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#last one before I go full into commission mode
avatarchai · 9 months
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Obsessed with how she resembles a flower and rotting meat 🥩🥀
Took some liberties with the design because it's too !!! insane !!! I'm only 1 guy… and obviously, I had to add blood
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rain064 · 7 months
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Introduction:
Hi, I’m Rain, (you can use any pronouns for me)
I’ve never really used tumblr before so idk if people introduce themselves on here or not- but I’m going to do so anyway. I created this just to post whatever, my interest, art, etc. mainly cause insta feels so dead? (Except my one friend, they’re my #1 fan fr <3) Feel free to talk or comment about anything I post just nothing rude obviously. Anyway here’s some of my art and interest…
(Cw: a bit of blood in my one art, I’ll try and do Cw for anything that may be slightly triggering just to accommodate for ppl, if there’s anything I don’t put a Cw but think I should, let me know)
1st photo is a human version of Gwen from Spiritfarer, 2nd Rin from The Poppy War series by R.F Kuang, 3rd me (I’m a trans demon), 4th is Satoru Gojo (kind of abstract art? Idk I never went to art school)
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So now here’s a list of my interest…
Main: Various characters from various things I like to obsess over, think about, and analyse. Plants. Music (I’m more of a lyrics person, so I like to analyse that too) Tea. Moths.
Music: [Fav.] The Crane Wives, Mitski, Hozier, System of a Down, the Attack On Titan soundtrack [Likes] My Chemical Romance, Ghost, Rage Against The Machine, Slipknot, O. Children, Pinkshift, Depeche Mode, Linkin Park, Death, Anti-Flag, The Sisters of Mercy, Stiffed, Bad Religion, Pink Panthress, The Oh Hellos, Los Retros, Glass Animals (mostly HTBAHB album), Pierce The Veil, Florance + The Machine, The Fugees
Shows: [Anime]- Attack On Titan (Excluding the fourth season), Dungeon Meshi, Jujutsu Kaisen, Banana Fish, Nana, Full Metal Alchemist, Michiko & Hatchin [Other]- The Bear, Arcane <3, Bee and Puppycat, The Owl House
Movies: Everything Everywhere All At Once <3, Parasite, Wendell and Wild, Nimona, Spider-Man (Spider verse movies), How To Train Your Dragon (1+2), Birds of Prey, Ponyo, The Sea Beast, Kung Fu Panda (Only 1 and 2), Puss In Boots (1+2), The Guardians of Ga’Hoole, The Adams Family (1991)
Video-games: Red Dead Redemption 2, Spiritfarer, Bayonetta, The Last of Us, God of War, Legend of Zelda,
Books: The Poppy War (Trilogy) by R.F Kuang, The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri, The Wings of Fire by Tui. T Sutherland (My childhood books),
Characters: Levi Ackerman (I love him sm), Hange Zoë, Erwin Smith, Satoru Gojo, Yuji Itadori, Maki Zenin, Ash Lynx, Echo (Arcane) Fang Runin, Sydney Adamu, The whole main cast of Dungeon Meshi, but specifically Chilchuck.
———
Anyway feel free to chat with me if you’d like, I’ll be posting mainly my art but a bunch of random interest as well.
(Ignore any spelling errors, and in terms of commissions, I’ll figure that out soon but for now I’m not doing them, will post when that changes. If you want to use my art go ahead, just give credit please)
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phvrvohxo · 3 months
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i'm so good at photography
it was 2010 when all i had was a dream to own my very first dslr, i made some money from graphic design commissions and bought one, it was a nikon d3100... weeks before i got it i was watching youtube videos on iso, shutter speed & aperture so that i'd be able to shoot manual mode when i got it... you would have thought i was shooting for years the way i was getting all my exposures and compositions right... i got a job at beaches (sandals) as a resort photographer where i did photoshoots in the evenings and roved the beaches and waterparks by day taking pictures of kids... all those images i took, hundreds of thousands that helped to hone my skills, there aren't many shooters like me with the experience that i have... when 2012 came around i left sandals and started working on cruise ships, during the training in miami i said that i wanted to document my travels on film so i made an eBay account and bought a yashica, that's how i started shooting on 35mm... during my contract i didn't really like the yashica because i thought i wasn't getting any good shot or if they were in focus because it was a rangefinder so i bought my first slr, a canon ae1 program... this is when i started to shoot like it was my last day on earth, loved that camera so much.. i had it with me in europe, Australia, south america, alaska and hawaii.. all that time i was still shooting digital on the side so i got a nikon 610 which was my first full frame digital camera and a 85mm to go with it, that was such a nice combo... i left cruise ships in 2015, there was no way to develop my film rolls in jamaica so i decided to start developing from home.. after about 2 years i decided i would just shoot exclusively on film and that has helped me to develop my skills so much... i learned stuff like sunny 16 & the zone system, now i hardly use light meters in the day or even in the night.. i've come such a far way and i am so grateful for that you don't even know, all i do is shoot everyday even if it's one photo or a selfie, i just hope that all this time spent on my craft isn't wasted and i will start selling prints for thousands of dollars and get to go on assignments around the world...
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kyogre-blue · 4 months
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Arlecchino's banner is ending in a couple hours, and the second half is a skip for me, so here's the 4.6 rundown:
C6 Gorou from event (FINALLY)
C5 Amber and C6 Lisa from shop
C6 Xiangling (whatever) -> but it does mean C6 Amber in October will be the last constellation I can get from starglitter shop
Qiqi at 57 pulls (50/50 loss)
another 50 pulls on guarantee, with no result
Arlecchino's spear and Lyney's bow from weapon banner
C0 Chevreuse from weapon banner
The C0 Chevreuse is huge and worth the weapon banner, really. She's the only 4 star I wanted in Fontaine. My actual goal was Lyney's bow which I use on Childe. I think it actually looks pretty nice on him because of the colors, somewhat better than Polar Star, and since I mostly use him for overworld, the 10% movement speed with no conditions is nice.
I didn't get Arlecchino, in the end, but I'm basically guaranteed whoever I decide to get next. Really hoping that either Childe comes back soon or there's an early Natlan 5 star that I want. Otherwise, having the high pity might become a problem at some point.
To get that nice even roll number, I ended up doing acts 1 through 4 of Fontaine, though I'm not going to bother with act 5 for now. It's bound to be really long. This already unlocked the Fontaine commissions and reputation anyway, so that will get me some of the achievements I'm missing (currently at 1208 achievements), the updraft gadget, and the furnishing blueprints for Navia's and Arlecchino's teapot sets. So that's nice, I guess.
4.7 is looking like a full skip on main, and for alt... I do want to get Alhaitham before he goes to chronicled, but my alt has no savings, so I don't see it happening unless I am just obscenely, improbably lucky.
Speaking of 4.7, there's going to be a new permanent endgame mode, which looks like it was designed specifically to piss me off, since it has forced trial characters. Cool :) I hate it :) It'll replace one of the two Abyss resets per month, so I guess I can just log in once a month now, haha...
The Natlan leaks aren't really looking much better, though they're just subjective opinions about the exploration, which isn't very reliable. But if what they're saying is true, I'm not really excited for it. I didn't like Remuria exploration at all.
Additionally, the game has started to lag and freeze more. I know the issue is probably partly because of Youtube. I usually play some video in the background when grinding and doing dailies, and Youtube has been fucking around a lot, which probably causes problems for Genshin as well, but it doesn't really matter when the issue does exist. Given the the system requirements are supposedly going up for Natlan, I can only expect it to get worse.
It's going to be funny if what gets me to finally quit Genshin is that it becomes too unplayable lmao
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brandwhorestarscream · 10 months
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Idk wdyt 👁️👁️
Fr doe, the Shockwave egg thing is something I've mentioned in sntoher post that I honestly can't find despite the key word in it being shark but all in all it involves ladybug Shockwave where his half Insecticon biology saves the Cybertronian race from extinction and gives him a permanent leave off combat duty while he lives in constant sensual pleasure and intellectual glee
I gotta find that post oh my god
Or maybe I also copied it into my notes
I will literally never skip any excuse to talk about the cybermorphs and develop them more! So I'm going with that >:3
I'm gonna say this happens before the actual bombing happens that kicks off the war's full-fledged fighting. Shockwave was, for a long time, the cybermorphs' main contact in the Senate. He was wholly supportive of their endeavors, and was actively campaigning to end the strict lockdown measures and give them the same freedoms that, at the very least, the other warframes had, but was also advocating for some rather radical changes. The abolition of slavery and the banning of such things like mnemosurgery and shadowplay
As we all know, it didn't go well. Shockwave shows up at the hive, broken and violated, his face and hands destroyed and all empathy ripped from his head. But instead of making him entirely apathetic toward the morphs, he's now even more determined to do the logical thing and ally himself with them. Their numbers are swelling so unbelievably quickly, it's foolish to make an enemy of them
Megatron is horrified when he sees what's been done to him. They don't have the resources to try to reverse it or get him any sort of treatment, so he's unfortunately stuck. The queen welcomes him in, the second normal-born mech to freely walk amongst the hive's numbers.
Now, this could go a few ways, but I think realistically, Megatron might assign Shockwave to Soundwave’s care. Just to make sure he's settling in ok, to make sure he won't get lost in the passageways and stumble into one of the egg chambers and get himself facehugged. Shockwave is a dear friend and invaluable ally, the last thing he wants is him being put out of commission by one of the morphlings.
Time progresses and Shockwave has far less political work to occupy his time, and turns to science. Cybermorph biology is wholly unfamiliar territory to everyone: Megatron and Soundwave were among the very first generation, and there were only 5 of them in total. They're an incredibly young species. No one knows the most effective forms of healthcare, nor the intracacies of their internals. Shockwave takes this opportunity to learn. Observing hive behaviors and getting to look at their internal struts and varied alt modes, but eventually he's catalogued everything. He's even permitted to observe the morphlings, to watch their dramatic, bloody emergences, even to dissect an egg that's unfertilized or unfortunately perished before hatching
Eventually though, he runs out of things to do. He turns to another branch of research all together: reproduction. It's no secret in the hive that Megatron and only Megatron bears their eggs. There's no doubt that the cybermorphs are sexually mature as well as active, and yet despite there being thousands of them, not a single morphling has ever been born to anyone but Megatron. Shockwave is the one that officially determines in an inarguable capacity that the cybermorph species is, as a whole, sterile. The average ones can't get each other pregnant, can't become pregnant. The only one that's ever been capable of it is Megatron. It's so odd.
He knows that crossbreeding is possible. Orion Pax has sired several clutches of eggs. He knows that Soundwave has also sired a great many of Megatron's morphs. But he's always the one to create and carry life. Excited at the prospect and undeniably curious, he offers his own body, but rather than sire, he asks to carry
Megatron is taken aback. He doesn't even know if such a thing is possible. Can cybermorphs even concieve with a cybertronian for a sparkling that will be born live, rather than hatched? Neither of them know, that's why Shockwave wants to try. It'll be an important chapter of his research regardless of whether or not it's possible.
Megatron agrees eventually, and they make a schedule out of it: every other night Shockwave comes to the throne room to let the cybermorph queen have his way with him. It's entirely foreign to Megatron--babymaking like this isn't instinctual in the slightest. The idea of someone else carrying is so weird to him. But it would be good to know, if he as a queen caste is virile as well as fertile
It takes a little while but their attempts are eventually fruitful, and Shockwave is successfully sparked up. Just one little spark orbiting his, a soft orange color contrasting his blue nicely. Once again, Soundwave is assigned to keep an optic on him, mostly to ensure his health during the process. Shockwave is approaching the whole thing incredibly clinically--he's not at all attached, nor is there any real love for his little research subject. This is Megatron's morphling and will swiftly be assimilated into the hivemind. It's not like he'll be expected to raise it or anything. That's just not how morphs do things. There are designated caregivers whose sole purpose in the hive is rearing the young. He can't feel attached to them, thanks to the Senate's work: all he cares about is if they're a healthy, viable subject for his research. He spends a lot of time making notes about symptoms--of which there are a lot. Weird monster pregnancy does weird things to your body, who knew?--as well as the speed of geststional progression. The sparkling reaches maturity and is ready to be birthed in only about ⅔ of the time it would take a normal one.
Gonna cut it here cuz this is getting long and I have stuff to do lol. But if you want more hmu
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1moreoffkeyanthem · 9 months
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Ok this hasn’t been asked abt BUT
I got OrangeJuiceVerse Stan on the brain (again)
Specifically in terms of his protectiveness.
In the last OJV ask I got I mentioned that he and Kyle have the most parental tendencies of the Star Seven, and boy oh boy do I have some thoughts on Stan’s knight in shining armor complex!
I won’t get into the Kyle part of that bc 1) I have talked wayyyy too much abt that on ao3 and here, and 2) that’s a whole separate long ass post and I would probably combust.
But!!! First focusing on the M5:
So growing up together they were all generally referred to as “Stan’s Gang”, which he was like wait why are they my gang but then he grew to love that bc they were his people. He loves them with all of his soul (ojverse Stan is a lover for sure) and he is EXTREMELY protective of everyone and kind of (smh this man) sees himself as the dad of the crew. Done with everyone’s bs, the “fun” parent. A lot of that comes from his resentment of Randy, his desire to keep everyone out of true danger and not be flaky despite his own problems. This is especially poignant with Kenny.
So Stan and Kyle VERY much see Kenny as “their egg” (yes I’m borrowing from the “Stan is a protective father” note of that episode) and they really look out for him growing up bc of his shitty home life. Really all of the M5 have a soft spot for Ken, but Stan and Kenny understand each other on a spiritual level. Though Stan doesn’t consciously know abt Kenny’s immortality and IS his Ride Or Die Disaster Bi in all things reckless, the second something goes wrong he’s there, swooping in and reminding him that “yeah you can be a crazy bastard, but don’t you dare die”. He’s less overbearing than Ky gets when Kenny gets hurt, but he’s there to be like “hey man you’re good, you gotta be careful tho”. He was the first to INSIST that he pay kenny in full for his art and commissions stuff regularly through their entire lives.
With Marj, it’s really, really complex. I mentioned before in my OJV Stan hcs (thank you to the wife for that ask btw) that he was the first person she went to when she realized she was a girl! Bc he’s always been pretty emotionally honest and accepting of everything, and she was dealing with her crush on Kenny too and Stan notoriously THINKS he’s slick in being a massive simp so two birds one stone lmao. He was pretty clueless at first but that protective instinct kicked in and he was like GIRL WE GONNA FIND YOU SOME RESOURCES! Also, I’ll do a post abt how NO ONE in the OJV Star Seven is neurotypical soon, but i briefly mentioned in The Wacky Adventures of Craig And Kyle that Marjorine has the ‘tism as well, and Stan is NOT the person to go to when you’re having a meltdown, but rest assured he WILL get you to someone who is. Like she can tell him “Stan I’m feelin a little…” and he will IMMEDIATELY find her Kenny or Kyle. Kyle’s obviously his go to when things are out of his emotional scope, and that extends to Craig later down the line.
So TWEEK!!! Oh god Tweek and Stan’s relationship in the OrangeJuiceVerse is so important to me. They’re the first encounter of the Broken Bottles Quartet, and that moment when Kyle figures out about Tweek’s problem, Stan was full man-with-the-plan mode about how to help him! Before he takes Tweek to AA, he’s at ye ol’ meetin’ hall talking to the old geezers in the local group and it’s like:
“Hey, Stanny Boy, good to see you back, how you healin up (smh I did break his ribs for good reason I promise) got anything to share?” “Actually yeah, I’m gonna bring someone with me in a few days, but you guys HAVE to give him space he gets really nervous.” And the longtime AA peeps who are prone to being overly friendly back off and let Tweek just listen that first time, and Stan is consistently checking in and with Stan’s support Tweek slowly gets more comfortable, and Stan is SO fucking proud of him and he’s his sponsor for a LONG ASS TIME before he officially is.
As for Cartman, once he moves away, Stan will call him up pretty frequently to check in, like “hey fatass how’s the wedding planning company coming?” “Fuck off, hippie did you get the-“ “YES I got the beef jerky club membership quit sending me that shit” “heh, sweet.” “Asshole, but seriously are you doing okay?” “Yes you photosynthesizing dildo. The Jew looks tired in his last facebook post check on him” “I got him, Cartman” “you guys are assholes” “we love you too” “gross” smh theyre so unserious.
But yeah that’s this episode of me not shutting tf up abt OrangeJuiceVerse
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meghalayacareer · 1 year
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vethbrenatto · 2 years
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One thing that I’ve been thinking about with the murderbot reveal is that it makes another permanent player character death seem like a much greater possibility now. I mean imagine if fearne goes down midbattle while fcg is in murderbot mode and no one can get a healing potion to fearne bc there’s a mob of people fighting them AND fcg is fighting them. If fcg is out of commission and no one can get him unconscious so he can revivify, fearne is gone. And if fcg was the one who killed fearne? I mean if any villains find out about his episodes they could also easily use that against them which is another scary thought (it’s a good thing ira peace’s out before that cuz oof)
We lost Molly last campaign because the cleric wasn’t there. I mean, imagine the pain and devastation of the cleric being physically present but not mentally present. OOF. As you’ve touched on in some other posts, as it’s own plot point, murderbot isn’t as compelling as the rest of the characters’ backstories or some of Sam’s other characters’ backstories, but having the only cleric go murderbot? Oooh that is the drama and pain I’m excited for.
(this is just my two cents and more of an elaboration on some things you have pointed out, would love to hear your thoughts on this <3)
I mean... I guess? I think it's a cool theory and I'd love to see it play out! But right now the whole backstory, even with positive spins people are sending me on potential cool things or the deeper meaning of the backstory, it just... doesn't spark joy for me? (Which is fine, CR is a thousand hours long entity- you can't like everything) I think beyond the first murderbot reveal last night, this just isn't a very exciting repetitive concept to me.
It's weird because Chet has a very similar mechanic with wolfing out, but I enjoy that a lot more. I think on a mechanical level, it's triggered by low health which I like (as opposed to "stress points" - I think making a character turn on bad vibes is just a little weird to me; how is it measured and what is the level? I'm sure Matt and Sam have a system I just don't know what it is), but also there's an element of Chet wolfing out that I enjoy which is Chet's will. Like obviously Chet doesn't want to turn on his friends, but the wolf is part of him and a part he openly embraces. He'll deal with the consequences and he won't feel that bad about them- he IS part beast.
This might sound like a weird take to some, but if murderbot was going to be the angle, I think the most interesting murderbot to me would be if FCG was actually malicious. ("But you said you don't like evil robots!") I don't! But at least it feels to me like there's more agency in it.
As for the cleric, it's interesting because I don't feel like FCG has been a stellar cleric so far. Not like bad, the same way Jester was never a bad cleric despite the teasing. But just not the most cleric-y. It is interesting because I think the only other person with healing (non-self healing, but I don't have their full character sheet obv this is off the top of my head) is Fearne, who I'm not sure will always stock healing, especially on the level of a Revivify. So you're totally right that that could come into play.
My last quick thought is that I think this reveal does feed into the shorter campaign speculation. I mean, it's E30 so it's not early, but it really feels like we're speedrunning backstories, so that's somewhat interesting.
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adminbryantsaki · 3 years
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Alpha! Mafia! Yandere! Hizashi Yamada x Omega! Female! Reader.
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( i am here again for a third time with the bnharem’s server collab. This time it is a villain or Villain swap AU. I picked Hizashi Yamada for this AU. I hope you enjoy this story. Make sure to check out everyone else’s stories here. You can read my other works here. Thanks to @koniginwrites for all her help. The banner was made by @dollfacedwithadirtymind. I would recommend listening to Purple Lamborghini by Skrillex and Sucker for Pain by Imagine Dragons while you listen to this to help understand the story below)
(Disclaimer: I do not condone the actions of a Yandere and having a real -life relationship with one is toxic and not safe. Killing someone is not cool people)
TW: Breeding kink, blood, omegaverse shenanigans, yandere, knives, pregnancy, do not read if Endeavor is your comfort character.
If this isn’t your cup of tea, blend of spices, or brew of coffee, move on.
WC: 13,259
You were walking around in the decent-sized apartment that you and your boyfriend, Hizashi Yamada lived in. You had known your boyfriend for a few years now. The two of you had met at a strip club that he had been working a gig at. When the two of you met, he was curious as to why such a cute little thing like you was doing in a place like this. After his gig, the two of you talked and he gave you his number and you called him later that night. When you got home that evening, you called him and the two of you set up a date later that week at a cafe that Hizashi recommended. When you arrived at the cafe, you looked around the cafe to look for your date. You spotted Hizashi and waved. He looked up and saw you and waved back. You would walk over to the table after you ordered your drink. Hizashi stood up from the table that he was sitting at and walked over to you. He looked handsome his white button-down jacket and leather trousers as he approached you. You noticed his hair was tied back in a half bun and the glasses that he wore had transition lenses so it looked like he was wearing sunglasses while he was indoors.
“Hello there, Y/N.” He spoke. You looked up at him and smiled.
“Hello, Hizashi. How are you?” You asked.
“I’m good. I’m glad you could find the place. It’s not easy to find. What did you want to order? I’ll pay for it.” He offered.
“I can pay for my own drink. Thank you though.” You responded.
“I insist. This is our first date, I’ll pay.” He responded and pulled out his wallet as the two of you walked up to the register. You told him your order and he repeated it to the cashier and paid for the drink. When your drink was ready, you carried the warm mug and thanked the barista before walking back to the table with Hizashi. He waited until you were seated before retaking his seat across from you.
“So, tell me about yourself, Y/N.” He spoke to start the conversation.
“There’s not much to know about me, I’m pretty basic.” You spoke. Hizashi didn’t believe it. He looked you in the eyes and kept eye contact with you.
“I don’t believe that for a second. You’re cute, and I like the color of your eyes.” He told you. This comment made you blush and look away from the man in front of you.
“Thank you.” You spoke at last. You didn’t remember the last time a man complimented you without the intention of getting in your pants. Hizashi smiled and held your hand.
“You’re welcome.” He said before taking a sip of his drink. You smiled and took a sip of your drink as well. You told him more about yourself and he told you about himself in return. You learned that he had gone to the famous UA when he attended school. You also learned that he also was a radio show host after he decided to step back from hero work. This caught your interest.
“What made you step away from the hero work?” You asked him. You wanted to make sure the man in front of you wasn’t a villain. His eyes flicked up to you when you asked him about his hero work.
“I wanted to focus more on my radio show.” He responded while rubbing the back of his head.
‘Smooth recovery, Yamada.’ He thought to himself. You were smarter than that though. You could read past his cover up.
“Tell me the truth or I’m walking out of here.” You told him in a serious tone. Hizashi froze up and panic began to set in. He was afraid that you would still leave even after what he was about to tell you.
“Now don’t judge me for what I am about to tell you. There has been signs in the past few months that the society that we live in is crumbling. There was a point where it wasn’t safe for Pro Heroes to work as Heroes anymore. After we discussed our options, we left the Hero Commission and joined the Yakuza. Our boss is the former Hero Gang Orca. Don’t worry, we still do things for good but we’re no longer associated with the Hero Commission. That society is corrupt.” Hizashi spoke. You looked back at him for a moment and looked around the café. You noticed one of the baristas as another former pro hero. You noticed some other people that were probably former Pro Heroes as well sitting in the café.
“This place is one of the businesses that your boss owns?” You asked. Hizashi nodded. You smiled.
“That’s cool. As long as you don’t do anything illegal, I’m ok with it.” you told him. He relaxed and kissed the back of your hand. A couple of people from the back had caught your eye. You looked over at them and your eyes widened. You saw a dark-haired man sitting next to another person that had yellow eyes and purple smoke concealing his face and hands.
“Who are they?” You asked him as you gestured over to the table the two men were sitting at. Hizashi looked back and noticed that they had been watching the whole time.
“They are my friends from back in high school. The tired looking guy with black hair is Shouta. The guy with the yellow eyes and purple smoke all over the place is Kurogiri. They’re also in the same group as I am. We actually pulled Kurogiri from the League of Villains and got him to join us. He’s our mode of escape since he can warp to anywhere as long as he knows the coordinates to that place.” He explained to you. You nodded and glanced over at the two men who acknowledged you. You turned back to Hizashi who had a nervous look on his face.
“What is it, Hizashi?” You asked him as you took another sip of your drink.
“I want to ask you one more thing before I take you home.” He asked.
“Go ahead and ask.” You spoke. The man in front of you took a deep breath and looked you in the eyes.
“I’m an Alpha and I don’t have a mate yet. I’d like it if you’d be interested in being my mate.” He spoke. You were stunned. The two of you were only on the first date and he was asking you to be his mate? You looked at Hizashi again, this time noticing the tattoos on his neck and wrists that were now peeking out of his shirt. You smiled and held his hand back.
“You’re lucky there’s no other Alphas after me right now. I’m an Omega and I’d love to be your mate.” You responded. Hizashi let out a sigh of relief and kissed the back of your hand. He stood up and held your hand as the two of you walked out of the café with Aizawa and Kurogiri following behind the both of you at a distance. Hizashi took you to his car and drove you back to your apartment. You gave him directions even though he had secretly found out your address before the date. Hizashi parked the car and walked you to the door of your apartment, kissed your cheek goodnight, waited until you were safely inside your house before he got back into his car, and drove home. He was determined to make you his.
A few months later, after some careful planning and preparation, Hizashi got time off to help you through your upcoming heat. The two of you planned to meet up at the apartment that the two of you moved into about a month ago with the help of Hizashi’s boss in the Yakuza. He was finishing up his shift at the radio station. As he left the station, he shot you a text saying that he was on the way home. that you ignored in your feverish state as you pumped your scent into your apartment. You whimpered and wanted him to come and give you relief from the ache that throbbed down in your pants. You had already made a nest and hid under the fluffy blanket that he had bought you for nesting purposes. You clung to one of his shirts that you stole from his dresser and took in the citrusy scent that calmed you a bit. You heard the door unlock and open. You winced away from the noise as you were unaware of who had just entered your home. You heard the bedroom door creak open and you hid even more. You were scared to look up but the scent of oranges, lemons, and leather wafted down to you which made you look up to see your boyfriend staring down at you. You whimpered and made grabby hands at him. He picked you up and slid into your nest. You whined and he kissed you deeply.
“I’m here baby girl. You’re safe now. I’m going to take care of you and make you mine.” He told you. You moaned out and nodded. He started off by moving down to your neck and marking you. You cried out and panted. He pulled back and unbuttoned his shirt to reveal his bare chest that was covered with tattoos. You blushed while staring at the intricate patterns of his tattoos. He pulled your hands up to his chest and let you touch. He kissed one of your hands and activated his quirk to hum against them. You gasped and he smirked. He put his arms above your head and kissed you deeply and moving down to your neck and biting again but this time his quirk was put into use. You let out a string of mewls and moans that sent him reeling into his need to stuff you full of his litter. He groaned and tossed his shirt out of the nest and swiftly removed your clothes from your body while covering your neck with kisses and small bites. He held your hips still while he sucked another mark into your collarbone. You let out a pleasurable noise when he licked the sensitive bite.
“You’re mine now, princess. No one is gonna change that.” He told you with a deep rumble in his chest that made you melt in his arms. You nodded and made eye contact with him which was hard as you felt like you were higher than a kite with your heat taking over your body. Hizashi pulled back and stared down at you. You whined and reached up for him and he pulled you up to sit in his lap. You pressed your face into his neck to take in his scent as he was emitting to try and cover yours so the two of you wouldn’t get unwanted visitors busting the door down. He then kissed you gently and slid his hand under the hem of your shorts. You straddled his lap and leaned against him. You took deep breaths and nuzzled the crook of his neck to find some comfort. Hizashi rubbed your back soothingly and gripped your butt as well. You whimpered and shifted a bit in his lap to give yourself some friction on his thigh. He noticed this and pushed you back down on your back. He kissed you again and left a trail of kisses down your body until he stopped right above your private area. You looked at him in annoyance as he had stopped. He looked back at you and spoke.
“Do you really want this? You want to have my litter?” He asked you and you nodded in agreement. He proceeded to move his head in between your thighs and suck the slick from your entrance. This made you feel good. He then activated his quirk on your entrance and it made you see stars. You let out a moan, arched your back and released on his face. He licked up the mess that you had made and looked up at you as you came down from your orgasm. You looked at him while you regained your breath. He sat up between your legs and kissed the inside of one of your thighs. He undid the belt on his pants and unzipped his leather trousers and pulled them off and tossed them in the same direction of his shirt. You blushed harder and looked back at him at the various tattoos that covered his torso and other parts of his body. You followed the snake that roped around his torso and thigh before it disappeared to the other side of his body. You also saw the various birds and feathers on his body, along with a dragon that roped around his right arm. You also noticed a small orca tattoo on his hand which signified the gang he belonged to. You watched him support himself above you by propping his hands on the pillows above you. His hair fell around his face when he looked down at you. He kissed you deeply to keep you distracted as he slid his pierced cock into you. He stopped right before his knot would go in. He didn’t want to tear your hole so he proceeded to press slightly with his knot against your entrance which made you cry out with pleasure. You panted with the feeling that the piercings made inside of you. His knot pressed against your entrance and threatened to rip you in half. You mewled in need and he pressed the knot into you. You moaned out again as you felt the knot pop into your wet hole. He stayed still for a bit until you whined for him to move inside of you and fill you with his seed. He began to thrust slowly and work up to a steady rhythm. He attached his mouth to your neck and hummed as he left another hickey on the sensitive flesh. You moved your hips with him and felt the tightness in your stomach build up and soon pop as you both reach your climax. He released and tried to pull out but he was stuck as his knot was still swollen inside of you. You blushed and looked down at him.
“Don’t stop.” You panted out. He nodded and took a drink of water before going back to thrusting inside of you until the both of you were spent. He then pulled out of you and cleaned the both of you up. He kissed your cheek and laid down next to you, tired. He brushed his thumb on your cheek and made you look at him. He pulled you close to him and kissed your forehead.
“You did amazing baby girl. I love you so much. Rest now. I’ll keep you safe.” He spoke into your hair before kissing your head and held you close as you both drifted off into sleep.
The next morning you woke up to find him gone but there was a sweet little note next to you. It read:
Morning Baby girl,
I’m sorry to not be there when you wake up but I have an early shift at the radio station. I’ll bring home your favorite dinner and we can cuddle tonight.
Love you,
Hizashi.
You finished reading the note and set it back on the pillow. You stood up gingerly as you were still sore from yesterday. You smiled and gently stood up to walk to the bathroom when you came out, you decided to change into something cute yet comfortable. You flopped onto the couch and turned on the tv as the news came up. Hizashi always kept the news on as he needed to keep up with the going ons of the fragile hero society. The world was in a near state of chaos with all the different gangs of the Yakuza going to war with each other almost on a daily basis. You were watching the tv until a new report broke in. One of the tv reporters spoke:
Breaking news: We have yet another report to add to the slew of attacks this month, this comes just days after we broadcast rumors of villains running rampant over the city. This spate of attacks has put the entire country of Japan at a standstill, road closures and damaged property making it difficult for commuters to get to work in the morning. Road maintenance endeavor to do its best to keep the city running, but it seems futile when these attacks continue to increase. The entire city was brought to a standstill by the mysterious villains who have still not been named, but reports show they are nothing like we have ever experienced before.
Where are the heroes now? Who will save us from the terror overwhelming our city?
Every day the crime toll continues to rise and we have no one here to protect us. The Hero Public Safety Commission assured us earlier in the week that the crime rate would go down, that the top Heroes are out there protecting our city, but if so, where are they? Is it really safe to go out anymore, who can we trust? Would you put your life in the hands of a Hero today? When they have proved our streets are no longer safe. We still have no information on what is going on, or who is involved but we must remain observant. We will continue to report the latest news as we receive it, but for now, we must implore you to heed the warnings of the city-wide curfew that is soon to be implemented. If anyone has any information on these occurrences in the cities, please send them to us or contact the police, you can remain anonymous. The safety of our citizens is what is most important, stay vigilant and don’t go out unless it is absolutely necessary.
One thing we know for sure: we can no longer rely on Heroes to protect us. The streets of our once-great city are no longer safe, we are no longer safe.
You stared at the screen with wide eyes as you saw the images of a giant duel that had broken out between the Yakuza, the League of Villains, and the vigilantes that were once heroes. You scanned the crowd of people for the blonde hair of your boyfriend and you got nervous as you didn’t see him. Your phone rang and you looked at the caller i.d. and your heart raced as it was Hizashi. You quickly answered.
“What’s going on!? I saw what happened on the news. Where are you? Are you ok?” You frantically spoke into the phone.
“I’m fine. I need you to pack a bag. It’s not safe for you there anymore. We’re moving into the HQ tonight. The boss said that we can have a couple people from the outside move in when things got bad. I’ll be there in a bit to pick you up.” He told you. You nodded and ran into your room and pulled out your suitcase. You hurriedly packed your essentials and some of your comfort items that you would need for a nest when you got to the headquarters. You heard your front door unlock and open. You reminded yourself that you gave Hizashi a key to the apartment when he moved in with you. He called out for you and you peeked out from your bedroom. You relaxed when you saw your mate and you ran out to hug him as you were scared. You looked up and saw that he was hurt.
“Hizashi! You’re bleeding.” You pointed out. He shrugged it aside.
“It’s just a scratch.” He told you. You frowned and wiped some of the blood that had come from his forehead. You showed him and he shrugged it off.
“You can clean me up when we get to the safehouse.” He told you. He knelt down and looked you in the eyes.
“I’m here, baby girl. It’s gonna be ok. Did you pack a bag?” He asked you. You nodded your head and he rubbed your back. He held your hand and led out of the apartment and into the street where there was a group of panicked people rushing to leave the city. You whimpered in fear as you clung to the arm of your mate. Hizashi noticed this and pulled you into the alleyway
“Hey, what’s wrong? You’re emitting your stressed scent.” He spoke.
“I’m scared.” You managed to say. He nodded and pulled you close so he could hold you.
“We can wait here for transportation. It’s ok. There’s a lot of people trying to get home or leave the city. I just need to tell the others the change in plans.” He told you and pulled you deeper into the dark alleyway. He had you sit on your suitcase as the two of you might have to wait a bit. You kicked your feet and looked at the ground as you held your stuffed animal as Hizashi pulled his phone out and called his friend.
“Where are you? You were supposed to be here a few minutes ago.” You heard a tired and annoyed voice sound from the other side of the line. You thought it was Aizawa from the café.
“I had to pick up Y/N, remember?” Hizashi responded.
“Right. Your little omega mate. Where are the two of you?”
“We’re in an alleyway a few blocks south of the original meet up place. Y/N got stressed with the crowd of people panicking. She was emitting her stressed scent and I didn’t want some random alpha to snatch her up and cause a scene.” Hizashi explained as he petted your head. You let out a happy noise and nuzzled into his hand.
“Any other landmarks that can help with your location?”
“There’s a motel and a sketchy Italian restaurant.” Hizashi spoke as someone came down the alleyway.
“What’s that sweet scent I’m smelling!?” A stranger called out from the entrance of the alleyway. Hizashi hung up and stepped in front of you. He emitted his citrusy scent to cover up yours.
“It’s nothing. Probably coming from the motel next to us.” Hizashi told the stranger calmly. You whimpered and squeezed your stuffed animal closer to your body. The stranger grinned evilly and stepped closer. Hizashi blocked his path and sight of you. The stranger frowned.
“You’re her mate? Aren’t you one of those members of the Yakuza that have caused this world to go into chaos? She deserves better than some mafia scum like you.” The stranger told him and he frowned. You knew what was gonna happen so you covered your ears and shut your eyes tightly. Hizashi stood ready to fight this person to keep you safe. He stared down the stranger and spoke again.
“You’re right. I am a member of the Yakuza. But I’m not a lowlife scumbag hunting down some innocent just because their scent is emitting. Not every scent of a person that goes through a heat is their heat scent either. Y/N is stressed. She emits a scent when that happens. That is normal. Now, I suggest you leave before things get worse.” He explained to the stranger as he rolled up his sleeves and pulled out a small knife that he always kept on him whenever he was out.
He would do anything to keep you safe. Even if it meant he had to kill this person.
The stranger saw the knife and immediately left the alleyway. Hizashi put the knife away and walked over to you. He put a hand on your trembling frame.
“Baby girl, you’re safe now. That bad guy is gone now. You can open your pretty eyes for me.” He coaxed you. You opened your eyes and he smiled.
“There you are, princess.” He told you and kissed your forehead as a smoky purple portal opened behind the two of you. Two familiar faces came through the portal. You recognized them as Aizawa and Kurogiri from the café that you met Hizashi at for the first time. You got off your suitcase but didn’t wander far and held onto Hizashi’s arm. You watched the men in front of you closely as they talked with Hizashi about the events that led up to them meeting in the alleyway. The man that was talking to Hizashi over the phone was Aizawa. Your eyes wandered to the man with purple smoke that hid his natural features and you recognized him as well. You gripped your boyfriend’s shirt and pressed your face into his back and nuzzled a bit. Hizashi noticed and turned to face you. He had a look of concern on his face as he knew that you had been through a lot today. He knelt down to your level and pressed his forehead to yours.
“Shhh. Its ok, baby girl. Just a few more minutes and we will be safe. You can nest all you’d like when we’re in my room at headquarters, ok?” he told you. You made eye contact with him and saw the intense look of concern in his eyes. Your gaze wandered to the two men who were looking around and shifting nervously.
“Hizashi, we need to leave.” Aizawa told his friend.
“Just a moment, Shouta.” Hizashi told him in a firm tone.
“Now, Hizashi.” Aizawa responded with the same firm tone as the sound of a panicked mob came from the main street. You clung to your mate tighter before Hizashi scooped you up and pulled your suitcase into the open portal. You hid your face and closed your eyes. He held you tighter to his chest and walked through the portal with a determined look on his face. Once the two of you were on the other side, you looked up to take in your new surroundings. Hizashi and the others stopped in front of a large iron gate you pulled away from Hizashi and looked at the design work in the metal. There was a long iron fence that towered over the four of you. At the top in the center was a crest of the clan. You looked to either side of the fence and saw that it was attached to a very tall brick wall. Aizawa walked up to a speaker and spoke into it. The gate was unlocked and the four of you walked through the gate. You pressed into Hizashi and he rubbed your back.
“Almost there, princess. Just a little longer.” He whispered into your hair as the three of you walked up the long path and into the mansion that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. When your small group arrived at the very large doors, you looked up at them in amazement. The doors opened and you all stepped through. A couple of larger guards made sure that the four of you weren’t imposters. One of them asked about you and Hizashi quickly told them who you were before walking to his room. The man he had called Shouta stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder.
“You still need to meet with the Boss, Hizashi. I’m sure he will be fine with meeting Y/N. At least go get cleaned up.” He told him
“Fine. But I want Y/N safe. She’s been through enough today.” He said as he shoved his friend’s hand off his shoulder and kept walking to the barracks of the place.
You clung to him and tightened your grip around his neck. He arrived at his door and opened it. He went inside with you still attached to him. He closed the door behind him. He took his backpack off and set it next to your suitcase. He then knelt down while supporting you and unzipped your suitcase. He pulled your soft comfort blanket that he would find you swaddled in while you took naps back in the apartment. He moved to the bed and sat on the bed with his back to the wall and wrapped the blanket around you and rubbed your back. You hummed and pulled away to look up at him.
“There you are, baby girl.” He said in a soothing tone that usually grounded you when you were stressed. You cooed and looked around the room.
“Is this your room?” You asked him as he walked into his personal bathroom to take care of the cuts and scrapes that he had taken during the fight that occurred earlier in the day. He looked back out of the bathroom to see you looking at the different things in his room. You always looked cute to him when you were exploring something new. You slid off the bed with the blanket wrapped around you. You walked around the room, looked at the record player, and his assortment of records. You were reading the titles as he came out of the bathroom to put on a fresh shirt from his closet before looking over to you and smiling softly.
“We can play some later. We need to go meet the boss.” He told you and you huffed as you wanted to make a nest. He looked at you with an ‘I’m sorry.’ look in his eyes, you set your blanket down on the bed, walked over to him, and pressed your head into his chest. You tensed up when there was a knock on the door. Hizashi pulled away and went to answer the door.
“Who is it?” He asked.
“Yamada, you’ve been summoned by the Boss. He wants you to come to the dining hall with your mate. He’s a bit upset that you didn’t come when you first arrived.” Someone said from the other side of the door. Hizashi groaned.
“Tell him we will be there in a few minutes.” He responded and the person left. Hizashi turned to you and walked back over.
“Are you gonna be able to come with me to meet the Boss?” He asked you. You nodded and he held your hand as the both of you went to the door. You paused to whimper and reach up for him to pick you up. He picked you up and held you for a moment.
“I’ll cuddle with you for as long as you want after we talk to the Boss. But I need to keep an image up around the others. Don’t want them to think I’ve gone soft just because I have a mate.” He told you and you huffed and pressed your face into his neck. He chuckled and set you back down hesitantly. Hizashi then opened the door and led you downstairs and to the dinner hall. The two of you walked past many doors that belonged to different people. You read the names as the two of you walked past and noticed a couple familiar names before the two of you stopped at a larger door. You were nervous and clung to his arm. He looked down to you and knelt down to your level again.
“Princess. You’ll be fine. They might seem intimidating but they’re actually pretty nice.” He reassured you. You nodded and rubbed your arms to self soothe as you were still nervous. You had read about how some people of the Yakuza were big and scary. You held onto his hand and stared at the big scary door. Hizashi allowed you to hold onto his hand and he opened the door.
Inside the room was a table surrounded by various Pro Heroes. You looked around the room and recognized each one of them. Going in a circle, you recognized Aizawa and Kurogiri from before, Best Jeanist, All Might, Endeavor, Hawks, Snipe, Cementoss, Fatgum, Ectoplasm, and at the head was Gang Orca. You looked over at to another part of the room and saw a few of the ladies at the bar and behind the bar. You saw a few kids that looked like students as well sitting in a lounge corner playing a game of cards. Some of the ladies that you saw you recognized as Mirko, Midnight, Mt. Lady, Thirteen, Ryuko, Recovery Girl, and Lunch Rush. The students you remember from a long time ago during one of the UA Sport’s festival. You saw Deku, Dynamite, Shoto, and the rest of the class there. You gasped and slipped behind Hizashi as you were scared from all the new people. Endeavor chuckled and looked at you.
“You have quite the shy omega there, Mic. Wanna share?” He suggested. Hizashi glared at him and growled. Gang Orca silenced Endeavor and had him leave the room. He then returned his focus to Hizashi.
“Why did you not come when you first arrived with Eraserhead and Kurogiri?” He asked. Hizashi tensed up a bit and spoke.
“I wanted to get my mate settled. I am sorry I didn’t come when first summoned.” He responded. Gang Orca tilted his head in agreement and let the matter pass.
“Can we meet your mate?” Gang Orca spoke. You peeked out from behind Hizashi and looked at the boss.
“If she’s ok with meeting all of you.” Hizashi told him and coaxed you out from behind him. You clung to him like a scared child hiding behind their mother. Gang Orca and the other members that were sitting around the table were patient as you eventually approached the table with Hizashi right behind you. You looked up at the Orca hybrid and stared at him with amazement.
“I’m Y/N. What’s yours?” You asked him.
“Sakamata Kugo.” He spoke and looked down at your tiny frame. You smiled and pressed into Hizashi. He looked down at you and smiled. Gang Orca then dismissed the both of you and Hizashi picked you up and carried you swiftly out of the dining hall and back to his room to let you relax and get used to your surroundings. He set you on the bed which you spread out on your fluffy blanket that you managed to bring from your apartment. You let out a squeak of happiness and purred into the blanket as you sunk into it. You relaxed as your boyfriend laid out next to you and wrapped his arms around you. He kissed you on the head and you pressed into his chest to take in his scent to calm you down from all that had happened today.
“Hizashi? What are going to do now? Will we ever be able to go back to the apartment?” You asked worriedly.
“I don’t know, princess. Not with the city getting divided up and all the chaos ensuing in the streets.” He told you. You remembered about his cuts and scrapes he had and you looked to him you sat up and checked his head to see his bandages that he had already applied. You huffed and nudged him. He looked at you and asked what was wrong.
“You said that I could help you with your cuts and scrapes.” You told him.
“I only did the one on my head. I have a few others on my chest and arms you can take care of.” He told you with a smile.
You beamed with happiness that you could help your alpha. You ran into the bathroom, retrived the first aid kit that was left on the counter, and proceeded to carry it back to the bed. Hizashi was already sitting on the bed with his shirt off for you to examine him better. You climbed onto the bed next to him and wrapped up the minor cuts on his arms and the slice he had on his chest. Your face flushed a bright red as you wrapped the gauze around his chest. After you were finished putting the first aid materials away, Hizashi pulled you into his lap and let you lean into his chest.
“Do I get a reward for being a good patient?” He teased.
“Well… You did make me wait to take care of you.” You told him.
“I know I did. I still let you patch me up.” He responded.
“Thank you for letting me do that.” You told him and he kissed you deeply as he pressed you against the blankets.
“I know you’re still in heat, princess. Let me help you.” He told you. You blushed hard and looked to the door.
“You want me to lock the door?” He asked. You nodded, he got up and secured the door. He wanted you safe from anyone that would dare come in and try to take you from him. You waited for him to come back to the bed.
“Want nest.” You told him. He looked at you and nodded. He picked you up and placed you on a carpet on the floor. You looked up to watch him strip the bed. You then stared at the blankets on the floor and you crawled over to them. You burrowed into them and relaxed as you were now surrounded by comforting things. Hizashi then looked around for you and got a little worried.
“Y/N? Where did you go, princess?” He called out. You giggled and peeked out of your hiding spot in the blankets. He found you and picked you up and set you on the bed.
“There you are.” He said and peeked into the blankets.
“I would let you nest in my closet but there’s not a lot of room. You’re going to have to nest on my bed, baby girl.” He told you. You huffed and nodded.
“What about in the corner next to the sliding doors?” You asked and nodded to the corner that had a chair in it.
“That can work too. You can use one of my spare sheets for a tent.” He suggested. You nodded and dragged his blankets to the corner. You looked back at him with a silent request for him to move the chair out of the corner. He walked over and pulled the chair out of the corner and let you nest. He sat down in the chair and watched you make your nest. You laid out the huge fluffy blanket on the floor to line the nest before you walked over to the bed and pulled the large pillows off the bed and made a circle nest that was wedged into the corner. You put pillows against the wall to pad yourself before building a wall out of the couch cushions. Hizashi had a small table with four chairs around it and you pulled two of them to the corner to hold the pillows up so they wouldn’t fall over. You made a kind of pathway so the both of you could get in and out of the nest easily. You built up the walls of your nest so you felt safer. Hizashi went to his linen closet and pulled out the spare pillows and blankets. There was a knock at the door and Hizashi set the spare sheets on the bed before walking to the door and answering it. Someone had left the key to the giant linen closet for them to use.
“Princess, someone left us the key to the giant closet downstairs. What do you need for the nest?” He asked. You perked up and looked at him from the back of the room.
“Um… More pillows and blankets. We can use the sheet from your closet for the tent. Unless you can find a blackout sheet then that would be better.” You requested. He nodded and left the room while closing the door behind him. You proceeded to nest more and add the blankets and sheets to the wall of your nest before Hizashi came back with several pillows. You looked up at him and reached out for the bedding materials to add them to your nest. He gave you the blankets and you let out a happy noise. He held back a large black sheet to hang up when you were done. He watched you rearrange the blankets and pillows until you sat in the middle and looked up at him and smiled.
“Ready for the tent now.” You told him.
“You need to get out for a moment, princess.” He told you and you huffed. You grabbed your fluffy blanket, wrapped it around yourself, and left the nest. You stood outside the nest and watched your mate attach the sheet to the ceiling and secure it with some thumbtacks that he had found. Once the sheet was set up, he stepped out of the nest to let you back in and to situate the sheet how you wanted. Once you got the sheet set up so you felt safe but still had access to peek out when you wanted to. You finished getting settled and poked your head out to look at Hizashi. He chuckled and watched you from the chair he was sitting in.
“You may come in now.” You told him and disappeared into your nest. Hizashi slid down from his seat and crawled into the nest with you. He looked around and checked out your tent.
“This is nice.” He told you and saw your cubby holes that you had built into the nest and were still working on. You had found a wall plug in and had set up your phone on the charger. You also managed to grab your set of fairy lights and add them into the nest for a soothing effect. Hizashi looked up at the lights and chuckled.
“What all did you manage to pack in your suitcase?” He asked you as he looked over at you.
“Enough.” You told him. He sat up in your nest and leaned against the wall. You looked at him and tilted your head cutely.
“Cuddles?” You asked. He nodded which made you squeal in delight and crawl over to him and climb into his lap. You laid on his chest and let out a sigh of relief as he pulled a blanket over the two of you. You let out a happy hum and nuzzled his chest. You traced the scales of his snake tattoo and counted as you traced them. He held you close and stroked your hair to help you relax and eventually fall asleep. He let you sleep on him and he eventually fell asleep as well. A few hours later you woke up and looked up at him.
“Hi, baby girl. Did you sleep ok?” He asked. You cooed and nodded. You nuzzled his hand. He cupped your cheek and kissed your forehead. You laid back on his chest with your head tucked into the crook of his neck. You looked up when his phone buzzed. Hizashi checked his phone and rubbed your back.
“We’re being summoned to dinner.” He told you.
“Do we have to?” You asked as you were cozy where you were.
“Yes, we do, princess. It’s required when we’re at the safehouse.” He told you.
“Do I have to come?” You asked.
“Only if you want to. They understand that you’re pretty tired. You’re also still in heat. I would feel better if you stayed here instead of taking the risk of having your scent leak out to the others. Most of them are Alphas. As you saw earlier, Endeavor is someone who is more likely bang as many omegas as he can rather than have one mate all to himself.” Hizashi explained. He wanted to keep you safe from the other Alpha.
“I understand. What’s for dinner?” You asked.
“Whatever you want. Lunch Rush can make anything you want.” He told you.
“Mac and cheese with chicken nuggets.” You requested. He smiled and kissed your head.
“Ok. I’ll be right back.” He told you, shifted you off of him and he crawled out of the nest. You laid on your side and wrapped up in your blanket and waited for him to return. Hizashi walked down to the dinner hall and entered. The others looked up when he came in. “Y/N resting?” Aizawa asked him. Hizashi nodded. The blonde looked over to Endeavor before going over to Lunch Rush and putting in the order for your mac and cheese and chicken nuggets. He also ordered some fried chicken for himself. While he waited, Endeavor got up and walked to the door. Hizashi got anxious and wanted to get back to you before Endeavor did. Aizawa got up and followed Endeavor out of the room. Lunch Rush gave Hizashi his order.
“I’m sorry that I can’t stay. Y/N needs me tonight. I’ll be here in the morning for breakfast, Kugo.” He told the boss. Gang Orca nodded in understanding and Hizashi left the room quickly so he could get back to you. He saw Endeavor go up the stairs. This pissed him off. He knew for a fact that Endeavor’s room was on the bottom floor. Hizashi quickened his pace and ran upstairs after the other former hero. Hizashi set the food down and stopped him.
“Don’t you even think about going after her. She’s mine, you scumbag. I know that times are rough right now but you don’t need to go around stealing other people’s mates.” Hizashi spoke in a firm tone and didn’t raise his voice much. Endeavor turned to face him with a smug grin plastered on his face that Hizashi wanted to wipe off with a right hook to his face.
“Yes, but you left your Omega alone. That’s a bad thing to do.” He said with a sneer as he turned to his door. Hizashi set the food down and approached the man as he was ready to fight the tall and muscular man so he could keep you as his own. “Back off.” The blonde spoke in a tone that was almost growling. Endeavor had a smug look on his face as he wasn’t going to back off. Aizawa, Kurogiri, All Might, and Gang Orca all came up the stairs. Gang Orca stepped forward.
“Enji, back off. Y/N is Hizashi’s mate. She is not yours for the taking just because Present Mic left the room to get food for himself and his mate. That is perfectly normal.” The Orca hybrid spoke. The fiery redhead pouted and walked back to his room. Aizawa walked up to his friend and asked if he was ok. Hizashi nodded and took a couple deep breaths and made a mental note to talk with Endeavor later before walking back to pick the food back up and re-enter the room. He closed and locked the door behind him before he walked to the far end of the room to the nest. He bent over to peek into the nest to see if you were still there and you were. You were sitting up while playing a game on your phone. You looked up from your screen and saw Hizashi. You squealed and set your device aside and laid down.
“I got your food, baby girl.” He told you as he got down on his stomach to look at you. You reached out for the food and he slid it to you.
“May I come in?” He asked. You nodded and moved out of the way so he could slide into the nest. He pulled his food in the nest, closed the door behind him, and leaned against the wall. He let out a stressed sigh and emitted a sour lemon scent which made your nose wrinkle.
“Hizashi, what’s wrong?” You asked.
“Endeavor tried to take you from me and I hate that he does that even though I just left to get us food.” He told you while he rubbed his temples. You climbed into his lap cuddled him and emitted your calming scent that would usually be meant for your pups. He hummed and pressed his face into your neck so he could take your scent in. You nuzzled his neck and felt him relax as he held you to his chest and gripped your waist. You squeaked and wiggled your hips.
“Baby girl, I want to claim you as my own. Make you mine forever. I don’t want the threat of someone wanting to take you from me. It took so long for me to find someone like you that was accepting of me being in the Yakuza. I love you, Y/N. I want to make you mine. I don’t want Endeavor or any other Alpha to even get the idea of taking you from me. Please, let me claim you.” Hizashi requested of you. You pulled back and looked at him. Hizashi never had a more serious look on his face as he was desperate to make you his own. Endeavor had really threatened him earlier and he was scared to lose you. He pressed his face into your neck as he was awaiting your answer. “You know that I’m your mate. I thought you claimed me yesterday in the apartment?” You asked.
“I did, but not as intensely as I want to right now.” He told you as he softly bit on your neck. You let out a little moan and he sucked a little harder. You were grinding hips against his thighs and moaned a little louder. You pushed away from him a bit to look at him. He looked up at you with a hungry and lustful look in his eyes.
“I would be happy to be your mate forever.” You told him. He responded by kissing you deeply, moving the food up to the seat of one of the chairs, and laying you down on the floor of the nest. He pulled away for air before going down on your neck to suck in a bonding mark into the flesh of your neck. You cried out in pleasure as he used his quirk to enhance the feeling of his mark being embedded into your skin. He pulled back and looked at the mark.
“You’re mine now. Mine forever and always.” He told you while keeping eye contact with you. You let out a moan as he pulled your clothes off and left more quirk-enhanced bites on your body. He was determined to make it known that you were his and that no other Alphas would take you from him. He moved your pants off and kissed your soft tummy before kissing your thighs.
“Are you ready, princess?” He asked as he hovered over the lower part of your torso, ready to eat you out before stuffing your womb full of his litter. You looked down to see his lust filled look gazing back at you. You felt your body heat up and your slick leak out from your entrance. You bucked your hips up against him as you were eager to mate with him. He smiled and went down on your slick hole and began to eat you out. He used his skilled tongue and mouth skills to suck the slick off of your wet hole as your heat raged through your body. You released a string of mewls and moans that drove your Alpha crazy as he sucked more and used his quirk on your oversensitive folds. The usage of his quirk caused you to go over the edge and release on his face. He cleaned you up using his tongue before sitting up, pulling your legs wide open, bending them so your knees almost touched your chest, and positioning himself between your legs as he was ready to fuck you into next week. He pulled his pants down and lined up his hard and swollen member to your wet entrance. He pressed the head into your opening and you let out a small moan. He smirked and pushed more into you until his full length was inside of you including his knot. You panted as he filled and stretched you perfectly. He waited a couple of moments before thrusting into you at a steady pace. He looked up at you as you had your head thrown back as he pounded into you. He soon reached his first climax and released into you. The both of you took a moment to regain your breath before Hizashi began to thrust again and again into you as he was full of determination to breed you until you were pregnant. He pulled out and laid next to you as he was spent. He kissed your temple and had you go to the bathroom as he waited for you. You crawled out slowly and waddled a bit as you walked to the bathroom to get cleaned up. You came back and slid back into the nest. He gave you your food before he sat up and ate his own food. You crawled into his lap and ate your chicken nuggets happily. He stroked your hair and relaxed.
“I love you, Hizashi.” You cooed.
“I love you too, Princess.” He responded. You finished your food and dozed off in his lap. Hizashi had one more thing to do before he could be sure that you would be safe. He picked up his phone and messaged Endeavor.
‘Hi! I was wondering if you’d like to do the nightly patrol with me tonight.’
‘Sure. This is a bit odd as you prefer to do patrol with Eraserhead or Kurogiri. Why do you want to patrol with me?’
‘Oh, just changing things up in case we were being watched. Shaking up the patterns.’
‘Fine. Our shift starts at midnight. Meet at the gate.’ Endeavor responded. Hizashi had a plan set out in his mind to make sure his mate would be safe no matter what. Soon midnight came and Hizashi had left the nest and your sleeping form to get changed into his modified hero suit. He sheathed his knives that he used when he went on patrol and went to the door to put his shoes on. He then left the building to walk to the front gate and meet Endeavor. He greeted Hizashi and they began to patrol along the wall that surrounded the perimeter of the estate. The place was huge so the time to patrol the place took a long time. Most of the estate was covered by woods and forest so there would be a higher chance of people breaking in even though there were security cameras all around the wall of the estate. Hizashi would have to wait until the two of them reached a blind spot in the cameras before he would make a move. In the security room, Kurogiri was observing the cameras and making sure the footage would be ‘Mysteriously compromised’ of Endeavor’s disappearance. Endeavor was the one thing keeping you from being safe. He was a threat to Hizashi and he had to be removed so that you could be safe. Soon the both of the heroes came to a stopping point to rest which was conveniently in a camera’s blind spot. Hizashi stepped away for a moment with the excuse that ‘he was checking deeper into the woods for any intruders’ which brought Endeavor’s guard down and he began to scroll through his phone. Hizashi pulled out a knife and slowly stepped out of the shadows. A twig snapped under Hizashi’s heavy boot which made the other man look up from his phone and stare at the blonde with wide eyes that were full of fear.
“Yamada, what are you doing?” The scared man asked as his eyes darted to the open blade in Hizashi’s hand. The blonde remained silent and walked forward to the man. He moved the blade of the knife under his chin and made the other man look up at him.
“I’m sure you know why I brought you out here unless you really are that dumb.” He spoke. Endeavor began to panic as he stared down his attacker.
“I thought we were going to do patrol around the wall then go back to the mansion.” He said in a confused tone. Hizashi stepped back and laughed. Endeavor looked at the crazed man before him.
“You really aren’t that smart are you, Enji?” He said as he turned his gaze back to the other Alpha. He walked back over and pressed the blade to Endeavor’s neck.
“Since you can’t seem to clue in on a situation, I’ll tell you what’s going to happen, ya dig, listener?” He spoke using his old phrase from his pro hero days before he fully committed to the Yakuza. The scent of fear was emitting strongly from Endeavor as he watched Hizashi show his true colors.
“Your confrontation to threaten me by taking my mate just because I left them for a few moments to get us food was a wrong move on your part, Enji. Now you’re going to pay for what you did and I’ll make sure you never threaten to steal another Alpha’s mate again.” Hizashi told him and knocked the man out with some chloroform in a small cloth that Hizashi had pressed to his mouth and nose while Hizashi told him what was going to happen. He dragged Endeavor’s body into the middle of the woods to a small wooden cabin that he had built out there when he first was recruited into Gang Orca’s family. He would go out there to spend his ruts when he was younger. He hadn’t been to his cabin in a few years since he started the radio talk show. He didn’t like the bugs that were around the place but the seclusion was convenient for him this time as he was going to remove Endeavor from the scene to ensure your safety. Hizashi unlocked the door and dragged Endeavor’s unconscious body into the cabin before locking the door behind him. He set Endeavor’s body up in a chair and made sure to tie him up before he sat down to wait for him to wake up. He sat down on the old bed that he would sleep on and texted Kurogiri about the update and that he could sabotage the footage of him and Endeavor walking along the wall.
About an hour passed before Endeavor woke up. Hizashi noticed him stirring and waited for him to come to full consciousness.
“Glad you’re finally awake, Enji. Took you long enough.” Hizashi told him.
“Where are we? Why did you bring me here? What did you mean by making me pay for threatening you?” The enraged man asked.
“All you need to know now is that you messed up big time. I’m going to make you pay for threatening to take my love from me.” Hizashi spoke as he stood up and walked over to Endeavor. He held the same knife he had earlier spinning around in his fingers. The blonde held the knife still and ran the handle up Endeavor’s chest.
“No wonder the ladies go crazy over you. You’re built like a tank.” He noted and then used the blade to slice open his modified suit. The blade nicked his skin a bit and the blonde smirked. He teased other parts of Endeavor’s bare chest with the blade of his knife and pressed the cold metal into his skin a bit until he bled.
“You’re gonna die, Enji. You have stolen enough Omegas from everyone It’s time you were removed. Threatening me was the last straw. Kugo gave me permission to take the means necessary to make sure you’re disposed of.” Hizashi told the clearly frightened man.
“I’m sorry for what I’ve done. I will change.” Endeavor tried to plead. Hizashi chuckled and looked back at him.
“Sorry isn’t gonna cut it. Your life ends tonight.” He said and made another small cut on his chest. Endeavor hissed and tried to move away.
“Now I can make this look like an accident or make it look like you were murdered. It’s how you behave is how it’s gonna look. So, I suggest that you better behave.” Hizashi warned. Endeavor didn’t believe him and tried to activate his flames. For some reason he couldn’t. Hizashi looked across the room to his friend and accomplice, Shouta Aizawa. He was using his quirk to cancel out Endeavor’s flames. Hizashi came closer to Endeavor and ran the blade across his cheek which made more blood leak out. The blonde hummed and made another cut but this time ran the blade across his collarbone. Endeavor hissed again in pain and the former hero pressed the blade to his neck.
“Do you want your throat to be slit? It does seem fitting for someone like you to die by your throat being cut so no one can hear you scream out in pain. What do you think Shou?” He asked his friend who was still hiding in the shadows of the cabin. Endeavor had a terrified look imprinted on his face as Shouta gave his opinion that the man before them needed a few more stab wounds and cuts before he was killed.
“You’re right. Gotta make it look real. Like he actually struggled before he died.” Hizashi noted before proceeding to gag Endeavor’s mouth so his screams of pain wouldn’t be heard. He then drove the blade of his knife deep into Endeavor’s body. Blood splattered onto the blonde as Endeavor was stabbed.
“Making quite the mess there, Enji. I’m going to have to clean this up before I return to Y/N.” Hizashi said as the former hero lay in front of him bleeding out.
“And now for the finishing touch.” Hizashi said as he ran the blade deep into the hero’s neck and watched as the blood spilled from his neck and the life left his body. Hizashi stepped back and took a picture with his phone before He motioned to Shouta to help him untie the corpse and carry it outside where Kurogiri was standing waiting for them to come out. Kurogiri had already dug the grave for Endeavor. Hizashi and Shouta carried the body and placed it into the hole and began to bury Endeavor’s corpse. When all the dirt was replaced and his body was finally buried, Hizashi panted then smiled wide.
“Y/N is finally safe.” He said under his breath. Shouta looked up at his friend and asked what he had said.
“Y/N is finally safe and she won’t ever be threatened to be taken from me again.” He spoke. Shouta smiled.
“You should go get cleaned up and go back to her. Kurogiri and I got this covered.” He suggested. Hizashi nodded and Kurogiri opened a warp gate for him to go back to his room.
Hizashi snuck into his room to make sure not to disturb you. He slipped into his bathroom and stripped down to shower off the blood, sweat and dirt that had covered his body. He turned on the shower and stepped in to clean himself off. He finished and got changed into a pair of sweatpants and slid back into the nest with you. You woke up a little and looked at him.
“Hizashi? Where did you go? It’s the middle of the night.” You said quietly.
“I had a late-night task that the boss wanted me to do.” He told you. You took the information even though you were grumpy and tired and you desperately wanted cuddles.
“Next time tell me when you’re gonna leave in the middle of the night instead of just leaving, ok? Also, you smell good. Did you shower?” You asked.
“Yes. I got dirty and smelly on the job. So, I got cleaned up just for you princess.” He told you and kissed you.
“Go back to sleep, I’m here and I’m going to keep you safe.” He told you and pulled you close to him. You hummed and nuzzled into his bare chest as he pulled a blanket back over you and kissed your head. You were safe now. Safe and his. His and his alone.
The next morning you woke up and nuzzled your Alpha awake. He woke up and gazed down at you.
“Morning, baby girl.” He told you and pressed a kiss into your forehead.
“Hungry. Want pancakes please.” You requested.
“As you wish, princess.” He told you and left the nest to again go down to the dining hall and bring you the breakfast that you requested. Even though there were few people awake at this hour, the man seemed in a more relaxed state and approached Lunch Rush and gave him your order. All Might noticed his relaxed appearance and approached him.
“You seem more relaxed today. That’s a good thing, isn’t it?” He asked the other man.
“Yes. Y/N is helping a bit with my rut.” Hizashi responded sheepishly. He had to keep his cover about Endeavor and what had taken place last night. His view glanced over to Gang Orca who had nodded at him in approval of what he had done the night before as Kurogiri had told him after he and Aizawa finished up burying the body. Hizashi relaxed for a second before All Might spoke again.
“Where is Endeavor? He usually doesn’t sleep in this late.” He noted. Hizashi’s eyes snapped open and looked at him. He looked over to his boss for some help as he hadn’t come up with a cover story.
“Toshinori, Enji decided to leave our ranks. He was kicked out and is to never be heard of again. For all we know he skipped town and is living on his private island that he still has from the days when we were all Pro Heroes. I suggest that you don’t go looking for him.” Gang Orca explained.
“I guess it’s better that way. He was a cause of tension for everyone.” All Might said. Hizashi relaxed and silently thanked Gang Orca before he left the dining hall to go back to you. He slid back into the nest and gave you your pancakes and eggs. You sat up and poked at your eggs before you ate them along with your pancakes. Hizashi smiled and drank his smoothie.
“What are we going to do today?” You asked him.
“I think we’re going to stay here at the house. We can watch movies though.” He said and set his empty cup on the seat of the chair. He pulled you into his lap and you cuddled into him. He kissed your hair and rubbed your back.
“How do you feel, princess? I wonder if you’re pregnant.” He wondered out loud. You looked at him and pulled away a bit.
“I don’t think I am… I’m still in heat too. I know you banged me pretty good last night but I want to ensure that I will be carrying your litter.” You told him. He nodded and kissed you deeply. He laid you down on the blanket and kissed your neck.
“If you’re not pregnant now you will be when we’re done.” He told you. You nodded and reached up to bite on his neck. It was a weak attempt but Hizashi found it cute.
“Did you want to mark me, princess?” He asked. You huffed and nodded. He looked at you as you were frowning. You looked adorable when you were frustrated.
“You’re adorable when you frown like that. Don’t worry, princess. I’ll let you mark me. I find it cute.” He told you as he rolled his neck to the side and sat up with you in his lap. You stared at the spot on his neck and reached up to bite the spot and growl cutely as you sunk your teeth in. He smiled and let you mark him. You pulled away and nuzzled the spot on his neck to leave your scent there.
“Good job, Princess. Now I’m yours.” He told you. You smiled and laid back down on the blanket. He kissed you deeply and pushed your shirt up and your short shorts down. He noticed your slick already pooling underneath you.
“You’re definitely still in heat, baby girl. Let’s get you nice and full of my litter~.” He said and slid his length into you and groaned as he felt your walls clench around him.
“Someone’s already needy, huh? Beg for it, princess.” He told you. You whined and shut your eyes closed as you just wanted the need for friction and release. You huffed and bucked your hips in need as you released more of your slick on his cock. He held your hips still so you couldn’t move.
“I’m not moving and neither are you. Not until you beg for me to knock you up.” He told you. You whimpered and opened your eyes.
“There’s those pretty eyes of yours. You know what you have to do to get me to thrust.” He encouraged you as he ran his fingers up and down your thighs. You gulped down a moan and looked up at him.
“Please, I want you to give me you litter. I need it please!” You cried out and he kissed you again before pulling you into a mating press. He began to thrust slowly in and out as he began to hit that one spot that would make you see stars each time that he thrusted against you with his piercings. You proceeded to let out the noises you had held in during the unbearable time that he had held still and teased you by pressing his knot into you and getting stuck in your tight hole. He kept thrusting at a slow pace to draw out your orgasm. You whimpered and bucked your hips again as you craved release. The sucking and popping sound of his knot sliding in and out of your wet hole. He groaned as he could feel your silken walls tightening around his length. He kissed your thighs as he thrusted deeper until he was penetrating your womb. He leaned forward to capture you in a kiss when he thrusted knot-deep into you and released. He cried out with his quirk activated and you covered your ears. He panted and looked down at you.
“Princess? What’s wrong?” He asked as a look of concern spread across his face as he registered your scared form and your hands over your ears.
“Y- you were a bit l-loud.” You told him quietly. He pulled your hands away from your ears and saw that there was some blood coming from your ears. Your ears were ringing from the loud noise. His eyes widened and he held you close.
“I’m so sorry. I never want to hurt you like that.” He told you as tears fell from his eyes and fell onto your shirt.
“Hizashi, I’ll be ok. I just need a couple days to heal up and I’ll be fine.” You told him with a smile. He shook his head.
“You’re going to need more than that. I have pain meds in the bathroom, some washcloths and some noise cancelling headphones you can wear.” He told you.
“Ok. I’ll wait here.” You responded. He kissed your head and went to the bathroom to retrieve the medical supplies needed to help you heal. He came back with a bottle of painkillers, the warm compress, and a pair of soft earmuffs to keep your ears covered until they were healed. Hizashi wiped the blood off of your skin with a wet washcloth. He then gave you some pain meds with plenty of fluids. He then put warm compresses on your ears and held them in place with the earmuffs. He pulled you into his lap and held you close. He rubbed circles on your back until you fell asleep on his chest. He laid down on the blanket and pulled a blanket over you. He watched you sleep for a bit before he let himself fall asleep as well... He could relax now as you were safe even though he caused your ears to bleed.
About two weeks into staying at the estate, the living situation had gotten better and Endeavor had been just about forgotten. But you were currently doubled over and puking into the toilet. Your ears had healed a few days ago, thanks to your boyfriend’s constant love and care. But you have developed morning sickness, seemed more tired than usual, and you had put on some weight. Hizashi had noticed these things too. The idea that you might be pregnant was on both of your minds. But you wanted to be checked out. Hizashi only trusted Recovery Girl to check you out so he carried you down to her office and set you on the table for you to be checked out. Recovery Girl came over and gave Hizashi the option of stepping out of the room and he refused. He wanted to support you in every situation that you encountered. Recovery Girl had you use the bathroom and pee into the little cup that she gave you. You came back a few minutes later with the cup and gave it to her. She shooed the two of you off so she could run the tests needed on the urine. Hizashi picked you back up and carried you out of the infirmary wing. You still felt yucky so he took you back to the room and let you rest in the nest. He held you in his lap while you slept and waited for a response from Recovery Girl. Soon a text appeared on his phone from Recovery Girl. It read:
‘I finished the tests and they all came out positive. Y/N is pregnant, congratulations. You might want to talk with Gang Orca about getting supplies for your little ones.’
Hizashi smiled and you woke up to look at him.
“What is it, Hizashi?” You asked him sleepily. You laid your head on his chest and he showed you the text from Recovery Girl. You read it and sat up.
“I guess it really did work, huh?” You told him.
“Yes. It did. I’ll talk to the Boss later about getting a pass to go into the city and buy you the things necessary for our babies. Recovery Girl can give you the checkups you need and will help you with the delivery. I’ll be here too throughout the whole thing. I love you, baby girl.” He told you and kissed your head.
“This reminds me of something. I have a small cabin out in the woods that I used to go spend my ruts at back in the day, how would you like to go see it?” He asked. You nodded excitedly and got up to get changed. He chuckled and watched you leave the nest and go to your dresser to pick out some clothes. Everything was falling into place for his plan for the two of you and your future babies. Once you were dressed, he got out of the nest and put his shoes on to take you down to the woods on the grounds in the estate. He carried you to the woods with the excuse of ‘that you were dizzy earlier’ and he didn’t want you to fall and hurt yourself. You agreed and nuzzled into his neck as he carried you into the woods. He stopped when he arrived at the cabin and you wiggled to be set down so you could explore.
“Don’t go too far, ok?” He warned you and you nodded. You proceeded to walk around the cabin and peek into the windows. Hizashi was calm knowing that Aizawa and Kurogiri helped him clean up Endeavor’s blood and change out some of the old blankets and pillows for some new ones. You saw them and wanted to make a nest with them immediately. Hizashi looked at you and you whined.
“What’s wrong, baby girl?” He asked you.
“I need to nest. There’s soft things in there and I wanna make a safe place with them please!?” You asked him with an urgent tone in your voice. He caved in and let you inside the cabin to which you ran into the blankets and pillows and began to construct your new bed. He came into the cabin and let the door open along with a couple windows to air out the place as it seemed a little musty. You squealed and purred as you made a nest around the bed in the corner and you pulled a blanket onto the bed and curled up in it.
“I know you just got comfortable, princess, but I have a surprise for you and it’s outside.” He told you. You peeked your head out of your blanket and scrambled out of the blanket and went outside. Hizashi followed you and you were darting around trying to find the surprise. You came back to him and huffed.
“Where is it?” You whined.
“Over here, princess.” He told you and led you to the side of the cabin where a small flower patch was. In one part was a patch of your favorite flower growing. There were three other patches of flowers that were growing as well and you smiled. You walked over to the patch of flowers that caught your eye. You turned back and grinned back at your Alpha.
“How did you know that these were my favorite?” You asked him.
“You told me on one of our dates. I just happened to remember.” He told you. You walked back over to him and hugged him. You looked to the other patches of flowers and hummed.
“What are the other ones for?” You asked him.
“They’re ones that my friends like. Three of them anyways. The Sunflowers are mine. The daisies are for Shouta, the grape hyacinths are for Kurogiri and the roses are for Midnight.” He explained to you. You nodded and cuddled him.
“Thank you for the flowers, Hizashi.” You told him. He smiled and picked you up to carry you inside of the cabin. He set you in your nest to get settled. He went into the kitchen to boil some water to make tea for the both of you. You got settled in your nest and looked out the window to watch some birds in a tree. Hizashi watched the water boil and glanced over to you. You were happy. He was happy. You were safe here in the cabin. You were his and his alone. No one and nothing could change that. He was sure of it.
The end
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madrigaljail · 2 years
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That Dark!Madrigals Hot Fuzz Sorta-AU I Keep Mentioning
As I’m not sure I’ll ever actually write it: it’s basically the plot of the film Hot Fuzz with Mirabel as Nicholas Angel and Antonio as Danny Butterman only they’re not cops they’re a young woman who has studied psychology at university and a child who can talk to animals. TL;DR the Encanto is the best and most peaceful and charming village in all of Colombia and the Madrigals do everything they can to keep it that way. This means helping to clean up after nasty accidents which sometimes befall the citizens resulting in their tragic and ironically gruesome deaths. Mirabel comes home from college and...has questions.
Here’s the entire outline minus “spoilers” which is hilarious because again I have no idea if I’m ever writing this. Note that if I DO write the thing there are even odds your fave will be a stone-cold killer (except Antonio, I promise nothing bad will ever happen to this precious child):
The Hot Fuzz AU No One, Not Even I, Asked For
CHAPTER 1 - It Would Appear the Heavens Have Opened
Mirabel comes home from uni in Medellín and starts to realize that things may not be as perfect as she thought. The town seems happy and her family is ecstatic over a fourth generation receiving a gift. Everyone is eating cake. There’s the usual fixation on everything needing to be perfect, but from her studies Mirabel is starting to wonder if this is healthy. 
CHAPTER 2 - It’s Just The One Hippo Actually
There’s been a hippo sighting. No time to worry, though, because Camilo and Antonio want to show her around town and drag her to the cantina to chill out before things get weird. Meet a bunch of townies, most of whom are about to die. 
CHAPTER 3 - Decaffeinated?
…starting with the starring actors in the play they’re putting on to celebrate the upcoming ceremony, who get their heads lopped off. Mirabel is horrified, everyone else thinks it’s ~just an accident~. Some vines get trimmed by the river that shouldn’t be, Antonio, Mirabel, and Isabela investigate.
CHAPTER 4 - Nasty Way To Go
A local businessman is blown up. Accidentally. Mirabel grows increasingly concerned and starts throwing around the M (murder) word, Antonio reassures her that all is well. Then a journalist is crushed and tensions rise, but Julieta promises her daughter everything is fine. Nothing is fine at all.
CHAPTER 5 - You Don’t Know How To Switch Off!
Mirabel’s use of the M word becomes an issue among the family. Her mother and Tio Felix do their best to reassure her, Abuela is in full denial mode, Antonio tries to see her side but can’t quite get there, and despair starts to creep in. The village florist has An Accident.
CHAPTER 6 - This Shit Just Got real
Mirabel absolutely loses it, has a confrontation with Luisa, and makes her way to Castia’s basement. Confrontation when she reemerges! She is murdered by Antonio’s jaguar.
CHAPTER 7 - Judge Judy and Executioner
Or not, because Antonio is the best twelve-year-old protagonist ever. He and Mirabel formulate a plan to sort this absurd story out. Who can they trust? Who must they stop?
CHAPTER 8 - The Greater Good
Mirabel, Antonio, & whatever allies they’ve acquired kick so much ass. People might die! Horribly! But at the end of the day justice will be served.
Chapter 9 - A Hell Of A Lot Of Paperwork
It’s all over, OR IS IT? One last villain needs to be put out of commission, and then an epilogue can be enjoyed.
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hizashis-lil-bunbun · 4 years
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The Silent Auction- (Hizashi Yamada X Fem!Reader)
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This is my contribution to the Citrus Dome Auction Collab! Hizashi is honestly one of my favorite characters to write for and it’s a crime I don’t use him more.
Word Count: ~8.5k
Contains: smut, pet names, unprotected sex, creampie, DDLG (if you squint)
Banner by @ladyshinigami
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“I can’t believe this.” You sigh for the umpteenth time, twisting this way and that to look at yourself in the bathroom mirror. You’re wearing a rich, black, floor-length gown with a high slit up one side and just the right amount of ruching to tastefully accentuate your curves. It was truly a miracle that it fit without the need for alterations, considering you’d had to buy the thing in a rush. Hell, you’d barely glanced at the price tag before slapping down your company credit card, viewing it as a bit of karmic justice for your boss’ callous, last-minute assignment. Sure being a sidekick of Endeavor’s (even a minor one) had its perks, but that didn’t make him any less of a nightmare to work for. As you struggled with the miniscule clasp on your necklace, you replayed this morning’s events in your head.
“The Heroes Gala?” You’d questioned, cocking your head in confusion and earning an irritated groan from the Flame Hero.
“Surely you’ve heard of it.” He’d snarked, the flames that ring his face seeming to flare in annoyance. “The Commission holds it once a year as a way to celebrate our achievements in hero society today and raise money for future endeavors. Dignitaries and heroes from all over the country– the world really– are expected to attend.”
“I’m aware of that, sir.” You’d chirped back, straightening up to make up for your lapse in decorum. “I’m just confused by what this has to do with me.”
If looks could kill, the glare he’d shot you would have put you in a coffin.
“Unfortunately, I’ve been called away on an urgent mission and can’t make it to the gala this year. But since I am the Number One Hero, my agency must provide some form of representation. That’s where you come in.”
Your eyes went wide at that, heart jumping into your throat as the gravity of the situation sank in. As far as your job was concerned, Endeavor’s word was law. There was no bargaining or substitution to be made. He didn’t even wait for a response before continuing.
“Your role for this event is simple: smile, wave, and maybe bid on a few of the auction items as a show of good faith. If you win something, fine. Just make sure it’s nothing… distasteful.”
You were tempted to question the noticeable shudder that ran through him as spat out the final word. But the careless wave of his hand was the signal for you to bow and leave, giving you no room for queries. However, just as you were about to walk out the door, he decided to toss some parting remarks your way.
“Make sure to wear something appropriate. It is a black tie event, after all. And one of my other sidekicks will be escorting you this evening. Call it insurance to make sure you don’t do anything to embarrass me.”
“Asshole.” You hiss under your breath, successfully hooking the clasp shut and putting a few loose hairs back in place. “What does he think I’m going to do? Get wasted and swing from the chandelier?”
Still muttering a litany of colorful curses, you march to the edge of your bed and plop down to slip into the matching stilettos you’d picked out during your brief shopping trip. Shoes like these were normally well out of your comfort zone (not to mention your price range), but you weren’t the one paying for them. Call them compensation for sacrificing one of your precious nights off. Once they were on, you stood up from the bed and carefully made your way over to the full length mirror in the corner of the room. You smooth down the fabric of your dress, picking away a few stray pieces of lint and checking for any “embarrassing” blemishes or stains. But everything is almost irritatingly perfect, not a stitch out of place. You’re about to launch into another tirade against Endeavor when your work phone chimes from it’s spot on the nightstand. No doubt it’s your “escort” (you refused to call him a date) texting to let you know he was coming to get you. Or worse, already here.
“No turning back now.”
••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
“This is it.” You hear Endeavor’s other sidekick grunt, forcing you to snap out of your daydreaming and look towards him. You hadn’t batted an eye when you stepped out of your apartment to find Endeavor had sent a limo, driven by one of his fleet of personal chauffeurs, to pick you up. He did have a knack for flashing his wealth and status whenever possible. What did surprise you was his choice of escort for the evening: a man by the name of Buru (or Taurus if you were to use his hero name). Buru was a fair bit older than you, sporting a pair of bull horns and hooves, and corded with so much muscle it was a wonder how he managed to squeeze into a tux. You seem positively miniscule compared to his hulking frame, making you look like a rather odd couple. The driver pulls up to the curbside, quickly putting the limo in park before getting out to hold the door open for you. He courteously extends a hand to you, which you graciously accept before snagging your evening clutch from the seat beside you. You gracefully step out of the vehicle and onto an honest-to-god red carpet leading towards one of the glitziest hotels in the heart of Tokyo, blinking in the wake of what feels like a hundred camera bulbs flashing around you. Reporters and cameramen are clamoring to snap pictures of the various celebrities and heroes, asking questions that run the gamut from classy to trashy.
Buru plods around the limo to join you by your side, giving you a subtle nod to signal that it’s time to start walking. You set off down the plush runway, walking with more confidence than you felt as reporters peppered you and Buru with questions about your relationship to the Number One Hero. Evidently they’d been tipped off regarding Endeavor’s absence. Buru remained stone-faced, his long strides quickly outstripping your much more delicate steps. 
“So much for being an escort.” You think, deciding to pick up the pace so as to not be left behind. And that decision quickly reveals itself to be a terrible mistake. Your pencil thin heel catches on a hidden snag in the carpet, causing your ankle to twist and buckle beneath you. You’re thrown off balance, teetering wildly before plummeting headlong towards the carpeted pavement. But before you can fall flat on your face, a set of strong, slender hands wrap themselves around your torso and pull you upwards, your back coming in contact with your savior’s chest.
“Woah there, little listener!” A familiar voice trills in your ear, their hands releasing you once you’re back on stable footing. “You almost took one helluva stage dive! You good?”
You turn over your shoulder to find a smiling face, framed by outrageous orange sunglasses and a well-trimmed mustache. Hypnotic, emerald eyes seem to sparkle back at you and his long blond hair is tied up in a messy, half-bun. You know this man. Everyone in Tokyo with a radio knows him: Present Mic, the Voice Hero.
“Thanks, Present Mic.” You mumble, an embarrassed blush rising on your cheeks. It was bad enough you’d stumbled in front of the press; the incessant clicking and flashing of cameras was reminding you of that. But to be saved by another hero on top of it… it was a little too much. However, the blonde doesn’t seem to care, giving a hearty laugh and clapping a hand on your shoulder good-naturedly.
“Don’t mention it, baby!” He chortles, winking in a way that would seem forced or cheesy coming from anyone else. “Always happy to help. Besides, it doesn’t seem like your boyfriend is too keen on stickin’ around.”
“Boyfriend?” You ask, cocking your head before remembering who you came with. You blush an even deeper shade of red, sure your face is about to burst into flames akin to your employer’s own. “Oh! No, no, no! He’s not my boyfriend. We just work together at the agency.”
“No kiddin’?” Mic says, his grin spreading impossibly wider before straightening up and offering an arm to you. “In that case, how ‘bout I lend you a hand until we get inside? No offense but those heels ya got on seem closer to stilts than kicks, ya dig?
While his radio slang is a bit confusing, you can’t help but find it a little endearing. With a sheepish nod, you grab a hold of his jacket-clad forearm and allow him to smoothly lead you down the remainder of the red carpet. He’s in full ‘Present Mic mode” as you walk together, all winning smiles and carefree waves as the press peppers him with questions.
“Mic who are you wearing this evening?”
“Present Mic! What’s the name of your damsel in distress?
“Mic! Is it true you’re involved in a scandalous affair with fellow Pro, Eraserhead?”
He lets their shameless inquiries roll off of him like water off a duck’s back, only blowing a dramatic kiss to the crowd before you both disappear behind the front doors. Once inside the lobby, Mic walks you over to one of three elevators, ushering you inside with a crush of other gala-goers once the doors open. It’s a short ride up to the venue space, and you can’t help but gasp when the elevator doors open onto an immaculately decorated ballroom. Every wall and archway is decorated with banners in the Hero Commission's signature black and gold colors, festooned with matching sprays of floral arrangements. There’s a live band somewhere in the room, playing soft jazz in the background to create an elegant atmosphere for the evening. But most impressive of all is the view; the farthest wall is made up entirely of floor-to-ceiling windows, offering a panoramic view of the Tokyo skyline. The sun is just starting to dip below the horizon, washing the room in an amber light that gives everyone a coppery glow. You’re so spellbound by the scene before you that Mic’s low whistle causes you to jump slightly. How long has he had his arm draped over your shoulders? Come to think of it, when had you slipped your own arm around his waist?
“Damn.” He breathes, carefully walking out of the elevators with you in tow. “This place is bitchin’. So much cooler than last year’s venue.”
“Is that so?” You say, your head swiveling around as a waiter breezes past you with a tray of finger foods. You don’t notice the way Mic watches you, nor do you see the crooked smile that crosses over his face as your tongue darts out to wet your lips. 
“Oh yeah.” He says, leading you away from the elevators and further into the crowd. “Last year the Commission rented out some–”
“Mic!” A deep voice calls above the steady thrum of conversation, cutting him off. An equally deep, if not more irritated voice calls out your own name simultaneously. The two of you look in opposite directions, the blonde towards a pair of dark-haired individuals waving him over and you towards your forgotten escort. Buru is fuming, smoke practically pouring out of his ears as he marches towards you.
“Where were you?” He growls while grabbing the hand closest to him and pulling you away from Mic harshly. “You’re not supposed to leave my side. Boss’ orders!”
“Stop it Buru!” You snap, yanking your hand out of his grip. “If you didn’t want me to leave your side, maybe you should have waited for me back on the red carpet. I nearly fell and busted my ass thanks to you! If Present Mic hadn’t been there–”
“No excuses.” Buru snaps back, “I shouldn’t have to wait around because you can’t keep up. We’re Mr. Todoroki’s sidekicks, so try to act like it!”
“Todoroki?” You hear the blonde hero echo behind you, “As in Enji Todoroki? Endeavor?”
You wince at Mic’s words, grateful your back is turned to him at the moment. Endeavor may be a hero, but being associated with him didn’t evoke a lot of warm, fuzzy feelings in folks. And many tended to react poorly when they found out who you worked for. With a dejected sigh, you turn back towards Mic, ignoring the way Buru impatiently stamps his hooves behind you.
“Yes, that’s right.” You say glumly, putting up your mask of professionalism. “I’m one of Endeavor’s sidekicks. He was called away on urgent business and sent me and my associate here to represent him and his agency. Forgive me for not telling you earlier.”
You offer a quick, apologetic bow, hoping to slink away as quickly as possible. But to your surprise, Mic doesn’t scoff, jeer, or even try to suck up to you for favors. He laughs. Not in a cruel or condescending way, but a real, mirthful laugh, infectious to the point you feel your own tension ease slightly.
“So that’s why I didn’t recognize ya!” He chortles, smacking his palm to his forehead. “Although it’s not too surprising. That dude cycles through more sidekicks than a jukebox does music.”
The nonchalant way he insults your boss causes your mask to slip and you let loose a giggle of your own. Buru, on the other hand, is clearly not amused.
“How dare you insult the Number One Hero!” He roars, stepping forward to point a scathing finger at Mic. “Endeavor is twice- no, three times the hero you could ever hope to be!”
“Woah, woah, woah! Take it easy, dude!” Mic says, putting his hands up before shooting you another playful wink. “All I meant was I definitely would have remembered meeting a pretty little thing like your partner here.”
You find yourself blushing and batting your eyelashes at him, returning his obvious attempts at flirting in a more surreptitious manner. Buru just places one broad hand on your shoulder, giving Mic a derisive snort before he starts to drag you away. 
“You’re not worth the effort.” He huffs, “Just stay away.”
You can’t resist adding one more match to the fire of Buru’s rage, looking over your shoulder and belting out a cheerful, “It was nice meeting you!”
“See ya around!” The blonde calls back, giving you a chipper wave before disappearing into the throng. Buru leads you to a table at the far end of the room, set with fine crystal stemware and gold place settings. He stiffly pulls out a chair for you, allowing you to sit down before taking up residence beside you. You’re amazed the flimsy looking things can support any weight at all, much less the mountain of horned muscle currently glowering at you. He crosses his arms and leans back with a grunt.
“So… now what?” You ask, absentmindedly fiddling with the gold napkin ring in front of you.
“You stay put.” He commands, “No leaving my sight for any reason.”
“You’re joking right? Do you seriously expect me to sit here with you all night?”
Buru doesn’t answer, instead turning his glare onto the crowd. You groan and flop forwards to rest your elbows on the table, opting to occupy your time with people watching. The ballroom is crawling with high-profile attendees: pros and sidekicks, politicians and CEO’s, celebrities and VIP’s. All of them with money, power, and prestige oozing out of their pores. You watch as the tuxedo-clad waitstaff scurry amongst the party-goers, offering up trays of hors d'oeuvres and honey-colored champagne. Every once a while, one of them makes their way over to your table with some delicious little morsel to offer. And in your famished state, the already excellently prepared food tastes like heaven. But when a server carrying a tray of champagne comes by to offer you a glass, Buru grabs your wrist before you can partake and rudely waves the poor girl off.
“What the hell was that for?” You hiss, rubbing at your now sore wrist.
“No alcohol. You’ve embarrassed me and Endeavor enough as it is.”
That does it. You can deal with villains, Endeavor, even your parents if necessary. But this “personal babysitter” schtick has gone far enough. You stand up from the table with a huff, swiftly moving out of Buru’s reach before he can grab you again. 
“Sit down!”
“No! I have to go to the bathroom. Can I at least do that?”
“I’ll accompany you.”
“Like hell you will! I’m a grown woman. I can go to the bathroom by myself without getting in trouble.”
Buru narrows his eyes and scowls deeply at you. You stare him down, refusing to back down from this fight. After a few tense moments, he relaxes slightly and gives a curt nod.
“You have ten minutes.”
You grab your clutch, turn on your heel and march off into the fray, doing your best to avoid stepping on other people with your dagger sharp heels. As you make your way across the crowded dance floor, you begin to recognize the more popular Pro Heroes among the sea of faces. Some of them you’d had the privilege of meeting personally, like Hawks and Miruko, both of whom were currently surrounded by fans and admirers. Others you’d only seen on TV or in newspaper clippings, but that didn’t make them any less impressive. In fact, you were too busy watching Fatgum scarf down a whole tray of artisanal onigiri by himself to notice a certain blonde standing in your way until it was too late. You bumped right into him, bouncing off with an embarrassed “I’m so sorry!” before coming eye-to-eye with those striking green whorls again.
“Oh hey, it’s you!” Mic exclaims, grinning down at you like he hasn’t seen you in ages. “No need to be sorry, baby. This thing’s a rental anyways!”
“But you’re all wet now.” You say, watching him while he wipes the remains of his spilled champagne off his tux jacket. “I can pay for the cleaning fees if necessary. I wasn’t looking where I was going.”
“Honey, trust me. There are worse things to be covered in than free champagne. I’ve been to enough of these gigs to know!”
You giggle and open your mouth to respond, but are cut off by a velvety voice coming from your left. 
“Is this the little songbird you were telling us about, Zashi?’
You turn to find one of Present Mic’s companions from earlier, a dark-haired woman sipping her own drink and watching your exchange. She’s dressed in a skintight, scarlet gown with a neckline that plunges almost to her navel. A matching pair of horn-rimmed spectacles are perched on her nose, framing her striking cerulean eyes. Even without their signature harness and flogger, you recognize her as Miss Midnight.
“Yup! She’s the one!” Present Mic confirms, casually slinging his arm back around your shoulders. “What’d I tell ya? Pretty cute, right?”
The R-Rated Hero turns her gaze on you at his words, the sultry look in her eyes causing your stomach to flip a little. Seriously, it should be illegal for anyone to look that sexy.
“Very cute.” She assesses with a nod, “Zashi says you work for Endeavor, yes?”
“Y-yeah.” You fumble, slightly flustered and tongue-tied in the face of her scandalous beauty. “I’m one of his sidekicks.”
“I’m sorry.” Midnight quips back, her lack of manners shocking you slightly. But judging by the booze-bitten blush on her cheeks, you suppose the liquid courage in her system is to blame. “I know he’s the Number One Hero, but I’ve been his colleague long enough to realize how intense he can be. He must have you on a pretty short leash, huh?”
“I’ll say!” Mic chimes in, “He sent along some “nanny cow” of a sidekick to watch her all night. Speakin’ of which, how’d you manage to shake him?”
“Well…”
You glance back in the direction you came from, only for your face to drain of all color as you see a tell-tale pair of horns bobbing up and down amongst the crowd. Hizashi follows your line of sight and instantly sees the danger. Quick as anything, his arm snakes around your midriff and he turns to Midnight for assistance.
“Hey Nemuri, I got a gig for ya. See that guy with the horns? Big, mean, and ugly lookin’? Think you can distract him for a few minutes?”
“No problem!” She chirps without hesitation, tipping back the rest of her brightly colored cocktail before readjusting the neckline of her dress. It makes you wonder how much cleavage someone can possibly show before it crosses the line into pornographic. You’re too busy looking over your shoulder for Buru to notice the subtle wink that passes between the two heroes. And then Hizashi is moving, seamlessly flitting through the crowd and keeping you firmly glued to his side as you duck and weave around the other guests. You have to admit the speed at which he navigates the crowded space is impressive as he heads for one of the darkened archways lining the walls. Soon the crowd thins out and you reluctantly pry yourself out from under Mic’s arm to get your bearings. He’s lead you into a dimly-lit, side hallway, with tables and doorways lining the farthest walls. The din of party conversation and music is more muffled now, making you feel like you’re in a state of limbo.
“Where are we?”
“Silent auction.” Mic answers plainly, “Figured I’d take you somewhere quieter while we let Midnight do her thing.”
“And what exactly is her ‘thing?” You ask skeptically, wandering over to one of the display tables to check out the wares.
“You’ll see.” He says with a smirk, silently following behind you with his hands in his pockets. There are miniature spotlights shining down on the auction items, with slips of paper and pens for people to write in their bids. All the prizes are exceedingly lavish, from baskets overflowing with expensive spirits and goodies to exotic trips around the world. And the bids themselves leave your head spinning, shocked and a little sickened by the amount of money being casually thrown around.
“I’m sorry, the minimum bid for this is how much?” You scoff, pointing at the high price tag on what appears to be a singular bottle of wine. Mic leans over your shoulder to read the number himself, letting out a low whistle.
“Must be some good stuff.” He says with a smirk.
“I’m totally bidding on it.”
“You’re kiddin’ right? Last I checked, sidekicks don’t make that kind of bank, even if they do work for the Number One Pro. What are ya, some kind of secret billionaire princess?”
“Sadly no.” You say, digging into your evening bag to pull out a sleek, black card. “But I’m not the one who’s paying. And Endeavor did say to bid on a few items, ‘as a show of good faith.”
You end your sentence on a terrible impression of the Flame Hero, earning another snicker from the blonde as you place your bid. The pair of you wander the auction area for a while, gawking at the ludicrous prices and talking quietly. Or at least, as quietly as the blonde can manage. You fall into easy conversation, mainly discussing work in the hero world and Mic’s teaching career. Present Mic, or Hizashi as he prefers to be called, is a surprisingly eloquent speaker and his high-energy demeanor ensures there’s never a lull in the conversation. It’s honestly refreshing after dealing with the snooty, intense people you’re used to at the agency. Not to mention, he has no qualms about encouraging you to be a little mischievous when it comes to spending your boss’ money.
“How ‘bout that one?” He says, gesturing to a particularly gaudy piece of abstract art. “I think that would look rad on the big man’s mantlepiece, yeah?”
You giggle and lightly push against his arm, as mild punishment for his goofiness. 
“No way. Endeavor specifically said to not bid on something too ‘distasteful.’ And I’m pretty sure that thing is towing the line. What’s it even supposed to be?”
“It kinda looks like All Might.” Hizashi offers, “If you stand really far away and squint. I don’t really know much about fine art. But I do know ‘distasteful’ and I’m tellin’ ya now, this aint it baby.”
“And what would you qualify as distasteful?”
A grin that can only be likened to the Cheshire Cat spreads across Hizashi’s handsome face.
“I’ll show you.” He says, extending a hand to you. You grab a hold and allow him to guide you towards one of the doors along the wall. As you get closer, you realize there are small placards inscribed with a number on each of the handles. Hizashi is currently leading you to a door marked with the number seventeen, opening it for you and allowing you to step inside ahead of him. You find yourself in a much smaller room, washed in the same dim lighting as the rest of the auction area. It’s just big enough for two people to stand inside (three if they’re thin), and the oak paneling and cramped quarters almost remind you of a confessional booth. But there’s no man of the cloth here; instead there’s a screen set into the farthest wall and a small, black button resting on a shallow shelf below it. The screen only displays a three-digit number, every so often flashing red before going back to the number.
“What the hell?” You breathe while stepping farther into the room, allowing Hizashi to squeeze in behind you.
“Welcome to the main event of the Heroes Gala.” He says, closing the door. “The Anonymous Auction.”
“The Anonymous Auction?” You parrot back quizzically, turning around to face the blonde.
“You’re aware that most of the Commission's funding comes from public taxes, yeah?” He asks, waiting for your nod before continuing. “Well taxpayer dollars can only go so far. Especially when hero and villain activity has only gone up over time. Rebuildin’ a city you just smashed like an old record ain't cheap you know.”
He pauses to jerk one thumb behind him.
“That’s why they started holdin’ auctions– this whole gala, really– in the first place. It’s all just a fancy way to supplement the Commission’s budget. And due to the popularity of the auctions, they started offering some more… exclusive items in recent years.”
“What do you mean by exclusive?”
Hizashi gives you another playful smirk, looking at you over the rim of his sunglasses.
“You’re a smart girl. What do you think it means?”
He steps a little closer to you and places his hands on your waist for emphasis, thumbing small circles at the swell of your hips. You unconsciously lean into his touch and your eyes flutter closed for a moment before snapping open once more, realization crashing over you like a tidal wave.
“You mean like sex stuff!?” You squeak bluntly, earning a laugh from the Voice Hero.
“Well not all of it! But there have been some bizarre and kinda risqué items up for sale in the past.”
“Such as?”
“Well, I know for a fact that Nemuri donates a part of her “collection” to the auction every year.” Hizashi states, putting air quotes around the term. “And rumor has it that last year All Might auctioned off a pair of his underwear. I don’t know about that one, but if that’s true, then it explains how UA paid for it’s new training grounds and why the staff got a nice Christmas bonus.”
You can’t help but giggle at the thought of some snobby billionaire drooling over a pair of All Might’s underwear. Maybe they’d had them framed, mounted on the wall like a hunting trophy. You’re too caught up in your ridiculous daydreaming to realize Hizashi has stepped even closer to you, not until you can feel his hands sliding a little further down your sides and a little farther behind you. You’re now chest to chest, breathing in tandem as he leans down to speak directly into your ear.
“So now that we’re in here… what do you say we play a little game?”
His voice is low and smooth, audial honey dripping into your brain. Your breath unconsciously catches in your throat as your body moves of its own accord to press closer to him. The energy between you is shifting palpably, from friendly strangers to something much more intimate and heavy. The room feels like it’s heating up and your dress suddenly feels much too snug.
“What kind of game?” You murmur back, a delicious shiver running down your spine when he hums in response.
“How ‘bout the quiet game?” He says, his bristly mustache tickling your cheek when he speaks. “But we’ll make it a little more interesting.”
You can feel him begin to gently push against you, forcing you to walk backwards until you feel the top of your tailbone bump into the low shelf. Hizashi’s hands never leave your body, roaming lower to finally settle on the plush curve of your ass. If anybody else was doing this, you’d have kneed them in the jewels and run for the nearest exit by now. But for some reason, you trust Hizashi. You want Hizashi. And if the steady throbbing in your core is any indication, you need Hizashi.
“Here’s the deal, babygirl.” He says, lifting his head to rest his forehead against your own. You can’t help the way your thighs tense at the pet name, something that definitely doesn't go unnoticed by the Voice Hero. “You’re going to try and stay as quiet as possible. And every time you get too noisy, you’re going to press that little button.”
His eyes flit over to the device in question before locking back on yours.
“That button raises your bid on whatever item is currently up for grabs. So the less noise you make, the less bids you make. And you wouldn’t want to end up winning something distasteful, yeah?”
You subtly shake your head and crack a small smile at his joke, bringing your hands up to rest on his clothed pecs. You’re surprised to feel powerful muscles rippling underneath his rented dress shirt, along with the heat rolling off of his body and the steady thrum of his heartbeat. Clearly that rented tux is doing nothing for his figure.
“Well what are you going to do?” You tease, running your hands up the plane of his chest and underneath the jacket to grip his broad shoulders. “Seems like I’m the only one playing this game of yours.”
One of his hands leaves your ass to hook a finger under your chin, forcing your head to tilt upwards. He gives you a sinfully wicked grin. 
“Oh but that’s the best part, baby. I’m going to try and make you scream.”
Suddenly his lips are crashing into yours, sloppily at first but soon smoothing out into a steady push and pull. He takes your bottom lip between his teeth, biting gently before letting it spring back into place. You sigh into his mouth, a sound eagerly returned by the hero. Your nails dig into his shoulders, bunching the fabric of his shirt as he deepens the kiss. There’s tenderness in the kiss to be sure, but also a fierce dominance that has you fighting against the moans rising in your throat. Hizashi uses the shelf behind you to force and arch into your back before kissing his way down the sensitive column of your throat. He licks and sucks at your pulse point, not hard enough to leave marks but enough to remind you that he’s in control. You tuck your bottom lip between your teeth, even going so far as to clap a hand over your mouth when he gives a particularly sharp nip. He clicks his tongue against your skin, bringing up his free hand to pull yours away.
“Ah ah ah. No cheating, baby.” He says, moving farther down your chest until his chin rests between the supple swell of your breasts. “If you try to put yourself on mute again you’ll have to press that button regardless. Ya dig?”
You nod and he releases your hand, allowing you to curl your arm around and place it at the base of his neck. Pleased with your compliance, Hizashi hooks his thumbs under the straps of your dress and gently shrugs them off. The top half of your gown falls away, pooling around your waist as your breasts are fully exposed to the open air. They pebble and peak instantly, despite the perceived heat in the room, and you feel Hizashi’s hum of appreciation rumble through your sternum. His hands come up to cup them, indulging in their full weight and supple give as he squeezes them lightly. His head dips down to kiss your right breast, ghosting over the pert bud of your nipple as he places featherlight kisses around the areola. It’s maddening, far too light and teasing for your liking. The hand on the back of his neck suddenly fists in his hair and you pull him closer to you, squishing his nose against the pliant flesh.
“Damn baby. Feelin’ needy already, huh?” He chuckles against you, pulling away slightly to look up at you through half-lidded, golden lashes. You whine softly, still pulling his head closer to your body. Hizashi resumes fondling your breasts, taking one nipple into his mouth while using his thumb and forefinger to toy with the other. His tongue swirls around the sensitive nub, every deft twirl and brush mirrored by his fingers. It’s a blissful sensation, heating licking across your nerves and shooting straight to your core. Suddenly, he gives a particularly hard suck and pinch, pulling an involuntary gasp from you. You can feel his smug grin before you even look at him, and he pulls off your nipple with a soft pop.
“Strike one, princess. You know what you have to do.”
“I thought you said no cheating.” You whine, feeling the fresh slick coating your panties and relishing the lingering sting emanating from your nipples.
“It’s not cheating, it’s part of the game. Your job is to stay quiet, my job is to break the silence. Now are you going to play by the rules or not?”
You look over at the seemingly innocent button and furrow your brow. It’s only just dawned on you now that you have no idea what you’d be bidding on and a bolt of panic shoots through you. What if it was a piece from Nemuri’s collection? Or something worse! Hizashi, seeming to sense your trepidation, briefly raises his head up to plant a soothing kiss to your temple.
“Hey, we can stop if you wanna.” He says, removing his hands from your breasts to cup your cheeks. “You don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with. I’m not gonna push ya.”
Your eyes bounce between the little black button and Hizashi’s face, biting your lip in your moment of indecision. It was a gamble for sure, a gamble that could easily cost you your job should you end up winning. But then again… how much humiliation and strain had your nightmare of a boss put you through in the past year? The past month? The past 24 hours? Taking a deep breath, you tentatively press the button, the screen behind you flashing green to signal the successful placement of your bid. Hizashi smiles down at you, impressed with your boldness.
“Fuck it.” You breathe, stretching up to press a chaste kiss against his lips. “I’m all in.”
Hizashi returns the kiss with interest before fully sinking to his knees, running one hand up the slit of your dress to rest on your exposed thigh.
“Okay then, baby.” He purrs, “I need you to spread your legs a little more for me. Lemme see what we’re workin’ with down here, yeah?”
You willingly comply, widening your stance as Hizashi sweeps the bottom half of the dress out of the way and tucks it behind you. The black, lacy thong you’d picked out for the occasion is soaked through, your essence already starting to coat your inner thighs. Hizashi runs one finger up your barely clothed slit, whistling when he feels how damp they are.
“Damn baby.” He breathes, almost like he’s in awe. “These are fucking ruined.”
You resume biting your lip when you feel two of his fingers hook underneath the material and pull it to the side, fighting against the urge to close your legs.
“Such a pretty girl…” Hizashi coos against you, planting a soft kiss to your right thigh before resting his head against it. “Everything about you is pretty.”
You can’t stop the blush that rises to your cheeks at the whispered praise, nor help the way your cunt clenches around nothing. It certainly doesn’t go unnoticed by the blonde as he leans in closer, using his thumbs to gingerly pry your labia apart. He looks up at you hungrily, pupils blown wide with desire as he tongue darts out to wet his lips.
“Hold on tight, baby.”
Hizashi uses the flat of his tongue to lick a hot stripe up your slit, letting out a low, filthy moan at the taste. You realize now why he gave you a warning. He’s using his quirk to amplify his moans tenfold, turning his mouth and tongue into the most attentive sex toy on Earth. The vibrations send shockwaves of pleasure coursing through your body, clouding your senses with desire. Whatever restraint the hero possessed dissolves the moment he tastes you, as he latches on to your rapidly swelling clit and sucks roughly. You gasp at the new sensation, hips unconsciously bucking to force his face further into you. He hums and willingly obeys your body’s command, replacing his mouth with a heavy thumb and delving his tongue between your folds to lap at your quivering entrance. The increase in intensity causes your thighs squeeze together, caging in the hero’s head as he dutifully tongue-fucks you. You can already feel an orgasm mounting deep in your core, his earlier teasing and stimulation paying off in spades. But his tongue isn’t enough, even with his quirk.
“M-More!” You cry out, unable to quell your pleading voice. “I need more. Need to cum. Please let me cum!”
Hizashi pinches the back of your thigh, a silent reminder for you to follow through with the rules of the game. With a groan you bring your hand down on the button, ignoring the flashing screen as you grind your hips down onto his face. But just when you’re about to tip over the edge, he pulls away from you, breathing heavily and his face coated in your sticky juices. You whimper at the loss of contact, but his hands keep your thighs spread apart to deny you the friction you seek.
“Good girl.” He pants, still swirling his thumb over your aching pearl. “So good for me, baby.”
“Then why’d you stop?” You softly moan, tears of frustration pricking at the corners of your eyes. You’d been so close.
“Because,” he says, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “The only way I want you to cum is on my cock.”
Before you can fully register his words, he grabs you by the hips and flips you around, pulling your dress up and bunching it in one fist. Your panties are roughly yanked down around your ankles and you have to brace yourself against the shelf as you feel the hard bulge of Hizashi’s pants rub against your bared ass. A sharp smack to one cheek causes you to yelp, and a quick smack to the other forces you to bring your hand down on the button.
“Cheater.” You pant, earning a dark chuckle for the man behind you.
“Name-calling are we now, baby? Just for that, you don’t get to cum until I say so. Understood?”
You nod quickly, glancing behind you when you feel him start to fiddle with his belt and zipper. Your eyes widen when you see his painfully erect cock spring free: long, thick, and with a silver ring adorning the reddened tip. He gives the length a few short pumps, coaxing out a pearly bead of precum that quickly winds its way around the Prince Albert piercing.
“I think someone likes what she sees.” He says coyly, flicking one finger against the metal for emphasis. “Ever been with a pierced guy before?”
You shake your head and Mic smirks.
“Then trust me. You’re gonna love this, babygirl.”
He lines the head up with your entrance and starts to slowly push into you, the initial stretch causing you to hiss in pain. But the burn soon melts into pleasure as Hizashi buries himself to the hilt, bottoming out with a grunt of his own. You can feel the metal ring bumping against your cervix already, a low moan escaping when he gives a few shallow thrusts.
“Good girl. Takin’ me so well. So tight and perfect.” He mutters breathlessly, voice barely above a whisper. The praise makes you whimper and clamp down on his cock, earning a moan of pleasure from Hizashi. He starts to move in earnest, pumping in and out of you at a steady pace. Each forward thrust pushes your face closer to the wall, your breasts brushing back and forth across the cool wooden shelf and stimulating your pebbled nipples.Your mind is floating in a haze of hedonistic bliss as the air around you fills with the sounds of slapping skin and the scent of sex. You can already feel your orgasm racing towards you at a breakneck speed, the coil in your belly tightening with each thrust. Hizashi suddenly sinks his teeth into your right shoulder with a an almost feral growl, blunted teeth nearly piercing the skin. You squeal at the brilliant pain, only to feel his tongue lave over the forming welts, soothing them. You automatically bring your hand down on the button and his pace quickens in response, rewarding you by maneuvering his hips until he finds the spot that makes your vision go white and your mind go blank. 
“Th-th-there!” You sputter out, smacking the button before instinctually backing into him. You don’t give a damn about your boss or the money anymore. All you can focus on right now is chasing your own mind-numbing pleasure. He gives a hum of acknowledgement and straightens up, angling his thrusts to hit that spot every time. He can feel the way your walls flutter and shiver, right on the edge of release.
“That’s it, babygirl.” He grunts, licking the pad of his fingers before reaching below your bodies to find your clit. Slender digits rubs tight circles on the swollen bead, the rough touch making you almost sob in relief. “Cum for me. Cum all over my cock!”
It’s a demand, one that your body is more than ready to obey. With one final circle of his thumb, the pressure snaps and you cry out in toe-curling ecstasy. It feels like your entire body locks up from the intensity of your orgasm and Hizashi gives a cry of his own when he feels the way your pussy clamps down on him like a vise. He forgoes gentleness in favor of animalistic rutting, gripping your hips to set a brutal and unforgiving pace. His cockhead and piercing continually slam into your g-spot and cervix, lengthening your own orgasm to an almost unbearable extent.
“Shit.” He curses, pistoning into you like a rabbit while his balls slap against your clit. “I’m fuckin’ close. Where do you want it?”
“Cum in me!” You wail, the game forgotten as fireworks explode behind your eyes. “Please! Hizashi! I need it.”
Hearing you beg so sweetly for him snaps what little composure he had left. Hizashi lets loose a guttural howl and after a few harsh thrusts, his hips stutter to a halt. You can feel his cock pulsing deep within you, filling you up with rope after rope of thick, white seed. He stays inside you for a moment, breathing heavily and feeling the way your velvety walls throb around his length. Your body feels hot and heavy, head swimming as you gradually come down from the high. Eventually, Present Mic pulls his spent dick from your abused hole, pausing to admire the way his cum oozes out and drips onto the wood floor before pulling your panties back up. Your legs might as well be made of jelly for how useful they are right now, wobbling on your stilettos as you hold onto the shelf for dear life.
“That…” You pant, “That was good. So good.”
“Yeah?” Hizashi says behind you, tucking himself back into his trousers before smoothing one hand up and down your exposed back. His gentle touch causes goosebumps to rise on your skin, your nerves still overly sensitive.
“Yeah.” You breathe, “I needed that.”
Hizashi smirks and leans down to pepper kisses along your shoulder blades, basking in the afterglow alongside you. You practically melt under his affections, never wanting this tender, warm feeling to end.
“Can you stand?” He asks after a few minutes and you weakly nod. Carefully, he helps you stand upright, brushing a few stray pieces of hair behind your ear while you fix your dress and cover your chest once more. Hizashi then moves to fix his own half-bun, smirking at the way you’re dreamily looking up at him.
“Hey space cadet.” He teases, tapping the tip of your nose with one finger. “Come back to Earth for me, will ya? We better get outta here before your nanny cow calls the cops. Or worse, Endeavor.”
You blink slowly and hum in agreement, lazily looking over at the button one last time. And then you freeze. A new message is scrolling across the screen:
Congratulations! You have won lot #114. Please collect your prize.
“Oh my god…” You whisper, feeling your blissful headspace drown under an icy wave of fear. “Oh my god, NO! What the fuck did I just do?”
“Hm?” Hizashi turns to the screen and it’s too-cheerful message. “Oh! Well wouldja look at that?”
“Why are you being so calm about this!?” You shriek, grabbing him by the lapels of the tuxedo and frantically shaking him. “My boss is going to kill me! I have no idea what I– what he just bought! It could be a dildo in the shape of All Might’s dick for all I know!”
“Hey, hey! Chill out, baby!” Hizashi says, placing both hands on your shoulders to steady you. “Just breathe for me, okay? Nice and slow. You didn’t buy anything like that, I promise.”
“How do you know?” You squeak, trying not to hyperventilate.
“Because I know exactly what they were auctioning off with that lot number.”
“Then spare me the dramatics and spit it out, Hizashi! What did I just win!?”
“... Me.”
The world seems to stop for a moment as you stare up at Hizashi’s sheepish face. You open and close your mouth like a goldfish, your overloaded brain trying to find the right words to say. It settles on a neanderthalic, “Huh?”
“You won me.” He repeats, “Well not forever anyways. Just for 24 hours.”
“I don’t understand. Are you trying to be funny?”
“I’m dead serious, baby! The Anonymous Auction doesn’t just offer material stuff. People can bid on and win “dates” with Pro Heroes. The more popular the Pro, the more money comes in. I volunteered to do it this year since a couple of my buddies did it last year.”
You blink slowly, allowing your panicky brain to process this new information.
“So… is that why you brought me here? Because you knew it was time for the bidding to start on your date?”
“I swear, I had no idea.” Hizashi says, crossing an X over his heart for emphasis. “I just wanted a chance to talk to you more and get ya away from that creep of a partner you came with. It was honestly just a lucky coincidence.”
“And the quiet game?”
“I came up with that on the fly when I saw my lot number on the screen. But I didn’t expect you to actually win the auction. And if you don’t wanna go through with this because of your boss or me, then I totally get it. You can always defer to the second highest bidder. That kinda thing happens all the time.”
You step back from Hizashi and turn away, muttering a quick, “Give me a minute.” 
Looking past the insanity of the situation, you had to admit you were a little impressed, even grateful, for Hizashi’s scheme. He’d saved you from dealing with Buru, at least for a little while, and made sure you had a fun time doing it. And besides, it’s not like you weren’t attracted to the man. Sure he was loud and goofy, but he was also sweet and charismatic. Not to mention a damn good lay.
“... Okay.” You say after a few moments of thought, snapping your attention back to Hizashi. “Here’s what I want to do.”
You hold up one finger.
“First of all, I want to find a bathroom and get myself cleaned up. This is a nice dress and I don’t want it to get stained, if you catch my drift.”
Hizashi nods in understanding. You put up a second finger.
“Secondly, I’m absolutely starving. So I want to get some water and food. And maybe a glass of champagne.”
Hizashi cracks a smile at that, giving a chuckle of “You got it, baby.”
“And finally,” You say, stepping forward to grab Hizashi by the front of his jacket and pull him in for a kiss. “I want to collect my prize.”
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rufousnmacska · 3 years
Text
Only You
A Manorian arranged marriage fic requested by an anon.
Huge thanks to @itach-i for her help and advice with plot and beta reading! ❤️
Previously, in Part One
Previously, in Part Two
*
PART THREE
*
Manon jumped at the knock on her door. She’d sat up all night watching the fire slowly die, unable to sleep. Stiff from sitting in a chair in a cold room for so many hours, she moved slowly to the door. Expecting Glennis, she was surprised to find Yrene waiting to come in. The healer’s smile disappeared when she got a good look at Manon.
“I’m sure I look how I feel,” Manon said by way of greeting. She turned and went back to her chair.
Shivering, Yrene tried to get the fire going again, adding some kindling and blowing on the few stubborn embers that remained in the fireplace. The flames caught, but it would be a while before any heat radiated from it. She sat opposite Manon, watching her carefully.
“Just say it,” Manon said.
“Say what?”
“Whatever you’re thinking.”
She’d come to consider Yrene a good friend over the last two years. The woman was kind and an exceptionally talented healer, helping Manon overcome some of the darkest moments of her grief. Yrene also helped her navigate her way through the complexities of her relationship with Dorian, giving her advice and translating some of the human customs she didn’t understand. Like exchanging gifts. Manon had never given or received a birthday gift before. Yrene not only helped her find one for Dorian, she listened without judgment as Manon explained how foreign the concept was to her. The idea for the memory book had come to her after imagining what Yrene might get if Dorian and Manon were marrying.
Yrene sighed, resting her head back and staring up at the ceiling. “I’ve never seen this room before,” she said, absentmindedly. “It’s quite lovely.”
Manon glanced up. The ceiling was painted like the sky at twilight. A deep, rich blue turning black with stars scattered across it. It was beautiful, and it reminded her of those frozen nights she and Dorian and the Thirteen spent camped in the Fangs in search of the Crochans. She recognized a constellation or two and realized it was likely the same night sky. She didn’t think there was enough time for him to have commissioned the mural between her accepting the invitation and now. But she’d learned long ago that it was foolish to underestimate Dorian’s love of grand romantic gestures. Whether it had been completed for this visit or not, the intention was the same. She leaned back to examine the stars, smiling slightly as memories came rushing back – Asterin teasing Dorian about his pretty blue eyes, Vesta’s shameless flirting that often came dangerously close to provoking Manon’s jealousy, Sorrel gifting Dorian an Ironteeth blade that he still carried, Ghislaine getting caught up in talking about books with him. They’d only traveled together for a couple of short months. And yet despite the hardships, there was so much good to remember. It made her think of the memory book, and how much she wished to be sharing it with him as his wife.
“Josie asked for you the other day,” Yrene said, drawing Manon’s attention back down from the ceiling.
“She said my name?” Yrene and Chaol’s daughter had just begun forming complex words the last time Manon had seen her.
“Well,” she said with a shrug, “it was close enough that we knew who she meant. She mixed up the words a wee bit, so it came out Ma Nauntie instead of Auntie Manon. She’d seen one of Adarlan’s wyverns flying over the castle and thought it was Abraxos.” Yrene was grinning at the memory. “I’m afraid she butchered his name. But we’ve got her trying Brax for short.”
Manon was returning Yrene’s smile, but she didn’t know what to say. For as fond as she’d grown of Yrene, she’d come to care for Josie just as much. Would she ever see them again after today?
As if reading her mind, Yrene said, “I know it might be hard for you. To come here again. So I was thinking, maybe someday we can visit you?” Tears spilled from Yrene’s eyes and she pulled out a handkerchief.
“Of course! You can come back with me tonight if you wish,” Manon said, stretching out a hand. Sometimes it still felt strange for her to offer comfort to others. But it was something Yrene knew about her, something she never called attention to. And now, the healer leaned forward to take Manon’s hand in hers.
Yrene tried to smile but it just made her cry harder. She stood and walked away, taking a moment to blow her nose and dry her eyes. When she returned, she said, “Please don’t marry that fae prick. He’s not good enough for you. And I don’t trust him.”
Manon laughed, part of her shocked at the possibility, the other shocked at hearing Yrene swear. “No need to worry about that,” she said, further amused by Yrene’s exaggerated relief. “I no longer have plans to marry anyone. A consort isn’t required either. So, when the time is right, I shall only be in need of a … What was that word you so eloquently used just now? I will only need a prick.”
Yrene’s cheeks reddened as she laughed. “Is it not the best word for him?”
Manon grew serious, thinking about her evening with Fennick. He’d been too flirtatious and self-absorbed, and a bit rude towards the others at the table with them. But based on her experiences with fae males, Fennick’s behavior was typical, with Rowan being the exception. Yes, he was arrogant, but he’d also expressed sympathy for the Thirteen, and shared his past heartbreak with her. She knew what Dorian thought of the prince and wasn’t surprised that Yrene would also dislike him.
“Why don’t you trust him?” Manon asked.
Yrene sighed and bit her lip as she searched for an answer. “It’s mostly a gut feeling. He barely addressed Dorian. And him telling us about coming here to find a mate didn’t endear him to anyone. Even Eveline thought he was an ass.” At Manon’s expression, she offered an apology for mentioning the young woman.
“No, don’t worry about that. I’m more interested in what you said about Fennick. He came here looking for a mate?”
“That’s what he said. Some tale or superstition of his grandmother’s claiming fae would find their mate at a wedding. It sounded made up. And when Eveline told him there were no other fae invited, he said he could have a bond with a human or witch.” Yrene shot her a wicked grin. “Dorian wanted to hit him, I could tell.”
Her own lips twitched upward at the thought. But her mind shifted quickly back to Fennick. She’d known of his intentions from the letter. But why antagonize Dorian? Yes, the male was conceited, but he hadn’t struck her as stupid. Yrene was watching her expectantly, but Manon just said, “Well, regardless, you don’t have to worry about him. I don’t intend to see him after today.”
“Thank the gods,” Yrene said, apparently letting the subject go.
Manon knew Yrene had an extra sense about people. Whether it was her healing magic or just her ability to read others, Manon didn’t know. But she trusted Yrene’s opinion and knew it wasn’t clouded by jealousy like Dorian’s. Yrene’s relief set off warning bells. Manon needed to think, and she welcomed the distraction it offered as she waited for the ceremony later today.
“Where is Josie now?” she asked.
“With Chaol. Actually, I should be getting back.”
“Do we have time for an early lunch before the ceremony? You could bring her up here.”
Yrene beamed at the offer, promising to return with her child in a few hours.
After the healer left, Manon bathed and dressed. She sent her guards off on separate errands, giving them the names of castle staff who might know the gossip that was most difficult to come by. Then she set out on her own search for information, something she should have done sooner.
***
Dorian heard shouting from the main stable and poked his head through the door. The head groom was sending stable hands off in every direction, calling out reminders about the diets of certain horses. She saw Dorian and walked over to greet him.
“Apologies, Your Majesty. One of my lead grooms didn’t show up for work this morning and we’re scrambling to get the horses fed.” The woman grabbed hold of a young boy and turned him around. “Other way, lad. And be careful. That horse bites.”
Dorian smiled. “Don’t mind me. I’m just headed for the wyvern paddock. Have they been fed yet?”
Only half listening, she nodded, then turned back to the chaos surrounding her. “Last time I give so much responsibility to one person,” she muttered.
Continuing around the main stable and towards the far end of the yard, he saw a figure standing by the building that housed the wyverns and stopped. But it was only Glennis. The white hair had fooled him for a split second. She was feeding a small, bluish gray wyvern.
“I thought you’d never give up your broom,” he said, holding out his hand towards Abraxos. The little wyvern snuffled against his palm and Dorian rubbed his snout.
Glennis waved a hand, feigning irritation at her new mode of transport. “Neither did I until this little trouble-maker hatched out of an egg.” She tossed a chunk of meat to her wyvern, then moved on to the next one. Apparently Abraxos had already received his breakfast. “I’ll let you in on a secret,” Glennis said, “the wyverns are more comfortable to ride. Especially for old witches like me.”
Dorian laughed, giving her his best smile. “Who are you kidding? You’re still young.” She snorted and waved him off again. As she fed the other wyverns, he turned back to Abraxos.
Fearing this would be his last chance to see the wyvern and hoping no one else would be here, he’d gotten up early to visit. Not that he’d actually slept. He couldn’t remember the last time he got a full night’s sleep. “Hey, Brax,” he cooed, stepping through the gate into the stall. The wyvern curled his long, barbed tail around Dorian’s feet as he continued petting his snout. Dorian pulled a small bouquet of flowers from his cloak and laughed as a low, contented sound rumbled from Abraxos’s chest.
“He’s not like that with just anyone.” Glennis was standing behind them. “Flowers or no flowers.”
“I know,” Dorian said.
“She’d be mad to see you spoiling him so much.”
He huffed a laugh. “I know.” But he didn’t stop.
Glennis knew why he was here and went back to spoil her own wyvern, giving him privacy.
After a while, Dorian inhaled, long and ragged, his breath pooling in the morning chill when he released it. Abraxos watched him, seeming to know this was a goodbye. The wyvern let out a sad whine and Dorian tipped his head forward to rest against Abraxos. “You take good care of her for me, Brax. All right?”
Abraxos huffed in agreement, enshrouding Dorian in a cloud of hot air. The pungent smell gave Dorian the perfect excuse for the tears that had gathered in his eyes as he said goodbye to the little scarred wyvern.
Glennis was not so easily fooled. She knew the reason for the shimmer in his eyes, but said nothing as they started back to the castle together. The main stable appeared to be under control and Dorian waved to the head groom as they passed.
“You were married to a Crochan prince,” Dorian said, breaking their silence as they climbed a hill. “Was it arranged, or did you choose each other?”
For all her talk of old age, Glennis didn’t struggle with the incline. “A bit of both. We’d known each other forever, and our parents had thought it was a good match. There was never any formal agreement but they encouraged us. It was a bond forged of love.”
“So, you were mates then?”
“Yes,” she said, pulling her cloak up around her neck as they reached the top and were exposed to the wind. “But witches don’t have mating bonds like the fae.” She stopped walking to think. “It’s not a tether, not a physical thing like it is to the fae. There’s no silent communication, no feral territoriality. It’s just a stronger connection than a normal relationship. Why are you asking?”
Dorian tried to shrug it off. “Just curious.” They started walking again and he moved so he might block the worst of the wind from reaching her. “Then it has nothing to do with witches having fae blood? I mean, Manon must have more than the average witch since she comes from a lineage without much human involvement.”
Glennis frowned. “Hmmm, maybe. I’d never really thought of it like that. Our fae blood is so diluted, I’m not sure that it really makes a difference.” She stopped, and by her sad eyes, he knew he’d failed to fool her again. “You think Manon is your mate.”
He wanted to say yes. How else to explain the depth of his feelings for her? That constant tug in his chest. Light as it may be, it still connected him to her. Perhaps it was the fae blood in her, making a mating bond between them stronger than with other witches. But then, wouldn’t that also make it more possible for her to be Fennick’s mate? No, he wouldn’t allow himself to go down that path. Not after a long night of fighting the worst his imagination could come up with.
Maybe what he had with Manon was just love. A strong love of two people who completed each other, filled in the pieces that were missing and held the other up when darkness set in. That would be enough, Dorian knew. He didn’t need a mating bond to love her.
Glennis was still waiting for his reply. “I don’t know,” he said truthfully. “I don’t think it matters.” He’d meant the words differently than she took them. But when sorrow crept across her face, so deep it made his chest ache, he knew what she was thinking.
“No,” she said. “After today, I don’t think it will either.”
*****
Manon sat rigid, her eyes facing forward, ignoring all the stares and words whispered in her direction. She and Glennis had blessedly been ushered to a spot with only two available seats, ensuring Fennick could not sit next to her. Giselle and Lara were positioned nearby, but out of the way of other guests. Hearing Fennick’s voice as he took his seat a couple of rows behind them, Manon exchanged a look with Glennis.
After her lunch with Yrene and while they readied themselves for the ceremony, Manon and her guards had discussed what little they could find out about the prince. The two witches gathered minimal gossip from the castle workers. The prince had brought no attendants or valets of his own, and he’d made a show of turning down the head steward’s offer to provide him one. It wasn’t unusual for a noble to eschew servants, even for a long and important trip such as this. But it felt off given his formality and haughty nature. Of course, it kept him out of the streams of gossip among the staff.
Manon had gone herself to the royal library, hoping to find some information on Fennick’s lineage. The Whitethorn clan was old and spread out in the fae lands across the sea. And with his age, she thought perhaps he’d been mentioned in a genealogy or even history book. But the librarian had been unable to find anything substantial. The only occurrence of his name was in a recent book about the fae that included trees of the older families. Fennick was indeed a second cousin to Rowan and Sellene, stemming from a side of the family that Maeve had passed over when it came to titles and lands. How he’d risen to prince so quickly, she didn’t know. Sellene, ever practical and shrewd, had not seemed the type to toss out prestigious titles to just anyone. Nor was she the type, Manon realized, who would send an extravagant gift in an attempt to brag about her kingdom’s wealth.
They’d found nothing, and what little she did know made no sense. And yet, it left her unsettled. Glennis too. But, like the others, her grandmother had hated him from the start. In her mind, Manon had already dismissed him as a possible consort or provider of an heir. Yet she was still more ambivalent about Fennick’s flaws than Glennis and Yrene. His story about the human woman he’d almost given up his immortality for had touched a very raw nerve and stuck with her. Whether it was the faint similarities to her own situation, or just that she pitied him, she was unsure. Perhaps Yrene was wrong. And Glennis.
That was what unsettled her the most. It seemed impossible that both of them would misjudge the male. If only she weren’t here for Dorian’s wedding. Everything from her wits to her instincts were off kilter because of it, and she didn’t trust herself. Then again, if not for this wedding, she’d never have met Fennick and wouldn’t need to concern herself with him. The one good thing to come of it was the distraction it had provided her today.
There was movement at the front of the large chapel and Manon used every ounce of control to keep her face calm as Dorian and Chaol walked out towards the podium behind which the priest stood. Dressed in an azure jacket that brought out the brilliance of his eyes, he looked even more handsome than he had last night at dinner. Damaris hung from his side, and with his crown, he looked like a warrior king of old. This was it then, she thought, praying uselessly for more distractions or delays. Anything to keep her from having to watch Dorian pledge himself to another.
When he and Chaol took their places, the strings began to play a soft, beautiful melody. She couldn’t help herself and looked right at Dorian. He was, of course, staring at her. And for that moment, she pretended that she was walking to meet him. That she would be taking him as her king, becoming his queen, instead of Eveline. The hint of a smile caught his lips and she suspected, hoped, that he was imagining the same thing.
It wasn’t until Chaol lightly touched Dorian’s arm, drawing a frown in response, that she noticed the music had started over. She turned to Glennis and saw confusion, which was mirrored on the others in the crowd. Her grandmother stretched around to look back at the front entrance where the bride should have been standing.
“Maybe she has cold feet,” someone muttered.
In the first row, Lord Frey was turning red with rage. And right before he could jump up to go find his daughter and likely drag her down the aisle, Yrene came running in with a note in her hand.
***
Dorian hadn’t noticed anything. He’d been too busy looking at Manon. She was seated, so he couldn’t see the entire thing, but this dress rivaled the one she’d worn last night. A silvery gray color that matched the shimmering wings of her wyvern, the dress had a neckline that stretched across her collar bones, from shoulder to shoulder. Hanging down over her chest was a single red ruby, large enough to fit within the eye in the pommel of his sword. Her hair was braided into a crown atop her head. Despite their fight, despite everything, he smiled at her, unable to tear his gaze away. Unable to keep from wishing it was her walking towards him today.
Until Chaol tapped his arm and brought him back to reality. Where the musicians were fumbling to begin the processional again. Where Lord Frey was staring daggers at him for admiring Manon. Where Yrene was walking up the aisle instead of Eveline. He hadn’t even noticed Yrene wasn’t seated before them.
Trying to keep her voice low, she handed Dorian the letter she carried and said, “She’s gone. This was all she left.”
With so many eager ears and the heightened acoustics of the building, everyone heard her. Immediately, the chapel was in an uproar. Some guests were shocked, upset to see their king abandoned at the altar. Others were watching the scene unfold with glee, anxious for the tales they could tell afterwards. The priest stood with his mouth agape. Lord Frey was reaching for the letter, sputtering curses and pushing back the lords who’d allied with him. They were gathered around him, clamoring for an explanation. Manon and Glennis both stared wide-eyed at him, unsure how to react.
Dorian spun away from Lord Frey’s grasp and began to read.
Your Majesty,
Please forgive me for the lateness of this wedding gift. I had hoped to have it weeks ago, but my father is a paranoid man with many hideaways, and my efforts were delayed.
My father is not what he seems. He lost most of his gold during the war and has been pretending to be wealthy ever since. He fears nothing more than losing his title and being relegated to a life of poverty. His complaints to his neighbors about your rule were nothing more than talk. Is wasn’t until he was approached from afar that the talk turned into real threats of rebellion.
I was aware that someone was pushing my father down this path, offering to pay a rich reward for his work, but I didn’t know who until just an hour ago. A friend was finally able to procure some messages sent from the foreign party to my father as proof of their plan. They have been placed in your valet’s safe keeping. Ruben was always kind to me, and I believe him to be a trustworthy attendant to you.
I am sure you are curious about who is funding my father’s play at rebellion. I must confess I was shocked and confused to learn that Prince Fennick is behind the plot.
According to the messages, the prince had heard of my father’s money woes and came to him with a plan. My father was to stir up trouble among your nobles then offer up my hand in marriage as the only way to appease him and prevent a war.
I cannot be sure of the prince’s motives, but I suspect he has had his eye on your beloved witch queen for some time. I trust you will be able to get the details out of him.
I must also ask your forgiveness for my dreadful conduct in leaving you like this. The truth is, I am in love with a man named Costis, a groom in your stables. We had planned to run away, but my father pulled me unwillingly into his scheme before we could manage it. Costis was able to acquire the letters just this morning. As I have been freed from my father, we are now off to live our own lives.
I said above that this is my wedding gift to you. Of course, as we are no longer getting married, I do not give it to you as a wife to her husband. Instead, I offer this to my King, who is also now free to be with the witch he loves.
With hope for a long and happy life with your queen,
Eveline
 Dorian wasn’t sure if he was breathing. He rubbed at his eyes, skimmed over the message again and again, making sure it was real and not some figment of his overwrought imagination. Passing it to Chaol, he ordered him to arrest Frey. And then he found Manon in the crowd and ran to her.
Her face held a million questions, but there was no time. They’d waited long enough. Pulling her into his arms, he kissed her. After a second’s hesitation, she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back. He thought he heard someone yelling but it faded away, just like everything else around them.
The world, his world, was here in his arms. That’s all that mattered.
When they broke apart, the chapel had quieted down. Manon opened her eyes slowly, as if coming out of a trance. “Marry me, witchling,” Dorian said, letting his wild grin take over his face. “Not today. I want our friends with us. But please, will you marry me? Be my queen? The only one I’ve ever wanted.”
Manon began to laugh, and the sound of her joy was like a balm to his heart, repairing all the cracks and pieces that had broken off in the past months.
“Please,” he repeated. “If you want me to beg, I will.”
She laughed again before cupping his face in her hands and nodding. “Yes. I will marry you, princeling.”
Some of the guests began cheering, others were still reeling by the turn of events. Chaol and Yrene were next to them, hugging Glennis.
Dorian turned to see Lord Frey in shackles, being hauled off by the royal guard. A glance to Chaol told him they still had one other person to deal with. Signaling to his remaining guard and Manon’s sentinels, he walked to where Fennick still stood, an expression of deepest insult on the prince’s face.
“Fennick Whitethorn, you are under arrest for plotting to overthrow Adarlan,” Dorian said. Manon looked between him and Fennick, speechless with shock.
The male was stricken with outrage. “What? What the hell are you talking about? When I return to Doranelle, this will not be forgotten! Sellene will not stand for this!”
“I suspect Queen Sellene is not aware of what you’ve been up to,” Dorian countered, noticing Ruben enter the chapel. His valet waved a stack of papers for Dorian to see. Dorian nodded and motioned for Chaol to fetch them. To Manon, he explained, “Eveline found proof that our good friend Fennick was paying Lord Frey to carry out this sham. He wanted me out of the way to pursue you.”
Manon’s eyes narrowed and he saw the anger and embarrassment rise in her like a flood. It was a level of rage he’d never seen on her before. And hoped to never see again.
She turned and glared up at Fennick. He immediately began accusing Eveline and Lord Frey of lying, accusing Dorian of making it up to escape the wedding. But she said nothing, just watched him grow more pathetic as he spouted increasingly ridiculous excuses. When he had nothing left to say, Manon cocked her arm and punched him in the face, sending him shuffling back and twirling around before he thudded to the floor, unconscious. Her witches picked him up and dragged him out, following the royal guard to the dungeon.
*****
After an abbreviated un-wedding dinner, Manon walked with Dorian to the top of the king’s tower, past her guest rooms to the suite she would now be sharing with him. There was much to be discussed and worked out. While their marriage would be a good alliance for both kingdoms, compromises would have to be made. Including, Manon informed him, splitting their time between the two capitols.
Dorian had agreed before she even got all the words out. “I don’t care where we are, as long as we’re together.”
“We can’t be together all the time,” she said, trying to be sensible as she stood before him, staring in wonder at his proximity, listening to his heartbeat. He was taking his time pulling the pins from her hair, one by one. Manon wasn’t sure if sensible was possible right now. The heartache of the last six months, the explosive revelations of hours ago, she exhaled and let it all go, as if the winds could carry it away across the sea. Right here, right now, it was just them. Sensible talk about kingdoms and politics could wait.
“I beg to differ,” he said, reaching around her head for a pin. The movement brought him blessedly closer.
“There you go again,” she purred. “Begging.”
Her hair was free of pins and he began to undo the braid, letting it fall through his fingers. “Only for you, witchling.”
She continued to watch him, getting lost in the perfect smile that hadn’t left his face in hours. When Manon reached up and ran her fingers over his dimpled cheek, he made a little gasp and turned his attention from her hair. “You said last night that I don’t belong to you, but you belong to me,” she said.
“I did.” His smile faded, his voice a deep whisper.
“You were wrong. I am yours and yours only. There is no one else I would give myself to.”
Dorian took her face in both hands and kissed her, and she felt his smile return. “Only you.”
Clutching her hand, he led her to the bed where they took their time undressing each other. She lay back on the bed, losing herself to the charged heat of his touch, the soft fullness of his lips.
“Only you,” she murmured, feeling his mouth curl up against the inside of her thigh.
Dorian took his time, for they had that now. Time to tease and caress every inch of her, time to nip at her ears, time to shift her hips to sink deeper inside her, leaving her breathless and needy for more. And after an eternity where he sent her spinning over the edge again and again, he joined her, calling out her name as if it were his home.
When their euphoria faded, Dorian fell onto the bed next to her, pulling her close as they fought to catch their breath. “And you say I’m the one who always begs,” he teased.
They slept in the next morning, not getting out of bed until almost noon when Ruben knocked and demanded they eat something. There were other things to see to, guests to say goodbye to, and then finally, that night after dinner, Manon and Dorian went to the dungeons.
The second Lord Frey saw them, he dropped to his knees. “Please, Your Majesty. I only wanted the money to rebuild my estate. I never intended to bring about war. Please, please …”
Manon was surprised by the sudden turn. Just yesterday at the ceremony, he’d been trying to urge his allies to stand in support of him, ultimately resorting to screamed threats that had the opposite effect. And now, he was on his knees, pleading for his life.
“You’re accused of treason, Frey,” Dorian said. The man flinched at the loss of his title. “If you really want to continue confessing, be my guest. But you may want to wait for a judge.”
The man shook his head, befuddled. “You … you’re not going to hang me?”
This man had almost destroyed their lives, bringing Adarlan to the brink of civil war. Dorian had every right to punish him harshly. They’d discussed how to handle these interrogations over dinner, though they had not expected it would be this easy. It seemed that Frey was a coward at heart and had been a poor choice of conspirators for Fennick.
Dorian said, “I won’t hang you. If you tell me why.”
Frey heaved a sigh of relief, though he had the sense to still look nervous. “Before the war, Duke Perrington forced me to help fund some of his work at Morath.” At Dorian’s dubious look, he added, “I swear I did not know who he truly was then. I was acting in the best interest of my kingdom and my holdings. But … he bled me dry, offering promises of future reward that never came. And then he was revealed to be Erawan, leaving Adarlan devastated. I had enough in my vault to maintain appearances, but nothing more. Prince Fennick approached me earlier this year with an offer that would allow me to regain my former wealth. I was to stir up dislike for you and get support from other nobles, enough to pose a credible threat to your throne. When talk of rebellion grew to a boiling point, I would demand you marry my daughter. Her hand in exchange for appeasing your enemies.”
“And what was your payment?” Manon asked.
“Gold,” Frey said simply. She arched an eyebrow in a silent demand for more, and he sank miserably onto the floor. “And the promise that when an heir was born, the king would be eliminated, leaving me as regent.”
The gold was expected. But the threat of assassination came as a shock. Dorian was speechless, trying to process how close they’d come to ruin. Frey eyed him, fearful that the earlier proposal to spare him from hanging would be dismissed.
“What did he stand to gain?” Manon continued. Frey seemed oblivious to the fact that he would be installed as a puppet. Or, more likely, set up as Dorian’s killer and disposed of himself.  
“Prince Fennick would be able to marry you. He told me all about how the two of you met during the war.” At Manon’s surprise, the man hesitated. “He said that he had fallen in love with you, that you were his mate. But you were attached to King Dorian. He believed the only chance he stood was to have the king removed from the mix.”
Manon and Dorian said nothing as they stared at each other. Frey returned to begging for his life, mistaking their silence for anger at the dark depths of the scheme. He was still calling out to them for mercy as they left him with a guard.
When they reached Fennick’s cell further down the dank passageway, they found the fae stretched out lazily on a cot. His eyes were closed, and something about the scene made Manon’s temper boil to the surface. Dorian cleared his throat, and the fae could no longer pretend they weren’t there. He stood and looked between her and Dorian.
She’d thought perhaps Fennick might still be projecting the indignant fury of the night before, or something worse. But he wore the same confident expression he’d had when she first met him.
“I wasn’t lying about that woman I loved. Mortals are fickle. And they die so easily.”
It was directed at Manon, but Dorian asked, “Was that a threat?” She knew he was keeping his magic on a tight leash, but the air still crackled with it.
Fennick huffed a laugh, ignoring the question and Dorian. “Immortals such as you and I should not debase ourselves by associating with humans. Maeve and I rarely saw eye to eye, but the restrictions she placed on who could settle in Doranelle were something on which we could agree.”
“It seems to me your human was the smart one,” Manon said, somehow controlling the urge to maul him. “Escaping your clutches was the best thing that could have happened to her.”
He grinned at her, his sharp canines flashing, a glint of malice in his eyes. “Who said she escaped me?”
Here was the male she’d been worried they might find, the one kept hidden under the fancy clothes and courtly manners. The one who thought he could take their kingdoms as his own.
“So, you hate humans?” Dorian asked, lightly. “That’s what this is all about?”
Fennick finally turned to acknowledge him. “I don’t particularly care for them. But no, Your Majesty, that’s not what this is about.” Dorian’s title came out of his mouth as a sneer. “I had just as much right to Maeve’s throne as any Whitethorn. To simply hand it to Sellene, as if it were some cheap trinket to be tossed at whoever stood nearest was a disgrace.”
“We had nothing to do with that,” Manon said.
“True,” Fennick agreed. “But there were no other kingdoms as vulnerable as yours. Or as valuable, what with all that gold you have hidden in the Wastes. The Witch Kingdom was the perfect place to start.”
Manon growled at the insult, but Dorian asked, “Start what?”
“My rule,” he said simply. To Manon, he added, “Having you at my side was to an extra reward. I understand the valg king wanted you for his queen. I must confess, that piqued my interest.”
She shuddered at the mention of Erawan. It brought back memories of the way his eyes would crawl over her, possessive and hungry. The valg king had planned to keep her as his own. Much like this fae.
Dorian’s restraint was reaching its limit and the air felt suddenly cooler. His voice was just as icy as he asked, “Rule what?”
“Everything.” The word was slick, as if coated in venom.
Something had changed in Fennick’s manner with the confession. Gone were the handsome features and polite way of speaking. Locked in a cell, his hair disheveled and clothing dirty, he looked like a different creature. She’d known fae could be feral, animalistic. She’d experienced it, barely survived it. But watching him speak these words, Manon wondered if she’d truly ever seen the transformation before.
“You searched for a desperate Adarlan noble,” she said, “one with a marriageable daughter, one who could be paid off to extort the king. All to force Dorian into an arranged marriage, seduce me to steal my kingdom, then kill him for his. Do I have it right?”
Fennick’s eyes narrowed on Dorian and he grinned. “The seduction part is right, at least.”
Manon flew at him, her iron nails extended and desperate for blood. Bars or not, she wanted to scratch the bastard’s eyes from their sockets. But Dorian grabbed her by the waist and held her back. She struggled against him briefly before calming down. When he let go of her, she still shook with the desire to hurt the male. This fae prince had truly thought he could conquer Erilea? She wanted to scream in his face that he was a fool. But she kept her mouth shut, not wanting to bring more attention to how close he’d come to setting his plan in motion. And to her own foolishness. She’d let this monster touch her, dance with her. She’d pitied him when he deserved nothing but revulsion.
Dorian stepped up to the cell door, eyeing Fennick with a sly smile. “It’s funny that you think you could try to play us against each other.”
The male shrugged, unconcerned. “It was worth a shot. You are only human.”
“I may only be human,” Dorian said, “but I have something you don’t.”
Instantly, Fennick was slammed backwards by invisible hands, thrown up against the grimy stone wall and held there. He tried to speak but couldn’t. Somehow, Dorian had cut off his voice. The male’s eyes bulged in rage.
Manon watched Fennick struggle against Dorian’s magic, her enjoyment of the spectacle growing with each vein that popped out on the male’s neck. Speaking to Dorian, she mused, “Do you think he’s even a prince?”
“From his branch of the family? The one even Maeve ignored?” Dorian taunted. “No, I doubt it. And Sellene certainly played no part in this. He’s here on his own, likely without a coin to his name.”
“That reminds me,” Manon said, turning back to Fennick. “Your intricate plan had at least two big flaws,” she said. “Your reliance on using the Witch Kingdom’s gold was misguided, I’m afraid. The gold we have is mostly still in the ground, unrefined, and worth next to nothing. And your pathetic attempts to seduce me and make me think we might be mates …” She trailed off, swallowing the bile that had risen in her throat at the words. “My mate stands beside me now,” she said, feeling Dorian’s gaze settle on her. Whatever connection they shared, whether it was love or something more, they were mates in each other’s eyes.
Fennick had gone still, a silent, malevolent rage simmering off him. She glanced at Dorian, who loosened his magical hold and let the fae drop to the floor in a heap.
Jumping up, Fennick sprang towards the bars holding him in, teeth bared, his hands reaching out to strike her. Dorian had them shielded. And when his fists were repelled by nothing but air, Fennick screamed. “You bitch! You don’t know-” The fae was thrown back against the wall, his voice cut off again.
“I’ve heard enough,” Dorian said, his face twisted as he struggled to control his magic so as not to kill the male.
Before they left, Manon said, “A messenger has been sent to Sellene, outlining all you’ve done and what you will be charged with. If she asks for you back to throw in her own cells, we may oblige.” When he didn’t seem to care, she added, “And a messenger was sent north to Terrasen. I’m sure Rowan will be interested in hearing about what you’ve done using the family name.” For the first time, real fear flashed across Fennick’s face. Manon smiled, wicked and slow. “You’re right to fear him,” she said. “But I fought with Sellene in the war. She is just as fearsome as Rowan. Why do you think they made her queen?”
By the time they walked back past Frey’s cell, it had been emptied of its prisoner. In exchange for his promise of testimony, he’d been moved to a cleaner section of the dungeons. And when they started up the twisting stairs, Dorian released his magic. They heard a thud and a string of loud curses.
Manon was silent as they came out into a room just off the main entrance hall. Even though she never fell for Fennick’s advances, had never come close to letting things progress in that direction, she’d excused his behavior. The fact that he’d marked her as a fool, marked her kingdom as vulnerable, marked Dorian for death, left her dizzy with guilt and fear. While Glennis and Yrene were happy to be proven right about him, Manon felt adrift, as if her instincts had abandoned her.
“It’s not your fault, you know,” Dorian said, motioning the steward over to them. She didn’t hear what he requested.
“I know. But it feels as though it is.”
“Well, if it’s any consolation, I was duped as much as you were. Thank the gods for Eveline and Costis.”
“Yes,” Manon agreed. “I wonder where they will end up?”
A boy returned bearing two heavy cloaks. Dorian took them and smiled. “I don’t know. But we should find them and send them a wedding gift.”
He draped a cloak over her shoulders and put the other one across his own. Clasping her hand, he led her out of the castle and in the direction of the stables. Abraxos stretched his long neck and arched his back at the first sight of them, excited for their late visit. Manon hugged Dorian tight, thanking him for knowing exactly what she needed at the exact right time. They climbed into the saddle and with a whoop from his rider, Abraxos took off into the star filled night.
***
The following summer in Rifthold, after a week of festivities that brought the Terrasen Queen and her entire court, the Queen of the Western Wastes, the future Emperor and Empress of the Southern Continent, the newly crowned King of Wendlyn, the Queen of Doranelle, and other royalty from across Erilea, Dorian and Manon were finally married.
That night, after the ceremony, as they lay in bed pointing out familiar constellations that had been painted on the ceiling of the royal suite, Dorian pulled a package from the bedside table. Silently, he presented it to his queen. Manon took it, bemused and unable to tell what was under the wrapping. When she tore it off and opened the box, she found a beautiful, leather-bound book.
Stamped in gold lettering on the cover were their names, Manon and Dorian.
“Is this the same …?” She trailed off, knowing the answer before finishing the question.
Dorian shook his head. “No, but Glennis told me about the one you got. I thought we should have our own. Open it.”
She flipped through and found some of the pages in the beginning already filled in. There was a family tree for each of them. Dorian’s included Chaol, Yrene, and Josie. And Manon traced her fingers over the names of the parents she’d never met, and the sisters she had lost.
Then a page titled How We Met. It was mostly blank, except for where Dorian had written
She saved me.
Manon stared at it for a long moment. Then suddenly, she jumped out of bed and went to his desk. After a moment of searching, she found a pen and bottle of ink. Underneath his words, she wrote
He saved me too.
Over the years, the book was carried back and forth between Adarlan and the Witch Kingdom, never leaving the possession of the King and Queen. Its pages were filled with memories, happy and sad. Memories of theirs and of others. Births, deaths.
And when the book was passed on to their daughter, she read her parents love for her and each other in every word. For they were lucky. Rhiannon’s parents were a love match, and she’d promised them she wouldn’t settle for anything less.
The end.
***
Thank you so much for reading! I hope this ending made up for the pain and angst everyone suffered through! ☺️
You can find my writing master list here or on AO3.
@itach-i  @bookishwitchling  @manontrashbeak  @awesomelena555  @jimetg98  @over300books
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duskamethyst · 4 years
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not a bad thing.
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a/n: we often see fics involving cats turning into a human hybrid but i wanted to switch it up. i wasn’t sure if i wanted to make him full on quadrupedal or just half human-cat. spoiler: i chose the latter.
word count: 2.8k
genre: fluff
warnings: n/a
pairing: catboy!shinsou x gn!reader
summary: shinsou is infested by a quirk that turns him into a cat. how is he going to turn back?
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you and shinsou are on patrol before suddenly alerted that there is a robbery from the jewelry shop nearby. the both of you quickly get into offensive mode and spot the running criminal, one that you’ve never seen or known of– probably making their debut tonight. they have the physique of a human but the head of a cat. none of you have any idea of what their quirk is but judging from their figure, you probably have the gist of it.
“okay, they’re running into an alley!” you inform shinsou who’s running right behind you. “i’ll try to get them from the back while you try to distract them.” 
“hey, wait–” he calls but you already left him when you turn to the other side of the building to execute your plan. 
you stalk the criminal behind the wall who’s running towards your direction before jumping in front of them and startling them. your quirk allows the ground to turn into clay and objects to molt into shapes you desire with a touch. the ground between you melted once you activated your quirk, but the offender is quick to stop and turn around and face shinsou instead. 
“we got you cornered. please don’t resist.” shinsou says, activating his quirk at the same time. realizing that they have no other options, they sprint forwards into shinsou’s direction to make a break for it. shinsou swiftly uses his scarf to grab a hold on them but unfortunately, they’re so much quicker and are able to smoothly avoid the restraints– thanks to their feline capabilities and senses. 
“shinsou!” the culprit is closing in and before shinsou can defend himself, he’s met with nothing but a soft peck on his lips. the both of you are surprised and they easily take the opportunity to escape and disappear from your sights. 
“are you–” concerned, you run up to him who is still baffled and wiping his lips with his sleeve. 
“fine,” he grunts. “but they got away. hopefully the police are notified by now.”
“i’m sorry, it’s my fault. i didn’t think it through.” you sigh defeatedly. “but hey, at least someone got a kiss!” you joke, eliciting an eye roll from the male. 
“shut up, it’s not funny. what am i gonna write in our report? ‘got kissed by a villain’? goddamn it.”
you laugh, “it sounds romantic, though.”
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a loud banging on your door suddenly interrupts you from your sleep. you glance sleepily at the clock from your bedside table– 2:24 a.m. maybe turning on sleep mode wasn’t a good idea.
you look through the peephole and open the door to a very distressed shinsou in his hoodie. 
“what’s going on?” you move to the side to let him stomp in before closing the door behind you. it has only been a few hours since the incident earlier. he stays silent as he stands in the middle of the room and it kind of starts to make you feel worried. “shinsou?”
he turns around with a glare and he sighs to recollect himself, “promise me you won’t laugh.”
you blink at him once, twice. “i was in the middle of my sleep, i don’t think i’m in the mood for a joke right now.”
“promise me.”
“okay, okay. i promise!” 
once he gets your word on it, he slowly pulls the hoodie down from his head– and you can’t believe what you’re seeing; shinsou now has cat ears!
“what– what’s that?!” your hand finds its way to your mouth as you try to hold in your laughter. is this a joke? was he forced to do this?
“you promised–” he pulls back the hoodie on his head to hide his new ears that hold the same shade as his hair.
“i know! but– but it’s a good look on you! you look so cute!” you start giggling and walk up to him. “oh my god, can i touch it?”
“what?! no!” shinsou steps back, protecting his new ears with his hands. 
“oh, come on! you trust me with this, right? i bet i’m the first person you looked for!” 
“y-yeah, but–” he stammers, “but that’s only because you were with me! i bet it was their quirk that made me like this!” 
you manage to corner him to a wall and you quickly take off his hoodie to reveal his ears again that are pushing backwards as some sort of sign of defense. 
“i promise i’ll be gentle.” you coax, hands already reaching up to his ears before he could answer. you scratch behind his ears like you normally do with cats and he slowly relaxes to your touch. 
before he feels like he’s about to purr and humiliate himself, shinsou smacks your hand away, “cut it out.”
“why? i thought cats like that?” 
“and i’m not a cat.” he looks away to hide his face, feeling like his cheeks are turning warm. “anyways, i don’t know what else it’s gonna do nor how long.”
“but we gotta tell the hero’s commission about this. i don’t know if you wanna stay over or something but i really wanna see what’ll happen tomorrow.” 
“so you can laugh at me even more? when my tail shows up?” he snorts. 
“pshh, no.” shinsou squints at you for a moment before you groan defeatedly, “okay, maybe?” 
he rolls his eyes, “don’t mind me then.”
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if your sleep last night was disturbed by knockings from the door, this morning you’re woken up by a frantic shout of your name from the living room. you quickly get out of bed to check out what’s happening.
“shinsou– oh my god!” you squeal both in amusement and shock as you notice a fluffy indigo tail coming from shinsou’s back. shinsou, however, looks beyond unamused. 
“ït’s getting worse.” 
“aw, shinsou.” your lips feign a pout. “you look ador– ack!” he throws a pillow at you. “fine, i’ll report this to the commission.”
“could you, maybe...” he mutters before you turn back to your room. “leave out the details? i feel embarrassed.”
you tilt your head questioningly, “but isn’t that the most important part? to find out how to undo their quirk?”
shinsou just remains quiet, his eyes staring down onto the ground. feeling as if you don’t want to make his day any worse, you comply. maybe you can find something out by the end of the day or maybe he can only hope that the quirk won’t last much longer anymore, that there should be a time limit for it like most quirks do.
you leave the room to take a quick shower and write in your report. a couple of hours pass by and you think about cooking for your guest today. shinsou is still laying on your sofa, looking very much in despair while his fluffy tail wags up and down, making you feel nothing more than mesmerized by it. 
failing to fight the urge, you quietly sneak behind him and tug on his tail. the startled male turns to you annoyingly.
“at this point i just wish claws would come out so i can put a scar on you.”
“and i will throw a bucket of water in your face.” you tease. “anyways, i’m gonna cook for both of us now. you can do whatever you like. you’re a cat anyways, i can’t really tell you what to do.” he glares at you while you stride off towards the kitchen laughing. 
you call out to eat once you’ve finished cooking. nothing too special, just fried rice and stirred veggies that are enough to fill your empty stomach. you’re not going to take any complaints and you’re not the best cook either but it’s the most you could do right now. 
“ack!” shinsou coughs after taking the first bite of his meal and quickly gulps down some water.
you look at him dejectedly, “hey, i know my cooking isn’t that good. don’t need to rub it in my face!”
he shakes his head, “no, it’s just– i think my taste buds aren’t working well.”
“you’re just trying to make me feel better.” you scowl playfully but shinsou only chugs his drink each time he tries to put food inside his mouth. “don’t tell me you only want to eat fish now?” 
“i hope i don’t. but– meow?” realizing what slips out from his mouth so casually, he puts his hand over his mouth in shock.
“meow?” you repeat. 
“shit, i– meow.”
“shinsou, are you okay?” you look at him curiously. 
he shakes his head again, his cat ears pushed back. when you stand up from your seat to check on him, he quickly dashes to the corner of the room and faces the wall. you carefully walk closer to him but as you are about to put your hand on his shoulder, shinsou turns around and hisses at you– his tail slightly fluffed up. 
you take a step back in wary, “oh, um, okay? i’ll get you a fish? is that what you want?”
shinsou only growls lowly, his irises narrow and tail wagging in annoyance as he watches you walk back into the kitchen to get food for him. 
oh boy, this is bad. he lost his speech abilities. 
thankfully, you have some raw salmon in your fridge. while you wait for it to defrost, shinsou only curls up in the corner defensively. each time you try to get closer to him, he’ll either growls or hisses at you. as much as you want to be offended (he’s close to you after all), you can’t help but think it’s rather adorable to see him like this– behaving like a cat though you can see that he still has his attitude.
you then try to sway him with the fish, gently placing down the plate in front of him before he sniffs his food and crouches down to eat it without using his hands. 
“that looks... so inhumane.” you sigh. “maybe i should feed you?”
you take a slice of salmon from the plate and bring it in front of his mouth in an attempt to feed him. he looks at you warily for a brief second before sniffing it again and opening his mouth to nibble on his food. 
“that’s a good boy!” you giggle, reaching to pat his head but he shies away as he chews his meal. okay, he probably needs some time. 
you patiently feed him until the plate is empty and give him some water to drink. you then finish up your brunch and do the dishes while shinsou lazes around on your sofa. to your surprise, shinsou is quick to warm up to you when he sits up and scoots from his seat, giving you room to sit next to him. even more surprising when he lays his head on your lap right after that. it makes your heart throb and embarrassed at the same time.
“uh...” he looks content but you’re unsure if he’d allow you to touch him. however, you decide to try your luck and begin to gently caress his hair.  
shinsou flutters his eyes open at the touch and doesn’t fight back but instead his eyes slowly shuts again as he leans into your hold. his head nuzzles against your hand as you continue to stroke his hair. you take it as a sign that he has finally loosen up and you waste no time to scratch him behind the ears. over time, you can almost hear him purring on your lap. your heart squeezes in glee at the thought that shinsou finds comfort and warmth from you. 
“you’re not hard to please, huh?” you chuckle as you watch the male endearingly; maybe he should just stay like this so you won’t have to put up with his smart mouth so much. you’ve heard about how cats are able to provide humans oxytocin but currently you’re not sure if it’s because he is partially a cat or because it’s shinsou himself. 
the both of you stay in the position for quite a time as you idly flip through channels on the tv screen. truth be told, shinsou is the only one that feels comfortable right now. you want to move because your legs are starting to feel numb but you feel bad if you wake or move him. fortunately, you are saved by the bell when there’s a knock on the door. 
shinsou’s ears perk up as his attention is drawn towards the door.
“hold on, i think i got a package.” you stand up from the sofa and head towards the door to greet the delivery man. 
shinsou watches you as you stand there and engage in little unnecessary chats while you sign on the paper. the man gets excited when he recognizes you as one of the pro heroes and somehow it drags into a long conversation before he realizes that he’s running out of time and needs to deliver his packages to the other customers. with a brief handshake, he finally leaves your doorstep and you turn towards a vigilant (half) man from your sofa.
his indigo eyes narrow down at you as you walk up to him, gaze piercing through you as you find your seat next to him again.
“what?” you look at him in unease. he shifts closer to you and scrunches his nose as he takes a sniff from you and a low growl rips from his throat as if something unpleasant just flared through his nostrils. and to shinsou, it is– the scent is still you but it’s somehow tainted now and he doesn’t appreciate it.
“hey, i already took a–” 
shinsou suddenly jumps on you, his hands pushing you roughly by the shoulders as his bigger and muscular build hovers over you. your heartbeat is running a mile once your eyes are locked with his. you hung around him a lot before and there were some unintentional brush of the hands here and there, but this is probably the closest you two have been and you’re starting to feel nervous. 
“shinsou? c-cut it out.” you whimper but the male doesn’t budge at all and instead his lazy eyes just continue to bore into yours.
if only you have a water quirk, you probably would spray his face by now.
once shinsou’s grip softens, you try to wriggle away. however, he leans down closer to you and stops an inch away from your face. you want to brace yourself for what’s to come but you have no idea what to expect either, but there’s an unshakeable feeling inside you that wishes to feel his soft lips on yours. you blush at the thought– you probably shouldn’t feel such way towards your colleague and especially when this is the work of the criminal’s quirk, you should keep this professional and not let your personal feelings be involved. 
however, your little wish is granted. 
your eyes almost go out of their sockets when shinsou gently presses his lips onto yours so tenderly. you can see that the absurd fury he had has subsided and he turns rather calm as a soft sigh escapes from him. slowly, your own eyes close as you give in to the kiss. 
it feels all too quick before he pulls away and gazes at you with those half-lidded eyes. it’s a dreamy sight and you just want to pull him back but you notice that his ears are slowly disappearing. 
he blinks a few times before letting reality finally hit him and realizing the compromising position the both of you are in. a tinge of pink creeps on his cheeks and he quickly pushes himself off of you. 
“your ears and tail are gone!” you squeal, voice masking the dread inside you that he’s back to normal but you’re also glad that the quirk has worn off. 
“thank god.” he sighs. he tries to remember the details of how he even got on top of you but nothing pops in his mind. he might have the slightest idea but he doesn’t want to believe it. the thought of it makes his ears and cheeks burn hotter. even if he did kiss you, he doesn’t want it to be like that– not when he’s under a damn quirk. 
“do you remember what happened?”
“the last thing i remember is when we’re having brunch.” he murmurs, still trying to put one and one together.
“oh, boy. you should’ve seen yourself! you suddenly started acting like a–”
“listen. you are to forget what just happened.” he cuts you off immediately. 
he’s so used to putting up a stoic attitude around people. he always deliberately tried to look cool especially around you and made sarcastic remarks to annoy you but that was one of his confusing ways to express his liking to you. and now the fact that he might have looked so vulnerable in front of you, it’s just too humiliating. 
“but–”
maybe this time, shinsou thinks it’s okay to finally use his quirk on you.
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duskamethyst © 2020 • do not modify, translate or repost anywhere.
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meghalayacareer · 1 year
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UPSC IES/ ISS Recruitment 2023: Economic Service/ Statistical Service Examination
UPSC IES/ ISS Recruitment 2023: Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has released an employment notification for the recruitment of 51 vacancy against Indian Economic Service (IES)/ Indian Statistical Service (ISS) Examination 2023. The last date for submission of the application is 09/05/2023. Name of Exam: Indian Economic Service/ Indian Statistical Service Examination 2023 - No of posts: 51 posts - Examination wise vacancy: - Indian Economic Service: 18 - Indian Statistical Service: 33 Eligibility Criteria of UPSC IES/ ISS Recruitment Educational Qualification: - Indian Economic Service: A candidate for the Indian Economic Service must have obtained a Post-Graduate Degree in Economics/Applied Economics/Business Economics/Econometrics from a University incorporated by of an Act of the Central or State Legislature in India or other Educational Institutes established by an Act Parliament or declared to be deemed as University under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 or a Foreign University approved by the Central Government from time to time. - Indian Statistical Service: A candidate for the Indian Statistical Service must have obtained a Bachelor’s Degree with Statistics/ Mathematical Statistics/Applied Statistics as one of the subject or a Master’s degree in Statistics/Mathematical Statistics/ Applied Statistics from a University incorporated by an Act of the Central or State Legislature in India or other Educational Institutes established by an Act of Parliament or declared to be deemed as University under Section 3 of the University Grants Commission Act, 1956 or a Foreign University approved by the Central Government from time to time. Age Limit: A candidate must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained the age of 30 years on 1st August, 2023 i.e he/she must have been born not earlier than 2nd August, 1993 and not later than 1st August, 2002. Age Relaxation: The category-wise age relaxation is as mentioned below. - SC/ST: 5 years - OBC: 3 years - PWD: 10 years Application Fee: Candidates (excepting Female/SC/ST/Persons with Benchmark Disability Candidates who are exempted from payment of fee) are required to pay fee of Rs. 200/- (Rupees Two Hundred only) either by remitting the money in any Branch of State Bank of India or by using Visa/Master/RuPay Credit/Debit Card or by using Internet Banking of SBI. Important Dates of UPSC IES/ ISS Recruitment 2023 - Starting Date to Apply Online: 19-04-2023 - Closing Date to Apply Online: 09-05-2023 How to Apply for UPSC IES/ ISS Recruitment ? Interested and eligible candidates may apply online for these vacancy through online mode by visiting official UPSC Recruitment Portal. Candidates may follow below mentioned steps to apply for UPSC IES/ ISS Recruitment. Candidates may follow the below-mentioned steps to apply online. - Scroll down, and go to below Online Application Link. - Click on "Apply Online" and complete the registration process by clicking "New Registration". - In the next stage, click on the "Online Application" Link and log in. - Fill out your all personal and educational details and upload the necessary documents. - In the end, submit the form. - Don't forget to take a print of a copy of the submitted application form. Those who wish to apply are advised to go through the below official notification in detail before submitting applications. Online Application Link Click Here Download Official Notification Click Here Job Updates on Telegram Click Here Read the full article
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officerjennie · 4 years
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Goodbye Kisses
(Prompted by myself on my birthday because help, I love them so much T^T) (Ko-fi and commission info in my blog header) 
--
It mattered not how many times they said goodbye, each time still broke another piece of his heart.
There were times Jaskier had ample warning. Days or even weeks to steel himself, to play the brilliant actor he prided himself to be. Ample time to remind himself quite sternly what he was to his witcher, his noble white wolf, the man who had swept into his life with all the flair and cheer of a beaten and tired mutt and had promptly and oh so very rudely stolen his heart.
A heart that many had attempted to steal in the past, might he add.
Those blessed days, hours, weeks - whatever time he had to fish his heart back from his sleeves and shove it back in his chest to be guarded like it had never wanted to be - they were all that saved him from certain embarrassment and rejection. For every single time, no matter that he knew it would end, he allowed himself to be a fool and believe that their journey would go onward. That every morning he could wake up bleary and far too late to his witcher grousing over their late start. That every afternoon would find him practicing his lute and songs while he danced his way down whatever trail laid before them, following after Roach’s twitching tail and the regal visage of Geralt, the most dearest man to his heart.
It was not one of those times, however.
“Leaving,” was the only grunted explanation he got as Geralt brushed past him, Jaskier left blinking after him where he stood still in the doorway to the room they’d planned on sharing for the next few days at the very least. It took far too many seconds for his thoughts to catch up to him, the silly grin he’d had frozen on his lips, laughter caught and dying in his throat.
“Wh- hold on, wait! Garelt!” Jaskier danced a little in the doorway, unsure of whether to take off after his companion given his own stuff was still strewn all about their room - everything but the lute strapped to his back and the smaller of his coin purses that he’d kept to collect the connected bar’s patron’s generous donations at his performance. With great effort he stopped staring after him, sweeping wide eyes about the room, already mourning the loss of what he couldn’t grab in the next 30 seconds: the blackberry wine he’d been planning on breaking out this very night would have to be abandoned, as well as much of his clothes - oh, it would cost him a small fortune to replace them all, and his heart cried even as he ran about and scooped up what little he could before stumbling right back out the door, regretting that last pint of ale as it left him fumbly and even dropping some of the precious few things he’d managed to stuff in his arms.
It was a miracle in and of itself that he didn’t bumble into anyone on his rush down the hall and stairs, and another that he managed the door by himself with his hands and arms otherwise occupied. At least no grace from the gods was required to find Geralt, all Jaskier needed to do was head straight for the stable that was attached to the inn.
“Geralt!”
He spotted his witcher just as Geralt was swinging his leg up and over Roach, the mare already saddled and packed and grouchy from being awoken far too early for her liking. She tried her best to reach back and nip at her burden even as Geralt nudged her forward, stopping her only after a few feet when Jaskier stumbled in front of them.
“What are you doing?”
“What do you mean, what am I doing?” Gesturing with his arms so full of precious belongings was a bad idea but that didn’t occur to him until after he’d already done it, and attempting to catch the turquoise and emerald silk shirt only made him drop something else. “Dropping everything I own in the muck and grime is what I’m doing apparently - that was a gift, you know! A gift from my mother on her sick bed. Sure, sure, she recovered, but that’s not the point of things, Geralt, some warning would have been nice!”
“I’m leaving.”
“Oh, well darling, I didn’t notice, what with the whole storming out and straddling Ms. Nips-A-Lot - hey! No!” Roach knew exactly when he sassed about her and proved the name right, Jaskier barely dodging one of her hard nips that was aimed at his shoulder. It was luck and luck alone that kept all the rest of his things in his arms and far away from the mud below. “I meant advanced warning, Geralt, half a minute is not enough time for me to pack. And the least you could do is help me!”
Geralt grunted at him, and it was only thanks to their years of travelling together off and on that Jaskier could recognize it as his impatient grunt - which only made him want to huff indignantly, considering it wasn’t his fault he couldn’t get ready at the drop of a hat. But before he could properly huff at him Geralt slid off of Roach to help him.
Or...not. Instead of taking any of his stuff, or maybe opening one of the packs Roach was carrying, Geralt just oh so helpfully clapped Jaskier on the shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze as he leaned down to meet Jaskier’s gaze - and just that simple act of holding his gaze had Jaskier’s heart in his throat. Melitele help him but those eyes would be the death of him. He could drown in the abyss of them, captured and held prisoner but hardly against his will, lost in a sea of amber and warmth many would think so unlike his dear withcer-
“I’m leaving, Jaskier. Not you.”
Oh.
“Oh,” Jaskier said, the fluttering thing in his stomach dropping like a stone. Well. Just like his witcher to put a damper on things.
“Too dangerous.”
“How is it any more dangerous than what we’ve already been through together?” Jaskier tried to not get too distracted when Geralt’s hand slipped from his shoulder and down his arm, still firm on him, making it unfairly difficult to muster up a decent argument as Geralt took his elbow and started to guide him back to the tavern entrance. “When we met I followed you straight towards a devil, remember? Sure it wasn’t an actual devil but neither of us knew any better-”
“Devils aren’t real, Jaskier.”
“-and I still followed you right along, and ended up perfectly fine! Oh, and remember the dragon? A dragon, Geralt, how on earth could anything out here in the middle of bloody nowhere could be more dangerous than a DRAGON?”
Geralt gave him a look that suggested he was being difficult on purpose. “I don’t slay dragons. There was never going to be a fight.”
Any further protests were put to a stop before they could continue, hardly even a stammered out start passing Jaskier’s lips before Geralt was opening the tavern door for him, giving a squeeze to his arm before dropping the contact between them. “Stay here, and out of trouble if you can manage it. I’ll come back.”
Normally, Jaskier would have made a fuss over the insinuation that he might gravitate towards trouble - because, really, it was the other way around. Not that the end results mattered much which way it worked. It came down to semantics, really, but Jaskier still would not have taken the insinuation without at least trying to set the record straight a little. But…
But his heart had not been normal of late, nor had his mind. And with no time to prepare for Geralt’s rather sudden departure he’d had no time to school his reactions, no time to remind himself how he’d normally do things: what he’d say, how exactly his hand or arm would flourish in gesture, what emotions he should allow into his tone without raising any sort of suspicion.
So it wasn’t exasperation that colored his tone, no played up hurt nor frustration to punctuate his words when Jaskier half-turned to look up at his witcher, breath almost catching at how even on a dreary day like this Geralt managed to look neigh on ethereal in his beauty - when all Jaskier managed to ask him was “When?”
When would he again be allowed to get lost within that heated gaze, time having little meaning, the world fading into the distance? When would his nights end in laughter rather than the drop after a performance, his high from the crowd leaving him at an incredible low, alone without his dearest witcher to keep his thoughts at bay and far away from the darkened sea they went to on their own? When would he know beyond a shadow of a doubt that his Geralt was safe and relatively unharmed, unmaimed at the very least, able to return to him at all?
“When I’m done.”
Ever the romantic to match his thoughts. Jaskier huffed out air through his nose, readjusting his grip on the mountain of things in his arms, Geralt’s blunt honesty cutting through his rather melodramatic mode decently enough. Not well enough to have him rid of all the rather sticky feelings that loved to pop up unbidden, but without the clouds that usually left him dampened in their presence all those sticky feelings left Jaskier feeling rather...wistful, and, dare he say, whimsical.
Perhaps his mother was onto something when she said his moods changed less like seasons and more flittered by like insects swarming in the summer heat.
If he had had perhaps even an hour to prepare for this goodbye, Jaskier would not have done anything so far removed from their normal interactions and behavior. But that time had not been given to him, and the warmth from Geralt’s hand could still be felt on his arm, and Jaskier’s heart was skipping beats in his chest knowing it was concern that had his witcher so set on going it alone - and seeing it clear as the dawn itself in those beautiful eyes of gold.
With as much grace as he could muster with his arms ladened so, Jaskier closed the short distance between him and his friend. He couldn’t tell if it was shocked surprise that held Geralt still or not, or what kept him from jerking away as he’d always expected him to if Jaskier had ever dared to be so bold, but Geralt did not move back - and Jaskier found his lips brushing against the silver stubble on his cheek, rough against his own chapped skin but it barely registered against the thundering heartbeat that sounded in his ears.
A light kiss to his cheek was all he managed, and it amazed him long into the night that he found his voice past it all. “Be careful, darling.” Being so close to him Jaskier saw Geralt’s breathing stutter at the endearment, and like a good storyteller he took careful note of that and squirreled it away for later, leaning back away just enough to look up and catch the way Geralt was looking at him. “I’d hate to be a bard with no company.”
Upon reflection, getting to see his oh so completely and frustratingly composed witcher shift his weight nervously after such a simple thing was more than worth the slip in his own emotional composure. Even the muddied belongings were worth it when weighed against the delayed grunt of response, the flickering gaze towards Jaskier and away again, and the sudden start to Geralt’s movements that finally started him back towards Roach without another word.
Maybe goodbyes weren’t the worst after all if they involved such an adorably flustered boy (and, Jaskier thought, his own gaze flickering downward shamelessly, it never really was a burden to watch him walk away).
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unmaskedagain · 5 years
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Happy Birthday, Miss Bustier
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Every year, Bustier looked forward to her birthday. All the teachers got together for drinks after school, and Bustier go show off all the wonderful presents her students got her. One gift in particular always was sure to wow.
However, the school year had been different than the previous ones. It had been a difficult year. The class seemed to be in a civil war. Marinette’s side versus everyone else. Caline was forced to expel Marinette after she was caught cheating. Only for it be revealed that she never cheated and Lila had a terrible disease that caused her to lie. The explosion was reversed and Bustier chalked it up to the students as terrible mistake.
Though the look Marinette had given her when she returned to class sent shivers up her spine.
Marinette resign as class president not long after. Lila took over but the sweet girl was so busy that the Alya and a few others were volunteered to step up and help out. Everything the class seemed to do or planned turn into a catastrophe.
An embarrassing one.
Caline started to avoid the teacher’s lounge after a bake sale ended up poisoning several of the students. Two of her students accidently started fires at another fundraiser. And the dance the class planned ended up with several students and two chaperones in the hospital because Lila ordered the gym floor to be waxed just before the dance.
She couldn’t take the snickering.
Plus, the other teachers had frequently needed to step in to sort out some of her students’ behavioral problems. Alya erupt in anger whenever she thought anyone had done anything wrong to her or her friends, got told off and given detentions many times before she finally learned her lesson. Alix had been caught tripping Marinette multiple times and had got suspended after the third incident. Lila had be verbally ordered by Mendeleiev to stop touching a clearly uncomfortable Adrien without his consent several times before she finally got the message. Mostly because Mendeleiev contact Adrien’s father and got a restraining order officially issued. Lila had to stay at least ten feet away from Adrien at all time when in class; fifty feet outside of it.
Which Caline thought was a bit harsh. She remembered what it was like to be a young girl in love. Emotions just overcome you at that age.
Normally, she would count on Marinette to rein the rest of the students in but girl had taken a step back from the other students. Or maybe they had taken a step back from her.
Marinette, Chloe, Adrien, Nathaniel, Juleka and Rose seemed at odds with the rest of the students in class. And for the life of Caline’s she couldn’t figure out why. The small group never went to any fundraiser, vocally letting the class know they would not being going on any trips with them. They didn’t go to the dance, and Marinette made it clear she wouldn’t be helping decorate it. The costumes for the school play had been abysmal and not the usually quality they were; then Mylene informed Bustier that they couldn’t get their last costume designer to help out. Their last costume designer was Marinette.
The year had been rough but Bustier still looked forward to her birthday. Last year, she got a gorgeous cashmere scarf, the year before that an entire assortment of different chocolate pastries; every year, every all the gifts were amazing. She come on the morning of her birthday and find her entire classroom amazingly decorated, her students’ adoring faces looking at her, and a pile of presents on her desk.
This year was no different… technically.
The classroom was decorated but not nearly as well as it had been the previous years. It looked like the cheap decorations the other teachers were used to; not her. A majority of the students were smiling at her; but a few, Marinette and her team, just looked bored. There were presents on her desk but they all looked… basic.
Still Caline smiled happily and thanked her wonderful students for their thoughtful surprise and gifts. Only when they left for lunch, did she finally take time to examine them.
There were the usually gift cards, a box or two of cheap chocolates, some flowers, lovely handmade cards, some perfumes, and a gift basket full of amazing smelling various bath products, which was by far the best gift by far. But nothing outstanding like she usually got. Nothing she could show off to the other teachers as proof that her student adored her. It was the same type of gifts all the teachers got. Nothing extraordinary.
And it soured Caline’s cheerful mood a bit. She couldn’t understand it.
She still went out for drinks that night with the other teachers, still showed off her gift basket but saw none of the envious looks she was used to. When she got home, she looked over the presents again.
Bustier saw that each gift had was from a different student. Chloe and Adrien got her perfume. Rose got her gift card for a mani-pedi. Alya got her chocolates. She saw Marinette got her the gift basket and nodded, unsurprised; the girl always got her the best presents…
Caline paused. Marinette? Marinette got her the scarf from the year before; she made it. She also remember that Marinette was the one who gave her the delicious assortment of chocolate pastries from her parents’ bakery, the teacher supposed. In fact, as Caline thought back, Marinette always was one to get her the best gifts; whether it was for her birthday, Christmas, or teacher’s appreciation day.
Marinette was also one who always decorated the classroom, she recalled.
Marinette who had claimed to be too busy to be class president, to be on the decorating committee, to help fund raise, to make costumes for the school play, to be the good example for the class Caline needed her to be, and apparently too busy to get the fabulous gifts for her teacher like she used to.
Clearly, her student needed to be talked to. Caline would have to stress the importance of being an active presence in the class. Marinette needed to be a good leader so the other students could model after her. Her friends counted on her for help, no one should be too busy for that.
The following Monday, Caline Bustier finally got around to asking Marinette to stay after class.
“Marinette,” Caline started. “I’ve noticed you’ve become rather… distant lately with the other students in class.”
           Marinette fought the urge not to roll her eyes, “We’ve had a falling out,” she said innocently. Not bothering to mention that it was Lila’s doing. “It’s fine. Things change. Friends go apart.”
“They don’t have to,” Bustier smiled. “You were such a wonderful class president; the entire class counted on you. Don’t you think you were a bit hasty in resigning… in that regard.”
“There was no avoiding it,” Marinette stated. Most of the class at that point at turned against her. And every time she tried to make plans or come up with ideas to fund raise she was shut down. “I’m interning with Wilhelmina Slater. She’s currently editor and chief for Mode Paris. I couldn’t turn that down. On top of that I’m overflowing with commission request; some come in by the website I launched, others from recommendations from my other clients. Also Jagged Stone and Clara Nightingale, if you remember, both announced three months ago that I was their personal stylist. I’ve been getting swamped with work ever since.”
Caline did remember. She had been shocked when she saw her student’s face on the news announcing her as up-and-coming Fashion design MDC. A number of celebrities tweeted that they had commissioned work from the teen; a dress here, a suit there, costumes. The announcement had only caused more derision in class towards Marinette, “But don’t you think helping your friends is more important than making money?”
Marinette blinked. “I am helping my friends.”
“Alya needed your help with the fundraising,” Bustier said. “Lila needed help with the dance. Mylene needed costumes for the play. Nino needed someone to design his set for a gig of his. You were too busy. How do you think that made them feel?”
“First of all, they never asked me for help,” Marinette quickly said. “Second-”
           Caline cut her off, “Maybe they didn’t ask because they knew you’d be too busy.”
           Marinette looked the teacher up and down and continued what she was saying, “Secondly, I have very few friends in class; and you didn’t name any of them. Lila is not my friend. Alya is not my friend. Neither is Nino, Mylene, Ivan, Max, Kim, or Alix for the record.”
           Bustier reared back; shocked at the unexpected tone from Marinette.
           Marinette crossed her arms. “I am helping my friends. Chloe is my PR manager, which is giving her amazing experience. Juleka and Rose model for me, and frequently get poached to model for other designers. Adrien gets to sit back and relax for once. Claude meets all the directors and actors I work with. He ended up getting an internship at WB. Nathaniel and Marc’s Ladybug comic got exposer after I used some of his designs of her on my clothing line. Images comics is picking up their comic to turn it into an entire series. Aurore is my personal assistant but that’s only to give her a clear reason to be there so she can interview any celebrities, I’m working with, that are willing to talk with her. She posted an interview with David Tennant about a cameo in Doctor; with him, Rose, and their kid. An hour later the website: Tumblr crashed. I do help my friends.”
Bustier sighed, “You’re having an argument. You didn’t stop being friends.” Honestly kids could be so dramatic sometimes. “Once you apologize everything will go back to normal.”
“And why should I apologize,” Marinette asked. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“We talked about the Marinettes of the world, remember?” Caline smiled. “You have to be the bigger person; be an example for the other students. Show them the right way to act.”
“No.”
           It was said so firmly but so quickly that the teacher nearly missed it as she opened her mouth to continue her speech but closed it as she processed what Marinette said, “No? What do you mean no.”
           Marinette picked up her school bag and walked to the classroom door, “I mean, I won’t do it. I’m no one’s shining example. And in this situation, I refuse to be the bigger person. I have no intention of apologizing whatsoever.” She opened the door about to walk out. “Especially to people who you allowed to verbally harass me in class, trip me right in front of you, and disinvite me and my friends on class trips. I don’t care how it made them feel. I don’t care about them at all.” “Marinette,” Bustier started.
           Marinette cut her off, “It is not responsibility to teach my classmates the right way to behave; it’s their parents’, it’s yours.” She said fiercely.
           Bustier straighten herself up to her full height. She refused to allow any student of hers to speak to her like that. “I see. I will have to contact your parents to discuss your lack of participation in class.”
           Marinette snorted, “Okay. You should do it soon, though. I and a number of other students sent in complaints to the school board about my wrongful expulsion, this class, the way you run it, and Damocles; with video evidence. Bourgeois and Agreste lawyers are leading the charge. Chloe out of sheer spite. Gabriel because of the clear case of sexual harassment you allowed Adrien to deal with from Lila. He’s out for blood.”
           Caline Bustier paled. She couldn’t feel her legs. The school board? “Nothing is as bad as you say. You are overdramatizing everything.”
“My lawyer say different,” The bluenette shrugged. “If anything, they think I’m not understating things. Much like when I tell them, you’re a bad teacher.”
“I will not be spoke to like that!”
“What are you going to do?” Marinette asked with a single eyebrow raised, “Expel me?”
           There was only silence to answer her question. Marinette just shook her head and left.
           Leaving Caline Bustier wondering just how she let things get so out of hand. And more importantly, if she would even have a job come the new school year.
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