#sometimes it's just 'want a free car wash and a cup of tea?'

[schnaf]

.

[victoria-grimesss]

Price Headcanons ~SFW & NSFW~

masterlist ->Paring: Captain John Price x F!Reader ->Warning: fluff, romance, smut down below >:) ->A/N: MDNI! I've had some of these floating around my head and had to write them down.

SFW:

This man needs a vacation, he needs to sit on the beach and drink a little something with an umbrella vacation.

I imagine even if he went on vacation, he would be the "feel free to text me if anything comes up I'm just a flight away" kinda guy. Please someone make him relax.

He's a romantic guy for sure, will kiss you on the hand and bring you flowers without asking.

When you go out to eat he will open the car door, the restaurant door, and pull out the chair for you because the woman he loves will NOT be touching a door. He gives you a wink once he tucks your chair in.

When he's home, especially right after he gets back he loves nothing more than to sit side by side and read your books together, make him a good cup of tea and he's sending heart eyes your way.

His favorite way to sleep is with you right on top of him. Out on the job he sleeps with his gear on, so he's become accustomed to having a weight on his chest when he sleeps, he feels uneasy without it. But when you lay onto of him like that he's out like a light.

He gets nightmares frequently, if you're a light sleeper he apologizes for waking you up but you never complain and for that he cannot repay you. If you're a heavy sleeper and you don't wake up he'll calm his beating heart and find comfort in your scent and soft breaths. Sometimes he wants to talk about it sometimes he doesn't, it depends on the severity and if he wants to plague you with it. At times he just wants to lay with you in his arms, he's safe at home with you, his boys are safe at their homes, everything is okay.

He's built a steady routine over the years, part of that routine is waking up ten minutes before he's supposed to so he can admire you when you sleep and hold you close to his bare chest, he loves these mornings.

He trusts you with his life, and with that he'll let you trim up his beard, a barber botched it once and Gaz laughed at him, so he said you're the only other person allowed to do it now.

He definitely falls asleep when watching TV and when you try to change it he'll wake up and say he's watching it.

One time you washed his hat without telling him and he panicked like when you lose your wallet. You had to pre-soak his hat twice to get it semi-normal.

I imagine him as a good cook but a shit baker. He gets frustrated when he tried to follow a cake recipe for your birthday and can't find the recipe under the person's life story. He went to the store and bought one then wrote your name on it.

He loves it when he can show off how strong he is, sometimes you'll pretend you can't open a jar just so he can crack his knuckles and "show you how its done".

He's over the moon if you ask him to show you how to fish, even more elated if you offer it as a date idea.

He loves to sit at the counter and listen to you talk about your day. He's a sucker about your voice and could listen to you talk about literally anything.

He calls you on his way back to base and talks to you on the drive home, makes the drive go faster.

He starts ring shopping 2 months after you two started dating, he knew you were the one.

He almost threw up when he proposed, he was so fucking nervous but the night went perfectly.

Definitely carried you through the door of your shared place when you got married, he's old fashioned like that.

His dad jokes are out of this world awful, but you laugh at them even if it hurts, because you love him.

Loves to have the team over to watch sport matches, when you were house shopping he always referenced about having them over when the two of you would view the living room.

When the two of you are out he puts a hand on the small of you back to guide you through crowds.

NSFW:

His stamina is impressive, he's an older guy but he can go for rounds and those rounds are heavy and sweaty.

Alot of things you do turn him on, kiss him on the spot where his neck meets his head, touch his knee and move you hand slowly up, tell him how much you missed him, tell him he looks good in that shirt, wear that shirt, really anything you do turns the man on.

John Price loves to love you through and through this man is a giver.

He will kiss you from ankle all the way up, muttering about how good you looked today and how much he was thinking about getting you out of these clothes.

Not possessive but more protective. Your relationship is built on mutual respect for one another, although there is a trend between the times when you get a little more attention from other guys and when he absolutely fucks your brains out. He denies it the next morning.

He uses his voice to his advantage. He purrs in your ear hours before he undresses you, light light touches and honeyed words butter you up to the point you're begging for him to take your clothes off. "You need me this bad love? Desperate girl." He wears a devilish smile.

Certified pussy eating master and I stand by that. That man can go forever between your thighs, his eyes roll to the back of his head when he first licks you, you'll have to pry him away beard soaked with evidence of his skills.

Good with his hands too, he angles then just the right way to find your G-spot, all while saying the dirtiest things just so he can feel you clench around his fingers. "You like that, fuck look at you dripping down my hand."

He loves when you grip his arms when he drives himself into you, you leave nail marks and he gets off on it. That you're feeling so good from what he's doing to you that you have to hold on that tight.

Favorite positions would be missionary, cowgirl, or anything where he can look you in the eyes so he can see your reaction when he slides it in so agonizingly slow.

Loves it when you ride him, front facing so he can see you cum. He makes you wear his hat for sure. And when it dips too low in front of your eyes he'll stop all movement just to fix it. "There's my pretty girl." He grinds into you to start again.

You guys fucked in his car once and he loved it, couldn't do it again though. His back hurt too much the next day.

Guilty pleasure is hotel sex. The both of you get a nice big room at a fancy hotel, have sex in clean white sheets making a mess of the newly made bed, he fucks you in the bed, the shower, the desk, over the dresser, and against the wall, afterwards you two order all you can eat room service.

He loves getting blowjobs when he smokes, something about the combination of the two make his head dizzy in a wonderful way.

Heavy on safe-words and making sure you feel the best you can when you two have sex, always checking in on you but in the most seductive ways as to not lose the mood.

Price loves to praise you, before during and after he's telling you how good you're doing and how beautiful you look taking him so well.

Most of the time he asks you where he should cum, he just likes hearing you say it, it gets him off harder.

Aftercare!! John is big on it, he'll take you to the bathroom and you'll have a bath together or shower, he'll give you extra time when he leaves so he can change the bedding and put on a sweet movie.

If your muscles ache he'll take a body oil or lotion and gets those knots out with those expert hands, he prefers it when you're naked for these massage sessions, easier to get all your sore spots he says.

More than half the time this result in another session and neither of you are complaining.

---

peepaw for the win!!!

[bump1nthen1ght]

Late Night Favor (Shadow Monster x Reader)

Genre: Fluff, Urban Fantasy

Warnings: Explicit content up ahead (18+ ONLY), Oral, Fingering

Word Count: 4000 Words

Summary: A couple of small good deeds leaves you with a late night visitor, looking to repay a debt.

Request: "You unknowingly rescue a shadow monster and bring it home with you, after a couple days of lurking in the shadows of your home and recuperating it shows you just how thankful it is." I had this idea forever ago but was never able to execute it. My opening idea was that a few kids are shining flashlights at something, tormenting it, and you swoop in to save it and chase the kids away. You thought they were hurting a cat or something, but find nothing and head home.

What do you think? Would you like to take it on? I'd be honored if you would 😊

A/N: *Throws this into the street to appease for the fact I haven’t updated Out of the Woods in THREE MONTHS IM SORRY*

It was the perfect weather for a lazy day inside. The pitter patter of the rain on your window had almost lulled you back to sleep during breakfast, and the thunder had provided great ambiance for reading. You hadn’t bothered changing out of your pajamas and we’re enjoying a soap opera binge on the coach when the peace was disturbed.

At first it was just the sound of clattering trash cans, not uncommon from the alley outside your window. But then it was followed by the raucous laughter of teenagers, rocks being thrown against the concrete, and a sharp hissing.

You hoist yourself up and off the couch, meandering toward the balcony, expecting to see a bunch of kids fucking around; Maybe using the cover of the fire escape to hide from the rain and smoke some weed.

Ah, memories.

But instead, you see a huddled group of boys pointing a flashlight into the pile of garbage right by the dumpster. One of them picks up a pebble and throws it into the light beam, causing another hiss and a jerk of movement. The boys laugh even louder, the one on the right nudging the one with the flashlight.

“Dude, do it again!”

Flashlight agrees, quickly moving the light into another corner as the one on the left throws a rock in the opposite direction. A shape of pitch black hisses again, deterred by the rock and scared by the brightness. Your brow furrows.

“Hey!”

The boys jump, looking in all directions.

“What are you three doing down there?” They finally look up at you, messy-haired and bleary-eyed. They shrug and ignore you, one even throwing another rock, bigger than before. There’s a sad yelp as it collides with the blackness.

You grit your teeth, grabbing your jacket off a nearby shelf and yell again.

“Fuck off! Leave the poor thing alone!”

They all laugh insufferably, the way most stuck up teenagers do.

“Or what?”

You shrug on your raincoat, picking up the baseball bat you keep strategically placed by your couch.

“Or I’ll come down and make you, jackass!”

You kick open your  fire escape, slippers already damp, and start marching down the staircases. The boys get the message and run away, still jeering and laughing. Seems you weren’t as intimidating as you’d like.

You shuffle down the fire escape, slowing down as you approach the poor creature. You lower your back and peak under the dumpster.

“It's okay, little guy, I won’t hurt ya.” You set down your bat and crouch, kissing your lips as you hold out your free hand. All you see is a hint of glowing eyes, nervously peering out, before the dark shape disappears completely, hidden by the shadow of the dumpster. You’re tempted to sit down and wait for it, hoping to check if the poor stray was injured, but the wet concrete looks unappealing. The bottom of your sweats are already drenched.

You stand up, sigh, and go back up the fire escape. You unlatch the dusty pet door on your sliding glass balcony and make sure to leave a hot thing of milk and some water just outside. You ponder going out to get cat food, but the well-timed weather report tells you to stay off the streets. Slumping back down on the couch, you keep on eye on your fire escape, hoping that whatever it was, it’s okay.

--------------

The next day is sunny, the rain clearing away any air pollution and leaving blue skies to shine down through your window, waking you up extra early. As you sit down with a cup of coffee, switching on the news before starting work, you notice the empty bowls on your balcony.

You set down the mug, walking over to the door and checking the bowls. Seems that little stray had needed the refreshment, as both were licked clean.

You refill them, making sure to add  cat food to your grocery list.

--------------

After a long day of work, you’re feeling particularly domestic and decide to bake some cookies. Your brain is sore after staring at a screen for eight hours straight, a simple task like this is the perfect thing to keep it from melting completely.

You open up your window, letting the cool night air into your kitchen as you check  on your baking cookies. Wiping flour off your pants, you turn on the radio and throw a glance to your living room.

You had set up a tiny blanket pallet right next to your pet door, the weatherman’s warning of another thunderstorm tonight having you worried for your stray. Hopefully a full belly of milk will convince them that your house is safe enough to find shelter in.

But the afternoon is beautiful, not too cold and not too hot, only the slight tang of metal in the air hinting to rain. With a ding from the oven, you take out the cookies and set them on a cooling tray on your window. The smell of cinnamon and sugar wafts over you as you take a sip of your tea, staring out into the city streets. Small puddles still speckle the pavement, catching the headlights of nearby cars and flashy billboards.

A quick sound, something hitting your balcony door, that jerks you out of your reverie. You set down your mug and slowly peek out from your kitchen, wondering if you should’ve grabbed  a kitchen knife. But it’s just your pet door, flapping back and forth in front of two, now empty, bowls. Aww, seems your stray took a step inside. Too bad you missed it.

The gurgle of your stomach convinces you to take a crack at the cookies. If they were too hot, you could just wash them down with a nice glass of milk anyway. Maybe even put on a sitcom while you snack.

You lightly tap the top cookie; Warm, but not unbearable. Steam rises as you break it open, blowing in the middle and taking a tiny bite.

Fuck, good job _____.

They’re perfectly done, just soft enough to melt in your mouth. You grab two more, holding them in between your fingers as you hold the other half in your mouth. Maybe you could bring the batch into work tomorrow, give your coworkers a nice surprise. That is if you didn't have 10 tonight. But 20 should be just enough-

Huh, that’s weird. There's only 19, including the one still dangling out of your mouth.

You could’ve sworn you baked 20.

Well whatever. Your coworkers can handle not coming back for seconds tomorrow.

--------------

“Ow! Fuck!”

You bite your lip, trying not to yell out more curse words as you rub your stubbed toe. You limp to your kitchen, fumbling for the light switch to avoid another incident. All you had wanted was a midnight sweet snack, was that so difficult? You’d thought you could navigate your apartment pretty easily in the dark, but the pain in your foot says otherwise.

The light flickers as you finally find the switch, reminding you that you’re going to need to change the bulb sometime soon. But that's a problem for another day; Right now, it’s cookie time.

You don’t bother pouring yourself a glass or getting a plate, devouring the treat in three bites and throwing back a quick swig of milk. It’s almost midnight, not like anyone’s watching-

Oh, wait.

You slowly close the fridge door, trying to make as little noise as possible so as not to wake the little stray curled up, asleep. The little ball of black was snuggled into the pallet, tossing and turning. A flash of lightning cracks outside your apartment, washing your living room with light. The ball jerks in shock, the thunder afterwards only frightening it more, forcing it to curl up even tighter.  

You take small and light steps towards the tiny bed, not wanting to approach the scared beast too quickly. The room is lit up again by another lightning strike and the little stray forces it’s body backwards and away from the window. You crouch down real low, the small bits of light helping your eyes adjust to the layout.

“How are you doing, little guy?” You whisper, mostly to yourself, tapping your fingers against your carpet. Part of you wants to pet it, but think it might be better not to. No need to startle it. “Is the lightning scary? You can come to my room if you want, I’ll protect ya.”

Midst the black, you see two little eyes, little blips of light that open with another flash of lightning. But they aren’t yellow, nor are they slitted, nor are they anything remotely animal.

They're like the headlights of a car, blinding white with no definition at all. Not even pupils. You're startled, eye’s widening as the creature lifts it’s head. A long smile runs across their face, full of razor sharp teeth.

“Oh my, that sounds delightful.” They purr, and you find yourself losing your footing and falling back on your ass. Your fingers dig into the carpet as their body slowly begins to unfurl out of a ball and stretch into a massive form, as if their whole size had been hidden away somewhere else; Like it had been literally in the shadows.

You scramble backwards, breath picking up as the creature stretches it’s long limbs, colorless eyes still locked onto you as it stands up and up. It rolls back its shoulders as it sits on its haunches, its form still towering over you even when crouched. You notice the shades of huge antlers sticking out from the side of their head, only adding to their intimidating height.

The creature still has that terrifying smile, all canines and no molars, it’s unblinking eyes still staring deep into your soul.

You’ve heard people do weird things in times of high stress, of strong emotions, good and bad. Like the wires in your brains get crossed when trying to find the right response.

“Uh, do you want a cookie?”

You think you get that now.

The creature chuckles, a soft timbre that echoes unnaturally.

“No, dearie, I have already indulged in your confections. You see,” They creature leans forward, falling to its knees to crawl towards you. If it weren’t for the overwhelming fear constricting your heart, you’d almost think it was seductive, “You’ve done so much for me these past days, I think it’d be only fair if I helped you indulge in a far-” The creature’s face looms over yours, their arms caging your sides as they lick their lips, “-sweeter treat, yes?”

Your eyes search their face, trying to find signs of trickery or malice, maybe even some demonic sense of humor.

As if I’d even know what that looks like.

“Are you-” You catch a breath, now noticing the fine musculature of their shoulders, and the definition of their arms, “Are you propositioning me, like, for sex?”

The creature laughs again, their eyes crinkling up as they throw their head back. But when they look back down at you, you can almost feel the lust radiating off their gaze, details be damned.

“Yes, lovely, I am.”

You take your eyes off their face, a little too overwhelmed to stare directly into their blistering expression. Not to mention the blinding light which has begun to put red spots into your vision.

Instead, your eyes fall upon their thick thighs, the small tail waving behind them, and how unnervingly sexy you find the way their claws are digging up your rug.

You slowly move your head, catching the creature’s eyes.

“I-uh-I guess? Yeah, yeah I guess that sounds good. Um, what was your name?”

The creature smirks, a single claw tipped finger tilting up your chin, as they whisper,

“Nocter.”

--------------

Well, this is definitely the weirdest way I’ve gotten someone into bed.

Nocter’s antlers brush against your stucco-ceiling as it pushes you down on the bed, their shining white eyes staring deep into yours. Their lack of pupils is almost unsettling, but when they run their claws down your chest and pinch your nipples, you find it hard to care. You bite your lip, fighting back an embarrassing whimper as they trace one finger around the bud, pebbling the skin.

“Aww, has it been a while, sweetling?” You roll your eyes, but let out another squeak as they flick their thumb across your other nipple, the palm of their hand pressing against your ribcage.

“M-maybe.” You mutter, digging your finger into your bed sheets as their hands dance across your skin. One pulls up the bottom of your pajama shirt as it nudges one of their legs in between your thighs, pushing their knee up against your crotch.

“Don’t worry,” They push the fabric up to your neck, laying a kiss on the center of your stomach, then your chest, and then your jugular. When they plant one on your jaw, they lean in real close, “I’ll make sure to treat you right.”

Nocter’s long tongue splays against your jaw, licking a stripe up your cheek as one of their hands moves from your chest to the waistband of your shorts. They slip a couple fingers underneath, lightly petting the area right above your crotch. They’re such a tease, and you love it.

Nocter pecks the side of your face, over and over, while their hand moves further and further down your body at an agonizing pace. Their hot breath sends goosebumps down your neck, washing over your face as they exhale with every kiss. You catch them off guard when you turn your head toward them, catching their lips-mid peck and eagerly sticking your tongue outward. They purr with delight, their thin almost-lips quickly devouring you.

A long string of saliva connects the two of you as you detach, taking the time to shimmy out of your shirt. You pull them closer, your hands digging into their shoulder muscles and fingers just brushing over the long ridges on their back. They chuckle once again, pulling their fingers out your shorts and merely digging their palm into the fabric of your crotch.

“Eager, huh?”

“Shut up,” You mumble in between kisses, “This is for me, isn’t it?”

“Ohoho,” kiss, “Someone’s showing their feisty side a little early.” kiss, “What happened to my benevolent, saintly saviour?” kiss.

You pull away from their lips, quickly latching onto the crux of their neck and taking a nip. “S’not fair.” You say, taking a deep whiff of their skin as you suck and bite. They smell like brimstone and a bonfire, not quite what you 're expecting, but not unpleasant. “You can’t tease me like that and not-” Your cut off as the pad of one Nocters fingers presses up against your entrance, the fabric only amplifying the sensation as they begin to tease it.

“Deliver?” Nocter finishes, sinfully smug. You throw them a glare. “I’m a good guest, scout’s honor.”

You roll your eyes right before they lock you into another kiss, rubbing the pads of their fingers up and down your crotch. They use their hand to push you backwards, sinking deeper into the mattress as they situate their knees under your thighs. One they pull back from the kiss, your face and lips thoroughly debauched, your legs are splayed up on their pelvis and they easily slip off your bottoms. Nocter takes a whiff of your underwear, the crotch now slightly damp, giving you a wink before they throw it over their shoulder.

You jerk your hips slightly upward, and Nocter tuts.

“Patience, sweetling.” They roll a hand down your abdomen, fingers splaying onto your stomach, nails just teasing the skin. With a kiss to your inside calf, Nocters hand ghosts across your entrance. You can’t help biting your lip, the heat and their touch sending your mind into a frenzy.

They continue a path of kisses down your leg, now pressing their finger right up against your hole. They only pause to suck on their index and middle fingers, coating them with a heavy and blue-tinted saliva. Once they’ve reached the middle of your thigh, nipping at the apex, they sink into you.

Nocter’s fingers are long, articulated and move with sure movements. They start off slow, scissoring you open, simpering as you dig your nails into your bed sheets. The pads of their fingers push against your walls, just grazing sensitive spots as they make a slow ‘come hither’ motion. Your hips jerk forward, humping into their palm. They smirk against your skin, nipping another love bite as they retract their fingers until only the tip remains. You catch your breath, holding it until they sink back into you, shoving their fingers forward with far more force.

You whimper as their fingers pull back, only to follow with quicker thrusts. Nocter’s aim is pin-point in finding the most pleasurable spots inside you, the feeling only amplified by the pinpricks of their teeth into the fat of your thigh. The tip of their tongue licks hot trails of spit tantalizingly close to your hole, which clenches around their bony fingers. The slick sound of your juices, the skin of their palm slapping against yours, is downright pornographic.

Your legs try to clamp around their shoulders, the overwhelming stimuli triggering an instant reaction, but Nocter pins your right leg down to your bed easily, never losing focus on fingering you. The tips of their claws trace the inside of your leg, the hard edge of their wrist digging into fat.  Your fingers reach to grip around something, anything to keep you grounded as the knot in your stomach grows tighter and tighter. They find their way around Nocter’s left wrist; You’re almost afraid you’ll leave bruises, before remembering how sturdy every part of their body seems to be.

You let out a whimper as the crests of an orgasm seem to overwhelm you, nearly gasping as Nocter quickly removes their fingers. In any other state of mind you might have made a comment, look down and wonder why they’ve stopped. But the heat in your belly compels you to grip their wrist tight and to throw your hips upwards. With a desperate breath, you plead,

“P-please! Please, don’t stop.”

Nocter doesn’t chuckle, doesn’t make a sly remark about your neediness or your lewd movements. They lean forward, giving another kiss right below your navel, and pet your wrist.

“Of course, dearie.”

With a wink, they lean down a lick a long stripe up your hole, giving one last kiss to your leg before plunging their tongue inside.

You didn’t think it was possible for them to reach even deeper inside you with their tongue than their fingers, but the sparks which fly in your core say otherwise. The ridges of Nocters tongue brush against your walls as they flick the appendage back and forth, the tip pressing forward with controlled motions. It doesn’t thrash back and forward haphazardly, but reaches for those sensitive spots and plays with them.

“Oh, f-fuck!” You yelp, feeling an icy-cold liquid run down your ass. From the sound of smacking lips and muffled moans, it must be Nocter’s saliva. They let out a groan, pushing their jaw forward as their eyes clenched shut. The hand on your leg pinches skin as it tightens up, the other pressing your hips down, but the pressure they apply is phantom at best. Nocter seems to revel in your pleading humps for more, meeting each movement with a thrust of their jaw, the base of their tongue stretching you open.

The two of you keep that rhythm for what feels like an eternity, but is probably only a couple of minutes. Sweat drips down your chest and off of your belly, your legs muscles on fire as you continue to push upward and into Nocter’s face. You start feeling that impending wave begin to crest again, with your limbs shaking and your throat hoarse.

“Nocter, I’m gonna cum. I’m gonna-I’m so close!”

This time, Nocter doesn’t let up on their pace, reaching one hand down to deliver a hard slap on your ass and forcing a yelp out of you. Your speech devolves into slurred curses and your hands move to touch them, to find some grasp in reality. Nocter continues to suck and tongue-fuck your hole as your thighs clench around their head. Your humps are tiny and weak, your lower half barely holding itself up.

The knot gets tighter, a firecracker fuse about to blow in your abdomen. In the heat of the moment, your hands find their way to Nocter’s scalp and grab onto the base of their antlers. Their moan rumbles through you, right before you yank their head forward, their tongue hitting the deepest part of you as you shutter and-

“I’m cumming!”

Another moan vibrates against your hole as your body shudders and jolts, your hips still pressed firmly against Nocter’s face. But in the next moment, a heavy weight falls over your body, slumping you down onto the bed. Your chest heaves, eye’s fuzzy as Nocter’s tongue ‘pop’s out of you.

Your gaze wanders over your stucco ceiling, droplets of sweat rolling down your neck as you try and catch your breath. You can feel Nocter’s large hands rolling a massage into your thighs, their own heavy breathing brushing over your crotch.

A fuzzy shape of pure black comes into your vision as Nocter hovers over you, their body hovering just an inch above yours. They give you a small peck on the cheek.

“Feel good?” They whisper.

All you can do is nod, your shaky hands wandering over their back. There’s no sign of sweat on their skin, but you can feel the heat running off of it as they nuzzle into your neck.

As your fingers dance over the ride of their back, you can hear the rumble of a low purr coming from their chest, but they stay hovering over your body. You press your hands into their back, applying weak pressure to encourage them to relax.

“It seems I’ve repaid my debt.” Nocter murmurs into your ear, pushing themselves up onto their hands, pulling even farther from you as their eye’s look around your room. You keep your hands wrapped around their waist, stopping them from fully getting up. They look back to you, white eyes slightly widening.

“Would you-” You take another deep breath, “Want to stay? For the night?”

Nocter stares at you, the black void of their face almost unreadable. But when they run a claw down the side of your face, it burns with affection and longing.

“Would you want that?”

Your room is nearly pitch black, only the lights of the street peeking in between your curtains. Nocter’s body seems to absorb all light near it, their hot body like a heating pad. But their eyes are so bright, so full, so mesmerizing; Like a full moon on the dark city sky.

“Yes, I would.”

Nocter’s nods, their expression barely changing, but you think you can see a hint of a smile amidst all the black. They let their body relax, pressing their chest against yours as they sink into the sheets and nuzzle back into your neck.

You can smell the sweat coating your body and feel the way you stick to the sheets. Frankly, the both of you kind of smell.

But it doesn’t stop you from snuggling into Nocter’s body, eye’s heavy as you peacefully fall into sleep.

[indiee19]

Tonight There’ll Be Some Love

Alex Turner x reader

Summary: You and Alex are 16 and lose your virginity to each other.

warnings: smut, fingering

word count: 2817

A/N: Oh my god, I wrote this in two hours, I’m so proud of myself. Also , I realized how many times I said, “you nodded,” when I was proofreading, so don’t mind that

✿✼:*ﾟ:༅｡.｡༅:*･ﾟﾟ･⭑ ✿✼:*ﾟ:༅｡.｡༅:*･ﾟﾟ･⭑

You watched the clock in your bedroom impatiently, excitedly waiting for Alex to get there. Your parents had left to go on a trip for their anniversary for the weekend, so you invited Alex over. You had been waiting for them to go on a trip again, since the last trip they went on was only for a couple of hours a few months ago.

You and Alex had only been dating for about three months when your parents' last trip was, you and Alex were kissing when they came home and immediately had to pull away in fear that they'd find you two like that and not allow you two  to be alone together again.

You heard a car pull up in the driveway, Alex was finally here. You got up from your bed, hurrying down the stairs and opening the door, watching Alex's face light up once he saw you. 

"Hey," you said, pulling Alex in for a hug. He looked adorable, his brown hair slightly messed up, more than likely where he had been running his hand through it, his nerves getting the best of him before leaving his house to come here like they always did. He had on a pair of black pants, and a white and black striped collared shirt and a jacket.

"Hey, love. C-can I come in?" he said, pulling away from the hug. You nodded and stepped to the side, allowing him to come in, closing and locking the door. He took off his jacket, laying it on the couch.

"You hungry?" you asked, going to the kitchen. He shook his head, following you. You started making tea, putting water in the kettle, and placing the kettle on the stovetop. Alex wrapped his arms around you as you made the tea, hugging you from behind, resting his head on your shoulder. Your mind started going through a thought you'd had earlier when you called Alex to ask if he wanted to come over, though you quickly pushed it away, for the moment at least.

You turned around and kissed him. It took Alex a moment to process this, though it wasn't the first time that you two kissed, it was the first time that you'd been fully confident kissing him, the first time that you made the first move.

Alex pulled away, holding you by the waist. "Love, the kettle," Alex pointed out. You quickly turned around, turning off the stove though you knew that the kettle hadn't been on the stove long enough. 

You turned back around and starred onto his chocolate brown eyes. 

"Do you want to go to my room and ... watch ... watch a movie?" you asked, running your hands up and down his arms. He nodded and let go of your waist, following you upstairs  to your bedroom. Alex sat on your bed, getting comfy. He watched as you went to the cabinet that your TV was on, looking through all of the movies you had.

You scanned over the movie titles, your eyes coming back to The Notebook over and over again. You picked it up off the shelf, turning around to show Alex. 

"What about The Notebook?" you questioned, holding it up so he could see it. He nodded, not caring what movie you were watching. You smiled and took the DVD out of the case and put it in the DVD player that was connected to your TV.

You pressed play on the remote and walked back to your bed, turning off the lamp so that you could see the movie better and cuddled up to Alex's side, his arms wrapping around you, laying your head on his shoulder, your arms also wrapping around his slim body.

-

You and Alex hadn't made it but thirty minutes into the movie before you and Alex started to kiss, Alex's tongue slipping past your lips, exploring your mouth, his hands on your waist, yours around his neck. 

You fumbled for the remote beside you, pausing the movie, somehow managing to turn the lamp back on.

Alex pulled you into his lap, his lips never once leaving yours. His hands started to wonder up your body, stopping at your breasts. You gasped and pulled away, getting off of his lap and the bed. He opened his eyes and looked at you, getting up from the bed as well. 

"Love, I-I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean to-" you cut him off, kissing him, wrapping your arms around his neck. You pulled away and started kissing down his jaw then to his neck, settling on a spot a sucking on it, starting a hickey. Alex groaned, tilting his head to the side to allow you to have more access to his neck.

Once you were positive that a bruise had formed, you moved away from him, sitting down on your bed. He crawled over your legs, straddling you, pushing you down to be flat on your back, attaching his lips to your neck, your eyes shutting. He settled on a spot just below your ear, your hands going straight into his fluffy brown hair, tugging on it, a raspy moan falling from his lips.

"God, Alex. Fuck me," you breathed out. Alex lifted his head, looking at you with his insanely adorable eyes. You opened your eyes, starring into his fixating gaze.

"W-what did you say, love?" he asked. He didn't mean for it to sound rude, and you knew that, it just caught you of guard that he asked since you didn't mean for him to hear it, and it had also caught him off guard since you were both virgins.

"I said ... I said that I wanted you to fuck me," you said, lowering your voice when you said the last part, your face flushing with embarrassment. Alex got off from on top of you, sitting on the bed beside you, you sitting up.

"I'm sorry, Al. I know that you've never done that before a-and neither have I. And as much as I want to do it with you, I know I shouldn't have said that and I wasn't thinking," you apologized. You expected him to leave and expected that he wouldn't want to talk to you for a while, but instead, he kissed you. It was short and sweet, not like the one that you'd had only a couple of minutes ago.

"It's okay, love," he said, looking at your shirt you had one, slightly pulling on it. "Can I take this off of you?" 

You nodded and lifted your arms up so that he could pull the shirt over your head, throwing it to the floor. He starred at your chest for a moment before you reached behind your back to unclasp your bra, the straps falling down your shoulders, throwing it to the floor.

Alex moved one of his hands to massage your breasts in it, then taking off his shirt and throwing it down with your shirt and bra. You shimmied out of your shorts, helping Alex unbutton and take off his pants, adding them to the growing pile of clothes in your bedroom floor.

You laid back on your bed, Alex crawling back over you. His hand brushing back a strand of hair that fell into your face, his hand trailing down to above the waistband of your panties, the ache between your legs forming and growing at a very fast rate.

"Can i?" he asked, not wanting to do anything to upset or hurt you, a little scared himself. You nodded, eyes shutting when his fingers made contact with your clit, a small whimper escaping your lips. He caught on to your reaction and started rubbing small, slow circles on your clit, enjoying the whimpers that came out of your mouth. 

"Does that feel good, love?" he teased, suddenly gaining an immense amount of confidence that only turned you on even more, Alex laughing slightly. He moved his fingers from your clit, teasing your folds now, spreading the wetness around.

"God, you're so wet, love. All for me?" he drawled, fingers finding your entrance, spreading around your wetness there as well. You nodded and began to roll your hips onto his hand, desperate to get some friction, even if it was smallest amount of it.

He pushed one finger inside of your cunt, curling it inside you, stroking your walls. 

"A-add another," you breathed out.

"Are you sure, love?" he responded. You nodded and Alex watched your face, watching your reaction when he added a second finger, watching the immense amount of pleasure that he was giving you.

He started pumping his fingers in and out of you, setting a pace, his thumb grazing your clit, rubbing gentle circles on it in rhythm with his fingers. You felt a knot form in your stomach, knowing that it wouldn't take much for you to come undone.

Alex curled his fingers deep insdie of you, a loud moan falling from your lips. "Do that again, Al," you said. He smirked and repeated the motion, watching the pleasure that your facial expression  showed. You started to roll your hips onto his hand, craving more friction.

"Have you done this before, you know ... like ... on your own?" Alex asked, his head falling down on your neck, placing soft kisses to it.

"Y-yeah,"" you replied, your voice trailing off into a moan as he had curled his fingers inside you again.

"What do you think about, love?" he said, kissing up your jaw, then back down to your collarbone. "I-I think about you," you admitted, hands pulling on his hair, twisting it between your fingers.

"Naughty, naughty. Can I tell you something?" he said, moving his kisses down to your breasts, his fingers pumping in and out of you faster, rubbing on your clit harsher. "Sometimes I fantasize about you too."

He pulled away from your breasts, his free arm holding him up, starring deeply into your eyes. You looked him up and down, noticing that he was hard through his boxers, moving your hand to palm him through his underwear, reaching inside them, lightly stroking his cock. Alex groaned in response, suddenly curling his fingers deep inside of you, flicking your clit, tipping you over the edge. He watched as your eyes rolled back into your head, watching you as the waves of pleasure washed over your entire body, the feeling was euphoric. He kept moving his fingers in and out of you, helping you ride out your orgasm.

You came down from your high, whimpering at the empty feeling that was left when Alex pulled his fingers out of you, you took your hand out of his boxers to stop stroking him, using it to cup the back of his neck and kiss him.

You started to pull down his boxers, Alex stopping you. 

"Are you sure you want to do this, love?" he asked, even though he wanted to go through with it, he still wanted to make sure that you were also on board. You nodded, and he pulled down your panties just far enough so that you could kick them off into the floor, you doing the same for him. You looked down at his cock, worrying if it would hurt or if he would even be able to fit in you.

"Wait, do you have ... a ... a condom?" he asked, not wanting to worry about if you were on the pill or not.

"Yeah, bedside drawer. A friend gave it to me," you said. He laughed and reached over to the drawer, fishing the condom out of it, pulling the silver packet out of it and closed the drawer. He ripped the packet open, rolling the condom down on his long, thick cock, tugging himself a few times before finding and lining himself up with your entrance.

You felt his tip at your entrance and your hand gripped onto his shoulder, waiting for him to push inside you.

"Ready?" he questioned. You nodded and he slowly started to push into you.

You tried to relax, knowing that it the feeling would get better, but the feeling of his cock stretching your walls brought a few tears to your eyes, which Alex immediately noticed.

"I'm so sorry, love," he said, pulling out of you, wiping the tears that had formed in your eyes.

"Wait, no, Alex. It's alright, I'll be okay," you said. You knew that the stinging feeling would go away eventually, or that's what your friend told you at least and you wanted this, like really, really wanted this.

"You sure, because I don't want to 'urt you," he replied. You nodded and he sighed, lining himself with your entrance again, pushing in slowly, stopping in between his small pushes to make sure that you were okay.

Once he was hilt deep inside you, his head fell on your shoulder, placing kisses on it. 

"You feel s-so good, love," he groaned. He was waiting for you to tell him what to do, not wanting to do anything that you weren't ready for or do anything that you didn't want him to do. His hands were either side of your head, holding him up above you. He reveled in the feeling of your walls stretching to accomendate to his size.

"Alex, can you move?" you asked. He nodded and slowly pulled almost all the way out of you before pushing back in, setting a pace, the stinging feeling slowly going away after a couple of thrusts.

You loosened your grip on Alex's shoulder, moving your hands to his biceps, eyes shutting automatically. Alex's pace gradually got faster, one of his hands coming down between your bodies to rub on your clit in sync with his thrusts.

Your moans filled your room, as did Alex's moans and grunts. You felt as if you were in another world, the feeling, as I had said earlier, euphoric. Alex delivered a particularly hard thrust which compelled him to kiss you passionately.

"God, Alex, faster," you moaned. He smirked, following your request, picking up his pace, rubbing your clit more vigorously. You knew that you were close, the knot forming in your stomach again and growing rapidly.

"A-Alex, I'm close," you whimpered, hands moving from his biceps to his hair, pulling on it.

"I know, love, m-me too," he groaned, determined to get you there before him, needing to feel you come around his cock in order to get there himself.

Three more thrusts and Alex pressing down harshly on your clit was all it took for you to be sent spiraling.

Your eyes rolled back into your head, the waves of pleasure washing over you, you felt as if you were on cloud nine. Your own release triggering Alex's, the feeling of your walls contracting around his cock enough for him to get there. He stilled his thrusts, releasing into the condom. He collapsed on top of you, the both of you panting heavily, your breathing uneven.

Alex pulled out of you, getting up off of the bed, walking to the door. "I'll be right back, love," he said, walking down the hall to the bathroom. You laid in the same spot, trying to get your breathing under control, trying to wrap your mind around what had just happened, you'd just had sex with Alex, still not believing it.

Alex came back, grabbing his underwear off your bedroom floor, putting them back on, handing you his shirt and your panties, helping you put them on, climbing back into the bed with you.

"Wow ... that just happened," Alex stated, wrapping his arm around you, pressing a few light kisses to your neck.

"Heh, yeah, it did," you said, still trying to fully grasp the reality of it. "So, how about we finish the movie and then go get food?" you asked.

"Yeah, sounds good. Don't know if I'll make through the movie though. Fucking you wore me out," he chuckled, you laughed, kissing the top of his head as he'd nuzzled into your neck.

"Dont fall asleep during the movie, you can do that after it's over and after we go get food," you said, reaching over him for the remote, turning The Notebook back on.

"We don’t have to go get food, there's something in here that I'd like to eat and I'm sure that I could find you something to suck on," he said, though you couldn’t see him, you knew that he had that stupidly hot, cocky smirk plastered on his face. What he had said made you laugh again. "You really are something else, Al," you laughed. 

"Yeah, but that's why you love me."

"You're right, Al, I do love you," you said, kissing his lips, then turning back to watch the movie, Alex doing the same.

[adminbryantsaki]

Kinktober day three

Belt bursting- Hizashi x reader.

(I do not own Hizashi Yamada/Present Mic. Horikoshi Kohei does. If this isn’t your cup of tea, blend of spices, or brew of coffee, move on.)

Kinktober master list

Tw: Stomach growth, belt snapping, stomach rubbing, overeating, feederisim, cock riding.

Wc: 1,919

You were walking down a hallway when you saw Hizashi looking at himself the bathroom mirror. You set your laundry down in your bedroom and went back to check on him. “Hizashi? Are you ok?” You asked him. He looked over to you and gestured for you to come to his side. “Do you think I’m too thin?” He asked you as he ran a hand over his flat and slightly toned stomach.

“I think you’re perfect just the way you are.” You told him and hugged him. He put his arm around you and kissed your head.

“You’re too good for me, princess.” He told you. You looked up at him. “Now what made you think you’re too skinny?” You asked. “It was a comment from one of my viewers on my last stream. They called me a sentient pogo stick and said I should eat a cheeseburger.” He told you. You frowned and looked up at him. “Do I need to go fight someone?” You asked him. He chuckled and stroked your hair out of your face. “No, baby girl. You don’t need to fight anyone.” He spoke. “What do you wanna do then?” You responded. “I wouldn’t mind going to a buffet and trying out that feederisim kink you told me about when we first met.” He told you. This made your face heat up and hide your face in his chest. You remembered talking to him about it when the two of you started dating. “What’s wrong, princess? Liking the idea of my stomach growing?” He asked. You nodded and pulled away. “Go get changed into something comfortable. I’ll be waiting by the door.” You told him. He kissed you and left the bathroom. You pulled on a nice shirt and put some jeans on before you waited by the door for him. He approached you wearing a wine-colored button-down shirt, his white slacks and a belt that looked a bit loose on him. The shirt was loose on his frame as well and in your mind, you knew that you were going to change that today. “You look fancy for getting your stomach stuffed full of food.” You spoke. “Is it too much?” He asked. “Not at all. I like it.” You told him. He stood up and held your hand as the two of you left the house. He walked with you to the car and opened the door for you before getting in on the driver’s side. He then drove the two of you to the nearest buffet and got out. He opened the door for you and held your hand as the two of you entered the restaurant. He guided you to a table in the back of the restaurant so the two of you wouldn’t be noticed and you could be alone. You turned to him and held his hands.

“I’m gonna be in charge this afternoon, ok? So, I need you to sit down and relax.” You told him. “Alright. I think I can allow that for today.” He told you as he sat down behind the table. “You stay here. I’m going to get you food.” You spoke and left the table to get food from the buffet line. You make sure to get a plate of the fried chicken and some vegetables for him, taking it back to the table, and setting it down on the table. “Don’t eat yet. I want to get something for you to wash it down with.” You told him. He nodded and continued to play a game on his phone. You left him again to retrieve a couple glasses of water and two more plates of food. You returned and set the water and food on the table before sitting next to him. “Now you can eat.” You told him. He nodded and began eating the vegetables. You nibbled at some food you got for yourself but you were mostly fascinated with his eating.

He looked up and saw you watching him while you picked at your salad.

“You like what you’re seeing?” He asked as he leaned back and smiled. You nodded and put a hand on his thigh. He ate a bit more before he leaned back. “Feeling full? Here, let me help.” You said and reached over to rub his stomach gently. He groaned and held your hand to his stomach. “This feels nice. Keep your hand there while I eat.” He spoke and went back to eating the food you brought him. You felt his stomach grow and push out against your hand which made your face grow hot.

Hizashi finished the first two plates of food before he leaned back to undo his belt. You stopped him.

“Keep it where it is. I want to see it snap.” You told him. He looked at you with a confused look but he left it be and shifted in his seat so his legs were spread open a bit with his stomach growing outwards. He fed himself with one hand and used his free hand to rub his stomach as it grew tighter. He got halfway through the third plate before he sat back and groaned. You moved closer and slid your hand between the buttons of his shirt and rubbing the tight skin of his stomach. He hissed in pain as you rubbed small circles on his abdomen. He rolled his head back as you massaged his stomach. He put his arm around you and leaned into your ear. “As much as that feels good, princess, can you get me some more water please?” He asked. You nodded but before you left, you pressed down on his stomach and he let out a burp. “Feel better?” You asked. He nodded in response before you got up, took the empty plates and cups with you on your venture to find your boyfriend some more water. You knew in the back of your mind that the water would bloat him up and make that belt snap right in two. You would buy him a new one later but you were determined at this moment to fill his stomach up like a big water balloon. You filled a tray with plastic glasses full with water from the dispenser and carried it back to the table. Hizashi looked up at you and sat up a bit better as you set the tray down. “Drink up. This should make your stomach snap that belt.” You spoke and sat down next to him. He groaned and lifted the first glass to his lips. He drank the cool liquid slowly and he pulled your hand to his stomach and felt his stomach push out against your hand. You heard the leather of his belt creak and groan under the pressure and Hizashi pant when he finished the water. “I don’t know if I can take anymore, princess. I’m so full.” He spoke and held his stomach. You pressed into his side and rubbed his tight stomach which made him let out a quiet moan. “Does that feel good, baby?” You asked him as you rubbed circles into his distressed skin. He put an arm around you as you reached up for the next glass of water and held it to his mouth. You encouraged him to drink and he did. You encouraged him to keep drinking and let him rest when he needed to so he wouldn’t vomit. He then rubbed his stomach and inhaled deeply. He let out a groan as his belt creaked again. “Its so tight. It hurts. I’m gonna need rubs when we get home, baby girl.” He told you as he tried to relieve the pressure from the belt as it dug into his tight stomach. You stopped him and used your own hand to rub his stomach. “You might get more than just your stomach rubbed if you finish all the water, ‘Zashi.” You told him. He leaned forward and grabbed eagerly at the next glass of water and chugged it down. His belt creaked a bit louder and groaned as it began to give way to his bloated stomach. He rubbed his stomach and reached for the last cup of water. He drank it down slowly and moaned as he felt his stomach grow bigger and the pressure of the belt grew more intense and a loud snapping noise sounded and he looked down to see that his belt was gone and the pressure had been relieved from his stomach. He let out a groan of relief and he held his stomach. “That feels so much better.” He spoke. You smiled and rubbed his stomach. “You were so good for me, Hizashi. Why don’t we go home and I’ll give you your reward.” You suggested. His vibrant green eyes looked at you with intrigue. “Give me a moment. Moving isn’t the best idea right now.” He told you. “Take all the time you need.” You told him and rubbed his back.

A few minutes passed and he was ready to stand up. You helped him to his feet and put a hand on his distended stomach. You led him out the back of the restaurant and out to his car. You helped him into the driver’s side and he put the keys into the ignition and he drove back home. He parked in the driveway and the both of you emerged from the car and you helped Hizashi into the house. He closed the door behind him and he wrapped his arm around your waist. “I believe you said something about a reward back at the restaurant.” He spoke before kissing you. You giggled and he led you back to your shared room where you worked at his shirt and rubbed his stomach as he held you close. You rubbed a bit lower until your fingers wrap around his cock and begin to stroke it. He buried his face into your neck and left kisses all over your neck and shoulders. “This feels amazing, baby girl. Why don’t you ride me~?” He suggested. You blushed at the idea and he laid on his back. You peeled your shorts off and straddled his lap. He smirked and help your hips. You pulled his pants off and pressed down on his stomach gently which made him moan. You smirked and he gripped your ass which made you squeak. He pulled his own cock out and helped you line up with his cock and kept eye contact with you as he helped you slide down on his length. You moaned out as you were guided up and down his cock. He groaned as he felt your silken walls clench around him. “Good girl.” He spoke and watched you cum on his cock. He helped pull you off of him and pulled you close to him.

“Thank you for today, princess.” He said quietly into your ear. You held him close and you wrapped your arm around his stomach. “Do you want to try it again sometime?” You asked him. “Yes. But just inflate with water.” He spoke.

“I think we can do that.” You told him before drifting off to sleep.

The end.

[from-seas-to-skies]

Farm Grown / Hawks x Reader ♕︎

uwu, I had the lovely @weirddpand4 draw this picture of cowboy Hawks for this work!!!

warnings: NSFW, spanking, cream pie

words: 4,802

-

“Oh, wow! Look at that! I’ve never seen grass so green before!” your friend, Urakaka Ochaco, exclaims.

Glancing up from your phone, you follow her line of vision; gracious hills of rich green grass stretch out far into the horizon, meeting with the brilliant shade of blue. It’s so unlike the skyscrapers and closely-knit houses you’re used to seeing. No, this is what pure beauty looks like, Mother Nature in one of her most wonderful forms. Although the fields are dotted with wildflowers and corn fields, you don’t miss the dirt road further up ahead, a large wooden sign planted next to it.

When Ochaco originally came to you with the idea of being a farmhand, you thought she was crazy. You’ve finally graduated from high school, got the title of professional hero, and this is the first thing she wanted to do? However, as she further explained, it was a family friend who needed help during the summer months, and what were heroes for? Granted, you wanted to run around the cement jungle and provide help that way, but this “almost vacation” didn’t sound too bad – plus, with the puppy eyes Ochaco flashed at you, it was impossible to say no.

And so, here you are, sitting in the passenger side of a coupe with Ochaco behind the wheel. You have to admit; the surrounding atmosphere is beautiful, and you’d be lying if you said you didn’t want to run barefoot through the grass. Clouds of dust rise as the car eventually comes to a stop outside of a weathered farmhouse. Ochako flashes you a smile, her large eyes twinkling.

“Look at how huge this place is! I know Uncle Iroh said he had a couple people helping out, but this is incredible! We’ll each have our own room!”

You can’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. Ochaco’s always been easy to rile up, and the fact that she’s genuinely excited to spend quality “bonding time” with you is heartwarming. As the two of you step out of the car, the front door to the farmhouse opens, revealing an elderly man with a long beard and a kind expression. His face cracks into a smile when he and Ochaco make eye contact; the two hurry towards each other, warm greetings and bone-crushing hugs being shared between the two. It’s no wonder Ochaco was so excited to spend the summer here; with a relationship like that, you’d be happy to see the man too.

“Oh, come, come!” Iroh says, hurrying around the car and popping the trunk open. “You must be Ochaco’s friend, yes?” he asks, looking towards you. A wave of pleasant warmth washes over your being as he sends you that charming smile. “I appreciate the help! I only have my nephew and another man working here already, but the extra hands will come in handy.” He pauses then to chuckle at his own joke. “But I think it’s about you two get settled, yeah?”

“Right!” you respond, pulling out your own suitcase.

As you walk up towards the wraparound porch, you glance to the other trucks sitting out in front of the farmhouse. Iroh said two others were already here, so you figured the trucks must be theirs…

“Zuko!” Iroh booms. “Our guests are here!”

After a moment or so, a boy around your age staggers from the kitchen, a tray in his hands. From the looks of it, a teapot and some cups line its surface.

“Tea is our specialty, here,” Iroh says, nudging you with your shoulder. “Get something to drink and then we’ll show you your rooms.”

-

Later on that evening, you’re gazing out your window, watching the sun fall. Hues of orange, peach, and lilac paint the sky, bidding the world goodbye for the night. It’s definitely different to experience it here than back home, back where silhouettes were outlined by the golden glow. A steady breeze carries on, carrying the scent of wildflowers and musk; your curtains flap from the sheer force of it, but you pay it no mind. It’s like Ochaco brought you to a slice of paradise, even if it’s with the intention of putting in labor.

In the distance, you hear calls and the distinguished moos of cows. Shifting your gaze, you catch a herd of cows being moved towards a barn; a man riding a brown horse wrangles them in, a border collie by his side. The way he pulls it off is smooth, and it’s clear that he’s used to pulling such a feat. However, what really catches your attention is the pair of magnificent scarlet wings protruding from his back. Now, you’re used to seeing some rather flashy quirks, but this guy’s is just… Wow.

“Hey, Uncle Iroh wanted me to come get you,” Ochaco’s voice says suddenly. Turning around, you see her standing in the doorway, a pleasant expression playing on her face. “We’re having oyakodon for dinner! Doesn’t a hot meal sound delicious?” And, as if to amp up your spirits, Ochaco licks her lips and pats her tummy. “I’m so hungry from a long drive!”

You huff in amusement. “Yeah, I am too.” Turning around, you catch a glimpse of the cows disappearing into the barn, that mysterious cowboy stationed by the doors. “Hey, Ochaco,” you start before realizing it, “but who’s that other guy that lives here? The one with the wings?”

Walking over to where you stand, Ochaco peers out the window, following your line of sight. “Oh, him? That’s Keigo. Uncle Iroh says he’s only been here for the past year or so, but he’s really good at what he does! I heard all the animals like him a lot – maybe it’s because of the wings?”

“Don’t you think it’s… odd that’s only a farmhand? With a quirk like that, you’d think he’d be doing something else.”

Ochaco shrugs. “I dunno. Maybe you should ask him sometime? Oh, but I’m really hungry! Can we go eat, now?”

“Yeah, sorry, I just got distracted…”

And so, you soon find yourself sitting at a sturdy wooden table, a bowl of oyakodon sitting before you. It smells utterly delicious - and paired with the tea Iroh brewed, you know you’re in for a treat. Just then, you hear a door opening and closing; there’s a chatter of some sorts, but then there he is, right there in the flesh.

Strong build, wide shoulders, blond hair that looks permanently tousled, and oh yes, those magnificent wings. Perhaps you shouldn’t be staring so much, but the sharp line of his jaw and intense eyes make it nearly impossible to look away. You’ve heard of such things, read about them in stories, but maybe, just maybe, you might’ve fallen for the guy at first sight. That, or he’s just too damn attractive for his own good.

“Howdy! Oh, shit, who are these two cuties?”

Or maybe not.

“Oi! Keigo! Can’t you be respectful for once in your life?” Iroh barks, popping around the other. He scowls as he slaps a wing out of his way. “Make a good impression for yourself. These two are going to be here for the rest of the summer, so don’t be an ass.”

“C’mon, gramps,” Keigo drawls, “you know I’m better than that. Plus, if they don’t like my attitude, then it’s not really my fault, huh?”

“Nothing ever changes,” Zuko says lowly, his words followed by a deep sigh.

You and Ochaco share a look. It seems like your Prince Charming is nothing more than a sarcastic asshat. How befitting.

“Liven up, birdies,” Keigo says, sliding into the chair directly across from you. “I don’t bite.” He winks at you. “Yet.”

Your entire body jolts at his proclamation. This guy really is shameless, isn’t he? Still, you can’t help but feel undeniably attracted to him. Curse his charisma, dammit.

“Aw, sweet! Is this oyakodon? Hell yeah.”

To the side, Zuko facepalms. Iroh merely chuckles and shakes his head, much like he’s way too used to this kind of behavior and has accepted it as it is. Hell, even Ochako cracks a smile. You, on the other hand, stare at Keigo in confusion. He has a bird-based quirk, doesn’t he? Does it not bother him to not eat chicken…?

Keigo puts up a hand, an amused glint in his eyes. “Look, I already know what you’re gonna ask, kid. I can practically see the gears spinning in that pretty head of yours. I fucking love chicken.”

Oh… Well, that takes care of that, doesn’t it…

-

After that first fateful encounter, you’ve grown used to Keigo’s ways. It’s funny, though, how he and Zuko’s personalities basically sit on either end of the spectrum, yet Iroh treats the both of them like they’re his children. While Zuko is serious and straight-laced, Keigo is more of a chatty free spirit. That said, you’ve also gotten used to Keigo’s flirty side. You suspect it’s because he likes to get a rise out of everyone. Whether that’s the case or not, your eyes often wander after him, stare down the hard lines of his back. Even better, you itch to trail your lips over the scruff lining his jaw. The guy’s too damn hot and he knows it.

Over the past month, a game of cat and mouse has started between the two of you. Him, trying to act all chummy and overstepping numerous boundaries. You, trying not to give into the weird relationship that’s bloomed between you and him. Sure, you might have flirted back, but what were you supposed to do? After all, Keigo’s proved himself to be a rather cool guy.

“You can’t keep spacing out like that, kid,” Keigo says, snapping you from your thoughts. Glancing down at him, you attempt to suppress your embarrassment, but Keigo’s too smart for that. Despite his relaxed attitude, he’s surprisingly intelligent and quite observant.

Hands tightening around the saddle, you scoff. “I wasn’t spacing out…”

Keigo cocks an eyebrow. “You know, if I wasn’t holding onto the reins, Nugget would’ve bucked you off a long time ago.”

This time, you snicker. You know that he has an undying love for chicken, but every time he refers to his horse as Nugget, you can’t help but laugh. This guy really is like a child.

“Pffft. Laugh all you want, birdie. If there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s how to ride.” Narrowing his eyes, he flashes you a sultry look. “If you want, I can show you.”

All laughter dies on your tongue. A spark of heat erupts in your stomach, makes your heart thump against your ribcage. He always manages to fluster you, to plant naughty little thoughts into your head. You swallow thickly. “I think… I think I’ll stick with Nugget for now.”

At that, Keigo shrugs, his expression turning into something more nonchalant. “Suit yourself. Seriously, though; you should always keep your focus while riding a horse. Anything can happen, and you’ll only know you’re fucked until you’re being crushed. Better yet, you’re flying overhead and end up snapping your neck. Hate to break it to you, but you don’t have wings to break your fall.”

“Keigo.”

He looks back up at you. “What?”

“Your wings. It’s just that… Well… Why help out on farm?”

Keigo blinks at you, no words slipping out. “Hah? What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Shit,” you say quickly, mentally cursing yourself out, “that’s not what I meant. You can fly, can’t you? It just seems like you could’ve made a name for yourself…”

“And become a hero, right?” You wince at his words. He hit the nail right on the head. “Heh. Yeah, I guess you’re right. I could spew a whole bunch of shit from my mouth and call it a day, but that’s not my style. I’m a hero in my own right.”

You furrow your brows. Remaining silent, you wait for him to carry on.

Keigo sighs at your implication. “Not all heroes wear capes or whatever. What about cops? Firefighters? Nurses? People who help put food on your table and help that old man out? Just because I’m not stopping some robbery doesn’t mean I’m not important.”

His words come as a slap to the face. He has a good point; actually, scratch that. He has a fantastic fucking point.

“I’m sorry,” you say after a moment’s silence. “That was selfish of me.”

Keigo waves a dismissive hand. “Don’t beat yourself up, kid. Nugget gets nervous if you get into a bad mood.”

Absentmindedly, your hand drops onto the horse’s neck, giving it a couple of reassuring strokes. “He’s a beautiful horse.”

“Yeah – well, until I bathe him. Getting up close and personal to horse cock isn’t fun. A bit degrading, actually.”

Slapping a hand over your mouth, you try to muffle your sudden laughter. Air streams through the cracks of your fingers.

Instead of his usual smirk, Keigo flashes you a genuine smile. You’ve only seen it once or twice before, but it never fails to make your heart stop. His whole face scrunches, his pearly teeth a startling white compared to his sun-kissed skin. Okay, so maybe you’ve fallen in love with this guy. It’s no big deal; you’re only here for the summer, so there’s no point in chasing after something you can’t have.

“What, did ya find that funny? I’m here all week, folks.”

“You saying you’re a standup comedian now?” you shoot back. “I didn’t know they accepted clowns on farms.”

“Ohoho, so you do got a mouth. Where’s that been all this time, huh? Would’ve made things a lot more fun.” Reaching up, he knocks his cowboy hat further back, revealing more strands of sandy hair and bronzed skin. “Listen here, partner. This town ain’t big enough for the two of us.”

“Oh my god,” you say with a snort. “You’re such a dork.”

Keigo snickers. “You know you love me.”

Heh. Yeah…

If only he knew.

-

Maybe you should’ve taken his words more into consideration.

Your instincts are more attuned to what could happen in battle, not for words. Besides, Keigo is a sneaky bastard. Most of the things that spew from his mouth are innuendos and pure sarcasm. He doesn’t really come off as a genuine type of person.

It’s whatever. You don’t like to read into things too much, and maybe that’s your fault, maybe it’s not. Who knows?

Even so, your eyes continuously drift over to where he stands. He busies himself with hanging Nugget’s saddle and harness away, his body lax. If one’s thing for sure, he definitely seems a lot more comfortable around animals rather than actual human beings. You can’t blame him, but what about you? Is he comfortable around you?

Clearing your throat, you turn back to the task at hand. Brushing Nugget down, you trail your hand over the coarse hair, the hard muscle. You meant it when you said he’s beautiful. Shiny brown coat, straw colored hair – he seems like the perfect match for Keigo.

“Cowboy Keigo,” you mutter. “Tell me, Nugget,” you begin, “does Keigo treat you right? Feeds you apples and lumps of sugar? A pretty horse like you deserves to be spoiled.” At the mention of his master’s name, Nugget whinnies. “Is that a yes? You’re avoiding the question, man.”

“Are you seriously trying to sweettalk my horse?” Keigo pipes up. Stepping over the stall, he hoists himself up onto the gate and straddles the wood. Wings sweeping behind him, he flashes you a peculiar look. “Didn’t they teach you in school that you shouldn’t seduce a horse? I don’t know about you, kid, but bestiality isn’t smiled upon around here.”

“Then what does that say about you, bird boy?” you quip. “Surely you don’t put yourself in that category?”

“Ooo, degradation. How did you know that was one of my kinks? Were you looking through my search history?”

Rolling your eyes, you set the brush to the side and join him at the gate. Climbing up, you mimic his movements and straddle the wooden beam. “Kinky cowboy, huh? Kind of has a nice ring to it.”

“Oh yeah. I’ve got the bedazzled white boots and everything. I mean, I’m already wearing the assless chaps and everything.”

“You sound more like a stripper rather than a farmhand. What do you think, Nugget?” you ask, turning towards the horse. Nugget merely snorts and shakes his head.

“Hey, hey, don’t agree,” Keigo tells him. “I’ve got to keep my secret life a secret, you damned horse. Help a guy out.”

“I guess your partner would rather throw you under the bus,” you say with a chuckle. “Good horse.”

“Now you’re just trying to hurt my feelings.”

“Cry me a river, bird boy. Or do I have to kiss your booboos?”

At that, Keigo falls quiet. The look in his eyes is unreadable, but the way his body tensed tells you something else entirely. Abruptly, he swings his leg over the gate and hops back down onto the ground. Aw, shit. Did you take it too far? It was only lighthearted flirting and yanking on his leg-

“C’mere,” Keigo says, offering you his hand. His voice is a lot more… soft.

With little to no hesitation, you take hold of his hand and get off the gate. You’re about to ask him what he wants, but then he’s abruptly pulling you to the side, further away from the stable’s open doors. Birds are singing outside, their sweet melody carrying along with the sweet summer breeze. It almost seems like an entire world away. A grunt escapes your lips as you’re shoved against the wall, the smell of straw and musk filling your senses. Keigo steps in close, the heat radiating off his body sending shivers down your spine.

“Listen here, pretty little birdie,” he drawls, his lips pulling back in a smirk, “but I may just have to take you up on that offer.”

Wait, what?

“What the hell, Keigo? Where is this coming from?” you question. It’s not like you’re against him being so damn close, it’s just… unexpected.

“Oh, right, like I’m supposed to pretend that you don’t gawk at me at any chance you get. You’re not very subtle, you know.”

Embarrassment heats up your insides, crawls up your neck. So this bastard is really going to rub it in your face, huh? Seems just like him.

“Then why didn’t you say anything about it before?” you hiss. “If it’s such a problem, don’t stay silent. You’re not the type to let things like that slide.”

“Who said it was problem?”

Keigo: 1 / you: 0

Spluttering, you try to gain control of your whirling emotions. This is not how you were expecting this conversation to go. Actually, you weren’t expecting this conversation at all!

“I know for a fact that you can’t get enough of me,” Keigo continues. “And if I’m being completely honest, I like it. You look so cute when you stare after me, birdie. Then you have the audacity to pretend like nothing happened whenever I catch you.”

“Is that what this is all about?” you huff. “Okay, fine. I admit it. Maybe I watch what you’re doing more than what’s necessary. It’s not my fault you walk around all the time without a shirt on or anything…”

“Normally, I’d say because it’s because I get hot when I’m working, but knowing that you were watching made it all the better.” He winks at you. “Gotta hand out a treat here and there, you know?”

“You really are a clown!” you squeak. Keigo laughs as you weakly shove at his chest. “You’ve been leading me on this entire time? What am I, a joke?”

“Hey now, don’t get ahead of yourself, kid. It’s not my fault you couldn’t come up to me like a civilized adult.”

Okay, now you’re fuming. “Keigo, you fucking idiot-“

Swooping in, Keigo cuts you off with a kiss. Unsurprisingly, his lips are soft; he tastes like citrus and salt, and before you know it, you’re looping your arms around his neck, knocking his hat off in the process. A huff of laughter fans across your lips as Keigo pulls back, his mouth hovering over yours. “Shit, I’ve been wanting to do that ever since your pretty ass sat at the kitchen table for the first time.”

You sigh. “You really do have a bird brain…”

You kiss him, again and again. Perhaps you should be ashamed that you have your tongue shoved down somebody’s throat rather than working, but there’s no way you’re stopping now. Like him, you’ve been waiting for this moment. The two of you have been tiptoeing around each other, rolling the tension back and forth like a goddamn snowball.

But fuck if it doesn’t feel good.

His hands aren’t shy, not in the slightest. Fingertips map out the ridges and dips of your body, seek out the spots that really make you tick. You bite back a giggle as he drops his mouth down your neck, the scruff covering his jawline tickling your skin. Your own hands trail over his body, tracing over the hard lines of muscle that hide beneath his clothes. Time and time again, whenever you’d see him without a shirt, you wanted nothing more than to run your hands all over him. This is your chance, now, and you’d be damned if you didn’t take it.

“Shit, shit, shit, not the wings,” Keigo pants into your neck. The scarlet feathers feel like silk beneath your fingertips; skimming over them, you follow their shape, feel how they get fluffier the closer they are to his shoulders. “Oh, fuck. You know just what you’re doing, huh, birdie? Playing around with me like that. Two can play at that game.”

Another grunt slips from your lips as he pushes you against the wall, harder this time. His hands shamelessly drift underneath your shirt, warm palms sliding over your skin. Your shirt comes off before you know it, being unceremoniously thrown to the ground.

“Fuck, birdie, aren’t a pretty one,” Keigo purrs, his nose bumping against your throat as he sucks another mark into your flesh. “I bet you’re real pretty down here, too…” Making quick work of your jeans, he easily slips them down your legs and you eagerly step out of them. “Don’t mind if I do, kid,” he murmurs into your ear before nipping at the lobe.

A weak moan breaks from your throat as a hand slips into your underwear and cups your sex. His hand is just so warm, and the roughness of his callouses causes your head to spin. Within no time, wet, sinful noises sound from between your legs, mixing with your heavy breaths and Keigo’s encouraging words.

“Yeah, you like that, birdie? My fingers feel good, huh? Wait until you get a feel of my cock.”

Spurred on by his words, you hastily unbutton his shirt, pushing the fabric to the side and running your hands over the swell of his pectorals, the ridges of his abdomen. A faint dusting of blond hairs covers his chest and arms; and, if you look close enough, more sticks out from the waistband of his jeans. Keigo hums as you continue to feel him up, his tongue pushing against the inside of his cheek.

“Like what you see? I bet you’ve been wanting to do this for a long time… Fuck! Not going to go easy on me, huh? I like someone who can bite back.”

“Has anybody ever told you that you talk too much?” you breathe. Fingers wrapped around his cock, your movements catch up to his in speed. “You should consider yourself lucky that I like your voice.”

“Oohoohoo, feisty. That mouth of yours is saying a lot of mean things today, isn’t it? Guess I’ll have to put you in your place.” He pauses, swipes his tongue over his bottom lip. “But, if I’m being entirely too honest, I don’t think I have the patience for that.”

“Keigo,” you pant, “I swear to Christ if you don’t fuck me right now-“

“On it, on it. Don’t get your panties in a twist, your majesty.” In hurried movements, he strips you of your underwear and shucks his chaps and jeans down. Large hands grip onto your thighs and then you’re being hoisted up, sandwiched between his rigid body and the wall. “Why, won’t you feel that,” he purrs, “I’d say it’s high noon.”

“Don’t talk about your dick like that, you dork,” you scoff. “Oh, fuck.” Another pleasured noise slips through your lips as you grind down against him, his cock just barely teasing your hole.

“What was that, birdie? You know what they say – sweetie on the farm, a freak in the barn.”

“You’re anything but sweet. Just – Keigo, please?”

“Alright, I get it, enough teasing.” Adjusting his hold on you, he flashes you a tiny smile. “Hold on, partner.”

A choked groan breaks free from your throat as his cock slides in, your velvety walls sucking him in greedily. That damned smirk of his stays on his face the entire time he fucks you, along with that devious glint in his eyes. His façade only cracks after you start stroking his wings and squeeze around his cock; if he wants to act like a cocky son of a bitch, then so can you.

“Shit, you’re fucking tight,” he pants. The smack of skin against skin fills your ears, right alongside Keigo’s breathy moans and muttered words. “Keep squeezing like that, birdie, and you’re gonna make me cum quicker than I want to.”

“You almost sound like that’s exactly what you want me to do,” you breathe. “A cowboy like you has got to have some stamina, right? Don’t tell me all of that work goes to nothing.”

“Jesus, and you called me talkative. Fuck, I can’t wait to shove my cock down your throat and shut you the hell up – I said don’t squeeze like that, holy hell. Dirty little head you got there, huh?”

“Shut the fuck up,” you mumble, yanking him back into a kiss. Keigo only moans loudly as you continue to play with his wings, quickly finding out that the spot where they protrude from his flesh is the most sensitive.

“Milk my cock, birdie,” he mutters between broken kisses. “You’re so fucking good to me, oh yeah. I should’ve done this weeks ago.” A startled squeak bursts from your throat as he abruptly strikes your ass. Sucking air through his teeth, he does it again, relishing in the desperate noises spilling from your mouth. “That’s right, birdie. Come on, make me cum. I’m gonna cum so fucking hard for you, fill you up until your belly’s bloated.”

“Keigo-“  You moan as his hand drops down, fingers furiously rubbing at your sex.

“That’s right, say my name. Let the whole fucking world know who’s fucking you this good.”

“Keigo-“

Smack.

“KEIGO!”

The knot building up inside you snaps; with a cry, you cling even closer to him, your velvety walls spasming around his thick cock as you cum.

Slamming a hand against the wall, Keigo fucks into you harder, faster, the wet noises sounding from between your legs almost deafening. “Oh fuck yeah, oh fuck yeah, oh fuck, fuck, fuck – ah- ah- ugghnn…” Burying his face in your neck, his hips erratically jerk as warmth fills your insides. “Still… cumming… fuccckkk…”

Your eyes flutter as he shallowly thrusts into you, the sinful squelch of his cum leaking out around his cock filling your ears. Slowly, he comes to a stop, his hot breath fanning over your neck and the side of your face. Gingerly, you let him go, completely unaware that your fingernails had dug into him in the first place.

“Well,” he starts, lifting his head and flicking away sweaty strands of hair, “that was eventful, wasn’t it?”

You scoff. “Tell me why I like you again…?”

“Oh, darling,” he drawls, leaning in and pecking the corner of your mouth. “I don’t think you like me. I think you love me. You aren’t very subtle.” He laughs as you smack him on the chest.

“Okay, fine. You’re lucky I love you, bird brain. Don’t go rubbing it in.”

“Silly birdie,” Keigo hums, his face scrunching into that wonderful smile of his. “I may just love you too.”

Wait, seriously?

“And no, I’m not joking or being an ass,” he continues, as if reading your mind. “What’s it called? Love at first sight? I dunno, seems like cheesy bullshit to me, but I… I like the appeal of it. It sounds nice when you’re involved.”

Your heart thumps against your chest.

Oh, fuck.

[drabbles-mc]

Company and Conversation

Juice Ortiz x F!Reader

Request by Anonymous: What about a Juice x TellerFemReader where Chuck picks up on her feelings for Juice, and helps her to admit her feelings to Juice?

Warnings: language, Juice being an oblivious lil cutie

Word Count: 2.1k

A/N: I know the request specified that the reader be a Teller but as I started writing, that bit didn’t really seem super integral to the plot so I just left it as F!Reader. Hope that’s alright! Enjoy some Chucky! xo

SOA Taglist: @garbinge @masterlistforimagines @adela-topaz-caelon @mijop @chibsytelford​ @xladymacbethx​ @i-just-read-stuff​ @kkim120​ @everyhowlmarksthedead​ @toni9​ @unicornucopia-fuckers​ @mayans-sauce​ @shadow-of-wonder​ @punkgoddess-98​ @paintballkid711​ @black-repunzel99​ @jitterbugs927​ @mrsstevenbuchananstark​ (If you want to be added to the list please let me know!)

You knew that sooner or later you were going to run out of bullshit things to ask for help with on your car. About ninety percent of the problems that you brought up to Juice, you knew what was wrong and how to fix it. However, it was one of the only ways that it ever got the two of you any kind of alone time to talk, even if it was just him asking you about what was wrong with the car and walking you through how to fix it. You could listen to him talk about pretty much anything.

“Thanks again, Juice,” you said as he shut the hood of your car, “I owe you one.”

He shook his head, a content little smile on his face, “You don’t owe me anything. But unfortunately, I think I’ve run out of free favors, so you do owe T-M a couple bucks for the part,” he laughed.

You chuckled, “Yea, yea of course.”

He nodded towards the office, “If you wanna go square up with Chucky I can get this all finished up for you.”

You nod, “Sure, thank you.”

You looked back over your shoulder as you walked over to the office to see Juice hopping into the driver’s seat. You hated that the sight of that instantly made a wave of warmth wash over you, your face heating up as you tried not to think about it too much.

“Hey, Chucky,” you smiled at him as you walked through the door.

He looked up at you from the desk, the same genuine smile on his face that he always greeted you with, “How can I help you today, Y/N?”

“Just gotta square up some repair payments?”

He tilted his head slightly, “Something else go wrong with your car?”

You shrugged, getting the gut feeling that Chucky was on the pulse of things around the compound, “Nothing serious. Juice fixed it pretty quick.”

“He must know your car really well by now,” he wasn’t looking at you as he pulled the paperwork together, but you knew the connotation of the comment.

“Well, nice to have someone around here who does,” you chuckled as you fussed with the bottom hem of your shirt.

He motioned for you to sit down across from him so you could go through the paperwork with him. It was a fast interaction, pretty straight-forward like things usually were with Chucky. You were signing the bottom of the paper as he ran your card. You could feel him looking at you but you didn’t comment on it.

“I’m sure he’d let you talk to him without having an excuse,” he said as he handed your card back to you.

“Hm?” you fumbled with your wallet as you heard what he said.

He nodded towards the parking lot, “I think Juan Carlos is just happy for the company and the conversation.”

“Yea,” you nodded slowly as you watched Juice scamper around the T-M lot, “maybe.”

You finished squaring everything up with Chucky and headed back out towards your car. Juice was leaning back against the door, keys dangling from his fingers as he texted on his phone. You walked up slowly, wanting to really take in the sight of him before snapping him out of whatever world he was in inside his head.

He heard your footsteps and looked up, a smile instantly coming across his face, “All set?”

You nodded, “All set.”

He pressed the keys into your hand, “Hopefully you’ll be set for a while,” he paused, smiling, “Not that I don’t love seeing you.”

You felt your face getting hot as you let out a nervous laugh, “Pretty sure you’ve restored almost the whole thing for me at this point.”

He laughed, nodding, “Pretty close.”

You twirled the keys around your finger nervously, “Thank you, Juice,” you fought the urge to step in and hug him.

Your hesitation must’ve been more apparent on your face that you thought because you saw the way that his expression shifted for a moment, “Anytime.”

You gave one last smile and nod before hopping into the driver’s seat. You turned the key in the ignition, taking a deep breath to get your thoughts in order as you did so. As you pulled out of the lot, you glanced into your rearview mirror and saw Juice still standing in the lot, watching you drive off with a smile on his face. You tried to subdue the smile that was fighting its way onto your face. Shaking your head, you focused your thoughts on the road.

“You know,” Chucky popped up, seemingly out of nowhere beside Juice.

He jumped back slightly, not having heard the man walk up, “Jesus Christ, Chucky,” he ran his hand over his mohawk, “Scared the shit out of me.”

“It’s good to stay aware of your surroundings, you know.”

Juice raised his eyebrows a little, chuckling, “Noted. What’s up?”

Chucky’s eyes lit up as he got back towards the reason he had come over to Juice in the first place, “You know, she’s here an awful lot.”

“Yea,” he agreed, blissfully unaware of where Chucky was directing the conversation, “Shit run of luck with that car of hers. Seems like its one thing after another.”

He looked over at Juice, trying to gauge whether or not he was purposely not seeing what Chucky had so clearly been seeing, or if he was really that unobservant, “That’s a considerable amount of bad luck in a short amount of time, isn’t it?”

His brows furrowed in confusion, “I guess so?”

Chucky let out a short sigh as he shook his head, “Awareness, Juan Carlos,” he turned and started walking back towards the office, “Work on your awareness.”

Juice watched him as he walked away, confusion still etched into his features as he whispered to himself, “What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

A few days later you found yourself sitting in your car in the T-M lot once again. This time, you had no cover story for being there, no mystery ailment for your car. It was just you, and your little drink tray that had a coffee for you, one for Juice, and a tea for Chucky. You nervously drummed your fingers on the steering wheel as you tried to muster up the courage to get out.

Taking one last deep breath, you cut the ignition, tucking your keys in your pocket before hopping out of the car and grabbing your drinks. You glanced over at the garage and saw that there were a couple mechanics around but none of them were from the MC. You scanned over the line of bikes and tried not to get discouraged as you walked over to the office.

You gently knocked on the door as you walked in, causing Chucky to look up from the paperwork spread out across the desk in front of him. When he saw it was you, a smile crossed his features.

“Y/N, you’re back,” he set his pen down, “Something I can help you with?”

You shook your head, “No, no. I just,” you took his cup out of the drink tray, “I brought you this.”

His eyes lit up, enamored by the gesture, “Really?”

You laughed, nodding, “Yea.”

He motioned towards the chair on the other side of the desk and you gladly took a seat. There were a million thoughts and questions resting on the tip of your tongue, but you kept them to yourself as you listened to Chucky talk. A lot of the time you couldn’t help but to think that out of everyone at the compound, no one enjoyed having a bit of company more than he did.

“Can I take a guess at who the third cup is for?” he asked, completely abandoning the previous topic.

It caught you a little off-guard as you sipped on your coffee, but you instantly felt the heat rising in your face, “I feel like you don’t need to call it a guess, Chucky.”

“He’s in the clubhouse if you want me to go get—”

“No!” you cut him off, immediately trying to regain your composure, “Sorry. Sorry. But, no, you don’t have to do that. It’s fine. It’s not a big deal.”

“A kind gesture is a very big deal.”

You chuckled quietly, “Right.”

“Is there a message being passed along with that coffee?” he lifted his cup to his lips, an intrigued look on his face.

You smiled, “Sometimes coffee is just coffee, Chucky. Just like tea,” you gestured towards his cup, “is just tea.”

“But there’s no reason for my tea to be anything more than tea.”

You opened your mouth to argue, but before you could, Juice came bounding into the office, “Hey, Chucky, you ever get those order forms for—” he stopped when he saw you lounged on the other side of the desk, “Oh, hey,” he smiled, “Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“You didn’t,” you shook your head, “I was just—”

“I was just stepping out,” Chucky rose from his seat, making sure to grab his tea as he did, “I can go get those forms for you. Keep Miss Y/N company,” he walked past him, whispering very quietly under his breath, “Awareness, Juan Carlos.”

Juice chuckled, still not sure what Chucky was talking about as he stepped beyond the threshold of the office. He walked over to the desk, leaning back against it. You smiled, trying not to get distracted by the fact that he was only a few inches away from you. Clearing your throat, you forced yourself to speak.

“That’s for you, by the way,” you nodded towards the coffee cup.

“For me?” he looked pleased but confused.

“Yea,” you chuckled, “a little thank you for always fixing up my car.”

He laughed as he took the cup, drumming his fingers on the sides of it, “You really don’t have to thank me. Honestly, I just feel bad that you always have so much stuff going wrong.”

You let out a quiet laugh, “Yea. Um. About that.”

He raised his eyebrows as he sipped on his coffee, expecting you to say that something else had gone wrong. You took a breath to steady your nerves, trying to soak up the last few moments before you said something that you weren’t going to be able to take back.

“Most of the stuff that I brought it here for, I could’ve fixed myself.”

He tilted his head slightly, “What?”

“I just, um,” you hated that it was so difficult to say something so simple, “I just liked having an excuse to see you, to talk to you. I didn’t…I didn’t really know how else to do that.” It was evident on his face that he was trying to process everything that you were saying to him. you fussed with the lid of your cup, “I was told that maybe I should just be a little more direct about it.”

“Oh?” his smile was soft.

You laughed, “Yea. I’ve been made aware of a few things on my last couple of trips here.”

“You know,” he chuckled softly, “funny you should say that. Chucky was just telling me the other day that I’ve gotta be more aware.”

“Aware of what?”

“Everything, I guess?” he shrugged with a laugh, “Never really clarified.”

“I, uh,” your face heated up, “that might’ve had something to do with me. And my, um, car issues,” you threw air-quotes around the words.

“Oh yea?”

“Oh yea,” you laughed, nodding, “I…I really like you, Juice.”

His eyes widened, along with his smile, “Really?”

“Yea, really,” you chuckled, “What did you think this was—” you shook your head, “Never mind. Anyway. I like you. And, if you’re up for it, I’d really like to go grab a drink with you sometime. The coffee doesn’t count,” you smirked.

He laughed, “I’d like that.”

“Yea? Okay, great. Any chance I could get your number, then?” you pulled your phone out of your pocket.

He gladly took it from you and plugged his number in. There was a giddy smile on his face and it was impossible not to mirror his expression. He handed the phone back to you and you smiled as you looked over the number.

“Great,” you nodded as you tucked the phone back into your pocket, “I’ll give you a call soon, then.”

He beamed, “Looking forward to it.”

There was a beat of silence and you looked over at the door, gasping slightly when you saw that Chucky was leaning against the doorframe. Juice whipped his head to look as well, having the same reaction as you. He shook his head, not able to understand how he was still surprised when Chucky popped up places.

“How long have you been standing there?” you asked.

He smiled knowingly, “Just the right amount of time.”

[aka-a-shii]

Day Out || Akaashi K.

Akaashi x F!Reader

genre: fluff

warnings: nothing just fluffiness :3

a/n: i am so sorry that this took so long ㅠㅠㅠㅠ i had been caught up with work and studying but here’s the last piece for the Oya Oya Dads Squad. i hope you love and enjoy this one.. thank you for your patience! 😘

the sun rays peeked through the blinds illuminating Akaashi’s peaceful sleeping face, you slowly bent over to his side and planted a soft kiss onto his cheek.

“wake up, sleepyhead”

Akaashi groaned in response as his eyes started to flutter open. he squints his eyes as the sunlight reflected on his gunmetal blue orbs.

“good morning, angel.” he greeted huskily as sleep still evident in his voice.

you gently press a kiss on his lips as he smiled thru the kiss.

“why are you still here? isn’t your appointment by 9am?” he inquired when he pulled away as his eyes landed on the clock at the bedside table indicating its already 8:30am.

you smiled at him. “Keita was kinda cranky when he woke up earlier so i had to tuck him back to bed again.”

he got up from the bed and wrapped his arms around you, his hands resting on your baby bump.

“you should go now or you will be late.” he stated. you gently placed your hand above his as you reached your free hand to ruffle his hair.

“will you be okay without me?” you asked.

he tightened his hold onto you and nuzzled his face onto the crook of your neck. “of course, princess. so don’t worry and just relax.” Akaashi reassures you.

he walks you to the front door and with a final hug and a gentle kiss on your lips, you left for your appointment.

Akaashi then trotted towards the kitchen to make breakfast for him and keita, he wore his midnight blue apron and reached for the ingredients from the pantry.

he was mixing the batter when he heard little padding of footsteps towards the kitchen, when he turned around, he saw his 4y/o toddler clutching his owl blankie on one hand and his owl plushie on the other.

“good morning, bud! you hungry?” he greets his son.

Keita gently nodded as he rubbed sleep from his eyes. “where’s mommy?” he asked.

“mommy went out to see the doctor.” Akaashi replied as he mixed the batter. he was then responded with silence and when he turned to face his son, he was met by keita’s glassy eyes.

“i-is mommy sick?” his voice almost cracking. Akaashi then turned the stove off and rushed towards the boy and scooped him up. “sshhh don’t cry.” he wiped the tears on his son’s cheek. “mommy is not sick, okay? she just went for a check up to see if the baby is growing healthy in her tummy.” he shushed his son.

“m-mommy and the b-baby will be o-okay?” he sniffled against his dad’s chest. “yes of course! mommy and baby are strong.” Akaashi reassures him.

once he had calmed down, he placed him on his chair and ruffled his hair. “why don’t we eat breakfast first then we’ll go meet mommy later?” Keita nodded enthusiastically in response as Akaashi went back to finishing the pancakes.

—

they happily munched on their breakfast, basking with each other’s presence as they planned their trip for later. Keita being excited to go out on a day-out with his dad after so long.

Keita was Akaashi’s pride and joy. he was so ecstatic when you came home one day with the news of being pregnant with your first child. as keita grew, Akaashi had already thought about having a second child which is why baby number two is on its way. Akaashi himself knew that being an only child is somewhat lonely and he doesn’t want Keita to feel the same as he grow older.

after getting ready, Akaashi finally adjusted Keita’s owl hat and headed out of your humble abode.

“where do you wanna go first?” Akaashi asked as he placed Keita on the car seat at the back of his car.

your son looked so enthralled as he spoke with enthusiasm. “bookstore!”

Akaashi lets out a chuckle and ruffle his son’s hair. “okay buddy.”

the drive to the bookstore was short yet the father and son duo enjoyed every bit of it. and as Akaashi led his son inside, he didn’t missed how sparkles on Keita’s eyes glistened at awe. “daddy! books! lots of them!” he excitedly grabbed his father’s sleeve as he pulled him to the children’s books section.

Keita got his love for books from Akaashi and its not the only thing he got from him. he was exactly the splitting image of Akaashi Keiji, from the gunmetal blue eyes, to the messy jet black hair and even the little mannerism of fidgeting his fingers when anxious. all good genes inherited from Akaashi.

they stopped in front of one of the bookshelves and keita took a book. he showed it to his dad with stars emitting from his eyes that definitely matches his dad’s. “do you want to get that one?” Akaashi asked and Keita nods furiously. “don’t you want more?” he added and keita just shook his head and gazed on the book he’s holding. “i just want this one daddy!” he beamed. the book keita took was a picture book of “The Little Prince”, you personal favorite. and at an early age, Keita had begun reading as one of his past time activities. you would tell him the story from hours to end and it never fails to amaze him. which is why he grew to love the story of “The Little Prince” as well.

as soon as Akaashi took the book, they roamed each aisle in the bookstore, scanning some new releases that might caught your husband’s liking. and when he found a book they went to the cashier and paid for their purchase. the old lady behind the cashier took notice that Akaashi brought his son. “he looks exactly just like you.” she commented and handed him their books. “he surely does!” he replied with a big smile on his face and took their books. the both of them bid their goodbyes to the old lady and headed to their final stop to meet you.

its was a warm and cozy cafe where you and Akaashi had your first date during highschool. the place held so many memories with you and your husband, and now with your little family. they settled on a booth near the window where your regular spot is. Akaashi sipping his coffee as Keita downed his blueberry crepes. the chiming bells caught their attention as you made your way into the cafe. waddling with your 5-month belly to their booth, Akaashi immediately stood up and guided you, placing a kiss on top of your head. “how was the check up?” he inquired and sat you on the chair besides his. “the doctor said she’s growing healthy and we have nothing to worry about.” you reached for Keita’s hair and ruffled it. “she also said that i just need to continue taking the supplements for the both of us.”

Akaashi smiled at that. “that’s good to hear.” and he rubbed your belly gently. turning your attention to your son, you asked him how his day went with his dad. “daddy bought me a book! let’s read it when we get home mommy!” he excitedly stated. “read it to me and my baby sister!” and that made the baby girl in your tummy to kick which made you jolt for a second. Akaashi noticed this and asked you if you’re okay. ���the baby kicked!” you said and immediately the worry washing away from your husband’s handsome face. Keita jumped out from his seat and rushed towards you. “mommy are you okay?” concern all over his face. you reassured him you were and that his sister just moved in your tummy.

you gently reached for his tiny hand and placed it on your belly where his baby sisster kicked. and with that, the baby in you kicked again and Keita definitely felt it on how his eyes widened as a big smile plastered over his face. “the baby is moving!” he exclaimed. which made you and Akaashi to laugh.

Akaashi stood up and volunteered to order for you, while you and Keita stayed and continued to talk about their trip to the bookstore. Keta told you about the nice old lady back there who was so nice to him and how he is really excited to read the book with you when you get home. despite being the splitting image of your husband, Keita’s personality was more like you, bright and jolly, but sometimes he also act like his father which makes him a mixture of you both.

Akaashi approaches your booth with a tray in his hands, a cup of chai tea and a slice of blueberry cheesecake just like you wanted. you muttered a thanks as he slides back to his his seat enjoying the company of his two most favorite persons in the world. a smile grazing his handsome features as he gazed lovingly at the two of you, slowly he reached for your and gently stroke the wedding band adorning your finger. oh how lucky he was to be your husband he thought, and he can’t help the swelling of his when you locked eyes with him and smiled back at him. he would never exchange anything in this world for what he has now and what the future holds for him and his little family.

Akaashi mouthed a soft “i love you” and held your hand tighter, reciprocating his gestture, you then gave him a kiss on the cheek.

“i love you too.”

you and Keita is his universe that he’s ever grateful to have.

Taglist: @whootwhoot @tsvvkki @mirikusashes @curiouslilbeast @saku-kun @chesley-cant-deal @clara-geekhime @michelepiekenma @raineedayze @kellesvt @lollypop-lam @kyomihann @doodleniella @akasuns

strikethrough = can’t be tagged

[graceslavenderhaze]

Hear the sirens, {connor stevens}

synopsis: After the shadow man was defeated their was no new supernatural anomalies in town, then you and your wayward family showed up. 

also this gif is lovethephantoms gif but I still can’t figure out why the handle won’t come up underneath the gif. 

another female requested reader however when referred to in the writing the pronouns are gender neutral.

This is part one of three!

The Midnight Society had finally settled back into life as it normally was. Gabby had passed her PSAT’s and gotten her permit, still working her way to get out of shadow bay. Hanna still heavily involved in her activism and getting more signatures than before hand on her petitions, making the world a better place even if it was one step, by herself, at a time. Luke back to focusing on school and wrestling, he was still benched for weekend meet for disciplinary due to being late to practice which gave him plenty of time to work on the science project he owed . Jai back to being the comic book nerd his friends loved him as, no longer feeling like he had to own up to any sort of standards when his friends loved him the way he was. Then there was Connor. Who found it harder than his friends to move on, it wasn’t that easy for him. His dad didn’t know what happened so he carried on with the fishing trips like usual. Luke and Hanna had started dating after the glow dance so he was adjusting to his best friend not always being available. While he knew that the shadow man was gone, something in him still felt dark. Like a part of him had been permanently darkened by what he’d been through. He felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up whenever he walked by cemeteries, or historic settlements of shadow bay. He pushed it all down and acted like nothing happened. But he still slept with the lights on. He still had nightmares most nights. 

The Amana family Coven had been around for centuries. It was one of the few that was a female centric coven throughout the dark ages in magic along side the golden ages. The eldest of the coven was Gaia Amana, whose daughter was Leticia Amana, they remain the only two witches in the coven. Leticia married Willow a human woman that had been orphaned in her childhood due to an magical accident claiming her parents. They had two children. Two daughters. One who was a Witch with the gift of clairvoyance. Another who was a Banshee with a generational blood curse. 

That Witch, with the clairvoyance? That was you. Your Sister was the Banshee. This was the story of your family and the magic deeply routed throughout your family and bloodline, biological and adoptive. Growing up with magic isn’t a fairytale. You never stayed in one town longer than four years, where there was witches there was hunters who never strayed far.

So anyone who had magic lived by three commandments for protections.

Thou shall not bear the knowledge of magic,

Thou shall not caress a practitioner of magic,

Thou shall not survive a witches love. 

By those three commandments your family was able to continue to practice their respective magic without worrying about witch hunts in town. But the times had changed from when your grandmother first took over the coven. It was the twenty first century and spirituality and supernatural abilities were somewhat mainstream, not the truth but the refraction of what was going on. It blurred the lines of what was actually going on. So when it was time for the quadrennial move, your mothers had chosen a small town in Canada. Shadow Bay. There was hardly any supernatural occurrence’s there. With the exceptional of a magic shop but witch hunters had standards so they’d never show up there anyways. 

You’d gotten used to the somewhat lonely routine of your life. The moving every four years, the secrets about your magic, while it wasn’t ideal. You loved your magic and you wouldn’t trade your abilities for anything else in the world. But having some solid friends would’ve been a nice start.  

The drive wasn’t the longest you’ve ever taken, it also wasn’t the shortest you’ve every taken either. The only difference was that due to getting your license recently your grandmother let you drive her car. You’d lived in a lot of placed over the years. Apartments, ranch, colonial, victorian. Now you were living in a cottage in the woods by a lighthouse. Pulling into the drive you passed a group of six people. Five teens who looked around your age and one who seemed to be younger possibly in middle school. 

“Keys are in the mail box.” Your grandmother said, you looked over. “That’s harsh.” You said unbuckling and opening the door to retrieve the keys from the mail box. If the group of teens weren’t staring before they definitely were now. “Can i help you ?” You asked turning around at the group of teens who were like you thought, were staring.

A tall blonde in a leather jacket and all black, A red head wearing an army jacket and docs, A brunnette with curly hair who had a denim jacket on, A tanned brunnette boy wearing street clothes, A pale brunette who had a skateboard not far from his grasp, and a little boy wearing a cap and a wand in his hand.

“Did you just move into the haunted house in the woods?” The brunnette in street clothes asked with zero hesitation. Haunted? “Jai!” The red head exclaimed slapping his arm. The blonde still was staring at you. Like there was this connection flowing between the two of you, you felt it too. “Sorry he has the social skills of a second grader. I’m Hanna Romero.” She said extending a hand towards you. “Y/n Amana.” 

“This is Gabby Lewis, that’s Jai Malyas, He’s Luke Mccoy, on the end is Connor Stevens,” So staring boy has a name. “And that’s my little brother Seth.” She said giving a full rollcall for you. “Sorry i just have to ask, the haunted house in the woods?” Jai said not putting his question down. Everyone turned to him and you laughed. 

“So you believe in the other side?” You said crossing your arms and raising your eyebrows. The group fell silent for a minute. “Well I mean is there really another side? Maybe all the funs having here.” Connor said smiling at you, lying. You didn’t need magic to know. You just knew the faces of people who’d experienced the supernatural and didn’t know how to explain it afterwards.

“All right then pretty boy.” You said slightly taken aback Connors eyes widened. “Are you going to shadow bay high once you get settled?” Gabby asked you. You nodded, “Yeah my sister and I are suppose to start next week.” Gabby looked at Connor and then back to you, “We could show you both around, give you the old razzle dazzle.” She said. You smiled, “Yeah i’d really appreciate that!” 

“No problem! Right Connor?” Gabby said, nudging him. You turned your eyes backed to him. “Yeah no problem at all.” He said running a hand through his hair. You nodded. “I should probably go but i’ll see you guys next week.” You said, each of the teens saying a goodbye to you and you got into the car where your grandmother was waiting, dropping the envelopes with the keys on the dash board. 

“Well that looked like a lot more than just getting the keys.” She noted as you started to drive up into the woods. “Just some local kids who offered to show me around when i start and also said our house is the local haunted house in the woods.” You said turning as the road winded. She nodded, “This town is going to be different, you can feel it can’t you?” You could and it gave you butterflies. 

That night after dinner you sat up decorating your room. You’d never had your own room before and now you had free creative decisions. You sister knocked on the door holding two cups of tea, “Tea time?” You nodded. You were older by two years, it wasn’t much but sometimes it still managed to wedge a gap between the two of you for certain subjects. She placed your mug down on your desk were you were placing posters up and she sat on your bed. “So Grams said that you were flirting with some outsiders type beat boy earlier.” 

You turned taking a sip, “I was not flirting. I might’ve called him pretty boy. But that’s the highest form of flattery rather than flirting if anything!” You said to your sister. “What if you date him? What if you fall in love and have cute babies?” She gushed. “I just met him!” You exclaimed to her turning around, “Oh come on, haven’t you ever wanted to date someone?” 

“I don’t date. We move too much besides there’d be too much lying. It would just be heartbreak for me and whoever i’m with.” You said turning your attention back to decorating rather than the conversation. Silence washed over and the question that had been on everyone’s minds was asked once again. “Is it gonna be different here?” 

You stalled, exhaling slowly. “You have the gift of clairvoyance, if anything you can tell out of all of us.” She said with excitement. “No i’m not doing it.” You said shutting her suggestion down. “Oh come on!” She persisted. 

“Astral projecting isn’t meant for figuring out if we’re going to live out our coming of age fantasies, it’s meant for real magic. I’m not doing it. If any clairvoyant dreams come to me, that’s one thing. I’m not chasing them.” You said breaking down the now empty box that once held pictures, posters and other wall hanging knick knacks. Your sister pouted, “Buzzkill.” She muttered under her breath, “Well were either of the girls cute and give gay vibes?” She asked as she finished her mug and placed it on the floor. 

“Ask them yourself. They offered to show us around on our first day. But no powers. If you want a relationship it has to be fully yourself no magic sire ties. Magic sometimes makes it messy.” You said unfortunately speaking from experience. Magic was beautiful but it doesn’t come from nothing, there is a give and a take. Like everything else in the universe. 

That night you found it hard to sleep, you usually had issues sleeping the first night in a new town. It was some sort of internal clock routine. You snuck out of the front door, for a house that had been around for as long as it had been it wasn’t the loudest. The floor boards didn’t creak every time you walked over them, the doors didn’t screech whenever you opened them an inch at a time, and the house didn’t settle several times a day. But for all you knew a spell could’ve been casted to prevent that. 

You found comfort being on your own. Having clairvoyance was overwhelming at times. You had no control over your powers, they never had a specific trigger, so naturally you just steered clear of people in general. You figured there was no way to be given unwanted visions of the future if you just didn’t have anything to do with anyone at all. Your own loneliness was your own fault. Walking through the woods you felt the feeling of dark magic, it was a distinct feeling that you hadn’t felt often but it was unforgettable when you did. It over takes you, like a wave but instead of being able to see through the water its ink. It’s heavy, and dark. It drags you under. 

You hear several snaps of twigs behind you and slightly startled you turn to see the animal or whatever that was behind you. Ready to cast a spell incase whatever followed was a foe and not a friend you gathered your hands in front of your body, “Either you come out or it’s going to be a bad night for you.” You called out into the darkness. Several more twigs snapped under what you assumed where footsteps as a dark shape came out from behind the tree. 

“I surrender!” The figured called out with slight fear in their voice. “My hands are up!” The voice sounded so familiar as they neared towards you. Once they were within eye sight you noticed it was one of the boys from earlier, Connor. “ Take it easy there cobra kai.” He said gesturing to your hands which could be assumed in a fighting position, which they were just not the fighting position he thought it would be. 

You took your hands away from the stance they were place in front of your body, “So, you enjoy taking walks in the dark and startling people pretty boy?” You asked crossing your arms. He lowered his flashlight so he wasn’t practically blinding you anymore. He laughed lowly for a second, “To be fair with the way i was snapping twigs, if you were startled that sounds like a you deal.” 

You smiled at him for second, “I’m Connor Stevens by the way, we met earlier but i don’t know you if remember me.” He said running a hand through his hair, a nervous habit probably. “Oh so you assume that you’re unforgettable. Not a chance pretty boy.” You said taking several steps closer. Slightly taken aback once again by your boldness for the second time in the one day. “I have a name you know.” 

“Oh so you don’t find pretty boy flattering?” You asked coyly, going silence after trying to create an argument. “Thought so.” You said smiling. His eyes stayed glued onto you, his dad has taught him better than to stare. 

“Sorry, i just keep getting this deja vu feeling but i would definitely remember meeting you.” He said unfiltered getting close enough for you to catch a vision, you back up slightly and he’s hurt by this. It’s written all over his face. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” He apologized quickly and sincerely.

“Oh no i just have this thing with physical touch, it’s nothing personal. You’d remember meeting me? Are you reading into my character?” You said with a slight cockiness mixed into the tone. He nodded, “No it’s just you’re literally one of the prettiest girls i’ve ever seen.” You dropped the flashlight that you’d brought with you. You rushed forward to pick it up as did Connor, both your fingertips grazed each other.

The images flooded through your head. You saw past images first, not older than a month or so. It was dark, he was in the woods running, then there was a book of spells it looked like ever other witches book, and then he was grabbed into the dark. Inside of something that looked like a lighthouse but rotted on the inside and there was absolutely no light. Then there was present, this moment right here right now. The future was the two of you in front of the high school, you guessed. Then it was just the two of you, your aura’s with a red string connecting them at the pinkies. But then it was him holding your hands as something tried to drag you. Then it was over. 

You blinked a few times before looking back up at Connor, “Are you okay? You looked like you saw a ghost.” He said with a slight laugh dropping the flashlight into your palm like it was burning him to touch. “Something like that.” You muttered lightly and standing back up. Silence washed over, “I should probably get back home before anyone notices i’m gone.” You said. He nodded, “See you around, cobra kai?” 

“See you pretty boy.” You confirmed turning around to walk back to your house for the night. Sneaking back in just as quietly as you left. You managed to fall asleep before the sun rose this time. Once you fell asleep, the visions still lingered on a loop. Despite how much you hated it on a deep level it was comforting compared to the nightmares that had a tendency to plague you from time to time. 

The next morning your family had gotten take out from the local diner for breakfast and during the morning conversation no one mentions anything that gives away your nightly adventure. Throughout the rest of the week you and your family continues to get settled into your house. You hadn’t seen Connor on any of your nightly walks through the woods throughout the rest of the week and as the day of starting school gets closer you just assume you’ll see him along with his friends. 

Your sister and you were sitting in the office after you’d gotten your schedules and other paperwork. “We have two student volunteers who offered to show you around.” The secretary said as she handed the two of you a peppermint, Slightly disappointed, going under the impression you’d get to hang out with Connor and his friends today. The door creeks open and you turn. Gabby and Hanna enter the office, you notice through the glass pane of the door Luke, Jai and Connor standing in the hallway waiting for them. 

“Ah, Hanna Romero and Gabby Lewis. This is Y/n Amana and Ramona Amana.” She said as the two of you stood up. “If you need anything during your next few days don’t hesitate to reach out.” She said sincerely, offering a comforting smile. Your sister and you both exchanged thanks before leaving the office. 

You saw Luke nudge Connor to which he muttered a shut up, you smiled. “Nice to see you again pretty boy.” You said smirkingly, Jai looked up from his phone. “Again, you went into the haunted woods?” He said looking at Connor, who blank faced. “Thanks for ratting me out. Besides, there wasn’t anything out there other than Y/n and their fists of fury almost giving me a black eye.” He said punching you lightly in the shoulder, laughing with you. 

“What’s the deal with those woods anyway? It seems like everyone has some story about them.” Ramona asked no one specific just wanting a general answer after hearing the endless week of comments. The group went silent, “Okay so like did someone get murdered there. Some true crime type beat?” You asked as you leaned against the wall next to Connor. Leaning your head on his shoulder, he leaned his head on yours after a few moments of hesitation. 

“It’s an unbelievable story.” Jai said as he looked at the comic in his hand with a confused look and then closed it, Ramona smirked. “Oh we know a lot about those type of stories.” She said standing next to Gabby. Both were stealing looks when the other wasn’t. “Where are you guy’s from?” Hanna asked with confusion and a slight laugh. “Where aren’t we from.” You said under your breath catching the attraction of the group. 

“We’re military, we move a lot.” Ramona said. The cover story that had been engrained into you both from elementary school. “Damn that must suck.” Luke said getting elbowed by Hanna, “I mean thank you for your service.” He corrected himself. You laughed a little as Luke tried to awkwardly save himself. You saluted him, causing Connor to smile. 

“Nice bracelets.” Gabby said to Ramona, she looked down at them before looking back up. “Thanks.” She said slightly flustered and blushing. “Mo you should see if you and Gabby have any classes together.” You suggested slightly trying to wing woman. “What? Oh yeah!” She said handing over her schedule eagerly to Gabby. Soon enough the two walked off. 

“So, Hanna do you have the list for morning announcements?” Jai said, Hanna met him with a confused look as did Luke. “Announcements? Oh yeah! We’ll see you guys after home room!” As they left Connor and you in the hallway. “Your friends really lack subtly.” You said as you watched them go down the hallway, Hanna arguing with Jai while Luke occasionally looked back.

“Oh you have no idea.” He said turning back to you, “Oh! How do you feel about horror movies?” He asked reaching into his backpack. “Top three movie genre. Why?” You asked, he pulled out a small “slashers rule” pin and handed it you. “A formal apology for scaring you in the woods the other night, and you seemed like you’d like it.” He said gesturing to your backpack decorated with pins and patches, you smiled. “I love it.” His nervousness seemed to fade with those three words. “I’ve never really had friends or anyone give me something like this so, thank you.” 

“That must’ve been lonely.” He said as you shrugged, it was lonely but it was also complicated. “Yeah but i’m not lonely anymore.” You said as you subconsciously ran your thumb over the pin and looked up at him. He blushed, you’d learned he did that a lot and quite easily none the less. 

“So you ready for the shadow bay tour?” He said pushing off the wall, rubbing his hands together. Students had started to clear out of the halls paying absolutely no attention to Connor and yours’ affair in the corner. “Oh definitely. Just so you know i’ve been to four schools over the past eleven years, so you’re competing with that.” 

“Oh it’s a competition?” He said with fake outburst laced onto his voice, you nodded with a sarcastic smile that turned genuine. “I think i can handle that.” He said as you two began descending down the halls of Shadow Bay high. Despite your own personal barriers and everything you’d ever been taught in your life, you were falling for Connor. Your better judgement knew that you’d pay for that at some point in your life. Sooner or later, you always did. 

--

hello my loves! This is part one of three and i’m currently working on the other parts! 

[pagesandmagic]

folklore || this is me trying

description: she left the outer banks two years ago and now she’s coming back for the summer. they haven’t seen each other since she skipped town without telling him. they’ve both hurt each other, so how do they come back from heartbreak?

warnings: swearing, angst, S L O W B U R N.

series based on songs from the album ‘folklore’ by taylor swift.

author’s note: hiiii sorry i’ve been gone for a HOT second. life has been busy and inspiration has not hit me lately, but here we are and i’m excited about where this is going. pls let me know if you would like to be a part of the taglist! 

Part One (the 1) | Part Three (mad woman)

her.

growing up, your favorite story was Peter Pan. 

the boy from Neverland stole your heart quickly and you dreamt of a place where you would never have to get old. the adults in your life always seemed stiff and unlikeable. they complained about being invited and not being invited to parties. it seemed like they were confused about what they wanted.

being raised in figure eight meant too many fancy parties with stuffy adults and pretentious kids. through most of high school, you would show up at the beginning, but sneak out half way through to spend the night surfing with JJ. he had always been your escape from the uptight life that your parents made you live. they had dreams for you to go to college or marry into money, maybe both if it worked out for them. but that wasn’t what you had wanted. 

college wasn’t your scene, you couldn’t imagine spending another four years learning about places and cultures, instead of actually experiencing them. you quickly wrote college off your list when you picked up a camera for the first time. at first, you was mediocre, at best, but eventually people were paying you hundreds of dollars to shoot their weddings in your first year. your senior year of high school, you created a name for yourself and through the power of social media, you was noticed by a multi-million dollar wedding company who offered you the internship of your dreams. 

your parents didn’t approve of the offer, but at eighteen, you knew you wanted this and they couldn’t stop you. you packed up your entire life into her little Subaru and left. 

this internship was the gateway out of the outer banks, away from kook life, away from the heartbreak, towards a new life. a fresh start. 

he would have asked you to stay, but it wasn’t that easy. JJ brought a love you had never known into your life, but he also brought a heartbreak you had never felt before. 

you had an hour left in your drive and as your stomach turned, you had to remind yourself that it was your choice to come back for the summer. JJ was a part of the package deal of returning. you pulled over to the side of the winding country road. in one swift motion the car door opened and you found yourself hurling out onto the dirt road. 

“I’m trying, I’m trying, I’m trying,” tears were streaming down your face as the anxiety washed over your body. there was a certain desperation in your voice that scared you. knowing that if you were near the side of the road, maybe your car would get just a little too close and you’d go tumbling down, never having to deal with what was to come. 

“fuck,” you slammed the door shut, breathing in through your nose and out your mouth, watching your breathing and gripping the steering wheel like it was a lifeline. as your breathing slowed, you shifted gears and the wheels of your car found the road again.

the love you had for him was still there and it scared you more than anything in your life. and here you were, driving straight into the storm that was JJ Maybank. 

JJ.

JJ felt like he was floating as he rushed around the chateau, to clean up the mess his friends made the previous night. so many things have changed, he thought, three years ago, there’s no way in hell I’d be doing this. which was true. when she left, his entire mindset shifted. she was the one person he thought he would have forever, and with the rest of his friends out of the outer banks during the school year, he had to grow up. 

john b left him the chateau during the school year. free rent in order to keep up the house? sold. he made the house his home. completely renovating the little shack on the water. it was the first time in his life he was fully responsible for something big, and he wasn’t going to fuck it up. so he kept to himself, fixed up the chateau, praying every day that it would pay off. praying that she would come back to him.

he knocked on john b’s door. 

“come on, man,” he yelled, “you gotta get up and clean, she’s going to be here in like an hour.” 

he could hear both john b and sarah groan and shuffle around the room. sarah opened the door, rubbing her eyes and yawning. “J, you need to chill out.” she said, making her way to the kitchen. 

john b was still in bed, his mouth hanging open, trying desperately to succumb to sleep again, “dude,” JJ threw a shirt at his face, “get up.”

“why does everything have to be perfect, JJ?” his voice hissed and was raspy from the early morning wakening, “it’s not like you guys left on the greatest terms, so what does it matter?”

JJ shut the door muttering a “fuck you” as he walked to the kitchen and threw the beer cans into the garbage which made an audible clang. sarah jumped as she closed the cabinet door. “JJ, chill,” she poured herself a cup of coffee as he paced around the house. 

“sarah, if your asshole of a boyfriend does anythin-”

“he’s not going to do anything, JJ” she leaned against the countertop, her face almost buried in her morning coffee, “he loves Fin as much as the rest of us. she left on a high note with us, but on a bad one with you, so i get why you’re freaking out.” she paused, thinking of the best words to say, “but you can’t let her see that. she doesn’t need to have that power over you. you’ll talk it through with her this summer. i’ll make sure of it.” she touched his shoulder as she made her way back to the bedroom. 

he collapsed onto the chair in the living room. closing his eyes and placing his head in his hands. “i’m trying. i’m trying so hard.” 

she was coming back. this was what he had been waiting for since she left two years ago. he wanted more than anything to prove that he had changed and wasn’t the same boy she left. 

her.

you wiped your hands on the side of your shorts as you pulled into the driveway of the chateau. you could feel tears pricking in the back of your eyes, and blinked in hopes of pushing them down. you put your car in park and turned off the engine. “it’s now or never, get out of the damn car.” you whispered to yourself through your teeth. 

the front door of the shack opened and john b was the first to emerge the little house. you stepped out of the car just in time for him to wrap his arms around your waist and lift you off the ground. it always shocked you every time he was able to take your feet off the ground. in no way were you as physically small as sarah and kie, your curves were prominent and there were times you couldn’t shop at the same store as the other two girls, but john b always made you feel just as beautiful. he smelt of a mixture sea salt and tea tree shampoo. it felt like home. 

“i missed you, Finny,” he smiled against your neck, it felt right that john b was the first one to hug you. he was the one who had been there for you the longest, and even though you didn’t want to admit it (because he was a real dumbass sometimes) his friendship meant the most to you. 

“i missed you, too, JB,” you said, as he broke the hug to kiss your cheek. 

sarah let out an audible squeak as she wrapped her arms around your neck. “it’s been too long!”  you both rocked back and forth. until sarah let go, knowing you had a lot of people to hug. 

pope and kie were next, it only seemed fitting that they both went in for a hug at the same time, forming a little circle. when pope left the hug, you grabbed kie to hold a little longer, whispering, “where is JJ?” kie could feel your hands shake slightly, clearly nervous to see the blonde boy. 

you could feel her playing with the hair on your back, “i’m not sure, Fin. he’s around here somewhere. i think he’s just as nervous as you, if not more,” she placed her arms on your shoulders, separating the hug. “he loves you a lot,” she whispered for only you to hear.

“well, he had a pretty terrible way of showing it,” you sniffed, feeling tears streaming down your face. the entire scene was so overwhelming. 

you had missed the sound of the waves crashing against the shore and watching the HMS pogue sway with the waves. you missed the salty air and the humidity that summer brought. you missed the sight of the chateau, while more fixed up now, just a little shack on the beach. you had missed this little family of yours. 

“so,” john b clapped his hands together. “dinner?” everyone agreed in unison knowing the pizza that was awaiting them inside. kie and sarah wrapped their arms around your shoulders as everyone walked up the steps of the chateau. 

it felt like a little piece of your heart was getting put back together. your friends were more of your family than your actual family ever had been. you breathed a small sigh of relief knowing the one person who you didn’t want to see wasn’t inside. whether you liked it or not, he would be around the next three months. 

stepping inside you could see the amount of work that had been put into the home since you had last left. there were new coats of paint, new pieces of furniture, and there was a wall of pictures hanging up of the six friends in the different seasons of their lives. even the photos you had sent of your adventures in colorado were up there. you felt your stomach drop with the thought that your friends never actually forgot about you. instead, they were always supporting you from afar. tears pricked at your eyes. it was like coming home. 

your eye caught a particular picture. it opened up an old wound you had spent so many years pushing down. it was you and JJ the summer before you left at the beach. his sandy blond hair pooling over your face as he looked down at you. it was a particularly warm day and instead of spending the day on the hms pogue, the gang had ventured out to the actual beach. it was one of your favorite days with JJ. you remember it being a day of snow cones and sandy butt cheeks and hitting a volleyball around the beach. it was like everyone agreed to fill an entire day with all of the summer adventures. it was a dream. until it wasn’t. 

JJ. 

he stood in the driveway of the chateau two hours after she arrived. 

while the outer banks always had an ungodly amount of humidity, his hands were sweating more than usual. he chewed his bottom lip, unsure of where to go or what to do next. did he wait for her to come out? should he just walk through the door? it was technically his home and she was just visiting. no, it was definitely her home once too. 

he ran his fingers through his hair, he knew he needed to see her. it had been two years since he had spoken to his best friend. but she was within walking distance. he could yell her name like all those nights after she left, but this time, she would hear him. he could run to her and wrap his arms around her waist and feel her warmth, her curves, her beauty and never let go. he could hear her laugh and listen to the stories of the adventures she’s been on, see the pictures she had taken. he wanted nothing more than to kiss her lips, and feel her love again. 

the outer banks wasn’t big. so the entire town had known what he had done when she left. it was clear that she was running from him, but he didn’t blame her for any of it. if he was in her situation, he would run too. 

he started to walk to the door, his legs felt like jelly, but it had been some time since she got there and he hoped she would be distracted by the others that he could just slip inside and listen to her talk from his bedroom. 

the first thing he saw was her walk down the stairs, she was barefoot and her skin a golden brown. her t-shirt came down past past her hips and he was unsure if she was wearing any shorts underneath. it was by far his favorite thing she wore when they were dating. her hair had grew and was now far past her shoulders and cascaded down the front of her chest. 

as his eyes came up, he locked eyes with the girl he loved since he was ten. and then his entire body went cold. 

[orangeseoks]

Trouble Maker // j.jk

part one - part two here

[ disclaimer! ]

this is of pure fiction and is NOT to be taken seriously!

genre ;; fluff, smut, angst | hybrid au

pairing ;; jungkook x reader, hybrid!jk x reader, (kinda) namjoon x reader.

notes ;; jungkook is a horny mf, reader is a virgin *cOuGh*, mentions of abuse, a few fights happen here and there, namjoon is a complete dork, (y/n) and namjoon are besties uwu, eventual smut, jk randomly finds porn, masterbation, (y/n) fights with her family + daddy issues, highschool is hard, jk has a virgin kink, surprise heats, jk has wet dreams (ovo; ).

warning ;; there may be quite a bit of fob in here, idk

[ unedited ]

[ all rights reserved @orangeseoks​ ]

"Wake up will you," a voice blares from beside me. I quickly jolt awake and look around me, "y-yes?" Rubbing the sleepiness from my eyes I stretch in my spot and sigh, glancing at the workbook I'd dumped so carelessly onto the floor. "You're such an idiot, why do I even bother with you?" Namjoon answers with a laugh.

"Namjoon, seriously? I'd only passed out, geez." Rubbing my temple, I stand up, a slight giggle passing my lips as I start collecting the few items I'd scattered around me. I'm normally at home around this time, not often do I sleep during studies at Namjoon's. 

I gently pack my things into my bag and make my way to the front door, slipping my shoes on. "Do you want a ride home?" He asks, tucking his car keys into the pocket of his pants.

Shaking my head I give Namjoon a soft smile, "I'll walk, it's okay."

"You sure? It's almost half past eleven," I merely nod and open the door. "If anything I'll take the bus home, see you!" Waving the older male goodbye, I run outside of his small house and down the street.

Namjoon, he's a lot older than me, like a lot. He's an adult and I'm still a student, many would think he's my tutor or something - but he's just a long time friend. Weird?

Humming to myself, I kick a stone on the pavement before I turn down an alleyway between two houses. This was my usual route home from Namjoon's place, it was a neat shortcut. It was always the best way to avoid a long walk, sometimes even people, I guess it’s just a fast escape. When I see the road come into view my smile widens, just across the street was a small corner store and I was dying to eat something.

Crossing the silent street, I make my way towards the store, accidentally inhaling the cigarette smoke from the group of males outside the laundromat. Coughing, I enter and begin to roam the few isles they had, grabbing a few snacks here and there. The smell of cigarette smoke still lingered in the air but it wasn't as strong as it was outside.

"Is this all?" The cashier asks me, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Yep," is all I respond with, taking out my wallet to pay for everything. "Which school do you go to?" The woman suddenly asks me whilst she packs everything into a re-usable bag, "oh um.. that school just down the street, I forgot the name." I let out a faint chuckle, my cheeks growing a faint pink.

"Ah, my daughter goes there too." With a warm smile the woman hands me everything, "be careful walking home it's cold out."

"Thank you," bowing slightly I exit the store, that disgusting smell hitting me like a truck. Scoffing, I cover my nose and cross the street in a hurry.  

A little before I got home, I'd decided to stop at the bus stop just a house away from mine. And now here I am, sitting there as I eat the sandwich I'd purchased. Watching the few cars that pass by me, "are you jumping busses too?" Flinching, I turn around to face the voice - swallowing my mouthful in a hurry. "N-No, I'm just sitting here to eat." Smiling shyly I fold the parchment paper that once was wrapped around my sandwich, lowering my gaze to the concrete below my feet.

"At midnight? That's new," the voice adds. Nodding I shift awkwardly in my spot, "I'm not going to hurt you, I'm only waiting for the bus."

"S-Sorry, I'm not used to this sort of thing."

"Me, social interaction or bus jumping?" The voice asks playfully, a small laugh passing through their words. "All of them I guess," embarrassed with myself I mentally facepalm - slouching in my spot. "Don't be, I'm only dressed differently." Confused as to why they've pointed that out, I glance up at them, noticing how they really are dressed differently. They're wearing a hat, baggy clothes and a .. collar? Or maybe it's a choker?

I clear my throat and nod, "not really. I mean, other people dress like that."

"Yeah well I'm not like other people," the voice answers, headlights hitting the both of us. My eyes widen when I see a glimpse of the persons face, they're beautiful. "Here's my bus," they finish - standing and entering the large vehicle. Leaving me and my lonesome once more, shaking my head I stand also, grabbing both my bags and walking the remainder of my way home.

Sighing, I look up at my steep driveway, never getting over how tiring it is to walk up it. "I'm home," I mutter sarcastically. A fake smile painting my features as I walk up it. When I reach the top of my driveway, I begin shaking open my gate, not failing to notice the obvious movement in the bushes behind my fishpond.

Furrowing my eyebrows together, I walk toward the bushes closing the front gate behind me and then pushing open an entrance for me, so I’m able to pass through the crowded greenery. "..Hello?" I ask the darkness of night, sighing at my actions I look around the area and see nothing. That is until I spot two perky ears twitching. "Oh-" Kneeling down, I move the rock the animal is hiding behind, spotting the small thing and frowning at its appearance.

"Poor thing, let's get you inside." I gently pick up the bunny and cradle it in my arms despite the constant thrashing it makes. I hum at this, rubbing gently behind its ears whilst I take out my keys, I unlock the unit house I'm living in and switch on the lights, placing the animal onto my kitchen table to examine it.

The poor bunny was coated in thick mud, a deep slash in one of their back legs, along with a few other cuts on them. “Lets clean you up, yeah?” With a gentle smile, I pick the bunny up and walk over to the kitchen - filling the sink with warm water.

“You’re safe now little bunny,” I affirm, turning the tap off and placing the tiny animal into the shallow pool of water. A small chuckle leaves my lips, watching as it squirms slightly when coming in contact with the warm liquid. Smiling, I get myself a cup and collect a bit of water to pour over the top of the bunny. Combing my fingers through its slightly over grown locks, I untangle a few of the knots in its fur before beginning to scrub the mud away.

I let out a faint laugh when the little bunny presses itself into the palm of my hand, “do you like me washing your fur?” As if it understands me, their ear twitches and they hop into my free palm. Smiling, I wet its ears, softly massaging the fur with my fingers, being sure not to apply too much pressure knowing how sensitive rabbit ears can be.

“I’m almost finished little bunny,” giggling, I wash away any extra muck before transferring the small animal to a clean tea towel, wrapping it neatly around the bunny’s small frame and returning to the kitchen table to dry it. Humming, I eventually finish drying the bunny and run my hands along its damp fur, “sit tight I’ll be right back.”

And I was, I’d left and come back in the span of only three minutes. A first aid kit in hand, sitting in front of the bunny I notice how it awakes from what I’m assuming was their sleep. “I’m going to treat your leg alright, it may hurt so I’m sorry in advanced.” With a concentrated sigh, I look at the injured leg, feeling somewhat relieved to see it looking better now that its been cleaned of whatever gunk was in it.

I apply a bit of an ointment onto the little bunny’s leg before wrapping it in a bandage, “jang! All done!” Clapping my hands together, I let a grin fall onto my lips whilst I pick the bunny up, pulling it into my chest for hug. “You’re such a good little bunny! I’m so proud of you!”

With a giggle I glance at the clock next to the tv, instantly frowning when I notice how late it is. I should be sleeping, but instead I’m cuddling with a stray rabbit. Sighing, I comb my bangs back and make my way to my bedroom, turning the lounge light off behind me.

“You can sleep with me tonight hun,” crawling into bed I place the small bunny into the arms of one of my teddy bears, smiling when it curls into the plush toy. Yawning I bid the bunny goodnight and fall asleep myself.

As sunlight passed through the bedroom curtains, I feel myself begin to stir in my sleep, groaning I turn towards my wall. A giggle leaving my lips as a tiny tongue flicks along my neck, licking at my skin, with a shaky laugh I open my eyes - a familiar little bunny coming into view. Smiling, I pick the rabbit up, rolling onto my back and holding it in the air.

“I think I might keep you, call you mine.”

Chuckling, I sit up and place the bunny into my lap, petting the small creature. “I’m (Y/n), and you’re..” Pausing for a moment I look around my room for a name idea, then it hits me. “You’re Jungkook!”

I watch as Jungkook jumps up, pawing at my shirt, “someones excited!” I exclaim happily, picking Jungkook up and checking the bunny for a split second. “You’re a boy Jungkook!” I yell, clearly as excited as him.

ding!

Cutting myself and Jungkook from our moment, I listen to my phone go off beside me, sighing I unlock it and read my messages with a frown. A deep groan falls from my lips, tossing my phone onto the floor carelessly - as if it’ll relieve my irritation.

“Namjoon’s coming over, Jungkook, he’s a friend of mine. He’s going to help me finish my leftover work,” smiling I cradle the tiny male bunny in my arms. Running my hand gently along his back, watching his small tail twitch. Giggling I grab his tail between two fingers and massage the area around it.

“Come on, I need to change, help me pick out my outfit.”

Jumping out of bed, I make it quickly, rearranging my soft toys and such. I then take out a few things from the set of drawers I have sitting in the corner of the room. 

“Which one? Twitch either your left or right ear to tell me,” I utter holding up both the chosen pieces of clothes.

The bunny’s head only tilts to the side, his right ear twitching, grinning I nod and make a hurry to take off the shirt I was sleeping in, pulling on the large sweater and shorts.

“Ta-da!” I do a little twirl, laughing when Jungkook jumps in his spot, his large doe eyes glistening in the natural light. Scoffing, I shake my head, a wide smile still plastered on my face when I open my curtains and windows.

Turning to Jungkook, I watch as he jumps down from my bed, landing on his side with a small squeak. I let out a snicker watching in awe at the clumsy bunny. His little legs working hard as he runs over to me, snuggling himself into my ankle. “Come on bub,” I murmur picking Jungkook up and walking into the kitchen to boil the jug as-well-as place a few pieces of bread into the toaster.

“What should you have for breakfast?” Looking down at Jungkook, I smile, shuffling over to the fridge - tearing a leaf of lettuce away from its body and grabbing an apple to go with the green he’s going to eat, “sorry if you don’t like it. I’ll try and buy you bunny food on Thursday, hm?” Chuckling, I jump a little with every step I take; rocking Jungkook like an infant in my arms.

“I’ll cut your lettuce and apple so its easier for you to eat,” pressing a chast kiss to Jungkook’s fur, I place him on the bench beside me whilst I cut the lettuce into strips. The faint sound of rain hitting the roof filling my ears, I sigh at this and place the shredded lettuce onto a small plate. Moving onto his apple, I begin to cut that too, eventually finishing that and placing the tiny chunks onto the plate also - moving onto my breakfast once I’ve placed his food onto the table.

Placing a couple slices of bread into the toaster, I take out the butter along with the jam as I wait for my toast to pop up. 

I jump when my toast is ready, laughing at myself for being oblivious to it. Humming a song to myself, I butter my toast - blah blah. And then walk over to the table, giggling when I see Jungkook face first in his food; his cheeks stuffed with his breakfast. 

“Cute,” I mutter, taking a bite of my toast and listening to the pelting rain hit the roof of my home. “I hope Namjoon doesn’t catch a cold, he’s probably drenched.”

Speaking of the devil.

My eyebrows raise as my front door slides open, Namjoon rushing inside and tossing his keys onto the shoe shelf beside him, he sighs and removes his wet coat - draping it over the back of a kitchen chair. “Unlock your door next time,” he complains, sitting down and combing back his dripping bangs.

“Sorry,” I say, “I didn’t expect you over so early. Its only ten,” Namjoon nods in response. His eyes shifting from me to Jungkook - too immersed in his feasting to notice the male in the room. “You bought a rabbit..?” He asks, examining the animal with his eyes, “no.” Is all I respond with, finishing off the last of my toast.

“I found his last night, his leg was injured so I took him in.”

Namjoon sighs, “what is it has some type of disease and you catch it?”

“I won’t, he’s healthy, a little beaten is all.” I smile sadly, moving my hand to pet Jungkook as he eats. “Do you plan on telling your dad?” He asks, plucking an untouched chunk of apple from Jungkook’s plate and tossing into his mouth.

I scoff, “no. Like he’s going to find out, he’ll only make me pay for everything myself, not to mention my sisters.” I find myself shivering at my own words, “if my sisters find out I have a rabbit in my house, they’ll smother the poor thing.”

Laughing, Namjoon nods, “I get it.”

I don’t say a word, only hum and allow Jungkook to hop into my open hand, “how much of the work did I need to finish?”

“Right!” Namjoon starts, placing the small bag he has with his atop of the table, “if I remember correctly you only have to finish your slide for history.” I instantly grin, history is one of my favourite subjects. I so adore history, I’ve always been a fan of the dark and interesting histories and wonders of the world.

According to my friends and mutuals at school I’m a, quote on quote; history whore. 

“Salem Witch Trials, right?” Namjoon asks, cutting me from my thoughts, “yeah, that’s it.” He nods, taking out his notebook as well as a few sheets of paper littered with words and images. “I’ve got some articles printed for you to use as reference.”

Thanking him, I run off to grab my laptop, returning moments later and sitting in my original spot. “I think you only have two slides left to make,” he murmurs, writing a few things into his notebook. I hum, opening my slides and quickly looking through my current work.

One slide left, I think to myself, glancing at the papers given to me. This is going to be interesting.

Groaning, I flop lifelessly onto my sofa, ignoring the grumbling coming from Namjoon. “(Y/n)-”

“Don’t you dare make me work any further, I’ve finished everything.” I retort, not letting Namjoon finish his sentence, he knows how stubborn I can be and decides to leave things at that. “Movie?” He asks, switching the tv on, “no - game.” 

Chuckling, Namjoon stands to grab the two controllers sitting in a drawer before handing me one and starting up a multiplayer game so the two of us can play. “Are you ready to lose?” I chime cockily, knowing how he sucks at this specific video game. “Ha ha, very funny,” he retorts.

I smile at his sarcasm, focusing my attention on the game about to take place, “loser.” I say, mashing furiously at my controller, knocking down Namjoon’s character with a simple punch. The male beside me huffs, puffing his cheeks out, “I’m no loser.”

And he wasn’t lying when he said that, I’d only blinked and my character had been knocked down with a booming k.o! I was shocked; he’d literally just beaten me, me! 

“Kim Namjoon!” I whine, throwing the small device in my hands onto the armchair across from the two of us, instantly jumping onto the broad male - tackling him into the cushioning.

He lets out a low squeak, squirming beneath me with a roaring laugh. He knows how competitive I can get, so why would he make me lose?

“(Y/n)!” He laughs, his hands unconsciously finding my waist as I resume tickling him. “St-Stop!” Furrowing my eyebrows, I pinch his waist before stopping and glaring at him, “thank you.” He pants, rolling over slightly and glancing at a certain spot on the floor.

“Oh hey little guy,” Namjoon spurs, smiling fondly at Jungkook. I notice this and turn my head to face my curious bunny, “come on!” I cheer, kneeling beside the couch and watching as he scrambles over to me. Burying his face into my hands the second he comes up to me.

I can’t help but grin at how cute he is, bringing the small animal towards my chest and cradling him. “He’s so cute Namjoon.”

“Are you going to keep him?” He asks, sitting up after tidying his tussled hair. “Mhm, I decided to keep him once I woke up. There’s no way he’s going back out there, poor thing must’ve been beaten before running off.”

“There’s actually been cases popping up recently of animal abusers, the authorities are trying to find out who exactly is doing this and whether its a group or just individuals, they’re also speculating that its breeder or maybe a owner of sorts.”

He pauses, wetting his lips before continuing;

“Oh- there’s also cases of people seeing .. well other people, but with animal ears and tails. No one has been able to prove if these sightings are true or not, but I guess that’s off topic.”

Shrugging, I continue to gaze at the now sleeping bunny in my arms, a wide smile gracing my lips. “Should we go shopping?” I ask the bunny snuggled into me, knowing it obviously won’t answer me. “Now?” Namjoon questions, walking around me and into my room.

“Yeah,” is all I say as I climb to my feet and place Jungkook onto the couch to retrieve my shoes from my room - a coat hitting me directly in the face upon my entering. “Put that on, it’ll be cold outside.”

“I know,” I say. “I know.”

[preciousthingsareprecious]

Finding Us Chapter 21

Alright! Here I am at last with another Tim chapter! I hope you guys enjoy it. 

AO3 Link

~

Tim couldn’t deny the excitement bubbling up in his chest at the idea of progress in the stalker case. It fueled his desire to keep moving in other directions, while he waited on Damian to finish his sketch he dove back into work on the Alkali case.

Currently, he was trying once again not to backseat hack as Barbara was finally digging through the Alkali’s files. After their trip to the physical location, Babs had used the access gained through Stephanie to create her own back door and they’d sat on that for a little while to make sure no one found it.

It was early the morning after Damian’s encounter with the creepy man and Tim was in the belfry standing over Barbara’s shoulder because there was nothing to currently do on the stalker case. Tim hadn’t recognized Damian’s sketch of the guy he’d seen, and so they were waiting on facial recognition to grab his identity. The kid’s sketch was definitely good enough for the system to pick something up, they just had to wait.

“Have you found anything interesting yet?” he asked, trying not to bounce on his toes.

“Lots. Nothing we’re looking for. Though, there is a guy here who’s last name is Bandersnatch, which is pretty cool.”

She was teasing, but Tim could also hear the note of warning in her voice. When she found what they were looking for she’d tell him, and he shouldn’t keep pushing. He sighed, and turned to step across the room, over to a mini fridge installed for snacks.

“Want a soda?” he called.

She shook her head, “It’s too early for that, toss me a tea.” she answered.

He grabbed a bottle of tea out for Babs and a can of orange soda for himself and moved back over to the computer.

“Thanks for helping on this.” he said, handing her the tea, then cracking open his soda.

“Of course, the sooner we get these guys the better.”

Tim agreed, and sipped at his soda while he played a matching game on his phone in an attempt to both distract and stop himself from tossing advice Barbara’s way. He got stuck on a particularly difficult level and found himself totally lost in it for a while, trying again and again to win. It made the waiting a lot easier, even if he also kind of wanted to toss his phone out the window and watch it crash at the bottom of the building.  

“Got something.” Babs said at last.

Tim looked up bleary eyed, blinking away red diamonds and orange squares. It took his brain a moment to register what she’d said before he stood up, the chair shaking.

“Great!” he hurried over to look at the screen again, “What’d you find?”

“Well, under the private files I found some that were locked with a password, after cracking that I found these.”

The file she’d opened was filled with unreadable text.

“It’s encrypted?” Tim asked.

“I think it’s some kind of cypher. See it follows a sort of pattern. Nothing too overt or easy like a caesar cipher. It’s got to have a key.”

Tim hummed, she was right, the text was filled with letters and numbers and broken up in a way that looked like lines of real text, if they’d been in any kind of legible order.

“Well then we’d better get to cracking it.”

They worked for a couple hours trying to figure out what cypher had been used, and testing various codes to no avail. Eventually they decided to give it some time to breathe, and their brains time to think of new ideas. Babs forwarded him the files so he could keep looking over them later and Tim left her to work on other projects.

As he was leaving, he found Cassandra waiting for him down at the base of the Belfry. She was eating a cinnamon roll like it was a doughnut.

“Hey.” she said, handing him a cup of coffee, and shaking her wrist and the plastic bag hanging off it.

Tim took the offered cup, then tugged the bag off her free hand checking inside. A second cinnamon roll sat tucked into a nest of napkins. He fished it out, careful not to spill his drink then copied Cass, taking a huge bite out of the side.

It was still warm, and the taste of cinnamon and sugar danced across his tongue in a way that made him think of home. Of early Saturday mornings with Alfred, stirring together a bowl of butter, sugar, and cinnamon so the man could carefully spread it across dough. Or of Bruce dropping off a few in his room, ruffling his hair, and telling him he should probably finish his homework before working on another case.

“Ready to head back?” she asked.

He washed down the bite of bread with some coffee and nodded, “Yeah, I think Babs and I have done all we can. How’re things back at the manor?”

Cass shrugged, “Everyone is still waiting on the results of the search, so they all split up to work on other things.”

They moved to the car Cass had brought to pick him up in, it was one of Bruce's many cars, black and not too fancy. Tim held a hand out for the keys and after an eye roll Cass dropped them in his palm.

“I drove here.” she argued.

“You drive too fast for me and my coffee.” he replied.

“Fair.” she shrugged.

As Tim pulled away from the clocktower, still munching on his cinnamon roll Cass pipped back up.

“Can we stop at the craft store?”

He glanced at her, “Sure, but why?”

“Damian wanted some more colored pencils. He sent a list and asked me to stop if I had time.” She tugged a crumpled piece of paper out of her pocket and opened it to show him.

A detailed list of colors, brands, and what not to buy’s filled the page in Damian’s neat, tight, handwriting. Tim was surprised to find a little picture of a dog at the bottom of the page, it wasn’t as detailed as Damian usually did, and smiling for some reason.

“He drew it as a thank you, and promised to make me a better one with the pencils.” Cass said, catching where Tim’s eye had fallen, then she added, “Eyes on the road.”

Tim flicked the turn signal on the car to indicate he needed to go left, towards the craft store Damian frequented, “Why didn’t he come if he wanted to restock?”

Cass shrugged again, and folded the paper instead of crumpling it back up. She set it in her lap, fingers tapping on the paper with gentle tip taps.

Damian rarely missed a chance to get his own art supplies. He was as picky about them as Tim was over film or lenses for his cameras. Sure it was just a few replacement pencils, but even those Tim knew Damian would linger over for an hour if he was left to it. He wondered briefly if his mild concussion had anything to do with staying home. Maybe Alfred had told him he couldn’t leave? But no, it had been days at this point, he was probably cleared at last for most activities.

Maybe it was because he knew Cass was headed to pick up Tim.

He tried not to think too hard on that thought. They hadn’t really talked much lately. Both had been busy with their own things, and besides that, they didn’t really talk a lot to begin with. He’d thought they were doing better, but at the same time Tim knew they weren’t.

Tim reached out to snatch his coffee and take a sip from it. Now that he thought about it, maybe they were doing better after all. Damian had called him by his first name the night before. And he’d gone looking for clues as to Tim’s stalker. A queasy feeling bubbled up in Tim’s stomach. He’d been quick to dismiss Damian’s attempted apology back when they’d been at the mall, and now he was starting to wonder if he'd been really trying to mend that bridge. T im loved the idea of having a little brother, and way back when he'd first met Damian he'd been happy to have one, for all of two seconds. Still, sometimes he thought they had found that perfect spot of being siblings, and other times it felt like there was a gaping hole between them. Especially lately.

He pulled into the store’s parking lot not even realizing they’d made it there, his body on autopilot. Cass cheered as she climbed out of the car, and Tim stayed quiet.

When he looked up at the storefront he figured it out.

He might be jealous. Of the squirt.

Maybe it wasn't their past that was bothering him so much lately, but their present. Tim thought he'd shaken off those feelings in regards to Jason and Damian, but maybe he hadn't. Even in the wake of the family’s eyes turning on him Tim still couldn’t stop thinking about how Damian seemed to draw everyone in all the time. Dick, then Jason, Bruce with his fretting after they’d gotten hurt. It was--it was like he fit in a way Tim couldn’t quite imagine himself fitting again.  Like they were both the same piece, and there was only one spot left on the puzzle, and Damian had swooped in just in time to fill it. Even now, he felt odd about the attention. Like the moment everything was done his family would stop looking at him again. Stop seeing Tim, because he’d messed up. He’d failed to be the one to fix everything and he no longer deserved to be seen.

“Tim?”

“Coming!” he said, locking the car door.

Inside he was hit with the smell of paint and paper. The whole place was a kaleidoscope of colors and supplies crammed together in a space that should have felt cluttered, but instead actually seemed homely. He followed Cass to the pencils and held each as she selected them, reading Damian’s list carefully, then making Tim double check “ just in case” .

He thought they’d be in and out, but once they’d found Damian’s stuff Cass insisted on browsing. Tim followed her, feeling a bit like Titus pattering after Damian as he instructed the dog on something very un-dog-like and soon his arms were full.

Cass had added extra packs of less high quality colored pencils, crayons, thin markers --not thick, because apparently those didn’t trace well-- and made him pick out a coloring book. She selected one full of animals, and Tim picked one that was more abstract. Like black and white stained glass. He and Cass locked eyes on an adult swear word coloring book and both grinned.

“For Jason?” Tim asked.

“And one for Dick.” Cass grinned.

Soon they’d selected adult coloring books for the whole family. Some simply because they knew they’d get a laugh out of them, and others from the knowledge of the recipient getting genuine delight from it.

By the time they left, Tim was feeling better. His day brightened even more when Cass hooked an arm through his at home, and dragged him into the living room.

“We are going to color and watch She-Ra.” she declared.

He could have argued and said he had work to do. But he knew Cass would tell him a break was good. And wasn’t that what he’d just told Babs? He could have fallen into other cases or dug out his 3Ds to play some Animal Crossing. But the best idea in the whole world right then was sitting on the floor and coloring with his sister, and he wasn’t going to pass it up.

He filled in two whole pages, first lined with marker --Cass had been right about the thin ones-- then colored in as dark as he could with his own box of colored pencils. At some point the sounds of She-Ra had been turned down as he and Cass chatted about everything.

She told stories of an adventure with Steph. He talked about Mindbender and how weird it was to have Jason in the house again. Then about how cool it was to have Jason in the house. Cass told him about a ballet she’d seen. All of it, whether it was little nothings or big changes, ebbed and flowed to the scritch scritch of pencil on paper, and legs folded up or kicked into the air.

At some point, Alfred brought in cocoa and water. Then sandwiches. Dick breezed through and gasped over his book, stopping to color in all of an F before getting bored and breezing back out. Jason cackled over his book, and then genuinely thanked them for thinking of him. Damian collected his pencils, didn’t complain about a single one, and stared at his own book of animals to color like it was made of gold before tucking it under an arm and scurrying away.

Bruce stayed the longest, lounging on a couch to add his own commentary between theirs, infrequent, but enough to say “I’m here, I’m listening, I love you.” before he too was called away. He planted a kiss on each of their heads before leaving.

It was Stephanie who broke up the peace. Showing up like a tornado, and stirring them from settled spaces into laughter. They traded pencils for controllers and fired up Smash Brothers for a wholly different, but still perfect, adventure.

There, surrounded in waves by his family Tim wondered if he’d been wrong earlier. If maybe the puzzle had room for all of them. And every time someone new came in, it just expanded and made room for them. He certainly felt like he fit in, and it was really nice.

[randombtsprincessa]

Alchimia || 1

All Rights Reserved. © RandomBTSPrincessa, Tulips98.

Author: Randombtsprincessa

Characters: Park Jimin x Reader | Multiple characters (1st POV)

Words: 5k

Genre: Angst, Fluff, Smut, Hurt & Comfort, all the goodness!

Rating: PG! 

Summary: You’re the classic misfit in fantasy. Cue your entrance in the world of Alchimia where magick meets sinisters goals and mystery lurks in every corner. Safe is not something you expect to be at Alchimia Academy. 

Playlist: Gnosiiis - Kimbra

Warnings: Mentions of bullying, mentions of magic related violence, school (yep), minimal swearing.

A/N: Hopefully, this is the final rewrite of Alchimia. Please someone take my keyboard away.

The night air was chill, the scent of damp earth and dewy leaves carried upon a soft icy breeze. The forest is meant to be beautiful, considering how deeply natural it really was. No artifice, no human interference, it was inherently…a being.

So the sharp crack of a footfall on dried leaves, not only made the leaves crumble but also the illusion of blissful isolation.

A head jerked to the right, swathed in a too black cloak. The figure had been standing so still that it was impossible to discern that there had been in fact, someone standing in that particular spot.

“You’re late.”

Perhaps it was the coldness of the voice, or perhaps the woods but the new addition sighed, breath pooling out of their mouth to curl into mist.

“I couldn’t disappear by leaving my engagements. It’s a cause for curiosity, if not suspicion and we cannot afford either.”

They watched, as the first figure turned, the edge of that deep obsidian cloak barely brushing their ankles. “I suppose; it was a relief to be able to do the ritual myself. I didn’t need your assistance at all.” There was something caustic about the tone – almost cruel and it brought an irritated grunt to the companion’s lips.

“Then, pray tell, why did you drag me out to such a vile locale?”

“Shush,” There came a swift admonishment, “The trees can hear everything. You’d do well to remember where we stand. It won’t do to make such powerful enemies.”

“Aside from the ones we’ll make if we are ever found out…what about that? Have you thought at all about that one important scenario?”

There was no response, but it was clear that it wasn’t due to uncertainty, or doubt. It was plain avoidance.

The figure grunted again.

“The school year begins soon. I suppose we must wait for it to end to carry out our plans?”

“If we play our cards right, we might not have to wait at all. The ritual is sure to work and we’ll know soon enough.”

“Provided one arrives at the Academy, of course,”

“Unlike you, I have reputable sources. I know for a fact, there will be someone powerful enough for our needs. All we need to do is simply keep a close watch and then act swiftly.”

There was a pause before a small fire blazed into an open palm, the sudden wash of heat and light causing ruffled animals to take off, disgruntled.

The fire was aimed towards the first figure. “You seem sure. Yet you refuse to share your plans, what am I to do?”

“If you cannot find what we need, then it’s better for you to remain ignorant, my unreliable friend.”

“I didn’t think we were friends.” The figure chuckled, watching the other turn away, walking deeper into the woods. If there was one thing they weren’t ignorant about, was that it was best to not follow.

Instead, the palm of fire was lowered, dissipating into the chill as they both parted ways.

Somewhere far away from the chill, amid warm blankets and smooth velvets, a pair of eyes snapped open with a gasp, forgotten nightmares clinging to the dilated pupils.

The blankets felt too hot on my skin, almost claustrophobic as I desperately fought with the covers to free myself. One foot managed to connect with the cooler floor, followed by the other and I could sit up finally, leaning heavily on my arms to brace against the fact that I was at home, in my bed and my hands…well, my hands were not turning into explosives.

It seemed like an almost too short a period of time – from the pushing, from the snarky remarks, from the loud laughter that followed me in hallways. It seemed too close – the times when unknown hands met my unsuspecting body, thrown around as if I was no more than another ball.

And the final onslaught; it felt as if the incident had just happened yesterday…and not a whole month prior.

A burning heat rushed up my arms, starting at the tips of my fingers, tingling and then forming a scorch that ended around my elbows. I picked them up, unwilling to burn through yet another expensive bedding. The jagged flames engulfed nearly all my arm, and even though the heat was uncomfortable, sometimes even painful – it wasn’t so at the moment.

No, this was…this was a different pain. This was a dull ache that wouldn’t disappear from my chest…long after the flames had subsided.

I was an Alchemist.

I was an Alchemist from a family of renowned Alchemists.

And I was a complete and utter disappointment – and a disaster.

It was one thing to have vestiges of power rush out from an untrained Mage’s being. It was never rare. Of course, it was near unheard of that a Mage caused explosions from said power surges.

Well, as clichéd as it was, I was the exception.

Not because I was too powerful to contain these surges, no, it was because I was too weak to hold in anything. I was a problem, not a potential.

These ‘surges’ were uncontrollable, unpredictable as to their scale. And they hurt…they hurt more than just me.

And the incident had been the breaking point; I was dangerous…and I needed to be sent away.

I was being sent away and I couldn’t complain.

It was usual to see my grandparents already sitting at the breakfast table when I came down for breakfast. My grandfather would read the paper, almost always snorting at what he called “mortal absurdities” and my grandmother would smile in her tolerant way and murmur about how we had nothing to be concerned about.

The routine was comforting – both sides reassuring that I did not actually, have to worry myself with human matters.

Of course that was before I blew up my last school.

So it was jarring, coming down to see my parents occupying one side of the breakfast table, no paper in my grandfather’s hands, and an unnatural purse to my grandmother’s lips.

“Y/N,” My mother’s voice cracked out against the soft wooden walls. “Come sit down.”

I gulped.

Y/M/N Y/L/N was one of the foremost Alchemists in the field of transmutation and she held her title with great pride. It was common knowledge at least to me that she was the most disappointed in how her only daughter had turned out.

Not that you could blame her…I suppose.

“Yes mother,” I agreed quietly, taking my chair as unobtrusively as possible, appearing smaller than I was.

Mother sighed, taking a sip of her china tea cup and then fixing me with an unimpressed glare. “I suppose you know what this is about, child. We cannot – cannot – afford to have this kind of attention to us.”

“Yes mother.”

“You’ll find yourself lucky. Humans are painfully oblivious and disbelieving towards anything that is Mage and we did not have to waste time or energy trying to convince the school it was anything but a gas line explosion.”

My ears pricked.

“And they believe that? They all saw me; even the coach. He didn’t say anything?”

Mother narrowed her eyes. “It’s harder to appear normal if you go about saying that you saw a girl make a gymnasium explode when no explosives were found. Like I said, we were lucky. But we cannot have this becoming a trend, Y/N, not when it’s getting harder to…for you – to control yourself.”

I gulped again, but nodded.

She was right. My surges had begun small, light flares of magic overflowing from my fingertips when I flushed from embarrassment, or when my body thudded to the floor with a cruelly aimed shove. The last surge had been a mixture of everything – and had endangered so many people, not all bad.

So when my mother told me about sending me to Alchimia Academy, all I could do was silently nod and accept it. I didn’t have a wet mouth to be able to gulp this time.

My father’s eyes flickered this time, usually laid back but not indolent, he’d been silent in my mother’s decision – but I knew; he felt at his wit’s end. There was nothing he could do to help me as of now but this.

“You’ll be safe there, darling. Our entire family went to Alchimia, and we trained under their supreme guidance. You will not only be able to control and learn to use your powers, you’ll also be able to make friends there – have another chance at pursuing your own life.”

“I know,” I tried to smile. “I think I’d like to go.”

That wasn’t completely true.

Would I like to have more control over my powers? Would I like to feel safe and among people who would have a better chance at protecting themselves than my former classmates? Would I like to make friends? Yes.

Did I have a shot at a proper life if I went to Alchimia? Without a doubt…it was the best school in the country for Mage people.

Did I want to leave the security of the old stone manor, the comfort of my grandparents’ arms?

No, I did not.

But I had no other choice.

It was early in the morning when my father packed me up in the car, the driver quietly pulling away from my grandparents’ estate. My grandmother wrapped her arms around my shoulders, soft murmurs of reassurance echoing in my ear.

It was going to be all okay…I would be in good hands…I was strong enough to handle this…

My grandfather was more realistic. He clamped a hand first on my head and then my shoulder.

“You’re a brave girl, Y/N. If there is anyone who can go through what you did and hold her own at Alchimia, it’s you.”

I smiled ruefully up at the wise aged man. How could he think that of me? Someone who hadn’t even managed to bloom her powers until it was too late and nearly blown Mage cover for the entire world?

It made no sense but I wasn’t going to disappoint them any further.

My mother didn’t say much. One arm came to hug me to her chest, stiff in her affection and silent in her words.

“You be good, Y/N and make us proud.” She said finally, just as the car door shut me away from her.

Alchimia Academy was located deep in the wooded countryside, my father said. With the protection of the massive trees and thick foliage of the forest, it also had magically constructed water sources like rivers and lakes that supplied the school with streams, cutting through the campus for access to the elementals and water nymphs.

The heavily fortified and warded school was the safest place for in-training Mages…but not one of them would be out of control and threatening like I was.

Especially as an Alchemist, I was already on top of the food chain…and the prey would gather to protect themselves.

I was an outcast even before I had stepped foot in the school.

There was near to no conversation between me and my father as the sedan peeled through the asphalt. As the sky turned from a brooding gray to a stunning pallet of morning pinks and oranges, the tar changed to fine dust, small trees giving way to larger heights.

“The wards will begin soon enough.” My father said around late noon, “Mage blood is required to be able to pass the entrance wards. We will be at the school in time for the orientation.” He checked his watch.

I didn’t reply; too enamored by the soaring greenery that hid untold secrets.

Just as my father had said, the ground began to change, turning to a lush lawn with flagstones set in for a driveway. I leaned towards the window, catching my first sight of what was going to be my home for the next three years.

Surrounded by the luxurious greens and browns, Alchimia loomed tall and proud, nothing about it seemingly welcoming. It was part of the Magick; of course, making people who stumble across it feel a dense sense of terror that would never allow them to linger close.

I hoped to god it felt cozier inside as we raced up the curving stones. Spires hung far back, where the older, more gothic structures remained from the original time it had been built in. The outward façade was made of lighter slate rock, gleaming windows facing the woods and a cherry entrance marking the entry and exit. The roundabout swirled around a huge fountain, clearly sourced by the many streams that pooled the campus and it sprung high enough to be visible from farther in the drive.

When the car paused in front of the mighty double doors, they automatically swung open, a lady standing right at the opening as if she was expecting the incoming.

“We’re just in time. Come, Y/N,” My father muttered, opening his door before the driver could even step out. The younger man rushed to open mine, my lips offering him a small smile of thanks as I went to stand next to my father.

We waited till the lady had glided down.

Her hair was rolled into 40s waves, clean and sweeping off her face. Big eyes gave her the impression of being younger than she probably was and the grin she bore wasn’t unfriendly. Her grey suit glittered in the sunlight.

“Welcome,” she began, “to Alchimia Academy of Special Sciences. You must be Y/F/N Y/L/N, of the famed Alchemists.”

“Quite so, thank you,” my father returned her handshake. “This is my daughter, Y/N. We’re enrolling.”

“Ah, another generation of Y/L/Ns,” she smiled. “I’m sure it will be a pleasure and joy to have you with us, Miss Y/L/N.”

“It’s an honor to be here too, Ma’am.” I returned demurely. My mother would be proud that my voice didn’t shake at all.

“Fantastic; you’re just in time. Orientation and Dorm assignments are about to begin. I’ll give you a minute to say your goodbyes and then we’ll head in.”

I found it odd that she never once mentioned her name but she stepped back and my father was turning to me, cutting off the curiosity halfway.

“Right then, dearest,” he said, somewhat awkwardly. While my father had never been cruel, he had also never been very affectionate. It was strange, the endearment but I didn’t think too hard on it.

“I’d say that I am happy, but I will be honest; I am not. At least not considering the circumstances; you would’ve come to Alchimia in your own time, not be sent here like an animal being caged. I hope you know, it pains your mother and me to never see you, and to cut you off like this brings more salt to our wounds than any other.”

I didn’t believe one word he said.

“It needed to be done. I’ll see you, father.” I said, stepping away and moving towards the lady, hoping he wouldn’t call back or try to hug me.

He didn’t.

If the woman heard anything, she didn’t comment, choosing to quietly lead me inside and then, the doors were swinging shut, closing me away from them and putting me with the others.

“This way, Miss Y/L/N, we hold the orientations in the Aurora Gardens, that’s the main grounds.” She led me down a long, high hallway, paneled in dark wood and ancient looking watercolors hanging on them, all depicting what had to be different buildings on Alchimia Campus.

At the very end, another set of double door opened at the wave of her hand, and the immediate onslaught of sunlight on my eyes made me cringe back a little.

It looked like a huge open meadow. Here and there, sprinkled was enormous statues; Grecian, roman, broken horses of terracotta from India, and little pavilions that served as gazebos.

Chatter could be heard, carried over the clean breeze and I took in a deep breath, following the host as she led me across one stile to a pavilion where approximately fifty students were converged.

“This is going to be your batch; I suggest you join them now. I will start the orientation.”

I turned my feet to the back of the group, trying to appear as small and nonthreatening as I could.

Everyone was talking to each other, some just listening but they were all in groups, little clusters of people dotting the marble floor.

I caught sight of a group of girls, and while they looked nothing alike, there was such a form of strong similarity about them, it was almost disturbing. They moved the same, turned their heads and crossed their legs the same, perched demurely on one of the benches.

Faeries…I decided, looking away before they felt my gaze.

Boys rough housed about and some were openly displaying their powers. I caught one boy create a ball of fire in one palm before a girl behind him created a water shower from the air itself, dunking both his head and the fire out.

“Fall in!”

One snapped cry from the lady rendered the crowd silent, everyone craning their head to look at the woman addressing them. She raised her hand, three fingers pointing towards the dripping wet boy and he was dry, the liquid that evaporated off of him, squeezing into a cloudy mist and then dissipating back into the air.

“Now then, if you’re done making a ruckus of the place, shall we begin?”

She didn’t wait for an answer.

“I bid you all welcome again to not only the most prestigious school for the Magickal sciences, but also the safest place on earth that you can be for the next three years of your life.”

She smiled.

“As you all undoubtedly know, Alchimia has been a safe haven for Mages since the 1200s, before being converted to a boarding school in 1456 due to the Undergrounding. As per the wishes of the founders, no Mage shall ever be turned away or persecuted and can live as they wish within these walls.”

My ears pricked at her words.

“Of course, we have adapted since the Dark Ages. It’s a modern world, and Magick has evolved much. The grounds you sit on and will no doubt make merry upon house untold power. I urge you to remember and respect this.”

She moved farther back.

“I have no suspicions that some of you wonder why I do not reveal my name. That is the way of Alchimia, to safeguard those who safeguard you. You may refer to me as Madam Moon, or simply Supervisor shall do. You will never know the name of your professors, unless they vow to you their identity. Our pseudonyms carry power, as you will learn later in your classes.”

“You shall get the day off tomorrow. This is not for you to laze about the grounds. You will go to the Registration House, in Crescent Building and be divided into classes as per your abilities and the subjects you wish to choose. As per what you are and how you do at the six month assessment, you will be assigned a counselor. I urge you to take them seriously. They decide whether you are fit and safe to be allowed within these halls.”

I felt my stomach drop.

A counselor…? Someone who would require your entire history? What would they do when they discovered what I’d done?

“Elemental classes are mandatory for every Mage. They are; Fire, Water, Air, Earth and the Atmosphere. Magick is divided into two levels. The first is primary and the most basic of things, and depending on how you do in your examinations, we shall determine whether you will be allowed to take the arcane classes. Alchemy classes are mandatory for all Alchemists, just as Shape shifting and Necromancy are to be taken by those of said leanings.” She paused, spying a raised hand. It was the same girl who had been using Water Magick. “Yes,”

“Is it possible to take the special classes for those who don’t have the special powers, ma’am?” She asked.

“By all means, of course, people with no applying powers will only be able to take the theory of said classes, but they are absolutely allowable. No knowledge is jealously guarded at Alchimia.”

She waited to see if anybody else had questions before continuing.

“Archaic languages are compulsory, but can be dropped should you wish to in the later years. Of course, if you are a warlock, you may not drop them as you will need them to study the formations of spells and wards. Aside from these classes, Astronomy, Potions and Wards, Anatomy, the applied sciences such as Numerology, geology, physics and chemistry, history and the fine arts are all compulsory in your first year. You may drop some in your second year.”

There was a groan.

“I thought coming to a magic school lets you off the hook for stupid human subjects.” Someone crowed, amid a muttering of agreements.

“Understand that we are preparing you for the outside world. You may choose to retain jobs within Alchimia but you will not be hidden away from humans forever. It is absolutely necessary to be able to merge well with mortals if you wish to avoid detection.”

The crowd fell silent.

“Now, the headmistress is going to be available to students and parents by direct contact – only if she seeks it. If you have grievances and wish an audience, you must let a staff member know.”

She paused, her eyes roving over the mass of students and then she sighed.

“I wish you a happy journey in the Academy but there are some rules you cannot break. Use of practical Magick outside of your classrooms or warded areas is forbidden. Use of Magick on a student is strictly prohibited.” Her eyes hovered over the boy and girl who had used Elements before.

“If you have familiars, they are not to wander the grounds unless they are Bound. And students are not to wander the school grounds after midnight without express permission.”

She squeezed her fists and then released them, a swarm of butterflies escaping one and a barrage of fireflies the other.

“Ladies, follow the fireflies to the Conjura Halls, the female dorms. Gentlemen, the butterflies shall take you to the Invoques Halls, the male dorms. You will be assigned a roommate and be provided with the map of the entire campus. Your luggage is already in your dorm rooms. Please, remember, class registrations are tomorrow and take the day to familiarize yourself with Alchimia.”

She stood back and the swarm of flies parted, the cluster of fireflies lighting up. Slowly, boys and girls changed ways, the girls following the lighted insects down one route.

Conjura hall was a sprawling building, similar to the neo classical construction I’d seen prior. Gardens spread around the building, stunning roses and lovely scents exuding from the blooms. Similar to the front entrance, there was yet another fountain, this time the centre piece the stone carving of a twisting Goddess.

Two towers extended from the main building, perhaps where the staff and offices resided.

I walked with the girls, to small tables where a stack of school maps lay. Plucking one up, I slipped it into my pocket. I’d have time to look at it later, I was more concerned with whom I’d be living with for three years.

The dorm assignments were put up on bulletin boards, names listed alphabetically. Making sure all the girls were busy discussing the school grounds they’d most like to explore, I placed a finger on the page, running it down till I landed on my last name.

Right along the name was…Cho Miyeon.

I tapped the name, wondering if I’d ever heard of them.

Cho wasn’t an Alchemist family name, so it was unclear if I’d ever caught them around the circuit but I was grateful. Having an Alchemist around could either be a very good thing, or a very bad thing. For one, yes, they could help in learning control but they could also be a stressor.

And I was trying very hard to not let myself freak out…

Hiking up the carryon bag I’d slung over my shoulders, I turned my way out the reception hall, walking down the hallway to where the stairs began.

My room was on the third floor so by the time I reached the room, I was nearly panting. I really needed to start some exercise; I told myself, if climbing all these stairs was going to be the norm for three years, I needed to be in some shape.

I grabbed the door knob, feeling it turn warm in my hold and the door swung open. Doors here seemed to do that a lot.

The inside was simple; Nothing glamorous, but cozy and not shabby.

The walls were powder blue, a large white bay window overlooking the gardens, thankfully. The room was divided neatly into two, but the furniture wasn’t identical.

One side had a deep midnight blue bed, the wooden frame mahogany with a matching night table. The desk and wardrobe were of the same wood, the handles glowing gold. Stars spangled the coverings of the lamps, and partition curtain.

The other was much more understated. The bed, desk and night table was pine, silver and small blue stones fitted into the furnishings. The bedspread and coverings were a mild violet, birds printed on them.

I went and sat on the purple bed, hoping that finders’ keepers were applicable here.

My suitcases were stacked near the door, along with a set of another which I deduced probably belonged to Cho Miyeon. It was as I was dragging the first one to my chosen bed – near the window, that the door opened again and my roommate walked in.

Like me, Cho Miyeon did a sweep of the room, before her eyes landed on me.

“Oh!” She started, jumping a little before her hand came up to her chest. “You scared me! I wasn’t expecting someone to already be here.”

“Yeah, we’re roommates.” I said softly, askance in case she resented having to share her room.

“Yes we are! For three years, we’re going to be like sisters! Hi, I’m Miyeon.” She came forward eagerly, her hand outstretched. She didn’t wait for me, grabbing my hand in a firm grip.

“Hi,” I winced. “I’m Y/N.”

“I know,” she beamed. “I saw your name.”

She let go, backing towards the colorful part of the room before giving me a sly grin. “You left the bright part of the room for the Faerie? How astute,”

“I…I didn’t know you were a Fae.” I blinked, surprised. A Fae put in a room with an Alchemist…? Would that even work out?

“Oh, no worries, it’s not like they post that for the world to see. What are you by the way?” She flopped on the starry bed.

“Alchemist,” I muttered, looking down and focusing on unfolding my clothes.

“Alchemist,” she sat up. “Holy shit, are you Y/N Y/L/N, your parents are those famous alchemists?”

I paused, stiff and unwilling before reluctantly nodding.

“Holy Shit,” she said again, “you’re going to be so fucking famous.”

Exactly what I didn’t want…

“I don’t think so.” I tried to wave her off. “I’m sure there are loads of kids here with rich or famous parents.”

“Well, a few, sure, but you know how it is. I heard the Prince of Fae Court is here this year, and the son of a High Warlock with a couple nymphs from the bottom of the ocean itself but aside from that there wasn’t much of a hoot this year. I’m so glad I got you as a roommate.”

I glanced up in puzzlement.

“You must be like…so powerful.” She whispered in explanation.

I opened my mouth, considering telling her not to get her hopes up when I was literally saved by the bell – in the form of a knock on the door.

Miyeon opened the door.

I politely returned my attention to my suitcase when Miyeon called for me again.

“Y/N, come on, we have an early dinner today. Plus the Headmistress is going to address the new students.”

I nodded, sliding on my shoes to follow her and her friend, whom she introduced as Suhwa.

The dining pavilion was one of the bigger monuments in the campus. Hundreds of students gathered under its pillars, finding tables and small spaces wherever they could to perch and eat.

Food was served as a buffet, meats and vegetables and fruits served in large steaming platters. Vines curled over the towering pillars that held up the ceiling and I could spy people sliding up them – most likely tree nymphs.

Miyeon led me with her to her table, the identical girls I’d seen before the ones occupying the table. It made sense, Fae were rather similar – sometimes in more than just disposition.

She introduced Minnie, Soojin, Soyeon, and Yuqi, four more girls to make their group complete.

Each was Fae and each one was absolutely beautiful. They plucked fruits and vegetables off the platters in an orderly fashion, while I grabbed some of the meat before sitting down with them.

Perhaps it was Fae glamour, but it was oddly reassuring. Or maybe it was the knowledge that Faeries were supposed to be very strong and could definitely hold their own against someone who say – accidentally caused explosions.

“So, a Y/L/N, huh?” Soyeon finally asked.

“Yeah, it’s amazing isn’t it? Who’d have thought I’d get an Alchemist as a roommate.” Miyeon nudged me.

“It’s really not a big deal.” I said immediately.

“There are a few more Alchemists this year. It seems they were trying to get more of you enrolled.” Yuqi popped a grape delicately in her mouth.

“Don’t Alchemists usually attend?” I asked, frowning.

“Some do, of course, they have to come.” Yuqi shrugged and for a split second it seemed as if she was going to say something else, but she merely returned to her grapes.

I stared at her from under my eyelashes.

A tinkling of glass made us all look around, to the stage of staff at the head of the pavilion.

Madam Moon had been the one to attract our attention, the sound of the glass amplified by Magick.

“Good evening, students. If you’ve finished, our headmistress would like to say a few words.” She drew back and then another woman took her place.

Tall, upright with pure ebony for hair, she surveyed the pavilion with cool eyes, hands behind her back.

“I wish you a good evening, children.” She said, loudly, no Magick necessary for her to be audible. “I trust Madam Supervisor has made you all aware of what is going to be required of you in our esteemed establishment. I am not here to reiterate. Instead, I wish to tell you what you require from this school.”

She took a breath.

“Mage people were once the most celebrated in the universe. We were worshipped, as gods, as goddesses as philosophers and prophets. In time, mortals have overtaken our natural world and corrupted it with iron and greed and lust for power. The Undergrounding is not just a movement, but also a rebellion. In the face of the humans’ persecution, we have risen and thrived. We have adapted ourselves to fit them. Now, please ask yourself. Do you plan to hide forever? If yes, then Alchimia isn’t the place for you.”

I shivered.

“We are not here to teach you to hide yourselves, to curb your powers. We are here to have you flow with your natural abilities. There is no shame to the Mages – unlike our Magick less counterparts. The shame lies with them for tearing down anything they do not understand. I want you to step forth from these walls, show the world who you are and can be.”

“If you can do so, I bid you good luck. Tonight, you will sleep early. I want you to dream, dream of what you want for yourselves out there. That is what is going to help you survive your classes and in time, yourself.”

She smiled suddenly.

“With that, I hope you all have a good night and pleasant dreams.”

It took some time for students to start moving after the speech. Most were probably in some shock from being told to be the exact opposite of what they’d been taught at home.

I was one of them.

We all had learnt in our childhoods that the Undergrounding was to keep us from being burnt at stakes in the town squares. It was our way of keeping and hiding our secrets from the thieving hands of mortals.

They would try to use and leash our Magick for their own uses and the best way to prevent it had been to go into hiding. To rebel against it, was something inconceivable.

For an age that would never listen to rules, we piled up obediently, dispersing just as we had been instructed to.

At night the grounds, soft and luxuriant, were lit with fireflies and twinkling orbs. They hung upon trees and statues like little stars, casting silvery glints on the grass below. It was like walking in your own private galaxy; enchanting and otherworldly.

It was while walking through the gardens of Conjura Halls when I stopped by a bush of tall roses. It was stupid, the impulse. I never allowed myself Magick if I could help it and to do it in the presence of a whole school of Mages.

I had to be out of my mind.

Nevertheless, I reached out, grasping a thick stem and yanking the rose from the bush. The thorns grazed my thumb and fingers, the smell pungent under my nose but I carried it with me inside, climbing the stairs up to my room.

Miyeon had already drawn the curtains, closing off her side of the room when I came in after brushing my teeth, rose still in my hand.

I hoped she was already asleep as I slipped my feet under my sheets, back propped on the headboard.

I cast a look out the window; moonlight flooding into the room unfiltered and closed my eyes, trying to remember what my grandfather had taught me.

Feel it in your core, burning and throbbing, let it seep through your bones, feel it tingling in your muscles…then let it go, don’t hold back.

I opened my eyes, feeling the soft heat in my fingertips, cautiously sitting up in case they increased to a flame. And then to my utter relief, the flower glowed, its matter turning into golden pollen and just when I thought I could reform it, it turned to dust – literally.

I was left sitting on my bed handfuls of burnt ash clutched in my palms.

[thetravelerwrites]

Monster Match #26: Duamutef (Lemon)

The Traveler's Masterlist

For @one-halloween: “My pronouns are she/her and my orientation is pan. I'm small (like 4'9") with waist length brown hair that's bleached in an ombre style. I dress in a kind of retro style (so like 80s acid washed jeans and crop tops). Uhh I love reading, writing and gaming as well as hiking and working on a car or something like that. I'm often quiet but around people I like I can be the jokester of the group.

Cliché but I like partners who are taller than me, and those I can joke around with. Someone who is also loyal and honest as well as loving and will take interest in hobbies. The things I dislike are dishonesty and secrets. As well as someone who takes life way too seriously and won't crack a joke here or there. Also someone who doesn't take interest in what others do. I was thinking if you could make it NSFW that would be great.”

You’ve been matched with Duamutef!

Duamutef is one of the four sons of Horus and one of the protection gods of the four canopic burial jars, specifically the jar which contains the stomach. In war, the most frequent cause of death was from injuries in the torso and stomach, and Duamutef protects this organ, both in life and in death.

Duamutef was originally represented as a man wrapped in mummy bandages; however, from the New Kingdom onwards, he is shown with the head of a jackal and is an example of cynocephaly which, in Greek mythology, is a creature with a human body and a canid head, specifically a jackal.

What gives a god their power was the belief of their followers; however, many of the ancient religions had either died completely or were far less worshiped during modern times, affording the gods of those pantheons less power. While some gods lamented this decline in their abilities, others found it freeing, and delighted in the opportunity of roaming the earth as they wished. One such deity was Duamutef.

As a lesser god, even people who followed the revival religion Khemetism didn’t tend to worship him as much as Anubis or Ma’at or his father Horus, so he decided to come to earth and travel the world, learning about an era with which he was unfamiliar.

Of course, you didn’t know all that when you met him. He introduced himself as Tua, an exchange student from Egypt. He was a mysterious figure and his age indecipherable to you. Sometimes he seemed young and boyish, easily a full foot taller than you, always smiling and laughing. However, there was this ageless look in his eye that told the story of a very old soul. He was tall and dark, just like in fairy tales, and already very popular on campus.

It surprised you when he took notice of you. You were a quiet girl, unassuming and not the type to draw attention, so his sudden interest in you was a little startling.

“Excuse me,” He said one day, coming up to you suddenly. “I’m afraid I don’t know your name.”

“That’s probably because we’ve never spoken before,” You said. “And I don’t think you know any of my friends.”

“An oversight. My apologies,” He said, smiling. “I make it my aim to know everyone in every place I go.”

You looked at him in alarm. “There are hundreds of people attending this college.”

“I am aware,” He said, still smiling. He had those deep, dark type of bottomless black eyes one could get lost in. “I’ve managed to at least introduce myself to most of the people, but it seems I have missed you. Forgive me.”

“Honestly, it’s not a big deal,” You said. “I’m nobody, really.”

“That’s not true,” He said. “Everybody is somebody to someone, and I’d like to be a friend to you. My name is Tua. May I ask yours?” He offered his hand to shake and you shook it, telling him your name. “Will you walk with me? The cafeteria is offering something called a corndog I’m eager to try.”

You laughed. “Don’t get too excited about that. It’s not exactly a culinary masterpiece.”

“But it’ll be new. I like new. I spent a very long time in one place, and now that I’m out in the world, I want to experience as much as I can.”

“Were you homeschooled as a kid or something?” You asked.

He laughed again. “Or something. My family had a lot of responsibilities many years ago, you could say. After working my whole life in the service of others, I think I’ve earned a vacation.”

“Well, I can’t argue with that,” You said. “It can be tough when your parents expect a lot from you.”

“That’s the truth,” He replied. “So, corndog? I’ll treat you.” He extended his hand toward the cafeteria.

You echoed his laughter. “I don’t know if I’d call it a treat, but sure. That sounds nice.”

From then on, Tua spent a lot of time with you. He seemed to go out of his way to seek you out. He said he enjoyed listening to you talk about things, saying that your perspective was entertaining. You didn’t mind his presence. He was earnest and funny and he always wanted to hear your opinion on things. He’d often come to the bookstore where you worked to get your recommendation for new books to read. He seemed confused by a lot of western culture’s practices and often asked you for advice or to explain things to him. His open curiosity and wonder with the world around him was very endearing.

You weren’t sure why he chose you to help him navigate life in the western world. Surely there were better candidates in the large pool of people who followed him around. He had a legion of fans who hung on his every word and shadowed him like love-struck puppies, but he dodged them consistently to spend time with you. There were more attractive people of several genders that he could have had his pick of, but he decided on you, and you were slightly baffled by it.

“What are you doing tomorrow?” He asked you one day while you were ringing up his new purchases. He must have a significant library by this point. “There’s something called a farmer’s market I’d like to go see.”

“I can’t go tomorrow,” You said. “My friend’s car is acting up and he wants me to take a look at it. From what he’s telling me, it sounds like his alternator is shot, and if that’s the case, that’s a full day’s work.”

“You can fix cars?” He asked. If he had animal ears, you’d swear they had perked up when he said that. “How interesting. I don’t know anything about cars. Can I observe?”

You shrugged. “If you want to. Make sure to wear stuff you don’t mind getting dirty. It is very hard to get motor oil out of clothes, trust me.”

“Of course,” He said.

“Here,” You said, taking out a pen and running out a length of receipt paper to write on. “Here’s my address. He’ll be dropping it off around 9 A.M. and picking it back up after his shift at work.”

“Excellent. I won’t be late.”

“If you say so,” You said, handing him his purchases. “Here you go. That D&D book is a classic. I think you’ll really like it.”

“Much appreciated,” He said with a smile, nodding politely as he left.

He arrived the next morning carrying a sack of donuts and coffee. You were glad he already knew what kind of coffee you liked, because he drank his very strong and you wouldn’t be able to stomach it. You had to do a double take when he took off his jacket and revealed a v-neck black shirt and tight black jeans. Normally he wore a pair of slacks and a button-up, so this look was quite a change and you were having trouble not staring. He was skinny, but he had a lot more muscle definition than you would have suspected.

“I hope I’m not late,” He said. “There was an accident on the way here. No one seemed to be hurt, but there was quite a backup on the highway.”

“No, you’re fine,” You said. “My friend hasn’t even shown up yet. Let’s eat before he gets here. Eating with grease on your hands is a bad idea.”

Your friend pulled up as you were inhaling a bear claw. You introduced him to Tua, they exchanged brief pleasantries, and your friend took off for the bus stop down the road.

“He seemed nice,” Tua said.

“He’s gay and single, if you want his number,” You laughed as you popped the hood of his Honda Accord.

Tua laughed as well. “I appreciate the offer, but he’s not my cup of tea. Or coffee, if you will.” He took a big gulp, and you shuddered.

“I can’t believe you take that black. It’s got to be so bitter.”

“We didn’t have sugar where I grew up, so I’m used to it.”

Your head rocked back. “Where did you live that you didn’t have sugar.”

“Near Cairo,” He replied. “It was called something different when I was born, though.”

You made a face. “Cairo was founded in 969 AD. You’re not that old.”

He smirked. “How old do I look?”

You stared at him, trying to gauge his age, but blanked. “Let’s just get to work.”

The alternator was indeed going out, and while changing it out wasn’t rocket science, it was labor intensive work for someone as small as you were. You were actually glad to have an extra set of hands to help. In addition to the alternator, you also found a crack in one of the hoses that was also going to have to be replaced, as it was leaking coolant.

Both of you were elbow deep in grease by the time you decided to take a break for lunch. You went to order a pizza as he went in to wash his… self. He somehow managed to get grease all over his face. You had a sneaking suspicion he just liked getting dirty.

After putting in your order, you went back outside to clean up the area around the car and put away the tools you didn’t need anymore in their rightful place in the toolbox when you happened to look up to the bathroom window. You had to squint and blink, because something was… off.

Tua had taken his shirt off to clean up, but something was odd about his head. It was larger, darker, and blurry almost. It almost looked like an animal’s head. Maybe it was just how the frosted glass reflected the color of his hair, but it didn’t look… normal. Something on the top of his head resembling ears flicked back and forth. Something that looked like a snout opened and shut, as if inspecting its teeth. The head shook like a dog slinging water from its fur. You blinked, and he had put his shirt back on and his head looked completely normal again.

Were you going insane?

Tua came back out of the house, the water from washing his face and neck glistening on his skin. You didn’t realize how bug-eyed you were until he tilted his head in concern.

“Are you alright?” He asked.

You shook your head to clear it. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. I thought I saw… nevermind. It doesn’t matter. Pizza’s on it’s way.”

“What did you see?” He asked neutrally.

“It doesn’t matter,” You said. “It was probably a trick of the light.”

“What if it wasn’t?” He asked in the same neutral tone, watching your face. “Hypothetically.”

“What are you talking about?” You asked.

He sighed, shook his head, and his usual smile was back in place. “No matter. What kind of pizza did you get?”

You let the matter drop, but it nagged in the back of your mind for the rest of the day.

That night, your dreams were unusual. You dreamt of a dry place, of women in soft, sheer gowns and men in short skirted garments. Shaved heads and wigs.

In one of the dreams, a woman led you to a huge, grand hall made of stone. There, sitting on a throne of ebony inlaid with gold and jewels, was a man. He had a falcon’s head on a fit human’s body. He held a staff in his hand, and on his head perched a red and white pschent, the crown of Pharaohs. Behind him were four gigantic statutes of other men and women. He sat at their feet, surrounded by attendants.

The woman gestured for you to walk forward, and the man on the throne waved a hand. All of the attendants left him, leaving you standing there alone with him.

“My son has shown you interest,” The man said, his voice booming throughout the chamber, though his mouth never moved. “That is unusual. He and his wife have divorced millennia ago, and he has not taken interest in anyone for many, many years.”

“Your son?” You repeated. “Who is your son?”

“Know you not who I am?” He asked, standing and laying his staff against the armrest. “The god of the sky above and kingdom below. The wisest of my siblings, the most benevolent. Am I a stranger to you?”

“I’m sorry,” You said hesitantly. “I’m not really religious.”

He sighed. “I suppose that’s to be expected. The power of our pantheon has declined dramatically. I must be grateful that the revival in modern times has allowed us to rise from our sleep and reclaim any sort of rule.” He stood to his full height, which had to be at least seven foot. “I am Horus. You are a friend to my son, Duamutef, blessed with the head of a jackal, the animal of death, guidance, and protection.”

“The head of a jackal?” You asked. “Like a dog? So I wasn’t hallucinating? Tua really has the head of a dog?”

“In so many terms, yes. Tua, as you know him, asked for my permission to travel the world, and I granted it to him, hoping he would stop pining and bring his knowledge of the new world back to his peers.”

“How long is he allowed to explore?”

“Not that long,” Horus said. “A few centuries.”

You gaped at him. “You realize that since the industrial age, humanity and its technology is advancing very quickly. The world isn’t the same as it was ten years ago, and it will be different in another ten years.”

“Oh,” Horus said, seemingly baffled. “That’s alarming. In the ancient kingdom, it was as if time stood still. Once we gave humans the knowledge they needed to live and create, things carried on as it always did for over three millennia.”

“Things are different now,” You said, perhaps too boldly considering you were speaking to a god.

“It would seem so,” He replied thoughtfully. “Duamutef is eager to learn, however. As long as he sends back a report, I suppose he can stay in the mortal plane as long as he wishes.”

“I’m sure that would make him happy,” You said.

“I think you would, too,” Horus said, looking down at you. A falcon can’t smile, but you felt kind approval radiating from Horus’s body.

“I would?” You said. “I’m his friend, just a girl he follows around because I explain things to him. I’m not special. Besides, I don’t even think he likes me that way.”

“Aren’t you?” Horus asked patiently. “Doesn’t he?”

You flushed. You hadn’t really considered it. He seemed way out of your league. “Well… even if he did, how can I be worthy of a god?”

“You are worthy. You do not need me to tell you so, nor do you need him to. But he has chosen you, and I am pleased that he is happy and moving on. He has been alone for a very long time.”

“This is a lot to process, you know that?”

“Indeed,” Horus agreed. He turned and went back to the throne, sitting in it. “Take some time to think it over, but do not make him wait long. My son’s happiness is important to me.” He raised his hand and snapped his fingers.

You woke covered in sweat and gasping. That… that couldn’t have been real, could it? Thank god… or gods… that tomorrow was Sunday. You needed a full day to just… deal.

Monday, you returned to school, both confused and… a little excited. There was something innately fascinating knowing an actual god was walking around campus, acting like a human. While you weren’t a fan of the fact that he was hiding it from you, you were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. Just this once.

You saw him in the courtyard surrounded by his usual fans. His magnetism suddenly made a lot more sense. You wondered why you were so resistant to it.

“Tua!” You called. He looked up, caught your eye and smiled, walking over. His gaggle of… worshipers?… followed behind him.

“I need to talk to you privately,” You told him in a terse undertone.

“That sounds serious,” He said, still smiling, though he looked concerned. “What about?”

“Your father came to visit me,” You replied.

The smile slipped and the color drained from his face. “Uh…” He said to his group, trying to laugh lightly. “Sorry, friends. Family business.”

They groaned in disappointment but thankfully dispersed. He took you by the hand and led you to the side of the Sciences building.

“What did he say to you? Was he angry?”

“No,” You said. “He told me he was pleased.”

Tua sighed in relief. “I’m glad. I was worried he was annoyed with my decisions. He said he wouldn’t interfere, but I’ve been concerned because I hadn’t heard from him.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” You asked, folding your arms.

“What, that I’m a lesser god of an ancient religion that had almost died out, until the recent revival?” He said shrewdly. “Would you have believed me.”

“Your real head might have convinced me,” You replied. “The jackal?”

“Ah, yes,” He said. “I figured you had seen it the other day, but you didn’t press the issue, so I hoped you’d think it was a figment of your imagination.”

“Why didn’t you want me to know?” You asked.

“I did,” He said. “But I wanted to tell you myself, when the time was right.”

“When would the right time have been?”

He shrugged and looked at the ground. “I don’t know, I guess. I almost did, the other day, but I was nervous.”

“Your father told me something else,” You said carefully. “That you had been alone a long time. That your wife divorced you and that you had been pining for a long time. He also said…” You cleared your throat and swallowed. “That you had chosen me.”

He looked at you through his lashes, looking apprehensive. “Can… can we discuss this later? Somewhere private?”

“Come to my house after school. We’ll talk, okay?”

He nodded, looking self-conscious, turned, and jogged away, dodging his fan club and ducking into the Arts building.

Later that night, you paced in your living room, waiting for him to arrive. When you heard his car pull up, it took every ounce of willpower to not dash outside.

When he knocked, you opened the door to find him holding flowers and a gift bag.

Oh god.

“I figured if the cat was out of the bag, I might as well try,” He said. “Here.” He handed you the flowers, which were your favorites, and the bag. Inside was a book.

“Someone wrote a book about me,” He said. “Well, about me and my brothers. It was written while we were sleeping, so there’s a little missing, but I’m happy to fill in the blanks.”

“I don’t like that you hid this from me,” You said as you moved aside to let him in.

“I’m sorry,” He said. “I didn’t mean to hide it. Most people don’t look that closely. You’re the first person to see my true self.”

“That’s not entirely true,” You said. “I only saw an outline, a shadow.” You folded your arms. “So show me the real you. I want to take a good look.”

He took a deep, calming breath, and his body shimmered. His head elongated, black fur sprouted from his neck up, trailing down his spine and the middle of his chest. His normal modern clothes disappeared and the traditional gathered skirt of ancient Egypt appeared around his waist, ending at the knee. His eyes were silver and had markings around them. He wore no crown, but there were markings where a crown might have once sat.

“Is this what you saw?” He asked. Like his father, his mouth did not move when he spoke. Instead, his voice came from all around you.

“Something like it, yes,” You confirmed.

“Are you frightened?” He asked hesitantly.

“No,” You replied. “I’ve had time to come to terms with it. I think I’d be more freaked out if you had sprung it on me out of nowhere, maybe.”

“See? What else was I to do but keep it to myself?” He said in exasperation.

“I guess I see your point,” You admitted. “But no more secrets, okay? There’s nothing I hate more than people keeping secrets from me.”

“If that’s so, then… there’s one more thing I must confess,” He said slowly.

“I think I know what it is,” You said, bracing yourself. “But I’d like to hear you say it.”

He cleared his throat and stood tall. “I have become… enamored with you. I don’t know when it started, but it came to me quickly. Perhaps it was because you didn’t fall into worship of me, as others have done. As gods, it is humankind’s natural inclination to bend the knee to us, but you did not. Perhaps it was your patience with me and my multitude of questions. Perhaps it was the extent of your knowledge. Perhaps it was all of those things. But I care for you. I do not expect you to return my feelings, but I would wish to remain close to you, in whatever form you desire. Friend, companion, lover. It is your decision.”

You laughed a little. “That’s a hell of a declaration. I mean, you haven’t even kissed me yet.”

He looked startled. “Is that something you wish?”

“I don’t know.” You moved closer, considering him. “Are you any good at it?”

He took your hands. “Well… it has been some time. I may be out of practice.”

“Give it your best shot,” You challenged.

His lips curled into a smile, and he pulled you into an embrace. Tall as he was, he had to bend to reach your lips. His kiss was light, but experienced, and he lingered for many minutes. When he pulled away, you were seeing stars.

“How was my technique?” He asked playfully.

You shook your head to stop it from spinning. “More than adequate,” You chuckled. “You’re not quite as rusty as you claim.”

“Ah, that’s good to hear,” He said, and kissed you again.

You weren’t sure how the two of you made it into your bedroom, but suddenly there you were, the bed right next to you. You began shedding clothes and pulled at the belt that gathered the skirt at his waist. It fell into a pile at his feet, and he stepped out of it, lifting you into the air and setting you gently down onto the bed.

You began to shake a little. You hadn’t had a serious partner before and while this wasn’t your first time, the sex you’d had before hadn’t been as… significant as this was turning out to be. Were you going to fast? You’d known him for months but it was only in the last few days that you’d known he was carrying a torch for you. It had been a lot to process, and still was. Were you rushing into it?

He seemed to feel you tense. “Are you alright?”

“I…” You struggled to find the right words and not sound insulting. “I feel like we’re moving to quickly? I’m not even sure how I feel, and we’re already in bed with each other. I just… feel…”

“Rushed?” He said. “It’s alright, I understand. This was a lot to lay on you at once. We can stop.”

“That’s just it, I don’t know if I want to stop. I don’t know if I want to keep going. I don’t even know for sure how I feel about you, or the situation. I feel really overwhelmed.”

“It’s alright,” He said. “Why don’t we just lay here for a while and be still and give you some time to find your bearings. I can leave you to think for a while, if you’d like.”

“No. No, stay,” You said. “Just turn off the light and let’s be quiet for a little while. I just want to think.”

“Of course,” He said, reaching for the lamp switch. The two of you were bathed in darkness. He lay next to you, and you allowed him to put his arm around you. You put your head on his chest and listened to his slow heartbeat. It was strangely reassuring: you almost expected him to not have a heartbeat at all.

At some point you must have fallen asleep. He still lay with you, his body illuminated in the moonlight, slightly propped up on the pillows, watching you sleep. He smiled when he saw you rouse.

“Good evening,” He said quietly.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to doze off,” You said.

“It’s no problem. I actually rather enjoyed it. You’re very cute when you’re asleep.”

“Don’t be silly,” You said, smacking his chest.

“I’m not!” He chuckled. “You make very adorable noises.”

“Hush, you!” You said, tickling his side.

“Hey, hey!” He exclaimed, squirming away. “Don’t do that!”

“Oh, is the big, bad god ticklish?” You asked playfully, dodging his arms and going in for more tickles. “Is he? Is he ticklish?”

“No!” He cried, trying to wiggle out of your grasp, whimpering like a puppy. “I shall retaliate if you don’t cease!”

“Oh yeah?” You taunted. “Whatcha gonna do about it, big man? Sniff me to death?”

“I may just!” He said, putting his muzzle in your ear and sniffling.

“Ah!” You squealed. “It’s so cold!”

“You like that?!” He said, tickling you back and pressing his nose to your neck. “Have some more, then!” He licked at your neck and shoulders. He grabbed your hands and held them above your head as you wiggled underneath him.

At some point, the mood shifted. The weight of his naked body on top of your naked body was exhilarating and made your heart race. His licks slowed and went from playful to deliberate and were interspersed with open mouthed kisses. He let go of your hands and touched your body. You instinctively pulled your knees up and wrapped them around his waist, holding him close by the back of his head and petting down the fur of his spine.

“Is this alright?” He asked heavily, breathing hard.

“Yes,” You whispered in reply. “Yes.”

Some more minutes of touching and kissing and licking later, he reached between the two of you and rubbed his knuckles on your clit, making you moan against his lips. He rubbed himself and you at the same time, then pushed the tip against your entrance, gently pushing himself inside of you. Your head fell back onto the pillow, your mouth wide open, your brows furrowing. He was thick and long, but no so that it was painful. You whimpered as he inched all the way inside and pulled out slowly, thrusting inward and pulling outward.

Slowly, but with gaining speed, your bodies moved together. Wordlessly, he flipped you so that you were on your stomach and pulled you toward him, reentering you and thrusting vigorously, while you gripped the sheets desperately, crying out in pleasure. You bit the pillow and shut your eyes as you felt the ecstasy well up in you, your inside walls clenching and contracting. He huffed and grunted above you, gripping your hips as your bodies smacked together over and over.

You could feel beads of his sweat dripping onto your back as he sped up again, groaned loudly, and spilled himself into you, gushing out with each jerk of his hips against your body. When he was spent, he withdrew and fell sideways as to not crush you. You lay on your stomach for a few moments, allowing yourself to catch your breath and cool down, before turning over and sliding into his arms. You’d change the sheets tomorrow.

“I hope this means you accept me,” He said sleepily.

“I always accepted you,” You said. “I just wasn’t sure what I wanted my role to be in all this. I’m still not sure. I think starting with a date might be nice.”

“Of course,” He said. “Anything you want. I am your humble servant, at your beck and call.”

“You’re not my servant,” You said firmly. “And I’m not yours. We’re partners or we’re nothing at all.”

“I understand,” He said, turning on his side. “So, my partner, where would you like to go for this date?”

“I don’t know,” You said. “This’ll be your first date on the mortal plane, won’t it? Do what you love to do: research it.”

He laughed. “That sounds like fun.”

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52 Project #28 / Writeober 2020 #8 Haunting: The Court of the Lion King

I returned to the apartment building where Daro and Anzali and I had lived before we went down to the sea. It had not changed in the way buildings change-- its paint was the same color, it seemed no more or less weatherbeaten than before.  The railing on the 3rd floor balcony still sagged.  But it had changed in the way homes change, because it wasn't home any more. Because different people lived there now, filling it with their strange scents, and because I had changed.  The scent of the sea was still in my nostrils. I would never smell the comforts of home again.

Renting the third floor apartment did not present difficulties.  I walked through the silence of the apartment, marveling at its emptiness.  The furniture was still there, the faded rug, the great sagging bed, the tired appliances. But all the personality was gone. Anzali's bright prints had been taken off the walls, which themselves had been whitewashed again to remove our cheery yellow paint.  White is a disturbing color, the color of bones and of drowned skin, pink human and green farla alike.  Even the humans of other colors became gray, in death by water. If I needed to be here long, the white walls would glare in my eyes and drive me mad.  

There was a knock at the door, startling me, and I almost fled.  But it wouldn't be the Lion King, not here, not yet.  He wouldn't know I was back.  I opened the door.

A human greeted me. "Hi there, new neighbor.  I'm Rachael from the second floor apartment. Just thought I'd come say hi. Need help moving in?"

Rachael was chubby – not just by farla standards, but by human – with short brown hair and a squeaky tenor voice. She had pale skin, which she covered with more makeup than most humans, and her chin and brow seemed unusually defined for a female human. "Hello,"  I said distantly.  "I'm Ashmi.  No, I don't need help moving in.  Thanks for asking."

"Oh.  Well, sorry to bother you.  You want to come downstairs for a cup of tea or something? I like to get to know my neighbors.  It cuts down on the insecurity, you know.  Living in a place like this-- well, this isn't the best of neighborhoods, you know?"

"I know,"  I said bitterly, and wondered if this androgynous human knew the Lion King.  I also wondered if I could still drink tea.  I was afraid of my bone-white apartment, and loneliness.  "I'll come downstairs if you want, but I don't know if I'll be able to take tea.  I tend to be allergic to nearly everything."

"Well, come on down. You don't have to have tea if you don't want it.  You're a farla, aren't you?"

I stepped out of my apartment and followed Rachael downstairs.  "You can't tell?"

"You're a bit pale, aren't you? I never saw a farla so white.  I thought you guys were all green.  Not that I think it looks bad, I think you look gorgeous.  At least, I don't know, by human standards or something, but maybe you don't feel good?"

"It's the color we turn when we're away from our Mother,"  I said.  "The Sun.  It is not a well color, and I thank you for your concern, but really, don't worry about me."

Rachael's apartment smelled like cats.  Unsurprisingly, three came to greet Rachael, and another one sat on a moth-eaten armchair and glowered at me.  The cats seemed unsure of me.  Farla generally get along well with cats, sometimes better than with the humans who brought them, and I had always liked them.  These, however, avoided me, and I avoided them.  Rachael noticed.  "Don't you like cats?"

There is one Cat that I despise.  But I wouldn't say so.  These cats were nothing of the Lion King.  "They're all right.  These don't seem to like me."

"That's funny.  Normally they're all over strangers.  What's wrong, guys? You being little bitches today?"  Rachael turned to me apologetically.  "They get like this sometimes."

"I don't blame them."  I took a deep breath of cat-scented air.  It was not quite enough to drown out the scent of the sea.  "Forgive me for my ignorance.  I'm not very experienced with humans, but...  you are a woman, aren’t you?”

Rachael laughed. "Already? That’s great!"

"I don’t understand."

"I’ve been trying."  The human went into the kitchen to put on tea.  "Just managed to get on hormones two weeks ago. This place, well. Not a lot of doctors, and the mail’s not too reliable."

"What do doctors and the mail have to do with your – no. This is none of my concern, I’m being very rude."

"From a farla, I’m okay with it,"  Rachael said, coming out with the tea. “I’m a woman, but I only figured it out for certain a year ago, and it’s taken me this long to get the hormones I need.”

“I didn’t know humans could have an ambiguous gender," I said.

“Yeah, sometimes we’re born with the wrong genitals and hormones, and it can be hard to figure out what we really ought to be. I’m thirty-five. I don’t know if farlae age like humans do, but that’s, like, more than a third of a human’s maximum average lifespan, more than half of how long we usually do live when we grow up in neighborhoods like this. I didn’t grow up here, though, but just a few cities over, not so close to the water, but other than that it’s just like this. So that’s a long time to not know, but I know it now. Gonna start growing my hair out now that I have my shots.”

I doubted the other city was really just like this. This city was different from any I had known. "I see,"  I said, though I didn't really understand most of what she was talking about.  I tried to smell the tea, but I could only smell salt water.

"Do you want something? Some water? I feel bad that you're allergic to tea and all."

What I needed, Rachael could not give me.  Or at the least, I would not take from her.  "That's fine.  I'm all right."  I had not been all right since we went to the sea.  I no longer even knew how many years it had been.  "How long have you been living here?"

"Oh, a year and a half or so.  It's a bad neighborhood, but it's cheap.  You know how it is.  Hard to get work nowadays."

I didn't know how it was, but I nodded politely.  "Yes."

"Now that I’m out, a lot of humans won’t hire me. This is the kind of neighborhood where they’ve got really old, traditional attitudes, you know? And I guess you've got it worse.  Not many farlae here."

"This was a farla neighborhood once,"  I said. "An artists' community.  It was poor, but it had a soul."

"Well, it hasn't got one now,"  Rachael said, with an edge of bitterness in her voice.  "That's just like us humans.  We wreck everything."

"You feel too much guilt.  This may be a human neighborhood now, but its soullessness is not human doing." Panic choked me like seaweed as I realized I'd said too much.  I had lost my old instincts-- I had no way to know if Rachael was the Lion's or not.

"You talk like you've been here before."

"I must go." I got up, hastily.  "I'm sorry."

"Uh, okay. Health problems or something? Or was it something I said?"

"Health problems," I lied.  "Perhaps we'll talk again.  I'm sorry."

***

I locked the door of my apartment behind me.  It wasn't necessary; what I feared could come through walls, and there were no mundane threats I did fear anymore.  But it would disturb me if Rachael came upstairs and came inside while I wasn't watching.  I wanted to be careful of what she might see.  

I thought she was a sweet, harmless soul, if a bit strange.  I would wish to befriend her, another time, perhaps, but not here.  Not where anything might warp under the paw of the Lion.  I could see the signs she'd spoken of now.  This place no longer had a soul.

Once Daro had argued that humans could be rendered soulless, could be enslaved, far more easily than the farlae.  Farlae, he argued, had been created as slaves, and would die free rather than live that way again.  Humans, freely evolved, knew no better.  Slavery was a sporadic thing in their history and was performed by groups of them on other groups, never something their race as a whole had suffered.  So they did not notice being enslaved.  They couldn't see the loss of their souls until after the precious stuff was gone.

At the time I had called Daro racist, but secretly suspected some part of his theory to be true.  Now I knew better.  Farlae had fled this neighborhood because they'd heard of our fate, I thought.  And humans moved in simply by the laws of diffusion, there being more of them on this world than us.  Unaware of the danger until it was too late.  Farlae would notice an absence of farlae, and stay away, feeling unwelcome. Humans, the majority, had no such warning system.

And farlae could be enslaved, stripped of will or soul.  Sometimes the choice was not between slavery or death.  Sometimes it was between two forms of slavery.

I thought I could sleep. But the bed would not touch me. When I closed my eyes and lay down, I felt myself in my ocean bed once more, curled like a child in the womb, the green water penetrating me and washing my thoughts away.  It didn't matter.  I didn't need sleep anyway.

I left my apartment and went to explore the neighborhood by night.  It had changed physically after all.  No one I'd known would have allowed their apartments to become so run-down, let so much trash collect in the streets, or left broken, melted vehicles like mountains of plastic on the sides of the roads.  Aside from me, no woman walked abroad, and I was invisible if I chose. Gangs of young male humans lounged about, predators waiting for prey.  Empty drug vials and used-up dermal patches littered the sidewalks and the paths between the buildings.  

The Lion King's place alone had grown in splendor.  His nightclub, Heaven, looked positively palatial, glittering with light and music. He sat in the center of the neighborhood, with a vast spiderweb thrown in the air about him of parking for aircars. There were no longer any grounded streets leading to his court, and all the buildings that used to stand around Heaven had been swallowed by the glittering fibers of the parking web. From the ground, only someone light as a wraith could climb the web to reach the cars, as I did; the human children down below could see fat, juicy prey overhead, but had no way to reach it. They were driven sullen, reminded of what they didn't have and could never get, made impotent by the Lion. And so in impotent fury they raged against those that had no more than they-- which was why no one walked alone on the night streets, and no women walked at all.

This was what I saw when the Lion King first arrived.  But then it was only a vision in a dream-clouded farla's mind.  I didn't truly know what the Lion King truly was until the day he summoned me to his court.  None of us knew.  I tried to tell myself that, to remind myself that Daro and Anzali's fate was not my fault. I didn't believe my own reassurances at all.

The club itself was the last place I went, that night.  Invisible to almost all, I wandered the two dance floors, peered in some of the upstairs bedrooms and slipped back out again.  Heaven had grown more openly decadent since last I was here, with more bedrooms for the transactions of perversion and vice.  They were no longer hidden away on the top floor, available only to members of the Lion's court.  I saw businessmen cavorting in swimming pools with women who were no more than animated shells, the vivacity that seemed to pour from them as artificial as the sunlamp light that glittered off the pool.  I saw humans and farlae both drugged out of their minds, performing obscene rituals of life and death for an appreciative audience of both races. I saw other humans and farlae voluntarily drinking down hells'brews, filling their bodies with a greater variety and concentration of drugs than even the poor victim-slaves had been poisoned with.  And none of them saw me.  I didn't expect humans to see me, but the fact that I was invisible even to farlae said that the farlae in this establishment were all spiritually dead.

None of this surprised me. It filled me with hate, but hate gave me strength.  I remembered what had been done to me, what had happened to my husband and wife, and why I was here.  I decided to risk finding the Lion King.

***

The topmost floor of Heaven was the Lion King's court.  One could not get in without an invitation, but in a sense the Lion had tendered me an invitation all those years ago.  In any case, only the Lion himself could have kept me out, and he didn't man his own doors.

I saw him on his throne, with four scantily-clad women serving him.  Two were human, one was farla, and one was as he was, part cat. The humans once manufactured other humans with the blood of animals mingled with their own.  Normally cat-humans manifested only with cat-shaped eyes and bodies far more graceful than a typical human body.  The Lion King himself was thought a mutant or a throwback, or else something entirely inhuman, with his features subtly shaped to seem more cat than human, and his curly golden hair almost a mane.  He was feeding from one of the human women as he held her in his lap.  The others were massaging him or stroking his hair, oblivious to the bloody fate of their companion.  Favored courtiers, men and unattractive women, competed for his attention, praising him and giving him information on his business.

He could not speak as he drank, but eventually he released the woman he was feeding from.  She dropped to the floor in a heap, and I shuddered.  In my time, his habits were not quite so open.  I turned and left as I heard his voice.  It was deep and mellifluous, no different than I remembered it, and I feared that my hate would choke me and I'd do something rash.  I hadn't come all this way to throw away my best chance.

***

In the morning, I went to visit Rachael.  My sight of the Lion King had fortified me, and I no longer cared if she was his creature or not.  I needed information.

"Hey, Ashmi!" she said cheerfully, answering my knock in a bathrobe.  "Want to come in and get some breakfast?"

"I'd like to come in, in any case,"  I said, "though I've already eaten."

"Oh.  Well, if you don't mind watching me eat, come on in. I was kind of hoping you'd come in."  She stared at me as I entered the cat-full apartment and seated myself.  "God, you're gorgeous.  I'd give anything to look like you."

"If you would give what I have given, you're a fool,"  I said softly.

"What?"

"Beauty is only a danger, in a place like this.  I need information, Rachael; about the Lion King.  What do you know?"

She swallowed. "Um.  I don't think it's safe to talk about him..."

"It's safe.  No one is listening, I am not an informant, and if you are I don't care.  Tell me what you know about the Lion King."

"I don't think--"

I stood up again, and stared into her eyes.  I let her see a small fraction of what I truly was.  "Tell me."

"Oh, God." She stared at me with fear, not envy, now.  "You're-- you're not--"

"I am not. Yes.  I won't hurt you, Rachael, not unless you keep information from me."

"No wonder you didn't want to eat."  She swallowed again.  "All right.  I don't know much-- I'm too ugly for the Lion and too poor to go to his club.  But I know what everyone in the neighborhood knows. He's not human, for starters.  I mean, more than the way you're-- uh, maybe the way you're not.  Um.  I mean, he isn't natural.  He isn't just a catperson, he's something else. Something else totally."

"Yes.  Something that can strip away a will, or a soul."

"And pretty girls have got to go to him, if he wants them.  He doesn't take them all.  And most of the ones he takes come back, though they don't remember much about what happened, and they're usually not so pretty anymore.  Some of them, though-- some of them don't come back at all."

"How do the girls go to him? How are they chosen?"

"Anytime someone new moves in, his people check to see if there's a pretty girl in with them. They'll probably come to take you tonight.  If there are any remotely pretty girls, they go with the Lion King's men, and they get presented to him in his court.  And if he likes them, they stay there."

"Yes.  It was not the same in my time, but it was similar." A fierce pain beat at me from within. "What of those who won't submit?"

"The Lion King's bullyboys don't give you a choice.  You have to go with them."

I smiled bitterly and looked hard at Rachael.  "You wanted to be my friend.  Yet you made no attempt to warn me-- though you thought I was beautiful, and that must have meant you knew the Lion King's men would come for me."

"I was scared," Rachael whispered, looking down. "If I'd warned you, and you'd run away...  and he found out..."

"You might find yourself walking to the ocean,"  I agreed.  "No, I suppose it doesn't matter."

"Ah--" Rachael looked up.  "Did it happen to you? Did you..."

"When the Lion King first came,"  I said, "I lived in the apartment I live in now, with my husband and my wife, Daro and Anzali."

"Your wife?" Rachael sounded startled, and then nodded.  "Oh, right.  Farlae live with two women and a man, don't they? I'd forgot."

"The Lion King summoned me.  He had less power in those days, but he was less well known as well.  I thought he would be a patron for my art, so I went willingly enough."  I lost myself in memory a moment.  

We had such bright happy lives then, and knew nothing of it.  We had problems with bills, lovers' quarrels, emotional intrigues with the rest of the farla community, and we thought those were troubles.  I was a naive innocent when I went to see the Lion King, thinking he had heard of my art.  But what he wanted was not what I had created.  What he wanted...  was what I was.

The demand was for my body. I knew it went deeper than that. Farlae tend to be more sensitive to such things than humans; it was my soul he wanted, and I knew it.  I refused.  He threatened to kill me, to kill my husband and wife.  I told him that all of us would rather die free than live as soulless slaves.

I looked up, shaking myself free of memory.  "I was a naive fool,"  I said harshly.  "But the Lion King has no more power over me."  I stood up.  "Rachael, I forgive you for not warning me.  But if you tell the Lion King of his danger, or give him or anyone else any information concerning me, I will kill you slowly.  Do you understand me?"

She nodded, shivering. She knew what I was capable of.

***

They came for me that night.

I feigned sleep, lying on the sagging mattress in the semblance of a nightgown, waiting for them. They unlocked my door and shook me, roughly, thinking they were waking me.  "Get up.  You've been summoned to the palace of the Lion King."

So even he called it a palace now.  I looked at them with dazed eyes.  "Do I have time to get into some clothes?"

One of them snickered. "Why bother? You'll just be taking them off again anyway."  They all laughed.

I went with them in my nightgown and my artfully disheveled hair, out to their aircar and from there to Heaven.  They brought me to the top floor, to the court of the Lion King.  And I stood before the creature who'd destroyed my life, and felt the hatred surging in me, giving me strength.  On the outside, I showed frightened, sleep-bewildered eyes, the face of a beautiful innocent.

"What is your name, girl?"  he asked me. His voice was beautiful, rich and deep as the sea.  

"Ashmi,"  I whispered, letting myself tremble.  I looked down at my feet, at the enamel floor, and forced myself to see a reflection.

"Ashmi,"  he said reflectively.  "I knew a farla named Ashmi once.  Years ago...  She looked much like you, but not as pale.  And she gave me trouble.  You won't give me trouble, girl, will you?"

"You should know what happens to those who resist the Lion King,"  one of his courtiers hissed.

"Disrobe," he ordered.

I stripped, letting the nightgown pool around my feet, and turned around for him like a bird on a spit as he ordered me to.  Finally he smiled, showing sharp teeth.  "She'll do.  Take her to my chambers and have her wait."

I scooped up the nightgown and slipped back into it.  Once I was in his chambers, alone, I let it disperse into mist.  I sat on his bed, naked, and remembered our journey to the sea.

He had demanded me, body and soul.  I'd refused, and he'd laughed.  "You have spirit, don't you,"  he said. "Go home then.  Go on back to your husband and wife.  I have no shortage of beautiful women, that I need to trouble myself with you."

And gods help me, I thought I was free.  I ran back to Daro and Anzali, to tell them what had happened, to seek their comfort. I ran up the stairs to the apartment, and into Daro's spotless kitchen, where the two of them had stayed up late, waiting for me.

But as I met their eyes, a compulsion struck, consuming the three of us.  I explained nothing-- I couldn't speak.  All I knew was that I had to go down to the sea and die, and that my loves felt the same way.

We left the apartment, holding hands, and began to walk.  We felt as if we were in a dream, inexplicably shared.  The empathic bond between us had twined around us all, dragging us down together.  Perhaps this was intended to be my private nightmare, and the bond I had with my loves, the linkage between our minds, pulled them down with me.  Or perhaps the Lion King had always intended to send us all. Throughout the night we walked, slowly, in a daze.  The sea was normally half an hour's journey by aircar.  On foot, holding hands and walking with dreamlike slowness, it took us all of the night and most of the next day.  We were exhausted, but there was never any question of stopping.  The sea pulled us with some strange gravity. Hydrotropic, we flowed down the path of least resistance, through the city and out, until we came to a cliff over the ocean.

I felt their love for me, and mine for them.  I felt an overwhelming despair and exhaustion, a hunger for the ocean's balm. We looked at each other and nodded. Then we released one another, and separately we leapt into the sea.

Daro and Anzali were dashed against the rocks at the bottom, immediately.  I fell into a deeper part, cushioned by water, and curled up in green darkness to sleep my despair away.

***

The Lion entered the room, awakening me from my reverie.  "Good.  You've got your clothes off."  He smiled at me ferally.  On him, it was more of a baring of teeth than a smile, and spoke of hunger.  "Lie down."

He removed his own clothes and came to touch me, to cover me with his lightly furred body.  "Gods of hell, you're cold, woman.  What have you been doing, standing on the balcony with your clothes off?"  

"It's a cold night,"  I whispered.

"I'll warm you, then."  His hands had articulated digits, but furred fingers and pads on his palms.  With these paws, he explored my body, finding no body heat anywhere.  Alarmed, he licked at my neck, and when he found the reassuring taste of salt there bit in, drinking what ran through my veins.

What he needed was blood. All I had was seawater.

The Lion King jerked away, spluttering, and stared down at me.  I smiled at him, the same baring of teeth he'd shown me.  

"You knew me," I said.  "Many years ago.  And I gave you trouble."

He tried to back away then. But I grabbed him and pulled him down to the bed, pinning him under my weight, the weight of the ocean.  I opened my jaws wide and let the semblance of normalcy fall from me, showing myself as I truly was-- a skeleton animated by seawater, a demon driven by hate.  He screamed. I dove upon his throat and tore at it, drinking his hot blood as my claws dug into other parts of his body, tearing flesh away.

The Lion's life force was strong, fed by the blood of innocence and whatever demons he served. But my hate was stronger.  He fought me, digging his teeth into my neck once more.  All he drank was seawater.  He tried to drink that, hoping to weaken me, but he might as well have tried to drink the ocean dry.  I drank his blood and it was finite, though fortified with the blood of many victims. I ate bits of his flesh, torn away. As his struggles weakened, I released his neck and burrowed my face into his belly, chewing through the flesh. Drenched in blood, I reached my bony hand into the opening I'd made and clawed through his liver and lungs. Finally I tore out his heart and showed it to him.  He died then.

The air was filled with a rustling noise.  The souls he had stolen from young women, from men, from the neighborhood itself, fled from the punctured hole in his body.  Some were partially consumed, and would never be strong again.  The sight renewed my hatred, though my enemy was dead and his soul bound to the darkness.

For this moment alone I had the power.  I had stolen the life force of the Lion King, and I had within me the strength of the sea and the energy of my hate.  I could have called a tidal wave to destroy Heaven and all the tormentors within. The tormented would die as well, but that would be only a blessing, I felt.  The neighborhood would be destroyed, but there was nothing in this blasted ruin of a hometown worth keeping anymore, was there? Destroy it all and let the survivors rebuild.  Yes.  I felt the charge build within me, and almost gave myself over to it.

But then Rachael would die as well.  And she was an innocent, who had kept her soul, though the paw of the Lion had undoubtedly started to warp her.  She had not warned me, but she'd tried to befriend me, as best she could with her fear of the Lion King.  If I killed her with a tidal wave, I was no better than the Lion King, killing as it suited me.

There would be no tidal wave.  I let the energy fade away.  Let someone else save the city; I had done my part.  I was so tired.

It was time to return to my ocean bed, and to my loves.  I faded away, and let myself turn into mist, carried back to the sea.

[diaryofabeautyfiend]

Small Time Witch (17)

Thor woke up to the sound of people laughing in the kitchen. It smelled like coffee and bacon and something sweet and cinnamony. He loved this house. It was perfectly warm here like you might need a sweater but otherwise comfortable.

How stupidly romantic of his brother, he thought. Building this house without you knowing was very Loki but only if he also intended on keeping you as his prisoner. This was not his intention though. This was a home Loki built for the two of you. He made a space big enough for his big brother to feel comfortable when he visited. Rooms that would be perfect nurseries. He never envisioned his brother wanting children.

At the center of it all was you. He watched you holding court in the kitchen like a proper queen. Loki and Steve mooning over you hanging on your every word. You weren’t a mortal. You were a siren calling men to their deaths. Before his eyes he watched his brother and good friend happily following your song crashing their ships on jagged rocks.

You noticed him staring and smiled at him. “Thor, do you want pancakes or eggs or both?” He smiled back.

“Pancakes please. Everyone seems to be in a good mood this morning.”

“Come relax, brother. Coffee?” Loki was light. Not at all brooding line his usual self. When you delivered Thor’s stack of pancakes he grabbed your arm and pulled you close so that he could talk in your ear.

“Are you doing this?”

“No. I’m just as freaked out. Everyone woke up in such a good mood. Maybe a spell?” You said gritting your teeth.

Loki leaned over to whisper to you both, “It’s not a spell. Steve and I spoke last night. Everything is fine. Enjoy breakfast.” Thor shrugged and shoved some pancakes in his mouth. He’s Steve now? Ok. That’s not strange at all.

“Thor, Loki just got finished telling us that he went grocery shopping and to a farmers market.” Thor choked on his pancakes. “That’s exactly what I said” you laughed.

“Why is it impossible for you people to imagine me buying food? Am I so incapable of caring for myself?” He was beyond offended. You patted him on the head. “Don’t patronize me, girl. I am nothing if not a survivor. I needed sustenance.”

“Don’t listen to them, Loki. It’s funny because you are a prince. I’m sure on Asgard you sit at a table and food is set in front of you. Even royals on Earth don’t grocery shop.” Wanda said to sooth him.

When Steve cleared his throat the mood became more serious. “Ok. We need to get a move on. Buck and Sam you’re with me. Loki and Wanda you stay with Y/N. Thor you get to Stephen Strange. Hopefully we can get answers without bloodshed.”

Everyone got up from the table. You followed Steve to the bedroom. “What are you going to do? I don’t like any of this.”

“Please don’t worry. I’m just going to talk to Tony. He’s a good man. I’m sure it’s a misunderstanding.”

“And if it’s not? What then?” He rubbed your shoulders trying to calm you down.

“Then we’ll get out of there and come back to you. Please don’t worry. You’re safe here. Loki and Wanda are here. I’m totally confident in all of your abilities.” You stood on your tip toes to kiss him.

“I’m worried about you. You were ready to tear the world apart last night.”

“When your life is in question nothing will stop me from protecting you. Nothing. I will be safe.” He bent to kiss you again. “I’ll call you when we’re on the way back. I love you.”

“Mmmm. Say that again.” Another kiss.

“I love you.” He smiled down at you gazing at you through his lashes. He ran a finger down your cheek and hooked it under your chin to lift your face towards his.

“I love you too.” He held your face and kissed you again. It was hard for him to pull away but he did. He took your hand and lead you down the hall to do final checks with everyone. You hugged Bucky and Sam and told Sam not to wreck your car. You hugged Thor although you were going to see him soon. You kissed Steve again by the car so Loki didn’t have to watch.

He and Wanda were sitting on the porch when you walked back into the gate. You looked a little sad with a wistful smile on your face. You sat on the step below them so you could rest your head on Loki’s lap. With your free hand you grabbed Wanda’s. You sat in silence for a while watching the car disappear into the woods. Once they were gone you sat up and patted them both, “Dishes.”

After you finished in the kitchen Wanda went out to the garden to meditate and wait for Thor. At least that’s what she said she was doing. She was really giving you and Loki some time to catch up.

He walked you around the house really letting you look at everything. You let your emotions loose and openly cried at his kindness. “I think you and Steve will be very happy here.” When he said those words the breath left your body.

“You gave up that easy?” He stepped forward to wipe your face. You wanted to hold him but he kept you at an arms length.

“No, pet, you gave up. You said as much when you essentially severed any link I had to you. Am I right to assume you’ve made your choice? I heard the two of you last night. At least I heard you. You so casually fucked him in the home I made for us! That pretty much put the final nail in the coffin that was us.”

“I don’t know what to say. I love you both. Can’t I have you both?” you sobbed.

He rolled his eyes. “It doesn’t work that way. You said to me, the day I left, you said you loved me more than Andrew. That what you felt for me was beyond what you’ve ever felt. Where does Steve fall? Has he surpassed me?”

“No...”

“Don’t lie! Don’t tell me what I want to hear because I swear...I swear I cannot take it.”

“Then what do you want?”

“The truth! Do you want me? Today everyday for the rest of our lives?” You were silent. “Right. I’ll be outside.” He turned away from you but you grabbed his wrist.

“Stop! Look at me...” you touched his face. He leaned into you. “I want you forever. What I said was true. You more than anyone. Give me more time.”

“I don’t want to have to be the one to point out the obvious but he lied to you. He allowed for you to be poisoned and put you in unimaginable danger. Doesn’t sound like love to me, Darling. But take all the time you need.”

You could make up excuses to try to justify what happened but you couldn’t. The fact was he lied to you. And you let it go without another thought. He has you going to Alaska and you don’t know why. He always says he’s trying to protect you but he never gives you the chance to make your own decisions. He treats you like a fragile child when you know good and well you can take him out with the flick of your wrist. Loki embraces who you are and what you can do. On your new list that’s a big ole strike one for Steve.

Hours later Strange and Wong are with you waiting for Steve to call. I told you so were the first words Strange said when he walked through the portal.

“Well you didn’t exactly tell me why they wanted you to bind me.”

He cocked an eyebrow, “But I did warn you to walk away. I don’t trust any of them. Not even your boyfriend. He was with Tony the day they first asked.” That was a gut punch. You guessed only Tony made the request. Loki wanted to echo the I told you so sentiment but kept it to himself when he saw how crushed you were.

“He thought he was protecting me. He knew I’d never agree.”

“Of course not,” he scoffed “binding you would leave you defenseless. With the Kale’s still looming somewhere there was no way you could agree. There is a power they want in Alaska and you’re how they get it. It’s something big that your body would otherwise reject. Either you sit this one out or we all go.”

Everything Loki and Strange said made you feel sick. You were anxious. It was taking so long for Steve to call. You were slowly seeing this life wasn’t meant for you.

You sat in the big tufted chair and conjured yourself some tea. Wong smiled and handed you a cookie to go with it. He was the only one who noticed your success.

Finally the guys pulled up to your house. Strange and Wong stood protectively at your side. Frazzled you did not look up from your tea.

They came in quietly with no excitement. Steve spotted you in the chair and didn’t come over at first. “You ok, Princess?”

“Fine. A little nervous that’s all. What did Tony say?” Your voice was steady but you were trembling. He knelt in front of you and took your tea cup and set it down on the table.

“Honey, they are sticking with their story. We are leaving tonight. They sent us back to bring you to the compound.” He held your hands and kissed your knuckles. You kept your eyes fixed on the floor. “Y/N, will you look at me?”

“Why do they want me, Steve?” Your voice was soft but strong.

He lowered his eyes. “I don��t know for sure. We think to absorb an ability but beyond that is anyone’s guess. What are you thinking?” You thought for a moment then stood up. Steve stood up too. Everyone in the room looked at you expectantly.

“I think I need to get on the plane. Give me five minutes. I just need to change.” They thought you’d fight back. They thought you would refuse. They thought you’d be afraid. They continue to underestimate you and it started to piss you off.

“No. No. Absolutely not. No. You can’t go.” Loki was like a coiled spring. He was bounding across the room to do what he didn’t exactly know. To stop you? To shake you until you came to your senses? He wasn’t sure but he had to act fast. “I’ll go. I am a shapeshifter. I can shift into you easily. See?” You were staring at a perfect clone of yourself. “And I can hold it for months if I have to.”

You patted him on the head and smiled. “I’m going. Please just this once trust me. I’m not as stupid as I act sometimes.” He shifted back and stormed out of the door. “I’ll be out in a few.” You went back to the bedroom to change and wash your face. As you pinned up your hair you stared at your reflection in the mirror. The person you saw looking back was unrecognizable. You had gone so far into cover that you didn’t know yourself anymore. Best to focus on the task and hand and finish this so you could resume your boring life.

Everyone was waiting for you. Strange and Wong said very little except they would be waiting for your call. Everyone jumped in your car. Bucky took the bike ahead of you all to be on the look out for any trouble along the way. Loki stood pouting in the doorway watching you.

“Hey can you give me a second with Lok?” Steve’s jaw clenched. He wasn’t keen on the idea but let it go.

“This is insane. I don’t trust any of them.” Loki started to spin out. You grabbed his arms and forced him to see you. You pushed him inside to avoid prying eyes and ears.

“I need you to do something for me.” You pressed a piece of paper into his hand. “Call the number on this card and ask for Logan. Let him know where we’re headed. If they aren’t in Alaska already they can be on the X-jet and to the site faster than we can. Please just trust me.”

“Who is Logan?” he said confused.

“Back up. Lok, you know I can take care of myself. You know how strong I am. I know you can feel it.” You took his hand and placed it over your heart, “King of my life, this is yours. I promise I will come home to you safe and sound. I love you.”

“I’m begging you.” He searched your face and found that he was fighting a losing battle. “Fine. As the rightful king of your heart, I command you to keep it beating.”

“I swear I will be safe.” You kissed him hard. So hard your lips swell a little and turn a fresh shade of pink. “Tell me you love me.”

“I love you, Y/ N.” He didn’t notice the tiny screwdriver on the leather cord in your hand. You slipped it around his neck and he felt that it was warm again. When he closed his eyes your pulse beat steady in his ears. You flashed your wrist and showed him the bracelet back in its place.