#might not get anything else drawn today so heres a cute sketch

[inhuman-obey-me]

The Agony & The Ecstasy

Can also be read on AO3 here

Word Count: 5.2k

Description: #HappyBirthdayAsmodeus 2021!! Before he was the Avatar of Lust, he was the Jewel of the Heavens. A journey from the angel Asmo used to be, to the demon he's become.

[cw: sexual mentions]

The Agony

He sat before the mirror of his bedroom, sketching his lean cheeks with their high bone ridges, his soft lips, the gentle curls of his champagne-toned hair, the light in his orange-yellow eyes.

The Jewel of the Heavens, they called him. The most beautiful of the angels. So lovely that even Jophiel, the patron angel of artists, had asked if she could have a painting to keep of him. And so, here he was, trying to capture his image on canvas for the archangel.

Asmodeus was proud of how everyone admired him, but truthfully he didn't think it was anything so special. Rather, he was more focused on how lovely everyone else around him was. He wouldn't say that he wasn't beautiful, but so was anyone, in one way or another. There was so much to admire in everyone that his heart ached every day. He longed to help them see themselves the way he saw them.

The lilting notes of a bird's song through the open window broke him out of his thoughts, and he set his sketch down for the moment to greet it.

"Well hello, bluebird dear," he greeted it with a smile, holding his hand out. "How are you today?" The bird trilled with delight in response, rubbing its head against his fingers, and he laughed, petting the creature. "Your singing is so lovely, my dear. What a beautiful day to hear your song."

"Oi, Asmo, good, you're here!" he heard his brother call from below the window. "Lilith and the twins snuck off down to the human world again, could ya go get them? Geez, those troublemakers...I've gotta help Lucifer with somethin' so I need you to go, okay?"

"Whaaaat, they went and they didn't invite me?" he pouted. "I can't believe them!"

"Hey, hey, that's not the point," Mammon groaned, rolling his eyes at his younger sibling. "Gabriel is looking for Beel and Belphie, and you know he'll flip if he finds out they went down to the human realm without permission."

"Okay, okay, I got it. I'll get them, don't worry! Walk with me to the portal?"

"Agh, I'm busy you know," Mammon groaned, though he didn't seem all that upset. "But fine, I get it, ya wanna spend some time with your big older brother! Leave it to Mammon!"

"You tell yourself that," Asmo giggled. He hopped down from the window, fluttering down gracefully on the lightness of his robes. "So where in the human world do you think they went this time?"

"Well, you know, Belphie always wants to go to that circus he likes. He mighta dragged the other two along with him."

"Ooooh, right, the circus! The acrobats are so graceful, with the way they glide around in the air. They don't even have wings, but they figured out a way to look like they're flying! Humans really are interesting, aren't they?"

"You think so? I think it's kinda scary, man," Mammon shuddered.

"Well just because you might trip over yourself even on the ground doesn't mean everyone's that clumsy!" Asmo teased.

"Oi! Take that back! I can walk just fine, thank you!"

"Heehee!"

"Anyway, if they're not at the circus, maybe one of those restaurants? Beel's been eating a lot lately, maybe he wanted to try some human realm food."

"Ah, yeah! The fancy restaurants down there make such pretty dishes! The chefs are such artists," Asmo said admiringly, eyes glittering. "I'd like to try one too..."

"Hey, don't forget you're goin' there to get the twins to come back! Don't get distracted by running off down there yourself!"

"But I never get to go down to see the human realm! And the three of them like it so much, you know, it'd be nice to see how pretty everything is for myself," Asmo smiled innocently.

The two of them stopped as they reached their destination.

"Oi, Asmo, I'm serious. You better not go off hitting on everyone you see again," Mammon warned.

"Hey! I'm not hitting on them, I just think everyone is beautiful, and they should know it," Asmo protested. "You're just jealous because they like me more than you. But if you saw the good in everyone you met like me, they'd love you too! You should try it sometime!"

"Ugh, Asmo...don't be gross. And seriously, come right back once you find them. Gabriel's gonna have my hide too if they don't report to him soon, after he asked me to send them over."

"Yeah, yeah. Okay, I'll be back before you know it!"

The younger brother waved breezily as he stepped through the portal.

--

When the light of the portal faded from his vision, Asmodeus found himself in a quiet, hidden spot of a sunny park. Birds chirped, dogs were playing, and he could hear the screaming laughter of children from farther away. In the distance, he could see a news board by the nearby street, which seemed as good a place as any to start checking for information about the circus.

Before he could make it over there, though, a young woman stopped him. "Ahh, excuse me! I just, um, y-you're really handsome, and um...I-I just wanted to say hello. Are you visiting our town? Would you like to spend some time together....maybe come with me to the bakery down the street?! I want to get to know you," she blurted out.

He laughed with delight. "Oooh, aren't you adorable! Forget me, you're so pretty yourself! Your skin is so radiant, and your eyes are so sweet," he cooed. She blushed bright red at the compliments immediately. "Oh! But...I don't have time to go to a bakery right now, I'm looking for my little siblings. Unless you've seen a pair of boys with a girl around there? A tall guy with orange hair, and a sleepy black-haired boy?"

"I, um..." she paused, mind racing on how to keep him interested. "You know, I-I might have seen them. Or maybe, um...maybe the baker has! P-people are going in there all the time, you know, s-so maybe he might have seen them...? I'm sure he'll be able to help!"

It was fairly obvious that she was lying, but Asmo couldn't help but be charmed by her shy attempts at staying with him. His heart tugged him to go along with it anyway, just as it tugged at anyone he came across, especially those who were so drawn in by him too. He couldn't help it, even if it got him into trouble at times. So he agreed.

"Hmm, is that so? Okay! Let's go then."

She led him along the road to the bakery, an extravagant little spot for the size of the shop, where the man at the counter unhelpfully told them that he'd seen a lot of boys around and couldn't possibly remember them all. "Maybe if you buy some bread, I might remember better. I recommend some of these tarts...and you'd better take this big loaf right here too, to be sure I don't forget again," he said with a vicious grin. "We charge by the ounce, of course."

The angel gave him a bright smile back. "Oooh, they do look delicious! You must be so talented to create such beautiful things, sir! Oh, but...I don't have any money on me..."

This clearly irked the man, though something about Asmo's cheerful expression at least stopped him from throwing the pair straight out of the shop, as he usually might with people like this, who came in with no money. He eyed the golden bangle on his visitor's wrist. "Give me that then," he demanded, pointing. "I'll give it to my daughter. She'll like it."

Against his better judgment, the angel obliged. After all, it was just a part of the human world disguise he wore - he could just make another one later. And the baker was going to give it to his daughter, which was certainly kind. Or at least, he thought that was better than just selling it, like most people would. How lovely for a father to want to give his daughter nice presents. "Here, you can have this then. So, about my brothers...?"

The human greedily snatched the bangle from his palm. "Sure, they came in, just about an hour ago probably. The orange-haired one bought more bread than I thought I would sell all day. The girl, she was talking about wanting to visit someone in town. She didn't mention where, but it sounded like it was near the square. And the boys, they wanted to go to the circus that's visiting. They're over at the edge of town."

Satisfied with this new information but not exactly pleased about what the exchange had cost him, he thanked the baker and excused himself from both humans.

Frustrating as it was, this was how it always went. Asmodeus felt himself filled to the brim overflowing with love for everyone, painfully so. And no matter how they lied, or tried to trick him, or took advantage of him, he still loved them so much. It wasn't that he was naive, or that he didn't notice, but just that he always still saw the good parts of them too.

At least he knew where to head from here, though. It sounded like Lilith had probably split off from the twins, but since Mammon had only asked him to send Beel and Belphie back, he'd worry about her later. First, the circus.

Luckily, by this point, Belphegor had been caught dragging his twin to such shows often enough that Asmo could pretty easily predict what area of the audience he'd find them in. He made his way into the tent and quickly located the pair. "You two!" he hissed quietly from the row behind them. "You know you shouldn't be running off to the human world while everyone is still working! Mammon said Gabriel was looking for you. You'd better get back, right now!"

The twins looked at him guiltily, two sets of apologetic eyes. "Sorry, it's my fault...Lilith said she wanted to visit someone, and you know Lucifer always scolds her not to go down alone. So I said we should come too," Beelzebub explained quickly.

"It's my fault too, Beel," Belphie added. "After she met up with them, I wanted to come see the circus again...sorry."

"Ahhh, okay, okay! I can't be mad at such cute younger brothers! Just hurry up and go!" Asmo said, waving away their apologies. "I'll find Lilith to make sure she comes back okay too."

Relieved at his easy forgiveness, the two of them slipped out quietly to head back.

The elder brother sat there a while longer. He'd never actually been to a circus himself before, and he was curious. It was entrancing - contortionists twisting their bodies in fascinating ways, trapeze artists flying gracefully across the air, the balance of the tightrope walkers and the authority of the ringmaster. Though he didn't know them, his heart ached with admiration at the performers below. It was easy to see why their youngest brother loved coming to these so much.

Before he knew it, he had stayed to the end of the show, and the audience was filtering out around him. But he didn't want to leave just yet, and longed for more. Without really thinking, he wandered out to the back of the tent, to the performer's entrance.

"Oh? A fan?"

He blushed a little as realized his mistake, meeting the eyes of the acrobat who had addressed him. "Hi there! I guess you could call me a fan, yes? Your performances out there were just sooo beautiful!"

An amused smile crossed her face. "Well aren't you a cutie. What's your name, hon?"

"I'm Asmodeus!" he replied cheerily. "But my brothers call me Asmo."

"Asmo, eh? Heh. Well, thanks for the compliments, Asmo," she said, leaning in to play with a strand of his hair. "I'm Naamah. Glad you enjoyed the show."

From this close, he could see every detail of how stunning the woman was. Her makeup was thick, as it needed to be for the stage, but it suited her somehow, like her face had always been meant to wear it this way. A tight bun of dark hair sat atop her head, ringed by a blue and red crown of feathers that matched the bright colors of a costume that showed off every curve of her slender, athletic body.

"In fact, Asmo, my dear fan," she continued, "today's your lucky day. I don't feel like sticking around for another of the top hat's fucking lectures about how we need to do better tomorrow. So what do you say we go find ourselves a party, love?"

He thought guiltily back to Lilith, who he had promised to find and escort home. But on the other hand, she had come to see someone, and he didn't really know when she'd be done meeting with this person, or where they were at this point. And he'd never actually been to a party before...

--

"Have another drink, Asmo, I insist," Naamah laughed tipsily, passing him another cup of wine. "You act like you've never let loose before!"

Truthfully, he sort of hadn't, and for his part, Asmodeus was having a magnificent time. A quaint little band of musicians played upbeat, joyful music from the edge of the courtyard, which was packed with merry folks in all sorts of costumes. His new friend had mentioned on their way here that it was a costume party, and the costumes truly did not disappoint - people here were dressed up as angels, demons, all kinds of animals, and even as things he'd never heard of before. Even after changing partially back into his angel form to let his wings free, he didn't feel like he stood out any more than anyone else.

And the dancing! The overflowing love he felt had an outlet for once, here where he could feed the energy back through his movements, passing from partner to partner without anyone to scold him for being too loose with his love. He couldn't help but think that the Celestial Realm felt so stuffy by comparison - all music back home being generally restricted to choirs to their father, and none of the raucous laughter and chatter filling the air the way the humans were doing here. The seraphs were strict on the lower angels, insisting on upright perfection at all times.

"This is so much fun," he said as he clinked his new cup against Naamah's with a laugh, giggling even harder when she then leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Pass it on," she dared in a whisper to his ear.

Being the Jewel of the Heavens, always filled with love as he was, it didn't take long for him to find another person to pass the kiss on to. He got up and lightly pecked a man by the sidelines on the cheek. "Hi there, darling. Would you like to dance?" he asked sweetly.

The man reddened slightly at the kiss but agreed quickly to a song, and Asmo found himself soon in another round of dancing, whirling between partners until he had probably danced with each person at least three times. Mid-step as he was about to pass to Naamah again, he noticed a figure moving quickly by from across the road.

A very familiar figure.

"Ack, I'm sorry - I've got to go," he said quickly, leaving his companion very confused as he dashed off from her and the rest of the party.

"Lilith!" he called out, chasing after her in the now-fallen night.

His sister startled at the sound of his voice. "Asmo? What are you doing here in the human realm?"

"You know, really I should be the one asking you that, sis!" he responded, patting her on the head as he caught up. "Mammon sent me here to find you and the twins. Although I, hehe, might have gotten a bit distracted on my way to find you after I sent the twins back. Okay, your turn, what were you doing here?"

She looked away shyly. "I was just, um...meeting someone."

"Ooooh? Tell your big brother more," he teased.

"Well, um...a-actually, Asmo, you love everyone, right? But how do you know you're in love with them?"

That certainly caught him off-guard.

"Hmmm? I never really thought about it," he mused. "I guess it feels kind of warm and fuzzy, right? Or...sometimes it's stronger. Like fire! Like your whole body is in flames, and you're going to burst apart in one biiiig explosion!" Teasingly, he grabbed her by the shoulders and mimicked some explosion sounds. "Why, my dear sister, have you fallen in love with somebody? Were you down here to ask the humans for loooove advice? Who is it, hon? Uriel? Israfil?? Camael?? Or - don't tell me it's Michael?!"

"N-no!" she said, eyes wide. "Ahh, no! No, it's not like that! And don't tell Lucifer or Mammon that I asked about this either!"

Her older brother just giggled mischievously in reply. "Well, let's just get back," he answered, placing his hand on the tree by where he'd landed earlier to open the portal back up.

When they stepped through, their two eldest brothers were waiting for them with scowls.

Lucifer spoke first. "Where have you two been, exactly?"

"Eep! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stay out so late!!" Lilith squeaked, quickly hiding behind her other brother. "I just, um--I just wanted to go meet with someone. And I lost track of time."

"What about you? Don't tell me ya got distracted hitting on people again," Mammon said, turning his attention to the other just-returned angel. "I've been havin' to cover for ya all day! Raphael is not happy."

"Hey, you're the one who sent me down there to find the twins!" Asmo argued back.

"Yeah, and they came back ages ago! So where have you been!"

"Well, one of the acrobats from Belphie's circus invited me to a party, so I--"

"A party?" Lucifer growled. "You were out late for a human party?"

"I mean...! I didn't know where to find Lilith or when she'd be done meeting her person, so I just thought I'd have some fun while I was down there," Asmo pouted.

"You still shouldn't be going to human world parties, Asmo," the eldest lectured, refocusing his gaze on their sister. "And as for you, about that person you went to meet...why are you meeting with a human?"

She just looked away.

Lucifer sighed. "Never mind, we'll talk later, Lilith. Just go back to your rooms for now, it's late and the next patrols will be by soon. You're lucky Mammon was the one on duty tonight and reported it straight to me so the other seraphs don't know yet."

With relief, the two of them scurried away back to their respective living quarters.

Back in his room, Asmodeus looked over the sketch of himself he'd been working on earlier that day. After the excitement of the day and the party, it looked so bland now that he looked at it again. It was perfectly in line with the classic portrait style of paintings all over the Celestial Realm, but it felt so flat. He saw the good in everyone, right?

And the best thing about him wasn't his face, or his hair, or the way the sunlight fell perfectly across his face at noon. No, the good thing about him was how he loved everyone, wasn it? The love that filled him to bursting at every moment, the love that felt like heavenly fire coursing through his heart every time he looked at someone. That was what made him the universally admired angel that everybody loved back. This painting needed to show that overflowing love too, didn't it?

He tore the canvas off, stretching a fresh one across the frame to start again.

&

When Lucifer came to the brothers to say he was going to rebel against their father, Asmodeus didn't hesitate. All of them had heard about what Lilith had done, and how she was set to be punished for it with obliteration. Utter destruction, wiping her from existence. And for what? For her love?

Well, Asmo was intimately familiar with getting in trouble over love. He'd certainly felt the sharp end of Raphael's spear enough times to know that love was not especially prized or respected in the Celestial Realm. Their father had created him with this overwhelming burning of love towards all, yet that same father commanded the angels without regard for love. It was his rules that forbade Asmo from having outlets to express his love, and it was those same rules that would now destroy his sister.

Lucifer had already tried arguing for mercy, to no avail. It didn't matter if it was out of love; all the worse, in fact, because Lilith wasn't supposed to have gone down to the human realm in the first place, let alone fallen in love with one of them. Their father didn't care about love. So, Lucifer would fight.

And so would Asmodeus.

The Ecstasy

When he came to, the first thing Asmo felt was weightlessness.

It wasn't just his clothes, which had transformed from a billowing mass of white robes to a slender, form-fitting black tank top and pants. Nor was it how his large, elegant wings were now turning to four smaller, curled bat-like ones.

No, it was the lack of burning fire in his chest. What normally felt tightly contained within him was looser, freer, like something had unlocked inside of him, allowing it to spill out.

It was such a jarring, unfamiliar feeling that he gasped out for air.

"Asmo!! Beel, Belphie! Levi! Are you all okay?!" Mammon called out at the sound, rushing over. He had landed not too far away, and seemed to have undergone his own transformation, his usual softly draping outfit now full of sharp, cutting lines instead. In fact, it looked like everyone had either changed or was mid-transformation.

"Where's Lilith?" Beelzebub asked immediately, sounding panicked. "She got hit by an arrow earlier and fell during the battle, is she here?! Is she okay?!"

Belphie sat up and looked around before shaking his head. "I don't think she's here," he said softly. "What happened?"

"Mmm, well judging by how we all look, I guess we're...demons now?" Asmo chimed in.

"Aaagh, dammit! I saw Lucifer fly down all of a sudden while we were fightin', but I don't see him here either. He's gotta be around here somewhere though," Mammon said. "C'mon, get up, guys. Levi, you okay over there?"

A pitiful mumble of affirmation came from the cerulean-haired lump. Levi had awoken but, it seemed, simply opted to stay laying on the ground, as if laying there would erase away everything that had just happened.

After a quick check over each of them, Mammon seemed satisfied that there were no major injuries, at least. Aside from, obviously, them all having lost their angel forms, and seemingly having transformed into demons here. Which meant...

"Welcome to the Devildom." A demon in a crisp black and red uniform walked up to them with a polite smile. "Lord Diavolo has requested for all of Lucifer's brothers to come to the RAD student council room at once. Of course, Lucifer himself is there as well."

Ignoring the confused chatter of the brothers, he led them to a grand building, through beautifully sculpted hallways, and into a large courtroom-like chamber.

A large, dark-skinned demon in what looked to be a red school uniform was seated at the judge's seat, and beside him...Lucifer, in a similar uniform as the man who had led them here, as well as a scary-looking blond individual they didn't recognize.

Five piles of cleanly folded uniforms sat on a table in the center of the room.

In what felt like a whirlwind of explanation, the demon at the center introduced himself as Lord Diavolo, confirmed that they were indeed demons now, and explained that, as the demon prince and current ruler of the Devildom, they were now part of his domain. This was RAD, a school for demons, and the demon who had led them here was Barbatos, his personal butler. His father, who had passed the reigns of power but still commanded more respect among the nobles, would help work out the details of their new positions here in the Devildom, but he wanted to welcome them as members of the RAD student council.

It was a lot, but most importantly, they would stay together down here. They would live together, with Lucifer working out the details of their new home, and they would attend this school. Apart from this, they would be eventually assigned other responsibilities, but they would be otherwise free to enjoy the Devildom as they pleased.

As they pleased. Asmodeus wasn't sure what this all meant for them, but he liked the sound of that phrase.

--

Asmo sighed happily, gazing at himself in his vanity mirror. He looked perfect. His outfit was perfect, with pearly flower earrings perfectly matching the flowery sleeves of his shirt.

After they fell, Mammon had worried and fussed over everyone - not that he would ever admit it outright. Still, the worry had been unmistakable, checking in on each brother every day to make sure they were adjusting okay. But for Asmodeus, things were more than okay. It was like a blindfold had been removed from his eyes.

When he looked at himself now, he understood why everyone had always fawned over his looks - he was gorgeous! How had he never seen it before? He was dazzlingly beautiful. No wonder they had called him the Jewel of the Heavens! And though he was no longer part of, well, heaven, he was still the most stunning being to exist, in all the three realms.

That being the case, it was only right to share himself with everyone, right? Everyone had always wanted to gaze upon him, and at last, with the chains of celestial modesty shed from him, he understood that it was his responsibility to share this gift of his beauty with all.

"I'm heading out!" he called out to his brothers in the common room as he skipped out of the house with excitement. By this point, he'd been to tons of parties, but the joy of it never really wore off. The energy, the dancing, the drinks, the new people, and most importantly? Getting to do whatever the hell he wanted.

The pumping music and the flashing lights of the club greeted him as he threw open the doors. "Who's ready for an Asmo party?! Your Avatar of Lust has arrived!" he cheered.

Everyone in the club went wild immediately, as they always did for these. A night of partying, hosted by the Avatar of Lust, filled with dancing and drinks, and inevitably ending in a wild orgy at some nearby hotel room with as many bodies as could be crammed in? The demons at the club always went wild for an event like that.

Cambores, his good friend, came up immediately to give him a kiss on the cheek and pass him a drink. "Asmo, baby, we've been waiting for you! There's a whole line of succubi who have been begging for a dance with you tonight!"

"Only a dance?" he giggled impishly, as he waved to the line his friend pointed out. "Well, they do have to take turns, since a beauty like mine has to be shared with everyone. But we'll have to see if any of them can tear themselves off of me after a dance!"

Wasting no time, he grabbed the hand of the first one and whirled her onto the floor. "Bothothêl, you're back for me again tonight," he teased. "Didn't get enough of me last night?"

"No, never, Lord Asmodeus," she responded, gazing adoringly into his eyes. She shimmied against him, pressing herself close against his body, and he responded in kind. "I want you every night if you'll allow it."

"Well, I'm flattered, my dear," he answered in a sultry whisper against her collarbone, "but I'm afraid you can't hog beauty like this. But maybe next time I eat you out, I'll eat your heart along with it so I can carry you with me, if you want to stay beside me so badly." He felt the lust emanating from her at that, and took the opportunity to give her a little nibble against her neck, before twirling her away to pull forth the next two succubi from the line at once.

By the tenth or eleventh song, he was about ready for another drink - and some actual action, rather than the intimate but very short flirts he was having with his dance partners. "Sarabocres, darling," he greeted the bartender cheerfully. "Can I get a Brimstone Kiss? And...a Death Tequila Sunset for this new friend of mine right here," he added, tugging over a random demon who had caught his eye from further down the bar.

"O-oh, um, Lord Asmodeus! T-thank you," the demon sputtered in surprise.

"You're welcome," he smiled sweetly back. "So you know my name, what's yours?"

"Kamusil, sir," she answered. Her eyes sparkled as she took him in, though she quickly scooted back and looked away. "Wow. You're even more beautiful than everyone says."

Smirking, he placed a finger under her chin and lifted her gaze back up to meet his. "Well, no one can accurately describe perfection, after all. But no need to be shy, cutie, you can drop the sir and all those formalities. Tell me, what kinds of secret desires are you hiding? If you could have, hmm...let's say, ten demons here in your bed tonight, who would they be?"

As if in a trance, any hesitation in her dropped away immediately. She pointed out various demons to him, some he recognized and some he didn't, all of them drop-dead gorgeous.

A mischievous smile spread across his face. He gave her a quick smooch, and whispered, "Okay, wait for me just a bit then, and don't you leave before me. Okaaay? We'll have a good time tonight, I promise."

With that, he downed his newly arrived drink and returned to join the throngs of dancers.

--

What a fun plaything she'd been, truly. Despite having been so shy, Kamusil had really had a knack for spying some of the wildest partners he'd been with in quite a while. He lay idly in the bed, tracing the sleeping form of one of the many sexed out demons beside him.

It would be an exaggeration to say they'd all explored pleasures together he'd never dreamed of - he was the Avatar of Lust, after all - but certainly there were some obscure things he got to try out that night. And there was always tomorrow, or the next night, or the next.

After all, there was nothing stopping him anymore. No shame, no modesty, none of the rules binding him. He could do whatever the hell he wanted.

And he loved it.

[jammatown919]

Little Hearts and Ugly Cats

Note: I’m not super proud of this one, but I couldn’t really figure out how to improve it without just rewriting it, which is something I absolutely did not have the energy for. It’s my first time writing either of these characters, so they’re probably a little off.  Content: Iris breaks her ankle. Barry decorates her cast.

It wasn't an uncommon occurrence for Iris to call Barry in the middle of the workday. Like many couples, they liked to check up and see how everything was going, or sometimes discuss plans for the evening. Nothing out of the ordinary.

What was a little strange was the fact that Iris wasn't calling during Barry's lunch break as she usually did, but rather two hours later, when he was knee-deep in evidence for his latest case. Despite the work in front of him, Barry decided to answer just in case it was an emergency.

"Iris?" He inquired as he lifted his phone to his ear.

"Hey," She replied after a moment, sounding tired and somewhat irritated. Instantly, Barry was out of his seat.

"What's wrong?" He demanded.

"Don't freak out," Iris warned, which was Barry's first reason to consider freaking out. "But I may have broken my ankle."

"Are you home?"

"Yeah, but-"

Before she could answer, he was speeding out of his lab and across the city, not particularly caring who saw him in that moment. All he cared about was getting to his wife.

He half expected to find her on the floor when he arrived, but of course, if that was the case he wouldn't have received such a calm phone call. Instead, she was laying on the couch, her foot already wrapped up in a cast and resting on a pillow.

She sighed as he appeared beside her and left the call that was still going on.

"I thought I told you not to freak out."

"What happened?" He asked, electing to ignore that. He scanned her body for other injuries, but she seemed relatively fine outside of the broken ankle.

"Do you remember that meta criminal my dad arrested last week? The one who could cause explosions?"

Barry stiffened slightly at that. Had she been attacked?

"His trial was today, and I was covering it for The Citizen." Iris went on. Barry relaxed slightly; he'd have heard about it already if someone had been attacked at the courthouse. "He managed to slip away from the officers while they were trying to bring him inside. It was only for a second, so he never actually had a chance to do anything, but it caused a panic in the crowd. I was trying to get away from it when I tripped over someone and landed on my ankle."

"Is it bad?" Barry knelt down to get a better look, but he couldn't really tell much with the cast in the way.

"Not really." Iris shook her head. "Caitlin patched me up and said I'll be fine in a few weeks."

"That's good at least." He replied. "I can call out of work if you need me here."

"I don't think you even have that many sick days." Iris pointed out. "And you don't need to do that; I'll be fine. Honestly, this is more annoying than anything else."

Barry felt a wave of sympathy for his wife. Thanks to his speed healing, he never had to worry about an injury keeping him down for very long, but he could imagine how boring it would be to be stuck on the couch for weeks. Maybe she didn't need him to take care of her, but at the very least he could do something to cheer her up.

"Wait here." He said, though it really wasn't necessary. He was to the junk drawer and back before Iris could blink.

"What's that for?" She asked, gazing curiously at the sharpie marker in his hand.

"Well," He knelt down again so that he was at eye level with her cast. "I figured if you're going to be stuck in this thing for a while, we might as well have a little fun with it."

Iris let out a soft chuckle, and Barry took that as his cue to begin scribbling little hearts along the side of her cast.

"Just make sure you leave some space for everyone else to sign." She said. Barry nodded as he began to sign his own name, keeping the letters small so there would be plenty of room left for the others.

"What should I put here?" He inquired, reaching out to gently tap the empty space at the top of her foot. Iris seemed thoughtful for a moment.

"Maybe a cat." She decided. "A cute little calico."

Barry smiled and began to draw the head of a small, cartoonish cat, holding his arm up slightly so he wouldn't accidentally put his weight on her foot. His lines were a bit shaky due to his arm's awkward position, but he managed to give it a lopsided smile and vaguely recognizable markings. It was definitely not his best work, but Iris didn't seem to mind.

"I think there's enough room to give it a friend."

At her request, Barry sketched out another cat head beside the first, this time with tabby stripes across it's forehead.

"Sorry they're not very good." Barry winced as he tried and failed to fix the second cat's misshapen left ear.

"What are you talking about?" Iris protested. "They're perfect."

"I'm glad you think so." Barry chuckled at his drawings, thinking that they looked quite a lot like something a toddler would have drawn. Perhaps something their toddler would draw when the time was right to expand their family. "I hope they at least cheered you up a little."

"They did." Iris replied. "Now I get to look at these and remember my husband loves me enough to come running home from work and decorate my cast."

"Of course." Barry placed the cap back on his marker and set it down on the coffee table. "I'd do anything to make sure you were happy."

"I love you." Iris gave him a little smile, and he stretched himself over to kiss her forehead. "Do you think you'll get in trouble for leaving work?"

"I'm sure Joe will understand." Barry replied. "And I'm sure he'll understand if I stay here for the rest of the day to keep you company."

"Don't you have work to do?"

"That can wait." Barry said matter-of-factly, hoisting himself up onto the couch beside Iris. "My wife is more important."

------

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[arhvste]

KOZUME KENMA - WORK OF ART

request - could it be possible to get a kenma fic/scenario where his gf or girl crush is an artist and often draws him- probably hides it n testu or someone finds it and shows him so now they go on lip dates where kenma just plays his games and she draws him just like extra fluffy if you can I love kenma so much 🥺🥺🥺 if it’s too much then just something fluffy with ken ! thank you!

warnings - none

an - thank you for the request anon i just know kuroo the little shit would show his best friend all the drawings he finds 😈

-

classes were boring enough as it is but learning about the history or hiragana? what was the need? 

sitting by the window seat, you had the obvious choice to stare outside the glass as class dragged along but you hardly found yourself looking outside at the window. instead, you would look and admire a classmate of yours.

kozume kenma.

he was one of the prettiest boys you’d ever seen. even his actions were so delicate and gentle to which would encourage the light butteries in your stomach to flutter a little more while you watched him. it wasn’t long before you found yourself sketching the bleached haired boy.

you were an avid artist with a beautiful talent. drawing kenma seemed a little out of your comfort zone at first. when you noticed you’d been sketching him for a few weeks you tried to consciously stop yourself, you didn’t want to feel like a creep who would just stare and draw someone. these sketches captured the boy’s calmness perfectly though and you found you couldn’t help yourself but continue, even deciding to add more detail into particular pieces you liked.

you told yourself that you were just using him as inspiration. you weren't infatuated with the boy, just inspired. no matter how hard you tried to convince yourself of this though, you found yourself enjoying drawing him more than anyone or anything else bringing you to the conclusion that yes, maybe you were perhaps a little smitten with him. not that you’d ever let him find out though.

-

your sketch book was littered with an assortment of drawings. some finished down to the smallest detailed and others half done, lazily sketched and yet to be completed. kenma took up most of the occupation of the pages though. surrounded by statues, flowers and other pretty things you often drew kenma as the centre piece for all your pages.

the drawings you skillfully created depended on your mood and kenma’s mood on the day. some days, kenma would be struggling to keep his concentration on the lesson going on in front of him, other days he’d be almost interested and looked as if he was putting more effort into his work. your most favourite days, were ones where kenma was lazily interested in the lesson. he would often propt is chin under his hand, eyes prettily fluttering occasionally while trying to stay awake (probably sleep deprived from excessive hours of gaming) and he would sometimes even use a thin black bobby pin to pin his long hair out of his face to stop his field of vision from closing in tempting him to fall into a slumber in the midst of class. those days were your favourite. he looked extra pretty.

today just happened to be one of those days as you gazed at kenma who at this moment had his hair messily pinned out of his face, eyes drooping every so often with the setters head dropping ever so slightly every time he felt the weight of sleep too heavy to handle. one hand placed under his chin, keeping his head from completely falling onto the desk and the other weakly holding his pen as he attempted to keep up with the classes notes.

you wanted to draw him in this moment really, but you did happen to feel bad for the blonde. he was obviously struggling to keep his head clear enough to focus so you decided now was a good opportunity to step out of your comfort zone a little.

“kozume-san? you whispered ever so gently.

kenma’s eyes widened slightly at the sound of his voice being called. he tilted his head in you direction and blinked his twinkly golden eyes at you

“hm?”

“d-do you want me to uh keep up with your notes for you?”

kenma’s eyes softened at the sound of your gentle voice.

“why would you want to do that l/n?”

“i can see you’re struggling to stay focused. we sit near the back and the teacher isn't interested in looking in our direction. you can catch up on a bit of sleep - o-only if you want though you don't have to!”

you knew you were blushing now. maybe you should’ve just minded your own business but in a split second you knew it was all worth it.

kenma gave you a small but genuine smile. fuck. it was so pretty. he was so pretty. his smile wasn’t blinding no, more of a gentle angelic glowing light that warms ones heart. the rare sort of golden light that can only be captured in a small time window each day and only through clear skies. you had made kozume kenma smile and you knew you were right to have stepped out your comfort zone.

“you’re observant. its much appreciated l/n, thank you. let me know how i can repay you after.”

his soft voice heavy with sleep sent the butteries in your stomach to go off in a frenzy. his delicate hands handed you his class book and he blushed so lightly it wasn't even noticeable at the subtle contact of your fingers brushing past each other.

he gave you a gentle nod as he laid his head down gently on his desk and gave into the strong craving to fall into a sleep.

drawing and writing were two things that came naturally to you. you were able at completing both tasks at a quick speed but you did it so flawlessly. you took a shy pride in your notes and classwork as you did with your drawings. both aesthetically pleasing to look at, but full of appropriate and useful content.

writing kenma’s notes alongside yours wouldn’t be a problem to you.

however, this would cause one in the unbeknownst future to you.

-

class ended about 50 minutes after you had encouraged kenma to have a small sleep. classmates were closing their notebooks and packing up their things. you gently tapped the sleeping setters shoulder with notes in your hand.

after a few taps the boy slowly lifted his head and gently rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. your heart melted at the sight of his eyes flickering while adjusting to the light. the slightly darkened sun depicting his eyes as gold speckled pools of honey, his nose scrunched up as he allowed his body to wake up. was there ever a time this boy was ugly? he seemed to be attractive doing everything, it wasn’t fair.

taking the book from your hands he nodded and gave you a shy smile.

“thank you, l/n. please tell me how i can repay you”

“oh! please don't worry about it! you looked like you needed a recharge i’m just happy you were able to do just that.”

“you’re a kind person l/n. but don’t hesitate to let me know if you ever need a favour.”

and with that, the setter packed up the few papers he had been resting on and then slightly bowing at you before heading out the door most likely to get ready for practice.

you smiled to yourself and headed out your classroom to leave for home knowing you had done a good deed for the day and you had happened to have your first direct interaction with the boy you’d been delicately sketching for the past couple of months.

-

“kenma! you’re 2 minutes and 38 seconds later than usual! we can't afford to have the brain of the team slacking.” kuroo teased his best friend with an irritating smile.

“was talking to a classmate. she helped keep me up with the class notes.” kenma spoke boredly as he set his bag down so he could change into his gym clothes.

“notes eh? offended you wouldn't just ask me for help. this feels like betrayal.” 

kenma rolled his eyes at his friend’s childish behaviour and dug through his bag to look for his clothes.

“the offer was there so i just took it. besides, l/n’s handwriting is much more eligible than yours.”

“ouch. are they as detailed though?”

“probably even more.”

“i don’t believe you.”

“look for yourself.” kenma shrugged nodding towards his schoolbag.

kuroo wandered over to kenma’s bag and pulled the classwork book out.

“uh yeah i guess these are pretty ne- oHOHO what do we have here?”

kuroos eyes danced over the pages, a shit eating grin spreading across his face.

“i hate when you pull that face what’s wrong with you?” kenma’s disgusted face looked up at kuroo who looked like he was having an internal field day.

“l/n eh? i think someones got a little crush on you kenma.”

“what?”

kuroo turned the book around to show the pages to kenma who’s eye widened.

there was the pages you had littered with beautifully depicted drawings of kenma. 

both boys were silent as kenma’s eyes scanned over the pages.

“no reaction? personally i’d be flattered if someone drew me that much and with such good detail too.”

kenma was still processing all the drawings as a million possible reasons for why you’d drawn him so much ran though his head.

did you think he was attractive?

was it a crush like kuroo had teased?

did you just need a reference and he just so happened to be there?

were the drawings actually him or were they just someone scarily similar?

“sooooo... you gonna talk to her then?”

kuroo smiled teasingly at the now blushing setter.

“i’ll just give this back to her. it’s obviously personal and she might even explain herself when she sees that i have her book.”

kuroo shrugged and put the book back in kenma’s bag. 

“i think it’s cute kenma, take my advice, you should take the opportunity to get to know her a little, she's obviously interested in you.”

kenma snorted at his friends words slightly as he begun to follow him out the changing rooms and into the gym to join the rest of the team.

“ironic the relationship virgin is giving me advice.”

kuroo could only roll his eyes and laugh.

“to think you’d be the one to get a girl first, in my defence i’m too busy for relationships.”

“okay mr docosahexaenoic acid, whatever helps you sleep at night.”

-

you had just arrived home and you felt the weight of the day lift itself off of you as you threw your shoes off and dropped your bag to the floor in your bedroom.

you bag tipped over with some of the contents spilling out causing you to huff but get up and pick it up anyway.

then you saw it.

your heart dropped.

“fuck.”

‘kozume kenma’ was written on the front of one of your classwork books. how had you been so stupid in getting them mixed up.

you began to panic and think of solutions to this fresh dilemma.

“maybe i should just tell him that i just like him nows a chance? no that's stupid why would i do that? i’ll just tell him it’s a model that just looks similar to him. no, that’s not believable is it? fuck it. i’m moving country.”

you screamed into your pillow but then stopped when you remembered something. 

kenma was in practice right now. there’s no way he could’ve opened the book and bothered checking the work right? why would he bother doing that?

you checked the time on your phone. 3:28pm. you still had a while until practice was over. that would be more than enough time to go into the changing rooms and swap the books before anyone notices. and even if he had opened the book already, when he saw his book was back in his bag, you could easily play it off as if he had dreamt the drawings up as he would’ve just woken up and still been drowsy.

you wasted no time grabbing your shoes and the book to sprint out the door. school wasn’t too far from your house, a 17 minute walk to be exact. your legs started to ache at the sudden intense action of you sprinting like your life depended on it. well, your life did depend on it. if kenma saw them and thought you were weird, what were you to do then? dropping out of school seemed like the most reasonable option.

finally reaching the gates you caught your breath. getting to school was a 17 minute walk but a 9 minute run. once you gathered your thoughts you quietly approached the gym to peek inside. there the team were training and focused on the court. going in through the front of the school and walking through the halls to get to the changing rooms through the back way, you gripped the book tightly as you got to the boys changing rooms.

a quiet prayer was muttered before entering. the changing room was surprisingly clean and didn't smell like over sprayed deodorant and excessive sweat like you’d imagined. you let out a sigh of relief as you scanned the room for kenma’s stuff before noticing it at the end of the room.

“just in and out.” you muttered under your breath as you walked swiftly over to the setter’s belongings

digging through kenma’s stuff proved to be quite stressful. you were so focused on not getting caught, you failed to noticed the door separating the gym and changing rooms open.

“uh l/n?”

you jumped and turned your head to the owner of the voice.

there stood a slight sweaty and tired looking kenma who had offered to return to the changing rooms to grab one of yaku’s extra kneepads.

“uhhh i can explain.. our books got um mixed up and i uh well -”

“you’re talented you know.” kenma gave you a small almost ghost smile.

your face instantly heated up at the small praise the boy had given you.

“w-what?”

“the drawings. i must say, i was surprised when i saw them but, you have talent y/n and... i don’t mind if you keep drawing me...”

kenma’s shy persona caused the last part to come out so quietly you almost didn't hear him.

“i’ll keep that in mind.” you smiled as you approached kenma to give him his book back.

he muttered a quiet thanks and went through his own bag to fish you out your book to give back to you. the tension was awkward but not heavy enough to drive either of you away instantly. both of you holding back in anticipation waiting for one of you to talk.

“so um, do you wanna maybe go out sometime? you don’t have to.”

your eyes softened again as you shyly nodded.

“i would like that kozume-san.”

“kenma. call me kenma.”

-

months had passed since then. you found you had things in common with the setter and found his neutral presence calming. he wasn’t too loud or in your face but he also wasn’t completely extroverted to the point where you’d sit in awkward silence like people often assumed he was like. 

you had met his team and family and they all welcomed you with open arms eager to get to know the girl who had drawn kenma not only on paper but drawn him out of his comfort zone gently. 

the two of you weren’t big on going out on dates. you would both often opt to stay in and enjoy each other’s company. kenma would game and you would draw, the two of you engaging in soft and relaxing conversation. kenma would never admit it out loud, but he loved the days where you would draw him. he would act like he was too immersed in his game to notice you sketching away but he felt a sense of pride in him whenever he noticed you using him as your model.

you had grown more confident in yourself and often allowed kenma to see your drawings. you decided since you were using him as your reference, the least you could do was show him how you portrayed him and every time he would compliment and praise you for your work.

“you know i’m glad i felt extra tired that one day you offered to do my notes.”

you hummed and looked up at your boyfriend.

“yeah? i’m just gad you weren’t weirded out by my book.”

kenma offered a gentle smile at you.

“weirded out? i was taken aback but not weirded out. i was ever so slightly flattered even. thank you for seeing some sort of beauty in me.”

brushing his hair out of his face you smiled softly as you leaned closer to his face to whisper your final words before pressing a delicate kiss to his lips.

“no, thank you for being a work of art.”

[lifedistractions]

After her therapeutic shower, Amy returned to their semi private hospital room. The curtain that had enclosed the bed was half drawn on the other side that faced the window. She heard her husband’s voice speaking in a soft, gentle tone to their brand new baby boy. The tiny figure was asleep on Jonah’s bare chest with a light blanket the nurse had provided on top of both of them. Amy quietly approached but stopped short of interrupting the newly minted father and son. Instead, she chose to sit down on the bed and listen behind the curtain.

“You know what, little man? The two of us are pretty lucky. Your mom is…an incredible woman. What she did today? That was amazing. I was there for your brother’s birth too and I gotta say, I don’t know anyone who is as strong as your mom. I couldn’t do it, that’s for sure,” he chuckled. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m no pushover. And when it comes to protecting those I care about, I am there like a brick wall. You don’t ever have to worry about that. I will always be here for you. Same goes for your mom.”

Amy blushed at his steadfast declaration. Jonah’s devotion was always so clear. And now hearing him give his first private heart to heart talk to his baby made her feel so warm and sentimental.

“You chose a pretty great family to be born into. You’ve got an older brother Parker who can’t wait to meet you, even though he insists we call you Monkey. We may have to humour him and give you that nickname. Hope you’re okay with that. He’s so funny. He’ll make you laugh every single day. I’m sure you two will be best friends. I wished I was best friends with my older brothers but that didn’t quite work out. But you two will be different because Parker’s not a- well, he’s not like your Uncle Josh, let’s put it that way.”

Amy covered her mouth to stop a giggle from escaping.

“Your older sister Emma is awesome. She’ll keep you straightened out. She’s got great instincts. And not unlike your mom, she’s as strong as they come. Not to mention she’ll whoop your butt in any video game. Word to the wise though, just between you and me, Emma is a big softy. She has a tough outer shell but if you earn her trust, she’ll let you get to know the real her. Personally, I don’t think you’ll have much trouble. Looking like this. You are pretty darn cute. You’ll win her over in a flash, no doubt.

Carter squirmed a little and his mouth curved into a sleepy smile. Jonah continued to rub his back softly while gently moving the rocking chair they were snuggled in back and forth.

“Sounds pretty good, huh? Yeah, and as for me and your mom, we love you so much. In fact, in this very moment, this might be the happiest I have ever been. About to jump into our new adventure, the five of us. The Sosa Simms family adventure. Has a nice ring to it, don’t ya think? And yeah, I know we probably will have some bumps along the way. But I just want you to understand that no matter what happens, whatever parent/kid arguments we might have, and we will have them, that your mom and I love you more than anything, so don’t you forget it.” Jonah tenderly kissed the top of Carter’s already full head of dark brown hair.

“I can’t wait to see you grow. Not too fast though, okay? I want to soak it all in. The rolling over, the sitting up, the eating solid foods, your first steps, your first giggle. Oh man, your first day of school, your graduation, your wedding day? So many moments, I’ve dreamed about and we’re just at the very beginning of it all. Do you know how excited I am? We are literally living out my dream, right now.”

Amy thought back to when she first met this excited dreamer. The man who thought it was a good idea to spend all of his first day of work wages, and then some, not mention the hours spent, plastering the Cloud 9 store ceiling with glow stars. All for her. That ‘moment of beauty’ man was now skin to skin bonding with the baby they made together. A new life to impart, and with any luck, carry on his dreamy optimism. She had a good feeling about whatever the future held. If for nothing else, she had to admit to herself, she too shared his dream. A dream of a family that they had manifested, with so many moments of beauty still to come.

…..

I drew the sketch above after i wrote this fic. Hopefully you enjoy both and they compliment each other.

Follow me on Twitter @simmstan1

[yuvon-writes-letters]

Hey again Yu!

That's actually the second letter I'm writing you today, so I'm not quite sure whether we'll really find a way to compare the timelines between us.

Or, that's just another guess I have, the entity messing with you (and/or me; honestly, I wouldn't be surprised anymore if they were two different entities) figured out that the time went weird between us and tried/is trying to fix it.

I didn't really want to contact Phil (even though jealous-Jake in my universe what kinda cute the first time), even though I really thought about Alan. But in the moment I don't think that's the best idea. Thanks for the advise for Darkness, though, I think it's at least worth a try. And I mean, I have the picture of the mask (you could imagine me shrugging here. Makes the letter seem more 'alive')

About going to Duskwood...I am not sure...I really don't want to break my promise to Jake. Also, when the MWAF really is NOT in stasis, like me, that could become really dangerous. And I am still thinking about the boys from my neighborhood. You know, that they didn't remember the stickers.

But I'm still thinking of this possibility (sorry Jake, even though you're not mine [an embarrased face is drawn next to the sentence]).

So, next topic. I *really* love video games :) But more like Nintendo, Mario; Pokemon etc. Honestly, if this whole thing here was a video game I'd probably even play it xD

So, you have access to local multiplayer games and even bord games for more than one person. That's really weird; maybe the entity plans to join you at some point? Or sent another person to you? That also could explain the chessboard.

Haha, you crossed out pretty much to answer my question about not telling something. I mean, it wasn't a difficult question, but I understand. Sometimes words just don't come out right :)

I just really hope ~we'll get the chance to~ the stasis won't last much longer.

And I almost forgot about Rai! Yes, I agree. Maybe much was going on in their life.

Looking forward to your next letter,

Liska🐾🔥

Liska,

Yeah, I sort of thought a conversion system wouldn't work. Your theory's a pretty solid one, but obviously there's no evidence of anything, because this is the damn Entities we're talking about.

You're welcome. If you manage to talk to Darkness, let us know! That'd be interesting, if they aren't in stasis with everyone else.

Yeah, there's a lot of reasons NOT to go to Duskwood, but I had to at least put it out there as a possibility. You might want to consider, though, that if the MWAF could in any way figure out where you are, you might want to buy a hotel room or something for a little bit. Under normal circumstances, I'd also advise you to call the police, but, well, normality's a distant dream by now.

I love Pokemon, honestly, though I'm a little more meh about Mario. (I suck at platformers XD ) My favorite one I've played is probably also the first one I played, Pokemon Black.

Ooh, yes, I'd play it too! I'm imagining it as a sort of point and click mystery game right now, or maybe a visual novel. Well, the point-and-click would more be my situation, honestly, but you get what I mean.

I mean... there MUST be something to do with another person, right? That or the entity is purposefully fucking with my head and making me paranoid for its amusement. Whatever the case, I don't know anything. I haven't found any evidence of anyone else in this place. Maybe it's planning on pul

I just had a very nasty thought. Liska, Rai, do either of you like chess?

OKAY SWITCHING SUBJECTS NOW. Looking back at that letter, I guess it really did look like I lied, there, didn't it? But no, I'm not hiding anything. I was just obsessing about word choice and ended up scratching out some first iterations.

(You might need to be a teensy bit more specific when calling her out, Liska. 😉)

I'm... it's weird. I hate this place, completely despise it, but I'm worried that I'll lose contact with you two when I go. I mean, it's obviously not the end of the world or anything, but yeah. I don't really know what I'm feeling right now.

Brighter subject, I don't know if you saw the letters yet or not but Rai is back! :) (There's a quick sketch of falling confetti.) Maybe they can think of ways to help you out too, they've been pretty helpful to me so far.

Jake is disappointed that time isn't moving lineally or predictably, but not horribly so. He blue-screened a little when you mentioned that him being jealous was cute XD

Whatever else is going on, and however confusing everything is, I at least hope your stasis will end soon.

—Yu and Jake

(The letter tucks itself into the paper clip with the others.)

[dakotakaiskicks]

Tattooed Heart

A/N: Ya girl is back with another mediocre fanfic that nobody asked for! This idea was brought on from my accidental Ink Master binge session on YouTube, oops. Fair warning, I know little to nothing about tattooing because I’m scared shitless of needles but the Tattoo Shop AU begs to be written. Also, this one is dedicated to @relentlessriott again because she’s captain of RuLiv and she’s my best pal.

There aren’t many things that Liv Morgan can say she hates, but needles are pretty high up on that list. The pain they bring, albeit temporary, is something she would rather not experience unless necessary. So the fact that she is currently in a car, on the way to a tattoo shop with her best friend, is a feat in and of itself.

“Dude, you’re gonna be fine! It’s not a big deal.”

Sonya Deville looked over from the driver’s seat to see Liv pouting with her arms crossed over her chest, leg bouncing with anxiety.

“Not a big deal? Not only is it gonna hurt, but it’s gonna be on my body forever! That’s a VERY big deal.”

Sonya rolled her eyes before responding, “It only hurts for a little while. If it will make you feel better, I’ll even hold your hand.”

“I don’t think Mandy would be very happy about that,” Liv smirked as the words left her mouth, Making Sonya blush at the mention of her girlfriend.

“Shut up, Olivia!” The brunette playfully slapped her friend on the arm, chuckling at the offended look on the blonde’s face.

“Don’t bring my government name into this!”

“You’re an idiot, and you’re being dramatic. Everything’s gonna be okay! They have numbing cream for wimps like you.” As they pulled up in front of the tattoo shop, any wise retort fell off of the blonde’s tongue. The hairs on the back of her neck were on end as she looked at the big sign on top of the building that read, ‘Riott, Inc.’

“Well, we’re here.”

“Yes, Sonya, I can see that!!” She was hesitant to open the car door, so much so that Sonya actually had to force the door open herself and practically drag Liv into the shop.

The first person that the two women saw was a tall, bald man who was heavily tattooed and seemed to have a permanent scowl on his face. “Can I help you two?” His voice was deep and Liv was immediately intimidated by him. She was definitely regretting her decision to come along now.

Sonya spoke up as Liv was too distracted by not only the man’s presence, but the sounds of punk rock music and tattoo guns. “We’re here to get tattoos.”

“Well, you’re in a good place for that. I’m Baron, by the way.” The tattooed man finally managed a smile that made him seem at least a little approachable.

“I’m Sonya, and this is Liv.” The brunette gestured towards the blonde, but Liv was looking straight past him and to a woman with bright green hair and full sleeves of tattoos. She was completely taken back by how beautiful the woman was. Sonya noticed that her friend was distracted and punched her in the shoulder to bring her back to Earth.

“Bro, what the hell?!?”

Sonya smirked. “You weren’t paying attention, had to get you back somehow.”

“By resorting to violence? I thought we were more mature than that, Deville.” Both women turned around to see the tattooed woman that Liv was staring at, was standing right in front of them.

“A little violence never hurt anybody, Riott, you know that!”

Liv rolled her eyes, “My arm begs to differ on that one!”

Ruby smiled at how adorable the blonde was, her voice making butterflies erupt in the tattooed woman’s stomach. She didn’t think she had ever seen a more beautiful woman in all her life, but she was a professional before anything else, so she decided to let it be.

“Are you getting another tattoo? You were just here like 2 weeks ago. I’m starting to think you think we’re friends or something.” The green haired woman smirked as she looked at Sonya, trying to get under her skin a little bit.

“I actually came to see Paige but I see she’s not here today so I guess we’ll just leave.”

“Whatever, you know you love me.” She turned to look at Liv, staring into her blue eyes and blushing slightly. “I’m Ruby, it’s nice to meet you.”

Liv offered her hand out for Ruby to shake, which the tattooed woman gladly took. “I-I’m Liv.”

Sonya’s eyes rolled so far into the back of her head that she thought she had been able to see her brain. She had chosen to bring Liv to Ruby’s shop under the pretense of maybe getting them together, but seeing how disgustingly cute they were being made her regret that decision.

Baron cleared his throat, making the 3 women jump in surprise. “That’s not fair, I didn’t get a handshake!”

The response made Liv giggle, the blonde trying to quickly cover her mouth in order to hide her laugh. She had always been insecure about her laugh, but Ruby thought it was just as adorable as the rest of her. “Dude, nobody wants to shake your hand, nobody knows where it’s been.” The man scoffed while looking at Sonya, “Do you know what you want? We’ll let the lovebirds be alone with each other.”

Liv and Ruby both blushed, the blonde suddenly becoming aware of what was about to happen. Sonya was about to be taken to a different room, leaving Liv to not only be in pain by herself, but also be left alone with an attractive woman. That combination was something that left Liv’s stomach in knots for many different reasons.

Ruby lead the way to a room in the back of the shop that had various tattoo designs adorning the green walls. Liv was under the assumption that this was Ruby’s room, and the photos on the wall of the tattooed woman with what appeared to be her friends and family confirmed it.

“So,” Ruby began, “do you know what you’re looking to get?”

Liv was suddenly overwhelmed, not only by the decision she had to make, but by how close the two women were to each other. The blonde studied the tattoos across Ruby’s arms, as well as the one across her throat. She was in awe of the intricate designs and wondered what they all meant. She thought she might ask about them, but that would depend on how much pain she would soon be in.

“Honestly, I don’t have any ideas. Sonya kinda pressured me into coming along even though she knows I’m terrified of needles, plus the commitment of having something on my body for the rest of my life is scary, you know?”

Ruby chuckled before answering. “I’m gonna tell you something, but you can’t say anything about it to anybody else: I’m actually scared of needles, too.”

The blonde looked at the various tattoos on her skin before looking back up at Ruby, not believing her. “Why do you have so many tattoos, then?”

“Because the pain of the tattoos is worth the stories told through them. It doesn’t matter if it’s something that has specific meaning, or if it’s just a random drawing picked at the last second. Every tattoo has some sort of story behind it.”

Liv was in awe of her response, not expecting that, but it did make her feel a little better. Still, she had come no closer to making a decision on what she actually wanted to get permanently placed on her body.

“What would you recommend? Like what do you think will look good?”

“Honestly, on you, anything would look good.” That statement caught both women off guard, Ruby not actually meaning to say that out loud.

Liv looked at the designs on the wall once again to see if she could see anything she thought she might be able to get away with. There weren’t many that she could see herself wearing on her body for the rest of her life, until she spotted a floral design in the corner of one of the frames. She decided that it was perfect for her. She pointed it out to Ruby to see what she thought.

“That’s actually one of my favorites that I’ve drawn, but most people that come in here usually go for the weirder designs I have up. But I think that one will look beautiful on you. Where do you think you’re gonna want it?”

“My wrist, maybe? Wait, it doesn’t hurt that much, does it? Where is it gonna hurt the least? Wherever it is, that’s where I want it.”

“Darling, wherever you get it, it’s gonna at least hurt a little bit. But if you want it on your wrist, I’ll do everything I can to make it as comfortable as possible for you.”

Liv blushed at the nickname, not even sure if Ruby had meant to call her that or not. She wasn’t going to complain, though. If a beautiful girl wanted to call her cute nicknames, she could definitely handle that.

“Okay, let’s just do it before I change my mind.”

“Only if you’re sure. This is gonna be on you forever.” Ruby didn’t want Liv to leave her shop with a tattoo she didn’t like, but she was also kind of looking forward to being in the presence of the blonde for even a couple of hours longer. “Yes, let’s get it done. I’m sure Sonya’s in there talking mad shit about how big of a baby I am and I need to prove her wrong.”

Ruby laughed before sketching out the stencil to place on Liv’s wrist. Liv was nervous, that much was obvious, but the tattooed woman’s touch was calming her nerves at least a little bit.

“So,” she began, “I know this might sound weird, but could you, like, I don’t know, hold my hand maybe?”

Ruby looked at Liv and responded with a bright smile. “I’m kinda gonna have to so I can keep your arm steady.”

“Yeah, right.” The mood in the room was now slightly awkward, which neither woman enjoyed. But, being the professional that she is, Ruby started her tattoo gun and began to get to work. Liv flinched at the first feeling of the needle touching her skin, the feeling like a bee stinging her repeatedly. It wasn’t as intense as she had figured it would be, so she began to try and make small talk with Ruby.

That small talk soon turned into meaningful conversation, the two women chatting and joking around like they had known each other forever. Before they knew it, the tattoo was finished and Liv feeling relieved that the pain was done with, but saddened that her time with Ruby would soon be over.

“Well, you’re done. Take a look and tell me what you think.” Liv looked down at the flowers that adorned the inside of her wrist and smiled. She loved it, and she made sure to let Ruby know it. “It’s beautiful. Thank you so much! I don’t know what I was so afraid of, it really didn’t even hurt that bad.”

“I’m glad you love it. I think it looks perfect on you.” Both women blushed as they realized that they were still holding hands. Ruby reluctantly pulled away so she could wrap Liv’s wrist to keep it protected. After going over some aftercare procedures, the blonde stood up out of the chair she was sitting in, a slight pout on her face.

Sonya came knocking on the door soon after, asking if Liv was almost done. “You didn’t pass out, did you? Because I don’t have any kind of time to be taking you to the hospital. I have a date with Mandy tonight!”

“I’ll have you know that I did great! I didn’t even cry or anything. Ruby did a great job keeping me distracted.” The two women smiled at each other before opening the door and going back out into the lobby of the shop, hands brushing because of how close they were.

The two women paid for their work, and before they walked out, Liv turned back around to speak to Ruby once again. “Thank you for everything. I just may be back. I think I’ve caught the tattoo bug.”

“Looks like you caught the love bug, too,” Sonya said, ignoring the glare being given to her by the blonde. Ruby looked shocked, wondering if her feelings were really that obvious. Maybe not love, but there was a definite crush there at least.

The green haired woman rushed to the desk at the front of the shop, grabbing  a piece of paper and jotting something down before handing it to Liv. “This is my number, I hope you’ll text me. You know, in case you need any help taking care of your tattoo or anything.”

The blonde put the piece of paper in her back pocket and smiled at the woman. “I might just do that, though it might not be about the tattoo.” Sonya grabbed Liv’s other wrist before pulling her out the door, not wanting to witness her friends pining over each other any longer.

“So, you regret going with me now?”

The blonde had a dreamy smile on her face, already thinking about the next time she would be able to talk to Ruby. “Not at all.”

[yeenybeanies]

A Little Tipsy

i was semi-productive, so i’m rewarding myself with self-indulgent nonsense. shoutout to the anons that suggested drunk!devin. not a whole lot of shenanigans, but it's still nice :>

arthur morgan & devin clarke ( oc )

1436 words

language & alcohol warnings

reblogs > likes!! feel free to leave comments in the tags!! 

Borrowing is tough. Being a borrower and having to borrow is tough. Borrowers, of course, know this, and anyone lucky enough to know a borrower knows this. Being only a few inches tall comes with a countless many risks. Danger is everywhere; nearly everything is a threat.

Naturally, bearing all of that in mind, it would be completely asinine for a borrower to partake in certain human pleasures, such as gin or whiskey or ( the debatable pleasure ) moonshine. With intoxication comes lowered alertness and reaction time and coordination––all of which can be fatal to a wandering borrower. While it’s not typically a spoken rule that borrowers shouldn’t get drunk, that they should avoid the liquors and beers and wines humans so enjoy, it’s common sense.

And it is common sense. Devin has that common sense. They understand the logic. They really do.

But goddamn, everyone has moments of weakness. Even the most sensible of borrowers break sometimes. Well––Devin wouldn’t say they’ve broken; they’d say they’ve just . . . cracked a little. Temporarily. They’d say they deserve this little pleasure, even if it tastes awful. What’s a couple of drops from a toppled bottle of moonshine going to do? Who’s going to miss it?

Hindsight is sure to have a few words with Devin later, but, right now, they can’t stop giggling. It’s loud, too––loud enough for Arthur to hear them from under the wagon next to his bed. The gunslinger sits up, brows furrowed, and peeks through the wheel spokes. He knows the voice, of course, but he’s never heard them so . . . bubbly.

“ Devin . . .? ”  Worry pricks his mind as he scans for the borrower. This is highly unusual behavior; Devin is not the kind to be noisy––especially not in the camp!  “ Devin, what’re you doin’? Where’re you at? ” 

“ ‘m over here, ”  comes the tiny voice. Devin steps out from behind a crate, wobbly, still giggling. They grin up at him, and Arthur’s finds himself a little taken aback. He’s seen this plenty of times before in many a man and woman, in himself, but never in Devin.

The borrower’s drunk. They’re either drunk, or under some other form of intoxication. Arthur closes his journal with his pencil holding place for the drawing he’d been working on, and leans over, arm and hand through the spokes toward his friend. They lift one tiny boot, looking almost like they intend to step towards him, but their balance isn’t what it normally is, and they fall backwards, just out of Arthur’s reach. He curses a little under his breath and tries to push his shoulder more through the gap.

“ C’mon now, Devin. Work with me here. ”  He tightens his jaw, face pressed against the wheel, but he can only manage to graze one of Devin’s boots with his middle finger. A few seconds more of scrabbling, and Arthur’s ready to try this from a different angle when he feels a pair of tiny hands hook onto the tip of his finger. That finger quickly flexes, pulling Devin up and close enough for his hand to gently wrap around them. Ever careful, Arthur lifts them from the ground and brings them to eye level. They’re still giggling. His heart aches with how sweet a sound it is.

“ Now just what did you get into? ”  Fingers loosen a little with the borrower’s squirming, just enough for them to get their arms free, but not enough for them to wriggle out of his hold.

“ Arthur! ”  They yell, and Arthur flinches, eyes wide. Devin stretches their arms out towards his face, their hands beckoning him.  “ Come here. ”

“ I’m right here, Miss Dev––– ”

“ Closer, damn you! ”  They beckon again, and Arthur is at a loss. He hesitates for a moment, then slowly brings the little being nearer to his face––close enough for him to catch a whiff of the alcohol on them.

“ Christ, Miss Devin, what’d you get into? Is that whiskey? ”  Nose tipped up just a little, Arthur gives the borrower a sniff. They take an opportunity in the same moment, though, to freeze him right in his tracks. First they rest a hand on his lower lip, feeling across the ridged, sensitive skin; then they press their own lips to his upper lip. Arthur’s breath catches. He dares not move.

It’s got to be moonshine.

“ Mkay. ”  They pat his chin after a few seconds, and he pulls them away from his face, looking more surprised and bewildered than ever. Oh, and he’s blushing. Of course, Devin is a little flushed in the face themself. They can’t suppress their giggles.  “ Sorry, I––I dunno. First time I’ve, um, done anything like that. First time I’ve had moonshine too. ”

There it is. Moonshine.

Arthur’s fingers uncurl, and he brings his other hand up to cup securely under Devin. The corner of his mouth twitches upwards, despite his lingering fluster. He can’t smile, though! It quickly comes back to him that Devin is drunk.  “ Miss Devin, I seem to recall you explicitly sayin’ that it’d be detrimental to your well-bein’ if you were to lose yourself like this. ”  It’s not as harsh a scolding as perhaps he ought to give; it’s awfully hard to reprimand them when they’re so damn . . . cute. ( And they’re always cute, damn them. )

“ Don’t be mean to me, Arthur! ”  God! Bless their heart. Arthur tightens his lips and sighs through his nose.  “ I’ve . . . had a rough week. And I didn’t know it’d hit so fast. ”  The giggles die down with Devin looking away, now quite somber in expression. So quick is the change that it almost gives Arthur whiplash.

“ Hey now . . .. Stuff’s bound to hit fast when ya weigh about as much as a ball a’ cotton. ”  The gunslinger shifts his position, back now leaning against the wagon while he rests his hands on his stomach.  “ Wanna tell me what’s got you so worked up to drinkin’? ” 

“ Not really. I’m just . . .. ”  They trail off and wipe their eyes. For a moment, Arthur thinks he can see a minuscule tear being brushed away, but he can’t be sure. There’s nothing of the sort when Devin looks back up at him, giving him a reassuring smile.  “ I’ll be okay. Always am. Just had to . . . loosen up a bit. ” 

Mission accomplished.

A thumb lightly brushes the borrower’s shoulder. They respond in kind with their hand to the pad, fingers rubbing over the rough whorls. Arthur doesn’t care much for the answer he got, but he isn’t going to push. If Devin wants to tell him, they will when they’re ready. In the meantime, since they’re with him now, they can safely enjoy their buzz.

“ Were you drawing? ”

“ Hm? ”  Arthur glances down at the set-aside journal, page still kept with his pencil.  “ Yeah. Writin’ down some thoughts, sketchin’ some things . . .. ”  And again his cheeks warm.

“ Can I see? ” 

Warmer still. Arthur clears his throat. With the hand not supporting Devin, he takes the journal and flips it open to the saved page, holding it to where they can see. It’s a little embarrassing to him. Their silence isn’t helping much either. There are a few scribbles across the span, among them a detailed sketch of Devin themself. Arthur’s drawn them smiling, relaxed and sitting on the edge of something with one leg hanging down. It’s really a nice drawing.

“ That’s . . . me? ”  They blink, turning back around to look up at Arthur.

“ Yep . . . yeah. ”  He can’t bring himself to meet their eyes. It’s not uncommon for Arthur to draw people in camp, or people he meets, but Devin isn’t some normal person. The time they spend together feels special, intimate. Arthur hadn’t ever asked if it would be okay for him to draw them. Someone else might see his journal and see those drawings ( not that he couldn’t just say he had a bit of imaginative inspiration ). He’s about to backpedal, maybe offer to tear out any drawings of them, but they interrupt him before he can speak again.

“ Do you have any more? ”  Ah, they’re . . . blushing again. It seems they both have an uncanny ability to make each other red in the face. Arthur can’t help but smile as his fingers curl around them just a little bit more. They might be drunk, and that might be unwise, unsafe; it might warrant a scolding later on, once they’ve sobered up ( if the subsequent hangover isn’t going to be punishment enough ), but at least they’re here with him, where he can protect and watch over them. Damn. They sure wormed their way right into Arthur’s heart, softening the stone-cold gunslinger right up.

“ Sure I do. Here, I’ll let’cha see. ”

[sanderssidesfanfiction]

Royal Growing Pains - Chapter Twelve

Warnings: Homophobia, transphobia, misgendering, sympathetic Deceit

Royal Growing Pains Tag

Who he saw on the other side of the door surprised him. “Damien?” he asked. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, Father’s meetings are over and we were about to have dinner, so I figured I could walk you down there. I hope that’s all right?” Damien asked.

“Oh, yeah! Sure!” Roman said, walking out and closing the door behind him.

“So, I saw that you had a sketchbook when Virgil found you about to pass out in the hallway,” Damien said. “Anything interesting in there?”

Roman flushed and tried to ignore the way his heart hammered as he thought about his sketches of Damien. “Uh, not too much. Some flowers, trees, faces, people. Just little random things that don’t take too much effort to draw.”

“You wouldn’t happen to have drawn me, would you?” Damien asking, smirking.

“I...uh...what?” Roman asked. Did Damien know? Worse, had he flipped through Roman’s sketchbook?!

“I’m merely teasing, my dear,” Damien said after a half-beat of silence. “I know I’m not much to look at.”

Roman laughed. “Well, that’s a complete lie.”

Damien turned to Roman with a slight frown. “I beg your pardon?”

“Then beg,” Roman said. “You’re not ‘nothing to look at,’ you’re rather attractive.”

Damien turned bright crimson. “I can only assume you’re the only person here who thinks that,” he managed to choke out. He mumbled something that sounded vaguely like, “The only person that matters,” but Roman couldn’t figure out exactly how deep he wanted to go down that rabbit hole, so he let it be for now.

“I mean, I have heard several people who are either visiting or are new workers talk about you and your looks in a positive light,” Roman said conversationally. “Which is not to say that people who have known you longer think you’re less attractive, just that you at the very least hold yourself well around others.”

“At first glance, to be sure, but the fact that it’s only people who don’t know me speaks more to me than you’d like to admit,” Damien said. “I can only act proper for so long before I have to be human again.”

Roman laughed and offered Damien a soft smile, which caused Damien to stare, even as they kept walking...and he proceeded to tumble down a flight of stairs as a result. “Oh, god!” Roman exclaimed, rushing down the stairs and stopping on the third step, one step above where Damien’s legs had landed, as he was sprawled on his back, blinking up at the ceiling with a wince. “Are you okay?!”

“What can I say, my dear?” Damien weakly laughed as guards rushed into the room. “I can’t help falling for you.”

Roman laughed, only slightly hysterical. “Damien, you nearly snapped your neck and that’s all you can say?”

Damien sat up with a groan and rubbed his head. “Relax, my dear, this is hardly the first time I’ve fallen down the steps. I’m what you might call a ‘klutz,’” he joked.

“So am I, and I’ve fallen down my fair share of stairs, which means I know how much it hurts,” Roman said. “Are you okay?”

“Aside from my head and back throbbing, I’m fine,” Damien said. “It’s not every day I land on my head and proceed to do a flip down the stairs. That’s impressive, even for me.”

Roman laughed again, and he definitely was hysterical this time. “I’m so sorry,” he apologized.

Damien shrugged. “Could be worse. I could have been holding a child,” he offered.

“Considering your track record with balance, I don’t think anyone would hand you a child, let alone allow you to carry one around stairs,” Roman said drily.

“Okay, you have a point,” he said, standing shakily. “But I’m fine.”

“Uh, I’ll be the judge of that,” Virgil said, walking in. “Down the stairs again, Damien? Really? Are you and Roman trying to make me go gray this week?”

“No, but it’s always an added bonus,” Damien said, offering a cheeky grin.

Virgil retaliated by shining his flashlight in Damien’s eyes, causing Damien to groan. “Well, no immediate signs of a concussion,” Virgil said. “But if you puke, you’re answering to me for not looking where you were walking again.”

“It was my fault,” Roman said. “I distracted him.”

“Listen, Roman, I don’t care how pretty your smile is, Damien needs to look where he’s walking. It’s his fault.” Virgil scoffed. “Damien may have the hots for you, but that’s no excuse.”

“I do not—!” Damien sputtered. “How dare—You little—Oh, I’m going to kill you when we spar next.”

“Good luck with that,” Virgil said simply. Then, he turned and called down the hall, “Everything’s fine, His Royal Highness merely fell down the stairs...again!”

Faintly, the Queen’s laughter floated into the room and Roman giggled, walking down the rest of the steps and guiding a very red Damien to the dining room. “I can’t believe you hijacked my joke!” Roman exclaimed in a hushed whisper. “You hi-joked!”

“What, so you have a monopoly on ‘falling for you’ jokes?” Damien playfully scoffed.

“Yes!” Roman exclaimed. “It’s the only good joke I’ve got! Allow me that joke, please!”

Damien rolled his eyes, though the smile he wore ruined the effect. “What will you do if I don’t?” he asked. “Kiss me into quiet?”

Roman squeaked and turned red, looking away. Oh, god, why did Damien have to be this cute? Anyone else and Roman could have easily shouted them down. But with Damien, he actually wanted to do that. “I might tell your parents that you’ve been nothing but cheeky with me for the whole day.”

Damien chewed his lip. “They wouldn’t be pleased with that,” he admitted softly. “Okay. The ‘falling for you’ jokes are all yours...for now.”

Roman grinned victoriously just as they walked into the dining room, and the Queen and King laughed. “I’m sure whatever just happened between you two must have been something, with a smile like that,” the King said.

Roman blushed a little but his smile didn’t dim as he and Damien sat next to each other at the table. His mother was across from him and the King was across from Damien, with the Queen next to the King. Patton and a few cooks walked out, and Roman grinned. Soup, with bacon and potatoes as the main ingredients, if Roman wasn’t mistaken. “Try not to spill any soup, Your Highness,” Patton teased. “I know you’re a klutz but you want to come across as somewhat competent.”

“Ha ha ha. You’re hilarious, Patton,” Damien said with an eye-roll. “Believe it or not, I can work a spoon for soup.”

“Just reminding you,” Patton said. “Seeing as how there was a crash loud enough that we heard it in the kitchen, I figured you must have dropped something.”

“Yeah, that something was himself. Down the stairs,” Roman said, smirking.

Patton laughed. “Oh, Your Highness, what are we going to do with you?” He shook his head, laughing with the other cooks as they retreated to the kitchen.

Damien sulked as Roman laughed with the King and Queen about Damien’s track record with balance. “Chin up, Damien,” Roman said, nudging him. “When we dance again, you get to laugh at me all you want.”

“My dear, I don’t want to laugh at you,” Damien said. “I’m just tired of being known as a klutz.”

Roman sighed and gave Damien a small smile. “I know the feeling of not wanting to be branded as something for life.”

Roman’s mother gave him a searching stare. Roman pretended not to notice. Maybe that last comment gave too much away, but he was certain to be in trouble should he look up nervously now. “So, Damien, anything you can talk about in the meetings you attended today?” Roman asked.

“Not much that would be of interest to you, I’m afraid,” Damien sighed. “I will say that during the talk about security, Virgil did bring up security risks, and true to form, everyone gave me a stern look. But they did joke about me sneaking off the grounds in the middle of the night to escape the wedding.”

“If anything, that would be me,” Roman laughed. “You live here. It wouldn’t be fair to make you run away from your own home.”

Damien offered Roman a teasing smile. “Oh, you’ve put thought into this,” Damien said. “Not getting cold feet, are you, my dear?”

“I would argue that my feet were never warm in the first place,” Roman said. “But your hospitality has acted like a pair of fuzzy socks.”

Damien’s eyes lit up. “You genuinely mean that?”

Roman took a sip of soup as he nodded. “Mhm. You’ve changed my mind about this whole ordeal. I’m not...you know... thrilled or over the moon, so to speak, but you make the thought more bearable.”

Damien looked down at the table, grinning wide, before glancing at Roman and looking like he was about to squeal. “I’m happy that I can make you more comfortable in this ordeal,” he eventually said.

Roman offered Damien a smile. “I’m rather happy that you make the effort. I don’t know many people who would do that with complete sincerity.”

Damien reached out hesitantly before giving Roman’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Of course, my dear. It just wouldn’t do to allow you to remain uncomfortable if I have the power to change that.”

Roman nodded. Simple chivalry. That’s all Damien was offering him at the moment. It wasn’t a bad thing, and there wasn’t any worry about him offering feelings that Roman wouldn’t know what to do with. He had boyfriends before, sure, but never when he was out as being trans. Not when the other party knew he was trans. And he didn’t know what he would do if someone accepted him in his entire identity.

So why did some part of him feel disappointed that’s all it was?

“Veronica,” his mother said. He threw her a glance, and she continued, “What do you plan on doing this evening?”

“Why?” Roman asked. “The doctor said I needed rest, I can’t exactly push myself.”

His mother tsked. “Would you have the energy to talk to your father? He’s been asking after you and I think if he heard your voice it would calm his worries.”

Roman cringed. “Father wouldn’t want to talk to me,” he said. “At the very least, I don’t want to talk to him. He’s still convinced he’s right over our argument and I very much do not want to devolve into a shouting match.”

“You know that your father and I were right in that, Veronica,” his mother warned.

“No. I don’t,” Roman said. “Neither of you would listen to my position, my reasoning. And I will not blindly follow you off a cliff. You may be trying to prove your point, but all I see is cowardice and ignorance on yours and Father’s front. How scared of change do you have to be to toss anything that you don’t like changing to the side, like trash? Do you really think so little of me? That you would rather I stay quiet and miserable than speak my mind and feel comfortable?”

His mother was outright glaring at him, and he just scowled right back. “And you wonder why you feel like I’ve been avoiding you,” Roman scoffed, “When you refuse to listen to my side of the story! I know myself, Mother! Better than you or Father do! Maybe I’m not the Crown Prince, like Remus is, but my opinions still matter!”

Damien put his hand on Roman’s. “My dear, perhaps we should go somewhere private to eat? Clearly, there are some fresh wounds that you may need to talk through, away from those causing those wounds in the first place.” The last part was said with a pointed look at Roman’s mother.

Roman’s mother turned her ire onto Damien. “Damien, you do not know the way our family functions. To have you only listen to one side of the story would be unwise.”

“If this argument is the one related to the ‘stunt’ you referred to last night, then I have already heard your thoughts on the matter. You are right that hearing only one side of the story is not wise, but so far I have only heard yours,” Damien said coolly. “Perhaps a gentler touch than the one you’re providing is needed.”

Roman’s mother gasped and the Queen softly warned, “Damien, that was out of line.”

“Well, I cannot sit here and watch as my fiancé suffers!” Damien protested. “Has Her Majesty told you what has been going on within their family?”

“She has,” the Queen said. “She explained to me last night.”

“Then you must understand how that sort of tension wears on a person! All I want to do is make sure that my betrothed has the space needed to vent, or to cry. Truth be told, I am beyond incensed at this entire situation! I do not want to be part of some little scheme to ‘set someone straight,’ I wanted to have the freedom to marry someone who I truly loved! You took that from me!” Damien’s voice cracked as he stood, and Roman was frozen in place. He had never even considered Damien might feel that way. “I spend time with Veronica because neither of us wanted to be in this situation, but now that we are, the least we can do is make each other feel a little better! I understand that she’s sweet, and kind, and marrying her would be some sort of benefit to both kingdoms, but never, not once, were our opinions or feelings considered! I wanted to marry someone I truly loved, and I don’t doubt Veronica felt the same! You stole that from us! All of you! And you have the nerve to say that we shouldn’t speak our minds, and how we feel about this?! It’s not fair!”

The whole table was silent, and Damien grabbed his bowl of soup, saying to Roman, “My dear, would you rather we eat somewhere else?”

“Please,” Roman said, voice small. He grabbed his bowl and followed Damien out the door.

They walked in silence until they reached the mudroom, and Damien sat down on one of the benches, gesturing for Roman to sit. He took the opposite bench, balancing his bowl on shaky legs. “I’m sorry,” Roman blurted.

Damien blinked in surprise. “For what, my dear?”

“I...I never once considered how you might feel being forced to marry me. I knew that I didn’t want to be married, if only because you didn’t know who I truly was, but the option for you to marry someone you truly loved was ripped away in this scheme as well, and I never stopped to consider...” Roman swallowed, looking away.

“My dear, don’t blame yourself,” Damien said. “Like I said in the dining room, it was our parents who took that opportunity away from us. Furthermore, I don’t want you to blame yourself for saying you don’t wish to speak with your father, understand? That may have started this discussion, but I was bound to lose my temper sooner or later. Being around your mother does that to me.”

Roman snorted. “She has that effect on a lot of people.”

Damien actually giggled at that, slightly hysterically. “I sincerely hope this doesn’t affect the marriage. Much as I would love to court a man properly, your safety is paramount in this situation.”

Roman felt his heart skip a beat at that declaration. “Do you truly mean that?” he asked. “I understand if you would like to call this off, and I’m sure we could convince your parents to stop it if we staged a falling out...”

“No, Roman,” Damien said. “I want to make sure that you are safe. Remember our first true discussion out at the cliff? We can always choose different lovers than each other, if we so wish. And so long as they understand that this is consensual, there wouldn’t be any issues.”

Roman nodded reluctantly. Truth be told, he didn’t want a lover other than Damien, not now, maybe not ever. But if Damien had his heart set on another man, it wouldn’t be fair to Damien for Roman to stop him. After all, Roman was the one who was just dropped into Damien’s lap and everyone expected Damien to be fine with it. If there was someone else in Damien’s life, it wouldn’t be fair for Roman to expect Damien just drop him for the sake of their arranged marriage.

They ate their soup in silence for a few minutes, before Damien sighed. “Roman, I don’t know if you realize how close I was to throttling your mother. When this whole ordeal is over, I may make plans to ban her from the kingdom.”

“She wouldn’t want to come back if I continue my transition and ‘become’ a man,” Roman sighed. “It feels a bit like a moot point.”

“I’d still do it,” Damien said. “Especially because of the distress this caused you. I can’t tell you how close I was to telling your mother that I knew, and that she needed to respect you. But seeing as how calling you ‘Roman’ would have let her know that we had discussed this, I tried to keep my language as gender neutral as possible.”

“I know, and I greatly appreciate it,” Roman said. “I’m sure your parents are relieved as well that you didn’t do that. You would have put them in a very tricky position, between telling you to calm down and trying to convince my mother that they were on her side without hurting me.”

“My parents’ comfort comes second,” Damien said. “If they were uncomfortable with you being transgender, I wouldn’t care how uncomfortable they were. I would still use your real name.”

Roman offered Damien a soft smile. “You’re too kind, Your Highness.”

“I would argue you expect too little, Your Highness,” Damien shot back, mischief in his eyes.

“Oh?” Roman asked, smirking himself. “And how do you propose we settle this dispute?”

Damien offered Roman a shrug. “I don’t know. I suppose we could always go the cheesy rom-com route and kiss each other for a full minute.”

“Tongues battling for dominance?” Roman teased. “Like a certain fanfiction of Remus’ I may or may not have read wherein he tried to use every single trope he hated in a single fic?”

Damien howled with laughter and Roman snickered himself. “Oh, god, it’s been far too long since I’ve heard that phrase. I don’t suppose most fanfiction writers have grown out of using it?”

“I think it depends on the age and experience of the writer,” Roman said with an eye-roll. “I wouldn’t know for certain, however. Remus is the writer, I’m the artist.”

“Ah,” Damien said, nodding. “Makes sense. I haven’t read fanfiction in a while. All the shows I was interested in either ended or didn’t have much of an online fanbase, so I just...stopped.”

“You should try and pick it up again, if something sparks your fancy,” Roman said, finishing the last of his soup. “You never know, you might find a really good fic that makes you reevaluate your very existence.”

“Or at the very least find a new kink,” Damien muttered.

Roman choked. “Okay, see, that falls under reevaluating your very existence, for me, but you just sounded so much like Remus in that moment, I want to take a moment to appreciate that.”

Damien chuckled. “Your brother likes inappropriate jokes?”

“Oh, you have no idea,” Roman laughed.

Damien huffed a laugh. “Shall we put our bowls in the kitchen and find somewhere to hide from our parents for a while longer?”

“Sounds like a plan,” Roman agreed.

Tag List: @lunareclipse-13 @sanders-sides-crofters​ @blushy-gigglee-mess @wannacrymetoo @kaytikitty​ @magicalspacepanunicorn @bootsinthesun​ @pricklyfish777​ @flowersanddinosaurs @leiasolo77​ @birdybabybird​ @enby-phoenix @luna–28 @justagaygoose @the-prince-and-the-emo @fandomsandanythingelse @randommuffinyt​ @snekky-boi​ @thesoftestlittlepuffballwegot @twilight-trix​ @abby5577 @escalatingtoofast @friendlyfacestabbing @remus-is-stinky @foggybanditdreampeanut @ghostskull300 @sprinklestheditty @canvas-the-florist @askthesnake @samuel-the-gay @determination-saved @juicy-cashew​ @loganpatton @lilbeanblr @kittyboof8 @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch @sanders-trash-4ever @hamilspntrash @swords-and-kittens @phantomfander @narniasfinestavengingsociopath  @rjmeta​ @ambersky0319 @anni-cat-flower @idosanderssidespromptssometimes @nafsbluebery @redisawerewolf23​ @voidvirgil​ @msu82​ @angstyfanfiction

[aonorunic]

History on Repeat, Chapter 1: All Coming Back, Fire Emblem Fic

Summary: Byleth slept after she lost him, awakening ages later to Garreg Mach University. She is drawn into the friendly competition between dorm floors, an argument as to which D&D group is better, trips to coffee shops, and the questions into her own lost memories.

Claude could not help but be suspicious of Seteth’s niece who appeared out of nowhere, but there was something so familiar about her, something that made his heart ache. How had she appeared in his dreams years before either of them even came to the University?

Read on AO3.

Prologue

A forest. Darkness, so thick it clouded all sense. 

Fear, not for himself.

“I don’t believe anything you say! Our professor is still alive!” He knew that voice. Yes, Lysithea. She was wearing that strange uniform he kept seeing. Why did she look like she was about to cry?

“That’s right! Our professor is no ordinary human!” Flayn? Why was she there? And who was this professor they kept talking about.

“I refuse to believe that Teach would die in a place like this!” The words came from his own mouth this time.

“It is possible that death has yet to find your friend. But there are worse things than death.” The voice made him angry, that twisted face burned into his memory. 

“Hey, all I hear is good news. Teach is still alive. And if that’s true, then there’s only one thing to do. Defeat you while we wait for Teach’s triumphant return!”

“Prepare yourself. We will avenge our leader here and now!” Yeah, that definitely sounded like something Leonie would say.

“How trite. But if you wish for pain, I shall oblige. If you prefer it so, you shall also be added to the ranks of the dead!” 

Anger rose in him, but he fought it back. He needed to remain in control. This twisted creature before him had hurt someone he cared about. He was going to destroy them.

And then the sky itself opened.

Claude woke with a gasp, sitting bolt upright. Where? Right, his dorm room. When? Middle of the night, both too early and too late. What? Nightmare, just a nightmare. His breathing slowly evened out, all while he tried to hold onto the images of his dream. He needed to remember them. He needed to remember her face.

He stood and threw on a black t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants before exiting his room. His feet took him to a door decorated with charms and images of birds. Claude beat once loudly before resting his head against the wood. “Hilda, it’s me. Let me in.”

Muttered cursing came from behind the door, but a moment later a sleepy pink haired woman opened it. “What’s going on, Claude?” Hilda asked, her words ending in a yawn.

“I need my sketchbook.” 

Hilda stepped out of the way even as Claude moved into the room. He went straight to the desk that was actually organized (Marianne had somehow managed to create chaos over on her side of the room again), and picked up the leather covered book inlaid in gold with a stylized crescent moon.

“Another dream?” Hilda threw herself back down onto her bed, scooting back until her back was against the wall. 

Claude took his usual place beside her, his full attention on his book. He was already flipping to a clean page even as settled himself in. “Yeah,” he answered distractedly. 

Across the room, Marianne, still tangled in her own blanket and looking very much like a cocooned caterpillar, made the short trip to Hilda’s bed and curled up on Claude’s other side as he sketched out the first few lines.

The two women watched him in silence as Claude put his dream to paper. It was a rough drawing as he tried to get the whole thing down before he forgot, but the woman who cut open the sky did not fade. His mind held onto her, as if terrified that he would lose her again. 

Again? Had he lost her before? Had he dreamed and forgotten her already?

“She’s beautiful,” Marianne murmured, mouth covered by the cloth she was snuggling into. “Like a goddess.”

“She might be,” Claude answered. There was something about her that made him think of her as...more. He was not sure what more actually meant.

“That outfit is terrible though.” Hilda rested her chin on Claude’s shoulder, her judgement coming from a professional standpoint. “You have to let me redesign that. Oh! She’d look so cute in a dress! With a ribbon in her hair!”

Claude felt heat in his cheeks as he imagined the woman he had just drawn wearing the outfit Hilda described. Why was he blushing? There was something about this woman from his dream that both made him passionate and distressed. He had thought getting her down on paper would be the solution, but he still felt as if he were missing something. “I don’t think she actually likes wearing her hair up,” was his intelligent response.

Hilda straightened so she could look him in the eye. “Claude von Riegan, you woke me up in the middle of the night, took over my bed, and are making me lose my much needed beauty sleep before my test tomorrow-”

“Today,” Marianne interrupted. “It’s in three hours actually.”

“Yes, that exactly.” Hilda gave him a withering look that did not truly have any power behind it. As annoyed as she was at being woken up, Hilda never denied Claude when he had to deal with one of his dreams. “So, that being the case, I will draw your little goddess there in whatever outfit I like, and I will put a cute little ribbon in her hair, and you will just have to deal with it.”

Claude held up his hands in surrender. “All right, all right, I relent. Put her in whatever outfit you want. Did you finish with my other designs? I have more I want to do right now.”

“Yeah.” Hilda yawned and stretched, falling back across Claude’s lower legs. Marianne followed her example and snuggled into Claude’s side. “I’m going to sleep now. You can keep sketching so long as you don’t wake me up.”

“Well, you did kind of trap me.” Claude laughed softly as he flipped to another clean page.

“Me? The delicate flower that I am? Why, Claude, I am shocked and appalled. Now shut up.”

It was cramped on the small bed, but there was something deeply comforting about the warmth of his friends surrounding him. At the very least, his heart no longer felt like it would beat out of his chest.

/

“Your hair certainly grew very long.” Flayn smiled at Byleth in the vanity mirror. Byleth simply started back at her. There was a bit of puzzlement in her eyes, but Flayn really had to search for it. She had forgotten how little emotion Byleth had shown when she first arrived at Garreg Mach, and it unnerved her to see one of her favorite people revered back to such a state. She had liked when Byleth began to smile more. “We tried to keep up with it, but over the last few decades you grew more restless in your sleep. With the Sword of the Creator next to you, it really was not safe for Seteth and I to try. We will have to cut most of this off.”

Flayn picked up a pair of scissors and measured out where she would cut, just below Byleth’s shoulders like the woman had always kept it. Byleth shook her head, causing some of the mint green strands to slip through Flayn’s fingers. “Lower.”

Flayn blinked at Byleth’s reflection in the mirror, but quickly recovered and nodded. Byleth had not said more than her and Seteth’s names since waking up, rolling the sounds around in her mouth as if trying to memorize a foreign taste. “It will be impractical to keep all of it,” she noted, eyes sweeping down to where Byleth’s hair brushed against the floor. The other woman had been asleep so long not even her own divine magic had protected her from adverse effects. Seteth had had to carry her out of the underground tomb. Flayn worried that keeping Byleth’s hair so long would only cause the other woman to trip on her already unsteady feet. 

“How about here?” she asked, indicating a length that would leave Byleth’s hair down to her waist.

Byleth thought for a moment before nodding her acquiescence. 

“Wonderful!” 

Flayn continued to chat to Byleth as she worked, filling Byleth in on little things she remembered the woman liking, or discussing new things she would experience for the first time. Byleth seemed to lean into the sound of her voice, finding comfort in being near someone else after so long. Whenever Flayn would pause, Byleth would fidget ever so slightly, twisting her hands together, or poking at her now shorn hair upon the floor with a toe. So Flayn continued.

She brushed out Byleth’s hair, working out knots and tangles, until it was smooth once again. Without really thinking about it she began to braid Byleth’s hair, just as her mother had done for her so very long ago. It was a bittersweet experience. 

A knock on the door interrupted Flayn’s latest story about music videos. “Flayn, may I come in?” Seteth’s voice floated through the wooden barrier.

“Yes, Father.” It felt wonderful to be able to call him that in this new age. She had never enjoyed the deception, despite knowing the need for its existence.

Seteth took a moment to look over Flayn’s work, a small smile on his lips, before grabbing a chair to sit next to Byleth. “I wanted to show you how to use this,” he told her, holding out a cell phone. “Flayn and I will be here as much as we can. And Indech will help you when we are not here. There are two other servants who come to clean the estate and a cook, but Flayn sent them away for a few days. We told them we wanted to get you used to your new environment a little at a time. But this will allow you to contact us if we are not here.”

Byleth took the phone and looked at it with interest, following along as Seteth showed her how to work the device. She followed along without much issue, picking up on the new technology with the speed Flayn remembered her mastering tactics and strategy. 

“There,” Flayn said proudly once she was done with Byleth’s braid. 

Byleth looked up from the phone, studying herself in the mirror. She touched the braid and pulled it over her shoulder, before finally nodding. “Thank you.”

Flayn could not help herself. She threw her arms around Byleth, crying in relief against her shoulder. “I am so glad you returned to us.”

She felt Byleth pat her back awkwardly, but the other woman did not push her away. It made Flayn cling all the tighter.

/

“You have all come together in the Guild Hall to hear the announcement of the Grand Challenge,” Claude announced, standing in front of all three D&D groups gathered in the common room. He was in full costume, dressed in gold and black. He had even worn the cape Hilda had added onto his original design. “Listen up, for anyone who makes our jobs harder will find themselves disqualified!”

Next to him Dimitri shook his head. The blond man was wrapped tightly in a faux fur trimmed blue cape, making it impossible to see if he had worn the rest of his costume or not. 

Edelgard cleared her throat and stepped forward. She had only elected to wear her dramatic red cape and that fantastic horned crown. Even with a casual black dress on underneath, she still looked intimidating as hell. She reached over to open the golden chest Dimitri held, and pulled out the piece of paper Claude had stained with tea to imitate age. 

“As you all know, the Grand Challenge offers both prestige and riches. This quest will not be for the faint of heart. Only the most skilled of adventures should consider undertaking this endeavor. The Challenge,” she continued, now reading from the paper, “is the retrieval of the Sword of Creation. Wielded by a goddess at the beginning of time, it was stolen and used to destroy her and her children. Although the thief is said to have been defeated many centuries ago, his tomb has become a resting place for all manner of wicked and vile creatures. Credible rumors of its whereabouts have reached the king, and he has issued this quest himself. All those who would face the darkness of Shambala step forth and be known!”

Immediately all three groups began to cheer and boast their own credentials. Edelgard allowed it to continue for a moment before raising a hand, silencing them all with a less than amused look. Claude was both impressed and slightly envious. 

“The expedition to Shambala will depart in seven days. You must have your intentions known to the guild before that time. The Guild will be providing transport, but only to those who have proven their worth to us. If you have not, I suggest you get to work over the next few days.”

With a dramatic sweep of her cape, Edelgard turned and walked away. Claude and Dimitri joined their fellow dungeon master on the other side of the common room, watching as their groups began to plan. Claude stretched out on the sofa next to her, while Dimitri settled himself into an overstuffed chair, still wrapped up in his cloak. “Nicely done,” Claude complimented.

Edlegard ducked her head in acknowledgement. “They were your words, Claude. But, it was rather fun to act as the Guild Master.”

“This is certainly going to be interesting, having all three of our groups on the same quest,” Dimitri said, his eyes fixed to where Felix seemed to be threatening Sylvain with a plastic lightsaber. 

“It’s going to be chaos,” Edlegard added. 

Claude smirked. “Isn’t that what we’re after? It’s the best part about D&D after all.” He did not know who had said what, but Hilda was waving her foam replica of Gimli’s axe at Casper, standing in front of Lorenz as if she was defending his honor.

“I’m excited to see where this leads. It was certainly entertaining just working on this quest with the two of you.” Dimitri stretched out his long legs, and Claude could finally see that yes, he was at least wearing the boots and pants of his costume. He didn’t even attempt to hide his smirk. “Do you think we should intervene at some point? It does seem to be becoming rather heated over there.”

Claude watched as Petra deflected a plastic water bottle from hitting Dorothea with her wooden keyblade. “Nah, we left them with a list of available quests they can do before the Challenge. They’ll be fine.”

“It is our job as RAs to break this up if they become too rowdy,” Edelgard pointed out.

Claude gave her a look. “Who even says rowdy anymore?”

As the three of them fell into their own lighthearted argument, Claude could not help but note how glad he was to have found such good friends. 

[munsonthings86]

Beach Boy- (Grayson Dolan x Reader) SMUT

Summary: It wasn’t the first time that my eyes met with the bright hazel pupils of the boy with the conspicuous chiseled features dispersed in perfect areas of his body. I had caught a glimpse of him every time I visited the beach, as if it was fate pulling us together with impeccable timing. After a near unfortune event took place at what seemed to be our place, I began to genuinely question. Was it fate constantly putting us in each others paths? Or was he simply just a random beach boy?

Warnings: Cursing, fluff, slight angst, dirty ass (FORGIVE ME LORD FOR I HAVE SINNED) SMUT. I got it all bitch.

A/N: This is something that I’ve been working on for a minute now. I really wanted to take my time with it, rather than rush it because I wanted it to be absolutely perfect. Please, please, please let me know what you think about this, it would be greatly appreciated. I love you guys and I’ll talk to you guys later. Bye!

[Y/N/N]- [Your Nickname]

Word Count: 4,284

Tag List: @archerdolans @beautiful-disaster-1234 @bitemehh @thud619 @godlydolans @heebie9000bitch @httpdollan @notanotherdolantwinsblog @lovemechickenstrips @dolanx5sos @angelinaa00 @sandysmacias @niainterrupted @sweet-dolans @coralchloe @dolanoodle @freewill-is-an-illusion @benefitsofbeinganoutsider​

“Come on, [Y/N]. It’s a beautiful day out,” my friend, Lana, stated while laying her back against my bedroom floor, tossing a small rubber ball into the air and catching it before it had the chance to come into contact with her face. 

All morning, ever since she came over, she had been pestering me about taking a trip to beach while the sun was still out, repeatedly resorting to the argument that I ‘never leave the house’, every time I rejected the offer. 

Instead of replying to her repeated requests to take a short-lived vacation, I continued scrolling away on my phone, hoping to ignore her enough to let the idea slip from her mind. But, of course, my plan was unsuccessful. Or else, there wouldn’t have been a story to tell.

“Oh, c’mon. I brought my bikini and everything,” Lana pouts, sitting up, resting her body on her hip. 

“What if I end up not going with you?,” I ask, chuckling at her stubbornness.

“Then, I don’t know, I’m probably gonna shower with it on. Either way, this bikini is getting wet today,” she declares, taking the skimpy material out of her small handbag. 

“What?,” I questioned her, squinting my eyes at her in confusion at her bizarre declaration. 

“Can you please just come to the beach with me? It might rain all week after today.”

“Fine! If I say yes, will you stop asking?,” I remarked, throwing my phone to my side, lifting my body off of the bed to begin getting ready. I watched as Lana clasped her hands together in excitement and triumph, smiling brightly. “Yay, this is going to be so fun!”

I search through my dresser, rummaging through each drawer finding jeans, shirts, sweaters, anything that wasn’t a swimsuit. Before my eyes can identify the specific article of clothing, my fingers rub against the thin material, my hands instantly lifting it up into view at the feeling of the polyester. 

After hurriedly shoving the black one piece into my beach bag, along with a tall bottle of sunscreen and beach towel, I look over to Lana who’s pulling the straps of her handbag into her grasp, and announce, “Alright, let’s go.”

Making our way out of the front door of my quaint apartment, Lana and I carry our bags by our sides, beginning to descend down to stairs to the main parking area that all of the apartment complex residents shared. As I open the front door to the car, Lana throws both of our bags onto the backseat and joins me in the front. 

“I hope we see some cute boys,” she more to herself than directed to me, as she buckles her seatbelt in the passengers side. I pause my movements as a thought crosses my mind. “Is that what you forced me out of the house for?,” I ask, resting my hands on the steering wheel. “Cute boys? Really?”

“Nooo,” she drags, giving the single syllable phrase, multiple instead. She nervously tugs on her fastened seatbelt, locking her gaze outside the window, though there wasn’t anything to witness except the other stationary cars in the lot. 

“Lana, if you want to meet a ‘cute boy’ so bad, go on Tinder!,” I exclaim, reaching down to unbuckle my seatbelt, but her hand stops mine before I could undo the tight safety precaution. “Oh, come on [Y/N]. You know you want to,” she says, poking my side, giggling at my serious expression that was soon turning into a goofy one at the expense of my ticklishness. 

“You’re lucky you’re my best friend. I would’ve walked out the car a long time ago,” I retort, turning the key to the ignition and pulling out of the parking space. 

Lana rolls down her window, letting the quick wind blow throughout the car, as she connects her phone to the auxiliary cord before starting the playlist that held all of the songs that we both enjoyed. She turned the volume all the way up as we approached the highway towards the beach.

I quietly sing along to the music, that was almost drowned out by Lana’s voice basically screaming the lyrics. I tap my fingers along the steering wheel, matching the beat of the song, zoning out of reality, but maintaining enough attention to the road to avoid an accident. 

My eyes divert to a sign on the right side of the highway, indicating an exit to Leo Carrillo Beach. As I pull the steering wheel to the right direction, my mind slowly diverts back to a camouflaged thought that I’ve kept concealed from Lana, since she pitched the idea of taking a drive down to sandy, mini paradise, earlier today. 

For not much longer than a month, each time I found myself down by the island-like area (which was actually quite often), I’ve "coincidentally” crossed paths with this boy. 

But not just any boy.

He was a towering, perfectly sculpted, young adult with dark hair and light brown highlights. From what I could tell, he had light brown eyes, almost hazel when his eyes would reflect the sun’s bright light. He had what appeared to be a twin brother and though the twin was equally attractive, I found myself drawn closer to him for some reason that, even to me, was unknown. 

I wasn’t as reluctant to take the journey, as I was almost excited to test my luck in seeing ‘beach boy’ again. And as I drive through the parking lot, I spot his distinct appearance in the distance, the lower half of his body disappearing underneath the light blue sheet of the ocean. 

My mind sketches a small smile across my lips, that I do my utmost to conceal from Lana’s view. I remove the key to the car, and turn off the engine before receiving a question from Lana that I tried my best to avoid. 

“What are you smiling about?,” Lana asked, sending a confused look my way. I mentally scold myself for believing that I was able to suppress my visual evidence of delight, though I knew that I was too much of an emotional person to hide my true feelings. 

“Oh, uh, nothing,” I say, quickly redirecting my consciousness to my fingers that were fumbling with the seatbelt, attempting to both physically and mentally free myself from the situation. “Dude, you're a horrible liar. Just tell me why you were smiling,” Lana says again, forcing an answer out of me with her persistence. 

“Damn Lana, I can't just be a happy person?” I retort, giggling almost silently. Lana doesn’t accept my weak rebuttals for an answer as she gives me a knowing look, silently nudging me to give her a truthful response to her frequent question.

Feeling as though there was nowhere for me to escape her prying eyes, I chose to reveal the secret that I didn't have the chance to hold onto for too long. “Ok, fine!,” I exclaim, beginning my confession. 

“There’s this guy that I always see when I come down here. He’s really fucking cute. I even came up with a nickname for him. I call him Beach Boy,” I say, feeling exhilarated after finally acquiring the satisfying feeling of speaking about my new crush. “Well, why the hell haven’t you told me?!,” Lana asks and exclaims simultaneously, softly pushing my shoulder.

“I don’t know! I mean, there really isn’t much to tell. I just saw him one day and kept seeing him ever since then and...I don't know,” I trail off as my face begins to heat up in embarrassment. 

Suddenly, I hear Lana’s seatbelt unbuckle, and I look over at her in question. “Where are you going? We can’t go out there yet!,” I protest, reaching across her body to lock the passenger door to keep her inside, “[Y/N], what’re you doing? You gotta go meet your future husband eventually,” she refutes, as if she were making an obvious statement. 

“But Lana, I always see him and I’m pretty sure he’s seen me too. What if he thinks I’m some kind of stalker?,” I panic, wanting so desperately to restart the car and drive back home in agitation. “Well considering you basically just told me that you only drove us down here to come see him, I’m pretty sure that makes you a stalker,” she says, whispering the final words of her statement, in sarcasm. 

“Oh, god,” I breath out, feeling sick to my stomach at the realization. “But don’t worry, seeing as though he’s always here, he’s probably stalking you too,” she responds, giving her own conspiracy that she hoped would ease my worries. “A match made in heaven,” I say sarcastically, rolling my eyes.

“Are you ready?,” she asks.

“Yeah,” I sigh, slowly opening the door to exit the compact vehicle.

Grabbing my beach bag from the rear passenger seat, I internally encourage myself for the seemingly millionth time in the short time frame since telling Lana about my new possible unrequited love. As I give myself a speedy pep talk, Lana’s voice ropes me out of my thoughts. 

“Is that him?,” she asks, as my heart begins beating even quicker than it has before, though the possibility of it being someone else entirely, still lingered. 

“No,” I breath out, disappointed. “Where’d he go? I just saw-,” my words are cut short when I witness his large stature walking along the boundary between the grainy material covering the unknown ground beneath and the allegedly never-ending body of water. 

I tap harshly at Lana’s forearm, using my other arm to point hurriedly in his direction. “Lana, Lana that’s him,” I sigh, dreamily and in relief simultaneously. Lana swiftly snaps her head in the direction of my shaking hand, and instantly widens her eyes, just like I did mine when I initially spotted his beauty. 

“Damn [Y/N/N]. You two would make such gorgeous babies,” she states, with bright eyes. I almost stop for a minute to blush at her genuine compliment before she begins yanking my arm, pulling her body along with mine toward the area in which he was stationed. Panic ensues all over again at the thought of my wildest dreams being crushed once I finally introduce myself to him. 

“What if I say something dumb?,” I whisper to myself. 

“You’ll do great,” Lana responds, surprising me with her apparent excellent hearing ability. 

“What if he really does think I’m stalking him?” 

“That doesn’t make sense, [Y/N]. If he thought you were stalking him, he would’ve stopped coming here.”

“That’s true,” I think to myself. 

“But, what if he thinks I’m ugly?” 

“[Y/N], you look amazing.” 

“God, I should’ve picked a better-,” I begin before she halts her actions, stopping us both in place.

“Ugh, [Y/N] come on!,” Lana exasperates, laughing out of disbelief. “I’m so sick of you being too scared to talk to guys that you like. You���re a gorgeous, smart, funny, loveable woman. Any guy would be lucky as hell to get a girl like you. And if some douchebag can’t see you for the queen everyone knows you are, then to hell with them. They don’t deserve your time or energy. Now suck it up, and go talk to him.”

As I listened to Lana’s words, I began to discern that everything she was saying was true. It wasn’t crucial for me to have success in meeting Beach Boy. All that mattered was the fact that I tried, and if he didn't appreciate my advances then, he wasn’t worth it.

“You’re right. Thanks, L,” I express, smiling. “Let’s go. I got this.”

Once again, we begin to make our way to him, the anxiousness that my body and mind once embraced, now fading away with each step I took. 

Approaching him, his eyes shift up from his feet to my pupils before I feel a pang in my chest as if my heart stopped for a split second at the sight of him being in close proximity. As I part my lips to start speaking, I feel Lana’s hand slip from mine as she walks away to give the two of us time to ourselves.

“H-Hi. I’m [Y/N]. I don’t know if you’ve seen me before but I’ve seen yo- never mind, that sounds creepy. But, yeah, hi,” I say, fiddling with the small rings wrapped snug around my fingers. He gives me a small smile which seems to have brighten his eyes. 

It was adorable.

“No, you don’t sound creepy at all. I’ve seen you around here a lot too, but I was kind of too nervous to talk to you. But, before I start rambling, it’s really nice to meet you, I’m Grayson,” he says, extending his right arm in the direction of my own right one, in which I kindly accept.

“So what brings you to the beach so often?,” I ask, silently hoping that my question wasn’t considered prying. He pushes both his lips to the side of his face, as if to think about his answer. “I don’t know really. I guess it’s just like a second home. I always find myself here. Even if I’m in a bad mood,” he answers, smiling at the thought, shrugging his shoulder slightly. “What about you?”

“Well, just like you said, it’s like a second home. I come here whenever I need to think, relax, or just get away from everything, even if it’s only for a short amount of time, I just really love it here,” I respond, truthfully. He smiles brightly at me and I could’ve sworn that I felt my heart melt into a huge puddle. “I feel like I’ve met you before,” he says, furrowing his eyebrows in question.

“Well, I mean, we have been seeing each other for a good month now,” I retort, lightly chucking. 

“No, I mean-”

Before he could continue, we both hear Lana’s voice in a raised voice as if she was yelling at someone. “Leave me the hell alone,” she says in thunderous tone, directed to a guy that looked to be harassing her. “Isn’t that the girl you came here with?,” he questions, pointing a thumb back in her direction. As soon as a quick confirmation passes my lips, Grayson charges toward her in her defense, before I had my own chance to. 

“What’s the problem here?,” Grayson asks, facing the tall man that was standing on the opposite side of Lana, stationing his body in between her and him. “Just trying to talk to a cute girl, what’s the problem with you?,” he responds, getting closer to Grayson’s face. 

“Well, she obviously doesn’t want to talk, or be involved with you, so I’d suggest you walk the fuck away before you really piss me off,” Grayson growls, roughly shoving him backwards, intimidating him. He hesitantly walks off defeated, keeping his gaze on the three of us before fully turning his body around to walk back over to his friends. 

“Are you okay?,” Grayson asks Lana, having a slight worried expression etched across his features. “Yeah, I’m okay. That guy just wouldn’t leave me alone, ruined my whole day. I think that’s enough of the beach for the day, I wanna go home,” she says, folding her towel so that it’d fit easier in her beach bag. 

Soon after she finishes her sentence, I feel disappointment rake through my body, as I felt myself beginning to get comfortable with Grayson. Though I wanted desperately to stay, I didn’t need to be selfish and keep her here if she obviously didn’t want to. 

As if she read my mind like the true best friend she was, she looks to Grayson and says, “Are you okay with keeping her company? I don't wanna cut her trip short. I’ll just take an Uber home.”

“Sure, no problem. I think it’s time that I start getting to know your friend,” Grayson says to her, but smiling at me as he spoke. I maintain my gaze on him while I see through my peripheral vision Lana grinning at us. She gives my arm a slight squeeze as a goodbye before she begins to walk back to the parking area. 

[4 Hours Later]

“I can’t believe we’ve been talking for so long,” I say, giggling as I check the time on my phone seeing that multiple hours has elapsed since we’ve been left to each other’s company. 

“Damn, I know,” he responds, playing with my fingers, looking up at the dark sky. “What time is it?”

“Almost 9.”

It was now dark out, the stars beginning to make an obvious appearance. Grayson and I had laid flat against the bed of his pick up truck, gazing at the small balls of light above as we spoke. The beach had now become deserted, the only thing to hear being the sound of the waves crashing against the shore and our low voices.

“I don’t think I ever thanked you for helping out Lana today. If it were just me and her trying to get rid of him, he probably would've been way more aggressive. I’m just really glad you were here,” I mention, locking my eyes up above. Grayson squeezes my hand, that he was now holding, gently, as a way of letting me know that he appreciated hearing what I had to say. 

He slowly turns his head to observe my features as he runs a hand along my arm, resulting in me to return his gaze. His eyes quickly veer to my lips, as he licks and softly bites at his own, and returns his eyes back to mine. “You’re really beautiful,” he whispers, leaning closer to me, stopping his actions barely a second before our lips could touch. 

“Can I?,” he requests, placing a light hand on my hip. I nod quickly, our lips brushing against each other at the simple movement, making the both of us realize just how close we truly were. Moving his head, less than a millimeter closer to mine, our lips collide, meshing together in perfect synchronization. 

He pulls away for a short amount of time, as if to wait for a protest, but soon pulls me closer to him by my hips and presses his lips against mine even harder than the last time. He removes his hand from my waist to my neck, gently caressing the skin. He swipes his tongue along my bottom lip before I open my mouth against his to give our tongues room to dance around each other.

As if his hand was restless, not being able to find a comfortable spot to lay, he once again relocates his fingers to a warm spot underneath my shirt. His lips leave mine and venture to my neck harshly sucking and nibbling at the sensitive skin. I moan softly at the sudden euphoria. Seeming as though my small noise triggered a switch in his mind, he pulls at the area even harder, leaving no doubts in my mind that a dark mark would be left behind.

Grayson grabs my leg and swings it around his lap, so that I’m straddling his waist and he’s laying flat on his back. “Are you okay with this?,” he asks, squinting his eyes as if to examine my face for any signs of rejection. “Yeah,” I sigh, feeling his growing erection poking into my crotch. He sits up, leaning closer to me as he removes his tank top and presses another kiss to my lips. 

I run my fingers from his chest down to his pelvic area, lightly scratching him with my nails. The heat in between my legs begins to further flourish as I peel his sweatpants off his legs, after delicately palming his length through the thin material. To my surprise his length springs from underneath his clothing, as I expected to see yet another restricting article of clothing. I slide my body further down his legs, my face coming into contact with his shaft.

I open my mouth slightly and use my tongue to lick a solid line up his length as I listen his breath get caught in his throat at the intercourse. Using his reaction as motivation, I wrap my lips around the head of his erection and suck at the sensitive tip, making use of my hand by fisting his shaft and moving it up and down, along the length. He moans loudly as he plants a firm hand on the back of my head, pushing it further down to take in every inch.

“Fuck, just like that, [Y/N],” he moans, as I bob my head, without the assistance of his hand. I pause momentarily when the tip of my nose hits his lower stomach. I swallow around his shaft that was stopped in my throat as I once again rely on my hand to rub at his balls so that nothing in his area was left unattended to. “Oh shit,” he groans while I twirl and swirl my tongue around his full length and moving my head up and down simultaneously. 

“I’m about to cum,” he breaths out, gently pulling my head away from his hips. He pushes me back gently against the bed of the truck, being cautious of me not hurting myself. 

He quickly crawls on top of me, once again attacking my neck with new hickeys, as if the ones he drew onto my neck earlier, weren’t enough. He licks over the now hot skin and lowers a light kiss over its sensitivity. I hum quietly from the bliss and play with the small hairs growing from the back of his neck. 

Grayson pulls my shirt over my head, exposing my naked chest before he peppers wet kisses from the bridge between my breasts, all around my stomach, he then finally arrives directly above my aroused core. He uses his right hand to push away my left thigh, spreading my legs. He unbuttons my shorts and hurriedly pulls them down my ankles and throws them to a vacant area in our small space. He plants a rough kiss against my clothed middle, as I let out a loud moan upon contact. 

He tucks the thin fabric in between his two rows of teeth and tugs it down, maintaining eye contact with me. I utilize my teeth by biting down at my bottom lip to hold back my heavy breathing that came with the anticipation. 

But, my method fails me when he licks up at my folds, brushing over my sensitive nub causing me to exert a loud moan. He swirls his tongue around, not missing even the smallest area. “You’re so fucking wet,” he groans against me, sending vibrations straight through my core, giving me chills. 

He runs his finger from my clit to my hole, inserting his digit deep inside. I move my up hips in pleasure as I feel his long fingers far inside my arousal. He pushes another finger into me, before he proceeds to use his tongue to flick at my swollen bundle of nerves. “Oh, Grayson,” I breath out, realizing that I had been holding onto my breath the whole time. I run my thin fingers through his soft hair, tugging at the ends. 

He thrusts his fingers even faster, swirling his snake-like tongue in all the nooks and crannies of my sex. “Oh, fuck, I’m gonna cum,” I moan uncontrollably, pressing his dome harder into my core. “Not yet, mama,” he responds, leaving my arousal feeling abandoned. He grabs my hips and flips my body over so that I’m now laying on my front. He pulls my waist up to meet his, changing my horizontal position to one on all fours. 

I feel him once again separating my legs, creating space to position himself in between them. He takes ahold of his length and runs the tip from my nub to the very end of my core, causing the both of us to moan lightly at the feeling. After teasing the both of us for a while longer, he pushes his shaft into my wet heat. I listen as he lets out a gravelly sigh while he starts to roughly move his hips back and forth, his hips repeatedly hitting against my butt.

My eyes roll to the back of my head as I let out loud moans of pleasure, while he continued to pound into me. “You like that, baby?,” he asks, edging me closer to my release as he reaches around my leg to flick and toy at my clit. “Fuck, yes, Gray,” I moan, as my arms go weak and I rest my head against the cold platform below us. I clench my walls around his erection as I feel my orgasm nearing. 

“Oh shit, you’re so fucking tight,” he growls, ramming into me faster than earlier, perfectly hitting my g-spot with each thrust he gave. “Yes, Grayson, right there,” I breath out. “I’m cumming,” I whimper, as my body begins to shake from the excessive arousal.

“I’m about to cum,” Grayson groans, before he pulls his shaft out of my core and rubs against his length while ejaculating all over hand. I lick his fingers clean from his warm fluid, closing my eyes. He lets go of his softening erection and turns my body back over, laying me down on top of him, our sweaty bodies resting against each other. 

He moves his finger around in light circles on the back of my neck, soothing my body. “Hey,” he says, earning my attention. “Yeah?,” I respond. 

“Will you go on a date with me?,” he asks. 

“I’d love to. Where?”

“I think you already know.”

[raging-violets]

~"Stop moving!" for Zack and Riley

Zack slumpedto the side. Then sat up straight, dropping his hands between his knees. He staredforward for a second. Then he relaxed his shoulders, puffing out his chest tostretch his back, and turned to the side, resting his feet on the bottom rungsof the stool next to him. He sat still, stared at the wall in front of him, hismind growing blank…for all of five seconds before the realization that his backwas starting to itch made him start to wiggle back and forth, hoping theroughness of the fabric moving across his back would scratch it—

“Look!”Riley huffed, ripping a half-started sheet of paper out of her sketchbook. Shecrumpled it up and threw it to Zack, watching as it harmlessly bounced off hisforehead. A smirk pulled at her lips as she curled her hands over the top ofthe pad, resting her chin on it. She tapped her fingers in a steady beat beforesaying, “I know it’s hard for you to sit still for more than a micro second, matebut can you please stop wiggling around?”

Zack’sshoulders immediately dropped, lower lip sticking out in a pout. “I’m sorry.”He sounded anything but. “But if I’m going to sit here and stare blankly atsomething, I need motivation.” He watched a wave of trepidation move over herface, through her blue eyes, and waited for her to give in to ask.

As sheusually did.

It didn’ttake long.

“Like?”Riley finally prompted.

“Like…” Zackthought for a second and rolled his eyes. He turned toward Riley, curling hisfingers around the edge of the stool, leaned toward her. “Have you ever listenedto Cody talk before?”

Riley liftedan eyebrow. She tilted her head, training her eyes on him. “I’ve listened.”

“No, I mean really listened to him.” Zack twirledhis finger beside the side of his head. “He doesn’t say anything, he just goes on and on and on and on.” He opened andclosed his hand like a mouth moving. “Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.”

“I’m suremany people could say the same thing about you.”

“At least I’vegot something to say.”

“Like you’redoing now?” Riley flipped to a clean page on her sketchbook, lying it acrossher lap.

Zack droppedhis hand to his lap, pouting as he always did when he was compared to hisbrother. Lest, his pout wilted to an almost haughty expression. “At least I’mnot boring.”

“Really,mate? ‘Cause this whole convo is lulling me to sleep, yeah?” She picked up thepencil she’d stuck behind her ear when she tore apart her drawing. “It’s onlyfor an hour, I just need you to sit still so I can finish this drawing.” Zacksighed heavily through his nose, tilting his head back. “You didn’t have to dothis.”

“And miss mychance to be openly checked out?” Zack folded his arms. He lowered his chin,shooting her another haughty look once more. “C’mon Sweet Thang, you know I can’tresist.”

“Yeah, Idoubt your ego would be able to handle not being the center of attention formore than a second.” She cast him a withering glance, pointing the sharpenedend of her pencil at him. “And stop calling me that.”  

“Sure thing,Hot Stuff.”

“Zack!”

Zack held uphis hands, ducking when Riley flung her pencil at him. It arced through the airtoward his head, landing harmlessly among the carefully stacked paintings, sculptures,and works from other students—students who had the foresight to come up with atopic for their assignment of ‘feeling’. A peal of laughter escaped Zack’s lips,filling the room, echoing off the corners.

Even Rileycouldn’t help but allow herself to laugh, leaning forward to hide her facebehind her sketch pad. Finally, with a smile in her voice, she said, “Can you pleasejust fucking sit still? I really want to finish this today. And you promised tohelp me.”

“Okay! Okay!”Zack threw his hands into the air, laughter fading. “What do you want me to do?”

“Sitthere. Pose! I don’t care!” She ran her hand along the now clean, empty page infront of her. Lowered her voice to a murmur. “Just stop moving.”

“Fine.”

Zack movedinto a comfortable position, rounding his shoulders forward into a comfortable slumpthat he’d grown into over years of playing video games for hours on end. Herelaxed his jaw, allowing his teeth to part slightly, allowing his tongue toflatten against his teeth. Moved his lips into what was neither a smile nor afrown—an almost playful smirk, his eyelids falling to a fraction abovehalf-lidded. A look that others would’ve brushed off as him being lightyears awaybut was the exact opposite.

He’d neverbeen more focused. Listening as Riley motioned to her face with a wave of herhand saying, “Look at me.”

As if he’dever wanted to look anywhere else.

With everypencil stroke and every line Riley blended together, Zack watched the intenseattention she gave him. How she visibly started with his head, keeping her eyeson his, slightly flickering left and right to take in all of his face. Then workedher way down, making her frown and twist almost sideways, mimicking his postureat one point, to take in his upper body.

Zack felthimself become a bit nervous then, his stomach twisting. Wondering what it was shewas seeing, what it was she was recreating on paper. He was no Joe Schmo, thatwas for sure. His own ego aside, his parents were very attractive and made cutechildren. Even Cody, who Zack was sure would never get a girlfriend, had enoughattention from girls long before Zack figured out how to successful woo them thatalways made him burn with jealousy.

But now…nowin a quiet room where he had nothing but Riley’s undivided attention, Zack feltnaked. The thought of it alone scared him. Everyone said he wasn’t fat but… Zackturned his eyes down, suddenly ashamed.

“Eyes on me,boofhead,” Riley reminded him gently, though the teasing edge to her voice unmistakable. He snapped his gaze back to her.

Wonderedwhat it’d be like if he were drawing her, which part he’d focus on the most. He’dprobably simply just stare at her while sullenly trying to draw anything but astick figure with some hair crudely drawn on. His artistic capabilities weren’tso advanced, but he certainly would want to focus on her eyes.

Eyes that,even when the rest of her face was blank, could betray what they were reallyfeeling. But, Zack learned from experience, one had to be careful trying tofigure out. Anger could cover sadness, happiness could cover pain, and yethappiness could be happiness with nothing in between.But if he were to draw hereyes, he had to draw her nose. The nose that housed all the freckles thatspread to her cheeks, giving her a shockingly youthful look compared to thehardness of her resting face, having seen too much pain over the years.

She drew himseriously. She didn’t want to lower his already fragile self-esteem—though hewas never quick to admit it. Some of him was covered by the shadows cast fromthe lightning in the room, making her job easier, almost making it easier forhim. He could hide in the shadows, giving much less for her to work with. Inthe different poses he kept himself in before, it was only seconds beforediscomfort covered him.

Right then,he wasn’t uncomfortable. The whole time Zack watched her just as intently asshe was watching him. Occasionally his eyes would flicker from her own, allowinghim to take in the big picture of her; of her tongue poking just slightly out betweenher lips. A small smile would spread across Zack’s face when he saw her glanceup to look at him again, seemingly to become even more focused each time shedid so.

Zack wasn’tsure how much time had passed by the time his butt started to grow numb. Itcouldn’t take that long to work couldit? She might have elongated the process by a few minutes or so. Zack didn’twant to speak, in fear of ruining the moment. She just looked so serene as sheworked; so peaceful. The more she drew, the more comfortable he became.

He lovedevery minute of it.

But he wasstill human, and no human could ignore a numb ass on a stool. Zack parted hislips, took a breath, ready to speak. “Are you—”

“—If you say‘draw me like one of your French girls’, I’m going to kick your ass,” Rileysaid so monotone that Zack couldn’t help but laugh.

“I was goingto say you’re taking your time,” Zack said.

Almost as ifa trance were broken, Riley leaned back and asked, “You want to look good, yeah?”

“I alwayslook good.”

He wasrewarded with a light roll of her eyes. “I want a good grade,” she said simply.Yeah, right. She couldn’t get a bad grade even if she tried. It was of the few classeswhere you could turn work in late and still have it be graded fairly. Finally,she leaned back, scrutinized the page, and scribbled her hand in the corner ina flourish—signing it. “Finished.” She set her pencils aside and beckoned himtoward her. “Come see.”

Instead,Zack leaned forward and grabbed the leg of her stool, pulling her across the floorto him. The screeching of the legs across the linoleum floor almost—but notquite—covered Riley’s amused giggle. Finally, she turned it toward him.

Zack stared.

It took afew moments for him to blink. To take in every part of his face; of the darklyshaded areas, to the lighter ones, taking in his own reflection. He may as wellbe looking in the mirror. It almost worried him that the drawing didn’t moveevery direction he did as he shifted back and forth.

Zack smiled.

“Do you likeit?” Riley’s voice turned soft, questioning. She twisted her fingers together infront of her before bringing up her leg hand to rub at her right arm. “What doyou think?”

“I think you’dgive all those old farts in any museum a run for their money,” Zack said. Hiseyes lit up at the thought. “How much do you think you’d make off this? Off drawingother people? If you market this right, you can easily make a pretty penny.” Helaughed when Riley elbowed him in the side, giving him a disapproving look. “Can’tblame a guy for trying.”

“So you’regoing to pimp me out just to get some cash?” Riley scowled at him, eyesflashing. A look he’d seen many times before and easily knew how to appease. Akiss to her cheek did as much.

“No, theonly pimping I’m going to put you through is to myself,” Zack said, earning aroll of the eyes. “I’ve got exclusive rights to the artist and everything shewants to bring to any and all personal meetings.” He paused an added, “The art’sgood too, I guess.”

“You guess?”Riley brushed her cheek with her shoulder and folded her arms. “What do youknow about art?”

“Nothing.”The answer was so simple that Riley chuckled quietly. Then he tossed aflirtatious grin her way. “But I know it when I see it,” his eyes well awayfrom her drawing and instead on her form. She blushed, but continued to smilebroadly. “So.” Zack slid his arm around Riley’s waist, drawing him to her lap.No, she easily sank against him, looping her arm around his neck, leaning backagainst him, seamlessly molding against his body. “You never told me.”

Riley turnedto him, her cheek brushing his, eyelashes fluttering across his cheek. Her eyebrowsquirked up, eyes widening almost imperceptivity but giving an air of curiosity.“Never told you what?” Zack felt his heart soar—trying his hardest not to focuson how it affected his whole body—enjoyingthe way her deeper, accented voice reached his ears so cleanly.

“What the topicwas. Why you wanted me to pose for you.”

Riley liftedher eyebrows. “Mm. Does it matter?”

“No.” Zackslid his hand into her hair, gently running his fingers through the silkystrands. He looked up at her, taking in her dark blue eyes and her longeyelashes. He could see every freckle on her cheeks, rounding over her nose,and every fleck of brown in her eyes.

Zack leanedforward and closed the gap between them. He slowly moved his lips against hers,holding her head gently, almost cradling it in his grasp, the other moving upto cup her chin. He held her close for several seconds, radiating in the warmthof her body against him. Remind him that she chose him over everyone else; ableto see past every insecurity with a snarky comment and a patient—bordering onimpatient at the worst of times–dose of reality and vice versa.

Zack’sbreathing slowed as he pulled back from the kiss. He stopped and stared at hereyes.

Her intenseeyes.

He had a feelinghe knew which one she chose.

“Hey,” Rileygreeted, lips pulling back into a dazzling smile.

Zack’s lipstugged back. “Hey,” he replied.

[franeridart]

Do you care for any of the dekusquad?

I care for most if not all hero-related characters in bnha! But if with care you mean if any dekusquad member is between my favorite characters/if I care enough about any of them to draw them more than once every blue moon, then my Todoroki tag might tip you off, there lol

Anon said:Will you ever draw Bakukamikiri again? I rlly loved how you did them!!

Thank you!!! And I think I will, though I don’t have any project to do so in the near future, sorry!

Anon said:Soo KyouHaba day (6/16) is coming up and was wondering if you could do some seijoh next gen stuff. Yahaba is often forgot about a and Kyoutani isn’t really included in a lot of Aoba Johsai stuff. Feel free to not do anything just suggesting something

Aw sorry anon but I don’t have the time to do day-themed stuff right now! KyoHaba is currently the hq ship I’m most likely to draw for, though, since they’re the only ones I’m still reading fics for! So I don’t think any will come around 6/16, but I don’t exclude I might draw them anyway in the near future! :D

Anon said:Omg your taking part in a zine!! I’m so excited! And it’s a BakuSquad one too! Ik I’m definitely going to be buying it when pre-orders open up!

I’m taking part in TWO zines, actually!! Both the @takemyhandzine and the @sixthwheelzine !!!!! I’ll be making comics for both, and if you do decide to buy either I really hope you’ll like them!!!!

Anon said:whats a zine?

In general, a zine is an amatorially published magazine! Specifically tho here we’re talking about fanzines, so magazines put together and published by fans for other fans! The ones I’m taking part in are both about kiribaku, and will include both fanart (fancomics included) and fanfics! Depending on how much you wish to spend on it, you can also buy a bundle with fanmade merch too, and the Sixth Wheel zine is gonna have a pdf version too, in case you’d prefer to buy it like that! They’re super cool projects I’m insanely happy I got invited to take part in!!!!

Anon said:Your art style is so pretty and I love to see your amazing bnha drawing on my dash

There is literally no way I could ever stop being into d gray man ever and I’m also still following hq’s manga, yes! I dunno if and when I’ll draw for either fandom next, tho, sorry! ;^;

Anon said:Everytime you draw kiribaku I gain 1 life,,,,, tysm I love ur art SM ur such an inspiration,,,💖💖💖

Oh my g o d s thank you so much ;^;

Anon said:Your Kiridragon is the cutest, I love him and want Katsuki to protect him forever. Thank you for sharing that last story with us!!! (Ps. Can we expect more Kiridragon adventures in the future? *puppy eyes*)

Thank you for liking him!!!!!! And if you’re talking about the fantasy AU in general, I’ll 100% for sure draw more for it! If you’re talking about them as kids tho I can’t say for sure - I definitely want to, tho, right now!! ;^;

Anon said:As a suggestion, could you maybe do Kiri*Deku, whether it be romantic, platonic, or misinterpreted by Bakugou and he takes Kirishima because that’s his sunshine boy thank you very much, get your own

Aw anon sorry but krdk is…………. really not my thing, so I don’t take suggestions for it ;-; I might end up doodling them in the future anyway since I have in the past, but that’s only gonna be if I find an idea I really really really wanna draw, I’m sorry

Anon said:Just wanted to say that I love your art and I just went through a majority of your blog. But I noticed you used to draw erasermic but haven’t recently and I was wondering if you still ship it??? It’s okay if you don’t or if you just haven’t gotten the inspiration recently, I’m just curious. Anyways, keep doing what you do and being amazing

Thank youuuu!!!!! And I’ve actually always drawn erasermic super sporadically! They’re one of my main ships in the fandom honestly, but since they’re sorta hard to draw for me I rarely end up drawing them? I do still love them with all my heart tho! You can expect to see more of them in the future, for sure ;u;

Anon said:I came for my kiribaku fix (it HAD to be him I’m dying all over again) but. God ur art always blows me tf away ur so good and skilled and ur improvement in like… everything inspires me SO much so bless u and I hope u have a WONDERFUL day

I’m so glad I can inspire anyone, oh my g o o o o o o d ;O; thank you so so much!!!!

Anon said:Wow your dragon kiribaku art is so cute! Will there be a sequel!

Not for the immediately after, for now! Since Horikoshi is yet to give me the official design for Kiri’s mom //sob - but as I said up there I do want to draw more with them as kids in the fantasy AU, so maybe, yeah!!!

Anon said:I absolutely love EVERY SINGLE facial expression that Bakugou makes in your Fantasy Babies comic strip. He’s such an unapologetic little shit.

THANK YOU!!!!! I was mostly trying to convey the fact that he’s too young to think about the consequences of his actions before doing stuff like calling the rage of a dragon mom upon his city l m a o glad you liked him!!! :D

Anon said:The way you draw the baby bois has me weak 💖💕❤️💗💞💓💝 That baby dragon Kiri 💯💯💯💖💖💖😊😊😊

Thank you so muuuuuucccchhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anon said:EYYYYY! Love your art, the newest comic made me laugh so hard that I almost chocked to death :D (Jk, I just couldn’t breathe normally) God bless youuuuuuuuuu

I’m SUPER HAPPY it made you laugh!!!!!! heck!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;^;

Anon said:You content makes my heart go doki doki doki doki doki

THANK!!!! YOU!!!!! SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!

Anon said:the way you draw wings is so cool, i love it. your art is just amazing in ggeneral to be honest, like akjdjkhdlkdl

AAAAHHHHHHHH I’M HAPPY YOU LIKE THEM I have so much fun drawing them, honestly!!!

Anon said:I love the fact that mina and kiri are cannonically childhood friends (middle school counts as childhood right??) Like I love their friendship so much and they both deserve the world.

Real, they’re adorable and I wish Horikoshi would actually have them interact a bit more in the manga, since as for now their scenes together are pretty much non-existent aside from their backstory ;^;

Anon said:THEY ANIMATED IT!!! THE HAND GRAB!!! IT’S IN MOVING COLOUR!!!

HELL YES I DIED IT’S BEEN NEARLY A WEEK AND I’M STILL DYING WHAT A BEAUTIFUL TIME TO BE ALIVE

Anon said:You with your beautiful beautiful art and Chonideno with her beautiful beautiful writing about Kiri and Bakugou makes my heart so happy and warm and just… Thank you for existing and love Kiribaku! I don’t know, your art makes me so happy

Ohhhhhhhhhhh boy what an honor to be put at the same level as mag ;^; I love her and her writing so much, honestly !!!!!! thank you so so much for the compliment, anon!!!!!!!!!!!

Anon said:Kirishima braiding his hair while he talks is both adorable and relatable. Thank you for that.

I’m!!!! mostly happy you caught it hahahaha thank you !!!!!!

Anon said:Hey. You seem insecure but your art is great. What kind of color scheme do you see for Hawks?

Hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I honestly don’t like thinking about stuff I think Hori will give me in canon soon enough? But out of instincts I mostly imagined him in shades of brown, I think - typical birds of prey and/or aviator colors, you know!

Anon said:I love ur drawings but i also love reading ur tag. They re so funny sometimes

lmao that’s good too!! As long as I can make people enjoy a couple of moments of their time I don’t really mind how I do it hahaha

Anon said:your art is beautiful anfndfnd

AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!

Anon said:Hello fran, just wanted to say i’ve been here for a long long time (since the h/q times :‘o) and today i was thinking about some of your old art and if you remember, you had a soulmates au for b/n/h/a that was super good and i really loved so i wanted to tell you!! You as an artist have such an impact on me and that au is my fave of yours!! ;0; have the nicest day ever!! -soulmates anon (4 future ref!!!)

OH MAN I’m so happy to hear you still remember that one?? It was such a fun experiment to play around with, I’m glad you liked it this much!!!! Thank you for telling me omg !!!!! ;^;

Anon said:Hi, so where did you go to watch Haikyuu (I’m assuming probably Crunchyroll but ya never know) and where might I find the dubbed version?

Aw anon sorry I don’t watch the dubbed version! Since I’m Italian, I don’t really have much use for the English dubs haha I’m pretty sure you can find it on kissanime, tho!

Anon said:could you briefly go through the process of making and completing one of your comics? I wanted to start some short bnha comics but idk where to start, thank you!

Sorry this took me an age to answer - I have answered this question a while back, I think it might be in my art tips tag! But to go through it fast, my process is something like

find a line or an exchange I want to deliver, or a topic I want discussed (usually happens randomly as I’m doing other things)

spend a million years just staring at a wall or at my ceiling or anything else as I build a whole scene in my mind to have the lines or topic take the form of an actual comic (might take two minutes, might take a month)

draw a rough sketch of the whole comic - I do this with all panels (and pages, when I separate a comic in pages) on the same canvas, so that I can look at the whole scene all together and get a good sense of the general flow of the storytelling. This process includes cutting panels, moving panels around, reshaping panels, trying different poses and angles for the same panels to find the right one, writing and deleting and re-writing lines till I’m sure the wording is what I’m going for*

line the panels - I mean the actual panels, the straight lines delimitating the panel, I line them all first and put them on a separate layer

line the people!! All the characters in every panel are lined in this stage

line the backgrounds! In case there are backgrounds and the comic is meant to stay in black and white, if not then color the backgrounds! (I always start coloring from the backgrounds cause they’re the boring parts and if I leave them for last I never do them ever #rip)

in case of black and white comics, we fill in flat, gray-scale colors at this point (or, as I’ve lately started doing, I only put down shadows and leave it at that). If it’s in colors, we color the people!

Write down the dialogue!! *at this point we change a lot of the dialogue again because enough time has passed since I sketched it that I changed my mind on everything, don’t be like me

you’re done!

All of it is done on one single canvas, unless it’s a comic with separate paneled pages in which case they’re all done on their own canvas but still drawn all together. That’s about it, hope it was at least a little bit useful!

Anon said:Hi! I just wanted to thank you for your art, especially your KiriBaku. I was exactly in the same situation than Bakugou in the post tagged “bakugou being blunt about his feelings” (except we are 2 girls) , so I used it to confess to her. She said yes! X3

OH MY GOD I’m so super happy to hear that!!!!! Congrats on your gf, anon!!!!!! *throws hearts at u*

[choking-on-tae]

Finally, I’ve found you

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader 

Word count: 4.2k 

Summary: “The only place a person can see their soulmate is in their dreams. Depending on where each person lives in the world, the dream becomes clearer when both people become closer to each other. What happens when you finally find your soulmate?” 

Genre: Soulmate AU

Ratings: Angst, Fluff. 

Author’s note: I once saw a summing up of what a soulmate AU with Jungkook would be like and got inspired to write this. Gif isn’t mine. x 

As you opened your eyes you saw a playground. It had a couple of swings and a slide, it wasn't that big actually. What caught your eye was a little boy, probably around the age of 5. He looked adorable as he was swinging back and forth. His little hands tightly gripping unto the bars. He was smiling and laughing loudly as he seemed to have the time of his life.

Suddenly everything went black before you arrived somewhere else.

It was the same boy, although now he was older. Maybe around the age of 8? He was walking through a hall which looked oddly familiar to a school hall in his adorable uniform. He had his backpack hugged tightly to him, a little iron man toy sticking out of it. Two other little boys ran past him, pushing him over in the process. You felt bad for the little boy who struggled to get up, quickly grabbing his iron man toy and hugging it tightly to his chest.

Tears prickled down the little boy's face as he finally walked through the doors, exiting the school. You felt your heart melt at the sight. He just looked so cute and you wanted to protect him from the mean boys who pushed him over. His eyes lit up once he saw the beautiful cherry blossoms on his way home. He sat down underneath them as he got out his small sketch book and a pencil.

He leaned against the three as he started sketching. You could see that he was drawing the three, and did a pretty good job at it for someone his age. Whoever this boy is he's just as artistic as you are. He placed the iron man toy beside him as he smiled at the small figure. Showing a cute smile which resembled a bunny in some sort of way. He was very cute.

Suddenly everything went black again, before a new decor appeared.

It was the same boy again, probably around the age of 12 now. He was in what looked like his room. Sketches and drawings everywhere as he was sitting on his bed, eagerly drawing something. You noticed the Iron man collection in the cupboard. He definitely seemed a big fan of superheroes. He still looked cute and passionate. He seemed to really relax when he was drawing, which is something that you experience yourself too.

The cute boy turned his head to his computer where an Anime was playing. You didn't recognize which one but it looked nice. He kept drawing while watching it. This time he decided to draw his famous role model; Iron man. The drawing looked amazing and was very detailed. He was obviously very talented in what he was doing, and he enjoyed watching Anime, something you enjoy doing too. He quietly sang along with the theme song and it sounded surprisingly good. His voice sounds like that of an angel. Wow.

The darkness returned for a moment until you saw the same guy, but this time he was even older. He must be around your age now as he was sitting in a class, painting a portrait of himself. He had sketched himself first with charcoal but now he was painting over it with bright colors. It looked amazing. He must have a major in Arts, considering how good he is. You focused on the guy, since he wasn't a boy anymore. He was slowly becoming a man, a very handsome man to say the least.

Built to perfection, chiseled jawline, strong arms and thighs, fuck he's hot to say the least. A guy who's hot, cute, and creative? Damn that really sounds perfect to you. He seemed so focused on his work. Like he was really caught up in it. It was obvious that being creative was his outlet and it probably helped him a lot too, especially since he got picked on when he was younger.

It got black again before the guy was suddenly standing right in front of you.

This time he looked older, maybe a year of 2. Now you could really take a proper look at him. He looked beautiful yet handsome. Strong yet soft. He was a little taller than you and he seemed a bit shy, yet bold. He looked like the perfect combination of everything. Whoever this is you really wanted to meet him. You reached your hand out to touch him when everything went black again.

You shot up straight in bed, immediately glancing at the clock. It was 10 in the morning. Who was this guy and why were you seeing him in your dreams? Did your mind make up this imaginary person or is this person your soulmate? But it's so clear.. wait.. does that mean your soulmate is here in South Korea?! You think back at the dreams your mom told you about and the ones you read online. Soulmate dreams always go back a long way. It always shows what the person looked like when they were little and then up until how they look now.

Could that mean that this guy is your soulmate? Your thinking gave you a light headache, so you quickly got out, took some medicine and turned your phone back on. You didn't have a lot planned for today, so you decided to just take it easy. You slipped on a pair of skinny jeans, a pink t-shirt and made sure your hair looked okay. You didn't bother to put on some makeup since you didn't really plan on doing a lot today. You quickly made yourself some breakfast before sitting down on the couch and turning the TV on.

The guy was still fresh in your memory. Maybe you can try to draw him, so it won't fade away. You quickly grabbed your sketchbook and pencils before you started to draw. You started with how he looked when he was little. You sketched the playground and drew the little boy that was swinging on the swing. A big smile plastered on his face. It took you about an hour to finish that, which was pretty fast even for you. You smiled happily at the drawing as you laid it down on the table. You quickly ripped off a new piece of paper and started the second drawing.

The cute little boy with his iron man toy, underneath the beautiful cherry blossom. This drawing would be a bit bigger, since it has more details and all of that. If there's one thing in the world that you really love to do is drawing. You absolutely adore it. You really tried to nail all the details and it turned out surprisingly well. The shadows were perfect, it looked insanely realistic. It was almost like you had taken a photo of the screen caption in your dream and put it on paper. You've always been good at drawing but were never able to draw anything so realistically.

As you finished the drawing you placed it next to the other. The boy looked utterly adorable, drawing underneath a tree with the iron man toy next to him. You decided to skip the drawings of the boy in his room and him drawing in his class and went right away to the memory of him standing right in front of you, since you remembered that one the best. You turned the page so you had an empty one and softly started sketching. You really hoped this one would turn out to be just as good as the other ones. You used a lot of different pencils, trying to make it as realistic as possible.

You used another piece of paper to cover your hand so it wouldn't turn grey and you wouldn't smudge it everywhere. As you've learned from experience that happens if you don't do that, and fucking this drawing up was the last thing you want. You really tried to draw it as best as you could, and you were blown away when you finished it. You've drawn a lot of portraits, but they usually weren't that realistic. Sure if you knew the person you'd recognize them but otherwise you probably wouldn't. This one however, this looked fucking amazing!

You had told your cousin about your dream and she immediately asked you to describe what he looked like, so you snapped a photo of your drawing and send it to her. I mean what better way to explain it than to show it, right? You quickly put the pencils back and looked at the drawings that were lying in front of you. You snapped a photo of all three of them together before putting your phone back in your pocket. Is it normal to be this fascinated by a possible soulmate? You shook it off as you grabbed yourself something to drink.

A few hours later you decided to make a quick walk. You were here in Seoul after all might as well make the best out of it, right? Since the weather was nice, you didn't bother to wear a coat and just put on your hoodie. You were walking around for a bit when you felt like someone was following you. You turned around and saw someone with a black hood. Weird? You shrugged it off and continued walking. About a minute later the feeling was still there. As you had made a couple of turns you realized that the person was indeed following you.

You quickly turned around again and started running. You heard the stranger's heavy footsteps which means that they were running too. You saw a 7/11 store and quickly ran in, at least there's people there. The owner looked surprised when you came running in, and you couldn't blame him. You still politely bowed at him as you tried to catch your breath. Suddenly you felt someone taking a hold of your wrist, you wanted to scream but it got caught in your throat when you saw who the person was. He took off his hood and there he was, the guy you saw in your dreams. Another voice interrupted your little intimate stare down.

"119, I'd like to report an emergency."

You two quickly turned to the owner of the shop and you started to explain everything.

"No wait everything is fine! She's my soulmate! I was just trying to catch up with her!" He spoke in a rush. Obviously not wanting to give the owner the wrong idea.

His voice was quite low, but it sounded nice and calming.

"He was. Really it's okay." You assured the owner, who quickly mumbled an apology before hanging up the phone.

You turned back to the guy in front of you. He looked even better in person.

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Jungkook." He flashed you a bunny smile as he reached his hand out to you.

You stared at it for a second before you gently shook his hand, giving him a warm smile in return.

"I'm Y/N."

"Y/N, it suits you." "Thank you."

You two kept staring at each other with awkward smiles on your faces, obviously still shocked about what just happened. Is this guy really your soulmate? You wondered as you took in his appearance. He was wearing a pair of black jeans with some holes in it. A white t-shirt and a black hoodie over it. He looked great to say the least. While you were checking him out he did the same to you. Jungkook was completely mesmerized by your beauty and the fact that you were real. He simply couldn't believe that the girl he dreamt about and drew was now standing right in front of him.

He could see you with his own eyes, could touch you, hold you, kiss you. He could do everything he wanted, with your permission of course. The first thing Jungkook did this morning when he woke up was searching his sketchbook and drawing the girl he saw in his dreams. He never had clear dreams. They were always blurry, which assured him that his soulmate was somewhere across the world. He secretly hoped it wouldn't be too far but he didn't come any closer when he went to Japan or Dubai, so he figured it'd be even further than that.

Unlike you, Jungkook had always been obsessed with the idea of having a soulmate. His parents told him about it when he was a little boy. As seen in your dreams he got picked on when he was younger. He'd always come home crying, and his parents tried everything to cheer him up. They bought him his favorite candy, his favorite toys and even took him to theme parks he always wanted to go to, but nothing could make the sad little boy feel better. At least until his aunt mentioned soulmates.

Being curious at heart, little Jungkook wanted to know more about this, so his mother explained everything to him. She told him about soulmate dreams and that the clarity of your dream depends on how far your soulmate is away from you. Considering his dreams had always been blurry, his parents figured that his soulmate would be across the world. The possibility that the little boy had a soulmate that was made just for him, that would fit perfectly with him and would love him no matter what made him smile again.

His parents couldn't be happier that their son finally had a reason to smile again. Thinking about his soulmate made little Jungkook stronger. Instead of ignoring the bullies like he used to do, he spoke up to them. He figured that he'd make his soulmate proud if he did that. It ended the bullying, which he was really happy with. His parents saw a total new side of their son, and they couldn't be happier with that. Looking back at it they should have told him much sooner, but they weren't sure how to address the topic. Luckily for them his aunt did that for them.

Over the years Jungkook kept being fascinated by his soulmate, although he knew absolutely nothing about them. He didn't know their gender, their nationality, absolutely nothing. He found himself drawing random people, thinking about what his soulmate possibly could look like. When Jungkook was on vacation in Dubai he was disappointing when the dreams were still really blurry. So he figured his soulmate was even further than that. He and his cousin talked about going on a trip to Europe. His cousin has already met his soulmate and they've been dating for 3 years now.

He knew how much Jungkook's soulmate meant to him so he agreed on the plan. All there was left to do was save some money and buy the tickets. However, none of that is needed anymore since he just found his soulmate. He couldn't wait to tell his cousin about this.

"How long are you staying here?" He asked out of nowhere.

You were surprised by his question, but you figured he knew that you were from across the world and that you weren't staying here forever.

"I'm leaving in a little over 3 weeks, unfortunately, because so far I really like it here in Seoul." You answered him with a bright smile.

"I know this might sound a bit crazy but do you wanna go to my place? I've this little studio here in Seoul and it's not too far from here."

"Sure. Let's go." You smiled at him.

He instantly took your hand as you exited the store and walked down the quiet streets of Seoul. In any other world this would have been absolutely crazy; going home with a stranger. But this stranger is your soulmate, so you could trust him. The feeling of his hand in his made you really comfortable. Your hand fit perfectly in his, like you two were made for each other, which you technically were.

"Where are you from actually?" He asked, holding your hand tighter as he sped up his pace.

It was starting to get dark already, which was in contrast with yesterday. It's about dinner time now and it's already getting dark while yesterday it didn't get dark until 8 pm.

"I'm from (Your country)." You answered, wrapping your other hand around his arm as you nuzzled closer to him.

You felt strangely comfortable around him even though you just met. Maybe it was the soulmate thing after all. Jungkook didn't seem weirded out by it at all, in fact he seemed more than happy with the sweet gesture and you clinging unto him. He thought you were very cute when he first laid eyes on you, and this only proved his point.

"That's pretty far. I figured you were from around there since my dreams didn't get any clearer when I was in Dubai. My cousin and I were planning on making a trip to Europe actually." He spoke in a calm voice as he searched his pockets for his keys.

"Really?" You didn't even try to hide the surprise in your voice, which made your voice come out really high pitch.

You instantly felt your cheeks turning pink, feeling embarrassed about the whole thing but Jeongguk actually thought that it was really cute. He opened the door and let you in first, being a real gentleman. As you looked around the apartment you noticed the home-like feel it had. You could live here actually. You instantly took off your shoes as you walked around. Jeongguk did the same as he followed closely behind you. Suddenly something caught your eye. As you looked at the salon table you noticed a sketch book and some drawings.

"What's that?" You asked, not waiting for an answer you walked over and felt your eyes grow wide when your saw the drawings.

"Euhm.. I dreamt about you last night and I didn't want to fade the memory so I drew you. It's not that good really but yeah, that's you." He answered, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Oh my god." You quickly opened your backpack to grab the drawings that you made of him and put them on the table. He instantly sat down next to you, gently taking some of the drawings in his hands.

"Wow. These are so detailed." Jungkook flashed you a shy smile as he studied the drawings more.

"So are yours. You're really talented." "So are you!"

You shyly tugged a stray of hair behind your ear as you looked back at his drawings of you. You were completely mesmerized by them. You have never considered yourself as 'pretty' but you might consider it now judging by his drawings of you. It looks so realistic but really beautiful at the same time. You definitely recognized yourself, that was for sure.

"I think I know why we're soulmates." You mumbled as you placed his drawings back on the salon table, where they were.

"I think so too." He smiled fondly at you, before turning to the kitchen.

"Uh do you wanna drink something? Or eat something maybe, since it's dinner time."

You could definitely tell that he was nervous and shy, just like you. He was a combination of both shy and bold, exactly like you are. You have your moments just like he probably has his. This could actually work.

"Can I have some water? And do you have anything to eat here?" You asked, getting your phone out as you heard a message coming in.

"We can order pizza. Do you like pineapple on it?" "Yes."

"Great. I'll order us pizza then." He gave you that shy smile again before dialing the number and ordering the food.

Jungkook came back with your water as he sat down next to you, making you feel comfortable again. His cologne was strong but not too, you found yourself really liking the smell of it.

"I texted my family and cousin that I met you. Can’t wait for their reactions" He told you with a bright smile as he wrapped his arm around your shoulders.

He clearly was getting more comfortable around you, and you absolutely loved it. You felt like you could be comfortable around him too, and you were. You found yourself staring into Jungkook's beautiful dark brown doe eyes a lot, which didn't go unnoticed by him.

"Am I that handsome that you can't look away?" He asked with a smug smirk showcasing on his face.

You were surprised by his cockiness, but it made you smile nonetheless.

"I just really like your eyes. They're so big and cute. It makes you look like an adorable puppy."

He chuckled at your words before throwing his head back in laughter. His laugh sounded like music to your ears, and you found yourself slowly falling for the brown haired boy next to you.

"I really like your eyes too. They're a really pretty color. I've never seen eyes like yours, they've very unique."

You felt yourself blushing furiously at his compliment as you hid your face behind your hands, making him laugh. He welcomed it by pressing a kiss to your head as you saw Jungkook smiling fondly at you. Oh how you were falling for this boy. Little did you know that he was falling just as hard for you.

"What brought you to South Korea?" His voice broke the comfortable silence that surrounded the two of you.

"It's quite a long story actually." You mumbled, gripping unto his shirt as you nuzzled your head against his strong chest.

"We still have some time before the pizza arrives." He told you as he wrapped one arm around you and ran his fingers through your hair with his other hand that wasn't tracing patterns on your side.

"Okay, uhm. I don't really know how to say this so I'm just gonna do it."

"It's okay, you can tell me. I'm here." He assured you, which instantly made you feel a bit better.

"I've had quite a rough time the past few years. I've been really depressed, suicidal even and went into therapy. My psychologist told me that it's something I'll have to deal with for the rest of my life. Of course it won't be as bad as it used to be but I'll definitely have days where I'll just feel very down."

"Wow."

He stayed quiet for a few seconds, which really worried you.

"Jungkook?"

"How are you now? Is that why you decided to come here? To travel and find out more about yourself?" He asked as he made you look him.

You quickly nodded at him as you clutched his t-shirt tightly in your fist.

"Yeah. I came here all by myself because that's something I've always wanted to do. I didn't expect to find you here. I know this is a lot to take in and that I've a lot of issues. I'm not asking you to be there for me when I need someone but-"

"-Why wouldn't I be there for you when you need someone? I'm your soulmate and I really like you." He interrupted you.

His words made you tear up a bit, which didn't go unnoticed by him.

"Hey it's okay. I'm here for you Y/N."

You tightly wrapped your arms around him as he rested his chin on top of your head, wrapping his arms tightly around you too, making you feel safe. Your intimate moment was interrupted by the doorbell. Signing the arrival of the pizza. He gently brushed your hair out of your face before pressing a kiss against your nose.

"I got to open the door baby. I'll be back."

You nodded at his words, letting him get up when you realized that he called you 'baby'. You felt your cheeks heat up and butterflies erupt in your stomach. Jungkook quickly opened the door, gave the pizza guy the money before closing the door again and placing the pizza on the salon table in front of you. It looked absolutely delicious to say the least, and it smelled delicious too.

"Oh my god that smells so good." You practically moaned as you grabbed a slice.

He watched you with a bright smile before taking a slice himself. You both took a bite at the same time, letting the delicious flavors erupt into your mouth. "Oh wow."

He smiled at your reaction as he took another bite himself.

"It's good right?"

"So good."

You two finished the pizza in no time, being quite hungry after all. You spend the rest of the night talking to each other about your lives and issues. Jungkook seemed surprisingly okay with your mental issues. He accepts that sometimes you'll have days where you'll feel worse than others, and days where you're totally fine. He said that he wants to be there for you, even though you'll be on the other side of the world.

You glance at the clock that was hanging in his living room and felt your eyes growing wide when you saw how late it was. It was already 11 pm and pitch black outside, fuck.

"Oh my god it's so late. I-I should go back." You quickly got up only to be pulled back again by Jungkook.

You ended up on his lap, your back pressed against his chest.

"It's 11 pm. It's probably better if you stay the night here and go back tomorrow. There's no way I'm letting you go outside when it's this dark." He said, wrapping his arms around you to prove his point.

"I don't have anything here."

"I've a spare toothbrush and you can use my charger to charge your phone. You can wear one of my shirts to bed, since they'll probably be big on you."

"Are you sure?" "Yes. I insist."

"Okay."

[lodchen]

Everything GREAT about Inktober -or rather: I dare you to START TODAY!

So, with Inktober coming to an end again, I really felt the need to share with you guys, why I am super excited about this challenge and why you absolutely should start it today, if you haven’t already.

There are many good reasons why you should take part in Inktober, or a similar challenge, to grow as an artist. 

First of all, you are going to create something every single day for that month. And that’s great! It doesn’t really matter how much you do each day. Not everyone of us has the time to do a full piece of art every day for a whole month, and that’s totally fine, you don’t have to. What you do have to do though, is to estimate how much you actually will be able to do, and set your goals accordingly. I actually would advise you to set your goals lower than you think you would need to, because life has a habit of getting in the way of plans, and also it’s a lot easier to stay motivated and actually get started each day, for 31 days, if you know you have only to work 10 minutes on something, rather than 10 hours. And in the end, it will be a lot more rewarding to have 31 sketches that you worked on for that 10 minutes each day, than that one super amazing 10 hour painting that you started on October 1st, but never got to finish. 

And even if you’d rather have one super amazing 10 hour painting than those 31 sketches, that really is not the point of doing a challenge like Inktober. These are the reasons why: Being creative every day is actually the best thing you can do, when you are stuck in an art block. But how, do you ask? Because you have an art block, right? You have no ideas, no motivation… Well, first of all, there always is an official prompt list created by Jake Parker. Go ahead and follow the daily prompts, if you don’t have ideas on your own! “But Lodchen”, you may say, “even with the official prompts, I still just don’t know what to draw!” I know, this might happen. But the great thing about Inktober is, there are tons and tons of other artists participating each year. Have a look what other people do, get inspired by their art. And remember, you are going to do 31 drawings that month. It really doesn’t matter that much if your ideas aren’t the most creative ones, or if you feel that you lack the skill to execute them well. Just get started and work these creative muscles! You will find it easier to come up with ideas after a couple of days, I promise you. Maybe you had an idea on October 4th, that you didn’t end up using, you can go ahead and draw that on the 5th. Or maybe a combination of prompts will just spark an idea. For example, one of this years prompts was “graceful”. The first thing that I thought of was a ballerina. The prompt for the very next day was “fat”, and the second I first read the official prompt list, I instantly felt the urge to draw a fat and graceful ballerina! I didn’t end up drawing it, because I was afraid people might be offended, but honestly, I still am a little sad I didn’t do it.

And that, at the same time, is another great reason, to do Inktober. If you are serious about the challenge, and you miss a day, or rather miss the opportunity to create something, you will be angry with yourself the next day -and that will make sure it’s not happening again for the rest of the challenge.

And if you are afraid your own judgement won’t be enough to keep you going, tell other people that you are going to do this challenge. And show them what you did, too! This way, if you miss a day, everybody will know you failed - and you don’t want this, right? Telling other people what your goals are so that you are going to lose credibility if you don’t end up doing it is one motivator to keep you going, and if you struggle with self discipline this might be a helpful thing to do. But of course it’s only one of the many reasons, why doing Inktober and posting your results online is great! Besides the fact that you don’t want to let the people down to whom you promised to do one piece of art a day, being part of a creative crowd might be just the thing you need right now! Maybe you have been feeling down about your art, or maybe you just usually don’t feel comfortable showing your art. Showing your art to other people and get feedback can be such a huge motivation!

For me, this Inktober was all about becoming comfortable showing my art, even though if it’s nothing I am particular proud of. Before now, I always thought that most of my stuff was too bad to show to other people, and that they wouldn’t be interested in sketches like this anyways. Well, guess what? I got some really nice comments, and I actually enjoy sharing my Inktober pieces, now! I even might continue to do and show similar stuff in the future!

Inktober is a great opportunity to find other artists, check out their art, write some nice comments, maybe ask a few questions about how they do stuff, and just engage with the community. And in the end, you might even end up making some friends.

Of course, there is more to the challenge than just doing 31 drawings in 31 days. Maybe for you the challenge is to practice a certain topic, to get accustomed to a new medium, or just to get outside your comfort zone in general. So I think even if you don’t have to follow the official prompts, it is a great idea to do so! I did it the first time this year, and I think it’s just so cool to see how many different things I’ve drawn, that I wouldn’t have drawn otherwise! It really helps to avoid doing the same generic drawings each day. For example, when I participated in Inktober last year, most of my drawings where portraits, a lot of them front view, and a lot of them witches, because… halloween, right? That sure wasn’t a bad thing to do and it still was good practice, but a bit boring, right? Now in comparison this year, when I followed the official prompts, I still managed to do a couple of portraits because I enjoy doing them, but I also drew a ot of animals, that I usually never draw. I drew (cute) monsters, something I never did before. I did a couple more landscape-focused drawings and did one doodle-page that I just wanted to make as crowded as possible - all of that I wouldn’t have done, if it wasn’t for Inktober.

In the end, a lot of the question “why should I participate in Inktober” depends a lot on what is important to you. It can be a purely artistic challenge, if you want to get familiar with a new medium or style of art. It can be about you as a person, if you want to improve your self discipline. Or it can be all about getting to know new people and just have fun. And this is what’s so great about Inktober. Make the challenge your own, but do it!

And if you still really don’t know why you should do Inktober, or are just scanning this article and didn’t want to read the above, here are some reasons why Inktober is great:

Inktober... ...can get you out of an art-block ...motivates you to produce a lot of art in a short period of time   (love that feeling when you finished a sketchbook? Buy a small one with 32 pages and fill it up completely in just one month!)   (or maybe you have that huge project in your head that you never find the time to start? Inktober is perfect for that, too!) ...helps you to become/stay creative / can spark new ideas ...let’s you practice a new art style or medium ...challenges your self discipline ...challenges you to explore other topics

… or pretty much anything else you can think of

And as a result, you might even learn a thing or two about yourself, maybe find a topic that you never thought of drawing but really enjoy drawing now, or find a new art style that you really enjoy doing.

So, if you haven’t started on Inktober, yet, or if you did, but quit at some point, I dare you to do one (more) Inktober piece today! Get started today, get creative, get productive, do something that you enjoy and kickstart your creative journal!

If you want to, go ahead and tag me ( @lodchen ) in your submission, and I’ll make sure to have a look at it and leave you a comment :) 

[mrsjeontobe]

Boy Meets Girl

Summary: Your aura and everything about you captures the heart of the young artist, Park Jimin. He becomes infatuated with you and when you agree to become his model, he’s become nervous because in order for him to sketch or paint, Jimin must touch his subjects or else his image won’t be similar to the real deal.

Pairing: Jimin x reader Ft. Taehyung

Genre: Artist AU/Angst/Fluff/Smut (towards the ending)

Word Count: 5,455

He could feel the warmth of the summer winds they had given off. Each hour they were getting cooler as the night began to creep up. He liked the way the sky had looked, the sun halfway down with the pink and orange pigments surrounding it. He smoothed out his canvas as he began to focus on the sunset as he then used light quick strokes with his paintbrush as he painted the scenery in front of him.

He stopped midway through the painting and blankly stared at the details, his fingers stroked the picture in an up and down motion while the paint stained them. Looking up to the sunset that was once his muse, he threw the canvas and his papers towards the trashcan. He sighed in frustration, this was probably his thirtieth time today trying to find inspiration, something he couldn’t find that would spark the genius artist inside of him.

The thought of not being able to etch his creativity made him panic a bit. There was going to be a grand opening at this museum and he was one of the first artists to be featured. He quickly got up out of his seat, carrying his stuff in his arms, but as he turned around he bumped into you. The both of you fell onto the ground, papers flew in the air while his art tools were placed sporadically on the floor.

“I’m so sorry,” he blurted, trying to apologize to you by bowing at a ninety degree angle.

“It’s fine, I should be the one to say sorry,” you admitted, getting down on your knees as you began to pick up his things while he just stood there, mesmerized by your presence, your aura. He was struck by your complexion, your movements. You were the epitome of purity, grace and beauty. The way your skin would glow with no effort, the warm winds blowing through your shiny, silky hair. You were ethereal and he needed to paint you; you had sparked the genius artist inside of him.

“Excuse me, but do you think you could become my model?!” He exclaimed out of nowhere and just as you heard the comment, you looked at him with your eyes widening from surprise. You began to tuck a piece of hair behind your ear as a small blush had adorned your cheeks while you chuckled at his inquiry.

He stared at you in wonder until he realized what he had asked you, “I’m sorry.” He apologized once again, reaching out to you only to have the paint that was once on his fingers smudge onto your beautiful, bright skin. His eyes widened at his own actions because he had dirtied you. “I’m so sorry,” he apologized once more. He felt bad for dirtying your skin because to him it was something precious and his paint had soiled it.

“It’s alright,” you replied giving him a smile so bright that even the sun couldn’t compare. It was just paint and it wasn’t like you couldn’t wash it off later on. “Doesn’t it make me look a bit carefree and cute?” You asked while caressing your own cheek as the paint on it had dirtied your hand.

He gulped at the sight because at that very moment, it looked like your skin had erased all the impurity. He was so entranced with your skin that he couldn’t do anything and that was the last time he saw you. You had helped him pick up his things but had gone right away after and never answered his question.

—

It was a new day, but all he could do was stare at his blank canvases as he sighed while he thought about how his canvas had reminded him of your skin.

“Jimin, how’s your new work going?” Questioned Taehyung as he entered the room, the sight of the artists back towards him as Jimin kept his gaze on the blank screen.

“Yeah..” He replied back, not making an ounce of sense because his thoughts were so hooked up onto you.

The other man sighed at the state the artist was in, “If you’re going to keep thinking about her in such anguish, you might as well just try to find her to be your model and you can admire her all you want.” Jimin twitched at the suggestion. How could he, an introverted artist be able to talk you into becoming his model?

Taehyung then pulled onto Jimin’s wrist dragging him out into the open. “Woah, wait a minu—”

“If you do that, I’ll be happy and you will too. Come on, get going!” He said, pushing the artist outside of the apartment. Jimin was nervous, he has never felt this way towards anyone before. He’s never really had someone become his model for a project, ever in his life. It was a compliment because you’d be his first and there you were, walking down the hallway reading a book. “Oh look here, who do we have coming our way,” Taehyung smirked, quietly chuckling to himself at the state Jimin was in. He was panicking way too much. His mind going blur with each and every step you made to get closer.

“J-Jimin!” You stuttered out his name, the book that was once in your hands dropped onto the ground.

“I’m sorry, I must’ve startled you,” he suggested, picking up the book.

“No, don’t look at it!” You yelled, trying to take the article in his hands away, but it was too late because he had seen the title Park Jimin’s Paintings. With a blush covering your cheeks, you turned your head to avoid his gaze. Truly embarrassing, ever since your first occurrence, you began to look at his works and now he had caught you in the action.

“This is my collection of paintings…”

You shifted your sight back onto him, “I was surprised at first because I didn’t know you were that amazing, Jimin.” You saw almost all of his works in the book. He was a young genius painter who gave off an overwhelming light in the current artists’ world. The world drawn with his delicate touch, is as beautiful as a dream. His paintings, which you can even feel the temperature from, takes you captive just by one look at them. “I’m sorry! I secretly looked up things about you and I was intrigued to know more. Does it gross you out?”

“Ah, no I’m actually very happy to hear that because I also wanted to know more about you, so I asked around the neighborhood…” He replied with flushed cheeks and an embarrassed smile placed on his lips as his hand rubbed the nape of his neck.

“Okay, we can stop right there!” Taehyung interrupted the moment with a clap, pacing his way towards you. “How do you do? I’m a paintings dealer, also Jimin’s childhood friend,” he affirmed while handing you his business card. “Would you please become his model?” His question straight to the point.

“Hey, Tae—”

“He’s so entranced with you that he can’t do anything right now,” he told you the truth. A shy Jimin stood next to the taller man awaiting for your response.

“I’d love to,” you replied with the same exact smile he saw when he first met you. The three of you bid your goodbyes as you all had agreed on a certain day to start the project.

Arriving back to his apartment with Taehyung, he slammed the door as they both entered. “What the hell, Taehyung!” He shouted with fury in his tone as he stomped around in the room back and forth. Jimin wasn’t really angry, he was frustrated that Taehyung had asked you to become his model. Even if Jimin was set on asking you, he wouldn’t get the job done, so Taehyung did it for him.

“What? I got you the girl, what else could there be?“ He questioned the now distressed artist.

“What am I going to do when I’m around her? She’s too pure to be with someone like me,” he announced, his back facing Taehyung while his hands were forming into fists.

Taehyung sighed for the umpteenth time, “Just give her a chance. Stop being a baby.”

—

You two were alone in his studio, a pencil in his hand while the canvas sat still in front of him. You sat on the bed waiting to be sketched, but there was no progress. His hands shook a bit all because he was nervous and he didn’t know what to do.

What should I do? It all turned into this…

“Uhmm, is there something I’m not doing right?” You asked leaning towards the end of the bed.

“No, it’s not that at all—”

“But you’re not drawing much, so…”

“That’s not it! This is very pathetic, but I’m not good at drawing by imagination. I can’t draw things I don’t know. I’d always look and ask and think that I can’t draw the temperature of what I want to sketch without touching it..” He confessed as he dropped his head down looking at the pencil he held in his hand, then bringing his head back up while the free hand began to stroke the blank canvas.

“Wait, does that mean you want to touch me?”

He blushed at your inquiry, his fingers stopped midway while he was touching the canvas. He then brought his hands up in a defensive way, “Sorry, we can just forget about that.”

“No, it’s fine. Please, touch me,” you proposed, swinging your legs at the edge of the bed, waiting for him to make a move. You weren’t bothered by the thought because after all, it was to help him.

“All right,“ he said in a quiet tone, heading towards your way, he took off his glasses as he gave you a focused look. The way he was before and now didn’t seem like the same person. His stare gave you chills and with his cold hands that were touching you made that spot become instantly hot. Your body that squirmed from contact and he didn’t imagine it’d be so delicate. The paleness from your skin that detected coldness is hot within the blood that flows through your veins. The bones that he would sometimes touch, had felt soft. Once you gave out a moan, he had realized what he was doing. He gave out a gasp as he turned back into the shy puppy he was before. Your eyes observed his, the room was filled with complete silence, even though he thought you’d be able to hear his heartbeat immensely.

“Hey, I brought you guys some snacks!” Taehyung hollered, his voice echoed throughout the whole apartment. The sound of the door slamming close startled Jimin; a sign that he should get off of you and so he does. His back was hard against the cold floor while you sat still on the bed with a noticeable pink tinge on your cheeks. The man then entered the room, “What’s up with you guys?”

“I think it’s time for me to go home, it’s getting late,” you announced, pacing yourself towards the door ready to leave.

Jimin took a hold onto your wrist stopping you, “Wait, do you think you could come back tomorrow?”

Again, you gave him that beaming smile while your head tilted to one side as you asked, “Is it alright for me to come again?” He nodded and with that you left for the night.

Ever since then, you’ve been visiting him every single day to model. Gradually getting used to him touching you and he also got used to the physical contact, but that was when he started to get obsessed. He became engrossed with your skin that showed through your hair and the way the edges of your soft, delicate clothes had felt. But the painting that didn’t show any progression, suddenly made him come to his senses, what was the real reason he was touching you for?

—

His mind began to wonder, his thoughts became dirtied all because of you. If you had seen him in the condition he was in, who knows what would happen. He couldn’t dare to dirty you with his impulsive thoughts, but if they had reached you, he’d simply pull away. But, to everyone’s knowledge, it wouldn’t be that easy. As time had begun to pass by it became harder for the genius male artist to contain his feelings. His mind started to rot as his mind was jumbled with such thinking.

He stared at the canvas with a neutral expression, the item mocking him with it’s blank space. His hand sat still atop his lap, the pencil placed between his thumb, index and middle finger, he never made a stroke against the plane. Every second or so, he’d bring it up only to falter away, unsure of his own moves. Without your presence, he’d have to envision you, which would frustrate the man because all he could imagine was his hands roaming your beautiful body as they’d touch the surface of your skin. If only you knew how infatuated he was with you, would you find it degrading? Maybe even indecent. He couldn’t dare to tell you his true feelings.

It’s true that Jimin needs to study his subjects, so he has to observe, hear and touch in order to make it close to the real deal. He only has his paintings, anything he takes a glance at, anything he touches, was the sake of being able to paint. Everything he did was for his paintings. But with you, it was different.

The young artist would feel guilty, doing such things to you in a place where he keeps all his works even though in reality he didn’t need them because he had you, only for the time being at least. Although, he did get used to touching you, he’d still have a bit of hesitation. But, he couldn’t refuse because after all, you are his model.

“Hey Jimin,” you called out his name. “What kind of a feeling does my painting give?”

He gazed at you in surprise, his eyes widened at your question. He couldn’t dare to tell you the truth when nothing had progressed.

“I’m not sure myself,” he lied with a smile as he tried to contain his composure. He couldn’t dare to tell you that the canvas was still left blank.

—

It had been days ever since then. Jimin had been avoiding you by telling you to not come in. Those days were spent with him locked up in his studio as the floor was covered with dried paint, pencils and brushes scattered everywhere. Taehyung began to worry about the artist as Jimin had never closed himself away from others. He knocked on the door several times hoping that he’d get a reply, “Jimin, are you okay in there?” With no response the childhood friend couldn’t do anything but worry. All he could do was just stand there wondering what was going on behind the closed door.

The light that shined through the curtains wake Jimin up as the sun’s rays laid upon his eyelids. His eyes opened slowly and began to glance everywhere except for his canvas. He couldn’t dare to peak at such work that would dirty his mind much more. His hand pinched the bridge of his nose as his elbow laid atop his lap, sighing in pain as he had one too many drinks the night before. He lazily got up from the floor and trudged his way towards the door, opening it to find Taehyung sit in front of the door having the man fall backwards, his back hitting the floor a bit too hard. He groaned in pain as he got up from his position, “Jimin, you’re okay and you reek of alcohol.” He leaned in sniffing the artist just a bit too close to his liking afterwards pinching his nose to block out the smell.

“Yeah, I’m alive,” Jimin responded to Taehyung sarcastically as he walked past him. “I need to shower.” His thoughts jumbled in his head until he heard the door creak open even more. Turning his head towards the sound to find Taehyung check his studio. He ran back to the room, “What do you think you’re doing?” The sight of Taehyung carrying the canvas in front of him as it showed off his work. Jimin’s hands turned into fists while his knuckles began to turn white. He ripped the canvas out of Taehyung’s grip, “Leave.”

“But, Jimin!”

“Taehyung, please just do it.”

Taehyung kept silent and sighed with frustration as he left the studio room. With Jimin’s grip on the painting, he carried it in front of him, the image of you on it reminded him of your skin that he had the urge to touch. His fingertips carelessly dragged across the painting, his eyes shut tightly as he cursed himself out. He’s never felt so strongly about a person until you showed up. The image tempting him to call you over because he was in dying need to caress you. He then placed the painting on a display as he covered it with a sheet. Exiting the room leaving the floor in the disarray it was from the beginning.

“Is that the finished product?” Taehyung asked, appearing right in front of him while his arms crossed each other and his head tilted in curiosity.

“I’m going to throw it away,” Jimin blurted out, his head down as his bangs covered his eyes. He’s never wanted to do such a thing with his work until now. The painting of you displayed his desires and he felt as if it was disgusting.

“Why would you do that? Are you an idiot? I’m a fan of yours too, Jimin.”

“But everyone would be disillusioned,” he pointed out as he laid himself on the floor face first, frustrated with what he had made.

“It’s something you made, there can’t be any mistakes—”

“How can you tell when you only got a glance!”

“Since it was too striking, you got frightened and hid it away, is that correct?” Taehyung inquired as he sat next to Jimin’s laying body. “In the painting, she’s bold, she’s sensual, but even so, her pureness, which seems to be struggling, isn’t lost. I can see that it’s wonderful just by imagining it. That’s definitely not something only you can imagine,” Taehyung said giving out a smirk as he ruffled up the artist’s hair. Jimin’s head laid on the side as he avoided Taehyung’s gaze and didn’t want his childhood friend to see him flustered by his words because he knew how spot on Taehyung was.

Jimin knew that he couldn’t escape temptation that is made just by you as a whole. He wondered if he could be forgiven for pouring out all his emotions onto this painting and your body. He was satisfied just by looking at you and hoped that you can become even more beautiful with time, but he knew very well that you wanted more than that.

“She’s different from the image I want to paint,” he confessed to Taehyung, sitting upright as he faced him. “I feel as if it’s meaningless to draw her or rather, I’m not satisfied. But I also don’t want anyone else to draw her, how should I say it…”

Taehyung got up from his position, taking out a cigarette and popping it into his mouth as he sat across from Jimin on the couch. “Okay, so in short, you basically want her to yourself. By painting her is like satisfying yourself similar to masturbation. However—”

“Don’t make her sound dirty! I just don’t know what to do. I feel like a completely different person when I’m around her. I feel as if I can actually progress in life if I’m with her,” Jimin interrupted him, knowing that Taehyung had hit a nail. Taehyung understood very well the built up sexual frustration his childhood friend had never experienced when growing up and you happened to just pique Jimin’s curiosity.

He gave out a sigh as he laid his head onto the couch next to Taehyung’s legs, “Don’t you think mother would be disappointed?”

“This talk of dead people, stop it.”

“Okay.”

A few knocks were heard at the entrance of the apartment and it irks an interest in Jimin because it’s usually just him and Taehyung, unless… It was you.

“Hello,” you greeted the two young men as you entered the apartment. Jimin’s face faltered into a surprised expression as he didn’t expect to see you at all until next week.

“Since the great Park Jimin isn’t in the mood, shall the two of us go on a date~” Taehyung suggested as he grabbed your wrist leading you outside the apartment, the moment before the door closed he stuck a tongue out to Jimin teasing the artist. Jimin needed alone time to really think about his actions and thoughts.

“What the…”

—

“Isn’t this a wonderful date? Walking around the apartment complex?” Taehyung gave out a chuckle as you followed his steps. “Seriously, that man is such a child,” he sighed as one hand tousled his hair in annoyance. “Well, he did stop aging at the age of fifteen.”

“Fifteen?”

“That was when he got his first award. No one wishes for him to grow up. The world he displays is pure and beautiful, similar to him, pure like a child and because he has a pure heart. Also, his mother was very attached to his talent. She always stayed in the shadows, so she must’ve been happy to have some light shone on her. If his world broadens and begins to have more knowledge about this society, maybe his talent will be lost. That’s why she never let him go back to school. Even when she had passed away three years ago, he refuses to grow up,” Taehyung confirmed as he told you about Jimin’s past. He wanted you to understand the world he came from and why Jimin is the way he is now. This was also a way for him to confirm that you’d help Jimin come out of his shell.

“Then, I’ll grow up with him. We can progress together,” you declared, Taehyung stopped in place as he turned around towards you. “And because, I want him to touch me more. The reason he’s so gentle doesn’t have anything to do with whether he is a child or an adult. I think it’s because he is who he is.”

Taehyung gave out a small smirk as he replied with, “I’m looking forward to it. I have quite a lot of expectations for his talent, you see.” He left the scene walking away as the last thing he did was turn around give you a wink.

Jimin was in thought as he had been left alone. The moment you had shown up and then left right away with Taehyung made him realize how he had felt. He knows his feelings for you and yet he pushes them away. He thought that he only harbored them because of his need, his urge to touch your beautiful, soft and delicate skin. He thought that if he just touched you that he could draw and paint you effortlessly. Even when you’re not with him, his mind is hooked up on the thought of you. The back of his head is placed on the couch, his hands covering his eyes as he gave out another sigh to display his frustration. Even when his eyes are closed, all he can imagine is you and if only you knew what you did to the man.

Within a few minutes, he felt a warmth against his lips and became surprised by the suddensensation. He removed his hands from his sight as his eyes widened to see that it was you. He backed away from your touch as words could not come out of his mouth from the shock. His fingers grazed against his lips lightly as they felt a bit tingly from the kiss. It took him a bit of time to realize what happened. The word kiss swirled through his mind as he became a mess. You had just kissed the one, the only, Park Jimin.

“Wha—”

“I’m sorry,” you blurted out the apology, hands on your knees while your head was down. “I’m sorry because I love you, Jimin. I love you,” you confessed only to have Jimin shake his head in denial. If that was his answer, you’d simply leave. Tears were beginning to fall that if you said another word you knew that your voice would break down. “I—I’ll be leaving then.” Jimin shuffled his way towards you as his hand tries to grab your wrist, but he was too late. You slammed the door immediately before he could say anything.

Sniffling could be heard in the hallway as Taehyung was making his way towards Jimin’s. The sight of you wiping away tears with your hands while you began to leave the apartment complex piqued his interest. What exactly did the oblivious artist do to you?

“Oh, y/n. Did Jimin do this?” He asked, running up to you as he handed you a handkerchief with care. “Honestly, he’s such an idiot. He realizes how he feels but is too afraid—”

“Because his feelings are expressed in his paintings?” you interrupted finishing the sentence for him as if you already knew Jimin the way Taehyung did. “And because of that, he’s been locked up in his painting and his feelings are locked up with them as well. Although, I would like it if he shared them with me.”

“So you’ve come to understand that he’s always been alone,” Taehyung sighed with relief. “Gosh, he’s so pathetic.”

You chuckled at his statement, “Thank you for listening to me. It also seems that I might not be able to come here anymore.” You remembered the scene that had happened not too long ago. Your smile faltered as you began to remember Jimin’s rejection.

“Then I’ll take you home, since I’ve kept you from going home right now,” he suggested, only to have you shake your head in denial as you gave him a smile to reassure that you’d be fine going alone.

As you passed by Jimin’s door, it opened so suddenly that he grabbed onto you making you hold onto him. His arms engulfed you into a tight embrace as he never wanted to let you go.

With Taehyung watching the sight, as soon as the door closed he then said, “Well, I guess that’s my cue to go home.”

—

“I knew that inside I was telling myself to run after you, but I didn’t want to get rejected. I’ve always longed for you and every time I’d touch you, I’d ask myself what was I really doing this for. Everything was taken away from me when I was younger, so inside that canvas, I put all my desire towards you. And at this moment, nothing can ever replace you being here with me,” the young artist had finally confessed his true feelings for you. With his back facing the painting that had been exposed to you as he had taken the covers off earlier. More than a slight blush had covered your face. The way he had portrayed you in his painting was beautiful.

“It doesn’t seem like me at all. It’s pretty, I’m so happy,” you had given out a smile.

Jimin began to cry as his tears were filled with happiness as he was joyful to see that you didn’t change at all. His eyes faltered towards your lips as he begins to lean in for a kiss. His fingers stained from paint smudges onto your skin; a sign that your pure, beautiful skin was caught in his dark impulse. That’s why he’d always try to pull away so that his dirty self wouldn’t affect your purity.

As the kiss began to get stronger, you took off your shirt and he admired how he got to see more of you. His hand glided against your jaw as he lowered it down to the valley of your breasts, strokes of paint remaining on your body as it began to dirty you. He leaned in towards your ear as he whispered, “Beautiful.” Giving your ear a nibble as you gave out a small whine. You couldn’t wait any longer, so you began to unbutton his shirt for him, kissing along his jawline down to his collarbones. A hand smoothly moved down his stomach as it touches the buckle of his belt. You grab onto his pant loop to bring him closer to your clothed core.

His hand grasped your wrist holding it tightly, “Let me do all the work,” he suggested, his lips lightly touched yours as you simply nod. He began to kiss you again, having you sit on top his lap as his hand reached around to your back unclasping your bra as you became exposed to him. You cover yourself with your arms embarrassed at what has become. “Don’t,” he said removing your arms. “You’re beautiful.”

He leaned down as his mouth took in one of your breasts and his hand caressed the other, his fingertips rolling your nipple as you shudder from the touch. His hand then slithered down to your panties as he removed them. A finger pumping into your wet core as you grinded to the movement. He slowly added another finger and another as it added to three. You moaned out his name in pleasure as it made him become filled with more excitement. He couldn’t wait any longer as he removed his pants along with his boxers. His member lining up at the entrance of your pussy and before he can pump himself in he looked up at you for your permission and you give him the okay by nodding. The sensation of his cock filling you up was ecstatic as you gave out another moan. He began to thrust his hips into you at a slow pace as he then got faster with it.

“Ah, Jimin, faster please,” you begged and he did what you pleaded for. The pace faster within each minute, he was bound to come anytime soon because his thrusts began to get harder and sloppier. The sound of you moaning his name and asking for more made him become more ecstatic. The sensation of you tightening around him was euphoric along with you pleading him to go faster, he did as much as he could only to come within minutes.

He pulled out of you, chest heaving from the intimate moment you both just had. He brought you into an embrace as he told you, “I love you.” You gave him a smile as you replied the same answer to him, the both of you slowly falling asleep in each other’s arms.

—

Both you and Jimin wake up at the same time. The light that had peaked from the curtains had woken the both of you up. The sight of white sheets and blankets surrounding your bodies with warmth was a feeling you never wanted leave behind. Jimin’s hand reached out to your locks as he slowly brushes through them while kissing the ends of your hair. “Good morning,” he greeted you with a rough morning voice and oh lord how that made you go crazy.

You got up from the bed, the sheet slowly uncovered your body as it displayed marks of paint and bruises. Jimin was somehow hurt by the sight but took it all in. His hand reached your back as he slowly moved his hand up and down touching the stains and marks he had made. He then retracted his hand and began to cry once again. He could feel you shift around on the bed as you were about to put a hand on his shoulder, “Don’t,” he started off with, “Don’t look at me. The dirt on your skin will fade, but I won’t because you’ve not only touched me, but my heart as well.”

“I want to be dirtied,” you responded quickly as he turned around and was given a smile. He returned the smile hesitantly because he couldn’t believe that this was happening. You brought him in for a kiss and he began to wonder how he found someone as lovely as you, how you were still with him and he hopes that will never change. This was a moment he longed for because he finally had you; his muse.

A/n: Comments, reviews and criticism is welcomed!

[athyrabunlord]

Modern Fairytale

Summary: You felt it was love at first sight, akin to those fateful meetings described in fairytales. A/N: AU romantic and hopefully realistic sort of oneshot filled with cute sweet moments. Yes, this is the oneshot I mentioned some time ago. I’m just glad it’s finished x.x Ship: YouxRiko Words: 8,591

“The Sagami Bay sure is pretty…”

Watanabe You sighed to herself as she leaned back in her seat and gazed out of the window for the umpteenth time. When she first moved to Kamakura, she made it a priority to find the perfect place to chill an afternoon away. She was captivated by the city’s countless historical sites of course, but her inner Uchiura spirit still demanded a decent view of the sea.

And so, after quite a bit of searching, she was able to locate this small cafe by the bay. There was a comfy little couch situated by the window, allowing the viewer to appreciate the scenery as they enjoyed their afternoon beverage. Smiling, You took out a small sketchbook and began to draw from memory the places she had visited today before coming here. Her doctor did advise her to just follow her heart and avoid any situation that might cause her stress. Therefore, she tried not to put too much effort into her hobby, though the remnant of her professional sense still surfaced from time to time.

Ah, what would the shop owner think if she told the kind lady that she used to be a diver for the national team?

Shaking her head, You ignored the phantom prick at the back of her mind and focused on her sketch. Under her doctor’s recommendation, she travelled around Japan for sightseeing, anything that would not stress her mind and body. Not long after she began her journey, she fell for Kamakura’s ancient aura and settled then and there. The next step to help her recuperation was to decide on a hobby that would help her relax.

Well, what did she love best besides the sea? Designing and drawing! Now that she’s found the ideal place, she was able to sketch several pages daily, each one filled to the edge with details and creativity that kept her brain whirring. Perhaps, eventually, she’ll aim to become a freelance designer?

She paused and stared rather sheepishly at the Buddha statue she just doodled. She should really stop adding stylish accessories or one of these days, the divine presence above would punish her for real.

Just as she thought of that, something suddenly vibrated against her buttocks!

Her yelp garnered curious glances from the few patrons in the shop, so she waved her hand apologetically at them before scooting to the edge of the sofa seat. What was that just now? She dug under the seat cushion and soon found a cellphone stuck within the fold. The person who was sitting here must have forgotten it or it had fallen out of their pocket.

Either way, someone was calling the phone rather desperately as it kept on ringing. Seeing the unknown number, You deduced that the owner must be calling from a public phone and decided to answer it.

“H-Hello? Um, y-you’ve found my phone?” A clearly panicking female voice let out a shaky sigh. “Oh, I’m sorry for being so rude. You see, I have lost my phone and-”

Taking pity on the woman, You chuckled amiably. “It’s okay! I’m sitting at the sofa seat beside the window, at White Lily. You were sitting here, weren’t you?”

“Yes, I was there until I had to leave for a meeting… it was only now that I realized I don’t have my phone with me,” the woman laughed coyly, and You could practically feel her embarrassment. She was sure that the other woman must be blushing.

“Haha, things just happen sometimes. Don’t worry miss, I’m still at the coffee shop. I’ll wait here.”

“E-Eh? But I’m at Shinjuku and the next train won’t be here for another hour, so that’s more than two hours before I can make it back...”

“That’s okay, I don’t have plans for the day.” Or any other day really, You thought a little sadly. “Oh, unless you’d prefer that I just leave the phone with the shop owner-?”

“I’ll come!” The woman said hastily, her voice softening a moment later in mortification. “Erm, I mean, I’d like to thank you in person. If you hadn’t found my phone, there’s a chance that no one would’ve found and picked it up before the battery runs out.”

“That’s decided then! I’ll wait here for you, okay?”

“Thank you very much, um…”

“Watanabe You! Nice to meet you- well, technically we haven’t met, heh.”

The woman giggled softly, and You decided she was becoming fond of her voice. It was velvety with the kind of feminine grace that the former diver could never hope to achieve.

“My name is Sakurauchi Riko. I’ll be there as soon as I can. I’m very sorry about all of this and I promise I’ll make up for it.”

You found herself wearing the biggest grin after the call ended. Finally, she had something to look forward to! Though she was grateful for her peaceful ‘time off’, so to speak, she was worried that the uneventful daily happenings might make her restless down the road. She’s been a very active person throughout her life, so she needed excitement once a while to keep her spirit going.

She glanced at her reflection in the window and hastily fixed her messy bangs, for she tended to wear a cap to hide the bird’s nest she called her hair. In spite of her cute quirks, Sakurauchi Riko seemed to carry herself with dignity so You wanted to be presentable at least.

Once she was sure that her appearance was acceptable, she resumed sketching with zest. However, as time went by, she realized that she’s been doodling profiles of various women that might fit Riko’s voice. She imagined Riko to be around her age if not older, based on her mannerism. Riko probably had hair longer than hers, though it could be either wavy or straight.

Before she knew it, the sun was already making its descent and she had drawn many variations of the imaginary Sakurauchi Riko. Much to her chagrin, now that she reviewed her work, she had even doodled some bunnies on the side as if to characterize the woman.

She looked up quickly when she heard the door chime. There had been other patrons while she was drawing, but she barely glanced at any of them then, for her instincts knew it wasn’t the mysterious caller.

This time, though, she gazed attentively at the beautiful woman who just entered the shop. She was taller than You imagined or, rather, everything else about this stranger exceeded her expectations. She had cascading burgundy hair that reached her mid-back as well as a pair of amber eyes reminiscent of a shy cat.

After giving the shop a quick glance, the woman turned towards the seat by the window with slight hesitation.

Then she smiled.

“Hello. I’m Sakurauchi Riko, the one who lost the phone… you must be Watanabe You-san?”

You felt it was love at first sight, akin to those fateful meetings described in fairytales.

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“Oh! Sorry about that!”

“Mou, w-we’ve held hands before, it’s okay. Go ahead.”

Chuckling, You rubbed the back of her head and shyly squeezed Riko’s hand before taking the eraser. Riko smiled to herself, knowing that her cheeks probably matched You’s flushed ones as well. She shifted a bit so that she was sitting closer to the blue-eyed woman, which prompted the latter to grin and playfully deposit the eraser in her lap once she was done using it.

Riko felt so giddy that it was almost surreal. Surrounded by beautiful nature and accompanied by a fellow artist, she’s experienced and became addicted to the flavor of bliss. Here at the Kamakura Central Park, they’ve located a cool and shady spot under a particular tree and, soon, they fell into a comfortable sketching trance.

After receiving her lost phone, Riko had treated You to dinner for her kindness. To both women’s pleasant surprise, they chatted for a long time as if they were old friends and all that formality was quickly behind them. As they had similar hobbies, they had met up a few more times since then at the cafe and consequently had dinners together too. When Riko first suggested to go on a sketching trip, You had offhandedly replied “it’s a date then!”, which caused them to fluster. While neither commented on the topic, Riko was certain of their mutual attraction and even more so when You began to initiate more skinship after that.

Being the chivalrous and observant person she was, You would lightly touch her back when crossing streets and always made sure she was between the road and Riko as they walked down the sidewalk. In return, Riko would muster the courage to hold You’s hand or even boldly poke her soft cheeks at times.

“Ah, you’ve added a hat again, You-chan.”

“Hehe, you caught me!”

You saluted but made no move to erase the chic fedora she drew for the statue. Riko shook her head in exasperated fondness and simply admired her date’s creativity. While it might appear odd or even jarring at first glance, such sketches were actually refreshing and filled with personality, unlike her own detailed but very plain drawing.

She considered herself an introvert who preferred to enjoy peace and quiet rather than head out for parties. After graduating college, her friend circle had greatly dwindled and she only corresponded with the few remaining acquaintances once a while. It wasn’t as if she didn’t try, she simply lost confidence when people declined meet-ups or didn’t respond at all, which made her worried that she was intruding on their lives.

Therefore, she couldn’t believe she was able to get along with someone like You so well. Her heart fluttered every time the blue-eyed woman smiled at her - it was bright like the blue sky, encompassing and uplifting. It had been her source of inspiration since their chance meeting and she eagerly looked forward spending more time with You.

She didn’t recall ever being so enamoured with something or someone before. The closest instance she could think of was her infatuation with her viola, which steadily grew stronger over time until the instrument had become a vital part of herself. While she wasn’t certain exactly what she wanted, she knew that she wanted to know more about You.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn’t notice that she’s been staring blankly at her sketch until You scooted closer, their shoulders almost touching. “Is everything okay, Riko-chan?”

“Ah yes, I was just, um, thinking about this song. Remember I’m learning how to play the kokyuu?” She hastily came up with half-truth. As a professional viola player, she’s interested in trying out other string instruments. Perhaps it was Kamakura’s atmosphere, or the matsuri she’s attended, she thought of trying out the traditional Japanese string instrument.

She’ll always be thankful for this impulsive decision, for it led her to inadvertently forget her cell phone when she rushed back to Shinjuku to meet with her colleagues.

“I see… oh! That reminds me,” You peered at her like an enthusiastic puppy. “I want to watch you play! I’ve been thinking about it ever since you told me you’re a violist and-”

As fate would have it, a sudden breeze blew her sketchbook several pages and revealed various doodles of Riko playing a viola. A deep blush quickly blossomed on You’s cheeks as she snapped her sketchbook shut. “Ahaha, hope you don’t think I’m creepy…”

Riko blinked, feeling the heat rushing to her own cheeks. “Not at all. In fact, I’m rather pleased you’d want to watch me play. Violas aren’t popular after all. They don’t shine like the violin and they don’t have the staple presence like a cello.” Kind of like me. “So it makes me happy to hear that you’re interested in violas.”

“Eh, then I have a confession to make. It’s not the viola but rather, you, I’m interested in-? Urk,” You plunked her face against her sketchbook though it wasn’t enough to hide her red face. “Forget it! I didn’t say anything!”

“Oh, You-chan,” Riko affectionately reached over to caress her date’s cottony hair. “I promise I’ll show you next time. Hmm, we can go to my studio in Tokyo?”

“Really? Awesome! A second date then~” Seemingly energized and placated, You grinned up at her with those beautiful blue eyes brimming with pure joy.

“Mhmm, a second date.” An odd sensation tugged at her heart strings then and she felt compelled to do something to relieve this tension between them. Realizing how close they were, she hastily turned to her backpack and took out her bento box. “Um, since neither of us are drawing anyway, let’s eat lunch?”

“Sure, I’m getting hungry anyway. The mind can’t work on an empty stomach!”

Their light-hearted picnic diffused that inexplicable tension somewhat, and Riko felt like herself again. She was very impressed by You’s homemade curry and would even deem it to be the best she had ever tasted. On the other hand, You unapologetically wolfed down several of Riko’s sandwiches and cheekily requested that she should make more next time.

“In that case, a third date?” Riko bashfully glanced at You, who promptly saluted. The former chuckled fondly as she poured cups of green tea from the canteen she brought and handed one to her companion.

“Riko-chan’s good at brewing tea too~”

“Mou, enough with the flattery.”

“But I’m just saying the truth? If only my tummy can speak, it’ll tell you how satisfied it is!”

“T-Then mine can speak for hours about how delicious your curry is!”

“Daww! Okay, in return for those amazing sandwiches, I’ll make some of my best omelette yakisoba next time too!”

Both satiated with the meal as well as their arrangements, the two artists returned to their sketching mode. However, unlike earlier, Riko was unable to reach that content peace as her mind whirred with endless possibilities of their future dates. Already, she was listing the dishes she was good at making and debating whether it would fit You’s preference or not. Before she knew it, her sketchbook was filled with doodles of a puppy wearing a captain’s hat.

“Ehehe, so that’s how you see me, Riko-chan?”

Yelping, she shut her book and pouted reproachfully at the grinning woman. “No peeking!”

“But you’ve always shown me your sketches…”

“T-That’s because, they were drawings of scenery and still life…” Riko trailed off, realizing that those random doodles were the first to ever grace those pages of rigid illustrations that lacked the liveliness she sought. Between her intricate drawing of the park and the cartoonish puppy, she definitely preferred the latter.

“Oh, hold still for a sec…”

Riko’s eyes widened as You gingerly picked off a leaf that must have drifted to the top of her head. Her hand lingered a little, pausing beside her cheek before it was hastily withdrawn. Their gazes met and, once again, Riko felt that strange spark between them. She was distinctly aware of her thundering heartbeats as she subconsciously closed her eyes.

Nothing happened, however, so after a few moments, Riko peeked at the other woman and discovered that her eyes were also closed. Combined with those reddened ears, You appeared utterly adorable.

Endeared, Riko couldn’t help but giggle. You’s cheeks darkened and her eyes snapped open. “W-What? What’s so funny?”

“You really are cute…”

“Huh, why’re you saying that all of a sudden,” You averted her blue eyes and her voice dropped to a whisper. “Besides, w-why didn’t you… um…”

At this, Riko felt her face heat up as well. “I- I thought y-you were going to- I mean, you took that leaf off my hair and…”

“Oh, but when you looked at me like that, I thought…”

They blinked and stared at each other for a moment before bursting into quiet giggles. That peculiar spark was still here, but Riko no longer felt nervous and allowed her instincts to take over. As if reaching a wordless agreement, they leaned in at the same time their eyes fluttered close.

Their first kiss was chaste and sweet with love. It was so innocently romantic that Riko felt like it was a scene from those fairytales.

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“Here’s your hot cocoa~!”

“Thanks, You-chan.”

Feeling extra playful, You pecked the unsuspecting Riko’s cheek as the latter accepted the steaming beverage. Just as she was about to flee, the taller woman grasped her shirt and pressed her lips against hers. Before she could react, Riko sauntered away like a victorious cat.

Chuckling, You hurried after her girlfriend and hugged her from behind, mindful of the hot drinks they carried. After a bit of snuggling and a few more kisses, they settled comfortably on the sofa. You unreservedly gazed at Riko up and down, pleased at the sight of her girlfriend dressed in her clothes.

How could someone look so appealing no matter what they wear? It was just a simple button-up shirt and sweatpants You dug out from her drawers, yet they appeared rather sensual with the way the fabric fit to Riko’s form.

You resisted the urge to grin with pride. Gah, who could blame her to be so giddy? This beautiful woman was her girlfriend, within arm’s reach in her humble abode.

She was thankful for the sudden rain when they were strolling through the park where they first kissed, as they tended to do once a week. By the time they made it to You’s place, they were quivering and utterly drenched. You was adamant in letting Riko shower first, claiming she would just wipe herself with a towel as she waited. Truthfully, she was not ready to take a bath with her girlfriend just yet, worried she might not be able to control her desires.

After they were both warmed up from the shower and clad in clean clothes, You suggested that Riko stay overnight since the terrible rain wasn’t letting up. Riko, though hesitant at first, agreed and appeared to be intrigued by everything in You’s home. As she sipped at her drink, her alluring amber eyes were sweeping over the few books, ornaments and photoframes that decorated the sparse living room.

Meanwhile, You couldn’t stop staring at her pretty girlfriend. Her lustrous burgundy hair was loosely tied into a sidetail that draped over her left shoulder, revealing the creamy neck that made You subconsciously lick her parched lips. With Riko seated so close, all You’s senses were filled with her scent, the warmth of her body, and her enticing lips ripe for the taking. Those brief kisses earlier in the kitchenette were far from enough.

Sheepish, she shook her head and took a slow sip of her cocoa. This was why she forced herself to decline in showering with Riko. Who knew what she might do? Frankly, she was worried about these frequent fantasies about her girlfriend, so much that she missed those innocent days when they could peacefully spend time together without her mind wandering. Sure, they had been a couple for some time now, but that only made You more fretful.

She didn’t want to screw up their relationship. She adored Riko dearly and refused to let this primal side of herself ruin the incredible connection they shared!

“Hehe, I like this side of You-chan too.”

“Huh?! W-What side?” She squeaked, frantic that her girlfriend read her inner thoughts.

Riko tilted her head, puzzled by her reaction, before chuckling. “I mean your glasses, silly. You look cute in them too.”

Since she was at home, she naturally took off her contacts and donned those black-framed glasses, not realizing Riko had never seen her wearing them before even though she knew of her bad eyesight. She fidgeted nervously under those warm amber eyes and placed her cup aside.

“Cute? Nah, I’m all about being ikemen,” she lowered her voice to what was hopefully a husky tenor and sent her girlfriend a roguish grin.

Riko merely giggled.

“Really? Not good enough huh?”

“You’re You-chan. I like you no matter what you do,” Riko smiled softly but blushed a moment later and tried to appear nonchalant by sipping her drink.

“Gah, com’ere you!” You gently extracted the cup from her protesting hands before enveloping her in a big hug. They stayed in this comfy embrace for a while, enjoying each other’s presence to heart’s content. It was amazing how this simple gesture was able to assuage any turbulence in one’s mind.

No words could ever replicate the effect of feeling your beloved’s warmth.

She recalled the day she watched Riko play the viola in the studio, of how the musician shined brilliantly with her instrument. Riko truly loved music, You could feel it, and that resonated arduously within her soul. She remembered how passionate she once was with diving, yet due to her condition, she was unable to speak in great details about it to Riko.

She wanted Riko to experience the same joy she had for the sea too.

As if sensing the air of melancholy, Riko shifted in You’s lap and brushed away the latter’s bangs before smooching her forehead. “What are you thinking about, You-chan?”

“Hmmm, nothing much,” You blissfully closed her eyes and smiled when Riko peppered her face with more kisses. “Okay, I was just thinking about how pretty you are when you’re in your musician mode.”

“What, I’m not pretty otherwise?”

“No! That’s not what I meant!” You hastily opened her eyes only to find Riko giggling in mirth. “Geez, you tease. You know what I was trying to get at… you seem to be a different person? You have that um, cool, sexy aura going on.”

“Cool? S-Sexy? That’s not what I was expecting.”

“Like, you seem to enter a whole new realm. You look confident and peaceful and, well, really happy?”

Riko’s cheeks darkened as she mumbled something. When You didn’t catch her words, she lightly flicked the former’s forehead in reprimand. “I said, I-I only think of you nowadays whenever I play the viola. That helps me concentrate and perform better…”

You’s chest was filled with warmth and fluff, as well as pride for being able to affect her girlfriend so positively. “I’m so honored, milady~” She giggled blithely against the crook of Riko’s neck, her nose nuzzling playfully until the latter squirmed.

“You’re tickling me,” she chided as she pinched You’s cheeks, stopping her.

“Sowwy,” she grinned unapologetically. “Riko-chan smells too good, I can’t help myself~”

“Should I remind you this is from your body lotion and shampoo?”

“Nope, it’s not that kind of aroma. I’m talking about Riko-chan’s own scent.”

“W-What? That sounds rather… improper,” Riko blushed and disentangled from You’s arms. She brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear and leaned over to the coffee table to retrieve her drink again. You could only gaze at her with a fond smile, mesmerized by her girlfriend’s graceful movements.

“Mou, stop staring…”

“Like I said, I can’t help it. You’ve completely captivated me, Riko-chan.” Though blushing, You said unabashedly as she meant every single word. Her heart had fallen for Riko since they first met, and this emotion only grew stronger as time went by.

Riko didn’t respond for a moment. Then, as if making up her mind about something, she tugged the scrunchie off of her sidetail before returning to You’s side. Smiling, she rested her forehead against You’s and gingerly cupped her cheek, caressing it with her thumb. “No, You-chan, I don’t think you understand how much you have captivated me.”

“Then show me?” You whispered with a slight tremor in her voice.

Riko kissed her then, so full of tenderness that she forgot how to breathe. All that guilt and worry of her inner fantasies melted away, leaving only the desire to show her girlfriend how much she adored her.

You interlaced their fingers, noting how nervous Riko was as well through the slight tremor of her hand. Wishing to reassure her, You chastely pressed her lips against Riko’s knuckles and hugged her close. They fumbled with each other’s clothes, clueless but eager, and kissed away any lingering hesitation. There was no need to fear, for they will explore this new phase of their relationship together.

Under the dim lighting and the comforts of her home, You discovered lovemaking to be every bit as dreamy as fairytales portrayed.

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“You-chan, are you awake?”

“Hmmm, nope.”

Riko tucked You’s head under her chin, smiling when her lover snuggled rather childishly into their embrace. She drew whimsical circles on You’s naked back, pleased by how the latter shivered under her touch. As if in retaliation, You sleepily licked Riko’s clavicles which brought out a mortifying gasp.

“Mou! You’re definitely awake...”

Pretending to be miffed, Riko extracted herself from You’s arms and adamantly ignored the latter’s whines. Once she was properly dressed, she carefully opened the blinds and smiled at the breathtaking sight that greeted her.

Uchiura was a quaint and beautiful little town, and she was saddened that their one-week vacation here was coming to an end.

The bed behind her rustled and soon warm arms slipped around her waist.

“Aaah~ can’t wait to be back at Kamakura, right, Riko-chan?”

Unable to answer truthfully, she merely nodded and played with You’s hands. After a moment’s hesitation, she began tentatively. “About your headac-”

“Yosh! Let’s make this last day the most fun one!”

Riko almost stopped You when the latter skipped away to the kitchenette of their rented room, yet the timid part of herself gripped her body. Swallowing down her words of concern, Riko sat down at the table in contemplative silence while You cheerfully prepared their breakfast.

When You had first suggested this trip to Uchiura, Riko was beyond happy that the former diver was ready to show more of her world. After all, You never fully explained why she decided to take time off and would change the topic whenever Riko inquired of her past. Thus, Riko was thrilled in exploring the town that You grew up and, for the most part, You was accommodating and took Riko to shrines, aquariums and even rented a cruiser while sharing various childhood memories.

However, the blue-eyed woman seemed keen in avoiding certain places, as if worried to run into anyone who might recognize her. Riko wasn’t too bothered by all this secrecy at first, for she was absorbed in anything that You showed her. For one, You taught her how to swim efficiently in the sea and how to make the snorkeling experience fun. Riko’s knowledge of swimming was basic and she had only ever been to the pool, thus she found You’s industrious methods to be fascinating. They swam with the fish, splashed water at each other and got touchy at seclusive parts of the beach a few times, relishing in such intimacy together.

Everything felt like a dream come true until the first night they returned to their lodging. Riko found You half-crouched in front of the sink, holding her head with a grimace. After taking a few painkillers, You seemed to have recovered from her headache. Riko let the matter drop but kept a careful watch on her girlfriend since then.

Their little vacation had resumed smoothly, though Riko noticed similar episodes when You thought she wasn’t looking. Whenever she brought up the subject, You would either close off or light-heartedly change the topic. Riko hoped she was only being paranoid, but everything about this was unsettling.

Just what was You not telling her?

Restless, Riko stood up from her seat, startling her girlfriend who was in the middle of pouring coffee into mugs.

“Riko-chan, what’s wrong-?”

She slammed her hand against the wall beside You’s head, cornering the shorter woman and forcing the latter to peer up with wide eyes. Riko was so ready to interrogate her then, those words already at the tip of her tongue, but that flicker of pure confusion in those blue eyes stopped her.

Perhaps, You just wanted this trip to be memorable and as perfect as possible?

Her resolve wanned and she fell prey to those cute puppy eyes. She tilted You’s chin and kissed her rather roughly as if to express her displeasure.

“Heh… you’re rather bold today,” You said hoarsely, the curve of her lips rather beguiling. “Maybe we shouldn’t leave the room so early-?”

“I don’t mind, You-chan, but you’re right with what you said earlier,” Riko fought down the temptation and merely embraced her girlfriend with everything she had, pained by her inability to help her beloved. “Let’s make this last day at Uchiura the best one ever.”

And it was. Rather than the beach, they headed for Awashima, a small island a short boat ride away from Uchiura, and dined at the top floor of a five-star hotel. Awed by the breathtaking view already, Riko was then brought to the Awashima Shrine where she enjoyed a different but just as incredible view of the sea. They spent the afternoon in a languid and content sort of sketching spree.

Truly, with the spectacular fireworks and peaceful stargazing afterwards, it was as if nothing was ever amiss and they were in paradise.

By the time they returned to Kamakura the next day, it was already evening and they were exhausted in a happy daze. After dropping the luggage to the side, You flopped onto the couch and pulled her girlfriend on top of her. Between a few languid kisses here and there, both were fine with just cuddling and resting within the comforts of You’s place.

The sense of familiarity almost lulled Riko to sleep when she felt You tense beneath her. Opening her eyes, she found You gritting her teeth and rubbing her temple. The magic from their trip dissipated, and apprehension filled Riko’s heart again.

“Headache again?” She murmured as if not to startle her girlfriend. As she reached for You’s head, her hand was gently but firmly pushed away as the latter sat up. “You-chan?”

“Haha, I probably didn’t have enough caffeine today.”

You only drank coffee from time to time, so this couldn’t be the reason. Riko knew she would be rather busy once she returned to Tokyo tomorrow, as this one-week vacation barely got approved

It was now or never.

“How frequent are your headaches, You-chan?”

Riko caught You flinching even though the latter laughed it off. “Must be the summer heat and all. It’s only recently that it’s happened, like I told you before. Now that we’re back here at Kamakura, it’ll go away eventually.”

Faced with such an earnest and almost pleading expression, Riko so wanted to believe her words and just let it be. She wasn’t the type to push someone if they showed discontent and she tended to shy away from any confrontation. For the sake You’s health, however, she knew that she needed to get to the bottom of this.

“Is.. there something you’re not telling me, You-chan?”

Blue eyes hardened. “What makes you think that?”

Gulping, Riko realized her wording didn’t sound good and fought against her instincts to back down. “Y-You seem to avoid talking about it, which I u-understand to an extent but, I’m just worried.”

The tension deflated from You’s shoulders. “I’m sorry, Riko-chan. I know you mean good but can we please just drop it?

And Riko almost agreed then and there. Almost. “Maybe you should go see a doctor-”

“No!”

She cringed, dumbfounded by such a hostile tone from someone who had been nothing but easygoing. She was about to apologize when You grimaced and covered her eyes. Determined, she reached for You’s hand.

“See, You-chan, we should go-”

Her hand was practically slapped away. “I already said no! T-This will pass, I promise. Just, s-stop, okay?”

It was You’s desperate, almost frantic tone that made Riko freeze in place. She wanted to stop, seeing how much this conversation pained her girlfriend, yet a part of her was frustrated and even a bit resentful. Didn’t You trust her enough? Was she not dependable? She didn’t want to invade You’s privacy. She was only trying to help, especially since she turned a blind eye to this problem during the vacation. The way You reacted just meant there must be something she was hiding.

Riko thought she knew You, but she didn’t, and that hurt more than she allowed herself to admit.

Taking a deep, controlled breath, Riko began slowly and attempted to reach for the other woman again. “I’m sorry, You-chan, but I really believe that you should-”

“How many times do I have to say it? No means no! Why don’t you just leave me alone?”

Akin to a cornered animal, You glared at her with distress rolling off her in waves. Stunned and hurt, Riko could only recall all those instances where her friends turned her down and brushed away her attempts at trying. Any smidgen of bitterness was washed away by a hollow sensation of fear and rejection.

Scared of making it worse.

Scared of losing everything.

How she wanted to simply pull You into a hug and protect her somehow, but she was too scared. Her arm dropped limply to her side and she turned away, unable to look at You anymore.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered so quietly that she wasn’t sure if You heard her. When she heard no response, she bit her lips to ensure no sobs would escape as she left the now cold home.

Riko discovered heartbreak to be just as devastating as when the illusion of fairytales ended.

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“I’m bakayou…”

You chuckled wistfully to herself, shivering a little from the breezy night air. She was only wearing a shirt and capri pants when usually, she would have added a few more layers due to her weakness to the coldness at night. Summer or not, she felt so dead inside because she couldn’t bring herself to care, not anymore.

She aimlessly strolled through the Kamakura Central Park, finding the rays from the setting sun comforting within this labyrinth of memories. Everywhere she looked, she was reminded of her time here with Riko. The ache in her chest worsened and she rubbed her throbbing temples.

Regret at lashing out at her.

Even in that moment of emotional turmoil, You knew that Riko was simply concerned about her well-being. She never told the violist the reason she retired from diving, so how else would she have known?

Alas, You was merely human and succumbed to her fear. She had awful experiences with her former teammates from the swim team, even her coach, whenever she tried sharing her thoughts and feelings about her surgery and everything that happened afterwards. Since then, she tended to keep her emotions bottled up inside, deeming it pointless for she would just get invalidated or ridiculed anyway.

She was terrified of the same thing happening with Riko, but ended up shutting her out and ruining everything anyway.

“And I hurt her...”

She dug into her pocket for her phone, deliberating for the umpteenth time whether to call Riko or not. They hadn’t contacted each other since that episode and, while it hadn’t even been a week yet, You already felt like dying. She was unable to compose a decent text message and she always seized up whenever she attempted to call Riko.

Riko could be busy catching up, as the orchestra had an upcoming performance, or she no longer wanted anything to do with the person who was so vicious to her.

You swallowed painfully. She knew she must take the first step if she wanted to make this right. Dignity or pride be damned, this was her fault after all. Her legs soon brought her to the tree where they first kissed, for she hoped to be emboldened by their memories so she could finally make that dreaded phone call.

To her shock, the woman of her dreams was there too. Riko appeared to be deep in thoughts as she gazed at the tree, and flinched when she noticed You’s arrival. The consequent silence was unfamiliar to them, and so was the tension.

You dug through her useless brain for some sort of greeting while her eyes were trained on Riko’s form, afraid she might vanish if she blinked. What was she doing here, when she should be in Tokyo? Did she seem thinner? Has she been sleeping properly?

Before she could even open her mouth, Riko broke the silence in a timid tone, asking her the exact same things she just wondered. You was dumbfounded, for she did not expect her girlfriend to still care about her after what happened. Perhaps it was time to take the leap of faith. There was nothing wrong with exposing the vulnerable part of herself, not with someone who truly loved her.

She needed to face her own demons.

Since You didn’t respond, Riko lowered her eyes and excused herself. You snapped out of her daze and hurriedly closed their distance. Her hand closed around Riko’s wrist, tightly at first to ensure the latter would not leave, and carefully loosened her grip when she turned around.

“I missed you.” You blurted, embarrassed by how pitiful her voice sounded.

Several thunderous heartbeats later, Riko gave her a fragile smile and gingerly interlaced their fingers. “I missed you too.”

Relieved, You squeezed her hand and murmured. “There are many things I want to tell you, Riko-chan. Will you… listen to me?”

The taller woman nodded and led them towards the tree, where they sat down and leaned against the sturdy trunk. If it weren’t for the palpable tension and the darkening sky, it almost felt like their first date. You smiled wryly and drew strength from Riko’s warm hand.

She clumsily but full-heartedly apologized for her outburst first and, upon Riko’s acceptance, she began her story. It was nothing dramatic, at least not from her perspective, for it could have happened to anybody in her situation.

Due to her deteriorating eyesight, she took a break from diving and underwent a seemingly successful surgery. While she suffered darkness for a few weeks before she was able to take off her bandages, she was confident to return to what she loved doing without any aftermath.

Alas, she wasn’t as invincible as she believed herself to be. A terrible fear seized her every time she stood at the edge of the diving board. She could not pinpoint the exact reason, but the possibilities of having to return to the hospital or undergoing another operation and possible bout of darkness petrified her. As much as she yearned to relish in the triumph of a high jump again, the fear always rendered her immobile. Being the stubborn person she was, she ignored her doctor’s advice and kept trying, enduring the ridicule and even pity from any spectator.

Any attempt ended with her walking away from the plank in shame.

The last time she got anywhere near a swimming pool, she forced herself to make that jump in spite of her rigid muscles. Such reckless maneuver had only caused her to become hospitalized again.

“My doctor and psychiatrist suggested that I go travelling, to take the time off indefinitely to relax, and maybe discover what else I enjoy in life other than diving,” You weakly smiled at her speechless girlfriend. “That’s when I met you, Riko-chan.”

She determinedly ignored the prickling pain in her head and continued. “Those headaches are probably from stress, unwanted memories, or aftereffects of the surgery. I thought my… fear was only associated with diving, so I was surprised that it happened during and after our swimming trips in Uchiura. Perhaps it wasn’t from swimming but from guilt. My friends there and my family know all about my dream since I was little, so I couldn’t bring myself to tell them that I can’t dive anymore. I’ve lied to them that I’ve fully recovered. No one knew my full secret, until now.”

Riko tightened her grip on You’s hand. “These headaches, are they serious? Shouldn’t you return for check up...” She trailed off uncertainly, as if remembered what happened the last time she suggested that.

You gave her a small and reassuring smile. “Well, I am supposed to return for check ups, yes. I was told that it might be necessary for me to have another surgery-” She gingerly stopped Riko before she could freak out. “But I didn’t want to. And that was why I snapped at you. Again, I’m so sorry.”

Riko shook her head, her quiet voice still laced in concern. “It’s okay, now that I understand, You-chan. I’m just glad y-you’ve opened up to me.”

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Riko-chan. I was so scared of losing you that I didn’t want anything to ruin it… which I almost did by shutting you out. It’s not fair for me to do that. It’s not my place to decide for you. So, yeah,” You looked up into the sky, weary yet also felt like a weight had finally lifted off of her shoulders. “I-I’ve told you everything now.”

It’s up to you to decide if you still want to stay with someone as pathetic as me. You thought sadly.

“Remember what you’ve told me, You-chan?” Familiar scent filled her senses as Riko wrapped her arms around her. “You like how confident and happy I am whenever I play the viola. It’ll always be true - it’s thanks to you that I’m able to hold my head high and believe in myself. You’ve brought colors to my life.”

It took a moment for You to realize that Riko was crying.

“My bandmates or even other colleagues I’m not familiar with commented that I seem like a different person. They said I look happy, confident, and perhaps even shining,” she let out a choked chuckle. “See how positively you’ve affected me, You-chan? They noticed my change so acutely that they encouraged me to return here, to resolve whatever has been troubling me. I can’t play the viola properly, not without you.”

Tears silently trickled down You’s cheeks as she returned the embrace  just as emotionally.

“You’ve become my world, You-chan. I w-want to be part of yours too, the good and the bad. We’ll get through this together, okay?”

She clung onto the woman who meant the world to her too. “I love you Riko-chan, I love you so much.”

You learned that she could not do everything alone, that she must believe in the power of their love if they wanted to persevere and overcome the trials in their path, just like the obstacles in fairytales.

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“You’ve reached Watanabe You’s voicemail~! Please leave your name and your number after the tone and I’ll get back to ya asap! Ready? Yousorou~! -beep-”

“... the performance was well-received. Our conductor and concertmaster were commended by the critiques, but for some reason they deferred the spotlight to me. Can you believe it? A mere violist like me, and out of ten violists too. I wish you could’ve been there to tell me how I did, then again, you would just praise me, wouldn’t you?”

Riko paused and swallowed any tremors in her voice before continuing in a relatively cheerful tone. “Anyway, our orchestra has been invited for a performance overseas and… I’ve decided to participate. Our leader has been kind, being aware of my situation, and told me that I could stay and continue my kokyuu studies if I wish. But that’s not what I’ve promised you, ne, You-chan?”

The jarring beep callously cut her off, signifying the end of the voicemail. She stared at the black screen of her phone for a moment and decided to put it away instead of continuing with her voicemail.

“I promised you that I’d put my life before yours, that you’d live vicariously through mine, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

She smiled painfully at the prone figure on the bed, lulled by the stable beeping of the heart monitor as she played with her beloved’s cool hand. You has always had a lower body temperature, so she hoped that she could warm her up this way.

And perhaps, that would help You wake up.

Sighing, Riko closed her eyes and rested her cheek against You’s unmoving hand. The operation was successful in removing the blood clots in You’s brain, and the surgeon seemed confident that she would make a full recovery too.

But that had been two weeks ago and You was still in a coma.

After their heart to heart conversation, Riko accompanied You to all the sessions she had with her doctor. While the process had been difficult and arguments did spark, they were always able to reach a truce. When the blood clots were discovered, You and Riko had a long discussion  and ultimately decided to take the surgery.

You made Riko promise to continue on with living to her fullest no matter what happened.

Between her job and visiting the comatose woman in the hospital, Riko was exhausted but more determined than ever, strengthened by the torturous waiting and wondering. Her section leader and other colleagues were aware of this and gave her the space she needed, which she was very grateful for. Now that the concert was over, she had to decide whether to stay or go overseas.

Of course she would rather stay here with You, but she also respected You’s wish and the agreement they had. It wasn’t as if her trip abroad was permanent, and she had become acquainted with You’s childhood friends, who would keep her updated of You’s progress.

Nevertheless, she still wanted to be by You’s side when the latter regained consciousness.

Tirelessly, she left voicemails entailing her daily happenings, as if those messages would reach the comatose woman. It was the only way she could hear You’s voice, hoping to arrive at a decision through that familiar, energetic voice.

“Remember how we first met? You waited for me that day at the cafe, when you didn’t have to. So this is nothing, You-chan, I’ll always wait for you. I’m only gone temporarily - I’ll be back before you know it.”

Riko bit her lips when she realized she had subconsciously repeated the exact words You said before she entered the surgery room.

“I’ll be back before you know it! Then, we’ll go sailing on a proper boat since we couldn’t do it the last time we were at Uchiura. Look forward to it!”

“Yeah, you jerk, I really am looking forward to it so you better hurry up and take me there,” Riko choked from the memory and fell silent. She glanced at the open sketchbook on the bedside table, smiling nostalgically at her girlfriend’s characteristic style.

“There are so much of your world that you haven’t shown me yet, just as how I still haven’t shown you mine. So, please, wake up?”

Like the countless times in the past two weeks, her plea fell upon deaf ears. Overcome by emotions, she leaned close and gave You a soft kiss upon her forehead.

When she settled back down at her seat, she noticed odd spikes and waves from the heart monitor and EEG monitor. Taken aback, she immediately turned her attention back to You, whose eyes slowly opened and blinked.

Those blue orbs were just as brilliant and beautiful as she remembered. Though filled with confusion, there was a flicker of recognition in You’s gaze. She hastily reached for the emergency button but she never once broke eye contact.

‘Thank you for waiting for me’, You’s eyes seemed to say.

Riko learned that miracles truly can happen, just as how fairytales illustrated them.

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“The Sagami Bay sure is pretty…”

You hummed thoughtfully as she sketched out the scenery, adding as many boats around the bay as she pleased. She may have doodled a submarine and a pirate ship too, though she probably would have to discard them in the final draft. With the peaceful ambience at White Lily, the comfortable couch by the window and the soothing aroma of coffee, she was able to churn out pages and pages for her storybook.

Ah yes, she wrote and illustrated for children’s books nowadays. Should she tell the cafe shop owner that she worked as a freelance illustrator and designer now?

Blue eyes glanced at her reflection on the glass, noting her casual attire and her trademark cap. She dressed the same way as when she first came to Kamakura, didn’t she? Well, her messy hair was long enough that she had to tie it into a tuff of a low ponytail, and she had her black-framed glasses on.

Things had definitely changed, for the better too.

Chuckling, she placed the sketchbook onto the table and dug out another one from her backpack. It was slightly worn around the edges and the pages were crinkly as opposed to the crisp texture of unused paper. She whimsically flipped through the sketchbook, giggling at the various versions of Sakurauchi Riko, the different angles of the sceneries at the park, statues with contemporary accessories, and even drawings of the sea and shrines in Uchiura.

So many memories, each priceless and romantic, filled this simple sketchbook over the years.

Smiling, she turned her attention back to the incomplete one, her thumb fondly brushing over the title she inscribed onto the cover. You & Riko - a Modern Fairytale.

She couldn’t wait to finish this particular storybook and show it to her beloved.

The phone vibrated inside her pocket, pulling her out of her nostalgic trance. Her heart pounded with excitement as she eagerly answered the call.

“Ohayousorou!”

“Mou, You-chan, it’s already the afternoon…”

“It can be the morning whenever you want, Riko-chan, you just have to make it!”

The familiar giggle was like music to her ears. “Are you implying that you want some sandwiches for brunch later?”

“Maybe? It’s been so long since I’ve had them, I’m so jealous of your bandmates!”

“You do know that I’ve only ever made them for you?”

“Oh right,” You pulled down her cap in slight embarrassment even though Riko couldn’t see her reddened ears. “Wait, you said brunch later… you’re already at the airport? I thought you’re not coming back until later the night?”

“Silly You-chan, I’m not at the airport.”

The door chimed and instinctively, You stood up to greet the newcomer who had warm amber eyes, lustrous burgundy hair and the beautiful smile she loved so much. Though appearing sheepish, Riko radiated with sheer joy too.

“Surprise-?”

You closed their distance in a few quick steps, pulling the startled woman in a big hug and spun her around. They laughed and interlaced their fingers, the rings on their fourth fingers gleaming beautifully under the sun.

A gentle breeze brushed against the open storybook on the table, flipping it to a page with an illustration that matched the two women’s silhouettes, and a small passage scribbled beneath it.

Even if you think you’re a damsel in distress, a princess waiting for the prince to rescue you from your tower, you can still be someone else’s knight in shiny armor.

You meet someone, get to know them, experience the butterfly flutters as well as heated desires, overcome obstacles and resolve problems together. While not everything is as perfect as fairytales of storybooks, a happy ending is indeed possible.

Does that not count as a fairytale in its own right?