#no topic is too small and you are never an inconvenience

[neonacidtrip]

we haven’t spoken in a long time but please know i still think about you often!! 💕

You are so sweet, anon!! I hope your life is full of nothing but good things and happiness 💕 I would wrestle a tiger for you

[lushaletta]

the dark lord and his distraction / tom riddle

pairing: tom riddle x fem!reader

content: muggleborn!reader, swearing

summary: you distract tom from his plans. and he hates it.

a/n: this is my pt. 2 to the lamb and her wolf! idk if i like this but i kinda do but Arghh idk. there will prob be a part 3. love u guys!

read part one here!

⋆ ࣪.  ⁺⑅ ⋰˚ *.ﾟ .˳⁺⁎˚ ˚⁎⁺˳ . ༺ ˖࣪ ˖࣪ ∗

“Hello!” you chirp, skipping over, books in hand.

Tom’s not looking for company. In fact, he was actively avoiding it. He couldn’t continue to be distracted by you. He had work to be done, meetings to be held. But he’s a weak man recently. “Hello.”

You set your things down and lace your arms around his neck suddenly. He’s absolutely horrified. “Thank you for your help studying, Tommy, I’ve passed my exam with full marks!”

He clears his throat and you leave a patch of goosebumps in your wake. “You’re welcome,” he drawls. “You wouldn’t have to spend so much extra time revising if you’d only paid attention in class.”

Tom knows you’re merely a distraction, an inconvenience to be ignored. Deadweight to his plans. You’d be a mistake. It’s obvious what he should do. He should send you off on your merry way and end whatever friendship has blossomed between you, so you at least have a chance at living. For someone so obsessed with immortality, Tom knew he was a dead man the moment you strut into his life, all smiles and Mary Jane’s. But he’s selfish, and so you were dead right with him, that very minute.

He doesn’t like anything you bring. He doesn’t like the reactions you elicit from calling him Tommy and he doesn’t like how you make him happy. Or hopeful. There is no hope for him. He’s destined to live a half-life and he doesn’t like that he wants to make you live that life too.

And you’re not entirely stupid. You know there’s something strange about him and that’s exactly why you come every day with your books and snacks. You’re curious. He’s haunting— a concoction of allure and fear and it’s all but enticing. “Well, who wants to do that? You’re a far better teacher.”

His face casts the ghost of a smile. “Don’t you have chess club in 15 minutes?”

“Yeah. I’ll be there,” you say, easily. Then the realisation dawns on you: You’ve never given him your schedule. “Wait a second,” you laugh. “How do you know that?”

He holds an even tone. “Not hard to guess.”

You blink. Change the topic. “You’re very pretty, you know?”

His knees almost give out and he’s seated comfortably on a chair. “Thank you,” he whispers, trying hard not to sound surprised. He’s not unaware of his good looks, but how anyone could be so casual about it is beyond him.

You’re an aberration, he thinks. No, he’s sure. You write notes in the margins of his textbooks and fall asleep on his shoulder. And when you do so, you let out the cutest little snores and purr. Like a fucking kitten. It drives him to insanity and even deeper into his spiral.

“No, like, you are super pretty. It’s kind of otherworldly.”

He’s not too sure what to say. He’s never rendered speechless by anyone, but fuck, you’re his exception to just about everything. Instead, he stiffens and breathes out a small, “That’s kind.”

Your cheeks dimple and Tom swears he sees his future. But that’s crazy. He has to remember who you are and hell, who he is. He’s the Dark Lord, evil, no matter how you see him in that pretty head of yours. And you’re a filthy Mudblood.

It’s been two days and he hasn’t seen you anywhere. He’s starting to think there *is* no cure to his hysteria because he acts crazy in both your presence and absence. He thinks about you too much in both. He’s looked everywhere; in all your classes and even your dorm that he’s managed to find.

He’s about giving up. There is no point because you’re meant to be temporary.

“Hi,” you say, breathlessly as you appear behind him, startling him into oblivion. He’s a skilled Legilimens so he should’ve heard your thoughts as you creeped up, but he was too busy with his own about you.

He conceals his relief and narrows his eyes. “You have been gone.”

You look a little disheveled but beautiful as ever. Tom doesn’t sweat, but it feels like he’s going to. “Family stuff. You know how it goes!”

Tom doesn’t know how it goes. He’s used to abandonment and lonely holidays. He doesn’t know how it goes but he knows how it feels to dread the Christmases and Easters and summers because all he can look forward to is disappointment.

He winces. You notice and cringe. You don’t know much about his family but judging by that reaction, it’s no good. “Mm,” he manages. It’s silence for a bit. Comfortable silence. He’s secretly relishing in your company. “I didn’t like it when you were gone.”

What a fucking tool.

The corners of your lips curl into a soft grin. “You are adorable!” you giggle. He’s mortified.

You haven’t really told any of your friends about your blooming acquaintanceship with Tom Riddle. After all, he’s not really known for his friendliness. But you trust Camilla. And you’ve used up the last of your excuses for bailing on meals to study with him.

“Riddle. Are you joking me?”

Your eyebrows quirk up. “No. He’s a breath of fresh air from the Hogwarts hustle. Not much of a talker though. I do most of that.”

She smiles a little like it’s expected of you but it fades once she refocuses. “He doesn’t like us Muggleborns, you know.”

“That’s silly.”

“Only true. I heard Mulciber whispering about it. Like, they really don’t like us. No wonder he’s such a git towards me in class.”

“Have you ever actually spoken to Tom, though?” You fold your arms over your chest. You’re not too sure why you’re being defensive.

“Well, no—“

“That’s what I thought! You don’t give people chances, Camilla. You rely on gossip to fuel your opinions,” you spit.

Camilla puts her hands up in surrender and starts talking about the cute Ravenclaw boy she’s planning to ask out.

“Oh! And I think Murphy fancies you! He asked me to ask you how you felt about him.”

You thought about him for a moment. He’s nothing special but he’s attractive and you’re honestly willing to give it a shot.

Tom is fuming, hearing what you think. Listening from around the corner and it’s creepy and borderline stalker-ish but he’s begun to feel a strange protectiveness over you. Frenzy and all that.

So, yes. You’re merely a distraction, an inconvenience to be ignored. Deadweight to his plans. But… you were a desire. A selfish, greedy desire.

And Tom always gets what he wants.

taglist for this series! @helalokithor @mli345 (can’t find ur blog so sorry!!) lmk if u want to be added!

[daichiduskdrop]

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚⋆·˚ ༘ *𝙎𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙡 ⋆·˚ ༘ *ੈ✩‧₊˚

Chapter 04

Pairing: BTS Ot7 X fem! reader

Genre: A/B/O AU, Fluff, Angst, Strangers to lovers,

Warnings: none for this chapter :))

Words: 3632

Taglist: @thelilbutifulthings @ilovemoneymorethenmen @singukieee @cherrysainttt @felicityroth @mageprincess7 @lucis-noctiana @danielle143

A/N: Hello everyone! Thank you so much for reading my story, I take the support I receive close to my heart. The next two weeks I'll be away so I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update, I'm sorry if it causes any inconvenience for anyone. I'm worried that the chapters will lower in quality if I rush so I'll be taking my time with it. Please take care of yourself, xoxo

Previous:

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„We will figure something out then, okay?” Answered Namjoon after a short pause. Nodding lightly, you once again rested your cheek on his chest, just letting him hold you for now.

The other men had a much harder time containing their excitement thought. While the pack alpha acted chill and laid back, they didn't bother covering up anything. Their whispering wasn't making it easy for you to pick up on their words, but you could smell the happiness, so you could guess.

You felt happy too, in a way. You had no idea what was awaiting in the future, but you wanted to explore and develop along side with them. You still had a long way to go. You have never been properly courted before, the only pack you were ever part of was your family pack, which you weren't in for over two years now.

It wasn't something you were proud of. It was always frowned upon for omegas to not have a stable pack. Usually, people mated only within the pack that they were apart of. Once they found someone they were potentionally interested in, the lower second gender individual entered their courting mate pack.

Sometimes, when a bigger mate group started forming and an alpha well enough to support and lead the pack appeared, the whole group of mates broke off their earlier pack and formed a new one.

Therefore, an omega without a fully stable pack was considered not loyal, a big deal to more traditionally thinking people. Over the time you taught yourself to not talk about your pack, always cleverly avoiding the topic.

Others often noticed you being unscented, so you would from time to time try to buy artificial scent. It could be in different forms, but mostly, it was a small piece of fabric that was scented profusely. The scents weren't from a real person, it was a fake mixture of different spices, flower smells, and even things like drinks, foods, or parts of nature. This mixture was carefully measured and listed on the label with a small letter in a circle next to it. That stood for the different second genders the scent was meant to remind you of.

These small fabric scraps could be inexpensive but very highly priced too, it all came down to the quality you were receiving. If you choose to splurge for once, the small rug would serve you for longer. The clothes you would rub it on, neck or your hair would truly smell longer too. Usually, that still lasted for only about 4 days at most, the lower quality artificial scent completely gone within the 2 days.

You weren't ready to spend over 120 000₩ on a flimsy plastic bag with a 10x10cm square of slightly itchy fabric inside, that smelled so unnatural, it pretty much stank. You did have to purchase one from time to time, but only if the situation really requested it. You just really didn't have the spare cash for that, usually being left hungry for the few following days until your weekly set budget went up again.

Plus, they made you feel quite terrible about yourself. That didn't matter if you were about to travel to a different city, or just take the public bus, or have a longer school trip. It was more than normal for a pack to scent you if you were going to undertake such a thing. All of your classmates were well scented, so you followed along, attempting to fit in.

Being pulled from your thoughts by the pack alpha once again, he softly patted your hair looking at your face.

„Do you want to go to the mall with us now? We can eat lunch there, how about that? After that we can drive you back to your apartment.” Slowly pulling away from the warmth he brought, you sat up and nodded. Not really sure what going to the mall would mean you just didn't want to upset them by rejecting any of their ideas.

„Hobi, Koo and Yoongi are at the studio now, they are finishing up some stuff, maybe they will join us later okay?” Listening to Jimin closely you did faintly remember the three alpha's leaving the house sometime in the morning after you ate. They did tell you soft goodbyes back then, but didn't prolong the exit too much. Since you were mostly focused on the movie at that time, they didn't want you to become upset from their sudden absence.

Standing up with them, you all started getting ready. You didn't have much on you at the moment, only coming to the packhouse with a wallet and keys, so you just went on to pull on your jacket, scarf and boots.

Tying the gray knit around your neck, you watched how the other man got ready, grabbing long coats, puffer jackets and warm hats. Bending to tie your shoelaces, you were too slow, warm hands already finishing up the bow knot. Startled, you gripped your fingers lightly squeezing each one in a pattern.

Standing up after kneeling down Taehyung stood taller than you, the high heel boots he wore only adding to his height. Zipping up your jacket all the way up to your chin, he smiled with how your cheeks poked out, appearing bigger.

Squeezing them he cooed loudly, making your face turn just a bit pinker. Huffing, you lightly slapped his hands off, whining. Suddenly, Tae was in your bad books, how could he make fun of you like that?

Whining louder at his chuckle, you rushed towards Jin who was holding the door open for you all. With the two alpha's already gone you also walked outside, the cold air hitting you just as it did yesterday. Snowflakes weren't falling at the moment, but according to the forecast you watched on Saturday, it will start snowing again eventually.

Walking towards the already started car, you followed the footprints stepped before you. The vehicle was a Kia, black and quite large, pretty much a mini van. The snow crunched under your feet as you walked towards the door, pulling at the handle. Tugging the heavy thing open, you slowly climbed in, looking at the layout before deciding where to sit.

The seats were made out of light tan coloured leather, and felt bit cooling to the first touch. Gripping onto the handle, you were going to sit behind the driver seat, only to be pulled back by your hand. Softly landing in the middle seat, you looked at Jimin who was sitting by the wheel.

„Sit here princess. We can see you better this way, do you understand? It's for safety, come on, buckle up now.” The said alpha said calmly, turning in his seat to pat your knee lightly.

Growing only more annoyed by this, you just wanted to sit next to the window, was that big of a deal? Still, you just whined and did what the alpha asked for.

„Good girl.”

Looking up, you met eyes with Namjoon, and after a second of the sudden stare contest, you looked down at the seatbelt you started to pull at, ignoring the soft flutter you felt in your stomach.

Sliding into the seat next to you, Jin closed the doors after himself with a loud bang, followed shortly by Tae climbing in and doing the same. Sandwiched between the alphas, you shrunk into yourself, feeling small.

„Awhh, are you still mad at me?” smiling at you, you turned to face away from the man, choosing to instead watch out of the window as Jimin started backing out of the drive way slowly.

„Is everyone buckled up? Do you have everything?” asked Namjoon from the front seat, turning to look at all of us. Reaching his hand to pull at the belt around your shoulder, deeming it secure enough when it didn't move.

Nodding you answered just as everyone else did, so the car got on its way. The neighborhood the pack lived in was a luxurious one, not shocking you too much. You knew about their music, nowdays it was basically impossible to not know. But still you never payed enough attention to be aware of any details what's so ever. You didn't really know their names before hand, only hearing few songs in the radio or seeing them on billboards. You never really took a great interest in K-pop, only a small bit. Western music was more your style.

You always wished to travel to a western country, like the USA. You loved snow, so something like Alaska was always a part of your dreams, sadly, never achievable. You studied a major that made your future well above uncertain and risky, but still you hoped to make it one day.

The competitions you signed up for were not always too successful for you, but you loved the process of creating anyways, so you eventually always came back to them, even if you were disappointed with your results last time.

Your work ranged across many mediums, going from painting on big canvases to drawing, sculptures, or printing techniques you explored in some of your lessons. You loved all of it, often showing some of your projects to people who offered to listen in, even if there weren't too many. You didn't have a lot of friends, practically none.

The classmates you shared were often time bit too rough for you, and you still had hard time adjusting to living on your own, so going out to meet with new people was absolute no for you. You somehow always wished for it though, no matter how introverted you were.

And so with a soft music playing in the background from the radio, you felt at peace for once.

Finally, you had someone who was willing to help you, to hold you in your hardest and cherish you at your worsts. There was a coldness at the bottom of your heart, reminding you that any of the short term relationships you worked hard to form with some of your class were never truly real. They never included any of what you had with the packmates, confusing you further. Were they never actually real?

Still, you had a few you trusted, occasionally coming by to talk to them, even if they never came to you by themselves.

Streets passed by, the road was calm even if it was snowy and icy. Jimin was driving slowly, making sure to slow down before any curves to avoid any possible danger.

„Hyung, we have to take her to the Cheongdam-dong, let's go to the mall after.” Said the youngest from next to you. While you weren't that well set regarding your money, only getting payed small amount from your family as a compensation, you knew the Cheongdam-dong street. Filled with stores like Prada, Burberry, Chanel, MIU MIU, or Gucci, it was absolutely not what you were expecting to go down.

 You thought the men would take you to the mall, mingle around in new sections of the stores, you would maybe buy a lunch later and then be on your way. This seemed different though. Why would you even go there, you could never ever afford anything from such luxury brands.

Since your school hours usually started at around 8 and ended after 17, you didn't have much time or energy to do a lot after that. You could take on a part time job, and you emailed a lot of places, but after they realised you were an omega and with no pack alpha they usually stopped communicating. There was a lot of papers that needed to be signed by the pack to get the omega to work, even as a part time job at a local café. 

„Cheongdam-dong street? Why?” The discomfort in your voice was well above obvious as you looked at the man besides you. He way excitedly looking at Namjoon, smiling with his teeth showing. He was wearing a long coat and a cashmere blue and red scarf around his neck, left loose to dangle on his torso, looking chic and elegant. An outfit nice enough to go shopping in such brands, yours on the other hand was far from it. 

You did freshen up before leaving today, but you still wore the same clothes as you did yesterday and you weren't sure if the wrinkles would be appreciated. You could bet you would get kicked out before you would even try to enter.

Instead of turning to Tae, the highest ranking alpha turned to you. Watching you with soft gaze, he let his gaze linger for a minute before speaking. Namjoon was already set on starting courting you, and he wasn't about to back down. Especially since he knew that you were interested yourself, and his pack wanted just the same. 

„It's okay pup. We can just look around how 'bout that? Don't get worked up baby, let's just enjoy our day yea?” with his dimples showing, you allowed him to carres your cheek, leaning into his touch slightly. 

„I'm sure you will love it cub, the new winter collection from Dior has some really pretty jackets. Maybe you will find one you like.” Looking up at Jin he too only returned it, his eyes soft and warm. Nervously looking around, you weren't too sure about this. 

„Gucci has a new one too, did you see some photos? What did you like the most? I'll take you there so you can see, okay babycheeks?” Tae said, pulling out his phone before showing you a photos taken from a runway show. 

They were from his Camera folder, meaning that he himself visited such event, shocking you for a second. The intimidating looking women and men wore oversized suits with sunglasses, colourful patterns coats paired with just as bright pants, barretts, fur coats that dragged after them and maxi dresses. 

Leaning closer to the alpha, you watched the many photos he must have taken. When you were younger, you did look at fashion magazines, watching the makeup looks they wore confidently and the new silhouettes the current trends offered. Your mother always took you away sooner or later; whenever you asked to buy such magazines, they were always too expensive, was the reply.

Your grandmother did have sewing patterns and books on different techniques and guides for such things. In those old booklets, there was an occasional drawing of the clothing article, modelled by a girl. You always settled for those, flipping through the pages quietly.

After you got older, the fashion world just got a bit too much for you to keep up with, so instead you chose to buy what you found comfortable and interesting at the moment.

Only meekly nodding, you sat back comfortably, just as Jimin started to park the car. Stopping at a bit of a busy street, the alphas didn't step out immediately; instead, they pulled on different hats and sunglasses, pulling up face masks over their noses.

Before you knew it, a hand underneath your chin turned your face to the eldest. Pulling a soft pink face mask over your nose, he tucked the strings over your ears. Smiling at you with his eyes, he booped your covered nose while cooing.

„We need to keep you covered up, cub. We don't want to share!” His laughter got louder, making you smile lightly. With the seatbelts undone, you all piled out of the van. After locking the car, you all waited for Jimin before walking on the pavement. A lot of people were around, bundled up in soft-looking jackets. You did so too once the cold wind hit you.

A warm hand took hold of yours, warming you up slightly. When you looked up, you were once again met with the dragon eyes of the pack alpha. With your hand and cheeks warming up, you looked away.

„I don't want to lose you, pup. Stay in sight, okay? Don't wander off too far; stay with alphas for now.” Feeling able to only nod, you felt his fingers squeeze around yours before he pulled your hand with his in the coat pocket.

Walking at a calm pace, with Taehyung leading the way, you four followed closely. Watching the cars pass on the busy road, you noticed a few limousines here and there. You kept to yourself, only stopping for a millisecond to stare. Even that was easy to notice for the older man, who laughed loudly.

„I'll take you in one some day, okay? I promise, baby cub.” You didn't take it too seriously, so you only nodded. With the first luxury brand shops in sight, the small group you were a part of walked towards the first one. A tall, white architectural structure captured your attention well enough before you entered. The shapes were curved and stood tall with a simple black name planted on the front, spelling out DIOR.

The doors slid open, allowing the cold air from outside in, but after you all entered, they quickly closed again. With two guards standing next to the exit, you immediately felt watched and stared down. Before you had time to get anxious, a hand on your lower back lightly pushed you forward.

Jimin smiled at you; his soft palm slid over and stayed on your waist. Ushering you forward, you noticed Taehyung and Jin wandering off towards different sections, only to have sales attendants rush after them.

You knew that Dior was a luxury brand, but you didn't know that the inside would be so grand. You should have expected it based on how the outside looked. Right opposite the entrance was a wide and curved staircase to the left leading to a second floor. With two mannequins standing next to it, they were both clothed in the new season's styles. The one further from you wore a soft-looking checkered jacket with light tan accents and a long, pleated beige skirt. With a white turtleneck and a bag in hand, the outfit did look quite nice to your eyes.

The other figurine wore a more daring outfit: a brown leather coat that went below its knees was left open. A fur cuff around it was cheetah-patterned, matching the cheetah-print Barret she wore. Underneath, she wore a soft baggy sweater vest with a crisp white shirt left untucked underneath. A pair of loose-fitting black trousers went over her feet, so the tall heels she wore just barely peeked out, making the mannequin appear taller than she was.

The white marble flooring was shining brightly under the strong lights, reflecting everything on it. Pulling you along, the men lead you towards one of the jewellery and purse showcases. Kept under a glass, there lay many handbags, set up in neat lines. Some were small, some bigger, and they all seemed a bit too much for you.

The necklaces were mostly spelled Dior and made out of rose gold; there were also many bracelets shown. With the same logo, you liked a few but didn't dwell on them for too long. There was no way you could wear any of this stuff, so why look too closely?

Allowing the alphas to pull you through the store calmly, whenever a sales clerk appeared, they were quick to wave them off. You felt out of place, but the warmth their hands provided made you feel better, so you just complied and went with it.

Occasionally stopping, they took notes of where you were looking; if you watched over a pair of heels for a bit longer, a ring, a bracelet, or just a simple sun hat, they were quick to remember.

Eventually, you three walked up the stairs to where the clothing section was. This wasn't like the usual store you knew, where the clothes were filled with all different sizes and the clothing racks were full. Here, there were only a very few items, usually kept in one or two sizes.

You didn't have much time to look around closely before Taehyung walked towards you, with two store workers quickly trailing him. Both of them, the girl and the man, had their hands full with stuff. From bright colours to softer stuff, there was a lot they held. Taking a hold of your soft cheeks, the wide boxy smile was all you could pay attention to.

„Here, babycheeks, I found some stuff for you to try on. Why don't we do that now? Will you do a nice fashion show for your alphas, my good girl?”

„Ah, Tae, that sounds just like the best thing ever. Here princess, the changing rooms are this way. Did you already select the right sizes for our baby?” Jimin asked his younger packmate, who nodded quickly.

„Of course, don't worry. It should all fit, the clerk's chose the sizes. Here, babycheeks, we will sit here for now. You just come out once you are ready okay? Alpha's are right here.”

Pulling open the long curtain, you were lightly pushed in the large changing room. There were a few hangers in there with few clothes already hung up on them. Turning to look at the men, everything happened bit too quickly for you to realise what was going on before you were already standing in the changing room.

Before them stood a few leather armchairs, already occupied by the pack, while Namjoon and Tae had his knees spread, Jimin chose to set one over the other and rest that way. Meeting his gaze once again, the man spoke again.

„Don't worry baby, we aren't going anywhere. Be a good girl now and go try on some stuff okay? I'm sure you'll like it.”

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Next:

[so-long-soldier-writes]

One of Those Days

poly!mikaelsons x reader | request

summary: between the constant fighting and city clamor, you're overstimulated from the minute you wake up. you try to isolate until you feel better, but sometimes, that only makes things worse. luckily, your loving vampire partners are always there for you.

tags: sensory issues, mental health, overstimulation, arguing, mild emotional hurt / comfort

word count: ~2.6k

a/n: requested by @asexualaromosafezone - i am SO SORRY this took me literal months to complete. a couple days ago, i suddenly remembered i never filled it and finished it asap. i hope you like it, and again, so many apologies!

Sometimes, you wake up, and can immediately tell it’ll be a hard day. The sun has barely risen, yet there’s already a million noises coming through your window. Chatters of people having their morning walks, car horns from those too impatient to let them cross, the distant clang of a dropped pot, and-

“REBEKAHHH!”

-Klaus, yelling for his sister. At seven in the morning. 

“What the bloody hell are you shouting for?! I’m right here!”

You sigh, glad that mystery solved quickly.

There’s probably a few more minutes until your alarm rings, so instead of getting up a little earlier, you opt to enjoy your last minutes of peace. Though you soon realize that’s impossible, given your circumstances. On top of the city sounds, there’s a bird right outside your window, and when you try to turn away from it, the tag on your blanket itches the inside of your thigh. 

“Ugh!” You toss the blanket off. 

Your alarm sounds not a second later. 

With a slap to your phone and then another to your forehead, you decide to just get ready for the day. Luckily, not much is planned. Marcel still has control over the city, and with you being human, your Mikaelson hosts don’t want you outside at all. 

See, you live with the family of original vampires. You used to be a Mystic Falls’ resident, but then after developing a close connection with the siblings, decided to move to New Orleans with them and get a fresh start. You were tired of the small town life, and while the big city can be overwhelming at times, you’ll never get sick of the culture it has to offer. Besides, living with the most powerful family makes you happier than you ever believed you could be. 

As much as you love them, though, they can be a pain. Like when Klaus can’t find his sister, but forgets a whisper would summon her just as effectively. Instead, he has to wake up the whole quarter, and inconvenience you with a headache. When you reach the dining room that day, you slump your head on the table. 

“Everything alright, darling?” Kol’s voice floats over your head, making you aware of his presence. 

“Tired.”

“Is your bed comfortable enough? Do you need more blankets?”

You haven’t been in the city long, and his consideration warms your heart. 

“Oh, I’m okay. I’m very comfy. Just haven’t gotten used to the city yet.”

“Ah, I understand.”

His attention drifts to his sister. You busy yourself with a plate of food and ignore how tired you feel. When Elijah sits beside you, you offer a smile, but don’t say anything. The man, polite as ever, does the same. Though while two of the siblings are quiet, the other two aren’t. Klaus and Rebekah are still on the same topic from earlier. They bounce off each other quickly, childish banter turning into an argument.

You try to eat in peace and ignore them, but it’s difficult. And it doesn’t help that you’ve been feeling down lately, anyway. It’s rather unexplainable, the way you feel. Some days you’d rather stay in bed all day than face the world. Your whole body could be begging for you to get up and get things done, but you just can’t. No matter how hard you fight your own mind, sometimes there’s no winning the raging war. 

To make matters worse, you’re always hypersensitive when you find yourself in these low moods. Every little thing is overstimulating and there’s no pause button. This morning, you didn’t even get a chance to wake up before the sounds started. (Thanks, Klaus.) You roll your eyes in your head, annoyed. 

“Hey.” A poke to your shoulder startles you, making you jump. “You okay?” 

“Ooh, you caught me off guard.”

“Sorry,” Kol smiles, “you in deep thought, or rolling your eyes at Klaus’ statement?”

“Uh…” You bite your lip. You were rolling your eyes about Klaus, but missed whatever statement it was that he just made. “What did he say?”

“That he was on his way to have a little chat with Marcel. That will go swimmingly.”

“Oh.” You snort and decide to joke. “Both.”

Kol grins at you, but then, thankfully, leaves you alone again. 

After breakfast, you retreat back into your room, not in the mood to face the day. If Klaus is really going to start shit with Marcel, it’ll be an intense day. You’ve never met the current king of the French Quarter, but Elijah’s told stories. Marcel and the family used to be close, but then, like all their other relationships, ties ended drastically. 

“But not with you, of course,” he had promised. “You’re our girl.”

You were skeptical for a moment. Who wouldn’t be, knowing the Mikaelsons? But then Klaus approached you from behind with a kiss to your hair and confirmed his brother’s words,

“As long as we have your loyalty, you’ll always have ours.”

You could see the truth in his statement. Everyone who ended up on their bad side had betrayed them in some way. So, as long as you didn’t repeat others’ mistakes; as long as you kept your trust in the family, you would be considered family. And ever since the day you first grew close, you have been their family. 

You’re close with all of the siblings. Elijah, first, when you couldn’t take your eyes off him at Damon’s dinner party. Then Rebekah, and then Kol, when he undaggered. Even Finn, before his untimely death - thanks to Matt, your good friend now worst enemy. Klaus took the longest to trust you, and you can’t blame him for having trust issues, but once he realized how much his siblings adored you, he was quick to accept your place with them. 

Now, the five of you live together, nine hundred miles from your hometown. It’s certainly a change, but every day with them is an adventure.

Like today, you suddenly think, overhearing Elijah’s footsteps in the hallway. Today has definitely been one of those days. 

“Y/N?” He stops outside your door.

“Mhm?”

“Can I come in?”

“Sure.”

Elijah opens the door, but doesn’t fully enter your room. He looks you up and down before smiling. “I just thought you seemed sad earlier and wanted to check on you. Is everything okay?”

“Oh!” You put on a brave face to mask the tiredness you feel internally. “Yeah, I’m just out of sorts today. It’s nothing.”

“Are you sure? Because if someone’s bothering you, that’s something we can take care of.”

“No, no, I promise. It’s all just me. Just having a day.”

“You’re positive?” He asks for confirmation again.

“Have I ever lied to you, ‘Lijah?”

He looks down at his shoes, embarrassed. “No, you haven’t. I apologize for doubting you.”

“It’s okay,” you step closer to him, resting against the door frame. “No need to apologize. But I swear, I just… woke up on the wrong side of the bed or something. New Orleans is a loud city. I’m still adjusting.”

“Okay. Well, call if you need anything. Even the smallest thing.”

“I will.”

“Oh, and be careful in the off-chance that Marcel storms in here. There’s a fight brewing in the quarter.”

“I’ll keep an eye out.”

“Better yet, stay inside for the day. So you’re not in harm’s way at all.”

“Okay, ‘Lijah.”

He smiles at you, then kisses your hand. “Now, I need to neutralize my brother. But I needed to make sure our girl was okay first.”

“She’s okay. Go deal with him.”

Elijah straightens his collar before speeding off to no doubt defend his brother in a fight. You love Klaus, but man, does he get angry. And then from anger, comes pure rage, then absolute chaos. Once situations escalate that far, the whole block better hide if they want to keep their hearts in their chest. 

You sigh, thinking of the carnage that may come. You’re not sure you can deal with his anger issues today, especially not coupled with those of Marcel. Of all the days they have to fight, it’s the one that you might snap, too, if he raises his voice one more time. 

Suddenly, your bed looks like the perfect oasis away from the mess behind your door. A good pillow over the ears might prevent an impending meltdown. You crawl into it at once and let your body melt into the mattress. 

You hadn’t lied to Elijah, though you hadn’t given him the full truth, either. Yes, you are, in general, okay. Not necessarily today, but at that moment, you were. Also yes, you’re not feeling great today, partly because of all the city noise. And, finally, yes, most of it is just you and your body not in the mood to be awake. Though Klaus is contributing, just a little bit, to your mental distress today. Elijah would understand, of course, but then he’d have a talk with his brother about it, and you really didn’t want to burden either of them in that way, so you put on a smile and didn’t mention it. You’d bet Elijah knows the full truth, and knows why you won’t admit it, but he respects you if you don’t want to talk about it. That’s one of the reasons you love him so much. 

You get a couple hours of rest until your slumber is interrupted by a new knock on your door. It’s not soft, like Elijah’s, so it must be one of the younger two. 

“Oh no,” you mutter, wondering what it must be now.

“Y/N?” Rebekah’s voice comes from the other side. “Are you awake?”

“I am now.” 

She opens the door as you reply. “Oh what the bloody hell are you still doing in bed?”

“Sleeping.”

“Obviously! Come watch a movie with Kol and I! We’d love your company.”

“An actual movie, or the public display of violence happening outside in the quarter?”

“We haven’t decided yet!” She grabs your hand. “Come on!”

You yawn. “I’m gonna pass today, I’m not up for it.”

“Awh, Y/N! It won’t be as fun without you!”

“I have a headache, Bex,” you fib. 

“Do you want some blood for that?”

“Does that even work like that?”

She shrugs, “not sure.”

You cuddle into your pillow. “Another time, okay?”

The girl smiles, then leans forward to kiss your head. “Okay. If you change your mind, come find us.”

“I will. Thank you.”

“Dinner’s at seven. Will you be there?”

“Yeah,” you promise, “I should be better by then.”

You are not, in fact, better by then. If anything, your foul mood progressed into an actual headache within thirty minutes of Rebekah leaving. Shouts throughout the city managed to penetrate the thin glass of your windows, and you could hear almost everything as Klaus heckled the current king. For hours, it went on, until the sun went down and they assumedly put it off for another day. By seven o’clock, you were able to sneak in another nap, but you still felt way overstimulated from the day’s events. 

Not to mention the fact that you spent all day in bed. Sometimes, you’re overstimulated by too much going on, but today you partly did it to yourself by hiding away all day. The guilt of avoiding everyone weighs on your chest. Rebekah had invited you to a movie; Elijah went out of his way to check up on you, and you had more or less dismissed them both. A bitter taste sits in your mouth when you think about it. Water doesn’t wash it out.

Hopefully dinner will. 

For the first ten minutes, the night passes peacefully. Most of the conversation is focused between the meal and the movie the two had watched. The events of the day, seemingly, are left in the past.

But then, of course, Kol has to make a comment on something he overheard that he thought was funny. And that set Klaus off into a spewing of anger. He’s pissed at Marcel, but now, also, at Kol for bringing it up. Elijah puts his face in his hands, and Rebekah sends both a huge eye roll. 

What was a moment of much-appreciated silence is now a yelling match. After five minutes, you reach your breaking point. 

“Why do you feel the need to comment on that, Kol? It was so insignificant, but you’ve felt the need to bring it up, and now I’m reminded of how much Marcel has done to piss me off!”

“I didn’t mean to make you upset, bloody hell! I thought it was funny!”

“It wasn’t funny to me when he was spitting in my face! I-”

“Oh my god! Are you ever not arguing?!” You suddenly shout. 

The table goes silent and all eyes are on you. A needle could be dropped and it would be heard across the quarter. 

“I’m sorry,” you apologize quickly, embarrassed.

“Love,” Elijah puts a hand on your shoulder, “are you alright?”

At his touch, you flinch. He retracts his hand quickly, but doesn’t move his body away from its proximity to yours. 

Klaus, although upset at the interruption, notices this and calms a little. “Everything okay, Y/N?”

“I’m fine. It’s nothing.”

“That little outburst didn’t sound like nothing.”

“I’m just stressed.”

“Darling, what’s got you all upset? Tell us and we’ll sort it out now.”

“It’s no one, Kol, I’m just not feeling well.”

“Still have a headache, sweetheart?” Rebekah asks. 

“You have a headache?” Klaus butts in. 

The assortment of questions makes you drop your head. It nearly hits the table, but Elijah grabs your frame before you can fall. Tears form in your eyes, visibly. 

“I’m just really overstimulated today. I woke up weird and this city is loud, and then there was all the fighting all day long, and then I hid in my room all day, but then I felt bad about hiding, and now I’m making you all worried because I can’t get my shit under control!”

“And that’s your fault, how?” Elijah asks, “you cannot blame yourself for the way you feel.”

“But I need to handle my emotions better. I’m sorry.”

“No apologies necessary, love,” Klaus adds, “I certainly haven’t helped, fighting with children all day.”

“Niklaus,” Elijah warns, but Klaus doesn’t argue with him this time. 

“I should’ve stayed with you when you said you had a headache.”

“Don’t blame yourself either, Bex. It’s not your fault.”

“But we could’ve cuddled,” she frowns.

“It’s okay. I got a nap, and it helped a little. I just need to get used to my life being different now. None of you are at fault.”

“Nor are you,” the eldest reminds, “it’s been quite a day for us all.”

Kol clears his throat, “say, after dinner, if you feel up to it, we could all watch a movie and cuddle around you? I think some comfort is much needed.”

“Sure,” you agree, “but I might fall asleep during it.”

“That’s quite alright,” he smiles. He then stands up to hug you, but when his arms wrap around your neck, you freeze.

“Not yet, please. I’m still a bit stressed.”

He gives you a wink. “Of course, darling. Let me know when you’re ready.”

Klaus flicks his napkin across the table. He’s folded it into the shape of a heart. “We love you. You know that, right?”

You take the heart, kiss it, and put it in your pocket. “I do. I love you all, too. Thanks for understanding.”

[nevess]

[ I crave a love that drowns oceans ] -K. Azizian

🌱… description: You and Anakin have had a rough time lately. The secret of being together has created some tension, but theres more to the burdens on Anakins heart. it appears to be that even the tiniest things can make you both want to explote at eachother, yet somehow it only happened until today.

🍵 … warnings: none? Just a bit of fighting with eachother, maybe intense feelings.

🧳 … character/s: Anakin Skywalker x Reader

☕️ … word count: around 1k ; | date: October 8th, 2023

🗞️ back to the main menu

a/n: more of this beautiful anakin x reader dinamic i have going on in my head. Disclaimer: i didn’t read it after finishing, so i apologize for any typos :p In other news, im looking for beta readerssss here's the post!

You and Anakin had been at it for what felt like an eternity, your voices rising in anger and frustration. The argument had strayed so far from its initial topic that it was almost comical, but neither of you found any humor in the situation. Your secret relationship as Jedi was a constant source of tension, and lately, it seemed like every conversation had the potential to turn into a battle.

Anakin paced back and forth across the small confines of your room, his eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed. "I don't see why you're making such a big deal out of this," he snapped, his voice laced with irritation.

You sat on the edge of your bed, your hands clenched into fists. "Because, Anakin," you retorted, your voice shaking with frustration, "I wish you would just talk to me.” You looked at him in disbelief, you were being tormented by an amount of uncomfortable emotions getting out of control.  “It's like you're shutting me out." 

He stopped pacing and turned to face you, his blue eyes ablaze with anger. "I'm not shutting you out," he said sharply. You were dismayed by the tone of his voice, yet you decided to just take a deep breath and let him talk. "I'm protecting us, protecting our secret." 

Tears welled up in your eyes as you stood, your voice trembling. You were not going to allow him to make up excuses for the way he was acting towards you. "It doesn't feel like protection, It feels like you don't trust me" You confessed as the words blasted out of your mouth. Your heart ached, you were outraged. Anakin and you haven't been able to truly connect with each other in a long time since the war had a toll on the time you could spend in each other's company. And it seemed that frustrations were reaching you both, as any small inconvenience seemed to make you both want to explode, except that somehow you had never fought until today. 

Anakin's expression softened for a moment, but then his defenses went up again. "It's not about trust," he argued. "It's about following the Jedi Code. We can't afford to let our emotions get in the way."

You took a step closer to him, your voice demonstrating your new demeanor, now calmed and passive. You knew that adding more fire to fire would only make it worse, someone had to be the adult in the situation. "Since when do you care about that, Anakin?” You make a quick silence as you look him in the eye. “We're not just Jedi. We're people too. We have feelings, and we can't keep pretending like they don't exist."

He looked torn, caught between his duty as a Jedi and his love for you. There was something else bothering him, he wasn't telling you the whole story. But letting him open up slowly would be the best course of action for now. "I know," he said quietly. "But we have to be careful. We can't let anyone find out about us." That wasn't it, he was still not telling you what was truly happening to him. 

The frustration was not boiling inside you anymore, yet it decided to hide away. A small sigh left between your lips, loudly enough for him to hear. The tears you were holding back seemed to be gone, just like the anger you felt moments ago. "I understand you are worried about others finding out," You were careful with your words. Your tone was warm and sincere. "I just want you to be honest with me, to let me in." 

Anakin's eyes softened, and he took a step towards you, his voice barely above a whisper. "I'm scared, Y/N," he admitted, his walls finally starting to crack.  Now this is what you should have been talking about from the start. You noticed he wasn't looking you in the eyes. "I'm scared of losing you." 

Anakin was the living proof someone could live in constant internal dissonance. Right now, was one of those moments where he was chasing clarity but was left with a puzzle without all the pieces. That's where you come in. You help him find those pieces so he can put them together on his own. 

You reached out and took his hand, pulling him into a tight embrace. "I'm scared too," you whispered, burying your face in his chest. "But we'll figure this out together. We can't keep fighting like this." 

One of your hands slowly moved towards the back of his neck, caressing gently, as your eyes met his once again. “Look, I can't make promises I may not be able to keep.” You whispered while trying to find the words to comfort his worries. “But I can promise you I'll always be here for you, for as long as I can.” His arms were keeping you close to him, scared, almost desperate, as if once he lets you go you'll be gone forever. 

The tension slowly melted away as you both clung to each other. You were now playing with his hair, trying to sooth him. Anakin's grip was firm, as if he could draw strength from your presence alone. Yet, you didn't need to use the force to feel the turmoil in him, his conflicted emotions like a storm raging beneath the surface. He didn't need to say it again; his fear of losing you was palpable. Instead, you felt his heart pounding against yours, his breath coming in uneven intervals.

His voice, when he spoke, was raw with emotion. "I just don't know how to navigate this, Y/N. It all seems so suffocating sometimes… I can't imagine a life without you in it." The blue eyed man was truly being tormented by something you don't yet understand. A fear that ran so deep… The only connection you could make with his past was the loss of his mother; a loss you knew scared his heart.

You moved one of your hands to his cheek, understanding the weight of his words. Anakin was a Jedi through and through —even when he was impulsive and impatient by nature—, bound by duty and honor, and yet he was also deeply in love with you. The conflict within him tore at his soul.

"I know, Anakin," you whispered softly, "We're treading a treacherous path, but we're in this together. We'll find a way to make it work." You hoped that your words represented what he needed to hear, you hoped they could give him the reassurance he needed. 

The brunette nodded against your shoulder, his grip loosening just slightly. "I can't lose you, Y/N. I won't." The last two words that came out of his mouth worried you, very much. You were afraid of what he was able to do in order to prevent that from happening. You knew every inch of Anakin Skywalker, like the palm of your hand. Even so, you didn't know where to stand, something in you was screaming. This was the opening you needed to help him navigate through his feelings. 

You smiled gently, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. "And you won't. But you dont have to carry this burden alone. Come.” 

As Anakin and you moved to the bed, you found yourselves in a simple yet inviting quarters within the Jedi Temple. The room was a reflection of your life as a Jedi, with a hint of individuality amidst the serene surroundings.

The walls were adorned with soft, muted colors, chosen to promote tranquility and mindfulness. A large window stretched across one side of the room, allowing the soft, golden light of the setting sun to filter in, casting a warm glow over the space. The view outside offered a glimpse of the Temple gardens, a reminder of the beauty and serenity that existed within these hallowed walls.

The room was sparsely furnished, with just the essentials—a neatly made bed with simple linens, a small meditation cushion in one corner, and a low wooden table that served as a makeshift desk. A few personal items from missions adorned the tabletop, including small trinkets and mementos collected from different planets.

On a nearby shelf, there was a collection of well-worn books, each with a story and knowledge from the worlds you had explored during your Jedi missions. These volumes were a source of both solace and wisdom, their pages filled with experiences from other Jedi’s that had shaped your understanding of the galaxy.

Beside the books, a stack of notebooks lay neatly arranged. These journals held your thoughts, reflections, and observations about your life as a Jedi. They chronicled the struggles and triumphs, the doubts and resolutions, offering a glimpse into the inner world of a dedicated Jedi.

As you and Anakin settled onto the bed, the room seemed to envelop you both in a sense of calm and contemplation. It was a place where the burdens of being a Jedi could momentarily be set aside, a sanctuary where love could bloom amidst the memories of the past and the uncertainties of the future.

You proceed to cuddle in the middle of the bed. Anakin hugging your body, while you played with his hair. Your voice was a soothing melody that wrapped around Anakin's heart like a warm embrace. It carried a serenity that seemed to flow effortlessly, a tranquil river of understanding and empathy. Your words were spoken with a gentle cadence, each syllable carrying a weight of genuine affection and love.

As you uttered, "Let me help you carry this," your voice resonated with a sincerity that went beyond mere words. It held a profound tranquility, a calm assurance that you were there for him, ready to share the burden of his emotional turmoil. Your voice was a balm to his troubled soul, a reminder that in your presence, he could find solace and acceptance.

In that moment, your voice acted as a beacon of unwavering support, a testament to the depth of your feelings for Anakin. It was a voice that whispered promises of understanding and devotion, assuring him that together, you could face whatever challenges lay ahead. He finally opened up. 

© Nevess 2023. My original posts are not allowed to be edited, translated and/or re-uploaded on another account or platform without my permission, nevertheless, re-blogs are accepted and very appreciated.

[ghostlynachopanda]

Rest

Pairing: Wednesday Addams x reader

words: 1.6k

~~~

Wednesday notices almost everything happening around her, it's one of the things she takes pride in. Being observant comes at a price though. Sometimes there are things she wishes she hadn't seen. For instance, she noticed the light slowly drain from your eyes.

Wednesday took notice of everything regarding you. Anything that could possibly have an effect on you is something she took note of. Homework, sleep schedule, brainless classmates, lack of nutrition? Just a few examples she took mental notes of when it came to you.

She knew when you would get hungry, knew when you would get tired, and knew your preferred times to study. Wednesday had your schedule down to the second. She took small pride in that too.

When you were occasionally a few minutes late, she would chalk it up to mere inconveniences. Of course, she would notice how frequent they were becoming in the last couple of weeks. It was beginning to irritate her. Whenever Wednesday would ask about your tardiness you would dodge the question; immediately moving the topic to something that seemed more interesting. Wednesday took note of that too.

The time you were spending with Wednesday was decreasing, only by a minuscule amount but decreasing nonetheless. The knowledge you were spending less time with her made her stomach sink, she doesn't have the faintest clue making the feeling worse. However, whenever you were with her she took every opportunity to take you in — everything about you.

You appeared to have less energy than normal. Your appearance seems more disheveled, though to anyone else you’d look just fine. Your smile doesn't reach your eyes the way it used to. During class, sometimes your eyes would stay closed for just a tad too long for it to be normal. The circles under your eyes are becoming distastefully dark. When she was close enough, your breath always smelled like coffee. Your stomach growls more often. It seems like you were being secretive about something. 

She thought of these things often — seeing as they're thrust in her face every time she looks at you. If she were being honest, you looked pitiful. A look she would savor if it were anyone else. But, you’re not 'anyone else'.

Wednesday doesn't know how to bring this up. Anytime she would insinuate something remotely similar you would rub the back of your neck and answer in a prevaricate way. It was beginning to infuriate her in a way she hadn’t known was possible.

You were always the patient one, waiting for Wednesday to think her words through carefully. You were never one to answer questions falsely. You never kept anything from her, you tried to answer any questions to the best of your ability. It's one of the things she appreciated about your character.

Wednesday had thought a lot about the situation. She had tried being delicate with you, even if doing so made her want to peel her skin. Despite that, she had tried because it was you. She wants answers, if being nice about it wasn't working then she'd approach it her way.

Wednesday begrudgingly adapted to your new schedule. One you've been using for the last couple of weeks. She sat in her dorm, counting the seconds until your knock disturbed the still air. Wednesday silently wondered if you’d break the record for how late you could be.

When your knock finally came, she took a moment. 714 seconds, a new record, it's officially the latest you've ever been. Wednesday stood from her chair and made her way to the door, yanking it open without care.

You stood on the other side, again, looking pitiful and miserable. It painfully makes her heartthrob. Her hands twitch to rub away the dark circles under your eyes. Instead, she settles for opening the door wider to let you in.

Wednesday watches you move around the room for a moment. Ordinarily, you moved around in a relaxed manner as if it were your room. This time you were sluggish, moving about as if you were barely conscious.

It didn’t take a genius to know you were tired. Wednesday had known you've been neglecting to take care of yourself since you started. It had been disturbingly obvious — as obvious as the sun on a clear day. She just didn’t know how you’d react to her confrontation.

Wednesday watches you stumble before deciding to step in. She walks towards you before grabbing your wrist to guide you to her chair.

"Sit down," Wednesday said breaking the silence. You turn to look at her before asking,

"You usually sit at your desk when we study. Are you sure you don’t want it?"

She sends you a glare, making you quickly avert eye contact. She watches you slowly sit down in her chair, noticing how your shoulders sag and your eyelids droop. It seems you were more tired than she had anticipated.

Wednesday feels herself get pulled into her head. Wondering how long you've been walking around in this state. She feels the need to drag you to bed so you can get some proper rest. But she's overcome with the need to scold you for doing this to yourself.

"You're tired," Wednesday says without thinking. Your eyes widen slightly before you nervously smile and rub the back of your neck.

"No, I'm not. I don’t know what you're talking about," you chuckle lightly before looking at her. Hoping your eyes will be enough to convince her to let it go.

"Lie to me again and I'll make you regret it," she said sharply. Her eyes swirling with fury.

Her words make you snap your mouth shut. You didn't know just how angry she was. You lightly shake your head, trying to clear your thoughts from how terrifying she looked. The action made you dizzy and made your head throb with an unforeseen headache, and you wince. Wednesday notices. Her anger flares.

"Imprudent," she says lowly. Her voice was thunderous in the quiet room. You open your mouth to refute, but she begins again before you can answer.

"Injudicious. Irresponsible. Ill-considered. Just how foolish can you get?" she demands, looking at you expectantly. Her gaze makes you tense. Wednesday had never looked at you with such conviction before. When she realizes you aren't going to answer she scoffs, "Well?"

Your mouth opens but no sounds come out. Your throat feels tight, making it hard for any words to come out. Your thoughts are loud. You were tired but there was too much happening for you to properly rest. Too many things needed to get done. Would Wednesday understand?

Wednesday watches you closely. Your eyes slowly fill with unshed tears and your parted lips tremble. She takes a breath to calm herself. Taking calculated steps towards you before kneeling in front of you.

"Hey," she says gently, breaking you from your thoughts. You involuntarily flinch at the close distance, it hurts Wednesday more than anticipated.

 "It's just me. You're safe." she continues gently, reaching out to grab your hands. Watching as you move them away slightly before letting her hold them. Wednesday softly sighs at the contact, feeling a little calmer now that your skin is on hers.

"Why are you acting this way?" she asks softly, not wanting you to run away. She reaches her hand out to grasp your cheek when she sees you avert your gaze. Seeing the number of tears in your eyes makes her heartbreak. She brings her other hand to your face, ready to wipe any fallen tears.

"I'm just tired, Wednesday" you replied weakly. The way Wednesday is looking at you overwhelms you. Not expecting such a tender and adoring look. You squeeze your eyes closed, forcing the tears out.

Wednesday readily wipes them away. She watches you duck your head, trying to hide from her. She feels your body shake with unshed tears. It physically pains her to see you like this. As much as she'd like to move you to the bed to rest, she'd wait as long as it took till you were ready.

"I'm sorry," you said after a minute, forcing out a laugh; trying to lighten the situation. Breath shaking as you continue, "that must have been really uncomfortable for you."

"Don't do that," she said seriously. Her hands grip your face tighter, forcing you to look at her again. She doesn’t give you a chance to reply before she's standing and pulling you with her. When you see her destination you stop, "Wait. There's a lot of things-"

"I already told you not to do that," she replied, anger somewhat hidden in her tone.

"Wednesday-"

"No. Rest now. You'll have time to do your things later."

You sigh defeatedly, knowing she won’t give up. You let her tug you in the direction of her bed before she gently pushes you to sit on the edge. You watch as she kneels down to take off your shoes before moving to take hers off too.

When she stands up and sees you still sitting up she sends you another pointed look. She hums and nods when she sees you start to lie down. She moves to the unoccupied side of the bed before she lays down next to you.

Wednesday moves to wrap her arms around you. Letting you move to get as comfortable as possible, wanting you to get your much-needed rest. It’s not long before she feels your body completely relax and your breath even out. Wednesday lets the relief she feels overtake her. For the first time in two weeks, she lets herself completely relax.

tags: @alexkolax @rainbow-love4ever @o638 @tundra1029 @greyscxle-is-taken

[ilyhaitanii]

could i req kaveh comforting insecure/slightly depressed(?) reader? only if your comfy!

tw // suicidal thoughts, mentions to suicide, just heavy topics ig sorry i made this self indulgent sort of

kaveh sees a lot of himself in you. especially his younger self. he likes to think he’s come a far way from his akademiya days, but sometimes even he tends to fall back into the cycle of everything. it’s horrible, gut wrenching, nauseating. everything about it just makes you want to curl into a ball and never exist ever again.

so when you start waking up a lot later, eating less, simply staring at the wall, and having piles of papers stacked on your desk, kaveh notices. he does his best to help you feel comfortable, at least. he’ll help bathe you if you haven’t been able to bring yourself to do so in a few days.

he doesn’t think it’s gross. he understands just as well as anyone how you feel. kaveh’s manicured finger nails scratch at your scalp as your eyelids flutter shut. there’s this deafening silence in the bathroom that makes your stomach churn. kaveh leans forward and kisses you on your shoulder.

you sink further into the warm water watching the steam rise and cloud the mirror of alhaitham’s bathroom. your eyes dart all over the room, looking everywhere but your beloved.

“sweetheart,” kaveh calls out to you, his hands now massaging your shoulders and back. he leaves another kiss in your wet skin, rubbing the knots of your muscles. “talk to me?” he says in a voice that’s teetering the line of desperation. your fingers dance with his, toying with his fingers tips. kaveh allows you as long as you need to collect your thoughts.

“i don’t know,” you say gently, trying to ease your lover’s anxiety. you truly don’t understand what’s wrong. just last week you were doing great. you had an amazing day with tighnari as the two of you learned more about poisonous plants.

the forest in suemru seems to be changing with the ever rising heat emitting from the desert. that very same night, you’d gone out to the bazzar with cyno and found your way to a small bar. the two of you drank for a bit, playing tcg together. it was relaxing and nice catching up with your old friend.

but you woke up the next morning feeling this pit in your stomach. you couldn’t focus on your studies, you couldn’t work up an appetite, and as you stood naked in front of the shower, u watched the water fall. the pitter patter noise engulfing your senses.

you couldn’t bring yourself to take that step into the tub. you kneel onto the floor, melting into the plush floor mat sobbing into your knees. what’s happening to you? kaveh noticed the way your eyes were puffy when he joined you in bed that night. he’s noticed the rapid decline in your weight too, fingertips brushing over your now evident collarbone.

“i think,” you say to kaveh as you sink deeper into the tub. his hand catches under your pits, pulling you back up. he doesn’t let the water go any higher than your chest. his fingers move back to your soapy scalp, kissing you on the shoulder again. “i don’t like myself, kaveh.”

those few words shatter his heart. kaveh feels himself choke up, fingers abruptly stopping in your hair. you feel yourself tear uo as you continue speaking. “i hate how when i speak i can’t stop. i hate the way people start ignoring me. i hate that stupid feeling whenever i come home from an outing and i just think about all the dumb shit i said and did.”

your lungs feel like they’re on fire from how fast you’re spitting out all of your feeling to kaveh. you don’t even take a break to breathe before you continue.

“why do they dislike me, kaveh? i try my best, i really do. i try my best to be sweet. i try my best to help others even if it hurts me, exhausts me, inconveniences me. i always fucking try,” the sharp sobs and hiccups from your throat make your clutch onto kaveh. he feels the soapy liquid bleeding into his deep v-neck shirt, but he makes no movement to push you away. he wraps his arms around your soapy back, shushing you gently.

he kisses your shoulder, rubs your back. he feels his own fingers tremble. why do you think like that? why do you think people don’t like you? has someone said something to you, done something to hurt you? he wants to ask you these things, protect you in his ribcage and allow you to chew at his heart until you see fit. allow you to suck the blood from his body and have it run through your veins just so you get to see yourself from someone else’s perspective.

kaveh feels his lips quiver and chatter. but this isnt about him. he pulls himself together and be’s the strong rock you need. kaveh is the one stable thing you’ve had in your life all of these years. from childhood to being teenagers to adulthood— kaveh has always been there.

kaveh will continue to be there because he’s formed a life with you. no matter what happens, no matter how nasty your arguments will become, kaveh will always be there to pick you off of the bathroom floor, wipe your bare body down, kiss you on the forehead, and tuck you into bed with his arms securely around you.

he’ll let you dig your nails into his biceps, cry your bruised heart out. kaveh will always be there. he’s seen what these sorts of scary thoughts can do to a person. he refuses to lose another person to it. so when you wake up later in the night with kaveh tucked up against your back, he’ll kiss your shoulders and hold you tightly in his arms until you’re ready to bare your struggles and thoughts to him.

© ilyhaitanii - please do not repost, translate, or plagarize any of my content, and do not repost it to any other platforms

[anna-the-undertaker]

Prides Gift

- Prompt: MC accidentally summons one of the brothers with the strength of their sin. - I read something similar to this a while back from another creator, but I can't remember who it was. All I can remember is that it was about a teen MC who accidentally summoned them. The idea was very entertaining, and I wanted to give my own twist to it. - I'm only going to do one brother for now, and if it does well, I will do the others. If not, I'll let it die lol So let me know how it is. Any critique is appreciated. - MC is in their mid to late teens - I'm sick atm and my meds have made me kind of out of it so I apologize if this didn't turn out all that great or make any sort of sense lmao I'll probably read back through this when I come down from my medicinal cocktail and just think "wtf" - Not proofread - Song recommendation: Product Of My Own Design by Artio

- Edit: I did come back and read through this, and I did say "wtf" but like in a good way.

This work contains topics that some may find unpleasant. If you are sensitive to any of these, please, KEEP SCROLLING

Warnings: Small amount of physical/mental Abuse

Lucifer

The avatar of pride hated being summoned. It was a complete inconvenience. He had far too much work to do and had no time nor desire to deal with some petty humans wants or needs. Rarely ever did a human have something of value to exchange for his influence and even more rare were they even worthy enough to be in his presence.

He had become quite skilled at resisting. Only ever giving in when he truly needed to. But this time it felt odd. Different somehow, in a way he couldn't fully comprehend.

He tried to ignore it, to keep going about his work, hoping it would pass, but it persisted.

With a growl of irritation, he slammed his pen down and shoved his chair back as he stood before teleporting to its originator.

He made sure to keep himself out of sight, hiding away in the shadows, just out of a human's perception.

What he found perplexed him. Before him were two humans staring each other down. The feeling was coming from the younger one. His eyes traveled to the other.

One of their parents he presumed. They shared features with one another. In the background he saw other children.

In their hands was a piece of sheet music.

"It's not good enough!" their parent yelled. "You are a disgrace! What good is it that you're a prodigy if all you can produce is this garbage?!"

A slap echoed through the room.

The parent continued with their cruel words. Going on and on about how worthless their child was.

The young human did not cry or yell, only turned their head back to them with a fury in their eyes. Their spine rigid, chin held high, and fists balled at their sides.

It was obviously not the first time they had endured this treatment.

He felt their pride waver and anger swell within them. The smell of frankincense and amaryllis came off of them in waves and invaded his senses. The flavor of their sin was unique to say the least and it was clear to see that summoning him had not been their intention. He had half a mind to leave but he remained out of morbid curiosity.

He tapped into their thoughts.

"You're wrong. Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! How dare you?! How dare you?! How dare you?! I will be better than you! I am better than you! All you want is to take credit for my accomplishments! My hard work! How dare you act as if I am inferior?! Don't crack. Don't give in. Don't give them the satisfaction of seeing me broken. They must never see me weak."

It was a sentiment he was all too familiar with.

The older human sent them to their room and he followed. He let himself indulge in their sin. Let it feed him.

When their door shut and locked behind them, the humans hands flew to their hair and pulled, a growl rising in their throat. They paced around the room for a while before finally leaning onto their desk, taking deep breaths.

"Just breathe it out," they muttered to themself. "A break down won't help."

They continued this until their emotions settled within them, or rather were locked away again.

The avatar of pride stepped out of the shadows. His wings and horns on full display, arms crossed in front of his chest.

"You shouldn't hold back, human." He said.

The human jumped and whipped around to come face to chest with him before looking up to his piercing red eyes. The slight fear at the sight of him fed his ego.

"Who are you? How did you get in here?" they asked.

His chest puffed up, "Lucifer Morningstar. You summoned me. Who are you?" He demanded.

He saw recognition flash through their eyes at his name only for confusion to overtake them once more before they settled with acceptance, "MC... May I address you as Mr. Morningstar? Or something along those lines? I feel like using your first name is too familiar and a bit disrespectful."

Lucifer was surprised by their manners but didn't let it show as he gave them a slight nod of approval. Another surprise was that the fear had disappeared from them and was replaced by curiosity as they appraised him.

"You are being very polite for a human in the presence of demon," he commented.

MC scoffed in exasperation, "It is in my best interest not to earn your ire. Besides, you haven't done anything to me personally to justify rudeness."

"You aren't going to call upon god to save your soul? I can feel his influence here. Pieces of it are scattered throughout your home." The low timber of his voice vibrated through the room with an air of ridicule.

"My parents beliefs are not mine. I do not care for their god. And what good would there be in calling upon him now? He has done nothing for me and I owe him nothing. I do not need nor want his intervention."

MC walked to their bed and sat down before gesturing to their desk chair, "Have a seat if you want to, Mr. Morningstar."

His respect for the human grew just a little bit so he accepted.

"You mentioned before that I summoned you," MC began again. "How? I don't remember doing anything of the sort."

He sighed, "Simply put, my sin in you was strong enough to pull me here."

"Oh, so what now?"

He thought on it for a moment. He felt an unusual connection with the human, though he would not know why for a while yet. He couldn't help but notice the open minded air about them and their maturity and intelligence. They had the potential to be successful. A willingness to learn and persevere, to push forward and work harder were qualities he admired.

They had one immediate obstacle and that was domineering and controlling parental figures.

An obstacle he knew intimately.

"Normally, this is when you humans start stating what you desire from me, but if you are amenable, I am willing to offer you a deal."

MC watched him cautiously, "What would this deal cost me? My soul?"

"I am not some lesser demon who requires souls to gain power," He replied with a snappish tone. "I do not require yours."

"I meant no offense, Mr. Morningstar. I simply have no knowledge of demons or how deals with demons work outside the churches influence. To be honest I didn't truly believe any of it existed. What exactly are you offering and how would it work? I do not want to blindly incur debts."

He was not going to make a pact with them. They were far too young to offer immediate results or benefit him in any way, but his instincts told him that assisting this human would be in his best interest.

"It is an exchange. By giving me that which you are most proud of, I will offer you a small piece of myself that is of equal value. The power from that will make you succeed in your endeavors, but it will still require work. You must earn it."

"Aside from aiding my success, how else would this affect me personally?"

He smirked. They were perceptive as well. Good. "It will increase your pride in yourself and your work. Effectively raising your confidence and make you work even harder."

It was similar to the effects of his pact, but not nearly as potent.

"And of course, you lose any chance of going to heaven. You would be making a deal with a demon, after all." He added.

"What do you gain from this?"

"Some of the pride that you accumulate through your accomplishments will be syphoned to me."

It was an extremely simple exchange. It didn't required MC to do anything but pursue their strengths and he wouldn't have to come to human realm as often as before to meet his sins needs. It was a win-win.

The human appeared lost in thought as if having an internal debate. Then something sparked in their eyes and they stood. He watched them walk to a bookshelf in the corner of the room and pull out a binder before coming to stand in front of him.

"This is a collection of the most complex musical compositions I have written. Each of them have earned me first place in competitions all over the country. I have them all committed to memory so I have no need of a physical copy. Is this sufficient?" They asked while keeping eye contact with him.

He could see and feel the unwavering certainty in their eyes.

Without a word, Lucifer reached down and plucked a single feather from one of his wings. It settled in the center of his palm and he cast a transfiguration spell on it making it change into a pendant in the shape of his sigil.

While simple in design it was still quite large. His pride demanding that it be seen.

They exchanged items carefully.

"You must not lose that, ever," Lucifer stared them down as he stood to leave. "If you do, I will know. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good, I'm leaving. I have been here far too long and I have a lot of work to finish, and no doubt more on the way from the damage my brothers have caused in my absence."

MC looked down at the pendant in their hands and back up, "Farewell, Mr. Morningstar, and thank you."

He said nothing and disappeared back into the shadows.

But before he returned to the Devildom, he had one last thing to take care of to ensure this transaction bore fruit.

He made his way through the house until he found MCs parent.

Lucifer let his presence slip into their senses. Exuding an intoxicating aura of power and arrogance and terror that preyed on the darkest recesses of human vanity.

Then he manifested before them, his true form imposing, standing tall and lean. His entire being seemed to ripple with suppressed energy, ready to unleash his dominion on any who dared to challenge him. As he stalked his way to them, he radiated an ethereal essence, swirling hues of crimson, gold, and violet dancing and intertwining like a mesmerizing kaleidoscope of color.

But it was his eyes that captured the attention of the human before him. They burned with an intense, otherworldly fire, shining like twin suns and within their depths was a potent mix of confidence, ambition, and superiority that captivated any who dared to meet his gaze. Those who did found their own doubts and insecurities exposed, their sense of self shaken to its very core.

Even the air seemed to bend and quiver in his presence. The atmosphere crackled with palpable energy, an invisible forcefield pulsating around him and with his every step, a symphony of whispers and murmurs that danced on the very edges of the psyche followed. A chorus of both awe and trepidation that only continued to grow louder.

In seconds the human found themselves trapped as he closed in on them and the air turned suffocating. They were frozen in place, limbs trembling.

"MC and I have come to an agreement," His demonic voice slithered through the air, a chilling tone that resonated with primal malevolence. Its timbre was a haunting blend of gravelly growls and seductive hisses, capable of both commanding obedience and instilling paralyzing fear. As it echoed, the words seemed to claw their way into the human's mind, leaving a lingering sense of unease and bore the unmistakable mark of the infernal, a haunting reminder of the abyss from which it emerged.

"So if you so much as lay another finger on them or harm them in any way, I will not hesitate to come back here and tear you limb from limb, understood?"

The human nodded weakly, unable to speak.

Then he was gone.

A decade had passed since then and Lucifer had nearly forgotten about it, barely even remembering their name. Being swamped in a literal mountains of work on the daily will do that to people.

This day was an important one. He was in a rush to get things in order for the arrival of the new exchange student. Doing double checks on everything. He had already had to deal with his brothers antics: Mammon disappearing, Satan trying to sabotage him with yet another prank, having to drag levi from his room, Beel having cleared the fridge again, Asmo constant inappropriate questions about the exchange student, worrying of belphie in the attic, and the list goes on. He couldn't handle another setback, otherwise he was liable to explode.

There was one document he just couldn't find and it was driving him mad. He ripped open the draws in his desk and started pilfering through his files only for eyes to fall to a binder buried underneath.

Suddenly his DDD went off and his eyes shot to its screen to see that is was a message from Diavolo stating he had the document in question and to meet him in the student council room.

Before long he and his brothers were watching as the exchange student was summoned.

They were disoriented at first and glanced around in confusion until their eyes locked with his, and a soft smile graced their face.

His own fell to the pendant around their neck.

"It is a pleasure to see you again, Mr. Morningstar."

Part 2

[taelqn]

➜ ZOGRATIS SIBLINGS AS TYPICAL COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO HAVE A CRUSH ON YOU

I gave up on Dante’s part oops sorry.. anyways, this was really cute and fun to write <3

WARNINGS: SFW + GENDER NEUTRAL READER + MODERN AU + HEADCANONS

CHARACTERS: Dante Zogratis + Vanica Zogratis + Zenon Zogratis + Lucius Zogratis (only mentioned)

Out of all his siblings, you'd never have expected him to have a crush on you. Zenon stands as the least popular among his siblings—well, he's still popular, but just a notch below the rest, you know? This is largely due to his tendency to avoid interactions with others. Overall, Zenon remains the same, even as a typical college student—quiet, intimidating, and stoic. He often gives off the impression that he'd rather be anywhere else, and at times, it seems like he simply hates everyone around him.

You, however, are the exception to Zenon's usual demeanor. Despite his typical aloofness, you hold a special place in his gaze. Always seated at the back of the class where he can remain unseen, Zenon steals glances at you discreetly, ensuring no one catches on to his actions. Even if you were to sit beside him instead of somewhere at the front of the class, he'd still manage to steal glances at you without anyone, including yourself, noticing. Zenon's ability to remain covert in his admiration for you is uncanny—he may even attend class solely because you're there.

Zenon's gentlemanly demeanor is reserved exclusively for you. Whether it's holding doors open for you, carrying your belongings, or coming to your defense, he goes above and beyond to ensure your comfort and safety. However, there's a quirk to his chivalry—oftentimes, he'll open the door for you and let it slam shut on the person behind you, ignoring the glares and comments that follow. In Zenon's eyes, your well-being outweighs any inconvenience to others.

The only ones who ever catch onto Zenon's crush on you are his siblings, with Lucius being the first to notice. Dante and Vanica catch on a bit later. Once the whole group is aware, the teasing becomes endless and is followed almost everywhere by none other than Vanica and Dante themselves. Lucius joins in with some teasing but acts more as Zenon's hypeman. Whenever the three are present while you and Zenon are together, Zenon notices Dante and Vanica exchanging smirks and mischievous glances, which makes him want to roll his eyes at their nosiness. He suggests that you both go elsewhere, not wanting to alarm you by mentioning his siblings watchful eyes. As he leaves the area with you, he spots Lucius in the crowd, wearing a smug smirk, clearly being nosey too, adding to Zenon's frustration.

Zenon's way of expressing his interest is through subtle gestures that might go unnoticed unless you're paying very close attention. If you happen to get glasses, squint, and observe his actions with keen eyes, you might start to piece together his crush on you. However, on the surface, you might just think he's being nice and considers you a close friend. Some of these subtle gestures include leaving helpful notes to assist you with studying, leaving thoughtful bookmarks in your locker or textbooks, and bringing up topics he knows you're passionate about.

ﾟ｡ ₍ ꙳⸌ ♡ CONFESSION TIME ♡⸍ ꙳ ₎ ｡ﾟ

It's a serene afternoon, the gentle sunlight filtering through the library windows as you gather your things. The study session with Zenon has come to an end, and as you glance at him briefly, you notice that he seems lost in thought.

"Are you okay?" you ask, breaking the quietude.

Zenon snaps out of his reverie, his gaze meeting yours. If you just squinted just a bit, you would’ve notice how his normally stoic eyes seem to soften at the sight of you.

"I'm okay," he responds, his voice calm but perhaps carrying a hint of something more beneath the surface. You give Zenon a small nod, trusting that he's being truthful about being okay.

Just as you're about to slide your textbook into your backpack, Zenon's voice pierces through the tranquil atmosphere. "I have something to tell you."

Zenon's gaze locks onto yours, the intensity in his eyes palpable as he holds a strong and unwavering eye contact. There's no doubt now—whatever he has to say is significant. The room feels charged with an intensity you can't quite put into words. It's as if the air has shifted, and you can feel a nervous energy creeping up your spine. Something important is about to happen, and the anticipation leaves you on edge, your heart beating a little faster in your chest.

“I’m listening,” you say hesitantly.

Zenon inhales deeply, closing his eyes for a brief moment as he gathers his thoughts, steeling himself for what he's about to say. Despite the rapid thud of his heart against his chest, he's determined to be straightforward and direct. With a steadying breath, he opens his eyes, meeting yours with unwavering resolve.

"I like you," he declares, his voice steady and confident. Each word is enunciated with deliberate care, ensuring that you hear him loud and clear. In this moment, there's no room for ambiguity or hesitation—Zenon is making his feelings known with absolute clarity.

As Zenon's confession hangs in the air, it's now your turn to speak. Your heart races in your chest, the moment feeling almost surreal. It's just the two of you in the library, the sunlight filtering through the windows at a perfect angle, casting a warm glow around you both. It's a scene straight out of a cheesy romance movie, and yet, here you are, faced with a real-life confession. Now it's your turn to respond, and the gravity of the decision weighs heavily on your mind.

Will you accept the confession of a stoic heart that's clearly deeply in love with you? Or will you play the role of the oblivious friend?

Vanica holds second place for the most popular Zogratis sibling. Wherever she goes, she becomes the vibrant center of attention, known for her enthusiastic nature and fearless personality. Despite her picky and selective demeanor when it comes to choosing friends, she's always surrounded by a circle of admirers and companions. So if this lively girl has a crush on you, it must mean you’re reeeaaalll special.

With Vanica, it's like being under a constant spotlight, her gaze fixed on you like you're the most precious gem in existence—a gem that she deserves to be the guardian of. You could be going about your day, engrossed in your work, when you suddenly feel the weight of someone's stare. You turn your head and see Vanica's eyes locked on you with an intensity that's almost unnerving. If anyone calls her out on her staring, she'll respond with a fierce scowl and a sharp retort, firmly asserting that it's none of their business.

Vanica shares some similarities with Zenon in the gentlemanly department—or should I say gentlewomanly? However, there's a twist to her approach. Instead of personally assisting you with tasks like carrying your belongings, holding doors, or helping you study, she leaves these duties to her friends, treating them almost like her personal assistants. For instance, if you need help carrying your heavy backpack, she'll eagerly snatch it away from you and assign one of her friends to carry it. If you mention needing to study, she'll dismiss the idea entirely—no need to study when she and her friends can just help you cheat! And if your hands are full and you can't open a door, fear not—Vanica will simply command another one of her friends to open it for you. Yes, she can be bossy with her friends, but it’s all in the name of ensuring your comfort and convenience.

Vanica would absolutely love it if you met her siblings—all three of them! So, don't be too surprised if you're just chilling in the field, minding your own business, and suddenly Vanica enthusiastically shows up with Lucius, Dante, and Zenon in tow to introduce you to them. Lucius maintains an amused but calm expression throughout the encounter, always polite and composed. Dante, on the other hand, wears a mysterious smirk that hints at hidden knowledge, but he remains friendly toward you. Meanwhile, Zenon appears utterly bored, his demeanor dry and uninterested. It's natural to feel a bit intimidated in their presence, but rest assured—Vanica will make sure her brothers play nice with you!

It doesn't take a keen eye for anyone to notice Vanica's unmistakable obsession with you—everyone knows, including yourself. She goes to great lengths to keep tabs on you, often sending a couple of her friends to discreetly stalk you during lectures. They'll message her updates and send photos of what you're doing, with Dante possibly being in on this as well. In the end, there's no denying it—everyone is well aware of Vanica's infatuation with you.

ﾟ｡ ₍ ꙳⸌ ♡ CONFESSION TIME ♡⸍ ꙳ ₎ ｡ﾟ

Alone in the dimly lit hallway, frustration mounts as the vending machine stubbornly refuses to dispense the water bottle you desperately need after a long day of classes. You scowl at the machine, wondering why this inconvenience seems to happen to you of all people.

The thought crosses your mind that you've heard more people die from vending machines than from sharks—was it true? Well, you're about to find out. Steeling yourself, you prepare to give the machine a good kick, risking life and limb for that elusive water bottle you crave. Just as you're about to deliver the kick, a sudden voice startles you from behind, causing you to jump.

"Having trouble there, sweetheart?" The voice is unmistakably Vanica's, laced with amusement and a hint of mischief.

Whipping around, you come face-to-face with Vanica, standing there with a playful smirk, her eyes glinting with amusement at your startled expression.

"Vanica!" you exclaim, your heart still racing from the unexpected encounter. "What are you doing here?"

She chuckles, stepping closer with a twinkle in her eyes. "I’ve been here, cutie. Here, let me help you." Without waiting for your response, she confidently presses a few buttons on the vending machine. And just like that, almost as if she was the chosen one, the vending machine miraculously springs back to life. The sound of the bottle dropping into the dispenser echoes in the hallway as Vanica retrieves it for you.

With a teasing smile, she holds the water bottle out towards you, a playful glint in her eyes. But just as you reach out to take it, she swiftly pulls it back with a mischievous grin on her face, her playful demeanor evident. It seems Vanica has other plans in mind, enjoying the moment of suspense as she holds the water bottle just out of your reach.

"Ah, ah, ah," she taunts, her voice laced with amusement. "What’s the magic word, darling?” she teases, wiggling the water bottle enticingly. "Or perhaps," she adds, leaning in closer, "there's another way you can convince me to give you what you want." Her gaze holds a challenge.

You narrow your eyes at her, both in suspicion and annoyance. Whatever she had in mind, it sounded sketchy. A part of you knew where she was going with this, but you could never be too sure. Especially with someone as unpredictable as her.

You sigh, placing a hand on your hip and tilting your head at her, “well, what is it?”

Closing the distance between you, Vanica leans in even closer, her presence practically enveloping you. If she wasn't close enough before, she's certainly close enough now.

"Be mine," she says, her voice carrying a mix of affection and intensity. You can feel a small blush creeping onto your cheeks, the proximity of her deep red eyes gazing into yours both lovingly and intensely. In that moment, it almost feels like she's not asking you to be hers, but rather declaring that you already belong to her.

It's decision time, and the choice is yours.

Do you deny both the chance to experience the chaotic yet exhilarating journey of being in a relationship with Vanica and the simple pleasure of quenching your thirst with the water bottle? Or do you open your heart to her, allowing her into your life while also satisfying your immediate need for refreshment?

As the charismatic and charming type, Dante is the epitome of popularity. He effortlessly navigates through various social circles, known for his charm, confidence, and even leadership roles in student organizations. Every girl wants him, and every guy wants to emulate his charisma and charm. This means he's never really had to chase after women—instead, they chase after him. Once he senses they've fallen hard, he confidently makes his move, to which they eagerly accept. However, the reality is often different—his approach ends up being more of a game, leaving them played and disappointed. So, for him to genuinely have a crush on someone is a literal shocker.

Despite the numerous admirers vying for his attention, Dante's eyes remain solely fixed on you whenever you're in the same vicinity. Whether you're in the lecture hall or the campus cafe, his gaze is unwavering, intense, yet oddly inviting. Amidst the chatter and laughter of those around you, it's as if you're the only two people in the room. Sometimes, just to mess with you, Dante winks at you from afar, even if other people are around, causing you to blush. The man truly has no shame.

A true gentleman through and through, Dante embodies chivalry in its finest form. He'll hold doors open for you with a polite smile, offer to carry your books without a second thought, and always be attentive to your needs.

In Dante’s world, where he’s used to being the one pursued, his interest in you speaks volumes about the depth of his feelings.

ﾟ｡ ₍ ꙳⸌ ♡ CONFESSION TIME ♡⸍ ꙳ ₎ ｡ﾟ

As you organize your locker, a nagging sensation of being watched persists, causing you to glance over your shoulder multiple times, feeling a bit paranoid. Shaking off the unease, you focus on arranging your belongings until a subtle clearing of the throat catches your attention from the left. Startled, you realize that your open locker had been obstructing your view, concealing someone who had been waiting patiently behind it. With a quick closing of the locker door, you come face to face with the one and only—Dante!

"Oh, hey—" you begin, but before you can finish your sentence, a bouquet of roses is suddenly shoved in your face, catching you completely off guard.

The vibrant colors and sweet fragrance momentarily stun you, causing everything to click into place. Suddenly, it all makes sense—the feeling of being watched while organizing your locker, the eyes seemingly locked on you. As you gaze at the roses, it dawns on you that they must be the reason for the attention. Everything seems to fall into place, like pieces of a puzzle coming together, and you find yourself understanding why all eyes were on you earlier. You hesitantly take the roses.

"I hope you find the roses to your liking," he begins, his voice smooth as silk. "They pale in comparison to your beauty, but I couldn't resist the opportunity to express my admiration for you." He meets your gaze with unwavering sincerity, a faint smile playing on his lips. "If you'd allow me, I would be honored to accompany you to dinner this evening, where I can properly convey the depth of my feelings.” His tone had a hint of seductiveness to it.

Dante's confession leaves you utterly speechless, the bouquet of roses still in your hands as the weight of his words sinks in. In the midst of processing his unexpected declaration, you fail to notice the gathering crowd that has formed around you and Dante. He's put you on the spot, and all eyes are on the two of you. Although he was simply confessing his feelings to you, it felt like a life-or-death situation. You had no option, really—he wasn’t giving you one. You’re the first one he’s bothering to actually chase for, there’s no way he’s letting you go—so what other way than to corner you in a crowd of people? You’re the first one he’s bothering to actually chase for, there’s no way he’s letting you go—so what other way than to corner you in a crowd of people? Trust, it’s in your best interest to accept his feelings for you.

Either you reciprocate his feelings or you destroy your life by declining them.

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Eliza Mondegreen

Published: Dec 3, 2023

A recent New York Times op-ed entitled “There is no way to live a life without regret” meditates on youth gender transition, regret and how we know who we are (I’ll save you a few thousand words: we don’t). 

As far as op-eds go, it’s poorly argued and far too long. But as an example of its genre —a genre we could call ‘Desperately Throwing Spaghetti at the Wall’ — it’s unbeatable. 

“[L]iberals and progressives who fret about the rapidly changing gender landscape,” according to author Lydia Polgreen, are too worked up about the possibility that children and adolescents may later regret the decision to transition. Rather than address their actual concerns, however, Polgreen gives readers a rambling tour of misdirections: gender is like race, somehow, and also like an arranged marriage. Further, life is full of “transitions” that are like “little deaths,” all leading up to the biggest “transition” of all: the big sleep. 

Some teenagers get nose jobs and boob jobs, so why should gender transition surgery be viewed as any different? “Cosmetic procedures can produce regret, sometimes famously so,” the author writes. Never mind that few of youth gender transitions’ critics champion cosmetic surgery for teens. The point is, “gender-affirming” care has not been billed to regulators, consumers, and the public as cosmetic, but held up as life-saving procedures, covered under many public and private health insurance plans, and carried out in the name of medicine as a treatment for distress. The stakes matter. 

But what is a life without regret? This is a talking point that started circulating relatively recently, in response to mounting evidence of regret and detransition, and concerns that social influence may be driving the explosion in gender-distressed youth — the way just about everybody acknowledges that social influence drives the recent surge in TikTok tics or multiple personalities. So what if it’s a social contagion? “What is gender if not contagious?” Polgreen asks. 

Because few young people who embarked on transition as children have spoken up, the author first dismisses their experiences as rare and overhyped (“a handful of such people have appeared over and over again in news stories across the world”) before writing them off altogether a few paragraphs later (“when the media fixates on the hypothetical regret of children who do transition…”). 

Besides, maybe deciding to transition as a child is like quitting the swim team: “so what are we saying, really, when we worry that a child will regret this particular decision, the decision to transition? And how is it different, really, from the decision I made to quit competitive swimming?” 

Of course, a child who quits competitive swimming merely forecloses a competitive swimming career. One needn’t give up the ocean or the pool whereas children who undergo puberty suppression, cross-sex hormones, and surgeries foreclose more than one possible future. Fertility, sexual pleasure, the possibility of growing up and becoming comfortable in one’s own intact body, to name a few.

We have no idea what childish decisions like these will mean 50 years down the road. And again: Polgreen has pulled the conversation off-course to avoid the inconvenient topic of medical responsibility. The decision to quit swimming is not a medical decision, cosigned by medical authorities. Youth gender transition is. 

The author goes on to make a number of bizarre analogies in this 4,500-word slog. But she never touches the real arguments that she pretends to counter: that children are not just small adults, that the medical system needs to be accountable for the power it exercises, and that children who struggle with gender distress need real support, not empty meditations on identity, autonomy, and the ubiquity of regret.

Polgreen misdirects and obfuscates in a half-dozen creative ways, then reifies her misdirections. She misses the point — on purpose — and then wonders why so many people care so much about this issue.

==

We're into the "...and that's a good thing" phase. Where the thing that they were denying was happening at all actually is, but it's a good thing. Teaching (using) CRT, cancel culture, ROGD, juvenile surgeries, and now detransition and regret.

This is just more gaslighting. Before it was, "nobody's doing that, you're being crazy for worrying about something that's not happening." Now it's, "well, that's completely normal, you're being crazy for worrying about something that happens all the time."

Pay attention to who was endorsing, facilitating and cheering this on. Eventually they will be trying to convince you that they never did.

[questionableratatouille00]

Basements and other HYDRA Bullshit

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

Summary: All was going well until your Boyfriend’s past comes back to haunt him.

Note: Day five of @ailesswhumptober2023! (Hostage/Kidnapping/Held at gunpoint.)

Warnings: Cursing, guns, knives, violence, blood, injuries, Winter Soldier topics. (Torture, murder, etc.)

—————————————————————————

The room felt like it was spinning as you felt warm blood drip down the side of your face. The knife slash to your temple had seemed more of a minor inconvenience at the time, but you now wished you’d stopped to at least quickly bandage it.

“So, you think you can take away the words and you’ll be free? Hm?” The accent of the man speaking was strong, and you knew he was addressing Bucky rather than you.

“The Winter Soldier is gone.” You hissed, not even sparing a glance at Bucky. You couldn’t handle it and you knew it, too.

“The words were only one way to activate HYDRA’s greatest weapon. We have others.” The man grinned devilishly, and it made your stomach flip.

“You’re gonna leave him alone.” Growling as you said this, you tried to force yourself forward. The chains around your wrists bound you to the walls of the dark, cold, and unwelcoming cell you were in.

“You are not in control here!” He rushed out the words as he barked them. He completed his sentence by raising his hand, ready to backhand you across the face. “I am!” He sounded erratic, and absolutely deranged.

“Don’t touch her.” Bucky’s voice was low, and dark.

“Or what?” The man spat, grinning. “What are you going to do about it?” He pulled a small red book from his pocket.

You couldn’t really recognize what the book was, but you knew it was significant. It matched the description of a book Bucky had told you about, the one that haunted him in his dreams and in his flashbacks.

“I’ll fucking kill you.” Bucky glared at the man defiantly, and you attempted to copy his expression.

“You can try. But you are a dog, and this is your leash!” He waved the book in front of Bucky’s face, taunting him.

“Who the hell are you?” You asked finally.

“You should ask your companion this. Tell me, Soldat, do you remember her? Do you remember my daughter?” He barked.

You could feel your own heart sink, and with one glance at Bucky, you knew he was feeling the same thing. “Buck, who is this?”

“Victor Rostov.” He stated. “His daughter’s name is—“

“Was. Her name was Alina! She was eight. Eight years old, and you shot her in the head! You’re nothing but a monster! A monster!” Rostov howled as he raged.

“It wasn’t his fault!” You shouted at him. You didn’t want Bucky to have to hear any of this.

“She died at his hands!”

“HYDRA called for no survivors, right? They wouldn’t target a child.” You tried to reason. You didn’t want to think about how they totally would target a child.

“She’d be twenty eight! My daughter, my little girl, will never be able to live. And he can’t even fucking remember her?” Rostov’s voice was filled with pain, and you could tell that she meant a lot to him.

“I remember all of them.” Bucky admitted grimly.

“You deserve to die, monster. And so you shall.” He clicked a gun in his pocket, raising it to Bucky’s forehead.

“Hey! Hey, let’s talk about this.” You gasped, ready to beg. Rostov could hurt you all he wanted, but not Bucky. He couldn’t take Bucky from you.

You panted as blood dripped from your temple onto the ground, making a tiny little puddle. It made you feel sick, just seeing it.

“Why shouldn’t I—“ A loud gunshot rang out through the cell, or really the small basement you were being kept in. You shrieked, tears immediately rushing to your eyes as you screamed.

“Bucky! Bucky! Bucky, no! No!” You sobbed, as Rostov fell to the floor.

“It’s us! It’s us!” A few familiar voices shouted. Natasha, Steve, and Tony.

“It’s not me! It’s not me!” Bucky reassured you at the same time as you wailed.

“Oh my God. Oh my God.” You sobbed. “I thought you got shot. I thought you got shot.” You couldn’t seem to get enough air into your lungs, making your words, which were already mostly sobs, seem a bit breathy.

Steve and Natasha immediately rushed to the to of you, unchaining you from the walls. Tony stayed back in case anybody else was around.

“Not shot there.” Bucky tried to make you feel better, but the truth was that Rostov had shot him in the thigh before he’d died. The two of you were safe, and that was all that mattered.

—————————

“What he said..about the monster thing. It’s not true.” You said as you got to work on patching up Bucky’s thigh.

“Not so sure about that, dollface.”

“It’s not.” You glanced up at him, before looking back down at his thigh. “Promise.”

“If you say so.” He sighed, accepting defeat here. You nodded once, getting ready to bandage the wound.

“I do say so.” After a long pause, you continued. “You gonna be okay?”

“I’ve been through worse. I’ll live.”

“I didn’t ask if you’ll live. I asked if you’ll be okay.”

“I will be okay.” He laughed every so lightly, and you smiled.

He would be okay. And so would you.

[starsurface]

I love how you write diapered babyspace Liu Kang with his CG’s, it’s so precious! I was wondering…babyspace Nightwolf in diapers with CG Fujin? They’re so cute! ❤️

I'm so glad you liked the others!! :D

(Some strong languageuse) Before we get to the hcs, I want to say that there is nothing wrong with using or needing diapers. Some people use diapers use them for weird kink related things, but with age regression they are used for comfort and unfortunate inconvenience. Do not come to my blog because you wish to relate this with any kind of kink. Kindly fuck off and leave my blog alone, thank you.

^ This isn’t to bash regressors btw!!! This is me saying to fuck off if your a dd/lg or any type of blog like that. <3

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

CG Fujin w/ Babyspace Padded Nightwolf Hcs

☁️ Nightwolf slips into babyspace on two occasions:

🐺 The first is a very scary case of Reverant Nightmares where he wakes up feeling extra tiny and scared

☁️ ^ It was also the first time he ever had an accident too, poor boy was going through it :(

🐺 Don’t worry, Fujin was able to help calm him down, he could see that Nightwolf was tinier than usual, but in the moment that wasn’t what mattered

☁️ What mattered was making sure his baby felt peaceful and safe again, nothing else 😤

🐺 Nightwolf was also really embarrassed by having an accident, because he’s never had one before!! Why now? Why was this one different? Why did he feel even more fuzzy than normal? It wasn’t fair … :(

☁️ Bathtime helped him cheer up, little Nightwolf loves bathtime, and Fujin gave him extra bubbles and toys <3

🐺 Sometimes when Nightwolfs small or Fujin can tell that he’s been showing signs of regressing, Fujin will put down some of those potty training bed pad things so that their sheets don’t get ruined (he even got one with a wolf design on it! :D)

☁️ Nightwolf doesn’t like that one bit, either he was a big kid or he didn’t need some silly thing!! >:(

🐺 So to make fair, Fujin also had one, and it dimmed down Nightwolf’s complaining (he was still grumpy though)

☁️ He doesn’t want to admit that they’ve become useful though, especially in scary scenarios where Fujin doesn’t have to leave to change the sheets

🐺 And the second scenario (and much happier scenario) is where he just slips really really tiny after a long day

☁️ Baby Nightwolf is also an energetic baby, similar to his toddler headspace

🐺 Fujin looks away to cut a sandwich and- How’d he get to the porch? The door was closed?!

☁️ Luckily baby Nightwolf is also a bit clingy, so he’ll just have Fujin carry him outside instead!! :D

🐺 Nightwolf is a bit . . . iffy wearing padding, especially at first

☁️ He’s Nightwolf, protector of the Matoka, not some baby that needs padding or has accidents :(

🐺 But knowing that sometimes Fujin wore it too when he was extra tiny (I did a different Hc list on this) did really help

☁️ Normally he just needs it for naptime, but sometimes he’ll wear it when he’s in babyspace

🐺 His favorite design would be something forestry, maybe wolf prints or something (although he likes plain too)

☁️ He does end up being more okay using them as time goes on, but only Fujin can know >:(

🐺 Completely off-topic, but baby Nightwolf is a BITER

☁️ I know I said earlier that he wasn’t, but that was Toddlerspace Nightwolf, this is Babyspace Nightwolf . . . So it totally cancels out 😎

🐺 Doesn’t matter what it is, his ax, Fujin’s arm, or an actual teething ring, this man chews!

☁️ ^ Fujin does take away the ax, much to Nightwolf’s dismay :(

🐺 Sometimes it’s harsh biting, othertimes it’s just soft chewing, so Fujin’s got a 50/50 on this

☁️ Although he doesn’t really encourage biting people anyways (unless it’s Nightwolf’s replaces for kisses, because those are always soft) so that’s why Nightwolf has some chew rings

🐺 Does Nightwolf use them? . . . He does, but stuffies make good chew toys too!! :D

<3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3 <3

Uuuh, after Hc list words. :3

[fort-cozy-mcblanket]

Happy Shamy Anniversary! It's been fourteen years since Sheldon and Amy first met. Can you believe it?

Here's my little fic to honor the event this year. This topic was actually requested by an anonymous ask a number of months ago (and so it has nothing to do with the Young Sheldon finale). I hope whoever sent it is still around to see it finally happen. Sorry it took so long!

Thank you to my beta reader Stark and also to all you lovely readers out there. I hope you enjoy!

This is also available on AO3 and FF.Net if you prefer.

“I hereby call this emergency State of the Relationship meeting to order.”

Amy rolled her eyes towards the ceiling as she settled in on the couch beside her boyfriend, but it was mostly for show. She couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face. Normally she never liked these meetings, but this time she knew there was a good reason for it.

She and Sheldon had finally, officially moved in together.

It had been a long road to get to this point, with a lot of bumps along the way, but now finally they were there. Where she had wanted to be for years. And she could safely say it was worth the journey. If Sheldon needed this meeting to settle all the details, Amy was happy to give him that.

Once they had made the decision to make this a permanent arrangement, it wasn't long before the settled on staying in Penny's old apartment. It was a reasonable compromise, one that allowed both of them to move into a new place together without it being an overwhelming change for Sheldon. Amy supposed in some ways it could be considered a downgrade for her—4B was slightly smaller than her old apartment and there was the issue with the elevator—but she hardly thought about that. She was much more focused on being able to come home to the man she loved every night, and having him come home to her too. When she was lying in bed with her boyfriend at the end of the day, happy and secure, she knew that this feeling more than made up for the missing square footage and inconvenient extra steps.

“I trust that you've spoken to the landlord about the lease?” Sheldon asked, introducing the first issue to be addressed at their meeting.

“Penny and I visited his office yesterday. We'll be subletting from her for the rest of this month and I signed paperwork to take over the lease next month.”

Sheldon nodded his approval. “And your old apartment?”

“They're letting me break my lease with no penalties because of the burst pipe. I gave notice that I'll be out by the end of the month.”

“Very good.”

Sheldon proceeded to go over some of the other intricacies with their utilities and other bills, all of which he had carefully organized. She assured him that she registered her car at the landlord office as well and received her tenant parking pass. They discussed which of their belongings would need to go to storage. Everything seemed to be in order and nothing that came up was unexpected, until the very end.

“There's one final order of business,” Sheldon said while reaching out for a small pack of sticky notes on the coffee table. He began writing on the top note.

“What's that?”

“This,” he answered, pulling off the note and passing it over to her, “is my Netflix password.”

“Really?” Amy looked at him in surprise. She knew how serious he took his TV shows and movies, and it never even occurred to her that he might want to share his account. Something about it seemed almost too intimate for him.

“Well, we're members of the same household now. It doesn't make sense for us each to pay for a separate account, so if you have your own please cancel it. The money we save can go towards the Comic-Con fund.”

“No.”

“A life-size Batman statue for the apartment?”

“Try again.”

“Fine, the extra money can towards date nights or some such nonsense.”

“I'd like that,” Amy said, purposely ignoring his jab. She knew he didn't really mean it.

“I'm sure I don't have to tell you how important this is,” Sheldon said, bringing the topic back to the password in her hand. “Once you have it memorized, please swallow it to ensure no one else will gain access.”

Amy looked down at the note, which read 2halF0Forearm1Awry0! in Sheldon's neat script. Then she looked back up at her boyfriend and grinned.

“Well, I'm not going to swallow it, but I can take it to the confidential shredders at work tomorrow morning,” she told him.

“Really? You've memorized it already?”

“Sheldon, it's an anagram of my name, the year we met, and an exclamation point. Did you really think I wouldn't notice?”

Sheldon looked down at the floor, and she saw the tips of his ears turning red, which just made her smile more.

“You weren't supposed to,” he mumbled.

“You've lived with Leonard too long, you're not used to having another genius for a roommate,” she teased him. “Do try to keep up.”

Sheldon stared at her, mouth slightly agape, and she watched his pupils dilate. It sent a small thrill through her body, and she took that as her cue to stand up. If she didn't leave now, she might not be able to stop herself from jumping him.

“I trust that our meeting is over?” she asked as she began retreating towards the bedroom. Their bedroom.

“Yes,” he answered. She could feel his eyes on her as she walked away. “And Amy, while I don't mind you knowing about the password, I do mind if you mess up my recommendations, so I'm going to ask that you either create a separate profile or keep your viewing to only science fiction and documentaries. If you find yourself in need of something to watch on Girls' Night, I trust you'll use Penny, Bernadette, or Raj's account for that.”

Amy laughed to herself, not bothering to turn around or answer him as he continued to call after her. She had already pulled out her phone and was signing into his account on the app, already looking forward to browsing the available movies with no regard for what he just said.

This cohabitation thing just kept getting better and better.

[lunathebee]

hello beautiful person!, is it possible i could request a one shot with marc where you are stressed out because of work, you got sick, and you guys got into an argument that just put the cherry on top? i love your writing so much and i love angst and you were the perfect person i could think of. if you can not, i completely understand. thank you so much!!❤️

Pairing: husband!Marc Spector x wife!fem!reader

Warning: angst (a lot), cursed words, mostly yelling dialogue

A/n: this fic genuinely broke me tbh, I love angst but sometimes it's a curse 😭 you said "cherry on top" and my job is to served

Summary: You are sick, physically and mentally because of Marc

Y/n are sick.

She is so sick of her job and her husband that she becomes physically ill, vomiting up any food she forced herself to eat and crying over any minor inconvenience.

Everything is so hard. She thought marrying Marc was the right decision. Now look at her, sick and uncared for, alone with the emptiness and cold wind blowing through the window.

If it's not because of the wedding ring on her finger, people would think she is still single. That's what the old lady from the pharmacy store also thinks of. "You shouldn't be out when you're sick. Where is your husband?"

The question is like a knife digging inside Y/n's heart. She blinks her eyes a few times to stop the tears forming before asking how much the medicine is worth, earning a pity look from the old lady.

After buying some medicine, Y/N dragged herself home, eyes hazy and barely breathing through her nose. She remembers there is still some leftover soup in the fridge; maybe that will help her get better.

Y/n reached in her bag for the house's key, not realizing the door was not locked; someone had already been home before her.

"Babe...where have you been?"

Y/n doesn't even bother to answer Marc's question, her mind filled with the image of a piping hot bowl of soup.

"I said...where have you been?" Marc grabs Y/N's arm, stopping her from going to the kitchen. Maybe Y/n is getting too weak, she feels as if Marc's grip is a burning hot iron, ready to crush her arm.

Y/n held up the bag filled with pill tablet and a small bottle, eyes refused to look at Marc. She doesn't know how he is going to react, but that doesn't matter anymore. "I bought medicine. Can't you see? "

"Why don't you tell me you're sick? Babe, why are you hiding it from me?" The concern in Marc's voice only makes Y/n want to laugh, and she does. She laughs so hard that tears fill her eyes.

"Hiding? What are you talking about, Marc? I've been sick for WEEKS in my own house, which I share with my HUSBAND. Y/n pushed Marc away with her hand, making him stumble back in shock.

Before he could even say anything, Y/n glared at him and gritted her teeth. "No...no, you don't get to talk, it's still my turn, you hear me?"

Marc held up his hands in defeat, letting Y/n talk without interrupting her.

"I.am.sick of you. I don't know when you changed, Marc, but you're not the same man I used to know, or at least the same man I married. You're never home, you barely stay with me anymore, all because of your stupid superhero crap! " Y/n speaks with tears running down her cheeks. She doesn't even bother to wipe them off.

"Y/n...listen, I know you're upset, I know, but I can't just push my job aside, this is-"

"THEN WHY WOULD YOU EVEN MARRIED ME IN THE FIRST PLACE?"

Marc's speech got cut off when Y/n yelled at him, her whole body trembled with rage to the point she turn red.

"Ok now you're just switching the topic, what does me not knowing you're sick got to do with us marrying and my job?! GOD" Marc punches the wall in anger, making a big hole in it.

The loud noise makes Y/n stunned and intentionally takes a step back. She feels scared and worried about Marc. Before meeting him, Y/N knew he suffered from anger issues, but she brushed it off as it rarely happened, never in a million years would Y/N think she was now the victim of it.

As much as she knows Marc would never hit her, she can't live like this anymore.

"You're the most SELFISH IDIOTIC PERSON I HAVE EVER MET"

"WHAT DO YOU EVEN KNOW"

"Oh, I know a lot. Got nothing to do with your job? Marc are you FUCKING INSANE? You don't care about me anymore! Everyday I wake up and you are gone, and every night I sit in the kitchen with one light on, waiting for you to get home so I can heat up the food, and when you're finally home, YOU WENT TO SLEEP. "

"Because I am tired?! Imagine working almost 24/7 a DAY, I didn't told you to wait, you could go to sleep, LIKE A NORMAL HUMAN"

"I'm not just a normal human! I AM YOUR WIFE, Marc. I am your fucking wife. Could you imagine how my life would turn out if I hadn't married you? You wipe me off your life, how do you end up? Still the same superhero in your glamour suit. What if I wipe YOU off my life? My life would be...so much....so much better...than THIS"

Y/N kneels down to the floor, clutching her chest and lets out a painful cry. She doesn't care if the neighbors hear her, she doesn't care about anything anymore, this is her final straw.

Marc doesn't look so much better. It hurts him to see how much you're in pain. Your tears drive him insane. He just wants to hug you, to comfort you, but he knows you will never let him do that again.

Never.

[plumoh]

a prayer and a coin; chapter 3

Natsume Yuujinchou & Noragami crossover fic.

Rating: G Wordcount: 3603 Characters in this chapter: Natsume & Yato, a bit of Nora Summary: Takashi's guardians have been angrier than usual—Yatogami probably has a solution, right? AO3 link -- Previous chapter

Takashi knows that something is wrong in the house. His aunt, even if she has never been particularly warm towards him, keeps glaring at him whenever she sees him, and his uncle shouts more and more at every inconvenience he encounters. They aren’t the best people Takashi has been living with, but they are nice enough—they feed him and gave him a room to stay in, despite the fact the apartment is small.

So he doesn’t understand why they are suddenly acting angry for no apparent reason. Breakfast time is uncomfortable, each member at the table keeping their eyes glued to their plate while the silence is slowly suffocating them. Takashi doesn’t dare say anything and shovels rice into his mouth to leave the table as fast as possible.

“I’ll be home late tonight,” his uncle grunts.

“Tonight, like yesterday, and every other day of the week,” his aunt sneers.

“It’s not my fault my boss makes us work overtime!”

“I already told you months ago you should change jobs!”

“As if it’s that simple!”

Takashi picks up the last piece of tomato, barely chews it before swallowing, then gathers all his plates to put them in the sink. Then, he grabs his backpack by the genkan, hastily puts on his shoes and shuts the door behind him as quietly as possible. His aunt and his uncle are locked into a fight and they won’t realize he’s gone. The first time it happened, a week and a half ago, Takashi was sure he’d get scolded for leaving without saying goodbye first—but they didn’t reprimand him in the evening and acted like nothing was wrong.

His guardians’ outbursts are more frequent day after day and it’s starting to get worrying. Takashi has no idea what he should do, and stepping in in their fights sounds like a recipe for disaster; he has no right to meddle when the topic of their conversation doesn’t concern him at all. He doesn’t have anyone to reach out for help.

On his way to school, he always passes by a payphone. He’s never truly noticed it before, but ever since he met Yatogami, he thinks that he’s lucky to have a phone just within reach in case he needs anything. Maybe…

Takashi pats his pockets, fishes out a few coins and inserts them in the machine. He takes out the slip of paper with Yatogami’s number on it, copies each digit with care, and waits. There is one ring, then two, and Yatogami picks up.

“Hi, thank you for calling, this is the delivery god Yato! Fast, cheap and reliable, I’m at your service!”

Perhaps Yatogami should change up his welcoming phrase from time to time?

“Yato-sama, it’s Takashi.”

“Oh Takashi! You weren’t kidding when you said you’d call sometimes.”

“Well… I can handle whatever I see on the streets, but today I’m calling because my aunt and my uncle are acting strange. They suddenly got angry for no reason and it has been going on for almost two weeks. I don’t know what to do.”

The line is silent for a moment, then Yatogami hums.

“They’re not usually angry, you say? Are you sure they aren’t just fighting because of some problem they have?”

“It doesn’t sound like it. One day my uncle started shouting and my aunt immediately got upset, which doesn’t happen usually.”

“Did you notice some ayakashi hanging around your house?”

Takashi feels dread and shame overwhelm him in equal parts. He hasn’t even thought about ayakashi causing harm to people this way.

“I’ve always thought that the monsters wanted to hurt us by eating us,” he mumbles.

“Yeah, well, some youkai and ayakashi do eat people, but ayakashi corrupt them by amplifying their negative emotions first. And when those people are too far gone, they get absorbed. So eaten.”

Takashi almost drops the phone. “There are ayakashi who are trying to eat my aunt and uncle?!”

“Hey, calm down, kid. I, uh…” There is some shuffling in the background, like Yatogami is moving around to speak somewhere else. “I can’t come right now, but I’ll swing by later, alright? Probably in the evening or in the middle of the night, so don’t wait up for me. Just put a coin in the genkan for payment.”

“What…are you going to do?”

“I can kill the ayakashi and stop them from affecting your guardians. Don’t worry, it’s an easy job for me.”

And the thing is, Takashi trusts Yatogami more than he’s ever trusted anyone else. He doesn’t know who he is, what he does on the regular or what kind of god he actually is, but Takashi keenly feels drawn to him. Yatogami tells him everything will be fine, and Takashi believes him.

“Okay,” he says, a little more reassured, and so relieved to have found a solution. “Thank you for always taking up my requests.”

Yatogami snorts. “Business is business! See you later, Takashi.”

Yatogami is the one who hangs up first. He’s most likely in the middle of another job judging by his hasty exit, which is good news for him, since he wants to earn money. Takashi should ask him sometime why he needs money so badly. (Surely a god doesn’t have to buy food or a house with real, human money? Do they really collect the money used for prayers at temples?)

Takashi hangs up, smiling to himself, and goes to school with a lighter heart.

-----

During dinner, Takashi notices that there are indeed ayakashi riding on his guardians’ shoulders. He wonders if they were hiding up until now, or if they only come out at night to…absorb the negative emotions? Takashi keeps a careful eye on them, but they seem too busy being delighted at feasting upon the anger that’s consuming their targets.

He’s not worried. The ayakashi aren’t that big, and Yatogami said he’d take care of it. His aunt’s drawn out features tell him she’s becoming exhausted day after day, and his uncle’s frown gets deeper with each passing hour. If Takashi didn’t call for help, he’s not sure that the situation would have been resolved by itself.

On his way to his room, he drops a 5-yen coin in the genkan next to his shoes. Even if his guardians find the coin before Yatogami arrives, they probably won’t bother picking it up—Yatogami’s low price has some advantages, after all. No one would expect that such a small coin could buy so much.

Takashi only hopes that whatever Yatogami plans on doing won’t be dangerous for anyone involved.

-----

“...sure you want to do it?”

“It’s just a regular job. I have to find the ayakashi and kill them.”

Takashi’s eyes flutter open. There are voices coming from the living room.

“You’re spending too much energy on such foolish jobs. The ayakashi might not even be present in this house. You know you don’t need to grovel at people’s feet to survive if you come back.”

“We’ve talked about it, I don’t want to repeat myself over and over.”

It’s Yatogami. He’s with someone—a young girl, by the sound of her voice, and Takashi wonders if it’s the sleepy haze in his mind that makes him think Yatogami isn’t really happy to be here. Or maybe he isn’t happy with the person who is accompanying him.

Takashi slips out of his futon and pads over his door to press his ear against it. He can hear their conversation more clearly, now that they are heading towards his way, most likely to reach his guardians’ room which is at the end of the corridor.

“That boy. It seems that he remembers you, if he called you multiple times already.”

“Spying on me when you’re bored, Nora? You’re always sticking your nose in my business.”

“Father is worried, that is all. He wants to make sure you’re not running to your death with every ridiculous plan you come up with.”

Nora. What a strange name; is she a god as well?

Yatogami’s voice doesn’t raise at all, but Takashi hears irritation starting to seep into it.

“Yeah, of course.”

“You already promised, anyway.” There is laughter in Nora’s voice.

Takashi doesn’t understand what they’re talking about, but he knows that Yatogami isn’t acting like he usually does. He sounds so cold and subdued, in a way that makes Takashi feel sad for him. Hopefully he will be able to cheer himself up after tonight.

(Takashi also hopes that Yatogami’s strange mood isn’t due to his request. He should call tomorrow to make sure everything is alright.)

Yatogami and Nora don’t say a word more, silently walking towards the room in the back. Their footsteps stop right in front of the door, or so Takashi assumes—it’s not easy to make out what a god is doing, when they’re trying their hardest to be quiet and invisible. In some twisted way, gods and youkai aren’t so different; they’re living their life right under ordinary people’s nose and those who can’t see them will never be able to figure out what is the cause of the odd events happening around them.

“Hiki.”

The word leaves Yatogami’s mouth just as the doorknob creaks, and from then on all Takashi can hear is hurried footsteps and things banging against walls.

Takashi’s stomach drops and panic seizes him—what if his guardians wake up because of the noise? What if Yatogami breaks something during whatever exorcism he’s doing? Is Yatogami trying to kill the ayakashi? Surely there is a more discreet method to get rid of them! 

For a full minute, Takashi’s heart hammers against his ribcage and his ears are loudly ringing as he listens to the commotion in the room. For a full minute, it sounds like an animal is being chased by a bigger prey, leaving behind sounds of a voice squeaking and wood groaning.

Then, silence.

Takashi’s heartbeat is louder than anything in the night. He puts his forehead against the door, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself. He shouldn’t have made this request.

“That was a quick job well done. Return, Hiiro.”

Something touches the floorboards in an almost imperceptible noise, like a feather dropping on water.

“You haven’t complimented my skills in a long time,” Nora says, in that odd cheerful voice that makes Takashi’s skin prickle. “That boy must be truly important to you.”

“I just didn’t want the people sleeping in the bed right next to us to wake up because we broke something. And I know you like being the best there is among regalia, so.”

Yatogami doesn’t finish his sentence, but Nora seems content to absorb the words as they are. Takashi is too dazed by the events to properly make his mind come back to his brain—all he knows is that he didn’t make a mistake, and his guardians are wholly unaware of what just occurred. He hasn’t felt so much stress in his life before.

Yatogami and Nora pass in front of his room once more, then the door of the apartment opens.

“What are you doing, Yato?”

“Takashi left the coin next to his shoes.”

Nora doesn’t reply, but it seems that she patiently waits for Yatogami to finish whatever he’s doing. When the door quietly closes behind them, Takashi breathes.

-----

It hasn’t been easy to go back to sleep after the night he’s spent. He hasn’t seen any of what actually happened, but the conversation between Yatogami and Nora left Takashi puzzled and with a lot of questions. He never thought before that there could be more to the world of youkai and ayakashi than what he sees every day; maybe gods do live a life much like humans, with their own sets of problems and people to look after. Nora sounded like someone close to Yatogami.

Takashi tries not to yawn or rub his eyes during breakfast. His guardians look healthier and they haven’t shouted once since they woke up, so Takashi considers his request fulfilled. His aunt even smiles at him and gives him an extra egg.

“Don’t forget to take your sports clothes,” she says.

“I have my clothes in another bag,” Takashi answers. “It’s in the genkan with my school bag.”

“Good. I don’t want you to cause trouble to the teachers.”

Takashi nods stiffly, and eats the egg. He knows what this sentence means—don’t cause trouble to the teachers, so you won’t cause trouble to the family. He knows that all his relatives talk about him among themselves to find the best way to make him stop attracting problems.

He thinks that he’s gotten better at avoiding youkai, though. None of them has entered the apartment for weeks and he didn’t come across angry youkai waiting for him at the end of the school day. Following Yatogami’s advice truly helped him spend more normal days, but he can’t say any of this to his guardians.

As usual, he clears his plate and puts it in the kitchen sink before going into the genkan to put on his shoes. When he reaches for them, he stops short and blinks. There is a piece of paper in one of them, neatly folded in a small square. Takashi gently works it open, and he feels himself starting to grin, his heart full.

Thanks for doing business with me ✩ Take care, Takashi!

The note isn’t signed, but it isn’t necessary. The fact that Yatogami bothered at all truly makes Takashi feel like the call he made all those weeks ago is the best thing that has happened to him in a long while.

On his way to school, he considers calling again to thank him for taking care of the ayakashi corrupting his guardians, but he imagines that Yatogami must be overwhelmed with requests and doesn’t have the time to simply chat with a customer. Though if Takashi bumps into him in a temple or even in the street, it will be a lot more satisfying to talk and interact with him—so he goes on about his day, a little brighter, a little happier.

-----

Right when classes end, Takashi runs outside and makes a detour to the local temple. A curious youkai watches him from afar, hidden behind a tree, but hasn’t shown any signs of taking a special interest in him, so Takashi ignores it and tries not to look too anxious while doing so. He’s getting better at pretending to be a normal boy, but he suspects that youkai always know he’s different anyway, since they never stop staring.

The temple grounds are devoid of a tracksuit-wearing god, unfortunately. There was only a slim chance that Takashi would meet Yatogami again in the same place, around the same time, but it couldn’t hurt to try. Many visitors are praying at the offering box; with so many prayers and money to collect, Takashi does hope there is an actual deity watching over them to fulfill all these wishes.

Takashi goes back home and tries the phone number. He really doesn’t want to bother Yatogami, but he needs to express his gratitude. He pulls out the piece of paper from his pocket, dials the number, and waits. Waits for one ring, two rings, three rings. Nothing. Yatogami is probably busy. A little disappointed, Takashi puts back the handset and decides to try tomorrow.

-----

Yatogami doesn’t pick up the following day. He doesn’t pick up either two days later, and doesn’t show up anywhere in the neighborhood.

It’s starting to worry Takashi. Something must have happened to him—an ayakashi corruption? a youkai attacking him? Takashi doubts Yatogami is the kind of person who forgets to call back someone after receiving multiple missed calls.

At dinner, for a few days in a row, his uncle asks him mundane questions about school (it’s fine), friends (also fine, Takashi is used to staying on the sidelines) and how he likes the city (better than expected). He has that thoughtful look on his face that Takashi can’t decipher, like there is a difficult choice to make and his uncle is finally seeing what he should do. His aunt is giving him smiles, but Takashi feels that something is…wrong. These piercing yet neutral looks they give him make him feel like there are thousands of ants crawling in his body.

That feeling is familiar and Takashi, down to his core, already knows what will happen. 

Takashi doesn’t understand. He hasn’t caused any problems for his guardians in months, he hasn’t broken anything in the house and he doesn’t ask for things that aren’t school supplies. They never seemed to…to consider him a burden to take care of. So why?

A week later, his uncle tells him over breakfast, “I finally quit my job. We’re going to move to another city, and we can’t take you with us.” He waves his chopsticks around in an offhand manner. “We’ve been discussing this for a while. You’re going to go to one of my cousins who lives here, not too far actually. You’ll be able to go to the same school.”

A small comfort, Takashi thinks numbly. It’s not too bad. He doesn’t have to leave the city and get acquainted with new places and new people.

“They already have a room for you,” his aunt says as kindly as possible, though Takashi still hears a drop of relief in her voice. “We can visit them this weekend, and then you'll move in next week. That gives you plenty of time to pack your things.”

“Thank you,” Takashi says without thinking twice, not knowing what else to answer in front of those two earnest, satisfied faces.

They aren't bad people, of course. They've taken care of him and they weren't as irritated as his previous guardians; they are one of the most comfortable families Takashi has lived with so far. He can't blame them for wanting to live elsewhere, with maybe a child of their own, after giving so much of their time for him.

It's okay. He's used to it. And, like his uncle said, he won't even move to another city.

That night, after the moon's risen high in the sky, Takashi tiptoes to the living room and uses the phone. There's no harm in trying again, even if all his calls never connected for the past week. With each key that his finger presses, his heart beats louder and his stomach twists itself into tighter and tighter knots. He's hoping too much. He knows how this call will end.

It rings, and rings, and rings. No recipient. No voicemail.

The window's slightly ajar, to let the night breeze in despite the cold weather. Takashi can hear the quiet howling of the wind in the silence.

That night, more than any other day, Takashi feels alone. He slowly puts the phone back on the stand, staring at the figures making up the phone number that he has now learned by heart. Did he imagine all of this? Did he finally lose his mind, and his brain tricked him into thinking that there was a solution to youkai and ayakashi—a solution that involved having someone listen to him? Yatogami probably doesn't even exist. There are no gods who answer every human’s whims through a simple phone call. Shrines are built for a reason.

Takashi lets his legs bring him back to his room, and when he slips into his futon, he squeezes his eyes shut and wishes that the last months never happened.

-----

Days blur together. Takashi wakes up, eats breakfast, goes to school, runs away from the occasional youkai, and does his homework. He has always lived that way, task after task and event after event, with nothing to look forward to.

There isn't much to pack in his room—a small box with some clothes and books, his school backpack and the shoes he's wearing. The box has been used for years now, and Takashi is surprised that it hasn't broken yet after moving so many times. Then again, it's not as if he fills it to the brim. He places the items carefully into it and rearranges them so that nothing will get damaged during the car trip, though he most likely doesn't need to be so meticulous about it for such a short trip.

The scraps of paper hiding a phone number, scattered in his school bag and his coat, are shoved to the bottom of the box. Takashi doesn't want anyone to find them, in case they get the wrong idea and think he's in contact with someone external to their family—he doesn't want them to worry or to be angry right after settling into a new place.

Takashi prefers not to think about the phone number at all, in fact. When he reaches into his pocket and his hand closes around one of the pieces of paper, his stomach lurches and he immediately pulls back his hand. He's terrified. Everything felt so real and true, but he only has a few drawings and a phone number to prove that he hasn't had a very convincing dream. But it wouldn't be the first time a youkai pranks him either.

It's alright. He's fine. He's lived with the burden of seeing another world for years, without anyone believing him, and he has always managed by himself.

There is nothing to worry about. Takashi will say goodbye to his aunt and his uncle, introduce himself to his new guardians, make himself as small as possible in a corner of his new home, and he'll avoid strange creatures. That is his life.

[anabdaniels]

Piece by piece- Chapter 3

Chapter summary: Jack and Ana finally go to his ranch to spend the weekend.

Word counting: 5.6k

Warnings: Alcohol, slight self-fat-shaming, Jack speaks Spanish (sensible topic I KNOW), the author regrets nothing.

A/N: 11:30 p.m., it's my birthday and I'm posting this while eating japonese food. Just another normal day.

Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist | Previous chapter | Playlist

Jack Daniels smiling openly on a Monday morning was undoubtedly not a common event at Statesman Distillery; he was not the kind of boss who treated his staff as if he was better than them, far from it, but the most probable mood one could find him was being solemn. From everyone surprised by the sight of the smiling cowboy, Ginger for sure was the more shocked one when Jack entered her lab, friendlier than ever.

“Good morning, Elizabeth.” He greeted her with an almost concerning wide smile.

“Did you hit your head on your way here?” She asked raising an eyebrow.

“Why is so strange that I’m happy in this beautiful morning?” Jack questioned laying his hands on his hips.

“Because you’re usually insufferable on Monday mornings, and on Tuesday mornings, and the rest of the mornings on the week.” Ginger had a straight expression on her face while answering; she was telling the truth after all.

“You might be right, but I suppose it’s never too late to change.” Disturbingly to her, he still sympathetically smiling.

“If you say.” She shrugged “Anyway, what do you want?”

“Just came to know if the samples of bourbon from our new fermentation process are ready for the presentation tomorrow.”

“They are.” Ginger confirmed while grabbing two small bottles, and handing them to him “These were left over, in case you want to take ’em to Champ to have a look.”

“You’re the best, Ginger Ale.” Jack answered excitedly, grabbing the bottles “What would we do without you?” He said and started to walk towards the automatic door that was opened while Tequila entered the lab “Good morning, Michael. Ain’t it an amazing morning?” Jack patted Tequila on the back while passing by his friend and walked through the hallway.

“Did you drug him?” Tequila asked with a frown, looking at Ginger.

“Trust me, nothing that I could ever develop for the agency or the distillery would make such an effect.” Ginger said with a slightly confused expression.

“Doesn’t make me any more relieved.” Tequila said shaking his head.

Ana sat again at her desk, letting the mug of coffee, the second in that morning, on the wooden surface while turning her attention back to her computer. She loved her job, but some parts of it could drain her energy, and registering test grades was one of those parts. Despite these little inconveniences, she hadn’t much to complain about; she worked just three days a week and it was for the pure joy of teaching, Ana could have dedicated herself only to her hobbies a few years ago, but she was too passionate by her profession to retire so early.

She couldn’t say how much time had passed when the sound of the doorbell interrupted her. Ana stood up and walked to the front door, positively surprised to see Lisa on the other side.

“I’m sorry for not warning you that I was coming.” Was the first thing Lisa said, knowing that her friend wasn’t a huge fan of surprise visits.

“Don’t worry; you’re among the persons I can forgive for showing up in surprise.” Ana smiled and gave way for her to enter “I’m just surprised you’re not at the zoo.” Ana said while closing the door.

“I’m on my lunch break and probably will get late, but is a life-or-death question and I’d not survive ‘till the end of my shift to come talk to you.” When Lisa mentioned the lunch, Ana looked at her watch, just now realizing that was later than she imagined.

“Well, I’m curious. What can be so urgent?”

“Is there any chance I left that ring that my father gave me here when I came to pick you up on Friday?” When she finished the question, Lisa saw Ana lay a hand on her forehead and it gave her a little hope.

“You did. I found it at the bathroom sink.” Ana said while opening the drawer of the sideboard, grabbing the jewelry, and handing it to Lisa “I was planning to text you yesterday, but I got a little distracted.”

“Thank you for saving my life.” Lisa said putting the ring on her finger “But you’re gonna tell me that now you work on Sundays too?”

“I never said I got distracted with work.” Ana raised her eyebrows with a suggestive expression. Lisa thought for a moment, realizing what Ana meant.

“You were with Jack?” Took Lisa a bit of effort to not freak out when Ana nodded “The good Lady above heard my prayers. I thought I’d die before seeing you saving a couple of horses.”

“I hate you sometimes and I hope you’re aware of that.” Ana rolled her eyes despite her discreet smile “Before you proceed, it wasn’t this kind of date. We just went out for dinner, that’s all.”

“Doesn’t change my euphoria about it.” The excited expression on her face confirmed what she said “So, how was it?”

“Well…” Ana thought for a moment before just letting it all go “It was incredible. He’s an amazing listener, has good taste in music, we agree on a lot of important stuff and he’s an old-school gentleman.”

“So, everything you love in a man.” Lisa wasn’t surprised by their compatibility but was happy with Ana’s excitement.

“And the cherry at the top of the cake was his invitation to spend this next weekend at his ranch with a suite all to myself and a lot of animals to pet.” Ana sounded satisfied while said it.

“I’ll expect a detailed email about this on Monday.” Lisa warned while walking towards the door.

“You’ll be lucky if I send you a text.” Ana raised her eyebrows, opening the door for Lisa.

“As long as I had any clue of how it went, you can send the information in a mail pigeon.”

Throughout the week, Ana and Jack exchanged a considerable number of messages, combining things like what hour they would leave for the ranch. When Friday finally came, Ana made sure one last time that everything was in place and that she wasn’t forgetting to pack anything.

She combined with Jack that they’d leave at 2 pm, aware of his punctuality, she was already waiting in the living room. When, through the window, she saw the Bronco parking in front of her house, Ana got up and opened the door. The realization that it would be an intense weekend hit her like a truck when she saw him getting out of the car and walking towards her in that all-jeans look; the combo of the black Stetson with aviator sunglasses itself should be considered criminal for making him look that good, but Jack for sure knew what he was doing when he chose to wear a denim jacket with those goddamn tight jeans pants that he seemed to love to use.

Jack was considerably close to her when he took off his sunglasses and left them hanging on his shirt. The politest he was, he couldn’t help but take a look at her; the well-thought-out choice of boots, jeans, and a leather jacket confirmed that Ana was truly familiar with the rural environment. He took off his hat when stood in front of her, smiling openly.

“Good afternoon, darlin’.” He sounded gallant as always.

“Good afternoon, handsome” Ana allowed herself to look better at Jack now that he was close “Seems that I finally got you in the full cowboy mode.”

“I could say the same ‘bout you.” He answered with a smirk, holding one of her hands and planting a kiss on the back of her fingers “So, ready to go?” He asked while slowly letting go of her hand.

“Yes, just give me a second.” She said with an excited smile and went back into the house, grabbing her travel bag and looking around one last time to make sure she didn’t forget anything. Ana walked back to the door and left the bag on the wooden floor of the porch to grab something in the sideboard that Jack couldn’t see what it was while he promptly grabbed her bag. He was for sure confused when she got out and closed the door with one hand, while in the other she was carrying a thermos with a pump and something that looked like a wooden cup that wasn’t familiar to him. They walked to the Bronco, as usual, he opened the door for her and closed it after she got in, he carefully placed her bag on the back of the car and walked around, getting in too. After putting his hat and sunglasses back, Jack started to drive, alternating his attention between the street and Ana, deadly curious about that wooden object that had a kind of metal straw on it and was filled with something that looked like matcha powder.

“What is this?” The curiosity won and he had to ask.

“It’s called mate or chimarrão.” Ana answered after taking a sip of the drink “Traditional drink from southern Brazil.”

“What is it made of?” 

“Just hot water and erva-mate or Ilex Paraguaiensis, if you’re into botanic. And just this was enough to make me addicted to it.”

“So, is a kind of infusion; how in god’s green earth did you get addicted to it?” Jack questioned with a confused smile.

“Well, there is a considerable concentration of caffeine on this, so I think you already have your answer.” She raised her eyebrows slightly, smiling when he chuckled.

“Now you made me curious about this. Can I try it?”

“Course, just don’t blame me if you end up enjoying it and then find out how expensive is one kilogram of erva-mate in this country.” She joked while putting water on the drink, then carefully handed it to him.

“I’ll take the risk.” Jack answered while grabbing the “cup”, taking a first sip and pondering for a moment “It reminds me a little bit of green tea, but tastes better actually.” He said before taking another taste of the mate “By the way, I’d like some explanations ‘bout this cup.”

“It’s a cuia, basically a dried calabash gourd.”

“I’ll already apologize if end up asking too many questions because I’m really curious about the mate and is pleasing to hear you mixing English and Portuguese while you speak.” He admitted raising his eyebrows and took another sip of the drink.

“Considering that you didn’t give up after the first taste of it, I’ll probably keep talking ‘til you get too caught by the subject to be brought to the mate side.” Despite the joking tone, Ana was a bit serious.

“To be honest, I enjoyed this more than I was expecting.” Jack drank the last sip of the mate then handed the cuia back to her “May the erva-mate be with you.” He smiled when she busted into laughter, laying her head on her hand.

“For a second I thought you wouldn’t get my shitty joke.” Ana admitted when she stopped laughing.

“Don’t underestimate my ability to recognize questionable humor. I saw this one coming with no effort, darlin’.” Jack stated with that smug manner that would be insufferable coming from most people, but that man for sure knew the limit to being like that in a fun way, without becoming gross.

The next hour passed like nothing while they talked about some random topics and cracked a few more dubious jokes. When the car entered the propriety and the ranch became more visible, Jack could see Ana’s face shining with excitement while she looked around, not wanting to miss anything. Once he parked in front of the house and they got out of the car, both of them could hear the crazy barking of the dogs and it didn’t take long till the animals appeared.

“Here come the kids.” Jack said while observing the two dogs running towards them like there was no tomorrow.

“Will be harder than I was expecting not to kidnap them.” Ana admitted already melted by the dogs. As expected, they started to insanely smell Jack while shaking their tails furiously and whimpering. Jack stooped, doing the best he could to give both dogs the attention and rubs they wanted. After a while, they calmed down a little bit, but it was just for a few seconds before they turned their attention to Ana, sniffing her and giving those excited little jumps to catch her attention. She didn’t think twice before squatting to caress them; not surprisingly she ended up falling sitting on the ground when both dogs tried to get closer to her at the same time. At that point, she believed she could collapse with the cuteness of the Australian Cattle and the Bernese Mountain dog that, at this point, were too comfortable asking for belly rubs or head scratches.

“I hope you know that they’ll pursue you.” Jack said observing the scene with a smile.

“And I’ll be delighted with it.” Ana mentioned with a smile while hugging the Bernese seated next to her and felt the dog’s nose bump her neck when she stopped caressing his head “Calm down, baby. I didn’t forget you.” She said caressing one of the dog’s ears and grabbing the small silver plate on his collar “Your name is Gus, little one.” Gus seemed more than happy to hear her calling him by his name, shaking his tail vigorously. The other dog, who was comfortable sat on her lap, laid one paw on Ana’s shoulder, wanting attention too “Okay, okay, I’ll give you some love too.” Ana smiled while rubbing the dog’s neck, paying attention to the plate on her collar “And this beautiful girl is Lola.” A lick on her chin and a happy shaking tail were the answers she got from Lola.

The few times someone visited the ranch, Jack may have gotten a little bit jealous when his dogs turned their attention to them, but this time, he couldn’t be happier. Watch Ana sit on the grass playing with Lola and Gus melted parts of his heart that he didn’t even know were still alive; he was fully aware that he was possibly starting to have a huge crush on her and the fact that she was so pleased and excited just for being there and give the dogs a couple of belly rubs didn’t make things easier for Jack to stop the growing feeling.

A few minutes later, the two dogs finally calmed down and lay on the ground next to Ana.

“Am I finally allowed to leave you guys and go to see the rest of the ranch?” She asked looking at them, smiling at how calm they were after a lot of little jumps “I’ll take this as a yes.” 

“Trust me, they’ll be freaking out again very soon.” Jack said holding out a hand to her.

“Can’t say I don’t like to know this.” Ana admitted, holding his hand and getting up, patting her jeans with her free hand to take off the dust.

“Nothing that I haven’t noticed already.” He smiled, intertwining their fingers as they started to walk. As they got closer to the wood fence, they saw a horse running excitedly, stopping when he went to the fence, walking back and forth while shaking his head.

“Seems that our boy Horace is excited.” Ana said at the moment she recognized the Clydesdale horse, he was all black, except for the white stockings in the four paws and the white blaze on his face.

“I owe him a couple of rides, to be honest, and his energy seems to be always at the highest level possible. I’m surprised he didn’t jump the fence.” Jack mentioned as they got closer to where the horse was. When they got close, Horace already had passed his head over the fence “Put yourself together, boy.” Jack said while caressing Horace’s head making the horse finally calm down.

“I wonder if he’ll forgive me for being the reason why you were in the city last weekend.” Ana joked while observing the scene.

“Give him a carrot and a little bit of attention and he becomes your best friend.”

“Will be easier than I was expecting then.” She said while slowly approaching her hand to the horse; Horace turned his head to her when noticed the approaching and stood still as she touched him and rubbed his neck, making Horace lean slightly towards her hand “I’m starting to doubt about how much what I’ve heard about your behavior was true, Horace.”

“He’s just a good actor.” Jack said with a wide smile, observing their interaction.

“We’ll see about it.” Ana raised her eyebrows slightly, turning her head when she heard another horse approaching them “If I’m not mistaken, you’re Crystal.” She said while approaching the white quarter horse mare, rubbing behind her ear.

“By the way, she’ll be your horse for the weekend.” Jack smiled a little more when Ana turned her look to him with an excited expression “And judging by your amusement, I imagine that you’ll not be offended if we go to a ride now and leave the rest of the tour for tomorrow.”

“You didn’t mention that mindreading was one of your skills.” She said with narrowed eyes and a sideways smile.

“I’m a man of many talents, sweetheart.” He winked at her with a smirk.

They took the horses to the stable; it was safe to say that Horace was already bonded with Ana since he didn’t miss a chance to lay his head on her shoulder while they were waiting for Jack to saddle Crystal. Jack couldn’t be more pleased with all that: his beloved horse becoming friends with the woman who had a high chance of becoming the lady of the house. Fine, now he was starting to think too far, but, at the same time, Jack allowed himself to be a little bit self-indulgent, it had been a while since the last time he enjoyed feminine company in these circumstances; and the fact that she enjoyed those things as much as him just made Jack more pleased. Once both of the horses were saddled, they went outside the stable; despite being too excited, Horace behaved like a gentleman while Jack talked with Ana.

“So, how much do you remember about horse riding?” Jack asked already imagining the answer.

“Well, I remember the very basic, like tapping the horse’s side gently with the heel to make him move, moving the reins across his neck to make him turn to the sides and pull back the rein to make him stop.” She said after thinking for a moment, feeling a little relief when he smiled.

“You know the essential then.” He couldn’t hide his excitement “And tomorrow I’ll teach you how to saddle a horse.”

“I don’t know if it’s safe for Crystal to let me saddle her.” Ana joked with a smile.

“Is easier than it seems.” He assured “So, couple of additional reminders: never approach ‘em from behind. Crystal and Horace are the most peaceful animals in this world, but it may scare them and they can try to kick you. Giving them a snack, always keep your palm flat ‘cause they can confuse your fingers with food and bite you.” Jack explained with a calm voice and the certainty of one who knows what he was talking about; it for sure demanded Ana a bit more attention to register the information, once he looked more gorgeous than ever while spoked with such propriety of the subject. “Another thing. Do you want to try to mount by yourself or want a hand?”

“Well…” Ana knew that she didn’t have practice enough to mount without help. She looked around for a moment and found her solution “I’ll try my luck.” Intrigued, Jack observed while she calmly made Crystal take a few steps to stop next to a tree stump and then used it as her mounting block, getting mounted without any problem.

“You really have been raised in the country.” Jack said with a smirk and mounted on Horace. 

They started the ride at a slow pace and it was more than enough to make Ana look like a child with a new toy; Jack couldn’t take his eyes off her and occasionally gave her one or other advice, especially about the right posture and hand placement. When he noticed that Ana had gained confidence, Jack encouraged her to make Crystal go from walking to canter and, as he expected, she didn’t flinch before did it, smiling openly when Crystal started the canter.

“I don’t wanna be too abused, but we’ll have to negotiate another visit.” Ana said while looking at Jack with a wide smile.

“Darlin’, you’re welcome to come back anytime you want.” Jack answered in a warm tone, smiling at her.

“If I end up stealing your dogs, don’t blame me.” She joked and looked around “Tell me that you didn’t forget to tell me that you have sheep.” Ana said while looking at the little group of animals a little further away.

“Will you forgive me if I tell you that I also forgot to mention that there are a couple of babies?” He asked raising an eyebrow.

“If I can pet them, I forgive you.” 

“Problem solved, then.” When the horses got closer to the field section where the sheep were, they got off the horses and approached the fence. As he was accustomed to do, Jack jumped the fence and when he was about to turn to offer help to Ana, she was already by his side. “I never doubted your country skills, but I can’t deny that I’m having a couple of positive surprises.”

“Don’t expect me to know the difference between an Île-de-France and a Merino sheep, but I have a bit of expertise when it comes to surviving in the country.” Ana looked down when something nudged her leg.

“Have the pleasure to become familiar with an Île-de-France then.” Jack said referring to the sheep standing in front of Ana smelling her.

“Don’t give me so much incentive if you don’t want to stay here for the next three hours.” She said while starting to scratch the sheep’s head. A couple of minutes later, a little lamb appeared and was happy to be rubbed on his face, shaking his little tail very much like a dog would do. Ana couldn’t be more pleased with the whole thing; as if all the adorable and friendly animals weren’t enough to amaze her, the fact that Jack had so much way with animals and seemed so satisfied to be among them just made everything more pleasing. After she had met the rest of the sheep and petted all of them, they finally went back to the horses and only then Ana realized that she had a problem to solve. “I should’ve brought a tree stump with me.” She let out a chuckle despite the little despair growing in the pit of her stomach.

“Don’t worry, assistance to mount is between one of my skills.” Jack said with that convinced smile, standing next to her.

“I don’t doubt.” She was still smiling discreetly despite feeling her heart starting to beat a little faster, hoping he didn’t notice how nervous she was starting to get “But is not a good idea.”

“Why not?” He asked raising one eyebrow with a curious smile.

“C’mon, don’t pretend I’m the only one aware that I’m too heavy for this kinda thing.” Ana laughed quietly, expecting him to join her “joke”, but instead he seemed to be just pondering everything while running his tongue across his lips.

“I’ll vehemently disagree and, after all my nursing services the night we meet, I have the propriety to talk ‘bout it.” Jack said calmly with a soft smile.

“I know but-” Her consideration was interrupted when Jack passed one arm around her waist and the other behind her knees, taking her off the ground with no effort. “Jack!” she couldn’t hold back a laugh and passed her arms around his neck.

“I can go as far as necessary to prove my points.” He said with that cocky smile that suited him so well.

“Fine, I don’t think I can argue with that.” Ana couldn’t help but look at his mouth for a second, just now realizing how close they were, a fact that Jack had already noticed and was doing his best to deal with; if it was true that existed a god above, he knew how much Jack wanted to kiss her, the feeling of having her in his arms and her perfume invading his sense of smell didn’t make things any easier, but he wouldn’t risk screwing it all.

“Very good, ‘cause I don’t lose an argumentation.” Jack finished the sentence with a wink and carefully put her back on the ground “Now, we’re gonna put you on Crystal’s back.”

“I hope you know that I don’t have much practice on this part of the mounting.” Ana admitted frowning slightly.

“Don’t worry, there’s no mystery.” He assured calmly, standing next to her “Just bend your leg.” He said patting her left knee, she did as he said and held the saddle with more strength as she felt his hands on her knee and ankle. “Now you just bounce up and I’ll lift you.”

“If both of us end up in the ground, I will blame you.” She said while holding the reins properly.

“I can deal with that.” Jack answered with a smile before helping her mount, smiling a little more when she got easily mounted.

“Well, I think I’ll owe you this one.” Ana said, observing Jack mount on Horace.

“Don’t worry, I’ll think carefully ‘bout how I’ll charge you.” He joked before they started to ride again.

When they went back to the ranch the sun was already going down, after taking the horses to the stable, they went to the house. Jack guided Ana upstairs to her bedroom and, after being sure she would be comfortable, he went to take a shower. Finally, alone, Ana took a better look at the ambiance and hadn’t any doubt that she had been accommodated in the master bedroom of the house. At this point was clear to her that, although the rural man spirit, Jack appreciated the fancy side of life; that ranch was for sure more sophisticated than a lot of city houses without losing the country aesthetic; the varnished and well-maintained wooden floor carefully combined with the wooden furniture was on perfect balance with the whole rustic chic décor of the room such as in the rest of the house.

She for sure would look to the details with more attention, but not now, despite being interested in it, Ana was more excited to spend more time with him. She couldn’t help but think that wanting to be around Jack that much could be a treacherous feeling, however, it wasn’t like both of them didn’t know why they were seeing each other; he left no doubts about being interested in her and she didn’t try to disguise that the interest was mutual. Before getting too carried away with her thoughts, Ana walked to the bathroom to take a shower.

With the sleeves of his plaid shirt rolled up, Jack organized everything he’d need to cook the dinner. Hearing the sound of her coming downstairs, he smiled without even noticing and looked up when Ana entered the kitchen, feeling the genuine happiness that had accompanied him all day went back with full force at the sight of her looking so beautiful in that long floral dress.

“So, my amazing host will also make the dinner? I’m getting too spoiled.” She joked, approaching the kitchen island.

“I want to be sure that you’ll want to come back.” He answered with a smirk while opening a bottle of wine.

“I’m already convinced to come back, but go ahead.” Ana admitted and sat on one of the stools.

“This being the case, we’re at the point where I try to impress you with my domestic abilities.” Jack finished the sentence handing a glass of wine to her.

“The kind of skill I appreciate in a man, especially cooking ‘cause I’ll run away from the kitchen every chance I get.” She admitted before taking the first sip of wine.

“You’re in lucky then, ‘cause my only problem with cooking is the whole pantry-organizing thing.” He said while putting a large skillet on the stove and placing two steaks on it.

“No problem then, because I love to do this kind of organization.” Ana didn’t notice the excitement in her words with the fact that they would work well together on that, even if it was a simple thing, could turn into a problem in daily living.

“I don’t wanna sound hurried, but I’m already imagining how amazing it must be living with you.” Jack admitted with a goofy smile while grabbing a pan with cooked pasta to drain it. 

“We’re tied then because the idea of not having to ever touch a pan again sounds like heaven to me.” She said raising her eyebrows slightly and both of them laughed.

They kept talking while he prepared the food and she got herself too amazed by how effortlessly he managed to speak so eloquently while slicing the cooked steaks or how he kept his full attention on her, even while making the alfredo sauce. When the sliced steaks, the sauce, and the fettuccine were put together, she was surer than ever that Jack was putting effort into impressing her and it was working.

As the gentleman he was, Jack grabbed her by the hand while leading her to the table and pulling out the chair for her to sit. After serving the food for her and refilling her glass of wine, he sat next to her, unable not to smile when Ana didn’t flinch before grabbing the fork and trying the food; took him a second to notice that he felt relieved when she let out a satisfied sigh after close her eyes to savor the food.

“I’m ready to negotiate a deep pantry organization since you just dropped one of the best meals I've eaten in my entire life.” Ana said softly with a tender smile.

“I’ll accept the offer.” He answered after taking a sip of his wine “But in the present circumstances, I’m more in need of information.”

“Fair enough.” She agreed before eating another bite “What do you wanna know?” Ana questioned once she swallowed the food.

“You piqued my curiosity ‘bout your country origins after seeming so at home here.” Jack kept his attention turned to her while he started to eat, more curious than ever for her answer.

“My hometown is the kind of place where you’ll occasionally see horses walking around the streets and tractors are as common as cars, not to mention that most of my relatives worked in the livestock business or rice cultivation, I had no way to escape the rural environment.”

“Now it’s making a lot more sense.” He admitted with a fascinated expression “But I’d like a bit more of geographic clarification.” 

“Is a rural town called Quaraí, located at the frontier with Uruguay, in fact, the only thing that separates the two countries there is a bridge that you cross in a ten-minute walk.” She explained calmly and took a sip of wine.

“No me digas que hablas español también.” Ana had to inhale slowly so as not to choke on the wine at the very moment he said the first word in Spanish. Somehow his voice sounded even more deep and pleasant.

“No es el idioma que más domino, sin duda, pero sí.” She answered calmly as if she wasn’t in a mental debate to figure out if the heat running over her body was caused by the wine or by the satisfied smile of the man in front of her.

“Just when I thought you couldn’t surprise me anymore.” Jack smiled a little more, holding her hand that was lying on the table. 

“I think I have the right to come up with some surprises, considering that I didn’t expect you to be like this.” Ana admitted while intertwining their fingers.

“Like this?” he raised one eyebrow, squinting his eyes slightly.

“You know, even if it may have been rash of me, I wasn’t with the highest hopes about a southern cowboy.” She couldn’t help but laugh quietly “I hate to be the half-full-glass person, but my expectations are really good about this.”

“If it makes you feel better ‘bout it, my expectations are in the sky at this point.” Jack admitted with a smirk “You see, I really hope that this can turn into something serious.”

“Both of us.” She smiled widely “I’m enjoying your company a lot.”

They spent the next couple of hours talking and laughing, getting more enthusiastic as the wine in the bottle dwindled. When they decided to go to bed, they walked upstairs side to side, while talking a little more.

“I didn’t forget that you still owe me a visit to the calves.” Ana said while opening the bedroom door.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take you to see them tomorrow.” He affirmed with his arms crossed.

“You better do it if you don’t want me to steal the good boy Gus.” She raised her eyebrows.

“As if you’d need to make an effort to steal him.” He said with a charming smile and grabbed one of her hands “Have a good night, Ana.” Jack kept his look locked on her eyes while kissing the back of her hand.

“Good night, Jack.” She said with a sideways smile “And thank you for the hospitality.”

“The least I can do having the most amazing guest on my propriety.” He winked at her and kissed her hand once again before letting it go.

Tagging: @missladym1981 (In case you want to be tagged, lemme know)