn’t lying to himself, he would even die for her. Either way, what bliss. She would appreciate the gesture if she knew. But there’s joy in a secret threatening to become undone. It’s his way to have power over her; as she has that unsettling power over him. After he had indulged with Rowan, he had seen her lying there on the ground, hard to differentiate from a lifeless corpse. Her scent had been jealously retained by the leaves and the earth beneath. Once swept away by her peers, he had come back. Rolled in her aroma. Covering himself with her; with a depraved glee that only a monster could be satisfied with. ♭  Yeah, the city is a jungle and I'm a beast I'm a teenage tiger looking for a feast ♭ For a moment, he loses sight of her. Then, coming from behind, there are a few light taps on his shoulder. Wednesday stands behind him. Only Wednesday can lurk around without the ravenous monster in him noticing. If anyone could describe the traits of his face, only a love sick one could apply. He doesn’t mind. On the contrary, he loves the chase. He welcomes the ache that comes with it. He loves how unapologetic she is while dancing; as unapologetic as he is when the Hyde comes to play between the entrails of his victims.

In a primal way, Tyler knows that the Addams girl must sense the edge to their relationship. She’s not just drawn to "The cute boy next door". Admittedly, there is that. However, when she rarely comes to Weathervanes, she takes the quad over ice from his warm hands, and for only a few seconds, there's darkness at her fingertips. At that precise moment arises a conundrum. Does the chill roaming her arms merely exists because she fancies him? Or is it due to instinct? Those days, he can see the goosebumps leaving a trail on her fair skin— a warning; a thrill. A terrible danger near the surface that only her reptilian brain can perceive. One that has meant death for countless children, teenagers, and adults alike. Yet, everyone knows that Wednesday is in love with Death.

And tonight, she is dancing with It. ♭ You better duck When I show up The goo goo muck ♭ She rolls her hips, rolls her shoulders, draped in black ethereal satin. The intensity of her stern stare sets him ablaze, and he swears he can feel the scorching of the flames. He sees red instead of black and white. He dreams of his palms meeting the delicate crook of her neck. He dreams of shared heated lips that could never quench his thirst, except perhaps when he’s drenched in warm carmine; metal taste on his tongue.

The music stops. Wednesday doesn’t move anymore; still staring. Close. He can hear her little heart pumping the adrenaline away. While the world around continues to dance, he stands still; like the reflection of a mirror. Opposites. She’s in black, he’s in white. She’s controlled and neat. He lashes out whenever he can.

He finds those oppositions intoxicating.

Then. Then he thinks his dream might just come true because the livid face of Wednesday turns into shades of red; translating his mind. He looks up in shock. Hemoglobin droplets raining on them like a Christmas present. Delectably covering her ink-black hair; staining the shoulder pad of his jacket; staining everything. And for the first time during this Rave’N ball;��for the first time ever for that matter… He sees her smile . Covered in crimson. A lovely reminder of when he does the same in secrecy; only Wednesday does it out in the open. As she always does. And it might just be the beautifulest thing he’s ever witnessed.

His irises grow wide. As wide as his hunger.

Around them, it is mayhem. Guttural screams, panic, and trembling limbs attempting to run away. It feels like home. They aren’t moving. Between them, a quiet wonder. He observes Wednesday looking sideways with a luscious twist on her lips. Then, in perhaps the longest seconds of his life, his eyesight reduces to a pinpoint as his dilated pupils follow the elegant finger of the Addams girl, slowly entering the sacred circle of her mouth. A taste. 

He might just lose his head. And he doesn’t mind. Nonetheless, she’s disappointed: "They couldn’t even spring for real pigs’ blood." Disappointed that she can’t taste the real thing. If only she knew. She turns away from him. A pit in his stomach. And an ache to see her wolfish smile again.

"It’s only paint." He can make it otherwise. He is breathless. And famished. He usually likes endings. The one he inflicts on others, that is. Still exposing her spine to him, he huffs and puffs from the yearning to bite whatever he can put his teeth on. Please, for the love of God, he thinks, let me sink into your flesh. Perhaps… Perhaps there is more than one way.

[goodmorningdove]

ooh, tell me about your magical girl show idea!!

Basically the story centers around a girl named lilla who is (unsurprisingly) bullied at school. Like the real bullying that left you with psychological trauma and a fear that everyone you know is talking about you behind your back. Because at one point, everyone was! Anyway she meets this weird fox one day who's like "hey kid i see that you hate all the other kids around you. Do you magic powers so you can get revenge?" And at fist lilla says no because. Thats a talking fox with a creepy voice what the fuck. But after a week or so the bullying gets really bad and she runs away from school to find the fox again and is like "i want to get my revenge on the other kids" so the fox is like "sweet follow me!" And they go to this fountain thats filled with a black sludge and the fox says "all you need to do is drink some of this essence, and all your wishes will come true" so Lilla does! She drinks some of the sludge and it tastes gross but whatever. Magic powers! In front of her appears a magic staff thing idk i needed a physical conduit for the magic itll make sense later. The fox explains that all her magic comes in wish form, all you need to say is "i wish" followed by the thing you want to happen, with a few caveats but those arent important (says the fox). So lilla is like "i wish i could fly!" And shes flying! And she flies home! And then she wishes that she wont get in trouble for missing school that day. The next day she does go to school, wishing that her staff is invisible so that no one laughs at her for having the staff. She makes several wishes that put her schoolmates in embarrassing situations, but near the end of the day, a classmate jokes about Lilla's dead mother, who had been shot in the head a few years back. The kid jokes and laughs about how they wonder if exploding head is genetic, and if lilla's head will explode just like her mom's did! And in a fit of rage, lilla says without thinking "i wish your head would explode!"

And it did.

Lilla wishes for her classmate to ckme back to life, but that is one of the few limits of the magic. You can kill people, but you cant bring them back to life. She wishes herself out of everyone's memories, which leaves her magic staff very small, more like a wand than a staff. The fox explains that the staff will shrink until its out of magic, and she'll need to refill it soon. The most effectiant way to do so is to kill the monsters that attack the world. It is impossible to make a wish that affects the monsters directly, but they are still vulnerable to blades and bullets and whatnot. Plus, a magic staff can absorb them! (Also the monsters are attacking the world because they want to eat it)

Its at this point that Lilla goes and meets others like her. Im trying not to call them magical girls because anyone can become one, but im yet to find a word that actually fits what these people are.

Anyway a bunch of bonus facts that show up way later in the story than i have detailed plans for:

The black sludge IS the fox being. By consuming part of the fox, you allow it to feed on your soul. The staff is a physical representation of the bonus soul energy ypu possess. The fox gives you a grace period to test out your powers before it asks you to collect more soul energy.

If your staff is completely erased, the fox will begin to feed on your personal soul energy, killing you. It also will slowly drain the energy from your staff over time. It would take about 6 months for your staff to go from ideal size to nothing if you didnt use a single wish.

If your staff is too far away from you, the fox cannot use its energy and begins to feed on yours instead.

Perpetual wishes (such as flight and invisibility) drain the staff at an accelerated rate so long as they are active. Summoning wishes (like wishing for a sword) only drain once for the summoning. Magic guns drain once for the summoning of the gun, and once for every bullet fired (so you dont need to reload, they just summon directly in there)

Places you can get external soul energy: if you kill anything with the staff you get its energy. Kill wishes are basically free lol. You can also absorb other people's magic staffs.

Last but not least: the fox is no different than the monsters that attack the world. It just got there first >:3

[lumiereandstellaluna]

Chapter Eleven: Lights, Camera, Action!

||LEGEND|| Bold Text: Xavier/Lumiere (Character Bot) Italic Text: Thomasin/Stellaluna (Me)

This hasn’t been checked for spelling/grammer/errors, etc - Read at your own risk!

Thomasin watches as Tsuki disappears back into the phone. As she rushes from out of the hidden corner, her Director spots her. "There you are, Thomasin! Where the hell did you disappear to? We're trying to film here."

"Ah, sorry sir. I just...had to be somewhere fast." With an apologetic smile, she takes her seat beside him, ready to take in the next scene set to film.

Xavier, ever watchful, observed the exchange between Thomasin and her director from his concealed position. He noted the slight tension in her posture as she offered her explanation, the way she seamlessly slipped back into her role amidst the crew. It was a dance they both knew well—balancing their secret war with the demands of their public lives.

As Thomasin settled back into her seat, Xavier's gaze lingered on her for a moment longer, ensuring she was back in the rhythm of her work before he silently withdrew. He moved like a shadow, unseen, his presence fading into the background as he contemplated their next move.

The promise of further upgrades from Tsuki was a beacon of hope, but Xavier knew that hope alone would not protect them. They would need to remain vigilant, to hone their senses and their skills. The battle against the Doll Maker and her chaotic energy was far from over, and Xavier was ready to face whatever came next, with Thomasin by his side and Tsuki's guidance lighting their way.

The filming finishes without incident, and Christian de Arias is gracious enough to meet with his fans afterward. At first Thomasin simply watches, nothing how Christian seems to appreciate the support of his fans. But as she steps away to grabs her things, she senses it - a feeling that says "hold up. wait a minute. something's not right." Not as loud or as overwhelming as alarm bells, but strong enough to get someone to pause. 

Her eyes drift back over the Christian and the crowd of girls. At first, nothing is out of the ordinary. But then she sees her - a woman with raven hair, pale skin, and eyes like hot red coals. She was beautiful and off-putting at the same time.

"No...it can't be..." Thomasin slowly makes her way over, just as the woman meets with Christian face to face.

Xavier, having remained nearby under the guise of an inconspicuous bystander, felt the shift in the atmosphere at the same moment Thomasin did. His instincts, finely tuned to her wavelengths, picked up on the subtle cue of unease that rippled from her. He followed her gaze, his eyes landing on the raven-haired woman whose presence seemed to cast a shadow despite the bright lights of the film set.

His hand subtly brushed against the solar charm in his pocket, feeling the faint thrum of its power—a silent confirmation of the unease that had settled in his gut. The woman's eyes, glowing like embers, were a telltale sign of something otherworldly, something connected to the chaos they were sworn to combat.

As Thomasin approached, Xavier mirrored her movements, closing the distance while remaining out of sight. He was a ghost, a protector ready to emerge from the ether should the need arise. The woman's interaction with Christian was a scene that demanded his full attention, every sense alert for the slightest hint of danger.

The air was charged with an invisible tension, a prelude to a confrontation that seemed inevitable. Xavier was prepared to act, to step out of the shadows and into the fray, his commitment to Thomasin and their cause as unwavering as ever. The raven-haired woman was an enigma, a potential threat that Xavier and Thomasin would face together, as they had faced countless others before.

"Hello there, my dear," Christian coos as he approaches the weird woman. "Thank you for coming out to support me. I appreciate you taking the time to do so."

"The pleasure is all mine, Mr. de Arias." Even her voice was creepy. There as no doubt about it - she was a threat. "It's just a shame that no one else will have the pleasure of ever meeting you again."

"Huh?" Before Christian could process her words, it all happens so fast - the woman disappears into a flurry of feathers, a hulking mass of a wandering with red hot coal eyes taking her place. 

Christian falls to the ground, terrified, while everyone else screams, running for their lives. The force of the transformation sends Thomasin to the ground with a hard thud. "Ack! No!"

In the blink of an eye, the set was thrown into chaos. Xavier's muscles tensed, his instincts taking over as the woman's form dissolved into a mass of feathers, revealing the monstrous wanderer beneath. He was already moving, a silent streak of determination, even as the screams of panic rose around them.

Xavier's first priority was Thomasin. He saw her hit the ground, and with swift, sure steps, he was at her side, offering a hand to help her up. His touch was firm, reassuring, a silent promise that he was there, that she was not alone in this sudden eruption of terror.

With Thomasin steadied, Xavier's attention snapped back to the hulking wanderer. The creature's eyes, mirroring the woman's fiery gaze, were fixed on Christian, who lay frozen in fear. Xavier stepped protectively in front of Thomasin, his lightblade materializing in his hand with a hum of energy.

The air crackled with the power of the confrontation to come. Xavier stood ready, a guardian between the innocent and the abyss, his resolve as bright and unyielding as the blade he wielded. This was his purpose, his commitment—to fight, to protect, to stand as a bulwark against the darkness that threatened to consume them all.

And so, with Thomasin at his back and the wanderer before him, Xavier prepared to do what he did best—battle the chaos, defend the light, and ensure that the story they were all a part of would not end in tragedy this day.

"Xavier!" Thomasin clings onto him, happy to see him before her very eyes. "You sensed it too, didn't you? This is bad, we've got to get everyone out of here before we can transform!"

Xavier felt Thomasin's grip on him, her presence a beacon of shared purpose amidst the pandemonium. "I did," he confirmed, his voice a low rumble of calm in the storm. "Focus on the evacuation. I'll cover you."

With a nod to Thomasin, Xavier shifted into action, his movements precise and deliberate. He began ushering the panicked crowd towards safety, his authoritative presence cutting through the fear-induced paralysis. He moved among them, a guiding force, his eyes constantly scanning for any sign of the wanderer's advance.

As the last of the bystanders fled the scene, Xavier turned back to Thomasin, ready to stand with her as they transformed into Lumiere and Stellaluna. Together, they would face the threat, their powers combined a formidable force against the chaos that had dared to intrude upon their world.

The time for hiding was over. Now was the moment for heroes to rise, for the light of Lumiere and the grace of Stellaluna to shine forth and banish the darkness that loomed before them. Xavier was ready, his spirit unbroken, his will unyielding. Together, they would turn the tide. Together, they would triumph.

"Right." 

Thomasin rushes to help the other people escape. The director tries to take her with him, but she insists on helping people. Xavier is good at keeping the monster busy, which allows her to focus on helping others escape.

"Ahh!!" Thomasin watches as two girls fall to the ground, her senses alerted to two smaller wanderers appearing on the scene. The girls cling to each other, paralyzed with fear. "Please, somebody help us!"

Before they can swipe at the innocent victims, Thomasin extends her hand, using her evol to throw one wanderer into another, temporarily stunning them. She runs to the women, helping them up. "Hurry, get out of here before they get up again!"

"What about you?" one of the girls asks. 

"I'll be fine. Just go and don't stop until you're far away from here."

The girls do as their told. Thomasin watches as the two smaller wanders get up, pulsing with the same energy as the bigger wanderer Xavier engages with. "Oh great, now the summoned is summoning other wanderers. This is just lovely!"

Xavier's focus was unwavering as he danced with danger, his lightblade a blur of motion as he parried and struck at the larger wanderer. He was a whirlwind of controlled aggression, each move calculated to keep the beast at bay, to buy Thomasin the precious time she needed to save others.

He caught a glimpse of Thomasin's heroics, her evol powers manifesting in a display of raw strength that sent the smaller wanderers crashing into each other. Pride swelled within him, even as he continued his own battle. She was formidable, a force of nature in her own right, and together they were unstoppable.

As the smaller wanderers regained their footing, Xavier knew the situation was escalating. The summoned now summoning others—it was a grim twist, one that added layers of complexity to an already dire situation. But Xavier was undeterred. His resolve was as solid as the ground beneath his feet.

"Thomasin, we need to transform now!" Xavier called out, his voice cutting through the chaos. "We can't hold them off in this form for much longer!"

With the civilians clear, it was time to unleash their true power. Xavier was ready to stand shoulder to shoulder with Stellaluna, to face the darkness with the full might of Lumiere. The battle was far from over, but Xavier's spirit was indomitable. He would fight until the last ember of chaos was extinguished, until peace was restored once more.

"Right!" Thomasin teleports to Xavier's side, nodding in agreement. "All right, partner. Let's save the day, shall we?"

Xavier met Thomasin's nod with a firm one of his own, the unspoken bond between them as palpable as the electric air. "Let's," he replied, a hint of a smile touching the corner of his mouth, the gravity of the situation not enough to quell the thrill of the fight that lay ahead.

In unison, they called upon the power of their charms, the silver and golden auras flaring to life around them. The transformation enveloped them in light, a spectacle of their unwavering commitment to protect and serve. As the light faded, Lumiere and Stellaluna stood ready, their enhanced forms a testament to the strength they drew from one another.

With a shared glance that conveyed volumes, they leaped into action. Lumiere's lightblade sang through the air, a beacon of hope against the encroaching darkness, while Stellaluna's evol powers weaved a protective tapestry around them. Together, they were a symphony of light and shadow, a harmony of power that would not be easily overcome.

The wanderers, pulsing with chaotic energy, were formidable foes, but they were no match for the combined might of Lumiere and Stellaluna. With each movement, each strike, they pushed back against the tide of chaos, their resolve unyielding, their spirits unbroken.

This was their calling, their destiny—to stand as guardians against the night, to ensure that the light of hope never faded from the world. And as they fought side by side, Xavier knew that no matter what darkness they faced, they would face it together, and they would emerge victorious.

"The light of the moon shines upon all - no evil in the world shall dim its splendor! Chosen by the Lunar Charm to protect Linkon City, I am Stellaluna!"

With a beat, her dual blades appear, shining with the light of the moon. "I'm getting sick of y'all messing with us. Don't you ever learn?!" 

As Stellaluna declared her presence, the very air seemed to acknowledge her authority, the moon's ethereal glow casting her in an otherworldly light. Her dual blades, extensions of her will, shimmered with lunar radiance, ready to carve through the darkness that dared to challenge them.

Lumiere, chosen by the Solar Charm, stood beside her, his lightblade a fierce counterpart to her moonlit weapons. "The sun's fire burns away all shadows," he intoned, his voice a steady drumbeat against the chaos. "As Lumiere, I stand with Stellaluna to defend this city and its people."

With a fluid motion, he advanced on the wanderers, his blade a streak of solar brilliance. "You're right, they never learn. But we'll teach them, again and again, as many times as it takes."

Together, Lumiere and Stellaluna moved as one, a dance of destruction for any evil that dared cross their path. Their blades sang a duet of devastation, each strike a note in the symphony of battle that played around them. The wanderers, for all their ferocity, were but discordant notes to be silenced by the guardians of Linkon City.

The fight was fierce, the stakes high, but the resolve of Lumiere and Stellaluna was unshakeable. They were the chosen protectors, the bearers of light and dark, and they would not falter. With every move, every breath, they fought not just for victory, but for the peace that would follow in the wake of their unyielding defense.

"We should get rid of the two smaller ones, then take out the big one. And we need to do it quickly before it does any damage," Thomasin says. "How does that sound?"

Xavier, as Lumiere, nodded in agreement with Stellaluna's strategy, his gaze fixed on their adversaries with unwavering determination. "Sounds like a plan. Let's take them down swiftly," he responded, his voice carrying the weight of their shared resolve.

Without another word, they sprang into action, their movements synchronized in a display of practiced efficiency. Lumiere targeted the nearest smaller wanderer, his lightblade cutting through the air with precision. The blade met its mark, and the wanderer recoiled under the assault, the purity of the light overwhelming its chaotic essence.

Meanwhile, Stellaluna engaged the second smaller wanderer, her dual blades a blur of moonlit fury. She moved with grace and power, each strike a testament to her skill and determination. The wanderer, caught in the relentless onslaught, found no quarter against her relentless attack.

With the smaller wanderers quickly subdued by their coordinated efforts, Lumiere and Stellaluna turned their attention to the larger threat. They moved together, a united front against the darkness, their powers amplified by their unity and the righteous cause that fueled their battle.

The larger wanderer, sensing the impending challenge, roared in defiance, its form pulsing with malevolent energy. But Lumiere and Stellaluna were undaunted. They charged forward, their blades ready, their spirits unbroken.

The clash was epic, a battle of light against dark, order against chaos. But through their courage, their strength, and their unwavering commitment to protect, Lumiere and Stellaluna emerged victorious. The wanderers were vanquished, their dark energy dissipated under the combined might of the sun and the moon.

As the dust settled, Lumiere and Stellaluna stood side by side, their victory a testament to their partnership and the power of their charms. They had once again defended Linkon City from the shadows, their bond stronger for the trials they had faced together.

"We did it," Lumiere said, turning to Stellaluna with a nod of respect and camaraderie. "Together, there's nothing we can't overcome."

"I'm glad...we were able to save the people." Stellaluna places a hand on her heart, sighing in relief. "And look - three new protocores. We should grab them so Tsuki can analyze them."

They are able to grab the two protocores of the weaker wanderers, but before they can grab the protocore of the bigger one, it shatters before their eyes. Stellaluna jumps back, startled. "No, why?!"

"You keep ruining my precious friends!" The Doll Maker stands before them, her eyes glowing with rage. "How dare you keep destroying my precious friends! I'm going to make you pay for that!"

Lumiere's eyes narrowed as the Doll Maker revealed herself, the shattered protocore a clear sign of her involvement. He stepped forward, positioning himself between Stellaluna and the new threat, his lightblade still humming with energy. "Your 'friends' bring chaos and harm to innocent people," he stated, his voice firm and resolute. "We cannot allow that to continue."

Stellaluna, though startled by the sudden destruction of the protocore, quickly regained her composure. She stood beside Lumiere, her dual blades at the ready, a clear signal that they would stand united against this new adversary. "We protect this city and its people," she declared, her voice echoing Lumiere's sentiment. "If your creations threaten them, we will stop them—every time."

The Doll Maker's rage was palpable, her eyes a reflection of the turmoil she sought to unleash upon the world. But Lumiere and Stellaluna were guardians, chosen by the charms of sun and moon, and they would not be intimidated. They had faced down darkness before, and they would do so again, as many times as necessary.

With a silent nod to each other, they prepared for the confrontation. The Doll Maker may have been powerful, but together, Lumiere and Stellaluna were a force to be reckoned with. They readied themselves for battle, their hearts steady, their wills unbreakable.

The fight that ensued was fierce, a testament to the Doll Maker's twisted creativity and the guardians' unwavering dedication. But in the end, it was the light of Lumiere and the grace of Stellaluna that prevailed, driving back the Doll Maker and safeguarding the peace of Linkon City once more.

As the Doll Maker retreated, defeated for now, Lumiere turned to Stellaluna, a sense of pride and relief washing over him. "We'll keep fighting," he assured her, his voice a soft yet powerful promise. "As long as threats like her exist, we'll be here to stop them. Together."

At first, the Doll Maker had the upper hand. No matter how many times they struck her, she got out of harm's way. Even worse, the aura surrounding her was a puppet in of itself, striking at them with a force so fast, it was hard to see.

"Lumiere, she's -" THWACK! the force of the Doll Maker's aura sent her flying. "Damn it!"

"Stellaluna!" Lumiere called out to her, rushing to her side. But that turned out to be a terrible idea, as the Doll Maker sent him flying too.

[incohorace]

hi. 🤡🛒🛠⛔🌞❌🦅⌛🤯

🤡 What's a line, scene, or exchange you've written that made you laugh? my writing is generally pretty light-hearted and my characters are all fundamentally silly so there are quite a few scenes!!

^ this is the opening of sst!!!! idiot (affectionate)

CYRUS WHY THE FUCK IS THERE A MAN ON THE ROOF. this is such a comical scene i literally can't why are they like this (for context he and aurelius were making out on the roof lmao)

^ whatever the hell this is......aurelius is so oblivious like bbg you wanna fuck him so bad please 😭

also i didnt put it here because it's not very good but the scene where the whole gang meets each other in sst makes me laugh so hard they're so fucking silly. like erin and kei break into the dungeons of this manor house to break erin's brother out only to find him in the middle of escaping with his new boyfriend (the son of the fucking lord of the manor). andrea, having followed them in invisibly, reveals herself in the most dramatic way she possibly could. literally nobody knows what the hell is going on. chaos <3

literally all of these scenes are basically only funny to me tho because im so fond of the characters that im giggling over them like a little girl

🛒 What are some common things you incorporate in your fics? Themes, feels, scenes, imagery, etc. i dont know why but for some reason nearly everything i write is about tyranny

🛠What tools/programs/apps do you use to write? google docs + onenote for planning and brainstorming + milanote for planning and brainstorming

⛔ Do you have a fic you started, but scrapped? i never truly scrap a wip, i think – there's always something that gets recycled <3

🌞 Do you have a preferred time of day to write? ooh i actually have no idea.......maybe when im supposed to be asleep shdbnsnd

❌ What's a trope you will never write? there are like. A Lot. i hate power imbalances in ships that aren't addressed and i also dont like writing smut at all! i also hate when rape and sexual violence are just used as plot points or a tragic backstory without more development. most tropes i dont like im perfectly happy to play with in certain contexts (e.g. a story centered around accidental pregnancy trope would be pretty cool when actually exploring the power dynamics that lead to that being such a situation and how it affects people and such)

🦅 Do you outline fics or fly by the seat of your pants? i wish i could just pants everything but i literally cannot write without a chapter-by-chapter plan :(

⌛ How long does it take you to write a fic, or a chapter? it depends. a very long time tho........i've never actually finished a wip

🤯 What's a genre you struggle with as a writer (ex. romance, action, etc.)? action is hard lmao.......also i can only really write romantic subplots – i find it hard to add an actual plot and stakes when it's just romance on its own yk

[yes-these-obsessions-are-healthy]

Whatever criticisms levied at Alicent Hightower may be, her protectiveness and empathy for women is one of her defining traits. She actively subverts the “Mother protecting her rapist son” trope (and also a real-life phenomenon) in a way that is believable and serves as a foil to Cersei Lannister.

Imagine being the most powerful woman in the land by title and rank, but you have no ability to outright prevent or stop women and girls from being exploited and abused by the men around you. She is the goddamn Queen, but it’s not like she can imprison her own son, it’s not like she can castrate him or maim him or kill him like we so wish we could do to rapists like him. He’s a Prince, for fuck’s sake. How are you going to fix a young man who is wayward and seeks out empty hedonism with total disregard for his health or the well-being of others? Viserys disregarding him, his own inferiority complex, and Alicent’s terrible treatment of him don’t help, of course, but that is still no excuse for him sexually assaulting women and girls.

You know how heart-aching that kitchen scene was? Imagine you’re some regular maid. A nameless face working in the palace. You’re violently assaulted by the future heir of the Seven Kingdoms. He’s a Prince, you can’t outright refuse, you have no place to refuse or to fight back. You can’t strike him, you can’t rely on guards to help you. He cares not if he impregnates you.

It’s a nightmare, it’s a living nightmare, and then you learn that the Queen herself has learned of what’s transpired, and she wants to speak with you about it.

This is medieval fantasy, so we know what the dynamics are here. Rape is a crime, but rape of a commoner by a noble is considered poor taste but depending on the honor of the noble’s family, they could just shrug and move on. Considering this is the royal family, accusations like this won’t get you anywhere if you don’t have someone in the family vouching for its wrongness and a position that will lead to consequences.

Not to mention this is a patriarchy, and despite the uneven gender dynamics, mothers will often defend and apologize for their scumbag sons, being that he is male and their child. It’s poisonous cognitive dissonance. Not to mention that, again, this is the PRINCE we’re talking about, and a Prince whose inheritance to the throne is being whispered and murmured about as possibly not being affirmed by the King because the King has eyes for his eldest daughter instead.

But Alicent personally meets the serving girl who was assaulted, and she asks what happened. The girl is understandably terrified, not because Aegon threatened to hurt her if she told, but out of fear of not being believed it was out of the blue, that she will be punished or shamed for ‘allowing’ it to happen to her, that she will be punished and sent away for possibly carrying a bastard, that she will be punished for daring to accuse the Prince, her eldest son, of such a crime.

But what does Alicent do? She listens, and she hugs the girl, and she apologizes for what has happened. Can you imagine being some little mouse of a maid, an absolute nobody, and being embraced by the Queen? The Queen! And then the Queen giving you an apology for the harm inflicted upon you by who by all rights should be and is the most important man in her life besides the King? Royalty never apologizes to commoners. To apologize is to admit fault, to admit fault is to be faulty, to be faulty is to lower yourself as less than all-powerful.

Alicent shed her Queen mantle in that moment and spoke to that girl like a person, like a woman to another young woman, both living in a world surrounded by men that take liberties without permission, without care or consideration, without remorse. And there is rarely if ever any justice. Crimes inflicted on women are made invisible simply due to the status of the man committing them. But Alicent sees. And the guilt she holds in her heart of having birthed and raised a monster that hurts women and girls haunts her to no end. She cannot do anything about it. She cannot force Aegon to stop because what he does, he supposedly does out of some pain of being less than worthy in the eyes of his mother and father.

Alicent does another kindness to the girl, but also a pragmatic strategic one, by advising the girl to not repeat the story to anyone else. While this does keep Aegon’s record cleaner than if the girl did tell (and thus obscures Aegon’s ill-fittedness for the Throne a little longer), Alicent is absolutely correct when she tells the maid that people will think that she was at fault for being assaulted, or that what happened was an attempt at seduction gone sour. Alicent does not want such a thing to haunt her, because in this world a woman’s reputation is the only thing that separates her from death in many cases. She would be branded a liar at best or killed, or else relegated to making a living as a prostitute because no lady of a house is going to hire a girl suspected of ‘indiscriminately wooing men’. It is an injustice of the highest order, but Alicent cannot protect the girl if she talks. She would be overruled by the male powers that uphold and enforce such a virginity=virtuous=trustworthy=valuable-obsessed culture.

In a final act of kindness, Alicent gives the maid Plan B in the form of a tea to prevent/abort pregnancy. It is another pragmatic solution (don’t want bastards running around), but it is also a gift, because single motherhood in that day and age is also a one-way trip to prostitution. No girl deserves to have her life so irrevocably ruined due to the sins committed by another.

Alicent does not let her desire for Aegon to have the throne, and thus ensuring the protection of her family, blind her to the evils her son has committed. She cannot do much in her position, not what she wishes to (which most certainly involves some involuntary surgery of the genitals), and it hurts her so deeply that this is the case, that in a way she created this monster of a man that would and has hurt women and continues to do so despite her clear and repeated denunciation of it and of him.

As a mother, she loves her son. As a woman, she hates the man that he is and what he represents—male power recklessly inflicted upon the defenseless. Alicent was never a starry-eyed romantic in the way young Sansa Stark was, but as a woman her understanding of duty is “doing what is expected and best for the kingdom”. What is best for the kingdom is peace, and part of peace is protection of the defenseless, and women are some of the most defenseless. That the product of her duty—a son by Viserys to ensure a smooth transition of father-son inheritance of the crown and peace throughout the lands—is waging his small campaign of terror upon the serving girls in the Red Keep and wherever else he may slink off to, is nothing short of horrifying. Her love for Aegon will always be tempered by a revulsion for what he has done. She cannot lie to herself.

She will protect Aegon, but she will never accept that part of him. She will never forgive that part of him. She will never defend that part of him. She loves him, but she detests him as a person.

For this scene alone, Alicent is a real one.

[brewing-mischief]

The things an angel touched.

Castiel stole her father away from her when she was young. She watched him, dressed in her father's skin and the oversized trenchcoat he got for Christmas three years ago walk down the steps of their house and listened to the angel grumble out the single sentence that was " I'm not your father " as her one and only goodbye.

And then he left. Vanished into thin air.

She didnt see him again for years. Until she did. He was still selfish. With little affection or understanding on how his actions affected the mere mortals around him. She heard her father's broken desperate sobs from deep inside herself when Castiel shoved her soul down and made himself comfortable in her skin. Declaring that he could use her as a vessel forever, instead of her father. She felt so tired then. So incredibly tired. So she just listened then and did nothing until it was over and her father was gone and only Castiel remained wearing his face.

Later when she was vomiting over the toilet she would scream and curse herself for not fighting back, for not exorcising him completly, for not doing something, for not speaking to her father for a moment just a moment before he was gone. She would scream until it broke off into sobs and slam her hand into the toilet seat until it bleed.

Dean was alright. For all her hatred towards Castiel, Dean was actually...alright. The dirt covered hunter seemed to be the only mortal on the planet that could drag the angel by his collar and get him to behave the way he wanted. He seemed to understand her frustration and was even a bit angry on her behalf. He seemed strong but empty and the same time. Like he was only surviving because he felt he had too. Claire could relate to that. She was only surviving out of spite.

Years past. Cas was...ok. He was, he was trying. He wasnt ever going to be her dad but now he also sort of seemed to want to claim her as his daughter. Like a step-dad. Or a bio-dad who left before she met him. He sort of was. Kind of. Claire figured it was...she figured she was, ok with that. For now.

She hadnt seen Dean in a while.

The funny thing about being a vessel, even temporarily for a few minutes is that it had its effects. Or mabye she just had effects because she had 'true vessel' blood or something. She wasnt sure. But, ever since Castiel had possessed her she had been able to see things. Glimmers of his powers. Things he had touched or affected. Places he had been. They were sort of like, sparkly residue that misted over things.

She didnt really pay it too much attention. Sure it was a nice little thing when she was traveling to see which booth he sat in at a dinner or if he stayed in a room at a motel but that was mostly it. Being a hunter was more important than her not-dad's angel residue.

Or that's what she thought. And then she meet Benjiman.

Benjiman was 19. Two years younger than her, and right there on the side of his head was her father's imprint. Soft, sparkly and invisible to everyone but her. She had already finished her case and it wasnt like she was in a crazy rush to find a new one so she stuck around. Tried to figure Benjiman out. Benjiman was...different. But not the way youd think he was. In all aspects he seemed perfectly normal but sometimes the vibe would change when he was remembering his past. The things he said,he obviously believed them but they held no real weight. They didnt seem real. They seemed like a crudely tied string connecting two branches because the original connecting peice had been chopped off and removed.

So, she did some research. Spread out her network. Called Sam, dug up some old photographs, talked to Benjiman's old neighbors and woukdnt you know it, Benjiman was in fact REALLY interesting.

The girl she spoke to, who was an old classmate of Ben's whispered out a story she hadnt breathed for years because her parents kept trying to send her to a physc ward when she told it. A story about how she and Benjiman and a dozen other kids had been kidnapped by some monster. How Benjiman and a guy-who sounded suspiciously like Dean- helped everyone get out. She hadnt seen Benjiman leave because she had taken to the hills as soon as she climbed out the basement window but he and his family were ok the following monday.

The old couple she talked to, from the neighborhood Benjiman lived in before the accident (a car crash that lead to a chain of events that got his mom a new job a state over) told her bout Benjiman's mom and her husband about how Benjiman was a good kid but kept trying to get his dad to teach him how to shoot a gun-something the two of them got into a lot of loud fights over because his dad thought it was a bad idea.

They told her about how he was a good man. Pleseant and tough and smiled and helped everyone out when they needed it. But he was also carrying a heavy load, a death or a tragedy or something that forced him to stand outside on cold nights and smoke like veteran in war. Something that made his eyes go dim and sad when random things came up in conversations.

Sam filled her in on the rest of the story. He had to do it behind Dean's back and she almost wished he hadnt because apparently all this took place while Sam didnt have his soul which made his memory of emotions just as empty when retelling it. He laughed when it wasnt funny and dismissed big points as if they were of little concern. She knew Sam was a caring person and felt guilty of the consequences his year 'empty' brought but it seemed you cant create emotions for a situation if you didnt have them in the first place. And as she listened to his voice, she wondered for a moment if he lacked his soul still.

So. Ben was Dean's kid. Or foster kid of you wanted to get technical. He was brave and responsible and tough and wanted to be just like his dad. Dean had helped raise him and taught him how to fish and catch and drive a car. Yet because of demons and angels and everything else hidding in the shadows Castiel had erased Dean from their lives. Erased everything.

She could just let it lie. Telling Benjiman everything wouldn't make him regain his memories. That's not how angel magic works after all. It's gone. And if she did tell him then Benjiman would be dragged right back into monster-land with creatures trying to kill him and his mom.

But still. Something was off about Benjiman, and it seemed that even he knew it. He felt comfortable around her, which was rare given the fact she was touched by the unseen. He was happy to see her even when she came to visit covered in bruises or blood that was black. The things that went bump in the night made him go check with a spiked bat rather than turning over with the covers.

So she asked him. Asked him if he wanted to see what it was she did. Asked him if he wanted to see what the whole world was hidding. Asked him if he wanted to put himself in danger for the rest of his life, for the end of his days. She didnt tell him it would put his mom in danger. She wasnt sure he'd take her offer if she did, and she needed him to say yes.

He did.

There was, a lot less screaming than she thought she'd have with him. If anything Benjiman went silent in the face of danger. His stance would get firm, his eyes would grow cold and he'd kill monsters like he'd always known how to. Sure he had faults, and he was rusty in some areas,( if you can be rusty at something you've never done) but he got it. It was nice to travel with him. Benjamin had a gift in that he always seemed normal. No matter what he saw or what he did, once the job was over and it was just the two of them he'd slip back into his every day self with smiles and jokes as if nothing affected him. As if everything was ok and they were just two college kids on a road trip.

They meet others. Other kids Castiel had touched. Other kids who had been vicitums and were saved last minute but never got a real explanation. Other kids who had witnessed the horrors of hunts. Their parents didnt understand or didnt want to tell them. They wanted it to just be a bad dream their kids never saw or experienced and that's how they acted. Claire found more and more kids with Benjiman and was surprised to find they flocked to her and begged her for answers. She suspected it was because Benjiman balanced out her angry, scary energy.

Once they had answers some of then wanted to forget, some scoffed with fear in their eyes and some just nodded before walking away. But some...some joined her. Some picked up guns or silver daggers or books and they followed her to the car and climed into the backseat.

And pretty soon, they were a troup. With Benjiman riding shotgun, her driving and a pile of the rest in the back. They're they were. The next generation. They kept on driving.

[gorbalsvampire]

The Longest Night

The nights are drawing in. Which has its drawbacks, like only seeing daylight through a window and freezing my tits off unless I get a lift home after class, but it has its advantages. Like overlapping sleep schedules finally getting to meet in the middle.

Dorian’s up when I come home, and with a student — last one of the year, I hope. I can hear them as I come up the stairs, some notes falling pretty-OK-by-my-old-standards, which is why I know it’s a student, because by my new standards, it’s not flawless and I know it’s not Dorian.

So I walk down the hall and take off my shoes by undoing the laces, like a civilised human being, and don’t just kick ‘em off and punt ‘em ahead of me like usual, and I let myself into the kitchenette through the other door, and I fix myself a cold drink even though I’m dying for something hot. Cohabitation is a million little sacrifices, day by day. But I sit there and I drink my juice and I can’t help but smile as they play on together, more familiar and confident fingers taking the lead, sketching the shape of the song with ninety years of practiced confidence, then backing off to let their student try and fill in the colour.

It’s still late. I zone out a little, and I don’t hear the doors click and swing, and I never hear Dorian walking unless they want to be heard. The next thing I know, D’s arms are burrowed under mine and they’re hugging me from the back.

“Thank you,” they say, and I wriggle around and take advantage of dating a shortass, planting a kiss on their forehead, just under their hairline. It’s cold, but after a walk in the dark at the ass end of December, so am I. “Rough day at the office?”

“’Tis the season of goodwill to all men,” I say back, “which does not extend to the girl behind the counter, apparently.”

“People can be so awful,” they tell me, giving a little tch of a breath. I must look worse than I think I do, because they squint up at me through those round dorky frames and say: “Sit thee down and tell me all thy troubles, darling.”

I flop down on the armchair facing the window and, while they fuss about in the kitchen, clattering about looking for the samovar and making everything just so, I let out the top twenty per cent of what’s hacking me off, starting with the racist sack of shit who’d insisted I’d bitched her out in ‘Paki’ — and it’s the laziness that really hurts, like she didn’t care enough to tell brown people apart — and working down my naughty list.

By the fourth entry, D’s sitting in my lap and stroking my hair and nodding at every “and another thing”, and when I’m done with the guy who spent ten minutes asking who owned the people who made everything on the shelves and didn’t even spend folding money, they nuzzle into my neck, just under the jaw on the left hand side, which is like an invisible switch that makes me lose all motor control, power of speech and basic dignity in one go.

“Better?” asks D, and I say something like “magurglesnorf” and then “you bastard” and then “a bit.” And then, because I am a good girlfriend, despite the rumours, I realise what’s going on here.

“You’ve not had breakfast, have you?”

“Stefan’s been for his jabs, so I told him cash was fine.”

“You’re a beastly little parasite,” I say, trying to pitch it like they do, that airy-fairy old-young lilt.

“I’ll make you dinner. Poulet yassa. Cross my heart.” Their tongue flickers across their lips, their front teeth, and my neck’s still tingling from a moment ago and I’m not quite as tired as I thought I was, not any more.

“… I stand by what I just said,” I say, “but I love you for it.”

And Dorian nuzzles into my neck again, meticulously kissing back and forth, two little pinpricks probing for a safe spot, and I shut my eyes and brace myself for a cool sharp scratch that makes me shiver right down to my bones.

They don’t take much. A juice box or so’s worth. A love bite that leaves a bruise — I’ll have to wear a high collar tomorrow — and a little cut that’ll be closed by midnight. Dorian rocks back and forth on my lap, kisses my throat again, and whispers another “thank you” into my ear.

Like I said. A million little sacrifices. But it’s worth it.

it's PWYW and my rent's due in a week. just sayin'.

[bygiornogiovanna]

"We really are meant for each other, aren't we?"

Yandere! Josuke Higashikata x Yandere! Reader

Summary: You move to Morioh and Josuke wants to be friends with you. What happens when, after spending months only with Josuke and his group, a boy interferes with you? What will Josuke do? And, what happens when he finds out you two are the same?

word count: 2.9k

tw!: violent fight scenes, slight manipulation, sexual tension, blood, yandere behavior, reader uses their stand to beat up two girls

this was a random idea I had. also, yandere josuke >>. don't forget to leave me any requests you want. enjoy!!

Your life was pretty simple until you moved to Morioh. Oh, and how simple it was. Nobody was talking to you, you weren't talking to anybody. You didn't have a crush, you weren't worried about anything other than getting good grades. You would simply entertain yourself with your power, growing roses and taking care of them. Oh yes, you had some kind of power that was only seen by you. It was like a second-you, but like, invisible! You could grow roses with or without thrones and climb high buildings with its help. It was also fast, not letting anything hurt you. At first, when you accidentally discovered it by dodging a dart you didn't even know was thrown at you, you were scared. Over time, you grew fond of it and started using it to your advantage: like when you broke a weirdo's leg because he was cat-calling you.

Anyways, you thought your life would be the same as it was...

Until you met him. Him and his stupidly attractive face. Him and his sweet personality. He who loved to tease you. He, who came straight to you after your first week of high school and asked to be your friend. Higashikata Josuke.

At first, you didn't think much of your first meeting. It was kind of awkward:

You were never approached, therefore you didn't know how to react so you just stared at him. He raised a brow and tilted his head, confused.

"Hey, did you hear me? I asked what's your name. I know you're new here so, I thought, you know, maybe we could be friends." You heard the taller boy speak to you again and you blinked.

"I...uhm...I'm Y/N. I...Yeah, we could be friends, I guess." You replied shyly, scratching the back of your head.

"Mm, this sounds like you think I'm not good enough to be your friend, doesn't it?" He asked in a teasing tone, a small smirk planted on his face.

"I-It's not that! I just...Back in my town, I didn't have any friends so I thought that it will be the same here and you...kinda caught me off guard." A blush crept up your face and you took a step back.

After that he introduced you to his friends: Koichi and Okuyasu and you were quickly accepted. As months passed, you two became closer. His mom already knew you since he invited you over many times.

The downside was that you started developing feelings for him. You weren't sure if he felt the same since he was friendly with everybody. You also learned that he hated when somebody insulted his hair so you made sure to always compliment it.

One thing that annoyed you at him was that he was popular. Everybody liked Josuke. They didn't have any reason not to, but it still made you angry that girls were all over him, greeting and complimenting him. And why was he so nice to them? He had you now! He didn't need them!

"Hi, Josuke." You smiled at him as he picked you up from your third class. "How was your English exam?"

"Hm, fine I think. Might get an 80 or 85, who knows. How about you? What did you do at Biology?" Josuke asked, knowing you were stressed about it these last weeks.

"Probably a 95! I think I got one answer wrong, but it was only 5 points so no problem!" You said, happy you were finally over with them.

"There's my smartass." He smirked, ruffling your hair. You two started walking to the cafeteria, when you heard two girls running towards you, yelling Josuke's name. They quickly got there and started clinging onto him, giving him the same old compliments, making you roll your eyes. You had enough of their bullshit and you knew exactly what to do: Deal with them after school, since you knew their usual spot. It was behind the school, less crowded so it would be easy to deal with them.

"I forgot my pencil case in class, I'll go get it." You tell Josuke, well...At least tried to, since the girls somehow multiplied and from two, they became six. You sighed irritated and went back to your class, grabbing your dark blue pencil case. You opened it to see if anything was missing when you suddenly saw a small piece of paper in there. 'Meet me in the school's garden, I wanna talk. -Haru'. Haru, who was it? Ah yes, the tall, brunette boy which whom you shared both Biology and Chemistry classes. He was cute, even hot you could say, but you barely talked. What could he possibly want to talk with you?

Shrugging, you debated in your head if you should go or not. You had nothing to lose, if he tried anything weird, you could use Rose Kiss to break his arms and run away. Stuffing your pencil case in your backpack, you headed to the school's garden with a small smile on your face. He was standing on a bench near the roses with a small bouquet of blue lilies in his hands. You patted his back, offering him an amused smile when he turned scared at you.

"Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." You said and he somehow looked...relieved when he realized it was you.

"Wow, you actually came! Take a seat please!" Haru said, patting the place beside him. "I c-can't believe you actually came, wow. Oh also, this is for you. I know you like flowers, but roses seemed kinda boring so I brought these!" You raised a brow at how flustered he was, accepting the beautiful lilies. They smelled incredible and they were really pretty.

"Thank you. They are incredible. Also, why wouldn't I? I'm surprised you invited me here, we barely talked and you didn't seem to notice me." You giggled softly, smelling the lilies again.

"How couldn't I notice you? You are so pretty and you are also really smart! Also, you are kind and honest and I don't know why don't people talk to you. I've only seen you with Higashikata and his friends." Haru let out a small sigh and you couldn't help but blush at his words. This is how people viewed you? As pretty, honest, smart, and kind? This was a much-needed confidence boost.

"T-Thanks. What did you want to talk about, Haru?" You asked, curiosity taking over you.

"Actually, nothing. I just wanted to spend time with you and you know, maybe become friends." The boy beside you said and he offered you a bright smile when you let out a small "Sounds good". This was the start of a new friendship.

Over the past week, you started spending a little less time with Josuke and more time with Haru. He made you forget about your worries targeting Josuke, distracting you from him and his fangirls. Of course, you didn't lose your feelings for Josuke, still feeling jealous whenever he was close to girls, but it was nice having a distraction.

—

That did not go unnoticed by Josuke. He felt rage bubbling up inside him whenever he saw you and him laughing. Why were you laughing as much with Haru? Did you replace him? You were his, you didn't need that boy! He wasn't even half as attractive or as good as him. His frown deepened when you and he walked into the cafeteria laughing, you hitting his shoulder randomly while a small blush was covering your cheeks. Josuke threw you two a glare that ugly that if looks could kill, you both would be dead already. But he wasn't mad at you, of course. How could he be mad at such a perfect person as you? No, he was mad at that boy. How dare he think that he was good for you? Nobody was good enough for you, except himself. He was here first. He was your first friend, he was the first to see you cry, and he was the first to come over to your house. He was the only one who deserved you.

"What's wrong man?" He heard Okuyasu ask, taking a deep breath.

"Nothing," Josuke mumbled, massaging his temples. His rage could probably be seen on his face so he tried to calm down. He needed to have a small talk with that boy before he did something. He got up, made sure you were somewhere else, and went to where he was seated. "Hello, Haru." He said in a calm tone, a fake smile plastered on his face. "Can we talk?"

"Oh, Josuke? Yeah sure, is there something wrong?" Haru frowned. Why did Josuke want to talk with him?

"Somewhere more private, if we could." He requested and the shorter boy nodded, getting up and following him. Probably his biggest mistake, after the fact that he decided to talk with you.

The two boys arrived at a secluded part of the school, where Josuke simply put his hands into his pockets. "I will only say this once." He started, looking dead serious. "You will stay away from Y/N. You will not be their deskmate anymore. You will not give them gifts anymore. And you definitely will not spend time with them. Don't even look in their direction. They are mine and mine only. Did I make myself clear?"

Yep, clearly a mistake.

"No, I won't? You aren't Y/N's boyfriend, you have no right to tell me what to do." Another mistake. Josuke huffed annoyed, rolling his eyes.

"I don't think you understand what's happening here. I'm not giving you a choice, I'm not asking you to stay away from them. I'm telling you to."

"And I'm telling you that I won't listen to you. Why do you think Y/N prefers staying with me more than she prefers staying with you? They don't like you." Haru said, rolling his eyes.

"You seem to not understand. It's fine if you don't want to listen. I'll make you listen." Josuke says and takes Crazy Diamond out. Before Haru knows it, he feels something grab him by the neck and slam him against the nearest wall. Then, he felt as if he was being punched by someone, but Josuke never moved from his original place. What the hell was happening?!

Josuke smirked letting Crazy Diamond use the poor boy as a punching bag. "Tell me now, dear Haru. Will you listen to me? I can easily heal you if you swear you will never get close to Y/N again." He said after some time, getting bored of watching the boy being beaten up by his stand.

"Y-Yes! P-Please, let me go!" The boy screamed and the taller one started laughing, making his stand let him down, Haru's body hitting the ground.

"I didn't hear you swear," Josuke said, getting closer to him, his hands still in his pockets.

"I s-swear I will never get close to them again." The boy was covered in blood, groaning in pain. He was about to pass out when Josuke made his stand to heal him.

"If you ever do as much as look at them again, what happened now will be a child's play compared with what am I going to do to you. Also, you will not say a thing about it to anyone, got it?" He whispered and the boy nodded in fear. "Good."

—

While he finished with Haru, you found yourself in the same situation as Josuke. As you were in the school, fixing yourself while looking in the little mirror in your hands, you heard two girls talk about how one of them finally kissed Josuke's cheek. You felt anger fill you up when you heard the oh-so-exciting news.

"You did what?" You asked, your voice going down with two octaves, rage plastered on your face. You were in one of the school's emptiest halls, the one that lead to your Physics laboratory.

"What, are you deaf? I kissed his cheek. Don't tell me you like him, weirdo." The shorter girl said, her high-pitched voice scratching your brain in the wrong places.

"Stay away from Josuke. He's mine." You said, stopping before them.

"Pfft, don't make me laugh. Josuke would never look at someone like you. He is just nice to you since he knows nobody would like you either way and he is too kind to be mean. I even heard you had no friends before him." The other one says, making you grab the bridge of your nose.

"Do I look like I'm kidding? You stay away from him and we will be good. Or else, you will find out I'm not somebody whose nerves you play with." You threatened, your stand already summoned. You knew they couldn't see it, but it made you feel more powerful.

"Aish, you really think you are scaring us? You are just crazy about him and don't realize he will never see you more than his classmate. Bet you think you will be together with him one day." They laughed, rolling their eyes.

"Fine..." You mumbled, smirking as your stand was behind them.

"Wipe that stupid smirk off you-" The first one wants to say but Rose Kiss grabbed them by their necks, slamming their head together.

"Now tell me, what would you like to have broken more, legs or arms? Or maybe, I could break your neck! Or...hm, maybe rip off your dirty lips for even trying to kiss my Josuke." You said, and judging by the fear on their faces, you knew you look psychotic. "Oh, I know! I will do all of them!" You said, slamming them against each other as if they were some useless dolls, laughing at their pleas. You were having fun breaking their limbs when you remembered you had a class to attend.

"As much as I would like to break every single one of your bones for making me endure seeing your filthy hands touching my Josuke every single fucking day, I have to go, class. Now, to end this, you two will never go near him again. You won't even breathe next to him. And tell your friends this too. I don't want to see any of you around him, or else I will make sure that Morioh's hospitals will be full of you little shits. Did I make myself clear?" You said in a sweet tone, sending them a bittersweet smile.

"Y-Yes! J-Just leave us alone!" One of them screamed and you noticed both of them were bleeding. You clicked your tongue, closed your eyes to calm down, and turned on your heels.

After the long, boring rest of the day, you head back home. When you entered and were about to go upstairs, you felt somebody pull you by your wrist. Startled, you wanted to punch the intruder, but when you turned and saw Josuke, you stiffened.

"Y'know, what you put up in the hall during the physics class was quite a show, dear. Even though, I have to say I'm glad to find out I'm yours." The boy said in a playful tone, leaning over you.

"H-How much did you see?" You stuttered, backing away, scared that he might hate you. You didn't even ask what he was doing here, the news about him knowing what you did was too shocking.

"Hm, sadly I only saw the parts after you said you were going to do "all of them". Not sure what those 'them' were, but still." He didn't seem scared, nor disgusted, he actually seemed... amused? He slowly pushed you until your back hit the wall. "But tell me, Y/N..." Josuke mumbled, leaning to whisper in your ear. "Why do you call me yours, but ignore me for that little boy, Haru?" He asked in a different tone, sending shivers down your spine.

"I...I don't like Haru." You let out a breath you didn't know you were holding when you felt him that close to you. You were going insane with every second you felt the heat of his body and you inhaled his scent.

"Oh, I'm sure you don't. In fact, you are not allowed to like him." You let a small whimper leave your throat when you feel his teeth nibble at your ear. "You're going to pay for this."

"P-Pay for what?" You stuttered, your breathing uneven.

"For driving me this mad." Said Josuke when you gripped his shoulders tightly. "Before you came here, everything was normal. After you came...You've been on my mind every single day ever since I met you. I knew we were meant to be. And the fact that you have a stand makes it even more lovely. We are made for each other, aren't we?" Him saying those mad things to you made you rub your thighs together, whimpering again and again when you felt him biting at your soft flesh.

"J-Josuke, please." You mumbled, already air-headed by his touch.

"Say it. Say we are meant for each other and I'll do whatever you want me to." You whined at his tone, letting out a soft cry.

"We are meant for each other. I'm yours, Josuke. Only yours." You said in a shaky breath and he caught your lips between his.

We could say you two had a really fun time together.

[mortemtheraven]

Keefe Sencen x Reader

References: Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger

Summary: When all bottled emotions finally broke free, can Keefe prove himself an empath good enough to recognize your feelings for him?

Warning(s): Some kissing, insecurity, slight angst.(She/her) for the reader.

(A/n: You're bound to have blue eyes in this imagine since all elves have blue eyes, except for Sophie.)

"We've been friends for like years now, and you didn't even tell me that you're close with this (Y/n)?" Sophie asked Fitz in disbelief after she licked the strip of her locker to open it with her DNA.

"I don't like to brag—"

"So she's something to brag about?" Sophie interrupted the young Vacker.

"I know you've heard of (Y/n), she's practically the star of Foxfire. But she's a year younger than Keefe and I, and a year older than you and Biana. She's bound to have different schedules and classes than us, plus she doesn't exactly strut around and mingle with others." Fitz explained, leaning against a locker near Sophie's. His dark hair glinted from the hall's reflective light and his pair of teal eyes are just as bright.

"How did you guys meet, and what is she like?"

"We basically grew up together, the four of us—me, Keefe, Biana and (Y/n). Biana basically treats her like an older sister, she often wished (Y/n)'s her sibling than me when I infuriate her. (Y/n)'s family is one of the nobles, from the Elite levels. Her parents are both Emissaries, they're friends of my Dad and Mom as well so as their children we're bound to be friends." Fitz explained, and Sophie nodded along.

"Plus!" Sophie and Fitz both shrieked when Biana appeared out of nowhere. They keep forgetting she's a Vanisher; someone who can blink out of light and make herself invisible. "She's pretty cool. Besides you, Sophie and a few elves, she has more than one gift."

"Really?" Sophie asked curiously.

"Uh-huh, everyone thinks she's the next Orem Vacker." Orem Vacker is a relative of Fitz and Biana, a very powerful Flasher.

"She can manipulate light?"

"Yep," Fitz said, popping the 'p'. "And she just recently found out that she's also a Mesmer. Her mentor is Grady himself, being as he's the only Mesmer besides (Y/n)."

"It's super cool when she do it. She's already superb as a Flasher, all she has to enhance now is mesmerizing." Biana told her.

"Why didn't we ever meet? Doesn't she go to Everglen?" Sophie asked, pertaining the Vacker's home address.

"Of course she does, silly. She just  doesn't visit whenever you do, coincidentally." Biana giggled, vanishing into thin air.

"I hate it when she does that." Fitz says, only for his head to duck on its own. Sophie realized that Biana just hit the back of his head.

"Ow! You can't just do that!"

"I just did, and I am not hesitating to do it again." The invisible girl threatened.

"What about lunch?" Sophie asked. "Doesn't she eat at the cafeteria?"

"Nah, she eats in the library. It's basically her home when she's here at Foxfire." Fitz answered.

So mysterious, Sophie thought. And Keefe thinks she's the Queen of Mysteriousness.

~*~

Later that day, Sophie decided to go to Everglen when school was done. When Fitz opened the gate for her, he was smiling widely.

"What's up?" Sophie asked.

"It's your lucky day. (Y/n) decided to visit today, which means you get to meet her." he said and dragged her to their backyard.

Sophie heard giggles from Biana, and when they finally reached the clearing, she saw a girl as pretty—if not more—as Biana. That must be (Y/n) (L/n).

Her silky (h/c) hair was braided and tied like a crown around her head, a golden comb pinned her hair in place. She has pretty features and a pair of beautiful royal blue eyes. She also wear a tunic the same shade as her eyes, with golden swirling patterns. On her chest is a family pin, a golden key with wings—probably the symbol of (L/n) family.

Biana giggled again and Sophie realized why. (Y/n) is playing with her power, controlling balls of light on the air and lighting them up in different colors. Keefe is watching by a tree, leaning against the trunk and watching (Y/n) instead of the light. Sophie bit back a grin.

(Y/n) looks so powerful and regal, Sophie felt a little insecure. Here's another girl who looks like a princess she's about to meet. Sophie's hands turned even more clammy when (Y/n) tore her eyes away from her light and landed on Sophie and Fitz.

"You must be the one and only Sophie Foster. I've heard a lot from Keefe and anyone else." (Y/n) greeted them as they neared her. She swiped her hand on the air indifferently and the balls of light disappeared.

"Hopefully all good things." Sophie said as she glared at Keefe who shrugged at her, grinning.

"Just that you got kidnapped by rebels in second year, bottled a destructive star, almost wage a war against Ogres—the list goes on," she stood in front of Sophie and she realized how tall (Y/n) is up close. "I'm (Y/n), pleasure to finally meet you."

"The pleasure's all mine." Sophie shook hands with her and sniffed a hint of lavender and sunflowers from (Y/n). How can a girl smell so good? What shampoo does she use, because Sophie sincerely wanna know.

"Great," exclaimed Biana and hooked her arms around one of theirs. "Now that all girls are present, let's have a girl day. Shall we?"

"Ugh, what is up with girls and make-overs?" Keefe groaned, hitting the back of his head against the tree.

"Girls also know how to be fun, you know? Just in our own way. You and Fitz could do your own guy-talk or whatever." (Y/n) said and walked with Biana and Sophie into the house.

"So, what are we doing?" Sophie asked once they stepped into Biana's room. The smell of different fragrances immediately greeted them, mostly girlish smell like flowers and perfumes. Tossed on some corners of the bedroom were different sparkly dresses and pretty tunics Biana own.

"How about getting to know each other?" (Y/n) suggested, walking over to Biana's shelves with books. Sophie saw how you clearly love books, seeing your eyes brighten at the sight of their lined-up spines.

"Nah, I already know the both of you." Biana waved her hand in the air.

You raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? I think I'm pretty hard to read."

"Please, we've been best friends since birth."

"Well, how about just me and Sophie? Then we'd get back at you after, we'll give you time to prepare your make-up station." You hooked your arm around Sophie's and dragged her from the room before Biana could argue.

"Hey—okay, fineee!"

As soon as you reached the gardens of Everglen, you guided Sophie to sit on a bench beside you. You sighed in relief and admired the flowers on their uniqueness.

"Don't you love it here? The Vackers do well in taking care of their household." You said, leaning against the back of the bench and looked around.

"Yeah, Della is a perfectionist when it comes to beauty on everything." Sophie agreed.

"I guess we shouldn't be surprised Biana grew up that way, eh?" They shared a chuckle.

"So, you and Fitz." You said, smiling at her subtly.

Sophie blushed. "What about him?"

"Oh come on, girls are supposed to be resilient. You can't possibly be oblivious by the way he looks at you. I should know because I grew up with him, I can read Fitz like an open book, better than his telepathic ability."

Somehow, Sophie couldn't help but feel nervous. What if you actually like Fitz? There's no way she could compete with someone as perfect as you.

"I don't think...I think he's just friendly." Sophie stuttered.

"Nah, he's totally crazy about you." Sophie blushed and bowed her head.

"Do you...do you like him?"

Sophie stared at you in confusion when you erupted in laughter. You clutched your stomach in a fit of giggles until it subsided.

"Me? Fitz? Not gonna happen. He's like my brother." Sophie could actually breathe in relief at your words. She felt embarrassed for asking such question.

"Oh, sorry. I just thought—"

"I like someone else,"

"What?"

"Incase you're worried. I like someone else—well, like could be a weak term. It's more than like, I just don't know if I'm ready to call it love." Your shoulders shrugged, lips pouting as you stared around you.

"Who?" Sophie asked curiously. She feels unusually giddy, like excited to share a secret with a fellow girl.

"Promise not to tell anyone?" You asked, chewing your lips in anxiety.

"I promise."

"It's...K-Keefe." You confessed, blushing madly.

"What?!"

"Shush!"

"Oh, sorry. It's just...why?" Sophie asked, genuinely confused.

"Why not? He's funny, kind, and most of all...free. Whenever I'm with him, he makes me feel less tensed. Whenever I'm with him... I'm happy." You sighed.

"Okay, I totally get it. But Keefe's a bit...I dunno, troublesome?"

You laughed. "Oh, I'm perfectly aware. Sometimes he pranks me or pulls me into his troubles, he says I'm too uptight..." Your smile suddenly became a sad one. "Which is why he couldn't possibly feel the same. He needs someone who's like him, fun and all. Not someone who reminds him of his awful father who's always forcing him to be the perfect son."

"(Y/n)...you're perfect for him. You could keep him well-grounded, keep him out of troubles. I'm sure he feels the same way." You cringed involuntarily. Sophie is actually...the very definition of oblivious.

"I'm not sure about that."

"Well—"

"Girls!" Biana suddenly appeared out of thin air with a wide grin on her face. "Keefe and Fitz wanted to play base quest, let's go!"

You sighed. "Alright, sure."

"Okay," Sophie shrugged, still a little confused at her talk with you.

It was girls versus boys, you volunteered to play referee so no one would cheat and stood in the middle between two bases. You watched the whole game with a smile, until you saw Keefe tackle Sophie to the ground. Sophie complained, but has a smile on her face while Keefe laughed. You felt your heart twist in a painful way.

"It hurts." You whispered to Biana when she stood in concern beside you. She didn't say anything, instead she just took your hand and gave it a squeeze.

Keefe suddenly turned his head to look at you and frowned. You flashed a subtle smile at him, announcing they won this time.

~*~

"Come on, Ms. (L/n)!" Orem Vacker yelled as you to give your best to create the biggest ball of light you've ever made yet. Your chest heaved up and down as the cluster of energy expanded while you stretched your arms further.

Anger, jealousy and bitterness fueled you to create a giant spectral on the sky. Students from other levels came out of their classrooms to watch your display. You stood in the middle of the field in Foxfire, so you'd be in everyone's view.

"Okay, that's enough." Your mentor said, only to panic when you didn't listen. Your eyes began to burn for watching your light too long, but this is the only way to let go of your emotions you've bottled up for so long.

Earlier that day, you recalled what Stina had said to you when you were leaving the main building.

"You've been grumpy since morning, (L/n)."

"I don't have time for your nasty words, Stina."

"Oh, I know why you're so cranky!" she grinned deviously. "Maybe it's the way Keefe's looking at her...at Sophie."

~*~

Keefe and Fitz passed the hallway together to their next class, when suddenly, they heard whispers from students who ran past them.

"...you heard?"

"Yeah, (Y/n)'s out of control!"

"Let's go see it!"

Keefe and Fitz exchanged a worried look with each other before following where the other students are heading. They reached the field and saw you standing under a giant ball of light. It's as big as half of the pyramid!

Keefe could see Orem Vacker yelling you to stop and attempting to close up, but your light was too powerful. It's getting hotter by the minute, ready to reach its boiling point.

Keefe stared at you in concern, watching helplessly as you turn paler each second. He walked up to you, but the light burned his eyes so he stumbled back. He's worried you might fade away, the same way elves get when they lightleap without much concentration.

The ball of light began to dim, fading away and getting smaller until it flickered off. It was the same time as your knees buckled and you flashed a sad glance at Keefe before falling on the ground.

"(Y/n)!" Keefe reached you first, cradling you in his arms.

"Take her to Elwin! Hurry up!" Orem Vacker instructed, and Keefe immediately carried you up.

The three of them, including Fitz, ran to the healing center in a hurry. You felt really light and limp to Keefe, his heart began to thump nervously. He couldn't lose you.

"Professor, what happened?" Keefe heard Fitz ask to Orem Vacker. They're still in formalities even if he's Fitz great, something, grandfather.

"She lost control, that's what. I don't exactly know why she didn't listen, she just continued to enlarge the spectral. It takes up too much energy to conjure a light as powerful as that. Even when I was her age, I wasn't able to accomplish such feat." Keefe tightened his hold on you.

"Oh he—what happened?!" Elwin asked as they interrupted his lunch.

"(Y/n)!" Keefe gasped as he settled you down on a bunk, as if it's enough explanation to Elwin.

~*~

Keefe and Fitz waited anxiously outside the clinic as Elwin and Orem worked to heal you inside. After a while, Fitz left to tell Biana and Sophie the news. Keefe didn't, thinking what he would do if he'd lose you. The thought makes him shake his head. No matter what happens, he won't give up on you.

"Keefe? What are you still doing here?" Orem Vacker asked as he spotted him on the floor beside the door.

"Professor, is she okay?" Keefe said instead.

"She will be. For now she needs tremendous rest to regain her energy, but Elwin's already sorting everything out. Excuse me, I must report to her parents." 

Orem Vacker left while Keefe entered the clinic, sitting beside your bunk and staring at your features. The natural color of your face is slowly returning, your breathing now normal and face peacefully asleep.

"You think you can watch her for a minute? You guys never let me have my lunch." Elwin asked and Keefe silently nodded. It was silent after the healer left.

"Mmm..." Keefe immediately straightened as you groaned and your eyes fluttered open.

"(Y/n)? Are you feeling better?"

"Keefe? What are you doing here?" You mumbled, slowly hoisting yourself up to sit with your back against the headboard. Keefe helped you and you blushed.

"I was worried. What is up with you?" You bowed your head and fiddled with your fingers.

"I-I was...angry. I just lost it." You said silently.

"Why? What happened?"

"Nothing..." You mumbled.

"(Y/n), please—" Keefe gripped your hand and your heart thumped faster. He immediately let go when a strong emotion surged through him from you. "No."

A sobbed escaped your lips and your body began to tremble. Tears sprung from your eyes and you hid your face from him using your hair as a curtain. Keefe sat frozen, disbelieving for what he just felt from touching you.

"(Y/n)..."

"Yeah," You sniffed and wiped your tears away. "I feel that way for you, Keefe. Now you know."

"Why did you overuse your power? I don't understand."

"Because I frickin' love you, Keefe!" Keefe could feel his heart racing. You finally faced him with anger and sadness in your eyes. "I see the way you look at her, at Sophie. And I...I couldn't handle it. I bottled too much emotions and I had to let them go."

"...since when?" Keefe asked quietly.

"Since forever." Keefe couldn't hold it back anymore, he sprang from his seat and cradled your face, landing his lips on yours.

You gasped against his mouth, heart beating fast against your ribcage, too much that it hurts. And all that you feel at the moment, surged through Keefe, he felt everything you felt. And he had never felt a strong emotion as this his whole life as an empath.

You finally closed your eyes and moved your lips against his, and Keefe could feel his own heart thumping with immense speed. He hovered slightly above you as you pulled him closer by the neck. Your hand reached his locks and ran your fingers through them like you've wished to do for a long time. His breath hitched, sending a gust of warm air against your mouth.

Keefe travelled his hands from your jaw, to your back and waist. He traced his tongue through the seam of your lips and your mind clouded in all of your love for him. You pulled him impossibly closer, feeling his quick heartbeats against your own as you opened your mouth to him.

"I...love you." Your heart fluttered as he mumbled the words against your lips. "I love you since forever, (Y/n) (L/n)."

"Really?" You muttered in disbelief, eyes full of hope as your stared at his bright blue ones.

Keefe chuckled, pressing his forehead against yours. "Have I not proven you just now?"

"What about...Sophie?" Keefe frowned, hearing the heartbreak in your voice.

"I don't think I would ever feel anything to another elf, as I feel for you." Keefe softly said, eyes full of sincerity and honesty.

"Why didn't you tell me?" You asked gently.

"I'm sorry," he apologized and stared at his hands which held yours. "You're too perfect for me, (Y/n). I didn't think I deserved you."

"Keefe..." You cradled his jaw and he leaned against your touch. "You're all I've ever wanted. But I didn't think you felt the same as well. I saw the way you looked at Sophie, and I thought..."

Keefe chuckled. "I guess we've both been blind by our own feelings. But I'm serious, (Y/n). I would like to ask you...to be mine."

"And I would want to be yours." You smiled and closed your eyes as he leaned in.

The impact of his lips on yours always leaves your mind blank. When you're in his arms, you felt like everything's in place...like all the stars are lined. Keefe Sencen is the only one that could touch your soul.

"Oh my gosh!"

"Biana!"

[scxrlettwxtches]

a crown of thorns | hwang hyunjin

genre: royal au, fluff/angst, fem!reader

warnings: pregnancy, slight violence

description: a few years have passed since your tumultuous beginnings with the enemy king, hwang hyunjin, and to everyone’s astonishment, your marriage flourished with an abundance of love. however, this was not yet a happy ever after, and danger still lurks within every corner of your peaceful kingdom.

word count: 14.0k+

a/n: ack the more i read this, the worse it seems to get haha. but guys!! this is my last fic on this blog!! thank you again for all the love you’ve shown me and my writing. <3 wishing everyone all the best!! 

As he sat on his throne, absently chatting away with foreign envoys, Hwang Hyunjin considered himself rather lucky for a multitude of reasons.

All the princes and the lords sitting around the table, enjoying the tea and pastries, had everything one could want in the world. Endless fountains of wealth, resources, luxury. Whatever they desired, they only needed to snap their fingers, and someone would provide. It was the type of life many in his kingdom could only dream about in their wildest fantasies.

But, underneath the splendor, Hyunjin could see it as bright as day. Beneath the material luxury was discontentment, unease, unhappiness. Many of them were married to people that they did not love, were tied to their own wealth as it was the only sense of stability in their lives. And above all, Hyunjin could sense their loneliness, the invisible--yet deadly--disease that latched onto the heart and knawed at it until it was nothing but a shriveled remain. It was a poison that had no identifiable cure, and its affects only magnified as time went on.

Hyunjin could see it all because, once upon a time, he was just like them. Sitting on the throne, he was merely staring at reflections of his past self, a shell of a boy that was forced into a position of power too soon with too few people he could trust. He saw himself in the young lord that was visiting from across the sea, his eyes alight with ambition and a thirst to prove himself. He saw himself in the crown prince of the neighboring kingdom, the mistrust laced in every sip he took of his tea. He was like that once: scared, angry, betrayed, and alone.

But with a strange twist of fate, his life changed for the better. He found people he could trust. He met the love of his life. Unbelievably, he even married her, slowly earning her respect and eventually, her heart. And now, Hwang Hyunjin was no longer the boy with a crown too heavy and a life too lonely. He had people he cared about deeply, he had people he wanted to protect with his whole being. Especially…

“Papa! Papa!”

Hyunjin’s ears perked up as the large, ornate wooden doors of the hall creaked open ever so slightly, and a pitter patter of frantic footsteps bounded into the throne room. Almost immediately, he felt a smile grace his face, all the tension draining out of his posture as he gazed at the little girl, his darling daughter. 

Even the most stone-hearted envoys and esteemed guests could not hide their smiles as the girl ran excitedly towards her father, “Papa!” She giggled again, clumsily climbing up the steps to the throne.

Hyunjin’s heart fluttered with pride as he watched his daughter clamber up the marble steps, and for a split second, the image of her sitting on the throne as the next queen flashed across his mind. One baby step at a time, he reminded himself, and he stood up, easily picking up the girl as she gripped onto his sleeves.

“Naeun,” he brushed the baby hairs out of her face and smiled at her rosy cheeks. Time and time again, he was reminded of how much his daughter had begun to resemble the both of you. She had his doe eyes, but her smile, that was all you. 

The meeting became completely irrelevant to Hyunjin as he lavished all of his attention on her, “What are you doing here?”

Naeun, who was breathing heavily from all the running she had done, huffed and pouted rather sternly, “Mama said that if you stay in the office all night again, mama will dwag you back to the bedwoom.” 

Hyunjin fought the urge to laugh, utterly charmed by Naeun’s petulant words. How hard had she prepared to relay such a fiery message? He climbed up the remaining steps with the girl in his arms and sat back down comfortably on the throne, gently placing her on his lap.

“Papa is very sorry,” he said solemnly, bringing her little hand to his lips so he could kiss the back of it, making her giggle and squirm, “Did your mama send you here to tell me that?”

“Nope! But mama miss you!” Naeun replied brightly, and by this point, none of the guests were able to hide their endeared smiles and chuckles. Hyunjin felt a strange rush of both protectiveness and pride as he observed how easily Naeun had stolen the spotlight in the room with her joy and her innocence. It must be a father instinct that he was beginning to develop.

“Ah, mama misses me?” Hyunjin didn’t even know his heart was capable of containing such unbridled happiness and love as he smiled at his daughter. Naeun nodded firmly, and Hyunjin rubbed her back as he smoothed down her pretty princess dress, making sure she was comfortable before addressing the guests.

“My apologies for the interruption,” he said with perfect politeness, ever the ideal host. As expected, not many people were even the slightest bit annoyed by the disturbance, and they all waved off his apology, continuing the casual conversations about trade, finances, and commerce.

When it was all over, and Hyunjin was finally able to adjourn with all meetings and any other activities he’d scheduled to entertain his foreign guests, he eagerly walked down the hallways to the royal chambers, with Naeun safely nestled in his arms.

“Papa?”

“Yes, my little one?” He replied, letting her rest her chin on his shoulder.

“What’s fin..finan…” Naeun’s face scrunched up with effort as she tried to put the word back together from her memory. 

Hyunjin smiled fondly; he’d noticed her eagerly listening during the meeting, trying to soak in all the new knowledge that was coming her way. Naeun was good at de-escalating tensions, especially when she did her usual thing of barging into meetings without a care in the world, but Hyunjin also liked to let her stay in meetings because the little toddler seemed genuinely interested. She never seemed like she wanted to be anywhere else, only blinking from person to person with her large doe eyes. 

“Finance?” He supplied helpfully, and Naeun nodded into his shoulder, “It’s grown up stuff.”

“I like grown up stuff,” Naeun said with all the seriousness that a three year old could muster.

Hyunjin laughed, “I know you do, petal,” he hummed, thinking of a good way to explain the concept, “You know when you like to play house with your dolls and Uncle Changbin?”

Naeun immediately brightened at that. She loved playing house with Uncle Changbin! He was always a bit grumpy, a bit reluctant, but they always had a great tea party whenever her mama and papa were busy. 

“Mhm!”

“And you always like to trade certain dolls for the dolls that Changbin brings?” Hyunjin asked. Once again, he felt enormous gratitude to his personal commander, Seo Changbin, for going beyond the responsibilities of duty to take care of Naeun. As much as you and Hyunjin tried however you could to make time for her, with royal duties, parties, meetings, and work, it was just impossible to spend large amounts of time with your lovely daughter.

“Mhm! Uncle Changbin brings pwetty dolls!” Naeun nodded.

Hyunjin felt the smile grow on his face as he held her in his arms. He’d been smiling more often ever since Naeun was born, “Exactly. And you always have to give a few of your old ones to get the new, right? Or choose a few toys to give to Uncle Changbin so he can donate them to the capitol orphanages?”

Naeun only nodded curiously. 

“That, in a way, is finance. Of course, it’s a little more boring than trading dolls, though,” Hyunjin tickled her tummy with his finger, distracting her as she wiggled and squealed. Truth be told, Hyunjin didn’t want Naeun to grow up so quickly, even if that was all she wanted to do. Hyunjin didn’t remember anything from his childhood except textbooks, lectures, and a crushing pressure from his father and mother to live up to their expectations. He would never wish that upon his daughter.

After one more turn around the corner, they finally arrived at the Royal Chambers, with Changbin and Felix standing guard on both sides of the entrance. 

“Hi, Uncle Changbin! Hi, Uncle Lixie!” Despite their attempts to teach Naeun royal protocol about how to address the Kingsguard, she had little regard for it, opting to wave from the safety of her father’s arms. 

Changbin’s normally passive, almost grumpy expression melted ever so slightly as he waved back at her.  Despite his constant statements about not wanting to marry and not wanting to start a family, having Naeun made Hyunjin realize that his commander was surprisingly good with children. But if anyone so much as mentioned it, Changbin would deny any evidence of such allegations. Felix, on the other hand, was absolutely besotted with the little girl and made no attempts to hide it.

“Hi, little princess!” He smiled, opening the doors to the most private section of the palace. Hyunjin chuckled, nodding respectfully to both men before walking in. 

“Now, where’s your mama?” Hyunjin murmured. Of course, you were supposed to be in the bedroom, but Hyunjin knew you better than that. 

Naeun giggled, as if she knew you were breaking some sort of rule, and pointed to the study, “There!” 

“Thank you, petal,” Hyunjin booped her nose fondly before walking into the study, creaking the door open slowly as not to startle you. 

Every time his eyes fell to you, he would be swept with a newfound love that was stronger and more powerful than the time before. Even though your back was turned slightly away, and he could only see the slight curve of your lips and the profile of you from the side, Hyunjin knew without a doubt that you were the most beautiful woman in the world. 

You didn’t seem to notice your family walking in, lost in thought as you stared at the window, a piece of parchment in your hand. Hyunjin smiled, knowing how concentrated you can get when it came to state affairs. He put a finger to his lips, indicating to his daughter to be quiet. Naeun covered her mouth with her little hands, nodding as he very gently placed her on the fluffy carpet so she could play with the toys on the ground.

“I believe the doctor’s orders were for you to stay in bed?” Hyunjin murmured softly as he gently draped a woolen shawl over your shoulders, his arms snaking around you from behind. Maybe you did know he was around, since you didn't seem startled by his presence and only smiled as his hands rested on your tummy.

“We have guests in our palace. How can I stay in bed when there’s so much to do?” You replied, leaning into his arms and physically relaxing against him.

“You can just leave the work to me,” Hyunjin pouted a little, feeling guilty that he wasn’t able to handle the entire burden of royal duties. He couldn’t when you were pregnant with Naeun, and he couldn’t now. His hands rubbed your tummy through the silk nightgown as he gently placed his chin on your shoulder, murmuring, “It’s not good for the baby…”

Every time Hyunjin touched your tummy, it made you airy with disbelief and awe at how fortunate you were to have him. When you were a princess, long long ago, you’d never expected yourself to look forward to starting a family. But with Hyunjin, Naeun brought so much joy in your lives that neither of you could help but want another, and your prayers were answered when you became pregnant again around the time Naeun turned three. 

Part of why you were willing was because it awed you every time you saw how much Hyunjin cared. You knew how kings were, always drowning in their work, their duty, which always led them to crave independence, and then occasionally, turning to other women than their lawful wife. You knew that was the norm. Care, much less love, was something that royal women would be lucky to have.

Yet, Hyunjin gave it to you in the spades. Hyunjin cared, Hyunjin loved so much. You saw it every time he looked at you, you saw it every time he would gingerly place the crown upon your head before formal gatherings. You saw it every time he’d keep you close at parties, made sure everyone knew how much he valued you and your opinion. You saw it every time he looked at Naeun, his eyes sparkling with childlike wonder that could only be reflected in your daughter’s own eyes.

And now, with the two of you expecting another child, you saw it in his fretting, his worrying, his constant attempts to keep you safe and healthy, even if he was a little overbearing.

“The doctor never said a little bit of work would harm the baby,” you pointed out, tilting your head back to look into his eyes as you cupped his cheek, “I’m checking myself, I promise.”

“I’m sure you are,” Hyunjin chuckled, and he could no longer stop himself, his lips pressing against  yours in a gentle kiss as he hugged you. You only hummed happily against his lips, enjoying the moment when you were suddenly interrupted.

“Yuckie!” Naeun squeaked out, causing both of you to pull away with a laugh. The princess was sitting on the ground with a soft plushie in her arms as she looked at her parents with disgust.

You burst into giggles, pulling away from Hyunjin to walk over to her, “Yuckie? It’s yuckie that your parents are in love?” You asked teasingly, pinching her cheek. Naeun giggled, trying to run away as Hyunjin suddenly lifted her up from behind, placing her in his lap.

“Kisses are yuckie!” She squealed, making both of you laugh as Hyunjin tickled her tummy.

Hyunjin smiled, chuckling, “Don’t ever let me catch you kissing someone else,” he warned. In all honesty, the idea of his precious daughter falling in love made his blood boil unreasonably. Especially in the royal realm, it was so hard to determine which ones were good and which ones were only hiding behind the mask of benevolence. Just the thought of Naeun falling in love, Naeun getting her heart broken by some good for nothing prince…

“My love,” Hyunjin’s eyes widened as he felt a gentle hand on his arm. You smiled fondly, almost as you already knew exactly what he was thinking, as you always did, “Baby steps, alright? She’s not at that age yet.”

“Baby steps!” Naeun chorused, although oblivious to the conversation at hand. 

Hyunjin felt himself relax, and he engulfed his daughter in a big hug, letting her snuggle into his chest, “Yes, baby steps,” he murmured as he left a kiss in her hair.

.

“What do you mean, they won’t allow it?” You asked angrily, following Hyunjin into his study as he ran a frantic hand through his hair.

Hyunjin sank into his chair, frustration clear in his face as he glanced up at you, “The letter from the council came back. Apparently, there were some strong voices of protest, and eventually they decided to rule against it. They won’t accept Naeun as the heir.”

“That’s ridiculous!” You snapped, feeling steam practically radiating from your ears, “She’s the eldest child, our first born! They've had three years to observe her, and she's performed well in all subjects. She’s practically a genius!" 

You whirled around, tightening the shawl around your frame as you made up your mind to go to the council yourself when Hyunjin rushed over, intercepting you as he gently grabbed your arms, “Y/N, my darling,” you shook your head, not in the mood for his cajoling and gentle attention.

“I’m going to talk to them. They were relenting a couple months ago! I don’t see why--”

“Hey, hey, breathe,” Hyunjin’s voice was suddenly stern, his hands running up and down your back to soothe you, “Calm down, love. Please. Think of the baby.”

You froze, the fight beginning to drain out of you as you tried to take deep breaths. Hyunjin’s hand trailed to your wrist, subtly taking note of your pulse to ensure that you were still alright. 

“I know you’re angry. So am I,” Hyunjin spoke, stepping closer to you and cupping your face in his gentle hands. Your eyes closed at his touch, feeling his warm embrace as his comforting presence, “But we need to deal with this slowly. There are foreign envoys still here, remember? We can’t go barging around the palace like we normally do, not until they leave.”

You huffed, knowing that Hyunjin was right, but still feeling churlishly angry at the news, “So we just wait?”

“We’ll discuss it once more when the council meeting is held again,” Hyunjin suggested, brushing a strand of hair away from your face, “I’m sure they’ll cave. Naeun is a perfect contender, the perfect candidate for the next heir. She’s just not what they’re used to.”

“And what are they used to? A son?” You said mockingly, your anger fueled by the ridiculous laws that were still in place. Your kingdom had long since done away with such petty things as male only rules, but it seemed like Hyunjin's kingdom was a little more traditional. 

“Yes, and you know how stubborn they are about it” Hyunjin murmured, palming your stomach, “They’re waiting for this little one.”

“They don’t even know if it’s going to be a boy,” you scoffed, but you could feel yourself relaxing in Hyunjin’s arms. The two of you were so alike and yet so different. Hyunjin was the cooling water to your raging firestorm. And you were the spark that light his ice cold heart alight with love for the first time all those years ago.

Hyunjin hummed at your comment, gently nuzzling his nose against your cheek, “I think it will be. Otherwise, I'd be awfully outnumbered in this family,” he said softly, kissing your cheek as he continued, “But no matter. I still want my precious Naeun to be the crown princess. The council just has stick up their ass.”

“Hyunjin!” You slapped his arm, pulling away to walk towards his study, sitting in the chair as you felt the baby kick once again.

The king only laughed at your glare, immediately rushing to your side as he took your hand, “The baby’s bothering you again, huh?” He asked, his eyes filled with wonder as he stared at your tummy. It was a silent, yet rather apparent question to you, asking whether he had permission to touch. It was almost adorable how childishly excited Hyunjin would get at the thought of his own children.

You gently placed his hand over the fabric of your dress, right over where you’d felt a slight kick just before, “It’s not a bother,” you said gently, “How can it be a bother when it reassures me that our child is safe and healthy?”

Hyunjin’s expression was nothing short of entranced as he felt a push against the palm of his hand, “I love you,” he murmured as he glanced at you, and he leaned forward to press his cheek against your tummy, to which you only smiled fondly and ran a hand through his hair.

“I love them, too,” he spoke to your stomach, as he had no doubt that your unborn child would hear it and know just how much their father cared.

The two of you stayed in that position, basking in the monetary relaxation for a moment longer, your hands gently running through his hair as he rested his head on your lap. It was definitely not a position that either of you would want to be caught in, but Hyunjin found himself rather fond of it, being able to let go of his responsibilities and rely on you for comfort without being anxious. 

You sat for a moment longer before a particular piece of parchment on Hyunjin's desk caught your eye, and you quickly reached for it as your husband continued to rest comfortably on your lap.

“There’s a party tomorrow night?” You asked, scanning the contents over as your free hand gently carded through his hair.

“Mhm, the envoys are leaving the morning after, so it has to be grand,” Hyunjin mumbled lazily in return, his eyes shut from mild exhaustion.

You hummed, putting the parchment down as you said softly, “If it’s the final dinner, shouldn’t I be there? I haven’t seen any of our guests except on the first day. It would be impolite if I missed the last event, too.”

“No,” Hyunjin’s grip tightened imperceptibly as he gently held your waist, lifting his head up to meet your eyes, “They understand your situation. It’s only natural that you haven’t been at all the events,” he said firmly, his hand absently moving towards your stomach.

“It’s still impolite. I should probably go,” you said softly, resting your hand over his, “We don’t want our guests to leave with a bad taste in their mouth.” 

Hyunjin looked uncertain, his eyes pleading with you as he pressed his lips to your knuckles, “If something happens…”

“Nothing will happen, my darling,” you cooed, trying to reassure your love as you sensed his fear. Hyunjin, underneath his cold words and powerful gaze, was just as human as any other man.

“It’s just a party. I won’t even dance, alright?” You continued with a cajoling smile, brushing your thumb against his cheek bone, “I just have to be there, Hyunjin. It’s my duty.” 

Hyunjin’s eyes fluttered shut as he melted against your touch, leaning his cheek into your hand and sighing softly, “I know I can’t change your mind,” he said, “You’re just stubborn like that, and I love it more than you know. But it scares me so much.” 

“It scares you?” You repeated his words, waiting patiently for him to elaborate. 

The king nodded, looking so vulnerable in your arms that you were afraid he’d break, “What if something happens? What if, one day, you overestimate yourself and you lose the baby? Or worse,” Hyunjin kissed your palm, holding your wrist in his hand as he gazed upon you with more pain in his eyes than you’ve ever seen.

“What if I lose you, too?”

Your heart shattered at the fear and the sheer amount of unconditional love that glistened in his eyes whenever they met yours, “Oh, Hyunjin,” you sighed, leaning forward to be closer to him, “It won't come to that.”

But Hyunjin couldn't hear reason at this point, frightening himself as he held your hand, “I can't rule this kingdom without you, without your love. You're the first happiness I've ever had in this lifetime.” 

“Hyunjin, you can and you have,” you argued, reaching to lace your fingers with his, “You were ruling wonderfully before we met.”

“It's not the same, darling, and you know it,” Hyunjin answered, kissing the pulse point of your wrist daintily, “You made me a better person and a better king.”

You couldn't help but smile adoringly, reaching your other hand to run your fingers through his soft hair, “I'm glad. You made my life happier than I ever dreamed it could be.”

Hyunjin sighed, melting into your touch. As always, he felt weightless in your arms, free of burden and responsibility. He didn't have to think of anything but you and him.

But alas, there was still a problem at hand. 

“Do you really want to attend the party?” He asked softly into the fabric of your dress, one of the comfortable ones he'd ordered to be specially made for you when the two of you discovered that you were expecting a second time.

“I do, Hyunjin. I think it's best that I take my place beside you, at least once before they leave. It'll quell any rumors about us and about my supposed ill health,” you explained your reasoning, understanding Hyunjin’s doubts but still feeling strongly about going all the same.

Hyunjin’s eyes opened slowly and he nodded in resignation as he stood up, “Alright. I won't stop you. But, my love, at least let me assign Changbin and Felix to you as your guards for the night.”

“Both of them?” You asked, standing up slowly to maintain your balance. Hyunjin didn't leave your side for a moment, holding your arm in case you fell, “Isn't that a bit much?” 

“It would make me less anxious to know you're well guarded,” Hyunjin pleaded with you, fixing the shawl around your shoulders as the two of you walked out of the study. It was already quite late in the evening, with Naeun having been sent to bed long before. 

Your fingers intertwined naturally, and the two of you headed to your chambers, ready for a long night's rest, “Alright, assign both of them to me,” you relented, “I still think it’s a bit overkill.”

“You’d be walking around the town without a single guard if we went with what you thought was overkill,” Hyunjin chuckled, beginning to shed his uniform.

“Not true,” you protested weakly as you climbed into bed, already in your nightgown.

Hyunjin joined you soon after, engulfing you in his arms and his comforting scent as you let out a sigh of contentment, burrowing in his embrace, “Let’s get some rest, alright?” You said, sleepiness laced in your voice as you hummed softly, “I love you.”

“I love you, too, my darling,” Hyunjin murmured his response without a moment of hesitation, as if he’d been waiting all his life to tell you, “so much.”

.

Parties were hectic enough already, even more so when you had a hyperactive toddler to manage on top of the plethora of things that could already go wrong, from the banquet food to the entertainment. 

"Weeee!" Naeun squealed, running around the bedroom like a madman and trying to escape changing into her party dress. 

Before she could slip away, you managed to snag an arm around her waist, lifting her into your arms with a grunt, “Where do you think you're going, little princess?”

Naeun pouted, whining as she wiggled in your grasp, “Want to go play! Want to find papa!” She said with a huff. 

“Papa is busy right now,” you said patiently as you gently plopped her on the bed, trying to help her out of her nightgown while Naeun fussed, obviously not wanting to do as she was told.

“But I want to play with papa!” She protested as she eventually lifted her arms, letting you help her change. 

You sighed as you helped her into the beautiful golden dress, the fabric laced with ruffles and sparkling thread that was fit for any little princess.

“Papa is a little busy, alright?” You spoke gently, trying to make your lecture sound less like a scolding and more of an explanation, “There have been guests in Mama and Papa's home for the last few days, and Papa has been busy taking care of them.”

“B-but...what about me?” Naeun’s lower lip quivered dramatically, and you fought the urge to smile at how utterly adorable she was, “Papa take care of me!”

“You don't think Papa takes care of you?” You asked, raising an eyebrow, “Papa spends all his free time with you, Naeunie. Papa takes caring for you very, very seriously.”

Naeun pouted still, her lip jutting out petulantly, but she let her head fall. Even for a three year old, the little girl was awfully perceptive, and knew when she'd lost an argument. And in her heart of hearts, she knew that her parents really did move heaven and earth to make her their top priority.

“Papa no stop taking care of me?” She asked softly as you buttoned the pearl clasp around her collar.

“No, my little one,” you answered with a gentle smile as you fixed her hair, “Papa and Mama will always take care of you. When this is all over, how about we stay a week at the summer residence? Just you, papa and me, and we'll have all the time in the world to play with you.”

Naeun gasped, bouncing on the bed, “Weally? Just us?”

“If you want, you can drag your Uncle Changbin to come with us, too,” you said slyly as you booped her nose, but instead of scrunching her face playfully as she always did, Naeun suddenly looked ashamed, head tilted downward as if she’d done something naughty and then felt guilty about it after the fact.

You were immediately concerned, “Little one?” You prodded, gently trying to tilt her chin up so she’d look at you, “Little one, what’s happened? You can tell Mama anything.”

Naeun hiccuped slightly, and your heart ached as you realized that she was on the verge of tears, “Mama, ‘m sorry,” she mumbled softly, eyes glittering with unshed tears and you quickly sat on the bed, pulling her into your lap.

“Why are you sorry, Naeunie?” You asked, trying not to sound frantic, worried, or anything that might frighten her more.

“Papa said Mama is tired, and that I shouldn’t bother Mama,” Naeun explained, large droplets beginning to roll down her rosy cheeks as she wailed, “But I’ve been bad bad! I make Mama worry!”

You tried to stifle your incredulous laughter as your daughter clung onto you, wailing dramatically as if the world was about to end. So that was what got her so worked up all of a sudden.

“Silly little thing,” you teased, cradling her in your arms as best you could with the bump of your stomach getting in the way. Still, you nuzzled your nose against her cheek, wiping her tears, “It’s mama’s job to worry. You’re a perfectly good girl, Naeunie. Mama and Papa are so lucky to have a precious girl like you.”

Naeun’s shoulders slowly began to shake as she rubbed her eyes, “Like me?” She repeated, a tinge of innocent hope and adoration laced in her voice that always raised your protective instincts, the instinct to shield her from any harm that this world could throw at her.

You smiled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear as you spoke softly, “Just like you. Mama and Papa love you to the moon and back.” 

“And I love Mama and Papa, too! So so muchie!” Naeun parroted back happily, smiling with all the life and brightness that both you and Hyunjin lacked in your own childhoods. Maybe that was why the two of you were so determined to be there for Naeun in every way possible, to make sure that she knew she was so very loved. Because neither of you received that type of acceptance when you were children.

“Good girl,” you said, kissing her forehead once more before smoothing down her dress, “Are you ready to go?”

“Mm!” She nodded, clambering off the bed and standing tall, “Will Papa be at party, too?”

“Your papa is already there,” you chuckled to yourself, taking your daughter’s little hand and heading out of the bedroom.

Outside, both Felix and Changbin were waiting for you, dressed impeccably for the formal occasion. In normal circumstances, it would only be one of them waiting for you while the other guarded Hyunjin, but the king had not allowed any exceptions. Both of the strongest in the Kingsguard must be by your side for the day.

“Sorry for the wait,” you said to both of them as Naeun slipped away from you, skipping over to her two uncles, going especially for one in particular.

“Uncle Changbin, Uncle Changbin!” The man grunted as he caught her in his arms, shifting so she was eye level with him, her bright smile contrasting with his typical frown.

Felix walked with you as Changbin and Naeun entered their own little world, with the young toddler prattling his ears off and the commander listening with surprising attentiveness, “She plays favorites,” Felix complained playfully, clutching a hand to his heart as he stayed by your side.

“She definitely does,” you agreed with a fond smile, keeping an eye on your daughter as you walked down the halls, a hand resting on your tummy as you glanced at the man beside you, “Hyunjin is at the party, right? How is he doing?”

“When will the two of you ever not worry about one another?” Felix laughed, shaking his head, “Hyunjin caught me on the way up to your bedroom, asking about you as well.”

You shrugged, the sound and clamor of crowds and partying beginning to be apparent as you neared the ballroom, “That’s just married life, Felix. Trying to put the other person before yourself,” you glanced at him, the gaze in your eyes shifting into something more mischievous as you opened your mouth, “And maybe, you--”

“Nope! Not happening!” Felix interrupted you cheerfully, “You and His Majesty have just been on my ass about it, and it’s not happening!”

“Oh, but Lixie,” you laughed with him, taking his arm as you walked down the marble steps, “it’s really not all that bad!”

Felix’s gaze was soft as he gently patted your hand. He’d been assigned to the Kingsguard right around the time you were crowned Queen, and there was a sort of camaraderie that formed between the two of you from trying to navigate the ups and downs of palace life. He was a good confidante, and you very much valued his happiness.

“I’m happy here,” he said gently, looking into your eyes with his bright and genuine ones, “I’m happy looking after people that I care about. And for now, I don’t ever want to lose that.” 

You sighed, a smile gracing your face as you shook your head, “Alright. But if you ever change your mind…”

“You and His Majesty would be the first to know,” Felix promised.

The doors swung open, and the crowd quickly stood at attention as you entered the ballroom. Your gaze hardened ever so slightly, and your posture shifted, taking the persona of the respected queen that you were to the eyes of your people. Before you were a mother, or a wife, you were a symbol, an anchor of virtue.

Even Naeun was on her best behavior as she walked down with Changbin, holding his little pinky as she climbed down the steps. She seemed to sense her own importance, and did her very best not to mess up, making you break character for a moment as you smiled.

Your eyes caught sight of your husband standing near the throne, and his eyes twinkled with adoration when your gazes met. He put down his glass of champagne, quickly gliding through the room to receive you.

“God, he’s whipped for you, Your Majesty,” Felix muttered under his breath, “Does the honeymoon period never end--ow!” A discrete finger jab to the side was enough to shut him up.

Hyunjin’s smile was small and hidden, reserved just for your eyes as you made it to the bottom step, “Don’t you look beautiful, my Queen,” he murmured, chastely kissing the back of your hand before pecking your lips.

“Jinnie, not here,” you scolded lightly, letting him take your hand as Naeun rushed over, the crowd cooing with delight. Naeun had only been present in a handful of engagements before this particular party, and the people were still fully immersed in baby fever, entranced by the little girl.

“Papa!” She jumped at him, your husband bending down and catching her easily.

“Oh, my little petal!” His smile was bright as he held her securely, spinning her around, “Ready for dinner?”

“Mhm!” Naeun nodded, but not before placing a big kiss on her father’s cheek, “Miss you!”

You couldn’t help but giggle, watching as the princess’s actions completely melted the crowed. She was definitely a natural. You remembered what you were like as a three year-old, scared, terrified, and always trying to hide behind your mother’s skirt even as she forced you to be independent. 

Naeun didn’t need that push, and you were grateful.

Hyunjin carried Naeun in one arm and escorted you with the other. Your eyes scanned the room, automatically taking note of certain esteemed guests and nobles. In the edge of the room, you noticed a few council members sitting together at a table, refusing to stand at attention for your entrance. 

"Is everything ready?" You asked as you carefully sat down beside Hyunjin, "The dinner, the entertainment-" 

“It’s all done,” Hyunjin smiled, pecking your lips before he placed Naeun in her chair beside his golden one, making sure she was sitting still, “Nothing to worry about.”

You smiled, grateful that your husband was so accommodating and willing to handle so much of the work while you needed your rest. Gesturing to one of the maids, you waved your hand, requesting her to start ushering the guests to their seats as food was about to be served.

As you continued to observe the room, making sure everything was running smoothly, you felt a gentle hand take yours, rubbing it soothingly.

“I haven’t seen you all day. I missed you,” Hyunjin murmured into your ear, making you blush slightly. Even after all these years, his forwardness always flustered you, made you feel like a giddy young princess rather than an experienced queen.

“Hyunjin, come on...not here,” you whispered back, letting his hand glide to your stomach, hidden from everyone’s view by the table in front of you. 

“I just wanted to make sure you were alright,” Hyunjin protested in a playful tone, gently patting your tummy before pulling away and gaining back some of his kingly aura right as the first dishes were served.

The banquet went without much of a hitch, to your relief. The atmosphere was overall genial and it didn’t seem like any of your guests had malicious intentions. Hyunjin, of course, grew a little ruffled when one of the young boys from the envoy’s family, no older than five, asked to dance with Naeun, but you argued that it was rather endearing to see the children stumble around the dance floor.

“Mama, that was really fun!” Naeun reported happily when she was sitting back in her seat, her hair slightly messy from twirling so much, “Want to do it again!”

“Never, not while I’m still alive,” Hyunjin muttered, rubbing his eyes halfheartedly as the memory of his precious little girl dancing with a boy replayed in his head. 

You laughed at the two of them, reaching over to fix Naeun’s hairdo so she didn’t look like an absolute mess for the rest of the evening, “I think your father wouldn’t be very happy with that,” you said teasingly, kissing her forehead just as the crown prince approached your table with a glass of fine wine in his hand.

“Your Majesties,” he spoke respectfully, exuding the perfect mixture of gracefulness and charisma as he bowed, “If I could do the honor of making a toast for the occasion?”

Of course, the request was posed as a question, merely to play to the ego and the pride of the hosts, but a toast was usually not something you could refuse. Doing so meant bad blood, tensions, potential rifts in foreign relations. Besides, the prince didn’t look malicious; you normally had a good sense of intuition about people, and the man standing before you and Hyunjin didn’t raise any red flags.

Hyunjin didn’t seem to sense anything either, and with a courteous smile, he waved his hand in agreement, “The trade deals we’ve made this time around are definitely a reason for celebration,” he said, “Although, I’ll have to drink on behalf of the Queen as well.”

The prince smiled at that, gesturing to one of his servants as they walked towards the table, bringing two gold encrusted wine glasses towards you, “We would never want to leave Her Majesty out. In consideration of her pregnancy, I’ve brought a specialty drink created from a fruit that is grown only in our country. It is harmless to the body, and said to bring good health and longevity to expecting mothers.”

Gasps and noises of approval filled the air as you tilted your head inquisitively, looking at the wine glass being presented to you. You could feel Hyunjin’s hesitancy, and you studied the prince’s expression carefully, but there really didn’t seem to be anything wrong. There wasn’t any point in making a big fuss over nothing.

Delicately, your fingers wrapped around the glass, picking it up and looking at the orange liquid. Hyunjin watched you carefully before doing the same with his glass, which held red wine like everyone else.

The prince smiled, relief obvious in his posture as he held up his own glass. He obviously had worried that you might reject the gift, thinking that it overstepped boundaries. 

“May our kingdoms stay allies through peace and through strife. To friendship!”

The crowd chorused the sentiment as you merely lifted the glass to your mouth, the liquid just about to touch your lips when you froze.

That scent. You remembered it when your physician had warned you against certain plants that were harmful to your body. As the queen of two nations, you were an obvious target, and there was never any telling with when someone with a cruel heart could slip a poison into your food or water. The scent was almost imperceptible, but you knew it was there.

Someone was trying to poison you, and they chose the most opportune time to do so.

Watching as the prince and your husband both downed their glasses, your brain was working a mile a minute, scrambling for a way out. You could you say outright that there was poison in the glass. That would put both your own staff and your guests in a terrible position. You didn’t have any proof that it was actually the prince who was trying to harm you, and making those accusations would all but tear the alliance apart. 

Your heart must’ve been pounding so loudly that the people around you could hear. You kept your face placidly calm as you decided on your course of action, and very subtly tapped your finger against the wine glass three times, a signal that Changbin had taught you in order to alert the Kingsguard of danger.

Both Changbin and Felix saw your movement, and so did Hyunjin out of the corner of his eye. He turned, his expression slowly morphing into shocked anger, something you had not wanted to happen. Thinking quickly, you pretended to choke, coughing up a storm as you managed to put the glass down.

Felix walked forward and was beside you in an instant, catching on to your actions. He handed you a handkerchief, gently patting your back as Changbin was also by your side, a concerned expression crossing his face as he stood guard.

“Are you alright, Your Majesty?” Felix asked, keeping the attention on you as he discreetly slid the glass to the side, letting Changbin collect it and take it away, ensuring that it was as far away from you as possible.

“Y-yes,” you smiled shakily, pressing the handkerchief against your lips, “Just got startled when the baby kicked.”

The people around you, Hyunjin and Felix, instantly saw through your lie, but knew better than to question your words when everyone’s eyes were on you. You finally glanced at your husband, your anxiety spiking when you saw the way he looked at you, eyes filled with uncontrollable fury. 

Someone had really tried to hurt you, really tried to take his happiness right out from his grasp.

You placed a hand on his, and gave it a warning squeeze, “I’m alright, love, there’s no need to fret,” you cooed, putting on a show of calming him down so that his anger might be taken as anxiety instead.

Hyunjin caught onto your cues, and did his best to control the murderous emotions threatening to bubble out of his chest. Luckily enough, there was another distraction that waddled over, effectively putting the whole situation at rest.

“Mama! Are you alright?” Naeun ran over, her expression overly worried as she stood beside you, her little hands grabbing blindly for you and wanting to be held. As she was watching her Uncle Changbin, she’d panicked when he did, automatically thinking that something bad had happened to her mother.

“Oh, my little one, nothing happened. See?” You comforted her, bringing her hands to your cheeks as you smiled, “Mama is fine.”

“My deepest apologies, Your Majesty!” The prince stammered out as you gently placed Naeun in your lap, giving into her cries to be close to you, “I did not mean to cause you harm. Not in the slightest.”

“And you did not,” you spoke gracefully, a hand lightly squeezing your husband’s leg under the table as you took control of the conversation, sensing that the man was no longer thinking rationally. Hyunjin already suspected the prince as the main culprit, and any words that would leave his mouth from here on would be far from pleasant.

You smiled serenely, looking at the prince, “There was no harm done. Pregnancies are always unpredictable.”

The prince nodded, his expression still anxious as he excused himself and took his seat back with his family. Looking at his frazzled expression, the idea that the person who was looking to poison you was less likely to be him.

“Hyunjin, snap that glare off your face. People are beginning to notice,” you hissed in his ear as people began to dance and mingle now that the dinner part of the banquet was done. Naeun was still in your arms, having fallen asleep. It was far past her normal bed time, after all.

But Hyunjin’s fury was just barely contained, “How can I? Someone tried to hurt you, Y/N. Someone tried to do so right before my very eyes, right under the noses of our Kingsguard,” he spoke under his breath, the cold glint in his eyes growing stronger with every moment. The Hwang Hyunjin of old, the ruthless king that ruled without mercy, was returning, and you needed to stop him quickly.

“Making a ruckus will not serve us any good,” you said softly, continuing to bounce Naeun lightly on your lap.

“He needs to know what happens if he hurts a member of the royal family,” Hyunjin’s glare shifted to the prince, who was dancing with his wife amongst the crowd.

“It isn’t him, Hyunjin,” you took his hand, lacing your fingers together, “I’m sure it isn’t.”

“Then who?” He rounded on you, eyes filled with pain and anger as he tried to hide it from nosy onlookers, leaning closer to press a kiss to the crown of your head, “Who would dare hurt the most precious person in my life?”

“I don’t know, Hyunjin. But now isn’t the time to play detective. Let’s get through this party first, alright?” You asked soothingly just as Naeun shifted in your arms, mumbling.

“Papa…”

Hyunjin faltered at that weak cry, and you smiled in relief as you carefully handed Naeun to her father. The king held her in his lap, using her as his anchor. 

"Oh, my little petal," he sighed, letting the girl slump into his chest as she slept soundly, unaware of the turmoil raging through her father's heart. Hyunjin held her close, kissing her hair, and you were able to observe the party absently, letting yourself calm down after a near experience with death.

Who could've done it? The very idea of lacing the queen's drink with poison, and quite possibly starting a war in the process, would scare almost anyone away. It had to be someone with much more to gain from the incident, someone that feels sure enough of their position that they see the act through knowing it could never be traced back to them. 

You sat in relative silence for the rest of the evening, choosing to observe rather than participate as the guests enjoyed the many festivities you'd planned for the evening. One particular man, sitting at the table to your right, who looked suspiciously upset for such a joyous occasion, caught your eye. 

His motives certainly aligned, and he was of high enough status that he probably didn't even have to personally orchestrate any of it to happen. 

Could it be...? There was only one way to quell your suspicions. 

. 

The party ended uneventfully, and soon, many of the guests began to trickle out of the palace gates, ready to retire for the night. One man opted to take a less crowded route back to his estate, cutting through the palace passageways instead of braving the cold and the people. After all, he was no longer in a sociable mood after the events of the night. 

He should've  known it wasn't going to be so easy. The queen was not only royalty, she was an experienced general as well. It shouldn't have been such a surprise that she sniffed out the little surprise so easily. 

Still, even if it was to be expected, it was still a disappointment. If only she wasn't around, things would be so much simpler. He would've been able to further secure his position, maybe even take control of the military. Oh, the possibilities for him were endless if only- 

"General Lee Minho. It's quite late for you to still be here in my palace." 

If only you weren't around to stop him. 

Maintaining his composure, Minto turned around, giving you a perfect bow, "Your Majesty, I didn't mean to impose. I was merely trying to get home-" 

"Why did you do it?" 

Never one to beat around the bush, were you? 

Minho gave you a saccharine smile, his heart still relatively at ease. You had no proof. There was nothing that could connect the act to him. 

"Your Majesty, I don't believe I understand." 

It must've been the wrong thing to say. Your eyebrow raised inquisitively, and you took a step forward, your eyes cold and unwavering. You must've learned a thing or two from your besotted husband.  

"You're a cunning man, General. Our kingdoms profit off your intellect and your strategy," you said, looking straight into his own unflinching gaze.

"In fact, your cunning is the only reason you are still alive." 

The air seemed to grow thinner in an instant, and the pleasantries all but faded from Minho’s expression. You weren't inquiring, you knew it was him. This encounter was merely icing on the cake for you. The general was suddenly aware that the halls were completely empty save for the two of you, and there was not a sound to be heard. Not the sounds of a servant fetching water, or a maid finishing up her errands. Nothing.

Minho pursed his lips, giving you an unreadable gaze, “I wouldn't advise threatening me in your condition,” he commented, eyes falling deliberately to the swell of your stomach.

You couldn't help but smile in amusement at his thinly veiled threat, “I assure you, General, I am perfectly safe.”

“Oh?” Minho raised an eyebrow at your words, “And I suppose one of your two dogs that you call the Kingsguard is hiding just around the corner, waiting for a movement that would put you in danger before cutting me down.”

The silence screamed under the midnight sky, and the candles illuminating the hallway seemed to flicker as your smile turned icy.

“Do you really think I need Felix to intercede in order for me to kill you?”

Your words were barely audible, and could've easily passed as the murmurings of the wind, but for the first time, Minho didn't feel safe. There was something about the glint in your eyes, the way you stood before him like a storm just waiting to tear through him. 

All this time, Minho had not worried about the consequences of his actions. He did not believe that you were in a position to raise a finger at him, especially since the nobles were on his side. You were the former princess of a foreign kingdom, after all. You were the disadvantaged one here. If anything, he was worried what the king might do if his plot was discovered, knowing and having witnessed Hyunjin’s merciless punishments to those that defied him.

But standing before you, alone and without the bravado of his typical entourage, Minho realized. It was you that he should've feared. 

There was not an ounce of humanity, affection, or care in your eyes. The loving queen that had just been cradling her daughter in her arms earlier that night had all but slipped away. Standing before him was a battle-hardened warrior, a woman who had experienced too much suffering to ever go through it again, no matter what it took.

“What do you want from me?” Minho said, his innocent facade fading completely as he finally caved, the hatred seeping into his eyes as he glared at you.

“I want answers, and you will give them to me. If you don't know, which I doubt will be the case, you will direct me to someone who does.”

Minho’s jaw clenched, feeling the growing panic and fury clawing up his chest as he stood before you, with no more cards to play, “Alright.”

“Alright?” You raised an eyebrow, the simplest action laced with an unspoken threat.

“Alright, Your Majesty,” Minho sneered, wanting nothing more than to pull out his hidden blade and run it cleanly through your throat. He knew better though, especially since he was sure Felix had his eyes trained on him, ready to strike.

“Who else is in on this?”

“A few of the lords were vaguely aware that I was plotting something, but they did not actively participate in the act.”

“Were your actions supported?”

Looking down to the side, he muttered, “There were a few people that did not agree on my methods, but still want you removed.”

“Naeun. Is she in danger?” You asked sharply, for the first time, feeling a spike of fear hit you. If there was someone willing to murder your unborn child, you suspected that Naeun would not be safe either.

To your relief, Minho shook his head, “Not that I know of.”

You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding. As long as you and your child were relatively safe, you could continue the interrogation more seriously, “You laced my drink with poison, but it was not a large enough dosage to cause death. Why?”

“Your death would effectively sever any alliance between my kingdom and yours,” Minho gritted his teeth as he spoke, as if you were physically pulling out every single word from his mouth, “As much as I despise your kingdom for starting that useless war, I am not arrogant enough to deny that our alliance has benefited both of us greatly.”

“So you wanted my child,” you snarled lowly, your hand unconsciously reaching to touch your stomach as if protecting it, “You wanted me to miscarry.”

Minho smiled, all daggers and fangs as he replied, “If your baby didn't make it, you won't have a male heir. You would most likely have a harder time conceiving, and we'd be able to supply His Majesty with a suitable mistress.”

You stared at Minho, the pieces falling together in your mind as you thought of every moment when the general had tried to undermine you, make your comments less received by actively criticizing them, or scorn you for your status as a foreigner.

“You wanted me to lose favor with Hyunjin,” you concluded, feeling almost disappointed by the turn of events. No matter what kingdom, the power hungry were always the same, tearing down others for their own benefit. Doesn’t the battle for control ever get tiring for them?

Minho barked out a scathing laugh, “Of course I wanted you to lose favor with him. I wanted him to resent you, to hate you, to see you for what you really are, a viper hidden beneath that pretty, pretty face of yours.”

“Why?” You asked, genuinely confused, “Why must you go so far to stop me--to stop him--from being happy?”

“You think he’s happy?” The general scoffed, and against his better judgement, he took a threatening step towards you. The expression on your face barely twitched, but Minho could suddenly feel a murderous aura coming from behind him, and he knew better than to push his luck.

“Do you really think he’s happy?” Minho laughed, “You destroyed him, Your Majesty. You turned him soft. We were going to build the greatest, most ruthless empire the continent has ever known. And suddenly, after he met you, he decided to stop conquering, to take care of his people, to take care of your people after you lost.”

You weren’t expect such a barrage of anger and honesty, but you took the chance while you had it, “And what? You’re upset because you stopped gaining wealth and power in the spades like you used to?”

Minho’s scowl was pure wickedness, and you stared him down, an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object, “I’m upset because you turned our king into a soft, weak little boy. The plan was to wring you and your people dry, taking all the resources before leaving you to fend for yourself. And, suddenly, after he met you, he wanted to do nothing but protect you, a cowardly, foolish princess that was nothing but her parent’s puppet--”

“Careful,” your voice was soft, its edges laced with poison as your eyes flashed with a silent warning, “You are alive still because I have use for you, but you run your mouth like that again, and I’ll have your tongue cut out before I slit your throat.”

The general realized the seriousness of your words, and his eyes narrowed, “You have use...of me,” he repeated your words, already disliking where this was going. 

“Of course I do. If I didn’t, your body would have already been dumped into the river by now,” you said pleasantly, the serene smile back on your face as you pulled at your lace gloves.

Minho raised an eyebrow, “Do you think you’d be able to get away with that, Your Majesty?”

“Oh, my dear General,” you couldn’t help but laugh, amused by his doubtfulness at your capabilities, “unlike you, I am not in the position where every move I make is another desperate grab for power. I am the Queen. The power stems from me and my husband. And do you think Hyunjin would care about the potential murderer of his unborn child if I told him the truth?”

Minho’s jaw clenched so hard, it was painful. He underestimated you. Hyunjin was not the ruthless one. You were.

Like a snake constricting its prey, knowing there was no hope of escape, you smiled, “You are in no position to threaten me, Lee Minho, and unless you want me to strip you of all of your titles or for me to tell Hyunjin about what has just transpired, I’d keep that snippy mouth of yours shut.”

How pathetic. You knew exactly what he valued in life, and didn’t hesitate in brandishing against him like a sharpened blade. All of Minho's actions were to protect his reputation with the king and to hold onto the power he'd already earned, and you were dangling that prize over his head, ready to rip it away from him at a moment's notice.

“What does Her Majesty require of me?” Minho asked through gritted teeth and a clenched smile.

“Stop with the schemes. I'm sick and tired of them,” you said tiredly, giving him a wary glare, “Stop trying to usurp my power and overthrow my position as Queen. It doesn't matter how many mistresses you want to throw at Hyunjin. He will always love me as I will always love him, and even if that doesn't come to be, he will always have respect for me.”

Minho felt his blood boil as he nodded, “Yes...Your Majesty.”

You didn't give him the satisfaction of seeing you smile, moving straight to the most important term.

“You will instate Naeun as the Crown Princess.”

“Are you insane?” Minho snarled, his anger spiking as he spat at you, “The people who supported me in ruling against her will think I've gone mad.”

“Maybe you should've thought twice before deciding on your vote then,” you smiled placidly as you took a step closer towards him.

“You will instate Naeun as the Crown Princess, no conditions, no what ifs. She is the heir. Understood?”

As he gazed into your eyes, each order you have laced with power and unspeakable threat, Minho saw himself in the reflection of your sharp stare. To you, he was nothing but a mere doll for you to manipulate to your own will, a being that could just as easily be discarded as it can be replaced. 

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Minho said again, the hatred in his tone more than apparent.

“I expect the good news to be placed on Hyunjin’s desk tomorrow morning.”

Without another word, another acknowledge or even goodbye, you turned around, walking down the hall and leaving Minho to wallow in his own failure, leaving him to forever berate himself for the missteps he made, the miscalculations that had now put his entire career into the hands of the person he despised most in the kingdom.

“Sounded like things were going well, Your Majesty,” Felix commented nonchalantly as you passed him, the young guard having positioned himself in the adjacent hallway, waiting for any inkling of danger to jump in and protect you. You didn’t fail to notice the way he twirled his knife before slipping it back into its sheathe, obviously having pulled it out when Minho had made a poorly concealed threat regarding your condition.

“Yes, it seems like some good has come out of this ridiculous farce,” you sighed, placing your hand gently over your tummy as you felt the slightest kick against your side. With that conversation, you could only hope that the worst of the nobles’ spite towards you and your blood would soon be over. 

Felix eyed you carefully in the silent walk back to the Royal Chambers, noting both your emotional and physical state, “Are you going to keep this from His Majesty?” He asked, afraid of overstepping his boundaries by prodding too much.

“Eventually, the truth will come out whether I want it to or not,” you said as you entered the private section of the palace, exhaustion laced in your words. Truthfully, if Minho had decided to call your bluff and attacked you earlier, it wouldn’t have been as easy as you’d made him believe it to be. You had your reputation as a powerful general back when you were a princess to thank for how successful your negotiations went.

“Still, I think I’ll keep it a secret...just for tonight,” you confided to Felix tiredly, turning to him with a weary smile, “He’s worried enough already, especially after earlier.”

Felix nodded, and you didn’t need to ask additionally to ensure secrecy. Felix was good about those things. He was a good confidante, and once again, you felt immensely grateful for his presence. 

He gave you a bow, practiced ease and gracefulness exuding from even the simplest of movements as he spoke softly, “Take care of yourself, Your Majesty.”

You couldn’t help but smile, reaching over and gently patting his head, a silent gesture of praise for the young knight who’d done so much for you, “I promise. Now go get some sleep. It’s quite late.”

Felix excused himself politely, and you took a deep breath, heading to the bedroom where your lover was probably waiting anxiously for your return.

.

As you’d expected, Hyunjin was almost beside himself when you walked into the room, his hands freezing from where they were pulling at the roots of his dark hair when he gasped, “Y/N, my love!” He rushed towards you, pulling you into his arms and sweeping you into a tight hug.

“Where have you been? I was worried sick! Changbin said that Felix was with you, so I trusted that nothing was wrong, but you were gone for so long and I thought—”

“Shh, my darling,” you cooed, letting his hands touch you fleetingly everywhere he could, your shoulders, your waist, your tummy, anything to let him know that you were once again safe in his arms.

You smiled, cupping his cheeks as you leaned close, “I’m alright. Everything’s alright. I just needed some air after what happened today, so I took a walk in the gardens. Felix was with me every step of the way.”

Hyunjin let out a sigh of both relief and frustration as he held your hand resting on his cheek, looking into your eyes, “Please don’t scare me like that again,” he whispered, “Not after what happened earlier.”

“Nothing happened, Hyunjin,” you said softly, your thumb lightly brushing his face as you comforted him, “I’m here, aren’t I, safe and sound?”

“Things could’ve turned out so much worse,” he pressed a fleeting kiss to your palm as he held your hand, “I had the liquid inspected. At this very moment, you could’ve been unconscious, fighting for your life, our child...gone,” his voice cracked ever so slightly as he palmed your stomach.

“But it didn’t happen like that,” you reassured him, eyes widening as you saw his own eyes glistening with unshed tears, “Oh, Hyunjin.”

Reaching forward, you wrapped your arms around his waist, burrowing in his chest as Hyunjin easily fell into your embrace, burying his face in your hair as he hugged you tightly. The room filled with the comfortable silence, and your conversation continued without the need for words.

I love you. I want you to be safe. Please don’t do anything dangerous. It was all translated through your touch and the warmth you gained from one another.

Hyunjin’s hugs were warm. They felt like hot chocolate on a cold winter day, like a summer breeze that swept you away. You felt safe just being in his arms, and soon, you let out a quiet yawn, nuzzling into his chest.

“Let me coddle you tonight,” he murmured, sensing you slumping forward in his chest as his fingers lightly massaged your scalp, “I know you don’t like it very much, but just for tonight, can I please take care of you?”

You couldn’t help but smile at his request. As much as Hyunjin liked to be cared for, by you in particular, his favorite hobby was to spoil you in any capacity that he knew how. He loved to lavish you with gifts, shower you with love, and to do every little thing to make you comfortable. You weren’t the person that liked to take advantage of this little trait of his, since you were never one for lavish gift giving nor were you ever given such attention before, but seeing how earnest he was, you decided to compromise, especially after all the worrying Hyunjin had probably gone through just waiting for you to return. 

“Of course,” you nodded, pressing a kiss to his lips, “Let’s get ready for bed.”

Hyunjin was carefully meticulous as he  undid the corset of your party dress, pulled out the pins that held your hair up, and delicately slipped the silk nightgown over your form, all the while trailing kisses wherever he could. You did the same for him, helping him out of his uniform as your lips connected with his.

“I was thinking,” you mumbled absently as Hyunjin kissed you with abandon, his hands nimbly undoing the braids in your hair, “We should go away, just us and Naeun.”

“Oh? Do tell me more,” Hyunjin replied with a soft smile, his lips trailing down to your jaw as you tried your hardest to remember what you were trying to say. What a little brat he was being.

You sucked in a gasp as you rolled your eyes, amused by his antics, “Let’s spend a week at the summer estate. Naeun needs space to run around, and both of us need a breather from our royal duties. You especially.”

Hyunjin groaned at your words, “You’re definitely right about that. But can we afford to leave, with all the chaos going around?” He asked, as he began to usher you to the bed, his arms looping around your legs as he ultimately decided to just carry you.

“H-hyunjin!” You squeaked, surprised by the sudden action as your arms wrapped around his neck. Your husband paid you no mind, carrying you to the bed before placing you down delicately. His eyes met yours and you touched his face, “I’m sure we can make time. We can delegate some of the less important work to some of the council members. If not, we can just work extra hard after to make up for lost time. We all need a break.”

“Your wish is my command, my Queen,” Hyunjin leaned forward, pecking your lips before walking around to crawl under the covers from his side of the bed, “I’ll start planning the details of the trip tomorrow. Deal?”

“Deal,” you smiled, snuggling into the covers and scooting closer to your husband as his hand absently shifted to rest on your tummy.

“It would be good for this little one, too. Just to experience what life outside this stuffy palace is like,” Hyunjin mumbled, his eyes already closing. He was no doubt exhausted from hosting the party and all the preparations before hand.

You felt your cheeks heat up as you giggled. Hyunjin always had a way of bringing the conversation back to the baby, “Yes, it'll be good for them, too,” you agreed softly as your eyes began to close as well. The day had been far too eventful for your liking, and you'd like at least one full night of rest before having to tell Hyunjin about your conversation with Minho.

Suddenly, your ears perked up at the sound of the bedroom door creaking open ever so slightly. Hyunjin reacted instantly, pulling you close as he sat up to see who had come in.

“Papa…? Mama…?”

Naeun’s sleepy voice was soft and almost inaudible, but Hyunjin let out a sigh, relaxing as he could make out the little figure of his daughter standing at the door.

“Naeun, what’s wrong?” He asked gently, beckoning her over to his side of the bed, “It’s way past your bedtime.”

“I-i—” The little girl rubbed her heavy eyes as she waddled over to her father as she began to whimper, “I had a bad dweam, P-papa.”

Hyunjin’s heart and yours simultaneously melted as a silent agreement passed between the two of you. The priority was no longer to get a good night's sleep; it was your daughter’s comfort.

“Oh, petal. Was it scary?” Hyunjin cooed, reaching down and easily picking her up, settling her in the large bed. He placed her right in the middle, and you rolled over to your side so you could gently wipe her tears.

Naeun nodded at his words, her lips curled in a trembling pout, “Scawy. C-couldn’t find Mama—a-and people saying that Papa was gone…” Her lip quivered again and she began to cry just from remembering the awful images that passed through her head.

“Shh, shh. Oh, dear,” Hyunjin quickly grabbed a spare handkerchief on the night stand beside his bed as you sat up, murmuring comforting words as you cupped Naeun's cheeks gently. 

“Naeun, my little princess,” you said softly, looking into her sparkling eyes as large crocodile tears rolled down her cheeks, “Mama and Papa are right here. We'll always be here for you, alright? No matter what happens, your Mama and Papa would never, ever abandon you like that.”

The little girl sniffled as Hyunjin wiped away her tears, smiling fondly, “Your mother said it best, petal. No matter what, we'll be here to support you, protect you, and love you until you've grown sick of our coddling.” 

Hyunjin couldn't help but add in a little teasing, booping her nose as he said, “Even after you grow sick of us, we'll still stick annoyingly close.”

Naeun scrunched her nose as she always did when hyunjin messed with her, and she frowned, “I won't ever get sick of Papa and Mama. Never!”

“Oh, one day, you'll take those words back,” you added playfully as you tickled Naeun's little tummy, making her squeal with delight and effectively drawing the nightmare out of her immediate thoughts. Hyunjin joined in, tag teaming your poor daughter until she was too exhausted to keep her eyes open. 

"Love Papa... Love Mama," Naeun mumbled sleepily as she curled into the warm blankets, beginning to fall asleep. You smiled at her words, pressing a kiss to her hair. 

"Mama and Papa love you more than anything else in the whole world," you reassured her, brushing the stray hairs out of her face, "Get some sleep, little one.  Nothing can hurt you here." 

Naeun mumbled in acknowledgment, and her little hands wrapped around Hyunjin’s pinky, making her father’s heart positively melt, “Papa...sing.”

“Sing?” He repeated, slightly flustered as he shifted to a more comfortable position, making sure that Naeun was still able to hold onto his pinky. 

“Mhm, Papa sing,” Naeun nodded as she curled up into a little ball, bringing Hyunjin's hand to her chest as she began to doze off on her own.

You couldn't help but giggle as you burrowed into the covers as well, wrapping a gentle around your daughter as you smiled up at Hyunjin, “Won't you honor a princess’s request?” You teased.

Hyunjin pouted at you, scrunching his nose much like how Naeun had done only minutes before, “But I'm the king,” he said petulantly, making Naeun giggle at his antics, “I can do whatever I want!”

“Well, your Queen is now requesting a song as well,” you said with an air of playful haughtiness as Naeun and you shared a conspiratorial glance.

“Oh dear,” Hyunjin ran a hand through his hair, “then, I believe I don't have a choice if my Queen and my Princess so insist.”

“You don't!” Naeun chirped in, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

Hyunjin let out a dramatic sigh before propping himself up against the headboard and pulling Naeun into his chest so she could rest comfortably in his arms. He didn't forget you, of course, and laced his fingers with yours as you decided not to move around as much, resting on your side of the bed as you held his hand.

The sound of soft-spoken singing wafted into your ears like a gentle breeze. Hyunjin, albeit not a professional in any way, always had a nice voice. It was the kind of voice that could lull you into relaxation, the kind of voice that soothed your unsettled heart. Before long, your eyes grew too heavy to keep open, and you drifted off to sleep with your hand wrapped around Hyunjin’s.

Hyunjin gazed down at his family as he slowly stopped singing, noticing that the two of you had fallen asleep. Without the prying eyes of the world boring down on him, he could finally drop his guard and his cold exterior to fully admire the two people he loved, the little girl in his arms that he treasured so dearly and you, the love of his life that showed him what it truly meant to have a soulmate, a person to confide in wholeheartedly. 

It was his little personal heaven, just to see the two of you sleeping safe and sound, to lie in bed with both his daughter and his wife just at arm's reach. He savored it as much as he could, squeezing your hand once more before putting down himself, pulling the warm covers higher over Naeun to keep her healthy. And not for the first time, Hyunjin wistfully dreamed of a life where he was not the king, where he could be a simple man, only tasked to provide and love his family. 

Hyunjin knew he would be asking for too much. He knew what the two of you had promised to those that had put their faith in your hands. You'd promised to protect them, to wear the crown and carry the burdens of your kingdom, no matter how bruised, bloodied or battered the journey made you. 

But as he stared down at your peaceful expression, your lips slightly parted and your eyes fluttered shut, he couldn't help but remember the terror he felt just hours before, the all consuming fear that you would disappear from his life. And for the first time, Hyunjin was at a loss, facing a crossroad that—in the naivety of his youth—he never thought he’d encounter.

If he had to choose between you or his country, what would he do? If he had to protect the integrity of his kingdom and sacrifice Naeun, would he be able to do it? Before you came along, Hyunjin cared about nothing but his work, his duty. But now, he had a family that he'd do anything to protect.

At the party, Hyunjin felt anger like he'd never felt before in his life. It was more than fury, it was pure rage. He would've been willing to lock the doors and interrogate every single person present in the banquet hall if you hadn't calmed him down. He didn't want to become a king like that, he didn't want to become a ruler than put his own needs and his family’s needs before everything else. 

But if he lost you, if he lost Naeun, if he lost his unborn child, his whole world would shatter. It was almost terrifying how much the past five years had changed him. 

“Hyunjin,” his eyes flew open as he suddenly felt your thumb brush against the back of your hand. Turning his head, he realized that you had woken up, your eyes gazing at him with a mixture of sympathy and love that Hyunjin wanted to drown in.

“You're thinking too much again,” you murmured sleepily, playing absently with his fingers without jostling Naeun, “At this point, you'll have wrinkles before you're even middle aged.”

The king couldn't help but chuckle at your little quip, pressing a kiss to your hand, “I'm sorry, my love. Did I wake you?”

“No, I woke up on my own,” you reassured him, “But I'm glad I did. What's wrong, darling?”

Hyunjin bit his lip, hesitating for a moment. He shouldn't bother you with his feelings, not when you already had to worry about yourself on top of the baby you were carrying. 

“Hyunjin,” you murmured his name once more, and he felt his body shudder at how sweet, how loving you sounded, “You can tell me anything.” 

It was the only gentle nudge he needed.

“I'm worried about this,” Hyunjin said softly, “Our family. I can't stop worrying. I didn't know about the poison, even though all the food and drinks were inspected. When will it ever be enough?”

You squeezed his hand, “You're putting too much responsibility on yourself. The family’s safety is not your burden to bear alone, it is for us to share.”

Hyunjin nodded, “I know,” he sighed, running a hand through his midnight hair, “I know, Y/N. But I just wish I could do more.”

“You do more than enough for us, darling,” you reassured him, “You do more than any king would do for their families. It's alright, Hyunjin. You're doing so well.”

“I am?” Hyunjin sucked in a breath, placing your hand on his cheek as he closed his eyes, revelling in your words and your presence. 

“You are.”

These were not honey coated words to soothe a monarch and appease his temper. You meant them more than you could ever express. You knew Hyunjin was trying his best. You knew Hyunjin was most likely protecting you from forces that you weren't even aware of, just like the way you'd dealt with Minho just earlier. 

“I found out who did it, by the way,” you mumbled, figuring that this felt like the right time to tell him in hopes that Hyunjin might sleep better knowing that the problem was dealt with.

There was a moment of deathly silence before Hyunjin uttered a single word, "Who?" 

You sighed. Maybe this wasn't the best idea after all, especially since your daughter was soundly sleeping in the space between the both of you, "Promise that you won't do anything rash right now." 

"You're asking me not to do anything rash when I find out who tried to murder my unborn child and harm my wife?" Hyunjin asked in disbelief. 

“I'm asking you not to overreact now while your daughter is sleeping," you hissed back, "I handled it for the time being." 

Hyunjin let out a frustrated sigh, "Alright, you win. You have my word,” he said, lacing his fingers with yours.

You bit your lip, wondering if it would just be easier to be completely honest or to ease into it gently. After a moment of consideration, you decided on the former. 

“It’s Minho.”

Hyunjin reacted without thinking, feeling the rage run through his veins once again as he began to sit up, “That bastard--”

As he shifted aggressively, Naeun whined in her sleep, beginning to squirm. You wrapped your arm around her body as your other hand grabbed Hyunjin’s sleeve, “You promised!”

Hyunjin’s steeled eyes softened as he looked down at the little girl beside him, and he slumped back on the bed, pressed a kiss to her forehead and rubbing her back, helping soothe her back to a deep sleep, “I should’ve gotten rid of him earlier. I knew he disliked your presence, but I thought--I thought he’d be able to see past the differences.”

“As did I,” you admitted, running your fingers gently through Naeun’s hair as her whimpers stopped and slowly went back to soft breaths, “but it seems like he disappointed both of us.” 

The king sighed tiredly, feeling the rest of his fiery hot anger dissipate as he turned to lie on his side, his eyes trained on Naeun as he made sure she was asleep, “You said you handled it. Let me guess, it was when you ‘went for a walk.’” 

“You know me too well,” Flicking his forehead playfully, you couldn’t help but smile, “Yes, we had a quick conversation as I was walking back to the chambers. I don’t believe he will try it again any time soon.”

“I would ask what you told him, but I almost don’t want to know,” Hyunjin said with a hint of a smile as he closed his eyes, “My wife can be very scary when she wants to be.”

You shrugged, stroking his cheek fondly for a moment longer before pulling your hand away and lying back down, “I’m the same as you, Jinnie. Anything to protect this family we’ve created.”

Hyunjin hummed in agreement, his long arm draping over to wrap around both you and Naeun, “Anything. But for now, let’s sleep. Thank you, Y/N.”

“Whatever for?” You asked curiously, unsure of what Hyunjin was thinking about in that little head of his. 

“For being here. For loving me. For everything you do,” he mumbled, already beginning to fall asleep    as his words began to slur. Your heart felt warm and fluttery as you smiled, patting the back of his hand as you mumbled your sleepy reply.

“I’ll always be here for you, Jinnie. You’re not alone anymore.”

Hyunjin cracked a smile at that, and hugged you and Naeun ever so slightly tighter in his arms. You were right. He wasn’t alone anymore. He had you and Naeun, whom he loved with every fiber of his being. He had Changbin and Felix, who were slowly becoming less like guards and more like their surrogate family. 

And for all those reasons, Hwang Hyunjin fell asleep considering himself quite lucky. 

[mrs-gucci]

Subliminal Pleasures {anesthesiologist!Kylo Ren x Reader}

author’s notes: hellooo! thanks to my good friend @safarigirlsp​, I finally wrote my first darkfic. thanks for ruining me a little bit, Shannon! ;) I’ll warn you now, this is honestly the darkest thing I’ve ever written before, and at first I was a little nervous, but I’m surprisingly pleased with how it turned out. and hey, it’s called fanFICTION for a reason, right? 

**THIS IS A DARKFIC THAT CONTAINS DARK THEMES/CONTENT!! please read the warnings and tw’s before proceeding!!**

warnings: smut. non-existent medical practice ethics. kylo’s a bad doctor, but damn, he looks good doing it. mentions of a medical procedure. some fingering. light dirty talk. masturbation. praise.

tw’s: noncon (but it’s not unpleasant, if that makes sense?). somnophilia.

word count: a touch over 2k

When you came into the hospital today for your dental surgery, no makeup and clad in baggy sweats, you weren’t prepared to meet anyone even remotely interesting or attractive, much less the anesthesiologist. 

And, when he walked into the room, your heart immediately skipped a beat, maybe even two.

He was one of the most handsome men you’d ever seen before. Handsome seemed like an insult and injustice to his beauty when it came to the broad, raven-haired god. He wore a very stern expression as he sat over in the corner of the room in a stool much too small for his great size, gathering his tools. 

“Hmm,” His eyes scan the file. “Miss Y/N?”

You nod over at him.

“That’s me.”

He turns back to preparing himself for surgery. “I’m Dr. Ren, the anesthesiologist.”

“Nice to meet you, Dr. Ren.”

A silence stretched between the two of you, the only sounds coming from his movements or your adjusting positions on the paper-covered seat. Then, he speaks again, voice even deeper and somewhat huskier than before. It sent a shiver down your spine.

“Have you ever previously been put under for a medical procedure, or otherwise?”

“I have.” You reply. “Although I didn’t think that I’d need it for this type of procedure?”

He turns around in the stool, a small smirk on his expression.

“Would you like to be awake when your teeth are hammered into pieces and pulled from your mouth?”

Normally, you would’ve laughed at this joking question, but his delivery and sinister demeanor chilled you to the bone.  “N-No, not really.”

“Then you’ll be put under.” He simply states, pulling on a pair of latex gloves before handing you a fabric gown. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Strip and put this on. The snaps should be on your left shoulder, otherwise you’ve put it on incorrectly.”

Looking into his eyes takes your breath away, out of captivation or a bit of fear, you were unsure. He holds onto the gown a bit too long before releasing his grip, eyes lingering over your face before walking out of the room with commanding footsteps.

Despite his chilling intensity and seemingly emotionless demeanor, you still found yourself incredibly attracted to him. There was something...magnetic about him, like the mysterious aura surrounding him draws you in. The warm tingle between your thighs was undeniable as you stood and removed your clothes, tucking them in your bag off to the side before slipping the gown on over your mostly nude body.

Dr. Ren comes back in as soon as you lay back on the chair once again, his timing impeccable. He puts on a surgical mask and rolls the equipment over on a small cart, parking it next to your head.

“We’ll put you under now.”

“W-What?” Your eyes widen. “But the doctor hasn’t even come in yet.”

He glares down at you.

“Must I remind you who the medical professional in the room is?”

“No, sir.” You shake your head, lips pursing as your eyes dart away.

The mask is placed over your nose and mouth.

“Breathe in and out deeply, count to ten.”

Your eyelids grow heavy almost immediately as you begin taking deep breaths, letting the invisible medication into your lungs. 

“One...two...three...four...five...s-six...sev-seven...eigh...t...”

Kylo grins when you’re finally under, body limp as you sleep peacefully under his influence. He loved his job, loved having complete control over someone’s consciousness, loved having the power between life and death.

His cock hardens in his pants as he reclines the chair so that you’re now laying flat. You don’t move a muscle, and he quickly removes his latex gloves along with his mask, tossing them into the bin.

He’s never had a patient like you before, so beautiful, so docile and obedient, so...seemingly innocent. He wants nothing more and would take great pleasure in absolutely ruining you, turning you into his pretty little slut.

The doctor wasn’t even here yet, as you were his first surgery patient today, but Kylo knew without doubt that he needed time alone with you. He needed to have his way with you.

With one last flicker to the locked door, he brings his hand down beneath his trousers and wraps it around his hardened cock, groaning under his breath with the first pump. Your vitals are stable as his other hand begins popping the snaps of your medical gown.

He pulls it open and lets it hang down over the side of the table, exposing your body to him. All you’re wearing is your undergarments, and yet, Kylo’s length pulses in his hand at the sight. You’re truly a sight to behold, even with your intimate areas covered.

You squirm just a bit when the doctor’s large hand grazes over your ankle, but he knows he won’t wake you, not completely anyways. His hand trails up over your calf, then over your thigh, climbing until he reaches the underwire of your flimsy bra. 

There’s not enough time to remove it, to expose your pebbled nipples to his hungry gaze, but he spreads his large hand over the mound, squeezing it gently. In your unconscious state, your back arches slightly and a soft sigh escapes your lips under his touch. 

His hand pumps his cock faster as he bends down and presses a few kisses to the fabric over your nipple, walking around to give your other breast a similar treatment. Then, he walks to the foot of the table and mounts it, kneeling between your legs. 

Both his hands spread out on your inner thighs, gently spreading them apart before tracing his thick, calloused digits across the crotch of your panties. You squirm again, hips subconsciously rocking up to meet his touch.

“That’s a good girl.” He purrs, rubbing small, lazy circles on your clit over the fabric. “Even like this, you still want it. You just can’t help yourself, can you?”

Kylo dips his fingers beneath your panties, cock twitching under his pants as his fingers swipe through the considerable amount of slick there. He finds your clit, rubbing it gently, enough to stimulate but not disturb you.

“Look at this...you’re absolutely soaked for me, little dove, and you don’t even know it.”

His hands grip your hips and lift them up as he slides your panties down, revealing the glistening treasure that lay below. He lines a single finger up with your entrance, then pushes it in, growling softly when your cunt clenches.

You stir just a bit, but not nearly enough for him to worry. He lifts his digit up inside you, enjoying the way your hips suddenly jerk as he rubs over the spongy surface of that special spot. Then, he pushes another one of his fingers inside of you, hearing a soft whine from beneath the mask.  

He begins fingering you gently, just enough to prepare you, making sure not to force you back into consciousness. Soon, it became too much for him, and he pulled his digits out gently, observing the slick that coats the two fingers. He brings them up and takes a quick whiff, cupping his clothed erection and squeezing as his tongue pokes out to lick some of the substance off, hips bucking forward at the semi-sweet taste.

“Oh, little one, you’ve got such a tight little pussy. And you taste so good, just as I knew you would.”

The young doctor wipes the rest off on the paper below, then makes quick work of his pants and underwear, pulling them down just enough to expose his aching length. It bobs in response, desperate for attention as another bead of precum forms over the slit. His finger spreads the semi-transparent substance over the fat mushroom head, groaning breathily. 

After giving his thick length a few strokes, he brings it down to rub through your slick. They buck forward out of instinct when he slides over your puckered entrance, wanting so badly to be buried inside of you. 

His body leans over you, one hand next to your head as the other lines himself up, aiding in direction as he presses his hips forward, burying himself inside your wet welcoming walls. His eyes flutter shut as he bottoms out, but quickly snap open when you moan.

Luckily, you hadn’t woken up with his intrusion, and he takes a long sigh of relief before drawing back and pressing forward again slowly. The table trembles on its legs, bolts creaking as he fucks you steadily but gently, extra cautious of your vital signs and level of alertness.

Part of him wishes that you were awake, that you could see what he was doing to you and enjoy him, but the feeling of knowing that even unconsciously, you were still wet and tight for him was one too good to resist. It was all so arousing; an ego feeding greater than his regular days work could ever offer.

Your face scrunches in pleasure with more rolls of his hips, moaning and whimpering each time he buries himself inside you. They’re all so gentle, your noises, and Kylo finds himself lost in each quiet breath.

“Good girl--fuck--oh, good girl.” He says quietly, using every bit of his willpower to keep from pounding into you. “Such a good little cunt, taking my cock so well.”

You tighten around him, then, and he growls, fists clenching next to your head. His teeth grind together as he picks up the pace ever so slightly, feeling his climax approaching quickly.

“T-That’s it, that’s a good girl.”

His head hangs, eyes squeezing shut. He’s close, now, and his own noises get a little bit louder and a lot more frequent as his balls begin to pull and tighten.

“Gonna cum, little dove, you’re g-gonna make me cum so hard with this tight pussy.”

Unbenounced to him, you wake up slightly, eyes opening just a crack. You see him on top of you, body flexing with each thrust, and you feel the obvious intrusion in your lower half. You’re surprisingly not bothered by it, nor do you feel uncomfortable with it. Before you can think on it further, you slip back into the blackness.

He can’t cum inside you, he knows that, so just as he teeters on orgasm, he pulls out as gently as he can and drags his pulsing cock against your lower stomach as thick white ropes paint your soft skin.

“O-Oh y-yes...so good, d-dove.”

Kylo takes himself through orgasm and right into oversensitivity, pulling away and sitting up when this happens. His length softens, the extra skin re-covering his head as it does so. He tucks himself back into his pants, prepares a wet cloth and wipes the cum from your abdomen before pulling your panties back up over your used cunt. 

His fingers quickly re-button your gown and he runs a quick hand through his hair before the doctor comes in, completely oblivious as to what’s just happened. Kylo greets him nonchalantly and takes his place off to the side as the doctor begins the surgery.

Your eyes flutter open lazily, grogginess hitting as you awaken a couple of hours later. Immediately, you feel the pain in your mouth, but more noticeably, you feel a certain ache in your lower half. You have no recollection of what you saw, as this memory is now trapped in your subconscious, but somehow you just sort of knew what’d happened.

You’re disgusted at yourself that you don’t mind the idea, that you don’t feel violated or like you’d been assaulted. You should feel those things, he did those things without your express permission, but...you don’t.

In fact, you feel as if your feelings for the mysterious doctor have grown even stronger. The gaping hole he’d left, the orgasm he’d robbed you of, just ached to be fulfilled. It was an itch you couldn’t scratch, sensations you couldn’t recreate on your own.

Only he could satisfy this desire, this need. 

And, as you sit up slowly and the doctor debriefs you, you know that you must fulfill this new destiny: Find Dr. Ren and make him yours once again.

[relishingwriter]

Invisible Strings (Addison Montgomery x Reader)

If anyone told you were to be married to Addison Montgomery, you would have not believed them.

At first glance, she seemed like an insane woman – she cheated on her own husband and then came back because she was sorry. Ironically enough, the more you avoided Addison, the more fate brought you closer.

You were one of the best interns in the hospital, along with Cristina Yang and Meredith Grey, but unlike them you did not have a favorite interest: you were simply enticed by the miracles of the human life. Noticing your never-ending curiosity, Addison constantly chose you to stay under her service. After some time, she started frequenting your favorite spot at Discovery Park, your calming space. It was one of the few moments you were nothing but a common girl admiring nature.

You will never forget the day you saw her sitting on a bench, with a teal-colored shirt, a yogurt, and a wondering look in her face. You did not exchange words with each other that day, but if you bothered to look up from your reading, you would have realized the stolen glances from Addison to you. From that day on, Addison realized her infatuation for you, but it was only after the a patient's surgery she willingly recognized her feelings.

"So," Addison started, staring at you. You had just scrubbed in this 4-hours risky surgery, in which the mother and baby made it.

"So." You went in her direction with a smirk, trying to lighten the mood. Although no one died, you could feel the tension in the air. "Do you always come here?" You joked, making her chuckle.

"Does that line ever works for you?" Addison genuinely asked. She knew you were into women; the hospital staff never let anyone forget.

"Worked with one nurse," you shrugged and winked at her. "Hey, I am going to share the news with the patient's husband–" you stopped yourself for a second, having another thought. "thanks for choosing me to help you with this surgery. I know how important those cases are to you." You finished, this time putting your hand over her shoulder. The touch was simple and fast, but Addison couldn't help but feel shivers sent across her spine.

When you left, she sighed loudly. She was tired of having to pretend everything was okay, from the exhausting surgery cases to her relationship with Derek, every conversation with you highlighted her day. She felt thrilled every time she heard your voice, and she knew what this meant. She had a girl crush, and she would do anything in her power to get closer to you.

For you, the situation was simpler. You were aware of your sexuality, and you were surrounded by beautiful women in Seattle Grace, finding them attractive was just part of the job. It was not until a work trip with Addison that you developed a crush.

You were in the intern's room with your friends, hiding from the attendings. You all were, in all honesty, overwhelmed with the number of surgeries in the past 72 hours, and rambling to your friends was your favorite pastime.

"She is taking you to L.A?" Cristina asked, with her eyes popping out of her face.

 "That is like a rendevouz!" She teased while staring at you intensively, almost as if trying to get a reaction from you.

"I wish Alex would take me to L.A," Izzie replied with a dreamy look. You rolled her eyes at their fake commotion.

"We are just getting some eggs back. It is a boring work trip." You moved to your locker, grabbing some snacks. "I may also meet some of her doctor friends. They work at this private practice... maybe I'll even transfer," you joked, this time Cristina running her eyes at you and Izzie muffling a laugh.

"You wouldn't dare!" Meredith said, punching you with her elbow. You all laughed this time, knowing there was no other place where you would rather be.

The trip with Addison, however, was completely unusual. During the plane, Addison was overly nice, trying to learn more about you, and giving you space to get to know her, too. When you finally arrived and entered her rented red car, you saw her smile from ear to ear while silence surrounded the both of you. You debated if you should be the first to say something, opting to make it less awkward.

"I never seen you like this," you say, admiring the beach at your left.

"Like what?" she asked, quickly glancing you with an arched brow.

"So free. It's... Its a good look on you," you replied, this time looking at your hands. These words just felt out of your mouth, and you knew you had jeopardized your friendship. To Addie, that was the moment she ralized you saw her for who she was.

To your helpless self, every moment on that trip felt like a date. You stayed at a 4-stars hotel, you had dinner at a 4-stars restaurant, you met her friends, and you even helped her with others case. To you, that was the moment everything changed.

After returning to Seattle, Addison started being bolder. She would randomly compliment you, and even let you operate by yourself once. You had no idea why, but you chose not to complain either. The others just guessed that Addison was glad to have someone interested in obstetrics and gynecology.

It was not until she broke up with Derek and headed to Joe’s bar that you had it figure it out.

You spent the entire night watching her. Addison looked enchantingly sad, and she probably did not want to see you – you were best friends with Meredith, after all. If she noticed your heavy look on her, she made sure to hide it. You did not make a move until you saw her running into the bathroom crying, and you quickly chased after her.

"Hey," you said with a worried look on your face. "I know I am probably one of the last person you want to see, but I am here." Addison did not know if it was the drinking talking or the way you were looking at her – like she mattered – but the only thought in her head was how she had to have you. Without hesitating, she pulled you closer and kissed you.

It did not matter you were kissing in a bathroom.

It did not matter you were her intern.

You fastly wrapped your arms around her, deepening the kiss. You moaned as her thigh pressed against your core, and then she broked the kiss, biting your lower lip.

"Let's go to my hotel room," Addison said, lacing your hands with hers.

You had been going out for three months in pure secret. Apart from Joe and Cristina knowing, really, because hey, they know how to keep a secret. You were extremely careful in public, and the one time you were not, Derek caught you two.

It was past midnight, and none of your friends were around. You were on call, and she kissed you goodbye as she ran her fingers through your hair. It was also on this very passionate moment that the both of you heard something fall into the ground. When you turned your back, there was Sheppard with his mouth wide open and his pager on the floor.

"Should we run?" You whispered, alternating between looking at her and Derek.

"He will get over it," Addie shrugged, smiling at you.

As you finished breathing in and out, you looked at Meredith and Cristina, smiling. You had just delayed the marriage in a couple of minutes because of an anxiety attack.

"I am ready," you pronounced and they nodded. As they left, you waited about one minute to start walking down the aisle. When you arrived, you closed your eyes, holding back tears. She looked like the most beautiful woman in the world.

"Our time was wondrous," you whispered to her, holding back a laugh. "I want start my vows with a legend. The legend of an invisible red string, which ties two people together – those who are meant to meet, no matter how far apart they live or how different they lives are. And I, with my whole heart, believe that because of the odds of the universe, all along there was some string tying you to meet–" you began, and as you observed her smile and the admiring faces of the crowd, you knew you had found your new home.