#sky my sweet summer child is in good hands

[theyellowhue]

I'm ready to take care of you for the rest of my life

Prapai to Sky (Love in the Air: Special Episode 2022; 1:05:27)

[sockonaleash]

Can i ask for Hajime, Makoto, Nagito and K1-B0 x reader that’s the Ultimate Unlucky Student? If this isn’t too much ^^ take your time because four characters can be a lot sometimes

hajime, makoto, nagito and k1-b0 with an s/o who's the ultimate unlucky student

type : headcanon, gn!reader

note : i'm assuming this is supposed to be in a headcanon format (sorry if not,,), this is overall just cute stuff :} i got a lil carried away, hope you don't mind! i apologize for the wait, i've been getting into fnaf lately,,,, springtrap,,,

requested : yes! greetings simp :D

Hajime Hinata

hajime would be very confused at first, he'd ask if it's similar to nagito's ultimate and if it's a cycle of good and bad luck. when you told him it wasn't and shit was just constantly hitting the fan, he got a little worried.

it's usually small things like you falling face first on the ground because you forgot to tie your shoes, every animal known to man constantly attacking you or the coins falling out of your wallet whenever you tried to buy anything from a vending machine to be never seen again. yet sometimes, it would ruin dates the two of you wanted to have.

one time - when the two of you started dating - you decided to go to the beach to have a date. it was the middle summer and there weren't any clouds in the sky, yet the moment the two of you finished setting everything up it started raining. the worst part is as soon as both of you went home the sky cleared. hajime would be the type to awkwardly show up at your doorstep right after the failed date, soaking wet, asking if "you had room for two in your house".

overall, i don't think he'd take it too hard. even if some hangouts fail there's always room for more. he'd worry, of course, but not to the point where he'd restrict your movement and choices (only if you have the risk of getting ran over or something).

Makoto Naegi

he's definitely the type to be constantly worried. although he is the ultimate lucky student he can only hope that his ultimate is enough to balance yours out (which usually just ends up the two of you sharing lucky and unlucky experiences).

before going out he'd tie your shoes extra tight, make sure you have a jacket if it's cold out or an umbrella if it's raining - with a smaller, spare umbrella inside your backpack if the first one broke. bought by the man himself! he'd be the type to grab your hand before crossing the road but not let you cross unless everything was right. by this i mean, no cars in the street, shoes tied, hand held, nothing in the way.

at the start of your relationship makoto thought he was being a bit too much but when you almost got ran over as you crossed the seemingly empty road he decided he could never be too sure.

altogether, he's worrying a lot. not in an annoying way, more of a "you're my troublesome child and i'll never let you out of my sight" type of way.

Nagito Komaeda

oh no. the good luck? still there. not a lot though. the bad luck? double. the cycle is still there, it's just that now whenever something bad happens it's two times worse.

nagito would be very nonchalant over both your talents and not let it get in the way of your dates. for example, if it started raining heavily during a walk and he noticed it was starting to flood the streets he'd try to convince you to go buy floaties to float down the street together. hopefully his good luck comes around quickly! you don't feel like getting stuck somewhere or drowning.

if you did get hurt he'd degrade himself - even if why or how you got hurt had nothing to do with him - and pay for your hospital bills. i feel like nagito would be the type to pamper his partner a lot with little gifts and try to carry you up the stairs if you broke your leg(s). And fail miserably at doing so.

he'd get into shit with you to just go "haha, my bad. how could i let this happen?"

K1-B0

kiibo. my sweet baby. like hajime, he'd ask a lot of questions when first meeting you! throughout time he'd get used to it and do his best to help you out. your gloves got ripped up by unknown causes and it's snowing? he'll use his hairdryer function to "breathe" onto your hands to quickly warm them up and when the two of you get home he'll sew them back up.

if you get hurt he wouldn't be able to carry you or anything (he's not particularly the strongest and his back pain doesn't help) but he'd take care of you afterwards! be it cooking meals, or cleaning the house.

everytime you get home he'll stop you at the door while concentrating reallyyy hard to use his zooming function to see if you're alright. doesn't do much, but you let it slide if it helps calm his worry.

so even if he's not able to support you during your spikes of your bad luck, he'll gladly lend you a hand afterwards!

[wexhappyxfew]

very thought of you

(a/n): judy rybinski, my sweet sunshine child, you deserve the very best for all the emotion you hold in and try to hide. enjoy your dance with rosie rosenthal girl <3333

She found that nights after missions, the flying club was usually left pretty quiet.

Of course, there was soft jazz from the corner, a few people sat around talking quietly with one another, sharing drinks, or tired conversation, but it was never alive with life like it had been in the summer - when people had still been fairly filled with something more than life.

Judy sat at the table her and Bessie had occupied a few times when people would be on the dance floor, twisting and twirling one another like it was the night of their lives. She always would watch - the airmen with a lady from town or a nurse or a Clubmobile girl, the smiles on their faces, their giggles, the whispering and exchanging of jokes or conversation there in a tightly-held embrace.

She always wondered what that would be like - wrapped in the arms of someone, to dance with them, gaze into their eyes, and just for once, have it just be the two of them. Whoever that other person may be.

A few of the girls hadn't bothered to come tonight - some of the recent happenings were seemingly getting to everyone. With the fresh losses of Major Cleven, Major Egan, Brady, DeMarco, their crews and just about every other notable face they'd flown in here with, some people were doing better than others. Some just wanted to be left alone, others came to have a drink, make conversation, some sat and read or smoked or stared at the sky.

Judy had to get out of the barracks and be in some fresher air with some of the men - Dougie usually was always a good face to have around, Ev Blakely a comforting shoulder. Crosby was usually around, but he wasn't taking Bubbles' loss too well either. They seemed to all be picking up the pieces of what was lost. And it wasn't going entirely too well.

Judy sat with a Coca-Cola, straying a bit from the idea of a beer - she just couldn't enjoy the thought of a beer as she sat alone at a table, staring out towards an empty dance floor. The idea was almost haunting - enjoy beer, while Major Cleven and Major Egan were MIA or dead? The thought was almost too much.

So, she sat alone with her Coca-Cola and enjoyed the quiet hum of the music and the half-written letter to her siblings and parents back home in North Carolina and was content with that for the minute.

Leaning her head on her upbent arm against the table, she glanced towards the entrance and was surprised to see Lieutenant Rosenthal coming through the doorway, removing his peak cap, a small smile on his face, tired eyes wandering the group, before moving towards the bar. His fort had taken some pretty hard hits after the mission today - the first back from R&R, which had been quite enjoyable as it was just his crew and Silver Bullets. The few conversations they'd had there hadn't been much. Just in passing, or he'd offer her a wave if he was on the grounds. But he'd been in another world it seemed, his head in the sky, body on the ground.

And so now, seeing him after all their first missions back, she would've thought he'd be out with his fort or asleep.

Seeing him here, she smiled a bit.

Judy glanced back to the empty dance floor, a soft crooning Ella Fitzgerald song above her as she let the music take her a bit.

"I was beginning to wonder if any of the Silver Bullets were going to make it out tonight," she heard a voice say and she slowly glanced upward to find Lieutenant Rosenthal there, a Coca-Cola in his own hand and a smile on his face, "mind if I join you?" Judy froze for a moment, her brain rewiring it felt, before she nodded and sat up a bit.

"Of course, sir." she said, "Please." She nodded to the other seat at the table and he sent her a quiet gaze, before settling down in the chair and turning his head her way.

"You doing okay?" he asked her, "I've been meaning to check in on Annie, but….." Judy watched him for a moment, his comforting eyes something that drew her in that very instance and it made her feel like she could say anything in her mind, right to him and he'd understand.

"I'm okay," Judy said quietly, "just….had to take time out of the barracks. Lieutenant Bradshaw's…..she's….." Judy's words trailed off in a pathetic attempt to cover up what Annie was really feeling. The dark circles under her eyes, the sleepless nights, the night-wandering, the mornings they'd find Annie outside, sat on the step, out-cold from exhaustion.

"It's okay," Rosenthal said, "I'll talk to her later. I know people aren't feeling the best in the past few weeks. What about you?" Judy looked to him and offered an impromptu smile his way.

"Alright, sir." Judy said, and then nodded, "Best I can. I guess you could say, I'm trying to keep going, keep smiling….for the others." Rosenthal smiled and lightly tilted his head toward her.

"I think that'll be good for everyone in the long run," he told her, but then leaned against the table and lowered his voice, "but, truly, you don't have to do that for me." Judy stared at him, her heart pounding, her emotion building somewhere in her head, behind her eyes and she saw that look on his face and knew that things were coming to a head.

"You okay?" he asked her quietly, and that's when her eyes welled with tears.

There was something about people like Major Cleven, Major Egan, Captain Faulkner, Lieutenant Bradshaw and now…Lieutenant Rosenthal. They were people Judy trusted with her life, because they were all some of the best leaders the 100th would ever see in her mind. And they were people that cared about their group, their men, their fort, people that wanted the best and would lead the best they could for the bettering of the group.

And usually, they could manage to get Judy's water-works going.

Because they saw her in a way others didn't. They cared. She put up her walls, put on the smile, and continued like that. Day in and day out. And without fail, those walls would get battered and bruised, and she'd be standing behind it, barely keeping it up, tears in her eyes, limbs shaking. And that's how she was right now - like Lieutenant Rosenthal could see right through to her.

Judy watched him with tears in her eyes. Then, she watched his hand slowly reach forward and grasp one of her own, lazily laid upon the table, his larger hand encasing her own in a warm, consoling embrace. She sniffled and watched through blurred eyes as his thumb gently brushed against her rough skin - between the gloves and the machinery in the ball turret, her hands had seemingly taken the brunt of it all.

Yet, his touch was present and there and grounding her in a way in that very moment that nothing else seemed to be. She wished she was stronger than this sometimes. But maybe she'd been strong for too long. Something in her head told her this didn't mean anything - his touch, him looking at her like that - but then the tiny voice in her head said something else, something deeper. That it meant everything.

"Here," he said, reaching into his pocket and producing a handkerchief.

"Thank you, sir," she said, taking it, through a rather tearful admission of thanks and he smiled at her and grasped her hand a bit tighter.

"No need to thank me," he said, "and….it's just Robert…or Rosie. You don't need to call me sir." She stared at him, and then managed a slight smile and nodded. She wiped at her eyes and then let out a weak sigh and looked to him. He watched her tentatively as she tightly grasped the handkerchief, and stared at their hands there on the table.

It was quiet for a few moments, him staring at her, Judy looking at their hands, a quiet reprieve settled between the two, the two of them letting the other take a moment to just be. 'The Very Thought of You' by Billie Holiday slowly moved through the quiet bubble of noise above them and she glanced towards Rosie who was sat quietly, staring now at their hands, his frame more relaxed, more silent, but still there.

"Hey, Rosie?" she asked him quietly - he looked up at her and offered a small smile.

"What's up?"

"Do you want to dance?" she asked him - it came out quicker than she had wanted, and sounded a bit more like a jumble of words, and she could feel a bit of a flush crawling up her neck. But then Rosie smiled.

"I'd love to," he said, "here." He slowly stood, taking her hand and came around the table, before taking her other hand and pulling her to her feet. For a moment, they watched one another, before he backed towards the open dance floor, Billie Holiday's voice soft and nostalgic over the speakers, as they stood in the center of the floor.

And slowly, Rosie's hands traveled to her waist, his other hand lacing into her own, as he brought her closer to him. Judy looked up into his eyes, his presence so close to her own - God, his aftershave was overwhelming every portion of her being by this point and she wasn't complaining. Judy could hardly get her arm around his neck and instead rested her hand on his arm and then looked up at him.

"I'm sorry for my sweaty hands." she said, the first thought to come to her mind. And Rosie let out a laugh, and shook his head and brought his lips to her ear.

"It's alright," he said quietly, "you ever dance before?" Judy's heart was racing at the sudden closeness and let out a shaky breath. She turned her head the slightest bit to his ear and licked her lips.

"Not like this." she whispered back. Rosie laughed, his warm breath on her shoulder as he slowly swayed them back and forth, taking the lead just as she would've wanted. This was unfamiliar territory to her, every bit of this. But it felt comfortable to be in his embrace, having his touch and presence so close to her own.

"Just follow my lead." he said quietly to her. She was so much shorter than him, it was almost comical - a ball-turret gunner and a pilot who was nearly a full head or two taller than her - she could barely keep on her tip-toes. But, he guided her softly in the middle of the floor, as the song continued, the two of them wrapped in each other's warmth there in the middle of the floor.

And as the song came to a close, Judy found her arms wrapping around his center, her chest pressed in his chest, her head turned into him, listening to the soft thrum of his heart, the gentle thump-thump-thump the comfort that kept her grounded there right now. His hand found its way to her back, the other lingering between her shoulder and the lower portion of her head.

She felt so comfortable curled against him, like she were able to hide from the world for a bit in the middle of this war. Smelling his cologne, feeling his hands holding her there against him, listening to his heart deep within his chest.

When the song had finished, and it melted into a Frank Sinatra piece - something Marianne would've appreciated - she found herself tightly bound in his embrace, not wanting to let go of this block of comfort she was now holding onto so tightly. And he seemed far from letting go, rubbing his hand up and down her back, pulling a few strands of her loose hair from her braids from the right side of her face and circling a thumb on the upper portion of her shoulder.

They stood there for a few moments, Judy simply soaking in this feeling - him standing there, her curled against him. Her eyes welled with tears when she seemed to come to it - this feeling. Being here with him. Rosie letting her just be like this. She was so tired, drained and worn down - everything about her had been exhausted to an extent where she was dumb. And Rosie's warmth seemed to be melting every bit of that about her.

"Thank you." Judy whispered just quietly enough for Rosie to hear her, "Thank you so much." Rosie chuckled, the soft rumble in his chest, making his heartbeat speed up a bit, which made her smile as he rubbed her back a bit more comfortingly than he had previously. She could tell he was smiling when he spoke.

"Didn't know you were a Billie Holiday fan." he said quietly, "I should've asked what you liked." Judy laughed slightly, blinking away some of the tears and leaned back a bit to look up at him and was met with his fully, rosy-cheeked face watching her, his eyes exuding nothing but what felt like…..damn-near love in her own eyes as he watched her.

"Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Doris Day…." she said quietly, "Ma's a big fan of them. What about you, though - heard you were an Artie Shaw type of guy - big band. Makes sense." Rosie let out a laugh that was music to her ears and nodded.

"Big Artie Shaw fan," he said, "guess stuff gets around." Judy laughed and nodded.

"Marianne knows a whole lot more than we credit her for." Judy said and Rosie smiled at her, this silent unspoken message between them saying a whole lot more than whatever words could bargain for - finding comfort in someone else who was going through this hellish war just like you were. It was something that you carried closer to you more than anything else.

Judy smiled up at him, and the quiet look on his face was something you couldn't replicate, this intense focus simply on her, watching her every move, concealing yet telling all at once. Her cheeks felt like they were completely flaming now as he watched her, but she couldn't look away from his gaze.

But then Judy, out of the pureness of her heart, stood to her tip-toes and pulled him into a hug, where his arms enveloped her and they held each other there for a moment in time. A hug meant a thousand words more than anything else in that moment.

[blueraineshadows]

Running Wild

Wolf!Garreth x F!MC

NSFW 🔞 8.3k words

Garreth Weasley is a shape shifting wolf. This fic was inspired by some gorgeous Garreth artwork by @written-in-cheese , and she has generously completed some special artwork for this one-shot piece.

Tags: smut, wolf shifting, possessiveness, claiming, NSFW artwork, arranged marriages, slight breeding kink, pregnancy, alpha males.

NSFW artwork has been censored. For the full uncensored version - click here

Wolf Garreth Artwork by @written-in-cheese

Fic under the cut

The wagon dipped and rolled as it made the journey through the city, the steady clop of hooves a relentless patter that aided the motion in making her drowsy. Leaning her head against the frame of the window, MC watched the bustling street scenes pass her by, the city still alive with people even in the late evening glow. 

The air clung to late summer warmth, the sky shot through with glorious pinks and golds as the sun kissed the horizon. MC pressed her fingertips to the glass, her eyes longing to see the spectacle of the sunset instead of such beauty being blocked out by row upon row of grand buildings. With only glimpses of beautiful sky to admire, she felt the deep longing in her heart pull with an aching sharpness. 

A longing to see the familiar open skies of home. 

Her fingers drifted to the fine cord that hung about her neck, the delicate adornment disappearing into the neckline of her dress. Such sumptuous silk and lace to be dressed in, a garment worthy of any fine lady, and yet she detested the trappings of such finery. Absently, she allowed her fingers to trail over the trinket concealed beneath her bodice, hidden from disapproving eyes and yet always close to her heart. 

“You look rather pensive, my dear. Are you quite alright?” 

MC pulled her gaze from teasing glimpses of big skies and looked upon her companions seated opposite her in the carriage. The Harringtons were purest of blood and very high society, their matriarch, and formidable social queen, was seated directly opposite, her cool, assessing eyes fixed on MC. 

“I am quite well,” MC assured Mrs Harrington, her hand lingering against her chest, reluctant to lose the feel of the trinket beneath her touch. 

Mrs Harrington stared down her hawk nose with a look that suggested she was not fooled. 

“All eyes were on you tonight, sweet child,” Mrs Harrington said smugly, lips pursed with determined confidence.

She was a woman used to being obeyed and didn't expect anything less this evening. “The summer is not over yet. There is still plenty of time to announce an engagement. Perhaps, after this evening,  we will see you finally agree to such a suitable match.”

MC bit back her groan of disgust. The talk of engagements and marriage was a topic that she found tedious and pointless. She was not interested, despite being sent to the city for the season with the hopes of securing a match. 

Not her hopes. She flatly insisted on reminding people. It was her brother who was hoping to settle her into a good marriage. It didn't matter whom, as long as he was pure blood and decent enough to take her on. 

It had been a long and tiresome summer, and MC longed to escape the confines of these horrid dresses and city streets, tied to these insufferable pure bloods with their grand homes and fancy parties. The social networking she had been forced to endure set her teeth on edge, and she was surprised she had any left to grind. 

“Oh, leave her be, grandmother. It has been an enjoyable evening. Let's not spoil it now.” 

MC swung her gaze towards the young Master Harrington, his golden hair swept neatly to one side, his pale eyes twinkling as he winked at her across the carriage. Seated beside his grandmother, dressed in only the finest suit and silk waistcoat, Corbin Harrington was quite the dashing young man. 

Highly eligible, and yet still on the marriage market, as dear grandmother had grand designs on securing MC as his fiance. With her family name and purest of blood, she was quite the catch. Set to inherit a small fortune when she reached the grand age of 21, an inheritance due to her from her deceased parents, she was highly eligible. 

All summer, she had been plagued by so many letters of interest from London's high society, but it was the Harrington's who had dominated her time. So far, she had resisted their offer of young Corbin's hand, claiming she needed to be absolutely sure of her choice given the lack of parental advice. 

She only had her dear aunt to call on, and Gemma was nestled deep in the Scottish Highlands, so far removed from high city living that poor, old Mrs Harrington would likely have a fit if she came face to face with her. 

The very thought of it made MC want to smirk. Aunt Gemma was a rare one, a very special woman who held MC’s heart firmly in her hands. The longing to return to the loving arms and cosy cottage of her one living adult relative filled her up until her eyes were glazing with unshed tears. 

Giving Corbin a thankful smile for at least trying to get his grandmother off her back, MC pressed her fingers more firmly against her chest, feeling out the shape of the trinket hidden beneath her bodice. 

She dared not even risk Mrs Harrington getting her watchful eyes on it, the charm likely to cause a scandal, and the old crone would likely demand its instant removal. MC would never do such a thing. She never took it off, not even in bed. In fact, she held it firmly in her grasp as she settled beneath expensive cotton sheets. 

It was a gift. A rare and very special gift. Given to her by someone who was worth more than any glittering jewellery or elaborate silk gown. 

Her fingers deftly felt out the shape of the trinket, a long fang tooth worn smooth from touch, a lucky charm, and a symbol of protection from one who had offered it out of deep affection. 

Not only scandalous to the social elite, but forbidden to be given to a mere human. He had broken the rule for her, as they had broken many other rules set down by his kind. It was their secret, a secret she cherished, and another reason why marriage was the last thing on her wish list. 

Beneath her fine silk and lace, laying snug against her skin, was the tooth of a wolf. Not just any wolf, but a shape shifting wolf. Not just a myth, or a children's bedtime story, wolves who shifted into the shapes of men lived and walked the forests of the world. 

And MC had managed to get close to one of them. 

As the carriage came to a stop before the gates of the Harrington home, she pressed her fingers to the wolf tooth and longed for big skies, shadowed forests, and the warm glow of a wolf's gaze. 

….*....

“Will you walk with me?”

Corbin offered his arm, his smile quite lovely as he leaned slightly in her direction. There was still enough daylight to see, the golden glow of the evening's last rays glinting off his fair hair. In another life, perhaps she would have fallen for him. He was very handsome, and he was also charming.

The passing of the summer had been made more bearable by his presence, a rare gem in the nest of Harrington that exuded warmth and friendliness. Whomever it was that managed to claim his hand in marriage would be a lucky witch indeed. MC could only hope that he was matched with one as equally lovely.

Old Mrs Harrington watched as MC took Corbin’s offered arm, her lips pursed in cool approval as the couple turned to make their way towards the pretty garden of the London house, MC’s skirts swishing softly against the paved walkway.

“Don’t mind my Grandmother,” he said with a soft smile. “Underneath all that blue blood exterior, she is not so bad.”

MC returned his smile, hearing words he had repeated so often over the last few weeks. As lovely as he was, he was still one of them, his hopes pinned on her acceptance of their offer. She could see it in his eyes when he looked at her, the gentle but appropriate touches he placed on her body, the soft yearning that would cross his face at times when they were alone.

She was no stranger to the look of desire in a man’s eyes, she was not so naive as to not recognise it, no matter how differently it was dressed up in this young gentleman beside her. Whilst flattered and endeared by his fondness for her, Corbin did not make her blood sing, nor make her skin crave his touch.

MC knew she craved more than a piece of paper that bound her to a man, exchanging rings as a symbol of a forever pretending that this was what you wanted. It sounded like a lonely existence, and it went against everything that she held close to her heart. Freedom, love, a love that was boundless and all-encompassing.

As they walked through the sweet smelling beds of roses, she looked to the sky, the cloying thickness of the scent almost as suffocating as the smoggy city centre. Again, she thought of clear sky and mountain breezes. Here, she couldn’t see the rising moon, and there was no long and mournful howls to split the night at the sight of it.

“You often look to the skies, MC,” Corbin said, looking up at the twilight hue himself. “What is it that draws your gaze that way?”

“I long for my home, away from the city,” she replied honestly. “I miss the freedom of the wilds and the clearer air. I wonder how one does not wilt away forced to live here all the time. I find myself striving for every breath, every day a battle.”

A flicker of sadness crossed his gaze, and he paused near a neatly trimmed hedgerow. “Have you not enjoyed your time with us?”

Meeting his gaze, she could see the hope, a dancing flame that she could not kindle in return, but she smiled and placed her hand over his briefly. A chaste touch that was not meant to inspire.

“The company has been favourable, Corbin. You have been a most gracious host. However, the city is not my home, and it never will be. I don’t feel like myself here.”

Her fingers drifted towards her necklace, grazing against the silk that hid the tooth pendant. Images of dappled sunlight through trees, rushing streams, and cool air on her bare flesh rushed through her thoughts. Memories of the glow in emerald eyes filled with wanton fire made her fingers press more urgently, the tooth imprinting into the flesh of her chest.

Corbin looked thoughtful, and he nodded slightly, his face becoming grave. “Your heart already belongs to another, doesn’t it?”

A soft gasp left her lips, and she lifted her eyes to his, startled and caught off guard. “I’m sorry?”

“As much as I wish it to be different, I have suspected for some time that you have a love somewhere waiting for you,” he said, a sad acceptance drifting over his face. He gestured to her hand pressed tightly against her bodice.

“Whatever trinket you wear every day means something to you. Whenever marriage or talk of affections is brought up, you touch it. The faraway look in your eyes when you gaze at the sky brings the loveliest smile to your lips, and your hand will be seeking out whatever it is you keep hidden. I am not a fool, and neither am I an ogre. It is why I always try to stop my grandmother from pushing you so hard. I know you do not wish to accept the offer of my hand, for you love another, and I suspect he is waiting for your return. You are here for a sister’s duty, nothing more.”

Hastily removing her hand from the tooth concealed beneath her dress, MC felt the faint warmth of a blush stain her cheeks as she tucked stray strands of hair behind her ears. How dangerously close to the mark he had struck with his words. It made her heart pound as she wondered who else had noticed and suspected. 

“It is merely a reminder of home,” she said quickly, waving his words away like parlour smoke. “It brings me comfort when the home sickness rears its head.”

She made a step forward along the path, but he halted her, stealing her breath as his warm palm cupped her burning cheek. His eyes were so very close as he studied her and she found that she could not look away. For the first time, she almost felt a tiny ripple of reaction at his closeness, but it was faint, warmth rather than fire. Affection rather than an inferno of desperate need.

“Your secret is safe with me, whatever it may be. You do not even have to tell me the truth of it. Just…” He hesitated, biting his lip, that hope flaring in the depths of his eyes again. “Is there any chance? If I were to turn a blind eye… would you take my hand?”

“Corbin!” She gasped, putting her hand against his. “Please don’t say that. You are a wonderful gentleman, a pure heart who deserves so much more than this. You deserve to marry a girl who can give all of herself to you. I would not hurt you in such a way. I couldn’t.”

His lips trembled, and he looked downwards. “Then you must feel for him deeply,” he said. He took a steadying breath. “You should return to him. Don’t linger here where you are unhappy.”

“If only it were that easy,” she whispered, gently removing his hand from her face.

Whilst she did have someone waiting back home, he too was caught up in the rules of his own society. They had made no promises to each other, and one day, she may need to say goodbye to him. The thought tore at her, and she swallowed it down.

“It is that easy,” Corbin said, straightening. “Go, tonight. I will cover for you, and you can be back in Scotland before dawn. Take the Floo in my father’s office. I will let you in.”

“Why would you do this for me?”

“Because I would rather know that your face is graced with that lovely smile than stand to see you stuck here, wilting under the bonds of a marriage you would grow to hate,” he said, ducking his gaze and swallowing hard. “I would never forgive myself.”

Releasing a shaky breath, she touched her fingers to her necklace, her heart pounding at the thought of being home by the dawn, and of running through the trees towards freedom and fire. Looking at Corbin in his fine suit, she could not ever imagine him doing such a thing, but his words and offer tonight had opened her eyes to the man within. He truly was one of life’s rare humans. She stepped towards him, her hand reaching out to touch his arm, moved by his words, and still processing what they meant.

It was a refusal of his proposal and an offer to run back to where her heart desired to be.

Unable to find the words, she threw her arms around him. Blast the etiquette and stuffy social rules, she held him tightly, fingers clutching at the back of his suit coat as she breathlessly whispered her thank you to him. He had stiffened at the impact of her body against his at first, but then his arms came around her, and he held her to him, burying his face into her neck with a soft sigh.

“Just be happy, MC,” he said, hand gently stroking the small of her back. “And you know where to find me should you change your mind.”

As lovely as he was, she doubted she would step foot in London ever again.

….*....

The air was cooler and wonderfully refreshing as MC breathed deeply, closing her eyes and letting the trappings of city living drift away on the mountain breeze. Opening her eyes to the dawn, the sky was huge, inviting, and anticipation tingled over her skin as she gazed at the setting moon. Touching her fingers to the wolf tooth, she smiled, the distant mountains of the Highlands still free of snow, but the tell tale bite of autumn was already touching at the breeze this far north. She was ready for it.

Boots crunching against the wilderness trail, she enjoyed the freedom of her short trousers and woollen socks, her stride confident and loose rather than demure and ladylike under frivolous skirts. Her hair was loose and flowing down her back, lifting in the breeze, free from the confines of bobby pins and floral clips. She felt like herself, and her smile said it all. 

At her arrival before the first hint of dawn, Aunt Gemma had been sitting in her rocking chair by the fire, a steaming brew in her hands. She had smiled, unsurprised at her niece’s arrival, merely nodding towards the teapot on the well scrubbed kitchen table. “There’s tea in the pot, my love,” she had said.

Fed, and still feeling the warmth of a welcoming hug, MC had left the cottage with only one thought in her mind. Her aunt never questioned where she was going. She didn’t need to. Her aunt was wise in ways other people didn’t understand, and she had never tried to stop MC from following the wolves into the forest.

The pack were a close-knit community, preferring their own kind most of the time, but they strayed into the hamlets now and again in their human forms. Here, in the wilds, it was still relatively safe for them to do so, but in the urban sprawl that was booming in the south, more and more wolves were falling prey to hands that didn’t understand. They were seen as dangerous beasts, dark and feral, unsafe.

Whilst they were, indeed, dangerous, they were not violent unless the need arose. They would defend their packs to the death, and would not any soul do the same for their family?

The edge of the forest loomed before her, and MC took one last long look at the open sky before she plunged under the canopy, a feeling of home seeping deep into her bones. 

Further, she went through the ancient trees, following paths she had traversed many times in her life, winding her way through the gloom towards the lake. A low mist clung to the forest floor, and creatures scuttled here and there. She had her wand and her wits, and she did not fear the shadows as she carefully touched her hands to wizened old bark, brushing up against branches and rubbing her fingers against leaves. She was marking her scent.

A rustle sounded through the canopy, boughs creaking and groaning like a wave through the gloom as the breeze wound its way through ancient oaks and birch. MC paused in her step, inhaling the damp scent of wood and dirt, ruffling her loose hair as the breeze teased at it, carrying her scent onwards through the forest. Her smile danced on her lips as she ran her hand across yet another trunk, the bark rough under her soft fingers as she took a split in the trail that led upwards. 

Whilst their meeting place was always the same, she needed her scent to carry in order to alert him to her presence. She had been gone for weeks, too long, and she hoped he hadn’t forgotten her, or worse, moved on elsewhere. As the distant bubbling rush of a stream reached her ears, she knew she was close, her eyes searching out through the undergrowth as great rocks began to rise out of the gloom up ahead. The path twisted and turned, the rocks becoming more frequent the higher the trail led, and all the while, MC touched trees and shook out her hair. 

As the trees thinned out a little, blue sky broke through the canopy, lighting her way and giving her better visibility as she scoped out the huge juts of rock ahead, the ridges and ledges empty. No sign of beast or bird, and yet she could hear the twitters and chirps of morning birdsong through the trees. Humming a light tune, MC came before a break in the rocks, the path leading through it towards the beautiful clearing on the other side. She had missed this place, images of it drifting through her dreams that left her waking up with deep longing, the secluded privacy of the lake was special in more ways than one.

Pausing on the path, she stared at the opening in the rocks, a smile lingering on her lips as she imagined walking through it, but she didn't. Not yet. First, she took the smaller trail that led around the huge crags of rock, her eyes constantly checking, her ears keen for the familiar sound of approaching steps.

The sunlight was beginning to warm the rock faces, the plants, and shrubs coming alive under the glow of the rays after their night time slumber. MC tucked her hair behind her ear and paused as a shiver ran up her spine, that hair raising feeling of eyes was watching, making her turn slowly on her heels, and she looked up.

There, on a rocky outcrop, stood a wolf. The beast was huge, its copper fur tinged with flecks of white that blended with deeper, more golden tones as it fed down to its chest. The coat was thick and shaggy, curling in places, with scruffy tufts sticking up at the back of its neck. Standing stock still, unblinking emerald eyes watched her, the orbs glittering in the morning sunlight with a predator’s gleam.

Wolf and girl stared at each other for what felt like endless moments before she smiled, her heart lifting as she felt that familiar buzz of excitement that came from being within his vicinity.

The wolf’s eyes were deep emerald green, flecked with gold that shimmered and shifted, a depth to them that pulled you in. One look at him confirmed his beast nature, but if you were to look deeper into those eyes, really paid attention to the beast within, then you would know that there was a lot more to this canine than appeared at first glance. There was intelligence, a warmth that transcended that of a common wolf, and if you knew the soul within, you would find empathy and a gentleness that belied the fearsome jaws and limbs.

That was the wolf she saw. He had caught her scent, and he had come. Now, it was time to play. Now, it was time to run.

Breaking into a sprint, MC turned and ran back the way she had come, boots thudding against the packed dirt of the trail as she headed for the gap in the rocks. She heard the scatter of loose stone as the wolf gave immediate chase, leaping from the rocks to spring along the trail after her. With a heart thudding at double time, she didn’t dare look back, knowing he would be gaining on her with his lithe speed. 

The snap of a branch pierced the air, a flock of birds took off from their perch and all the while, she could hear the thud of great paws bounding after her as she sped towards the gap in the rock, her hair flying outwards in a shimmering wave under the sunlight. 

A breathless giggle escaped her lips as she entered the clearing, the stunning clear lake a masterpiece of nature glittering like glass in the morning light. Gnarled old trees and huge rushes surrounded it, a winding path leading the way around the pebbled shore as she pushed her legs to run faster, great paws sliding across shingle as the chase continued. 

He was the hunter, and she was his prey.

The sunlight almost blinded her eyes as she headed for a sheer face of white rock, boots scrambling for purchase until she hit bare stone, finally spinning herself around to face her pursuer, breathless and flushed as she backed up against the dead end. Her hands felt out behind her, connecting with cool stone as she met the gaze of the wolf. Trapped in the secluded nook of stone, the lake and forest spread out before her. She felt no fear as she stared into predatory green eyes, only a tremble of expectation.

The wolf had slowed, his paws graceful and deliberate as he stalked towards her, pausing before the stone plateau. Larger than a standard forest wolf, his head was almost level with hers as they locked gazes. She knew better than to lower her eyes, maintaining that contact with him meant she kept a semblance of control. It was a power play, a game more than anything, because they both knew that he could pounce and pin her down in an instant. 

The breeze ruffled his shimmering coat, fur that she knew would be soft and thick under her fingers, the powerful body beneath it running hot, with thick cords of muscle stronger than most. An apex predator wrapped up in a fluffy, golden coat.

Her pulse was fluttering like a wild thing in her throat. Her eyes were wide, and she could feel the rapid rise and fall of her chest as she pulled oxygen into starved lungs. It wasn’t just the run that made her breathless. It was being in his presence. Standing this close to him made her body sing with fire. It always had done.

He lifted his head, his eyes blinking as his nose snuffled delicately at the air, his jaw opening to reveal huge white teeth that made her shiver, the pale pink of his tongue panting gently as he appeared to brace himself. MC held her breath, her gaze never leaving him as the air around them whooshed inwards like a vacuum, her vision becoming a blur as he shifted and twisted before her until the wolf was gone. 

Instead, there stood before her a tall, naked man, lithe and strong with freckled skin, his hands large but blessed with long, graceful fingers. His head was a mass of golden and copper curls, falling down about his ears and over his forehead, the colours so similar to that of his wolf coat. His eyes were the same deep emerald green, human shaped and framed with long, copper lashes, but they gleamed with the same predatory glow. 

Looking at him now made her heart thud even harder, her skin taut with anticipation as her tongue slid out to wet her lips, her eyes darkening with desire as they travelled over his sculpted flesh.

He stood firm and proud, his manhood impressive against a bed of glorious red curls, the hair spreading upwards to swirl about his navel and dusted across his freckled chest. He was so very beautiful, and her fingers twitched as she longed to feel his warmth. 

“Garreth…” Her voice was barely a whisper, but he heard her, his head tilting slightly as he stepped up, barefoot, onto the stone to join her.

“Why do you always run?” 

MC smiled at the sound of that deep but soft voice, her breath shaky as her hands clung to the rock face behind her. It was the rush, the adrenaline, and excitement of him bounding after her that made her run. It was knowing that he wanted her enough to chase her down and catch her. She would never outrun him, he would always hunt her down, and yet she gave him that joy of the chase just to see the gleam in his eyes when he finally had her cornered, much like how he was looking at her now.

“You have been gone for two turns of the moon, little bunny,” he said, stepping even closer. “I think I have earned a much longer chase than this.”

“Would you like me to run again?” 

Her head tilted back as he moved even closer, always maintaining that eye contact under his stealthy gaze. He looked hungry, gaze dark and dangerous as he placed a hand up against the rock behind her head, her back now firmly pressed against the cool stone as he loomed over her. That incomparable male scent drifted under her nose, dilating her pupils and making need claw up through her insides. She wanted him, needed him to touch her. It had, indeed, been far too long.

“You are going nowhere, little bunny,” he murmured, his gaze lingering over the lines of her face, tongue sliding over his lower lip before his teeth teased at it, savouring the moment of being close, but not quite close enough. “You are mine, now.” 

So close now, their breaths mingling as she gasped each one, lips parted as she waited for him to make his words true and claim her. But, he didn’t seem in any hurry as his other hand moved towards the front of her blouse, catching the collar between forefinger and thumb to give it a teasing tug.

One by one, in agonising slowness, he popped each button on her blouse, his gaze burning into hers. When she lifted a hand as though to touch him, he used one finger to push her arm away, barely touching her as he shook his head with a warning gleam in his eyes. Her whimper of frustration was lost on him as he returned his focus to the front of her blouse.

“You made me wait for you, now it’s your turn to be patient,” he said, the taunt on his face making her squirm as her blouse fell open to reveal cotton and lace. 

“It was a long two months for me, too,” she said, eyeing his mouth, the temptation of his soft, pink lips making her ache for a taste. “All I could think about was coming back here…to you.”

Gently, he scooped up the cord that hung about her neck, the wolf tooth charm dangling between them. The tooth had been worked with such intricate silver work where it was attached to the cord, ironically making it painful for Garreth to touch it, hence why he dangled it from the cord by a finger.

“You still wear this,” he said, nodding in approval.

“I have never taken it off since you gave it to me,” she said, taking hold of the tooth.

His eyes darkened, copper brows drawing together. “And you shouldn’t. This marks you as mine. No other wolf will touch you whilst you wear this. It is the tooth of my ancestor. It was mine to give to whomever I chose, and it belongs around your neck.”

MC lifted the charm to her mouth, pressing her lips softly against it as she looked up at him. When he had gifted it to her, he had explained that every son of wolf blood received the tooth of an ancestor at birth for protection. As the boy child grew, the tooth would be worn about the neck until the day would come when he would choose a mate to pass the protection charm to. In turn, when the first male child was born to the mate, the tooth would then pass to him, and so on.

MC wore the charm now, Garreth’s ancestor’s tooth around her neck for protection, marking her as his mate, despite the fact that she was a human girl. Garreth had broken with the tradition of his pack in choosing her over a female wolf, the sentiment and gravity of it still managing to steal her breath, even now. His pack would not approve of his choice, and she wondered if he would ever tell them. He would risk being cast out of his pack, alone without his brothers. It was a lot to ask of a wolf, and she feared it was too much. 

What if he couldn't do it? What then?

Tipped with silver, the tooth pendant was an even bigger deterrent against other wolves. Even Garreth himself had to be careful lest it burn his flesh, but it had been his idea. Her protection was paramount, and she knew how much it meant to him that she was safe.

“I will never take it off, Garreth. Not for as long as I live, or until a day may come when you need it back,” she promised. 

His eyes flared, the pupils dilating as they gleamed, a low growl leaving his throat before his hands finally pressed against her body, pulling her hips against him in a possessive move. 

“That day will never come,” he vowed.

MC dropped the necklace against her chest, her hands immediately gripping his shoulders, fingers flexing over the corded muscle she found there as his lips crashed against hers.

The familiar taste of him had her like a starved woman, and she was so hungry, weeks without the feel of him building to this. His bite to her lip was gentle, stirring the ache between her thighs as she parted her lips, welcoming the slide of his warm tongue against hers.

His flesh was hot, taut muscles flexing under her touch, filled with fire and strength as he lifted her easily off her feet. Wrapping her legs about his waist, he held her pressed against the rock as they kissed, her soft moans lost in the cavity of his mouth.

Garreth was the only man to have ever touched her, teaching her how to love with lips and hands, awakening the fire in her flesh that would forever burn only for him. He knew her body, his hands seeking out the gentle curves he enjoyed worshipping, fingers pulling at the irritating fabric of her clothes that blocked him from her flesh. Her skin trembled and ached to feel the heat of his palms, a groan of pleasure sounding in her throat as he ripped her chemise in two to cup the soft globes of her breasts.

“Mine,” he growled, hefting her higher against the rock so he could wrap his lips hungrily over a stiffening peak, devouring her softness with devastating swipes of tongue.

As she dragged her fingers through tumbling copper locks, her head fell back against the rock, her eyes fluttering closed as he tasted her flesh. His hands made quick work of her trousers, her clothes forming a jumbled pile at his feet, uncaring of buttons ripped loose or shredding sounds of fabric. His goal was her, and nothing was going to stop him.

A warm hand slid up her thigh, graceful fingers seeking out the very core of her, probing against slick softness to delve deeply. MC arched her back, gripping him tightly through the devastating strokes of curled fingers as her hips rocked suggestively. Her body opened to him, welcoming him as he drove her ever closer towards sweet release. The heat of his kisses on her throat added to the dizzying spiral, his nose nuzzling against her as he breathed in her scent.

“Let’s get you ready for me,” he said, nipping at her ear as he pushed a third finger into her, stretching her open. He met her gaze, his smirk cheeky, the deep green of his eyes twinkling. “I know you can take me like a good girl, but there’s nothing wrong in having a little fun while we prepare.”

His thumb slid in teasing circles against her sensitive little nub, fingers burying as deep as they would go. The erotic wet sounds her body was making made her bite her lip. She already felt so full, so flushed and desperate, and he had yet to fully take her. Her hand gripped his jaw, the scratch of hair there pleasant against her palm as her thumb caught his bottom lip, her breathless moans making it difficult to form the words needed to tell him how good this all felt. 

Speaking with actions, her palm slid down his chest, over taut muscle and copper hair to seek out the throbbing length of his cock. He hummed in approval, pushing himself into her hand, his tip weeping already and she caught it with her thumb in a slow rub. His skin was so hot and like silk, the stiffness of him making it easy to slide her fisted hand along his impressive size.

“I need you,” she managed to whimper.

“Oh, I know, little bunny,” he said, his mouth open and hot against hers. “And you shall have me.”

His large hands grasped her hips, planting her back onto cold stone before turning her around to face the sheer rock face. Smoothing those hands up over her body, he bent her forward, and she planted her palms against the rock, already widening her stance, preparing for what she knew was coming.

She panted with anticipation, looking down at her feet, so small compared to his as he positioned himself behind her. She felt the enticing nudge of him against her flesh, his fingers wrapping into her hair and tugging just enough to pull her head back, her back arching beautifully as he rubbed at her slicked folds again.

“Are you ready, little one?” He asked, probing his fingers and pumping gently.

MC mewled as she nodded. “...please.”

At the first push, his fingers bit into her hip, her mouth falling open at the stretch as he eased into her, muttering his praises as he filled her to the hilt. Her fingers bent against stone, her nails fruitlessly clawing at the unrelenting surface as her walls clenched around his substantial girth.

Everything about him was big and strong, and she was utterly claimed by him, so stretched and full. Desire fluttered at her core, hunger so fierce her whole body trembled around him, and then he moved, drawing back in a delicious slide before thrusting back with a firmer push.

A cry left her lips, her feet lifting until she was on her toes in a wanton attempt to meet his movement. She took a shuddering gasp of a breath and then exhaled with a pleasure filled cry as he began to thrust with pace, her hands sliding and grappling against rock as she aimed to keep her balance whilst taking him so well. 

Closing her eyes, she absorbed everything, savouring every fine detail until it filled her soul. The crisp, mountain air against her naked flesh, the full feeling of being fucked whilst being held by strong arms, the grip of his fingers keeping her grounded as her body floated on the edge of deep pleasure. 

Around her, nature was playing its own song with air and beast, the distant call of birds vaguely there but lost in the low growls and gasps of pleasure coming from her wolf. Her moans sighed louder than the wind, the breeze lifting strands of her hair to tickle against her sweat coated face and neck.

All the while, the coil of fire in her core was growing tighter with each perfectly aimed thrust, his swollen head rubbing against eager heat, her slick coating them both, seeping from her to dampen her thighs. The slap of skin echoed off the rock surrounding them, the pace quickening with an urgency that had her groaning, heat flaring white hot as her toes curled.

“Oh… Garreth,” she gasped, her head dropping, her hair hanging loose about her face as she felt her core release.

Garreth moaned, pressing his sweat soaked face to her back, buried deeply into her clenching walls as her hips rolled through her climax. His hands swept around to cup her breasts, thumbs rolling over the tight peaks in the most gentle of caresses. Her body pulsed with her pleasure, but her heart thumped with the deepest of love for her wolf. 

His hips pressed forward, the bones jutting into the soft flesh of her backside as his hand swept downwards to press firmly against her lower abdomen with a soft groan. It was then she realised that the throbbing pulsation was not just her own, his cock was pumping her full, releasing satisfying spurts of seed deep into her body. She clenched tighter, sucking him deeper until she felt him tremble, his gasping breaths hot against her back.

Wolf!Garreth x F!MC artwork by @written-in-cheese (see link above for uncensored version)

She shuddered as claws dragged across her stomach, looking down to see the monstrous size of them protruding from the ends of his fingers. He had not hurt her, but there were red lines welling up across her flesh. Panting and cheeks flushed, she turned her head to look over her shoulder at him. 

His teeth had elongated, his eyes blazing with feral fire, the hair on his chest was thicker, and the veins in his arms were swollen and pulsing as he fought against the urge to fully shift. 

His inner wolf was fighting to come out, the sheer force of his lustful pleasure drawing out the beast that lurked beneath his human skin.

“You're so beautiful,” she whispered, her fingers intertwining with his despite the protruding claws. 

He closed his eyes, grinding his hips tightly against her backside with a sigh, his seed dripping to the stone below as it seeped from her. His claws slowly began to recede, the fur reducing to the more sparse covering his human form had. When he opened his eyes to look at her again, he was calmer.

“Don't ever leave me again,” he said hoarsely. 

Her eyes burned with tears, her throat tightening at the vulnerability in his gaze. She shifted, his thick cock sliding from her as she turned to embrace him. Burying her face into the warmth of his chest she knew that she couldn't leave him. It was an easy thing to promise. 

“Say the word, and I will stay by your side forever,” she said, gripping the tooth pendant tightly in her fist. “I know your pack must come first, but I love you, Garreth. This summer was torture without you. I never want to leave this mountain ever again.” 

Fingers no longer graced with deadly claws, he caught her chin and turned her face up to his. The softness she found in his gaze filled her with such warmth, her body secure against his, surrounded by his safety. 

“My pack knows my choice,” he said, gently caressing her jaw. “Our alpha passed on, and I was supposed to take up the role. It was known that I should follow in his trusted steps, but I stood aside. To be alpha would mean taking a bitch as a mate, and I could not do it. I gave you my pendant and I mean never to ask for it back.”

Her heart squeezed at the news of their pack leader’s death. She smoothed her hand over his chest, lingering over where his heart beat firmly under his ribs. 

“I am so sorry for your loss,” she said, her eyes conveying her sadness. “But what of your pack? Are they not angry that you won't stand as their leader now that your father has gone?” 

He shook his head, his copper locks tumbling in the sunlight. “My brother will stand as alpha. The pack will be safe with his guidance. He is strong and true.” 

“And what of you? What will you do now?” 

He cupped her face, his nose touching hers. “I have chosen my path. I will take you as my own and fill your belly with babies, raise a pack of our own.” 

Her throat constricted, the burn behind her eyes strengthening, and a tear escaped to slide down her cheek. “But, I am not a wolf,” she whispered. “Am I enough for you?” 

“You will always be enough for me, MC,” he said, his fingers trailing down her chest to touch the necklace. His fingertips grazed over the tooth, a hiss leaving his lips as the silver burned his flesh, but he ignored it, holding up the tooth between them by the tip.

“This will be forever yours,” he said, his eyes intense, the flecks of gold blazing like sunlight in their beds of green. “My father graced me with a tooth of his own. I have it safe. You shall keep this one, and our son shall wear the tooth of my father. Together, we shall be our own pack. You will be all I need.” 

Her lungs seemed incapable of drawing breath as she clasped her hand over his, both of them holding the tooth. She was careful to ensure that her fingers prevented him from touching the silver. She would see no harm come to him, no matter how small the hurt. 

“I accept,” she said, nodding her head. Meeting his gaze, it was the easiest thing in the world to agree to. “You are all I need, too.” 

….*....

The twilight sky was beginning to sparkle with stars, the breeze fresh against her face as MC stood and gazed upwards at such beauty, a small smile lifting her lips as she took in the sight of the pale orb of the rising moon. Her hands smoothed downwards over her stomach, the soft swell under her shawl marking the steady growth of the child that lay within. Garreth’s child. 

Arms came around from behind her, the constant heat of Garreth’s body a welcome press against her back as he buried his face into her neck. He hummed softly, his hands seeking out the swell of her belly with firm strokes. 

“You should come inside,” he said, kissing her neck with teasing lips. “There will be a frost tonight.” 

“Then it is lucky that I have you to keep me warm,” she replied, a soft smile on her lips as she turned to look up at him. 

The heat of his kiss warmed her thoroughly, the fire that was ever present between them immediately sparking into something fiercer, his tongue delicious against her own. 

She slid her hands into his hair, tugging gently, but he stilled, drawing back from her with a tilt to his head. His eyes narrowed, the emerald green immediately darkening fiercely as a low, rumbling growl began in his throat. 

He turned in a blur, his hands ensuring she was placed firmly behind him, her heart skipping a beat as she saw a huge wolf step from the lengthening shadows. 

“Hello, brother,” Garreth said, his voice a deep rumble in his throat. “It has been a while.” 

The other wolf was impressive, his coat a beautiful blend of darkest brown and shimmering copper, his eyes a stunning blue that seemed to gleam like ice in the fading light. MC gripped the back of Garreth’s clothes, her heart in her mouth as the wolf stalked a bit closer, his huge paws making no sound against the ground. 

Garreth's hand was about her wrist, holding her behind him, his thumb stroking her softly in comfort. She knew his eyes would be blazing with the feral beast within. She could feel it in the tremble of his muscles as he stared at the wolf he had called brother. 

The wolf paused, lifting his head to sniff at the air, his stunning blue eyes lit with intelligence and understanding. To her shock, he bowed, dipping his great head until his muzzle nearly touched the ground before him, cutting off eye contact with Garreth in an act of surrender.

Garreth stilled, his grip on her wrist tightening subtly. She heard the soft rasps of his breaths as the wolf looked up at him again, tilting its head slightly as Garreth nodded, some kind of unspoken communication taking place between them. Garreth relaxed his grip and gently urged her out from behind him. 

“It's alright,” he said, taking hold of her elbow. “He wants to see you. He won't hurt you.” 

MC stepped out from behind Garreth, one hand placed protectively over her rounded stomach. She eyed the wolf warily, the huge paws and dangerous jaws now so close, his aura of power seeping from him in waves. 

“Is this the alpha?” She whispered. 

“My brother, Oscar,” Garreth nodded. He, too, placed a hand over her stomach. “He has come to put his blessing on the child.”

MC gasped, her gaze meeting those stunning blue eyes. Curious, despite herself, she took a hesitant step closer to the pack leader, Garreth’s hand still holding her wrist as she stood before the towering frame of his wolf brother. 

Again, Oscar's nose lifted to sniff the air before stepping forward to press his snout lightly against her bump, learning the scent of her. Those regal blue eyes lifted to meet hers as a soft rumble sounded in his throat before he turned to nuzzle his head against her. 

The urge to touch him was too much, her trembling hand lifting to stroke through the thick, copper fur under his ear. Rather than fluffy and wild like Garreth, Oscar's fur was smoother, his coat a shimmering silk that flowed in soft waves about his dark ears. His eyes closed at the touch, the rumble in his throat softening to a contented sound that sounded strange coming from such an impressive beast. 

Garreth cleared his throat and firmly lifted her hand away from the wolf’s fur. “I think that's enough touching for one day, don't you?” 

MC looked up at Garreth, slight amusement tugging at the corner of her mouth when she saw the envious scowl on his freckled face. She leaned against him affectionately.

“Don't worry, you're the only wolf for me,” she assured him. 

He lifted his chin, his smirk proud as he wrapped his arm protectively around her, his gaze sliding towards Oscar. As the brothers looked at each other, Garreth’s frown returned. 

“Don't even think about it, brother,” he said, tightening his grip on her. 

MC glanced between the two, feeling a bit left out from their wolf bond conversation. “What did he think about?” 

Garreth looked at her, eyes lit with that feral possessiveness that made her blood burn in her veins. “I'm too much of a gentleman these days to say.” 

MC's eyes widened, and then she began to chuckle, standing on tiptoe to press an affectionate kiss to Garreth’s lips. When she looked towards Oscar, she could have sworn she heard the rumble of growling laughter coming from him too. 

[dilf-din]

Suddenly

Chapter 1: Spring

Din Djarin x Florist!Reader

WC: 2100

Warnings: absolutely none, all fluff and domestic cuteness, no use of y/n but reader does have a nickname and is female presenting

A/N: I told y’all I was going to exploit this little house and the time has come. I was planning on this just being a little one shot, but I fell in love with the dynamic so it’ll be a short series, just 4 chapters! Listen to Venus by Sleeping at Last to get the inspo for this little story. Enjoy 💖

Chapter 2

After a while, I thought I'd never find you

I convinced myself that I would never find you

When suddenly, I saw you

“It’s good to have you back, Mando,” Karga smiled warmly sliding a bag of credits across the table in exchange for the cleared pucks he had brought into the High Magistrate’s office. Mando sat relaxed in a large leather chair across from Greef Karga, open arms draped lazily across the seat. He was tossing a small green fruit up into the air and catching it with a gloved hand listening to the man’s booming voice brag about the shops that would be opening in the newly renovated town square.

“We’d love to have you at the opening ceremony, you are a vital part of our economy here on Nevarro, after all.”

Mando hummed in response. “I’ll do my best to be there.”

While he did feel some sense of obligation to the man who had gifted him a house, he also didn’t do things that he didn’t want to. Karga knew that. For years their relationship had been a bit of a power struggle, but Mando always came out on top.

He looked over at Grogu who was quietly watching a children’s program on a holopad in the seat next to him.

“Time to go, kid,” he said, rubbing his ears gently.

Grogu nodded, lifting up the pad for his dad to tuck into the pack that hung on his hip. Mando tucked the bag of credits next to it and rose to shake Karga’s hand.

“Two days from now! I’ll save you and the little one a seat to watch the parade!” he called after the pair as they made their way out of his office.

When they stepped outside on the warm path, Grogu held his hands up and chirped, “Buir!”

Din chuckled and scooped him into the crook of his arm. “C’mere ad’ika.”

The morning sun climbed higher into the cloudless sky casting warm rays onto the crowded market place. Din’s boots made a padded thud as he marched down the black stone path towards the booths selling local treats and produce. A sea of voices chattering with the vendors, the smell of roasted meat in a sweet marinade, bright colored banners advertising their wares, Grogu loved coming to the market. His ears turned in every direction at each new voice, nose pointed up to follow the wafting scents.

Din purchased a dozen of his favorite sweet rolls, passing one to the child to munch on while he stocked up on the rest of the supplies they would need for the coming week. With a pack sufficiently full, Mando made his way to the edge of town, where he had parked the old speeder bike he bought off of the Anzellans. It wasn’t anything high tech, parts of it rusted with age, but it got them from their little cabin to the bustling town and back. The ride out was twenty minutes of silent bliss. Some scraggly trees and shrubs dotting the otherwise barren landscape, no other homes around for several kilometers. He reveled in the solitude. Din had considered planting a small garden come summer, something to add some color to the greys and browns.

He wiped his boots on the mat in front of the door before entering their small home. Grogu did a flip to the floor and took off after a ball Greef Karga had gifted him with. The cabin came fully furnished but minimally decorated. There was nothing about it that told you anything about who lived there other than the basket of toys that sat in the living area hinting at a small child’s presence. The kitchen and living area were connected in one large space, the only separation provided by a lengthy island across from the stove. Two bedrooms sat at the far end of the house separated by a bathroom in the middle. The second bedroom was made up for a guest if he ever had one. A bedside table with a lamp, an empty closet, a nice sized bed with white sheets covered in delicate grey leaves and vines. Din had purchased a bassinet for Grogu, it stayed tucked in the corner of the main suite he slept in. They preferred to sleep near each other after all their travels and time spent tucked in the sleeping nook of the Crest.

Grogu giggled and babbled about his ball, contentedly smacking it around the room, weaving in between the couch and arm chairs. Din chuckled to himself. The bag of groceries sat heavy on the counter, threatening to spill over at any moment, so he set to unpacking their little haul. Fresh fruit and bread laid out on the counter for easy access. Some meats and cheeses stocking their fridge unit alongside some of Grogu’s favorite juice. Din had even picked up a fresh bag of caf to brew from some far off, mid rim planet.

He breathed in, lungs full of thankfulness. When he first laid eyes on Grogu those years ago that felt like a lifetime, he never imagined their story playing out the way it had, that he would be so lucky as to live out a quiet life with him between jobs. Din felt like the puzzle was finally coming together. There was no box to match it to, but he could see the picture coming into focus with just a few missing pieces. He paid no mind to those blurred out areas, he was more than content, he was happy for the first time in his life.

Din stood behind the crowd, arms crossed over his beskar plated chest. Karga had Grogu in his lap as they watched the small parade circle around the town square. All the school aged children in bright colors waving and grinning, a few of the older kids from the secondary school beating drums and playing a light melody on flute. There were a few dancers and people handing out flowers and candies to the townspeople lining the street. Grogu was clapping and waving, that’s when Din saw you for the first time. His breath caught in his chest in an inexplicable way. Your hair was braided back with flowers tucked in carefully, a crown of daisies atop of your head. You had on a white, billowy shirt that hung off your shoulders tucked into a long, flowing turquoise skirt with a thick belt of brown leather separating the two garments. You were hand in hand with one of the younger kids, skipping along beside them. When you passed by the section they were watching from, you plucked the flower crown off of your head and set it atop Grogu’s.

“Buir!” he squealed in joy turning to face Din. Your eyes followed Grogu’s and you gave a small wave to the silver plated man before dancing further along the stone path.

Din felt a rush of heat to his cheeks, an ache in his chest he wasn’t sure he was capable of feeling again until this moment. Suddenly, the blurry parts of the picture started to come into focus, and it looked a lot like you. No, this was crazy, he was jumping way too far ahead. He didn’t even know your name.

He didn’t even know your name, and yet he felt drawn to you, captivated by your kind smile, the gentle rhythm of your feet as you danced away. The lilt of your laugh carried to him on the breeze, and he knew he was a dead man. His gaze returned to Grogu who was bouncing with excitement, his little hands drawing up to touch the flowers resting on his head.

Din kicked off of the wall he was leaning against to bend his head into Karga’s earshot.

“Who was that?”

“That was my lovely new flower shop owner!” Karga beamed. “She just moved here from Naboo! I think she’s going to make this little town a lot prettier, ‘eh, Mando?” he asked with an elbow to the ribs.

Although he couldn’t see his face, Karga could imagine the exact expression painted across it and he laughed heartily before pointing out a juggler to Grogu.

Din leaned back against the wall with a slight shake of his head. The parade was nearing a close, and he wondered about seeking you out when the festivities died down.

He decided to make a few stops around the market before heading to see if you would be at your shop to speak to you. He tried to calm down the race of his heart as he assembled a small welcome basket to present you with. He tucked a black kerchief with delicate silver stars stitched across it into the bottom of a small, woven basket before filling it with a fresh loaf of bread, a jar of jam and local honey, a brick of hard cheese imported from another system, and a magnet that said “Welcome to Nevarro!” across a background of two volcanoes with a river of lava running between them.

What if you thought this was silly or too forward. He almost talked himself out of it, but his feet on autopilot pulled him to the front of your shop. “Bloom” stretched across the top of the large window in a curling font, the space below filled with blue and lavender floral arrangements. A small wooden sign that appeared to be hand painted swung above the door when he pushed it open. A small bell tinkled alerting whoever might have been there to his presence, so he decided it was too late to back down.

“Be right there!”

You were up on a stool, in the same white shirt as before, but paint covered overalls now hanging from your lower half. A paintbrush in hand as you carefully listed your prices in thin white paint strokes against the navy blue wall behind the register. From here he could see that top of what seemed to be a delicate geometric tattoo running the very center of your spine. You finished the number you were carefully outlining and hopped down, recognizing them instantly.

“Well hey you!” you smiled warmly at the pair approaching your counter. Grogu hopped up wiggling his little legs as he got his footing and waved at you. You knelt down to his level and waved back.

“Here,” Din said extending the basket, “I wanted to get you something to say thank you for today.”

Your eyes wide at the kind gesture, “Well thank you, but that isn’t necessary. It was nothing.”

“It wasn’t though.” Din hesitated, his words coming slowly as if carefully choosing them, “He’s had a very hard life, endured much more than anyone should have to, so anything or anybody that allows him to just be a kid is something I’ll always be thankful for.”

Your gaze softened even more somehow as you rubbed his soft head. Grogu leaned into the touch, big brown eyes squeezed tight.

“Well thank you again,” you trailed off, the empty space searching for a name.

“People call me Mando, and this is Grogu.”

You gave him your name with a smile, “But a lot of people call me Milla.”

“Like the flower?”

You cocked your head to the side, “Yeah, how do you know of millaflowers? Have you been to Naboo?”

“A handful of times. My work takes me all over the galaxy.”

“Well I’m sure you’re full of stories,” you grinned straightening up from where you had been bent over to talk to the child. “You’ll have to tell me some sometime.”

“I’ll be seeing you around I’m sure, I was thinking of planting a small garden soon. I’m sure you can recommend a few things that will take well to the soil here.”

“Come by any time. It was a pleasure to meet you, especially you, Grogu,” you smiled once more reaching out to rub his ear.

“Take care, Milla,” Din called as he exited the shop. You smiled at the nickname and the gentle tingle of the bell as they disappeared from your view.

Grogu grunted in disapproval as his father carried him out of the shop and back towards their parked speeder.

“I know kid, I didn’t want to wear out our welcome, but trust me, I could’ve stayed there all day.”

He was already thinking of excuses to stop by your shop again. He’d open a kriffing landscaping company if it meant he got to see your smile every day. Maker, he was in over his head.

Mando’a translations

Buir: father

Ad’ika: little one

Taglist: @harriedandharassed

[iravinirattu]

🧾 + smitten + cyno

⥽ • smitten.

. . in which CYNO is head over heels for you, and you have the audacity to doubt your beauty.

⥽ ~0.5k words. gn! reader. tw: body insecurities. ⥼

from z; i think sometimes i can get a little too caught up in wondering how the world perceives me. it's very easy to spiral into an endless chasm of am i good enough? do i look pretty enough? and it's an infinite chase of perfection that does not exist. as important as it is to not rely on others to determine your self worth, at times like that you really wish someone would tell you that you were enough.

and if you're feeling like that today, that person is gonna be me! if you've got something your upset about, hit me up! y'all are doing great, take care loves! ♡

to join; send me an emoji + a word + a character!

all you had done was look away, instinctively covering up your face when you'd giggled at one of his jokes.

"why do you do that? it hides your face. i can't see you laugh."

"i mean, yeah, that's sort of the point."

"why?"

you couldn't answer; you didn't know how. the question was simple, yet you found yourself looking away again.

ahh, you didn't mean to turn the mood gloomy. you were trying to think of something else to say, and-

"why?"

he held your chin, tilting your head to face him. the way he looked at you- his eyes were filled with earnesty, keeping you still, not letting you look away.

you couldn't escape, you couldn't lie either. he looked so genuinely curious, and you were trapped.

"i don't know. it's an instinct, i guess? i think i look a little worse for wear today, don't i?"

"you look like you always do. the most beautiful person i've laid my eyes on."

some would say that was cheesy, but to you, anything that came out of cyno's mouth was extraordinarily sweet. it was a talent of his, really.

nevertheless, you were skeptical.

"most beautiful in the world? really?"

the room turned deadly quiet. for a moment, you wondered if you'd said the wrong thing. the expression on his face was unreadable, and he was still staring at you intently, as if wording what he wanted to say next.

"i love the way your eyes look in the sun.

they are as brown as the earth after the year's first rain/ as blue as the sky sans clouds/ as green as a leaf that had just tasted dew/ as purple as the finest amethysts of the chasm/ as hazel as freshly picked honey/ as grey as a raging tempest.

i love the way your skin feels against mine.

it is as warm as the hearth on a cold winter day/ as frigid as the desert once the night sets. you are the shade of fine powder from a sandalwood tree/ milk chocolate dripping on summer's day/ a paneer rose in a child's hair/ palkova that is still kindling on the stove/ a raven's feather falling onto the ground.

i love the way your face is shaped, because it perfectly fits into my hands. i can cup it between my palms and kiss the bridge of your nose. you don't like the way your face is shaped? you wish you had/ didn't have a jawline? you wish your nose wasn't so? you wish it wasn't covered in scars/ freckles/ moles/ spots?

i suppose it is impossible to like everything about yourself. but i will not allow you to dislike them because you see them as flaws. you do not look perfect, because perfect does not exist. it is not something you need to attain.

every time i look at your face i melt. it doesn't matter if you are all dressed up, or if you just woke up on the wrong side of the bed. it doesn't matter if you are happy or sad or excited or mad.

as long as you are you, i will find beauty in everything you do."

[naughtystiel]

Golden light bathed their surroundings, vivid green leaves of a tree that they were sitting on looked like tiny pieces of stained glass against the sun. On the other side of the tree, on a thick branch was Dean, his eyes sparkling with joy when he glanced at Castiel. Small shadows danced on his features like a kaleidoscope, so mesmerising it was hard to look away.

Castiel’s fingers fumbled with the hem of a tee that he once had stolen from his best friend, so long ago the material started to wear thin in some spots. It was battered, but it was his favourite piece of clothing he owned. As he chewed on his bottom lip, pleasant breeze tousled his dark curls that gained a few lighter strands from the time spent out in the summer sun. The wind carried Dean’s quiet humming, one of songs that they used to listen to on an old walkman. Sometimes they sat on a hill and stared at the night sky, sharing a set of earphones, accompanied by music from a mix tape they had created together.

The branch creaked underneath him as he shuffled in his spot, trying to change his position. His best friend gave him a curious look, his face pressed against dark bark as he wrapped his arms around the tree, “What are you doing?”

Clumsily, Castiel hung his legs over and swung back, his arms now swaying slightly, the tips of his fingers brushing long grass underneath him. In result, the gravity pulled his tee down, covering the blush that spread over his cheeks, “Hanging.” He mumbled and Dean barked out a laugh, “Yeah, I can see that now. Don’t stay upside down too long or all the blood will rush to your head.”

Suddenly, Dean jumped off the tree and walked up to Castiel. A brush of fingers on his torso made Castiel shiver, but all Dean did was lift the tee up to expose his friend’s face, and grinned, “It’s already working, buddy. Your face matches the shade of fuschias in my mom’s garden.”

In lack of any good comeback, Castiel stuck out his tongue like a child and tried to swing himself enough to be able to reach the branch again. His fingers slipped on the crumbly bark before he could get a good grip, but instead of the hard landing that he embraced himself for, was met with a pair of strong arms. For a second, relieved about being saved from possible bruises or fractures, he laughed. Then, it occurred to him that he was, in fact, still upside down and his rear end was shoved right in Dean’s face. Squirming in the tight grip, he tried to wiggle his way out, but instead made his friend lose balance and they tumbled down to the ground. Once more, embarrassed, Castiel crawled away from Dean who was laughing so much his whole body was shaking, “Are you okay?”

Dean nodded and swatted a blade of grass away that kept tickling his nose before pushing his hair back, “Yup, all good. Let’s go!” Before Castiel knew it, his legs were carrying him after Dean, who held his wrist while running towards bikes that they had left nearby. As they cycled on a path that divided two endless fields, wildflowers scattered all over them, they tried to let go of the handlebars, spreading their arms wide open. Any negative thoughts fled from Castiel’s head and got replaced with the carefree feeling, with pure joy of just existing in the moment. Sweet scent of flowers followed them and Castiel took a few deep breaths that filled his lungs with the smell of contentment. The feeling travelled through his whole body, seeping through his bones right to the core. In this moment, nothing else mattered.

An uneven sandy patch made his front wheel swivel and without his palms on the handlebars, the bike turned right into the tall grass that cushioned his fall. Before he could get up, Dean’s hand was already waiting for him, reaching out to be grabbed. So, with a grateful smile, Castiel accepted and got pulled up, “Dude, you gotta stop falling.” His friend teased, but Castiel’s heart quickened its pace. Combined with the previous rush of adrenaline, it was basically hammering against his chest.

“I can’t.” he blurted out, but before Dean could question him about his strange answer he grabbed the bike and jumped on, pedalling as fast as he could, “We’re racing to the lake!” he called out behind his shoulder, a mischievous smile on his face.

“You’re cheating! Stop distracting me then!” Dean yelled back, quickly mounting his own cranky bike. It was hard not to laugh around him and it was one of the reasons why Castiel was glad that he could call Dean his best friend. In fact, his only friend, but spending time with Dean made him feel like he wasn’t lacking anything and judging by how Dean acted around him, he felt exactly the same. Some would say that they acted like kids, and perhaps they were, a pair of kids with scraped knees trapped in bodies of people who had already lived for over twenty five years. Selfishly, he hoped that it would stay like this for many more years to come.

The path they followed turned right, but there was a shortcut through a field with short green grass that Castiel decided to take. Soon, he let the gravity do its thing and the bike accelerated on its own, speeding down a hill. A sound, close to a howl of joy, erupted from his chest when he lifted his legs up, tightly holding onto the handlebars, so he wouldn’t fall.

Again.

Dean’s own laughter could be heard just behind him, so Castiel knew his friend was catching up with him. All too soon, the lake appeared in front of him and when he pulled onto the brakes, they didn’t work. Panicked, he tried to stop the bike, repeatedly pulling onto the brakes, but it did nothing against the speed he had gained cycling down the hill. Then, accepting his fate, he held tight and let himself go down with his ship. At first, the cold water was like a shock to his body that was warm from being exposed to the sun, but soon enough it became pleasant. His head resurfaced from beneath the lake, his wet curls sticking to his forehead. Heavy drops of water dripped down his face and eyelashes, making his vision slightly blurry. To his surprise, he found himself not being injured, apart from a small scrape to his elbow.

“What the hell happened?” Dean laughed, jumping right onto Castiel that was attempting to fish his bike out of the lake. When he managed to push Dean off, uncontrollable laughter echoing around them, Castiel swung his arms so they made contact with the surface, and splashed his best friend right in the face. After a short splashing war, they were both breathless, with huge grins on their faces, “Peace?” Castiel panted, reaching his hand out to Dean, who nodded and shook it. Together, they got the bike out to the small wild beach and rested it next to Dean’s. Once that was done, they took off their tees, leaving only shorts on, and hung them on a bush to dry.

The sky started to turn dark blue with a layer of orange hues dividing it from the trees on the horizon. The atmosphere shifted alongside with the changes in their surroundings, from energised to more sedated.

Castiel had known Dean for so long, that they were able to communicate without the need to use words. With a small nod, they started gathering twigs and small branches that later got placed in a pile on the sand. Back in the water, they found some bigger stones and used them to surround the wood. Dean reached into his pocket, the wet shorts still clinging to his body, and pulled out a lighter, “Here goes nothing.”

At first, there was no flame, but after shaking it a few times an orangey glow appeared. Their gaze locked and Castiel wondered if his eyes were mirroring the happiness that he could see in Dean’s. Using some dry leaves, they set the bonfire aflame and sat down, their legs crossed. The gap between them was small, but immediately Dean scooted even closer, so their knees brushed.

The warm glow danced on their features and the cracking sound of wood slowly being burned by the fire created a comfortable bubble that they occupied. They sat there, enjoying the private smiles and glances in between songs that they sang, warmth spreading within Castiel that wasn’t caused by the bonfire in front of them. With Dean, he felt content, whole. There wasn’t anything that he would change about their friendship.

Perhaps, apart from one.

His fingers itched to entwine with Dean’s, he wanted to rest his head on his friend’s chest and listen to the steady and comforting heartbeat. Finding out what Dean’s lips tasted of was a mystery that he wanted to solve, so so badly. But he restrained himself, for years.

The songs died out as time passed, the sky darkening with every minute until stars started to appear and lazily blink over their heads. Castiel got up, wiping off any sand that stuck to his shorts, and checked on their tees that were now dry. When he turned to pass Dean his, his friend was right in front of him, an unreadable expression on his face. Something shifted in Castiel’s stomach, concern and worry replacing the carefree feeling, “What’s wrong?”

Dean reached out for his tee, but his fingers lingered on Castiel’s, “Nothing, I just…” he trailed off and shook his head, finally grabbing the piece of clothing and pulling it over his head.

“Dean, we’re best friends. You know you can tell me anything.”

The man visibly hesitated and chewed on his bottom lip, averting his gaze away, before taking a deep breath and locking his gaze back with Castiel’s, “That’s the thing. What did you mean when you said that you couldn’t stop falling earlier? Do you ever wanna be-”

“Yes.” Castiel blurted out, cutting off Dean’s question. He could be wrong, maybe Dean didn’t intend on finishing it with more, but God, he hoped he was right, because otherwise he would fall apart. Now, that the possibility was so close, he would do anything to launch himself onto it and hold tight.

A pair of soft lips connected with his and Castiel’s heart rate quickened once more. The kiss was slow, tender and they poured every unspoken feeling that accumulated throughout the years of their friendship into it. Now, it could bloom into something more. But maybe, it was always there, slowly creeping up until it quietly settled down and waited to be discovered.

When they parted, their foreheads rested against each other. Without any more hesitation, their fingers entwined with a soft brush, “This is love. Right?” Castiel smiled and Dean nodded, “Yeah and there’s so much more on my tongue so take a bite and let it linger.”

[you-know-honey]

How does it feel to be in a relationship with the Nameless Ghouls (Based on songs)

I've been listening to music while I prepare a lot of fanfics and have ideas for others and…have you ever thought about what it would feel like to love Nameless Ghouls (in a realistic way)?

Well I think I have the answer...

𝔊𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔰

Mountain

Say Yes To Heaven - Lana del Rey

He is quite a fan of dancing waltzes and is sure that soft, deep music makes plants and their relationship grow better in those small, intimate dance sessions.

If you dance, I'll dance And if you don't, I'll dance anyway

Mountain is like calm. Not calm before the storm, just calm.

Give peace a chance Let the fear you have fall away

He is a calm and silent child, he has the look of a sweet deer that surrounds your heart with sweetness and keeps it warm and loved.

I've got my eye on you

Even if you doubt his love at first since you wouldn't expect the most serious ghoul to be interested in you, he will reinforce the idea of ​​accepting the happiness and peace that is offered. As if it were about touching the sky.

Say yes yo heaven

He only wants one thing in return: commitment. You have his heart and spirit in your hands, he only asks that you take care of him.

Say yes to me

He could never tie you down, he wouldn't be able to keep you from your dreams. If you leave he will stay at the door waiting for your return. He could change his life but never his love.

If you go. I'll stay You come back, I'll be right here

He will be your lighthouse in the darkness, even if the earth moves and the tide covers everything, even when you think it's all over. He will be there holding you close to his chest.

Like a barge at sea In the storm, I stay clear

Even if everyone told him that going out with you is a bad idea, he would never stop, he has accepted his love for you and has the courage to face life with you with or without the approval of others.

I've got my mind on you

Phantom

Golden Hour - JVKE

Phantom can promise you a young love, you are his first love, the first person for whom his heart went crazy.

It was just two lovers Sittin' in the car, lintening to Blonde, fallin' for each other

It will be like living in a cheesy movie, dates full of hope and overwhelming emotion.

Pink and orange skies, feelin' super childish, no Donald Glover

He doesn't mind taking risks, he could invent some excuse, no matter how bad it may be, the scolding goes on deaf ears, if it were for you he would do it again.

Missed call from my mother Like: Where you at tonight? Got no alibi

Every second with him is intense, part of a song. He admires you like a deity, the most beautiful and charming person in his eyes.

I was all alone with the love of my life She's got glitter for skin, my radiant beam in the night I don't need no light to see you

An hour with you is like a dream for him and a dream is an eternity. A golden dream.

Shine It's you golden hour You slow down time

He's not afraid to do stupid things for love, he'll steal the car and disappear all weekend with you.

Feet up on the dash, drivin' nowhere fast Burnin' through the summer

I would dedicate every romantic song that comes on the radio to you, I would write the lyrics in a notebook for you.

Radio on blast, make the moment last She got solar power, minutes feel like hours

Love hit him hard, he has fallen for your charms and will refuse to free himself from them.

Can you even imagine fallin' like I did?

He would give himself completely to your wishes, there are no "No" for you.

For the love of my life She's got glowon her face, a glorious look in her eyes

He would give himself completely to your desires, there is no such thing as a "No" for you. You have an eternity to spend with your first and only love.

My angel of light

Rain

Aengus' Fool - Sleep Walking Animals

Romance hadn't been an option for Rain until you showed up.

Love looks good on you

Explore sensations you don't know you have, he swim upstream to you. He will fight against the current instead of going with the flow like he used to do just for you.

Light as a feather but tough as a stone

It makes him blush to see how you love everything that others consider boring about him, he doesn't understand how he lived without you all this time.

When you're barely together But never alone

He will know how to be there for you when things get bad and will protect your heart from the waves that threaten to break it.

When a hand on the leg is the best you can do

Everyone can see that something has changed in him, there is something refreshing in his heart, a tide of emotion. There is a gift in front of your door always at dawn, you should never forget how much he loves you.

I read you a passage From yesterday's paper

Feelings do not come and go, they stay with him every day and always grow a little more, he has never tried so hard to make someone happy.

With a smile that escapes you

¿Do you know that you bring out the best in me too?

He will leave his love story marked in history, to meet you again in the next life and walk back into your heart.

I've been waiting since the last time i was here For you to come home Took a while but know your here

He feels wild and willing to break the rules, he would pay the price for you. I would raise the waters of the sea if it is part of your wishes.

And somehow Nothing matters Matters now

Live in a dream that he never imagined, delivered to you. Keep discovering something else to love you.

I'll stand by yhe bedside And watch how she sleeps

He never thought that love looked so good on him, he feels that romance was a gift you gave him.

Sifting through poems For phrases to keep

Watching you breathe makes him happy like the sound of the sea, there is always an adventure wherever you go and he is willing to let himself go.

She'll open her eyes- there's a day to pursue

He feels so proud of receiving love that if you are mentioned at the slightest in a conversation, he will divert everything to talk about you unconsciously.

II'll shout from the mountains LIke Aengus' Fool

Swiss

I See You - Jutty Ranx

This man doesn't play games, he likes you even before you like him. He could spend months flirting with you to bring out the crush in you. The way you refused to let yourself be loved only made it more fun.

You were never young, my love I can tell, not by the way that you smell

When you grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and crashed his lips into yours, his heart exploded. He didn't expect the intensity of emotions you released in him, as if he were a first-time lover.

But by the way you move your tongue, my love Somebody shake me, what can I do?

He touches your body as if it were going to break, it's like being drugged with you, he sees the stars in your eyes.

Am I in love with the night? Am I in love with you?

He knows that with you everything is different. Real. It's not just one night, it's one of many nights alone with you, you will see a hopeless romantic more than a sexy flirt. He has a lot to give, centuries of love to give.

Will you take what I've got? Will we die on the spot?

He is addicted to emotion, to the eternal flutter of butterflies in his stomach, he doesn't want to call it love until you do.

You make me, make moves

He moves like a puppy after you, he likes everything about you. He wants to know everything about you, even what you don't like about yourself. He will let you know that no matter what happens, you won't get rid of him. He will walk over your thorns with a smile, nothing could stop him.

I see you, you know I see you I break through to get to you Its so true

Sometimes he feels like a fool for having wasted his time on other people before meeting you.

How could I How could I pretend I didn't notice? An incision when you looked back

The world stopped existing when your refusals to go out with him turned into a "Yes." Maybe he doesn't have much but it's all for you.

I want you to myself Can we take this somewhere else?

There is nothing hidden from you, see what you want to see, touch what you want to touch. He will make you feel how you deserve to feel.

My heart's an open book and you just took it off the shelf

(The song looked very good, don't you think? *wink, wink*)

Sodo

Teeth - Five Seconds Of Summer

He got angry with himself when he found himself smiling when talking to you. As if he couldn't feel that happiness with anyone else, day and night you're going to be in his head and he doesn't want that.

Some days, you're the only thing I know Only thing that's burning when the nights grow cold

He is a distrustful boy, he will shout for you to leave only to beg you to stay. He doesn't understand his feelings and fears that they will end up devouring and destroying you.

Can't look away, can't look away

He tries to maintain balance so as not to scare you, he doesn't want to see himself in need of love but he also doesn't want you to think that he no longer feels anything for you.

Sometimes, you're a stranger in my bed

He has a complicated heart and fears that you are smart enough to let him drop and look for something better.

Don't know if you love me or you want me dead.

He wants to deceive himself. Pretending that all your love for him is just a cruel joke but he knows when he hears your voice that it's just him being an idiot insecure.

Something in the way you're looking through my eyes Don't know if I'm gonna make it out alive

He is eager to devour you, to show you how strong, suffocating, eternal and perhaps painful his love is. Like a fire demon he fears that his intensity might scare you, deep down he just wants to burn in a pile love and desire with you.

Talk so pretty, but your heart got teeth Late night devil, put your hands on me And never, never, never ever let go

He doesn't consider himself a romantic in public, one lucky day he might leave a kiss on your lips while walking around. He is not predisposed to be sweet, "I love you" sounds complicated to say. But you can bet that at night he fantasizes about it.

Some days, you're the best thing in my life Sometimes when I look at you, I see my wife

He knows what he is capable of, he takes your heart so high that letting it fall would make it turn to dust. He satisfies your happiness, as he savors the sweetness you pour on him.

Talk so pretty, but your heart got teeth

Sometimes he thinks that you have fallen in love with a version of him that only exists in your mind and wants to become that fantasy inside you. He wants to become the best version of the demon he is.

Blood on my shirt, a rose in my hand You're looking at me like you don't know who I am

Deep down and perhaps in the solitude of his room you can see how desperate he is for you, how he simply became addicted to who you are and how he wants to destroy your heart so he can take you with him forever.

Never, never, never ever let go

𝔊𝔥𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔢𝔱𝔱𝔢𝔰

Cumulus

Sweater Weather - The Neighbourhood

She saw you from the first day and knew that sooner or later she would fall for you, she's not stupid, she just knew it. She was clear that she loved you.

I want the world in my hands

She makes the world seem only for both of you and her, even when the situation is not pleasant she would do anything to make you smile.

I hate the beach, but I stand In California, with my toes in the sand

His heart breaks when you cry, he just can't stand it, he will tuck you in and stay with you, sometimes you don't need a solution, just a long cuddle session and some tears.

Use the sleeves of my sweater

Even if you are afraid about the veracity of her feelings, she will make sure to take your hand and go through that haze of insecurity with you and let you know that you are and will be the only one in her life.

Let's have an adventure Head in the clouds, but my gravity's centered

Even though she is always in control of her life, when the water becomes turbulent and icy, she knows that she can find a warm home in your arms, just you and her. Holding your heart next to his.

'Cause it's too cold For you here and now So let me hold

He will always make small gestures for you, maybe that cool breeze on that hot summer afternoon was a gift from him, the cup of hot tea after a long day of work. Sometimes you don't need words, just hide your face in the crook of his neck, breathe in his scent and know that you are safe. A touch says a thousand words and she has proven it to you.

One love, two mouths One love, one house Just us, you find out

He has a habit of nuzzling your neck, he likes to see you shiver from his touch, sharing only a long game of glances. A strong and intense connection. She is not a girl of many words, she loves you and will show you in every possible way.

And if I may just take your breath away I don't mind if there's not much to say

When you are together, regardless of whether there are other people around you, all that goes into the background, she will hold your hand with pride and teach the world to see you the way she sees you, like the most beautiful star in the sky.

The goosebumps start to raise The minute that my left hand meets your waist And then I watch your face

She feels nostalgic for the first beautiful moments shared, don't misunderstand her, she loves the present with you but she likes to travel from time to time at the beginning and admire how far you have come together.

Sometimes the silence guides our minds To move to a place so far away

Aurora

Dandelions - Ruth B.

She was extremely excited when he identified that what he felt for you was love, she walked from one place to another with a smile on his face. She had always read about how magical love was and experiencing it with you seemed like a dream to her.

'Cause I'm in a field of dandelions Wishing on every one that you'll be mine, mine

She longs with all her soul to spend the rest of her life with you, to have a little house in the country and to live in a fairy tale forever. You are her special person, her world, her hope, hers everything. More than once you will catch her daydreaming about that beautiful future.

But it's so good, I've never known anybody like you But it's so good, I've never dreamed of nobody like you

You're always nervous around her, she has too much energy and everyone basically adores her, like you're afraid that one day her feelings for you will just disappear. Every morning she will ask you if you want to be her partner, a cute and tender way to make you understand that every day she gets out of bed and her heart decides to continue loving you.

Maybe it's the way you say my name Maybe it's the way you play your game

Will she make true works of art for you, paint stars on your ceiling, embroider small details on your clothes, ¿did you see something in a store that interested you? It will appear in your room the next day. She is not a superstitious girl but she knows how fragile and ephemeral the nature of dreams and the desires of the heart is, she wants to give you everything it desires so that when she looks into your eyes she sees the living spark of dreams come true.

When you're looking at me I've never felt so happy

His feelings are a clear example of purity and innocence, he is dying of excitement to recreate each of the cheesiest scenes from romance movies with you. He cannot understand jealousy, he runs away from it and will need your kisses and your loving gaze to calm down.

I think that you are the one for me 'Cause it gets so hard to breathe When you're looking at me

She looks at you and knows that you are HIS person, unique and incomparable, perhaps destiny she is grateful that you came into his life and he does not plan to lose you, like a shooting star that does not pass twice.

And I've heard of a love that comes once in a lifetime And I'm pretty sure that you are that love of mine

When distance separates them due to the band's tours, she longs more than ever to be with you, there wouldn't be a night without making video calls almost until dawn. She knows that when she is with you she is free, free from the Ministry, free from his duty to the band, she is simply complete when she is with you.

I've never felt so alive and free

His dreams have come true, she has the deep and true love she always wanted, she will wake up every morning to look into your eyes and smile and know that his deepest desire is real, tangible and completely his.

And I see forever in your eyes I feel okay when I see you smile, smile

Cirrus

I Was Made For Lovin' You - KISS

You have liked her for a long time, you tried to declare yourself several times but you were very shy so she had to take the initiative, it was a direct declaration full of love and desire.

Tonight I wanna give it all to you

Free time is something that Cirrus doesn't have as often as she wants, so when the night comes and she's finally free, she'll sneak into your room to completely surrender to your arms in the privacy of the night.

We're going to make it all come true

Both of you are predestined to love each other, in some other life she knows that he must have done something very well to deserve you in this life one again.

I wanna lay it at your feet 'Cause, girl, I was made for you

Everything suggested itself organically little by little to end up forming a healthy and symbiotic relationship. They are not together all day, she understands that you may need your space but she will always keep his eyes on you, even if you don't know it. It's his little secret.

And I can't get enough of you, baby Can you get enough of me?

It not only talks about physical love, but also about a deep emotional connection, it knows what you feel even before you know it, it will give you your space if you are upset, it will hug you when you cry and kiss every part of your body to let you know that in his eyes you are the real figure of a goddess and he will not hesitate to fulfill all your wishes.

I wanna see it in your eyes Feel the magic

She has secretly created songs just for you, like a hymn to the passionate love that runs through her veins since she has been with you, a girl who gives her all to make you touch the stars.

There's something that drives me wild

The connection is inescapable between the two, destined to be together or an excellent coincidence of life that finally came to pass.

I was made for loving you, baby You were made for loving me

[moonlit-midnight]

In you, my love found a home

Characters: Malleus Draconia.

Genre: AU, Romance, Married life.

Warnings:

Reader is a female and has a son.

This is actually an old unpublished work written years ago. I decided to make it into a twst fic.

—

You fell in love with Malleus Draconia’s bleak heart and soul because somehow you knew you could fill it again with light, love and hope.

You fell in love with his loneliness because lonely people were good friends and loving companions.

Lonely people often don't judge others, they don't tell other people that they're strange or anything. They openly accept most things and they devotedly hold onto the person who holds them dearly.

And of course, you fell in love with him as a person.

Malleus was a beautiful being, a flawed but lovely kind of beautiful.

He was beautiful for the way he cared for the people who were close to his heart.

He was beautiful for the little twinkles in his ethereal eyes when he talked about the things he was interested in and passionate about.

He was beautiful for his knack of making his loved ones feel special, and his surprising ability of making them happy even when he was not alright.

He was simply and wonderfully beautiful down to his mixed-up soul.

★ —

Malleus fell in love with you because you were selfless, and you possessed a sweet gentleness.

While other people thought that gentle people were weak, he thought otherwise.

He considered your gentleness as a kind of strength, a better strength.

He loved you because he found the summer sun in your smile, the kind of smile that he could store in a little bottle.

During his darkest hours, he would pull it out from his secret pocket and bask in your light.

His world was dull and devoid of warmth until you marched in his life, clad in glowing smiles, and colorful paint-stained hands.

He loved being with you because when his sorrows were as deep as the oceans, you lent him a helping hand and taught him to swim.

He loved you because you took your time to understand him.

You patiently taught him how to appreciate this life, and how to love himself again when he had a hard time to do it on his own.

He loved you because you loved him infinitely without asking anything in return.

★ —

You and Malleus were exploring an abandoned greenhouse.

The two of you held an odd yet great fascination toward ruined places.

You brought nothing but your shared music player, and your ten year old son tagging along with you. 

The three of you settled on the ground, eyes fixed on the broken roof, gazing at the night sky dotted with thousands of gleaming stars which surrounded you like comfort. 

“Dad, may I ask you, did you meet Mom at the right time?” Your son was the first to break the ice.

“No,” Malleus drew out a breath. “I didn’t meet your beloved mother at the right time.”

“Really? How come?” The ten year old boy blinked his innocent green eyes, looking confused.

“Well, my darling child, we don’t necessarily meet the right people at the right time,” The dragon fae replied with a smile. “Because the right people are timeless.”

“Your father is right, my little sweet boy, the right people are indeed timeless.” Beaming at your husband, you snuggled close to him. 

Malleus kissed the crown of your head, then together you basked in a comfortable silence along with your son, gazes glued to the breathtaking scenery above. 

The winter breeze was colder than usual tonight, but being next to each other was enough to keep you warm.

[writer-in-theory]

tiny fingerprints on coffee pots — spencer reid

request: Hello ! May i request Spencer getting up, making his coffee then his child (girl or boy) running to him and cuddling his legs while babbling and Spencer goes all soft ? 🥺 Thank you ! ❤️ summary: spencer’s favorite part of the day is the mornings spent getting ready for the day with his daughter. pairing: spencer reid & daughter!oc, spencer reid x gn!reader (mentioned, mostly) category: fluff content warnings: mention of adoption court word count: 1.1k a/n: hi y'all!! this is very very technically an addition to my fic "i'm dreaming of a white christmas" but no one needs to read that to enjoy this one.

summer of fics masterlist masterlist want to join my taglist?

Mornings never used to be Spencer’s favorite time of day. Everything was too rushed, too loud, and overstimulating. He’d wake up in his apartment to the sounds of an entire city getting ready for the day, rushing to work alongside all of the others who always seemed to wake up far too late. The loneliness of the morning wasn’t quite like that of a late night—those hours when the only company left was the moon, where secrets could be elicited to the sky without anyone awake to hear. 

Then again, he’d never had you and Mira before.

Hotch had told him, that day after the court session that gave you and him guardianship of little Mireya, that his entire life would change with a kid. The man had told him that it was the little things that seemed to change the most, the small moments in his daily life that would soon become so entwined with you and Mira that Spencer would never be able to imagine a life before.

Honestly, he’d just never expected Hotch to be so right. Because there he was now, padding out to the kitchen with a smile fighting for more real estate on his face at the thought of beginning his morning routine. These few simple minutes at the start of his day were easily some of Spencer’s favorites, if only because of his precious miracle daughter.

A doorknob rattling, the sound of old hinges squealing as the door was thrown open, little feet stomping out to chase him down the hallway. “Daddy!” that familiar little voice squealed before Spencer could remind her to be quiet if only so you could have a few more minutes of sleep.

“Good morning, Mira,” Spencer cooed, bending down so he could scoop his daughter up to hold her against his hip. “Have any good dreams?”

“I dreamed I was a tech queen like Auntie Penny.”

Spencer laughed, knowing the term must have come from the tech wizard herself. “Really? Is that what you want to do when you grow up?” The thought of little Mira growing up both pained and excited Spencer. He knew the little girl would do wonderful things, but he wished he could keep her like this for a little longer—so small he could still hold her like this, her brown eyes shining with wonder and love each time she beamed up at you and him. 

“I don’t know, Daddy, that’s too far away,” Mira huffed in a dramatic fashion, making Spencer wonder just when she’d learned to roll her eyes like that.

“You’re so right, Sweet Pea, I apologize,” Spencer laughed, already following his familiar path around the kitchen. You’d moved the coffee mugs to a lower cabinet shelf so he could easily grab one with a single hand, knowing his other was usually occupied keeping your daughter close to the action. “You ready to make coffee for me?”

“I’m ready, I’m ready!” Mira squealed, prompting another shushing from Spencer, punctuated by his own barely-constrained laughter. Spencer handed over the coffee pot, moving so Mira could hold it under the stream of water from the faucet. She held it with both hands, leaving careful little fingerprints all over the sides of the glass that Spencer would have to wipe up later.

When her hands shook with the weight, Spencer moved to grab it from her hands. “I want to help too, you know, otherwise I’ll forget how to make coffee.”

“You can’t forget to make it,” Mira gasped dramatically, allowing him to take the pot from her. She was like you in many ways, fully persistent and sometimes unwilling to admit to Spencer when she needed a bit of help. Luckily, she was still young enough that it was easy to direct her attention elsewhere so there wouldn’t be a pile of glass in the sink to clean up.

“Okay, do you remember which button to push?” Spencer prompted, walking over to the coffee maker so she could lean over and press the buttons to begin brewing the coffee. Spencer beamed at the pride taking over her expression, wishing he could have these little moments with her all day long. If it wasn’t such a dangerous job, if there weren’t such high-security protocols, Spencer might just try to bring her to work every day if he could.

“Thank you so much, Sweet Pea, I wouldn’t make it to work without you,” Spencer cooed then, setting her down so he could grab her cereal and bowl. 

“Yes you would, Daddy,” Mira corrected, climbing up into her booster seat and practically spinning completely around to watch him pour her breakfast. “You’re a superhero.”

Someday, they’d have to have a talk about what he did for a living. They’d tell her about the seriousness of his job, of the biases that kind of job brought that he’d have to tackle someday, they’d have to have a discussion about her own future relationship with people in his position and how it was far more nuanced than that. But for now, Spencer could simply smile and allow her to think that yes, her Daddy was a superhero who tried his best to save people every day.

There would be a lot to talk about someday. Eventually, these mornings wouldn’t be the highlight of his days anymore. Mira would become disinterested in making his coffee with him, and would eventually begin sleeping in later and later until Spencer didn’t see her until he came home from work for the day. There would be times when she’d sleep over with her friends and there would come a day when she had her own apartment and her own morning routine to rush to. 

So Spencer took the time to memorize everything about the mornings he loved so much. Every squeak of an old door hinge, the sound of Mira’s little feet sprinting to the kitchen, all the way down to her little laugh and the tiny fingerprints decorating the sides of his coffee pot.

Because they may not have always been, but these mornings were easily Spencer’s favorite moments of the day all because of his sweet little daughter. 

GENERAL TAGLIST @samuel-de-champagne-problems @silverhetdanes @ssawonderland @reidsbookclub @katymarie @mrsobrien888 @writingquillsandpainpills @fightingdragonswithreid @lil-stark @raythefaye @stillsleepynat @this-is-doctor-and-its-calm @givemeth @foxy-eva @lilibet261 @exhaleli @darkeunology @nomajdetective @meggie-m00n @twofacesoftheworldbutnotsome @delicatespencer @serenity-lattes @goldentournesol @rexorangecouny @sultrypotter @reliefplease @mente-sindescanso @jj76889 @luna-novae @folkreid @nightmarewasteland @luredwithpretzels

ONESHOT TAGLIST @natashxromanovfreads @nano-noa

[weilongfu]

Pete taking Ae & Pin to Germany to experience snow/Christmas time for the first time

"Papa! Daddy! Look!" Pin ran to the window and pressed his face against the cold glass. "It's snowing! It looks so pretty!" Pin turned back to his parents. "Can we play in the snow?"

"It only just started snowing," Ae said, already pulling on the black winter jacket Pete had packed into his carry-on bag. "You'll have to wait a bit for there to be enough to play with. Now put your coat on."

Pete held open Pin's tan wool peacoat and helped his son put it on. "And here's your scarf and hat..." Pete pulled the dark red beanie over Pin's head and wrapped the matching scarf around his neck. "It'll be your first time in a cold place like this, so make sure you bundle up."

"Is it always cold in Germany, papa?" Pin tugged at the scarf, adjusting it until he was comfortable.

"Not all the time, Germany is also very warm in spring and summer," Pete said as he pulled on the jacket Ae held out for him. "But it is your first time here in and we don't want you to get sick."

"It's daddy's first time in the cold too, right?" Pin looked up at Ae who stuffed his hat into his jacket pocket, but obliged Pete in wearing the sky blue scarf around his neck. "Will daddy get sick?"

"Daddy is very good with the cold," Ae said as he resumed pulling their carry-on bags while Pete took Pin's hand to lead him out of the airport. "Don't worry about me."

"It's because Daddy's heart is very big and warm," Pete said in a mock whisper to Pin. "You'll see. If you're cold, hug your daddy and you'll be warm immediately."

"Daddy's hugs are always warm!" Pin smiled brightly as the airport doors opened and the first burst of cold air enveloped them. "Oh! It is cold!" Pin pulled his scarf up to cover the lower part of his face. "Papa, it's so cold!"

Pete shivered only a little. "It's just about five degrees Celsius here today." Pete smiled down at Pin. "So how about we go to the hotel and warm up with hot chocolate?"

"Hot chocolate? Is it like the chocolate drink daddy buys me on the way home from school?"

Pete looked at Ae who innocently checked his phone to see if their driver was there to pick them up yet. "Yes, in a way. You'll see. Papa will get you real hot chocolate, made with nice dark chocolate, cream, vanilla... and all the marshmallows my sweet Pin could want."

"Now who's spoiling him," Ae muttered, but he pressed a kiss to Pete's cool cheek. "The driver will be here in one more minute."

"Will papa and daddy have some too?" Pin jumped up and down before trying to catch a few snowflakes in his hands. "I can share!"

"That's right, sharing is good." Pete pat Pin's head. "But don't worry, papa and daddy will have their own hot chocolate so you can enjoy yours fully."

"I want liquor in mine," Ae said as he waved at the driver.

"Aeee!"

"What? I heard it's traditional!"

"Who told you that? Pond?"

"...Can."

Pete sighed and watched as Pin successfully caught a snowflake only for it to melt in the palm of his hand. "Well we can cross that bridge later. First, hotel, then hot chocolate, then I show you all the Christmas displays in Munich."

Pin's expression brightened immediately and more so upon receiving a candy cane from the driver. "I can't wait until Tan shows up too!"

"Wait... Tan?" Ae looked over from where he was helping the driver load their luggage into the car. "Koon chai, you said-"

"I said I didn't make any plans to include Tin, Can, and Tan!" Pete held his arms in a cross. "I didn't say they couldn't make their own plans! Which uh... may or may not have included also... coming... to... Munich..."

Pin tugged on Ae's hand. "But daddy, it'll be fun with all of us together!"

Ae sighed and gave Pin a mock noogie, causing the child to protest the mess his hair had become under his hat. "One day, when you're older, little Pin, and maybe you have your own child or someone you don't like, you'll understand."

Pin turned to Pete who was helping to fix his hat and hair before they got in the car. "What does daddy mean?"

"You'll understand. Now why don't you tell me what you want to buy for Tan's Christmas present while we're here, hm?"

[tragantia]

I used to wake up early. Go for a run, have a shower, prepare breakfast. And then I would head to Uni or to work, depending on what I was doing at the time, with the entire day ahead of me. But that is another life, belonging to a different person. I have changed, I think. More than any disease or any bite could have done, it's the world that's changed me. Not even killing has affected me more than the subtle ways in which the gears of life, of the world and its people, shift to suit their needs. I remain, in a way, like a child who has just discovered that there is evil in this world, and I may just be part of it. I wish the night sky would light my eyes as soon as I open them, as if someone had lit a thousand candles in front of an altar just for me. Far behind are the days of prayer, of going to mass at school, of wondering and of mysteries. The mysteries have faded into this neverending dusty road, like an oil spill.

It´s not the night sky what greets me when I open my eyes, but the roof of our stolen RV. The most recent one, that is. When I joined them, this gang, or clan, or whatever they are, I was told the norms were strict, but simple: you gotta kill to stay alive, you can't get caught no matter what, and you need to keep moving. And stay the fuck away from the sun. That´s why no light penetrates the windows of the RV: all have been covered with tape. This is part of the routine. We feed, we destroy the evidence, and then we keep moving, usually changing vehicles. I don´t check the time, I don´t want to wake anyone up. But my internal clock tells me it must be late afternoon or early evening. It's summer, so it´s not dark enough to go out yet, we still have a few hours to spare. Last night we managed to put some good distance between ourselves and the last place where we fed, a crappy roadside motel in the middle of the desert with only a handful of hosts. As if someone was going to miss them anyway. I sigh, looking at the rusty roof of the RV. This was the only option we had when we checked the cars parked next to the motel, everything else was too small for all of us. But the piece of shit has definitely seen better days.

I shift a bit, trying to get more comfortable, but a strong pair of large arms is keeping me locked against the chest of the one who bit me. Severen is all sorts of crazy, but he has been completely dedicated to me since he brought me into the pack. If something can be said about him, is that he is protective. Almost like a jealous, rabid dog. At first I thought it was only an act of territoriality, and sure, there is some of that, but then again there is a softness in his eyes that I can see only sometimes - when we laugh at something silly, or when he kisses me, or when he undresses me when we get some time alone. He's mostly an asshole, and a total flirt who chases anything than moves, but he is also the most loyal man I have ever known. And he can be sweet, and silly, and terrifying, and all of those at the same time. He makes me feel like a stupid schoolgirl infatuated with her first love, instead of a grown ass woman. The bastard. I'm such an idiot, I think, as he mumbles when I shift on his lap. He's still asleep, but pulls me closer to his chest. Thanks fuck our body temperature is basically as cold as the one of a dead body, otherwise I would be boiling. I breathe deeply, inhaling his scent. Musk, leather, cigarettes, and the smell of sex from the previous night. Sweat. A hint of bourbon. I sigh, content. I'm so stupid, even his smell makes me feel safe. He pulls me closer to him, mumbling something incomprehensible in annoyance. I chuckle, turning around to kiss his jaw, and I feel him stirring under my weight, almost like a content feline. He locks his steel blue eyes with mine, now fully awake.

'Yore not goin' anywhare, baby', he mutters.

I smile, leaning into him.

'As if you were gonna let me, you shithead'

I hear him chuckle lowly with that silly cackle of his. I rest against his body, enjoying our closeness until it's time to get up. The night will bring its own terrors, but at least this moment is ours.

- - - - - - - -

This came out of nowhere! Not sure what to think about it yet. It doesn't even have a title. I just needed some comfort 🥴 it's done in first person as I needed that kind of connection. And obviously my religious imagery had to be there because why did I get traumatised in school otherwise 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️ also haven't done any proofreading nor anything so BEWARE

[lunanovakat]

Sneak Peek

A little sneak peak of Chapter 5 of 'One Hale of Time'

yes, i know chapter 4 isn't out yet, shhhh

This is unfinished and not fully edited so this won't be in the chapter as is - it'll either be longer or the dialogue will have been changed.

Talia throws the baguette away - not even the enhanced healing rate of Werewolf genes can rid her of the headache forming behind her eyes - offering the wide-eyed child her brother brought a carefully motherly smile, as innocent as a bunny someone locked in a room with starving wolves. She gives Peter a pointed look, her baby brother's blue eyes as widely innocent as the child he brought and he keeps that same innocence even as he pours himself a drink.

"What? As wild as a pack of animals?" Renato mutters sweetly, tone dreary and flat, but the too-sharp scent of bitter roasted amusement makes Talia want to wrinkle her nose in disgust.

Not even old enough to know what coffee or cigarettes were and her nephew smelt like one of Peter's quiet underground Occult blackmarket meetings.

All espresso and clove, musky with a low sense of bitter sweetness and roasted depth. Touched fiantly by something sharp, a billowing cloud of smoke that stings her nose but has no smell.

Her headache worsens.

Tsunayoshi smiles, it looks sweet and innocent but Talia's bones start to itch under her skin, sharply unnatural orange-amber eyes wide with innocence and delight - she can't smell either on the boy, her fingers twitch, "That's right! Animals are always able to sense when something's not right, right? They're very good at finding unnatural things. Wolves have the best sense of smell, though, when it comes to canines and creatures."

Her heart drops, nerves alight, her smile as stiff as the baguette she'd just thrown away and her throat tight enough she feels like strangulation would be kinder.

Tsunayoshi still keeps his smile, too innocent to be genuine but scent sickly sweet with playfulness and amusement all of the sudden, holding onto her nephew's hand with a ferociousness that she's only seen in wolves and her skin begins to crawl.

The officer the child had brought with him, a man Talia had never seen or never noticed - suspicious in it's own right - made a sound low enough her ears pricked, like an omen of misfortune huffing out a dying breath.

Her skin crawled even more.

"You had something you wanted to show me, right, Renato?" The small brunette says sweetly, after a moment of silence so tense Talia could see her daughter Laura seconds from shifting, tugging on the sleeve of her nephew's jacket with a carefulness she tries but fails to read into, "Let's leave the adults to their boring talks and go do something fun."

Renato smiles - a wicked thing that reminds Talia of her baby brother - wolfish in every sense of the word and coy, like he won a battle no one knew was being waged and wanted to show off, "I quite think you'll like my room, il mio tesoro, it's private."

Tsunayoshi - even mentally, Talia felt like she was fumbling the child's name - only smiles that same sweet thing, as bright and airy as a summer sky and as equally inviting, "Silly, silly, Renato - someone might think you have other meanings with your words. I want to see if you have good taste or if you just throw money around."

Renato clicked his tongue, more playful than she's ever seen her cold and heartless nephew, gaze so warm it was like sunlight had reappeared and set the room ablaze, "I can promise you like it - my taste might be expensive but it's still good."

The two start to walk, mindless and unbothered by the daze they leave in their wake, hand-in-hand and chatting aimlessly about bed sizes and thread counts.

She feels frozen - off kilter and on uneven ground - watching the two children wander off without a care, without a word to her or any other adult, and she snaps her gaze to the delighted Peter hanging back with a half-finished glass of chardonnay, "Peter Joseph Hale."

"Do not full name me, Talia, I am not one your children." Peter says blandly back, tone a careful mix of mild and respectful that simply made it seem more disrespectful than it had any right to be.

And with a told as mild as milk but several degrees cooler, her brother adds, "Isn't it a wonderful thing that he's gone and made a friend?"

Talia decides, after barely any consideration, she's going to strangle her baby brother with her own two hands.

[moonflower91]

headcanon for the birth of saera and aemond's children (twins) there is symbology in this family and saera promises never to separate her children and aemond swears to be present for them

A/N: Detailed description of labor, childbirth and incest

The pain was unbearable.

Saerah screamed and howled into the air, her body writhing and then stilling with each pain that rolled over her. It was a shame the sun still shined in the sky, the warmth of the summer air making her feel much too warm. She had half a mind to rip her shift off.

“The birthing bed is a woman’s war.” Her septa has said. As a girl she thought it silly, for how can one fight a war without swords and arrows and axes?

"Mother!" she'd screamed as the pain built again, panic overwhelming her. No one had said it was so painful. No one had said she'd feel sick. No one had said she'd feel like she was...humiliating herself. "MOTHER!"

"I am here, my sweet." the queen assured, rushing to her side. She had just been told the princess' labours had begun and had not hesitated to rush to her side. Saerah's wild frantic eyes met her own, and her hand was tight when she grasped it.

Another contraction ripped through her belly and Saerah met her mother's eyes as she clenched her teeth together to manage the scream that wanted to break through.

"Very good, my love." Alicent cooed, brushing Saerah's pale hair from her sweaty forehead. "Very good."

"I-I'm afraid." Saerah mumbled. “M-mother…I can’t…I—“ her breathless plea broke off into a deep howl of agony, her jaw working tensely as the pain rose anew.

"I know, my love." Alicent murmured back, her thumb running over her child's sweat damp hair. "I am too. Listen to your body. Listen to what it needs to do. Helaena will be with us soon, and she will help."

When her sister arrived, Saerah wept, arms reaching for Helaena for comfort as Alicent ran a damp rag over her forehead.

“Shhh, sister. It will all be over soon. One becomes two, two become four.” Saerah only hummed at her sisters riddle.

"Push, my lady!" One of the midwives called. And Saerah pushed, a garbled scream breaching her pursed lips, shallow breaths filling the air in between.

When finally, with Helaena's hand in hers, with Alicent's hand in her other, a wet slip came between her thighs, and a cry that was not her own pierced the air.

"A girl, princess!" The midwife proclaimed joyfully, wrapping the babe in a blanket. "Hearty and hale!"

"Give her to me." The princess slurred, arms reaching out for the babe. She was so little, her red little faced screwed up as she continued to scream, her lips pouty, her little hands clenched. Saerah swore she never saw something so wonderous. "Shh...Quiet now, my little dragon. Quiet now." she hummed in High Valyrian. She thought the worst was over, but before long, her body began to tense, a new pain rolling through her as she gently rocked her baby.

"Saerah?" The dowager queen said, watching as her daughter's head fell back, a low growl of pain rising from her throat.

"One becomes two, two becomes four." Helaena murmured, brushing back Saerah's hair.

"Something's happening." Saerah growled out, letting her mother pull her baby from her arms.

The midwife felt along her belly, pressing down and making Saerah scream, her legs kicking out as she tried to escape. Two other midwives held her legs still as the first continued to press into her tender belly, still swollen.

"Another babe!" she cried. No sooner was it declared, another pain rippled through the princess.

It was the same horrible business as the first child, but when the second babe slipped from her body, screaming it's discomfort for the entire keep to hear, Saerah reached for him as eagerly as she had reached for the first babe, her daughter.

"A boy, princess!" the midwive called as she handed the squealing infant to the princess' waiting arms. Saerah's mind whirled. Two children, she had two children now. A son and daughter. Just like she and Aemond.

It was fate, it had to be. Meant to be. These little children were proof that she and Aemond were made for one another.

/ / /

"Ahhh," Alicent cooed, her hands gently rocking the baby boy, her smile wide and warm. "The boy is far more peaceful than the girl. He sleeps so deeply, I wonder what he dreams of."

"What can he dream of?" Saerah asked from the bed, her eyes solely trained on her wiggling daughter, who stared up at her with curious, innocent eyes.

"Good things, I hope. All he has known has been warmth and the company of his twin."

Saerah smiled, taking her daughter's little hand between her fingers.

“Aemond will be pleased.” Saerah mused aloud. “He’s had a cradle made, one that rocks so the babe would settle easier. He only had one made, but it is no matter. I doubt the children would mind sleeping beside each other.”

Aemond was not informed of his wife's labors, by the princess' own request. While Aemond had been admimant that he would stay at her side throughout, Saerah had silently decided that Aemond would carry on with his day as he usually would. She had learned from her mother's detailed account of the act, that birth was no sight for a husband.

Still, part of her knew that having his hand in her own might have made the birth seem not so long.

“They ought to have separate cradles.” Her mother said, rocking her grandson. Her mother has always been a faithful servant of the Seven but in the last few years of her fathers failing health, it had only enflamed Alicent’s ardor and hope that the seven would give him good health and make him free of suffering if only her mother made them all so devoted.

“Just because Aemond and I are cursed with our Targaryen proclivities, mother, does not mean our children will be.” Saerah stated curtly, her eyes still remaining on the babe in her arms.

“I thought as much when you and Aemond came into the world. When he screamed for hours when I tried to lay him beside his egg, I thought myself a wretched unnatural mother. Aegon and Helaena never cried so loud and you..." Her eyes went to her daughter's form, still thinking of the small babe she had been. "You cried so little. Only staring up at me, deep lilac eyes so perpetually displeased. One day you decided screaming was the best way to get what you wanted and your cradle was in the nursery and Aemond’s was right there. So I lay you beside him and at once, you fell silent." Saerah finally met her mother's eyes. She had never heard the story before. "I thought it a sweet thing, the bond between twins was something I’d heard of, and now I’d seen it in action. Only you didn’t grow as brother and sister. So I beg you, my daughter, let them grow up to be two people. Not one in two bodies. They deserve that.”

Saerah sighed. She loved her mother, and always found her council prudent and honest. Yet somehow, her words irritated some part that she did not know existed until her babes were placed in her arms.

“Aemond and I did not come into the world with the intent of disappointing you, mother. We came clean and innocent, and it is only by the gods’ own doing that they made me for Aemond, and Aemond for me, despite the blood we share.” She shook her head, her gaze falling to the furs that lay over her legs. “Perhaps that is our great suffering, the curse that follows us because we have so often compared ourselves to the gods. That we must foster a love that is unnatural, bear children that have an equal chance of being monsters.” Her eyes flickered back to her mother, still holding the babe. But Alicent’s eyes were soft and sad as she looked from her daughter to the child in her arms. “But they are not monsters, mother. They are perfect. Whole and living and breathing. They’re babes. Far from knowing who it is they will love.”

Alicent swallowed, her jaw working. “I meant what I said.” She finally said. She said it firmly, harshly, but Saerah could hear how hollow it was. “These children will replace you and Aemond in betrothals to House Baratheon and Tyrell. They will not ever be permitted to follow in yours and Aemond's footsteps.”

“Mother,” Saerah finally growled, her lilac eyes flashing up at Alicent. “My babies, will not live to be ashamed. They were born of love. They were wanted. What else matters?”

“That they grow up without needing each other.” Alicent replied, sitting on the bed, the babe’s little feet dangling over its grandmothers arm. Saerah tilted her head, lip trembling as she eyed that little foot. When she reached out to touch it, those tiny little toes clenched and pulled away. “I do not begrudge you, daughter, for loving the one you call husband.” The dowager Queen vowed. “It is all I desired for you and Helaena. I only wonder…if I had done something different, would you have had the chance to give your heart to someone else.”

“No.” Saerah said immediately, pulling her daughter closer to her chest. “There was never a question, mother.”

“I know, my darling. But what if—?”

“I would have felt like a ghost. Even when we were small, when he trained in the yard as I learned the delicate arts of womanhood…I’d…each blow he took…I knew when it would happen. I didn’t feel it in my body, but I knew.” She met her mothers eyes then, hoping she could try to understand. “Each time I pricked my finger with a needle, the first thing he’d do when he saw me next was take my hands in his and inspect them, looking for the puncture.”

Alicent sighed. If only she had been a better mother, her son might have married another, and her daughter's children might not look so Targaryen.

“We are half of each other, mother. I don’t know if these children are, and if they are, perhaps they shall still find other people to share their lives with. A deep love does not mean the love of a man and woman."

Alicent's warm and gentle hand grabbed at her daughter's leg through the furs, a tentative grin tugging at her lips before her mouth tightening into a line once more. Saerah sighed. Her mother didn't understand, either because of her indignation that she and Aemond had forced her hand to permit their marriage or out of some religious devotion.

The dowager queen made to speak once more, but a shout drew both their eyes to the door.

"Where is she? Saerah!"

"Aemond?!" Half a heartbeat later the doors opened, revealing Aemond.

Aemond stalked forward, his eye only trained on his wife, bypassing his mother and not sparing the babe in her arms a glance. His attentions were only set on Saerah.

"I told you to call on me when it started. I would have been here with you."

"You think I wanted you to see me like that? I had mother and Helaena, and an army of midwives. There was no need."

Aemond hummed, his fingers stroking idly along her wrist, his eye finally moving to look at the baby she still held. "I knew something was amiss, but I thought you'd have called on me if the babe was coming so I dismissed it." His lilac eye regarded her in an almost accusing fashion. Saerah scoffed.

"Trust me, love, it is as bloody a business as they say."

"I don't mind blood."

"You mind mine." Saerah deadpanned. One time, when they'd been about five, she'd tripped while running after a kitten, and had bloodied her chin. Aemond had not stopped fussing for a week after until the scab began to fall off. Each day he'd demanded the maester come to her to make sure the wound--a scratch more than anything--did not become an issue.

"Not so much if we have our child at the end of it."

Saerah laughed, her free hand lightly slapping the bed. "You have it next time, then."

"Next time, I would have you call upon me. It is not everyday a man becomes a father." Saerah sighed at that, her forefinger running along her husbands sharp jaw.

"Look at her, Aemond." Saerah murmured gently, her eyes regarding him with all the love and affection of a woman who loved the one across from her. Her skin was still glistening, her hair unbound and falling free about her, but to Aemond, she was as beautiful as he'd ever seen her.

Aemond's eye blinked up at her, a veil of confusion over the beautiful hue of his eye. She smiled, heart swelling with affection. "Her?"

Saerah smiled, looking down at their daughter, slowly drifting to sleep after her long day. "A girl. Born first, screaming annoyedly."

Aemond's brown furrowed down at the babe, "First?"

"We have twins, my love. A boy and girl. The girl born first, the boy second. Mother holds the other." she told him, her eyes flickering towards the silent dowager queen. Aemond followed her gaze, his eye softening at sight of the babe. With a little smile at her son, she brought the boy forward, and settled him in his father's arms.

Alicent regarded the little family, heart aching as it soared. Always she would wonder if she had been a better mother, mayhaps her twins would have found love elsewhere but from each other. Yet, looking at the two, she could not find it in her heart to regret it much more. There was love there--true, lasting love that would not dim or be betrayed when the storms came.

They would protect each other to their last breath. Lie and scheme to benefit the other. In her heart, Alicent knew she had nothing to fear of Saerah's husband, nor of Aemond's wife.

They were one, as Saerah said.

Seven years later, Aemond and Saerah Targaryen's twins were betrothed to the heir of House Baratheon and the first born daughter of House Tyrell. And though they never did follow in their mother and father's footsteps, their love and trust in each other never dimmed.

[m0ssybricks]

WARNINGS:

NSFW (Semi public sex) + fluff

Word Count 853

This is my first Corey oneshot for @rebel-blue

It is a breezy, warm night at the end of summer. This was the time of year when the beginning of autumn’s chilly wind blended with the warmth of the summer sun. Ice cream trucks still were audible in the distance, the aroma of a neighbors BBQ could be picked up, and children could still be heard playing outside. It still took time for the sky's orange and pink hue to dissipate and the night sky could come out revealing the stars. You always liked this time of year, it was perfect. You loved it even more because your boyfriend Corey, was seated next to you on the sofa, cross-legged and focused on the console and screen. The soft glow of the TV as well as the open window letting in the evening sun illuminated his face. You two were playing Mario Kart and you were slightly beating him.

“Babe! You keep pushing me out of the way”

Corey joking sounds hurt.

“Sorry love but you know how competitive I am” After a few minutes of playing Corey lost. He came in 2nd you in 1st.

“Not fair, I never played this track” he jokes.

“Okay okay, how about this: Choose the next track but I want to do something with this” Corey raises an eyebrow.

“The winner has to have the loser do a dare, whatever they want.” A mischievous smile grows on Corey’s face.

“Absolutely”

“Anything they want?” he asks with a questioning tone.

“Anything” you reply.

“Let's do it”. Corey takes a few minutes to carefully select the next track in the meantime you study his features and hands. How his fingers run over the consol when his rings touch a button it makes a small click noise.

“Okay I chose Big Blue.”

“Sounds good babe, ready?” He smiled and nodded. He was surprisingly excellent at this while you were struggling to keep up.

“ Prepare to lose hon”

You two were focused on the screen the only thing you heard was the music.

“I WON” Corey’s excited shouting broke the silence. Whenever he gets excited he smiles showing his teeth and his eyes crinkle.

“Barley!” you said joking. He pressed a quick kiss to your lips.

“Okay so what do you want to do”

“You’ll see” a hint of mystery and sultriness was in his voice. You two hopped on the motorcycle and the gentleman that he helped you on. As you two exited the parking lot you gripped his waist and pressed your face into his back. He took the backroads of the small midwestern town as opposed to the city streets. After a few minutes, you two stopped at the woodsy park.

“Corey, babe what are we doing here”

“I've always wanted to go to the park at night and you know, do some stuff”

“Corey what the fuck?” you laughed. All of a sudden he picked you up, and threw you on his back running towards the small hill.

“So I am thinking, I never got to do this but I've always wanted to, we’re rolling down this hill.”

Corey sounded like a little kid sharing his idea. In a way, this was healing his inner child by doing the things he never got to do. He gripped your hand running up the hill and laughed. When you both made it up you and him lay down on the grass on your stomachs.

“You’re first love” Pushing your feet off the ground you rolled slowly but the momentum built up. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Corey rolling down. When you two landed on the grass-you splayed on top of him both of you laughed. Sitting up slightly you adjusted yourself and kissed his forehead, Corey was on the ground, one hand crossed over his chest which was keeping you up, the other removing the leaves from his hair. Corey softly kissed you and that soft sweet kisses turned sexy and fast in a matter of a minute Between breaths he sputtered out “I dare you to have sex with me.”

“Take your glasses, don't wanna break them,” you said this comment brought a laugh to both of you. He deeply kissed you and started to grind against you. You hooked your leg around his waist, and he let out a groan.

“Ready love?” you asked

“Yes, please!” Corey gasped out.

You lowered yourself into him both releasing a soft moan. After several minutes of sex, you both came. You were both sweaty and covered in grass but you did not care. As per usual Corey pulled you into his chest and you sloppily kissed his jawline. You both are messy and coming down from the high in each other's arms. As breathing slowed down you turned to face Corey. His sweet face met yours with pure adoration in his eyes.

“So what was the dare, rolling down the hill or sex?” You asked,

“Does it matter love?”

“Hey, I am not complaining” you laughed.

“We have got to do this more.”

“Absolutely” Corey sweetly said while pressing a kiss against your temple.

[words-are-fireproof]

Sweet, Summer Child: Diners + Revelations

Hi, it's been a while. Um...yeah. Anyway. New chapter. Not great, not terrible. Ha.

Summary: You and Dieter learn about each other while exchanging fries and wings in a local diner.

Warnings/content: just a bit of angst and fluff.

Rating: T (story is M)

Word Count: ~1.8k

A/N: I write slow nowadays. Forgive me?

[Masterlist] || [Series Masterlist] || Part Three || Part Five

-----

“So…”

He reached over to grab a French fry off the blue striped plate in front of you. Blue. He tried not to laugh at the significance. It seemed that everywhere he looked recently, he saw that beautiful color and immediately thought of you.

The cup someone gave him at a coffee shop recently had been navy blue. A man at the bar down the street from his house had worn a cobalt colored tie, all bright and happy and making him smile when all he wanted to do was cry. (He never wanted to think of that night ever again and he hoped he would never have a repeat of that night. He didn’t want to talk about it. Not with you. Not with anyone.) On the subway that morning, someone had on a sky blue sundress and a denim jean jacket. The color followed him everywhere. Not that he minded in the slightest. It was a welcome addition to his day.

He liked thinking of you. Well, sometimes. He was still getting used to his normally quiet life being suddenly so loud now.

“So…” you echoed, stealing a chicken wing off his plate and tearing it in half, munching on it thoughtfully.

“What exactly do you do? You’ve never told me.”

“You first.”

He laughed. “You know what I do.”

Your brows furrowed rather adorably and he couldn’t help but laugh. “I really don’t think I do. Are you sure about that?”

“Yes, I’m sure.”

He knew, though, that his words were a lie. He’d never told you what he did, and he didn’t plan on it, either. How could he explain that he took souls for a living? How could he explain that most of his wealth came from essentially stealing dead bodies and inhabiting their lives? He knew for a fact that all of that information would not go over well, and despite a somewhat rocky start, you were beginning to get to know each other well. Well, maybe not well but you knew each other better than at the start of your relationship. Any progress was good progress. That’s the thought that kept niggling at his mind as he munched on the fries from your plate.

“I own a bookshop,” he said with a smirk.

“See, I didn’t know that.”

“Well, now you do.”

He stole another fry. You batted at his hand.

“Stop stealing my fries. You had your own.”

“Then stop stealing my wings.”

“I’m still hungry,” you pouted playfully, your eyes shining in the dim light of the cafe.

“Then order more.”

You sighed heavily, but the tease in your expression shone through brightly. It made his heart clench in his chest. Every so often, the overwhelming need to escape hit him square in his feelings. He could normally ignore it, but sometimes, it hit him so hard it almost took his breath away.

“Maybe I will.” He took another French fry. You took another wing. “A bookshop, though? That sounds rather romantic.”

He smirked playfully. “Why do you say that? Bookshops aren’t that romantic.”

Your brows furrowed in surprise. You obviously didn’t believe him in the slightest. Not that he blamed you. Bookstores happened to be the most romantic places he knew. The number of times he’d seen people kissing and holding hands in his bookstore were innumerable. It seemed that every single time he turned around, people were pushed up against bookshelves, lips attached to skin, hands in back pockets or looped through belt loops, tugging bodies closer, like they could never get enough. Despite owning a bookstore and practically living there most days, he’d never indulged in those carnal delights. The realization surprised him. He’d taken women in places he never should’ve–the top balcony of a bar, for instance–but the idea of a bookshop just…didn’t do anything for him.

“Uh, bookshops are the most romantic places in the world. You can’t tell me otherwise.”

He chuckled, resting his elbows on the table, pushing his plate away from him. “I never said I would argue about it.”

“I know you didn’t.”

You mirrored his position, your eyes trained on him and shining. Your lips tugged up in a happy grin.

“Alright, I told you what I do. Now it’s your turn to tell me what you do.”

“Fine. So, I’m a web developer.”

“Oh. So you make websites. Is that what that is?”

You brightened and nodded eagerly. “I can’t believe you know what that is. Most people I tell just stare at me like I’m crazy. Like that isn’t a real thing.”

“You’ll have to forgive people. They can be stupid.”

You snorted, laughter dripping from your lips. “Watch it. You and I are people, you know?”

“True, but I’d like to think we’re different than most.”

“Maybe I am,” he teased gently. “But I don’t know about you.”

You flicked a chicken bone at him. He tried to catch it, but couldn’t. He felt lucky enough to dodge the thing, because sauce still clung to the bits at the ends.

“I’m a sure thing.”

“I’m learning that,” he murmured, reaching across the table to hold out his hand, palm up for you to take.

You did, twining your fingers together gently. He melted, his insides turning to liquid honey. The soft roll of pleasure made his limbs heavy with need and desire. He couldn’t get enough of you and the way it felt to be with you. It took him a while to get used to being with you, but this felt different. Even when you were first together, it didn’t feel like this. This felt easy, almost too easy, if he thought about it too much. The ease of the moment made it easy to focus, but something in his chest and in the pit of his stomach twigged his anxiety. He’d carefully curated that stupid anxiety for literal centuries. He hated that it decided to flare with you, no matter how easy or hard your relationship–or whatever he could call it–seemed to him.

Those old fears from a few weeks past reared their ugly heads. He felt stifled and felt like maybe he wasn’t enough. That’s part of what set him off before. He didn’t feel like he was enough for you. He could be so much more. The problem was, he didn’t know how to be so much more. He didn’t know how to act. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know how to emotionally take care of someone like a lover. That was asking for too much from him.

But, then, he began to think about what you both had accomplished together so far. It hadn’t been much. Not really. But the ease of the moment said all it needed to say. You both had grown. Something had changed since you began. It was getting harder and harder to pretend that he could ignore it, that he could ignore the feelings getting stronger and stronger inside of her.

“What are you thinking?” You asked as you fiddled with his hand, toying with your fingers as you munched on the rest of your French fries.

“You don’t want to know what I’m thinking.”

You lifted an eyebrow. “Try me, Dieter.”

He fell quiet as he considered his thoughts. What could he tell you? He still didn’t want to tell you the truth, desperately afraid that you'd get up and run if he said the words you needed to know.

“You really wouldn’t understand. Even if I wanted to tell you.”

“Who knew a bookstore owner had so much on his mind,” you teased playfully, but you stopped when you saw the expression flit across his face. “I’m sorry. Is…”

But he stopped you. “It’s nothing. It’s just…it’s a lot, sapphire. More than you can handle, and it’s not just bookstore stuff either.”

Your eyes widened. “What else could it be?”

He shook his head. “I really can’t tell you.”

You pouted but didn’t push him, even though he could tell that you wanted to. He wanted to let you in and he hoped that you would accept him when the truth came out, but the fear in the deepest recesses of his mind was that he’d leave you. He barely knew you. He didn’t know why he wanted to keep you close, other than there was something he could feel, something he could see. You were special, and while he wanted to say that to you, the fear clawed at his throat.

“I could help you know?”

He tilted his head. “Help with what?”

You motioned with your free hand. “With anything you need help with.”

“That’s a tall order,” he began, his dark eyes peering intently on you, “but I think we can handle something together.”

You finished your French fries, head tilting curiously as you watched him closely. “I’ll bite. What can we do together?”

“You can help me pick out some paint for a project I’m starting.”

You sat back startled and it made him laugh. “You paint? You’re an artist, too?” He nodded. “I didn’t know that either!”

"You’re learning a lot about me now.”

“Only because you’re finally letting me in.”

“Sleeping with you isn’t letting you in?”

You flicked another chicken bone at him halfheartedly. “No. That’s just sex.”

“And you think sex isn’t an intimate act?”

Your eyebrows lifted in surprise. “With you? I don’t know. We all know the stories.”

“From the tabloids,” he retorted dryly.

“Speaking of tabloids, why do they care about you? If you’re just a bookshop owner?”

He swallowed thickly, trying to avoid your gaze now, his own falling onto the table. He could curse. In fact, he does, silently, hating the fact that he has to lie to you.

“No reason. Don’t worry about it. Maybe one day I’ll say something.”

You chuckle and finish the soda on the table in a few large drinks. “Maybe, but you don’t have to.”

He smirked. “You’re letting me have some secrets?”

“Oh, only one or two.”

One or two was enough. He tried not to let that thought show too much over his face. The fact he was growing used to hiding his emotions from you probably wasn’t a good idea, but Dieter doesn’t want to give anything away too quickly. He still didn’t want to push you away, and somehow, despite the things that had happened, you were still with him. He found that both surprising but hopeful. He barely dared to hope. It made his chest ache.

After the silence lapsed for far too long–long enough to make things awkward–he cleared his throat softly. “So, what d’you say, Sapphire? Do you want to help me go pick out some paint?”

Your eyes brightened again, the ache in his chest giving way to happiness and relief at your reaction. “Of course!”

You quickly gathered your things and slid out of the diner booth. You held out your hand to him, wiggling your fingers in his direction, enticing him to take it. He barely hesitated, twining your fingers together as he followed you out of the diner.