#piccolo angst

[z0-ne]

Can I request a dragon ball super x female reader, where the reader has a older brother that's actually a human, but he's strong too, her brother got into a fight with a very strong oppent, the dragon ball fighters were also the ones fighting the oppent along with her older brother but they were all losing and her brother was badly injuries, so the reader is a powerful full blood sayian, And she defeats the oppent in literally Les sthan 5 minutes 👁️👄👁️

Like not even Beerus could win this fight😭

The reader would do anything to protect her brother🥹

Yes! Thank you for the request! I hope this is okay! Possible Trigger Warnings: mentions of blood, curs!ng, and mentions of abandonment. Also not sure how old you wanted the reader so I made her around Gohans age during the mystic transformation, I a hope thats ok!

A Saiyans Rage.(DRAGON BALL SUPER X (FEM! SAIYAN! READER) )

This whole fight ended up being one giant mistake the minute the opponet stepped out of that strange ship.

Their strange scaley skin colored a pale blue that made it look like they were already dead, and those cold white eyes that didn't give much life to it's already undead apperence.

"Give me...My future bride."

It pointed one of its long, scaley, ungroomed finger through the whole group, and directly at you who hid behind your older brother so you didn't have to see it.

That things voice was gruff , scratchy and some how high pitched at the same time. It's whole face looked like a huge chunk was bitten out of it and it was thrown into some acid after.

You gagged a little and gripped onto your older brothers arm. Despite being a Saiyan, you were more human like then your brother would've thought you'd be.

For example, you weren't much of a fighter, and your power level seemed pretty low no matter what method they used to read it so he ended up being able to raise you normally.

You knew the people he fought with and forbid you from fighting and training, but you've never actually had to fight.

Up until now at least.

"No way! Who are you anyway!"

You heard your brother yell at the beast as he clenched his fist and stomped forward. Shoving you backwards behind the closest person to him which was Vegeta at the time.

It seemed like it was instintive, but he put an arm infront of you when the creature stepped towards you all, and you tried to go out to grab your brother.

Unbeknowest to you, he sensed something you didn't.

"Give her to me...Now!!"

The sudden energy shift and rise of power that nearly knocked you all off your feet was enough to make them power up and rush to fight whatever that thing was.

It started with Yamcha, Tien, and Krillin. First Tien and Yamcha rushed him from each side, but before they even made contact they were both knocked to different sides of the area without it even touching them.

Then Krillin came from the front and would've landed a hit if the creature didn't step back and hit him in the stomach with a KI blast, sending him far back and right into the house.

They came back but it was pointless.

That monster could take them down in seconds, and leave them bloodied and hurt to the point where Yamcha couldn't get up again.

After seeing that you tried to step up before Piccolo and your brother went in but Vegeta gripped onto the side of your left arm and pushed you further back.

"What are you doing?! Let me help!" "Don't be a fool. You may be a Saiyan but this is out of your leauge." "He's gonna-" "You've never trained a day in your life. All you'll do is give him an opprtunity to take you and leave or serve as a distraction."

It seemed like he was upset about it, but everytime he talked he sounded upset so you couldn't really tell. However he did make sense.

You'd only get in the way if you fought right now.

"So shut up, and sit tight or run away."

That did it for you.

You took a deep breath and closed your eyes as Piccolo and your brother attacked him next, and by the sounds of it they might be holding up slightly longer than you thought they would.

"Get outta here you creep!"

You heard your brother yell as the sound of fist colliding with skin and bones, then a loud explosion sound came and then there sounded like some cursing before you felt Vegeta's grip loosen on your arm.

Then he and Goku took off to fight next you assumed after you fell off your feet due to the sudden heavy blow of wind.

They better have went to fight after that.

You opened your eyes to see that they weren't even on the ground anymore. Actually you didn't see them around at all, even when you looked up at the sky.

It was easy to feel the earth shaking as they fought, but you only saw the sky and clouds above.

Your brother was somehow right beside you now and was shoving you closer to the front door of your house despite the fight going on behind you.

Stopping him by pushing yourself in the oppisite direction, you protested against his pushing, and while it didn't do much to stop him it did slow him down.

"Wait! What about Goku and Vege-" "Don't worry about it! They've got it but you need to go!"

Usually you'd try to listen to him, but when you saw Vegeta falling out the sky at more than one hundred miles per hour and slam into the ground only to leave a giant crater in the ground beneath him.

He sat up and wiped the blood coming from his mouth and the thick line of blood that dripped from his forehead and into his left eye. It stained his once white gloves a crimson red.

"They've got it, huh?!"

You snapped back only to have him glare at you and keep trying to shove you inside the house, but you placed your arms at the sides of the door to stop him.

This was something you couldn't just sit out on and ignore.

Honestly you'd rather risk your chances getting hurt in the fight rather than see them all get pummbled by this strange creature.

"Look just-" Ignoring him completely, you turned to Beerus, the cat that just stood there with his hands behind his back. He wasn't even busy he was just letting this happen!

"And you! Why don't you handle this!"

"I don't feel like it." "Oh I'm sure you'd feel like it if he blew up a pudding cup!" "Will you let that g-"

Beerus was intturpted when another fighter came flying down and two more got up.

Your brother was knocked on his butt when Goku came crashing down a little too close to you guys. It must've been sudden, because he didn't seem like he could stop himself from hitting the ground and creating another crater.

This caused you to loose your footing, and you ended up falling in the crater and rolling a little before you could manage to stop yourself.

"Damnit, I'm not just gonna stand by and watch this!" "No! (Name)!" You ignored your brother and charged straight for the strange creature, and as you flew at it you pulled your fist back to get ready to hit it square in the face.

Unfortunantly it was fast, and caught your fist. You were lucky Vegeta and your brother stepped in and made it just in time before that thing could process that you basically just ran right into it's trap.

It slung you back when Vegeta made contact and your brother blasted it a few feet further away from you.

"Damnit! I Told you to stay put!" "And look at where that's getting us now!" "Don't Sass me child!" "I'm seventeen!"

Through the arguing, neither of you could hear your brother warning you guys about the Ki blast coming towards you until it was too late and you were moving Vegeta out the way.

You were hit, and it was strong enough to send you all the way back into the crater goku had made.

"Woah, Hold on I've got you-"

Lucky for you, Goku was there amd he got a chance to catch you before you made contact with the ground. There was a burning sensation and you could feel your skin cook underneath the radiation of the blast.

It ended up hurting a lot more than you would've liked for it to, but you put on a brave face.

"Thank yo-" "No!! My wife...Don't touch!!! Don't steal..Its Mine!!" You couldn't even finish your sentence before you had to stand on your feet and was pulled into goku so you weren't blown away again.

That aura was something you could feel from a mile away. It's power was absoluetly overwhelming, and at that point you felt like you could do nothing about it whatsoever.

"Wait! It's not like that, I'm married and they're way too young!" Goku tried to make the situation a little less stressful by calming the creature down by letting you go and putting his hands by his head.

That thing wasn't listening at all though. Actually it just got more upset, and even starting lashing out on the fighters. It was like the puddng incident all over again.

"All right this is getting out of hand, I guess I'll have to step in."

You snapped your head over to beerus, only to have the last thing you see is him right infront of you with his finger pointed at your forehead before you passed out.

___________________ It felt like it had been some time before you woke up, the sun set, and the fighters were down.

All still alive, but bloodied and pummbled into their own craters. Some shared and others seperate.

You could see only a few of their injuries considering your vision was still blurry, but the blood and rubble scattered along the once clean ground infront of your now destroyed home.

Turning your head at the sound of a rock falling, you could see it was absouletly broken to pieces. Everything in it was gone, and if you didn't live in it you wouldn't have known what it was before this.

Looking a little closer, you could see a purple claw hidden under rubble and twitching slightly.

Fear seaped through your body and reached your core as your skin went cold and you could feel your hands shaking underneath you, hardly holding you up.

'Wait- Where's (Brother's name) ?'

You thought to yourself as you frantically started to search around for him, but it wasn't until you climbed out the crater and looked to your far right that you were able to see where he was.

The creature, stood ontop of him, stomping down on his screaming body, causing him to let out large clumps of blood with every bone- chilling shriek.

There was a puddle of crimson under his chin and covering the little rocks that were littered around him.

"No..Stop..." You begged, a pathetic whimper in your voice as you lifted yourself out the crater and onto your knees.

The creature didn't stop, almost as if it didn't hear you or didn't seem to care at all about your begging or the fact that you were right within it's range.

"Please...you'll kill him.." Maybe you were hoping it would hear you if you got louder, but speaking nicely didn't seem to work for it at all.

The creature stopped to look at you, but went right back to what he was doing before you spoke up a little louder. It was like he didn't care, and he was just doing this to hurt your brother.

"I..Said Stop!"

You didn't know where it came from, or why it happened now out of all times but there was a certain surge of power course through your body.

It crushed the ground beneath you as you bawled up your fist and could feel something heating up from the pits of your stomach as you watched your brother go limp.

That thing stared at you, with it's foot on your brothers back. All it took was one last stomp to set you completely off and let out a scream so intense and loud that youk new it would leave your throat sore later.

From that point you blacked out, and the next five to ten minutes went by while you weren't even completely aware as to what you were doing.

While the others were being healed by Dende who was brought down by whis, you were making quick work of that odd looking creature.

"Oh my, it seems like your little plan worked." "Yes, shame I had to hurt my already sore back for this project of theirs though."

Just as the last person, which was yamcha was healed, the others were already up and watching with wide eyes.

They didn't know where this sudden power came drom and beerus saying what he said helped clear absolutely nothing up, so they were all left in the dust.

After they watched you knock that creature around for a good eight minutes, they then saw you send a blast straight to its face, sending it's head right off it's shoulders and into the sky.

You powered down right after it's body it the ground, and just as you went back to normal you fell out the sky as well.

"(Name)!" Your brother called out as he flew towards you, and luckily caught you before you could touch the ground.

It still left the others in complete shock, and they ended up turning to ask him a bunch of questions. Your brother being included in the ones who asked about what you were. "They're out cold- Beerus! What did whis mean by 'Your little plan'? What aren't you telling us about them!?"

"What the hell just happend!?" Whis put his hand up, and shushed everyone else around for the sake of explaining just what and who you really were. After all there was nothing known about you other than your brother found you in front of his house in a very odd fruit basket.

"Well, I'm sure everyone is familiar with zeno. Correct? " "This is one of their more..pure creations if you will. You could blame Lord Beerus for their Saiyan blood, he mentioned the race and eventually they were bored enough to create a perfect warrior." "Perfectly calm, up until provoked. See their brotherly figure was originally Zeno, but the thought of raising a child seemed less then amusing so they sent them off to earth. Where they were found by (Brother's Name)." "A fighter meant to deal with things they just didn't feel like dealing with, meaning their power goes beyond my power as far as i've been told. " "So what did we just see?"

Tilting his hand over to your unconsious body, whis continued with a smile on his face.

"You just saw, pure, developed, saiyan rage. Strongest there is, just as planned!"

"Wait- My sisters not just some experiment!"

Your brother yelled out, not wanting to believe all the hard work he put into raising you was all just for some sort of test, you were still a sentient being even if you weren't human.

Whis only chuckled and waved him off despite how serious your brother was about what whis was saying about you.

"Actually your whole life was! I've been watching closely and you've been more than sucessful!" "Now that they've unlocked their little gift, I suppose that means that their training should start soon. This way they'll hopefully match their given power by thirty or at twenty seven." "Oh- That'll be some time with this one. I hope they won't miss you all too much."

[st-dorothy-minority]

Piccolo: "I didn't think it was possible."

Gohan: *trying his best to hold it together* "What' do you mean?"

Piccolo: "Cell actually loved someone more than himself."

Gohan breaks down completely

[mefiman]

3rd entry for the HanPhan Week on Twitter's Angst Prompt.

Parents' biggest grief is when their child leaves the world first before them... 😢 😭

Death of Android 89, the Earth Guardian by sacrifice in Future Trunks's timeline.

[pillowdrawz]

DBZ X INVINCIBLE AU

.

I want more crossovers between them sm. I WANT a fanfic about them Not a death battle like actual plot with angst like. Mark being jealous at Goten and Gohan for having a Father that is not a killer Having a life he could have had if his dad isn't loyal to people.

And i just want Piccolo to train mark pls-

.

Also YES GOKU IS SMART IN THIS AU AS HE ALWAYS HAS BEEN IN CANON NOT IN SUPER- Goku literally Figure out Who Kami is??? Hello??? Did we just thanos snapped that from our childhood??

/rant

[ashe-smash]

Baby Talk | Chapter 1: Conception Ao3

Piccolo x Reader

Tags/ CW: Infertility, Themes of Infertility Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Alien/Human Relationships, Namekian Biology, Piccolo has a Diccolo (Later Chapters) Oviposition, Breeding Kink, Pregnancy, Alien Pregnancy.

Word Count: ~2.4K

Summary: You’ve known Piccolo and you reproduce differently since the beginning of your relationship- before you were ever really dating. You thought it was fine until it’s not. Piccolo and Reader have to navigate their reproductive incompatibility. (Aka Writer takes some significant liberties with Namekian biology)

Big thanks to @ginrastandsby for beta-ing and the DB reader discord for support with my fics ! 🫶

FYI, this it technically in canon with another wip. I consider them the same Reader Character- for context 1) Reader is a childhood friend of Videl, shes Pan’s godmother. 2) Piccolo and Reader can have sex. He had an “appendage” that’s sheathes thats similar to a penis. It produces lubrication, but no genetic material/ sperm.

Piccolo stares at your sleeping form. He knows you don’t like it, but he’s feeling things he’s not quite sure how to process. It’s not like he needs sleep like you, so maybe if the Namekian stares long enough the puzzle will piece itself together. 

Eventually you rouse from it, mumbling a reminder and beckoning him to join you under the warmth of your comforter. Ready to drift back asleep. He usually lies with you, meditating until you wake but he doesn’t feel like joining you right this moment. 

“You want a baby.” Piccolo says flatly. It’s not a question, because he knows it’s true. He hadn’t been trying to eavesdrop on you or anything, he simply has very good hearing. Chatting with an old friend who’d just had a baby during a chance encounter earlier that day. Something about you wanting one of your own if the cards were ever right for you. 

You’re much more awake now. “This isn’t a middle of the night conversation Piccolo.” 

Piccolo knows that, he thinks. Navigating a relationship is new for the Namekian, while he’s been friends or allies with earthlings for two decades- most of his life- this is his first romantic and physical one. 

But he knows he loves you. It feels a little foreign, unlike his love for Gohan or Videl and Pan and maybe that’s why this bothers him. He can’t even place the feelings he is having now: he’s not angry, he knows anger, he’s not scared- this seems a little silly to be scared over? Worried. He thinks he’s worried. 

Piccolo touches his throat, it’s almost absentminded. “I can't … do that.” 

“I know.” You sigh. Not disappointedly, he thinks. You’re just tired. “Lo I don’t know why we’re having this conversation.” He’s not quite sure why either. It’s just bugging him and he’s not used to that.  

You huff, a little grumpy at being woken up. He acquiesces and crawls into the blankets with you, attempting to appease his slight of having woken you up. You curl up at his side, body warm with sleep. Piccolo always runs on the cooler side, not warm blooded like humans. You change that tucked into his side. “Can we talk about this in the morning?” 

When you do fall asleep, it’s restless. Even in the deepest parts of meditation he can tell you aren’t sleeping well. You can’t seem to get comfortable, nor does it seem you ever fully fall asleep.Eventually when the morning is still silver blue, you give up and wake yourself up. “You know, there are human men that couldn’t give me a baby right?” 

“I don’t … want you to do… that.” 

“I don’t want that either. I mean, even if we can’t have a baby together it doesn’t change the way I feel about you. Even if I want a baby, I still love you.” 

He turns his head and kisses the palm you tucked against the side of his face. You love him regardless, even if he can’t give you it. 

You eventually roll onto your stomach to look at him.“Is it even something you want.” 

For him, it feels very complicated. Very few Namekians ever reproduce. He thinks it sounds horrific. Not to mention his own relationship with his own father- or lack there of adds another layer of complexity. 

You having your own child through whatever alternative ways would just mean there would be another human in his life that he would eventually outlive. However, he doesn’t want to take that away from you. 

The two of you are reproductively incompatible. Technically, you’re both the egg bearers. Sex is only possible because Namekians still have vestigial appendages that are similar to penises. 

“I don’t know.” 

If he slept maybe he’d dream of it. Silence hangs in the air between you two. If his hearing wasn’t so good, he might think you were sleeping again. 

“Are you sad?” 

You take a deep breath before answering, which almost is an answer in itself. “A little bit, yeah. I knew you couldn’t- we couldn’t … do that since we first slept together. But I guess it feels different when we actually talk about it.” 

You curl yourself back up to his side. “Do you want to go back to sleep?” 

You nod. “You can go meditate outside if you want.” 

He usually does around this time in the morning while you sleep in. Piccolo shakes his head. He thinks he’d rather stay here with you. 

He has a feeling this topic is only shelved for later.  It’s not like you’re going to stop wanting it, even if you also love him. He wishes it was simpler, at least for your sake. 

At least you sleep a little more peacefully after that. 

… 

It’s a few days later when Pan is over that it comes back up again. The two of them are training and you’re sitting under the big tree outside your home. Usually you’d sit in your office to work, but it seems there’s been a bit of unspoken clinginess between the two of you. Luckily you already work from home and can work from almost anywhere as long as you have your laptop. 

“Pico, why is Auntie crying?” 

Piccolo turns his head to see you slip back into your shared home. He doesn’t see your face though. 

Piccolo ruffles a hand through Pan’s hair. “Go take a lap, I’ll make sure Auntie is okay.” 

You’re in the kitchen and you duck your head so he can’t see your face. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m fine. I just-“ Your voice cracks, betraying your words. “Just need a minute.” 

“Why are you crying?” He steps up behind you, but he’s not sure if he should touch. 

You shrug. “It’s fine. Go- Go train with Pan.” 

“She’s worried about you.” Maybe it’s a little cruel to play that card but if it will get you to tell him what’s wrong. When a fresh wave of tears starts, Piccolo can’t stand it anymore and tucks you against his chest. Wraps an arm around your crossed arms. 

“It’s awful and I feel guilty for feeling it.” You sob. 

This is the worst part- when he doesn’t know what to do. Usually you’re there to help guide him through it, but that’s wildly inappropriate at this moment. 

“Deep breath, please.” It’s shaky but you manage it. He lets you take another one too. “I’ve heard some pretty awful stuff, I doubt you could say anything as bad.” He strokes your cheek with the back of his fingers. 

“It feels mean to say to you, Lo.” 

“Do you intend to hurt me with it?” You shake your head. “Then please tell me so I can understand?” 

“Pan’s an only child…” He’s aware of that fact. You take another deep breath. “T-that’s fine, I just… I always figured it’d be okay cause she’d have a cousin or two eventually.” 

Goten’s still pretty young- by the time he might have kids, Pan will probably be a teenager… Oh. “Because you thought you’d have kids?” 

He’d never thought about it. He’s technically an only child, Gohan and Goten are far apart in age- at least Goten has Trunks to play around with. Bulla and Pan are close enough in age but that hardly means anything. 

You want to give her a playmate. 

It makes sense. The two of you love Pan more than anything, probably more than each other. 

“I'm sorry.” You say wetly. “I’m not trying to guilt you or anything…  I’m just sad about it.” 

“What can I do for you?” 

“I really just needed a minute, Big Guy.” You squeeze at an arm that’s wrapped around you. “I think I might go lie down for a little bit?” 

He holds you for another minute then lets you go upstairs. He waits until he hears you get into the bed before he leaves

When Piccolo comes back outside, Pan is sitting in the grass poking at a bug. She’s more like her dad than one would first believe by looking at her. “Why was Auntie crying, Piccolo?” 

“She’s sad, bud.” 

“Are you getting a divorce?” 

“What? No, where did you even hear that?” Technically, the two of you aren’t even married. Can he even legally get married? 

“One of my friends at school’s mom and dad are getting a divorce. Her mom is very sad when I see her.” 

Oh, that makes sense. 

“We had a grownup conversation recently and it made Auntie sad.” It’s hard because Piccolo can’t exactly talk to her about the truth. 

“When Daddy makes Mom upset, he buys her chocolates and flowers! You should do that Picco!”

“Yeah? Auntie’s laying down right now, think we should go get her something to cheer her up?” 

Pan nods enthusiastically. She hops up to take off to fly towards the nearest store. Piccolo glances back at your home before he takes off to join her. Hopefully you’ll be alright for a little bit by yourself. 

…

It seems fine at first. Piccolo has an armful of treats (all picked out by Pan). She’s not worried anymore, eager to help Piccolo “fix” your sour mood. 

Until they walk straight in front of the baby section. Rows and rows of pastel baby clothes. Bottles and pacifiers line the adjacent walls of the section. 

Something curdles in Piccolo’s stomach. He’s assumed he’s been feeling this way because you’re feeling sad and upset about this. Maybe he does want a baby? As bad as you do. Especially with the realization that yours and his baby would grow up with Pan. 

Pan tugs on his gi. “What’s wrong, Piccolo?” 

He blinks. “Just thinking that Auntie’s up by now.” He shrugs the arm holding all of the snacks Pan picked out. “Do you think this is enough?” 

It’s a bit early for him to be dropping off Pan but he feels it’s necessary.  Videl seems a little concerned but mostly just surprised. He assures her that something just came up. He’ll make it up to Pan another day. Maybe you and him can take her out for a fun outing when you’re in better spirits. 

He takes the plastic baggie of snacks and heads home. 

You’re still lying down when he returns. Laying on your stomach, face practically smothered in the pillow- he really hates when you sleep like this. Based on your breathing, you’re not quite sleeping but not quite awake. 

He crawls on top of you being careful to not put all his weight on you, but enough. You once told him about weighted blankets- that it’s comforting to have the extra pressure sometimes.

“I wish I could give you a baby.” 

“We could.” You mumble. Your voice is scratchy from sleep and crying, probably. 

The Dragon Balls? So you two could have a baby together? It feels ironic that Piccolo hadn’t thought of that. It’d be relatively easy- Bulma keeps them constantly collected and protected to be used if needed. 

He lets you turn over but he doesn’t get off of you, his head resting on your belly. “Do you really want to do that?” 

You shrug. “What if they were needed for something… more important?” ‘Something more important’ goes unsaid. Piccolo nods. That would be an awful thing for your baby to have over their head their whole lives. 

“If you really wanted… what’s it called when another man fathers a child for someone who can’t?” 

“Donor?” 

“If you really wanted it… you could do that.” Piccolo really doesn’t like that. He’d love your child because they’re part of you but he’d still struggle. 

“I… I want your baby, Lo.” You pout. “It’s selfish but I want you to get me pregnant and I want to have your baby. I know it’s unrealistic to want that but I do.” 

“But we can’t do that and we can’t… make it happen other ways… So?” 

You turn your face away. “I guess we just …don’t.” 

He rubs your hip, he hates that you’re sad and he can’t really do anything about it. “You’re still sad about it though, right?” 

“I might always be sad about it, Piccolo.” You sigh. “But we have Pan.” 

He nods. “We have Pan.” 

“And I love you. You know that right?” 

Of course he does. It’d be awkward because the two of you are so interconnected in your lives but if you didn’t want to be with him anymore- he’d understand if you left him. Being with a man who looks like an alien has been quite the adjustment. 

“Please don’t cry again.”  He points to the bag of acquired goodies. It’s set on the edge of the bed, but he doesn’t move away from you to actually retrieve it. “Pan picked you out snacks.” 

“Yeah? That’s where you went?” You giggle, a little forced but it lifts the mood. “Can I eat them in bed?” 

Piccolo grimaces. He takes the sanctity of your bed very seriously, you sleep there after all. “... If you really want to.” That makes you laugh a little more genuinely. 

Ultimately you decide to go eat your snacks downstairs during a movie. Snacks for dinner, though Piccolo will insist you eat something more substantial. You think maybe you’ll entice him into a warm bath later. 

Your phone buzzes: 

>> (Del) Pan said you were upset earlier? Everything alright?? 

You expected this. Pan’s still little and likely can’t keep a “secret” especially from her mother. 

Truth be told, Videl and Gohan have been far too involved in your relationship with Piccolo. Sure, they are your respective best friends- Videl is the reason you’re together. 

The first time you two had a serious argument, the married couple seriously meddled into getting you to talk to Piccolo again- even though you both really just needed some time to cool off. You know they were just trying to help but you don’t need that now. 

You sneakily snap a pic of your partner. He’s sitting with your feet in his lap, holding a plate of your treats so they don’t spill while you’re texting. 

>> (You) Just having a hard day. Nothing >> Sorry Piccolo brought Pan home early. 

Maybe someday they’ll be told. Perhaps you’ll sob to Videl after one too many glasses of wine on your rare Girls Nights or Piccolo will confide in Gohan about it. 

But for now it can just be between you and him. You’ll have to get used to that now, after all.

[homeofthelonelywriter]

Il mio piccolo sole | Spoilers!

(A/N) I had been working on this in my head since after I watched the Ghovie. Aaaaaaahhhhh I'm so excited for what's coming next!! Also, this does contain spoilers, so please only read if you're comfortable with that.

Pairing: Copia x Reader (no Y/N)

Warning: spoilers for Rite here Rite now, angst, comfort, fluff, kisses

Hundreds of times. You had walked this path hundreds of times—most of the time with a smile on your face. After all, you were on your way to Copia’s, your secret boyfriend’s, office. Usually, you’d be giddy with excitement or just exhausted and ready to be comforted and spend a lazy evening with the Papa, but today was different. There was an ever-present scowl on your face, your eyebrows knitted together in concentration. Concentration used solely on keeping yourself together.

The door opened and slammed closed within a second, a noise that echoed through the, by now, empty halls of the clergy. And you knew with that entrance, you immediately had his undivided attention. His head snapped up, his eyes leaving the document he had been reading and instead meeting yours. He looked startled, confused, and slightly irritated. As he was about to open his mouth to speak, you cut him off.

“Are you leaving?”

Now it was pure confusion in his gaze. He carefully got to his feet, before placing both hands on the desk in front of him.

“I apologize, sorella, I believe I do not know what you’re talking about.”

Sorella? He never called you that except for when…your eyes followed his gaze which had started to flicker to his right. There were Primo and Secondo, sitting on the old, worn, leather couch, staring at you. Normally embarrassment would flood through you. You would apologize and dart out of the room, not showing your face for weeks. But in that moment, you didn’t have the patience for that. So instead you just glared at them.

“Get out.”

Primo immediately got to his feet and took a step towards the door you had just slammed closed. But his younger brother just looked at you as if you had insulted Satan himself. Maybe by talking to him that way, you had done that in some way.

“Who do you think you are to tal-”

The man was interrupted when Primo grabbed his arm and hoisted him to his feet, before dragging him to the door.

“Believe me, fratellino, when a woman has that look in her eyes, you do as she says or you won’t live to see another day.”

If you hadn’t been so upset, you would have laughed at Primo’s advice to his younger brother, but right now, all you could do was let out a sigh of relief. You watched them leave the room, only looking back towards Copia when the door closed softly behind them.

“Cara, what is the ma-”

Copia started to round the table, walking towards you with hurried steps, but you stopped him with a raised hand. You knew that if he touched you at that moment, you’d melt and forget all your worries. But you needed to know.

“Are you leaving? Are you stepping down and making way for that…that new person?”

Now Copia knew what you were talking about. A sigh left him and his eyes searched the floor for a moment before they looked back up at you. With determined steps, he closed the distance between you, before gathering your hands in his and raising them to his lips.

“Amore mio, I thought I told you not to go and watch that movie.”

It was you sighing this time. Yes, he had asked you, an the entire clergy, to not watch the movie and to stay away from it in general. But what did he think would happen? As soon as he requested that, you knew that you just had to go and watch it. What a mistake had that been. Sure, you enjoyed the music, the performance, and the fooling around backstage, but when the ending came around you didn’t know what to think. Was what was being portrayed steeped in truth? Were those the plans for the future of the clergy? Who was this new person?

Your mind began reeling and within minutes you found yourself brought back to the stories of what happened to his brothers after they stepped down. Especially Terzo. How he, as well as Primo and Secondo, had been “killed”, even if that was just a story told to the fans. The truth was that they had been forced out of the clergy for months before Copia finally had enough control to allow them to come back. With that new person, who was to tell what he would do to them? Maybe he would actually kill them, or send them away, or-

“Amore…you’re spiraling. Come back to me.”

Copia placed soft kisses against each of your knuckles, waiting for you to break out of your inner panic attack. A soft smile spread across his lips when your eyes focused on him again.

“There you go. Come, sit down, il mio piccolo sole.”

He carefully led you over to the couch that had just been occupied by his brothers, before pulling you close. Once you were able to rest your head against his chest and listen to his heartbeat for a few moments, he broke the silence again.

“I’m not leaving, amore. And I’m not stepping down either, at least not really. But the fans, they are growing restless. They need something new, someone new.”

A sigh of relief escaped your lips and you angled your face so you could look at him. He smiled down at you, pressing his lips against your forehead before pulling you closer again.

“I’m sorry. About bursting in and talking to your brothers like that. I should have thought before I acted.”

Copia shook his head and gently started to rock back and forth with you in his arms.

“Va tutto bene, amore.They need to be humbled sometimes, especially Secondo.”

You chuckled and nodded in agreement. Silence quickly fell over the two of you, and you closed your eyes, fully concentrating on Copia’s heartbeat. You let it ground you until you felt all anxiety leave your body.

“Copia?”

He hummed in response, pressing a fleeting kiss against your hair.

“You should show the movie to the others.”

He tensed slightly, before relaxing again.

“Why do you think so?”

You pulled out of his embrace and settled down on his lap, looking him in the eyes.

“Because they will watch it. Even if you asked them not to. And those who won’t will stumble across the information sooner or later. Show it to them. Make it a whole spectacle with snacks and drinks, and afterward, explain it like you did to me. Assure them, they need it.”

Copia’s lips quickly spread into a smile, affection sparkling in his eyes.

“Satana, I love you and your brilliant mind.”

He surged forward and pressed his lips to yours in a short but passionate kiss. A giggle left your lips as he pulled back, grinning at the smudged paint he left on your lips.

“I will get the event prepared tomorrow.”

You nodded in agreement, a small smile on your face.

“So…what are they saying about the movie?”

You chuckled.

“They love it. Although there is not a lot of sympathy for your mother. Good riddance if you ask most, and me.”

Copia chuckled and nodded. He knew how you felt about his mother after all. But within a second, the smile disappeared and was replaced by a thoughtful frown. You were about to ask what was wrong when Copia spoke up.

“Will you stand by my side? When I explain everything in front of everyone, will you be by my side? Officially?”

Your breath got caught in your throat and your eyes widened. Was he really asking you if you were willing to go public? If you were honest, you had never thought that far ahead. What would the clergy think of your relationship? Would you be accepted or would people try to interfere? You knew a lot of members had a crush on Copia. Would they hate you? Or be happy for you?

“Il mio piccolo sole, come back to me.”

Your eyes focused as Copia’s thumb carefully wiped a stray tear from your cheek. When did you start to cry?

“It’s fine if you don’t want to or if you’re not ready, I-”

You quickly cut him off with a kiss, whispering your next words against his lips.

“I’d love to.”

Translations: Sorella…Sister Fratellino...little brother Cara...Dear Amore mio...my love Amore...love il mio piccolo sole...my little sunshine Va tutto bene...It's alright Satana...Satan

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[stinkybuttwipes]

Lie. Part 2

Context: You and piccolo have known eachother since the World martial arts tournaments when he was still evil. You guys had grown to feel and love for eachother when he was first training Gohan and got together after the fall of Namek. you guys have now been married for 2 years and fight together, Always..But piccolo has kept a secret from you.

Piccolo x Gn! Saiyan!Reader (Sneak Peak)

Warnings: small Angst to fluff. Making up, comfort, sweet, reader is vegetas sibling,Post Super Hero

You manage to find Bulma after the kind lady worker lets you inside.

Bulma is working on what looks to be a hover motorcycle.

“Bulma?” You say softly Bulma jumps and turns around, “Oh (name)!” She stands up and dusts off her hands on her yellow pants, “You didn’t let me know you were coming over? Something come up?”.

You put down your bag near the door of her lab, “Well it’s a bit of a long story..” you twiddle with your fingers “I kinda lashed out at piccolo and I feel terrible about it and I’m scared he might hate me now.” You continue to explain everything to her as you try not to cry.

Bulma chuckles and goes to hug you, “I understand that feeling” she lets go and crosses her arms “Hell, Im married to your brother who’s a stubborn guy who’ll yell at me for small things or mistakes I make and he always ends up apologizing” she giggles and puts her hand on your shoulder “You saiyan’s are just more protective and harsher but it’s something that you can’t help, I’m sure he’ll forgive you if you apologize even if it’s not your strong suit” She smiles at you reassuringly.

[anonymouslymadebydesign]

Whump Month, Day 3 : Homesick

Whump Month by @cirrus-ghoulette

Divider by @wrathofrats

Word Count : 781

Summary : Cardinal Copia has been working tirelessly to a point where he is beyond exhausted, somehow ending up in the Ghoul Wing of the Abbey.

CW: None that I can think of, perhaps working to avoid dealing with emotions ?

Light angst with light comfort ♡

The Cardinal wasn't sure how exactly he got here. One moment he was walking from the library, arms laden with books, and the next he was standing near the Ghoul wing of the Abbey, books gone.

He was so tired, he hadn't even registered setting the books down and leaving them. Hell, he couldn't even remember where he left them. Sister Imperator scolding him for loosing Abbey books was the last thing he needed. He still had so much paperwork and research to do.

"Cardinal Copia?" A voice rang through his muddled thoughts. When he looked up he realized it was the voice of Dewdrop, the recently changed ghoul.

A fond smile formed on the Cardinals face, as he stepped forwards towards the ghoul.

"Ah, Dewdrop." He smiled warmly. "How are you? An elemental transition is no joke, are you healing?"

The fresh fire ghoul looked at him with something akin to worry, meeting Copia halfway as he got closer. He took the Cardinals outstretched hands, holding them in his.

"I am fine, thank you, Cardinal." Dewdrop returned his soft smile with one of his own, though it was clearly a worried one. He rubbed his thumbs against Copias hands, soothingly. "The pack is treating me well, and I feel fine."

Dewdrop paused, holding the man's hands tighter. "But what about you?"

Copia blinked, staring for a moment before tilting his head. "What do you mean, piccolo demone?"

"You look awful, Cardinal. When was the last time you slept?"

Copia paused, his brow furrowing as he thought about it. He was certain he hadn't slept yesterday but he couldn't quite remember if he slept the previous day or not. "It was...the day before yesterday, I believe."

The silence between them was deadly.

"You...believe?" The fire ghoul parroted back, clearly unimpressed.

"Yes, I believe so." Copia offered with a guilty smile, hoping it would soften the ghouls wrath.

Before he could further defend himself (dig his hole deeper), the fire ghoul was grabbing him by the cassock and all but dragging him into the Ghoul wing.

He was pulled further in, waving undignified to passing by Ghouls who looked at the duo quizzically. Before he knew it he was sat down on a couch in their common room. Dewdrop sat him down and all but yanked him down into his lap, his head resting against thin legs.

"....Dewdrop?" Copia spoke softly, rolling onto his back. He was minutely aware of how nicer this couch was than his own twin bed in his room. Something he hadn't seen in a long time now.

"You're going to lay here and you're going to rest." Dewdrops voice left no room for negotiation, and Copia, being the doormat he is, complied.

The Cardinal sighed deeply, letting himself relax, staring up at the ceiling.

"I just," Copia began, folding his gloved hands over his sternum. "I've been so busy as of late. Sister has been giving me reports to type up, wants progress reports on how well the project is doing on a quarterly basis. It's good, by the way. Terzos Papacy has been good for the project, even if he just became Papa."

Copia was rambling and he knew it, but it felt like it had been so long since he had anyone to speak to. Sister never wanted to listen to him speak unless it was productive or held importance to her. Papa Nihil was no better, but Copia held a dislike for the man, so even then he didn't really count. Sure, there were Siblings of Sin and Ghouls he could speak to, but none of them would want to listen to anything he had to say.

"Why do you take on such a workload. You know it's optional." Dewdrop asked after he finished rambling, his fingers having taken off his biretta and his nibble fingers coming through the Cardinals dark hair.

"I'm..." Copia paused, glancing at the fire ghoul before sighing. "I guess I'm working to keep my mind of some things."

"Like what?" Dewdrop asked, never one to beat around the bush.

"....I think...I think I'm homesick." Copia said softly.

"Homesick? But, this is your home."

"Ah, sí. I mean, where I grew up. In Italy. The winters here are so cold and dreary, it seems lifetimes away on days like these." Copia sighed. "Wouldn't you agree, il mio piccolo demone?"

Dewdrop didn't answer, not right away at least. He let them sit in silence, and Copia waited patiently.

"Yeah...I guess I can understand what you mean." Dewdrop agreed, his voice low and melancholic.

"Yeah... I suppose you can, can't you?" Copia nodded, just as low and soft.

[givemeonereason]

Meditations: First Friend

Part 1 Part 2 Part 4

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Dragon Ball Masterlist Givemeonereason Masterlist

Rating: Angst

Plot: Piccolo has been missing and you’re the doing the actual missing. A friendly police officer seeks out to try and help you recover the missing link.

A/N: It’s about time I bring some other fellow DBZ characters into this.

They all interlink and play a part in each others lives. Also, this just felt like a very nice way to tie everything together.

I hope to bring at least one more character in during the next installment.

Don’t worry too much. We might see a reunion very soon.

╒══════════════════════╕

You looked for him out the window of your office those next few days hoping to see the white of his cape fluttering in the wind. However, he was never there. No matter how many time you check, and all the different times of the day, nothing.

Two weeks had passed and not one sighting.

You sat down in the company-provided ergonomic, rolling desk chair. It spun to the side. You let your feet dangle there limp.

The alien documentaries and fictional programs you've tried watching by way of research haven't really given you any closure. They just made you more frustrated considering that your alien, Piccolo isn't anything like they portray. It doesn't even give you any sense of how to get him back either. As far as you knew, there wasn't a spaceship to seen. At least, you didn't see one.

Is he really gone forever?

If you could just go back in time and change the outcome of what happened before. The day he carried you through the skies and you cried.

I'm not scared anymore.

I was caught off guard is all.

During your lunch break, you treaded up the hillside to where he usually sat. You could imagine him there still as a board with his eyes closed.

You stood there listening to the sound of the passing cars below and the birds above. You looked up to the sky searching for a place someone could fly to. And there was nothing.

"Piccolo!" No hesitation in your shout. "Piccolo, where are you?"

Someone on the sidewalk below stopped and looked up toward you. Some crazy lady screaming from a hilltop for her lost woodwind instrument? What on earth are they cooking these days?

My green alien guy.

You took out your phone and went to the internet and key searched "alien Piccolo." You saw lots of information regarding King Piccolo and his reign of tyranny and the World Martial Arts Tournament.

King Piccolo does greatly resemble the Piccolo you know. However, your Piccolo has softer features overall, but the sharp angles of his jawline and the point of his ears make him rather handsome. In an alien sort of way, handsome nonetheless.

"Excuse me, Miss." There was a gentle voice behind you. You pressed the screen of your phone against your chest hoping that whoever was standing there didn't see you staring down at the evil Namekian. It's not as if you were really looking at him, but rather imagining someone else.

"Yes?" You turned on a heel to address the voice standing behind you. You looked and saw no one at first, then your eyes darted down to see a concerned face.

When your eyes met his, he reached out a hand toward you. "Hello Miss, I'm Officer Krillin. I'm with the local police. There was a report of a woman shouting at the top of this hill searching for something. Are you alright? What is it that you're looking for? I can help you."

You closed your eyes and let out a deep sigh from within your chest. "What I'm looking for isn't here anymore." You glanced up towards the sky, the white fluffy clouds spread across the horizon. There was a longing in your eyes, the way you lingered subtly before looking back down at the man before you and smiled. "I'm sorry to have worried you."

There is little to no point in trying to explain this to the police. What are you going to say, there is this alien named Piccolo that I met here and I don't know how to get in touch with him now. He's tall and wears a cape. Claims to be a Namekian. Like the police would know, or even care about that. The best outcome would most likely be institutionalism. They'll lock you in a padded room with nothing to eat but porridge and if you're lucky jello. At least that is the worst-case scenario, right?

You took a step forward to walk down the hillside, but the officer stopped you. "The concerned citizen claimed you were looking for an instrument. That you were yelling out towards the valley." He was looking down at his notepad. He pulled a pen from his pocket, pushing the top with a click, he jotted down another note. "I am going to need to file a follow-up report. Do you think you could tell me more about this, please?"

You didn't say anything at first. You called this. You knew if you opened your mouth it was all over. How could you word this in a way that didn't make you sound crazy? "Let's say I lost my piccolo." You sighed once more before continuing. "I haven't been able to find it in some time. I came to see it-- play it here on this hillside."

The man took diligent notes. "And do you think you can describe what this piccolo looked like? I'm not sure I've ever seen one up close and personal. Are there any particular identifiers?"

Raspberry. I'm not really a fan of the raspberry jello. If anything I hope I'll get the pineapple. Refreshing.

Well, this could go two ways.

I could speak vaguely about the actual Piccolo and confuse this man.

I could just be plain and say a regular piccolo that you rented from a nearby instrument shop.

Neither of them sounds the least bit good. So you chose to go for the first.

No wait, lime. Yes, it's green. Green like..

"It's green, white and purple. It's a custom, limited edition instrument."

"Green, white, purple." He recited back. "Okay. I'm going to have a look around the area to see if I come up with anything. I will take down your number as a follow-up."

Officer Krillin walked down the side of the hill with you. He jotted down your phone number on his notepad. "Don't worry miss, I'll do my best."

You smiled at him, your eyes hiding the hopelessness there. "Thank you, officer." You knew this would be a fruitless endeavor, yet you had to play your part. You waved goodbye before you walked back into the office building. Somehow you completely forgot you had to work for a living.

═══════════════════

Officer Krillin walked around the area, rummaging through the brush on the side of the road and looking into divots in the hillside.

He kept looking down at his notepad, repeating the notion over and over as he scouted the area.

“Green, white and purple…Green, white and purple….”

He stood on the sidewalk and scratched at his temple. “A piccolo that is green, white and purple.” He looked online at a photo of what a piccolo looked like. “Okay, so it’s little green, white and purple then. Just like this picture. Little, green, white and purple.”

He crossed the street and looked in the grass on the opposite side of the street. “Little, green, white and purple. Little, green…little green…..hmmmm.”

He stopped in his tracks, squinting his eyes as the wheels turned inside of his brain. “Little, green. Dende? I wonder how that little guy is doing? Okay, Krillin, she was talking about a piccolo. Little, green, white….piccolo…..PICCOLO!” He exploded. He laughed loudly at this own realization.

He walked back to his motorbike planning to go back to the station and investigate this further. “Now, I have been wrong before, but I just have a hunch she’s talking about our Piccolo. The real question is, how does she know Piccolo?”

His mind wondered how such a brute like him would come into contact with such a beautiful woman like you, let alone she was looking for him as if she wanted to see him again for some reason. It perplexed him.

Though, he pulled himself a hottie himself so anything is possible. If 18 could hear his thoughts now she would laugh, but she also chose him.

But what if there is business with Piccolo? What if something is wrong? She was yelling as the report was written.

He rode faster towards the station where he dropped off his bike and headed for the roof of the manciple building. “Well, there is only one way to find out.” He shot up into the air, flying straight for the lookout.

When he landed on the platform Mr. Popo was diligently pruning his garden. He paid no mind to Krillin as he hummed an offbeat tune to himself.

Dende rushed up to meet Krillin. The smiles across each other's faces were as wide as the horizon beyond the lookout. "Wow, Dende, you've grown so much! You're so much taller than me!"

Dende laughed and reached out to embrace the smaller man in front of him. "How are you? How is everyone?"

"We're all good." He nodded his head. He posed with a thumbs up. "I didn't come here to worry you. I was wondering where Piccolo was?"

Dende turned and pointed towards the building behind him. "I saw him inside."

"Thank you little green." He started off towards the entrance. He could hear Dende over his shoulder, a tinge of irritation in his voice. "Not little....."

"Piccolo?" Krillin called out as he walked the halls in search of the, he looked back down at his notepad again, limited edition, green, white, and purple, piccolo.

Piccolo walked through the threshold of a room meeting Krillin in the hallway. "Thank kami I found you." Krillin laughed, his hand behind his head.

Piccolo looked down at Krillin sternly. It's not always good news when he meets with Krillin. Sudden visits never indicate anything by trouble.

"Hey Piccolo, funny enough, I've been looking for you for hours." Krillin laughed once more. His cheeks red reminiscing at his own cleverness as a police officer. To some, it's might only be considered luck.

Piccolo tensed where he stood. His whole body became rigid. Though you would never be able to tell with his powerful aura. He braced himself for whatever was coming next. Something wrong with Pan? A new enemy?

"So Piccolo, you might not believe this, but I met a woman today who I think is looking for you."

When Piccolo's narrowed eyes didn't soften and he didn't respond, Krillin continued. "It's kind of a funny story actually. Someone came into the station and said there was a woman on a nearby hillside screaming out about a piccolo. I went to see her and she described what the....." Piccolo was already walking away from Krillin before Krillin even realized he was gone.

"Wait, Piccolo!" His small stature only giving him minimal distance towards the Namakian. "Piccolo! I think she's looking for you." Krillin caught up to him. "Do you think that woman meant you? She said the piccolo was green, white and purple." He pointed towards him. "Man, that fits you to a T. But I just don't know why?" Piccolo walks into a room that befits a lofty office. Krillin followed him into the room, stopping short of the large table strewn with books on it. "Why does she care so much about you?"

Piccolo's fist comes down hard on the table. The books quiver about the violent vibration. His voice is deep and pointed. "Would you give it a rest?"

Krillin takes a step backward. "Woah, man, I just thought there is no way what she said was a coincidence." He laughed with his whole chest. "In all seriousness, she did look worried. She said she lost it, well, you."

Piccolo turned away from Krillin. "Leave me be."

Krillin stood quietly for a moment. "What do I tell her then?"

"I don't care what you tell her," Piccolo responded flatly.

Krillin narrowed his eyes, and he felt a sudden sadness wash over him. "Oh."

He walked towards the door and turned back to look towards the Namakian. "Did something happen between you two?"

Piccolo barely looked back over his shoulder. He chose to only look at Krillin through his peripheral. "Even if she does want to see me..." He looked back forward, walking towards the bookshelf against an adjacent wall. "I don't think I can face her after what I did."

Krillin seeing an opening, "just go down and-"

"No."

His shoulders dropped. "Why?"

"I told you to leave me be." He closed the book with a snap.

“I—“

Piccolo whipped around, his cheeks reddened with anger, his chin tilted downward, and his eyes narrowed. He roared at Krillin. “LEAVE!” Which made Krillin witness his life flash before his eyes.

Krillin took off out of the room. A steady push lifted his feet into the air as he took off down towards the ground.

A slew of emotions rippling over him. Mostly the lack of answers leading his confusion.

I haven’t seen Piccolo so worked up in a long time. Why now, and why that woman?

╘══════════════════════╛

© 2024 givemeonereason

Don’t steal other people’s works! Respect creators!

Reblogs and likes appreciated :)

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[viperrot]

⇁high school sweethearts | leon kennedy | pt. 3

resident evil 4 remake leon s. kennedy x fem!band-student!reader high school au

you and your brother spend time together at a local diner. of course, you see leon there—with a pretty girl no less!

pt. 1 pt.2 pt.4

content contains: mild angst, mild enemies to lovers, mean leon, cliches, story is told in first person, reader is a bit shy and is an oboe and trumpet player!, leon and reader are in their juniour year, fictional town set around 1980!

not proofread i am sleepy

2252 words

song rec: "little nocturne" by hiroshi takaki

The little bell above the shop's wooden, yellow door jingles as Damien and I enter, and the smell of carpet and fresh paper fills my senses. The music shop is painted in a warm light, the wooden walls lined with an assortment of instruments ranging from guitars, drums, and a few brass, although very few. There's a few pianos tucked into corners, and shelves of lesson books and other arrangements are shoved into them. I've been here many times before, and the shop owner often gives me discounts with how frequently I visit. There's no one behind the register, so I assume whoever's working today is in the back.

"Mrs. Conaway?" I call out, eyes darting around the shop. From behind a shelf, a little head peeps out, revealing a frail woman in her late fifties. Her glasses make her eyes bubble, and her salt-n-pepper hair is tied up in a chaotic mess atop her head.

"Ah, good morning, you two!" Mrs. Conaway smiles goofily, waddling out from behind the wooden shelf. "I assume you're here for your oboe?"

"That 'n some slide grease. I'm running a bit low," I chuckle dryly, walking with the elderly woman to the register. To the left of the register is a glass case showing off a variety of wind instruments. There's flutes, a few piccolos, a trumpet mouthpieces, a single trombone, and finally...

The F. Lorée classic oboe.

My dream instrument since beginning junior high. A professional level oboe going for over three-thousand dollars, the Lorée company has been making them for almost a century, known famously for their beautifully crafted instruments. I had been saving up for one post-high school since my freshman year.

"Y'think daddy's money can afford that?" Damien nudges me with a joking smile, referring to the extra cash I'll be getting from tutoring the girls. I roll my eyes.

"Maybe," I chuckle. Mrs. Conaway pulls out a beat-up looking case from behind the register as Damien and I banter, setting it on top of the instrument display case to show it to me.

"It's an intermediate brand. I hope it isn't too bad," she gives me a sheepish grin.

"Don't worry!" I mirror her smile, popping open the case to give the double reed instrument a look. It's a little dirty and the corks look drier than a desert, but it was nothing I couldn't fix. "It's perfect, Mrs. Conaway. Thank you so much," I nod at her, clicking the oboe case shut carefully. She clasps her hands together happily.

"I'm so glad to hear that! And remember, you don't have'ta pay me for it. It's the least I can do for my sweetest customer!" The elderly woman says giddily.

"Agh, even so... I really appreciate it, Mrs. Conaway. I'll return it as soon as I get a new one," I promise her. She pushes the case toward me, eager for me to get on with playing it and also for me to leave so she can keep working. Damien and I walk out of the shop, stepping out into the sun that shun down onto the busy town centre.

"So...?" Damien looks at me with a wicked smirk. "We got the car for the day... are ya thinkin' what I'm thinkin', thumper?" He swings his arm over my shoulders. I eye him with a quirked brow. As if reading each other's mind, we shout in unison,

"ICE CREAM 'N JOYRIDES!"

Our cheer echoes down the street, but we giggle as if there's nothing wrong in the world. We jog over to the Impala, hopping in quickly before driving off to the best restaurant in the world—Hattie's. A local favourite, and everyone here swears that it sells the best shakes you could possibly imagine. Mrs. Hattie L. Parker started the old shoppe when Everglade was first founded in 1957 at the age of 22, and it's been a staple ever since in this old town. I can't name a single person here that doesn't frequent the place.

We pull into an empty spot with "Come On Eileen" playing lowly from the radio. As soon as we park, we throw ourselves out of the car, racing each other to the door of the diner while giggling all the way. I decide to bring my hand-me-down oboe with me, wanting to get some repair as soon as possible.

"You're cheating!" Damien yelps when he sees me get to the glass door faster than him.

"Nuh uh?! It's not my fault I'm just a lil closer to the door compared to you!" I cackle, pushing the door open with my back as I hug my case to my chest. My older brother gives me a rough pat on the head, jostling my hair around with his palm. I grunt at the affection, trying to pull him off of me as we stumbled into the bustling diner. It's almost packed, most of the booths and counter seats taken up. As Damien and I look around for a seat, I lock eyes with him.

In a booth is Leon Scott Kennedy, sitting with three other people. Next to him is the famous Ada Wong, known across the school for being the one of best lacrosse players in the county, as well as my graduate year's class president. I can't see the other two he's sitting with from where I'm standing, but I'm assuming it's someone from her little posse that's been at her feet since freshman year.

I feel myself shrink as I make eye contact with him, unconsciously drifting to stand behind my brother. Leon's got the same glare I saw him give me before Damien and I left to get my new oboe, which was clutched tightly to my front. I notice he changed his clothes, sporting a deep blue sweater with a white collared shirt beneath it.

Damien notices how quiet I'm being and follows my gaze.

"You good, thump- Oh..." The boy sneers at the sight of the ace. He squeezes my shoulder softly. "Ignore 'em, sis. Let's sit over here," he grunts, spinning me toward an empty booth at the opposite end of the diner. We settle into the red, leather seats, immediately ordering a sodapop and a banana-split to share between us. I keep my head down, eyes trained on the oboe case on the table.

Carefully, I open it to reveal the old thing. Rummaging through the case, I pull out a tube of cork grease and get to work. I'm careful as I apply the lubricant onto the dry corks, trying not to put too much on to avoid them get soft and even more flakey. All the while, I can feel the stares on me.

I look up hesitantly, eyes immediately settling on Leon. His arm is wrapped around Ada Wong's shoulder, fingers playing with the threads of her black cardigan. My fingers tighten around the lower piece of my oboe, an odd feeling in my chest as I watch the blonde be so casual with someone I assume he's only known for a day. Suddenly, he looks up at me, seeming just as confused as I am. I quickly look back down at the parts in my case, praying he didn't catch me staring.

"Can't believe he's hangin' out with Wong and her best friend," Damien huffs, fiddling with the turkey feather for my oboe. I remember that he and Ada had a thing going on before the summer. He never told me what happened—all I knew is that one night, he came home crying, and he sobbed about how much he loved her. I never brought it up since then, but tt finally occurs to me that Leon was most likely on a double date of sorts, and the ache in my chest worsens. Ada isn't really seen with boys outside of school unless she had some romantic interest in them...

"Are you really surprised, though? I mean, they're both heartless assholes with no personality," I sigh, setting the lower piece back into the case. I snag the feather out of Damien's fingers, stuffing it into velvet-lined container before closing it.

"Heh, I guess you're right," he chuckles.

Our order finally arrives, and I set my oboe in the booth next to me, making sure it won't fall again. Immediately, Damien tears apart the sweet treat we got, and I fear he won't spare me a bite. I laugh softly at his messy eating, the neapolitan ice cream smearing across his lips as he chowed down.

From the corner of my eye, I see my tormentor staring at me from his seat, and he's got this look in his eyes I can't quite place. His plump lips are pursed a little, and there's a small crease between his brows. I can't tell if he's looking here to judge me or if he's trying to brew up new ways to harass me. My heart pounds and I can feel a thin layer of sweat form at the top of my neck as I stress.

"Do you want to leave, (Y/n)?" My brother asks, looking up from the bowl of ice cream. His voice is stern, and I can tell he isn't playing around.

"Uhm..." I bite the inside of my cheek, thinking of what to do. "I... I think I'll be okay," I swallow dryly, reaching out for the glass of sodapop to take a sip. Damien seems unconvinced with the way he's narrowing his eyes at me.

"M'kay..." he grunts, going back to eating the sundae. I take a few nibbles as well, trying my best to ignore the way Leon watched me from his seat across the room.

He's on a date with someone... Why is he so focused on me?

Thankfully, Damien finishes off the ice cream quickly. With the way he's so jittery, I can tell he wants to leave, too. We stack our plates close to the end of the table so it's easier to clean up before we head to the register, wanting to pay and leave as soon as possible. I carry my oboe case behind my back, swaying back and forth on my heels as my brother pays for our treat. When we turn around to leave, we're face to face with the people we wanted to avoid.

"Dami, it's good to see you again. Couldn't you bother to say hello?" The girl in red smiled up at my big brother. Finally, I have a good look of the group.

Ada's dressed in her classic colours, the scarlet sweater-dress tight against her bosom that's accentuated by the cross hanging by her neck. Her ebony cardigan is kept over her arm as she stands with her hip popped out a bit, making her hourglass figure apparent.

Leon's sweater-collared combo was paired with mocha coloured dress pants, the sleeves of his shirts rolled up to his elbows to show off his muscle.

The other couple accompanying them, I gave no attention to, instead tugging at Damien's shirt in attempt to ground him

"That's rich coming from someone who didn't have the balls to say goodbye to me," my brother says through gritted teeth, his eye twitching lightly as his knuckles turned white. Ada gave him a hearty laugh.

"Oh, Dami, that was so long ago. I'm surprised you even remembered with how drunk you were," she chuckles, wiping a tear from her eye. This comment concerned me. My brother was drinking...?

"Don't fuckin' call me that," he seethed. I clutch the fabric of his t-shirt, pulling on it lightly.

"Damien, let's just go," I plead, not wanting the situation to get worse.

"You got a new clarinet, huh?" Leon states, pointing at the case I held at my side. I look at him, terrified that he'll snatch it out of my hands and shatter it just like the last. I hide it behind my back cautiously.

"Y-yes..." I squint at the blonde man. "Now, if you'll just... excuse us," I coughed, dragging Damien by his shirt as I tugged him behind me, squeezing between Ada and Leon to get through.

My side bumps into Leon's, and something within me feels... uneasy. The contact was quick, but I felt like I was burning up when I felt the skin of his arm graze against my own. I mumble a quick "excuse me" as we pass the two brats, my oboe case clutched tightly in my hands. Damien and I walk out the door, and I try my best not to look back.

I can feel Leon's piercing stare on the back of my head, following me as if I was some sort of prey.

What does he want from me?

"Are you okay, Dami?" I worry, my hand rubbing his arm comfortingly the moment we're out of the diner. His eyes are clearly droopy, and I just know he wants to go home now when he flashes a tired smile.

"M'okay, sis... Just... Didn't think she'd talk to me, y'know?" He chortles humourlessly. I hum in understanding, helping him to the driver side of the Impala.

"Let's go home, Dami," I say, sad that our day of fun was so quickly soured.

There was one thing on my mind on the drive home. Thoughts of Leon's odd behaviour threw me into a dizzy. Why does he hate me so much that he's willing to glare at me across the room? Why does he even care?

High schoolers are so weird...

is he actually dating ada? hmm... guess we'll find out :p pt.4

[st-dorothy-minority]

Chapters: 19/? Fandom: Dragon Ball Rating: Explicit Warnings: Rape/Non-Con Relationships: Gamma 2 & Piccolo (Dragon Ball), Gamma 2/Piccolo (Dragon Ball), Cell/Son Gohan, Cell & Son Gohan, Gamma 2/Cell, Gamma 2 & Cell Characters: Gamma 1 (Dragon Ball), Gamma 2 (Dragon Ball), Piccolo (Dragon Ball), Son Gohan, Cell (Dragon Ball), Perfect Cell, Dr. Hedo (Dragon Ball), Bulma Briefs Additional Tags: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Past Rape/Non-con, Rape Recovery, Rape Aftermath, Aftermath of Torture, Alternate Universe, Post Super Hero AU, Kidnapping, Captivity, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Brainwashing, Rape, Torture, Non-Consensual Body Modification, Mutilation, Shared Trauma, Trauma Bonding Summary: After being taken and held captive for months, the gang is finally able to bring Gamma 2 home and learn the truth of what made him turn into a formidable foe. Piccolo and Gamma 1 swear vengeance, but it'll take more than that for Two to heal.

A/N: A chapter in which Piccolo and Gohan have a nice bit of heart to heart, and One does not hold back the sass and anger towards Cell. 

[pleasantspark]

Oh Mary, Contrary How Does Your Garden Grow? Vegeta x Hanaki! Reader

You had felt desire and love from Vegeta for years, and stood back to allow Bulma to take him. Unfortunately, this leads to dire consequences in the form of small Dahlia Petals.

Warnings: Major Character Death, Pining, Angst

You were hurting. 

You don't remember how long you've felt this way for him, but it had to be when he first arrived on Earth. You've been tagging along with the Z-Fighters since you were a kid. This led to you being welcomed into the group effortlessly. While you were just a human. And weren't pretty nor rich like Bulma you were very kind and understanding. 

Then, Vegeta arrived. 

His presence made you feel like you were on cloud nine. You could be yourself around him. Bulma however; gauged your attraction very well, and when brought up you'd deny feeling that way. 

You regretted not acting on those feelings. 

This led to Bulma and Vegeta going out and while you tried to be happy for them both you couldn't help but hurt, and your insides felt like they were twisting. Rapidly changing. 

Then, it got worse. 

Bulma announced that she was pregnant with Trunks. You tried to remain happy as you want to be supportive of your friend. But you... You couldn't. You declined the offer to attend the baby shower. 

It was a good thing you didn't attend. 

You were... sick... something was not okay...

While Bulma was suffering from pregnancy related ailments. 

You were suffering from your own ailments. You began to isolate yourself from everyone. You would also gradually distance yourself from Bulma and Vegeta. 

People suspected something was wrong, you reassured them, nothing was wrong. You just needed time. By the time Trunks was born you cut both Vegeta and Bulma out of your life. You couldn't stand this pain any longer. And something told you, this was going to kill you. 

During the Androids attacking. You finally made an appearance, everyone was happy to see you, but for some reason. You didn't look like yourself. Your once vibrant (Skin Color) has turned pale, your shining (Eye Color) eyes became dull and lifeless, and to top it all off, vines with Dahlia's littered your body. There was cause for concern when these vines extended near your eyes. 

You'd tell them your fine. 

They didn't believe you. You couldn't do anything without your body wanting to give out. To give up on you. When Cell attacked, you wanted to throw yourself at him to get rid of the searing pain in your lungs. 

"What a miserable creature." He would sneer, and you'd take it. It was true, you were miserable. You wanted him to put you out of your misery. You coughed up more petals, and blood. Your vision became hazier... more... Distant. 

You could hear Gohan, Goku and... Vegeta? Calling for you. But their voices seemed so far away. 

He was devastated. 

There was nothing left for him to do, once the Cell Games concluded, he demanded to get you help. Instead of the Hospital, he took you to Dr. Briefs who informed Vegeta that you were gone. There was simply nothing he could do to save you. 

Goku reassured him he could revive you with the Dragon Balls, but Vegeta knew, he knew that you were gone and no wish will bring you back.

Bulma was unhappy. 

She knew of your feelings and blamed herself for the death of you for a LONG time. She should've been more pushy. She should've gotten you to confess to Vegeta. This led her to being heartbroken. 

Piccolo was confused. 

For a while, he spent time with you. You'd always felt happy that Bulma and Vegeta were together, but your look betrayed your feelings. It pains him to know he could've asked you further on your feelings. But chose to stay a bystander. 

Goku was conflicted. 

He knew you were struggling. And wanted to help out, he was one of the very few people who stuck around to check on you. The one to try and cheer you up when you were down. But now, now, you are gone. 

And lastly, Vegeta was... He was Disappointed in himself. 

He spent the last few months noticing the changes in you, while you slowly drifted away from him and Bulma. But didn't know why or even notice. Bulma told him everything, from your feelings for him, to how selfless you were. 

This was all his fault. 

He spent his whole life with a woman he liked. 

It undeniably caused the death of someone who he perceived to be average. 

It's all his fault. 

Bulma's Sad. 

Goku's Sad. 

Piccolo's Sad. 

Gohan is even sad. 

What was he going to do? He should move on, but no amount of moving on will ever fix what he's done. 

And he's paying for it.

[tropes-and-tales-archives]

Whistle Down the Wind, Chapter Seven

Word Count: 3234

TW:  Pining, unrequited love, angst.

AN:  Part of a series.  The series masterlist here.

Sonny dragged himself home to his empty apartment, and for the first time in a long while, he got drunk.  He worked his way through the remainder of a six-pack he had, and when that was gone, he helped himself to a few of Nicole’s alcoholic seltzer waters.  They were disgusting, but they did the trick.  Then he laid on the couch, one foot planted on the floor to stop the room from spinning.  He tried to think.

You had raised valid points, he admitted.  He did date traditionally beautiful women. He started to take umbrage to your claim that they were mean or boring, but when he thought about that – maybe you had a point there too. 

The middle school teaching aide you had mentioned?  She cheated on Sonny and likely had never been faithful at all.  The hedge fund manager absolutely hated children and had been offended when Sonny had casually mentioned that he was looking forward to fatherhood one day.  The girl he met at Fordham only had one passion – reality television – and that relationship fizzled when he got tired of trying to keep the plotlines of the various shows straight.  And now there was Nicole.

She was sweet sometimes.  That had been true, but your comment was also true.  What kind of girlfriend made her guy feel bad about his looks?  If the genders were swapped, would he be so blasé about the way she treated him?  If Tommy treated Bella that way, wouldn’t he beat the shit out of him?

He had a lot to consider, but the alcohol obliterated the final few functional brain cells and he passed out.

He woke up to Nicole coming into the apartment.  She had caught an earlier flight because she missed him, she said.  She took a note of the empty beer bottles and seltzer cans but didn’t say anything.  Instead, she made her way to the kitchen and made him breakfast.

The next few weeks passed, and Sonny waited for the next blow up with Nicole, but it never came.  She even helped him get the apartment ready for his nieces’ visit.  For the past few years, Sonny took a long weekend with the Morino girls:  they lived in Connecticut, and Christmas in New York could be magical.  They came to visit their uncle and do all the cheesy tourist stuff – skating at Rockefeller Center, hot chocolate at the Christmas Market, Radio City Music Hall.

Usually you joined him for that long weekend.  You would make the girls your patented gooey brownies and play board games with them and play little Christmas carols on your instruments.  This year, though, Nicole would be taking your place.  She seemed up to the task though.  She told him that she was looking forward to it. 

Maybe the sweetness in her would win out after all, he thought.

********

Sonny showing up on Thanksgiving evening completely ruined your comfortable high, and now you were too worked up to sleep.  You paced a bit and considered smoking a bit more, but you didn’t want to wake up still stoned.  You finally settled down in your workspace.  You opened up your songwriter software.

You wrote music for everyone you knew.  Everyone in your life – friends, family – had a theme song, a melody that flitted through your head when you were around them or thought about them.  Your bandmates, Alicia and Jen, each had their own themes.  Alicia’s was heavy on woodwinds; a low and mellow bassoon overlaid with flutes and piccolos.  Jen’s was a booming brassy piece like a Sousa march.  Bella’s theme was pure ‘80’s pop rock:  keyboard interlude and electric guitar and drum machine.

Sonny’s piece was a complicated weaving of piano and strings, the two happily playing off of each other.  You saved it on your computer…and started writing the reprise.  You pulled out your cello, and then your violin, and recorded new string sections.  The same theme, but sadder.  More minor chords. 

By the time the sun started to rise, you had rewritten Sonny’s theme.  You saved it as a reprise, then closed your laptop. 

Then you moved on.  You started going through your stuff, determining what you would keep for your move – and what you would leave behind.

You met up with Bella a week later for lunch.  She was finally starting to show, and you felt a pang of regret that you’d miss so many milestones in her life.

When you told her, Bella made it perfectly clear that she felt the same way:  she spent the first few minutes chewing you out about the inferiority of the west coast, then segued into ranting about how her brother was an idiot and that you shouldn’t leave because of him.

“I’m not leaving because of Sonny,” you replied with a sigh.  “My life has felt on hold for so long, and I want a fresh start.  You’re married now with a kid on the way.  Sonny is going to be engaged soon.”  You shook your head at her.  “I want all of that, but I don’t feel like I’ll get it here.”

“You’re not gonna find it in Los Angeles,” she snapped.  “You’ll be sitting in traffic too much to find a nice guy.”

“Well, I’m not gonna find it here,” you snapped back.  “Not when your damned brother acts like he’s not interested but then tries to kiss me when I say I’m leaving.”

The scowl on Bella’s face disappeared.  “He tried to kiss you?” 

You nodded.  “I told him that I was leaving New York, and he leaned in to kiss me.”  You scoffed.  “He’s just upset that his emotional crutch is leaving.”

Your friend looked thoughtful for a moment.  “Maybe he has feelings for you after all.”

“No.”  You pushed your plate aside, your lunch only half eaten.  Your appetite had vanished altogether. 

“But maybe,” Bella insisted.  She leaned forward, one hand placed across her growing stomach.  “He looked so sad at Thanksgiving when he realized you weren’t coming.  And he kept watching you at my reception.”  Her forehead crinkled in thought. 

“No,” you repeated.  “Nope.”

“Maybe yes though.”  Bella was gazing at some spot over your shoulder, and you could tell that she was deep in thought.  “Sonny never visited me at college until you became my roommate sophomore year.  And he was the one who suggested you could stay with us over the summer between semesters….”

“Bella, stop it,” you cut in.  “I’m not his type.”

“You don’t know that,” she replied.  “You know, he never was a cinephile before he met you – then he was suddenly into artsy movies.  That became your thing together.  Then you started hanging out together for other things…”

“Because Tommy was out of prison then, and the two of you paired off.”

“You had your movie nights, your dinners together.  You had those Christmas weekends with Theresa’s girls.”

You sighed.  “Key word being ‘had.’  Past tense, Bella.  I’m looking to the future now.”

********

The long weekend started poorly.  Theresa and her husband dropped the girls off on Thursday evening, and then they headed to LaGuardia for their own little couple’s retreat.  Their marriage was struggling, and they were taking advantage of some time away from the kids to rekindle the proverbial spark.

About a minute after their parents drove away, though, the girls started to act out.  Mia was openly hostile to Nicole, only giving monosyllabic answers to her questions.  Emma asked where you were at least three times after Sonny explained you weren’t coming.  And Sophia kept asking where the brownies were.

“No brownies here,” Nicole declared.  She reached out and poked Sophia in her round child’s belly.  “Brownies are nothing but carbs and sugar and fat.”

Sonny cleared his throat.  “We’ll order some dessert after dinner,” he promised. 

“But what are we even going to do today?” Emma whined.  “I’m bored.”

“Well, you know we usually stay in the first evening,” Sonny reminded her.  “We play games and make dinner…”

“What’s for dinner?” Sophia broke in.  Her eyes lit up at the possibilities.  “Nonna’s chicken parm?”

Nicole laughed lightly.  “I’m making dinner tonight,” she told the girls.  “Baked chicken and roasted butternut squash.  It’s paleo.”

Mia scrunched her nose at this, and Emma asked, “what’s paleo?”

It went downhill from there.

-----

It was Friday night, and everyone was miserable.  Mia spent so much time on her phone that she just kept it plugged in constantly.  Emma and Sophia were tired from skating at Rockefeller Center, and they were cranky because they had wanted hot chocolate after skating, but Nicole had made a comment about calories, so they decided against it. 

Then halfway home, Emma changed her mind and cried because it turned out she really did want the hot chocolate.  But then it was too late, and Emma wailed because apparently there was only one place in the entire city that had hot chocolate and the mix in Sonny’s apartment would never compare.

Then Nicole snapped at her.  She told her that crying was for babies, and Sophia got in on the act, calling Emma a baby until she cried so hard that she was gagging and choking on her own ramped up emotions.

Then Emma had hauled off and smacked Sophia hard enough to make her cry, and Nicole fled to the bathroom.  Sonny found her there half an hour later, perched on the edge of the tub and scrolling through her phone.

Then Liv called with an emergency – Amanda was home with Jesse, who was sick – so Sonny had to go in.  He got changed quickly and told Nicole to hold down the fort while he was out.  She only glared at him as he pulled on his coat and left.

********

You were knee deep in your vinyl collection, trying to figure out what to keep and what to take to L.A.  The problem was that even after three passes through the collection, you only had five albums you were willing to part with.  And two of those were duplicates of ones you were keeping.

Your phone chirped from somewhere behind you, and you groped blindly for it until you had it.  It was Bella’s niece, Mia.  You sighed and answered.

“Hi, Mia,” you said, but the teenager was already talking.  “Whoa, slow down,” you told her.

You got her calmed down enough to explain the situation.  The girls were in the city for the annual Christmas holiday trip.  Uncle Sonny got called out to work, and Nicole was left in charge.  But then Nicole left to go out for a drink with friends and left Mia in charge, which was fine at first.  But then it got later and no one was there and there were weird noises coming from the hallway and Emma swore that she saw a face looking in the window even though Sonny was on the eighth floor of his building.

“Okay, okay,” you replied.  “Let me call Sonny…” but Mia cut you off.

“Uncle Sonny isn’t picking up his phone,” she said.  You could hear how shaky her voice was and realized that despite her teenaged bravado, she was probably scared too.  The girls lived in a cozy suburb in Connecticut, so the city was obviously much more than they were used to.  “And neither is Aunt Bella.  And I don’t want to call mom and dad…”

“Okay,” you repeated.  You stood up from your place on the floor and made your way into the bedroom.  “Stay inside, and I’ll be there in ten minutes.  I’ll call you when I’m there.”  You hung up and changed out of your pajamas into a pair of jeans and a band t-shirt.  You grabbed your coat from the entryway and left your apartment. 

Sonny’s place was only a few blocks away, and even with the icy sidewalks, you made good time.  You dialed Mia when you were outside, and you walked her through how to ring you in.  When you reached Sonny’s door, you knocked lightly and listened as Mia undid all the locks.  She swung the door open, and both Sophia and Emma flew out and hugged you fiercely.

********

It was one in the morning when Sonny got home.  The case was a sexual assault on the subway, and he had spent hours lining up witness statements and talking with transit police.  He was exhausted when he slid his key in the lock, but at least everyone would be asleep.  He could have a beer on the couch and unwind.

The apartment was quiet, but when he made his way to his kitchen, he noticed that someone was asleep on the couch.  He looked closer, and in the weak light he saw you.  He felt his heart lurch at the sight of you, and for a moment, he didn’t even question why you were there.

You were curled up on your side with one of Sonny’s couch pillows underneath your head.  Your hands were drawn up by your head, and he could just make out one of them twitching.  It made him smile – how many times have you fallen asleep at his place, and how many times has he watched you play music in your sleep? 

He set down his coat and made his way over to perch on the edge of his coffee table, just watching you.  Your hair was loose, and your mouth was parted slightly as you breathed, slow and steady.  He watched your twitching hand and wondered what you were playing in your dreams.  Your cello, most likely.  You could play just about any instrument, but your cello was your favorite. 

He reached out and took your hand very carefully in his.  He didn’t want to wake you, and for a moment, he didn’t.  He felt your hand squeeze his, and he felt tears spring up in his eyes.  He couldn’t imagine his life without you in it. 

Your hand spasmed in his again, and he watched you wake up.  Your eyes opened slowly, and he watched as you looked at him, realization washing over you.

“Hi,” you said groggily.  You pulled your hand from his and sat up, running a hand over your hair and then rubbing your eyes.  “What time is it?”

“A little after one,” he replied.  “What are you doing here?”

You tugged your hands through your hair, finger-combing it and then pulled an elastic off of your wrist to put it up into a messy ponytail.  You looked him square in the eyes and gave him a bitter laugh.

“Interesting story,” you said.  “Your beautiful and ‘actually quite sweet’ girlfriend went out drinking with friends and left your nieces here.”  You stood up and stretched, and Sonny stood up too. 

“I saw that I missed calls from Mia,” he replied.  “She didn’t leave any messages though.”

“Yeah, well, they got a hold of me instead.”  You peered up at him.  “They were terrified, Sonny.  They aren’t used to the big city, you know.”

Sonny rubbed the back of his neck.  “I know.” 

You opened your mouth to say something else but thought better of it and snapped your jaw closed with an audible click.  Sonny felt exhausted and irritated. 

“Just say what you’re gonna say.”

You shook your head, and there was an awkward silence between you for a moment.  Then you gave that bitter laugh again.

“Why was Emma asking me if her Nonna’s cannoli are part of the paleo diet?  What kind of person tells little girls that they need to count calories, Sonny?  Who leaves little girls alone in an unfamiliar city?”  You looked up at him.  “People can’t help how they look, whether they’re born beautiful or talented or boring.  But being a dick to kids?  That’s a choice, Sonny.”  You turned and walked away, making your way to his entryway.  He followed you and watched as you pulled on your coat and slipped into your snow boots.

“Everyone has a choice.  You deserve better than this, Sonny,” you said sadly.  You nodded towards the guest bedroom.  “Your nieces deserve better too.”  You turned to leave, but Sonny reached out and took a hold of the hem of your coat, tugging you back.

“They missed their honorary auntie,” he said, not looking at you.  He focused on his hand on your coat, his long fingers holding fast on the heavy wool of your pea coat.  “I missed you too.”

Another awkward silence filled the room until it was pressing down on Sonny.  He felt like his chest was going to collapse under the pressure.  He felt like if he let you walk out that door, he’d never see you again.  He knew, from talking to Bella, that you were starting to pack and search for a place in L.A.  You reached down and tugged your coat out of his grasp.  He watched you reach for the doorknob, and so Sonny made a choice.

“Jailbait,” he blurted out.  You dropped your hand from his door and turned to face him, completely confused.

“That’s – that’s what my roommate used to call you,” he added.  “Remember Dave?”

You scrunched your face in thought and then nodded.  “You had that place in Brooklyn.”

Sonny nodded.  “We had just graduated, and you and Bella crashed with us a few times when you were in college.  When you had concerts in the city and stuff.”  You nodded at him, so he continued.

“Dave always called you ‘jailbait.’  He’d joke around with me that you were so much younger than me, and that you looked even younger than that.  It became a routine when he knew you were coming to visit.  ‘Sonny likes ‘em barely legal,’ all that.”  Sonny scrubbed his hands over his face, still not able to look you in the eye.

“It made me feel weird,” he admitted.  “You were this adorable kid the same age as my sister, and I liked you so much.  Dave figured it out and started calling you ‘jailbait,’ and it made me feel like a pervert.  And then I got to know you, and I liked you even more.  But I didn’t know what to do, and you were so supportive and nice, even when I was dating other women, that I thought, ‘at least she’s my friend.’  At least I had that.”  He looked up and saw you staring at him.  “But I don’t even have that anymore, do I?”

You started to answer, but there was a key in the lock at that moment, and Nicole pushed her way into the apartment.  Sonny could smell the alcohol wafting off of her, and he saw his girlfriend’s face as she took in the pair of you.

“What the f…” she started to slur, but you cut her off, catching the door before it slammed shut.

“Good luck with all this, Sonny,” you said, looking at him sadly.  Then you turned to face Nicole, who was glaring at you.

“And I hope you choke on a carb,” you told her before you slammed the door on them.

-----

Sonny broke up with Nicole that night, and then again in the morning, when she was sober and could remember it.  He tried calling and texting you a few times, but you didn’t respond.  He’d give it a few days.  Maybe he’d surprise you for Christmas.

[circle--of--confusion]

This Love is in Retrograde - Part 2

Chapter summary: Taking place after the ending of "The cardinal and the seamstress." Amelia is over Terzo's blatant flirting with siblings in front of her and confronts him about it. He asks to try again at being together and the question is, can Amelia allow herself the chance on herself again? Amelia ends up getting advice from a ghoul to help her see the light. Amelia is so stubborn, wow! lol

Author's note: Love confessions! More closet antics! Alex and Sarah from my other fic are here! cute Copia/Sarah moments! Ghouls! I attempted to write smut, It's my first time [hehe] so go easy on me. My song inspiration for this chapter was another Starset song "Earthrise" along with "Manifest" like part 1.

Paring: Terzo | Papa Emeritus III x OC Amelia

Chapter 2: AFTER

Words: 10.1k

Read on AO3

| Part 1 | Part 2 |

Tags: Explicit/MDNI; Angst; closet confessions; Terzo is a menace; love confessions; emotional sex; fluff; smut [vaginal fingering, hand jobs, vaginal sex]; google translated itallian

banner creds to @gothdaddyissues

It’s been another night of mental betrayal. Her brain keeps conjuring up memories of Terzo. The good, the bad, and the sexy. She’s walks like a zombie down the hallways, a giant thermos of black coffee in her hand as “breakfast”. Does Amelia like black coffee? No, she hates it. Copia’s suits are finished and now it’s time to measure the new ghouls he’s summoned. By the time she’s made it to the sewing studio, Sarah and Alex have already arrived. Copia must’ve walked with Sarah because he’s there and hasn’t left her yet.

She nods in their direction as she passes them after entering through the door but her greeting is ignored. They’re a picturesque portrayal of two sickeningly sweet lovebirds off in their own little world. Copia and Sarah barely have any space between them as they hold each other and whisper sweet-nothings.

Amelia thinks her eyes might fall out at the intense eye-roll she makes. She begins to ready her sewing area for the day once she’s at her desk.

Sarah giggles. “Copia, my love, I need to get to work.” Her hand travels up to the side of his face and her thumb stokes lovingly on his cheek.

“Sarah, dolcezza mia, amore mio. I will be desperately counting the minutes until I can be in your glorious, bewitching presence again.” He leans down for one final kiss but when Copia pulls back, Sarah pulls him back forward for another one.

Alex walks over to Amelia as she observes them from across the room. “Wow! They’re really uh, locked in.”

She nods. “Yep. Young love.” Amelia waves her hand in the air and then waves her finger. “But If I hear one more lovesick pet name, I’m stabbing someone with my knitting needles.” She aggressively points over to the couple.

Alex sighs. He notices the thermos. “This is going to be a long day.”

She looks over to Sarah and Copia. “I’m goin’ in.” Amelia walks up to them and she claps her hands. The two separate, startled. “Dracule. Please allow my assistant to assist me. Don’t you have work to do?”

Copia looks annoyed and rolls his eyes. “Yes, I have a meeting with il piccolo stronzo.”

Amelia’s eyebrows knit together. “What does Terzo need to talk to you about?”

“Music stuff. He wants to give me tour advice, I think.” Sarah frowns. He tisks and grabs Sarah’s hands. “Oh, that won’t be for a while, amore.”

Sarah nods her head. “I know, I know. Though I feel like I just got you. I don’t want to see you go off for months at a time and leave me all alone.”

Amelia feels like she’s having an out of body experience. “Yeah, starting a relationship at the beginning of an album cycle isn’t a wise decision.” she responds flatly.

Alex snorts obscenely loud. Amelia whips her head around and Alex sobers up. “Uh.” he coughs. “Yeah. Poor timing.”

“Okie-dokie. Well, I hope you have a wonderful day, dolcezza mia.” Copia kisses Sarah’s hairline. “And I hope my ghouls behave enough. My new multi-ghoul can be a bit feral.” He laughs nervously.

“Don’t worry, Vladdy, I’ll keep him in line if anything happens.” Amelia assures him.

Sarah bats her hand in the air. “We have your suits ready to go. I think I’ve managed to get out of The Gauntlet unscathed.”

Amelia chuckles lowly. “Sarah, if you think his suits were the entirety of The Gauntlet, you have a bigger storm coming.” Amelia laughs and Sarah yelps.

Shortly after Copia leaves the studio do the ghouls arrive. Six new ghouls and one returning. Dewdrop. But now with a different element. Wonder what the story is there. He stares at Amelia; his eyes are the only thing she can see behind the chrome that covers the rest of his face. His head tilts. He could probably say the same for me.

“OK!” she grabs the tape measure. “In order to make this morning go by as smoothly as possible, I will measure you each, one at a time. My assistant Sarah,” she points in her direction “Will be taking my notes.”

One of the ghouls pipes up, Swiss, she thinks? “What does he do?” His thumb points over to Alex.

“I’m the eye candy.” he smiles waves his fingers. Amelia grumbles at him and Alex rolls his eyes. “I’m the every-man. I repair, mend, sew, find shit we might need. I can do it all! I have some mending requests for the siblings that I’m working on today.”

The ghouls nod their head. A couple of them give a thumbs up. “Hey! You’re like me. The multi-ghoul.” Swiss smiles.

“Dew, I will assume nothing’s been altered? I doubt changing elements modified your body that drastically.” She walks over to the next ghoul. Amelia has to nod her head further back. Mountain. She calls to Sarah.“Sarah, get me the longer tape measure, please?”

The ghoul shrugs his shoulders.

“What’s the plan with the costumes? Are they the same as the previous era?” Rain asks while she measures them. “We were able to talk with the other Papa’s ghouls.”

Amelia shakes her head. “No, these will look different. I plan to have them look similar to Copia’s suits but with a few changes.”

“Could Copia ever help give input on the costumes?” Sarah asks.

“No.” Amelia tersely replies. The room falls silent. She tries to defend the reaction. “It would turn into a thing. Also, it’s one less item for him to worry about! It’s a win! And if he really, actually hated it, I would make changes.”

One by one, each ghoul is measured and documented. Once Amelia was done with a ghoul, they either stood on the side or went to chat with Alex; she saw a few phone numbers being swapped. The morning gets away from them and the afternoon is filled with the sounds of paper rustling and being cut to form the pattern pieces that will become their costumes.

Every now and then a sister or brother will visit to pick up the article of clothing that was dropped off to be fixed by Alex. On their way out, a couple siblings looked over to Amelia as she watched them come and go. They gave a knowing smile to her and instantly her memories of the past shove their way back to the front of her mind. The last sister to give her that look is long gone by now but Amelia’s brain has left the station for the day. 4:14pm. Stick a fork in me, I’m done!

“I don’t think I can do any more tracing and cutting. How about we all call it a day?” she stands up from her table and stretches. “Sarah.” she yawns. “Alex and I have a clergy meeting tomorrow. You’ll be on your own for the first couple hours.”

She nods. “Okay! That’s no problem. I’m almost done with these pieces and then I can start on cutting mockups.”

Amelia claps her hands together and then sits down. “Great! You two can go, I’ll lock up. I have a couple things to clean.”

Alex and Sarah file out to get dinner, Amelia stays for a moment in her chair. The room is totally silent, save for the hum of the fan in the corner. Even now, nearly two years after Amelia left Terzo do the siblings feel the need to remind her of it. The noise in her head is deafening and she leans over the table with her head in her hands. After all the time that’s passed, she’s reached past the point of tears. She’s now angry. He’s being more obvious about it. Why?

“Fuck this!” she stands, grabs her now empty thermos, and heads out to grab dinner before it’s too late.

There are two people talking down the hall, around the corner. Who could still be here at this time? She rounds the corner to find-

“Oh, Papa!” a sister giggles. They lean against the wall, her back to Amelia’s direction. Terzo on the opposite end faces towards her. He leans towards the sibling. His suit that she made looks immaculate on him, of course. A few strands hang loosely in front of his face and his skull paint doesn’t even look smudged at this point of the day. He’s as perfect as ever and it torments Amelia every time. It’s too late she thinks. Terzo doesn’t seem like he would want to talk to me now about how we left things. How I left things.

He could do with less blatant flirting in her vicinity, though. Amelia rolls her eyes dramatically. Oh papa! She mimes and theatrically moves her hands to her chest, rolling her eyes while she passes by the two.

Terzo’s eyes flick up to see her walking by before he looks back to the sister. His mouth turns up into a smirk. “And what time will your Papa need to come by tonight?”

Amelia schools her face to not react until she’s passed. Her hands ball into fists and she grits her jaw once they can’t see her anymore. il piccolo stronzo indeed.

◊◊◊◊◊

The next morning her and Alex pile into the meeting room with a few others; Papa Nihil, Sister Imperator, and Cardinal Copia included.

“Where is he?” Sister Imperator asks. “The meeting should’ve started thirty minutes ago!”

As if on cue, Terzo enters the room with a dramatic flourish. “Mi dispiace.” his face paint looks like it was applied in a rush. “My alarm didn’t go off on time.” He walks to his seat and sits down.

Sister Imperator stands. “Well, now that everyone is here, let’s begin.”

Sister drones on for most of the meeting about various clergy topics. She asks Copia about his songs and progress with the new ghouls. Amelia is asked on her costume plans. Sister then asks Terzo what he plans to do about the upcoming Black Mass and he takes a moment to respond. Because he’s asleep.

“Papa!” she slaps the table and his head falls forward before jerking up.

“Hu- what?” he blinks rapidly.

“The. Black. Mass. What are your plans?”

Amelia snorts to herself, badly concealing it. “Long night?” she condescends.

Terzo squints at her. “Thank you for the concern, Amelia.”

“Amelia…” Sister Imperator cuts in.

“It’s just,” Amelia continues “,so irresponsible! The rest of us were here on time. You showed up late. And now you fall asleep at the table?”

“Amelia!” she flinches. “You are dismissed.”

Her eyes go wide. “But Sister!” she defends. “I was trying to…”

“You failed. Now leave us.” Sister ordered. “You too, Alex. I have no need for the both of you two anymore.”

Amelia gets up with her tail between her legs. She walks out, Alex following closely behind her. “I’m so sorry.” he starts. “Amelia is just… on her period.” He cringes immediately, closing his eyes after he gets the door to the room closed behind him.

“Alex, what the fuck?” Amelia whisper-yells.

They walk down the hall to the sewing studio. “I should be asking the same.” he retorts. “You’ve never done that, ever.”

She sighs. “The siblings keep mocking me.” Alex raises an eyebrow. “They won, remember? In the fight between them and I for Terzo’s attention.”

“That doesn’t explain what just happened.” he shakes his head. “That was also two years ago and technically you surrendered.”

“No need to remind me.” she grumbles. Amelia takes a deep breath. “I was walking home last night after locking up and, well, I saw him and a sister talking.” Alex nods. “She was cute and giggly and I may have… mocked her as I was walking by.” She lowers her voice at the last bit.

“Amelia. How old are you again?” He scolds.

“I won’t justify that question with an answer.”

He sighs. “Well, you’re at least old enough to know better.”

“He was way worse! He said ‘when does Papa need to be there tonight?’ to her when he realized I was watching.” She huffs. “Prick.”

Alex groans. “I will admit, that is pretty prickish.”

Once they make it back to the studio, Sarah ambushes them at the door. Her phone is in her hands showing a recent text message, no doubt from Copia giving her the meeting info. “What happened?”

“More than I can possibly explain.” Amelia sighs.

◊◊◊◊◊

About half of the mockups are ready to be fit on the ghouls now. Alex, Sarah, and Amelia have all been wired in, focused on getting the mockups done in time. Throughout the two weeks of sewing, Amelia would mumble “Why did Copia have to summon so many ghouls?” while shaking her head and grumbling at the machine. For a handful of nights, the three of them would stay late into the evening to stay on track. Copia makes sure to pick Sarah up on their late nights. He dotes on his amore and asks if she needs anything and Amelia grumbles that it’s his fault they have to stay so late.

Mountain, Swiss, and Dew arrive one day to get fitted and it’s going well enough. Mountain’s pants need to be taken in slightly and she’s pinning in a couple areas when Sarah chuckles.

“What?” Amelia asks while she focuses on placing a pin.

“Oh, I remembered when you were fitting Copia’s suit and Papa Terzo walked in, complaining that you wouldn’t make his pants tighter.” she spoke. “And now it feels like you’re doing this to everyone else on purpose.”

There’s a knock on the studio door and in walks Terzo. “Hello?”

“Speak of the Devil.” She rolls her eyes.

He laughs dryly. “You flatter me, Amelia.”

“Oh my God.” She scoffs.

Terzo balks. “Lets not bring him into this.”

“Were you just waiting for your cue?” he holds up his hands in surrender. “Why are you here? We are a bit busy.”

“I need to talk to Alex about my shirt.” He defends.

Amelia is impatient. “Make it quick.”

The ghouls along with Alex and Sarah can sense the energy shift and the room is ominously silent for the rest of the session with the ghouls. Terzo speaks softly to Alex about getting a button on his cuff more secure and it’s fixed in a few minutes. Once he leaves, Amelia sighs with finality. Swiss, for the rest of the session has a curious look in his eyes. He whispers with Dew about something and Amelia can’t be bothered to eavesdrop.

Another afternoon goes buy for the sewists once the ghouls leave and at the end of the day, Alex and Sarah depart together for food while Amelia decides to finish a couple more seams and pattern adjustments. She finds a stopping point and locks up the studio to head home. Amelia turns down the hall and is met with the frustratingly handsome view of Terzo’s back; he’s leaning against the wall on his shoulder while he schmoozes to yet another sibling. A newly initiated brother of the clergy is hanging on Terzo’s every word. This is the last straw. The brother is caught off guard when his eyes land on Amelia’s vengeful expression while she grabs Terzo by the arm and walks, more like drags, him down the hall.

“Che diavolo stai facendo?”

Amelia pulls up to the all too familiar hall closet of the past and opens the door, gesturing to it. “Inside. Now.” She demands.

He looks at her with an unreadable expression, his paint not helping at all to give any hints, and walks in to the cramped space. Amelia follows in after him. She closes the door and turns on the light.

“What is your fucking problem?” She seethes.

Terzo is confused. He blinks and shakes his head. “My problem?” he spits out a chuckle and crosses his arms. “You are unbelievable.”

“Must you do that in my presence?” she gestures with her hand to the door.

“Are you shocked, jealous even that I’m using my free time on siblings and not on you?” he teases and tilts his head. “Did you think I was going to take up a vow of chastity when you left?” Terzo goads her.

“You never used to flaunt it in front of me until now.” her voice falters at the end. “It feels like you’re doing it on purpose.”

Terzo drops his arms and steps closer to Amelia. He points at her. “You left me, remember? I’ve been waiting and I may have begun to get a bit impatient in the recent weeks.”

It’s her turn to be confused now. “Waiting? Waiting for what?”

“For you to change your mind! For you to realize the incredibly foolish error you made when you left me that night!” He huffs.

Amelia puts her hands on her hips. “Because I’m a fucking idiot? I had my reasons, Papa.”

Terzo slaps his hands onto the shelves behind her, caging her in between his arms. Amelia flinches, her eyes flick to his and they’re on fire. She could swear his white eye was glowing. “No.” he growls. I only ever wish to be Terzo to you, even if you’re mad at me. Please grant me at least this one request.” He asks, softly.

She nods her head rapidly and Terzo steps back to give her some space. “I had reasons for leaving that night and if I’d waited any longer, I would’ve been delaying the inevitable.” she replies softly. “Seeing how the siblings act smug around me, how I watch you indulge and flirt with the others… it confirms my fears. My reasons.”

“I understand your reasons, Amelia. I just also think at the time that they were silly.” she lets out a sarcastic laugh. His hands move to hold her face and he looks determinedly into her eyes. “When we were together, you were all I ever thought about. Because I love-“

“Please don’t finish that.” She interrupts. She’s getting choked up and he removes his hands from her face. “I’m not sure I can believe that it’s genuine when I hear them swoon about their mind-blowing nights with you.”

He knits his eyebrows together. “Tales of my sexual history the past couple years have been greatly exaggerated, Amelia.” He sounds annoyed.

“You haven’t done anything with them?” She asks.

“Well, no.” Amelia frowns. “But when I do, I keep it at arms’ length.I keep the paint on if I spend an evening with anyone. They get a night with Papa, no one else.” He says plainly.

“You’ve never…?”

He slowly raises his hand to cup her cheek. “I can’t bring myself to see anyone, to have anyone in the same way that we were. I would be wracked with guilt. To make love withsomeone, to lay myself bare in that way would feel like crossing a line.” Terzo once again holds Amelia’s face in his hands.

She can feel her eyes well with tears and his thumbs are ready to wipe any that fall. Amelia’s hands rise to hold his wrists in place and she closes her eyes. It’s not exactly what she’s wanted to hear, but it’s comforting in its own way. They stand like that for a moment, still and quiet. The sounds of their breaths fill the tiny closet as the seconds pass. They’ve released two years of pent-up frustration and now the adrenaline is gone.

“I’d like for us to begin anew.” he whispers. “The Cardinal is leading the band now and it’s only a matter of time before he is the next Papa of the Ministry. I will pass on the Papacy to him and then retire completely and I wish to spend the rest of my time with you by my side.” His thumb rubs softly on Amelia’s cheek.

“Terzo…” She finally says his name. Her voice cracks as she gets it out and her eyes open. He’s looking down at her with immense adoration and hope.

Terzo smiles wide. “Amelia.” he scans her face to figure out what she might say. His eyes linger on her down on her lips and on reflex, he leans forward.

The closet door opens to reveal a very confused and surprised ghoul. He’s one of Copia’s.

“Oh this isn’t the bathroom!” Swiss exclaims.

Terzo quickly removes himself from Amelia and steps back. One of his arms moves to sit behind his back and the other touches the back of his neck, his fingers brushing through the strands awkwardly.

“It’s uh. Down the hall after turning the corner. There should be a sign.” Amelia coughs out.

“Great. Thanks!” Swiss smiles wide enough his teeth show. He pats the doorknob. “You should probably lock it next time.” He laughs and closes the door to leave them alone.  

Terzo and Amelia stare at each other in bewilderment. Their faces crack into smiles and laughter fills the small room.

“Copia’s ghoul has excellent timing.” He remarks.

“Yep.” She emphasizes the P sound.

Terzo moves to stand closer in front of Amelia and he grabs her hands to hold in his. “What I said earlier, you don’t have to answer it right now. Only when you’re ready, please let me know.”

Amelia nods. “I will. I promise.”

“Good.” He nods back and brings her hands up to his mouth to kiss her knuckles.

◊◊◊◊◊

Amelia was so drained after the confrontation with Terzo that after taking something to-go from the dining hall, she fell asleep easily and slept like the dead. The pressure in the past two years was released and her chest doesn’t feel so tight. Her shoulders feel a bit lighter the following morning and the alarm sounding off doesn’t feel as dreadful. On her way to the studio after getting breakfast, she’s decided on coffee with cream and sugar. She decided to treat herself and chose a hazelnut flavoring. Terzo’s almost confession of love replays and his proposal to start again sits in her mind.

“Good morning, everyone!” she calls to the studio. Her voice is cheery; Sarah and Alex glance to each other and squint their eyes towards Amelia. She sits at her desk and begins writing her to-do list, listing the items she needs to complete for the day. Her phone chimes.

--------

[Do Not Pick Up] 8:00 am

Did you know there is a missing Stanley Cup game winning puck? In 2010, the NHL team that won the trophy in a thrilling game 6 was not able to find the puck that secured the victory. Even the FBI got involved but it still hasn’t been found.

[Do Not Pick Up] 8:02 am

I don’t want it to be radio silence between us anymore, not after yesterday. So here, have a mystery of the day.

--------

I should probably change Terzo’s contact in my phone now Amelia thinks.

--------

Amelia 8:03 am

How do I unsubscribe from these? ;)

--------

Terzo 8:04 am

I’m afraid that’s not an option, tesoro.

--------

She laughs and it makes her feel giddy.

“You seem… chipper this morning.” Alex calls to Amelia. “What are you smiling at?”

“I have uh, downloaded an app that gives a mystery of the day!” She lies, hoping her blush is concealed enough.

“Uh huh.” Alex nods. “Because I thought, well, I read something interesting from Swiss yesterday when he texted me and-“

“Since when are you on texting terms with the ghouls?” Amelia interrogates.

He sits up straighter in his seat. “I only text with Swiss from time to time!”

“Well you can tell your ghoulfriend that-“

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! He’s not my ghoulfriend. He is a ghoul… that I know.” Alex defends.

“What did he say?” Sarah interjects.

“He said that on his way to look for the bathroom - some of the halls are still a bit confusing for him - he opened a door to find Terzo and Amelia in a closet in a very intimate position.” Alex reveals.

She gasps and covers her mouth with her hands. “No!”

“We didn’t do anything! We were just talking and well…” Amelia doesn’t know how to end the sentence. We did almost kiss.

Sarah looks over to her. “Oh, and FYI, it’s not a good idea to fuck in that closet. The shelves aren’t great back support.” Sarah scrunches up her nose.

“We weren’t fu- wait, what?” Amelia looks taken aback. She and Alex stare at Sarah.

Sarah blushes and looks up at the ceiling. “Remember a few weeks ago when I was complaining about my lower back hurting and I said it was because of my period?”

Amelia and Alex let out an affirmative “Ooooh” sound. An awkward silence falls over the room, then, and the three them wordlessly return back to their work.

◊◊◊◊◊

--------

Terzo 8:45 am

In 2015 there was a high profile cheese slicer theft. The world’s most valuable slicer was stolen from the Amsterdam Cheese Museum. Worth $28,000, covered in diamonds, it was snatched from the basement archives. A reward of a fancy cheese basket and fondue set was presented to anyone who could come forward with substantial tips.

--------

Terzo 8:36 am

In mid-winter, 1931, a Swedish ship the “SS Baychimo” became trapped at sea from the ice along the Alaskan coast. The crew abandoned ship to find shelter nearby and when they went to return to the ship, it was gone. 38 years later the vessel was spotted 50 miles from where it was originally abandoned and by the time a crew could be gathered to bring it to shore, it disappeared again. To this day, no recovery has ever been made of the ghost ship.

--------

Terzo 8:27 am

For nearly 300 years, the Pine Barrens of New Jersey have been called the home of the New Jersey Devil. It’s described as a long-necked, two-legged creature with hooves and wings. Its alleged origins begin in 1735 when a local woman was pregnant with her 13th child and right before it was born, she proclaimed “Let this one be the Devil!” and once it was born it sprouted wings, hooves, and a tail. To this day no one has been able to provide concrete proof of its existence.

--------

Terzo 8:53 am

Shakespeare’s works will always remain a mystery, specifically in the lost play “Love’s Labor’s Won”, the long-held belief that it is the sequel to “Love’s Labor’s Lost.” It was first referenced by writer Sir Frances Meres as he wrote about the playwright’s works. Some believe it was an alternative title to “Love’s Labor’s Lost” but other believe it was a play in its own right. No evidence of the show has ever been found other than second-hand references.

--------

Amelia 8:56 am

Where are getting these? I’ve been wondering about it for the past week.

--------

Terzo 8:57 am

Primo’s idea. I was gifted a desk calendar of daily mysteries a year ago but never used it. I’ve been skipping around since there’s no point following the order.

-------

Amelia 9:00 am

Yeah that sounds like him.

--------

◊◊◊◊◊

One evening after dinner, Amelia walks to the library to check out their hobbies section. She heard from a sister who works there that they recently acquired knitting reference books. Library hours have been recently extended and many siblings have taken advantage to study ancient texts or chat quietly. Tonight, the space is buzzing with activity; siblings look through the shelves or lounge on the comfy couches. The new knitting book selections were fruitful and she found one on circle yoke sweaters that piqued her interest along with a book of Japanese knitting patterns. She passes by the sitting area on the way out and has to do a double-take.

She finds Terzo sitting in a plush chair with a book in his hands. He has one leg crossed over his other knee and he’s changed out of his regular suit but still he wears dark purple dress pants and a black button up. The top two buttons are undone and he is wearing his reading glasses. She’s never seen him in the Papal paint with the glasses on and it’s all a sight for her eyes. It’s almost too much for her. His eyes however haven’t noticed Amelia yet. He’s been preoccupied with a brother of sin who can’t tell that Terzo really just wants to get on with his book.

She can’t conceal her giggle in time and Terzo looks up, following the familiar sound. He locks eyes with her across the room and winks her. She blushes and hides the book in front of her face then brings it back down a few seconds later. He hasn’t looked away and Amelia can sense something deep in her heart once again. The long-lost sensation of fluttering butterflies up to her chest. She smiles to Terzo and walks off to check out her books. She can somehow feel his eyes on her and she’s testing all of her will power to not look back.

◊◊◊◊◊

Today the three sewists have finally met their threshold. Even Amelia cannot keep up with The Gauntlet and on a sunny Thursday Sarah, Alex, and Amelia take the day to rest and recharge.

She decides to walk in the courtyard for a bit to think. Their non-stop sewing marathon for the ghouls has prevented her from fully giving Terzo’s proposition a proper consideration and she wonders if fresh air will help to clear her mind. She talks to herself, gesturing wildly down a path and some siblings walk by her will funny looks. Yeah, that’s probably fair she thinks. Amelia finds a quieter, less populated section and sits down so she can think out loud in private.

“He doesn’t seem like he’s fully moved on.” she says to herself. “But would he really take another chance on me?”

“Would you?” a voice cuts in from further down the pathway.

“Dew? Am I interrupting something? Should I move?” Amelia calls out. He walks closer and sits down next to her on the bench.

“Not at all. Did I interrupt something?” Dew responds with a playful lilt in his voice. She can’t see his face due to the chrome mask but she can tell he’s smirking. 

“I’m just thinking out loud about something.” She sighs.

“I could tell.” he nods. “Well, don’t let me get in the way.” Dew leans back on the bench, threading his fingers together and leaning his head back in his hands. “So, Would you?”

“Would I what?” she asks.

“Would you take another chance on yourself?” He nods his head towards her.

She’s silent for a moment. “I’d like to say ‘yes’ but I’m not sure.”

“I don’t know what you two were for each other, but when you left, Terzo was a wreck for a long time.”

Amelia turns to look fully at Dew while he continues to look forward. “I didn’t know that.” she looks down at her hands in her lap. “He always seemed so put-together.”

Dew sighs through his nose. “Only for the clergy, never around us. Going on tour was one of the few ways he could feel normal even if he was playing a version of himself at times. When Terzo didn’t have any obligations, he became a recluse.”

Amelia breathes a deep sigh. “I’m an asshole.” She drops her head into her hands.

“No, you’re not.” Dew sits up straight and moves his head to face Amelia. His left hand pats her knee. “Humans are terrible with emotions. What is it you all like to use as an excuse? Fight or Flight?”

“I flew, I know, I know! But when he came home that night I… The paint on his mouth was smudged and he had kiss marks on his clothes!” she waves one of her hands in the air.

“He kept pushing the sister away but she was very persistent with Papa. One of us had to escort her out once she got to his neck.” he tilts his head to the side. “And if I remember correctly, his face paint was smudged from kissing foreheads all night. He kept professing that the only lips that would touch his from now on were yours.”

The entire night comes crashing down in Amelia’s mind. Her eyes feel misty and she sniffles. A tear sits dangerously close to falling down her cheek. “I didn’t know.” Amelia wipes at her eyes. “He said the kiss marks meant nothing to him and I didn’t even let him explain his mouth.”

“So, you accused him of infidelity and then didn’t let him defend himself?” he said incredulously. “You ghosted a man who looks at you like you hang the stars in the sky.”

“I couldn’t allow myself to believe that he could completely… love… me.” She almost cringes.

Dew chuckles and she swats at him. “Do you really think you are so awful? Terzo is flirty, sure, but he likes making people happy as Papa. Your happiness meant the world to him above all else.”

“I just didn’t see what was so special about me.” she looks down and picks at her fingernails. “I knew he cared about me like I cared about him but there was always a nagging thought in the back of my mind that he would meet someone so in awe of him and he’d forget about me.”

Dew chuckles. “Yeah, you’re not an asshole. You’re an idiot.” Amelia shoves him. “Hey!”

“I’m happy to hear that my inner turmoil is hilarious to you.” She deadpans.

He stands up and placed his hands behind his back. He tilts his head down to look at her and Amelia tilts her head to look up at him. “You need to tell him these things. I can’t tell you why he loved you so much but I know he did and it broke his heart every day when you were gone.”Amelia nods with determination and Dew turns to leave.

--------

Amelia: 5:45 pm

I’m ready to give you my answer.

--------

◊◊◊◊◊

The following evening Amelia takes careful, tentative steps to Terzo’s apartment. He’d asked for her to come have dinner with him while they talk. With shaky hands she takes a deep breath and then knocks on his door. After a few seconds, it opens to reveal him and he’s wearing a pair of black pants and a comfy dark green sweater; Terzo’s face is bare, free from any paint he’d worn that day. Her mind flashes back to the last time she’d seen his face that way. It was earlier in the night before it all went to hell two years ago.

“Ciao, Amelia.” He nearly whispers his hello. It feels like if he speaks any louder, she might run off.

“Hello.” She smiles. Terzo steps back to let her in and closes the door once she’s inside.

“Thank you for coming.” he glances at her outfit. He chose simple black jeans and a red button up blouse with bishop sleeves. She blushed slightly under his watchful eye. “You look beautiful as always.”

“Thank you.” She whispers. “You…too.”

Terzo gestures to the table he has set up. He guides Amelia to take a seat while he walks over to plate their meal for the night. “Fettuccine al Pomodoro. The tomatoes are fresh from Primo’s garden.” He smirks. “I got permission this time.”

Amelia laughs and he smiles wide at her reaction. “I’m sure he was happy you’d asked.”

He brings over their plates and then sits down across from her while they begin to eat their meal. The pair eat in silence, only occasional hums of approval or fork scratching sounds float into the room. He eats a few bites off of his plate but mostly watches Amelia as she savors hers. When they’re finished, he takes their plates and silverware to the sink and clears the table. Amelia gingerly rests her palms on the table, Terzo puts his elbow on the table to and rests his head in his hand. He looks at her expectantly.

Is he waiting for me to start? she thinks. “So, I came here tonight to give you my answer, Terzo.”

He nods his head softly. “And… what do you say?” He watches Amelia, almost pleading.

She lets out a deep breath. “I say yes.” He sits up straight in his chair. “Yes, I want to be with you. To try this again.”

“A-Amelia I am delighted to hear it.” Terzo scoots his chair to sit closer to Amelia. His knees bump into hers in his enthusiasm to be nearer to her.

“We need to talk first, though. I have some things I need to say.” She looks down at her lap.

He takes her hands into hers. “Whatever you have to say, please say it.”

“First, I want to say I’m sorry. I’ll say it as many times as I need to-” Terzo lightly squeezes her hands and it cuts off her train of thought.

“You don’t have to apologize for anything.”

“But I do. I acted out of fear. I didn’t let you defend yourself. I thought a sibling was finally able to woo you enough to convince you of my irrelevancy. I didn’t let you explain and I jumped to conclusions and left.” her voice shakes. She feels her eyes becoming misty. “I t-thought you’d finally found someone who was s-so amazed by who you were and that they’d become more interesting than me-” Amelia sniffles and a tear falls down her cheek. Terzo brings her in to his chest while his arms wrap around her back in a snug embrace.

“Amelia I wouldn’t, couldn’t ever think someone was more important than you.” His right hand moves up to stroke through her hair a few times. Amelia’s hands tentatively wrap around his waist and pulls him closer.

She sniffles again. “I couldn’t understand at the time, I still don’t really understand now, why you think I’m so special.”

He moves back to look at Amelia. “Can I tell you?” His thumbs softly wipe at the tears around her eyes. She nods. “Of everyone I’ve ever known in this ministry, you were like my one constant. My family, the Emeritus legacy, makes people treat me differently. Siblings think of me as this tantalizing higher power and the other Bishops and Cardinals try to suck up to me so when I became Papa, I don’t randomly fire them or relocate them.” he smiles. “Throughout the couple decades I’ve known you, every time I spoke with you, I was always some stronzo named ‘Terzo’ and I admired your consistency even when I technically should’ve corrected you at times. I can’t help but be attracted to how you didn’t give a shit about my title.”

“I don’t like putting people on pedestals.” Amelia squeak out. “Also, I’m pretty sure Sister Imperator would have the final say in any relocations anyway.”

“Probably.” he lifts her chin up. “Do you understand, now?” Terzo searches her eyes.

She nods. “I think do.” Amelia leans her forehead against Terzo’s and closes her eyes.

“When you left me that night,” Terzo begins, softly. “,it felt like a part of me left with you.” He pulls back from her forehead. “You are one of few people who know me this intimately. I was hurt, Amelia, that you would think of me so poorly.” It’s Terzo this time to look down at his hands.

She grabs his hands into her own, rubbing small circles on his palms. “I think… I just got caught up in everything, mentally. You always reassured me, and when we were around each other I was fine. I could feel your love even if we never spoke it. But then you had more obligations, more events that would take you from me.” she lets out a shaky breath. Terzo squeezes Amelia’s hands as a small reassurance. “And then there were the looks from the siblings. It’s like they were angry, Terzo. They acted like I took something from them.”

“It pains me to hear that they felt so entitled of me in that way. I had my moments of intense devotion from the siblings so to speak, but I wasn’t aware of the extent of their spite towards you.”

Her emotions get the best of her and she feels tears welling in her eyes again. “I tried to hide how it felt as much as I could. You genuinely care for the congregation and the funny thing is, in a way, I don’t blame them. I’d hear the stories of siblings spending a night with you after I left and below all of the gloating and bravado,” deep breath “,I could tell that it was still special for them. You are Papa and that means something in this ministry.”

He huffs. “I feel guilty now for my flaunting earlier and my rendezvous. I’m sorry.”

She shakes her head. “No, please don’t! I thought I was setting you free. I should be sorry that I couldn’t block out the noise and not let it get to me.” A small tear falls down her cheek. Amelia takes a deep breath to steady her nerves.

Terzo coos softly and wipes the wet streak from her cheek. “Oh, please no more tears, amore? We’ve shed enough of those for a lifetime.”

We? She looks into Terzo’s eyes and sitting this close, looking at him without the paint, she notices just how exhausted he looks. How many sleepless nights had she unknowingly given him? Amelia’s hand rises up to cup his face. Her thumb brushes lightly on his cheek and his eyes flutter shut. She grazes her thumb down to softly brush along his lower lip. Amelia tries to remember what Terzo’s lips felt like on hers but it feels like a faint memory at this point. He gasps lightly when he feels her remove her hand from his face.

“Amelia.” he whispers.

“Yes?”

“Can I kiss you?” He all but begs her.

Amelia nods her head and Terzo’s hands hold her face firmly. He kisses her like he hasn’t kissed anyone in a century. She’s almost overwhelmed at the way he pours his affection into her and Amelia’s hands go to rest on his shoulders for stability. Tired of leaning awkwardly, she lifts from her chair without breaking their kiss to straddle his lap. One of her hands slide up to thread her fingers in his hair. In her enthusiasm, she tugs lightly on the strands and he hums deep in his chest. Terzo smiles and Amelia can feel the way his lips perk up against hers.

Terzo’s hand starts a path from her waist down to Amelia’s lower back and he pulls her further into his lap. The passionate assault on each other’s mouths continues and now their tongues battle for dominance. Amelia’s arms around his head pull his face even closer to hers and she shifts in his lap to feel flush with his body. A matching set of satisfied hums are exchanged.

His hand moves once again, further down her body to grab at the curve of her bottom to give a light squeeze. His hips shift under her slightly and she begins to notice the growing bulge below in Terzo’s lap. The feeling stirs up a forgotten tingling sensation back in her lower stomach. She swivels her hips, grinding down lightly as a test and Terzo leans back, ending the kiss with a groan and breathy laugh. His eyes open and he smiles at Amelia who’s looking back with the same expression. She begins to look down and frown and he angles her chin to look back up at him.

“Tell me what you’re thinking.” he asks. Terzo’s hands rest on either side of her hips. “What’s going on inside your head?”

“I’m not sure if it’s wise to take things further tonight.” Her eyes dart around the room and she plays with the hair at the nape of his neck.

One of his palms rub softly on her side. “If you would like to stop, we can.”

“Here’s the thing: I don’t want to stop.” She admits, looking down sheepishly.

“Then we won’t.” Terzo smiles.

She nods and then they lean in for another round of kisses. After a moment, his restless hand slides under her shirt to move up and palm her chest and his mouth starts to kiss down her jaw to end on up on her neck. He squeezes lightly at her chest and Amelia whimpers into the air, pressing down on his lap which in turn earns a groan from Terzo. They’ve started grinding against each other at a slow, lazy pace while he bites at her neck, no doubt leaving a bruise for tomorrow. She can’t stand the teasing anymore after a while.

“Terzo.” She breathes.

He plants one last pronounced kiss to her neck before pulling back to at her. “Yes?” Terzo asks with half-lidded eyes and a smirk.

“Take me to bed.”

He smiles wide. They stand up from the chair and he takes her hand, placing a small kiss to her knuckles before leading the familiar path to his bedroom. The two stand on the side of his bed, holding hands, looking into each other’s eyes. Amelia nods quickly at Terzo and he raises his hands to begin unbuttoning her blouse. She watches him while his focus is trained on the small buttons and once the last one is released from its buttonhole, she helps to shrug the shirt off her shoulders and lets it fall to the floor beside her. Amelia’s hands grab at the hem of his sweater.

“Your turn.” She chuckles. He smiles and raises his arms for her to lift the garment away. She runs a hand down his soft chest hair and rests it on his hips. Her other hand’s fingers brush themselves through his hair, fixing it after it became disheveled when he took off his sweater. She pulls him in for a small kiss and Terzo’s hands rest on her shoulders.

He tugs on her bra strap and whispers into her lips. “We forgot something.” He smirks.

Amelia rolls her eyes and unclasp her bra before pulling it off, to follow the path her blouse took to sit on the floor. Now free of its confines, Terzo’s hands slide to fondle her chest. His thumb runs over one of her pebbling nipples and she gasps at the sensation. In retaliation, Amelia’s hand lowers to caress the prominent bulge poking at her hip. Terzo groans and he lets out a sigh. With a sudden urgency, her hands rush to the button on Terzo’s slacks and she expertly unbuttons them. Pulling the zipper down she pushes the pants down his legs and it gives some relief to Terzo’s sensitive, aching cock in his briefs. He loudly sighs into the room. Her pants are next to go and together they remove their underwear to end up fully exposed for each other now.

He leads her backwards to the edge of the bed and whispers in her ear for her to lay down against the pillows. Terzo is facing Amelia, lying beside her on his right side and he leans down to kiss her lips softly. His fingertips trace an invisible trail from her collar bone, down through her chest to her stomach. “Please, let me show you what you mean to me?” His fingers ghost down her stomach to her slightly spread open legs. He grabs at the soft flesh on the inside of her thigh and his thumb rubs small soothing circles.

Amelia nods her head. “Yes, please.” She breathes out. Her eyes close and his hand slides up her leg. She instinctively opens her legs wider to give Terzo better access and his fingers tentatively run along the enticingly slick lips between her legs; they both gasp in unison at the feeling. Terzo smiles, happy he can elicit such a reaction from her. Amelia is already sensitive from their kissing and grinding earlier and now just a feather-light swipe from his fingers is enough to have her squirming. He continues, slowly grazing his fingers from her lips to her clit, pressing down ever so slightly before moving back down. Amelia can’t help but fidget in her spot, gifting Terzo with small whimpers and mewls signaling her pleasure. She’s so wet, his fingers slide with barely any resistance.

She gasps when Terzo slowly inserts a finger at her entrance. She can feel the tight fluttering below becoming more intense and she’s close to falling over under his spell. After a short while, he pushes a second finger in, curling the digits and it’s all so much. Between his thumb slowly rubbing on her clit and the two fingers inside, she nearly yells to him. “Terzo I’m so,” she huffs “,close-“

“Please, amore, come for me.” He begs and she can’t help but comply.

One final curl from Terzo’s fingers cause Amelia to fall into her orgasm, sighing out ‘Terzo’s with a smile. He softly rubs her clit a few times as she rides out the high before slowly removing his hands from her pussy and licks her release from his fingers. She watches him as he closes his eyes and hums and savors the taste of her on his fingers. When she looks down, she realizes he hasn’t given himself any attention and his cock looking beautifully red and flushed, leaking at the tip. It’s standing at attention against his stomach, aching for some relief.

She leans her head up lock eyes with Terzo and he leans down to kiss her. She can taste some of the lingering essence of herself on Terzo’s tongue when they deepen the kiss. She pulls back slightly. “You look like you could use some help.” Amelia smirks.

Her hands move slowly to his tip, spreading some of his pre with her thumb and he hisses, his head falling back. Terzo releases a soft whimper when she removes her hand for a moment to spit in it and then lowers it back down to wrap her hand around him. Using his own slick and her spit now, she gives small tugs, letting him savor the sensation. He’s rested his forehead against hers, moaning as she continues to pump his cock. More pre starts to leak out and she collects it to give a better glide down his shaft. He rushes to stop Amelia before he can get too worked up.

“I won’t last very long if you keep going, Amelia.” He smiles awkwardly.

“I want you to feel good, too. That’s the point, Terzo.” She smiles.

He lifts his forehead away from hers. Terzo moves from his position on the bed beside her to leans his body over hers, settling between her legs. His hand rests on the side of her face. “Not if I plan to give you another orgasm with my cock.” He leans down to steal the gasp from her lips. Her hands fly to the back of his head, pulling him closer. He lines himself up with her entrance and slowly, he leans in, taking his time for them to get familiar with the stretch of her around him. He groans into her neck “You torture me, amore.”

She feels him push a little further more inside. “I can say - ah - the same about you right now.” The both let out a breathy chuckle. He leans up to kiss her fully while he pushes the last of his cock inside, buried to the hilt. He swallows her gasp and he lets Amelia settle into the feeling of being so fullof him after being so long a part. Her hand moves to stroke his cheek and she nods slightly. “You can move now, Terzo.”

He shifts his hips, thrusting in and out at a slow pace. She soon starts to feel a familiar fluttery feeling deep below and Terzo smiles down at her. Her hips move with him to help form a steady rhythm. “Are you ready to come again so quickly, amore?”

“You feel so good.” She rolls her eyes when he gives a particularly deep thrust in that moment. “It’s hard not to resi – oh just like that” She pants.

“I’m reaching my limit, Amelia. Are you almost there?” He asks, panting against her face.

She nods furiously. “Mhm. I’m close.” Her hand moves to rub over her clit while Terzo continues to thrust in and out in and out at a hurried pace. Terzo’s lips on hers, the delicious stretch from the feeling of him inside inside her and her fingers on her clit are all too overwhelming and it’s enough to have Amelia toppling over into her second orgasm of the night; it feels like all of her nerves are being stimulated at once. The convulsions of her inner walls around Terzo’s cock give enough for him to come soon after Amelia, filling her with his own release. They mouth at each other’s moans as the two ride out their highs before Terzo’s arms give out, his body settling onto her chest. He mouths a few kisses to her breast, over her heart. Amelia cards her fingers though his hair while they lay there, content, letting their breaths even out

Terzo slips out a short while later after he’s softened and he gets up to bring a wet washcloth over to clean Amelia and himself up. The two cuddle in silence for some time, his arm wraps around Amelia and she feels at peace, finally. Overcome with affection, she turns her body to look at Terzo, her hand comes to rest on the side of his face.

“I love you, Terzo.”  

He leans forward to kiss her lips, lingering there for a few seconds. He pulls back with a smile. “Ti amo, Amelia.”

◊◊◊◊◊

The next morning, Amelia is roused form her slumber when she feels the soft pecks on her shoulder down to her arm from the man behind her. Terzo notices her eyes are open. He tightens his arm around her and gives her a soft “Good morning, amore.” His voice is still gruff from sleep.

She sighs dramatically. “It would be if someone hadn’t woken me up.” Amelia turns around to face him.

Terzo smirks. He leans his lips down to stop at the corner of her mouth. “Mi dispiace! Would you prefer I stop?”

Amelia snorts and rolls over to her back. Terzo takes this as an opportunity to drape himself on top of her, kissing all of the newly exposed skin he couldn’t reach earlier. He kisses and nips from her mouth down to her chin. He moves further down to her collar bone, leaving a trail of wet kisses in his wake to the curved peak of her breast where he’s stopped for the time being. He rests his head in her chest and her fingers settle in his hair. She finds a small number of gray strands and Amelia thinks it makes him all the more beautiful.

“Making up for lost time?” She jests.

He raises onto his arm and moves back up Amelia’s body. “si, Amelia, and I fear I will not be able to let you leave this room as a result.” Terzo drapes his arm over her stomach and he plants a small kiss to the point at her shoulder.

She laughs and, in that moment, it sounds like music to Terzo’s ears. “I’m eventually going to have to go back to my job, Terzo.” She raises an eyebrow. “That includes leaving this room.”

He begins kissing down Amelia’s body once again. “I’ll have a sewing machine brought to my room.” He smiles into her stomach. His eyes flick up to hers.

Amelia can feel herself getting worked up and his watchful gaze below her isn’t helping. “I-We’ll have to eat!” She reasons. Terzo’s moved down to kiss the side of her hips and she squirms in her spot.

“I’ll have a ghoul bring us food when we get hungry.” He’s settled his body lower, between her legs. Terzo raises one of her thighs to pepper kisses on the inner flesh. “BecauseI am not going to spend another minute,” he kisses her thigh again and she sighs. “,where I’m not touching you or looking at your beautiful face.”

“How can I argue with that?” She breathes heavily from his adoration.

He laughs while he moves back up to lay down beside Amelia. “Somehow I believe you could.”

She scoffs.

They spend the rest of the morning in each other’s arms, catching up from the past two years or just simply existing with each other in silence. At some point Amelia decides she needs a shower and Terzo comes along to “help” her. After a very handsy, sudsy time in the shower, the couple emerge fresh and clean. She borrows a robe from Terzo until she can get some new clothes and lounges in the bed while he calls for a ghoul to bring him breakfast.

The ghoul arrives, Dew she thinks she hears, arriving and bringing in a package of food. She walks up to hear their conversation and catches Dew off guard.

“Well, when you said you needed me to bring food to your room, I was worried that you’d gone back into your old – Oh.” He stops when Amelia enters the room. “Ah. I see.”

Amelia blushes and looks down, crossing her arms over the robe. “Hey, Dew…”

His eyes flick between the two for a couple seconds. “Well, uh, let us know if you need more food later! I’m sure you two are famished.” Dew cackles.

Terzo shoos the fire ghoul away and closes the door behind him. He turns around and walks over to Amelia. “I have to admit, I am a bit hungry.”

◊◊◊◊◊

True to his word, Terzo didn’t let Amelia out of his sight for the entire weekend. They were holed up away in their own tender, affectionate world and come Monday morning the bubble was burst. He begrudgingly allowed Amelia to leave and go to work, lamenting how she was “so cruel to leave him all alone” as he reapplied his papal paint for his own work day.

She laughs as he clings to her body as she creeps closer to his door. Her hands grab at his waist and she leans into his ear. “Walk me to work?”

And that he does! They stride arm-in-arm from his room to the sewing studio, passing a few clergy members and siblings on the way. He gives a light squeeze to her arm at every person they pass as a small sign of reassurance and she for once doesn’t even think about anyone else in that moment besides the man lovingly holding her to him. Amelia looks over and kisses his cheek lightly once they reach the hall the studio resides.

She’s the last to arrive, Alex and Sarah having beat her to it. She figures that would be the case as Terzo nearly convinced her to play hooky but her brain decided to think rationally at the last minute.

“Well look who decided to show u-” Alex calls, stopping mid-sentence when he realizes Terzo is with Amelia. “Hello.” He says with a slightly smug expression.

Sarah and Copia, not having left yet, bow their head towards them. “Hello Papa.”

Terzo nods at them and then turns back to Amelia. He raises her hands to his lips to leave a lingering kiss to her knuckles. He leaves a black and white lip stain to her hand she giggles.

Alex dramatically rolls his eyes. “Not you too! Am I going to have to start bringing a spray bottle with me to work, now?”

“Is that how you speak to your Papa?” He raises an eyebrow and crosses his arms. Amelia can tell he’s joking but with the paint on his face, it’s hard for others to tell.

“Well, I, uh. I’m so sorry your Eminence. I didn’t mean-“ Alex stumbles.

Terzo laughs and then waves a hand in the air. “I’m fucking with you. Though if you ruin my paint because of a spray bottle, we will have issues.”

“Yes. Of course.” Alex flashes an awkward smile and them turns to the work prepped on his desk.

Terzo smiles and looks back to Amelia one more time. His hand cups her cheek and he leans down to give her a deep, passionate kiss goodbye. Amelia’s hand threads her fingers through his hair and pulls him in deeper, not wanting to let him go.

“Ugh get a room, you two.” Copia pipes up. Sarah swats at his arm.

Amelia interrupts the kiss, much to Terzo’s dismay, to look pointedly at Copia. “Stones and glass houses, Copia.”

Terzo responds with a deep laugh and in that moment, Amelia thinks she wants to hear that for the rest of her life.

Also, FYI, I had a mystery of the day calendar last year and that's where I got the ones that were mentioned. lol. Thank you to all that have read, comented, liked, or kudo'd this, I appreciate it!

Translation: - il picolo stronzo [the little asshole] - Che diavolo stai facendo? [what the hell are you doing?] - tesoro [treasure] - Stronzo [asshole - ti amo [I love you]

[forgetitbeam]

Draw Piccassolo (that is, Piccolo + Picasso) (interpret this however you wish)

the ultimate angst romance story of the century...........

[stinkybuttwipes]

Lie. Part 1

Context: You and piccolo have known eachother since the World martial arts tournaments when he was still evil. You guys had grown to feel and love for eachother when he was first training Gohan and got together after the fall of Namek. you guys have now been married for 2 years and fight together, Always..But piccolo has kept a secret from you.

Piccolo x Gn! Saiyan!Reader

Warnings: small Angst to fluff. Reader gets mad at piccolo, comfort, sweet. Post Super Hero

It’s been a few months since Piccolo came back roughed up from what he claimed was “training” but of course you know that’s not true.

3 months earlier

“Piccolo!? What the hell happened to you? Your gi is ripped and you have wound’s everywhere!” Piccolo looks down and back at you “training with gohan” Damn it, that same excuse to get him out of trouble with you “Again? But I thought he was stuck up in his work?” Piccolo silently walked passed you with his antennas drooped. He walked to the bedroom to change from his ripped clothes “Gee kinda rude” you help him and tend to his wounds before forgetting all this happened..Until now.

Present day

*it’s been 3 months since Piccolo came home beaten up and you haven’t questioned what happened since*

You find yourself babysitting Pan again while Piccolo is out meditating per usual so your stuck watching cartoons with Pan in Your shared House.

(The same house Piccolo has but much bigger inside and outside.)

You stare at the TV in front of you as Pan lays in your lap asleep. Eventually your phone rings and you try not to wake Pan as you reach for your phone, it’s from Gohan.

————————————————————————

Gohan: Hey (name) I’m on my way to grab Pan, sorry we always have her on your backs all the time 😅

You: No worries Han it doesn’t bother me, you have work besides its not the first time I’ve babysat a kid before.

Gohan: Lol, Thanks, I’ll be there in 10!

You: I’ll have her ready by then. See you.

————————————————————————

You wake up Pan from her slumber and get her ready to go. Gohan arrives on time and knocks at the door.

You open the door and see Gohan’s smiling face as usual. Pan runs to him hugging his legs. “Thank you for taking care of her again, like I said I’m sorry for being a burden all the time, I’ll buy you a the plushies you like since piccolo ‘hates’ them now.” He reaches to hold Pan “Don’t worry about it Kiddo, and I’m sure Piccolo is just embarrassed to admit he really likes the stuffies you guys get us.” Gohan chuckles at your words “You know him he’ll never confess something embarrassing to him that’s how he’s always been.” You reply “He’s a stubborn one alright.” Gohan thanks you again before looking around him like he’s looking for something lost.

“Something the matter Gohan?” You ask him “Oh! Yeah I just was wondering where piccolo was at. Usually he’s with you or Atleast with Pan.” You think to yourself “You know your right I haven’t seen him at all today actually, I’ll go looks for him later.”

And you did just that, You look around your surroundings as you soar in the sky looking for Piccolo. “Damn it where the hell is he!?” You start to panic worried something might have happened to your husband.

Until you see a orange light flash in front of you. “Agh! What the heck was that!?” You observe around you but see nothing. “Weird?” You tell yourself until you look beneath you.

“Piccolo?” You think. But it couldn’t be you’ve never seen him orange before none the less red eyes and a power lever stronger than yours. You land safely and find a place to hide. Behind a tree you stare at the namekian in front of you who is shooting off beams and new attacks you’ve never seen before.

Did he just now learn this? Did he just now grasp a new power up? You keep yourself hidden and try to put the pieces together.

Eventually You decide to make yourself known to him and come out behind the tree your hiding in. “Honey?” Piccolo flinches at your words “N-Name?!” You look at him confused “How long have you been there for?” He asks “long enough” you walk closer to him so that you look up since he towers over you.

“What’s with the new look? You seem pretty familiar with it.” You grew suspicious seeing how calm piccolo is considering this is the first time you’ve seen this form of his.

“I..um..” usually he never stutters but this time he looks nervous, “Piccolo?, How long have you been hiding this from me?.” You calmly but obviously furious at him. He doesn’t answer and avoids your eye contact.

You grab his chin to make him look at you “I asked how long you’ve had this for.” He looks at you with a form of anger “3 months.” You let go of him “3 MONTHS?!” You scream at him “You’re telling me you’ve had this for 3 fucking months Piccolo and never told me about it? Nonetheless told me how you even got your new form!” He turns back to normal and looks at you annoyed “I kept it from you because I didn’t want you to worry.”

“Worry about what!?, what more is there!?.” He sighs “I’ve been keeping something from you, I fought against Cell max, a creation of Dr.Hedos and Magenta, And Pan and gohan were involved in the fight.” You stare at him in shock. “We all agreed to keep this from you because I know you would go after Dr.Hedo or Gamma 1 if you found out about it, so I’ve been hiding it from you.” Piccolo holds your hand in his but you snap away and scream in anger “Damn it! You promised not to lie to me! You never should feel like you should ever lie to me!” He yelled back at you “You don’t understand! Your a saiyan who’s always looking for fights and your way to obsessed with me to understand anything, all you ever care about is fighting and me you don’t care about anything or anyone else!.your just like Vegeta..”

Piccolo Huffs at you and turns away. Your left in tears as he flys away from you.

He left you, alone, speechless.

You feel hot tears run down your face “he thinks of me that way?..” you try to soak up the “truth” he spilled.

You made a decision to not return to your shared home tonight and stay with your sister in law Bulma. You assumed that Piccolo didn’t want you with him after that and that he wouldn’t care.

____________________________________________

You quickly pack your things and leave a letter on the table before Piccolo returns, and then you take your leave.

You arrive at Capsule Corp the home of your brother, his wife, and his kids. You slowly knock on the entrance door and wait.

You start to think no one is there so you start walking away until your hear a rattle.

The door opens to an associate greeting you, “Hello Mrs.Name what brings you here today?” She lets you in and you thank her.

“I’m here to see Vegeta or Bulma please”.