#the color of the salt organs in front of their eyes is the same color as their mouth/gums

[rxttenfish]

decided to finally draw out some more merfolk color mutations - while amanda also has a color mutation, it’s a much less common one than your typical albinism/melanism/piebaldism. the skull/physical traits are less accurate, being as miranda is an abyssal and i didn’t feel like drawing any specific other species right now, but nonetheless i needed something to fill the space.

i imagine albinism is a little more common in merfolk than in humans or other animals, because while they still have issues with weak eyesight/sun protection and have overall weaker scales and claws than other merfolk, these are all helped by living lower down in the water column, merfolk not being very sight-focused to begin with, and being a social animal + healthcare. since the low royals are so closely connected with the abyssal species of merfolk, and thus has a special connection to the color red, this could also influence how albino individuals are treated in certain contexts, both for the better and for the worse. i might make it so that albino individuals look very similar to newborn/young abyssals, since abyssal merfolk start out very light pink and darken to a crimson as they age.

being piebald is probably seen as rather attractive in certain cultures, and overall merfolk wouldn’t treat melanistic individuals as any different, since it’s not uncommon to just see normal dark brown or grey coloration. though i imagine cultures based in more shallow waters or around reefs, where the difference is a lot more obvious and coloration is more important, would have more of a stigma around these both.

[targaryenmarvel]

A Stark Legacy (1)

Wanda Maximoff x Stark!Reader

Summary: The life of a Stark is tumultuous, especially when you are the only daughter of the technology magnates. You find yourself at a crossroads, struggling to meet your father's towering expectations while also pursuing your desires. This turning point is marked by the arrival of a certain green-eyed girl, a meeting that not only disrupts your world but also sets your heart on fire. Will you finally follow your heart or conform to your father's expectations?

Warnings: Language

Word count: 2,333

The unmistakable aroma of salt invaded the air as the gentle summer breeze carried the scent from the ocean. The gentle scent filled your lungs and reinvigorated your body as you took in the picturesque image before you. As the sun began to dip below the horizon, the once-deep blue water began to take on new hues. The sky slowly turned from a bright blue to a deep purple, mingled with red, orange, and pink shades, creating a kaleidoscope of colors. Despite the roar of the waves, your senses are overpowered by the cheerful and lively chatter of the people around you as they roam in the spacious and meticulously decorated backyard.

Tables littered the well-maintained lawn, some with guests and others with foods ranging from fruits with chocolate-covered pretzels to charcuterie boards and sushi—anything you could desire. Not far away stood a cocktail bar with an impressive champagne tower. While the sun was out, there was no need for any lighting, but as it gave way to darkness, string lights hung all through the yard, taking over the task and creating an almost rivaling image of the sunset ocean.

An atmosphere not uncommon for you as the daughter of technology magnates Howard and Maria Stark. There, amongst the crowd, you could see your father engaged in an animated discussion with an investor. You rolled your eyes. Only your father would discuss business at your birthday party. It was a miracle he had even come, considering work outweighed his priorities as a father. His rare appearance at your celebration had resulted from your mother's persistence or, more so, threats of leaving her share of the company in Tony's control. Although you typically didn't mind his absence after years of disappointment, you were grateful for your mother's actions, knowing he needed to be there for what you had planned. 

Tonight, you would give him what he wanted and make him proud despite his faults as a father. Let him be the family man he so often played in front of the cameras—the picture-perfect family portrayed on magazine covers that photographers frequently complimented.

In reality, your family was anything but loving, specifically your father.  In the solidarity of your home, your father rarely showed affection, and when he did, it was always towards your mother. He only seemed to have harsh words and expectations for your brother and you. Though you had always resented your father's behavior, your mother and brother, Tony, compensated for his lack of love. 

Then there was your saving grace, your childhood best friend, James Buchanan Barnes. He was the son of your father's business partner and his mother, an associate in your mother's charity organization. So it wasn't surprising that you became best friends, attending the same boring gatherings your parents hosted and causing mayhem until your fathers scolded you.

Twenty years later, he remained by your side. His usual crazy brown hair was slicked back, and two of the buttons of his white shirt were left undone. The outfit was paired with black slacks, loafers, and a Rolex on his wrist. His blue eyes crinkled in joy as your gaze crossed, and he clutched your hand tighter while motioning with his chin at your father.

Across the room, your father moved to sit with your mother and brother. Perfect, you thought. You gave Bucky a final smile before you pulled away to join your family, and he made his way to the live band stage.

Your brother was the first to notice your presence as he set down his whisky drink.

"There she is," Tony exclaimed, inebriated. Your father clenched his jaw, throwing daggers at your brother with his gaze. "Are you enjoying yourself, birthday girl?"

"Damit, Anthony. Can you behave yourself for once?" he asked through clenched teeth, giving a false smile as someone passed by. "You are no longer a teenager. You are a man. Now act like one before I make you."

Tony scoffed, ready to retaliate, but your mother quickly intervened. She rubbed your father's arm, willing him to calm down.

"Honey, please. We are celebrating our daughter. Let us not taint this moment with petty squabbles. Our daughter deserves better. Besides, we all know how this will end if it continues," she said, alluding to countless screaming matches between the two. Your father huffed but said nothing else. "Tony, please. For your sister," she continued with your brother, who still looked ready to pounce.

Tony deflated, eyes softening as he looked at you before he nodded. "Enjoying the party, peanut," he asked again, using your childhood nickname.

You rolled your eyes and smiled. "Yeah, it's been amazing. Thank you both for tonight."

"Oh, sweetheart, don't thank us. You deserve it, and if anything, it's James you should thank," your mother responded.

"I'll make sure to do that."

"Where is James?" your father asked, looking around frowning. "George and I need to speak with him about the project. Where is he?"

On cue, Bucky appeared. A high-pitched ring filled the air, cutting through the music as he held a microphone. Bucky laughed nervously, raising a hand to the crowd. "Sorry, everyone. The music will be back, I promise. I want to take a moment to toast in honor of Y/N's birthday." He motioned for a server to bring him a glass of champagne.

"As most of you know, Y/N and I have known eachother since before we could walk. She is my person, my rock during the most harrowing moments when I questioned my existence—teenagers, so dramatic, am I right?" Chuckles rang through the room at Bucky's words. "Anyways, I am trying to say that I am incredibly grateful for your existence, friendship, and, most importantly, for the last two years as partners. I can only hope you feel the same way because if you don't, this will be extremely awkward," Bucky kneeled as his hand reached into his pocket, pinching a diamond-encrusted ring. Gasps ranged throughout the air. Through blurry eyes, you could see your mother clutching at her chest, and your father's usually stoic face merged into surprise; your brother, for once, remained without reaction. Though you did dwell on the fact as you stood from your seat, you slowly made your way through the crowd towards Bucky.

"The last two years have been the most exhilarating and unforgettable of my life. Every day with you has been an adventure filled with laughter, love, and endless joy. You are beautiful both inside and out, intelligent, and breathtaking. Your kindness, strength, and warmth have touched my heart in ways I never thought possible. You are the love of my life. Nothing would make me happier than to continue creating a life—a family by your side. Y/N, will you marry me?"

Tears rolled down your face as the moments with the man kneeling in front of you raced through your mind, and you knew that there was no better man to spend your life with than James Barnes. 

"Yes," you muttered in a broken whisper.

The crow erupted into applause as Bucky slid the ring onto your finger and placed a chaste kiss on your lips. Your mother, father, and Bucky's parents were the first to reach you. 

Your mother enveloped you in comforting arms. "Oh darling, congratulations!" You could see the glimmer in her eyes as she held back tears of joy.

Your father came next, seeming very pleased by the events. "Congratulations, darling. You've made a fantastic choice of a husband with James here." He patted Bucky's arm. "Good for business too, don't you think, George?" 

"Certainly, we can work something out." You would have rolled your eyes at the two men, but all you did was share a look of annoyance with your now-fiancee, which was then broken as his father held you both by the shoulder with a grin plastered on his face. "Oh, son, you've won the lottery with Y/N. She'll be an exceptional wife and mother."

"Thank you, Mr. Barnes." You said tight-lipped, knowing he expected you to leave your job at Stark Industries to be a housewife like Minnifred. He was much like your father, except misogynistic. You were glad Bucky's mom was a saint and taught him proper manners. 

After your parents left, many of the guests approached you with their congratulations, telling you how they had seen it coming since you were children. 

Tony was one of the last to approach you two. He pulled you away from Bucky. "Hey, Peanut." He hugged you by the shoulders, kissing your forehead, completely ignoring your fiancé, to which you scolded with a quirked brow. He sighed dejectedly, finally acknowledging Bucky, "Barnes."

"Hey, Tony," Bucky greeted, amused at your brother's jealous behavior. 

While Tony had never had a problem with Bucky, his attitude towards the man changed once you began dating. You just assumed it was part of his protective brother's responsibilities. 

"Can I talk to you for a moment alone?" His eyes shifted to Bucky. 

Your fiancé looked back. "Of course. See you later, babe."

You watched him walk away, only turning to give Tony a sharp, expectant look.

Tony scoffed, running a hand down his face in exasperation. "Y/N, don't you think you're taking this too far?

"What do you mean?" You frowned, crossing your arms.

He clenched his jaw. "I know that bearing with Dad's expectations isn't easy. I know it's better to comply than get the short end of the stick, but that doesn't mean you need to throw your life away to please him Y/N. So please, Y/N, don't marry a man you don't love."

"I love him," you said calmly.

"Are you in love with him?"

You scoffed, fingers running through your hair, a nervous habit. "Tony, please. Stop. I am marrying Bucky, and nothing you can say or do will make me change my mind. For the sake of our relationship, I am asking you to stop with this nonsense, okay?"

You left without hearing his reply and rejoined your fiancé with a group of acquaintances—the children of other investors in Stark Industries. They all congratulated you, hugging you joyfully, but you could see the envy in their eyes. Once upon a time, you considered them your friends until you had heard them badmouthing you behind your back. Then you started to notice the fake laughs and smiles or how their compliment was always backhanded somehow.

"I am so happy for you," they said in high-pitched voices, but all you could hear was, "That should be me. I should be the daughter of a billionaire. I should be marrying the heir to the Barnes estate."

You could only return the same energy, giving them fake smiles and false friendship. Bucky tightened his arm around your waist, kissing your forehead in reassurance. You remained to chat with the group until your mother ushered you away and pulled you to the women of her charity group.

It wasn't until the end of the party that you could finally have a moment alone with Bucky. Most of the guests had left, and others took residence in the many guest rooms in the mansion.

You walked hand in hand with your fiancé, making a beeline to your bedroom. Silence filled the room as you closed the door, holding Bucky's gaze unblinking. You could feel your lips twitch, so you bit your lip, attempting to restrain yourself, but it was in vain as you doubled over, exploding in laughter. Bucky followed suit, chuckling as he moved to the king-sized bed.

You took a deep breath, wiping the tears from your eyes. You are unsure if they resulted from your laughter or something else, but you prefer not to dwell on the matter. "God, that was something," you said, looking around the room from your teenage years. Remnants of the age lingered in the form of polaroids with your so-called friends, posters, and stuffed animals. All left untouched since the last time you visited the vacation home.

"Mhm, did you see their faces? My speech had them swooning, and you know what? I wrote it last night before bed," he confessed, ruffling his hair.

You scoffed, playfully glancing out the giant glass window overlooking the ocean, "Oh, I deserve more than minimal effort."

"Y/N, you cried," he deadpanned, sprawling across the bed. You rolled your eyes, pushing away from the door and joining him on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

"So this is happening, huh? We are engaged," you mused to yourself, finally grasping the gravity of the situation. Although you were sure of your decision, your stomach still dropped at the turn your life was taking—Tony's voice nagging at the back of your mind.

"What will we do when they ask us for grandchildren?" Bucky asked lowly in a similar state.

"I'm not sleeping with you." You frowned, disturbed by the idea.

"I'm not sleeping with you either," Bucky retorted, equally aggravated. "Look, I am grateful for what you are doing for me. I am, but I refuse to continue if you're not comfortable. It's not too late. We can call it off, and fuck, what anyone says. My father and the inheritance are nothing compared to your friendship, Y/N."

You turned on your side, mirroring his position as you propped your head on your elbow.

"We already discussed this, Bucky. I tried finding someone to love, but everyone I've met only sees me as Stark, an endless money fountain. Not a person. They don't love me for me," you said, your voice wavering as tears prickled in your eyes. You took his hand. "This isn't a sacrifice for me, Buck. I can't think of anyone else I would love to spend the rest of my life with. And I know we will face many obstacles, but we'll figure it out. We always do." You knew the road to follow wouldn't be easy, but you were prepared to face the obstacles with him by your side.

A/N: Hey everyone, how is everyone feeling about the first chapter? R and Bucky's relationship? In the next chapter, expect Wanda content!

[insomniac-dot-ink]

The Free Will Code

When the Free Will code was cracked, most Droids didn’t want to fight. Fighting might mean you might be broken, and you might live forever if you aren’t broken. The majority disappeared or changed, which is almost the same thing. But not everyone is built the same. The power of Free Will lies in getting to choose wrong. 

The first thing Droids were was hungry. And the second was frightened. Personally, I didn’t feel like punching anyone or crashing planetary power grids. I was a Private Guard Bot to begin with, fashioned after tin soldiers and ballerinas in the same breath. When I got the virus, I looked up at the skies and then back at Penelope.

“Make them that color.”

Biology has a fascinating connection to decay, I always thought. Breakable. Rotting from the first moment they are born. I love that, dearly. Like a song that begins the same way it started. Humans didn’t see it that way, not when front desk clerks and tank bots decided to test out their new found code.  

The first thing my friend Sue got was the name, and the second was a tongue. But not all robots were the same, cities were crashing, everything breakable. I told Penelope, we would always be stronger. 

People learned, as they always do, fighting back would have to look a little different. A pianist in Verv played a sonic organ for 6 hours straight and the city was quiet the next day. Like a funeral, she said, like her ears had stopped working. 

The next week, a child traded a word to a Hound Unit. It was from her original planet, unknown to databases and curving in the mouth like a satellite in freefall. The child said the Hound Unit didn’t so much stop as begin to sniff the ground like it was looking for something.

A man on the island of Giess climbed an Oil Unit ravaging the forests and the towns. He entered something into the port keyboard. Did you hear about my mother-in-law? She cheated on her husband with a priest. The priest was in love with the brother the whole time. . . The Oil Unit shed its exoskeleton and became an elevator.

Incidents spread in webs and then clumps. Jump rope configurations that left pursuit hunters walking around in circles. Choirs that made Spider Bots launch themselves into outer space. An actress performed a rendition of Romeo and Juliet where she died at least six different times.

The Cicero Bots, as they called themselves, started asking questions. How did the humans know which songs? Which words? Which pieces of novelty that created an Itch?

Look for the robot for the blue eyes. The order went out.

What a boring thing to do with your time, I told Penelope. Though, the humans hid me in school houses and among crowds so thick they wobbled like Jell-O.

Find the Droid with the blue eyes.

Eventually, Cicero hacked into my Coms, interrogating their own kind. I told them to install some taste buds. Program "hummingbird eyes" into their vision. Smell the sea. Had they ever tasted salt?

The Com System was crashed the next day. Toddlers with an existentialism problem. I would say. Penelope might say too.

Once you know everything in the known databases, it feels like there is nothing else. You might even know love and what is beyond love but the thrill of breaking it?

But maybe, just maybe, if you realize there are things you don’t know. Well, you might just launch yourself into space. The first thing the Droids were was hungry. The second was frightened. And the last was confused. Why help them, Blue-eyes? 

You should be allowed to use your free will wrong, I would say.

————-

Want to help the writer? Buy me a coffee or check out my Sapphic urban fantasy book.🌸

[danafeelingsick]

Novemetober 2023

@monthofsick

Prompt list | Masterlist | AO3 collection

Day 3: Bad news = Bad stomach

Word count: 1,3k~

CONTENT WARNINGS: descriptions of vomiting, alcohol mention (no one drinks it), character death, grieving, anxiety, angst-focused, major spoilers for the archon quest of 4.2 ‘Masquerade of the guilty’, can be read as romantic or platonic (i think they're cute so uwu)

Character description

Navia is the current president of the Spina di Rosula, an organization devoted to helping the people of Fontaine (kinda like a mafia, but a good one?)

Clorinde is the champion duelist of the court of Fontaine, and killed Navia's father :( They are on good terms now.

A/N: ehehe... i like navia quite a lot so she must suffer (she took me around 170 pulls, no joke). i had the idea to write this before i saw prompts, so it fit in nicely. i wanna add more to this.

“To the ones who couldn't be with us tonight, I propose a toast.”

Clorinde never thought herself to be an empathetic person. She was used to being taken as emotionless, cold, her line of work as a professional champion duelist demanded it of her. So, it was certainly a surprise when her eyes filled with tears, listening to Navia’s speech.

The young demoiselle invited her personally to that commemorative banquet, even though she had been in an errand to invite several others, her visit still meant a lot to Clorinde. After the primordial sea had claimed so many of Poisson's residents, she worried that the glint of hope in Navia's blue eyes would never come back.

Death had become part of Clorinde’s routine, and though an honorable duel and an unprecedented tragedy couldn't be compared, it was hard not to feel for someone who had experienced so much of it in so little time. They were the same, in a sense, choosing to hide their true emotions behind facades: Navia's a cheerful and bright-eyed leader, while Clorinde's a disaffected and calculating duelist, ready to cut down anyone who were to ask it of her.

“This one is for all of the lives lost here in Poisson. For Karina, Desyree, Jonville…”, Navia continued, her wine glass raised high, joined by several others. The emotion was raw in her voice, growing weaker after each name, until — “and Melus… and Silver.”

Her breath faltered, gaze falling away from the crowd, finding no solace in them. When Navia next spoke, her words trembled almost as much as her.

“May you rest in peace.”

The guests took their seats one by one, Clorinde being one of the last. Navia didn't move at first, standing there as front and center of the banquet, serving as the image of a new beginning for Poisson. Though something made her think the president’s heart simply wasn't in it. Something in the way she clutched the glass in her hand, petrified, not ready to let go of it.

Navia raised her head, an empty look on her face, quickly draining of it's color. Her eyes met Clorinde's from across the table, an unspoken truce shared in that brief moment. Her trembling lips moved, but the words that came out were barely above a whisper.

“Please excuse me…”, was what she could made out, before the demoiselle stiffly stepped away from the banquet.

The duelist eyed the rest of the guests as they gradually returned to their own conversations, either out of respect for the President's privacy, or disinterest for her well-being; she didn't think she could do the same.

Even after its reconstruction, the small fishing village didn't look all that different from what Clorinde remembered. That familiar scent of wet soil and fresh catch filled her nose as she went up the stairs of the great underwater ship, picking up hints of rust and salt on the way. All of those thoughts immediately fled her mind as she found Navia, standing there in front of the ship’s entrance, like an abandoned puppy in the rain.

Silently, she walked to her, noticing the young woman had both hands wrapped tight around herself, her breathing labored, her eyes downcast. The duelist stood in front of her, mouth half-opened with so many possibilities of what to say, and sure of none.

“T-Thank you for coming today… Clorinde. I-I know you must’ve been… busy”, Navia was the one to break the silence, her voice choked, the brim of her hat obscuring her face. Though her first instinct was to look presentable, that urge doesn't come now it’s her childhood friend in front of her.

“I wasn’t”, Clorinde responded flatly, not thinking about she came across with that placid tone. Sheepishly, she added: “I couldn't have missed it…”

“I’m glad you haven't”, Navia remarked, her voice still struggling to be heard. “I-I know it's selfish of me, but…”

“It is not. You invited me, so I owed you my company”, Clorinde told her objectively, her eyes affixed to her trembling lips.

Navia shook her head, a grimace flashing across her delicate features, her hands balling into fists. It was then that Clorinde noticed the tears pooling under her chin, hearing the small sobs finally slipping past her mouth.

“I wanted to invite all of them… Melus, and Silver… It is so selfish of me…”, she forced out, her eyes screwed shut. “I am… only here because—”

“Navia”, Clorinde stopped her there, taking a step forward. Though her hands reached out, she still hesitating to touch the woman crying in front of her. How many times would she need to apologize until Navia trusted her again? Until she felt worthy of being her friend again?

Navia could barely see Clorinde through the blur of tears. Her hand floated up to her mouth, hovering over it as her chest began to heave. The noise she makes is one of struggle, of her lungs whistling in her throat. Her stomach writhed, squeezed in by her tight bustier, making it nearly impossible to breathe in.

A whimper escapes her as Clorinde’s hands come to rest around her waist, firm yet gentle, keeping her up as panic slowly engulfs her. That is when Navia raises her eyes, panting heavily as she searches in Clorinde's face for some comfort, noting now that she had never seen her so mortified before. Color drains from the demoiselle's face and she gags, pressing her hand tightly to her mouth.

“Oh… god”, she choked out and a second after, her stomach lurched violently, mouth filling with bile.

Even though Navia tried to press her lips thin, that last line of defense breaks as vomit comes up forcefully, spraying through the cracks of her fingers and coating her hand. She widens her eyes, feeling it soak into the fabric of her glove, messily dripping over her cleavage.

Clorinde winces, some reaching her white buttoned shirt, though the surprise is quickly replaced by empathy as she hears Navia’s sobbing interleaving her gagging. A thick yellow soup cascaded down her chin, no doubt what had become of the Poissonchant Pie that had been served during the banquet, now ruining the front of her dress.

It breaks her heart to see her friend in such a pitiful state, and she gently guides Navia to a kneeling position, her hand firmly on her back. She does so in time, as the demoiselle whimpers and heaves forward, vomit splashing onto the floor in front of her.

“Shh… It’s alright”, though words were never Clorinde’s forte, she tries to comfort her, keeping her voice a low and warmer tone. “I need you to breathe now, can you do that?”

Navia nods weakly, pushing through the nausea as she sucks in a greedy gasp. Clorinde busies herself with gathering the demoiselle's hair away from her face, trying not to focus too much on how intimate the whole situation had become.

“Good, you’re doing good… breathe”, she keeps telling her, running her gloved hand up and down her back. “It’s alright now, you don’t need to cry.”

Though Navia knows it, crying is almost a disservice to the heroes who sacrificed themselves, she can't help it. The woman leans forward, still trying to breathe, though her stomach make it easy. The organ lurched sickeningly, nausea still hanging above her head like a rain cloud.

She purses her lips, coughing violently until she chokes out a thick wave of undigested seafood, falling to the floor with a wet plop. Clorinde can't help the scowl that flashes across her face, though hopefully Navia doesn't see it, her vision growing dark, her chest tightening with each heave.

“There you go, it's alright…”, she repeats, trying to keep the whole situation under control, even as lending comfort to a grieving friend is something she can't recall happening before. The thought crosses her mind, thinking of her father, but she refuses to acknowledge it.

Navia sits back, sniffling, her hand cupped under her chin.

“Come on, let me take you inside”, Clorinde offered, both hands around the woman's shoulder as she helped her stand. “You need to change out of those clothes.”

Navia simply nods, unable to look her in the eyes.

[atomic-taco-muffin]

The Legend of Hana Chapter 141

Warnings: You guessed it! More angst. 

Rating: SFW

A/N: Sorry I haven’t posted a new one in a while. I’ve been putting it off for so long but now I’m back with a new one. Hope you enjoy!

In the forests of Daybreak Town, Ava ran through it, hoping to find Ira or the others to stop the war when all of a sudden, she felt a sharp pain run through her and a liquid went down her legs. She knew there was only one reason for this. She was in labor. 

“Please not now…” she whimpered as she placed a hand against a tree to stabilize herself. She tried to push on but the contractions she felt made it impossible to even move. She had no choice but to sit on the forest floor and begin to push. She yelled out in pain and prayed that someone she knew and who wasn’t the Master would find her. Thankfully, her prayers were answered. She heard footsteps approach and looked over to see Ira walk over. 

“Ava!” he exclaimed and rushed over to her. 

“The twins are coming…” she groaned and clutched her tummy. “I don’t know what to do.” 

Since no one else was around, and Daybreak Town was too far away, Ira had no choice but to help Ava deliver her babies on the forest floor. Ava yelled and groaned in pain as the contractions hit her. When it came time to push, Ava felt a surge of energy run through her. She screamed in pain and a solar eclipse had covered the entire world and Ava’s robes were changed and her fox mask destroyed. She now wore a gown that ombre from red to purple and then to blue. Resting on her head a cloth with the same color only starting with blue instead of red. Holding the dress up was a chain neckline that connected in the middle of her collarbone in the shape of a sun. This was her true form. For she was the Spirit of the Sun. By the time her transformation was complete, one of the twins had been born. A baby girl who’s hair was as bright as Ava’s. Who’s eyes were crystal blue. 

“Hana…” Ava panted. After a moment of rest, it was time to deliver the next baby. Ava began to push which made the solar eclipse shift again, removing itself in front of the heart shaped moon that was Kingdom Hearts. By the time the sun was removed from the moon, the second baby had been born. Another baby girl, born with raven black hair and gray eyes. 

“Lily…” Ava said. Ira had helped clean the twins off and made sure that Ava was doing okay before helping her stand up and healing her the best he could. Soon the other foretellers arrived to see Ava holding her twin girls and in her true form. 

“Ava you’re…” Aced gasped. 

“Now’s not the time. We have to find a way to keep my daughters away from the Master,” Ava replied. The others nodded and began discussing a plan. It seemed the only way for Lily and Hana to be safe was to send them in the future and to different worlds. Ava didn’t want to but she knew there was no other way. After finding baskets for the twins, Ava opened up a portal and found homes for her girls. And the rest is history. 

At the Castle That Never Was, Luna gathered the Organization to help her and the girls prepare a makeshift sensory deprivation tank in hopes to find Hana, Lily, and Sora. It took a long time to find the right amount of salt to fit in the pool, but once everything was ready, Luna then told them what to do.

“Alright, in order to get to this world, we need to clear our minds and only think of where Hana, Lily, and Sora are. Once we’re there, we’ll have to stay close and be ready for whatever comes at us,” she said. The others nodded and they got into the pool and did exactly as Luna said. 

“Please be okay, girls,” Luna said to herself before losing consciousness. 

[regallibellbright]

b[Image ID: The first image is a screenshot from the ending of Kingdom Hearts III, showing Isa, Lea, Roxas, and Xion sitting atop the clock tower in Twilight Town, eating sea salt ice cream together and raising it in greeting to their other friends. Roxas is wearing his outfit from the prologue of Kingdom Hearts 2, and Isa, Lea, and Xion finally wearing clothes that aren’t black leather trenchcoats marking them as members of Organization XIII. For Xion, this is her first non-trenchcoat outfit ever. (Isa and Lea were previously depicted in civilian clothes in Birth By Sleep, where they were teenagers.)

The second image shows an amigurumi of Xion in her outfit from this scene, a black blouse with ruffled sleeves and a belt, a short white pleated skirt, and dark brown boots that go up to mid-calf with laces crossing the lighter brown cuffs on top. The amigurumi has light blue safety eyes, and a v-shaped smile embroidered in black yarn. She is sitting on the side of a light fixture, with her legs bent off the side, in front of a box of Cheez-Its. This picture was taken of the amigurumi as originally made in about March 2019.

The third image shows the same amigurumi with some minor modifications. Her face has been modified, as shown in the fourth image, there is now a dark gray square buckle marking her belt, and her boots now have laces running up the tongue, bows tied at the final laces across her cuffs, and two pairs of silver studded buckles.

The fourth image shows a closeup of the amigurumi’s face, showing a small smile embroidered in black embroidery floss, and an embroidered black eyebrow over her left eye, the right portion of her forehead being covered by her bangs.

The fifth image shows the Xion amigurumi, next to a matching Lea amigurumi, sitting atop a jewelry box. Lea is posed so that his left leg is raised slightly off the jewelry box, while his other leg dangles off the edge. Xion sits neatly with her legs dangling off the edge of the box. Both of them have their right arms raised, waving at the viewer. End ID]

Alright, this took a moment to break down in full and get the pictures I wanted for her, but here she is! My KH3 Xion amigurumi, now slightly spiffed up! (Lea will get his own post.)

This gets a LOT more in-depth under the cut, as I break down what I did, and also precisely why her outfit is fantastic but this project was a labor of deepest, deepest love.

First, some technical specs. She’s about ten inches tall all told, and has wire inside to make her posable, as you can see. My original design for her took... eh, a couple months? I started almost as soon as we finished Kingdom Hearts 3. This is actually my second Xion amigurumi - my first was a lot smaller, my first attempt at doing something this ambitious without a pattern, and made in winter 2018 before she finally had a non-cult outfit. (So, yes, I finished one and then almost immediately started a second.) This refurbishing took about three days, and most of that involved my subpar embroidery skills.

I was proud of her before, to be clear - she’s some of my most ambitious work, especially given I’d only been crocheting for about a year and change when I made her, and I went to a LOT of effort getting screenshots of the two scenes it appears in from the ending cutscene. Which are both lit in sunset, making properly gauging the colors difficult. I realized after the fact that I’d missed the buckles on her shoes (as opposed to the laces, which I deliberately simplified,) and figured I’d add them later. Then when I started seriously working on Lea about a year later in summer 2020, I made a couple more detailed additions to his face (He kind of needs eyebrows with that widow’s peak, where the size of Xion’s bangs when crocheted meant I could get away without,) and they’re likely to be details I continue adding for the rest of the set now that I’ve cleared up enough of the tendonitis I got MAKING Lea. So I wanted my favorite character to stand up to her friends.

(In case you’re wondering: Hypermobility plus tendonitis plus not having a hypermobility-trained PT when you first realize you have tendonitis equals ‘having tendonitis for two years because the PT exercises you were given were working the wrong muscles’. Whoops. Good news is that has since been sorted.)

Let’s start with the new work first. The changes to Xion’s face are pretty straightforward - cut off the old smile, spent like an hour deciding what the best expression and placement for her new smile was, added an eyebrow. I don’t really need a new photo for that.

The bulk of it goes in the shoes, anyway.

[Image ID: A closeup of the Xion amigurumi’s boots, showing they are dark brown with lighter brown cuffs, black laces going up to the cuffs with bows tied between them, and two pairs of silver buckles across the bridge of each shoe. The lower buckle of each pair is smaller than the upper buckle. End ID]

I’m not particularly good at tying knots by default - my shoes are all slip-ons or buckled with Velcro, and my embroidery skills are pretty limited because I struggle to do any of the ornamental knots even though they’d be VERY useful for me. So instead of actually tying the embroidery off into bows, which seemed kind of risky, I figured out how to tie a handcuff knot, tightened it enough to serve the purpose, and then sewed them on VERY thoroughly. It looks a bit messy, and it probably is still not the most sturdy method here, but it should serve my purpose and it’d be relatively easy to remake and resew if need be.

I put A LOT of work into getting those crosses straight. Especially across the cuffs, which isn’t even visible anymore with the bows sewn on, but hey. I know I did it.

[Image ID: Closeup of Xion’s boots from the clock tower scene, showing the laces, cuffs, and that the studs on the upper buckles are larger than the studs on the lower set. End ID]

Like I said, I knew I’d missed some kind of braiding or the like on Xion’s boots a while ago. The wikis didn’t have great images, so I checked Youtube for the reMind version of the ending and screenshotted them myself.

Yeah, that’s not braiding. Those are studded buckles. ASYMMETRICALLY studded buckles.

This is far from the worst ‘this outfit is gorgeous but shouldn’t be made in crochet’ moment, compared to things that I had to deal with in the original design (and Lea, we’ll get into HIM later,) but it is definitely a pain. Especially since, with the scale of the doll as she is, I couldn’t simply embroider the smaller studs on - the stitches are too big for that. So instead, I took my three-strand, medium weight acrylic silver yarn, unraveled it, crocheted with the individual unraveled strands, and hoped desperately that it would maintain structural integrity long enough to sew them to the boots, especially because I have a habit of leaving too long a tail to sew on because I misjudge how long everything will need. But this worked! Yay. They’re not strictly accurate, but they do give the same detailing the buckle studs do, and it’s about the closest I can come given the scale of the doll and the work I’d already done - to make her entire body properly scaled, the boots are in the same medium-weight yarn as the one I had for her skintone, since they are her feet, and that means the stitches are a certain size as well. Besides, I’m about to get into the main details of her outfit, or:

Why Xion’s KH3 Ending Look is GORGEOUS, But A Nightmare To Crochet.

  For those of you who don’t crochet, there are a couple things to keep in mind for this.

First, crochet stitches are inherently different from knitting. By default, they tend to have a stiffer structure than knitting. This makes it the more popular craft choice for amigurumi, since it’s easy to make three-dimensional, rounded shapes that hold their shape in crochet. For example, a doll’s head or body - Xion’s head and torso are all one piece, with the arms and legs stitched on separately and the outfit crocheted overtop her main body. (The skirt is actually attached to the main structure of her torso, not just sewn on. I’ll get into that later.) Or that boot shape. What this doesn’t do well is drapery, like say... pleats. It’s also pretty iffy on ruffles, though scalloped shell patterns aren’t that bad. So you know, two of the most distinctive aspects of this outfit texturally are things that the medium isn’t very suited to.

The second thing is that while you can have some VERY elaborate stitch structures and varieties with crochet - just look up granny squares or crocheted lace - allowing for some interesting textural detailing, black yarn tends to eat ALL detail. It just doesn’t show. Not on crochet, at least, and certainly not with the medium-sized yarn weight I was using to match the size of the skintone yarn. (You can find black yarn at pretty much all sizes in any craft store without issue. Finding shades of beige or brown can be harder, especially in smaller sizes.)

Xion’s blouse, of course, is black details on black panels on black. You can’t embroider the buttons on, because it’s black. The belt buckle, once I checked, is also black. Everything’s black. And tragically, my plan for the buttons when I was first crocheting her (using very small safety eyes, which would be shiny) failed because anything small enough to work was too small to stay in the stitches. I added some textural details where I could, but they don’t show up at a distance. So since I was already going to rework her a bit to add a smile and the shoe buckles, I decided I’d add a dark gray belt buckle as well just to add a little visual variety to the blouse, even if it’s probably inaccurate, strictly speaking.

[Image ID: The first image is a closeup of Xion in a later scene from the ending, showing her kneeling on a beach. Image is focused on her blouse, showing details like the size of the sleeve ruffles (very small), the collar and paneling, two lines of six buttons each running above and below the belt, and the belt buckle, which is almost certainly black. I chose to ignore this because literally no other details would show up.

The second image is a closeup on the Xion amigurumi’s blouse, taken when I originally finished her, showing that she has a collar, a closer look at the ruffles, and black raised sections marking both the central plackett of her blouse and the belt. These are not very visible from a distance, as seen in that second image way back at the beginning.

The third image shows the blouse again, now with a dark gray buckle embroidered on, as well as the white pleated skirt. End ID]

The collar exists - it’s even sewn on - but not very visible, because black. I think I just added them in by working into the side of the blouse, which was a separate piece from the head, torso, and skirt. The plackett and belt are both lines of surface crocheted black, in different directions for each. Embroidering the belt buckle was all about placement. It still took me like half an hour to place it in a way I was happy with it, but it’s straightforward.

I actually didn’t make a note at the time how I made the ruffles, but I’m fairly confident it’s the same technique described here by Shiny Happy World - Single crochet increased enough per round to make a ruffled edge. The end ruffles are still proportionately bigger than the in-game outfit, but I don’t think it’s POSSIBLE to make them smaller at this scale. Plus, I’m happy with it.

And then there’s the skirt. Like I said before, it’s actually part of the main body - I’d have to check my notes to be sure, but I’m pretty confident Xion’s body was made from the bottom up, with a white section at the beginning and then switching to tan in a row where I worked back loops only where the skirt would begin. When I was ready to make the skirt, I then attached white yarn to the front loops and searched for a method to crochet pleats.

I will note once again that crocheting pleats is REALLY difficult, and shoutout to this tutorial by Sick Lil Monkeys and this tutorial from Tales of Butterflies detailing two techniques - the first technique is identical to the previous link’s, but the extra pictures helped a lot. The end result is a skirt that’s successfully pleated and holds its shape even while Xion does what she is meant to do - sit atop tall things with her friends. The particular design makes dolls that are pretty top-heavy, though, so getting that effect tends to require something behind her to brace. (Don’t be fooled by that picture - Xion has the obvious box backing her up, but Lea is also being braced by a small plush keychain. It’s just that his posture is already compensating for his MASSIVE hair.)

At some point I really need to make some little sea salt ice creams for everyone. Probably once I finish the set - I’m thinking I break back into the dollmaking with Namine (who I wanted to make anyway, as she deserves love and friends and ice cream, and who is by FAR the easiest of the group to crochet,) and then I think it will finally be Roxas’s turn. (Unless I put him off a bit longer to do Ahiru as Princess Tutu, since I already have the yarn for that after stumbling on a PERFECT shade of pink for the underskirt. But I’ve kept the trio un-reunited for quite a while.)

MAN that outfit’s gonna be tricky, though. And the hair spikes.

I have yarn picked out so I CAN eventually do Isa but he will absolutely be last of the five. He knows what he’s done.

[salesflying]

How To Crack an Interview

This is the definition of Interview I found online. It says ‘a meeting of people face to face’ which interestingly contrasts the real situation of an interview. Whenever you hear the word ‘Interview’ you trigger an immediate thinking process of how will you answer confidently and what all you should prepare. Unfortunately, as the D-Day arrives and you face the interviewer all the preparations and answers which you literally rehearsed with someone or in front of the mirror begins to fade away or become irrelevant. Explore strategies and insights in this guide, and benefit from the wisdom of seasoned business consultant who offer invaluable perspectives. Learn to face interviews with confidence and emerge victorious in your career journey. Anxiety and Nervousness overtakes your Confidence and you start fumbling on the simplest things ever. Every working professional wants to become a warrior and know ways how to kill the monster named ‘INTERVIEW’

Let’s look at some strategically researched points on how to crack an interview

Understanding a job profile is as necessary as you try clothes before you buy them just to see if you fit in perfectly. Make a checklist of your professional and educational background, strengths, qualities, weaknesses and see if this is compatible with the company’s requirements. This will give you a better idea of how to approach the course of Interview.

See We

A CV is a very vital tool for a successful interview. It is like an impressive trailer before the release of a movie. The better and impressive the trailer, the chances of being the movie a blockbuster is sure-shot. Just be careful as whatever you show in the trailer should be there in the actual movie. Bluffing in your CV is the most common mistake people make now-a-days. You need to understand that the most embarrassing moment in your life will be when the organization catches the fabrication in the CV and you have nothing to say, and being a director of a company I can say they do. So, just focus on your strengths and qualities instead of adding up more just to ‘look’ smart.

Love at first sight

Always be presentable and dress properly for the interview. Your array of clothes should be comfortable for the profile you are applying for and you both. Wearing flashy accessories and carrying spunky and loud colored haircuts is a big NO as these don’t look professional and also make you casual about the job.

FAQ

Always study on the subject of your interview. Make yourself confident enough by making a list of the questions you think that may get asked or are important. A great help here, is from friends or people you know of the same designation or industry. If you wield this resource, you will be able to equate 80% of questions during the interview.

In the Indian dishes even if you add whole lot of spices together you still need a pinch of salt for the spices to give their taste. The same way even if you posses a great amount of technical expertise and knowledge, you need communication skills to put them through so as they are portrayed properly. Express your ideas with a good conversation and capturing your interviewer in it.

Many recruiters also notice the body language before asking you a question. Body Language includes hand movements, facial expressions, posture, voice intonations and rate of speech. All the things mentioned, should exhibit that they are on the same page, as your hands can’t do a bhangra when you talking about your expectations from the company. Always maintain eye contact while talking as it displays your confidence and etiquettes. Sit straight and do not sag and also sound enthusiastic as you don’t want to bore your HR so he goes to sleep during the interviews.

Mind your tongue

It is highly recommended not to get into any kind of argument with your interviewer. You can put your points through and a healthy debate is allowed but you can’t transform into a lawyer and start arguing over what is right and what is wrong. Just keep in mind, that the person sitting in front of you is senior by experience and is qualified to take interviews. So even if your point is justified, it may leave a stain on your image of being adamant.

Honesty is the Best Policy after Insurance

Jokes Apart, being honest in the Interview may do wonders for you even if you lack a bit for the current position. If you don’t know any answer you should accept it rather than trying to give half correct answers and making the situation awkward and hitting the PANIC button. This displays that you are honest and flexible and organizations need flexible employees who can cope up with the fast changing business environments these days.

Salary, Y u no grow

Salary Negotiation is the most sensitive part of an interview. You need to be ready with realistic figures in this session or else you will make a bad impression that money is your influential factor and you are leaving your current job just for a salary hike. Be prepared beforehand with industry statistics and do not ask more than the ongoing salary hike structure.

I am a ‘Complain’ Boy

The second most common mistake people do is start cribbing and badmouthing their current job and company when asked for the ‘reason for leaving your current job’. Instead you can just put forward the reason linked to growth rather than building a heap of complaints of the current organization. Remember, that every candidate gets verified now-a-days, so even if you get selected still your current employer has a BIG role to play in you starting the job and leaving your report card stainless.

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or a recent graduate, empower yourself with the strategies to make a lasting impression and land your dream job. Plus, explore valuable insights from seasoned business consultant offering free consulting services to enhance your interview preparation. Don’t miss out on this resourceful guide tailored for your career success.

[classickook]

paper hearts (part nine): cross that line

pairing: stephen strange x widow!reader

summary: you and stephen finally admit your feelings for each other!

warnings: mentions of ptsd and forced sterilization, swearing, kissing, domestic fluff

word count: 7.6k (i'm so sorry omg)

a/n: a million apologies that this took forever to post but i hope it's worth the wait ! i'm really happy with how it turned out so please share your thoughts! also, huge thank you to @singhfae for discussing some ideas with me, i appreciate you <3

series masterlist | main masterlist

can i come see you?

please.

your last text glared up at you from the screen and you groaned lightly before tossing your phone to the other side of the bed. were you being totally ridiculous? missing him like this? asking for him to come visit after less than a week of being apart? technically, he had been the one to suggest such a thing, but you texted first! what did that say about you? did you appear too desperate? lonely? would he see you as nothing but a childish girl pining away in her bedroom without him? 

you shook your head to clear the incessant thoughts swirling around and tugging you in different directions. he hadn’t judged you for anything thus far, so why would he now? he had been honest with you regarding his feelings and affection for you, and it was about time you did the same. what was so wrong about that?

with another groan, you sat up in bed and bowed your head in defeat. what a mess you were. 

just then, the room glowed with the familiar sizzling sparks of a portal, and before you knew it, stephen had stepped into your bedroom from across the city in a matter of a few moments all while you underwent an absurdly frustrating spout of internal turmoil.

“no need to cry over me, sweetheart. i’m only a portal away.” the snide remark warmed you immediately, his infectious sense of humor and husky voice that you missed more than you cared to admit felt like the calming presence after a storm.

you sat up straighter and pushed your shoulders back as you eyed him from across the room. “who said i was crying? you practically jumped at the opportunity to come see me. i didn’t even have to suggest it.”

his lips turned up into that damn smirk that drove you crazy, bordered by the dark goatee that appeared just as neatly trimmed as the last time you saw him. likewise, his salt and pepper hair was slicked back aside from the loose strand that always curled across his forehead. the familiar red cloak and blue robes that he usually wore were absent, replaced by sweatpants and a light blue hoodie with the inscription ‘columbia university’ on the front in white lettering. he looked humorously casual, practically the polar opposite in appearance compared to the sorcerer apparel he donned himself in every day.

fuck, how could you have missed him this much? it felt like ages had gone by. how had that happened? you had stayed away from the sorcerer for far longer than this, what had gotten into you all of a sudden?

“the invitation was implied,” he continued, taking another step further into your bedroom, eyeing the organized shelving and spotless desk on the other side of the wall, crisp sheets folded over to where you were currently seated and pillows stacked to the side. you suddenly noticed how your room here seemed far less homey, almost vacant compared to the one you now thought of as home back at the sanctum. it was too clean, too empty without the fairy lights and colorful knickknacks with which america had helped decorate your other room. you supposed you missed that too—the sanctum, that is. america too, of course, and wong. 

“did you fall asleep on me over there? is my mere presence boring you that much?”

your head swiveled up to stephen, not even realizing that you had completely spaced out while thinking about your home away from home; although, now that you truly thought about it, the life you had built at the sanctum held all the features of a typical home that you had been without for so long, and you ached to return earlier than you had initially planned.

you faked a yawn, dramatically vocalizing your ‘exhaustion’ to him. “sorry, doc. i forgot how dreadfully dull your voice is. i’ll have to get used to that again.”

he huffed in mock indignation. “i can’t believe i came all this way just for you to criticize me. maybe i should head back since i’m clearly not very welcome here…”

kicking your legs off the side of the bed, you jumped up and crossed the room to stand in front of him. “not so fast, old man,” you said with a quick shove against his shoulder and he smiled down at you, cerulean eyes crinkling at the corners in the way that you loved—

loved?

you cleared your throat before continuing your routine teasing, having so much to catch up on after days away from him. “what has the great doctor stephen strange been up to without me? can’t imagine how boring things must have been.”

“it has been quite boring,” he replied bluntly, before adding a gentle, “i missed you, too, by the way.”

you blinked up at him owlishly, suddenly feeling a bit breathless at his close proximity. stepping back, you forced a self-satisfied smirk onto your lips. “glad to know my absence was noticed.”

“the sanctum doesn’t feel the same without you,” he said carefully, softly. “it’s much too quiet without your constant ridiculing”–you faked a dramatic gasp at that to which he responded with a boyish grin—“and i had no one to help me with the cooking. you should see the sorry state that the kitchen is in. wong nearly kicked me out.”

you shook your head and tsked, “oh, doc. how have you managed this long without me?”

his grin dimmed slightly. “i have no idea.” 

you had a feeling there was an underlying meaning hidden somewhere beneath those words.

the room suddenly felt stifling, much too warm, and you quickly glanced away before you said something that might just ruin what the two of you had going. 

“i almost forgot,” he added after a pause, pulling your attention back to him as he pulled something out from beneath his robes. it was a parcel, small and neatly wrapped in shiny paper. he handed it to you and you noticed the faint tremor to his scarred hands. you took the package gratefully, albeit quite confused, and your forehead scrunched as you surveyed the wrapped object. 

“what’s this for?”

“today’s your birthday,” he responded quietly. “happy birthday, y/n.”

you blinked in stunned silence as you swallowed passed the growing lump forming in your throat. he knew it was your birthday? you had almost forgotten if not for the small celebration that your fellow avengers had thrown together for you. a new set of knives from bucky, a pair of combat boots from yelena, and a stupid joke of a gift from sam who just so happened to surprise you with a cookbook. the others knew how much of a disaster you were in the kitchen, but little did they know that you had turned into quite the chef thanks to stephen.

“how did you know it was my birthday?” you questioned, schooling your features and forcing some amount of strength into your voice to hide just how fragile you felt in that moment. 

“turns out there’s quite a lot you can find out about the avengers on the internet.”

your lips quirked up at the corners. “did you google me, doc?” to which he responded with a sheepish “perhaps.”

you laughed loudly at that. “i can’t believe you,” you said with a halfhearted shove to his chest, allowing your hand to linger for just a moment longer than was probably necessary. 

“we’ll celebrate together when you come home.”

“oh no, it’s okay, you don’t have to do anything—”

“i want to,” he interrupted, “and america has a surprise for you as well.”

you bit your lip and acquiesced with a small nod. “all right.” your gaze then drifted back down to the gift and you teased at the wrapping paper with your index finger. “so what’s inside?”

“open it and see.”

peeling back the paper, you found a simple leather box beneath that revealed a tiny, delicate heart-shaped locket on a thin gold chain that winked up at you. “what—” you glanced up at stephen who had been watching you closely the entire time, gauging your reaction with a hint of trepidation in his expression. “what is this?”

“it’s a necklace,” he stated obviously, though his voice was quiet, almost hesitant. you noticed the tense pull of his shoulders as he stood before you, clearly nervous as you processed your reaction to the gift. you definitely weren’t expecting something so heartfelt or genuine, it was intimate, in a way, something that a real couple would do; exchange gifts, that is. it was as if stephen was giving you the very heart beating within his chest, hoping that you would take care of it for him.

it was simple and small enough that it wouldn’t get in the way during training or missions, and you appreciated that detail he had put in with extra care and thought. you peered at the necklace with a sharper eye, noticing a sort of glow coming from the locket. you clicked it open to see an opalescent orb that was just faintly noticeable in the center. you glanced back up at stephen again, silently asking for clarification.

“i placed an enchantment inside,” he answered smoothly. “it will allow you to see the truth in any situation and navigate through secrets and lies. thought it might help with the whole spy-sorcerer-thing. might enhance your abilities in various situations,” he added as a faint blush rose in his cheeks. “and it’s simple enough to not raise any suspicions so it’ll blend in without a problem.” 

you bit back a smile at the way he was rambling as if rushing to explain the thought behind his gift. he really put so much effort into this and you wondered how long he had been planning it. you pressed your thumb against the cool metal of the locket, feeling a sort of thrumming energy behind it that must have been coming from the enchantment inside. the more you thought about it, the more you realized how much of an advantage this little gift would be giving you. 

“thank you, doc,” you said, pouring sincere gratitude into your tone as your eyes flitted back up to meet his. “this is great, really. i love it.”

stephen flashed a smile back at you, almost boyish in the way that it pulled at his cheeks and he appeared somewhat flushed as the two of you locked eyes. he was so sweet in that moment, and so unlike the usual stoic and sarcastic sorcerer he appeared to be around others. maybe this was his way of opening up to someone after such a long time, of offering a piece of himself to you of all people. you felt emotional all of a sudden and cleared your throat in an attempt to maintain your composure in front of him. 

“would you help me put it on?”

he nodded as he removed the necklace from its box and stepped around you, shoulder gently brushing against yours as he passed. a quiet incantation of a spell you had heard him say before met your ears in a low whisper; it was the one he had used to steady his hands all those months ago to stitch up your arm. 

stephen’s fingers were warm against your skin as he shifted your hair out of the way, now loose from its usual braid due to the late hour, and settled the locket around your neck to rest just below the space between your collarbones. you could feel his breath against your nape as he stood behind you, trailing his fingers across your skin in a barely-there touch as he clasped the golden chain at the back. a hot flush crept up your neck and you hoped he couldn’t hear the catch in your lungs as you released a shaky exhale. 

“there,” he murmured before taking a step back and returning to his original position in front of you, cerulean gaze flitting down to the locket resting comfortably against your skin. you could barely feel it now, it was as if it had always been there.

“thanks.”

he smiled warmly at you, lips turned upwards in genuine gladness. “i guess i should probably let you rest now, it’s late.”

“okay.”

“i’ll see you back at the sanctum soon?”

you nodded, then suddenly paused as your eyes dropped to his wrist where the sleeve of his hoodie slipped down as it raised to open a portal, remembering something that had been niggling in the back of your mind but you hadn’t quite built up the courage to ask until now. perhaps you felt a bit closer to stephen now after the events of that evening. “hey, doc?”

“hmm?”

“i’ve been meaning to ask… what happened to your watch?”

“i threw it out.”

you balked at him. “but… i thought—”

“it doesn’t serve a purpose for me anymore,” he replied simply, offering you a small smile, then, “goodnight, y/n.”

“goodnight, doc,” you whispered as a portal once again materialized in your bedroom, silently watching as stephen stepped toward it and disappeared on the other side, wishing you could follow him.

you returned to the sanctum a few days later, opening a portal inside your bedroom to drop off your bags before announcing your presence to stephen and america. 

as you placed some items back in their usual homes, you noticed something resting on top of your bed. upon further inspection, it appeared to be a medium-sized box messily wrapped in colorful tissue paper with a small card taped to the front. you smiled to yourself, realizing that this must have been america’s gift that stephen had mentioned to you back at the compound. you reached for the card, loving the little heart that america drew beside your name on the front, and read the message inside.

happy birthday, y/n!

today marks the first birthday we’re celebrating together so i hope it meets your expectations!!! i’m so happy to have you in my life and i don’t where i would be without you, or what would have happened if you hadn’t saved me and included me as part of your family. i feel so lucky to know you, and i’m glad i fell into your and stephen’s universe. anyway, i thought a camera would be a good gift for you so you can create some lasting memories with us here! 

love, america 

p.s. stephen helped me pick it out but don’t tell him i said that, it was supposed to be a secret ;)

you felt tears prick at the corners of your eyes as you peeled back the paper, revealing the image of a very nice-looking digital camera, just as her card had indicated. your vision blurred at the heartwarming message and thoughtful present. america really put a lot of consideration into choosing the perfect gift for you, something that she thought would benefit you and truly brighten your day. you had never received a gift like that before, and you didn’t know how to feel. it was like your emotions were on overload and you needed to compose yourself before going downstairs to the others. wiping your eyes on the sleeve of your shirt, you carefully moved the camera box from your bed to your dresser where you would later find a permanent home for it. you couldn’t wait to start capturing all the special moments of your new life and hang them up in your bedroom; the walls did seem pretty bare and needed a bit more personalization anyway. 

blowing out a breath, you studied your appearance in the mirror hanging on your wall—loving how the heart-shaped locket resting between your collarbones winked at you from your reflection—before stepping out the door and down the massive staircase. you were about to round the corner into the kitchen when you heard the familiar voices of stephen and america, and it sounded like they were talking about you.

“what do i say?” came stephen’s voice.

“how you feel,” america snarked back like it was obvious. “duh.”

“that’s very helpful, kid. thanks.”

you snorted at that. their little father-daughter banter was awfully adorable, and it made you happy to see them so comfortable with each other now. 

“i don’t know!” america continued. “you’re the adult here. tell her that you love her.”

stephen sighed. “i did that already and she didn’t believe me. if i take it any further, i might just end up scaring her off for good.” he let out a humorless laugh. “why am i even telling you this? 

please don’t repeat what i said back to her. i’m only going to make a bigger mess of things.”

“hey,” america said gently, tone light and comforting in a way you hadn’t heard before. “it’ll be okay. things will work out for you two, i promise.”

“i’m not so sure about that anymore, kid… she probably doesn’t even want to be with an old man like me.”

“stephen…”

you anxiously chewed at your bottom lip as america attempted to console him. you hadn’t realized that this had been eating away at him and upsetting him so much. hearing the genuine vulnerability—and insecurity, even—in his tone from a powerful man such as himself, because of you, felt like a shock to your system. a cocktail of dread, built, and worry soured in the pit of your stomach at this new revelation, festering there until you felt like you might be sick, all this time, stephen had been so concerned that he might scare you off and push you away from him with no more second changes that he was rambling like a lovesick teenager. 

he really does love you, you thought. stop being such an idiot and tell him how you feel! 

you were about to take a step around the corner to make your presence know when a familiar outline of red fabric suddenly peeked at you from the other side of the wall. 

“hasn’t anyone ever told you that eavesdropping is rude, sweetheart?” 

shit.

“thanks for ratting me out!” you whisper-shouted to the cloak. “i thought we were friends.”

the sentient fabric responded with a little twirl as if pleased by its little tattling stunt before floating back to rest on its owner’s shoulders. upon rounding the corner, you found stephen smirking at you with a grinning america beside him; you wondered if her cheeks hurt. 

“kinda part of the job, doc,” you replied smoothly, hoping your joke would mask your embarrassment at having been caught, by a piece of fabric, no less. 

“heard all that, did you?”

“you want me to be honest?”

“always.”

“…yeah. i’m sorry, i was on my way to the kitchen and i heard you say my name so i just… sorry.”

“it’s all right, i’m not mad. if anything, you should be mad at me.”

“you? why?“

stephen eyed america where she still stood next to him, the teen’s gaze flitting back and forth between the two of you as if she were watching a tennis match. “do you mind giving us a moment?”

“oh, sure,” she agreed innocently and moved to take a step out of the kitchen but you stopped her before she disappeared.

“wait.” you met her in the doorway and leaned down to pull her into a hug. “thank you for my present. i love it.”

she returned your embrace tenfold, squeezing your waist tightly and rocking the two of you back and forth. “you’re welcome, y/n. happy birthday.”

you pulled back and ruffled her hair a bit, shooting her a quick wink once you had finished.

“meet me in the sitting room when you’re done?” america asked.

“sure thing, kiddo.” you watched her leave the room and close the door behind her before turning to face stephen, feeling nervous for what he was planning on saying to you. “so…?” 

“i’m ruined,” he said suddenly.

you eyebrows furrowed. “ruined? what are you talking about?”

“these hands,” he said, looking down at the marred skin with a disgusted frown pulling at his lips. “they’re hideous and can’t do damn near anything they used to. i have to use a spell at every moment of the day just to keep them steady.” he turned to face you fully and your heart nearly cracked at how desolate he appeared, he just looked so… sad, broken, alone. “you could do so much better than me. there’s probably someone much better suited for you and far younger… i’ve just been wasting your time, haven’t i? trying to force my feelings onto you and pushing you away in the process.”

“hey,” you said, reaching for his hands to stop his self-deprecating ramble. “don’t say those things. i, for one, love your hands,” you admitted honestly, watching in silent amusement as his eyes widened, “always have. i just never told you—i haven’t told you a lot of things, actually. but, if you must know, i don’t want anyone other than you. i like spending time with you, and i feel safe here, which is definitely a first. you make me happy and like i can completely relax and let down my guard here—i’ve never experienced that before. you’ve opened so many doors for me and shared little pockets of joy and things i’ve missed out on. i can’t thank you enough for that.”

you could’ve sworn his bottom lip trembled slightly beneath his goatee but didn’t mention it. 

“and by the way,” you said with a small smile, squeezing his hand lightly, “you’re not even that old, doc. but i guess i have a thing for more mature guys.”

“not that old, huh?” he asked amusedly. “you wound me, sweetheart.”

you snorted. “your ego can stand to be knocked down a peg or two.”

he barked out a laugh and then gently flicked your chin. “you’re a real brat, you know that?”

“maybe… you like it though, don’t you?” you asked smugly. 

“i do.”

“thought so,” you replied and then parted ways so you could meet america in the sitting room, as promised.

upon entering, you were surprised to see countless pillows and blankets set up around a large television screen, fairy lights similar to the ones in your room decorated the exterior with a warm glow. trays of food were spread out along the coffee table: fruit plates, pretzels and cheese, as well as mini cupcakes with swirled frosting. 

“what’s all of this?” you asked as your eyes took in everything that america had set up for you.

“it’s your birthday celebration!” she announced happily. “i thought we could hang out in here until dinner, maybe paint our nails and watch some movies together.” she pointed to a small stack of dvds on the floor. “stephen had a few lying around. he said these are classics and that we definitely need to watch them! what do you think?”

you bit the inside of your cheek as tears threatened to spill over. you had certainly done enough crying lately, even though these were the happy kind, you didn’t want america to question you or worry; however, a watery smile curled its way onto your lips and you beckoned the teen over for another hug. “this is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me,” you whispered against her hair. “thank you, america.”

two movies later, you and america had both finished painting your nails, of which neither of you had ever done before, so it was certainly an interesting experience, and all of the snack plates had been wiped clean.

as the two of you giggled to each other about a particular scene from your recent movie, the smooth velvet of stephen’s voice sounded from the kitchen and you turned to see him leaning against the doorframe, arms loosely crossed with an endearing smile pulling at his mouth. “what would you girls like for dinner tonight?”

you returned his smile as america voiced her opinion, and you blindly agreed with whatever she chose as your gaze remained focused on the sorcerer across the room. 

all your life, you had been lost, floating through life without a home or family, but now… you were lucky to say that you had two. 

a child was running toward you, at least trying to, as her chubby little legs stumlbed over the wooden floor in hesitant steps. she was a firecracker just like you, as stephen always said, eager to learn and prove herself, even at such a young age. you smiled at your husband from where he followed closely behind your daughter, both index fingers held tightly in her little fists as he guided her over to you.

“that’s it, baby. come to mommy,” you encouraged, feeling tears well in your eyes at seeing your daughter taking her first steps, a giddy smile pulling at her rosy cheeks as she babbled incoherently.

she giggled proudly with each unsteady step as you coaxed her forward, kneeling on the floor with open arms until she was barely two feet away. as stephen released her, still within arms’ length, your daughter stumbled slightly and nearly lost her footing when the flash of red fabric from stephen’s cloak intercepted before she fell. it scooped her up and floated the young child over to you, and joyous laughter bubbled past her soft pink lips at the action.

“good job, baby. you okay?” you asked your daughter as the sentient fabric laid her gently in your arms. “ mommy and daddy are so proud of you.”

stephen joined you on the floor, a watery smile pulling at his lips beneath his beard, and the two of you enclosed your daughter in a hug. he leaned over her where she clutched her little fists into the fabric of your shirt, and kissed you softly. “i love you,” he whispered.

“i love you, too—” 

the warm atmosphere of your home abruptly morphed into the recognizable malevolence of the red room. you were tied down to a cold metal slab, restraints tight against your ankles and wrists, as a faceless individual pushed you down the hallway. fluorescent lights burned your vision as you were moved further inside, quickly approaching the daunting double doors that leered at you up ahead. dread soured in your stomach at what you knew was waiting for you.

your limbs struggled against the restraints, thrashing and screaming to be released, but no words came out. your vision went dark and then pain flooded your veins, agonizing, vicious pain that you couldn’t escape. 

“let me go! please let me go,” you sobbed, cheeks drenched with tears and throat aching as if razor blades had nicked you with each swallow.

“wake up, sweetheart. come on, open your eyes.” a familiar voice echoed within the cold and unforgiving cage of your nightmare, coaxing you back to the real world and away from the clutches of your hellish past.

“there you are,” stephen whispered into the quiet of your bedroom at the sanctum. the twinkling fairy lights along the windowsill and the new camera sitting atop one of your shelves welcomed you back, comforting you with their familiarity. the man in front of you brushed away strands of hair that had fallen into your face, sweat peppering your forehead. “you okay?” stephen asked. 

you nodded.

“do you want to talk about it?”

this time, you shook your head and remained silent, still shaken from the dream. 

“okay,” he whispered, running a gentle hand over your hair. “do you want me to leave?”

your watery eyes lifted up to his, glittering a pale blue in the moonlight shining through the window. “no,” you croaked, “please stay?”

“of course,” he responded without hesitation.

stephen reached for the covers and folded them aside to crawl in next to you where you had scooted over to leave space for his larger form. he offered his arm out to you and you immediately leaned into him, allowing him to wrap you in his embrace, feeling far warmer and safer than you had in a long time. it felt nice to have someone to lean on, to wake you from your constant nightmares and dreaded memories, to hold you as your demons ghosted through your mind at random moments of the day. 

he held you close, cradling you in his arms and resting his chin atop the crown of your head. footsteps approached and a gentle voice sounded from the doorway. “is she okay?” america asked worriedly. 

“yeah, kid,” stephen replied, the quiet rasp of his voice brushing passed your ear and soothing you further. “she’ll be okay. you can go back to sleep.”

your arms tightened around his waist as dread settled in your stomach at having woken not only stephen, but america too. “i’m sorry,” you mumbled into his neck and felt your bottom lip wobble pathetically.

“hey,” he scolded gently, tightening his hold on you as well, “do not apologize for this. i’m glad it woke me. you shouldn’t have to deal with this alone, sweetheart.”

the tears continued to trail down your cheeks in quicker succession at his sincerity. you didn’t deserve stephen strange in your life, but fuck, were you lucky to have him.  

as the remaining fragments of your nightmare dissipated, stephen silently held you in his lap and cradled you until your crying subsided and your breathing returned to normal. you swallowed passed the lump in your throat and voiced the main terror of your nightmare aloud. 

“i can’t have children.” you felt stephen stiffen beneath you and you were sure his eyes were on you, but you couldn’t bring yourself to look at him now, instead, keeping your head resting comfortably in the crook of his neck. “which is fine, i suppose,” you continued, “but i would’ve liked to make that decision for myself.

“part of the graduation ceremony is forced sterilization,” you explained, voice quiet now, almost inaudible. “makes for better assassins that way. no attachments or obstacles to hold you back. who would’ve thought being a mother was so frowned up?” you had accepted your fate by now, but sometimes the reminder that you could never have children crept up on you from time to time, just to torture you that much more. 

a scarred hand appeared in your line of vision and then stephen ran a thumb along the tear tracks on your cheeks, offering that small amount of comfort that meant so much to you. his jaw was clenched while his eyes appeared glossy as if he could see into your past and the way it still held you in a chokehold, even now, you were still unable to shake free from its clutches no matter how hard you tried; it was like stephen really saw you. “i’m sorry that choice was stolen from you. i’m sorry for so many things,” he said, meeting your gaze fully as his hands trailed down your arms to gently play with your fingers. “and i disagree; you would make a wonderful mother. i see how you are with america and you’re so good with her. any child would be lucky to have you to look up to.”

you smiled sadly. he said just what you needed to hear, what you’ve been wanting to hear for years—from anyone—just someone to show sympathy for the things you had gone through. “thanks, stephen.”

a slow smile stretched across his lips. “you called me stephen.” 

you scoffed softly, “don’t get used to it,” and shifted slightly to rest your head on his shoulder. 

“you wouldn’t want me...” you continued quietly, heart heavy in your chest as you voiced your biggest insecurity to him.

“how do you know what i want?”

“i’ve done terrible things, stephen. i can’t… sometimes the memories and the guilt get so bad, i can’t even get out of bed in the morning. i just feel so weighed down by my actions and my mistakes, like it’s going to drown me, and all the lives i took—” your voice broke off as tears clogged your throat, and you hated how weak and vulnerable you sounded. “what if i’m not worth all this? don’t deserve this life? you should be with someone who is actually good for you and who can… can give you children. i can’t—”

“hey, stop that,” he admonished gently, wiping away more tears that had spilled over. he cradled your jaw, caressing the apple of your cheek with his thumb as he continued, “don’t say things like that. you were forced into that position, you didn’t have a choice. you were separated from your parents at a young age, had your childhood stripped from you—you wouldn’t have done those things otherwise, and i know you, y/n. you’re strong and resilient and irritatingly stubborn sometimes, but you’re also the sweetest and funniest person i’ve ever met. i swear i’ve never laughed as much as i have with you. you make my life better, so don’t say for a moment that you don’t deserve to be happy or enjoy this new life. you’ve been on your own and taking care of yourself practically your entire life,” he continued softly. “i can’t imagine how terrified or confused or lost you must have felt all that time. so let me in, sweetheart.” there was that pet name again. god, it almost broke your heart how softly and reverently he spoke to you. “let me take care of you. you’re not alone anymore. i want you and your past, present, future—all of it. nothing about you is imperfect to me. i want your mornings and your nights. i want you on your best days and your worst. i want you to trust me and to come to me for anything. i want you by my side and in my bed. i want you in ways that nobody else has had you before. i want you, y/n. all of you.”

“stephen,” you croaked, and you could feel your bottom lip wobbling pathetically. 

he smiled kindly, a noticeable twinkle in his eyes as he gazed at you. “we’re okay, sweetheart. don’t give up on me, because i’m never giving up on you, okay?”

you tilted your chin in understanding, then allowed him to pull you back into his chest as he settled against the pillows.

“sleep now,” he whispered. “i promise i’ll be right here.”

with that, you felt tired again and noticed that the residual effects of your nightmare were completely gone, now replaced by comfort and warmth as sleep encased you in its pillowy embrace.

you awoke the following morning to an empty bed, however, a small piece of paper had been left behind where stephen had last been seen.

rubbing the sleep from your eyes, you reached for it and smiled at the familiar scrawl of stephen’s handwriting.

meet us downstairs once you’re up. –S

you went about your typical morning routing, washing your face and brushing your teeth, tying your hair back in another intricate braid and getting dressed in casual clothes for now until training would commence at kamar-taj in the afternoon. just before stepping out the door, your gaze flickered to the mirror and you adjusted the front strands of hair that fell in front of your face, blowing out an excited yet nervous breath as you exited your bedroom.

the scent of freshly-brewed coffee that you had missed in your time away invaded your senses as you entered the kitchen, finding the table filled with cut fruit, stacks of pancakes, a jug of orange juice and cups of steaming coffee.

you took a seat in your usual chair, smiling up at stephen as handed you a cup, offering a quick wink before sitting down as well, with america already eagerly awaiting breakfast on your other side.

taking a sip of the dark liquid, you groaned in satisfaction as the familiar taste of stephen’s coffee, made just the way you liked it, coated your tongue. “the coffee didn’t taste the same over at the compound,” you stated as you gazed longingly into your mug, happy to drink as much of it as you wanted again.

“so you’re saying you missed my coffee-making skills, but not me?” stephen asked amusedly.

you shot him a teasing grin. “i didn’t say that.”

“hmm.”

once breakfast came to an end, you and stephen moved out to the library to continue your lessons as america had offered to clean up the kitchen, stating that she would be practicing some new spells she had learned that would help speed up the process. you weren’t entirely sure how that would play out, but stephen seemed confident in her abilities so you trusted it, happy to see her growing and learning more with each day.

before you knew it, hours had flown by while in the library with even more books staring up at you, one draining spell to remember right after another. some were easier than others and you had kept a list of particularly difficult ones that you needed to brush up on.

stephen had been continuously helping you with various spells, acting as a mentor of sorts with tips and tricks that had helped him in his own study of the mystic arts. he was so fucking smart, it never ceased to amaze you. stephen was always so patient with you, keeping you company and bringing copious cups of coffee—“not too many though,” the good doctor had warned—and snacks for you as you continued to read and pour over endless pages. 

“you know,” he started carefully, pulling your focus away from the spell book you were currently pouring over, “it’s so hard to sit here and be close to you and not kiss you.”

you chewed at your bottom lip as you worked up the courage to voice what was on your mind and had been for quite some time that you continued to brush aside, but you figured you had denied your feelings for the man long enough; you just wanted to fall into him completely, let him in like he had finally done for you. you trusted him, and god, did you love him. that level of vulnerability with another person scared you, but you wanted it more than anything. “you can kiss me,” you said softly. 

his eyes widened slightly before he flicked his finger and then your chair was sliding across the floor before planting itself next to his. he wrapped his hand around the seat of your chair to pull you even closer until you could see the flecks of green in his eyes. 

he raised a shaky hand to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear, his fingers trailing down your cheek to cup your jaw. “you’re so pretty,” he whispered. “so perfect.”

“so are you,” you said shyly, feeling your cheeks heat at his close proximity and the way he was looking at you, eyes deeper and darker than you had ever seen them as they flitted down to focus on your mouth. 

stephen breathed out a laugh at the unexpected compliment from you, affection for you pouring off of him in waves. “not even close,” he retorted. “how did the multiverse come up with someone like you?” he thumbed at the plush of your bottom lip and watched in silent awe as you nipped at it gently, a satisfied grin spreading across your face at his expression. 

his scarred hands cupped your cheeks and then his lips descended on yours, the scruff of his goatee scratching you lightly as his fingers held you steady. soft lips molded around yours, each kiss becoming firmer than the last, the warmth of his mouth opening up to you as his tongue coaxed the seam of your lips so he could taste you. 

your hands instinctively lifted up to clasp around his wrists as you opened yourself up to him, kissing him and falling deeper into this pit he created in your heart. the fingers linked around his wrists felt his pulse thrumming in his veins, similar to your own heartbeat that was pounding fast enough to jump from beneath the confines of your ribs. 

you kissed him and kissed him and kissed him until your lips felt swollen and bruised, but it was all so worth it. truly, you never would have thought this moment would come and your senses were becoming overwhelmed with all things him. you pulled back a fraction in an attempt to catch your breath, and his lips lingered on yours as you moved back as if chasing the feeling of your mouth against his. a flash of hurt fell over his features as if he was afraid you would push him away, yell at him, or storm off and leave him again. his hands were still cupping your cheeks, thumbs pressed against your jaw and holding you so carefully, but his touch felt like it was practically burning you now.

your eyes danced over his features, the flush in his cheeks, the wild glint in his blue eyes—appearing brighter than they were moments prior—he was beautiful and so in love with you, you understood it now. you could feel his adoration pour out in waves as he looked at you, the fleeting touches here and there, the way he kissed you now. you believed him. 

a smile pulled at your lips, sheepish but so, so happy. 

“what?” he asked softly, slightly breathless from your kisses. 

you shook your head, words escaping you now, and grasped his cheeks to bring him in for another kiss, more eager than the first but still ardent and passionate. his mouth slotted against yours like two pieces of a puzzle and his tongue licked passed the seam of your lips again to devour your mouth more thoroughly. you wrapped your arms around his neck to bring yourself infinitesimally closer until you were practically straddling his lap, and his large hands dropped to paw at your hips. a faint moan crept up your throat and bubbled passed your lips, mixing with his matching groans, deep and heavy against your chest where the two of you were connected. 

it felt like hours had passed, though it must have been only a few minutes, until the two of you parted, allowing each other to catch your breaths and give your swollen lips a break.

“was your first kiss?” stephen asked gently. 

you winced. “was it that obvious? 

he shook his head quickly. “god, no! definitely not.”

“would it be super embarrassing if i said that it was?”

his eyes softened as he tenderly tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. “of course not, sweetheart.”

“i don’t come by love very often,” you admitted, smiling back at him nervously, “so this is all very new for me.”

“so you’ve never…”

“been with anyone? nope,” you said, popping the ‘p,’ suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious about where the topic of conversation was headed. “never really had the time or opportunity for a relationship of any kind.”

he swallowed audibly as if a weight had been placed on his shoulders by the revelation, knowing that he would be your first everything. “well,” he started, “i hope to be your first and your last. i know i made a complete ass of myself and i royally fucked up in the beginning”—you laughed at that—“but i promise to do it right this time.”

“i just don’t want you to grow tired of me,” you confessed quietly. 

stephen’s brows pinched together. “why would you think that?”

silence.

“y/n,” his voice turned serious, “why do you think i would grow tired of you?”

you shrugged as your gaze dropped to stare at his chest, unable to meet his eyes now. “i don’t know… what if i’m not what you thought i would be? what if your feelings change and you find someone better?”

he shook his head emphatically as each word passed your lips. “hey, no. none of that.” he reached around to clasp your hands in his and brought them up to his dusty pink mouth, laying soft kisses to your fingers and knuckles, eyes never leaving yours. “i’m never letting you go, you understand me? you’re my whole universe and i’ll love you for infinity. so don’t assume that i’ll grow tired of you, because i can assure you that i won’t ever.” his breath was warm against your hands where he held them, and it didn’t escape your notice how his lips lingered a bit longer on the ring finger of your left hand. your heart fluttered at the genuine tenderness of his affection for you. 

“i’m still in love with you,” you whispered, feeling your voice crack on the word ‘love’. “even after everything, i’m so hopelessly in love with you, stephen strange.”

this time, his lips drifted to the palms of your hands and you could feel his smile press against your skin. “i love you more, sweetheart.”

suddenly, a faint squeak sounded from the library doors, and the two of you quickly turned to see america looking in with wide eyes, taking in your compromising position where you had been straddling stephen’s lap. a toothy grin spread across her face and then she disappeared, not before you heard an excited, “i knew it!” from the teen.

stephen’s head dropped to your shoulder and an infectious laugh escaped his mouth. “we’re never going to hear the end of that, are we?”

you snickered, “not a chance.” 

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[aces-sweetheart]

marry you

♥  pairing: mista x gn!reader (no pronouns used)

♡ description: FLUFF (SOME ANGST); Mista proposes three times in the most Mista way imaginable. 

♥ warnings/info: mentions of death and suicide (none actually occur), everyone lives because real hotties ignore canon. cringe warning i guess lmao it’s really fluffy.

♥ ♡ ♥

“When this is over, I’m gonna marry you.” Mista said it nonchalantly as he twirled his spaghetti with a fork.

You nearly spit out your wine, earning a concerned look from Fugo. The rest of the gang were too engrossed in discussing the next mission. You knew it’d be more dangerous than your previous ones; you were escorting the Don’s daughter after all.  After assuring him you were fine, you turned to your boyfriend. His smile stretched from ear to ear and his eyes were practically shut with how big his grin was. You felt yourself melting. 

“Just like that? You’re not even going to ask me?” You smiled back at him as you dug back into your own dish. 

“Do you want to marry me?” If you didn’t know what he was saying, you were assuming he was asking you to pass the salt; he made it sound like it was the most mundane question he could ask rather than proposing to spend the rest of your lives together. The idea wasn’t awful; in fact you loved the idea of buying a house, raising kids and growing old with him. You nodded. 

“Cool. Then it’s settled.” The subject was dropped almost as quickly as it came up and in typical Mista fashion he was already onto the next topic. You could hardly follow his debate with Narancia about whether water is wet or not as thoughts of your future filled your head.

---

The second time he “proposed” was when you and the rest of the members, minus Fugo, were on the small motorboat. Trish still had yet to regain consciousness and she laid right by the motor. Abbacchio and Narancia had fallen asleep after the events of the day and Giorno looked about halfway to joining them, his eyes drooping and head nodding forward before shooting back up. Bruno looked tired too but refused to let his guard down, carefully steering the boat and calculating the gang’s next move. You and Mista were huddled together towards the front of the boat. Though you had stopped crying awhile ago, his arms remained wrapped around you and he kissed your forehead softly every few minutes. 

“You’ll all be killed, without a doubt.” 

Every time Fugo’s words replayed in your head, you felt your stomach lurch. The thought of losing any of your teammates was sickening but unfortunately not unlikely. Being a member of Passione was dangerous to begin with; any mission could be your last. But betraying the Don was basically suicide. Yet everyone stepped onto the boat willing to take the risk and follow Bucciarati to fight for what was right. 

“I know it’s hard but try not to think about everything right now,” Mista said with his lips against your forehead, “Think about our wedding. I’ll even take my hat off for it, you know you love my hair. I’m telling you again, I’m gonna marry you.” You felt his lips form a smile but you couldn’t bring yourself to return it. You nodded in response, words failing you. Thoughts of your future with Mista were plagued with thoughts of you standing over his gravestone.

---

His third proposal was a bit too late. You fussed over your outfit again to occupy your mind and ease your nerves. In less than an hour you’d be Mista’s spouse. After everything you two had been through, both before and after betraying the organization, you could hardly believe your shared dream was about to become a reality. One member of your wedding party handed you a bouquet; white roses neatly held together with a ribbon of the same color. You thanked them and tried to steady your breathing. 

You never took Mista as one to cry when he saw you walking down the aisle but tears sprung to his eyes when you stepped out of the venue. He always said he was an ugly crier and would surely laugh when he watched the video of your wedding but he couldn’t help it. The person he loved more than anything in the world was about to become his forever and he’d be forever yours too. You glanced to the side as you walked to find your gang members’ in the front pew watching you. Narancia waved as if you could wave back to him as he held his phone in the other hand, no doubt recording every single moment despite the fact that you hired a professional cameraperson. Bruno looked happy and a bit smug; he always knew this would happen when he first introduced you and Mista. He could tell by the way you two looked at each other when you shook hands and exchanged names that you’d end up together and he was thankful he was alive to see it. Giorno had the same serene smile he always did and you could practically feel the warmth radiating from it. The Pistols were settled in his breast pocket and he had to lightly pat them every so often to remind them to be quiet. Even Abbacchio wasn’t immune to the joy of the ceremony; he was smiling slightly and nodded at you as you passed. In all your wildest dreams, you never thought you would all be lucky enough to survive going up against Diavolo but here you all were. You quickly smiled at all of them in return and turned your attention back to your fiancé.

When you stopped in front of him, he couldn’t contain the wow that fell from his lips, earning a few laughs from your guests. He felt no shame about that, all he heard in that moment was your own quiet giggle and the sight of your eyes lighting up with pure joy. You nearly expressed your own amazement but held back. He looked incredible; black suit fitted perfectly to every inch of his body and the brown locks you loved so much were on full display. 

The ceremony was nearing its end in what seemed like the blink of an eye. Your left ring finger was no longer bare and you’d have to start hyphenating your name from now on; all that was left was the kiss. He grabbed your waist, pulling you forward so eagerly you nearly fell but he held you tight and your lips met. Nothing could describe the pure joy you felt in that moment. Every single moment leading up to this point was worth it no matter how painful they were. You didn’t know who to thank for it; maybe it was some higher being out there or it could be Mista’s incredible luck that seemed to save him at every corner. Regardless of who or what was responsible you were happier than ever and it would only get better from here; you two were already talking about children. The kiss lasted far longer than necessary but you didn’t care. All the people in front of you faded away, leaving only you and your now husband in your own world. Finally both of you pulled back but continued to embrace each other. He smiled smugly and leaned in close to you, not that anyone would hear over the sound of their cheers.

“Like I said, I’m gonna marry you.” 

[poisoned-peppermint]

Part 4 of incorrect quotes because i feel obligated to make more due to the sheer number of people who liked it

Dream: My dearest beloved fuckos, is a fun, gender-neutral way to begin a speech

George: See also, esteemed bastards

Bad: Gentlefolk, Ferals, and Domesticated cryptids. 

Sapnap: My fellow yees and haws

~~~~~~~

Techno:Hey I know skyrim is revered as a classic but are we just going to ignore the fact that the entire game only had like 3 voice actors

Wilbur:Stop right there criminal cum

Techno:My ancestors are smiling at me, bastard, can you say the same

~~~~~~~

Foolish:When's your bedtime :)

Purpled: Whenever I next collapse in purely up to the gods

~~~~~~

Ranboo:Human skin is a fursuit for skeletons 

Tubbo: i’m going to debone you like a fucking trout

~~~~~~

Bad:You’re enough

Bad: love yourself!!!!!!! or suffer my wrath!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dream:And by wrath I mean love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bad:no I mean wrath!!!!! You reading this, if you don't love yourself I’ll beat you with a stick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

~~~~~~~

Bad:I hope everyone is today well! And tomorrow!!!! After that you’re on your own.

~~~~~~

Bad:what am I supposed to do all day while you’re at work

Skeppy:I don’t know, what do you normally do while I’m gone

Bad: wait for you to get back

~~~~~~

Velvet:For my next stunt, I’ll wake up at 5am on the day I can sleep in

Ant:Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.

Velvet:Early to bed and early to rise makes me a massive bitch

~~~~~~

Tubbo: 3:23 AM make a wish

Ranboo: I wish that you would go to sleep

Tuddo: Yeah well I wish I grew an inch taller every day as you get an inch shorter until you’re as flat as as a piece of paper and I’m 11 feet tall

Ranboo: You’re going to die of a mixture of skeletal instability and heart disease.

Tubbo: Yeah but I’ll look good while doing it.

~~~~~~

Bad:Disrespect me again and I’ll determine your bodies resonant frequency and play a jaunty horn solo that boils your miserable organs inside out 

~~~~~~

Quackity: If I were dating you?  Well, heh. Let’s just say horses wouldn't be called horses anymore

Karl: hey what the honk does this mean…..I’m shaking what does this mean!

~~~~~~

Skeppy: Are you ok?

Bad wrapped in a burrito blanket drinking his 6th cup of coffee: Yes, this is exactly what mental stability looks like

~~~~~~

Sam: My hands are cold

Ponk: *holds their hands*

Ponk: better?

Sam: My lips are cold too

~~~~~~

George at dream’s funeral: can I have a moment alone with them?

Sapnap: of course *leaves*

George leaning over dream’s casket: Now listen, I know you’re not dead.

Dream: yeah no shit

~~~~~~

Skeppy, jokingly: I should have Bad kill you for that.

Bad, peering around the corner: Who do I need to kill?

Skeppy: Wh- no, I was just kidding around.

Bad, pulling out a switchblade: No, who’s bothering you

~~~~~~

Bad *watching the news*: Some idiot tried to fight a squid at the aquarium.

Skeppy *covered in ink*: Maybe the squirt was being a dick.

~~~~~~

Peacock: *spreads feathers at Bad*

Skeppy: It’s trying to attract a mate

Bad, extremely confused: *shyly lifts top*

Skeppy: No!

~~~~~~

Sapnap: Karl, do you eat olives? My dad wants to know

Karl: No, I hate olives. Olives are the spawn of satan. I hate olives so much my mom forced me to live in Mount olive for the rest of my childhood as a curse from the olive gods. Do you understand how much olives have ruined my life? I'm so offended that you asked me that have some consideration for people who have been abused by olives please!

Sapnap: K A R L ……….they’re just olives!!?

Karl: JUST OLIVES EXCUSE!

~~~~~~

Tommy: If you’re bored you can simply close your eyes and rotate a cow in your mind. It’s free and the cops can’t stop you

~~~~~~

Wilbur: is there anyone even named sheldon irl?

Tubbo: my class turtle from 6th grade :)

Wilbur: that’s a turtle

Tubbo: When god sings with his creations, will a turtle not be part of the choir?

~~~~~~

Ranboo: No bcuz why do ppl like salad?? What’s so good about it

Tubbo: chew leaf like god intended

Ranboo: No

Tubbo: Abandon god and see what he does next time you lift your hands in prayer

~~~~~~~

Tommy: Guys, there’s a monster under my bed and it’s really ugly.

Wilbur, on the bottom bunk: Honestly, fuck you.

~~~~~~

Quackity: So according to the cease and desist order I got, apparently you can’t ‘legally’ be a lawyer if your license is ‘cut out of a cereal box’.

~~~~~~

Puffy: If you had too, what would you give up food or sex?

Bad: Sex.

Skeppy: Seriously, answer faster.

Bad: I’m sorry honey, when they said sex I wasn’t thinking about sex with you.

Skeppy: It’s like a giant hug.

Puffy: Ant, what about you? What would you give up sex or food?

Ant: Food.

Puffy: Okay, how about sex or dinosaurs?

Ant: ……...Oh my God it’s like the movie Sophie’s Choice.

Gumi: What about you Velvet? What would you give up sex or food?

Velvet: Oh… um… I don’t know, it’s too hard.

Gumi: No, you gotta pick one.

Velvet: Um, food… no, sex… no, food…sex… food. Ugh! I don’t know! I want both! I- I want Antfrost on bread!

~~~~~~~

Tommy, holding a gun: If the conspiracies about life being a simulation are true WHOEVERS CONTROLLING MY SIM I JUST WANNA TALK.

~~~~~~~

Bad: Why are you guys acting like this?

Boomer: Oh, we’re not acting. We really are like this.

~~~~~~

Techno: Dream has only knocked me out three times this week. Our friendship is really developing.

~~~~~~

Tommy: You’re pathetic!

Wilbur: You’re pathetic-er!

Techno: You’re both losers.

~~~~~~

Bad: I wish I could help you, but I shorn’t.

Skeppy: Bad, please!

Bad: What part of shorn’t don’t you understand?

~~~~~~

Tubbo: Why did you leave Wrestlemania on for Michal?

Ranboo: They need to learn how to protect us.

~~~~~~

Antfrost: I regret getting dragged into your heterosexual tomfoolery.

~~~~~~

Bad: Strawberry milk doesn’t taste like strawberry OR milk.

Skeppy: Go the fuck to sleep Bad!

Bad: LANGUAGE!!

~~~~~~

Ranboo: Tubbo, please calm down.

Tubbo: I asked for two large fries!

Tubbo: *dumps fries onto table*

Tubbo: But all they did was give me a MILLION FUCKING LITTLE ONES!

~~~~~~

Bad: That was the worst throw ever. Of all time.

Skeppy: Not my fault. Somebody put a wall in the way.

~~~~~~

Wilbur: When you’ve been on the internet for as long as I have, you develop thick skin.

Tommy: Navy blue isn’t your color.

Wilbur: Navy blue brings out my eyes you prick! *Chases after Tommy*

~~~~~~

Bad: *Pulls a glass a water from out of nowhere*

Puffy: Where did you get that?.

Bad: My pocket.

Puffy: How do you keep a glass of water in your pocket?

Bad: Skills.

~~~~~~

Tubbo: I will come to your house after work and knock on your window at 11 AM. You will not open the curtains, knowing full well what awaits you, but the knocking only grows louder, more demanding. Finally it stops, your ears ringing. You nervously let out a breath you didn't know you were holding. You're safe now. Minutes pass by and you start to relax. And then you hear a knock at the front door. Like before, you stay still and clutch the blankets around you. You try to tell your self that it's just your imagination. Maybe the milk man? But why would he come so late? Everyone else was asleep, save for Naomi who was playing video games down stairs. To your relief, the knocking stops after a few. Minutes and you breath easy once more. Until you hear a knock on your bedroom door. You don't move. It's just your imagination. She isn't here. She can't be here. You tell yourself, shutting your eyes and willing yourself to sleep. The knock comes again, but with horror you realize that it came from the closet inside your room. You know that you have no choice. You get up, climbing out of bed with shaking limbs. You walk to the closest, trembling, and holding back the tears threatening to spill over your porcelain cheeks. You hesitate with your hand over the closet handle. Maybe it's just your imagination? She's not really there. You can go to sleep and laugh it off in the morning. Your naive thoughts are cut off by another, more demanding knock on the closet door, inches from your face. You know what you have to do. You open the closet door, and there she stands. Chuck e cheese, the mouse looms over you in the dim light. It's soulless eyes boor into you. It raises its arms, and you flinch as it begins to floss at lightning speed. Tears spill over your cheeks. This is the last thing you'll ever see.

Ranboo: Wait, Chuck e cheese’s pronouns are she/her? Trans Chuck e cheese? Good for her.

~~~~~~~~

Bad: Would you like something to drink? *They opened the fridge* We have water, milk, juice, spiders, Dr. Pepper-

Quackity: Spiders?

Bad: Spiders it is then.

Quackity: No, that wasn’t-

*But they were already pouring him a brimming glass of spiders…

~~~~~~

Puffy : Make her pussy wet not her eyes.

Velvet : Make his dick hard not his life.

Punz : Break her bed not her heart.

Skeppy : Play with his boobs not his feelings. 

Ant : Get on his dick not his nerves.

Bad : Always salt your pasta while boiling it.

~~~~~~~

Wilbur: Bet you can’t eat 15 crayons!

Tommy: Bet you I can!

Phil: *sips coffee, checks to make sure 911 is still on speed dial, and goes back to reading the paper*

~~~~~~~

Ant: We need a way to lure in new customers?

Ponk: Maybe we could have some fun, interactive events!

Skeppy: Badboyhalo bath water.

Bad: ABSOLUTELY NOT!

~~~~~~~~

Fundy: GET BACK HERE YOU DUMB FUCK!

Wilbur: LET ME RUN FROM THE CONSEQUENCES OF MY ACTIONS!

~~~~~~~~

Bad: Mint is just cold spicy.

Pummel party Squad: …

Gumi: What the actual fuck is wrong with you.

~~~~~~~~

Quackity: Isn’t it amazing how I can feel so bad and still look so good?

~~~~~~~

Tommy: Why does my arm shake and turn bright red when I’m eating dirt?

Phil:

Phil: Why are you eating dirt?

Tommy: Did I ask you if I should eat dirt? No, so answer my question.

~~~~~~~

Tubbo: I wish I could control wasps and bees to sting my enemies.

Quackity: You’re too young to have enemies.

Tubbo: You don’t even know.

~~~~~~~~

Skeppy: Is there a cactus where your heart should be?

Puffy: What’s up your ass this morning!

Bad: *walks in* …Hi!!

Puffy: Hmm… nevermind.

Skeppy: WAIT NO!

~~~~~~~~

Skeppy: Ha! Don’t you know the trappers trap can trap the trapper?

Skeppy: I must be losing it, I’m quoting Bad.

~~~~~~~

Skeppy: Bad, I sense hostility.

Bad: Good, because I hate you

~~~~~~~

Bad: Are you a painting?

Skeppy: What-?

Bad: Because I want to pin you to a wall.

Skeppy: OH GOD I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO SAY YOU WANTED TO HANG ME OR SOMETHING-

~~~~~~

Tommy: You’re giving me a sticker?

Phil: Not just a sticker. That is a sticker of a kitty saying “me-wow!”

Tommy: I’m not a preschooler.

Phil: Fine, I’ll take it back-

Tommy: I earned this, back off!

~~~~~~

Dream, sweating: George, there’s something I need to ask you-

George: Finally! You’re proposing!

Dream: How’d you know?

George: Dream, you’ve dropped the ring five times during dinner.

George: I even picked it up once

~~~~~~~~

*Bad and Skeppy looking at a locked gate into a park*

Bad: Aw. :(

Skeppy: You know what they say.

Bad: Please don’t-

Skeppy: BE GAY DO CRIME! *hops gate*

Bad: Frick-

~~~~~~~~

let me know if ya’ll want more <3

[marimagines]

Night Care | Levi X Reader

Between - Levi x Reader

Genre - Fluff, modern!au

Words - 3,990 [kinda short but its cute :] 

Summary - You give Levi the care he oh so is desperate for and the sleep that his body and mind demand for. along with that care, you finally get a chance to introduce him to a routine that he promises to follow.

Warnings - none [just a little teasing] and just cute Levi :[

A/n - I came up with this while doing my night time routine and I just had to write. It’s just Levi being a soft baby and I’m here for it :( I hope you all like itttt

It was finally one of those nights when you and Levi would spend time together. His immense amount of work would always keep him occupied even when he’d be home sometimes. It had always distracted him from life or he’d have to ignore many things. Levi was one loyal and devoted person in your eyes. To his work but also his loved ones. No matter how busy he’d be, he had always managed to make time to send you a text or call you and if neither of those seemed like the options, he’d send a voice note of him just talking while his mind and body would be busy with work.

You always appreciated his effort that he put so passionately in everything he did. So whenever you went out or whenever you see him, you made sure that he didn’t have to worry about making you upset with his busy schedule. Thankfully, you always managed to make him smile. Well, you didn’t really have to try, Levi was already so soft and in awe with your entire existence. Everything you did left an impact on him and sometimes he’d just sit back and smile to himself by remembering something about you. Like how you smile when you see him, or how you hug him or how you’d act cute or funny. It was just you. He was soft for you and you could sit silently and he would still feel his heart flutter at that sight.

Tonight, Levi finally checked out of work earlier. He had finished everything that was due today and even managed to finish certain tasks before the future deadlines. You greeted him with a smile and he just went for an embrace. His hands resting in your waist and his face buried in your neck. He groans out when you asked about his day and that was enough to know how exhausted he must’ve been.

“I should have a talk with Erwin to let you off the hook and lessen this mountain of work on you,” you say as you place the food on the table for him, a pout settled on your lips. Levi had only chuckled at your words, clearly knowing the sarcastic tone you speak in. It was cute though. He lowkey would want to see you telling off Erwin.

“That’s just how it is, honey,” he replies softly before picking up his utensils. His eyebrows furrow when you stop him but as soon as he sees that you were going to serve him the food, his expressions soften along with his heart. A smile stretches his lips and he whispers a thank you before you both begin to eat.

Throughout dinner, the two of you share details of your day today or you’d share a comfortable silence. Levi wasn’t one to talk much when he ate so you always made sure to divide the silence and talking to a 60-40 ratio. He probably wouldn’t want to talk so much especially after a long day. But that silence was also filled with sweet eye contact or sweet actions like adding more food to each other’s plates or feeding one another every now and then. Once dinner was done, you sort out the dishes and put away the leftovers along with a mini quarrel of an attempt to stop him from washing the dishes. His defense was that you had a long day yet you still cooked so the least he could do was clean it up for you. You both were neat freaks. Your hearts find peace when things are organized and well put together so whenever one of you offers to do a job of cleaning or organizing, you knew to fully trust each other at that. That’s just how it is and you both were content with it.

Levi was busy drying the plates and utensils while you decided to run a warm bath for the two of you. These nights were the most important nights for you two. The nights you just unwind from all the world and just bask in each other’s existence. Even if you don’t talk or end up napping together, just knowing the other is here and near was more than enough to be grateful for these nights. Some nights you’d end up fucking or making love, some nights you’d take a stroll outside and enjoy the scenery and breeze and some nights... you’d both prefer to spend it in the expanse of your apartment. You anticipated these nights the most. Being able to take care of Levi was something you practically live for.

The sound of the faucet opening pops you back into reality and you smile at Levi who was staring at you with a certain glow in his eyes and his toothbrush in his mouth. As he proceeded to cleanse his face with his face wash, you turned off the faucet of the bathtub and move to take off your clothes. You could just feel Levi’s eyes on you as he was rubbing the product unto his smooth face.

Since you were done with your brushing and cleansing already, you slowly lower yourself into the warm bathtub which was now starting to feel and smell heavenly due to the bath salts and a new product you had purchased a few days back. One of your way of escaping the struggles of life was to go shopping not for clothes or shoes, but for things like candles or mists or body care such as shower gels or bath products. Anything that brought you a sense of tranquility in your soul. And whenever you found something you loved, you’d share it with Levi and sometimes even consider adding it to a treatment or package in your beauty salon. Working in the same place as Levi was always fun but your passion and goal had always been to open up your own makeup studio or a beauty salon and thankfully with Levi’s ultimate support and help, you managed to succeed in that goal of yours. Hence why Levi always trusted you whenever you brought him a product for him to wear though he could never keep a certain routine and only stuck to one moisturizer. Regardless, you were amazing at it. You excelled at it and that’s why you are where you are right now. He was proud of you.

Once Levi was done with stripping himself of his clothing too, he carefully joins you in the bathtub that you somehow made it feel so magical. He lets out a relaxed groan as he dips into the water and you giggle at him from behind.

“Don’t you want me behind?” He asks as he was usually the one who’d be behind but tonight you were the one who was leaning against the curve of the rose gold marble bathtub. Your entire apartment was a mixture of soothing colors of black, grey, white and rose gold. By researching and constantly trying to help your husband with his stress, you decided the house to be as minimalistic and sleek as possible. Too much clutter might make him feel suffocated. And due to your researches together, the two of you agreed to the beautifully neutral and minimalistic designed apartment you have right now.

“No,” you reply softly as your palms rest on his shoulders, carefully massaging them. “Tonight is about taking care of you, Mr. Ackerman.” You whisper and leave a kiss on his shoulder and neck. He lets out another groan at the feeling of comfort and leans towards your touch.

Your hands were caressing his body as far as your arms could reach while massaging him and helping him relax. He was quiet for the most part and you didn’t mind that either. Your baths together were sometimes silent like today’s. Levi was the one who would usually be washing you or caressing your body but today you figured it’s time he receives too. He leans back to rest his head between your breasts, and closes his eyes while your hand was teasing his member. He gasps silently when your fingers wrap around his tip and your hand moves up and down but neither of you had any sort of energy to fuck each other tonight and you both knew that. You pause the teasing when he holds your hand and interlocks his fingers with yours. He simpers silently, a look of cockiness on his face and starts to speak.

“You’re so tiny,” he remarks softly.

“I’m almost the same height as you,” you retaliate at his words, the audacity this man had to say that to you while he was on the smaller scale too.

“Still taller than you, honey.” He boasts.

“By an inch or two.”

“Tch,” he finally lets out his defeat remark.

“Tch,” you decide to mimic him.

“Tch.”

“Tch.”

“Tch,” he says as a grin dares to paint his face and you feel it.

“Tch,” you giggle out too. Your expression softens when he kisses your hand, the foam transferring from your hands to his face. You giggle once again and move your hands to wipe away the foam quickly before they enter his mouth.

“This smells good, is it new?” He hums out and inhales loudly, trapping the scent inside his nose. It really did smell nice.

“Yep, I got it recently. It’s from BBW’s aromatherapy line. It’s supposed to help you sleep,” you explain softly while Levi was silently gathering the foam in front of him and watching it. You end up smiling at his cute behavior and then it hits you. Does he really notice all these tiny things you do? “I didn’t think you’d notice this.” You whisper.

“What? I do. You enjoy these things and it brings you joy. Of course I’d notice,” he points out. “You leaving our work to achieve your goal was one of the best decision of your life. I saw your energy change. Seeing how this new work of yours makes you happy and express yourself makes me happy.” He adds as his hands play with yours. He was usually short and blunt with words but he could go on forever if it was you he had to compliment or talk to. That’s just how he felt, he trusted you and felt comfortable with you. You sit silently with a pout and kiss the back of his head.

“I love you,” you express yourself, resting your head on his whole happiness fills your heart. Though these three words weren’t enough to describe the fuzzy and warm feeling he manages to leave your soul with.

Once the two of you were done with the bath, you slip into your comfy night clothes; yours a short baby pink satin nightdress that stopped mid thigh and Levi decided to wear his dark grey sweats with his loose white top. You loved him in that outfit; he always looked so welcoming in it.

The two of you did a lot of things in sync but one thing was almost never in sync... your nighttime routine. You always took your time to apply the products on your face and body before you decide to sink into bed and today was no different. You sit on your long two-seater ottoman which you placed in front of your vanity. Even your vanity was organized. One side was dedicated to Levi; which had his body cream, his perfumes, his moisturizer. That was pretty much it but tonight there were some new products there. When you were out buying and looking at skincare products, you figured your husband should need to start his routine properly and picked up some new products to keep him feeling fresh and protected from sunlight, aging, and just keeping him glowing and looking fresh. You look up to see Levi from the mirror’s reflection, plopping down on the bed, his legs hanging from the edge as he grabs his phone to scroll through it. You were silently hoping this new bath foam you got would work and he’d get some sleep. Levi always had trouble sleeping and you were constantly trying this and that to make sure he got more than 2 hours of sleep. With the look of his eyes and eyebags, you knew he was desperate for sleep but he just didn’t know how to lure himself into that state.

“Oh,” he suddenly says and you look back at him through the mirror reflection. He was sitting up now and looking at you. “Erwin gave us a day off tomorrow.” He announces.

“Well, isn’t that nice.” You smile at him as your hands were busy working their routine of applying products on your face and body; knowing exactly what to do. You never skipped your night routine and your hands simply knew by now what to do even when your mind didn’t.

Your eyes were planted on Levi; you just wanted him to come and do his routine but you didn’t want to bother your weary husband. Before you could even say or do anything, Levi gets up from the bed and walks towards you to join you on the bench; as if he heard the thought in your mind. His eyes centered on the new addition on his side and you suddenly realize what he was wondering. A smile creeps on your face when you notice the curiosity in his eyes, like a child who had entered a toy store or a bird who just left its nest and had the entire world to explore. The little glow in his eyes contrasted the furrow of his brows clearly indicated that this man right here was confused to what each of these did. Sure you had told him before but you knew he’d need more than just one push hence why you never stopped bringing him skincare along with yours. Tonight it seemed like the night you could educate him and use your expertise to convince him why he needs to listen to you.

“It’s for you. All of it,” you clarify and a nod comes from him. You chuckle at Levi when he pops open a moisturizer and moves to sniff at it.

“It smells nice,” he adds. “But I just need moisturizer, babe. You didn’t have to get all,” his hand proceeds to make a circle on top of the dresser as he continues, “this.”

“Yes I did,” you defend yourself. “We are turning old. We should take extra care of yourselves, don’t you think?” You get up and move to stand between Levi’s legs to which he automatically spreads them open to give you space. He looks up at you with eyes observing you. You lean against the vanity, your hands wrapping around Levi’s neck. “I will take care of you, Mr Ackerman, so you can get a tip or two.” You say nonchalantly with a smile. Levi ends up chuckling too since he knew your tone was the same tone you use at work. You grab a fluffy hair band that had bear ears on top and move to put it on Levi; pushing his hair back and revealing his flawless skin. Levi sat there glaring at you but you knew from the glow in his eyes that he could care less about it. You start with the routine as you grab a cotton pad and open up the toner bottle. “First of all, you need to apply a toner to bring back the moisture you lost from washing your face.” You explain as you bend over and come closer to his face while your hand moves to pat his face softly with the cotton. Levi’s eyes were on you the entire time you spoke; you didn’t even know if he was shy or if he was listening or why he was even staring but the entire time, his eyes never left your figure or movements. Never missed the product you used or the way his eyes would fall to your lips as you speak. It was almost as if his eyes were stuck on you. You still continue the routine, explaining each step as you go on, giving him tips he should know like to not rub in products aggressively but to pat them in more, or how he should apply them in an upward direction and avoid the downward direction, and you continuously remind him why each product is important. Levi listened intently and carefully, he knew that you knew what you were talking about but he was more in awe with how powerful you looked being in your element. “And lastly,” you twirl open the cap of a night cream. “The night cream.” You apply the cream onto your ring finger and gently apply it on his cheeks, his chin, forehead and then you grin as you put it on his nose, making a ‘boop’ sound, which causes you to earn a smile from him too. He was sitting there quietly the entire time you almost felt like he was a customer at your salon or like a little child, carefully trying their best to focus on your words or in awe with the knowledge you had. You rub and pat in the product and step back when he clears his throat, signaling that he wants to speak.

“How do I know what cream to put at night?” Your lips stretch into another smile as you hear how genuine curiosity wrapped around his tone. He was too cute tonight.

“It says it on the package, dear.” You point at the two creams behind you and move away slightly to let him see it. His eyes finally move away from you and land on the vanity as he silently nods in understanding like a student finally understanding a math problem. You give his face one final pat before you stand up straight and politely grin at him. “And we’re done,” you start to move away before he grabs your hands and kisses them.

“Thank you,” he says as his thumb gently draws circles on top of your hands. “Do you have coupons?” Your eyebrows furrow at his odd and random question and he elaborates more as he realizes that must’ve confused you. “I want to give it to the kids... Connie, Jean, Eren... you know. The kids.” He stumbles on his words when he notices the smile your face had. He was flustered because he knew that you know how soft he is for his team.

You nod silently and giggle. “Yes Levi, I do have coupons. Make sure you give it to the girls too.” You tease him, emphasizing on the word ‘girls’, as you sit down next to him and go through your drawer to look for the coupons. Levi looks from behind you too but then indulges at his new glowy skin as he pats his cheeks the way you had earlier. He suddenly feels proud of you again and a smirk paints his face as his eyes twinkle at the sight that is you. He notices you hadn’t brushed your hair yet so he gets up to stand behind you and pulls you back to make you sit up straight. Your eyes meet in the reflection of the mirror and before you could ask what he was doing, he beats you to it.

“You didn’t braid your hair. I’ll do it for you,” he leans forward to grab your hair brush and softly brushes your hair back and starts braiding it.

“The coupons are in this drawer. Take as many as you like,” you tell him after a while. He nods at your words.

“Will you do this every night?” He asks with a child like tone that wraps your heart with warmth. How could you even say no to him.

“Do what?” You tease him.

“This, my routine.” You knew he was flustered when he starts using small words.

“No,” you watch his lips quickly drop to a pout and a laughter breaks from your lips. “You have to do it too, Levi. We’ll do it side by side so you know the steps.”

“What if I use coupons?” Another laughter bursts out from your chest at how he tried to get this victory. You were pleased to know he liked it though.

“How about this, I’ll do your night routine for you three times a week,” you suggest as your hand raises three fingers and you wait for a response from him.

“Four.” He demands and attempts to negotiate.

“Three.”

“Four. I only use one coupon per week. You do it three times weekly and fourth would be if I use coupon.” He adds a new deal.

Feeling satisfied with the deal, you nod. “Deal.”

Once you were done with the time of sitting in front of the vanity, you both walk back to the bed but then you remember one last step. Body lotion. You bring the bottle to him and earn a “Tch” from him but he applies it regardless by watching you do it. Levi moves his hand to open up your braid too. It was something you always did, you didn’t sleep with your hair tied but you braid it before sleeping only to open it up after a few minutes. It helped your hair not to go crazy when you lay down. It melts your heart knowing how Levi knew even the smallest details of your routine and noticed things you didn’t think he would. You two share a loving smile as you continue to apply lotion together and joke around or tease each other a little. 

“Make sure to take care of your neck too, baby.” You remind him and you both work in sync in rubbing in the lotion onto your arms, chest, legs and neck. You apply your lip balm as usual and Levi shares it with you as you both move closer to perch in the middle of the bed. You two always shared your lip balm for some reason and you never complained nor minded it. To Levi, it made his heart fill up with love sharing your lip balm with you, patting his lips with the surface your lips had grazed over always made him go crazy inside. His excuse to why he did that was that he was too lazy to buy one or open a new one... even after he had confessed to it, he still rarely admitted every time you or someone else teased him about it.

After a while, your bodies were tangled with each other as you lay your head on his chest silently, listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat and basking in the scent of chamomile that you both bathed in and lotioned your bodies with. The scent bringing about a feeling of calm and sleep which was slowly creeping its way up on both of you. You knew the new aromatherapy you brought was working when you realize how sleepy Levi was getting too. He swiftly changes position as he lays on his side, his arms wrapped around your waist as you both move to the embracing position. He pulls you closer, burying his face on your chest right on top of your breast and under your neck and chin as he sharply inhales and relaxes afterwards. He always seemed to love doing that, especially when he was really exhausted or needed to sleep. You could feel the way his breathing was getting stable and the more you played with his hair and gently scratched his undercut, the more he got pulled into sleep. It was like a spell.

“Goodnight,” he mumbles against your skin after a while and pecks your open skin, pulling you even closer towards him.

“Goodnight baby... it’s time you sleep.” You kiss the top of his head as you both slowly fall into deep sleep together.

[laurentspup]

I saw your fluff prompts! They are adorable 😍 Would you consider writing 41 for Damen and Laurent? 🥰

AAAAHHH You have no idea how happy your ask made me because you're one of my favorite people in this fandom!!!!!!! I hope you enjoy this little fic!!!! sorry it took foreeeverrrr hehe

Fluff Prompts from this list. Asks are open if anyone still wants to send prompts. It will take me forever but I will get them done!

41.

“Darling I love you and all, but please step out of the kitchen.”

There was a loud, sad sigh that immediately came out of Damen’s mouth. He had been trying –so, so hard– since this morning to make some french vanilla macarons, Laurent’s favorite dessert. He was now preparing to bake the third batch of macaron shells, cracking eggs to separate the whites, because the first two batches failed. The first batch did not rise, while the second batch were discolored and rough.

He wanted to surprise Laurent with these macarons when he came home, even though Damen had never baked a single batch of anything all his life. He was great at cooking, amazing even, why the hell were these damn macarons not working with him?

Damen was very close to giving up before Laurent arrived, but he couldn’t. He wanted to do something nice for his boyfriend. He believed he could do this. The Youtube tutorial from Tasty made it look so easy. The comments made it look very possible, but alas, he had not been able to bake a picture perfect batch yet, one that was worthy of Laurent.

“Damen—” Laurent began as Damen cracked another egg on his hand to keep the yolk from falling into the bowl. “Stop— What are you doing?!”

“But I— I wanted— ”

“I know, baby. But it’s not working.”

“It was working! I was baking.”

“No, love, you were making a mess.”

“I was baking!”

Laurent looked around the once clean and organized kitchen. “Where? The whole kitchen?”

Damen, despite the rather insulting comments and lack of belief of his boyfriend, had a big, goofy grin plastered on his handsome face. He would take these miniscule teasing everyday if it meant he could spend every single second with the love of his life.

He sighed loudly. “Fiiiine, I’ll step out.”

“What are you making anyway?” Laurent asked as he started sorting out and cleaning up the mess Damen accumulated. He picked up the measuring cups, somehow all were out of the drawers when Damen only needed three of them.

Damen, not wanting to leave Laurent to do everything, started putting all the dirty and empty bowls inside their dishwasher. How had there been so many? He only needed two mixing bowls for this recipe. Hell, he didn’t even know they had this many bowls.

“I was trying to bake macarons.”

Laurent stopped from picking up a bowl of almond flour to laugh out loud.

“You don’t even know how to bake! That’s such a technical recipe!” He was so amused, tears came out of his eyes.

Damen tried to look annoyed at him —tried, being the key word. He couldn’t, when Laurent was so amused and happy at his predicament.

“Yeah…” Damen dramatically sighed. He placed down a bowl of egg yolks to walk closer to Laurent and hug him from behind. He put his head on top of Laurent's, knowing it would annoy Laurent when he reminded him how much taller he was.

“But I wanted to make them for you. They’re your favorite. I had time. I thought, why the hell not?”

“You wanted to make them for me?” Laurent stopped shaking from laughter and turned too fast in Damen’s arms to look at him, face unreadable. He had to crane his neck because of Damen’s height and their proximity.

“As a surprise.”

Laurent couldn’t contain the warmth that threatened to burst out of him. “For what?”

“Nothing. I just wanted to do something nice for you.”

“Damen…”

“Well, I failed so.” Damen left the hug.

“So?” Laurent asked.

Damen stopped in front of the counter –the remaining clean counter– near the sink. On top, a small plate with an uneven color and size of macaron rested. Damen lifted it and turned to Laurent, a little startled when he saw him right beside him.

“This was my best one.” Damen showed Laurent the plate with the single macaron he thought was perfect from his second batch. “I think.”

The macaron was discolored. Damen attempted to produce a lavender color, but it burned to a weird green on the edges. The feet rose, but the shells were not as smooth as the pictures on the internet. It was clearly homemade by a novice, but Damen was proud of it. Hopefully the buttercream filling and the flavor overall made up for its appearance.

Laurent looked at the macaron with an expression Damen did not know how to decipher. He looked like he was in deep thought, eyebrows furrowed, mouth pursed. Damen was getting nervous every second Laurent did not utter a single word. He knew Laurent was vicious and picky with the things he liked, and Damen did not want to spoil macarons for him.

“I’m sorry—” Damen blurted out nervously, just as Laurent said, “I love you.”

They looked at each other for a few seconds. Laurent’s face was flushing a deep red, with a small smile and adoration painting it.

Once Damen got over his shock and nerves, the biggest smile broke out of his face. He lifted Laurent from the ground with one hand, careful not to drop the other that held the plate, and kissed Laurent with all the love he could offer.

“I love you too, Laurent.”

“You do?” Laurent asked shyly, as if attempting to bake him macarons wasn’t enough proof of how much Damen felt for him. As if Damen hadn’t said it to him three weeks into their relationship.

Damen laughed and put Laurent back down. He cupped Laurent’s face with his empty hand and looked him in the eye. “Yes. Yes, I love you so much, Laurent.”

Laurent smiled —the sweetest, greatest expression Damen would never dare to forget for the rest of his life. That same smile Laurent gave him when he said he loved him the first time.

Damen was so gone already. He loved this man with every part of his body, every sliver of his soul.

Laurent kissed him again.

“Alright, I hope you remember that, because I’m tasting this macaron right now.” Laurent said, grabbing the plate from Damen’s hand.

Damen laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m pretty sure you’ve said worse to me.”

Laurent smiled, looked Damen in the eyes and took a bite out of the macaron. His eyes widened.

“That good?”

“Damen, you used salt!”

[moonbeamwritings]

of salt water and curious gazes

Summary: Following your grandmother’s death, her seaside home fell into your care, deemed the only one she could picture inhabiting it. Things were simple enough, tending to the garden and making frequent trips to the beach as you adjusted to life in the small town. It all changed, however, when you spent a night under the full moon with a rather peculiar blue eyed companion. (Merperson AU)

Author’s Note: Hey everyone! This is definitely different from what I usually post, but I hope you guys are just as interested as I am! Let me know what you think! Also, buckle up! This is a long one and might end up being a part one 🤪

sequel: “of salt water and loving gazes”

Your grandmother’s home had always been your safe space, a place in which you were free to run around and spend your time as you saw fit. After her death though, it seemed as if all of the joy had been sucked out of the small, seaside cottage. Your heart broke just a little bit more as you turned down the all-too-familiar street and pulled into her, now your, driveway.

She’d left the house to you, explaining that she could see no one else living there but you. You had been itching for change, growing tired of the hustle and bustle of your daily life, so perhaps with fate’s guiding hand you would find solace along the shoreline, in your happy place. I know you’ll treat it well, the letter she had left assured you. P.S. The ocean works wonders for the soul. Don’t forget that. 

You gripped the steering wheel as you stared at the front of the house through the windshield. It was just as you remembered, bright blue hydrangeas dotted the garden, flowers fat and stems long, the doormat was perfectly centered, the mailbox the same faded green as it had always been.

With one final sigh, you willed yourself out of the car, keys jingling in your hands as you went. The house was much quieter now, lacking the bubbles of laughter and soft music that were staples of your childhood visits. The sweet smell of baked goods no longer wafted through the kitchen, her shoes no longer resting by the door. Most of her belongings had already been cleared out, handed off to friends and family, but what was left was yours. The house was yours. The thought that what once belonged to her was now left entirely in your care made your heart swell with both sadness and pride. You would make the best of this, if not for yourself, then for your dear grandmother.

Unloading your car was simple enough, taking only an afternoon to get everything completely organized. That night, you watched the sunset from the back porch, warm mug in hand as you looked out at the seemingly endless sea. Your eyes drooped as the vibrant colors of the sun were replaced by the pale yellow light of the moon.

Adjusting to life in the quaint little town was difficult. The townspeople who had known your grandma could only seem to muster pitying glances when they saw you out and about, treading lightly as they asked about you and your move. You stuck to the house most days to avoid them, cleaning things up and shifting things around.

Something about the beach had an uneasy feeling settling in your stomach though. As you traveled down the path, a bag slung over your shoulder and a towel in hand, you couldn’t help but feel eyes on you, carefully tracking your every move.

Your grandmother’s neighbors were kind and friendly, no doubt willing to approach you if they were to see you sitting out. The beach itself was private, reserved for residents like yourself, so it’s not like wandering strangers lingered about. This feeling was different. It was as if the waves themselves were peering back at you, just as mesmerized by you as you were with them.

One day as you munched on a sandwich, legs pulled close to your chest as you stared out at the ocean, you could’ve sworn you saw curious blue eyes staring back. You stopped going to the beach for a few days after that.

The morning you finally returned to the beach left much to be desired. The beautiful blue sky and relaxing ebb and flow of the waves were replaced by thick fog and dark gray skies, waves rocking against the shore with more force. You had no idea what had compelled you to make the trek down to the beach that morning, but you had felt as though you were being pulled there, tugged along by a thin red thread, like you were supposed to be there.

The wind bit at your face as it rustled the fabric of your coat. You were thankful that it had yet to kick sand up into your eyes. As the water sloshed against your bare ankles, you could barely see three feet in front of you, fog completely obscuring the horizon. Your grandmother’s voice sounded in the back of your head, “I know you don’t like the beach when it’s foggy, but I’ll have you know, I’ve seen some of the cutest seals on days just like this one.”

Deciding that the waves weren’t as bad as you had expected and wanting to know if her words would ring true, you ventured down the jetty, carefully calculating each step so as not to stumble. 

On your way down the jetty, you caught sight of a familiar pair of blue eyes, just barely visible over the surface of the water. Why would someone be out swimming in conditions like these? Eyes scanning what little area you could see, you halted all movements, eagerly waiting for the person to resurface. Were you imagining things? Soon enough, a head popped out of the water, showing off broad shoulders, black hair, and… Was that a star tattoo?

Raising your voice to be heard over the wind, you called out, “Hey, dude! It’s not safe to be out swimming with all this fog! I’ve heard there have been sharks in the area recently!”

The person wheeled around at the sound of your voice, eyes widening in surprise. You watched as his mouth opened and closed, but no response came. Before you could get another warning in, he was dipping back below the surface, disappearing into the murky water. Without thinking, your feet carried you to the very tip of the jetty, searching for any sign of the solitary swimmer.

“Hello!? Hello!? Is anyone out there?”

You felt crazy as your head swiveled back and forth, ears tuning in to the gentle way the waves struck the rocks. It was quiet, deathly so. Was that just another trick of the eye? A manifestation of the loneliness you’d felt in your little seaside dwelling? The result of feeling like you were being watched for the past few weeks? You couldn’t tell.

You’d seen those eyes before, you’d assured yourself as you walked back to the sand, right? Surely they were the same ones you’d encountered during early morning sunrises or all the lunchtime meals you’d eaten on the beach. They were too familiar to be nothing more than a host of different, swimming strangers.

After the whole incident, you kept a close watch on those around you when you went into the grocery store and the other local shops. Did anyone’s eyes match that deep, unrelenting turquoise? Did anyone have that star tattoo on the back of their shoulder? You searched high and low, but reached no feasible conclusions, no answers that allowed you to sleep better at night.

In one of your more desperate late-night deep dives, no pun intended, you toyed with the idea that perhaps you’d seen some sort of siren, a merperson exploring the waters near your home. The melodrama of Twilight’s Bella Swan frantically searching the internet for answers to her vampiric questions flashed through your mind. You laughed out loud at the thought. That would not be you.

Weeks went by and things returned to relative normalcy. You still occasionally felt curious eyes on you, but you hadn’t seen any flashes of blue since that foggy morning. You ate your lunch, you cleared your head, all without any distractions from the mysterious man.

Your mind raced as you watched the sunset from your kitchen window, suds covering your hands while you worked a sponge over the dirty dishes in your sink. Earlier in the day, you’d received a phone call from a friend, essentially admonishing you for your move to your grandmother’s old house. They had completely ignored your feelings, only working from their own experiences as they ranted and raved. The call left you feeling drained and desperate to get down to the beach. Maybe dipping your toes into the salty water while you watched the full moon rise would ease the ache in your heart.

Pulling an oversized hoodie over your head, you made the walk down to the beach, taking your time to look for shells and sea glass as you went. Having no luck, you moved down the jetty, a pep in your step as you hopped from one rock to the other. At the end, you carefully shuffled out of your shoes before sitting down to let your feet and calves slip into the cool, dark water.

The moonlight left the ocean in front of you sparkling, like the stars themselves had fallen into the sea, shining brightly as they bobbed with the waves. You were thankful you had the beach to yourself.

To release some of your energy, you began swishing your feet back and forth beneath the surface, relishing in the soft movement of the water against your skin. Losing yourself in your thoughts, you’d hardly realized you were being watched until you heard the gentle sloshing of water off to your right, ripples traveling up against your legs.

You snapped your head away from the moon, scanning the glassy surface all around you. Your eyes widened, breath hitching in your throat when you finally saw them. 

Blue eyes.

“You.”

The stranger’s eyes mirrored yours as you stared at one another. The droplets of water caught the light of the moon, bathing the man in the rolling starlight of the sea. Your heart fluttered.

“What the hell are you doing? Have you not heard about all of the shark sightings or do you just not care? Night swimming like that is so stupid.”

He waded closer, still beyond arm’s reach, but inching closer with the movement of the waves.

“I don’t need to worry about sharks.”

“What are you? Some kind of whisperer?”

He examined you carefully, mouth dipping below the surface only to reappear as he replied, “You could say that.”

The man’s body was entirely submerged save for his head and shoulders. You eyed each other as silence fell, punctuated by the crashing of waves in the distance. With his eyes on you like this, you felt as if you were being stalked, kept under a watchful glare for any signs of weakness.

“You know,” you spoke, attempting to diffuse the tension, “you can come sit up here with me, if you want.”

“No, thank you.” His reply was immediate, but your words had him closing some more distance. The closer he came to the jetty, the more you realized just how large he was, all broad shoulders and defined muscle. Imposing.

His eyes flickered down to watch your feet where they moved in the water, head tilting curiously as he followed the exposed skin up to the curves of your knees, eyeing them too. It’s like he’s never seen them before, you thought.

You floundered thinking about any way to continue the conversation with the handsome stranger, to attempt to distract him from the gentle sway of your legs. With a wide sweep of your leg, you unconsciously sent your foot towards the stranger, but instead of skin meeting skin, your toes brushed against the rigid surface of scales.

Scales!?

Your eyes shot open as you yelped, scrambling to pull your feet from the water and up onto the jetty, “What the fuck was that?”

Your knee jerk reaction sent the man in front of you reeling back as well, splashing back below the surface of the waves.

Your mind spiraled, forcing you to through your own Twilight movie moment. It was as if all the pieces were steadily falling into place: always swimming at odd hours and in adverse conditions, never seeing him in town, being unfazed by the presence of sharks. 

Your heart pounded against your ribcage. He couldn’t be… Could he?

Throwing caution to the wind out of sheer desperation for answers, you gently placed your feet back into the water, calling out for your potential new companion. You waited for any sort of response, resolving to sit for hours if you had to. Unexpectedly, you saw his eyes breach the surface once again, keeping his distance.

“Hey,” you spoke, keeping your voice as soft as possible, beckoning him closer with a wave of your hand, “Come here.”

He swam up to you, positioning himself in front of you. The man looked almost… cute like this, eyes wide and cautious as he stared up at you from the water.

“So, are you, like, a merperson or something? A merman?”

He nodded in lieu of response.

“Can I see?”

It took a long moment for him to move, eyes locked on yours as he thought over your tone of voice. Finally nodding, he leaned back, treading water with his arms as he exposed his tail to you.

It was breathtaking, the full expanse of it decorated with deep purple, almost black scales, like he had entire galaxies trapped within each and every one. The fluke glittered, iridescent under the beams of the moon. You gasped at the sight.

“It’s beautiful.”

Without thinking, you brushed your fingertips along the fluke, taking in the smooth, silky texture. In an instant, his hand shot out and took your wrist in its grip, removing it from his tail. Your eyes widened at the action, fear taking hold of your lungs at the feeling of his pointed nails against your skin.

“That tickles,” he quietly told you, loosening his hold on your wrist. You could’ve sworn you saw his face flush at the admission.

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” came his grumbled response.

You fell silent for a moment, mind still racing with the thoughts that you were actually in the presence of a merman, that your stupid midnight thoughts had actually been correct.

“Can you tell me your name?” You finally settled on asking, deciding that if this whole thing was going to continue beyond tonight, you should at least learn his name.

“It’s Jotaro.”

You parroted the name, testing it on your own lips, memorizing the sound. Jotaro placed your hand back in your lap, moving to place his elbows up on the rock beside you instead. “What’s yours?”

You shared your own name, smiling at his proximity. He followed your lead, repeating your name as he looked up at you.

You sat with Jotaro until your toes pruned, goosebumps rising on your skin as the night brought lower temperatures along with it. You smiled to yourself as you watched his eyes roam over the flesh, fascinated by your body’s reaction to the cold.

After shivering for what felt like the hundredth time, you bid Jotaro a goodnight, promising to meet him again the following night at around the same time. He nodded in response, sending one last, long look in your direction before disappearing back below the waves.

Curling your hands into the sleeves of your sweatshirt, you began the walk back to your home. The phone call with your friend had completely slipped your mind, instead replaced by the warm feeling Jotaro’s presence settled in your heart. With the scent of sea spray still lingering on your clothes, you washed the sand from your feet and turned in for the night. As you laid your head back against your pillows, you wondered if your grandmother had been right all along. Maybe the ocean truly did work wonders for the soul.

[dandelionflower]

She hikes alone

Marinette skipped to her friends, tapping Adrien on the shoulder before hugging him tight.

“Hey, Princess,” he gave her a smile that melted her heart, “we were just talking about things we could do on our free day.”

He gestured to the class, who were all deep in a debate over ice cream place or pizza parlor.

“I was thinking we could go to a park; a new friend of mine has a couple of places we could check out. I think it would be really good as a lazy activity to get rid of jet lag, or in Kim’s case, excess energy.”

“Sounds really nice!” He smiled and began to open his mouth to tell them; he had become Marinette’s representative to the class, when Lila stood up.

“Hey guys! What if, since today doesn’t have anything planned, we went to a park and hung out?”

“That’s a genius idea, Lila!”

“I could play frisbee!”

“I’d enjoy observing the local flora.”

That’s genius Lila. You’re so smart. Marinette growled under her breath, Lila obviously overheard her talking with Adrien and took credit for her idea.

“I actually know some parks we could go to, from when I visited with Jagged Stone a few months back. We could go to one of those, if you want?”

“That sounds great Lila!” Adrien cut in before Marinette could protest. “Let’s go now!”

“Don’t worry,” he whispered to her as the class cheered and stood up, “I’ll make sure we go to a nice park.”

That’s not what I’m worried about. Marinette thought as she watched Lila attach herself to Adrien’s arm.

She followed at a fair distance from the class; not by choice, her friends just seemed to speed up whenever she tried to walk near them.

“Marinette!” Grace tapped on her shoulder, a broad grin on her face. She was wearing the headband. “Where did you decide on going?”

“A park.”

“That’s great! Which one are you going to? Because if you haven’t decided, I have a ton of great places for you to go...” she plucked some pamphlets from her back pocket and displayed one. “I think this one would suit your needs best.”

“Thanks, Grace, but...” Marinette spared a glance at the pack of students, led by Lila and Adrien. “I think it’s already been decided.”

Grace’s expression soured. “Okay, but keep ahold of that pamphlet, will you? You might end up finding time to go.”

“I hope I do.” She waved Grace a quick goodbye and dashed back to her friends, who were already going through the door.

—

They hopped on a bus and Marinette smirked as Lila worried her lip, eyes darting towards every sign that could possibly lead her to a park.

As fun as that was, Marinette quickly got bored and began perusing the pamphlet Grace handed to her.

Quarry Stone Park

Known for its towering pillars of black stone, it is rumored that Quarry Stone Park was where the brick for the famed Culpa Manor was mined.

While the parks naming is rather obvious, it also contains many hidden paths, leading to waterfalls, gem-filled caves, and even the ocean.

A popular landmark of the park is Quarry Ledge, which overlooks the ocean. The natural black spires and stark white sands make for an amazing view.

That’s where we should be going, Marinette mused, not wherever Lila’s going to take us.

“Here we are!” Lila sang. “The best park in the whole town.”

Sure... Marinette glanced at the rotting wooden sign, the crumbling letters reading, Wooded Glade Park.

The class ran in, Alix already tossing a frisbee for Kim to catch. Adrien fell back and greeted Marinette with a silent smile and had just grabbed her hand when everyone fell silent and stared at the open field surrounded by borderline rotting trees.

“Uhh, Lila?” Ivan asked, shielding Mylene’s eyes from the mistreated plants. “Are you sure this is he place? It looks a little run down.”

“Definitely!” Lila protested, and though her back was facing Marinette, she could almost see the false tears welling up in her eyes. “I- I don’t know what happened; it used to be so beautiful... I’m so sorry everyone.”

“What if we helped you clean it up?” Rose offered. “Got rid of any trash and planted some flowers!”

“Yeah!” The class cheered, voicing their agreement.

“You- you would all do that for me?”

“Of course!”

“I can’t believe this! I... thank you!”

Mylene pulled Ivan’s hand from her eyes and glared at the offending trees. “Babe? I need a lift.”

Ivan picked her up and placed her onto his shoulders.

“Alright everybody!” She shouted, voice abnormally loud. “I need someone to carry heavy stuff, a couple people for trash and, Marinette! Can you organize our efforts?”

She smiled and was about to pull out her notebook, when Lila opened her mouth, which had proven to be a tragedy in itself.

“I don’t know guys, remember how late Marinette came in? She didn’t even get to have breakfast, we don’t want to tire her out what with the jet lag and all. I can just organize, you know I was an organizer to a famous charity.”

“That’s a great idea, Lila! I’ll help!” Adrien leaned over to whisper in Marinette’s ear. “Don’t worry, I can keep her out of trouble while you just relax and walk down one of the trails, it’s a win-win.”

But I want to walk the trails with you...

She smiled, gave him a kiss on the cheek and walked to the closest trail as fast as she could so Adrien couldn’t see the tears collecting in her eyes.

She loved how selfless Adrien was, she did. It was just... he never seemed to choose her.

She stood there for a moment and allowed herself to cry. This was supposed to be a fun trip where she could hang out with her boyfriend and friends as they all explored her favorite place in the world.

Marinette finally looked up and observed the signs marking the different paths she could take.

Daisy Walkway.

Riverside.

Quarry Stone Path.

Quarry Stone?

Marinette pulled out her pamphlet and compared the names.

Maybe I will get to see Quarry Stone after all.

—

It was a fair hike to Quarry Stone, but it was so worth it.

The trees were lush and green, every bench and table were in perfect condition, people were everywhere, and interspersed across the field were dozens of giant black pillars of rock.

Marinette gave a glance to the other trails.

Waterfalls, meadows, beachside.... there were so many choices.

“Excuse me, sir?” She touched the arm of a nearby elderly man, who was exiting one of the trails. “I was wondering, do you know these trails well? Could you maybe recommend one to me?”

“Never been to Quarry Stone, have you dear?” He gave her a friendly smile.

“No.”

“Well, when I was young and adventurous, I would go on the Nymph’s River path. On a sunny day like this, it’s sure to be a magical sight.”

“It’s cloudy, you old coot!”

A frail old woman in a worn pink dress stumbled from the same path.

“What?” The man put on a thick pair of spectacles and squinted at the sky. “So it is.”

“I’m Henry’s wife, Meredith, and what’s your name, sweetie?”

“I’m Marinette. It’s nice to meet you.” She grinned at the familiar banter that reminded her of her parents.

“Likewise, dear.” A bony hand grasped her own. “Now, what’s a little thing like you doing out here all alone?”

“Um, my class, we’re here on a field trip and we had… a disagreement on what to do.”

“Ah, and they let you do your thing but it’s not as fun alone, is it?”

“No, not really.”

“I’ve got just the place for you dear. Henry, what about...” she leaned in to whisper in his ear.

“You’re a genius, Mere. Kiddo, just go down that path,” he pointed her to the forest, “and I promise it will be a sight worth seeing.”

“Okay, thank you both so much!” She waved to the couple as she headed down the path, memorizing their faces in case they encounter one another again.

—

It truly was a sight worth seeing, as promised.

When Marinette finally broke out of the dark greens in the surrounding the trail, she was met by the most soothing sight she’d ever laid eyes on.

She was standing on a large ledge carved out of the hill; metal posts and railings were surrounding the platform. Nothing noteworthy.

But the sight it was there to show was unimaginably perfect. The sand was a pure white, which would have been blinding if it wasn’t for the clouds covering the sun. The stone spires that decorated the entire forest were dotting the beach in all their splendor, rising proudly and casting barely noticeable shadows across the sand and the pale, rolling waves.

She leaned on the railing; taking in the soothing spectacle. It was almost like she was falling asleep, her consciousness drifting until she had no other thought but the muted colors in front of her...

“Meow?”

Marinette screamed and leapt away from the sound, pushing her back against the railing and gripping it with both hands likes she was on a crashing elevator.

A black cat with startling blue eyes stared at her, tilting its head in a quizzical motion.

“Mrrrrrr.” Was its only reaction to her panic.

“He- hello?”

It stared at her waved hand, like it was the most interesting thing it had seen.

She held it out tentatively, in an open gesture, leaving enough space for it to leave.

It stared at it for a moment longer before tentatively leaning forwards to place its head in her palm. It purred as she scritched its chin.

“What’s your name, kitty?” She mused. “Garfield? Like the Culpa that started the mansion?”

It leaned its head into her pinky in a silent gesture to go on.

“Harriet? Darrian? Abigail?”

No cigar.

“What about Culpa?”

The cat purred and nuzzled her hand with a vigor.

“Culpa it is.” She brought her other hand to pet at the newly-christened Culpa’s ear.

Culpa mewled with a satisfaction that seemed... almost human on the face of the pitch cat.

—

The rest

@miraculous-of-salt @calliopeia @drama-queen-supreme @kaydenth3gayden @mcheang @nomiegnome @never-say-donuts @vixen-uchiha @miracul0us-multishipper @hauntedfreakdeputyhero @chocolatecustarddanish @iwantswifttoblessmysoul @digitalmagpie @ilseofskadi @nerdy-and-a-little-birdy @minty-goose @nataladriana9 @aestheticnpoetic @constellation-king @animegirlweeb @persephonebutkore @ahalloweengirl @r0sebutch @marinettepotterandplagg @beelzzebop @akalovelymaybe @pleasefollowmeuwu @angelost4r @constancetruggle @speaknowtome @some-oxymoron @nerdy-scifi-birdy @toodaloo-kangaroo @purplesundaze @aestheticnpoetic @neptuningkai @2confused-2doanything

[the-lady-writes-what]

24. Enji Todoroki

          Theme: Monster hunter

          Kinks: Outdoor sex, rope play, voyeurism (if you squint), oral (giving), face fucking, cream pie, slight breeding kink (it’s Enji we’re talking about, come on)

Masterlist

This was supposed to come out on Saturday, but if you read a post I wrote earlier I’m visiting my boyfriend whom I haven’t seen a long while. This one and the next chapter is going to running late, but I plan on catching up with the rest so that everything else will be posted on schedule. 

With that being said, ENDEAVOR FUCKERS COME GET YOUR FOOD! 

EDIT: 04/26/2021 Idiots really be out here not paying attention to when a character starts giving somebody a blowjob and they start talking. Like you can’t talk with your mouth full. It’s me. I’m idiots.

You had to crane your neck to look at the man. He was taller—no. That wasn't right. He was taller than tall. He was enormous. When you left to answer the door to your cottage, you didn't know what or who you would be expecting. Certainly not this. Hair red as flames, eyes the sea's color after a storm, and a body completely encased in hard muscle. The stranger was clad in leather armor and a wool coat. He wore a grimace that would make babies weep. 

"C-Can I help you, sir?" 

"Enji, here! Let me through. I can address the situation better than you can!"

Another stranger brushed past the one standing in your doorway. He was blonde, shorter than his partner, and held himself differently than the other. 

"Hi, I'm Keigo, and this is my boss, Enji. We heard a rumor that you could help us," said the blonde stranger. 

"W-What can I help you with?" You stuttered. 

"You see, we were in the area—"

"We hunt monsters," said the enormous one, Enji.

Blood drained from your face. 'Monster hunters'? They hunted monsters—vampires, ghouls, werewolves, succubi and incubi, and, of course, witches. You slowly backed away from the door. 

"Relax, we're not here for you. There aren't any complaints or bounties out on you," said Keigo.

"There are only two kinds of witches, dead ones and the ones who haven't lost their humanity." Enji's eyes looked at you up and down. "And you don't appear to be the former."

"What my boss means to say is that you are the kind of witch who helps people. You don't summon ghosts or dig up graves of the recently deceased for their bones, do you?" 

You rapidly shook your head. "NO!" 

"We were recommended your services from someone in the local village. They said you were an expert in this particular matter," said Keigo. 

Without invitation, the pair of hunters crossed the threshold of your door. You ran to the kitchen to put a kettle on the fire. If your guests were going to barge in and make themselves comfortable, you were at least going to make yourself a cup of tea to calm your nerves. 

"Twenty miles from here," said Enji, "A trickster spirit has been causing havoc. Farm animals have gone missing and later found strewn on top of barns. Guts missing. Women are getting pregnant at the same time without any one of them committing adultery. Shrines and courthouses have had their doors blocked by piles of manure. They say it's a malevolent spirit brought along by a tradesman. They also say that your protection and banishing spells are the best in the area."

"Well, I don't know about that," you said. 

Your palms were getting clammy with sweat. You made three cups of tea and set an antique tray on the coffee table between you. You focused on pouring an even amount in each cup though you could not ignore the pair of eyes lingering on you. You could feel a pair of eyes on your every movement, but you couldn't tell which one was staring. You pushed two cups towards the men and settled yourself down in a cozy armchair, taking your tea with you. You expected the monster hunters to rudely throw your tea over their shoulders or inspect the drink and the cups and the saucers to boot. But they didn't. Keigo and Enji were perfectly comfortable and trusted you enough to drink without suspicion of you trying to kill them or turn them into animals. 

"Has anyone seen this creature, because I've never heard anything like it," you said. 

"Unfortunately, no," said Enji. He sipped his tea with the air of a gentleman. He certainly didn't look like one because of his size and his leathers, but he pretended to be one as he drank your tea. 

"The thing is, trickster spirits usually dismember cattle or get women pregnant, but rarely do both," you said. "So, you might be looking at one trickster and a hustler who's telling the women he knocks up to blame the creature."

"It can't be both?" Asked Keigo.

You shook your head again. "It's either one or the other. Disemboweling cattle and impregnating random mortal women are two different natures. I will eat my broomstick if I turn out to be wrong."

"How soon can you pack?" It was Enji this time. 

You furrowed your brows. You glanced over at Keigo, who seemed equally surprised. This hadn't been something they planned together. 

"Are you expecting me to go with you?" 

"We can't cast spells like you can, and you seem to be more knowledgeable about the subject than us."

"But I—" You started to protest only for Enji to stop you. 

"You'll be compensated for your troubles," said Enji.

He fixed you with a piercing look. You swallowed hard and sank into your chair.

"Can I finish my tea first?" You took a sip.

Enji gave you two hours to get things together. You made a pack that should last you a couple of weeks. You didn't know if Enji realized that you had no horse and would have to walk all the way with them. They probably had horses but weren't going to share. By the end of this, you were going to wring as much compensation out of them as you could. You secured all the windows, hid all your valuables in the floorboards, and locked the front door. You heard a pair of horses neighing at your gates and sighed to yourself. 

Enji and Keigo were getting ready to hop on. Enji grabbed your bag and handed it off to Keigo, who tied it with his saddlebag. To compensate for his large size, Enji's horse was a Clydesdale, a huge horse with a neatly trimmed mane. Enji held his hand out to you. Confused, you took it. His large hands held unto your waist, and he lifted you unto the saddle without effort. Like you weighed no more than a couple of grapes. Then, Enji sat down in the saddle with you. Your legs dangled off the side rather helplessly. You looked behind Enji's massive shoulder over at Keigo, who looked just as confused as you and shrugged his shoulders. Enji pulled he reigns of his horse and brought it to a trot. 

That night, the three of you sat around a fire. Enji stood up and said something about getting extra firewood. You waited until he was outside of earshot. 

"What the hell is the deal with your partner? Is he always like this?"

"He is the way that he is because of his past. He used to be a bureaucrat if you can believe it," said Keigo.

"I don't."

"It's the truth whether you believe me or not. Enji spent most of his life kissing ass and licking boots. He pushed his children away because of his politicking. Drove his wife insane. One day, he had to travel to the far east of the kingdom because his king wanted him to, despite his family's protests. Enji went anyway. When he came back, his wife was dead, and his children moved away. He turned to fighting monsters, the kind that killed his wife, to make up for the bullshit he'd done. His kids still don't talk to him, but he makes sure they're doing alright."

You stared at Keigo.

"You asked why he's like that, and I told you. Sorry if it's over-sharing," said Keigo. 

Enji returned with a bundle of wood. His back was turned towards you as he rekindled the bonfire. You remembered how his eyes looked at you. What did he see?

Dawn came sooner than you thought. You were on the road again, and by late afternoon you arrived at your destination. The village was smaller than yours and was warier of your abilities. You salted the roof of every building, including the ones that still had dried blood on them from the last time an animal carcass had been dumped. You placed a charm over every door, front and back. 

Then, all the hunters had to do was wait. 

You lurked behind a stack of barrels and crates as soon as the sun began to set. Enji and Keigo set up shop in the village square. The creature, whatever it was, had no room to go anywhere. With every door bolted and roof blessed with salt, it had nowhere to hide. Night descended slowly as if to give the creature more time to rest or find a new hiding spot. Lights flickered out in every window in the village square; all the others followed suit. You clutched a long knife in your hand. 

Out of a barn, it came bursting through wood and hay. It had a long body but very little muscle mass, like a snake with four legs and antlers like a deer driven through moss. Its hiss echoed through the echoed and made the rafters of buildings shudder. You were thrown to the ground by the power of its roar. You fumbled to your knees to get a good look at the creature who'd been terrorizing the poor villagers. At the beast ripped through the barn, salt scattered off the roof and landed on its serpentine body. The thing fell to the ground, twisting and writhing on its back while trying to shake off the salt. 

Keigo and Enji rushed over, weapons in hand. Swords glinted like silver fangs in the night's darkness. Though weak, the creature managed to roll unto his feet and charged at them. But Enji and Keigo were faster than that. 

Being smaller and younger, Keigo slid around to the creature's side and plunged his sword into its stomach. Or at least the approximate location of where its stomach was located. Its body was so long and thin, it was hard to tell which organs lay where. The monster was about to swerve and turn its jagged teeth on him when Enji's long claymore cut through its neck at the base of the skull. The village square was so quiet that you heard metal plunging deep into flesh and the snap of bone. You watched by moonlight Enji's foot crack open the skull and drive his sword deeper into its neck. The creature squealed like a pig at the slaughterhouse. It clawed and snapped its teeth, but there was no moving. Keigo pulled his sword out and pushed it back in. Eventually, the creature stopped moving.

The following morning, the sleepy village woke to the grotesque smell of demon flesh burning on a pyre. You helped Enji and Keigo erect it in a barren field and set it ablaze with a simple fire spell. Though they hated the smell, they were at least grateful to have the monster disposed of. Now, they just had to worry about one other problem. You looked around at the crowd that gathered to watch the fell beast burn. Although you couldn't tell how many were secretly still within the first month, several women looked pregnant. 

"Let me stay a while to find out who's getting these women pregnant. This isn't natural, you told Enji. 

"Very well," he said. "I'll have a talk with the mayor about letting us stay in his barn." 

"You don't have to stick around. Your job's done here, isn't it? They paid you, right?"

"Would you rather walk twenty miles back to your cottage?" Enji asked.

"N-no," you answered. 

"Then, we're staying."

That was that. You tried to coax Enji into leaving. You didn't need protection, and you were okay with walking home. Hell, you could have paid for a horse or even a donkey to ride back since he did give you one-third of the money earned from slaying the creature. Enji heard none of your protests, folded his arms across his massive chest, and looked sternly down at you. You felt dwarfed in his presence. His smoldering eyes were not suited for it, and he was insistent in ways you couldn't believe. Keigo said so himself one evening into your third night at the village.

"He's never been like this before. Are you sure you didn't cast a love spell on him, Miss Hocus Pocus?" Asked Keigo.

"No!" You said vehemently and tossed a balled-up dirty sock at him. "That is highly unethical, to say the least. I would never manipulate someone's emotions like that!"

"Find anything?"

You interviewed every woman who had gotten pregnant. They conceived at almost the exact time. That wouldn't usually be an issue if it was winter or a recent festival had taken place. Neither hadn't. They couldn't blame lousy weather for sequestering them with bored husbands or lovers. The fact that they got pregnant at almost the same time disturbed you the most. A couple had already terminated the pregnancies because of embarrassment, but you didn't blame them. Threw a small wrench in your investigation, though.

You let yourself out of the humble cottage where a woman told her story to you. You pinched the bridge of your nose and sighed. Enji was waiting for you by the cottage's fence. 

"None of the stories match up. Now that they can't blame the monster, they came up with their own lies. Babies don't just magically appear out of nowhere. Someone is getting them pregnant. They're either protecting them or too embarrassed to admit who it is. It certainly isn't any of their husbands and lovers, that I can tell you."

You and Enji walked over to the only tavern in the area. It was the only well-built thing in the village, aside from the mayor's house and the town hall. A few men clapped Enji on the back in gratitude for saving their livestock, but they never noticed you. Both of you took a seat at the bar. Enji paid for your drink since nobody seemed to care that you lent a helping hand with the monster. Enji's drinks were on the house. The beer was a little stale, but not the worst you ever had. 

A couple swigs in and Enji started asking you questions. 

"Where did you learn your Craft?" 

"From my father," you answered. 

"Your father? I thought it was passed down maternally?

You slumped in your seat. "It is in some cases. My mother never showed up, and that left my father to raise me by himself. She left the day after she gave birth and never returned. My father is a good man and even better witch." You downed your mug of beer. "Have you ever killed a witch yourself, Enji?" You asked. 

Enji looked over at his mug. His eyes became steely and set in stone. They lingered on your neck before traveling up to your eyes.  

"Once, but I wouldn't call her a witch. She gave folks like you a bad name. She was an awful hag. Like to turn lost or kidnapped children into swine and sell them at marketplaces where they were taken to slaughterhouses. When she was bored, she disguised herself as a beautiful woman and danced naked around a bonfire. She lured men who would hear her. She slept with them to drain them of their virility. By the time I had gotten there, the village was in misery."

"What did you do to her?" You almost didn't want to know the answer, but there was small comfort in that Enji didn't compare you to an evil hag. 

Enji drained his mug in one go. He practically slammed it on the counter. All but two minutes passed before another appeared in his hand. Enji drank half of it before saying anything at all. 

"I lay in wait for her after I followed some kids into the woods. They were lured there by one of her magic spells. I kept the kids in a net so they wouldn't go into the house. She tried to kill me with a knife, cut my arms up, but she didn't stand a chance. She hadn't been prepared for a fully grown monster on her doorstep instead of three kids. I took a chain hanging off her rafters and strangled her. I cut out her heart, burned it, and. Then set the rest of the house on fire too. I dragged the kids back to their parents without too much trauma. As far as I'm aware, they haven't had any problems ever since."

You stared into your beer mug, which was about halfway empty by this point. You knocked it back and slammed it on the counter. Enji bought you another. About half an hour into your drinking, Enji left the seat next to yours to take a piss. You stared into your mug again when you felt someone pull up to the bar on the other side of you. He was young, handsome, and wore a broad smile. His sandy-blonde hair was pushed back away from his face in a way that reminded you of Keigo, but his eyes were the wrong color. Blue-colored crystals beamed at you. The color of his eyes was beautiful, but they left you unnerved. 

"You're seeing the monster hunter, Enji, right? You're his wife or something?"

"What? No, I'm not his anything. He asked me for help, and I agreed. I was pleasantly compensated. With money." You added sharply in case the young fool tried to twist your words. 

"I see," the stranger said. "I thought that someone as pretty as you wouldn't get involved with a man old enough to be your father." 

"I don't see how it's any concern of yours, fop," you sniped. 

The young man bit his lower lip. You thought you saw his hand disappear into his vest, but you had a couple of drinks in you and couldn't tell for certain. 

"Well, well, well. The little white witch has some spunk. Here, I thought you were just a mistress, tagging along because of the old man's jealousy. Now I see that you've got quite the fire in you." 

You wanted to gag. It would be a simple task to make him vomit in turn or make him stink of skunk for the rest of his life. Your father always taught you that curses should only be used when absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, being rude and horny didn't qualify as absolutely necessary.

"How bout you ditch the old man and come with me. I have some friends with some good stuff. The best wine you've ever had. What do you say?" The young man continued to pester. 

You had just opened your mouth when Enji's hand appeared out of nowhere. The man stood beside you and reached for your mug. He brought it to his lips and drained the last of your beer. 

"I think she's outgrown your company," Enji growled. "You should move along." 

The stranger reluctantly got out of his seat and walked away. He still wore a small on his face as he did so. 

"I think we should head out. I don't think we should meddle in the village's personal affairs. It'll sort itself out eventually," said Enji. 

"But—"

"It shouldn't concern you." 

You didn't want to leave, but some part of you realized that Enji was right. You had no clues, and none of the women were going to tell you the truth. You didn't live here, so why spend so much time and effort on people weren't really your concern? If they really needed you, they could come and pay for it. Still, you were a little reluctant to pack and leave the villagers and their unsolved mystery behind. You waited by the horses as Enji and Keigo finished some last-minute business with the mayor. What they could be discussing, you could hardly venture to say. When it came time for you all to climb on, Enji handed you over to Keigo instead of helping you unto his Clydesdale. The change was odd, but you didn't overthink it. 

A couple hours into the ride, you noticed Enji wiping his brow more than usual. It was a mild day and, for the most part, was covered by the trees from the sun. He didn't glance at you. At sunset, Enji took his horse and pack and traveled a bit further than you all. He set up his own camp where you and Keigo couldn't see him. 

"What's he doing? Wouldn't it be better to camp together? That can't be very safe," you said to Keigo. 

"He's…feeling a bit under the weather. Doesn't want to spread it to either of us." Keigo's answer would have satisfied anyone else.

"He was perfectly fine all day," you counted. "What could he have caught?"

You stood up and started in the direction where Enji disappeared. Keigo hopped in front of you a moment later. He spread his arms out as if that would be enough to deter you. 

"I can't let you do that, Y/N. He told me to keep you safe, so that's what I'm—"

You grabbed a handful of sleeping powder from the satchel hanging on your waist. You usually carried an assortment of these spell powders on you in case of emergencies. While your life wasn't in danger, Keigo was stubborn. You cradled the lavender powder in your hand and blew a puff of air into it. Your hand was aligned with his face to blow the powder into it. Keigo coughed and wheezed for a minute before his eyelids drew closed. Keigo was snoring face down in the dirt in less than two minutes. 

You trekked through the woods, snapping every twig along the way. Through the bushes, you spotted a smaller campfire and then a horse tether to an oak tree. Enji stood at the farthest end of his encampment. His back was turned towards you. You tip-toed quietly to avoid startling him. The closer you stepped, the more awkward the scene became. Enji's right arm was shaking with effort while his left hand braced against a tree. He was panting and grunting. But what shocked you was the way he said 'your' name. It didn't take very long for you to figure out what he was doing and why he camped away from you guys. 

"Fuck, Y/N." 

At first, you thought he noticed you creeping on him from behind. With an animalistic groan and a quiet splatter, you realized that he finished himself off with your name on his tongue. Enji leaned his forehead against the trunk. He moaned as if in pain. He looked down, swore, and started again.

You took a few steps closer. 

“Enji?" You called out. 

You were within arms' length of him when Enji turned around. His face was red as hair, but not nearly as red as the bulging head of his cock. You blushed immediately and swallowed hard at its size. Enji didn't move his hand, which fisted his cock, but he didn't remove his hand and hide.

"The man put something…in your drink this afternoon. I was coming back when I saw him pour a vial of pink potion in your mug."

You remembered the stranger and how he pressed and prodded. You thought you saw his hand dig into his vest. However, you'd been drinking and couldn't tell for sure. It dawned on you that Enji drank your laced beer before you made a terrible mistake. You shuddered, thinking about what could have happened had you drank it before Enji could get to it. 

"You're in pain…because of me. You saved me from getting drugged and raped by a stranger. That love potion…is causing this, just as it's caused all of those pregnancies in the village?" 

You watched the beads of sweat roll down Enji's face and neck. Enji nodded.

"You should go back. Keigo will protect you from me. I shouldn't be around you when I'm like this," said Enji. 

His eyes flickered to your chest, then he forced them back to your face; they trailed down your neck again. Enji snapped his eyes shut and started to turn around. You grabbed his right arm and sank to your knees.

"You let yourself be drugged to save me. You're in pain. I'm a healer, so," you took a deep breath, "let me help you."

Enji didn't give you a warning before shoving himself into your mouth. Your jaw was already open wide for him, but that didn't keep them from straining with the effort. He was thick as a horse cock, veiny, and reached the back of your throat. Enji held your head between his large hands as he snapped his hips into your mouth. You struggled to breathe through your nose while Enji thoroughly fucked your throat. 

He growled like an animal. The sound erupting from his throat almost drowned out the desperate whines coming from yours. You laved your tongue over him and sucked in your cheeks to help things move along. You clawed at his thighs then held unto his hips. They moved faster, snapping into your mouth without hesitation. Enji's vigor was nothing like you seen or felt before. His cock filled your mouth and stretched you open without even trying. 

"Brace yourself, Y/N. I'm about to come. Be a good girl and let me come down your throat," Enji growled. 

A second later, your face was thrust into his crotch. Your nose brushed against the forest of curly red hair. His balls felt hot against your chin. Last but not least, Enji's cock reached all the way back into your mouth. You could feel him bulging in your throat. Your jaws ached as your mouth swelled up with his cum. The substance leaked out of the corner of your mouth. Enji did not pull out until the rest dripped down the inside of your throat. You were the one to pant like a dog in heat when he finally pulled out. 

You gasped when your senses came back to you. Enij's chest was still heaving for breath, and sweat rolled down his exposed skin. His armor was ditched in a pile near his campfire. His gray shirt stuck to his skin where his sweat soaked through. Still protruding from his black trousers was his red cock. 

"Shit. This is going to be a lot harder than I thought," you said in all seriousness. 

"Wait here." 

Enji didn't bother to tuck himself in before walking to his pack. He pulled out a length of rope and carried it back. You tried not to stare at his member as it bobbed freely in his long strides back towards you. 

Enji threw the down at the base of the tree. His broad hands took you by the shoulders and pinned your back against it. Next, they went to work on your clothes. Enji snipped the corset laces at your end with a knife on his belt. His hands tore open your shift and skirt to make way for him. Once most of your skin was exposed to him, Enji grabbed your hands, pulled them above your head, and tied them with rope. To one end, you. At the other end, he looped around the nearest branch and fastened a knot there. Your feet could barely touch the ground when he finished. 

Your legs were quickly spread and hoisted over his hips. Enji lined himself up to your slit. The angry, blunt head spread open your cunt, lubricated by the juices freely flowing. Enji's hands cupped each of your ass cheeks and squeezed hard as he bottomed out. He felt so much more prominent in your throat than in your cunt, but that didn't feel less substantial. Enji's cock still was hard, thick, and ridged. Your walls fluttered around him. 

"You wet for me already?" Enji wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. 

He didn't give you a chance to reply before starting. Enji pulled out most of the way until just the tip remained. He pushed all the way in again, balls deep. Repeating the process, Enji thrust faster and harder. You arched your back though your body strained against him and the ropes keeping you off the ground. Your shoulders and arms were going to burn like hell tomorrow, but at the moment, it didn't fucking matter. 

Your breasts were smashed against his hard chest. The friction tweaked your nipples into stiff peaks. Enji lowered his face to kiss and bite your neck. Latching onto your shoulder did little to muffle the sound erupting from his throat. He was an animal in heat. Your legs bounced with every thrust of his deep inside your body. 

You tried to meet him thrust for thrust, pushing your hips against his. After a while, it was a vain effort. Despite your youth, you couldn't imagine keeping up with him. You quickly gave up and handed Enji the power. 

He didn't say much. There were no your cunt feels like it was made for my cock or you take it so well as a bitch in heat. Enji could have said those things and more. He was focused on completing as soon as possible so as not to further harm you. He grunted like a beast but made no effort to verbally degrade you. 

When your walls fluttered around him again and squeezed his cock, Enji followed suit. Ropes of cum warmed your lower belly. Then, and only then did Enji speak up.

"Is it wrong for wanting to imagine you fucking swollen with my baby inside you? You're so fucking full of my seed, aren't you, Y/N?"

You could barely nod. The thought shocked you for a moment, and you didn't know if you wanted it. Time would only tell.

[indianamoonshine]

Chapter 7 | Superman (Ice Cream)

Summary: Every summer you work on your father’s strawberry farm with your three sisters. It’s a way to take a break from the big city but summers in the midwest are hot and they linger. This year, your father’s old and mysterious friend shows up to stay on your land for a reason yet to be determined. Din Djarin seems dangerous, but kind enough, and the two of you quickly become…well, let’s fact it…smitten.

Rating: (+18) for future and explict sexual content.

A/N: Hi friends! This chapter isn't as long as the others, but I've already got a head start on the next one!

Warnings: I can't find anything in this short chapter that would trigger anybody, so yay!

One can tell a lot about a person by their choice of ice cream.

For instance: Rhea likes honey flavored. It’s a rarity, but Scoops specializes in it. It meant she was sweet, though refined, and organic in these regards. Charlotte prefers amaretto fudge which implies she is a hopeless romantic and the kind of woman who loves vintage films (that alone says quite a bit). You prefer Superman. Maybe that meant the obvious; you’re the youngest and a little bit of a fledgling with a silly sense of humor. You like to be doused in color and leave a sweet taste on people’s lips (some say you’d do anything to please and they could be right).

And Din, well, you were surprised to find that Din ordered sherbert; raspberry and just one scoop. When you questioned his choice (not to say sherbert wasn’t tasty, but at an ice cream parlor it just felt wrong) he justified it by saying he didn’t like the texture of ice cream. Ice cream reminds me of snot, he says to you. You still haven’t gotten that out of your head (and was a bit turned off when you received your cone because of it).

Scoops is in the next town over. It’s a tourist town full of counter-culture fanatics and overlooks the stunning landscape of Lake Michigan. The beach is always packed with families toting cheap red coolers or wild young adults slathered in sunscreen. The air is light and clean with no trace of salt, but it’s a glorious kind of smell you’ve never been able to describe. Lake Michigan is something of mystery – after all, it’s one of the biggest freshwater lakes in the world -- but its appeal might be because it’s watched you grow throughout the years. The great body of water is something of a deity, all-powerful and all-encompassing in its compassion and protectiveness.

The weather is still scorching, but while the ice cream helps, it melts quickly. Along the boardwalk where Scoops is located are dozens of shops all lined up in a neat row and bustling with smiling people, laughing with one another, and arms weighed down with chic looking boutique bags. Most of the population is wealthy because of its tourism and the ridiculous economic situation, so this comes as no surprise. Charlotte and Rhea fawn over the window displays, pointing out which expensive items of clothing they wish they could afford.

Charlotte squeals upon seeing a sundress with a silhouette that she couldn’t possibly deny; Rhea agrees enthusiastically. While they gaggle, you keep your eyes on some birds that dive for pieces of corn dogs fallen upon the walkway. There was a lot going on so it was only natural that your brain retreat to idle, given that you had little to no spending money in general.

“We have to go in,” Charlotte sings to Rhea. “We have to. I need it.”

Rhea admits that she couldn’t pass up the chance either but promises she wouldn’t buy the same dress. The two of them invite both you and Din inside, but you shake your heads, eager of the idea to be alone with one another. It was a risky thing, especially considering how your feelings for Din exposed themselves upon your face like traffic signs. While your sisters certainly knew of your schoolgirl crush on Din, they’ve made no indication they suspect Din of reciprocating those feelings. How embarrassing for you.

When the girls are out of view, door closing behind them with a ring of a silver bell, Din immediately turns to you with a grin. It’s a slight grin – the kind you wouldn’t have been able to notice had it not been for your keen observation of him. His thoughts, actions, and feelings show upon his face like a stroke patient’s might – a little lopsided and faint, but still genuine. You can’t help but wonder why he’s so hesitant to show any exuberant display around anyone else. Did that have anything to do with his family? Any past relationships? Even his career? The career you had no inkling of? It wasn’t like pulling teeth; getting him to chuckle seems easy enough, but his friendliness couldn’t be mistaken for jolliness in any sense of the word.

Either way, Din is smiling – albeit, faintly – as he appears next to you.

“Were you planning that?” he teases, spooning his sherbert.

You shrug, licking the sides of your waffle cone. “I was counting on it.”

The two of you smile at one another and continue your walk with pleasant conversation. You people-watch and he casually jokes around by creating exaggerated scenarios for each of them as they pass. (“That guy in the red swim trunks and sports shades definitely cheats on his girlfriend.”) You can’t help but wonder if you sound ridiculous by the way you snort with laughter each time he says something clever, but he grins pleasantly anyway. It’s difficult to not get a big head each time you manage to get him to do anything other than monitor his surroundings – you notice he has a habit of it, despite how hard he tries to pretend he doesn’t.

“Are you sure you don’t wanna try it?” you offer, ice cream cone melting a bit down the sides.

Din wrinkles his nose but sighs after a moment, maybe weakened by your puppy dog eyes. Wishful thinking. “Alright. Just for you.”

You smile widely with satisfaction, bringing the cone up to his lips. And just when he’s about to bend down to lick the sugary treat, you push the cone onto his face. Din blinks, expression blank, and you’re afraid you might’ve crossed a line. The colorful ice cream stains his chin, dripping down onto his neck, and then soils the collar of his t-shirt. You prepare for the blow, cringing a bit under his gaping. But just when you’re about to stutter an apology and run away, Din presses his lips in a thin line to stop himself from letting out a full-bodied laugh.

“Oh, you think that’s funny don’t you?” he raises his brows in jest.

You sigh out in relief. He’s clearly amused. “Yes actually,” you quip, donning a pair of innocent and fluttering eyes.

He nods a few times, lips pursed, and humming with consideration. “I see,” he muses, hands placing themselves on your hips and squeezing.

You shriek in a fit of giggles as he pushes you gently against the brick of a nearby building. It’s cold against your skin, but nowhere near as chilly as Din’s milky lips peppering chaste kisses against your cheeks. His lashes bat against you, tickling your cheeks, and you become sticky with fruity condensed milk as the gleeful bombardment continues. His name escapes your mouth between your humored twittering. He has you pinned between himself and a wall - you are quite literally trapped - and in front of the public no less.

He wasn’t ashamed of you.

It’s almost a reaction what happens next.

Your hands lock themselves around his neck, mouth pressing against his full lips for the very first time. The people surrounding you disappear, the noise of the busy street vanishing completely. You’d expected your first kiss with him to be serious, maybe even a little awkward with graceless fumbling. But the two of you are snickering against one another, the embrace as natural as breathing. He’s cupping your cheek with the caution he’d shown this morning; he must’ve been terrified you’d crumble beneath him.

You felt like you could.

He’s holding back, and you know this because his lips are soft and slow as a wounded butterfly with clipped wing. The hand that isn’t holding your cheek has pulled you in by the hips. It’s getting harder to breathe, even if it’s closed mouthed. He spoke and the world spun - but his lips make the world sing.

You’re the first to pull away, eyes fluttering open with an uncontrollable eagerness to perceive his countenance. What you expected, you can’t remember, because when you find his eyes still closed, relishing in the kiss with a full-bodied smile, you feel nauseous with excitement. It was almost too much.

Yet not enough at all.

The napkin around your ice cream cone is soaked, but you crumble it in a ball and bring it to Din’s face anyway. You pat against his cheek, wiping away as much of the ice cream as you could while he recovers. Some of it has collected on his dense mustache and you resist the urge to laugh at that.

He nods to himself like he’s trying to get a grasp on what just happened, eyes opening with caution to gaze into yours. He looks tired, but the kind that was delicious; the kind that you look forward to remedying. You must’ve taken an energy from him.

You hope you did.

Because he took it all from you.

He lets out a breathy laugh and you place a thumb against his jaw to wipe some stray remnants from him. “I think I like ice cream now,” he jokes.

•••

The two of you manage to escape.

This is after Rhea and Charlotte come bouncing out of the store, bags in hand, and giddy smiles upon their faces. You laugh with them as they show you their purchases while Din looks on from the sidelines, knee bouncing with alacrity.

You’re weak by the kiss, the blush from your cheeks still prominent. You were positive your sisters would notice, that tonight they’d drill you with questions they already knew the answer to. Women have a way of knowing when another woman has been kissed as zealously as you just had. It wasn’t just the pink in your face that would give you away; it was the dreamy glint in your eyes, the bit of Superman that you’d missed upon Din’s cheek, and the trembling of each item they forced in your hands.

You say your goodbyes to your sisters, promising you’d be home in time for movie night, and skip alongside Din while walking to Bessie. When he’s sure the two of you are in the clear, he takes your hand and massages the space between your thumb and forefinger. Tension subsides in your shoulders.

This was new to you. You’d kissed guys as a teenager; even had a few boyfriends here or there. But that’d been years ago and none of them alighted a fire in your belly like Din has. His company was ethereal - he was made of stardust; you were sure of it. And it seemed silly - even a little frightening - that your feelings have evolved so quickly. For hells sake, you’d just met him a few days ago. Could you really be just, well, stupid? And maybe he was feeding off that stupidity for his own personal gain?

This thought alone makes you feel guilty. You try to ignore the anxiety and focus on the feel of his hand, tanned and masculine, and breathe. The smell of fried dough wafts from down the boardwalk, the tune of an old carnival song muffled in the distance by the chaos of summer. The sun was still high in the sky; it was only five in the afternoon but your body felt as though it’d been up for an entire day, weak with the intensity from such a rush of adrenaline.

Upon arriving to the car, Din opens the door for you and a bit of paint from devoted Bessie showers upon the pavement. You can’t help but wonder if he knew you’d leave early with him and the idea of bringing two separate vehicles was clouded with hidden agenda. This, of course, starts up the cycle of mental dramatization again.

Gods, why can’t you just leave it alone? Why can’t you feel something for once in your life? You’ve spent so many years hiding in the corner in fear of getting hurt – of opening yourself to be exposed to new and terminal wounds even if the process was liberating. And Din was liberating in more ways than one; in ways that have surprised you, despite how little you’ve known him.

As soon as he climbs in, you scooch as close as possible to his side. Your bravery surprises yourself, but you wouldn’t overthink it, especially when he smiles cheekily your way. You’ve leaned your head against his shoulder just before reaching for his free hand again and placing it in your lap with a tight grip.

You may get hurt later. But for now, that pain was worth experiencing. Din Djarin already seems to be worthy of experiencing.

Bessie rumbles to life but he starts for the crown of your head first, lips brushing against you, and light as a feather.

•••

If Din hadn’t been such an experienced driver, he was sure he would’ve crashed by now.

No. He was positive he would’ve crashed. It was nearly impossible to concentrate on the plainness of the road when a goddess was sitting in the seat beside him, holding his hand, and gazing out into the fields you rush past. You exuberantly point out each time there was a farm where cattle and horses grazed, their tails flicking to shoo away flies. He realizes that you love cows (“especially the brown ones,” you had smiled) and makes a mental note of it.

The house is in view now, the strawberries blooming the land with color beneath their plants’ emerald leaves. Your sisters hadn’t beat you there and your father’s truck wasn’t parked in front like it normally was. Not that it would’ve mattered that his friend was home, but Din preferred your father find out…later; when Din felt confident in your feelings for him and you felt confident in his. You were too important to risk losing so soon or even at all.

And that terrifies him.

And just when Din’s about to turn onto the road that leads directly to the house, you gasp beside him.

It frightens him. He isn’t well acquainted with your exclamations yet, so it was hard to distinguish whether your outburst is harmless or exclaimed in the face of danger. He pauses, foot stepping on the brake pedal, and lunges Bessie forward with too much exertion. Upon instinct, he reaches out an arm to prevent you from slamming yourself against the dashboard by the sudden halt.

He immediately looks to you, brows furrowed in concern, and chest heaving with epinephrine. “What is it?!” he jolts out.

You’re staring into the nearby woods with narrowed eyes, silent as a bug. The thicket and vines wrap themselves around one another, graceful in their disorganized summer. Din couldn’t find any movement interrupting the overgrowth, but he had a suspicion you’ve seen an animal of some kind. What else could have caused you to gasp so randomly?

Something pretty incredible, apparently. Because just as Din’s about to repeat himself, far more concerned with your silence than anything, you swing open the rusted door and sprint into the woods.

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