#t blame you. I just wanted to be sure of what you gave to pay him back for such an unfair deal.

[mixsethaddams]

Some trans Eddie soft Steddie pre-relationship fluff for your Sunday. Modern au, college-aged, no kids, no upside down. Warning for blood and periods. Enjoy.

Blood pooled underneath Eddie where he sat.

His mind was working a mile a minute, trying to figure out how to get out of here.

Everyone else around him seemed blissfully unaware of his predicament. No one knew he was staining Steve Harrington’s mother’s white fucking couch a shiny crimson just by existing on top of it.

Eddie’s heart was pounding. He couldn’t move. Of course not. No one knew. He wasn’t out. He had to leave though, he had to figure out a way to run straight through the door without drawing attention to himself and never come back. And he had to do it fast, too, because if the sticky feeling between his legs was anything to go by, the leak would soon creep out from under him and then everyone would be able to see.

Eddie’s eyes started to sting. How could he have been so stupid? All it would have taken was a quick glance at the calendar but nooooo. He read online that six months of treatments would stop his period so he stopped even marking it. Idiot.

“Hey man, you ok?”

Fuck.

Steve was standing in front of him, looking genuinely concerned.

“I, uh, yeah, just…”

Eddie stuttered as he tried to think of an excuse as to why he was the only one left in the living room when everyone else had long since moved to the kitchen.

Steve’s brow furrowed and his eyes trailed down to the fabric of the seat. His eyebrows raised and nononono fuck no.

“Is that-?”

“Steve I can explain I-“

“Don’t move, okay?” said Steve gently. “Just stay there,”

“What?”

“Everybody out,” Steve yelled, walking back to the kitchen. “Someone broke a vase, no second chances, everybody out!”

Eddie watched as the rest of the party goers quickly vacated the house. Steve’s parents were famous for flying off the handle if something got so much as scratched after Steve had friends over, so no one wanted to hang around to get the blame pinned on them.

People shot glances through the living room door at Eddie as they left. Some laughed, some gave looks of sympathy. They all assumed he was the one who broke the non-existant vase.

When everyone was gone, Steve returned to the living room. He was holding a damp towel in one hand and a pair of shorts in the other. He took a small package out of his pocket and handed it to Eddie.

“Dunno if you can use it though, I know some people don’t like them… Robin leaves a stash here so thats all I have, sorry,”

Eddie stared at the tampon in his hand.

“You can change in the bathroom, I’ll wash your stuff for you,” said Steve, holding out the other items for Eddie to take. “You were planning on staying over with everyone else after the party, right?”

Eddie nodded, dumbfounded and still sitting on the wet seat.

“Cool, there’ll be time for it to dry overnight too then,” said Steve, stepping back so Eddie could stand. “There’s still a ton of pizza in the kitchen. Wanna watch a movie?”

Steve waited expectantly for Eddie to answer, his expression open and light. Eddie wasn’t sure what to do, or say.

“Yeah, uh, I guess?” he said after a pause. “I can just go though, you don’t need to like, do anything for me. I think I ruined your party, right?”

Steve scoffed.

“Ten people who were only here for free beer doesn’t exactly scream best friday night ever,” said Steve. “Eating pizza in peace with a movie sounds way better,”

Eddie clutched the wet towel and shorts. He and Steve were barely friends. Their social circles overlapped in certain places. Met a few times on campus, flirted at the bar, almost kissed one night before Eddie pulled away, too afraid of what might happen if he didn’t.

“We should probably watch it in the other room though,” added Steve, teasing gently.

“I’m sorry,” Eddie rushed to say. “I didn’t mean to… I’ll pay for it to be cleaned I swear,”

Steve waved a hand.

“I’ll tell my parents I had a nosebleed, it’s fine,” said Steve easily. “Go change, I’ll be in the kitchen,”

Eddie hesitated.

“Why are you being so nice about this?” he asked quietly.

Steve just shrugged.

“It’s not a big deal,” said Steve airily. “I mean it, people get periods, doesn’t bother me. You don’t need to be embarrassed about it,”

Eddie bit his lip, his eyes threatening him with tears again.

“Thanks, Steve,” he said, holding in a sob.

“No problem, man,” said Steve with another shrug.

Eddie started to make his way towards the bathroom as Steve returned to the kitchen.

“Oh, Eddie?” called Steve. Eddie turned and seen him standing with his hands in his back pockets. “Is it… Is it cool if I keep flirting with you though?”

Eddie’s jaw dropped.

“You can say no!” Steve hurried to add. “Totally okay if you do, nothing’s changed, pizza and a movie are still like, totally happening, just wanted to ask,”

Eddie couldn’t help but let a small smile break out.

“You can do that,” said Eddie shyly.

“Cool, cool,” said Steve, rocking onto his heels. “I was, hah, I was kind of planning on trying to kiss you tonight too, you know, since we didn’t at the bar that time, but uh, if you don’t want that either then-“

“You can do that too,” said Eddie, cutting him off. “If you’re, you know, cool about… everything…”

Steve’s smile grew wider.

“Cool,” repeated Steve.

[pavlovianfuckery]

lets not pretend we're not all nuts for The Voice

MASTERLIST

linky for those AO3-ly inclined: https://archiveofourown.org/works/41847519

i blame the dreamcast and tom sturridges voice entirely for this, it's all his fault really, here is some lazy hypnosis for you, 2k of silliness under the cut

That you found his hands beautiful had never been a secret. It seemed to amuse him how you could watch him do the most mundane things, never tiring of simply looking at him. The first time he'd truly noticed the extent of the effect his hands had on you, it had been completely by accident. You'd simply been reading in companionable silence after a long and tiring day, as you sometimes did. As per usual, you couldn't help sneaking glances at him from time to time, like a schoolgirl with a crush still. Taking in the lean lines of his body, your gaze ended up lingering on his hands again, which was not unusual in itself.  What was interesting was the way he absentmindedly kept drumming his index finger on the back of the book in his hands. At first, you simply enjoy the graceful way his tendons move, the delicate look to his wrist as he turns the page.

Tap... Tap... Tap...

The rhythm was almost like a heartbeat, and soon you found yourself unable to look away. Your body felt a bit heavy, thoughts going a bit fuzzy at the edges, the book you had been reading forgotten in your lap. 

Tap... Tap... Tap...

It was...nice. You didn't want to look away. Your own heartbeat was a dull thunder in your ears as everything was reduced to that one small movement of his finger.

Tap... Tap... Tap...

Everything felt warm. Relaxed. Soft. You were vaguely aware that he was speaking, but it was hard to pay attention. Shaking your head, you tried to clear your thoughts. "Sorry. Guess I spaced out for a minute there..." "Is that so?" He put the book to the side and gave you a curious look, a small smile tugging at his lips. "You scarcely even blinked for quite some time, my love." You winced, a bit embarrassed. "It is quite alright. In fact, you might have given me...an idea, of a sort."                                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You're not sure what he meant by 'idea', but you supposed you'll find out sooner rather than later. He hasn't been secretive per se, but not exactly forthcoming either. Watching him shrug off his coat and leave it folded over the back of the couch, you wrack your brain, trying to figure out what he's planning. You come up empty though, distracted by the way the muscles of his forearms move as he unlaces his boots, taking them off. Everything about him looks softer like this, more touchable. But he's rarely in this kind of playful mood and you're too curious to see what he's going to do to risk derailing it somehow, so you wait, fighting down the urge to run your hands across his shoulders, so tempting in just the thin t-shirt.  "Do you trust me?" "You know I do." That seems to please him, otherworldly eyes softening as he kisses you lightly, fingers brushing your cheek. "Will you indulge me for now, then?" You kiss him back, unable to hold back a smile. "Of course, I will." "Good." With that, he gets on the bed, leaning back against the pillows, resting his hands on his bent knees. "Undress for me." His voice feels like molasses sliding over you, and you waste no time obeying, his eyes on you the entire time. The look on his face can only be described as mischievous as he pats the covers next to him. "Come here." He doesn't need to ask twice, the words barely have time to leave his mouth before you join him on the bed, eager to please. With the barest flash of a smile, he spreads his legs a bit wider, beckoning you closer. "Here. Let me hold you, my sweet." Not what you thought he was going to say but you don't object, letting him pull you close, enjoying the press of his chest against your back. When he speaks, his voice vibrates against your skin like something almost solid. "I simply need you to relax for now, will you do that for me?" It's a bit of an odd request, but you don't see any harm in it, leaning back against him a bit more, unable to suppress a grin. "What are you up to?" "You will see. For now, just breathe." It's not hard matching your breaths to his, slow and even. His shoulder is a surprisingly comfortable headrest too, and it doesn't take long to feel like you could almost drift off, right there in his arms. When he speaks again his voice is low, words dripping like honey, slow and sweet. "You enjoy my hands, do you not?" "Yeah, a lot." It's a bit of a silly question, and you can't help smiling. "You enjoy looking at them too, yes?" "Mm-hm."  "Would you look now?" With that, he brings one of his hands up in front of you. "You do not need to do anything, simply keep your eyes on my fingers for a while."

At first, he simply turns his hand over unhurriedly, back to palm and back again. You love how his hands look so delicate yet strong at the same time, and you want to keep watching, feeling too heavy and content to move. As he flexes his fingers gently a phrase springs to mind; piano fingers. You can't quite remember where you first heard it though, only that it must have been long ago. It's hard to think, to focus. Almost as if he heard what you were thinking, his fingers start moving slowly in front of your face, as if playing invisible keys. The movement is graceful, mesmerizing as his hand flits effortlessly across your field of vision, this way and that.

It's beautiful, and you don't want to look away. It reminds you of all the times he's touched you, always knowing precisely where and how. Your thighs squeeze together without you meaning to do it, seeking relief from the heat pooling at your core. He notices, of course, his breath soft against your cheek as he speaks. "You are enjoying this, good."

You love his voice, if you could eat it, you would. Did you say that out loud? Without taking your eyes off his fingers you can tell that he's smiling, hear it in his voice and it makes your chest swell with pride; you love making him smile. To make him happy. You feel so heavy though, like you might sink through the mattress if he wasn't holding you. It feels good though. Safe. The fluttering motion of his fingers is making your head swim. Turning you on. You squeeze your legs together again, wishing you could lie down with him, that he would touch you.

"We can lie down, if you wish." You don't remember asking, but he lowers you gently down next to him all the same, fingers still moving lazily in front of your face. Your eyelids feel heavy and you blink once, twice, everything moving at half speed. "You can close your eyes, if you need to." Maybe just for a minute. With your eyes closed, his voice wraps around you, sinking into your every pore.

"Can you feel my touch? How well your breasts fill my hands, like they were made for me alone?" At first, you're not sure if you can feel him, but then there is the distinct feel of his hands cupping your breasts gently. "I can." The words feel slow, clumsy in your mouth. You bite your lip, enjoying the teasing but still wanting more.  "The tips of them are so sensitive for me, are they not?" He rubs his thumbs over your nipples until they're stiff, fanning the embers of your desire into a flame until you feel like you might combust. "Let me see you. Spread your legs for me."

You feel the bed shift as he moves in between your legs, gripping your thighs as he talks, forcing them wider, stroking ever closer to where you really need him. "You open your thighs so willingly for me, so obedient. Do you want me to touch you?"  "Yes, please." It's hard, talking. You don't remember it being this hard. "Feel how easily you part around my fingers," he murmurs, dragging his fingers between your folds. "So lovely, all but dripping already. And this little nub must be aching, for only the faintest touch," he rubs the pad of one finger across your clit, making your hips jerk,"to affect you like this."

He pauses for a few seconds, keeping his finger pressed to your clit but not moving, his voice filling your head like treacle, pushing every thought away. "You need to come, I think. Would you like that?" Your mind feels sluggish, his words landing like smooth pebbles in a bowl of jello. Coming sounds good though, you know that much, want to, badly. "Uh-huh."  "Tell me what you want." As he whispers it you can feel the words bouncing off of you like the lights of a sparkler, making your skin tingle. All you can think about is his mouth. It takes a while to get the words out though. "Give me your mouth?" It comes out sounding like a question, and you're not sure why. "Of course you can have my mouth, my love. Can you feel my tongue, lapping at you?" And you realize that you can. The slide of his tongue against you is unmistakable, making you moan as it flicks over your clit. You can feel his breath against your ear though, and you're dimly aware that he's still talking, his voice flowing into you like waves. You don't know how he's doing it, but it doesn't seem important. Nothing matters except the way he's making you feel.

"You always respond so beautifully to my touch." His voice is scrambling your thoughts, making it hard to do anything except listen, letting his words wash over you like a thick syrup until you can nearly taste them. "Particularly when I suck on that little nub, you love that, do you not?"

And he does just that, making your back arch of its own volition. You can't help grabbing at him then, the skin at the nape of his neck so soft under your hands, hair made to wind your fingers through. Perfect. Somebody is making noises and you think it might be you, but you're not sure of that either anymore. Everything feels so far away, everything except his mouth, his voice, his touch. "Are you going to come for me, my sweet?" His voice is so warm, so soft, enveloping you. "Y-yeah, 'm so close," the words come out stuttered and slurred, but you don't care, the pleasure short-circuiting your brain. "Go on then," he's smiling again, you can tell that much, "come."

And you do, fisting your hands in his hair to keep his mouth on you as your hips rock against him helplessly. The waves of pleasure are drowning you, making it hard to breathe, but you can hear yourself whimpering. Coming apart on his tongue feels like shattering, like being unmade and remade again. "Morpheus!" His name is ripped out of you, tumbling from your lips like a prayer. Maybe it is. As you come down from your high your heartbeat is loud in your ears and you feel like if you looked, you could see your ribs moving from the pounding of it, heart trying to break free. It's easier to think again though. To move. "Open your eyes, my love."

As you do, you realize that he's right next to you, inches away from even touching you, still perfectly composed. The look on his face might be the smuggest you've ever seen him, though. "If I had known that I could bring you to release with my voice alone, I would have done this a lot sooner." "Wha...no, that's not a thing." You blink, confused. "You seemed to enjoy it well enough."  "But you were touching me, I could feel you, feel your mouth..." "I was right here next to you the entire time," his voice is almost a purr, he's so obviously pleased with himself, "but I never touched you." You can't help being embarrassed, hiding your face behind your hands. "Oh my god, Dream, fuck." He chuckles then, gathering you against his chest again before pressing a tender kiss to your temple. "Maybe later. For now, just rest." "You break my brain sometimes, you know that? Fuck, I love you."

[thelov3lybookworm]

Prone to Infatuation

day 1: human tamlin

modern!au

Summary: Feyre won't mind

•○●⛦●○•

A/n: happy @tamlinweek to all my fellow girlies who love tamtam!!! heres my lil fic for the first day of the week ❣️

enjoyy!!

Coming over to visit her friend's ex had probably not been a great idea. It had been, obviously, a hard decision to make.

But did she regret it?

Absolutely not.

He had been her friend too once, and he did not deserve to be thrown aside after the messy break up.

Sure, what he did was not the best thing to do, but it came from a place of good reasoning. He should not have locked Feyre up in their shared apartment, but Y/n could not find it in herself to blame his actions when she knew of his past.

He had never had parents that loved each other, and so the only way he saw his father caring for his mother was when he would lock her up in the house. Tamlin was young, and did not understand that it was not love that he witnessed, but being a psychology student, Y/n could understand what he went through.

He could have definitely handled it better, but if someone just sat him down to tell him where he went wrong, he could have become better.

She was not erasing his mistakes or saying that he did not make them, but she understood his reasns behind them. He had made mistakes, sure, but so had Feyre when instead of just talking to him, she just up and left and moved on while Tamlin was left with no one.

So today, Y/n had decided to pay him a visit after hearing from Lucien that he seemed to be getting better.

With a deep breath, Y/n lifted her hand to knock on the door to his apartment. A few moments filled with the sounds of shuffling and one loud crash later, his form filled the doorway.

He looked... unkempt. His hair sticking all out in all the wrong places, dark circles under his eyes... He just looked so miserable.

"Um, hi."

He blinked at Y/n, seeming not to hear her words. But then he straightened, the shock fading from his eyes as he gave her an uncertain smile.

"Hey Y/n. What brings you here?"

"What, I can't visit my friends without reason?"

He blinked, leaning back. "Uhh. You can of course. I'm sorry-"

Instantly, guilt spread through Y/n. She reached out to touch the back of his hand, staring up at him. "Tam, I was joking."

"Oh. Right, sorry-"

With a sigh, Y/n wrapped her arms around his torso- shirtless torso-letting her head rest on his chest for a moment until he hugged her back.

He let her go after a moment, the sadness, the loneliness that shone on his face making Y/n want to commit atrocities.

As he led her in, she studied her surroundings, swallowing.

The place was meticulously clean looking, except for a few pieces of clothing here and there.

The house looked nothing like it had the last time she visited with Mor. That was back when Feyre had called them up to break her out of the house.

Everything had been lying on the ground back then, as if thrown around in a fit of rage. Y/n had been disgusted, but now all she felt was sympathy.

"So... how have you been."

Tamlin glanced back at her as he snatched his t-shirt form the back of the couch. "Better."

Y/n smiled, nodding.

"That's great."

He studied her for a moment, his eyes skeptical. But then he settled down on one of the chairs at the kitchen island, sighing. "It really is. You were right. Therapy does help."

That statement surprised Y/n. She could not remember talking to him about therapy except for that one time she had mentioned about it in passing, telling him something about her chosen subject of study.

"You are going to therapy?"

He offered her a small smile. "Yes. And it's been helping a lot."

Y/n placed her bag on the counter as she mirrored his position and smiled, genuine and happy. "I'm so glad to hear that, Tam. How is it going?"

"The therapist reminds me a lot of my mother, with the way she looks, the way she yells at me sometimes," He laughed. "I'm becoming better, that much I know. I've come to terms with the fact that not everyone stays forever, and that it is okay to let go of people. It took me over two months to get over my fear of losing people, but its working."

Her eyes prickled at the genuine joy he radiated, the way he seemed more open and vulnerable and happy about it too.

"That's amazing. You atleast have your friends, even though she left. You'll always have us."

He paused for a moment. "Does she know you're visiting?"

Y/n sighed. "She is not my mother, she does not need to know about my whereabouts."

"So she doesn't."

Her silence was answer enough for him.

"You should lave then. I don't want you to jeopardise your friendship just because you came to see her abusive ex."

Tears gathered in Y/n's eyes at his thoughtfulness.

"She won't mind."

I hope she doesn't.

If she got mad about Y/n just visiting Tamlin, Y/n couldn't fathom what Feyre would do if she found out about Y/n's little crush on Tamlin.

"Are you hungry?"

A few hours, a bottle of wine and two large pizzas later, Y/n found herself spread on Tamlin's couch like a blanket as she giggled at something a drunk Tamlin mumbled from where he sat on the ground, leaning back against the couch next to her head.

Silence settled between them again, the awkwardness from a few hours ago nowhere in sight.

"I should get going."

Tamlin glanced at the clock on the opposite wall at that, nodding solemnly. "It's getting late."

Y/n rolled over, reaching up to twirl a strand of his hair around her fingers. "I don't want to though."

He turned his head to look at her, his face flushed from the wine. "Stay then."

Y/n smirked. "Already trying to get me into your bed huh. At least take me out on a date first."

He laughed, head thrown back. "Would this not be considered a date?" He said, gesturing to the half empty eaten pizza on the low coffee table.

"No."

He grinned, leaning his head closer to hers. "Fine then. Are you free tomorrow? Let me take you out on this date you want."

Suddenly, Y/n felt much more sober. "What?"

He huffed. "You basically have I like Tamlin written on your forehead in red paint, love. You can't expect me to not notice."

Y/n shot up, wrapping her arms around herself to do what, she didn't know. "I- I'm sorry-"

"Don't be. We're humans. We tend to fall in love and are prone to infatuation."

Y/n gave him an unamused look as she stood, gathering her things and heading towards the door.

She could hear him following her, but she ignored the urge to just die and reached for her coat hanging next to the door.

Tried to.

His hand caught hers before she could grab the material, tugging her back into his hard chest.

"I am not kidding Y/n. I mean it. Let me take you out for dinner. And not just because I want you in my bed."

She turned her head to look at him, failing to hide her blush due to his proximity.

"What..."

He gave her a dazzling smile. "Let me take you out on a date. Let me court you, the way you read about in your books."

"Really?"

He nodded. "Really."

"Okay..."

"So I'll pick you up at seven?"

Acotar Taglist: @bubybubsters @eos-princess @nightless @harrystylesfan2686 @cassie6392 @kennedy-brooke @tele86 @miluiel1 @hnyclover @minnieoo @sidrapotter @piceous21 @mybestfriendmademe @saltedcoffeescotch @eve175 @starsinyourseyes @starswholistenanddreamsanswered @cumuluscranium @byyalady @lilah-asteria @girlswithimagination @gardenofrunar

[sparkles-and-trash]

dabihawks, (another) post war au

Life after the war had been strange for Hawks for sure, but this moment had to be a new high point.

It was hard not to overthink the whole situation as he was sitting in the black leather chair in this softly lit room, about to be permanently marked by his untimely crush and previous enemy (again), how could one not feel a bit strange?

Okay, maybe he was being a tad overdramatic, but come on, can you blame him?

He knew that Touya had a new career as a tattoo artist, of course he did, it was quite impossible to be friends with Twice without knowing what every single person they had in common was up to.

What he hadn't known was which studio, and he figured that the chance of him dropping by the one studio in all of Japan that Touya was working at was abysmal.

Clearly not abysmal enough.

After the initial awkwardness and surprise, Keigo was even more surprised to find that their conversation wasn't as awkward as he'd expect it to be.

The two of them had only talked a couple of times after the war, and while it was hard for Keigo to admit, he had been the one to reach out and the one who wanted to keep in touch, but Touya had asked for time away, time to heal and find himself and Keigo understood and respected that, no matter how much it hurt.

In the time it took for Touya to draw up the design, make a stencil and resize it a few times and do all the machine prepping the two of them had managed to catch up quite a bit, and if Keigo was starting to feel a twinge of hope again...

It was quickly dimmed when the machine in Touya's hand started buzzing.

To be perfectly honest Keigo had figured a little tattoo would be nothing compared to what he had been trough in the past, but damn.

It was kinda really fucking uncomfortable.

"It'll get better soon," Touya mumbled, and any hope that he was putting on a brave fast fell from Keigo's grasp.

"Heh, different kind of pain, I guess," he tried to casually reward, and Touya hummed.

"Probably doesn't help that I'm the one doing in, huh?"

Keigo's eyes widened for a second.

"That's not... or, it's not because I'm scared around you or whatever," Keigo mumbled back, and Touya gave just a tiny smile.

"Good," he said softly as he wiped the area he worked on with a clear liquid.

"Now shut up and sit still and let me work."

Keigo chuckled, but did as he was told.

An hour or so later he was standing in front of the full length mirror in the salon, twisting around to get a good look at the fresh tattoo.

"It's still gonna be red and swollen for a little bit, but if you take care of it like I said it should be good in a week or so," Touya commented from where he stood a few feet behind him.

Keigo hummed, but his voice wouldn't quite cooperate yet.

After a few more moments of silence Touya cleared his throat carefully.

"Do you... not like it?" he asked quietly, and Keigo shook his head.

"No, it's..." he started, fighting the small break in his voice.

"It's perfect."

He turnaround so he was facing Touya properly.

"Thank you," he whispered, and Touya gave him a small, wobbly smile in return.

"I'm glad you came here for this," he said back, and Keigo blinked a few times, unsure.

"So am I, but it was a totally lucky accident," he said with a crooked smile and awkward rubbing of his neck.

Touya grinned.

"Sure it was, Pretty Bird."

Keigo spluttered a little, but just rolled his eyes and went along with Touya's teasing.

After he payed (with a hefty tip to cover the "former enemy discount" Touya insisted on adding), the two of them shared an awkward hug initiated by Keigo, and an exchange of numbers and a promise of seeing each other again soon.

As soon as he was back home, Keigo couldn't help himself and hurried over to the mirror to look at his new tattoo a little longer.

How strange it was, that the man that had once burned his wings away, at least to a certain degree before someone else took them away, was the one to give him these tiny new ones.

It had to be faith.

And maybe faith had a little help from a few friends that worked together to set Keigo's mind on a tattoo, and to help lean Touya in the direction at accepting the job at the local studio after his apprenticeship, but...

If that's what faith needed, so be it.

[ikeromantic]

The Old Switcheroo, pt 2

Arthur and MC (Haruko) are cursed and end up in each other's bodies. Part 2 of 3. Approx words. 3400. Yes, it is long - I had too much fun with the concept. TW for sexual harassment, gender dysphoric descriptions. Tagging @tele86 and @briars7 @greinny123 requested

The Old Switcheroo Part 1

Haruko was not having a good time. The stack of crumpled paper in the wastebin grew while her remaining confidence dwindled. It turned out that writing was a bit like work. All she’d accomplished was polishing off a small pile of fudge and two cups of coffee. The blank page in the typewriter still mocked her. 

“You coming or am I on my own today?” 

Theo’s voice startled her out of her funk. Haruko jumped off Arthur’s stool and nearly fell. Damn long legs, she thought. Easy to trip over. 

Theo chuckled. “On edge?”

“No. No, I’m fine. I was just . . . writing something scary.” Arthur’s voice sounded less certain than usual, but Theo didn’t seem to notice the change. 

“Should I leave you to it then?”

Haruko cleared her throat. “Nah. I’m tapped out for today. Let’s go.” She grabbed Arthur’s coat and scarf and followed Theo out. It was only when the carriage door shut that she realized she had no idea what Arthur and Theo talked about on these little outings. Women? Art? Politics?

“You missed a good breakfast this morning. Sebas outdid himself on those pancakes. Even Napoleon had seconds.” Theo grinned. “Hondje was a little off though. Kept calling everyone ‘old chap’ and ‘luv’. I think you’re teaching her bad habits.”

“Uh, no he’s - I mean, I’m not! She’s probably just having a bit of fun with you.”

“Maybe.” Theo allowed. “She looked tired though. And clumsier than normal.”

“I am not - she is not clumsy.” Haruko tried not to be too indignant. Would Arthur be? She wasn’t sure. He did like to tease her, but always kindly. 

Theo chuckled. “Defending your little bird? Well, you’re right. Hondje is usually more careful. I expect you’re to blame.” His blue eyes were inquisitive and challenging, as if he expected some sort of specific answer out of Arthur.

Haruko thought for a moment on what she would expect Arthur to say and then forced a laugh. “Uh, I might have kept the skirt up too late with my, um, with my . . .” Her face heated as she tried to find a way to finish that sentence. One she could convince herself to say aloud.

“You look sick. Are you sure you want to go out?”

“I’m fine. Just . . . tired. From the. You know.” Arthur’s hands flailed in the air as Haruko tried to make a gesture that implied something sexual.

“Right.” Theo raised an eyebrow. “Anyway, I’m meeting some artists at the tavern. There’s one I think you’ll want to meet. If you aren’t too tired.”

Haruko’s heart froze for a moment. Was Theo trying to hook her man up with other ladies? Is this what they did when they went out alone? A flash of anger boiled away her embarrassment. “I’m never too tired,” she replied, baring her teeth in a smile.

The tavern was bustling as usual, and the two of them had to elbow their way through a crowd. Haruko was surprised how easy it was to get through in Arthur’s body. He was so strong, and when he gave people a hard look, they moved! As herself, she just had to squeeze past or ask nicely and hope they were polite. 

“Why are you smiling,” Theo asked as they took their usual seats at the bar. 

“Hm? No reason. Excited to meet your artist friend, I guess.”

The Dutchman shook his head. “You are one weird klootzak sometimes.” He signaled the bartended for drinks. “They aren’t here yet, but it looks like your fanclub is.”

“My . . . fanclub?” Haruko followed Theo’s gaze, landing at a large round table. Women sat around it. Working girls, to be more specific. Dressed in faded finery, last year’s fashion with tattered edges, smiles painted on their faces and false laughter on their lips. 

That Arthur would cheat on her with these girls . . . paying . . . what did they have that she lacked? Was it just that they knew all of the - the bedroom stuff? 

The ladies noticed her looking and one got up and sauntered over. She had an amazing figure. Statuesque, with large breasts and round hips, and very long legs. She walked like a dancer. 

Haruko waited to see if she would feel the same stirring and hunger she’d felt in Arthur’s body that morning but . . . there was nothing. Not even a hint. Not even when the woman leaned forward to kiss her cheeks in greeting. 

“Arthur! You scabby dog! I didn’t expect to see you back so soon. Off your leash again?”

“My . . . leash?”

She laughed. “The one your lady keeps you on.” The woman rolled her eyes. “Don’t play coy. You use it as an excuse every time you scoot out on us.”

“Right. Ah. My leash.” She felt her anger bubble up again. 

The woman shrugged. “I won’t tease. She sounds like a nice enough girl and she puts up with you for free.” She leaned against the bar and picked up Arthur’s whiskey, downing it in one swallow before he had a chance to drink it. 

Haruko tried to smile flirtatiously like Arthur would. “So, are we going to . . . do what we normally do? Me and you? Luv?” 

“What we usually do? Oh Arthur, you are so funny sometimes.” She patted his cheek. “I just wanted to come over and say thanks again for the walk home the other night. Me and the girls really appreciated it. I can’t think what might have happened if you weren’t there.”

“Oh? So I went home with all of you?” Haruko’s brows rose. 

She laughed again. “You do gallant deeds so often you can’t keep them straight? Well, if you don’t remember, I don’t need to be grateful, right?” She poked his chest lightly.

Haruko coughed. “I was a little . . . drunk?”

“Well, you were that. But you walked just fine. And whatever you said to those two brutes beforehand, they haven’t bothered us since. So even if you don’t remember, it’s appreciated.”

The woman gave Haruko what looked like a genuine smile. “I wish there were more gents like you. If ever your lady friend tires of you, I hope you remember the girls and I will be happy to let you cash in all your favors at once. You’ve racked up quite a few and you’ve yet to let us repay you in any way.”

“I haven’t?” Haruko blinked in surprise. She’d imagined Arthur would take whatever was on offer. And these ladies had clearly offered. 

She grinned. “Now you’re having me on. Of course not. You even turned down Serafine, and she’s my prettiest girl. You really don’t remember that?” Her eyes narrowed.

Theo rescued Haruko from the exchange. “Arthur’s not feeling himself tonight, Genevieve. He had a real long, tiring day. Writing.”

The woman’s brows rose. “Oh! Well, I suppose writers are allowed a bit of eccentricity. Anywho, we’ll talk later. I must see to my girls.” She blew them a kiss and walked away.

“What is wrong with you?” Theo grabbed Arthur’s shoulder and forced him to meet his gaze.

“N-nothing?”

Theo didn’t blink or shift or let Arthur’s shoulder loose.

Haruko took a deep breath. “Le Comte said we shouldn’t tell anyone.”

“Since when do you listen to him? You never had a problem breaking his rules.” 

“It’s . . . this is different. You have to trust me.” It was funny, saying those words with Arthur’s mouth, when she had such a hard time trusting him too.

Theo scowled. “Fine. I trust you. But you’d better have an explanation for me later.” He let go. “And don’t embarrass me in front of my clients.”

Harujo nodded. She wasn’t sure what she should or shouldn’t do, but she would try her best. Being Arthur at a tavern was harder than she’d expected. 

The Dutchman’s guests arrived soon after, a jostling and noisy bunch of men. She felt a certain relief that none of them were women. Theo wasn’t such a bastard after all. A mean tease, but not a bastard. 

A round of loud, enthusiastic greetings between Theo and the newly arrived group took up several minutes. Haruko downed a bit of liquid courage as she watched them exchange kisses and back-slapping, joking insults and genuine sentiment. Then she was pulled into the mix. Subjected to the same, with Theo introducing her as ‘the smart-ass writer’. She did her best to flash them Arthur’s winning smile and friendly greeting. 

The last one in the group was another Dutchman by the name of Willem. His grip was firm and his smile was almost maniacal as he said, “So you’re the guy that beat Theo at chess. It’s about time I got to meet you. That kloothommel has been trouncing me at every game since we were kids!” 

“Oh! Yes. I uh - I love chess! I love beating Theo at it.” Haruko tried to think of what Arthur might say, and then added, ‘old chap’ even though Willem was not old.

Willem laughed. “Glad someone’s there to show him his place. I don’t suppose you’d teach me your technique?” 

“A - a master never reveals their secrets.” Haruko barely knew how to play chess. There was no way she was giving tips to this guy. She’d need at least another glass or two of whiskey to try that. Maybe more. It didn’t seem to hit Arthur the way it hit her when she drank.

“Ah, come on! At least let us watch you play him! Maybe I can pick something up.” Willem looked to the others. “Don’t you want to see a game between these two?”

Theo frowned. “What are you on about? We didn’t come out here to play chess.”

Haruko nodded, but her agreement was lost in the enthusiasm of the other artists.

“I’d like to see it,” one said. “Yeah, it’d be fun to bet on,” said another.

The barkeep pulled out an old, well-used chessboard to several cheers. 

“Oh. I really - I don’t think - that is -” Haruko started to panic as several other tavern guests came to watch, including the evening ladies. This was not good. She absolutely could not do this. 

Theo, on the other hand, had a vicious smile. He knew something was different with his friend and he was very much looking forward to trouncing him at chess on an off day. With an audience. 

Haruko took a breath. There had to be a way out of this. Maybe she could pass out? Start a fight? Guys did that, right? Or just run . . . she glanced toward the door. “Er? What about . . .” She paused, an idea blossoming in her panic-saturated brain. “Why watch me play him all by myself when we could take him on together?”

“What?” Willem blinked at her.

“I mean, why don’t we play as teams. Team Theo versus Team Arthur. We can collaborate on our - our moves.” Haruko tried to plead with her eyes. She had no idea what Arthur’s face looked like making that expression, but if it was the one he made at her when he wanted another nip of fudge or just a few more minutes in bed, then it had to work.

Several of the gathered audience members didn’t wait for an official agreement. They started calling out their sides, grouping behind Theo or Arthur. Willem grinned. “Guess I’m Team Arthur tonight.” He slung a friendly arm across Arthur’s shoulders. “Let’s make Theo cry.”

***

Arthur felt like every part of him was tired. He barely had a moment to himself, running from task to task, always with Sebas on his tail. His feet were sore, his back hurt, his hands were dry and chapped. After a day of doing Haruko’s work, he was beginning to think she really was magic. How did she do all of this and keep smiling?!

His final task of the day was to run into town and pick up their groceries. He had a list, written in Sebastian’s tight, neat script, access to the carriage, and the money to cover the expense. Easy enough. And a bit of a break from Sebas. He rubbed his forehead in memory of the day’s many thumps.

The carriage let him off at the corner of the market street. There were some gentleman waiting for a hansome cab, wearing proper hats and fine vests. Arthur gave them a nod as he hopped off the carriage stair.

One of the men gave a low whistle and waggled his brows. The other laughed, and said loudly, “Why lady, what a lovely bounce to your chest! I hope you take every stair just like that!”

Arthur grimaced. “Keep your eyes to yourself, scrub!” 

The man took a step forward. “What did you call me, hussy?”

Arthur balled up his fist only to remember how small and delicate it was. Rather than reply, he snorted and began to walk away. But the now-angry-man followed. 

“Apologize to me you little chit. How dare you speak to me like that, when I tendered you a compliment.” 

An unfamiliar fear took root in Arthur’s gut. One born of the realization he was fragile - Haruko was fragile. He’d never been afraid to walk alone, to speak his mind, to answer insult to insult. But as Haruko, everything had a different feel. A danger to it that he had not expected.

“I’m going to make you sorry.” The man shouted after him.

“Let her go Freddy! You’re scaring the daylights out of her,” the whistling friend intervened. “Let’s just get our cab and go.”

The angry man frowned. “Fine,” he muttered, and shouted at Haruko’s retreating back once more. “Don’t forget the lesson, slattern.” They walked off, already laughing as if nothing had happened.

When Arthur was well away from them, he leaned back against the building, breathing hard. “I am never letting Haruko out on her own again,” he said quietly. Once he had himself back under control, he made his way into the market.

Catcalls followed his trek from one shop to another as he picked up meat and cheese, pasta and vegetables. He didn’t respond to them. Not again. 

The last shop on his list was a little bakery. He went in, his head down, his heart heavy. Why had Haruko never told him it was like this for her? He knew men liked to call out - he’d even been guilty of such a time or two. Never again though. Not after feeling what it was like to be on the receiving end.

The smell of warm, fresh bread soothed his jangled nerves. He looked up to see a young man smiling brightly at him. 

“Haru! I was hoping you’d stop in today!” 

“Oh?” Arthur’s malaise at the treatment of women faded in the face of his curiosity. Who was this gent who knew his lady by a nickname. “Were you looking forward to seeing me?”

“I was.” His smile widened. “I experimented with my creme recipe. I want you to try it out. If you hadn’t come, I would have to eat the batch myself! Or worse . . . admit it to Monsier Park!”

Park was the owner of the bakery, Arthur reasoned. The shop was called Park’s Pain. “I see. Well then, let’s have it, luv.”

The boy blushed brightly, his scattering of freckles standing out. “Love? Wh-why would say that, Haru? Just call me Jack, ok?”

It was quite clear to Arthur that this shopkeep had a little crush on his Haruko. But he bet she didn’t realize. It would be cute, except that she was his girl. A little spike of wicked jealousy speared his gut. “Sure thing, Jack. So. Where is this new invention?”

Jack led Arthur to the back of the shop. It smelled of spices and yeast and butter. There was a small table with a little ashtray. Two rickety chairs were propped against it. Arthur sat down in one.

The baker brought out little chocolate rolls. The creme inside them was a little green, rather than the usual white or buttery off-white. Jack set them down on the table with a flourish and then sat in the other chair.

Arthur picked up one of the rolls and sniffed it. He wanted to make some witty insulting comment, but the thing honestly smelled delicious. He took a tentative bite and was surprised by the minty spiciness of the creme. “What - what is in this, old chap?”

Jack laughed. “I can tell by you face that you like it. That's good. I packed you a little box of them to take home.” He picked up one of the ones on the plate and popped it into his own mouth, chewing slowly. After he swallowed, he answered. “I put some ground mint and a touch of coriander into the creme. I don’t like the color but the taste is a perfect match to the rich cocoa, don’t you think?”

“It is.” Arthur sighed. He hated it. It was too good.  

“Here, let me get you some coffee to wash it down.” Jack stood up.

“I could use a smoke too, if you don’t mind.” 

“You smoke, Haru?” Jack’s brows rose. 

Arthur gave a wicked grin. “I guess you don’t know me as well as you thought, hm?” 

Jack scratched his chin. I guess not. I don’t mind though.” He fished out a hand-rolled cigarette and handed her a match, then went to pour the coffee.

Arthur lit the cig and stuck it between his lips for a drag. He didn’t smoke all the time, but after the tension of his market walk, this one was well-earned. Except . . . when he took a mouthful of smoke, he began to cough and choke. His throat burned and his eyes watered. 

“Ah, Haru? You ok?” Jack set down the coffee.

“Y-yeah,” Arthur squeaked. “Not my usual brand.” He tried to laugh and coughed some more. 

Jack grinned. “Sure. Anyway, I added cream and sugar to your coffee but let me know if you want it more sweet.”

Cream. And sugar. In his beloved black coffee. Travesty! Arthur gazed into it’s milky depths and then drank it down anyway. He needed to soothe his burning throat. 

While Arthur sipped the abomination of sweetened coffee, Jack rattled on about his day. The weird customers he had, his boss, and so on. Arthur didn’t say much, which seemed to surprise the baker. 

“You sure are quiet today. Something up? Did your boyfriend cheat on you again?” Jack leaned forward, keen on the answer.

“I never - I mean, he doesn’t do that! He would never cheat on me!” Arthur was aghast. Did she really think that?

Jack shrugged. “Well you said last week that he didn’t come home until sun-up. And I can’t imagine what else a man would be up to when he stays out all night.” He reached across to pat her hand. “I’m here, if you need to talk, you know?”

Arthur jerked Haruko’s hand back. “She - that is I - don’t need to talk to you about our relationship! Arthur would never cheat on me. I trust him.”

“I know you do. I just - I worry about you. You should be happy. With a guy that treasures you enough to come home on time and shower you with love.” Jack smiled. “And maybe some tasty baked treats.”

Arthur wanted to snap back, but Jack’s words hit a nerve. Haruko did deserve a man that came home to her instead of making her worry. One that showed her how much he adored her. “You aren’t wrong, old chap. You aren’t wrong.” He stood up. “I need to get back.”

Jack sighed. “Alright. Let me pack up your order and the creme rolls I made you.” 

The whole ride back to the mansion, Arthur lost himself in thought. He never considered there might be someone else vying for Haruko’s affection so sincerely. Nor had he known what it was like to be a girl alone. He felt like he’d got so much wrong. And he wasn’t sure where to go right with it. All he knew was that he loved Haruko more than anything and he had to let that love guide him.

Next: The Sweet Ending

[viperpoisondark]

Dolled Up

Look, I don't know who’s going to read this, or even if anyone will, but I need to write what is happening, so it can help someone in the future. You may think that I’ve gone mad when I wrote this or that I’m making it up, and I would not blame you for it, but believe me, everything in here is completely real and I don’t even know how to explain or where to begin…

Ok, I’m going to start on the day that I’m sure it all started and when it all went to shit, but I’m warning you, nothing good will happen’ and if you value for your sanity and good sleep, don't read this, but if your already doing it, I imagine that something is already happening, good luck and may God help you. Well, here’s the first day: 

“It was a summer day in the city, a really hot day to be precise, and I was in the cafeteria of the school waiting for my friends, since this is the only day that our schedules match enough. While I was waiting, I decided to finish a resume in my notebook, until I got scared by the noise of someone hitting a book on the table that I’m sitting on. I looked up and saw a woman with dark skin and dark orange hair, my friend Noelly, smiling and holding a big book.

-Good morning ‘Elly - I said, a little irritated. 

-Good morning James! How are you on this wonderful day? - The woman asked while sitting in front of me. 

-I was good, until you gave me that scare…

-Haha! I’m sorry, but you were so concentrated and I couldn't help it! 

-Anyway, you are way over excited for a wednesday at 9 am. - I said while putting my books and materials in the backpack. 

-Well, one of us has to be, right? - Noelly shrugged - And also, we are finally meeting Arthur’s secret girlfriend! 

-Damn, I forgot about that… - I said a little surprised, now remembering that our friend sended us a message yesterday asking if he could bring his new girlfriend, who he hadn't stopped talking about for months, but never introduced to us. - Now I’m a little curious too.

After a while of just the two of us talking, we heard a car parking and when we turned around to see, it was Arthur’s, and speaking of him, on this day, he was normal, with a soccer team tank top and shorts jeans, with him was a woman, she was very different from the normal around here, she had dark purple hair, very curly, in two side ponytails and was dressed in those “lolitas” dresses, but all black, I was surprised of how much layers she's wearing in this heat, but what really got my attention was her clear skin, almost white, as if she has never seen the sun before, almost sickly. The two of then got closer and then they were right next to us: 

-Good morning guys! Sorry we’re late! - Arthur said smiling - Well, this is my girlfriend Delilah! - He pointed at her, with a silly smile, I even wanted to laugh. 

-It’s a pleasure to finally meet you all! - Delilah smiled and waved her hand.

-It’s a pleasure to meet you too Delilah! I’m Noelly and this is James! - The red hair said, then got up to hug the others. - Come, sit with us! - The two of them sat in front of each other, with Arthur by my side and Delilah with Noelly. 

Everything got a little quiet, since no one knew what to comment, so I decided to say something:

-So, Delilah, it took a while for us to see you in person…

-I’m so sorry about that! I was doing an exchange in London and only came back this week! - She answered smiling, while holding Arthur’s hand above the table. 

-How fancy! What do you study? Did you exchange at which institute? - Noelly started asking, which I was happy about, because I didn't know what else to say.

-I study fashion! The institute is a very small one, not well known haha! - Delilah said laughing, moving her hand, like she was trying to shoo a fly. 

-So cool! I study History and James does Criminology - The purple hair girl only agreed with her head, to say she was paying attention and looked at me for a while, before changing her attention to Arthur. 

-How did you both meet? I don't think I remember Arthur telling us… - I asked, because I really didn't remember anything like this, it's like a part of my memory was missing. 

-Well… We met… - Arthur started, but Delilah interrupted him. 

-We met on a dating app, not a real exciting story to tell haha! 

-That's right! I looked at her picture and was like: Wow! That's a girl I’ve never seen before! - Arthur laughed and pretended to hold a cellphone to make the scene, making me and Noelly laugh. 

  We stayed like that, talking, until it was almost noon and we said goodbye so we could each go home and eat, until we heard all our cell phones beeping and a strange notification written: “A body found on campus, in the middle of the trees.” This gave me a shiver, I looked at the others, Noelly and Arthur were also looking at their cell phones scared, I looked back at mine and opened the notification, the rest was text talking about the exact location where the body was found and other things, but one thing I remember like it was yesterday was the way the body was killed: “Authorities believe that the body was hanged, the victim has dark bruises around the neck and on by the side of the body, a porcelain doll identical to the victim was found nearby.” And just below, photos of the victim… Saying that the person was strangled doesn't do justice to what appeared, his neck was completely broken, it looked like he was crushed with great force. It made me dizzy. I've seen bodies because of my college, but this... It was horrible.

Noelly suddenly threw her cell phone away and put her hands over her eyes, Arthur just hung up the phone and sighed, Delilah seemed shaken, but was trying to comfort Arthur. After a while we calmed down and looked at each other and started talking about what happened. (I would like to write the full conversation here, but the truth is that I don't remember almost anything about it, just how scared we were and how strange it was). Later, Arthur gave us a ride to our homes, he left each one and said to message if anything happens. (I should have sent that message…) When I arrived at my apartment, I saw a box in front of my door and a note saying that it was from my great-aunt. That's weird, it's been a long time since i've heard about my great-aunt, I entered the apartment and put the box in the tiny kitchen table, I went looking for something to open it, I found a pair of scissors and when I looked at the box again, I noticed that there was no sticker or tape, I shrugged my shoulders, I mustn't noticed that, when opening the box there was just a small porcelain doll, with a soft body and brown hair. I got goosebumps when I looked at it and left it in the box, I had a feeling of déjà-vu, but I ignored it again. Why would my great-aunt send me this? (Now I know it wasn't my great-aunt)

Classes were suspended for a week due to what happend and after that everything went back to normal, our lives continued. Noelly and I didn't see Delilah anymore, Arthur said it was because her classes started again and she was very busy. 

In one of my classes, we had to do a family tree and check if we have any interesting family history. Luckily, my family lives in the same city as me, so I went to my parents' house to ask something.”

I had to pause the narration for a bit, I think I heard someone coming…

It's her! She was here! I’m sure of it! I think I’m really going crazy… I’ll have to write this more quickly and with less details…

Where was I? Oh right, in my parents house…

“When I got there, I saw my mother with some boxes and asked what she was doing, she said she was throwing some old things away. I helped her as we talked about our family and she said that my Great-Great Grandmother came here from London with her baby son after her husband died, and that was where she met my Great-Great Grandfather and stayed.

I found the story interesting and asked if there was anything else, but my mother said she didn't remember and that my grandmother would probably know more. After a while helping and talking about other things, I left and went to my grandmother.

She lives in a big house, it's not quite a mansion, but it looks like it, and this house has been in the family for generations and it's always the eldest child who keeps the house. The house has three floors and is made entirely of dark wood. As soon as I arrived I rang the doorbell and waited for a while, my grandmother opened the door for me and let me in. We talked for a while and she offered me coffee and cookies, after that, she took me to the third floor of the house (which looked more like an attic) and showed me a box with several old photos of the entire family, until she showed me a black and white, almost faded, photo of an elderly woman and my grandmother said that this was my great-great-grandmother, and that her story is very sad.

My great-grandmother, Angeline, had to flee London because of the murder of her husband at the time, in 1839, which ended up leaving her a widow and a single mother of a baby who hadn't even been born yet. Upon arriving here in Brazil, she met her new husband, Pedro, and with him she had a normal life.

I was moved by the story (I just didn't know that this wasn't the whole story) and asked to keep the photo of my great-great-grandmother, my grandmother gave it to me and said to take care of it with care, I promised I would. After a while, when I was leaving the house, I remembered my great-aunt's gift and asked my grandmother about it and she said that her sister came these days, but didn't take anything with her.

-What did she give you, my dear? 

-Just an old porcelain doll - When I said that, my grandmother turned white as snow and I was sure she was going to have a heart attack, she held my arms tightly with both hands and looked at me scared.

-That doll has brown hair? And a crack in her face? 

-Y-yes… How do you know? Grandma, you’re hurting me… - She was becoming increasingly distressed and her grip on my arms was getting worse and worse.

-Listen, listen clearly James, I need you to listen to me - She spoke with seriousness and horror, I nodded, to show that I was listening. - Bring the doll here and no matter what happens, do not talk to her or take her out of the box, you didn't do any of that? Did you? - I answer that I didn't and that I only opened the box to look, but I didn't touch it - Ok, good, good. Now go! Bring me the doll and I will call your aunt… - She let me go and I ran to my apartment.

As soon as I got to my floor, I saw Noelly standing in front of my door, scared and crying. I called for her and she came running to me, hugged me tight while she cried on my shoulder. I asked her what had happened, and she told me Arthur was dead.

I was profoundly shocked, after that, everything was on autopilot and I felt like my ears were ringing the whole time.

I entered the flat along Noelly, she told me she tried to call me, but I told I didn’t have my phone at the time. She explained what had happened and told me he was murdered the same way as we saw that day (From here on things only get worse, quit reading while you can and believe it was all a dream). He was strangled at his own house and had a porcelain doll by his side. I asked Noelly how she knew that and she told me Delillah called her on Arthur’s phone, the woman seemed desperate and like she was crying her eyes out. I asked Noelly where she was now and she was at the police station giving her witness statement. In my appalled state I didn’t mind asking anything else. I just sat there, crying while Noelly hugged me and cried as well.”

I should have asked more! I should have suspected it! But… Fuck… I’m sorry Arthur, I really am… 

“Suddenly, me and Noelly were scared by my phone ringing, it was my grandma… That’s right, I should go give her the doll back… I explained the situation to Noelly and she told me she’d go with me, she didn’t wanna be alone at that point and neither did I. I got the box, made sure the doll was inside it, and left.

At my grandma’s house, my great-aunt was there as well. They let us in and we sat in the living room, the box sitting at the coffee table. The two started to tell me that my great-aunt was sure she didn’t take the doll neither to her house nor mine and my grandma is sure she didn’t see the other leaving with anything. (They both did it all, but they don’t remember). And they explained to me one more thing: when I was still very young, I was messing with some old things in the attic when I saw the doll and decided to play with it. My great-grandmother, who was alive at the time, quickly took it from me and pushed me away, making me fall from the stairs, which made me lose that specific memory. I was finding it all very weird, what was up with this doll? Why were they so scared of it? Noelly held my hand, a bit scared, letting me know we should head to the funeral.

-What funeral, my darling? - My grandma asked.

-A friend of ours was murdered… earlier today… - I said quietly, feeling like there was something in my throat.

-That sounds awful, I’m so sorry - The old lady put her hand on my shoulder.

-What happened to him? - My great-aunt asked.

-Zélia! This is not the moment to ask these things!

-It’s okay… He… - I started to explain what Noelly told me and the two women exchanged terrified looks. They both got up on a whim and started walking and whispering among themselves: “This should not be happening… after so many years… why now???” I asked them what they were talking about and they gazed at me like they had just seen a ghost. When my grandmother was about to answer, the whole house went dark, all the doors and windows were slammed shut and the only source of light was now coming from the fireplace, which wasn’t lit before, since the weather’s been warm. 

They both screamed and pointed to something behind us. When we turned around, we saw Delillah, but she was different: her lolita dress was ripped and dirty, her hair wasn’t tied anymore and it was huge with big curls… But… the worst was her face… Her face was white, white like… like porcelain and with a crack in the middle of her face, her eyes were completely black with only a yellow light inside them.

I got up in a hurry to ask what was going on, but I got a shock when I saw Delilah's hair moving and coming at me, I immediately dodged it and…(My God… My grandma…) And I saw that what she really wanted was the two ladies, the woman... No, that thing grabbed them both by the neck and squeezed them tightly, they both died almost instantly, hanging…

Noelly screamed and that woke me up, I grabbed her arm and ran to the second floor. When I looked back, I saw her taking two porcelain dolls like the old ladies out of a pocket in her dress and placing them next to them.... This has to be a nightmare, I thought, (I didn't know how wrong I was) we both ran up stairs and hid in a room, locking the door and putting a cabinet in front of it, we didn't know if it would help or not, but that's what we had … Noelly asked me what was happening while crying and I couldn't answer, because I didn't even know… Then we heard a voice coming from outside:

-Come on guys, there's no need to be scared, I'm not going to hurt you... If you promise not to tell anyone what happened here... After all, it's the least I can do as a thank you to my nephew for freeing me... - The voice wasn't the same one of Delilah that we met a few weeks ago, this one was deeper and seemed almost mechanical.

-What are you talking about?!?!?!? What nephew?? Why did you do that?? What are you?? - I screamed while crying too, I was so confused and desperate.

-Come out and I'll explain everything... - We heard footsteps moving away from the room we were in and everything became quiet. I looked at Noelly and she knew what I was thinking and shook her head. - We need to... We have no other way... And I need to know what's going on - I approached the door and took the cabinet out of the way and put my hand on the doorknob, Noelly put her hand on my arm and opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out, so she closed it again and walked away.

I opened the door slowly and looked outside, everything was dark and when I stepped in, I felt something soft under me, I looked closely and it was hair... Purple hair, everywhere, on the walls, on the floor, on the doors, I almost threw up, but I moved on with Noelly right behind, we went down the stairs and arrived in the living room, where Delilah was standing, her hair was now everywhere, like spider webs and when we arrived, she opened her eyes and they followed us.

-Okay, we're here, now talk... - I spoke loudly, trying to seem like I wasn't scared, but I was shaking. Noelly held my hand and arm tightly at my side.

-Of course… I said I would… Where to begin? - That thing spoke while it moved forward, getting closer to us and I saw a spider coming out of its eye and going into its hair.

-What are you…?

-I’m a ghost… Delilah’s ghost, that can never rest…

-Why did you do that to my grandma and aunt?

-They would tell my secret… They would break their promise…

-WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT??? - I screamed at her, I was frustrated, scared, angry, disgusted, all the worst feelings I could have were here and I didn't know what else to do or say, I just wanted it all to end soon.

-The murders... It was me, all of them... I killed Angeline's, my niece, first husband... And after that I continued... I just didn't kill her, because she promised to keep me a secret... But she betrayed me... Just like her husband... So, I went after her son... But they plotted against me... And he killed me... One shot right here - She pointed to her own chest, where the heart would be - And I swore to return... And torment her descendants... And you freed me… - A strand of hair caressed my cheek and I moved away - You found my doll… And you freed me… But I was weak… So I waited… Until the right moment and I had enough strength…

-Ar-Arthur… Why him? - Noelly asked, almost like a whisper. 

-He wasn't in the plans... He was kind to me... But he saw me... He saw my body... - Only at that moment I looked closely and saw that her joints were like a doll's - And I asked... If after all, I'm not lovely? - For the first time her expression changed, she was extremely angry - And he said no... That I'm a monster... So... I killed him... After all, he didn't love me... - Her features relaxed again.

-You are a monster… - Noelly whispered and started crying again. 

-What are you going to do with us? - I asked, weakly, we have no choice, we have no way to escape.

-I'll let you two go... If you promise not to tell anyone... - She said, smiling and putting a finger in front of her mouth. 

-I promise! I promise! This secret will be buried with me! - I spoke quickly, just wanting to get out of there.

-Me too... I promise... - Noelly also spoke, almost without any strength. Delilah smiled and started pulling out all the hair that was around the entire house to her, making her hair curly again.

As soon as she told us to go, we heard the sound of several sirens on the street and police officers saying several things. Delilah seemed surprised and looked at us, I looked at Noelly and saw her with her cell phone in her hand... She had dialed the police number... (It was a good try my friend) The ghost (Doll?) screamed in fury and several strands of hair went towards Noelly, so fast that I couldn't stop it and they squeezed her neck, she... too... she too... (I can't don't even write this...)

I looked at her and screamed too, going at her, but she held my wrists with the strands of hair and approached me, getting very close, I smelled a sweet smell, like rotten fruit and I almost vomited, she held my face with great force and I felt that she had no skin, she was entirely made of porcelain.

-I don't have time to kill you anymore... - I heard the police officers trying to break down the door - But you won't get rid of me...

She threw me down hard, making me very dizzy and everything was dark. When I calmed down and my vision cleared, I saw the worst scene of my life…

…

I can't even write it… 

Noelly was beneath me, dead and my hands were around her neck, there was blood on my hands and her eyes were empty and cold... I looked to the side and there was a porcelain doll just like her... 

After that, everything was a blur… The police took me away and the court sentenced me… I don't even know how many years…

Now, here I am… They agreed to give me this sheet so I can write something to my parents… They won't believe me… Not even I know if I believe…

But… That's what happened to me… And now… Wait… There’s something here…

NO! NO! PLEASE NO! NOT THA-

[what-do-1000-swords-look-like]

So when I talk about Dean becoming one of the main protagonists as the show evolved, here's what I mean:

Dean: "Is it true? Did I break the first seal? Did I start all this?"

Cas: "Yes. When we discovered Lilith's plan for you, we laid siege to Hell. And we fought our way to get to you. Before you--"

Dean: "Jump started the Apocalypse."

Cas: "We were too late."

Dean: "Why didn't you just leave me there then?"

Cas: "It's not blame that falls on you, Dean. It's fate. The Righteous Man who begins it is the only one that can finish it. You have to stop it."

Dean: "Lucifer? The Apocalypse? What does that mean?"

In this episode (4x16), Alistair reveals to Dean what Lilith's plan for him actually was. They wanted him to break the first of 66 seals in order to start the ball rolling for Lucifer's freedom and the ensuing Apocalypse.

In 4x01 (before Dean or the audience know exactly why Dean is resurrected other than Cas' vague "because God commanded it" and about the work that Heaven has for Dean to do), it's revealed that Cas pulled Dean out of Hell and put his soul back into his body.

From there, we meet Anna (in 4x09) who is hearing Angel Radio about how the Apocalypse is happening and the world is coming to an end. We see her intro to the boys later in the episode:

Anna (to Dean): "The angels talk about you. You were in Hell but Castiel pulled you out and some of them think you can help save us."

Anna (to Sam): "And some of them don't like you at all."

Anna (to both): "They talk about you all the time lately."

Then we see this:

While Ruby was introduced the previous season and has been part of Sam's arc for a while, it's no coincidence that she's now involved with Anna and that part of the story line. Heaven vs Hell, the Apocalypse is coming, and it all plays into that main season arc.

In the very same episode, it's revealed that Sam and Ruby had sex at a time that Dean was still in Hell. In the story so far, Ruby basically pushed Sam to move forward after Dean's death, which of course as we now know, gave her an opportunity to get inside his head. But the point is Heaven saved Dean (through Castiel), and Hell saved Sam (through Ruby) to get them to where they are in the present.

Sure enough, we find out that Anna is a fallen angel and that's why she's so in tune with Angel Radio, and she is sought out by both Heaven and Hell (one person -> both factions seeking her out). It's no coincidence that Anna describes ripping out her grace to fall to Earth as "hacking it out" or like "cutting out your kidney like a butter knife". No coincidence that Heaven wants to punish her for disobedience and Hell wants to just get their hands on her to interrogate her (and Alistair is the one sent to retrieve her). Cas: "She is far from innocent." No coincidence that Anna is the one to talk to Dean about his experience in Hell before Sam or anyone else. No coincidence that Anna states that getting her grace back is the solution she's come up with (think to 4x16 when Dean is told he has to stop the Apocalypse since he started it aka he has to make things right/stop Sam from going full Hell Vader - this paralleling is also confirmed by Dean and Anna's dialogue in 4x10 outside of the Impala). Because Dean is the Righteous Man who broke the first seal, and he did that by shedding blood aka torturing/cutting into another soul in Hell. They're both paralleled.

So it is absolutely no coincidence that we see In the next episode (4x10), Dean and Anna have sex. Not only does this parallel to Sam and Ruby, but also because Dean and Anna are paralleled themselves. Dean: "Yeah, well, we've all done things we've gotta pay for."

The exact moment Ruby is being tortured by Alistair and Sam is wondering where she is, Castiel (with Uriel in tow) comes for Anna.

And in this scene, Cas takes over Anna's story line once she is gets her grace back, and remains as the Angel on Dean's shoulder while Ruby remains as the rep for Hell on Sam's shoulder.

Then we fast forward to the season finale and what happens?:

Sam breaks the final seal by killing Lilith and this enables Lucifer to be freed which really kicks off the Apocalypse for real. All at Ruby's urging and her setting him up. It's also no mistake that Dean and Sam kill Ruby together but Dean is the one to wield the knife.

Sam: "Ruby, what's going on?"

Ruby: "You did it. I mean, it was a little touch and go there for a while but you did it."

Sam: "What? What--What did I do?"

Ruby: "You opened the door and now he's free at last. He's free at last."

Sam: "No, no, no. No, Lilith--I stopped her, I killed her."

Ruby: "And it is written that the First Demon shall be the Last Seal. And you bust her open. And guess who's coming to dinner."

Dean breaks the First Seal -> Sam breaks the Last Seal

Dean breaks it by shedding blood in Hell -> Sam breaks it by killing Lilith

Dean starts the seal breaking -> Sam finishes the seal breaking

Dean starts it -> Dean finishes it by going to the battlefield & "saving" Earth from the Apocalypse

Sam starts it -> Sam finishes it by throwing himself (& Lucifer) into the cage & saving Earth from the Apocalypse

The First Blood Shed By the Righteous Man in Hell -> The First Demon's Blood Being the Key to the Door

And sure enough, the parallels even go right down to the physical with:

While Ruby doesn't brand Sam so to speak, it's no coincidence that it's her blood that he feeds on to help strengthen his powers. And it's also no coincidence that this happens in the Dean/Anna sex scene:

Right down to the setups:

Sam is working on sending demons back to Hell/sending them downwards

Dean climbs out of his grave/rising

And not only do these physical setups look similar (in circle formation) but also goes with that whole below & rising theme:

And not only does Dean rise (aka "raised from perdition") from the grave and Hell respectively, the very guy that the first seal was broken for (through Dean's actions/Alistair's prodding & torture) also "rises" in the episode "Lucifer Rising". And this is able to be done because Sam kills Lilith (through Sam's actions/Ruby's prodding) and her blood forms this pattern on the floor which then magically opens the cage in Hell and lets Lucifer out, allowing him to rise.

P A R A L L E L S

So not only does Dean share parallels with Sam (the main protagonist) and Anna (which doubles down on his own journey/story & the faction/side he represents) but also who will become the main villain in season 5, thus making it essential to the story line we see play out in that season and the show as a whole. The battle with Lucifer and Michael cannot play out without both brothers. Even when Adam is used as a substitute, Dean still shows up for the battle, still has an impact and helps affect the heroic decision Sam makes, and also does what he was told to do in season 4. He and Sam both stopped the Apocalypse.

And that's why this is so important; it shows you how Kripke eventually evolved the series to have TWO main protagonists: the brothers. There's a reason that Lucifer finally has enough and starts beating the hell out of Dean. There's a reason that what gets through to Sam is the green army man he sees in the backseat of the Impala. There's a reason BOTH brothers are shown in the flashback. Why we are shown BOTH of them carving their names into the car. Why we are then shown flashbacks of them in season 1 and onwards. Why in all of those flashbacks, we do not see one scene of John or Bobby or Jessica or anyone else (not that I could see at that speed anyways lol). Why the very ending flashback is of Dean hugging Sam. Because Kripke was leaving the show and telling you, this is the most important relationship of the show: the brothers, because that's what the series is about. Regardless of the MOTW format or the angels added in. Sam was the main protagonist for the first two seasons, I'd even go so far as to say for season 3 even, but season 4 is where it all changed. To have the parallels that they do just starting in that season alone, on the same level, where it's very yin and yang (think Amara saying that she and Chuck are yin and yang for example, if one tries to exist without the other it chaos), and to be without one brother, the story would not work well moving forward. Kripke did this all himself. He made this decision. And he even told you that:

Chuck: "So what's it all add up to? Hard to say but me I'd say this was a test, for Sam and Dean. And I think they did alright. Up against good, evil, angels, devils, destiny, and God himself. They made their own choice. They chose family. And, well, isn't that kind of the whole point?" (he not only mentions both of them but he also discusses the dichotomy of both story lines not only for the show but the characters themselves & in this montage when he says 'good', we see Sam and Dean together, when he says 'bad' we see Dean against Azazel, when he says 'angels' we see Sam with Meg, when he says 'devils' we see Dean killing Zacariah. It's. All. RIGHT. THERE.)

Beginning of the monologue scene

They even hinted at in season 4 with something as casual as this in the story line:

The book poster features both brothers. Dean's Hell story line is mentioned (which this lady gushes about) and then she talks about Sam's story line in regards to Madison/Jessica. And then she talks about Dean again and one of his own story lines ("Home"). The point being, both brothers are included here in a very central way for this book series. "Well, I don't want any smartass article making fun of my boys." Both brothers answer her questions: Dean (the Impala, his fave song); Sam (his birthday, his LSAT score). When Sam is asked his birthday, Dean offers up his birthday. When Sam is asked his LSAT score (aka school where he was in the beginning of the series), Dean is then asked what his favorite song is (he was hunting/driving aka where he was in the beginning of the series).

And this is the very same episode the boys meet Chuck aka The Prophet aka God aka the writer of their story (not realizing who he actually is at this point in time).

It's literally laid out before you in all devices television shows (and movies) employ to help tell the story. Which includes dialogue choices, actors' performances, music cues, set decs and props, costuming, lighting, script events (for television shows), even framing and the shots the director acquires and the editors then utilize.

And back to Swan Song quickly:

Sam makes the heroic sacrifice to jump into the pit to put Lucifer back into the cage (once again, traveling downward and into Hell) & Dean keeps his promise to Sam to go live his life (once again, staying above ground and while he's not going upward, it's quite the turnaround from 4x01 and Lucifer is no longer rising and neither is Dean).

And while some people might say, 'oh those are just story parallels for the season, it doesn't mean anything.' 'Look, Sam sacrificed himself, he's the hero' (yes, he's one of the heroes of the story). 'Sam's still the main guy or final girl or whatever'...nope. Because Dean also made the hero's choice to show up at that battle and stay for his brother. Just like Sam told him "It's going to be okay, Dean, I've got him" seeing Dean bloody and hurt (they chose each other obviously). Because these parallels continue until the end of Kripke's run with Swan Song, and continue on until the later seasons, even right into 15x20.

Dean 2.0 to Sam: "Dad, it's okay. You can go now."

Sam to Dean in the same episode (and his dad in a way): "Dean, it's okay. You can go now."

They both died. In a very paralleled way as well. They literally echoed both scenes together, right down to the dialogue, the hand touches, the dynamics (father and son), and even had "Dean" giving Sam permission as the latter did for OG Dean. Regardless of how their deaths happened or why it happened or when it happened or what they did in between the time they reuinte, the point is by the end of the series, both had died and were in Heaven together. Because they were both the main protagonists.

And regardless of COVID and bts stuff, is it any wonder that they chose a bridge and certain wardrobe choices that purposely call back to the pilot? They're not just cool little Easter eggs. Both brothers are there, looking in the same direction, with Baby aka their home not too far from them and if you look at both actor's positioning, they purposely are almost the same height (by Jared leaning down slightly to match Jensen) for these shots.

The series started out with Sam as the main protagonist. And while that didn't change, the story evolved (by Kripke himself) in order to include another main protagonist, another hero. When you compare Han Solo's story to Dean's for example, that Office Pam meme cannot apply; they are not the same picture. And Dean cannot even be called a supporting protagonist because the story does not support that claim nor does the very definition of what a supporting protagonist is and the examples of where we usually see them within the story. And while writers can choose to tell the story through other characters (for example, ensemble shows use rotating protagonists all the time, i.e. 9-1-1) they don't always have the central story line when compared to the protagonist. Dean had his own central story line that started with season 4 and continued on until the end. It didn't take away from Sam's or put him on the back burner - it was all tied into Sam's own central story line in a way where they both had their own arcs, continued to parallel and complement each other, and tied back into the main story arcs. Almost as if you're looking at a piece of paper with two separate lines drawn on it, sometimes intersecting, but still making it to the end of the page aka the finish line. If you go back and rewatch and truly delve into it all, it's all right there.

tl;dr: Dean is absolutely a main protagonist. This started in season 4 (I know Dean had his demon deal arc in season 3, but I personally don't think he became front and center in the central story line until 4) and Kripke made the decision to do it.

Dean (and some Jensen) haters will tell you that Dean never mattered to the story. That Dean was a sidekick at best, someone who was obsessed with his little brother, someone that Jensen always tried to get to be the main character ahead of Sam or some other such nonsense. They'll tell you that it was always about Sam, that the later seasons don't count, that people only care about Dean because he's played by an attractive actor, etc. They'll also attempt to gas light and manipulate you and argue bully you into a corner by belittling you and telling you that you never watched the real show. That you only watched it for a ship, or an actor, or because you fantasize about Dean or whatever else they can come up with on the fly while attacking. They'll even tell you that you don't understand basic story telling while they do and you're stupid to think otherwise. But the truth is, the story of Supernatural expanded and that began during the creator's/original showrunner's own run. At some point, the decision was made to make it about both brothers and that is reflected in the story line itself. In order to survive, the story needed to expand and evolve as time went on (which is the case with any story if it plans to continue being told). Dabb knew that, Carver knew that, Sera knew that, Kripke himself knew that. That is part of how story telling works.

Ultimately, like Chuck Eric said himself "the fans are always going to bitch." And no matter how loud and how hard the haters bitch (whether it's about hating Dean or having some competitive haze over the characters or the actors, like the whole #1 on the call sheet claim which yeah Sam was the main guy for the first few seasons, it makes sense that he was cast #1, duh, it doesn't diminish Dean's importance in the story, hello), it doesn't change facts of what we saw on our screens: Dean is absolutely essential to the story, just as much as Sam is. And not only did every single showrunner double down on it, that's literally how the show ended as well (that these same people claim to love this finale episode btw). In fact, we got two different endings of them: 15x19's drive off into the sunset so to speak where they're both still standing & 15x20's deaths and their ending up in Heaven. Dabb kept it uniform for both in that their endings were shared, alive or dead. They are the two brothers this show was about. The series (and story) would not have worked if one of the brothers disappeared permanently or if it was only about one for all 15 seasons.

Dean was not the sidekick. Dean was not a secondary character. He was not a supporting protagonist.

He is one of the main protagonists. Same as Sam.

[koolkat9]

When Words Fail

Rating: T

Relationship: France + Canada, Scotland + Canada

Word Count: 747

Read on AO3

Author’s Note: A little father son healing for father’s day

Matthew fiddled with the sleeve of his sweatshirt. The door opened to reveal a slightly disheveled, red-faced-looking Alastair, and Arthur muttering angrily, disappearing into the living room. Not this again.

“If you want yer dad, let him cool down first,” Alastair sighed, leaning against the door frame.

“Actually I came for you. I uh…Need help with something. Um…” He peeked behind Alastair again. Arthur was gone, but still, he didn’t want to risk Arthur overhearing and getting upset further. “Can we go somewhere more private?”

Alastair followed Matthew’s gaze and gave an understanding nod. “Okay let’s go.” With a clap on his nephew’s back, Alastair guided him to a nearby dirt path. “So, what is it?”

“I want to get something for Francis. For Father's Day…I get things for you and Dad after all and well…He’s my dad too.”  

Alastair was silent for a moment, eyes focused up ahead. “I know you two have gotten closer recently but…Are you sure?”

Matthew nodded, looking off to the side. “I…We’re in a good place. I know I don’t owe them anything but…They’ve been getting involved more. It’s even suffocating sometimes, but they're really trying.”

“Yer right there. Took yer father doing even less to get forgiveness.” He ruffled Matthew’s hair. “I just worry you’re moving too quickly.”

“It’s been hundreds of years,” Matthew huffed.

“And only a few decades of Fran finally stepping up.”

Matthew curled in on himself, burying his nose in his sweatshirt. Even though he stood a good few inches over his uncle, he was still treated as a child. “I know what I need right now. A-And I want to show him that I still think he’s my Papa…I just…Can’t get the words out, so this is the next best thing”

Alastair gave a long sigh. “Okay. I trust you on this. But why did you come to me?”

“I need your help with the gift.”

— — —

Francis wasn’t expecting anyone when there was a knock at the door. Maybe Arthur was finally getting back at them for all the times the Frenchman had come to his house uninvited.

But instead of the scowling face of his lover, the soft gaze of their son met him. “Matthieu? What are you doing here? Did I miss your call?”

“Not at all…I…I wanted to surprise you.” A pale blue gift bag swung in his hands. Francis tried to pay it no mind as they invited Matthew in.

“I’m sure you are hungry after that long plane ride,” Francis went on as he guided Matthew to the living room, “I was just about to start lunch.”

“I actually came from Dad’s…But I didn’t grab a bite to eat before I left.”

Francis chuckled. “I don’t blame you mon chou. I wouldn’t trust the food in your father’s house.”

Matthew laughed shyly.

Minutes later, Francis returned with a tray of sandwiches and two glasses of lemonade. They eyed the bag again before sitting down and grabbing a sandwich. “Bon appetit. " The two dug in.

So what brought you here?” Francis finally ask.

Matthew tugged at the sleeve of his sweater, kicking his feet slightly. Francis couldn’t help but smile softly. Matthew had changed so much since he was a boy, but a few things seemed to have remained the same.

Matthew reached for the bag and handed it to Francis. “Happy Father’s Day Papa,” he beamed.

Air lodged in Francis’s throat and he nearly dropped his sandwich. He swallowed hard, putting his food to the side before carefully taking the bag. “Matthieu…I don’t…”

“I figured…Since we’re in a better place…” “Oh, Matthieu.” Francis rose to their feet, embracing their son. “Merci.”

He pulled away slightly, hands cradling Matthew’s face, thumb caressing his son’s cheek. The little boy with the same golden curls and blue eyes as Francis, now a man. Why did he leave all those years ago? He didn’t deserve any of this.

He shook his head. Matthew didn’t need him pitying himself. Matthew seemed to want his dad, and that’s just what Francis would do. He pulled Matthew in for another hug. “Thank you mon chou. I…I don’t know what else to say.”

“Don’t say anything. Just accept it.”

Francis squeezed their boy tighter. He smiled, though tears pricked along his lashes. “How about you stay over for a few days? We can catch up.”

Matthew gripped Francis’s shirt. “I’d like that…a lot..."

[meloncholy-words]

Crime Doesn't Wait For Us

Pavitr and Gayatri are having a sleepover, holding each other so lovingly and tenderly. Unfortunately, crime does not care what you may be doing.

A/N: I wrote this story over a few days and every time I picked it up it was past 9PM. As most of my stories are made, of course. So if it isn't super great I blame that, as I usually do. I swear I can't help it, I just don't feel like writing any other time T^T

~~~

Warnings: Mentions of past death and violence, but nothing explicit. Pavitr briefly goes into detail about a fight but it's very brief!

Pairing(s): GoldenClass(Pavitr x Gayatri)

AO3

~~~

Inspector Singh was very protective of his daughter, and disapproved of most boys that she knew. He did his best to make sure that she was nothing but safe and loved, and was overly critical of... Well, everyone. But even so, he did want to her to be happy. And if that meant eventually caving in to accepting her boyfriend, then maybe that's just what he had to do.

When Gayatri had formally introduced him to Pavitr, he couldn't really say that he was surprised. He had seen them, even when they thought that he couldn't. He could see how they leaned into each other, how an accidental brush of the hand usually lasted longer when they didn't realize that he was looking, how their hugs goodbye after school lasted longer than they probably should have.

Sometimes, he could even hear them in her room. Now that one was a bit concerning, as he wasn't really sure how that Prabhakar kid even got in there, but he never really said anything. They seemed happy, and he knew that his daughter was responsible enough to not do anything stupid while they were alone. He didn't know a lot about this kid, but if Gayatri was so happy with him, he didn't want to ruin that by pushing too hard.

When they had finally met, Inspector Singh could say that he, for once, approved. Pavitr himself seemed to be a good person. He was confident and loud, but he was also incredibly polite. He was patient and careful with his words, and he looked at Gayatri as if she was the only thing that he could. Now that was something that Inspector Singh could trust, especially with his daughter.

Despite that, he still set some boundaries for them. He did not mind Pavitr coming over to visit Gayatri, to even spend the night if he wanted. However, he did not approve of her going over to his place. It was easier to know that Gayatri was safe if she stayed home, and Pavitr seemed to understand that entirely.

Which was how they ended up here, having a little sleepover in Gayatri's room. There was music in the background playing from Pavitr's phone, some random song that they weren't paying attention to. They were sitting on the bed, legs crossed and facing each other as Gayatri painted his nails. Pavitr was ranting about his day, talking about school and his... other duties.

"So the robber swung at me, and then I ducked because of course I did - I'm Spider-Man, it's too easy - and so I landed a few hits, and then the robber-"

"Pavitr," Gayatri said, interrupting his speech softly, "you know I love you and everything about you, but please. Stop talking with your hands for just a moment, I am painting them."

"Oh, sorry," he said sheepishly. He hadn't even realized it, but his hands had lost themselves somewhere in the air while he was talking. Delicately, he gave the hand that she was working on back to her.

"It's alright, don't worry," she reassured. Her thumb ran gently over his knuckles, which were still slightly bruised. She brought it up to her lips, kissing them with care. "I know it's your job and all, but you should try to stop getting into so many fights. At least the unnecessary ones."

"You know I can't do that," he whispered, being mindful to not get so excited he waves his hands around again. "Every fight could be a necessary one to join. If I ignore it, something bad could happen. It certainly wouldn't be the first time."

Gayatri's hand stilled, the brush of the polish stilling at the tip of his nail as she felt the mood shift. Her eyes wandered up to his eyes, glossy and rather vacant. His eyebrows were furrowed slightly, almost unnoticeable. But she had known him long enough to be able to pick it out.

"So what happened next?" His eyes become focused at the sound of her voice, meeting her gaze. "After- after you got those hits in. You never finished the story."

Pavitr smiled softly, putting himself back into the moment. He felt infinitely lucky to have a girlfriend who cared for him so much, and who knew him so well.

"Ok, so, after I got in a few hits, the robber pulled out a gun and-"

"I think that's enough of the story."

Pavitr let out a short bark of laughter, curling forward and pressing his forehead to Gayatri's. She continued decorating his nails as he laughed to himself. Her eyes briefly glanced up to his joyous face, taking in the sight of his scrunched nose and wide smile. She was so happy to have someone like him to call hers.

"Alright, now you just need to wait for it to dry," she said as she coated his final nail. "Try not to rub it on anything, and don't use your hands too much until you're sure that they're entirely dry."

"Yes, ma'am!" Pavitr assured, curling his hands into bear claws. He let out a soft, playful growl as he did so, pulling a chuckle out of his girlfriend. "So uhhhh, what should we do now? While we wait for this to dry at least."

Gayatri pondered for a moment, racking her brain for things to do. "Well, I usually just watch a movie, or if I'm up to it just talk to my dad. But we probably shouldn't bug him, so... Movie?"

"Yeah, that sounds good! You can pick one, I don't care too much."

Gayatri and Pavitr settled into her bed comfortably, her laying against his shoulder with his head on hers. Pavitr had his hands interlocked with themselves resting on his chest to ensure they dry properly. Their legs were intertwined, and Gayatri had her laptop resting in her lap as she scrolled through a list of movies.

"Anything catch your eye?" Gayatri asked, continuing to scroll mindlessly through the options. "I've watched most of the good stuff, but I don't know what you've seen or not."

"Eh, not really, and I don't want to make you watch something you've seen before," came his reply as he leaned deeper into her scent. "What if we just watched the worst rated film on here?"

Gayatri paused her scrolling for a moment to contemplate his idea. She quickly opened up another tab, looking up what exactly the worst rated film would be. It was some animated movie, and it looked absolutely atrocious. It was perfect.

The character models were flat, yet somehow chunky. The voice acting was flat, made from people who didn't seem to even want to be involved in the movie. The story itself was all over the place, and neither could really describe it if someone else asked what it was about.

There were many laughs shared, mostly over how absurd the film was. They conversed back and forth about random things, sometimes not even related to what they were watching. Gayatri let out a few yawns, feeling tuckered out as the night progressed, and Pavitr let out many more.

In the final few minutes of the movie, Pavitr was entirely gone. He was snoring softly, face buried deep in Gayatri's hair and hands still locked with each other. Gayatri smiled warmly, deciding to let it at least finish. She had gotten this far, she may as well.

She was quick to back out of the movie once it had finished, opening up one of her shows to continue watching where she had left off. Pavitr was asleep, so she didn't feel too bad. She didn't get half way through the next episode when she had fallen asleep as well.

When the sun peaked through the curtains, Pavitr found his eyes opening slowly. He felt Gayatri's body heat against hers, smelling the perfume that essentially coated the room. There was an itch in the back of his head, alerting him that something was about to come up before it actually did.

Slowly, he wiggled himself out from under his girlfriend, laying her gently against his pillows. He crept over to the other side of her room where his bag was located, slipping his hand to the very bottom and pulling out his Spider-Man suit.

As quietly as he could, he slipped his suit over his muscular skin and fluffed his hair. Silently once more, he tip-toed back to the bed. His hand found its way on the side of Gayatri's face, caressing it softly. He planted a firm kiss onto her forehead, pressing their noses together.

"I have to go my love," he whispered. "I'm sure I'll be back before you awake, but I tell you now in case I don't"

The itch in his head began to grow, ringing through his ears in a steady and heavy thrum. He pushed the window open, attaching himself to the wall and making his way onto the roof. He perched himself on the ledge, patient and focused as he listened for any danger.

A scream to his left caught his attention quick, and soon enough he was jumping over the streets. Sometimes he wished that he could just sleep in, but that wasn't really how it worked.

Crime didn't wait, and neither could he. At least he would have something interesting to tell her when he came back.

[aajjks]

TPOL!JK

you’re at a loss for words because you thought you did the ring thing for him, for the both of you. “n-no! d-don’t leave me!” you yell while walking after jungkook who goes for his keys and doesn’t even look at you. “i-i do trust you, jungkook. i just…i was scared you would leave or-or you’d want the baby gone so i fixed it. please, don’t blame yourself. i, i chose this. i chose to do it, none of this is your fault” you say but jungkook can’t even look at you and once he finds his keys, he leaves you alone.

you fall to your knees and cry in the palm of your hands. you’re sure that you and jungkook are probably finished and now everything you did was for nothing because he left you anyways.

bam walks over to you and puts his head in your lap while listening to you cry. he probably thinks he’s comforting you and in a way he is because you remove your hands from your face and stroke bam on his head.

“i think this is it, bamie” you say while getting yourself up to call your best friend yerin to help you pack your things so you could move out of the penthouse but you hear your mother’s words in the back of your head reminding you: your father and i used to go at it all of the time but we gave each other space and when the time was right, we worked things out.

and so you don’t move out. instead, you take heed of your mother’s word and give jungkook his space like he did you. you didn’t call or text him and waited for him to come back to you because you want to try and save the last bits and pieces of the relationship the two of you have, if there are any pieces left.

you both have broken, rebuilt, destroyed, rebuilt, disintegrated, and rebuilt this relationship so many times that maybe it’s time to let it go and move on.

you both fucked up in more ways than one and if this doesn’t prove that you both just aren’t meant for each other than you don’t know what is.

however, to keep jungkook from losing his shit, you’ll allow him to decide which path he wants to go with the relationship. when he returns, you’re expecting him to call things off, demand you to pack your shit, and never speak to him again because of the damage you dealt to the relationship.

when you hear the door unlock and bam bark like crazy, you know it’s jungkook who finally decided to show his face after not talking to you for so long. of course you carried on as per usual and worried about him but you figured it was best for the two of you.

while he places his belongings down, you’re in the kitchen cleaning dishes since bam just got finished eating his dinner, all you had was pineapples. at first, jungkook doesn’t really pay you any mind and you’re a little irked about it because if he was just going to ignore you then you could’ve stayed the night with your mom instead of being here but eventually jungkook does address you.

every time he does, however, his eyes peer at your stomach. “can you please stop looking at my stomach. i’m sure we can try again next time? r-right?”

“No.” He says, looking at you and finally peering his eyes off your belly. “Yn no.” He goes to bam and pets his dog, he’s smiling with him.

“Someone made me realise that I’m not meant to be a father. You did the right thing.” He reminds you, his words are ice cold, Jungkook feels so tired. “I’m sorry I left you here all alone. But I needed some alone time.” He gets up after playing with bam.

And here you are, you’re still scared, he can tell you feel guilty about what you did, maybe you even deserve to, but he’s missed you so much.

Since you’re the only one who understands him, you’re the only one who actually treats him like a human with actual feelings.

Jungkook pulls you in for a hug, and you gasp. “I’m sorry yn..” he chokes, he’s crying in your arms. You make him so vulnerable. “T-Thank you for allowing me to be vulnerable around you..”

He’s pretty sure he’s sick, he can tell with the heat emitting from him. “I-I hate my parents so much yn..”

[prongsfootandco]

Rating: T Pairing: James/Sirius (background James/Lily but Prongsfoot is endgame) Summary: James is stuck in a marriage that he doesn't want, with a kid he doesn't want, trapped in a house he'd rather be free from. That's when he meets a mysterious cloaked figure in the corner of a muggle pub, and he can't help but introduce himself.

_

It wasn’t that James was unhappy. Except he sort of was. After marrying the woman of his dreams and having a child together, one would think that James should be on top of the world, but before Lily had fallen pregnant, James had been starting to realise that dreams aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. The day Lily had told him about Harry, James had been gearing up to break her heart. But he couldn’t. His parents had taught him to honour his duty, and honour it he did. 

They were married before Lily had even started showing. 

Then the baby came and for one brilliant moment, as James held his son in his arms, he thought their marriage might be saved. Voldemort stopped that. The prophecy. The war. All of it stacked up, building a cage around James until he was trapped in his house, unable to leave, stuck with a woman he no longer loved and a child that was the cause of his imprisonment. 

No one could blame him for running. He was careful, using the cloak to sneak out the house, and he made sure to use muggle transportation as he headed towards London. The Leaky Cauldron called to James, but he stayed in muggle pubs. Muggle this. Muggle that. All so he wouldn’t be found by Lord Voldemort. All to protect a family he didn’t love. 

But he loved living. 

He’d adored Hogwarts with his friends and his pranks and his maybe illegal studies. Magic gave him life, spurred him on through the darkness. Summers with his parents and flying around the fields on his broom were some of his happiest memories. Nothing could be better than living. There was a whole world out there just waiting to be explored, two if you count the muggle world, and James had always dreamed of seeing it all, but instead he was cornered, trapped, caged. He felt like a dragon, chained in the dungeons. 

Breaking free was the only way he could feel like himself again. The first breath of fresh air felt like heaven, better than sex… better than quidditch. He laughed and danced and ran through the streets with nothing to hold him back. By the time he reached London, he almost felt like himself again. Almost. 

And then he saw them. 

The cloaked figure lurking in the back of the bar. In the midst of war, James really should have been more scared by a mysterious being in the very pub he’d chosen for his refuge, but his Gryffindor spirit had not subsided one ounce since Hogwarts, and he found himself drawn to them instead. Beneath their hood, their skin was grey, dark contours under their cheekbones and around their eyes, giving them a skeletal appearance. Their neck was similarly two-toned, highlighting their spine. On closer inspection, James noticed their hood was unlike any cloak he’d seen before. It wasn’t pinned shut around their neck, and the shirt they were wearing underneath was completely unbuttoned, revealing what looked like bone-like tattoos, dark against their pale skin. 

James was completely entranced. 

No one else seemed to be paying the stranger any attention as they took a long drag from their cigarette. The smoke billowed around them. James’ feet moved towards the cloaked figure on their own accord and he slipped into the chair opposite them. 

“Hi,” he whispered, unashamedly staring, his eyes roaming over the expanse of bare skin. “I’m James.”

“I know.”

Silver eyes flashed a vibrant pink as they smirked. Utterly gorgeous. How could anyone resist such beauty? James noticed that the heart shaped tattoo on their chest glowed pink as their eyes changed colour, but it faded back to silver just as quickly.

“Do I not get a name?” James pressed. 

The stranger’s laugh rang out, melodic and ethereal. “Darling, you shouldn’t even be able to see me.”

“Why?”

“It’s bad luck to meet a reaper before you’re due to die.”

A reaper? Oh. That would explain the odd contouring on their face. Skeletal really had been the correct assessment. Again, there was a niggle in the back of James’ mind which told him he should be afraid, or at the very least cautious, but of course, he wasn’t. He wanted to know more about the reaper. Why were they here? Was he going to die? It would make sense if he was. There was a war on and he had snuck out from behind the shields that were meant to keep him alive, so really if Voldemort was going to kill him then it would be the opportune moment… unless Peter betrayed them, which was laughable, Peter wouldn’t hurt a fly. 

“Meeting someone so beautiful could never be bad luck,” James said, leaning forward on the table and resting his chin on his hands. “Are all reapers this attractive or did I just get lucky?”

“You’re brave and charming… I love it,” the reaper winked, their eyes and heart once again burning pink. This time James noticed their finger nails also changed colour. It was fascinating. “But I’m not here for you. Not today.”

“Will you tell me when?”

The reaper cocked their head, eyes studying James cautiously. “I shouldn’t, but something tells me that you’ll get the most out of your life if you were to find out.”

“Exactly! Come on, love, help a man in need out.”

Suddenly, the reaper’s eyes glowed blue as they stared over James’ shoulder. “Hold that thought, duty calls.” 

They stood up. James watched as they glided over to a man just as he collapsed to the floor, clutching at his chest. A crowd of onlookers gathered around, shock and despair on their faces. One person was yelling for someone to call an ambulance, and another desperately trying to give the man CPR, but it was too late. James knew that. The reaper held out their hand, and spoke quietly to a soul that James couldn’t see before their outstretched fingers dropped down to their side. The man was dead. 

“Seems like a tough gig,” James muttered as the reaper slunk back into their seat. 

For the first time, they pulled their hood down. Underneath was a shock of long black hair, falling in waves around their shoulders. Just another part of them that was unreasonably stunning. Their long fingers wrapped around their glass and they shrugged. 

“I don’t mind it. In fact, it’s quite rewarding in its own right. As an immortal being, I find comfort in being able to guide souls in their most vulnerable moments. It’s the closest I get to understanding what it’s like to be human,” the reaper sighed, their eyes and heart glowing blue once more as they ran a hand through their hair. “It’s been so long that I’ve forgotten.”

“You were human?”

“A wizard, like you, but when I died I was reborn. The reaper who met me realised I wasn’t done living, and so he offered me a chance to live forever.”

James couldn’t help but smile at his new friend, placing his hands over the reaper's cold ones. “Was it worth it?”

“Without a shadow of a doubt. I get to live and love and laugh every day, plus scaring the arseholes and murderers is a fun perk. We’re supposed to make the transition to death easy for everyone, but, Merlin , it’s just too easy to mess with them, and after the life they lead, I think they deserve it.”

James grinned. “Oh absolutely. What about me? You gonna mess with me?”

The reaper winked again, making James’ heart flutter in his chest. “Oh I’d certainly enjoy that.”

“And yet you still won’t give me a name,” James whined with a pout.

Long fingers caressed James’ cheek, nails blooming a rose pink. “Maybe next time. I suspect I’ll be seeing you soon, James.”

For a few seconds, James could do nothing except stare blankly at the reaper, all thoughts leaving his brain except “ Oh no they’re hot”. He was a mess. It took all of James’ willpower not to lean in and press his lips against theirs, wondering what it would be like to kiss them. Would they be cold? What would they taste like?

And then they were gone.

James was left alone in a muggle pub, feeling like his entire world had just been turned upside down.

[w0rm3y]

Playing With Serpents

Chapter One

Word Count- 3.5k

Warnings- Death, Angst, Mentions of Human Trafficking, Violence

February 25th, 2019

"It's empty, Dion," Quinn spoke through the small radio attached to my hip. "There's nothing up here at all." I frowned, confused.

"What do you mean, nothing?"

"The girl is not here." She replied, huffing in frustration.

I don't blame her. I was equally frustrated. We had been following these guys for months, watching their every move, day and night, and yet they weren't here. They're always here.

"Quinnie, you know I don't mean to question you but are you sure? We watched them walk inside yesterday and there hasn't been anyone out of there."

"I'm not blind, Dion. No one is here. Come and look for yourself if you don't believe me."

I sighed and gathered my stuff from the ground. After doing another swift check around the bottom floors, I quickly climbed the stairs to meet my partner. As soon as the tall spitfire saw me, she rolled her eyes and motioned for me to take a glance at the 'nothing' that surrounded us.

"I'm not a liar."

"I didn't say you were." I retorted and waved my flashlight around the dark, damp, rotting room. "They have to be in here somewhere. Where would they have gone?"

"Maybe you didn't secure your area well enough-,"

I cut her off sharply, "It's secure." Out of my peripheral vision, I saw her cast me a smart-assed glare.

"Doesn't feel good to have someone question you, does it?"

Instead of encouraging her, I made my way over to the wall. Taking off my glove, I slowly trailed my fingertips over the peeling wallpaper.

"What are you doing?"

"I have watched this building for two weeks straight. Not once did I see someone leave, therefore, they are still here."

Quinn scoffed, "And you think they're in the walls?"

I sighed, rolling my eyes at her constant pessimism.

"Did the bright, and oh-so-smart Quinnie-girl have a better idea?"

"Yeah, maybe let's abandon this stupid mission. We've been looking for his daughter for years, Dion-,"

"And you act like she's only a figment of our imaginations. We've seen her. We've gotten so close to finding her and you want to quit?"

"If I'm being honest, Dion, the pay sucks. You'd think this billionaire diplomat or whatever would be able to pay a little more."

Quinn was a great partner and a wonderful friend, aside from constantly looking at the dark side of things. I'd go as far as to say she was my best friend. She was strong and smart, always reliable but recently her attitude has shifted. Quinn started to feel discouraged by our lack of answers in this mission. Once again, I can't blame her. We had been looking for this girl for years and always came up empty-handed.

The 'billionaire diplomat' as Quinn liked to call him, was exactly that. A billionaire from a remote part of Europe. We'd never met him but our bank accounts were funded every month for our endeavors. His name was Sebastian Catticus, at least that's what it says in the letters he sends us.

Which, even though I have no children, pulled on my heartstrings every time. Of course, it crossed my mind whether or not this whole thing was just a wild-goose chase for some fake girl, but with the evidence and the large sum of cash this man was willing to drop, I felt as though she was real.

So, I continued to search for her. And I would continue to, with or without Quinnie.

"Come on, Dion. You know, next week makes three years that we've been looking. Yes, we've almost got her but she keeps slipping through. Maybe it's a sign that-,"

"That we need to try harder."

Quinnie paused, pursing her lips, mulling over the idea. She seemed hesitant but finally, after a few seconds, she caved and started to feel along the damp wallpaper with me.

"What are we looking for exactly?" She asked from across the room.

"Some kind of hidden opening."

"What about a crawl space door?"

I stalled, looking over my shoulder. Quinnie, with her foot, pushed the small door open. The hinges creaked as it gave way to a tiny vent-like hallway.

"I think that might be it," I said, walking over to examine the door.

"I'll go first, I guess. I'll let you know what's on the other side." She bent down, getting on her knees. Just before she started to crawl forward, I stopped her.

"Be careful, okay?"

She rolled her eyes, scoffing at me before turning forward again. Just as she got into the crawl space, only in as far as her shoulders, she stopped.

"Dion-," She quipped, her voice a mere whisper.

Before I could answer, a swift but soft whistle sound rang out from the tunnel. And my heart sank.

I knew exactly what that sound was, even before Quinn's body slumped onto the floor. Blood quickly started to flow down the grooves in the musty wooden floorboards. I seemed to be cemented to the floor in shock even as her blood thickened and pooled around my boots.

March 4th, 2024

"I think about her frequently. Quinn, I mean." I finally said, answering Dr. Reeder after a few moments of contemplation. The firm forces me to attend these therapy sessions once a month, even after all this time.

Dr. Reeder looked surprised that I had spoken. Five years after the incident and 40 therapy sessions later, I finally opened up. It was embarrassing that it's taken me this long but I figure the firm isn't going to let up on these mandated meetings unless I make progress. I wasn't sure who came up with the concept of 'talking about feelings' to make yourself feel better but they were wrong. At least they were wrong when it came to me. I was more of a suffer-in-silence type of person rather than confiding in a total stranger. If there was one thing I learned over these last five years is to never allow yourself to feel vulnerable. That's how accidents like Quinn's death happen.

"And what about the girl? What about Eden?" He asked, peering up from his notebook and over the top of his glasses. My mouth dried.

He always looked at me like that. Even when I didn't answer, he'd still stare me down as if he was trying to crawl into my mind and figure me out. Truth was, there wasn't much to figure out. I was depressed and anyone that had a brain could see it.

"There's not much to think about in regards to her, is there?" I tried to keep the animosity from seeping into my tone but it was hard. "We're still looking for her," I mumbled, picking at the tread of my shoe and avoiding any kind of eye contact.

"Do you think you blame her for Quinn's death?"

His words made my heart beat rapidly in my chest. Of course, it made me angry but I had spent all this time looking for this young girl, dedicating my life to the search and it took my best friend. I was conflicted at the most.

Was I angry about Eden?

Or was I angry that Quinn was gone?

Before I could respond, the timer started to ring, signaling this session was over. I wiped my palms on my pants and stood from the leather chair.

"This was the first time I had heard your voice, Dion. Are you sure we can't extend this meeting a little longer?"

When I stayed silent, Dr Reeder nodded, accepting my lack of response as his answer.

"Well, progress is progress. You did well today." He stood from his chair and walked me to the door.  "You know my phone is always available to you." I felt his smile as I crossed the threshold into the corridor of his office building. I knew he only offered the phone because he got paid extra to take calls outside of working hours. Nonetheless, I never called. I don't think he expected me to, either.

The chauffeur opened my door for me as soon as I stepped outside. He came with me to these sessions to make sure I attended them and didn't leave early. I appreciated the effort but it was annoying to have someone babysitting you.

I was 24, I didn't need a babysitter. When we made it back to the office, just as I sat down in my chair, Edgar walked in carrying a stack of papers. I welcomed the extra work.

I welcomed anything to take my mind off the bad stuff.

I worked in a Private Investigation firm so there was no better place to get your mind off the bad stuff than looking at other bad stuff that could be worse.

"Hi, Eddie." I greeted, forcing a smile as he placed the papers on my desk.

"Morning, Dion. How was your dentist appointment?"

"You'll never guess, I have another cavity." I cracked a smile as Eddie groaned.

"It's all that candy you eat. I'm surprised you're not bigger than you are." He teased and reached into his back pocket, pulling out an envelope and handing it to me with a smile. "Your monthly letter, too."

I lost my smile and took the letter from his hand.

"Is this the month when you tell me who your secret admirer is?"

"Is it that important to you?" I asked, placing the envelope in my desk drawer for safekeeping.

"It keeps me up at night, Dion. I need to know who is so interested in you. I mean, no offense, you of all people? Where is my secret admirer?" He joked, running his hand through his hair.

"Probably in your head, next to where you keep your arrogance and ego. Now, out. I have work." Eddie rolled his eyes but quickly departed after saying his goodbyes.

Eddie was a good friend but he was so overbearing. He was a wonderful mind occupier but sometimes I just needed to be alone. Especially, when I had a letter from Mr. Catticus.

This entire part of my life was a secret from everyone except for my boss, Jericho Greyson, and Dr. Reeder. He set up my mission with Mr. Catticus and he's the one who's been forcing me to these monthly therapy sessions. Jericho and Dr. Reeder are the only ones who truly know what happened to Quinn.

To everyone else, I had monthly dental work, a secret admirer, and a best friend who died in a car crash. If I was being honest, my constant lying was bothersome and borderline exhausting. I skimmed through his letter when I knew I was completely alone. It was the same letter I had read over and over again. Same sob story and the same wants. After years of reading these letters, I had grown to hate them.

  I should've just given up like Quinn wanted to do, but in a way, I felt as though I'd be letting her down. I'd feel as though her death was for nothing. That entire week I had spent working on side cases through the day and then at night, staking out the places where I thought Eden might be.

March 9th, 2024

I checked the clock on my phone as I walked into my quaint motel room. 2:18 in the morning. What an awesome way to spend my Friday night.

This weekend, I was checking out a small city in Southeast Ohio. A place that was notorious for human trafficking. I already looked around the couple of places I thought they might have been holding her but no luck. Like always.

I groaned and pulled off my shoes, collapsing face-first into the hard, dusty bed. Just as I was about to drift to sleep, a sharp knock rapped on the hotel door.  I jolted up from the bed and reached for my gun. I checked the time again, thinking maybe I did fall asleep and this was the maid crew coming to clean my room the next morning.

2:20 am.

Who is knocking on my door this early in the morning? I pressed myself as close to the wall as I could and made my way to the door. Quickly, I tried to look through the peephole but that proved ineffective, someone had scribbled over the peephole with a marker. I listened and heard faint sniffling from the other side followed by quiet whimpers.

I knew that opening the door to a stranger wasn't the brightest idea but someone was out there. Someone was crying which could mean they needed help. After all, it could be someone that was hurt.

So after convincing myself, I pulled the door open and peered around the edge of it.

Kneeling on the ground was a blindfolded woman with her wrists tied together in front of her. Her ratted blonde hair dangled over her face. Dirt, blood, and scars stained her pale skin. I looked down each side of the hallway, making sure there was no one in sight before helping the woman to her feet.

She struggled to stand, almost like she was a baby deer, only birthed ten minutes ago. The woman wobbled as I led her into the room. She was still sniffling as she felt around her as much as she could with bound wrists, making sure she wasn't going to bump into anything. I wasn't going to let her anyway.

When the back of her knees hit the bed, she slowly took a seat. I reached forward and untied the blindfold. She winced as the light caught her eyes. 

However, the light was only a dimly lit lamp, nothing to wince over. Well, nothing to wince over if you've seen light every day for your entire life. This woman had been locked away for years. Her sickly pale skin and aversion to light only made that more evident. 

She avoided eye contact as I sat across from her. More tears dripped out of her familiar eyes. Even covered in bumps and bruises, I knew who this woman was.

"Eden," She flinched at my voice. "Your name is Eden, right?"

She swallowed hard before looking forward, sucking in any emotion she had portrayed tonight.

"It's Sunshine, actually." She whispered, blowing her ratted bangs out of her face. "It's a hundred for thirty minutes."

"Wait-,"

"You probably already know the spiel, but G. still makes me say it."

As incoherent nonsense spilled out of my mouth, Eden began stripping off her tattered clothing. When my mouth proved useless in stalling her efforts, I quickly turned around, covering my eyes for good measure.

"Are you alright?" With all that confidence she was able to muster and it still wasn't enough to hide the broken tone in her voice. "Hey, your timer started as soon as you let me in."

"I didn't-," Once more, my mouth betrayed me. With another deep breath, I stared straight at the stained wall in front of me, trying to come up with anything to say. However, Eden beat me to it.

"Is it your first time?" Her pale hand danced across my shoulder and I flinched away from her. "We can go slow-,"

"Put your clothes on," I stated, nearly biting my tongue in the process. "Now," I emphasized when I didn't hear the shuffling of her clothing.

"Of course," Like a beaten dog, she retracted her arm and obeyed. "I am clothed now."

I turned around and looked at the woman that I had been looking for for years now. She was delivered to my door and dropped off like a parcel. Surely, this had to have been a mistake. A very interesting coincidence but a mistake for sure.

Why on earth would the people who have held her captive for years just decide to drop her off to me? Was this some sort of setup? Were they waiting for me outside the door, ready to kill me to stop this ongoing chase?

Or maybe, they'd had enough of constantly looking over their shoulders every second of every day and decided to rid themselves of the problem. Regardless, they had done my job for me. Now, it was only a matter of figuring out if they had done it for my benefit or their own. "Eden-,"

"It's Sunshine," She quipped, crossing her arms. "I do not know who Eden is."

Do I have the wrong girl? Could that be possible?

I had spent years studying pictures of this girl. Granted, all of them were her as a little girl but still, I could not mistake those eyes for anyone's but Eden's. They were the deepest shade of honey I had ever seen. Not to mention, the small freckle that was on her lower brow bone.

She even had the cowlick in her hairline that made it part to the side, no matter how much they tried to make it part down the middle.

No, there was no way this wasn't Eden Catticus.

"You can send me away now but you'll have to pay for the whole time," She said, making her way towards the door. However, before she could open it, I slammed it shut again.

"Why did they bring you here?"

"I don't know, G. just drops me off," She flinched away from me.

"This isn't right," I backed away from her. "They wouldn't just drop you off to me. If they thought you were a burden, they would've surrendered you a long time ago. Unless they need to get us both together...," I thought aloud.

"Right," She forced a laugh and leaned her back against the door, and not so subtly reached for the door handle. "I'll be going-,"

"You're not going anywhere," I pulled her away from the door. With a quick peek around the corners to make sure the hallways were as I suspected, I made my decision. "Since there are gunmen hiding in the doorways down the hall, we'll be leaving out the window."

"What?! I'm not going anywhere with you!" She exclaimed and tried to get around me to the door but I grabbed a hold of her shoulders to stop her. "Let me go-!"

"I know this seems really scary to you right now but I swear to God, I am only here to save you."

"Save me? From what?"

"I'll explain later. Right now, we need to get out of this building."

When I dragged her towards the window, she fought harder against my grip.

"We are on the second story! Are you crazy?!"

There was a chance that I was being over dramatic but if that meant it saved us from whatever these men had planned for Eden and I, I would take the title and wear it with pride.

"Hotel windows don't even open-," I picked up the rickety old chair in the corner and smashed it against the window, shattering the glass all over. With my hand still wrapped securely around her wrist, I peeked over the ledge, thanking the universe for making sure there was a lush bush beneath us.

"You have two options right now. You can jump first or I jump first and catch you. But if you choose the latter, you have to promise you'll actually jump."

"You're here to save me? On who's orders?" She questioned as she looked over the edge of the building.

"Your father,"

Her eyes lit up as she gasped. "My father? He remembers me after all this time?" She spoke softly and in disbelief. "You jump first and catch me. My ankle is still healing from a fracture.

After getting Eden situated in the car, I wasted no time in getting in touch with my boss.

"Did anyone give you any trouble?" Jericho spoke from the other side of the phone as Eden and I drove out of the hotel parking lot.

"Nothing I wasn't able to handle-," But before I could finish my sentence, a loud, bone-chilling boom sounded from behind us, followed by a blinding light and smoke.

Car alarms started going off and debris floated down around Eden and I. Unfazed, I continued to drive out of the parking lot. It seemed we had just made it out of the range of impact.

Luck was just on my side this evening.

"What the hell was that?" Jericho asked.

"I guess that was their plan b. I'll explain everything when I get back."

"Well, hurry up. The sooner we have her in our custody, the safer she's going to be." My boss ended the call abruptly. I sat my phone down and glanced at Eden who seemed to be in a state of shock.

Unmoving, she sat with her eyes wide and forward, clutching her chest in an attempt to calm her racing heart. I knew exactly what she was feeling right now.

It was fear mixed with adrenaline and a little bit of excitement.

Masterlist

Chapter Two

[youmissedone]

“Is someone there?” the young girl whispered, holding her legs close to her chest. She didn’t dare to peek out from the cash register of the K-Mart. It was her only refuge from the harsh, unforgiving apocalypse around her, and while there were initially other survivors, they’d all left her to brave the outside world.

The shuffling of footsteps instantly put her on edge. That never led to anything good… maybe it was more of those zombies. She’d boarded up the windows and used the flashlights available when the power blew, but she never knew what would happen in an apocalyptic situation, especially now that she was on her own. Elizabeth Jane Case took a breath and reached for the pistol she carried at all times, aiming it directly at Carlos.

“If you’re with Umbrella, I-I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you, you bastard! I’m not afraid of you!” The look in her eyes betrayed her. She might’ve said she wasn’t afraid, but the way her hands trembled as she took aim made her true feelings clear enough. “Leave me alone… I don’t need your pity. I can handle myself.”

Still, they were other survivors. The blonde let the pistol clatter to the tile floor. It echoed throughout the store. She lifted her hands in surrender, and her eyes darted between Claire and Carlos. She never gave them a name - she’d always hated Elizabeth Jane, and they could call her what they wanted, so long as they didn’t actively try to hurt her like some of the other survivor groups that had came through and tried to raid the place back when it wasn’t just her.

“Who are you? What do you want from me?”

{K-Mart and Carlos first meeting! My girl is… not having a fun time, ahahaha}

__________

{ Awww, poor K-mart! XD }

Larger stores were pretty good bets for supplies, usually. Smaller ones were picked clean because there wasn’t a lot of ground to cover, but with large stores, people generally didn’t look everywhere. There was always a locker, a desk, a drawer, a closet, or something that someone overlooked, and that’s where the best supplies could sometimes be found. So when the convoy came across a mini mall with a K-mart in it, Carlos heard Claire over the radio as soon as the thought had entered his mind. Yep, she wanted to check it out. He didn’t blame her at all.

They pulled the convoy into the center of the parking lot, paying no mind to the lines painted to demarcating the spaces, because who cared anymore. A lot of rules and laws that civilization had thrived on were all but meaningless now. And although being out in the open, exposed and visible, might have seemed like a detriment, it also meant they could see anything or anyone coming from a long distance away. Once all the vehicles were situated, Carlos began gearing up and getting his rifle ready. He saw Claire approaching as he got out of his vehicle, and when she asked if he wanted to go with her to clear the K-mart, he nodded. “Let’s do it,” he said without hesitation.

When they first entered, it began like any other routine clearing. They started checking every aisle, every corner, making sure there were no undead or anything else harmful. It was of absolute importance to be certain there was nothing dangerous in the building before they sent civilians, including children, in to more thoroughly search for supplies. They didn’t even get a third of the way through clearing the store when they heard noises up by a cash register. On instinct, Carlos lifted his rifle at the ready, but when he heard the girl’s voice and saw her aiming a gun at him, he knew he wanted to try and do whatever he could to help her.

“It’s alright,” he said, remaining calm and moving very slowly as he moved his rifle to the side and let it hang by its strap. Putting up his hands to make himself less of a threat, he tried to talk her down. “We’re not going to hurt you.” He could see how scared she was, but she also had a fair amount of pride to work around, too. He just hoped she wouldn’t do anything stupid. “We’re not with Umbrella,” he said, though he felt a twinge of guilt at that. Not anymore. “We’ve got a convoy of survivors, all we wanna do is help you.” He smiled a little at her feistiness even in the face of being so afraid. “If you want to take care of yourself, that’s fine, but you don’t have to. Let us help you. It’s alright, I promise. I’m Carlos, and this is Claire. We’re not here to hurt you,” he said, trying to humanize the situation a little in the hopes of making her feel more comfortable.

When she dropped the gun, he nodded to her, as if to say she’d made the right decision. “We just wanna help. Are you injured at all? Hungry?” he asked. He started slowly moving a bit closer, not wanting to scare her but wanting her to better see him and understand that he wasn’t there to cause her any harm. 

[keykidpilipili]

Tonight in my FF in KH verse

A lost one winged theater teen finds his way home across the sea of worlds thanks to a clumsy green dragon, patron of children. The scale left behind turns to a golden hue and to metal once his friend is no more than a dot in the sky.

Years later the teen now a man on his shift for the King of Demons, trecks the volcano path in search of intruders to forcefully guide back down till the night comes to an end. The roar of engines draws his attention and suddenly golden wings fill his view. His home may be gone but freedom from the Sire of Bald Mountain may not be his final fantasy afterall.

[tashatrace]

little help from my friends

pairing: phoenix x fem!reader. 

plot: you work at your aunt Penny’s bar, and at Coyote’s birthday celebration, she tells you she knows you have a crush on one of the costumers.

word count: 1.493

a/n: so, this is the first fic I write in a while, and the first I let someone other than a few friends read. Been an avid fic reader for a long time and decided to give this a try. It’s just a little fluffy something I had in my head, feel free to send me some nice words, your thoughts, etc.I did not proofread this. I’m planning on writing more, details on my pinned post!!

★

You’d been working at the hard deck for a couple of weeks now, and everything seemed to be going well. You got the hang of things pretty quick, and your aunt Penny made it all the better: explaining how things worked around the bar, and making sure you knew how to deal with all the pilots who would constantly swarm the place, and were bound to throw a line or two at you. You managed to handle it pretty well, and even found it fun to flirt a bit with some of the customers now and then. Penny made sure you understood everything that came with dating or even just sleeping with a pilot, and even though a few caught your eye here and there, it never went past friendly flirtation.

It was supposed to be just another friday night at the bar, with the pilots welcoming another weekend, drinking, singing, dancing, playing. Your aunt’s boyfriend Pete showed up a bit earlier with a cake, explaining it was one of the newer instructors birthday, and he wanted to do a little something for him. You got along well with them and got pretty excited actually. That was until he and his friends got there. 

You had a crush the moment you first saw Lieutenant Trace. How could you not? She was one of the most beautiful women you had ever seen, and that confidence and “no bullshit” attitude she carried were enough to make your heart flutter. Her friends would often flirt with you, and although you did think they were all good-looking, you could never pay attention to them for long while she was near. You tried to shelve all those thoughts you had about her and settle on being friendly with her everytime she started a conversation with you which, thankfully, was every time she was there. Seeing her out of her uniform did something to you, though. She was just wearing jeans and a simple black t-shirt, with her hair down, and yet you couldn’t take your eyes of her as if she had suddenly showed up in a suit and a diamond crown.

“You ok there?” Penny nudged you with her shoulder while taking the glass you were supposed to be wiping from your hand.

“Yeah? Of course.” you tried to smile. “Is everything okay?” it was always hard to lie to her, but you didn’t feel it was the time to confess you had a crush on Phoenix to her. To anyone really. Ever.

“Listen…” she sighed and came a bit closer to you so no one else would listen. “I’ve seen the way you look at her. And you might have managed to fool everyone else, but you’ve been staring at her for about 2 minutes now.”

You knew it was pointless to try to lie to her, so you just took a deep breath and tried to sound like it wasn’t a big deal.

“Ok, can you blame me? But it’s fine, don’t worry. I remember very well what you said to me, I’m not gonna go out with a pilot, don’t worry.”

 You tried to get past her and go back to work since it wasn’t fair to leave your co-worker, June, to deal with everyone by herself. But your aunt just moved with you to keep standing in your way.

“It wouldn’t be fair if I made you stay away from pilots when I’m sleeping with one, would it?” she raised an eyebrow and gave you a small smile. “I trust you to deal with anyone who tries to give you shit, and I trust Phoenix, so…”

You were suddenly getting real tired of this conversation. You spent a big amount of time trying to convince yourself it was a stupid pointless crush, and hoping it would go away. Penny wasn’t helping.

“I don’t even know if she’s into girls. I barely have the courage to approach people when I know I have a chance, this is definitely too much.”

“She is.” Penny just kept looking at you, but you were too nervous to say anything.

She is???? Of course you had hoped for that, and even daydreamed about it once or twice, but this was getting too real too fast and you were not prepared.

“Honey, I work here, I own this place, I know things.” she winked at you. “Look, all I’m saying is that I know, for a fact Lieutenant Trace is into women. What you choose to do with that information is up to you. You have my full support.”

And just like that she walked away and you were brought back to reality. The woman you had feelings for was there, in civilian clothes, and however small they might be, you had a chance with her. Coyote approached the bar for the free refill Penny was kind enough to give him, and you walked up to him right away. You gave him your well wishes and you talked a bit about his day until a slightly intoxicated Fanboy appeared asking you to supply shots to everyone, on him. Everyone cheered and came closer to wait, and when you were almost done, the bar owner herself filled another glass to your delighted surprise, until she extended it to you.

“C’mon now, I asked Kate to come help and she’ll be here in a few. We can handle the bar, go have fun.”

You wanted to fight her and curse at her but you knew it was just nerves. You turned around to drink the shot with everyone and went to follow them to the pool table, being joined by no other than her at your side.

“So Penny let you off early today, huh?” she smiled and sipped her beer. Oh, fuck. You were in trouble.

“Yeah! I guess she wanted me to have some fun with you guys tonight. I haven’t really made friends since moving here, and you’re always nice to me so…”

She just smiled at you, and seemed to scan your face for something you didn’t quite know what. You were about to say something, when Hangman tossed a crumpled napkin at Phoenix and made a sign for her to hurry. It was only then you realized the game was going really slow and everyone was suspiciously avoiding looking at you. Except for Rooster, who was propped on his cue and staring.

“Ok then…” she took a deep breath, set her beer on the nearby table and put her hands on her hips. “My buddy Coyote had a stupid request for me today.” She said it a little louder so he could hear. “And because it’s his birthday, I couldn’t say no. Now, I don’t know what you’ll think of it, and you can just say no and we’ll put this all behind us and pretend it never happened, okay?” she gave you a smile and all you could do was nod. “I’ve wanted to ask you out ever since I saw you here, and these assholes won’t stop bothering me because of it, so… Would you go out with me? We can go to a restaurant, maybe walk on the beach, whatever you’re up to.”

You tried to decide if it was all a joke, or a dream, or if this was actually happening.

“You wanna go out with me?” you sounded like someone had just asked you to wear a watermelon on your head.

Phoenix laughed a bit and nodded. “Yeah. If that’s something you’d like.” she seemed to get nervous at your lack of reaction and continued “Everytime we come here I think about asking you out, but I never had the courage to do so. I think you’re really hot and really cool, so yeah.”

“She had a dream that you kissed her. “ Bob blurted out, and Phoenix turned to him instantly, with an expression you couldn’t see from your place, but that made him apologize and lower his head, and everyone held back a laugh.

That got you out of your thrance and you just full on laughed at the situation, having to stop yourself to breath and calm down. When you managed to do that and ran your hand through your face to get your hair out of the way, you just smiled at her and gave your answer.

“It would be my pleasure, Lieutenant.” Everyone cheered and Coyote called for another beer.

Natasha picked up her beer and got closer to you, until your arms were touching. “I’m really glad you accepted. I’m gonna need your number so we can discuss our date.” you chuckled and fished your phone out of your pocket.

“Well, I’m glad you asked, because I’ve had my eyes on you for a while, but no guts to do something.”

She put her arm around your back so she could put your phone in your pocket and rest her hand on your waist. “Thank Coyote.”

[ninlilwinds]

hi! Not sure if your reqs are open but first they aren't you can ignore this, can I get a genshin characters x reader who says I love you without much thought? Like if someone does something for them they'd say thank you and then I love you [maybe the genshin chars don't know that and have a crush on the reader? So when they help with something reader just says ily without much thought?] anyone is fine

Characters x reader who says I love you without thinking!

Of course! I'm pretty new here so until further notice my requests will be open! I tried my very hardest to vary a little between scenarios. I could get to too many characters, so i apologize. Let me know if you would like a pt2 of other characters!

Also, any pointers anyone has one how to better my writing style or how I post I would be happy to hear!

Plot: Reader who often says I love you for simple things such as along with a thank you from favors. How will they react?

Characters: Monstadt: Diluc, Kaeya, Venti. Liyue: Xiao

Warning: Not proofread. Let me know if there are any major mistakes.

Diluc 

Diluc had done a favor for you which involved your friend's birthday. He had let you use the bar as the place to hold the party, despite that day being one of his busiest and most productive of the weeks. 

Diluc was signing papers and finalizing deadlines in his office when you come in. He looked up and saw you there and gave you a polite smile.  

"Good Evening, (Y/N)." He said. 

You nodded and smiled, "Good evening."  

He saw how nervous you looked and raised an eyebrow, "Might I Inquire what brings you here this fine afternoon?"  

You shuffled nervously and then took a deep breath, "May I ask a favor?"  

Diluc nodded and set his pen down, letting you know you had his full attention, as you usually did when he was with you. Diluc had tried his best to suppress his feeling, but he just loved all of the qualities that made up you.  

"Well you see, my friend's birthday is on a Friday, and I wanted to do something special for them. Would it be too much to ask to rent out the bar in Mondstadt?" You asked. 

Diluc looked over at a appear he had just been analyzing before you come in which gave a report of the sales on the days of the week. Friday had been his highest one along, and he knew he'd lose a lot of sales if he closed out the place for evening. But how could he say no to you? Besides it was just one day. 

"Of course. Write up a contract and you can pay me any amount you wish whenever you get the chance." He stood up and made his way to his bookshelf where he had contract guidelines. 

"Really? It wouldn't be too much to ask?" Your eyes shined as he walked over to you and handed you a book on previous contracts as well as rules and regulations 

DIluc nodded and smiled, "Yes. It is your friend's special night is it not?" 

You sighed excitedly and then grabbed the book enthusiastically, "Oh thank you thank you thank you! I love you!" You hugged the book and smiled at him. 

Diluc's cheeks felt a bit hot, but he was going to blame on the heat of the candles around you two. To preserve his sanity he would pretend you said it to the book. He cleared his throat and nodded, "No worries, it is my pleasure."  

You quickly hugged him, "I'll write up the contract as fast as I can and come back." You then turned on your heel and ran out with a little skip in your step.  

He smiled a little to himself as he looked after you. Maybe one of these days he'd wrack up the courage to say that to you so boldly as well.  

It wasn't the first time he'd heard you say something like that to a person, and he was sure you didn't even notice 

Kinda made him a little jealous knowing you'd said it to other men like his brother  

Kaeya  

This man is quite the flirt, so his automatic reaction when you thanked him for helping him with a quest you had been stuck on was to flirt back. Not to mention the feeling he had been developing for you...well of it together caused for some chaos 

Kaeya froze the last hydro slime causing it to disappear into ash. He turned to you with a smile, "That would be the last of them, no?"  

You quickly scanned the area and nodded and affirmative. Ou finally touched the last of the puzzle piece and a chest appeared, "Yes! We did it! Ah I love you!" You jumped up and down in excitement, "Thank you for coming out this far!" 

He lost his composure for a few seconds but quickly regained it. Did you just say you loved him? "Oh don't try to change the subject on me, snowflake." He smirked and looked at you with a seductive air. 

"Wh-what are you talking about?" You stepped back a little, never really seeing this side of Keaya. He'd always tried to maintain a more mature and cooler manneri8sm around you rather than his flirty one.  

"Well you just admitted you loved me did you not?" Kaeya let his sword disappear and supported all his weight on one foot crossing his arm and looking at you intently 

"I did?" You laughed nervously, "Whoops. Don't think much of it, it's kind of a thing I do without much thought." You waved him off and then turned to the chest. 

You didn't notice how much that affected Kaeya. He had just given his 100%. His flirtiest side. And you quite literally waved him off! Playing hard to get I see.... 

After that day he would often do favors or be around you just to hear you say that. Well more than he was around you before  

He also would say it back sometimes to with a sly smile  

He'd get you one day.  

Venti 

Venti would be really flustered and use his playful side to hide it. Sitting in the Plaza where the big statue of the anemo god was playing his lyre, he heard footsteps coming up behind him. Who could it be? He wasn't expecting and audience 

"Hey Venti!" You sat down next to him, "I heard you playing and you know I can’t miss any performances if I can help it." 

Venti smiled. What a delightful surprise, "Oh this isn’t a performance. This is but a mere practice. I am much more skilled and advanced than these simple tunes!" He chuckled in his way (ehe~) 

"Could you teach me a bit maybe?" You asked. Venti was a little surprised at how interested you were in his lyre. You often came to see him perform but he didn’t think you'd ever want to actually learn. He handed his lyre over and showed you the finger placement to a certain chord, eventually adding more until you could play the very first few lines of a piece.  

"Ah this is so cool!" You smiled and handed the lyre back, "I'm so happy! I love you! You're the best!" 

Venti blushed a little. Your smile was so radiant. You truly shone brighter than any star, "It was but a small lesson. I could teach you more if you'd like." He beamed brightly. The I love you had truly made his day.  

You nodded, "That would be so cool!"  

He stood up, "Well then I better get planning my lessons and clearing my schedule up."  

You stood up as well, "I forgot I was out shopping too! Best I head out too. Goodbye Venti" You waved and turned to leave. 

He had walked a little ways off before he turned, "Oh (y/n) wait!" He had t do this before he chickened out, "I love you too!" He smiled and then ran off. 

You stood in the middle of the square a bit flustered as many heads turned towards you. You couldn't help but smile after the silly bard. 

After running for a bit, Venti stood behind a pillar to hide, his face all red from running and how flustered he was 

He was slowly but surely earning his way into a special place in your heart, even if the I love you didn't mean much when you had said it just now  

Who knows maybe the lessons will....spark something  

Xiao  

Xiao isn't used to human interactions or the ways of humans in general, so his knowledge isn't that much. He doesn’t know which phrases are special or not, and he had heard you say I love you to other people multiple times.  

Xiao found himself listening in on a couple at Wangshu Inn who were staying near his room. As the couple sat at the balcony. One of the two reached out and fondly caressed the cheek of the other, whispering I love you before bringing their lips into a kiss. 

Usually, Xiao would be disgusted and he'd decide to come back later, when they had finished their moment. But something about what the person had said and how they said it caught his attention.  

The individual had said the same phrase you often say, but it was in a way he had never heard you say it before. His mind wandered to you saying it that way, but to him. He blushed at the thoughts flooding his mind and decided exterminating demons was a good way to clear his mind.  

But just as he was about to disappear he felt hands grab his shoulders and a voice yell, "Boo!"  

Xiao made his spear come into existence and he jumped away, weapon at the ready. When his eyes focused on what had caused him to jump so much he blushed.  

You were there having a giggling fit, "I managed to scare you. You looked so surprised and it was so funny haha, I love you! Ah I'm sorry I didn’t mean to scare you so much." You finally calmed down.  

Xiao's blush reddened when he heard you say I love you. With the thoughts he had just had swimming around his mind, it really wasn’t the time! His bad Karma was out to get him today.  

 Xiao looked away, "I didn't hear you come in." He said.  

You smiled a little and nodded, "I know. Why were you distracted?" You asked tilting your head to the side a little. 

Xiao frowned and looked away, "Its best if we don't discuss that now. I have things to do." He then turned and disappeared, off to fight hilluchurls. 

That night will forever be embedded within his mind. It was the most adrenaline he had had coursing through him in a while  

Xiao felt ashamed at himself for having such thoughts and he'd often beat himself up over it  

He'd never touch the subject again, but maybe if one day you brought it up...he'd be willing to talk.