#oh to be a creature…… laying in my beloveds arms……….. ugh

[m1d-45]

you understand me. you get it. creator might be having a fuckshit time but at least you can be a creature! but i’m also imagining… imagine just hanging out with your favorite characters as some kind of little animal bc sure they’d kill you if they knew you were the person they’re hunting down but pets and scritches are so nice…… worth risking your life for? yes. god yes. absolutely.

is this days late? yeag. i’ve been busy doing Things and god there are so many things to be done - teddy anon

i thought your last ask abt this was like two-three days ago but…. no…. i posted it ystderay…. huh-?

anyway you’re still so right. be a snowfox and hang out a albedo in his lab. shift into a cat and stick around the angels share. diluc let’s you stay. be a bird and fuck w the wanderer. just stay away from the narukami shrine.

like i…. if it was some sort of defense mechanism or like something you fell back on when injured…. razor following the sound of whimpering to you, an injured wolf pup, your form small in your weakened state. you can’t convince me zhongli wouldn’t help a bird with a hurt leg. beidou checks w the crew before saying yeah, kazuha can bring his friend of a stray onboard, since cats always land on their feet don’t they?

oh, and good luck on your Things!

[kuroos-moon]

Captains and Strong Independent S/o’s

☁︎︎ request:  Oikawa, Kuroo and either Bokuto or Ushijima (I cant choose!) reacting to a (fem or g/n) reader who does some type of martial art and they’re kinda tough/strong and (maybe they’re the team manager and they don’t take no shit) and the captains kinda crush on them for it? (I like to imagine Oikawa having a tough gf who stops Iwa from being mean to him and jokingly threatens Iwa that if he wants to hurt Tohru he has to go through her

☁︎︎ pairing: oikawa x reader, kuroo x reader, ushijima x reader

☁︎︎ warning/s: swearing, felt a bit of angst while writing for ushijima’s idk why tho it might just be my imagination :> 

☁︎︎ a/n: also dont know if it’s obvious but i kinda got carried away with ushijima’s 

Oikawa Tohru

• is a smug little shit every time you’re with him or in the same room at least 

• like,, he could piss Iwa-chan off to death and he won’t get hurt for it? now this is what he calls power

• sincerely loves and adores you, but at first, he kinda got sad that you’re so self-sufficient, you practically don’t need him 

• but he’s now long accepted that you’re just so you… and in your relationship, it’s you who does the protecting and looking out by a whole lot (ofc it doesn’t mean he loves you less) 

• that’s why he gets so so soft when he gets his turn in being the person who’s leaned on

• as their manager, he loves how you get things done so effectively, even Kyotani bows down to you, as he should—he always says in his head, smiling as he looks at the feral boy getting flustered around you  

• he listens to you all the time and we all know Tohru backing down is so rare 

“Oy, you’re overdoing it, let’s go.” 

“Head home without me, Iwa-chan,” he mutters mindlessly as he screws up another serve, a scowl on his face as he bends down to get another ball; but he freezes at an instant upon Iwaizumi’s words—no, Iwaizumi’s threat.

“Suit yourself, I’ll call y/n.” 

Oikawa has never changed stance so quickly in his life, cleaning up the gym as he sends smiles to his best friend’s way every five seconds, hoping he won’t tell on him on his cute but scary girl who could easily kick him unconscious. 

• he uses your name to threaten anyone who wants to cross him and they will back down immediately

• also likes to show off because he knows you treasure him so much; he likes to be babied by you especially in front of others 

“y/n-chan c’mere,” he softly says, whining a bit. The rest of his team look at the both of you in astonishment as you take the captain in your arms, Tohru’s cheek on your shoulder, looking back at the bewildered look on his teammate’s faces while you sit side by side on the bench. 

They could never get used to someone as tough as you having such the softest spot for Shittykawa… like how could you even stand him? 

“Really tired,” he mumbles, a small smile on his lips when you run your fingers through his hair. “I know, you were great as always, let’s head home so you could rest.” 

“Y/n-chan, today, Iwa-chan hit my head when you were out to get water. It really hurt,” he says, still in your embrace as he smirks at his teammates. 

Their mouths fall open, Iwaizumi’s eye twitching in irritation for his shitty best friend. 

“And Maki-chan…” Hanamaki grits his teeth, looking at him pleadingly in panic as his mind runs through everything he did today, wondering what he could’ve done to your beloved. “He ate my milk bread; I was really hungry.” 

Yup, Maki and Iwaizumi knew there was hell to pay, gulping in unison when you pull away from your boyfriend and narrow your eyes at them. 

“Iwa-chan. I thought we agreed you weren’t hitting Tohru again.” 

A chill runs down his spine, Tohru simply looks at you with pride, pulling you into his lap as he wraps his arms around your waist before you get the chance to throw hands at Iwaizumi.

Kuroo Tetsuro

• loves loves LOVES your remarks, your attitude, the way you take no crap from anyone, like “ah, he’s scared shitless, that’s my girl” 

• dw, you’re not a thug or anything, but men who force their feelings on you will see heaven’s gates early 

• and kuroo’s so pleased about it. sure, he’d love to get the chance to act all cool and brooding and possessive in front of other suitors but what’s more fun is watching their dejected faces as you say—

• “how many times do I have to turn you down? I have my tetsuro, now back the fuck off or I’ll break your nose.” 

• you had no idea he was just outside your classroom waiting for you, arms crossed and a cocky grin stretching his lips when you lock eyes with him

• “chibi-chan!” he calls off cheerily, and you bet he’ll tease you about it til death do you part 

• “don’t just stand there, give your tetsuro a hug!” 

• laughs about how your friendly banters with yamamoto always end up with you winning the argument 

• you rub off as mean bc you won’t take any disrespect, even a little—and that’s great

• those are one of the things he loves about you 

• but he’s always worried you might get hurt or hated for it, though he knows you are very much capable of beating anyone up even kuroo himself

• so he’s always holding you back, and I can’t stress this enough, but this man knows you could fend for yourself and he is so proud you’re his partner 

• he just wants to make certain that no one’ll hurt you, okay kitten? 

• your conversations often go like this: 

“I’ll beat up whoever tries to lay a hand on me.” 

“don’t say such reckless things, you’re not superman.”

“uhuh, geez, I’ll be fine, I don’t need you to walk me home.” 

“well news flash, your tetsuro, needs his y/n to walk him ho—ow,” he mutters when you slap his chest. 

“go home with kenma.”

“I don’t want kenma,” he scowls, already irked that this is turning into an argument.

“too bad,” you deadpan.  

“ugh,” he groans, “imagine a girlfriend who actually listens to you, just imagine.” 

• he is the one and only person you’ll gladly accept lectures from, bc his lectures are always reasonable and for your own good

after checking and verifying that you were completely okay, you knew he was about to go down to business. 

“you got into a fight? What are you? a thug?” he crosses his arms. You were both inside the gym along with the rest of his teammates who looked like they were far too preoccupied to listen. They were all clearly listening in though, except Kenma of course.  

watching your figures from a few feet away, it was obvious that he was scolding you, and Lev already had a ridiculous visualization of you hitting Kuroo. Everyone was worried you’ll fight him, or maybe even hit him, well, everyone except Kenma, of course. 

The setter knew that you would never ever lay a hand on kuroo as if the 6’1 captain was fragile. He also knew that you loved and respected kuroo too much to actually get agitated just because he was scolding you, you aren’t an unreasonable person. Lastly, he knew that kuroo would be going soft on you in five minutes tops, his best friend is hopeless like that. 

Kenma was right, he always is. Your back is glued to the wall behind you, Kuroo’s hand beside your head, his face extremely close to yours that you’re left flustered which is rare. 

After you were rambling on about how you had to put that girl in her place, going off about how it made you so mad and he should cut you some slack, he knew just how to shut you up. And it worked. You’re speechless. 

“what was that again, hm? go on, you surely had a lot to say,” he mutters, acting all tough as if he wasn’t dying to just kiss you now. when you don’t respond and stare at him and his lips instead, he already gives in. yes, just like that. “you were wrong to do that, okay?” he breathes, the worry from earlier on making its way out through his voice. 

“I know, I’m sorry.” 

Locking lips with you, you pull him closer to yourself, and kuroo had purposely decided to kabedon you on this wall since his broad back would be shielding the two of you from his teammates’ line of sight. 

After pulling away, he pats your head, licking his lips. “I forgive you, I’m not mad anymore.” You look away in embarrassment, realizing how petty you must’ve seemed to him. He sighs before hugging you, chin atop your head. 

“Make this the last time, okay? I swear you’re shortening my lifespan having me worried all the time.” 

You hug him tighter as a response, kuroo letting out a breath of contentment. Regardless of how tough you are outside; you are and always will be his soft little kitten and it was his greatest honor that you allow him to take care of you like this. 

Ushijima Wakatoshi

• is probably a little too used to the idea of his most treasured girlfriend being extremely capable and self-sufficient 

• his teammates would always look at him like ‘why are you not stepping in,’ every time you’re in a tough spot i.e. having an argument with someone or having a too-touchy suitor 

• then they’d be like “oh, that’s why,” after you flung the despicable creature out to space 

• he thinks so highly of you, not only are you physically strong, you’re even tougher on the inside too

• this is kinda a given but I’ll say it anyway—he can be unintentionally insensitive (well your relationship is kinda new)

• example no 1: 

you were arguing with goshiki and while he would normally like to ignore you and let you have your way; he was getting annoyed bc the argument was far too petty. 

“I’m gonna surpass him!” 

“and I’m telling you that you ca-

your mouth is clamped with a big hand, and it took you only a second to realize it was Wakatoshi because only he would have the nerve to lay a hand on you like this. he still doesn’t say anything, dragging you with him in an empty hallway for privacy.

finally after you stopped walking, he turns to you and looks at you expectantly. “what was that for? Did you even wash your hand,” you mutter, slightly annoyed. 

“I haven’t touched the ball yet, don’t worry,” he lowly says, making you sulk because he totally missed your point. “still, you didn’t have to make me shut up by clamping your hand against my mouth.” He’s too… not gentle with you sometimes. 

“you were going to say something you shouldn’t to goshiki.”

“he said something he shouldn’t have.” 

he only narrows his eyes at you and you do the same, anyone from your class would’ve been scared at the sight. You were both known as the cutest yet intimidatingly scary couple. 

• you were in the early stages of dating and though you understood each other well, it wasn’t really enough yet

• it’s all good though, because once you tell him that he was too uncaring of you and your feelings he does something that no other man would do: 

• apologize, admit his mistake, reflect on it a lot and,,, actually change!! 

• he’s much softer to you after that, and he finally realizes that you were still his precious girl and you were sensitive when it came to him 

• cursed himself for being too reliant on how you never seemed sensitive or needy

• doesn’t dwell too much on regret, just treats you 100x times better 

• is fascinated with your passion for martial arts but is against you overdoing training

• one time, he was torn between dragging you out of practice or just turning a blind eye to your visible exhaustion since you’re always so tough anyway, you’ll manage 

• but then he remembers his promise to himself to never treat you like you aren’t the most special person to him so he excuses himself from practice and heads to your training room 

you sat alone, your back to the wall. everyone else has gone home but you stayed because your muscles were too sore and you felt like you couldn’t even walk for another day. maybe it had something to do with how you’ve been training too much. 

you’re startled upon seeing shoes on the floor you blankly stared at, looking up to meet eyes with Ushijima. “Wakatoshi,” you say in surprise. 

he is expressionless as he bends down across you between your legs, and you had to admit this was something you weren’t used to from him. “are you okay?” he asks, his voice soft as velvet. you’re taken aback by his question, looking away in embarrassment. 

Wakatoshi rarely asks you that, and most of the time it was only when you said the word ‘ow’ when you accidentally hit something. you clear your throat, bringing your hands together to play with your fingers, “I’m okay.” 

it was silent for a few seconds before you hear him sigh, not only that, warm, gentle hands had found its way to yours and you look at him, bewildered. “is this okay?” he asks, looking down at both your hands and you nod. “your hands are much smaller, compared to mine at least.” he says, but you’re too flustered to even understand that. 

“are other things okay too?” he asks, and like his former statement, you didn’t understand. your silence doesn’t stop him though, he decided to push his luck. tugged gently by your wrist, your back’s no longer pressed to the wall as ushijima wakatoshi pulls you in his arms for the first time in your very few months of dating. 

“wakatoshi,” you mumble, your heart racing so much you’re sure he feels it against his chest. he’s so warm, welcoming, and in his loving hold felt like the rightest place to be. “you’re not feeling okay.”

you don’t respond, opting to bury your face at the crook of his neck instead. “I’m here, I know you’re tired.” 

you both stay in that position for a long time, it was addicting to be cradled in his arms and he felt the same. “y/n,” he whispers, and you hum in response. 

“you’re strong. very strong. you don’t need a man at all.”

your heart skips a beat, “toshi are you breaking up with me?” 

you hear a soft chuckle ring in your ears, “let me finish. as I said, you’re very strong. you look like you’re always so tough. but you’re not, and so…” he trails off, so you pull away to look at him, hesitance evident in his eyes, his palm still pressed at the small of your back. 

“you’re not always strong. in fact if I dare say, you are fragile, and I care about you. so please, allow me to be there for you all the time, I’ll be here, just like now.” 

General Taglist [Open]: @noyasbitchh @dinablossom @haru-the-secret @strayczennies @lalisbitch @tinymidgetsstuff @animebs @astrealia @kittykitkatstrawberry @hajimesbbygrl @kellesvt @24hr7dysdizzy @arnxldss @elianetsantana @vicassa @floraraine @beanst0ck @leinnah @kageyamasgirl @deafeningart @minibobabottle   @franko-pop @moonlightaangel @throughtheinterstices @micasaessakusa @dixonsbugaboo @thevillagehiddenintheinternet @ultzuko @yappychan @dipsydoo542 @devilgirlcrybabiey @dai-tsukki-desu​

[mysterioushogwartsrequests]

Would you do a slight NSFW Draco Malfoy imagine of him dating a Slytherin who's good friends with Hermione, Ron and Harry and she manages to convince Draco to go to the Three Broomsticks with the Golden Trio and be cordial with them since she's promised him some alone time if he's nice to them since she wants them to see that he's not all bad because they don't get what she sees him in?

Hello! This one took forever to write, I lowkey got stumped and I couldn’t figure out how to write the ending, lol. I didn’t want to go all-in so this is what I came up with. I love Draco Malfoy so I want to do him justice!

                                           ϟ ϟ ϟ

Draco watched as (Y/N) (L/N) adjusted her lipstick in his dormitory mirror, studying her silhouette as she bent over his dresser. As an upcoming superstar for the Slytherin Quidditch Team, (Y/N) was quite popular and often found herself being the center of attention. But once the school caught wind of her relationship with the Draco Malfoy, it did not take long for them to be considered the power couple of Slytherin House. However, despite sharing a perfectly healthy relationship, there were a few students that questioned (Y/N)’s partner of choice.

These complaints came from the three most determined students of Gryffindor House. Despite being in separate houses, the Golden Trio and (Y/N) managed to become great friends, effectively breaking the hateful stereotype between Gryffindor and Slytherin relationships. During their second year, (Y/N) found herself in quite the predicament when she fell off a borrowed broom hours past curfew. She spent a fair amount of time sprawled across the training grounds staring up at the starry sky trying to ignore the excruciating pain of her broken arm. It was then that Harry, Ron, and Hermione stumbled upon her still body as they pursued the mystery of the Chamber of Secrets. Hermione Granger was the first to approach her, momentarily scolding (Y/N) for breaking the rules before examining the extent of her wounds.

Harry and Ron followed cautiously behind Hermione, the two of them exchanging worried looks before kneeling beside (Y/N).

“It’ll be alright,” said Ron with a sympathetic smile, “We’ll take care of you.” 

From that day on the four of them were inseparable. Which was a natural outcome when a group fabricated lies to fool Madam Pomfrey or any other staff member, for that matter. When they were not chasing dangerous creatures within Hogwarts, they often spent their time near the Quidditch Pitch, with Harry and Ron teaching (Y/N) the basics of the game while Hermione reviewed her books from the ground. As time went on (Y/N), and Hermione calmly listened to Harry and Ron’s rants about Draco Malfoy and how much they despised him. 

Being from the same house as Draco Malfoy, (Y/N) often found herself conflicted between choosing her friends and abiding by the “your house is like your family” statement. She could not think of one occasion where Malfoy had been rude to her directly, but she could not excuse his behavior towards her friends. It was not until Professor Snape paired them up for a Potions essay that (Y/N) and Draco began learning more about each other. Draco was used to boasting and putting on a show in front of other students, but he quickly realized that (Y/N) would not succumb to his usual tricks.

Draco lay comfortably against his bed, his arms crossed behind his head as his eyes landed on the plaid pleated skirt his loving girlfriend decided to wear for their Hogsmeade trip. (Y/N) looked at Draco’s reflection, a devious smile playing at her lips as she bent forwards, giving her boyfriend a better view of what he quietly desired. At this movement, Draco clicked his tongue and scowled in her direction, swiftly rising from his four-poster, and making his way towards her. 

“Little nymph,” uttered Draco against her ear, rubbing small circles against her hips as she straightened up, “We could just stay. Avoid the trouble... and have a little fun ourselves.” Under different circumstances, Draco would have been thrilled to visit Hogsmeade with his beloved, but he knew they would not be spending the afternoon alone. 

(Y/N) cleared her throat, her eyes landing on the silver “I” on Draco’s robes before excellently replicating Professor Umbridge’s high-pitched voice, “Boys and girls are not permitted to be within eight inches of each other,” she teased, leaning back into Draco’s grip as he scoffed. Spinning her around, Draco lifted her onto his dresser, pushing her skirt up farther up her thighs. 

“I’d like to think I can change your tune rather quickly,” Draco snapped, pressing chaste kisses against the smooth skin of her neck, “I’ll never understand how you imitate that woman so perfectly” he added, earning a giggle from (Y/N).

“One of my many talents,” retaliated (Y/N), wrapping her arms around Draco’s neck, “You know, I can’t help but think this is your way of distracting me” she added, twirling small strands of his platinum blonde hair.

“Ugh,” groaned Draco, “I just don’t understand why we have to spend our Saturday with Potter and his stupid friends,” he spat but quickly scowled at (Y/N)’s hurt expression. 

“I’ve told you before, Draco,” (Y/N) frowned, “They’re my friends too and I wish for us to get along. It took me a while to convince them, but they’ve agreed to give you one more chance,” she said, placing her hand against her boyfriend’s cheek, “I want them to see the real you, the Draco I fell in love with.”

Draco turned his head away from (Y/N) but held her hand to acknowledge her words. Despite being together for a little over a year, he still found it quite difficult to let his guard down completely. He supposed it was due to his family’s teachings and the expectations of his Father, but throughout his relationship with (Y/N), he came to realize there were far more important matters. One of them being keeping (Y/N) (L/N) safe and content. 

“Fine,” Draco uttered, his grey eyes meeting hers, “I’ll do it for you, Darling” he added, pressing a gentle kiss against her forehead before capturing her lips in a sweet kiss. (Y/N) smiled against his kiss, pressing her forehead against his once he pulled away. 

“I appreciate it, Draco,” She whispered, pressing a light kiss against the tip of his nose, “and don’t forget, I promised you a little reward if you behave.” (Y/N) added seductively, leading Draco’s hands underneath her short skirt. 

Draco hummed contently, harshly squeezing the back of her thighs and lifting her against his body, her legs wrapping instinctively over his hips, “Well then, I’ll make sure to be on my best behavior,” He said, kissing her once again and setting her down in front of him, “We better get going, it’s not polite to keep them waiting.”

(Y/N) laughed at his change of behavior, taking one final look in the mirror, and heading towards the door. A loud smack suddenly filled the room, earning a small yelp of surprise from (Y/N), “Draco!” she exclaimed, turning to face her seemingly innocent boyfriend, “Why don’t you save the spanking for later?” she teased as Draco chuckled. 

“Alright, alright,” He added, raising his arms defensively, “but you are aware of how much I adore those little skirts you wear.”

(Y/N) opened the door of the boys’ dormitory and took another glance back at Draco, “and that is exactly why I wear them,” She winked and scurried down the stairs, filling the stairwell with her giggles as Draco chased behind her. 

                                            ϟ ϟ ϟ

Meanwhile, at the Three Broomsticks, Ron Weasley let out his fourth impatient huff of the afternoon, leaning his hand into his palm with a noticeable scowl on his face. “I can’t believe we’re doing this,” he grumbled, taking another swig of his Butterbeer as they waited. 

Hermione sighed once again, “Ron, this is for (Y/N), just try to give him a chance.” Even though she was attempting to sound positive, Hermione could not help feel wary of what was to come. They had never seen eye to eye with Draco Malfoy and his new position on Umbridge’s Inquisitorial Squad made the situation even more cumbersome. 

“Ron’s right, Hermione,” added Harry, crossing his arms over his chest as he leaned back into his seat, “I find it hard to believe that Malfoy has a ‘good’ side.” Hermione scoffed at his words, glaring at the crabby boys beside her, “Oh, stop it!” exclaimed Hermione, “You two know how much (Y/N) cares for him, we at least have to make the effort to talk to him.” Ron and Harry looked towards each other, exchanging abhorrent looks until Hermione elbowed them both. 

“Bloody hell, Hermione!” exclaimed Ron, tenderly rubbing his aching side, but quickly shut up once he noticed the presence of his friend (Y/N) and her boyfriend. Hermione quickly rose from her seat and greeted (Y/N) with a tight hug before awkwardly turning to face the silent Draco Malfoy. 

“Hello, Draco” she greeted, extending her hand for him to shake. Draco shifted his eyes towards (Y/N) who gave an encouraging nod as he gripped Hermione’s outstretched hand. 

“Hello, Granger,” He replied, a meek smile playing at his lips as he turned towards the boys sitting at the booth, “Weasley, Potter, good to see you.” 

Ron absentmindedly let his jaw drop, hesitantly replying “Erm- Good to see you too, Malfoy”, carelessly scratching his head as Hermione returned to her seat beside him. Harry, however, did not speak, he only acknowledged Draco with a subtle nod of the head as he sipped his Butterbeer. Draco smiled towards (Y/N), pulling a chair out and gesturing for her to take a seat, “I’ll go order us some more drinks,” He stated, kissing the top of his girlfriend’s head before sauntering away.

  Ron watched Draco go in shock, “good to see you?!” he whispered harshly, slapping his hand against his forehead, “I sound like a prat!”. Hermione scowled once again, shooting a reassuring look towards (Y/N), “Ron’s just getting used to this, I’m sure he’ll behave once Draco returns” she stated comfortingly, taking (Y/N)’s hand into hers with a smile, “But honestly, I didn’t expect him to say that either.”

(Y/N) laughed, patting the top of Hermione’s hand as she glanced back at Draco at the bar, “I told you he was polite,” she added with a grin, “You just have to get to know him.” With nearly perfect timing, Draco returned and took a seat next to his girlfriend, wrapping his arm around the back of her chair. Ron examined the situation carefully, his protective instinct rising as Malfoy got closer to his friend.

“Madam Rosmerta will bring our drinks soon, I also requested an assortment of pastries” Draco spoke out, lacing his fingers with (Y/N)’s underneath the wooden table, “My treat,” he added, earning a satisfied smile from his girlfriend. 

Some of Ron’s animosity disappeared at the mention of free food and he gave a small nod of appreciation towards Draco, “Thanks, Malfoy” he uttered, looking towards Harry and Hermione who were also having a difficult time understanding this “new” side of Malfoy. 

A wave of silence fell over them. It seemed like they were unsure of who should speak first, but upon feeling the gentle squeeze of (Y/N)’s hand, Draco cleared his throat, “So, (Y/N) tells me you two taught her how to play Quidditch,” he added, nodding his head towards Harry and Ron curiously. 

“Uh, yeah,” Harry replied, speaking up for the first time since the couple’s arrival, “(Y/N)’s a natural though, it didn’t take long for her to learn the basics.” 

“That reminds me,” added Ron, grinning as Madame Rosmerta set down their freshly baked pastries and full goblets of Butterbeer, “(Y/N), you haven’t told us your favorite Quidditch team! I think you should have a pretty good idea at this point,” he said, bringing his cup to his lips to take a generous gulp. 

(Y/N) took the opportunity to play a joke on her friends, taking a bite of her warm apple tart before saying, “Why! The Chudley Cannons, of course!” 

Harry immediately regretted taking such a big drink, choking on the liquid before (Y/N) even finished her sentence. Hermione let out a panicked squeal, patting Harry’s back as he violently coughed, “T-The Chudley Cannons?! Have you gone mad?!” He exclaimed tearfully, looking towards (Y/N) in bewilderment. 

Ron subtly placed his hand over his mouth, concealing his smile as Harry finished up his coughing fit. Draco, on the other hand, could not hide his amusement and snickered at Potter’s antics. (Y/N) burst laughing at Harry’s reaction, quickly shaking her head, “I was just pulling your leg! The Chudley Cannons are complete rubbish!” 

Ron let out an angry scoff, “Hey! It is just a management problem! The players are quite good!” He defended while Harry violently shook his head. 

“I’m glad it was just a joke, I was ready to take you to Madam Pomfrey” Harry exclaimed, dabbing his mouth with a napkin and sinking back into his seat.

“And what would she have done?” Hermione asked dubiously, taking a bite of a pumpkin pasty.

“Unless she knew a cure for madness, she would not have been much help,” chuckled Draco as he sipped his Butterbeer, earning a noticeable smile from Ron and Hermione. 

Harry rolled his eyes and grabbed pastry off the tray, “Yeah, yeah,” he grumbled in annoyance, “She could’ve examined (Y/N)’s head or something, I don’t know”

“Who do you follow then, Potter?” Asked Draco curiously, wrapping his arm around (Y/N)’s shoulders as they continued their conversation. 

“Uh-” Harry paused, caught off-guard by his question“Well, the Bulgarian team has some great players, but I’d say it’s between them and Ireland” He admitted, recalling the 1994 Quidditch World Cup, “Can’t say I have a favorite, though” 

“The Gryffindor team is definitely your favorite,” teased (Y/N), “but that is a bit biased since you are their Seeker.”

Harry playfully rolled his eyes at her comment, “Can you honestly say your favorite team isn’t the Slytherin team?” He asked, pointing an accusatory finger towards (Y/N). Both she and Draco laughed, shrugging at Harry’s reasonably accurate comment, “You got me there” she admitted.

“We are quite good,” Draco admitted proudly with a nod of the head, “Never lost a match until you came along,” he added, shrugging towards Harry, “I promise we’ll beat you next time, (Y/N) and I have been training non-stop.” 

Harry snickered at Draco’s comment, “We’ll see about that, Malfoy,” he grinned, “I’m not going to let you off easy just because you’re with (Y/N).” 

Draco clicked his tongue in amusement, “I want a fair match, Potter.” He stated sternly, “I wouldn’t be satisfied if I won a match just because you threw it” 

“Then we’ll settle this on the field,” Harry stated confidently, raising his Butterbeer in satisfaction and finishing it off. 

After a surprisingly pleasant outing, the five of them walked back towards the castle, hoping Professor Umbridge would not catch them sneaking in the extra special butterbeer Madam Rosmerta brewed per Draco’s request (and compensation, of course). Disregarding educational decree number twenty-six, Draco snaked his arm around (Y/N)’s waist, pulling her closer to him as they strode towards the Great Hall. Once there, Hermione gave (Y/N) a hug as they happily exchanged goodbyes for the evening. Draco and (Y/N) gave the Golden Trio one final wave before turning towards the direction of the Slytherin common room, making their way there quicker and more excitedly than usual.  

Delighted to find his dormitory empty, Draco urged his girlfriend into the room and swiftly locked the door. Although he would not give her the satisfaction of knowing this information, he actually had a great evening at Hogsmeade with (Y/N) and her friends. However, this realization did not deter Draco’s excitement as he recalled his dear girlfriend’s promise before they left. 

Placing a hand against the small of her back, Draco pushed (Y/N)’s stomach against the dresser she used to tease him earlier. “I’d say I put forth my very best manners today, wouldn’t you agree?” He muttered against her ear, earning a small gasp from her as one of his hands gripped her hip and the other sneaked towards the buttons of her shirt. A sultry moan slid past (Y/N)’s lips as Draco’s hips ground against her clothed behind. 

Encouraged by her noises, Draco wrapped his fingers underneath her chin and lifted it so their eyes met in the mirror, “Should I take that as a yes?” He asked huskily, pressing a kiss against her cheek as he gave her throat a squeeze.

 The boldness she exhibited earlier quickly cast out the window as she gave a rather desperate nod, enthralled by Draco’s movements. (Y/N)’s mind had strayed farther than she had expected it to. It did not matter how confident she acted before their usual teasing started, as soon as his expertly calculated movements began, she became putty in his hands. The feeling of his fingers tracing lines up her thigh until they were hidden under her skirt made her heart beat wildly. Draco carefully inched his fingers up her inner thigh, ghosting them over her dampening core, but moved them away without pressing them into her. Shifting her hips, (Y/N) let out another small whine as she attempted to at least brush herself on Draco’s fingers, earning a small tut from him.  

“Cat got your tongue, Princess?” inquired Draco, his hands moving to flip her skirt up, exposing the flimsy black lace underwear she flashed earlier, “I’m not going to do anything until I hear that pretty little beg of yours…” he added, removing his hands from her body and loosening his emerald green tie, his school robes discarded at his side. Draco’s words sent shivers down (Y/N)’s spine, his low tone forcing her thighs together to provide some friction, something her observant boyfriend had taken note of. 

“Oi, where are your manners?” he retorted, gripping her hips hard enough to bruise. Fed up with her silence, Draco slapped his hand against her exposed ass cheek, the cold, silver rings decorating his fingers adding another layer of pleasure as she gasped harshly. “I’m not going to ask you again,” With that, Draco hooked his index fingers underneath the lacy fabric and yanked it down her ankles, her arousal on full display. 

“I-I’m- Please, Draco,” (Y/N) whined out, squeezing her thighs together in front of him, “I need you, please touch me..!” She begged, another gasp overtaking her as Draco swiped two fingers against her folds. 

“That’s a good girl,” He praised, dipping the press a kiss against the back of her neck, smirking at her moans as he finally inserted a finger inside of her, “Keep making those noises for me and I’ll reward you” demanded Draco, lowering himself onto his knees as he pumped his fingers. Flattening his tongue against her folds, (Y/N) let out a sensual moan, her hands reaching for the corners of the dresser in an attempt to anchor her shaking legs. Draco smirked as (Y/N) shuddered at the sudden loss of contact, rising to his feet while he fiddled with his belt, “Let’s get started then, shall we?” He stated, kicking his trousers away and gripping (Y/N)’s hips tightly, her skirt pushed up to her waist as he ground his erection against her needy core. 

As their moans and groans echoed throughout the empty room, Draco could not help but think about giving in to her requests more often. If all of them ended with her writhing and calling his name underneath him, he did not have any qualms with entertaining Potter and his friends for the afternoon.

[crimsonskies1124]

My Lovely Human Chapter 2: Beloved

A sigh of contentment was breathed out of the Naga's mouth as he held his beloved in his arms. Risotto moves rather quickly to his large spacious den in excitement, the thought of spending his life with his beloved filled him with desire. The inside of his den is much bigger than an average Naga's den. It was nice and wide and had a big bed made of fur that he collected himself when he goes out to hunt. There was bones and skulls laying around inside the den as well but most of them were near the front entrance of his den for mainly decoration. He appreciate the aesthetic of skulls, enjoying the feel of the dark sockets and bony structure.

Risotto gently places (Y/N) on the king's size bed and drinks up in her beauty. No one was as beautiful as she was. So small, so docile, so kind. He loved her hair, big eyes, round face, and plump lips. How he loved to have her lips around him. His blood red eyes trail down her body, she didn't have the biggest breast but not the smallest either. He wasn't too fussy about that. Risotto places his large hand on her flat stomach and thought how beautiful she be with her stomach all round and swollen with his babies. He gripped her wide hips that are perfect for bearing his children. Risotto growled, his tail swishes excitedly and grips harder until she lets out a small whimper and stops.

"Grr...not yet.." He loosens his hold of her and composes himself. Risotto slithers out of his den and picks up the skull holding it in his hands. The skull was so small in his grip, he moves his long fingers against the rough cheek bones and wondered how soft her face would feel if he caress them. As he was deep in thought from this a voice called out to him, a voice he knew to well.

"Risotto! Where the fuck have you been!?" An angry blonde rushes to him, his hair was tied neatly in braids, icy blue eyes and wore a couple accessories around his neck that were out of gold , especially his long necklace. His scales were dark purple with white streaks that gave a web like design.

"Prosciutto. Lower your voice. You'll wake her up." He grunted and glanced at her. "I told you I was taking care of some troublesome hunters." He placed his skull back down.

"Wha!? Her?" He squinted his eyes and looks over his shoulder to see a young small human sleeping on his bed, a bed that was far too big for her. "Is..Don't tell me that's a human in your den."

Risotto nodded at his question. "Are you fucking kidding me! You know as well as I do how dangerous humans are! Why do you have it here?"

He crossed his arms displeased. "Don't call my beloved an it. She's...different from other humans. She's not like the others."

Prosciutto looks at him with disbelief. Don't tell me that thing is suppose to be his mate? He sighed placing two of his fingers on the bridge of his nose sighing. He opens his mouth about to speak once more until he saw the younger Naga Illuso who is a teenager.

"Capo! You're finally back!" He grins holding a spear in his hand and a bag of fish. "You were gone for a really long time." His hair brown long hair were tied in low braids and had eyes as red as Risotto but it looked like there was more life in his eyes than Risotto. His scales were more bland than the other nagas. His didn't glow as brightly as the others and was a simple beige color.

He nodded. "I just got back today. I was about to head into the village . Come Proscuitto we have matters to discuss with others."

The blonde looks back at the den. He grumbled a bit. It will have to a matter he will have to discuss later with keeping a human in his den. He watches Illuso go back home probably to Formaggio about the amount of fish he got.

Both He and Risotto made their way down to the village where the rest of their kind lived. They were a isolated species that has closed themselves off to the rest of the world due to the confliction with humans eons ago. They did not have a very big population either, in fact their species had one of the lowest numbers in population of this forest.

As they both make their way to the headquarters a lot of Nagas bowed and greeted Risotto with respect and a lot of Nagi saw Risotto and followed him and three of them linked arms with him. "Nero! You finally came back." One spoke out and giggled. the second spoke out next. "Nero do you have time for us please? You been gone for so long." The third agreed and rubs her head against his chest.

Risotto pulls away without looking at them. "I don't have time for this. I have important matters to attend to." He could hear them whining and hearing how much they missed him. He knew how desperate those nagi were.

"Popular as ever capo." A naga with with long blonde choppy hair that covered one eye grins at him. " Shame those cute nagi are perfect candidates for an heir." He licked his lips from the thought . His scales were black with purple circle patterns on it.

Risotto sighed . "Maybe you should spend time with them instead Melone."

Melone lets out a small laugh. "Oh they simply won't do my dear capo! I want the mother of my children to be perfect." Not any nagi would do for him, he had high expectations. He follows both Proscuitto and Risotto in and yelling could be heard. " Ahh..looks like he got Ghiaccio all fired up again." Letting out a small hissing sound at the end of his sentence.

The room was in a disarray , there was milk on the walls and eggs were cracked open on the floor and two nagas fighting. "That's enough. You two clean this mess right now." Risotto speaks in a commanding voice.

"But it's Formaggio ! He started it first!" A loud booming voice was spoken by a male with curly blue hair and red glasses.

"I don't care. Both of you clean this up now." He glares at the both .

"R-Right! c'mon let's just clean it before he gets more mad." The male with a buzzcut hairstyle went to grab the the cleaning supplies and Ghiaccio clicked his tongue against his fangs and went to help clean up the place.

Once the two nagas cleaned up the place to how it was suppose to look before. They could start discussing the meeting . "You sure took your time coming back. Gone for 5 days. You're never gone for that long Capo." Melone spoke.

"Yeah that's true." Formaggio agreed. "

Prosciutto nodded. "Mind telling us what took you so long when you should have been hours later on the same day not 5 days."

Risotto sighed and nodded.

5 days ago

Risotto took it upon himself to take out the hunters that are in their territory and he could not risk the humans finding out about their species again. Humans were ugly disgusting greedy creatures that killed nagas out of fear and take their skin to make purses and take their fangs for profit that was what he thought before he met her, the love of his life.

Risotto had spotted one human that was rather close to the village. Something he must not allow to happen. The hunter was a young male who was smoking a cig. Risotto cringed in disgust. He would do not be a good meal at all. He moves from behind without making a sound and bites his shoulder and the hunter lets out a scream as the vemon was injected into his body and within moments the hunter was gasping for air and was coughing and hacking as he felt so much pain and his heart was pumping faster and faster as the vemon spread throughout the body until his heart couldn't keep up and stopped and didn't see his body move anymore. Risotto had a expressionless face as he watched the hunter perished before leaving him there.

"Wait! We shouldn't kill it! Aren't you suppose to preserve wild life?" A young woman spoke to a hunter and it was none other than (Y/N) who was trying to stop a hunter from killing a garden snake.

A hunter who looked like he was in his 30's looked at her and chuckled . "what gives little missy . We are preserving life . Our life and that's all that should matter. Now give him back. His skin would do good for a purse. Wouldn't you like that? All girls your age fancy those." Risotto hissed and glared at the hunter in disgust, oh how he wanted to end him right then are there.

(Y/N) shook her head holding he garden snake her hands as it wrapped itself around his arm. "The hunter's association is suppose to preserve all life. Even this little guy." She smiles and pets the little snake head.

The hunter looks at her in disgust. "Ugh! Whatever I'll be off . Stay away from the others they are dangerous!" He grabs his belongings and head off to the west side of the forest.

(Y/N) sighs. "They're all the same. " She gently puts the garden snake down . "There now run along now little guy before they find you again." She smiled as she watch the snake return to the wild. She hated how they abuse the system and killed any animal that had nothing to do with them or that they were a threat when they weren't. "Hm? Is someone there?"

Risotto quickly hid from her sight. He was always a master at stealth it was one of his abilities as a naga.

"Hmm..I guess I imagined it . I better get going." She turned her back towards him and headed back into town.

Risotto watches her leave the forest. So there were kind humans too. Humans were ugly and odd looking but she looked so beautiful , her beauty could even rival a goddesses. It was at that moment he had to have her and had taken care of the hunters while he slowly learned more about her. Watching her. Stalking her for those 5 days until that storm took him by surprise and by then it was too late for him to get back to his own village until she saved him too like that harmless garden snake.

Present Day

" That's the reason I was gone for so long . If it wasn't for her I wouldn't be alive." He clasped his hands together and the rest of the naga looked at him like he was crazy.

"A human!? A human of all things saved you!?" Ghiacco flailed his arms in disbelief . Risotto nodded

Melone had a playful grin on his face while formaggio still had a hard time processing this on how and why would Risotto would want to bring a human . Maybe as a pet or food he thought.

Prosciutto crosses his arms. "I don't agree with you bringing a human here. You're placing us in danger like this. But you are the alpha so I'll back off for now." He turns away not fully accepting it. "The minute the human opposes a threat it will die whether you like it or not Risotto."

Risotto nodded fully understanding this. Though he would make sure no harm comes to her not even his closet allies. "You're all dismissed."

(Y/N) groans a bit in her sleep and slowly opens her eyes as her vision slowly clears up. "Nnn.." She pressed her head against the pillows of the bed. It was the comfiest bed she ever laid on. Her vision finally clears up and looks up at the ceiling which was just the cave. "W-Where..? Where am I?" Her eyes widened after realizing that she was not home. She sat up and moves her head around and could see bones scattered on the floor.

"You're awake."

(Y/N) eyes widened and saw the giant serpent and her memory finally clears up . "Ahh!! Y-You! You're that Naga!" She backs up as much as possible on the bed.

"My name is Risotto, beloved." He moves closer to her which causes her to move back more until her back hits the wall.

"W-Where am I?" She started to shiver, her mind was still a bit fuzzy after being squeezed the life out of her earlier. She only remembers bits and pieces of it and was hoping that this was just a nightmare.

"You're in my den, away from human civilization." his tail wraps around her small wrist pulling her close to him making her gasp and wraps his arms around her placing her in his lap. He loved how small she was compared to him .

(Y/N) struggled in his grasp . His tail and scales felt cold and it scared her how easily he can pull her in . "What? Why! " She shook a bit, scared how far away she was from everyone else.

Risotto placed his hand under his chin and tilted up so she was looking up at him . "You're too good for them. Too pure hearted to live with those greedy humans. I mustn't let that happen. not to my mate." He leans forward and kisses her gently. Her lips were so soft and warm . It caught her by surprise and pulls away and Risotto just moves again to kiss her once more.

"W-Wai- mmph! Risotto St-" He kissed her once more and holds the back of her head and kisses much more deeper. She places her hands on his shoulders to try and push him off but couldn't he was so much stronger than she was. He brushes her tongue with his long forked tongue trying to get it in her mouth but closes her mouth and he growls and pushes her on the bed earning a gasp and kisses her once more before she had the chance to close her mouth and his tongue enters her mouth and explores her warm cavern it felt so good. he wrapped his tongue around hers . (Y/N) tightly closed her eyes squirming under his body as their tongues battle in dominance. He unwrapped his tongue around her and pushed his tongue down her throat which caused her squirm even more . His tail wrapped around her hips keeping her still and heard a small moan and deep throat her tongue and could feel himself being turned on more, more so than he has during mating season. He slowly pulled away watching her gasp for air.

[neerasrealm]

bRO jason or LJ would be great with the record scratch one imo HSHSH

WHEN I SAW JASON AS AN OPTION I LOST IT FHGSDHF. Anyway hi this story is basically Jason getting bullied by Kate the Chaser for 2000+ words. Enjoy.

*record scratch* 

*freeze frame* 

Yep, that’s me. No, not the vague figure you’re imagining now from the zero amount of information I’ve given you, and no, I’m not the heroic yet relatable main-character you’d expect either. I’m the one that’s currently, and quite poetically, hiding in the corner of a chicken coop. Yeah, that’s the one.

Hi, I'm Jason. I'm a toymaker. And also half- or maybe three quarters demon because I work for an immortal god of chaos and destruction. And for a little more context, I'm in a chicken coop because things went horribly, horribly wrong. 

I was given one simple task. Spy on a woman named Kate. Okay, no problem. She's human, average height and weight. Nothing to be concerned about. The only foreseeable threat was the fact that she works for my boss's biggest rival. A man named Slender. I would say creature, but from what I've heard he's rather good at acting civilised, though I've also heard that it's all just an act to lower guards. Regardless, I had no fear of her.

No fear that is, until she happened to catch me watching her via my pet surveillance mouse, Licorice. She smacked the poor thing with a rake! A rake! My poor innocent little surveillance drone...Licorice wouldn't harm a fly…

Eh-hem. Anyway- after she found and assaulted Licorice I tried to make my escape- but she caught me. So I hid in the only place I could. 

The chicken coop. 

And that's where I am now. Curled up amongst feathers, grain and very upset birds. If I wasn't trying to be quiet, I would've killed them by now. Especially the one that’s pecking my leg. Rude bitch. I have half a mind to strangle you, you know that, chicken?

Wait.

Oh no.

I hear footsteps.

The door to the chicken coop is yanked open and suddenly I’m being glared at by an angry asian lady wearing black and white flannel. 

‘’Get outta my coop, bitch boy.’’

Okay, first of all, rude. Second of all, RUDE. third of all,

‘’No.’’

She glares at me.

‘’Alright, that’s it.’’

She climbs into the fucking chicken coop, grabs me by my EXPENSIVE knee high boots and YANKS me out of the coop with strength I didn’t expect from her. I scream and thrash about and kick at her until she lets me go. She stands over me, glaring. I glare right back. She puts her hands on her hips, channeling the energy of an angry texan grandma. If I wasn’t British I’d probably be terrified right now. 

‘’Who gave you permission to go snoopin’ around my property?’’

‘’I don’t need permission to snoop anywhere,’’ I growl back. ‘’I do as I please.’’

"So you admit you WERE snoopin'!" She points an accusing finger at me. 

"No, I was just saying I don't need permission to snoop." I cross my arms and give her a smug look. The word snoop sounds really weird now that we keep saying i- "AH!" 

She yanks me by the collar of my rather EXPENSIVE shirt. Blue eyes glare into mine between strands of dark hair. ‘’Jason,’’ she growls. ‘’Tell me what the fuck you’re doing here before I crack your skull open like an over-ripe cantaloupe.’’

I glare at her. ‘’...Fine.’’ I sigh. ‘’I was asked to look into you since you’ve changed location. It was suspected that you were doing something, or perhaps Slender had changed his base of operat-’’ I’m interrupted by her letting go of my collar and rudely placing her muddy boot on my nice clean clothes. ‘’HEY!’’

‘’I fucking moved out, Jason. Jesus. Can Zalgo just calm his tits? Do I have to live in fear of the bastard for the rest of my life just because of Slender?’’

‘’Yes, you do.’’ I glare at her. ‘’Maybe you should have considered that before becoming his proxy.’’ She rolls her eyes and lifts her foot off of me. I brush dirt off myself but- that mud isn’t going to come off easily...these were expensive clothes too…

‘’Get up.’’

‘’I’m not taking orders from you!’’

‘’Then maybe I should tell Slender I found a creepy redhead sitting up a tree watching me!’’

"Hey! I am not creepy!" 

Kate glares down at me, her hands on her hips again. After a few moments of stubborn silence, I stand up and brush dirt off myself. She folds her arms.

"I won't tell Slender about this if you do somethin' for me." She says. I squint.

"Are you trying to blackmail me?" I murmur. She nods.

"Yep. I have a fence that needs fixin', along with some stuff in the house and fields. If ya help me I won't tell Slenderman I found ya creepin' around my property."

What the hell does this woman take me for? I'm not going to let her blackmail me! I glare at her and cross my arms. "Absolutely not." I say before turning and walking away. Hah! That'll show her! I'm simply going to walk away from my problems!

"Aren't ya forgettin’ somethin'?" I turn and look at her and stare in horror. She's holding my beloved mouse from her tail, swinging her from side to side like she's a toy rather than a beloved pet!

"LICORICE!" I yelp and run towards her to grab back my poor pet. Kate moves out of the way with surprising speed. I suppose that's why her nickname is 'The Chaser'. 

"Ah ah ah." She wags a finger at me, teasing me. "Not until you help me."

"What?!" Licorice is being held ransom now?! I stare at Kate in horror. She smirks. "...fine! Fine, I'll do it! Just- don't hurt licorice...please…"

"That's the spirit, jacey-boy!" She chirps. Dear god I hope she never calls me that again. She stuffs licorice back into her pocket and smiles smugly. "Now c'mon."

Begrudgingly, I follow her to her home. It’s a large country house, with a spacious wooden deck. Inside is just as cozy as you’d expect. This is actually a nice place- I wouldn’t mind living here myself if it wasn’t on a farm. I don’t like farms. They smell bad.

‘’Alright, here we go.’’ She leads me into the kitchen. There’s a toolbag on the kitchen table. She picks it up and holds it out to me. ‘’There’s some broken bannisters on the stairs. Think you can fix them up?’’

‘’I guess if there’s replacement bannisters.’’ I grunt. 

‘’In the shed out back. And after you’re done that, you can fix some holes I found in the walls upstairs,’’ she shrugs at me. ‘’I think the past owner had a teenage son. Punched the shit outta the place.’’

‘’Of course he did…’’ I take the toolbag and sigh. ‘’Fine.’’ 

 I march out the backdoor and find her shed. Walking inside, the bannisters I need are laying on a table. It smells of fresh paint in here- I actually quite like that smell...I grab the bannisters and march back inside. The bitch is making coffee instead of- you know, working like I am. I glare at her as I walk back into the hallway. Her stairs are completely missing several bannisters- six to be exact. With a sigh, I put down the bannisters and rummage through the bag for a drill. Why does she think I’m qualified to fix stairs anyway? Because I’m a toymaker?? I mean- yeah I know how to fix things like this- but still! My skills are more in carving and painting and sewing...ugh…

I pull out the drill I need and get to work. It’s a simple process. Drill a nail into the stairs, drill a matching hole into the bannister, then screw it on. Nothing too difficult- the only bad part is the sawdust that gets everywhere. Not my problem though- at least I hope it isn’t. If she makes me clean it up I’ll be mad.

‘’I finished.’’ I growl to Kate as I walk back into the kitchen. ‘’What next?’’

She’s eating fucking banana bread. Taunting me with the fact that I’m doing all of her work for her. Fuck you, Kate. Fuck you. If I was in a room with Slenderman and you and I had one bullet, I’d shoot Slender and beat you to death myself. Fuck you AND YOUR BANANA BRE-

‘’There’s plaster and newspaper upstairs. You can stuff the holes up and plaster over ‘em.’’ she smiles at me. Ah. I didn’t need to come in here at all. I could have avoided seeing the accursed banana bread…

I go upstairs like a good slave laborer. The bucket of plaster and stack of newspapers is sitting right next to the top of the stairs. How did I miss it? Ugh. Whatever- ripping up the papers to stuff up the holes in the walls is actually kind of fun. I haven't made anything with paper mache in a while...it’s kind of time consuming to make but still fun! 

Thinking about paper mache makes the time go by much much faster. By the time I’ve patched up every single hole in the wall I’ve almost completely forgotten why I’m so angry! It’s nice- being productive always helps me calm down and forget why I’m so stressed…

‘’Hey, Jason!’’

Ah. I remember now. I look down the stairs at Kate. She smirks a bit. ‘’Ya done?’’

‘’Yes.’’

‘’Good! Ya can help me with the fence then!’’

Ugh. With a huff I walk downstairs and follow her outside. She leads me to a wooden fence that’s broken down and barely standing. Next to it is a shovel, some timber and more tools. She picks the shovel up and starts digging around the fencepost. Together, the two of us remove the rotten wood from the bottom of the post, fill up the hole, and replace the rest of the rotten and broken wood. By the time we’re done I’m covered in dirt, and sweaty. I huff and take off my jacket, holding it under my arm. Kate does something similar, tying her flannel shirt around her waist. She stretches, cracking her back and grunting. 

‘’Are we done yet?’’ I growl. Kate smirks. 

‘’Almost. Just need ta water some crops.’’ she strides past me. ‘’C’mon Jacey. It won’t take long.’’ 

‘’Don’t call me Jacey.’’ 

She laughs and leads me over to the field I was watching her in. There's a short pipe with a hose attached to it just by the gate leading into it. She picks up the hose and hands it to me. ‘’Just sprinkle some water over ‘em, got it?’’

‘’I know how to water plants. I’m not dense.’’

Her lips curl up into a smile. ‘’Good. I’m gonna go check on Marigold.’’ she says before wandering away. I frown.

‘’Who’s Marigold?’’ I call after her.

‘’My cow!’’ she yells back. ‘’Now get to work before I feed your mouse to her!’’

Cows don’t even eat mice...stupid bitch. Hmph. begrudgingly, I walk along the small paths in between each line of crops, sprinkling each one with water. She has all sorts of things growing according to the small wooden signs stuck into the dirt. Carrots, potatoes, tomatoes...being a farmer sounds like a hellish lifestyle, but having your own fresh ingredients for cooking does sound appealing...

‘’Jason!’’ 

Just as I’m watering the last of her plants she calls me. I glance over at her. She waves at me from the other end of the field. With a sigh, I walk all the way over to the gate where she’s standing.

‘’Yes?’’

‘’Ya wanna feed the chickens?’’

‘’No.’’ 

‘’Great!’’ she grins at me. Great, now I have to feed the bloody things. As if hiding amongst them earlier wasn’t degrading enough. I put the hose back where I found it and turn to her. She holds out a bucket filled with seeds, grain and berries. I take it and frown.

‘’What is this?’’

‘’Chicken feed. Duh.’’ she rolls her eyes. ‘’C’mon. This is the last thing, promise.’’ I follow her back to the accursed chicken coop. The chickens, there’s seven of them, are just wandering around, pecking aimlessly at the ground. Kate claps her hands and the demon birds all look up. Kate looks at me and gestures to the chickens. ‘’Well c’mon. They’re waitin’.’’

With a sigh I reach into the bucket, grab a handful of feed, and toss it to the ground. Immediately it’s swarmed by bloodthirsty- er- bloodhungry chickens who peck the ground aggressively. Out of fear for my safety I continue tossing feed at the birds. Admittedly it is fun seeing chickens rapidly look around in confusion when they’re hit on the head with their own food. This isn’t actually too bad. These chickens aren’t all that ba-

‘’Ow!’’

I TAKE IT BACK ONE OF THE FUCKERS JUST PECKED MY FOOT. I kick at the aggressive bird. It flutters back and I give it my best sneer. Kate clicks her tongue and I look up at her. 

‘’Bad idea, Jacey.’’

Huh? Wha- ‘’OW-’’ I stumble back and away from the flock of chickens pecking at my good nice boots. I drop the bucket of feed, stumble on a rock, and fall straight into the muddy ground. I stare at the sky, eyes wide. What- what the fuck...since when are chickens so- aggressive?? I sit up slowly and stare at the demon hens in fear, then at Kate who is aggressively laughing. I glare at her, regain my lost dignity out of spite, and stand up.

‘’Can I go now?’’

‘’Mmm…’’ she rocks on her heels, smirking and considering it for a moment. ‘’Sure. I think ya’ve done everything I need.’’ she pulls her hands out from behind her back and holds out a tupperware container as I walk over to her. What- why is she-

Oh.

Oh if she put licorice in there-

‘’Licorice!’’ yep she did. Bitch. I pick up my beloved mouse and cradle her in my hands, dropping the container in the process. ‘’Oh there you are sweetie...I’m sorry- did the mean lady trap you in there? You poor thing.’’ Licorice squeaks in distress as I pet her gently and kiss the top of her little head. ‘’I know, I know- don’t worry Jason’s here, she isn’t going to hurt you anymore my sweet.’’ 

Licorice rolls up onto my shoulder and snuggles up against my collar. I pat her again and glare at Kate. She smiles sweetly at me.

‘’Get off my property.’’

‘’Gladly.’’

[stardust-andwine]

settle here, in my ribs

Cold-Weather Ficlet

GO - Snakey husband is cold. Tricks angel husband into cuddles.

x

The air outside settled into a bone-deep chill, where the snow in the trees froze to ice and the air took on the pure, deep ache of true winter. Aziraphale curled up at the end of the couch, a thick tartan-patterned blanket thrown over his legs as the fire crackled next to him, soothing away the cold as he read.

 Uneven footsteps came tumbling down from the newly refurbished flat upstairs and he lifted his head as Crowley trudged over to him, bleary-eyed and shivering even though his pajamas appeared to be particularly warm. 

  "I’ve an idea.“ Crowley said, stopping in front of Aziraphale.   

 "An idea?” Aziraphale replied as he crept closer, trying to understand the connection between the serpent’s words and actions. Thin fingers slid under the blanket and lifted up and Crowley slid into the angel’s lap instead, curling the blanket around them both, the length of his long legs forced to lie over the armrest. Ah, so that was it.

 Aziraphale chuckled, placing his book down on the side table and curling his arms around Crowley, reaching underneath the folds of his shirt and pressing warmth into the cool skin.   

"I see,“ Aziraphale whispered. “Cold are you, darling? It is a rather ghastly chill tonight isn’t it?” He ran his fingers through Crowley’s hair, smiling at the humming breath that ghosted over his clavicle. “I’m surprised you haven’t just turned the feeling off.“  

 Crowley grunted, leaning into his hand. “S’better when you do it. How’s about you put a pin in what you’re doing and come upstairs to warm me up? ” One golden eye peaked open at him, imploring and just a touch pleading. “Just long enough to warm up the sheets, angel. Then you can come back down and read to your heart’s content.” 

 “And we are to forget that you can just as easily will your way into warmth, hm?”  Aziraphale smoothed his hands over the soft skin of Crowley’s lower back, pressing heat where he could touch. It was funny that demons were always associated with fire when in truth, they were drawn to the flames because their blood tended to run so very cold indeed.

 Crowley muttered under his breath and when Aziraphale made a questioning noise back, he finally sighed: “Would you—Will you just—Indulge me?” 

 Oh, and who was he to deny such a sweet request? 

Aziraphale chuckled, warm and happy, ignoring Crowley’s offended growling as he did so.   “Alright, alright. You’ve tempted me, dear.” He said. Crowley sniffed, triumphant and burrowed closer. “But only until you’re comfortable, then I’m coming back down for a while. I simply must see what happens next! ” 

 "You’ve read that book at least a dozen times, Aziraphale.“ 

 "I don’t see what that has to do with anything.”

  "Ach, fine” Crowley grinned with the confidence of someone who’d gotten exactly what he wanted, unfolding himself with Aziraphale’s blanket still around his shoulders. The firelight cast gold against his hair and brightened his eyes. Aziraphale stood as if drawn by a siren call.   

Crowley made it to the base of the stairs before Aziraphale’s resolve shattered. He lifted the demon and all his long, gangly limbs off his feet, Aziraphale’s hands under his knees and back to curl him near again.  

 Crowley made a choked off noise in surprise, his arms coming up to grasp around Aziraphale’s neck. The angel smiled back at him. “Let me take care of you.” He nosed at the snake on Crowley’s temple, brushed his lips there. "That’s what you wanted isn’t it?“   

Blood flushed across the demon’s cheeks and nose, delighting him when Crowley continued to make a series of unintelligible, but decidedly positive, noises. “Er— Well, if— "  

 "Hush love.” Aziraphale took pity on him and swept them both upstairs.  The flat was still a bit of a mess if Aziraphale was honest. Though, Crowley had convinced him to at least box away the books that he wanted to send to the cottage to clear some room. Seeing them brought both a strange melancholy at the thought of moving his personal collection anywhere but his beloved bookshop and a burst of excitement knowing that they were soon going to be displayed in their new home.  

 Crowley allowed himself to be carried, the corners of his thin lips curling into something fond that made his heart stutter rather obviously. The bedroom was the only area in the building that had seen any of Crowley’s personal attention, as it was the only place Aziraphale hadn’t necessarily claimed for himself unless the demon was there. He had urged the windows to widen, bathing the room in moonlight when the curtains opened as they were now. He came to a stop at the edge of the bed, the comforter so deep a purple they were almost black but so very soft to the touch. Just the way Crowley liked.  

He let Crowley slide back to the floor with only a small sense of loss, seeing the relief in the demon’s limbs as he immediately made to dive back under the covers. 

 "Ugh.“ Aziraphale couldn’t see the demons face as he rummaged for an extra set of blankets but he could hear the irritation clear as day. ”How? How are our sheets bloody freezing? I was just here!“ 

 "I’ll be sure to funnel the heat up this way,” Aziraphale said obligingly to the lump in the blankets.   

"Could just get a regular heating system and save us all the trouble.“ Came the muffled response. Aziraphale could see the slight quiver of Crowley’s body.  

"Oh, that would take entirely too many people in my shop doing far too much touching and for much too long.” Aziraphale waved him off and snapped the blankets open to lay them over the bed and Crowley. When he was done, he slipped in and gathered the demon back into his arms. “There now.” He sighed, feeling Crowley relax, curling his arms and legs around him in a way that would probably break most humans into pieces. “Is that better?"   

"Much.” Crowley’s toothy grin spread against his neck and then melted into a grateful kiss. 

 “Just for a few moments,” Aziraphale warned, contradicting himself almost immediately by burying his nose in the hair at Crowley’s crown. “That’s all.” 

 “Course, angel.”  

 Aziraphale was made of light. Not the heat of flames and destruction; but the warmth of security, of comfort. The core of him was a cascade of embers brought on by love, and Crowley was the very breath that drew it to a roar.  It was clear he’d been conned. So well known by the creature he held that they both knew he would give in to the excuse to hold him and that the feel of Crowley’s skin against his own was his greatest weakness. 

Yet he couldn’t find a true reason to mind, even as his cast-aside book called out to him from the shop below. Instead, he spread his wings from the other plane, cocooning them both, leaving no space between them and when Crowley’s breath started to even out, the angel found he could not find the strength to part from him.  

 He drifted after his love with a smile, remembering that he would never have to do so again. 

[angelskyladiana]

Tenebrae (Lucifer’s daughter)

Chapter 2: Shitty shitty shit shit

Summary: Lucifer never loved anything, or at least that’s what people thought. It wasn’t Eve and long before Chloe- he had Tenebrae. His daughter.

Warnings: Fluff.

Word count: 1656

(Baby daughter)

CHAPTER 1

-----

"What! What do you mean it's my job now?!" Mazikeen yelled after Lucifer had suddenly just dropped a bombshell of news on her.

"I mean, I need you to take care of Tenebrae,"

"You named it?!"

"The spawn of Satan needs a name, doesn't she?" Lucifer questioned her, playing with Tenebrae's fat, tiny hands.

"That's how you get attached Lucifer!"

"So what if I am?!" He yelled back, Maze's head snapped to meet his eyes. A look of almost depression grew on her features. Her brows were scrunched, lips in a scowl and her eyes glaring holes.

"It will make you vulnerable Lucifer!"

"She will not! She will make me all the more powerful!"

"Says the king of Hell! Lying on the floor!" She moved and stood above him. Her heeled boots next to his arm as she peered down at the Devil.

"She was not comfortable on the throne, and the floor is much too dirty,"

"So, what? You decide to become a seat yourself?!" She questioned, indicating the position Lucifer and the baby were now in. Lucifer was lied down on his back, the child laying on his chest with her head in the crevice of his neck. Tenebrae's murmurs and gurgles were loud in Lucifer's ear.

"No, of course not. I became something much more..." he mused, glancing up at the demon for a mere second before training his eyes back on his daughter's tiny body. Oh yes, he became so much more, he became a father. How poetic.

"As disgustingly adorable this is, what do you mean I have to take care of it?"

"Since I am, in fact, Satan and it is my job to punish souls, I cannot spend every waking moment with my little shadow," he said, shifting the baby so she was sitting on his chest, his hands under her arms holding Tenebrae up, tiny feet touching his bearded chin.

"You've got to stop with these nicknames,"

"But there are so many to choose from," he said, pocking faces at the blue-eyed babe, "I could call her, Tenny, Brae, Ebb, Rae or Nee-"

"I get it! I get it!"

"Good. Now, take the child. I'm off to torture a few more souls," Lucifer jumped up, cradling the child, "if even a hair on her pretty little head is missing, you will know the true meaning of hell." He spoke, placing a chaste kiss on her forehead before hesitantly handing her over.

Mazikeen held the devil spawn at an arm's length, looking at it with a distasteful gaze. It gurgled, clenching its fists towards her.

"Oh, look! She likes you!"

Maze's eyes snapped to his, "and what do I do with it?"

"Don't kill her. I'll be back in a jiffy." Lucifer said, leaving promptly. Tenebrae mewled after him, but to no avail, instead once again clenching her fat fists at the demon holding her.

Mazikeen watched Lucifer leave before training back her eyes into a glare at Tenebrae. The baby stared back, still grabbing, but then started to fuss. Her bottom lip pouted out and her electric blue eyes began tearing, slobber began falling from her open mouth. Maze's eyes went wide, oh god. Her eyes widened, "don't you dare,"

Tenebrae let out a howl and began crying loudly.

Maze cursed aloud, quickly bringing the baby closer to her body and rocking her back and forth almost violently. But nothing was working, the little devil was being unreasonable, "ugh, shut up!" Maze angrily whispered, still rocking Tenebrae. After an eternity of rocking the child, the demon was at her tipping point. She let out a growl, confusing the child greatly enough to make her stop crying. Mazikeen pulled Tenebrae at arms distance once again, tilting her head in confusion.

Tenebrae began sooking.

The demon growled again; Tenebrae stopped and giggled. Maze's eyes narrowed and she growled again. The baby erupted into louder giggles. "This is funny to you?" She queried, bouncing the baby in her hands- finding it made her giggle louder and squeal with delight. A wicked smile crossed the demons face as she bounced the baby an inch out of her hands before catching her again.

"Figures. Spawn of Satan.." Maze threw her slightly higher, "deafening creature..." She threw her higher, "can't believe he actually kept you..." even higher, Tenebrae went, still giggling. "Why would Lucifer want to keep a nonessential, monotonous-" too high, Tenebrae went up, yet did not come down.

"Shit." Mazikeen swore aloud, staring up at the baby now, somehow, stuck to the ceiling. "Shitty, shitty, shit, shit," The demon continued swearing, the child was not coming down. How the hell? She began crawling... and crawling... until she was out of the throne room and in the hall Lucifer had disappeared down- on the ceiling. Spawn of Satan indeed...

"Tenny!" Mazikeen yelled, jogging until she was underneath the baby's small upside down body. Also, not realising she had called it a nickname that would stick for hundreds of years. "Tenny... c'mon, you don't really want to stay up there..." The baby sat down on the roof after hearing the nickname for the second time, Maze smiled, "that's right, Tenny, c'mon down..."

The child just giggled down at her. Mazikeen tried again and again to no avail of getting the child again. Her chubby little hands clapped together as the terrifying demon attempted to jump for her even though there was no way possible she could. How in hell did she get a baby stuck to the ceiling? Maze's body gave out and she lied on the floor staring up at the baby. She scowled at every smile and look of pure bliss that graced the child's face. Lucifer was going to kill her.

Lightbulb. Maze sat up so quickly that if she were human she'd have a headache from it. A wicked smile lit up her face. If the demon spawn wasn't going to come to her, she'd have to go to it. Mazikeen approached the red wall, it's rough surface would be the only reason she'd be able to hang on and climb. Even so she would be hanging upside down to get to the baby.

It was either that or die by the hands of the devil, so she started the climb. Not even two feet above ground level her foot slipped and she hit the ground. A growl escaped her lips and not long after a high-pitched giggle from above her surrounded the room. It was enjoying her struggle. She only growled louder before tearing off her shoes and throwing them away, half wanting to throw them at the child. She began her climb again, and this time it proved to be more successful.

A lot more successful. Before she knew it Mazikeen was hanging off the ceiling with her legs dangling only two feet away from Tenebrae. She reached out with one arm, almost falling, but stabilising herself. It was a long fall. Lucifer with all his ego decided he needed the highest ceiling to ever be made, high enough he could almost reach his beloved father. Of course, being a demon the fall would hardly affect her, but there was no way of telling what it would do to the tiny child. Tenebrae giggled, tilting her head as if trying to see Mazikeen right ways up. The demon groaned, tossing her head back in annoyance and exhaustion.

She was dead. Her eyes shut close and she was ready to let go of the ceiling. Ready to accept her fate. Until something warm touched both her cheeks, her eyes flickered open to the baby that had crawled over to her. It's face was pressed against the demons, grabbing at her cheeks. This was hell. The worst thing she could ever imagine had come true.

The devils manipulative baby was stuck on the ceiling torturing her. Although it did slightly warm her nonexistent heart. Maze smiled back but it was quickly gone as she realised what was happening. She was feeling...

She couldn't handle it. This couldn't continue. Maze let go, hitting the ground with a thud. Her back ached from the way she fell but it was better than being up there. Lucifer was still going to kill her anyway so it would all be over soon. Speaking of the devil... The sound of heavy doors from the room over screeched, signalling the one and only had entered and was coming towards then. Maze sighed, leaning her head back on the black marble floor. The doors in front of her began to open. Gulp. "What the bloody hell is going on here?!"

Lucifer's eyes scanned the room, immediately seeing Maze lying on the floor. He hadn't been gone very long and this is what he comes back and sees?

Tenebrae gave out a delighted screech the moment she saw him, attempting to crawl towards him.

"I thought you said getting attached was wrong, Maze?"

"This isn't what it looks like,"

Lucifer could only chuckle at his favourite demon lying on the floor with Tenebrae sitting up on her stomach. Seemed they had gotten along well. Maze being the hypocrite she was, was now in the position he was only a short time ago. His smirk didn't fall as he walked towards them. Maze flared at the child for the billionth time that day. The moment the door began opening, Tenebrae fell from the ceiling and landed on top of Maze just in time.

"I told you she liked you," he spoke, picking up his child and moving her to rest at level with his head. He began walking out of the large room. The infant looked back at Maze over her father's shoulder with a gummy smile.

Although Maze was still peeved with the child, she couldn't help but smile back.

CHAPTER 3

[dearestjaemin]

first impressions.

Iwatooshi did definitely not look friendly-looking or reliable, but he soon proved that first impressions are not to be trusted.

Humongous.

That was the first word that popped in your mind when Iwatooshi appeared in the smithing room. Sure, some of the yaris and the oodachis have already arrived in the citadel and they all had their own definitions of huge but Iwatooshi was worthy of the word humongous. He was definitely taller than any of the toudans you had, considering he is taller than Ishikirimaru who was with you as of this moment.

You immediately hid behind Ishikirimaru, clutching onto his clothes as you did. Ishikirimaru laughed at your reaction.

“A-ru-ji, do not be afraid. Iwatooshi is nothing to be scared of.”

Well, sure. You’re equipped with a sword but I don’t!

You slowly stuck your head out behind Ishikirimaru, getting another look at the newly arrived toudan.

“Ishikirimaru-dono, where is this aruji you speak of?”

What? He didn’t notice me?

You were baffled at the fact that he didn’t see you, so you immediately showed yourself and stomped your foot so that he’ll notice you. He looked around, then down, finally seeing you. As he did, he grinned.

“Ooh. I didn't notice you since you're too small. I'm Iwatooshi, Musashibou Benkei's naginata! Gahahahaha!”

You’re not quite sure what he was laughing at, but you didn’t like how he just openly called you small. He’s just too big, you told/comforted yourself. You’re not particular with formalities but is this kind of impoliteness fine on the first meeting? You’re sure it wasn’t.

“Iwatooshi-san, please be a little nicer to aruji.”

Ishikirimaru commented. As expected of the ever so gentle Ishikirimaru! He has been nice to you ever since he arrived in the citadel.

“Gahaha! Sorry, sorry. My previous master was huge so I was expecting someone similar.”

Iwatooshi bowed in apology, standing straight afterwards again. His grin didn’t leave his face.

“Ah, has Imanotsurugi-dono arrived?”

“Imano-kun? Yes, he has.”

The sudden thought of the tantou made you feel better. He was one of your favorites, as you found his liveliness adorable. He also often lay his head on your lap, drifting to dreamworld as you caress his head.

“That’s good. I’m sure he’s doing well.”

Iwatooshi nodded to himself.

“Ah, shall I introduce myself to the others? It’ll be a big surprise to them if they suddenly found a giant like me walking around the citadel.”

“That would be a wise decision.”

“To the bell, then.”

You first left the room, not sure how long you can take to be in the same room as Iwatooshi. Something about him didn’t feel right; then again, you felt the same thing around Shokudaikiri who turned out to be fine. You reassured yourself that he just gives off shady vibes.

Iwatooshi hit the bell with the other end of his naginata, creating a loud sound enough to be heard throughout the citadel. In a few minutes, all of your swords gathered in place. Imanotsurugi seemed to be pleased with the newcomer.

“Iwatooshi!”

He screamed, jumping a lot in excitement. Iwatooshi grinned then told everyone to stand back. Ishikirimaru, for once, reacted quickly and pulled you away from the naginata. Iwatooshi swung his naginata around, creating a flashy performance. He got off the porch and stuck his naginata on the ground.

“Gahahahaha! I’m Iwatooshi, Musashibou Benkei’s naginata. Nice to meet you all!”

You were thankful that you were outdoors, since Iwatooshi’s voice was louder than ever. You swore you saw Kashuu wincing a little at the loudness as he was the one in front. Gokotai was already behind Yagen, and Akita was definitely just putting up a brave front. Aizen’s eyes were literally shining, as if he just saw someone so cool. Imanotsurugi was clapping, chanting ‘Do it again!’. Souza, who was beside Sayo, placed his arm in front of his little brother, as if to tell him to not get involved with such a suspicious creature. Sayo’s eyes, however, seemed to be glowing in curiousity.

“Another Sanjou sword, eh? Sounds fun.”

Tsurumaru commented, and you knew he’s already planning something. A little part inside you wished you’d be there to see Iwatooshi surprised, as he seemed to be the type to not get easily surprised. Iwatooshi looked at you then grinned widely.

“Please take care of me, aruji!”

It was morning and you were deciding on who to assign on which duty. You wanted to put Kashuu on fieldwork duty again, just so that you could hear him complain again, but you put him there yesterday so you decided to give him a break. While you were pondering over who to choose, Iwatooshi saw you and sat down next to you.

“Aruji! What are you doing?”

“Mhm, assigning duties.”

“Come to think of it, you haven’t assigned me to anything! You only tell me to go play with Imanotsurugi-dono and although I’m fine with that, I feel like I’m missing something.”

“You’ll scare the horses.”

“True, but there is fieldwork, right? I like fieldwork. It looks fun.”

Now that is unusual. Most of the toudans hate it, and it’s a sight to see when they get chosen for it. Hachisuka and Kashuu have the best reactions, ever. Watching them do the fieldwork is even better.

“Hm, but you might just ruin everything.”

Iwatooshi isn’t clumsy, but he has broken several things on purpose for fun.

“You don’t trust me? Then put me with a reliable sword! That way, he’ll scold me if I’m just creating chaos.”

You thought it was a good idea, so you put him with Heshikiri. Iwatooshi pumped his fist, jumping off as he got up. He seemed excited, which was pretty nice for a change. You usually got a pout or something of the sort when assigning fieldwork.

You rang the bell to call everyone, and opened the paper that contained the people who have duties for the day. You announced who were in charge for horsekeeping, calling out Akita and Gokotai. They seemed to pleased with it. You called Heshikiri and Iwatooshi for fieldwork.

“Eh? Iwatooshi?”

Heshikiri looked disappointed and troubled. Behind him was an Iwatooshi who seemed to be too happy with fieldwork. He looked back at the naginata, then back at you. He doesn’t seem to be as enthusiastic as usual. You felt a little bad, but you knew he was the only one who’d accept it, with the right words spoken.

“Kashuu and Yasu, you’re for sparring.”

“Yes!”

“Shokudaikiri, Sayo-kun, you’re in cooking duty.”

Shokudaikiri seemed to be pleased to be paired up with his favorite tantou. You swore you saw Souza’s eye twitch in annoyance, but he immediately switched to his ‘beloved brother’ mode as he told Osayo he’ll look forward to his cooking.

“Kasen, you requested last time to let you do laundry duty on your own?”

“Yes, aruji. I’d like to try attending to all of the clothes with elegance.”

“Oh, um... sure, that’s fine.”

You weren’t sure what he meant by that but you decided it was best to leave it be. You looked at Heshikiri, who was the only one displeased with the assignment of duties.

“Heshikiri, what’s wrong?”

“I’m just troubled with Iwatooshi. He might not do anything helpful...”

“Iwatooshi specially requested to be in fieldwork so I wanted to be fair and give him the duty. He told me to put a responsible sword to keep him at bay and I just thought... you’d be the perfect responsible sword for the job.”

Heshikiri always got the word responsible, but not perfect. With those two words combined, he knew he has no choice but to take on the job.

“If aruji says so, then I shall do my best.”

He had this smug look on his face as he bowed. Immediately, he called onto Iwatooshi.

“Let’s do some fieldwork!”

After few hours Heshikiri and Iwatooshi went off to do their assigned duty, you were starting to get nervous. Even in your room, you could hear Iwatooshi’s loud laugh which has been continuously ringing ever since he started working. You were not quite sure which one to worry about more: the state the field could be in or Iwatooshi’s throat. His laugh didn’t go any weaker as the time passed by.

However, you couldn’t leave your place as a sleeping Imanotsurugi was on your lap. That and you were waiting with Souza for Sayo’s snacks. You promised to the silent tantou that you’ll have his snacks insead of Shokudaikiri’s. The eye-patched tachi didn’t mind at all; Sayo was extra adorable when he’s determined in cooking and his smile looks brighter when it is complimented so he’s actually pleased.

“Ugh, when will that giant shut up?”

Kashuu groaned as he walked into the room, Yamatonokami following him from behind. He nodded in agreement.

“Geez, can’t he, like, stop with that laugh for, like, I don’t know… forever?”

Kashuu added as he sat down next to you, groaning as he rested his head on your shoulder. Of course, he’s just looking for an excuse to get attention. You didn’t mind, so you carressed his hair, earning a satisfied purr(?) from him. Yamatonokami rolled his eyes at the ridiculousness of his fellow Okita sword. Souza just rubbed his temples as Iwatooshi continues to laugh loudly.

“Someone ought to teach that man how to use indoor voices.”

Souza was going to curse but Sayo went in with a tray full of snacks. Souza immediately turned into his sweet mode and asked Osayo what he had brought.

“...Sliced vegetables, western biscuits, sweets that aruji bought the other day and… some tea…”

“My, my. That’s a lot. You sure prepared a lot, Osayo. Thank you.”

Souza lovingly patted Sayo’s hair, taking one biscuit for himself to eat. You thanked Sayo for the snacks, and offered some to the toudans who just arrived. Ishikirimaru passed by as he was on his way to the room for the Sanjou swords, and you offered some to him as well.

“Ah, that reminds me. Ishikirimaru, can’t you do something about Iwatooshi?”

“Yeah, yeah! He’s soooo loud, I can’t have, like, my beauty sleep after lunch.”

Kashuu protested, as if his beauty sleep was the most important thing in the world. Yamatonokami rolled his eyes again, but silently agreed.

“Iwatooshi-san? I suppose he is a bit loud.”

“A bit? He’s really loud!”

“I could talk to him about it. Iwatooshi isn’t hard to talk to, after all. He’ll quiet down if you tell him to.”

None of the toudans seemed to believe it but none of them countered him.

  It was evening, right after dinner. The toudans had either retreated to their respective rooms, or were still doing something outside. You were alone with Yamabushi, enjoying his stories about his master. Ishikirimaru was with you both until he excused himself to talk to Iwatooshi. You liked their company after dinner, enjoying a cup of tea or just each other’s presence. They were a nice change of company, as you usually spend your mornings with the lively tantous or the complaining uchigatanas.

“Kakaka! It seems like Ishikirimaru-dono is taking a long time.”

“He is, isn’t he?”

You chuckled, remembering the fact that Ishikirimaru is indeed a slow one. You never gave him messaging duty, as the message is usually deemed useless before he arrives to deliver it.

An hour passed before Ishikirimaru arrived with an Iwatooshi following him from behind. It seems that they have talked, that even Iwatooshi’s footsteps were surprisingly lighter than usual.

“Aruji!”

Iwatooshi shouted. Well, that doesn’t sound right-

“I hope you could find a place in your heart to forgive my inconsiderate actions. I am sorry for causing you and the others trouble because of my loudness..”

Iwatooshi bowed deeply, head touching the floor. Yamabushi could be heard chuckling at the back.

“Mhm. That sounds apologetic enough.”

Yamabushi commented in the background. You looked at Iwatooshi and chuckled, reaching for his head then stopping midway. You wondered if it was fine to pat his head, as you always did that to the tantous who apologize.

“You can pat my head.”

Iwatooshi softly spoke. You felt a little embarrassed in getting caught, but proceeded to pat his head.

“I’m glad you understand, Iwatooshi. Being loud is fine occasionally but if you shout all the time, especially indoors... It’s a little irritating and it bothers people.”

He nodded then stood up straight.

“I’ll do my best to avoid being loud, aruji. Please excuse me and continue having your tea.”

He bowed and was about to leave when you called out his name.

“Iwatooshi, join us tomorrow. I want to get to know you more.”

“Yes!”

Omake:

Months after Iwatooshi arrived, if he isn’t on field duty, he’s on babysitting duty. He either trains the tantous or plays with them. Most of the time, he just lets them hang by his arms as he spins around. You’d think Imanotsurugi would be jealous but he’s so  happy because so much playmates and Iwatooshi doesn’t notice quickly if he’s doing something bad.

[im-abanana]

“Caged Hearts” ch.4

The fourth chapter of this fic, based on @king-branch‘s AU, finally. :’D I hope you’ll like it, the “real” story is starting to begin from now on. <3

Also, I finally tagged my previous chapters with the tag “caged hearts”, ‘cause my blog’s fics are kinda messy and disorganizated, I didn’t do it before ‘cause I’m a dumb banana. :P

[Song of this chapter: “Little Do You Know” by Alex & Sierra.]

“Underneath it all I'm held captive by the hole inside, I've been holding back for the fear that you might change your mind. I'm ready to forgive you, but forgetting is an harder fight, little do you know I...” in the early and fresh morning, a very awake Poppy was already singing with her beautiful and pure female voice, leaning with her elegant back on the metallic bars of her cold and small prison, her shiny magenta eyes closed. “... need a little more time.” the girl concluded with a sigh, standing there in silence and waiting for a punctual answer, his punctual answer, that always came right after she started to sing her own songs.

“I'll wait, I'll wait. I love you like you've never felt the pain, I'll wait. I promise you don't have to be afraid. I'll wait, the love is here and here to stay...” and there he was, the voice of that mysterious male Troll who loved to keep her company everyday, singing and “socializing” with her and sometimes even screaming to let Poppy know that yes, he was still there if she needed him. “...so lay your head on me.”.

While the boy's clear and powerful voice was echoing in the silent and dull corridors of the Castle, the Princess of the Trolls finally felt in peace, a really rare event under those bad and complicated circumstances. “His voice is so beautiful, so manly.” the pink girl whispered, enjoying the rest of the sweet tune and tapping her small feet to the beat. “I totally love his voice, indeed.” she added silently, feeling a strange warmth in her pounding chest.

But as the female Troll was losing herself in her dreamy thoughts, her spacious cage was suddenly lifted by Bridget, the young and fat maid that ofter visited Poppy to bring her food and fresh water or to clean the King's sumptuous bedroom and her prison, and put on a little cart. What was happening? That was not right!

“Where are you taking me, Bergen?” the Princess asked a bit aggressively and with harsh; those creatures, those Bergens were monsters without heart or soul, the pink female has been told by her old father and beloved friends when she was still at the breeder's shop, they were predators, without feelings or conscience... and she already missed the calming voice of the mysterious guy. “And I'm tired to be ignored, I want to know where you're taking me, and I want to know right now!”.

“T-the Trollstice is today, d-don't you remember, little Troll? You're going to see your kind.” Bridget answered with a shy voice and stuttering a lot, trying to sound at least a bit commanding and superior, but failing miserably. “I'm taking you to the main cage with the others, inside the main room of King Gristle Jr.'s Castle. Now quiet little creature, we're almost there.”.

“The Trollstice is today, of course! Man, how could I forget? I'm a stupid, gosh! It's the most beautiful moment and happiest celebration in the world!” Poppy mentally slapped herself in her slim face, too euphoric to reason and really impatient as always, and maybe even more in that moment. “I'm so happy, I'm just so, so happy! I'm going to see my dad again, all my friends, the kids, Creek and-” the young girl stopped her frenetic panting and jumping all around her shiny cage, sitting down and smiling softly like an idiot. “I... I can finally meet him. I can finally meet the male Troll that sang with me when I was sad or felf down and that kept me company in these long and boring days. I bet he has beautiful colors, fluffy hair and a very nice disposition” she imagined, sighing and closing her magenta eyes. “Yes, I totally bet he is a really nice, calm and friendly Troll.”.

“Leave me alone, you filthy bas-!” Branch growled loudly when two guards, really similar to each other, grabbed him by his chubby waist and took him in their cold, sweaty and smelly hands, checking his tight collar and nodding quickly. “I said put me down, you morons! Put me down or I swear I'll bite your fingers and noses off!” the grey Troll insisted, showing his rather sharp teeth and drooling on their arms on purpose. “They even interrupted me while I was singing with her! What's their problem, are they dumb? First, they want me to sing and be a good boy, pff, and then they stop me, grab me and yell me to shut up!? Bergens are stupid creatures.”.

“The electric collar is functioning and operative, everything is perfectly normal, luckily. No need to worry about the security of this male. He can join the other Trolls now.” one of the two Bergens said with a low and professional voice, holding the little and always-prepared male with force, almost squeezing or crushing him. The soldier esitated for a long moment, then he muttered with unease: “Should we muzzle this one, Chad? He is the dangerous and aggressive Troll that bit the vet's finger off, bad story, uh?”.

“The King and the royal vet said no, we must obey or they'll punish us. No muzzles or electric shocks today, this healthy sample needs his voice and deserves his freedom today. And the King's word is law, you know that, so we'll just need to be really careful with this one.” the other guard answered, smiling softly to his confused partner, named Todd, and winking. “Come on Todd, let's bring this Troll to the main cage and let's go, we have the day off! Isn't it great? Would you like a coffee or a cappuccino with donuts later? My treat.”.

“How could I refuse your invitation? Of course I'd like to have breakfast with you!” Todd happily obligated and blushed, throwing Branch inside his small and clean prison without tact or delicacy, licking his dry lips with hunger and anticipation. “Come on, let's go then!”.

“Ugh, fantastic, really fantastic. First of all, those two come to get me with their awful and rude manners, and then they... what are they doing? Unbelievable.” the poor grey guy slapped his own forehead and fixed his tight collar, sitting down on the hard and metallic floor. “But at least I'll see the others today, I must hang on, we all must hang on. 'cause we will escape. I know that. And I promise that. I'll find a way, sooner or later.”.

“Dad! Dad!” Poppy literally screamed with a huge smile on her face and teary eyes, running towards her old and beloved father, who opened his weak and orange arms and hugged her tightly, holding his pink and beautiful daughter for dear life. “Oh gosh, I missed you so much, daddy!” the female said with a low and quiet whisper, trying not to cry or sob too much, but feeling a few warm tears streaming down her slim face and freckled cheeks: no, she had to be strong and positive in front of her scared and unsure subjects; but damn, Poppy was just too happy, finally she could relax into his dad's protective and familiar arms, even if only briefly.

“I missed you too, my sweet, sweet Poppy. You don't know how much, the shop seems empty without your voice and presence.” King Peppy rejoiced, looking at the Princess with his worried and caring orbs, magenta like his daughter's. “Everybody missed you, the kids, your friends, everybody is lost without your guide.”.

“Poppy!” Cooper suddenly shouted, jumping on her best friend and rolling on the floor of the big cage with her, laughing and snickering with joy. The rest of the Snack Pack joined in too, in a big and long group hug. “How are you!? It's been a while, I'm so happy to see you again!”.

“I missed you all too guys, so much! Ahh, and doesn't matter how I have been, how have you been!? Are your owners kind and caring with you?” Poppy asked with trembling voice, as happy as on can be on Earth, looking at her family. Gosh, she missed them so much.

“Meh, not really, you know sweetie. They keep forcing us to sing, dance or stuff, what a bore. And it's very tiring sometimes.” Satin huffed, crossing her arms and looking at her twin sister. “Those ugly monsters even tried to force us to sing for sever hours, without a pause! Seven hours, can you imagine it!? It was horrible, cruel and inhumane, out throats were on fire and Chenille kept coughing and coughing for days...”.

“You are exaggerating sister, I'm totally fine, so don't give me that depressed look. More important: I'm so happy to be able to hug you all again, my dear friends.” Chenille added, trying to cheer her displeased group up, smiling softly to hide her evident and painful discomfort: the fashionist was visibly thinner than usual, her colorful and fluffy hair was getting darker and pricklier, her face seemed tired and pale and her eyes weren't as shiny and alive like they used to before she was bought. “Can we just enjoy this moment and forget about everything for a single-”.

“Well, well, well, I can perceive some negativity here. What's the problem, dear friends?” a familiar and perfectly calm voice echoed near the Snack Pack, leaving them speechless for a second. That voice... his voice, no doubts! “What's the matter, people? Can't you recognize your old and good friend Creek?”.

“Creek, it's you!” the pink and always-positive Princess greeted the zen guy first, jumping into his open and purple arms and holding him tightly for a good minute, without letting go. “You are here! How are you!? Did the Bergens hurt you? Did they treat you well?”.

“Your gorgeous aura is glowing with a bright, joyful light. I'm flattered Poppy and, I must say, that I'm ecstatic to see you, too.” the relaxed male Troll nodded and closed his orbs, to show that he was, in fact, more than ok. “I miss talking to you, a lot. Even if now I have a lot of time to meditate or reflect upon the mysteries of this cold and complicated world.”.

“Ahah, I can imagine Creek. I have a lot of time to dance and sing too, and guess what: I even found a new friend who sings with me when I feel down and-” Poppy chuckled softly, rubbing her smooth nape and looking at the metallic ground for a moment, before stopping and opening her magenta orbs wide. “Of course, how could I forget!? My new friend! He must be in here with the others, somewhere, I need to meet him! And I know exactly what to do, he'll recognize me in a second!”. Singing, that was the answer. She had to sing, if she wanted to find her mysterious companion. “The last song he sang was Little Do You Know... when did he stop singing? Oh, I remember! And now it's my turn, I hope he'll hear me.”.

“What? A new friend? Who is him? Do I know him? How did you meet him, if you were in your cage?” Creek tilted his heavy and smart head and lifted an eyebrow, looking confused, strangely interested, maybe a little too much, and... kinda peeved, maybe? “Poppy, my dear friend? Are you there? Answer me, please. Poppy? Poppy, ehy! Where are you going!? Poppy!” the purple male called the female then, seeing her going away and heading towards the biggest group of Trolls. “... A new friend, uh. Who could that be? Well... I guess I'll find out very, very soon.”.

STOMP! Branch's tough and chubby body fell painfully against the cold and hard metal of the big cage with a loud thud, leaving the poor and grey survivalist with an aching leg and throbbing head. “You stupid monsters! Have you ever heard about delicacy!? Damn, that hurt.” the young male shouted, standing up and shaking off the thick dust and dirt on his worn-out gilet and pants and then looking carefully around. “... I hate to admit it, but... it's great that I'm able to see everyone again.”.

The Trollstice, in fact, was finally there, after a long year. Every single and colorful Troll, with a huge smile on their face, was hugging someone: their closest friends, lovers, family, parents, beloved children... Yeah, the dull guy thought with sad and guilty light blue eyes, it would have been so, so much better if his beloved grandmother Rosiepuff was still alive. But he couldn't turn back time, unfortunately. He couldn't fix his big and unforgivable mistake. He just couldn't bring her back. That was his worst suffering and regret.

“Oh wait, just wait. I love you like I've never felt the pain, just wait. I love you like I've never been afraid, just wait. Our love is here and here to stay, so lay your head on me.” Poppy's kind and strong voice echoed inside that big and shiny prison, and her excited subjects fell silent, listening to their beloved Princess' song. The pink girl looked around, walking among her people and searching for him. “I'll wait, I'll wait, I love you like you've never felt the pain. I'll wait.”.

Branch's pointy and sensitive grey ears shifted almost immediately, recognizing the girl's familiar and loved voice, trying to find her. There were too much moving and loud Trolls, how could he find the person he was looking for? “I promise, you don't have to be afraid, I'll wait. The love is here and here to stay, so lay your head on me.” the survivalist's primal and ancient instinct acted before he could even start to reason, and his beautiful male voice joined in the song. He could feel her, she was so near!

“Lay your head on me...” the pink Troll started to run with great speed and agility, hearing him as well, willing to finally meet the person who cheered her up during her worst days.

“So lay your head on me...” the dull and dark guy sang in tune, pushing away a couple of Trolls who were on his hurried way. There she was, right in front of him! “'Cause little do you know I...”.

“... love you 'til the sun dies.”.

“...” Poppy, who was right in front of the grey and depressed (but actually very surprised) male, looked at him with her magenta eyes wide open. She could not believe it, the awsome and attractive voice she heard was Branch's? “Branch? It was you...?”.

[kittykat-creations]

R.I.P- Grief

Previous Chapter --- Next Chapter

Trigger warning for suicide.

-----

DENIAL

"No no no no! Sixer? Ford! Wake up! Come on!"

"I'm sorry about your brother."

"Thanks," Stan repeated for what felt like the hundredth time.

He wished people would stop bringing it up sometimes. That way he could act like it didn't happen. Like his twin brother was just home sick with some sort of bug. Like he would go home and fall on top of his brother, who would be laying on his bed, and recount the school day like it was the worst thing ever. Like he would then give Ford the homework and then voice how if he was the one who was sick, he would refuse to do any work until the next day.

"Hey, Stan," a girl greeted him at lunch, about to sit beside him. "I'm sorry about-"

"You can't sit there," he blurted out before he could stop himself. The girl raised an eyebrow and stood back up. "That's Ford's seat."

"Oh... ok..." the girl stood awkwardly. "Sorry."

And she left to go sit with her friends.

The next day-  you wouldn't believe it, the timing of the thing- a new kid began going to the school. Stan entered the classroom and saw the kid sitting at Ford's desk.

"Hey," Stan said shortly. "That's my brother's desk."

"Oh," the boy picked up his stuff. "Sorry. Where is he?"

"He's..." Stan felt his throat tighten, and he shook his head. "It's not important. That's his desk. Move."

"Alright," the boy looked at him weirdly before moving to a different seat.

"His twin just committed suicide a few days ago," another student murmured to the new kid. "He used to sit there."

"Oh gosh..."

No, Stan thought. No. Ford's just at home. He's fine. He's just sick.

Stan looked at the homework board and wrote down what was written. Just like he always did when Ford was sick.

Stan laid down that night, staring across the room at Ford's bed. He hadn't let his mom remove the blankets and sheets. It was just as messy as always.

"Night, Sixer," Stan spoke, staring at the pillow.

Night, Lee, he could hear him reply. Just as always.

ANGER

"No! You don't get it! Just leave me alone!"

Stan stood in front of it, his hands deep in the pockets of the stupid dress pants. Tears filled his eyes as his mouth formed an angry frown. He growled and kicked at the dirt.

"Come on, Sixer," he grumbled angrily. "Really. What'd you go and do this for? We were supposed to go together. On the Stan O' War. You promised."

He stared at the grave for a few more seconds before giving a short yell and stopping off.

"And you broke that promise."

The funeral was almost over.

"Sweetie, it's time to go home," Ma spoke softly, reaching to rub Stan's shoulder.

"Don't touch me," he grumbled, shrugging her hand off. He stomped towards the car, waiting outside of it when he found out it was locked.

"Hey, Stan," Bella murmured, walking over with Fiddleford. They were matching. Typical. "...you good?"

"What the hell do you think?" Stan snapped. "I just had to bury my brother. Of course I'm not good!"

Bella blinked and frowned.

"Hey!" Fiddleford frowned as well. "What was tha' abou'? She was only tryin' ta comfort ya, Stanley."

Stan scoffed.

"Not very well, huh?" He grumbled.

"Now really!" Fiddleford folded his arms. "What's brought this on? We're upset about losin' Stanferd too, ya know!"

Stan growled and was about to shout back when he noticed Bella standing timidly behind her best friend, drying another wave of tears. He sighed and looked down at his feet, kicking the pavement sadly.

"Yeah, I know," he mumbled. "Sorry. I just... Ford promised we'd go together. And then he went and did this, and-"

Bella hugged him around the chest, tears leaking onto his shirt. He hugged her back.

School hadn't been much better.

"Hey loser! Shouldn't you be gone by now?" Crampelter laughed. "I would think the teachers would have given up on ya without your freakish twin-"

"Shut up, Crampelter!" Stan shouted. "Just shut up! It's your fault! You pushed him! If it weren't for you I'd still have my FUCKING BROTHER!"

"Woah!" Crampelter just dodged the fist thrown his way. "Hey! Watch it!"

"YOU WATCH IT!" Stan screamed, aiming to punch the bully's face. He succeeded, and Crampelter fell against the lockers.

"Pines! Stan, stop it!" A teacher came running over, holding Stan back. "What on Earth are you doing?!"

"He was talking shit about Ford!" Stan cried, tears of anger forming. "Sixer ain't freakish!"

"Alright, alright," the teacher said. "Go take out your anger on one of the punching bags. I'll write you a note."

Stan huffed and stomped down the hall.

"You, Crampelter, are to go down to the nurse," the teacher scolded. "And then you're to come to me to receive your detention slips. I think two weeks should do it."

Stan smirked triumphantly.

BARGAINING

"Do y'think that if I had noticed, Ford would still be alive...?"

"Very impressive, Stanley!" The teacher smiled as she handed back Stan's test with a bright red 'B' in the corner. "Your grades have really picked up! I'm very proud."

"Thanks, Ms," Stan smiled lightly. That smile fell once the teacher moved on. A B wasn't enough. Ford always got A's. So, if Stan got an A, maybe something would happen. He wasn't sure what, though. Maybe it would be revealed that Ford really was alive?

"Wow Stan, yer grades are gettin' good," Fiddleford smiled encouragingly. "Any reason why?"

"I dunno... it's what Ford would have wanted," Stan shrugged and shoved his test in his folder. "Maybe I can, I don't know, make him proud or something?"

"Aww..." Bella frowned.

"Yeah, I knew it was dumb," Stan mumbled.

"That's not dumb!" Bella assured. "That's nice. I get it."

"Thanks. I just... ugh, I want him back so much!" Stan replied, laying on his desk. "I'd do anything to see him again..." He noticed Bella's scared look. "Besides that! I promise. I won't leave you guys."

"Whew," Bella sighed in relief. "Good."

When Stan got home, he took the test from his backpack and taped it to the wall above Ford's bed. The B looked rather out of place among Ford's other A-covered papers, but it fit better than a C.

"We're gettin' there," Stan murmured, his eyes sweeping over all the papers, tests, and assignments. He then turned to look at the map taped above his own bed. It had been Ford's favorite. It was only a basic map of the world, but it was covered in red dots, each one representing a strange anomaly or going-ons somewhere. Ford had been documenting every one. They were where they were going to go on the Stan O' War.

Stan remembered something strange he had seen on the news that morning. Some sort of weird creature spotted in Oregon. He couldn't remember the name of the town, so he stuck a red dot in the center of the state.

DEPRESSION

"No Ma, I'm not hungry... I'm sure. I'll just have some milk."

Stan woke up, but he didn't get out of bed. And when Bella woke up, she stayed with him. Fiddleford was the only one up and moving.

"Mornin', y'all," he spoke, sitting across the room on the floor and eating a waffle. "Ya gonna get up?"

Bella shook her head.

"Yeah, me neither," Stan agreed.

"Alright," Fiddleford sighed. "Y'all at least want some breakfast?"

"I'm alright," Stan mumbled. Bella shrugged slightly.

"Some milk?" Fiddleford asked her. She slowly nodded. "Sippy cup?" She nodded again. "Alright, Ah'll get it fer ya."

Fiddleford left the room and was heard walking downstairs. Stan pulled Bella closer to him, closing his eyes and keeping his arm around her. He breathed in and kissed her forehead, rubbing up and down her back.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I've just been up and down these past couple weeks. I haven't spent a lot of time with you."

"It's alright," Bella mumbled. "I get it. I miss him, too. ...And I really don't wanna lose you, too..."

"You won't," Stan promised. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right here."

"Good..."

He stood in front of the grave again. But this time he was there with both Bella and Fiddleford. He hadn't been back since the funeral about two weeks ago. He still didn't want to see it. He wished it would go away and be replaced by his brother, alive and well.

-Stanford Pines- A beloved brother and son.

That barely covered it. Stan could think of a million more things Ford was, but they wouldn't have fit on the headstone. Stanford was the best student, the best friend Stan could have ever asked for, the best twin to have ever existed. He was a nerd, a dork, awkward beyond belief, and so so so much more.

Bella stepped forward to lay the bouquet of flowers at the base of the headstone. Without the plastic, they looked perfect against the fresh grass that had began to grow in over the disturbed dirt.

The three friends stood for awhile before turning and walking back home.

ACCEPTANCE

"That was my brother's desk. No one really uses it anymore. It's closer to the front, if you need it."

Cleaning day. Or, sort of. Stan tried to distract his mind as he stripped the sheets off of Ford's old bed. Bella and Fiddleford had already taken the blankets and pillow case and put them in the hamper. The pillow was placed back in the cabinet. All of Ford's old clothes were gathered off the floor and tossed in the hamper as well. After they were cleaned, they would be donated.

All except the jacket.

Stanford's brown jacket had been hung in Stan's closet, the day they took it off to dress Ford for the funeral. Stan had refused to let anyone touch or clean it. Today, he had taken it out and worn it while cleaning.

Ok, maybe it should be washed after today. Ford had never used deodorant.

"Almost done, guys," he spoke when Bella and Fiddleford returned. "Just gotta clean up the tent and clear off the bookshelf. You guys wanna pick out some of them now?"

"Sure," Fiddleford nodded. Him and Bella sat in front of the shelf, beginning to go through the books. Bella got most of the fictional ones, and Fiddleford got the science and non-fiction books. He also took a few science-fiction books. By the time they divided the contents of the shelf up, everything was done.

It was almost like Ford hadn't lived there for the past fourteen years.

Almost.

One entire wall was dedicated to all of Ford's projects and aced tests, along with a few group photos of him with Stan, Bella, and Fiddleford. And of course, the barrel Stan and Ford had found on the Stan O' War sat at the foot of Stan's bed, filled with the maps Ford had left for his twin.

It had been a long few weeks, and Stan had never felt worse during them. And of course, he was still upset and devastated about losing his brother. He wasn't convinced at all that he had cried for the last time about Ford. But hey, at least he had the courage to finally clean his stuff out of their room, and he had stopped using present-tense when referring to him.

That was a start, wasn't it?