#so drawing them being all soft and cute is very refreshing <3

[user-name-h3re]

Draw ummmmm Neil taking care of Max after his top surgery

Max isn't used to being cared for so unconditionally so I think him seeing how much Neil cares about him would make him soft for a while.

[suashii]

— 𝓈𝓊𝓃𝒹𝒶𝓎 𝓂𝑜𝓇𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔 ౨ৎ

multicharacter (suo, kiryu, umemiya, & togame) x reader. 2k wc. ﾉ sfw ﾉ fluff ﾉ one suggestive bit the end of togame's ( if u squint ) ﾉ mornings spent with them!

a/n: it’s my first time writing 3/4 of these characters so apologies if my characterization is off — i’m working on it!

ᡣ𐭩 SUO HAYATO

people say it’s normal for partners to pick up habits from each other and you suppose your relationship with suo is no different. you’ve taken up joining him for his morning meditation sessions, making it a ritual of your own. even now, the two of you sit side by side on the rug in your living room, coffee table pushed to the side, patio door open to let in the sound of chirping birds and soft wind that characterize the calm nature of morning.

you hear his breathing from beside you, each breath deep and controlled. his very presence is enough to set your mind and being at each but as you mimic his technique, you begin to wonder what thoughts run through his head during these brief, relaxing moments. perhaps he has a mantra he repeats to himself or maybe he simply takes the time to mentally walk himself through his tasks for the day as preparation. 

would it be naive of you to hope that his mind wanders to you? it’s not so unreasonable to think that he can feel your presence as well, no? maybe you have the same effect on him—maybe he’s found a new sense of serenity in your proximity. you’ve certainly started enjoying mornings more given the opportunity to share this time with him. it feels like the two of you are secluded in your own impenetrable bubble, inaccessible to the outside world and any distractions it may throw your way—

the bubble pops with the feel of fingers tickling your exposed sides. your eyes fly open at the unexpected contact and all that steady breathing you had been focused on goes out the door as the sound of your giggles penetrates the once-quiet air. despite obvious evidence of an attack, the perpetrator is nowhere in sight. it’s not until you tip your head back in uncontrollable laughter that you finally see him—suo situated behind you with a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

tears pool at the corners of your eyes as you try to pry his fingers away but you’re no match for him. his hands only still at your sides when you collapse against his chest in defeat. your uneven breathing fills the room, punctuated by a chuckle from suo. the vibration from him causes you to turn your eyes up to meet his.

dark hair and an eyepatch almost shield his gaze but one cherry brown eye is still on display and it’s looking straight down at you. “i thought meditation was supposed to be calm and relaxing.”

“sorry,” he apologizes, but you doubt its genuineness when he playfully pinches each side of your tummy, drawing a squeak out of you. “i took a peek and you looked so cute and concentrated—i just couldn’t help myself.”

his hands come up to cradle your face, lithe fingers running along the curve of your jaw before he dips down to steal a kiss. his lips are soft and warm and easily restore that soothing feeling you associate him with. you suppose it’s enough to earn your forgiveness.

ᡣ𐭩 KIRYU MITSUKI

“your pink is starting to fade,” you tell kiryu, your fingers combing through the soft pink strands. he’s sitting on top of the toilet seat with his legs crossed, still dressed in the pajamas he slept in. it’s funny—how soft he looks in his matching set with messy bedhead despite all of the metal jewelry decorating his face. 

one of his hands pokes out from the satin sleeve that’s just a bit too long to reach up and take hold of a tuft of hair. the pieces of hair that are usually clipped back hang in front of bright green eyes as he examines the lightened strands. 

“should we refresh it with more pink?” you ask. there’s plenty of dye left over from the last time you colored his hair stored underneath the sink. it wouldn’t take too long and neither of you are in a rush to leave the house, though, before you make a move to grab it or even wait for an answer, another thought pops into your head. “or maybe we can try another color?”

kiryu lets the hair fall from between his fingers and turns his eyes up toward you. a cat-like grin pulls at his lips and there’s a curious sparkle in his dazzling irises. “oh? any suggestions?”

you take in the pink that has dulled to a pale hue, like a cherry blossom past its prime, and the darker hair that has started growing in at the roots. with a contemplative hum and head tilt, you share your thoughts. “maybe we could bleach it and keep it blonde?”

“nah.” he shakes his head, floppy hair bouncing with each back-and-forth movement. “that’ll wash me out.”

you can’t help the laugh you breathe out at his reasoning. ever so insightful, you think, toying with his silky soft strands. it makes sense, though—kiryu’s always been in tune with the intricacies of his appearance, understands what looks are flattering on him and which styles to avoid. you wouldn’t be surprised if he knew more about cosmetology and fashion than you did.

“you’re right.” you nod your head in agreement. truly, you’re sure that blonde would look just fine on him, to you and everyone else at least, but knowing his preferences and what he tends to steer clear of makes it too easy to tease him. you try to hide your smile with your next words. “orange could be fun though, yeah?”

his smile doesn’t waver but his eyebrows do knit together in a show of disapproval. “did you wake up on a mission to turn me into a clown?”

your laughter echoes off the bathroom walls with his response. kiryu’s expression softens as he takes in how pretty you look when you laugh. he could get used to seeing such a sight every morning. 

you clear the humor from your voice, pushing the hair hung over his forehead back to place a kiss on his hairline. “guess we’re sticking with pink, then.”

ᡣ𐭩 UMEMIYA HAJIME

“i’ll never understand how you’re so good at that,” you say from behind umemiya. your arms are wrapped around his midsection, your head tilted to the side to get a glimpse of the work he’s putting into breakfast. he’s stood at the stove, hands expertly alternating between pouring thin layers of an egg and vegetable mixture into the pan and rolling the layers into an omelet. you’ve tried the task on your own several times in the past and none of your attempts have ever come close to what umemiya delivers.

he chuckles, the rumble of the sound vibrating against your arms that hold him. that makes it even more impressive—even with you clinging to him, he has no trouble making the picture-perfect dish. “lots of practice. don’t sell yourself short—yours are good too.”

“you shouldn’t lie, ume.” you pinch his side but the action only draws out another laugh. he’s so kind he won’t consider saying something that might hurt your feelings—even if it’s true, even over something as trivial as eggs. you love that about him, how he always considers the feelings of others.

you can only hope that you’re able to repay all of his kindness.

“i know i would have ruined the omelet but are you sure there’s nothing else i can help with?”

“hey, i told you not to worry about anything,” he lightly scolds you for looking for something to do. he told you earlier that he could handle preparing breakfast on his own this morning—something about wanting to treat you to the first harvest of the vegetables he was growing in his garden. they’re sprinkled into the meal—the carrots and scallions in the omelet, the pickled daikon waiting to be plated. “the only job i’m tasking you with is to relax.”

“fine, fine. i’ll leave everything to you.”

despite your compliance to stick to relaxing, you follow umemiya around the kitchen as he cooks, commenting on how good everything looks and simply watching him in his element. you don’t get to focus much on him when the two of you cook together and you have to admit that it’s nice seeing him do something he loves with such a satisfied smile on his face.

before long, breakfast is finished and plated on the table, you and umemiya sitting opposite of each other. you pick up your utensils and a piece of the rolled omelet with them. you bring it to your mouth and are a second away from taking a bite when you notice the light-haired man isn’t mirroring your actions. “aren’t you going to eat?”

“yeah.” he nods and then points to your food. “you give it a taste first.”

without directly asking, he wants to know what you think. you give in to his request and take a bite of the omelet. just as all of his cooking is, the dish is incredible. you shoot him and smile and nod in approval while you chew which earns a chuckle.

“good?”

“even better than usual,” you tell him after swallowing. “your veggies were definitely the secret ingredient.”

your compliment makes his smile grow wider. it’s nice to know you can bring him happiness the same way he does for you.

ᡣ𐭩 TOGAME JO

even with the curtains closed, a sliver of sunlight passes through them, lighting up a stripe of skin on your face. your eyes flutter open and are met with the light. it’s bright and warm, signifying the start of the day. you glance at the sleeping figure in front of you with all of his messy dark hair and beauty marks scattered about his skin. the light doesn't seem to have disturbed him and you can’t find it in yourself to rouse him.

you plan to let him snooze for a bit longer while you get an early start to the day. his arm lazily draped over you, you attempt to scooch back and simply let it fall, though, as soon as you make a move to leave, his arm tightens around you. 

“i’m getting up, kame,” you whisper, hoping your voice isn’t loud enough to really wake him up. you make another move to leave the bed but find yourself pulled even closer to the warm body. he groans restlessly but you don’t buy it—once is a coincidence, twice is a pattern.

you grin at his disguised effort to keep you from getting up. not entirely convincing but you can’t deny its efficacy—he has kept you in bed. “you’re terrible at pretending to be asleep.”

“can you blame a guy for trying?” he asks, eyes still closed, voice groggy from not having been used in hours. “i’d rather stay in bed with you than go out and do anything.”

it’s flattering to think that he’d rather spend time in bed doing nothing with you over any other way he could spend his day. you’d be lying if you said the prospect wasn’t tempting but you know better than to indulge. agreeing to another ten minutes is essentially akin to signing your entire morning away and unlike togame, you actually have some things to get done today.

“what about all the stuff i have to do today?” you ask. you have a sneaking suspicion that you already know the answer but you want to hear it for yourself.

his eyes finally drift open, putting green irises on display. his gaze is sleepy but there’s a lingering glint of humor in it. “i’m sure it can wait a short while.”

“i knew you were going to say that,” you tell him through a quiet laugh. togame’s lips curl up in a smile as he presses his forehead against yours, only loose, dark curls separating his skin from yours. maybe you should be annoyed at how easily he’s willing to set your day back but the truth is, he’s right—everything else can wait. 

you breathe in deeply, letting your hand come up to play with the thick strands of hair at the nape of his neck. “how do you suppose we spend the morning in bed?”

his lips brush against yours, stopping at the corner of your mouth to press a kiss there. his breath tickles you with his next words. “i can think of a couple things to do.”

thanks for reading! if u enjoyed, please consider reblogging or commenting ❤︎

[iliveiloveiwrite]

AGHHH MILLS! congrats on 5.7k!!!! for the blurb celebration can i have anthony from bridgerton with prompt 4 from fluff and types of kisses: kiss on the hand + kiss on the forehead + passionate kiss?! (if there’s still time!!!)

CONGRATS!!!!

sending you all my love!

viti. 🧚🏻🍓💓💓💓💓

kiss me once, then kiss me twice, then kiss me once again || Anthony Bridgerton

Fluff 4: “Marry me... Marry me and always be mine.”

Kiss 2: a kiss on the hand, Kiss 3: a kiss on the forehead, Kiss 12: a passionate kiss.

a/n: I am so sorry it has taken this long for me to get to your request, but thank you so much for taking part <3 word count: 939

warnings: cute, kissing, proposals, a timeline of a relationship of sorts, soft!anthony.

A kiss on the hand

He kisses you on the hand at your first meeting. A simple, short touch of the lips to the back of your hand and he felt forever a changed man.

“How do you do?” Anthony asks in somewhat of a daze.

“I am very well, Lord Bridgerton. And yourself? Are you liking the festivities?”

“I am very well indeed. And one cannot help but enjoy the festivities, especially when they are thrown by a beloved sibling.”

“Of course!” You all but cry, “Your younger sister married the Duke of Hastings not even two years ago. How do they fare?”

“Very well I hear.”

“I am pleased to hear such news,” You smile, and Anthony knows that your remark is genuine. You truly wish his sister and her husband the best and are pleased to hear that they are well. It astounds him; he had not met someone so genuine in so long… it was refreshing.

There’s a lull in conversation, but Anthony wishes to stay by your side. He wishes to stay and ask you any question that comes into his mind; he wants to know of your family, your hobbies, and your favourite book. He wants to know it all, but he can hear his name being called by his brother and with a sad, long sigh he offers his apologies.

It pains him more when you accept them graciously and with a soft smile.

He leaves with another kiss to the back of your hand; the feel of your skin and the scent of your perfume burned into his mind until he can see you again.

A kiss on the forehead

Anthony kisses you on the forehead at tea with his mother. Violet Bridgerton, the Dowager Viscountess, wanted to meet the person who had so readily stolen her eldest son’s heart, and she was more than delighted to see the softer side of Anthony come out when he found you in the drawing room.

Everything in his posture changed; his shoulders relaxed, and his gait grew longer in an effort to get to you quicker. An adoring smile grew on his face; one that grew larger when you smiled in return.

“Darling,” Anthony greets, pressing a lingering kiss to your forehead. “I didn’t know you were here.”

“Your beloved is here to have tea with me, Anthony,” Violet chides, watching her eldest child over the rim of her tea cup.

“Ah,” Anthony breathes, nodding at his mother before turning his attention back to you. “Has the inquisition been too terrible? Will I be able to see you again?”

“Your mother is a delight, Anthony,” You admonish playfully. “You should count yourself extremely fortunate to have been raised by such a woman.”

“I count myself lucky every day, my love.”

Your skin flushes at the endearment and you find yourself glancing over at Anthony’s mother in fear that she may think it all too much for a couple not even engaged. However, as you meet the eyes of the Bridgerton matriarch, you find nothing in them but happiness, love, and acceptance.

After a moment’s silence in which you turn your attention back to Anthony, you find yourself wanting this man more than you have ever wanted anything in your life. To have such a family to support him, to have such morals and virtues and to have such adoration – you couldn’t help the growing yearning in your chest to be brought into such a family.

Anthony’s hand caresses your face; his thumb rubbing gently across your cheekbone. An odd expression overtakes his face, but before you can ask him the matter, it disappears and smile forms in its place. “I shall let you continue you with your morning,” Anthony murmurs. “Can I call on you later today? I was hoping we could promenade.”

“Of course.”

Anthony smiles one last smile, presses another lingering kiss to your forehead before leaving the room altogether.

A passionate kiss

This kiss follows the most important question Anthony could ever ask of anybody. He asks you this question on a Tuesday morning in the moderately sized rose garden behind Bridgerton House.

“Marry me…” Anthony proposes; his love for you poured into such important words. “Marry me and always be mine.”

“How long have I wanted to hear those words?” You whisper, eyes shining with unshed tears as you begin to nod your acceptance. “Yes, I’ll marry you, Anthony.”

He kisses you passionately; every emotion felt for you over the last few months, every word of love uttered between you, every single lingering touch – they are all present within the kiss. Anthony kisses you without restraint; he lets himself fall wholly under your spell, accepting the terms and conditions without giving a single glance to the fine print. He had accepted long ago that he was to only belong to you, and this kiss was proving such a matter.

With every mewl and gasp that falls from your lips and is swallowed by his, Anthony falls further for you. He never thought he would experience love like this; he thought he would marry for the convenience of it, but as his hands wander your back, loosening the ties there, he begins to wonder whether he was a fool from the very beginning to deny himself such a love like this.

Before it gets too far… before he does something that could ruin them, Anthony pulls away. He lingers for a moment; panting lips brushing over yours as you try your best to catch your breath.

“I love you,” He whispers, chest heaving with the effort.

“I love you too.”

[diorkittys]

i love u /p !! ˚୨୧⋆｡

; synopsis - being friends with alex!

; pairing - [ alex jones + reader ] [ platonic ]

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; as soon as you and alex become friends, he’s not going to leave you alone. he hasn’t had a friend in years, so you would be very special to him! <3 (expect clinginess, minus the touching.)

; loves gifting you with little stones and plants he stumbles upon during walks. most of the greenery are weeds that he mistakes for flowers, but you love them just the same!

^ you keep your presents in vases around your house; when alex comes over and sees them, he can’t help but smile.

; you both go to coffee shops together daily. it’s always sometime early in the afternoon that you pick alex up and drive to the nearest one. you order your coffee and alex orders one of the refresher drinks—loves pink drinks the most.

; sends you “good morning!” and “good night!” texts almost everyday (has one of those blackberry phones too—not supposed to use it unless for emergencies).

^ you always wake up and get ready for bed with a smile—alex enjoys it just as much. <3

; actually loves hearing you talk about your interests! he never fully understands them, but he just loves hearing you get all excited over things you like. he doesn’t have many interests; it’s almost like you make up for that.

; you buy him cute, little cars from cvs and walmart as gifts. alex always gets visibly happy when he hears you say ‘i got you a present!’ and reveal a new, plastic car for his collection.

; he absolutely loves floral shops! overjoyed when he gets to be surrounded by the variety of colors, taking in the pretty smells.

^ you take him to them often, sometimes buying a flower of his choice. it’ll most likely die in a week or so, but you only really care about the way his eyes light up on the car ride home, plant in his lap.

; if either of you get upset at one another, it doesn’t last long. you both make up after 30 minutes because you can’t stand being away from each other.

^ most of the time, you two end up on either side of a door, sitting there quietly until you calm down enough to talk.

; he likes aquariums and pointing out different fish like, “what’s that one?”. it’s a back and forth of him asking and you answering—you both enjoy it. this is how alex found out axolotls exist (is now in love with axolotls).

; he doesn’t like being touched that much—although, he has exceptions for you. if he’s curled up in a blanket, he’ll make room for you to join—usually dislikes the close proximity, but it doesn’t bother him when it’s you.

^ if he notices you get cold, he’ll slowly inch close to you. your arms would be barely touching and even then, his layers of clothes block any connection. but it’s the thought that counts!

; you start teaching alex cursive after he saw you write in it one day. ever since then, he’d been infatuated on how pretty the lettering is and was adamant you teach him. (his hands are very shaky and for some reason it makes his writing look prettier.)

; frequent drawing dates occur after every trip to walmart because you always bring home new coloring books—they amuse you both so much. you two just sit somewhere quiet and scribble the papers with crayons, exchanging drawings at the end for the other to see.

^ you brought him a ‘my little pony’ coloring book once and he immediately loved fluttershy. (binge watched the series right after together.)

; you both gift each other with stuffed animals a lot of the time! he noticed, one day, your bed had a few and he started the tradition the day after. he’s not totally obsessed with them, but a present from you means it’s valued by him. <3

; matching socks together! you get a variety pack from the store decorated with cute little animals or fruits and such—surprising him with his own pair.

^ alex actually has a thing for socks; he loves how soft and warm they are. so he’s more than happy to match with you! (gets a big smile on his face when he sees you wearing your pair.)

; you introduce him to your love for cats because he’s not too fond of dogs. instantly falls in love with them—always asking to see yours when he comes over.

; alex doesn’t mind you borrowing his jackets and such. sometimes you just put them on without asking and it’s perfectly normal. (you buy him lots of new jackets—can’t even tell they’re his because you steal them instantly.)

; you both are basically the ‘they asked for no pickles.’ troupe. you being the one who confronts about the pickles, him being the one who asked for no pickles. (this has probably actually happened during your time of knowing him.)

; you and alex are quite literally the best duo out there. no one else can compare. neither of you would want it any other way. <3

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[sohin-ace]

Mista - By the Silvery Moon

Werewolf Mista and his vampire girlfriend.

I wanted some soft spice so I made my own food.

You laid peacefully upon your boyfriend on his bed, bodies pressing deliciously against each other with the odd feeling of your temperature difference.

Somehow, never was it unpleasant for you to snuggle on the overbearing warmth of your favourite wolf and neither was it for him to feel the ice of your skin, refreshing on his furry skin.

It was basically a routine by now. You both could only see each other at night time, and Mista was busy as ever. Loyal as he was to his team he always did his best to be present for them at all times, even though it meant not having as much quality time to spend with his lovely girlfriend as he would like.

Tonight was one of those rare nights. He laid lazily on his bed and you would always come lay on top of him, showering him with affection and his most favourite belly rubs and head pats.

You both stayed in comfortable silence. Sometimes, you'd strike some casual mindless conversations, and it was those small moments that made your nights together so precious. Just being close to each other, regardless of species.

In the mondane vampire society that you belonged in, you'd be damned to not marry a man of your rank and class, and Mista would be equally damned to not mate with a proper omega from his own pack. But both of you couldn't care less for these old out-dated traditions. Nobody hardly followed those strict rules anyways nowadays, except for the most conservative of people.

Who cared if a vampire girl and a werewolf boy had fallen in love? Who would even stop you? You found each other and nothing could ever change that.

You were laying your head on Mista's broad chest and caressed the bits of skin on his exposed stomach, making the male shudder delightfully as he held your small frame flush against him.

He never got tired of rubbing your cold back, wondering how you could live with such skin of ice. He also never got tired of touching your hair, the scent of you even more prominent in it, driving him absolutely crazy.

You carefully lifted yourself up to stare at your lover who looked blankly up into nothing in particular on the ceiling, but instantly shot you a lazy and handsome smile as your eyes met. Gosh, he was so cute.

"Hello beautiful." He playfully called out and you grinned at his uncalled spontaneous cheesiness.

"Hi sexy~" You giggled and you could feel his torso spasm under you with his deep chuckle.

You moved to climb up just enough to get impossibly closer to his face and he let you do as you pleased, spreading his legs wider to ease your access and loosening his strong grip around you.

You looked over him with a fondness that was reserved for him only, and he knew there was nothing else in this eternal world of yours that you looked at with the same adoration in your eyes.

"Woah..." He breathed out through a lopsided grin "Girl, your eyes always make me feel some kind of way, dang... Shooting fucking bullets with those red eyes, somebody arrest you before you kill someone!"

"Oh shush, pup." You teased at his dorkiness and booped his nose. He hated it when you treated him submissively, but he never stopped you either.

"Hey, don't call me that! You freaky bloodsucker." He glared at you.

Ignoring his thoughtless offense you made yourself more comfortable on him, your personal mattress for the night, and proceeded to smooth your hands over his 3-days beard, caressing his cheeks and admiring his chiseled face.

You did remember Bucciarati convincing him to shave more often because of how fast Mista's facial hair grew. Funny advice coming from a Mothman who was half covered in fluff himself.

You had to resist the urge to peck Mista's very inviting lips as you hovered over him, propping yourself on your elbows at each side of his head. As sweet as you looked and as cute as you were in his eyes, the poor werewolf could not be immune to your intimidating and pressuring natural vampiric aura.

It was always a blurry thing, the natural hierarchy of monsters and humans. People fought everyday to make this unfair discrimination and hierarchy disappear, but no one could deny the strong overpowering aura some species had over others without even controlling it. Vampires, demons, sirens, titans among many others. Species that could make anyone else falter underneath them with just one look, one word, one step.

He trusted you with absolution to never do him harm and he was confident in his physical strength and power to counter anything, but truly, the intoxicating anxiety your glowy red eyes could put him through sometimes, prompting him to sweat and tightening his throat...

That was hot as hell.

"Come on..." He murmured more to himself than to you, but seeing his hungry gaze on your blood red lips so close to his, it was more than obvious what he wanted from you.

And you obliged. First, pecking his lips in a million tiny blooming kisses, almost too cutely for his own likings. Your sugary little smooches way too innocent for his current needs.

Fortunately for him, you were quick to catch on, or maybe it was on purpose that you teased him, he couldn't guess. Your shy fluttering pecks soon turned much longer, slower and more languorous with time, much to Mista's appreciation.

He couldn't help his big clawed hands from roaming along your back, eager to having you pressed even harder against him if that was possible, never getting enough of you.

Mista was the vocal type. You knew it wouldn't be long until he started making noises that would either alert the neighbours, or alert the most sensitive bugfolks that would most likely come check the commotion and maybe try to bask in some nice lamp light too while they were at it.

So, before he could ask for more, which he was eagerly expecting, you moved your lips to kiss along the corner of his mouth, to his prickly cheeks, then traveled down to his jaw and neck.

He released a low and animalistic growl at your defiance and lack of cooperation.

"... What do you think you're doing?" He asked lowly, his voice deep and gruff as you showered his neck with some sweet loving.

"Nothing," you muffled against his skin and he shivered from your cold lips and breath on his sensitive skin as you sighed, "You smell so good..."

"You... You wanted blood?" He scoffed and clicked his tongue, "You could have just asked... You damn vampires..." Mista did not hide his disappointment, thinking you'd initiate in some hot make out session only to stop cruelly and feed on him.

That wasn't the case though. You didn't like to use your boyfriend for blood, and surely, it wasn't a procedure you took lightly either.

There were plenty of volunteers for that service anyways, and you preferred the person be both physically and mentally ready for you rather than just randomly partake in some unrequited violent neck biting. You wouldn't waste the short and precious moments with Mista on such trivial and unnecessary reasons.

"No, no, I don't want to draw blood from you. I don't need it, I'll just satisfy myself with your scent." You buried your face deeper into him, taking in the smell of his blood, coming strong, fresh and vibrant under his tan skin of musk. "Plus I wouldn't dare bite you with no preparations. That's unfair."

"You're too cute." Mista snorted and wrapped his long and sturdy arms around you, squeezing you hard and lovingly.

Godamnit, he wanted to be mad at you but you were so adorable and sweet, he couldn't help but feel so lucky and privileged to have you. Not everyone could brag about having such a kind-hearted, hot and brilliant vampire girlfriend.

But he could.

"I love you princess. But really, you can take from me anytime you want. We've talked about this already, cara."

You moved to look back up at him, your gaze soft. "No, it's fine. Not now. For now I want to make the most of the little time we have together before the sunrise."

He laid his head back in contemplation. That was right. You'd have to go back home at least 30 minutes before dawn to prepare for bed without being in danger. Nights were too short and Mista's weeks of work were too long.

"My poor little babe will be blood deprived..." He cooed half jokingly and caressed your soft hair, sympathizing with your struggles.

"It's fine. I get less and less hungry when I smell your delicious, sweet virgin blood."

"Vi-.... VIRGIN?!" He shot up, almost shaking you up, "Who said I was a virgin?!"

You laughed at his outburst and his eyes were horrified and wide as saucers on you as you tried to calm your fit of laughter.

"Hehehe hahaha! I can smell it! It's so obvious! Please keep it that way, it tastes great too. Very nutritious and easy to digest~" You commented, giggling behind your hands.

The poor male blushed, unable to counter attack truthful and straight facts. "Nooo...." he whined, his wolf ears flattening down against his head in defeat.

"Don't be down, amorino." You cooed and gently caressed his face, "You know I'm just teasing~. Let me make it up to you."

And as you said that, you snaked your finger in his curly hair, slowly massaging his scalp and eliciting a groany sigh from the male. That was his biggest weakness, besides you, of course. Gentle head scritches. No werewolf could ever stay indifferent.

Just having your long nails rake so pleasurably along his scalp and dancing around and behind his wolf ears sent him to a pure state of bliss.

"A-ah, Y-Y/N... Aah thanks... Feels g-great hehe..."

"So polite. What a good boy."

Subconsciously, Mista's tail bonked loudly the side of the bed repeatedly with excitement, like a natural response to the praise.

It was cute, you thought, how much he could act like a puppy sometimes. Even though he hated to hear it from you, and rathered appear strong, dominant and protective for you, because he could be just that for you, and keep you safe.

You kissed him again and he instantly caged you back in his arms, planting his claws on your back and shoulders possessively. He was so crazy in love for you and the realization that he'd be gone for another long mission without seeing you hit him suddenly, which prompted him to tighten his legs around your hips and effectively emprisoning you with his limbs.

With his mind filled with thoughts of you only, and feeling your body pressed so delighfully against him, he kissed you even harder, giving you all his passion as he was getting drunk off your ministrations and intoxicating scent, both fruity and metallic.

"Hmph Guido..." You moaned on his lips and he could swear you did it on purpose. "Slow down."

"You're testing my limits babe, I don't like that."

"Hmm... It's 5 A.M." You whined softly between his insistant kisses and love bites.

"So what? I don't see your point. Let me have you." He mumbled huskily and you had to push him down to let yourself speak without interruption.

"I have to go, the sun is about to rise."

He groaned in annoyance and went limp under you, defeated. You chuckled at his reaction and propped yourself back on your hands as he released you.

"Fuck... Already? We barely did anything..." He huffed, beaten by time itself which was stealing his girlfriend away from him.

"We did a lot actually. I fed you, we played games, gossiped a bit and cuddled for like... 2 hours."

"We had a tickle fight too. Can't forget about my victory..." He proudly added before smirking, "... And your cute little noises."

"Shut up!" You slapped his arm as you sat up. Oh no, he was going to rub it in again, you knew it.

"Kyaaaah~ stop it! Guido not there aaaah~! AAAAAHHH~" He obnoxiously wailed and moaned exaggeratedly with an awful girly voice.

"SHUT UP! I didn't even say that! I don't even sound like that! You're gross!"

After a few more, well-deserved slaps from you and a fit of laughter from him, you eventually got off of the boy and fixed your clothes, walking away from the bed as he joined you.

"Aww but really babe," He wrapped his long arms around your waist from behind and buried his nose in your hair "I'll miss you..."

"It's okay sweetheart," You craned your neck and reached behind you to hold his face, "5 days fly by fast. And Bruno is kind, he'll give you a vacation if you ask him nicely."

Mista sighed, nuzzling into your hand and relishing in your soft hold. He was probably being dramatic in your eyes, acting like each day was the last one, but he wasn't completely wrong. His work field was more dangerous than he'd ever let you know, and even if you did know, he was well aware that you weren't even close to being afraid of death as he was. Vampires were immortal, after all, werewolves were not.

"Guido..." You called out, voice careful and airy.

"Hmm?"

"Don't be scared."

The male pulled away from you and stared at you with wide eyes. Scared? Was your kind really that sensitive to other's emotions?

His heart raced and he stuttered. "Huh? What- How did you-"

"I can smell it Guido, your hormones are strong." You turned to face him and grabbed his huge clawed hands in your ice cold ones, looking tenderly into his eyes. "You know I would never let you die."

Mista gulped. You knew. Of course you'd have guessed, you were so perceptive. He was dense to believe he could hide anything from you. There was nothing he could say when you read him like an open book and pinned him into place with your confident stance and fierce eyes.

"I..." He huffed heavily, avoiding your gaze "I can never be sure, Y/N. I didn't tell you everything about my work...."

"I know." You brought his hands up to your face and pressed a gentle kiss on his knuckles, his fur soft against your lips. "But don't forget my abilities. I'll turn you into a vampire without hesitation if anything were to happen. If I'm not here, Giorno will do it, we've already established this."

Mista's eyes widened at this revelation. You talked with Giorno? Even though the blonde was only half-vampire, he did have strong healing abilities, but the werewolf wouldn't have expected the vampires would ever work together to actually revive any of the team members in worst case scenarios. Thinking about it, it may even have been Bruno's idea.

Mista scoffed, unbelieving. "You sly bastards... You guys know the implications of turning people into hybrids, right?"

"I don't care. I want you safe and to stop worrying." You smiled and pulled him closer to you. "We'll talk about this later. Now kiss me."

Pushing his worry and melancholy to the side, the male obeyed and bent down to capture your lips hungrily again, hugging you almost uncomfortably hard. Mista wasn't really one to hold back much, and only you could either handle him, or put him back to place.

"Get home safe babe. Call me when you arrive." He murmured, still craddling your face close and you matched his whispers.

"Will do. Sleep tight, cuore mio."

Not quite wanting to separate from each other, you hesitated to move and had to use all your willpower to actually start walking towards the window, Mista still holding your hand and following close behind.

He opened the window for you and helped you hop on the frame, the moonlight long gone to leave space for dawn.

You shot one last look to your lover and blew him a kiss, making him grin goofily, "Bye bye Guido."

"Love ya, Y/N."

And with those sweet words, you jumped out the window, only to transform into your bat form and flying off into the early morning sky, your presence and your scent still remaining in Mista's room, on his skin and on his clothes.

Certainly, he had nothing to worry about.

[passionate-hedgehog]

Impasse pt 2

Impasse is a 3-part series revolving around Reader entering society in Regency-Era London. Completely inspired by me binging the entirety of Bridgerton in less than 24 hours, Impasse will end with either Duke Damien Haas x Reader, or Courtney Miller x Reader.

Pt 2.

Pairings: Eventual Damien Haas x Reader, Eventual Courtney Miller x Reader

Warnings: None

Word: 2187

A/N: I know that my masterlist links arent working. If you try to use it, and things dont go where you want them to take you...well...I warned you. I’m turning this into a 4 part fic. There’s no way I can comfortably fit what I want into 3 separate sections. Part 3 will be out when this hits 15 notes! Thank you to everyone that liked and interacted with the first part. And thank you to the fans of my toher works. I love all of you omg. Enjoy ♥

Chapter Summary: The social Season has officially begun. Deals are being made amongst friends and old flames are fanning. Will there be any sparks igniting as well?

“What do you suspect he wants to talk about?” After the morning activities with Lord Haas in the drawing-room, Y/n and her handmaid found themselves busy with average daily activities.  

Caroline’s expression was nonplussed as she stared at the back of Y/n’s head. The women were preparing Y/n for bed. The latter was in her chair as the housemaid brushed through her hair.

“Why must you give me that look every time I open my mouth?”

“Why must such ridiculous things come out of your mouth every time you open it?”

They discovered Shayne in his favorite study, books littering the desk he occupied. Y/n would always ask him when he planned on attending university but the young man tended to reply with something akin to “that’s not for me”. The young woman didn’t understand. She knew how smart her twin was, how clever he could be given the situation. Mayhaps one day he’d see the things he could accomplish.

“To what do I owe this visit?” The fair-haired man asked as his sister sat at the opposite side of his desk. A rather thick tome set open before him while his right hand held a fountain pen to sheets of parchment.

Y/n perched her arms along the length of the armrests and sat comfortably. “I thought I might see what you’re up to. But I find that you’re doing nothing different than normal. When are you going to talk to Father about university?”

Shayne restraint from rolling his eyes visible as he went back to his books, and scratching at the parchment. “When are you going to talk to me about Courtney?”

“What? That has nothing to do with...Shayne. My favorite twin, you could be doing so many more things if you were off to study. Collegiately.”

This caused the young man to sigh. “Y/n-,”

“I’m being serious here, Shayne. You’re in here, every day, reading and writing. It’s almost a different book a week. Sometimes, your nose is in a book about far-off adventures in distant lands and sometimes it’s about the history and tragedies of the lands around us. Look that book right there.” She motioned to the collection of parchment before Shayne. “I gather that one is not Shakespeare. What is it? The history of France?”  

Shayne lowered his head back to the pages before putting his pen back on the parchment, not meeting his sister’s eyes. “Spain, as a matter of fact.”

Y/n held a blank countenance. 

“I’m trying my hand at the Spanish language. Does that quell your curiosity?”

Y/n smirked. “You’re just proving my point.”

“I’ll make you a deal,” The young man laid his fountain pen on the parchment and clasped his hands together before leaning forward. “I’ll talk to Father about university if you read and respond to Courtney’s letter..”

The young woman grumbled and stood up from her chair. “Suddenly, I have a desire for some poetry. Caroline, I’ll be in the library. I’ll call for you if I need you.”

The handmaid nodded from where she stood by the fireplace, her hands clasped in front of her as Y/n walked to the door. “Of course.”

Y/n turned one last glance to her twin before exiting the room and found Caroline in the chair Y/n’s ownself just left. The handmaid was smiling at Shayne as he talked. The rosy tint to Caroline’s cheeks as the man laughed sparked Y/n’s curiosity yet still managed to make her smile. It was cute if she had to be honest. The handmaid had the tendency, lately, to be quieter than usual. While yes, Caroline was well-mannered and modest, it was different when Shayne was around. Had it just been the two women, Caroline could be witty. Y/n enjoyed that in the handmaid. It was refreshing and reminded her of a long-lost friend.

“For Heaven’s sake, Courtney. You’re not even here but you’re still here.” The young woman fiddled with a woven bracelet made from brightly colored twine.

“Y/n?” A voice called from next to her as her hand was on the doorknob to the library.

“Oh, Lord Haas! I did not realize you were here.” Y/n peered behind her companion and to her own left and right, in case she missed any other person.

“It’s just me. And please, call me Damien. We’ve known each other since we were young, back when we had all of our friends amongst us.” The duke gave a gentle pleading look. 

“I was a tad cheeky back then. I wasn’t going to call you by any title.”

Damien cocked an eyebrow and smirked. “You’re still a tad cheeky to this day. Am I wrong?”

Y/n’s matched his smirk before opening the door to the library and making her way inside. A witty remark was caught in her throat when her eyes caught someone standing next to the nearest shelving of books.

“Court-Courtney?” Her hand slipped off of the knob of the door. “What are you doing here?”

The light-haired woman bit her lip. “I wanted to visit. You never responded to any of my letters. I thought...I thought maybe something had happened.”

“You...I can’t...Excuse me.” The young woman turned around in haste and scurried away. She found herself in the empty kitchen trying to breathe through what just happened.

Good going. You’re such a coward.

“I’m such a coward.”

“No, you’re not.” Damien had followed her into the cooking area. He led her to a chair and guided her to sit. “Some refreshment might make it better?”

Y/n watched her old friend as he went about collecting items. She noticed how at ease he seemed going through her icebox and cupboards. How expertly he sliced up fruit. She couldn’t help but notice how handsome he looked in his livery, as well, but there was enough going on inside of her head. Damien approached the table with a modest platter and placed it in the center of the table before he sat himself in a chair across from her.

“I figure that some soft cheese might do some good as well as figs and berries. I hope they comfort you the way they do me.” He had gestured towards the food.

Y/n gave a thankful nod before reaching for a bite. “Thank you, Damien. This means very much to me.”

The man grabbed fig and brie, biting into them. “If you need to talk, I’m all ears. You don’t have to if you don’t want to, of course. But I’m here.”

Y/n fidgeted with a slice of fig fruit. She mentally weighed her options before speaking again. “I haven’t seen Courtney in over a year. We got into an argument...about the things she wanted to do and where she wanted to be in life. I regret it. I regret it every day. I let our relationship ...decay...because I didn’t approve of what she wanted to do.”

“She wanted to work with horses, right? And entertain? That’s where she’s been this whole time?” Damien bit into some brie.

“I was treating her like she was someone like me. Someone that already had their life plans laid out for them. She was able to choose what she wanted in life.”

The young man studied Y/n’s face. “Y/n, were you...jealous that she had such an opportunity to live a dream that you tried burning bridges with her? She was your best friend. That had to be a hard decision to make.”

“It’s about more than that. I’m happy she was able to live how she wanted to...thrilled that she got to work with her passions. But..I wasn’t there with her. She wasn’t with me. It didn’t matter what she was doing...I just wanted it to be with..with me. 

“I had this asinine vision that society would be in a different place by now. That two close friends could...be closer. And that I wouldn’t have to feel like I was left alone for the rest of my life. I see so many friendships for what they could be. The feelings that I’ve had over someone that will never be attainable I see in others. All of the time. Especially while I promenade! And it makes me sad for those yearning and it reminds me of what I can never have.”

There was a moment of silence before Y/n’s eyes widened in the realization of what she had just let out. “Oh my. I-You didn’t hear any of what I just said. Promise me!”

Damien laid a soft hand on Y/n’s arm. “I promise. I had no idea that you had harbored such...persuasions. Not that it’s anything you need to feel sorry about. You can’t help it. Your reactions, for sure, but...not for what you feel.”

“You, Lord Haas, will make someone a fine husband someday. Maybe even sometime soon? It is our season, finally, after all.” Y/n tried to hide her watery eyes behind a coy smirk. “Someone is bound to catch your eye.”

Damien breathed out before responding. “Someone already has, if I’m being honest. But maybe I’m far-reaching more than I originally thought.”

His words seemed to spark a sense of excitement through Y/n. She sat up straight and gripped the edges of the table.

“Who is she? Will you point her out to me while we promenade? No. I have an even better idea; can you introduce her to me at one of the balls?” Y/n was nearly on the edge of her seat. “Damien! This is exciting!”

“It’s not quite that intriguing, I promise you. Especially since nothing can come of it.” The man picked at the fruit on the platter. “But I digress. It seems that you’ve got your own sorting out to do. What are you going to do about callers if Courtney plans on joining in on the festivities this season? She may not come from one of the families but she has enough friends.”

“Then I hope she enjoys herself. For all I know, everything I felt could have been my very own thoughts and not hers. If she’s here to find a match, then let her. If she’s here to have fun, then by all means...I hope she has it. I just hope I can keep my heart to myself this time. I don’t want to get hurt again.”

“Y/n,” The man licked his lips before continuing. “Might I suggest trying to find out what exactly it is that your heart wants before you do anything else with it?”

The young woman topped her fig slice with some brie. “I’m going to pretend that you did not just offer such advice. Who would even think about courting a woman trying to figure out whether or not she wants her story to end with another woman? You slay me, Lord Haas.”

“I’m being entirely serious. Y/n, you could…” Damien seemed to pause before paying very close attention to fiddling with a berry. “We could stop your callers from coming around and maybe I could use a distraction. We could work together.”

“What? Like...you and I? Together together?”

The german-born duke hesitated before taking one of Y/n’s hands into both of his. “We could go to promenade as a match. And then to the balls, And the parties. No one would be the wiser. You could use this time to figure out what it is you truly want. And then who.”

The young woman looked down at their hands, hers fitting inside his the way she suspects other women her age dream of, yet, she wasn’t sure what it did to her. What he offered could very much help her, but what if Courtney got the wrong idea? What if everyone got the wrong idea?

“But what if it went right?”

“Hmm?” Damien asked in confusion.

“Nevermind.” Y/n shook the thoughts from her head. “Damien, I think...you may be on to something. You’re right. I...I don’t know how to be a...a wife to anyone. Let alone a man. And I won’t know until I figure myself out a little bit more. And then if this girl is running through your mind and you firmly believe that you can never court her…”

“Trust in me with this. I always thought she was someone I could never hope to marry, far too good for me in so many ways. But...maybe this will help me to see who else is out there. Maybe I’ll find my perfect match. And if we come out as a couple, it’ll provide good reason for the other men to leave you alone.”

“Too bad they just don’t leave me alone as is.”

“I believe Olivia said the same thing after she met Sam.”

“Heavens, that was a riot.” Y/n lifted her pinky to solidify the agreement with her friend. “Lord Damien Haas, I believe we might have ourselves a deal.”

[ga-yuu]

'Lust of lovers in the summer' Story Event~Morinaga Route

(It's hot again today....)

I walk in the sunshine, wiping the sweat off my face.

But despite the heat, joyful voices could be heard from all over the town.

Merchant 1: "It's almost the summer festival, isn't it? Morinaga-san and his friends are going to do something, aren't they? Have you heard the details?"

Merchant 2: "No, not at all. But it’ll be fun with that man leading the way."

Merchant 3: "Yes. I wonder, what's in store for us?"

(As expected of Morinaga-san..... Everyone is hyped.)

In order to liven up the town of Kamakura, which is suffering from the extreme heat, the samurai of Kamakura decided to hold a summer festival.

Morinaga-san was appointed by Yoritomo-sama to take charge of this.

He is now working with his men in one part of the town to prepare for the festival.

(I can only help by bringing some refreshments, but I hope the festival is a success.)

....................

(Oh, I think this is the workshop.)

It looks like they have just stepped out onto the back of the stage, which is being assembled.

Yoshino: "Um, hello. I've brought you some----"

Morinaga: "Oh hey, Yoshino. Come here."

(Ha!!!..... Half-naked Morinaga-san!)

His exposed, water-soaked upper body is a sight to behold.

Morinaga: "Oh, sorry about this. I was just taking a dip in the water because I was sweating at work."

Morinaga-san approached me looking like that.

Yoshino: "Erm....where are the others?"

Morinaga: "We decided to take a break a while ago."

Yoshino: "Um, Morinaga-san...if you could...wear your kimono back on...?"

Morinaga: "Why? You have already seen me like this last night. Are still embarrassed? No wait,.....You're embarrassed because you saw me like this last night, isn't it?"

Morinaga-san bent down lightly and looked into my eyes, and my cheeks heated up.

Yoshino: "Nn..Don't tease me....."

Morinaga: "Sorry, I must have hit the nail on the head."

Morinaga-san's smile deepens as I look away, unable to bear my embarrassment.

Morinaga: "You're so cute."

He looked at me with his sweet, lechery eyes and my heart clenched.

(But....I'm at the mercy of Morinaga-san all the time.)

I have only recently fallen in love with him, and I am swept away by the little antics of the more mature Morinaga-san.

Morinaga: "There's nothing wrong in having a shy face, but it's lonely when you look away so much."

Taking both my hands, Morinaga-san let me hook them around his neck, wondering what I was thinking.

(Wh-Whaa...this position?)

Morinaga: "You looked me right in the eye last night, didn't you? It was lovely to see you begging for it, .....but I don't think I'll see it again today."

Yoshino: "Mm...."

A thick-skinned finger flicked my lips, causing a slight sensation of pleasure.

Morinaga-san's face comes to me as if he was enjoying seeing me blushing....

We kissed,....a soft tongue crept through the opening to gently pamper my mouth.

Yoshino: "Hmm....ah..."

Morinaga: "At last a voice that sounds familiar..."

(Mm....I don't know, but it's like he's trying to revive the last night's memories...)

Morinaga-san embraces my waist with his big hands and melts me with his mouth.

In between, his hands start to trace my legs from my waist, reminding me of how he touched me last night.

From my toes to my head, I felt a sweet sensation that sent shivers down my spine.

Yoshino: "Haa.....No, Morinaga-san. Someone...might see us...."

Morinaga: "How can I stop, when you make that lovely face? You're such a sly, first, you make that face, and then you won't even let me play."

Yoshino: "What do....you mean by 'play'?"

Morinaga: "Play with you, of course."

Yoshino: "No. Not now....!"

I shouted and pressed the package against his chest and Morinaga-san chuckled.

Yoshino: "Are you teasing me....?"

Morinaga: "No,..... it's just that you're so comfortable with me that I got carried away."

(.....Mm)

A gentle but dangerous flame of greed burned in his eyes, which were drawn back by a pleasant smile.

As soon as I realized this, we kissed again.

Samurai 1: "Morinaga-sama! We're back!"

(.....!?)

Samurai 1: "Huh, I don't see Morinaga-sama."

Samurai 2: "Maybe he had gone somewhere?"

(Everyone is back....!)

A voice from the other side of the stage made me instantly impatient.

They are nice people who are happy to see us together, but there is no way I can show them this.

Yoshino: "Morinaga-san, they are all here. Let go now...."

I try to pull away, but the hand on my hip doesn't budge.

Morinaga: "Heh, are you sure you wanna go in front of other men with that face?"

Yoshino: "Mm....."

The back of his fingers brushed my cheek, kindling another sweet tingle.

Morinaga: "Teary eyes, blushing face.... I'm the only one allowed to see you like this. Isn't that right?"

Yoshino: ".....Y-Yes..."

Morinaga: "Yeah, good girl."

Satisfied with my reply, Morinaga-san comes closer and rubs the tip of our noses together....

When I had my fill of hidden kisses, the package I had to deliver was gently taken away.

Morinaga: "I'll deliver this. If they see you right now, I'll be jealous. Thank you, and be careful on your way back."

Yoshino: "Ah....."

(---Let's run.)

Even my breath is hot and I feel a little embarrassed again.

(Alas! What a sly person.......... who only makes me throb.)

.................

One day after that-----

Merchant 1: "Did you hear? There's going to be a big raffle at the festival, and everyone gets to draw once."

(Heh, I see.)

I came to the town to sell medicine and listened to the voices I heard.

But then----

Merchant 1: "And the raffle! The first prize is the right to have one wish granted by Morinaga-sama."

(Ehh?)

Merchant 2: "Is that so? Well, then we'll have our roof repaired."

Kids: "We want Morinaga-san to play with us!"

Merchant 3: "Hmmm, maybe I'll have a lesson in the art of gambling then."

(Hehe. There are many kinds of wishes.)

I smile as people talk happily about the festival.

Woman: "Really!, then, that I should invite Morinaga-sama on a date."

(....!?)

Merchant 1: "Well, maybe you will surely get your way with him! Now we'll all be participating in the raffle anyway!"

(No no no no.....whaa?)

I could no longer listen to their excited laughter with any sense of calm.

(Is it possible that Morinaga-san will go on a date with other women....?)

....................

Morinaga: "Ohhh, so I'm the prize. I've been a winner but never been a prize before."

Yoshino: "What do you mean, you didn't know?"

When I asked him about it after returning to the Imperial Palace, he gave me a very relaxed response.

Kagetoki: "You're very popular with people. It's going to be a lot of fun, isn't it?"

Morinaga: "I'm not sure if that was your idea, Kagetoki, I don't mind, though. But at the very least, you should have informed me about this. Yoritomo-sama, entrust this to me, you know?"

Kagetoki: "It's not going to change anything. It's up to you to make it happen."

Morinaga: "That's true."

As Morinaga-san pondered this, my concern deepened.

(.....I'm sure it's a good event, as the aim is to provide fun for the people of the town.)

(But what if Morinaga-san goes on to date with the person who drew the first prize...!)

...................

After Morinaga-san and Kagetoki-san had gone, I gave a small shrug of my shoulders.

(I don't want Morinaga-san to go on a date with....any other woman.)

Shigehira: "Yoshino-san, what are you doing here?"

Yoshino: "! Shigehira-kun."

When I expressed my concerns to Shigehira-kun, who said he would listen to me, he looked at me in dismay.

Shigehira: "Oh, dear! That's what you're worried about?"

Yoshino: "Yeah!"

Shigehira: "It's certainly possible that a woman with such hopes could win first prize."

(Mmmmm....)

Shigehira: "But I don't think he's going to take it very well with you around. I think you should talk to him directly, not me."

Shigehira: "----You guys are in love, right?"

Yoshino: "....! Thank you, Shigehira-kun."

(It's nice to have straightforward encouragement at a time like this.)

(Okay. Let's talk to Morinaga-san about this later.)

.................

But Morinaga-san was always busy, and time went by without him having a chance.

(Hmmm, what to do....)

The day before the festival, I was returning from the city to the palace with a troubled mind.

(Oh, I can hear some voices....)

(Morinaga-san must be rehearsing for his festival.)

I stopped to look around and a shrine happened to catch my eye.

(I'm not sure if I'll be able to see him today... can I ask God for help?)

I put my hands together, closed my eyes, and breathe.

(I have one wish....-----)

(May I win the first prize in tomorrow’s raffle!)

Morinaga: "You look very serious. Is something bothering you?"

Yoshino: "Ah, Morinaga-san.....!?"

Morinaga: "Hey. It's been a while since I've seen our face properly."

I looked up at the familiar voice and saw Morinaga-san standing right next to me.

Yoshino: "What are you doing here? I thought you were practicing?"

Morinaga: "Right. We were just about to wrap up. I was just about to join you. But what's wrong with you? It seems like you're asking God for help."

(Okay....there's no better opportunity than now.)

Yoshino: "Morinaga-san, I have something to talk about. Can I have some of your time?"

Morinaga: "Talk? About what?"

Yoshino: "If it's a bother then----"

Morinaga: "Not at all. You're always welcome to talk to me. Then come to my house tonight. It's been a while since we've spent any time together."

Yoshino: "Yes....!"

(I only got my promise. Thank you god.)

.........

Thus, I was invited to visit Morinaga-san in his room....

I went to the house at a time when the practice would be over and was immediately shown into Morinaga-san's room.

(Hmm. I don't think he's home yet....)

I relaxed my shoulders and looked around.

As I was wondering how I was going to start the conversation----

I heard someone's footsteps walking towards me.

Morinaga: "Here you are. Have I kept you waiting long?"

(Ah.....!)

Yoshino: "No, I just arrived...."

No sooner had I said this than Morinaga-san sat down in front of me.

Morinaga: "Come here."

(Ehh!)

He lifts me up by my waist and placed me on his lap.

Morinaga: "What do you wanna talk about? Let me hear it."

(Like this....!?)

This position, straddling on Morinaga-san's lap and resting my weight on them is too embarrassing.

But the hands that pulled me down to my waist wouldn’t allow me to move away.

Morinaga: "I'm getting a bit tired after all the work we've been doing for the festival. It wouldn't hurt to get a little energy from my own little girl for a night, would it?"

(That's a little.....)

My heart fluttered as I realized that the eyes staring at me had long since reached a fever pitch.

Morinaga: "Hey, can I kiss you?"

Yoshino: "....... Yes."

His slightly rough, masculine lips press softly against mine.

(Mm.....)

I haven't had the sensation of a moist, repeated kiss for days.

The feeling makes us breathless, and we lose ourselves in each other.

(Oh, my hands....)

I felt a gentle nudge of the leg that had been straddling my thigh, and the pit of my stomach slowly....melted.

The finger that entered through the hem of the kimono traced up my inner thigh as if it had seen through it.

(Ah-----no!)

I wondered at his hand, which had stopped just before touching my fragile part, and met his eyes, which narrowed happily.

Morinaga: "...I think I'd better go on from here after I've heard all your troubles. What's the matter?"

(Ngh....)

Yoshino: "Not fair....Morinaga-san..."

(You stopped it on purpose....!)

I looked at Morinaga-san, in tears and he smiles back at me.

Morinaga: "Don't get me wrong. You see, if I don't ask you now, I won't have the chance to ask later."

(Hm...Mm....)

The hand that had been touching my waist, started stroking lovingly, and I couldn't help but rock my hips unintentionally.

Yoshino: "This is....embarrassing..."

Morinaga: "Well then...

(Oh, I'm still at his mercy....)

Embarrassed, I finally gave up.

I started talking about how I was worried after hearing that anyone could be the winner in the raffle, and the winner could ask on a date with Morinaga-san.

I also revealed that I asked God to let me win the first prize.

Morinaga: "You're really cute."

Yoshino:"...Don't laugh."

Morinaga: "I'm not teasing you. I'm just really happy."

Morinaga-san stroked my cheek and my eyes softened....

Morinaga: "But Yoshino, in such case, you should turn to me, not to God. Because it's my job, not anyone's, to grant your request."

(Morinaga-san....)

Morinaga: "And don't worry. If someone asks me to do something like that, I'll let him off with a no. I know it's a bit unfair, but I'm not saying I'll not do anything. I've already got the most important woman in the world, it's only natural, right?"

(Nn....)

The sweetness of his voice as he says it gently makes my heart tighten.

Yoshino: "So I'm the only one who can go out with Morinaga-an, right....?"

Morinaga: "Of course. And going on a date... You're the only person I'd want to do these kinds of things with."

I repeated his words in a low voice and hugged Morinaga-san, tightly.

(That's great.... I told Morinaga-san and in no time I had nothing but happy feelings.)

Morinaga: "...Did I reassure you a little?"

Yoshino: "Yes, thank you! This way, even if I don't win the first prize I won't be jealous of anyone else. Maybe I won't even have to draw lots at all."

Morinaga: "You're of those people who lives in Kamakura, so you have the right to draw. The pride of the Kamakura Shogunate, it's the best thing that's happened all summer. Come and try it for yourself."

Yoshino: "Sure. I'll try it to test out my luck."

I replied with a smile-- and Morinaga-san suddenly looked into my eyes.

Morinaga: "....Yoshino. What do you want me to do if you win the first prize? What's your wish?"

Yoshino: "Well....I'd like to enjoy our time together. Morinaga-san, you're always surrounded by so many people. So I will ask you to let me have you all to myself."

Morinaga-san laughed aloud.

Morinaga: "I hope you’ll really wish that when you win."

...............

On the day of the festival---

(Wow, what a busy street.)

The town, decorated with festive decorations, was crowded with spectators.

On a special stage, Morinaga-san and his friends were just finishing their performance.

Samurai 1: "Ah! Morinaga-sama, Yoshino-san is here."

Yoshino: "Morinaga-san, Thank you for your hard work."

Morinaga: "Yeah.....!"

Looking back at him, Morinaga-san's eyes widened and then he immediately smiled.

Morinaga: "My god, you tied your hair up today. It's nice and cool. It suits you. Oh, by the way, did you draw the raffle? It's about to close."

Yoshino: "About that...."

Samurai 2: "You're just in time. Go on, take one."

When I picked up one from the raffle boxes offered to me, I was a little nervous.

(But I'm fine.)

I looked up at Morinaga-san and his kind, narrowed eyes reassured me.

Samurai 1: “Um.... Actually, we’re sorry.”

Yoshino: “Huh? What for?”

Surprised by the sudden apology, a few of the people swept their eyes apologetically.

Samurai 1: “We were there when Morinaga-sama was planned to be the first prize for the raffle.”

Samurai 2: “Later we realized that if a woman who liked Morinaga-sama drew the first prize, what would she wish for.... You guys have just recently started dating, and we should have stopped them.”

Samurai 3: “But this one time we couldn’t. But we support Morinaga-sama and Yoshino-san from the bottom of our hearts!”

(Eh)

Standing next to me, Morinaga-san laughs out loud,

Morinaga: “Thank you for worrying about me. But that’s okay. I’ve already talked to Yoshino about it, right?”

Yoshino: “Yes!”

Samurai: “! What.....”

Morinaga-san and I chuckled, though we apologized for the puzzled looks on everyone’s faces.

Morinaga: “Well, I’d better get ready for the result announcement. Will you come to see the results?”

Yoshino: “Yes! I want to see if I win the first prize!”

Morinaga: “I’m looking forward to it too. Win the first prize and keep me to yourself.”

As the sun went down, the excitement of the festival covered the town of Kamakura.

Morinaga: “Well, here we go! It’s time for the Kamakura summer lottery, which our main attraction.”

(Finally....!)

The festival site was the most exciting place of the day.

Thanks to the support of the Shogunate, the prizes are all very generous.

(We all want to be challenged, don’t we?)

Many people who have won the raffle were happy with their prizes, while some were disappointed.

The tension and excitement grew with each successive announcement of the third and second prizes.

Morinaga: “And now, for the most awaited one! The first prize! I’ll grant the person who wins first prize, one wish. You can ask me any favor you want...-----”

Premium END // Epilogue

I loved it! I loved every bit of this story. So who do you think will win? Will it be Yoshino? or some random woman? or a kid? or Yoritomo-sama?.....you’re all free to guess.

[sope-and-shine]

-> Pairing: Loki!Yoongi x Pregnant!Wife!Reader -> SFW // Fluff // Marvel Universe  -> Word Count: 2.1k  -> Summary: Cute fluff with your husband, Prince Yoongi of Asgard -> Warning(s): Minor minor minor spoiler for Thor, the story at the beginning is a bit graphic as it describes how the cosmos were made from a giant.

A/N: This is my 3rd idea for a Loki!Yoongi oneshot. I blame no one but Tom Hiddleston for this sudden urge to write about Loki!

The story at the beginning is also not mine. Obviously, it’s Norse mythology. I took the short excerpt straight from this website:  

Source: https://norse-mythology.org/tales/norse-creation-myth/

Also, a big thank you to the loml @multycoloredtaco​ for reading over this! 💕

* * *

In a quiet corner at the front of the palace library is a window bench covered with a large red cushion and throw pillows in various patterns of red and gold. You sit just under the stained glass window with a pillow behind your back against the wall, another pillow under your knees to prop them up, and a large book resting atop of your swollen belly. The sun peeking through the glass leaves colorful rays over your text, adding a pop of color as you read.

“-So, Odin and his brothers slew Ymir and set about constructing the world from his corpse. They fashioned the oceans from his blood, the soil from his skin and muscles, vegetation from his hair, clouds from his brains, and the sky from his skull.” You read aloud. You’ve always held an interest in the creation of the cosmos and Asgard’s history. It fascinated you to no end, and you could spend hours upon hours reading and rereading the legends from battles long ago. It’s a wonder to all that you don’t already know them all by heart.

You take a moment to turn the page, “A fine tale if I do say so myself.” 

Before you can continue your reading, two small kicks just under the left side of your book draw your attention, “Ouch! Could you stop that?” You ask. All morning the rascals inside of you had done nothing but kick and move. You’ve tried eating, walking around the palace, and even stretching as your healer suggested, but you’re always met with nothing but soft kicks. 

When another pair of feet on the opposite side of the first join in the kicking, you let out a sigh, “Well, you both can tell each other a story if you don’t like it!” This earns you more kicks in response. You’d always thought talking to your children was a silly thought, that they couldn’t truly hear you or understand you. But this was the easiest you’ve ever been convinced to believe an old wives tale.

“I swear, one of you better take after me.” You mumble, resting the hands that held your book on top of your stomach to gently rub away the small aches. Your husband was a wonderful role model and would no doubt teach them what it means to respect others and be respected, but his childish tendencies and smug demeanor could poke at your nerves at the wrong time. Just as the incessant kicking of your unborn children were beginning to drive you up a wall.

The door to the palace library opens with a creak, alerting you to a new intruder. You turn to see his slightly tousled black hair move past the door, long green cape billowing behind him as he walks towards the center of the room completely missing your presence.

“Sweetheart, are you in here?” Yoongi calls. He looks through the rows of shelves beside him, completely ignoring your stare from the very visible corner. It was funny to think how such an observant man could easily lose track of you. Especially nowadays.

“Over here! In the corner!” You call out to your husband. He turns on his heel, revealing a pair of black pants with a dark green shirt. He breaks into his beautiful gummy smile that you love so much as he comes towards you. You’ve always known that if you could only have one view for the rest of your life, then a vision like the one before you was all you’d ever need. When he’s within a few feet of your bench you slightly tilt your book towards you, “I’m just doing some light reading.”

“Your version of light or mine?” He asks, taking a seat next to you on the bench.

“Very funny, Yoongi.” You nudge his arm with your own and he feigns hurt, causing you to giggle at his playfulness. You stretch your arms out in front of you and leave the to rest on top of your book, “Tell me, what have I done for the Prince of Asgard to grace me with his presence at such an hour?”

“Well, if you must know then you’ll have to come with me.” He goes to take the book away from you and you pull it towards your chest in a hurry, “But my reading time!”

“I apologize, I didn’t realize 3 in the afternoon was such an inconvenient time.” He teases, pulling his hands away to hold them up in mock surrender.

You pout, “It’s for your children...” 

You rest the book in the position you had it before you were interrupted to continue your reading, childishly avoiding his gaze while doing so. He is not so easily swayed, however, as one of his hands comes to rest over your own. You can feel him lean in next to you, placing a feather light kiss to your temple, “It can wait just an hour, dear.”

If there was one thing Yoongi knew about women that his brother didn’t know, it was how to deal with an angry woman. Of course, he enjoys riling people up at the most inconvenient of times, but he knew when enough was enough. Riling you up was a favorite pass time of his before you’d become pregnant. Now, he settles for small quips that most likely won’t leave him frozen to the floor thanks to your own powers and shortened temper.

You sigh in content, allowing your eyes to close, “Be grateful that I am your wife, or I would curse you until you went away.”

“I’ll do my best to keep that in mind.” He laughs. He takes the book from your lap and places it open at the end of your bench, turning back to offer an open hand to you, “Now, shall we?”

You accept his open hand and allow him to help you stand from the bench, one hand coming to rest at your waist while the other holds your hand to guide you out of the library. This action alone was one most of the palace was still becoming accustomed to. It wasn’t that he’d never enjoyed public affection, but he’d become more and more attentive to your needs as your pregnancy has progressed. Holding hands, calming hugs, and even kisses that most would keep secret had become a normal for the two of you to express openly. If you had asked him to even blow a kiss to you 6 months ago he would have laughed in your face and called you cute - if only that Yoongi could see himself now.

You pass by the occasional palace worker as you walk through the corridor, offering a small nod and simple “good afternoon” on your way to the mysterious destination. It is a surprise when you begin to realize where he’s taking you.

“Why have you brought me to the nursery? And why is it being guarded while no one resides there?” You ask as you come to a stop, staring in confusion at the two guards in front of the doors.

“It’s very important that nothing happens to this room, sweetheart. Why don’t we open the doors and you can find out why?” His smile is so bright you think for a moment he’s actually the sun in disguise the way he beams with pure joy. 

He motions to the men guarding the doors to open them, and as soon as there’s just a crack of space between them you’re met with the refreshing smell of lavender waving through the air. It draws you closer to the doors as they open, and ignites further excitement and sheer joy when you finally see the interior has changed since you’d last seen the room. 

The once plain white walls were now a beautiful yellow, resembling the petals of the sunflowers that bloom in the palace garden. At every window, forest green drapes hang pulled to the side to let in the light. Matching sets of dressers, bookshelves, and chests rest on opposite walls from each other on the sides of the room. A large, circular brown rug rests in the center of the room with two over-sized bassinets resting on opposite sides of the other and a lone rocking chair at the very center between the two. 

When you’d first been given a room for the new family members, you had only asked that they put beds in the room as they would be sleeping in your room for the first few months. You hadn’t felt there was a need to waste time with more cribs or toys when they weren’t truly needed. But this...it was more than you ever dreamed you would have.

“Yoongi...” You’re left completely speechless, unsure of what to say. Though it would seem Yoongi takes your lack of speech as a bad sign.

 He moves in front of you with his back turned to the room, walking backwards with his hands held out almost as if he wishes to calm you, “Now, I know the healers said we’d have one of each but I didn’t want to get in over my head just in case-!”

“Yoongi-” You try to reassure him, but the man has already turned away from you to pick up something he’d placed in one of the beds.

He pulls out a blanket as white as snow and holds it up for you to see it in its entirety, “And I know you said you wanted everything to be perfect for them when they were ready to sleep in here-”

“Yoongi-” 

The poor man continues on his rant while refolding the blanket he’d picked up in a haste, “Of course they’ll be in our room for the first few months. Maybe a year. How long until they have to have their own rooms?” He asks, turning to find you standing right in front of him with the blanket still in hand.

“Yoongi!” You take the fluffy blanket from his hands and lay it in the bed he’d taken it from, turning back to gently take his hands in your own. You smile, “I love it.”

“Good...good.” He lets out a breath, one he hadn’t even noticed he’d been holding since he went off on his tangent.

“I know you’re nervous about becoming a father, especially now that you’ve stepped in for Odin while he rests and Jeongguk is still banished to Midgard-” You see his face twitch and you stop. So much in so little time had changed and it must be now that he’s finally noticed. You realize that his sudden displays of physical affection may not just be for you. You drop your original thought and reach up around his neck to pull your husband into a much needed hug, “You make a fine leader, Yoongi. You’ll make an ever better father.”

Yoongi sighs, pulling you as close as he can with your bump in the way, “I just want to ensure that our family will be well taken care of.”

“We are~” You chuckle at his sudden anxiety and pull away. He’s never been one to truly be nervous for anything, and now he was becoming scatterbrained! You reach and gently cup his cheek, with a teasing smile, “You worry too much, you’ll get wrinkles.”

You watch as his calm exterior falters with an unamused frown, “Wrinkles are not my current concern.”

You tilt your head and turn your attention to the hairs that have fallen out of place on his head, “They should be.” 

“I-” You turn your attention back to him, pausing the attention you were giving to his hair. He looked as though he wanted to say something, like something was on the tip of his tongue and he wanted to spit it out and just tell you but he couldn’t. Your brows furrow in concern and he sighs. He averts his eyes to the space between you, “I’ve made plans for a few...small changes.”

Both of your hands make their way to his cheeks this time. Only this time your gentle smile is replaced with a serious look, “Yoongi, whatever you do will be for the better of Asgard. I have faith in that and you should too!”

He smiles, “I’ll try.” 

“My King, the universe is in your favor~” You wrap him in another hug, this one tighter than your last with a hand entangled in his hair.

“I hope it works in our favor as well.” His hold on you tightens as well. Only this time is in hopes that you never find out what he’s done and intends to do to win his father’s favor.

[bulletproofscales]

Could you do a Yoonseok fic where they are uni teachers and they teach in the same room? Like when Yoongi's class finishes, Hoseok's class comes in after and Yoongi has a bad habit of overstaying to get a glimpse of the other cute teacher and they just end up falling in love somehow?

– hello!! i dont know why i had such a hard time writting this request???? like its simple its cute, its lovely. i just struggled so much to find a direction to take it form. so i really hope this fufilled your vision it came out supper fluffy!! i didnt make it feederism because the pormpt didnt specify, theres like hints to a chubby yoongi if you squint . anyways enjoy!!!

3.8k words

https://archiveofourown.org/works/30115707

Yoongi loves literature. 

He’d go as far to say, literature is his favorite thing in the world. 

No, he hasn’t read fiction since he was in highschool, and he hasn’t read fiction voluntarily ever.

What’s that got to do with anything?

When the university offered Yoongi this job as the professor in Thermodynamics, they had assured him his schedule wouldn’t clash with the other Calc II classes he gave during the week; always with a break in between. Which meant, the professor always has at least 2 hours in between his classes to use for research purposes. 

Yes… Research purposes. 

LIsten he hadn’t meant for it to get this far. Yoongi had only curiously stayed as he saw the new professor who was replacing the old lady who gave World Contemporary Literature after his class. The man looked young, about his age, delicate complexion, angelic face. 

His name is Jung Hoseok, and Yoongi had only talked to him for a couple of minutes, welcoming him to the university before leaving for his office. Though he was later very frustrated to find out, he could barely get any work done with his mind playing unhelpful reruns of his exchange with professor Hoseok. The most reasonable thing would be to try and not cross paths with him again for the sake of his investigation, right?

Yoongi is not nearly as strong-willed as he needs to be to accomplish that. 

In fact his time at the World Contemporary Literature class, only prolonged after that encounter. Waiting until the class was full to make his leave, or sometimes waiting until Hoseok started the class, or sometimes even staying for a bit at the front row before leaving. By now, his two bi-weekly classes of Contemporary Literature had become part of his routine. Staying at the back of the class where he admired the young man, as he walked around giving the class diligently; impressively capturing a large number of students who were now actively interested in it. 

Yoongi had been captured, in a different way. 

“You’re staying over this class too?” Hoseok’s voice is soft spoken, not upset but just lightly accusatory. It’s been weeks, of course he noticed Yoongi staying over every single class. And as startled as Yoongi is, he still considers himself lucky that the professor doesn’t sound annoyed. 

“I just–I really…” Think Yoongi, think of anything. “I’ve just really been trying to get into literature.” He manages to smile softly through his lie. And it seems to work, because Hoseok’s expression is widening and then grinning in excitement. 

“Who would have thought!” He beams cheerfully. “Well you’re free to come as many times as you want. Though I might have to start testing you along with the rest of my students?” Hoseok jokes, or at least Yoongi hopes he is joking. He just laughs it off and goes to his usual seat in the back, where he will be doing nothing except staring as professor Hoseok gave his class; without actually registering anything that’s being said. 

Lucky for Yoongi, the test never comes. But him and the literature professor grow closer, Hoseok starts inviting him out to have their lunch break together; since he knows for a fact Yoongi gave his class first thing in the morning and then stayed until near noon in Hoseok’s lecture. And just like had accepted defeat before, the older agrees without a second doubt.

In comparison to his typical lunches stuffed in the Sociology department with Namjoon and Seokjin, those bi-weekly 40 minutes he spends with Hoseok are… so refreshing. He remembers fearing that the literature professor would ask Yoongi what he thought of the class, but that wasn’t the case at all. 

Long forgotten were his heated debates about deeply rooted issues within humanity over lunch. Now Yoongi couldn’t wait until it was wednesday or friday, and he could just converse with Hoseok. Of course it started out like it typically would, professors talk, complaining about students, complaining about their superiors, how they got into teaching. But somehow Hoseok deemed him worthy, and just opened himself up for Yoongi. Nothing too dramatic, but the engineering professor found himself walking down the campus and being able to register what Hoseok’s favorite sitting spot was, under what specific tree; because he had told him. Or pushed himself to get weird stares by his colleagues for grabbing one donut too many because he recognized the strawberry filling ones that were Hoseok’s all time favorites and was considering dropping them off to him. 

It had been half a year, and by now, Yoongi could say he had opened up to Hoseok as well. He was more than happy to take his role as a listener to everything the younger had to say. As useless as it was, Yoongi would soak it up even when he didn’t mean to; and he had come to accept that. But, Hoseok didnt let it happen, always attentive, always considerate; asking Yoongi’s input into anything their conversation had decided to settle on. Asking for Yoongi’s favorite spots on campus, or what donuts did he reach for first when they brought some into the professors’ room. 

And Yoongi… he soaked up all that attention Hoseok gave him, too. 

It didn’t take long until they learnt the other’s schedule, sometimes using their own breaks to stop by the other’s class; just to see one another during the day. He’ll never forget the first time Hoseok came to visit as Yoongi was finishing one of his own classes, and widened at the different graphs and drawings that took over all the chalkboard. 

They were definitely friends, of course they were by now, but Yoongi couldn’t help but think that their friendship had something more special to it. Maybe it was the way the older just felt safe and soothed whenever he was talking with Hoseok, or the way Hoseok didn’t shy away from showing how much he enjoys Yoongi’s company. 

They were friends but they treated each other, just a little bit softer than the rest of their friends.

Which didn’t have to mean anything, of course. Different people have different dynamics and it just so happens Hoseok takes out the gentler side of the engineering professor. Just like it also happens to be Hoseok the one who takes out all the butterflies caged in Yoongi’s chest.

Well… maybe this different dynamic does mean something… To Yoongi at least; and he has come to accept that fact. He had reached an age where he didn’t really think he could get a crush again, yet here he is. 

Considering his feelings, he had felt a little hesitant to initiate anything with Hoseok outside their work hours; a little voice in his head telling him not to abuse the younger’s friendliness because of his own ill intentions. Hoseok made him happy as is, and he should be content with that. 

Surprisingly it’s the literature professor who, during the peak of exam season, offers to hang out and correct exams together. The little voice reminded Yoongi of his ‘ill intentions’ , but, like he keeps saying: he is simply a little weaker when it comes to Hoseok. And that first time, getting to see Hoseok outside their university, at the doorstep of his apartment which he had organized very last minute, casual clothes, beer pack in hand, gentle smile on his face. Yoongi feels himself fall in love all over again. 

Yeah… He is in love, by now he had come to accept it. 

Maybe he should be nervous, but he wasn’t, not really. How could he be when Hoseok had become his safe space? No amount of romantic feelings could change that. 

They laugh, they drink, they revise exams, they drink again, laugh some more; Yoongi finds out Hoseok is a lightweight. Third beer bottle is halfway done as the literature professor slurredly tries to write feedback onto the back of an exam.  

“You doing alright there?” Yoongi can’t help the amusement and endearment in his voice. 

All he gets is a slurred hum, and that’s all the response Yoongi needs. Still grinning as he stands up and comes back with a glass of water to Hoseok, who seems to be in some sort of trance staring at the universe. “Drink up, handsome.” He swears it was meant to sound teasing, but a blush betrays Yoongi spreading on his cheeks. 

Hoseok doesn’t seem to dwell on it, thank fuck; rather focuses on drinking his water slowly and in a way that is too endearing for Yoongi’s heart to bare. He watches as Hoseok downs the glass, trying hard not to focus on the way his Adam’s apple bobs up and down, stop staring at his neck in general, creep, and rather rubb the younger’s back. 

He finishes the glass and he leans his head on the table groaning. 

“I think you’ve done enough grading for tonight.” He chuckles enamoured. “Think you can take a ride home?” Hoseok still has his cheek squished against the table and eyes fully closed when he nods. “Ok, Seok, up.” He instructs softly, squatting down as his hands reach for Hoseok’s middle. Surprisingly cooperative, Yoongi manages to get the younger buckled up in the passenger seat of the car looking dazedly out the window. 

It's… pleasant, Yoong thinks. The silence is always comfortable with them, and he gets to drive around the deserted city with simply the knowledge that Hoseok is by his side. He makes sure to take his liberties stealing glances at the younger, his face angelical even when confusedly staring into nothingness. 

“Here we are.” Yoongi feels the need to announce it given they’ve stopped and the drunk man hadn’t made any sign of moving… He still hasn’t. “Uhm… Hoseok?” He offers trying his best not to smile a little amused at the situation. 

It looks like it physically costs effort for him to open his lips to speak. “Can you make sure… I actually go to bed?” His eyes barely meet Yoongi’s, quickly glancing somewhere else. It could be the older’s mind playing tricks on him, but even with the white street lights Hoseok’s cheeks still manage to have a beautiful pink tint. He is blushing, and it only makes Yoongi’s smile spread wider. 

“You don’t seem like the type of drunk to cause any trouble.” He questions with a smile that already gives away his answer to Hoseok’s request. 

“No, but I’ll fall asleep halfway into my apartment.” The younger man manages to smile lazily, dainty hand settles on his shoulder. And Yoongi feels himself swallowing thickly, no person should be allowed to look this good when they’re this pathetically drunk. 

“That adds up.” He chuckles getting out of the car and turning around to open Hoseok’s door for him. “Look at that, you unbuckled your own belt. Impressive.” Yoongi teases as he takes Hoseok’s hand to help him stand. 

“I’m drunk, not 5.” His playful tone and little smile makes the idea of Hoseok being annoyed at him less convincing. He is taller than Yoongi, yet he feels so much smaller when he is tiredly leaning his weight onto the older, a protective arm wraps around the literature professor as they walk inside Hoseok’s apartment complex. 

Yoongi tries his hardest not to blush when the doorman eyes the two oddly and Hoseok mumbles a sleepy: “He’s with me.” with his head buried deep into the engineering professor’s shoulders. And keeps it there all through the elevator ride… and all  through their slow walk around the hallway… and it’s still there as Hoseok clumsily tries to type in the security code for his door. 

He doesn’t want it to go away, the weight of the younger’s head on his shoulder giving him a sense of pride that makes Yoongi want to swell his chest up. But Hoseok keeps failing to type in his code, with his nose buried into Yoongi’s neck. 

“I think you might need to look at the keyboard to actually type the code.” His hand rubs up and down Hoseok’s side, with a smile that’s too fond; though the younger can’t see from where his head is resting. 

Hoseok groans. “Can’t we just be comfy?” The older specifically loves the way Hoseok assumes this position is comfortable for the two of them. 

“Wouldn’t we be much more comfortable on your bed?” Yoongi swears he didn’t mean to say that. And he knows if the other were sober, he definitely wouldn’t brush past it. 

Drunk Hoseok, however; he hums as if thinking it through “Yeah… We would be more comfy there…” He sounds so serious about it, like he was actually considering just staying here for the rest of the night, comfortably settled against Yoongi; the older can’t help giggling. Too cute. 

“Put the code, then.” He urges, big hand squeezing at where it is settled on Hoseok’s waist. 

It’s his first time going into the literature professor’s apartment, it is very neat, even if it’s filled to the brim with books. Yoongi tries to take in as much as he can, while still helping Hoseok balance himself as he takes off his shoes and coat: the hanged pictures, the bookshelves, the toys. Hoseok owns toys: stuffed animals and figurines adorning his couch and bookshelves; Yoongi is a little stunned as they walk by. He never would have guessed. 

“Room is at the end of the hallway.” Hoseok mumbles, not only his head falling back on the older’s shoulder, but his arms wrap around Yoongi’s middle. 

Right… He has to make sure Hoseok gets to bed. 

There’s a knot at Yoongi’s stomach, but he nods; slowly walking towards the closed door. Despite seeming impossible, his room has more bookshelves, bed adorned with a few more odd looking plushies. It’s so Hoseok, the older can help his heart as it does a little flip. The younger settles on his bed, sitting down before letting his back fall. Yoongi doesn’t know what to do with himself; staring feels a bit inappropriate, yet he doesn’t know if leaving him in such a state is much of an option. 

“Should I…-” 

“I just sleep in underwear.” 

They both speak at the same time. Yoongi’s cheeks blush a furious red, Hoseok seems unfazed. He already managed to get the younger to bed. After all this time he had meant Yoongi had to tuck him in?!

“O–Oh, okay.” He doesn’t know what else to say. Then, similar to a toddler, Hoseok raises up his arms. It takes Yoongi a full second to realize; and when he does, his face gets simpossibly redder. With timid hands, he slides Hoseok’s shirt off his torso delicately. Yoongi is pretty sure he isn’t breathing, but he can’t bring himself to do so, the moment too fragile for him to possibly ruin it. The little voice in his head tells him it’s immoral to stare, but he does anyway; admiring Hoseok’s lightly tanned, slim body. 

It seems he is Yoongi only one of the two with the professor-chubs, huh. 

His blatant staring is interrupted by Hoseok popping his torso heavily onto the bed, legs extending forward in Yoongi’s direction. The older feels his heart stop completely. Yoongi is so thankful that Hoseok isn’t sitting upright so he can’t see the tremble of his hands as they hover above the button of his jeans. 

He has to hurry, otherwise Hoseok will get suspicious, and he’ll notice Yoongi making things weird. 

He feels like a teenager all over again.

He undoes the button, slowly pulling the zipper down. Yoongi’s slim fingers slide barely underneath the waistband of his jeans and start tugging down. He tries his best to be gentle, but with Hoseok’s dead weight on the bed it’s a little hard; college professors aren’t known for their strength. So he makes the younger’s body rock back and forth on the bed until he gets the pants out of the pool by his calves and finally takes it out. 

Huh, Yoongi totally would have considered Hoseok a boxer’s guy.

He somehow feels he shouldn’t say that outloud, or shouldn’t hint at paying attention to Hoseok’s underwear at all. 

Or maybe, he is just overestimating drunk Hoseok. 

“All done, you just need to wash your teeth.” He says simply instead, and the man plopped down gorans dramatically. His thighs even clench at the loudness of it, not that Yoongi was staring. 

“I need to get up?! Again?” He looks up at Yoongi with a disbelieved expression, like suddenly brushing your teeth was the most ridiculous idea anyone could propose. Yoongi has to hold back a laugh. “Why didn’t you make me go brush before I laid down!?” He sounds so insulted but his lips have the softest pout to them. 

“You plopped on the bed before I got the chance to, genius.” Yoongi finds himself rolling his eyes, all the tension that had accumulated in his body minutes before had dissipated. Even with so much of the expanse of Hoseok’s sin staring back at him, so much so quickly that Yoongi had never gotten to see; the man in front of him is still the safest place. “Come on, Seokie, up.” It feels like a dejavu from getting him out of Yoongi’s apartment. 

Hoseok’s hands are so dainty in his own, he pulls him up gently; chests bumping together softly. Soft chuckles as their noses brush, Yoongi can feel his own adoring smile. “Careful.” He mumbles, his hands squeezing into Hoseok’s. All the response he gets is a grumble, eyes barely opened as they stare directly at Yoongi, shamelessly. 

As sleepy as his gaze is, and as cute as the pout on his lips is, Yoongi can’t help it but feel somewhat intimidated, there’s something blatant about the way the younger is looking at him. And even if he can’t put a name to it, it still manages to make Yoongi shiver the slightest bit. 

He wastes no more time of Hoseok being forced to stand and rather guides him slowly towards the bathroom. Graceful Hoseok, elegant, diligent inside the classroom, that same man is looking down at his feet with a concentrated pout and frown as he takes heavy steps following Yoongi. It’s endearing enough for a giggle to slip out past his lips. 

The bathroom is only a little cramped but, it’s not like it matters; Yoongi was already holding Hoseok close to him already. Lets the younger lean against him as he has to balance his sleepy legs into picking up toothbrush and toothpaste. Yoongi allows himself to stare, even if it’s quiet and obvious he is doing so. There’s something so domestic about the sight, he can’t tear his eyes away; exposing himself through the evident adoration in his stare. 

Hoseok doesn’t pay him any attention, washing his teeth with sleepy long blinks. Only noticing Yoongi through the mirror once he is washing his lips, sleepy as he straightens back up, and when he is back to leaning against the older, he turns his head to face him. Face looking sleepy and ethereal as ever. 

And Yoongi must have gotten too caught up staring at the sleepy glimmer of Hoseok’s eyes because nothing could have prepared him for the slow, soft meeting of the younger’s lips on his. 

Hoseok kisses him like he is the most precious thing in the world; a gentle peck that makes his eyes flutter close relaxed. Not Yoongi though, his eyes are wide like plates until the younger separates. 

His mouth opens and closes a few times before he manages to speak. “Why….Why did you do that?” Yoongi has a hard time finding his own voice, opting for a soft whisper. Part of him thinking this was all just an elaborate hallucination. 

“I didn’t want to do it with bad breath!” He whines like he was being antagonized for doing something completely normal; and not kissing your friend/coworker. 

Yoongi doesn’t know what to do with himself, or with the Hoseok laying against his body, staring at him expectantly. He feels his face begin to heat up with what is most probably a deep blush. “Uhm… Well I appreciate that.” He tries to say as neutral as possible, getting his hold back on Hoseok to get him to his bed. 

The younger is pliant in Yoongi’s hold, letting himself be dragged as he tiredly lets his head fall against Yoongi’s chest. “You appreciated the kiss too though, right?” Hoseok’s voice is gentle, unsure. And it probably doesn’t help that the older one takes a second to reply; too busy trying to control the tug at his heartstrings. 

He is back to guiding the younger out of his own bathroom, only replying once he manages to set Hoseok down on the bed as gracefully as he can; only then, when worried self conscious eyes are staring up at Yoongi. 

“I do appreciate it, so much.” He mumbles gently with a gummy smile spreading his lips softly. And Hoseok looks so visibly relieved by this, it earns a chuckle from the older. Yoongi is leaning over, hand pressed to the pillow so close to Hoseok’s soft locks it could just– fuck it. 

He runs his hands through the younger’s hair, just to see the way his eyes close relaxed by it. “I’ll get going, yeah?” A little voice in his head urges him to not leave Hoseok’s side, to stay until he gets another kiss from those addictively soft lips. 

But another, more rational, voice tells him he’ll have all the time in the world to do that. 

Hoseok looks unconvinced though, it takes an endeared smile and a kiss at his temple for him to look somewhat pleased. “Fine.” Yoongi has to hold himself back from leaning to peck the pout off his lips. “Will I see you tomorrow?” 

“Text me when you wake up.” 

Yoongi can feel how different everything is from the moment he watches Hoseok walk towards him at the little campus cafe. His eyes are a little groggy stil, and a pout is still on his lips; he looks like he has a hangover, basically. 

And Yoongi is still so, so stupidly enamoured by this man. 

“Morning.” 

“How are you so upbeat? You aren’t even a morning person.” Hoseok grumbles, obviously cranky, taking a seat beside Yoongi instead of infront of him. Their shoulders touch as well as their thighs. 

“I know this may come as a surprise to you, but not all of us get drunk from a couple of beers.” Yoongi teases softly, turning to side eye him. 

“I’m not sorry.” He smiles turning to face the older. Their noses brush similarly to how they did last night. Now it should be different though, the morning fills the small cafe of busy people trying to get on with their day, not private, not imitate, not one bit romantic. They don’t need it to be, though; they managed to fall in love in the simplest of ways; through Yoongi’s obvious love for literature.

[breathings-of-the-heart]

I feel the most loved from physical affection but I can still feel love from any other forms so Im quite flexible in that area. I feel most comfortable when taking care of others so having an s/o who relies on me would be nice. I have a realistic and down to earth perspective on life & I get excited easily. My hobbies are drawing and cooking/baking :) Thank you so much and sorry if it was too much info

Thank you so much for your request, lovely! From everything you’ve told me about your wonderful self, I ship you with...

...Eren Jeager!

~ Getting to know him ~

Eren’s love for you definitely took him by surprise; snuck up on him when he wasn’t paying attention. After all, you weren’t the flashy type who would go out of their way to impress other people for the sake of being the center of attention. But it was that laid-back, kind, reliable nature that drew him in like a warm embrace-- the type Eren couldn’t shake. 

I imagine you being a talented medic in training for the Survey Corps, the strong desire to help people bringing you to the place that needed it most. Most post-expedition days were stressful and the infirmaries were always understaffed, with innumerable amounts of casualties to make your days dimmer. Your resilience was always unwavering when it came to this, however, and you became known to all for having those soft eyes and smiles. Soldiers always felt more comfortable around your soothing presence, taking your hand in theirs whilst you treated their wounds to the very best of your ability. 

The first time you met Eren was when the scouts earned custody over him, and Levi Squad took over in assessing his capabilities. Although the male had regenerative powers, your job was to make sure he was alright after titan experiments and observe the extents of his endurance. This was what you were briefed on... 

...but none of it prepared you for seeing young male in front of you: his blue-green ocean eyes forever etched into your daydreams. 

Eren’s first impression of you was refreshing, and, to be brutally honest, relieving. Most people tip-toed around him in fear, reluctance, or hesitation because of what he was. The first time he transformed in front of everyone, trying to reach the teaspoon that fell on the ground, you proved to be someone set apart from other scouts. Seeing the fear and confusion on his face told you everything you needed to know; it was heart-warming to see a someone he barely knew stick up for him the way you did: waving off Levi squad as they drew their swords in hostility. 

“Guys, calm down, please. Eren knows just as much about this as we do. So just-- back off, alright? Screaming isn’t going to make anything better.” 

You turned around to look him in the eyes and he instantly felt safer.

And from that day on it was pretty easy for him to trust you. 

Naturally, with the amount of time you spent together, the two of you became close pretty quickly. Your down-to-earth personality kept his fiery passion grounded; you balanced each other out. Every day while you did your check-ups Eren would tell you anything and everything: from events throughout his day and what his life was like before the fall of Wall Maria, to what his goals for the future. And every day without fail, he’d leave the infirmary with a cute doodle tattooed on some part of his arm that he wore with pride.  

It was an unlikely friendship, but one Eren greatly valued: he’d do almost anything for the people he cared about, and now, that included his friendly, sweet, personal nurse.

No matter how used to each other you got, though, examining a shirtless Eren for bruises and marks never failed to make you blush. 

~Your first kiss~

There were times when the experiments became more and more difficult for Eren, especially when practicing hardening his titan skin. He rarely showed it, but you knew him well enough at this point to see he was having a hard time. And because of that selfless nature, you took it upon yourself to make him feel better. 

“Eren, wake up,” you whispered one day, shaking the brunette gently. 

His eyelids fluttered open at the sound of your voice, pulling him out of sleep as the orange sunlight of the early morning filtered into his room. 

“What is it? Are you alright?” He had asked as he sat up, the question making your heart swell.  

“Yes, I am alright. But look, I made something for you.” 

Eren’s eyes dragged across your figure, appreciating the familiarity of this person he’d grown quite close to. Your messy bedhead was endearing, almost as much so as the proud smile adorning your face. 

A tray laid out in front of you, a steaming batch of pastries neatly placed on top. Each was decorated with an immense amount of detail and care, beautifully shaped and frosted. They were vibrant and delicate, appearing to have taken hours to make, each topped with fresh fruit and dusted with powdered sugar. The mouth-watering smell woke him up even more as he looked from them back to you. You must have spent all night making these for him. 

“I know you’ve been working extra hard recently...” your voice trailed off in sudden timidness. “...so I just wanted to start your day off with a little something to, hopefully, I don’t know, make it better.” 

Eren was standing up now, taking the tray from you and placing it on the bedside table as his heart constricted. The gesture struck him more than he’d expected, and caught him off guard: no one had done anything like this for him before. 

As he gazed at your features and tried to decode the strange feeling in his chest, a breeze swept through the open window and brushed the strands of hair past your face. They danced like ribbons before settling and a sudden rush of fondness Eren like a slap until all he could look at was your lips. 

“You don’t want to try them?” you asked disappointedly, taking his silence as in-amusement.

In a daring moment of boldness, Eren grabbed you by the hips and pulled you close to him, claiming your lips in a kiss. 

"I don't know what I’d do without you,” he murmured.

~ Being in a relationship ~

It was no secret that Eren had a lot on his plate; as much as he wanted to spend more romantic time with you, he shouldered a lot of responsibility. He was lucky that you understood this, and thankful that you were the one to patch him up and remain by his side throughout it all. 

There are a lot of little things he does that shows you he loves you: we all know the boy is not the best with words, after all. Things like draping his cloak around your shoulders, asking if you’d eaten today, brushing your hair behind your ears, or rubbing your shoulders when you’re stressed. 

Although he doesn’t admit it too often, he relies on you a lot. Eren has lost so much in his life and was motivated by hatred and anger before he met you, so naturally his priorities changed to revolve around a future where the both of you can live together in freedom. 

Believe it or not, Eren loves to cuddle. At the end of the day he just wants to forget the world and have you in his arms as you whisper sweet nothings in his ear. He loves being the big spoon, but there are moments you can tell he just needs to be held. (To which, you gladly oblige) 

Eren absolutely adores when you play with his hair. He will complain if you don’t do it for long enough, and pull your hand back if he is not satisfied. Sometimes you pull away just to tease him. 

He is also very protective. He will pull you closer anytime another male stares at you for too long and isn’t afraid to start fights. (Obviously. This is Eren we’re talking about.)  

PDA isn’t really his thing, but before doing anything dangerous, giving you forehead kisses is a must. 

You always write “I love you” on Eren’s forearm before any mission, and ask him what he wants you to draw next to it. His requests range from “chibi titan” to “big-ass trees” to “whatever your heart desires”

~ End ~

I hope you like it! I’d love to hear back from you on your opinion, so feel free to let me know how you felt about your pairing. Thank you again for the ask, and stay safe/healthy cutie <3

[normal-thoughts-official]

Do you have any hcs for Magnus taking ppl to pride for the first time? I kinda feel like he’d act as a guide for others, making sure everyone feels safe and happy during their first time. Like, I can picture him bringing daylighter Raphael out for the first time, showing Meliorn around (bc even though they’ve been around for a while, the Seelies don’t really do human stuff) and holding Alec’s hand while he looks around in amazement.

well surprise surprise this got very long. bet y’all never saw that coming

ok so i particularly love this ask because like, the idea of meliorn going to pride for the first time is a riot and i adore it

like seelie society has developed completely independently from mundane society in every way, hell, it existed before humans did. so there's absolutely no reason whatsoever to believe that their culture even has the concepts of gender of sexuality, and believing that it would be the same as modern western ones is just straight up anachronistic tbh

so like personally i hc that seelie society has no gender (and therefore no concept of sexuality in the way that we see it), so the idea of pride- doesn't even make sense to them, cuz there's no concept of these identities, much less a history of oppression that would bring forward the need to celebrate their resistance like there currently is

so meliorn would want to go just to like, see what that's like and what's it all about. and the whole time they're just following Magnus around and like, taking notes. hm, interesting, what is this trans thing again? ah yes, people who dont think their personality matches the one mundanes believe would be brought by their genitals. hm. fascinating. and Magnus is just like, laughing loudly and it's the best pride he's ever been to, because he knows how ridiculous queerphobia and cishetnormativity are, but meliorn can make that so clear in their words in a way thats just, like, fantastic to hear, you know? and they dont even mean to, but it's great all the same

plus meliorn actually does feel good because a lot of people look at them and smile broadly or even wave, especially younger people who are just like, in awe of them and Magnus, who are so unapologetically gnc and indisputably beautiful, and looking at them is just like, inspiring, you know? and Meliorn has never felt this admired and appreciated and they dont even fully understand why, they're just walking around in their usual clothing and leaf makeup and everyone is just like, in love with them. and it's nice. they can tell there's an edge of sadness to the whole thing, like how their normal everyday existence seems to be so shocking and refreshing for these people, but mostly they feel good about it

later they bring their findings to the other seelies - you know, the ones who dont usually leave the realm and are way less familiar with mundane culture(s) than they are - and the others are like. shut up. there's no way this is real. the shape of their genital defines what wavelength they are supposed to find appealing? this makes no sense. and meliorn's like "idk what to tell u buddy i literally physically can't lie" and they're like surely this is an elaborate prank

but anyway it's fun and nice and they enjoy it greatly and ask Magnus a lot of questions, and Magnus loves going with them more than anyone else because its just so fun and the way this is completely unnatural to them feels refreshing - Magnus doesnt have to explain why he feels the way he feels, for once, but rather he has to explain why people dont get that, and thats a good change tbh

okay onto other ppl im sorry for this tangent djdndjdndk RAPHAEL YES. god i just. okay i love the mental image of Magnus taking Raphael to pride aaaaaaaa

like okay first of all so many layeRS to make this emotional, okay. the fact that he's now a daylighter and can enjoy being out in the sun, the fact that this is a bright costumed parade and it kinda reminds him of the día de los muertos parade and makes him feel at home, the fact that he gets to celebrate and meet other ace ppl - just, so many good things going on here dundidmdi

and Raphael was kinda unsure about going because 1- pride can get pretty sexual at times, and while he gets it and doesn't mind other people's business, he doesn't want to be hit on or participate in that; 2- big crowd makes senses go craycray and it can get very overwhelming and he's scared of overload, plus it's just not his scene in general with huge parties and such. but a part of him does want to go and he's torn, so of course Magnus is immediately like "oh dear, don't worry, i can take you, i'll make sure it's good" and Raphael is like okay

so Magnus takes him and it's :') nice, because as always he’s just so attentive. disclosure i’ve only ever been to the São Paulo pride so i’m gonna go with how it works in here but im assuming it’s not that different in like, other places. also São Paulo currently has the biggest pride parade in the world along with NYC so you know, i think it’s influential at the very least

anyway so he finds a section that’s led by ace pride groups, one that’s considerably small (in number of ppl) and spacious, and it’s. nice. very nice. magnus makes it a point to paint the ace pride colors on raphael’s face (we deserve raphael in makeup tbh) and raphael is all like “it’s fine, it’s not like i’ll want to draw a lot of attention” (like he isn’t wearing the ace flag colors already) and magnus is like hush, let me have this, i want my boy to have a good pride experience. so raphael lets him and hides his smile and lets him, and it’s. cute okay

also idk why but i have the mental image of raphael seeing some other latino guy with some sign like. “i’m not your fetish” or something of the sort, and kind of tearing up because his whole life he’s been seen as this kind of sexual fantasy that couldn’t not be about sex, much less not be interested in it, and he feels seen. and it’s nice, okay

and as promised it’s not too overwhelming in matters of like people, tactile issues and such (there’s little magnus can do about the noise other than spell raphael to decrease his sensitivity so he doesn’t get overwhelmed, which is not ideal because it makes communication a bit harder between them, but he does it anyway if raphael asks him to), and if raphael gets tired, they can always turn into a corner and take a portal back home and cuddle the post-crowd jitteriness away. so it’s a success. and raphael hugs magnus later and thanks him and says that it was so great, that he’s missed this, the energy and the colors and the sun, and he never thought he’d get to have it again, and he did thanks to magnus. and magnus hugs him back and tells him “anything for you, my boy,” and it’s the sweetest thing okay im emo

also okay this still falls under Raphael and Meliorn but the POLYCULE okay, or at least saiaphaeliorn. like sign me the fuck up for the 4 of them together at pride, meliorn and magnus helping make some cute pride-themed makeup on the other 3, just aaaaaaaaa. maia looking absolutely gorgeous with her face framed in the bright bi colors, maybe a sunny dress with the trans flag colors? just because i think she’d look so cute in like, a mostly white dress with baby pink and blue details, okay. simon just paints the pan flag on his cheek but it’s still vibrant and cute and it suits him. and ghhghghghg meliorn delicately painting raphael’s face with colorful glitter..... effervescent, okay. just beautiful

and they get to hold hands in public and laugh and crack jokes and simon loves the music and the festival and raphael smiles fondly at him and maia singing along (him and meliorn definitely don’t know what the fuck they’re singing, but it’s okay because they’re clearly happy and that makes the two of them happy too) and just duahsdiahdaiuha soft okay. also they all get to experience meliorn’s takes on the whole thing and it’s fantastic and as usual meliorn gets raphael to laugh until he almost cries, and simon smiles brightly at the sight and gives meliorn a peck for their efforts, and just aaaaaaaa

in short they’re SOFT and i’m SOFT. and look yes i know that usually parades esp big ones are super crowded (lord knows the SP pride parade is an experience) but if in SP with 5 million ppl parading i could find sections with less people where you had enough space to walk holding hands and hear each other and not be overwhelmed, then i’m sure they can too, especially with magic and powers at their disposal. so i’m going to have this

also like. as much fun as this is for magnus (and it definitely is, it’s very nice to get to enjoy to be himself openly, and to bring kids there for their first time, and you know), it’s also bittersweet because like. he was there at stonewall, he was there for the first pride, you know? and apart from the obvious part where he lost so many friends who were there, there’s just. the very bad memories of the riots, because as important as they are and as much as he obviously doesn’t regret them, riots are hard, they are the language of the oppressed. he’s had to magically protect people from being shot by the police, he’s had to withstand trial by the Clave for using magic to shield the people from the tear gas and risking being seen, he’s had to save a lot of lives and he’s failed at it sometimes, too (i’ll always hc that he’s the reason neither Marsha nor Sylvia died during the riots and you can pry that away from my cold, dead hands). and he’s also seen it be whitewashed and lose some of its resistance and meaning, he’s seen Sylvia be booed at a later march when she spoke against imprisonment, and he’s seen so much be lost

and in that sense going to pride with alec later on might be his favorite, because it’s not like, a first time where he’s trying to get everyone to have the most fun they can and shit, you know? plus alec loves watching more than he does participating, he feels way too exposed in the crowded streets with so many openings and whatnot. but watching from a rooftop, where he has the best view, can still hear the sounds and enjoy the colors and the beauty of it from a distance? that’s perfect for him, and it’s a different experience

and magnus sits by his side as they watch, hand in hand, and reminisces about everything that he’s experienced after so many years, all the changes he’s seen, how he feels pride but he also feels loss and he feels old, and he fears what happens if pride’s history is forgotten, you know? and alec listens to him, listens to his version of this story, playing with magnus’ fingers and just enjoying the sound of his voice and the sight. and it’s nice. alec is always super attentive and enjoys hearing him talk and magnus can get lost in his memories unapologetically, you know? and it’s good

but that’s later on, of course, when they’ve already attended plenty together. for alec’s first pride he probably wants it to be like, perfect, so much so that alec has to tell him to slow down again, because of course magnus wants alec to have The Full Pride Experience, but alec would rather soak it up slowly than participate in a lot of stuff, anyway. magnus paints the rainbow flag on his cheek (one of the only occasions alec lets magnus put glitter on him, then promptly complains for the next three months because i swear that stuff is still on my skin, magnus, the other day i found some on my shoes! and magnus laughs at his antics as always and alec is forced to laugh too and can’t even be mad) and they kind of stay more by the end, and alec is kind of smiling in disbelief to himself the whole time as he watches all the colors and the unapologetic way people express their pride, and magnus can’t stop looking at him and grinning, too. and they walk hand in hand and it’s cute

(later, magnus says, see, mundane culture isn’t so bad, is it? and alec looks at him with a way more serious look, full of joy and happiness, and says, no, it isn’t. and kisses him and thanks him for everything, and it’s sweet)

also I'm soft thinking about Magnus reminiscing about planning the first pride along with "his dear friend Brenda" to Alec and/or Raphael, them putting their arms around his shoulder as he tells them the softer stories, too, the good things they did

small bonus: Magnus plays 2 truths and a lie with Simon regarding his memories of past prides, and Simon gets it wrong every time and is all wide eyed by the end, which makes both Magnus and Raphael laugh :)

[arhvste]

you’re literally so sweet the fact that you respond to everyone’s messages and stuff 🥺🥺 can i request daichi and suga comforting their s/o who’s parents are going they a rough divorce? my parents are fighting a lot lately and i always get put in the middle of it and your writing always makes me feel a lot better 🥺🥺 ily wonderful writer 🥺💕✨💕💞💖✨💕

i love all your messages etc you’re all so amazing answering them is the very least i can do after all i am here for you guys to request and talk to <3 ✨

of course you can! i’m sorry you’ve been having to go through something so distressful and am really really happy you find comfort in my work, my messages are always open if you ever need to vent or talk to someone to. take care of yourself and i hope things get better for you very soon <3 ✨🦋🤍

-

DAICHI AND SUGAWARA COMFORTING THEIR S/O WHO’S PARENTS ARE GOING THROUGH A DIVORCE

DAICHI

his phone is always on and within arms reach just so he can answer every single one of your calls

he’s at training? his phone has the loudest ringer on so he can hear and answer it

“hey baby i’m here are you okay?”

just say the word and he’s running to meet you wherever you are

he will try and keep you out the house as much as possible when the fighting gets too much for you

Daichi’s parents love you

they give you a spare key to his house for you to come to if Daichi isn’t able to come and get you

His parents literally treat you like one of their own

they want you and Daichi married asap

lots of cuddles on his bed

this man gives high quality hugs

i mean look at him

he is the perfect build for cuddles

Daichi is good at braiding hair i’m not arguing with anyone on this

he’ll braid your hair to relax you and massage your scalp while he’s at it

will literally treat you like royalty when you’re over

if you’re unable to leave your house Daichi has you on the phone for as long as you need

listens to you intensively and does his best to keep you calm

sometimes he’ll tell you stories about volleyball and his team to keep you distracted from your parents

would 100% fall asleep on the phone with you

prefers falling asleep with you in his arms though

affirmations king

will whisper positive affirmations to you as you fall asleep

“you’re worth so so much Y/N don’t you ever forget”

“I love you so much my love I’m here for you whenever you need me”

soft butterfly kisses all over your face

you’re his priority especially when you’re upset

overall, Daichi is you’re biggest supporter in everything you do

and being your support system is something he takes great care in

you can always rely on him to make you feel better and he will do everything he can to take you away from the situation

you are his precious S/O after all

and the only thing he wants to see you do is smile

-

SUGAWARA 

everyone says suga is the mom friend of the group and the most feminine

but this man is just as chaotic as noya and tanka

there i said it

so he absolutely will be making you laugh when you’re upset

he thinks your smile is the most radiant thing he’s ever seen

your laugh is something he loves equally as much

he’ll do everything he can to hear it

that being said though he is responsible too

just like Daichi, he is prepared to drop everything he’s doing to be by your side

he would literally run to your house

if his S/O is upset, he’s doing anything he can to make you happy again

he’s able to calm you down quickly

he smells like fresh flowers i just know it

his scent is so calming when it floods your senses as he tightly hugs you

likes to draw small patterns on your back to relax you

will listen to everything you have to say while he takes your hands into his warm ones and lace your fingers together

“it’s okay my angel take your time”

sleepovers at sugas house are mandatory

his parents also love you

they think you and suga are the prettiest couple in the world

and they’re not wrong

although you are slightly prettier than suga

he will absolutely cook and bake for you

he looks like he’d have the skills

sometimes he’ll even make you lunch and leave cute little notes boosting your morale

‘i love you Y/N, you’re so strong and amazing i’m so proud of you <3’

his hugs are wonderful too

he is the embodiment of calming when he wants to be

his natural aura is refreshing

and he wants you to take advantage of that

he wants you to think as him as your safe haven

he wants his angel to feel safe and relaxed around him

all the bad things at home will be put to the back of your mind when you’re with sugawara

he’ll make sure of that

and he will absolutely be by your side until the very end

-

an - guys i want you to know you are all worth the absolute world and never let yourself think otherwise. if you’re going through a hard time and need someone to talk to, don’t hesitate to message me or drop an ask and i’ll be here for you to rant to and talk to with no judgement at all. i love you all so much and want you all to take care of yourselves

lots of love aisla <3 🦋✨

[a-very-fond-farewell]

The forbidden crack! Untamed prompts: 24/?

CLAMP AU n.3 [chengyu? yucheng? (JC/MXY) edition. don’t...question my taste bruh]: “Somewhere, sometime.”

[tw eating disorders mentioned + tw suicide mention (body sacrifice)]

[ok fam. ok. I get it. I would basically ship JC with a rock if it meant I could play with my crack AUs. but I have solid evidence for this one. I promise you.]

[so, “Kobato” from CLAMP is possibly my favorite series from them. it’s 6 volumes long, roughly 40 chapters (and I only recently found out there was an epilogue...even though it was not there in my published version of the series. bc your local cryptid did in fact buy the entire thing in the flesh, that’s how much I love it)]

[in this AU I’ll change some things for the sake of consistency, but I suggest you read it bc the hurt/comfort and pining is enjoyable...so...if you read my silly AU I’m afraid I will spoil the plot for u :( and that’s the last thing I want to do...I understand if you decide to go read the manga and skip my prompt. it’s ok, I’m fine, go and have fun ;-;]

[if you kept reading, hi :D]

[now. am I uncomfortable with certain common tropes in CLAMP’s work in general? yes. especially the age gaps between some of the characters, some of which are not adults. hence the reason behind the changes in this AU. but! the aesthetics fam. the beautiful drawings. the cute outfits. (*ﾉ▽ﾉ)

do you see these?? how cute would Mo XuanYu look in these fam?? I honestly hc him enjoying skirts and feminine outfits a whole lot, but you can imagine him with pants and they would be just as cute. my favorite one is the second from the left btw.]

(imagine Mo XuanYu like this btw and check out the fancomic by the same op! an anon suggested it to me a while ago and now I’m hooked!)

[other mangacaps bc you need visuals:

yeah. angry boy meets bby with a mission to accomplish, bonding over their inferiority complex. yep. I only love the nicest things in life. that’s me.

also look at my baby girl ;-; so cuTe]

[the title is from the ost from the anime series, “Itsuka dokoka de” (check it out!). the anime feels more cohesive than the original manga, possibly bc the pacing is handled a little bit better (since the manga was cut short and the end felt a bit sloppy, but the emotional engagement was still good). and I remember being 17 and crying like a baby when this song came in. if you don’t have time for the manga binge the anime instead! there are plot holes in both of them and the stories are different but still both very enjoyable if you like soft things and angsty vibes.]

[enjoy!]

*

*

When YanLi saw him for the first time in front of her door, at the beginning of spring, she thought XuanYu was too pretty and too young for his own good. Sitting across her on the floor, a tea set between them as he politely answered her questions, the boy couldn’t have looked older than sixteen yet he assured her he was of age and well into adulthood. Which seemed pretty difficult to assess, not with the way he dressed: cute button down, beret slightly askew on top of his pretty head and an old-looking suitcases in hand. She didn’t mention the stuffed black rabbit poking out from the front pocket of his luggage, which seemed more of a comfort thing than a reliable source of company.

Moreover, Jin Ling seemed transfixed by him, toddling his way towards their guest asking for cuddles... something her son had never done in front of strangers.

XuanYu refused to give his last name, nor did he have an ID he could show her, nor did he seem worried about how strange that was. And YanLi knew ZiXuan would have been against it, but she couldn’t leave the kid looking all over Lanling for a place to stay... so she gave him the only available room in their rundown pension.

She only hoped Jiang Cheng would be a nice neighbor and leave the kid alone. Who knew what horrors XuanYu was running away from, after all.

*

When XiChen heard from YanLi of her new tenant, he would have never guessed the kid to look so naive. Not in a bad way, mind you. But his smiles, for how genuine they seemed to be, looked a little bit too big. A little bit too strained not to be a distraction tactic from his part. Or maybe XiChen had lived too long surrounded by fake smiles and closed off people to not worry.

That’s probably why he gave XuanYu a job when YanLi asked him to look over the kid. More to prove himself there were still trustworthy people in the world than to give the younger man a chance. He couldn’t even pay him a full salary, not with the debt collectors breathing on his neck as he tried to run his late mother’s kindergarten.

But maybe that would have been enough for now. A starting point for something better, something new.

*

A-Yuan had always known the kindergarten used to be an orphanage back in the days, but now he had reached an age where doubts stuck to his head instead of being forgotten with the passing of time. Wen Qing and A-Ning were always busy -be it in the hospital or in university- and A-Yuan didn’t know if they loved him enough to keep him. Ever since granny had passed away he had wondered, day after day, when his cousins would have left him behind for good.

He was thinking about such things when he first met XuanYu, on the man’s first day on the job as a teaching assistant. A-Yuan was mulling over his sadness when XuanYu had come to his rescue, asking him what was wrong... before enthusiastically praising his cousins for working so hard after hearing they were late to take A-Yuan home. XuanYu stayed with him and they played on the swings as they waited for A-Ning to come pick him up, apologizing profusely.

On the way home, his cousin held him close and kissed his forehead as he asked him if he had had fun with the new teacher. And A-Yuan felt less doubtful afterwards.

*

After hearing the story from her brother, Wen Qing had made it her job to look into XuanYu and his weird approach to life in general. She took every opportunity she could grasp to spy on the younger man, lunch breaks be damned. She needed to confirm if the kid was a trust worthy person or a runaway child pretending to be older than what he actually was. Well, maybe tailing an unsuspecting young man on the streets of Lanling in scrubs and sunglasses would be considered a bit much, she could admit as much. But it was the thought that counted, no?

Her friend MianMian told her to knock it off and talk to the kid like a normal human being, but the truth was that... well, XuanYu was really too weird to be considered normal. He seldom put himself in dangerous situations without much care, such as picking up a random (and still lit) cigarette from the ground just to give it back to the person who had “accidentally dropped it”. Other times he would cross a road without looking left and right first, risking to be run over by cars at every corner. He never, never, fumbled with a phone and he frequently talked to himself... sometimes even directing his words to that creepy stuffed rabbit of his.

No thank you, Wen Qing felt safer behind light poles and crumpled newspapers held upside down. Even if that made her look sketchy as fuck.

*

Wen Ning made sure to arrive on time to pick A-Yuan up after that time, often chatting with XuanYu as they waited for his baby cousin to retrieve his backpack and raincoat. It was refreshing to speak with the younger man, no matter how weird he acted sometimes. Like that time A-Yuan asked him to tie his shoe-laces for him and XuanYu didn’t know how to do it. Or that time they caught the man taking a nap on the floor in the middle of the school hall. Or that time XiChen had ordered a cake for one of the kids’ birthday and XuanYu didn’t seem to know how to sing the birthday song.

Wen Ning had no place to judge, after all. But XuanYu’s smiles felt like balm on his heart. And if his sweet voice followed Wen Ning home as he bounced A-Yuan in his arms, well. Nobody needed to know that.

*

The last thing Meng Yao would have expected to hear that summer day when he called the kindergarten was a voice so different from XiChen’s. Startled, he had confusedly asked if the kid worked there and how so, given that the school definitely couldn’t afford to hire anyone. He ought to know. He was the debt collector.

But the kid apologized, introduced himself, and then explained XiChen had offered him a part-time job out of kindness more than out of need. The idiot. XiChen should have remembered who his money belonged to instead of taking charity cases left and right.

But when Meng Yao said as much to naive XuanYu, the other vehemently protested, surprising the debt collector with strong opinions on how he shouldn’t underestimate other people’s intelligence and kindness in the first place.

Meng Yao laughed out at that, genuinely so.

There was more to that kid XuanYu than what one would have expected.

*

Nie HuaiSang caught a first glimpse of the mystery man only in late summer, when XuanYu stepped into his cake shop to look at the display. His coworker MianMian seemed to recognize the younger man immediately, greeting him by saying they had a friend in common, namely Wen Qing. The kid merely tilted his head and answered he had never formerly met “Miss. Wen” and that he only knew who she was from what the woman’s younger brother had told him about her.

MianMian shrugged and smiled at him.

To which HuaiSang asked him what they could do for him and XuanYu... just... stopped working. Saying that he had wondered if he could do something for them instead. Apparently, Wen Ning had let it slip they were currently understaffed and needed a hand to deliver their sweets.

Delighted, MianMian set him to work, no matter how many times HuaiSang assured her they didn’t need to force the kid to help them... also because they didn’t actually have the means to pay him in kind. But XuanYu refused money altogether, simply asking them to let him help.

To their amusement (and horror) XuanYu didn’t know how to ride a bicycle, so he insisted on covering the deliveries by foot in the neighborhood instead.

HuaiSang called XiChen on the phone that same evening, asking him to give the kid some slack the following day. And maybe buy him some balm for blisters as well.

*

Jin Ling was young but he wasn’t stupid. Turning three had made him wiser, he knew as much. So he knew XuanYu was magical. He just did.

His pretty-gege talked with stuffed animals, always wore nice things, and kept in his satchel bag a vial filling up with magical candies every time he did something nice for others. A-Ling had seen it with his own eyes, that time XuanYu had put a plaster on his scrapped knee and blew on it to make the pain go away: the golden candy had appeared in the bottle out of nowhere and XuanYu had asked him to keep the secret.

And A-Ling may have been young, but he wasn’t a snitch.

No sir.

*

ZiXuan eventually stumbled upon their new tenant even though YanLi had tried everything in her power to prevent it. He was very displeased with her: taking a scrawny kid in, cutting his rent in half merely because he couldn’t afford to pay the room in full. Utter nonsense.

No matter how much this kid XuanYu praised A-Ling’s personality or YanLi’s cooking, no matter how much he smiled and made himself look accommodating and unthreatening. ZiXuan didn’t work pro bono even at the firm, let alone for his wife’s business.

Yet, when he asked to be let inside the kid’s room to formally discuss the terms of his contract (and tell him to pack his things and leave at the end of summer), ZiXuan was left speechless. There was no bed, no table or chairs. The fridge wasn’t humming and the AC wasn’t working. The only things he could see were the younger man’s clothes neatly folded in his open suitcase or hanging by the window to dry. No books, no snacks, no nothing.

Usually tenants brought their things in right off the bat, their stuff mailed in within a week after moving in. YanLi was very particular about it, she would have not overlooked something like that. But maybe she had been too busy with A-Ling these past few months and hadn’t noticed the kid was actually too poor to even breathe.

And now that he looked at him, XuanYu looked suspiciously skinny.

Was he sleeping on the floor? Didn’t he have covers for the colder season? Was his fridge broken, empty, or -gods forbid- purposely left with no power because the kid couldn’t afford the electricity bill?

“Do you actually live like this?”

XuanYu didn’t answer to that, but smiled anyway. It looked sinister in a way ZiXuan couldn’t explain, afraid of the things such a young man may or may not have endured in the past. And was maybe still enduring now.

The following day ZiXuan gave the kid their spare futon they bought in Japan on their honeymoon. They never had guests anyway and they could afford to pay for a tenant’s electricity bill every now and then, they weren’t poor.

Certainly YanLi would have agreed with him on the matter.

*

JinGy saw it. He did! He wasn’t lying! Xuan-ge was there, surrounded by darkness and shadows, looking over the children during their nap time, only a sliver of light coming from the door left ajar... casting shadows on half of his pretty face.

And he saw him reviving that stuffed black rabbit he always had on him.

The rabbit just rose on his hind legs and turned his head up and started whispering things to Xuan-ge, who nodded every now and then in deep though.

JinGyi had read about how paper-man talismans had been stuff of legends in the past. His books spoke of ancient times in which even corpses could be brought back to life. How even animals could turn into godly beasts if enough resentful energy polluted them. But he would have never thought magic could actually be real and so easy to play with.

And Xuan-ge had looked nothing but beautiful as he was talking to the stuffed animal, humming softly under his breath.

*

When Jiang Cheng dropped out of university for the second time, YanLi didn’t say anything and instead welcomed him back in his old room. So much for enrolling in law school at twenty-three, uh? ZiXuan would have been disappointed in him like the first time that had happened in his bachelor anyway, no point in avoiding the man. It was autumn anyway: it was either going back to the apartment complex or look for a new flatmate. But the school housing had rightfully kicked him out after dropping out in the middle of the academic year, so there would have been little hope for him to find a new place anytime soon.

What he did not expect to find was a new tenant living next door.

Sleeping in front of the door, clutching a satchel bag and a fucking stuffed animal on his lap.

Jiang Cheng jolted him awake and took in the sight of his shoulder length hair, his long lashes and sleepy eyes and thought he looked ridiculous. Wearing a silly hat and moccasins, purple shadows under his eyes, a confused expression on his worn out face. When asked what the hell he was doing there, sleeping out of his room instead of inside of it, the younger man said he had forgotten his keys inside that morning.

He was clearly an idiot, so Jiang Cheng walked away and returned to his room after more than a year away. If someone asked him who had rung YanLi to bring the spare keys to help the idiot he would have shrugged at them and shut the door in their face.

He didn’t have time for that, he had to think how to ask XiChen to let him back to work at the school the following day.

*

A-Qing had seen many things in life, met many horrible people, dealt with the scum of the scum... but she had yet to meet XuanYu. 

A menace. A hurricane. A fool. The amount of times she had had to scoop him up from the ground after he had clumsily slipped on invisible bananas and such should have earned her a honorary title for outstanding citizen. It’s been months since his arrival and the kids had already learned to make way whenever they saw him. He inspired fear even in their tiny heads, honestly. What a fellow teaching assistant, really.

She was just there to score brownie points for his electives and internship program to become a social service worker, that was true. But she cared about the kids enough to know she had to do something about that. The children loved XuanYu and they were this fucking close to either worship him like a small deity or criminal and something ought to be done.

The last thing she would have expected to see, however, was Jiang Cheng coming back so soon. Crawling back from university to ask to work there, wagging his tail like the lovesick dog he was. She could easily imagine what the older student would have said to XiChen, something on the line of “you know goddamn well I’m not doing it for the money. I grew up here, I don’t want to see this place crumbling down. I’m definitely not doing it because I’m in love with you and seeing you sad makes me want to gag.”

Well, maybe the last part could be considered artistic license from her part, but judging by what she could overhear behind XiChen’s office door... yep. She had definitely nailed the part about being fond of the ex-orphanage and for the rest... the sentiment was there. The pining bastard.

“Do you need anything, A-Qing?”, XuanYu asked her out of no-fucking-where, startling her as she pretended to dust off the floor very close to a door. Cheek-plastered-on-it kind of close.

“Nothing. Mind your business,” she answered, flustered as fuck.

XuanYu couldn’t be that naive, he knew what he was fucking doing. His creepy little smile so similar to the one the debt collect always had on his face. No wonder XiChen had fallen for such a tricky bitch.

“Then will you help me find JinGyi? He doesn’t want me to help him with his project for the festival and went into hiding again.”

There, that smile and knowing gaze. Judging poser. He looked much older than his alleged twenty years. He knew what he was fucking doi...

“You?!”

Jiang Cheng’s honest-to-gods screech pulled A-Qing out of her thoughts. She turned and had to witness XiChen amiably patting Jiang Cheng on the head as their boss explained him how XuanYu worked there. 

“It’s been almost six months now, he’s a very valuable kid and helped out around here while you were studying.”

Jiang Cheng was both livid and red with longing, because his touch-starved ass was all over that hand patting him platonically on the head. He was also angry, which was default for him... but there was something else underneath. Something promising in the way he stared XuanYu down.

Maybe A-Qing could win some candy by betting with the kids about such unexpected turn of events.

*

ZiZhen believed A-Yi. If his friend had told him the new teacher assistant was a witch then he was right. So they had started researching witches at the school, but only found a couple of colored books on the matter, mostly useless. All but one, telling the story of a nanny called Mary Poppins... some western thing.

But everything checked for the most part. The hat was there, every day a different one, but ultimately never leaving XuanYu’s head. The umbrella was not, but both him and A-Yuan had seen their gege with a parasol once and that was enough. His satchel contained infinite amount of things, from sweets to possessed stuffed animals, like a qiankun bag from the legends! He talked with things as if he could control them.

Well, even the teacher sometimes tried to convince the printer to work with sweet words, gently coaxing it back to life... maybe that was just how adults functioned. Even his dad would ask the fridge where his favorite cake had disappeared sometimes. Adults were weird.

*

Fuck Lanling. Rain day and night, autumn planning everyone’s demise by flooding every bloody year. Xue Yang was over it.

He took a random umbrella from the rack by the door of the convenience store and left without a second thought, already wondering what he could say to convince XingChen to offer him dinner somewhere new. The man wasn’t married anymore after all, so Xue Yang could technically have his way with him now, right?

“Excuse me!”

Xue Yang was not in the mood for people calling him out on his bullshit that night, but he turned anyway and saw the weirdest thing. A young man roughly his age, maybe a year or so younger, drenched from head to toe after rushing to him. He was panting, clutching a plastic bag full of cleaning supplies from the convenience store Xue Yang had just left.

“I believe you mistakenly took my umbrella,” the other said, pretty face framed by wet hair sticking to his forehead and cheeks.

Amused, Xue Yang shut the clear plastic umbrella he had “mistakenly taken” and held it at arm’s length by the handle, directing the pointy edge to the other like a sword. Hell if he was going to get wet himself, he needed to prove something to the idiot. He could handle a bit of rain for the sake of being dramatic.

“You want it back?” Xue Yang asked, rising his chin and arching an eyebrow at the other. The man nodded, holding his now wet beret in place on top of his head as if he was more worried about it falling on the ground than keeping his crown dry.

“I knew it was someone else’s when I took it.”

“But...?”

“And what’ll you give me back for it? What are you gonna do about it?”

This should have taught him not to mess with him: he didn’t even have to use his business tone to make the other take a step back. Meng Yao, the bastard, had taught him smiles went a long way in dealing with stupid people after all.

“Right, if I take it from you... you won’t have one to go back home with.”

Uh?

“Wait here. I’ll go buy you one at the convenience store. I’ll be back.”

Uh??

The idiot actually run back to the store and purchased him a fucking umbrella. And Xue Yang was twice as stupid because he waited for him to come back, startled as he was. The idiot was smiling megawatt bright when he came back as well, what the fuck?

The sick bastard extended the clear plastic umbrella to him like Xue Yang had done earlier, but he held it by the middle, as if surrendering his weapon. It was fairly similar to the one Xue Yang had stolen anyway, why bother asking for his umbrella back?

“Did your dead mother give this particular one to you or something?”

The bite in his words only mildly deterred the other man, who pressed his lips together before forcing an even bigger smile on his face.

“No. It’s pretty cheap. But it’s mine. It’s the first thing I bought with my money.”

Xue Yang left after that. With the stolen umbrella. Because he was still a scumbag and not a sentimental asshole. But he was very quiet that evening when XingChen treated him to some fancy takeout on his couch while lovingly drying Xue Yang’s hair with a towel.

Nothing made sense anymore.

*

Qin Su worried over Jiang Cheng. He was her best worker, but she knew for a fact that he had a million part-time jobs in town and she didn’t want to overwork him. She also knew he would give all of his hard-earned money to XiChen anyway. All to pay a stupid debt. The huge lovesick idiot.

Was he the fastest delivery driver? Yes. Was he the most well behaved of his staff? Not even close. But he was respectful enough to work over his issues and she trusted him with doing his job at the end of the day.

So when she found a young man in a frilly outfit waiting for her on the lobby of her shop asking for Jiang Cheng... well, she was pleasantly surprised.

He introduced himself as XuanYu and held a lunch box in his hands, saying Jiang Cheng had forgotten it at home. Which left A-Su properly impressed. How could a man as angry as Jiang Cheng secure himself such a lovely person was beyond her comprehension, honestly.

He was adorable and she wanted to be his sister like, yesterday.

But when Jiang Cheng came back from a delivery, entering the dumpling shop with his helmet still on, he stared XuanYu down and told him off right off the bat.

“Not you again,” he said, to A-Su’s utter confusion, “Can’t you take a fucking hint? I’m already avoiding you at work. I don’t want to be your friend.”

Something akin to hurt painted XuanYu’s feature for a fraction of a second before he could retrieve his smile and point at the lunch box.

“Your sister asked me to give this to you on my way out. A-Ling helped making rice cakes this time and wanted to hear from you if you liked them or not.”

Qin Su could have easily missed the change in XuanYu’s voice at that, that’s how much of a good actor he was. But Jiang Cheng had no face even to feel ashamed for lashing out at the kid like that. How much older could he be from XuanYu, three years? Two? Had nobody taught him some respect?

“XuanYu, if he bullies you again you come here. Am I understood?”

Like hell she was gonna let this gem of a child slip away from Jiang Cheng’s hands.

Not in a million years.

*

Song Lan breathed in and out. In and out. The clear morning air surrounded him like an old friend, hugging him closely as he clutched the papers for his divorce.

XingChen had signed them in the end. Five years together were now in the past for him.

Maybe they had been too young back then, when they had taken the chance to get married the moment the government announced the change in the law for people like them. How old have they been, twenty-three? Twenty-four? Another lifetime. An existence away.

He wished he could cry. It would have been easier.

But, as he turned a corner, someone stumbled into him and sent the papers scattering on the sidewalk. Song Lan tried to save them from being dirtied on a puddle but was unsuccessful. He didn’t know why he bothered anymore. It felt like the last piece of his lover had left and Song Lan couldn’t even prevent something as simple as that. XingChen’s signature dirtied in a pool, but not enough to be washed away. What a joke.

The young man in front him bowed down, apologizing profusely, trying to save the documents at the best of his abilities. He even suggested finding a public toilet to dry the sheets under the hot air blowing machine, the silly man.

Song Lan smiled instead, reassuring him it was fine.

He was fine.

But the kid accidentally read the first few lines of the agreement before looking up at Song Lan. And where he would have expected pity, Song Lan only saw consternation instead on his pale face. It was so startling to see it, that he had to crouch back down on the ground next to the kid and reassure him everything was fine. It was just paper, it wasn’t important, he didn’t have to feel so guilty about...

“It is important. Your life is important.”

Such a dramatic sentence, uttered so vehemently, should have sounded weird to Song Lan. Especially because he disapproved of such antics in the first place. But it sounded so sincere, so earnest that he felt touched for a moment.

So he helped the kid up on his feet and asked him to walk a bit with him, to keep him company. Reserved as he was, he would have never thought possible opening up to a stranger the way he did that day. But there was something calming about the kid, almost as if he had been put on earth to soothe other people’s existence.

So he told him how his husband had fallen in love with someone else, someone much younger than them. How this had strained their marriage even if Song Lan had known all along his husband had the ability to fall in love with more than one person at a time. But Song Lan was monogamous and would have never justified forcing his lover to suppress his feelings just to please him. So it had been Song Lan himself to call it quits and wish him all the luck in the world.

The kid had started crying at some point, without Song Lan even noticing at first.

“Why are you crying? Please no, I didn’t wan to upset you.”

“So much love. In different ways but... it’s too much. There’s so much of it, of course I’m crying for you and your loved one.”

Song Lan was many things. Too stern, too rigid, too peculiar about who could touch him or not, too cold in expressing his emotions. But he felt warm then, in front of a kid crying for him in the middle of the street, one day of late autumn.

“Thank you.”

***

XuanYu let it slip once with Mrs. Jin how little he remembered of his past. 

It wasn’t a lie, he really didn’t remember what it had been of him before he had met her, asking for a room. But the kind woman just assumed he was talking about his past or youth, so he didn’t correct her on the matter.

Knowing the truth would have scared her, after all.

But he still let himself trust her that day as they sat in front of a pot of tea and he pretended to drink and eat the pastries on the low table. He didn’t need to eat or drink. He wasn’t even sure he had a digestive system.

“I only remember... a song.”

“A song?”

“Yes. Someone singing every night before falling asleep. I don’t think it was meant for me to hear... but my body remembers the shivers. The feeling of being loved.”

“The body remembers the weirdest things, XuanYu. You should trust it more.”

He smiled at that, wriggling his hands on the handkerchief where he had hidden the pastries from sight.

“I’m pretty sure that song wasn’t for me. My body was merely there to listen.”

YanLi looked uncomfortable at that, something scary painting her features.

“Maybe I was eavesdropping,” he reassured her with a self-deprecating joke, not sure if that would have made her feel more at ease or not, “Maybe I was listening in, hoping such lovely words could be directed at me for once.”

Mrs. Jin sipped her tea for a long while afterwards, before finding the resolution to look up and stare him down with a serious expression.

“Unrequited feelings hurt, don’t they?”

XuanYu didn’t know what she meant by that, but he nodded anyway.

He heard something rustling in his bag and hid the sweets inside of it the moment YanLi turned to clear the table. If A-Ling heard someone munching their protests away from inside of the bag, he didn’t snitch on XuanYu and retrieved playing with Fairy on the carpeted floor next to him instead.

*

Lan Zhan was disappointed in him, XuanYu knew that much. They were admiring the sunset from the small balcony in their room, folding laundry.

XuanYu always wondered why Lan Zhan assumed the form of a black stuffed rabbit, of all things, but he didn’t want to pry. He didn’t even know his real name. The other had told him he used to be a human in his past life and that he hadn’t technically reincarnated in this lifetime. That his current form was just a mean to a goal, that he could use it to guide XuanYu and help him better that way without expending much spiritual energy.

He told him someone dear to him taught him how to manipulate paper-man talismans in his previous life. How similar the process had been to move around in a stuffed animal’s body. How convenient.

XuanYu believed he secretly loved it, even if Lan Zhan would have never said as much. He already talked very little to begin with.

“You told her you don’t remember your past.”

“That I did.”

“Don’t do it again”

XuanYu folded the last towel on his lap and then let Lan Zhan take a nap on it. He felt silly having to take showers and pretend to be a normal human being. He hated inconveniencing the Jins with him, accepting their bedding and paid kitchen appliances and so on. But if he wanted to accomplish his mission he had to make an effort to look normal... instead of spirited away from another world or maybe simply another era.

“I won’t do it again, don’t worry Lan Zhan.”

*

Lan Zhan was disappointed, but he was also patient to a fault.

Sure, it would have been much appreciated if Mo XuanYu didn’t lose him around every other day. This time the younger man had forgotten to pick him up from the floor where he had been reading stories to the children at the kindergarten.

But Lan Zhan was also a stuffed animal now, so it wasn’t like he could move around and risk being seeing by normal humans. His body was a vessel and any damage would have had repercussions on his soul as well. 

What to do.

He tried not to panic when he felt someone picking him up from the floor after an hour or so. He silently prayed for them not to be A-Qing: even in this life she was too smart for her own good and he couldn’t risk being found out so soon. Mo XuanYu wasn’t even halfway to complete his mission and Lan Zhan couldn’t...

“I’m sure A-Yu is looking for you, little guy. What are doing all the way back here?”

It was always difficult to hear his older brother’s voice in this life. To see his face, to notice how sad he was even in this new reincarnation of his.

Lan Zhan didn’t move a single muscle as XiChen dusted him off and put him in his apron front pocket as he looked for “A-Yu”.

In order to give a second chance to Mo XuanYu, Lan Zhan had sacrificed any possibility to ever reincarnate until his mission was accomplished. So XiChen didn’t have a younger brother in this lifetime and he would have not had one for a while. Lan Zhan missed him, but they had to wait for a bit more.

They still had three months to fill the bottle the King of Hell had entrusted Mo XuanYu with. Then he would have entered the list for reincarnation once more and everything will have been fine in the end.

Lan Zhan owed the kid his life, so he trusted him.

No matter what.

*

XuanYu remembered the boy who had stolen his umbrella. He remembered him well enough to recognize him when he found him crawling on the floor, a stab wound in his belly, one winter night.

Panicked, he asked Lan Zhan what they could do as he instinctively pressed the wound with his bare hands. Lan Zhan didn’t dare move not to attract attention on himself. The other man snarled out at XuanYu, asking him why did he even bother, seemingly recognizing him.

“I took your fucking umbrella. Hate me and leave me alone.”

“Ridiculous.”

Lan Zhan would have been proud of him for that remark, but XuanYu was too scared to think about it. He didn’t have a phone and he didn’t even know the number for emergencies. He wasn’t even qualified to be a teacher. How had he survived until then. He was useless and stupid and...

“What the fuck?” Jiang Cheng’s voice came in a whisper behind him.

What a sorry view the older man had to take in that night: a pool of blood staining otherwise clean clothes, a moaning boy on the ground in restless pain, a crying mess of a sad excuse of a human pressing on a throbbing wound next to him.

Jiang Cheng muttered something about the boy being one of Meng Yao’s men, that they should leave him there to die for all he cared.

The man under XuanYu barked back, telling him he had tried to “convince the idiot of the same”. But XuanYu was horrified by what he had just heard.

“People die for nothing. People die for fucking nothing. You don’t leave someone behind just because you fucking hate them.”

XuanYu has never cursed in this brief, borrowed life of his. Maybe spending so much time with Jiang Cheng had rubbed some of his habits off on him in the end.

Startled, Jiang Cheng seemed to agree with him because he fished out his phone and called an ambulance right away.

The stabbed man laughed at that.

*

Lan Zhan was clutched in XuanYu’s hands as they waited in the corridor of a badly lit hospital. The kid was crying, hard. He must have remembered how his family in Mo Manor had mistreated him in the past, how easily his own relatives had starved him off just out of spite. How already impossibly emaciated he had been when he had sacrificed his body for Wei Ying, to bring him back in a weakened vessel just to seek revenge. Just to let his hatred run free.

Such cruelty had earned him nothing but distrust from the hell judges, who sentenced him to never be reincarnated again. Only when Lan Zhan had ascended to heaven -many centuries after reaching immortality- he had been able to make them relent.

If Mo XuanYu could prove to be a good human being during a trial time of one year on planet earth, filling a vial with good actions in the form of golden gems, then they would have considered Lan Zhan’s proposal. Mo XuanYu would have atoned his sin and be granted a new life, a clean record, and a second chance at happiness.

Seeing someone almost die in front of him must have awaken something ugly in him. His stained hands, the iron stench in the air. All that blood... like the last thing he had most probably seen in his previous life before his body sacrifice. A scarlet array under his feet, another soul replacing his in his own body.

Lan Zhan let himself be held tightly in Mo XuanYu’s hands that night at the hospital.

And hugged back without anyone else noticing.

*

Xiao XingChen. That was the name of the man showing up at the kindergarten one week later. XuanYu had never seen him before, but the man hugged him in front of the kids, alerting both XiChen and Jiang Cheng.

“Thank you,” the tall man said in between tears, holding him tight.

“I don’t understand. I...”

“You saved A-Yang. Thank you.”

XuanYu pressed his lips together tightly at that, so overwhelmed he didn’t know what to say. His fingertips hurting with sometimes akin to electricity the more he let himself be held so fiercely by the other man.

He started crying in earnest only after the man had left, surrounded by the children who worried and fussed over him. He fell asleep with them during nap time and when he woke up he found Jiang Cheng placing a quilt over him.

Caught red handed, the older man feigned disinterest in the beginning... but then he sat down next to him. Just like he had done in the hospital one week ago.

“Did you see someone die before?” Jiang Cheng asked then, awkwardly scratching the back of his head, “You had such a strong... reaction to my words. It was insensitive of me. I apologize for angering you. I’ll better myself.”

XuanYu didn’t answer at that. 

Jiang Cheng would have never understood what it meant to sacrifice yourself to hatred and revenge. How much it had scarred him to be brought back to life, but only as a worn out set of robes on top of someone else’s soul. How distant he had felt when the Yiling Patriarch had inhabited his body and had let himself be touched by someone else.

Jiang Cheng would have never understood what it meant to be touched in the flesh but be utterly unreachable as a soul. Or how much it hurt to become an empty body filled by someone foreign and new. Someone who could wear his skin better than him.

Jiang Cheng would have never understood. And thank all the gods for that.

So XuanYu... Mo XuanYu kept quiet and smiled instead.

*

Lan Zhan didn’t trust Jiang Cheng. He hadn’t in the past and he wasn’t gonna start now. Wei Ying would have been so disappointed in him for thinking badly of his baby brother, but there was little Lan Zhan could do about that.

Wei Ying wasn’t there to judge him for it.

Mo XuanYu would wake up every morning and wash himself, get dressed and tidy up the room before leaving. He would fix his appearance in a mirror Young Lady Jiang had gifted him in autumn, making sure his hat was still in place.

“What would happen if I were to...?”

“You must keep your hat on... even when you sleep. You know this much.”

“I wear a headband to bed.”

“And what of it?”

“It’s... silly.”

“Nobody can see you in your sleep. Why the sudden worry?”

Mo XuanYu said nothing in response to that, but Lan Zhan knew. The kid had never worried too much about his appearance aside from looking proper and well dressed. He had never fussed over his features, but recently he had taken the habit to walk dangerously close to makeup stores and check various displays at the convenience store close by. Lan Zhan knew Mo XuanYu had remembered his past... how he had quickly realized he was already an adult. With needs and desires.

But now a brand new reincarnation of Jiang WanYin would wait for him every morning to walk to work together. Now Jiang Cheng acted pleasantly enough to be considered kind and doting to someone starved of affection like Mo XuanYu had always been. Which wasn’t planned, it had never been.

Lan Zhan didn’t like where this was going.

He didn’t like it at all.

*

Nie HuaiSang came to bring a cake for XuanYu one day or so before the end of the year, snow sticking to his hair and flushed cheeks.

“I don’t know when your birthday is... so I’m pretty sure I’m late to the game. But I wanted to thank you for helping me and MianMian that one time. So I made a cake for you. I hope you like strawberries.”

Mo XuanYu had no idea if he liked them or not. He couldn’t even eat.

He started crying in the middle of his room, where HuaiSang had placed the boxed cake on top of his low table.

Panicked, HuaiSang jumped up and out of the room to alert Jiang Cheng next door. But upon seeing the other man’s worried expression XuanYu cried even harder.

“What did you do to him, you bastard?”

“I’m not the one who used to prank people all the time. Grow up!”

“You clearly did something horrible to him for...”

“A-Cheng we’re not twelve anymore. Who do you take me for?”

XuanYu took his chance to stuff his face with cake, gulping it down bit by bit even if he knew he didn’t have the necessary organs to process it without vomiting it all out in an hour or so. He had tried many times to hold food down to no avail. His body rejecting it as if it was poisonous and dangerous.

He had tried so many times... to practice. To be able to appreciate YanLi’s generous cooking, to help A-Ling and the children at school prep their lunches and maybe... maybe to eat with Jiang Cheng every now and then.

Nie HuaiSang hugged him and patted his head, confused but too scared to ask for an explanation. Mo XuanYu smiled at him and lied, saying his cake was the best he had ever eaten. It wasn’t the best. It was simply the first.

He had no way to compare it with anything else, really.

*

Wen Ning had heard about his “stomachache” from XiChen, who had known all about it from YanLi and Jiang Cheng. So it shouldn’t have been a surprise for XuanYu when he saw the older boy in front of his apartment complex the last day of the year.

But it was a surprise.

“Can we talk for a bit?” Wen Ning asked, holding his umbrella up for XuanYu to walk beside him, protecting him from the icy snow.

They walked to the nearest park, sitting under the gazebo to watch the snow falling down. Their heavy coats keeping them warm, despite the cold.

They used to take long walks back from the kindergarten with A-Yuan after school, since the Wens lived close to XuanYu. Before Jiang Cheng came back anyway.

Wen Ning looked uncomfortable, fidgeting with his fingers as he tried to find the right words. He surprised XuanYu by telling him how, in the past, he had suffered from an eating disorder and had been hospitalized for a while in his teens. How worried his sister and their grandma had been for him, how much they helped him in his recovery. How alone he had felt for years still, no matter how loved he was.

“A-Yuan told me he never saw you eat. So I was wondering if you needed help.”

It wasn’t the case, but XuanYu knew he meant well. Telling him everything was fine would have only worried him more, so he tried to explain an half-truth that could satisfy him. Saying it was difficult for him to process food, that in the past he had suffered from malnutrition and now he had digestive issues.

He was talking about his past life, but he figured that could work as well.

When they parted ways in front of the apartment complex, Wen Ning asked to hold XuanYu’s hands for a bit. He cradled them carefully, as if they were precious. His slender fingers cupping XuanYu’s smaller palms almost reverently.

“I know you don’t feel the same about me. But I’ll ask you to look after yourself anyway. Not out of obligation for me... but out of respect for yourself, if nothing else.”

The moment Wen Ning let go of his hands, Jiang Cheng stepped out of the front door of the building and saw them.

He said nothing and walked away after stepping out of the gate.

*

Lan Zhan would have very much liked to flip a finger at Jiang WanYin’s forehead. Hard. Wei Ying would have done the same, he was sure.

Wei Ying would have also smacked some sense in his baby brother, forcing him to face his feelings and take responsibility for what he was doing to poor Mo XuanYu.

Who was currently waiting for the other man’s return like a dog by his room balcony, surveying the front courtyard like a bird of prey from above.

Lan Zhan tried to coax the kid inside, reminding him snow was still falling down and that his beanie was slipping away. He tried to be gentle about it, knowing how much XuanYu had grown resentful of the hats he had to constantly wear.

But the younger man simply shrugged, saying he wanted to wait for another five minutes. Just one more. Just to make sure.

Jiang Cheng didn’t come back that night.

And Mo XuanYu cried in his sleep clutching the half-empty vial to his chest.

Lan Zhan spent the night watching over him, singing to him the song he had written for Wei Ying. He snuggled close to XuanYu and made sure his wide headband was covering the crown of his head, before pressing himself to the other’s forehead.

He never stopped singing.

Wishing he could take all the pain away.

*

YanLi, A-Yuan and even ZiXuan knocked on his door to greet him into the new year, despite how XuanYu should have been the one to pay his respects to his landlords.

But they asked him to visit the funeral home with them instead, to say their thanks to YanLi’s parents with offers and flowers.

He dressed in his best clothes, having never been in what seemed to be a modern version of the ancestral halls of his childhood in a past life. The establishment was fairly sterile, with shelves filled with plaques and pictures instead of wooden inscriptions on an altar. The lot of them bowed and said their thanks, chatting with the late Jiangs almost as if they had never left. YanLi apologized to her mother for Jiang Cheng’s absence that year like any other year, while ZiXuan told his father-in-law how they would have visited the Jin ancestors during Chūnjié to make it fair.

XuanYu looked at them and barely kept himself from crying.

On their way back, YanLi explained her parents had died when she was still twelve and Jiang Cheng was merely six. How they had lived in the orphanage run by XiChen’s mother and made friends with the boy, who was YanLi’s classmate. How the siblings stayed there until YanLi came of age and got custody of her baby brother. ZiXuan’s family of lawyers had helped her pro bono and that was how she had met the man and fallen in love with him. Even if it had taken a while for ZiXuan to notice her at first, preoccupied with university and law school as he had been at the time. But the Jins helped her with the inheritance left by the late Madame Yu: the apartment complex where they currently lived.

Watching them explaining their past in such detail moved XuanYu deeply. Feeling as if they wanted to make him part of their family by filling in the gaps for him.

That was still his older brother after all and those were still his sister-in-law and his beloved nephew and he... he loved them. He had missed them so, so much.

And he was about to leave them again soon.

*

Wen Qing finally showed herself up one day at the park, when Mo XuanYu was taking Fairy out for an evening walk. She approached him by telling the younger man she had assisted in the surgery Xue Yang had undergone some time back.

Lan Zhan (hiding in the kid’s coat pocket) could see how startled the kid was at the mention of the criminal, but he decided to trust this version of Lady Wen as he would have done in the past.

Wei Ying cared deeply for her, after all.

Whatever truths she was about to entrust Mo XuanYu with, Lan Zhan knew the kid could take it.

He hoped as much, at least.

*

Jiang Cheng came back only for Chinese New Year. Saying he had stayed at XiChen’s since the winter break allowed them to take it easy and figure some stuff out for the following school year.

It hurt to know where he had been all along, but XuanYu braved a smile anyway. He knew how much Jiang Cheng cared for the older man, how much he wanted to save the school from the debt collector. How much he didn’t love XuanYu back.

So he let himself cry one last time before waking up one morning and deciding he had had enough.

He talked with Lan Zhan, asking him to tell him all about Wei WuXian and their love. If XuanYu’s sacrifice had allowed them to be happy as they deserved in the end. If Lan Zhan hated him now, for forcing him away from his loved one, who was currently waiting for him to come back to heaven.

Mo XuanYu knew the couple had sacrificed their chance at reincarnation to allow him to seek a second lifetime for himself. He knew Wei Ying watched over them from up above, waiting for Lan Zhan to secure a new life for the kid.

They talked all day and then well into the night.

By dawn Mo XuanYu had decided what to do.

*

XuanYu properly met Meng Yao one day of early spring, when flowers weren’t yet brave enough to poke their way out and greet the sun. The man was dressed in black, his hair cut short, a sigarette between his lips as he waited patiently for the kindergarten to open.

It was XuanYu’s duty to open that morning, so he was the one to greet the man.

Upon hearing his voice, Meng Yao immediately recognized him.

“There you are. I was waiting for you.”

“Me?”

“You’re the kid who answered the phone. And the one who helped my subordinate back in winter, right?”

His dimples were so deep, his face so pleasant.

Mo XuanYu remembered him from another lifetime. He remembered how much he had cared for his older brother Jin GuangYao. How hurt he had felt when the other had lied and accused him of harassment just to get rid of him.

But this was a new life and Meng Yao was just a man.

Who happened to have been married with XiChen for a while before turning to a life filled with crime and gang violence.

Wen Qing had told him Meng Yao had initially tried to live far away from his adoptive father Wen RuoHan. All for the sake of marrying XiChen and keep him safe. But XiChen’s mother still had had a debt to pay for the construction of the orphanage, a price too high for her to pay with her poor health and delicate disposition. A debt that XiChen had inherited from her when she had died.

That was why Meng Yao had left him: to go back to his father and ask him to handle the debt himself, supplicating him to overlook such small issue and let him dry XiChen out of every penny and cent instead.

Wen Qing may have learned this only from the gossiping running in her family, with the Wen Clan being as big as it was, but she was pretty sure of what she had told XuanYu. That Meng Yao had simply faked having fallen out of love with XiChen to protect him from his adoptive father and his cruelty. That XiChen still loved him and was waiting for him to fight alongside him instead.

Mo XuanYu knew all of this.

So now he could act and fulfill his mission.

*

“I want to pay the debt XiChen owes you.”

“You are full of surprises, XuanYu. And how do you plan to do that?”

“I can do many things.”

“You’re very pretty, you can make good money out of it.”

XuanYu considered his words before shaking his head.

“It’s not something I can do.”

“Then what can you do?”

“I’ll solve everything.”

“I’m all ears.”

“But you’ll have to stop making XiChen worry so much.”

“That’s not how business work...”

“Lie to me. Give your word and I’ll... I will solve everything.”

Meng Yao humored him and nodded.

Then and only then, Mo XuanYu took his hat off.

*

Lan Zhan had watched the entire scene unfold before his eyes without intervening, trusting Mo XuanYu with such an important choice. He took in the sight of the beautiful spiritual light shining brightly on top of XuanYu’s head like a crown.

His soul in full display, its energy so raw it had slowed down time all around them.

Lan Zhan turned around and looked at XiChen, who had just turned a corner and had been walking towards XuanYu to greet him good morning. Frozen in time, his older brother’s face still looked peaceful... simply because he had had no time to notice Meng Yao’s presence quite yet.

Lan Zhan turned once more and saw Jiang WanYin making his way in a rush towards them, surely to protect XuanYu from Meng Yao. When did he arrive? His features trapped in a perpetual frown, scared for the one he truly loved in this lifetime.

Then, Lan Zhan looked up at Mo XuanYu and saw him taking the bottle only half filled with gold... which symbolized his goodwill and generous spirit.

“Will this be enough to grant a wish, Lan Zhan?”

When XuanYu said his name like that he sounded so much like his Wei Ying, full of hope and love.

“It depends on the wish, A-Yu.”

“I reckon it’s not enough for a new reincarnation, eh?”

“It’s enough to save a life... but not yours.”

XuanYu looked crestfallen, but he persevered still.

The bottle transformed into a bag filled with money and XuanYu made his way to XiChen and left it at his feet before smiling up at his mentor and employer.

“I cannot rewrite the past, but maybe I can plan a better future for you.”

Still smiling, XuanYu slowly walked over to Jiang Cheng and said his farewells.

Then he crouched down and took Lan Zhan in his hands, kissing him goodbye on the head affectionately.

“Erase me well, Lan Zhan,” he whispered then.

Before disappearing into thin air.

***

Wei Ying had agreed with him, suggesting the idea himself.

In the end the King of Hell had granted Lan Zhan’s request and offered Mo XuanYu a second chance anyway. Since this new self-sacrifice had been fueled by positive emotions instead of anger and despair, the hell judges had considered the atonement fulfilled and put the kid’s name back on the reincarnation list.

Twenty years had past and many things had changed.

For starters, the kid’s last name wasn’t Mo anymore, but Nie. The boy had, in fact, born into Nie MingJue’s family and had lived overseas in Japan for a while before moving back to Lanling when XuanYu turned twenty. Nie HuaiSang had met him many times during summer vacations and other festivities, visiting his brother and his wife every chance he had gotten to dote on his cute nephew XuanYu.

Nie MingJue had done a remarkable job in protecting him from harm. So, by the time their little family had decided to move close to HuaiSang, XuanYu had become a well adjusted adult with a brilliant future ahead of him.

Nobody remembered him.

Or so Lan Zhan had thought.

Apparently, he had forgotten to wipe Jin Ling’s memories thoroughly. So, when The Nie family had come to greet HuaiSang’s friends YanLi and ZiXuan, A-Ling almost had a stroke out of incredulity and happiness for being reunited with his “A-Yu”. Even if Jin Ling was now older than the pretty-gege from his memories. Even if he had spent years trying to figure out why nobody seemed to remember the weird uncle living next door to his Jiujiu years back.

XiChen and Meng Yao had solved their problems and had started running the school together right after Wen RuoHan sudden and mysterious disappearance. The man had many enemies after all. 

A-Yuan had grown up into a fine young man, someone Wei Ying would have certainly been proud of, working with his cousin Wen Ning at the local botanical garden while his friends still studied in university. 

Nie HuaiSang had married Qin Su and opened a restaurant with her. 

MianMian and Wen Qing had decided to live together and adopt a bunch of dogs just because. 

Xiao XingChen and Xue Yang still lived together while Song Lan had found his way back to them after talking it out with the couple. 

A-Qing was probably running some sketchy business in social services to protect kids from horrible families.

Lan Zhan was still, unfortunately, a stuffed rabbit. Following XuanYu in his new life in the most unexpected of ways. In the form of the first present the boy’s uncle had gifted him in childhood. If Wei Ying had pulled a string or two from heaven to make that happen, well, Lan Zhan himself was none the wiser. The only thing he knew was that XuanYu had always taken him with him in all his travels even if he didn’t know he could speak. Lan Zhan had preferred not to reveal his nature and let the kid have a normal childhood. Especially since he had no memories of his past as a tenant in Jiang YanLi’s house. Nor of his life as a cultivator.

Wei Ying had agreed they could wait to be reunited again. The both of them wanting to look over XuanYu for a little longer before getting their own chance at reincarnation. They had all eternity to be together again... they could definitely wait a bit more for the kid.

All was well.

Aside from the other person whose mind Lan Zhan had conveniently forgot to wipe clean of any memory of XuanYu.

In his defense, Lan Zhan had tried to make Jiang Cheng forget. But something about XuanYu must have touched him so deeply... that Lan Zhan had not been able to do much about it. The kid’s smiles and clumsy antics would always linger in the back of the other’s mind no matter how much he tried to ignore them.

Coming back from his job at ZiXuan’s firm, exhausted and vulnerable, Jiang Cheng decided to visit his sister the same day Nie MingJue had brought his family there. So he was particularly weak to the sight of a bright, soft XuanYu when YanLi introduced her younger brother to their guests.

To Lan Zhan’s absolute delight, Jiang Cheng immediately bowed down to a scary looking Nie MingJue and asked his son’s hand in marriage.

Yes, grovel to this precious boy and learn your place.

XuanYu only tilted his head at that weird man bowing to his parents and smiled.

His laughter ringing up to the sky, where Wei Ying was still listening.

From where he would have kept watching.

*

[I worked so hard on this please reblog]

*

[kobato means “little dove” I thought it was cute since XuanYu is a magpie! + I wanted MXY a chance at life and for once this is a reversal-sacrifice from WWX’s part and I think it’s neat.]

[JC would be 43 or so... which yikes. but this is all I could do. I don’t like huge age gaps but at least everyone is a consenting adult, okay?]

[the thing that started this was like “what if LXC was an only child and LWJ did not reincarnate bc he’s still in the afterlife or something? then the entire thing escalated so...yeah.]

now I will cry for ages. I worked so hard on this good god D:

[artificialqueens]

Beauty in the Sheets - Chapter 3 - (Branjie) - Thankyoumissvanjie

A/N: dun dun dun…. Y'all ain’t ready. Thank you all so much for the amazing response to this fic. It’s been crazy. I hope you’ll enjoy this chapter too!! <3 <3

Summary: “That all? You don’t got some secret wife somewhere, waiting dutifully at home for her beautiful blonde woman?” She was looking close to monitor Brooke’s reactions, trying to figure out if she was being lied to. 

“Nope. No wife.” Brooke looked Vanjie directly in the eye, not blinking, not twitching as she said it. 

“Honest?” She had to check one last time. And as Brooke gave a tiny nod, Vanjie could feel a small weight being lifted from her shoulders.

LINK TO AO3

“Why do you look so fucking smug this morning? You’ve only had a single cup of coffee and you already look ready to seize the day? You got some coke mixed into that, mama?” Katya was huddled in her chair, her sweater so big it almost functioned as a blanket. She was sniffing her extra-large “black-as-her-soul” cup of coffee, hoping that the damps created by the caffeine would make her wake up faster. 

“Me?” Brooke tried to feign innocence but could feel her mouth curl into a satisfied smirk. 

“Don’t go all mysterious girl on me. Honestly, what could make you such a ray of sunshine in the morning? You’re usually a pain in the ass before you’ve had at least four cigarettes. So what’s the T, hon?” The raised perfectly drawn eyebrow usually worked on Brooke. Katya having a secret power of drawing out the truth from everyone.

Just not today.

“Oh, nothing. I just had a really good night, slept like a baby,” Brooke seemed all loose, warming her hands on the warm cup as she smiled softly, her eyes closed as she took a deep breath. 

A plate was loudly placed on the table, making Brooke’s eyes snap open as Detox sat down next to Katya. 

Her neon hair and brows made her look like an alien when coupled with the fancy interior of the restaurant, but then again, Detox had a way of always looking out of this world in every setting.

“Why is Hytes smiling? It’s too early for the ice queen to be that sunny,” Her voice was dry as she wrinkled her nose at the small smile on Brooke’s face. 

“Jesus guys, I am not the horrible in the morning,” looking around at all her friends and colleagues, who all seemed to either shrug or look away from her. “Am I?” Brooked tried to catch the eye of just one of them.

“I mean, you’re not that-“ before Nina could soften the blow, Katya interrupted her from her sweater cocoon.

“Mama, morning, day or night, you are always prissy and uptight. But we love that about you. Our very own uptown socialite bitch,” Katya sent Brooke one of her blinding smiles as she took a big gulp of coffee. 

“Fuck you, guys. I am a delight,” Brooke muttered, making the whole table chuckle.

“Chiiiile, we love you, honey. But they ain’t calling you Ice Queen just for the fun of it,” Shuga’s voice was filled with mirth, as she shrugged at Brooke. 

“Guys, guys. B is actually smiling. It happens two times a year, so let’s just all enjoy it,” Nina could see the smile slowly falling from Brooke’s lips, her best friend’s moods always fickle and quick to change.

“Whatever you say, boss. So what’s the plan for today?” Katya’s eyes lit up at all the possibilities, as she was the only one who was feeling up for this tour. She never got to go to any fancy places like this, so she wanted to soak it all up, so she could tell Trixie all about it when she got home. 

“Uhm,” Nina swallowed her mouthful of yoghurt, looking at the tired yet anxious beauty queens in front of her. “Girls, shouldn’t we all wait until after breakfast where the whole group is gathered?” Almost in sync, all the occupants around the table lifted one brow, looking at Nina with unimpressed looks.

“Okay. I am SO excited because I’ve planned THE BEST day, for all of us. First, we’re going to the spa, to get that quality girls time - no Debbie downers allowed. Yes, I am looking at you, Brooke!” The excitement in her voice made it difficult for any of the surrounding women to keep a scowl on their face. The joy of Nina West an infectious commodity.

“Bitch!” The indignation in Brooke’s voice was ignored as Nina kept on speaking.

“I am talking, massages and bubble bath’s that smell more expensive than Dior’s perfume department. Then after lunch, we are going mini-golfing, which will be so dang cute, that we’ll ‘awh’ ourselves through every obstacle.“ and with a small smile, Nina took a sip of her green tea. Feeling quite proud of what she had planned.

She was met with silence, as they all looked impressed. Brooke was casually smiling into her coffee. Nina tried not to think too hard about why her best friend was in a good mood. She knew that she and Vanjie had probably slept together, her best friend always had a weakness for beautiful women.

But that talk would have to wait. 

“How the fuck did you convince Ru to pay for this?” Trust Chad, to be the one to go straight to the point. She had worked for Ru for almost a decade, so Chad knew that the shrewd bitch didn’t spend money on her employees unless you forced her to. 

“A lady never reveals her sources, but I can tell you that I had a great talk with Michelle a few months ago,” Nina’s shrug made all of them laugh, as they all knew that Michelle had a direct line to Ru, the woman often working as a liaison between the two parties.

“Honey, you’re a genius!” Shuga said almost in awe. 

“Why do you all think that I’m your boss?” Nina flicked her hair over her shoulder, giving them all a wink, making the table erupt once again in loud laughter and giggles. 

Catching Brooke’s eye, she mouthed a soft “thank you,” to her, as it had been her idea to go directly to Michelle. 

Brooke waved her off with a smile, taking a sip of coffee, as her eyes travelled over to one of the other tables. Without turning around Nina knew who was sitting there. 

Knew that she would most definitely see Vanessa with the same smile on her lips, like the one on her best friend. 

This would never end well.

Lips were softly kissing their way across Vanjie’s collarbone, her body drenched with sweat, making her feel sticky. She was still trying to catch her breath, having just come… again, at the mercy of Brooke’s ridiculously talented hands

“Brooke, girl. I need a moment,” Vanjie tried to push her head away, but it was more a pat on Brooke’s slightly tousled hair than anything, her body still loose and almost weak after the two orgasms. 

“But I’m comfortable here,” the words were mumbled against Vanjie’s skin, as Brooke kept on peppering her with small kisses all over her body. At the moment she was worshipping the dip in her clavicle, making Vanjie shiver with overstimulation. 

“Mama, give a girl a fucking break!” Vanjie laughed as she once again tried to push Brooke away.

With one final peck on her shoulder, she moved away from Vanjie, rolling onto her side, leaning her head on her arm, her eyes trailing all over Vanjie’s body. 

“Sure, let’s take a moment,” Vanjie looked into those blue eyes and felt herself get lost. There was something about Brooke. The way she carried herself, the way she was so unapologetic about herself and sex. It was refreshing. 

It was powerful.

It was so fucking hot. 

“Jesus mama,” Vanjie felt her heart rate slow, making her able to think a bit more clearly, “So, you gon’ tell me why you lying ‘bout yo name? I mean, Bella, really? What you think this is, some Twilight bullshit?” She raised her eyebrows, trying to make Brooke see that she couldn’t sex her way out of this. 

Though, if Vanjie was honest she probably could. 

“It’s simple. Anonymity.” Brooke said it all very calmly, shrugging one shoulder, trying to convey that it was really not that big a deal. “I mean, It’s hard being this hot if girls know your name.” 

It all seemed very practised, and it made Vanjie narrow her eyes in suspicion.

“That all? You don’t got some secret wife somewhere, waiting dutifully at home for her beautiful blonde woman?” She was looking close to monitor Brooke’s reactions, trying to figure out if she was being lied to. 

“Nope. No wife.” Brooke looked Vanjie directly in the eye, not blinking, not twitching as she said it. 

“Honest?” She had to check one last time. And as Brooke gave a tiny nod, Vanjie could feel a small weight being lifted from her shoulders. She didn’t know what the fuck they were doing, but she was not ready to give it up. 

Feeling brave and ready to give back to the woman, who had been very giving the last couple of hours she leaned closer. Her lips slowly trailed up Brooke’s arm, teeth softly biting here and there. 

“I thought you needed a moment?” Brooke tried to keep her voice steady, but her gasp at the end made Vanjie smile, feeling victorious, knowing that she had found a small crack in the otherwise impenetrable armour.

As she leaned closer, Brooke rolled over onto her back, Vanessa crawling on top of her, her hands caging her in, as their lips met. Nipping and teasing. Teeth clashing and biting. It was soft, it was rough. Brooke’s hands grabbed Vanjie’s ass, the rough touch making her moan in delight. 

“What do you want? Tell me,” The words were whispered against Brooke’s lips, that softly curled into a smile.

Then before Vanjie had the chance to say anything else, Brooke’s hand trailed to her hips, grabbing them tightly as she rolled them over. 

As Vanjie found herself on her back, she glanced into those bright eyes, her breath catching slightly as they held promises of a long night. 

“I want you,” and with those three words, she captured Vanessa’s lips in a searing kiss, that made her toes curl and her fists grab at the covers. 

Two tables over a different set of ladies from Bloomingdales were sitting, almost mirroring the blonde skincare possé. The cradling of coffee cups and huddling in oversized sweaters made them stand out against the other patrons, who all looked ready to go out on the golf course. 

Silky kept glancing over at Vanjie, who seemed to be in a daze. Her coffee cup stood untouched and, more alarming, was the fact that the plate holding a warm and fresh croissant also hadn’t been touched yet.

That never happened.

Silk guessed that this freak occurrence had a lot to do with a blonde and tall stranger sitting approximately 20 feet away from them. But she was a good friend, so she kept her mouth shut. 

“What’s up with Vanjie?” A’keria was staring curiously at her, trying to figure out why her friend looked so out of it, and more importantly, why she was so quiet.

“Fuck if I know.” Shrugging at Kiki, Silky decided to bring her friend back to this plane of existence.

“Yo, Vanjie!” She tried to find that perfect yell that would make Vanjie snap out her sex induced coma. 

No such luck.

“Vanj, girl?” A’keria snapped her fingers in front of Vanjie’s face, which seemed to do the trick as her brown eyes seemed to lose their fog. 

“Jesus, what? Can’t a hoe just sit and mind their own business for a mo?” Vanjie took a big sip of her coffee but almost spat it out again, “Holy mother of fucking saint Michael, that’s hot. My tongue!” the whole table started laughing, as Vanjie tried to somehow stifle the pain by patting her tongue. 

“‘Ness. Girl. What do fuck is you doing, hoe?” Silky laughed as she handed over her glass of water, “Like girl, how’s your head?” looking over her glasses, she stared at Vanjie gulping down the water, waiting for an answer. 

“Haven’t gotten any complaints, bitch!” The loud foghorn voice, smiling eyes and sassy snap told them all they needed to know. 

“Aaaaand she’s back. Jeez, girl, you can’t scare Aunt KiKi like that, she be getting war flashbacks of you going 2018 Christmas sale on her,” Silky was quick to duck, as Vanjie threw a napkin after her. 

“Bitch. You swore a motherfucking oath that you ain’t ever be mentioning that again! Y'all did, so don’t you think I don’t see all them chuckles. I remember and the receipts will be kept!” Vanjie pointed at all of them, Plastique and Ariel giggling, while A’keria just raised an eyebrow at her. 

“Dumbass hoes, all of yous,” she muttered into her coffee, trying hard not to look over at Brooke’s table. 

She still felt tingles all over her body after this morning. 

The transition from being asleep to waking was slow. Vanjie felt warm and comfortable. The duvet clearly having a higher thread count than the shitty IKEA polyester hell she kept at home. Her muscles were exquisitely sore, while her mind was still high on the night she had. 

A warm and soft hand trailed over her stomach, making her suck in a breath, as the touch sent tingling sensations down to her toes. 

“Morning,” the word was whispered against her ear, the small puff of air making her shiver. The hand on her stomach settled right above her pubic bone.

Not moving any further. 

“Hey,” She tried to turn around, wanting to see Brooke in the morning, wanting to have a clear picture of how her blonde hair would look tousled with sleep and sex.

Did she have those puffy morning eyes or was she blessed with perfect doe eyes 24/7?

The hand on her stomach kept her from moving. 

“You know what would take this morning from good to great?” Brooke’s morning voice was raspy and low, it made the tight knot of sensation in her lower stomach bloom.

“No?”

“Watching you come by my hand in the shower.” And with that, she jumped out of bed and walked over to the bathroom, her naked ass on full display. Brooke opened the door to the bathroom and walked right into the shower, turning on the water without a care in the world.  

She never closed the door, giving Vanjie front seats to the show, as she was lying frozen on the bed, seeing a blurred outline of Brooke naked body through the tinted shower glass.

Before Vanjie’s brain even had the chance to ponder the invite her feet were already carrying her across the floor towards the real-life Aphrodite that had somehow found her way to this particular hotel room. 

“What took you so long?” Brooke’s voice was teasing, her back faced Vanjie, as she lathered her body with lemony soap. The suds accentuated all her curves, Brooke having been gifted with the body most women would kill for. 

“You only came once last night.” It was something that Vanjie hadn’t thought of in the moment, but as the night progressed she realised that Brooke seemed to not really care about herself or her own pleasure, as she kept on showering Vanjie with tantalising touches and sensual kisses. 

“And?” Brooke’s voice hitched slightly, making Vanjie smile as she leaned closer to place soft kisses on her pale back. 

“Lemme do something ‘bout that, Mami,” the combination of the warm water and Brooke’s skin was heady. The zesty lemon scent seemed to surround them, Vanjie realising that the citrusy smell would end up being an aphrodisiac for her. 

Her hands went around to Brooke’s front, softly caressing her stomach, the muscles tight. Brooke tensed, as Vanjie’s hands touched raised skin, the bumpiness of it making her intrigued. 

A scar? How had she not noticed that before? Before she had time to say anything, Brooke turned around facing her. Her eyes held a determined glint, while the slightly upturned smirk gracing her lips would’ve made Natalie Dormer cry in envy. 

“Huh. I seem to remember saying, that the quality of my morning would increase by making you, not me, come, Vanessa?” and with that Brooke leaned down and captured her lips, slowly backing Vanjie up against the shower wall. 

Vanjie wanted to kiss Brooke forever. Her soft, plump lips were intoxicating as they covered her own. Everything seemed to disappear as the kiss deepened. Vanjie’s heartbeat and Brooke’s tongue the only two sensory inputs that her mind and body could handle.

The water from the shower did nothing to quench the fire burning in Vanjie’s body, as Brooke’s hands roamed all over her body. Pinching and caressing her breasts. 

As they parted to finally breathe, Vanjie quickly glanced down at the scar. It was large and pale - it seemed old, but before she found her voice to ask what had happened there, Brooke’s hand was distracting her, as it touched her inner thigh. 

Vanjie gulped, knowing how talented those fingers were; her whole body clenching in need of their tantalising touch. 

Brooke leaned her forehead against Vanjie’s the water cascading down over both of them, none of them caring that it got in their eyes and mouths. 

“Tell me you want it,” Brooke’s voice was like velvet, and Vanjie wanted to follow any and all commands made by the goddess in front of her.

“Please, I want it,” She didn’t care that she sounded needy. Vanjie didn’t care that this tall, secretive blonde could make her do anything.

She tried to capture Brooke’s lips in another searing kiss, but she leaned back. 

“Again,” Her voice was commanding, making her weak in the knees. 

“Fuck… I… Mami. Please.” She was like a drug, and Vanjie was not ready to give it up yet - if ever. 

Her fingers slowly crept closer, teasing her, making her moan desperately. 

“One more time.” This time the words were said directly against her lips, the soft touch sending a shiver running down the length of her spine. 

“Please, fuck me!” The words flew out of her. Vanjie didn’t care anymore. She just needed Brooke to touch her. 

Then. 

Finally. 

As Brooke’s long and slim fingers touched her centre, Vanjie felt her legs go weak. Brooke immediately placed a thigh between her legs, ensuring that she wouldn’t suddenly fall. The contact made Vanjie gasp, as her body was flooded with a warmth that ran from her toes to her fingertips.  

“You are so wet for me, Vanessa,” The way her name sounded on her lips made Vanjie groan, her head hitting the wall behind her, as she felt herself getting taken apart by Brooke’s skilful hands. 

It was the sweetest torture, as her fingers played her like a violin. Taking her from major to minor and hitting all her notes - even G. 

The intoxicating mix of the two fingers pumping in and out of her together with the thumb on her clit, made Vanjie climb towards a crescendo she didn’t even think was possible to hit. Her muscles tensing, body feeling hot, while her breathy moans seemed to reach a higher pitch. 

“That’s right. You’re so good.” Brooke whispered it against her lips, as she added a third finger. Vanjie almost screamed at the sensation. The stretch a delicate balance of being too much and just enough. 

“So close, please.” Vanjie couldn’t recognise her own voice. The desperate tone coupled with the breathiness made it softer than she ever thought was possible. 

“Please what?” Even with her eyes closed, she could hear the smirk in Brooke’s voice, and she would have glared at her if she had the strength. But at that moment it didn’t matter that Brooke was painfully aware of the power she had, all that mattered was that she stopped playing with Vanjie and gave her what she needed. 

“Please. Make me come,” The moment the words left her lips, Brooke’s thumb started to touch Vanjie’s clit in earnest. The pressure was just right, which coupled with the fingers setting roughly entering her, made Vanjie cry out, her whole body clenching as she came right then and there. 

“Ugh, I hate you,” Katya’s loud groan could be heard in all corners of the large spa facility, making all the other patrons turn to look at her, trying to decipher what was going on. 

“What have I done now?” Brooke walked out into the pool area, looking every bit the middle-class trophy wife fantasy in her white one-piece bathing suit. 

“That,” Katya motioned vaguely at Brooke’s body, her face a mixture of disgust and admiration. “Jeez, Barbie. Could you give the rest of us a chance?” Katya loved Brooke to pieces, but she envied her body. The way that Brooke carried herself as if she didn’t have a care in the world. 

It was admirable. 

It was sexy.

It was fucking annoying. 

“Sorry?” Brooke shrugged as she got in the water, her hair clipped on top of her head, to ensure that it wouldn’t get wet.

“Oh mama, I see that smirk, I know you fucking aren’t,” Katya did her flailing laugh that sounded more like a wheeze, almost falling on her ass, as the stones were slippery and not safe for a signature Katya guffaw. 

The area next to the pool slowly filled up with the Bloomingdale ladies, all in different varieties of swimwear that ranged from classic and modest to sexy and trendy. 

Only Nina and Silky noticed how Brooke and Vanjie’s eyes kept searching the other one out when they thought that the other one wasn’t looking. 

Though Vanjie didn’t even try to hide her stare, as Brooke emerged from the water. It was as if the whole room stopped for a second to admire the water softly dripping down her pale and perfect skin. 

Nina wasn’t affected by Brooke’s beauty, probably because she had seen in it from every angle since high school. She quickly clapped her hands to get the attention of her stunned employees. 

“Ladies. The time has come for you all to give yourself some well-earned tender-loving care. This is Mrs Kasha Davis, who will be taking care of all us the next couple of hours. Now before I let her take the floor, I just want you all to know that you will be spending time with someone that you don’t work a counter with nor have roomed with so far. I have the lists up here, so you can see who will be getting a spa treatment with whom. Now, Kasha, take it away,” 

“Nina is such a team mom, it’s a miracle that she hasn’t gotten her own football team of little monsters yet. Was she always like this?” Detox leaned against Brooke’s should, softly whispering as the very proper and motherly looking woman from the spa started talking.

“Oh yeah, you should have seen her at my we-weirdly big production of 30th birthday. Honestly, she had colour-coded lists and everything.” If Detox noticed Brooke’s stuttering, she didn’t call her on it. 

“… depending on which list you are on, you will either be getting a luxurious massage, a delightful facial or a beautiful manicure,”

“God. This woman is too happy for me,” Detox complained, still keeping her voice low, as a soft groan left her body. The idea of being in the proximity of such happiness almost too much for her. 

“D. Everyone is too happy for you,” Brooke giggled, though she stopped immediately the moment she saw the disapproving look, Nina was sending them. 

“Now ladies. Get ready for some pampering and self-care!” 

And with that the small woman clapped her hands in delight, once again drawing a groan from Detox, though this one was drowned out by the scampering of everyone trying to get to Nina and the lists. 

Brooke stood in the back and waited for either Shuga or Chad to arrive with a list. 

“B, honey, you are getting a manicure with Big Silk. Chile, she is going to keep you entertained, that’s for sure,” Shuga exclaimed as she looked over the list.

Brooke had a vague memory of someone named Silky over at the Mac counter. 

Fuck, she hoped that she didn’t know anything about her and Vanjie. 

“Bitch, if yo messy ass be saying anything to Brooke, I will make sure that ain’t ever seeing the sun again. I might be tiny, but I will kill you,” Vanjie was almost vibrating with anxiety over the thought of her best friend spending any alone time with Brooke. She tried hard to keep her tone low so no one heard what she was hissing at Silky. 

“Boo, would I ever do you that dirty?” Silky placed a hand on her chest, feigning shock. 

“You would, and you has, hoe. So don’t be playin’ all innocent with me!” Vanjie’s eyes narrowed, as she pointed a finger at her friend. 

“Miss Vanjie. I am offended and hurt that you be thinking about me like that,” Trust Silky, to turn on the charm, trying to appear harmless, though she tended to be the worst wing-man a lady could ever want. 

“Mary, I got three words for you. Tampa, 2016, Dana.” The stare that Silky received told her that Vanjie still hadn’t forgotten nor forgiven her for that night. A night that both of them had promised to never talk about. 

“Alright. Imma be a good girl and leave lil Miss Seven alone. You have fun with Miss Fame and that facial, boo.” Silky turned around and walked over to Brooke who was standing in the back, looking less than enthused about the whole ordeal, while Vanjie wanted to bite her nails at the thought of leaving those two women together for any length of time. 

This would not end well. 

“… Bitch, I was motherfucking ready to do so!” Silky’s loud voice was filled with mirth as she finished her story. Her hands were getting painted by a cute nail technician that tried to hide her smile at the story, as she applied a sparkling layer of purple polish to Silky newly filed nails. 

“And you said that?” Brooke’s voice was incredulous, as she looked over at her, her body fighting against the chuckles, as she needed to sit still, so the pale pink polish wouldn’t get all over her fingers. 

In comparison to Silky, her nails were kept short and rounded. 

“Honey, I swear on the lil baby Jesus, I was ready and then they wouldn’t even give me the motherfucking chance to do so!” It was clear that Silky wanted to talk with her hands, as she kept on fidgeting instead of being able to wave her arms around. 

“Holy shit, Silk.” 

And then they both broke down laughing. Both of them almost wheezing after air. Their cheeks hurting from having laughed almost constantly the last 30 minutes. Silky was a wild ride, and Brooke had no choice but to follow her lead. 

“Hoe, you ain’t too bad,” Silky said, catching Brooke’s eyes, though her face turned serious. 

“Is this the point where you give me the shovel talk?” She had been waiting for this moment ever since she realised that she would be spending alone time with Vanjie’s best friend. 

“Nah, Vanj a big girl, she can handle her own shit. Just… Be careful, Miss Brooke. Life ain’t been too kind on her, don’t be one more bitch on her long list of shady hoes!” The sombre tone made something hurt inside of Brooke because she knew that her name would in all likelihood end up on that list. 

Because she couldn’t give Vanjie anything more than what she already had.

It just wasn’t possible. 

“I promise you, I won’t,” the lie turned her mouth ashy. Brooke had always been a good liar, but this time she felt bad about it.

Interesting.

“Now bitch, look at them nails! Silky ‘bout to get herself a man with these!” and with that, the seriousness was gone and Brooke tried to follow along with the Ganache show, trying to kill the pit that was slowly growing in her stomach. 

“Honey, I feel reborn! That massage gave me back ten years. And Julio wasn’t bad to look at either, chile!” Shuga’s voice rang throughout the locker room, as all the ladies were getting ready for lunch. 

“Oh mama, that facial went deep. I feel like a real woman, now. Trixie’s not gonna know what hit her. How about you Miss Brooke Lynn, you got them nails did?” Katya went over to Brooke, who was applying her makeup, her glasses resting on the tip her nose as she concentrated on getting her mascara on without also poking out her eye. 

“Oh yeah. It was good, Kat. Silky was-” Brooke trailed off as her phone vibrated on the table in front of her, instantly diverting her attention from the conversation.

Steve will pick you up at 5 pm. Bill is turning 60 and he’s celebrating it at the Ritz. Remember, you must talk to Charlene and Diana tonight. Wear the purple gown (you know the one) with the gold underneath. Strappy heels, hair up, contacts and the diamond earrings I got you for our fifth anniversary. 

- P

Fuck. 

Brooke felt her heart rate pick up speed as her palms turned sweaty. She quickly opened up her calendar trying to figure out if she had overlooked something, knowing that it was improbable. 

31st of August, Saturday. 

Retreat with Bloomingdales

All Day

Nothing. 

Shit. 

“B, you okay?” Katya’s voice dragged her out of her spiralling thoughts, making her realise that not only was there a world outside of her panic but that she needed to quickly find somewhere quiet and empty, so she could figure out what she was going to do. 

“Oh yeah, just something I need to deal with. Uhm. Right. I’ll see you all at lunch.” And with that she quickly gathered all her stuff, dashing out of the room, leaving her friends behind perplexed at the fact that Brooke had gone out into the world, without ensuring that she looked perfect. 

Storming out, she looked for anywhere quiet, finally settling on an accessible toilet. Walking in and locking the door behind her, she quickly sent a text. Knowing what havoc it would cause. 

I’m not in town, so that won’t be possible - B

Less than ten seconds after she had fired off the message her phone started ringing, the caller ID showing that Patrick was calling her. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself down, knowing that panicking would do nothing good for the conversation she was about to have. 

“Hello, Patrick,” She kept her voice low and pleasant. 

“Brooke Lynn. Where the hell are you?” Even if he wasn’t in front of her, Brooke could imagine the way that he was pinching his nose. Trying to calm himself down so he wouldn’t yell at her. The slight vibrato in his voice betrayed him though. It was clear that he was losing his calm. 

Or he would.

“I’m in Albany,” She knew that the words would send him flying off the handle, the fact that she was that far away, would ruin all the plans he had carefully made for what would probably be a very important and strategic night for his overall campaign.

It was always a very important and strategic night for his campaign.

“ ALBANY? Why the fuck are you in Albany, it’s Bill’s birthday today, you know how fucking important this is?” She moved her phone a few inches away from her ear, as his anger made the decibels increase. 

“Well, I guess Scarlet forgot to put it in my calendar, so no, Patrick, I didn’t know,” She understood his anger. But it wasn’t her fault that his secretary had forgotten to keep Brooke updated. 

“Even if you didn’t know, you are supposed to fucking tell me, when you leave town. Every. God. Damn. Time.” The accusation was fair, though the fact that he overlooked Scarlet’s mistake made him roll her eyes. Of course, he would hold his hand over her.

“And YOU are supposed to always give me a 24-hours warning whenever there is an event, so really…” she was holding her phone so tightly, she feared that it might break in half. It had been weeks since they had last seen each other, summer always having fewer events of this type than fall. 

She hated when he treated her like a child that needed to be reprimanded. She wasn’t a child, she was his… Whatever you could call the ridiculous arrangement they had. 

“Jesus, Brooke Lynn. Fuck. Okay. I’ll send Steve. He’ll probably be there in two hours. You better be ready.” She hated the way he always insisted on calling her Brooke Lynn. He was the only one who did that. 

She hated how he had no regard for her feelings on the matter. 

“I promise,” her voice held little conviction. He always managed to make her feel small. All of her friends might see her as a bossy bitch, but they never saw her with him. How he just managed to strip away all her confidence and control. 

“I ask for so little,” His voice sounded so sincere as if he honestly believed the lie he was telling. 

“I know,” Brooke had to placate him, she knew that tonight was already going to be difficult, there was no need for her to make it even worse. Her legs turned to jelly, making her glide down against the door she was leaning against. 

Not caring that the floor was probably filled with bacteria and dirt. 

She leaned her head against the door. Feeling the panic settle deep in her stomach.

She felt sick.

“You better be the most perfect wife tonight,” The way he said it, all business, no warmth, created a lump in her throat. There was once a time when being his perfect wife had been the best thing in the world.

How the hell had it come to this?

“Aren’t I always, dear?” Her voice cracked a bit. His anger and coldness heavily implied that they would have a shouting match later, something that always left her feeling raw and useless.

Click. 

He hung-up.

Shit.

[ardenrosegarden]

Hmmmm.... all of the OTP questions (or whichever ones you want to do!) for Constance and Geoff, the original power couple?

Posting a readmore because this got long, sorry about that.

If you had to change the pairing’s very first meeting, how would you change it?

I sometimes wonder what would happen if they had a more meet-cute introduction to each other rather than just “my dad forced your dad to abdicate and spend the rest of his short life despised by his own subjects and i guess once we’re older we’re getting married”.  Idk, maybe that could work in more of a modern AU idea where they’re not nobility.

What song fits your pairing the most?

Oof, good one, I really like the one you sent me a while ago, Watermark.  I also think that Kids Again fits them really well.  It’s cliché, but I’m super partial to duets for them.

What is your favorite AU/prompt idea/trope for your pairing?

I’m partial to the “couple against the world” trope, esp in the modern context of “let’s make Rude PTA Karen’s life a nightmare”.

Do you prefer canon ideas or do you have your own headcanons for them?

Yes?  I generally try to stay as close as possible to at least the spirit of what I’ve read about them.  Brittany during this time period was largely ignored by chroniclers and continues to be pretty much overlooked by historians so I do fill in a lot with headcanons though.

Favorite canon moment of them?

That cutting-edge political effectiveness?  While at the same time being respectful and affectionate towards each other?  100/10 I love it.

Least favorite canon moment of them?

I’ve seen the accusation (or praise if the historian is Breton) that Constance kinda widened the wedge between Geoffrey and his family.  I don’t think that’s entirely true, many Breton lords had a bone to pick with Henry II as well and Geoffrey had family issues of his own (plus there’s the issue of Henry withholding Richmond and Nantes from Geoffrey and Constance despite them supposing to inherit those areas on their marriage).  But I don’t think they’re entirely off-base either.

Favorite headcanon trope/idea? (Your own or someone else’s)

So I finally read The Devil’s Brood, and I really liked the little detail that Geoffrey likes watching Constance hold the kids because she gets really soft and gentle around them.  That and that Geoffrey’s the origin of Eleanora’s title of The Pearl of Brittany because he keeps calling her his perfect little pearl.

Least favorite headcanon trope/idea? 

I don’t like it when people throw Constance under the bus because they’re thirsty for 1968 John Castle so jot that down.

Favorite aspect of them/their relationship dynamics?

There seems to be a lot of trust and good communication between them that I find really refreshing.  It seems that they not only worked really well together but they also just really liked each other’s company as well.

How hard is it write/draw your pairing? Scale of 1-10.

Once I get over cringing at myself probably a 3.

Which character of the pairing do you like more? (Would you ever pair yourself with them?)

Constance.  I like Constance more.

Are they relatable as characters or as a pairing?

Yeah.  I find their dynamic of figuring out how to be vulnerable relatable as well as Geoff’s self-loathing issues and Constance’s anxiety.

Did you once/ever dislike one/both of them?

Wouldn’t say dislike, but I was…wary of Geoffrey at first because, to be fair, he has a Reputation™.

On an estimate, how many posts have you made about them?

Eh, probably too many but oh well.

What made you decide to ship them?

I read Brittany and the Angevins: Province and Empire 1158-1203, and then I read other books and articles, and I really liked their dynamic together.

Favorite genre for them? (Angst, fluff, etc.)

Fluff, domestic bliss, them being happy together makes me happy.

[thiswasinevitableid]

For the college AUs 7 for Danbry or 61 for Indruck? (I’m super excited for any of these btw. You are definitely part of the reason I started shipping Sternclay jsyk ❤️)

Always makes me smile when I learn I write something well enough that I’m part of why someone starts shipping it  <3

I’m doing #61 first, #7 will come next. I’m putting a minor CW for bullying on this one, since some people on the confession page are dicks about Indrids appearance.

Prompt: our school has a student-run confessional fb page/insta/etc. account where people can anonymously submit things related to the campus and some of these posts are 100% about me???

Indrid should probably sleep. But he can’t. He’s been having weird nightmares. So instead he’s laying in the dark, refreshing things on his phone, like the “campus confessions” page.

There’s a guy in one my folklore classes who looks like a moth, y’know red eyes, looks like he’s bumped into one too many windows. Total weirdo.

Well, that hardly seems fair. But he supposes it’s vague that the other person won’t know they’re being insulted.

Dude who smiles too wide?

Maybe ;)

What’s with him? He’s always in like ten layers, never talks about anything normal. Should wash his hair too.

Indrid’s stomach drops. He touches his glasses (red lensed), pulls his sweatshirt tighter (he’s always cold), looks at his hair with a frown. Given he’s in one of the few folklore classes on campus, he’s sure they’re talking about him.

There’s a new comment. He may as well look, it can’t get much worse.

Hey y’all, this page is for talking about crushes or weird shit you pulled, not making fun of some fella who ain’t done anything to you.

He sets his phone down, rolls over onto his side.

At least someone doesn’t hate him.

------------------------------------------

He keeps his hood up, doesn’t make eye contact, doesn’t even look up as the other students come into the classroom. He doesn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable, really, he doesn’t. He thought he was being friendly.

There’s a plunk of a backpack next to him.

“Mornin, Indrid.”

He breaks his promise not to look at anyone. Because in the seat beside him is Duck Newton AKA the hottest guy in the whole school (according to Indrid). Indrid wants to look at him all day, would do even more than look if he thought Duck would like it.

“Good morning, Duck.” He starts to smile, snatches the gesture back before it becomes weird.

“You, uh, you okay? You look a little under the weather.”

“I didn’t sleep well.” He murmurs.

“That’s rough, buddy.” He peers at what Indrid is drawing.

“Wow, that’s real good. More cyrptids?”

“Yes, the hodag and the flathead lake monster. And thank you.”

They settle into silence as the lecture starts, although Indrid swears he catches Duck glancing his way more than usual.

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It’s nearly midnight as he flips over to the “campus confessions” page. Reads over them, only half paying attention, until:

I got a crush on a guy in one of my classes. The “wanna see what’s behind those red glasses and get my hands into that white hair” kinda crush.

Funny, once again this sounds like someone’s describing him.

He writes it off as an anomaly. But then, the next night:

My folklore class is the only one I like because the cute guy I sit by makes it easy not to be bored. Plus he’s always drawing cool shit. I’m this close to offering him my jacket the next time he starts shivering.

Okay, maybe there is someone in that class who has a crush on him. Still, he’s not about to get his hopes up.

-------------------------------------

“Hey, stranger, this seat taken?”

Indrid looks up from his notes to see Duck leaning on the chair across from him, smiling. He wants to say something clever, instead shakes his head. Duck drops his backpack on the floor, puts his coffee down on the table between them.

“Midterms?” Indrid indicates the large stack of books Duck removes from his bag.

“Yeah, got two back to back tomorrow.”

“Oh dear.”

“Eh, ain’t the end of the world.” He sniffs the air, “what’re you drinkin’, smells good?”

“Eggnog Latte.”

“In October?”

“It’s never the wrong time for eggnog. And whoever makes the menu for the coffeehouse seems to agree.”

“Fair enough.” Duck grins at him, turns his attention to his notes. Indrid does the same, but he can never focus on one thing for long, keeps making comments or asking questions and he’s afraid Duck will get fed up with him and leave.

Instead, Duck matches him question for question, and ends up going on a twenty minute tangent about trees that Indrid finds captivating. When they eventually have to leave (Indrid to attempt to sleep and Duck to barricade himself in the 24-hour study room), Duck puts a hand on his shoulder.

“Hey, this was real nice. We oughta do it again.”

Indrid smiles, nods, “I’d like that, so very much.”

--------------------------------------------------

The compliments that are almost certainly about him continue, frequent enough that he starts taking time to make sure he looks nice before each class (which means he actually tries to brush his hair or put on clothes that are flattering). He and Duck have more study sessions, and he can sometimes bring himself to believe that Duck looks at him like he wants him during those meetings.

Of course, it can’t last.

Think my crush might be on to me, he’s been dressing extra nice, even got a glimpse of his moth tattoo the other day.

Indrid glances at the rosy maple moth on his arm with a smirk. His smile falters as soon as he sees the comment below the post

Dude, I know who you’re talking about and if you’re looking for a pity fuck there are way better options.

He doesn’t wait to see other responses, instead drags the covers over his head and falls into an unhappy sleep.

The next morning when Duck sits down beside him in class, all he can manage is a weak smile in his direction. He doesn’t really feel like talking.

That night, there’s another post.

If the guy in my folklore class likes me back, he should meet me on the red bench outside the coffehouse at six tomorrow night.

Which is how Indrid finds himself sitting on a bench as it gets dark and the wind picks up, hoping beyond hope that this was a genuine offer and not some kind of prank.

“Hey, stranger.”

He jumps, turns to see Duck standing there with a coffee cup in each hand. Oh no, if he sits down, the other person may decide not to come and Indrid will never know who his-

“Glad you got the message.” Duck gives him a crooked grin, sits down and hands him a cup that smells like an eggnog latte.

“I, you, wait, you’re my admirer?”

Duck snickers.

“Here I thought I was beein’ obvious, especially with the wantin’ to spend more time ‘studyin’’ with you.”

Indrid’s heart leaps up, then lands with a splat as he remembers one of the posts.

“No, no, this is some kind of pity thing, you, you must feel sorry for me-”

Duck sets his coffee down, reaches for Indrids hands.

“Contrary to what some assholes on that confession page think, pity ain’t got nothin’ to do with it. I did post the first compliment because it seemed like you mighta seen the mean ones and I wanted to balance it out. But I’ve had a crush on you since week three of classes, and I was pretty sure you liked me back. Kept hopin’ you ask me out.”

“I didn’t think you’d want me that way, you’re so handsome and I’m so..not”

Indrid blushes, notes the matching color creeping up Ducks cheeks.

“You think I’m handsome?” He says softly.

“Why wouldn’t I?” Indrid blinks, confused. Duck gestures to himself, mainly at his stomach and face

“You are soft and solid looking, which I like. and I enjoy your blue hair. I, on the other hand, am angular and skinny.”

“Which I like.” Duck wraps an arm around Indrids shoulder, pulling them against each other, “not to mention the best part of my week is the days I see you, cause I like talkin’ with you and you make me happy.”

Indrid’s not sure where the surge of bravery comes from, but he leans forward and kisses Duck, who makes a surprised “mphh!” before smiling into the kiss. It’s fumbly on account of his glasses and the odd angle he’s sitting at, but he can’t bring himself to care.

“Was that alright, I’m sorry I should have oh!” Duck grabs him and pulls him back for another kiss with enough force that he nearly ends up in his lap. From the way he’s hungrily mapping the shape of Indrids mouth with his own, Indrid guesses he’s not the only one who fantasized about this moment. He’s eternally grateful everyone else is sensibly holed up indoors when Ducks mouth drops to the crook of his neck, the shorter man yanking his scarf aside to kiss the sensitive skin there. Because Indrid gasps, follows it with a moan and fists his hands into Ducks jacket, which makes Duck growl against him in response. He looks up, cheek still pressed against Indrids shoulder, panting and smiling.

“Better than I imagined.”

“Me t-too.”

“Are your teeth chatterin’?”

“Y-yes, c-cold.”

“Can’t have that” Duck nuzzles his neck, “you wanna take this somewhere warm?”

“Please.”

“Your place or mine?”

“Whichever’s c-closer.”

“Mine it is. Come on, darlin’,” He stands, offering Indrid his hand. Indrid interlaces their fingers as he joins him and then they hurry off, together, into the night.