#perhaps some kind of vision led us there<3

[brittlebutch]

little Tula sculpture because this season immediately put me in a chokehold in the best way possible <3

[slifarianhawk]

Chapter 3: Osmanthus and Jasmine (Normal. P.O.V.)

"Hush child and listen well. You breathe Dendro as I. You are so much like i strong and just. Do not dwell on the past, for we shall meet soon enough." The deep voice resonated deeply within me, "now awaken."

I jolted awake, sweat dripping down my face. My vision was hazy, but the room I was in smelled different from the hallway I was in prior. This place smelled of medical herbs and antiseptic. I rubbed my hands down my legs and onto what felt like a mattress. Did I make it to the infirmary? No, I couldn't have made it.

"Hey, you're awake!" I heard a gentle voice say as I heard small footsteps walk towards me. I rubbed my eyes, yet my vision was still foggy.

"Hi, um... I hate to be a bother, but do you have a cloth with some water on it? My vision is a bit off currently." I say, looking at a blurred short figure standing by my feet.

"Of course! Let me get you a damp cloth. So you're Ms. Silva?" The sweet voice said, walking away.

"Yeah, I am Silva, although here I guess I'm going to be known as one zero six four. May I ask how you know of me, I had only arrived a few hours ago. I haven't introduced myself to anyone." I said sadly, bringing my hands to my lap.

"Don't be so down. Monsieur Nuevillette wouldn't have told me to make sure you were taken of you if he thought you were evil." The small figure ran back towards me.

I felt something wet dab at my eyes. It was soft and warm. Oh, she must have brought the clothes and the water was warm. That was not a luxury I was not expecting. After she wiped my eyes, I blinked a few times, and my sight was as right as the rain.

I closed my eyes, and a soft smile graced my lips, "Thank you... Ms?"

I looked beside me and saw a kind smile returning my own.

"Sigewinne, head nurse Sigewinne," the small human-like Melusine said.

"Thank you, Ms. Sigewinne." I bowed my head.

"Don't worry about it, but if you should, thank anyone. It would be his grace. He carried you into the infirmary after you fell unconscious." She said, lifting my shirt.

I stared at my side, noticing fresh bandages and a massive reduction of the pain in my side, "Did you heal me? Ms. Sigewinne."

"Yes, while you still have a gash on your side, it no longer requires stitches. I healed it up using my vision. However, you should still take it easy for the next few days." She smiled, sitting at her desk in the front of the room.

"So the infamous Duke of Meropide carried me here, that's sweet of him to do... especially since I had just arrived." I said, smiling, turning to get out of bed.

"You should tell him that. He invited you to his office for some tea. He said no one's first day in Meropide should be spent in the infirmary." She said, opening a drawer and pulling out a large envelope, "Here I need this brought to his grace. Could you take this to him? I have to go make myself some dinner."

"Alright, I can do that. I am remiss, though I haven't been shown where his office is." I said, standing and stretching my back.

She let out a small chuckle, "I'll show you just follow me."

"Alright, lead the way," I said following after the small Melusine.

She led me down the main corridor and to the lift I had taken earlier with that asshole guard. Ms. Sigewinne was greeted happily by both the staff and inmates. It filled my heart with hope that maybe that guard was just a one-off coincidence.

"You seem well-respected, Sigewinne. It's quite nice to see." I smiled.

"Why thank you, Ms. Silva, I can tell by the way you walk, you are well-traveled. Your posture is a bit ridged, but each step has meaning. You're guarded but free-flowing it's quite refreshing." Sigewinne said, leading to a massive set of double doors.

"I guess this is his grace's office?" I ask, marveling at massive bronze or perhaps brass handles.

"It sure is. Now, it's best not to keep him waiting." Sigewinne said, walking off behind me.

I gulped and took a centering breath. As I reached out for the handle, I noticed my fingers twitching. With another breath, I steel myself. I pulled open the huge door open.

I was met with a gentle scent that reminded me of my found home in Liyue. I ascended the stairs that were wrapped around the edge of the room. There was an interesting music playing in the background.

As I reached the apex of the stairs, I noticed a tall man standing in front of a massive desk. There was a coat covered in black wolf like fur draped over his back. There was a small create opened next to him.

"Excuse me, your grace? You wanted to see me?" I spoke, noticing his hair swish slightly at my voice.

"Yes, and thank you for coming, Ms. Silva." He said, turning to face me.

I was stunned, and this man was gorgeous. He was roughly six foot two and well built. But what stood out to me was his cold, calculating, icy blue eyes.

"Please have a seat on the sofa." He said, motioning to the worn red couch snapping from my thoughts.

"Of course." I said, sitting down, noticing the items that were left in my hotel room were either on his desk or in the small crate, "Pardon me, your grace, but why do you have these items? I was told by the guardes they'd be destroyed."

"Ah, monsieur Nuevillette had the champion duelist had them brought here for you. I must say for a traveler from Inazuma you have a lot of documents that don't pertain to your travel in Fontaine." He said, looking over his shoulder at me.

"I was here for research regarding my family. He and my mother traveled throughout Tevat just before I was born. From what I found out, my mother abandoned me and him at Port Ormos when he was trying to escape his family in Sumeru. I was but a newborn at the time. From what I found out during my time in Liyue, they spent the most time in Fontaine. They were herb farmers. I was trying to find where my mother went." I said  the decision to be truthful, weighing on my mind.

"That's quite the story. Would you care for some tea?" He asked, putting a kettle on a small tea nook.

"That sounds quite lovely, actually."  I said Sigewinne did say the invite was for tea after all.

He turned towards his desk, sitting down in the well constructed chair as he interlocked his fingers, "So tell me, do you know why the guard whom escorted you to your room was so rough with you?"

I looked down at my feet, "It's because of my attack on the guards... according to him, I had put his brother-in-law in the hospital. He was seeking revenge. At least, that's my perspective on the matter."

"I feel that I must apologize for being so remiss in retraining my guards. I had just taken over Meropide. It appears some of the guards haven't been properly trained in my new policies."  He said, staring into my eyes.

"There is no need to apologize, your grace. I brought this upon myself." I said a deep sense of remorse coursing through my heart.

"No one brings abuse from others on themselves, no matter the circumstances." He said as the kettle started to whistle.

That struck me deep. It reminded me of something Ayato said to me as I departed Inazuma.

"No matter where the journey takes you, remember you don't have to take the plate given to you." Ayato's voice rang in my ears.

I smiled slightly, "Thank you, your grace."

"Please, if it's not too much, call me Wriothesley while in this office." He said, standing up, going over to the kettle.

"Wriothesley... that's a lovely name." I murmured under my breath.

I stood up and walked over to the crate containing my belongings. I felt his gaze shift to my back. There was a feeling of tension between us. I didn't blame him for the suspension.

"Forgive me, Wriothesley. I don't have any weapons. I was just wondering if we are having tea, could we use the blend that my close friends in Liyue made." I said slightly bowed.

"It's alright, Ms. Silva. I had already gone through the crate. I know there were no weapons in there. Is the tea in those carved cor lapis jars?" His grace said, pulling the kettle of the heat.

"In the largest one, yes. The rest of the jars are other dried herbs that are sensitive to the open air." I said, pulling out the intricately crafted cor lapis jar that had a carving of a dragon on the lid.

He brought the cups over to his desk, " That's quite lovely,".

"Thank you, Wriothesley. It was a gift from two friends whom I became close with in Liyue harbor. They gave them to me along with the tea before I departed for Fontaine." I said, placing the jar on the large desk.

"If you don't mind me asking, what blend of herbs are in this tea?" He asked, turning towards me.

"Mainly osmanthus and jasmine, there is also violet grass and dried glaze lilies. It's meant to help with migraines and exhaustion." I said, taking off the lid, "My friend, Baizhu, blended it with my goal in mind."

"Dr. Baizhu of Bubu pharmacy, maybe you can put in a word for Sigewinne. She has been wanting to order some herbs from them but can't seem to get a response." Wriothesley said, measuring out some of the loose tea for our cups, "We do have a post station here in the fortress. So long as you have the coupons, we can send and receive anything from or to anywhere. So long as it passes inspection first."

"I can at least try. Both you and Sigewinne have shown me a great deal of kindness in the few short hours I've been here. It is the very least I can do." I say as Wriothesley hands me the freshly steeped tea.

"Cream or sugar?" He asked, gesturing to the tray on his coffee table.

"Just some sugar, cream mutes the flavor of the osmanthus petals." I said, sitting down on the couch once more.

"Well, I shall take your word for it." He said, placing a cube of sugar in his cup, and I did the same.

"Do you have any other questions for me?" I asked, slowly sipping the steamy beverage in my hand, warmth spreading through my chest as a sense of familiarity eased my thoughts.

"Yes, actually, this was waiting for you at the front desk of the hotel you were at. According to the champion duelist, it had arrived today." Wriothesley said, pulling a golden envelope out of a folder on the coffee table, "Would you care to read it for me?"

I recognized the golden hue and glaze lily wax seal. It was from the man who had been looking after me when I arrived in Liyue. Mr. Zhongli, he found my travels a curious topic and had taken interest in my quest.

"May I ask why? It's not like I have anything to hide, I'm just curious." I asked, lifting up the wax seal.

"It's a favor to Nuevillette. He, as you know, is continuing to investigate your attack. There seems to be a possibility of a connection to the increase of drug overdoses in the Court of Fontaine. I want to help him get to the bottom of it." He said.

"Ahh, I see. I will read it for you. However, there will be little information to assist you, I'm afraid." I said, pulling the stationary from its confinement.

"I'll guess we will see, won't we." His grace said, his icy eyes closing as he sipped his tea.

I unfolded the nicely penned letter and began to speak, "Good day, Silva, I have heard of what befell you in Fontaine. While I am unsure of all the details, I know that the Fontaine justice system is a fair one. While I have accepted the fact that it may be a fair bit of time before we see or even exchange letters. I want you to know I still shall help you find your family. Once you are able to reach out to me and tell me of your journey. I shall a wait for the day can share tea and exchange stories once again, my honored friend."

"Your friend is quite well written." Wriothesley said placing down his empty cup.

"He is." I agreed with his grace, "Did anything aroused your suspensions?"

"No, it just seems you have someone on the outside of Fontaine who cares for you." He said standing up.

I subtly looked up at his face. His grace looked like he was trying to suppress a sorrowful expression. A face I knew well. I looked at the shelves behind me and happened to notice a small clock reading it was past eight at night.

"I must apologize Wriothesley, but I feel as if I have taken up too much of your time. Someone of your status must be busy. I'm sorry to have wasted your time." I said embarrassedly as he put up his hand.

"No need for the apologies Silva. I was the one who invited you. If I am to be honest I don't view this as a waste of my time. It's not often I invite a prisoner to my office their first day and of the times I have done that, this time has been relatively enjoyable. Now I shall have a guarde bring you this create by tomorrow however I'm sure you wouldn't like your lovely herb jars stolen. So as a favor I'll keep them locked in my office and if you feel you need some of your tea just send a request through Sigewinne. I'll be glad to share another cup of tea with you." He said offering his hand to help me off the couch.

I felt a slight warmth glaze my cheeks as I took his hand, "Thank you, your grace."

"Please, just Wriothesley." He said helping me up.

"Thank you, Wriothesley." I smiled as I felt his gaze soften.

"Your welcome. Now go talk to ban, the robot next to the cafeteria. It'll provide you with your daily wellfair meal." He said walking over to the stairs.

"I appreciate it. Have a good night." I said bowing to him and walking down the stairs. I quickly walked out

Maybe, just maybe.... things will be okay.

[mtkanna]

more narzissenkreuz thoughts below the cut :3

was mary-ann human or an oceanid? unknown. the more i think about it, the less i realise we know about mary-ann guillotin. we know that she was the last to join the narzissenkreuz institute and was later adopted alongside alain, that she had some scientific knowledge, that she joined the marechaussee hunters and had seymour as a mechanical assisstant, and that she died within elynas; beyond that, we can only make inferences.

i'm currently leaning towards her being an oceanid.

Here, the first person she met was the tall, pure Director. And though she was even less sure of what to do than the little girl, she still greeted her with an embrace, And got her clothes soaked for the trouble.

^^ these lines, from heroes' tea party, say to me that mary-ann was probably an oceanid or hydro-aligned in some other way. for all that we know, she could have been someone granted a vision at a young age, like klee and diluc, or another kind of hydro being that we haven't seen before...

what happened with the narzissenkreuz ordo? the ordo was established by rene and jakob before mary-ann's death. they were slowly able to bring other researchers into it, who they controlled largely through fear; these people were used to begin construction on projects like the four orthants. the ordo's work, and perhaps also carter scherbius' """death""" caused an irreparable schism between rene and alain, which likely led alain to deem it a threat to fontaine.

alain, and presumably mary-ann too, were firmly against the narzissenkreuz ordo. jakob and rene wholly believed that it was necessary for fontaine's future.

so what's the deal with lyris? lyris was the director of the narzissenkreuz institute. she was involved in "defeat[ing] the evil at its source" during the cataclysm, which i believe refers to either the sign of apaosha or something to do with the seal over the primordial sea. at some point during their journey in sumeru, rene began to theorise about the director's nature, and suggested that she hopefully wouldn't die due to some unknown experiment he was planning.

later on--in page seven of the book of revealing--rene says that lyris also saw scenes of an apocalyptic future, and he and mary-ann planned to visit her; the next time she is mentioned, her condition has also "deteriorated." what was this deterioration? was it like carter, or was it something else?

we know that her title was the "red empress," and that she had access to something which made her valuable to narzissenkreuz and the ordo. but what was this 'something?' why did her condition deteriorate, and what brought her to work alongside jakob and rene? these things are all unknowns.

other things we don't know 1. what happened to karl ingold and dwight lasker? we know that basil elton was killed and emanuel guillotin was dissolved, but karl and dwight fall out of our sight very quickly... 2. who put together the book of revealing? we know it was written by rene, but was it him or jakob who assembled it? 3. (complete tangent) since historians/poets/artists keep Peeping The Horrors, does that make rene involved in one of these fields? honorary historian rene desperately examining his primary source archives (abandoned papers in the desert) trying to piece together history (what happened with the golden troupe and the destruction of remuria) 4. was narzissenkreuz deliberately reformed with no memories, or was it incidental, so to speak? 5. why did alain and mary-ann join the marechaussee hunters? they probably know that emanuel quit and would have heard about what happened in fleuve cendre and poisson from jakob and rene, so why join? 6. GREAT DETECTIVE HURLOCK AND THE LILIACRUCES ORDO.

[venusandsaturnsrings]

Not sure if the letters are full yet BUT I thought I would go ahead and try my luck!! (Love your work btw)

⬥ ⭘ ★ ⬦ ⧗ △ ◍

¡About me!

[AFAB! AND BI]

5’2 • roughly 158 cm I think-. I don’t wanna sound self absorbed but I have a pretty nice figure, nice ass, nice thighs, small waist, kinda small bust though🗿ngl my figure is mostly just bc of volleyball and I work out a lot, lmfao

Studying software engineering, used to do art professionally and won a couple of contests but got bored (plus my professor sucked) I still do art as a hobby tho. I also really like singing and have been doing choir since I was like 3, also did it competitively and won a few all region contests. (POV parents that need you to be the best 😩)

I also sew! My style is mostly alt/academia(??) AND I LOVE THE ACCESSORIZE . Think black tights, black skirt, Mary Jane pumps, white collared shirt, and white vest with black accents

OR

Combat boots, ripped black cargo pants with chains, fishnets under the cargos, black turtle neck crop top, and gray zip hoodie.

I also have REALLY bad social anxiety. Idk what it is about being around people, it just makes it hard to breath. For reference my freshman year of Highschool my attendance was 40% 😃.

I realized this is kind of a long ask but I was really curious 🧍

(For reference 🧎)

ik i said dis already but!! if this was truly up to me, i would've matched u with myself!! but that's not the name of the game so please play nice with your match hehe >u<

→ 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱!

𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺: 𝘆𝗮𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝗸𝗼! ←

'100 percent was always the goal. no more, no less; to fail was humiliation and to overachieve was pathetic. to be accurate is the desire. the presence of one so revered and electric in not only vision but in nature seemed to hammer relentingly into the heads of others. yet, you seemed to be the exception. perhaps it was a form of half-hearted apology.'

miko had practically raised you. growing up around the shrine and constantly being urged to success led you straight into the Guujis arms. in a way, she was more of a mother than the one who birthed you. constantly looking after you, making sure you were well fed, dotting on you when others wouldn't... the list of her favouritisms towards you seemed never ending. in return, she garnered your lasting trust; you'd always rely on her over anyone else. and that proved to be the truth when upon returning to the shrine after three years abroad.

you had accepted the offer of tea and found yourself succumbing to a sense of lightheadedness. cooing softly, miko offered for you to lay down and regain your strength. yet, here you were, spread out on an infirmary bed in the back of one of the shrines small buildings with her face in your cunt. she lapped away at your sobbing hole while occasionally nipping at your swollen clit with sharp canines. though fuzzy in the brain your body felt as though it had been placed in front of an open fire. pleasurable heat seared through your lower half as she took her time playing and prying you open for two long fingers to slide in. if you could've lifted your hands you would be pushing her away or pulling her closer; you were conflicted. to receive such an action from the woman who nearly raised you fully felt wrong, yet, you couldn't deny just how skilled she was when sucking greedily at your pussy.

'some apologies are better than others. in part, mikos generous laths across you seemed to be for the time spent without her. an apology worth accepting? if you could get over how filthy it all felt, maybe.'

[cellarfulofnose]

don't think twice, it's all right

@smallsnzplz prompt #3. Sooner or later, one of us must know...

"No, hey, listen, I can beat that, hang on."

John didn't realize he'd tuned out until Bob lightly shook his shoulder. He tried to focus, but they were in a thick haze. Smoke and drink and possibly a pill or two; John couldn't remember which kind or how many. Once they had sunk to the kitchen floor, communing with the tile, someone brought up sex, and whether they were getting any. There was a brief gripe over their current dry spell, but they quickly began trading war stories. Back in America, there was this girl...Back in Hamburg, there were these two birds... It didn't make John's head any less fuzzy, being randy as a bull as well as stoned, but he kept upping the ante. For each of Bob's escapades, he had one to top it. Some, even, were true.

But now the ball was in Bob's court again. "John. You listening?"

John kneaded at his eyes with a rumbling hum. "I'm still here, Bobby," he said somewhat reticently.

"Oh, there was this one chick, man." Without looking, John could hear the grin in Bob's voice. "This girl...hey, she woulda loved you, too."

John turned with a smile--perhaps this was worth a look. "Well, she's only human."

"Yeah, she's real keen on us 'Caesar of Rome' types," Bob explained, tracing a line down the bridge of his nose.

John scoffed. "Long noses?" He almost hesitated to ask. God knew he'd heard enough of that from Ringo over the years: these girls are going to kill me, John, this one actually wanted to sit on my--

"Yeah, but I mean, aquiline, you know?" Bob gestured again, as if to convey the shape of an eagle's beak, and chuckled. "I ought to thank you, really, you broke me in easy."

"Thank me?"

"Yeah, she wanted me to..." Bob giggled, but he gathered himself up long enough to get out, "She got off on makin' me sneeze."

"Hmm." John answered without really hearing. But in a matter of seconds, the words sank in, and a lightning stab of excitement snapped him back to the present moment. He shook his head, half sobered up, blinking as if to clear his vision. "She what?"

Still fighting a fit of giggles, Bob nodded. "She's got a whole thing for it. Gets her goin'. I thought it was about the funniest thing, because she brought up all that shit you showed me--with the tissue?" He twisted his hand beside his nose. "Remember? And the cotton swab."

John swallowed. Fucking small world, this. "Rings a bell."

"Yeah, well, she got me to sneeze that way. And she was good at it, too, I mean, she wouldn't let up, just unbelievable. But I'd already had some practice with you, so it wasn't so bad," Bob finished, laughing lightly, happily oblivious to the weight of what he'd just said.

John, despite himself, was finding it difficult to speak. If Paul were here...Now his thoughts were getting away from him. "But it didn't put you off?" he asked, before they could wander off for good.

"Put me off?" Bob sounded bewildered. "What do you mean, put me off? I loved it. And it got her so hot, John..." His voice changed, got lower and slower, as he leaned in, one hand on John's arm. Dead serious. "I'd sneeze and she'd just get this look, like she was gonna go all to pieces, you wouldn't even believe it..."

"A good fuck, then?" John kept talking, joking to quiet his head, but it was no use. His runaway thoughts, without his permission, had led him to his most reprehensible idea yet. He pushed it away. It wasn't worth spending time on, nor the trouble that was sure to come with it.

"Jesus." Bob collapsed his face into his hands and rocked to the side, letting his weight rest on John for a moment. "Best lay I've ever had. She was wild. I made her come just from touchin' her, just barely nothin'. And by the time I really fucked her--" he whistled, "she woulda done anything, man. I never saw a chick get like that before."

Speak for yourself, John didn't say. What came out instead, bypassing his brain by way of his cock, was: "Anything."

"Felt good, too. Shit." Bob lifted his head from his hands. He continued as if he hadn't heard John, his face split in a dopey grin, eyes half shut, miles deep in a daydream. "You ever sneeze right as you're just about to get off? Whew. Feels like dying and being born."

"Can't say I've had the pleasure," John lied. "So you'd..." Something pulled at his clothes, and he started, but it was only Bob, playing absent-mindedly with the lapels of John's jacket, running his long fingernails over the corduroy furrows. John responded almost automatically with a gentle hand on Bob's wrist, joining him in play. "You'd do it again, then?"

Bob shook his head. "God. Would I. Given half the chance. Just...somethin' different about it, I don't know." He chuckled. "Don't exactly see the chicks linin' up to--"

"I know someone who would." It was out before John could tell himself not to, and straight away his mouth went dry. There was no way he could tell Bob. Yet the thrill that leapt in his chest to hear himself even hint at the truth was too much. He couldn't back out. It was too late.

"Oh, you do, huh?" Bob was Cheshire-cat grinning. "Did you keep her number?"

"Hardly needed to, did I? When I could just ask Paul." Shit. That was a step too far, wasn't it? John prayed Bob wouldn't make the leap. Surely there was another way that could be construed. Maybe he'd think he meant--

"Ask...ask Paul?" At first, Bob couldn't make sense of it. "What, like...Oh, don't tell me."

John's heart dropped heavily into his stomach, but Bob said, "Not Paul's girl, too? The redhead? Jesus Christ, man, she must be about the luckiest chick on the planet. Can you imagine that? All she's gotta do is pet a cat and he's sneezing for a good...a good hour, something like that. Oh, I bet you he gets her so worked up. Shit, I'd love to see that."

John bit his lip to avoid breaking out in bewildered, relieved laughter. Bob was often right on the mark, but when he missed it...boy, did he. "It's not Jane. I meant..." John stalled. The words wouldn't come. He'd really painted himself into a corner, hadn't he? He didn't see any other way out.

Bob was still messing with his jacket, scratching and tracing thoughtlessly. John swallowed. "Only I, I wouldn't mind, you know."

For a crushing moment, Bob was quiet. Then he scoffed. "You don't mean that."

"I swear."

"You just--you've got this notion that I'm gonna put you on to a good thing." As he spoke, Bob jabbed an accusing finger into John's chest, but without any bite behind it. "That's all this is. You've got...misplaced notions. Huh, John?" He was smiling, not looking scornful. Amused, maybe; flattered, even.

"Well." John wet his lips. "It's a bit more complicated than that."

"Yeah, well. Why don't you simplify it for me?"

John made his face placid. He felt keenly aware of where their hands were still touching. "You know Paul and I are. Involved."

"In love?"

"I said, 'involved'."

"Oh." Bob smirked. "Yeah, I figured."

"Right." It was deeply unfair how caught John felt, more so than at the prospect of outing Paul's unusual interest. Somehow, though, he soldiered on. "But our Paul, he's...well, he's a bit mad for you, really." Earlier, he'd been holding Bob's wrist, lightly saying hello as Bob explored his jacket. Now, though, he pressed his palm flat over Bob's, cupping him to his chest, right over his heart. Even through Bob's hand, John could feel how it raced.

If Bob wanted to say something just then, it couldn't escape his lips, tightly pursed to squash a smile. John gave Bob's hand a squeeze, stroked it with his thumb, and continued. "You should hear the way he goes on about you. Makes me wonder."

Bob sighed, quick and tight like a breathless laugh. "Don't worry, Johnny, I'm not about to run off with him." He sounded cavalier, but he was looking down, doing nothing to hide his smile, unconsciously palming John's chest.

"Oh, I'm a jealous man, but I'm not unreasonable. I see what he sees in you." John began to push, just barely, guiding Bob's hand down at a glacier's pace. "I've half a mind to give him what he wants--long as I'm there to see it, of course."

"John, man, your heart's goin'..." Bob's hand had only just cleared John's ribs when he pulled back. But instead of separating, Bob sidled up to John and pressed the side of his head against John's chest, with his ear over his heart.

John's skin warmed all over, but he felt as though he might shiver. He clutched Bob's head and took a deep breath. "That's an open invitation." He could hear his heart thudding, now, too. He could only imagine what Bob must have heard.

As if on cue, Bob angled his head to listen better. "Wow. You're not kiddin', are you? You really want..." He trailed off.

"Yeah. Yes." John nodded, helpless not to even though Bob couldn't see. "But...there's a catch--"

"Hey." Bob beckoned lazily with one hand. "Hey, John. C'mere a minute."

John looked down as Bob gathered a fistful of his shirt and pulled slowly, dragging him down to eye level. His eyes were the color of a robin's egg.

Bob pulled once more, and the breath kicked out of John's chest. He shut his eyes just as their lips joined in a smoky kiss.

---

"Dylan wants me to watch you two fuck."

John had spent the previous night at Bob's place. They didn't get up to anything, too tired even to neck for more than a few minutes before they dragged themselves onto the carpet to sleep. He'd slipped out in the morning to meet Paul, leaving Bob still curled up against an ottoman. He and Paul had passed a normal day together, getting stoned, fiddling with writing, not committing anything to tape. All the while, John was ruminating over how to break the good news to Paul (and it was good news, he kept reminding himself, nothing less than one of Paul's fantasies come to life).

Yet for some reason, he just couldn't say it. At first he reasoned that he'd better get Paul in a good mood before dropping a bombshell of this caliber, but as the day went by, he realized he was stalling. Nervous. For what? It didn't make sense. Paul should be the nervous one--or, really, if anyone was to be nervous it should be Dylan, but of course he'd been cool as glass when John surrendered the details of his idea. Finally, John decided just to open with the most shocking part. Door-in-the-face. Get it out of the way.

Paul stared. He blinked so many times John was worried he'd have to repeat himself, but then he asked, "When?"

John had to take a moment to recover from that one. At least Bob had the decency to give the appearance of humility, coyly insisting that there must be some mistake, he couldn't possibly want him. No such urge existed in Paul. And he might have pretended to hand-wring over fidelity, tearfully swear he wanted John and only John forever, but that was a pipe dream, too. Oh, John could have pitched a fit, and on another day he might've done, but today, he felt the need to get to the point. He told Paul about the girl, her exotic tastes. How eager Bob was to re-create the experience, but for want of a willing participant.

"He wants to do it with you," John finished.

Paul became very quiet. After a long pause, he said in a clipped tone that John hadn't answered his question. John was a little taken aback. He floated the potential date he and Bob had talked about, but that seemed to have been the wrong thing to say. Paul snapped that John had betrayed his trust (again, he kept saying, again), that he had no right to be telling Dylan his most intimate secrets. He got quieter and quieter until John was sure he was ready to cry.

"I told him it was my kink," John blurted, after trying to interrupt several times. "Not yours."

Paul looked exhausted, and utterly lost. "What?"

"Look. No secrets. All right?" John spread his hands out, trying not to sound like he was crying wolf. "I'm not keeping anything from you."

He told Paul everything.

"With Paul, he's...he's very neat, see. Hates mess."

"Well, then he's gonna hate this, man. That'd be tantamount to torture, havin' somebody sneeze all over you."

"Aye, there's the fucking rub, innit? I love seeing him like that. When he's squirming like mad, but he grits his teeth and he does it just 'cause I asked him to. And you know he loves it. Pushin' his limits for me, showing me how good he can be. Can't get enough of it. He's dead easy, is Paul."

"Jesus Christ, what a...what a cheap date, huh? God, you two are somethin'."

John left out the cheap date part, but once he'd finished the rest of the story, Paul's eyes had gone big and round. John shrugged: Well?

Paul scratched his face. "So I've got to pretend to be..."

"Disgusted," John finished for Paul when he took too long searching for the right word.

Paul raised his eyebrows, somewhat defiantly. "Like any normal person would be."

If that was a line, John thought it best not to bite. He kept his tone and expression even. "Think you can do that?"

Paul shifted, crossed and uncrossed his legs. "Yeah. 'Course," he said with his thumbnail in his mouth. He'd gone from icy to twitchy, as if it had just broken through that this was actually going to happen and his nerves were already settling in. John wasn't worried. It was a performance, and if Paul was built to do anything it was perform.

Still... "You sure?"

"Yeah." Paul frowned. "Why wouldn't I?"

John shook his head, his face tactless; I don't know, you tell me. "Well, it's one thing to try and play it cool when you're ten feet apart in his flat. With your clothes on."

"I was fine," Paul quickly said.

"And when he's on the ground with your cock in his mouth?" John fired back. "You'll be fine, will you? When he sneezes so hard he drives his head down and chokes on you? And then again when your cock tickles the roof of his mouth, you'll be fine then?"

For a brief moment, Paul looked ready to burst into flames. Nostrils flared, eyes shining. But he slammed his lips shut, wrinkled his nose and frowned, even pulled his head back a bit. "That's bloody disgusting," he spat, the same cant in his eyebrows and quirk on his lips that he got whenever he was asked to read lines for a camera.

John took a deep breath. "We'll work on it."

---

Bob arrived at Cavendish straight from a show. John had to admit, he'd looked better.

It was dark outside when he rang the doorbell, looking like the wind had blown him onto the doorstep, swimming in an angular woolen suit, the bags under his eyes heavy and stark. He said nothing, but gave a weak smile when John opened the door.

"Sorry, we've no room at the inn," John said brusquely, and that got Bob smiling enough for John to throw an arm round him and herd him inside.

When they entered the front room, Paul stubbed out his cigarette--he'd practically burned through a carton waiting for Bob to arrive. "All right, Bob?" he called brightly.

"Hey, Paul," Bob rasped. His voice was gravelly, more so than usual. It stung John's throat to hear, but only because he knew the feeling so well, the soreness of having screamed yourself hoarse onstage. At least when John did it, he only had to match half of Paul's volume. Bob's voice must have been double-wrecked, then, from being the only fucker singing at any given time.

Paul heard it too; John could see it on his face, which didn't bode well for the rest of the evening. But Paul deliberately avoided eye contact with John and coolly asked, "How was the show?"

"Terrible, oh, it was terrible." Bob dropped like a bag of rocks onto the sofa next to Paul, tiredly rubbing his face with one hand.

John sat in the armchair, kitty-corner to Paul and Bob. "They give you trouble?"

"They wouldn't stop booing me, man. I couldn't hear the band."

"Philistines," John sneered, just as Paul said, "Oh, all Brits are rubes, you know, we wouldn't know a real act if it bit us." In response to that, John clacked his teeth together, snapping his jaws like a crocodile. Paul ignored him.

"Ah, it's all bullshit anyway, that audience stuff," Bob said dismissively. "But next time I'm gonna boo back."

John flipped the V and hissed, and that made both of them laugh. But when they caught their breath, a silence fell that was just a bit too strained for John's liking. Everyone seemed to be waiting. Bob rubbed his eyes.

God. It always had to be him, didn't it? "Paul."

Paul straightened, and John said, "Get the man a drink."

Paul was on his feet in an instant. He seemed to realize a moment later how eager he'd been, the puppylike enthusiasm in his obedience, because he turned and gave them a stiff bow before he left the room: See, it's all a joke.

"It's so hard to find good staff in London," John lamented once Paul had disappeared.

"No, I like him, he's good," Bob chuckled. "You keep him."

"You think so?"

At that moment, Paul came back in, laden with glasses of whiskey and wine. "Oh, I think so," Bob grinned, and with a funny twinge in his stomach, John realized his unique position in this little dance. Whatever Bob and Paul thought of each other after tonight reflected back on him. He was the ringmaster, the matchmaker.

John reached for wine, but decided on whiskey instead. Paul sat. They drank.

Bob did most of the talking. Not all of his shows, as it turned out, were disasters. Only the other night, he'd played for an audience who cheered and were silent at all the right times (though, he claimed, they were mostly French and didn't understand what he was singing, which was almost worse). Paul shared a few anecdotes about some of their wilder crowds. He didn't so much as stammer as he refilled everyone's glass and kept easy attention on Dylan. John found himself listening intently to stories he'd heard a hundred times, never mind been there for, and he began to suspect Bob was right. About keeping Paul around, that is.

At some point, John saw Bob's hand resting in Paul's upper thigh with no memory of seeing him put it there. His pulse spiked, adrenaline cutting through the foggy balm of the drinks. It was no absent-minded fidget, but a gentle, deliberate hold.

As if he felt John staring, Paul turned to meet his gaze. He studied John's eyes for a moment, then hooked his ankle behind John's, nestling their shins together.

John's head spun. There'd been something coiling in his chest earlier, some strange possessive urge that rankled to see Bob and Paul touching each other. That was gone now. He wanted them to get on exceptionally, blisteringly well with each other, and he didn't want to miss a moment of it.

Bob laughed while sipping wine and spluttered out a few drops of red. He was laughing too hard to recover, so Paul reached over and thumbed the spilled wine off Bob's chin. He popped his thumb in his mouth to clean it; waste not, want not. God only knew what possessed him to give a little hum of satisfaction after that, as indulgent as if the wine were honey.

It didn't go unnoticed. "Thanks," said Bob. "It's good, isn't it?"

Paul nodded, looking slightly guilty, little Jack Horner caught with his thumb in the pie. "It's good."

John thought he might sweat through his jacket if they sat here any longer. Then Bob said, "Hey, I've never been here before. Where's the bedroom?"

"Just--down..."

John sprang to his feet before Paul could finish giving directions. "This way," he panted, and the other two followed.

He swore he'd only counted one breath before they were piling into Paul's room. The jostled each other in the doorway, someone muttered "Sorry" as they nudged through the bottleneck, and then at once Bob was kissing John, as chapped and smoky as he'd been the first time. John tried to let himself melt into it, just for a second.

Bob tilted his mouth away to murmur "Oh, fuck," all soft and sweet, and John realized Paul had pressed into Bob from the back to kiss his neck. The sight and sound pushed every thought out of John's mind, and they continued like that for a while, John at Bob's lips and Paul at his pulse, until Paul stepped back with a rustle of fabric.

John opened his eyes. Paul had stripped to his shorts and was working on getting his socks off. He was so beautiful, dark-haired and open-mouthed, his chest splashed with pink from the wine and the kiss.

Bob started to palm John through his jeans, clumsy but sure. John gasped. "Wait, it--" he took half a step back, separating them. "It's you and him now." With a hand on Bob's shoulder, he turned him to face Paul. It was what they had agreed. He was just here to watch.

And to direct. "Sit down," John said softly, and Paul perched on the edge of the bed.

Geneva. That was the word that would end the whole session, no questions asked, if spoken. John tried to keep it at the front of his mind, but it was getting harder to hold on to rational thought. Bob, too, seemed to lose some of his faculties at the sight of Paul. For all John knew, he could've been star-struck, unwilling to believe this was the same man he'd met just under a year ago. "Go on," he said with a hand at Bob's back.

Bob shambled forward, and by the way Paul bit his lip and flushed, John could guess Bob sported a sheepish grin. John smiled, safely unseen. He dragged a chair from the dresser to the middle of the room and sat.

Paul sighed heavily through his nose when Bob planted his hands on the bed and leaned down to kiss him. John stirred--not jealousy, not envy, but a fierce desire to move in as close to them as he could, to watch every fleeting touch transpire between them. He almost sighed with relief when Bob lowered to his knees, giving John an unobstructed view of Paul's face. Paul looked rumpled, already out of breath, his lips ruby from a good thorough kiss. His eyes darted down, but Bob was already standing again for some reason, as if he'd changed his mind.

John watched as Bob strode to the head of the bed. He was at a total loss until Bob reached over to the nightstand and ripped a tissue from the box.

"Can you get me started, John?" Bob asked, offering the sheet with a bashful smile. "I'm a little out of practice."

John blanched. Somehow amidst the wining and dining, he'd forgotten the hinge, the crux of this whole event. Judging by Paul's deer-in-the-headlights look, he had too, for a moment.

...He'd let his guard down. Perfect. John held out his hand, grinning ear to ear. "My pleasure."

As John twisted one corner into a wicked point, Bob bent down and began another story. "You know, I had to sneeze tonight, on stage. I dunno if it's the lights, or what, but..." he laughed. "I couldn't get my harmonica off. It was terrible. They were jeerin' me so bad. Someone, some--kgh--!" Bob twitched, sputtering out a cough, as John teased the paper into his nostril and gave a lazy swirl.

"You were saying?" John prompted, circling as slowly as he thought he could get away with, the other hand cradling Bob's chin. He stole a glance at Paul, who was running his fingertips over his lips. John raised his eyebrows once, suggestively, and looked back down.

Bob coughed. His expression was pinched, his lashes starting to darken with tears. "Someone's--Jesus--I hear someone going, 'Thahhh's...huh-! ohh...hh-...hhh--!" Bob's mouth fell open, trying to drink little sips of air, and John would've been forgiven for thinking he was on the edge of pleasure. He looked so blissed-out, yet so wanting; it was very Zen, John thought, to be so visibly caught at the crossroads of desire and suffering. He'd have to share that one with...ah, no, he couldn't tell George that.

Just then, Bob sighed thickly, having slipped the clutches of a sneeze. He sniffled a few times, as if to get his bearings, before he spoke. "They're goin', 'That's the best sound that's come outta you tonight!'" He laughed lightly, which made him sniffle again, and shot John a glare. "Hey, come on, quit teasin' me, John. I can't stomach it."

Without a word, John twisted his wrist and swirled, letting Bob feel the tissue's point properly this time.

Bob cried out and started coughing again. "Mother--fucker--that t-tickles," he managed.

John's eyes flicked up at a sudden movement--Paul was taking his hand out of his waistband. His cheeks were bright red. When he realized he was being observed, he shut his mouth and his face smoothed over a little.

John would've stared at him for an hour or two longer, but Bob gave a particularly vocal gasp. "Why don't you sneeze, then?" John asked, spurred on by an instinct he couldn't name.

Bob nodded, causing him to cringe and start gasping again. "I am...ahhh- hhh'm gonna--! ...htCch'uh!" The first sneeze had no kick to it; it was auxiliary, just to break the levee. Immediately, his lungs filled again, and he shivered out two proper sneezes. "hhhzzsch'ue! --hhih'SsChh!"

Despite himself, John jumped the tiniest bit--just from the sudden shock of spray hitting his hand, of course. He snuck a look across the room. Paul appeared--to his credit--almost bored. He blinked and rolled his eyes heavenward, his lips twisted as his tongue worked the inside of his cheek. One hand tapped incessantly on his knee. John knew the act well. He wasn't feigning disinterest; he was annoyed with himself, and only a few nudges away from biting down on something. Something about that, to John, didn't scream just fine.

"Bless you," John said with an affectionate tap under Bob's chin.

Bob swallowed and groaned, blinking away gauzy tears. "Ugh. Thank you."

John's gaze lingered a moment longer before he raised his voice to address Paul. "What, were you brought up in a barn, McCartney?"

Paul froze, petrified and utterly clueless, so John nodded down at Bob. A grudging understanding washed over Paul. "Bless--" His voice failed. He tried again. "Bless you, Bobby."

"Oh." Bob glanced over his shoulder and smiled. "Thanks."

"There, now, that's better. I shouldn't have to remind you. We have a guest, after all." John didn't smile. He didn't need to. Paul's jaw was already tensing, like he was chewing on saying something. "Got to keep up appearances," John added, "haven't we?"

Paul's head tilted slightly, and his eyes might've narrowed, John couldn't swear from here. "Yes," he said flatly. "We have."

This time, John did smile. "Go on," he said to Bob, raising his chin toward Paul. "Till he gets it down."

"Happy to." Bob accepted the tissue from John and mopped at his nose with the non-twisted end. "I think I got it from here. Just had to...give me a little push." He grinned back at John as he sank to the floor before Paul's feet. Paul was breathing faster than usual, and blinking often, but otherwise he was impressively pacific. The only clue as to his true feelings was the rose-petal flush that dappled his chest. To John's eye, he wasn't even visibly hard. He'd tucked his thighs together just so, a skill learned out of necessity, prominent in the public eye as they were. But between those shapely legs, John knew, hid a throbber for the history books, and they'd only just begun.

Without much ceremony, Bob stuck the tissue's point up his nose. As if to prove to John that he could keep his cool, Paul worked a hand into Bob's curls, easing his head just slightly closer. He didn't look at John.

Bob made a sound of surprise. "Shit. Sorry," he added with a faint laugh. "I just. Snff. I never saw a better pair of legs on a chhick...yyyshh'ew!"

The sneeze seemed to catch them all by surprise. John blurted, "Bloody hell," and despite tensing conspicuously, Paul managed to offer a curt, "Bless you."

"God." Bob blew his nose lightly, but for some reason, he didn't elect to tear a fresh tissue. "Came up on me quicker than I thought. I guess I am pretty good at this. Hey, John?" he chuckled, twisting a new corner into a point.

John fought a smile. "Y'know how you get to Carnegie Hall, don't you?"

Paul's lips pressed thin. His shoulders gave a small jolt--he was swallowing a laugh. Victory burned John's cheeks.

"Man, ain't that the truth. Never thought I'd get the hang of this," said Bob, and stuck the tissue in his nose again. Right away, his breath came slow and heavy. "C'mon--let me..." he panted, easing Paul's knees apart with his free hand.

Paul's mouth dropped open, and he quickly pressed his palm over it, looking in need of a full-body shiver when Bob's hand slid up his thigh. There was no way to hide how shamefully hard he was now.

John swallowed--twice--and thought, fuck it. He rose from his chair and sat next to Paul on the bed, unfastening his belt as he went. All the acknowledgement he got was a brief moment of eye contact and a helpless little head-shake from Paul: Jesus fucking Christ, John.

Bob was too busy tempting a sneeze, and admiring Paul's legs, to notice. (His eyes were only half open, anyway.) "Did...did...did you get these--hhh'in-insured?" he asked haltingly, a faint smile playing at his lips.

"Aye, pretty fucking penny, too," John muttered. He didn't care if anyone but Paul heard him. Biting his lip to avoid gasping obscenely, he unzipped and wet the head of his cock with the dew pearling at the tip.

The memory of last time still fresh in his mind, Bob seemed to be over-cautiously slow at what he was doing, to the point that it didn't seem to be working. "Fuckin'--shit," he spat between ragged gasps. He tilted his head as if that would get him any closer, as if he could reach the tissue further in.

John's thumb slicked over the end of his cock again, and he nearly bit his tongue. "Faster," he hissed.

Bob quickened his pace and winced, hard. He didn't even have time to swear before he sucked in a stuttering breath and sneezed down at Paul's lap. Paul covered his mouth as Bob croaked something inaudible, gasped, and sneezed again, painting the tops of Paul's thighs.

"Holy Mary." John was so focused on stroking slowly and not fucking into his fist, he didn't notice Paul had stayed silent.

Paul's hand fell from his mouth. His eyes met John's by mistake and went from half-lidded to wide open. He sighed, as if out of breath, and choked out "Blessyou."

"Can't fucking count?" said John, a bit harsher than he needed to.

Paul glared. "Bless you," he added through gritted teeth.

Bob's breath caught once more, and they both flinched, but he let out a long, defeated exhale and sniffled miserably. "This thing's kaput, man," he said, casting aside the tissue with disdain. He leaned over to snatch another one, giving John just enough time to share a look with Paul. Paul looked strung out, his hair somehow out of place. When his eyes came into focus, his brow creased and he shook his head once, barely noticeable. Mouthed, 'M fine.

John rather hoped he would say that. "Bobby."

"Huh," Bob replied after a moment, his voice deadened by congestion. He slid back into place between Paul's knees and turned blearily to John.

"Need to blow your nose?"

"Yeah," Bob sighed, a hint of a laugh in it. "Good guess." He tented the tissue over his nose and began to breathe in.

"Stop--wait," John said.

Bob frowned curiously over the edge of the sheet.

John cleared his throat. His words tumbled out with a slight waver. "That's crap. Don't use that. Too rough, you'll rub the skin all raw. Got something softer for you. Haven't we, Paul? For our guest."

Paul looked at him fit to kill.

"Take your pretty knickers off," said John.

Something went through Paul's face, a twinge of nondescript emotion, a slight tremble in his jaw. But he only hesitated a moment before lifting his hips to slide his shorts down and off his ankle. Wet? They were soaked to partial sheerness in the front, bless him. Best of all, he needed no direction to hand them over to Bob, who buried his nose in them right away.

"Thank you," he lowed, muffled. "Oh, Jesus, these are soft."

"My best pair, so." Paul must have felt the sudden and wonderful need to act. He'd managed to pull an expression of mild discomfort--John thought it looked more like confusion than disgust, but Christ, what a show. "You know. Be care--" His monologue cut off when Bob blew his nose mightily into the cloth. Paul colored deeply and finished, "Careful with 'em."

Bob nodded but gave no other indication that he'd heard. He exhaled again with even more force, then stopped--inhaled--and convulsed with a wretched sneeze. Paul looked as if he might pass out. He dragged both hands down his face and huffed a sigh.

"Mother a' God," Bob groaned, before giving a final sinus-clearing blow. "Somethin' in the air in here, shit." He was smiling dazedly when he emerged, and God, if John thought he looked awful before...

"Wish I could take credit," John breathed. When he saw Paul roll his eyes, something occurred to him--Paul hadn't said 'bless you'. That wouldn't do at all.

"Oh, no, you're--you've done more than enough, John," Bob laughed. "Hang on, I gotta get..." He dropped the shorts and went for another tissue.

John leaned close to Paul. "Put them back on."

Paul huffed in disbelief, revulsion--and something else--on his face. "You're touched."

John tutted. "Mustn't forget our manners. And not in front of company."

At that moment, company returned to the floor between Paul's legs. With a firm edge, John said, "Put them back on."

Like a good host, Paul did. He couldn't stop himself from shuddering a bit (it must have been cold, John realized, never mind Paul's own hang-ups, and he cringed in sympathy).

Bob must have noticed. "Hey, it's all right, I took good care of them," he grinned. "I know what I'm doin'." He twisted a corner and resumed his work.

"No, I don't think you bloody well do," Paul said stiffly, and John would've smacked him if his dominant hand weren't so busy.

"Gonna take that lying down, Bob?" John asked, and to his great delight, Bob took the cue and stood.

"Some mouth on him." Then, "hhohgod," as he seemed to hit the right spot. Bob planted a hand on Paul's shoulder and one knee straight between his legs. A faint sound punched out of Paul at the contact, the light pressure on his severely neglected cock.

John's breath caught in his throat. "Too fucking--right," he growled, giving in to the temptation to stroke faster, never mind the filthy sound. "Only one thing for it."

"It hhhuh--hhurt...h-! hurtsSchHt!" Bob ducked into the curve of Paul's neck and shoulder to let out a ticklish sneeze and a short groan. Paul's spine arched, but he bit back his cry into a sound that could've passed for loathing.

"...Hurts me more than it hurts you, man. Jesus Christ." Bob sniffled. "It's getting to me."

"G'bless you, fuck," Paul wept--a plausible slip, as Bob had just pushed his knee against him at exactly the right angle. John didn't have the heart to scold him anyway. Couldn't be expected to mind his manners and his language all at once.

"Paul, baby, you're so good," Bob hummed, and Paul and John sighed together (close harmony, John thought). "You 'n' this, it...it feels so good, John..."

"Bobby," Paul breathed, curving into Bob's knee, and John's eyes snapped shut. He had to slow down.

Bob was quiet, a few soft breaths in and out. Then, high and fragile with want, "I gotta sneeze."

John's heart raced. He opened his eyes and snapped at Paul, "Don't want that, do you?"

Paul, unable to stop his hips twitching against Bob's leg, could only shake his head.

"Babe--" Bob coughed, "Baby, I can't s-stop it..."

John growled--or he meant to, but what came out was a whine. "Beg him not to, you dirty fuck."

"Please," Paul breathed. There were tears in his eyes.

"Please, what?"

A noise like a sob tumbled from Paul's lips. He clung to Bob's arm as if it were the only thing anchoring him to earth. "Please don't sneeze on me, Bobby, Jesus fucking--"

Bob shook his head, adamant that he couldn't avert the inevitable, but even so, John could hear him make little choked sounds, like he was trying to wrest control back. Desperate. Futile.

"Oh." John actually surprised himself with how quickly his climax came upon him. He was already about to crest the point of no return. "Holy Christ," he said softly, almost whispered, and Bob lost the fight.

"hhiH'kTCH'Shhuh!" Harsh as a bad cough, right in Paul's shoulder. All the more forceful for trying to hold it back.

"Bloody hell--bless ya--"

John bit his hand and came bone-shaking hard, just as Bob rattled off another vicious sneeze.

"Bless you." A voiceless sigh, all Paul could muster up.

Bob shuddered. "Sonofabitch," he said wetly, and sniffled to clear his voice. "That was big. That good for you, Johnny?" He still sounded three days into a cold, no different than before.

John sighed, half-laughed, shaking his head as he wiped his hand on his slacks. "Fuck off."

"Look at him, man. Snff." Bob dragged his knee lightly over Paul's crotch, provoking a strangled cry of pain and making him rut uselessly. "Hey, you're not using these, are you?"

Paul was beyond speech, fighting just to keep his eyes open and his body relatively still against Bob's lazy, rolling touch. But, with shaking hands, he reached for his waistband, and in a joint three-way effort, they got his shorts off again for Bob to use as a handkerchief.

John felt the blood start to fill him back in just looking at Paul. He was red all over, panting open-mouthed, a permanent furrow in his brow from the effort of trying not to give in. His cock was a mess, shiny with slick and darkened with blood.

"Come here," John prayed, and Paul whimpered softly as they pressed together for a kiss. The sound of Bob blowing his nose was just background static, white noise. John didn't notice it had stopped until Paul's head suddenly tipped back, his lips parting in a frantic moan.

John glanced down to see Bob's head in Paul's lap. His curls bobbed slowly as he sucked him off. "There's a good lad, Bob," John said in disbelief. "Fucking hell."

Paul moaned again, his eyes fluttering back. He was dangerously, cruelly close. John held tight to him and kissed him--not his lips, he wasn't going to close his mouth again until he came. John kissed his neck, his cheek, all he could reach. "That's it, love," he murmured, "we've got you. Nothing we wouldn't do for you. You get so gorgeous like this, God...so nice and good for us. Paul...Paul--"

Paul's body went rigid and he came at last, with a series of moans so high and desperate, so vulgar that John blushed. Below them, Bob raised his head, coughing and sniffling. His chin dripped as if he'd only caught about half, but he looked well pleased, even slightly proud.

"Well, you little devil," John said to Bob as Paul wilted onto his shoulder, "you satisfied?"

Bob sighed. "As good as. God." He tugged once at his trousers, shifting the fabric around his arousal, but he didn't seem hungry for it. Nothing like Paul. In fact, he had almost the contented glow of sex--though that could've been the wine. He wiped his mouth. "Just somethin' about a good sneeze, man. Quasi-...erotic. Orgasmic."

Paul made a soft noise of dismissal into John's sleeve, and John had to agree. "Nothing quite tops the real thing, though, does it?"

"No, sir," Bob chuckled.

Paul coughed very quietly, making John turn. "Y'okay, love?"

Paul pulled away to nod. He was rosy-faced, blinking away tears, biting down on a small smile. John had only just gotten used to it--the fact Paul got this way sometimes. Only after the most grueling sessions, when he was denied too long. The relief would be more than his body could handle, and he'd dissolve into tears. Of joy, he'd assured John time and again. Now, as before, the euphoria was plain to see, but he looked wrecked, fucked-out. He was shaking.

"Here." John patted the bed, and Paul lay down, wiping his eyes and snuffling softly.

With Paul taken care of, John gave Bob a deadly look and dragged him onto the bed by his collar. They kissed like they'd never quit, only now there was a little vengeance in it on John's part. Torture my bassist like that, will you. Bastard. He tossed him off quick and rough, taking no care to avoid soiling Bob's suit; hoping, actually, to leave a stain.

Bob didn't stop talking the entire time.

"I just can't get over, mmh, that--like that--oh. How much it turns you on...t' see him this way. And he's gettin' all red...pretty and--ohh. Mm...pretty 'n' pink. Babe. John. Just can't help it. I like it when you tell him, tell him what to do. And--ahhh--and me. Wanna do it for you too. Baby. That's...aah, Joh- John--!"

John smothered him with a kiss, worked him through his orgasm, stained both their suits. It was gentle, light, insubstantial. Waves swept over Bob softer and softer, until he was trembling above John, panting for breath, looking half asleep. He leaned down--John expected another kiss, but he only nuzzled their cheeks together, as if he hadn't the energy for more. With audible effort, Bob hauled himself into a prone position beside Paul. John heard a little peck and a pleased coo as Bob weakly kissed the crown of Paul's head.

It wasn't until he awoke minutes later that he realized he'd even lay down. Paul and Bob were still breathing heavily, and occasionally they'd snag as if to snore, but they didn't wake. Taking care not to move the mattress too much, John slunk off the bed and into the kitchen. His mouth was dry as a bone.

As he filled a glass with water, he felt an odd stir in his chest. Silly to even think about, really. It was the sight of Paul, wasn't it, getting all frustrated? That's what got John off. Bob, well...was Bob, and there was no diluting the attractiveness of that. But the rest of it--the sneezing bit, the whole garish display, that was for Paul's benefit, not John's. Lucky or not, he didn't rouse to that kind of thing. He didn't have the same kind of automatic reaction, anyway. His only consolation was the look of pure animal lust on Paul's face every time Bob--

Oh, shit. A fluttering rush filled John's stomach at the mere memory, the echo in his ear. His breath came short. His cheeks grew uncomfortably hot.

John took a deep, clearing breath and finished his glass of water. He could revisit that sometime (far, far in the future, preferably), when he'd had enough sleep. On weary legs, he made his way back to Paul's bed.

[bennettzone]

paint me in trust | bennett x reader

chapters ⇒ CH 1 | CH. 2 | CH. 3

word count: 2.9k

genre(s): fluff, friends to lovers

✎ synopsis:  it all started with an encounter between you and bennett in dragonspine, which lead to an adventure where you are faced with many different situations.

✎ a/n: first fic on here!! this is something I published on a03 a while back, I figured I’d put it here too to get back on my writing feet lol. This chapter uses details from the commission 'floral fresh.' (the follow-up commission 'fresh flora' will also be used in a later chapter.) the work title, as well as chapter titles, are taken from human by dodie. I hope that you enjoy!!

Chapter 1: lean for me, and i’ll fall back

Flowers don't stay fresh for long. Flora, the owner of the Floral Whisper, has been thinking of ways to preserve them better...

This all started a few hours ago. A trip to Dragonspine that you didn’t expect to take.

Had you known how difficult this would have ended up being, you would’ve done this much, much earlier.

Your commissions for the day seemed simple enough. Clearing out some hilichurl camps, running an easy errand for Sarah...And finally, a task from Flora. You usually saved the easier-sounding ones for last, that way you could make the most of the daylight.

Little did you know, you skimmed over the most important part of Flora’s commission...That it would be taking you to Dragonspine. Not like you hadn’t been there before, doing much more difficult things, but...This one involved a lot more running around.

Usually, these kinds of tasks would be impossible. They weren’t handed out to many people in the Adventurers’ Guild. It was those who proved to be very strong and experienced, even more common for those who had visions.

You just so happened to be very strong and experienced...And also had a vision of your own. It wasn’t very useful in Dragonspine though, as it was a hydro vision. Perhaps one of the worst-suited for Dragonspine, both assumed and proven. You had become very skilled at using your polearm though, so even if you were fighting in Dragonspine it was uncommon for you to have to rely completely on your vision for those commissions.

Even with that being said, you preferred to have someone tag along with you, just in case things went south. Not that you didn’t trust yourself, you were simply always advised to do so and trusted the word of those who were far more experienced than you.

This time, however, your lack of being able to carefully read the details of the commission led to a staggering realization: You wouldn’t have time to ask anybody to come with you, so you were on your own for this. It was either that, or you give up on the task. You weren’t one for backing down from a challenge, though.

The only good part was that you didn’t necessarily have to be in a situation that involved combat.

Flora’s task seemed simple enough. She was looking for easier ways to preserve her flowers, meaning that she wanted to test how they handled being in Dragonspine. She requested they be placed in three different areas: Near the Dragonspine Statue of The Seven, next to a body of water, and one near the cavern.

Simply put, this would be more time-consuming than challenging.

You had an idea of finding your way around Dragonspine, so finding places to warm up wouldn’t be an issue. The only challenges you’d be facing were potential threats, and you could fight if you needed to. Best to avoid it though, that’s what you thought. You didn’t have time to waste since you took a while before taking on the commission.

You still had a few hours of daylight...That’s what you were banking on. Getting there quickly, placing the flowers quickly, and getting the heck out of there.

At least...That’s what the plan was supposed to be.

That brings you here, sitting next to a lit fire observing the final area you needed to place flowers; near the cavern.

You just so happened to notice someone was already there, although...They weren’t exactly considered an enemy threat.

You recognized him, a fellow member of the Adventurers’ Guild; Bennett. You hadn’t spoken to him much before...Apart from a few passings, and the occasional small chat while running into each other before getting your daily commissions.

You had heard a lot about him though, he’d been raised by the older guild members since he was a baby and you’d known of him ever since you joined a couple of years back, he was actually one of the first few people to introduce themself to you. Not to mention, many of the guild members spoke of horrendous luck that followed him everywhere. This resulted in a lot of what they’d call failures of adventures.

Perhaps that bad luck they spoke of is what got him in the situation you saw him in.

A group of hilichurls was bombarding him, and it almost physically hurt to watch. He was getting knocked around so badly, nearly getting hit full force by an axe-wielding mitachurl and constantly dodging shots from the regular hilichurls...you felt as if you had to step in to help.

You really didn’t want to fight today, much less run into someone, but...He really looked like he needed some help, and who else if not you? People rarely come around this part of Dragonspine…

Your heart ended up deciding for you regardless, and you found yourself charging toward the situation.

Everything felt like it went in slow motion. Your heart always pounded whenever you fought. No matter the severity of the situation or strength of the enemy...It was always exciting. It was treated as a fight for your life, every single time. Even the weakest enemies can catch you off guard, you grew up with that knowledge and carried that thought through every single battle you got yourself into.

You saw three hilichurls lined up, and took an opportunity to strike. You stabbed at them, quickly maneuvering yourself around them and taking them all out in swift movements. It shouldn’t have seemed as easy as it did, yet your adrenaline was rushing so much that maybe you got some sort of superhuman strength that was carrying you through this dilemma.

You couldn’t yet feel the cold that was biting at your skin, hitting your face in icy breezes, or your frigid fingers that were numbing as you kept your grip firm on your polearm.

Bennett didn’t even have time to comprehend your entrance, as he was occupied with perhaps the most threatening enemy there: the mitachurl furiously swinging its axe at him.

Over time, mitachurls became a lot less threatening to you. You fought them so often, it’s hard to remember what it was like to feel scared approaching one. However, they could be very threatening if you were caught off guard or cornered.

While they were less of a threat in your eyes, even now you didn’t underestimate the strength they could possess. They were no pushovers, they had more experience than your average hilichurl and possessed greater strength as imagined.

However, it just so happened to be fully focused on Bennett. How it hadn’t noticed you yet was beyond you. That was to your advantage though, as it left you with the perfect opportunity.

You charged towards the mitachurl, promptly striking it in the back with a precise stab.

Bennett had seemed to weaken it a lot more than you originally thought, as it went down with no further issue.

This left you staring at Bennett, looking shocked to his very core.

“Woah...It’s you!” A smile beamed from Bennett’s face, as he seemed to relax a bit.

“Yeah...I’m glad I was here.” You said, and Bennett nodded.

“Me too, hehe...I was in a really sticky situation. I could’ve handled it, but...I’m freezing a bit. I got ambushed while looking for a heat source, just my luck…” The last part of his sentence was tainted and faded with disappointment, but overall it didn’t seem to bring him down that much.

“I know of one nearby, just over there. I have to leave something here right quick, but I can meet you there if you’d like? I have some hot soup in my bag to help.” You said, and a glimmer of excitement appeared in Bennett’s eyes.

“You’re serious? Like, you mean it?” You nodded to his question, and while he looked a bit hesitant, he eventually agreed.

“I’d offer to stick with you, but...Whatever you’re doing, I don’t wanna mess it up.” He laughed a bit uncomfortably, before walking in the direction you told him that the fire was in.

After Bennett walked off, you found a nice spot to put the flowers in. Hopefully, they’d be left undisturbed...Flora mentioned to you that she’d need them back after a couple of days.

Now that you had time to calm down, you felt the cold start to fully kick in. You were freezing…

It was definitely time for you to get to a heat source as well.

Walking back to the fire you were previously at before finding Bennett, you were greeted with a less-than-ideal sight.

The fire had been completely eradicated by a pile of snow, and Bennett looked hopelessly defeated next to it.

“That’s so weird...I walked over here and I must have disturbed the snow or somethin’, it fell directly on it.” You started to wonder if this really was the bad luck the adventurers were talking about.

Just two occurrences, although close together you refused to judge him harshly for it. He was struggling just as much as you were, no way you were abandoning him over some petty words you overheard from the guild.

“Hey, it’s alright. I know of a device near here that radiates heat. It’s close by and can’t be snuffed out so we should be fine there.” You said, and Bennett seemed relieved at your words.

It was only a minute or so of walking before you both approached the device, and you promptly activated it before it gave off a huge burst of heat, relieving you both immediately of the cold that felt as if it was seeping into your skin.

“Ahh...That feels so much better.” Bennett said, and you nodded in agreement, taking a seat on a nearby tree log and taking the soup out of the pack you brought with you.

“Have a seat, we can share.” You smiled, and so he did.

After about fifteen seconds of silence, Bennett broke it with a question.

“I hope this doesn’t come off as offensive or anything, you know, with you helping me and all, but…” Bennett paused for a moment, contemplating on how he should word it, “You’ve heard stuff about me, right? It shocks me that you’re not trying to get away from me cause’ I’m sure you’ve probably noticed...My luck is horrible.”

He laughed at himself, but you noticed it wasn’t a happy laugh at all. More so laced with subtle sadness.

“I have, actually. It doesn’t bother me though, if anything it was really lucky that I found you. For both of us, I mean.” Bennett seemed surprised at your answer, stunning himself silent for a moment.

“Is that so? Huh...I guess you’re right! Perhaps luck was more on my side today than I thought!” His smile returned to his face, a lot more genuine than how he appeared before.

It was almost funny. Another thing about Bennett that you knew was that he could find something good in any bad situation he was in. His presence made you feel a lot better about being out here.

“Actually, I’ve been curious...What are you doing out here, Bennett? You don’t look like you came prepared at all.” You said, and he chuckled, shaking his head.

“I did, actually! Or, I was, at least… Some weird boar-looking thing surprised me and managed to take all of the stuff I had with me. No idea how that happened though, I thought for sure that my stuff was really secure on me. Guess not, though. My mistake.” He laughed again, and then turned the question around on you, “What are you doing out here? If I’m being honest, I only managed to get out here through a series of distractions. I meant to stick around the entrance, but I guess you could say...I got a bit lost.”

“I’m out here for a commission. Flora asked me to put some of her flowers around the area. I would’ve done it earlier but I didn’t read it carefully enough, I had no idea it’d bring me out here.” You smiled warmly, realizing something, “If I had realized sooner though, I probably wouldn’t have run into you.”

Once again, Bennett’s face lit up.

“Wow, you’re right! Sorry you had to get involved, though. Oh, and thanks for the food! I was starving since my stuff got taken a while ago.”

“My pleasure. We should get going soon, though. I’m all finished up and there’s not a lot of daylight left. I know a path that has little to no enemies and a lot of heat sources. Wanna head back together?” You asked, and Bennett hesitated once again.

“Well, if you’re sure, then yeah! I’m not gonna lie, I’m beat.” He said this with a small chuckle at the end, and with that, you gathered your things and headed off.

You both managed to leave Dragonspine with almost no trouble, apart from Bennett having a few literal slip-ups along the way. Strangely enough...It was a dirt path that you never had trouble on. You didn’t mention it though, as every time you looked back to see if he was alright, he gave you a pleasant smile and a thumbs up.

It felt good finally having somebody with you. Dragonspine had such a lonely and bitter atmosphere to you. It felt grueling ever having to be here alone for just fifteen minutes. Bennett being by your side brought you warmth and comfort, unlike any you had experienced with any other adventurers that had ever accompanied you. The difference with him felt so clear, he was making the atmosphere feel alive rather than lonely. Every time you came here with someone, they were so focused on getting in and getting out that it always felt like a blur. This was different though, time passed much slower and it wasn’t upsetting.

The walk back to Mondstadt was peaceful. You ran into nothing on the way, and even the bad things that were happening to Bennett every so often slowly started to die down a little.

Then there you were, standing at the front gate to the city.

You were kind of surprised that Bennett came with you all the way here, it was rare to see him around at any other time rather than the mornings on some random days. You weren’t complaining though, it felt good to not be alone after that trip. Being in Dragonspine always left you feeling lonely and sad, but Bennett made it hard to feel that way.

“We can split here. After a few recent incidents, I don’t think people really want me around right now, hehe…” Bennett rubbed the back of his head, a bit of flashback pain appearing on his face in the form of a cringe.

“Alright then. Thanks for sticking with me, I really appreciate it.” You smiled, and he looked as if he wasn’t expecting your words at all.

“You mean it? That’s good to hear! Same to you.” He returned a smile, the memories of his recent misfortune fading away from his mind.

“I’ll have to go back in a couple of days, try not to get yourself into any trouble there again. I might not be there to help.” You said this in a teasing tone, and Bennett couldn’t help but laugh with an embarrassment-induced blush slightly appearing on his face.

“Sure thing, just be careful when you go back, hopefully, you’ll have better luck than I did.”

You nodded, and soon after you and Bennett parted ways. It wasn’t horrifically late yet, so you quickly reported back to Flora to tell her that you successfully put all of the flowers where she had asked.

“Thank you so much for your help! I’ll let you know when I need them back.” She gave you a gentle smile, and the satisfaction of successfully completing all of your commissions for the day accompanied you on your way home.

Where you lived was nice, in the way that the atmosphere always made you feel so much better after a tiring day. Especially after trips to Dragonspine, as the flames emitting from your fireplace helped you relax.

After getting ready to sleep, you sunk into your sheets much more easily than usual. You were exhausted and still felt slightly cold. It was easy to get comfortable, easy to lose your thoughts to that sleepiness…

You couldn’t help but think about Bennett, and if you’d see him again anytime soon.

Those in the guild always had so many rude things to say about him, and it made you very frustrated and confused at times.

Both of your parents were in the guild, so you grew up there, basically. This meant that you saw Bennett a lot. Even with all of the time you spent together as kids, nothing that bad ever seemed to happen when he was around you.

It got a lot lonelier after your parents decided to become the wandering-type of adventurers, leaving you here. It motivated you to seriously join the guild though, and become strong on your own. You had years of constant teaching from your parents to take with you on your own journeys.

Every time you just so happened to be around Bennett, though...Even if you weren’t really that close. It always managed to make that loneliness melt away, even if it was just for a second.

You really wanted to see him again, you knew that much.

[uristarrysky]

Happy Ending Romance (Rant/Review/Theory)

Plot

I am wondering what the “corruption” was that JW revealed that resulted in his exile. My initial thoughts before airing was that the man had his interns writing his work for him & taking the credit. Something along those lines with abuse of power for staff. As the man still holds power in the industry & seemingly is undisturbed power wise as a result of the reveal though still harbors intense resentment towards JW for outing him. But considering how JW is ghost writing for JH, that theory no longer applies - even if there is a more ethical route for these two, I don’t see it JW ghost writing for someone else if that was what led to his exile in the first place. So what kind of Harvey Weinstein bullshit did that guy do for his “corruption” & not get cancelled for it? I will be pissed if they don’t address what the “corruption” was because it feels like such a cop-out story wise to not include the specifics for the impetus of the plot. 

If they try to wrap this up in a tiny little bow with a “happy ending” that JW could publish under TY’s incapable failing company & they lived happily ever after as a couple - I will learn if it is possible to scream & hurl simultaneously. 

Failing Publisher

Oh boy………that startup is worthless. How long ago did they open up that business? JW’s exile & TY’s quitting Literature Square was 3 years ago. When did TY & WJ open up their business? Where did they get the funding for it? How are they surviving with food, rent & other necessities when their business literally makes NOTHING! Did they just open up in the past few months & didn’t prepare enough funds to sustain them for a while as they attempt to actually publish anything? Or has this place been open for 1-2 years & they’ve been so lazy/incompetent to actually sign anyone to publish with? WJ at least seems to be trying while TY just has tunnel vision for JW. 

TY comes across as the type that wants to boast about how they’re a CEO or business owner but has absolutely no business sense & therefore their business is one gust of wind away from falling. He should have stuck with being an editor, he does not have the work ethic, focus, or responsibility required for running a business. He is so wound up thinking about JW that a tornado could come through the office & the man would not even blink!

Ghost Writing

There are a few different scenarios I can think of for this. 

A) JW & JH decided to use JH’s name & body in order to publish JW’s work without destroying another company & actually getting to publish. They share the profits fairly.

B) JH was already an established writer with a following so using his name for ghost writing would ensure that JW’s work got published & gained notoriety. Whether this is intended to be a lifelong deal, until the senior dies (we don’t even know the age of that senior either) or until the books are so wildly popular that revealing the true author would no longer threaten either of their careers because the work is too popular to exile them. With JH’s mention of waiting things out a little longer - it feels like this method of waiting till it’s too popular to fail might have been their plan.

C) JH hit writers block for his own writing career, sees that JW has talent & has him ghost write for him - using him to gain fame & fortune. Perhaps does not share the profits beyond paying for their rent, utility & food costs - essentially making JW a live in slave.

D) JH offered ghost writing under his name to “help” JW get published but was doing this for the sake of his own fame & fortune because he envies JW’s talent. 

Did JW write ALL of JH’s books for the past three years & completely by himself? Did they write them together? Did JH used to get his own work published prior to the exile? Does JH publish some of his own work during this exile? The answers to these questions provide different situations that have varying levels of acceptability. If ALL the books are completely written by JW then naturally he should get a bigger cut of the profits as JH is only a body double & that would explain how JW could feel like he is being used. If they work on them together under JH’s name then that is probably the most ideal option for JH if they go the “too popular to fail” route as then they both could still have a career. If they both wrote their own books under JH’s name then at least JH is also writing for himself & could possibly still have a career if JW left him before the ghost writing secret is revealed. If the ghost writing is unveiled by someone else though then they’re both in the doghouse of the publishing world. JW still being blacklisted & then JH would lose his career as no publisher would ever trust it to be his work thereby assuming it is JW’s - who is in exile. Then they can both be in exile together, though more likely apart as JW would leave now that their arrangement no longer benefits him. He doesn’t seem to love JH at all, maybe he did once but now their relationship is one of convenience & codependency. 

Characters

TY: I can rant about how much this fucker annoys the absolute shit out of me. In my perspective of the series so far & not knowing the “corruption” impetus for the story - TY is the villain. He is a stalker, he has been told to leave things alone over & over by not just JH but also his partner WJ. He literally has done sasaeng behavior but because he’s bubbly - it’s okay? Fuck off with that bullshit. He quit his job because of JW - a man who didn’t even know him. He made his whole life about wanting to publish JW’s work & started a company for that purpose. He refuses to legitimately consider publishing anything that doesn’t involve JW, he HAS to make EVERYTHING about JW. 

If all of JH’s books were completely written by JW then shouldn’t his stalker be able to tell? He is only obsessed with JW & his writing under his name but can’t see that JH’s books are his writing too? People can recognize diction from their friend’s posts online but he can’t recognize JW��s diction in entire full-length books under JH’s name when he has JW’s first book to go by. He probably read that book several times over but never noticed similarities to JH’s work. 

JW: Without knowing the reason for the exile, I feel like we’re missing vital information which could impact our views on his character. Was he really a victim if the person he outed hasn’t been canceled & exiled themselves? Did he just commit slander against them or was there a legitimate case for revealing what he did? 

JH: He seems to genuinely care about protecting JW from further suffering. He saw how much it hurt for JW to be exiled, he saw how his attempt to publish under his own name resulted in the end of their friend’s publishing startup & he wants to avoid that happening again. So when bubbly insanely optimistic stalker comes poking around claiming he can publish JW’s work - JH is understandably guarded & wanting to protect JW. He offers instead to sign with the company & see if they can publish under his name first, as they have never published anything before. If they can’t last long enough to publish with his name then they wouldn’t be able to publish with JW’s. He wants to test them. WJ is all for it & keeps trying to convince TY but TY’s lizard brain only has JW in mind. 

JW & JH

Codependency is a big issue for these two. JW living with JH & using his name to publish his work. JH using JW’s work if the books are not collaborative in nature & he is not writing his own material as well.  The relationship feels one-sided, JH seems to genuinely love or at least care for JW but JW seems to use his “I’m a poor meow meow, don’t you feel bad for me” to guilt trip JH. He feels guilt for sinking his friend’s publishing startup but doesn’t care that he could sink JH’s career if the ghost writing is outed. Caring more for a friend that you haven’t talked to in years, until it was convenient for you, than the boyfriend that has been by your side the whole time - he really isn’t innocent in all this. If you want to claim that JH is manipulative then recognize that JW is too. JH may at least have good intentions whereas JW seems selfish.

JH asks JW if they should break up, asks JW if he is happy. JW says no to breaking up but as soon as he has an offer to stay elsewhere with another man that is interested in him, one that he barely knows - he leaves easily, now that he has someone else to cater to him. 

JW & TY

TY is a stalker & now JW has agreed to live in his apartment. TY claimed he would let JW write in peace & he’d sleep at the office. He does not do this. Instead he creepily watches him with an insane smile on his face. The man has NO RESPECT FOR BOUNDARIES, no respect for the fact that he is actively pursuing JW who is already in a relationship (sure not a healthy one but at least don’t try to actively break them up to have a shot with JW.) No respect for leaving JW the fuck alone to write & not watch him creepily. 

He keeps claiming that he can publish JW’s work under his own name but the man has literally NEVER published ANY author & he confidently claims he can publish an exiled author. The man has rocks banging around in his head, certainly not a brain in there. He can’t afford rent & electricity for his office - he certainly can’t afford to produce thousands of books to sell. The entire process for publishing takes months if not years to accomplish so a company that can’t afford the absolute basics to run (rent & utilities) CANNOT survive to the point of selling books. Writing a book takes time, editing it takes time, picking out the cover art & artist or model takes time. Then you have to produce thousands of copies, advertise it, see which book stores would like to sell it & then finally selling it. This entire process requires several months to over a year. 

The person who is clearly gaslighting JW is in fact TY. His bubbly & obnoxious smile doesn’t excuse the fact that he is a lying asshole. JW is unaware of the fact that TY can’t pay his bills, all he knows is that TY has a publishing startup. 

[cold-arrow]

Doctor’s Notes, Book 6 part 14

| Stone’s throw away from… | Summary, Things of note since last entry:

on our way to Lorkh, following the trail what remains of the city.

sneaking up to the one of significance readying an assault. first to act, first to fall bearing blows from all sides. Fell into stone

frontline fighters, backing up with support. within an inch, downfall of the dwarf and the do…

last man standing. Panicked retreat. choices. lack of options. Fortunate reserve.

Shaken.

Back to Orlbar, for a verdant vision. stone towers, stacked impossibly high.

Bleating. Meditation, negotiation? Conversation. riddles, through a lack of speech. Charades.

The Giant Lich, Annam. The path. deciding from there.

The dragon and the roc

| 1 / 7 | after resting for the night we have most definitely lost sight of the stone giants. Though at the very least we should still be able to follow their tracks, without too much issue hopefully.

Incase we fight anymore giant wielding arcane magic, ive decided to protect myself from necromantic energies, and enchanted my armour. It required some of the resources and abjurative runes that I’d inscribed on Omrick shield before, but hopefully it should come in handy… for a lot of reasons.

I offered if anybody else would perhaps be interested in being protected, for such a thing. Especially for when whatever is now chasing Lym, finally catches up to her. But they thought it best if I maybe took the extra defence myself. Which, to be fair, the others are quite resilient. Either through their armour. Fortitude. Or magical healing. While I’m kind of lacking in all those regards, so I guess they’re right.

| 2 / 7 |

…

I should have prepared more. I … half expected of perhaps running into the giants that we had been tracking. But once we found out where their tracks lead, and how many of them there were… Things did not go well.

I… need help. I…  uhm…      I died As I felt the light fade, I… could see… Or feel  HER  welcoming me with open arms. Reaching out for me. To Suffocate me. Strangle me. Smother me. Drown me. I tried running away. Out of her reach. But all her arms and hands were catching up. And…

Before they could grab a hold of me. I saw a thread. A small bit of colour in the darkness. I Instinctively reached out for it. Looked to see where it led, and saw pin prick of light, Far away above me. If… I had hesitated, or hadn’t grabbed it, I don’t thin like… a spider desperately climbing it’s way back up, to try and avoid the flooding darkness below, from swallowing it whole…  

I… no. Lym, pulled me out. She saved me.

Though I… I can still see HER face. Her cacophony of laughter, and whispering trying to drive me mad, or insane for every second I was…  

I didn’t sleep that night.

Nor the one after. I don’t think the others noticed. But… I don’t think im okay? If im alright after that? I’m trying to smile through it. But Every Single Thing, Keeps haunting my thoughts. Unfinished business. Promises. People. Mistakes. Problems HER…

I Need To Do Something.

| 3 / 7 |

As for what exactly happened in Lorkh, once we arrived, at wat was left of the town. We could see the giants, picking it apart. Tossing stones into the river, from every building. And getting rid of everything else that wasn’t made of stone. When we arrived there wasn’t much left of Lorkh, just a corner of city. A few ruins of houses. And the skeleton of a cathedral, only barely still standing. Despite the several holes that punctured through it’s sunken walls.

There were at least 3 or 4 giants picking apart the buildings. Alive ones at least. As well as three undead ones, standing guard. Their large hulking figures, idly decaying where the stood. But not yet dead. Simply undying. One of the giants in particular seemed to be doing something. Overlooking the operation? , and… working on something in the cathedral? She seemed to be the one in charge, and would most likely be the largest theat. So we all us quickly agreed that, if we were to deal with these giants, we’d have to deal with her first.

--

We luckily managed to sneak up on cathedral (or what was left it) from the other side of town, without being spotted. (even though I nearly tripped multiple times, on some of the hundreds of loose rocks now littering the ground.) However, upon arriving at the church’s walls, we weren’t really sure how to proceed from there.

We manged to make it inside, and got a slightly closer look at what the female stone giant was doing. Though… im still not really sure what. She was somehow… scooping the stone from out of the floor and pillars, like it was… clay? Forming them into little dough balls, before tossing some of them aside. before heading to the other side of the cathedral and continuing her work.

  We hesitated for a bit, not really sure how to tackle them. It ended up, with either Omrick charging in first, if the giant got close enough. Or Aldrin being the one to head in first. Taking one of my invisibility potions, and simply initiating?

We were waiting for some sort of signal, to start. but weren’t really sure when. And it ended up with Lym being the one, who started the fight, summoning a massive pillar of divine flames upon the female giant.

But as soon as she did... The giant snapped around, and hurled two of these stone disks, or some sort of objects at her. Crashing into her. And crushing her against the wall. Causing her to fall… Within mere seconds of the fight we were already down one. Which, didn’t bode well.

| ---

It took quite some effort. but we managed to bring the female giant down first, who at least seemed to be the leader. It took a lot of our strength though. And she nearly managed to flee… But we brought her down.

However the all the other giants throughout the town, had made their way over as well. And we were pretty much outnumbered.

I quickly managed to heal Lym, and bring her back to her feet. Or… so I thought at least? One moment she was there. And then… she suddenly somehow fell into the floor… Swallowed, by the stone. I was confused, and panicked a bit. Worried that one of the other stone giants might have done something. It wasn’t until later that I realized, that it was thanks / due to her own magic. And that she had used it to hide, and recover for a moment.

--

Aldirn and Omrick fought off the other giants the best they could. Being the ones largely responsible for not only bringing the leader, but the other giants and the hulking zombies as well.

But not without sustaining some severe wounds and grievous injuries in the process. Even after Lym joined us for the fight again. We had to Struggle, to keep ourselves, and the others alive. Passing out multiple times. And trying to undo some of the damage that the giants inflicted upon us. But all their blows were simply too much to just heal. By the time half of their numbers had finally fallen. We were all barely standing ourselves.

Until… we weren’t all still standing. Even with only a handful of giants left, Omrick and Aldrin were still trying their best to fend them off. But they had surrounded Omrick. He kept parrying their blows. Dodging and bracing himself the best he could. But after one too many, he didn’t get up. And they didn’t let him either. Making sure he stayed down, before focussing on Aldirn next.

I… tried healing them the best I could. But… I should have done more. Should have been better about using my supplies. Should have kept better cover from them. We could still revive him. But for that we still needed to be alive ourselves.

Things got worse from there… we managed to kill another, but there were still three left. And Aldirn wasn’t looking to good. Neither was I. Or lym. She had used up most of her magic already. And after we suffered one too many blows. She made the decision to retreat into the walls. To hopefully recover. Or do something. Or… pray for a miracle. ( just hopefully not one, at the expense of herself. ) But in the time that she had gone into the wall, she fortunately wasn’t there to witness… when one of the giant zombies came up to me. And struck me down. Or… I think that might have been the part we’re she retreated actually. I’m not really sure.

But afterwards it had picked me up, and tried to eat me… --- From what the other told me, Aldrin managed to cut down the giant before it could. But more impressive than that… Aldrin managed to singlehandedly, take down the three remaining giants by himself.

For they weren’t without their fair share of wounds either, that they’d already sustained as well. But… still. He somehow fought off Three giants by himself, until he was the only one still standing.

--

It took a moment for Lym to realize that the battle was over. The miracle she might have prayed for, unable to reach. And they were left with 2 bodies. Omrick’s, and mine…

| 4 / 7 | I don’t really want to go into more detail about what happened after I’d died. They had to make the tough, and horrible decision to revive me, instead of Omrick first. Because they either didn’t have the magic, or the resources to revive us both.

Fortunately. I still had a backup. Some reserve that I’d saved up, several months back. I took the Ioun stone, that had fallen and rolled to floor. And after taking out the healing potion I’d stored inside, containing the diamond necessary to bring him back. I made sure that thanks to both Lym and me, All of us were standing after the fight. And brought back Omrick.

--

I… couldn’t help but still hear the echoing madness of her laughter. Her whispers. Even after I was brought back. Like… I could still see her image, her shadow. Her Ever watching eyes, Everywhere I looked. Hiding behind every corner, or shadow, or… I tried to drive her out of head. Out of mind with most of my remaining willpower. Trying not to acknowledge the thought of HER in any way. Making myself busy with looting the giants we just fought. There still wasn’t any trace of why exactly the they were here. What they were doing. Or why. Nor any leads on where they’d come from. Of where there stronghold was. So after taking their loot, and gems, and gold, and random crap. We left Lorkh, or what remained of it.

Not planning on returning any time soon.

|  5 / 7 | didn’t sleep. Just laid in my bedroll all night, until it was my turn to keep watch. Just took some extra medication the following morning. At least the last night or two have been quiet. Uneventful. Thank the gods. Made sure to keep up my energy up with additional supplements. But I need to sleep. However closing my eyes to rest feels…uncomfortable, I

Managed to get some sleep somehow. The others haven’t really commented on anything yet. Either they havn’t noticed. Or I’ve just able to keep up the… keep up pretty well. Though, to be fair. All of us are probably somewhat shaken after the encounter. Omrick seems relatively fine? It… wasn’t his first time… but still. Might ask him about it at somepoint. If I can bring up the...

--

Omrick shared with us, a vision that he had, a few days ago. About something being there, if we were to return to Orlbar. in about a week or so? When we first checked where the town was supposed to be, there was nothing. Just rocks. No traces of any giants, besides that really. -- Though I do wonder what me might find when we get there. Or if something will have actually even changed. I don’t want necessarily doubt him, but I’ve never really seen, or ever heard much of Shaunteia Besides perhaps his divine powers? Or… at least, not as much as compared to Lym. And the Weave. Or would that be an unfair comparison? I don’t know. I am curious to see when we arrive.

| 6 / 7 |

It is Quite the change. Even from afar, we could see all of the stone towers, reaching for the sky. Like, they had suddenly popped up out of nowhere. They… were most definitely not here before atleast. There must be dozens of them. And the most curious part, is that they are just regular stones, and boulders. And rocks. Just stacked up on one another, in a nigh impossible display of gravity. Just a single column. Or stack. Defying gravity. Some must be 20, or maybe even 30 feet high.

Touching them would definitely be a bad idea. I… would almost certainly get crushed by them.

* Hmmm, I… am not one hundred percent sure as to their purpose, but as far as I can tell, they don’t seem magical, or ritualistic in nature? Just…. Decoration.

As we were observing some of the stone pillars, the sound of some kind of beast or animal startled us. Pulling our attention away from the towers, and to somewhere farther beyond them. We were a bit hesitant, worried as to whether the ones responsible for building  stacking these, might still be around.

But the sound we heard, turned out to be bleating. And the shepherd herding these  Sheep , was still around. The creator, of these stone towers, was still around.

In the field ahead. was a stone giant. surrounded by sheep. intently focussing, on the stone tower that he was making, in front of him. Having sat down in almost meditative pose to do so. -- Aldrin was the one who worked up the courage to talk to him. None of us were really sure whether just straight up attacking the giant, would achieve anything. And we all were at least somewhat curious as   Why, he was making these.

But, we didn’t get a lot of answers. For the giant didn’t speak. he greeted us curiously, confused as to why we were here. But without words. Using some form of sign language to try and comminate with us. But we only got or understood bits and pieces. With my rather broken understanding of signing, I tried to convey some things, the best I could. But… it wasn’t much. None of us really know how to… deal? Or communicate, or ask the possibly mute giant anything. So we simply stood there for a bit. Trying to figure out what to do. How to ask. He didn’t seem to have any intention of harming us, at least. And if he could perhaps point us in the right direction, as to where we might find the stone giant stronghold might, it would safe us a lot of trouble. But the question remained as to How, we would do that, or ask.  If he even was willing to help.

--

While racking our brains trying to think of something, on what to do, none of us immediately noticed that Lym had instead clasped her hands for a small prayer.

But all of us could FEEL something, when she had finished. When she Spoke in a language that we’d never heard her speak before. But had heard oh so often during out travels. Our encounters. And I could almost Swear, that I saw these iridescent threads, almost ethereal in nature, Around her. Connect with her, and… imbue her?

all of us were dumbfounded,    when she suddenly spoke giant. Even the stone giant himself ofcourse, since our previous attempts at communicating with him were…. rudimentary at best. But we’d definitely piqued is curiosity. And after Lym had said, or asked something, he suddenly started drawing in the sand/earth beneath him.

--

After a very… Arduous and long charades session, we did manage to learn a few things. ( I think)  

\Trying to figure out, as to what exactly he was drawing in the sand wasn’t particularly easy. Even with the help of Lym translating for us. But I think we got the general gist of things.

Deadstone cleft is under control of Stone Giant Lich (which we kind of new already from the prophecies)

The stone giant lich was cursed by Annam?

And has been resurrecting undead giants

She taught other giants how to do so as well

He’s afraid of going back himself

And lastly, have gave us some direction as to where we could find the stronghold. Explaining that we’d have to follow the path up there river, the middle one of the three converging streams, and continue from there.

And after that, he simply bid us farewell. Taking his sheep with him, as we went our separate ways.

--

The question now however is, what we should do next. Aldrin told us that Lady Silverhand had left us some supplies in Loudwater. Including diamonds. But it’s probably going to take more than a week to even get back.

Is that worth the time? Cause on the other hand, I’m not entirely sure if we should be head to Deadstone Cleft, to face the stone giant lich, without diamonds either. Considering…. A lot of things.

I don’t know. I guess we’ll have to decide somewhat soon though. For the dead can wait a lot longer than the living…

| 7 / 7 |

*

Also of note, Apparently Zyra had encountered a Roc during her scouting mission. When Lym initially told me, I wasn’t really that concerned. Zyra is quite the formidable dragon after all. But after she asked what exactly Rocs were, and while looking at some of my notes, to try and remember some of my research. They uhm… they can be quite problematic. “It is said that Annam created the rocs, so that he would have an army to rival the dragons. He wanted airborne soldiers that might one day take over the world – and eventually the realms.

After the war however, the rocs were free to roam the world as they pleased. Their rivalry with dragons more or less ended in favour of other prey – as dragons were equal adversaries who weren’t that easy to take on.

A roc is a can grow to be a Gargantuan creature… can have a wing span of up around 100 feet. It can grow to be up to 30 feet tall… which is about the height, or size of a two-story building.”

After that Lym informed Zyra to be careful. And last I heard, she was sleeping or resting, to recover from the fight. Hopefully she’ll be alright. ** hmmm, perhaps she can help us with getting back to Loudwater a bit quicker? If possible | End of entry |

[lotus-flowerz]

hello hello I love your writings so far sobs I couldn't help but do an ask myself aa (it's my first ask ever help hwkajd) could I request perhaps gn reader that flinched away from the boys by reflex? (preferably with Diluc, Kaeya and Kazuha but you can add or remove someone if you want to!) like they were hanging out and reader was lost in thoughts and suddenly when they see in the corner of their eyes how the boys raise their arm for smth reader quickly raises their arms above their own head to protect it- how would they react and how would they comfort the reader? I hope it's not too much or if you're uncomfortable with it you can ignore it if you want to whaaaa

AHHH TY IM SO GLAD YOU LIKE MY WRITING! i actually do this too, some of my old friends would make fun of me for it, so i hope that my writing here is accurate >.<

i also added beidou in here, hope you don't mind, i just had to since she's my favorite character <3

TW!! FLINCHING, ANXIETY, PAST TRAUMA, MENTION OF DEATH AND INJURIES

SLIGHT INAZUMA ARCHON QUEST SPOILERS

KAEYA BACKSTORY SPOILERS

The cherry blossoms fell silently from the trees under which you and Kazuha were sitting. Those had remained unchanged since you and Kazuha were children. The beauty of the pink blossoms falling towards the green earth without a care.

It had remained the same through the vision hunt decree, through the war, through watching Tomo get killed by the shogun, through both of you getting injured during said fight. Kazuha's hand was burnt from Tomo's vision, and your body had a large scar running from your knee to the side of your neck from a stray bolt of lighting from Tomo's divine punishment. If not for Kazuha's determination to not lose another friend and Beidou and her crew caring for you, you would be dead.

These days, although you and Kazuha both carried the same trauma, he seemed to be doing leaps and bounds better than you were. Your eyes flitted to Kazuha, who was writing poetry. The only sound that could be heard was his pen gliding across the paper, filling it with his eloquent words that always seemed to flow so smoothly.

You were deep in thought, when out of the corner of your eye you spotted something coming towards your face. Instinctively, your hands flew out to shield yourself, leaving a very confused Kazuha, who was only scratching his head, looking at you with concern in his eyes.

"Dove.. did you think I was going to hurt you?"

You slowly lowered your arms, guilt washing over you.

"No! It's just- sometimes, when movements are too sudden.. I.. you know, I try to protect myself because uh.."

His eyes drifted to your scar, then looked up at your face, only to find it tilted to the ground. He put a finger under your chin, bringing your eyes up to meet his, then kissing your forehead.

One hand snaked around your waist while the other traced lightly over your scar, sending shivers down your spine. You wrapped your arms around him as well, putting a little of your weight onto him.

He kissed your lips, squeezing you tight against him.

"I'll never let anyone hurt you again. I promise."

"Kazuha, it's not-"

"I know it's not my fault. And I know I couldn't have prevented it. But I promise you, you're safe now."

He brought his hand up to cradle the back of your head as you buried your face in the crook of his neck.

"Thank you." you said, squeezing him a little tighter.

"No need to thank me. I love you, Y/n."

"I love you too, Kazuha."

You had been a part of Beidou's crew for just over a year now, after meeting her in the wharf of Liyue harbor after finally finding the courage to leave your abusive and toxic partner. You didn't have a place to stay and you were clearly distraught, so when she asked if you were okay and you immediately began to cry, she offered you to come on her ship. You trusted her, since she was the well-known captain of the Crux. After you had explained your situation, she offered you to join her crew. You agreed, and began dating her about six months after joining the Crux.

Because you had been aboard the Alcor for a year, you knew the crew was loud and prone to get drunk. You had never liked to drink, preferring to quietly sip a small glass of dandelion wine while sitting next to Beidou while she drank a few beers and talked with her crew.

It was now the one year anniversary of when you had left Liyue Harbor, and conveniently, the Alcor was anchored there for a bit for a supplies run, imports drop off, and exports pickup. While out and about with Beidou, you had seen your ex in the wharf. They were about to come and talk to you, when you had pointed them out to Beidou. Beidou had slipped her arm around your waist, glaring at your ex, who glared back and turned heel to walk away.

Now, you sipped your wine beside Beidou, deep in thought. The loud atmosphere wasn't helping your anxieties, and you couldn't get your ex's glare out of your head. You didn't even realize you were completely zoned out until Beidou raised her arm to sling it around your shoulders, after she noticed you were zoned out.

Your arms flew up to shield yourself, and you spilt wine all over the both of you. The cup clattered to the floor, but luckily no one else noticed what just happened.

Beidou's face dropped and she quickly picked up the cup, setting it back down on the table.

"Men!" she called out. "Y/n and I are turning in early tonight! Make sure you scallywags have this cleaned up by the morning!"

The crew cheered their goodnights, raising their beers to their captain and her first mate. Beidou smiled, slipped an arm around your waist, and led you back to your guys' shared quarters.

"Alright doll, what happened just now?"

She closed the door behind her and sat on the bed next to you, looking at you with a certain softness that made you melt.

"I'm.. I'm sorry, I was just thinking of my ex, and how we saw them earlier, and I couldn't get their glare out of my head.. and I left them exactly a year ago.. I don't know why I flinched away from yo-"

Beidou cut you off by taking both of your hands into hers.

"Y/n, don't say sorry! You know, your ex wouldn't stand a chance against even my weakest crew member. They will never hurt you again."

"I don't doubt that for a second," you said, a small smile growing on your face, "Thank you for taking me in, Beidou."

"No, the pleasure is all mine. I couldn't ask for a better first mate. You're safe now, okay?" she smiled, squeezing your hands.

You looked into her eyes for a moment before throwing your arms around her. She squeezed you back, kissing your head.

"C'mon, let's shower and get this wine off of us." she giggled.

You laughed. "Yeah, let's."

Kaeya had told you his backstory, but you never mentioned yours. You just weren't ready to talk about it. Your parents had never been great, you always walked on eggshells around everyone, and everyone was all too rough with you, emotionally and physically.

You had met Kaeya in the tavern one night, while trying to drink away what you were feeling. Kaeya had noticed how obliterated you were and let Diluc know he was taking you to stay at the Knights Headquarters, and would keep an eye on you. The rest was history, and now you and Kaeya had been dating for a little over a year.

Kaeya had told you his backstory on Monday. That same day later on, you had a run in with your parents at Blanche's, where they had yelled at you for deciding to become a Knight, and proceeded to pick you apart from your very core.

In turn, you had been drinking a little more than usual for the entire week. You seemed more withdrawn and just not fully there. And it all came to a head when you were laying in bed next to Kaeya.

He went to put his arm over you, a loving gesture, but your arms came up on instinct to shield yourself. He sighed loudly.

"You're scared of me."

"Oh Archons- I didn't mean to- no, I swear it isn't-"

"You've been acting all angry and cold ever since I told you about my roots. I thought you would be the one who didn't leave me after I told them."

"No, Kaeya- please, just let me explain!"

"I'm listening."

You began to hesitantly tell him about your parents. His face grew angrier and angrier every time you told him another thing your parents had done to you.

"I'll kill them. I had no idea that that happened though. I'm sorry for assuming."

"It's alright, Kaeya. I didn't even consider that you might think I was acting weird because of where your confession."

"I swear they'll never get near you again, alright? You're safe now. It's alright."

He pulled you into him, wrapping you up in his strong arms and putting his legs over yours, making you feel protected and safe.

"No one will hurt you, not on my watch. I love you, Y/n."

"I love you too, Kaeya. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"No need for apologies, you were gonna tell me when you were ready. Now let's get some sleep, that dandelion wine I downed earlier is starting to get to me."

You giggled, burying your head further into his chest.

"Alright. Goodnight, Kaeya."

"Night, prince/ess."

You and Diluc had been dating for a few months now, you had met when he had needed to hire a new bartender, and you volunteered your mixing skills to the Angel's Share. You had caught his eye immediately, and he had asked you out on a date soon after you began your work there.

Your ex wasn't a kind person, to say the least, so you had been hesitant to say yes. You assured Diluc that this was just because your ex was unkind to you, but you had never mentioned physical harm. You hadn't wanted to worry him.

You were sitting on the couch with Diluc, his arm slung over your shoulders while you stared into the crackling flames of the fire burning before you. Diluc wasn't paying attention, as he was reading a book in his free hand.

He raised his arm up, attempting to adjust to a more comfortable position, but you misread this. Your arms were shielding your face in an instant, and Diluc was looking at you with a shocked and concerned face that quickly morphed to anger.

"I'm going to kill him." he growled/

You lowered your arms and looked down, avoiding looking him in the eye.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that."

"Did he hit you??"

"I, um, didn't want to worry you."

"Barbatos.. and this domestic abuser is just, what, roaming around Mondstat? No punishment for the pain he put you through?"

"I didn't tell anyone because I didn't want him to come and hurt me. I also didn't want to cause any trouble."

Diluc rubbed a hand over his face, before wrapping you in a hug.

"You're safe here, alright? I will never lay a hand on you to hurt you. I won't let anyone else hurt you either, okay?"

"Thank you.." your eyes welled up with tears, "I thought you would be upset that I didn't tell you."

"No, never. It's a hard thing to talk about. If you'd like, I have connections. We can have him arrested."

"I don't want to cause trouble.."

"You won't. He won't be able to hurt anyone else this way. But we can discuss this later. Would you care for a cup of tea?"

"That'd be nice. Thanks, Diluc."

"You're welcome, angel. Tell me if anyone hurts you again, alright? I'll protect you."

"Will do. I love you."

"I love you too."

[wishing-well-writing]

“Who’s a good boy?”

Written by: 🍡

Fandom: Genshin Impact (SAGAU, Villain au)

Character(s): just you and your dog, various characters mentioned

Warnings: allusions to animal harm (not explicit), villain au typical violence

Summary: Teyvat sends you a protector, modeled after your closest companion. Meanwhile you’re not quite sure if you can stay hidden with this new addition.

A/N: for every fic I finish I get three more ideas like some kind of accursed hydra- anyways have something partially inspired/based off of @veritaoscurata’s dog au because it’s very cute and funny <3

Teyvat was not blind, not unlike the mortals that cried imposter. For even as half conscious as it was, it could still feel your warmth, your love.

Your fear.

Fear of being hurt, being caught, being killed.

Teyvat was not alive, not fully at least, but it could still listen. Listen in on tracking plans made by the knights, the Qixing, the Inazuma Commissions. It would speak to you in your dreams, or well, tried to. Nudging you this way and that, to avoid certain patrols or vision holders. Yet alas, after several close calls, it knew this could not keep up forever.

So Teyvat turned its eyes to your ever faithful companion. A curious thing he was, so like the strays found in the cities, yet so loyal to you. Though it was to be expected, after all, you were the Great Creator. It had seen how the dog had protected you, and how it continues to do so. But it had also seen the people grow bolder, blades and elemental energy coming closer and closer to your companion, that they could almost scorch fur. Teyvat also knew, no matter how hard your dog would try, it could not protect you forever from the masses.

Teyvat had to take action then, using its vast reserves of elemental energy, it would create another companion for you. Familiar and comforting in the form of a dog, as strong as twenty vision-wielding soldiers, and made of elemental energy, not unlike what was left of Andrius. In Teyvat’s vast yet fleeting memory, it remembered a saying.

‘Two heads are better than one.’

Therefore, perhaps it should give your companion two heads? As an elemental being it was plausible, two heads to protect and love you. Then, it came to a revelation, if two heads were better than one, wouldn’t three heads be even greater?

With its mind made up, Teyvat set upon creating you a protector, no, a companion. For you and your loyal dog. Perhaps it could use some slimes to lead you to it?

-/-/-

Meanwhile, you were having a stand-off with a three headed dog the size of a large building of all things. Then again, it wasn’t the weirdest thing you’ve been through this past week or so. Being transported into a game and being hunted for sport does that to a person. Your dog was barking up a storm at the other (big) dog, not in a aggressive way, more in the way of whenever you took him to the dog park and he wanted to play with the other dogs kinda way.

Safe to say, you were going to have a migraine by the end of this. What you wouldn’t give for some Advil in Teyvat right now. Inching closer to the three-headed dog, it seemed friendly enough, same with the slimes that led you here. All of its heads dropped down to the ground as you approached, ears perked up and watching your movements closely. As you raised your hand up (still not sure for what), its middle head gently nudged it’s nose into your palm, tail thumping against the ground behind it.

You blink.

It blinks.

The slimes blink.

And your dog barks again.

You tentatively pat the large dog’s nose, “...Good boy?” You say, nervously but pleasantly surprised at the warm reaction. All its three heads perk up, it’s tail now wagging furiously, the leftmost and apparently the most energetic head barks happily.

Feeling confident, you began going through the commands you knew. Your dog at this point had accepted the three-headed pup, bounding over and lightly bumping into them (affectionately) and barking happily.

“Sit.” Both your dog and the not-cerberus sit down.

“Down.” Once again, they both law down.

You walk away a few paces, “Come.” Lo and behold, as expected, both the dogs padded over to you.

So now you have another companion apparently, in addition to your dog and the occasional slime or whopperflower tagging along. A giant, three-headed dog, that you just realized doesn’t have a name yet, and you’re kinda tired of calling it “that dog” or something about its heads. Running your hand through your hair, you start to mumble, “Right, okay. This is fine. Should I just give you one name? But there’s three heads... so three names?” Trying to come up with one name was hard enough, but MULTIPLE? What a nightmare.

Pointing at the leftmost head, “Tweedledum,” then the center head, “Tweedledee,” and then finally the rightmost head, “...Tweedledoo?” You were never good at naming things on the spot to be honest. It didn’t seem like any of the three heads really understood you, but they seemed happy to be named nonetheless. The leftmost head barking happily, even the rightmost (the most tired of the three) seemed to be rather energetic. The center head was more preoccupied with playing with your dog, nudging him gently as he rolled around, one large paw gently prodding at the smaller dog.

It was all honestly a really cute sight.

And then you’re hit with the revelation of, how are you going to hide and sneak around with a big fuck all dog following you. Even if you told them to stay outside the city, the guards would probably notice them. The thought of any of your companions getting hurt made your stomach do flips, but you’ll burn that bridge when you get to it.

What a headache...

-/-/-

Bonus: how big I imagined our three-headed dog is compared to us

[mmmmalo]

Do you think you could get any kind of trans reading out of Tavros loosing his lower half

Short answer yes. As for the kind...

1. I think you can view the fairy girls on Tavros's wall as an extension of the wish to fly, as though fairy girls are the butterfly unto which Tavros intends to pupate. Tavros being unable to sink into his cocoon slime (unable to initiate metamorphosis) because of his HUGE HORNS could scan as a dysphoria metaphor under that framework. Vriska (the blue fairy) mocking the emotional crutch of Rufio (whose red hair represents castration) also acquires a new dimension of cruelty under this set up, like a feminine mirage denouncing Tavros's approximation of her image as fraudulent.

2. Also relevant that being unable to enter the slime means above average exposure to the visions of carnage trolls get? Tavros expresses some kind of sexualized aggression towards inanimate objects: first the Fiduspawn facehugger and the bear it impregnates, then the bucket labeled with a grub (emblematic of the Mothergrub) used as the head of his target dummy for jousting. Tavros only tries to kiss Vriska when she's bleeding out and silent, only talks to Jade in her sleep.... I'm struggling to articulate what to make of this, but I can at least point to it as a parallel to Grandpa and his doll, representing of the inert blue girl (death). Attraction to the inert mingling with death drive, death (as finality or metamorphosis) being the path to resembling the inert feminine... or something like that.

3. The dream of flight mingles with the dream of inertness? Which I suppose makes sense insofar as Tavros closely links flight with sleeping...

Gamzee, manifesting after Tavros deals with Vriska's taunts of fakery, invites him to start Sgrub with the phrase "Let's kick this bitch down the stairs", which before led me to think that Tavros's aggression was kind of a displaced retaliation against Vriska, or else the broader social order within which she was able to operate. Hatching (from the host plush) with wings gives us the parable of the Summoner after all. Perhaps the idea of Vriska going down gestures at a carnivalesque reversal of roles, much like Aradia pursues by becoming Blue (blood & team) while Vriska becomes Red.

But also, me being in silly pun mode, I can't help but wonder if Tavros's fascination with "flight" is part a joke about stairs (which are counted in flights), akin to Equius's "staggering quantities of physical violence", which doubles as a reference to his tendency to stare. Vriska covering the house with stairs was another sarcastic granting of his wishes giving Tavros all the flights he could ask for. (It would be funny if Vriska legit thought this was what Tavros wanted because surprise! she's bad at reading minds, and had to pretend it was deliberate hostility to save face? But I don't think that's our Vriska, our blue fairy somehow excels at supplying the morbid unconscious of a wish, even when she wants to defy it)

At any rate "let's kick this bitch down the stairs" seems to gesture at Tavros's urge toward flight, neatly accounting for Equius's observation in Alterniabound that the newly-legged (and therefore newly castrated?) Tavros seems magnetically drawn towards stairs (and falling down them)... which also makes Tavros the kicked bitch? So again, some sort of attraction/identification deal, but organized along a hostile framework. Gender envy!

4. This probably could have fit in somewhere earlier, but “four wheel device” is a turn of phrase that links Tavros’s wheelchair to the skateboard “unreal air”, and thereby flight. In addition to the gendered elements above, there’s a sense in which Tavros’s leg’s being “invisible” amounts to acquiring the ideal legs, the ones that fly. Much in the same way that “true seers” are blind, lack is ideality. (I wonder if Tavros choosing the word “invisible” after achieving “flight” has anything to do with yet another stairs/stares pun)

[damn-stark]

Return of the cub pt.1

Isaac Lahey x reader

Requested by anon “Can u please do a teen wolf imagine where y/n is a hale sister who was in the fire and peter helped her get out but when she did get out she got taken by Gerard and she had been kept with him being tortured by him for 6 years (and obviously she’s assumed to be dead by Derek and peter)and it’s at the end of season 2 where everyone is in that wherehouse place and Gerard says something like “Derek I believe I have something that belongs to you” and brings her out and she’s weak and tied up and stuff and his reaction and maybe peters to to seeing her alive again. And maybe it could be in a few parts where it’s the start of season 3 (no Cora in this)and how she has been adjusting obviously she is pretty traumatised and angry so only really talks to a few people Derek, Peter, isaac and boyd but Scott being the sweetheart he is is trying to help her too but she is wary as he hangs around with Allison and she obviously has a strong hatred for Argents and doesn’t trust Allison at all or Scott cause he dated her and maybe when y/n goes back to school Derek tells Scott and stiles to keep Allison away from her or else she might attack her or something and she is closest to isaac and he actually really likes her and even though she can protect herself he grows protective over her and her over him too.”

Warning- talks of torture, blood, breakdown, ptsd, violence, and some fluff

Episode 2x12

———-

“Uncle Peter, where are you going?” You ask hoarsely as you grab his arm to pull him underground with you.

Said man turns and begins pushing you down into the secret passage that led underground, constantly looking over his shoulder as pained shouts echoed from everywhere in the house. “I’m going to help the rest of our family,” he assures you, “we’ll catch up to you later. Just run.”

You hesitate and inch forward to follow him, but the thick black smoke was stinging your eyes, and overwhelming your lungs, causing you to cough repeatedly and violently. Only urging Peter to keep pushing you down so you could at least have a chance to survive. “Y/N, go! I’m right behind you!”

Peter slowly begins to close the hatch over you and shares one last assuring look before the tunnel is basked in darkness, leaving you to try and use what you could of your heightened vision to try and see through the smoke that had gathered within the tunnel, since you couldn’t transform. It was so thick that your vision was barely working, not only that but your concentration to get out safely was not fully there, it was clouded and mixed with the worry for your family. You wanted to go back and help as well, to stop the screams you heard pound in your ears and ache your heart, but you had to listen to your uncle Peter, to your mother and Derek, who all urged you to leave them behind for your own safety.

Perhaps that was a mistake though, traveling alone while you were weak from the injuries you’ve endured, from the smoke that clouded your lungs and mind, because it kept you off guard and inattentive to the different smoke that slowly began to invade the tunnel and mix with the fires smoke. You hadn’t noticed it at first, your clouded mind didn’t register the different smell until your vision began to get impaired and cloud increasingly more, whilst your whole body weakened to the point you were tripping over your own two feet.

At first you thought it was just you not being able to handle the smoke, but everything hurt much more than the fresh burn mark on your legs. You could see the light of the moon shining through at the end of the tunnel, but just as you could reach it you tripped again, this time unable to push yourself up.

“Come on,” you mumble to yourself as you begin to drag yourself forward, feeling your muscles weaken and your body ache increasingly more. “Al-most there.” You let out another harsh cough and feel your fingers dig into the dirt, just inches from the exit, but right as you were going to get out multiple footsteps sounded behind you, a voice not hesitating break the sounds of the distorted screams sounding in your ears. “A wolf's cubs first instinct to do while in danger is to run off and hide, while the mother and the pack stay behind to protect them.” He chuckles and his hand grabs your shoulder to flip you around to face the man you now identified as, Gerard Argent.

“I,” you try to say hoarsely as you try to keep your eyes open, “I haven’t hurt anyone.”

“No,” Gerard says, “but you little cub, have fallen straight into a hunter's trap.” He crouch’s down and grabs you by your neck, making you let out a pained whimper as he lifts you towards him. “And this time neither your mother, nor your pack will be here to come to your rescue.”

*6 YEARS LATER*

“It’s time,” Gerard shares smugly, as he tilts your chin up so you could meet his cold eyes. “To finally have that family reunion you’ve been dreaming of.”

You narrow your gaze and shake your head. “You said they were dead.”

“They are. All except for your uncle Peter and your brother Derek, of course,” Gerard chuckles, stepping back to uncuff you, “and we’re going to pay them a visit.” He pulls out a handful of wolfsbane and blows it towards you so you could fall unconscious. So you can dream again of the family you had lost; not dream of what you went through that night, but the last happy moment you had shared.

It was nice as long as the dreams lasted. But of course there was always that unfortunate moment you had to wake up. This time unlike the past seven years, waking up somewhere different, somewhere loud and brighter.

Your eyes slowly fluttered open, and sounds of groans, grunts, screams and utters of words slowly registered in your ears, just as the smell of blood slowly filtered through your nose. Your mind was barely conscious but Gerard made sure you’d be more awake for his big entrance.

“Not yet sweetheart!” You recognize Gerard warn someone as he dragged you along with him, pulling you away from the shadows and continuing maliciously. “Derek.” Gerard drops you on the ground and kicks you forward so the light will reveal your body and face. “I believe I have something you lost.”

“Y/N!” A voice shouts, making you weakly push yourself up to shift your head and see a tall man with short dark hair, and a beard too match. “Y/N,” he called again, yet you didn’t recognize his face. His eyes though, they were familiar...deeply blue and kind.

“Derek?” You call hoarsely with a smile spreading on your lips.

His eyes widen and you both want to go towards each other, but his arms betray him and make him fall back down to the ground.

“So you can behave,” Gerard taunts Derek. “A gift for what I want from you.”

“Isaac,” Derek shouts, “take her and get her to safety. Before he changes his mind.”

Without hesitance, a boy with light brown hair and kind blue eyes walks up to you, gently grabbing your arm to help you to your feet. “Come on,” he whispers, “I’ll help you.”

You turn your head to meet his gaze and offer him a small smile. “Thank you.”

He returned the smile, and for the first time in a long time you felt a sense of solace, kindness and security.

——

“Hi,” the boy greets you a bit too overly giddy, “I’m Stiles.” He extends his hand to offer it to you with a nervous smile on his face.

You look at him up and down, furrowing your eyebrows as you pick up on an odd emotion that makes you scoff. “And I’m uninterested.”

“Right,” he scoffs as his hand slaps on his leg and his brown eyes turn into a glare. “You're a Hale. Would it ever kill you guys to be nice and happy for once?”

“Almost did,” you retort, “once.” You push past him and try to walk towards a more secluded corner, try to stay away from the sound of beating hearts, and overbearing people that begin to overwhelm you. But they kept coming at you too overly giddy.

“I’m Scott McCall,” he grins sweetly and his jaw only appears to be more crooked. “I just want to let you know that I’m here if you need to help. If you want to go to school, you can go to ours. And if you need any girls to talk to, theirs Alison Argent and...” his words begin to trail off, going through one ear and going out the other as your mind focuses on every sound besides the words coming out of his mouth. It was all overwhelming, all of them, you weren’t used to so many people, or it being so loud anymore. It felt like torture being amongst all these strangers, hearing the sounds of their hearts beating, the sounds of their quiet inhales and soft exhales.

You wanted to focus on the silence, on something comforting, but every other sound invaded your ears; you heard the busy street a couple miles away, the cars honking and their tires on the asphalt, you heard the people miles away, the sounds of birds chirping and it all just pounded in your head, made it spin. You wanted to focus on one thing, but your eyes bounced around the strange room and found nothing familiar, no one familiar you could focus on.

“Where’s Derek?” You mutter, but no one heard you. All you heard was your own breathing beginning to pick up as you began to hyperventilate. “Where’s my uncle Peter? Where’s…” you trail off and everything spins faster, you could feel your claws slowly come out, like your fangs did as your eyes changed into their gold color. Scott’s voice was still registering in the depths of your mind, but it was background noise now. Neither boy noticed your panicked state, not like it was obvious right away.

Not until the sound of a loud beep suddenly going off inside the house set you off, finally letting both boys notice how you were getting, how you grabbed onto the sides of your head while you fell to your knees and began to hyperventilate.

“Hey! Hey!” A different voice slowly seeps in your ears, “what’s wrong with you two idiots?! She’s not used to too much noise yet. You’re overwhelming her! Where’s Derek?!”

Someone grabs your shoulders before they crouch down to reveal to you that it's your uncle Peter trying to calm you down. “Y/N, it’s uncle Peter, just focus on my voice.”

Your eyes lift to look at his familiar blue ones, but all you see is the memory of him when he was helping you escape. That memory haunted you because you always thought it was the last you’d see of him, it was engraved within you and taunted you now with what was real and could be daydreams.

“Y/N—”

“You’re dead,” you mutter, “you’re dead, you’re not real.” You close your eyes and want to wake up, but you’re fully conscious. You can’t find the way to calm down until someone does, the guy that lived with Derek, the same guy that helped you that day Gerard finally brought you out of your cage, Isaac Lahey.

“Hey, y/n, y/n, you’re okay, you’re safe, it’s just us,” he spoke softly, the sound of his soothing voice making you open your eyes to see his blue eyes meet yours, bringing a comfort that felt strange, but assuring.

“Where’s Derek?” Your uncle Derek asks, slightly annoyed by the fact that he was missing.

“Out,” you hear Stiles answer.

“Right,” Peter growls, he continues to stand up and sigh loudly before he doesn’t hesitate to kick them out. “I think it’s time for you all to leave, it’s enough visit time. Come back uhmm, perhaps not anytime soon.”

Both boys protest, but Peter begins to push them out of the house, letting Isaac help you to your feet and continue to try and help you.

“Are you okay?”

“I will be,” you mumble, “I’m sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” he reassures you, “it’s going to take time to get used to all this. But I’ll be here to help,” his eyes shift to the door to make sure that your uncle Peter, was still out so he could continue without worrying he’ll get in trouble for speaking and being so close to you. “Trust me I can relate with past trauma, so I’ll be here to help you.”

You meet his eyes and smile softly as you gently grab his shoulder. “Thank you. Really, thank you. Out of everything here, you’re the only thing that feels normal...and I mean that in a good way.” You express a nervous chuckle and slowly slide your hand off his shoulder. “So thanks.”

Isaac smiles and just as he was going to say something he backs away from you a good amount as he hears Derek, and Peter return home.

“I’m sorry I was gone too long,” Derek directs to you as his eyes glance between Isaac and you for a brief second. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” you nod as you walk to sit on the couch. “Thanks to Isaac,” you smile softly.

Your uncle Peter looks at Isaac and tilts his head as he narrows his gaze into a glare. He doesn’t tell him anything, but he makes the boy squirm away into the shadows of the room.

“Anyway,” your uncle Peter slowly says, “can you transform yet?”

You sigh and shake your head, “not yet, not fully.” You look at your hand and watch as you bring your claws out to continue, “I can just transform like the rest of you until I gain more strength.”

“Wh-what do you mean you can’t fully transform?” Isaac queries curiously as he steps towards the light again.

Derek sits beside you looks at Isaac with a knowing smirk and just assures him with a simple cocky answer, “you’ll see soon enough.”

.

.

.

A/N-Their will be maybe two more parts to this request!

[free-pool-trash]

disappointment - peter maximoff

i’ve yet again lost my ability to write :D anyway here you go lovelies <3 idek know what this is tbh i just had to post something (it’s not good im sorry I seriously hate this omg anyway im going)

word count: 2k

warnings: senseless angst, WandaVision spoilers, swearing

comments are appreciated <3

masterlist

“Are you nervous about the mission tomorrow? ‘Cus I am.” Peter’s voice sounded beside your ear. His head was tucked between your neck and shoulder while his chest was pressed flush against your back, his arms wound tightly around your middle.

With a tired yawn, you rubbed your boyfriend’s forearm soothingly. It was late and you were half asleep but you’d been dating Peter long enough to know that he could never sleep if there was something on his mind. “You’re not even going on the mission tomorrow, baby. Why’re you nervous?” You lazily played with his fingers, stopping them from anxiously drumming against your stomach, as you slurred your words sleepily.

Peter let out a heavy sigh and hid his face against your neck, pecking the skin softly with his lips as he did, “I’m not going, but you are. M’worried about you…”

His confession caused your eyes to flutter open.

Peter Maximoff had the biggest heart of anyone you’ve ever met. He loved hard but he worried harder. So when you heard the slight shake in his raspy voice, you twisted in his grip to face him.

His lips were turned downwards, as were his eyes as he avoided your gaze.

“Pete…” You whispered, moving your arms to wrap around his neck. “I’m gonna be okay. Raven and Charles will be with me the whole time, we’ll be in and out. I promise.” You pressed your lips against his quickly before pulling away to look at him, his brown eyes finally meeting yours, his hands holding you tightly against him still.

“I just don’t get why Charles won’t let me come.” He complained with a childish pout.

You let out a quiet laugh before tugging Peter’s head down slightly so his forehead could rest against yours, “We really need this mutant on our side, Pete. Charles insisted that only X-Men with the “powers of persuasion” are going.” You explained, making air quotes despite the fact he couldn’t see them.

With another light kiss you continued, “And hey, what’s the worst that can happen?”

Peter scoffed at that, scrunching his nose up in distaste, “He could blast the only woman I’ve ever loved into a different dimension.” He grumbled, rubbing his nose against yours.

His worry wasn’t exactly misplaced. There’d been a group of mutants on a warpath lately, one of the group slightly friendlier than the others, albeit, still highly malicious. The man in question had the ability to open portals to other realities, and he’d been using said ability to get rid of anyone who stood in his way.

Charles thought he’d be an asset, Raven thought he should be taken out of the picture and you thought the man was more than just a lackey, like he let on.

So Peter, as much as he liked to overthink, was definitely onto something. There was a huge possibility that, if anyone was going to get blasted into another reality on tomorrow’s mission, it was probably going to be you.

Your mutation was mind control, you could make anyone do anything just by saying the words. Charles’ tactic was to try persuade the mutant and if that failed, yourself and Raven would be brought in to manipulate his decision.

“That won’t happen.” You tried to reassure him, letting your hands run through his hair but Peter remained on edge.

“But what if-“ He started but you cut him off with a gentle tug on his silver hair.

“No buts. I’m gonna go on this mission, it’s gonna be a pain in the ass but it’s gonna be fine. I’m going to come home with not even a scratch on me. Then I’ll find you and you’ll kiss me and welcome me home like you always do.” You rattled off the usual post-mission routine with a fond smile across your lips.

Peter let out a defeated sigh, a smile of his own beginning to form as you placed lazy kisses against his jaw.

“Fine. I believe you. But if you don’t come back I’m gonna be seriously pissed.” He jostled your body, chuckling happily when you let out an airy giggle against his neck. “Don’t go getting any ideas, sweetheart. Even going to a different reality won’t get rid of me.”

You continued placing short kisses against his neck and jaw until you worked your way back up to his pink lips, you ghosted over them with your own, only barely pressing them down and pulling a whine from Peter when you pulled away to look at him with a teasing grin.

“So say your lovely girlfriend does get sent to an alternate reality… would you follow?” Within a second of your question, Peter had flipped your positions so that your back was against the mattress and the man in question was hovering on top of you with a cheeky grin.

“Sweet cheeks, I’d follow you anywhere.” He told you and you giggled at the stupid pet name before pulling him down to kiss you.

Your eyes fluttering shut as you murmured against his lips, “I love you, idiot.”

Softly, Peter tucked a strand of hair behind your ear.

“I love you too.

*

It was safe to say that the mission was a complete failure. As you’d thought, the mutant Charles wanted to befriend turned out to have plans of his own, one of those plans being to throw you head first into a different dimension, apparently.

As much as it pained you to admit; Peter was right.

Fuck, he was probably going out of his mind with worry. You kicked yourself internally, not believing that you’d actually been careless enough to get caught out by the burly mutant. Not that it was entirely your fault, now that you thought about it actually, it was pretty much entirely Charles’ fault for doing his usual; not listening to you. You warned him it wouldn’t work, yet he sent you in anyway. If he didn’t find a way to get you home soon you’d… well, you weren’t really sure what you’d do. Probably find Peter and tell him you love him then go kick Charles’ ass.

Dreams of giving your professor the biggest telling off of his life came to a crashing halt when you took in your new surroundings. It seemed you’d been regurgated out in the middle of some run down town, if you didn’t know any better you would’ve thought you were still in your own reality, but unfortunately, you did know better.

There was something wrong, or if not already, something was about to go very wrong in the little town. You could feel it. Someone very powerful was about to lose control of themselves. You couldn’t exactly tell the future but you had something of a disaster radar that told you when shit was about to hit the fan.

With nothing else to do, you decided to follow the feeling as it led you to a red car.

Noticing a woman in the driver’s seat, you approached cautiously. When she noticed you walking towards her she rolled down the passenger side window, looking at you with a questioning gaze.

“Sorry to intrude,” You told her genuinely, “It’s just I thought that maybe someone needed help.” You bet around the bush slightly, you knew it was the redhead in front of you that needed help but it wasn’t in your nature to use your powers to demand someone to spill their souls to you.

When her eyes lit up red, you didn’t startle. The feeling of someone poking around your thoughts wasn’t a new sensation to you, Charles seldom knew when to mind his own business, so the fact that the woman before you was reading your mind hardly phased you.

“I’ve got abilities too.” You told her with a small smile before going on, her eyes back to normal and her form more relaxed.

She nodded in understanding, “You’re very far from home, no?” Her tone was sympathetic and you let out a humourless laugh.

“That might be an understatement. Pretty morbid thinking I’ll probably never find my way home.” It was only when you spoke the words that it really hit you that the chances of returning home were slim to none. You’d probably never see the love of your life again, you’d probably have to wave goodbye to any possibility of having a future with your speedster.

Catching onto your miserable train of thought, Wanda leaned over and opened the passenger door for you, motioning for you to get in. Gratefully, you took the stranger up on her offer.

“I’ve lost everything too.” She confessed and you weren’t sure why but you felt the need to comfort her, once again following your instincts, you squeezed her hand and to your surprise, she reciprocated the action.

“My name is Wanda, by the way.” She introduced herself and you responded with a kind smile.

“I’m Y/n. It’s nice to meet you.”

With a deep breath, Wanda squeezed your hand one last time, then turned to face you. “I have to do something. Will you wait here until I come back? I believe we could be of some help to each other.”

“Of course. Take your time, I’ll wait for as long as you need.” You promised her. Watching as she took another shaky breath and got out of the car and made her way towards the foundation of a house.

After about a minute, Wanda fell to her knees. And then you saw nothing but scarlet.

*

Life in WestView was good. Sure, there were some holes in your memory, but other than that, things were good.

You had a nice house, right next to Wanda’s, your hair seemed to style itself most of the time and the nightmares that plagued you were hardly ever your own. Things were fine.

Being blissfully ignorant was good enough for you for a number of days, until a familiar face caused all of your hopes of living happily unaware to crumble to the ground.

You’d been over at Wanda and Visions house for dinner when he’d knocked on the door. Standing on Wanda’s front porch was the one and only, Peter Maximoff. Your Peter. The person you loved the most and your ticket home.

The second his brown eyes locked on yours you’d been so sure. You would’ve bet your life that the person playing Wanda’s twin was Peter.

Perhaps your fatal flaw was wishful thinking as the hope of your love coming to rescue you, however romantic, was naive.

It hit you like a freight train, that realisation. You were truly and completely alone, for when WestView fell it took all of your hope with it.

He wasn’t Peter and he never had been. Sure, he had his face, his body, his personality and even his superspeed… but he wasn’t him.

When you’d uncovered his true identity with Monica, a part of you shattered on the spot. A familiar, decolate feeling washed over you in the moment and you weren’t sure if you’d even bother to carry on.

It was the kind of gut wrenching feeling of being so disappointed to the point where it physically hurt. It was the pain of truly accepting that he hadn’t actually followed you into another reality, that maybe your love wasn’t strong enough to warrent a visit to another reality and it was the pain of knowing that his life would go on without you.

The X-Men would encourage him to move on and, you had a fair idea of how it would go, he’d fight them relentlessly but eventually he’d cave, he’d let Jean set him up on a date and then he’d go from there, however reluctantly.

And you? You’d simply be a name lost in time. The one they think about, from time to time. You’d be spared nothing more than, “I wonder how she’s doing’ or ‘whatever happened to that girl? Remember the one?”, but life would go on without you.

That sting, you knew, would never leave you. As hope was dangerous and unreliable and painful you made yourself a promise, you wouldn’t hold out for a knight in shining armour to come rescue you. All you could do now was find a way to live. By yourself.

PART 2

[dewdrop-writes]

hello again!!

i didn't think you'd like my concept art so much lol, but thank you again for your kind words <3

you and zhongli brainrot anon are making me feel things tbh, i never actively simped for him but that might change soon...

anywho, i actually came to ask you something. what's your opinion on aether? it's sudden i know, but not a lot of people write about him despite him being the main character and he's been my favourite since forever :')

was hoping i could talk about him to you, if that's okay? cause i don't really wanna bother you,,,

- envoy anon

ZHONGLI BRAINROT ANON AND I ARE ACTIVELY MAKING ZHONGLI SIMPS OUT OF EVERYONE MWHAHAHAHAH

I'm actually glad you asked! I would love discussing him as a character with u!! It's never a bother! <3 I really like Aether as a character! I think it's a bit of a pity that we get so little actual voice lines from him in game (other than his voice lines). I can see how some people might think he's "bland" because he doesn't talk much and Mihoyo itself doesn't focus on him a lot.

Personally though, I mained him for the longest time and I like him! He's a bit sassy, actually, and I relate to how he's slowly getting tired of all the bullshit around him (totally valid). Him being the traveler, he's looking for his sister, and it's implied he has seen many worlds since they used to travel them with Lumine - until they got separated by the Unknown god. Obviously, he's going to be mad at losing his sister so suddenly.

Then we get to the reveal of Lumine being with the Abyss - the ones he has thought to be enemies for so long are led by his very twin, who apparently woke up 500 years before him? And she just leaves him with a cryptic "you need to finish your journey".

I think this could set up a few possibilities for his character arc. A - he fights Lumine (meh)

B - he realizes the truth behind the Cataclysm (fall of khaenri'ah and all that came with it) and becomes a 'villain'. Obviously the archons were involved, and though he's friends with them, perhaps it will lead to him becoming resentful of them?

I also really like his dynamic with Paimon. I know the opinions on Paimon are mixed, but personally I love her. She's unconditionally supporting and hyping Aether up and always following him - he did save her life, but he didn't make her stay. And she's doing all she can to tell him more about Teyvat! She's a sweetheart. (I know there are theories about her as a villain and there is some merit to them but...i hope she doesnt betray Aether at least)

The bond of Paimon and Aether is cute - he teases her by calling her Emergency Food and such, but it's always in a playful manner - much like an older brother. Perhaps since he misses the sibling bond he had with Lumine?

Clearly Aether is also special since he can obtain any elemental power without a vision - he must be connected to Teyvat in a bigger way and I hope that Mihoyo actually makes a good story out of it. I'm also glad he hasn't become bitter to the world itself. He allows himself to make friends despite his circumstances and goes out of his way to help others. Clearly, he's a good soul.

All we can hope for is more lore and plot advancement in game, but I have plenty of headcanons about my best traveler boy! <3

[daitranscripts]

In Your Heart Shall Burn Pt. 6

Skyhold

In Your Heart Shall Burn Masterpost First: This Bodes Poorly Previous: The Dawn Will Come

Solas walks up to the PC.

Solas: A word?

He leads the PC to the edge of camp and lights a blue-flamed lantern with magic.

Race specific dialogue:

Dalish PC [1]

Non-Dalish PC [2]

1 - Dalish PC:

Solas: The humans have not raised one of our people so high for ages beyond counting. Her faith is hard-won, [lethallan/lethallin], worthy of pride…save one detail. The threat Corypheus wields? The orb he carried? It is ours. Corypheus used the orb to open the Breach. Unlocking it must have caused the explosion that destroyed the Conclave. We must find out how he survived…and we must prepare for their reaction, when they learn the orb is of our people.

3 - Dialogue options:

Investigate: How do you know this? [4] + Solas slightly approves

General: I won’t worry. They trust me. [5]

General: Lost here, it won’t matter. [6]

General: They’ll blame us eventually. [7] + Solas slightly approves

4 - Investigate: How do you know this? PC: All right, what is it, and how do you know about it? Solas: Such things were foci, said to channel power from our gods. Some were dedicated to specific members of our pantheon. All that remain are references in ruins, and faint visions of memory in the Fade, echoes of a dead empire. But however Corypheus came to it, the orb is elven, and with it, he threatens the heart of human faith. [Back to 3]

5 - General: I won’t worry. They trust me. PC: Didn’t you see? The people trust me implicitly. Solas: Faith tends to make martyrs of its champions. Whatever the case, that trust cannot grow in the wilderness. You will need every advantage. [13]

6 - General: Lost here, it won’t matter. PC: Their blame won’t matter if we can’t get out of this wilderness. Solas: That is the immediate problem…and it offers a solution that may secure your place in their hearts. You saved them at Haven. Perhaps you can again. [13]

7 - General: They’ll blame us eventually. PC: Even if we defeat Corypheus, eventually they’ll find a way to blame elves. Solas: I suspect you are correct. It is unfortunate, but we must be above suspicion to be seen as valued allies. Faith in you is shaping the moment, but it needs room to grow. [13]

2 - Non-Dalish PC:

Solas: A wise woman, worth heeding. Her kind understand the moments that unify a cause. Or fracture it. The orb Corypheus carried, the power he used against you. It is elven. Corypheus used the orb to open the Breach. Unlocking it must have caused the explosion that destroyed the Conclave. I do not yet know how Corypheus survived… nor am I certain how people will react when they learn of the orb’s origin.

8 - Dialogue options:

Investigate: How do you know this? [9] + Solas slightly approves

General: You’re right to be worried. [10] + Solas slightly approves

General: Lost here, it won’t matter. [11]

General: So prove yourself. [12]

9 - Investigate: How do you know this? PC: All right, what is it, and how do you know about it? Solas: They were foci, used to channel ancient magicks. I have seen such things in the Fade, old memories of older magic. Corypheus may think it Tevinter. His empire’s magic was built on the bones of my people. Knowing or not, he risks our alliance. I cannot allow it. [Back to 8]

10 - General: You’re right to be worried. PC: This whole mess is confusing. I can see how elves might be an easy target. Solas: History would agree. But there are steps we can take to prevent such a distraction. [13]

11 - General: Lost here, it won’t matter. PC: They’ll have to set aside blame while freezing is their first concern. Solas: We are agreed on that, and I may have a solution. [13]

12 - General: So prove yourself. PC: If you’ve something that will help us, now’s the time. Solas: Yes, judging by the faithful, now is the time. [13]

13 - End race specific dialogue.

The scene changes to show the Inquisition traveling through the snow, led by the PC, Solas, and the Advisors.

Solas: By attacking the Inquisition, Corypheus has changed it. Changed you.

The PC scouts ahead on come crags, and sees the huge expanse of mountains ahead of them. The Inquisition continues to caravan through the mountains.

Solas: Scout to the north. Be their guide. There is a place that waits for a force to hold it. There is a place where the Inquisition can build… grow…

Solas joins the PC on an overlook, who looks dumbstruck as a huge fortress stands in the distance.

Solas: Skyhold.

The PC moves toward the new home of the Inquisition.

Next: Wherever You Lead Us

[oikirstein]

𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 | 𝐫.𝐬𝐮𝐧𝐚

PAIRING: suna x fem!reader

SYNOPSIS: It was a quiet night you were to have—until Suna came knocking on your door at 11 PM. 

CONTAINS: angst, drugs (weed), suggestive content, tw: kissing, shotgunning, suna’s mom’s honda odyssey 

WORD COUNT: 3,097

A/N: this bad boy is dedicated to my sussy little baka @hikariakaashi​ giggles (derogatory). you’ve been going through a suna brain rot recently and when i told you my fantasy about shotgunning with suna, you encouraged me to write it, so here it is chuckles immensely. i hope u like it ily :biteslip: 

big thank you to @kyotarou​ for beta reading and giving me mini heart attacks & to @hajigumi​ for making my header after saying it was ugly (/j) <3 

The silence of your room was peaceful. The stars shone brightly outside your balcony window, moonlight glistening through the translucent curtains. It wasn’t absurd for you to be all by lonesome, it was only natural for the daughter of a CEO to find herself busy with things that didn’t concern the family. They were raising you to be an heir after all, a feat that required independence to be a shining skill. Still, standing in an empty room, it was a lonely situation to be living in. You were grateful to have such a future practically placed in the palms of your hands, but you wished there was something more. You wanted to experience what it was like to break free from the shackles of responsibility and keeping up appearances. A lot of your time was spent wondering if things would’ve been different had you been given a choice, but unfortunately, life did not give you the option to change the past.

That’s why you were so thankful to have heard the light knock that originated from the wood of your balcony door. A light flinch overtook your body at the sound, like you were anticipating his presence. You tiptoed your way over to the door, your warm hand radiating heat onto cool metal of the doorknob. With your ear pressed to the wood, a soft giggle fell from your lips.

“Who is it?” you teased, knowing full well who was on your terrace at this late hour.

“Why don’t you open up the door and see for yourself?” You could practically see the smirk that played on his face.

Without hesitation, you swung the door open so fast the hinges didn’t have the chance to creak. You jumped into his arms at first glance, him carrying you with ease. “Rintaro! What are you doing here?”

He placed you back down on your feet before taking your hand in his and bringing it up to his lips, “It’s a beautiful night, is it not?”

You blushed at the contact of his soft lips on your skin, anxiety washing over you as you scanned the perimeter.

“What if someone sees us?”

“Well, no one’s gonna catch us if we aren’t here for them to catch,” he whispered, jerking his head to the side as if to insinuate they were going to leave the property.

If someone had caught you with a boy—the boy being Suna, no less—you surely would’ve been reprimanded by your father. On the other hand, the past couldn’t be changed, and the consequences of the future were for a different you to worry about. What was life without a little risk anyway?

“You mean like...sneaking out?” You warily looked around as you shut the door, the click of the knob sealing your fate.

He lightly grabbed hold of your hand and started his way down the stairs of your parapet. “Well how else would we spend today?”

You followed him, hand in hand, through all the twists and turns that presented themselves in your garden, until you reached the outermost edge of the estate.

Suna promptly released your grip, intertwining his own fingers to hoist you over the wall, “After you.”

You held onto his shoulder as you stepped onto him, “Such a gentleman,” and climbed over the wall with ease.

Rintaro swiftly followed you, using his upper body to lift himself above the marble. After dusting his hands off on his jeans, he led you to the street just beyond the backyard.

As you approached the vehicle, he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry it’s nothing fancy. All I had was my mom’s old Honda,” you gave him an apologetic smile to reassure him that trivial things such as car brands didn’t matter. He stepped in front you to open the passenger door, waiting for you to be all settled in before winking. “But don’t worry, she won’t be back home until next month,” then he shut the door.

Your eyes followed him as he walked around the front of the minivan to get to the driver’s side, “What? What do you mean? Sunarin! Why does it matter if she’s not home!”

All he could do was laugh as he opened his own door. Hopping into the car and resting his wrist on the steering wheel, his eyes made a quick glance at the center console before putting his seatbelt on and starting the ignition. “Like I said, princess, it’s a beautiful night.”

The silence of the drive was peaceful. It was a comforting kind of silence, the kind that enveloped you in warmth. Everything felt okay in this abyss of quiet because you were in this abyss together.

You leaned your head against the window, feeling the cold air of night permeating through the glass before you sighed. “Say, how long until we reach our destination?”

Rintaro shifted in his seat, placing his right elbow on the armrest of the door and placing his head in his palm. He darted his eyes to you and back to the road with a smile, “Be patient. Good things come to those who wait.”

Sitting up straight, you crossed your arms over your chest and imitated a child’s pout. “Well can you at least tell me what we’re gonna do?”

He looked at you, then to the center console, then back at you before shrugging his shoulders. It was like giving a dog a bone. You squinted your eyes at him before untangling your arms and snaking your finger over to the medium and clicking it open. In the corner of your vision, you could see Suna trying to stifle a laugh. Curiosity getting the best of you, you leaned over to look into it, and your eyes widened at the sight.

“Seriously?” you rolled your eyes at him.

As you pulled into what seemed like a forest, he threw his head back in a guffaw.

“What? There’s no better way to celebrate, baby.” He unbuckled his seatbelt and gave you a kiss on your temple before pulling the keys out of the ignition. “Are you ready?”

“Ready for what?” You mimicked his actions and took your seatbelt off.

“Look up.”

You questioned his statement for a second before looking up through the panoramic sunroof of his mom’s Honda Odyssey.

“Oh my god. It’s beautiful.” Your eyes were full of wonder, much like a child, as you stared at the dazzling pink moon above you. “How did you find this place?”

He looked up for a moment, pretending to be lost in thought. “I dunno. Just came across it I guess.”

“Who would’ve thought I’d be alive to witness such a phenomenon!” You giggled, gazing at the sky once more. Turning to Suna, who was staring at you, you commented, “For real, it’s so pretty.”

“Not as pretty as you though.”

He was so suave sometimes it made you itch. Scoffing at him, you chose to ignore what he said, instead holding your hand out and saying, “Oh shut up and pass me a lighter.”

Suna dug his hands into the console and once he had everything in his hands, he motioned for you to shut the top. You watched him diligently as he twisted the grinder, once, twice, three times before taking a wrapper out of the packaging and running his tongue on it. He has such nice hands, you thought as the veins flexed against his bones. He laid the paper flat onto the leather and snapped his gaze back at you.

“Hey, pay attention. How’re you gonna do this by yourself if you’re too busy looking at me, hm?” He loved to tease you, loved to see the heat rise to your cheeks when he took advantage of a perfect moment—loved to fluster you speechless. You opened your mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He took your silence as you admitting defeat, no retort coming to mind. Chuckling at your scrunched eyebrows and focused eyes, he took the wrapper back into his palm and unscrewed the grinder to sprinkle the weed onto the paper. With a steady hand, he placed the container down and rolled up the blunt. Suna tucked the edges of the paper into itself, and taking the lavender lighter that sat on the dashboard, he ran his thumb across the sparkwheel, running the flame across the wrapper.

Once he was done, he held the blunt between his thumb and index finger, taking a look at his proud work. Placing his elbow on the console, he slowly flicked his wrist to your side, ushering you to take the blunt from his fingers. Holding it with your left hand, he placed the lighter in your right. You paused before placing the blunt in between your lips, “I don’t know Rin, I just can’t imagine a world where you don’t roll for me,” you shrugged your shoulders, finally making contact with the paper. As you lit the end of the blunt in the darkness of the car, you couldn’t help but wither at the flame. You never really noticed in the daylight, how fast the light goes out. It was strikingly more apparent in the dark. Before you knew it, your eyes had shut and the flame was out. Perhaps at this moment you could’ve made some cliche anecdote about how life was like a flame, and it would be out before you knew it, so it was best to make the warmth last, but you were just so entirely encapsulated by it’s light that it was gone before you even had time to think about it.

You took a deep inhale, closing your eyes and clearing your thoughts as you let the smoke simmer in your throat, only exhaling when you felt as though you couldn’t breathe anymore.

“That’s my good girl. Seems like you did learn a thing or two from hanging out with a rascal like me.”

You rolled your eyes at him, increasingly getting closer to his body. “As if I had baby lungs before we met.”

A low chuckle erupted from his chest. Watching you take another hit, eyes drunk on the sight of you, he patted lightly on his thighs. You smiled at him, vapor spilling from your teeth, and lifted your body over the middle separation of the car. With you now straddling his legs, he placed his rough palms on your waist, holding onto your skin as if he was afraid to let go. You wrapped your arms loosely around his shoulders and he brought his hand up to brush his thumb against your lip. Gently pulling you in, he settled your soft lips on his, feeling his lungs fill with the smoke from yours. It was slow, the moment feeling everlasting as your bodies moved in sync and your tongues brushed against each other. You pulled apart for a moment, the taste still lingering while Suna turned his head to the side and exhaled.

He looked back up at you with stinging eyes, words could not possibly describe how beautiful you looked under the glowing pink moon. He pulled you in once more, this time more forceful. Teeth clashing and saliva spilling—he couldn’t get enough of you. You held the sides of his face with the heels of your palms, kneeling on the seat below you, desperately wanting to get closer. Suna drew back from your lips with a pop, only to come back and run his tongue all the way down your jawline and neck. Quiet moans ruptured from your throat as he sucked and nipped at the skin. You brought the joint to your lips and sucked on the end until the tip was bright red, only exhaling when Rintaro bit your shoulder.

Playfully smacking his arm, you winced, “Ow!”

He kissed the area as if to soothe the pain, “Sorry, princess, you just taste so good.”

“Yeah right, you smooth piece of shit,” you said, taking the joint in your lips again.

Suna removed himself from you, taking the blunt from your fingers and taking a hit himself. “C’mon, babe, save some for me.”

You cupped his cheek with one hand, the other exploring his chest, while you smooched his cheek and nuzzled your face into his neck, “As if you can’t roll one for yourself,” you purred.

Taking the last few inhales, he placed the remainder of the joint in the ashtray that sat in the cupholder. Rin hooked his index finger under your chin and pressed a quick kiss to your nose, “Where’s the fun in that?” He wrapped his arms around your shoulders, your arms snaking around his waist, and rested his chin on your head. “Y’know, I’m really gonna miss moments like these.”

You sighed against his chest, “You’re talking like we’re splitting up.”

“Well we don’t really have a choice, do we? You’re gonna go study at some prestigious school in France, and I’m…” the strands of your hair flew askew as he exhaled above your head, “...staying here.”

You sat up, straddling his lap once again, bringing yourself eye level to Suna. “I’m coming back, you know that.” You caressed your thumb on his cheek and felt your chest ache when he leaned into your touch, like he was desperate for you to stay. “So don’t talk like we’re never going to see each other again.”

He raised his hand to hold yours and kissed the inside of your wrist tenderly. “Yeah, we’re going to see each other again, but we’re not going to be the same again.”

You didn’t know how to respond. You racked your brain for rebuttals, yet nothing came to mind. All you knew was that you couldn’t lie to him—you didn’t have the heart to. What good would come of lying to the person you loved?

“C’mon, princess, say something. Don’t...don’t let me overthink like this. My head,” you heard him sniffle against your ear. “I keep thinking about all these things—about the future, and, baby, I just can’t see one without you.”

He trembled beneath you, hoping that you didn’t have to see him cry. You didn’t want to look up at him either, afraid that if you let go, you’d never feel his warmth again.

“Rin, please...please don’t say that.” You clutched onto the fabric of his shirt tighter, indulging in the scent of his fabric softener. “You’re making it hard for me to say goodbye,” you pleaded.

He was no better, begging with every word that fell from his lips. “Would it be so selfish of me to want you to stay?”

You lifted your head from his shoulder, wiping your cheeks with your sleeves before taking on the courage to look at his face. His eyes were stained red, bloodshot from the tears that poured. He bit his lip as a last ditch attempt to stop it from quivering—he didn’t want you to see him so...weak.

“Baby…” you whispered, hands finding their way to his face, rubbing away the wetness on his skin. You lowered your head and pressed your foreheads together. Letting out a dry laugh, your breath brushed against the tip of his nose. “Why are you making this so hard for me?”

The rest of the night was a blur of grasps and heartbroken refusals to say farewell.

The silence of the drive was anything but peaceful. Both of you dreaded the moment the rumble of the engine would cease—both of you dreaded the moment you’d have to say your final goodbye. The air was dense, with a sort of sadness that was too heavy to feel all at once. Almost like if one of you had spoken, you’d break down all together. It seemed as if the evening was all jumbled together—the car ride was reminiscent of a limbo you were both stuck in, like the minutes were slowed and rushed at the same time.

Like everything in life, all good things must come to an end. As you watched the image of your home enlarge from the distance, your heart sank to your feet. The moment was inevitable, and yet you hoped it would never come.

The minivan came to a stop in the exact same place it was when he had picked you up. Suna remained unmoving in his seat, hesitant to turn the keys in the ignition to the off position. Once the car stilled, your eyes glanced at the man to your right, tears threatening to spill from your waterline. Your hand wandered down to the lock of your seatbelt, wincing with your eyelids shut at the sound of the click—an action that forced streams to fall down your cheeks. The thick fabric whipped to your side, freeing you from the atmosphere that suffocated you, but you lingered in your spot. There was a ringing in your ears, and you were sure that Rintaro could hear it too. The smooth plastic of the door handle which you reluctantly hooked your fingers around burned against your skin. Everything felt sedated. Reality felt altered. Nothing felt real. The second you tore your eyes away from in front of you, Suna unbuckled his seatbelt and threw it to the side. He grabbed a hold on your wrist, using his other hand to bring your face to his.

Your bodies pressed together, fingers tangling in each other’s hair, clothes, and anything you could grab onto to bring the other closer. Your hearts raced, lips embracing in a delicate hold, breaths leaving your mouths in sync. It was no longer static. Everything felt warm. Everything felt happy. For the first time in what felt like forever, everything felt okay.

One last time, you broke free, instantly feeling colder. Your foreheads rested against each other, unwilling to leave the car and unwilling to let the other go.

You kissed his nose, feeling him smile under your touch. “Whatever happens during these next few years, promise me we’ll find each other again,” you whispered in the dark.

He kissed your cheek, releasing you from his grip and rubbing your shoulder, a gesture that let you know he was ready to say goodbye. “I’ll find you in every lifetime, this one is no different.”

You slowly pulled the door handle and hopped out, leaning over your seat to give him one last kiss. “Don’t forget about me,” you giggled as you shut the car behind you and rushed to make it back to your room before sunrise.

“I love you,” Suna whispered as he watched you fade from view.

© all content [unless stated otherwise] belongs to oikirstein 2021. do not modify or repost.

reblogs are greatly appreciated <3