#sometimes you go hammocking and read

[caninecowboy]

i hung out w/ some acquaintances of mine yesterday and i think i mayhaps be more positive/bubbly than i thought i was

[moinsbienquekaworu]

Also I'm really into Venom now. Good night!

[aeyumicore]

misty invasion - lost oasis

━ .ᐟ✧ PAIRING: sylus x female reader (afab)

━ ✧.˖ GENRE: smut, porn with some/little plot, porn with feelings, angst

━ .ᐟ✧ WORD COUNT: 4.5k

━ ✧.˖ WARNINGS: mdni, explicit sexual content, spoilers AND alterations to ‘lost oasis’ (sylus’s misty invasion card), slight predator and prey, dom!sylus for the most part (though he shows vulnerability), use of Y/N, sub!reader but she teases doe, unprotected sex, cumming in coochie, against the wall sex, shower sex, hand play/kink, belly bulge, finger sucking, fingering, biting, slight angst, lots of hickeys (m! And f!receiving), allusions and predictions to sylus’s lore 

━ .ᐟ✧ LINKS: video | ao3 | twitter art | xav's version | raf's version | zayne's version

━ ✧.˖ A/N: hiii second part of the misty invasion series is here <3 this time our very own birb – sylus! Next will be Xavier but I don't have a timeline for it! Could be 3 days could be a week :’) will try and keep you guys updated

Small Sylus rant, feel free to skip this and read the fic!

I have huge problems with the hypersexualization of Sylus, from the devs not from fans. I feel like the devs sometimes use him as fan service. I felt that was especially true in this card, the shower scene felt out of place and didn’t feel intimate because they’ve done far too little mc/sylus building and sylus lore. I wished the ending scene in the hammock was the cut scene, even if there was no spice. For that reason, I’ve SLIGHTLY altered the dialogue and memory, especially at the end. I added in some of my own angst, heavily influenced by predictions to Sylus’s lore I’ve seen on Twitter, especially the twitter art i linked above.

Don’t get me wrong I love Sylus. I just wish we got to see MORE of his lore and backstory, because you just KNOW it's tragic. His myth cards were nothing like the other 3 boys, and I feel like they have a lot of opportunities to help Sylus “catch up” to the other 3 LIs (could’ve done a event similar to Rafayel’s bday event, waited until they could release more main story, etc), but they haven’t utilized it well. I’m sure there’s a reason why (rushed timeline, leak threats. End of the day I understand it’s a business), but as a reader/user/fan it kinda sucks. And again, I KNOW it’s coming and it will be great. But because we haven’t seen enough yet, it makes his spicy scenes seem less intimate and more fan service-y. So I wanted to add just a sprinkle of Sylus angst and story here <3 It made me cry, I hope you guys love it as much as I loved writing it. 

THIS IS MY ONLY ACCOUNT. I WILL NEVER POST MY FICS ON OTHER TUMBLR BLOGS. I WILL ONLY POST ON THIS ACCOUNT AND ON AO3.

✦ . ˖ ✧ .ᐟ ˖ nsfw | minors dni | 18+ only | minors dni | nsfw ✦ . ˖ ✧ .ᐟ ˖ .

There are moments in life where it really hits you.

That you’re in danger. 

Where your hair stands up on its ends and your legs itch with the need to bolt away. This felt like one of those moments. The way Sylus’s voice, throaty and deep, growled with evident hunger, his eyes watching you like a predator eyeing its prey. 

Only…this time, the goosebumps that painted your skin were from excitement, and the throbbing in your thighs was from desire and not fear. This time, the tight grip on your thighs, the imposing body against yours, holding you so possessively, only leaves you wanting more. 

Sylus’s arm is pushed against the wall behind your head, caging you in with his hard soapy body. His skin shines with water and the leftover suds of his shower, before the water had run out, leaving you with a wet and mischievous Sylus.

Your fingers languidly follow soapy suds that trail down his chest, not really actually wiping anything away. Sylus remains self-assured, smirking down at your shaking body as you touch him. You can feel goosebumps form where you touch him and it’s the only indication that the silver-haired man is close to losing it. 

His voice comes out deep and breathy, “Aren’t you going to do something about my hair?”

His smile is maddening, taunting you to touch him more. So you wrap your hands behind his shoulders, yanking him down to you. 

For a brief second, Sylus is taken aback, his lips parting with a surprised breath. But as quickly as it had come, Sylus composes himself. He lets himself be pulled to you, chuckling breathily. 

“Is that it, sweetheart?” 

Before you can respond, his arm releases the wall behind you. In an instant, his large hand is gripping the underside of your thighs, hoisting you up with one arm so that both your legs dangle off his strong arm, pressed against his hip. 

You yelp at the feeling of his large hands holding you against his wet and hard body, “What are you doing?! My clothes!” You can feel your deep red satin nightdress soaking up the sudsy water on his skin.

Sylus only laughs, sarcastic and deep, “Oh no. They’re wet. Now what?” 

You try to push him away, “Well you need to let me down first.” 

But Sylus doesn’t budge, shifting you so he can lean his free arm against the wall behind you, caging you in once more. Like a lost bird. 

“Doesn’t this mean you also need to learn how to humble yourself?” His cerise eyes are frustratingly playful, his eyebrows crinkled in amusement. 

You don’t respond, instead trailing your hand down his bare chest again. Your feather-like touch ghosts his collarbone, down to his thick pecs, that tremble deliciously under your fingers. From the strain of holding you up with one arm, or your touch alone, you’re unsure. 

You speak softly, trying to tease him into losing control, “I did, and this is what I see…” 

Your touch and suggestive words have Sylus breathing heavier. His pants come out raspily, sounding vaguely close to a moan. He nearly shivers at your touch, so absolutely enamored by the way your fingers claim him, barely able to withstand his primal urges to claim you.

His reaction fuels you with confidence, and you grin cheekily, “Oh? I guess I’ll have to be more gentle.” You let your hands explore more, stroking his down his marbled chest. 

Sylus grunts, his face turning away from you, contorted in tortured pleasure. His breath comes out in rapid desperate gasps. It’s so utterly rare for you to see Sylus in such a needy state, and you can’t help but tease him further. 

Your fingers touch his neck, enjoying the way Sylus is crumbling under your fingertips when normally it’s you coming undone for him, “How cute.” 

When your fingernail grazes his nipple, Sylus tenses up, a growl ripping from his throat.

He turns to you, squirming under your fleeting touch. “Hey,” he croaks. His voice is uncharacteristically hoarse, tense with desire.

“The soundproofing for this shower isn’t great. People might get the wrong idea if they hear us. At this rate, we could end up in a lose-lose situation.” 

But you continue, pinching his ear softly, grinning, “Tell me, who pinned you down and hit you?” 

Sylus’s smile falters. He knows you’re referring to the little boy from earlier, whom you’d been teaching how to fight against Wanderers, but he can’t help but think about the first time he’d been here at the desert oasis. Only that time, he was powerless. That time, he couldn’t protect you.

He quickly masks his brief moment of melancholy, smirking at you once more, “Oh, so class isn’t over yet.” You want to prod at his sudden shift in demeanor, but you can tell now's not the time. You made a mental note to ask him about it later.

Sylus holds your wrist gently, bringing your fist to his lips. His mouth pressing fleeting kisses to your knuckles, “Then can I trouble you some more…Miss?” He doesn’t wait for you to answer, hoisting you back up onto his forearm, forcing you to wrap your arms around the back of his neck for balance. He carries you in one arm to the bathroom door, before he falters, hearing the patter of footsteps outside.

“On second thought, I’ll take my lesson in here.” He walks you back to the shower, shifting your legs so that they wrap around his hips. Your back is pressed against the wet wall, Sylus’s strong arms holding you in place. 

“What should you do…if a wanderer has you pinned down like this?” His voice is sultry and suggestive, darkened eyes daring you to teach him. 

You lift your chin proudly at his taunting challenge. Your fingers trace inexplicable shapes into his chest, your nails gently and purposefully grazing his nipples. At his sharp inhale you make your next move.

“I would…go for the neck, since that’s where they’re most vulnerable.”

Sylus’s adam’s apple bobs with the anticipation of your double-edged words, “Is that so, little bird?”

You nod with confidence, “Let me show you…” You kiss up his collarbone until you read his pulsing neck, brushing chaste kisses along his jugular. Sylus’s chest heaves, and you smile against his neck in satisfaction. 

“I can’t imagine this would be…effective against wanderers,” Sylus masks the unsteadiness of his wavering voice with a layer of arrogant amusement. 

Sylus’s chest heaves, and you smile against his neck in satisfaction. Enjoying having the upperhand, “No…just you.” You softly sink your teeth into the thick muscles of his neck.

Sylus lets out a string of harsh expletives, slamming you further into the wall, his grip on the underside of your thighs digging in harshly. You shiver at the feeling of the cold wet wall tiles pressing into your satin nightdress.

Sylus lets you have your way a little while longer, enjoying the way your rapid heartbeat pounds against his wet chest, your tongue lapping circles where your teeth had sunken in. His hands shift to grope your rear under your crimson red nightdress, squeezing the plush skin there as if you were his personal stress ball. His demanding fingers find their way to your bare pussy, spreading them apart with his index finger and thumb.

“What a bold hunter you are…taunting the enemy with no…protection.” 

His words are vaguely threatening and it makes you squirm. As his fingers toy with you, you sink your teeth deeper into him to hide your pathetically lewd whimpers. Sylus hisses at your teeth nearly breaking skin, a mix of pain and pleasure he is all-too familiar with.

“You’d better watch yourself, my little hunter,” Sylus coos in your ear, fingers finding your clit and pressing down harshly, “You never know what a beast stranded in the desert might do to you.”

His words remind you of the reason he’d invited you out to this desert oasis to begin with, the woman who’d found him, and why he was returning now. Before you can ask him, Sylus is bullying his index finger into you, sliding in so embarrassingly  effortlessly.

“What now, little dove? What would you do now?” Sylus nips at the crook of your neck, where your shoulder and throat meet. His words are hot and dangerous at the shell of your ear, his finger curling inside you to reach the spongy corners of your g-spot.

You force your words out with all the strength you have, not wanting to give Sylus the satisfaction of rendering you speechless, “I w-would never – nnghh – be in this s-situation.” 

Sylus chuckles, inserting another finger, “And yet…here you are. About to be devoured.”

The imminent threat in his words makes you clench, hard. How it was possible for the tables to turn this quickly, you’d never understand. Sylus grins when he feels your gummy walls pressing down on just two of his fingers, the quivers typically indicative of how close you are. 

He pushes you harder into the wall, lips finding your earlobes as he huffs out his words, “Look at you, my dear little hunter. So beautiful when you’re helpless.”

You whine indignantly at his condescending words, wanting to retaliate. With his lips at your ear, his neck is exposed before you and you take full advantage of his vulnerability. You sink your teeth back into his pulsing neck, knowing just how much pressure is enough to have him writhing for you. 

Sylus jolts, his fingers slipping out of you and his knee buckling slightly. His grip on your thighs tightening as he hisses out in surprise. He composes himself just as quickly, straightening up and bouncing you up to readjust his possessive grip on you. 

He pushes you back against the wall, his hard abdomen pressing into your pussy. You groan when you feel your wet lips spreading against his chiseled muscles, his body pressing so forcefully into yours, your arousal smearing against him.

His thumb and index finger take your chin into his grip, still wet with your slick, pulling your face towards his. His arrogant grin is as alluring as it is infuriating, his ruby eyes swirling with a dark amusement. 

“No more mercy, little bird.”

Sylus presses his lips to yours, his fingers tightening around your chin. His kiss is demanding, nearly suffocating, in a way that makes you reel with excitement and anticipation. It’s so torrid and feverish that you almost don’t notice his Evol unraveling your arms from around his neck, bringing them to his chest. He holds you steady with his one arm, and with the other he releases your chin, taking the two of your wrists into his single free hand. His hands are so large that even just one of his hands can envelope both your wrists. 

As his tongue probes the parting of your lips, he holds your wrists, bringing them up above your head and pinning them against the wall. His fingers play with your trembling ones, tracing the lines in your palm and grazing all the way up to your fingertips. 

You feel a brief shuffle and hear the faint thud of Sylus’s towel dropping to the floor, the scorching head of his cock prodding at your entrance. You gasp into his mouth when you feel him taking the base of his erection, stroking it against your clit. You screw your eyes shut at the deliriously delicious friction, moaning into Sylus’s mouth, his tongue claiming every corner of yours. 

Sylus pulls away, his breath coming out in short rapid gasps. He leans his forehead against yours, his fingers still enclosing yours, binding your wrists together against the cold shower wall. His proximity makes it so his warm breath fans across your swollen lips, the taste of him still on your tongue. 

He looks down at you, his crimson eyes smoldering against the heat he’s so desperately trying to keep at bay for you. If it were up to him, he’d have you splayed across his lap, screaming until the whole small town in the oasis could hear you. Unfortunately, pressed up against the wall whimpering for more would have to do.

“Are you ready, sweetheart?”

You stare at him, arms restrained above your head, chest heaving in anticipation, lips swollen and parted. Sylus smiles at you. It’s that signature Sylus smirk, heart-stoppingly tender and predatory all at once. But when his glowing cerise eyes meet yours, that’s what has your breath catching in your throat. 

The tumultuous sea of red conveyed every ounce of emotion that his words couldn’t. What it meant to have you here in the desert with him, a place that once reminded him of hell. What it meant to have you here, wrapped up in his embrace, ready to do anything to make him happy, whole. With you here, it truly did feel like an oasis. 

So you murmur boldly, cheeks warming, “M’yours, Sy. Of course I’m ready.” 

Sylus’s smile falters for a second, before he growls, slamming you back into the wall, palm cupping the back of your head with one hand, and your lower back with the other, to protect you against the impact. 

“That’s my girl.” 

With those words, his swollen cock head at your entrance finally surges forward, nudging its way into your tight embrace. You cry out as Sylus curses, the both of you never getting used to how impossibly snug the fit was, almost to the point of not fitting at all. 

Sylus takes it surprisingly slow, watching your face carefully as he sinks into you inch by inch. His hand strokes your cheek, in an overwhelming show of tender affection. Something about this desert oasis had him unusually vulnerable and it was intoxicating. 

You squirm as he bottoms out, his cockhead nestled sinfully against your cervix, practically demanding entrance into your womb. His fist is pressed into the tiled wall behind your head, his knuckles white with desperation. His entire body twitches, his breath coming out in short desperate pants. You hold his face with your hands, forcing him to level with you, stroking his sharp jaw with your fingertips.

“Sylus?”

His carmine eyes dart to yours, the vast storm of his irises looking faraway and distant. But when he looks at you, his eyes soften, the sight of you grounding him to the moment, pulling him away from the agony he once endured here. 

You kiss his furrowed eyebrow, “I’m here, Sy.” 

Sylus groans, his facial features softening at your touch, your raw words making him heave with desire. 

“You are. And you’re mine,” he growls, finally moving inside you, pulling out until just his leaking tip is nestled in your warm waiting cunt. Giving you just a second to adjust, your pussy pulsing with the need to be filled once more, he slams back into you. The impact of his thrust knocks the air from your lungs, your body sliding up the wet walls of the shower.

“Sylus!” you squeal, trying to control  your voice. Sylus grunts, reveling in the sound of your pleasure, pulling out of you and rutting back into your poor quivering cunt at a rabid vigor. 

Your bodies are pressed so tightly together, that every minute movement Sylus makes causes your clit to brush against the trail of silver hair that paints his pelvis. His hot breath is in your ear, whispering the filthiest things to you.

“You like it rough, don’t you sweetheart?” he nips your neck, savoring the taste of your clean showered skin against his insistent tongue. Your bare shoulders are already littered in his claiming marks, beautiful red bruises forming where his lips raze like wildfire. Sylus’s eyes glimmer with satisfaction at the sight of it. 

“C-can’t take it,” you whine, fingernails digging into his shoulders. His passionate thrusts are demanding, almost mean, as they try to pull moan after moan out from your lips. Your pussy quivers, already shivering from the amount of pleasure Sylus is able to force on you, so much that it spills over. 

“Yes you can, hm?”

He hisses when your nails dig further into his skin, leaving beautiful little red crescents on his muscled shoulders. Sylus always thought it was utterly insane how you knew just how much pain to mix with his pleasure to have him unhinged, just enough to want to devour you. 

You find your wrists being bound above your head again, his hand pushing them against the wall. His forehead pushes against yours as his lips desperately seek yours, capturing you in a breathtaking and fiery kiss of unspoken feelings. A torrid storm of the way he’d missed you desperately on his trip away, so much so that he had to use the little boy wanting to learn to fight wanderers as an excuse to fly you out to him. 

He pulls away, leaving you both panting for air. As he continues his feverish ruts into you, he huffs into your ear, “You can take it. You’re my good little dove, right?”

The look of complete and utter desperation in his eyes makes you want to give into every wish and whim of the silver-haired man before you. So you nod obediently, closing your eyes in satisfaction when his fingers rub soothing circling into your palms. It’s a jarring contrast, the way his hand caresses you affectionately while his cock ravages you relentlessly. It makes you delirious with ecstasy, and your body is no different.

Your cunt throbs with the need to come undone, the coil tightening so tightly that your abdomen threatens to burst. From the pleasure of his touch or from his massive cock seemingly trying to find its way into your throat, you’re unsure. 

“S-so deep,” you cry, digging your nails into his hand as it holds yours in place. Your back slides up the wall at every one of his deliberate pointed thrusts, a mere ragdoll to his ravenous hunger against the cold dripping wall.

Sylus, groans. You feel a slight shift in energy, and Sylus moving beneath you. But your position against the wall doesn’t change. Sylus’s Evol gently grips your thighs, keeping you suspended as his arm that held you up is now free to press down on your tummy. 

“I know, doll. Can you feel me all the way here?” he draws his words out seductively, pressing down on where your walls bulge against your pulsing naval. 

You squeal at the overstimulation of him physically pressing your cunt down onto his cock that still spears in and out of you wildly. Sylus removes his hand to press it against your lips, his index and middle fingers slipping into your lips that are still parted mid-scream. 

His digits press down on your tongue, faintly tasting like his expensive body wash, “Shhh, Y/N. We wouldn’t want anyone to hear, hm?”

You whine. Truth be told, the imminent danger behind his words only gets you more and more excited, closer to the edge. His forceful fingers toying with your tongue only fueled your filthy desires more, and your body reacts just as eagerly. 

Sylus bits the inside of his cheek, swearing as your tight walls convulse tightly onto him. Your pussy unknowingly constricts the thick throbbing veins that press of his erection, pressed snugly into your sweetest spots. 

“Ah, my sweet girl is so filthy. Did you like that? Like the idea of someone watching me fuck you dumb?”

His condescending words have you shaking your head, still hanging on to your slim shred of dignity. Sylus chuckles, nuzzling into your neck.

“You can’t lie to me, little bird. I can feel the truth.”

“F-feels s-ooo good,” you admit, throwing all embarrassment to the wind. Sylus swears at how adorably muffled your words are against his fingers, how your eyes are hooded with pleasure as they watch him dreamily. The adoration in your stare was so palpable, hearts nearly reflected in your eyes. His knees buckle as he admires your beautiful face, so angelically fucked out that it ruined him. 

Sylus shifts you into his single arm once more. He could easily keep you secured in the air with his Evol for hours yet, but at this moment he wants nothing more than to be as close to you as possible. He wraps one of your arms around his neck, intertwining his fingers with your other hand.

“Hold on tight, my love,” he rasps against your collar, bringing your intertwined fingers above your hand and against the wall for leverage. His thrusts take on an unprecedented intensity, the globes of your ass slapping against the wall in loud, filthy, and wet paps. His vigor makes it easy for him to hammer into your g-spot at every thrust, having you reaching the summit of your orgasm all too quickly. 

“Sy-Sylus! I-I’m so close,” you wail, fingers desperately clutching his, other hand digging into the back of his neck.

Sylus is close too, weeks of pent up emotion and need brimming to the point of boiling over. The only thing keeping him sane is the grip he has on your hand.

“Need to cum in you,” he hisses, driving into you harder as he nears his peak, “Need to breed you so full of my cum, hm?” 

You nod eagerly at his filthy words, clutching onto him for dear life, “I’m c-cum—“ 

Sylus cuts you off, smashing his lips into yours. It must’ve been a sight to behold, the way Sylus had you locked in a passionate kiss, his hand holding yours above your head, his body pushing you up against the wall, pelvis wet from your arousal as his silver hair brushes repeatedly against your clit.

It was all enough to have you finally releasing all over his defined abdomen. You squirt against his stomach, eyes squeezing shut as his tongue claims your very breath. Your climax is powerful, mind-numbing, and utterly explosive. 

Sylus huffs in pleasure as he feels your dripping thighs slapping against him, his own orgasm imminent. Your cunt continues to throb in the afterglow of your climax, wringing tightly against his violent ruts.

Finally, he climaxes inside you, moaning wildly into your mouth as he continues to devour you,  thrusting through the intense waves of pleasure. His abdomen trembles, involuntary quivers wracking his body as rope after rope of his thick seed pours into you.  

His lips pull away and he leans his forehead against yours, his entire body still quivering with waves of the intense overstimulation. His chest heaves violently with the pounding of his rapid heartbeat, his fingers still tied to yours, tracing gentle shapes in your tingling skin. 

Sylus chuckles, the sound gentle and warm and the vibrations reverberating onto your own body as he clings to you still. 

His eyes glimmer with amusement, his fingers capturing your chin again and pulling it downward to where your bodies remain connected. His voice is tender and mischievous, “It’s just like you to make such a mess when you’ve already used up all the water.”

You blush furiously when met with the image of your bodies, fit against each other together like puzzle pieces, glimmering with a wet sheen that was definitely not water. Your red satin nightdress had ridden up, the lace embroidering of the hem soaked. The argent dusting of hair on Sylus’s pelvis was matted in both your arousals. It was an absolutely sinful sight. 

“P-put me down!” you hiss, tapping his chest, “We have to find a way to clean this up.” 

Sylus raises his eyebrow at you, “Sweetheart, the only thing keeping the mess inside is my co–” 

Your hands come together to cover his mouth, “Don’t say another word.”

Sylus chuckles into your hand, his breath warm and tickling You feel a sharp, but gentle, nip.

“Hey! Don’t bite m–OW!”

—--

The night air is brisk, sounds of ancient handbells ringing out softly as the dark sky twinkles with distant stars. A nearby bonfire rages, the sound of crackling of wood mixing with the distant chime of bells. And yet, it’s Sylus’s large body holding yours that keeps you warm against the gentle night breeze of the desert. 

The hammock the two of you cuddle in swings lazily, Sylus’s fingers languidly stroking your hair as he tells you myths of the Gods and humans that once resided in this very valley. 

“What about your world? What was your life like as a kid?”

Sylus is still as his body cradles your own, his fingers crushing the blossoms that had fallen into his palm. He hesitates for a second before saying, “Nothing special. I struggled to survive.”

Your heart clenches painfully at his words. His voice is nonchalant, yet something about his words is melancholic. Eerily wistful. 

“I never imagined that one day, we’d be sitting in a place like this. Having discussions about the world,” you whisper.

You look up to catch Sylus staring at you. For a brief second, you catch the emotions in his eyes. They’re desperate, pleading with yours. For what, you’re unsure. He quickly blinks, the cerise orbs returning to their natural state.

“Do you think we’re talking about the same world?” His voice is unbearably gentle, his words confusingly cryptic, as if edged with a double meaning that you can’t quite grasp.

“I’m not sure,” you confess softly.

There’s a brief moment of silence. You continue, “Today is when people give flowers to each other in Linkon, but…”  Your voice trails off. You gently dust off the fallen petals that’d landed on his shoulder, hand reaching to brush over his heart as you pick up a branch of the delicate flowers off his abdomen.. 

“Could those flowers bloom in this kind of soil?” You ponder aloud, holding the cluster of fallen and wilting blossoms, so different from the vibrant and thriving ones you’re familiar with in Linkon.

You glance up at Sylus again. The shadows of the palm trees above you obscure one side of his face, the other half haloed by the soft glow of the moonlight. He looks threateningly ethereal. The pools of carmine in his eyes glow as they search yours. Like earlier, they glimmer with inexplicable emotions that seem to plead with yours. Begging you for…something.

But he doesn’t speak, instead taking the cluster of wilted blossoms from your fingers. He twirls them in his fingertips, inspecting them carefully. He strokes the browning petals, a strange look of nostalgia flickering across his face. 

You don’t understand, but you reach out for his hand, squeezing his fingers in yours. He squeezes you back, still looking mournfully at the flowers in his fingertips, almost as if remembering a painful memory. 

Finally, Sylus turns to you. His smile is devastatingly beautiful and tragic all at once, his finger moving to tuck the loose strands of hair behind your ear.  His piercing red eyes bore straight into your soul, the faint luminosity of his Aether core beating behind them.

“I’ve seen far more beautiful flowers bloom in this desert.”

© aeyumicore 2024.

.ᐟ✧ THIS IS MY ONLY ACCOUNT. I WILL ONLY POST ON THIS ACCOUNT AND AO3. i am not @/aeyumicores or @/aeyumiicore or any variations of my blog name.

✧.˖ i do not permit translations or reposts of my work on tumblr, ao3, or others. please do not reuse my blogpost headers, dividers, or layouts. these are original designs of my own.

[after-witch]

Bookworm [Yandere Mahito x Reader]

Title: Bookworm [Yandere Mahito x Reader]

Synopsis: Mahito doesn't like that you have an interest in a book character.

Word count: 1787

notes: yandere, kidnapped reader, mentions of other people being tortured/killed, supreme self indulgence of the highest order

“Who is the smiling man?” 

The silence that had existed between the two of you was broken by a question that made you flinch. Well, why not? Mahito has been quiet all morning--and afternoon, actually, which perhaps should have startled you more than his sudden words. 

But you were too happy to enjoy some quiet (you would never say “peace and quiet,” not down here, not with him); all too happy to curl up in your haphazard nest on the floor with some books that took  you away from this place. Away from Mahito.

Who was, of course, still here. Lounging in his hammock with a pile of books sagging down the netting. 

You couldn’t tell exactly what he was reading from down here--you probably needed new glasses, a subject you were certainly not going to bring up with Mahito, who might reiterate his offer to “fix” your eyes. It looked like a bundle of pages stapled together. Maybe he went to the library and printed off obscure articles to read again. 

“Hey,” he calls down, and the first hint of worry begins to prickle on your arms at his uncharacteristically serious tone, “Answer me.”

Your mind stutters, tries to put one word in front of the other, and make sense of it all. 

The smiling man? The smiling man, the… ah. From Small Spaces. The otherworldly supernatural entity who lives in a world behind mist and has a penchant for making deals with people for their greatest wishes. 

It’s not your fault that you haven’t thought about him in ages. It’s not like you had copies of your books with you, and the fun you had with imagining him in an endless number of scenarios had fallen by the wayside considering your circumstances. 

It’s hard to daydream about worlds behind mist and cornfield servants when you’re watching people be turned into grotesque experiments that had them, sometimes quite literally and loudly, begging for death.

Mahito is looking down at you now, staring expectantly. 

“He’s a character,” you say, fidgeting on the floor. “From a book series.” You look down, flip a page in your book, although you haven’t finished reading the last one, and ask, casually as you can muster: “Why?”

Mahito, up above, flips a page. You can hear the wobble in the paper--not a bound book, that’s for certain. And there’s some low, primal sense that shivers through you which says, plainly, that he’s actually reading whatever’s in front of him. 

“You write about him a lot.”

Oh.

Low, slimy dread filters into your stomach. Thick and gelatinous, resting at the bottom of your belly like an unwanted slug. 

“I… don’t know what you mean,” you say, voice only half-there, because while you are apparently stupid enough to lie to Mahito’s face, you’re not stupid enough to think he’ll believe you. 

You are just stupid enough to think that he won’t know exactly how deep your interest in this particular character goes; before Mahito took you, you thought about him all the time. You’d take walks and daydream about him, write story after story; you’d even commissioned fanart of him, because it wasn’t like there was a plethora of fanart for a character from a middle grade horror book. 

Mahito huffs out a sigh. Quick and short, it sends a shock right down your stomach. 

“Get you a man,” he starts, and confusion buzzes through your brain until he continues. “Who is an otherworldly entity that is so petty when an 11 year old beats him that he traps her in another world, leaving her to a fate worse than death, and laughs until he cries about it.”

You wrote that. There’s a vague memory of when you posted it--after you’d taken a walk, you think, and reread your favorite parts in the books for a few hours. But the way Mahito says it makes it sound--you don’t know how to explain it. Like saying the words out loud almost pains him; they come out clipped and bitter. 

Bitter? But why?

He doesn’t stop there. He reads something else, voice getting higher, almost mocking the way you talk. And that bitterness is still there, a thread continuing through every syllable.

“What if we kissed in the corn maze before you turned me into a scarecrow servant whose soul slowly gets dried out and useless and in the end you feed it, crunchy and tasteless, to your hellhound.” 

He takes a breath. Then--

“One particular aspect of the Smiling Man’s cruelty that I truly adore is that he can make people feel understood. He can make them feel like he cares, like he’s lending a listening ear, like he’s wanting to help them out and make them feel nice.”

Another breath--and he continues, again and again, reading your posts. Quoting your stories. Listing off the titles, the imagine posts, everything you’ve said about him.

All the while, bitter and mocking, his voice raising now and then in an imitation of your own. 

Then he gets to the last page of his clearly self-created tome and stares down at you, waiting, expectant. 

And you… you actually glare up at him. 

Because you're scared, sure. You’re always scared in some way, when you’re with Mahito. But there’s something else too, something that digs its way out of the rot in your gut and sticks up a petulant middle finger.

How dare he do this. How dare he take something that was yours and make it his; put it in his mouth and sneer over it. 

“Have you been--” Your mouth sticks together, refusing to let you accuse him of what you know he’s been doing. Stalking your online profiles. “That’s… that’s private,” is what you finally mutter, cheeks feeling hot and that half-buried petulance pushing you forward. “It’s not any of your business.” 

“Private?” He mutters the word softly, cradling the sound.

And then--

Mahito doesn’t often move fast around you. He prefers to be slow, languid. Calculating. You think it’s because that terrifies you more.

But now, in a moment, he goes from being slouched in his hammock to leaping down and crouching right in your face--there’s sudden pain in your head, and you realize he’s grabbed your hair and yanked it back.

That metaphorical middle finger sinks back down into the slimy gut sludge.

“Not from me,” he says, low, a warning. “Not for you.”

This is all it takes for tears to prick inside your eyes.

Mahito’s lips quirk up. Just a little. Just enough for you to notice.

“You’re going to cry already? I didn’t even do anything.”

Your eyes dart up and back, towards where he’s currently gripping your hair hard enough for it to sting.

He sighs through his nose. “This isn’t anything. You know that. Don’t be childish now.”

But--he lets go of your hair, and doesn’t grab for you when you scoot backwards on your blanket nest. Instead, he plops himself down, crossing his legs and resting his chin on his elbow.

You don’t speak. You don’t want to, and you don’t know what to say. Sometimes it’s better to be quiet around Mahito, so he doesn’t get ideas. Although he comes up with them on his own just fine, even if you try to stay silent.

It’s Mahito who breaks the silence.

“Why do you like him so much?”

How silly, to feel embarrassed right now. With the creature in front of you, and what he can do. But that’s what makes your cheeks burn: embarrassment. 

“I don’t know,” you mumble, because while you are stupid in so many ways, you’re still smart enough to know he wants an answer. “I guess I just like antagonist characters sometimes.” Well, most of the time. But it’s better to keep that from Mahito, if you can.

Mahito’s lips quirk here and there while he thinks. Then he looks at you with something like genuine confusion.

“You say that you like how awful he is. The awful things he does. So…” He tilts his head a little. “You should like me. Right?”

Your fingers pick at the loose threads of your clothes. Your eyes don’t meet his entirely--they flick up and down, from your legs to his face. 

“It’s not the same thing,” is what you come up with. But how to explain that to a curse?

Mahito frowns. 

“I don’t understand.” No bitterness, no pouting. A simple statement of fact.

“He’s not real.” You swallow against the minefield that all of this is making you step through, hoping you’ll avoid them. “But you are. That makes it different.” 

Mahito leans forward, grabbing your wrists, pulling you closer to him with a yanking, childish gesture.

“So you should like me more,” he says, a slight pout in his tone. “Because I can really do those things.” His eyebrows raise, and you swear you can hear a buzzing light bulb go off. “I could turn someone into a scarecrow for you.” He smiles, sudden, excited. “Do you want me to find some school children to torment?”

“No!” Your voice cracks. There are brief images in your mind--the people he’s tortured and killed, experimented with, before you were here and while you’re here and probably after you’re dead and gone--and you shake them away. 

Mahito’s eyebrows furrow. He groans and rolls his eyes backwards until they are entirely white, not in mockery or an attempt to scare you, but in irritation. Fingers squeeze your wrists briefly and let go, and you stay quiet, trying to fight your urge to cry, until Mahito slowly rolls his eyes back to stare at you.

His gaze flicks over you, until he catches your eyes with his. 

“You won’t write about him anymore.”

You don’t take a moment to answer this time.

“I won’t.”

“You won’t read those books anymore.”

“I won’t,” you stay. “I haven’t. I--don’t even have copies anymore.”

Mahito smiles, a little. Maybe it’s a good thing you never asked him to find you a copy, a thought which had been a brief temptation a while back.

And then he leans in closer again, until his nose touches yours.

“You won’t think about him anymore,” he says, quiet, solemn. Not an order but a matter of fact. 

You don’t answer. You swallow against a bitter taste in  your throat; you swear, sometimes, that the sludge in your gut is real and tries to make its way out sometimes.

Mahito presses his nose against yours until it starts to hurt.

“You won’t,” he says again, this time more to himself. “I’ll make sure of it.”

[innerfare]

You See His Cabin For The First Time  

Summary: You see their cabin (or in Sabo's case, his bedroom at the RA base) for the first time.

Characters: Luffy, Usopp, Zoro, Sanji, Ace, Sabo, Law, and Kid

Genre: Fluff

CW: None // SFW

——— 

Luffy: He's literally so proud of just his hammock. Insists it can hold the both of you and could probably hold the entire crew if you tried, asks if you want to try, asks you if you’re sure when you say no. Definitely has a couple of dirty dishes that he’s forgotten about, as well as a few wrappers on the floor. Has some fishing poles, a net, quite a few different games, and a bookshelf that’s full of both comic books and snacks so that he doesn’t have to go all the way to the kitchen if he gets hungry in the middle of the night. 

Zoro: Your first thought is, why does it smell so freaking good in here? You expected dirty laundry strewn around and the stench of sweat and maybe a hint of metal from those blades he was always sharpening. And sure, there is a hint of metal in the air, probably more from the many weights against the wall than his swords, but it also smells fresh, like laundry detergent. He has his own wanted posters on his wall- not just the current one, but the old ones, too, all of them lined up in order so you can see his increasing bounty. He also has a collection of unique booze bottles from all over the world, his equivalent of keeping a map with pins in the locations he’s visited. Oh, and there’s an anatomy coloring book and some markers that belong to Chopper that Zoro keeps in his room because sometimes when Chopper is having a bad day, he wants to chill with his dad big bro. 

Sanji: Sparkling clean, and yet, he’ll apologize anyway because the pillows aren’t fluffy enough, the rug isn’t completely straight, etcetera. His closet is very well organized, all of his clothes ironed and properly taken care of (Sanji’s the rare type to actually read labels and do his laundry accordingly). His most prized possession is a book on the All Blue, which he’s poured over countless times, using color coded tabs to flag various pages and writing detailed notes in the margins. He also came across one of Zeff’s old wanted posters in Loguetown, and he keeps it framed next to his own, the closest thing he has to a family photo.

Usopp: You’re surprised to find he has quite a bit of clutter in his small space. He has a collection of different style slingshots and a surplus of supplies to fix them should they ever break, as well as literal boxes full of special stars and ammunition. He has an entire set up rigged on his desk to create more, and some plants in his windowsill to grow ingredients. In addition, his bookshelves are heavy with various collections of fables and tales; he’s working on his own and hopes to publish it one day, but he doesn’t talk about it because he’s worried nobody will take him seriously, and you only learn about it when you see the notebook he left on his bed. He also has a couple of fun hats, crazy sunglasses, and feather boas that he definitely pulls out when the Straw Hats get a little too drunk. Oh, and there’s a picture of his parents on his nightstand. 

Ace: His cabin is pretty sparse because he tends to travel light. He has a collection of animal teeth secured from a menagerie of wild beasts he’s taken down over the years, and he’s very proud of those teeth. He'll tell you about each one if you ask, is practically bursting at the seems with stories. He has way more animal teeth than he does clothing or books. Also has a pretty sick tiger pelt for a rug (he had intended it as a blanket, but he runs so hot he can’t actually sleep with it). He has Luffy’s wanted poster on his wall, and beside it, a note reminding himself to send money back to Dadan on the first of every month. Buried in the chest at the foot of his bed, he has the original ASL flag. 

Sabo: His bedroom at the Revolutionary Army’s base is a total bachelor pad, and when you see it for the first time, it wasn’t planned, so he’s a little embarrassed by the state of it. He has some dirty dishes he forgot about, some dirty laundry on the floor, and a pile of books on his bed. He spends virtually no time there and probably wouldn’t even have furniture beyond a mattress on the floor if it wasn’t provided by the Revolutionary Army as part of his living quarters. That being said, he did pin Luffy’s and Ace’s wanted posters to his wall, and he has a couple of different lotions and skincare products on his bathroom counter. 

Law: You don’t know what you were expecting- would it be sterile like an operating room? You’re surprised to see comic books and a few action figures. He has some records, too- a bit of rock, some low-key emo music- and to your complete and utter surprise, a candy wrapper on his nightstand. And then there’s the coin collection on his desk, tiny pieces of metal he picked up on his many travels. You’re careful not to have a big reaction to his personality showing through for once. 

“I like your action figures.” 

“They’re kind of childish, but-” 

You cut him off before he can dismiss his own interests as dumb. “No, they’re not. They’re cool.” 

Kid: It’s as messy and ostentatious as you’d expect, but he sheepishly tries to fold the leopard-print blanket crumpled on the bed and put some laundry in the hamper, though you quickly deduce he has no clue which clothes belong in the hamper and which go in his closet. It’s shocking to see him care what someone thinks. He has a pile of lipstick and nail polish on his desk and an impressive collection of weapons he’s stolen from various pirates; he could probably open a museum with all the weapons he has. Also has lots of tools he forgot were in there. TBH, he’s probably as shocked as you are by the state of his cabin because he spends most of his alone time in his workshop, anyway. 

———

Hope you enjoyed it! If you want more, you can check out my masterlist here!

[percervall]

till morning comes, let's tessellate

Pairing: Mark Webber x fem!reader Words: 1219 Warnings: flirting, dirty talk, bratty behaviour, cockwarming

In which you're willing to play with fire

---

It’s far too hot, is the only way you can describe the weather. Having grown up in Europe, it always messes with your brain a little whenever you and your husband spend the better part of January in his home country of Australia, where it’s very much summer instead of winter. Mark doesn’t mind; he will happily work out in the garden while you prefer to remain in the shade of the plum trees as you read a book in the hammock Mark had hung for you. Which is what you had been doing until watching your husband doing manual labour proved too much of a distraction. You can’t help but clench your thighs together as he walks back towards the house, wiping his brow with the shirt he had taken off already. There is no way you can continue reading now, not when Mark lifts one of the logs of a fallen tree up onto his shoulder to carry it into the shade. The threadbare fabric of the oversized t-shirt you found in the back of his closet rubs over your nipples and you can’t help but bite back the whimper that’s threatening to come out at the feeling. Fuck, you are so turned on already and all he’s done is carry wood. Mark looks up at you, giving you a knowing smirk.

“What’s a girl gotta do to get her husband to give her attention?” you pout, e-reader now forgotten in your lap. 

“You always have my attention, sweetheart,” Mark responds, dropping another log next to the ones already there. 

“Besides, you were reading,” he adds, an eyebrow raised. He has you there; the world could go up in flames without you even realising whenever you’re engrossed in a book. Whatever witty retort you might have come up with dies on your lips as he swings the axe and chops the fire wood for the pizza oven you had surprised him with for your anniversary. Your breath catches in your lungs and your clit throbs as you watch the muscles in his back move under his bronzed skin. 

“I’m sure Fernando would’ve,” you say instead once you’ve found your tongue. Mark just hums, amused at your sudden brattiness. 

“I wouldn’t bet on that, but sure darling,” he says, raising the axe again. Mark’s got a point, even if it pains you to admit that.

“Jenson definitely would,” you counter instead. At this point you might as well fully commit to riling him up.

“Sweetheart, you work with him and know just as well as I do, he would not give you the attention you need,” Mark replies. Damn this man, you think as you grow hot all over at the implication of his words. Jenson is just as much a tease as you can be, and while this makes for great TV as you wind each other up, you need a man who-.. Well, frankly you need a man who can put you in your place, sometimes literally. Just the memory of Mark throwing you onto the bed as if you weigh nothing has you clenching your thighs to alleviate the ache you feel. 

“That’s what I thought,” he muses as he watches you. You huff, folding your arms over your chest which causes the shirt to bunch up a little higher up your thighs. Mark’s eyes catch the way it shows off your legs, lust quickly replacing the bemusement in his eyes. Oh, you’ve got this man right where you want him. Trying not to show just how smug you’re feeling, you place your e-reader on the little side table as you sit up on your knees –which, given the fact that you’re in a hammock, is easier said than done.

“Maybe I should give Sebby a call. If all you’re gonna do is talk, I might as well have a little fun,” you taunt, shrugging a shoulder as you give him your most innocent look. You know you’re playing a dangerous game, bringing up his last teammate. Mark and Sebastian were competitive to a fault, and while you never even considered giving in to Sebastian’s advances on you, you know the fact they vied for your attention always brings out this possessive streak in your husband.

Mark drops the axe and saunters over to you.

“Is that so, sweetheart? What exactly do you think Seb can give you? Hm? Bees?” 

“Among other things,” you quip, anticipation swirling low in your belly as he towers over you. One hand comes to rest on your chin, lifting your face up so he can look you in the eyes. His thumb drags on your bottom lip, making your eyes flutter closed, and for a brief moment you think he will make you suck on it. Your eyes snap open as soon as you hear his chuckle.

“You always talk such a big game, but as soon as there’s even a possibility of me giving what you want, you fold so quickly. What happened to using your words, darling?” 

“‘S more fun this way,” you mumble, and you feel your cheeks heat up in embarrassment. 

“Getting punished for being a brat is your idea of fun?” Mark asks, eyebrow raised. You shrug once more. 

“You know how much I love it when you spank me,” you say as plainly as you can while you need to fight the urge to squeeze your thighs shut. One of Mark’s hands drags up your thigh and under the t-shirt. Biting your lip, you look at him waiting for the moment he will realise this t-shirt is the only thing you’re wearing. 

“You are incorrigible.” “Mm, that’s a big word for you, baby.” 

“It’s not the only thing that’s big, sweetheart,” Mark says with a grin that has your heart beat stuttering. His hands move to your ass and you have just enough awareness to wrap your arms around his neck before he lifts you up. In hindsight, it’s quite impressive how he manages to get in the hammock with you. 

“Wha- what are you doing?” you ask as he moves you into his lap, both your knees bracketing his hips.

“Oh sweetheart, wasn’t this your plan all along? So desperate for my cock that she forgot all her manners,” he coos, pulling his shorts down just far enough to free himself. 

“Oh, fuck,” you whisper as he drags it along your slit, rubbing over your clit with each pass. 

“Mm, thought so,” Mark muses, lifting you up slightly so he can align himself with your entrance. He slowly sinks you down onto him, and you can’t help but pant at the stretch when he bottoms out. 

“Mmhmm, that’s right sweetheart. You just wanted to be full, didn’t you?” 

“Uhu..” you whisper, unable to come up with any sort of comeback or sassy remark. Placing your hands on his pecs, you try to roll your hips to get some friction, but Mark halts your movements. 

“Mark,” you whine, “please, need you..” 

“Oh but you have me, sweetheart. Only good girls get fucked. Naughty girls will just have to make do with cockwarming.” 

“So mean,” you pout, earning you a kiss.

“Make you a deal, read your book like the good little girl I know you can be, and maybe I’ll let you come.” 

written as part of @footballffbarbiex's kink bingo challenge

Well. There you have it. My descend into madness has lead me down a semi-smutty path. Y'all have @norrisleclercf1 to blame for the existence of this fic

Please let me know what you think! Your comments, tags, and likes mean the world to me 💜

[milkcanned]

night in with the one piece girls

ft. nami, nico robin, boa hancock, nefertari vivi, tashigi, & perona

a.n: lol this is my debut. enjoy.

cat burglar nami

• first of all, you had to beg nami for a night in rather than a night out in the first place

• she loves to go out shopping with you

• but, on this night in, best believe you are being pampered.

• she makes the two of you various tangerine snacks for the night. tarts, dipping sauce, a cocktail, you name it.

• laying your head on her lap as she doodles away at a new map she's making

• or, resting your head on her shoulder to watch the delicate ink lines indicating the landscape of the island she's mapping.

• settling on the floor for a massage, which she is an absolute top tier masseuse.

• feeling her hands glide across your back, working into your tense muscles and easing away that low pain.

• her complaining that you're "doing it wrong" when it's your turn to massage her, when really she's just trying to hide that she's ticklish.

• setting up a bath together with her homemade tangerine body wash and soaps, it smells just like her

• her accidentally getting soap in your eyes and giggling while washing it out

• "whoops, sorry." she sticks out her tongue and gives you a wink

• cuddling with her in bed, tangled in each other's arms. her breath against your neck and that warm smell of tangerine

nico robin

• a cozy night in with robin is not a rarity in your relationship

• in fact, it's quite often the two of you relax in the comfort of home

• firstly, book marathon.

• just reading beside each other, enjoying one another's presence. maybe her head's in your lap, maybe you're squished close in an arm chair together

• a debrief on the books you've both read is a must.

• deep, meaningful talks about life, the universe, stupid things. the two of you could go on to each other about the terrors of life and not even lose sleep over it. and don't even think about doing this while high.

• "if a dog and a cat's upper body were sewn to together, how do you think it would expel waste?" ... "good question, robin. well,"

• sometimes you both flip through those "who would win" nature magazines and place your bets

• "the hippopotamus would definitely beat the rhino! they're quite vicious, you know."

• scaring your fellow crewmates by hiding under the hammock (you) and grabbing usopp's arms

• robin, of course, made hands to grab the remaining legs

• giggling and running back to robin as usopp screams in horror

• settling into bed as she makes arms to rub comforting circles into your back, arms, and legs.

• drifting off to sleep as the smell of book pages and lavender lull you

boa hancock

• a night in with hancock is actually much more common than expected.

• rarely does she ever leave the palace with you to favor a night on amazon lily's markets

• her pampering may be on par with nami's. she's an empress after all, and you're her consort.

• the two of you first take a luxurious bath with all kinds of bath salts, creams, scrubs, and shampoos.

• her products are strictly lily scented, it smells so much like her

• her long fingers gently working into your hair to fully cleanse and nourish it, whispering sweet nothings into your ear.

• getting out of the bath to be dressed in a beautiful draping bathrobe, and being escorted to her room.

• trays of all of your favorite foods laid across the table in front of a loveseat

• the both of you taking turns feeding each other fruits, giggling like schoolgirls when juice runs down the other's lip

• "my! i think you have something on your face!" she chuckles and blushes, reaching out a hand to swipe at your lip

• having a couple's massage in the palace, hands entwined as you both relax parallel to each other

• climbing onto her lap as she lounges on her snake, salome. she's so warm and smells so sickly sweet of lilies and honey.

• drifting off to sleep in each other's arms, with salome loosely coiled around the two of you like a weighted blanket

nefertari vivi

• as much as vivi loves having a night out in alabasta's markets, a palace date suffices

• you better believe you're getting the princess treatment by the princess herself!!

• doing each other's hair in her room with karoo softly snoring on the bed

• feeling her silky smooth blue locks between your fingers as you style her hair

• being caught giggling and gossiping by igaram when he enters the room to drop off a tray of assorted fruits and snacks

• going out to the palace garden to watch the pigeons and doves as vivi tells you about her journeys with the strawhats

• a beautiful dove landing on your lap as she finished up her story, cooing as you scratch behind it's head

• "hey, this one looks like you."

• trying on her beautiful gowns, and her spinning you in the mirror to look

• heading out to the palace's pool to swim with the spot-billed duck troops

• splashing vivi, which results in you getting splashed tenfold

• drying off in robes as the two of you get ready for bed

• drifting off to sleep with her arms around you, karoo snoring softly at the foot of the bed

tashigi

• a night in is usually what the two of you get up to, considering there isn't much to do on marine bases

• smoker has no problem letting her take the night off

• heading to the marine mess hall to grab some coffees and pastries

• her letting you grab a sip of her hot coffee, and getting concerned when you flinch back

• "s'way too hot, tashigi!" ... "oh, oops!"

• letting her rant to you about swords and katanas, her flipping through a sword magazine and showing the ones she has circled in red marker

• sparring each other with wooden sticks, which she beats you at, landing you on your back

• tashigi then promptly falling clumsily right on top of you, glasses slipping off of her nose

• you pushing her glasses back up and giggling, which earns you a pouty and completely red in the face tashigi

• helping her clean her collection of blades, some of which were confiscated from pirates deemed unworthy of holding a sword

• "wow so this one belonged to someone from baroque works?" .. "yup!" she beams, blushing

• settling into bed with her as she takes off her glasses to sleep

•cradling her head against your chest as you both drift off to slumber

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

what’s it like to be around science experiment!reverse reader when something really sweet surprises them? please a tiny fluff for our hearts?

Jason wound his way through the woods, following one of the interminable trails he knows that you take to get to your clearing. Why you're back there today, Jason isn't sure.

He only knows that you are.

He woke up in your bed by himself and you left him a note telling him that that's where you'd gone. Which was progress he supposed. It meant that you weren't just disappearing.

How did you do this? Were you like a homing pigeon? Did you have landmarks you followed? Or had you just cut your way through in a haze so many times that you just did it the way dancers went on pointe? Muscle memory.

When he got there, thankfully, you weren't in mid-explosion. He didn't think he could handle that. But there was a definite... Buzz in the air. It reminded him of white noise. It felt like a miasma of... neutrality. Like walking through a mall on a Saturday. Things-feelings that just... were.

Odd but not unpleasant. Taking up all the empty space in the air but not suffocating him.

And he stopped in the gap you used as a door and waited for a second, waiting for you to finish what looked like replacing a hammock that a storm had ruined and slipped in. "Hey, baby girl," he said, "you good?"

"Yeah," you yawn, "Just needed to move." You take a deep breath and go to pull yourself back into line. Into control and wince. It's nice to let it out and just stop holding on to it all.

Jason moved closer to you and wrapped his arms around you, squeezing you tenderly. "You don't have to do that, you know?" He kissed the side of your head, "I wanna bounce my head off the nearest wall when Bruce talks too long. I can only imagine what it feels like when it's like that from EVERYONE all around you all the time."

"I don't read minds," you remind him.

"Still," he snorted. "It's the closest I can get." He kissed the side of your head again and rubbed your arms. "I don't want you to feel like you have to hide how you're feeling from me. Not like you do everyone else."

"It's just... a lot sometimes."

"I know," he admitted. "But- We- I especially get worried that it's getting to be too much for you to handle alone."

"I get really lonely," you murmur.

Jason nodded. He could understand that too and it made him kiss your temple. "I brought a picnic," he tried, face heating. "It's mostly brownies. And some green apples and nutella. And I brought a book to read I thought if you wanted we could-"

And when soft lips collide with his as you wrap your arms around his neck, it feels like taking a bite of a hot chocolate chip cookie on a cold winter day and the first like of a snow cone on the hottest day of summer. A quiet, simple joy. Laid over the feelings he knew you felt for him. The ones that popped like firecrackers in his chest. And he smiled against your lips. It was a good thing you replaced the hammock- a snack and a nap in the sunshine would be nice.

[lizthewriter]

i've been thinking a lot about zoro a lot lately. paticularly how much of a great boyfriend he'd make. sure, he may not always show it when you're around others, but when it's just you two, he loves to show you how much he loves you. and yes, he can be grumpy and snappy from time to time, but he's always sure to show you he never means to be that way to you.

he'll pull you into his cabin to join him for naps, lying on the hammock and lying you on top of him. he'll slip his hands under your shirt and rub your back as you both drift off. when you wake up, you're sleeping side by side, and his arm is wrapped around you, pulling you as close to his body as possible.

and if you and the strawhats and running low on food while out on the sea, he'll give you his food cause he doesn't care about his hunger as long as you're happy and healthy.

and during fights, he always places your safety above his own. he's always there to protect you and make sure you don't get hurt. and if you do happen to get hurt, you can be sure that he will be by your side during the whole healing process, making sure that you have everything you need. he'll rub whatever part of you that is aching, he'll always be there with food and a glass of water, and he'll help dress your wounds when he can.

sometimes his more jealous side shows, especially when other people flirt with you. of course, sanji being the best example. when sanji first meets you, he's giving you those heart eyes, dropping smooth lines, and taking any chance he get to brush his hand against your arm. zoro would walk over to you, wrap an arm around your waist, and pull you into the most dizzying kiss right in front of sanji's eyes. he smirks when he pulls away, knowing you'll only be looking at zoro, sanji a mere afterthought.

but mostly, he is soft with you. and while it may take him a long time to say "i love you," he'll show it with his actions. when you stop on an island just to get food and reload on any materials you might need, he returns with some fresh flowers tied with a bow. when you ask him what they were for, he only responds with, "just made me think of you," gruffly and ofc nami and usopp tease him about it afterwards. he'll lay with you on deck at night, wrapped up in a blanket, having deep conversations under the stars while the others were sleeping. when you're having bad days, zoro will be there by your side with comforting words, cuddles, and kisses, this man will do anything to make you happy. he would be the perfect boyfriend &lt;3

tags: @plants-are-pretty-cool

Thank you all for reading! Be sure to like, reblog, and comment! I really appreciate it ^^. If you have any requests, by inbox is open but make sure to check the list of characters I write for here. If you want to be tagged in any upcoming fics/headcanons of mine, let me know. If you want to see more from me, go ahead and check out my masterlist here!

[anystalker707]

I knew it

Pairing: Roronoa Zoro x [gender neutral] Reader Summary: Zoro likes you, and his feelings are clearly returned, but both of you seem oblivious to it. Tags: Clingy Zoro / But he sucks at expressing his feelings / he's dumb and grumpy but also very loving / Usopp thinks he's funny a/n: not proofread

MASTERLIST

          “You literally have anywhere else to do to sleep,” you mumbled, mostly distracted by the newspaper in your hands than the way Zoro had just made his way over to lie down next to you to nap again. It’d been built into a habit once he got able to move again after the Mihawk incident. “The hammocks are actually more comfortable. Even the couch.”

“Did I ask?” Zoro said with the same flat voice as always.

Even if you were sitting on the floor of the front deck with your back against the wall, Zoro still showed up to lie down nearby with his head on your hip, almost on the side of your thigh.

The rude answer made you click your tongue and slide to the side; his head hit the ground as a result. “Fuck off,” he grumbled as he moved closer, so he could resume his previous position.

“Stop being so annoying.” You tapped his forehead—not strongly, but still enough to make him scrunch his nose, scowling. He moved over and rested his head on your lap properly, just out of spite. Asshole.

Sometimes, Zoro would fall asleep so easily that it was impossible not to envy him. It only took him a couple of moments before his breath was even and his face in a neutral, relaxed state again. You continued reading the newspapers, checking the news, until you heard Sanji call out that he had prepared something for the crew to eat until lunch was ready. Luffy probably insisted too much, and Sanji wouldn’t cook something like this exclusively for Luffy, even if the captain still believed so.

Only the smell of whatever meal it was made your mouth water, but Zoro didn’t seem like he would move an inch now. Your leg even felt a little numb.

“No,” you groaned as you looked down at Zoro, but then you saw someone walk past, rushing down the stairs to get food as well. Thankfully, it was Usopp—you didn’t want to get charged extra berries by Nami or have your food stolen by Luffy. “Usopp! Usopp!”

Usopp stopped in his tracks, almost tripping as he finally stopped and looked back at you. He raised an eyebrow as he glanced at Zoro, but dismissed it as he nodded, questioningly.

“Could you pretty please get me some food? The idiot is not letting me get up so soon!” You motioned to Zoro with a sigh.

“Oh!” Usopp grinned and winked at you with a grin, making an ok sigh with his hand. “Count with Go D Usopp!” He jogged off to where Sanji stood in front of the galley door and soon came back with a small plate, handing it to you. “There you go! Also grabbed some for your sleepy boyfriend!”

You were about to thank Usopp when you paused and raised an eyebrow at him, slowly taking the plate. “What?”

“No need to play clueless with me.” He winked before he ran off again.

The words stuck to your mind for a while as you sat still, looking at nothing in particular while processing Usopp’s words. Zoro? Your boyfriend? You clicked your tongue, feeling your cheeks grow red at the thought. Why would you like a bastard like that?

A sigh escaped your lips as you brought your legs up, thighs close to your torso, inevitably making Zoro’s head fall to the ground again. His eyes immediately shot open as he sat up, rubbing the back of your head. He scowled while looking at you.

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

“With me?” You scoffed. “What the hell is wrong with you? I’m not your personal pillow!”

Zoro clicked his tongue and looked away for a moment, shaking his head.  “Stop talking nonsense.” He could notice something off and urgent about your manners—did he really make you that angry?

“Want some?” You were holding the plate in front of his face before he could conclude his reasoning.

The way you’d practically shoved it on his face made Zoro lean back a little, eyebrows furrowing as he inspected what was on the plate. It seemed like mochi. Matcha mochi, if he were right, and those were great. They were nice without being too sweet. He grabbed both mochis and ate them without thinking twice.

You furrowed your eyebrows before looking at the plate, and then your face fell blank. “You ate the two.”

Zoro blinked, tilting his head a little. “Yeah?”

“One was mine,” you said through gritted teeth, narrowing your eyes at him. “You suck, Zoro, really?” You hit his head lightly with the plate; it wouldn’t be a surprise if it made a hollow sound. “I really wanted those!” It was the very first time Sanji had prepared those, and you were always eager to try the stuff he prepared for the first time. Even if it wasn’t something you didn’t usually like, Sanji’s cooking made you wish to try it, depending on what it was.

“Ow!” Zoro held his head, scowling as he looked at you. “I didn’t know! You should’ve grabbed it first if it were yours, then! You shoved it all in my face! What was I supposed to think?”

You sighed in frustration, observing the empty plate, then glanced up at Zoro. He still sat next to you, but now leaned on a hand, more to his side, while still looking at you, expecting an answer. When your eyes met his own, though, he clicked his tongue and looked away, rubbing his face.

“Don’t look at me like that!” He sighed sharply.

“Like what?” You scoffed.

“Like that!” He motioned to you, but it was as much of a help as if he’d stayed silent.

“Zoro!” You breathed, shaking your head. Man ate your food, and now he’s the one angry at you? You didn’t think he’d actually start being stubborn today.

“Damn it,” Zoro grumbled as he stood up, hand on his swords as usual, while he stepped away. What did that even mean?

A sigh escaped your lips as you just observed Zoro leave. Okay, then. You were sort of used to his nonsense behavior, but it still managed to impress you from time to time. The crew had some sort of trend going on.

“Damn it,” you mimicked Zoro as you stood up and took the plate back to the galley.

The nice smell of food already filled the deck, but it felt even better inside the galley. Your stomach shifted with it, your mouth watering. Eating decently was like heaven—you made a mental note to thank Sanji for accepting to join the crew.

Sanji was by the stove, stirring the food that boiled and cooked in the pans. He glanced at you, raising an eyebrow. “You okay?”

“I really wanted the mochi,” you mumbled.

“Oh, no,” Sanji sighed as he glanced at you again. “Did Luffy eat yours? I made sure to make enough for everyone!” He tapped a wooden spoon on the rim of a pan before he set it aside.

“Zoro did,” you mumbled, moving to grab the plates from the cabinet. A little help wouldn’t hurt and, even if Sanji denied it, he did appreciate every little help he got.

“Huh?” Sanji furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head with a sigh. “That stupid moss head. Sorry about that. I can prepare it for you later if you’d like.” He smiled as he turned off the stove and started preparing the dishes’ presentation on the platters.

“No, no,” you said softly. “It’s fine. Thanks, though.”

It felt like it was a sick prank that the only free spot for Zoro was the one next to you. He did sit next to you at first, yeah, even serving himself and starting to eat along with everyone else. Halfway through it, though, Zoro covered his face with a hand. He said something under his breath, but all you could make out were the curses he said before taking his plate and leaving the galley to go eat on the deck.

You stared at the empty seat for a moment with the same indignant look from earlier. Was Zoro going crazy or something? Fuck off, you deserved to have a moment of peace.

“(Y/n)?” Sanji’s voice pulled you off your thoughts. “Are you really alright?”

It took you a few seconds to ground yourself again. Your eyes averted to Sanji as you went back to eating, slowly nodding. “Yeah, yeah. Thanks for worrying, though.”

No one really said anything, despite the looks. At some point, your eyes met Usopp’s during lunch—he clicked his tongue with that grin of his, shaking his head as if wordlessly telling you that things would be okay. It made you remember his comment from earlier, and you had to do your best not to jump at his throat with the knife.

          The afternoon went by quite slowly. You didn’t have a lot to do after you helped Nami a little just to kill the boredom, listening to her explanation about her maps and her process of making them. None of the information actually stuck to your mind, but it was nice seeing how she liked talking about it.

At the lack of what to do, you sat on the main deck again to watch the sunset, this time. You sat on the wooden boxes off to the wall, so you wouldn’t be on the ground again, but with space to cross your legs. Better than the floor and with more space than the chair. The sunset was a little off to the left, but you still could have a good view of it from where you were.

The waves were calmer today, so the reflection of the sky seemed clearer on the sea. It was always so pretty to watch the sunset from different places you sailed to, and—

“There you are,” a voice cut through your thoughts, and the pressure on your thigh made you look down to see Zoro was there again.

You widened your eyes, double-checking to see if it was really happening after all that happened. Was this going to become some sort of trend? Pushing you off and then coming back as if nothing happened? He was everywhere and with you all the time, which made you wonder why, since he would often just freak out and leave like that. It was all comfortable and nice until he decided you were freaking out and left, like he did a couple of times already.

“Damn it, Zoro,” you mumbled with a sigh but didn’t do much anymore as you turned your head to watch the sunset again. Who or what did he think he was? A damn cat?

Time went by as you held your hand up against your chest for a little too long, not knowing where to place it with Zoro there. However, with the way it started aching, you didn’t have much choice but to let your hand down over Zoro’s shoulder at first. Your hand twitched a little as you cogitated whether you should do it or not. Zoro didn’t typically like to be touchy. The way he didn’t react at all, though, made you confident to just rest your whole forearm across his chest, despite still being a little tense.

The sunset was beautiful, as always, but still unique. The sun eventually disappeared down the horizon, giving place for the stars to cover the sky. You’d only noticed how late it became when you heard Luffy complain about dinner being too late while Nami talked about turning the lights on.

Apparently, you weren’t the only one brought back to reality.

“Fuck,” Zoro groaned as he stirred awake, chest rising under your forearm with a sharp inhale—you didn’t know you’d let it relax on his chest. “God, is it so late already?” He clicked his tongue, rubbing his eye. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“Am I supposed to?” You scoffed, poking Zoro’s shoulder a little. He groaned and tried to push your hand away.

“It’s your job,” he mumbled.

Was he joking? A chuckle escaped your lips as you shook your head, but you silenced yourself. You didn’t want him to push you away again.

Zoro sighed before he looked up at you, still with his head on your lap. “What’s wrong?”

You pressed your lips together, thinking about it for a moment. “Maybe I should be the one asking you that,” you whispered. If he heard it, it’d be a cue to talk about it. If he didn’t, you’d just let the subject go again.

“What?” Zoro sat up with a sigh, shifting to sit right beside you. “What’d be wrong with me?”

You stretched your legs, letting them hang from the edge of the wooden box. It ached a little with the change of positions. The thought that Zoro could judge you for any little thing made you look away, facing the sea as you spoke. “Could you just stop pushing me away? Like, I’ll let you sleep on my lap and all, but you don’t need to keep pushing me away.”

“Pushing you away?” He furrowed his eyebrows, leaning forward a little to look past you to check what you were looking at.

Really? You turned to Zoro with a scoff—he widened his eyes a little and leaned back lightly. “You refused to sit beside me at lunch for no reason! Why wouldn’t that be pushing me away? And you got mad at me after you ate my mochi?” You made a vague motion with your hand at the loss of words to explain how confused you were.

Zoro furrowed his eyebrows before he looked away, clicking his tongue. “It’s your fault!”

“My fault?”

“Does it seem like it’s my fault you’re so beautiful?” He snapped, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, looking at the ground. “I’m not supposed to endure the way you look at me! All— All cute and…” He shook his head.

Beautiful? Cute? The words ran in your mind, making your face feel hotter.

“What are you talking about?” You breathed.

Zoro glanced at you. “You’re doing it again,” he complained, and you wondered if he would have an attack when he glared at you because of the confused sound you made. “I really suck at this,” he mumbled, adjusting his posture. He took a deep breath before he faced you. “I, um…” Zoro’s eyes averted to the side. “I like you. Like, I like like you,” he mumbled, half hoping you didn’t hear that.

Your mouth opened and closed a couple of times as you processed it. “You like me?”

He sighed, looking at you with a glare. Okay, he couldn’t handle this, nor could you.

“I…” It felt hard to express it, to finally put your feelings in order after disagreeing with Usopp’s assumptions so much. “Fuck it, I like you, too,” you finally confessed.

Zoro nodded, pressing his lips together as he looked down. “So?”

“So what?” You raised an eyebrow. “You just gonna—”

“I really suck at this…” He whispered mostly to himself as he looked away for a moment, seconds before he finally pressed his lips to yours.

The sudden kiss caught you by surprise, making you tense up and almost pull away, but you decided to fight your thoughts and slowly return the kiss. Your hand rested on Zoro’s shoulder, maybe holding him a little too tightly. Both the tension and surprise had you a little more breathless than you should be, breaking away from the kiss a little too soon, but not pulling away.

Zoro’s eyes scanned over your face as if taking in the details, and you couldn’t help but do the same. This was so much better than anything you could have fantasized about before going to sleep. Silence hung in the air, but you knew better than to say anything—you were the one to close the distance this time. The new kiss was slow, with a gentleness set by you as you cupped the side of his neck and tilted your head to deepen the kiss a bit, trying to enjoy every second of it.

Honestly, Zoro’s lips were clumsy. You didn’t exactly know what to expect from him, in the first place, so it wasn’t exactly a surprise nor something that you actually minded. He could be someone who only focused on training and never even thought about one-night stands, just like he could also go around all the time without any actual commitment.

There was a short pause before you two were kissing again. Zoro’s hand was on your knee as he leaned forward while kissing you, this time daring to let his tongue run along your bottom lip. You parted your lips open, but his tongue only managed to barely slip inside your mouth before both of you heard someone clearing their throat; it made you jump on your seats, pulling away and looking at the direction it came from.

From all the people you wished it were, Usopp was probably the last one.

“Well…” Usopp laughed, looking at you with his arms crossed over his chest. He had that knowing look, eyes playful when they met yours.

“Shut up,” you said at the same time as Zoro, somehow.

Usopp gasped dramatically, placing a hand over his chest. “Come on, I barely said anything! I’m just here because everyone’s been wondering where the lovebirds— Ahem, I mean, the duo has been because dinner’s going cold.”

You slowly nodded, looking at the ground for a moment as you played the last events in your mind. “Yeah, right,” you sighed, getting on your feet.

Despite how you left, Zoro continued sitting there, so it was a clear opportunity for Usopp. He chuckled as he caught up with you. “I knew it.”

.𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟.

[wri0thesley]

crush (mahito x reader, 1.5k)

cw: self-ship coded, reader is implied to be chubby, mahito is himself warning!!!. non-consensual voyeurism. reader is afab, wears a dress and makeup and lingerie, is in a relationship with nanami. not sfw

“What does it mean,” the curse asks Geto, his mismatched eyes far more serious than the man has ever seen them, “to want to touch somebody? Not just to change them; not just to feel the shape of their soul underneath the skin. But . . . just because you want to know what they feel like?”

Geto doesn’t respond for a moment. Mahito’s curiosity is certainly boundless; but there is usually a faint crook to the corner of his mouth, a laugh in his voice. He usually finds all of this - the little foibles of what it is to be human - amusing more than anything else. Geto - at least, the man wearing Geto’s face - thinks back on his own long life, and feels a smile tugging at his own not-really-his mouth. 

“Mahito,” he says. “I think you have a crush.”

“A crush.” Mahito repeats the word; savours the syllable against his tongue and lips and teeth. It feels good there; at once vicious and fascinating. He knows the verb ‘to crush’ - imagines holding you against him until you squeak, until you go weak and your body turns to a boneless, helpless thing in his embrace. 

“And if I want to know what they taste like?” He presses on. “Without biting into their flesh?” He pauses. “No. I just want to know what they taste like. I’d bite as hard as I could.”

Geto laughs again, a laugh too old for the man he’s pretending to be. Mahito is the most human-like curse he has ever met; he wonders, sometimes, how much easier it would have been to experiment if he had Mahito on side hundreds of years ago. Why, the curse even seems to have figured out ‘desire’ all on his own--

“Definitely a crush,” Geto hums. “Touching and tasting? Would you want to kiss them, too? Hold them? Fuck them?”

The question leaves Mahito silent for just a moment. 

“Crush,” Mahito repeats to himself, instead of responding to Geto. It seems the conversation is over; Mahito turns away without answering any further, still murmuring that syllable under his breath. But he is smiling, now - the stitches on his face pulled taut, his eyes sparkling with what somebody optimistic might call ‘mischief’ and what somebody who understood Mahito would call ‘intent’. 

He thinks about you again, later that night. In the privacy of his hammock, with a stack of aged, foxed books by his side as he flips through them. He’d taken them from a library - simply wandered in and picked a collection from the ‘romance’ shelves, intent on understanding what it is he feels stirring in his gut when he looks at you. 

It had been an accident, the first time he had seen you. It had not been you he was following - but that 7:3 sorcerer, the one who had almost beaten him. A fascinating opponent, and a fascinating man - and Mahito was always interested in learning. He had stuck to the shadows, let his body change and ripple in order to camouflage himself, as he had followed Nanami Kento around the city. 

And in a restaurant, Nanami sitting and checking his watch, he had seen you for the first time. You’d been babbling apologies about being late, a flurry and swirl of colour and motion in a dress the colour of melted butter, and Nanami had stood up to greet you and laid a hand on your shoulder and you had gone quiet, looking up at him with a smile on glossy lips until he had kissed you. 

(Mahito had found a drugstore the next night; picked up lip glosses and swiped them over his own mouth, wondering what yours had felt like against Nanami’s. Intense, sticky flavour? Strawberries or pineapples or vanilla? He’d taken one that had shone like yours). 

He had just wanted to know what fascinated the sorcerer about you at first; dissect him, work out his weaknesses. You had seemed so different from the stolid, stoic man that Mahito had encountered - and he had read so many books, of course, about human relationships and psyche and how like calls to like but also how opposites attract . . . He had thought of it as research. 

Research to watch you go about your day to day life; grocery shopping and humming under your breath. You’d seen him, once - Mahito had felt himself tense, had grinned at you something sharp and inane and waited for you to pounce on him (a pity, he’d felt at the time, to shape you into something hideous when you were such a pretty thing to observe, like a bird in a glass cage)--

But you had smiled at him and tilted your head to the side and gone back to what you were doing. If Nanami had ever said anything to you about a curse with a patchwork face . . . clearly you had not remembered it. So you could see curses, at least (would see him, then, when he dug his fingers into the chub of your cheeks and they sunk into the soft flesh - when he harshly grabbed your chin and jolted it upwards so you could see how the light played over his stitches). 

Research, then, to fade into the background and watch you with Nanami. The way he placed a hand around your waist and you seemed to go all soft and complacent. The way he placed his mouth against yours with perfect surety. 

Research, to take the form of a crawling creature and perch himself on the branch outside the apartment you and Nanami shared. To watch you shower and wonder what it would feel like to press against you in it, hot and damp and wet, humid in a different way from the sewer. To watch you pick up piece after piece of flimsy lingerie and hold it against your body, brow furrowing in distaste at the way you looked in the mirror. 

Mahito likes the way your body looks against the frills and the flounces; likes the idea of ripping them to pieces as he bares you again. Nanami, it seems, prefers something tighter - lace, stockings, complicated straps that he traces his fingers across and smiles. 

Research, to watch how you kneel for the blond sorcerer and look up at him with devotion writ clear in your eyes. Research, to watch Nanami knot his tie around your wrists - to scuttle closer until he is on the windowsill, insect creature of too many legs and eyes, something that wouldn’t attract attention on a hot summer night - and to hear the way that Nanami speaks to you. The harsh orders that you fall over yourself to fulfil. The way your voice pitches and whines when you call him ‘Sir’. 

What would Mahito make you call him, he wonders? 

He leaves when the two of you are sweat-slicked, naked, wrapped around one another in the big bed. Frustration gnaws at a part of Mahito he didn’t know he had. He has read the romance books. He knows, without a doubt, this is what they would call ‘jealousy’, and it does not abate even when he reaches his sewers and pouts, climbing into the hammock and making it swing gently from side to side. 

He thinks about yours and Nanami’s anatomy; the part of him that had fitted into you as if it was meant to be there, that had made you arch your back and beg the man for more, please, you could take it. He touches his own stitched body; makes it swell underneath his touch, makes the thing between his thighs bigger and thicker than Nanami’s so that you wouldn’t know for sure if you could take it. Would you cry? Say it was too big? Mahito thinks perhaps he’d like that. 

The jealousy does not abate, roiling in his stomach sour and irritable. Sulking, Geto had called this. Had told Mahito to go and play with some of his toys to make it go away.

But as Mahito’s hands press into fleshy quivering masses that may once have been human, that beg him to die . . . it is only you he can think about. As he makes a human soul smaller and smaller, shriveling it to the size of a kidney bean, wondering if he could ball it up in his fist so tight that he could turn it to dust. 

A crush, Geto had said. 

He thinks about you. Thinks about how Nanami had cradled you so tightly against him, about how his hips had pressed so deeply into you that Mahito couldn’t see from his vantage point on the windowsill where one of you started and the other ended. Thinks about Nanami’s mouth pressing hungrily against yours. 

Crush. The word in his mouth, murmured in a puff of stale air - like a candy, like something to be grabbed between his teeth and shaken until he had conquered it. 

He smiles to himself; thinks about the indent of his hammock pressing into your skin until it marked you for hours, a beautiful pattern on your soft, sweet, achingly mortal body.

Crush. 

How appropriate. 

[night-daily]

Maybe green it is your color after all | Roronoa Zoro x reader

summary: Zoro being jealous of your sudden closeness to Sanji.

warnings: none.

a/n: jealousy trope is always my favorite lol

It all started when Sanji became part of the Straw Hats, -just a week ago- You and Zoro haven't been alone together for more than 10 minutes before the cooker drags you away by your hand telling you about his new recipe without caring if you were with Zoro, your boyfriend.

But it wasn't entirely his fault, he doesn't know you have a boyfriend and it's not because you're a shame of Zoro or something like that, no, it was because you two agreed not to say a word to the crew unless it was more serious, in case of a breakup, you don't want to make things uncomfortable.

And still knowing you can't tell Sanji you have a boyfriend, it upset Zoro every time, but he would tell you about it? No, because this ugly feeling he feels in his chest anytime when he sees you laughing, smiling or just you being near to Sanji, was childish, well, at least for him.

Zoro thought he could get rid of the feeling in a few days, but a week? A man like Zoro has his limits.

To be honest, Sanji's flirt didn't bother you at all, because to you, it was all a silly game. Sometimes it was even nice to hear his compliments, you've to give him credit, he was very creative with those, everytime he made you crack a smile or a laugh, but never blush or feeling nervous, the only man who can do that, was your Zoro.

But Zoro doesn't seem to realize the effect he has on you. Only looking at your way it was enough to make your heart race like crazy.

“So, what's going on between you and the cooker? You two seem very close” You lifted your eyes from the book you're reading, a puzzle look on your face, what was he talking about? “Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about, Princess” He snickered the nickname. Walking closer at his hammock where you've been lying down.

And hearing the nickname suddenly made sense to you. Sanji has been calling you Princess recently around everyone. Saying your beauty was exceptional and that you should be treated as such.

“Oh well, don't you think I'm like a Princess?” You try to joke but seeing his tense body as he stands in front of you maybe wasn't a good idea.

He frowns, it's not the answer he wanted to hear from you. It was too hard for you to say 'The cooker? That ugly man? Ugh, I just feel pity and disgust for him, nothing more'

“Of course you're a Princess” He leans down to be on the same level as you, “but you're my Princess, not his” “Zoro, are you jea—” And he kiss away whatever thing you're gonna say.

You're trapped between his lips and the hammock and you wouldn't prefer it any other way. But a knock on the door it's enough to make you jump out of your place, pushing Zoro with both hands as he groans in frustration.

“Hey Princess, you awake? I'm waiting for you” And speaking of the devil...

Zoro scoffs, “We are awake, what you want?” He says opening the door. Sanji doesn't seem surprised to see you together alone in the same room. In fact, his grin grows on his face as he takes in your figure. You hair a little messy and flushed cheeks, standing awkwardly in the middle of the room.

While the swordsman is glaring him with hate. He blocks Sanji's view with his body. “Sanji, could you uh, wait for me? I'll be with you in a few minutes” Your voice is heard behind Zoro.

“Sure, take your time” and Sanji whispers something that only Zoro can hear, “After all you're gonna be with me the rest of the night, Princess” Sanji closes the door and Zoro is fuming. Oh, he's so gonna kill that damn cooker.

“Are you okay?” He snaps out of his bubble, feeling your hand on his chest. “I just can't believe it, he had the audacity to ask you out while I was here with you, he can't read the fucking room?” “You're jealous? I've never seen you that mad before” “The fuck I am” Brow arched, taking your hand of out his chest, you say “So I guess you won't mind if I go with him right now?”

At your words he takes your hand back to his chest, holding it there, “I'm—, I just don't trust him” He sighs, “But you trust me?” Nodding, he squeezes your hand, “Then you don't have to worry, I only want you, okay? You own my heart, Zoro. I'm entirely yours.” Bringing his hand up to your lips you place a kiss on it.

“So I better hurry up, I promised Sanji I would help him with the dinner tonight” Even if he still doesn't like the idea of you and Sanji spending time together, your words have made the uneasy feeling on his chest disappear and now a new feeling is there, confidence.

And confidence is a dangerous feeling as jealousy.

You walk faster to the kitchen which wasn't far from the quarters, and there was Sanji with the rest of the crew, chatting and laughing. When they heard your footsteps they all looked at you like they knew something about you that you didn't.

“You forgot something” Zoro's voice startled you, he was behind you, “what—” And once again, Zoro cuts you off with a kiss. He grabs you by your waist, tugging you close to deepen the kiss. It definitely catches you off guard. A little noise of surprise comes from you.

Then he pulls away, the only sound in the kitchen is the sound of the two of you trying to catch your own breathes. And just like that he let you standing there, dumbfounded.

He sits with the rest of the crew, drinking one of the beers.

“Pay y'all, I told you they're dating” Nami exclaims excitedly but you don't know if is for the money? Your relationship? You're not sure but you're happy they know about You and Zoro, your boyfriend.

[shu-box-puns]

You wanna be one of them (Tsu'tey x Reader) Part 9

Previous Chapter <- Act 9

If you prefer to read on Ao3, you can find the fic here!

Word Count: 9156

Summary: To transfer, or not to transfer, that is the question.

Reader uses they/them pronouns.

The morning the Sky People returned to the stars, you linked up to your avatar as you had been doing for the past several months. As always, you felt something in the back of your mind click into place as the buzz of the link unit cradling your human body melted away, in its place, the sounds of the forest swept in, alongside the comforting rumble of a steady purr. Your senses filtered in one by one after that, as they always did. 

Only this time, you woke to the scent of your new home, the comforting weight of your mate’s arms wrapped around you, and the soft light of dawn trickling through the canopy above your newly built hut. It would take several more weeks before New Village was finished, with your own accommodation needing a few further tweaks, but it was home. 

Smugly, you felt yourself grinning as you curled up tighter in Tsu’tey’s arms, revelling in the weight of them wrapped around you and the warmth of him pressed up against you. The hammock rocked under your shifting weight, sturdy and comfortable as it swayed. During the night, your legs had tangled together, whereas Tsu’tey had tucked his face into your neck, his steady breaths curling across the sensitive skin of your collarbones. Here, within the home you’d built together in New Village, he was the picture of relaxed.  

All too soon, his loose limbed sprawl wound tight as he realised you had linked up.

Tsu’tey’s ear flicked lazily as he shifted in place, a cat readjusting before going back to sleep. <”Good morning.”> He greeted sluggishly, nuzzling his cold nose against vulnerable skin.

Smiling to yourself, you squeezed him in return, relishing in how he melted under your touch. All pliant and relaxed, greedy for some soft words and adoring touches. <”Did I wake you?”> Tsu’tey hummed drowsily, but took his sweet time in responding. <”No,”> he murmured finally, making no move to get up. Typical. 

As his breathing evened out again, you listened to the familiar buzz of the clan preparing for the day. Two dozen hunters would oversee the launch at noon, whereas the rest of the clan would continue to forage and build New Village in their absence. With all the humans successfully rounded up and accounted for, the time had come to finally get them off Pandora.

<”We need to get up.”> You finally told the ceiling, when Tsu’tey made it abundantly clear he had no plans of doing so. 

Predictably, your mate shook his head against your skin before nestling down further into you, pulling your long limbed body impossibly closer. You had the sneaking suspicion that he would crawl in your body if it were possible. 

Who knew the fearsome Tsu’tey was a cuddler? 

You certainly hadn’t; not before. Not when you’d been friends, despite the evidence lying in how he’d always felt a need to playfully shove at you or knock your shoulders together. What once could’ve been passed off as platonic camaraderie between hunters, had now been revealed as what it was. 

A newly formed bond, strong in its magnetism and unescapable. Not that you wanted to escape. If anything, the last few days had proven just how much Tsu’tey had been holding back during the courtship. Now that you were mated, it seemed you couldn’t keep your hands off of one another. Sometimes, you felt like it was a miracle you’d managed to get anything done. 

Every touch felt too fleeting, regardless of whether it had been for hours or minutes. You constantly wanted to be near him, wanting to appease the instinctual part of you that looked at Tsu’tey and felt complete; felt safe. It was a fascinating phenomenon, you’d concluded.

Even more so when you realised that although Tsu’tey had formed the bond with your human body, the pull between you was no less magnetising in your avatar. It didn’t matter which body you occupied, Tsu’tey seemed to sense where you were before you could even announce yourself. 

Chuckling to yourself, you gave his back a sympathetic pat in condolence. <”I know, I know, I love a lie in as much as the next person, but the sooner we get up, the sooner we can get it done.”>

<”That is not how time works.”> Tsu’tey immediately argued. 

<”And yet, we still have to get up.”>

Stubbornly, Tsu’tey didn’t move, so you were forced to resort to peeling his hands off of you and wiggling out from under him. Tsu’tey put up a half-assed fight, but ultimately allowed you to sit up. Legs swung over the side of the hammock, you glanced back to find him glaring at your back whilst curling into the warm spot you’d left behind. His tail thumped unhappily as he simply watched you, looking annoyingly adorable. 

Seeing your distraction, Tsu’tey abruptly decided he was done with sleeping and quick as a whip, reached out and wrestled you back down into the hammock. You yelped, hands pushing feebly at him as he pressed you down into the comfortable material and stretched out across your front. 

<”Forgetting something?”> Tsu’tey asked calmly, the hunger in his gaze betraying his collected tone. You felt his tail thumping down next to your thigh now, intrigued as you smiled and pulled his face down. 

A purr rumbled to life in his chest as you kissed his cheek, like you had every morning after he’d rescued you. Adorably, his ears were wiggling now as his eyes fluttered closed, basking in your attention. Finding yourself grinning too hard to keep kissing him, you settled for pressing your foreheads together as you had hundreds of times before. Lovingly, your hand slid from cupping his cheek to carding through his braids.

Tsu’tey’s eyelids slipped open at the change of sensation. <”More.”> 

<”Greedy.”> You purred back.

<”If you’re going to kiss me,”> Tsu’tey continued slowly, a glint of glee creeping into his eye as he lowered himself from his hands to his elbows. It sent a thrill through you, in how confident he was in getting when asking for something. He was hovering close enough not that your flat noses almost touched. <”Then I demand that you do it properly.”> 

You couldn’t help but momentarily flick your gaze down to his lips as he spoke, noting - not for the first time -  their pretty pigmentation. How a hint of lilac had crept onto his lower lip, blending perfectly with the blue of his complexion. Those lips stretched into a cocky grin under your attention.

It took great effort, but you managed to glare up at him as you replied in mock offence, <”those were proper kisses.”>

Tsu’tey tilted his head curiously, looking as unconvinced as one physically could. <”Properly.”> He repeated, as the corner of his mouth kicked up in amusement. 

With a playful eye roll, you sighed. <”Fine.”> 

Dramatically, you puckered your lips and batted your eyelashes, assuming Tsu’tey would scoff at your idiocy and push you away with a laugh. You thought he’d groan at you for ruining the mood and finally climb out of bed to get on with his day. It seemed however, that you had gravely miscalculated.

Instead of replying with banter or a tut, Tsu’tey’s cockiness abruptly melted into hunger. Your stomach squirmed as his eyes dragged down your face to your mouth, his tongue unconsciously flicking out to wet his lower lip. Your only warning was the way his ears lowered, before he promptly dove in for the kill. 

Despite his enthusiasm, the first touch of your lips was gentle, almost chaste. A simple press of warm skin to skin before pulling back. His pupils were blown unbelievably wide as he tilted his head and moved in for another. 

His body pressed you down into the hammock, applying delicious pressure to your stomach and thighs. You felt your own purr rising in the back of your throat as the security the position offered, with your mate covering all of you with himself, and taking whatever you gave him. Your chests were pressed so tightly together that you could feel the rhythmic pounding of his heart beating in time with your own escalated pulse. 

The way his hands cupped your cheeks, his thumb rubbing back and forth across the apple of your cheek as if you were something precious - something to be admired - made your knees weak. 

Kissing Tsu’tey was nothing like touching foreheads in either form. Neither was it anything like kissing him when you were human. In this body, where the size difference was significantly less and your strengths were similar, the kisses were less careful, and more effortless in how they pushed and pulled you into each other’s orbit. It was simple, and perfect, and felt like you’d been doing it your entire lives.

That was what you loved about Tsu’tey. How easy it was to be with him, and how effortlessly the pair of you fit together. How, despite your differences and your playful banter, you could still have these precious and soft moments just between you.

All too soon, your mate pulled back with a satisfied grin. <”Much better.”> He praised you, landing one last parting peck to the tip of your nose before rolling off of you. You were left panting, staring up with blown pupils at the ceiling whilst Tsu’tey puttered around the hut. 

Getting your breath back, you finally managed to roll yourself out of the hammock. Stooping for your knife belt, you heard Tsu’tey chuckle to himself from across the hut. Flipping him off over your shoulder, you secured your belt across your torso before reaching for your jewellery. The pair of you prepared for the day ahead in companionable silence.

By the time you’d strapped your armband across your bicep and shouldered your bow, Tsu’tey had adorned his Olo’eyktan attire and dug out a couple of bowls of war paint. Having already crushed the pigment and mixed in the adequate measurement of water, Tsu’tey had sat himself down and gestured to you to come over. The feathers braided into his hair danced on a soft breeze as you sank to your knees opposite him.

As he wordlessly mixed up the yellow pigment for the base layer, you found yourself beginning to fidget. <”What pattern are you doing this time?”> <”The same as before. My family crest.”> Tsu’tey explained simply, his eyes remaining fixed on the task at hand.

<”Your family…”> You trailed off as realisation dawned on you.

Tsu’tey made a point of dipping his fingers into the thick, yellow paint, his hand steady as he withdrew from the bowl and raised it to begin painting the cold mixture in a familiar pattern across your features. Diligently, you kept still as he worked, watching his brow furrow in concentration. Outwardly, he seemed to be the picture of calm and collected, but behind his back, you noted how he was making an effort to keep his tail still. The sudden twitches and aborted movements of the appendage betrayed his anxiety. 

You knew without asking that both of you were recalling that morning before the Battle for The Tree of Souls, when Tsu’tey had distracted you from Grace’s passing by applying your war paint, an act traditionally performed by mates or family members. At the time, you had dismissed it as a kind gesture, considering you had no family of your own to ask. But in hindsight, Tsu’tey’s true intentions had been painfully obvious. As had the gifting of the Atokirina knife and armband after your successful iknimaya. 

<”You’re a sneaky bastard.”>

Tsu’tey’s lips thinned, but his movements remained steady. <”No, you’re just dense.”> He sighed tiredly with no venom.  <”You knew exactly what applying war paint means, and yet did not stop me. I assumed my intentions were welcome since you reciprocated.”> <”I mean, yes it worked out, but I didn’t think that was how you meant it.”> You admitted honestly, to which Tsu’tey rolled his eyes but let you speak. You pressed on, <”I assumed it was because Jake was occupied with Neytiri. Just like I didn’t realise the gifts were courting gifts, because I assumed you were just being friendly and didn’t want me to miss out on the usual traditions.”>

<”Dense.”> Tsu’tey repeated smugly. <”When have I even been that friendly to an outsider?”>

You tilted your head in acknowledgement to the valid point. <”Not dense.”> You decided to focus on, ignoring his sarcastic snort. <”It wasn’t my fault that your People’s courting rituals don’t come with a handbook.”>

Tsu’tey shook his head, dismissing the argument. <”I made my intentions painfully clear.”>

<”By painfully clear, you mean painfully confusing.”>

Abruptly, Tsu’tey pulled his hand away from your face and fixed you with a stern look. <”And what, please tell me, is confusing about gifting you useful items? Does that not indicate courtship on your planet?”> <”I mean yes, but-”> <”Then my point remains the same, you are incredibly dense.”> With a flourish, he put down the yellow paint and reached for the navy whilst you stewed. 

He was applying the new shade to your brow when you came up with a decent response. <”And what if I turned up to HomeTree with a fistful of flowers and presented them to you?”>

Tsu’tey’s painting hand faltered mid stroke as his nose scrunched up in confusion. <”Why in Eywa’s name, would you want to do that?”> Your heart twinged. <”Just humour me, what would you think?”> <”Would you intend to add them to a soup? Craft clothing or extract the oils?”> <”No. I would pick them because they’re pretty.”> And they’d look pretty on you. You didn’t add. Tsu’tey scoffed, his voice firm as he voiced his opinion. <”Then I would consider it impractical, and a waste of resources.”> Against your best efforts, your expression tightened at the predictable response. Thank Eywa for Mo’at confiscating your hard found ‘weeds’. 

Tsu’tey’s steady hand had gone still against your cheek. <”What?”> He asked, pulling his finger back.

<”What?”> He wrinkled his nose. <”You’re looking at me like I stepped on your tail and refused to apologise.”> You kept your mouth resolutely shut, hoping he’d just go back to painting, but as usual, Tsu’tey didn’t let you off lightly. <”Yawne, tell me.”> He said sweetly, his painting hand lowering in clear indication that he wouldn’t continue until you explained.

With a loud swallow, you pushed the words out, feeling foolish. <”Humans give people they like pretty flowers to show they like each other. It’s usually how we show something that we’d like to keep dating.”>

Understanding swept across Tsu’tey’s face. <”I see. It is one of your traditions then?”>

<”Yeah.”> <”How interesting.”> Tsu’tey commented neutrally, <”unheard of by my people, but similar to our gifting of useful items.”> You hummed in agreement, which Tsu’tey took as the go ahead to drop the topic and continue with the task at hand. 

>_<

The hunting party was uncharacteristically silent as it crossed the rainforests towards Hell’s Gate. Where usually there was light banter or joking, today, no one spoke. Hardly anyone made eye contact. There would be time to relax later, for now it was crucial to come off as the hostile enemy the RDA painted them as. One final push before the finish line. 

The rest of the day followed the same sombre mood. You sat astride your pa’li with your bow notched and resting against your thigh as you supervised the sad march of the humans towards their spaceship. Your war paint felt tight against your clammy skin, but you knew it made you look unsettlingly fearsome from the weary glances your former colleagues kept shooting you. You recognised a couple of faces amongst the crowd, all of which were twisted in defeat and bitter betrayal. Their eyes slid off of you like oil over water. It seemed that you fit in so well amongst the clan, that no one could pinpoint your face.

At your side, Jake shifted uncomfortably astride his own mount, his eyes pinned on Neytiri who stood at Tsu’tey’s elbow on the other side of the literal human stream. The pair were decked out in their feathers and formal attire, offering a united, intimidating front in the face of the defeated humans. 

The tension was so thick that it felt like a cloak around your shoulders. The anxiety it generated naturally filtered down the bond into your mount, who shifted uneasily on her hooves. You soothed her as well as you could. Gently, running your hand up and down her neck as you pushed calming thoughts down the bond. 

She did not like this weird environment where the earth was smooth and treacherous and the dirt was concealed by a thick layer of rock. She did not like the towering structures pretending to be cliffs, nor did she like the rumble of the metal toruk’s growl, which sent her instincts into overdrive. She was concerned by the weird little creatures willingly clambering into the great predator’s mouth, and anxious that she might be asked to follow.

As she shifted, you kept rubbing her neck and coaxing her to look at the trees instead of the waiting spaceship.

Beside you, Jake drew in a deep breath, barely warning you that he was about to speak.

“What is it?” You asked quietly, conscious of the people within earshot. 

”Well,” Jake began, “Tsu’tey asked me the weirdest questions this morning, about weeds and random flora that I don’t even know the translations for. You didn’t, by chance, have anything to do with that, did you?” The marine whispered, sounding more amused than concerned.

Rolling your eyes at his blatant jabs ”I was proving that our traditions are different and he shouldn’t have expected me to figure out the courtship through mixed signals and unfamiliar gestures.” ”Ah.” He did not elaborate.

“What does that mean?” Jake pointedly ducked his head. You furrowed your brow. “Jake, what the hell did you tell him? ”Jake suddenly became very interested in the humans marching across the tarmac. You prodded him in the side with the end of your bow, to which Jake took a swift swipe at the weapon which laughably missed. ”What the hell did you tell him?”

“Nothing bad!” Jake exclaimed too loudly, drawing a few heads. He raised his spear in silent threat before continuing, his face melting into the cold, hard lines of Toruk Makto. Startled, the humans returned their attention to the spaceship instead of his outburst. ”I told him about roses and carnations and shit. Alright?” 

“Wow, didn’t take you for a florist. Was that a side gig back on earth?” “Of course not. I just had a girlfriend who was really into flower meanings.” He fiddled with the twine holding his spear head to the shaft. “Uhuh, of course you did.” Without turning his attention from the humans, Jake shifted his weapon and jabbed you in the side with the butt of his spear. You hissed before twisting in the saddle and kicking him in the hip. He narrowly avoided being unseated by the blow. Jake growled in response, but whatever retaliation he planned on carrying out abruptly flew out the window when the pair of you noticed that someone had stopped walking in front of your pa’li.

Just from the way he held himself, you knew the man was important, and he knew it too. Luckily, it didn’t take too long for his name to return to you. 

“Oi Selfridge, spaceship is that way.” Jake prompted, motioning to said ship.

The former CEO didn’t move. With a thoughtful expression, he pointedly looked the marine up and down with cocky disinterest, his exo mask puffing loudly in time with his slow, measured breaths. Somehow, he commanded all of your attention despite his vulnerable position, he barely came up to your pa’li’s knee after all. 

“You know this isn’t over.” Selfridge stated, no, promised. 

Jake sat up a little straighter as his expression turned venomous. “No. It very much is over.” The marine said confidently, to which Selfridge shook his head.

Your spine prickled, as your tail shot upright. With great theatrics, you drew your bow on the man, ensuring that his attention slid to you as you pulled the bowstring taught and aimed your arrow at him. “Move along.” You growled simply, motioning to the ship with your arrowhead. 

Selfridge took his time looking you up and down, unnerving you with how calmly he reacted to having an arrow longer than his leg aimed at his head. “Doctor.” He drawled by way of greeting, to which you made a point of pulling your bowstring back to your cheek. 

The CEO nodded once, his expression unreadable, before turning on his heel and marching peacefully into the spaceship alongside everyone else to find himself a seat. You kept your arrow trained on him the whole time, if only because it made the rest of them shuffle a little faster towards the ship. 

Smartly, no one else attempted to strike up conversation.

Before the sun reached its peak, the door to the spaceship began to close with a thunderous grind of gears. Within minutes, the clan were retreating back across the tarmac towards the trees as the engines began to fire up. Your pa’li had just stepped into the shade of the furthest tree when the enormous machine generated enough thrust to finally lift off. 

And just like that, it was over.

Something sentimental stirred in your chest, as you urged your pa’li to pause. Restlessly, she did, allowing you to turn in the saddle and watch the enormous machine streak up into the clouds and beyond. It sped like a shooting star back into the atmosphere and then further and further until it was almost indistinguishable from the other daytime stars.

>_<

A vast bonfire was lit as eclipse rolled in, and the light of the human spaceship had shrunk to a pinprick in the night sky. 

As the smell of roasted yerik and popping nuts filled the belly of New Village, you relaxed against a fallen log. Face freshly cleaned of war paint, you looked out amongst the People who had welcomed you into their midst and felt warmth bloom in your chest. The clearing was alive with chatter and music as na’vi leapt around the popping flames, twirling with one another as laughter filled the air. It was the most relaxed you’d seen everyone in weeks. 

Your eyes were heavy from the alcohol, a pleasant buzz settling into the back of your mind as you simply watched. At long last, you felt content. The RDA were returning home. The clan was finally safe. And to top it all off, you’d somehow snagged the Olo’eyktan of said clan and gotten yourself a ridiculously protective alien cat in the process.

The very same powerful chieftain, who was currently curled up in your lap, decked out in his Olo’eyktan attire with his tipsiness showing in the bright flush of his cheeks. You didn’t need Tsaheylu to know that he was content. Every hard contour of his body screamed relaxed. His muscles were loose and pliant under your wandering fingers as you carded the long digits through his freshly braided hair. His tail lazily thumped against the grass, whilst one of his arms was slung over your lap and loosely holding your thigh. A possessive but comfortable hold.

Over by the fire, you watched a couple of avatar drivers attempt to imitate the complex dance moves of some hunters, who laughed good naturedly at them before drunkenly walking them through steps. 

You could see Jake forcing Norm to dance with him, whilst Neytiri cheered as she swayed on her feet. To his credit, Norm tried his very best to keep up, but Jake was a surprisingly competent dancer. The scientist gave up after an embarrassing couple of failed attempts, his hands raised in mock surrender whilst Jake ribbed him. 

The marine didn’t let his lack of partner sour his drunken haze however, and quickly swept Neytiri up in his rhythm. She beamed, her eyes alight as her body moved with liquid grace to the sound of the drums. 

<”Are you cold, Yawne?”> Tsu’tey murmured softly into your thigh, the arm slung over your legs moving to rub at your calf. Your gaze flickered downwards as a fond smile slipped onto your lips. 

<”You don’t need an excuse to cuddle me.”> You chuckled, giving his scalp an affectionate scratch, <”get up here.”> Your mate rolled the command over in his head once or twice, before deciding that the suggestion was a sound one. With great concentration which could only be mustered after one had drunk a little too much, Tsu’tey fumbled into a sitting position before promptly collapsing down on the log you were currently leaning against, and clumsily dragging you across his chest. You laughed, wiggling to readjust his neck piece into a more comfortable pillow before settling down.

Against your ear, Tsu’tey’s chest roared to life with a healthy purr, to which you allowed your own content sound to slip free. His grip tightened on your shoulder, whilst his tail wound its way around your ankle. The picture of content. Who would’ve known that Tsu’tey was an affectionate drunk?

”Look at ya, you lovebirds.” Jake suddenly slurred, his head popping into your peripheral vision before promptly disappearing as he threw himself down into the grass with a heavy thump. 

“Love-bird?” Tsu’tey muttered to himself, his eyes closed and his head tipped back to lean against the cool bark of the log. 

“Jake.” Neytiri lightly scolded, padding away from the fire, her eyes bright with amusement. “I believe you have had too much.” Jake looked thoughtful for a moment, his hand rising to scratch at an absent beard as he looked the picture of quiet contemplation. All before he shook his head with an exaggerated. “Naaaaaaaaaaa.” 

Neytiri chuckled lightly.

“Having waaaaaayyyy tooo much fun.” The marine continued, oblivious to the volume of his voice, whilst Tsu’tey grumbled. “I wish every day.” He paused, “could be like this one.”

“I mean,” you interjected, refusing to lift your head from your comfortable pillow. “What’s stopping us? Am I right?” “Right you are!” Jake agreed readily, before a sudden idea struck him. His ears flattened as he spun to Neytiri who barely batted an eyelid at his dramatics. “Neyyyytiri?”

She sighed. “Yes?” “You know you love me?” “I do.” “Like, you love me the way Tsu’tey loves human Y/n?” “Yes?” Neytiri answered, her voice wavering. “Where is this going, Jake?” “Well, would you still love me if I were a na’vi? Like fully na’vi. Not half or even a quarter, as in full, total na’vi.” He was talking animatedly with his hands now, which he was waving around to emphasise his words, only to catch sight of them mid rant. The marine frowned as he wiggled his five fingers. “Or, well, as close to na’vi as I can get.”

To her credit, Neytiri managed to keep her voice level when she responded, but you could tell from the sudden thrash of her tail that Jake had unknowingly struck a nerve. “What are you saying Jake?” “Well!” The marine continued, oblivious to the distress on his mate’s face. “The doctor.” He pointed dramatically to you, “and I were discussing consciousness transfers.” It was as if someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over your head, smacked your round the face with a marble rolling pin, and then gleefully kicked the back of your knee so you fell down a flight of stairs. Beneath you, Tsu’tey’s body went from a comfortable pillow to a rigid bed of granite.

Neytiri just looked confused. “You want to go through with the-” “Yes!” Jake replied rapidly, his tail wiggling with eagerness. “I do! I really want to! It’s all I’ve thought about for WEEKS!”

“Really?” Neytiri pressed, Jake nodded excitedly, to which Neytiri sighed. Her lips were pressed tightly together as she looked him up and down, her ears lowering as she realised just how sure he was about this. With an anxious flick of her tail, the huntress managed to smooth out her expression and offer a neutral, “we will talk about this once you’re sober.”

Jake just wiggled, all wide smiles and flapping ears. Neytiri shook her head at him, but didn’t press the matter further. Cautiously, she approached, still studying him for telltale signs of doubt, but found nothing. 

Jake on the other hand, had decided the conversation was not yet over. With a sudden and unnerving turn of his head, his too focused gaze settled on you, causing you to tense. Those disproportionately small eyes seemed to peer into your very soul as he asked plainly, “did you decide that you wanted to do it with me in the end?”

Tsu’tey loose grip around your torso turned bruising. His purr, which had lowered to a languid rumble since Jake had sat down, abruptly cut out. 

“You have discussed this?” Tsu’tey asked, his voice barely within the range of calm. It almost sounded accusatory, but that could just be the alcohol running through your bloodstream.

“A little.” You replied honestly, finding yourself unable to meet his eyes. You almost felt guilty for admitting it, as if you’d betrayed him somehow. “I mean, as avatar drivers we all inevitably fantasise about staying like this. Whether it’s possible or not-” “But Mo’at thinks it is possible.” Jake interrupted, oblivious to the mosaic of emotions currently playing out across Tsu’tey’s face. “We have a chance.” He implored, practically sparkling with enthusiasm. “A real, proper chance.” “As did Grace Augustine.” Tsu’tey cut in, his eyes suddenly sharp and sober. If he didn’t have his arm still tightly around your torso, acting as reassurance and comfort, you might have shrunk away from the ice in his tone. “Was her chance not as good as your own?” “Grace was dying.” Neytiri pointed out carefully, “Eywa had already taken her hand.”

“And what if She takes his hand?” Tsu’tey pointed out, gesturing to Jake. “What if She takes them out of their bodies but does not give them back? What then?” Neytiri’s carefully guarded expression threatened to crumble, to which Tsu’tey’s rage flickered. Guilt played out across his face as he gazed upon his friend and saw his own anxiety reflecting back at him.

“If it makes you feel any better, She wouldn’t want me.” You mumbled inaudibly, tipping your head back to catch his eye. You focused on making your microexpressions relaxed, trying to offer subconscious comfort.

“She might.” “She won’t.” You reassured him, “I’m too slippery anyway.” Which was a lie. Of course, there was the very real chance that Eywa might not breathe you back, and that terrified you. It made you queasy just thinking about it.

”That’s alright.” Jake reassured you, before a sly, shit-eating grin appeared on his face. ”I doubt Tsu’tey could deal with waking up to your grumpy ass every morning anyway.”

The mixed emotions in Tsu’tey’s face immediately cleared up into an offended snort. ”I could!”

”You could not!” Jake countered explosively. ”Sure, they’re all cute trying to steal back their blankets, but I have feared for my life. The swearing is ridiculous and the side-eyes could kill a man.” Tsu’tey suddenly grinned as if he were about to let Jake in on a state secret. ”Perhaps your methods guarantee failure.” He purred seductively in your ear, before unexpectedly attacking your neck and ear with kisses. Absently, you heard Jake fake a retch between the sounds of your own shrieking. He was ignored, as you focused all your efforts into wriggling free of Tsu’tey’s secure grasp, as the assault of loud kisses were pelted across your face and neck.  

By the time he let up with one last, heavy kiss to your cheek, Neytiri had coaxed Jake into drinking some water, and the previous topic of conversation had been laid to rest. 

If Tsu’tey held you a little tighter throughout the rest of the night, neither of you brought it up.

>_<

All in all, it was a wild party that lasted well into the early hours of the next day. 

Bidding Neytiri and a sloshed Jake a warm goodbye, you and Tsu’tey padded across the village to your shared hut. Within moments of ducking in through the curtain, you went straight for the hammock. Flopping down in it on your front, you felt exhaustion threaten to drag you down there and then. Over the hours, your drunkenness had lightened to a pleasant warmth in your chest and a slight slowing of your reflexes.

Something which Tsu’tey took advantage of now as he carefully unstrapped your knife from your chest, as well as removing your armband and other accessories. His focused movements were practised and gently as he placed everything down carefully beside the hammock on the floor where you could find it easily in the morning. 

<”You coming in?”> You asked sleepily, after he brushed your braids from your face and straightened.

<“I must check on the clan first.”> Tsu’tey whispered back, ever the doting Olo’eyktan. <”Several of the younger hunters were not looking too capable of getting home unassisted.”>

<”Okay.”> You yawned, before snuggling down with a content purr. <”I’ll be heading out then.”> Tsu’tey smiled tightly. <”Of course.”> <“Sleep well.”>

He nodded, but you were too tipsy to find anything unusual in the action. 

As Tsu’tey’s footsteps padded away across the hammock, you allowed your eyelids to droop as you began to drift away. 

The comfortable buzz of alcohol left you as you slipped back into your human body, like a warm hand disappearing from your cheek. You opened your eyes to the low glow of the link unit, to the tiny little lights that decorated the inner metal frame; a pathetic replacement for the stars.

For a moment, you just laid there, wishing you were still in your home. Recalling the warmth of Tsu’tey’s body as you’d been pressed against it all night. In some ways, you half expected to turn your head and find him there waiting for you, but in reality, you knew he wouldn’t be. Whilst the link unit was a sensible distance from the village, it was still out of the way enough for privacy. Which meant your comfy hammock and mate would be inaccessible until you relinked. 

With a heavy sigh, you lifted a numb arm and pushed open the lid.

The room beyond your unit was dim, with only the green emergency lights breaking up the darkness. The whir of Jake’s machine chugged along by the wall, and no doubt would continue to do so for several more hours. You envied him, despite having made the decision to leave yourself.

Absently, you recalled the conversation from earlier. The confident way in which Jake had communicated his desires, how he hadn’t hesitated in stating what he wanted. Although he had been drunk at the time, you knew how much he wanted to transfer. 

In some ways, you envied how single minded he was on the matter. How sure he was that it would be the best thing for him. 

Overhead, raindrops tapped lightly against the hollow metal of the compound roof. When did it begin to rain?

With a coldness settling in within your ribs, you heaved your sore body into a sitting position. The walls of the compound were grey, as Hell’s Gate had always been. The floor was ice cold beneath your feet, a stark contrast to the sun warmed soil you’d been lounging on for the past few hours.

With a firm shake of your head, you shoved that thought process down. Dwelling too long on it would only make the consciousness transfer more appealing. And sometimes it was; when you were alone. But after the look on Tsu’tey’s face when Jake had brought it up, the way he’d held you that little bit tighter, the way your now sober brain could read the fear in his actions, you knew you couldn’t go through with it. Not now that you had everything you needed. 

With forced energy, you padded out of the link room towards the bathroom where you flicked on the light but pointedly avoided looking at yourself in the mirror. In this weird mindset, you weren’t quite sure how you’d feel if you caught sight of yourself.

The warmth of the shower helped in the way only blistering hot water could. And comfortable pyjamas just made everything that little bit more bearable. 

The kitchen was as you’d left it that morning. Sterile and boring. Dragging down a sealed ration from one of the overhead cupboards, you pierced the plastic film before shoving the dehydrated meal into the microwave and setting it to three minutes. In the stillness of the compound, illuminated by the orange light of the little machine, you watched your lacklustre meal spin on the carousel. 

If you hadn’t been staring so hard at the microwave, you would’ve missed the flicker of movement that darted across the window in your peripheral vision. Instinctively, your head snapped up. After spending all day in your avatar, you could feel the phantom sensation of your ears pricking as your slouched body went ramrod straight. The reflection of the warm light of the microwave made it hard for you to see out into the darkness, but when the little machine dinged and went dark, the kitchen was abruptly plunged into darkness. 

As the pastel glow of Pandora’s plants filled the little room, you felt your heartbeat begin to pick up. You dared not move a muscle, despite itching for a weapon. Preferably your knife, but that was stashed beside your link unit as an additional security measure. 

With luck, the movement was something none threatening that had just happened to come across the compound and immediately lost interest. Or maybe, it was that palulukan that had taken an interest in Tsu’tey. If you were really unlucky however, it would be something armed and intelligent enough to get into the compound. 

Somewhere outside, you heard something large shifting through the undergrowth, as a couple of plants wiggled when something brushed against them. You sucked in a sharp breath.

The sound of someone politely knocking was almost more terrifying than the unknown. 

Spinning around, you found a distinctly na’vi figure lurking behind the glass of another window. You weren’t entirely sure whether to be relieved or more terrified. The figure stooped, as if peering through the glass before knocking again, this time more firmly. With the plants backlighting them, you couldn’t make out any features.

Deciding that this was not at all how you wanted to spend your evening, you decided to bite the bullet and turn on the light switch. Hopefully, the na’vi was just drunk and confused, and the sight of you would send them on their way. 

You flipped the switch, bathing the kitchen in warm light. Your own reflection looked back at you from the window, looking tired and small. To your surprise, the na’vi began tapping more furiously, almost desperately against the glass at the sight of you. Your brows furrowed, that definitely was not the reaction you’d been expecting, must be someone from the clan.

Hesitantly, you approached the window. The knocking slowed down a little, as the na’vi realised that they had successfully captured your attention. Making your movements obvious, you brought your hand up to the glass to block out some of the light, which created a small pocket with which you could see outside with.

The first feature you noticed was the familiar notch taken out of the na’vi’s right ear. By then, it was pretty easy to figure out who had drunkenly decided to visit you.

Your shoulders lost their tension as you sighed good naturedly and pulled away from the window. With exaggerated movements, you turned in the direction of the airlock, to which the knocking ceased once more and you heard something large pushing through the undergrowth as they strode for the entrance to the compound. 

With practised ease, you strapped on an exo mask and slipped into the airlock, which immediately clicked shut and sucked all the earth air out before the second door unlocked with a crisp click. Pushing it open, you were immediately met with a firm sheet of rain. And there, standing at the base of the steps, his braids dripping, was Tsu’tey.

<”What are you doing here?”> You blurted, taking in his sodden appearance. Judging by his slightly elevated breathing, he’d run here instead of tracking down a pa’li or calling his ikran. 

With the sway of a tipsy man pretending to be sober, Tsu’tey stepped closer. <”Missed you.”> 

Your knee jerk reaction to the admission was to point out that you’d last seen each other barely half an hour ago, but his expression stilled your tongue. You could see your own uncertainty reflecting back at you, could see the unsettled shifting of his feet as his eyes flickered from your face to somewhere over your shoulder.

<”Yeah, I missed you too.”> You said instead, finding a private smile slipping onto your face as his shoulders loosened in relief. 

The tension between you now felt more charged than usual, like a second shoe preparing to drop. This wasn’t the usual buzz of friendly camaraderie or mutual pining, there was something more lurking in the shadows here. A thought evidenced by the hunter’s lowered ears as he averted his gaze once again. 

<”What is it?”> Your voice was barely audible over the sound of raindrops landing on leaves, but you knew from the way his expression snapped back to something more neutral, that he had heard. 

It was then that you noticed he had one hand suspiciously hidden behind his back. 

The scene turned comical then. With Tsu’tey dripping wet from the rain and hiding something from you, whilst you stood at about chest height thanks to the ramp outside the compound, with your hands resting on your hips. To an outsider, the scene would resemble a sceptical parent wondering what their toddler had that they definitely shouldn’t. The fact that Tsu’tey was swaying slightly from the alcohol just added to the entire thing.

<”What do you have there?”> You asked carefully, to which Tsu’tey’s eyes narrowed.

<”Nothing.”> <”Tsu’tey, I can see you’re hiding something.”> <”No you can’t!”> He blurted before adding, <”am not!”>

You arched a brow, to which Tsu’tey’s tail rose in silent challenge. 

<”How?!”> He demanded.

<”Lucky guess?”>

The hunter sighed heavily. <”It was a secret.”>

<”Ah, I see.”>

With a pout, Tsu’tey dramatically pulled a bouquet of flowers out from behind his back and thrust them at you. They were tiny in his enormous hand, barely glowing with several of their petals missing and their roots still intact with soil falling from them at random intervals. <”You are truly a difficult person to smoothly give gifts to.”> Your mate helpfully informed you as your eyes blew wide at the adorable gesture.

You were torn between wrestling him down into a hug and bursting into tears at the thoughtful gesture. With a tight throat, you instead managed to squeeze out an emotional, <”thank you,”> as you reached to take them. The plants fit perfectly into your fist. 

Tsu’tey’s expression immediately brightened, his ears pricking at the evident emotion swimming behind your eyes. Although he looked ridiculously similar to a drowned rat, his fanged smile was nothing short of adorable as your fingers brushed when you took the flowers from him. All of which, you were pleased to realise, weren’t carnivorous or dangerous for you to touch.

<”What’s the occasion?”>

Tsu’tey’s tail stopped mid-wag. <”Occasion?”> He repeated uncertainly. <”Not that I’m not grateful!”> You quickly jumped in, <”they are gorgeous flowers, I was just wondering why you trekked through the forest at the ass crack of dawn to give them to me.”> <”I just wanted to.”> Tsu’tey explained dismissively, not quite meeting your eyes as he looked at your ear or the doorframe at your back. Raindrops slid down his cheeks, before collecting on his jaw and dripping off. An idea caused him to tense. <”Did I do it wrong? Can they only be presented during a celebration?”> <”What? No. Of course not. Flowers are just for when you want to.”> <”Okay.”> Tsu’tey said firmly. <”I should-”> he motioned over his shoulder towards the forest as he retreated a step. 

You were blurting out an invitation before he could take another. <”Do you want to come in? I should have plenty of towels to get you somewhat dry.”>

He paused, chewing on his lower lip before nodding. 

With care, you ushered him into the airlock, where he still struggled to meet your gaze. He’d been in the compound enough times to know where the new Na’vi respirators were kept, so you left him to it, after removing your exopack.

Padding into the kitchen, you managed to find a tall enough cup to fill with water and set the flowers in until you could get ahold of a proper clay vase. They glowed faintly in the dim room, as they slowly died.

Your dinner was now completely forgotten in the microwave as you puttered around the kitchen, pulling another large cup down from a cupboard and filling it with water. Setting it on the counter, you checked under the sink for some towels only to come up empty handed. The hallway cupboard provided much more successful results, and plenty of warmed towels to get the job down.

By the time you returned to the kitchen, Tsu’tey had sat himself down on the floor and was leaning back against the far wall. The same one he’d leant against whilst holding your human form for the first time. Then he’d been in a similar state of anxiety after watching your avatar collapse in the Well of Souls and assuming the humans had found the compound. Now, he just looked tired. 

Scooping up the large cup of water, you approached.

<”Drink this, it should lessen the hangover you’ll wake up with tomorrow.”> <”Thank you.”> He said, gently taking it from you and drinking deeply. It was gone in three gulps, but he didn’t seem to mind. Placing the cup down by his thigh, he held his hand out for a towel, which you handed over willingly. With a sigh, Tsu’tey heaved himself off of the wall and began to wipe himself down. 

For a while, neither of you spoke. Tsu’tey busied himself with getting the worst of the rain off and removing his weapons, whilst you bundled up the soaked towels to be dealt with later and strode back and forth from the sink to refill his glass. By the time he deemed himself ‘dry’, Tsu’tey somehow looked even more tired.

<”Right, you’re sleeping in my bunk tonight.”> You instructed, taking the last towel off his hands and adding it to the pile. <”God, it’s feels like it’s been forever since we cuddled like this.”> You motioned to your current body with a cheeky smile, which seemed to have the opposite effect on your mate. <”Do you want to talk about why you’re really here?”> You offered, to which Tsu’tey schooled his expression into a firm scowl. <“No.”> <“You sure. You’re stressed and I want to help you if I can, but I can’t if you don’t tell me what’s going on.”>

<”It’s nothing.”> He deflected, before adding. <”It’s stupid.”> <”Which is it?”> You prodded, knowing from his expression that he was almost there. With another push or two, he would explain and you’d both be able to sleep better tonight. <”It sounds important.”>

He glared with no real heat, but didn’t deny it. 

<”You didn’t come here because of the flowers, did you?”> He sighed, <”no. It is about what Jake said at the feast.”>

The quiet admission gave you pause. His eyes were burning now with a hurricane of anxiety and fear. It was clear that Jake’s drunken confession hadn’t only unsettled Neytiri.

<”About the consciousness transfer?”> 

<”Yes.”> <”What about it?”> Tsu’tey tensed as if expecting a blow, to which you retreated a step and kept your expression neutral. <”Please, I want to hear your opinion on it.”>

<”You do?”> <”Yes, you are my mate.”> You flickered your gaze down to your wrist, the one with the spiral from his kuru carved into the skin. Delicately, you ran a thumb across the mark, allowing a nostalgic feeling to flicker to life in your chest. <”And this would affect you as much as me. I want to know what you think about it.”> <”Okay.”> Tsu’tey said quietly. <”I don’t want you to do it.”>  

He paused again, studying your face for a reaction, to which you gave none. 

<”I don’t want you to change.”> He added, averting his eyes as if the admission was a shameful thing to give voice to. <”We’ve only just truly begun to understand and trust each other, and we’re happy. We’re finally happy, and life is good. And now,”> he swallowed, <”now I’m terrified it’s going to be ripped away. The Sky People tried to take you from me twice, and both times they failed. But Eywa, if she takes you, I can’t do anything, and that terrifies me. I don’t care if you’re like this. I don’t care that you’re alien and different. That you dreamwalk during the day and sleep here at night. It doesn’t bother me anymore. And I don’t want to lose it. This. Us. It’s too important to me!

<”I love you in your avatar, yes. I love hunting with you, and riding pa’li together, and messing around because we’re equal in strength. But I also love coming here and being with you whilst you tend to the compound. I love our size difference, I love how you don’t back down from me. I love being able to hold you for hours. I love when you braid my hair and I love that I can carry you around like you weigh nothing. And I love being able to connect with you through Tsaheylu. But most of all, I just don’t want you to leave, not if you don’t have to.”> He swallowed audibly before forcefully composing himself. <“But I also know that that is simply a risk of the procedure, and this is not in fact my decision to make. I understand that. And if going through with the transfer will make you happy, I will support you.”> 

<”You would.”> His eyes shone as he finally glanced up and met your gaze. <”Undoubtable, Yawne.”> He said with enough conviction to convince you immediately. If you really wanted to, he would support you. <”Whatever you want to do with your avatar, I will be by your side the entire time.”>

Something within you crumbled like an origami crane under the tightening of a god’s fist. Your carefully schooled expression shattered as a boat load of stress and unresolved tension swept off of you. Tsu’tey’s expression morphed into alarm, his hands coming up to hold you as half-thought out apologies began to tumble out of his mouth.

<”Yawne, I-”>

You hugged him before he could say anything stupid. It was a stretch to reach his neck, even with him sat down, but you managed by standing on your tiptoes. <”You beautiful, wonderful, perfect man you.”> You praised as you cupped his cheeks and kissed his pliant lips. All at once his concern morphed into confusion. 

<”I love you.”> You exclaimed happily as your vision grew misty. There was laughter bubbling up in your throat from the force of your relief. Laughter which made it hard to keep peppering him in kisses. You tried regardless.

<”Eywa, how I love you.”> You continued, revelling in how Tsu’tey’s pupils swelled from the claim. <”My other half. My thoughtful, amazing mate.”> Tsu’tey spluttered under the onslaught of affection and praise, his cheeks flushing gorgeously. <”I’m not going anywhere.”> You promised, <”I refuse to if there’s even a chance I won’t be able to get back to you.”> 

You promptly released his cheeks to wrap him in a hug. Wrapping your arms around his neck as you cuddled in close. Automatically, one of his large hands came up to steady you, the weight of it stretching across the span of your neck, as sure and comforting as it had always been. He was too starstruck to respond. 

<”I don’t need the stupid avatar.”> You said, rambling now. <”I See that now. I don’t need to transfer to be one of the clan. Just as you’ve always said.”> 

Tsu’tey’s grip tightened. He curled around you, taking deep steadying breaths as the tension he’d been carrying finally slipped away. You hadn’t noticed during the feast, but after Jake’s confession he hadn’t managed to completely relax into the same headspace he’d been in beforehand. Now, you could hear the relief in his voice as he swallowed loudly. <”I am glad.”> He murmured, and you knew he meant it. With great strength he pulled himself back so he could look down at you, those golden eyes alight with relief and adoration. Gently, he leaned down and knocked your foreheads together as he had done countless times before. <”And I love you too, you infuriating little creature. I wouldn’t change you for anything.”> 

Abently, you slid your hand up to one of his fringe braids before tucking it behind his ear. Tsu’tey pressed into the action, causing the braid to fall back where it was, and its ruby red bead to catch the artificial light. 

<”Your braids need to be redone.”> You comment simply, giving the hair a light twirl. His roots were beginning to grow out, whereas some of the shorter strands were beginning to escape from the beads.

Tsu’tey’s eyes flickered from the bead tipped braid with a thoughtful hum. <”Well, it is a good thing you seemed to be itching for something to do. Just make sure the partings are straight, I would like to take you up on that offer to share your bunk.”> You let out an indignant noise. <”My partings are always straight.”> Tsu’tey pulled a face. <”Debatable.”> You scoffed, <”and what happened to me being an awful braider?”> <”People can improve.”> Tsu’tey teased, to which you flicked the braid you were holding into his eye. Your mate only grinned before carefully rising to his feet. He still had to stoop to fit inside the compound, but it was nowhere near as awkward of a stance for him as it had once been. With a soft smile, he extended his hand to you, which you took without hesitation. Together, you walked towards the bunk room. 

~FIN~

Previous Chapter <- Act 9

Sequel with the addition of son!Spider now available on Ao3 here!

[avesque]

hi sweet darling my my myyy i adore your writing so very much and wanted to know if you are still taking requests from that one post you linked? if so i would love to see something with tsu’tey for the “i am in love with a moment we never had” + angst? something about him with some angst just scratches an itch in my brain idkkk lots of love btw mwah !<3

across the stars — tsu’tey

INCLUDES fem!reader, human!reader. angst. 1.1k words.

NOTE anon you are so sweet omg thank you so much! <3

jakesully hands tsu’tey a note one afternoon after the battle, a crumpled piece of folded paper with specks of dirt on the edges. it looks tiny and, tsu’tey admits, unimportant.

he refuses to take it.

the olo’eyktan sighs, pushing the scrap back in his direction. “come on, brother. it’s important.”

tsu’tey begs to differ, taking a step back and scowling at the chief. a small, immature part of him is still stingy about the turn of events; how he had no choice but to pass his title to jakesully when he was on the brink of death.

“it’s from y/n.”

tsu’tey stills. his ears fall back in his hair at the mention of your name, tail swishing in curiosity.

you were one of the researchers — a biologist, he remembers you saying — alongside grace who studied pandoran flora and fauna. before the war, you had wormed your way well into the clan with your bright smiles and tinkling laughter. despite being one of the sky people, no one was able to resist you.

you were magnetic.

tsu’tey prides himself in his great resolve, his firm judgment. he is as untrusting as one can be; calculative when needed and always skeptical.

though he cannot deny how even he was left defenseless to your charm. it pains him to admit it but he grew fond of your excited chatter, especially the way your little demon face would light up at the mere mention of new plants, among other things.

he snatches the paper in jakesully’s hands and leaves without a word.

the note has been tucked under the woven mat in his hut for days now. tsu’tey has convinced himself there are far more important things to focus on than your flimsy little gift, and as dawn breaks over the moon, he finds himself grappling for excuses he can tell himself to prolong the inevitable.

a frustrated scowl mars his face, jumping off his hammock and kneeling on the floor, lifting the carpet to reveal the folded scrap. it seems almost threatening as it sits there, staring back.

he chooses to get it done and over with.

he turns it over a few times, looking for something; anything, but all there is is smeared dirt. finally, with bated breath, he slips a finger in the crease and unfolds it.

the paper is filled with your neat handwriting, dark ink nearly glowing on the white background. his heart sinks a bit as he sees how little you wrote but he ignores the feeling.

my dearest, tsu’tey, it reads.

his hands shake and the paper crumples beneath his fingers.

you may be reading this while i am already off this moon, or you may be reading this with a scowl perfectly painted on your face with me in front of you. either way, i just hope you’re reading this.

i would first like to thank you for your warm welcome.

tsu’tey grunts at that, shifting on his haunches, something ugly bubbling in his chest, one he cannot name.

i know how difficult it must be to accept someone like me yet you did not push me away. (you did, but you are unsuccessful! i am just stubborn, and i’m glad i am.)

the countless moments i have spent with you are everything to me. i will hold them close to my heart forever.

from the deepest crevices of my heart, thank you. i appreciate all the things you’ve done for me. for showing me the flowers and telling me about them, letting me come with you on hunts, and for merely walking with me in the forest. i hope you enjoyed those moments as much as i did.

the sky people are going back on earth soon and i have decided to come with them. before i go, i will tell you a secret.

my heart has grown too fond of you. sometimes, i fear you can hear the way my heart beats a little faster when you’re near. you have enraptured me. you are the most beautiful creature i have ever laid my eyes upon.

but i —

the letter is cut off, scrawled over by strings of ink. it starts again below, and the words sends an arrow straight through his heart.

i am in love with a moment we never had. not entirely, i suppose, since i do not go over our moments the way you do. i do not experience them in a… friendly way, shall i say? the way you do. it does not translate the same way between us.

i have spent nights with you clouding my mind, the sound of your voice a hazy lullaby in my head. i have dreamt of holding you, of kissing you, of telling you i love you.

i see you, tsu’tey. even when i am no longer in this moon, remember that somewhere in this vast universe, someone out there sees you.

thank you for sharing a part of yourself with me.

yours, y/n.

the letter is nearly balled up in tsu’tey’s firm grip. it is miniscule compared to his hand, and it is a reminder of how small yours had looked in his when he guided you over rocks that one time he showed you around.

something sits heavy in his heart. guilt, he’s come to know. the sky people left just two days ago and jakesully had given him your letter a week before.

he falls back on the floor of his hut, the mat digging under his left thigh.

had he known of your feelings… had he conquered his fear and read your letter earlier…

because tsu’tey may be known for his great resolve but all it took was your blinding smile to spear through his walls. he was untrusting as one can be but the trust you have shown you had in him had him wavering.

he suppose it is just right that he was stripped of his title. one so mighty will not cower before a piece of paper, but he had, and he missed the one chance eywa has given him to let you know of his feelings that had grown and bloomed over the course of your moments spent together.

he has nothing of you to remember by except this letter and the guilt that has taken root over his chest. he knows it will stay right there as long as he lives.

[xxgoblin-dumplingxx]

Science experiment reader please? The angst is feeding my soul 🥹💛

Jason let you settle back in on the couch and left you in the library, still rubbing his sternum and clearing his throat.

But you stifled a groan. Now that you were awake, you were awake. And you would be until your brain decided it was time to sleep. Worst. Parting gift. Ever. You didn't dream unless it was nightmares and you couldn't sleep more than an hour or two at a time. Cycling between being practical narcolepsy and no sleep at all. Walk it was, then.

At least that wasn't super demanding and if you stuck to your path it would take you somewhere you could scream and cry to your heart's content- maybe if you wore your self out you could pass out for a while in your hammock out there.

So. You go in search of Alfred to let him know you were leaving- the last thing you wanted was a panicked search party looking for you in the little clearing you made. You didn't doubt people knew where it was. They ran trainings in the woods all the time. People rambled out there all the time. But, everyone pretended they didn't know about it, and you appreciated it. It was small. Tucked back in a gap in the old growth, where there was a sliver of sky. But the trees still damped the noise and you felt far enough from people to feel... free. Even if it wasn't really true. There were still other emotions at the edges of it all.

"That was a short sleep," The butler observed, frowning slightly.

"Yeah," you sigh. "It's just like that sometimes." You knew you could probably say Jason had woke you up. He'd get in trouble. But- he got himself in enough trouble without your help. And being petty wouldn't really keep you off his radar, where you wanted to be. "I figured I'd go on a walk."

"The fresh air would probably do you some good," he hummed. "I'll prepare snacks. And ice water."

"Alfred, today is your day off I can always grab-"

He waved away your concerns easily and smiled slightly, "Humor me,. I like to feel useful."

You huff, half smiling and shake your head. "Thank you."

"My pleasure," he said, "now on with it. Go find a book to smuggle out, I'm sure there's a nice sunny spot somewhere." And when you give him one of your rare actual smiles, he figures, a few minutes of putting junk food in your plastic Zoltar lunch box and water in a metal container with green sparkles is worth it.

Especially when you come back later. Green sparkly knapsack slung over your shoulder- probably holding a blanket and a book or two. Whatever solace you found out there, he hoped it was enough to make the pain easier to bear.

___________

Bruce paced and watched the clock glancing at Alfred, "When did she leave?"

"Not long after noon, Master Bruce," the Butler said, not bothering to conceal his concern.

"How did she seem?" he asked.

"Tired," Alfred recalled, "But in good spirits. She took her knapsack. I gave her a few snacks and some water. I assumed she was simply going to find some quiet spot in the woods to read. When she hadn't come back by dinner I thought she might have fallen asleep."

"Hn."

"So," Dick said, "She's probably not lost or hurt. She probably knows exactly where she is."

"Probably," Tim said. "The trick would be getting back in the dark without a flashlight."

Bruce scrubbed his hand over his face. When he'd left you you'd been dozing off in the house. Having finally hit the right balance of quiet and comfort in your brain to be able to rest. "I'll go and-"

"Or you could go," Dick said, pointing at the Bat signal visible out the window.

"Damn," Bruce sighed. "Dick You'll have to go." Not just anyone could go. Especially not if you were asleep. It had to be someone you knew. And if you were in the woods- if they had to go get you from there... well. You were going to need gentle handling. And Dick would be able to do it.

Dick nodded and stood up. Watching Bruce and Tim leave to get ready to go. "Alfred, is Jason around?"

"Master Todd is unaware of this currently, I believe," he said.

"Can you keep him that way?"

"I can try."

[rose-tea-and-strawberries]

So, Across the Spiderverse has had me in a chokehold since I watched it. Could you imagine a Yuu in the House Mouse au who is not exactly powerless, but her abilities are not magic-based? Welcome to the crossover that nobody asked for, and I'm gonna pretend that secret identities don't exist for a moment and that disrupting canon events from astv don't exist.

Spider!Yuu's spidey senses can tell when danger is afoot. Whenever she's on the clock, there's fewer accidents and just swings by before Goofy trips and tosses all the dishes. She can tell when either Pete or Mortimer are here.The staff can rely on her for cleaning the high ass ceilings because she can climb up walls with no problem. And her webs make the best Halloween decor.

Von Drake and Jumba being so fascinated with Yuu's anatomy and intelligence. Whether has organic webbing or made web shooters of her own, they want so badly to experiment on them (definitely not gonna try to get bit by a radioactive spider too, nope).

Jamil being torn from freaked out to having a crush on a girl with spider powers. Jafar trying to convince him that she's not an actual spider so that his ship could sail

Yuu making a web hammock to calm down the little kids in the club. Next minute she's having a strength competition with Hercules and Gaston because she can lift up to ten tons.

The clubgoers seeing her memories and freaking over the fact that Yuu has been up against so many dangerous foes and life or death situations such as the iconic train scene. It scares them even more than the overblots do.

The Parr family from the Incredible (if they're here in the au), feel so bad because she's doing vigilante work all on her own. Edna mode upgrades Yuu's spider suit to a new level with glee.

Yuu: No capes please. It's disrespectful to my image.

Edna: *sniffle* Would you like to be my daughter?

Okay okay okay first of all I'm going to vent a bit about ATSV because Pavitr my boy, my sunshine, my everything is literally so important to me like hell yeah give me the south asian/brown kid representation (now if only there was an young asian girl with a bob so I can feel better about that Dora the Explorer look my mum forced me to have throught 90% of primary school whilst all of my friends got to grow their own hair out)

Also not going to lie the only reason I'm into ATSV is because I've been a Mayday Parker stan since 2017 - like she is everything (and her backstory is just so sad like PeterMJ didn't deserve that). My favourite spider-people after Peter are his multiversal daughters because girldad Peter is everything (I actually own physical copies of the Renew Your Vows comics that are about Peter and MJ's daughter, Annie-May Parker, and they are so frickin good) but I digress...

Yes but Spider-Girl!Yuu is so cool. Thank you for giving me this idea.

I don't know if I want Yuu to have her own Guy in the Chair back in her universe and for Idia to feel jealous/threatened or for her to have no guy in the chair until she comes to twst and Ortho is like 'my time has come'

Ohh imagine the insane parkour skills she, Ruggie and Aladdin would have.

I know that being insanely smart in science is a Peter Parker thing and doesn't really apply to all Spider-People but I think she would be a science whizz (and joining the science club - making Crewel's already glaringly obvious favouritism skyrocket) and hanging out with all of the scientist characters like Prof Von Drake, Jumba, Yzma etc.

Her and Herc would be training buds. He'd see her and her heroics and superhuman friend and be like 'new best friend :D'. Phil loves the heroic potential she has and wants to train her but Pegasus and Megara are like nope and swoop him away.

Oh but imagine the beastfolk finding out about her enhanced senses and how sometimes they cause sensory overload and helping her out because they grew up like that so they know how to manage it better (I once read a fic that said that Savanaclaw showers have soaps with subtler scents to accommodate their enhanced sense of smell and like yes) whilst she's still getting used to it and has to keep it a secret back in her world.

I'm thinking back to all of the MCU!Peter Parker fics I read and all of the spider DNA tropes that tickled my fancy and I can just imagine the twst/HoM cast reacting to things like her having no thermoregulation (and going into hibernation), her purring, her being allergic/having a poison like reaction to peppermint, her having fangs (her being venomous would be cool as well - like imagine Kaa being all fanboying over her fangs and venom glands) etc..

Okay so I remember having a bunch of ideas about this but I can't recall all of them so here... 😅