#love and soul and i just spent so much time with him the past ten years it feels so weird that he’s just not here. it feels wrong. like this

[arklay]

.

[joelalorian]

Fall Into Me

dbf!Joel x f!reader

The first TLOU fic I ever read was a dbf!Joel story and it left an indelible mark on my soul. Unfortunately, I never bookmarked it so I have no idea which one it was. It's only natural that I had to try my hand at one at some point. So, here we are.

Summary: Joel is hanging on by a thread as a single father to a tenacious 10-year-old Sarah. Feeling like he's drowning, like the world is about to spit him out, he needs some help before he breaks in half. At your dad's insistence, you show up in his life and change everything.

Story is inspired by the song Fall Into Me by Forest Blakk. Chapter titles will be lyrics from the song.

Word Count: 4.1k

Series Warnings: Mature to start, but will ultimately be Explicit, under 18 take a hike. No outbreak AU. There will be angst, drama, fluff, humor, romance, smut... basically, the works. Age gap of about 9 years (Reader 24/25, Joel 33/34). No use of y/n. Reader has a nickname from her dad, which will be explained at some point.

Dividers by the wonderful @saradika-graphics

Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist

Chapter One: The Day That I Met You

If you asked him over a decade ago where he’d be now, Joel Miller would not have placed himself as a single father to a tenacious pre-teen desperately trying to keep things afloat. He spent too many hours in the week working to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. He would be lost without the help of his brother and the few friends he had. He had no social life to speak of and could not for the life of him remember the last time he went on an actual date.

No, back then, Joel thought he’d be living the good life in ten years’ time – traveling, going out with the boys, maybe have a girlfriend or wife. Basically, just getting to do whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. Don’t get him wrong, though. He was still living a good life; it just was a different sort of good than what he hoped for back in the day.

He loved his daughter with every fiber of his being. Sarah was the best damn thing that ever happened to him, his entire world, and he wouldn’t change the past ten years for anything. He bent over backwards doing whatever it took to make his little girl feel cared for, happy, and loved. He just wished there was a little energy left for something for himself at the end of the day.

Joel Miller was drained. Mentally, physically, and emotionally.

He awoke with a groan as the bright sunlight broke through the gap in his curtains. It was Saturday – his birthday – and he hoped to sleep in, at least a little. Between the brightness of the morning and the stifled sounds of clanging pans and voices carrying up the stairs from his kitchen, sleeping in was not happening.

He hauled himself out of bed with a groan worthy of a man twenty years his senior and stretched out his limbs to ease the achiness in his bare back and chest from too much manual labor. Throwing on a pair of well-worn sleep pants and a faded tee shirt, Joel slipped from his bedroom and down the stairs. He moved rather quietly for a man of his size, stealing a moment to lean against the entryway into the kitchen and watch as Sarah and Tommy worked together making breakfast.

The counters were a mess of spilled pancake mix, eggshells, and… was that coffee dripping over the edge and onto the floor? It was a toss-up on who made the bigger mess, his ten-year-old daughter, or his grown ass brother. Still, Joel could not stop the smile spreading across his face as he watched them laughing and teasing each other. That, right there, was the reason he worked so hard, why the loneliness was worth it.

When Tommy flipped the stovetop off, Sarah turned to find her dad smiling goofily at them. “Happy Birthday, Dad!” she exclaimed, launching herself at his chest. Her lanky arms wrapped around his neck as he lifted her off the ground in a big bear hug.

“Thanks, baby girl,” Joel replied, pressing his lips to her forehead in a quick kiss before he settled her feet on the ground.

“We made you breakfast!” Sarah declared, gesturing toward the disaster zone formerly known as his kitchen.

“I see that,” he chuckled, voice still slightly rough with sleep.

Tommy turned with a smirk, hands grasping two plates filled with bacon, eggs, and pancakes. “Take a seat, brother. Let us take care of you on your birthday.” Placing the food on the small dining table, Tommy roughly patted his brother’s shoulders. “Don’t worry ‘bout the mess, I’m on cleanup duty after we eat.”

“We expectin’ company? That’s a helluva lot of food,” Joel grumbled. He needed coffee, stat.

“Yeah, JB is comin’ over to see ya before heading to the airport. His daughter finished grad school over the summer and is moving back home.” Tommy set more food and a full mug of dark roast coffee in front of his brother. The scent alone made Joel perk up a little.

The Millers hadn’t met you yet, having only become friends with your dad through work after you’d already left for college on the east coast. Your dad had a good decade on Joel, but he and the Miller brothers got on like a forest fire from what he told you. With visits home always short and rushed, busy catching up with family and your own friends, there was never time for your dad to introduce you all. Now you were coming home for good and would have plentiful opportunities for spending time with your dad and his friends.

“Speak of the devil,” Tommy muttered as the doorbell rang. Sarah bounded to the door to greet your dad with a hug. In many ways, the girl reminded him of you when you were young, and it always brought a smile to his face.

“There he is! The man of the hour. Happy Birthday, buddy!” Your dad, John, or JB as the Millers called him, ruffled Joel’s already mussed hair, leaving a few locks standing straight up in further disarray. Pulling a 12-pack of beer from behind his back, your dad set it on the table in front of Joel, topped with a little red bow. “I gotcha a lil’ something to celebrate.”

“Good man,” Joel replied with a chuckle. “Have a seat and help me eat all this. Tommy just told me your lil’ girl is coming home, finally.”

Your dad’s face lit up even more at the mention of you coming home. “She’s not so little anymore, but I sure am glad she’s moving back here. Said she had enough of the east coast, but I think she just missed her ol’ man.” After wolfing down some food, he added, “Think we could host a small barbecue here this coming weekend to celebrate? Your backyard is way nicer than mine and you got the pool and all.”

“Not to mention that fancy ass grill,” Tommy chimed in.

Swallowing a long sip of his morning go juice, Joel nodded. “Of course. Invite whoever you want. I’m looking forward to finally meeting your daughter.”

“Me too!” Sarah added. She heard a lot about you from your dad and hoped you were as cool in person as he made you out to be.

Joel’s mind started spinning upon hearing his daughter’s excitement. With her school hours being so different from his typical work hours, he was spending a small fortune on after school care for Sarah. She was still too young for him to leave home alone, especially on those days where he’s stuck late at a job. He was barely scraping by as it was and couldn’t really afford the cost of after school programs. Perhaps…

“JB, ya think your daughter would mind watching Sarah during the week while she’s home. Drop off and pick up from school and keeping her company ‘til I get home from work? I could pay her – it wouldn’t be much, but better than nothin’, I imagine.” He watched Sarah’s eyes light up at the suggestion and knew it was a good choice.

“I’m sure she’d love to. She wasn’t planning on finding a real job until after the holidays, so I know she’ll be free during the day,” your dad replied. “I’ll talk to her about it on the ride back from the airport and let you know.”

Three suitcases and a carry-on bag. That’s all you had left from six and a half years of pursuing higher education in North Carolina. You sold or gave away anything that did not fit into your luggage or hold sentimental value of your time away. Now, you were moving back home to save some money before you had to start chipping away at the mountain of student loan debt you accrued.

You loved learning, always have, but you were relieved to be done with school. Equipped with a bachelor’s degree in earth sciences and a master’s in education, you felt like a real adult ready to take the world of middle school by storm… well, starting after the new year, maybe. For now, you needed several months of limited to no responsibility to recoup your mental and physical energy. That last couple years of school really burned you out. Not to mention the last-minute rejection of a teaching position you thought was in the bag…

Anyway, you were better off leaving North Carolina behind and returning to Austin. You missed your dad something fierce and his particular brand of caring for you was exactly what your weary soul needed. It was you and him against the world, just like when you were a kid.

You flight was smooth and uneventful, yet you were relieved to deboard the plane. Something about being stuck in a tin can at the mercy of someone else’s ability to keep the thing from plummeting to the ground really aggravated your anxiety. Flying was something you would never enjoy; it was merely a means to an end when you wanted to travel long distances.

The journey to baggage claim was a slog with the crowd of passengers all heading to the same place. You were wondering how you’d wrangle three large suitcases by yourself when you caught sight of your dad. His broad smile took over his face when he spotted you, rushing over to sweep you up in a big bear hug.

“Hey Spud, how was the flight?” he asked as you waited for the baggage carousel to begin moving. “Looks like it was a full plane.”

“It was, but the flight was good. I’m really glad to be home.”

“Me, too, kid.”

You settled into a comfortable silence, watching various pieces of luggage pass by on the carousel. Your bags were scattered, and you had to wait several cycles to get all of them. Your dad lugged the final suitcase over the carousel with a grunt. “Jesus, what you got in this one? Bricks? A body?”

“That one has my gaming system and half a closet full of clothes,” you replied with a laugh.

Before long, everything was loaded into your dad’s truck, and you were heading back towards town. The radio hummed at a low volume as you both chatted about everything and nothing all at once.

“Hey, so I know you said you weren’t looking for full-time work until after the new year, but I have a proposition for you.” Your dad’s eyes stayed focused on the road, and you merely quirked a brow waiting for him to continue. “My buddy Joel – you know the one I told you about? Well, his daughter is ten and he needs some help with the school run and after school care. Our work hours aren’t exactly the same as elementary school, you know?”

You nodded, remembering all the times your dad spoke to you about Joel, as well as his daughter and brother. Despite never meeting them, you felt like you already knew their whole life story. “So, he’s looking for a nanny or something? I could do that. It would keep me from getting lazy while I navigate getting my Texas teaching certificate.”

Your dad grinned, one hand patting your leg. “I was hoping you’d say that. Joel will pay you, of course, but just… don’t expect much. It ain’t easy for him being a single dad trying to keep everything afloat.”

Again, you nodded, a soft smile creasing your lips. You knew all too well how challenging it could be for single parents, having grown up with just you and your dad. Much like what your dad told you about Joel’s experience with the mother of his child, your mom split when you were barely a toddler. Things weren’t always sunshine and roses, but your dad sure did his best to make sure you had a great life. Honestly, you wouldn’t trade it for the world, that life with your dad. You had a feeling it was much the same for Joel and his daughter.

“I’m happy to help, even if he doesn’t pay me. I’m sure his daughter will enjoy having a female influence in her life if nothing else. What’s her name again? Sarah?”

Your dad’s eyes twinkled with pride. “Yup, that’s it. I’m proud of the woman you’ve become, Spud.”

A mist of tears prickled your eyes as you mumbled out a “Thanks, dad.” After a beat, you added, “Must you keep up with that nickname?”

“Of course. You’ll always be my little Spud,” he laughed as you rolled your eyes. “Oh, by the way, we’re going to the Millers on Saturday for your welcome home party.”

“What’s all this?” Joel questioned as Tommy and Sarah placed a heavy, wrapped package on the table before him along with a few smaller presents. The remains of a birthday cake sat nearby, having been delightfully devoured by the Millers while celebrating Joel’s birthday.

“Just a little somethin’ from me and Sarah,” Tommy replied, a boyish grin alighting his handsome features.

Joel gazed between them with curiosity. Not big on celebrating his own aging, he rarely got big gifts. “You wanna help me open this, nugget?” Sarah’s eyes lit up, small hands reaching to tear the wrapping paper into shreds. It only took a few moments for the contents to be revealed, leaving Joel confused at the modern contraption sitting in front of him. “What am I supposed to do with this?”

“You play video games on it, dumbass.” Tommy harumphed as he began a diatribe on the features of the gaming system – he had one just like it at his place and it provided hours of entertainment when he didn’t feel like going out. “I figured it would be a good hobby for you since you never want to join me in going out.”

“Huh,” Joel grunted in return, brows furrowed as he read the instructions on how to setup up the machine. His attention was diverted by Sarah shoving the smaller parcels into his lap.

“Here, dad! These go with it.” Together, they tore into the wrapping paper to find several video games, a few of which were family friendly. The final gift was a spare controller for the gaming system so he and Sarah could play together.

Despite still being unsure that the gift was a good fit for him, Joel was grateful to Tommy for the effort. “This is too much, man. You shouldn’t spend this kind of money on me, Tommy.”

His brother waved him off. “I found a great deal and you never get anything for yourself, brother. You deserve something to indulge in. Believe me, you’ll have fun with this.”

The rest of the evening was spent with Tommy setting up the system and showing the father-daughter duo how to play some of the games he picked out. The living room filled with lots of laughter and teasing, and Joel found himself really getting into the fun of the video games.

After tucking Sarah into bed, Tommy showed Joel a game that was too violent for the little girl but entertaining for the men. The game was set in Washington DC which had been ravaged by a brutal pandemic and the main character was part of a group of agents fighting off nefarious gangs trying to take over the city. Joel caught onto the gameplay quickly and the two men found themselves building the loadout for Joel’s character, taking out bad guys, and chatting well into the night.

At two in the morning, the pair looked at each other with bleary, red-rimmed eyes and finally called it a night. Joel directed Tommy to crash in the spare room as he shuffled off to bed upstairs.

It didn’t take you long to get settled into your dad’s house. It wasn’t the home you grew up in and you only visited a few times after he bought it. After years living away on your own, you thought it would be an adjustment being under his roof again, but it wasn’t. He understood the need for personal space and never hovered unless you were hurt or sick. He gave you the downstairs bedroom – it was the largest in the house, with an ensuite bath and huge walk-in closet.

“Dad, no! Why in the world is this not your room?” you questioned when he placed your bags on the brand-new, king size bed he had delivered the week prior.

“Hell no, Spud. What do I need all this space for? I like the upstairs rooms better – the light is all wrong in this one anyway.”

You looked around, holding in a giggle. The room faced south, giving you just the right amount of natural light all day. That’s what your dad didn’t like. He preferred to live like a bat in a cave with blackout curtains and limited lighting.

“Alright, well, I love it. The natural light is perfect for me. I can actually put some plants on the windowsills. Thank you!” You kissed his cheek as he left you to get settled.

You spent the week rearranging the bedroom how you wanted it, setting up your gaming system, and putting all your clothes into the walk-in closet. Your dad hadn’t done much with the room other than furnish it, so you made a few trips to the store to get a bathroom set, floor lamps, and wall décor to make the room your own.

Before you knew it, Saturday morning dawned bright and warm. The day of your welcome home gathering arrived, and you would finally get to meet the Millers. An excited energy had you moving about your space in a flurry, tidying up and getting ready early. You’d seen some photos of the Millers that your dad sent you – Sarah was adorable with her dark, springy curls, and Joel… Joel was handsome, in a broody, overworked kind of way, with dark, riotous curls and big, warm chocolate eyes. Kind eyes, you called them.

“Hey Spud, you ready?” your dad called from the kitchen as you put the finishing touches on your hair. It was pinned up, leaving the smooth skin of your neck bare. The sundress you picked hugged your curves in just the right way, falling just at your knees in a flow of lightweight material. In early October, Austin was still hot, and you hoped the Millers’ yard was shaded.

“Bring a swimsuit! They have a pool!” he yelled as you grabbed the last of your things. Turning back to your closet, you grabbed a dark green one-piece suitable for family-friendly swimming and tucked it into your bag.

“I’m ready!”

Your dad smiled at the sight of you. “Let’s go then. We’re heading over early so you can officially meet the Millers and we’ll help them setup before everyone else arrives.”

“Sounds good. Who all’s coming anyway?” Your eyes widened as your dad rattled off a list of people he invited, including his work buddies and some of his and Joel’s neighbors. He would have invited some of your old friends from high school, but you all lost touch over the years. The party was turning out bigger than you thought. Your heart swelled with how happy your dad was to have you home for good.

The Millers lived in the same neighborhood, only a few blocks away, so close you could have walked if not for the scorching sun. The drive took only a few minutes before your dad pulled into the driveway of a two-story home similar to your dad’s, with simple landscaping and two wooden rocking chairs on the wide porch. Lovely and quaint, the house made you more curious about the people who lived there.

“Dayum! Get a load a JB’s daughter, Joel,” Tommy called from the living room, leaning over the couch to look out the front window. “She’s smokin’ hot!”

“Dammit, Tommy. Stop spying on ‘em,” Joel growled, sneaking a peek over his brother’s shoulder to do a little hypocritical spying of his own. Breath caught in his throat at the sight of you and he couldn’t break his gaze away, even as JB led you toward the front door.

“What was that about spyin’, brother?” Tommy teased, practically dragging Joel away from the window as a knock sounded against the door. “Don’t worry, I’ll get it.”

Tommy opened the heavy wooden door revealing the pair of you standing there, matching bright eyes and wide grins greeting him. “Well, hello there, beautiful. I’m Tommy.” Reaching a hand toward you, Tommy completely ignored JB, who just scowled at him.

“Nice to meet you, Tommy,” you replied, offering him your hand and name in return. Joel’s scowl matched your dad’s expression as Tommy held your hand for several beats too long.

“Back off, Tommy,” your dad grunted, swatting at the younger Miller brother. “This here is Tommy’s brother, Joel. The one who actually owns this house and the better Miller, if you ask me.”

“Ain’t no one askin’ you, old man,” Tommy’s smart mouth shot back at your dad.

Joel ignored both men, eyes like dark pools as he gazed at you, awed at how small and delicate your hand felt in his. “Howdy, darlin’,” his voice rumbled from his chest. “Come on in. There’s someone else lookin’ forward to meeting you.”

Leading the way through the kitchen into the backyard, Joel felt the heat of your gaze burning his back. Were you checking him out? There was no way. You were beautiful and likely in your early twenties. He felt ancient, though he was only in his early thirties, the hard labor of construction work having taken its toll on him.

“Hi Dad!” a young, sweet voice called from a small swing set where a precious little girl entertained herself. “Who’s this?”

Joel introduced you to his daughter, leaving the two of you to get acquainted as your dad called him away.

“You were away at college?” Sarah questioned, motioning for you to take a seat on the swing next to hers.

“I was,” you replied. “But I’m back for good now.”

“That’s good. What grade did you get to? I’m in fourth grade.”

You thought about it a moment. “I guess it would be 18th grade. But you stop counting grade numbers after 12th and start using different words to describe what year you’re in during college.”

Sarah listened raptly while you explained the different terms, what you studied in school, and what kind of job you were hoping to get.

“You want to be a teacher?” she asked, awed.

“I do! I want to teach middle grade science.”

“I love science! Maybe you could be my teacher when I get to sixth grade!”

Joel returned with your dad and Tommy in tow to find you and Sarah having a blast. The little girl sat in your lap as you kicked your feet out, swinging as high as you could, singing some camp song you remembered from your youth.

“See? Told ya she’d love to spend time with Sarah,” your dad said to Joel. He couldn’t tear his gaze away, staring at the two of you with a glazed look in his dark eyes.

Shaking himself off, Joel turned to your dad. “Guess I better work out some details with her.” He stepped over to the swing set, taking a seat on the empty swing and hoping to the heavens above that it held his weight. He struggled internally on how to start the conversation and was just about to blurt something out when his amazing daughter saved the day.

“Dad! She wants to be a teacher! A science teacher! Isn’t that cool? Did you ask her about watching me yet? I think she’d love to.” Sarah rambled on excitedly, amusing you and Joel. Turning to you before Joel could chime in, Sarah turned to you with baby cow eyes, adding, “You would love to, right?”

How could you ever resist that look? No one could. Both you and Joel were powerless as you nodded, and the offer became official. Cell numbers were exchanged and before you knew it, you had a job starting Monday.

Hours later, slightly drunk on spiked fruit punch and buzzing with energy, you thanked Joel for hosting the barbecue and giving you a job. You kissed his stubbled cheek, forcing thoughts of how attractive he was as far down as they could go. You could not develop a crush on your boss. “I’ll see you Monday morning, bright and early!” you declared before following your dad through the front door.

TBC

[thisblogisaboutabook]

Spring Fever

Tamlin x Reader - Smut - Angst - Fluff

After an outburst directed toward an unwanted visitor, a resident of Tamlin’s manor prepares to face the consequences of her actions but the High Lord has something else in mind.

warnings: smut, language

Moonlight and night air filtered through the edges of the pastel velvet curtains as the beat of my racing heart overtook the silence of my bedchamber. Seated at the edge of the large four-poster bed in my now permanent room, I took steadying breaths. In. Hold. Out. Hold. Repeat.

Who was I to have shown anything less than reverence to the High Lord of the Night Court? To his credit - in his own fucked up way - he’d tried to help Tam out of the stupor he’d spent years in but the male had been through so much already. How could the face of the mate of the love of his life bring any peace to his already broken soul?

These visits always ruined what small progress Tamlin had made. I tried to remain calm but damn it - Tamlin had finally stopped curling up outside of my door at night, on alert for any hidden threats. He’d given me a genuine smile on a stroll through the gardens just this morning. He’d even cooked this evening. Yes, a simple meal of roast venison and root vegetables, but a meal nevertheless. He was making progress and as if he sensed it, Rhysand showed up to “check in” on Tamlin right after dinner.

And just like that, Tamlin’s demeanor crumpled. I couldn’t take it anymore, the irreverence toward my mate’s own trauma. My temper rose to a point of no return, pouring out as spewed vitriol very unbecoming of a lady in the manor of a High Lord.

To his credit, Rhysand only eyed me with intrigue and didn’t mist me on the spot after I suggested he take his “good intentions” and shove them up his ass and showed him the door.

Tamlin only eyed me with an unreadable expression and requested that I stay behind while he escorted the Night Court’s High Lord from the estate.

Deciding against pressing my luck further I exited the foyer and saw myself to my chambers where I now sat waiting for the inevitable lecture, hell, maybe he’d kick me out. I only lived here out of his generosity. His tolerance of me certainly spurred on by the unaccepted mating bond that snapped when the magic chose me on Calanmai.

Two lonely souls bound together by fate.

We’d spent the past ten months living in companionable silence, both healing from the wounds our souls bore. And now, I’d likely torn down the careful progress we’d built brick-by-brick in one fell swoop.

The creak of my door withdrew me from my self-loathing retrospection and the quiet thud of boots crossing the wooden floors grew louder with each step in my direction. I didn’t look up. Couldn’t face him. Didn’t need to as the tension between us laid it all out clearly.

He’d never laid an ill-intentioned hand on me, we rarely even touched. Calanmai was a one-time thing. We’d brushed hands a time or two at the dinner table, he’d caught me as I stumbled in the garden once. I almost - almost - flinched as my High Lord’s hand came into my peripheral but all I was met with was a broad, gentle palm to the nape of my neck and the soft caress of a thumb running along my jaw line. I looked to him with furrowed brows, eyes lining with silver as I awaited whatever came next, but all I was met with were deep green eyes filled with anything but rage.

I averted my gaze as he fell to a knee in front of me. “Look at me, dove.” his typically gruff voice softer than I’d ever heard.

He waited patiently before I turned my head to look upon him once more. His eyes bore into mine, searing right into the depths of my soul. I could feel my heart hammering as his breaths grew rapid.

“You-“ he spoke, one large hand remained caressing my jaw as the other covered my own hands, folded in my lap. “You defended me.”

I puzzled. Was that a shock to him?

His emerald gaze flicked back and forth while remaining locked on my face, searching for an answer to an unspoken question. Why?

Withdrawing one of my hands from his grasp and resting it delicately upon his muscled chest, I replied definitively, “Because you’re mine.”

His breathing paused, rose lips pressing into a firm line. Processing. The silence between us pressing into me like a blade.

His voice cracked with his next words. “You want me?”

“I have since your eyes found mine on fire night.”

Before I could shift, or speak further, his lips were crashing into me like the violent swell of a storm falling upon rocky shores.

My lips gaped, breath hitching at his response, the desire I’d shoved deep within me pouring out at once as I opened for him, his tongue sweeping into my mouth, dancing along mine. A small, involuntary whimper escaped me as he lifted off of his knee, leaning over me as I slid back deeper onto the bed, careful not to let my lips leave his for even a moment - eliciting a groan from Tamlin.

My finger tangled into his long, blonde hair as he braced his weight over me with one arm, his other holding my hip, thumb running over the silk of my cherry blossom dress.

“You’re mine.” I rasped out in a hushed murmur between our shared breaths, pulling away just enough to look into the eyes of my mate again.

My chest heaved, breasts rising and falling with each gasp. I managed another whisper, “You’re mine, Tam.”

With those words, he lost any semblance of control. His fingers tugged my hair, exposing the column of my neck to him. His soft lips pressed heated kisses along my jawline, down to my neck, giving little nips and licks over the corresponding hurt as he went. “You’re mine.” He growled back, possessiveness overtaking his tone.

All I could manage was an “mmhmm” as he pulled the neckline of my dress down, exposing my breasts to him, his lips latched onto a peaked nipple and gods - the mouth on this male. As he licked and sucked on my breasts, jolts of electricity shot through me, straight to my core. I needed him lower and he knew it. His claws unsheathed, shredding through my dress and undergarments. I shivered as his stubble grazed my abdomen with each kiss tracking lower and lower. So close to where I needed him. My legs fell open in invitation, displaying the dripping need he elicited from me. His pupils blew wide as he took in the sight before him, realization of just how desperately I wanted him activating the most primal facets of the mating bond.

He pulled back, eyes boring into mine once more. “Say it, Y/N.”

My heart nearly shattered at the pleading expression of his features. This was real. My desire for him so tangible that he need only run a finger up my center to remind himself. But this was deeper than that, deeper than just want, deeper than mere lust.

“Tamlin.” I whispered.

“I’m yours. All of me.”

And I could have sworn the slightest hint of silver lined my mate’s thick lashes as he let loose that final reign of restraint.

His mouth latched onto my clit. A male starved. Starved for affection, starved for intimacy, starved for understanding, for love. But I saw him, all of him - and I wasn’t afraid.

His tongue laved against my core, moving with expert precision as he teased my most sensitive nerves, swirling around my clit before lowering to my entrance. He groaned like my essence was the sweetest nectar of any flora in his court and I couldn’t hold back the moans and praises spilling from my lips.

A thick finger plunged into me, curling so deliciously as he sucked my throbbing clit. He’d send me over the edge in no time. “Please.” I begged as the imminent release had me on the edge of a precipice.

I whimpered as he pulled back, the sharp angles of his chin and plush lips shining with the coat of my arousal. I could have come just from that sight alone. His deep voice sending chills through me as he commanded, “Say it, one more time baby. One more time, and then let go for me.”

His mouth returned to my core, latching back onto that sensitive bundle of nerves as two fingers now curled inside of me, his other hand tweaking a rosey nipple, “I’m yours. I’m yours. Oh gods, Tam. I’m only yours.” I chanted as release barreled through me. My sex pulsing around his fingers. His hips bucking into the bed in time with my orgasm, desperate for friction.

And I was greedy.

“Tamlin.” I spoke through heated breaths. “I need more.”

With a flick of his wrist, his clothes were gone. My jaw dropped when he rose to his knees before me, his erect length already beading with precum.

I licked my lips, raising myself to admire as he gave a few pumps to his heavy, aching cock. My mouth watering with the need to taste him.

He splayed a hand between my breasts, pushing me back into the mattress. “Time for that later. Need my baby coming on my cock.”

“Oh gods.” I moaned at the words, my core was an inferno with them at the realization that my mate needed to be in me just as badly as I needed to be filled by him.

And fill me he did. His head easily slid through my slick folds and I knew that length, and fuck, that girth, would hurt in the most pleasurable of ways.

“All of you.” I whimpered. “I need all of you. Now.”

With that he scooped me up, spreading my legs to straddle his hips. He braced his weight on his arms behind him, his muscles flexing with the shift, and crossing his legs, spreading my legs further across him.

“Take what you want.” He commanded.

And I realized then that he wanted me to set the pace, that he’d never risk hurting me. Especially since it had been so long since we’d been together.

I aligned his length to my entrance, locking my gaze onto him, admiring the planes of his gorgeous face before meeting the sea of emerald taking in each micro-expression of my own face.

“Yours.” I spoke boldly, and sank down each thick inch of his cock until I was seated to the hilt. The pleasure quickly overtaking any semblance of pain.

Chills spread through me at the loud growl of satisfaction he let out at the sensation of my cunt gripping all of him. I remained pressed down, gently swiveling my hips to adjust to his size, and pressing a hand to the slight bulge his length created in my belly.

“Fuck.” I whimpered. “You’re so- oh - you feel so…” my brain couldn’t formulate any words beyond that as another gasp escaped my lips as I rose up slowly and sank back down again, moaning in pleasure with each stroke of his length within me.

My arms wrapped around his shoulders as he shifted up, easing the weight off his arms and taking over, lifting my hips and sheathing me back down his cock, over and over, harder and harder, my heavy breasts bouncing in time with the pace. The sounds of my wetness gushing with each thrust was obscene. Removing one hand from my hip, he slid it between us and pressed his thumb to my clit. Within seconds I fell over the edge again, my face falling to the juncture of his neck and shoulder, incoherent babbles pouring from me, muffled by his neck.

“Gods” thrust. “You’re” thrust. “Divine.” He thrust my still fluttering pussy down onto him once more and let out a loud groan as he found his release, the pulsing of his cock as he spilled into me threatened to push me over the edge once more.

Our breathing evened out as he remained sheathed within me. I kept my face buried into his neck, refusing to let this moment of bliss end. My mate had yet to loosen his grasp on me, so we stayed like that, reveling in the feel of skin on skin for some time.

Finally I rose off of him, though he was hesitant to loosen his grip. “Stay with me tonight?” I asked hesitantly. Afraid he’d once again retreat to his chambers or to the hallway outside of my door.

Tamlin laid down pulling me onto his chest, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Every night.” He spoke into my hair.

“Every night.” I hummed in agreement.

——————————————————-

General ACOTAR list: @lilah-asteria

@tamlinweek - tagging you for Day 3 “mates” but not sure if it counts since I posted this on Sunday. This is my first of any “weeks” I’ve participated in 🥰

[kooberryfields4ever]

happy belated sunghoon day !!!! the rest of 02z incoming but i couldnt help myself 🐒 tried to be “objective” but i am hoon biased so i may have been a leeeeeetle self indulgent at times😭 expect the rest of 02z & others over the next week !!!!

content warnings : nsfw below the cut, exhibitionism, foot kink, oral (both giving and receiving), piv sex etc etc

MDNI !

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex)

i feel like a lot of enjins hc sunghoon as some crazy hard dom and when he’s done w u he has to be attentive bc he’s gone that crazy on ur body but i don’t see him like that

very gentle nature so i just can't see him being anything but the same in bed....... built to fuck u softly and gracefully and aftercare is the same

loves touching u in a non horny way after he cums, just wants to feel how soft ur skin is so expect a warm wet cloth and ten minutes of him wiping u down while whispering how good u were for him and how beautiful ur body looks when ur spent........ :3

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and also their partner’s)

his fav body part is def his collarbones like how many selfies have we gotten in the past few months where he's got a slutty little vest on showing off his collarbones

also likes his arms bc of the way u grip on to him when he's being particularly rough..... like yes he wants to see those nail marks so bad

his fav body part on u is ur legs. just. every part of them........ the way u wrap them around his head when he's eating u out, the way he grabs them when he's fucking u into the mattress omfg.

lowkey a sucker for ur toes too he loves seeing them freshly pedicured when u play with him on the couch :3

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)

inside inside inside inside inside inside

did i mention inside

so so so possessive of ur cute little cunt just wants to make sure it's stuffed full of him and only him. in a romantic way

i can see him liking cumming over ur feet if u give him a footjob too.......

not a messy guy, likes to be pristine, will fuck u full and then makes sure it doesn't drip out by pushing it back into u with his fingers.... says it's cos he doesn't want cum on his sheets but rly it just satiates his need to keep u full all the time

D = Dirty secret (pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

he's gotten himself off to the thought of fucking u over the kitchen counter in front of heeseung/02z...... more than once......

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)

similar to heeseung, knows the basics and what he likes. he's still only young and finding the time to really experience sex is hard with the schedule he has to work around

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying)

lotus !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

when ur thighs are just . there . just waiting for him to grab them and rub them and spank them

likes missionary too but particularly if ur legs are thrown over his shoulders for him to hold onto

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)

serious boy doing serious boy things.

sex is NO laughing matter for hoonie!!!!!!! i think he might crumble up and die if u laughed while he was inside u .......

H = Hair (how well groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

groomed to the nines baby !!!!! that is a clean shaven man if i've ever seen one

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)

so so intimate. sex is compassion to the sag heart so he treats it like it's literally soul-binding

constant whispers of how perfect u feel around him and how ur pussy was made for his cock, how good u are for him and how much he loves u

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon)

i can't see hoon being much of a masturbator, i figure he has a lower sex drive and that means he can wait out for u if needs be

but when he does jack off he needs to hear ur voice. .... has to call u or have u send voicenotes so he can rly immerse himself n pretend his hand is urs :((

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks)

lowkey . feet

i just feel it in his vibes

maybe a bit of exhibitionism .... stems from his possessiveness he can't help it he just wants everyone to know that u are HIS his his

L = Location (favorite places to do the do)

his bedroom <3 but hoon is not shy to trying it elsewhere..... like if u want him to fuck u against the shower wall best believe hoon will provide !

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going)

hm mmmm..... i don't see hoon as a deeply sexual man outside of his desperation to be close and connected to u, so probably when ur being very sentimental or sweet to him

i'd probs say physical touch and quality time are his love languages so nothing would get him going more than just spending a nice evening in with u, watching a movie, laying in his lap while he plays with ur hair etc

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

i can't imagine hoon saying no to u ? like..... if u wanna try it, he'll try it

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

NATIONAL TREASURE : HEAD GIVER !!!!

loves loves loves to eat u out.... loves the way u taste n how u try not to moan too loud in case anyone can hear u :(( but he wants u to be loud he wants everyone to know who's eating ur fat juicy cunt so good . ..

not opposed to a bit of noddy himself ... he's groomed for a reason really ... but as i said before he loves ur legs so licking ur pussy is a good way to get to the goods!!!!

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.)

slow slow slowwww . wants to take his time with u every time :((( wants u falling apart on his cock while he drags against ur walls slowly, prodding ur cervix and ur gspot like a professional

but if ur desperate for a rough and fast fuck just make him a little jealous ;3 stroke jake's arm playfully or giggle too loud at one of heeseung's jokes and ur guaranteed to make sunghoon fuck u hard into the mattress, have him grunting in ur ear that u belong to him, ur pussy is all his :(( makes him so mad seeing u with the members like that when it should all be for him ....

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

doesn't care for them rly. he's not able to fuck u well enough under a time crunch and would rather wait a week to take u home and fuck u properly... :(

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.)

he's down if ur down, definition of ride or die !!!!! just wants to see u happy

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)

one and done kinda guy, not that he wouldn’t be able to keep going but i just can’t see him being as turned on after he nuts…….

unless it’s jealous sex, then expect to be fucked full as many times as his balls will allow him bc ur his and his only and he wants to make sure he’s made his mark on ur pussy forever :((

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)

no toys for himself, he can barely get off without your being there so using toys on himself would just be impractical

always wanted to try one of those phone controlled vibrators on u…….

have u sit next to him on the couch watching a movie with 02z, and maybe hoon gets a little bored and turns it up …

just a little :3

and u cling to him a little tighter nd ur face blushes a little more :3

even jake turns to u and asks if ur feeling okay ….. but u can’t reply anything but a faint “yeah” as sunghoon turns it up even more next to u :(( ur poor pussy clenching so hard around it searching sooo desperately for release :(( and then he turns it off, and the knot in ur stomach loosens …..

u can barely whisper out an apology to jake and jay when u drag sunghoon off the couch to his bedroom to fuck u fair and square >:((

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

loves to give so i dont see him teasing much …. only when he rly wants to hear u beg for him and only him

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

not too loud, soft grunts and whispers about how ur his, ur pussy was built for him… built to wrap perfectly around his cock and milk him dry…… how bad he needs to fill u up with his cum nd show everyone who u belong to….

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)

u guys love relaxing on the couch at his dorm, watching movies…but when ur eyes catch his jawline n sharp nose u cant help getting a little restless :(( u scooch back a little to throw ur feet in his lap to rub at his bulge, n hoon eyes u suspiciously but says nothing ^_^ ur safe to keep going, eventually pulling his fully hard length out of his sweatpants n jerking him off with ur pretty painted toes nd soft soles until he finishes all over ur feet :3 nd of course he has to scoop some of it up on his fingers and bring it to ur mouth for u to eat, who needs popcorn anyway???

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

average length, slightly on the thicker side

already mentioned but very smooth !! keeps it well groomed

i’m saying uncut

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)

not very high, if needs be he can go a little while without sex but when he needs u he needs u BAD

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

he can stay up to talk to u for hours after sex, doesn’t tire him out really but it makes him want to be impossibly closer to u for the entire rest of the day/night

[augustvandyne]

Five times you and Addison Montgomery almost kiss, and the one time you do, please?

i love addie so much she’s so cute! also, i wasn’t sure if you preferred this to take place during greys or private practice, so i went with greys!

tw: mentions of vomiting

a story for the grandkids

1.

It was in the crossing of early morning, late night.

You’d been at the hospital for over forty-eight hours. And only about ten of that had been small naps.

Being on Addison’s service was kicking your ass, but you wanted to be an OBGYN with your whole heart and soul, and you would give up anything for that. Even a little sleep.

You were currently watching over a baby whose mother had just left her.

This world was messed up, and you hated people for it. Sometimes you thought you were too empathetic for this world, but that’s what made you a great doctor.

Or at least that’s what Addison told you.

You’re drifting to sleep as you feel a tug on your pointer finger. You spent most of the night just watching the tiny humans chest thump with heartbeats.

But now you were getting restless, and there hadn’t been any response from the baby at all until now.

You sat up excitedly at the small on and off pressure being added to your finger.

“Hi, sweet girl,” You run your thumb over her small knuckles. “That’s it. You’re so strong.”

Your eyes are sparkling and your lips are wide with a large smile plastering your face.

Addison watches the interaction from across the NICU, and she thinks it’s the cutest thing she’s ever witnessed. She’s worked with a lot of aspiring interns interested in neonatal work, but she’s never met someone like you.

“Everything okay?” Addison is watching you more than the baby.

“Yes!” You are bouncing in your seat. “She— she’s responsive. I’ll admit, I was falling asleep for a second— but I felt a tug on my finger, and— she’s so strong, Dr. Montgomery.”

“Please, call me Addison,” She smiles at you, grabbing a pen from her lab coat to mark the newfound information on the chart. “And thank you for being honest with me. This is amazing news.”

“If I have to call you Addison, you should call me Y/n,” You try to convince her.

Addison chuckles, “We’ll see.”

You lower your head so your level with the incubator, your eyes closing slightly.

Addison looks up from the chart, her lips tilting up from hearing your small snores.

“Dr. Y/l/n,” Addison clears her throat, and you jump awake.

“Huh?” You rub your eyes, letting go of the babies hand for the first time in hours.

“You should go home. Get some sleep,” Addison nods.

“But— I still have a few more hours—“

“I’m telling you to go home,” Addison places her pen back in the pocket she retrieved it. “You came in early yesterday, therefore, I’m cutting you off for today.”

“Okay,” You chuckle. You stand and come closer to her, moving to stand between the incubator and her. “I’ll see you..”

“Whenever I please,” Addison gives you a breathtaking smile, only now realizing the two of you are very close.

She thinks about it for a split second, her eyes closing in on your lips. But she clenches her jaw and takes a tiny step back.

She’s grateful you’re too tired to remember this tomorrow.

“Go on, Dr. Y/l/n,” Addison nods towards the door to the NICU.

2.

You huff for what had to be the hundredth time in the past hour.

There was nothing you hated more than plastics. It wasn’t the treatments, per se.. actually, that was part of it. You hated seeing them in pain as you dressed their burns and their cries.

But you also hated Mark Sloan. You could feel his stares on you as you worked on what he’d asked. He treated you like an object, and you were over it.

You also hated him because of the way he treated Addison.

Yes, you know, she was definitely in the wrong, but she’s apologized and everyone is over it. At least everyone except Mark.

“Y/l/n. If you huff one more time you’ll be on dry cleaner and coffee duty,” Mark threatens.

Although it wasn’t really a threat to you. It was better than wondering when he was going to pounce on you.

“It’s better than being here,” You mumble, finishing a dressing on a mans hand. He was a champ.

“What? Wanna share with the class?”

“I said it’s better than being here,” You finally snapped. “I will happily get your coffee and dry cleaning.”

“Perfect,” Mark flashed you a smile without even telling you where to go and what to get. You’d just ask Alex.

You somehow managed to stumble into the NICU, in search for Alex, but you didn’t find him.

You only found Addison.

“Oh, thank god. Someone sane,” Addison comes towards you and puts her hands on your shoulders.

“I don’t know about that,” You laugh. “But I do know I might kill Mark Sloan tonight.”

“Ugh, you got Mark? Out of everyone?” Addison grimaces. “I’m sorry. I’ll help you plan.”

“Amazing,” You smiled blissfully— just being in the NICU and near Addison is what you needed to calm yourself.

You lean your forehead on Addison’s shoulder, and you feel Addison’s hand make its way to the back of your head.

When you lift your head, your mouth is awfully to the side of Addison’s face.

She locks eyes with you but moves her head to the side, away from your face. She notices Alex towards the back of the room, flirting with a nurse.

“Karev, show Y/l/n where Dr. Sloan gets his coffee and his dry cleaning.”

3.

Nothing could have prepared you for what went wrong on that table today.

You knew this was a possibility going into neonatal, and fetal, but even that couldn’t have prepared you for the first death of a mother.

You didn’t even know what went wrong, really.

The mother was fine— you were delivering her baby by C-section and then all of the sudden she started crashing.

Addison had to lead you to the side before she tried to save the patient. You just stood there. Painless, numb, frozen.

It was like you couldn’t breathe.

And when Addison called time of death you all but ran out of the operating room and towards an on-call room.

You were sitting on the edge of the bed, your scrub cap in your hands as you leaned your head back in hopes to get the tears to go away.

“Y/l/n,” Addison crouches down in front of you, her hand finding a comforting spot on your knee.

You try to ignore the burning sensation of her hand through your scrubs.

“I don’t—“ Your voice cracks and you move your hands to your face, crying into the scrub cap.

“Shh,” Addison shushes you, running another comforting hand up and down the side of your thigh. “We had no idea that was going to happen. It’s not your fault.”

“But her poor husband,” Your words are muffled through the cap. “And the baby..”

“I know,” Addison removes her hand from the side of your leg and moves your hand from your face. “It’s okay.”

Addison lifts herself from the floor and to the bed beside you.

She looks at you with sympathy, because she remembers the first mother she lost. It tore her apart just as it was doing to you.

“It will get better,” Addison promises.

“It’s not fair,” You blow out a breath. “She was fine.”

“Stop. You’re getting yourself worked up,” Addison frowns, pulling you into her side.

You melt into her side, your left leg moving on top of her own. You vigorously wipe at your tears, but they just keep coming.

You sob into her shoulder for a few minutes, soaking her dark blue scrubs to a darker blue.

Addison lifts your head to see your face.

It’s mostly dark in the room, only a small lamp sat on the desk in the back corner. You could barely see her face, but she could see yours perfectly.

She wipes the tears from your face and pushes the damp hair away that sticks onto your face.

Your eyelashes stick together as you look down at her lips slightly, and back up towards her eyes.

“You okay?” Addison’s eyes make their way down to your lips.

She leans forward, and she almost thinks she’s going to, but she pulls you in for a hug.

“Yeah,” You sigh.

4.

“It’d be nice if I could breathe right now,” You joked, although it wasn’t really a joke. It felt like the air had been swept from your lungs.

How did you get stuck with your hand on the bomb?, was a very good question.

One you definitely didn’t have the answer to.

All you knew was the second the paramedics hand was out of there, yours was right inside the body.

Your hand was growing tired, but you really didn’t want to die today. You haven’t even really fell in love yet, not really, and that’s something you’d like to experience before dying.

The next few minutes fly by in a blur. Meredith and Cristina come up with a plan to safely take care of the bomb, and the next second your out the door. Praying to any Gods above that you make it out of this alive.

“Breathe, Y/n,” Meredith reminds you.

“I can’t,” You let out a shaky gust of air. “I really c— can’t.”

“Come on, now is not the time to have an asthma attack,” Cristina curses. “I don’t have her extra inhaler, do you?”

“No.. she gave it to..”

“Addison,” The two say together.

“Crap,” You gasp for air.

“Okay, here’s what we’re going to do,” Burke looks between the two - Meredith and Cristina - as a sheen of sweet forms on his forehead. “One of you are going to have to take over for her and the other needs to take her to Dr. Montgomery now. Before things get out of hand and we all die.”

“You’re right,” Meredith nods. “Okay, I’ve got it. A count of three, Y/n, got it?”

“Yes,” You’re trying to inhale anything at this point, but you can’t seem to grab anything.

You successfully make the trade off with Meredith, and your anxiety skyrockets as you are forced to leave her behind.

“Y/n—“

“I know,” You share a silent understanding with your best friend.

Tell him.

I know.

“Come on, let’s go,” Cristina tugs on your arm and takes you right towards the redhead.

“Oh, y/n,” Addison dives right into your arms, unaware of the fact that you can’t breathe at all. “Thank god you’re alright. You are okay, right? I don’t see any bruises.”

“Dr. Montgomery,” Cristina breaks the moment. “You have her inhaler?”

“Oh!” Addison sees the paleness in your face and begins reaching for your inhaler, finding it in her back pocket. “Here.”

Addison doesn’t care about the blood coating your hand as she holds your hand to help you with your inhaler.

Addison leans her face forward to make sure you’re doing it right, and when you remove your hand her lips are awfully close to your face.

You take a sharp inhale of breath you didn’t have a second ago, and you actually think she’s gonna go through with it for a second.

But you had an audience, and she didn’t want your first kiss to be in front of her ex-husband and your subordinates.

“You’re okay?” Addison checks over you.

“You called me by my name,” Is the first thing you say when you’re fully back.

Addison laughs, “I did.”

5.

You giggle to yourself as you sit at the bar in Joes.

You were all supposed to originally go there so you could drink and do trauma dumps for the week, but everyone got called in for their respective specialties, except you.

A familiar fragrance hits your nose, and you rest back, almost falling out of the stool at the bar.

“Woah there,” Addison catches you quickly before you fall.

“Addie,” You sigh in content, laying your arm across the table, your head resting in the crook of your arm.

“Hm?” Addison presses her lips together. “Meredith told me I might find you here.”

“She did?” You ask with a little too much excitement.

“Yeah,” Addison laughs at you. “What happened? Are you upset? Is that why you’re like this?”

“Nooooo,” You poke her on the nose.

You begin to stand, putting your coat on due to the frigid weather.

“Where are you off to?” Addison stands quickly, following you right out the door.

“The hospital!” You gasp. “To save more babies. I like babies. I want babies. I want them with this one person, but I don’t think they want them with me. Which is okay! I’m.. I think I’m gonna throw up.”

Addison follows you to the grass, holding your hair back as you empty your stomach onto the ground.

She pushes down the jealousy as she rubs your back soothingly.

You lean up fast, looking her in the eyes with the most adorable expression (in her opinion).

You give a wide smile, leaning forward the slightest bit.

She does think about it, but your first kiss shouldn’t be this way. You wouldn’t even be able to remember it in the morning. And your mouth tasted awful.

“Come on,” Addison steers you away from the grass and back into the bar. “Let’s get you a coffee. Maybe some fries. How does that sound?”

You groan in response.

+1

Weddings really just irked you. And you didn’t know what it was about them.

Maybe the fact that you spend so much money for a stupid party you won’t even remember in two years, but Addison seemed to love it.

That’s the only reason you were going - was for Addison.

You’d noticed over the past few weeks how close Addison has come to kissing you. You were really hoping today might be it.

You were a bridesmaid, due to you being one of Cristina’s very best friends.

Although right now you were really regretting even agreeing in the first place.

First off, you hated the dress. Brown? Out of any color? Second, (again on the dress) it didn’t fit your body type well at all. And lastly, you were beginning to think there wouldn’t even be a wedding.

Cristina kept freaking out. All day. And now you could hear someone approaching the door. You had a feeling it was Burke.

Meredith calls for you and when you come to the door it’s not Burke.

It’s Addison.

“Addison,” You slip out of the room. “What’s wrong? Is everything okay with Burke?”

“Everything’s okay for now,” Addison keeps a stoic expression on her face. “But is she almost ready? He’s getting antsy, and he might not go through with it.”

You clench your jaw, shaking your head.

“I’m not even the maid of honor and I’m running around fixing everything?” You whisper-shout.

“Don’t get mad at me,” Addison lifts her brows.

“I’m just— this whole wedding is a disaster. First these stupid dresses, second the bachelorette party? I mean, what the hell kind of party was that?! And now Cristina can’t remember her vows, and there may as well—“

You’re cut off by Addison’s lips smashing onto yours.

“Finally,” You sigh, leaning into her.

Her hands find your hips, grabbing onto them as she pushes you against the wall. Your arms wrap around her neck.

“And for the record,” She says between kisses. “I love this dress on you.”

This was a story for the grandkids.

[nightingaleflow]

Hey! Could you do a Gaara x fem reader where he is in love with her but he is extremely scared about hurting her especially with the way he used to be in the past and midst this turmoil his brother out of anger gives him the push he needs and says to him : ❝  if you keep waiting until you’re done ‘working on yourself’ before you let yourself be with the person you love,  you’re never gonna be with them.  and they’ll find someone else who is brave enough to give them a chance to love them exactly how they already are.  ❞

I saw this on your prompt list😊

Yep, here you go, little nonnie. <3 Hope you like it!

Word Count: 1.1k Warnings: Insecurity, mild language

~

Working on Yourself

You had crept up on Gaara over time. You were a jonin, so at first you only saw Gaara when receiving or debriefing from missions. You kept things professional, of course, but you always tried to say something nice to Gaara, even if it was just a “I hope you have a wonderful day, Kazekage-sama.” He appreciated your comments, and always reciprocated your kindness by asking after you.

The two of you kept things general at first, but at one point, you mentioned how proud you were of your students for coming so far with their taijutsu, since taijutsu was your speciality.

Gaara looked up at you. “You are a taijutsu specialist?”

You nodded, studying him curiously. “Is that significant?”

“Perhaps,” Gaara said. “I have been looking for a new taijutsu coach since my previous one was stationed in the northern territories. Would you be interested in the opportunity?”

You smiled. “I would be honored.”

Gaara led you down to the bottom floor of the Kazekage Tower, where a private training field was hidden away. Once the doors closed, you engaged him in a spar. You weren’t fighting full force, you just wanted to test and see where his skills were. You could easily see he’d been trained due to his stances and how he reacted to certain moves, but there were still gaps in his stance and reaction times that needed work.

You started meeting three times a week to work on Gaara’s taijutsu. He was the best student you’d ever had. He was very attentive and a fast learner, taking your corrections without an ounce of resentment or disrespect.

Your sessions started to grow slightly longer. First five minutes, then ten minutes, then a half hour. Your conversations shifted from purely professional to more friendly, and when the two of you finally ended things for the day, Gaara always felt gloomy when he had to return to his office.

As the weeks went on, Gaara started to notice more about you. The way your nose crinkled when you laughed. The way your eyebrows pinched when he made a mistake, and the way they relaxed again once he fixed it. The sincerity in your voice when you talked to him, and the way you gave him your full attention while he spoke.

He realized that he valued your company - more than that of a ninja, but as someone precious.

And he didn’t know what to do about that.

The only people who were truly close to him were his siblings and Baki. His friends were far away and busy with their own lives, and his family were, well, family. You were the first in so long he wanted to spend time with. You were the first at all that he wanted to hold close.

But did he really deserve such a thing, he asked himself. He’d spent more than a decade trying to atone for the sins of his past, and still felt like he would never fully cleanse his soul. He’d done so much wrong by so many people. He still had so much more work to do. Things like love were out of his reach.

And yet, it didn’t stop him from cherishing the time he spent with you.

It didn’t stop his face from lighting up whenever you entered his office.

It didn’t stop him from wishing that when you corrected his stance with gentle touches that your hands would linger just a bit longer.

He wanted you so badly it burned, but he didn’t feel like he deserved you. To say he was lost was an understatement.

One day, Kankuro dropped in for a chat. Since it was almost time for you to appear, Gaara barely paid attention to his brother, glancing at the door between sentences.

Kankuro was suspicious of his behavior, but he clearly understood once you walked through the door and Gaara’s whole demeanor changed.

You spent a minute saying hello to Kankuro, catching up from when you’d been paired on a mission a while back. The whole time you talked, Gaara couldn’t tear his eyes away from you.

Kankuro watched you two with a fond smile, then asked if he could steal his brother for another minute before you started.

You agreed and told Gaara you’d meet him at the training field when he was ready.

Once you left, Kankuro raised an eyebrow at Gaara. “I see you two are getting along.”

“Of course, we’re friends, and she’s an excellent taijutsu coach.”

Kankuro scoffed. “I’m not blind, Gaara. Friends don’t look at each other like that.”

“Then you’re mistaken.”

Kankuro folded his arms. “Am I? So if I went downstairs right now and asked her on a date, you’d be ok with it?”

White hot rage shot through Gaara as he shot out of his chair.

Kankuro snorted. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. You can relax, I’m not interested in her like that.”

Gaara bowed his head. “Forgive me, Kankuro. I didn’t mean to act so rashly.”

Kankuro sighed. “I forgive you, but I still don’t see why you’re hemming and hawing about her. Just go ask her out. What’s the worst that could happen?”

“No,” Gaara said. “I have a long way to go before I’m worthy of being anything to her.”

“Gaara, you know that’s bullshit, right?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Look, I know you’re all about working on yourself and atoning for your past and all that, and that’s a noble cause. But if you keep waiting until you’re done ‘working on yourself’ before you let yourself be with the person you love, you’re never gonna be with them. And they’ll find someone else who is brave enough to give them a chance to love them exactly how they already are.”

Gaara closed his eyes. “But…what if I hurt her?”

Kankuro’s gaze softened. “Is that what this is really about?”

Gaara nodded.

“Answer me this, Gaara. Do you respect her?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then you should tell her. Let her decide what she wants to do instead of making the decision for her.”

“…You’re right,” Gaara said. “When did you get so wise, Kankuro?”

Kankuro grinned. “I am your big brother, it comes with the territory.”

Gaara rolled his eyes, then excused himself and descended to the training field. He saw you going through your warmup, stretching your shoulders and legs.

He felt a bead of sweat roll down his face that had nothing to do with the desert heat.

“There you are,” you said, smiling at him. “I was starting to worry.”

“Forgive me,” Gaara said.

You waved your hand. “Are you ready to get started?”

Gaara smiled. “Actually, before we begin, there’s something I’d like to talk to you about.”

~

Tag List: @justmyownreality @therantingfangirl @mrsbakashi @anchy-bananchy @hashira-mal @allyallygator @nnandmm-archived-hard @rayofmirasol @therozpoz @undersero (if you would like to be added to the tag list please let me know)

[shadowbriar]

Sirius Black - Dare You

Pairing : (F/M) || Sirius Black x Reader Word Count : 2.7k Warning : Drowning. Sirius being an idiot. I hate him. Prompts : “I couldn’t decide whether to kiss or kick you.” || “Oh? Oh.” Notes : I don’t really like Sirius in this story, he’s borderline toxic but he’s cute in the end, so I forgive him. If you like this story and would like to support me, please visit my kofi page and perhaps get me a coffee?☕

Happy tears and laughter would be the two main things that filled the group of friends’ summer break. Agreeing to join the Marauders and staying over at the Potter’s summer house would be one of the best decisions she’s made in her entire life. From the moment she stepped in the place, she knew that the days spent would be one of her greatest days, and she has been proven right so far. 

Now they’re seated in a circle, cheeks rosy from gulping down the bottles of booze James was so kind to provide. Her knees were grazing with his, sending jolts of electricity through her spine. He was laughing, being the most beautiful version of himself in her eyes. She always loved to see him beaming in laughter. The way his hair would fall on his face, hiding the piercing grey eyes that would always strip her soul whenever they’re locked on hers. Sirius Black is the definition of magnificence indeed.

If she should ever point one flaw from him it would be the fact that he wasn’t hers. Sirius has always been so carefree, so nonchalant with every aspect of his life, including romance. As bitter as she should admit, there must be no girl in the castle that hasn't tasted those pink lips of his. No girl except her, of course.

“So, will tonight finally be my lucky night?” Sirius whispers to her ears “Can I finally land the chance of tasting those lips of yours?”

“Not with your alcoholic breath, you’re not.” She says, pushing him away in a friendly manner “You’ll never kiss me, Sirius.”

The boy pouts, “Why not? Everyone else would.”

Well, that’s the problem, isn’t it? Everyone would and everyone had. She wouldn’t have any problem with his past lovers. No, the problem wasn’t of his long list of ex-lovers. It was the fact that he never meant the kiss he shared with anyone. And even though she would kill to have him kiss her, knowing that she would just be another tally to his list never sits right with her. Not when she holds the purest and most loving feelings for him.

“I bet you ten galleons we’ll have our kiss before this break is over.” He continues, still having that confident smug expression on his face “I’ll get it, one way or another.”

She snorts, “I’d love to see you try.”

“Oh, I will try, alright.” He nods in determination “Wouldn’t you be so kind and give me mental support? Small kiss on my cheek, perhaps?”

“Yeah, right.”

“Sirius!” Lily exclaims, making the two turn to the red girl “Your turn.”

“Oh, Merlin.” He mutters.

“I’ve got one.” Marlene says, her mischievous expression plastered all over her face “Never have I ever fancied someone in this room. And I meant by full on whipped, down bad, would kill for that person kind of fancy.”

James groans, “Come on, now, we all know the answer to that!”

“Do we?” Mary comments, her brows furrow “Cause I don’t.”

“I don’t either.” Lily says with the same confused tone, glancing at her boyfriend with a ‘you better explain later’ look before turning back to the raven haired boy “So have you or have you never, Sirius?”

“Of course, I have.”

“No,” The girl next to him gasps, making a disbelieved look “Who?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, Dove.” He winks “Right, spin the bottle again!”

She was stunned. So much secret for someone who seemed to have always been an open book for her. And what did he mean she wouldn’t have believed it? Would the person be someone she would least expect? Could it be Dorcas, though she’s been with Marlene for the longest time? Or could it be one of the Marauders? Or could it be Lily, the girl his best friend has been pining for years?

So many possibilities for such a vague answer.

“Stop staring at me.” Sirius says smugly “You’ll fall in love if you don’t.”

She rolls her eyes, “Who?”

“Not telling.”

“Oh, come on!” She whines, pulling on the sleeves of his sweater “Who is it? Who did you fancy?”

He turns to see her, smirking, “I’ll tell you if you let me kiss you.”

“No.” She frowns “Never.”

“Your lost.” He snorts, acting offended “Could’ve been the best night of our lives.”

Indeed it could’ve been the best night of their lives, well her life for sure, she wouldn’t know if it would leave any remark for him. Being friends with Sirius for years had made her certain that the boy could never hold half as deep of a devotion as hers, yet with the new half confession he made, she’s starting to question everything she knew. Who could be the lucky soul he’s hoard feelings for?

—-

The sun was shining bright, birds chirping as if they were singing a pleasant song. If she should choose one thing she loves most about the Potter’s summer house, it would be their pool and the sun loungers around it. She loves feeling the warmth of the sun while listening to the banter her friends exchange or taking a quick dip to the pool to cool herself from the heat. All and all, the time spent at the pool has always been the pleasant highlight of her day.

Until today.

Her eyes were closed, the sunglasses she’s wearing don’t seem to do much of a help to block the striking light. Her skin was getting red, slightly burnt from the sun, but she wasn’t in the mood to move from her seat. It’s not like everyday she could sunbathe like this.

“Help! Someone!” A voice yelled, making her sit straight up “Help, he’s not breathing!”

She turned to the source of voice, Peter, frantically shaking Sirius’ soaked body.

“What happened?” She asks as she gets to the two, kneeling behind Sirius’ limp body “Sirius, wake up!”

In a panic, she begins to tilt his head and perform CPR on the unconscious boy. Her body was trembling in fear, afraid of all the bad possible outcomes of such a disaster. Worry and fright pollutes her mind that she didn’t even think for a second that Sirius is a brilliant swimmer. There would be no logical way to explain how such a skilled boy could drown in a pool that’s not even as deep as his height.

She begins mouth to mouth, counting on the seconds before doing the press on his chest. She begins with a light one, afraid of giving him too much pressure. Yet before she could do a third press to his chest, the boy bursts into laughter.

“You’re tickling me.” He exclaims, now sitting up as if nothing has happened “Merlin, I should’ve done this years ago.”

She pulled away, looking appalled and baffled at the situation, “You were- I thought- What’s just happened?”

“You kissed me.”

“What?”

“I said, you kissed me.” He said with a victorious smile “Told you we’d have that kiss before the break’s over.”

She blinks, letting out a disbelieved chuckle from the stunt he’s pulled, “You’re a dickhead, Sirius.”

She stands from her spot, walking away in angry steps. How dare he trick her that way? How dare he scared her to death, only to taunt her with the kiss that he obviously had no remarks of? How dare he hurt her this way?

“Wait, Love, I’m sorry.” Sirius called, trying to catch her “Hey-”

“Is everything a joke for you?!” She snaps, turning to him with teary eyes now.

Sirius gulped, understanding that he’s taken it too far this time.

“Do you understand the horror I felt? Thinking that you really drowned? Thinking that you’re really not breathing? Do you even understand how terrifying it was, Sirius?!”

He winces, her shouting was making the others to come out of the house, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-”

“Everything’s just a joke for you, isn’t it?” She says with a quivering voice, yanking his hand away from her “Just fuck off, okay!”

The group of friends gasps. Sure she’s never been a saint but she’s never spat on anyone, not unless they were exchanging a banter. They knew that Sirius had crossed the line this time, whatever he did. Just perfect to turn their blissful getaway into a living nightmare now.

—-

She’s been staying in her room, sulking over her pathetic state. Exactly why did her heart have to choose him? Why couldn’t she just fall for a more grounded boy? One who would be more careful with her heart. One who would take care of her gently. One who would never be as careless as Sirius is.

It was never meant to be, she knew it. From the beginning she could already taste the bitter ending her infatuation would lead her. Sirius would never take her more than a friend, let alone reciprocate her feelings. He’s never wanted to be tied to someone else. He’s never wanted to settle down with someone. He’s never wanted to grow old and spend the rest of their lives together. No, that was never and would never be Sirius.

But why is it so hard for her to hate him? All the tears shed over this morning’s incident was not of her hatred for him, it was for her hatred towards herself. How could she be so foolish to still love him, even after everything? Even after every blatant evidence that he would never be the one for her?

A soft knock was made from the other side of the door. Perhaps it was Lily again, coaxing her to get out of the room and take her dinner. She hasn’t eaten anything since breakfast, after all. Yet her appetite has gone out of the window and she certainly isn’t in the mood to meet anyone tonight.

“Love?” He says softly “It’s me. Would you please open the door so we could talk?”

Her head turns, not expecting to hear his voice.

“Pease?” He begs, knocking on the door once more “It wouldn’t take much of your time, I promise.”

Sniffling, she finds her feet closer to the door. Her brain was cursing her for it, for giving in so easily after everything he’s done, but her heart could never bear the plea in his tone. He knew exactly how to crumble her fortress with just one pleading. Another thing to add on the things that make her so pathetic tonight.

“What do you want?”

Sirius’ expression softens, noticing her still wet cheeks and the heartbroken expression she has all over her face, “Can we talk?”

She didn’t say a word as she walked back inside the room, not closing the door in a gesture for him to come. He did, quietly closing the door behind him and standing a few metres away from her, not wanting to invade her sheer tolerance for him.

“I’m sorry,” He starts “For everything this morning, I’m really sorry.”

She remains quiet, watching him as she tries to decipher his words.

“I thought it was a harmless prank, I didn’t think it through, I’m sorry.”

“Why are you so obsessed with wanting to kiss me, Sirius?” She asks, her voice still barely above a whisper “Am I one of the girls in your dating conquest?”

“No, no, of course not!” He exclaims fast, taking a few steps closer to her “I have never intended for you to feel that way. You’re far from the girls I ever dated from. You’re my friend, you're worth so much more than all of them combined.”

And there it is. A friend. His friend. As much as it relieves her to know that he thinks of her preciously, the bitter truth still hurts. She knew that he only sees her as a friend, she knew these all along. Yet having the confirmation served to her face now brought a whole different level of heartache she didn’t know one could even suffer from.

“Alright.” She says with a sharp breath, trying to maintain her composure so not to crumble completely in front of him “I forgive you. Would that be all?”

“Yes.”

“Okay.”

Sirius turns his body, walking closer to the door before shaking his head and facing her again, “No, actually that’s not all.”

She raised an eyebrow, confused by his demeanour.

“I suppose I have to tell you the real reason why I’m so desperate to kiss you.”

“Okay,” She nods lightly, still not following the direction he’s heading “I’m all ears.”

“I like you.” He blurts “I like you, I love you, I want you, I pine for you, Merlin, I’m desperate for you.”

She blinks, taken aback by his confession.

“I’m the worst at showing my true intentions, believe me the boys have scolded me for years for it but I really don’t know what to do with all these emotions. I yearn for you and it’s maddening that you’re not mine and that I couldn’t kiss you or that I couldn’t hold you anytime I want.”

She’s still mute, trying to digest each of his words.

“I’m sorry for being the pathetic loser that I am. I know that you must hate me for everything. For being this pitiful and foolish with the whole dating quest but I tried, truly I tried to wriggle myself out of these feelings and I can’t. Everytime I try my best to suppress these feelings, it would only spit on my face and amplify instead.” He confessed, looking defeated and desperate from his own torment “So I beg you, please get me out of this. Please get me out of this torture.”

“And how would I do that?”

He shrugs, shaking his head, “I don’t know. Yell at me, tell me that I’m an idiot and that you hate me for ruining our friendship. Tell me that I’m the most pathetic bloke there is and that you’ll never reciprocate my feelings. Tell me that you’ll never love me.”

“Is that truly what you want?”

“No, but there really isn’t any other way, is there?”

She shrugs, “I don’t know, perhaps there is.”

Now it’s his turn to have his brows furrowed in confusion.

“The person you fancied, it was me?” She asks, trying to make sure that she wasn’t lost in translation “You fancy me?”

“Fancy is a far understating word, but yes, it was you. It’s always been you.” He reaffirms “And I never said I stopped fancying you. You’re the one who thought I no longer do.”

“Oh? Oh.”

An awkward silence fell between the two. As she tries to process his confession, Sirius is put on edge. He’s never seen her with such mannerism, so hard for him to understand what she would say next or what she’s thinking. He hoped that she would break his heart. Utter all the worst words she could probably say, he hoped that she would crush his heart to pieces, because otherwise he knew that he’ll be stuck loving the girl who doesn’t feel the same way about him.

“Is that all you could say? Oh?” He asked, still nervous of her response.

“So far, yes.”

He nods, “Right.”

“Do you really mean it?’

“Which part?”

“Every part.”

“I did.” He answers firmly, gulping “Except for the part where I wanted you to break my heart. I hope you wouldn’t, but there’s no other way for me to get out of these feelings, so if you would.”

“I wouldn’t.”

Sirius raised an eyebrow, completely lost from her words now.

“Merlin, I couldn’t decide whether to kiss or kick you.” She says with a bitter chuckle, running a hand through her hair “You stress me so much, do you know that?”

“I’m sorry?” He apologises “I think?”

She rolls her eyes, coming closer to him this time and resting her hands to his chest, “You’re a pathetic loser, Sirius Black.”

He gulps, bracing himself for the heartbreak he’s about to face.

“You’re the daftest bloke in history and I hate you for confessing your feelings to me now,” She continues, glueing her eyes to his now “Because if you’ve done it earlier, you could’ve kissed and held me for years already.”

 “What-”

“Shut up and just kiss me before I get mad at you again.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

And so he leans in, finally getting the price he’s thirsted for the longest of time. She was the definition of perfection, the way her soft lips met with his. How her body’s now close to his, being held in his protective embrace just the way he’s always prayed at night. For a moment there all the years of silent pining and distressful yearns for each other doesn’t seem so bad. Never that bad when a happy ending is their reward.

[aisaariel]

how does jk feel about his solo 7?

ponyo deck ; tarot & intuition ; july 20, 2023

hello vitas! i felt called to do this reading, so i popped out my new ponyo theme deck and did this reading. ponyo is a feisty one and the deck is straightforward, so i'm excited to work with the deck now and in the future! let's get started~

— 10w (6c), 5p (3c), Aw (Kp), 7w (Ac) // 10c

context: so let's first talk about his previous project with charlie puth, left and right. his part of the song goes, "ever since the day you went away (someone tell me how), how much more do i gotta drink for the pain? (whatcha gon' do now?), you do things to me that i just can't forget (now all i think about), are the nights we were tangled up in your bed" with the prechorus and chorus following. and then in seven, he talks about f*cking someone right in the explicit version and loving someone right in the clean version. very obvious in the music video! he explained 7 talks about doing whatever you can to be with the love of your life. this happens to provide great context for the reading.

about the song: now to what the actual cards are telling us. seeing how we start off with the ten of wands clarified by the six of cups, we see how he has spent lots of time on this song and really considered what kind of message it would bring to people who listened to it. he chose to have an explicit version and a clean version. he chose to make the songs give off the messages and vibes that they did. i think this song is an amalgamation of his view of love, his tendencies as a lover in relationships, his past relationships, his dynamics with past lovers, and such! he drew upon lots of his past it seems.

his feelings: then, we see him talking more about his thoughts. it's like he's saying "i can be your companion through your darkest troubles, look you in the eyes, see through to the deepest depths of your soul. i want to help you feel better. i want to love you, hold you tight. i want to show you that anything is possible, show you the light in the darkness, lead you to the right path. i want to make tons of mistakes with you because i know you won't judge me and i won't judge you. i want to support you in your ventures in any way that i can, be your provider, your defender, and your greatest lover. then we see the seven of swords clarified by the ace of cups. "why is it that i give you all of me but you hurt me in the end? why do you not love me, give all of you back to me? i'll follow you wherever you go; you can't get rid of me. i know you love me back. i'll wait for you until you feel comfortable and ready. baby, just look back at me once. give me a chance, give me a sign, and i'll never leave your side." (listen to "all of me" john legend)

other(?) channeled stuff: that was a huge storm of words up there and i was not present half the time that i was writing it because jk seemed very eager to explain what his song meant. so essentially, we go travel all~~~~ the way back in time to the times when he was really struggling in love. the time frame feels around 2017 or 2018? so many betrayals, so much hurting. "why is it that no matter how much love i give to you, you keep hurting me? why do you make me feel special and then break me?" and "why do i keep falling back into love with you when i know that i'll just be hurt in the end?" i don't really want to look into the specifics, but it seems like he experienced a very unhealthy relationship - the energy of this person he was in a relationship with feels older than him. it seems like he gave his all and did his best, but in the end he felt hurt, used, unheard, and unloved. he did everything that he could in his position: listening, supporting, understanding, buying presents, quality time, etc. however, what he got in return may have been coldness, lots of complaints. he may have loved this person a lot more than how much this person loved him back. i don't really know why, but it feels like this person didn't even love him back at all. like i sense this person just grinning and chuckling at his innocence in a way, when really, they were there for his fame and his body and face (bragging rights). okay i need to stop here. no more SHUSH AISA, SHUSH!!!!!!

answering the actual question: so, to finally answer the actual question that this whole post was based on, it seems like this is kind of like a "period mark" to any of what happened in the past. i see him starting new. i see him just wanting pure happiness. a happy life, a happy home, a happy family with those he loves. the song really fully encompasses how he is as a lover. he's someone who gives his all to someone he loves. he's willing to give his all. he won't leave you alone. he'll follow you around, shower you with love, show you all of him and in turn, want to know all of you. when i watched the music video and read the lyrics, i was just extremely shocked for certain reasons that i cannot share, but the representation of his lyrics in the music video hits straight to home base pretty much! he worked very hard for this single in particular and i think it really contains lots of him in regards to love. he feels very proud of it and he's happy to share it with the world. he also seems to be moving on now from past things. he's looking to a newer person, a newer perspective. this is a transitional point for him and a lot of baggage was released on his part! there was also a lot of maturing as well, so he really really worked hard on himself. this is why a lot of readers may have sensed that his energy is feeling much fresher and lighter nowadays because that's pretty much exactly what he did!

i apologize but don't apologize for this long essay. i had so much fun having jk take over most of what was written on this post!

[oh-austin]

going method, part five (austin butler)

summary: you're playing priscilla presley in the new elvis biopic, when your co-star asks you if you would like to date him during the filming of the movie to better understand elvis and priscilla's relationship.

word count: 3,743

authors note / warnings: no warnings! trying to write more and get these out for you quicker, but life is hectic right now! but here's the fifth part- five left! we're halfway there <3 I hope you all love it x

series masterlist / previous + next part

────── ∘◦❀◦∘

It was a big day today on set. Sure, every day was becoming bigger than the last for everyone; but this one was especially big for you. Everyone seemed a little more on edge this morning, but you were panicking. Priscilla was coming in to watch some scenes today. 

It would be the first time she had seen you in your hair and makeup since the first week of shooting, it never got any less daunting. Portraying a woman to only have her come and watch you attempt to fill her shoes and display her legacy. You felt pathetic today.

Austin spent the morning filming some individual scenes before a re-shoot of Priscilla’s first scene. He knew you would be in hair and makeup, most likely inches away from losing your mind and maybe your breakfast. 

Austin quickly slipped into your trailer, with his present in hand and placed them on the table so that you would see the array of pink and purple petals as soon as you came back. He pulled the gift card from the bouquet and scrawled a message on there for you. Austin left quickly, needed to rush to wardrobe- he knew that he was pushing for time, but you were worth it.

“You look like you’re going to pass out,” Louise, your hair stylist, looked down at you with her eyebrows raised. 

“I might,” You couldn’t stop looking yourself in the eye as you sat in front of the mirror. You didn’t feel like yourself, which you guessed was a good thing; you’re not supposed to be Y/N, you’re supposed to be Priscilla.

“She helped cast you, Y/N” Louise reminded you, “She wouldn’t have picked you, if she didn’t think you could handle it,” She fiddled with the bangs she needed to clip into your unruly wig. 

“I wouldn’t have picked me,” You sighed. It was hard to remain level-headed when you were so close to facing a huge moment in your life. The woman that you had been dedicating your craft to was about to see the outcome, you just wanted to make her proud. 

“Well,” Louise clipped in the hair-piece, “She did,” 

“She did,” You nodded. You were now ready to film, hair and makeup done and in costume. You didn’t look like yourself, a good thing. Over the past day of your increasing anxieties, you had begin to understand Austin’s imposter syndrome. He was something else, you weren’t sure how he did it- you couldn’t.

“You’ve got ten minutes still you need to be on your mark, why don’t you go take a minute in your trailer or your car? Sit by yourself and chill out,” Louise held your face in her hands, “You look like you need it,” She smiled.

“Thanks,” You rolled your eyes, “I’ll see you later,” You hugged her with a thank you falling from your lips as you left hair and makeup.

The walk to your trailer felt longer than it usually was. You heard whispers between crew members that Priscilla was here, you felt your stomach drop. Waves of anxiety fell over you. You stumbled into your trailer. 

There sat a bouquet of pink and purple flowers, tulips- a flower that you loved. You felt your heartbeat slow as you walked over to the vase they were sat in. A white card sat against the base of the vase, you instantly recognised the handwriting. It read:

For my sweet ‘Cilla

Make her proud today,

You’ve got this - Austin

You would have cried if you didn’t have to be on set soon, but you couldn’t stop yourself from tearing up. Austin really had won you over, heart and soul. He was the kind of man that you felt you could love forever unconditionally. He was everything. 

You felt better, knowing that Austin had your back today- he knew how much you had been stressing yourself out over today. He had developed a talent for noticing when you were in your own head, just like you had for him- it was a beautiful mutually shared talent. You weren’t drinking as much water as usual, or eating your lunch with everyone- rather hiding away in your trailer with your script glued to your hands. You were extra grateful for Austin as you left your trailer. He was slowly becoming one of the biggest parts of your life, a welcome change. 

Approaching the soundstage is when you saw Priscilla, her back turned to you- but it was her. She was talking to Baz, you weren’t sure if you should interrupt- but you wouldn’t want her to think you were rude for not saying hello. So you decided to talk to her. You swallowed the lump that made itself present in your throat before walking over to her, trying to hold your head as high as you could. 

“Y/N!” Baz smiled as you walked over, Priscilla turned around at the call of your name. 

“Y/N, how are you darling?” She asked. Priscilla’s voice was softer, you worried that you were making her appear too gutsy when acting. Suddenly all of your negative thoughts came flooding back.

“I’m alright, how are you?” She pulled you in for a hug. Baz had left you alone with Priscilla now, so you had no one else to fall back on if you began to panic.

“Just wonderful,” She smiled, “I can’t wait to watch this scene, very special to me,”

Your swear your heart dropped into the pits of your stomach. “Well, if you want me to change anything or do anything different, please tell me-“ You could have been borderline hyperventilating with the way you were laughing awkwardly, your breaths fell from your stomach- “I want it to be perfect for you,”

“Darling, you’ll be great,” She held onto your shoulders, “Just relax”.

You couldn’t. You had Priscilla Presley reassuring you that it was okay to step back and take a breath, but you couldn’t find it in yourself to do it. 

“Hey mamas,” Austin’s hand was now sat on the small of your back as he came over to you both, “Priscilla, how are you?” He had such a gentlemanly smile on his lips. 

“So great,” She told him, “You look very strapping,” Priscilla admired the military outfit that Austin was wearing for the scene. “And you-“ Priscilla put her hand on your cheek, “It’s like looking in a mirror,” Okay, maybe you could breathe a little, “Fifty-odd years ago, but still-“ She laughed- “A mirror,”

“Doesn’t she look beautiful?” Austin looked down at you. Priscilla watched as Austin admired you, her heart skipped a beat seeing two people who were such visions of herself and her true love. It was surreal, she wished he was here to see it.

“Just gorgeous,” Priscilla nodded.

Soon, Baz was calling both you and Austin to your marks, ready to film the scene. You shook your hands out as you stood up and on your mark. Austin tapped your leg with his foot from his position on the floor. “Hey,” He whispered, “You’ve got this, I promise”

You swallowed the lump in your throat once more, a persistent and pestering trait of your anxieties. You looked down at him before nodding.

“I got this,” You whispered, trying your best to convince yourself. 

“Ready,” Baz began to call. You closed your eyes and listened for him to cal action, “Mark.. And action!”

“And then he said to me…” You cleared your throat, deepening your voice with a gravelly tone, pretending to inhale from a cigarette- blowing out imaginary smoke into the air. “‘You know what, Priscilla? You gotta listen to me, sweetie, because this guy, he’s got girls all over the world, okay?’” You looked down at Austin who was looking up at you in awe, “‘He’s got girls waiting outside of his house and girls writing him endless fan mail.” You abandoned the deep and rough tone, “And then mommy decides to pitch in and go, ‘ooh, what could he possibly see in you, okay? What do you two do up there all night?”

And…” You looked over to see an extra peering into the room. 

You softly scoffed, before closing the door slightly. "And I just said, ‘mom, dad… We talk and we listen to music, okay? That’s all.” You leave the door and walk closer to where Austin was sat, “And then they were going on and on about that photo of you and Natalie wood riding around on that bike in Memphis, and-“ You took a quick deep breath- “And then what I said- and I said this really calmly, I said, ‘listen, okay? He’s just really lonely. And quite frankly, so am I’” You shrugged.

You and Austin sat in a pause of silence before you giggled softly, “And then they didn’t really know what to say after that, so I went upstairs and I went to bed,” You smiled. Austin still sat with the same face staring back at you. It was beautiful sight.

“Never met anyone like you,” Austin’s southern drawl present once again, deeper than usual. 

“Well, I hope not,” You leant back against the bed, looking at Austin, “So… what is Natalie wood like?” You raised your eyebrows at him.

“She’s nice, you know. She’s been writing me about acting. I’ve been asking her stories about working with James Dean and… God-“ Austin sighed whilst shaking his head- “I just hope to one day be as good as him, you know?” He looked over at you. You hummed a response before Austin continued. “Colonel’s promised me that when I get back he’s gonna set me up in Hollywood to be a serious actor. That’s really what I dream of,” He admitted.

“Hey, E.P,” Another extra called out, the door now open once again. Austin was now stood up, “E.P, now, you promised the captain that you’d get her home by 7:00.

“Hey, Charlie. What’s that behind you?” Austin walked over to the door, pointing behind the extra. 

“What?” The man followed Austin’s gaze but when he looked back the door had been closed in his face.

“He don’t boss me around,” You and Austin moved over to the bay-window seat. You were leant against the wall as Austin sat closer to you.

“You know, I think if you dream it, you’ll do it.” You told him, your voice soft.

“You do?” He asked.

“Yeah,” You whispered.

“Cut!” Baz called. You let out a breath you didn’t know that you were holding in. Austin grabbed a hold of your hand, squeezing it tight to let you know that he was proud of you. 

Baz came over to talk to you about the scene before another take, you were enthralled with every word Baz ever spoke to you. As you were busy talking, Austin walked over to Priscilla who had a smile on her face.

“What did you think?” Priscilla almost had to take a double take whenever speaking with Austin. He radiated the same energy as her Elvis- scary really, but she knew he would be proud of Austin. He would be honoured.

“Isn’t she just great?” Priscilla had her arms crossed over her chest as she marvelled at your performance. 

“Oh, tell me about it,” Austin shook his head as he watched you deep in conversation. The way you spoke with your hands, he found it so endearing. “She’s just-“ He sighed- “Amazing,”

“How long’ve you two been together?” Priscilla asked. Austin’s heart stopped beating in his chest. Technically, she wasn’t wrong.. you two were ‘dating’, but the fact that Priscilla wasn’t aware of your agreement and still noticed your chemistry shocked Austin. 

“Oh uh- well,” Austin cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck, “We’re not actually together, we’re just ‘dating’-“ He air-quoted- “For the film. We’re method acting,” He explained.

“Oh,” Priscilla was confused at his answer, startled really. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed or anything, you both just have this..” She searched for the right word, “I’m not really sure,” She shrugged. Priscilla knew that she was lying, she had seen this before- had felt that way before. 

“No, don’t worry,” Austin brushed it off, “I’m not offended or anything-“ Austin tripped over his words, reaching for the right thing to say- “I wouldn’t be offended by anyone thinking we were actually together. You know? She’s great, but we’re just ‘together’ for the film, that’s it” Priscilla watched as Austin nodded as he spoke. She wondered if he was trying to convince her, or himself.

“Well alright,” She nodded at him, the two of them looking back over at you, “Could’ve fooled me,” Priscilla shrugged. As Austin turned his head to look back at her, she was still watching you speak with Baz.

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if people thought you were really together, Austin wouldn’t be opposed to that. A happy accident maybe.

As the day went on, you were feeling more comfortable in your own skin. Priscilla was kind as ever, offering you tidbits about her life and telling you how she felt in that exact moment so that you could bring your performance to the next level. Having her on set was the little push you needed to believe in your abilities, Austin was right- you’ve got this.

You were done with your scenes around lunchtime, though you and Priscilla sat together on set. In between takes you would speak about the film and how you both were feeling about it all. You were grateful to even get to be in the same room as her, let alone have genuine conversations.

Austin was filming another performance, you honestly had zoned out at this far along in the day- you weren’t even sure which number it was. All you knew is Austin was standing on a stage, rhinestones adorning whatever jumpsuit he was wearing and he was probably looking very good while doing it.

You felt bad for not paying attention to the scene being filmed, but you and Priscilla were having such a great time whispering like little school girls in the back corner of a classroom- you didn’t even notice when Austin hurt himself.

It happened quite quick. You heard Baz call ‘cut’ louder than he usually would. Then the words ‘you’re bleeding’, that caught your attention.

When you looked over to the sound stage, Austin held a guitar in hand and was telling Baz he was ready to do another take whilst blood dripped down his forehead.

“No, you’re going to get checked out” Baz ordered. You watched as Austin tried to stumble his way from the stage, his hand on his head. You mumbled a small ‘sorry’ to Priscilla before rushing over to Austin.

“What the hell did you do?” You grabbed his arm, trying to help him down from the stairs. Austin had a gash in his forehead, it didn’t look too deep- but it looked like it hurt.

“I threw the guitar off,” Austin mumbled.

You rolled your eyes, “You hadn’t practiced that enough yet to do that, Austin. You know that”.

“It felt right in the moment,” Austin opened his eyes wide and blinked a few times. “Mamas, could you please walk me to the medic, I’m a little woozy,” His breaths began to deepen, as they did you placed yourself under his arm, trying your best to support his large frame.

“You’re not going to a medic, you’re going to a hospital,” Baz told him, “I’ll re-work some schedules, you’re back on Monday unless a doctor or myself says otherwise,”

Austin opened his mouth to try and argue, but you whisked him away before he could. You whispered a quick goodbye to Priscilla as you walked Austin from the lot and tucked him into the passenger seat of your car.

“Baby, I’m fine,” Austin tried to tell you.

“I’m ignoring you,” You shook your head, “Cannot believe you smacked yourself in the head with a guitar”. Shooting a look over at Austin, you saw his eyes slowly drifting. You smacked him softly in the chest trying to him keep awake as you drove to the hospital.

“Austin,” You hit him again, “Stop that, don’t do that to me,”

“My head is killing me,” He groaned.

“Yeah, because you almost knocked yourself out, idiot” You scoffed, “Stay awake please, we’re like ten minutes away- not even”. You moved one of your hands from the steering wheel and on top of his, grabbing onto it. “Squeeze my hand if you need to, just don’t pass out on me please” You squeezed his hand twice to get his attention. Austin gave you a squeeze back, before looking over at you.

Did you push the speed limit? Sure. But as you walked Austin into the emergency room, you knew it was worth it. You knew that Baz must have pulled some strings to get Austin looked at straight away, you felt guilty for the other people having to sit in the waiting room for who knows how long.

It didn’t take long for the doctors to say Austin could go home. They put four stitches in the gash and ruled out a concussion. You felt more at ease knowing he was going to be okay.

Austin thanked you incessantly as you took him back to his apartment. You tried your best to play it off, you didn’t feel like it was a big deal. You were doing what any friend would do. Austin wouldn’t have it though.

Back at his place, you told Austin to get changed into different clothes- he was still in a glittery jumpsuit, one you would need to return to wardrobe tomorrow morning. As Austin got ready for bed, you slipped into his bathroom, brushed your teeth and pulled the old shirt from the box of things Austin had put away for you. It felt good to be in something fresh that didn’t smell like a hospital.

If Austin noticed that you were wearing his shirt, he didn’t say anything. You tucked the duvet underneath him to get him comfortable. “Hey, you seriously don’t have to do this, Y/N,” He told you.

You ignored him as you pulled his water bottle out of your bag and handed it to him. Austin whispered a soft thank you as he unscrewed the cap off.

“Can you be more careful next time please?” You took the water bottle back once he had finished with it. You put it on his bedside table so it was close to him during the night.

“Yes, mamas- I promise,” He nodded. Austin grabbed your hand from where you were sat on his bed, “You gonna stay tonight?”

“I can if you would like me to,” You shrugged.

“I always want you to,” Austin closed his eyes with a sigh. His head throbbed right behind his stitches, he regretted trying Elvis’ guitar-throw move more than he ever thought possible.

“Okay,” You whispered, “Then I’ll stay”.

You tidied up Austin’s room as he called obstructions from the bed, in too much pain to stop you from picking up after him. “The room is a mess, please don’t” He said, “I’ll clean it up tomorrow, I just haven’t had heaps of time,”

“I’ve got time,” You told him, “So I’m doing it. Close your eyes,” You watched as he rolled his eyes before closing them, a wince following in suit.

“You okay?” You stopped in your tracks from picking up a pair of jeans from the floor.

“Yeah mamas,” He nodded softly, “Just.. sore”

You left Austin’s bedroom and headed down into the kitchen where he kept his medicine. You pulled an almost empty box of ibuprofen from the cabinet before heading back upstairs.

“Take this,” You popped out two pills from the foil packaging into Austin’s hand, then handed him his water. You continued to put his clothes into the hamper as Austin took the pain medication, especially grateful for you in that moment.

When you were done, you slipped your bra off and out from underneath Austin’s old t-shirt before getting into bed next to him. You shuffled around for a second, trying your best to get comfortable.

“Come ‘ere” Austin whispered. You rolled over and moved closer towards Austin. His face and yours were inches apart.

“Thank you for taking care of me, baby” He whispered, his eyes still closed. You smiled.

“Of course,” You laughed slightly, “Wouldn’t want you to bleed out on set, we’d lose our leading man”.

“Could stick you in a wig and let you do it,” You watched a small smirk crept onto his face.

“I couldn’t pull of black hair like you,” You chuckled, “You look very very good with black hair, very pretty”.

Austin opened his eyes to meet your gaze. He could only just make out your face in the dark, but he knew you looked beautiful, you always did.

“Thank you for today,” He whispered to you.

“Always,” You smiled. You watched as Austin’s eyes flickered down to your lips. You couldn’t help but copy his actions afterwards. After your eyes both met, and it was unspoken where the conversation was heading- but you both knew.

You closed your eyes as you leant forwards, Austin doing the same. You let your hand rest softly on his cheek as his moved to your neck. His lips met yours.

They felt soft and plush, exactly how they looked. You had thought about what it would be like to kiss Austin, but now that it was happening, you were pleasantly surprised by the innocent kiss.

You pulled away first, suddenly shy in front of him. Austin but his lip as your eyes met once more, his hand still sat on your neck. Your brain rushed through a million things to say to him, you weren’t completely happy with what you came out with.

“You’re a great actor, Mr Presley,”

Austin’s heart dropped as you spoke. His entire conversation with Priscilla came flooding back, that you weren’t really together and no matter how much the idea of you being his and not Elvis’ made him happy- you had confirmed that it wasn’t going to happen in six small words.

For he came to the conclusion that you were never going to kiss him as Austin, but only as Elvis.

─── ∘◦❀◦∘

@rainydayz101 @sammybutler @klizzie93 @rockerchick05 @fanatics30 @sh-aniah @little-rythmix @austinsrealgf @hallecarey1 @catertotshitposts @abloversblog @inkpot-winters @adrientte715 @gabrielajimenez @butler-trouble @rodrig-hoe @b1llzb1tch @duhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-blog1 @behindmygreyeyes @lupinpetersclearwaterodairparker @teti-menchon0604 @sparklemarysunshine @xy05m @onecrazydirectioner @knivqs @dre6ming @gigisworldsstuff @namoreno @all-lit-up @aesthetic-lyssa @butlersantics

[thevoidscreams]

Hi if you're still taking primarch request could you do something with the lion he gets so few fics

The Lioness and The Lion

Short but sweet, this was the first thing to come to mind. I hope it's okay.

Rated E for 'eeew they're in love'

Just fluff and kisses, mentions of emotions and stuff. The L word too.

The rock had been so quiet without your love. You'd waited patiently every day for his awakening. And the Watchers had taken you down, everyday, to see him. He looked so peaceful in his sleep. But you missed him terribly.

The years passed by, and you watched him change. It was nearly imperceptible. Even as your own perpetually youthful body stayed the same, you aged in mind and spirit. Growing sharper and honing those razor-sharp skills that the Lion had bestowed upon you. Now, even human, you were as deadly as the best of them.

Still, you waited. Suddenly, the watchers did not allow you entry anymore. For days you tried and were rebuffed, sent off to sulk and train.

'The Lion has returned' you were the last to hear it, and it infuriated and frustrated you.

You were his spouse for crying out loud.

You tried to find out his location, but it seemed like every time it was somewhere else. So you stayed on the rock. Sat on your hands and your anger and just trained. Day in and day out, till your body was sweat slicked and you were exhausted. What little time spent away from training was only essentials. Food, shower, sleep, awaken, and train the rest of the time.

It felt pointless. Even before you could at least go down there and see him. Rest your head on his chest and tell him you loved him in person.

Your sword slacked its thirst with the blood of a very unfortunate combat servitor. It didn't matter.

Tears dripped from your cheek as the edge of your blade touched the floor. It was something Lion would have chastised you for in the past. Now, even his chastisement would have been preferable.

"You know you aren't supposed to let it touch the floor. You'll dull its edge."

Your eyes went wide, and you turned with all the speed and excitement of a child. Almost clumsy as you dropped the blade, seeing the form of your most beloved in the doors of the training hall.

You don't even remember clearing the space between the two of you as you collided with his armored chest where he caught you.

"Lion! Oh, Lion, it is you!" The tears cam faster and harder now. Your body wrecked with sobs as he held and comforted you.

"Yes, my little Lioness. It is." He too felt close to tears. He'd wondered from the moment he was fully lucid again if you'd still be here if you'd have held out for him. The prideful side of him had hoped you would, that the vows you both made really would bind you both forever. Another small part of him felt sorrow that you'd endured all those years alone without him. And yet another, the part that loved you with all his heart, body, and soul was overflowing with happiness at seeing you again.

"Please forgive my tardiness, my Lioness. I did not intend for that to yake so long."

"All is forgiven, my love. All of it. Just please don't leave me like that again."

You kissed him, really kissed him for the first time in ten millenia, and it felt like heaven.

"There is much still to be done. I will need you by my side for it."

"Of course." You smiled despite the tears you attempted to scrub away. "You say that as if I'll ever leave your side again."

He laughed as his own tears began to flow, and he just held you.

"I would expect nothing else from my Lioness."

You both held each other till the tears stopped. And he swept you up from the floor, holding you tight to his chest.

"I love you, Lion."

"I love you too, my Lioness."

[stiltonbasket]

Hi Stilton! I was going through your fem!wwx au and absolutely loving it (as usual) but then it got me thinking - when and how did wwx realize she loves lwj back in this universe? Like, lwj seems to have done the usual thunderstrike moment, but with wwx we only know that she was somewhat mollified when he refused to leve her to fend for herself after her defection. How did her feelings develop? Thank you so much for this lovely au, hope you're doing great!

Over the course of Wei Wuxian’s decade-long engagement, most of her elders and sect siblings assumed that she and Lan Zhan would grow to be a love match by the time of their wedding.

The aunties in Lufeng began gifting her silk in blue and white after her thirteenth birthday, to match with the colors her intended husband wore; and by the summer she spent in the Cloud Recesses, there was hardly a soul in the jianghu who did not know that Jiang Fengmian’s adopted daughter was dearer to Lan Wangji than the daughter of his blood would ever be to Jin Zixuan.

Lan Zhan liked Wei Wuxian, in a way that most boys of nine and ten were not disposed to like little girls, and this in itself was regarded as proof that theirs would be a harmonious marriage.

In Wei Wuxian’s eyes, Lan Zhan’s strange liking was proof that he was lonely, and wise beyond his years in a way that little boys seldom were. After all, even Yu Zhenhong liked to play tricks on their er-shijie sometimes, and the less said about Jiang Cheng, the better.

All told, Wei Wuxian did not see her intended’s feelings as love until their third month in the Burial Mounds. The Wens were living quite comfortably there, since Lan Zhan’s brother sent plenty of money to cover their daily needs; but they could not think of leaving at the time, since Zewu-jun had not yet settled matters with the Jin.

On that fateful day, Wei Wuxian awoke in the Demon-slaughtering Cave with A-Yuan at her side, just as she usually did. It was nearly spring, so one wool blanket sufficed for both of them; and after she left her padded stone bed, she tried to wrap her half of the blanket around Yuan’er so that he could keep warm in her absence.

It was then that she noticed that the sheet and blankets were stained with blood, and that her dark robes were smudged with crimson between her hips and thighs.

Wei Wuxian pinches the bridge of her nose. She is past her twenty-second year, quite far from the child of fourteen who wept when her first monthly blood began the day before that summer’s Duanwu festival, but waking up to find her bed ruined is a great deal worse than being forced to forfeit a boating race against her shixiongdi. If she were still at Lotus Pier, she would simply have called for new sheets; but now, she will have to rinse the bedding in cold water herself, haul a tub of hot water to bathe in, and find a set of fresh clothes and bandages before she leaves the cave.

“Yuan’er, get up,” she whispers. “The blanket is dirty, baobao. Jiejie will find you a new one.”

A-Yuan sniffles into his pillow and opens his big eyes.

“Xian-jiejie, A-Yuan is warm here,” he protests. “Yuanyuan doesn’t want a new blanket.”

“I know, sweetheart, but Jiejie bled on this one. Be good and listen for just a minute, ah?”

Grumbling, A-Yuan rolls away from the soiled blanket and lets Wei Wuxian wrap him in a fresh one. She throws the bedding over her arm, and wraps her cloak around her waist to hide her stained skirts; and then, with a small bag of salt hanging at her belt, she heads out to the mouth of the stream to fill the wooden laundry tub.

Lan Zhan is kneeling at the water’s edge when she rounds the turn in the path, pulling up a pair of bottles that were submerged there to chill last night. He rises to greet Wei Wuxian as she approaches, giving her a respectful nod, and then his gaze drifts sideways to the bundle of fabric on her hip. 

“Why are you washing clothes?” he asks. “Today is Lin Xiang’s day to do the laundry. It is written up on the schedule outside the clinic.”

Wei Wuxian winces. Lan Zhan would pay mind to a thing like that, even when his name wasn’t on the schedule at all.

“I stained the sheets of my bed with blood, that’s all,” she mutters. “I can’t ask Lin Xiang to wash these things for me, can I? And anyway, bloodstained things have to be washed with salt and cold water. We use boiling water and lye for sweat and mud stains.”

Lan Zhan’s eyes go wide. He takes a step closer, looking her over for injuries, and then he looks at Wei Wuxian’s pale face and tries to take her pulse.

“Are you wounded?” he says anxiously. “You were walking stiffly when you came back from cleansing the unclaimed plain behind the mountain yesterday. Did something attack you?”

“I’m having my monthly courses, Lan Zhan,” Wei Wuxian sighs. “They haven’t been regular since before the war, so I never know when to prepare rags for my clothes and towels to protect my blankets. It’s bothersome, to be sure, but I’m not in any danger.”

He frowns at her. “And the bedding must be washed now?”

“En, or the stains will set. It’s best to wash the blood out before it dries.”

Lan Zhan holds out his arms. “Then give me your clothes. I will wash them and bring a tub of hot water for your bath, and then I will fetch your breakfast.”

Wei Wuxian tries to resist, but Lan Zhan refuses to listen to reason. Worse yet, he argues, reminding her that she used to drink tinctures to stop her bleeding because it made her tired, and insisting that she should rest first instead of washing clothes.

“You need rest and food to replenish your energy, and I can wash clothes well enough,” he says. “I will be gentle with them, and make sure to use cold water first, just as you said. You have my word.”

“But—”

“I don’t think they are dirty,” Lan Zhan persists. “What cultivator of worth has never stained their clothes with blood? And even if I was unaccustomed to cleaning it, you are my—”

But here his breath stutters, as if he were suddenly uncertain of his words, and stares at the ground for a split second before meeting Wei Wuxian’s eyes again.

“You are my friend,” he says gently. “I can see that you are exhausted, and hungry, and perhaps in no small amount of pain, as well. I cannot lessen your suffering very much, but I would like to do what little I may, to help you.”

Thwarted, Wei Wuxian hands over her bundle of laundry and starts back towards the cave. For his part, Lan Zhan leaves her clothes soaking in the tub and goes off to draw her a bath; and after she bathes, he brings her a bowl of hot chicken porridge and a tray bearing a teapot and a plate of homemade snacks.

“I will take over your duties today,” Lan Zhan tells her, after he makes up a fire in the cave and sweeps all the dust out into the courtyard. “If you grow tired of resting, will you continue with A-Yuan’s figuring lessons? That will do more good than laboring in the field. Anyone can tend to the crops, but A-Yuan must learn to study somehow.”

This comes as news to Wei Wuxian. “You’ve been teaching him arithmetic?”

“Only a little. Wangji is incompetent, and has not yet found a way to teach A-Yuan his numbers without first teaching him how to read.”

Wei Wuxian’s heart twinges. She has never liked it when Lan Zhan blamed himself for anything—the morning he was beaten for drinking with her in Gusu had been unbearable for her, since she had to watch him receive his fifty strokes of the paddle without sharing the punishment with him—but this is a sweeter kind of ache, for it comes with the knowledge that her former betrothed was thinking about A-Yuan.

“All right, then,” she hears herself say. “I’ll spend today with A-Yuan, and you can take over my work in the produce field.”

In the end, she and A-Yuan spend the morning bundled up in a set of new quilts, practicing basic arithmetic with a tray of wet sand and a chopstick. Wei Wuxian writes the numbers down for him, and A-Yuan counts them out on his fingers before scribbling the answers on the tray.

Wei Wuxian’s mind is elsewhere, however. She finds herself thinking of Lan Zhan again, and puzzling over the fact that something between them has changed. Lan Zhan is as he always was—steadfast and valiant and almost foolishly kind, unaltered from his younger self save for his deepened wisdom—but Wei Wuxian’s feelings towards him are different, somehow.

I have always taken joy in his presence, she reflects, while A-Yuan tries to convince her that three and three put together yield a sum of three-and-thirty. But I never missed him when he was gone, not really. Now, it seems as if I think of him more than ever when he is there, and twice as often again when he is not.

Suddenly, Wei Wuxian realizes that she can no longer bear to be without him at all.

But sooner or later, Lan Xichen will send word of a new territory for the Wens, and Lan Zhan will go home to the Cloud Recesses and leave Wei Wuxian behind with A-Yuan. She might go to safety with the Dafan clan after that, or return to her old life at Lotus Pier: but there will be no marriage in her future, no boisterous wedding in Gusu, no bows to earth and heaven with Lan Zhan by her side.

There will be no wedding banquet to follow, no airy wedded home high up in the green-covered mountains—for Wei Wuxian rejected all of those dreams when she rejected Lan Zhan, and now their two lives have been forever sundered.

Who will Lan Zhan marry, when all this is over? wonders Wei Wuxian. Who will be lucky enough to have his companionship, now that I’ve thrown it away?

“Qian-gege only marries Xian-jiejie.”

Wei Wuxian blinks and looks down at the lump of blankets in her arms. “Ah?”

“Qian-gege only marries Xian-jie,” A-Yuan says again, snuggling closer to Wei Wuxian’s chest. “He told A-Yuan, but it’s secret.”

Her heart skips a beat.

“What secret?���

“Mn, secret! Only A-Yuan knows,” the child persists. “Gege chose a big name for A-Yuan, too! One for A-Yuan, and one for my baby didi.”

“Didi? But Yuan’er, you don’t have a brother.”

“My didi’s not born, but A-Yuan will have him someday,” A-Yuan pouts. “Gege says, if he’s very good and loves Xian-jiejie, maybe Jiejie will love him back, and then A-Yuan can have a baby brother.”

He gives her a shrewd look, squeezing his feathery little brows together like an owl’s, and pats Wei Wuxian’s clammy hand.

“A-Yuan told Gege that Jiejie already likes him,” he says gravely. “If Jiejie tells too, then we have a wedding, and A-Yuan gets a didi.”

Wei Wuxian bursts into tears. She stoops and kisses A-Yuan’s little face, holding him close until he squeals and begs to be put down; and then, with great, fat teardrops soaking into her gown, she sets A-Yuan down on the ground and tells him to find Lan Zhan.

“Tell A-Yuan that Xian-jiejie loves him too,” she croaks, pressing her lips to A-Yuan’s soft forehead. “I think I always have, but it took ten years for me to know it!”

“A-Yuan knows,” he murmurs, patting her cheeks with his chubby little hands. “But A-Yuan doesn’t have to tell Gege.”

He turns around and points to the mouth of the cave: or, more specifically, to the white-clad figure standing there on the threshold, too stunned to move a muscle as A-Yuan leaves Wei Ying’s embrace and toddles out to meet him.

“Qian-gege, you heard?” he pleads, plucking at the hems of Lan Zhan’s robes. “Jiejie loves Qian-gege, too.”

Wei Wuxian rises from her bed, trembling, and Lan Zhan takes a halting step towards her. They meet in the middle, grasping for each other’s hands, and stand together in dizzy silence for what seems like an eternity before Wei Wuxian’s intended presses his forehead against hers.

“My feelings have not changed,” he says thickly. “I love you, Wei Ying—I have always loved you—but if you would rather we continue our friendship as it is, then you need not—”

“No! No,” cries Wei Wuxian. “But Lan Zhan, you must know—my feelings haven’t changed, either! I felt this way when we were children, if you will believe it. But you weren’t mine, so I never let myself realize how much I wanted to be near you, and be with you.”

“You need not worry now,” Lan Zhan whispers, smiling through his tears. “I am yours, Wei Ying, in every way you could wish. I have long since been so.”

His cheek brushes hers, finding its way in spite of the dim lighting in the cave.

She takes his hand, laying the other on A-Yuan’s head, and rises to meet him in a salty-tasting kiss a dozen years in the making.

[hollowbait-archive]

Kubo creates characters and falls in love with them, which is both adorable and frustrating because I do think it leads to other characters being sidelined for the new and shiny youngest child.

My question is — if you could choose the ten characters Kubo focused on in a Bleach re-write, who would they be? Personally, mine would be:

1. Ichigo Kurosaki – I think he's a great main character, and I think no one can quite match his ability to build connections with those who are different from him. I also think he's a good mix of classic shounen & unique character traits that make him both familiar but not tiring.

2. Kisuke Urahara – My other favourite. I think if someone cannot recognise the importance of Urahara in Bleach's narrative, we aren't reading the same manga. When they call him a support character, they really mean the foundation.

3. Momo Hinamori – My other other favourite. My choices are so surprising! I love Momo - I see a lot of similarities between her and Ichigo, except Ichigo's mentor is Urahara, and hers was Aizen. Urahara wanted Ichigo to get stronger, Aizen wanted Momo to be controlled. Both of them are absolutely willing to throw down for their friends, and the only difference is Kubo gives Ichigo the power to do so. I want Momo to have that power too. Also, I think they'd be GREAT friends.

4. Rukia Kuchiki - I wish they'd kept some focus on her and Ichigo's friendship, and the time she spent in the human world. I also think it would have been amazing to see the way she straddles her past in Rukongai with her present as being part of a noble family, and I wish it was acknowledged by others as well.

5. Retsu Unohana - I think this was interesting for me because I feel like she would be initially very removed from the other main characters but it could really allow for the story and world building to move in a different way. She really knows about the old guard and how everything was built, and she'd be a good guide for the other mains on all the things that have gone wrong or right since.

6. Orihime Inoue - She's an interesting character, she's lived alone for so long and I feel like I see these glimpses of her longing for family? I absolutely think some of her crush on Ichigo is because she sees him with his family and just craves being part of that. I'd love to see it emphasised that Orihime's friends ARE her family. Orihime's healing as a response to not being able to save her brother and not wanting to be in that position again.

7. and 8. Hiyori & Shinji Hirako - I can't spell Hiyori's last name off the top of my head. It's my weakness. This is an unpopular opinion but I personally think these two should have gone totally native and have no desire to return to Soul Society. I want a vocal "this is what's fucked about that place brigade". I also kinda want them to be married but you don't know if that was just for tax purposes or what.

9. Byakuya Kuchiki - I always thought he'd be more of a main character, and I think he and Ichigo are so different in their upbringing and personalities that they SHOULD interact more and have that be showcased and they should have storylines that are symbolic of that.

10. Yuzu Kurosaki - I just feel bad about how much this girl is left out, I'd actually love for her storyline to initially be her putting together what's happening to her brother even as so much of that world is closed to her, to us finding out WHY her spiritual awareness is so weak despite having like NO actual mundane human blood. I also think her and Ichigo's relationship is so so sweet. He's obviously her favourite.

[capseycartwright]

Resting your head on your partners lap.

For the physical intimacy prompts, if you want.

Buck couldn’t help but wince at the sound of Eddie throwing his guts up for the fifth time in as many minutes. He was a seasoned firefighter, sure, but no one liked the sound of throw up. Right? It was a universal fact: nobody liked to sit and listen to someone throw up, but you did it anyway, because that was love. Buck knew that much.

Knocking gently on the closed bathroom door, Buck called out. “Eddie? Baby? Are you okay?”

Eddie, bless him, did his best not to sound completely pitiful as he replied. “I’m fine!” he said, the enthusiasm in his voice strained.

“You don’t sound fine,” Buck countered.

“No, I’m really so fine,” Eddie replied, taking a brief pause to throw up again. “Everything is just – dandy.”

“Eddie.”

Eddie huffed out an unrecognisable noise, and there was quiet for a few minutes as the toilet flushed, and Eddie turned the tap on. Tiredly, he eased open the bathroom door, giving Buck a pitiful look. “Everything is not dandy,” he admitted forlornly. “I think I have food poisoning.”

Buck grimaced. Eddie was the medic in their relationship, so he trusted the diagnosis – but he had already come to that conclusion himself. Eddie had eaten some dodgy looking seafood for his lunch, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out that was why he was vomiting his insides out now, an hour before their dinner reservation.

“I figured,” he gave Eddie a sympathetic look.

Eddie sighed, flopping ungainly onto the floor where Buck was sitting, resting his head in Buck’s lap. There were better places to sit in their hotel room, Buck knew, but he was never going to say no to an armful of Eddie: even if they were sitting in a heap on the floor. “I washed my mouth out,” he reassured, and Buck couldn’t help but smile: they were long past the point of being offended by each other’s bodily functions.

“I don’t care,” Buck reassured, brushing a hand through Eddie’s hair, the brown strands damp with sweat. He didn’t have a fever, Buck noted, reassuring himself that it couldn’t be anything more than food poisoning, or a twenty-four-hour bug.

“I care,” Eddie grumbled. “I cannot fucking believe I have gotten food poisoning on our honeymoon.”

Buck grinned, looking at his shiny new husband of exactly ten days. Eddie looked a little pale, despite the tan he’d developed on the first six days of their trip. Sun, sand, sea, and a whole lot of quality time with Eddie had been good for the soul. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It does!” Eddie huffed, curling closer to Buck. “It’s our honeymoon, Buck.”

Buck shrugged. “There’ll be other trips.”

“Not our honeymoon, though. Our fancy, all-inclusive, nice hotel honeymoon.”

They’d saved up for a while, wanting to really treat themselves – but Buck was pretty sure he’d have enjoyed a honeymoon spent camping just as much. The point, he supposed, was getting to spend one-on-one time with the love of his life.

“We can take a honeymoon every year, if you want,” Buck suggested.

“Every year?” Eddie sounded sceptical.

“Mm,” Buck hummed. “There aren’t any rules that say we can’t, is there? If we want to take a honeymoon every year – we can take a honeymoon every year.”

“Every year?” Eddie sounded placated, a little less annoyed that on the second-to-last night of their honeymoon he’d gone down with a case of food poisoning. When the memory was a little less fresh, Buck would absolutely tease him for trusting street seafood, but Buck held back for now. He liked to wind Eddie up, but he wasn’t unkind. Most of the time, at least.

“Every year,” Buck promised. “A whole week – you and me, anywhere you want to go.”

“That sounds nice,” Eddie hummed, suddenly going pale. “Oh, god – Buck, I think I’m going to be sick again, oh.”

Buck tried his best not to grimace as he ended up with a lapful of vomit. That was – marriage, he supposed? In sickness and in health, and all that.

“Sorry,” Eddie mumbled.

“I am – going to call down to reception and ask for a bucket,” Buck said. “And then I’m going to burn these pants.”

[b4mpyre-k1zz3s]

Wanted

Y/N, a bounty hunter in the old west, finally captures her mark she’s been chasing for ten long years.

Bam Margera X Fem!Reader

(Cowboy!au, Fluff, Angst)

3.1k Words

Warnings: Highly suggestive content, guns, enemies to lovers, stalking, injury description, alcohol, bondage, gun play

An: Thank you so much for your requests!! This fic was inspired by this message I received from my AMAZING friend @camariesintrusivethoughts!! They are so sweet, so please go give them some love!! I was so happy that they enjoyed my cowboy!au so much, and if anyone would be interested I would love to continue this series further! :D This is a sort of loose sequel to my first cowboy fic if you wanna understand it’s place in the serries lol anyways thank you so much for all your requests and messages and please keep sending them!!

TCK- POW! The ear splitting gunshot cracked loud through the dusty, Navajo sandstone canyons, and you knew this was the opportunity of a lifetime. Just your luck, to find yourself in town when a major crime was committed- made things real easy. Your ears perked up like a trained hunting dog at the telltale sound that echoed outside the saloon you were passing the time in, and quicker than you could think, you abandoned the drink you were nursing and dashed outside. Danger was pay dirt, and every foul deed thwarted was another dollar rolling in from the sheriff to line your pockets, those dollars becoming more and more vital given the dry spell you were going through. It seemed that, for the past two months, not one soul in the west felt the urge to do wrong. As you hurriedly approached the scene, you gathered that it was a bank robbery- a garden variety crime you debated whether or not was worth your time. Cautiously resting your gloved hand over where your .44 sat in its holster at your belt, another shot went off, turning a window into little shards that glittered gold in the late evening sunset as they shattered outward. Screams from frightened patrons flooded out the open window, accompanying a sound that made your fingers white knuckle against the grip of your piece and your blood run cold.

It was an all too familiar noise- the kind of cackle that you would expect to hear out of an animal, primal and triumphant in whatever cruelty it was inflicting. Steadying your breath, you convinced yourself that this was your mind playing tricks on you- that it couldn’t actually be him, but your suspicions were all confirmed when the very man you were dismissing kicked open the door of the bank, overfilled burlap sacks of cash tucked under each arm spilling onto the ground, followed by his posse who had equal or larger hauls than him. Instantly, you recognized him for who he was- the infamous bandit king of the west and his gang of followers, who were equally nefarious in their own right. Even the town sheriff was intimidated by these men as they ran off to their horses, laughing and cheering with their spoils. In all of the desert you called home, you were maybe the only person who was disappointed in the crime rate- well, you and the handful of other poor saps who patrolled the sand looking for criminals. The bounty on the head of the bandit king was pushing seven digits, enough to retire on and then some, and he had his back turned to you.

Frozen in place, the desperate yell that sprung out of your throat from where it was coiled up in your stomach was the only coherent action you could muster. “Brandon!” You didn’t call him Bam, which was the name most people, including his closest comrades addressed him as. Slowing down before he stilled on his feet, the bandit king’s head turned slightly toward you at the uttering of a name only his mother ever used to call for him and he looked at you with this glimmer in his eyes- those damn blue eyes that were burned into your vision by one too many whiskey fueled, angst saturated nights spent staring at his wanted poster. Meeting your gaze, he flashed you a crooked smile, just enough for you to get a look at a too sharp canine that made him look more like a rattlesnake than a man. Oh, but just as fast, he kicked up with one foot as if he were a desert hare and landed square on the back of his bay mustang, joining his men as they rode away with their riches to leave you standing there, speechless, furrious, and alone in a cloud of dust. At that moment, you decided it was time to leave town once again.

This woman was making it way too easy for him, Bam thought, grinning to himself as he rode off. Y/N was in love with him- she had to be, because he hadn’t met a lady who didn’t fall for his charms yet, and despite her little vendetta against him, he was currently very much alive and in one piece. It was as if, no matter what obnoxious crimes he pulled, she would always let him get away. However, his little ego trip was put to a halt as he grimaced, pain shooting through his shoulder and into his chest, a product of the bullet which still sat wedged inside his muscle: a souvenir of his last run in with the law, albeit a painful one. The kind of thing that reminds you that you're really alive. “Where d’ya suppose we head to next?” Bam’s closest confidant, Ryan, broke the silence after an hour or so of aimlessly riding away from the scene. Squinting into the now setting sun, the bandit king thought back to every burnt out town he stowed away in over the years, and there was a clear, authoritative tone in his voice as he reached in his pocket to shove a cigarette between his teeth, “I gotta place.”

Maybe you were getting a little obsessed, but who in their right mind wouldn’t be in this situation? Picture this, you had the chance to bag the most notorious criminal in the west, the guy you spent the better part of a decade following, and you fumble it. That fucker didn’t even need the money after so many years spent robbing banks and hustling- he had no reason to be tormenting the land the way he did. There was no way you would let a mark of this caliber slip through your fingers, especially after his recent crime spree following his big jailbreak outta some town in New Mexico. No law enforcement had made their bid for the bandit king’s hide yet, incompetent bastards, even after his crimes started growing grander and grander. He was doing it for the attention, and judging from how the newspapers printed bold headlines about his exploits and town preachers across the west gave colorful sermons about how there’s a special place in hell for criminal scum like him, he was surely receiving it. In fact, in an odd parallel of sorts, this whole ordeal of you going after him also started the same way any of your previous marks had- for the money, but after you began tracking him, this developed into something more. Never once had this man laid a finger on you nor your kin, but still you felt that he had wronged you, in some way- that vengeance must be delivered to right his crime of occupying your mind and time to such a degree.

He made his most recent appearance, after his big prison break outta some little village in New Mexico three weeks prior, in some dusty ghost town that frequently served as a hideout for bandits, situated along the beautiful Gila River- that shimmering ribbon that ran all the way up to Colorado Territory. It was a well needed oasis in the sandy hell that is Arizona, you thought, hopping off your saddle as your horse Adilaide stopped for a drink. Kneeling by her side, you held your hat in one hand as you eagerly sipped from the cool, crisp stream before righting yourself and wiping your mouth with your sleeve, savoring it as if it was the last drink you’d ever take, which it very well may be depending on how this went. Resolutely tying your girl to a post on one end of town in case things went south, you took a deep breath as you started off, scanning porches and peering into windows for any sign of that so-called bandit king. There were too many familiar faces in this town for your liking, you decided, meeting eyes with a few of your past marks who didn’t stray from their spots because they knew who you were looking for, and they didn’t take too kindly to flashy career criminals like him. The first place you decided to check was a deserted looking boarded up house across the street- a place you could see a man like him hiding out in. Gripping the handle of your gun protectively, you approached the dilapidated shack cautiously and crept up to a window- the one with a gap in between the boards just wide enough to shove your barrel into, peering with one eye through the gap.

“You lookin’ for someone?” His voice nearly made you jump, a nonchalant rumble from where he stood there, leaning against the wood siding with his revolver held low against the side of his hip and that wolf-like smile on his face as if he was happy to see you. It made you, a skilled bounty hunter worth your salt, fumble with your gun all wide eyed before hurriedly jamming it against his forehead. Bam didn’t even flinch. Stepping forward, he taunted you, standing mere inches away with his barrel digging into the flesh that rested right above your belt as he pressed his forehead against your muzzle teasingly. He was begging you. Bam’s eyes glimmered with confidence, these piercing blue things that sent chills through you as the air between you hummed with tension, all warm and wrapped around you, serpentine. The bandit king’s voice shifted, now no longer the growl of a predator but instead a low, sly purr that slithered into your ears, “C’mon. Do it.” You couldn’t bring yourself to. He knew you’d only get your money if you brought him back with all pieces intact, gray matter included, and as much as you wanted to lob a few of his bits off for the hell of it, you held yourself back. Everything was silent for a moment, save for the sounds of Bam’s breathing, shockingly gentle for a man with a loaded gun to his head. Even so, it was your hands that were shaking as he kept you busy while his gang had surrounded you over the course of your conversation. The metallic click of a hammer being pulled back alerted you to the fact that no matter where you looked, there was a muzzle in your face, leaving you outgunned fivefold. Breath hitched in your throat and there Bam stood, with that fucking smile he got when he knew he had you pinned. Withdrawing his revolver, he spun it around his index finger before shoving his peice back into his black leather holster across his body.

“It’s been fun, Y/N- Really.” The sun silhouetted Bam as he walked away with a flourish while speaking with words that oozed with amusement and something darker. Christ, you had your gun, loaded and at the ready in your hand and you still couldn't do it. Something in you urged you to just throw yourself forward, pin him to the sand with your body and grab a fist of his hair to yank his head back and tie his wrists. To make him pay for all those sleepless nights, those wasted years- to finally capture the prey that was rightfully yours after so many years, and to take in that look in his eyes as his world crumbled in front of him in a matter of seconds. To really see that image that you fantasized about so fervently play out would be enough. But something stopped you again, an emotion that you couldn’t easily identify. He was an outlaw, not loyal to anyone but the men he traveled with, who all shared in his lacking of even an ounce of charisma or intellect and who also only bathed on the occasion they came about a body of water (which was rare), and yet you found yourself, if you could call it this, admiring the audacity of this vermin. Any positive emotions towards your marks were dangerous, you thought, but still you couldn’t assuage the feelings that stirred deep within you as the weight of defeat sat heavy in your chest, adrenaline fading.

In his words, the inn Bam and his gang stopped in was a nice place to visit but a better place to hold up. Unfortunately, they had important things to take care of in the morning and needed a place to sleep for the night, so that plan had to wait. It was deemed far enough away from anywhere their name would be known, so it wouldn’t raise any eyebrows if they showed their faces. Walking up to the counter, the bandit king didn’t bother to count as he unceremoniously dropped a handful of dollar coins to the wooden counter with a clatter, more than enough to cover their bill. Glancing up from his newspaper, the owner of the inn’s eyes went wide, first at the fact he could buy a couple acres of farmland with the money on his counter, and second for the fact that Bam was currently reaching for the shiny piece of metal that sat on his belt in case the money he gave him wouldn’t be enough to cover it. His gang all stood around, grinning like wolves as the innkeeper handed them their keys with shaking fingers, before heading off to the tavern that sat on the lower level for a few drinks. It was the kind of sleazy, low brow place that these fellows really felt at home in, and they were warmly welcomed by the other nerdowells, especially after the bandit king got a few drinks in him and got to telling these sensationalized tales of thrilling adventures and conquest to distract as he and his men colluded to swindle the pot of the poker game they were sitting arround. But as the night wore on, Bam was growing increasingly more tired and decided to retire to his room ahead of his crew.

You got word that those bandits were on their way to California- something about a train they were planning to rob. Exhaustion clawed at the corners of your eyes as you tried your damndest to ride on after them through the night, but it was nearing midnight and judging from the way Adliaide was dragging her hooves, you weren't the only one who needed some shut-eye. Stopping for the night, you settled down at this little inn that looked like the kind of place bad things happen. Your suspicions were confirmed as you scanned the crowd when you stopped in at the bar downstairs for one last drink before you hit the sack. But as you were still on the clock, you felt obligated to ask around a little, which is why you stopped the barmaid after she handed you your whiskey, “Hey, have you, uh- have you gotten any word about some bandits comin’ through these parts?” She shrugged, pretending to be busy with something behind the counter- that is, until you dropped a quarter dollar onto it. “Well, I might know about ‘em.” You dropped a few more.

You left Maisie at the bar a sizable tip that night for dropping the room number of the elusive bandit king, and you could barely contain your emotions as you rushed up the stairs after him. Popping open with little resistance, the lock on the door of room seven was broken with one swift kick next to the handle, and there you stood in the doorway, chest heaving with breath as if you were a hunter about to capture his long tracked game. Startled by the loud bang, Bam went to sit up before he winced, a shallow gasp escaping him at that lightning bolt pain shooting up his wounded arm again. That delayed him enough that he didn’t have a chance to reach his gun that was resting on the bedside table before you threw yourself onto him, pinning his body down to the sheets. Your heart was beating out of your chest as your grip shook with anticipation around his wrists when you grabbed them, shoving his hands through the bars of the metal bed frame and tying them with the rope you kept on your belt. Bam didn’t even struggle as he stared up at you with a barely perceptible smile crossing his lips at the way you were straddling his hips, watching you. Reaching for your holster, you roughly jammed the muzzle against the bandit king’s royal temple, pinning his head to the pillow as you leaned down to growl into his ear through gritted teeth. “Ten years- ten long years, and I’ve finally gotcha’.” Bam looked up at you with half lidded eyes as you slowly ran the cold, hard, eager steel of your gun down his face, caressing down his cheekbone to his neck. Still, with a gun to his head, he found a way to be defiant, “Took’y long enough…” Jabbing your barrel against the bottom of your chin to put him back in his place, you could see his Adam’s apple bob as you murmured bitterly, “Time ain’t got nothin’ t’do with it. I dunno if you can tell, but I got’cha tied.” Inch by inch, your barrel trailed down Bam’s bare torso as he breathed in the adrenaline soaked air, his chest rising and falling shallowly under you. Wasn't that a sight.

Stopping right above his belt buckle which glinted in the light of the gas lamp that lit the room, you got up from where you were now sitting back on your haunches, and all the words and feelings that were festering inside of you poured out, “I’ve followed you t’hell ‘n back, and finally-“ You started monologuing, standing up as you continued your brooding rant, “I’m puttin’ an end to this little cat ‘n mouse game.” Just as you turned your back for a moment, you heard this clamoring, and when you whipped your head around, the only thing you saw was the window Bam leapt out of shattering out, flock of pigeons style into the night. While you weren't looking, he had wriggled out of the ropes you didn’t tie tight enough magical style to make his grand escape. Leaning out the window with wide eyes, you watched as he rolled down the slanted tin roof of the stables to land on his feet. Bam stood up from where he was kneeling, brushing the dust off of his trousers as he looked up to the illuminated window you were leaning out of to tip his hat towards you before the bandit king hopped on the back of his horse, riding off into the night.

[grimfutureau]

Grim Future AU: a breakdown

because they are all so horribly sad.

Just kidding, sort of. ANYWAY here is a long-awaited rundown of our Grim Future au! You can find the completed fic, titled Terrible Things here :)

Just as a precursor, for this universe we have combined bits of the manga into the anime, the latter of which we are much more familiar with. 

The AU starts roughly 10 years after the events of Soul Eater. During these ten years, Liz and Patty, and Maka had passed away in two separate accidents. Sometime in between, Black Star and Tsubaki vanished from Death City, and have not been seen since. Nobody knows why they left or if they are coming back. That left just Kid and Soul in the city, picking up the shards of their life into some shabby semblance of normal. The immortal and the Death Scythe. And Maia, who is the last bit of Maka Soul has left.

As I said, Kid and Soul have managed to build a new sense of normal that works, despite everything. They’re still hurting but at least they can pretend everything’s okay, and focus on making sure Maia is happy. Everything is great until a pair of someones decide to finally come home.

For anyone who wants a deeper look at what goes on in the story instead of/before reading the fic, I’m going to keep on explaining. So, vague spoilers under the cut.

The main plot kicks off when Tsubaki drags convinces Black Star to go back to Death City, seeking their old friends’ help to hunt down a rogue, unusually powerful witch covertly wreaking havoc on the countryside. 

The story follows a couple of plots:

Kid, Black Star, Tsubaki, and Soul are all trying to locate and confront the witch, but are repeatedly struck down because, as I said, she is abnormally powerful. She also seems to have a bit of a history with Black Star.

Maia, recently enrolled in the DWMA is getting more and more restless, wanting to follow in Maka’s footsteps to be the best meister in the academy. But there are things about herself that she needs to be careful with. Her story focuses on a balance between her ambition and wellbeing, fighting for her sense of self.

Meanwhile, Black Star and Tsubaki are grappling with the consequences of their past.

While Kid tries to figure out what happened to Black Star, Black Star is trying to get Kid to confront his past and his emotions, since Kid has spent more than 10 years shutting out his humanity, and, with it, the people he loves. There is lasting tension from the last time they fought spoke to each other.

Soul is, above all else, trying to keep Maia safe. Between the witch’s cryptic plans, Black Star’s mentorship, and Maia’s raging ambition, AND the temperamental teenager Wes suddenly dumped on him, he’s got his work cut out for him.

Amelia (the aforementioned temperamental teenager) has mostly just been thrown into the whirlwind of drama in Gallows Manor, but she grows a lot as she befriends Maia and accepts her heritage, finding a family along the way.

I think that’s everything. The point of this blog is to expand on the ideas presented in the fic. We are constantly adding to this AU and have so many ideas and little details that surpass the boundaries of the fic: what happened before Terrible Things? What about after? Where the hell is Crona? What exactly is Azrael? What can Amelia and Maia really do? Plus a growing cast of characters that didn’t make the fic. It’s all just for fun, plus this blog helps us document ideas (as if we don’t have a nearly 200 page doc of stuff).

Feel free to ask questions!

[phantomrubyy]

Romantic yandere mephillis x reader please!

You can do headcannons or a fanfic I don’t mind :D

YANDERE MEPHILES THE DARK

TYPE: romantic headcanons

SERIES: Sonic the Hedgehog (2006)

WARNINGS: yandere behavior, stalking, torture, mentioned killing, kidnapping, manipulation, sadism, isolation, forced relationship, toxic relationship

NOTE: Thank you for being my first request! I decided to go with headcanons as fanfics are up to me, maybe you meant scenario, but perhaps I’ll work on a yandere Mephiles fic once I have an idea for it.

◇ After being sealed in the Scepter of Darkness by Shadow, Mephiles spent his time planning the annihilation of the hedgehog and plunging the world into utter chaos. The irony of being freed by said hedgehog years after is laughable, nevertheless Mephiles was satisfied that he could put his plan to fruition. Ten years of confinement will finally lead to him and Ibilis finally becoming one and forming Solaris once more to inflict despair. While his plot for mass destruction and genocide of the world is his goal, you managed to peak his interest.

◇ Whether you’re allies with Sonic or some random bystander in Soleanna that managed to get into this mess, it doesn’t matter. Mephiles does not care about your past as he is much more infatuated with who you are and why you’re so alluring to him. Despite being a powerful being, Mephiles prefers a slow approach as in the end he would much rather drag out your suffering and despair for his enjoyment. Something about your paranoid state as you feel someone constantly watching you brings him such amusement.

◇ What you want or what you wanted to be doesn’t matter anymore. Whenever he finds the perfect opportunity to kidnap you, you’re now Mephiles’ toy that he will put in a glass case until he decided he wants to play with you. If you decide to try and fight back, it will only make torturing you much more fun. No matter how hard you fight, he will break you and will show you that all your efforts are pointless. Why resist him when he is far superior than any other being on this world? Since he is very intent on keeping you with him, it would be better for you if you gave in.

◇ One way or another, he will learn everything about you; especially your distressed habits, which he especially enjoys. The only way to keep anything secret is to keep it to yourself. So when he finally does make himself known to you, you’ll feel entirely helpless. He wants you to truly believe that there’s nowhere to go and nowhere to hide. The distressed look on your face is just so cute whenever you see him, it almost makes him want to pity you. This is especially true when he creates the false hope that you can escape. He will allow you to believe there’s an end to this hell only to grab you and throw you back into the torture. Your begging and pleas for him to stop are pure bliss to him.

◇ Mephiles doesn’t enjoy empty threats, instead he finds much more value in showing you what he is capable of to get his point across. He sees no issue in killing or torturing someone right in front of you if you display any sort of disobedience. He especially loves hearing you begging for him to stop. Your cries are like music to his ears. In very rare cases, he will allow himself to stop if he believes you learned your lesson. However if these instances of mercy are exploited, he will not hesitate to show the consequences.

◇ Once you finally give up, you are more likely to have in common with an actual toy than a being with a soul. The more you fight, the better the sight of you finally break will be; which is why Mephiles would prefer if you had the will to try and escape him. Mephiles is even momentarily sweet once you finally give in. While following his orders may end better than defying him, it will only lead to him making you completely dependent on him.

“See? Isn’t being such an obedient toy much better than dealing with constant punishment?”

◇ Whether his methods for your complete dependence are brutal or far more forgiving depend on how “well-behaved” you’ve been. He will have you get in a near death situation only to appear and save you or slowly manipulate you into doubting everything about yourself. He will consistently praise himself on how well of a good job he’s taken care of you and how anybody else would’ve just abandoned you if you were on the brink of death. He even goes as far as making you believe your friends would’ve abandoned you as well.

“You’re quite persistent, I’ll give you that, however you know better my dear. You cannot survive without me. I could simply let you deal with that gruesome wound as punishment… however I am feeling merciful today. Do not expect me to do this for you next time.”

◇ The constant cycle of pain and misery with a mix of false hope only leads to you hoping that somehow, Sonic or someone stops him. However that only seems like a pipe dream, which leaves you hoping that his plan to become Solaris again succeeds so you can just disappear after he destroys the world. But, even then, Mephiles will make sure you two will be together one way or another. You’re too fun to just throw away. Why would he want to stop playing with one of his favorite toys?