#majalis drabbles

[drmajalis]

I don't really have a solid prompt but uh: Specter being real scary? Just being an unsettling creature of a woman

Rip, and tear. The whirling blades rended the flesh which polluted her sight. Their torso turned inside out as each barbed tooth inverted the body she invaded. Blood, viscera, and oil filled the air, and the screams of the seaborne only joined that of her blade in holy orchestral harmony. More, more. Whatever could be called the creature's faced showed no emotion as the blades came for it next. teeth shot out like shrapnel as the whirring saw blew the seaborne's head open. Some pieces hit her, one even drew blood, but she healed before she even finished a breath.

This was life, this was art, this was beauty.

She looked down briefly at the dead seaborne which had become a monument to it's own slaughter before flashing a bloodstained, sharpened smile at the remaining creatures before her.

"Who next would like to become my muse?"

[marshmallowprotection]

Lila awoke that morning with a start as the sunlight started to pour into the room from the morning sun rising on the horizon, turning the dark sky into a creamy purple that would blend into a warm orange and an eventual yellow and red, which would turn into the soft blue sky that was always there overhead until it turned to darkness only to start over again. She yawned and glanced down at her spot. It seemed as though she had fallen asleep in the window pane as she tried to sketch some of the gardens from her spot. She would have liked to have been able to do one from the bottom to see what that looked like but she had been busy trying to keep up with the RFA and how she had wound up in this predicament.

The last thing that she could remember was setting her sketchbook aside for just a moment and then nothing. She might have closed her eyes for a minute and then blacked out. It wasn't much of a stretch since she had an awful sleep schedule and was hardly getting the right amount of rest with everything going on in Magenta.

Figures she would continue her bad habits, even in a place like this.

The cloth that had been draped over her torso slid down a bit from its spot and rested against the chest. Wait, had she been wearing a blanket when she sat down last night? She reached up and picked up the garment to inspect only to realize that the magenta colored coat was the very one that belonged to Ray.

Lila pursed her lips at the sight. How did this get there? She wondered.

She looked around the room and realized that she wasn't alone. Ray was in the room with her, but he had fallen asleep at the desk with his face pressed against his forearms and brows tightly scrunched up in a line. His white hair was a bit messy compared to how it normally appeared, pressed down and carefully tailored just like the rest of his outfit.

Had he come here in the dead of night wanting to check on her only to realize that she had already fallen asleep? He didn't tuck her back into bed, rather, he just given her his coat and then…

Perhaps he wanted to make sure she was alright and fell asleep himself without him realizing it. The thought made Lila want to laugh a little bit because if that was the case it meant that the two of them were more alike than she had thought prior and they really needed to get some actual rest in bed instead of these compromising positions that couldn't be good for their respective backs.

It was early spring but there was still a bit of frost in the inside air, enough to make Lila shiver a little and mindlessly tug on Ray’s jacket. She sank her arms into the sleeves and gave it a little sniff. For some reason, Ray always had the heavy scent of earthy flowers. His coat smelled of a combination of lavender and gardenia, mainly the prior as far as she could note the subtle hints.

For some reason, the cogs in her brain had always sort of assumed that he, if not everyone of Mint Eye would have the strong and overwhelming scent of raw peppermint bark.

It wasn't entirely wrong as Rika had used that as one of the many stimulants in her chambers; But, Ray was different from her, and even if he hadn't picked out these clothes himself to wear, as he had mentioned that the Savior had been the one to guide his dressing choices; She would find the individuality and personal touch that Ray had, even if the choice was as small as the cologne he was wearing.

It reminded her that Ray was still his own person, and that made her smile just a bit.

For as tiny as Ray appeared to be and as starved as he seemed, his clothes still managed to swallow her up and cover most of her torso and a good portion of her thighs.

Rising from the window pane and brushing the tips of her toes against the cold ground, her socks glided across the floor as she walked the short feet over to where Ray was.

The way he was juxtaposed seemed as though he had been looking at her, or around her before he unwittingly had hit the hay. He had seemed worried when she mentioned to him that she had insomnia and it was very hard to sleep even in this nice room he had painstakingly made for her to use. It wasn't a big deal to her because it had always been that way but still, the hacker was obviously bothered by her struggles.

She stood in front of him and nervously reached forwards to brush her fingertips to the top of his head. Ray didn't stir from his sleep but he didn't cower at the gesture as her gut assumed. It was surprisingly soft to the touch in spite of his incessant use of bleach to keep it from turning back to its natural shade of red.

“Thank you for checking on me, Ray,” she murmured, gently. “I'm glad you watched over me while I slept. I hope I can do the same for you someday.”

It was still very early in the morning and getting a little bit more sleep wouldn't do either of them any harm. Perhaps it would be better if they both used an actual bed for once instead of this. It was going to be a bit of a challenge but she determinedly carted him from his seat back over the bed after bracing herself and moved him the two feet from point A to point B. He didn't stir from that either, his chest simply rose and fell in time with his heartbeat.

Once he was settled, Lila climbed on the other side of the bed and laid back next to him. “Goodnight, Ray,” she whispered. “At least this time I know you're with me so I won't get so worried.”

[fiadorable]

boreal - a snw drabble

🌺 on wednesdays we write drabbles 🌺

Star Trek Strange New Worlds General (Una Chin-Riley)

Spoilers for "Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach"

After her shift, after the hours sitting calm in Chris' chair on the bridge while the crew rumbled amongst themselves, Majalis growing smaller on the view screen, after receiving a polite, if slightly slurred, rebuff from Chris when she checked in with him before retiring, she slips into bed and clutches her pillow tight, (tight) to her chest.

The crew assumes she doesn't feel, that she's carved from wood and ice like an ancient boreal forest, stoic as stone, but inside, her mind screams,

This!

(bones groaning, caged secrets heavier with each breath)

This is what my people could prevent.

[bnhasimpgirltm]

Flora (100 Followers Celebration)

Pairings: Katsuki Bakugo x Reader, Shoto Todoroki x Reader, Izuku Midoriya x Reader

Warnings: just angst

Genre: Angst

Type: Drabbles

A/N: I was writing these, and I never got them posted, so here’s my 100 followers celebration (posted while we are at 200). Thank you so much for the support! I love all of you!

-----------------------------------------------------

Katsuki Bakugo- Fire Poppy (Papavaer califoricum)

Bakugo had been heartbroken when you had broken up. He had felt his soul shrivel up and burn away. If he could, he would have traded anything to rebuild the ashes of your burnt up relationship. 

He constantly carried these ashes in a keychain, which was actually just a small locket-style charm with a picture of the two of you. The picture was the ashes. 

After you two had broken up, Bakugo tore it out of the locket- almost breaking the keychain in the process- repeatedly crumpled it in his hands, activated his quirk multiple times, and turned it to dust. 

He regretted it. That picture was the only thing he had left of you, and now it was destroyed. 

So he scooped up the dust and shoved them back in his keychain locket, not knowing what to do with them.

Well, until today, that is. 

He stomped up to the roof, and stood by the edge where the safety fence was. There was a breeze that stung his face and wiped his tears, and the sun was high up in the cloudless sky. Bakugo looked into the sun and squinted, it was now or never. 

Opening his keychain, he dumped the ashes of the photo over the rail. The wind swept them into a spiral and took them away. 

Bakugo watched as the grey tint in the sky became smaller and smaller. He watched as he let the last bit that he had of you go. It was what was best for him. It was what was best for both of you. 

Leaning on the railing, he took a good look at the keychain locket clenched in his hands, trying to memorize every dent, every valley, and even the beautiful engraving that you had done yourself. After he had run his fingers over every little detail, he closed his eyes and hurled it over.

It was best that the locket was gone too. After all, it was from you. 

Turning away, Bakugo held his head high. Like a fire poppy with their seeds lying dormant underground until germinated by smoke and ashes, he felt like he had broken through the dense soil that was getting over you. He felt like he could move on with his life as a beautiful, cultivated flower, activated by the ashes.

But what he didn’t know was that fire poppies only lived for a few days at most, and that like one of these rare, enigmatic flowers, he would once again go back underground and feel nothing but regret and anguish. 

That was something he would worry about in the near future. The very near future.

Shoto Todoroki- Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis) 

Shoto Todoroki had fallen in love

Todoroki didn’t mean to fall in love with you.

It had happened completely by accident.

He knew he was falling in love when he spotted you on that first day of class. He didn’t know what he was feeling, but he was stunned by you. Your beauty, the way you carried yourself, the way you spoke. Everything about you had him entranced. 

He knew he was falling in love when you caught him staring after a week and introduced yourself to him. He almost didn’t reply back, too flustered by your voice to think, and too oblivious to know why he was flustered. 

He knew he was falling in love when you beat him in training, and the only thing he could do was sit on the floor, mouth agape, as you offered him a hand to help him up.

Falling in love with you was the most effortless thing that he had ever done. 

But nothing that comes easy lasts. Falling out of love with you was just as easy.

He knew he was falling out of love when you left him multiple voicemails and hundreds of texts, and he didn’t unlock his phone to listen to any of them or even to see what had happened. 

He knew he was falling out of love when you ranted to him for two hours, and he felt no remorse as you spoke. Todoroki didn’t care. He didn’t care about your problem, or your words, he just wanted to get off the phone so he could do something else. Anything else that wasn’t talking to you.

He knew he was falling out of love when you asked him, tears dotting your cheeks, if he still wanted to be with you, and without thinking, he said “no.” He knew that his heart had made the decision for him, and when it came to love, your heart was always right.

Shoto Todoroki was a Lily of the Valley. He was pretty on the outside, nice to the touch, but potentially toxic when opened up.

He was a quick adapter, able to grow and thrive in any environment, but his quick adaptation came at a cost. He could never form emotional attatchments with anyone. For the rest of his life Todoroki would run in circles over and over again. 

An endless cycle.

Adapt, change, grow, move. 

Shoto Todoroki had fallen out of love.

Izuku Midoriya- Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii)

Midoriya wondered if he cried too much. He wondered if he was a burden on you.

He wanted it to work more than anything, wanted to stay safe with you forever. 

Maybe things could have gone differently. He could have fought to make you stay. 

But Midoriya wasn’t a fighter. He would never fight against you, even if it meant that he would be the one to suffer. 

Everything he did was always for you. Always.

He had begun to prepare for the breakup early on, when your vacant, uninterested stares pierced through him. 

When you blew him off to go and hang out with your friends. Every single time.

Midoriya wondered why you were stringing him along, why you wouldn’t just end it already and let him be. 

He was beginning to think that his thoughts had been created out of paranoia, and slowly, he began to ease back into you, the tension gone. 

Until you snapped the band and told him you wanted to break up. 

After that, he was never the same. 

Whenever someone brought your name up, or even did something that reminded him of you, he recoiled. 

Like a shameplant. 

How fitting. He was very ashamed that he anticipated your break up and still couldn’t stop thinking about you.

Whenever Midoriya saw you, he longingly stared at you, trying to make you come back to him. He wiped his tears on his hands, and his hands on his shirt. He missed you so much that it was getting to the point where his shirt was always damp.

But he would never try to get back together with you, just like he would never fight against you. 

This was what you wanted.

This was what was best for you. This is what would make you happy.

And that was all he wanted, even if it meant that you weren’t his anymore.

[drmajalis]

Hope I'm not too late for the prompts!

If I'm not, FiaExu and "understanding"?

"Why not tell her?"

Exusiai sat with their legs dangling off the side of the balcony, a nearly empty forty resting between their knees.

"If she knew, would she still think of me the same?" they asked, then took one last swig of their drink before contemplating letting the bottle fall to the streets below. They decided to place it on the ground next to them.

Fiammetta sat down next to Exusiai and handed them a bright orange bottle of cream soda, its cap already popped off.

"Sure, she might think differently," Fiammetta admitted, taking a swig of her own cream soda before continuing. "She might feel bad, knowing what happened, but would she treat you differently for it?"

After a few seconds to think and to take a sip, Exusiai eventually shook their head. "No, she wouldn't."

"This is the only you she's ever known," Fiammetta explained. "And even if she had known another, she become this one's partner."

"But what about you and Mo-" Exusiai cut themselves off before they said something very silly. "What about Lem?" they pivoted.

Fiammetta sighed. "She doesn't understand, probably can't ever," she stated, then turned and smiled at Exusiai. "But you don't have to understand someone to love them."

[drmajalis]

Tuye and Surtr, Ice cream beach date

"No! Don't take that big a bite!"

Tuye's eyes went wide just as her cheeks turned to ice. She breathed in hard through her nose, but it was clear the temptation to scream was high.

Eventually, she swallowed enough of the ice cream to safely open her mouth, which she did to pant heavily as chilly tears ran down her cheeks.

Beside her, Surtr, bent over to check on her partner. "Why did you try to swallow the whole scoop?"

Tuye shook her head. "I thought that was what you did."

"No! You take small bites! Or lick it! It's really cold!" She explained sighing after ward. "I was surprised when you said you'd never had ice cream before, but I didn't expect you to do that?"

Tuye exhaled heavily as her brainfreeze began to subside, and she began to take shorter licks of her remaining scoop of espresso chip cone. "Shaved ice is what's popular where I'm from," she explained. "You can take bigger bites with that, melts faster."

Surtr smiled. "How does it compare?"

Tuye took a small bite of her ice cream and smiled as she swirled it around in her mouth. "Better... because I have someone to enjoy it with."

[drmajalis]

For the drabble prompts: Flametail and Kirara. "Unexpected friendship"

It had taken a lot of prodding of the Rhodes Interior Manager to allow Kirara to set up her little vintage arcade room.

Video games were not exactly the biggest past time among the mostly Ursus, Kazdelian and Yan operators employed at Rhodes, and those from Victoria and Leithania mostly stuck to their own brand of Agima and Itara home computers, which left Kirara's little collection of old arcade cabinets still collecting dust after they were finally set up.

Every week she came in to do some general maintenance on the decade old CRTs, lubricating the sticks and buttons, replacing springs if necessary. She kept them working for a crowd of one, but it was solid work, and validating effort.

And then one day she came in hearing voices, and the clicking of buttons.

"...See what's so special?"

"It's just... the pizza shop where I used to live had this same game!"

"You had a pizza shop in your district?"

"Yeah, he always sold cheap slices to me and the other kids, and- oh, are you the owner here?!"

The two Zalaks camped at one of her space shooter cabinets spotted her and waved, with the red haired one quickly looking back to the screen.

"Everything was on freeplay, so, I just assumed it was open to everyone... I'm Sona, and this is Ashley!"

Kirara nodded, smiled, and put her tool bag down at the door before walking up behind the two, with Ashlock moving to the side so she could get a view of the play area.

"Oh, you're doing quite well!"

Flametail grinned. "I wanna beat the highscore here!"

Kirara chuckled. "I... would love to see that."

[drmajalis]

Arknights prompts: krangle (kroos fang beagle polycule. I heard them called this once and will eternally call them it) relaxing after getting back from a mission

The hugs lasted an eternity whenever one of them returned from a mission.

The first to see them would hold them tight, talk about how much they missed each other, how relieved they were to see them return safely, what they wanted to do now that they were back.

And then the other would do the same, and then all three of them would embrace each other as one.

Fang would come back with a small cut on her cheek, and Beagle and Kroos would kiss it better.

Kroos would come back with her ears drooped, face sunken, and Fang and Beagle would rub their cheeks against hers to perk her back up.

Beagle would arrive tired and yawning, and Fang and Kroos would guide her to bed, where they'd all snuggle closely.

And it would be a pizza night, because what they all just needed was each other, and a good time.

[drmajalis]

Mari drabbles!!! How about something with Robin, prompt "curiosity"

"So, feel like trying one?"

Rope, Utage, Kirara and even Akafuyu all sat on the L-shaped couch as Perfumer held the plate of fragrant brownies out to her. On the table in the middle also sat a small radio, numerous cans of pops, bags of chips, boxes of doughnuts and cream puffs, and a makeup bag.

She didn't know what to expect when Perfumer invited her to one of their 'weed parties' but getting to socialize with others was something both she and Domma encouraged, and Perfumer was careful to describe how welcoming the parties were without making it feel like she was pressuring her to join.

Robin picked up one of the moist brownies and gave it a sniff.

"Well, when in Siracusa..."

An hour later, they were all laughing.

Robin laid on her back, head plopped on Perfumer's lap while Utage and Rope pulled down her stockings.

"What colours should we do?"

"Do you think she cares?"

"Why don't we just do the usual?"

Robin just laid and giggled to herself.

"Oh, she's a giggler! Hehe!"

"Just like you!"

Robin coughed once. "Just.... nothing crazy... mkay?"

Perfumer dropped a cream puff into her mouth from above.

"Glad you came?" she asked.

Robin just smiled and laughed.

[drmajalis]

Alright!! How about Gladiia and "shadows in the water" for the submission thing?

It grinned back at her.

She took her glaive and cut across the reflection in the water. The image disturbed with the ripples on the surface, but they soon settled.

It soon laughed at her.

She turned away, tried to walk away, but something whispered in her ear.

"You can't escape who you are. What you are."

She turned back and spat into the pool.

"You don't get to decide who I am."

She looked back at the two by the campfire. One read, the other rested her head on her lap.

She gave the barest smile and huffed to herself.

She walked over to join them.

[drmajalis]

arknights prompts: Bagpipe helping out with the Convalescence Garden

"You... spend a lot of time here?"

Bagpipe nodded as the two walked the rows of plants. "Aye, it's nice, it's relaxing, its..."

"...Like home?" Reed asked.

Bagpipe closed her eyes and took a deep breathe. She exhaled before she looked behind her at the Draco and nodded. "Like, home, aye."

She stopped at one plant box and bent over to examine a withered looking sprout.

Behind her, Reed watched carefully as Bagpipe lightly brushed the sad looking sprout with the back of her finger, wincing along with her as one of the tiny budding leaves fell off. Bagpipe slowly grit her teeth, and Reed wiggled their tail gently as they approached, careful not to disturb any of the stands.

"I can help."

Bagpipe moved aside and watched in awe as Reed got close enough to breathe onto the sprout. Wisps of fire sparked from their breath, but what remained when the embers faded was a strong and tall sprout with fresh budded leaves and a full, verdant green complexion.

"Perhaps all it needed was a word of encouragement?"

In the next section over, Perfumer approached after hearing a familiar voice. "Bagpipe? Is that you? Do you have- oh." She stopped and hid behind a wall after catching a glimpse of her orange haired friend embracing a certain horned guest. Their head dipped by hers, perhaps they were whispering to each other, or maybe...

"Go get em, Fiona..." Perfumer whispered to herself, smiling away.

[marshmallowprotection]

Close to You

“...Ray?” She asked, her soft voice tentative and unsure of itself. Her nervous face was reflected in his soft green eyes. His gloved hand brushed against her cheek, and she could hear him swallow his nerves back into his butterfly-fueled stomach. 

They didn’t have long for each other, the thrill of being of able to be close to one another was a fluttering and quicken beat of their shared hearts; Every time they had the chance to hold onto one another they took it as fast as they could, no matter how shy Ray could get when he was next to her, and no matter how nervous Lila might have felt with his hand in her hand. While he was working and she was working on their designated assignments, they didn’t have the chance to feel the rush of their own hearts. 

It made those moments when they were actually together in the flesh all that more important. 

For Ray, it was everything to see her face. When he could feel her within his grasp it reminded him that she was real, that she was here, that she was by his side, and that she wanted him. The memory of her tired eyes and rosy cheeks kept him fighting to live his life. 

All he wanted was to be close to Lila. For that chance to be in her heart as the rest of the world was able to be... just as the birds that flew low in the sky to catch a glimpse of her, just as the stars that fell from the heavens when she was outside at night, just as the rain in the sky that would weep just to caress her face. 

To be able to exist in the same space as she did was far too much of blessing for him. These were the thoughts that always lingered in the back of his mind when he caught sight of her face. His heart grew heavy, his stomach was in knots, his face was so hot, and his tongue was dry. 

“Are you okay?” Lila spoke up once more when Ray didn’t say anything for a while. “I haven’t seen you in days... I’ve been so worried about you, you know that, right? I thought that you might have been working too hard again. You never answered any of my texts.” 

“I—” Ray stopped himself short. 

No apology or explanation would make up for his actions. 

“I’m sorry,” he breathed in a whisper, eyes on the brink of tears. “I never meant to make you worry, princess.”  

“I know you didn’t,” she spoke back to him in that hushed whisper so that nobody would hear but him. “They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, but it’s when I see your face that I can’t stop my heart from beating out of my chest.”

There was a strangled laugh that tried to escape his lips but it didn’t make it very far because Lila raised her hand and rested it against his own. Instead, a small gasp left his lips as she smiled up at him. 

“I missed you.” She said, without missing a beat. 

‘I was counting the minutes until I could sneak out of my room to come and see you, Lila, I didn’t know when the moment would come.” he admitted, pale skin turning flush at the sensation of her hand against his own. “With the way you’re looking at me... I don’t know if I can leave again.” 

The nerves were there, and they would bubble to the surface every so often and take over his head. He knew that he had a job to do, and he knew that he had things that should have come before Lila. But yet, he couldn’t bring himself to commit to that ideology. 

Lila leaned up on the tips of her toes and brushed her lips against his own, unexpectedly. He sputtered, and a little laugh escaped her lips at the sight of his rosy cheeks, and she leaned forward into his embrace. “Then let’s not think about you leaving or me leaving now, let’s just stay like this for as long as we can.” 

“But — “ 

“...I know you’ll have to go back sooner or later, but for now... could you please be just mine?” 

His heart was beating out of his chest, and he was unable to form the words he wanted to say. Instead, he nodded his head and held Lila close, unwilling to let her go so soon. 

[marshmallowprotection]

“Wait.” 

Ray paused just before he was out of her reach. 

Lila's voice rang through his ears once more, a little louder than the first time she did. "Don't go... not yet."

He licked his nervous lips and dared to give a glance over his shoulder to gaze back at Lila. She was standing there arm outstretched, a singularity in the never-ending evergreen in the garden of his dreams, awake and asleep, looking at him with eyes that were unreadable to him.

As much trepidation and fear that he felt, he could not will his body to keep walking and leave her behind.

Everything that he had, everything that he was, he would devote himself to her, he would fall to his knees and worship her existence, and he would do anything that she asked of him. 

“Stay with me, just a little longer," she whispered, brown eyes crushing his resolve to get back to work before his Savior complained and punished him for his misdeeds. "Please?"

"..."

A defeated sigh left his lips. His shoulders slumped, and he began to walk back towards Lila.

How could Ray ever say no to that face? It was like a crime not to do so! And so, that was how he found himself in the most secluded section of the garden, save for the Savior's personal sanctuary near her chambers, with Lila sitting next to him underneath moonlit sky.

"How is it you always listen to me?"

"I find it hard not to listen to your commands, princess."

She took his face in her hands and smiled upon him. “Ray, I told you that you don’t have to do that. I think it’s sweet that you like to play that game, but you act as though you really believe that I’m a princess beyond your reach.” 

She was beyond his reach, and yet, she kept offering him her hand, looking back at him instead of looking forward and beyond somebody as wretched as he was.  It was a blessing of her kind heart for him to exist in the same room as she did, even if she was too naive to realize that she could have better then him at a moment's notice.

"You are," Ray insisted.

"Ray, no," she scolded in that gentle tone that he had come accustomed to hearing these past few weeks. "You know as well as I do that you're much more than just a servant who dutifully does what he's told to do. You're your own person, and you have the power to do whatever you want. You don't have to listen to me and do what I want every time we meet. You can always ask to do what you want, you know?"

"But what if what I want... is what you want?" He trailed, green eyes downcast to the ground.

"Now, however, would I know that if you never say it, Ray?" She returned his words back at him.

Ray opened his mouth and then closed it. She had him backed into a corner when she uttered those words. He really didn’t really have an argument that could work against that. He never did have the strength to say what he was thinking, and it was only when it diverted into his thoughts due to the elixir that he ever reached out and did something to gain her pity or affection. He knew that it was wrong, and he had started to lay off of that because of the way she smiled at him or insisted to hear more from him. 

Even if his feelings of inadequacy were still swirling in his heart and mind, he was pulled back to Earth when she did more then he ever thought to expect out of her. Lila leaned forward and pecked her lips against his cheek, watching as his eyes widened and his heart began to race. His cheeks began to burn hotly at the sensation.

Her eyelashes fluttered innocently as she stared him down. "Now, c'mon, tell me what it is that you want, Ray." She urged, her tone beckoning him to act now.

"Uh... uh... um... well, you see, the thing is," Ray sputtered, hands propped back against the soil to keep him upright, but unable to crawl away from the pretty maiden who determinedly sought out his affections and attention.

"Uhuh, keep going," she encouraged him, not budging from her spot. She almost seemed amused by how easy it was to tease him, if he was reading the atmosphere right. "I'm listening, Ray."

He could hear his heart beating like a drum inside his skull.

"I want to..."

"Yes?"

"I want to stay..."

"Stay? Stay where?"

"I want to stay here with you, Lila," He admitted in an nervous whisper. He looked to the patch of calla lillies to their left, rather than to look into Lila's eyes. "I want to spend my evening with you... I don't mind what we do... I just want to be by your side as you're bathed in the moonlight."

Lila stared at him, shaken, but then smiled at him. "I guess you were right after all, Ray. You do want what I want, huh." She released his face from her grasp and laid back against the soft grass, gazing up at the twinkling stars in the sky alongside the familiar constellations she could point out. Out in the mountains and so far from the city lights, you could see everything out there in the universe, and yet, she was still trying to steal glances at him.

"But its still nice to hear you say what you want, Ray. You should really speak up for yourself more often," She could hear the way his breath stiffened as she spoke, and the way his uneasy hand took hold of her own.

Ray hesitated, "...But what if I upset you?"

"I'd rather you be honest with me about your desires, Ray. That's what makes me really happy."

[marshmallowprotection]

Saeran x Lila drabble: this is like, them moving past what happened in chapter twenty-three, set during the sequel time period

“C’mon, Saeran, I’ve been covering my eyes since we got out of the car, the anticipation is just killing me. You know that I don’t have an ounce of patience left in my body!” 

A chuckle left his throat. “Just a little further, okay? I promise it’ll be worth it in the end.” 

“It better be or I’m gonna pout so hard for the rest of the night.” 

Saeran guided her along the little cobblestone path, making sure to remind her to watch as her step, as they strolled a little deeper into the forest path that he had learned. After a round of gentle prodding, he had managed to learn what her favorite place was in her family’s garden, and once he had that information, he set out to do something special for her heart. 

It was strange, really. 

Less than a few months ago, he had been in Magenta, making all the wrong choices with Lila, but now he was free of those chains that once bound him with their Earthly tether. He could do anything that he wanted to do, and Lila had chosen to stay by his side no matter what choice he made. 

He was beyond unworthy of such a thing, and yet, she saw something in him that nobody else had. 

“Alright, you can open your eyes. on the count of three... one... two... three.” 

She removed her hands from her eyes and gasped, looking around at the flowers with wide eyes. “What is all this?” she asked. 

It had been transformed from the natural landscape into a kind of dreamlike fairy tale, only by a bit though, with the touch of string lights tangled around the trunks of the trees, and candles carefully placed away from the vast valley of wisteria and lilacs. 

It looked oddly enough, like a painting that she had done in the past, and he had managed to give it actual life in the world. Lila covered her mouth, looking at everything with awe. It was perfect. It really was, all of it, and he had managed to do this in a day. 

He really had been looking at her paintings.

Saeran’s hands rested against her shoulders, ignoring that urge to catch a glimpse of her face. This was the most that he could think to do to pay her back for staying by his side after everything that’s happened. There might be so much storm left to weather ahead of them, but this night... this could be a night where none that mattered. 

Nothing but the two of them. 

“I think I owe you a dance, miss,” he said, instead, “The last one we shared ended on a bad note.” 

“Do you now?” Lila countered his words, spinning around to face him and turning her attention away from the glimmering fairy lights that brought the smallest amount of light to the garden. She stared at him, her expression unreadable to him. “I can’t seem to recall that instance you’re referring to, Saeran, would you care to enlighten me by showing me just what you mean?” 

There was a glint of amusement that flashed in her eyes, and it stole his heart all over again. She held out her hand to him, as a little laugh escaped from her rosy lips. 

He gladly took her hand in his and bowed his head. “Of course,” he said, resting the other against her hip. 

Lila smiled up at him. 

It thrilled his heart and made him feel so very good that Lila trusted him so passionately and wholeheartedly. It was the kind of thing that he never thought that he would be worthy of ever in his life She leaned into his moves, following his pace that he set, rocking against one another in a small display of devotion and passion. He loved the way that she felt with her head pressed against his heart, rocking to the beat of an old song hummed underneath his breath. 

“You know, you never answered my question back then, Saeran.” she pointed out, in a whisper. 

“What is that?” he asked.

“Where ever did you learn to dance so well?” Lila asked, resting her chin against his chest to peer up at him. “There’s just so much that I still don’t know about you that I keep discovering even now and I can’t help but to want to know more about you, Saeran.” 

“I have to keep some of my secrets hidden, don’t I?” he countered, a look of amusement flashing across his own face. “I want to keep you looking at me, princess, and if these little things bring you close to me, then I’ll let you know them... one by one, never all at once.” 

“You just want to tease me, don’t you?” She sighed a bit, shaking her head. 

“Mmm, yeah. I do.” he chuckled. 

“I love you,” she said, lowering her head so she wouldn’t meet his gaze as murmured those words. 

Saeran rested his chin against the top of her head, shutting his eyes as well so he could linger in her touch just a little while longer, just for a second longer, just a little more.  “I love you too, Lila.”