#that he'd have nightmares about being alone forever again

[salmonsaur]

Thinking about Bam's first night in the tower. When the "sun" started to set, did he freak out? Did anyone comfort him, telling him that the dark isn't endless, that the light will come back?

[ckret2]

would you say Ford is overall happier in the Evil Ford AU? Strangely, it seems he's more fulfilled as Bill's weird little pet rather than trying to destroy him, but then he gets the trade off of the people who actually love him hating him forever

(I guess Bill cares in his own way? But, it's not the same)

I'd say he frontloads more happiness, but ends up unhappier overall.

There comes a time in every Gifted Kid's life that they hit adulthood and discover they aren't, as they'd been told, an intellectual superhero who will change the world, and that they've let down everyone who thought they were.

In canon, Ford had that realization after Bill exploited him, and then spent the next thirty years trying to live up to that high expectation anyway just to try to undo the damage he'd caused while he was being manipulated. But by the end, he makes peace with being Part Of A Family rather than a lone hero who must do it all himself.

By joining Bill, Evil Ford didn't have that realization. He got to spend the next thirty years telling himself yes, he IS that great, he WILL change the world—already HAS changed the world, he's already done the magnum opus that will (figuratively AND literally) immortalize him. All he has to do is wait—while being preemptively hailed a hero by Bill—until somebody repairs the portal.

So instead of being 30-something when he has his great disappointment—you're not the Great Scientist you were promised you would be, you let your family and friends and yourself down—he's in his 60s.

And he comes out of Weirdmageddon alone. As soon as Bill's destroyed, he runs.

His muse, partner, and longest friend is dead. He's sure his niece and nephew hate him now. His brother lost most of his memories, without Ford's help he still doesn't remember half his childhood, the family had to hire a nurse to look after him, and now Ford's estranged from him again.

(In truth Stan's doing okay—he regained most of his memories, and anyway his mind is sharp and he's functioning fine. But the family outside Gravity Falls heard he's losing his memory, went "oh, dementia," and decided a nurse was necessary. However—Ford doesn't know that. He thinks Stan is much worse off than he really is.)

Ford's too ashamed and angry to face his family now. So he finds one of the mini-rifts that opens in Gravity Falls after Weirdmageddon, jumps back into the Nightmare Realm, and goes to rejoin the Henchmaniacs. He doubts they'll be excited to welcome him back, after Bill hyped him up for 30 years and it all came to naught, but where else can he go? Maybe there's a way to resurrect Bill, or maybe he's not really dead. It's the only thing he can think of to do.

And at the end of it all—he still doesn't think assisting in Weirdmageddon was the "wrong" or "bad" decision. If they'd been allowed to finish—if Stan hadn't interfered and ruined everything he'd worked for, for the third time—then he'd be ruling the galaxy like a god and he could have elevated his family with him.

He's not ashamed because he's realized he was wrong; he's ashamed because he's a failure, and everyone he cares about has suffered for it.

[mrsriddles-blog]

Iris | M.R

Pairing: Mattheo Riddle X Slytherin Fem Reader

WC: 3.2k+

Warnings/Notes: Mild language, angst, fluff, slow burn, crappy dad…

Summary: In which you are Mattheo’s safe haven, the Iris in his life… 🌙

And I'd give up forever to touch you

'Cause I know that you feel me somehow

You're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be

And I don't wanna go home right now

You sat in the Common Room, curled up in one of the oversized armchairs by the fireplace as you read. Mattheo sat on the sofa, trying to act as if he was working in his journal, but really he was focused on you.

He wasn't one to get shy or nervous, but around you he did. For the longest time, he was so careless and reckless, but then he happened to have noticed you. You were careful, and some would argue boring as you preferred playing it safe. It made some of your housemates question how your a Slytherin.

But, Mattheo noticed how you were caring and loving to those so important to you—and the first years. Typically, the first years are left to fend for themselves, but you always help them settle in and find theirselves a group of people.

You had easily fit into your guys' shared friend group, yet he found himself wanting more than a friendship with you. You were the light in his life, and for that he'd be forever thankful.

He was struggling before he had met you. He was getting angrier, getting into more fights, feeling more spiteful, drinking more and even smoking more. He was pushing all his friends away, until you. You brought him back. He found himself controlling his anger so he didn't scare you. He stopped fighting as much as he knew you hated it. He stopped drinking and smoking as much. He hadn't felt spiteful really since he met you. It was you had provided him with such tranquility—such heaven.

Yet, he couldn't ever admit his feelings to you. He was too scared to. He was scared he'd lose you and he didn't want that. He wanted you in his life someway, somehow. If that was by being friends, he was content with that.

You yawn and he knew you'd be going to bed soon which meant he too would go to bed soon. He was only up because he saw you were the only person in the Common Room. He originally felt bold and was going to express his feelings, but he found himself backing out and cursing himself for being a chickenshit.

And all I can taste is this moment

And all I can breathe is your life

When sooner or later it's over

I just don't wanna miss you tonight

Mattheo found himself awake from nightmares, so here he was sitting in the Common Room at two in the morning.  He hadn't had a nightmare in so long and it irked him so much that they had begun once more. He was so upset and he found himself crying, so he left so he wouldn't wake up his roommates.

He was sure they wouldn't care and that they'd be concerned, but he didn't want that. He was already embarrassed that he was having nightmares again. He felt like a little kid.

He tenses, hearing footsteps towards the Common Room and he glances over to see you stumble in. He was quick to look at the fireplace, wiping his face of any traces that he'd cried earlier.

"Matty? What are you doing up?" You mumble sleepily as you stumble towards the couch.

"Dunno'." He mumbles, internally cursing himself for pushing you away now.

"Are you okay?" You mumble.

"I just...want to be alone right now." He says, sighing after he realized how douchey that sounded.

You were more awake now, trying to get a grasp on this moment. Mattheo was hot and cold in moment. Typically hot with you, but right now he was being cold which was strange. You noticed he looked upset and you frowned. You move over to the couch he was sitting on. You place a hand on his arm and frown as he tenses.

"Oh Matty, you don't got to talk about it. I get it, but I can tell you most definitely don't want to be alone right now. You don't have to put that facade up for me. Here, lay down." You say, patting your lap.

He stared at you in bewilderment. How was it you weren't intimidated and scared when he got cold with people? You weren't even fazed aside from being more caring and concerned. But, you didn't pry. You simply wanted to provide comfort. You understood that he didn't want to bare his soul open to the world right now, you understood he felt misunderstood and broken. He moves, laying his head on your lap.

You toss a blanket over his lower half before you run your fingers through his hair. You hum softly, smiling as he relaxes and he soon was falling asleep. You followed not long after.

And I don't want the world to see me

'Cause I don't think that they'd understand

When everything's made to be broken

I just want you to know who I am

Mattheo knew he had been awkward with you in the morning upon waking up with his head on your lap, your fingers still in his hair. You didn't seemed bother, or if you were, you kept it hidden.

He was currently seeking you out during your guys' free period to apologize. He knew he was in a strange headspace last night and he felt as if he put a lot on you.

He found you sitting under the tree you all tended to occupy with your friends. Thankfully, your guys' friend group had some studying to do in the library. He sits next to you and you look up from your book before closing it as you smile at him.

"Hey, Matty." You say softly.

"Hey...I wanted to apologize for last night. I know I was a bit rude to you and I'm sorry. And I'm sorry if I put you in a weird position." He says.

"Matty, you don't need to apologize. It's okay! I don't know what's going on and you don't have to tell me. I just hope that whatever it is, it gets better. If you decide if you want to talk about it, I'm always here. There's no shame in talking about your feelings, Matty. I know you don't believe that, but it can be a good thing to talk time to time." You say, smiling encouragingly and softly.

"Can I tell you something?" He blurts.

"Anything." You murmur.

"I've had nightmares since I was a kid because my father. I haven't had them since second year until last night. So...I was upset and I was embarrassed. I'm sorry." He blurts, how cheeks flushing red in embarrassment and frustration.

"Matty, don't apologize. It's okay. I'm sorry you had a nightmare. It's nothing to be embarrassed about though. I have some too still...I've got a really crappy dad and use to...I'd have my mom to hum. Her humming always calmed me down and made me feel safe. But, she passed and then I was alone...it was just my dad and me." You say, smiling sadly at Mattheo who stared at you in surprise.

"I never knew that." He says.

"I don't talk about it a lot. I don't think I've told anyone that since transferring here believe it or not. I just...I don't know...I don't want to be pitied. I want to be seen for me, not that I have a crappy homelife." You explain. 

"All those fights I use to get into...it was to make me know that I was in fact alive. For such a long time, I just felt like my world was black and white. Fighting made me feel adrenaline and this rush and then my getting hurt...it all made me feel alive." He admits.

"Oh Matty, if you ever feel like that...like you need a moment to know you're alive, come to me. I'll show you." You murmur.

"I've been feeling that for awhile, Y/n/n. I don't think you can do anything." He says sadly, looking off into the distance.

You gently nudge him with your elbow and he looks at you. You bite your lip nervously before looking at his lips. You lean forward slowly, glancing up unsure only to see his eyes on your lips which encouraged you. You close your eyes, your lips moving softly against his.

And you were right.

His heart sped up, as a rush went through him. He kissed you back, his hands settling on your hips as he pulled you onto his lap. You pull away slowly, looking at his with a shy smile, flushed cheeks and blown pupils.

"Fuck me, I hate it when you're right." He says, chuckling as you laugh softly.

"In case that didn't tell you how I felt, I like you, Matty. A lot. I see you more than you know and I want to be able to love every piece of you. The good and the bad." You murmur.

He leans forward, kissing you again as he tried to express his own feelings. You smile into the kiss, understanding exactly what he was saying.

And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming

Or the moment of truth in your lies

When everything feels like the movies

Yeah, you bleed just to know you're alive

Word spread like a wildfire of Mattheo and your relationship and even three months later, it was still the big news.

Mattheo stood outside the Great Hall, nervously pacing with the big bouquet of purple flowers. There were a little this and that in there, but mostly irises. He learnt in Herbology that irises meant hope, faith, courage, and wisdom. Once the two of you began to officially date, he told you that you were his hope.

He walks in, seeing you dressed in a white sweater dress, laughing amongst your shared group of friends. Pansy sees Mattheo first and grins which catches the rest of the groups attention. You turn back just as he got about two or three steps from the table. Your jaw goes slack as your eyes water slightly.

"Happy three months, love." He says, nervously, handing you the bouquet.

"Thank you Matty, these are beautiful! Oh, look at these irises. They are so beautiful!" You say softly, looking at the different assortment.

He smiles, taking a seat next to you as he finds himself feeling much more relieved that you loved them. You lean over, kissing his cheek as you smile softly at him.

And I don't want the world to see me

'Cause I don't think that they'd understand

When everything's made to be broken

I just want you to know who I am

You were nervously playing with your hands, your father sat across from you in the limo he owned. You were going to the Christmas's Ball hosted by the Malfoy's, but you were going to be meeting your boyfriend's father for the first time. Which meant your own father was as well.

"Stop that." He snaps.

"H-Huh?" You mumble confused before facing a sharp smack.

You stare out the window for the rest of the ride with watery eyes. You were more than happy to get out of the limo, but you unfortunately had to walk in with your father.

"Don't you go straying off, we are meeting your boyfriend's father." He snaps, grabbing your upper arm in a tight grip.

Your friend group had turned when you had walked in due to Mattheo's surprised look. You were dressed in a gorgeous dark green gown the hugged your upper body and was flowy in the skirt. You hair was done perfectly along with your makeup.

But, they noticed about the same time as Mattheo was the big ugly bruise on your cheek and the way your father grabbed your arm.

"F-Father, d-do we even know where he's at?" You ask.

"Shut up, can't you ever just shut up?" He snaps harshly at you, walking down a corridor.

Mattheo was following which made your father turn as he heard footsteps.

"Excuse me sir, I can take you to my father. Hey love, you look beautiful." He says, trying to give you a small smile.

You could see he was furious and you shake your head sadly. Your father didn't loosen his grip on you, but he agreed to follow Mattheo who led you both up a flight of stairs.

You reach a sitting room and you see his father in an arm chair. You had heard rumors that he had a spell made to reverse the affects of the horcruxes, but you didn't believe it until now. The man looked to be in his early twenties, with sharp features, a lanky yet toned build, and cold eyes.

"Mr. Y/L/N, I presume." He says.

"Yes." He says curtly.

"I'm Voldemort. Pleased to meet you...and Y/n, I've heard so much about you." He says, smiling coldly at your father before smiling softly at you.

"It's nice to meet you, sir." You murmur, trying to keep your face at an angle without it being noticed so he didn't notice the bruise.

He holds his hand out and you didn't miss how his eyes lingered on your father's hold on your arm. You gently pulled at your arm which allowed it to be released as you took his hand. You were appalled when he kissed your hand, before he focused on the red angry mark on your arm that was starting to bruise.

He murmurs a spell and watches it heal before turning your face toward Mattheo and healing the bruise on your cheek. You look back at Voldemort.

"Thank you." You murmur.

"Of course. Go enjoy the party with Mattheo. Your father and I...we are going to chat for a while. Please do save me a dance." He says.

"Of course, sir. Thank you again." You murmur.

Mattheo holds his arm out to you and you smile softly at him as you link your arm with his. Unaware of his father's eyes watching you both as Mattheo opens the door letting you walk through first with him following close behind. He smiles slightly, admiring how far his son had grown.

"Are you okay?" Mattheo murmurs.

"I'm fine. He was actually in a much better mood than I expected." You admit as you walk down the stairs with Mattheo.

"That's him in a better mood?" Mattheo asks, his own anxiety spiking as he fears what a bad mood is like with you near him.

"Yeah, probably one of the best I've ever seen him in, oddly enough. Your father was...nice. I was expecting him to hate me, respectfully." You say.

"He's been different since the spell reversed his looks and negative affects he faced. He's even been a better father dare I say. It's been...strange. He did seem to really like you. I just...I worry about your father." He admits.

Your eyes widen as you look at him.

"I don't think he'll kill him. Worst is that he’ll hex him and maybe threaten him about hurting you. That really set him off. He genuinely was excited to meet your father, but his mood shifted when he saw how your father was treating you." He explains.

"I just want to enjoy the night with you, Matty." You whisper.

"Would you do me the honor and dancing with me, love?" He asks.

"Of course." You say, smiling widely at him.

And I don't want the world to see me

'Cause I don't think that they'd understand

When everything's made to be broken

I just want you to know who I am

You knew Mattheo was having a rough day. It was the anniversary of his mother's death and he was having a hard day coping.

Oddly enough, his father owled you and told you some things about Mattheo's mother and some things that may cheer him up. You owled him a letter back in thanks and wished him well.

You roped Theodore and Enzo in with helping set a few things up. You walked to the boys' dorm to see that they must've all left Mattheo to be alone. He was staring up at the ceiling.

"Love, I think I want to be alone." He mumbles.

"I love you and respect you, but let me be here, okay?" You murmur, climbing onto his bed.

He genuinely felt better as you wrapped your arms around him, allowing him to shift to be the little spoon as you managed to be the big spoon. You rest your chin on his shoulder as you squeeze him tightly.

"You're gonna kill me, love." He mumbles, managing a small smile.

"I just love you so much. I'm sorry." You whisper, kissing his cheek.

He hums, pushing himself back further into your embrace. You held him until he was ready to go to breakfast where he didn't necessarily want to talk or eat, just a change of scenery. You managed to get him to eat some food and drink his juice—-and even a few smiles out of him.

You took him to the courtyard, reading his favorite book to him while playing with his hair. His eyes were closed as he half-listened to you and half-thought of how grateful he was for you.

Around dinner time, he followed you with confusion to the Astronomy Tower. You had set up dinner here and planned to watch the starts with him as he and his mother use to when he was a child. You made sure to get his favorite snacks and even a few of his mothers.

"Love...what is all this." He whispers.

"Your father owled me and told me today is always a particularly rough day for you. I had already planned on spending the day with you, reading and cuddling...but he gave me a few other ideas. He told me your mom and you would watch the stars so I thought if you were up to it that we could watch them together. And he told me some other favorite foods and snacks of yours...along with a few of your mothers. I understand if this is a lot. We can go to dinner and I bet Teddy and Enzo wouldn't mind cleaning this up." You ramble, suddenly doubting yourself as you looked anywhere, but him.

"Love...thank you." He admits, his voice cracking as he pulls you into a soft kiss.

Your heart broke for the boy you loved so dearly. He was so heartbroken of the loss of his mother. He didn't deserve this.

And I don't want the world to see me

'Cause I don't think that they'd understand

When everything's made to be broken

I just want you to know who I am

"You father seriously doesn't mind me spending the summer with you guys?" You ask for what felt like the hundredth time to Mattheo.

"He's ecstatic to have you over, love. He's got the whole summer planned with fun activities." He sighs, giving you a pointed look.

"I'm sorry! I'm just nervous! Gosh." You pout.

"I love you." He murmurs, giving your lips a pec.

"Hey, not long enough mister." You pout.

He grins before leaning back in to kiss you softly in which you reciprocated as you couldn't help, but smiling into the kiss.

I just want you to know who I am

I just want you to know who I am

I just want you to know who I am

[shall-we-die]

I need something angsty about OM character's reactions to MC's death...

╔‌‌‌‌═══════════════•⊰•°༄༚

{"Open your eyes...!"}

What are their reactions after MC's death in human world by an accident?

☰[Main list]•⊰ Obey me!

╚═══════════════•⊰•°༄༚‌‌‌

[Lucifer]

The thought of losing his beloved to an accident in the human world would be a devastating blow to Lucifer. He would be deeply saddened and utterly heartbroken, feeling empty and lost. He would also be filled with grief and guilt, blaming himself for not being able to prevent the tragedy and thinking he should have done more to protect them. Lucifer would be grief-stricken and consumed by sadness, feeling as if he lost his own light and hope. However, Lucifer would never give up on the idea of seeing his beloved again and would fight for a way to bring them back, no matter what it takes. When Lucifer hugs MC's dead body, he would be filled with sorrow, grief, and regret. He would sob and weep, his tears falling upon the body of his beloved. Lucifer would mourn deeply and not want to let go, wanting to stay by their side forever. He would whisper words of love, comfort, and apology, apologizing for not having done enough to protect them. "MC... I'll love you forever... no matter what, I'll find you again..." "sorry for always being grumpy and cruel with you... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." Lucifer's love for his beloved is eternal and will never fade away, so the thought of saying goodbye forever would be too painful for him and he would do everything in his power to find a way to bring MC back.

[Mammon]

If MC were to die in the human world due to an accidental incident, the news would no doubt hit Mammon hard. He would be in shock and disbelief, unable to accept the truth. Once he finally processed the truth, he'd be filled with grief and sadness. He might lash out in anger and denial, blaming the world and himself for allowing this to happen. He might even feel like he's to blame, believing he could have prevented the accident if he had only been there. Eventually, he would come to terms with MC's death, but his grief would always remain. If Mammon were to embrace MC's dead body, he would likely be overcome with grief and tears. He might cry out in despair and frustration, cursing the universe for taking away his precious love. He might also ask for forgiveness and beg for the ability to turn back time. Mammon would likely cling to the body, not wanting to let go of the only thing remaining of  MC. He might whisper sweet nothings into MC's ear, or even try to wake them up, hoping that it's just a nightmare and that MC isn't really gone. He would whisper their names, saying things like, " MC... MC... please wake up... don't leave me... please..." (OK, this dude hurts for the second time because of MC's death and it's sad...)

[Leviathan]

Leviathan would be absolutely devastated if MC died in the human world. he would be in denial that it was true and search for months on end to find a way to bring them back. he would be unable to cope with their death and would become distant and quiet. he would struggle to carry on with his duties in the devildom and would struggle to focus on anything else. it would shatter his world in a way that he would never recover from, and he would never forgive himself for letting such a tragic thing happen. Leviathan would likely be hugging MC's dead body tightly, not wanting to let them go. he would cry and mourn their death. he would say things like "no, no, it's not fair. it can't be real" and "why did you leave me alone?" and if MC's death was caused by an accident, he would likely blame himself and say things such as "I should've been careful. I should've done more." and "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for things to end this way." he would be in utter disbelief and despair, as he struggles to cope with the loss.

[Satan]

Satan's reaction to the death of MC would be one of grief and sorrow. He would be deeply affected by the loss and would likely mourn intensely. He would be filled with sadness and guilt, wondering if there was anything he could have done to prevent it. He would also feel a deep sense of loneliness and emptiness, as a part of himself would be gone with MC. He would likely blame himself for not doing enough to protect them and would be haunted by the thought of having lost someone so precious to him. When Satan finds himself hugging the dead body of MC, he would likely be filled with intense grief. He would cling tightly to MC's body, wanting to take comfort in them even though they are no longer alive. He may also speak to the dead body, expressing his sorrow and anguish. He would probably say things like "I'm so sorry" or "Please come back." He might even cry and wail in grief, unable to come to terms with the fact that MC is gone. He would likely be unable to think of anything else, consumed by sadness and pain.

[Asmodeus]

The news of MC's death would hit Asmodeus hard. He would be devastated and inconsolable, as the love of his life was taken away from him without any warning. He would be filled with so much grief and regret, that MC had to die such a horrible death, when they were supposed to be happy and together. He would likely shut himself from everyone, as he couldn't handle the pain or talking to anyone. He'd just stay in his room and sob, remembering all the happy memories he shared with them and wishing they'd be able to create even more. Asmodeus would hug MC's dead body tightly and desperately while crying and sobbing, refusing to believe that they're gone. He would say things along the line of "No, this can't be happening.. please.. Don't leave me.. I need you..." and even ask for MC to wake up and answer him, as he can't believe that they're really dead. He'd try to talk to MC's dead body, wishing that it'd answer and come back to him, while hugging them tighter and refusing to let go.

[Beelzebub]

Beelzebub would be absolutely devastated by MC's death. He would be in shock, denial, and disbelief all at the same time. He would blame himself for not protecting MC and for not being with them at the time of their demise. He would grieve deeply and mourn their loss. He would feel empty without MC in his life and would be haunted by memories of their time together. He would try to hold it together and stay strong, but the grief would be too much for him. He would eventually try to find a way to revive MC, no matter the cost. Beelzebub would cling tightly to MC's body, unwilling to let go even in death. He would cry and sob, regretting all the times they fought and wishing he had appreciated their time together more. He would beg for MC to come back to him and would plead with every deity he knows to revive MC. He would swear to give up anything if it meant having MC back with him. As he gazes down at MC's body, he would recall all their happy memories together. The time they met, their first kiss, and all the special moments they had shared would flood his mind.

[Belphegor]

If MC passed away in the human world, Belphegor would be absolutely devastated and heartbroken. They would be overcome with grief, guilt, and regret, wondering if there was more they could have done to prevent this from happening. They would feel completely and utterly lost. They would be unable to comprehend how someone so precious to them could suddenly be taken away from them. As time passes, Belphegor may learn to cope with the loss, but the pain of missing MC would never fade or go away completely. Belphegor would be in shock and denial when they find MC's dead body. They would refuse to believe that it's happening and would beg and plead for them to wake up, to come back to them. When reality finally sets in, Belphegor would be stricken with grief and sorrow. They would hold MC closely, crying and sobbing, whispering apologies and expressions of love. They would want nothing more than to go back in time and save them, but they would also know that nothing could make it better. They would feel lost and empty, empty of love and of hope.

[Diavolo]

Diavolo would be absolutely devastated by MC's death and would struggle to find words to describe how much pain and sorrow he is filling.  He would blame himself and be overcome by guilt and regret, tormenting himself over what he could have done differently.  He might even shut himself off and distance himself from everyone else as he tries to process the devastating loss of MC, and might even become depressed and hopeless, thinking nothing matters anymore.  He would most likely consider following them after death, as he sees no point to living in a world without MC's warmth and light. When hugging MC's dead body, Diavolo would most likely cry profusely, sobbing and clinging to them as he is overcome with unbearable sorrow and agony.  He might even be shaking and trembling for a while, completely at a loss for words and unable to function properly.  He could say things like "No, no, it's not true, it can't be.  You can't be gone, I can't be without you," or "Why did this have to happen? I tried so hard to save you, I should have been more careful, this is all my fault."

[Barbatos]

When the news of MC's death in the human world reached Barbatos, he would drop everything he was doing and flew as fast as he could to see for himself that it was a mistake. He would spend hours looking for MC, checking around and in the most unexpected places, hoping it was all a mistake or a lie. Even if there were any signs that the news was true, the demon would deny it and hold to the hope that everything was a lie. He would not believe MC is dead until he himself saw MC lying still with his own eyes. Barbatos, when standing before MC's lifeless body, would break down completely. His wings tucked themselves underneath his clothing as he took in the sight that was burned into his mind. He would blame himself because he had the power to see the future, BUT he didn't use that damn power... He refused to believe that MC was dead, holding on to their body and clinging onto it as if trying one last time to bring them back to life. He'd kiss their forehead and whisper words of comfort. The demon would stay like that for an eternity, sobbing and hugging MC's body before accepting the truth.

[Simeon]

Upon learning about MC's death, Simeon would be deeply saddened and grief-stricken. He would likely be overcome with regret and guilt, and blame himself for not being able to save them. Simeon would grieve deeply for MC and have trouble coming to terms with the loss. He would also feel lonely and empty without MC, and would likely question the meaning of life without them. He would struggle to cope with the loss and would need time to heal and to move on. When Simeon first finds out about MC's death, he would likely be in shock and disbelief. He would rush to MC's side, hoping against all hope that it was a mistake or that they were still alive. Upon seeing their lifeless body and realizing that it was true, Simeon would be overwhelmed with grief. He would spend time hugging MC's body and refusing to let go, trying in vain to bring them back to life. He would likely say things like, "No, it can't be. This can't be happening. Please wake up, my love. Please." And finally, he has to break the news to Luke. But he will be so sad and upset that he can't comfort Luke either.

[Solomon]

If MC were to pass away in the human world due to an accident, Solomon would be utterly heartbroken and devastated. His grief and sadness would be immense and all-consuming. Solomon would be overwhelmed with a sense of helplessness and regret, as he would likely blame himself for not being able to protect MC, or for not being there at that moment. He might feel a sense of guilt and longing, and mourn the loss of the love, the future, and life that they were meant to have together. His mourning process would be long and difficult, and it might even bring him to the point of despair. Upon meeting MC's lifeless body, Solomon would likely be filled with shock, disbelief, and overwhelming grief. He would embrace their body and cradle them closely, not wanting to let them go. He would likely say things like: "This can't be happening...this can't be true...please, wake up..." "How could this happen? I...I should have been there...I should have protected you...." "Please, don't leave me, my love...not like this..." "You...you can't leave me alone...Please, I can't survive without you..."

[preet-01]

Maxiel and reincarnation

N — Reincarnation (Doppelgängers)

cw: death

“I am yours, now and forever,” Daniel vows as they stand in front of the tree. Were it not for the tears staining Daniel’s face and the blood running down Max’s face, it would be the most beautiful moment in time.

“I am yours, forevermore,” Max vows, holding onto Daniel as tightly as he can. Soon they’ll be overrun by barbarians coming to kill them all. But for a few moments, he is Daniel’s and Daniel is his. And when that’s the case, not even the worst situation could be scary or bad.

_____

Max always remembers that lifetime first, long before they ever meet. Remember isn’t the right word for it, he dreams it. Well, dream isn’t the perfect descriptor, it’s more of a nightmare that never ends or leaves him alone.

He remembers standing there, hoping, praying that there would be divine intervention to save them. But the gods were cruel. There was no salvation, only torture.

He remembers Daniel being ripped out of his arms and then Daniel being ripped apart. He remembers screaming, he still feels that ache in his throat. He remembers and remembers each and every death, every tragedy until it repeats again in an endless cycle of damnation.

Daniel never remembers that first lifetime. Or the second, and certainly not the 16th. The boon of dying first, they’d said during the 10th reincarnation. Max is glad of it. He wouldn’t wish that fate on his worst enemy, much less his beloved.

This Daniel doesn’t remember him yet because they haven’t met yet. Max has made it so.

The sooner they meet, the sooner Max watches Daniel die. And Max can’t go through that again. He can’t keep watching Daniel die just a few steps away from him as he’s unable to do anything. Max can’t and he won’t.

Daniel doesn’t make it easy though. Their paths cross time after time. They need to meet for their intended path to go on as it has for centuries now.

Max is only able to avoid it for so long before their paths cross and Daniel sees him. That's the thing about Daniel in every reincarnation, once their eyes meet, he can't stay away. No matter how much Max makes himself undesirable, Daniel keeps coming back. And Max is weak when it comes to Daniel's undivided attention.

"I can't keep doing this, Daniel," Max states as he holds Daniel tightly in his arms. Now that they've met and fallen in love, he doesn't know how long they have before they're pulled apart. He doesn't know how long he has until he has to watch Daniel's death for the 33rd time.

"What if we didn't have to?" Daniel questions. He'd remembered their past lives - all except the first, second, and sixteenth of course. "Maybe dying together is what stops the cycle," he suggests and it is something they'd never tried before.

Poison is surprisingly easy to find.

_______

It doesn't work.

They have a 34th lifetime where Max meets Formula One driver Daniel. And a 35th, a 36th, and so on. Endlessly meeting one another and dying.

Max curses the gods with each lifetime, but never Daniel.

[crazypsychonerdstuff]

If it's not too much to ask, can I get some soft headcanons or a oneshot for Cutler Beckett where he's really needy and clingy? That man seems to me like he'd act all cold and emotionless and deny his feelings for so long, but eventually just crack and be really clingy and so, so touch starved. 🥺🥺🥺

So. I was going to do this as just a few headcanons as I didn't realise I had so many ideas for him, but they sort of developed a life of their own and ran off on a bit of a tangent to where I originally intended, and in doing so, ended up being more of a bulletpointed oneshot at the start and then trailed off into more normal headcanons afterwards.

So here you go, Anon! One bulletpoint... whatever it is!

🎃

It would take something pretty major happening for him to initially open up to you, most likely one of you getting severely injured/sick and almost dying. More accurately, you almost dying.

He will refuse to leave your side then. Anyone coming to take care of you, nurses, doctors etc will only see the cold, emotionless front, and gods help them if they do something he deems detrimental to your recovery.

But when they've left, his icy facade melts a little. He'll sit beside you, hold your hand, brush your hair out of your face, anything so long as he's close to you.

He's confused. He doesn't understand these feelings he has at all, they are not practical in the slightest, they're more of a hindrance than anything. though he decides to just roll with it and do what feels right in the moment.

When you're feeling a little better, you'll tease him about how he's acting, which he'll deny completely. Or at least until you kiss his cheek and thank him for staying with you.

Cue an adorably embarrassed, blushing Cutler who, for once in his life, is at a complete loss for words. He stutters a little, trying to phrase an intelligible sentence but ends up going silent once more and averting his gaze before whispering "I think I may be in love with you." Inaudible, if the room hadn't been so otherwise quite.

You smile softly and gently squeeze his hand "and I you."

His attention snaps back to you, a stunned look on his face; eyes wide and lips slightly parted.

You giggle and lean forward slightly, hesitantly, though when he doesn't pull back or push you away, you close the gap and kiss him.

To your surprise, contrary to what you had expected due to his cold, cruel persona, his lips were warm and so, so soft and you wanted nothing more than to just melt into him then and there. But you restrained yourself, you didn't want to scare him away, after all.

Though you needn't have worried, the moment you go to pull back, his hand reached to the back of your neck and pulled you in once more, his lips finding yours again as his arms come to wrap around you, holding onto you desperately as if he were afraid you'd vanish from infront of him if he let go.

And that was that. The wall that he'd built up over many years was finally broken down. Well, at least for you. there was no turning back now, he'd shown you how weak he could be and honestly, he liked it. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted from him and he wanted nothing more than to remain in your embrace forever, despite the impracticality of it all.

From then on, he was yours. He'd do just about anything if it meant ending up in your arms.

Though never in public. If there was even the slightest chance that you two might be seen, then he was back to completely emotionless once more... at least until he was certain the two of you were alone again, then he'd resume where he left off.

He's always struggled with sleep, but since you've become a pretty much permanent fixture in his life, his sleep has much improved.

A large part of why he doesn't sleep is nightmares, usually about his past.

Most nights, He will curl into you, his head on your chest, his arms around your waist and his legs tangled with your own, this way he feels safe and the nightmares are greatly reduced. Though some nights, he wants to be the one holding you, in which case he'll most likely pull you against himself with your back to his chest and his face buried in your hair.

Running your fingers through his hair is something he finds really relaxing too and he'll lean into you in silent encouragement to continue.

Did I mention he loves resting his head on your chest? Because he does and will do any chance he gets.

when the two of you are alone in the evenings, he enjoys lying with his head in your lap while the two of you talk about the day.

If you play with his hair, he will likely find himself drifting off to sleep, so be prepared to be trapped there a while while he naps. Well, unless you want to wake him so the two of you can go to bed, but it would be a shame really, what with him looking so peaceful for once.

When he's in need of affection, he won't say much really as he's somewhat embarrassed about appearing pathetic and/or weak, so he'll let his actions speak for him instead, though he will always be careful not to push things too far:

for example if he wants a hug, he'll either rest his head against your shoulder and allow you to initiate further contact or rest his hand on your back and press himself to your side and wait for you to turn to him before he'll wrap his arms around you.

The exception to this rule is when he comes up behind you, then he'll wrap his arms around your waist and nuzzle into your neck or back or depending on how tall you are – or if you are sat down – (I mean, he's not the tallest guy by any means... smol grumpy bean) will rest his chin on your shoulder.

If he wants kisses, it's all or nothing:

Either he'll just blankly look at you, his eyes lingering on your lips until you call him out on it and ask if he wants a kiss, in which case, the proceeding kisses will be soft, slow and full of adoration,

Or he'll grab you and kiss you roughly with no warning, desperation evident in his actions as he holds onto you tightly. If this is the case, expect him to be somewhat embarrassed when he does pull away and apologise profusely for his lack of restraint.

In which case, the best response would be to grab him and give him an equally rough, passionate kiss as, even if you tried to reassure him verbally that it was fine, he likely wouldn't believe you, and he will be beating himself up for acting so impulsively likely for days.

I'm going to leave it there... for now... it's getting a little out of hand!

[ginnympotter]

A home.

Happy belated birthday Ginny Weasley ily and so does Harry

Harry finally understood why Sirius was so miserable that year.

Although Kreacher was pleasant enough to him, being alone at 12 Grimmauld Place wasn't ideal. It was dark and gloomy and much too large. He didn't protest Ron moving in with George to keep him company for a second, but it was strange, being on his own. He went over to the Burrow for dinner practically every other night, and if Ron and George would stay, he would too. But when he'd return to Grimmauld after a long day of work, he never felt more isolated.

But when Ginny came home for the school holidays and would spend any time not with her family alone with him, the house took on a new life. It was bright and open and sometimes it even felt like it could be home. But maybe that was just Ginny.

It was Easter, and they were winded after some friendly Quidditch matches and a delicious meal from Mrs. Weasley, and Ginny was holding his thigh under the table, laughing at Ron and Hermione's mix of bickering and flirting, telling them to "get a room already," and Ron responded with, "fine, we will!" and grabbed Hermione's hand and dragged her from the table out the kitchen, and her cheeks blushed but she obliged. Ginny grinned victoriously, now with her brother out of sight she wouldn't get scolded for the same activities.

"Mum, we're going to Harry's," she declared as she stood up.

"That's fine, dear," Mrs. Weasley said non-chalantly. "Take some leftover tart."

Tart and Ginny in hand, they apparated to Grimmauld Place. And as soon as they closed the door behind them, Ginny's lips were on his, and one hand wrapped around her waist, and they moved toward the kitchen. "I missed you," she said against his mouth. Harry let the treacle tart slip from his hand onto the counter, before quickly using his now-free hand to run through her hair. They didn't quite make it to the bedroom for the first time round, but made it in time for the second.

As it often happened, he woke up in the middle of the night from a nightmare, sweating and breathing heavily. He sat up, trying to calm himself down, but he didn't have to for long, as a small hand touched his arm. "It's okay," Ginny said softly. "You're safe, Harry."

He swallowed, nodded, and followed the pull of her hand as she moved higher up on the bed and guided his head toward her chest. He laid it there, sighing as she ran her fingers through his scalp soothingly. He closed his eyes and breathed in her scent, it acting as a sleeping draught as he drifted back off.

When he woke again, he felt the rhythm of her breathing was a miracle. He gently kissed her neck, and she hummed, opening her eyes slowly and smiling. "Hey."

He responded by kissing her lips, then her forehead, and then he pulled her to his chest this time. She happily burrowed her face into his skin and sighed. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Always better with you," he told her truthfully. And before he could shove down his courage, "I wish you could always be here."

"Me too," she replied. "But I've still got a couple months left of school."

"Well, what about after?"

She lifted her head up and looked at him. "What about it?"

"Well," he said, feeling the blush spread over his cheeks. "What if you were always here after you graduate?"

"You mean like... living here? With you?"

"I know it's not the most charming place in the world," Harry said. "It wouldn't be forever. Maybe we'd even get our own place one day, but until then, I mean-"

Ginny cut him off with a fierce kiss, and when she finally pulled away she had that blazing look he loved so much. "Yes. I'd love that. I love you."

She returned her mouth to his, and he melted into her touch, and the sun shined through the blinds, and everything felt warm. This could be a home, he thought. And this morning, as Ginny pulled him closer to her, it was beginning to feel like one.

[thebluemoonjune]

Home (Richonne One-shot)

Even with Rick's difficulties and trauma, the Grimes family is still going strong after two weeks since Richonne made it back home.

Her life had long been defined by womanhood and motherhood, long before this. Her first was not long for this world, and she had lost her second, but she still had a daughter and son whom she would give and do anything for. She had murdered for them. She battled on their behalf. She could even leave them with a promise to bring their father home. Many things happened and she was on the verge of giving up as well, but heaven had eyes. They were finally back together. As one family. She opened her eyes to discover her hubby still sleeping. He's normally awake before anybody else owing to many bad nights, but he slept better than he has in recent days, forcing a gentle smile on her plump lips. He was so gorgeous while he slept; his steady heart and breaths were enough to make her fall in love with him all over again. After two weeks at home, she had to constantly reassure him that they were safe, that he was doing fine and that they were truly home. They would never recover any of that lost time. Not her year of struggling to recuperate and survive, nor the eight years it utilised to break him. She slid out of bed and put on her bedroom slippers to prepare breakfast before everyone awoke.

In his nightmares, he heard his children's footsteps, laughter, and impromptu singing. He would feel both asleep and awake in his spirit while he experienced the joys of parenting. Then it would be blankness, when he couldn't remember his oldest's face or how he came to terms with the fact that he'd never see his wife or daughter again in this life, let alone see his youngest, but he'd wake. He'd be greeted by his beloved's face, and his children would sometimes be wrapped up in the blankets with them. "Father" is an attribute of a man that comes to life when he is with his kid, and it does so because he adores them, enjoys being with them, and values the connection they share. He was still a father. It was a lengthy dream. One in which his son was dubbed a sacrifice. His son is not a sacrifice. He was his son. He had certain ambitions and goals, but they were cut short. If he were here, he'd see that everything worked out in the end. He would recognise and adore his little brother, and he would realise how much his litter sister had matured. He was his son, and he missed him. He loved his son unconditionally, and there was no price to it. His wife had awakened before him. An unusual occurrence. She must have been preparing breakfast for him and the children. His children. He was still a father. He was still a husband.

...

Placing the plates, knowing it was about time, her family got down. She continued to reflect. Feeling a new person develop within you and raising them to be self-sufficient was both the greatest joy and the greatest challenge. It combined with her previous successes to shape who she is now. Being a parent should be like that—not an extra or an "add-on," but a fundamental topic around which other interests revolve. Now she was pregnant for the third time. Her child, whether a boy or girl, is her child, as are their elder siblings. Her kid had her soul in their heart, and her heart will be theirs forever. Her child is free to live, grow, and love whoever they want, since no regulation can include such a blessed thing. If her child ever needs her help or advice, she will be there for them. She would go through the gates of hell to keep them safe, feeling honoured and grateful for the opportunity. Each child is a precious gift. She was lonely and without any comfort the last time. After all, what comfort could a three-year-old provide a pregnant widow? Her husband missed their son's first step: his initial words. They had lost out on those experiences together, but now they had another chance. Were they both afraid? Yes, but she had everyone she needed with her this time. They'd be okay.

Walking down the stairs, he heard her steady steps. She’ been placing the plates, knowing it was about time, for the family to go down, lost in her thoughts. Her placing her hand on her tummy drew his attention. They were once against expecting. Their child would be born in a few months, ready to seek and receive love, to be part of that lovely protective web of emotions that gives, nurtures, and protects, just like his or her siblings. Once Again. They would once again encourage them to be the greatest versions of themselves, to rewind, to abandon the poisonous cynicism and instead weave the love web that their kid would want. She was the finest mother he'd ever known, the greatest wife, and he aimed to be the ideal husband and father.

“Hey…”

Placing the final plate, she gazed upon her husband’s face. “Hey, baby… Want some eggs?”

“Yeah…” He planted a kiss on her lips, deepening it the first chance he got. The kiss went on for two whole minutes before she managed to break it.

“Sit.”

“Yes ma’am.” A chuckle escaped his lips before his face grew pensive.

“Rick?”

“I had a dream.”

“Oh, I thought you were sleeping better.”

“I am, darlin’. I am… It was about Carl.”

“Carl?”

Put all unpleasant memories in your left hand and all happy memories in your right. Memories danced on the edge of his thoughts, alternating between cherished times and terrible recollections, walking a fine line between consolation and misery. The world went on, indifferent to the sorrow that enveloped him, like a dark cloud that followed him everywhere, casting a shade on even the okay days. Those were the sentiments he held in the CRM. Then he couldn't recall the faces, which was worse than everything else he'd experienced in that godforsaken place. The weight of loss hung on his shoulders like an unbreakable load. Things were different, however. He was home with his wife and children. He could see his son's face again and had a photo of him his daughter, a little younger than he remembered her when he was taken. The fact that he could see his son's face was incredible. He was at home with his family. It wasn't an awful dream after all.

“He came to say hi.”

“I’m happy for you. Maybe he’ll visit me sometime?”

“Mhmm. Maybe Andre will.”

Her eyes welled and a weary smile came to her lips. “Maybe.” Next thing, Rick wrapped his arms around her and the swayed from side to side, resting his chin atop her head.

“I thought I told you sit, Grimes.”

“I will. For now, I just wanna love on my wife… Our boys, they’re in a better place, watchin’ us, wantin’ us to live life.”

He was, by no means, religious. He grew up a Baptist, and he would go to church every once in a while with Lori and Carl before the new world but his faith had left him long ago, but when it came to their children, he had faith. Faith that they weren't hurting and they were happy. Faith that they would all be together again. Was he hypocritical in his thinking? Yes, he was; regardless, it was how he viewed things.

A pair of heavy footsteps came running. Their children had arrived, ready to start the day. Breakfast consisted of fluffy pancakes, eggs, and berries, all as warm as they would be in the sun, with maple syrup threaded on top. It provided a tranquil sense of comfort, which helped to start the day off well.

“Morning, sleepyheads.”

“Mornin’ Mom! Morning Dad!”

“Morning, Mama! Dad!” Unlike his sister, her son hurried through the morning hug he owed her and rushed to his father’s side. “Oh.”

“Hey, junior.” He beamed, ruffling his son's curly brown hair. How’d you sleep, hmm?”

“I slept great!” Rj proclaimed, pulling the seat next to his father.

“What ‘bout you, Judy? Sleep alright?”

“Kinda.”

“She was doing homework till 10:30.” Michonne poured the three orange juices. “I think they are giving her too much work. I don’t like that they skipped RJ either.”

“I argue about Judith, but skipping grades just means our boy takes after you.”

“Two whole grades? He’s eight, Rick.”

“And he’s brilliant and I’m proud of him.” He gazed deep into her eyes. “I’m just happy they’re living normal lives.”

“I’ll talk to Judith’s teacher.”

“I go with you.” Rick gave her a deep grin, reaching out to squeeze her hand. “Four eggs for breakfast, fried in a brushing of olive oil, lightly salted... so perfect. Just the way I like ‘em.”

“So perfect, Mama,” RJ said, obviously following his dad, earning a warm smile from both his parents.

“I’m glad you and your daddy like it, baby…” Michonne placed a bowl of freshly cut tomatoes at the centre of the table and her two special men reached for some. “Judy? Since school is finishing early, what’s your plan for the rest of the day?”

“Well, I promised Gracey I’d help her with her assignment.” Reading the disappointment on her parents' faces, she added, “I can’t tell her I can’t.”

"No, sweety, we’ll manage. But you keep your weekend free, okay?”

“Deal!”

“RJ?”

“Mhm?”

“Daddy is taking you out after school. Just the two of you. Behave.”

“I always behave.”

“Yeah, right.” Judith rolled her eyes

“I do!”

“No, you don’t!”

“Alright, alright… Eat up or you two will be late.” He simply stared at his his then his wife. The joy was apparent.

...

“Once upon a time, there were two children, one boy and one girl. Their parents loved them like a thousand suns, and they grew up to be clever and carin’. The father joined ‘em in the kitchen and danced to insane music; the sillier, the better. He followed ‘em with fingers that could transform them into monsters with a single twitch. The mother encircled ‘em with affection and defended ‘em like no other lioness…”

He smiled softly as he saw his junior yawn. Trying to persuade RJ to sleep in it is like separating an octopus from its prey. There might have been some anger rising in him—frustration—but he had missed too much of his son's life to harbour such feelings. They were both overly obsessed with one another. Even after three bedtime stories, he wasn't ready to leave his kid. His namesake, who was about to be dethroned as the youngest, was all he could have wished for. RJ begrudgingly closed his wide brown eyes and allowed the realm of dreams to take him. He kissed him good night on his forehead, dragging his feet out the door after taking one last look for the night. The couple opted to announce their new addition to their children later, preferring to focus on connecting and reconnecting right now.

…

Entering the bedroom, he smiled. Rick and Michonne gave each other their full attention as they celebrated Rick's good day of connecting with the children, specifically RJ. The temperature outside had dropped to practically freezing, but inside, they had a raging fire, also known as each other, and were soon pretty cosy. Michonne lay in bed across from Rick, her feet resting in his lap.

"I guess RJ is knocked out?"

"Yep." His shoulders slouched. "He put up a good fight, though."

"Don't feel too sad... You have tomorrow, the day after that, and the day after that one. We have time."

Rick let out an anguished sigh and was stimulated by her toes moving over his leg. "We do," he explained, his voice gruff yet calm. "I wish he could stop ageing, if even for a few years."

"Okay, don't get carried away over there," she said, smirking.

Chuckling at her words, he tugged on her feet. "Get over here," he stated, suggestively.

And with an amused smile, she sat on his lap, and as she adjusted, she could feel Rick hard beneath her.

"Hard, huh?"

"I am," He threw one arm around her waist and pulled down the strap of her silk pink nightgown. He squeezed her right breast and kissed the back of her neck.

Michonne felt his desire and rolled her hips, tingling from the sensation of his dick against her pussy. She should have become used to him by now, given their frequent screwing, but they had more than eight years to make up for. Her bodily response was still strong, which seemed strange. But every time he touched her, it was distinctive. Addictive even. She let out a small sigh as his left hand moved south, pushing beyond her panties to touch her slit. He didn't waste any time, which made her happy. She adored how much he loved her. How much he longed for her. She relaxed her body against his and extended her legs, granting his wish to explore. His fingers began to work. He pulled her off and stroked her clit as she vibrated softly on him. 

"Rick," she forced out softly, his fingers much overpowering her thoughts till she came.

He inhaled sharply as her breasts crushed against him, and his lips brushed against hers. Rick felt his dick buzzing. He really wanted her. She drew him in for a deeper kiss, holding his hair and inviting him to join her on the bed.

On top of her. He was both kind and passionate towards her. He landed another kiss on her lips before moving down her body, delivering several on her stomach, his dick only becoming harder as he returned to her chest. He enjoyed how well the breasts fit in his palms. Her pregnancy with RJ filled them out considerably more than they were eight years ago. It was the first thing he noticed. He sucked and nibbled her hardened nipples.

He licked and lapped at her erect nipples, smiling as she groaned in return. He admired her figure and enjoyed touring it. He'd missed her silky, creamy, dark brown skin and all of her lovely muscles. "Shit," he muttered into her ear, making both of them snicker. But the lightness immediately faded as he resumed their kiss and the top of his dick got cosy with her entrance. They both murmured silently, anticipating the moment to follow as her clit touched his tip. Their lips got chaotic while he sought to find his way inside, and their moans grew louder as he pressed into her.

"Right, ahhh!" Michonne muttered as he pressed on and began thrusting.

"Ahhh!" She gasped with a gentle moan. Filling her to the brim, pressing along her walls. He was great. It was greater once he started pounding. He rolled his hips methodically and sensually, hitting numerous places simultaneously, kissing her neck and grasping her breasts, captivating her entire body. She experienced an upheaval and was unsure if she ever wanted to get off. If she wasn’t already pregnant, he’d surely knock her up tonight.She could feel the impending climax as his dick worked against her clit with each stroke.

"Darlin', I'm gonna come," he declared, breathing against his wife's throat. He could feel the rhythm in his chest and his vision was a swirl of loveliness before him.

He enjoyed how thick and clinging it was actually. They had become soaked during sex. Michonne seemed aware of her actions, despite her suggestions indicating otherwise. The fashion in which her hips met his.

The couple shared unrivalled chemistry, which resulted in an incredible time between the two like all those years ago. The sort of sex that came with wet, sloppy kisses, strong grunts, nicks and scratches, bites, and chaotic, incoherent curses in moments of deep lust.

Rick felt Michonne's limbs weaken and the feeling of her bathing his dick, similar to how his fingers felt before. The taste of his name on her lips motivated him to finish quickly. The smell of sex filled the air as he grunted and halted his grinding. He rested, his forehead brushing hers, and caressed her belly with tenderness. Their thick lungs were filled with love and lust—even before they came.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Rick's smile was so vast that you could scarcely see his eyes, and her flush was like flowering blossoms, conveying the love of her heart. They were so fortunate to be able to look directly into each other's eyes at that silent moment when the rest of the world was placed on hold. She put her palm on his chest and felt the tempo of his heartbeat. They had a wordless feeling of joy. Joy was a vital part of the recipe for life, and when they were happy, their lips curled into matching smiles.

“It’s good to be home.” A soft smile played on his lips.

“It is.”

[16ciggy]

types of piercings the jjk characters would get (wlw included, some sex scenes a lil, i kinda got carried away and wrote an entire story for sukuna bc i love him.... mb guys)

reader is in love with piercings btw

[ NOBARA , YUJI , MEGUMI , GOJO , TOJI , GETO AND SUKUNA INCLUDED ]

SATORU GOJO

i think bro wouldn't really wanna 'mess' up anything much and would go for normal ear piercings (if he wanted it) and that's that. "piercings? on my face or body elsewhere??? why would i do that?" he'd say, his face turning sour when being asked if he would pierce his face or body in any way. he doesn't want some metal pierce through his body or face at all, he'd definitely feel grossed out too by knowing something is within his skin and staying in there FOREVER. you both had a conversation about how gojo might enhance his appearance if he were to get piercings and he immediately said 'no'. buuuuttttt that doesn't mean he disregards your passion and love for piercings either, he has come by your shop to watch you pierce your clients or discuss with them on the desired piercings your clients wants. some of them even ended up becoming your friends too–gojo is in awe when he sees on how much of a social butterfly you are, he's proud of your work and he is in love with the way you do things with piercings too. he always asks on how were the piercings that you've done for your clients and you'd always give a full on detail on how it went, sometimes he can't even believe his own ears on what types of piercings you did—let alone, them even existing...

TOJI

hmmmmmm.... eyebrows piercing for SURE. i can imagine it,, he would even like it too. he'd grin at himself as he admire his piercing through those eyebrows of his. he'd probably have a king's crown piercing too (a ring pierced through the head of the dick) and he'll talk so much of it, but why? he just wants to add some extra feeling for you when he fucks you down on that ol'rotting couch of his—you could feel it too and it felt a bit weird at first to experience your boyfriend's ring inside of you but you gradually got over it and agreed that it helped to spice up the sex.

SUGURU GETO

he never really thought too much of having piercings but he wouldn't mind more. one day he decided to get a tongue piercing to reduce the taste of the cursed spirits he swallows because he couldn't falter the taste of them, the tongue piercing did help somewhat but he was also afraid that he might end up swallowing the piercing too—but you reassure him that nothing bad will happen, he smiles and kisses you, "god, your lips are the best to taste after every cursed spirit."

NOBARA

either snake or spider bites tbh (two rings either pierced by the side or opposites by each other on the lips) she says that it makes her look cool and she HATES IT whenever men are like "no one is gonna want you with those piercings.. it makes you less ladylike.", she HATESSSS IT. because, shes's doing it for YOU because you liked them. even though she seems like a heartless jerk, she loves like a golden retriever. you can't count how many times she has done these cute things like building a house for you in minecraft or buying your favourite desserts when you're on your period. "baby, im going for a mission, i'll be back later. love you, my angel." she kisses your forehead so gently before walking out the door and only for her lip piercings to be returned back to you. you were never given a reason on what happened, not even one ounce of word spoken by these random group of sorcerers. one shibuya night turned into a nightmare and you never saw your girlfriend ever again.

YUJI ITADORI

he'd have his tooth pierced with your initial on it and he lets everyone know it by flashing a big smile almost all the time. you warn him of smile lines and he'd simply just grin at you and laugh, "at least these smile lines were mostly by you!", you ruffle his hair as he laid his head on your shoulders before pulling your waist in closer to his body. he was never a big fan of piercings either—until he met you, an individual whom was fond of piercings and he decided to just have your initial pierced right on his tooth; his strongest appearance happens to be his smile too.

MEGUMI FUSHIGURO

ooooohh..... hot take.. but he'd definitely be a quiet punk when hes not a sorcerer in the day time. he has nipple piercings, ear piercings, eyebrow, lips—you name em. there's no specifics too because he has a LOT of them. he defo paints his nails black too. when you both bumped into eachother in shibuya at night you did not expect to see gojo's son just having those amount of piercings and even hid it perfectly WELL. your hormones were suddenly RAGING when you saw him, you just had to fuck him so badly otherwise you'd go feral. megumi didn't mind tho because he kinda had a major big crush on you and he wasn't worried about his dick but thats when you got even surprised. because.... well... he got piercings on them too, he really did follow his biological dad. "aw, you scared im gonna eat you or sum'thing? cute." he smirks, getting closer to you and your heart racing even more when his cock is just getting nearer to your face—next thing you know, you were getting choked on it with the metal piercings just gauging down your throat as it hit every walls within it. "fuck— never knew you could suck dick—" he grunts, trying to hold in his moans with his hands clutching on to his mouth for dear's life.

SUKUNA RYOMEN

ear piercings + septum piercing. his face is already scary enough and with that nose piercing already adds in a whole'nother fear when people glances or even looks in his direction. "tsk. it's just a nose piercing, why does every human gotta act like a brat?" he sighs. heavily. he's deeply annoyed in how everyone is afraid of him, he's trying to be a bit nicer now because of you. but that isn't anyone's fault to be afraid of the king of curses either. he sits up from his throne and walks down the flight of stairs to look for you. when he spots you cleaning the hallway with a half assed broken broom, he walks towards you quietly and calls out your name loudly which scared you, "(Y/N). My room, now.", you nodded quickly and thought he just needed to relieve himself. when you arrived into his room, you locked the door behind you and got to undressin— "stop that. that's not what i asked you to come here for." he states, clearing out his throat while he prepared what to say next, "Am I terrifying?" he asks. you just stared at him and the corner of your lips started to curl into a smile, then slowly a giggle. "is this why you asked me to come? yes, you are terrifying." you smiled and he grumbled in annoyance. "then??? how am i suppose to become 'gentle'?!" he roars, jolting up from the edge of the bed, "gentle? why do you want to be gentle?" you asked confusingly, staring into his dull eyes until it clicked. you told him a few weeks ago you were into men who were gentle and not rough, was this why his sex style changed too? this is the man who pounded your back everyday of the week until you were crying from pleasure, now he's kissing your neck and gently holding your thighs up as he's thrusting into your pussy until you're soaking wet when you are getting fucked lately. "it's because on what you told me!" he cocks his head in annoyance, his feet slapping the floor constantly while his arms were crossed. you laughed non stop until he felt embarrassed, you touched his arm and he quickly jerked away from it. "don't be like that, you can still look scary but be gentle, my love—", you wheezed, trying to get a hold of your breathing but you just.. couldn't. this shit was too funny. "people looks at me differently with the septum piercing. do i look more scarier with it??" he asks, he looks so serious—you can't- no way, no way in hell he is acting like a kid over what you said. you comforted him in the end after you stopped laughing but he was still mad at your reaction.

[descendinginto-madness]

welt except he has a fever and desperately needs sleep

cw: descriptions of illness, high fever, being kinda delirious/out of it, sleep deprivation?, nightmares, headaches, mentions of death

contains spoilers for welt's hi3 lore

also, disclaimer! welt in here is very reluctant to ask for help and feeling bad about it because... well i imagine he'd react like this, BUT! needing help and asking for it is completely normal and valid and okay; please remember that and take care of urself ok!! ily /p

alright, so...

i'm gonna be honest since i found @bugbytez13 's blog welt sickfic ideas don't want to leave my head LMAO except i will write a detailed description of a fic instead of the fic itself. that's it that's the post

tbh this ramble in particular could be made into two separate fanfics (one sickfic and one specifically about the nightmares) but shh

i will forever be self conscious or anxious about things i post that aren't just headcanons or silly little rambles, but also... writing this went surprisingly smoothly so! enjoy the essay or something idk HAHA

======================================

so, about welt...

i just know this man is going to force himself to stay awake. maybe his self-sacrificing issues are less present now, and he doesn't immediately throw himself in danger in every fight ever, but he's still stubborn as hell. so he won't admit something is wrong. he won't admit that maybe getting way too little sleep several days in a row wasn't doing wonders for his immune system and he's now finally feeling the consequences. to be fair, he expected it might end like this, but he didn't want to take breaks - there's still too many things to take care of before they finally head to penacony. and now, he will still insist of taking care of everything, even though his body is basically begging him to go take a nap.

except maybe, he didn't even expect it to get this bad. or thought that he can just power through it. i mean, he's been through much worse, right? this is nothing compared to literally losing his body for some time. but he's sitting in the parlor car, and he's half awake, and unusually cold, and his head is hurting, and keeping up the act is getting harder and harder - but he has to, because the younger members of the crew are here too, even if only march is talking to him.

but they pick up on the fact that something is wrong, of course they do. his eyes are unfocused, he looks like he's about to fall asleep - or pass out - and march had to repeat herself twice for him to even fully process what she was asking him, and so suddenly stelle is next to him, attempting to touch his forehead - and he recoils. "i'm fine," he says, and it's probably a bit too quick and a bit too firm than he'd like it to be, and all of this is stupid, really, because he shouldn't be scared of someone touching him. how hot can it really be anyway if he's feeling so cold, right? but if that wasn't enough dan heng asks an even more dreaded question, "are you sure, mr yang? do you want us to call himeko?" and welt decides it's time to excuse himself, before he makes them even more worried. because even in his present state, he can pick up on the fact they're concerned, but at the same time unsure of what to do, and it makes him feel guilty. of course they're unsure; he's usually their caretaker, and he always knows what to do, and it should never be the other way around. he should've just stayed in his room all day, shouldn't he.

"thank you all for your concern, but i'm alright." he stands up. "now, please excuse me, i still have some work to do." of course that's true, but he's almost certain he won't be able to focus on that- but he just needs an excuse to get out from here and be left alone anyway.

but stelle is right next to him, and looking determined to accompany him to his room, too. "you look like you're about to fall, mr yang," they explain, and he wants to insist that he's okay once again, but realizes he's too tired to do so. it would take him at least a few minutes, and it's a few minutes he doesn't have nearly enough energy for. he just wants to finally lie down. so, he lets stelle essentially escort him into the hallway and to his bedroom, and make sure he doesn't collapse on his way there, and-- it's embarassing, honestly, because it's already so difficult for him to show himeko the slightest hints that something might be wrong, and right now the situation is similar but ten times worse - so it's also ten times harder for him to come to terms with the fact he needs to rely on someone.

"my... apologies for making you all worry," he says quietly when they reach his room, and he's so thankful that he left the lights off, because the parlor car was way too bright, and though the hallway was a bit better, it still wasn't good.

"it's alright," stelle shakes her head, and stands there in the doorway, even as he heads towards his bed and sits down. "i'll ask himeko to check up on you in a bit?" she asks, and he only nods, though he isn't sure if she can actually see it. he doesn't want to talk anymore, he doesn't want to think because even just that seems to make his headache worse, he just wants stelle to leave, he just wants to sleep-- he isn't even sure if he understood her question correctly, but he also doesn't have the energy to care. he falls asleep the moment the door closes behind her, fully clothed and half covered with a thick blanket, but even then he isn't allowed a peaceful rest.

memories from old battles flash before his eyes, silhouettes of enemies he once fought, those against whom he won - but also of those who severly injured or even killed him, and with that come the memories of the pain

and the fear of losing his body again.

when he finally awakens, sweating, shaky for reasons other than his fever, and still feeling pretty awful, it takes him longer than usual to remember where he is. it takes him longer than usual to remember that he's safe.

but now there's medicine and a thermometer on his nightstand, and a note written in himeko's neat handwriting - though he actually spots and reads it some time later - telling him to rest as much as he needs to, because she'll take care of everything; and only after he does read it and feels a sense of relief come over him, he realizes how much the thought of having to leave all the work in order to take a break actually stressed him out. he still feels bad about it, because of course he does, and of course he's going to apologize to everyone later.

but he's also able to sleep more peacefully now.

[jujutsutrash]

The four times Noritoshi loses you and the one he doesn't

you know what, I'm posting here first. better late than never. this is the final chapter. Pairing: Noritoshi x reader Word count: 3349 Warning: minor spoilers for the manga, nothing in detail but still

5th

Hushed feet carried Noritoshi through the wrecked streets, the eerie silence only heightening his discomfort, his anxieties echoing in the dead quiet surroundings. Heavy clouds hung above him and in the distance he could hear thunder - shit, the last thing this ruined place needed now was a storm. The minute the fighting was done and the nightmare that had started with the culling game was over, Noritoshi only had one thought in his mind: you. He hadn't seen you through the whole thing, and the entire time his heart ached with terror, a constant pain always lurking in the back of his mind as he feared the worst.

Whenever he found someone who was a member of Jujutsu High, Noritoshi was happy to see them alive, commemorating whichever life was spared by the devastation. But he was happier when he found someone with information about you. Like most others, you had been locked within the game, forced to fight but ultimately still coming out alive, albeit heavily injured. You had been sent to a makeshift hospital, healed using reverse cursed technique, but your injuries were heavy on your body and you still needed the rest.

As he entered the small building - which seemed to have been a clinic once, not a full hospital, but the best and most intact thing around - Noritoshi could feel his heart pounding against his ears. The sound was almost deafening, a drumming that had threatened to drive him insane. The damn organ refused to be silenced, even as he heard voices around the badly lit hallways. Even as he had to stop and ask someone about where he could find you. Even as his feet carried him up the stairs and down the empty space.

When he got to the hallway where your room would be, the eerie stillness hit him again, like ice creeping through his veins. In the heavy quiet air all he could hear were his own footsteps echoing on the walls, the maddening drumming of his heart and the loud silence of his fears. Noritoshi could feel anxiety gripping at him, like it was squeezing his throat, shortening his air supply, each step he took heavier than the next. He was scared, terrified, and still his feet carried him to the heavy wooden door.

And as he stood looking at it, he had to wonder, what exactly was he the most scared of?

He was terrified of you being hurt, of seeing you in pain, of seeing you in a state of fragility and injury that would mark your life forever. He knew you were strong - he believed in you, he wouldn't have endured the fear this long if he didn't - but he was afraid the damage would be something irreparable, something that could break even you. Although he couldn't lie to himself, this was not his only fear.

Standing before the door, breathing in the cold air around, Noritoshi could still clearly remember your last words to him. The bitterness and pain in their tone. The way they cut deep into his soul. What if you just didn't want to see him? What if, despite your injuries, you still lashed out? If you still seemed cold and distant as you were on that day? Would that be the thing to finally break him after all this pain? One of the few things he wanted to do with his newfound freedom was to see you, he'd made it through hell thinking about that. So what would be of him if you were to push him away now?

The thought alone had Noritoshi frozen in fear. But it was nowhere as strong as the thought of never being with you again, his need to see if you were alright with his own eyes. He was worried about you, he had been since that damn game began, he needed to do this, and this time he wouldn't let fear get in the way. He wouldn't be a coward again. So with his heart drumming heavily in his ears, Noritoshi's slender fingers touched the heavy door, slowly opening it, a low creaking noise filling the cold silence.

When the door opened, Noritoshi was faced with a low lit room, not any larger than his own accommodations back at Kyoto High. Pushed against a wall to the further side of him was a single bed, and lying in it was you, bandaged and tired, almost sinking into the mattress, back propped up by some pillows. You seemed so fragile, body seeming weak and drained as you laid there. A far cry from the person he knew, even the sound you made upon seeing him seemed small, a tiny gasp that filled the empty room.

The minute he noticed, Noritoshi was already by the side of your bed, feet carrying him there in a flash. He didn't manage to fight the urge, he barely even noticed it before acting on the impulse, strong arms coming around your form and gently pulling you into an embrace. When he realized it, he let go, feeling blood rush to his face as he stood straight by your side, throat drying under your powerful stare.

There was a tense, heavy moment before any of you spoke. You looked up at him with those beautiful eyes and Noritoshi stuttered, trying to find the words of what to say, eyes wondering your body to check the extent of the damage. It takes him a second, but Noritoshi finally manages to even his breathing and finally recover his voice, bumbling the first words that come to mind.

"How are you feeling? What," he starts but stutters, swallowing hard as his eyes go over you again, "what happened to you?"

You smile, it's small and not much, but it's enough to have Noritoshi's heart leaping. He notices you making an effort to sit up further and moves to help you, but you lazily swat his hand away, and he sees you haven't lost your pride yet. When you are fully resting your back against the headboard, you look at him and point towards a metal chair sitting against the wall. He follows your lead and pulls it towards the bed, sitting by your side, now closer to eye level.

"I've been better," you respond with a small laugh. "But believe me, it looks worse than it feels. And for what happened," you mumble, shrugging as you rest your head back on the wooden backrest of the bed. "I guess you could say I had one too many run-ins with some powerful sorcerers who had no regard for human life."

There is a pause again as Noritoshi looks deep into your eyes, worry written all over his face as he mutters an apology - for what, he can't tell. Part of him feels he should have been there to help you, but he knows it's a foolish thought. You shake your head at him before turning back with a smile.

"And what about you?" You ask, a sliver of amusement in your soft voice as you gesture to his clothes and hair. "What is all that?"

For a second, Noritoshi allows himself a small laugh, he had been so caught up in the moment that he completely forgot all the noticeable changes he had been through. So caught up in his quest to find you and ease his anguished heart that he had forgotten that he himself had gone through so much. He runs a hand over his short hair, slim fingers still missing the familiar feeling of his longer silky locks. Just being in your presence had made the past few days seem almost distant - but now they came crashing back.

Noritoshi gathers his strength and tells you about all he had been through. About what brought up all these changes. About what had happened to the Kamo clan - how he had finally made his mind to go against them to do the right thing, but he wasn't even given a chance to do just that much. He tells you about how, when he got there, they were all already dead, the only living thing besides him in the entire place being Kenjaku, the one who had killed them all.

The Kamo clan was dead, and in a sense Noritoshi was free, but it still rang hollow. He had been robbed of even conquering his own freedom, robbed of the chance to rebel against the family that had made him a captive to their rules for so long. In quiet mutters, he told you about how it made him feel a certain sense of shame - and how he knew that thought was stupid. His gaze avoided yours as he spoke, dark eyes caught the sky through a broken window, the heavy clouds seemed to be moving, small streams of sunlight fighting to break through.

"But that doesn't really matter," you say, after a heavy moment of silence, and he feels compelled to look at you, only to fall into the pull of your eyes. "You are free now. Say, what you planning to do with that new freedom?"

The metal chair creaks as Noritoshi slouches on it, feeling his body tense, muscles aching. The weight of the past events now fully downing on him as he finally had a minute to sit down and rest. What would he do? He hadn't thought that far, to be honest, it all seemed so hazy to him. He had been working on autopilot almost, body acting without his brain even giving input. Looking out into the window again he watched the clouds continue to move, now that the worst was behind him, what would he want to do? Well, the first thing he had done was come here - it was coming after you.

"I don't really know," he responds with an empty laugh, still afraid to meet your eyes, afraid of the uncertainty, but also of the few things he was certain of. "This all feels so strange, I guess it still takes some time for things to settle down on my mind. And," Noritoshi pauses and takes a deep breath before continuing, "the moment I had a minute of peace I just came to look for you. I was so worried, that was the first thing I ended up doing."

He looks at you sheepishly, words having stumbled from his lips in a quiet confession. No more lies, no more hiding, this was the truth. The moment he'd been granted freedom from this nightmare, the first thing Noritoshi did was look for you. He didn't even need to think about it, he just did, like an instinct, like he had always been drawn back to you.

Noritoshi just watches you in tense silence for a moment, your eyes gazing deep and hard into his own, boring holes in his soul as he feels bare before your stare. It's just a moment, but it feels almost eternal - and then it's over, as you smile at him. Noritoshi hadn't seen that in what seemed like so long, and he had missed it far more than he realized.

"Thank you," comes your muttered answer, eyes flicking away from his own for a second before coming back. "Really. I'm thankful that you were worried. I'm glad to see you doing well."

You pause, there is some hesitation in your voice and Noritoshi grows uneasy, anxious with the thought that maybe you didn't want him around. Maybe your hesitation was because you were trying to be polite, but not really wanting to see him. Maybe he should have stayed outside, not bothered you, he knew you were alive now, so he should leave. Who knew if you could ever forgive him. Who knew if he even deserved that forgiveness.

"Ah," he starts but stutters, trying hard to find the words to fill the space, but there are none, and he can't help the truth from spilling out. "Do you want me to go? I mean, I came here, but I was terrified that you wouldn't want to see me again, and I'm ready to leave if that's what you want," he speaks fast, not even giving his thoughts time to breath, words spilling from his soft lips like a torrent. "I just wanted to see if you were ok, and I'm happy now that I know you are aliv-"

"Noritoshi," you cut him off, his dark eyes finding you again, getting pulled by the waves of your own eyes. "It's ok. It's ok, you can stay," you pause for a moment, laying a gentle hand on top of his own where it sat on the bed, the touch is soft, and it feels like Noritoshi finally lets go of a breath he didn't know he was holding. " I know we weren't... On the best of terms, but despite that I was really worried too. Don't think I don't care, because I really did, and I'm happy to see you well."

You smile at him, and he melts inside, his own lips curling as he feels you squeeze his hand, his long fingers squeezing yours back in response. The silence feels less threatening now, less heavy and foreboding. It feels peaceful, and even the wind blowing through the broken window is a welcomed change from the tense atmosphere that had reigned before.

"And I'm also happy to see you are free now, no matter what," you add in a soft tone, and he feels compelled to believe in you. "All you gotta do is figure out what you wanna do with your new freedom."

You say it like it's easy, but Noritoshi can feel his heart heavy at the very thought. Maybe it is easy, he just doesn't know it because the clan never really let him have freedom before. His life had never been really his, and now he feels like he is staring at the edge of a precipice. A bird raised in a cage, terrified of the vast open sky. A captive animal thrown into the wild, but one who doesn't even know what freedom feels like. Or what to do with it. God, it all feels so strange. And the more Noritoshi thinks about it, the more he feels on the verge of breaking.

He looks at you, hurt but still resisting, his dark eyes roaming over your form before finding your gaze again - it's soft, and warm, and he feels drawn in. You had been the first thought on his mind once the nightmare was over. The first person he looked for once he had a minute of peace. Even now, bruised and broken, you still seemed unafraid, and he believed you were sure to have fared much better in his situation. You wouldn't be so uncertain. Noritoshi could feel a sliver of shame creeping into his brain - suddenly hyper aware of the silence that settled as he thought.

What was it he wanted to do?

"I want," Noritoshi starts, pausing in a moment of hesitation, eyes slipping from yours to look at the floor. "I want to build a life that's my own," comes his low response, voice hoarse and rumbling as he continues to stare down. "And I want to go looking for my mother. And if you'd let me, I want to have you around for all that too."

He almost mutters that last part, stumbling over the sentence as it gets stuck in his dry throat. The words had left his mouth on an impulse, but they were the truth, and by god, he wanted to live truthfully now. At least to try. But it terrifies him, freezes him to the bone, and when his eyes flicker back to yours, he is already talking again - the silence between you having lasted only the space of a breath.

"I mean, I'm free and the first place my feet carried me to was here. To you. I know I have no right to say this but, I want to ask you to give me a second chance. I know I don't deserve it, you were right. I was a coward, caring too much about what the clan thought and I..."

Noritoshi's confessions spilled from his lips in a rushed tone, words scattering into the wind as he spoke faster and faster, his heart racing within his chest before he came to a sudden halt. He pauses in a moment of breathless hesitation, recomposing himself and swallowing hard while his eyes refocused on you.

"I wasn't doing you justice. But if you let me, I want to try again."

His tone is soft and honest and his voice almost breaks at the last moment, his trembling eyes misted over as he looks up at you. But by this point, he is past caring if you'd notice. Maybe this was stupid, maybe he was misinterpreting your kindness, maybe you'd never really forgive him. But he had to try, he needed to. To be brave at least once, and if worse came to worst, at least now he'd know the answer.

Though, it's easier said than done. His heart refuses to slow down and the moment he is done speaking, a silence settles between you two. You are looking at him, the undertow of your eyes keeping his gaze locked with yours, but he can't quite read your expression. Noritoshi can feel panic settling in, creeping through his spine and into every nerve. When you take your hand away from his, it reaches a peak, and he is already preparing to hear the worst.

But it never happens. The worst never comes. It's all so sudden, he barely registers it, next thing he knows your hands are on his face and your soft lips meet his. Noritoshi doesn't question, he just gives into you, sinking his heart and soul into this one kiss. It's gentle and warm and loving and desperate all at the same time. It's everything he wanted, but not enough. He tastes your mouth as you do his, and it feels like heaven, his own personal paradise. And he misses you the moment it's over, even though you are right there, forehead touching his own, lips just hovering above his.

"I wanted to forgive you from the moment you walked through that door, you idiot," you mutter against his lips, and he can hear the cracks in your voice, the way it feels just as hoarse and shaken as his. "I missed you so much, I was so worried."

Noritoshi's hands find your face and neck, caressing your soft skin with his fingers just as you do to him, holding you so close you both share the same breath. For a long moment you stay like that, basking in each other's touch in a comfortable silence. The noises from the wind outside being the only sound you hear.

When you pull away, Noritoshi's hands slip from your face to your shoulders, caressing you in a tender touch. You smile at him, and he feels weightless, heart skipping a beat as he almost cries. You look him over, one hand moving to his hair, fingers brushing over the now much shorter locks. For a moment he feels self conscious, maybe you wouldn't like the sudden change in looks.

"It looks nice short," you comment, and he feels foolish for ever doubting you. "I think I like this look a lot more."

He laughs, and you laugh alongside him, the sound fills the room as well as his chest, bringing a warmth he'd so desperately needed. When you pull him into a hug, Noritoshi feels like he could burst, and as if by magic, the world seems lighter. The sun filters through the broken window as his eyes catch the last of the storm clouds being blown away by the wind. Yeah, maybe things aren't perfect, but they are going to be better now, he knows it. They are already better, you are here, in his arms, and this time, he won't let you slip away again.

[rat-father]

Part 2 to this because someone asked (how did you guys even find that post it's over a year old)

-- TW;; conditioned whumpee, pet whump, caretaker new master --

Caretaker gazed hesitantly at the pet at his feet. What was he supposed to do with them? He never understood the joy behind owning a slave. He lowered himself to his own knees. Slowly reaching his hand out to rest on Whumpee's head. He never planned to be in this situation. Whumpee smiled into his touch. He felt guilt warm him. Caretaker had done nothing to decided the poor pet's fate, but he still felt so bad sitting in front of them, seeing another human tortured into acting like this.

How was he supposed to provide for someone who fully believes they don't deserve the bare minimum? He was no psychologist. He couldn't handle this.

But the people that could 'handle' pets were the ones that brought them into existence in the first place. And while he never dreamed of ever getting a pet of his own, willingly giving a pet to someone he knew would torture them was something he'd see in his nightmares.

The pet— Whumpee, raised their head again slowly with tensed shoulders. He didn't meet their gaze immediately, gathering a smile for when he did.

"This will be your new forever home."

He crouched in front of them. His hand reached out to unlock his collar. The metal hitting his tiles both satisfying and a screech in his ears.

"I won't give up on you, Whumpee," Caretaker whispered.

Whumpee returned his smile twice as bright, but he was sure they weren't smiling for the same reason as him.

He gave them a hand and pulled them off the floor. The pet stabilized themselves by clinging to his arm, shock wide in their eyes. Yet they swallowed their words and didn't question their new owner.

"I don't think the floors are very clean. Let's just walk, okay?"

Whumpee nodded, and noted to mop them as soon as possible.

"Are you hungry, Whumpee? I can make you food?"

"Ah— no, no, Master. Pets are supposed to make food for their Owners! If, if it's feeding time, I can make food for myself, and clean everything afterwards to not burden Master." They hurriedly spoke up.

He paused.

"Alright. You can go do that…"

Would they even know where the kitchen is? Obviously not, they've never seen the house. He'd have to show them around before anything else. But they already darted past him and found their way in a rather impressive amount of time.

He'd leave them alone for a little bit, then. There was still a lot to clean up in his hallway. And the sight of the darned box served as nothing but reminder of the new truth.

-

| 13:03 PetPaper question submission

| 13:01 PetPaper

| 12:48 How to tell if your pet is comfortable around you

| 12:45 Ways to make your pet feel comfortable in a new home.

Whumpee stayed true to their word about not being a 'burden' to Caretaker. Silently approaching and kneeling beside him while he bit his nails searching through the internet for answers. They could've gone completely unnoticed, had they not timidly spoken up to advice him against the bad habit.

"Sorry, Whumpee… Wait, have you eaten already? Do I have anything you like, or do I need to buy something for you?"

The pet considered their answer carefully. "Pet's don't have preferences, Master." They shook their head.

Well that wouldn't help him at all. There was a chance Whumpee was someone that truly liked anything, but, it wasn't anything to count on. He'd have to somehow figure it out. Maybe when Whumpee got more comfortable, they'd tell him.

"Alright."

Staring down at Whumpee from the couch, Caretaker felt like he was taken all the way back to square one. The pet visibly relaxed almost every time he spoke. There was so much trust and affection in their doe eyes. Like staring at the remains of a flame inside a shattered lantern. Normal people did not place their lives in the hands of a complete stranger, yet they did so without hesitation.

Judging solely off the lack of scars peeking above their shirt, and the branded clothing they wore, he could only assume he was Whumpee's first real owner. It did explain the behavioral difference between them and all his family and friend's pets. Whumpee has been abused. But not to the extent of the pets he knew.

Caretaker shuddered, wondering if all pets acted like this at first. If they all had a glimmer of hope in them. His shaky breath caught in his throat imagining what must've happened to snuff it out. The longer he thought about it, the sicker he felt.

Cold arms wrapped around him. Or maybe he was getting too hot. Their soft voice told him 'everything will be fine, master'. The tears he hadn't noticed welling up started to roll down. He shouldn't be getting comforted by the person he was supposed to help. He didn't experience even a sliver of the pet's trauma. He didn't need the attention.

Caretaker placed his hand on theirs.

"I'm fine, Whumpee. Thank you."

They retracted their arms, but he grabbed their hand and slid off the couch to pull them into a more proper hug. They froze up in surprise. Then relaxed on his shoulder.

Caretaker wished they could hold onto Whumpee until the end of time, so their momentary peace could last an eternity.

[fandoms-in-law]

Love and Trust

Summary: If there were two things Steve knew to be difficult, they were Love and Trust. He knew neither was easy to get or give and had been hurt by trying to give either before. Promising himself not to love Eddie wasn't easy either though.

/\

Loving is difficult and trusting is worse. Those were two things Steve found to be unavoidably true.

The first he felt like he should have known his entire life. He'd seen his parents through plenty, even if they'd been leaving him alone more and more over the years, starting from when he reached his pre-teens. He knew that their marriage wasn't all love, romance, roses and sweet words, but had told himself that he'd be different, that he would actually care and look after the woman he fell for.

He forgot to promise himself that it would be reciprocated.

But after Nancy, he definitely understood how difficult love could be, how even when he was trying his best he couldn't guarantee that it wouldn't hurt him in the end. That there was a reason he had struggled to have a longer lasting girlfriend before Nancy and why he was struggling to even have the will to look after her.

At least she seemed to have found someone to love in Jonathon though. Steve was actually happy for her in that, even if he wished that it could have been with him.

Trusting being worse, being more difficult from love wasn't something Steve had even thought about actually. It was just something he knew to be true, too ingrained into him to even pause to question.

He'd trusted his family and found himself left isolated in a massive show home. He'd trusted Tommy, the sports teams, Carol, and found himself pedestalled, alone and an icon for things he barely understood, let alone believed in, to a school he would prefer just to make his way through without all the attention. He trusted Nancy and found everything he poured into that relationship was called bullshit eventually.

Steve knew that trusting others was worse.

He was in awe each time he realised how he was being trusted: That Dustin had trusted him to help, even before thinking he could be decent to the kids. That Robin trusted him enough to help with the Russians and even come out to him, in a town like Hawkins where anyone could be dangerous to trust with that.

Still he agreed to try and help Eddie. He agreed for Dustin's sake, giving the kid his trust that this wasn't something that would backfire on them all.

And for what felt like the first in a long time, Eddie repaid that trust. There weren't comments treating him like the work he'd done to change was nothing, or if there were they included positive comparisons to Steve now. There weren't judgemental remarks over his intelligence, or criticisms in his willingness to volunteer himself for pain.

Except this time, Love felt worse, felt more challenging, difficult, than trust could ever be.

They got through it, defeated Vecna, helped rebuild Hawkins, and Steve kept the vest. He didn't go out of his way to keep the friendships though.

Perhaps he and Nancy had been acting as friends for the entire thing, but he still wanted to keep any and all alcohol away from her, even more than his kids. He didn't trust her with his emotions, even platonic friendship yet, not when their connection now was entirely looking out for Mike and fighting the apocalypse.

Perhaps he and Eddie could become friends now, co-babysitters of their little group, but Steve wasn't ready for more, even as he offered his number and his support through nightmares, panics and all the after effects he'd lived through dealing with the Upside Down.

That was all he could afford.

More than that felt like it would break him completely, especially the many ways it might go wrong again, in ways he hated to imagine but couldn't help after the 'bullshit' night.

Perhaps romance was forever destroyed for Steve Harrington.

He thought so often enough.

/\/\

“You're staring again.” Robin muttered over his shoulder.

Eddie had come into Family Video not long ago, immediately heading into the aisles and Steve was only half-sure that he'd be messing the shelves up rather than picking any video out to watch. He didn't really care if he did, as much as he and Robin would gripe and complain later. It would be something different to do and Eddie's rearranging usually at least gave them something to laugh about.

“That's the romcom section.” Steve countered with, not turning away. “Even if he's messing the shelves up, Eddie acts like he's allergic to romcoms and only occasionally tolerates musicals.”

Robin snorted, “And you went on a rant last film night over how romcoms are your favourite to watch because you can just chill out, judge characters taste in love interest and not worry about if something from them is going to suddenly become a Hawkins reality.”

“Are you trying to say there's a connection or just stating random things that have happened recently?” Steve stopped tracking the shadow of Eddie through the shelves to raise an eyebrow at her.

“Just observing that the first time he's come in after your rant, Eddie went straight to there. Wonder if he'll actually check one out or go for the adventure films on the other side of that shelf.” Robin's smirk was enough to say she meant more than that. “Besides are you actually making me ask or will you have a bathroom confession without us getting drugged at some point?”

Steve froze at the words. He'd realised already that her teasing was similar to the teasing he gave her over her crushes, but had been trying not to realise that it could be true.

Still that didn't mean he had to admit anything right away, especially with Eddie literally stood in the store and quite possibly able to make out parts of their conversation. “If there was something to confess, then sure, but there's nothing.”

“Confessing? You got juicy gossip you aren't sharing Harrington?” Eddie's voice lilted into the conversation, making them both realise he was stood at the counter now, 2 videos in his hands.

Steve rolled his eyes. “Literally just said there's nothing. You find what you wanted, or are you about to ask for recommendations?”

“Maybe if I enjoy this one, I'll ask for your recommendations next time.” Eddie gestured to one which Steve had watched a few times now. “But yeah, just these two for now.”

/\

Steve was still refusing to acknowledge love was something he could feel when Eddie stopped him after Hellfire, waiting until the kids needing lifts were in vehicles before catching him. “You know I thought maybe you could explain why you like romcoms so much later. If you come back after dropping your group off.”

“Just watching them didn’t help?” He replied, wanting to agree but also remembering the times he’d done something like this to set up a date he wasn’t sure would be agreed to if called such.

“Showed they can be fun, but not why you specifically like them. So like you did with metal after Robin teased me over it, I want to hear your views.” Eddie shrugged, as if that was something anyone would do.

He hesitated, glancing back at the kids getting louder in his car. “Sure, I guess. See you later.”

/\

“I can never tell if you trust me or not.” Eddie stated.

They were about halfway through the film and Steve had barely pointed out any scenes despite Eddie trying to get him talking.

“Of course I trust you; You look after the kids.” It was an easy thing to say, and definitely a more surface level trust for Steve, but he still trusted Eddie.

Eddie made a thoughtful noise before shaking his head. “Yes, I know that’s a very big trust you’ve given me, but it’s also not one you decided to give. You’d have had to fight the kids if they decided to trust me and you didn’t. You don’t trust me to accept whoever you are or your reasons for liking things and I get it. Your high school friends judged everything so you had to to fit in with them, these kids judge in a different way but just as much and I’ve definitely done that on cafeteria tables before too. But I do honestly want to know you, views on films and bigger opinions of right and wrong and all.”

“They’re just comforting. It’s people deciding to make things work, put in the time to love each other, laugh together. I like thinking sometimes people manage that.” Steve said, blinking and trying to comprehend everything Eddie had just laid out. “And I do trust you. I look after you and you let me do that.”

The smile directed at him then was soft, heavy and gentle in a way Steve had rarely seen directed at him. “And I thank you for the love you put into doing so. It’s an honour to have you care for me.”

Eddie said the words easily and returned to the film for a while, but his hand took Steve’s and somehow Steve knew that was to comfort him now. He needed it for the revelation that perhaps loving Eddie wasn’t as scary as he’d thought.

[darklordofthesimp]

Okok i know for the most part we are all rahhh konig we will guilt trip you for the rest of your life and completely understandably so

But to my understanding he seems like a sensitive being, at the very least much more than his average male teammates/counterparts. I can only imagine how bad he feels, what if there’s a moment where after weeks of training and being at odds with Birdy because of her logical hostility, he just sit down and just cries it out. Like takes off his hood and sobs into it and clenches it with all of his frustration and anger and remorse. Maybe even hits his own head with his fist once or twice as if to tell himself that that doesn’t even begin to scale what Birdy had to go through/how she felt. It’s still important to note that he only acted upon the initial order and that he didn’t do it as if he was out to get her. The concept of him beating himself to hell for it still gets me.

Staring down at his hands with horror, maybe still seeing red painting every inch and cuticle as if it had just happened all over again. And what if Birdy walked past his room and heard him crying :(( I would like to see if people would think she’d react like “wtf are you crying about get up bruh” or would actually take a moment to realize that he does genuinely feel bad and is at a crossroads, simply not knowing what more to do. Sorry this was so long 😭😭many thots about this story but I love your work so much!!!! Been a fan forever love our big masked men hehe keep up the great work :))

(If you're looking for acid trip 141 and Ghost hiding in the walls it's the ask below this one ❤)

100% Anon.

Imagine, though, feeling like you don't DESERVE to cry. You don't deserve to be upset, you don't deserve to break down about it, you don't deserve to hate yourself on this level because you weren't the one who got hurt. König is fucking suffering.

He's never committed friendly fire but he wished to whoever was listening that it had just been a bullet wound. He wishes he'd just shot you from across the rooftop, wounding you rather than mutilating you.

But he'd been so full of fire, full of rage. He'd thought that you were lining up his team in your crosshairs.

He hadn't realised how small you were, he hadnt seen the 141 patches. He'd only seen an enemy target as he was told.

Every night he had nightmares. He'd be training you in the gym, gripping your wrists to demonstrate how to break a hold, when it would shift. The vision would shimmer as though changing and in the next moment his hands are wrapped around your neck as you lay bloody and battered beneath his body.

He woke up screaming every night.

Just before you would wake up.

It's how he would always be awake for your night terrors, he'd been kept up by his own.

After a particular rough session, resulting in you sobbing against him and begging him to leave you alone, König lumbers back to his room. Your nose had begun to bleed spontaneously, although he hadn't laid a hand on your face. When he'd gone to swipe it before it had landed on your mouth, the second you caught sight of it on his fingers it was all over.

Your tears, the fear in your gaze, your shaky hands, he fucking hated it. He hated himself but he didn't deserve to be upset and he didn't deserve to be emotionally fucked.

So when he curled onto himself on the rooftop, knees tight against his chest and his cheeks wet, he wept with the knowledge that he was undeserving.

He hadn't known you were watching him from the doorway. He was too emotional. And for a moment there, a dark hideous thought curled against your mind, telling you that you could have your revenge right there.

He wouldn't blame you for it. Nobody would.

But something about watching this man cry over your blood on his finger thawed something enough in your heart to spare him.

He would live today.

Just today.

[blackfemmecharacterdependency]

Good Cooties

Nobody:

Nesha: Takes a very traumatic horror story and instead makes it fluff.

They generally checked in right before bed and then again, first thing in the morning. Chris had never been so communicative with somebody before, but after everything that knowing Dalton had put her through, she didn't mind going a little above and beyond with check-ins.

Whenever one wasn't feeling 100% at bedtime, they had a sleepover, just in case something would go down. Time passed, and nothing did. Well... nothing too unusual, at any rate. He had nightmares sometimes and they'd wake up and sort through it. Sometimes he simply couldn't sleep, so he'd just watch her a while, glad that she wasn't losing any rest on his behalf, but annoyed that the bed was so small that they both couldn't really fit on it without being cuddled up.

Upon mentioning it, she reminded him that when he was trapped in The Further, "Your little booty body was nestled right here, between these yummy thighs." He couldn't argue with it, and the description of her thighs made him want to drop the conversation completely, so he'd said, "Well, you said you have good cooties," laughing awkwardly, and snuggling up behind her, hoping his body wouldn't betray him for the closeness of a soft, warm body and the unavoidable friction of natural sleep movements. Fortunately, that never went down. Even more fortunately, neither did any wild trips to The Further.

Things that did go down: her roommate absolutely thought that he was an obsessive boyfriend and his new roommate was confused that she slept over but they never had the need to tie something on the doorway for him to give them some time. "So... she just sleeps here sometimes?" He'd asked, "Or are you just always finished by the time I get in?"

"We're just friends!" Dalton had said, uneasy and blushing.

Foster, when they got alone, asked, "But, seriously. You're definitely smashing that, right?" It irked him. Him speaking about her like that. "I mean.. I know that you aren't that much of a lover, but I figure it's different with you two, because of, you know... the stuff.."

It was... true, officially. But, he knew how this looked. Even his mom would ask about her in the same way that she'd asked about people he'd dated previously. Was Chris coming home with him during the holidays? "She has her own family," he'd casually mentioned, then had to pretend not to notice as his family gave each other knowing looks because he spent most of the holiday texting, calling, or video chatting with "Chris" They said her name in a certain way too. A singing way, obviously taunting him. Well... his siblings did. (Foster had roped Kali into this mess, too). His mother instructed them to leave him alone, though he could tell it amused her, from her face, and he knew she liked Chris. She always asked about her.

That was why they probably would never happen. He had nightmares sometimes, panicking about being possessed again, about hurting her. Sure, he would wake up to find her there, safe and sound and if awakened by his nightmares, quick to comfort him, but.. that entire thing was now forever a part of their story. And what type of love story could come out of something like that?

His parents had loved each other for years, and this entire ordeal had separated the two of them. Foster broke into his thoughts with, "I think that I'd want somebody who already understands what you've gone through. I imagine by the time I wanna meet people, it's gonna be a whole damn thing trying to make it normal, when the topic inevitably comes up. You've got a cute girl who still bothers with you after literally seeing you at your worst. Possessed by an entity. How could it get better for you?"

"We're just friends!"

"She let you blow on her hooter the first night!" Foster teased. Dalton wasn't a big fan of Chris and his brother exchanging words, but they had each other's information, so now he always had at least this one story for ammunition to make Dalton a little bit uncomfortable, and Chris was the type to overshare casually. Chris and Foster got along well. Dalton could only imagine their powers combined if she did come around the whole family...

Which, eventually, she did. By then, they were dormed together, again. She had gone to see housing about it. Her best friend, suffering from a sleep issue, their roommates, often inconvienced when he woke up, the fact that this very office had already roomed her with him before, so what was the big deal? Chris either could talk you into hating her guts and wanting her gone, or doing whatever it is she was saying, and that day, with that member of staff, she got herself back into the room with him.

Now, they could go to sleep in their own beds, and if something happened, there the other was, just on the other side of a small room. They didn't even have to cramp themselves into his little bed as much, and whenever they did, she didn't have to get up earlier to get ready from a different room, or to go back to her own. It was cozy, and comfortable, and they had a routine.

They had gotten numerous sleeping masks, so that Chris could find something to assist her through the nightlights. Whenever she was in Dalton's bed, she didn't really notice, because her face was usually burrowed in the bed or his body, for lack of room. By the time it was time for her to go home with him, she knew which mask she needed for which type of night, whether or not she should have earphones, and how many pillows she could bring before the bed couldn't fit the pillows and two people their sizes.

She had been in his corner since the moment he confided in her, and even when she didn't want to engage, she found herself unable to just leave him alone, and now she feared that she was far more comfortable with this man than she ever planned on being with anyone. But. She was never one to reject a good thing, and it seemed like maybe Dalton Lambert was a good thing. It certainly always felt good to fall asleep in his arms and wake up next to him. Chris was a fan of feeling good.

His family was nice. She was excited to finally shoot the shit with Foster, in the flesh, and that did not disappoint. Dalton had been hoping that she would help dispel the rumors the Lamberts ran wild with, but despite pursuing math, Chris had a deep passion for chaos, as far as Dalton was concerned. "So, he never told you that we made out at a frat party?" She had asked a VERY intrigued and impressed Foster.

"He never told me that he WENT to a frat party!" He complained.

"Yeah, I sorta made him. That's a gift I have, getting Dalton to do stuff that he is not fond of doing.." Dalton pressed his lips together and continued working on a drawing.

Whenever Foster heard about the frat boy who called her ugly, he looked livid but was soon appeased by the thought of him being promptly kicked in the dick afterward. "I used to say that I wouldn't wish that on anybody, but it sounds like this is the guy that makes me change my beliefs.." They chatted for a little while longer before Foster was going to leave to go hang out with friends. "I'm super glad that Dalton has you," he said on his way out. She simply offered a salute, then looked at Dalton's jaw tense as he pretended not to hear that.

"You okay?" She asked. He shrugged. "You know... whenever I was with Grandma Perkee over the last holiday, she told me that you are very pretty and that she'd love to meet you. I said, "Yeah. He is very pretty, huh? He's kind too. A little introverted, but such a likable person. I don't think he likes me like that, though, Grandma. You might want to be less excited about meeting him." He paused and looked at her. "Well, next she told me, "If somebody is in you life, and they're nice to you and you like them and you're both having a good time together, that's gonna excite me, no matter what you call each other..." They stared at each other a moment, before she concluded, "So, we don't really need to discourage or encourage your family from thinking I'm your girlfriend or into thinking it. They see how we are together, and they know you're in good hands. Whether we're friends or more, they're gonna feel the way that they feel about me because they love you and you like me."

He gave her a little smile. That was a good way to put it, and made it less stressful for him whenever he overheard Kali ask, "Is Dalton your boyfriend?"

Without missing a beat, Chris answered, "Well, Dalton identifies as a boy, and he's definitely my friend, so what would you do if I said, "Yes?"

Kali gasped and with a wide smile asked, teasingly, "Do you loooooooove himmm?"

Chris smiled right back and asked in a whisper, "What would you do if I said "yes" again?"

Kali giggled and covered her mouth, either in excitement or surprise. Dalton never said stuff like that. He didn't smile about it. He always got irritated and denied it all. Kali smiled, and offered, "I'd say, I think that Dalton loves you too."

Chris's smile changed, ever so slightly. Dalton noted it as he finally stepped into view. She leaned towards Kali and told her, "One thing about me? Everybody loves Chris." Kali nodded in agreement, then finally noticed Dalton.

"Oh! It's your boyyyyyfriiiiiend," she sang. He just smiled, shaking his head.

At bedtime, Chris offered, "Pretty cool that your mom doesn't mind our sleeping situation. I'd say it's because she knows we aren't doing it, but she kinda seems like she'd be cool with it, even if we were."

"She is a part of the 'everybody' that loves Chris," he said, casually, preparing the nightlight. Chris paused, with a grin, then silently resumed putting on her bonnet.

By the time that they climbed into his bed, she pushed close and started wrapping her arms around him. He froze and gave her a confused look. "What? This is how we sleep."

"Yeah, in the dorm on the tiny bed. This one has room for us to stretch out more."

"Yeah, near the edge of the bed, where the monsters are. Your sister tormented me with Barbie play today. I wanna be up on you tonight." His body relaxed a little bit. "Besides, I sleep better when we're cuddled up." It tensed again. "My God, Dalton... are we not allowed to say stuff like that to each other?"

"No. Yeah... I just. Yes..." His Adam's apple was leaping in his throat and she watched it bob as he nervously searched for his next words, "I, uh... sleep better with you right here, too." She nodded once, settled her body around his and stared a little bit longer. Dalton's face came in closer, but then he stopped and just looked into her eyes. Her normal playfulness was never present when she was sleepy, but whatever else was there in her eyes, he wasn't exactly used to.

Chris offered a smile and teased, "What? Were you about to kiss me?"

Quickly, he said, "I would never do that without asking first." She closed her eyes, smiling, and nodding. "Cou.." Her eyes opened and he was staring at her lips, "Could I? Kiss you?" Chris smiled and moved closer for him to do so. It wasn't caught off guard like the first time, and it wasn't long or steamy or deep. It was tender, and quick, but lingering.. "Good cooties," he mumbled against her lips, with a smile.

"Very," she said, smiling against his, as well.

[shadowedresolve]

"Sakura-san! It feels like it's been forever."

When Toshiro finally made his way back to the real world after believing he might not ever see it again, he knew he might not be able to see the Phantom Thieves for a long time. With what he planned to do - and has done, now- exposing his father's crimes, as well as accepting his own responsibility for staying silent for so long - he'd known that his life would quickly become a chaotic one.

But to call it merely a scandal would be putting it lightly. With the constant attention and scrutiny he was suddenly subjected to, under fire with criticism from all directions and having sent ripples of shock through the entire country - he didn't want to subject those kids to any potential negative attention that might come from being associated with him.

It might've been fine, of course, but it wasn't worth the risk. Anyway, the media had had enough of a field day trying to figure out the truth behind his abrupt disappearance alone, coming up with all kinds of crazy, ridiculous theories... though of course, none even as close to as crazy as the truth. The thought makes him laugh. ...They really have no idea.

But he couldn't keep the poor kids worried any longer after seeing firsthand how worried they were for him. In particular, he's especially glad to be able to meet with Futaba today. He's grateful to each and every one of the Thieves, and they've all wormed their way into his heart, of course, but when he thinks back on his time in the Kingdoms... often, it's Sakura's words to him that he remembers the most.

"I'm sorry about the hassle. Avoiding the media can be a bit of a nightmare, but... let's say I've picked up some tricks along the way!"

@oraclememehacker ( starter for futaba! )