#knowing how to approach him in which situations

[etherealyoungk]

into the night | jeon wonwoo

SUMMARY: when you call wonwoo late at night telling him you're stranded, he drops everything to make his way to you (and bring you home safe)

PAIRING: biker!wonwoo x reader

THEMES: biker au, established relationship, terms of endearment, comfort fluff

WARNINGS: speed, fluff, kissing, a little suggestive (only at the end)

WORDCOUNT: 3.1k

A/N: just another very self-indulgent fic

the cool wind blows in your hair as you stand next to your car on the verge of tears. you really don't know how you ended up here - well you do actually. you were upset, overwhelmed from work and exhausted. you just wanted to run away for a bit, get away from life. but right now it seemed like life had caught up and was showing you the reality of your situation.

you pull out your phone from your sling bag and unlock it, your hands opening your contacts, your finger hovering over wonwoo's number. it was late, almost going to be midnight and here you were in the middle of nowhere because your car decided to break down. you wonder whether you should bother wonwoo tonight, having second thoughts, but your finger taps on his contact anyway, dialling his number. you don't think he is going to pick up after a few rings and you move your phone from your ear. that's when you hear the line pick up on the other end, wonwoo's voice floating in your ear.

"yn?", he asks, his voice tinged with a little sleepiness. "i-sorry did i wake you up?", you ask softly, looking down at your feet.

"no, i was up. are you okay?", he asks you, and that question gets you. you bite your lip in an attempt to not cry, feeling overwhelmed all over again.

"wonwoo", you say softly, feeling like an idiot for getting yourself in this situation.

"my love, what's wrong?", his voice comes through, concern laced in his voice and you can hear the sound of some shuffle on the other side.

"can you come get me?", you finally manage to choke out, your voice cracking, betraying your composure. "where are you?", he asks, his tone more alert now.

"i'm kind of stranded", you confess softly, and wonwoo catches onto the tremor in your voice, getting worried. "i don't know where i am, i was just driving and the car broke down", you try to explain softly, a lone tear rolling down your cheek.

"driving? why were you driving so late", he presses, to which you don't respond. you bite your lip in hesitation, unsure whether you want to tell wonwoo the truth or not.

you can hear him sigh softly on the other end before he speaks again. "send me your location and wait in the car, okay. i'm on the way", he says before hanging up.

after sending wonwoo your location, you settled into the quiet of the car, exhaustion weighing heavily upon your eyelids. despite your best efforts to stay awake, you unintentionally dozed off, unaware of the passing time and wonwoo's frantic attempts to reach you, the phone on silent.

in wonwoo's mind, each unanswered call heightens his worry, his imagination conjuring the worst-case scenarios, thinking something might have happened to you. it was unlike you to not respond to his calls. you'd usually reassure him with a quick call or text, but right now you were unreachable and panic ignited in his chest, propelling him to rush towards your location on his bike, each passing moment feeling like an eternity.

he finally reaches your location, finding your car on the side of the road with the blinkers flashing. with wonwoo's heart pounding with every step he takes, he approaches your car, his knuckles knocking against the window, startling you awake.

jumping up at the sudden noise, you blinked groggily, confusion clouding your senses. a figure stood outside, casting a silhouette against the darkness. fear momentarily gripped you until clarity dawned, and you recognised the familiar leather jacket that belonged to wonwoo.

with a shaky exhale, you reached for the door handle. as you stepped out into the cool night air you heard wonwoo say something like "thank god" under his breath as you stepped out.

"are you okay?", he asks, worried, his hair a touseled mess, falling over his forehead and eyes, blowing gently with the breeze. he looks you up and down, looking for any signs of injury.

"i'm okay, i just dozed off", you tell and relief seems to flood in his eyes. "you got me worried there, i called you but you weren't picking up", he says, looking at you, relieved to see you safe and sound.

a gush of wind passes, making you shiver. you cross your arms over your chest to offer some sort of warmth to your body. you stand there in front of wonwoo, avoiding wonwoo's gaze, dreading the question he might ask you about why you were driving out so late in the middle of nowhere. but the question never comes.

"let's go home", he says softly, reassuring in a way, holding out his hand for you to take, making you finally look up at him. you take his hand, walking along with him. he holds your hand gently but there's something comforting about his touch.

that's when you finally spot the bike - wonwoo's sports bike parked on the side of the road, making you turn your head to him.

"it's gonna get cold", he remarks, his voice gentle as he retrieves another jacket from his bike. he holds it out to you and waits patiently as you slip your arms into the sleeves, his touch tender as he settles the jacket over your shoulders. though it was slightly oversized, the garment seemed to embrace you in its warmth, a comforting shield against the biting night air. wonwoo's heart swelled with pride at the sight of you wearing his jacket.

"we're going home on this?", you question, apprehension evident in your voice as wonwoo zips up the jacket around you.

"why? are you scared?" he teases lightly. he knew all too well of your unease with riding on his bike, a fear you had yet to conquer since the beginning of your relationship. the whole thing seemed so intimidating to you, but wonwoo never pushed you to overcome it, understanding you and respecting your space. but tonight, it seemed like you were finally going to face your fear.

"it was the fastest way to get to you", he adds softly, brushing a stray strand of hair away from your face, tucking it behind your ear as your eyes dart around nervously, still grappling with the idea of riding on his bike.

"do you trust me?", he asks, his eyes searching yours for reassurance. you lift your eyes to meet his, and nod slowly. "then let's go home".

wonwoo sits on the bike, manoeuvring it into position. he extends his hand, helping you to get on the bike and take a seat. once you're settled in the seat, you can't help but notice its height and weight, a realisation sinking on what you were about to embark on.

wonwoo hands you the spare helmet he brought along with him, and you accept it, your fingers tracing the smooth surface nervously.

"okay, some ground rules," he began, his gaze turning serious as he turns back to look at you.

"hold onto me no matter what or else you're gonna fall off", he says, his gaze turning amused when he sees the flash of panic in your eyes.

"woah not like that, i mean, it's better to hold onto me you know", he adds, chuckling softly and you make a face, smacking him lightly.

"tap me once to tell me you're comfortable, tap twice if you want me to slow down and tap thrice if you want me to stop or you don't feel okay", he instructs carefully. you nod at his intrusions.

"okay?", he asks again and you nod again.

"words, i need words my love", he prompts and you finally speak, squeaking out a small yes, still scared about being on the bike and the corners of his mouth tug up in a small smile.

you watch as he puts on his big biker gloves before taking the helmet from your hands and placing it on your head, adjusting as needed. he puts on his helmet too and waits. you're confused and hold onto his jacket to brace yourself. he opens the visor on his helmet before speaking.

"love, you gotta hold onto me", he says, startling you for a second. "i-i-am", you stutter out in surprise.

"that's not going to work", he says and wordlessly reaches out his hands to yours, guiding them around his waist and you hold onto him now. "that's much better", he remarks, satisfied before telling you he was going to start, putting down his visor.

the bike starts and wonwoo pushes off, riding in the direction home. and fuck, you had underestimated the speed that you'd be going at. your grip around wonwoo tightens and he smiles to himself. wonwoo's grateful for the helmet because gosh, he was melting under your touch truly. he finds you cute, so so cute and all his.

he still remembers the day he first met you. it was at the convenience store where he found you feeding a few of the stray cats that he usually feeds. he'd just gone in to buy some food for them and when he came out walking around to the back, he saw you. you were crouched down as you handed the cats some food and watched them eat with a tender smile on your face. it's was only a few seconds later that you had finally noticed his presence, standing up in a rush.

seeing the strange man in front of you all of a sudden, you panicked, taking a step back until wonwoo spoke.

"you feed them too?", he inquired, tilting his head to the side with geunine curiosity. he remembers the way you nodded your head shyly and the way you took him in, your gaze lingering at his tattoed arm that was exposed, the sleeves rolled up a bit.

from that moment on, your paths seemed to cross more frequently. wonwoo found himself drawn to your presence, often finding excuses to linger around the convenience store in hopes of encountering you once more. you'd get so nervous and shy every time he'd come around on that big bike of his, wearing that leather jacket that made him look so cool and his hair that had grown into a mullet that was a little long and shaggy and fell over his forehead and eyes, making him look hot, paired with the tattoos that covered his one arm, he looked irresistible. and not to forget his towering height - oh he was hot.

it had been almost six months into dating and you'd still never ridden on his bike before, until now. wonwoo gestures his hand in a thumbs up, asking you if you are okay and you tap his chest once. he smiles, glad, but really, you were scared, hanging onto wonwoo for dear life. you feel his hand gently intertwine in yours to reassure you as he slows down at a signal. you sit up a little straighter now, allowing your grip around his waist to loosen just a little.

he starts up again, accelerating again. you clutch onto him a little tighter than last time, closing your eyes. the rush of speed and nerves overwhelming you. you tap him twice, indicating you want him to slow down a little and he does, slowing down at a manageable speed for you but still going at a steady pace. as the minutes pass, you find the courage to open your eyes, lifting your head to take in your surroundings. to your surprise, you realized that you were in familiar territory—the neighbourhood where wonwoo lived. with his home now just a mere ten minutes away, a sense of relief washed over you, tempered with a newfound sense of accomplishment for conquering your fears, if only for a moment.

the rest of the ride is smooth. once wonwoo reaches his home, he parks the bike, turns off the engine, mountings his legs on the ground. your arms are still around his waist, gripping him tighter than ever because the bike was now leaning towards the left since he'd put it on the stand. you were somehow convinced that you were going to fall off if you didn't hold onto wonwoo. he takes off his helmet and sets it down in front of him on the gas tank.

"you okay love?", he asks when you haven't let go of him yet. "yeah i'm okay", you manage out softly, your voice muffled through the helmet.

you reluctantly take your hands off wonwoo and move your hands up to take off your helmet. wonwoo gets down first, his height and long legs making it easier for him than for you. he takes both helmets, placing them on the small bench in his yard.

as you remained perched on the bike, a hesitation rushed through you, with the sudden reluctance to dismount the bike. gazing down at the ground beneath you, you tried to steady yourself, despite knowing there was no real risk of falling. with a nervous gulp, you raised your eyes to meet wonwoo's, finding him regarding you with a mixture of amusement and curiosity.

wonwoo shakes his head a little, letting out a soft exhale, letting his hair breathe finally. he runs a hand through his dishevelled hair, the strands falling in an adorable mess around his face. he continues to look at you, wondering why you haven't gotten off yet.

"need help?", he prompts. "how am i supposed to-", you trail off, feeling embarrassed. you manage to swing your one leg to the other side and now you're settled in a sideways position, holding onto the bike so you don't slide off entirely. wonwoo walks forward and wordlessly holds onto you, his hands finding your waist to steady you as you peer up at him.

"i'll pick you up, just wrap your legs around my waist," he says calmly, and you furrow your brows for a second before nodding in understanding. wonwoo lifts you up effortlessly and you instinctively encircle your legs around his torso as your arms wrap around his neck for support. his one arm supported you, securely wrapped around your waist as he held you up. the proximity made your heart rate rush and you lean more into him so you don't fall off.

he grabs the bike keys before heading to the door, unlocking the door with ease and walking inside with you, holding onto you securely. you admire wonwoo up close and gosh, he was so handsome and pretty.

wonwoo sets you down on the kitchen island countertop, his hands lingering on your waist for a moment as you look at him. as you meet his eyes, you can't help but notice how your height almost matches his towering height now. he gives you a small but comforting smile before his hands move off your waist. he unzips his jacket, taking it off, only to expose his tattoed arm as he slides the jacket off, making you gasp ever so softly at the sight. you'd seen wonwoo's tattoos plenty of times before, but they never failed to leave you in awe every time you saw them. despite wonwoo's intimidating appearance - for someone who looked cold, badass and was so buff, he was so soft, sweet and gentle. it was a contrast that never failed to captivate you, drawing you closer to the enigma that was wonwoo.

wonwoo's wearing a sleeveless compression shirt and as you look at him, it's slowly turning your brain to mush with the way it was hugging his body perfectly at all the right places, showing off his build and muscles. the way the fabric hugged and accentuated every sculpted muscle of his sent your thoughts spiralling in a whirlwind. you have to tear your eyes away, opting to look at your lap instead, feeling the rush of heat flood your cheeks. wonwoo smirks to himself when he catches you checking him out and stealing glances at him, a little boost to his ego.

he takes off the gloves, placing them on the counter and finally, his attention is back on you. he looks at you, stepping forward so that he was closer, standing between your legs as he lifts your chin up so that you can meet his gaze.

"what's going on?", he asks softly, his hand caressing your cheek as he looks at you sweetly. your eyes dart to the side before returning to his unwavering gaze.

"i-i don't know", you confess as you look at him. "i just needed some space i guess, everything got too much", you tell and his gaze softens as he looks at you.

"next time you want to escape, at least call me, i can take you", he murmurs, his words carrying a sense of reassurance and comfort. you gulp at the closeness and his words as he stares into your soul.

"yeah-okay", you mumbled softly, blinking at him, getting nervous again. the way wonwoo could render you a shy nervous mess in mere seconds was something that needed to be studied.

before you can dwell on your response more , wonwoo closes the gap between you, his lips meeting yours in a tender and gentle kiss. a rush of warmth floods your body and in that moment, everything seems to stop. he pulls away and you hope he can't hear how loud and fast your heart is beating.

you wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him forward as you bury your face in his chest, engulfing him in a hug. wonwoo's arms instantly wrap around your waist, pulling you a little closer to him, letting you bask in his embrace, the comforting weight of his presence grounding you as he hugs you back, burying his face in the crook of your neck. at that moment, amidst the warmth of his embrace, the world seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of you suspended in a moment of quiet intimacy.

bonus: the intrusive thoughts really won here

you riding the bike with wonwoo again, the wind is refreshing as he glides on the roads. after that day, you'd gotten a little more confident and okay with riding on wonwoo's bike. but now, it was like second nature to you. your hands are around wonwoo's waist before you have a little mischievous thought and you smile to yourself. your hands slowly creep up to his chest, your fingers finding the buttons of his shirt as you slowly undo them. wonwoo has no idea what's happening until he glances dow n at the feeling of your hands on his chest, seeing what you are doing.

"what are you doing?", he asks, his voice filling your helmet and you suppress the urge to laugh.

"i'm showing the world how sexy my boyfriend is, though i should be gatekeeping you actually", you tease, undoing another button as wonwoo's shirt now hangs on for dear life. your hands creep up under his shirt and you hear the soft groan he lets out as your hands caress his abs and you grin, satisfied knowing the effect you were having on him.

"oh love, you are so in for it when we get home", he says making you chuckle as you hug him tighter.

taglist: @biboramp3 @naaaaafla @weird-bookworm @icyminghao @kyeomyun @lvlystars @blue-jisungs @wootify @ihrtboo @idubiluv @n4mj00nvq

@joshuaahong @fallingforshua29 @itsveronicaxxx @frankenstein852 @mirxzii @wheeboo @writingmeraki @wqnwoos

[cherrylovelycherry]

𓂅new order. "pain aux raisins, pain au chocolat and uh... a soufflé."

"Surprise, muddle fudger!"

pairing. Boothill x gn!reader cw/genre. action, some nsfw(desperate kisses with tongue), violence, implied deaths, weapons (guns and knives), no gore, anyway mdni full menu

You and Boothill were… Rivals at best. With both of you being mercenaries, it was easy to get competitive. Ironically, you knew each other the best. So, of course, after you pissed off a bunch of higher-ups and gained a large bounty on your head, Boothill was the first one on the case. He was confident he'd be the one to bring you in, dead or alive. It was only normal to chase after your rival, right?

Boothill had your face memorized for this job. But then again, he's had your face memorized for a while. He was confident he would catch you, and you were confident you wouldn't get caught. Though, you had a strong feeling that Boothill was on your trail. This feeling was proven correct when the familiar click of a gun echoed into the room. Here you were hoping to finish this mission without a hassle.

"There's a huge bounty on your head, sweetheart. How 'bout you make this easy f'me and come along without a fight?"

Boothill smirked as he stood in the doorway to the dimly lit room. He had his weapon leveled and aimed at your head. Of course, you knew he wouldn't kill you, but he might mess up your appearance a bit. His expression seemed to be a mix of excitement and annoyance. Maybe he was eager to turn in his former rival and gain the bounty for himself. On the other hand, his annoyance might have something to do with the fact that he'd prefer not to fight you. This job had already made him frustrated, but knowing you, you'd make it harder for him.

"I really am hopin' it doesn't have to come to shooting you darlin'." he said, his voice low.

"But if it comes down to it, so be it." There was an air of teasing around Boothill's tone, as if he was enjoying the situation. He had always relished challenging you. But now, there was something else in his eyes as he stood in front of you. Was that a flicker of affection?

You rolled your eyes at the slight thought of that.

"Ya know I'm not just gonna turn myself in, pretty boy." You responded, turning to him with a smirk. Your hand slowly hovered over your own weapon, ready for a fight if you needed to.

The both of you were quite skilled, which made the rivalry all the more exciting. You knew you'd be in for one hell of a fight.

"Now, I don't know what you did to get every mercenary on your trail, but I'd say your best bet is coming with me."

Boothill slowly lowered his weapon as he approached with caution. This was the first time he'd seen you in a bit, and he clearly hadn't expected for you to look so exhausted. Your condition didn't look too good, and he could see how you'd probably have difficulty fighting right now. He also seemed to notice the injuries you had from previous fights with the other mercenaries. He could see a few bullet wounds and a couple scratches.

Despite that, you seemed very willing to face it. Everything to fight for your freedom and life, nothing new.

He took a few more steps forward, his weapon still in his hand. His eyes were studying your features, taking in your tired expression. He hadn't expected to see you this way – beaten and weak. He was a bit concerned, but it also made him more confident, knowing you weren't at your full strength at the moment. He knew you'd still put up a fight despite your condition, though. You'd never give up without a struggle.

"I can see ya ain't looking too good."

Boothill raised his eyebrow as he got closer. He kept his weapon lowered, a signal that he wasn't going to shoot you for now.

He spoke slowly, as if trying his best to not upset you.

"Listen, you're a very skilled merc. I know you're strong as hell, but you're in no condition to fight right now."

He took another step closer before pausing, his eyes scanning the room. From what he could tell, the whole building was silent. No other mercenaries or enemies around to interfere. Just the two of you - alone.

"So…turn yourself in and it's over."

Silence.

"Haha, you're so funny!" You spoke, unsheathing your gun, aiming it straight at his head.

Your finger was on the trigger of the gun in your hand.

"Don't you dare take another fucking step because I'll blow your little brain away."

You held your ground, aiming your own weapon at him in warning. Boothill froze in place, clearly knowing the risks of making a wrong move. He had seen this stubborn side of you many times before, and he wasn't surprised by you threatening him.

Seeing you like this wasn't unfamiliar to him. In fact, he'd seen you at your worse moments before. He'd seen the rage and the pain, and he'd witnessed the moments when you'd been too exhausted to fight.

But now, it really didn't look like you were slightly injured.

He didn't seem shocked you weren't giving up. No - he seemed excited. This was exactly how he'd expected you to respond. His gaze was locked on yours, his expression one of cocky overconfidence.

"I ain't gonna lie, you're lookin' pretty damn sexy right now"

He responded, his voice low and teasing. You heard a chuckle escape his lips as his eyes flickered over you. He clearly enjoyed the danger this situation posed – the thrill that only you ever got him.

"You're insufferable"

You rolled your eyes once more, though there was a smirk on your lips. It was no secret that you and Boothil had a bit of a history together. After all, your relationship was mostly based around competition and flirting.

Despite your injuries, you stood there defiantly, unbothered by his flirtatious remark. Of course, he would take the time to give you compliments, even when you could shoot him right here, right now. However, the compliment didn't seem like an empty one either.

He was staring at you with the same cocky expression on his face, but there was more in his eyes than the teasing. There was a clear admiration and affection there.

"It's not good for you to make assumptions too soon, precious." You said.

Maybe he was right, maybe he wasn't. You were a little hurt from the recent fights against other nosy guys, but the adrenaline in your body put you back together in one way or another.

Boothill let out a soft chuckle at your response, his eyes gleaming with amusement. It was difficult to not get caught up in this sort of flirting exchange. His gaze remained locked on you, taking in the sight of your injuries despite your determination.

As he studied you, his gaze slowly travelled down your body, admiring your injured but still impressive form. His smirk widened, clearly impressed by how you were holding yourself together despite everything.

"Oh, I wasn't assuming, sweetcheeks." He replied, taking a step closer. "I was stating a damn fact— "

His words were somewhat cut off by the gunshot next to his face. The thing you loved most about yourself was your very good aim.

"My eyes are up here." You spoke mockingly.

"And I said don't come any closer." You were ready to shoot him, you weren't kidding.

"Damn, you're not afraid to play dirty, huh?" He grinned.

A chuckle escaped his lips again as he stopped himself from moving any closer. His cocky demeanor was still present, but he had to admit that he found it amusing when you shot near his face. He really liked your feisty attitude.

"Fine, fine. I won't come any closer." He said with a smirk, raising his hands slightly as if surrendering to your demand.

He stepped back, putting some distance between the two of you. He still kept his eyes on you, but he tried to contain his previous overconfidence.

You kept your eyes locked on him, a sense of pride swelling within you. Despite the danger you were still in, you smirked back at him, relishing the moment of victory.

"Wise call, pretty boy." You taunted.

He had no choice but to keep his distance, and you enjoyed knowing that you had a bit of an advantage here. Though Boothill had no intentions of actually killing you, he was confident that he would win this fight. He just had to outsmart you somehow.

Your steps stopped abruptly when a bullet passed in front of your eyes.

"Shit." They shot out of the window. They almost blew your brain.

You quickly moved to cover yourself so that this time they would have the opportunity to shoot you. However, you still had to be careful with Boothill.

Your expression hardened as you slowly took a look behind you to see who was shooting you. You saw several men in military uniforms, carrying various types of guns. There were at least two snipers on the roof. They must have been the ones who shot through the window.

Although you felt flattered that so many people came after you, it seemed somewhat unfair to you. You were in a matchup more on par with Boothill, while the others were too far down for you.

You returned your attention to Boothill. He seemed a little surprised by the sudden interruption.

"Seems someone else is trying to claim that bounty on your head." He said, leaning against the wall.

He was still keeping his distance, knowing that they could shoot you both at any moment. You could tell from his body language that he didn't really want to fight them. Although well, he wanted you just for himself. He claimed you first.

The effects of the adrenaline that were diminishing and the injuries were affecting you, so you were not really at your 100%, an advantage for the other people who were also chasing you.

Boothill, seeing one of these uniformed men at the door of the room, did not hesitate to shoot.

"You're welcome, doll."

Boothill's bullet hit the man's shoulder, causing him to fall and yell aloud. His cry immediately attracted the attention of his accomplices, who were now rushing towards the building.

You had to be quick.

"Damn it, Boothill."

You didn't want to keep fighting; you were tired and wanted this whole thing to end. However, you really didn't have a choice. You were outnumbered, and they were determined to take you in one way or another.

"I was going to shoot them myself, you know." You replied sarcastically, taking a deep breath to compose yourself.

As you spoke, another bullet flew past you, barely missing your head. You had to take cover again, though you still managed to look at Boothill with a slight smirk. He just rolled his eyes in response.

"Yeah, sure you were." He said, a tinge of teasing in his voice.

The situation was still dangerous, but you couldn't help but enjoy the banter between the two of you.

"We can't stay here like sitting ducks." You replied, keeping your eyes focused on the door.

You were determined to fight back, and you knew that you had the skills to do it. However, you couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed that Boothill was doing your job, which was killing the other hunters.

"You think I can't handle myself?" You asked, a touch of irritation in your voice.

"Your eyes, darlin'. They look really tired." Boothill noted. He had never seen you look so exhausted before. He couldn't imagine how annoying and tiring it must have been to have a bunch of mercenary idiots after him.

You let out a small scoff at Boothill's remark. You really weren't in the mood to fight anymore, and he knew it. Even so, his teasing made you feel better about this whole situation—or so you thought.

"You know what? Just shut up."

You stayed hidden behind the table with Boothill by your side when another bullet hit the door. You cursed under your breath as you felt your clothes rubbing against the cuts. Your injuries were affecting you, and you were barely holding on.

You held back a small cry as a bullet grazed your hip.

Boothill turned to look at you. However, he kept his worries to himself.

"You're hit." He said, his tone firm but gentle. He reached out to check the wound, but you swatted his hand away.

"I'm fine." You grumbled, not wanting to admit how much pain you were in. You really weren't in the mood to fight anymore. However, no matter how tired you were, you were certain that you could win this fight, especially with Boothill by your side.

"Damn sons of bitches." You muttered, pulling a shot of adrenaline out of your jacket. At least that would help you compose yourself a little.

You could hear footsteps coming closer to where they were, so you quickly inserted the injection into your left leg.

A feeling of sudden power and energy ran through your veins as the drug took effect. You took a moment to take a deep breath, then stood up, ready to fight again.

Following that, you shot the two men inside directly in the head.

Boothill glanced at you with a mixture of surprise.

He wasn't exactly happy about you doing something dangerous like that, but he knew it was probably your only way to keep pushing through this fight. His gaze shifted back to the door, his hand still gripped tightly on his gun.

Since he wasn't going to kill you after all, he was going only to hurt you so he could hand you over and get the reward.

"You sure you won't pass out after that?" He asked, his tone serious.

You rolled your eyes, knowing that he was right. Just maybe. He really was annoying sometimes.

"Shut it and give me some cover." You demanded.

You were grateful that he understood that they were only on the same side for now, since the men were looking for both of you. And besides, the fight between you two was only about you two.

Without any other unwanted guests.

Boothill chuckled at your sharp tone. He really loved the way you spoke.

"Yes, love."

He was sure that you would be okay, even after the adrenaline shot.

"Just give me a sign if you're gonna pass out." He said, his voice low and serious, before firing his weapon again, hitting another man in the head. You both made a pretty good team.

You smirked, knowing that he was trying to help you in his own way. It had been a long time since you had fought together like this.

Bullets and bullets continued to fly through the room. However, Boothill managed to keep his aim on the enemies.

As usual, It was almost admirable how he managed to keep his focus, despite the chaotic situation.

You could feel Boothill's gaze on you, watching your every move, but you didn't mention anything. You wanted to keep going, especially when the only thing in your mind was to get rid of these intruders. You took out a long dagger from your belt and quickly stabbed a guy in the stomach, then knocked him down with your weapon. You really were a skilled fighter when you want to and need to.

By your side, Boothill was doing a great job too, taking down man after man.

It was a constant back and forth, the sound of gunfire and loud cursing echoing in the room.

As more people entered the building, it became increasingly clear that you had to get out of there. Or also go up to the upper floors, since it was emptier there and there was more freedom to move.

Boothill's gaze was still fixated on your back, his eyes never leaving you. He wasn't going to let anything happen to you, even if that meant putting himself in the line of fire.

Of course, it was only because I wanted you alive to turn you in and get the reward, nothing more.

You could feel the adrenaline pumping through your body. Your movements were swift and precise, your years of training kicking in.

You had to admit that you had missed this. The adrenaline, the excitement, the teamwork.

You kept going, cutting and shooting anyone who got in your way. You were both moving almost as if your actions were perfectly synchronized. You both knew where the other would be, and you were always there to back each other up, even if the fighting was chaotic and brutal.

Despite the exhaustion you were facing, both mentally and physically, you found yourself enjoying the adrenaline. The thrill was almost addictive, and you loved it.

Boothill kept fighting back to back with you. Despite his cockiness, the two of you worked impressively well together. He was always right on your tail, shooting down anyone who dared get too close. Your fighting style was completely different from his, yet it complemented his perfectly.

As the adrenaline continued to race through the room, Boothill couldn't help but notice how skilled you were. Even with the injuries you had, you were still a force to be reckoned with. He grinned, relishing the thrill of the fight and the way you worked together.

"Not bad, sweetheart."

You were grateful that Boothill's ego wasn't affecting his performance. For a moment, you stopped fighting to reload your gun. However, that little break was enough for you to pay attention to Boothill.

His smirk was a sign that not only was he enjoying this fight, but he was enjoying fighting with you. At least you two made a great team.

"What? You're saying that to everyone or is it an exception?" You replied, a small smug smile crossing your lips. You knew that he could sense your own excitement, even amidst this chaos.

Boothill chuckled at your words, a smirk spreading on his lips.

"You're the exception, doll."

His response was casual, but his eyes betrayed his words. You could see the admiration in them, the appreciation for your skills and the way you fought. He had see and fought beside many people before, but there was something about battling with you that felt different.

As more enemies started pouring in, Boothill stepped closer to you, his metalic arm brushing against your shoulder. His body language was casual, as if he were simply standing next to you at a party rather than in the middle of a life-threatening fight.

"You enjoying yourself so far?" He asked, his voice low and taunting.

"As much as you, pretty boy." You said, smiling as you wiped your sweat with the blood of the dead men with the back of your hand.

Boothill grinned, feeling a familiar flare of attraction burning in his chest. Fighting with you like this—side by side, watching each other's backs—was something he thoroughly enjoyed. And he couldn't deny that it made him feel good, not just because you two worked well together, but because it gave him a glimpse of what could have been if things had been different between the two of you.

However, he shrugged off the thought, reminding himself that you weren’t going to be with him. It was just wishful thinking.

"You're right, I'm enjoying myself."

Soon, the room was full of the bodies of the other hunters.

You and Boothill had ascended from the 5th floor to the 9th floor of the building while fighting.

You felt a sense of relief flood over you as the adrenaline high wore off. Your whole body seemed to relax, but your heart was still racing from the fight. You had never been more exhausted in your life.

However, in the midst of your slight distraction, one of the intruders had moved closer, and he grabbed you by the side. You gritted your teeth in pain and slammed your elbow backwards, hearing him groan as you struck him in the nose.

As you quickly pushed him to the ground, Boothill took the opportunity to land a shot on his chest.

Once the room fell silent, you let out a deep breath, realizing that the danger was finally coming to an end. Just for a few seconds.

All those fools were on the ground, all dead.

As you took cover behind the table again, you held back a small moan. The effects of those injections were beginning to wear off, causing a sudden pain in your hip.

Boothill couldn't help but glance over at you, noticing your discomfort. He approached you slowly, his gaze fixed on your wound.

You couldn't help but chuckle softly as Boothill approached you.

"Now, about our little problem?" You said, your eyes narrowing towards him.

Boothill leaned down to inspect the wound, trying to assess the severity. However, he saw that the shot had only grazed her hip. It was a small wound, but it still had to be painful for you.

He looked up at you with a small smirk, which only angered you.

"It's nothing I cannot handle." You huffed, your face twisted in annoyance. You didn't like it when Boothill looked at you like that, as if you were incapable of handling pain.

"I'm fine." You muttered, pushing his hand away from you.

You tried to ignore the throbbing pain, but you knew it needed attention. You nodded reluctantly, allowing him to look at your injury.

"You're wounded," he stated, his tone neutral. "Again."

From his pocket he took out a lighter, with which he heated his metal fingers for a while until they reached a high temperature so that the wound would heal.

Since he did not consider it fair that they continued the fight if you were not at your 100% or at least 70%.

"Hold still, darlin'. This might sting a bit."

Boothill held his heated finger over the wound, the heat causing you to gasp from the pain. You inhaled deeply through your clenched teeth, clenching your fists to avoid crying out in pain.

Despite the pain, you could feel the heat slowly knitting together your skin, closing the wound.

You closed your eyes as you felt Boothill's grip to steady you so that he could do his work.

The pain was intense, but somehow you found yourself calming down.

After the heat had done its job, Boothill let go of your wounded hip. You exhaled deeply, relieved that the pain was finally gone. Not completely, but most of it.

He looked down at you, his gaze taking in the expression on your face. You were still slightly irritated from the look he had given you earlier.

"You’re a terrible patient," Boothill commented, his tone laced with a hint of teasing.

"Hah. Shut up."

After a few seconds in which you calmed down, you got up slowly, still with caution.

Their previous "truce" had already ended.

You knew it was dangerous to be around him now. So you put your hand on your gun, ready to pull it out at any moment.

You walked away slowly, not cornering yourself.

"Now…stay away."

Boothill chuckled as your words faded into the silence. It was almost amusing how you still couldn't see eye to eye. Yet, there was an undercurrent of respect in his eyes.

"As you wish," he muttered, his tone neutral. He lifted his hands in a gesture of surrender, though there was a gleam of mischief in his eyes.

You took a deep breath and moved closer to the exit, your hand wrapped tightly around the handle of your gun.

"We'd save the fight if you give up and let me take you with me." He grinned, his voice low and menacing as he leaned closer to you.

You were about to leave when Boothill's words stopped you in your tracks. You looked at him with a frown, refusing to take the bait.

"We both know I won't do that," you said firmly and in a amusing way, keeping your distance.

There was no way you were going to give up and let him turn you in just like that. You were both trained mercenaries, after all, and there was something in you that didn't want to lose to him, even if it meant risking your life.

Despite your attempts to hide it, you couldn't help but feel excited.

You knew that Boothill was a smart man, a cunning mercenary who never underestimated his prey. And he knew you were just as determined as he was.

His lips curved into a smirk, displaying his sharp teeth. He was clearly enjoying this game of cat and mouse, the thrill of the chase and the anticipation of the fight.

He was slowly approaching, you pulled out your gun, pointing it at him.

“I said not to—” You felt dizzy, unable to finish your sentence.

You fell directly to the ground, with no strength to move. It was the result of tiredness and the lack of adrenaline in your body.

'Shit,' you thought as you looked at your gun now on the ground, as well as listening to Boothill's footsteps.

It didn't take long for you to end up closing your eyes, passing out.

He crouched down next to you to check that you weren't dead.

But thankfully, he could see the slight rise of your chest, your breathing was slow and somewhat light. For a moment, he was terrified that you didn’t have one.

He felt a mixture of concern and victory, as he realized this was his chance to turn you in. He bent down, picking up your gun and then picking you up too.

He couldn't help but feel a tinge of disappointment, knowing that the fight had ended too soon.

He started to go down the stairs, with you in his arms, although he had you carrying you more like a sack of potatoes. A nice gesture from him.

Despite your body being limp and unresponsive, you could sense the movement and the sound of Boothill's footsteps. You couldn't open your eyes, so all you could do was think.

Your thoughts were a mess of anger and frustration. You hadn't anticipated that you would lose the fight this time. It was humiliating, and you couldn't believe that you had allowed yourself to get into this position.

You also cursed Boothill for being so quick and taking this chance. You were furious at yourself for not seeing it coming.

You wished that you could wake up right then and there. And that's what you did, you were forcing yourself to wake up.

You should have stayed in that building as long as you could.

Approximately 10 minutes passed, Boothill calmly descended the stairs.

In one of your attempts to wake up, you finally succeeded, although not completely since you were somewhat sleepy.

You remained still, as if you were still passed out.

Until, in one of those, with a metal bar that you managed to pick up days ago, you pushed it directly into the back of Boothill's metal legs.

In a way that he stumbles and in that way, letting go.

You fell to the ground again, your vision was still somewhat blurry but your instincts to escape were a little stronger.

You got up and started running down the stairs, going up again. Taking advantage of Boothill to remove the metal bar from his leg.

Boothill groaned as he felt the metal bar hit his legs and make him stumble. He wasn't expecting that sneaky move from you, even in your dazed state.

As he tried to regain his balance, he couldn't help but curse under his breath. Being immediately censored by his internal system.

How had he underestimated you that much? He had been careless and careless enough to let you slip away. He should have known better than to assume you were still unconscious.

His anger mixed with a sense of respect and admiration for your determination. He was both annoyed and impressed, both at you for escaping and at himself for letting you go.

You could hear him cursing behind you, which made the situation quite amusing. It was a bit of revenge for Boothill's actions.

With your blurred vision and half your body still not functioning properly, it was a challenge to run. Not to mention that your legs and arms felt like jelly.

You felt like you could faint at any moment, but anger kept you going. You pushed yourself to keep moving, though your movements were still somewhat slow.

You found solace in a room that led to a broken balcony.

You took a breath and took out your gun, which you picked up from one of the dead men on the ground, leaning against the wall and waiting for Boothill to arrive.

You were determined to end this once and for all, no more playing with each other.

You were going to kill him right then and there, but deep down, you hoped it wouldn't be necessary to do that.

Boothill gritted his teeth as he made his way up the stairs, his senses heightened as he anticipated your next move. He knew he had underestimated you and that you were clever enough to not make the same mistake twice. However, he couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement at the prospect of engaging in another fight.

As he reached the top of the stairs, he surveyed the room, his eyes quickly settling on you in the corner. He took a few moments to observe your stance, noticing the determination in your features and the gun pointed directly at him.

“Now this is an interesting change of pace,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

He knew he had to be careful with his movements, as any sudden action could result in a bullet in his brain. He took a slow step towards you.

"Are you sure you wanna do this, darlin'?" he asked, a hint of humor in his tone, "You seem a little out of it."

You responded, but not speaking, you shot trying to hit his forehead. However, he narrowly dodged the bullets.

By the time I wanted to shoot again, no bullet came out.

"Damn." You muttered, throwing the gun to the ground.

As he dodged your shots, Boothill chuckled, finding your determination admirable despite the fact that you ran out of bullets.

"Now, now, darlin'," he said, taking a step closer to you. "Just because you're out of bullets doesn't mean this is over."

His voice was laced with a mix of taunting and admiration as he continued to approach you, fully aware that you had no other means of defense.

"C'mere." He said, taking out his gun and pointing it at you, just in case you did something.

You rolled your eyes at his comment, annoyed at how he seemed to be enjoying this situation.

You took a deep breath, mentally steeling yourself for whatever might happen.

You weren't sure what you'd do next, but you knew you couldn't let him get away with this.

You took a step closer to him, your fists clenching and unclenching as you prepared yourself.

You raised your hands in surrender, as you approached him.

You knew you wouldn't last long in a physical fight against Boothill. He had experience, training, and an inhuman advantage given his abilities.

As you raised your hands in surrender, Boothill's eyes flickered with a hint of surprise, not expecting you to give in so easily.

He approached you with calculated steps, his gun still pointed at you. His gaze studied your movements and your expression, searching for any signs of deception.

"Smart choice," he said.

However, as he got closer, he noticed the fatigue and exhaustion in your eyes. He could see that despite your determination, you were not in the best shape to continue the fight.

He knew he had the upper hand, but he also saw a flicker of vulnerability in your eyes.

For your part, you were sure that you would regret this some time later. If everything went well, of course.

Being in front of him, just two steps away, you relaxed your face. Your pretty face and the old bond that both of you had before would have to be of some use.

Boothill noticed as you relaxed your face and softened your expression. He recognized the tactic immediately, as the tension in his jaw softened slightly.

He lowered his gun slightly, taking in the sight of you. The light that entered the room through the window illuminated your face, and for a moment, Boothill forgot about the current situation.

Bad decision he made.

"Can I…have a little time before you take me?" You asked, your face was one of resignation and some pity.

Boothill lowered his guard a little as he heard your request.

He could see the exhaustion in your eyes and the pleading look on your face.

He knew that he would easily fall into those sweet puppy eyes and that angelic voice.

He remained silent for a few seconds, still holding his gun, but more relaxed as he nodded.

"Just this time, but no funny business," he replied, a mix of caution and understanding in his voice.

You smiled internally, if that was possible.

Quickly and without him being able to react, you placed your hands on his face.

The only human part of his body he had left. You lightly caressed his cheeks, analyzing his eyes.

"It's been a long time since I looked into those pretty eyes again…" You spoke calmly.

Boothill froze when he felt your hands on his cheeks.

The feeling of your touch sent a series of electrical impulses and sensations through his artificial nerves, causing an involuntary shiver to run down his spine.

He was surprised at your bold move and the sudden display of affection. He couldn't hide the mix of confusion and a touch of discomfort in his expression, but he couldn't turn away from the warmth of your touch.

The sudden intimacy caught him off guard, and before he could react, he saw the vulnerability in your eyes and the hint of longing in your gaze.

"What are you…" he sputtered, taken aback by the unexpected gesture. He still kept his guard down, unsure of your intentions, but he didn't pull back.

Instead, he remained there, allowing you to touch his face.

You smiled softly, feeling like you had taken control of the situation.

"Oh, don't be like that…" You whispered, your thumb gently tracing the contours of his human skin.

"I just…" You paused, trying to find the right words. "I just missed seeing your pretty face."

You continued to explore his face with an almost careful touch, tracing the contours of his features with your fingertips. He noticed how your touch was gentle, almost reverential.

As if you were handling a work of art that could easily break.

"Tell me, Boothill," you spoke with an even tone. Your fingers moved slowly along his jaw and chin. He could feel the warmth of your touch and the way your touch tingled his skin. He noticed how your thumb brushed over his lips, tracing his lower lip.

He couldn't deny the fact that he had missed the feeling of your hands on his skin, even though he would never admit it out loud.

He could sense the nostalgia in your touch, and it was as if your touch awakened old memories buried deep within his circuits.

A feeling he had long forgotten.

"What are you planning, darlin'?" he managed to mutter, his voice laced with a mix of confusion and fascination.

You sighed lightly, before getting closer to his face.

"Can i…?" Your face was very close to his, a few centimeters away from touching his lips with yours.

He wanted to turn away, but he found himself powerless against the pull between you.

"Sweetheart…" he began, but his voice trailed off. He couldn't find the strength to push you away.

Or didn't want to, really.

But before he could say more, you had already pressed your lips against his.

Not exactly with much force, they barely brushed against each other.

And that was enough for you to quickly take away the weapon he had in his hand with a light blow.

You walked away from him quickly as a smile appeared on your lips, you must have been quick since he had a gun integrated into his hand.

As the realization dawned on him, Boothill's expression shifted from surprise to annoyance. He couldn't believe he had fallen for your little trick.

"Sneaky, aren't ya?" he said, his tone a mix of irritation.

Despite the temporary triumph, Boothill couldn't suppress a flicker of respect for your cunning and resourcefulness. He couldn't help but feel a mix of admiration and frustration at your ability to catch him off guard.

He knew you would try something, he thought you were just going to try to convince him not to hand you over, making those pretty eyes of yours. He really hadn't expected there to be that kind of intimacy involved.

You couldn't help but laugh when you saw his annoyed expression, you knew he wouldn't take it well.

You couldn't believe it had worked, you assumed he would have pushed you away, but not this time.

"You should be flattered, you're the only 'guy' I can do that to without being disgusted." You said in a sarcastic tone, your smile widening.

Boothill scoffed, his irritation growing even more. He felt a mixture of amusement and indignation at your words and your teasing smile.

"Flattered? Oh, how lucky I am," he retorted sarcastically. "I'm honored to be your exception. I feel privileged."

He tried to maintain a calm facade, but the hint of a grin betrayed his true feelings.

You were just as annoying as always.

And after the small conversation. You tried to be quick and back away enough to go to the floors below, through the balcony.

Because if you stayed there any longer, one of his bullets was going to hit you.

As you made your escape, Boothill cursed under his breath, realizing how effortlessly you had outsmarted him again.

"Smart little thing." he muttered, a begrudging respect in his tone. He couldn't help but acknowledge your quick thinking and resourcefulness.

Despite a hint of admiration, he couldn't shake the feeling that your actions only fueled the fire between you both.

From there, you couldn't estimate how long you were dodging and hiding from Boothill, occasionally shooting.

You knew it was night, because of the windows and balconies you passed, you still had to stay in the building.

The smell of gunpowder was strong. You were taking care of the few bullets you had, using the gun as limited as you could, just to protect yourself.

You didn't risk fighting him physically since you knew you would lose easily.

The tension was palpable in the air as your chase continued. You constantly managed to evade his shots, thanks to your resourcefulness and quick thinking.

You made full use of the environment, ducking and hiding behind cover whenever possible, and your marksmanship kept Boothill at bay. Despite your limited ammunition, you remained cautious and calculated with each shot, making every bullet count.

However, despite his physical advantage, he couldn't shake the lingering memory of your touch and the bittersweet taste lingering on his lips.

As he sprinted behind you, he muttered under his breath.

"You're playing a dangerous game, darlin'…"

As the night deepened, a sense of urgency fueled your every move, and Boothill's determination never wavered.

Every step you took, every corner you turned, brought you closer to exhaustion.

Boothill followed your path, his mind focused on his target. He navigated the building with purpose and determination.

With each step, he grew increasingly frustrated by your continued evasion. You were making him work harder than he anticipated.

"You can't run forever, sweetheart," he muttered under his breath, his voice laced with equal parts amusement and annoyance.

He was determined to catch you before sunrise, not knowing what would happen afterwards.

You took out your phone for a moment. You were behind a closet, so for a moment Boothill wouldn't be able to find you easily, or at least you hoped.

"Why the hell don't they respond?" You mumbled in annoyance, while looking at your phone.

No calls or messages were reaching your phone. The connection seemed unreliable, perhaps due to the location of the building or other interference. Whatever the reason, it added to your growing frustration.

As you stood there behind the closet, hidden from sight you took the moment of calmness to gather your thoughts.

You couldn't help but feel disgusted and a little humiliated at having to hide. It wasn't like you.

But you had no choice if you wanted to live or remain 'free'.

If it weren't for the fact that you had to stay in this building, you would already be far from this place. Maybe having a few drinks.

At that very moment, Boothill closed in on your location. His keen senses and intimate knowledge of your tactics allowed him to narrow down your position.

He approached the closet cautiously, his footsteps deliberately soft to avoid tipping you off. He stood on the other side of the door, mentally preparing for the moment of confrontation.

You made the big mistake of distracting yourself, getting internally upset by the situation and the lack of response on your phone.

As you stood behind the closet, your mind racing with frustration, you failed to notice the faint creak of a floorboard behind you.

Before you could react, Boothill appeared behind you, his presence like a shadow materializing out of thin air.

He pulled your leg back, thus preventing you from grabbing the weapon you had taken from him.

"Fuck!" You whirled around, your heart skipping a beat, only to find yourself facing him, a mischievous grin on his face.

"Hey darlin'," he teased, his voice laced with a hint of triumph, "I won."

He had you pinned to the ground. You were on your back and he had his hands on your wrists, along with his knees on your legs.

A mix of shock and anger filled you as you found yourself pinned to the ground by Boothill.

You struggled to break free from his grip, but his strength and body weight pinned you down, leaving you feeling helpless and exposed.

"Let go of me, prick!" You growled through clenched teeth, squirming and trying to wriggle out of his grip.

But your efforts were met with a chuckle from Boothill as he tightened his hold on your wrists,

"Now, now, easy there, sweetheart. You lost. That means you're in my hands now."

You glared up at him, your body tensed with defiance. Despite your best efforts to break free, his grip remained firm and unyielding. The power imbalance was evident, leaving you in a vulnerable position.

"You won, big deal," you muttered through gritted teeth, trying to hide the mix of frustration and fear that threatened to surface. Boothill smirked, enjoying the sight of your helplessness.

He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a softer yet slightly mocking tone, "Ah, but you do look rather cute like this, darlin'."

You couldn't help but roll your eyes at his words.

"You're playing dirty." You spoke, your brow furrowing a little. You had already stopped trying to get away because you knew it was useless at that moment.

"Oh, me? Playing dirty?" He shifted his weight slightly, pressing his knee more firmly against your thigh.

He continued, his tone laced with a hint of teasing, "if I recall, there was a rather intimate moment not long ago that involved your pretty face and my lips.”

"That was different," you muttered defiantly. "You were stunned. I merely took advantage."

Boothill laughed softly, clearly amused by your attempt to justify your actions.

"Ah, so you admit to playing dirty, eh?" His grip relaxed slightly.

"Mhm, maybe." You said as you let out a sigh.

Boothill leaned in even closer, his voice dropping to a low, suggestive whisper.

"Let's say I am feeling a bit generous tonight." He paused, taking a moment to admire your features. "And the sight of you under me isn't half bad too."

He shifted his position slightly, his body pressing against yours with a bit more weight. The intensity of the moment seemed to thicken the air around you.

"Woah, relax." You spoke, raising an eyebrow with some amusement.

"Oh and, could you let me go?" You made reference to your wrists. "It's not like I could run away or anything." You continued, laughing somewhat bitterly.

Boothill maintained his grip on your wrists for a few seconds before finally releasing his hold, allowing you some freedom of movement. However, he kept you pinned to the ground with the weight of his body.

He remained silent for a moment, his mind working quickly as a slightly cocky, playful smile crept across his face, just like the cat who caught the mouse.

"There you go, darlin'," he said, his tone holding a subtle edge of mocking.

You moved a little on the ground, rubbing your wrists where his grip had left marks.

You internally lamented your immersive defeat.

Things didn't go as well as you planned.

"Okay, you can hand me over." You spoke, rolling your eyes. You weren't even going to try to escape, there was no chance of that.

A flicker of something you couldn't quite identify flashed across Boothill's eyes.

He stayed put, still holding you in place, his mind processing your words. He shifted his weight slightly, his gaze studying your facial expressions and demeanor, reading the subtle body language.

He thought, pondering your words and trying to gauge your sincerity.

"Just like that?" he asked, skepticism creeping into his voice. "No more fight, darlin'?

Boothill raised an eyebrow, amused by your surrender.

"Now, that's the first time I've heard you agree to surrender." He chuckled, taking a moment to appreciate the spectacle of you being the one to submit.

He leaned in closer.

"You're quite the sight to behold when you're not fighting back, you know that?"

With a swift motion, he gently grasped your chin between his thumb and index finger, gently lifting your face to meet his gaze once again.

"Take a picture, those last longer." You spoke, smirking at the way he was looking at you and talking.

Boothill paused momentarily, his smile growing wider at your challenging comment.

"Oh, don't tempt me, darlin'," he replied, his tone dripping with amusement. "But now that you mention it…"

He pulled out his phone, swiftly unlocking it. He hovered over the camera mode, teasing you with the possibility of capturing the moment.

"Maybe I should take a picture of you, just like this." He teased, the camera open and pointed at you.

His thumb lightly caressed your lower lip, a tender touch that contrasted with his cocky attitude.

As he stood there, phone in hand, Boothill's expression turned from playful to focused. He carefully analyzed your demeanour.

His gaze then softened slightly as he leaned in, his eyes never leaving yours. His touch sending a shiver down your spine.

You couldn't help but feel a hint of vulnerability as he looked at you.

You rolled your eyes, trying to disguise the shiver that ran down your spine as his thumb gently traced your lower lip, though you failed miserably.

You tried not to react, but his touch was strangely and unusually arousing, given the current situation.

As the moment lingered, his thumb still gently brushed over your lower lip, you felt a strange mix of sensations - a combination of a warm feeling and annoyance.

"Go ahead and take it," you replied finally, your tone slightly sarcastic. "It's not like I can stop you."

You leaned in slightly. The atmosphere grew thick with unspoken desires.

Boothill paused for a moment, his gaze flickering to your lips before returning to your eyes.

With your sarcastic reply granting permission to take the picture, Boothill wasted no time in capturing the moment with his phone.

He snapped a shot of your defiant yet slightly flustered expression, the phone's camera preserving the unexpected and somewhat amusing moment.

He glanced down at the screen to view the picture, a cocky smile stretching across his lips.

"Oh my, aren't ya a sight for sore eyes," he teased, his tone laced with a hint of amusement.

As he spoke, his thumb continued to gently trace over your lip, almost affectionately.

Boothill's eyes met your gaze, their gazes locked while he slowly leaned closer.

He hovered for a few seconds.

"You look beautiful, darlin' you really do."

His other hand moved to cup your cheek, he wished he could have felt the warmth of your skin on his fingers.

He closed his eyes and brought his head closer to yours. The tension in the room thickened as the distance between your lips grew shorter.

Without a second thought, Boothill leaned down, his lips meeting yours in a heated kiss that expressed all the passion and tension that had been building between you.

You felt a rush of warmth and desire flood your senses. The last time they were this intimate was how long ago… maybe 8 years ago? You don't keep track of that much.

The kiss intensified. His tongue gently licked the edge of your lower lip, seeking permission to deepen it further.

Your body responded instinctively, parting your lips and granting him access. The taste of him was like nectar to your senses.

The world around you seemed to disappear as the kiss deepened, filled with a rush of emotions that had been simmering beneath the surface for so long.

Your focus entirely on the sensation of his tongue exploring your mouth. Your body responded shamelessly, your hands moving up to caress his head, fingers gently tangling in his hair.

Boothill's hand shifted from your cheek to cup the back of your head, his grip firm yet gentle.

He pulled you closer, the heat between you growing more intensely.

You knew in the back of your mind that it was wrong.

And yet, it felt so right. You couldn't help but submit yourself to the overwhelming desire that consumed you both.

The world beyond the walls of this room faded into insignificance. Your whole world condensed into the warmth and sensation of his body pressed against yours.

Finally, the need for air forced you to pull away, breaking the kiss as you gasped for breath.

You both remained in that position for a few lingering moments, your foreheads resting against each other. The cold air hit your wet lips, causing a small shiver of sensation. The kiss had left your mind and senses in a hazy, pleasant fog.

The sound of your heartbeats echoed loudly in your ears, as if they were trying to convey the depth of your feelings in that moment.

The realisation of what had just happened sank into your brain. The complexity of emotions flooding your mind was overwhelming. Mixed feelings of contentment, excitement, and… love overwhelmed your body.

It took all your self-control to not immediately kiss him again.

The silence in the room was deafening. Boothill spoke first in a low voice, trying to lighten the mood with a teasing tone.

"You taste sweeter than I remember."

His voice brought you back to reality, his usual teasing and cocky demeanour returning. You tried to respond to his teasing comment, but your mind was still reeling from the intensity and the overwhelming mix of emotions.

Without thinking, you replied, "Shut your mouth, Boothill."

A small smirk formed on your lips as you realised how natural the banter between the two of you was.

You pulled away from his grip, rolling your body away from his. You were still on the ground, but you kept a bit of distance between each other. You brought a hand to your lips, tracing over them softly as you looked away.

You were stuck in your thoughts, you were scolding yourself for letting your emotions control your body.

Until, a click echoed in your brain. Despite the sweet and intimate moment you knew Boothill wouldn't change his mind. Yes or yes he would turn you in and claim the reward. At least without killing you, but he would still turn you in.

Instantly, you looked over, just in time to see Boothill looking at you. But what took your breath away was the sight of something you hadn't noticed before. His hand hovered over the shiny metal of his holstered gun, his fingers casually toying with the smooth surface.

You didn't really notice when he picked up the gun you took from him.

"You forgot something, darlin', didn't ya?"

He slowly placed his hand over the grip, drawing the gun from his holster with a casual grace that masked a sense of danger. His gaze remained fixed on you, his eyes gleaming with a mix of cockiness and a hint of something more complex you would never admit to yourself.

You knew I wouldn't kill you, I was just going to knock you out. You wouldn't allow that anyway.

But you couldn't escape at that moment.

He managed to mumble something you barely managed to hear. ‘Sorry, sweetcheeks.’

A rush of adrenaline shot through your veins as you realised his intent. Your heartbeat intensified, pounding in your ears as you braced yourself for what was about to happen.

Your body acted of its own accord, quickly pulling out a small knife you had stored in your leg.

You couldn't even make a plan. You panicked at the thought of killing him, but there was nothing you could do. It was your life or his.

You instinctively raised your hand to defend yourself as the fear took over. You were going straight for his throat. His gaze met yours, and his expression shifted.

He narrowly managed to move aside, only cutting a little of the skin on his neck, superficially.

What you did manage to cut, however, was his nice long hair.

He also acted on instinct, as he saw you moving in the direction of cutting his neck, he ended up using the gun he had attached to his arm, as he had the other gun in his other arm. Shooting you directly in the right leg. It went through it instantly.

Your eyes widened, and a sharp scream escaped your lips as the pain coursed through your body. The shock of the injury made the room spin, and you felt a sense of dread as you realised the severity of the wound.

The adrenaline and the pain temporarily numbed your ability to think clearly.

Instinctively, you dropped your knife and reached down to your wounded leg, clutching at the wound in an attempt to stem the blood flow. The fear and pain overwhelmed your senses, your breath quickening and your heart pounded loudly.

You gritted your teeth against the pain, struggling to gather your senses.

Meanwhile, Boothill stood there, his eyes widened in shock as he heard the sound of the ringing gunshot. The teasing smirk replaced by a mix of surprise and a touch of guilt. He glanced at the gun in his hand, as if it had betrayed him.

The realization of what he had done hit him like a ton of bricks, and the expression on his face reflected his inner turmoil as he watched your pain.

The silence in the room was deafening, both of you frozen in disbelief. The atmosphere was heavy with the lingering smoke and the weight of the situation.

"I'm sorry, darlin' I was just reacting" he mumbled in a low voice, his tone tinged with disbelief and self-reproach.

He stood up, as he ran his metal hand over his face.

He tried to pull himself together, thinking about what he was initially supposed to do, to hand you over to those who were looking for you.

He turned his gaze back to you, you were with your head fixed on the ground, or rather on the wound you were holding with both hands.

You definitely wouldn't die for that, but it felt strange to see you like that. In passing he also saw much of his hair on the ground, which was cut by you.

He frowned a little at that sight as he turned away for a while, taking out his phone for a while.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart," he whispered, his voice filled with remorse. "It was just-"

As he turned back to you, his expression was a mixture of guilt, and something else you couldn't quite identify, changed completely.

He could not believe his eyes.

You were no longer clutching your wound. Now you were standing near the broken balcony. Leaning on your left leg.

While your right leg that was wounded, now showed, thanks to you cutting off that part of your trousers, that your leg was no longer flesh and blood. It was also made of metal.

And the blood that was supposedly coming out of the wound, was from your hands, which in an oversight of his, you managed to cut off a little bit to make it look totally real.

Boothill's eyes widened in disbelief and a mix of shock and confusion, the phone in his hand almost slipping out.

His mind struggled to process the sudden turn of events, the revelation leaving him frozen in place.

He stood there, his eyes fixed on your leg, the same one that had wounded moments ago, now revealed to be metallic.

You're not going to lie, it really hurt when he shot your leg. The nerves you had connected there hurt like never before, that's why your pain looked so real.

It was funny to see his face, full of surprise and confusion.

"Surprise, muddle fudger!" You said, while smiling.

Without giving him a chance to answer you, you stepped backwards over the balcony, falling to catch hold of some kind of rope. You mentally thanked a certain blonde boy and a certain white-haired girl for arriving at the best time.

As you flew away in a sort of helicopter, you couldn't help but notice Boothill, who was more than a little shocked and static in his place.

With your free hand, you blew a kiss into the air in his direction.

Oh, you really loved that man, along with his cute and funny reactions.

©cherrylovelycherry do not repost, copy, translate, modify

[satubby]

[Once upon a dream: When I loved you]

[Once upon a dream, where I saw you sleeping in my arms, I'm starting to forget what loneliness is, my beautiful human baby... Child of man, is this what you call love? If so, I'm afraid of losing you and this feeling. —Malleus Draconia ]

Disclamer: I was listening to my usual music and I don't know why but YouTube recommended old songs that I gave a like to, so among them was One Upon a Dream, which led me to rewatch the 2014 Live Action based on Maleficent. and from there to doing this, anyway I'm sorry if there are spelling mistakes and as such I'm sorry if the characters in Diasomnia look like those in Oc I haven't played in a long time and I left the fandom due to lack of time and interest.

[This writing will have 2 parts, the second I will be thinking about how to do it and if it will have Lana del Rey's song, this time I put Cinderella's song, I'm sorry lol!]

It was a rainy night, a woman escaped from her pursuers and was carrying her baby in her arms. "Catch that bitch! She deserves to be punished for witchcraft!" 

The strange and mysterious woman ran faster than before when she heard the scream of those guards. How did she end up like this? She wondered, not long ago she was a happy woman, the prince loved her as she loved him, yet his stepmother the dowager empress, discovered her elven blood, which was considered blasphemy. She never asked to be singled out, even her pregnancy was a constant danger. 

From where did it all go wrong? It wasn't her fault or her baby in arms that the human world hates magical beings given how greedy they are, especially noble ones like her stepmother who called her a bastard abomination. 

Arinet, bastard daughter of the duke belonging to the south and daughter of a winter elf, was now nothing more than a heretic cursed and hated for the blood that ran in her veins. And she blamed herself for being foolish to believe that the dowager empress and her own stepmother would not conspire to ruin her romance with the crown prince.

Crying she coos trying to calm you down you in her arms, her precious baby, in tears she gave you one last kiss as she continued to run away from the gunfire coming from the archers and the duke's mages, falling down a through a snowy well, she smiled for the last time and left you hidden from the hunters who followed her, if she died it would not be with you, so she said goodbye crying and with the little strength in her feet, she ran despite her ankle pierced by the tip of the arrow shot before. 

Malleus was walking through the dreary paths of his forest full of thorns and dry trees covered with seasonal snow, it was another dull morning and the old black dragon, prince of fairies and dragons, was bored. When was the last time this forest had anything interesting beyond its creatures fearing him? He doesn't remember, yet his thoughts are broken when he hears a cry, more precisely, the cry of a small human baby, an offspring of man. Then his bare feet on the cold snow traversed like a dance in the snow, walking towards you he approached your basket, taking you from it curiously but awkwardly, whoever put you there did not measure the coldness of his forest, he was unaffected given his nature and body, Malleus was already warm on his own. 

Emerald eyes narrow slightly at the sight of you. He carefully and lightly touches your cheek with one of his sharp nails, accidentally giving you a scratch so he uses his magic to heal it. He've never seen a baby up close before, the ones he saw were many, different and weirder, but you're even more so given that human nature of yours. And him have no idea how to handle the situation. He lifts you up to his eye level... you look pretty upset about being out in the cold and he doesn't blame you for it, even your tender cotton cheeks were ruddy. 

"I wonder... What exactly are you? The humans I know are bigger than you." Malleus mutters under his breath as he looks towards you still trying to be careful. He can sense that you have a special thing, in fact he smells traces of magic on you, but that confuses him even more as to why you, a frail, human little thing of all things... are in the woods in the middle of the cold. 

Curiosity filled his being as he looked at you, you a small being resting in his big arms, sleeping as if he were not the dominant creature in this territory. He was confused. You are a human baby so... small that you could easily be killed by accident, could this little thing be so cute? As far as he knew, humans are ungraceful or so he was told, plus the fact that he has killed some fools daring to enter his lands. He gently used a finger to touch your little nose. So cute you looked! He was also intrigued. Why did they leave you, so small and vulnerable in their forest? And alone, with no one to hold and care for you. You would become food for vultures or some other monster very quickly.

Malleus looked around looking for the human responsible who has left you abandoned, however instead his nose detected a smell of iron and acrid mixed with traces of magic.... It was blood of the child of man, so walking with you, even if clumsily, he cradles you in his arms they go towards the place where the trail was, strangely on the way you didn't cry, in fact, you even fell asleep comfortably.

Normally everyone is afraid of him, although it is normal given his status but that makes him socially awkward and lonely, maybe that's why he unconsciously clung to you. Malleus then arrives at the place where that iron smell came from, finding the corpse of your mother, a beautiful woman but... The old dragon prince notices that she was stabbed several times and until her last minutes of life she fought. In addition there were traces of magic thrown, from elves more specifically although it does not give him so much importance; he bends down and takes a sample of blood, licking it from the snowy ground— This woman had Mana, like you, so he assumed it was your mother as you had the same bracelet as the woman as well as the same smell of that magic.

Malleus stares at the deceased woman with? something like a sad look in his vibrant green eyes. You moan slightly with a groan as you stir, but go back to sleep a few minutes later. Malleus' long tail wags behind him as he thinks, frowning slightly. He looks down at you in his arms, then at the strange looking woman, she has white hair and apparently blue eyes, plus somewhat pointed ears. Malleus knelt down next to her lifeless corpse, carefully analyzing the bracelet, it had elvish letters which read: "The eternal and pure shall remain, the evil and impure must be purged" And honestly he didn't understand what the engraving meant, so he just leaves it there. 

"A human mother and daughter abandoned in the forest.... Who would do such a heartless thing...?" His gaze hardens as he look around the area, trying to find any clues left behind, but there was nothing. He looks closely at the wounds on the body and notices every feature your mother shared with you, from the lips to your beauty, he couldn't help but be distracted from his goal. 

"She died protecting you, little daughter of man.... Now I understand her determination and strength. If I'm honest, she was no ordinary human, too bad that led to her cruel fate." Malleus gently touches your cheek wiping the drool running from your lips, you were still asleep.

There was a mixture of curiosity and a strange sense of melancholy in the eyes of the ancient being. His eyes sparkled as he recognized the faint traces of mana lingering in the air, mixed with the unmistakable scent of mingled human and elven blood, definitely the children of man were hard for the old dragon to comprehend.

"What a waste. A mortal life, snuffed out by the callousness of other humans."

He spoke softly, almost wistfully, his voice tinged with a touch of what seemed like sadness, though he did not understand it. He stood thoughtfully for a moment, then, sighing, he closes his eyes to the woman's corpse and with his green magic breath, casts a living flame that burns away all traces of your dead mother.

"Rest in peace daughter of man and nature, I will take care of your human baby." 

Then he withdraws with you in his arms, he doesn't know much about humans, in fact he hasn't even seen one in 400 years, yet his curiosity and compassion made him act like that [perhaps the fact that you, a small and fragile thing, managed to move something in him beyond indifference and boredom] Then he saw you sleeping, he smiled softly.... What a curious little thing you were.

Upon arriving at his castle, he was greeted by Lilia, his guardian and close friend, as a father figure to Malleus even though he is already an adult in dragon terms.

 Lilia approached smiling and playful, although he noticed the bundle in Malleus' arms, as a father figure and royal advisor, he was curious.... How unusual for his little Malleus. "Oh, I see you brought something interesting from the forest, hehehe, tell me, did lonely little Malleus get bored with himself and decide to bring a little human?" Lilia teased, however Malleus just snorted smiling at his advisor and guardian, still holding you in his arms.

The prince of Briar Valley had chuckled quietly at Lilia's comment as he walked carefully towards him, his expression was calm and the tail dragon wagged back and forth behind Malleus himself, revealing his mood. Lilia always teased him when he was bored with his normal routine.

"Hm, this... 'little human' was abandoned in the forest by her mother, I thought she would surely become dinner for a wandering monster. I was also curious to know what human cubs are like, I see they are fragile to be greedy when they reach adulthood."

Malleus mutters under his breath, his eyes moving quickly to look at the baby again as he sleeps soundly in his arms.

Lilia was really surprised, normally his little Mall showed no interest in anything and was very socially awkward, but here he was hugging you, a small and fragile little thing. Lilia fell from the ceiling of the throne room, like an ingratiating acrobat he sat up and then sighed the veteran fairy, speaking earnestly before his king and pupil. 

"Your Majesty, you know that raising another living being, especially a human, who is different from us in terms of biology and growth, is not easy at all so tell me your highness? Do you really plan to raise that human baby, YOU who barely even know about them, beyond the times they have tried to invade our lands? I really sometimes don't know what you think Mall" Lilia sighed looking seriously at the dragon, Malleus lifted you up in the air looking at you still sleeping, you looked so... soft and tender. You would be a beautiful girl. Mall raised an eyebrow at Lilia for his comments. 

"I am perfectly aware of that, Lilia. A fairy and a human child... a combination that I know very well will take time to understand..... She is more resilient than you think. But I cannot leave this baby alone, she was abandoned by her own mother. Such a cruel fate for an offspring of man." 

His eyes shifted down to look at you as your small body shifted restlessly in his arms, sighing again, he cradles you in his arms once more. Malleus smiles softly.

Lilia sighed again, smiling and shrugging his shoulders surrendering to the blackhaired prince's stubbornness. He then walked over to you to look at you, you were certainly pretty, though as Malleus said, you had magic that was rare in humans, so Lilia asked his king and pupil, "Malleus, tell me something, do you know what it's like to raise a human? The consequences of it are something with variables and they age fast, besides you are sure to do it, from what you told me his mother had magic.... What did she look like, eyes and hair color?" 

The dragon did not understand at first as he was dense at times, but then he understood what she meant, Lilia was asking the race of that human, if she was one and she certainly was not— Your mother was a half elf, a very beautiful one with white hair and blue eyes, perhaps that is why she was killed and in a desperate attempt to protect you both, she ran to her lands seeking to return home. So far he was able to piece together conjectures, his density and disinterest sometimes blinded him.

Malleus thought for a moment, studying your face, trying to find any resemblance you might have to your mother beyond your features but you looked more human. The old dragon prince hummed thoughtfully before finally speaking.

"She... was a half elf if I am correct. Her hair was soft and like a white flake.... Plus her eyes were a beautiful light blue color. But she also had magic, as strong as she may have been, the poor woman was outnumbered and killed for unknown reasons."

He looks towards you who were still sleeping once more as he spoke, his eyes soft as he recalls the memory of the woman.

Lilia analyzes the situation and then asks one more question. "How do you plan to take care of her? Sooner or later she will have to return to her homeland, is that okay with you? You know that the magical races and humans have accomplished nothing together for centuries and their traces of disdain still remain? So, be honest, my dear prince, how long do you plan to keep her here? Surely sooner or later you will get bored."

Lilia saw Malleus' expression, there were many emotions clashing and the veteran fairy smiled, he just needed a little push and Lilia would be sure that his beloved ward would understand the implications of this... What would Malleus do, the ever shy dragon monarch and the one who longs to know human emotions and humans themselves?

Malleus looked conflicted as he listened to Lilia's question. He knew there was tension between the races and he also knew it would be difficult for you to return home after being raised here. But him simply could not allow you to suffer, you were innocent. His green eyes shifted from Lilia to you, a small frown on his face debating his decisions.

"I'm... not entirely sure. If he goes home, I'm worried he'll never fit in with his own people.... And if he stays here, will he have a happy life?"

Lilia smiled and honestly, it wasn't bad that his beloved monarch and prince for once longed to have something, whether he was aware of it or not, that's why Lilia asked such a question. He wanted to see how far his pupil's interest would go. Would it be temporary or could you, a fragile little thing, really awaken something more in the bored and shy prince of thorns? The mere thought excited the former Fae.

Malleus let out a soft sigh as he lifted you closer to his chest, your small face was warm and soft to the touch, that little body fit perfectly like a puzzle piece in his arms. He felt something in his heart that wasn't there before as he looked at you, a strange feeling of responsibility, of protection, maybe even a hint of affection? He wasn't sure, he had never been close to a baby before, let alone a human like you were. 

"I don't want her to suffer the same fate as her mother..."

Lilia clapped his hands and smiled, there was a long way to go. "Very well Your Highness, let's learn about humans and especially about their offspring, breeding and feeding!" 

That afternoon Malleus was educated on what things they should and should not eat, down to the basic necessities. Malleus wrote everything down in his mind and would then apply it even though he still had doubts.

Malleus listened attentively as Lilia explained things, taking detailed notes in his mind of everything he told him. He was a fast learner and quickly remembered every detail. As Lilia spoke, the dragon prince gently ran a finger across your forehead, gently stroking the baby skin with an expression of slight amazement on his face. In a little over a year you will be able to walk, talk and think. Malleus couldn't believe how wonderful humans could be .... Or was it that you were just a unique baby?

And over the next few days Malleus did all sorts of things that no one would think possible coming from his royal highness and mighty dragon, but there he was changing diapers. "No! Be careful, don't you see? You're irritating her skin, though it's rare that she doesn't cry from your rough touch, anyway, look at tying a diaper!" Lilia pushed Malleus aside and changed your clothes, playing a little with you, making you laugh, but this was a simple provocation on the fairy's part, he wanted to see how Malleus would react to this and indeed, the dragon became jealous of his former tutor. 

Lilia turned as he saw Malleus' green eyes glowing, after finishing your change of clothes, he handed you over to the dark prince. "I assure you that you will improve with time and practice as I won't always be here!" 

Malleus watched as Lilia deftly changed your diaper, baby laughter filled the room as the old fae made you laugh. The dragon was a little puzzled to see Lilia do something with such ease, he even felt a little jealous for some reason, as he wanted to make you laugh too, but you just looked at him curiously. He let out a small snort as Lilia handed you over, looking at you and studying your face again, he was still clumsy in grabbing you. 

"TSK! TSK! Look how stiff you are, you should carry her more gently" The fae scolded his monarch and prince who grumbled like a child pouting softly. 

"I'm a fast learner, Lilia. Don't underestimate me..."

Lilia scoffed with laughter, his little Malleus was really cute in his own way [Of course if Lilia wasn't aware of his immense influence and power] At the dragon prince's frown, Lilia playfully apologized and raised his hands in peace. 

"I know, my dear prince, but you must be careful! You wouldn't want the little one to cry, would you? Well, leaving that aside, come to think of it, you haven't given her a name have you, you, do you want to give her one?" Lilia noted this, for several weeks now you had been called 'Child of Man' or 'Little Human' and if the Fae were honest, they can't always call you that, names are important though given Malleus' own obliviousness, he hadn't even noticed until his advisor and former guardian pointed it out to him. 

The fae-dragon sighed, squeezing into his embrace and widening his eyes in confusion when Lilia pointed that out. You would definitely need to be given a name of your own, and they couldn't always call you the man's daughter... or little girl. 

"Hm, I guess you're right... what do humans normally call their children? I don't want to accidentally give it a name that has an unfavorable meaning..."

Malleus was somewhat (perhaps too much) unaware and sometimes his naivety with humans or other races that are not dragons or Faes, are unknown to him (either in customs, ways of acting or physiology). Leaving aside that sometimes he himself prince was carried away by rumors or experiences of his own. "I don't know, but what do you think.... (T/N), sounds nice, means timeless and infinite." Advised the old Fae as Malleus looked at you, you were playing with his fingers sticking them into your mouth.

Malleus hummed curiously as he listened to Lilia's suggestion, raising his hand to gently touch the top of your head, letting you cling to his fingers as he continued to think... the name '(T/N)', sounds good... he thought. Then he looked at you, watching you play innocently with his fingers as you looked at the old dragon.

"(T/N)... (T/N)... yeah, yeah, that sounds pretty good..... (T/N), then."

That day Malleus finally gave you a name, which would be one of the first signs that his curiosity would turn into love and love into obsession.

It had been 5 years, for Malleus this was nothing, as he sometimes has long periods of sleep (of course Lilia would wake him up to avoid sleeping more) Otherwise your growth would be lost and since Malleus loves you too much, the prince of Briar Valley did not want to miss anything about you, that included your growth stages.

"She do grow up fast, I can hardly remember what her was like yesterday!" Lilia complained dramatically but Malleus, who was drinking his tea, put down his cup and smiled softly as he watched you play in the garden. From large your beauty was remarkable, unbeknownst to you, you made more than just the barren thorn garden bloom in his heart. 

Malleus smiled slightly as he watched you play in the garden, admiring the way you made the normally withered and barren garden come alive with your presence. He had certainly grown fonder of you over the past few years, watching you grow and learn new things always made him smile. He looked at Lilia with a loving smile on his face.

"In fact, Lilia... it seems like only yesterday that I found her in the forest... now she's growing with each passing day."

Lilia put his hands under his chin, watching you play and make wreaths, it's been a while since Briar Valley had this warm and colorful atmosphere. "Don't you think humans are kind of interesting and chaotic? By the way, our little girl will soon be 6 years old, what do you plan to do? The past years you gave her many a gift, but oh my little Mall! Remember that unicorn you gave her didn't even last because your jealousy won the battle?, poor creature, they ran as soon as you came angry at them" He chuckled, in the end Malleus was attached to his dragon nature more than his Fae half, as much as this one wanted to deny it. 

The prince of Briar Valley let out a small snort at the memory. He had indeed become jealous of the unicorn, and it wasn't the only time either.... Every time you got a new toy or friend from the animal world, he got so possessive that he couldn't help it. He sighed. silently as he thought for a moment before responding....

"Hm, I'm actually very aware of my little human birthday... like you said though, this time I want to do something special for her, but I have no idea what to give her."

The old fae laughed and responded with another question to the dragon prince's confusion. "And what do you think you can give him this time? It can't be something living or something non-living, since you get jealous over anything, like the time you 'accidentally' burned one of her favorite toys with your fire because it took her attention away from you." Lilia fiddled with the fork and Malleus coughed his tea, avoiding looking at the fae who teased him about his extreme behaviors. 

Since he was just processing centuries of emotional numbness and you were the one who awakened those experiences and emotions in him, it was difficult for him not to go to such extremes. 

The black-haired man snorted at Lilia's words as he looked away. It was true that he was extremely possessive of you and would get jealous of anything that caught your attention.... But he couldn't help it. The dragon sighed softly and closed his eyes, crossing his arms as he thought for a moment about a solution to this.

"Hm... How about... a new toy, but only she can touch it? Sounds like a good solution, doesn't it?" Malleus asked thinking it would be ideal but Lilia made a face almost as if to say 'Are you seriously thinking about that?' and answers him with another question.

"How are you sure you're not going to burn it or destroy it? It's funny to a point that you destroy his stuff out of jealousy, but (T/N) he doesn't find it funny. I have an idea! How about you take it to the meadow mmm? Flowers are beautiful and safe, you can't get jealous if they are symbols of love. You know, you always keep her cooped up here, the royal garden is beautiful and the castle too, but remember, kids are curious and like to explore, you used to do that when you were a little lizard." 

Malleus sighed, shaking his head and ignoring the ramblings of Lilia who boasted about how beautiful and tender the dragon prince was before he grew up. On the other hand, you approached towards them smiling and showing a butterfly in your hand.

 "Tsunotarou, look how pretty them is; although their wing was broken, but I repaired it!" You laughed, peeking out from the table with your small stature. Malleus looked at you smiling anyway and lifting you in his hands, you were just as small as when you were a baby but you were growing faster than expected. Either that, or it was just his abnormal perception of time. 

The Fae-dragon looked at you, his bright emerald eyes shining with pride as you showed him the butterfly. He couldn't help but smile broadly when he saw your enthusiasm and laughter. He always loved the way you looked when you were happy.

"Hm, it looks quite beautiful. You did a good job with the wing, it broke before..." He says complimenting your little acts of love for others though a bit jealous of that butterfly. He then lifts you up in his arms, hugging you like he does all the time. The dragon loved you as much as you loved him.

Lilia laughs internally, his enigmatic gaze analyzing the situation, only in time would Malleus accept his possessive and territorial side, Lilia would be sure to witness it. "Aww~ our princess is a saintess!" Lilia teased in her cheesy tone, then pressed her lips together mockingly as if she wanted to give you a duck kiss, you on the other hand laughed avoiding his lips as he began to chase you away from Prince Briar's embrace. Malleus looked at you and smiled though the vein in his forehead and neck said something more than simple elegance, jealousy, raw as poisonous. 

́Maybe I should break his neck and cut his legs off? ́ thought the Fae Dragon, but he restrained himself from those possessive and murderous fantasies, on the other hand Lilia felt a look on the back of his neck imagining that his pupil and monarch It was almost drilling his head (figuratively), in a way it was funny. 

 "AH!!! yuck, I don't want your kisses uncle Lilia, they're slimy and I hate it when you pinch my cheeks!" You exclaim, snapping Malleus out of his thoughts as Lilia caught you and you tried to push him away while laughing.

"Come on, just one little kiss! And can you blame me? You're so cute" The old fae squeezed you in his arms. Malleus felt a small twinge of discomfort in his chest as he watched Lilia try to give you a kiss, the dragon fae clenched his jaw slightly and his fists clenched into fists of fury.

"Lilia... Fuck!"

He muttered under his breath, looking at the two of them and keeping his feelings under control. Malleus again refused, it wasn't right to be jealous, he wouldn't give his advisor the pleasure of seeing him in such a state let alone losing control. 

So he represses his emotions once again, causing Lilia to look at him out of the corner of her eye and sighs, releasing you from his arms. "How boring you are! Well, anyway, I have to go, I need to check the barrier on the moor, what was it...like 200 years ago? Yeah, I haven't seen the state of it in 200 years.... I'm off then, have fun my children, bye bye bye!" Lilia smiled saying goodbye as the door closed, you on the other hand walked up to Malleus taking his hand.

"Tsunotarou... Were you upset? You know Uncle Lilia is like that, by the way I made you this crown! I hope you like it" Malleus looked sideways at you and blushed, coughing in embarrassment at your tenderness, he bent down to your height so you could put it on his head. The rose wreath, although twisted by its awkward horns, was still beautiful to look at. However, it was cute to see how your delicate little hands went out of their way to give him such a gift.

Malleus looked at you, his mood changing almost immediately as he saw your expression. He couldn't help the laughter that came from his pale but beautiful lips as he watched you try to put the crown on his head, but fail miserably as his horns got in the way of said task. He chuckled softly as he gently took the crown and put it on perfectly as he bent down and ruffled your hair.

"Thank you, he's lovely, as always... I won't get mad at Lilia, he's like that with everyone, but promise me you won't leave room for his jokes ok?"

"Yep! I won't let uncle bully me with his jokes anymore" You laughed once more, clapping your hands and with innocent grace, you hugged his neck giving him a kiss on his pale cheeks making Malleus blush once more that you would almost swear steam was coming out of his ears. So much so that his emotions affected the atmosphere of the whole valley, you saw how the gardens grew more roses and out of nowhere butterflies or birds appeared. 

Because of your innocence, you were frightened to see him so red, thinking you had done something wrong. "Tsunotarou is red because of me, now he has a fever!" You began to cry with worry in your girlish eyes, as you noticed earlier how hot he had become because of your actions, but you didn't know what triggered that.

Malleus looked surprised, his eyes widened at your innocent and adorable way of looking at the situation. He let out a small scoff and chuckled under his breath, he always forgot how innocently cute you were and how your naive personality embarrassed him most of the time.

"No, no, you didn't do anything wrong, it's okay...I'm fine, you're just too cute and beautiful my precious princess" He said softly as he stroked your back, trying to calm your crying as he blushed a little from embarrassment.

"Eh? ... Then why are you red? If you don't have a fever, maybe it's another illness? I don't want you to be sick, Tsunotarou!" You were still sad and worried but you weren't crying so much anymore, much to her relief. 

Malleus sighed, lifting you up in his arms and sitting you on his lap, then wiped away the excess tears by kissing your chubby little girl cheeks pulling them as a game and a little reprimand.

"That hurts, a lot Tsunotarou."

He smiled at your innocence and how you so quickly assumed he was sick because of his red face, he was a little amused that you couldn't see the underlying reason he was embarrassed rather than sick. A small chuckle escaped his pale lips when you complained at how hard he pulled on your cheeks, then he sat you on his lap as he stroked your head talking softly. 

"No, no, I'm not sick... it's much simpler than that, little girl."

The prince/monarch smiled at you once again saying how tender and beautiful you were in his eyes and that's why he was embarrassed when you did such tender acts.

"Am I pretty? But Sebek says I smell like a dirty human, but I don't know what that is. He always criticizes me, the other time he scolded me for accidentally knocking down one of your paintings in the office, he also says humans are ugly, does that mean I'm ugly and stinky?" your tender and gullible eyes made Malleus swallow bile, mostly because of what you were telling him, sometimes your tenderness and naivety reminded him of himself. 'Sebelk, that idiot' he thought to himself, cursing his loyal friend and self-proclaimed knight, though to Malleus Sebek was an annoying zealot.

The prince of Briar Valley shook his head and sighed softly. Yes, Sebek tended to say things he shouldn't say in front of you. And yes, he was also an absolute fanatic who was too loyal to him, sometimes not even liking his attitude because of how loud and restless he got. 

"No, you're not ugly, you're beautiful... in fact, you're the most beautiful little girl I've ever seen in my life... and ignore what Sebek says, because he's a brat who talks too much..."

And speaking of the devil, he will come! Sebek knocked on the door, although it didn't do much good as he ended up whipping it anyway, mostly to warn of his presence.

"MALLEUS-SAMA!!!" Both you and the aforementioned covered your ears at Sebek's cries and his following praise, the Prince of Thorns had to silence him before he gave any more speech about how he is the most perfect among dragons that ever lived.

"Ahem! As I was saying I brought breakfast because honestly Lilia-sama is horrible at cooking, and I also wanted to tell you that Silver will be away for a week and is still dealing with the demons in the troll pit." After that introduction, Sebek served everything with grace and- Perhaps too much perfection; even Malleus was sweating with embarrassment from his eyes with imaginary stars staring at him, sometimes Sebek was too overwhelming.

Sighing as he looked at Sebek and rolling his eyes at the green haired dragon's strong presence, the half-dragon fae let out a small snort as he listened to the strong praise and watched how hard Sebek tried to please him as he fed him breakfast. As he watched Sebek kneel on the ground after finishing with the table and the plates with food, Mall let out a small scoff.

"Very well, thank you, Sebek... you may go, I'm sure Silver will need help handling the demons in the pit..." He said, trying to get rid of him so that he would stop being too overwhelming; and be able to continue chatting with you without the stalker-like vigilance of the green-haired one. 

"Your highness... You're telling me you don't want me here? WHAT AN HONOR TO HAVE YOUR DISGUSTING TOWARDS ME, MALLEUS-SAMA!! YOU CAN EVEN TREAD ON ME IF YOU WANT, I WOULD LOVE TO BE YOUR RUG FOR WHATEVER—" The Green-haired's cries of adoration ceased as Malleus swung his black claw and pulled him out of the garden and into the castle hallway. Still, the young dragon's cries could be heard. You laughed so hard at Sebek's own witticisms that the black-haired fae's bad mood was relieved.

"Sebek is funny, even though he's always nagging me..." You pout as Malleus smiles at you burying his face in your baby neck.

He sighs again as he hears Sebek's ramblings and praise in the background, letting out a small scoff. He chuckled under his breath when he heard you laugh, nodded and agreed with you.

"I know, he's a jerk... but at least he's a loyal jerk, I guess..." Whispered the fae as he wrapped his arms around you once more, burying his head in your small shoulder, enjoying your scent that reminded him of fresh roses.

Days later Malleus took you flying through the forest as it was like your birthday present, as you laughed in his arms, the first spring breeze hit your delicate face, Malleus spread his draconic wings taking you even higher in the air to enjoy the view without actually stepping on solid ground. He won't admit it but he doesn't want something else to catch your attention and make you want to go out more often. Your hands caress a cloud and the black-haired man sees you laugh which makes him happy. 

 "This is the best birthday ever!!!! Thank you Tsunotarou" Your eyes looked at him and at that moment it was just the two of you, something in Malleus started to resonate it was like a: 'Badump! Badump!' ...It was the beating of his heart that echoed in his ears, for the first time he knew what that was, the feeling longed for millennia and jealous of those who could feel it and experience it but now he finally felt it. You were the reason? He wondered, but at that moment he didn't care, he just closed his eyes letting himself go while holding you in his arms.

Malleus watched you with a fond smile on his face as he saw the way your eyes sparkled when the breeze hit your face, happily observing how you were thrilled by small things like clouds. He chuckled softly as he watched you laugh at the simple joy of being in heaven....

"Of course, of course... Anything for my little daughter of man..."

His eyes closed as he embraced you, feeling the gentle beat of his heart flutter in his chest, his heart beating for the first time in centuries like butterflies in full spring. 

This moment was precious and although Malleus is not normally greedy, with you it is another case, he wants to have you and make you happy just like you do with your simplicity and innocence, his beautiful sleeping beauty.... The tulip in his garden of thorns.

"Tsunotarou! Look there— Is that me!!!? Woah, what a beautiful garden" Malleus smiled again seeing you excited, this is the special gift for you, in this forest there is a beautiful portrait made with so many flowers of so many colors and froms the air you can see it. So he wanted you to see how much he would give and do for you, for your smile and the feelings you make him feel, for what you are and represent in his life. 

He tilted his head to look at the portrait of the flowering garden in question, a small smile on his face as he watched the colors come together and form a beautiful image from above. A small chuckle escaped his lips as he listened to you speak, his ears twitching at the way you seemed to be getting more and more excited.

"It's beautiful... Do you want me to take you and take a closer look at it, little one?" he said, flying a little lower now so he could take you there and let you see the flowers up close.

You both descended and immediately ran through the fields of flowers, like a princess in his eyes, the prince and wizard Fae-Dragon, moved his hands making your dress turn white as snow and floral decorations grew from it, then he made you float. and dance in the air as you laughed.

"LOUDER!!! YAY! WHAT FUN" The prince of Briar Valley continued to wiggle his fingers and watched you float away, then he pulled you close to his face and their noses touched, the magic was removed and with a kiss on your forehead, you fell asleep. Malleus had long since ceased to feel alone, much less hated and feared, only loved by the simplicity of a human, his human.

At the end of your birthday, the prince of thorns tucked you into your bed and before you went to sleep, you gave a thank you. "Thank you for everything Tsunotarou.... Good night." 

Your smile faded as you slept, Malleus Sighed, leaving the room and walking to his own, the cold corridors smelled of wet earth and nature, his footsteps echoed against the aged stone until he reached the black door. The creaking reminded him of the years that passed and he never aged, his physical age stopped at his seventeen years. Upon entering, Malleus removed his clothes and then sank his body into the soft feather bed, his green eyes wandering to a shelf; There were all those gifts that to others are cheap trinkets made by the innocent hand of a girl like you, but to the Dragon Fae it was more than that, it felt special to receive them from the one he loved.

Malleus sat on the end of his bed for a second, his thoughts wandering as he looked at the items on the shelf. He couldn't help but feel warmth and happiness in his chest as he looked at the little trinkets... it brought a small smile to his face as he thought about how much happiness you brought him....

He lay fully back on the bed, resting his head on the pillows and pulling the covers over his shoulders, closing his eyes and letting the dreams take him soon....

And who knew that that nap of his would make the future of both of them turbulent, because Malleus fell into another one of his hibernations, besides, without anyone to wake him up with anti-sleep magic, he wouldn't be there for you. Lilia, Silver and Sebek would take a maximum of 4 months to return, the vast territory of the royal family of dragons and fairies had to be constantly supervised by many nobles and among them were the three close to Malleus. 

After waking up, you went to look for him and excited, you opened his door running towards him and climbed into his soft, padded bed but Malleus was still asleep, even so you decided to move and pull his cheeks, talk to him or yell at him. but nothing happens, he still does not respond.

"Tsunotarou? Come on it's already daytime! it's not funny.... Ugh! Don't scare me, come on, wake up already! You're going to make me mad... Humm!" You started to hit him on the cheeks, You even lifted his eyelids but as soon as you removed your fingers they closed again and still it didn't work and you couldn't use your magic since it only worked on plants and to heal wounds. "I have another idea! I'll look for uncle Lilia, he might wake you up" Jumping out of bed you leave the royal room and head to your own, preparing your backpack to go in search of the old fae.

It was your first time out of the castle, you were scared and the monsters terrify you, but as Uncle Lilia once said, "Never forget to be protected, if you wear a dragon scale, no monster or weirdo will attack you given our essence! So don't forget to take one, even Mall would be happy to give it to you". And that's what you did, as Malleus wouldn't wake up even if you removed a black scale from his tail, so you would use it as a toll and scare the monsters away.

A while after walking, you ended up lost. Since you have never left the castle unless Malleus or another fae (except Silver, from what Sebek said, he is a human like you.) guides you, you would get lost on your own and that happened. Now you didn't know where to go.

"Phew, wasn't this the way? Maybe I should go back, but... Why are there three paths? I don't know anymore! I'm lost!". You cried in frustration and continue walking, if Malleus would complain about anything, it's your pride and stubbornness.

It wasn't long after you left the castle that you still couldn't find the right path. Unfortunately, without high-ranking magic, you were doomed from the start to get lost if this happened, especially since Malleus would normally be guiding you.

The dark wood were mostly silent, a few crickets chirping could be heard. Even your footsteps echoed and you didn't even want to think about other unknown sounds because it made you nervous and afraid. But the sounds of the crickets soon faded away, leaving you in silence as the sound of rustling leaves added to the sound of your beautiful magical sandals made of flowers and wood. Suddenly, a soft glow caught your attention.

You had reached the end of the forest and the sun was about to set, you were apparently in a part where the barrier of magical flowers and thorns was weaker, you also had the scale of Malleus in your possession, so when you followed the path fleeing from the darkness; the thorns and bushes parted, allowing you to pass as you sensed the magic in that scale inside your bag. The fresh air greeted you, you smiled believing that you would return to the castle but it was not so, as you barely took a few steps, a carriage passed by you and the person stopped to look at you, it was a humble peasant. 

"Umm hey little girl, what are you doing on this side of the road? You don't know it, but there are ugly monsters roaming around."

"I don't know sir, but who are you and what are your names? I'm (T/N) and I'm looking for my uncle Lilia, I must wake up Tsunotarou or else he will sleep too much, so he won't be able to play with me" Facing your naivety, the farmer smiles and invites you to come up. 

Since Lilia never explained to you about the dangers outside (thinking that because of Malleus' obsession with you, it would be impossible to escape) you continued talking to these strangers.

The farmer, as well as the person sitting in front with the horses, were both older adults, who were quite surprised to see a young girl like you wandering through the dark and dangerous forest with no parents or other people in sight, just you and the forest behind you.

They both see that you were hungry and tired, the farmer felt bad for you, nodding and smiling as they brought out some stale bread and water to let you eat something. The person in the wagon with the horses watched you intently. In the end you end up going out with them, not knowing that your innocence would bring chaos and that the carelessness of some would make many pay, even death will be a mercy rather than delayed suffering. 

And so 4 months had passed, in that time the 2 faes and Silver returned from their duties, when they entered they were surprised to see the palace so... silent.

 "Lilia-sama, I can't find the rambunctious human, I already searched every floor for her but there's no trace" Sebek said in alarm when even Lilia couldn't find you either. 

Silver then cried out in surprise and somewhat worried, Malleus was in a state of hibernation earlier than expected, as normally dragons sleep 100 years but since he is half fairy, this time is maximum 50 years and it also depends on Malleus himself.

"No way, damn it, what are we going to do? Hurry Silver, go and get some chains, I need to wake him up but we mustn't just blurt out the news, Sebek gather everyone you can and look for her!" Lilia ordered as she bit his fingers cursing his luck. Once Silver finished binding Malleus, the old Fae put spells on the chains to at least hold some of the strength the Fae dragon prince possesses. In the end Malleus awoke with magic and the anti-sleep potion.

Malleus, dazed, opened his eyes after being suddenly awakened from his sleep, his senses immediately sought your presence again. The first thing he felt were the chains and spells on him, which irritated him, and as soon as he saw Lilia, his senses went on guard.

"Lilia...! What are all those chains and where did she go (Y/N)" His voice was soft but demanding, his cold, sharp eyes looked at the old Fae in front of him. 

"First calm down Malleus, you are not in your five senses, I didn't think it would come to this but there was a mistake and we miscalculated your hibernation, so we left and 4 months passed. And sorry to tell you but (Y/N) is not here. I think she went out to look for me, from what the few creatures who saw her told me, I only know for sure that she left the magical forest and Briar Valley, heading for the human world, in that case we can't track her and the only one who can is Silver, so I sent him to look for her.. " 

Malleus listened to him in silence, his calm and gentle expression slowly twisting into something much darker as he took in what Lilia was saying in his mind.

"You mean to tell me that you all left the castle without waking me up or leaving someone to take care of her?" The Raven-haired fae's voice was cold, his usually calm tone now filled with silent anger about to explode as he stared at Lilia for a second.

"Didn't any of you think that leaving a young woman home alone would end up with something like this.."

Lilia sighed just as frustrated, his cheerful and youthful demeanor left behind by his deadly and bitter self. "Look Malleus, I couldn't calculate the variables, you were supposed to hibernate until February but it was earlier than planned, I think the anti-sleep potion affects something in your hibernation states." 

Lilia rubbed his nose septum in frustration. Malleus might have looked calm but his vacant stare and his vibrant emerald eyes with shrunken slits, said otherwise, he was overthinking everything. 

"Can't you calculate the variables? I'm sure you have more than experience in dealing with issues revolving around me. You should know that this was a situation that had the possibility of happening, Lilia!"

Malleus' tone darkened with anger, he was beginning to blame Lilia even though he knew it wasn't entirely her fault, knowing that it is also his for constantly manipulating his sleep states making himself more unpredictable when it came to hibernating. 

"She's going to be lost in a world that is cruel and uncaring... Who knows what has already happened in the last 4 months?"

Unfortunately for everyone and especially for Sebek, who interrupted them, receiving almost lethal green fire from Malleus narrowly burning the green-haired Fae but resulting in the burned wall and a prince who was still raging almost eager to release his dragon form, but Sebek caught their attention.

"Can you listen to me for a moment? As I said, I went to investigate and proudly I can say that this is the only thing he left..... I'm sorry Malleus-sama and Lilia-sama" Sebek bowed showing pieces of the torn dress the prince of Briar Valley had given you, and that infuriated Malleus more and from that anger he went to raw but horrible sadness, a silent one because the words got stuck in his throat and tears fell from his beautiful emeralds for eyes.

Malleus stared at the torn pieces of your dress, his eyes widening as the reality of the situation slowly hit him. A small trembling of his hand became noticeable, as his fists clenched tightly to where it hurt, his nails slowly digging into his own skin and drawing blood as he reared up savagely towards the Raven-haired fae taking the piece of cloth from him. 

"No... She is still out there, we must look for her, I must— I MUST LOOK FOR HER!! Ah..., Sorry for that, please leave a time me alone."

His voice came out as a halting whisper, as he slowly closed his eyes... taking in what had just happened; the reality of what he had lost, the reality that he had lost you... of all things, losing you to him and his draconic heart was very devastating.

Lilia said nothing at the scene of his beloved ward and prince/monarch, so both Sebek and he let his process it all and so for a few days Malleus locked himself in his room without coming out, falling back into an abyss of loneliness and silent rage.

In the days that followed your disappearance, Malleus mourned your absence, spending his days trapped in his room, talking to no one if he could help it and only looking at the pieces of your dress... the only thing he had left of you or your scent. 

The fae dragon spent most of his time pacing his room or sobbing on his bed sheets, crying his eyes out and hating himself for how he had handled things when he could have avoided them.

Mmmmmm

Mmmmmm

So this was love

Mmmmmm

So this was love

So this was what made life divine

I was glowing, mmmmmm

And now I know

And now I know

The key to all heaven was mine

My heart had wings, mmmmmm

And I could fly

I touched every star in the sky, but no more

So this was my miracle?

That I've been dreaming, that I've lost

Mmmmmm

Mmmmmm

So this was love, but I won't feel anything, anymore

[lwtqts]

girls are fighting !

word count: 1.1k

The walk towards the park, which Yunjin had told you to go to, was quite amusing. A few months ago, the very thought of your best friend desiring to have a face-off with you over a boy would have seemed utterly ludicrous. The park, once a place of laughter and walks with her, was now a stage for this unexpected drama to take place.

“Yo" a voice echoed behind you. You didn't need to turn around to confirm that it was Mark. Earlier, you had made it clear to him that his presence wasn't necessary, yet he had been insistent on accompanying you. Mark was always stubborn with everyone. but as he walked closer towards you, you noticed someone else was there with him - Eunseok?

"Eunseok? What are you doing here?" You couldn't hide the surprise in your voice. This was turning out to be more than you had bargained for.

"I told you I was worried about you going through with this," he says, a smile stretched across his face. You continue to move forward, your mind racing as you attempt to process his words.

"I told you I was gonna be fine, Eunseok," you respond, your gaze firmly fixed on the path ahead, refusing to meet his eyes. As the three of you approach the park, your heart skips a beat as you spot a familiar face seated on a park bench.

Suddenly, the reality of the situation hits you. This is really happening, you think to yourself. A wave of regret washes over you. If there was any possible way to turn back time, to undo this tangled mess, you would do it in a heartbeat. The pit in your stomach grows as you realize that you don't want to do this. You know that Yunjin isn't a fighter, and neither are you. Sure, you've found yourself involved in fights before, but they were for dumb reasons, never over something that destroyed your friendship. Now, your only hope is that she isn't serious about this fight, that she simply wants to engage in a one-on-one conversation with you.

“Yunjin,” you call out, standing firmly in front of her while the two boys, Mark and Eunseok, stand behind you. She glances upwards, a chuckle escaping her lips as she takes in the view.

"Well, isn't this funny?" she jests, an edge to her voice. "Felt the need to bring backup, did you?" Her tone is light, but the underlying bitterness is unmistakable. You look to your right, inhaling deeply to steady your nerves, before turning your gaze back to her.

“What did you want to talk about?” you question, trying to keep your voice steady. Her response is a burst of laughter. The sound stings, a painful reminder of how she seems to have no qualms about this impending confrontation.

“Did you really think this was going to be a conversation? You always claims to have everything figured out. Well, you couldn't be more wrong” she retorts, her tone dripping with derision. You sigh, feeling a pang of regret. This was not what you had imagined.

“Yunjin, we don't have to go through with this,” you implore, hoping to appeal to her sense of reason. But she just laughs again, and then, without warning, strikes you. The sudden slap turns your head to the right, and out of your peripheral vision, you see Eunseok stepping forward as though to intervene, but Mark holds him back.

“Can't you see? You’re the reason all of my friends dont talk to me anymore” she accuses, her voice rising with each word. Another slap lands on your face.

“You've practically ruined my life,” she continues, her voice choked with emotion. And yet another slap.

“You and your whole friend group... you're all the same,” she spits out, her words punctuated by another slap.

“You're all full of shit, especially you and Sohee,” she rages, her hand striking your face again. This time, you react. You won't stand there and let her insult Sohee. You grab her hair and pull her head back, your eyes meeting hers in a silent challenge.

“You can slap me all you want, Yunjin, but you will not talk about Sohee like that,” you declare, your voice steady despite the burning sting on your face. In a swift motion, you return her slaps and push her to the ground. You want nothing more than to walk away and never have to deal with her again.

Turning around, you glance at Eunseok and Mark, managing a small smile for them. As your eyes meet Eunseok's, a flurry of butterflies explode in your stomach. But just as you're about to enjoy the moment, Yunjin lunges towards you, causing a fight to break out.

—💌—

Despite escaping the fight without any major injuries, you were left with a medley of bruises and cuts, particularly on your knuckles from where you'd landed blows on Yunjin. In addition to the visible damage, there was a nagging suspicion that you might have also suffered a concussion, given the throbbing pain in your head.

After the fight, you somehow managed to get yourself home. Mark, ever the responsible one, left shortly after to fetch some medicine, potentially to treat what you all assumed might be a concussion. You were left alone with Eunseok, who, with a gentle touch, tended to the bruises and cuts on your hands.

In the quiet of the room, you found yourself studying Eunseok. This wasn't the first time you'd seen him up close, yet his beauty never ceased to amaze you. There was an urge, almost irresistible, to reach out and touch his face, to run your fingers through his hair. But you managed to suppress it.

“I told you to be careful,” Eunseok scolded. Yet, his tone was filled with more worry than reprimand. The softness of his voice somehow making the 'scolding' sound more like a worried whisper.

"Do I have any injuries on my face?" he asks, looking up at you with a smile. There's a moment of silence as you take in his features, struck by how attractive he is. You have to force yourself to look away before you have a chance to blush.

Unprompted, he breaks the silence with a surprising statement. "I'm taking you out tomorrow," he declares, catching you completely off guard.

You blink, taken aback. "What?" you echo, not quite believing what you just heard.

"Yes,we're going to spend the day together tomorrow. I don't think it's a good idea to leave you alone right now." His words hang in the air for a moment, leaving you speechless. It takes a while for you to process what he just said, and you find yourself unable to formulate a proper response. Instead, you just nod in agreement, still a bit dazed.

A few minutes after your conversation, Mark arrives, effectively breaking the spell that had fallen over the room.

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💐: i literally suck at editing pics so just try to imagine it🙁 anyways im learning accendio by ive😋

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bole couldnt be tagged !

[phantomgrimalkin]

@moonwatermicrofics Day 22, Prompt: Pain Soulmate Shadow AU-  Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5 Word count: 460, Rating: G

It was not as obvious for the first years that an upperclassman disappeared with regularity. What Regulus noticed, was the times that Remus would need a cane, when he winced as he moved. This took up about one week every month, as the moon approached fullness and then waned. Despite being more tuned into the full moon due to the lycanthropic nature of his soulmate, that alone may not have been enough for Regulus to realize.

But Remus was Sirius’s besf friend and Severus kept hissing about his suspicions, so Regulus noticed. By Halloween Regulus was pulling his brother into an empty classroom.

“Your friend is a werewolf, isn’t he?” Regulus hissed softly, despite being hidden behind the privacy charms they’d learned from their family, which the Ministry itself couldn’t hope to infiltrate.

Sirius had gone pale, rubbed his face with his hands, and nodded.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Regulus asked, feeling hurt. They used to be so close, it felt like it was the two of them against hte world. Then Sirius had gone to Hogwarts, found his bloody soulmate and now he was keeping secrets like this.

“It wasn’t my secret to tell,” Sirius said quietly, “I didn’t tell him that your soulmate is a werewolf, either, I couldn’t justify telling you.”

“Couldn’t- I mean-” Regulus blushed, crossing his arms, “Did you not consider he could be…?” he couldn't bring himself to say it.

Sirius shook his head, “He doesn’t have a soulmate. His shadow is his own profile. He thought it was a werewolf thing- I accidentally revealed I knew someone whose soulmate is a werewolf…” he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

“Oh,” Regulus said quietly, blinking as his eyes suddenly began stinging and he felt an awful, sinking in his stomach, “That’s awful.” 

“Yeh,” Sirius agreed, “Happens sometimes, doesn’t it? Shame, really, he’s a pretty nice bloke… Definitely deserves a soulmate more than bloody Lucius…” he wrinkled his nose in distaste at the thought of the pompous Malfoy heir who was soulmate to, and utterly besotted with, their cousin Narcissa.

“Mm,” Regulus agreed, then shook himself, because it didn’t matter, “Does it cause him pain?”

“Oh- er- yeh,” Sirius said, wincing, “He, erm, well, he’s kept somewhere safe, so he can’t hurt anyone else- but the wolf hurts itself and the transformation’s pretty bad and, ehm, he got bit on the hip so that injury affects how he walks…” he shrugged and looked down, “He probably wouldn’t like me telling you that. But. Yeah. He spends a few days in the Hospital Wing each month.”

“That’s awful,” Regulus said, thinking about his own soulmate, realizing whoever it was likely suffered the same way. He swallowed thickly and Sirius hugged him.

“I know,” Sirius said sadly, squeezing Regulus close, “Madam Pomfrey does her best...“ he sighed, “I don’t know what to do for him.”

Regulus nodded, clinging to his brother, cursing the unfairness of the situation.

Next Part ((I've tagged all these posts with #soulmate shadow au so hopefully you can find them more easily!))

[forestdivinity]

Blitz & the Full Moon Episode & autism

I am once again talking about autistic blitz and just the Full Moon episode and this is a ramble but hh stick with itt?? I have so many thoughttssss but there are Spoilers so don't read if you havent watched the episode yet!

I'm thinking of how Stolas like walks out when he thinks Blitz is rejecting him and how Blitz takes that as a rejection and blows up in return. Like if they'd both just taken a minute to breathe it wouldn't have ended in such a disaster

From what I've seen, Blitz is someone who needs time to process especially in interpersonal relationships, and he's so sensitive to rejection & blames himself as soon as it happens but will self protect by externalising and projecting those feelings onto the person who's hurt him. Not saying this is a healthy mechanism btw!

I feel like if he had time to think past his initial gut reactions he would have been able to at least talk without screaming because we see he can be emotionally vulnerable like when he talks to Fizz in Oops! but rejection and feeling unworthy hit him haaaard, (like Fizz's birthday), and he reacts with anger first to hide how upset he is He's quick to cover up but I don't think he's someone who's that great at reading social situations as he projects himself to be, even with the candle shopkeeper he struggles to describe the mood and vibe hes going for. Blitz projects himself as outwardly confident because it's easier for him to have this facade than admit when he has difficulties in certain situations. In 'Oops' he totally misses Fizz's sarcasm when he's talking about Stolas and their relationship while denying that Stolas could like him. I think this comes from both a place of self-loathing & denial but also him missing that Fizz isn't actually agreeing with him. Emotions & words relating to them dont come easy to Blitz because he's autistic but also he rarely got the kind of support and emotional teaching in childhood he needed from the people around him. Like im sure Tilla tried but we know she was ill and that Cash is a dick who uses this to exploit Blitz (such as forcing him to steal from Stolas as a child) and I think that man has the parenting ability of a teaspoon. He's manipulative and even from a young age teaches Blitz that relationships are transactional (selling Blitz in the first place) which I think was ten times more impactful and traumatising for Blitz as a child seeing how he approaches relationships as an adult and that's even not getting into his self worth issues surround Fizz and the fire and Barbie. And like with Verosika happening… I want to know how old he was when they dated, how long it lasted. She has his name tattooed on her there must have been some emotional connection, but what happened between them to lead to Blitz blowing up again. What was their relationship like. It's said (implied? I don't remember exact words) that Blitz was her bodyguard first so that's another relationship that started out transactional! I think Blitz is emotionally a very immature character and he clings to structured relationships that he can push the boundaries of. Loona is his adopted daughter. Millie and Moxxie are his employees. There's structure and expectations to those relationships and he's the one who pushes for more and tries to develop them. It freaks him out when someone turns the tables because he doesn't have the rules and scripts in his head I think?? Stolas is changing the structure of their relationship and Blitz panics and tries to retreat to what he knows works (sex) which isn't what Stolas wants and we see the aftermath of this! But if what the 'you royals always do this' line implies is true he's been thru at least something similar before and is maybe falling back into old patterns and hurts when he perceives Stolas as rejecting him & his advances (putting his hat on, disparaging the roleplay, and leaving the room). Beyond the class issue and fear of losing his business when Stolas asks for the book back permanently the first spot where things go wrong for their personal relationship is when Blitz goes 'oh this is a roleplay' and I can just see the gears turning of him like just trying to fit this new information into the established framework of their relationship. Sex is comfortable for Blitz, the transactional nature of their relationship is comfortable and scripted and easy (he says this at the start of the episode!) and when pushed out of that comfort zone he panics. We see him panic!

I think part of him probably liked that there were certain expectations and structure to the contract before even if he complained about stolas being horny and like Stolas baby, I know things changed in you but the very start of your relationship is you calling him while he's being shot to like talk about how you want his cock. I love Stolas too don't get me wrong but your whole relationship is based around sex. Blitz has said to you in the past that he feels like he's only used for sex (Ozzie's!) and that's the expectation he has of the relationship. And like we know Stolas has tried to gently reach out especially since Ozzie's but Blitz is autistic doesnt do subtlety, like we can see that in how he treats people around him. He's brash and open and doesn't know how to read a room (like the first CHERUB episode he texts the client that they fucked up because he thinks people can't get angry over texts??) IDK people go on about how Stolas is autistic and yeah I can see that but to me Blitz is the epitome of the 'bad autistic' who is too open, too rough, too liable to blow up and meltdown and react with anger and violence. (MOOD BABYGIRL)

Blitz is terrified of change unless he initiates it and even then he struggles (see him trying to confess to Fizz). And like there's just so much about him that screams autistic to me. Like his meeting with moxxie when they're in jail and moxxie is crying and blitz is like :D HI WANNA BREAK OUT! Blitz doesn't get the social code and I think he's worked so hard to come off as this blasé 'idgaf' person when in reality he doesn't know how he should act in certain situations but it's better if it seems intentional because then people just think he's an asshole instead of a freak. The like 'haha we are laughing together' instead of 'you are laughing at me' (in a bad way). Like just, the whole scene with him trying to tell Jokes in The Circus episode and it falling flat and falling back on his special interest (horse facts!) but the audience finding him just strange vs how they react to Fizz. He decides to adopt Loona but he still struggles with connecting to her and respecting her boundaries as a neglected young adult and treats her more like a younger child in a lot of ways because that's his idea of like the perfect father-daughter bond and he doesn't know how to course correct. Even in Full Moon we see how he like goes overboard in telling Moxxie how he's horny and wants to fuck Stolas and Moxxie is like TMI don't tell me that.

JUST for me Blitz is just so relatable in a lot of ways. He is a person who craves connection but struggles with how to make that meaningfully so he has dropped himself into certain molds to try and fit what people expect of him but even then he does it in the wrong way. He tries to be what he thinks Stolas wants (based on their OG deal and past interactions) by saying oh this a roleplay and its a sex thing but fucks it up because Stolas is asking for change and he doesn't know how to do that especially in a sudden and unexpected situation. And he's someone who is highly competent but struggles so severely with emotional regulation and timing and social contracts and just idk. So so many of my meltdowns ended in screaming because I neeed space and time to emotionally process when something is Happening and if I don't get that (like Stolas assuming things are over and leaving when Blitz is realising Oh This Is Something I Need to Process) my first defense mechanism is to reflect my struggle outwards in anger and Blitz is exactly the same!! And again this isn't healthy but we know Blitz isn't healthy right now (in the trailer he legit says he doesn't want to be like this forever)! And don't get me wrong I know why Stolas threw him out when he started yelling (Stolas has his own PTSD triggers from Stella) but goddd boys you need to sit down and work this out calmly with processing time!! Like sooo many people see Stolas as autistic because he's quiet and socially awkward and nerdy about the things he loves which is a valid interpretation but Blitz is just my CPTSD undiagnosed autistic who has learnt the worst coping mechanisms because he was never allowed anything else and always expects things to turn out badly. Isn't it easier if you're the one to ruin things? At least he knows what to expect!!

Ughghg I have so many more thoughts but this post is already a mile longgg so if you want to yell more about blitz just come into my asks lmaoo

(Btw I love Stolas too and this is not anti stolitz, they are gonna work this out but Blitz is just my scrunklyyy)

[tobiasdrake]

what do you think of the most important relationship in all of dragonball? I speak, of course, of the world champion Mr. Satan and his pupil, mr. Buu

The entire Satan and Buu plotline is delightful, and it's not without reason that their bromance has become an ever-enduring part of post-Z materials.

Story-wise, this may be the best decision that the Buu arc made.

Toriyama sets this up in advance with the little boy whose blindness Majin Buu heals.

While flying around and slaughtering people for funsies, Buu finds this kid that's not afraid of him because he can't see Buu. He heals the boy's blindness so he can be properly afraid, but the kid is grateful rather than scared.

Buu finds himself enjoying that.

So Buu decides to offer his new friend a little more help, even while he's killing and blowing up everything else.

This moment demonstrates that Buu has a capacity for kindness; He just hasn't learned better. Like a child, he craves attention and validation from others but doesn't know the difference between negative attention and positive attention.

He's acting out because he wants to be noticed. Which brings us to the Earth's response.

The man who defeated Cell is here to slay Majin Buu and restore order to the world! Hail Satan!

He's fucked. He is so unbelievably fucked. Even he knows how fucked he is.

To his credit, Satan doesn't run for the hills as soon as these two guys leave. He actually did come here with the intent to confront Majin Buu and save the world.

Satan is often taken for a full-on coward because he does typically try to get out of fighting people who could end him in a flick of a finger. He's Pamput tier as a fighter and he knows these people outclass him by an unbelievable margin.

But I think it speaks very highly of him that when the world looked to him to save them from Majin Buu, he didn't try to run from it. He's not going to try and fistfight Buu, hell to the no, but he does make a good faith attempt to slay the dragon, to the best of his meager ability.

Hell, when all else fails, he even does try to fight Majin Buu directly.

It takes a lot of nerve to swing on an invincible god-killing monster who will absolutely turn you into candy and eat you the moment this conversation stops being fun for him.

This isn't cowardice. Satan's an arrogant blowhard who steals glory he doesn't deserve. As he and Buu settle into their friendship, he even makes plans to steal glory for Buu's defeat should it ever come to pass.

But he does want to save the world from Buu. He just has no idea how to do it. This is so far beyond him it's not even funny. Even after he basically moves in with Buu, he's still got victory on his mind.

He's here for the same reason he went to the Cell Games. Satan has the spirit of a hero somewhere under all that bluster, deceit, and glory hogging.

It's the arrival of Bee that changes everything.

This is the blind boy with the milk all over again. But this time Satan is here to see it, and it changes his approach to how he's engaging Majin Buu.

Once Satan sees this nicer side of Majin Buu, he finds himself armed with the greatest secret weapon he could possibly bring to this conflict. More powerful than bombs or poisoned chocolate. The one weapon that can truly defeat Buu: Empathy and understanding another person's point of view.

BOOM. It's done. Mr. Satan just saved the entire fucking planet from Majin Buu. His ultimate technique is asking Buu nicely to stop. No one's ever said this to him before. He didn't know better.

And this comes at the worst possible fucking time, oh my god. Seconds after Majin Buu agrees he won't kill or destroy anymore, snipers shoot his puppy.

This wouldn't be a big deal ordinarily. Buu would just erase these two assholes. But he just promised he wouldn't kill and destroy anymore. He wants to keep his promise. So all he can do is stand there and fume.

Buu has no idea what to do in this situation if he's not allowed to kill these two shitheads. Satan has not thought to convey the correct nuance for how he can behave in this context. So he's trying so hard to keep his promise in a situation where he should rightly be allowed to defend himself and his friends.

Satan's able to defuse the situation by beating the shit out of these clowns himself, and they save Bee's life with Buu's healing. But when Shooty McDickface shoots Satan in the back, Buu fucking erupts.

The contradiction between his promise not to hurt humans anymore and his furious need to waste these bastards is too much for him, allowing the darker aspects of the true Majin Buu an opening to seize control over Daikaioshin's innocence, which had up to this point resulted in this childish demeanor of his and made this friendship possible.

It's noteworthy that the first thing Evil Buu does is resolve the contradiction.

He does not care what he promised Satan. He's going to kill. And then he's going to resume killing. It was a mistake to have ever stopped.

The other really noteworthy thing, after he becomes Super Buu, is his behavior during his Human Extinction Attack.

God, what a horrifying image. This is the darkest fucking moment in Dragon Ball history. This is somehow worse than blowing up the planet. It's so horrific. Buu is really living up to his function as a god-killing horror whose very existence is a slight against the heavens.

Super Buu uses God's Temple in Heaven as a vantage point from which to fire billions of homing shots down into the Earth precisely targeted to kill every last human being remaining in the world. In a matter of minutes, he purges all human life from this world.

All human life except Tenshinhan and Chiaotzu, who were able to evade the shots aimed at them. Look, if you're going to shoot billions of ki blasts at once, there's a limit to how powerful they can be.

And Mr. Satan, who Buu skipped. Even with his innocence restrained and chained inside of him, Buu still can't escape his feelings for the one man in all the world he can call a friend. Even in this moment as he purges life from this world, Buu simply couldn't bring himself to do it. Not this one.

Even at his darkest, Buu's love for his friend will remain so long as any scrap of influence from Daikaioshin, so long as the thing that makes him sapient to begin with, still lives inside of him. A problem that only Pure Buu would ever manage to solve.

"The surge of emotion that shot through me when I saved your life taught me a valuable lesson: Where Caroline lives in my brain. Goodbye, Caroline." ~Majin Buu apparently

Such a weird resolution to their developing friendship, but Majin Buu is a magical creature unbound from any physics whatsoever so it works.

And then, for good measure, Satan legit saved the Earth from Majin Buu for real by convincing the totality of the resurrected Earthlings to contribute as much genki as they could muster to Goku's Genki-Dama, because there are genuine advantages to being a publicity hound.

Mr. Satan's greatest martial art is PR. He may be a glory-stealing publicity shill sitting pretty off the achievements of others, but goddamn is he good at getting his face out there and being a household name.

People underestimate the value of PR. He might just be a figurehead, but he's a damn good figurehead.

And he got to keep his new bestie too.

This is so unexpectedly sweet. Satan's relationship with Buu was the highlight of this arc. It gave a lot of depth and personality to both characters, turning Satan from a funny joke at the Cell Games to a powerhouse MVP of a protagonist.

It's just. Y'know. Shame about his daughter who basically drops off the face of the plot never to be cared about again. Videl's basically a cameo now, existing mainly to be the mechanism by which Gohan has a daughter.

So. Y'know. That sucks. But I've already talked about Videl and how screwed she was by the narrative.

Looking at post-Z materials, however, you can feel how much of an "Endgame, we don't have to go anywhere with this" sort of thing Satan and Buu's friendship is. GT basically wrote Mr. Buu out of the plot by having him fuse with Uub, while DBS goes out of its way to not let him participate in anything. The one arc he's featured in replaces him with Daikaioshin directly.

I don't think anyone really knows what to do with Mr. Buu now that he's one of the gang. Instead of writing plots and thinking about, "What can Buu do to contribute to this?" the vibe is always "Oh fuck me, what are we going to do about Buu?"

But even when the writers are struggling to find something for him to do, his ironclad friendship with Satan never wavers.

[kaminari1]

Attention span of a squirrel

Shoto Todoroki with an S/O who is very silly

Also seriously pls do not repost or reblog

Warnings: swearing sorta? Uh reader is GN and stuff.

Also the reason I call this 'Attention span of a squirrel' is bc squirrels have the attention span of uhhhhhh

Shoto was hanging from a rope, ankle first and upside down. The rope made him spin around the room very slowly as he felt the blood go to his head.

To make things worse, Shoto was dangling over a pit. It was foggy down there, so he wasn't able to see the bottom.

You both were chosen to go against Aizawa for this project, to see how well you did in a real villain situation.

So far?

Not so great.

Shoto was beginning to feel lightheaded, so he called out to you to try and bring your attention back to the situation.

"L/N." He calls, making you jolt out of your distracted state and back at him. "Hm?" You look up at him. "Oh yeah. Sorry, I forgot." You laugh nervously, scratching the back of your neck.

"Okay...so..." You tap your chin in thought as you stare at the rope wrapped around Shoto's ankle. "If I were me...which I am...then how would I get Shoto out of here?" You jut out your bottom lip slightly, narrowing your eyes as if it would make you think harder.

"I don't mean to rush you," Shoto begins in his usual monotone voice. "But Mr. Aizawa could be approaching." He says, spinning slowly as the rope clings to his ankle.

You don't seem to hear this, as you're staring down at the pit. "Aha! I've got the situation!" You grin confidently, stumbling slightly as you take off your right shoe. Shoto raises an eyebrow, confused to what you were doing.

Then you suddenly throw your shoe into the pit. "One..." And you begin counting. "Two...three....four.....five..." You continue. Shoto feels confused as he stares at you. What the hell were you doing?

"L/N. What are you doing?" He finally asks, eyes still trained on your every move.

After you count to ten, you beam proudly, like you made a shocking discovery. At least, you thought you did.

"Well my icy friend," You begin as you point down into the pit. "We have discovered a bottomless pi-" You were interrupted by a soft 'thud' of your shoe finally hitting the bottom of the pit.

"Oh. Nevermind. Not bottomless, just ten seconds deep."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Shoto asks, tilting his head as best he can. You just turn back and grin at him.

"Well, if I cut you down from there, at least I know how long you'll be falling for!" You beam, like you've solved all world problems.

"Okay, now hold still." You try to reach for the rope, but stumble and almost fall into the pit. "Whoa!" You yelp lightly as the dirt crumbles beneath your feet. Luckily you got out of the way in time.

"Okay! New plan." You clap your hands together. Then, to Shoto's dismay, you begin to pace around the pit. After a while, you grin. Its not an innocent grin, but a mischievous one. Almost Bakugo like.

You suddenly run backwards. Shoto sighs in disappointment, thinking you've given up on him. "How do I-" He stops himself when he looks back at you, now charging at him. "L/N! What are you-"

You grin as you jump off the ledge of the pit, jumping up to grab him. You use a pocket knife to cut the rope in the process so you both don't get stuck.

You and Shoto tumble onto the otherside, landing into a pile of eachother.

Sort of a 69 position.

Quickly, you both pull away and stand up.

Shoto feels embarrassed, looking away from you and not knowing what to say.

That is, until you clear your throat. "So...here." You hand him a small amethyst rock. Maybe you collected it a while ago, or you found it somewhere. Eitherway, you don't really remember.

Shoto tilts his head, looking at the amethyst in your palm, then back at your face. "Whats this?" He asks.

You smile softly, finding his confusion amusing. "A gift! See? Its pretty, like you." You beam. Shoto swears he sees light emitting from you as you smile at him. Shoto gives a small smile in return, and takes the amethyst. "Thank you, L/N." He says, his voice soft.

You laugh softly and place your hands on your hips. "And since I gave you a gift, we're friends now. Is that okay?" You say, even though Shoto doesn't have a choice in the matter.

Shoto puts the amethyst in his pocket. "Okay."

You grin and give him a small thumbs up. "Great! So you have to call me by my first name now, okay?"

"Okay."

"Okay what?"

"Okay, Y/N."

"Atta boy!"

Shoto smiles softly. He feels a sudden feeling in his chest, snapping him out of his thoughts. He places a hand on his chest, suddenly very confused.

Did my heart skip a beat? Do I have heart problems? Perhaps I should see Recovery Girl after this.... He thought.

Eventually, the day ended, and everyone was heading to their dorm rooms to finally get some sleep.

All except Shoto. He stayed on the green couch in the lounge, staring blankly at the wall, lost in thought.

"We're friends now, so you have to call me by my first name!" Your voice rang in his head like a lullaby.

A week passed, and you and Shoto stared hanging out more. You would say things like:

"Shoto! Do you ever thinks ants get lonely?"

"Shoto! Did you know worms have an asshole?"

"Shoto! Whats your least favorite animal?"

Things that would make him smile, or things that would make him confused. Things that would make him think, or things that would make him surprised.

Every little thing you did made him have a soft and warm feeling in his chest. Shoto, completely oblivious to these feelings, decides to confront his friend, Izuku. One night, everyone is staring to head to bed, when Shoto approaches Izuku.

"Midoriya." He says, staring the conversation. "I need your help."

Izuku tilts his head, looking up at his friend. His green eyes fill with curiosity. "What is it, Todoroki? Is everything okay?" He wonders.

"I think I have heart problems." Shoto says, in earshot for Mina and Ochako to hear.

"WHAT?!" Mina gasps, suddenly very interested to Shoto's conversation with Izuku. Mina and Ochako rush over to them, their eyes filled with concern. "Are you okay, Todoroki? Should we get you to the hospital?" Midoriya asks, standing up as his expression turns to one of concern.

Shoto thinks for a moment, before speaking again. "No. I just feel a warm feeling in my chest, and sometimes my heart skips a beat. Sometimes my face gets hot, even though I try and cool myself down with my left side."

Mina and Ochako's eyes widen. The two beam, leaning ever so closely to Shoto. "Do you feel this way around a certain someone?" Mina says, her voice giddy and excited.

Shoto nods. "Yes, it happens around L/- I mean, Y/N."

Mina and Ochako squeal, while Izuku sighs in relief, glad his friend isn't suffering from any heart failure.

"What? What is it?" Shoto looks at them all, very confused. Did he really have heart problems...?

"Its love!" Mina grabs Ochako's hands, the two of them bouncing around in circles.

"Love..?" Shoto tilts his head. "Yes, Y/N is my friend. I care for them deeply." He nods, confused to why Mina and Ochako were makeing a big deal about this fact.

"No, Todoroki!" Mina looks at him in the eyes as she stops bouncing. "Romantic love." She corrects.

Something in Shoto's brain clicks. "Oh." He says quietly, a soft dusty pink tainting his cheeks.

Shoto began to hang out with you more, staying by your side as you ramble about silly things, or smiling as you show him silly things.

Until one day, Izuku encouraged him to confess.

Shoto asked you to meet him at the courtyard after school, and you did. Shoto took a deep breath, trying to gather his nerves before he spoke to you.

"Y/N." He says softly as he looks into your eyes.

Your beautiful eyes...the ones he could get lost in for hours. The ones he loved staring into.

"I have feelings for you. Romantic ones." He finally says after a moment of silence.

You, being the person you were, holds up a hand for him to high-five. "Dude, no way, that is awesome sauce!" You say.

Shoto looks at you in confusion and disbelief. You suddenly cover your mouth in embarrassment, muttering quiet apologizes.

"Oh god, I'm really sorry, Shoto! It just popped into my head and then my mouth talked and then it all fell apart but what I ment to say was..." You take a deep breath, and look at him in the eyes.

"I love you. Like a lot." You hold out your arms as far as they could go. "If I was able to, I would stretch my arms pur way further but this is as far as they can go. But I really do love you!" You beam.

Shoto chuckles softly at your antics. He suddenly feels...complete.

You smile as well, and lower your hands. Then, you slowly extend your hand out to him to take. Shoto's eyes light up slightly. He slowly take your hand, and you intertwine your fingers with his.

"Now I get to tell people I have my own furnace AND my own cooler!" You grin brightly, making Shoto chuckle again.

He kisses your cheek gently. "Your pretty." He whispers.

And so doofus and doofus 2.0 relationship begins.

[rottenpumpkin13]

Serious ask: how do AGSZCL act when they feel guilty?

This calls for a dip into canon

Sephiroth: The events that trigger Genesis' degradation replay in his mind over and over, like a movie he can't turn off, and the guilt eats him alive. He blames himself, replaying moments that he could've done things differently, because then everything would be different. Genesis wouldn't get hurt, and he would still be here. Angeal would still be alive. He's long learned to numb his guilt and make peace with his duty as Shinra's weapon, even if it means killing the innocent and participating in Shinra's violent pursuit of power. But it's different when the source of the guilt has to do with the people he cares about. By hurting them, it's as if he's hurting himself, and the wound is constantly reopened no matter how much he stitches over it with reason.

Genesis: He's not one to openly admit he's wrong, not even to himself; in fact, he's the first to voice how he enjoys being right, which is why guilt feels so vile when it finally settles in the pit of his stomach, demanding his attention. He ignores it initially, stroking his own ego with twisted reason. But reality hits ten times harder when you don't make peace with it, which is when Genesis finds himself inconsolable, manic as he realizes the extent of what he's done and how there's no going back. Ever again. They're all dead; Angeal, Sephiroth, Zack, dead, dead, dead.

Zack: He hates guilt; it digs beneath his skin, it feels gross, it constantly demands his attention despite his attempts to push it away. So he reluctantly confronts it, aiming to rectify his mistakes and take responsibility for his actions by reasoning with himself in the events that the person is dead. Once he addresses and makes peace with it, it allows him to return to a semblance of normalcy. But the residue of guilt lingers like a bitter aftertaste, a constant reminder of his mistake. It resurfaces over and over again. Like a ghost. Because that's what Angeal became.

Lazard: He's quick to own up to mistakes, a trait developed during childhood where he often shouldered blame even for things beyond his control, stemming from a sense of feeling like a mistake himself. He handles guilt with what he perceives as maturity in his adult life, pushing it aside temporarily during moments where he knows guilt will be inevitable if he fails. And then he tries to counteract his guilt by taking action to reverse situations, often putting himself in harm's way to protect others. In his dying moments, Lazard comes to the realization that his existence was never a mistake in the first place. He finds peace with his guilt.

Cloud: Guilt becomes such an ugly thing for Cloud in his adult life, and he's so blissfully unaware of it as a little boy, guilty for accidentally breaking his mother's favorite mug. He feels it everywhere, as fresh and raw as the first time. He feels guilt when he looks at the buster sword. He's guilty when he looks at the ribbon on his arm. He's guilty when he's staring at the bottom of an empty liquor glass. He's guilty when he stands in Aerith's church. He's guilty when events replay in his mind, things he shouldn't have done, things he shouldn't have said. But he's realistic. He knows he can't go back and change things, so he learns to live with the guilt. It becomes an extension of himself, and he learns to ignore the sickness gripping him. Peace will come to him eventually, but by then he's already learned to live with guilt.

Angeal: His first encounter with true guilt comes with the passing of his father—a natural additional to grief. That type of guilt encompasses regrets of missed goodbyes, words both unspoken and words he regrets, and moments he wish he could've shared with him during his father's lifetime. This guilt becomes a constant presence, shaping his approach to handling subsequent feelings of remorse as an adult. He draws back into silence when he's guilty, despite his efforts to make amends with whatever the cause of it is. As a SOLDIER, guilt is natural. 'It comes with the job' is what he tells himself—whether it's from being too demanding on his trainees or moments preceding drastic actions. But some actions are as unavoidable as the guilt they evoke, or so he thinks.

[bookobsessedfreak]

laughter like honey dribbles ◦ l.f

-an inexperienced Felix tries to impress you by forcing his voice deeper. What do you do when it cracks mid-through?

Paring◦ Lee Felix x Fem!Reader Words◦ 1123 Genre ◦ The fluffiest smut you'll ever read, awkward sexual situations, realistic sex where life isn't all butterflies, orgasms, and rainbows. Warnings ◦ Reader is described as having a vagina, laughter during sex, Felix being a big baby, embarrassment (what's new), ruined orgasm ig? Ngl i feel like half of this is just a bunch of me yapping and terrible punctuation (if you find any errors PLEASE let me know, thank you). A/N ◦ Okay, this is my first time ever trying to actually write something and post it, so your feedback is veryyy much appreciated. Just remember to be respectful, gentle, and kind. Ofcc credits to @kaciidubs + @whatudowhennooneseesyou who came up with the whole idea, but I just used it because it inspired me, so big thanks to those beautiful people. <3 Without further ado, please enjoy this tooth-rotting smutty fluff. ~ CookieCreates

You can feel him all around you, chest to chest, skin to skin, heart to heart. Your bodies melded together flawlessly, as though you were molded to fit into each other's arms, and, well, each others…

He pumps in and out of you ruthlessly, perfectly tipping you closer and closer to the edge.

“Please,” you whimper, wrapping your legs around his rutting hips, wanting him closer, harder, deeper,

Fuck.

“What do you want, baby?” He slams his hips harder into yours, prodding all the perfect places. You choke, a rush of pleasure vibrating through your bones. “Use your words.” He pants, nibbling on the soft skin of your neck, his voice deep and low, the seductive sultry tilt sends shivers up your spine and tingles to your core. 

“Say something, anything, your voice drives me crazy,” you whine, throwing your head back in bliss. A shrill moan rips from the back of your throat as you feel your orgasm quickly approaching, electric hands reaching out to you. You brush the tips of its fingers; trailing rings of fire seem to be tickling your skin, raging beneath your bones. 

So close.

So close.

So close.

You reach, all you need is,

“Good girl.” Felix doesn't know why he did it, forced his voice lower, deeper. At the time when ecstasy was rushing through his veins, it didn't seem like such a bad idea, until he went so deep it cracked.

He wants nothing more than for the earth to crack open and swallow him whole.

He stops.

You stop.

The world stops for a moment, and all you can see are his big, brown eyes blown wide with shock. The room is completely silent; the only thing being heard is the rough pounding of your hearts and the hard blinking of your eyes which seems like all you guys are able to do. You stay like that forever. Watching. Waiting. For one of you to take one for the team and cut through the growing tension in the room. You curl your lips into your teeth, breaking the awkward stand-off on whose either going to laugh their ass off or pretend that nothing happened and continue to fuck, but with your orgasm long forgotten and the previous raging heat of the room now dwindling to nothing more than a few flickering embers, the laughter that bubbles up in your throat is beginning to be too hard to contain.

Heat floods his cheeks as he blinks, still in this weird form of fight or flight mode. His muscles tense beneath your traveling fingertips, overcome with the humiliation that burns through his chest, and figuring no matter how much he's praying for the earth to swallow him up, Mother Nature is not coming to save him, so he shoves his face into the crook of your neck, hiding from your amused stare instead. 

“Baby,” you chuckle softly, sympathetically, the sound reminding him somewhat of delicate strings of honey that float through the air. Even with the regret coursing through his veins, the sound sticks to parts of his brain that only you are allowed to occupy, so basically, all of it.

He could sum up his life with you in one simple sentence: cotton candy kisses and laughter like honey dribbles. He groans, digging his face deeper into the soft skin of your neck, the same neck that's littered with the love bites he bestowed not even moments earlier.

Oh, how the world changes. 

You can't help the spree of giggles that spill from your mouth.

“Can you come out now, please?”

"No, I'm good. I think I'm going to live here, die here, eat here, sleep here. You might as well get comfortable, baby, cause I'm staying here for the rest of my life!” He says erratically, digging his face deeper into your skin.

“My dramatic baby,” you coo, running your fingers through his hair, still damp with sweat. Time seems to trickle by as soft bouts of breathing fill the air. The heat of his cheeks burns into your neck as you attempt to coddle him out of the embarrassed home he's made in your body.

"S'embarrassing,” he mumbles, voice muddled by the depth in which he has burrowed into your flesh. 

“What was that, baby? I couldn't hear you from the home you've made in my neck.” You tease, a playful smirk dancing on your lips. He lifts his head, shooting you an equally playful but unamused glare. You have to push back the laughter that threatens to leave your lips as you take in his red cheeks and shy eyes. He looks so adorable and yet so sexy at the same time. You don't know if you want to jump his bones or bake him a batch of cookies. The best part is that you know you're going to be able to do both. You lift your eyebrows, sending him a look that states, "You have to admit that really was funny," which he reciprocates with a shy smile, not quite meeting your eyes, giving you a look back that states, "I know it was funny, but right now I'm too embarrassed to say that currently."

That's what you loved about your relationship with Felix—you didn't always have to communicate with words. Your hearts did the talking for you.

“Come on,” you giggle, “you have to admit it was kind of funny.” He rolls his eyes, a wide smile creeping onto his face. "Yeah, I guess it was kind of funny.” 

You snicker, “Thank God, cause the laughter wasn't going to hold itself in for very long.” 

"Ugg, I hate you.” His words were as soft as silk, holding not even a centimeter of malice. He buries himself back into the permanent place he's made his home. 

“But I love you.” You whisper, your lips grazing the crown of his head, soft hairs tickling your chin.

You loved Felix, and he loved you, and even though the mood was ruined and hope for an orgasm was gone, you wouldn't trade it for the world. How could you when he was exactly that. Your world. 

“Okay, as much as I hate to say this, you can't live inside of me forever; my pH levels have to be screaming right now.”

When you were a girl and the coughs started coming, your mother used to give you honey in a spoon and a tickle to the stomach, telling you that laughter was the best medicine, but mixed with the slick amber liquid, your laughter would always sound like honey dribbles, the perfect cure, but with Felix, you never had to worry about being sick because laughter was all the two of you ever spoke.

©CookieCreates (posted: June, 2nd 2024) All rights reserved. Do not translate, copy, or claim my works as yours! I only post on this platform so if any of my works are elsewhere, report and notify me immediately.

[lizhaoyu]

OMD THE TEA??? TAG ME IN PT 3 PLSPLS 🙏

Why so shy? PART 3

(A/N: Hello, gaymers. I don't know why you guys are shipping Iso x Clove and Iso x Gekko or Iso x Deadlock when you guys should CLEARLY ship ME WITH HIM instead. Anyway, I already wrote parts 3 and 4 in advance, I just forgor. Enjoy thirsting, gaymers.)

(WARNINGS: OOC Omen)

(GN!Reader x Iso) Part 1

Part 2

Part 3 (You are here.)

Nervous.

That was no longer what you were feeling right now.

You were too busy running away from the medical ward and back to the privacy of your room.

Maybe it isn't Iso. Maybe it was you. Maybe it was your fault for getting ahead of yourself. Maybe it was your fault for assuming that Iso liked you in the same way that you do.

Maybe you shouldn't have gotten your hopes up.

You stop in front of your door, panting heavily. You had to prevent your tears from falling out of your eyes, especially outside of your room.

Your eyes slowly started blurring from the tears as you tried to pry open your door.

notnownotnownotnownotnow, your mind raced.

You successfully unlocked your door and stumble inside.

Finally, you're alone, just as you always were. You let the tears fall from your eyes, staining your cheeks and clothes.

You shouldn't have gotten your hopes up. Maybe then, you wouldn't be crying, you wouldn't be in pain, you wouldn't be in this situation—

A knock on your door interrupted your thoughts.

You immediately wiped your tears away and sucked everything up, before approaching your door.

"W-Who is it?" You ask through the door, trying your best to sound like you weren't crying.

"It's me, Omen." Omen's gruff voice was muffled from the outside.

You sniffle, slowly getting up and opening the door slightly, enough for you to peek out and see Omen.

"Hey, Omen... Do you need something?" You ask, albeit a little too quiet for your liking.

"Greetings," Omen nods.

"I've noticed that the atmosphere around the HQ seems a little darker than usual," Omen's 'eyes', which were just three slits, moved as he spoke.

"The shadows also seem a little unstable." Omen continued.

"I've already checked up on Fade, and she is in great condition. You however..." Omen paused, 'looking' at your eyes intently.

"I came to check in on you. The hallway leading here was especially dark, and it felt heavy." Omen nods.

"Oh- No, I'm okay, Omen. It must be someone else's ability...?" You reason, although you were bad at lying.

"But you are the only one with shadow-related abilities in this hallway." Omen tilts his head. If Omen had a real, human face, you'd probably see a very unimpressed expression on it.

"Well, shit." You sigh.

"I am your mentor. You can tell me," Omen paused.

"Though I may not understand nor offer any help, I am here." Omen continued.

is it just me or Omen is so very OOC rn lol, you thought.

"...Come in." You sigh, sliding the door open wider, wide enough for Omen to come in.

"Thank you." Omen nods, walking in your room.

You slide the door shut and turn to Omen, who took a seat on your desk chair. You were comfortable enough around Omen, as he was your mentor and your very first friend in the VP.

"It feels even heavier here," Omen breaks the silence.

"I take it that your problem must be even heavier on you." Omen turns to you as you sat down on you bed.

"It's just like what I have told you in the past. Your emotions affect your abilities greatly," Omen nods, clasping his hands together.

"Take Neon or Reyna for example." Omen continued.

"To lift the heavy energy emanating from your abilities, you must let out your emotions; Talk to someone." Omen nods.

"Or like how Reyna does it: Take it out on others." Omen visibly sighed, but no sound of it comes.

"However, I know that you are better than that. So, let's discuss what you are feeling," Omen 'glanced' at you.

"I... I don't know if you'll understand, Omen. It's... about love." You sigh.

this is so cringe bruh who even says its about love bro, you thought.

"I do not expect myself to understand, either. I am not profound in the topic of love," Omen shook his head.

"But I will listen." Omen continued.

"Communication is key, either you tell them, or you tell me. Either works fine," Omen looked around your room

damn bro when did omen suddenly know about love and communication bro im cooked, you thought.

But confessing to Iso? Hell no. You're already hurt by the current situation, you'd be stupid to confess and expect a different outcome.

"It's... about Iso." You sigh, rubbing the back of your head in hesitation.

"The new recruit? I see," Omen nods.

"I've... been interested in him ever since he first arrived," You sigh, averting your gaze.

"I thought I was making progress; That if I pursue him and show him that I like him, he'd feel the same way." You murmur, eyes locked onto your fingers.

"He was starting to say things that might mean something more, in a more than friends way." You say, recalling the things that have happened a few hours earlier.

"It even went as far as him asking me to go out and get some food," You lower your head.

"But I was stupid. I got ahead of myself." Tears started welling in your eyes.

"I started assuming that he liked me back; That he felt the same way." You stifle back a sob.

"So, it was really painful when I heard him asking Sage out on a date," You bit your lip, trying to hold back your tears.

"It was my fault for assuming that he likes me too." You held your hands to your face.

"...I see." Omen nods quietly.

"You can't have everything you want," Omen starts.

"And it's not that easy." Omen shook his head.

"But you have to understand that maybe Sage and Iso have a lot more things in common that you and him," Omen explained.

"Or what maybe Iso likes Sage more, maybe he's had his eye on her since he came." Omen nods

You could feel your heart breaking, slowly shattering into pieces.

"But I'm not saying that to hurt you," Omen shook his head.

"I am opening your eyes to see the truth; To see that you're not the only one for Iso." Omen continued.

"You're not the only one who may have an interest on Iso," Omen shook his head, 'looking' at you.

"Not everyone wins, and you must learn how to accept that; That Iso likes Sage and not you." Omen's words sent a pang of pain in your through your heart.

not you. notyounotyounotyounotyounotyounot-

"The shadows are suffocating." Omen says, snapping you out of your trance.

"I'm sorry, Omen." You sigh.

"Acceptance. Learn to accept it." Omen looked at the closed curtains of your window.

Maybe this was for the best. If Iso wanted to be with Sage, who were you to oppose that? You're just a friend.

Everything was just a friendly gesture.

"I understand. I know better now," You took a deep breath.

"Thank you so much, Omen." You smile softly, drying your tears.

"Do you really know better now?" Omen asks.

"I do, thanks to you. I'm really grateful for that." You nod.

"It's good that you're still learning from my words." Omen nods, standing up from his seat.

"You're the best mentor I could ever ask for, Omen. I'm always learning from you." You smile at him, also standing up.

You walk with Omen to the door, sliding it open for him..

"I expect only the best from you. Don't let this weigh you down." Omen nods, walking out of your room.

You slid the door shut as Omen left your room.

Omen's right. Even if you thought that Omen was a little too out of character earlier, whatever he said was right.

You sigh and walk to your desk, before noticing a little purple octopus gun buddy on the chair that Omen said on.

Omen must've left it on accident. You took it into your hands and headed for the door to chase after Omen.

You slide the door open and wow. Reality and fate must really enjoy hardfucking you in every single angle, huh?

In front of the open door of your room, outside the hallway was Iso with a small smile on his face.

"There you are." Iso smiles, taking out one earbud off of his ear.

whatthefuckwhatthefuckwhatthefuck, you thought.

"Are you ready to go?" Iso asks.

go where? to heaven? yes im so fucking ready, you thought.

"Uh... huh?" You murmur.

"Did you forget? We're going out for hotpot, remember?" Iso chuckles.

"Oh, right," You avert your gaze.

I FUCKING FORGOT, you thought.

How were you gonna do this? You can't face Iso now.

"Is something wrong? You promised that we'd still go despite my injury," Iso tilts his head.

well shit it might be my fault for promising, you thought.

"I wanted to thank you for healing and saving me." Iso smiles, nodding.

"Right..." You nod hesitantly.

"So, are you ready?" Iso asked.

"Um, yeah." You step out of your room, sliding the door close behind you.

"Nice. Hm?" Iso smiles, then looks at your open palm.

"What's that?" Iso asks, gesturing to the octopus gun buddy.

"Oh... This is Omen's gun buddy. He must've forgotten about it and left it in my room." You show him the gun buddy.

"I was gonna return it to him, but maybe in another time." You shook your head, pocketing the gun buddy.

"Anyway, where are we headed?" You look at him.

"I know this hotpot place in the city. It's not that famous and crowded, so we can chill while eating," Iso smiles, pocketing his phone.

"I mean, we could just buy ingredients for hotpot and make it here, like what me and Sage did..." Iso paused.

Your ears rang. Sage again.

"But since it's gonna be about thanking you. I want it to be extra special." Iso smiles sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

Your heart started beating faster.

No. Remember what Omen said. Don't get ahead of yourself.

Your mind was blank, trying to block out any thought.

"There's a mall near the hotpot place. We could go there if you'd like." Iso smiles.

Why's he acting like he has so much time? Doesn't he have a date with Sage?

Shut up. That's none of your business.

"Let's head to the city." Iso smiles, nodding his head.

-

You and Iso arrive at the bustling streets of the city. You looked around, observing the food stalls. Some were colorful, some were simple and bland.

Maybe going out with Iso to the city isn't so bad. It could take your mind off of things.

"What kind of food do you like?" Iso asked, walking with you through the bustling street.

"I don't really mind anything, nothing specific." You shook your head, shrugging your shoulders.

"What about flowers?" Iso asked.

Why's he asking that?

"Well, I've never really received flowers, soo... I don't think I have anything I prefer in mind." You shook your head again.

"Do you like lilacs?" Iso asked, question after question.

"I'm sorry if I'm asking too many questions." Iso smiles sheepishly.

"It's okay," You smile, shaking your head AGAIN. STOP SHAKING YOUR HEAD BRUH

This is just him getting to know you in a friendly way.

"Lilacs... I think lilacs are beautiful. Back in my college years, I used to research about lilacs." You hum.

"They have a lot of meaning to them. I think I'm confident that I love lilacs," You nod.

"Lilacs are related to your title, right?" You ask.

"Mm, yeah." Iso nods, his hands in his pockets.

"How about a dream date?" Iso asked.

"Huh? How'd it come to that all of a sudden?" You laugh.

It's getting difficult trying to ignore the thoughts.

"Sorry, was that too personal?" Iso chuckles.

"It's alright, no harm done." You smile.

"Before you answer, let's head to the hotpot place so we can get comfortable." Iso suggests.

"Good idea. Lead the way, then." You nod, trailing behind Iso.

-

Following Iso proved to be difficult in this lively street.

You lost Iso a couple of times. But thankfully, Iso was tall enough to so you could see his head above the others.

In one instance, you lost track of Iso and simply walked ahead. What startled you was the hand that suddenly grabbed your wrist.

"Hey, where are you going?" You turned and was met with Iso's lavender eyes with a worried expression on his face.

"Oh- Sorry! I lost you and I thought you were just walking ahead." You smile sheepishly.

"You can hold onto my arm so we don't lose each other." Iso offered his arm for you to hold onto.

There you go, you couldn't stop your face from flushing.

ohmygod im litereally about to bust bro someone call cleanup aisle my underwear cuz i have the niagra falls here with me, you thought.

You had to mentally reprimand yourself to stop getting ahead of yourself. Iso only offered it because you keep losing each other.

You nod hesitantly, holding onto his arm.

mygod he's so close to me dude im boutta bust the biggest nut ever, your mind raced, as well as your heart.

-

Holding onto Iso's arm surprisingly went well, and navigating through the crowd became easier.

Oddly enough, when you and Iso got away from the crowed, he didn't shake your arm off or move away.

It was more than enough to have you overthinking again.

POOKIE STOP THIS OHMYGOD DID YOU NOT LEARN FROM OMEN AT ALL, you mentally scolded yourself.

Okay, stop. Friends do this too, you know?

You and Iso arrived at the hotpot place that he talked about.

Iso went ahead, opening the door for you.

You smile, mouthing a small thank you and entering the restaurant.

While you checked out the place, Iso went to the receptionist for the table. The place looked to be a Chinese restaurant, with some Chinese writings on a red banner or paintings that you may or may not understand.

The tables and chairs looked to be made of red wood, with Chinese-style teapot and cups place in the middle of the table.

The atmosphere was calm and there were at least four groups of three in sight.

Your thoughts came to a halt when you felt a tap on your shoulder and see Iso with two menus on his hand.

"Hey, ready to take a seat?" Iso smiles at you, offering you the menu.

"Yeah," You nod, taking the menu.

You followed Iso to a table for two and sat down.

"So, about your dream date..." Iso paused.

"Oh, right. I don't really have a preference, but I think cafe dates or library dates are really good." You pondered for a moment.

"Dates that are peaceful and calm seems to slow down time, which means I get to appreciate and enjoy the date for longer." You smile at him.

"How about you? Do you have any preferences?" You ask.

"I like museum dates. The pictures I could get from it would look wonderful." Iso nods.

"Have you ever been on a date before?" You blurt out before you could stop yourself.

"Well... Today will be my first time." Iso smiles sheepishly.

Oh. His date with Sage.

Your ears started ringing again.

"We should order," Iso's voice snapped you out of your trance.

"Oh- Right. Sorry, I spaced out." You smile apologetically, looking through the menu with Iso.

-

Two hours had passed, it was now the afternoon. You and Iso walked around near the lake, talking and laughing, getting to know each other better.

Although you knew that this was nothing more than a friendly gesture, it wasn't so bad.

"We should head back to HQ," Iso sighs, his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, we should." You nod in response.

He still had a date with Sage, after all. Who were you to take up more of his time? Maybe he just wanted to go out with a friend before his date.

"I had a lot of fun." Iso looks at you, a small smile on his lips.

"Me too. I haven't been going out lately, so this was a nice change." You turn to him with a smile.

"I hope we'll do this again soon." Iso adds.

"I hope so too." You nod.

It made you sad that this was the closest as you can get to going on an actual date with Iso.

But that was okay.

-

You arrived back to HQ with Iso, seeing Sage seemingly waiting for Iso.

Your eyes met with Sage's as she smiled at you.

she must be really excited to go out with iso, you thought.

You said a simple and quick 'bye' to Iso before power-walking back to your room.

You hear Iso calling after you, which only fueled your tears as you ran away.

Here you were, crying from the start, and still crying in the end.

-

(A/N: wsg gaymers, what'd you guys think of my long ass updates lol, thanks for reading and supporting Why So Shy? and my other Iso works.)

[greetingfromthedead]

Five Hugs (Vash x GN!Reader)

Plot: Five occasions, worthy of a hug. (5 drabbles)

Series: A Set of Five [more coming soon]

Pairing: Vash x GN!Reader

Raiting: Everyone

Tags: fluff, no use of "y/n", a touch of angst, cozy, cuddles, dancing, Vash being a hero as usual, affirmation, Vash just deserves a hug in general

Word count: 2k

Author's Note: I've been torturing Vash a lot lately so I decided to give him five hugs. Probably five kisses soon too and if there is something else you want to see, let me know.

You had to run again. Chased out of town for something as little as showing your face at the saloon. Or rather, it was Vash's face that sparked the whole ordeal. The bounty on his head doesn't make it easy to take life slowly and enjoy it. But you refuse to leave his side.

You slide down along the smooth surface of the rock. The suns beating down on you as you grip the water bottle tightly in your hand. Your heart beats ferociously in your throat, and you wait for it to calm down to take a sip. You take a deep breath and close your eyes, trying to focus on the sound of your tomas rattling her gear.

"Well, where should we go now then?" Vash's calm voice asks, breaking the tension in the air.

You don't answer him, instead leaning your head back against the hard rock. The fear finally leaves your bones, as you know you are far enough away from the town to be safe. It still stings to be treated this way, to constantly have to be on edge and alert.

"We could head more east; we should come across a small village before nightfall. Maybe we can camp in someone's attic. Hopefully we can stock up on water too." He sounds so lighthearted and carefree as he starts formulating a plan in his head.

You watch him with curiosity after drinking from your flask. He turns his head from side to side while looking into the distance before taking off his glasses and inspecting them. He seems to find a spot on them as he grabs the lower edge of his black turtleneck. He pulls it up to rub the lenses with it. The small action reveals a bit of his scarred skin on his stomach, which he usually carefully hides under fabric. This simple act reminds you just how much he trusts you. He wouldn't willingly show his old wounds to just anyone.

"Are you okay?" you ask quietly, but just enough for him to hear you.

"Mh?? Ah, yeah, I am fine." Vash straightens his shirt again and puts the glasses back on. "Eehh, I don't really care if they chase me and try to capture me for the bounty. They have their own problems, and I'm sure that money would help them. I'm just worried I will drag you into the crossfire."

You noticed the change in his carefree tone towards the end. He does worry about you a lot. Despite what he says, you know that the truth is a whole lot more complicated. He holds no grudges against anyone, but you doubt that he doesn't care. A man who loves humanity so deeply is bound to have his heart broken when he is forced away from what he holds so dear. You can see the pain in his eyes, despite his attempts to hide it.

Words don't come easy in this situation. What could you even say to that? Instead, you push yourself up again, slide the flask into the saddlebag, and walk up to Vash. You glance at his curious eyes, but you can't force your gaze to stay on them. You approach him decisively and only stop once your arms wrap around his torso. The moment your head rests against his chest, you squeeze him tighter.

He stands there with surprise for a moment before putting his arms around you too, his gaze softening as he holds you close. You don't say anything; instead, you just bury your face in his black shirt and hug him as tight as you can. He has been through so much in his long life, and you can't change the past. You are powerless against the present, and perhaps there is nothing you can do about the future. All you can do is hold him close and show him that you care. That you believe in him.

"Thank you." Vash speaks softly, his large hand stroking your head.

A loud bang echoes through the town square just as the grip of your captor loosens around your neck. A collective gasp echoes through the crowd of onlookers, and you push yourself free, running towards the source of the noise.

"Son of a…!" The enraged voice of the bandit leader calls out, but you keep sprinting without looking back. You hear the slightest thump behind you as his gun hits the ground, but you don't care anymore. It's like you can still feel the barrel pressed against your temple, the tears of fear turning into ones of relief in your eyes.

You jump into Vash's arms, knowing that you are finally safe. He catches you with his left arm, the prosthesis wrapping tightly around your back as your feet lift off the ground. His right hand still holds his gun, ready to take another shot as needed. You bury your face in his shoulder, feeling grateful and protected. He turns his whole body and sets you back on the ground, positioning himself between you and the bandit that held you captive. You hear him whisper, "I've got you now."

Even as your grasp on him loosens, his stays firmly around your shoulders, pressing you more into him. He's not letting go. Your vision is obscured by his large coat, and you don't see as the large man is being cuffed and dragged away by the others. Only then dares Vash to put away his weapon into its holster and release his tight grip on you. He grabs your upper arms and leans back as he looks you over.

"Are you alright?" he asks with a tremor in his voice. He notices the redness on your throat, and his fingers gently touch the bruising skin. "I am so sorry!"

"I'm okay! I'm okay!" you say frantically as you nod, your breath escaping you in short gasps.

"Thank goodness!" he exclaims, relief washing over him. He grabs you into a tight hug again, his cheek pressing against the top of your head.

"Would you do me the honor of joining me for a dance?" Vash says with a crooked smile as he offers you his hand. You blush a bit at his public tomfoolery and down the rest of your drink before leaving the empty glass at the bar. You take his hand with a smile.

"Gladly," you reply softly as his fingers grip yours. You feel a rush of excitement as he leads you onto the dance floor. The saloon is filled with lively music and people dancing to the beat. The liquid courage definitely helps you in this situation and gives you the confidence to let go and enjoy the moment. Vash's hands rest on your hips, and yours find his shoulders. A goofy smile is plastered on his face as he starts to lead you in a twirl. He does not mind that he occasionally bumps into someone else or that a few people start laughing at his exaggerated style. He is just too excited to have you in his arms, dancing with him. Their laughter is drowned out by the music and the joy in his heart. The giggle that escapes you as he sweeps you around only encourages him further, making him take longer steps and turn you faster. He chuckles at your expression, and one dance turns into many.

You have no hope of keeping up with his long strides, and as you get more and more tired, you end up stumbling over them a few times. His arms keep you steady, and your clumsiness only makes his smile wider. The looks of others do not matter; all you see is Vash's enchanting face, and all he sees is you. In that moment, you realize that you are exactly where you are meant to be, no matter how ridiculous you might feel.

As you gaze into his eyes, your foot gets stuck behind his again, but instead of just keeping you steady, Vash pulls you up and wraps his arms around you, right under your butt, to keep your feet off the ground. You grab him into a hug, giggling by his ear as you hold on to him. Vash twirls you about and continues to dance around the room as you embrace each other.

Vash lays halfway on top of you, his head resting on your chest, his arms wrapped around you. It is a peaceful night as you've settled into an abandoned house in an empty village. The room is dusty, but it is cozy and filled with a sense of safety and warmth. Your fingers brush through his hair as you listen to the sound of his steady breathing. You know he isn't asleep yet, but there is no need to fill the quiet of twilight with words. You both find refuge in the peaceful silence that envelops you.

Vash is curled up against you, his legs somewhat entangled with yours. The tall and surprisingly burly man seems almost tiny as he enjoys your touch, your other hand resting on his back. He takes comfort from your heartbeats under his ear and the feeling of your touch. Anywhere is home if you're by his side. Your hug is all he needs to feel safe; your love gives him the strength to face anything.

You let your nails run over his scalp, and you feel a slight shudder move through him, a little moan escaping his lips, a sign of pure contentment. You wish you could wrap him up more, keep him even closer, and protect him like he protects you. You want to keep him in your heart, protected from all harm. But the best you can do is this. Having him hold on to you, your arms around him, as he snuggles close all night, or at least until you need to settle into a position more suitable for sleeping the night away, but even then, he enjoys your cuddles and doesn't want to let go.

"Are you sure about this?" you ask as you look up at him, pain reflecting on your face.

"Yes. I have to. I am the only one who can put an end to this," he says, but his eyes are down turned and mournful.

"Then let me come with you!" you insist, grabbing hold of his right sleeve.

"Please…" he says with a sigh, his tone pleading, "I need you to evacuate as many people as you can, even if it is only yourself."

You look at him dumbfounded and then turn your head to look at the streets of July. The town is massive; how can he expect you to make any difference here in getting people out? Wouldn't you be better off with him, trying to prevent the thing that could put people in danger?

"I need you to be safe," he murmurs, his voice full of concern as he takes your hand into his, squeezing your fingers gently. You can feel his worry radiating off of him. He has so much on his mind; you know he doesn't want to be worrying over you too. He wanted to leave you at Home, but you refused. You need him on his A-game for this, you have realized just how dangerous the situation really is.

"That goes for you too!" You press, "You have to come back to me! You understand? You have to! So promise me!"

"I promise, I will come back to you!" He says resolutely and releases your hand, instead pulling you into a hug, and you melt into his embrace, your arms securely around him.

"Can we wrap this up already?" the dark haired man asks, a cigarette hanging from the corner of his mouth.

Vash holds you tight for a moment longer, ignoring Wolfwood as he leans closer to your ear.

"I love you," he whispers, his breath tingling your skin.

He lets go, and you take a step back, looking at him with determination. You will both get out of this alive.

Did you like this? Go check out my MASTERLIST and drop a follow for any and all future projects!

[angelllbby222]

Conflicted Chapter 20🎀:

Maddy P.O.V :

I stormed out of the bathroom, heading directly for Axl.

He told everyone in the band, which was different than telling his girlfriend something so personal about me.

And Izzy’s ex…that was where I drew the line.

“Axl!" I yelled, watching him pause in the middle of a conversation with their manager and turn his attention to me, lifting an eyebrow at my grumpy attitude.

“You told your girlfriend that you’re in love with me?!?”

"What are you saying Maddy? And keep it down," he clinched his teeth as he led me into a secluded area away from the crowd.

“Angela told me that Erin knows that you're in love with me," supposedly." I scoffed, angered by his casual demeanor, knowing he was the one propagating our private secrets out to the general public.

"I never told Erin anything, Maddy. I swear. I'm not sure why she would say that," he murmured to himself, standing there with his hands on his hips, wondering what he had done to make Erin feel that way.

I stormed away, unaware that Erin was watching us, perplexed, given the fact that they claimed the two were good friends, but based on their recent chat, it seemed as though the two were a couple fighting only adding to her theory.

Which was that her boyfriend was in love with the bassist’s sister.

“Maddy where have you been." Duff asked, already on his fourth drink of the night, banging down on the bar counter for more.

“I've been gone. Not that you would care." I spat, irritated by his intoxicated conduct and the fact that he couldn't even hold a conversation with me, let alone Steven and Slash, and then there was Izzy, wait, there wasn't.

Where was Izzy?

"Hey have any of you seen Izzy?" I inquired with the three boys, who were completely wasted.

"I-z-zzz-y?..why are you t-two goin-g to fuck-k again?" Slash mumbled, smirking wildly at his choice of words,Duff barely noticed until he realized what he had said about his sister and Izzy.

“Shut the fuck up Slash!” the bassist shouted, immediately sobering up.

"Sweetie. Izzy is just over there." Steven pointed to a small area of the pub at a booth where Izzy was sitting with none other than Angela?

The way she giggled and slapped his chest made it seem like the two were having a funny conversation , and he smiled the entire time, not realizing how clear it was that she was flirting with him.

Angela instantly noticed me staring, which prompted Izzy to shift his head, but Angela caught it and kissed him forcefully, prompting him to back off and jump out of the seat.

"Maddy," he murmured to himself, noticing me observing the two and assuming the worst of what I saw.

He instantly raced over to me and explained what had happened, and I nodded, knowing he had done nothing wrong because I was actually standing there seeing Angela be a slut.

"Why does she like you so much? Why doesn't she go see Axl or Slash?" I wondered why she was constantly drawn to Izzy.

"She's been in love with me for a long time and I didn't feel the same way, so we became fuck buddies, but I got bored of her quickly, so I called it out, and she became heartbroken," he explained casually, as if it wasn't his first time leaving a female unhappy as a musician

"Oh." I responded instantly, feeling awful for the girl because I could easily be in the same situation.

It's possible that I'm already there without realizing it.

“I know what your thinking and no just drop it." He sighed, having dealt with enough, and approached his three wasted pals to participate in the fun.

I saw Axl emerge from the scene, an empty arm that no longer served Erin Everly, and he excitedly walked to his bandmates with a sneer on his face.

I had no choice but to join the guys because I had no other friends at all in the big city and I only knew them.

“The brat has joined us.” Axl scoffed, nonchalantly sipping a cool beer in direct contradiction to his drunken bandmates, notably Izzy.

He fell over the counter, almost dropping to the floor, when I caught him and moved him to rest his head on the counter.

“You'll be taking care of him like that for the rest of your life if you keep this relationship going," he whispered, taking little sips from his drink.

“What makes you say that?”

“He’s an addict and he’ll ruin your life too with his drugs.”

"Izzy's not an addict and I can take care of him perfectly fine." I naively defended, smoothing Izzy's hair away from his sweaty face.

“Yeah right.” he scoffed slipping off his stool to found someone to dance with.

"Izzy. Wake up, let's go home." I said to him, feeling his cheeks warm up to my touch and slumped over body.

"N-no just go without m-me." He murmured, fumbling over words and pushed me away with a rough hand.

“Baby, you don’t look so good. I think it’s better if I take you home.”

“Stop touching me!" he yelled, pushing me, causing me to trip on the liquid drink previously spilled on the floor and fall on the hard ground of the bar.

I shrieked, a crushing discomfort running through me and tears forming in my eyes, unable to hide the pain, looking up at Izzy to extend a hand, but he was so high on his drug of choice for the night that he didn't care.

"Maddy! "Are you ok?" I heard Axl call out to me, rushing up to pick me up.

“What happened!" Duff shouted and hurried over to me after seeing Axl kneeling down on the floor.

"I'm fine." I said, tears streaming down my cheeks, as I returned my gaze to Izzy, who was firmly placed on the counter, unconcerned about how he had treated me.

"That bastard. I'll fucking kill you for hurting my baby sister," he roared, grabbing Izzy's shirt and dragging him up to confront his towering frame.

“If you kill me, you'll hurt your sister even more," he replied, grinning at me.

“Fuck you motherfucker.” the bassist growled punching his band mate and knocking him down on his drunken state.

“Duff!” I squealed as I crouched down next to Izzy and his newly slit brow, which was streaming with blood.

"Leave him alone, Maddy. Let's go. Axl said this as he dragged me away from Izzy and picked me up in his arms.

"You just want to fuck her." Izzy mumbled under his breath, amused at Axl's concern for the girl he allegedly dislikes.

The Indiana native may not have heard because he did not intervene, but if he had realized his long-time friend was making such a statement about the sweet girl, he would have knocked him out for good.

“That is it! I've seen enough today. You are not to see Izzy again, and I forbid you from going out with him or any other fucking musician from now on!" Duff yelled, and I could only nod, unable to find the correct words to explain what Izzy had just done.

We all got into Duff's car, Axl and I in the back, as Duff drove us to Axl's apartment.

I felt Axl interlace his fingers with mine, holding my hand in his while I slipped into sleep on his shoulder.

What I didn’t realize was that when I would wake up the next morning, Duff would have my things packed and a flight back to Seattle set out for me.

[scribblesandsorcery]

So a few weeks ago, I got a certain anon ask that had been going around the fandom. I was fairly amused, since the anon had to have either scrolled back a couple years in the Bedannibal tag or had to have dug through the notes of certain mutuals' posts to have found me.

My policy usually is "don't feed the trolls", but the ask arrived when I had been awake for far too long and I had to stay awake for another six hours for real life reasons, so I took that time to word-vomit a rebuttal into a Google doc. Now that I've caught up on sleep a bit and have had a chance to read it back I decided it was, in fact, worth posting.

Anon: Hello!! Do you think he was ever in love with Bedelia like he was in love with Will? I ask this because Bedelia says they were both the "brides of Hannibal". But Hannibal never courted her like he did with Will in s2b despite knowing her longer, Bedelia came into Hannibal's life much before Will but he never pursued her like he did with Will.  Mads said he wanted a future with Will unlike with other people he hooked up with Alana, Bedelia or Anthony. He took her to Italy as a consolation prize when Will betrayed him. Even in Italy H was pining about Will all the time and telling Bedelia how much he loves Will.  I know he slept with Bedelia but he probably slept with Anthony too and he slept with Alana, Hannibal is a hedonistic guy who sleeps around. For him  sleeping with someone doesn't mean he is in love with them. But when Will confronts Bedelia, she pretends as if Hannibal held them in the same regard which is obviously not true. Hannibal would choose Will over her in a heart beat and even she knows it (she even says my relationship with Hannibal is not as passionate as yours)  but yet she acts as if Hannibal sees them both equally. I don't understand why? 😭 Why do you think?why make herself seem like a competition when she is clearly not? And then get scared shitless when Will actually took her as a competition and released Hannibal which led to the leg eating scene?

You’re asking me to address a billion different things, but the short answer is: yes, I think Hannibal was in love with Bedelia.

For the long answer, I’m going to address your points one by one:

But Hannibal never courted her like he did with Will in s2b despite knowing her longer

Really? I think there’s a pretty strong parallel between Hannibal’s actions towards Bedelia and his actions towards Will.  The initial connection is professional, Hannibal arranges a situation for each of them where they kill someone and continually pushes at their “professional” boundaries.  After Hannibal betrays Margot to Mason leading to her forcible sterilization and the termination of the pregnancy, Will says to Hannibal “You don’t want me to have anything in my life that isn’t you” (Tome-Wan script, page 16). This parallels to Bedelia’s situation with Hannibal: Hannibal’s actions lead to her retirement, but his refusal to accept her retirement leaves him as her sole patient (which has some interesting implications that what Will always wanted was a family and what Bedelia always wanted was her career, but I digress).

He offers them both the same thing: the chance to know him, just in different ways.  Bedelia is much stricter about boundaries and professionalism, and so Hannibal gets close to her through his professional connection to her and offers her glimpses through their therapy sessions.  Will has more issues with maintaining such boundaries (from telling Hannibal that they shouldn’t get too friendly to more or less adopting a child together over the span of a couple episodes), and so Hannibal is able to woo him in what could be regarded as a more ‘traditional’ fashion (their dinners, conversations, professing to care about him, their…ahem…shared hobbies in season 2B).  

Overall, to me that suggests less that he wasn’t trying to court Bedelia in any way and more that he had different approaches because they’re two different people with different relationships to him.  And even though Bedelia is stated to have refused invitations to dine with Hannibal, he still finds a workaround by bringing her dinner in Savoureux.

Mads said he wanted a future with Will unlike with other people he hooked up with

I admit I don’t remember the precise quote from Mads Mikkelsen, but did he say he *wanted* a future with Will unlike the others or that he *saw* a future with Will unlike the others? Because if it’s the second then it’s very possible to interpret it that he wanted a future with any/all of them but that Will is the only one he thought would accept the future he offered them.

Even in Italy H was pining about Will all the time and telling Bedelia how much he loves Will.

I’d say this is not entirely true. Will is not a topic of conversation in all of Antipasto, and in later episodes it’s Bedelia who tends to turn the conversation back to Will. She’s the one who draws the comparison between Hannibal’s feelings for Will and Mischa, and in Contorno Hannibal is talking about snails and fireflies and Bedelia is the one who mentions Will (page 4).

I know he slept with Bedelia but he probably slept with Anthony too and he slept with Alana, Hannibal is a hedonistic guy who sleeps around. For him  sleeping with someone doesn't mean he is in love with them.

I’m inclined to agree that Hannibal isn’t necessarily in love with everyone he sleeps with and has probably slept around a reasonable amount. But beyond just hedonism, I don’t think Hannibal regards sex as the ultimate intimacy. The ultimate intimacy, the intimacy that he is continually seeking, is being known and understood completely, and here we get into where his relationships with all these different people diverge.  

Anthony was never particularly meant to understand him. In fact, he could be seen as presumptuous in assuming he understands Hannibal and his situation better than he actually does.

With Alana, it’s stated explicitly in Digestivo (script page 23): “Could I have ever understood you?” “No.” You can quibble over whether Hannibal was being honest, but I think Hannibal overall is actually quite honest unless he has a reason not to be. In that moment, she knew what he was and she also needed him to save Will and help deal with Mason, so I don’t think he had a reason to lie in that situation. If anything, it could be read as him being kind and giving her closure by telling her she never stood a chance. There’s a sense of finality to it.

With Bedelia, I think it’s important to go back to their very first scene together in Sorbet (page 18).  By the time the show starts, she has an awareness that he is not entirely as he presents himself, that he wears a human veil.  Even though she says that they are not friends, she also says “I see enough of you to see the truth of you. And I like you.” And, most significantly, in the script it is followed by the direction “Hannibal smiles, liking her, too.” That is, in fact, the only direction given in the script in that entire exchange. It was important enough to note in both the dialogue and the direction that these two people like each other.

When she tells him she is no longer his therapist in Sakizuke, he is hurt by this (the exact directions in the script read “Hannibal pauses, an imperceptible wound”, page 6). He is hurt by her rejection, just as he is hurt by Will’s rejection later in the season. When they reunite post-Mizumono bloodbath, he is still clearly hurt (“You’re not in a position to ask, Dr. Du Maurier. You ended our patient-psychiatrist relationship.” It’s downright petulant). But he does say something else very significant: “I never found you to be lacking” (Antipasto script, page 17). He fully believes that she has the ability to understand him and engage with him in the way he wants her to.  

she pretends as if Hannibal held them in the same regard which is obviously not true

Will is the one who dubs her “Bride of Frankenstein”, and she replies “we’ve both been his bride”.  This isn’t her elevating herself, she’s calling Will out on his hypocrisy.  I’d also like to point out that “not the same” does not inherently mean “less than”.  

she even says my relationship with Hannibal is not as passionate as yours

That is in response to Will asking her if she ever considered killing Hannibal. She’s pointing out to him that the way he and Hannibal express their passion for each other is attempted murder and is telling him that is not how her relationship with Hannibal works.  

why make herself seem like a competition when she is clearly not?

Again, I don’t think she does? She repeatedly turns their conversations back to Will’s relationship with Hannibal and how he feels about him and whether his experiences with Hannibal and his feelings for him are informing his current actions.  Directly from their conversation in “And the Woman Clothed in Sun” (page 23):

WILL GRAHAM How is one patient worthy of compassion and not another? BEDELIA DU MAURIER I'm under no illusions how morally consistent my compassion has been. (then) How is one murderer worthy of compassion and not another?

And then get scared shitless when Will actually took her as a competition and released Hannibal

Once again, I’d like to refer to the directions in the script (The Wrath of the Lamb, page 14-15).  “She sits motionless, staring into the middle distance, absorbing what she’s just been told.” After he tells her he doesn’t intend Hannibal to be caught a second time, it describes “a flicker of alarm”.  And finally after he outright threatens her, “Bedelia is enraged in a way we’ve never seen.” Shock, a flicker of alarm, and then rage. “Scared shitless” is your interpretation, there are other interpretations of what is actually shown and written.  

which led to the leg eating scene?

Even though Bryan Fuller stated that his intention with the stinger was that Hannibal and Will had gone after Bedelia, he also mentioned a couple other interpretations of that scene (that Bedelia did it to herself, or that it was someone else, potentially Hannibal’s uncle Robert). When commenting on scenarios he’d imagined for a season 4 he also mentioned a scene of Bedelia walking down the street and then arriving home and removing her prosthetic leg, indicating that he intended for her to not only survive but remain at large, which has some interesting implications. But aside from that, I don’t think loving someone and eating them are mutually exclusive actions to Hannibal. After all, he did take a bone saw to Will’s head with the intention of eating his brain. 

So to get back to your first question: Do you think he was ever in love with Bedelia like he was in love with Will?

I realize that this is a slightly unpopular opinion, but yes. Furthermore I believe that Hannibal was capable of loving Alana.  The sticking point with all of these relationships is whether they were capable of loving him for what he is.  

I believe Mads Mikkelsen made a comment that when Hannibal seems to like people - Jack Crawford, Alana Bloom, Bella Crawford, etc. - he is not simply pretending to manipulate them, he does genuinely like them. To me, there is a real simplicity about Hannibal as a character, in that he does what he wants. “I was curious what would happen” is a major motivating factor for him - he wants to see what will happen if he does something, so he does it.  In that way he’s very honest. Furthermore, I’d say that he is, at heart, a romantic. He romanticizes everything, including things that most of us don’t (pain, death, cannibalism). It isn’t a stretch to think that he is romantic enough to love anyone he considers worthy of his time and attention.

Of the three we see involved with him through the show (Alana, Bedelia, and Will), there are a lot of similarities.  All three of them are intelligent, attractive, and all three of them have the potential capacity to seek to understand him in the way he wants most.  

In spite of what I wrote about his relationship with Alana above, I think there was some real potential.  They have a decent amount of history together. Alana is a psychiatrist, and she has a real curiosity, enough that she has to resist the urge to be too near Will Graham because she would not be able to separate professional and personal interest.  That sort of curiosity could potentially lead someone to want to understand Hannibal, but in the end that curiosity doesn’t extend to actually being able to truly understand or (more importantly) accept him (see above).  

Will’s empathy means that understanding isn’t the issue, which is what first appeals to Hannibal and what he talks about with Bedelia in Fromage (page 33):

HANNIBAL He’s nothing like me. We see the world in different ways, yet he can assume my point of view. BEDELIA How has he demonstrated that? HANNIBAL He’s demonstrated the capacity. BEDELIA By profiling the criminally insane? HANNIBAL As good a demonstration as any. I find it reassuring. BEDELIA It’s nice to have someone see us, Hannibal. Or have the ability to see us. It requires trust. Trust isn’t easy for you.

He sees the understanding that Will is capable of and it’s something he’s always wanted, but even though Will comes to see Hannibal by the end of the first season, he does not accept Hannibal or his own ability to be like Hannibal. That’s the central conflict for Will for the remainder of the series.  Even though he admits that them killing Dolarhyde together is “beautiful”, he still pulls both of them off the cliff, and the intention behind that is debatable.  Is he rejecting his Becoming by trying to destroy himself and Hannibal? Is he trying to fake their deaths so they can escape together? Was it something he planned all along? Was it impulsive when he realized how far gone he was?  Since the show doesn’t continue there are multiple ways to read it.  That’s where fanfictions and headcanons come in.  I’m not dealing with that scene in my fics so I’m not required to have strong feelings in any particular direction at this time. 

When it comes to Bedelia, it’s obvious from the first scene that she and Hannibal have known each other for a long time.  As pointed out above, their first scene is very clear about the relationship they have: Bedelia may hold to certain professional boundaries (and those are a little fuzzy what with the after session glass of wine and all) but ultimately they are two people who like each other. 

Her first scene also establishes that she is, at that point, far more aware of Hannibal than anyone else is (her comments about a “human veil”). She knows enough to know he is not being honest, and yet she still continues to be his psychiatrist. 

There’s also a significant scene in Fromage (page 32). Most of the scene remained in the finished episode, but some lines that are in the script didn’t make the cut: 

HANNIBAL For the first time in a long while I see a possibility of friendship. We are -- 25 INT. BEDELIA’S HOME OFFICE - DAY 4 25 Hannibal sits opposite Bedelia. BEDELIA Is there someone new in your life? HANNIBAL I met a man much like myself, same hobbies, same world views. But I’m not interested in being his friend. I’m curious about him and that got me curious about friendship. BEDELIA That’s progress. I always considered you an individualist. The social anti-social. HANNIBAL A polite way of saying sociopath? BEDELIA I’m not sure how to categorize you in those terms. And I think you prefer it that way. HANNIBAL I’m afraid once you figure me out, you’ll lose interest. BEDELIA Whose friendship are you considering? HANNIBAL Oddly enough, a colleague and a patient. Not unlike how I am a colleague and patient of yours. We’ve discussed him before. BEDELIA Will Graham.

Now, the cut lines are extremely interesting (“I’m afraid once you figure me out, you’ll lose interest” pretty clearly indicates that he wants Bedelia’s attention and interest), but even with those lines cut, it’s an interesting scene. Hannibal draws a comparison between his relationship with Will and his relationship with Bedelia. That could be interpreted as pushing at her previously stated boundary of “you are my patient and my colleague, not my friend”, maybe saying “see it’s totally possible to be friends as well as having a therapist/patient relationship. Or it could be interpreted as him taunting her slightly (“since you insist that you aren’t my friend I’m looking elsewhere”). 

A little later in the conversation, this exchange is in the script (page 33):

HANNIBAL (CONT’D) You’ve helped me to better understand what I want in a friendship. And what I don’t. BEDELIA Someone worthy of your friendship. The word “worthy” rings true for Hannibal. She can see it.

Hannibal is seeking someone worthy of his friendship, and since he has extended overtures to Bedelia and continues to extend them (the dinner in Savoureux) we can extrapolate that he has deemed her worthy and continues to consider her worthy (“I never found you to be lacking”). 

Furthermore, there are a few choice quotes on love from Hannibal in season 2. First is from Naka-choko (page 13): “You failed to murder your brother because you still love him.” There are a select number of people that Hannibal fails to murder throughout the series: Will, Jack, Alana (although that can be put down equally to Abigail) and Bedelia.  What’s more, he could be considered to have failed to kill Bedelia twice: in Sakizuke when he shows up at her house in his murder suit and again in Dolce when she says goodbye to him in a way he hadn’t planned.  

This second quote is technically less firm since it occurs during a dream/vision sort of sequence, but the writers still saw fit to put it in Hannibal’s mouth, so I think it counts: In the opening of Shiizakana (page 2), he says: “No one can be fully aware of another human being unless we love them. By that love we see potential in our beloved. Through that love we allow our beloved to see their potential. Expressing that love, our beloved's potential comes true.”

Everything that is said there applies to Bedelia as much as to Will.  Hannibal saw her potential for violence and placed Neal Frank in her path as a conduit to realizing that potential. He continues to push at her in that regard in Italy (“technically, you killed him”). 

Furthermore, in Mizumono, during his “breakup” with Will (page 33), this is what he has to say: “I let you in. I let you know me. I let you see me.” Who else does he let in? Who else does he let know him and see him? Bedelia.

So yeah, I think it’s totally reasonable to assume that Hannibal loved Bedelia.  

[cetaitlaverite]

Why All This Music?

Masters of the Air - Rosie Rosenthal x OC

masterlist is linked here in case you missed it and you're interested, the bonus chapter of the first night freddie and rosie spent together in his plane is linked here <3

26. Bärchen

With a hand shielding her eyes, as though she could somehow protect herself from the words Freddie was about to throw at her, Jem let out an almighty huff. “Fred, don’t tell me what I think you’re going to tell me.”

Freddie had her hands clasped behind her back, swinging her hips left and right coquettishly with a pleased little smile on her lips. “Depends on what you think I’m going to tell you.”

“Good or bad news?” Millie asked suspiciously, sitting in the grass around the back of the wireless operators’ nissen hut. Her head was tipped back to rest against the wall behind her, her eyes fixed on Freddie warily. The morning sunshine made the strawberry blonde of her hair appear strikingly red.

Freddie smiled innocently. “Good news!” she chirped. “Very good, I think. And if you love me you’ll be happy.”

“You and Rosie are back together,” Jem said blankly, as though tired of the preamble.

Now it was Freddie’s turn to huff. “Jem, that was my news and I was supposed to announce it!”

Millie snorted. “Fred, you are so predictable it’s unreal. The fact you thought we didn’t anticipate you and Rosie returning from your little holiday thick as thieves is laughable.”

Freddie wasn’t sure whether she was supposed to feel offended. “Well, I didn’t know.”

Jem scoffed.

“Okay, well, maybe I thought it might be nice if all of my anger finally faded away if we went home again,” Freddie amended. “But I didn’t anticipate telling him I love him.”

“What?” Jem’s eyes shot open, the hand shielding them falling instantly to her side.

Freddie smiled smugly. “Ha! Didn’t anticipate that one, did you?”

“You told Rosie you love him?” Millie asked, sitting up straight in the grass. Even Meatball, lying beside her, tilted his head, sensing a change in the tone of conversation.

Freddie’s smile turned sheepish. “It kind of slipped out. Daniel’s mother caught us dancing outside together when we came back from the jazz club.” Freddie launched into a hasty retelling of the argument which had ensued and how her confession of love to Rosie had fit into it. By the time she was finished, Millie and Jem looked decidedly less wary of the entire situation.

“So everything’s back the way it was before?” Jem asked after a beat in which the story settled on the air between them. “You’re just pretending the break up never happened?”

“I apologised for what I said, if that’s what you mean,” Freddie answered her steadily. “Because I was spiteful and unkind. But I don’t see any real reason to drag out the argument any further. I love him and he loves me and that is so special, after everything which happened with Daniel. It’s important. When you first met me did you ever think I’d get to this place ever again? Even this time last year the idea would have been preposterous. I would have laughed in your face if you’d told me I’d fall in love again.”

With a soft sigh, Millie pushed herself to her feet. She approached Freddie and took hold of both of her hands, considering her for a moment, before grinning and using her hold on Freddie’s hands to pull her into a hug. “I’m proud of you, Fred,” she said into her shoulder. “I know it’s not always easy for you but you’re always trying so hard and I’m proud of you.”

Freddie smiled into Millie’s shoulder. “I don’t have to try so hard anymore, really. Not with Rosie. Sometimes I have to be brave but he makes everything feel so safe and so easy. I find it impossible to be angry with him for long.”

When Millie pulled away from their hug Jem was right there and waiting for one of her own. “If he goes down I’ll still fucking kill him,” she warned, wrapping her arms tight around Freddie.

Freddie laughed.

“But I’m proud of you too, Fred,” Jem went on. “You know I only ever want you to be happy, don’t you?” Momentarily, Jem pulled away from the hug and rested both of her hands on Freddie’s shoulders. Her gaze was serious. “When I’m suspicious of Rosie or I complain about him it’s only because I care about you and I don’t want you to get hurt, you know that, don’t you? I think he’s really good for you, and I don’t want you to think I’m being unsupportive.”

Freddie smiled and hugged her tight. “I know, Jemmy,” she whispered. “You’re looking out for me. I wouldn’t ever want you to be any other way.”

But while Freddie and Rosie were formally back together, back on base they saw each other almost as little as they had before spending the weekend in Oxford. Work had picked up prominently; Rosie was flying again and he was flying often, and Freddie knew without having to be told that her workload was increasing day after day in preparation for a big invasion of Europe.

She looked over countless flight plans for Croz, circling the locations where Luftwaffe resistance was likely to be the most oppressive in red ink, and combed back through every transcript she could get her hands on of previous manipulation attempts as part of Operation Corona. As time wore on she started to receive some specifics. The invasion was going through France, so she should prepare specifically to target France-based Luftwaffe efforts. Incidentally, it did matter to her planning where they should expect the planes to be coming from.

Later and later into the night she remained in her office. No one batted an eye because she wasn’t the only one. Croz was likely single-handedly causing a coffee shortage in the south east of England - Freddie wasn’t sure he had slept since March - and the bags under Jack’s eyes were so dark against his pale skin they almost looked like bruises.

Freddie’s office was a mess. There were piles of paper everywhere, some screwed up in balls where she’d become frustrated with her own plans and tried to toss them into the bin and missed. Her shoes were strewn halfway across the floor along with a couple of Meatball’s toys from Christmas. Her jacket was on the leather sofa - Meatball was currently using it as a pillow - and her tie was hanging off the back of her chair. The chaos was organised, at least to Freddie, but it was still chaos, and chaos it would remain until the invasion had come and gone.

Today, Freddie had skipped lunch. If she wanted to get to bed at a reasonable hour for once she simply couldn’t afford the luxury of leaving her office. She worked relentlessly, until her eyes burned and her throat ached for water, until the typewritten words on the pages in front of her started to blur together. She rubbed at them harshly until she could see straight again.

She wasn’t sure when Rosie had arrived. She hadn’t heard him come in. He called her name in a tone which suggested he’d been calling it for a while and when she looked up he was frowning, his arms crossed as he leaned against the wall opposite her. “You weren’t at dinner.”

Freddie nodded. “No time,” she said, turning back to her work.

“You weren’t at lunch, either.”

Freddie shrugged. She didn’t look up.

“Fred, the invasion ain’t tomorrow,” Rosie said.

“It might as well be,” Freddie replied, her focus largely on the pages in front of her. “I need to make sure we’re prepared. If working overtime for a little while helps to save lives then what does it matter in the grand scheme?”

Rosie sighed. “You won’t do your best work if you’re exhausted.”

Freddie shook her head, her eyes quickly scanning the words on the paper before her. “It’s muscle memory by now. My German’s native, I don’t have to think about it, and I know these missions. I just need to be sure -”

“You need to rest, Fred,” Rosie cut her off.

Freddie shook her head again. “I just need to get these done.”

She almost forgot he was standing there, watching her closely, as she fell back into the routine of her work. She marked out places where communication could be stronger, highlighted instances where orders had been evaded, distrusted, or confusing. All of this needed to be tightened. There needed to be no doubt on the day of the invasion that the fake orders they were giving the German fighter pilots were real.

The words she was reading became loud in her head. Her temples started to throb, thudding with the rhythm of them. Her eyes were blurring again. She squeezed them tightly shut a few times until her vision straightened, then went straight back to her work.

“Fred,” Rosie said with a sigh as she reached for a new set of papers, “the world won’t end if you take one night off to go on a date with your boyfriend.”

Freddie glanced up. This was the first she was hearing of a date. She rested both of her elbows on the desk and put her chin in her hands. “My job is important. I want to make sure we win -”

“Brilliant as you are, Fred - and you are brilliant - you aren’t gonna win us the war single-handedly, sweetheart. Especially not like this.” Rosie’s voice was soft and so were his eyes when she met them. He was always so gentle and patient. 

For seemingly no reason at all, Freddie’s bottom lip started to wobble.

Rosie was crouching beside her desk chair in an instant, turning it to face him.

“I’m just tired,” Freddie batted away his concern as she sniffled and pushed back her tears. “And I want to go on a date with you but I’ll feel so guilty if I don’t get my work done.”

“Just a short date,” Rosie reasoned, resting both of his elbows on her knees. His eyes were kind. “It’s warm today. I brought you some dinner and I thought we could have a picnic for dessert.”

Freddie smiled, reaching out and pushing back some of his hair. “Did you get chocolate?” she asked quietly.

He smiled wide, chuckling a bit under his breath. “I got so much chocolate,” he assured her. “The kitchen’ll probably put up warning posters once they see how much is missing.”

Freddie laughed. “My most favourite little thief,” she said fondly, still running her fingers through his hair, attempting to loosen the gel and free his curls. “Aren’t lawyers supposed to be loyal to the law at all costs?”

Rosie scoffed, grinning. “No. Lawyers just know how not to get caught.”

Laughing, Freddie leaned down to kiss his forehead. She let her lips linger there for a moment before sighing and withdrawing. “I can’t be gone for more than an hour,” she told him, keeping her eyes on him and the way his eyes lit up even as she began to organise the papers strewn across her desk into files.

“I’ll have you home before curfew, Fred, don’t you worry about that.”

Freddie laughed, rolling her eyes indulgently. “You’re so cheesy sometimes, Rosie.”

“I’m just in love,” Rosie dismissed her. “And who can blame me?”

Rosie had his military issue duffle bag waiting outside her office door - evidence Freddie hadn’t needed that he hadn’t been prepared to take no for an answer - and he picked it up to take with them as he led Freddie and Meatball to the airfield. 

It was deserted aside from some of the mechanics working on the planes. The ground crews paid Freddie and Rosie no mind - aside from Ken Lemmons, who called out his greetings. When Meatball ran over to greet his former babysitter, Ken promptly smothered him in attention, grinning as Meatball ran around his ankles and barked.

Rosie laid out an old blanket for him and Freddie to sit on and then set out his wares. Along with everything he’d taken from dinner for Freddie, he’d also managed to scavenge multiple chocolate bars and some strawberries. Freddie smiled as she watched him try to lay it out nicely for her.

Meatball, worn out from demanding Ken’s attention, made his way back over to them and laid down on the blanket behind them, content to laze in the warmth of the sunset. The sun was still setting so late. Freddie wondered if the government would decide to treble the daylight savings this year and have it still look as bright as midday at midnight.

Freddie started to eat the dinner Rosie had brought her quietly while Rosie entertained Meatball, playing fetch with one of the toys Meatball had brought along with them. Smiling, Freddie watched them and tried to imagine having this even after the war. Her, Rosie, and a dog, sitting outside to watch the sunset and having a picnic. It sounded like a dream.

“Is this our first date?” Freddie asked suddenly. She had just finished dinner and was watching idly as Rosie started to unwrap one of the chocolate bars.

He glanced up at her with a confused grin. “No. Of course not. It can’t be.”

“I think it is.” She shared his smile, cocking an eyebrow in challenge.

“What about all those times in my plane?” Rosie countered.

Freddie scoffed. “Those were not dates. They were…” She searched for an appropriate word. “Trysts,” she decided. “Rendezvous. I don’t know. But I’m disappointed to have to inform you, Major Rosenthal, that taking a girl to your plane to fool around does not constitute a date.”

Rosie laughed, rolling his eyes amusedly. “Alright, first of all, we don’t ‘fool around’. And second of all, if I remember correctly you were the one taking me to my plane the first time we made love.”

Freddie grinned. “Oh, yes, because you took so much convincing. Need I remind you I can’t actually get in without your help?”

“What about in Oxford, then?” Rosie challenged, returning to unwrapping the chocolate bar but grinning to himself as he did it. “When we got ice cream? When you showed me around? When we went to the jazz club?”

Freddie hummed thoughtfully. “Though you make a strong case, you remain incorrect. We got ice cream because I wanted ice cream and you agreed to go with me. I showed you around because that is what people tend to do when they take someone home with them. And the jazz club.” She had to consider her argument for a moment. “Well, the jazz club would be your most compelling argument, but considering it was my idea and I suggested it to you when we were still just friends, I don’t think it can be considered a date.”

Rosie tipped his head back and groaned playfully. “There was a rose on our table!”

Freddie raised both of her eyebrows as he met her eyes once more. “Did you put it there?”

“No.”

“Did you ask them to put it there?”

“No.”

“Then I fail to see the relevance.”

Rosie laughed, tossing the chocolate bar to the blanket so he could wrap both of his arms around Freddie and lift her to sit between his legs. “So hard to please,” he teased into her hair as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She giggled as he kissed her cheek and then her neck. “If all those weren’t dates then this ain’t a date either. If we’ve still got a first date to have then I wanna plan it properly.”

Freddie grinned, turning her face towards him and instantly receiving a kiss to her lips. She laughed. “After careful consideration I’ve decided to allow you to take me on a formal first date, Major. This will be a prologue, of sorts. A prelude.”

“A preview,” Rosie suggested, grinning.

“Right,” Freddie agreed. “A preview. Exactly.”

“When can I take you out on a real date?” His eyes were all lit up like he was looking at the stars.

Freddie smiled back at him, lifting a hand to caress his cheek fondly. “I believe that’s up to you, the Right Honourable Date Planner.”

“Alright,” Rosie conceded. “When would be a bad time to take you out?”

Freddie considered this. “Late at night or early in the morning,” she decided. “A good window of opportunity would be when we’d usually be in the officers’ club.”

“Gotcha,” Rosie confirmed. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Freddie smiled, leaning in to nuzzle their noses together. “I look forward to seeing what you come up with.”

Freddie remained sitting between Rosie’s legs as they made a start on the dessert he’d acquired for them. She hummed happily as she alternated between the chocolate and the strawberries, smiling every time Rosie leaned down to press a kiss against the side of her face.

She could feel how in love he was feeling, sitting there on an old blanket in the middle of the airfield, eating stolen sweets as the sun set. He couldn’t seem to get his hands off of her, nor his lips. And Freddie resented that she’d been the reason they’d been kept apart for a little while. This new workload had come with a lot of consequences but the worst of them was making her take for granted the man who had her heart.

“Rosie, I love you,” Freddie declared as she finished her chocolate bar and turned to face him. She sat up on her knees between his legs and curled her arms around his neck. “I love you so bad.”

His smile was wide as he gazed back at her through the vibrant orange of the setting sun. “I love you too, Fred. So, so bad.”

She sat quietly and just looked at him for a little while, taking in his face and its happy glow, his curls and the almost red tint to their ends under the light of the sunset, the fond curve of his lips as he smiled, not for any particular reason other than contentedness.

“I love you so much,” Freddie whispered, brushing a kiss against his smiling lips. After Daniel was killed she thought she’d never love a man again, that she’d live a long, lonely life and die old, still dreaming of the love she’d lost at twenty-one. But here was Rosie and she loved him more than life itself, more than she’d imagined herself capable of feeling love anymore. He’d met all of her rebuttals with patience and acceptance and gifted her the love she had now by being willing to wait for it. “My angel,” she breathed, rubbing her thumb over his cheek as she cupped it. “My love.”

Rosie was smiling. His cheek was warm beneath her thumb. “How do you say ‘I love you’ in German?”

Freddie smiled and moved her thumb out of the way momentarily just so she could press a kiss to his blushing cheek. “Ich liebe dich,” she said. “But you can only use it with someone you’re in love with. You have to be absolutely sure.”

“Ich liebe dich,” Rosie said, trying hard to work out the unfamiliar syllables.

Freddie smiled, endeared by his attempt. “Ich lieb’ dich auch, Bärchen.”

“What does that mean?”

“Bärchen?” Rosie nodded, so she translated, “Little bear. It’s a term of endearment. You would only use it for a boyfriend or a husband and since Daniel hated German I’ve never really gotten to use it. But you -” she was smiling wide as she kissed the tip of his nose, “- are the most ‘Bärchen’ Bärchen I have ever met.”

“I’m a little bear?” Rosie scrunched his nose up, both in response to her kiss and to her claim.

Freddie laughed. “Not because you’re little! Because you’re precious. ‘Little’ is used in German terms of endearment more to emphasise the fondness you feel for something than for size. So a Junge is a young boy, but a Jungchen is a young boy you feel affection for, generally a son. He doesn’t have to be little. It’s the same with Bärchen. So you’re my Bärchen. Und ich lieb’ dich so sehr, ich könnte sterben.”

Rosie was smiling even though he couldn’t understand her. “Can you teach me some? I wanna be able to understand you when you speak German.”

Freddie grinned, sitting up straighter on her knees. “You want to learn German?”

Rosie tilted his head to the side as he gazed at her, his eyes flicking between the bright smile on her lips and the warmth in her eyes. “It’s a part of you. Maybe the only part of you I don’t understand yet.”

Freddie fell forward into his arms, curling her own around his neck as she kissed him repeatedly. “I love you,” she mumbled against his lips between kisses, again and again and again. “Ich lieb’ dich. I love you. I love you so bad it hurts.”

“I don’t want it to hurt,” Rosie said, pressing another kiss to her lips.

“It feels happy too,” Freddie reassured him. “Safe and warm and exciting. It just hurts when I don’t know how to express it clearly enough.”

Rosie smiled. “I think you do a pretty good job.”

Freddie shook her head. “You’ll never know how much I love you, whatever language I tell you in.”

“But I feel it.”

“Good.” Freddie smiled. She needed him to feel it. If there was one person in the whole world who deserved to know he was loved it was Rosie. She couldn’t stand the thought of him ever passing a day doubting it.

[howtodrawyourdragon]

Got reminded of the fact that it's canon that Nadders can be trained by appealing to their vanity, which means that Astrid had to train Stormfly by giving her compliments.

Which makes sense, because Astrid grows more and more supportive as the franchise goes on. She doesn't give just about anyone a compliment either, (she gives them the most in RttE) but when she does, they're big compliments, too.