#so yes. here's flower doing it now. hope she won't fall

[mspaint-flower]

vflower on THAT swing.......... you know the one, the swing, it's the one and only possible *fucking dies face first*

the basket swing .........

[bloodlust-1]

༻ 3 Nights ༺ part 1

Gortash x fem Tav — mini series Explicit 18+

Summary: Gortash invites Tav to stay 3 days at his palace for the sake of an alliance. Reluctantly, she compromises for peace and it becomes an experience they won’t forget.

T/W: language, manipulation, blood

Notes: okay. Yes, he’s been my new obsession so I had to write something up. This is a bit of a long one, I’m planning to do a few parts in total. Enjoy ;)

Tav arrived at the tyrant’s palace, and she couldn’t shake off the feeling of foreboding that settled in the pit of her stomach.

Arguably, this could be the stupidest thing Tav’s ever done. To agree and comply with Gortash for the sake of an alliance for some sort of peace.

This alliance was just for the time being, of course, Tav was way too ahead of her plans to betray him when the time came. To seal the alliance, Gortash requested Tav to stay 3 days with him. Not a hard task but it made Tav extremely suspicious of him to even request such a thing.

Tav only agreed to see if she could infiltrate any plans stashed away in his office. This could totally be a one-up in the game for her. But for now…Tav forced her shoulders high with a brave feeling in her chest, and she barged right into his palace doors.

Tav was quickly met with metal steel watchers, and they instantly alerted their attention to her, “Lord Gortash has been waiting for you. Meet him upstairs in the main room, he won't ask twice.”

She rolled her eyes and swatted away the watchers. She didn't need an invitation and she sure as hell didn't need to listen to Gortash's orders. She did as she pleased, and with that, she made her way to his quarters. Making a few stops to peer into different doors here and there.

As Tav continued to his quarters she was met with a pair of dark eyes. Gortash's cold, calculating eyes seemed to pierce through her as he welcomed her to his palace. Despite his courteous demeanor, Tav could sense the aura of ruthlessness that surrounded him.

"My favorite little hero is finally here. Come in, make yourself comfortable." His words were laced with veiled threats, and she realized that he pulled out a chair for her.

Tav walked into the room, crossed her arms, and refused to sit, "I hope you have some better guest adequate considering you weren't there to greet me at the palace door. Just remember this whole —" She waved her hands around, "Thing going on is not for fun and games."

Tav despised Gortash for his cruelty and oppression, yet she knew that aligning with him was crucial for achieving her own goals. Her conscience wrestled with the moral implications of her actions, and she found herself questioning whether the ends justified the means.

Gortash's lips tugged into a smile, "Dear, this is so we can trust each other. An alliance is what you want, isn't it? We should trust one another if that's to happen."

His eyes lingered around Tav's body. It admittingly made her a bit uncomfortable although her armour did leave a lot to be desired. "Really? Armor darling. " He clicked his teeth and shook his head, "This is my home, not a battlefield."

He yelled out for a servant, who came scurrying into his quarters, "Please give our guest some proper clothing. She will be staying a couple nights here. She is to look like a proper lady before dinner. Now, go."

Tav's eyebrows furrowed as his cruel words hissed at her, "Excuse me? A 'proper lady'? That's a hunk of bullshit!" She snapped back at Gortash, who quickly ignored her by leaving the room with an amused smug on his face.

"Come, my lady, let's get you cleaned up." Tav was still on guard, but she agreed to give the servant an easy time. So, she followed her into a bedroom attached to a lavish bathroom. A marbled tub ran with warm water that was adorned with many soaps and rose petals.

Gods, when was the last time Tav enjoyed a bath?

The air was filled with the delicate scent of flowers, and Tav undressed her armor, letting it fall onto the carpet. She stepped into the warm embrace of the water and cleansed herself of any traveler grim. The soaps soaked into her skin, leaving Tav smelling divine.

After her bath, there was a set of clothes laid on the edge of the bed. Tav tried on the white dress, with golden embroidering and frilled sleeves. There was also a black corset to pull the whole outfit together. Tav felt beautiful yet uncomfortable.

The same servant walked into the room with a hairbrush and pins, "Allow me to pin your hair, my lady."

Some time had gone by before Tav was deemed "acceptable" to sit with Gortash for dinner. She thought it was absolutely ridiculous, and these days may go by slower than she thought.

Her heels clicked against the palace floor as she made her way into the dining room. When the doors opened, there he was. Those same dark eyes piercing her own.

The long dining table was set with fine china, crystal glassware, and flickering candlelight. Tav's gown shimmered in the soft glow of the room, and she purposely took her seat at the far end of Gortash.

Tav pulled out the seat and purposely plucked herself onto the chair. She looked the part but certainly didn't act like it.

Gortash’s eyebrows curved into a questionable look. He brought his elbows onto the table, bringing his fists to rest against his mouth. There was a long silent pause, he peered at Tav trying to get a good read on her.

"Let us get to know each other, hm?" He brought his hands away from his face and picked up a glass of wine instead to sip.

Tav hunched over the table, her hands balled into fists. She gave him a threatening stare, "Gortash, Did you not hear me earlier? I am not here for fun and games, so whatever it is you're trying to do — stop it."

He snickered, damn was this amusing for him. He had never met anyone who just waltzed their way into his palace to pick a fight. She was a nobody. Gortash, he was somebody. Yet she came to him with confidence, an alliance, and now she's here in his home. How entertaining was this whole debacle? He wanted to push her as much as he could. It was all a manipulation tactic to see how far he could go.

"Enver— Call me Enver for the next 2 days. But like I stated, let's get to know each other, little hero. I'd love to hear about your background." His head tilted with a mischievous smile on his face.

"That's none of your concern." Tav spat out harshly, with a threatening glare. They were both testing each other.

The air was still and tense, and Gortash's presence dominated the area. His evil smile radiated a chill throughout the room. "Isn't it? I am lord now, and I want all my baldurians to be considered. Especially my most favorite citizen."

He reached out his hand, the tips of his fingers adorned with the sharp glove that pointed into hooks. "I'd love to hear about that pathetic fucking camp you have right outside the city. A shame it would be if something were to happen while their leader's gone."

"What...How did you —"

He spoke with command, "See, that's something I learned about you. When you care to get to know someone, these things come easy. But please, you're welcome to search this whole palace all you want. Maybe you'll find something about me worth learning."

"Okay, I'll humor you— but first, we need to lay some ground rules. If you respect my rules, I'll respect yours. "

"I’m listening, Tav."

A chill ran down her spine when he spoke her name. It cringed her and only made her rules more needed, " 1: You will not hurt my camp, 2: You will not try to attack me, and 3: I will roam freely where I please."

"Yes, yes, and yes, you have my word." He nodded in agreement. The room was tense at this point, but he still locked eyes with Tav. Her beauty was one he saw in paintings, and she was free to his viewing pleasure. A thought crept into his mind: what if she was mine? An interesting thought indeed. He cleared his throat, "Tell me about yourself."

Throughout the meal, the conversation between them was polite but strained. Tav struggled to maintain her composure, her uncertainty about Gortash's intentions gnawing at her. She couldn’t shake off the feeling that she was walking on thin ice, unsure of what might be his true motive.

Despite her unease, Tav maintained a facade of politeness, engaging in small talk and lurking eyes on one another. She would look away each time she caught herself staring at his exposed chest. It angered her even more that Gortash was attractive. Only when he spoke would his image crumble for her.

As the evening wore on, she found herself carefully measuring her words and actions, acutely aware of the potential consequences of missteps in this precarious situation.

~

After dinner, Tav wandered around the palace. By this time, the sun had set and the palace went dark. Only a few candles lit the room, barely reaching its light out to see clearly. Tav kept a pocket knife on her hidden in the folds of her clothes.

She grabbed a candle stick and began to investigate the rooms. There were many rooms, a lot of them were untouched. Tav thought he must've been very lonely in these walls. instantly she shook her head, she did not want to pity him. After all, he's the villain.

Tav found herself standing in a room aligned with many books and a single desk inside. It appeared to be a study, and she waved her candle around the room. A fresh painting hung on the wall: a portrait of Gortash.

Tav studied the art, and it was a very well drawing of him. It even captured how deep his jacket cut, exposing the hair on his chest. She only knew this by how hard she was staring at it at dinner. Her eyes scanned his face, examining the scars on his jaw that she hadn't noticed.

A handsome man he was, truly.

Tav stepped back from the picture, she was looking for any signs of any importance. The desk was littered with folders, papers, and crumbled notes. She settled the candle on a stand as her fingers sorted out the piles of paper.

Most of what she read was events that already happened from Moonrise. Tav placed the pile down and reached out for one of the crumbled letters. It was a letter about her. Surprisingly, there were people already sending Gortash news about her even before the takedown of Ketherick.

He truly had eyes everywhere.

As her eyes lingered on the note there was a huge knocking noise. Her head shot up and was matched with Gortash’s presence. His broad physic leaned against the door way, his arms crossed and he looked at Tav questionably.

“Well— did you find anything worth learning?” His eyes were cold, his demeanor felt off, and he was already making his way towards her before words could come out.

Tav shot the letter away from her face, “You knew about me this whole time… what’s the point of this? I know my reasonings for an alliance but what’s yours?” There had been tension between them all day and enough was enough. She needed to know his intentions before she stupidly fell into his game.

Gortash grabbed Tav’s chin firmly, forcing her to look up at him. His eyes were filled with a mix of desire and control as he attempted to assert his dominance over her.

Tav's expression remained resolute, refusing to succumb to his intimidation.

She struggled against his hold, refusing to show any sign of submission. Gortash’s grip on her chin tightened. Despite his forceful demeanor, Tav met his gaze with unwavering strength, silently challenging his authority.

“Power, of course. I need you and you need me, so I’ll play nice.” His voice became low, “Only cause I tolerate you.” He forcibly tilted her face as his eyes traced the contours of Tav's face. “You are one fine specimen.”

Tav’s eyes went wide and her face went pale. Did they actually find each other attractive? Gortash continued to speak, “I’ll give you something to imagine: A kingdom loyal to their court. A king and queen sat next to each other as everyone bowed to them. Their power: unmatched. Their strength: untouchable. Their bond: unbreakable. Are you painting this picture? This could be you and I. My equal and my right hand.” The warmth of his breath hit against her skin. She was still under his hold and a rush of warmth hit her body. Her knees buckled and her face grew red. What in the hells was she thinking?!

Tav's heart started to race under his touch. He physically towered over her and his face was undeniably closer to her face than ever. Tav stared at him with defiance but her body language went against her will.

He was just another man under all this drama, and his intimidation felt almost….sensual? It was a mix of emotions she never felt.

“You can let go of my face now.”

With a swift motion, the claw of his glove snagged a small cut on her cheek. Tav winced and used all her force to push him away. She palmed her face, and the slick had already started to drip down her jaw.

Tav's adrenaline kicked in as she pulled the pocket knife out, charging at him with a shove. The blade sunk into the nape of his neck as Tav's body pinned his closely against hers on a wall.

Her eyes raged as she looked into his gaze from the dimmed light. Just as he did, she swiped her knife against his skin. Only enough to create a small laceration just like hers.

His hand gripped Tav's wrist. The claw of his gloves pressed against Tav’s skin— Giving it a tight squeeze, and knocked the knife out of her grip.

With his free hand, he closed the gap between their bodies, “Is this your way of flirting? We’re both a mess now.” The slick of blood streamed down into his chest.

Tav quickly surrendered to the pain that shot up from her wrist. So, she let her restraint down. Gortash saw her surrender and loosened his grip, “Good girl.”

Tav scoffed, “Bastard.”

“I know.”

Gortash let go of her body and walked back to the desk, opened the drawer, and pulled out a small kit of some sort. Gortash then lent out a hand, waiting for Tav to accompany it, “Come, girl.”

She frowned and shook her head, “I’m not holding your hand.”

He sighed and rolled his eyes, “Suit yourself. Let that—“ He pointed at her cheek, “get infected all you want.” It was then that Tav noticed it was a medical kit. Was he trying to clean her cut? Strange.

Gortash took the kit and walked out of the study and back into the dark halls. With an annoyed groan, Tav followed aimlessly for him. His heavy boots hitting the floor echoed throughout the hall. It gave the atmosphere an unsettling aura.

She was led into a familiar room— it was exactly the one she settled herself in earlier. Gortash dragged a nearby chair to the end of the bed. He sat down, his legs spread while he hunched over with his elbows resting on his knees, “Sit.” He spoke in a commanding monotoned voice.

Tav hesitated, she had little trust in him. However, with a skeptical feeling, Tav sat on the edge of the bed in front of him. Gortash opened the kit and drenched a cotton ball with alcohol, "Look at me." He commanded with a softer tone this time.

Tav sat still as he brought the cotton to her cheek, lightly dabbing it against the wound. She winced and scrunched her face in pain.

Secretly he enjoyed seeing her in pain. Something about the way her eyes weakened sent shivers up his spine. Gortash continued to clean the cut with precision, his touch gentle yet firm. Tav's breathing began to steady as she relaxed into his care.

He reached for a bandage and carefully applied it to Tav's face. He leaned back, admiring his handiwork with a satisfied smile, "While I do enjoy the blood, I wouldn't want to mess the silk bedding. "

"I do as I please." Tav pouted. Her eyes fixated on the now-dried blood that rained down into his chest. Her eyes traced the trail into the same spot she had been staring at dinner. He was...nice, to look at she supposed.

Gortash leaned closer to her, he had caught Tav staring a little too hard at him. Being stealthy was something Tav was horrible at considering she bursted into his coronation. This realization filled him with confidence as his charm and poise alter a subtle change in Tav's behavior. She was seeing something she liked in him.

Gortash firmly put his hands on Tav's shoulders, shoving her back onto the mattress. Tav let out a small gasp as he hovered over her small stature. His hungry eyes viewed every little piece of skin available to him.

Calculating eyes bore into her, as he leaned forward, his voice dripping with contempt. "Do it. Do as you please."

A shiver ran up her spine. She wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing, but her body completely froze under him. Her mouth parted with no words left to say.

What the hell was he doing? Why couldn't she move? Maybe it was how handsome she found his restless eyes. Or the way his body was strong and tall. Gortash always stared so passionately at her, even now.

With no response, her eyes glistened with anticipation. Gortash brought his lips close to Tav's mouth. Only the slightest space between them, Gortash's eyes downcasted on her while her heart thumped against his skin. The warmth of his breath caressed her lips. Tav closed her eyes and submitted to the tension between them.

"Tch—" Gortash scoffed teasingly.

The warmth Tav felt suddenly grew cold. She opened her eyes to see Gortash standing over the bed. There was no kiss. Tav propped her elbows up, why did he leave? A slight shame cast on Tav as she lay there dumbfounded. Was he just toying with her?

"Rest, I will be expecting you for breakfast." Gortahs's arms crossed as he stared down at Tav like a scolding parent, "Don't make me wait." With that, Gortash walked out of the room.

He purposely planted a seed into Tav's head of control as soon as she let her guard down. His deceit would have her tossing and turning all night.

To be Continued ~

Any thoughts? Comment 👇🏼 I love to engage!

Part 2 here!

[thefiery-phoenix]

YANDERE NATASHA ROMANOFF HEADCANONS

If you are her love interest and if she's taken an interest in you, my advice is to just accept her love and feelings. Trust me, it's for the best of everyone 

As a yandere she is literally EVERYTHING: Obsessive, possessive till no extent, can be manipulative at times if you don't listen to her and heck, violent as well which I guess should not have been THAT much of a surprise 

She's gone through so much of training in these years and she's actually glad she did since now she doesn't even have to think twice to put her skills to good use and make sure you're 'safe' from the world. Natasha is a VERY strong person so it's pretty much pointless to win against her in battle

As much as she's literally aching to have you by her side she won't kidnap you at first. No no, she'll give you some time, she isn't THAT heartless. She'll try the traditional way of courting you, hoping you'll fall in love with her and that sort of thing. Expect LOTS and LOTS of flowers, candy and jewelry

This woman here and read you like an open book no joke. And heck, she might even know you better than you know yourself. She studies and knows EVERYTHING about you and YES, that even includes that Tumblr and Wattpad account you haven't told a single soul about till date. She'll even hack into your social media to see what you're up to and if anyone was flirting with you on Instagram or Snapchat, welp... that poor schmuck is not going to see the face of the Earth within the next 24 hours that's for sure

She may or may not have stalked you at times 'just for your safety' of course and she might have installed little teeny cameras in your room so she can watch you when you're not with her just for her to know that you're safe. She won't watch you shower though, that's a no no. As much as she stalks the living crap out of you she respects privacy and she won't invade your personal space and boundaries too much 

Remember that 'friend' of yours who was laughing and touching your knee 'by mistake' when your were working on a project together in your room? Oh wow... a BODY has been discovered! And no surprises on WHO killed that guy. What? He was too close for comfort according to Natasha when she was watching you through her camera and she HAD to take action! And besides, that moron should have known better than to touch you like that

Of course, innocent you won't suspect Nat AT ALL since she wouldn't know who he was and why some of your friends went missing recently. She doesn't even KNOW them (Or DOES she ;) ?) and so, you'll turn to her for help since she's your best friend. Of course, as much as Natasha is pleased and feeling on top of the world that you decided to come to HER of all people for help, she also feels a little guilty since she was the one who made you freak out and panic a little and so, being the really good friend she is, she'll whisper sweet words of comfort in your ear, some in Russian I guess and will hold you and be your shoulder to cry on 

She'll convince you to move in with her to which you'll hesitate at first but when she tells you that you might be in danger and that 'someone' who got rid  of your friends could be after you next. She'll use that same excuse for you to be with her just so she can protect you and keep you safe. Crafty and smart

She won't exactly do anything to the other Avengers if they talk to you for too long since she practically sees them as family ESPECIALLY Steve and Bucky but if Tony tries hitting on you, with one raise of an eyebrow from Natasha will send him going back to working on his invention with Bruce

You'll find yourself to be depending on her rather quickly and she's really happy that you're depending on her for things. She'll start showing affection to you slowly and lightly at first and the way you react is just SO CUTE for her! Like she won't be able to control herself any longer when she sees your cute blushing and flustered face. You fuel her obsession every single minute you spend with her 

She'll finally ask you to be hers and if you say yes, you'll get all her love and affection. You'll be the happiest person in the world and no matter what it is that you desire she will get it for you. Now, if you deny her you better be ready to kiss your freedom goodbye since it's going to go out of the window and down the drain even if you don't realize it just yet. She'll play it off like she's a bit disappointed and she's fine but inside she feels like she's breaking and her heart is sinking 

Brings you something to drink later on 'as an apology' and she'll sneakily mix a sleeping pill or something to knock you out inside and BOOM! You'll be lights out before you can even say 'Avengers Assemble'. Don't be too surprised when you wake up in a really different room with your feet and hands tied up to the bed in an underground bunker or something like that out in the sticks. No one's gonna hear you scream for help 

She'll keep you safe and sound and you're all she needs according to her. You will love her eventually even if she HAS to force you to. She wanted you for so long and now, she'll never let you go....

[haveyouseenthisskeleton]

How would the bros react to SO trying to cook dinner and failing horribly? (Big mess/totally burnt) Sort of in reference to that one Ink and Error say a lot where it was like:

E: Ink, what was the one thing I told you not to do?

I: Burn the house down

E: And what did you do?

I: ...Made you dinner?

E&I: ...

I: ...Aaaand burned the house down.

Undertale Sans - Welp. Like the good old days... Sans is not mad. He's so used to it he doesn't even blink. Maybe it's concerning now that he thinks about it but, you know... It's too much work to clean. He's not helping you. Have fun with that. Bye.

Undertale Papyrus - He immediately starts to scream at Sans for messing his kitchen, hysterical, and orders him to clean. You're hiding in a corner, behind the fridge. You're sure that if you don't move, you won't get into trouble. You're lucky Sans is not calling you out because he's too nice. He starts to clean, staring into your soul the whole time. You don't know how to breathe anymore.

Underswap Sans - Oh, he helped you make the mess. However, when Honey comes home and has a mental breakdown seeing the mess in the kitchen, Blue throws you under the bus and teleports out lol. Good luck with that! Welp. Honey is mad at you.

Underswap Papyrus - He doesn't want to be mean, but, uh. Your cake is the worst cake he has ever seen, and he saw a lot of cakes in his life. I mean, it's entirely black, inside and out. There's nothing to save there. He doesn't even know how you possibly burned the cake on the inside. Did it catch fire or something? When you say yes, he goes silent. You didn't burn your cake in his oven right? You don't answer. He opens the oven and falls on his knees, high-pitched screaming.

Underfell Sans - He gives you some flowers. "It's for me? Oh, thanks, you're sweet." "nah pal, you don't get it." "I don't get what?" "it's not a gift, it's for your funeral." The main door creaks open as thunder echoes behind Edge. Welp. That was a good run but you're dead now.

Underfell Papyrus - Edge is walking around. You can hear him whisper "PLEASE IT'S JUST A NIGHTMARE, WAKE UP" again and again, more and more distressed. When he realizes it's real, he apologizes, goes to the yard, and starts to scream insanities at the sky, so angry. He's pissed off. You're not leaving that kitchen before it's shining again. He swears he will knock you out if you do.

Horrortale Sans - Nothing too unusual actually. He is kinda used to trash the kitchen as well when he's looking for a snack. He even helps you to hide everything under the sink and shows you how to pretend nothing happened until Willow finds out later. He's your pal in this difficult time.

Horrortale Papyrus - When he realizes it's not Oak who did the mess, he looks at you with stern disapproving eyes. How could you. He had hope in you, but here you are. Does he really have to do everything in this house? He can't believe it! He's also mad you burn the food, actually. You ruined lunch, and he's not talking to you for a few hours. He's mad.

Swapfell Sans - He doesn't care. But the next day, his coffee machine is gone. He took it to his room. Safe from you and your unhealthy ways of cooking. What if she gets intoxicated? You can't hurt his coffee machine. It's his baby. Burn the rest of the kitchen if you want, but if you touch his precious baby again, you're dead.

Swapfell Papyrus - He's impressed with your cooking skills. Even hee never made that much mess in the kitchen before. You must have some hidden talents. He's not helping you to clean though. He's just here to pick a snack, making even more mess by doing so, then he leaves you there all alone lol.

Fellswap Gold Sans - He twitches seeing the mess, completely silent. He's staring for two minutes now, and you're starting to be concerned. That's it until Wine creaks his neck to look you in the eyes and tells you that you have five minutes to clean everything before he breaks down and starts to chase you around with angry blasters. This freaks you out enough, knowing he will absolutely do it, that you start frantically cleaning out of fear.

Fellswap Gold Papyrus - He's so nervous for you. Are you out of your mind? Do you want to die? Why? You know Wine will kill you, why would you keep trashing the kitchen? Please, you're scaring him, stop! He doesn't want you to die... He's getting more and more distressed. Please, he's begging you!

[icee133]

Sorry!! Just realized I set the auto post to the wrong day -_- It took me way too long to notice this part wasn't posted. Better late than never I suppose. On that note here's Part 8 of the Marionette series! Hope you guys enjoy this one. Sorry for any writing errors.

If you would like to be added to taglist let me know!

The Marionette

Masterlist, Part 8 🤍

Word count for this part: 2431. Enjoy!👻👻

Synapsis:

A new overlord has manifested in hell seemingly overnight. One that overpowered many if not all of the current overlords in all the right ways. Will this overlord use her powers for good to help the members of the hotel? Will she fall in love with a man and end up in a loving gentle relationship? Or will she get her heart broken and turn against them all, burning each bridge she meticulously made. 

The Marionette is a heart wrenching fic with many turns you won't see coming. Stay tuned for each of the episodes as they are released.

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Nette made her way back to Lucifer’s apple-shaped office trying to slow her breathing down, feeling her heightened anxiety about everything she was about to have to tell him. She knew he wouldn’t be upset at her- at least she hoped he wouldn’t be. But honestly she thinks he might be since she didn’t throw out the first man as soon as she found out about him. Though she had wanted to, but truthfully she holds no grudge against him other than the fact her boys had almost died to an exorcist. Charlie on the other hand has every reason to hold a grudge against him, and yet…she didn’t. She looked at him seeing what he was going through and allowed him into the hotel. Took him under her wing and cared for him, cleaned his wounds even. The heart this girl has is something Nette finds herself admiring more and more as each day goes on. Truly an angelic heart if she had ever seen one.

As Nette approached the door she could hear Lucifer inside talking to himself. He seemed a bit off? If that was a good way to put it. She could hear his rapid speech and panicked tone through the door. She smiled lightly thinking ‘what could possibly have him stressed out now’ while laughing quietly to herself. She knocked on the door lightly to alert him of her arrival. She heard a quick ‘coming!’ from the other side waiting a sec before the door swung open. She quickly gave the Angel in front of her a once over from head to toe. He had his coat and hat placed meticulously back onto his form. Though she couldn’t help but feel he was a bit overdressed considering when she had spoken to him last he was wearing neither of them. However, when she walked into the room she saw there was a table in the center of the room with flowers, and candles in the center. She placed the plates down onto the table, setting the tray off to the side before looking back at him. She lightly chuckled then saying “you know this isn’t a formal business dinner, right? Just a dinner between friends. No need to be so nervous Luci” seeing him looking around at everything but her. “Ah r-right of course…yes Dinner” He stumbled over his words a bit before settling on “Dinner between friends. I suppose I overdid it a bit. It’s been awhile since I’ve had anyone join me for a meal. I was worried what exactly I should do for… well this situation.” ‘It’s alright Luci no worries everything looks absolutely stunning thank you. but if I had to make one complaint… I do feel a tad bit under dressed at the moment Mr full suit.” Lucifer laughed slightly “well we can’t have that” proceeding to take off his coat and hat once again placing them on the side table out of the way.

Lucifer pulled out Nette’s chair allowing her to sit comfortably before sliding her back into place at the table. “My what a gentleman” she chuckled. Watching as Lucifer’s cheeks turned a light yellow color as he went to his side of the table to take a seat. “I brought a bottle of wine from the bar but I’m not sure if you were wanting to drink, as unfortunately I have another topic I have to discuss with you, but I’d rather wait till we were finished with dinner as I do believe it to possibly be well…uncomfortable” Lucifer looked at her before saying “well if you think it to be so, then I suppose it’s best to wait a bit. And best to not drink beforehand as there is a possibility it might be needed after” he joked lightly. “For this I guarantee it will be needed after” They both began eating the meal Nette had prepared engaging in small talk about the angel’s duties and the hotel staff. As well as, venturing into stories about Charlie and how razzle and dazzle came to be created. After all Nette was a bit curious about the 2 dragon creatures as they seemed to be different from the rest of hell creatures.

The meal went amazing. Afterwards Nette and Lucifer both found themselves sitting on the couch in his office laughing about the story Lucifer was telling about how ducks came to be created in Eden when Nette remembered the touchy subject she had to tell him about. “Speaking of Eden…” Nette paused slightly. “I hate to sour the mood but, I suppose we should get into the unfortunate discussion that I have to tell you.” “Nonsense, give me a sec I’ll open the wine” Lucifer said while standing up walking over to the side table where Nette had left the bottle earlier. He quickly opened it and poured a glass for himself and her before returning, handing it to Nette. He sat down on the other side of the couch facing her taking a small sip before saying “Great choice of wine. Well go on let’s get this uncomfortable topic over with” Nette watched the way he had placed himself seemingly a lot more comfortable with her presence as he was leaning backwards with one leg bent on the couch while the other was hanging over the edge. “Right, well I’m not sure how to tell you this. I was thinking the entire time I was making dinner, then again after I spoke with Angel, and even the entire walk up here. After all that the only thing I could think of was to just be honest and upfront with you about it. Either way I feel you're not going to like it, but…” Nette said taking a small sip then placed her glass down on the table before continuing “I need you to promise me you won’t freak out.” Lucifer smirked “Freak out? Nette, I'm an Angel.” Nette rolled her eyes slightly “I’m aware you handsomely prideful man, but I need this promise okay?” She said hoping he would understand there was a reason. “Of course, I promise I won’t freak out. Devil’s honor” Lucifer said holding 2 fingers upwards smiling at her. Nette chuckled lightly at his devil's honor joke, sighing she continued “Charlie took in a new sinner…..” she started “Okay?” Lucifer said carefully, slightly pushing her to tell him why this was different from the other ones she had taken in. “It’s… well… He’s a sinner, but he um.” Lucifer set his glass down before leaning into her slightly “Nette it’s okay just tell me I promised I wouldn’t freak out” Nette’s anxiety was through to roof at this point. She thought to herself ‘fuck it’ before saying “Adam is a fallen Angel, or I guess a sinner in this case since he isn’t heaven born I guess he isn’t fallen.” The room fell deathly silent after Nette finished her sentence. You could hear a pin drop, the only sound being both of their breathing. Or wait no Lucifer’s breathing Nette realized she was holding her breath.

“What?.” She heard Lucifer say after what felt like an eternity of silence. “Adam is alive and is now a sinner” she hesitantly repeated looking down at her lap as she was nervous to look at the man sitting across from her. “You said Charlie took in a sinner, is?” “Yes” Nette quickly answered. She felt the room get hotter almost instantly. She hesitantly looked up, meeting Lucifer’s red eyes. She quickly realized he was in his demon form. A form she had never seen him use, one she had hoped she wouldn’t see. Red eyes, horns with a burning flame, wings, and his tail swinging menacingly behind him. “My daughter took in the man who killed her friend, wrecked the hotel, almost killed her, injured the staff, and is responsible for the extermination of every single human soul they have gotten rid of down here.” Nette could hear an almost growl-like sound coming from behind his voice. One that she had to admit was strangely hot, yet insanely intimidating as well. (Wait- what? No this man could very well end your fucking life right now. Wait, it's Lucifer he wouldn’t hurt you. stop thinking stupid shit and speak woman before he actually does kill you fucking idiot.) “Yes” she found herself barely squeaking out this one word. Cursing herself for agreeing to put herself in this very situation. Lucifer stood up seemingly seething with an unkept rage. Nette quickly grabbed his arm before he could step away from the couch silently thanking she had sat on the side closest to the door. He snapped his head looking directly at her. His eyes burning into her own with what felt like almost a sense of… hurt? Behind them. “You promised” she said quietly. Scared she would say the wrong thing and make it worse. Lucifer sighed quietly to himself before returning to his normal form and taking a seat beside her. “Is she okay?” He asked the overlord sitting next to him. “Yes, Vaggie was with her the last time I checked.” “Why?” Lucifer asked, looking across the room. “Why?… she said when she found him she wanted to leave him there to rot. To let him waste away like he deserved to for everything he had done to the people down here, but she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t allow herself to leave him there. She also said he is one of the only ones who has been able to see the winners who got into heaven, and also see the sinners who ended up here. She thinks he would be useful in redeeming sinners. Though I don’t think he would even be willing to help.” Nette said carefully while looking at Lucifer. She could tell he was still upset but felt a little better knowing it was Charlie who had made the decision.

“Her heart of gold is going to get her hurt one of these times” Nette heard Lucifer whisper, though it didn’t feel like it was something she should have heard so she stayed quiet just looking at him stare at the wall across the room.“I…think it’s a decent idea to ask for his help, but it does put us in a rather hard place. If heaven finds out a winner fell, more so the first man. Things will get extremely ugly and who knows what they will do.” She couldn’t help but also voice her concerns on the matter. Knowing what she did about heaven, she was worried about what laid ahead of them now that this happened. Lucifer turned his body facing her before saying “you weren’t joking about needing a drink after that.” She saw him reach for his glass drinking what was remaining in it before setting it down again. He turned back to face her directly “I’m sorry” Nette stared at him confused as to why he was apologizing to her. “What for Lucifer?” “Breaking the promise.” He whispered to her. She quickly grabbed his hands “it’s okay I know it was not something that was able to be prepared for. And it was definitely not something that could have been predicted.” “Still I broke a promise I made with you” she could tell he was very upset about this. Though Nette found herself unsure as to why he was. She was a bit upset at herself for underestimating the care he had for his daughter. The level of stress this topic would bring him was not something she had calculated in. That was her fault not his. “Lucifer, it's okay. It’s your daughter, I understand your need to protect her. After all, I think I would react the same way had it been one of my boys. So no need to apologize. Okay?” “Okay” he replied hesitantly. She knew he would still be upset about it for a while longer but decided it was for the best to let it go. She turned to grab her glass wanting to move on from this topic entirely. Feeling even worse about her souring the good mood from earlier as the tension sat in the air was still quite thick.

“You can still call me Luci, you know.” Nette froze. “Ah you… sorry I didn’t ask before using a nickname for you.” “It’s okay, I quite like it.” Lucifer said, smiling at her. “Oh…so I can give you another one?” She teased “Like what Nette?” Gosh she really enjoyed hearing her name fall from his lips. (Nette what the fuck now is not the time for that) “Since you like ducks so much how about duckie? Ooh or what about goose? Nah geese are mean you're definitely not mean enough for that. Waddles? No too weird, that's like describing a thing, not a nickname.” Lucifer was smiling watching her ramble while thinking hard about a nickname for him. “Does that mean I can give you one too?” He found himself asking. “Of course your majesty whatever you wish.” Nette giggled. “Though Nette is already a nickname I’d love to hear what you come up with though” “What about… bunny?” Nette turned bright red at that. “Bunny?” She asked “why bunny?” “Your demon form is a rabbit is it not?” Lucifer smirked at her. “How…” Nette tried to ask “How do I know? I know a lot of things bunny. A lot” Nette was bright red at this point. Something about the way he says that word makes her want him to say it more. (Oh my gosh stop it) “well I suppose I don’t mind that, but I’m definitely calling you duckie now.” Nette said feeling oddly competitive about this. “Works for me bunny” she could hear the smirk dripping off his voice. Like pride itself crawling off his vocal cords and into the air as he spoke. “Duckie” she said trying to stand her ground. Knowing she has no chance against this man. None at all. “Yes bunny?” He replied. “Can’t even let me have the last word huh duckie?” “Nope, sin of pride remember bunny” Both of them felt the tension in the air from the previous discussion lighten a bit. As the night went on they addressed each other by only their new animal nicknames, refusing to be the first to back down in this nickname war. Though neither of them truly minded it at all. In fact they both quite enjoyed their new nicknames, though they wouldn’t admit it to the other one.

Taglist:

@popamolly @preciousbabypeter @amberforest08

[storiesbyjes2g]

3.113 Respect your elders

Since we were right down the street, we walked to the cemetery to lay fresh flowers on my grandparents' graves. As soon as we stepped outside, a chilly wind brushed past us, and snow began falling. Summer was just days away. Newcrest wasn't the warmest city I'd lived in, but the cold and snow should have been over a long time ago. I expressed my desire to see Gammy again, but knew it probably wouldn't happen in the middle of the afternoon. But Sophia, my sweet Sophia, was a great cheerleader.

"You'll see her," she said.

"But it's daytime. I don't think they come out in daylight."

"She'll come out as soon as she hears your voice. She loves you so much."

"Well...I hope you're right. I won't hold my breath, though."

"While we wait for her...it's still Love Day, and I love you," she said sweetly, inching toward me.

My eyebrow went up.

"You look like you're looking for trouble."

"Trouble?" she asked, cocking her head to the side. "I don't know her."

"Mmm hmm. I love you too. You and your trouble."

No sooner than she planted a kiss on my cheek, mist poured out of Gammy's headstone.

"Oh my Watcher," I shouted. "You were right! She's coming!"

The mist spilled onto the plot and swirled around our feet. Gammy's ghost popped as orange as a sunset.

"I know y'all not trying to get busy in the graveyard," she shouted. "I'm not mad, though. Come here, my baby!"

I laughed and threw my arms around her.

"Hey, Gammy! Happy Love Day!"

"Oh! Is that what day it is? Happy Love Day to you!"

She squeezed me tightly, and just like Mama did when I announced I had proposed, she pushed me aside and turned her attention to Sophia. Pope women. I shook my head lovingly at her.

"Let me see that ring!"

Sophia extended her hand and let Gammy ooh and ahh.

"Okay, Luca," she said. "You did well! Let me see some pictures! I want to know everything!"

Sophia whipped out her phone and scrolled through the wedding pictures she was tagged in.

"Oooh a beach wedding," she shouted. "That dress was perfect! Awwww look at my baby! You were so handsome, Mr. Cute Face!"

Now I had to know. Did Mama name me that, or did she steal it from Gammy?

"Oh, look at my child," she said with a tremor in her voice. "She was always so beautiful. I miss her so much. Hmph...I see she's still messing with that ol spineless...let me be nice. Oh! You had Ali officiate? That's so special. And there's my other baby, looking like a model! She probably doesn't remember me. That venue was perfect! Was that Tartosa?"

"Yes, ma'am," Sophia said.

"I would have loved to get married there, but we eloped at the romance festival."

Sophia's face lit up.

"Really? I always heard of sims doing that but never met anyone who did."

"Now you have! It was magical...but oh so cold! That fool has us out there in a blizzard! Speaking of, let's get you out of this cold."

We went inside the building, but it didn't provide much warmth. It was eerily cold in there, and I thought I saw a figure floating around the casket in the font.

"Gammy...are you okay? You don't seem like yourself. And you're orange."

"I am," she said. "Don't worry about me. Tell me about you. How's married life? Are you trying for babies yet?"

I glanced over at Sophia, who nodded at me, giving her blessing to share our story with Gammy.

"Married life is amazing. I've never been happier. We're moving to a bigger house in San Sequoia tomorrow. And...uhhh...we're still working on a baby."

"Oh noooo. Are you..."

"Yeah."

"I'm so sorry to hear that. That kind of thing can knock the wind out of your sails. I personally haven't gone through it, but I'm familiar with wanting something really bad and not getting it. Don't give up, you hear? It'll happen! Just be good yourselves and don't get stressed out. You'll see!"

"Thanks, Gammy. We're trying to stay positive."

"Good. Well, you two should get out of here. It's Love Day! Take this young lady home and blow her back out until you pass out! Put THREE babies in there, ha ha!"

"Gammy!!"

I'd always been one to respect and listen to my elders...

[maseyfilms]

BE MY VALENTINE — M.M19

summary. you and mason are used to share valentine's gifts every year, but as friends, what will happen if mason don't wanna do it as friends anymore?

pairing. mason mount x female!reader

w.count. 1.6k+

warning. fluff, kinda cliché, still cute, !bad english!

a/n. tbh i kinda like this, still cheesy but i don't hate it, hope u like it

masterlist

You and Mason were best friends since you were kids. Your parents being friends since high school and living in the same neighborhood is definitely what made this happen. As teenagers, you were together all the time, eventually he started to pursue a football career and you went to college, but your friendship was not affected.

You guys had this thing about every February 14th: sharing a cute heart-shaped box of chocolates while watching a cheesy movie and just talking about life. The two of you obviously had partners to spend Valentine's Day with, but it was kind of a ritual that the two of you always did, regardless of whether you were dating someone or not - and maybe that was the reason none of you could stay in a relationship for more than four months.

It all started when you were seventeen and your ex boyfriend sent you a box of chocolates on Valentine's Day with a card asking for "apologies" for the way he treated you, but it turned into a joke between you and Mason and you just shared your chocolates while laughing and joking about stupid exes. It has become an annual thing.

When you got out of the elevator to talk to one of your co-workers you were surprised when you saw a giant bouquet of red and pink roses with several boxes of chocolate together on top of the reception desk. At first glance you were sure it wasn't for you, because the only person who sent you gifts on Valentine's Day was Mason, but he only gave you a box or two of chocolates and you didn't expect anything like that at this time of the afternoon . So you just walked towards your friend's office, but you were interrupted by the office receptionist's voice:

"Hey! Miss Y/L/N!!" Susan stoped you. "Someone left this here for you just now, they didn't say the name, but I think there must be a card saying so." She said trying to look for a card among the flowers.

"Mmm, Susan are you sure this is for me?" You walked towards the desk, a confused look on your face.

"Yes ma'am, I'm pretty sure is for you" She teased. "Do you want me to ask someone to send it to your office?" She asked and you nodded, needing to talk to your friend Wendy first.

"No way!" Wendy smiled, getting up from her chair. "You'll finally have a real Valentine's date!!" Her smile suddenly droped when she saw that your face was not as amused as it should've be. "Why are you looking like that? You should be happy, huh?"

"I can't go to a date today, Wendy" You explained, looking at her like it was obvious. She rolled her eyes.

"Don't tell me you won't go on a date just because of that friend of yours Matt?"

"It's Mason." You corrected, and she rolled her eyes again.

"Whatever Y/N, I know he's a great guy but ya shouldn't skip a opportunity like this just 'cause you guys do this thing every year!" She complained, holding both of your shoulders. You looked away.

"I don't even know if there's a card or something, or who sent me that, so i can't presume nothing" You raised your eyebrows. "Maybe that's not even a date invitation, y'know"

"That's what we're going to find out!" She took your hand and led you out of her office, straight to yours.

Opening your office door you saw all those bouquets and sweets, some almost falling off your desk.

"Wow!" She chuckled. "Whoever this person who sent you this is, definitely want to go out with you"

You went to the table and started looking for anything that might reveal the person who sent you all those gifts, looking for an answer. "Oh, I found something!" you said, taking a small pink card with hearts on the front and opening it.

'dear Y/N

I know you'll probably find all these things strange and weird but i wanted some attention from you.

I don't even know how to write this and i feel so awkward doing this, but i can't keep it to myself anymore.

I love you. Not in a friend way or something, I really fancy you. I think i have felt this since we were ten or something, and i really wanted to tell you since but i was afraid to ruin our friendship, i'm still afraid tho.

You're the nicest, smartest and prettiest woman i've ever had the chance to meet and i'm so happy to be your friend. I can't stop thinking about you and i feel so silly about this.

I kinda don't care if you don't feel the same, i just wanna get all this out even if the feeling is not mutual. By the time you read this i'll probably be at training, if you want to talk you can meet me at the bridge or something.

Happy valentine's Y/N/N, I love you

Mase'

Your eyes were burning as much as your cheeks. You had just read the person you've loved for years saying they like you too. You really didn't know how to react, but you felt tears streaming down your face as soon as you finished reading and Wendy, who didn't know anything that was going on, got worried.

"Hey, why are you crying?" She said, getting closer for a hug. "what's on that card?"

"Mason, he..." You sobbed and looked at your fingers while fidgeting them. "He said that he likes me." You finally look at her face and a slight smile apears at your lips, leaving your friend confused.

"And that's bad? I don't know, I always thought you had a crush on eachother" You nodded and she holds your cheeks, wiping the tears with her thumb. "So why are you crying, love?"

"I, I don't know" You confessed then furrowed your eyebrows together. "I have to tell him i like him back."

"Yes, I'm sure you do, you could say it tonight at dinner and-" She calmly said but was interrupted.

"No, no, i have to tell him now." You said, freeing yourself from her grip and grabbing your purse on you desk.

"Uh, what are you doing?" She chuckled.

"I'm going to tell him that i fancy him too...?"

"You don't even know where he is!" You explained to her that he was at training and you ran down stairs for the parking lot, grabbing the keys for your car. Wendy was running after you but you didn't notice.

"What are you doing here?" You said when you got to your car and opened the door. Wendy let out a dry laugh.

"Did you really think i would pass up this opportunity to leave work early? by the way I have to see you finally unraveling, it's a miracle" She chuckled and entered the car, you rolled your eyes.

The way to the Stamford bridge was a hell. Traffic seemed to slow down just to annoy you, the noise of the city seemed to be louder and you kept tapping the steering wheel with your fingertips.

"Bloody hell, Y/N, calm down!" Wendy complained when the noise of your fingers started to annoy her too. "he's not gonna change his mind or something, if you keep like this you'll explode. And stop fucking tapping your fingers, jesus"

When you arrived at the bridge car park, you literally jumped out of the car and ran to the entrance, leaving the door to the driver's seat for your friend to close.

On the field, Mason was anything but calm as well. Ben couldn't take it anymore every time Mason went to the benches to check if he had any messages from you or when he kept mumbling every 5 minutes.

"Mate, stop" Ben said when mason let out a whimper as he kicked the ball. "It's fine! maybe she didn't read it yet, or she's busy with work, calm down!"

"I know, i'm just worried. What if she read it but she doesn't like me back and then she'll stop talking to me?" He wondered, running fingers through his hair. "I'm such an idiot, i shouldn't have done all this shit"

"Hey mase!" Reece called him and when Mason looked at him, he gestured his head towards the tunnel.

When Mason looked at the tunnel entryway, there you are. A confused look on your face while you're scanning the field, looking for, probably or obviously, Mason.

When you laid eyes on him you ran towards him, a shy smile soon appearing on his face.

You buried your face on the crook of his neck and greeted him with a hug soon as you reached him, slightly panting for the short run. "Hey, bet you received my gift" He grinned nervously and you nodded.

"I love you too mase." You whispered out of the blue, your voice was muffled by his shirt but he could hear you saying it. You pulled back to look at his face and he was smiling wide, cheeks burning, knitted brows and arms around your waist while he processed the information, then he closed his eyes and leaned to join your lips together.

Suddenly everything around seems to disappear. You put your hands on the sides of his face, deepening the kiss. Both of you never gotten so lost in a kiss before, breath taken away and never wanting to get rid of eachothers arms. It all felt so right, and you guys just couldn't believe you had waited for so long.

The air began to be necessary and you both pulled away, still hugging and huge smiles printed on your faces.

"Hi" he said, blood still rushing into his cheeks, and pulling you closer by the waist. you chuckled. "Hi"

"Guess I should take you on a real Valentine's date now, what do you think?" He asks and you lean again, pecking his lips a few times.

"I think this works as an answer."

[dreamyautumns]

Are you still making the gaming fic? (I hope this doesn't bother you)

Yes! I am still working on my Gaming fanfic❤️ and no worries! It’s not bothering me at all! I just have a lot to accomplish😓

~~~

"Oi, Aether! Speed up; we're gonna be late to Chenyu Vale!" Paimon yells.

"Coming!" Aether shouts up. The blonde traveller hoists himself over a cliff and dusts himself off. His floating companion peers over the side of the mountain and looks down at the foggy valley beneath them.

"Everything looks so small from up here! Aether, look at that terrace near the water!"

Aether takes a look over the edge of the mountain as well and smiles down at the landscape below. "Oh yeah... it's real nice! Check out that river, too... the lotus flowers are very big..."

Paimon spins over to the side and points to a large, dense patch of fog. "Hey, look over there! What do you think is in all that fog?"

Aether thinks for a moment. "I'm not sure; do you wanna go take a look once we get to our destination?"

Paimon freezes, then looks away bashfully. "Paimon d-doesn't really do good with foggy places... maybe we could go someone else instead!"

Aether pats her on the head and gets up from leaning over. He then looks up at the sun and smiles.

I wonder what Qiaoying Village will be like. Hopefully, we can take a rest before we make it to the wharf.

Aether stops for just a moment. Paimon turns to him out of concern.

"What's the matter, Aether?"

The blonde traveller draws his sword and points to the distance. "What... is that?"

Paimon squints herself and suddenly lets out a shriek. "WAH!! There's something coming out from behind the mountain!"

The cliff beneath them suddenly begins to tremble. Aether grabs Paimon's hand and holds the fairy girl close to protect her. He points his sword forward as whatever was approaching comes closer. The trees behind them rattle, and the pebbles near their feet jump. Paimon was too busy panicking to notice what Aether had seen.

The cliff beneath them was cracking. The blonde looked behind them and tried to dash to the side. However, it was too late. The cliff came tumbling down, and with it went Paimon and Aether.

"AHHH!!!" Paimon shrieked. Aether put his sword away and covered her head to protect her from their fall.

"HANG ON!!"

A loud, reverberating voice called for them. Aether couldn't even turn his head to look behind them before something huge and dark came swooping in. Aether could feel his body hit something soft and warm beneath him as Paimon's wails kept going.

"Whoa, whoa! Calm down, I got you guys! Don't worry!" the unfamiliar voice reassures them. Aether turns and looks behind him. He then freezes.

Someone had caught them, but it wasn't just anyone. The one that had saved him was a giant...!

~

Aether rubs his eyes with his left hand to ensure he wasn't dreaming. Paimon realizes they have stopped falling and looks behind herself.

"WAHH!! A GIANT!!!"

The giant's passionate and sparkling eyes fill with worry as he lowers his hand. "Please calm down! I don't mean any harm; I'm sorry if I scared ya! My name's Gaming, what about you guys?"

Aether releases Paimon and looks down at Gaming's palm, which was what they had been caught in. He then looks up and puts an arm out to shield the fairy girl.

"You... won't hurt us, right?" Aether asks.

"What? No, of course not!!" Gaming's voice raises as he goes on the defensive, rattling the mountainsides again. Paimon covers her ears as Aether puts his hands up.

"H-hey, no worries! No need to shout, ok?"

Gaming sighs, blowing a gust of wind at the traveling duo. "Sorry about that... it just really bugs me when people assume I'm gonna hurt them just because I'm really big."

"Aether, let's go! Paimon's got a bad feeling! He's gonna eat us!" Paimon yelps, tugging on Aether's sleeve. Gaming looks offended by this remark.

"What?! Now that's outrageous! I'd never EAT someone! Who do you think I am, a monster?!"

"AHHH!! He's yelling at Paimon!!" Paimon wails. She hides behind Aether, who lowers his guard slightly.

"I apologize for my friend! She's just very jumpy!" Aether calls up.

Gaming shakes his head, but suddenly perks up. "Hang on a sec... I think I've got something she'll like- aha!"

Gaming reaches into his pocket and pulls out a wrapped snack. He then rips the package off it and holds the tiny treat to them.

Paimon stops being scared and peeks over Aether's shoulder. "W-what's that?"

"Winter Melon Cake! Kids at Yilong Wharf love this, so here ya go!"

Paimon curiously takes the cake and mumbles for a moment. "Paimon isn't a kid..." The fairy girl then takes a bite.

Her fear suddenly seems to dissipate completely. Paimon's eyes light up as she scarfs down the rest of the cake. "WOW! No one evil would ever give Paimon a scrumptious cake like that! All is forgiven now!"

Aether can't help but smile. Gaming laughs himself and lowers the two onto the ground. The giant kneels on one knee and smiles at them.

"See? Not so big and bad, am I?" Gaming asks. Aether turns to him and looks up.

"Sorry we got off on the wrong foot. And I really appreciate you saving me and Paimon. I'm Aether, and-"

"You're the hero of Liyue Harbor! I've heard of you, but I just never knew your name! You're awesome!" Gaming eagerly shakes Aether's hand between two of his fingers, rattling the blonde back and forth. Aether lets go and regains his balance.

"So... you must've been that thing causing all the shaking! You gotta be more careful, Gaming..."

"Oh my Seven! I caused the cliff to collapse?!" Gaming asks, horrified. He seemed incredibly apologetic as he bowed to them. "Please, forgive me! I didn't mean to!"

"Paimon HOPES you're sorry! Just for that, you deserve an ugly nickname! How about... Mr. Bigfoot?!"

Gaming gets up and tilts his head before laughing. "That's so silly! Ah, you're funny, kid!" He reaches a finger down and ruffles her hair, which makes Paimon angry.

"HEY! No fair picking on Paimon just cause Paimon's tiny!"

Aether can't help but chuckle. "So, Gaming, where you headed?"

"Oh! I'm on my way to Qiaoying Village; why?"

"You mind helping us out? We're trying to get to Yilong Wharf. Are we going the right way?"

Gaming stands up to his towering height and looks around. Aether can't help but feel intimidated.

Yikes... it's a good thing this guy's nice...!

Gaming points to the northwest and smiles. "Over there! I just made my most recent delivery there."

"Ok, thanks!" Aether calls up. "Paimon, if you're finished, let's go. Ok?"

Paimon eats her cake and smiles, rubbing her belly. She then floats over to Aether and eagerly points. "Ready!"

"Wait!"

Aether pauses and looks up at the giant. Gaming bends down and extends his palm to them.

"Hop on! I can carry you!"

"You sure? I wouldn't wanna be a bother..." Aether states.

"Yeah, I don't mind! Let's go!" Gaming urges them. Paimon smiles and floats into his hand, sitting down. Aether jumps in as well as the giant lifts them into the air and turns to the north. "Off we go!!"

With that, they were now well on their way to making it to Yilong Wharf.

[bluesylveon2]

After much deliberation, I think I'd love to see Rook with "I Won't Say I'm in Love" from Hercules. It started me on a brainstorming spiral. And! The little bit at the end where Megara holds the nile flower to her chest? Imagine Yuu doing that with Rook's hat. I just really like the idea, that out of all the possible options, they fall for that guy.

It could be fun if instead of the muses it's the ghosts of ramshackle, and instead of falling onto a statue, Yuu falls into the arms of a ghost that looks like Rook. Yuu doesn't know how to process these feelings and the ghosts are being menaces.

So when I first saw this ask, I was like "I got this 😎" Famous last words right there lol. I did enjoy messing with Yuu/MC tho. I hope you enjoy it, anon!

Word Count: 933

Notes: the ghost names are: Billy = short one, Don = tall one, Harry = fat one. I picked the sames based on the Lonesome Ghosts (what Ramshackle is based on) and used the actor's names

Warning: not beta read, possible ooc characters, and one irl reference

"-man!"

"-enchman!"

"HENCHMAN!!"

"Ah!" Yuu jumped and dropped the item in her hands. She frantically looked around the Ramshackle lounge. Her eyes landed on Grim, who was jumping on the other side of the couch. "Yes, Grim?"

Grim crawled up on Yuu's lap, "I'm hungry! Feed me some tuna."

"Oh, I am. I'm sorry, Grim. Let me get you your tuna for dinner," Yuu stood up, grabbed the big purple hat, and walked towards the kitchen with Grim following behind to sit down. 

"You had a starry look in your eyes when you were staring at that hat. Were you thinking about Rook again?" 

"NO!" Yuu exclaimed while placing the hat on the dining table. She opened the pantry and grabbed a can, "Why would I be thinking about him anyway? He is weird, mysterious, and a bit creepy."

Grim put his paws on his hips, "Mhm, sounds like your type."

Yuu almost dropped the opened can of tuna, "Grim! Eat your tuna!" She shoved the can into Grim's paws. He barely had enough time to catch it.  

"Hey, this is premium tuna! Besides, what I said was true."

Yuu rolled her eyes and approached the refrigerator to hide her blush, "I only see Rook as a friend. We are just friends."

"I don't know. You don't sound happy saying that," Grim stopped eating his food to stare at Yuu, "You two have gotten pretty cozy after the Island of Woe incident. I would say a bit too close to be just friends."

"It's not like he is on my mind all the time, or I think about his laugh or the way his hair flows just right in the wind, or how eccentric he sounds when he speaks French…." Yuu sighed, grabbed a random container, and kicked the fridge closed. She headed towards the microwave to warm up her food. 

Curse Grim for putting him in my mind! 

"Is Yuu talking about Rook again?" Don, the skinny ghost, asked. He and the other Ramshackle ghosts materialize in the kitchen for dinner. Although they cannot eat, they stay to keep Yuu and Grim company. 

"Yep," Grim smirked, causing Yuu to roll her eyes. 

"Oh ho ho! I always knew you had feelings for him!" Harry, the fat ghost, laughed. 

"Since when?" Yuu sputtered, her face turning red. 

"Since the VDC. Billy, the short ghost, replied. "You two would always hang out, and he started spending more time here after it ended."

"A lot of people spend time here, too," Yuu pointed out and ate her dinner. 

Harry chuckled, "Well, you at least accepted his gift," The ghost pointed to the food Yuu was eating. Said human looked down to find that she did grab the leftover ratatouille Rook gave her yesterday. That was also the day he left his hat at her dorm.

"It was the first thing I saw," Yuu deadpanned and plopped on her seat next to Grim. 

"Sure it was, Yuu. We'll believe you for now," Don smirked. He and the other ghosts floated to the unoccupied chairs.

"I don't like him like that."

"I don't know…" Billy drawled, "It didn't look like it when he serenaded you on your balcony."

"He was just being nice because it was my birthday," Yuu replied, ignoring how hard it was for her heart not to jump out of her chest that night. She was willing to take how she felt like a princess to the grave. 

"What about that time he wanted to draw you like one of those French girls?" Grim innocently asked. 

"How bold!" Harry exclaimed, and the other ghosts laughed. Grim just sat there confused. Yuu felt her ears turn red as the ghosts smirked.

"Not like that! You know how he is! He is always trying to find ways to appreciate beauty."

Billy raised an eyebrow (do ghosts even have eyebrows?), "Oh, so he finds you beautiful?"

Yuu covered her face with her hands out of embarrassment. Her heart was beating fast, and her mind was thinking about Rook a mile a minute. 

The first time she met Rook, Rook's soft hair that she wanted to run her fingers through, Rook's unique personality, Rook…Rook…Rook…

"Watch this," Don whispered to the ghosts and turned to Grim pointing to something on the table, "Hand me that hat," 

Yuu was praying the teasing stopped until she felt a presence near her. 

“Bonjour, mon amour!”

"Ahhh!" Yuu screamed, causing herself to fall into Ghost Rook's arms and the other witnesses around her to laugh. Ghost Rook looked down at her with a smile similar to the real Rook, except Rook's smile made him look like a prince. Wait, prince? Yuu shook her head. This isn't real! "That is not funny!" she exclaimed, scrambling back and snatching Rook’s hat. She inspected it for any dust. 

Ghost Rook turned back into a laughing Don, "You must admit it, Yuu. You can't deny that you have feelings for him."

Yuu sighed out of defeat, "Maybe I like him a little." Grim looked at her with a 'really?' look, "Fine, I like him a lot. Happy?" Yuu hid her growing smile by placing the hat on her head and hiding behind the brim. 

The ghosts and Grim smiled, "Very."

Meanwhile, a certain blonde hunter sat on a tree, listening to the conversation through an open window. He originally came to retrieve his hat but climbed up the tree instead when he heard his name. 

"Oo la la! It seems ma chérie has feelings for me after all. I must let her know that they are reciprocated!" 

400 follower event (only 1 spot left!!!)

Disclaimer: I do not own Twisted Wonderland and its characters. Those belong to Aniplex, Walt Disney Japan, and Yana Toboso.

©: This story belongs to bluesylveon2 2020-23. DO NOT modify, republish, or plagiarize my work.

[callsign-magnolia]

I Hope You Dance // Chapter 53

MATURE CONTENT (18+)

A/N: This is cross posted to my Wattpad, so if this seems familiar that is why!

TW: Mental abuse, emotional abuse, slight physical abuse, death and loss.

Description: When Caila meets Rooster, sparks fly. But, she's already married, to a man who she thought loved her, and won't let her go. Rooster will fight for her, he just has to convince Caila to fight for herself.

Word Count: 6.2k

Chapter 52 | Masterlist

I sat on Bradley’s bed the rest of the night, my fingers running through his curls and occasionally I placed kisses on his head. I took a picture and sent it to Mav, telling him he was awake and not to come till the morning. I would text and call everyone tomorrow, I don’t want too many people in here at once. That night I slept the best I had since he’d been in here. His arm stayed around my waist and my fingers in his hair as his head rested on my chest. The next morning I woke up to voices and turned to see Mav standing on the other side of the bed as Penny sat in the chair. “Oh, hey.” I said and sat up. “I guess you got a little more sleep than last night.” Penny said and I nodded. “I definitely did.” I said as I looked down at Bradley, kissing his head. “I’m starving.” He said, his head falling back on his pillow. “I’ll go see if you can have breakfast.” I said before getting up and making my way out to the nurses station. His day nurse, Ella, had been kind but quiet. “Hi.” I said and she looked over at me from her screen. “Good morning.” She said, “Um, Bradley was wondering if he could eat?” I asked and she looked back at the screen. “It says he can after some blood work and a CT scan. He was talking and I didn’t want to interrupt.” she said and I smiled. “Want me to ask?” I asked her and she nodded. I peeked my head in and he looked at me. “You can eat after blood work and a CT scan. Want her to go ahead and draw your blood?” I could see him pale slightly but he nodded. “He said yes.” She nodded and stood. “I’ll get everything ready.”

Within a few minutes she came back with a few tubes and a needle. “I have an IV in, can’t you get blood from that?” He asked and she shook her head. “There’s no blood return.” She said quietly as she got set up. “I really don’t wanna be stuck again.” He whispered to me. “I already have a tube sticking out of my chest and I’m scared to move.” He said and I felt for him. “One quick stick and then you're done.” I said and he turned his head into my chest and I squeezed his hand. “You’re still afraid of needles?” Mav laughed out. “Yes! I am okay!” He snapped and Mav just grinned. Ella got his blood drawn and removed the tube. “Now time for your CT.” She said. “I’ll be right here when you get back.” I said as I stood from the bed. He grabbed my hand, kissing it as Ella pushed the bed out of the room, his hand holding mine till the very last second. “I think he’ll make a great recovery.” Penny said, her hand rubbing Mav’s arm as he stood next to her. “Me too.” I said. He already seemed to be doing pretty good.

Bradley was gone for about an hour and just as he came in he was brought his food. “Eggs, bacon, french toast? Am I drooling?” He asked, looking up at me as I ran my fingers through his hair. “A little. Eat up.” I said and he did. “It can’t be that good. It’s hospital food.” Mav said and Bradley shook his head. “It’s actually really good.” He said, food still in his mouth. “Okay, no one's gonna take it from you and don’t talk with your mouth full.” I said and he swallowed. “Yes, mom.” He said. Soon Mav and Penny left and I took a shower in the bathroom attached to his room. “Oh I feel so much better.” I said as I came out, I looked at Bradley and smiled. He had Mr. Snuffles up on the bed with him, tucked into his left side and he read the card attached to the flowers mom sent. “Your mom send these?” He asked and I nodded. “She did. Her and dad were gonna fly out but there was nothing they could do so I managed to talk them into staying put.” He chuckled. “Should we call them?” He asked and I realized I never text anyone but Mav to say he was awake. “Sure. Let’s surprise them.” I said. I facetimed moms phone and it rang so long I thought she would never answer.

“Hell-OH!” Mom yelled when she saw Bradley grinning at her through the phone. “Oh thank god! DAVID!” She yelled and she rushed through the house. “What?! Something happen to Bradley?” He asked and my heart swelled knowing my parents care about him so much. Mom turned the phone towards him and it took dad a minute to register what he was seeing. “Wha- YOU SON OF A BITCH!” Dad yelled with a smile on his face. “Good to see ya, son!” He said, making us laugh. “When did you wake up?” Dad asked. “Yesterday evening.” He said. “We hadn’t told anyone but Mav till now.” I said. “What about the team?” Dad asked. “I’ll text them once I get off the phone with you. Bradley wants them to come in a few at a time. He doesn’t want them crowding.” I said and I turned to him. His eyes were drifting closed and I could tell he was exhausted still. “Well, we’ll let you go. Text us with updates, we can talk later.” Mom said and I nodded, letting her go. “Get some sleep, honey.” I said, kissing his head. His arm went around my waist and I smiled, knowing I wouldn’t be able to go anywhere any time soon.

Throughout the week the team came in to visit, all cheering and crying tears of joy to see Bradley awake. Cyclone even came in to speak with him. Bradley had been worried that he wouldn’t be able to fly again, but his doctor and Cyclone reassured him that he would be back in the skies but only after ten to twelve weeks. He was bummed about it, but it was all worth it if he made a full recovery. Come Saturday we were getting ready to go home. I packed all of our stuff, Bradley was dressed and ready, the only thing left is for the doctor to remove his chest tube. “You may have some slight discomfort as I remove this.” Rooster squeezed my hand and buried his face in my shoulder. The doctor cut the stitches and slowly pulled the tube out, a hiss escaping Bradley as he did so. “All done.” I could immediately tell a shift in Bradley, he seemed more relaxed, relieved. “Macy will be in with your discharge paperwork and care instructions in just a few minutes.” We nodded and he left. Roo sat up and swung his legs off the bed. He’s only been up a handful of times this week and he’s a little unsteady so I immediately reach for him. “Need help?” I asked and he shook his head. “No, I just need off this bed.”

He stood and stepped away, slowly wandering around the room. “Feels good to just use my legs.” He said, stretching his legs as he did so. I just watched him. There was a moment where I never thought I’d see him alive again, let alone up and moving. “What?” He asked, noticing that I was watching him. “I’m just glad you're okay.” I said, leaning back on my hands as I leaned against a table in the room. He smiled, walking over to me, his hands falling to my waist. “I told you, I’m not going anywhere.” He said before leaning down and kissing me. There was so much passion behind it, something we’ve been missing since he’s been in here. “I love you, Mags.” He whispered as he pulled away. “I love you too, Roo.” I wrapped my hand around his neck and kissed him one more time before Macy came in. “Alright. These are your care instructions.” She handed the packet to Rooster, he couldn’t get incisions wet for three more days, no physical exercise for six weeks. “The physical exercise also includes sex.” “WHAT?!” He asked loudly and I slapped my hand over his mouth. Macy tried not to giggle but one escaped. “Yes. No sex. It could increase your heart rate and your stitches could pop. If they pop, you’ll bleed out in minutes, before anyone can get there to help you.”

I turned to him and he looked at me with pleading eyes but I shook my head. “No sex.” I said sternly and he huffed. We went over the rest of the instructions before we signed the paperwork. “Thank you so much.” I said before pulling Macy into a hug. She seemed shocked but hugged me back. “You’re welcome.” She said before forcing Bradley into a wheelchair. “I can walk.” He said and she chuckled. “Hospital policy, I’m just doing my job.” She said and he pouted the entire walk to the front doors. Macy stood with him while I pulled the jeep up to the doors. Macy helped him in and soon we were off and headed home. “It’s weird being the passenger.” Roo said, reaching over and taking my hand. “Thank you.” He said, lifting my hand and kissing the back of it softly. “For what?” I asked, squeezing his hand slightly. “Staying. Not leaving me alone in there.” There was something in his voice. I couldn’t read it and that bothered me. We stayed quiet the entire ride home, the only noise being the road and the radio. Once we pulled into the driveway I put the car in park and turned to him. “You know I’d never leave you, right?” I asked and he nodded. “I do. But you easily could’ve sat here at home, waiting for a phone call instead of sitting in that uncomfortable chair.” I just smiled at him, sitting up and running my fingers through his hair. “I wanted my face to be the first thing you saw when you woke up. So I wasn’t going anywhere. Plus if anything happened I wanted to know immediately, not twenty minutes after the fact.” He just smiled at me, his hand gently gripping the hand in his hair and holding it. “I’m glad you were the first thing I saw. It sounds weird, but god I missed you.” I smiled, leaning down and kissing him. “I missed you too.”

I pulled away and slid out of the jeep. “Now, let’s get you inside. I’m hungry and I’m sure you are too.” I said as I opened his door. Thankfully the jeep doesn’t sit too high off the ground so he could easily slide out. “Your cooking sounds amazing.” He said before reaching into the back. “EH! You’re not allowed to lift anything over ten pounds!” I stopped him. “I got the bags, you just take your ass inside and sit down.” He huffed but didn’t argue. He did reach inside and grab my purse and the flowers, neither weighing more than ten. Pick your battles. He likes helping out, so I’ll let him do little things here and there. He’ll go crazy if I make him lay in bed all day. We got inside and the dogs lost their minds. “Sit.” Bradley said and both dogs immediately sat, tails going a mile a minute. Rooster set my purse by the door with the flowers before sitting on the floor. I put all of our dirty clothes in the washer and put everything else away before I went into the kitchen. Amelia ate a good bit of the food, mostly stuff that would go bad like sandwich stuff. I pulled out some chicken to put in the airfryer and some pasta. I seasoned the chicken lightly before tossing it in then prepped everything else.

As that cooked I walked back into the living room to find Rooster had moved to the couch, Dahlia’s head in his lap and Sadie curled up next to him. “How does chicken pesto pasta sound?” I asked as I leaned over the back of the couch. He turned his head to look at me, smiling widely. “It sounds so good.” I smiled and kissed him before coming around and sitting next to him. I grabbed his hand and leaned my head on his shoulder. “It’s good to be home with you.” I muttered, leaning up to kiss his cheek. “I agree, pretty girl.” Once dinner was done we sat down and ate just enjoying the time together. There was a moment that I thought I would never have time like this again. After dinner I got him settled upstairs in the bed and went to take my shower. “I wish I could take a fucking shower. Those sponge baths did shit to make me feel clean.” I felt bad for him. The man showers religiously and after a week, he probably does feel like shit. “Are you sure I can’t take a shower?” He asked and I sighed. “You heard Macy. You can’t get your incisions wet for three more days.” He huffed and leaned his head back. I could tell he was frustrated and I hated it. I turned and took notice of the giant jetted tub that we have yet to use.

“You know. If we’re really careful, you could take a bath.” He sat up immediately. “You think?” He asked and I nodded. “I’ll have to help you to make sure you keep your incisions dry.” He wiggled his eyebrows at me. “So you’ll get in with me?” He asked. “No. I will sit on the edge of the tub and help you, but I will not be getting in the water with you.” He pouted but slowly stood. No matter what he says, he knows he’s weak and he knows he has to be careful. “Why not?” He asked as he slowly walked by me. “Because, I know how you get when I’m naked and I will not have you dying in our bathtub.” I said, referring to the stitches in his aorta. “Fine.” He huffed. “At least help me get undressed? It hurts if I lift my arm too high.” I gave him a small smile and nodded. I helped him carefully pull his shirt off and helped him with his pants before starting the water. I didn’t let it get too high, not wanting the water to reach the incision on his left side where his chest tube was.

Once I turned off the water I helped him in and he sat down. “Just being in the water feels nice.” I smiled, brushing his hair back. “I love you.” He said as he looked up at me with those big brown cow eyes. “I love you too.” I leaned down and kissed him gently before I carefully helped him wash his body and his hair. Once we were done I could see he felt better, more relaxed. “My turn. Go lay down and I’ll crawl in bed with you once I’ve had my shower.” He smiled and leaned down, kissing me softly. “Okay.” He whispered and walked into the bedroom while I cut the shower on. I washed away all the stress of the last few days. It was nice to be home, in my own shower, knowing my fiance was peacefully laying in bed waiting for me. Once I was done I dried off and slid into one of Bradley’s t-shirts before walking into the bedroom.

There, lying on the bed was Bradley. He was on his back, arms outstretched as his chest slowly rose and fell. I smiled and made my way over to the bed. I pulled the covers back, moving his arm before I slid in. “Mm, honey?” I couldn’t help but grin as I curled into him, my hand resting on his chest, right next to his incision. “I’m right here.” I whispered. His arm curled around my shoulder, pulling me close before he drifted back off to sleep. I just laid there, taking in everything. This was real. He would live. We would get to sleep next to each other, have meals together… we still get to have our wedding. Losing Rooster was a hard concept to grasp, but never being able to marry him made my chest ache. It felt as if someone took their hands and pulled my rib cage apart before reaching in and ripping out my heart. Part of me wanted to stay awake, soak in every moment of this, to know it was real. But his even breathing made me sleepy and soon, I was drifting off to sleep right next to him.

The next day we were lazy. Roo got up and walked around the house, we took a short walk on the beach to get him up and moving, but other than that we laid on the couch and cuddled. Of course Mav called to check on him. That would become a daily thing for a while. I know Mav was terrified of losing him, and he has every right to be, but I think Rooster is already annoyed after the third call today. “I’m fine.” He said after he hung up with Mav. “I know.” I said as I rubbed his back. “But you aren’t acting like that.” I pursed my lips and nodded. “But I get to see you all day, touch you, talk to you. All these things that solidify that you’re really here. Mav was… really scared. I think he’s still scared, scared that he’s going to call and you will never pick up.” I said and he sighed. “Maybe you call him tomorrow, or send him a meme every now and again. Something to help solidify that you’re still here and I’m sure he’ll calm down soon.” I said as my phone dinged. “Is it Mav?” He asked and I shook my head. “Penny. She’s apologizing for Mav calling so many times. She said she’s hiding his phone from him now.” Rooster chuckled. “He may just drive over here.” I nodded in agreement. “He really might.”

The rest of Sunday was spent in the kitchen. I was prepping stuff so Bradley could have easy and healthy lunches. Lots of protein and foods that would be good for his heart. He helped a little, getting tired easily so he would occasionally go nap or just rest. Going to bed Sunday night was easy. It was getting up Monday morning that was hard. It was storming outside, a very uncommon sight for San Diego. “You think you’ll be in the air much?” Roo asked as I pulled my hair back into a bun. “Knowing Mav? He’ll use this as an excuse for severe weather training.” Roo gave a light chuckle from the bed. “Probably.” He laid on his back, arm tossed over his eyes to shield them from the bathroom light. Once I was done I grabbed my flight suit and slid it on. “You gonna be okay today?” I asked and he nodded. “I’ll miss you.” I couldn’t help but grin and walk towards the bed, leaning over him as I got close. “I’ll miss you too.” He moved his arm and I kissed him gently. “But I will be fine. If I need you, I’ll call.” I nodded as I laced my boots up.

I went downstairs to get my coffee ready, Bradley and the dogs close behind. We silently went about our routine. Bradley let the dogs out and fed them while I got my coffee ready. “Okay. I love you, I will be home soon.” I said as I turned to him. He smiled down at me before leaning down and kissing me. “I love you too.” He followed me to the door, his own mug of coffee in hand before I opened the door. I turned for my bag, yelling as I saw him bend down to grab it. “You cannot lift anything heavy yet.” I scolded as I hoisted my bag over my shoulder. “Yes ma’am.” He sassed. “I’ll check in around lunch time.” I said before he kissed me one more time. “Okay, honey.” With that I walked out the door, pulling the hood of my rain jacket over my head. I quickly tossed everything in the jeep before practically diving in myself. Bradley stood on the porch waving as I backed out of the driveway. I waved back before heading off to work.

“Today you will be doing some severe weather training.” Mav announced in our morning briefing. “I told Bradley we’d be doing weather training.” I leaned over to Coyote as I whispered. “I want you in groups of threes. We’ll be practicing flight maneuvers.” We all nodded. “Dismissed.” With that we stood and made our way out to the hangar. First up was Phoenix and Bob, Fritz, and Coyote. I checked over my jet as they went up before Mav walked over. “How is he?” I just smiled at him before I sat in a chair. “Doing surprisingly well.” I answered. “No pain or anything?” He asked. “He’s on a lot of medication for pain and infections and everything in between. His incisions still look fresh and he’s dying for an actual shower.” Mav nodded and sat next to me. “I’m worried about psychological effects.” I nodded in agreement. “So far he sleeps like a baby. No nightmares, but I keep waking up intermittently to check on him.” He just nodded and smiled at me.

“I’m glad he has you.” Mav said, tossing his arm around my shoulder. “He wouldn’t be in this situation if it wasn’t for me.” “Don’t start that.” Mav snapped. “Stop blaming yourself for every little thing that goes wrong in your relationship. I’m tired of hearing it and so is Bradley.” I was stunned by his response. Mav has usually been level headed with a few exceptions. He sighed and it was silent for a moment. “Caila, I’m sorry.” I shook my head and stood. “No. You’re right.” With that I walked away. I couldn’t really be mad at Mav, he was right. But so was I. Soon it was my turn to get in the air with Hangman and Omaha and Halo. We were doing so good. “Get him off me, Magnolia!” Omaha called out. “Hang in there! I’m coming!” Just as I almost had Hangman in my sights, lightning struck way too close for comfort. We had multiple other lightning strikes that followed. “Should we land?” I asked through the comms. The rain was splattering against my canopy, making visibility next to nothing. “You’re team leader Magnolia. That’s your call.” Another lightning strike and I made my decision. “Everyone bring it in.” We all landed one by one, my landing last as I wanted everyone else to land before me. As soon as I got my jet onto the tarmac, I was out and rushing inside. “I’m already sick of this rain.” I said as I stormed past Mav and Phoenix, soaked to the bone.

I didn’t shower on base, deciding it wasn’t worth it. The rain hasn’t let up all day and after work was no different. I hit a stupid amount of traffic on the way home and by the time I actually got there, I just wanted to curl up with Rooster. I made it inside, bringing in just a little water and not a whole damn puddle and as I set my bag down I saw Rooster napping on the couch. He looked so peaceful. He was lying on his back, one arm tossed back behind his head, the other resting on his belly. As I stepped closer I was startled by Sadie who poked her head out from under the blanket. “Keeping daddy company?” I asked, reaching down and petting her before she laid her head on his leg. I left Bradley asleep as I went upstairs and showered. He needed his sleep. Sleep would help him heal and a lot of the medications he’s taking right now make him sleepy. Once I was done, I found he was still asleep as I came downstairs. I needed to figure out dinner so I went into the kitchen and started rummaging around. I decided to just grill some chicken, brown rice and lots of fresh veggies. Most of it is good for his heart and I wanted him to feel as good as possible as quickly as possible.

When dinner was almost done I went to wake him. I sat next to him on the couch, smiling at how peaceful he looked. I brushed some of his curls back gently and he inhaled deeply. I kissed his forehead, his cheeks, his chin and as I kissed his eyebrow his eyes opened. “Mm, hi honey.” He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into him. “Careful, Roo.” I said, pulling away slightly. “I just wanna hold my fiance, is that too much to ask?” He groaned and I chuckled. “No, but I don’t wanna hurt you.” He smiled up at me as his hand threaded through my hair. “You never could.” He pulled me down into a kiss and I couldn’t help but relax into it. After a minute I pulled away. "Dinners almost ready." I told him and he inhaled deeply. "Okay, I'll be in the kitchen in a minute." I stood and held out my hands, helping him up gently. His face scrunched as if he was in pain as he stood. “When was the last time you had any medicine?” I asked and he looked at his watch. “Five hours ago.” I pursed my lips. “I’ll set out your medicine with dinner.” I said before standing on my toes and kissing his cheek.

I plated everything and set all his medications out on the island and he came in just as I put all my food on my own plate. He was rubbing his chest just around his scar. “Here.” I slid some water to him as he sat down. “Thanks.” He muttered before taking the handful of pills and swallowing them with the water. I smiled before sitting next to him with my own food. “How was your day?” He asked as he cut into the chicken. “Long. The rain never stopped and we had to end our exercise early because of all the lightning. I was soaked all day.” He chuckled. “Kind of glad I wasn’t there to endure that.” He said and I glared at him. “I love you but you get cranky if you get soaked from the rain.” He said, grinning before he leaned over and kissed my cheek. “You’re not wrong.” I replied. We talked and ate and once we were done poor Bradley looked like he would fall asleep. “C’mon. Let’s get you in bed.” I said quietly as I cut off the kitchen light. He slowly got up and I wrapped my arm around his waist. “I really want another bath.” He muttered and I sighed. Bradley is a man that showers every day and I can’t really tell him no. “Okay. We’ll get you a bath and then bed.”

We made it up the stairs and he sat on the toilet as I pulled out some towels for him and cut on the water. “Will you get in with me?” He asked as I leaned over. His hands rested on my hips and pulled me back till I stood between his legs and he rested his forehead on my back. “I’ve already showered.” I answered. “Please.” I let out a slow breath. I wanted to tell him no, but then I remembered how close I came to losing him. “Okay.” I could feel him smile against me. We both stripped and I helped him in before getting in and sitting on the opposite side, facing him. He gave me a small smile as I tossed my legs over his. “We should make use of this bathtub more often.” He said, leaning his head back and winking at me. “Mhm, I know what you want to use it for.” I said with a smile. “You can’t tell me that you don’t want to use it for the same thing!” He said as he leaned forward, gripping my thighs and hauling me into his lap. I gasped loudly. I knew he wouldn’t let me go so I helped slide myself into his lap, not wanting him to overexert himself. “You shouldn’t do that.” I scolded him.

“I didn’t hurt myself, so don’t worry.” I huffed, shaking my head. “I’ll always worry about you.” He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me as close as he could get me, my forehead resting on his. I smiled at him, my thumb running across the scars on his jawline. “I love you.” I whispered and he grinned. “I love you too, pretty girl.” I kissed his lips gently before I sat up. “We should probably get you washed up before the water gets cold.” He nodded and I leaned back, grabbing the soap and a rag. His arms stayed around me as I lathered the soap across his body. “I did something today.” He blurted out. I raised a brow at him. “What’d you do?” I asked, carefully cleaning around his incision. “I made some changes to my life insurance policy.” I stilled. “What?” I asked, my eyes moving to his. “When I met Nat and we became friends, she was the beneficiary. I knew she’d use it to pay off any funeral debts if it came to that. When we got together I never really thought about it. But after what happened, I didn’t want you to have to worry about anything.” I stared at him for a moment. I dropped the rag and my hands drifted up to the sides of his neck. “Bradley. I don’t want your money.” I said and he nodded, one hand coming up and lightly holding my wrist. “I know, honey. I know. But if something does happen to me I just want the peace of mind knowing that you’re taken care of. Just to know that finances is one thing you won’t have to worry about makes me feel better.”

I sighed, tears coming to my eyes. “Financial ruin doesn’t matter. Because if you’re not here I don’t know how I’d go on living.” He furrowed his brows, his handscoming up to my own cheeks. “Hey, don’t say that.” I shook my head. “It’s true though. When you were in the hospital I had this god awful dream.” I took a deep breath, willing the tears away. “You died. You didn’t make it. Mom was helping me get ready for your funeral.” My breath caught in my throat and he shushed me. “Hey, I’m here.” I shook my head. “Seeing you in a casket Bradley, even in my dream I just wanted to die.” I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and held him tightly. “It’s okay. I’m here and I don’t plan on going anywhere for a long, long time.” He said as he pressed a kiss to my neck. His words sat heavy on my chest and only one thought crossed my mind, and I’m sure it crossed his. Goose didn’t plan on going anywhere for a long, long time either. I didn’t dare say it out loud, but we both knew it. Anything can happen in our jobs, even outside of it. Once I calmed myself, I sat back and wiped my cheeks.

“Come on. Let’s finish up and get in bed.” He said and I nodded. We finished in the bath and finally got out. Rooster slid into some boxers and I slid on some panties and one of his old Phillie’s shirts. With that, we climbed into bed, his arm going around my waist and pulling me into his side. “You’re gonna have to stop pulling me, I definitely weigh more than ten pounds.” I said and he chuckled. “I’d pop a stitch for you anyday.” He said, turning on his side and nuzzling his nose into my cheek. “Well let’s not do that. Remember what Macy said?” I asked, closing my eyes and resting my hand on his chest. “Yes, honey. I remember.” He huffed and then it went quiet. Within minutes Rooster was out like a light and I wasn’t far behind him.

The next morning I got up and left early, deciding I needed to hit the gym. I left Rooster a note just so he didn’t worry. I walked into the gym, immediately heading for the weights and saw Hangman on the leg press. “Mornin’.” He grunted out. “Mornin’.” I replied quietly. Hangman finished as I headed for the leg curl machine. I got set up and started. “You okay?” Hangman asked as he finished his set and stood up. “Hm? Oh, yeah. I’m just tired.” I replied. “How’s Rooster?” He asked. “He’s okay. Sleeping a lot. He can finally get his stitches wet today so I know as soon as I walk through the door he’ll be begging for a shower.” Hangman scrunched his face. “Has he not bathed since he came home?” I giggled. “Yes, he has. But it’s been baths and the man showers daily. He’s begged me every night since he came home for a shower.” He nodded. “Why can’t he just take one when he gets up?”

I shook my head. “If the shower gets too hot, which is likely because he loves steaming showers, he can pass out. I’d rather be home so if anything happens I can get to him.” He nodded. “He hasn’t… hasn’t had any nightmares has he?” I shook my head. “No. I hope he never does, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he did. It was all so traumatic. I’ve been waking up at least twice a night to check on him.” He gave me a small smile. “Worried?” He asked and I nodded. “Worried something will happen in the middle of the night and when I wake up he’ll be dead.” I finished my reps and sat up. “He told me last night that he changed the beneficiary to his life insurance policy. He changed it to me because after what happened he was worried I wouldn’t be taken care of.” I chuckled. “As if that would happen.” Hangman chuckled and agreed. “Well what matters is he’s still here and on the mend.” I nodded as he pulled me into a side hug.

We finished working out and I showered before getting ready in my flight suit. We went through the motions of the day, sitting in lectures, going through simulations and flight training. Finally when the end of the day came, I didn’t bother showering in the locker room and just made my way home. Like I predicted, Rooster was standing in the living room in only his boxers when I got home. “Hi honey.” He seemed tired but happy to see me. “Hi, why are you up?” I asked. “I was waiting on you to get home so I could shower.” He had a large grin on his face. “I figured you would be. Just didn’t expect you to be standing in the living room waiting on me.” I said as I set my bag on the floor. “Have you had a shower yet?” He asked, coming closer and resting his hands on my waist. “I knew you’d ask so I purposefully drove home without one.” He grinned and laced his fingers through mine. “C’mon honey. Let’s get you cleaned up.”

He grinned at me as he pulled me upstairs towards our room. He slowly unzipped my flight suit, his lips attached to mine. “Don’t get worked up now.” I told him. “You’re only telling me that because you’re getting worked up.” He said before attaching his lips to the skin just below my ear. “You’re right, I am.” I said as I stepped out of my flight suit. We finished stripping and Rooster got into the shower. The water was warm, but not too hot. Bradley carefully washed his incision and I helped him wash everywhere else. “I never thought a shower could feel so amazing.” He said, standing under the shower head. I smiled, running my hands through his hair, washing out the shampoo. “I’m just glad you feel so good today.” He nodded. “I feel better today than I have since it happened.” I gave him a tight smile. “That’s good.” Bradley lathered my body with soap before helping me wash my own hair. It was quiet, sweet even. When we got out he helped me make dinner and we ate, curled up on the couch. “Bradley?” I asked after we were done eating. I was laying down on the couch, him between my legs with his head on my stomach. “Yeah, pretty girl?” He asked. “I love you, so much.” I said, running my fingers through his curl. He buried his face in my stomach, his mustache tickling my skin as he smiled. “I love you too, pretty girl. So much more than you could imagine.” He said before placing a kiss to my stomach.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Taglist: @mak-32 @rosiahills22 @fanboyswhore9 @kmc1989 @sunderland-6 @mygyn @halstead-severide-fan

[luminiamore]

𝖒𝖊𝖑𝖑𝖎𝖋𝖑𝖚𝖔𝖚𝖘

a stefan salvatore love story.

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 𝖙𝖜𝖔

freesia

"Freesia, would you kindly refrain from playing in that man's dreams," Came a soft, southern, silky voice amid an enchanted forest.

A beautiful forest it was. Majestic oak and towering pine trees stretch towards the heavens, their branches glittered with clusters of shimmering dewdrops and flowers that glint like precious gems in the soft light. A chorus of bird song fills the air, accompanied by the gentle rustle of leaves and the occasional flutter of wings.

"Ah! S'il vous plaît, Bella. I am not playing. I am merely teasing," The goddess giggled, a delicate smile adorning her features. She opened one chestnut-colored eye to take a peek at her sister.

Belladonna stood stoically, her captivating face betraying no emotion, clad in a cream-colored strapless gown that gathered slightly at the forest's edge. Meanwhile, Freesia was adorned solely in vines and a kaleidoscope of blossoms, her usual attire in the confines of her woodland abode.

"You're well aware we're seeing him tomorrow, hun. Why such teasing antics-" A melodic voice cuts the ancient witch off.

"Is Freesia inserting herself in Stefan's dreams once again? You're making him doubt your existence, sweets. That is if he hasn't already. You know-" The fairy addressed her best friend, a soft fluttering accompanied her statement.

"Yes, thank you, Fi. That's what I was just telling our lovely best friend here." Belladonna quickly cut off the fairy before she could start rambling. A habit of hers. She only gives a sheepish grin before she settles down on a log a few feet away from the pair.

Freesia gives a pout to the two women. Did he really doubt she existed?

Her voice trembles, "I just want to give him some hope. He's been burdened for so long, and it pains me to see him like that."

There's a soft whistling the trees emit at the end of her statement as if comforting her. She gives a sad smile.

"I know, sweets. And he won't feel that way anymore because we're headed to Mystic Falls tomorrow, yes?

The ancient fairy quickly utters. And almost as if the goddess was never down in the first place, she gives a bright smile, birds tweeting around her at the sheer aura it gave off. "Yes! Oh, I'm so excited. Is Nea coming with us?"

This time, Belladonna answers, the green leaves moving in a tornado-like motion under her whim, "Of course, she wouldn't leave us alone in that supernatural-infested town. She's feeding right now, so she'll likely meet us tomorrow at the house."

The house, a beautiful one it was. It was abandoned when they first stumbled upon it, vines and leaves taking over its walls. Freesia saw the perfection in it, and so she insisted on renovating it. It wasn't too far from the Salvatore boarding house; besides, it couldn't be viewed by any non-human creature. Thanks to a lovely spell by her sister.

It was simply a way for them to blend in, they didn't really need it. Selenea lived in the ocean, and the other three girls were found solitary in the forest. It was the source of their power, and they never felt more safe. They figured that since they were newcomers to the small town, a ball seemed suitable to introduce themselves. And that's precisely what they were going to do.

"Allons-y, d'accord? After all, we have a ball to prepare for; we haven't even gotten our dresses yet." Freesia abruptly stands, her vine dress still holding tightly onto her skin.

"I know a wonderful dress store in Italy." Is all the ancient witch says before she opens a portal with a wave of her hand.

The tiny fairy squeaks at the prospect of shopping, and Freesia enthusiastically claps. They both follow her into the shimmering light, giggles and laughs following after them.

chapter one. chapter three.

[altea-devotion]

Hi, hi, do you write for Trans Men Reader? If yes, could I request Lyney comforting an FTM Reader who is feeling dysphoric ? (Romantic or Platonic) Thank youu

Lyney x Trans Men Reader

Sorry for the wait lovelies !!! I hope you will all like it, dont forget your are all awesome !!

And of course i do Trans, i do everything to be fair especially if its not really popular. And Trans men fic are not really-

Cw : dysphoria FTM, Self Hate

You were on a little date with Lyney, feeling happy and content as he made some flower crowns for you, you made some for him too. Lynette is here too, she only eats cake though, letting you two have your little romancing moment, she only came for the sweets and because Lyney was a little too shy to be with you alone, your relation with him still being fresh, he is anxious that he will make you feel awkward.

Even if it's a sunny Day, you are happy being with the Man that you love. Despite all of that, you can't forget the little voice in your head. You can't ignore it, you have tried for. Oh so many nights… so many weeks. You had tried so much for it to stay quiet.

This little voice can't stop to remind you how much your voice sounds more girly, more acute than Lyney's. And for weeks, you had tries to make it sound more rough, more manly. It hurts your throat like hell, and sometimes you have hard times speaking. Lyney obviously knows it. For weeks he carries honey, tea, anything that can make a sore throat better to be honest.

But you two never talked about it. Even though you love the little attention of the magician for you, and you love how much he wants to help you feel good and not Hurt yourself too much. It remind you also that you need help, you need more attention, cause…you are not like him, Lyney don't need to force himself to sound more manly… People don't think he's not a Man, Lyney's appearance match his inside… not yours

You know it's bad, what kind of boyfriend is jealous of his boyfriend ?? For being cis ?? That is so weird, you hate yourself for feeling like it ! You sigh loudly, trying to kill your thought that you hate so much. You won't fall for this way of thinking, it's just not right and it will Hurt you and Lyney. You don't want that.

Lyney watched you, he heard your sigh and now he feels the worry creep inside him, you can see it in his eyes… He asks you if you are alright and you smile; nodding as you tell him that everything is alright ! You were just thinking about something silly !

He dont seem to believe you, but he choose to not ask further question for now, Lyney don't want to force you. And you, you choose to force yourself, to make the little voice think of Lyney, to not wince with the way your voice sounds as you try to talk.

Suddenly, you hear Lyney sighing this time. Quickly, you start to apologize. Feeling so bad ! How can you do that ! Because of you, the date that Lyney has so Kindly made for you all just keeps getting sad ! Lyney must hate you now… you hate yourself so much it's only natural that he will too !

You struggle to stop the tears from overflowing… Your self hatred eating you inside, when like an anchor, the hand of Lyney on yours wakes you up.

"Mon amour…"

Lyney whisper quietly, only for you to hear. You can see in his eyes, oh so much kindness, sadness, love too. He love you, and even if you didn't say a word about what you were thinking. Its obvious, its clear that somehow, he know. And you were feeling so bad, like the worst boyfriend ever…. You should not bother him with that…

Lyney's hand squeezed yours, he talked again.

"Beloved…please tell me, what's wrong ?"

His voice was begging you to tell him, but, when your eyes meet you know, you saw that he will accept if you don't want to talk about it. And maybe you should. You should just say that it's nothing, and try to act like it's nothing. But… you don't want it. You want to tell him everything. Something in his lavender eyes tells you that he will not hate you for it.

And you tell him, all you were feeling, how you hate your voice, how you are jealous of him for not having to feel like that, how you hate yourself for that… everything.

And, you were expecting Lyney to feel Hurt, to not be happy. But that was not how Lyney was. He just smiled, kissing your hands and tell gently

"Mon amour. Your feelings are valid."

Before you can say anything, Lyney follows.

"Father, sometimes she dont recognise my voice from Lynette's"

You blink in shock, not really understanding what he wants to say. He just keep talking

"And Before ours first talk, i practiced to sound more manly too"

"What do I mean by that.. it's that even if you have a more acute voice, it doesnt make you less of a Man. Mon amour… Even if you have to force yourself to have a voice that suits you more. You're still a pretty boy"

He really insisted on the boy. He seems awkward, like he dont know what to say. Its cute. He smiles, blushing and kisses your nose.

"And you know… Magician, don't believe on the appearance. What you think is an apple…"

He show you an Apple, smile and poof it's not à flower, he tuck it behind your ears

"Can be a flower."

It's obvious, he tries to make you feel better, to make you smile but he does it so awkwardly, you find it funny, you laugh. The sun setting in your back makes this instant so divine, Lyney cant fight, he blush so much he's more red than the Apple who was in his hand a moment ago. He murmurs to himself

"God you are so gorgeous…"

You hugged Lyney, thanking him for trying, you were feeling in fact à little better ! Your head on his chest, you can hear the heartbeat of his heart loudly.

And then…watching a butterfly pass by, Lyney says.

"Like a chrysalis."

Of course, you didn't understand at first. But before you could ask him he say

"A chrysalis, in a chrysalis the butterfly can't show his True self ! He has to break it for the world to see him. You are the same !"

He seems so proud of his comparison, it's cute.

"And one Day, you would break this chrysalis and show the world how much of a handsome Guy you are !!"

You laugh a little, his eyes twinkle as if he won the most awesome prize in the world. Your laugh being for him, the most precious thing…

Thinking of what he had tell, he not entirely wrong, in a way, your voice, your body, everything you hate right now, who don't make you feel like a boy. It's just a chrysalis that you will break one Day. One Day, the world will see, nobody could deny. You are a boy. You will always be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mon amour: My love

And thanks to @myosotis-garden who helped me with the english and for reading it and telling me if it was good !!

Go check them i swear its more fluently and beautiful and omg shaking they are so fricking GOOD

[missnind]

And just give me one last look. Darling, the hold you took.

Eddie looked at Steve. He nodded at the nurse as she left and went and sat by the bed.

"Hey, Stevie. How you feeling?"

Steve opened his eyes slowly.

"Like death." He laughed but it came out more of a wheeze.

Eddie smiled softly at him.

"None of that talk here, sailor."

Steve laughed again.

"It's been years, Eds. You ever gonna let it go?"

"Let it go? That uniform is why I married you, Mr Munson."

"Worth the embarrassment then." Steve replied.

Eddie sat looking at his husband. His luscious hair was now a wispy white crown upon his head.

The moles that smattered his skin now had the company of liver spots.

Steve breathed slowly.

"Eddie, what day is it?"

"It's Friday, my love. The kids are coming over to see you today, remember?"

"Oh, yes. I remember. I hope it isn't too much though."

The tiredness in Steve's voice hit Eddie's heart like a gunshot.

He took Steve's frail hand in his own.

"It won't be, darling. I promise. They just wanted to pop on by whilst they were passing."

Steve smiled and closed his eyes.

"I'll just have a rest til then."

Eddie watched Steve sleep. The soft rise and fall of his chest and the rasp of his breathing. He blinked back tears.

"No time for that, Edward." He scolded himself.

He had no idea how long he spent watching Steve but a voice in the hall stirred him from his thoughts.

"Eds? Steve?" The voice called.

"Dad, are uncle Eddie and uncle Steve even here?" Another asked quietly.

"In the living room, Dusty." Eddie called back.

Steve stirred and began to open his eyes.

"Dustin? Is he here?"

"Hey, Steve." A familiar voice said. "I'm here. And Suzie. And Evelyn."

"Hey, uncle Steve." The young teen spoke. "Uncle Eddie." She wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Evie, my special girl. Come here." Steve beckoned her to his side.

Evelyn sat carefully in the edge of the bed.

"How's school?" Steve asked.

"Good. Real good. Dad's been helping me with my physics. Auntie Nance is helping with English." She answered.

"Eds, they set up the next gen of Hellfire at her school." Dustin said excitedly.

Eddie laughed.

"About time! Only been playing it her whole life!"

Suzie looked at Eddie and nodded to the next room. Eddie nodded back.

"Stevie," he said, squeezing Steve's hand. "I'm just going to show Suzie the new flowers we planted."

He stood up and made his way to the door, looking back at Evelyn and Dustin laughing and joking with Steve.

"How's he doing, Eddie?" Suzie asked, face laced with concern.

Eddie took a deep breath to calm himself as his eyes started to tear up.

"Good and bad days, y'know? Nurse left about an hour ago. I'm still doing what I can for him but I'm no spring chicken now either." He answered quietly.

"Eddie, if you need anything... please just ask? You know Dusty and I think of you as family. We will help wherever we can."

"I know. I know you will. Listen, I have a letter for each of you. Information about... you know. Just... read them when the time comes, OK?

Suzie's eyes filled and she nodded as he reached out to pull her into a hug.

"Love you, Suzie Q."

"Love you, Eddie."

They shared the moment when Evelyn came into the room.

"Mom, dad says that uncle Steve should rest now. But they're having a talk so I got sent in here. Hey, uncle Eds, did mom tell you that the DM is leaving and they're looking at yours truely to replace them?"

Eddie smiled widely, dimples showing.

"Evie! That's great news! Your dad has a lot of my old campaign notes from my time as DM. You will be absolutely amazing. Evelyn Henderson, you keep being the amazing human you are, OK?"

Evie looked at Eddie and nodded thoughtfully.

"Can we see you again soon?" She asked.

Eddie clocked the look Suzie sent her daughter and stifled a chuckle.

"Hopefully."

They all went back into the living room and Eddie took his place right next to Steve's bed, hands together.

"Well," Dustin began. "We best be making a move. I think the Sinclair's are on their way and we don't want to overcrowd you."

He leant over Steve and kissed his Forehead.

"See you soon, Steve." Dustin's voice caught in his throat.

"Later, Henderson." Steve replied quietly.

As they left, Eddie lifted Steve's hand to his lips.

"You enjoy that, Stevie?"

Steve nodded slowly.

"It was nice. Evie is so like her father."

Eddie laughed in agreement.

"Without the ego though."

Steve laughed. It was a proper laugh, not the raspy ones of late.

"I missed that sound, big boy." Eddie replied.

"Me too." Steve smiled.

"Where are my two favourite idiots at?" A voice called.

Steve relaxed at the sound.

"In the living room, Max." Eddie responded.

A flash of firey red waves entered the room, followed by Lucas and Max.

"Uncle Eddie!" The child called, excitedly.

"June bug!" Eddie replied as the firey mane climbed into his lap.

"Be careful, June!" Lucas admonished as June climbed herself onto the bed.

"Uncle Steeb!" She exclaimed as she wrapped her small frame around his side.

"Hey, Junie." Steve replied as he lifted his arm slowly to hold her.

"I missed you so much!" She said as she pushed the red curls out of her face.

The red curls hid a face full of freckles. The kid had killer dimples and Eddie couldn't help but smile around her. Her energy was contagious.

"Junie, you stay here with uncle Steeb and tell him about the killer park we found on holiday, k?" Max said as she headed into the Kitchen with Lucas and Eddie.

"How long?" She asked, arms folded across her chest. To anyone else, this would seem aggressive. Eddie just saw the scared middleschooler he first met.

Eddie held his hands up in defeat.

"We don't know, Max."

"You should have told us sooner, man." Lucas said, eyes sad.

"I couldn't. Steve didnt-"

"Steve shouldn't get to choose on that. We could have had more time."

"I know. I'm sorry. But Stevie... he wanted you to live your lives. He wanted you to enjoy your time with June bug."

Lucas embraced Eddie and Eddie stifled a sob as the tears threatening to fall overtook him. Lucas held him as he let himself feel for a while. The enormity of the situation.

Max joined in and they huddled sobbing until they heard a little voice from the other room.

"Uncle Eddie! Mom! Uncle Steeb wants a drink!"

"Coming, June Bug!" Eddie call back, wiping his eyes and heading back in.

He poured some water into Steve's cup and helped him drink it.

"Uncle Steeb, I have a cup like that too!" June clapped her hands. "We are twins!"

"Don't let Auntie Robs hear that, Junie." Steve responded. "She might think you've replaced her."

June giggled with glee.

"Junie, we have some errands to run, shall we come see uncle Steeb and uncle Eddie another day?"

June's lower lip wobbled and she clung to Steve.

"I don't wanna go, mommy."

Eddie slid her into his lap gently.

He whispered loudly in her ear.

"June bug, you said you'd fetch the secret ingredients for the potion."

June's eyes grew wide.

"Dad, I need to go to the potion shop!"

Lucas smiled at his daughter and lifted her into his arms.

"Ok, kiddo. Let's go do that then. Say goodbye."

"Bye, uncle Steeb!" She blew a kiss and Steve caught it. "Bye, uncle Eddie!"

"Cya, Junie." Steve said as they left.

He looked at Eddie.

"Eds, I'm tired. Nap?"

"Course, baby." Eddie said as he plumped the pillow and helped Him lie down.

Steve drifted off into a slumber and Eddie messaged Nancy.

/Nance, Steve having a nap. Hold off an hour?/

A reply pinged through.

/Let my dingus get his rest. C U in 1hr. Also, we have Arg, Jon and Mike./

Eddie smiled.

/Cool. 1 hr./

Steve slept peacefully as Eddie watched him.

Memories coming unbidden to him of their many adventures.

The door sounded and he heard Mike call down the hall.

"Eddie?"

"In here." He called back, softly.

Mike entered the room, slowing as he saw Steve still sleeping.

"It's ok, man. He's just... it takes a lot outta him, you know?"

"I have a surprise for you both. He couldn't come with me coz of work but..."

Mike whipped out his tablet and Will's smiling face was on the screen.

"Hey, guys!" Will said from the screen.

"Will! Hold on, let me wake Steve."

He gently roused Steve.

"Stevie, honey, Will is on the line with Mike and wanted to talk to you." Eddie said. He helped Steve sit up.

"Will! How wonderful to see you!" Steve smiled widely.

"I'll just let you two have a catch up whilst I go have a chat with Eddie." Mike said, propping the tablet up on the table.

He left the room with Eddie.

"He looks so... old." Mike blurted out.

Eddie nodded. He was used to Mike's bluntness after all these years.

"We both are, Mike. Stevie just got ill and-"

An arm surprised him by embracing him.

"I'm sorry, man." Mike said quietly.

Eddie just nodded. "Me too."

The door went again and Jonathan, Argyle, Nancy and Robin bustled in.

"He's in there." Eddie gestured. "Talking to Will."

"We'll go see him briefly, man." Jon replied. "Don't wanna..."

Eddie nodded.

"No problem."

As the men went to see Steve, the girls came into the kitchen with arms outreached.

Eddie felt the damn break as he saw Robin's drawn face and Nancy's sad eyes.

The tears came thick and fast and the girls followed suit. They just held each other.

Mike went and joined the men and left Eddie with his best friends.

"Eds, we are so so sorry." Nancy said as she smoothed his hair.

"I can't-" Robin's voice cracked as she tried to explain her feelings. "I'm sorry."

They held onto each other once more.

Jon, Argyle and Mike left the room Steve was in as one.

"My man," Argyle began. His long black hair now a vivid white. "Steve is asking for you."

Jon looked quickly at Eddie and he recognised the tears in his eyes.

"We're gonna go now. I can't... won't..." Jon Fumbled over his words.

Eddie nodded and waved them off as he walked back to his husband.

"Hey, Stevie. Did you want me?" Eddie asked, gently.

"Eds," Steve slurred a little. "Missed you."

"Missed you too, my sunbeam. I was actually about to bring you a surprise!"

"Surprise?" Steve managed to say as the exhaustion settled in again.

"Yup. C'mon in, ladies."

"Dingus?" Robin asked as she slowly moved into the room.

"Robs!" Steve breathed loudly. "You came."

"Course I came, Steve. Where else would I rather be? And I came prepared with this!" She held aloft their fave DVD. "Room for a little one in there?"

"Always" Steve replied as Robin climbed up next to him on the bed.

"Hey, Steve." Nancy greeted him as she pulled a chair up by Eddie's. "Just like the good old days here."

"Without the weed," came Steve's bittersweet reply.

"Ah, bet they got you on some good drugs now though, Steve." Nancy smiled. Robin's hand edged towards hers, seeking reassurance as she snuggled up with Steve.

Eddie got up to pop the film on and they all started to watch it.

Robin and Steve used their Wondertwin powers to communicate - Nancy and Eddie always confused how they did it.

Eddie's mind drifted to their younger years and many a night spent just like this. It seemed only 5 minutes ago. Nancy glanced at him and gave him a reassuring look.

Towards the end of the film, Steve was out for the count and Robin alongside him.

Nancy was half asleep with her head on the bed and Eddie nudged her gently.

"Nance? Nance, take Robs up to the spare room. It'll be more comfortable. Me and Steve will be right here."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. Gotta be near him for him meds and he doesn't like me going far lately." Eddie shrugged. "I can't sleep without him after all these years."

Nancy began to wake Robin to move her upstairs.

"I know just what you mean"

Eddie's heart swelled as he saw the love between the two women.

"Sweet dreams, Steve." Robin murmured as she kissed his cheek. "Night, Eds."

She let herself be guided out the room and up the stairs by Nancy.

Steve stirred and opened his eyes.

"Just us, Eds?" He asked quietly.

"Just us, Stevie." He replied.

"Will you come read to me?"

"What do you want me to read, baby?"

"The Hobbit. I love you, Eddie."

"You always did enjoy my Hobbit voices." Eddie chuckled. "I love you too, Stevie."

He grabbed the book and got Steve snuggled with his head on his chest.

"In a hole in the ground, there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort..."

Eddie read on and lost track of time. All that mattered was his love was in his arms and they were together.

Eventually, he came to a stop as exhaustion began to take hold.

"Stevie, I just need to-" He paused and panic seized his heart. "Steve? Baby?"

The body next to him was unresponsive. He shook him. He checked his breath. It was going through the motions.

Steve was gone.

"Oh, baby, no." The tears flowed freely as Eddie held his husband tightly. "Please no. I needed more time. We needed more time."

Eddie sobbed and sobbed. He knew he should alert the girls but he was selfish. He wanted his boy all to himself.

"I hope you know how loved you were, Stevie. By all of us. Til the very end. You will always be mine and I yours."

He cried until he had no tears left to cry.

***

"Let's go see if they're up yet." Nancy suggested as her and Robin descended the stairs. She headed in the kitchen and heard a soul wrenching scream from her wife.

"Robin!" Nancy flew into the living room to where her wife was inconsolable. "Robin, calm. Shhh. Shhh, let me see."

Nancy looked at the bed.

There lay Eddie Munson, Steve wrapped in his arms. There were no movement from either of them. Nancy had seen her share of bodies in her journalism career.

She led Robin into the kitchen and sat her down.

"They're both gone. They can't be." Robin sobbed.

"I guess they couldn't live without each other, Robs." Nancy said, softly. "I need you to stay right here whilst I ring the paramedics, OK?"

"Nancy, they're d... they're de..."

"I know, honey. I know. Shhhh." Nancy held her as she rubbed her back.

She remembered the letter addressed to her on the side. With heartache, she opened it.

As expected, it contained all the arrangements and people to contact upon Steve's death.

"911, what's your emergency?" The operator began.

"We have two deceased elderly males here. One is under the care of the local hospice. The other is his husband. No known health conditions."

"An ambulance is on the way, ma'am."

Nancy took Robin with her outside to wait.

"Fly high, boys." She whispered to the sky with a gentle kiss.

[gren-arlio]

I think we're back to being consistent for a bit. Welcome to Part 1 of Episode 2 of Waku Puyo Translations.

(I'll run out of cool pages eventually. Also, Schezo always seems to be connotated with flowers from my knowledge. Wonder why.)

Hello everyone, it's the funny man who does translations, and after so long...my computer is finally working as intended. Extras can take a break, for the main series is FINALLY back to business...even if this is a two, possibly three parter. This is a tiny bit late because I slept early on the weekends, but we're still alive.

I swear it won't always be like this

I'll start with the big announcement:

I have a teammate now.

Good pal of mines @kirstenonic05 will be doing things related to shop menus and the sort. So for the time being, I'll be skipping shop menus and leaving it to her. She's currently making I believe a Google spreadsheet of a TON of the items you can find in the game, including many I've missed, so...when it releases, check it out. Might help someone's run. I'll still be translating key items though, don't worry.

The plan is to finish this episode fully, drop an Extras episode, and call it a year. If something else happens...wahoo.

Anywho, here's the video itself.

Timestamps:

Bulletin and Info with Kikimora: (0:00)

Trap ability: (1:58, and completion is at 5:20)

Fufufu Info: (5:45)

"Have You Been To": (7:15)

Draco Appearance: (8:02)

There's two things I want to mention.

A lot of this is info related stuff, so enjoy Kikimora and Fufufu for a while.

Part 2 will have Sasori Man, Draco, and MORE MENUS...Yay.

With this, enjoy.

----

Intro: (0:00)

(Ah. Info boards. First menu goes:

Listen

Rank

Bulletin <-

Back

Then:

To You Who Has the Grimoire (1, I'll be numbering based off what he chooses.)

Fire Mountain (6)

Water Paradise (5)

Starlight Stage (4)

Identification Recommendations (3)

Trap Warning (2)

Back)

Grimoire stuff:

Bulletin Board:

I've found a Grimoire and I have it on me. Let me know when you want it.

When you have a Grimoire, if you can memorize it, you can learn its magic.

But if someone who can't use the powers reads it, they won't learn the spell, and the Grimoire vanishes.

It'd be a waste of treasure if that happened. Might as well sell it.

Please don't throw it away because you can't use it.

- From: A certain genius witch. (Thanks Witch.)

-----

Trap Warnings:

Kikimora:

Hello there! I'll explain traps for you.

Arle:

Alright, I was gonna ask you for a favor anyways.

Kikimora:

Alright then.

Traps are so annoying, you can't see them until you get hit by them, it's frustrating.

Arle:

Yeah, You're right.

Kikimora:

As for me, I prefer to clean them.

Arle:

Clean?

Kikimora:

That's right.

And with all the traps...All of items AND the magic circles will be clean and fresh!

Arle:

Eh? Even the items? I really hope you don't do that.

Kikimora:

Oh...I got off topic.

But really, if you can raise the level of the traps, they're not too scary.

Arle:

Level of traps?

Kikimora:

If you have the trapping ability, whenever you're caught in one, or miss one,

You can gain experience, and with that, you can get better at avoiding them.

Arle:

Trapping ability? I don't have that....

Kikimora:

What? You don't have the ability to remove traps?

Arle:

N-no...

Kikimora:

In order to remove traps, you need thr ability to see them.

Let me guide you to a special room.

----

Trap Ability (1:58-5:20)

Arle:

Wow, this is a big room...

Kikimora:

Welcome to the training room! It's a big room, and looks normal, but,

A number of traps are set up to obstruct your path until you reach the exit.

But if you make it out, I'll happily give you the trap ability.

Arle:

Really? Is that so? Then I'll do my best!

Kikimora:

Would you like some tips on how to clear this?

(They say yes)

To know the location of the the traps, you must find "The Scroll of Light."

Arle:

Yeah...but what if I don't find it?

Kikimora:

...Then you have no choice but to fall right into the traps.

Arle:

Oh, is that so...

Kikimora:

(Well, if you can fly...)

Arle:

What was that? I can't hear you!

Kikimora:

No, it's nothing.

Arle:

Hey! You better give me a better answer!

Kikimora:

Oh well...if you're in danger of getting caught in a trap...

Don't be stingy with your recovery items. Use them.

There's a few items in here that may be of good use.

Arle:

Huh...

Kikimora:

Now then, please do your best.

---

Trap Ability Completion:

Kikimora:

Congratulations! Now, I'll give you the ability to see traps.

(Arle has gained the trap ability.)

Arle:

...Am I finally going to be able to remove traps now?

Kikimora:

Yes.

...But without experience, I'm afraid you're still going to run into them.

Arle:

Aw, really? Guess I gotta practice a lot.

---

Fufufu Info: (5:45)

Fufufu:

Fufufu, I'm glad you're here.

Arle:

You're going to tell me about Identification?

Fufufu:

Fufufu, the items you see in the attractions are a mystery.

You really don't know what they're called or what they do.

Arle:

Yeah, I guess so.

I can tell if it's an item or food, but not what it does.

Fufufu:

Fufufu, in that case, you identify.

You lose MP though. But you know what the item is at least.

But if it's rare, you use more MP, so be careful.

Arle:

Alright, I see...

MP is important, but using an unknown item...isn't exactly safe.

Fufufu: (from here on I legit forget if he says fufufu or nah, so...I won't be adding it.)

In that case, you identify it.

If you identify, you do lose MP, but if you don't, you can't use the item.

Arle:

Hmm... is there a better way?

Fufufu:

Actually, if you do Identification, you gain some experience.

The more you identify, the more EXP you'll get, and it increases your identification level.

So with a higher level, you're more likely to find rarer items.

Arle:

Huh...

Fufufu:

If your Identification level is too low, it'll be hard to identify.

So failing to identify costs more MP, and by then, you'll be out of it.

Arle:

Hmm...By the way, how do you know your Identification level?

Fufufu:

You can check it in "Special Abilties", at the Status menu.

Arle:

I see...thank you! I'll try to identify items often.

Fufufu:

Fufufu, I wish you luck.

-----

"Have You Been To": (7:15)

There'll look weird so bear with me.

Bulletin Board:

Have you been to the Starlight Stage yet?

The attraction is filled with enemies who control sound and lightning, along with traps.

If you're not good with loud sounds, proceed with caution.

---

Have you been to Water Paradise yet?

The attraction has enemies that can control the water and the cold, along with traps.

If you don't like being wet or cold, proceed with caution.

---

Have you been to Fire Mountain yet?

The attraction holds fire-controlling enemies and traps.

If you dislike the heat, proceed with caution.

-----

Draco Appearance: (8:02)

Draco:

(I can't translate it well but she's literally breathing fire.)

Arle:

You! What're you doing!?

It's dangerous to just blow flames here! Watch where you're doing!

Draco:

Gao! You can't go through here!

Arle:

Why are you so rude to me!?

Draco:

I can't let anyone in without a ticket.

Arle:

If it's tickets-- I have them!

Draco:

Really? No way!

Arle:

What? But I have the ticket?

Draco:

Ugh, you're persistent! I can't let you in without a ticket...

Arle:

You're the persistent one! I've been telling you that I do have tickets!

Draco:

Eh? You sure?

Arle:

It's what I've been saying. I have tickets, here!

Draco:

You know, you could've said it from the start!

Arle:

I HAVE!

Draco:

I know, can't help myself sometimes. You can enter.

Arle:

I'm tired...

Carbuncle:

Gu!

----

And with that, Part 1 is finally done. It's nice to be back to the groove of this. With this, that'll be all for now.

Adios.

[quicksilverdrabbles]

Kaidan: *holding a Dragon's Tongue flower, walking down the hall of Skyfall Estate towards Morana's room* Hm.. I hope she likes it-

Taliesin: Kaidan?

Kaidan: *looks up, seeing Taliesin already standing at Morana's door* Oh gods, what are you doing here? Need her for something?

Taliesin: Something like that. And what exactly are you here for?

Kaidan: Er.. *hides the flower behind his back, looking down and seeing a box in Taliesin's hands* ... Wait, what's that?

Taliesin: *raises an eyebrow* I don't have to disclose that information to you.

Kaidan: I'll tell if you do.

Taliesin: ... Fine. Seeing as how we have been unable to find a suitable replacement for her mask, I figured Morana would like a headpiece to make her feel more confident about showing her face in public. *opens the lid, revealing a gold and ruby circlet* I happened to find it in a chest she missed during our most recent delve into a dungeon, and it just so happened to be enchanted with Alchemy benefits. I think the gold would be rather nice with her hair color, don't you?

Kaidan: *stares at the circlet in shock* I- Yeah..

Taliesin: And? Now it's your turn.

Kaidan: Er.. *trying to think of a suitable lie* W-Well, I, er- noticed she was running out of potion ingredients, and she mentioned wanting to make a potion with Dragon's Tongue. So...

Taliesin: *staring at the little flower* So you only brought her one?

Kaidan: There was only one that I found.

Taliesin: I think you're lying. And after I was so honest to you, tsk tsk.

Kaidan: Aye? And what exactly are you hoping to accomplish by giving her that? You of all people don't give gifts for free.

Taliesin: Hmph. I think you know the answer to that well enough. You and I are no different in that prospect.

Kaidan: ... I won't back down from this. Not from her.

Taliesin: Oh good. I was afraid Morana only ever had pathetic milk-drinkers chasing after her. *chuckles* Worry not, I have no intentions of playing dirty this time. I would hate to force her into a relationship where the feeling may not be mutual.

Kaidan: I feel the same way.

Morana: *opens the door to her room, leaning heavily on her cane in pain* ...? W-What are you guys..

Taliesin: Oh dear. Bad pains today, raven? *sets the box on a table and moves so she's leaning against him* Why did you get out of bed?

Morana: W-Was.. gonna go.. see Yaksha..

Kaidan: Hey now, your voice sounds more hoarse than usual. Don't go hurting yourself, we'll go get Yaksha for you.

Taliesin: I'll go. Kaidan, help her back into bed.

Kaidan: Aye. *lets Morana lean against him so Taliesin can leave, picking her up once he's gone and carrying her to bed* We've really got to come up with a way for you to let us know when you're in too much pain to get up. This can't be very pleasant for you.

Morana: *blushes, turning to hide her face* I'm fine.

Kaidan: Ha. Obviously not, starlight. Do you need one of your potions?

Morana: No, it's not illness today. Just.. chronic pains. Most days it's bearable, but sometimes... it isn't.

Kaidan: But it always hurts you like this?

Morana: ... Yes.

Kaidan: .. I wish there was something I could do to ease the pain. Aside from leaving Yaksha to bring you medicine.

Morana: It only helps a little bit anyways. *leans into Kaidan gently* ... The warmth helps.

Kaidan: Hm? *looks down at Morana resting her head on his shoulder* Being warm helps?

Morana: A little bit. It was always cold in the lab. The aches never really went away.

Kaidan: Could be you're naturally always cold.

Morana: *sighs, fiddling with a loose string on her sleeve* That too.

Kaidan: ... I'm sorry. *sets her down in bed, wrapping her in a furry blanket* Sit tight, I'll get the fireplace going.

Morana: Mm. *leans back against her pillows, eyes drooping a bit. Her exhaustion is evident, but the pain and the cold keep her from falling asleep*

Kaidan: *throws some logs in the fireplace* Did you manage to get any sleep last night?

Morana: Mm-mm.

Kaidan: I'll let the others know we're not leaving tomorrow. You need some time to rest.

Morana: ...

Kaidan: *glances back at her, noticing her scarred eye squinting more than her uninjured one* ... Can you not see very well out of that eye?

Morana: *shakes her head, brushing her fingers along the burn scars on the side of her face* It never healed properly. I considered getting rid of it, but then I'd be completely blind on my right side.

Kaidan: Hm.. Wonder if the Restoration mage at the College could help with that. Or any healer.

Morana: ... Did we all die and go to Oblivion?

Kaidan: Eh?? What do you mean?

Morana: *snickers, wincing at a sharp pain in her chest* Normally you would never seek the help of magic.

Kaidan: Aye, well.. your wellbeing is a different story.

Morana: I've thought about going to see that face sculptor in the Ragged Flagon. If only to fix my eye.

Kaidan: Not your scars?

Morana: ... It's weird imagining my face without the scars. *looks up at Kaidan, a worried frown on her face* Do you think I should ask her to fix my scars?

Kaidan: Absolutely not. Er- well if you ever decide you want to then I'd support you, but- Uh.. *twirls the Dragon's Tongue flower behind his back nervously* I never want you to think that I want you to change how you look. I've said it before. No matter your scars.. you've always been beautiful to me.

Morana: *brings the blanket up to cover the lower half of her face, ears turning dark red* You always say stuff like that..

Kaidan: *smiles, setting fire to the kindling he added and standing up to let it burn* Yeah, and I always mean it. *pulls the flower out from behind his back, walking towards Morana and tucking it behind her ear* You.. are very precious to me. Every time you say that there's nothing anyone can do to ease the pain you feel.. it only makes me want to try that much harder to heal you.

Morana: *frowns, shaking her head*

Kaidan: You would do the same for us, wouldn't you?

Morana: ...

Kaidan: If it was me? Or Taliesin or Inigo or any of us.

Morana: ... I wouldn't stop until I found a potion to heal you.

Kaidan: Exactly. You would do the same for us, so let us find your potion. Or your spell, or whatever it takes for you to be free.

Morana: *stares up at Kaidan worriedly, considering* ... Kaidan-

Kaidan: Hm?

Morana: I- You really shouldn't- I'm not going to-

Taliesin: *knocking on the door* Morana? Kaidan? I've brought some medicine from Yaksha. He's a bit tied up in an... archery incident between Inigo and Gore at the moment, so he'll be in later to check on you, raven.

Morana: ...

Kaidan: Archery incident? What the hell happened?

Taliesin: Gore challenged Inigo to shoot an apple off of his head. They've both been drinking, he missed and shot his shoulder.

Morana: ?!

Taliesin: He's fine, don't worry. Here. *hands Morana a cup of tea* Yaksha mixed the medicine in with the tea. Should taste just like chamomile.

Morana: *takes the cup with a smile, humming at Taliesin thankfully*

Taliesin: You're welcome... *notices the flower in her hair* Ah, so you gave it to her.

Kaidan: Ah, buzz off.

Taliesin: Hm. Well, I suppose my gift can wait until tomorrow. You'll never feel better if you don't get any sleep.

Morana: *finishes her tea, her expression becoming sad*

Kaidan: You alright, starlight? Does it still hurt?

Taliesin: The medicine won't take affect for a while.

Morana: *looks away, flustered, signing with trembling hands* Can you guys stay with me? I haven't been able to sleep alone lately..

Taliesin and Kaidan: *looks at each other in surprise*

Taliesin: ... I'm not opposed.

Kaidan: ... *sighs, leaning back on Morana's bed* If it'll make you comfortable, starlight.

Morana: Thank you.. *sets her cup on the nightstand and adjusts more comfortably in bed, unwrapping herself from the blanket to toss it over Kaidan*

Kaidan: Ah, you don't have to worry about me. I'm warm with the fire.

Morana: ... *shifts under the blanket so she's cuddled against him, her face burning red* T-That's not why I did it..

Kaidan: *cheeks turning pink, turns so he's more comfortable* ...

Taliesin: Er- Are you quite sure you want me to be there too, raven?

Morana: *looks over her shoulder at Taliesin with pleading eyes*

Taliesin: ... Oh fine. *takes off his boots and gloves, leaving them near the nightstand. He clambers into bed behind her, leaving a respectable amount of room, but still close* Better?

Morana: *hums happily* Much better.

Taliesin: Good. Now to go sleep, dear. And if you feel the need to get up for anything, let us know so we can help you, alright?

Morana: *snuggles deeper into her blanket, nudging it over Taliesin* Mhm.

Kaidan: ... *sighs, running a hand through her short white hair gently* Could get used to this.

Taliesin: Agreed.

Kaidan: *watches as they both begin to fall asleep, a frown forming on his face* But what were you about to tell me..

[haunting-hari]

story: entombed

part one out of two- 'til death do us part

[tws: mentions of death]

The flowers would bloom again soon, she thought.

She sat in a small field, waiting for Hari. She had called him here. She had just came early. Just in case.

Celbii frowned.

"I know you're doing the right thing," he murmured, "Please don't get too worked up about this, Maxie."

She sighed, her breath puffing slightly. It was getting warmer, but it was still cold nonetheless.

"I just... I don't think he wanted anyone to know. I really hope this doesn't... I dunno.."

Celbii lifted his head up slightly. "It needs to be said. Good luck, Maxie, dear."

And he was gone.

It must have been then he left, because Max herself heard the frosted grass shift under Hari's boots. She looked at him, and he looked at her. He sat.

"Is everything okay?" He asked.

Maxie clasped her hands together. "I.. I need to tell you something. And I don't think you'll like it."

Hari looked noticeably more worried. "...Yes?"

..

"I know you're dead, Hari."

"..."

"That time.. On December 19th... I was.. twelve, I think... I met a spirit, tearfully mourning his own grave, in Icirrus city, during a storm."

Maxie felt cold emitting from Hari. She continued.

"I hugged him. We both needed it. He cried. The day after, he adorned my mother's grave- the one who I was mourning..-"

"With candles."

..

"Yes. With candles."

"...."

"That spirit was- no, is you, Hari."

It got colder.

He swallowed. "Are you.. Are you going to..? Are you going to leave.. me..? Because I... I-"

Maxie quickly looked up, looked at Hari's face. He was looking down, as she was a second ago. He..

She had never seen him this distressed.

"Hari Forlorn," She said. The boy looked up.

"Hari, you will never not be human to me. Do you understand that? You will always be with me."

He dug his hands into the fabric he wore.

"You.. so you were that girl.."

Maxie nodded.

Hari looked at her, properly this time. "Johanne Contessa Lincie. Was... That was her name?"

Maxie smiled, bittersweet. "Yes. Yes, that was my mother's name."

Hari smiled solemnly as well. "You won't.. You won't think of me any differently? You still, after knowing this, choose to stay..? Are you sure..?"

Maxie made a soft, choked up laugh, and grabbed Hari's icy hand. He flinched, but welcomed the touch.

"If I was unsure about you, you would have known by now..."

"..What are you so sure about, then?"

"I will always be with you."

...

She placed her hand on his cold face. Her thumb swiped away the tear that fell. And when more began, her hands slid to his shoulders. She, with no hesitation, hugged the long dead boy.

She held him, and let him sob into her shoulder. She rubbed his back. She let her head fall onto him as well.

He sobbed, for he never got to live the life he was supposed to have. She held him, as he would get another chance to try. With her. Together. Nothing- not even death, would change that.

It got colder, but she only held him closer.