#sunbeams really shine beautifully on his face

[bonesofapoet]

heart under the gun

[ simon 'ghost' riley x you ]

author's note : the one where you're stuck in a safehouse and you just fucking pine for each other. language

word count : 703

There was always something magical about the world, once dusk arrived.

Even when it seemed the entire universe had fallen sideways, and your life had been placed on pause - if only temporarily - there remained, under the battered, stained surface of your story, an unmistakable awe that lingered at the fraying edges; a kind of raw beauty impossible to miss.

Even if you weren’t searching for it, if you weren’t mindful of it staring right back at you point blank, so aggressively close to your face - it seeped in through the cracks. Always, lately, when it was the least expected, and, honestly? When it was most unwelcome.

This evening was a stunning example, really.

The sun had begun its fall into the night, dipping down behind wispy clouds and tree branches that reached tall and desperate, if only to feel the last kiss of the sun’s dying rays until dawn. Golden fingers fell through the canopies of their leaves scattered along the property, painting the ground in shadowed filigree patterns across tall, deep green grass.

Those wispy clouds had gone from feather gray and lily white to become beautifully stained with the palette of the sunset. Golds, deep oranges and radiant mauves were shining bright where the colors blended with the deepening violet of the sky above.

And yet, up is not where you were looking this time.

He was illuminated in the glow of stray sunbeams, rocking gently on the porch swing hidden around an alcove on the front porch - a charming detail that set this particular safehouse apart from the rest - in time with the gentle breeze. It ruffled the pages of the book held open in one hand - gloved, always - while the other remained draped across the back, next to him.

It had jarred you, the first few days the two of you had been here, just how peaceful someone could look when removed from the harshness of the field. The contrast of something so simple as quiet. . .it was different here. Everything was. Now, though, you had come to learn that this was just Simon being Simon. He had shed the skin of Ghost, slowly, if not hesitantly, the longer you were holed up far away from any front line.

The mask, however, was not so quickly cast aside.

Regardless, that didn’t stop you from admiring how Simon looked in the sunlight instead of shadows.

“You gonna keep fuckin’ starin’ at me, or can I help y'with something?”

Fuck.

Your recovery was quick, if not a little rushed, when you realized his brown eyes had risen from the pages to narrow at you instead.

“Yeah, Riley, you can fuckin’ help me with something," you snort for good measure. “Take your fuckin’ tea before I burn the shit outta my hand, would ya?”

He sees through it, anyway.

“Give it ‘ere, then,” gloved fingers wiggle in your direction, the arm draped across the swing reaches toward you.

You step to fill the remaining gap, the sun’s tendrils of gold slipping over you as you do. Bright flashes blinded you through the trees as you held a steaming mug out towards Simon. Gloved fingers brushed gently, quickly, over your own.

While you were busy trying not to drop the mug or go blind - permanently, this time - Simon’s eyes hadn’t left you. The descending sun had gifted you with a halo, bright, bold, and oh, so divinely ethereal he had to focus on his breath, had to tighten his grip on the mug, the book, had to feel the solid wood of the weathered bench beneath him to stay grounded because -

Fuckin’ Christ, he couldn’t look away.

Simon Riley had never been a religious man, but seeing you all glowing golden radiance inspired him to fall to his knees and pray.

He didn’t know what the fuck he’d say, didn’t even know if you would answer whatever fell through his lips, but he knows he’s never seen you like this.

Relaxed. Peaceful. Makin’ him tea just how he liked it, for no fuckin’ reason. You’ve done that often enough in the past couple of weeks that he knew it wouldn’t be scalding, wouldn’t be burnt or too strong. None of that extra, frilly shit would be tainting it either.

That’s something he liked about you. How you paid attention to the people you cared about -

Simon freezes. Oh.

[sumsumstrashbin]

𝐮𝐧𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐯𝐨𝐰𝐬 ~ 𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐬 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 ✧ { 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞 }

𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬: 𝟏.𝟒𝐤

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨 "𝐮𝐧𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐯𝐨𝐰𝐬"

𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: 𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐞? 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝

𝐚/𝐧: 𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐡𝐨𝐨! 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 :) 𝐢𝐦 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐣𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐮𝐬, 𝐢 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐟𝐫

─────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───────

 You were woken up by the sounds of birds chirping and the softly muffled sounds of idle chatter from outside of your window. Sunbeams were shining on your face, basking the room in warm light shining through the curtains. This moment of peace was quickly broken by the sound of a knock on your door, to which you turned your gaze from the window to the door.

“Come in.” You grumbled, sitting up and rubbing your eyes.

Sirius opened the door, stepping inside and shutting the door behind him. “Didn’t expect to be awake before you. Good morning.”

“Morning.” You yawned, trying to get your sleepy eyes to focus on him.

“I’d like to spend the day together, seeing as our wedding is tomorrow. What do you say?” He proposed, sitting on the edge of your bed. 

“Alright, but you’ll have to come along for my final dress fitting appointment.” You brushed your messy hair out of your face, smoothing it back in hopes of making yourself look a bit more presentable. You glanced at the clock on the nightstand, taking note of the time. “I’m supposed to be there in an hour.”

Despite your freshly woken up look, Sirius was still looking at you as if you were the most beautiful woman he’d ever laid his eyes on. The rays of sun peaking through the curtains were causing his stormy grey eyes to appear more blue than usual, and it contrasted beautifully with his raven hair. 

“Not a problem. We’ll leave when you’re ready, but you ought to hurry up so that you have time to eat breakfast before we go.” He spoke, standing up.

You nodded, pushing the blanket off of you and swinging your legs over the side of the bed. “This is me hurrying, by the way. Usually I need at least thirty minutes in bed before I even think about getting up.”

“Trust me, I know.”

─────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───────

After a delicious breakfast and some wedding talk with Euphemia, Sirius and you went on your way to Diagon Alley. The dress boutique you entered had racks full of gowns that covered every wall, and a round pedestal in the middle to step onto and view your dress. The woman behind the counter had ushered you into a fitting room, leaving Sirius to wander around and touch every interestingly beaded gown he could find.

“Turn around, I’m coming out.” You yelled from inside the fitting room.

“Why should I turn around?” He questioned, putting his hands on his hips.

“You’re not supposed to see until tomorrow.”

“Why not?”

“That’s the tradition! It’s supposed to be bad luck if you see me in the dress.”

“When have we ever stuck to tradition?”

“Shut up and turn around!”

“Okay, okay, fine. Calm down.” He rolled his eyes, turning to face the front window of the boutique. “Come on, hurry up.”

You stepped out of the fitting room cautiously, making sure that he really had turned around. Once you were sure, you carefully walked up to the pedestal, stepping up onto it to take one final look at it in the mirror.

A wave of emotions hit you as you saw yourself: everything was beginning to feel even more overwhelmingly real as you stared at your reflection. As a teenager, you had always imagined the day you’d be walking down the aisle to marry Sirius, but you never expected it to be under such dire circumstances. After reuniting with him after so many years, you felt extremely opposed to the idea of spending the rest of your life with him, but now? Now you were beginning to feel the same way as you did when you were young and in love. Your heart fluttered at the fact that you were going to be married to your highschool sweetheart, even though it was terrifying to think about in the long run. You tried to push all of your worries about this relationship to the back of your mind, as there was nothing you could do to change the situation. They say that the final stage of grieving something is acceptance, and you felt as though you could finally see that finish line.

All of your mixed emotions resulted in tears rolling down your cheeks, causing you to sniffle. You widened your eyes in horror at the fact that you could see Sirius’ back in the mirror behind you, meaning that he must’ve heard you quietly weeping.

“Y/n? Is everything okay?”

Great. Everyone knows that if someone asks if you’re okay, the floodgates open wide and everything comes pouring out.

Sirius turned to you with his eyes closed, holding his arms out in front of him to try and find you. “Where are you?”

You stepped off the pedestal, wiping your face. “Here, I’m right here.”

“What’s going on? Why are you crying?”

You took his open arms as an invitation to pull him into a hug, which he accepted without complaint despite his surprise. He wrapped his arms around you, rubbing your back. 

You cried into his shoulder, trying to quiet yourself down in the fabric of his jacket.

Sirius opened his eyes but kept his head up to avoid looking at your dress as you requested. “Talk to me, Y/n.”

You composed yourself enough to get your words out. “It’s just a lot to take in, you know? Everything is just happening so suddenly, and I’m scared that things will go poorly. I don’t want things to happen the way they did before. I don’t…want to lose you again. All of these old feelings are coming up again, and I just…”

He rested his chin on your head, holding you close. “You won’t. I love you too much to let you go again.”

“...I love you too, Sirius. I never stopped loving you either. You have no idea how much I missed you. I was just scared and insecure and I won’t let that happen again.”

“I won’t let that happen again. I’ll make sure that you always feel secure about our relationship. We aren’t teenagers anymore, we’re adults and we’ll act like it. You know, communication and shit.”

You laughed at his choice of words, sniffling and looking up at him. “Yeah, communication and shit.”

“You have no idea how much self control it's taking to not look at you right now. I deserve some praise.” He quipped, lightening the mood.

“I said you couldn’t look at it, but I never said you couldn’t feel it.”

“I think that came out dirtier than you intended, but I’ll take that as an innocent offer to get an idea of what you look like right now.” He ran his hand down your back, feeling the intricate work on the dress. “Are these beads? Now you’ve got me excited.”

“Excited about beads?”

“Well yeah, I like the beaded dresses I saw. Very sexy.” He grinned.

You rolled your eyes, letting go of him. “Alright, that’s enough imagination for one day. I’m going to get changed now.”

─────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───────

You spent the rest of the afternoon walking through the streets of Diagon Alley and catching each other up on lost time. At some point he had taken your hand to lead you somewhere, but you quickly realised that it was just an excuse for him to hold your hand as he never let go after that. It felt like old times again, and you could feel the missing part of your heart healing.

By evening, the two of you had returned to the Potter’s house so that Sirius could attend his mini bachelor party thrown by the rest of the Marauders. While he was off partying with his friends, you spend the evening unwinding from your long day and preparing for tomorrow’s event. Euphemia assured you that everything was ready, and that you didn’t have to do anything but get some well needed rest. Even though you tried your best to help her prepare the garden for the ceremony, she insisted that you go straight to bed and sent you on your way up with a warm cup of tea.

The tea didn’t help you very much as you were still laying wide awake from the nerves. Tomorrow you’d officially be married to Sirius Black.

─────── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───────

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

│𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 │ 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐰𝐨 │𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐞 │ 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫 │𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐢𝐯𝐞 │𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐱 │(𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐭𝐞)

[witchcraftandburialdirt]

spirit blossom verse??? You’re working on one??

I am looking respectfully

Yes! I am actually designing a spirit blossom verse for Robin to exist in! I've had a few conversations with @wolvensden regarding this and I found immense inspiration in the idea that Robin, given his own lore, would take on the title as The Spirit of Longing.

I am designing him currently and going through a few different iterations involving different patterns of feathers, as I really wanted to dive into bird aesthetics, particularly that of cranes for their symbolism revolving around loyalty, peace, happiness and longevity. I also wanted to heavily focus on feathers as they fit perfectly with my other ideas for the design.

I plan to have the design heavily inspired by "Komorebi" which is the  term used to describe the appearance of sunbeams shining through the leaves in a wooded area. It also is used to describe longing to be near a person or a place too far away for you to easily visit, and a strong desire especially for something unattainable. I also want the design and spirit's LESSON to reflect "Natsukashii" is a Japanese word used when something evokes a fond memory from your past--similar to Nostalgia but....Natsukashii is a little different. It is a reminder that you are fortunate to have had the experiences you’ve had in life. The fact that you cannot return to those experiences makes them all the more beautiful.

This longing within the spirit would not pertain to any specific thing or relationship, I want it to reflect how we, as humans, blindly chase after what we had in the past. Even if it may destroy us and make us miserable in our present. The lesson this spirit teaches is to be grateful for the memories, that the beauty existed and even though it has faded from the present experience--it is a part of us. Where the beauty around you becomes the same beauty you see in yourself; it helped to sculpt you. To be enveloped by that scattering, beautiful light, yet at the same time, to shine with it.

"We do not want merely to see beauty, though, God knows, even that is bounty enough. We want something else which can hardly be put into words — to be united with the beauty we see, to pass into it, to receive it into ourselves, to bathe in it, to become part of it. C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory".

Perhaps that is why I can see him interacting so beautifully with Spirit Blossom Sett, who is searching for something long past. Retribution, after all, does not fill the void within us--it is something that we cannot fix through vengeance. And I think Sett would be able to learn quite a lot from Robin, granted it isn't a lesson easily learned...but it is one that will bring true peace to anyone wondering what could have been and longing for that time from their past. You can't heal under a mask of anger and hate. Wounds need air--they need to breathe in the warm summer days, and feel the sunlight peeking through the tree leaves. Only then will those wounds ever truly close.

And that isn't to say that the Spirit of Challenge would not offer anything to Robin either, hard times stimulate growth in a way that good times don't. Facing challenges and navigating through them builds resilience so when those tough times return, you can rise above them because you can say "I've survived this before, I can do it again." Challenges inspire confidence and the ability to bounce back when things go sour--given Robin's past and lore, I can't imagine this could ever prove negative for him. I just feel like these two would have such a wonderful effect on eachother.

I rambled. I'll stop for now but--!!! I've put a lot of thought into this. Plus Robin being smothered in wolverines is an adorable thought.

[jazz-penguin]

When I get sad or bored I remember that Mike looks at Will much more attentively than at whatever other friends show them and my day brightens up immediately.

Thanks to @heliumcake for noticing this moment ✨

[midnightmoonkiss]

I was told by your wonderful wife, birds-have-teeth that you were in need for some asks/requests. How about Izuku and S/O on their wedding day?

She truly is a wonderful wife 🥺💜

Ahh! I dont usually take requests, but this was just too cute to pass up!

I hope you don’t mind that these are headcanons!

Izuku Midoriya X Reader

Wedding Day.

Category: fluff

——————————

First of all! I think their wedding would be set sometime in spring. The time of year where it’s not too hot and not too cool, just after all the leaves and flowers bloom. I mean think about it, Sakura petals flowing in the wind on your wedding day? What a dream.

It sounds crazy, but I always imagined Izuku as the type of person to want to have their wedding outside.. Kind of like- in a garden? Or a forest? You know that the wedding Bella and Edward had in the forest? Kind of like that! Except surrounded by flowers!

Flowers like.. Magnolia, forget-me-nots, tulips, and of course - sakura! Or, well, Cherry blossoms~ Just! Flowers that really brighten up the secluded space. You’d need seclusion, after all, especially since you are marrying the number one hero.

Wouldnt it be so cute to be married under a willow tree, a brilliant white arch covered in white roses and vines standing above you both? Ackk vines.. So beautiful. Oh! Maybe there’s even a little rock pathway down the aisle?

The air is fresh.. Because you’re in the countryside! Maybe even in the mountains. Somewhere where a little babbling brook is not too far behind the trees, its soft bubbling noises relaxing the party-goers. 

Speaking of! Wouldnt a little plant themed engagement ring be the cutest? Something like this! 

Wedding ring.. Well you both have to pick that out dont you?

The wedding day is obviously going to be the most important day for both of you! But also, nerve-wracking as hell. Im positive Izuku has probably freaked out five times since he woke up at 6AM. Maybe a mental breakdown. Yknow. 

He’s a sensitive guy! And he’s terrified! Nono, he doesnt have cold feet. He wants to marry you! He cannot imagine his life without you in it, but God is he absolutely terrified that you might be the one leaving him at the altar.

Not that he doesnt have faith in you! It’s just.. His insecurities and anxieties taking over him. Even after all these years of unconditional love, he still cant help but feel you deserve someone way better than him. And he fears one day you’ll wake up and realize that as well.

But you’d have to be absolutely crazy to even think about doing that, huh?

So yeah. Wedding day morning is filled with Izuku’s best man - Shoto - trying to calm the sporadic man down, bringing Toshi and his mom in to aid as well. He may have thrown up. Who’s to say.

You, on the otherhand, are having a great morning. You’re bouncing with excitement! Ready and oh-so impatiently waiting to marry the man of your dreams in the most scenic area you could find. It truly was a catch! A relatively cheap place - the majority of your funds were spent on food and flowers. You can get pretty good deals on wedding dresses if you’re marrying the number one hero, apparently. So long as they get to display one of your wedding photos.

Hell, it’d help a local business boom, and who wouldnt want that? You got a discount on your bridesmaids dresses as well~

A dream.

But the start time was quickly approaching. Tick-tock!

Soon enough, the both of you are ready to start a new chapter of your lives together.

The scene is set! Your husband-to-be stand beneath arch drenched in morning dew, light breaking through the trees reflecting on each little droplet and showering the little patch where your wedding was being held in brilliant lights 

It honestly looked magical, straight out of a fairy tale. Hell, you were about to marry your prince, after all

God this wedding is like every outdoorsy kid’s dream

The piano starts up once the player gets the queue that everyone is ready.

Your friends walk down the aisle first in pairs, bridesmaids with bridesmen, silky gowns flowing in the gentle spring breeze

Soon enough the flower girl trots happily down the aisle, throwing Sakura petals every which way with a happy little smile on her face, dress as white as snow and a little pink belt. 

It was truly a miracle no one tripped on the rocks yet.

Once everyone was in their place, a traditional wedding song began to play. 

Showtime.

Izuku swore he saw an angel the moment those vines swayed to reveal you.

A sunbeam hit you from behind, its golden glow cascading down your body.

Tears formed in his eyes as he watched, paralyzed, as you walked down, heels clicking against the floor

The biggest, goofiest smile cracked onto his face, eyes connecting with yours. All was going to be alright. He had nothing to fear.

He’d probably openly sob while stating his vows, hands trembling as they hold onto yours.. It’d probably be something along the lines of.. “Ever since the day I met you, i’ve become a better man. You helped me grow into who I am today. You guided me towards the path that would lead me to happiness with your loving embrace, with every word of endearment you’d whisper to me, and with love as a whole. I always wondered what it’d feel like to be loved like this, and now that I have it, and that I have you, I don’t ever want to let go of it. Because you’re it, princess. You’re the love of my life, my one and only, my soulmate, and so much more. Every day we’re apart I always think of you. You keep me going. Without you, I wouldn’t be me.”

Something cheesy, yknow! Somethin sweeter than candy corn. <3 what a sap. 

He may have had to wipe his tears a few times… cough.

Surprisingly though, his hands are super steady when he slides that ring on.

A shaky yet firm “I do,” green eyes now a shimmering viridescent as he stares at you with the purest form of love swirling in his gaze.

“You may now kiss the bride.”

His hand reaches up, delicately placing itself on your cheek. He cant help but take this moment in, condemning your smiling, angelic face to memory, the flashes of photos being taken completely ignored as he slowly leans in. 

His lips are softer than they had ever been in that moment, the kiss itself so sugary sweet - the embodiment of innocence and passion. Love.

Eyes fluttering closed, he cant help but kiss you over and over again, each one making both your smiles grow larger until giggles erupt between the two of you.

Oh boy. He had lipstick smudged all over his lips. He couldnt care less, though. Pulling you close to his body, he smiled cheekily over at the photographer for a photo.

HE’S YOUR HUSBAND NOW! IZUKU IS YOUR HUSBAND! Praise the lords. (Y/N) Midoriya has a nice ring to it, doesnt it?

Inko welcomes you to the Mrs. Midoriya family with a hug.

The rest of the day was filled with you and Izuku being stuck together like glue, surrounded by friends and family.

The wedding photos would be filled with you two standing in a meadow, sun raining brilliantly down on the two newlyweds.

ackk just.. sakura petals flying in the wind~ how pretty. Maybe one even lands in your hair and he gets to pluck it out. <3

He’s the happiest he’s ever been.

Hell, he’s sure this is what being high felt like. 

He cant stop smiling! He’s just so so cute.

Of course, a few goofy photos have to take place! Maybe Uravity uses her quirk to make it look like the number one hero is floating away whilst you ‘run’ to try and get him.

There was even one where he and his bridesmen wear parts of their hero costumes to show off a bit. Like Deku wears his hood, Shoto wears his.. Bracelets and backback..? Stuff like that! Truly it’s a weird fuckin photo. But so so dorky and so them.

His favorite photo is definitely the one where he has you sitting on his arm as he flexes. Yep. He turned into a bit of a show off. Could you blame him? Haha.

At night is when the real fun begins. Mainly because of the party! Lanterns are set up everywhere, and due to being so far from the city- the stars are shining in the sky! Much more than youre used to.

Izuku took a dance course, unbeknownst to you (Shoto and Bakugou were forced to join him- talk about chaotic!), so that first dance together is honestly breathtaking. He’s so gentle with you, leading the way and twirling you around.

May or may not have bawled when you danced with Toshinori. 

CUTTING THE C AKE. OKAY OKAY.

It’d probably be forest themed. Green and white blending beautifully together, maybe even a little frosting stream cascading down the side. Hand made models of you and Izuku stood proudly at the top. I guess the flavor would be something you both chose together?

He loves touching your soft hands so holding that knife together is awesome for him.

Oh yea. After the perfect photo is taken, he definitely smears frosting on your cheek - just so he has an excuse to lick it off.

Sticky!

You both leave in a black limo, a “Just Married!” sign placed on the back.

Ahh. honeymoon time.

It’s going to be a long night,

Mainly because..

Well. Traveling- and.. Y’know (;

All in all! It starts off as stressful, and ends in the sweetest way possible.

[ashtonandcalslefthand]

Checkmate (Prince!Cal AU) Part Eight

Word Count: 1.4k

Warnings: Feels

Four days.

He didn’t attempt to talk to her for four days, despite having to repeat I do to her so many times that he sometimes forgot any other English words. She didn’t attempt to contact him, either, so how was it his fault?

He tried, he really did, to become furious with her, to hate her --  to despise her very being -- the same way she did him, but, to no avail, it only made Calum hate himself more. She really had loved him, she loved him with every atom that kept her together, and he tossed it to the side for a one-night-stand. 

“It’s the big day,” Calum turned with weary eyes to a cautious Ashton. Everybody within the palace walls was careful around him, had been since the confrontation with Elena. Everyone but Elena, of course -- the only person he truly cared about. “Are you excited?”

Calum shrugged. Everything around him seemed to be shrug-worthy now. Nothing particularly exceptional, everything particularly monotonous. She was the starlight and the moonshine and the sunbeam and the magic that he had simply let rush past him, like a distant memory. He’d lost her.

As the suit was pulled onto him by people with hands, faces, and names he didn’t recognize -- wouldn’t remember, he feared he would never reach her again. “Well,” Ashton said, cracking his neck, his blond hair practically shining in the daylight, the servants rushing out of the room silently with their heads down, “It’s showtime.” Calum looked towards the window.

It was closed.

Jenna didn’t talk to Elena. She hadn’t for a long while. Jenna missed the loud, confident, talkative, happy Elena, the Elena she’d never gotten the privilege to meet. Silence prolonged the many hours they spent together and only infuriated her further. They were stubborn children, both of them. 

Jenna slipped out of the room as the nurses dressed Elena in the beautiful wedding gown that she hated. Though, Elena hated everything about the wedding.

The halls were cold and calculating, they seemed to bounce her intentions back to her. With a slight grimace, she slipped into the dark hallway they had previously agreed on. She checked the watch that laid cool upon her wrist. She had five minutes until she had to return. She looked up in vain. She looked back down at her watch.

Four minutes.

She groaned, looking up to meet his intense gaze. A gasp slipped from her lips as his honey-gold eyes blinked amusedly at her. “Three minutes,” He whispered -- as if reading her mind. Despite the flutter in her heart and the heat in her cheeks, she kept her level-head. 

“You are The Hood Prince’s servant, are you not?” He smirked, observing his nails with calm distaste.

“I prefer to call myself his closest and dearest companion, maybe going as far as his soulmate,” Never shifting tone, he looked back up at her challenging eyes. “Why?”

She pushed the urgent need to roll her eyes away as she spoke, gracefully, as always. “He must be in ruins about Elena...” Ashton’s features twisted into a pained expression. Memories of covering up Calum’s face with makeup to hide those broken, bloodshot eyes, listening to his best friend, his brother, sob late into the night, helpless from the other side of the door. He shivered.

“Because Elena is in ruins about him,” Ashton’s eyes shot open -- he hadn’t remembered closing them -- and met hers with a burning glare. You better not be lying, they said. “I wouldn’t lie to you,” She said, her voice honest and tired.

“They need each other,” Ashton murmured into the empty space. “And they won’t admit it.” Jenna nodded sadly as they looked at each other. No, not look. They saw. “When do you need to go back?” He asked, peeling himself from the wall he was leaning on.

She checked her watch once more. Her eyes widened as she took off running. 

Jenna called back as she ran, “Seven minutes ago!”

Calum and his best men waited anxiously at the alter as people shuffled to their seats, whispering quietly amongst themselves. Scattered among the relatives were business partners, friends, and royalty from far and wide. Ashton checked his watch. So did Michael and Noah, the two other best men. She was two and a half minutes late, and all the people who’d been included in the planning process were in a frenzy.

And then the familiar tune started ringing through the church.

Calum’s head snapped up so quickly his best men momentarily fretted over the thought of him getting whiplash. And then they all saw the bridesmaid walking down the aisle.

They looked beautiful -- each one was wearing a different shade of lavender at different lengths, but it was such organized chaos that the whole church gasped. Jenna came first, then Gage -- blue hair and all --, and then, finally, Mali. They were so beautiful that everyone struggled for breath. (Especially the girls Mali-Koa winked at.)

Elena, though, was something else.

Her dark skin accented the white dress accented her dark skin. It dripped down her curves like summer rain and met the floor in a beautiful collision. Her hair was spilling down her shoulders with eager grace and her bouquet mimicked her eyes, almost as beautiful. 

She stepped with beautiful efficiency, she walked so well the instructor nearly shed a tear. So did Calum. She looked at him softer than she had in a week and, for an instant, hope bloomed in his chest, spreading warmth across his body. 

Except, he remembered she had taken classes to mask your true emotions from the public. From everybody else in the church. He was getting married to someone who hated him. Someone who hated him with good reason.

He still smiled as she walked down the aisle. He had taken the same classes she had. Except, when a single tear rolled down his cheek, it wasn’t out of joy.

She reached the altar and Mali took the bouquet with a helpful and silently piteous grin. The anything-but-happy couple turned to the minister with grim, joyous expressions on their faces. He smiled nervously as he swallowed the I’m going to hell in his throat.

The couple stopped listening in sync, blinking away the tears in both their eyes. Both for the same different reasons. Words swirled in their heads, whirling around and around and around and around and around and arou-

“Calum Thomas Hood, do you take Elena Fiona Ferrison as your lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"

Calum swallowed harshly at the rejection in his throat, thick tears flowing down his cheeks now. “I do.”

“And Elena Fiona Ferrison, do you take Calum Thomas Hood as your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?"

The tears flowed freely from her eyes, too, like rivers trekking paths down the Earth of her skin. “I do.”

“The rings, please.” 

Michael stepped up without falter, holding out the silk pillow for the pair to take. Calum waited for Elena. Elena waited for Calum. They extended their hands at the same time, putting the rings on each others’ hands hastily. Once they were on, it felt as though their hands were being burned.

“You may now kiss the bride.”

He turned to face Elena, and she closed her eyes. She couldn’t look at Calum when he bent down to kiss her, she couldn’t. It hurt her so much to stand next to him that looking him in the eye was practically impossible. He leaned forward, wrapping his arms around her waist as hers wrapped around his neck. And he kissed her.

The salt in their tears burned the old wounds back to life and they tore apart as everyone else in the church cheered for them. They walked back down the aisle with false smiles on their faces, and they met the limousines waiting outside with a sweet sigh of relief and salty tears of pain. 

Gage and Michael, Ashton and Jenna, Mali-Koa and Noah -- the only people who were truly listening -- could hear Calum and Elena’s hearts turning to dust within their chests as they pulled away from the castle. 

The blood in their veins turned to pure, crystalized pain. How beautifully they hurt together. How beautifully they hurt each other.

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[mysmesomefluff]

[Two-shot] Eighteen Hours (Saeran x Reader): Part 01

Summary: You had eighteen hours to go, on a flight next to the man who had stolen your precious window seat. 

A/N: I will think of a better summary later. :)

Eighteen hours to go.

The rumble of the plane engine was drowning out the soft music playing in your ears, and you increased the volume while resting your head back on the seat. You shrugged on the jacket you had brought with you, hugging it around your cold frame. As you moved, you snuck a glance to the window on your left as inconspicuously as you could.

It was a gloriously beautiful afternoon, and the army of majestic clouds outside suspended in the pale blue sky was a marvelous sight to behold.

A sight that would have no doubt been even more breathtaking, if it weren’t for the man seated to you, his head limiting your view of the sky.

You resisted the urge to lean over and snap a picture. Or two. Or maybe a bunch of them. It felt entirely too awkward to tap him on the shoulder and disturb him from what seemed to you like an intense sky-watching session. His head was turned towards the window, his person still as he watched the clouds go by.

You huffed quietly to yourself, turning your head back to the blank TV screen in front of you. Sitting by the window was a must-have for you on any flight. You usually managed to get them, but this time you had to book a last-minute flight, and this was the last available window seat. You would have managed to book it, if you had been a few seconds quicker than the man next to you right now.

Again, you resisted the urge to glance over. You liked looking out on flights. It was cathartic, therapeutic. It gave you a reason to mull over random thoughts while looking out at the sea of clouds beneath you.

Well, for now it seemed that your music would have to be a replacement for the clouds as your flight companion. Eighteen hours would go by in no time, for sure.

...You really hoped it would.

Sixteen hours to go.

It was pretty dark in the plane now. Everyone had pulled down their window shades to keep the glare of the sun out as they enjoyed the movies that they were watching on the in-flight entertainment system, snuggled in blankets and snacking on some nuts that had been given out earlier.

Everyone but the man next to you, that was.

Your seats were the only ones that had bright, strong daylight streaming in through the window and shining on your laps. It had been two hours, and you had managed to distract yourself with a movie that you weren’t really paying attention to (oh, the credits were rolling already). He, on the other hand, had continued to stare out the window, unmoving other than to cross his leg over the other occasionally when he got uncomfortable.

From the corner of your eye, you stole yet another peek at him. The sun was setting now, and the sky outside was a brilliant swirl of gold and orange, the clouds painted a matching color. The light pouring in created a beautiful crown of gold encircling his fiery red hair. From the reflection on his blank TV screen, you could catch glimpses of the peaceful expression on his face. He was attractive, beautifully serene, his peculiar mint green eyes blank as they watched the clouds outside go by. Somewhere along the way he had put on his headphones. You didn’t know if it was to listen to music, or if it was to block out the noise from that one snoring passenger just a few rows away.

Either way, for some reason it made you feel oddly happy to know that the both of you enjoyed doing the same thing on planes. It was rare to find someone else who loved the window seat as much as you did, who appreciated the sight of the sky on the plane. Your family often chided for not taking advantage of the in-flight entertainment system, even though watching the scenery outside was plenty enjoyable for you. You usually did it while listening to some quiet instrumentals. While it was a shame that you couldn’t watch the sky from the window this time — and on such a long flight to boot — you supposed it wasn’t so bad, now that you found someone who was strange like you.

Fourteen hours to go.

Dinner had just been served. You had only eaten a light lunch, so you were famished by the time the attendants started serving dinner. But now, you were staring at your food, forcing your head to stay on the tray in front of you instead of looking over. He had ordered the same thing as you, grilled salmon with pasta and a cup of apple juice. When he had spoken to the attendant, his face had turned away from the window for the first time in the span of the journey. While he hadn’t actually looked at you, you had finally caught a glimpse of his face up-close, instead of looking at a reflection.

He was handsome. Very much so. And as he leaned over slightly to speak to the attendant, you could catch the faint scent of peppermint on his clothes.

You had been rather taken aback by the silky smooth voice that had left his parted lips. His voice glided across each syllable that he spoke in the most effortlessly charming way, and your heart continued beating just a little faster even after he stopped talking. You hadn’t thought he would sound like that: gentle, soft, tender.

Eventually you found the sense to begin eating. You didn’t want to look like a fool, simply staring at your food and not doing anything. Although, that was kind of what he was doing too. He was probably not hungry as of yet. His food was untouched, and he resumed his position on the seat, staring out the window with his arms folded across his chest.

Deciding to just start eating first — it wasn’t like you were going to wait for him anyway — you opened up the plastic that contained your cutlery. The sealed wrapper was pretty stubborn though, and you had quite some trouble trying to wrestle it open.

And when you did, your fork went flying out of the wrapper, landing on the floor by his shoe.

You let out a quiet gasp at the same time that he looked away from the window, having noticed that something had happened. He took a glance by his shoe, and then his mint eyes met your apologetic, nervous ones.

You were about to apologize and retrieve it, when he made the first move. He reached down, picked your fork up, but instead of returning it to you, he placed it on his own tray. You were confused for a moment, wondering why he wanted to steal your fork, when he began opening the wrapper for his own cutlery with relative ease.

Wordlessly, he took the fork from his set of cutlery and handed it to you.

Your heart did a little dance in your chest at his sweetness. His eyes didn’t convey much emotion as he stared at you, but the niceness of his gesture convinced you that he was just shy. Probably as shy as you were.

“No, it’s fine. I dropped it, I’ll wash it in the lavatory or something,” you said, smiling and reaching over to take your fork back. “But, thank you. I really appreciate it.”

He didn’t object to you retrieving your fork, and you hastily excused yourself to head to the lavatory to rinse it off. You were rather thankful to be out of his line of sight, so he wouldn’t notice the blush that was forming on your warming cheeks. You snuck a peek over your shoulder, only to catch him dropping his head from your direction and righting himself on his seat to take a sip of his juice.

Great. Now you were slightly dreading and anticipating your dinner next to him.

Ten hours to go.

You were having trouble sleeping, as you always did on planes. The only thing was that you always had the window seat, so you could lean against the side for some neck support.

Right now, you were a dozing disaster. You first attempted to rest your elbow on the armrest and prop your cheek against your hand, but then as you dozed off your elbow had slipped off and you nearly had a heart attack as you slipped off the side of your seat. Next you had tried folding your arms across your chest and sleeping in an upright position, but as your head got heavier and heavier your neck felt increasingly sore, and you knew it would be a bad idea to sleep in this position on the plane for the next few hours.

On your third attempt, you tried to hug one leg to your chest and rest your temple on your knee, but that had also failed because not long after you fell asleep, your foot had slipped off the edge of the seat no thanks to your socks, and you had almost slammed your head straight into the seat in front of you. Thankfully, you had reacted fast enough to not jolt the person in front of you out of his sleep.

Grumbling inwardly to yourself, you turned your head to the left, only to find that the man next to you was peacefully asleep, resting his head against his pillow on the side. You could see his eyelashes fluttering ever so slightly as he breathed. He looked positively adorable.

And you probably looked rather suspicious, staring at a man who was fast asleep.

With a drawn out sigh, you tried to get back to sleep again. This was going to be a terrible night.

Four hours to go.

You stirred, frowning at the bright sunbeams shining on your closed lids. Groggily, you peeked an eye open, wondering how you had managed to sleep so well till morning.

You felt something soft under your head shift, which confused you for a moment, because you certainly weren’t moving your own hand. Then you glanced down to see that your pillow was resting on your lap.

...But that didn’t make sense. If your pillow was there, then...

You lifted your head off whatever it was that you were resting on, and to your horror, you realized that you had actually slept while leaning against his arm.

Immediately your eyelids flew open and you jolted back into an upright position on your own seat, mortified at what you had done. You looked over, and found that he was already awake, and was trying to move his stiff arm. You felt your cheeks flame and a pang of guilt hit you. Hanging your head, you rambled apologies to him over and over, which he brushed off, insisting that it hadn’t really bothered him all that much.

You could tell his stiff arm was protesting otherwise though.

Honestly, how much could you embarrass yourself on one flight?

Now fully awake, you rushed out of your seat to the lavatory to freshen up, and to compose yourself after your morning shock.

...But on a side note, his arm had been really warm and nice to sleep on.

Three hours to go.

For the past hour you had sat with your body turned away from him, still too embarrassed to look him in the eye. You turned your volume as loud as you could without destroying your eardrums, and fixed your eyes on a random movie you had selected to make it look like you were doing something other than dwelling over the incident earlier.

He seemed to be perfectly unperturbed by it, however. He was calm, composed, still as he looked out the window at the mess of clouds and fog outside. You wished you could shake off your self-consciousness and maintain your cool like him.

You had finally managed to distract yourself with the movie, which had turned out more interesting than the summary on the brochure had described it to be, when you felt a small tap on your shoulder.

Startled, you snapped towards your left and found that he was now standing, sending you an apologetic look as he tried to move across you. He probably needed to use the washroom. Quickly, you moved your legs to the side on to the aisle, giving him space to squeeze past you and to the aisle.

Feeling his legs brush against you made you feel more nervous than you needed to be. You returned your attention to the screen, hoping it would help to distract you again. Thankfully, it was already the climax of the action scene, and it wasn’t until he came back and needed to return to his seat that you felt unsettled again.

You shifted your legs again, making sure to keep your eyes averted from his. He mumbled a soft “Thank you” under his breath as he squeezed past you again towards his seat.

Only, he didn’t quite manage to get there smoothly.

All of a sudden, there was some turbulence that caused him to stumble.

And as fortune — or misfortune — would have it, he fell straight towards you.

He let out a grunt as he just barely managed to stop his face from crashing into yours by gripping the arm rest in one hand and pressing his hand against your thigh with the other.

Now, with your faces just barely inches from each other, there was no stopping your heart from going into a mad frenzy. Your breath caught, your face flaming in an instant when you realized just how close the both of you were. You could feel his warm breath fanning against your already hot cheeks, detect the scent of peppermint on him, and see his entire face clearly.

The mint green color of his eyes was captivating, and they had widened in surprise as his gaze locked with yours. You could see a faint red blossoming on his fair cheeks, a blush that was slowly matching the color of his messy bangs that covered his forehead. This was the first time his face betrayed any sort of emotion, and you found yourself drawn to him. He always had an air of nonchalance about him, but right now, he looked completely and utterly rattled.

You wished you could examine him a little more, but the moment he regained his senses, he scrambled off of you, plopping quite unceremoniously back onto his own seat.

“S-Sorry...” he muttered, his head still hanging low.

“That’s alright...” you replied in a whisper, smoothing out your clothes and putting your headphones back over your ears. You looked to the screen and found that the movie was already ending. You had missed the rest of that climatic scene.

You couldn’t be bothered to rewind though, because what had happened earlier with him was already playing out incessantly in your mind, and you had a feeling your recorder of a memory wouldn’t stop anytime soon.

We have arrived.

You pinched your nose and tried to relieve your ears of the pressure block that had come up while the plane was landing. Once your hearing was cleared again, you began packing your things, retrieving your phone, earpiece and untouched snacks from the compartment in front of you and packing them into the small bag you had. Everyone was already getting out of their seats get their luggage from the stowaway compartments.

You waited till most of the people were done taking their luggage from the compartment where your hand-carry was at, before standing up to retrieve it.

To your dismay, you found that your bag had been pushed all the way to the back of the compartment. You tried standing on your tiptoes but your fingers could barely brush the handle. You were about to attempt jumping, when you felt a hand on your shoulder. You turned around to see him standing beside you, and you stepped aside, watching him reach his arm into the compartment and taking your luggage for you. He first handed it to you, still keeping his eyes averted from you as he did so, before retrieving his own bag.

It was quite a while before the people in the aisle began to shuffle forward and out of the plane. In the meantime, you were standing so close to him that your arm was pressed up against his.

While waiting it occurred to you that you had yet to find out his name. You bit on your gum as you contemplated asking him. What was the use in asking him anyway? There was a very low chance you would get to see him again after this.

Before you could think further, the crowd began shuffling forward, and you began walking, with him trailing behind you.

It wasn’t too hard to find out what his name was, quite unexpectedly.

You had ended up walking out to the arrival hall around the same time he did, and the moment you did, you had heard a resounding shout that silenced everyone in the vicinity for a good few seconds.

"SAERAN!!!”

You, along with the group of people around you paused from whatever it was you were doing to look in the direction of the voice.

It was only him who didn’t respond to it. If anything, he began walking just a little faster away from the voice. Except, the man who had shouted wouldn’t let up, and continued screaming, “WELCOME BACK, SAERAN! HYUNG MISSED YOU SO MUCH— NO NO NO STOP RUNNING AWAY COME BAAAAACK!!!”

You hurried out after him, just in time to catch him dragging his luggage with him and running away from another redhead chasing after him.

Before you realized it, you were giggling and then fighting to suppress your growing laughter.

Saeran. It was a nice name.

You looked on at the pair of siblings who had gone quite the distance now, his brother having caught up to him.

You were about to turn and leave, when you met Saeran’s eyes.

Yes, despite the distance, you knew that his eyes were on you.

With a coy smile, you waved goodbye at him, and he followed suit, his visible annoyance at his brother fading and being replaced with bashfulness. He seemed as if he wanted to say something, but then his brother noticed you and said something to him, that made him flare up in the most amusing way.

You chuckled to yourself, but you had to break your eyes away from them as you moved to get out of the way of the impending crowd that was squeezing through the automated double doors.

Before long, the crowd had filled up the place and then you had lost sight of him.

It wasn’t the most ideal way in which you could bid your farewells to him, and you had to swallow your disappointment. How strange. You had only known him for eighteen hours, but you already felt quite attached to him.

Oh well. You supposed, if fate allowed, the both of you would meet again.

So with one last fleeting glance at where he had been, you turned around and began walking with the crowd, trying to find your way to the nearest exit to flag a cab back home.

A/N: I got the idea for this on the plane to Bangkok and I realize that the introvert in me connects with Saeran on a spiritual level haha. 

Stay tuned for part 2!