#love him in rings of power he’s just so

[heartshapedmisery]

𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡 | art donaldson

summary ― .ﾟ‪‪ ˖ in which you and art can't seem to keep your hands to yourself after your first victorious win in weeks.

warnings ― .ﾟ‪‪ ˖  MINORS DNI ! ( 18+ ) | language, graphic smut, unprotected sex (please stay safe y'all), art references to being turned on by watching reader play tennis, power dynamics?, switch!reader, switch!art, semi-public!sex, praise kink, hair pulling, oral (fem!receiving), obsessive!art (he is literally obsessed with the reader omg), p in v sex, art and reader almost get caught lmao, lmk if i missed anything!

word count ― .ﾟ‪‪ ˖ 3.1k +

pairing ― .ﾟ‪‪ ˖ standford!art donaldson x fem!stanford!reader

PART 2 OF LOOSEN UP!

author’s note ― .ﾟ‪‪ ˖  if you haven't read part one, please do so before reading this! also i am a firm believer in art giving you aftercare after sex, no matter where it is in case you couldn't tell ;) i kinda rushed the ending sorry i just wanted to get it out in time :/ hope you enjoy!

publishing date ― .ﾟ‪‪ ˖  may 17th, 2024 | © HEARTSHAPEDMISERY

A breathy groan escaped your lips as your racket smacked the tennis ball across the net, your final attempt at winning points in the match. You intensively watched your opponent—some hot-shot blonde from North Carolina—as she darted to hit the ball back to you. Your breath hitched as you saw her ankle roll from the impact, making her legs give out beneath her and ultimately miss the ball.

The air was knocked out of your lungs as the ball bounced out of the court. The game was yours.

"Game, (L/N)," the announcer sounds over the PA system, cheers erupting from the stands. Your eyes searched for Art, before seeing him standing on the sideline clapping his hands proudly with a smile.

Ever since his visit to your apartment, the two of you had been inseparable. Your preceding professional relationship had blossomed into a personal one within the blink of an eye, and your once light-hearted repartee had become rather flirty and intense.

He couldn't seem to keep his hands off of you, and you couldn't seem to ignore how much you loved it. Whether it be at his place, in the locker rooms, or even on the fucking tennis court (it was late at night and dark, and of course, art had been adamant to make sure everyone had gone home before he proposed the idea.)

You were addicted to each other. Drunk on each other's touch, and you never wanted to get sober.

"You did great out there. Congratulations," his lush voice cuts into the sporadic ringing in your ears when you finally make your way over to him, your chest still buzzing after your win as the two of you walk off the court.

Your heart was beating out of your chest, and not just because Art's hand didn't leave the small of your back until you were out of everyone's view and walked down the somewhat empty hallway of the athletic center.

"You think so?" you pondered lightly, still trying to catch your breath as you caught his eye. You recognized the look on his face; it was one you had grown to know all too well. The way his lips parted slightly, and his eyes seemed to darken as they drank in your elated state.

It was a look of lust.

"Oh, I know so," he corrected you, his voice low. His arm snaked around your waist as the two of you came to a stop outside the women's bathroom, your chest flush against his as he pulled you into him.

"I couldn't take my eyes off of you," he admitted. "The way you lose yourself when you're out on that court, it's mesmerizing."

His gaze trailed from your face to your chest to your ass, drinking in your appearance. He had always loved the skirt you had decided to wear for today's match; just a simple, white tennis skirt that seemed to be just a little bit shorter than the rest and hugged you in all the right places.

"Oh yeah?" you tested, a small smirk tugging at your lips. A giggle escaped your lips as his hand ran down your hip before settling on your ass, giving it a good squeeze as he leaned into you.

"Yeah," he whispered against your lips, before pulling you in for a hungry kiss by the back of your neck with his free hand. You let out an excited moan from the back of your throat the second you felt his tongue slip into your mouth, completely enveloping himself in you.

"Fuck, you're killing me, sweetheart," he muttered to you once he finally pulled away, grasping your arm and pulling you into the women's bathroom behind him. Thankfully, there was nobody in there, or else it would've made for a very awkward conversation.

"You wanna do this now? Here?" you ask unsteadily as the two of you stumble over to the sink, looking around at the highly impractical place he had chosen to hook up with you.

"You did so well today," he told you sweetly. "You deserve a reward, baby."

The spot between your legs dampened at his words, your thighs rubbing together as he pushed you up against the sink with his hips, searching for any sort of relief.

"Yeah?" your worries washed away. You decided to have a little fun with this.

"You wanna be my trophy, baby?" you played lightly, running your hands through his hair. A slight gasp escaped your throat as you felt his erection press against your thigh, a dazed grin on his face.

"Always," he growled in your ear, his nose nuzzling the soft skin of your neck as he left sloppy open-mouthed kisses along the side of your jaw.

Carefully, his hands ran up and under the hem of your skirt, caressing the softness of your thighs before he hooked his fingers on your panties and tugged them down in one swift movement. A smirk cracked across his face as he tucked them into the back pocket of his shorts, the pale lace hanging out messily.

A surge of excitement ran through your veins as your eyes fell on the unlocked bathroom door. Anyone could walk in on the two of you and see just how well your tennis coach really treats you.

The mere thought itself drove you wild.

Quickly, he set you up on the sink and nudged your knees apart, giving him the perfect view of your soaked core as he sunk to his knees to be level with your lower half.

His eyes poured into yours as he pulled your legs over his shoulders, grasping your thighs firmly to keep them in place. The mere sight of him before you made a shaky whimper blow past your lips, your fingers moving to brush the stray strands of hair that hung over his light eyes.

"So, so pretty," you whispered, his eyes fluttering shut as his lips met your soft skin.

He pressed wet kisses along the inside of your thighs, slowly making his way to where he wanted you most. You shuddered deeply when you felt his tongue finally lay flat against your wet core, his nose budding against your clit as he delved into you as if you were his last meal.

"Oh my g-god," you whined, digging your heel into the muscle of his back, his grip on your thigh tight enough to leave a mark. He held you in place as you squirmed around at his touch. You simply couldn't keep still as his lips sucked at your wetness, his tongue lapping at you mercilessly.

A groan reverberated in his chest when your legs tightened around his head, your ankles interlocking and pulling him closer to you.

"Please," you whimpered, the vibrations of his low moans stimulating your core. Your eyes peered down as his hand moved to the crotch of his shorts, palming the erection he had gotten from the sweet taste of you.

It no doubt sent you over the edge, a moan falling from your lips as you watched him pleasure himself. You couldn't take it anymore; you needed to feel him.

"Art," you breathed, pulling him away from your core. His head lulled back lazily, his pretty eyes meeting yours as a dazed smirk bloomed across his lips. His chin was glistening with your slick. "Please fuck me."

He didn't hesitate to stand to his feet, his lips smashing against yours exasperatingly. Despite how much he loved pleasuring you with his tongue, you didn't need to tell him twice.

You could taste yourself on his tongue as he slipped it into your mouth, moaning against your lips. His behavior was obsessive, grabbing you by your waist and pulling you as close to him as possible as his clothed hard-on rutted against your bare core.

"See you what you do to me?" he whispered to you with a sigh, bringing your hand to the front of his shorts to feel him. You couldn't help but moan, taking it upon yourself to dip your fingers into his waistband and grasping him.

"It's a good thing I know how to control myself when you're the court," he laughed lightly. "Otherwise we'd have a real problem."

You nodded as you gently pumped him, excited at the thought of Art getting a boner while he watched you play. "Yeah? Do you like watching me play, Coach?"

He groaned into your neck at the nickname as you continued to jack him off, his balls stiff and his tip reddened. You were being such a tease and he hated it.

"I like watching you win," he suddenly pulled you off the counter and spun you around, bending your body over the sink.

"And you're a winner, right baby?" lips brushed against your ear as he caged you between his body and the counter. You could feel his dick pressed against your ass, eager to feel you.

"Yes," you whined, white-knuckling the counter as you could feel him moving around behind you, running his tip along your wet slit.

"Yes, what?" he was having fun with you now.

"Yes, Coach," you groaned, meeting his gaze in the mirror. His eyes were dark, and you could've sworn you saw a mischievous smirk flash across his face before he pushed himself into you swiftly.

His hips stuttered at the sound of the moan that fell from your lips, his grip on your hips tightening mercilessly.

You whimpered pathetically as he bottomed out inside of you, his pelvis bone flushed with the round of your ass. You stretched around him sweetly, watching his face contort in the mirror with pleasure.

"God, you're so tight," he breathed out, but his tone was almost desperate. His hips slowly began to move, which you were thankful for. The sweet burn of his cock sliding in and out of you was something you had only dreamed of, especially after the night at your apartment.

His free hand moved from its spot on your hip and reached around you to squeeze your right breast, his large and veiny hand cupping it perfectly. You couldn't help but moan at the dense feeling as it heightened your pleasure, your core clenching around him subconsciously.

"Feels so good," you mumbled as his hand moved from your chest to your hair, his slender fingers combing through it before giving it a harsh tug, the force pulling your back to his chest roughly.

"That's it, baby," he groaned in your ear, not letting up on his rhythmic thrusts up into you. "You can take it."

He watched you through the mirror as your eyes rolled back, his grip on your hair still tight enough to hold you in place against his chest. He took the opportunity to attack your neck with kisses, trailing from the spot right beneath your jaw down to your exposed collarbone.

His lips sent you into a frenzy, the sensation making the familiar coil in your stomach tighten as it mixed with the pleasure between your legs. You wouldn't last much longer at this rate, and Art could feel you coming undone with each thrust.

"Gonna come for me, baby?" he cooed gently to you as he met your gaze, holding it intensely as you nodded lazily. He wasn't far off either, so he quickened his pace to bring the both of you to your climaxes.

"So good," was all you were able to say, the words tumbling out of your mouth in a chant as he panted behind you from his relentless momentum.

Before you knew it, warmth spread throughout your lower belly as he pulled your orgasm out of you with a helpless cry, your head lulling back against his chest as your muscles tensed. An unsteady groan ripped from his chest as he sighed into your hair, his eye screwing shut as his release washed over him as well.

A string of incoherent pleas fell from your mouths simultaneously, the both of you in utter awe of one another. It took a moment for both of you to come back down from your highs, speechless from what had just unexpectedly unfolded in the women's bathroom.

Art helped you look presentable again after he tucked himself away, moving the stray hairs from your face and slipping your underwear back up your smooth legs for you. You watched him with a smile, elated at the way his hands lingered on your hips as he flattened your skirt down.

"Good as new, sweetheart," he placed a kiss to your temple as the two of you moved to walk out the door until it swung open.

You were met with a disgruntled old lady as the two of you stood awkwardly in the middle of the bathroom, unsure of what to say.

Oh shit, you thought. You would guess Art was thinking the same thing based on the deer-in-headlights look that he had on his face.

"Excuse me," she brushed past the both of you with a confused look, before disappearing into one of the stalls. She wanted no business with whatever she had just walked in on.

You looked at Art, finding it hard to hold back the laugh that bubbled up from your chest.

"Let's get out of here before we traumatize more little old ladies..."

[bi-writes]

the lies we tell

how far would you go for the person you love?

type: part one of the time rot collection pairing: simon "ghost" riley x tf141!fem!reader (x johnny "soap" mactavish) word count: 5k

cw: dark!simon, dark!reader, curvy!fem!reader, mature language and content, suggestive language and content, graphic depictions of murder + violence + extortion, mw3 spoilers, unprotected piv, oral (fem!receiving), cumplay (18+)

you don't believe in fate. you don't believe in god. you don't believe in anything at all, maybe, because luck disguises coincidences, and no good deed goes unpunished. everything you are and all that you have are products of a world that never stops spinning--and nothing about what has ended up in your way has ever been the selfish result of some higher power or some kind of entity that holds a grudge against you.

it's simple. in your world, if you don't think, you get your comrades hurt. if you hesitate for a second too long or take a step in the wrong direction, you compromise ops and let targets get away.

and if you're stupid, you die.

it only takes a second. one moment, your hands are steady, following careful instructions by a familiar lilt how to disable the ticking timer that counts dangerously low towards zero. the next, your vision blurs, and your head pounds, and you can feel the trickle of your own blood coming down the side of your face. you try and sit up, and when your eyes are able to focus just a little, you're staring down the barrel of a handgun.

you have never needed a knight in shining armor. the idea offends you, disgusts you, and it rips your heart out when you see johnny coming up behind him and pushing the gun out of your face just in time for the shot to hit the floor beside you.

and it takes only one more second for the next bullet to go through the side of his head.

you scream. it rattles the room, a horrifying sound, but you're too late. it happens so fast, it's ringing in your ears, but there's nothing you can do. you've never felt more incapable, more useless, and you crawl on your hands and knees to get to him. it hurts, your head pounds, but you will yourself to keep moving until you fall over his chest, gripping the edges of his vest, shaking him.

no. no, no, no, no.

"get up!" you cry. "get up, get up, get up!"

he's still warm when you bury your face into his neck. when you feel the scratch of his stubble, the softness of his neck, the dark skin that shows where you kissed him the night before and the scratches along his arms that are from your own blunt fingernails.

"get up!" you hiccup. "you can't--you--you're not..." you drag him into your arms, picking up his head, and your hands shake as you cradle him into your body. you press your lips to the hole in his head, and you will it to disappear, to go away, to close up and spit out the bullet that was meant for you. "johnny--johnny, you have to get up--" your vision goes hazy again. "you...y-you have to get up."

when it's quiet is when you notice the shadows that hover over you. you don't move--you clutch johnny close, your arms tight around him, and when a warm hand touches your shoulder, you cry out, shoving them off.

no. no. no.

"no! no--" they're firm now, kyle gripping one of your arms, your captain taking the other. they drag you off, getting you onto your feet, and you thrash. you kick your legs, scream, anything to get them off of you, so you can pick up johnny's head and show them his eyes, because he has to be alive, he isn't gone--"no! no! get off of me! johnny! johnny!"

reality only sinks when you see him. ghost shifts, until he stands between you and what had been, and when you meet his eyes, you stop moving, shaking your head.

"simon--" your voice breaks. "simon--tell them--" you gasp. "we need a medevac, we need--he needs--"

you fall into his chest, and he catches you. one big arm wraps around your waist, and he grunts, tossing his rifle over his shoulder and cradling the back of your head with his other hand.

"simon--" you sob. "simon, it's not--it's--" you shut your eyes when you feel his gloved hand tangle into your hair. "it's not true, he's still warm, please tell them--!"

he says your name, low and gentle, and you shake your head. you won't say it. you won't believe it. it isn't true, because if it's true, it's all your fault, and you won't accept that, you can't.

you only laughed with him hours ago. shared his bed. woke up tangled between his sheets, pressed skin to skin against his burly chest, whispering against his lips about all the hours you would spend being lazy and unproductive when you finally got home to the bed that was actually big enough to hold the both of you, not the cot in the barracks with no locks on the doors--

you jump when the door shuts behind you. time passes without notice when you are this alone. you look around the flat; it's cold, and it doesn't look lived in, not like before. he always liked to leave it neat and proper, because it felt nice to come home to a clean home, but this isn't home anymore.

you pick up your bag and leave. you weren't even able to make it a few steps inside. you don't have it in you to get your things, to pack your clothes or your shoes or anything that still is in there because it won't feel the same to wear them again if he isn't here to see you.

price's name graces your phone all too often. he calls mornings, he calls evenings, he calls from unknown phone numbers. he says he's worried about you, that you didn't show to an important briefing, that you are welcome to take your leave but you need to tell him that you're alright, but you don't answer. when the call comes, an official one, asking you to gear up because wheels are up in an hour, you don't show up, and there is nothing he can do except scratch your name off his list and declare you dishonorably discharged.

but the world still turns. it doesn't stop just because your own did. you find yourself in need of the things that people use to survive, superficial papers and coins that rattle in everyone's pockets that keep them satiated with roofs over their heads.

at first, you start small. a friend of a friend is crying, hiding her bruised face, and she confesses to you that everything would just be easier if her boyfriend was gone. you're not there to see her face when he never comes back from his gambling night.

it starts as something good. johns threatening their girls disappearing when they take a smoke break. following drunk girls home only to drag their stalkers into dark alleyways. until one day it's a suit sliding you an envelope thick with notes, and you don't even bat an eye when you slip it into your jacket.

this is all you are now. you don't have anything inside. you aren't happy, you aren't good, and despite covering your crimes in the veil of defending those who can't, you know that it is just an excuse to wet your hands in the blood of someone else so you can forget what his own feels like.

because you can't forget. everywhere you turn, you see him. in the blue of someone else's eyes. in the dark curls of someone else's hair. in the shadow of another man's beard, the sound of a scottish accent, the plaid of a kilt that looks like the one he had shown you once that he said would be yours when you married him, because ye will marry me, bonnie, ye will--he always said you would even though you protested that you won't be a military wife, you won't sit at home and cook his dinner and grow his fat babies. and maybe you wouldn't, but he was good at showing you that he would fuck you dumb like a good wife should be, and you never had a problem with that.

he lives in the dark weather. the bricks of the buildings you pass by, the scratch of them almost mimicking the callous of his big palms. when rain touches your lips, you think about the way he would kiss you breathless, the feel of his spit on your tongue and the way he seemed to bare your soul with nothing but his smile.

the silence, it chokes you. you liked arguing; it meant he was alive, it meant he cared. he was charming. outgoing. he exuded fun, and he never ran out of energy, and maybe that's why you hated your superior so much. because johnny's eyes wandered, and you hadn't been around as long, and sometimes you would catch him staring at the back of a big, broad lieutenant only for you to rear him back and stuff his face between your thighs to distract him.

ghost always kept you on your toes. you knew he was a problem as soon as you joined their team. johnny was not subtle; from the first moment you met his eyes, you knew you would end up naked and underneath him in a short while, but it wasn't until weeks later that you noticed how stiff your superior was with you. how short. how mean. how angry. you didn't realize you had stolen something from him, but it was hard to feel guilty because johnny never behaved as if he belonged--he sought you out, he chased after you, he fell to his knees and begged for your attention, a hungry, starved dog that pawed at your pants for just a lick of the sweetness that pooled between your legs.

but that was why. johnny was starved. he wanted to love, he wanted touch and reciprocation and for the person he loved to tell him they loved him back, and that wasn't ghost. ghost held up a wall, even to johnny, and it wasn't enough. you would give what he would not, and maybe that angered ghost to some degree, because you could do what he couldn't, you could give what he didn't possess, and maybe he was jealous of that. jealous of how easy it was for you, and how impossible it seemed for him.

but the world keeps spinning. because it doesn't care about what you can and can't do. it won't stop, and neither would you, and he couldn't prevent what happened to you. he couldn't save the heart he didn't have.

and he couldn't save johnny from the bullet he would take for you.

and you think you hate him for that. you hate yourself for it, but you hate ghost, too. johnny couldn't see what you could see. his attention span was too short, he never looked long enough, but you did, and you noticed, and you saw the way ghost behaved. the subtly, the quiet longing, the eyes that never left him and the way he closed his fists. the twitch of his arm as he fought reaching for him, the way the masked moved as he contemplated saying something to him.

it was pathetic. it was pitiful. but you loved johnny, and you weren't going to try and coddle a traumatized man into taking what you really wanted. he loved johnny, you think, but he didn't love him enough.

not enough to fight for him. and not enough to save his life.

you haven't been paid for this. no one told you to look for him. no one told you that he was your mark, no one told you that he was the next on your list, that he deserved to find the end of the line at the killing side of your chosen weapon.

but he does deserve it. because you hate him. because he loved him, and he hadn't done anything to stop what never should've happened.

when he flicks on the light in his kitchen, he doesn't even react when he sees you standing there.

he's wearing civilian clothes, but you know better than to underestimate him. a hoodie under his rain jacket with the hood pulled up over his head, dark jeans over heavy boots, fading eye-black around the dark of his eyes, the only part of him visible under the balaclava. he could never quite cover up how striking his eyes truly are, or the blonde of his lashes. and he could never hide how big of a man he really is underneath it all.

"knew ya'd come eventually," he says finally. you try not to show any emotion, keeping your face neutral as you stare at him. he takes a step further into the flat, and the click of your handgun sounds as you hold it up. he still doesn't react, making his way towards the fridge and pulling a bottle out. he uses the edge of the counter to pop the cap off, and he grunts as he takes a seat at his table, relaxing into it.

you pull the chamber back, loading a round into the gun, and ghost narrows his eyes. he is still calm, very unbothered for someone about to eat the bullet he should've swallowed all those months ago, and it angers you more, unnerves you.

why isn't he afraid of me?

"wot's the price?" he asks, tilting his head to the side. "how much t'rid y'of me?"

when you don't respond, he laughs, humorlessly. this angers you, too.

"oh, i see..." he sucks on his teeth. "doin' this all on y'r own, eh?"

your lip twitches, and his eyes flicker, as if he's happy to get some sort of reaction out of you.

"i hate you," you whisper finally, and all he does is shrug his shoulders. "don't deserve to be here. to lead that team. to still call yourself a fucking lieutenant when you don't have anyone's back except your own."

he stares, not moving, and you envy how still he can be.

"and i know you're not going to wherever he is," you laugh bitterly. "not you, not someone as fucked up as you. you'll never have him again."

but neither will i.

"tha' wot y'think?" ghost asks. "tha' i don't have y'r back?"

"he's dead, isn't he?"

he leans forward, pushing his mask up slightly, and you watch with a shaky hand as he takes a long sip of his beer. his adam's apple bobs as he swallows, and you follow the pale lines you see that litter his lower face and neck. drags left behind from dull blades, the pieces of his skin that have been carved out and haphazardly put back together.

he looks like what you imagine you would, if someone looked on the inside of you. if someone pulled back the softness you wear and peeked underneath--they'd see you just like this. carved up, mutilated, picked apart. the anger wanes, just a little. you hate it, because it feels so true, the reflection of yourself that you see in him.

"why didn't you save him?" your voice breaks. your hand is shaking violently, your eyes are blurry with tears, and your legs feel weak. you look at him accusingly, and he stares right back. you can see more of his face, just his lips, but it's enough that you can see the way he snarls slightly. "why weren't you there? why--"

"y' 'ave no fuckin' idea--"

"you didn't love him enough!" you snap. you use two hands now, trying to hold the gun steady. "you didn't love him enough! y-you gave up on him, you fucking--"

"y' 'ave no idea wot i felt," he says, and you quiet, because his voice is dark and deep and a warning for you because he won't be so calm for long. "'ave no idea wot he was t'me."

"he was mine," you whisper, and you taste the tears that are falling down your face.

"wasn't always yours," he growls, and your hand shakes too much for your own good, and when he stands, he's too quick. he knocks the gun out of your hand, and it skids across the floor, and you cry out when he has you up against the wall, one big forearm trapping you there as he presses it firmly against your throat. he towers over you, glaring down at you, and when you try and use your legs, he forces you flat against him as he puts one thigh between your legs and holds you easily.

he's too strong. too big. too much of everything you aren't, and all you can do is gasp for air and thrash as much as he lets you.

"listen 'ere," he mutters, pressing down harder against your throat, and your breath hitches as you stare up at him through your tears. "the fuck y'wanna fight about? want t'kill me? want t'hurt me? wot the fuck are y'gonna do t'me that someone else hasn't, huh?" he spits at you now, angry and unhinged. "been buried alive. gnawed at m'own fuckin' hands t'break free. split apart from the inside-out, so wot the fuck can y'do t'me tha' i'll be afraid of, eh? y'r just a sorry fuckin' git tha' can't fuckin' admit y'weren't lookin'--and he's dead, and tha's a fact, and the sooner y'wrap y'r head around tha', the sooner y'can stop right fuckin' feelin' sorry for y'rself. y'think i don't play it in m'head everyday? thinkin' about wot i could've done t'get t'him?"

you break, crack, the tears spilling free. ghost isn't capable of feeling what you feel. of loving the way you love, of holding onto something so tight that he can't let it go, it isn't in him. he's fucking dead on the inside, you know that much. he wears that skull because he wants everyone to know that death is his friend, not his enemy, and that when he finally succumbs to his mortality, he'll just fucking go home.

"thinkin' about wot i could've done t'get t'you?" he breathes, and you blink up at him, your lips parting, trembling, and you take in the deep breath that he allows, and you aren't angry anymore. you don't understand. it doesn't make sense. "he had ya--" ghost wraps a hand into your hair, tugging on it, bringing you closer. "he almost had ya..."

what?

your eyes flutter shut when he presses his forehead to yours. his grip is firm, he isn't letting you go.

oh.

"almost had ya," he echoes, in a deep whisper, and you nuzzle your face to his, subconsciously.

oh...

maybe you were just naïve. so egotistical, so selfish, that you misinterpreted everything that you saw. was it anger, or was it longing? was it jealousy, or was it lust? was it the shame of the way he felt, or the timidness of revealing the truth of it?

wherever johnny was, there was ghost. right behind him, in the dark, purposefully watching.

or was he just waiting?

you want to feel guilty. you want to feel angry, you want to fight for the gun that escaped you and press it to his chest and pull the trigger, but you don't have it in you. you spent so long hating him, you didn't realize it could've been someone else.

vying for the attention of someone unattainable, someone unavailable, untouchable. someone that can understand the way you feel unlike anyone else in the entire, unforgiving world that keeps fucking spinning--

"b-but--"

"was never jealous," he admits, and you swallow hard. you almost stop breathing when you feel the faint brush of his lips against yours. "y'were out of m'reach." he loosens his grip on your neck, but you don't move. "couldn't 'ave ya, couldn't--"

the kiss is messy. you lean forward just enough to swallow his words. your heart squeezes in your chest, it bursts, and you cradle the back of his head as you slide your tongue between his teeth and taste him hurriedly. you want to know him, you want to understand him, you want to crawl inside the warmth he emanates and pretend the world stopped moving right before it took away the thing you loved more than anything.

you hate him, don't you? you hate all that he is, you hate the man he isn't, you hate him because he loved what you loved, and he didn't do anything to save him, you hate him because he had what you had, and he wasn't selfish enough to not let him go.

you hate him because even though it is all your fault, he doesn't hate you, and you think that's what you hate most of all.

because i am not worthy of anything anymore.

you want him to hate you. you want him to kill you, you want him to blame you for everything you've done. you want him to remind you that you aren't worthy of any kind of affection, of love, because you were stupid, and so was johnny, but he won't do it--he won't. he slides his hands down your sides, he puts them around you, picks you up from under your thighs and carries you until you fall underneath him onto the cushions of his couch that you don't deserve to feel.

he feels too good. he bares his layers. he takes his jacket off, slips the hoodie over his head, and you stare speechless as he kicks his jeans low and strips the mask off of his face.

your hands shake as you cup his cheeks. he's so pretty, unfathomably so, and you think you're crying because you recognize him even though you've never seen his face before. there's something so familiar about the shape of his nose, the way his brow bone feels under your fingertips, and you cry because you loved johnny, but you might love ghost more.

fuck.

you don't know him, and you think you love him more, and it isn't because you love johnny less, it isn't, but while johnny loved unconditionally, ghost loves you because he isn't capable of not loving you. you love him more, and it hurts to love him more, because he sounds grateful that bullet took everything from him except for you.

when you look into his eyes, you wonder if he let it happen. if he saw johnny step in front, if he knew where the bullet would land, and let it happen so that it wouldn't happen to you.

fuck. fuck, fuck, fuck.

it's selfish. it's disgusting. it's cruel, he is so cruel, it's frightening to think about him hesitating just to keep you, but it's even more frightening that you are looking up at him, all this time later, and you're letting him have what he abandoned everything to take.

you're letting him slip the shirt over your head. the pants from your legs, steal the lace from between your thighs so he can settle himself there and bury his head in the warmth of all that he wants.

he's cruel about this, too. he eats like he has never eaten before, like he tastes what he has been searching for his whole life and will lose it if he doesn't consume it all. he barely breathes, arms hooked around your thighs as he yanks you close, tongue buried inside as he coats his mouth in everything that you are and swallows it just to take more. you arch your back, bow it tight as he devours. and devour he does, squeezing the thick of your thighs hard as he bobs his head and fucks you with the warm muscle of his mouth. it drags along your insides, slips between the puffy folds, swirls around your clit until he suckles on it viciously, until you are crying for a different reason and letting the terrifying thoughts spill out of your ears until there is nothing to think about but the man between your legs and the love you have for him more than another.

"simon--"

it spurs him on. his name, the one he doesn't use anymore. it clouds his own head, and he groans as he opens his mouth wide and tries to eat you whole, eat you wet, eat you entirely like he will die if he doesn't.

and it isn't enough. never enough. he snarls when you cum, using two fingers to slip inside of you and feel the clench of your walls, and then he slips them out and feeds those fingers to you. you choke on his hand slightly, the girth unfamiliar, and when he smiles, wickedly, you shiver, afraid.

his love is so visceral, he let johnny die. his love is so broken, so jagged-edged and terrible, that he let go of what was his to have it. he smiles because he knows what he wants is now his.

did he know? did he know what would happen to johnny all that time ago and let what we were manifest because he knew how it all would fucking end?

ghost is a sickness. ghost is poison. ghost is what lives under children's beds, he is the black hole that sucks in the glow of anything nearby, that swallows anything in its path because anything other than what he wants is in his fucking way.

was johnny in his way? he must've loved him, he must've. they were lovers, friends, comrades, they stood back to back and faced their makers with nothing but each other--he must've loved him, but now you are so afraid, because if he did love johnny, what do i call what he feels for me?

did he know that johnny's love would kill him? did he know, and he let him love me anyways, because he's so patiently twisted inside?

he grips your jaw tight, and your eyes sparkle, diamonds in the wasteland you must be drowning in, and he shakes his head. it's so dark, night blackening the room, but you can see his own eyes bright as day. there is nowhere else to look. this is the man you have resigned yourself to. this is the thing that feeds on what you have left, and you should run away, he has killed what you truly are, but you won't.

i can't. i'm not capable of it. i'm not strong enough to leave, he has me, he fucking has me--

and he does. he won't even have to tie you up, he knows you won't leave, you can tell that he knows. he kisses you, still holding onto your face, and you just sink more into the cushions as he uses his free hand to find your entrance and sink himself deep.

it takes one smooth grind of his hips to press himself against you. his hips meet yours, and you whine when he lets go of you, gripping you around the thighs and hoisting you underneath him so you're nestled right under him, knees up and pussy fluttering. he seals it, he's infected you, and you should tell him to go away, you should tell him to stop, but it feels so good, it feels so nice, he's so big, he's mine, mine, mine--

"all y'needed," he murmurs, staring down at you. "'s all y'needed, luv. somethin' to shut y'up."

your body betrays what you feel inside. it grips him tight; every time he drags his cock out, it fights to pull him back inside, and the grunt he lets out as he sinks deep again tells him he knows this, too. no matter what atrocities the two of you commit, this is where you will end up. staring each other in the eyes, knowing you are black inside, and fucking each other anyway because that is my reward, this is where i'm meant to be, this is where i'll end up in whatever fucking universe we end up in.

"y'feel me, swee'eart?" he asks, pressing his palm to your stomach. you rock with him as he grinds slow, hitting you deep and powerful every time, and you nod frantically, your lips parting as you rattle every time he hits his hips to yours. "feel me right 'ere...yeah..." he smooths his thumb over the stop his tip hits, and you whimper, sliding your own hand down and over his, keeping his touch there. he fucks so well, every move he makes draws the blood from your head and makes you feel stupidly wonderful, and he knows just when to angle his hips to touch the sensitive little clit that pulses in rhythm with his thrusts.

this is what you are. this is what you always were going to be, even if you fought it, and you want it to hurt that johnny was collateral damage, but it doesn't.

it doesn't.

your eyes meet his, and he has your face in a strong grip now, leaning down as he picks up the pace. he hits a gooey spot inside of you now, a wet squelch sounding out as you drip, as you wet his cock because he is every desire you didn't know you had, and he bares his teeth, smiles down at you, he has me, he fucking has me, he'll never let me go.

"all mine," he slurs, and you aren't coherent enough to read between the lines. you aren't lucid enough to understand what he means, that now that you don't belong to anyone, not even yourself, there is no logical place for you to be except for underneath him. for him to own you, from the light in your eyes to the very breaths that you share with him.

connected, one being, and if i do not obey, i don't know who he will take next from me.

but there isn't anyone left to take. not even yourself, because you think it has already been given.

you cry when he holds you by the throat and fucks you stupid. hips snapping, breathes short and heavy, the spill of your arousal and the need of the very oxygen to breathe. you claw at him, wanting more, your stomach clenching and a feeling catching in your chest because you are climbing a mountain so fucking tall, and please get me there--i'm so close--yes-yes-yes!

your eyes roll back into your head when he cums. he groans into your ear, fucking you through it, gripping your hips tight as he keeps his hips pressed to yours. you feel so full, a kind of euphoria that is beyond you, a hazy place of pleasure that you've never been to before. it clouds your vision and the thoughts you know you should have.

the thoughts that would make you run. the ones that would reach for the knife you see taped under the coffee table and use it to slit his pretty neck.

you blink up at ghost, trying to think, but he bends low to kiss you again. you whine as he settles down between your thighs, his weight heavy and solid above you, and you relax with both of your hands on his face.

he smiles, and it should scare you, but it doesn't. you want it to hurt, but it doesn't. you want him to kill you, but he won't, you want to kill him, but you can't. his eyes all but confess what he's really done. the secret he hides inside but reveals in what he holds in his very hands. the world keeps spinning. it doesn't care. and, you suppose, neither do you.

because all you do is smile back at him.

[luveline]

Jade omg i love coworker james so much!! I was hoping i could request them taking the elevator up to their office together and it breaking down and them being stuck together!! Super cliche but i think it could be really cute and fun and that you’d write it so well!

You decide today is the day you stop pretending to forget something in your car. James has been nice lately. He does still hide your mug everyday, and he acts like an idiot at your desks. Just yesterday he made a parachute for one of his little figurines and made it land in your lunch. But he keeps saving you when you’re in trouble, and he might think he has to do it but it’s not true. 

If something goes wrong, James is the one who helps you out. Maybe it’s proximity, but maybe he’s just not the jerk you pegged him to be. 

So you’re being brave. You get out of your car, to James’ surprise, and you give him a teeny tiny smile. “Morning,” you say, making your way to the office steps, and following closely behind him. 

“Morning,” he says, looking back. He holds open the door for you without further comment. 

You walk in through the building’s lobby and past the main receptionist to the twin elevators. There’s a downstairs to the building, the lab, where the company conducts their water safety testing, and an upstairs where you and James and your colleagues work. He hits the elevator button on the right, you both wait for it to come down. 

“Did you see about that movie?” you ask. 

“I did!” He laughs at himself generously. “You’ll have to be more specific, I’m afraid.” 

“Crazy, if you gave me like, two more seconds before you interrupted, I would’ve specified.” You catch yourself scowling and soften your expression. “You know, the movie you told me about with the aliens that can hear you from ten miles away.” 

“Oh. What was I supposed to see about it?” 

You should’ve waited in the car. The elevator descends and the doors open. James waits for you to go in first before he follows, and you let him click your floor number as you lean against the mirror. 

You elect to wait in silence as the elevator chugs up, and up, and.

It stops short with a horrible sharp sound you’ve never heard it make. 

James looks at you, then the control panel. The doors don’t open. “That’s fucked,” he says hotly. 

“We stopped too early, right?” 

“No, no way.” He clicks the open door button, waiting approximately half a second before he starts to spam it. 

“Wait, what if you mess it up?” 

“Mess it up? It’s stuck.” 

You glare at him. “It’s not stuck.” 

“It’s stuck.” James slams his hand into the emergency button and waits with a frown for it to ring. “Hello?” he asks. 

“James, it’s still ringing.” 

“I’m glad this is funny to you,” he says. 

You hide your smile. You’d been unnerved by the sound, sure, but the elevator isn’t creaking or whining, it’s just stopped. There’s an inkling of worry growing in your chest. You’re perhaps a smidge too tired to panic. It’s barely 8AM. 

And James’ reaction is wildly comical. He glares at the control panel and rings the emergency button again, and again. Nobody answers. After a few long seconds of this, the control panel goes dark, backlit numbers fading. 

The overhead light blinks out. 

It’s quite dark without it. 

“What the fuck?” James asks. Surprisingly, he sounds less panicked than before. “The electrics gone. A power cut?” 

“It’s really dark,” you say unhelpfully. 

“If only I had one of my darling Smiskis to light up the lift.” James takes his phone from his pocket and turns on the torch, your eyes aching but then thankful for the added illumination. You can see his face again, the tug of a brow too handsome to be meant for grumpiness, and the confused pout of his lips. He has a lovely face, with sweet eyes, dark brown hair framing it, and the aura around him when he’s smiling is lovely too.  He’s a little less lovely when he frowns, but not by much. “I’m gonna shout,” he warns you. 

You and James spend that first half an hour believing the lift to be a short problem. Then another half an hour on the phone to Remus and then your boss, who assures you both that the maintenance team will fix it within the hour. “Within the hour?” James says to you where you’ve sat cross-legged on the floor. “Within the hour? How long do they think we’ve been in here?” 

“Maybe we can call the fire brigade to come and save us?” you suggest quietly. You and James are in very close quarters. His shouting has hurt your head. 

“They might have to. Why does nobody know what’s wrong with the lift? Are they really that complicated?”

James sits down beside you dejectedly. The lift is snug, but there’s room for him to sit further away that he doesn’t use. 

“You okay?” you ask. 

“Fine.” 

You open your bag in your lap and unveil your thermos. It comes with a cup as the lip. “Do you want some hot chocolate?” 

James tips his head back against the wall. “Yes,” he says, “okay. You never finished telling me about the alien movie anyways. What’s the news?” 

You smother a smile. “I’m not telling you. You should’ve listened to me the first time.” 

For some reason, you don’t argue once in the two hours you spend stuck. Not after the initial bickering. You drink your hot chocolate and you end up sitting together watching the trailer for the movie on your phone, and neither of you move away after. That is, until the elevator flicks back on and the doors are being pried open —you spring apart, caught red handed enjoying each other's company. 

[christinebloodwrittings]

Hi, I was wondering if you could do an Alastor x Reader, where Reader and Alastor are about to get married, but the day before their wedding, Alastor mysteriously disappears. On their bed lays a note: “I’m sorry, I had to leave.”?

Heart in debt

Pairing: Alastor x Fem!Reader Summary: "Until death do us apart" turned into a "Until I see you again in hell", when Alastor, for unknown reasons, decided to become a runaway groom. Warnings: Gore, bit of angst.

Sorry for the delay dearest, this work took 4 drafts and a lot of re-write, I hope the result is to your liking :3.

The venue was reserved in advance, your mother had chosen the perfect location for you. The catering service was already paid for, as was the florist, band and cake.

Everything was ready.

Looking back, as you finished getting ready for bed, with your nerves on edge, you remembered how your parents reacted when you told them you were getting married.

The best couple ever, welcomed your fiancé, Alastor, as if they had recognized the plague made person. The permanent smile, the aura of death, and well, something they saw in him made them act defensively.

However, of course, your father loved you more than anything in life, so since the ring was of high quality, he had a house on his name, he could provide for you and assure you a future with children, he had no choice but to swallow his opinions and daydream the day when you say he can shoot his brains out.

It was distasteful to you that your father wanted to kill your fiancé, but you knew he loved you and as long as he was with you, Alastor would be fine.

And he was waiting in bed, with his glasses on the edge of his nose, busy with a book. "Excuse me, madam, but if you hold the rifle like that, you will hurt yourself due to the force of the recoil" you remembered your first interaction, his voice was as soft as silk, manners polished up to perfection.

“Then, what would you say is the best way?”  you suspected he was going to say something mannish and arrogant, most man didn’t believed women could do nothing except cooking and breed children, judging by the eat shitting grin he was wearing, you were expecting the worst sexist comment.

Instead he asked your permission to help you, after you said yes, he gently moved your arms upwards to accommodate your position, then gently pulled sideways your hips, “Your support leg must be straight and tight, strong, otherwise you will fall back” then a rustle in the bushes alerted both of you, a white back deer.

“You can do it, aim” he encouraged you, watching the majestic prongs of the deer appear at the distance, “Breathe, don’t rush” his breath on your ear sent a shiver up your spine, “Now!” he spoke, you pulled the trigger, he held you during the push back, that kind of rifle was far too intense, even for him, but it had the enough power to kill the animal just fine.

“Do I have something on my face, dear?” he noticed your stare, smiling softly. You walked to him, pecking his cheek softly, “Now there is” he chuckled, setting his book on the nightstand, then he opened his arms to you, which were soon filled with your figure.

"I can't wait for us to be one" you snuggled against his chest, "Me neither, dearest" he pulled you closer, your hair ticking his nose. "At this hour tomorrow I'll be Mrs. Hartfield, I wish your mother were here to enjoy with us" his mom had passes away when he was a kid, but since your mother was friends with her, you got faint memories of the sweet woman that had raised your soon-to-be husband.

"She probably would have made a joyride out of the planning" his sarcasm got you giggling, "You're so mean" He kissed your temple, enjoying your laughter, "Rather honest, darling".

Nothing could go wrong at the moment, you were in cloud nine, until you woke up and noticed Alastor was gone. It was weird, usually he wouldn't move out of bed until you did. 

“My love, I'm sorry, I  had to leave. I realized I'm not ready. I'll be sending you money to compensate for the expenses. I'm sorry” Signed with his name, his calligraphy on a piece of paper next to his spot.

"Mamma?" You held the telephone life for dear life, barely holding on, "Did something happened my dear? You sound distressed" yes you were, also were under every type of weather, "He left, he left me a letter, and his clothes are gone" You chocked out on your words, tears falling onto your nightgown.

"Like full closet gone?" At her question you yelled back that he was gone, your heart shattered when you took notice that he even took his radio with him.

"I'll be there in just a moment; I'll make some calls okay?" She reassured you, "What happened?" You father spoke in the background, "Alastor left your daughter on her wedding day" Your mother tried to as delicate as she could, "Bastard! Don't worry baby, if he decides to come back, he's good as dead" he made the click of his shotgun sound against the phone, "I knew that son of a bitch was no good for my princess" he shouted.

"Maybe I did something wrong" you sobbed, "No sweetie, how can you think that? The lad wasn't ready, is no one's fault" Your mother tried to reassured you, but truth to be told, nothing could console you at that moment.

You refused to abandon his house, it was briefly yours before he went away, but the real reason was, that you still had some hope he would at some point come back. When he never did, you abandoned the house to live with your parents.

One night, returning late from your make up job at the speakeasy, you felt a rush, a cold feeling up your spine. Looking into the glass on the other side of the street, you caught the sight of a man, walking fast behind you.

Speeding up the pace, you ventured yourself into the swamp, the bayou. You knew Alastor had a hunting shed where you could at least arm yourself, you only had to run faster. Your heels at one point buried themselves in the mud, you had to continue on foot, a plus point since despite the stones and thorns on the way, you managed to reach the place.

You heard the paces even nearer, in a hurry you forced the lock to break, then took a rifle off the table inside, put three bullets in the chamber, then when the silhouette of your stalker opened up the door, he saw the end of the cannon pointing straight at his head.

“Turn back, leave!” your voice echoed through the trees, the wind eating up your voice quickly, “I will not repeat myself” you threatened, pulling the safety mechanism, “Poor little doll, you think you’re capable to-“ shakily, you fired, he was taken aback, nearly fallen to the ground.

“YOU WHORE!” he yelled, pressing a hand to his shoulder, “Leave, now” the rush that firing him gave you, was a sensation you couldn’t describe. It sent a shock of pleasure down your spine, you liked that feeling, even more so, when the one scared now, was him.

“Human scum” you aimed at his head, “See you in hell” his eyes took a less sharp look, his rage turned into fear, then absolute nothingness wrapped in blood.

Karma was a very ironic lady, when you pulled the man’s body to the lake, you tripped on an underwater root, your body barely above water caught the attention of a beast, and sooner than later, you were devoured by an alligator.

One man, one bloodlust rush sent you to hell.

A hundred years or so, after that incident, after surviving another extermination, hidden in a box in the closet. You felt a presence, something following you, you turned a corner, gun in hand, prepared to defend yourself if necessary.

When the footsteps stopped on the other side of the building, a shadow peeked its face towards you, the smile he was wearing was an amused one, especially when he saw you pointing the gun at him.

A slight unusual sound, seemingly a laugh, followed by its hand taking yours, only to leave a gentle kiss on your knuckles. “Rather dashing, are you not?” your fear was not yet dissipated, but it was so gentle, offering its arm to walk you down the street.

“I’ve been eager to salute you, though I must say, you are rather hard to find” his voice was merely a whisper, “Am I supposed to know who you are?” he stopped in his tracks, “My most sincere apologies, but I don’t own a name, I’m simply a reflection, a shadow of a man” it seemed sad, yet conscious of its existence.

“Does this man, who’s footsteps you should be following, knows me?” he nodded in response, following by a quiet “He does”. You thought back how many men you have consorted with, who might have access or knowledge of umbrakinesis, none came to your mind.

“Am I to be afraid of his intentions?” as any other man you have encountered, you’ve never been able to shake the fear, always having to have a gun attached to your waist, “He has none, he thinks he has hurt you enough, with his sudden absence” he had been prohibited to utter the incident, but he found a way to do so anyways without actually saying ‘Alastor left you, and it pains him every day’.

“Alastor” his name fell off your lips like hasn’t done before, in quite a while, “Will he agree to see me?” you asked, wanting at least an explanation, “He’s not the man you remember” the shadow warned, but you were persistent, “I’d like to see him, if he has a moment he can gift me”.

His nonexistent heart shook in his chest, “I’ll see what I can do” that sentence alone brought you more hope than anything in the world, “Can you do me one more favor? I’ll see that you get compensated” now in your home, you took paper and pen, at the same time that you took a tiny bag off one of your drawers.

“This are three pure gold coins, Spanish ones, Cortéz brought this ones himself” you placed the bag on its hand, “I hope you accept this as payment, to pass him a letter?” he nodded watching you take your quill and start writing to him.

When you were done, you melted a bit of candle wax, sealing your heart in that page, then he left with the letter.

“My dearest friend.

How the time has treated us, I hope will never know. If there was a god up there I shall thank him, for it brought you back to me somehow, however subtle presence that is.

Have you seen the changes? Are you still pursuing your ambitions? How have you been all these years? Many questions flooded my mind, as soon as your name was brought to me for the first time in a century.

If it’s not too much of a bother, I would like to see you, an hour is all I desire.”

I’ll await your answer, in whichever mean you see fit.

While reading the letter, Alastor made a pause, his eyes burning with the old feeling, the same crushing one he was hunted by ever since he left under the mantle of the night.   

“I am not mad at you, I just wish for clearance, closure.

Happy to make your acquaintance whenever you’d like.

Sincerely, Y/n.”

“Take the package with you, and make sure she’s safe” he ordered his shadow, who flew a couple days later to your doorstep.

A box, laced with a red ribbon. Your heart skipped a beat when you saw a radio inside, engraved with flowers and birds in the most exquisite wood that hell could offer. On top of it, there was a note that read “Play me”.

You sat by the fireplace, leaving the radio on the tea table, your shadow friend taking seat beside you while you push the button that was marked.

“One, two, three, testing? Can you hear me, my dear?” his voice was slightly different, there was a lot of static, but you wondered if that was his or the radio’s. “Yes, I can” yours was a melody he had yearn to be blessed with for years, “Wonderful, I had received your letter” your stomach was in tangles, awaiting his thoughts.

 “I do wish to see you, but I have something to tell you first, that may be quite daunting” your breath was caught in your throat, “Go on” you inquired, “The reason why I couldn’t marry you is due my activities in the woods, I am a killer and a cannibal, bringing pain to others grant me pleasure like no other” he laid the truth as plain as it could be, giving that he couldn’t see your eyes directly.

“Oh thank god” he was taken aback by your giggly sigh, “I thought you a…you know, someone that fancy other men” he laughed as well, he found the assumption ridiculous, also he thought strange that you’re so unfazed by his confession.

“You are glad?” you took a moment to find an answer without sounding like you’ve gone mad, “Alastor, are you a man that stalk women down to alleys to feast on their screams?” he answered a firm no to your question, “Are you a man that defiles other women?” another no.

“Do you enjoy killing the scoundrels you hated so much, bullies, the ones that take advantage of the ones with fairer means?” he took a second to pridefully answer “Yes”, you took the shadow’s hand as if it was his, “Then your mother and I can rest in peace, as cruel as you may be Alastor, you still hold your morals high, I cannot say the same regarding your honor” he laughed at the mention of the latter.    

“Did the cat caught your tongue?” he had fell silent for a minute, “No, I haven’t been at a loss of words in a while, is all” the shadow nuzzled against your hand, moving it so it could cup his cheek, “Can I pay you a penny for your thoughts? I think I might be saying it wrong; the young ones say it a lot” you giggled, adding to the ache in his heart.

“I didn’t expect you to be alright with it, it leads me to wonder, why are you down here?” you decided to be just as honest as he was, “I killed a man that had ill intentions towards me, and I liked it a little too much” his smile grew devilishly.

“Did he suffer?” if not, he was going to hunt him to grant the man a second demise, one he would ensure he would regret choosing you as his target. “The fear in his eyes, brought a smile to my face” oh he could not be more in love, he made a wise decision to send the radio, if he had you in front of him, he would’ve devour you entirely.

“How did you died?” he made a silent pray, with some hope that at least your death would not have been painful, “I was alligator food in the bayou, in an attempt to get rid of the body, September 4th, 1929” oh how that fact made a twist in his stomach, just like himself, you were eaten alive.

“I am sorry” you laughed, “For what? Your shed was the most convenient, I killed him with your hunting rifle, like you taught me” he remembered, it was the first time he felt actual pleasure in someone else’s warmth, “I can now stop regretting introducing you to the art of the hunt” the shadow placed a kiss on your temple, “Very much so”.

He felt your skin on his lips from within the connection with the sentient, “Will you join me tomorrow, for tea? I’m helping to rise a hotel with hell’s princess” oh so that’s where he was hiding around, you thought, “Fancy, I must be the one warning you now, I do not look…pleasant, I died in a swamp so I wear that fact in the form of my skin” you admitted.

Water nymphs were pretty, you were somewhat that, only more inclined to an eel. You had a long thin fin for hair, red-yellow spotty skin, sharp teeth, light brown scales covering your hips and torso, not to mention your clear blue eyes, not a choice of color but rather a blind looking hue, much like an eel.  

“Mon coeur, rest assure, I am more concerned of your reaction towards myself” he was to the limit of nearly arranging an emergency visit to Rosie’s for a new wardrobe, “I cannot wait to see you” until you spoke that lovely sentence, “Nor can I, my dear”.

The next day, without a wink of sleep, Alastor creeped behind the princes, after making the many preparations up in his personal bayou. “Charlie, I have a request” he purred, attempting to mask his excitement, “Sure Al, what is it?” the question pinched a curious itch in the princess, “Yeah, you rarely ask for things” added the fallen exterminator.

“I’ll have a guest today, one that I hold in high regards, so I’ll be excused to my room” excitement also brew in the princess itch, “Sure thing Al, no worries” she cheerly smiled at him. It seemed the fact he had company also touched the spider’s curiosity, or rather, surprise.

“Smiles got a date?” he looked in quite shock towards the feline bartender, who could do nothing more than scoff, “That’s impossible, it must be another soul he wants to own” he soon swallowed his own words given that Alastor materialized next to him, “Husker! Your best whiskey please” the way he utter the name of the former overlord was a warning laced with a threat.

Later that afternoon, a knock made Charlie sprint towards the door, outrunning Niffty. “Hello, I’m Y/n, lovely  to meet you, I’m here to see Alastor” you courtesy at the sight of the princess of hell, “Of course, come, come” who eagerly took your hand and pulled you inside, “He’ll be down in a minute”.

She had you sat in the lobby, with the company of Angel and Vaggie, “Sorry if I’m too curious, but how do you know Alastor?” Charlie began the small talk, ever so politely, “If he’s as mysterious as he was in life, your curiosity is well within your right, he’s a dearest friend of mine” the princess was impressed to know her host had more friends than that sleazy woman, Mimzy.

“Aww, how nice!” she also told you that there was no need for any more manners towards her, though you insisted giving the way you were taught ever since you were a child.

“Y/n” your name rolled off his tongue like the beginning of a poem, “Alastor” you turned your head around, before standing up, watching closely as he would not break eye contact with you, as he made his way around the couch.  

“Now those two were not just friends” Vaggie had a sly smile on her face, “That sexual tension is delicious” Angel added watching just how slowly Alastor brought your hand up to lay a kiss on your fingers. Your chest rising noticeably from your tight corset, the excitement was palpable indeed.

“Well if I must atone to the intrigue, she was my fiancé” an audible gasp filled the room, “Now, if you’ll excuse us” since never let go of your hand, he was able to swiftly place it on his forearm as he guided you to the stairs, “Princess, bye friends” you curtsied as you followed him along.  

He had arranged a white set of garden table and chairs, an ensemble of various sweets and meat treats displayed, along with a set of cups and plates in a remarkable shade of blue.

“Oh, Alastor this is exquisite! You shouldn’t have” you knew the meat was for him, he was never a fan of sweets, but you were, “Of course I had, please have a seat” he pulled your seat for you, pushing it ever so gently when you were already seated.

“Always so gallant” pride rose to his face in the form of a subtle rose color, he managed to hide it when his shadow came from a corner to give you a hug, “Oh hello you, he’s so cute, how come he doesn’t have a name?” if you didn’t knew better you would’ve thought that Alastor had gone green from envy, seeing his shadow receive more pets and attention than himself.

“It didn’t cross my mind, he wants you to do so” he sat in front of you as his tone grew bitter, “Alistair would be repetitive, I think William is the best bet” it intoned a purr, your hands caressing the base of its ears, “He likes it”.

He took the time you were distracted to prepare your cup of tea, adding just the right amount of sugar and mint leaves, that gesture brought your attention back to him, “You remember how I like my tea?” he had done that almost as a reflex, “Somethings never leave the mind” he admitted almost impressed with himself.

“You don’t look half as bad as your warning” you scoffed at his confession, “Don’t lie” you rolled your eyes earning a laugh from him, “I’m not”, but even with his sincerity you were conscious of your appearance, “Alastor, I’m part fish, I have scales, for crying out loud” from across the table he took your hand in his, “And I’m a deer, so? Could be worse” he had a point, you had seen the dreadful appearance of some rat demons, “Uhm, maybe you’re right”.

“Why did you leave?” after a long silence, accompanied by the sounds of the bayou, you decided to break the peace, addressing the ‘elephant in the room’. “I was afraid I would hurt you; you knew my step-father and now, my affairs” you were aware he had been raised by the end of a whip due to the monster his mother married, who you briefly met when your mother had tea with his.

“Alastor, you could never” he may be a killer, but you were certain he would never raise a hand to harm you, “You don’t know that, I am this, Y/n” it was your turn to give him a reassuring squeeze to his hand, “Did you loved me?” his eyes, quite more honest than the permanent smile he wore, widen to your question.

“I would’ve done anything to prevent harm from coming your way” you scoffed, “Yes, but did you loved me?” he let go of a breath he had trapped down in his lungs when he finally admitted the truth: “I still do”, but there was more to it, “I feel as…as if I had a debt to you, one I have no idea how to repay, nothing I think is enough” and indeed he had a mental list, burning hell to the ground was the top one choice.

“Is your hand one of the options? Your heart, perhaps?” the wish to wipe his head on the pavement had vanished a long time ago, forgiveness was perhaps the toughest thing to accomplish, but your pride wasn’t that big.

“Is not enough” he shook his head, believing that his heart was either too small or nonexistent, “It would, with time, you do owe me a century” you didn’t wanted to let go of his hand, it was the first long contact from him on years, “I’m…not worthy of you” he tortured himself ten times more than hell already did, but you just shrugged, “Who is then, if it’s not you?”.

“You didn’t marry anyone after I left?” you certainly didn’t, “No” he had imagine you at least could love someone again, be happy, “Why?” but you held him in your heart until the very day you died,  “Silly hope” that broke him, if he had a choice, his smile would’ve fade in a heartbeat.

“I’m sorry” he pulled gently of your hand, leading to sit across his lap, “Water under the bridge” he delight himself in your hand caressing his cheek, lightly, almost asking for permission, when unknowingly he was yours.

“Not for me” he pressed his ears to the back of his head, allowing you to caress him, as his arms hugged your figure close to his chest. “We have eternity, if you’ll have me” he was so glad you mentioned that option, it gave him the opportunity to pull from his pocket a beautiful diamond ring, rose gold.

“Your mother’s ring?” you were in shock at the same time as excited, yet scared as well, “Will you leave again?” he cupped your cheek, placing a kiss near the corner of your mouth, “Hell will freeze over first” you imitated his gesture, “Then, you can ask” his smile softened.

“Y/n, will you marry me?” just as he slipped the ring on your finger, you whispered in his ear, “I’ll have your head if you leave again, yes” sending a shiver down his spine, “Please do” a kiss sealed the engagement just like the first time he had ask.  

[sanyu-thewitch05]

Yandere Prince x Witch! Reader

TW: Drugging (Love Potion), dubcon

Wanna buy me a coffee?: ☕

Once upon a time, in a land full of magic, a witch is in her tower stirring liquid in her cauldron.

"Ok, my seafood boil should be ready," You say, wiping the sweat off your head.

Your phone rings from the counter, and zap it so it answers the call.

"Y/N, we've gotta go to this ball!" Your friend, Ella, full name Eleanor Charming, exclaims, making you roll your eyes.

"Ella, just because your family has extreme luck finding love at balls, doesn't mean I will. Besides, I like living in the woods. The princess with powers and Eduardo are good friends. I babysit their kids sometimes, real firecrackers," You respond, tying your hair up. "Now, if you excuse me, I have crab legs to eat."

"Too late, I already magiced up a dress for you!" Ella exclaims, appearing behind you. "Boom!" 

White light hits you, and suddenly, your comfy purple pajamas are replaced with a long, purple ball gown with black lace covering the front. You have long, black latex gloves and thigh-high high-heel shoes swirling around your legs made from crystal. Your hair is in a bun and is held by an ornament resembling thorns. 

"You really chose a look that says I'm from the Woods, huh?" You question, walking to Ella. 

"Yes, I did. Now, come on, we're about to be late!" Ella giggles, grabbing your hand and running to the black Mercedes outside your castle. "I modified the animal into carriage spell into something more modern."

You buckle your seatbelt, and Ella speeds off to the prince's castle. As you wait in the line of limos, you redo your lipgloss and spritz a bit of perfume to get the crab smell of your skin. 

"It's our turn, get ready!" Ella squeals, giving the car to the valet.

"Princess Ella Charming and her friend, Lady Y/N L/N!" The announcer yells as the two of you walk into the ball.

"Wow, this place is bright," You comment, looking at all the jewels, lights, and glamor.

"I know, right? It's so we can glimmer as we dance," Ella exclaims, dancing away with a man.

"Well, I've been left alone," You grumble, grabbing a glass of wine and walking to the hallway.

While exploring the castle, you find a path leading to the royal garden. You see a handsome man with blonde hair, tan skin, and greenish-blue eyes crying near a large fountain with a mermaid spitting water. You realize it's Prince Henry's younger brother, Prince Helio.

"Henry...why did you have to go?" He cries, making you feel sorry for him.

"Uh, hi! Sorry to interrupt your crying session, but would you mind me asking what's wrong?" You ask, revealing yourself. 

"Oh, sorry. I'm supposed to be out there finding a queen to rule with, but I'm out here crying over my brother. Henry was such a good older brother to me. He helped me with studies and sword training, but then he went into those woods and never came back. Now, here I am about to be king alone with only my mom and dad as family," The young man weeps, wiping tears from his face.

You knew what happened to the former Prince Henry. Everyone in the Woods did. But, it's things like this that are the reason people like you live in the Woods.

"I'm sure your brother misses you dearly. Even if he can't come back, I'm sure he'd want you to be a good king to your people," You comfort him, handing him your glass of wine. "Besides, it's your party. Wouldn't exactly want to let everyone down, would you?" 

"You're right. I, Prince Helia, shall make this the best pre-engagement party in this kingdom. Now, do you desire another drink, love?" 

"Yes, and just so you don't have to keep calling me love, my name is Y/N L/N."

Prince Helia leaves to get a cup of wine for you, and he pulls out a pink vial from his cape and pours it into your wine. He shakes the cup a little and lets the potion settle into the wine. He smiles lustfully, knowing he'll have the eternal love, the fairy tale ending he always wished for.

"Here's your class of wine, princess," Helia says, passing you the drink while he secretly pours the rest of the vial into his wine. "To happy endings!"

"To the Woods!" You proclaim, wrapping your arm around his to do your toast.

"To love!" You and Heli exclaim, drinking the wine.

When the wine travels down your throat, the potion takes effect immediately. You feel dizzy, and your wine falls to the ground. You fall, and Helia catches you.  

"My love, are you ok?" Prince Helia asks, holding you in his arms as he feels his heart beating. 

"Helia~" You moan, sitting up and leaning in to kiss him.

You kiss Helia, and it's like you both have lost control of your body and emotions. The kiss feels so good, you could've sworn you are in heaven. His hands roam your body as your tongues intertwine. Spit comes out of both of yours and Helia's mouths, and his short blonde hair ruffled as your hands run through it.

"I love you. I love you. I love you!" Helia chants, his kisses trailing down your neck. 

"Ah-ah~" You moan, sticking your neck out as leaves his mark.

Helia undoes your corset, and he throws it to the side. Your dress falls to your waist, leaving your breasts bare for him to see. You quickly shimmy off the rest of the dress and kiss Helia again.

"You look absolutely gorgeous, darling," Helia compliments, his eyes full of lust and love. "I need to worship your body. Come here and let your prince worship every inch and imperfection of your body and soul."

"Yes, my love," You reply, straddling Helia.

Your beloved prince traces every part of your body with his hand and circles the beauty, birth, and stretch marks. He kisses your clavicle, breasts, armpits, every body part on the way down to your pussy. When he finally reaches your clothed sex, Helia kisses it. 

"Helia, I'm-"

"A virgin? I know. But that doesn't matter because I would've loved you even if you weren't. I love everything about you. Your stretch marks, your body hair, even your scars."

Helia gently takes off your underwear and spreads your legs. He deeply kisses the entrance of your pussy, and he inhales the scent of it. His tongue enters your vagina, and your body can't help but react. Your back arches and your hands grip the stone steps. As Helia eats you out, your hips buck into his face. Helia speeds up his licking, and you suddenly start to feel weird.

"Helia, I feel strange!" You moan, sitting up.

"It's ok, my love, embrace that feeling," Helia replies, giving one last kiss to your pussy and kissing your inner thighs as you cum.

Helia begins to strip, and his clothes go flying off. His six-inch cock drips with precum, and you instantly want it in you.

"I'll be gentle. I know it's your first time. God, I can't wait to make love to you and give our kingdom an heir," Helia says, crawling towards you and lining up with your entrance.

You lift your legs to give him room, and he holds your hands. You wrap your legs around his waist, and he kisses you deeply. 

"I'm going to enter you. Tell me if there's any pain," Helia states, slowly inserting his dick in you.

You twitch in pain, and Helia's hands are on your face. He kisses you again, and you kiss him in return.

"I'm ready, Helia," You say, looking at his beautiful green eyes. "I'm ready for you."

Helia thrusts slowly, panting and moaning as if your body is sweet nectar. His steady rhythm of thrusting sends your body into ecstasy.

"Mm~ Helia," You moan, feeling Helia's cock move in your pussy and kisses on your neck.

"Are you enjoying me, my love?" Helia questions, speeding up the rhythm of his thrusts.

"Yes! Yes!" You exclaim, loving your high.

Your toes begin to twitch, and hearts appear in your and Helia's eyes. Helia's thrusts speed up, as do his kisses. Love bites cover your neck as Helia reaches his orgasm.

"I-I love you, my-my princess! I love you!" Helia stammers, climaxing and cumming into your pussy. His legs twitch as he orgasms.

"Oh-oo-ah-Helia!" You scream, your toes curling from the release and your pussy tightening around Helia's dick.

Helia kisses you, tears flowing from his eyes as he rides out his climax. When he's done, his sweaty body rests on yours.

"I love you. I-I love you so much, Y/N. I want to be with you forever. I need you," Helia rambles, resting his head on your chest.

"I know, my prince. I know," You pant, rubbing Helia's head.

~~~~~~~~~

After your passionate session with Prince Helia, your prince covers both of you with his cape. He's been kissing your skin since fucking you, holding you in his arms as if you would go away.

"I'll announce our engagement tomorrow, and we'll be married next week," Helia says, kissing your hand, knuckles, and fingers.

You fall asleep in your prince's arms, and he kisses you goodnight. 

"Goodnight, my darling."

[starry-bi-sky]

how do you clone a fey? that's trick question; and fey love those!

@the-navistar-carol (<333) brought up a good point while I was talking about my changeling danny au with her -- Dani! How would she exist in this au? Danny's a changeling - a fae. How would Dani, a clone of him, be created? How do you make a fey? Not through any means that Vlad is doing; you can't make a fey through unnatural means, considering the Fair Folk are nature. And Vlad's not a fey himself -- he's a halfa, even if he could make a fey, it's not in his best interest too. He's a powerful ghost, but even the weakest fae can overpower the strongest ghost. He won't want a clone of Daniel to be more powerful than him.

(In a three tier hierarchy it goes Ancients -> Fae/Mythos -> Ghosts. They all live in the Infinite Realms, but on different Planes. The fae live above the Ghost Zone in the Fey Wild, while the Mythos live beside the Wilds or down in the ghost zone depending on where they are. Places like the Frozone, the Athens Acropolis, and other such large islands climb throughout all three Planes.)

(While Ghosts can travel into the Fey Wild, its generally advised against as the ectoplasm tends to manifest differently there due to close contact magic. It can make it rather disorientating for a ghost, and as human spirits, the Fae living there would jump them faster than they could blink. So unless you're willing to play mind games with 'steal thy name eat thy face' fae, most ghosts keep out of the way of the Wilds. Fey can travel down into the Ghost Zone, they just don't bother.)

That's of course, not taking into account if Vlad even knows Danny's a fae himself. Vlad doesn't ring me as someone who really cares much about ghost culture or the going ons of the GZ. He might be aware that fae exist, but the moment he realizes he can't use them for personal gain he just doesn't bother with them. The risk is greater than the reward, and he'd rather not get eaten. But lets assume he's aware by now that Danny is fey, and has to take that into account while cloning him.

So, how does Dani exist? Good question! Honestly; i'm not sure. She might not exist at all, or if she does, she's more halfa than fey. Vlad would need a lot of human dna and ectoplasm to balance out all that fae magic. He manages to steal DNA from Jack and Maddie to do it, and since Jack's fey ancestry is very dormant its much easier to use alongside Danny's DNA.

In turn, it results in a little girl whose more human-ghost hybrid than clone. With that little extra boost in fey magic making her not a fey, but still relatively powerful. Dani is less of a clone and more of a lab-grown little sister. It's a rather tedious, complex process that has Vlad tearing his hair out trying to figure out. But he does eventually figure it out.

[rocknrollbabe14]

Rock a Bye Professor

Part four

Rating: 18+ MINORS DO NOT INTERACT.

Warnings: Direct mentions of sex, sexual acts, birth control, missed period, nausea, vomiting, pregnancy. Professor/Student trope at college level. Both consenting adults. Don't like it, don't read. Thank you!

At some point that night, the power came back on. It had to have been early morning. Joe woke up before you did, noticing the power was back on. He stretched, sitting up. You barely budged, nestled under the blankets. He debated leaving you there seeing how comfortable you looked but decided he was going to carry you to bed. He stood up, carefully slipping his hands under you and the blanket you were covered with. You tried to stir but he kissed you softly.

“Just relax baby, I’m taking you to bed.”

His voice was soft and reassuring.

“Okay. Is the power back on?”, you asked groggily.

“It is. I just wanna make you comfy. I’ll come to bed in a little while, okay?”

“Okay.”, you were almost back asleep.

Joe carefully opened the door to the bedroom, walking over to your side of the bed. He laid you down gently before kissing your head. You instantly shivered at the feel of the cool sheets before snuggling into the bed. He pulled the sheet and comforter up and over before kissing your head one more time for good measure and placing his hand on your bump.

“Daddy loves you and Mommy so much.”

“We love you.”, you yawned before snuggling back into bed.

Joe smiled as he took the opportunity to admire you. He knew that it wouldn’t be long before you all had a baby in your arms. Two would soon become three and he couldn’t wait. These two weeks needed to pass quickly so you all could find out what you’re having. Joe closed the bedroom door before going back downstairs. There was a lot to do—grade papers, and surprise you with the Christmas tree. He knew he was getting ahead of himself but he couldn’t wait to share the first Christmas as a family of three. There was going to be so much joy in his life and he couldn’t wait. This baby had already brought him so much happiness and it wasn’t even here yet. 

Joe went into the kitchen, instantly beginning to brew some coffee while resetting the clocks where the power had gone out. Looking at the cabinets, he realized there would need to be a lot of baby-proofing. But it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. Part of him felt guilty for keeping it from his parents—keeping you and this baby from his parents. It wasn’t that he was ashamed of you or his baby. Everything had just happened so fast. He never imagined you felt the same about him or that you’d end up pregnant. He didn’t think any of it was in the cards for him. 

Joe went over to a drawer in his kitchen—one he knew you never used. It was a mix of random things, but it held the most special material thing. He opened the drawer, his attention instantly moving to a small black box. Taking it in his hands, he opened it with a soft snap. A smile instantly curved across his lips, imagining the possibilities. He had gone about a month ago to the local jeweler’s. He didn’t know he’d walk away with it. He looked at the seemingly endless line of engagement and wedding rings, none of them perfect enough for you. 

The jeweler had asked him what he was looking for. Joe described it, ending up describing you and how much he loved you and how perfect you were. The jeweler pulled a ring, a Hail Mary. Joe eyed it in shock, everything he had envisioned for you was now a reality. It was fourteen-karat white gold adorned with diamonds. It was pear-shaped, everything you had ever said you wanted. He could just see it on your hand and knew he had to have it—if he was going to propose to you. It had the wedding band to match.

Without question, Joe told the jeweler he wanted it—it had to be yours. It didn’t matter what the price was, he had saved up a lot of money in the last couple of years, especially after buying his house. Joe picked out a wedding band for himself to compliment yours, butterflies rising up in his stomach. Now, he had the perfect rings but he needed you to say yes—yes to spending the rest of your life with him. Just the thought of asking you made Joe nervous—you could say no. This could ruin everything he had worked so hard to build with you.

He didn’t want you to think the baby had persuaded him into asking you. Sure, he wanted you to share the same last name as him and his baby. You were the woman carrying his child but he loves you more than anything. He loved the idea of marrying you before you had the baby. He wanted his daughter or son to come into the world with a complete family. Marriage was just some papers and a last name change, but he wanted that for you both. 

A smirk came across his face as he thought about what you’d say when he asked. You’d be worried about how pregnant you’d be before the wedding day came, but he knew in his heart you’d be more beautiful than ever. You’d be glowing. He needed an elaborate way to show you he loved you and make you wanna say yes that much more. He had a few scenarios picked out in his head, but he needed to narrow them down. He knew he’d know what to do when the timing was exactly right. 

Eyeing the rings, he knew he had to make you his wife. He closed the box softly before placing it back in the drawer and closing it. Now, what should come first? Grading papers or putting up the Christmas tree for you?

_________________________________________________________________________________

Two weeks came and went faster than you both expected. It seemed like every day you woke up, your bump was getting bigger and more noticeable. You had stayed over with Joe the night before class, hardly ever going to your dorm anymore. You were getting ready, eyeing yourself in the mirror.

“I thought the first pregnancy was supposed to take longer for you to show.”, you groaned, pulling your shirt tighter to show your belly. 

You were already in maternity jeans, you and Joe going out the weekend before to buy yourself some new clothes. Hardly any of yours fit now. 

“Sometimes.”, Joe smirked as he eyed you, fixing his collar under his sweater. 

“Not in my case, apparently. The employee at the maternity clothing store thought I was a month ahead of what I am.”

“Stop, it’s cute and sexy.”, Joe sighed as he came up behind you, wrapping his arms around your belly and rubbing it easily.

“Is not. I look like a balloon.”

He glared at you playfully. “You’re pregnant. Twenty weeks pregnant to be exact and today we get to find out what our little peanut is.”

“Still thinking it’s a boy.”, you smirked back at him before you both shared a kiss.

“Still thinking I’m getting my little girl.”, he smirked back. 

“We’ll see. I hope I have time for a nap before my appointment.”, you sighed as you rubbed your belly, feeling the baby kick. 

“Your appointment’s at three?”, Joe asked as you both moved downstairs, hoping to grab a quick bite of breakfast. 

“Yeah.”

“I may have to let my last class go a little early. I don’t want to miss a second of your appointment or even chance being late.”

You giggled lightly as you grabbed a pop-tart. “You’re so cute when you worry about our baby stuff.”

“It’s our first baby and we get to find out the gender—it’s a huge deal.”

“Our first baby? So you’re saying we’re gonna have more?”, you teased him, taking a bite of your blueberry pop-tart. 

He smirked, coming over to you and rubbing your belly again. “Yeah—maybe one or two more—I mean you look so cute pregnant…..what do you think?”

You held your mouth. “Depends on how bad labor is with this one.”

“I think you’ll breeze through it. I mean they say the easiest way to get the baby out is the same way you got it in.”

“Joseph Anthony Francis Quinn.”, you groaned as he chuckled before kissing you. 

“I read that somewhere.”

“You’ve been doing a lot of reading lately.”, you smirked at him.

“It all intrigues me.”, he smiled at you, placing a hand on your belly. “I love learning about our little baby girl.”

You rolled your eyes playfully in response. “You keep saying it’s a girl but you don’t know.”

Joe grabbed his coffee and briefcase. “We’ll see who’s right this evening.”

“If the baby cooperates.”, you countered with a smirk as he kissed your cheek and rubbed your belly one last time before grabbing his keys. 

“See you and Mommy later. Daddy loves you both.”

His brown eyes were shining.

“We love you. See you in class babe.”

He kissed you again, making sure you were going to be okay getting to class. You all had decided to stagger leaving his house and arriving at college, making things a little less obvious. Last time your doctor confirmed your due date was right after graduation. It was a sigh of relief for you both—as long as the baby stayed inside. You just wanted to get through graduation so it wouldn’t be a big deal. Joe wouldn’t have to miss work and you wouldn’t have to miss school.

“See you in class, love. Finish breakfast and get lunch. Do you need money?”, he asked rustling around in his wallet.

“You don’t have to do this, Joe. Seriously.”

“I do. I worry about you and my baby.”

“Mom and Dad covered my food for a whole semester—plus a dorm room I barely stay in.”

“Just please get lunch. Save the other—in case you get hungry or something later.”, he laid a twenty-dollar bill on the counter.

“Fine.”, you crossed your arms. 

“Good girl.”, he smirked as he waved bye to you, kissed you again, and finally went out the door.

Getting him to actually leave and go to work was one of the hardest parts of living together—well, practically living together. You heard him start his car and decided you’d give it ten minutes before leaving yourself. Finishing off your pop-tart, you grabbed a glass of milk and gulped it down just in the knick of time.

“Shit. Gotta pee again. Some parts of pregnancy suck.”, you groaned as you took off to the bathroom, those ten minutes flying by.

You grabbed your backpack and purse before making sure all the lights were off. Joe’s class was your first class and even though you all were dating, your heart skipped a beat knowing you’d see him soon. You swallowed hard as you entered the building, knowing it would just be minutes before you’d see Joe. Walking into class, you felt like everyone’s eyes were on you and your growing bump. It felt like everyone knew your secret—that you had fucked your professor and were pregnant by him. 

It didn’t take long before Joe showed up and started class, making sure to make eye contact with you throughout class. You’d smile back at him, feeling like two teenagers flirting in high school. The class flew by, all the students filing out in a hurry but you. You took your time, packing your things up. This was the only class you had today and now, you could go home and sleep before your appointment. 

“Are you gonna go get lunch?”, Joe asked easily.

“Yeah and then I’m gonna go nap. I’m really tired today.”

“What’s baby craving today?”, Joe closed the door to the classroom before coming over to you.

“Uh—chicken nuggets and a milkshake.”

“What kind of milkshake?”

“Strawberry.”, you smirked.

He chucked easily. “It’s so hard to ignore you in class.”

“You didn’t do such a great job today.”

“I didn’t?”

“No.”

Joe smirked before sharing a kiss with you, making sure to deepen it. 

“Joe.”, you protested through the kiss. “Someone might see us.”

“Just let me kiss my pregnant girlfriend—can’t wait to find out the gender of our baby.”

“A few more hours.”, you smiled into the kiss, letting him share one last slow and sensual kiss with you before you both broke the kiss simultaneously.

“See you in a bit, love. I’ll call when. I’m headed to the house.”

“Sounds good. See you soon.”

You all smiled at one another before you finally left first this time, knowing if you didn’t—the next class would arrive and catch you both. 

______________________________________________________________________________

After getting your chicken nuggets and milkshake, you ended up back at Joe’s house. You laid your backpack and purse down before practically falling on the couch. You grabbed your blanket from the back of the couch, fixing it over you, closing your eyes, and putting a hand on your belly, rubbing it gently.

“Mhmm a few more hours and we get to find out what you are. Your daddy is convinced you’re a little girl.”, you mumbled, the sleepiness already setting in.

Before you knew it, you had fallen asleep. Awakening you from your sleep was Joe’s ringtone from your cell phone. You blindly grabbed it from the coffee table, still half asleep.

“Hello?”

“Hey, love. I’m about ten minutes away. Have you been asleep?”

“Yeah. But I’m up now—just gotta grab my purse.”

“Okay, I’ll text when I’m outside. I love you.”

“I love you.”

You hung up, sitting up on the couch and stretching. You got up and grabbed your purse, sliding your shoes back on. That took a minute since you were twenty weeks pregnant. Joe tried to help you do a lot, but you liked being independent. You always viewed yourself as just pregnant, not helpless. You yawned, taking a quick look in the mirror near the door, making sure you didn’t have drool running down your cheeks or your hair all a mess. Closing the door to Joe’s house, the nervousness finally began to sit in. 

Joe smiled at you softly while sitting in his car, getting out, and coming around to open your door. You smiled at him shyly before climbing into the passenger seat, careful to adjust yourself with your new pregnant belly. 

“Did you have a good nap, love?”, he asked as he leaned over, kissing your cheek. 

“I did. Just not long enough.”

“Mhm, we can take another once we get home—maybe after some celebratory sex.”

“Celebratory sex about what?”, you smirked at him.

“Finding out our baby is a little girl.”

You rolled your eyes again playfully as you all continued down the road. “Okay, I hear you.”

He chuckled before putting one hand on your belly, careful to keep his other on the steering wheel and his attention on the road. “Has the baby been active today?”

“Super active. Especially during class—during your lecture. I never thought it’d settle down.”, you smirked at him, putting a hand over his.

He smiled brightly, his brown eyes flashing over at you. “Really?”

You nodded before giggling. “Yeah. This baby already loves your voice. Knows exactly who you are.”

Joe was trying to keep from getting emotional. “That’s amazing.”

“You do talk to it a lot.” , you smirked, moving his hand gently in an attempt to find where the baby was.

“I can’t help it.”

“I know—it’s adorable.”, you reassured him. 

After a few minutes of moving his hand, you found the baby mostly cradled in the right side of your belly. It finally began moving its little arms and legs, causing a huge smile to come across Joe’s face.

“I hope the baby cooperates today.”, he sighed easily.

“Me too, but I think it will.”

Before you knew it, you both were pulling into the doctor’s office parking lot. Joe shut the car off easily, turning to look at you. You smiled back at him.

“What?”

“Just admiring you. This is a huge moment. We’re about to find out what our baby is.”

“I know, I’m so excited.”, you smiled back at him before you both leaned over to share a kiss. 

He practically jumped out of the car before running over to open your door. You thanked him, still not used to having this done for you. Even if Joe had done this since you all had been together. He closed your door behind you before locking the door and holding your hand as you both walked inside. The sterile smell immediately hit your nose causing it to crinkle slightly. It was stronger today, but you were sure it was because of your heightened sense of smell from pregnancy. 

“Go sign in, love.”, Joe kissed your head easily.

It was odd to display your love here, but not at school. But the chance of someone from college seeing you here was a lot less likely—plus you both were about to be parents to a baby. You were officially halfway through your pregnancy if you made it to forty weeks. Some women do when it’s their first pregnancy and some don’t. You didn’t know which category you’d fall into. 

“Okay.”

You walked up to the window, the receptionist sliding it back.

“Can I help you?”

“Y/F/N Y/L/N. I have an appointment.”

“Just have a seat, we’ll call you back shortly.”

She closed the window, causing you to go back and find Joe, already nose-deep in a maternity magazine. You took a seat beside him, feeling a little more relaxed but anxious to see your baby again. You always worried about the baby and wouldn’t feel at ease until you knew it could survive outside the womb. You closed your eyes briefly as you rubbed your bump.

“Did you know our baby is covered in a white substance called vernix caseosa?”, Joe eyed you.

You opened your eyes. “Not really?”

“This substance helps protect our baby’s skin from becoming irritated while submerged in amniotic fluid. It also aids the baby’s passage through the birth canal during labor.”

“That’s very interesting….”, you smiled back up at him. 

“It is. But now I’ve got you thinking about labor, don’t I?”

“Kinda.”, you admitted. 

“You’re gonna do great, I just know it. You’ll breeze through it.”

“First-time moms usually have a very long, agonizing labor.”

“Maybe yours won’t be. We’ll do all the right things, I promise.”, he smiled as he leaned over to feel your belly.

“Y/F/N Y/L/N.”, the nurse called, grabbing both of your all’s attention. 

Joe laid the magazine down as you rose from your chair in the waiting area, it taking you longer than it used to since you had a belly now. You looked back at Joe to make sure he was following, him only a step behind you before placing a hand on the small of your back. The nurse greeted you, asking you to immediately step on the scales. Joe held your purse, giving you a soft smile as you sighed, afraid of what the scales might show. You had been eating well and most of what you wanted.

You bit your lip while waiting for the verdict, the nurse stating you had gained six pounds from the start of your pregnancy.

“That’s not a bad thing, love. You lost at the beginning so your body’s making up for lost time.”

“No—it’s almost a pound a month.”, the nurse agreed. 

You nodded softly before he helped you off the scale, the nurse leading you to another room before taking your vitals, everything looked good. Joe gave you another soft smile before the nurse-led you to the exam room. She left you with a gown, sheet, and blanket while giving you time to change before the doctor came in. Joe sat your purse down before peeling his peacoat off while you pulled your coat off. 

Wasting no time, you went straight for your leggings, choosing to live in those mostly these days.

“Need some help, love?” 

“Nope. I think I’m okay.”, you smiled at him easily.

“I don’t mind to help—really.”, he breathed.

“Fine.”, you relented as you turned around, letting him slide your leggings down your legs. 

You looked at the plain, white ceiling, trying not to think bout the fact he was undressing you and your pregnancy hormones were crazy, to say the least.

“Just step out of them, love.”

You did as he asked, leaving you in nothing but your panties. He folded your leggings up and laid them with your purse before coming back to help with your maternity t-shirt. You stayed turned around, not facing him before he tugged at the hem of your shirt, pulling it up and over your head. He leaned over and kissed your neck, instantly sending shivers down your spine. 

“Joe.”

“Relax, love. Just giving you a kiss.”

“Don’t make me horny here, please.”

His eyebrows raised, instantly intrigued. “You’re feeling horny?”

You rolled your eyes easily, leaning into his touch. “Kinda—my hormones are all over the place."

“Mhm,”, he began to hum, wrapping his arms around your waist as his hands moved down to your belly. “I can’t help you look so sexy and cute with this belly—growing our baby.”

You smirked, cuddling into his neck. “We can’t do this here.”

“We seem to be pros for doing things we can’t do in places we can’t do those things.”, he smirked before kissing your neck again. 

“Joe—not before finding out our baby’s gender.”

He sighed softly. “I know—it was a nice thought though. Does your panties need to come off?”

“Probably.”, you sighed back into him.

“I can help with that.”, he chuckled causing a smile to spread across your face.

“Wanna go ahead and get up on the table and put your legs in whatever these are…..”, he trailed off.

You had taken the time to slip on the hospital gown quickly. 

“Stirrups.”, you corrected him as you scooted back on the table, laying down and placing your feet in them while biting your lip. 

There was something oddly erotic about this. It had to be the hormones, that’s what you were chalking it up to. You eyed him, continuing to bite your lip as he smirked, brown eyes having a hint of lust in them.

“Stirrups.”, he repeated as his hands lifted your gown lightly, hands on your bare thighs.

His eye contact remained intense.

Your breathing hitched and you swallowed hard before he pushed your gown up further, exposing your panties. It didn’t help that your legs were spread purposefully. His hands wandered up your thighs before finding the hem of your panties. You helped him, lifting your butt up off the exam table and allowing him to pull them down to your thighs. He smirked as you lifted one foot from the stirrups, letting him get one ankle out of your panties at a time. He chuckled as he eyed you.

You thought he was just going to be a gentleman and fold them and put them with your other clothes. But what he did next, surprised the hell out of you. He brought your panties up to his face, keeping his eyes locked on you. You opened your mouth in an attempt to protest, but you couldn’t form any words. All you could do was lay there with your mouth gaped open. He smirked at you as he brought them up to his nose, specifically the part that rested between your thighs. 

“Fuck—your smell arouses me so damn bad.”

“J—Joe.”, you stammered.

“Can I please just eat you out?”, he begged, slightly out of character for him.

He brought your panties down, folding them nicely before placing them with the rest of your clothes. 

“Joe.”, you hissed, sitting up. “We can’t do that here.”

You were quickly coming to your senses, even if it was just for a moment. 

Joe turned back around. “Who says?”

“What if the doctor comes in? And you’re—down there—in the middle of going down on me?”, you were clearly exasperated. 

Joe laughed softly. “Love, we fucked in my classroom.”

“It was summer.”, you rolled your eyes. 

“But on campus, nonetheless. I had you bent over my desk and you were wearing that jean skirt and those wedges. The white blouse. Panties down to your ankles.”, he swallowed hard, his cock becoming hard just at the memory. 

“Joe.”

“Besides, they say oral sex is great while you’re pregnant. I’ve read it’s good for you.”, he continued to plead his case.

You groaned softly, feeling yourself on the brink of giving in. “Joe.”

“Please—I could make you feel really good, love. Know you’re horny.”

“Fine—but make it quick. Please. So my OB doesn’t walk in on you going down on me.”

He smirked as he borrowed the doctor’s stool, placing himself between your thighs. There was something about you in front of him, legs spread and appearing to be all ready for him. It made his cock hard and his breathing hitch. He couldn’t wait to get you home. He couldn’t wait to find out what his baby was. All the thoughts were making him dizzy but in the best way. You looked down at him, a soft look in his brown eyes. 

“Depends on how quickly you can cum, love.”

“Fuck, it’ll be fast.”, you groaned, laying your head back down as you situated yourself comfortably on the table. Need you so bad.”

“Yeah?”, he hummed. “Fuck this is hot, just seeing you all spread for me.”

“Technically for Dr. Steiner. Not you. You’re just seizing an opportunity.”, you smirked. “And I am pretty sure this is part of the reason I ended up pregnant in the first place.”

“Most likely….”, he hummed. “You just don’t know what it does to a man—seeing the woman he loves carrying his baby. It makes me want you even more—if that’s even possible.”

“Aw, I love you but with all due respect, please shut the fuck up and eat me out—before she comes in.”, you leaned up, practically shoving his head between your thighs. 

“Demanding—that’s fucking sexy.”, he breathed before his handheld your thigh, feeling his breath in between your thighs before his tongue took the first swipe between your wet folds, causing you to sit up.

“Fuck.”, you moaned easily.

“Lay back down and relax, love. Need you to relax for me, please.”, he spoke against you, voice sending vibrations throughout your cunt. 

He sounded just like your OB when she did vaginal exams. You smirked while rolling your eyes, laying back on the table, laying an arm across your forehead, and closing your eyes. It was hard to completely relax, the fear of your OB coming through the door hindering that. But as he buried his tongue inside of you, the fear began to completely melt away. You closed your eyes, letting out a soft moan as Joe licked and lapped at your wet folds. 

“Joe…..”, you trailed off easily.

“Hmm?”, he hummed against you.

“Feels so good…..really good.”, you breathed, some of the pent-up sexual tension finally slipping away. 

Joe gripped your thighs as his tongue slowed its motion, swirling around your clit. 

“Oh fuck—oh shit, Joe…..”, you hissed as you grabbed at your gown—anything to help you get a grip. 

He chuckled against you, his tongue relentless. 

“I can’t believe—fuck, we’re doing this—in my OB’s office.”

No response came from Joe, his tongue continuing to flick against your clit. He was teasing you and you were loving every second of it. Your breathing was hitched, clearly enjoying the feeling. You hated to admit it—but it felt good and he was right. You needed this—your body needed this. You had read that your sex drive could be heightened and it definitely was. 

“Oh God—not gonna be super long before I cum.”

“It’s okay, love. Cum for me—wanna taste you.”, he breathed against you, partially animalistic and partially loving. 

His tongue left your clit causing you to whimper before he dived into your slick, causing you to jolt and your toes beginning to curl. 

“You do?”, you sighed.

“Uh-huh.”, he moaned against you, tongue buried deep in your cunt. 

Another romantic sigh escaped your lips as you eyed the ceiling carefully. Joe’s hand moved from your thigh, parting you open. He continued to lick your swollen vulva, making you go dizzy. The ceiling was beginning to blur, causing you to look down at Joe, only being able to see the top of his head. You swallowed hard, gripping some of your gown so hard that your knuckles were practically white. 

“Fuck—Joe. I think I’m gonna—gonna cum.”, you swallowed. 

“Cum for me. Let me taste you, love.”

You felt yourself sinking further into the exam table, toes curling. You knew you couldn’t be very loud, intentionally biting your lip and moaning softly. Your eyes fluttered shut again before you felt yourself hit that high and you knew you were gonna crash. Joe’s tongue continued to work its magic. 

“Oh fuck—Joe….”, your mouth went dry. “I’m fucking cumming. Now.”

You felt your walls tighten around his tongue, juices spilling over it. He held his tongue while you came all over it, the sweet taste instantly hitting his tastebuds. He closed his eyes, enjoying the moment and the fact he could do this for you, sending you into a spiral. You took a deep breath, almost coming down off your high as fast as you had climbed it. He took another slow swipe and swirl of his tongue causing you to squirm in response to how sensitive you were. He lapped at your cunt a few more times, making sure he gathered all of your releases—he didn’t want to waste a single bit. 

You moaned softly as his tongue left your cunt, Joe scooting backward on the stool as he licked his lips with a devilish smile on his face. The sight alone drove you crazy. Joe continued to smirk as he got up from the stool and grabbed the sheet, throwing it over your legs easily and making sure you were comfortable. You were relieved the doctor hadn’t walked in on you both before he shared a soft kiss with you, allowing you to get a hint of your own taste.

The kiss didn’t last long before he pulled away, beginning to wipe his mouth on the sleeve of his sweater as a knock came to the door. He sat down beside you, grabbing your hand easily as the door opened and revealed Dr. Steiner. 

“Hey, guys. How’s everything been going?”, she smiled as she came in and sat down on the stool Joe had just previously occupied. 

“It’s been good lately.”, you spoke up, clearing your throat.

“I see you gained a couple of pounds which is great—nothing to worry about. Has your morning sickness subsided?”

“Virtually nonexistent. It hits me every now and then.”

“And that’s normal. How are you feeling otherwise?”

You eyed Joe and he knew instantly what was on your mind. 

“My sex drive has been super high lately.”, you swallowed hard.

Dr. Steiner looked up from her paperwork, laughing lightly. “Definitely normal as well. If you’re experiencing hormone changes, it’s normal for your body to crave sex. Some women do, some don’t. It’s good for you and nothing to be concerned about. Just be mindful as your body continues to change what kind of positions you use, some may be more comfortable than others.”, she smiled as she made notes. 

Joe smirked over at you, causing you to roll your eyes playfully.

“So I see we are gonna try to find out what baby is today, yeah?”

“Yeah, we can’t wait.”, Joe smiled, holding your hand while giving it a tight squeeze. “Hope our baby cooperates.”

“We will try our best to see what baby is today. Any guesses on what you’re having?”, Dr. Steiner smiled up at you both.

“I say a girl.”

“You’ve been on that train since the beginning.”, you eyed him. “I think it’s a boy.”

Dr. Steiner laughed lightly at you both. “This is a huge day for you both, an exciting day. So if you guys are ready, we can get started. I’m gonna check you first, just make sure you’re not dilated yet, okay?”

Your heart dropped into your stomach, wondering if she would be able to tell you just came. “O—okay.”

She laid her clipboard down, using hand sanitizer before she slipped her blue gloves on. She scooted closer to you, pulling your sheet up lightly while you glanced over to Joe, a nervous look on your face. Joe squeezed your hand in reassurance. You felt so much better with him here. It felt good that he wanted to be here for you and the baby. This situation could have turned out very differently. 

“Alright just relax for me, okay?”

You nodded as you laid your head back and you felt her examine you. You swallowed nervously and it felt like she was taking an eternity. The feeling was a lot more awkward than feeling Joe down there. She scooted back easily before looking back up at you, pulling your sheet back lightly.

“Everything looks good. Your cervix is continuing to prepare for the baby. No dilation. Now, that that’s over,”, she smiled as she shed her gloves, you feeling relieved she didn’t say anything about sex. “Are we ready to see what baby is?”

You and Joe both agreed in unison, your stomach beginning to do flips. You wondered if Joe felt the same but you heard him exhale softly before smiling at you. Dr. Steiner was busy preparing the ultrasound machine as you turned to Joe. She pulled up your gown easily, the sheet resting under your bump to keep your modesty. 

“Promise you’ll be happy even if it’s a little boy?”

“Of course, I’ll be happy, love. I’ll be over the moon either way—you’re having my baby and I love you and our baby more than anything.”, he squeezed your hand again before bringing it up and kissing it softly. “But I know it’s my little girl.”

“We are getting ready to see that. This gel is gonna be cold, okay?”, Dr. Steiner interjected as she squirted the cool gel on your belly. 

“Okay.”, you breathed, mentally preparing yourself. 

“Alright…..let’s see what baby is.”, she began, moving the transducer around, the swishing and swooshing sounds filling the room. 

Joe smiled over at you, looking like he was a kid in a candy store. He was excited, over the moon. Part of you actually worried if he would be happy if the baby was a boy instead of a girl. But you wouldn’t know until that moment came. The image popped up of your baby, instantly being able to distinguish its little head from its body. The baby was much more distinguished than the last appointment. Its heartbeat filled the room, nice and strong in-between the swishing and swooshing. It was becoming more real—you all were going to be parents soon. 

You took a minute to look over at Joe, a huge smile plastered across his face. You thought your eyes were playing tricks on you, but you could have sworn Joe had tears in his eyes and he sniffled lightly. 

“Baby looks good, we’ll measure really quick.”, she smiled, hitting some buttons on the computer. “You’re measuring about a week ahead. Everything is looking perfect here.”

Your eyes panned back over to Joe who looked at you in turn. “Are you okay, babe?”

“Perfect—just in awe that we created that, love.”, he looked back at you, thumbing over your hand.

“Me too.”, you agreed, feeling slightly emotional yourself.

“Baby’s heartbeat is strong at 140 beats per minute. Perfect.”, Dr. Steiner smiled as she clicked, taking a few images of the baby while pulling its heartbeat up on the screen. 

“That’s amazing.”, Joe breathed.

“Yeah, it is.”, you agreed.

Now, it was real. You could see the tears in the corners of Joe’s eyes before he quickly blinked them away under his glasses.

“Now—let’s get to the moment of truth. Let’s see what baby is. Ready mom and dad?”, she smiled at you both.

You both nodded in unison as she moved the transducer over your belly, the baby mostly cooperating. You bit your lip softly while you and Joe looked at the screen in anticipation, waiting for her to say the words and tell you what the baby was. 

“Hmmm…..looks like baby has the hiccups. Let’s give it just a second.”, Dr. Steiner smirked easily, printing a couple more images for you both to take home. 

You both laughed lightly in response before Joe leaned over to kiss you. The anticipation was driving you both crazy, ready to know what your baby was. It had been four weeks longer than usual when they tried to find out the sex of the baby. The baby hadn’t cooperated last time, leaving you and Joe to wonder for another four weeks. You should have had the blood test done, but this was much more intimate—watching him sitting on the edge of his seat waiting to find out what your baby was. He was going to be an amazing dad and you were so glad he was going to be part of the baby’s life. 

“Alright, baby has calmed down. Let’s see really quick.”, she moved the transducer slightly, pressing into your belly with a little more force. “Ah, there it is. Ready to know?”

“More than ready.”, Joe breathed, eyeing the screen with his full attention. 

“Congratulations mom and dad—looks like you’re having a baby girl.”, Dr. Steiner smiled, quickly typing the words ‘I’m a girl!!!’ on the screen before printing another picture.

“Oh my—God!”, Joe breathed, quickly turning to look at you. “We’re having my baby girl!”

“We are!”, you laughed easily before you both shared a kiss.

You both couldn’t help but laugh from happiness, causing Dr. Steiner to smile at you both. Joe moved his hand from yours, easily wiping under his glasses. That didn’t quite seem to cut it as he pushed them up on his forehead, wiping his brown eyes. He was getting emotional and it was the cutest thing you’d seen. You rubbed your hand up and down his arm to comfort him while he tried to gather himself. He was trying not to cry but this was more than he ever dreamed of. You could feel tears in your eyes just watching him come undone. Now, you weren’t the only girl in his life but you couldn’t have been happier. 

“You okay, baby?”, you asked softly, swallowing your tears back.

Joe moved his hand from his face, his poor attempt to hide the tears that were sliding down his cheeks as he sniffled. “Yeah, I’m more than okay. We’re having a little girl.”, he laughed in disbelief between tears. 

Dr. Steiner took her free hand and handed him some tissues, him taking them easily as he dabbed his eyes and gathered himself. 

“Told you so.”, he smirked easily through a sniffle, his tears of happiness now melting into laughter. 

You rolled your eyes playfully before you both shared another kiss. “You were right.”, you agreed. 

“She’s perfect.”, Dr. Steiner smiled as she took the transducer off your belly, wiping it easily and making sure she had all the ultrasound pictures printed off. 

She cut the machine off and handed the pictures to you both, Joe instantly looking at them. 

“I want to see you back in another four weeks just to check up on everything. You’re right on track, just measuring a week ahead. If you have any questions or concerns, call me. I’ll see you next time, just schedule another appointment on your way out. Congratulations again mom and dad.”, she smiled, getting up and turning the lights back on. You and Joe thanked her as she slipped out the door, both continuing to laugh and admire the pictures of your baby girl. 

“So baby, celebratory sex when we get home?”, Joe smirked easily before kissing your cheek. 

You laughed in response. “Yeah—that would be amazing.”

“We can get dinner before going home. What do you want?”, he smiled, fixing his glasses. 

“Um—maybe Chinese.”, you laughed. 

“Sounds good, love. Want me to help you get dressed?” 

You nodded as he held out his hand, you grabbing it and him helping you sit up from the table. It was more of a struggle now that you were further along.. He helped you stand up, holding the small of your back as you stepped off the step of the exam table. He instantly untied your gown, leaving you only in your bra.

“Fuck, you’re so beautiful. I love you so damn much.”, he breathed.

“I love you too.”, you smiled back at him as he grabbed your clothes and handed you one piece at a time, starting with your panties. 

You both were smiling widely, this appointment being memorable for more reasons than one. He held your shoulders, steadying you as you slid your panties up your legs and resting them under your bump. You did the same thing with your jeans, determined not to ask Joe for help even though he asked several times. They were maternity jeans so they were a little more comfortable than regular jeans. Your maternity shirt made your bump look even bigger but you finally gave in and let Joe slide your coat on. 

Another kiss was shared by you all before Joe made sure the ultrasound pictures were in your purse. Those were something you didn’t want to forget. 

“Ready to go?”, Joe asked, a smile still plastered on his face.

“Just one more kiss?”, you asked with your puppy dog eyes. 

“Of course, love.”, he chuckled as he placed his hand on your cheek, starting out with a small kiss before deepening it. 

It was euphoric, this day being everything you dreamed it would and more. Even though you were wrong in your prediction of what the baby would be, you were happy and excited to have a little girl. You knew Joe was going to be an amazing dad and he’d look out for you and your baby girl. Joe broke the kiss easily, giving you a soft smile. He was emotional and it was the cutest thing you’d seen. You loved it when he showed his emotion. 

“Let’s go home, daddy.”, you emphasized the last word playfully. 

He smirked easily. “Let’s go, mommy.”

He grabbed your hand and you both exited the exam room, feeling giddy and like you were on cloud nine. There was a huge smile on your face, so hard it made your cheeks hurt. The winter wind hit your face, nipping you slightly as Joe walked you to the car and opened the door for you. He helped you inside before getting in himself. He started the car, backing out easily. 

“Still feel up to eating, love?”

“Definitely. I’m so hungry. I’m starving practically.”

“What do my girls want?”, he laughed easily.

“Chinese food, for sure. Pork fried rice and shrimp lo mein sounds amazing—oh and crab rangoons, please.”

He chuckled. “Alright, love. Wanna eat in or take it home?”

“Home?”, you asked easily. “I’m so exhausted and just wanna eat Chinese with my boyfriend and relax—and have some fun after.”

Joe chuckled easily. “Sounds amazing, love. I’ll call it in.”

__________________________________________________________________________________

You all pulled into the driveway, Joe shutting the car off. He got out first before coming around, opening your door, and helping you out. He was such a gentleman and it was adorable. He had the food, carrying it in for you. He unlocked the door, flipping on the lights. Soon, you both would be bringing a baby home through this very same door. You took off your coat, hanging it up before rubbing your belly lightly. 

“Is everything okay, love?”, Joe asked from the dining room. 

“Fine—she’s just moving around. It’s so crazy to say that—she.”, you repeated with a smile on your face.

“I’m so happy—I think it’s every dad’s dream to have a little girl. And I get mine.”, he smiled as he worked on setting the table. 

You came into the dining room. “I’m gonna go change into pajamas or something.”

“Want me to help?”, he smirked.

“After dinner—maybe I should just wait until after dinner to not tease you.”, you smirked. “My maternity jeans are pretty comfortable.”

“Still look sexy in them.”, he smirked back at you, a hint of lust in his voice.

“Whatever.”, you rolled your eyes.

“I mean it—I’d fuck you right now—right this second.”

You felt that familiar aching feeling enter the pit of your stomach. “Yeah?”

“Oh yeah.”, he groaned easily, fixing himself in his slacks. “It’s part of knowing you’re carrying my baby. I mean you’re still the most beautiful and sexy girl I’ve ever seen—ever had but that adds to it—knowing you’re going to have my little girl and we’re going to have a life together.”

Your cheeks heated up. “I love you, Joe.”

“I love you, Y/N. I’m gonna go get our food. Be right back.”

He disappeared into the kitchen before showing back up a few minutes later, sitting your plate in front of you. You wasted no time in digging in as Joe laughed, sitting down your ice water before kissing your cheek. You couldn’t help the baby want what it wanted. 

“I’ll be back. Gonna grab my dinner now since I got my girls taken care of.”

“Okay, babe.”, you said, trying to swallow down your bite of food. 

Throughout dinner, you all talked about the baby and how excited you both were. If you were being honest, neither one of you had bought anything for her. Her. That was still hard to get used to saying. It was like a dream and you guessed Joe would be doing most of the buying since you didn’t have a job even though you offered to get one multiple times, he denied your suggestion. He insisted that school should be your primary focus other than the baby, of course. So far, your pregnancy has gone without a hitch. Everything had gone the way it should.

The evening quickly slipped into night, the sun setting and the house dark except for you all sitting in the kitchen. You had left a little of your food—maybe enough for lunch tomorrow. 

“I’m stuffed.”, you sighed, leaning back in the dining room chair, rubbing your slightly more plump bump. 

“Sure you’re full, love?”, Joe asked, picking up your plate to put away the leftovers.

“Can’t even think of eating another bite.”

He leaned down and kissed you.

“I’m glad you and the baby are satisfied.”

“Beyond. Thank you, babe.”

“You’re most welcome.”

“Wanna meet me in the bedroom after you put dinner away?”, you smirked up at him.

“Are you sure you feel up to sex?”, he breathed, feeling his cock twitch beneath his slacks.

“Yeah—we said celebratory sex, right?”

“We did but I want my girls to be comfortable.”

You smiled softly. “I’m gonna be. Meet me upstairs?”, you batted your eyelashes. 

He chuckled. “I’ll meet you upstairs.”

You both shared another soft, slow kiss before breaking apart. You began up the stairs, keeping eye contact until you both disappeared out of the other's view. Opening the bedroom door, you flipped on the light and began undressing, leaving yourself in only your bra and panties. You throw your clothes in the laundry basket before looking in the mirror at your changing body. Every day, you noticed something a little different. Your bump was bigger than just a few days ago.

Caressing it easily, you bit your lip. Sure, the whole pregnancy thing was fun for now. Joe was really into it and he wanted to be an active father. He wanted to be a dad. But how long would it last? Would the new wear off once school started back and all you were was an exhausted brand new mom and he was surrounded by all those young, perky pretty girls? You shook your head, trying not to think about it. Today was a happy occasion and you didn’t feel like voicing your concerns to Joe would work.

Turning off the bathroom light, you turned the lamps on in the bedroom until Joe got there. You easily unclasped your bra, laying it on the chair in the corner of Joe’s bedroom. You still weren’t used to claiming part of this as yours. You slid your panties off, laying them in the same place, instantly reminding you of the doctor’s office. You smiled softly before climbing under the covers and waiting for him. 

You prayed you wouldn’t get sleepy as you heard him downstairs. It wasn’t long before your heard footsteps coming up the stairs. They were his. He opened the door softly, his eyes instantly meeting yours.

“Hey babe. Sleepy yet?”

“Not really.”, you breathed, the only thing sticking out from under the covers were your arms but he could tell you were naked. 

“Already naked for me?”, he asked as he closed the door softly behind him.

“Mhm maybe.”, you smiled easily. 

“Fuck—that’s so sexy. Sorry I shouldn’t curse so much.”, he sighed as he slid his slacks off. 

You took a moment to admire him, the only thing hiding his cock was the fabric of his briefs. You sharply inhaled, dying for his touch. You needed it—you needed him. 

“It’s fine—just come to bed?”, you smiled softly. 

“Let me at least get undressed first, love. Know you wanna watch, right?”, he teased.

“Uh-huh.”, you responded softly, eyes glued on him.

He smirked as he unbuttoned his button-up, brown eyes fluttering shut softly. Your desire for sex and love from him was heading into overdrive. That’s why you loved him so much. You were scared to lose him. Terrified, if you were being honest. He was the best thing that had ever happened to you and now he had given you the other best thing to ever happen to you—a baby of your own. Your all’s daughter would be the best of both of you.

Joe slid his underwear down, letting his rock-hard cock spring free with a sigh. He looked at you dauntingly before climbing straight into the bed on top of the covers. 

“Joe.”, you laughed easily.

“Yes, love?”

He was on top of you, the only thing separating you from one another was the sheet and comforter. You smiled up at him, chest moving up and down. You were really starting to get all hot and bothered. Your faces were only inches from one another and he was careful not to put too much weight on your belly. You could feel his rock-hard cock poking you through the comforter and sheet. 

“Just look at you.”, he hummed, touching your face while making you sigh. 

“What about me?”

“How sexy and ready you are for me, love.”, he breathed as he placed soft kisses on your neck.

You laughed easily. “I am….been waiting all evening…..”

“The doctor’s office just got you going, didn’t it? Just made you want a real taste, didn’t it?”

You nodded before he chuckled and shared another soft kiss with you. He peeled the comforter and sheet down easily revealing your breasts and he broke the kiss just to admire them. 

“God.”, he breathed. 

“What?”, you laughed easily.

“So sexy. Shit.” 

He lifted his body off yours, peeling the cover and sheet on down to reveal your entire body. You sharply inhaled as his hand caressed down your body, already causing your back to arch. 

“Am not.”, you breathed.

“You are, love. Everything about you is sexy, I promise. Would I lie?”

“I don’t know.” 

Joe narrowed his eyes before smirking. “The answer is no.”

You smiled, rolling your eyes playfully. “I love you.”

“I love you too. Even more.”

“Not possible.”

“Yes, it is.”, he leaned down and moved your hair out of the way before lining himself up with you. 

He heard you sharply inhale just at feeling his rock-hard cock pressing against you. He chuckled seductively as if he was trying to tease you and he was winning.

“Can I hold your hand, love?”

You nodded. “Yeah.”

His hand found yours trembling on the pillow nearby and he wasted no time, instantly entangling his fingers with yours. It made you all feel closer to one another, things felt more intimate and it was a way to show each other how you all loved one another. 

“Are you feeling sore, love? Anywhere?”

“No—not so much. Feeling a lot better, things are settling down.”

“Good, so I can touch your breasts?”

You nodded, preparing yourself before feeling his free hand roam your chest, squeezing each breast and causing you to moan lightly. It felt good—you weren’t going to lie. Your mind was just trying to unwind and focus on him taking care of you. 

“Joe.”

“Yes, love?”

“Can you please fuck me? Please put your cock inside of me?”

Joe wore a shocked expression at the use of your candid language. “Is that what you want, love? Want my cock inside of you?”

He could get used to these hormones working on you.

“Yes—need you inside of me—please.”, you begged, swallowing hard.

“You know you don’t have to beg, love I’ll always take care of you.”

You nodded softly as he cupped your cheek. He gave you a soft kiss as he readied himself to split you open.

“Are you sure you’re ready, love?”

“Please—never been more ready.”, your eyes fluttered shut, preparing yourself for him.

“Okay, love. Wanna still hold my hand while we do it? Makes us feel closer.”, he breathed.

You nodded softly again, squeezing his hand with your trembling one. It didn’t matter how long you all had been together, you still got nervous at times. But he always reassured you.

He rubbed his thumb over your hand. “You’re so beautiful.”

A smile curved on your lips. “Promise?”

“Always.”, he smirked with a soft chuckle. 

You smiled up at him, eyes becoming slightly watery. It was the damn hormones again, wasn’t it? He leaned down and shared another kiss with you before lining himself up with you and entering you, causing you to gasp lightly. 

“Sorry, baby. You’re so tight—even after earlier today.”

His face was still full of concern, he hated hurting you just for a second—even if it would turn pleasurable for you. 

“It’s—it’s okay, babe.”

He watched you, still holding your hand as he began to thrust deep inside of you. His rhythm started off slow in an attempt to give you time to adjust. He saw you take a deep breath as he grunted softly, rutting himself inside of you. 

“Feeling good?”, he asked softly.

You nodded. “Mhm.”

“I swear I’m so happy I put my baby inside you.”, he groaned.

Your eyes flew open. “Yeah?”

“Yeah—so happy you’re having my baby girl.”

You smirked before moaning softly as he hit the right spot that made you see stars. The thought that had entered your mind left as quickly as it came.

“God, just looking at you right now drives me mad. What do you think we should—name her?”, his eyes rolled back in his head as he continued to thrust into you, the sound of his balls smacking against you filling the room.

“You’re really—wanting to come up with baby names while you’re—inside of me?”, you hiccuped easily. 

“Of course—I do. So happy so happy you’re giving me a baby girl. I’m over the moon.”, he smiled as you took your free hand brushing over the stubble on his cheeks.

“Mhmmm what are you thinking?”, your back arched as he worked himself all the way in.

“Hm, promise not to make fun of me?”

“Promise.”, you squeezed his hand.

“Maybe Sophie? Or Emma? I don’t know—kinda stuck on Sophie.”, he breathed.

“Sop-hie.”, you repeated through a moan. “I love it.” 

“You do?”

“Of course.....it’s a cute name….girly and posh. It’ll fit her.”, you breathed, feeling your toes curl. 

“It was that easy?”, he laughed. 

“Yeah—because I love it and I want you to have a say so in her name. I love it. We’ll call her—Sophie.”, you swallowed hard, him keeping his rhythm steady. 

“I love you—fuck, do I love you….”, he breathed. 

“Now—we need a middle name….any suggestions daddy?”, you smirked up at him.

“You really wanna hear them?”

“Duh.”, you smirked up at him as he continued to work deep inside of you. 

“I don’t know—I only thought of a couple so far.”

“Tell—me.”, you moaned as you gripped your nails into his hand. 

“Fuck—okay. Before we get ready and cum—what about Mae?”

“Mae?”, you repeated. “Sophie Mae Quinn?”

“You’re right—it’s a dumb middle name.”, he sighed, discouraged.

“No—no—I was just saying it out loud…..”, you took your free hand, rubbing it up his arm. “I think it’s cute—it fits her.”

“Really?”

“Really, I love it and I love you. So much.”

“I love you too, baby. So really we are gonna call her Sophie Mae Quinn?”

“Yes, babe. We are.”

He leaned down to share another kiss with you. You both were on cloud nine and nothing was changing that. You both were smiling like you’d just won the lottery. You had—you all were having a baby girl. 

His thrust continued, steady and he slightly began picking up the pace as he closed his eyes, throwing his head back lightly. 

“Joe….”, you hiccuped easily.

“Yes, love?”

“I think I’m gonna cum…..”

“Cum for me—cum all over my cock, baby. Can’t wait to fill you full.”

You were climbing the high of your orgasm, not able to focus on anything but that. Your brain was focused on his movements, feeling him deep inside of you. You closed your eyes, drowning out any other care in the world. You took your free arm, rubbing it up and down his arm—anything to hold onto. 

“Joe…..”, you moaned out.

“Yes, love?”, he breathed.

“Gonna cum—right now.”, you moaned as you instantly felt yourself tighten around him, juices spilling over his cock. 

Your eyes shot open, his eyes closed as he reveled in the feeling of you releasing. His job was done, he had done what he wanted to do. 

“Fuck—cum baby, cum all over my cock. Feels so good.”, he hummed as his rhythm slowed, giving you time to work through your orgasm.

He wanted to help you ride it out, he always did. You sank your fingernails in his hand as you moaned, the final waves of your orgasm hitting. Lightheadedness took over at this point, you felt the heat of your orgasm wash over your entire body. Every sensation, every time he fucked himself into you was so much more intense now causing you to whimper. He smirked, watching you come down off your high. Your chest was heaving, visibly trying to recover a little before he came.

You felt his cock twitch and pulse, a reaction from your orgasm. He could tell you were soaked—so soaked for him. He could feel your juices all over his curls at the base of him.

“Ready for me to cum, love?”, he breathed.

“Please.”, your mouth was dry.

He mentally counted how many thrusts it took after you came. One. Two. Three. His thrusts ceased immediately as he released a loud groan. His fingertips sank into your hand this time, his hips stuttering, keeping himself buried inside of you as deep as he could. You felt his cock pumping his cum deep into your cunt, careful to keep himself there and make sure none of it was missed. You both smiled at each other, beginning to laugh lightly. 

“How was that, love?”

“So amazing, Joe. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, love. Are you sure you’re okay with Sophie Mae?”

“Of course, I am. I love it and I love you. Come cuddle me.”, you flashed him the puppy dog eyes that you knew he couldn’t resist. 

He smiled as he fell beside you, a little of his seed spilling out on your thigh but you didn’t care. All that mattered was him being with you. He kissed you again before pulling you close to him, covering you both up with the sheet and comforter. Without contemplation, he rubbed his hand over your bump. That’s when the guilt set in. There was something you had been keeping from Joe. And this wasn’t the perfect time to tell him but it was gnawing at you.

“Mhm she’s being active tonight, isn’t she?”

“She is.”, you put your hand over his. “Joe, can I tell you something?”

“Sure, love. Actually—me too. I told my mum and dad about you. I didn’t exactly explain everything right yet but they want to meet you. Is that okay? Maybe in a month or two?”

“Uh—yeah.”, you swallowed hard. 

“They’ll love you, I just know it. Have you thought about when you are gonna tell your mum and dad?���

This was going to make your news harder. 

“Uh—actually that’s what I wanna talk about.”, you turned over to face him easily.

He could tell something was off with you, causing him to sit up slightly in bed. You matched his mood. 

“Okay….”

“Um—I should have told you this when we got together….”, you swallowed nervously as you noticed his facial expression change.

His eyes were glued on you, afraid of what was to follow. His mind was racing a million miles a minute trying to think of what you were going to tell him. Did you have some crazy ex-husband? A child back home? His mind instantly went to the worst. He gave you a look as if to tell you to continue. 

Tag List: @usererics @munsonluvrr @ali-r3n @silky-luxe @fantastic-f0x

[whatswrongwithblue]

The Fire in the Sin

Chapter 7 - Ashes in My Wake

Word count: 7,622. Read on AO3. Series Masterlist. <- Previous Chapter.

Summary: Alastor meets the woman he will someday marry, but instead of recognizing that he is smitten, his first instinct is to try and take her soul.

Series Summary:

Present Day chapters – Alastor has been missing 7 years. No one knows what happened or where he went – not even his wife Mina, who has been searching for him. One day he shows back up and seems to expect a happy reunion with her but he won’t say where he has been. With the promise of eventually giving her both answers and revenge for the last 7 years, she decides to play along with his games, but she can’t pretend to be happy about any of it.

Prequel chapters – Mina, an Irish immigrant to America, dies a violent death in 1917. She spends the first decades in Hell making a life for herself, working as a torturer for Abaddon, enforcing the one major law of Hell; Sinners can’t leave. And then she meets and falls for Alastor. They live blissfully together for decades, until one day, he just vanishes.

Chapter 7 - Ashes in My Wake

Pride Ring

1952

Alastor just loved Cannibal Town.

It was such a charming little village and the people here were so cheery and well mannered. They would have eaten him alive and raw had he not been a powerful Overlord and good friends with Rosie, but since he wasn’t on the menu, he was always treated like an honored guest.

He was at one of the outdoor cafes, enjoying a dinner of rare venison steak, cooked in butter and human marrow. Rosie still refused to tell even him how she supplied her town with real human flesh - he was certain she was breaking several of laws that kept Sinners stuck there in Pride Ring  - but it was one of the few things he couldn’t get himself here in Hell. He had always wondered, if he had ventured into the world of cannibalism while he was alive if he would have had an appetite for it then, or if was just a feature of his demon form. It was one of his greatest regrets from his killing years and the worst part of it, he simply had not thought of it. Rosie had truly broadened his horizons . . . once they had stopped trying to kill each other.

Alastor was a man of detail; he noticed everything. His mother had loved that about him for it meant he kept a straight room and always complimented her on a new piece of clothing or hairstyle. His father had no patience for it and would often beat him as a small child when Alastor would quickly get overwhelmed in a new place with too many new things for his young mind to process. But here in Hell, it was his most valuable talent. Nothing slipped past him, and it always gave him an upper hand in a game of wits.

All this meaning, he noticed the black-haired feline beauty walk past him on the sidewalk right away.

She was clearly not one of Rosie’s contracted souls; everything about her dress and style stood out from the other cannibals, and yet she walked among them as if she belonged. The stranger even stopped and hugged a couple women who approached her on the sidewalk, greeting them like old friends, and the trio walked into the small bar and lounge that was across the street.

That bar was one of Alastor’s most frequented locations and he had never seen that woman before. She wasn’t an Overlord, and she wasn’t a Cannibal, so how the hell was she walking around these streets and not being torn to pieces?

He kept an eye on the entrance of the lounge to make sure she hadn’t made an exit as he finished his meal and then made his way across the street, suddenly in the mood for some top shelf scotch.

“Alastor!” Rosie greeted him from her place at the bar. She pulled him in for a hug before he took a seat next to her, “Ugh, I’m so glad I bumped into you here. You wouldn’t believe the week I had. So many more souls are showing up around here these days. I guess cannibalism became a bit of a fad in Japan during that last great war ‘up top’ and some of these guys don’t even speak English! I think they wound up in the wrong afterlife and what’s a girl to do?!”

She tossed back the last of her cocktail and waved the bartender down for more. It was a bit out of character to see Rosie so ruffled in public, but Alastor supposed they all had their bad days.

“Have you tried shipping them off to the Doomsday District? They haven’t had a cult massacre send souls their way in quite a while and language barriers aren’t such an issue down there. The imagery . . . speaks for itself,” Alastor said with a chuckle.

The bartender set their drinks down and Rosie lifted hers in a cheer.

“You, my friend, are priceless. What a splendid idea!” Rosie took a more ladylike sip of her martini this time but then immediately became animated again when something caught her eye from the far side of the lounge.

The cat demon dressed in black and orange was sitting down at a table with the two women she had met on the street, deeply engrossed in an apparently hilarious conversation.

“Mina! Is that you, dear?!” Rosie said, and waved when she immediately caught the woman’s attention.

The woman smiled and excused herself from her group and came over to the bar to get immediately crushed into one of Rosie’s vice-like hugs.

“I’m sorry I haven’t had a chance to stop by lately. Work's just been unbelievable,” the woman said, the slightest bit of an accent coming through in her speech.

“Oh, trust me, I know the life of a working woman. Put in an all-day shift and you still gotta go home and cook and clean, can you believe it! Ah, where are my manners?!” Rosie said, and turned in her barstool so she no longer had her back turned to Alastor.

“Mina, meet Alastor, one of my dearest friends. Most people know him as the Radio Demon, but around here, we just call him by his first name. Alastor, this is Mina. She’s just about my most loyal customer. She’s got a wicked appetite for men’s hearts, the little minx, and she knows which shop has the freshest ones,” Rosie said with a wink at Mina.

“The Radio Demon?” Mina asked, and her eyes darted back and forth between Alastor and Rosie. She smiled well, but he could see how nervous she suddenly was.

“So, you’ve heard of me?” he asked.

“Who hasn’t?” she said simply, no longer smiling.

“You must have quite an interesting tale to tell yourself if you’re around these parts, but it’s funny because I’ve never heard of you.”

“Oh, well, lucky me then,” she said, holding his narrowing gaze. Irish, the accent was definitely Irish.

“Oh, Alastor, stop it,” Rosie said, and playfully smacked his chest with the back of her hand, “she pays my Emporium quite a lot of money, don’t chase her away. And she’s one of Abaddon’s, and even you don’t want them breathing down your neck, they’re awfully protective of their own.”

Mina raised an eyebrow, looking a bit more confident then.

“My apologies,” Alastor said, “I didn’t mean to come across as anything but a gentleman. I was simply curious, it’s not every day I see an unfamiliar face around here.”

“I come here quite often,” she said, and it almost sounded like a challenge.

“So do I.”

“Then I suppose I won’t be unfamiliar for long.”

“I wouldn’t want your luck to run out.”

“Oh Mylanta!” Rosie interjected, standing up between them, “I should have known better than to put the two of you boneheads in a room together. Mina, I’ve had just the shittiest week, would you be a dear and play one of your songs for us?” Alastor almost laughed into his glass when he saw how uncomfortable that question made this Mina character suddenly seem. “Not to worry, one of your regular songs will do just fine. Honestly, honey, this place could just use a bit of extra liveliness tonight.”

Neither of them knew it at the time, but Mina’s decision to give in to Rosie’s request, smile an almost flirtatious smile at Alastor, and adjust her attitude, was a major turning point in both of their lives. Had she continued to mouth off, or worse, refuse Rosie and return to her group of friends, Alastor would have eventually lost interest in her.

“That would be alright, I suppose. And I hear the gentleman in our presence prefers jazz?”

“Oh ho! You really have heard of me!” he said pleasantly.

“Just enough to know to play it safe around you,” Mina said and turned away, heading for the piano in the corner of the lounge.

Well, Alastor couldn’t help but smile a little wider when his ego was stroked like that.

___

Her song had been . . . entrancing, to say the least. When prompted as to what Rosie had meant by one of Mina’s “regular” songs, the leader of Cannibal Town had informed him of the secret talent Mina possessed of controlling others with her singing but assured him, that was not what had happened that night.

“You’ll know it if you ever hear it. But no, I’m afraid that was just her normal singing voice. Why?”

“No reason,” he had quickly replied.

“You’re interested in her!” Rosie gasped in over dramatic surprise.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” he huffed.  

“Oh not like that,” Rose said, “you want her power for yourself. And of course you do, who wouldn’t! But believe me, Alastor, it’ll be a waste of your time. You offer that girl a deal and it’ll just offend her.”

“Then I’ll just have to figure out a brilliant plan to convince her,” he said, eyes flashing to radio dials as he turned away.

He studied her for weeks during his down time, figuring out where her usual hang outs were and lingering in the shadows, trying to gather as much information about her as possible while going unnoticed. The kind of deals that were irrefusable were always the most personal, so he had to figure out what made this woman tick.

It was infuriating how little she left The Pit; Abaddon’s little protected neighborhood of Pride Ring where no one, not even Overlords like himself, could even get into without an invitation. Mina also seemed to make a point of being as inconspicuous as possible. She was beautiful but only if one took the time to really look at her; otherwise, she seemed completely average. Nothing about her features was striking enough to catch a casual onlooker and she clearly used that to her advantage.

He purposefully sent one of his leashed pets after her one night on her walk back home. She had been alone and looking as vulnerable as any soul in Hell possibly could. Alastor felt ridiculous but from the rooftop above where he could see the whole show, he held his large ears down flat just in case she used her voice as a defense. He didn’t doubt Rosie’s description of how powerful this girl was for an average Sinner and didn’t want to find himself jumping from the rooftop against his will.

The monstrous remains of the soul he owned launched itself at Mina’s back and she jumped out of the way with impressively quick reflexes and then morphed into a very large, grotesque beast that vaguely resembled a jaguar, ripped the soul in half with a bite and well placed dig of her massive claws, and then left it on the sidewalk still squirming as she turned back into her more human-like form and continued walking.

Alastor dropped his hands from his ears in shock; a feeling he hadn’t felt in more years than he could recall.

Whatever he used to convince Mina to sell her soul to him, it wouldn’t likely be for his protection.

It seemed to him that he would have to get much closer to this girl if he was to figure her out.

After several more visits to the lounge in Cannibal Town, he finally saw her there again. Not that he was going there specifically to find her, it was already his favorite place for a drink, but it did give him another reason to go there at the end of the day.

To his great advantage, she was sitting at a table alone, reading.

Honestly, who brought a book to a bar?

He didn’t go to her right away, instead taking the time to order a glass of whiskey neat for himself and then asked the bartender for Mina’s usual, which turned out to be a nauseously sweet effervescent red blend wine.

When he set it down in front of her and took his seat across the small table from her, she frowned at him.

“I’m waiting for someone.”

“Is it a date?” he asked, already suspecting the answer. He had been stalking her for weeks and knew there was no one special in her life and figured it was a sore subject for her as it was with most single women.

“Would you leave me alone if I said that it was?”

He smiled. “No.”

She slammed her book shut.  “What do you want?”

“You are defensive. Have I done something to offend you?”

“You mean other than simply being who you are?” she asked and when he simply continued to smile instead of responding, she sighed. “No.”

“And what is wrong with being who I am?” he asked.

“Do you think I’m stupid? You’re literally the most powerful Overlord I can name, and you expect me to think you’re talking to me because you want to be friends?”

“That is quite the compliment and backhanded insult all in one sentence. I’ll have you know; I am perfectly capable of having friends.”

“Anyone you don’t make deals with?” she asked.

“You know, you were being much more pleasant with me when we last parted.”

“Answer the question.”

“Of course, there are people I don’t make deals with. Although, you shouldn’t say ‘make deals with’ as if it’s some unsavory dirty business. Deals can be quite beneficial to both parties,” he paused, taking a sip of his whiskey, “take Rosie for example. We have been friends for years and I’ve never made a deal with her, but I would be honored to if the situation ever required it. “

Mina pondered his words for a moment, running a nail up and down her wine stem.

“I’ve spent my years here in Hell avoiding people like you.”

Alastor leaned forward. “Again, what’s so bad about me?”

Mina looked at him like he’d just made the worst joke she’d ever heard. “You have a radio station with nothing but screams of the souls you’re tearing to pieces.”

He smiled and tilted his head. “I find it funny that offends you, seeing as how you get paid to torture. Tell me, what’s the longest number of years someone has been flayed across your rack? Five? Ten? What’s the record for how many times someone has had to completely respawn because you took things a little too far? And then you come here, laugh with friends, sing your songs, and otherwise live a normal, enjoyable life. So maybe, you’re not afraid of what I’ll do to you. Maybe you’re just afraid of how much you and I have in common.”

Mina looked shocked, even a bit angry, but her pupils had practically turned to saucers and the fair skin around her neck had flushed a little and not from her wine. He had struck a nerve, but he suddenly realized she was also very attracted to him, which would give him a wonderful advantage over her going forward.

“Do you usually ask women out with such bizarre speeches?”

Alastor’s smile turned into a wicked grin. “How about we start with me asking you for a dance?”

“How about a deal first?” she said, and he raised his brows in obvious interest. “I’ll ask you one question and if I like the answer, then I’ll dance with you.”

“Ha! You’ll have to try harder than that to scare me off. Ask away,” he said, leaning back in his seat.

“Dickens or Austen?”

He frowned in confusion.

“Charles Dickens or Jane Austen,” she clarified, “who do you prefer?”

Alastor thought silently for a moment before standing up. His eyes flashed a brighter red as he offered her his hand.

“Mary Shelley.”

Mina smiled in satisfaction and took his hand, following him to the dance floor.

___

After a few outings with him, Mina had to admit, she was really starting to like Alastor. It wasn’t clear yet if he was romantically pursuing her or if they were just friends; everything between them had been platonic so far, but secretly Mina began to hope for more. There weren’t many in her circle of friends that had crossed his path, but no one could remember a time when The Radio Demon had a companion on his arm; but it did appear that Alastor was telling the truth when he said he had friends.

Rosie seemed to be the Overlord that he was closest to, but she had been witness to a cordial conversation between him and Zestial. He spoke fondly of a few of the souls he owned, as if they were more his wards under his protection than they were his slaves to do his bidding. Wherever they went, Alastor was courteous to all of their servers and was a generous tipper. He shared her rather macabre sense of humor, was charismatic, chivalrous, and just plain sweet to her.

And he was so good looking. Mina had desired plenty of men before but had spent her time in Hell purposefully single after a lifetime of being repeatedly sexually dissatisfied and put off by all of her suitors rather bad behavior. Even during the few times of year when her feline body went through its hormonal cycle and sent her into heat, she got through it by pleasuring herself and taking out her frustration through her work. But being around Alastor made that little coil inside her heat up in ways it hadn’t in decades. Everything about him, from the static effect of his voice, to his odd perpetual smile, his smell, the way he dressed, his strange haircut and two-toned locked, the little antlers and red ears atop his head . . .

When he had lost his temper on a crass demon on the street who said something lewd to Mina, those antlers had grown, his eyes had glowed green, and Alastor had ripped the demon apart with shadow tentacles that suddenly came out of nowhere . . . Mina didn’t stand a chance. That man fulfilled all her fantasies, even ones she wasn’t aware she had until she met him.

Beyond her physical attraction to him, they really did seem to have a lot in common. And where they weren’t the same, their differences complimented each other well. They both enjoyed drinking but never pushed themselves past a good buzz, and where she enjoyed a sweet wine, he like straight liquor. Their palette for meat was exactly the same, but she liked her savory paired with something sweet when Alastor enjoyed something spicier. They spoke often of how they abhorred violence just for the sake of violence but reveled in it when used with purpose.

“Correct me if I’m wrong,” he said on one of her rare mornings off work, and they had decided to meet up for coffee, “But I’m fairly certain that ‘Mina’ is not a common name in Ireland.”

She gave him a beaming smile then, very pleased with his observation. “You are the first person to ever call me out on that. Even people who knew my birth name never questioned it.”

“What was so wrong with your given name?”

“Margarette,” she said with disgust, “It’s an English name. A colonizer’s name. You have to understand, I was born just in time to see the last bit of my ancestors’ culture nearly wiped out. They were starving us and wiping out our language. You couldn’t be citizens without being baptized and no priest would baptize a child in Ireland if they had a name like Saoirse or Aine. And then ironically, when I came to America, they wanted me to be more Irish. More ‘exotic.’ My manager asked me to come up with a new name for myself and it’s been my own little private joke ever since because I just thought Mina sounded pretty, and I’m pretty sure it’s German. Not that anyone in America knew the difference.”

Alastor laughed, seemingly taking a lot of enjoyment in the perverse beauty of her chosen name. From that day forward, he used her name as much as possible, and stopped calling her by his usual terms of endearment like “dear” or “darling” as often.

Their life stories were another thing that they had in common. Not identical but they gave them a better understanding of each other.

He had grown up in a world immersed in Creole culture and the inevitable racism from the upper class that appropriated it while also condemning it. Once he was an adult, he had to stick to his roots in secret, and used his white-passing privilege to make his way in the world of entertainment. He simultaneously had felt like he was getting away with a sick joke while also ashamed, as if he were betraying his mother somehow. He had tried to make up for it all by using his nuevo riche money to dote on her until her sudden death. When the Great Depression hit, and life for his and his mother’s people only got harder as those left on top continued to exploit them, he had stopped bothering to hold back his darker desires and instead focused his blood lust on the upper-class white demographic he hated the most.

“My favorite part, besides the actual killing of course, was reporting on myself. I had come up with the name ‘The Bayou Killer,’ I thought it had a nice ring to it,” he had said as he told his life story, “but other media sources also started calling me the ‘Equal Opportunity Killer.’ I guess it sounded better than pointing out that being wealthy and of the right color didn’t save you from being hacked to pieces.”

Mina mentally added being violently opposed to xenophobia and racism to her quickly expanding list of things that made Alastor perfect for her. It excited her, but also filled her with trepidation.

She had lost herself and her freewill to relationships before and had to kill to get out of them. And Alastor would always be more powerful and dangerous than she was, so she still had to tread carefully around her feelings for him. But damn, if she wasn’t falling hard and fast.

After several meet ups for drinks or food, Alastor finally asked her to accompany him to a far more intimate location.

They were on a walk together through the park she had come to on her first night in Hell. The black lake still smelled as awful as it did then, but Mina had returned here several times since that first evening and had grown accustomed to it. She still loved the strange and dark plants and the demonic wildlife that was never in short supply here.

Alastor carried his cane behind his back as they walked, not offering Mina a hand or arm to hold onto, but he did make a point of walking close to her side.

He had steered the conversation in a different direction than usual, filling her in on some of the current political ongoings in Hell. She tried to act interested, nodding along at what seemed to be appropriate moments, but the topic had a hard time keeping her attention. Mina was just beginning to tune it out completely when the name Goetia caught her attention.

She was fascinated by the tales of their magic and knowledge of the universe but with her misgivings about the more powerful figures in Hell, had never had the opportunity to get to know one of them before.

“You know some of the Goetia family?” she asked.

“And I’ve killed some of them, too,” he laughed. “Most of them are pompous fools but a couple of them aren’t terrible to converse with. Get them on the subject of their magic and they can’t help but show off. It can be very informative. One of the lower ranking ones resides here in Pride Ring and is throwing a party next week, but I’m not sure if it’s worth going.”

“I would love to go,” Mina said quickly and then felt a little embarrassed. She sounded like a desperate schoolgirl. “I just mean, if I ever could. You know how I feel about politicians, but they just seem so fascinating. And they know so much, I mean, they were there for the building of the pyramids, the Library of Alexandria, the fall of Rome . . . It would just be . . . sorry,” she trailed off with a sigh, “I’m rambling.”

“Don’t apologize, Mina, I adore how passionate you are about your interests. In fact, I suppose the party wouldn’t be so drab if I had company as wonderful as your own.”

“Really?” she asked, no longer trying to hold back her excitement.

“Of course! I’d be happy to have you as my plus one. Would it be presumptuous of me to ask for a small favor in return?”

Blinded by her joy and affection for him, Mina happily asked him what he had in mind.

“Would you sing for me, if I ever needed you to?”

“You don’t mean a normal song, do you?” she asked.

“No, though those are truly wonderful. No, I do mean use your power to help me out, if I ever found myself in a bind,” he clarified and suddenly the mood had shifted, ever so subtly.

Mina paused, carefully considering her next words. “Alastor, if you really ever needed me, you know I’d do my best to be there for you.”

His smile widened, going unnaturally from one end of his face to the other. He held out his hand as if to shake hers, and a halo of green light surrounded it. “Care to make it a deal, then?”  

Mina stepped back as if slapped. Suddenly all her attraction to this man was replaced by alarm and dread.

Alastor caught the distressed look on her face and closed his hand, the green light around him extinguishing as he quickly took on his usual appearance.

“It’s just a little thing, Mina, no need to get upset.”

“Sorry, I tend to get upset when I’ve realized just how stupid I’ve been,” she snapped back.

“Oh darling, don’t be dramatic. I wasn’t asking for your soul,” he said, and she hated the way he was brushing off her concern.

“Not this time, but eventually you would, wouldn’t you?” she said, and Alastor stood straighter at her words as if she had caught him in the act of something nefarious and Mina’s heart broke as she realized that’s exactly what had happened. “So, this whole thing between us was just a plan to get me to trust you?”

God, it was embarrassing how sad she sounded.

Alastor tilted his head in his usual display of uncertainty. “I’m not sure what you mean, I thought we’ve had quite a lovely time of it lately.”

“And it was all just an act, wasn’t it? You’ve been exactly what I’ve wanted so that when the time came, you thought I’d be dumb enough to make a deal with you. Well, congratulations, you really were convincing there for a while, I really believed you cared for me. But this isn’t happening, Alastor. There’s nothing you could ever do to make me accept a deal.”

He walked around her, his hands once again behind him. “Don’t be so certain of that, Mina. Everyone wants something eventually. Even I do. And I do care for you. Those are the reasons why I’m making the deal with you. I could benefit from your abilities, and I trust you enough to keep your end of the bargain.”

“Then why make a binding deal if you trust me? I would have helped you, even if you hadn’t offered me something in return.”

“That’s just the way I work, darling,” he said with a sneer, “I thought you knew that.”

“I should have,” she said, “I really should have. But this is over now, Alastor. I’m going home.”

Mina hadn’t earned her right to portals yet, so she had a long way to go before she got home. She had to walk for a while to get out of the park and constantly checked over her shoulder to make sure Alastor wasn’t following her. Even still, she knew about his ability to hide in the shadows and didn’t feel certain she was actually safe and alone until she was out of the park and able to get a cab.

Once home, she pulled off her clothes and wrapped herself under the covers, doing her best to ignore the silent tears that dampened the pillow beneath her.

___

Alastor fumed on his way out of the park. He was not used to being denied what he was after, and he was definitely not used to making mistakes. The degree in which he had underestimated Mina’s desire for freedom was embarrassing. He had been so certain that he had his claws in her. She had been so clearly infatuated with him that he assumed he could get away with even more than what he had presented her with; he had been playing it safe and it still backfired on him.

It was just a simple deal and she had acted like he’d killed her puppy in front of her.

He lashed out at another demon who was out for an evening stroll. The man was behind him, keeping an awkward pace with him, his shoes were squeaking, and he was just too close to Alastor. Without turning to look, his shadows sprung out from his back and grabbed hold of the oblivious walker, wrapping him up in tentacles, and throwing him into a thick group of trees. Alastor heard the scream and then the squelch of the man’s body being impaled and sighed in satisfaction. Now he could think clearly without distraction.

He had been playing nice with Mina. She was enjoyable to be around; honestly everything about her he had found to be quite pleasant. Over the weeks they had spent together, he had really come to care a bit for her. And despite her initial misgivings about the darker side of his nature, Alastor hadn’t missed how she looked at him when he displayed his power. She liked it. So he never had any intention of allowing harm to come to her, he just wanted to own her power for himself. He could have done far worse to her, and she didn’t appreciate that.

Normally he enjoyed causing fear in people; especially if it was an overdramatic display. If some poor soul recognized him on the street and took off running and screaming, even if Alastor had no malicious intentions towards them in that moment, he usually found some enjoyment in it. Even when they had first met, he had enjoyed the little glimpses of fear in Mina’s eyes whenever his attention was on her.

That night, however, it deeply bothered Alastor how much Mina had been repulsed by his offer. She had looked at him like he had betrayed her.

He couldn’t understand why it had upset her so much and he really didn’t understand why it upset him that she was upset.

Once he was back in his tower and calmed down, he began to formulate a plan. Convincing Mina was not going to happen, so he was going to have to trick her. Force her. But once he had the deal made and her soul was his, she would see that it wasn’t as awful as she believed. He wanted her power at his disposal which meant keeping her alive and well. It was just getting them to that point that would be tricky, but he now realized he was going to have to be cruel to be kind.

___

After a couple weeks of setting things into motion, the opportunity presented itself while Mina was out shopping with a couple of her friends from work. Alastor kept an eye on them as they had dinner, stopped in a little boutique, then a bookstore, and then finally settled into the right outdoor lounge patio and ordered drinks.

Though they had never been there together before, Mina had mentioned it as one of her friend’s favorite places, and since she had been making a point to avoid Cannibal Town since his mishap with her, Alastor figured she would come here sooner or later. So, he had made sure to plant someone who owed him a favor as a server there, with the express intent of that demon slipping something into the drinks there.

He thought date rape drugs were sleezy and desperate, but he wasn’t above cheating to get his way in a deal, and he needed not only Mina, but her friends, and everyone else in that bar to be a lot more helpless than usual if things were to go his way. No one would feel the effects until they tried to use their power.

Then he needed the chaos to begin.

A fight, very much orchestrated by himself, broke out on the inside of the lounge. At first, Mina and her friends only watched in mild amusement as the brawl got larger. Before long though, it got out of hand, because Alastor’s shadow had slunk behind the bar and set the entire shelves of liquor on fire.

There were a few unlucky souls that got trampled inside and burned, but most of them were able to escape, and the sudden surge of people coming out from within the bar pushed everyone from the patio and onto the street, and separated Mina from her friends.

It was complete disorder and even when the crowd was able to break up a bit, Mina couldn’t relocate her companions. They were living in an age before cell phones, which are so handy in emergency situations. Also, coincidentally, Alastor had his shadow grab them and transport them into a couple of locked rooms in buildings nearby. They would get out, eventually. Once the drugs wore off and they were able to use their powers again.

Mina seemed cool and collected in contrast to what was left of the crowd still running about in the streets, though she was obviously looking around for the women she had arrived with. Alastor watched in amusement as she became more irritated with the demons that were losing themselves in their panic. With the distance between them and the noise of the crowd, he couldn’t hear her voice, but at one point she had pulled herself against the wall of the building across the street from the bar, and it was evident in the movement of her mouth that she was singing, likely trying to calm the crowd into order. Even from his high vantage point, Alastor could see the growing look of concern on Mina’s face as realization dawned on her. Her power bound; she was suddenly as vulnerable as she was when she was alive.

His wicked smile broadened, as the green glow of his own magic poured from his mouth and eyes, and he sent the burst of energy towards the flames of the building. They burst forth from what was left of the windows and doorways, crawling along the street below and licking up the walls of the adjacent buildings.

From the green flames came his little army; the tiny remains of the souls of Overlords past. They were small and weak without his command, but when directed they could tear a body apart like demonic puranas. This perfect hell storm of fire and demons spread through the street, devouring dozens as it went, and then chased the fleeing form of Mina into a dead end.

To her credit, she had made it quite a way away before she ran out of the options. She had tried every outlet there was to get to a more open area, but the flames had always gotten there before her, blocking her way.

He had her caught in a narrow alleyway, surrounded on three sides by several stories of tall brick that she couldn’t scale without access to her full demon form. Flames consumed her only exit. She looked skeptically at the wall of fire that paused just there, caging her in.

Alastor formed from shadow behind her, watching as she stared into the flames, her body backlit by the unnatural green glow. He was impressed at how in control of her feelings she seemed to be, even in this dire situation he had built around her.

“I can hold it back for a little while, but eventually,” he said, as the flames moved forward another couple feet, “those flames will make their way in here.”

Mina didn’t jump at the sound of his voice, nor did she show any signs of fear. Instead, her shoulders slumped, and when she turned to face him, she just looked tired. It was once again not the reaction Alastor had been expecting.

“What did you do to me?” she asked in a small voice.

“Why, I did nothing! But, it would seem as if someone slipped something into the drinks at that bar. How unfortunate for the patrons there tonight.”

Mina reached out to slash at him, but he turned to shadow just as her claws made contact with his arm. He reappeared a few feet away from her, a tear in his jacket sleeve. He admired the damage with a grin.

“My, you are fast.”

“Fuck you, Alastor.”

“Now is that anyway to speak to someone who is offering to save your life?”

The flames jumped closer again and Alastor could feel the blistering heat of them, but Mina kept her back turned to the fire, keeping an eye on him instead.

“Make your offer,” Mina challenged.

“Had you accepted my offer the other night, I would have been satisfied with just having access to your powers. For a while, at least,” he winked at her but then his smile grew far more sinister, “but I’m afraid you’ve insulted me and I can’t stand for that. So now the stakes are higher. Give me your soul and you’ll come to no harm. Refuse, and well . . .”

The flames roared up above the height of the buildings surrounding them and the moving hoard of hungry demons could be seen dancing within the fire, waiting to tear their next victim apart.

“That’s not angelic fire,” she said after studying it for a moment, implying it wouldn’t permanently kill her.

“No,” Alastor agreed, anger showing through his features, making his smile look even more crazed than before, “but it burns slower than most. And when it’s done consuming you, you’ll end up like one of those-“ he gestured to the small black and white figures and their gnashing teeth, “-hardly anything left of you but a hungry, insatiable shell. I’d rather keep you just the way you are now, but it’s your choice, my dear.”

Mina said nothing, just stared at him for moment, making eye contact in a way that made Alastor feel completely stripped and bare beneath her gaze. He hated it, and nearly ended it there. His antlers grew heavy on his head, and he felt his shadow expand around him, ready to reach forward and tear her apart.

Instead, he reached out his hand.

“Choose me, Mina. It’ll be far less painful.”

He knew he looked every bit the monster he was in that moment, but he was over playing the gracious gentleman with her. Let her see what her choices really were and the position she had put them both in.

“I’d rather die,” Mina said and turned, walking directly towards the fire.

Alastor froze, eyes widening in surprise. Surely, she was trying to call his bluff, no one was that crazy, not even here in Hell. Mina had heard enough tales of his to know he wasn’t kidding, had spent more than thirty years perfecting her own craft with torture, she had to know what kind of torment she was choosing.

And then the flames touched her skirt and Alastor realized almost too late, that she had meant every word she had ever said to him. She would rather die, be burned, have her soul torn to pieces, and have nothing left of her identity, than to knowingly give up her free will.

He also realized all this at the same moment he figured out that he would never be able to let anything like that happen to her.

The flames touched her at the same moment his shadow grabbed her from behind, snuffing out the fire before it could hurt her, and the two of them disappeared from the alleyway a second before it became completely engulfed in burning green.

__

Alastor had never traveled so far in his shadow form and had never moved another soul by it for more than second, but it took several minutes for them to reach the park and the entire time he could feel her soul against his. Trying to scratch at him, claw at him, push him away, desperate to break free by any means. But she had no power, especially not in this form, where he always had complete control.

He deposited them on a vacant grassy lawn, purposefully dropping her on her backside while he stood towering above her, still in his full-antlered fury.

“You’re insane!” he spat out at her and was alarmed to find he was panting for air. The trip across the city carrying her by shadow had utterly exhausted him and he had to pause to catch his breath, feeling his body return to its normal height and shape as he did so.

Mina stood and every ounce of outrage she had been holding back in that alleyway broke free.

“I’m insane?! You just set fire to an entire city block and burned dozens of people alive because I hurt your feelings by saying ‘no?!’”

She once again tried to leap at him and he once again dodged her attack by dissolving into shadow, but only just barely.

Mina screamed and growled in frustration at her helplessness as she watched him reappear several yards away.

“Fucking men! You’re all the fucking same!”

 That struck a nerve, but Alastor remained silent, smiling all the while Mina continued with her rampage.

She picked up a sizeable rock and hurled it at him, missing him by a few feet.

“Misogynistic piece of shit! You think you’re a better man than others because you don’t use women the same way they do, but you still use us! You can’t appreciate anything unless you own it!” She picked up another stone and threw it, this time getting a little closer to her mark. Mina took a deep sigh and steadied herself. “Well it stops with me. You can hurt me, kill me, threaten my friends, throw everything you’ve got at me, Radio Demon. You’ll. Never. Own. Me.”

Alastor continued to observe her, meeting her eyes, completely and utterly at a loss at what to do next.

“Oh, you fucker, do something!”  she screamed, “don’t just stare at me! Hurt me, tear to me pieces, c’mon! You’re the big, bad Overlord, so fucking act like it! Get it over with!”

“Are you crying?” he asked, not as a jab at her, but in honest confusion.

Mina wiped her face with a sharp motion of her sleeved arm, having been too distracted by her tantrum to notice.

“Fuck you,” she spat, “I’ve never been so fucking angry in my life, of course I’m crying!”

She turned away from him to hide her face and for a second, he felt the need to go to her. He took a step forward before he caught himself.

This was not what he had wanted. He thought he had been so willing to punish her for turning him down but when push came to shove, he hadn’t been able to follow through. Now she was hurt, if only emotionally, and it was all his fault and he hated it.

He started laughing.

Mina turned back around, looking at him like he had grown a second head.

“Stop it,” she said, and it made him laugh harder. She thought he was laughing at her and it made the whole situation even funnier.

“Stop it!” she repeated and marched towards him.

He sat down in the grass, elbows on his knees, and put a hand to his head as he continued to lose his mind.

He was so fucked.

Mina pulled up short, put off from her approach by how completely insane he looked.

“Jaysus, you have completely lost it,” she whispered, and took a couple tentative steps away from the Overlord having a mental breakdown in front of her.

“Oh,” Alastor sighed as he began to regain control of himself. Still chuckling, but no longer lost in his laughing fit, he stood, dusting off the front of his pants and straightened his bow tie. “What an entertaining evening we have had.”

Mina remained silent.

“You are free to go, my dear.”

“Am I supposed to believe that?” she asked.

“I don’t really care if you ‘believe’ me or not, but please . . . leave,” he huffed.

He no longer felt like laughing or smiling, though the latter he couldn’t stop. What he wanted most of all was to put as much distance between himself and this sudden source of weakness of his as possible.

“You’re just going to let me go? After all that? Why?” she demanded.

Alastor sighed.

“It seems I’ve changed my mind. And I never want to see you again.”

@saccharine-nectarine, @inuhalfdemon

[nyctoaerah]

CHOSO WITH PAPARAZZI IS SO FUCKING REAL GIRL, becuz he's following the reader at literally everywhere and is keeping an eye on her (on that one line) so she doesn’t run away from her 'motherly' obligations. HES SO DELULU ONG😭😭😭 EVEN FUNNIER AT THE SEX ED PART, I CACKLED LITERALLY💀💀💀WHERE HE GOT HARD AND DOESN'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING🤓. I was giggling at that part until i read the fact that choso actually wants to bash reader's head😿 like baby, what did she do?😭

Btw Im binging your fics right now and im definitely getting euphoria.

✨YOU ARE LITERALLY THE FUCKING BEST.✨

PLEASE, DONT EVER QUIT WRITING, WE NEEDS YOURE AMAZING WRITING HERE

*Ahem* AERAH, WILL YOU MARRY ME?

Don't mind my shitty grammar because english isnt my first language👁️🫦👁️🤟🏻 IDFC IF IM BEING EXAGGERATED HERE, AERAH, YOU ARE THE BEST.

-😼

⋆♱⋆Retribution

You literally made my day miloves🥹🫶🏻 AAAAAAA I'M SO GLAD THAT YOU'RE ENJOYING RETRIBUTION HEHE🫶🏻 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING RAHHHHHQ

Choso gotta learn his bodily functions w [Name] fr!😭 SKSKS, DW, I laughed when i was writing that too, I EVEN HESITATED ON MAKING THE READER SUGARCOAT HER LEARNINGS AND WAS LIKE “Nah, she’s gonna say it bluntly” SKSKSKS, she do be teaching choso with the same way aionarch taught her about sex😭

“I shall pass the trauma my father has bestowed upon me to you, and you will also pass them to your younger brothers” THIS IS HER KIND OF IMPLICATION THERE BAHAHAHA

AND BAHA, JUST BECAUSE CHOSO IS ACTING ALL DUMMY DOESN'T MEAN THAT HE'S SAFE😭😭 He ONLY WANTS HIS BROTHER and DOESN'T CARE for [Name] fr! Bro’s before hoes fr

PLS, CHOSO’S BEEF WITH HER WASN’T EVEN THAT BAD, BUT SATORU’S BEEF WITH HER IS😭😭 Like girlie didn’t even do anything to him (and they haven’t met him) and now he has this big fat beef with the reader😭😭 like first, he wants to gobble her up to get ‘more powerful’ AND NOW HE'S JEALOUS OF HER LMFAOOO. AND SKSK, STAY TUNED FOR MORE BEEF 😭 CAUSE MORE PPL ARE GONNA HAVE A BEEF WITH HER. BUT SHE ALSO HAS A BEEF WITH OTHER PEOPLE LIKE TOJI THOUGH BAHA.

And I LOVE YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS🫶🏻🫶🏻 WE ARE GETTING MARRIED RN AND I’M PUTTIN’ A RING ON YOUR FINGER POOKIE💍 ILYSM🥹🫶🏻🫶🏻 I LITERALLY HAVE A MASSIVE GRIN ON MY FREAKING FACE BECAUSE OF YOU RAHHHHH, AND DW BAE, I AM NOT QUITING AS LONG AS I HAVE PASSION!

[devilander]

rain falls in love

homelander x gn reader. fluff, hurt/comfort, mentions of past abuse

Cozy Corner Domaystic: Thunderstorm

You were a light sleeper. Even minor disturbances would wake you instantly; your cat meowing, a neighborhood’s TV turned on, cars passing through the street. Whenever Homelander and you slept together you couldn't help but be slightly envious of how he could turn off the whole world—he slept like a stone, slept like the dead. 

Today, though, you doubted many could sleep through the thunderstorm that split New York’s sky. Each thunder louder than the other, sequences of lightning turning the apartment clear as day. And, courtesy of your boyfriend's gigantic windows, you felt enclosed in the roar of the night. 

For some, it could be an entertaining spectacle; nature's power a soothing balm, a way to make you contemplate how much of your worries were small and ephemeral—in the end, there was only the earth and the rain. 

You could, in theory, see the poetry of it. But all you felt was an overwhelming fear. The loud noises reminded you of your father's booming voice, the cracking of electricity too similar to his heavy hands landing on you. 

John was away, having left a week ago in some undisclosed mission. Undisclosed to the public, of course, because he told you in detail how, actually, he was going to take part in a non-authorized invasion of a terrorist cell. Or so he called it. 

You were alone. Only you and the storm and Popsicle purring in your lap, indifferent to his surroundings. 

After another furious thunder nearly frightening you to death, you decided to call John. Tears streamed down your face and you felt ridiculous—it’s only rain. And yet. 

He probably wouldn't pick up. If he did, he'd be too busy, what could he do?

In the first ring, however, he answered. “Hello, sweet face. Awake at this hour?”

“Oh, it's nothing.” You tried to disguise your sniffles, suddenly beyond embarrassed. “I just wanted to hear your voice.”

Silence, and then—

“Is it the storm, sweetheart?”

“Yes, yeah. I can't sleep, it keeps reminding me of… you know. I'm sorry for bothering you.”

“Don't you ever apologize to me for that, ever,” he retorted, voice tinged with anger, though you knew it wasn't aimed at you. 

“Can we—” Another thunder, and this time you yelped, scaring Popsicle so that he ran to hide under the bed. “God, I hate this,” you whimpered. “I just want you here. I miss you so much.”

“I miss you too, you precious thing. Fuck, this is bullshit. A fucking week here and we accomplished shit. They sent me the most incompetent team of motherfuckers, I'm up my ass with their whining and ‘but sir, mister Edgar said we should be cautious’.”

You laughed. “Sounds like a trifle.”

“Ugh, fucking tell me about it. A week without you for this bullshit. Y’know what, I'm out. Hold on there, honey, I'll be with you in a moment.” 

And he hung up. And the storm raged on, but you felt a giddy warmness settling on you. 

Not before long, he barged in, completely wet, but you couldn't care less. You ran to his arms, letting the raindrops seep through your clothes as tangible proof of his devotion. 

“You didn't need to come.”

“Ah, but I promised, didn't I? I'll be with you anytime you need me, and you need me now, don't you?”

You giggled, forgetting all about the fears. It was washed over. “I do. And you need a hot bath.”

“Hmph. You too, little baby. C’mon, join me.”

You sat behind him in the tub, washing his hair, enjoying every second of this quiet moment. He moaned at the contact and squeezed your thigh as it circled his waist. 

If the storm was a demonstration of nature's power, John was both its likeness and antithesis—he himself was a force to be reckoned with, an amalgamation of sheer strength and might. Created by men, but a victim of them. You could understand that, quite intimately.

He gave you security in his power, and you gave him peace in your tenderness—the value of a whisper to a snowbank. 

“John,” you whispered. “I love you. I'll keep you forever, because you belong to me and I to you. Will you let me?”

You felt, more than you saw, his deep breath, swallowing back tears you knew were spilling down his cheeks. You didn't care what they said, what he did looking back in anger, because this was the only truth. 

“Yeah…” He choked up, but soldiered on. “Yeah, my love. I'm never letting you go. I fucking love you to pieces.”

As you lay in bed together you decided—in the end, there was only he and you. 

[pestorik]

I love your AU so much, it's so cute!

I need to know what kinds of adventures Adeuce gets up to with their caterpillar. The name Absolem comes to mind (or perhaps Alistair?) just because that's what the caterpillar from Tim Burton's Alice is named, if you're wanting to keep with that theme.

I'd love to see what Octavinelle looks like in your AU (they're my favorites!!!) but take your time, and make it how you want it to be. You're doing wonderful work!

im shocked i actually forgot about there being a caterpillar in alice in wonderland. absolem sounds a bit too serious imo, i was imaging a cutesy name to match his appearance lol. im considering "fozzy" like fozzy the bear.

putting this under the cut for those who want to read my very sane ramblings

I imagine A+D adventures would be very much in the vein of the original AT episodes with every one having a new storyline and introducing new characters, and then later episodes having those characters come back and revealing more backstory/becoming more involved in the overall plot (ie magic man, slime princess, etc). and then ofc a more "core" cast with more frequently occurring characters like heartslabyul and maybe some other first years. It would definitely be ace and deuce-centric with them driving most of the interactions and then gradually having more and more episodes that arent just about them.

in my head riddle introduction goes like this: A+D are native to the garden kingdom and are doing their regular stupid shit. that day it just happens to be doing parkour in the royal gardens. riddle comes along and is ofc furious and being the overreactive little freak that he is, banishes them from the kingdom. that's how they meet cater, who introduces them to trey, and they eventually kick riddles ass and its revealed he has a very controlling mother who influences his behavior. riddle realizes the error of his ways and they all team up and usurp her. riddle takes over the kingdom and is now mostly an ally.

trust me i love riddle and a lot of other characters but almost everyone would start out as being a cartoon villain bc that's just the nature of AT. leona is a prince but has no real political power so spends his days bullying civilians. epel has been enslaved by an evil witch (vil) and needs the help of A+D to beat him up, but after vil's defeat epel understands him better and becomes his apprentice by choice. jack the wolf seems hostile at first but they learn he is actually a human who has been cursed and he spends like the entire series trying to break the curse and you only get to see him human in the very last episode lol. everyone will be a silly character with silly problems but overall still sympathetic and relatable. it will have some sad and heartfelt moments but mostly remain lighthearted (just like AT). these are cartoony, oversimplified representations of canon twst, not meant to be realistic takes or a deep dive into mental illness.

i'll be working on octavinelle once i finish savanclaw (they will all be in order) but azul is going to be the octopus wizard and he has 2 evil henchmen. they run a successful seafood restaurant as a front for their magical crime ring. or maybe A+D defeat them and convince them to go into the food business instead of organized crime and they find out they are really good at it lol

[melhekhelmurkun]

I’m such a sucker for scruffy men with sad eyes 😭

[sesamenom]

Ringlord High King of Everything Elrond, inspired here

(@the-writing-goblin)

I imagine in this situation elrond would have been partially tempted by boromir's declaration, but instead of trying to fight sauron with it (because even in the weirdest crack au i can think of elrond is still too genre-aware to try that) he tried to use it to supercharge his use of vilya and protect everyone.

basically Ringlord!Elrond turned the entirety of Eriador into a mega-gondolin situation: massive walls (courtesy of numenorean/eregion tech) around the regions bordering the north or Mordor, fortresses along the mountain range and several layers of gates along every road in or out. Everybody goes in; nobody goes out; everyone is safe.

and he ended up claiming the kingship to give him more authority in the process - he's High King of the Noldor and Sindar and King of the Edain (given that there are like three half-vanyar in middle-earth, he's more or less king of all children of iluvatar) and so he can have command over the entirety of the West.

and with the help of the Ring, this actually works! but the corruption starts to show eventually

he uses his kinship to Gondor to forcefully drag them into his neo-gondolin-empire-creation so he can ensure none of his great-nephews will ever have to face sauron. he extends the walls to encompass Mirkwood, because he's the high king of the sindar and has a duty to protect thranduil's realm, and unleashes the full might of his melian-lite powers to purge Sauron's Shadow and the spawn of Ungoliant from the now-Greenwood.

Galadriel and Glorfindel very much see where this is going and are very very worried. galadriel won't let him build walls around lothlorien (because she lives next door to a balrog and knows exactly what happened to gondolin) but celeborn thinks it's a good idea, since after all Doriath wouldn't have fallen if Melian's girdle had still been up. glorfindel tries to talk him out of it but the ring has taken hold

the Ring's power also enhances all his natural weirdness and powers - he has his wings and maia markings permanently activated now, with or without finwean anger. he can fully shapeshift, and he goes from raising waves in the bruinen to raising tsunamis in the great sea.

except the finwean anger seems to be permanently activated now, too, and anyone who harms someone he's deemed under his protection finds themselves the target of a rather ironic vengeance quest. the shapeshifting is looking weird now - his teeth are always sharp now, and his eyes have gone fully inhuman. sometimes he has claws and his wings look more like bats than eagles. and his water powers are more like osse's- he can't calm the waters now (goldberry is the first to notice something's up) and can only stir them into massive ship-sinking storms and tsunamis.

this progresses until he's basically Evil Luthien ruling over a continent-wide Mega-Gondolin, slaughtering orc-hordes before they even reach the white walls and sinking any naval fleet Sauron tries to send around the coast. Everybody is brought in; nobody leaves; everyone is safe...?

he figures out that the dwarven legend of "Durin's Bane" has to be one of the few first age balrogs thats still unaccounted for. and well, it's living right on his border, and he can't risk another fall of gondolin, right? so he leads a small force in there to clear moria, and they shove the balrog off the edge, but it takes one of his captains (except glorfindel) with it (maybe erestor?) and he uses the ring and saves erestor, (and maybe floods the balrog for good measure), and glorfindel is sure he saw elrond's eyes go yellow for a moment.

and even fully corrupted, he knows he can't take the ring directly into mordor. but he can wipe out sauron's armies outside the walls, to protect his kingdom - because turgon's mistake was thinking he was safe even when there were balrogs and dragons and orcs outside, right?

somewhere along the way, arwen realizes what's happening and goes to live with galadriel. one of the twins goes with her; the other stays out of loyalty but eventually follows.

elrond's kingdom has become a cross between doriath and gondolin now, with all the surrounding lands warped by ring-magic to hide it, and layers of stone walls and iron gates preventing anyone from leaving. because everyone is here; nobody leaves; everyone is... safe?

[whumpypepsigal]

me watching LOTR the rings of power for the plot :

the plot :

morals be damned i am supporting his rights and his wrongs

[alexiethymia]

I love “I heard your voice too”, but I also love the translation, “Thank you Meryl. It reached me. Your voice”.

It cements the parallel between them as foolhardy, reckless idiots who never give up, as well as makes a neat little call back to the first episode where Meryl ropes him in. Meryl’s voice reached him in time to save him, and Vash’s wire reached her in time to save her from Knives.

[peregrintook]

“I cannot stop thinking that if you'd not gone down there, Durin might have been in that shaft when it.. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I lied to you.”

“You were faithful to my friend. That is all we need remember.”