#their names are echo and felix and they hate each other <3

[mumblesplash]

don’t you hate it when your civilization flees deep underground to escape the wither only to find yourselves trapped down there with something even worse. anyway surprise! i can still draw

[binniesthighs]

hello stranger | reader x changbin |

a/n: this chapter is one that is very special to me and really echoes a lot of the same feelings that I’ve experienced through the years. writing this chapter felt really healing for me, as I hope maybe it can to you who might’ve felt the same. Because of this, please read the warnings below and read what you feel comfortable with! Remember that no matter who you are, or what you’ve gone through you absolutely deserve love!! 

Part 5 

Pairing: self insert, female reader x seo changbin, female reader x han jisung 

Genre: strangers to lovers, fluff, smut, angst 

Tags: (of this part) college au, rapper!changbin, rapper!jisung, establishedfwb!jisung, artist!reader, skz side characters, bestfriend!chan, bestfriend!felix, explicit language, HARD angst to FLUFFY fluff, mentions of alcohol, fingering (f receiving), squirting,  dry humping, nipple play, protected sex, fluffy sex, cockwarming

CWs: implications of jealousy and possession (past), non-con pressure, fist fighting, quite a bit of blood, bruises, and other wounds, mentions of a scar, mentions of past toxic relationship, mentions of nausea, mentions of low self worth and self deprecating habits 

Word count: 8.7k (grab a blanket, your plushie, some fuzzy socks...also I promise no other chapter will be this long LOL) 

Chapters 

PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5 | PART 6

-Two years ago, and some change- 

Tonight was different. It could have been for a number of reasons. Maybe it was the way that he held onto your hand tighter than he usually did. You swayed your body next to his like you thought that you should have been doing. If you hadn’t you would have looked out of place. He hated when you looked out of place. The skimpy dress you had worn that night was just for him. You thought that he would like the way that the straps barely clung to your shoulders and the way that it was snug against your curves. 

He was watchful. Silent. You had known him to be a generally loud and gregarious person. He had many friends. Many of his friends you really did like; but, there were others that you had liked less...the friends with wandering and judging eyes. 

“Why her?” They would ask. 

“You could do better.” They would whisper in his ear when they thought that you couldn’t hear. 

“Isn’t she...boring?” 

“Not boring when I’ve got her alone.” 

The club was full of people; a suffocating amount. Bodies thrashed up against eachother in all their sweating heat. Shiny polyester and the tulle ruffles of shirts scratched against your skin in passing. Under the line of sight, no one could see where hands might reach or creep in the dark corners of that room. With the music blasting, no one could hearo f the sinful desires whispered from ear to ear. 

“Don’t you want to get outta here?” He had craned down to give you his message. 

“W-why don’t we just dance? I like this song.” 

“But we’ve been here for so long.” His hand gripped tight on your arm. “Really. Let’s get out of here.” 

“But--” 

“Let’s bounce. I don’t wanna be here any more. Let’s go have fun somewhere else.” 

Fear rose in your throat. His tone had changed to the one that you had been trying to keep at bay for weeks.

“Baby, I’m having fun!” You tugged back at your arm which he hadn’t released. Your brain worked quickly, and you did what you thought would’ve been distracting enough. You kissed him. 

Hard and fast you shoved your tongue down his throat in ways that you only would do when it had been the two of you alone. The music was loud. No one could hear the way he forced a moan into your mouth. Your hands wove deeply into his hair that was swathed in that cologne of his that was dizzying. It was saltwater and cinnamon. 

Your body pressed up flat against his chest and, as expected, he threw his arms back around you and kissed back with the same fervency that you tried to drench him in. 

Your words were breathless. “Can we...stay?” 

“Baby, how can you say that when you kissed me like that? God, if I could screw you right here and now...” 

His friends had been watching. Or pretending not to watch. It was no lie that their eyes had been peeping from the corners. 

“Let’s get some more drinks then? Hm? Maybe later we can head back to your--” 

“--NO! I want you now.” His words were violent, and his hands starved in his feverish way, yet still, he sucked his devilish smile into your neck. “Baby, please.” 

Just a few more drinks. That was all that it would take. Just a few more drinks and he would be a stumbling mess. He would forget his name and you and then he wouldn’t be able to take you anywhere. You loathed yourself for feeling that way, but it was the only solution you could think of. 

“Let’s go out back. No one walks down that alley, you know so.” 

A nervous laugh slipped off of your lips. “I-I know, but--it’s so cold outside, it’s snowing an-and it won’t be comfortable--” 

“--I don’t need comfortable, I just need you.” 

Lazily, his eyes met with one of his friendsand he flicked his finger to beckon him over. “You. Come with us. We’re gonna need someone to watch the door.” 

His friend scoffed and shoved his glass into the hands of a stranger. “Fine. What are you gonna pay me back with?” 

“I dunno, I’ll think of that later.” 

Your arm wiggled, a slight attempt to free yourself of his grasp. “Babe, babe, come on. I-it’s risky, an-and--” 

“--And what?!” 

“I-I don’t...I don’t...” 

“Babe I thought you liked it when we did risky stuff? Remember last week? The bathroom? You liked that didn’t you?” 

“That-that was different.” 

Above your heads the speakers boomed with a bass drop that you could feel vibrate in your chest. Strobe lights of dozens of different colors blinded your vision. Your head panged with a pain that must’ve been the alcohol, but with each passing second, you felt more and more lightheaded. Air just barely escaped from your lungs and your lungs felt like dead weight. 

His voice had been muffled. Your feet started taking steps that didn’t feel like they were their own. He used his body mass to part the sea of bodies, drawing you farther and farther away from it all. The two men chuckled as you neared the back of the building where the haze from the stage seemed to accumulate. 

“Stand right at this door and don’t let anyone get out from it. Don’t leave until we come back in.” 

His friend rolled his eyes, then took out his showy looking pen to take a long drag. He blew it into the other man’s face. “Have fun you two.” 

The cold winter air stung at your dry lungs. You realized then that you had forgotten your coat inside. Under your feet, flaky and white snow had mixed in potholes which had filled with iridescent oil. Together, the only thing that you could think of in that moment was how the two colors and mixed. In no way where they similar: one, black and slick, the other soft and pure. They made no sense. 

“Ohhhh...Baby.”

His breath was hot and it steamed in the air like some kind of deadly and wispy poison. His hands were big. Much bigger than yours, and they seemed to wrap you all up in them. They were magnets to your hips which fell into them with ease. He must’ve been cold too you figured: goosebumps formed on his arms where the falling snow fell on them. 

“You’re all mine. No one else’s. Don’t you ever forget that. Tell me. Who’s baby are you?” 

“Y-yours.” Your voice trembled. 

“That’s right.” 

His freezing hands swept up both sides of your face and you prayed that he couldn’t feel the tears stream from your eyes to his fingers. All at once, you felt nauseous, you felt sick, shame, rage, embarrassment and fear. With the adrenaline pumping in your ears, you did something even you didn’t expect. 

“S-stop.” 

His mouth continued lapping over yours, even your words which you repeated, 

“Stop!” 

“Baby, we’re just getting started!” Frigid fingers crept up your shirt to your bare skin. 

“I SAID STOP!” 

You had bitten his lip, and the metallic taste of his blood dripped onto your lip. 

“You bitch!” He stumbled, then wiped the blood to his finger. 

Hot tears fell freely, and your body shook: perhaps it was the cold, or your fright, but it shook every part of you. 

“What the fuck?!” He rose his hand in the air, “Who the fuck to you think--”

“--HEY!” 

A voice echoed down the alley and bounced off the brick walls. He was a black outline, but it was undoubtedly him who had shouted. He was still, but all at once he started running, sprinting towards you and you cowered to the snow. 

“Don’t you fucking--” 

The other man ran right up to the both of you. He was shorter, but crashed into the other taller man with a fist raised. He nearly had to jump a little, but he had knocked him square in the face with a horrible fleshy sounding thud. 

He finished his sentence, “-Don’t you fucking touch her!” 

The shorter man rubbed at his knuckles which had bloodied quickly. Your boyfriend had slipped on the ice a few steps back, falling to the ground clumsily and wetting it from the blood dripping from his mouth and nose. He laughed incredulously. 

“You pack quite a punch for a little guy don’t you? Well, you picked the wrong fight--” 

He rose to his feet with fists raised, then took a swing at the other man. He was agile, and ducked with ease, then twisted around the taller’s body to punch into his ribs. Still he didn’t miss each punch, and your boyfriend landed hits to his face as well. The stranger fell to the ground this time, groaning out and splashing into the cotton snow. While he was down, the taller man kicked into his sides. 

“How do you like that? Huh??? You have no FUCKING RIGHT. This is between me and my girlfriend, so, fuck. off.” 

The stranger spat blood to the white snow. “A-actually, I did have a right.” 

“What was that??” He kicked harder. 

“You-you were going to hit her? Weren’t you? Who the hell hits their girlfriend?” 

In one motion, the shorter man was back up on his feet, stumbling, but still swinging. He was weaker, but still punched into the taller man’s sides relentlessly. The two men sparred, and you felt frozen. It was as if you weren’t even breathing. 

Stop. Stop. Stop. Your thoughts rang, but your voice couldn’t muster it. 

“You’re the fucking--” Punch. “--Scum--” Punch. “--Of the--” Punch. “--Earth.” 

Your boyfriend’s eyes had become bloodshot red. In a mix of furious arms, he had scraped his wristwatch against the other man who cried out with a horrible sounding whimper, and then a flash of red started to flow down his arm. 

Your dress had soaked through with the freezing cold water and you had nearly buried your eyes into your arms. Never had you felt so small, so helpless. 

“HEY! What’s going on down here?” 

A flash of blue and red lights lit up the pitch black alley. 

“What’s going on??” 

The policeman’s voice buzzed over the loudspeaker on his car. 

The shorter man was a crumple on the ground and he hissed out with pain from his teeth. His arm quivered with pain from the gash that had been pressed into it. By contrast, the peaceful snow fell lightly onto his body and got tangled into his curled, dark hair. Your boyfriend; you hadn’t even seen him turn to sprint down the opposite side of the alley. 

Regardless, the stranger still managed, “Ar-are you okay? Did he hurt you?” 

Your dry and tear-stained cheeks crinkled. “N-no. He didn’t.” 

“T-that’s good. Listen, I-I need to go. I can’t afford for them to take me. Ask them to help you and take you home. 

The clink of the policeman’s keys on his hip jingled as he neared. 

“I’m sorry I have to run.” He stumbled to his feet. For a few seconds, you could see his eyes under the flickering yellow streetlight. They weren’t brown or black, but some kind of dark stormy grey. 

He went running down the alley, as fast as he could manage with a limp to his leg and his dripping arm creating a trail behind him. 

As he ran, he left behind him a scent, foreign in the winter air. You couldn’t name it exactly, but you had guessed at least for then, it might’ve been something like rosemary and cedarwood. 

╚ ——————————————— ╝

2am, and you felt euphoric. Like a fucking cloud. Even though it was typical, there really were no other words that could describe it. 

Felix and Chan bumped their hips against yours while they danced in the rhythm of the song that the DJ had played. Both of their bright smiles were utterly adorable, and the three of you doubled over in your laughter at each other’s terribly awkward dance moves. Chan made his best attempt at the robot, and Felix busted out some of his favorite internet dances. You rose your hand to the side of your face as if to say I don’t know them. Felix’s tiny hands interlaced into yours and you danced with him too while Chan mimed throwing dollar bills into the air. 

“How much longer?” You yelled over the music until it scratched your throat. 

“I don’t know! I didn’t get a chance to look at the line up!” Chan’s body bumped up against others in the crowd while he tried to check is phone. “It’s fine! I’m sure he should be coming on soon!” 

You couldn’t remember the last time  that you had been to a show that wasn’t to see Jisung. It was strange thinking about all of the things you used to worry about when you had gone to see him in the past: was your outfit sexy enough, had you remembered to put on your lip gloss...you’d even worry over stupid shit like if you had missed any spot on your legs while shaving. 

None of those worries filled you now. The clothes that you had put on in your haste made little sense, and were a bit warm in the room where sweat practically dripped from the walls. You had even left your apartment in such a hurry--you had been working on a new piece from a spark of inspiration during midday.

“He said that he was going near the end I think!!” You informed your friends. 

Chan did a little excited dance. You didn’t know if he was more thrilled over the fact that he was there or how you had promised to introduce him to Changbin after the show. 

The lights shifted, turning from pink to blue, and the music faded too. Your beating heart slowed as the atmosphere changed and Felix clawed back onto your arm. 

“Oh my God!!! I think that it’s gonna be him!!!” Chan nearly leapt into the air. 

It was frightening how familiar it all felt; you felt as if you had been transported right to that first night, the night that you had met him and the night that he had entranced you up on that stage. Everything in the room darkened, and the smoke slithered onto the stage. Everyone had quieted with their focus narrowing on the empty expanse that had been set up all for him. 

To the side of the stage, the announcer chuckled into the mic, “Ladies and Gents, as you know him...SPEAR B!” 

Music erupted like a crack of lighting over the speakers and was so sudden that nearly everyone in the crowd jumped out of their skin. The spotlights flooded the stage in a blinding white light, and before your eyes could process it, he had thrown himself to centerstage with some kind of magic or trick of the eye. It was so confusing, all you could do was stand in shock. 

Rapid fire lyrics flew off his tongue with lightspeed, and he carried himself around the stage with as much regality as a king. His hooded eyes held nothing but concentration at each of his words, and he threw his arms around with emphasis so you could hang onto every single syllable. He shone under the lights where he had adorned himself in his favorite array of silver and crystal jewelry: his trademark chain around his neck blinked like diamonds. Every curve of the muscles on his thick arms and thighs tensed and the vein on the side of his neck flared as he spoke. With a bite to his lip and an indulgent smile, he owned very single part of his own world. 

He was fucking mesmerizing. 

Felix and Chan were wildly flapping their bodies around and thrashing their heads along with every other body in the crowd, but you had stood still. It was unbelievable that you had been close to him. All your memories of him holding you softly in his arms, planting kisses into every tender inch of your skin seemed so far away, but so close. He couldn’t have been the same person. 

Your heart swelled with a pain. It might’ve been warning, precautionary, or fearful. Or, it might’ve been warm, intoxicated, infatuated. Your own mind couldn’t comprehend it. 

Over the hundreds of eyes in the crowd, somehow, he had found yours, and it was just as that first night had been. He was so massive, so crushing. His confidence was something so addictive and his gaze so thick that you felt as if it  was crushing. Still, there was one thing that was different about it now. 

He knew you. He wasn’t just some stranger. 

He knew your ins and outs, he knew your fears, the way that you would shy away from him or how you would lean into him closer. After that one meeting, you had encompassed everything that he could imagine, as he did for you. 

You had started as strangers, but now you couldn’t even imagine a time when you weren’t. 

He had broken his composure for mere seconds to smile at you. It was a simple: I see you. And you see me. 

It was cliché. Fucking cheesy as hell. God, it was sugary sweet and rotten; a phrase you hadn’t said in a year or more. But, with the dozens of other girls screaming it in that room, bumping with bodies and bass ringing, condensation on the walls and music louder than your own voice, you joined the cacophony.  Even if he couldn’t hear you screamed the words with your whole chest:

“I FUCKING LOVE YOU SEO CHANGBIN!” 

╚ ——————————————— ╝

The music had subsided, and the stage lit to normal as the stagehands switched around the arrangement for the next act. You and your two friends were out of breath and exhausted. Sweat beaded on all of your brows and you felt it dripping down your back as well. The three of you stood laughing out in your euphoria: it as a high like none other. 

“Damn. Why do I really want ice cream right now?” Felix huffed out his laugher and slung Chan under his arm. “Doesn’t that sound like a really good idea?” 

Chan whipped the damp strands of hair from his eyes. “That does sound like a really good idea. But...you think any places will be open?” 

With surprised glances, the three of you burst out hysterically. 

You wiped an exhilarated tear from your eye, “We’d have to go to the store.” 

Somehow, it was the funniest thing that you could have said and Felix and Chan held their sides in their laughter. 

“Do-do you think that Changbin would want to come with us?” Felix helped fix your sweater which had become a bit ajar on your frame. 

“I don’t see why not.” 

Chan did another adorable little dance. “Holy hell. I can ask him about his process!!!.” He scooped you up into a tight hug. “This is so exciting!!!!!” 

“Just don’t...scare him away.” You patted into Chan’s hair with adoration. 

“He should be back out any minute right? He said he would come looking for you?” 

You nodded, feeling your heart start to race at the prospect. You hadn’t felt this giddy about the attention in a while--not at least, attention that had been given to you without a condition. 

Behind your little group, you felt a tug on your wrist, then your cheeks swelled with warmth. 

“Chang--” 

“--Holy fuck! You actually came!!” 

Jisung’s eyes lit up and an inhumanely wide smile spread across his face. 

“...Jisung--” 

“Oh my god, I can’t believe it, you actually came! Shit, I really thought that after we talked the other day that--” 

Chan ripped Jisung’s grip from your wrist. “You better cut that out.” Once as giddy as he was before, his expression had turned deadly serious. 

“What are you doing here?” Felix pushed you slightly behind him. 

“Performing? This is my show too. I’m on in thirty. You’re here to see me too?” 

“Like hell we are.” Chan rolled his eyes. 

Jisung chose to ignore him, bringing his attention back to you. 

“B-baby, thank you so much for coming, and for giving me another chance--” 

“--Another chance? Y/n, what is he talking about?” Felix asked, then both of your friends eyes were on yours. 

A knot formed back up in your throat with your decisions that you had let hang since you had las spoken to Jisung. You thought you had been clear enough to him, and you had told your friends you had thought that you had ended it. 

Chan huffed out an authoritative sigh, “We’re leaving. Come on,” he wrapped an arm around both you and Felix. “Let’s just get out of here.” 

“No! Wait! Y/n don’t leave! Let-let’s talk about this, y-you never let me see you any more, I’ve been missing you...missing you like crazy,” His grip reached out to you once more, pulling your whole arm closer to him with a pain that panged in your shoulder. “--since you’re here...let’s just talk this out okay?” 

The music in the room grew louder once more, and the next act entered the stage with the announcer’s enthusiastic voice. The lights flashed out, and suddenly all of your bodies were bathed in red, pink, and blue light. 

Another memory, from another night, flashed before your eyes. He held onto your arm tighter than he usually did. His incessant eyes pleaded over to yours like he had countless times before. 

“Jisung, stop.” 

“I-I just don’t understand! Let’s not do this here! Can’t we go somewhere private where the two of us can talk? Baby--” 

Another hand grasped at your opposite arm, then it snuck around your waist. 

“--What the hell do you think you’re doing to her?”  

Changbin pulled you into his chest with a force that knocked the wind out of your lungs, then he immediately inspected the arm where the other had grabbed you so tightly. 

“Did he hurt you? Let me see.” 

Chan and Felix’s eyes widened in their shock. 

Jisung pushed himself closer. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing Changbin? Don’t get involved in this, it doesn’t concern you.” 

“Actually, yes, it does.” 

Everything was unfolding before your eyes, and you felt faint. All the secrets, lies, the way that you had entangled yourself in it all, was crushing you like vines with thorns. Your fear bit bile in your throat, and you couldn’t decide if you felt strong enough to run. 

Before you could say anything about it, Changbin pulled you out from the crowd, faster than your wobbling legs could handle. He was furious, you could tell, but he tried his best not to let it seep over to you. Changbin muttered curses under his breath, but pushed forward, past the dancing bodies, past the stage, past the maze of speakers and other sound equipment in the back. 

“Let’s just get out of here okay?” His fingers dug into your waist. 

Behind you, Felix and Chan shoved their way a few paces behind, ultimately getting caught in the web of people moving this way and that. Not far behind them, was Jisung thrashing with all his might to catch up. 

With your heartbeat in your ears, words started spilling out from your mouth: 

“Changbin, I didn’t tell you--I-I still haven’t told you, but you need to know before--” 

Changbin swung the back door to the venue and it slammed behind you with a metallic clang. It was nearly blizzarding outside, but he didn’t seem to care at all. Rather, he pulled you back into his chest to hug you tightly. He was desperate in the way that he hung onto your body; like he was trying to suck the very life from you. 

“Are you okay? He didn’t hurt you? I’m so sorry I couldn’t get there sooner. He’s a fucking dick, I won’t let him touch you again, I promise.” 

Your nose clogged immediately, and your sobs came out choked and full of utter fear. 

I’m going to loose him. I’ll lose him. He’ll hate me. He’ll let go, and never come back. 

“Chang-Changbin...Jisung, he was--” 

“Beautiful, why are you crying? Stop, stop, it’s okay.” He soothed you, wiping the tears from your cheeks that got muddled with snow. He too had snow clinging to his eyelashes and his hair that was also strung with sweat. 

The back door swung open with another startling clank, and Jisung threw himself out of it with Felix and Chan holding him back by the arms. 

“HE DOESN’T EVEN FUCKING KNOW HER!” Jisung screeched, then tore free of both of your friends. 

He lunged himself at Changbin who had seconds to respond. He turned his back to shield you with his body, and Jisung clawed with an animalistic energy. 

“HE DOESN’T FUCKING KNOW HER!” Jisung had been sobbing too, then swung a haphazard fist to Changbin’s back. 

Felix and Chan came rushing to catch you as you fell into their arms, then Changbin swiftly turned to return the hit. 

“Me?? You’re fucking crazy!!” He dodged another hit. “What the hell do you know about her?? Huh? YOU don’t know a thing about her!!” 

Jisung wiped his eyes then threw another lazy punch. “What are you talking about???” 

The two men stood still, both of them turning to turning to look at you with heaving chests. In your friends arms you trembled, and your worst nightmares unfolded right in front of your face. Your body fell to the ground, and the snow seeped into your clothes, just as it did on that night so long ago. 

“Holy shit.” Jisung grabbed both sides of his head in his realization. “She fucking played us. SHE FUCKING PLAYED ME.” 

Changbin cast his eyes away from you, just as he had when he had barely known a thing about you. He wouldn’t give you the pleasure. 

“You were fucking her too, weren’t you?” Jisung laughed out like a madman. “So that’s what she’s been doing this whole time I haven’t seen her. She’s been fucking you and--” 

Changbin’s fist rose, and it came crashing into the side of Jisung’s face so suddenly that you and your friends jumped from how fast he had done it. 

He said nothing, but proceeded to raise his fist again, then sent it right back into the soft of Jisung’s cheek before he had a minute to respond to the first. Jisung whimpered, then spat blood out of his mouth. His tears had returned, but this time, they were infused in his own anger. The two boys steadied their stance, looking into each other’s eyes with lethal rage. Jisung attacked back with a yell that echoed through the alley, and he too landed punches to Changbin’s sides in sharp hooks. Changbin then grabbed the other man’s shirt collar, pulling him close, then knocking him back with red and bloody fists. 

The two boys scuffled and slipped in the snow which had slicked on the ground to make each of their steps clumsy. Jisung sobbed through each of his punches, whereas Changbin held his teeth shut with a grit, merely grunting as he swung more and more. Your own tears blurred your vision, and your chest felt tight; nearly like it was about to burst. Your friends clung to your body just as tight, hushing to you and yelling at the boys to stop, but their voices sounded distant and faint. 

Jisung landed punch to Changbin’s eye which split the skin there on his eyebrow. Changbin returned the favor in the same spot, creating the same effect. With crackled lips they swore at eachother, and you could only make out one phrase from Changbin’s mouth: 

“Don’t you. Fucking. Touch her.” 

The door swung, “Changbin?” 

Minho hugged his coat around himself, only to jump out of his skin at the scene in front of him. He dodged two of Jisung’s swings as he clambered over to his roommate to hold him back. He was nearly two seconds late: with a roar, the two boys landed terrible blows at eachother, knocking them both to the ground. 

“‘Bin--stop, STOP!” Minho wrapped his arms around his friend. 

Just as he did, two other boys exited from the venue: one of them tall with long black hair and the other with hair as white as the snow. 

“Fuck you.” Jisung growled dizzily, and his two friends swooped in to help him back to his feet. They too looked furious, but Jisung waved them off groggily. “Don’t w-waste your fucking time. Y-you--” He pointed directly at Changbin. “D-don’t waste your time...on her. I-I’m such a fucking fool.” 

“Sung, let’s get out of here.” Jisung’s tall friend urged him. “Anyone on that street could’ve called the cops.” 

Minho held Changbin up then looked to you and your startled friends eyes seriously. “We need to leave too.” 

“We need to get him to a hospital.” Felix’s voice cracked. 

“You think that he can afford a bill? N-no. We can’t do that. I’ll explain later...he’ll be fine. He’s done this to himself before. Idiot.” Minho slugged his roommates arm over his shoulder and Chan rushed to grab the other. 

Your legs shook when Felix helped you to your feet. Any second, you thought they would give out. Thick strands of blood and saliva caught on Changbin’s lip. Seeing him like that made you feel even sicker. It was all your fault. 

“M-My place is close-by. We can go there.” You locked eyes with Minho. 

“Okay. We’ll go there.” 

╚ ——————————————— ╝

Your hands trembled violently once you brought your key to your lock. They burned with the cold, and were wet from how you had clawed at the snow. 

“Here, let me.” Felix gently offered. 

Your apartment was an absolute wreck. Tiny as it was, you had managed to make a mess of it all with art supplies, dirty dishes, hundreds of sticky notes with reminders and textbooks. As you entered, you swept everything to the side with your feet. 

“W-what do we do?” Chan’s own fingers had turned pink from the cold where he held Changbin: head slumped and blinking hazily, then shivering furiously--the action thus making him groan out in pain. 

“He-he’s freezing. There’s blood...” You fell from Felix’s arms. “I-I have to help him.” Once more, tears welled in your eyes. “We need to get him warm. Get him in the shower and clean him off.” 

“Okay. Where’s the bathroom?” 

You guided the group of boys down your hall where it became a group effort to remove him of his soaked clothes. Your pants had also been soaked through, but that didn’t even phase you; not when blood stained his mouth. He slumped his body over into four pairs of arms. 

“I can take it from here.” You closed the door behind yourself. 

Just as you did, you caught Chan’s surprised and widened eyes after Minho had leaned back from his ear. “He’s the son of WHO?” 

You shimmied your own clothes off, ignoring your own shivering as you held him up. The act itself was difficult, and you had given up when it came to your undergarments. It didn’t matter much, so you left them on, along with his. All you wanted was to get the blood off of him--you couldn’t bear to see it. 

The warm water on your skin felt unreal: a blanket of warmth to dissolve away the chill that clung to your body. It was as if you were defrosting: melting away the illness, the poison, the doubt and the fear. For a moment, you let yourself think that it was that simple. 

“Y/n” 

At your feet, the water turned from clear to pink. 

“What is it?” You hushed above the sound of the shower, and Changbin rested his forehead on your shoulder. 

“I’m sorry.” 

“Why? You shouldn’t be sorry...I’m the one that should be.” 

“N-no.” He coughed, “I feel so sorry.” 

“Changbin--” 

“--Why him? Why him when he would treat y-you like shit? I-I know how he is.” 

“I-I don’t know...” 

It was a funny thing crying in the shower. It was somewhat like you weren’t crying at all with how your tears mixed with the stream. 

He sniffled, “I-I’m not mad at you. I mean...I was, but...I just don’t understand.” 

“Please, be mad at me. Be fucking furious. T-this is all my fault. I shouldn’t have lied. I shouldn’t have kept it a secret--” 

Changbin chuckled, then rose his head, lips bloodied, one eye squinted, with a smile on his face. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” 

“You’re holding me back. I didn’t have to do it this time.” 

At first, you didn’t know what it meant. But then, you realized. You had been clinging on to him for dear life: your arms completely wrapped around him, even now when he was standing on his own. 

“I thought that I gave a damn since it was him--it made me so fucking mad that it was him but...” 

“...What?” 

“Fuck me, but...I love you.” 

 You shook your head vehemently, tears crossing with the warm trickle of water.  “N-no, you don’t.”

He chuckled once more, “I think I’d know if I did or didn’t.” 

“Don’t say that.” Your chest shook. 

“Why?” 

“B-because you don’t mean it. You can’t love me.” 

“Why not?” 

His hands, bruised and pink cupped both sides of your face. 

“Someone like me...You can’t fucking love me.” 

“What? You’re not making any sense. Y/n, I think I’ve fucking loved you since the first night that I met you, and you can’t stop me from loving you. Listen, you don’t even have to love me back for now, but can you at least accept how I feel for you?” 

How was it you had been able to scream it before, but couldn’t find the words now? 

Heated steam filled up your shower, and dripped from the walls. His skin too dipped with drops of that water. You thought to yourself how the blood and the water mixed, the two colors didn’t work together at all. Why was all you could think of colors? 

“Okay?” He asked. 

Your own hands took to his soft cheeks, where you brushed away any streaks of red you could see there. 

You closed your yes after, succumbing to the feeling that the water brought you: melting, fading, dissolving, just like the way that watercolors blended from one to the other on a page. You felt Changbin press his forehead into yours. 

“I-I think that I love you too--but--I’m so scared. So fucking scared.” 

He let out a relieved “oh” then pressed his lips gently into yours. Each kiss after the other was more and more careful. He poured his whole being into your quivering lips. 

“Please don’t be scared. Don’t be scared of me. I swear that I won’t hurt you, I never want to. I mean it. Please don’t run from me.” 

Here you were, worrying that he was the one to run from you. You felt pathetic thinking how patient he had been with you, how much he had put up with, and what he had just done, all for you. 

He kissed more “pleases” into your mouth, then drew you flush against his chest. 

You held onto him tighter. “Do you mean it?” 

He nodded, then craned his neck to fill your mouth with more of his answers, and it did feel like the way that watercolors faded into one another. 

╚ ——————————————— ╝

“Will he be okay?” 

Felix, Chan, you, and Minho sat on your couch with mugs warming your hands. In the past half hour or so, none of you had said much. 

Minho sighed. “He will be. He just needs to rest now. I’ll take him to the clinic tomorrow, see if anything is wrong. Knowing him...thick skulled asshole...” He scoffed with a smirk, “--He’s fine.” 

“T-that’s good.” Chan took a sip. “He fell asleep?” 

“Right after we got out of the shower. Lucky I stole some of Chan’s joggers back then. I put him in my bed and he was out like a light. Didn’t say that anything else hurt.” 

In unison, the four of you took another anxious sip. 

“He can stay here tonight? If that’s okay with you?” Minho asked. 

“Yeah. That’s fine. I don’t think he wants to move wither.” 

Felix looked about himself awkwardly. “Wellll I think that we should get going then. Y/n, call us if you need anything?” 

“Mmhm.” 

A silence filled the air. 

“Y/n, did you know?” Chan blurted out. 

“Me? Know what?” 

Minho shot the other man a deadly glare, then cleared his throat. “Bin’s dad is some high ranking politian. Someone so high that we’d know his name: that’s how he explained it to me. He left his whole life with them to rap. If he had gotten caught tonight, in the alley or some hospital with his real name, it would’ve been all over the news. He’s been trying his best to be invisible since high school...doesn’t want to tarnish the family reputation or something, even though they practically hate him....I don’t get it. They basically disowned him after he said he wanted to do rapping, not like he minded though. His surname isn’t even Seo.” 

“Do you know what it is? His surname?” 

“He’s never told me and I never asked.” 

Another silence fell over your group. 

“...He never told me.” You watched the steam of your tea. 

“And I didn’t tell you either, alright? This stays between us.” 

Felix mocked a zip over his lips. 

“Guess I’ll have to ask him about him about his artistic process another time then, hm?” Chan cracked his sarcasm with an airy laugh. 

“Guess so.” You tried your best to laugh back. “Thank you for tonight. All of you.” You met each boys eyes and each of them nodded in understanding. 

Felix clapped his friend’s back. “Let’s head out.” 

╚ ——————————————— ╝

One light was left on in your room: the strand of pink string lights that you hung over the wall your bed was against. The rest of your room was cluttered as well with clothes strewn about and your backpack contents scattered all across the floor. From your tiny and aged window, snow had accumulated in the corners, and further, the yellow and red lights of the city sparkled. Just as you were about to pull the plug for the lights, Changbin groaned out groggily. 

“Wait...what are you doing?” 

“Turning off the lights. I’m going to go to sleep too now. I wanna give you some space. I’ll go over on the couch.” 

“No!” He roused himself, “No. Don’t do that. Can you...stay in here?” 

“Sleep with you?” 

“If you want? I wouldn’t mind.” He smirked, ever cocky. Nothing took that from him. “Two bodies are warmer than one.” 

“Bin...” 

His smile really was just a bit too cute. 

“Mm. I like it when you call me that.” He reached out his arm to tempt you in. “Please? Come on.” 

You toyed with his forearm, shaking it a little like you were throwing a tantrum. “Do I have to?” 

“Hey! We just had a fuckin’ moment! I just bore my frickin’ heart for you.” 

“I’m just teasing. I will.” 

Right by his wrist, a puffy scar caught your eye, and you wondered if you had missed cleaning one of his wounds. You turned his arm over, revealing the gnarly scar: a stripe, about 3 inches long running parallel to his arm. 

“What’s this?” You studied it further. 

“Oh. That. Don’t get mad, but, tonight’s fight wasn’t my first. Some fucker with a watch or a bracelet or something tore the shit outta my arm this one time.” He inspected it himself, “It’s my battle scar. I’m kinda proud of it. If I hadn’t stepped in, who knows what he would’ve done to his girlfriend? There’s a special place in hell for guys like him.” 

Stormy grey eyes. 

Rosemary and cedarwood. 

You thought you had cried all the tears that would’ve been possible that night. Blurred memories, the ones that you had tried so desperately to forget came flooding over you. How you hadn’t known...was beyond you. 

“Hey...” Changbin scooched back up to wipe your tears. “Tears again? What’s wrong?” His thumbs wiped them away. “You can tell me?” 

“It-it was you??” 

“Me? Me what?” 

“On that night, in the alley when it was snowing, I-I was alone and he...” 

Changbin’s eyes too blew out, then his own tears gathered in the corners. “Holy shit...that was you too?” 

“Yes.” 

“Oh my god.” 

Instinctually, he threw his arms around you, back into his scent that was just as clear as the real first night you had met him. Together, you both turned into babbling, sniffling messes. 

“Thank you. Thank you so much.” Your voice shook. “I’ve always wanted to thank you. I-I can’t believe--” 

“--Come here.” 

Changbin swept you off your feet and wrapped all of his limbs around your body where he had pulled you into the bed, finally sweeping the covers over top of both your bodies with a kiss to your forehead. 

“You’ve gone though so much. Fuck, I don’t know how you’ve done it.” 

Your own hands snaked around his body. “Bin...”

“We’re kind of impossible aren’t we? All those years ago, and now...” 

“Thank you.” You kissed into his mouth, silencing him something much sweeter than your secrets. 

His body shifted, and he returned with his own kisses, each one slow and careful. He twisted his body to lean slightly over you, wincing at the pain that it caused him. 

“Fuck. That hurt.” He sighed with a tiny pout, “But, I don’t want to stop kissing you.” 

You bit a little smile into his lips. “Don’t push yourself.” 

“What? I can’t help it.” 

This time, you pushed him back to swiftly cast your legs on either side of his hips to straddle him. “This better?” 

He hummed out a happy yes, reaching down to pull your lips into his again. Like it always had been, you could’ve kissed him like this for ages, and time would slip into nothingness: a mere construct undefinable. Outside, the world was still dark and cold, but inside, the heat of your two bodies mingling banished it all away. 

“By the way, I wanted to tell you that I think that your art is beautiful.” Changbin broke momentarily, then pointed to your unframed paintings stuck to the walls with painters tape. “I’ve never seen anything like them. I don’t know why you keep them hidden here. The world should see them.” 

“Trying to get into my pants now? Who told you to say that?” 

From your string lights, his whole being was bathed in a soft pink light. 

“No one. But I mean it...you know, if I wasn’t debilitated, who knows what I would do to you right now.” 

“Woooow, you talk such big game.” 

He shot you a teasing glance. “I’ll fucking do it, fuck my probably broken-or- bruised ribs.”  

“No! Don’t do that.” You chuckled. “Don’t hurt yourself.” With a newfound confidence, you lowered your body to hover your lips over his own. “What if I go easy on you....nice and slow? Didn’t you say once that you liked to take things slow?” 

His eyes darkened as he mimicked your tone. “Anything as long as it’s with you.” After, his hands swept all the way down your back, lightly brushing up the fabric of your sleep-shirt, then to kneed into your ass. “Will you let me love you tonight?” 

“Will you let me love you back?” 

“Yes.” 

You shoved your hips down into his, grinding as purposefully as you could over his half-hard dick and shivering at the sensation over your clit. Both of your bodies trembled at the action. Under the cotton sheets and down comforter, there was nothing that could have felt cozier against the bare skin of your arms, and the way that his fingertips traced scribbles into your back. 

In seconds, he had pulled your shirt off your head, kissing little moans into your mouth once his hands had found your breasts. All the while, you kept your hips moving, reveling in the way that with each thrust of your hips you had felt yourself get wetter. He pulled and tweaked at your nipples which hardened them instantly, and you bowed down to kiss him on all the places where he didn’t know he had needed the attention: on the tip of his nose, in the corners of his mouth, over that scar on his chin, fluttering over his bruised eyelid, overtop the Band-Aid above his eyebrow, giving care to all the little scrapes on his cheeks. 

He had keened his hips upwards, now properly hardened from your friction against him. Even just like this, his length felt heavenly. With a careful prompt, he guided your torso upward, granting his mouth better access of your perky nipples which he took into his mouth greedily. Even greedier hands cascaded down your stomach to your boyshorts where he pulled at the elastic. After, he ghosted his touch over the thin fabric separating him from touching your clit. The sensation nearly sent you topping over, but rather you grabbed at the iron headboard to your bed to steady yourself. Changbin blew his words over your nipples with a cool air. 

“Can I?” 

“Do you even need to ask?” You chuckled out. 

“Of course I do.” He hooked two fingers to help you shake the fabric off your legs. “I always do.” 

First, he pulled you down into his lips; a distraction, then he coaxed his digits into your folds. You hadn’t known how embarrassingly wet you had become, but that was nothing compared to the reality of it. The sounds of your slick coating his fingers was loud enough to make you giggle, and for him to return it. 

“That excited huh?” His index finger rubbed faint circles around your clit. 

“W-what about it?” 

“I just think that its cute.” He removed his hand to show you the way that your arousal strung around his fingers. “‘So wet for me, aren’t you angel?” 

“Mmhm.” Your hips did their own helpless dance over the pads of his fingers once he had brought them back down. “S-shit.” 

A wicked smile spread over his face as he indulged in you more. Back and forth, he traced around your swollen clit, then down to your entrance, barely giving you any contact at all. 

“Remember our first night? Hmm? Remember what I did to you? ...I could do it again...” 

“B-Bin...” You gasped out his name at the thought. 

His tongue slicked over your bottom lip, “Would you like that?” His index and middle finger swept even rougher swipes over your clit which sent you mewling back on his tongue. 

“Yes? Or no? Use your words Beautiful.” 

That intense feeling, that unreal feeling...you would’ve been lying if you had said you hadn’t dreamed of it. 

“...yes. I want you to.” 

“Okay my love. Just relax. Lean on me if you have to, okay?” 

“It won’t hurt you?” 

“No. Not at all.” 

With your quivering thighs, his hand dipped back down and toyed with the heat of your folds and angrily sensitive clit. Your choked moans muffled into the crook of his neck where you had buried your face. Every single touch of his made your body feel as if it was aflame. Relentlessly, he switched from circling to stopping, every once and a while slipping a couple fingers to stretch out your entrance. He wouldn’t grant it to you fully yet, but his curved digits teased at your g-spot for only seconds at a time. 

In his ears, you filled them with “more, more, more’s” and little whimpers of “deeper, deeper, please, deeper.” 

“More? Is that what you want?” 

He winced terribly at the action, but he pushed you off from on top of him till you were flat on your back, screwing his fingers into you deeply. 

“I’ll give you as much as you want.” He kissed the words to your collarbones. 

All at once, his pace was renewed, and his fingers curved up sharply inside of your pussy to simulate your g-spot as roughly and quickly as he could. In his skill he gave your clit attention with his flattened thumb. The overwhelming feeling built in your core and inched closer second by second. Your control over your body slipped past you, and you fell completely into the feeling. 

You came with a uncontrollable shake of your whole body, and a release of pressure that made you into a moaning mess--that of which you didn’t need to be careful of if you had been too loud or not. Freely, you convulsed with that indescribable feeing, and your liquids wetted both your thighs and the fringes of the sheets which Changbin just barely removed from your body. 

“Fuck. Fuck.” 

In his adoration, the man above you proudly chuckled at your body still quivering with aftershocks. 

“Think you can take a little more after that? Take your time angel.” 

Your head spun, but it did so only for a moment. As you came down, Changbin kissed one, two, three, little kisses into your shoulder while he admired the way that your body shook. 

You nodded, laughing at the fact that you really did have no idea what time it was, nor could you even guess. 

“Do you have--” 

“--Dresser. O-over there.” A weak finger of yours pointed to your side table. 

A series of grunts slipped out of him, but he rolled himself over to take a condom from the strand and take care of it himself. He hid is tiny embarrassed smirk once he laid down. 

“Angel, I-I think that you’ll have to--” 

“--I know.” 

Back to your origional position, you aligned your entrance against his length which was still as red and hardened as ever. 

“Nice and slow right?” 

With one hand, you guided his dick into your velvet walls. 

“Oh shit.” Changbin pulled at your lip with is teeth upon the first roll of your hips. “Just like that. Just...like that.” 

It was beautiful, the way that he felt inside you. It had hurt a bit the first time, but now, it was different. The way that he filled you up was perfection: you were perfect for him, and he was for you. 

“D-don’t stop.” He pleaded while he scraped his nails down your back. 

To think, the one who had told you he didn’t say “please” was now at your mercy. It took everything you had not to let it go to your head. 

He angled his hips upward, pushing himself even deeper, and you nearly lost your composure at the feeling. Your core tightened again, and you let yourself grind over him, not stopping once. 

“F-fuck. Bin, ah! Shit--” 

“Don’t stop, don’t stop.” Became his breathless mantra. “Y-you fuck me so good angel.”

Clambering lips came colliding and you rode out your orgasm on his dick fiercely, connecting your mouth with his so he could feel every little bit of the pleasure that he gave you. He did the same, spilling his euphoric “ah ah’s” all over your lips and eventually to your neck where he sucked carelessly upon his own orgasm. You milked every last bit of him from his throbbing erection until he shook and begged you to stop his overstimulation. 

Perhaps because you were tired, or you craved the feeling, but not a bone in your body wanted to move. 

“Can we stay like this...for a while?” 

Changbin kissed his answer back to you. 

“For as long as you like.” 

Yes, the both of you had turned to sweating messes, and the scent of sex hung heavy around the both of you. Of course, it smelled just a little like rosemary and cedarwood. Wrapped up in one another like this, there was no telling where you began and he ended. 

Until the sun peaked at the horizon, he filled you to the brim with his “I love you’s” anywhere that he could manage: into the palms of your hands, into the love bites he had painted onto your chest, onto your ears which he nibbled, and, into your sleepy eyes which had held his for as long as you could, until the allure of sleep drew both of them closed. 

[monday-headache]

Hey Simon! Thank you for the amazing ask <3 Right back at you:

I love that you're writing/arting about characters that have never met in canon (Gaige and Sasha, Fiona and Scarlett). What drew you to writing these characters together? And are there any more that you'd love to explore one day? :D

Hey Sarah, glad it made you smile. I want to have more interaction with the fandom so I’ll try to make this a regular, so please be free to send me questions whenever. I’d love to read your thoughts ;)

And Omg, that’s a fantastic question as well but, be aware, this is gonna be an essay as well.

Mhh where to start, where to start.

So first things first, My headcanon of why I think Gaige and Sasha would be best friends started a pretty long while ago, way before I even got gently pushed towards the Idea of really starting to write about it in the first place. Because you must know, even though Strays is my first longshot, it is also my very first fanfc I’ve ever written in like ever. So no matter how shitty, great or whatever it will turn out to be or how well others will be, Strays has and will always have a special place in my heart. And I’m not gonna rush things either, even when the fandom will die out, my Ideas for it will flow ;)

But yeah how it started. To put it simply Gaige was my first character In Borderlands ever that I played myself. I knew about the Lore of 1 and I’ve played 1 with a friend by the time it came out, but I played 1 myself AFTER I finished 2 So that may be a big reason, why I have such an open spot for Gaige. But also because she is fun, quirky extreme, punky, loves robots and tech... to put it simple a lot of traits I really love about a character. Her backstory with the science fair was so fresh and funny, and it may be one of my favorite spoken dialogue interactions heard over echo cassette’s

Then after Bl2 my love for Borderlands continued, played 1, played TPS and then... There was Tales, and by god do I loved Tales, and I hella still do. You probably know the feeling yourself. And with the love for the game, came a huge love for it’s cast. Like seriously I think besides Tector there isn’t really a character where I was going like, “ugh this one is trash” on the contrary. And besides my obvious love for the main 2 characters, there was a big love for the Deutagonist’s of this masterpiece. Namely Sasha and Loaderbot.

Loaderbot may have officially taken the spot for me as most favorite Robot in video game history ever (and Gortys for the most precious character ever). Like his whole segment of kidnapping them, forcing them to tell the truth, only to show how much he had grieved, how betrayed he felt and that he did all of tha  for his loved ones. Man say what you will about him, but damn he was written perfectly. I was blown away.

Secondly is of course, as you might have guessed it Sasha. I could go lengths for her too, how much I love and admire her character, how real she felt as a sister, a pandoran and last but not least as a human. Sasha felt to me like the most well rounded out character of the 6 (pls don’t hate me for it guys) From the punk rebellious attitude, to learning that she had an anti Hyperion pirate radio, that she used to broadcast bad things that happens in her neighbourhood, to her adapting her morals and learn that even in the most corrupt organisations there are still normal people struggling with their own life, and then progressing from it. And lastly after everything was at loss, the money the plan, she was willing to sacrifice her whole life for a dear friend/s, even on her dying breath putting both Rhys and her Sister at ease and in her last moments. Amazing.

Oooh boy and that was just the prelude to it all XD

After that I noticed a lot of similarities, between characters. Sasha and Loaderbot for instance are both pragmatic, put the lives of their loved ones over their own, love tech, are socially open people while holding back on information and emotion. Not to mention the scenes in 2 and 3 and also 4 and 5 where it is slightly hinted how well Sasha and Loaderbot work together, without sharing much words. So naturally the Idea was born that Sash and LB became quite close.

And the same goes for Sasha and Gaige. I was actually surprised that nobody (not entirely true, I saw one fanart of it) seemed to made that connection before as it was so obvious to me. So basically Sasha is a softer version of Gaige, in many terms. They both have a big heart for tech and especially guns. They both hosted a small radio broadcast that blew up in their region over night. Both are anarchist’s who spread the word for awareness, how fucked up the company war actually is. Both are not really good at their aim. Both call robots as their closes’t friends. Both share a deep hatred for Handsome Jack and his doings. Both fought a giant ass Vault Monster and nearly died in the process of doing so. Both got screwed up big time and now have a huge bounty on their head... So you see the list goes on, and honestly the more I write them, the more similarities I notice, both hc wise and canon wise. So there more I thought about it, and noticed similarites the more I fell in love with the Idea of them becoming close. And from there the Idea was born, that they probably met on a job ( the most likely scenario in the Borderlands universe). It had to be before BL3 of course, and to be after Tales naturally so that only put one timeline in the focus, Commander Lillith.

To be honest, I didn’t expect everything turning out so big. Like seriously I orifinally planed like 8k words or so. Now I’m dangling on the Idea of having 13 chapters and a big ass finally, a neat wrap up of everything and even a possible epilogue XD Yeah, that wasn’t what I expected either but damn do I love doing it.

Like seriously my headcanons only just gotten bigger and bigger. From a whole nebula system in the galaxy, to regions I created in my own mind for it, to even complex backstorys. Like why Sasha wears a headband, why she loves guns so much, what happened to her and Fi’s parents, why she was raised by her aunt, what does Felix have to do with it, Why Gaige has this kicks of both sudden depression and manical behavior. Why she’s so close to her dad, but her mom wasn’t even mentioned once (but teased), why she wanted to become a wedding planer, and why she is so obsessed with robots and margarita mix. I think one day, this thing will turn into a tabletop game or something XD

So estimated 20k words on my answer later and now we are going for my own created ship Scarleona. Don’t worry, as much as I like to gosh about that too, it wont take as long I prommy.

Scarleona was created in a sudden urge while thinking about what happpend to Fiona while Strays happened. And similar to Gaige and Sasha, Scarleona was born from a dynamic. Especially of those from two Ladybosses with Silvertongue and speech 100XD Fiona and Scarlett may have become my favorite Fiona ship (no offense everybody) because of how well they play off each other. Fiona is a con artist, her whole life she was used to swindle, to play it cool and by ear, go with the flow, and expect the unexpected. So here core idea is that she is manupulating people by LYING to them.

Scarlett on the other hand is similar while also the complete opposite to it. She is backstabby, plays with her charm and most importantly she is dead honest while tricking people. In fact even so honest that people don’t even realised that they got tricked even though she told it several times before. And this dynamic is so fascinating to me. You see, Fiona has almost an answer an action for everything prepared, but the idea that her winning honesty, is mind puzzling to Fiona is so perfect. @michellespenscratchz wrote me a drabble several months ago and I think that line describes it just perfect

“So, let me see if I got this straight,” Fiona tilted her head inquisitively at Captain Scarlett. “You needed these Vault Hunters’ help to find this treasure for you. So you…just asked them?”

“That’s right.” Scarlett nodded, inspecting her hook nonchalantly.

“Even though they knew you wanted it for yourself?” Fiona asked.

“Indeed,” Scarlett replied.

“And they…” Fiona blinked, “…knew you planned on fighting them for it once they had it.”

“Of course they did,” Scarlett shrugged. “I told them as much.”

“You told them?”

“Yes.”

“And they helped you anyway?”

“Precisely.” Scarlett turned her hat against the blistering wind. “I fear I don’t quite grasp what about this is so difficult to grasp, Fiona dear.”

“Huh.” Fiona cast her gaze out across the expanse of Pandoran horizon. “I guess I just gotta–I dunno–rethink my whole life right now.”

So yeah, that was basically it. I kinda diagressed and didn’t want to hurt your eyes more looking at the long ass text, but please if you have some more questions to it, pls hit me. I love to gosh about it <3

And thank you so much <3 This was hella fun

[peaches-writes]

there’s nine days left until christmas

skz of christmas day 1: early morning mass with jisung

member: jisung wc: 1.6k genre: fluff, comedy, childhood friends to lovers au (but the lovers part is so tiny), neighbour au warning: explicit language note: this the one time im making church boys skz happen bc it’s kinda funny + i made a rlly corny joke somewhere there but u hav to squint rlly rlly hard

Having to live in the city for almost 350 out of 365 days a year in order to study at university, you’ve naturally come to appreciate the peace and quiet of the countryside you would spend long stretches of holidays at. From the screeching but natural sound of roosters replacing your phone’s alarm clock to the gentle breeze that doesn’t need you to run around in circles a few times to brush past your open arms, you’re always looking forward to staying with your grandparents in a small mountainside village just an hour away from the main road because of all the healing it has to offer.

Well, maybe except small but constant inconvenience in your visits in the form of your neighbor, Han Jisung.

“Ji, I swear I will drag you out of your bed and take you to church in your pajamas if you don’t get up right now.” You threaten the still snoring boy on the bed you’ve been crouching next to for the past five minutes. Slapping his cheek once more, you frantically try and wake him up again by adding, “Han Jisung, get up now! We’re going to be late!”

Like you, Jisung only visits on Christmases and a few weeks at the beginning of each summer. He stays with his own grandparents who live next door to yours which, in hindsight, sounds like it doesn’t give you much reason to be hovering over him at 3:55 AM on a Thursday if not for the fact that when there’s 9 days left before Christmas Day (aka today), your grandparents want to attend the early morning mass in the town proper but the only means of transportation is the shuttle that only comes at 4 AM.

Jisung’s clearly not a morning person, either, so you can see where your problems currently lie.

“Jisung...” You call his name again between gritted teeth now. You’ve pulled the covers, took his extra pillows away, and switched off the electric fan across the room but to no avail—the boy just groaned, whined, and curled up into a ball on his sleeping bag. “Deadass the only reason I haven’t killed you yet is because your grandma promised me rice cakes again if I got you dressed before the shuttle arrives so wake up, you dumbass, or I’ll turn you into the rice cake.”

In front of you, Jisung only rubs his closed eyes and whines even more. “Five more minutes, baby.” He mumbles under his breath, lazily bringing his bare arm up to his face to cover his eyes from the harsh light flickering on the ceiling.

The nickname has you rolling your eyes and smacking his head. In frustration, you then stand up from your position and walk over to his closet, throwing him his clothes. “I’m going to count down to five and if you still haven’t opened your eyes and started changing, I’m calling Minho in from next do—“

The mere mention of your other childhood friend across the street immediately has the boy opening his eyes and throwing the random shirt over his head.

-

“You have drool on your face, dumbass.” You point to Jisung with your index finger, chuckling when he aggressively wipes on the area right next to his bottom lip. “The whole church would smell the morning breath through the speakers.”

“Shut up.” He rolls his eyes, sinking into his seat with his acoustic guitar hugged to his chest and a yawn. “What’s taking so long, anyway?”

“The priest who’s supposed to preside had something come up last minute, apparently,” You shrug, flipping through the song book and practicing on the old piano in the mean time. Nearby, both of your grandmas are conversing animatedly with the rest of the choir while your grandfathers have both wandered off somewhere—most likely to the small vendors outside the building. “I’ll give it ten minutes until they get the priest from the next village.”

Jisung groans, finally placing his guitar back on its stand and sitting up properly only to scoot closer to you and rest his head on your shoulder. “I could’ve gotten more sleep at home.”

You immediately shrug him off in response but to no avail. “And who said you can sleep on my shoulder?”

“You woke me up so you take responsibility.” He pouts, linking your arms to hold you in place and adjusting his head on the crook of your neck. “Wake me up when we’re about to start, okay? Goodnight!”

“Ya, Han Jisu—ya!” You tilt your head down to meet his gaze to find his eyes already closed forcibly shut. When you flick his forehead and complain even more, he simply cusses at you and swats your hand away with his free hand. “So that’s how it is...”

“Don’t you dare...”

Moving your hands as close to the piano keys as you can, you then surprise the sleeping boy by practicing on the piano as loudly as you can. Great Amen echoes throughout the entire church, amplified further by the speakers set up near every pew and, naturally, veryone in vicinity jumps in surprise, including your own grandma who drops her fan, Jisung’s grandma who almost topples over in her seat, and even Seungmin who’s supposed to help sacristans this morning with the candles. 

“I hate you so much.” Jisung mumbles with furrowed brows. 

“Then get off my shoulder.” 

“No.” 

- 

“Why are you playing a Bb6? It’s a Gm7.” 

“No, it’s not.” 

You and Jisung squint your eyes at each other as you continue playing through the song anyway. Fortunately, the people sitting in for choir haven’t noticed the small mistakes yet and you’re already halfway through the mass.

“It was a Gm7.” Jisung insists anyway, leaning forward on your piano to look at the handwritten music score properly as he strums his guitar. “Whoever wrote this needs to get their ears checked.”

“You wrote this in last year with Changbin.” You point out, biting down a chuckle. The song then finally finishes and the two of you lean back in your shared seat to wait for the next one. When you look over at the choir where your grandmas have been for the past forty minutes, you see them paying attention to the mass and not at all caring about the two of you arguing. “I’m trying to follow you, dumbass.”

Stubbornly, Jisung scrunches up his nose in denial. “No, I don’t think so? I’d remember if we did.” He defends himself, earning him an eyeroll from you as he then picks up a nearby pencil and writes the ‘correct’ chord on the paper. “Anyway, it’s only the first mass.” 

You’d erase the correction on any other day had your grandma cued you again for another song. Sitting up properly (and making sure you elbow Jisung enough for him to scoot away and give you space to play on the lower keys), you then deadpa, “You don’t even remember anything else you write.” 

“Yes I d—!” Before his tone of voice could rise up higher and disrupt the entire mass, you make sure to push him back from the microphone nearest to his mouth by placing a hand over his face. “Ya!”

- 

Speaking of your other other childhood friend, you and Jisung immediately trail after Changbin once the mass concludes. Stifling your giggles as you try and blend in with the crowd of aunties who are now talking about where they could eat breakfast together and children who’ve just woken up from napping throughout the entire ceremony, you find your target by the rice cake vendors at the church entrance with the same (almost annual) look of distress on his face. 

“Third year in a row.” You whisper to Jisung as the two of you hid in the mini garden right in front of the church. Just a few meters ahead, Changbin is still contemplating on buying the rice cakes. “Do you think he’ll do it this year?”

Next to you, Jisung is quick to shake his head. “Sorry to break it to you, baby, but did you see him back there? He couldn’t even hold the other person’s hand!” He laughs, a hand hovering over his lips to muffle the sound. “I’m pretty sure the rice cakes are gonna take another two years.”

“I did, I saw him! He looked nervous as fuck I felt really bad for him!” You topple over in laughter at this, clasping your hands together. “Ah, Changbin shouldn’t always be hanging out at the rice cake vendors after every mass if he’s not going to buy. He keeps giving them—and us—false hope!”

“Can you believe this guy ditched us to flirt? He can’t even do it properly.” Jisung dramatically scoffs, breaking into another fit of laughs when Changbin walks away from the rice cake vendor at seeing his crush already walking home. “We should ambush him later when we play basketball, ‘no?”

“And you think you can do better?” You quirk an eyebrow teasingly, elbowing Jisung by his side. “Flirt, I mean?” 

“Yeah, totally!” Jisung nods with so much conviction and exaggerated determination in his expression that it makes you laugh again. “Stop doubting my skills, Y/N!” 

“Of course I’d doubt it, you’re all bark and no bite most of the time.” You scrunch up your nose, making his eyes widen and a string of protests to come out of his lips. “What? It’s true!”

“That’s not fair, you only see me on Christmas and summer!” 

“Exactly.” You cross your arms smugly which he squints his eyes at. “So, think you can do better than Seo Changbin, Ji? Prove it!” 

Taking your hand in his, Jisung then pulls you up to a stand and starts dragging you over to the rice cake vendors. “Oh, I will prove it.” He rolls his eyes, even going as far as intertwining your fingers before you could even fully comprehend what’s happening so suddenly. “What color of rice cake do you want, baby? Also, you like cheese on the rice cake, right?” 

-

december 17 (lee felix)

skz of christmas (masterlist)

m.list

@skzwriternet 

[lupinlongbottom]

Burning Bridges pt. 6 

Neville Longbottom x Reader

Summary: With the wedding behind them, (Y/N) wants to get back into the swing of teaching. However, there’s a little hiccup in the plan... one that’s been echoing throughout the halls of Hogwarts.  

Word Count: 5.8k

Warnings: a few swears

A/N: hold on to yer hats and glasses, cause this here’s the wildest ride from start to finish! I’m joking, but it’s a bit all over the place, for “plot reasons” yeah okay pick a lane chump

Part 1 ... Part 2 … Part 3 … Part 4 … Part 5 ... Part 7

__

The morning started off normal, as normal as a bleak and gloomy Monday at Hogwarts could be. Classes were starting to get back into the swing of their studies, finally getting over the feeling of the hiatus of the break two weeks prior. Friends had been reunited, students began to learn in their favorite classes and many just enjoyed being back at school.

“Good afternoon, class,” (Y/N) said, welcoming her sixth year class with a warm smile. The class was fairly small, only teaching a handful of students, about fifteen. “I assume you all had a wonderful weekend?”

The class responded in a mumbled mess, answers ranging from ‘sure, yeah’ to ‘not exactly’. Answers (Y/N) was used to, but not entirely immune to.

“Right, I hope it was a good one,” (Y/N) nodded, turning herself back to her blackboard. Scribbled in a tight font was Polyjuice Potion, a crude drawing of a cauldron underneath. She was really never good at doodling.

“How was your weekend, Professor?” a student asked as (Y/N) dotted information down on the blackboard. 

“My weekend was uneventful as always,” (Y/N) hummed, turning back around, meeting her gaze with the student who had asked. Maria Hamilton, Ravenclaw. “Continued on my batch of Felix Felicis as I have been for the last four months, hopefully I can get a nice vial out of it for class soon enough,” she smiled, hopefully.

“Really? You didn’t do anything else exciting?” Maria asked again, the tone in her voice raising slightly.

“I mean, I suppose I attended a friend’s wedding—”

“Harry Potter’s wedding, right? It was all over The Daily Prophet yesterday!” a Slytherin added, her unruly curls falling into her face. 

“Yes, that friend,” (Y/N) nodded, fighting back a smirk. Any time the famed wizard was mentioned in her class, the students couldn’t get over the fact of their professor’s friendship with the superstar. “And you really shouldn’t be reading that hogwash often, Ms. Deetz, full of slander and twisted words, it is.”

“So you haven’t seen the Sunday edition, then I take it?” Jane Deetz asked, her attention quickly turning to her friends sitting down next to her. “I mean, since you don’t read it?”

“I never said I don’t read it,” (Y/N) said, crossing her arms, growing only the slightest bit annoyed at her student’s pestering. “Does this pertain to our lecture? Polyjuice is an important potion most witches and wizards should know how to brew.”

“No, not lecture,” Maria shook her head, pulling out her copy  of the Prophet. “But, you, I suppose,” she pushed the copy across the table, allowing (Y/N) to see the flashing title across the top. Practically Perfect Potters, underneath was a photo of Ginny and Harry, looking as happy as clams. The newspaper must’ve bought the photo from a guest at the wedding, no way did Harry allow the Prophet into their ceremony, much less their reception.

“Pertains to me?” (Y/N) laughed, picking up the paper. “This article seems to be about the happy couple, as it should be I suppose.”

“Flip the page! They have other photos from the wedding,” Jane said, twirling her finger. “You’re in one, at least!”

Surely enough, on the other side were a handful of photos from the reception, many of the famous guests that had attended. Sprinkled throughout were canids of her friends, Luna dancing alone on the dance floor, Seamus and Dean wearing their ties around their heads, an adorable canid of (Y/N) laughing with Harry and Ginny, nothing out of the ordinary of the night.

There it was. She saw it. A grainy, yet still moving photo of the courtyard at the reception hall. Two figures were standing close, the woman’s arms around the mans neck, holding each other gently. It wasn’t close enough to make out the faces of the couple, but it wasn’t hard to realize that the woman in the photograph was wearing the same dress as the one with Harry and Ginny. (Y/N)’s dress. The caption was small and tight underneath the photo; A rendezvous of secret lovers.

“I’m sure Harry and Ginny are having a field day with the Prophet about these photos,” (Y/N) squeaked, trying to hold back her shock. “They didn’t allow press into the reception for a reason. Someone must’ve been sneaking photos throughout the night and sold them off.”

“You didn’t see it, did you?” Maria asked. “The one of the couple?”

“Harry and Ginny? Yes, they look beautiful—”

“The other couple, Professor,” Jane said pointedly. “It’s been the talk of the school since it arrived yesterday. Is it…?”

“Oh,” (Y/N) took another look. Was it obvious that it was her? Of course, anyone with working eyes could see it. Could anyone tell who the man was from this photo? (Y/N)’s eyes scanned the other photos, none featured Neville, fortunately. The only ones who would recognize him would be the attendees of the wedding. “Well, that looks like an invasion of privacy,” (Y/N) said, folding the paper back up.

“But it’s you, right Professor? I mean she’s wearing the same dress as you—”  

“I don’t want to add to the gossip,” (Y/N) said, holding her hand up. “Take the information for what you will.” 

“Who are you snogging?” a quiet Gryffindor boy piped up, instantly feeling ashamed of asking.

“5 points from Gryffindor for that one, Mr. Traska,” (Y/N) said sternly. She hated taking points from students, felt it was only necessary to do so to prove a point. “I will remind you, class, that my personal life is just that, personal. I don’t try to delve into your love lives, do I?”

“So that is you, right?” Maria asked excitedly. “You can’t hate us for being curious, you said at the beginning of the year the more curious the student, the better the potioneer, right?”

“I did-I said that, yes,” (Y/N) stumbled. “But you’re wise enough to know that it was pertaining to your studies, not your professor’s snogging.”

“So you admit it,” Jane spoke up, only partially. The entire class erupted with chatter, mumbling small words to one another.

“Class,” (Y/N) said, trying to reel her students back in. “Class,” she repeated once more, a bit louder than before. Very little change. Hesitating for just one moment, (Y/N) crossed her arms, hoping her silence was louder than her words. Didn’t work.

“We’re sorry, Professor (L/N),” Maria began, noting the stony look on her teacher’s face. The other students began to pipe down. “We thought that you knew…”

“And I thought that you knew better than to address it to the entire class, Ms. Hamilton,” (Y/N) turned to the Slytherin beside her, confiscating the newspaper. “Ms. Deetz, I expected more of the two of you. Detention, both of you, cauldron scrubbing this evening.”

The two girls hung their head, faces red with shame. “Yes, Professor,” Jane spoke up, her voice squeaky.

“Before we continue with the lesson, it’s clear that you lot won’t pay attention until I bring this matter to a close,” (Y/N) spoke up. “Yes, that’s me in the photo. No, I won’t share who the other person is. I respect your enthusiasm to get to know me and learn more about my life, I do, but please keep it to questions like ‘do you have a pet?’ or ‘what’s your favorite color?’, alright?”

A Gryffindor boy raised his hand, getting a nod from (Y/N). “Do you have a pet? A-and what’s your favorite color?” he asked, almost sheepishly.

“Good questions, Mr. Traska,” (Y/N) smiled. “I have an owl named Edgar, he’s my best mate, I’m sure you’ve seen him around. My favorite color is (Y/F/C), reminds me of home,” the students eased up, smiles returning to their faces. “Any last questions?”

“Do you have a boyfriend?” Jane asked, almost unashamed. “Felt like I should ask, seeing as I already have detention.”

“Cheeky,” (Y/N) clicked, laughing lightly. “But, no—well, not really, I guess. Not yet, anyway,” she smiled to herself. “I hope that changes soon,” the hurried murmurs of the class started again, making (Y/N)’s smile grow ever so slightly. “Now, back to our lesson. Polyjuice Potion…”

__

The gossip of the castle was hard to ignore, now that (Y/N) knew of the source. It seemed that every pair of eyes was aimed at her figure as she navigated the halls. She could’ve been wearing nothing at all and still had the gossip remain the same. Did Neville know about this? She hardly thought that he still read The Daily Prophet, either, considering their shared distaste for the sad excuse of journalism. What wasn’t hard to ignore, was the feeling of the floor beneath her backside as she slid onto the floor.

“(Y/N), I’m so sorry! I didn’t see you turn the corner,” Lance said, offering his hand. 

“No, I should’ve been paying better attention,” (Y/N) shook her head, pulling herself up off the ground. “Sorry that I haven’t had the chance to talk to you, Lance, but—”

“That’s alright,” he shrugged, shoving his hands into his front pockets. “I figured you had better things to do than to entertain me,” his face twisted into a grin. “The Prophet seemed to tell me that was exactly the case.”

“It was a sudden thing,” (Y/N) started, aware of the students slowing their pace, almost to eavesdrop. “I didn’t mean for it to happen the way that it did, hardly meant for anyone to be taking photos of it.”

“But you meant for it to happen, right?” Lance asked, waiting for an answer. (Y/N) nodded lightly, ashamed to look him in the eye. “I see. Were you going to break it off with me after the wedding?” Another nod. He laughed. “I should’ve seen this coming, truthfully, I was ignorant to even think that a pure-blood like you could’ve ever courted a muggle-born anyway.”

(Y/N)’s head shot up like a rocket, startled by his words. “What’s that supposed to mean? I’ve never once said—”

“Didn’t have to, everyone knows about your blood-status, the (L/N) name isn’t exactly known for much else, is it? Wallace (L/N), famed Death Eater, your father?”

“That’s a low blow, Lance and you know it,” (Y/N) said, feeling the anger bubble in her chest. “I’m nothing like my father, I’ve worked my entire life to be everything he wasn’t, for good reason, too.”

“Please,” Lance scoffed. “You may believe that, truly I believe that you do, but the need for blood purity is practically in your genes. I should’ve known better,” he sighed, almost looking beside himself. “Should’ve known you could’ve never given me a true chance.”

“Your blood-status has nothing to do with it Lance,” (Y/N) said, now noticing the straggling students around them. “Can we please move this to a private setting? Students are watching—”  

“So you can break my heart in private? Crush it to smithereens?” Lance’s hand flew to his chest dramatically. “No, I can take it like a man, right here, right now. In front of our students.”

“No,” (Y/N) said, crossing her arms. “This is childish and unprofessional,” she turned around, planning to head back to her chambers to cool down, perhaps enjoy a small snack. “When you want to have an adult conversation, send an owl.”

“It’s because he’s a pure-blood, isn’t it?”

(Y/N) stopped walking.

“I knew it,” Lance laughed. “Why else could you possibly be interested in such a bloke like him? Surely it’s not for his looks, right?” His laughter echoed in the halls. “He’s pathetic, (Y/N), the fact that you are clinging to him because of his blood-status is lowly, but perhaps expected—”

“Professor Knight, I’d stop talking if you knew what was best for you,” (Y/N) warned, almost turning around. She knew he didn’t deserve the right to see her angry, knowing full well he was looking for a rise.

“Best for me?” Lance laughed again. “No, Minty,” the former nickname rolled off his tongue like acid. “You haven’t got the first idea what’s best for me.”

“You’re right, I don’t,” (Y/N) smiled sweetly, turning back around. “Much like you for I,” she said, almost poetically. “If you think that my blood-status could possibly determine who my suitors could be, you’re sorely mistaken. Coming from the Muggle Studies Professor, you seem rather close-minded about that, do you not?”

“It’s been a practice for years, (Y/N), surely you know that much? You yourself told me of the arrangement your father had for you growing up.”

“One that never came to fruition, thank Godric,” (Y/N) sighed. “My mother found it to be barbaric, breaking it off before I even stepped foot at Hogwarts. My father really didn’t have much to say about it, considering the circumstances,” (Y/N) glanced at her watch, noting the time. “Now, Professor, if you don’t mind, I have to go and check on my cauldrons. Wouldn’t want one to overflow, would we?”

“Perhaps not, that wouldn’t be wise,” he shrugged, turning back around. “Let me know whenever that gardener bores you, it’ll come quickly enough.”

(Y/N) stood still for only a moment, feeling the gaze of straggling students. She gave them a pointed look. “Don’t you all have classes to attend?” As if on cue, the bell signal chimed out, leaving the students to frantically run to their intended destination. “That could’ve gone better,” she mumbled, her feet leading her automatically to her chambers.  

She stopped at the glittering stained-glass mosaic in the hall, the one of the phoenix. The wings flicked every so often, an enchanting sight to see. (Y/N) tried to focus her eyes on the tips of the feathers, watching the sunlight shine through the edges, trying to calm her running mind.

“It’s breathtaking, no?” A voice behind her spoke out. It was small, calming, warm. She knew it anywhere.

“I love staring at it,” (Y/N) hummed, turning her neck to see the Herbologist standing next to her. “Reminds me of Dumbledore, a bit. I reckon he’s the one who put it in.”

“Yeah,” Neville nodded, eyes transfixed on the swirling oranges and yellows of the window. “Done with classes for the day?” (Y/N) nodded. “Me too. Monday’s are the shortest of lectures but they feel like they drag on forever, right?” (Y/N) nodded again, giving no verbal response. “Hey, are you alright?”

“You don’t think I’m like my father, right?” She asked, turning to face Neville. Tears were glistening in the edges of her eyes, almost threatening to fall. “I mean, not literally, you never knew him,” she laughed, almost pathetically. “Godric I never even knew him.”

“What do you mean?” 

“Do you think I’m just a pathetic pure-blood?”

“Pathetic? You?” Neville shook his head. “I wouldn’t put those two words together, no.”

“Then what?” (Y/N) shrugged. “Some elitist who cares about blood-status?” 

“Of course not,” Neville reassured her. “You’re no Malfoy, that’s for sure. You don’t let your blood define you, (Y/N), you never have,” he shrugged, looking at her more closely. “If you did, you surely wouldn’t be working here. You’d be out and married to a pure-blooded suitor, getting waited on hand and foot,” he laughed at the thought. “It’s terribly unlike you at all.”

“You’re a pure-blood.”

“...and?”

“Wasn’t your Gran or anyone on you about your status ever?”

“No,” he sighed. “Gran never made a big fuss about it. Was more focused on me becoming more like my father rather than trying to set me up with other pure-blooded girls,” he cracked a smile. “I doubt I would’ve been anyone’s first choice in that, though.”

“Oh shove it,” (Y/N) finally smiled, feeling the tightness of her cheeks disappear. “Any girl would be lucky to marry you,” her smile faded a bit, realizing her words. A rather bold statement. “I-I mean, I know that I would, at least. Choose you, I mean.”

“T-thanks,” Neville nodded quickly, trying to ignore the red creeping up his face. Merlin was he taken by this girl. “E-even if I wasn’t a pure-blood?”

“Are you proposing to me, Longbottom?” (Y/N) said, pressing a hand to her chest dramatically. “And here I thought we weren’t rushing into anything…”

“We’re not!” He sputtered, waving his hands frantically. “We’re not, honest,” he repeated, as if to prove a point. “I-I’m sorry if it was out of line—” 

“No,” (Y/N) shook her head. “You’re alright, I was just pushing your buttons,” (Y/N) turned to look at Neville, pushing his arm slightly. “Just like normal.”

“Yeah,” Neville nodded, swallowing thickly. “Just like normal.”

The two stood in silence, eyes still glued to the glittering mosaic in front of them. The wings of the bird flapped every so often, breathing life into the art.

“You don’t happen to still read The Daily Prophet, do you?” (Y/N) asked, holding her breath. 

“So you heard about it too. I was hoping you didn’t,” Neville admitted, pulling a copy out of his back pocket. “I found it on ground in the courtyard and saw Harry’s face, it grabbed my attention,” he shrugged, thumbing through the paper.

“I’ve been the talk of the school, with my mystery suitor,” (Y/N) teased, poking Neville again. “Gave two of my students got a detention over it, they brought it up to the entire class—”

“Maria and Jane?” Neville asked, almost knowing. (Y/N) nodded. “Wonderful students, but terrible gossips they are, they try to chat quietly during class but fail miserably,” he chuckled quietly. “Still, the entire class? That’s rough, I’m sorry…”

“S’not your fault,” (Y/N) shrugged, brushing the matter off. “It’s one of my smaller classes, but no doubt the entire school is talking about me and my ‘mystery suitor’,” (Y/N) winked, poking Neville in the upper arm.

“D-do you reckon they know it’s me?”

“No,” (Y/N) shook her head. “The only people that would know would who it is were the people who attended the wedding,” she sighed, pressing her fingertips to her forehead. “Including McGonagall. She’ll be pleased, I’m sure.”

“Does Lance know?”

“Yeah,” (Y/N) hummed, her mood falling. “He knows. I wanted to talk to him, privately, about it all. I didn’t even imagine that someone was taking photos, let alone found their way out to where we were!”

“You broke it off with him?” Neville asked, his voice unsure. 

“Of course I did,” (Y/N) said, staring at Neville like he had grown a second head. “I’ve told you that I wanted to do it before the wedding, but then we… well…”

“R-right,” Neville shook his head. “I remember.”

“He… didn’t take it well,” (Y/N) sighed, wringing her wrist. “Argued with me in front of some students, not many, but enough to cause a little scene…”

“That’s horrid,” Neville said, shaking his head.

“Said some nasty things about—well, it doesn’t matter what about, I suppose,” (Y/N) shrugged lightly. “Just nasty.”

“He’s the one,” Neville said plainly, now staring directly at (Y/N). “The one that got in your head, about the pure-blood thing, right?” (Y/N) didn’t answer, only to look down at her shoes. “Blimey, he blamed it on your status, didn’t he? (Y/N)?” He gently placed a hand on her shoulder, his warm fingers taping lightly against her robe. 

“Something like that,” (Y/N) nodded. “Yeah.”

“He’s an idiot,” Neville said, tone unwavering. The look in (Y/N)’s eyes was one Neville wasn’t familiar with, almost a flicker of disappointment, maybe in herself? “Tell you what,” he removed his hand from her shoulder. “Do you have plans this evening?”

“I have to oversee detention,” (Y/N) said, shaking her head a bit. “But otherwise, no. Why do you ask?”

“You need a bit of cheering up,” Neville said, placing his hands on his hips. “Come over after detention,” his face twisted into a toothy grin, stretching to his ears. “I’ll cook you something, or we can just have tea, y’know, chat.”

“This sounds an awful lot like a date,” (Y/N) smirked, cocking an eyebrow. “Are you asking me on a date, Neville Longbottom?”

“I suppose I am,” he laughed, almost beside himself. “Yeah.”

“Should I wear something fancy?” She said, hands pulling at the edges of her robes. “A dress, maybe?” 

“I-if you feel inclined, sure,” Neville nodded. “Though it’s just me…”

“All the more reason, then,” (Y/N) said, pushing his shoulder lightly, playfully giving it a pat. “The detention shouldn’t take too long, I keep my cauldrons sparkling normally, Jane and Maria will get it done quickly.”

“Great,” Neville nodded again, swallowing thickly. “I’ll see you later tonight, then?”

“It’s a date,” (Y/N) winked, walking back to her chambers with a spring in her step, practically floating across the floor.

“Merlin,” Neville mumbled, clutching his chest, eyes glued to the back of (Y/N)’s robes. “I can’t believe I just did that.”

__

Neville paced across the floor of his living room. It was small, only large enough for a couch, a coffee table and the fireplace. (Y/N)’s place was bigger, he recalled, bringing back memories of frequent tea breaks and chats. Neville decided he liked the smaller space, it gave it a homey feel, plants surrounding every nook and cranny that he could find.

A quick rap was heard at his door, causing Neville to throw himself into a slight panic. A few short breaths, he bucked up the courage to go and answer it. Upon opening the door, there (Y/N) stood, dressed in a silver gown, length touching just below her knees, the glow of the fabric radiating off the candlelight of his chambers.

“Wow…” was all Neville could make out, feeling his face grow hot to the touch. “You look… just… wow.”

“You think?” (Y/N) said, glancing down at her dress, gripping the sides of the skirt lightly, bellowing it out. “It’s the same dress that I wore to—”

“Slughorn’s Christmas party, yeah,” Neville nodded, recalling the dress. Even then, he thought she looked ethereal, unreal to the human eye. “I remember,” he glanced at the neckline of the dress, touching the bottom of (Y/N)’s collarbone. “You got the lamb sauce out,” he lifted his finger, drawing a circle near the hem.

“I did,” (Y/N) nodded, pulling at the fabric. “It took a few charms and tries, but I managed,” she giggled, recalling the young Gryffindor spilling his plate onto her dress. “I’m still glad you did that, though, even on accident. Managed to get us to leave that dreadful party early,” (Y/N) hummed, rocking onto her toes.

“I’m still sorry,” Neville sighed, rubbing his neck. He had apologized a billion and a half times about the whole incident in the moment, only feeling worse about it after the fact. “I’m glad you were able to clean the dress, though. It looks nice.”

“Thank you,” (Y/N) said bashfully, now feeling a heat trace the bridge of her nose. “Can I…?” she motioned her hand into the doorway, Neville pushing himself to the side.

“Oh! Of course!” He jumped over, allowing (Y/N) to enter.

The living area that (Y/N) was used to was completely transformed, the couch was pushed against the wall, what looked to be a spare bedsheet covered the floor along with various cushions and pillows. The fireplace was roaring, looking to be freshly stoked, candles floating gently through the air of the chamber along with the sweet scent of pumpkins. 

“Oh…” (Y/N) stood just inside of the door, eyes floating from candle to candle, watching them almost collide. “Nev…”

“D-do you like it?” Neville asked, feeling smaller than a pygmy puff.

“I love it,” (Y/N) nodded softly, unsure of what else to say. “You did all of this… for me?”

“Yeah,” Neville said, ushering (Y/N) over to the impromptu picnic. They both settled onto the blanket, feeling the flickers of the fire warming their legs. “I mean, you only have a first date with the girl you’ve been mad for—for years—only once, right?”

“I suppose,” (Y/N) smiled, feeling the familiar prickling of tears in the corners of her eyes. “You really didn’t have to go all out though…”

“It’s nothing,” Neville shrugged, handing (Y/N) a glass filled with a sparkling red drink, the bubbles turning blue as they popped to the top. “I got that from Madam Rosmerta today, she said it’d pair well with the pumpkin pasties.”

“You got pumpkin pasties?” (Y/N)’s eyes lit up, a spark of wonder jolting through her very self. They had been her very favorite snack every year on the journey to school, always making sure to bring enough spending money for a few extras to save for later. 

“No,” Neville said, shaking his head. He reached over to a trunk—his old one from school, (Y/N) noted—and pulled out a plate of sloppily-made pasties. “I made some, well, tried to anyway…”

“They look wonderful!” (Y/N) said, excitedly. She hesitantly reached out for one, waiting for a small nod from Neville. Feeling the flaking crust under her fingertips brought her back to the train, back to chatting idly with her mates, wondering what adventures and lessons they’d encounter that school year. “They smell the same, too!”

“I hope they taste as you remember, I begged the shopkeep down at Honeydukes for a recipe. He was awfully nice at saying no, but gave me a few tips,” Neville admitted, watching carefully as (Y/N) took her first bite. “Well?”

“They’re delicious, Neville,” (Y/N) said, taking another large bite. They had tasted similar to the ones she’d grown used to, the warmth and cinnamon overwhelming her senses. “You went all the way to Honeydukes to ask for the recipe?”

“I was already in Hogsmeade,” Neville said, fidgeting with his socks, fingers playing with the purple material. “Had to get the wine from Madam Rosmerta… figured I’d stop in, try my luck.”

“Don’t they sell the pumpkin pasties there?” (Y/N) asked, taking another bite.  

“Ah… well…” Neville’s face grew red, far quicker than (Y/N) was used to seeing. “T-they do, but I wanted to—uhm—make them myself…”

(Y/N) leaned over, placing a soft peck to Neville’s cheek. “It was awfully sweet of you, going out of your way to do that—this, all of it,” (Y/N) said, gesturing to the scene set before her. “It’s rather romantic.”

“I-I was going for that,” Neville gulped. “Romantic, I mean. You really looked like you could use some cheering up earlier, so I wanted to try hard at it, make you smile.”

“You’ve succeeded,” (Y/N) smiled, taking a sip of the bubbling wine. “Madam Rosmerta was right, this does go well with the pasties. Tastes a bit like honeysuckle,” she took another sip. “Thank you, Neville. I really needed something like this, to get my mind off of everything.”

“What Lance said to you wasn’t right,” Neville said, strongly. “You’re not just some pure-blooded blockhead. If anything, he’s the blockhead for saying those things. I reckon he was trying to overcompensate for something—”

“I’m sure he was,” (Y/N) smiled, noting how Neville’s few freckles danced under the firelight. “He’s so full of himself, I can’t believe I ever thought I fancied him.”

“I didn’t help, I’m sure,” Neville said, going back to his socks. “I mean, I was the one to tell you to go for it.”

“We were dumb,” (Y/N) laughed. “I mean, we did have quite a bit of blockage, emotionally, I suppose.”

“The wedding helped.”

“The wedding helped, indeed,” (Y/N) nodded. “It all feels unreal, sitting here with you now.”

“I know,” Neville smiled, now taking a sip of the wine. (Y/N) was right, it did taste like honeysuckle, a bit. “If you told me that five years ago, I’d probably faint—blimey, I’m close to fainting right about now.”

“I get it, feels like a dream, really, actually sitting here with you. On a date,” (Y/N) smiled. “So… what do people normally talk about on dates?”

“I suppose the normal things,” Neville hummed, tapping his fingers on his knee. “Passions, hobbies, family…”

“I guess I’m not very good at this,” (Y/N) said, smiling lightly. “Because we already know all those things about each other.”

“I guess we do,” Neville chuckled.

“Well, I suppose we could try sharing something we’ve never shared with one another?”

“I don’t think there’s anything about me that you don’t already know,” Neville shrugged, sipping his wine again, reaching the end of his glass.

“I reckon I could come up with something,” (Y/N) mumbled, rocking back and forth lightly. “You know how I had an arranged, pure-blooded, courtship set up? By my dad?” Neville nodded, recalling bits and pieces of the story. “I never—blimey this is hard to say out loud—I never told anyone who it was with.”

“You said that it was broken off before you got to school, right? Your mum called it off,” Neville said, trying to remember. “I guess I never really put much thought at to who was on the other end…”

“I can’t even bring myself to say it,” (Y/N) said, throwing her head in her hands. “You’re going to vomit.”

“It wasn’t… no!” Neville’s eyes widened in shock, nearly tipping over the open bottle to his left. “Not—you’re joking, right? Please tell me it’s not—”

“Malfoy,” (Y/N) nodded, face hiding beneath her fingers. “Yeah.”

“I could’ve gone my entire life without that knowledge,” Neville said, face drawing blank. “I mean, just the thought—you and Malfoy—(Y/N) Malfoy, sounds ridiculous!” 

“Alright,” (Y/N) laughed, patting Neville’s arm. “Obviously I was never a fan of the arrangement. My father and Mr. Malfoy made the deal when I was born, they were close friends, colleagues of the Dark Lord,” she recalled, shuddering a bit. “The crossing of our bloodlines would’ve been something ‘extraordinary’ in the pure-blood community, something the Malfoy’s made abundantly clear.”

“I just—wow. Consider me speechless.”

“Enough about my tragic backstory, full of woe and triumph,” (Y/N) laughed, trying to dissolve the tension. “What about you? Got any boggarts in your closet, Longbottom?”

“Not any that can top… that,” Neville admitted, trying to regain his composure. “I suppose there might be one or two things, though…”

“Spill,” (Y/N) chided. “Come on, I shared mine, time to share yours.”

“Do you remember, when we were both in the Hospital Wing after the fight at the Ministry?”

“Can’t hardly forget,” (Y/N) said, pressing her hand to ribcage gently, wincing at the thought. “Still have the scars to prove it, too.”

While Neville had sustained a broken nose, (Y/N) had gotten a few swift kicks to the side, leaving her with a few broken ribs and enough bruising to last a lifetime. The couple resided the next night in the Hospital Wing, recovering.

“That night, when you were sleeping, you were talking—”

“You’ve told me that,” (Y/N) laughed. “I know I say ridiculous things in my sleep, you’ve said that I was going ‘on and on about pumpkin pasties’, very believable of me.”

“Yeah, you were,” Neville chuckled. “But, you also said… something else…”

“Neville, I thought this was a secret about you, not me—”

“I’m getting to it, promise,” Neville said, taking a deep breath. “You were mumbling a bit of things like ‘stop’ and ‘no’, I figured you were having a nightmare. But then, you said, ‘don’t touch him, don’t hurt him’,” a beat of silence. “Then, you said my name. You said it in such a way, so… broken a-and hurt. I reached over to touch you, to make sure you were okay and when I did… you smiled, just a bit, went back to talking about pasties,” Neville’s lips turned upward, his eyes softening. “It was then, I think, yeah. When I knew I loved you.”

“I—wow,” (Y/N) said, her face shining with the brilliance of roses. “That’s… got me beat, for sure.”

“Sorry,” Neville chuckled. “You wanted to hear a secret, it was either that or admit to cheating off you in Potions class.”

“That,” (Y/N) snorted. “That’s hardly a secret, Nev. I let you cheat off me.”

“Still rings true,” Neville said, glancing up at (Y/N), her features highlighted by the firelight. He’d always thought she was beautiful, in any sort of setting and place, but in this moment, the way the warm glow of the fire echoed off her skin just made Neville’s heart soar.

Without thinking, he pressed his lips to (Y/N)’s softly, catching her by surprise. His face was scrunched, ever so slightly, almost preparing for a blow. She settled into the kiss, placing her hand on his jaw.  

“Oh,” Neville said, pulling away, just a bit, hands in his lap. “I-I’m sorry, I should’ve asked—”

“Why?” (Y/N) said, pressing a kiss to his nose. “You don’t need to ask permission to kiss me,” she pressed another kiss to his lips, this one softer than the last.

“Feels wrong,” Neville hummed between pecks. “Considering that we’re—”

“Not dating?”

Neville nodded quickly. 

“Well, we should change that,” (Y/N) looked into Neville’s green eyes, golden flecks illuminated by the soft light before them. “Yeah?”

“You think? I thought that we weren’t going to rush into anything,” Neville repeated, emphasizing on his words. “Take it slow?”

“Fuck what we said,” she said pointedly, Neville wincing at her use of words. “Obviously we care a great deal about one another, hell, we can’t even have a normal first date because of how much we already knew one another. Surely we already care for one another in that way, why should it matter?”

“I guess you’re right,” Neville chuckled. “It does seem a bit weird that we’re not… official, when you put it like that.”

“It does, doesn’t it? Besides, people are going to find out about the photo anyway, might as well go all in, right?” (Y/N) giggled, noting the way Neville’s eyes scrunched shut in laughter. “Guess it was inevitable, huh?”

“Guess so,” Neville smiled, his hand resting atop of (Y/N)’s, the warmth between the touch was as warm as the firelight around them. 

“Well?” (Y/N) pointed an eyebrow upward, turning back to the Gryffindor beside her. “Aren’t you going to kiss your girlfriend again? Or is she going to have to do it for you?”

Neville didn’t need to be asked twice.

__

General Tag List: @maralisa124 , @leighxlover , @hey-its-me-rai , @missihart23 , @biatheintrovert , @luna-xxxxx , @chocolaterumble, @why-am-i-sad-and-sleepy , @steve-thotgers , @greeneyedthief, @kitkatkl , @thelightsideoflife , @thataudreydork

Neville Longbottom Tag List: @readerbandit

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[seasonofthegeek]

Completely Insufferable Company

Thank you to the shining star that is @miraculouspaon for requesting a story with Nino and Felix. You know I’m such trash for these two. <3

___

“Are we on a date right now?” Felix stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, causing Nino to go on without him a few steps before turning around with a blush.

“What?”

Judging green eyes swept pointedly up and down the other man. “I’ve never seen you wear a blazer before, and for once, you aren’t sporting those awful, tacky sneakers.” He raised an eyebrow. “That leads me to believe you think this is a date.”

The laugh Nino let out made Felix frown. “You think that I think we’re on a date right now?” His grin was wide. “In what universe would we be on a date? Come on, dude. I’m wearing this because Marinette asked us to dress nice for this wedding party meet and greet thing.”

Felix pursed his lips in an almost painful gesture. “Not a date then, my mistake.”

“Definitely not a date.”

“You did pick me up at the hotel. Well, ‘pick up’ isn’t exactly right since we’re walking,” he said with a sigh of disgust.

“I don’t have a car because I don’t usually need a car. And yeah, I came to get you to make sure you actually showed up. For some reason, your cousin seems to think you’re still an okay guy.” Nino made a scoffing noise but it was only half-hearted. “And as his best man, I’m not going to let you let him down.”

“I see.”

They walked another block in silence before Nino popped his lips a few times awkwardly. “Wait, did you think this was a date?”

“I’m not nearly that stupid.”

“Ah.”

“Like you said, in what universe would we be on a date?” Felix posed his question back to him, keeping his eyes ahead. White and gold balloons bobbed in the distance, signaling they were close to the venue. 

“I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings when I said that, dude.”

“Funny that you think you could.”

Nino sighed. “Fine, whatever. Sorry.” 

“Doesn’t this whole event seem ridiculous?”

“Huh?”

“Most of us in the wedding party already know each other. Why have a ‘meet and greet’?” Felix lifted his fingers in quotations with a sneer.

“I guess just to get us all to hang out.” Nino shrugged. “It’s nice.”

“If you say so.”

He shook his head. “Do you ever get tired of being such an asshole?”

“No, I actually enjoy it quite a bit, thanks.”

_____

“He drives me crazy,” Nino fumed. He stabbed at a cocktail weenie with his fork. “He’s entitled and a jerk and I hate his stuffy clothes. And I know I sound ridiculous, but I don’t care.”

“Uh-huh.” Alya ran her finger along the rim of her champagne glass.

“And I don’t know if I’m going to make it the next month if I have to try to keep track of him for all the wedding stuff.”

“Sure sounds like a hard job no one asked you to do,” she pointed out, a smirk pulling at the corner of her lips.

Nino blinked, mouth gaping open a bit. “I...well, no, not officially, but come on, Al. You know how he’s been in the past. I don’t want him to ruin this for Adrien and Mari.”

“Me neither.” She turned her head to look at Felix sullenly sitting alone at a table on the opposite side of the room. “Just look at him over there, ruining things.”

Felix did look lonely, his scowl coming off less hostile than usual. 

Nino quickly looked away when the other man caught him staring. “I don’t know why you care. I thought you hated Felix.”

Alya chuckled. “I don’t hate him. I don’t like him, but hate is a really strong emotion. He’s not worth that energy from me.” She took a sip of her drink. “And I could learn to like him if he was important to someone I love.”

Turning his head to hide his blush, Nino tried to look anywhere around the room but where Felix was. “Like Adrien.”

“Sure, babe. Like Adrien,” she sighed, shaking her head.

_____

“Well, I suppose I’m leaving unless you’d like to have me arrested for attempting to go back to the hotel alone,” Felix said dryly. His eyes lingered on Nino for a long second before he was turning away from the table.

Nino swallowed hard and pushed his chair away from the table with too much force. The legs scraped against the hardwood floor and he winced as he attempted not to make eye contact with the gleeful Alya still sitting at the table.

“I’ll, uh, I’ll walk back with you. I’m ready to go too,” he offered when Felix looked back at him with surprise.

“It’s your life,” he replied but waited for Nino to grab his blazer of the back of his chair and hurriedly thrust his arms into the sleeves.

“Can you let Adrien know I’ll be back later?” he whispered to Alya, eyes desperate and cheeks dark.

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Lahiffe.” She winked in return and his blush deepened.

Nino spun on his heels and fell into step beside Felix as they left the building. “It was a nice party.”

Felix cleared his throat. “Yes, I suppose it was. Adrien seems very happy with the bakery girl.”

“You know her name is Marinette, dude.”

“Marinette,” he echoed, unimpressed. “Right.”

“For a meet and greet, you didn’t seem to talk much.”

“When you know you’re less liked than Chloe Bourgeois, it’s easier to just keep to yourself.”

Nino stopped walking and Felix sighed as he turned to look at him.

“Fine, Chloe is a wonderfully sweet person who I shouldn’t say things like that about.” Felix crossed his arms. “Happy?”

He couldn’t stop the grin stretching his lips. “I didn’t ask you to lie, dude.” He was pleased to see the hint of a smile from Felix.

“Ah, I suppose you didn’t.”

“Chloe is great in her own Chloe way though,” Nino added. “Just like you are.”

“I’m great now?”

“Sometimes, in a Felix way.”

Felix considered his evaluation. “That’s acceptable.”

Nino laughed. “Good to know, I guess.”

“For the record, your company isn’t entirely insufferable sometimes.”

“I don’t feel like I should say thanks to that, but it’s also you, so thanks.” Nino knew his cheeks were going to be sore from smiling. “If you ever want my not entirely insufferable company when there isn’t wedding stuff going on, just let me know.”

Felix tilted his chin up defiantly, trying to force the blush spreading across his cheeks to calm. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

Nino nodded, feeling strangely satisfied. “Good.”

“Yes, I believe it is.”

Prompt List

Buy me a cherry coke?

[angelixskz]

↳ pairing; seo changbin x reader

↳ genre; suggestive, fluff if you squint, soulmate!au 

↳ summary; your leg is killing you, but that doesn’t stop you from getting a new tattoo. 

↳ word count; 2,448

HAPPY BELATED CHANGBIN DAY! I hope he had an amazing day and that he smiled till his cheeks hurt. I hope that he ate well, stayed safe and overall go all the happiness that he deserves. 

↳ a/n; I got a little carried away with this fic, just a tiny bit. thank you to @haechaaaaaaanssi​ for beta reading and helping me make this header because my brain does not understand the concept of headers. hugs for janna. anyways, I hope that you enjoy this angels <3

↳ inspo; these pics and touchy feely by ro james (can y’all believe that someone gave that to me as a song rec lol)

↳ warning(s); making out

It was getting harder and harder to walk towards the parlor.

You weren’t sure if it was because of the nerves partying in your stomach or the increasing pressure around your right calf, or maybe, it was both. Turning back briefly, you saw your friend give you a thumbs up. The tiny encouragement sparked an ounce of determination, and with that, you tightened your grip on the warm cup of coffee in your hand and pushed open the door to the dimly lit tattoo parlor with a blinking neon ‘open sign’.

Presented in front of you was a small waiting room, the lighting as dark as the tinted windows showed. Covering the wall behind the wooden front counter were various pictures of previous customers’ designs. Decorated on the other black-painted walls were simply just framed sketches. 

You were alone in the parlor.

Light shone behind the black curtains leading to, what you presumed, were the work stations for the employees. You could faintly hear the buzz of machinery and the hum of a fan. The pain in your leg thumped your hand into action. Hesitantly, you pressed on the bell resting on the counter.

As you waited, you turned your attention back to the framed papers hanging on the walls. They were all very pretty, but they didn’t compare to the one that you had in mind. Remembering the piece of paper, you reached into your back pocket. It was odd how you came about it; simply waking up at the crack of dawn with a pencil in hand and a beautiful sketch of vines and flowers on a white sheet of paper in front of you. At that moment, you were heavily thinking about pursuing your career as an artist. Instead, your friend convinced you to get it tattooed on your body. 

The first tattoo parlor that came to mind was the one across the street, conveniently, right across the cafe you worked at. 

“That regular who never talks works there, right?” 

Of course Felix would remind you of Changbin, the seemingly never smiling tattoo artist who would only utter his order before leaving to his table. You looked at the sketches hanging under his name. While they were all very pretty, one specific design caught your interest. 

Stepping away from the oddly short counter and past the worn out leather seats sitting next to the entrance door, you shot one hand out towards the one paper hanging loosely by a transparent blue tac pin. The ache started to increase, almost as if the vines imprinted on the skin of your leg were tightening. 

Before you could fully compare your own design to his, a hand shot past your ear. 

“Can I help you?” came out the gruff voice. 

You turned around with a grimace. With each second that ticked, the ache in your calf didn’t seem to falter. For a moment, you held your breath, for you were met with the dark gaze of the Changbin. He always looked peaceful while drawing in his sketchbook as he occasionally glanced outside the window to observe the people passing by, yet here, he didn’t look too happy with his furrowed brows and irritated dip of his lips. 

Glancing down at the harsh grip he held on the paper with his right hand, you explained that you were here to get a tattoo. Your gaze lingered on the ink peeping through the crumpled lines. “This… is a tattoo place, right?” you questioned, finding the courage to look back up at him.

Perhaps your words confused him because his once irritated expression morphed into one that you could only describe as a constipated scrunch. His eyes squinted slightly, brows accompanied by line etched in between and a slightly gapped mouth.

“Did you read the sign that says Stray Tattoos?”

You smiled brightly at the boy, “Of course not, I just randomly decided to visit this mysterious looking store across my cafe.”

He clicked his tongue before turning around and walking behind the counter. You followed along, hoping that your limp wasn’t showing as you struggled to deal with the horrid throbbing in your leg. 

“You have a design in mind?” he asked, bringing out his sketchbook. 

“That one,” you told him.

He raised a brow at your pointed finger. The paper he previously tore from the wall was still clutched in his hand. “No.”

You blinked, “What?”

“It’s not a design.”

“Then why was it on the wall?”

Changbin stared at you with an unreadable expression, “It’s not now, so go choose a different design.”

You frowned, “Why can’t I get that one?”

“I told you, it’s not a design for sale,” he pursed, “and you most definitely did not have this in mind. It’s not posted on our website or any of our social media accounts.” His frown deepened, confusion written in his eyes, “Even if it was, no one should be able to see the design.”

He mumbled the last part, but you managed to catch onto his small words. You smiled cheekily in response, “Well maybe I’m special since I’m able to see it.” 

Wholeheartedly, you meant it as a joke. Changbin’s dead serious face didn’t seem to take it as a joke. He wanted to say, ‘you must be’ but he knew better–soulmates don’t exist.  

He rolled his eyes, “Whatever. The point is, you can’t get this tattoo.”

You pursed your lips, “Fine, then I want this one.” You pulled out the folded piece of paper from your back pocket and slapped it onto the counter. Changbin’s eyes widened as he stared at the identical design you gave him.

Before he had a chance to speak, he was interrupted by the voice of a blond boy with a dimpled grin. “Are you giving our customer a hard time?” he chastised.

“Hello there! I’m Chan.” He placed a hand on the shoulder of his fellow grumpy co-worker. “Don’t mind Changbin here, he woke up on the wrong side of the bed today.”

Changbin slapped away the hand of his friend.

“See,” Chan whispered, a hand covering his mouth from Changbin’s view, “he’s a bit sensitive today.”

You chuckled, “It’s okay, I just gave him my design.” 

Chan followed your gesture towards the folded paper that Changbin was holding against another crumpled paper. Confusion flashed in Chan’s eyes for a brief moment before he hid it with a gleam of playfulness. “I see, you guys are exchanging secret sketches.”

“Secret sketches?” you echoed.

“Yeah, did you guys use invisible ink or something–” he vaguely gestured towards the papers–”because there’s nothing on there.”

You would’ve laughed at him if it weren’t for the pinch of pain that pulsed through your leg. 

“What do you mean? There’s designs on both of those papers,” you frowned.

Something sparked in Chan’s eyes and he gave a knowing look to Changbin. 

There was a silent battle of glances between the two, one that you witnessed without much focus. You were too busy remembering the bothersome prickling in your leg. Frown deepening, you focused on the warmth of the coffee cup you held in your hand, hoping that the warmth could transfer to your leg. You cleared your throat. “Well if today isn’t a good time, I can just leave. Oh, and uh,” you placed the now cooling cup down on the counter, “this is for you, Changbin, since you didn’t come to the cafe today.”

You bit the inside of your lip, hating how the pain increased tenfold when Changbin made eye-contact with you. You gave a slight nod and let out a silent wince when you turned around–conveniently missing how he expressed a small grimace. 

“Wait,” he called out, “You can get the tattoo.”

-

You anxiously wiggled in the black leather chair when Changbin entered the room. 

Wordlessly, he sat down on a chair next to you. He didn’t seem to be concerned that you didn't have any pants on, but then again, he hasn’t glanced once at you since he arrived. He was quite content on his needles, jaw clenched. Your leg throbbed, unbearingly so–you let out a whimper.

He casted his eyes on yours, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah,” you weakly replied, “just nervous.”

“First time?”

You nodded. Slowly, he trailed his gaze down your neck, past your chest and down to your bare legs. He stayed focused on the vines wrapped around your calf–a new wave of pain washed over you. 

“But it looks like you already got one? Unless it’s fake,” he observed, your wince unnoticed by the fact that he tried to ignore the insufferable sting in his right shoulder. “These vines match the ones on your calf,” he added. 

“Would you believe me if I said that it was marked there when I was born?” you managed to gasp out, sweat starting to form against your hairline despite the wind blowing towards you.

Pain clear in your voice, he quickly turned to you with concern, “Are you sure you’re okay? We can do this another day.”

“I’m-” before you could utter ‘fine’, you let out a yelp, your hand moving to your calf to rub away the pain. Changbin dropped the needle on the floor and instinctively reached for your extended hand. 

Suddenly, it stopped. 

Everything stopped, it seemed. The needle stopped midway to the ground, the fan blowing in the corner froze, the clock’s hand paused, the rapid acceleration of your heart slowed, but most importantly, the ache in your leg dissipated. 

Your breath hitched when the vines around your leg started to unravel. You felt breathless as they grew. You followed as the vine slowly trailed up your leg, the slow beat of your heart suddenly loud in your ears when you saw another vine out of the corner of your eye. 

There were no words you could speak when you realized that the other vine was trailing down Changbin’s arm. You spared a quick glance up at his eyes. They sparkled with the same awe as yours. Letting out a breath of disbelief, you looked back down at the two vines moving towards each other. Your vine moved up to Changbin’s knuckles that were touching the skin of your thigh and connected to his vine that curled around his wrist. 

When the two vines interlocked, pure serenity fell over the two of you. Flower buds blossomed in the trails of the vines. Slowly, Changbin let go of your hand. Once the two of you were no longer touching, time resumed; the needle started falling again, the fan resumed cooling the room, the clock started to tick, your heart never actually stopped beating but it sure felt like it, and the ache in your leg throbbed faintly. The vines started to retract, budding flowers starting to disappear.

As light as a feather, Changbin touched one of the flower buds. The two of you were sucked back into a frozen universe within a split second. His thumb smoothened over the bud as it started to blossom, vines extending and curling towards his touch. You could only watch with a held in breath as he leaned closer towards the flower. As if in a trance, he pressed his lips softly against your skin. The pillowly touch of his lips was light, yet it still managed to make your heart flutter and it elicited a gasp from your mouth. 

Too in awe at the colors inking your skin and flooding the outlined flower, you failed to notice how Changbin regretted his action. It wasn’t until he pulled away did you realize that he was spouting out countless apologies–he thought that he overstepped his boundaries.

Before he could fully dismiss his touch, you cupped his face. You tried not to get distracted by the vines creeping up his neck and growing to where you hand lie. 

“Hey,” you murmured, “it’s okay.”

His brown eyes were blown wide, a haze swirling in the galaxy of his iris. “Are you sure-”

You chuckled and nuzzled your nose against his, “Did you know how many times I thought that this vine on my leg was some useless birthmark? Never did I ever think that it was my soulmate mark.”

“I thought soulmates didn’t exist anymore,” he admitted, eyes glancing down at your lips for a moment.

“I didn’t either, although, I did feel a certain pull towards you whenever you visited the shop,” you confessed, “but then again, that could’ve been because I thought you were cute.”

He raised a brow, “Cute?”

You smiled, “Yes, cute with your beanie and sketchbook, just drawing away while admiring the pedestrians passing by.”

Something about you calling him cute didn’t sit well in his stomach. “Cute,” he repeated, almost scoffing out. Your heart started to speed up as he slightly pushed you into the chair. He hovered over you, breath mixing with yours. He pecked kisses from the corner of your lips all the way down to your collarbone. Flowers bloomed and colors exploded on the flesh of the two of you.

Together you painted a beautiful picture. 

Your breaths became shallow as you felt his tongue swipe against your skin. He colored your skin as he moved back up. His kisses trailed along your jaw and aimed at the corner of your mouth, never quite planting his lips on yours.

“Kiss me,” you whispered.

With a small smirk, he slowly connected his lips with yours. There was no hurry in his actions, afterall, the clock was no longer ticking. He never stayed more than a second before pulling away. His eyes glimmered with amusement as you chased after his lips each time. 

“Changbin,” you whined when he disconnected his mouth from yours for the nth time.

The way you breathed out his name made him break. 

He pushed his mouth against yours, teeth clashing and temperature rising. His tongue swiped along your bottom lip. Saliva mixed together just as the vines around you twirled within each other. The leather beneath you started to stick to you as you wiggled around. 

You tugged at the hem of his shirt which prompted him to quickly remove the material. With hot pants leaving your mouth, you marveled over the numerous vines penned from his neck, connected to his shoulder blades and curling down to his torso. You trailed your hands along the path of vines, flowers blooming with each touch. When he exhaled a shaky breath, you chuckled.

“Cute,” you teased, pressing a kiss to a flower on his jaw. 

The color pouring into the petals of the flower contrasted the darkness that engulfed his eyes. 

He mocked your chuckle, “Oh, baby, I’ll show you cute.”

[rvb-is-gay]

ok so now that the final episode of rvb0 is out for everyone, lets get into some discussion about it! please note that post isnt a topic of debate but rather just my personal thoughts about everything, so dont go arguing in the replies

(fair warning ahead of time for any fans, this is mostly criticism and negative feelings about it, so keep scrolling if you dont wanna read it)

When RVB0 was first announced, I remember everyone was first upset that the Reds and Blues weren't in it, including me. But now that I've watched the whole thing, I can say with confidence that my only issue with RVB0 isn't the lack of the Reds and Blues, but rather everything. the dialogue, some of the animation, the characters, the delivery, the pacing, the ridiculous amount of clichés, etc. I don't dislike RVB0 just because there's no Reds and Blues. I dislike it because I just found the entirety of it bad.

When I first started watching it, I went in with an open mind that maybe this season could actually be really good. I’d also be lying if I said that there wasn't a single scene that I liked. There were actually a few, but they still didn't make up for just the overall badness of the season. But please note that I don't blame the voice actors for any of this or even just Torrian Crawford for the season coming out a giant mess. Many people worked for this season and always had the opportunity to improve or change things but didn't. But anyways, let’s get into some of the criticisms I have for this season.

1. Smaller and more opinion oriented criticisms

This isn’t really criticism or anything important, but rather just a few things I found a bit weird to me personally.

First, the term “ragtag team of misfits” was used to describe Shatter Squad (and was even actually said out loud by One in the last episode, which sounded just so cliché and dumb in my opinion). I don't think this describes them at all?? Everyone has, at the very least, decent relationships with each other (save for One and East who were competitive with each other (which I also fucking hate in RVB that all the girl characters are always competitive with each other)), but that still doesn't really fit the term ragtag) and they all fight very well. I think ragtag fits the Reds and Blues more than it does Shatter Squad; they're bad at fighting, they argue and fight all the time, they're idiots, and that's why we love them. If they had just stuck with “a team of misfits”, that would've made more sense, but again, this is more of a personal opinion than genuine criticism.

Second, I don’t really like the aesthetics this season had. Everything felt a bit too neon and bright and then some stuff just felt like it came straight out of World of Warcraft or something. It didn’t really feel like RVB.

Third, my feelings about Carolina constantly calling Wash David can be summed up by what Michael said in the first episode of Halo 4 LASO: “Now we’re just gonna throw his name around all willy nilly. It used to be a secret.” When someone is called by their real name in RVB or just any story in general where everyone goes by code names, it’s usually a big deal and indicates something serious. Carolina wore out Wash’s name the first time she said it and it just got more and more irritating from then on out and lost its value.

Fourth, who was the blue and purple soldier in the first teaser we got? Was that One? Did they decide to change her armour colour? I don’t know, I just randomly remembered that and thought it was weird but I guess it must’ve just been a colour change.

Now, onto the more serious criticism.

2. Animation and dialogue

The second thing I wanna talk about is the animation. Don't get me wrong, the fighting animation is probably the best compared to everything else and it was pretty good to watch, but the talking and idle animations and gestures were..... kinda yikes. I know that it could be chalked up to “well we’re not used to seeing animated gestures since all of RVB usually has everyone just holding their gun and using the regular Halo models” but there were still some pretty bad parts.

Take the scene from Encounter at 3:26 as an example (I uploaded the scene to YT to put here, but obviously it was blocked for copyright):

This scene is probably one of the worst when it comes to not only the animations, but the dialogue, pacing, and delivery. When I first saw this, I honestly laughed. Here's a list of my problems with this scene and what made it so laughable:

The overexaggerated hand gestures. I get that because everyone's in armour and a helmet, it can be hard to show expression, but this feels like a bit much. Especially when One says “what? You’re pulling us off the mission? You cant do that!” I think that one scene in season 15 when Grif stays behind on Iris while everyone leaves and it slowly zooms in on Simmons’ visor somehow does a lot better at expressing feelings than this.

East immediately making the connection between Axel and Zero feels weird. I don't know if its just me who feels this way, but I think it should've been a little bit longer before she immediately is just like “you know Zero don't you”

Axel saying “I... I do... I did”  also sounds weird and like he was trying a bit too hard to sound dramatic. I don't really know how to describe it its just such a weird delivery of the line.

The way they all immediately start yelling at each other.

One saying “Axe, I trusted you” right after saying “tell us the truth”. Girl, you gave him no opportunity to explain and just immediately jumped to not trusting him anymore. Speaking of which, I don't think this was ever really mentioned again and had no meaning or importance to it.

The echoing of “I trusted you” also feels cliché to me, but this is more of a minor thing.

I think this one comment on one of the episodes on the RT site that says the dialogue “seemed acted rather than natural. It didn't really sound like how people normally talk, more how actors talk in plays” is how I feel about all of the dialogue in RVB0.

3. The villains

Zero and Diesel both felt like they didn't really have any motivation at all for being villains. Phase is probably the best when it comes to this. She was essentially abused by her father as a child and forced to undergo being experimented on. This is an actual good and understandable motivation.

Diesel we know basically nothing about, and then on the other hand, all Zero wants is power. But for what? Why? I can understand that power is a pretty common thing for people to want, but it still kind of felt like there wasn't really anything there.

Some previous good villains in RVB include:

Temple: Temple witnessed his best friend be brutally murdered right in front of him by 2 soldiers who didn't give a shit and just left him to die, especially right after he told him he was having a baby. Of course it’s understandable that he has a hatred of Freelancers after this. Any normal person would.

Felix: Felix was probably the best villain of all of RVB, to be honest (right beside the Director). He was just somehow so likeable and had so much personality, despite being an asshole. His ultimate motivation was money and being rich, which is another thing I can understand; the more money you have, the more you can essentially do whatever you want and live in luxury. I mean, even so many people in real life do horrible things just for money. I don't even have to give examples for this. Felix in general is also just a psychopath.

The Director: The whole reason the Director did what he did was because he lost the person he loved most in the world: his wife. He was willing to do literally anything to bring her back, leading to all of his actions in the Project Freelancer saga. You can find many examples of movie/TV/book/etc characters/villains seeking vengeance as a result of loss of a loved one and grief. Despite being a horrible person, the Director actually managed to be a villain you could even sympathize with, making him even better.

Sharkface: Although a bit of a more minor villain, similar to Temple, Sharkface is a villain because he wants revenge on the people that killed his team, the people he considered to be the only family he’s ever had.

4. Tucker & the swords

The fourth thing I wanna talk about is the whole thing with Tucker and the swords. I always found it kinda weird how both Tuckers sword and now Locus’ sword in the chorus trilogy were the same, but then in RVB0, Zero’s sword looks and acts completely different, but that might just be a little nitpick of mine.

As for Tucker, it was so good to see him. Although I don’t know if it was just me, but he seemed a little OOC. What I didn't like about seeing Tucker again was that he did literally nothing the entire episode. He was useless. He said “I can fight” at one point but then all he does during the battle is get held at knife point, run away, and then get stabbed and have his sword taken. Tucker isn't an amazing fighter, but he’s definitely a lot more capable than just this. We’ve seen him in action many times and I just feel like he could've done a bit more. It almost feels like he was purposefully nerfed and tossed aside just to advance the plot.

Another thing that I and probably a lot of people are upset about is the fact that Tucker might not even own his sword anymore?? When East stabbed him, he apparently died and the sword was rebound to Phase, but it wasn't very clear that this was the case. Although the beginning of the next episode starts with hospital beeps and a flatline, I don't think it was still really clear enough that Tucker actually died long enough for Phase to reclaim the sword because I saw a handful of people confused in the comments and, like me, even thought it was just bad writing at first and that the writers completely forgot about the rules of the sword established over several prior seasons.

When in the hospital, Wash tells Tucker that he almost died. Although I actually liked this scene because it was nice to see wash and tucker bantering again, I think it could've been made better and made the plot clearer if instead of saying he almost died, Wash said something along the lines of “Tucker, you died. Your heart stopped, but they were able to bring you back thanks to their advanced medical tech” and then in response Tucker freaks out because that means his sword will now work for Phase and now they know how urgent the situation is.

I really really hate that Phase just has Tucker’s sword now and nothing is even said about it. If Tucker was to give his sword away to someone, I think many people would prefer that it was at least someone close to him, like Junior for example, but instead it goes to a random girl he hardly knows.

5. Pacing

The fifth thing I wanna talk about is the pacing. This season was definitely a lot shorter than normal and I think that’s one of the things that really prevented it from being good. The entire story just feels rushed and while I understand that it can be really difficult to build a good story and characters in such a short time, I think there’s still ways you can do it without it feeling like there’s so much missing. I think the long intros and outros are also responsible for less time and maybe they should’ve considered cutting them to give more actual episode time. Here’s a few things that were poorly done as a result of bad pacing:

The final battle against Zero: The whole battle just somehow felt like a typical video game boss battle that ends super quickly to me. Shatter Squad didn’t even defeat Zero, he just up and got disintegrated or whatever from Black Lotus.

Shatter Squad giving up on their mission: After receiving the silly deep voice filtered message from Zero, everyone on Shatter Squad just immediately gives up on finding him.

One’s speech: One’s speech wasn’t awful or anything and I didn’t really have any problems with the speech itself, but rather just how quickly the team went from “we can’t do it.. it’s over..” to “you’re right! I’m in! Let’s go get them!” Compare this to Doc and Sarge’s speech to the Reds and Blues after Church and Carolina leave in season 10 episode 20. It just felt a lot more genuine (this is probably because the Reds and Blues had a lot more time to be developed, though) and was only given after some time passed rather than 2 seconds later. The scene and context also transitioned well into it and at first, nobody was on board with what Doc was saying, which is more realistic in my opinion. People’s minds won’t just instantly change, they’re still gonna think about it and maybe have a few doubts at first.

Phase and West: During their fight, West talked a lot about how he regrets giving Phase away to Starlight, that he won’t hurt her, and is even willing to die for her. Their scene together ends with Phase punching him in the head and then leaving to join the others and nothing else about them is mentioned. We don’t know if Phase forgave him or not, we don’t know how West feels, etc.

Tucker’s sword: Phase still has Tucker’s sword and like the scenario with West, nothing about it is mentioned. We don’t know what she’s going to do with it, if she’s going to keep it, if Tucker’s gonna do anything about it, etc.

6. Clichés

Clichés aren’t inherently bad and can be really impactful and good if done right. But when it comes to RVB0, it’s jampacked with clichés that aren’t good. Here are a few examples:

Everyone gives up until a speech is given: All of the points for this are the same as above, but I wanted to include this scene as a cliché as well.

Every female character is competitive with each other: RVB falls into this a lot, like I mentioned earlier. It happens again with East and One, although luckily they seem to resolve it, but not until literally the end of the season.

West’s fit about East: All of the lines and delivery in this scene were just atrocious and cheesy. I think West’s dialogue just could’ve been a bit more original, but instead we’re given this boring predictable “I won’t lay a hand on her. I promised her. I promised her mother. I promised she’d be safe” spiel that has no emotion to it in his voice.

The whole “I got this, you go ahead” thing: This isn’t like a super cliché thing, but I found it pretty interesting how it happens twice in the same episode.

I think this is pretty much all I can think of at the moment. If I think of anything else, I’ll add onto this. Overall, I think RVB0 would’ve done a lot better as just an RVB spinoff so that it could have more episodes and seasons dedicated to developing characters and a good plot. I’m really disappointed with this season and I hope whatever comes next is better than what RVB0 was. I hope the team that worked on it can learn a few things that come from the good and valid constructive criticism given to them. And if I had to pick, I think I’d say Raymond was my favourite out of all the new characters. He just felt the most relatable and realistic to me.

[promiscuous-jalapeno]

Ledge

{Dimitri x F!Byleth}

Genre: N//SFW / Angst / Comfort Word Count: 1,984 Summary: Dimitri’s jealousy and tense grapple with his feelings towards Byleth come to a head. This is feral ass Dimitri post-timeskip being jealous and confused and possessive of Byleth. A/N: Happy Happy Happiest Birthday’s to @flatsuke ! I tried to get this done by yesterday but I failed im sry!! Thank you for being such an amazing friend to me, thank you for all of the laughs and late-night talks and headcanon sessions. Thank you for always being so kind and giving to everyone you meet. I really hope you like this and I hope this next year brings you so much joy ILY happy birthday <3 !  Additional Content Warnings: Blood mention, Fingering, First Time

     He cared not that it was raining. The pungent smell of soil had somehow taken on an acridity to him now; only serving to remind him of the years he wandered alone, early morning sun beating down where he lay on the warm earth, the whispers from his mind begging it to reclaim him and complete the damned circle.

     Another sleepless night, but at least the cloak of darkness offered him some form of respite from the waking nightmare. Her. Everywhere he went, she was. The ghost of her smile from all those years ago haunted him to this day, even when he close his eyes.

     Part of him hated her. No—no, he could never hate her. Not truly. Jealous. He was jealous of her. How she seemed unfazed by the last few years. Preserved and untouched by the brutal, gripping hands of time. Still delicate and brilliant and mysterious; intricate as stained glass.

     Whereas he...

     Dimitri’s hands wrung themselves. Time had captured him in its unforgiving jowls. Left him bitter. Gnarled and ugly. Slicing him with its jagged teeth before it spat him out like the poisonous thing he is. His soul was not one for consumption.

    Had he known what was to become of him, he might have asked her to dance all those years ago. Unburdened by the fear of appearing with all the grace of a newborn colt, the swinish steps or the sweat brought to his palms by the reality of their distance—or lack there of. And how the way she smelled would surely linger even in his dreams for weeks to come. He would have asked her to dance...

     His way had been the cowards' way, back then. But, he supposed, perhaps that much hadn’t changed. If he could muster a laugh, it would be self-deprecating. Even now he felt unworthy of her touch, more so than ever before. He had no right to ask anything of her. He could barely stand the sight of his own soiled hands.

     And yet, the sickening weight in his stomach and the tenseness in his jaw when he saw her whispering with a smirking Sylvain…or the way he clenched fists until his knuckles turned white when he spied her going over maps a little too closely with anyone else, suggested that as much as he like to deny it, he wanted her for himself. Even if just to bring him a remnant glimmer of the man he used to be.

     Perhaps that’s what fueled his angry display earlier that afternoon, when he caught her sparring with Felix in the training grounds.

     Felix behind her, hands on her hips to square her stance. His face close to hers, lips that could just as easily kiss her speaking instructions. The way his touch lingered on her sculpted arms as they swung her sword and cut the air thick with tension. 

     Both of them sweating, parrying each other much to Felix’s clear delight. How he could stand there drowning in his own torment whilst the two of them were seemingly lost in their own private world…as if they had not known hardship and loss…his blood was boiling by the time they even noticed he was there.

     Felix jut his chin in Dimitri’s direction, scoffing between labored pants and haughtily swiping his gloved fingers through his damp hair. “Gotten yourself another craving for blood, have you, boar?” Felix spat, condescending.

     Dimitri didn’t reply to the clear challenge, only gripped the training sword so tightly he was sure it might snap under the pressure. He didn’t wait for Felix to ready himself, either. His sword swung down so fiercely it whistled in the air, vibrating his bones the minute Felix countered.

     “You—“ Felix grit. He had no time to question between the onslaught of blows from Dimitri. 

     Crack—crack, Crack. Felix met him at every turn, albeit with only fractions of a second saving his skin. Unable to rebuttal the full power, all he could do was displace the momentum of the swings, his feet digging into the loose soil at every step to keep himself from staggering.

     Dimitri could see it so clearly now. How he had changed. Felix was an excellent swordsman, but his technique was a little too perfect. Too technical. Too tight. Time had made Dimitri an opportunist, even if the trade-off meant he was less than noble in order to best. He found an opening, the wooden hilt like a hammer driving into Felix’s ribs, whilst Dimitri’s elbow made contact with his jaw, sending Felix flying back and into the dirt.

     “Dimitri...”

     Byleth’s voice calling his name finally came into his consciousness. The sound reeked of disappointment. Had she been speaking the entire time? He had almost forgotten where he was. The training sword fell from his hand with a plunk and it’s echo seemed the loudest sound he’d ever heard.

     Felix spat blood, wiping his weeping lip with his sleeved arm, piercing eyes seemingly looking straight through Dimitri. “So...he shows his true self once more. Welcome back, vile beast. Glad to see your fighting style is brutish as ever.”

     Dimitri’s heart raced, hands shaking at his sides. But what scared him was the fact that they shook not out of fear or repentance for what he’d just done, but out of anger, and the withheld desire to go further still. He watched Byleth extend her hand to Felix before he ran from the place without a word.

     He walked until it began to rain. He walked until it became dark, and then he walked some more. He wasn’t sure where he had been, but somehow his feet brought him back to the cathedral.

     His muddy steps reverberated in the empty space until he reached the heart of the room where he stood and closed his eyes, palms open and unable to discern between drops of rain falling from his mangled hair and the tears he’s sure were there.

     In between the stifling silence and the cascading drips of water on marble came that voice again. His name. “Dimitri.” Quietly spoken behind him. How had he not heard her approach?

     “...Dimitri,” she said again.

     “Leave me,” he warned.

      No. He didn’t want to see her face. Her eyes and words dripping with understanding, or worse—pity. The very sight of her served as a reminder for how much he had changed. How lost he had become, perhaps never to be found. And worst of all, he was afraid of what he would do to her if he faced her.

     “I’m not leaving you.” She repeated like a prayer, each time softer than the last, desperate to drill the message into his heart like a wedge into a block of ice.

     Slowly, she coaxed him toward her, and much to his relief he saw not pity nor understanding in her eyes. Nothing, save for a blank expression, waiting—reading him. She was soaking wet, too. Had she been out looking for him all this time?

      Their breathing synced in the silence. Her cold wet fingers reached for the clasp at his chest, unlatching buckles that sent his heavy, rain-sodden cloak to the marble floor. The sudden weight off of his shoulders cathartic. Then she reached to his face. Dimitri felt the pleasant sharpness of her nails against his forehead as she swept his dripping bangs to the side tenderly. Cold like ice.

     He gripped her wrist in his large hand right as she pulled away from his face. She must have known what he was feeling. Must have seen the heat in his stare, or sensed the danger palpable in the air between them. He gave her a moment to run from him, then. Please, please run, he begged with every shred of restraint he had left. But she sucked in a sharp breath, took a step closer instead, and Dimitri pulled her into him by the wrist and kissed her deeply.

     He had never kissed anyone before. He wasn’t even sure he had been doing it properly until she moaned against his lips, and he felt her melt a bit in his arms. That sound...and the feeling of her relaxing into him, had his sanity and self-control blurring a blinding white.

     He moved with purpose unknown to himself. He was removed, entirely, from his desires. Hands he surely knew as his own were tearing and yanking at clothing before he had a chance to think his actions through. And she was pawing at him, in return.

     He had touched all the places he had only dreamed of, before. Her soft breasts and pert nipples he invited into his mouth. Her thighs; the thighs of a mercenary, thick and strong and lovely. And between them, a heavenly warmth he knew he may be undeserving of, what with his thick, calloused fingers that had been tainted by the blood of those he’d slaughtered, but he plunged inside of anyway.

     She let out an adorable, sexy sigh. Pleading for him to continue. “Ahh, yes...”

     Clinging to his broad shoulders she let him work her until her legs began to give. And when he withdrew his hand and placed the fingers in his mouth. He had never cursed himself so vehemently for his inability to taste.

     Lifting her until she straddled his hips, he lowered her onto his cock with little regard for anything but the determination to feel himself inside of her. The moment he was fully sheathed, a boyish whimper rippled from his throat, followed by a desperate growl.

     With feverish rapidity he bounced her up and down on his cock, guiding her hips and elating in the way he forced a moan from her lungs with every rough slam. Their skin, still slick from rain and now slicker still with sweat, sticking together in all the places they melded.

     This was better than he had ever fantasized, even all those years ago as he tossed in his dorm, dancing between the state of sleep and wakefulness, visualizing her glowing celestial in the doorway or in his bed, slender fingers slipping into bedclothes. She was real. Here—now. Accepting him inside of her despite everything he was. Clinging to him and meeting the thrusts just as urgently as he.

     He slammed her back against a wall of rubble, using that leverage to fuck her as hard as he could, as deeply as he could go. Pushing everything he was and felt, every emotion and sorrow, inside of her. Tiny pebbles tumbling down among tufts of dust but neither caring. She didn’t wince or flinch, not for a moment. Of course, she didn’t...she was the strongest person he’d ever known. How had he not seen it before? She could take anything he had to give, perhaps she was the only one.

     He kissed her again as his hips quickened pace, driving them both to The Divine. Each heated dive inside of her echoed an Amen in the catacombs of his mind. He had never felt a oneness akin to this. Not even shedding blood with a comrade on the battlefield. He wanted to own her, to keep her this close for all time he had left. But he knew that wasn’t possible, so instead, he settled for spilling himself inside of her.

     Dimitri felt sharp teeth close around his bottom lip as he twirled his cock to feel her every inch, but he didn’t care if she made him bleed. He was committing her to memory. He had left her with His Warmth. A fraction of the warmth she had so kindly bestowed upon him in the time they’ve known each other. But a warmth, nonetheless. And though he knew he had done nothing to deserve it, perhaps by some grace of the Goddess he’d be given time enough to continue his repayment.

[vln-vibes]

Ephemeral Flowers

WEEK 3 DAY 7 of Maribat March; BROKEN Part of Staying Whelmed and Erable.

Ships: Dickinette, AdriKon, NatMarc

Summary: They won. Earth was saved from the Reach... but at what cost?

Paris, France June 20, 12:20 CEST

“Everyone get to the shelters!” 

Adrien was lucky he was already out when this disaster began. His mom had called to see if he’d been alright, he felt an uneasy squeeze to his heart when he told her that he was in the safety of the Bourgeois hotel; he never liked lying to his mom before, but he didn’t have the choice right now. Not especially after he just got her back.

Somehow, he thought six hurricanes surrounding the Eiffel tower and making their way around the city was easier to handle than their Final Stand barely a month ago.

“You think this has anything to do with the Reach?”

“Most likely, Chaton” Ladybug’s voice was in his ear, the team going around and helping the citizens head to previously designated akuma shelters. Ryuuko had activated Wind Dragon form to try and contain the hurricanes in one place, but they seemed to be more powerful than the average hurricane… y'know, considering there were six.

“Any word from the Team?” Bunnix asked.

“Guys, I know what's causing these things!” Viperion’s voice was hard to hear, a lot of interference where he was. All their devices got pings, each of them showing an oval shaped device floating in the air with a swarm of drones surrounding it, currently in statis.

“What the hell are those things?” Monarch asked, indigo locks, where normally red hair was, blew wildly in the air.

“I’d say that looks pretty alien to me” Paon responded, their embroidered royal blue mask shaping to the same furrowed brow they had. “It's like the Reach’s final present to Earth, if anything. Y’know, one last kick to the heroes and all that.”

“Mon ange, now is not the time to think of how fitting this would be in a writing point of view”

“Look, it's either this or panicking.”

“It.. a.. Eiffel….attack..g hurry!” Viperion’s signal was beginning to cut out, but they all got the idea.

Paris, France June 21, 05:16 CEST

The Dupain-Chengs watched as the Justice league announced that the reach had been defeated; the world was now safe.

The world panicked as machines began to pop up in different places of the world, two even in Paris, but were dealt with by their own heroes. Many had wondered if they would continue once Hawkmoth was defeated, but they continued to protect their home. It was of no real surprise when they teamed up with the other heroes to take down the Reach. But something deep within told them that all was not well when the announcement was made.

“The Reach is being sent back into space and will be awaiting trial Green Lantern Corp.” Captain Atom announced as the crowd began to cheer, but his face was not one of celebration. Wonder Woman taking his place at the podium, sadness and acceptance in her eyes before speaking.

“But it was not without a cost; Today we mourn and celebrate the lives of the Parisian heroes who gave their lives to save the planet”

A hologram appearing behind them, one by one appearing as she said their codenames;

“Souris,Tyger, Paon, Monarch, Bunnix, Taurus, Roi Singe, Pegasus, Ryuko, Viperion, Carapace, Queen Bee, Rena Rouge, Chat Noir and Ladybug.”

The permanent smile on the holograms made Sabine’s heart ache, those young heroes who’d been protecting Paris for more than five years. They had finally defeated their villain only for them to parish.

But she knew there was more to it. She might have been paranoid, but a mother’s instinct was never wrong

“Oh their poor families,” Tom said, shedding a few tears for their beloved heroes. A knock on the door interrupting their solemn thoughts, going downstairs to open it they were surprised to see a red eyed Richard with his younger brother, Tim, and friends, Artemis and Wally.

“Richard? Is everything alright?” Sabine tried calming her voice, but alarms rang in her head as she noticed their matching expressions. The same look of guilt and regret as no one dared look her in the eye.

“I-It’s about Marinette “ Richard softly spoke, the group silently entering the apartment. “I think you need to sit down for this, both of you”

Tom and Sabine shared a look, both instinctively knowing that they would not be seeing their little girl for a long time.

“... She wanted to tell you for so long” Artemis’ voice cracked, handing them a small device. Sabine cradled it in her hands, one last thing from their daughter she was sure. Pressing the sole button on the device a hologram popped up before them; Marinette was there from the waist up, as though she had been sitting when recording this message, the only identifiable item of clothing was a black zipped up half-jacket.

‘Hi maman, papá. If you’re seeing this then it must mean that my mission is complete or I gave it my best til the bitter end’ her little girl looked so tired, as though the weight of the world was on her shoulders. Had she always looked like that?

``I don’t know how long I have before our final fight, but I gave it to Dick so he’d give it to you guys just in case. For nearly the past seven years, I have been at the front of what seemed to be an endless war. I’m sure I’ve changed, hopefully into a respectable woman that will make you proud. The truth is…’

‘Please don’t.’ Sabine stubbornly thought as the tears welled up in her eyes, her husband's squeeze on her hand tightened as they heard her next line, a familiar mask being placed on her face. The world froze and her blood grew cold.

‘I am Ladybug; wielder of the Miraculous of Luck and Creation, Guardian of Miracles and Protector of Paris. I wanted to tell you for so long, but with Hawkmoth out and about I just𑁋I just couldn’t! I couldn’t allow you to suffer, knowing I was out there everyday  risking my life because of some maniac with too much power in his hands. I didn’t want your lives in danger because of my selfishness.’

Their sobs echoed in the now too empty house, regardless of the other guests in the room who accompanied them in silent tears.

‘I hope you can forgive me for having to learn this way. I can only pray I made you proud. Know that wherever I am, I’ll always love you. Signing out, your daughter Marinette Dupain-Cheng.’

Paris, France June 21, 05:16 CEST

Conner Kent hated the news he had to give.

But he owed it to Adrien.

He stepped into the gates of the newly named Graham de Vanily Manor, knowing that it was late, but hearing soft speaking voices come from inside. Part of him wished that he had agreed to let someone come with him, but he knew that there’d be other places that need visiting.

Too many.

As he softly knocked on the door, knowing its residents could hear him, Conner felt like he would throw up. The last look of those emerald eyes haunted him and made his heart ache.

He heard the heavy doors open and thought he saw a ghost.

“A-Adrien?” he felt his throat tighten before noticing the differences; this new figure was taller, leaner, hair platinum blonde instead of honey, green eyes with specks of gray.

“No. I’m his cousin, Felix,” the lean man asked, clearly perturbed by the fact that a complete stranger was knocking at their doors at five in the morning.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Can I come in, it’s about Adrien” Conner could hear his spiked heartbeat as he moved to the side and beckoned him to the family room. 

In the room were three figures, two of them looking nearly identical if for differences in hues and a few hardly noticeable grays on the paler one (then again losing your sister and husband would do that to you). It explained why Felix looked so similar to him, at first glance they could be mistaken for twins. The other was a big burly figure, bigger than himself.

He knew Emelie Graham de Vanily and Guillaume ‘Gorilla’ Durand. He could only guess that the other woman was Amelie, the aunt that lived in England with his cousin that Adrien would sometimes talk about.

“Conner.” Emelie caught his attention from her wheelchair next to her sister. He hadn’t known her for long, mostly through stories he was told, until she was woken up; then he was introduced as Adrien’s boyfriend.

“Mrs. Grah- I mean Emelie” 

Conner couldn’t do this.

He didn’t want to.

But they deserved to know the truth.

“It’s fine dear. I’m afraid Adrien was going to spend the night with Chloe when that disaster started.” her eyes clearly worried, looking out the window, the first few rays of sunshine peeking through this somber morning.

“I hope they were fine” Amelie sighed in agreement, “Can I offer you something to drink?”

“No. No it’s fine, thank you” he took a deep breath, not wanting to allow his own emotions to overcome him. 

“I need to speak to you about Adrien.” Everyone’s heartbeat elevated as he did nothing to hide the somber tone in his voice, and Conner wanted to hate his super hearing. 

“Adrien left this behind. In case anything happened, he wanted for you to read it before letting anyone else say anything.” he pulled out a black envelope, in silver cursive it said, ‘To my Family’

“Co-Conner, what is this about?” Emilie’s hands shook as she got a hold of the thing, as though she were afraid it would burn her.

“I think you should read the letter first.”

‘Hey fam,

I know I just got you back, which is why I’m sorry this had to happen. What I’ve been doing this past half decade has been a real wild ride. After what happened with mom, Gabriel practically locked me up in the mansion, only letting me leave whenever it was for his convenience. I was just the trophy son, I wonder if he ever loved me.

Life is full of unexpected turns, one minute you feel like you’re locked up in the highest tower by an evil witch, the next you’re on the adventure of a lifetime with the best friend you can ever ask for.

There’s a lot of things I regret not doing; not stopping Chloe from becoming a total brat and bully when we were younger, not going to uncle Arthur’s funeral, being complicit in Gabriel’s will and therefore Lila’s and especially harassing one of my best friends because I couldn’t take no for an answer just like that man. 

I regret not telling you that I am Chat Noir, the Black Cat of Misfortune and Destruction and  Protector of Paris.

I hope you can forgive me for not coming out with the truth sooner but m’lady and I had already come to an agreement to not tell our families in fear that they’d be targeted by Hawkmoth; can you imagine what would have happened?

Even with all of that over and done with, the risk was too high, and honestly I didn’t know how to casually bring it up in conversation. Oops.’

Emelie’s voice cracked as she choked on a laugh, her vision too blurry to see what the next word was, quickly engulfed by her sister in a hug as she passed the note to Felix. His own eyes were bloodshot but he refused to let any tears run until he finished reading.

‘Most importantly I regret not proposing to Kon.’ 

Conner felt his heart stop. The world was spinning around as the line repeated in his head; did everything always look so blurry?

``I was going to ask mom for her ring, but I thought it’d be better for a wedding. I even started wedding planning with Mr. Dupain-Cheng, did you know he’s a hopeless romantic?. Mari thought I was insane when she helped me pick out the ring. We got it custom made too; Tungsten𑁋 one of the strongest metals on Earth, it’s harder than Steel!

I had hoped to give it to him myself but things don’t always turn out the way we want them to and I’ve learned that that’s okay. I lived my life to the fullest and experienced things no others have; pretty cool I’d say.

Forever your little cat waiting for his knight,

Adrien Agreste Graham de Vanily’

Conner hadn’t realized he was crying until he felt a small object placed in his hand, Felix having placed it as he shook in an attempt to suppress his tears. Connor realized that it was the ring Adrien had gotten him.

The mansion was filled with sniffling, the shadow of a cat seemingly looming over them.

The WatchTower  June 20, 07:16 EDT

Lex Luthor did not think everything would go to shit with the Reach so quickly. Neither he nor the Light trusted those aliens as much as Superman could throw them; that is to say they were just using them and planned on backstabbing them once their usefulness was done.

Not only had they killed one of the members of the Light, not that any of them thought he’d be gone for long, but they had also planned to betray the Light as well.

He convinced the most likely fired United Nations secretary general Zhang in order to call the League; he may not like them but he also enjoyed living on Earth… maybe until they find a sustainable planet to move their society to should anything happen.

“Luthor! What are you𑁋”

“ Secretary Zhang was kind enough to let me borrow his frequency,” he decided to ignore Captain Atom’s outrage and cut to the chase. “As I have a possible solution to our mutual problem”

“A problem created by you and the Light when they collaborated to bring the Reach to Earth.”

“But as I believe you know, the Light always planned to betray the Reach. Lexcorp𑁋”

“I think that’s enough of that Luthor,” the man could say he was surprised by the sudden appearance of the Parisian superheroes who’d “recently debuted” after defeating a magical terrorist that had been rampaging for the past years. He hated having not known that, apparently it was something no one in the Light knew.

Though Vandal Savage and Ra’s al Ghul gave interesting looks when finally catching glimpses of them.

“We have already created a solution, one that needs no help from the likes of you,” Ladybug’s eyes glowed red as she looked at Luthor, a ladybug themed flash drive on Nightwing’s hand.

“And trust that the Light will see justice for their crimes”

With that Chat Noir cut the transmission, the team turned back to Blue Beetle as he continued to create Reach Tech eggs, as per Ladybug’s instructions, and Pegasus transferred the flash drive's information into them.

“Alright guys, we have 19 Magnetic Field Disruptors to destroy and stop the world from ending”

They distributed the eggs with groups of two going up against each MFD; one as cover while the other went to disable the device. There were barely enough heroes available as the majority had gone out to help with rescue of the citizens.

“I love it when she takes charge like that.” Nightwing sighed before helping distribute the eggs and sending the teams to their designated areas.

Paris, France June 21, 05:16 CEST

Kaldur’ahm found himself in front of a ship, The Liberty. He never ceased to feel like it matched Luka’s easy-going attitude.

As he boarded the ship he could see some water remaining from the storms earlier, quickly using his hydrokinesis to throw it back into the river.

He was procrastinating.

He walked down the deck towards the door leading to the cabin. With a swift knock on the door, he could not hear anyone approaching; that’s when he noticed the bell. 

He needed to deliver the news.

He pulled on the rope as the bell chimed loudly, a muffled yelling coming from within. A woman with graying hair in a messy braid came out, although tired, there was a clear resemblance to them in the way she currently looked like she’d skin him alive and feed him to the fishes for waking her so early. It was a few times he’d seen the siblings genuinely angry and he could say it matched the woman before him.

“What’re ya doing on my Liberty so early?” she wipes the sleepiness from her eyes and adjusted her glasses. Despite how carefree she’d been described, he couldn’t help but think she looked older than she should.

Oh right.

She became a single mother of two at barely thirty years.

“My name is Kaldur'ahm, a friend of Luka and Juleka. I am… sincerely sorry. I am afraid I did not come bearing good news” the woman, Anarka Couffaine, looked alert and like she was about to fight him. He gave her the item the siblings entrusted the team to deliver should anything happen.

Luka and Juleka had left a song. 

Anarka did not hesitate to go down to her children’s room , an old radio with a DVD player being used to play the song; Luka’s soft guitar strums soon became accompanied by Juleka’s gentle voice.

Happiness and joy

Sorrow and sadness

You and I

We shared them together

Shared for a time

But suddenly faltered

Flowers of a dream

Anarka slowly sank onto the floor, Kaldur holding her to the best of his abilities as silent tears. As soon as the strums of the guitar started she knew what it meant; she had learned to understand her husband, and then her son's way of communicating after all.

A field of grass

Leads to heaven

A gentle wind passed by

When you gave a smile

Nothing to fear

Forever in my heart

Blooming flowers prevail

“H-How did they… ?” Anarka’s broken voice softly spoke as the music continued.

Despite what Nightwing had said earlier, he couldn’t help but blame himself; if they had captured all of them earlier, then perhaps the Reach would not have gotten the chance to implement the MFDs. If they had detected the two remaining at the poles, then none of this would be happening…

“They were heroes.”

Paris, France June 21, 05:25 CEST

Batgirl and Impulse were there at the Kante residence only for Claudie to beat them to the punch.

“Max programmed Markov to tell me everything if his vitals couldn’t be detected anymore” her sad but proud smile did nothing to help them feel less guilty for the single mother.

Wonder Girl stood in awkward silence as Eden and Roux Lavillant-Piaf reacted to the news of their daughter’s death. The two men taking comfort in each other's presence as they cradled one another, Eden humming a tune she thought was familiar while Roux shed silent tears, one she later realized was one of Souris’ favorite songs; La vie en Rose.

Kid Flash didn’t know what to take of Kagami’s note;

‘I do not need that woman’s tears, nor those of whom call themselves my family. I would rather tell the Dupain-Chengs or Couffeine, however, if these are being delivered they are already heavily burdened. Knowing my friends shall mourn my loss is enough’

He also didn’t know what to make of Nathaniel’s request;

‘Don’t tell my family about Monarch. I doubt they’d even care’

The beautiful smell of the land that lingers in our history

Sands of black that color every little corner

I saw eternity only once, but I realize it cannot be kept in sight

Paris, France June 21, 05:30 CEST

Bumblebee was not surprised by Abeille’s video to her parents or even the fact that she was ‘fired’ by Audrey Bourgeois. When Guardian asked her about it she just shook her head in somber.

“Some people mourn differently”

“I always knew my little Marc was a hero” Mrs. Anciel, Paon’s grandmother if Garfield remembers correctly, said as she sat in her rocking chair in a daze “I just never thought it’d be so literally”

The Le family had just thanked L’gann with clear tears forming in their eyes after giving them a letter in a language he did not recognize. It wouldn't be until after that he learned Roi Singe’s native tongue was Vietnamese .

Our lives are truly in a world of wonder

A poem of my life - it's a pretty song to remember

We already acted a thousand lives

For the briefest moment in our long history

Paris, France June 21, 06:16 CEST

Robin, Tigress, Blue Beetle and Miss Martian felt their hearts heavy.

They had decided to be the ones to inform the Cesaires, Kubdel and Lahiffes of what happened to their daughters and son.

They were the only heroes apart from the Couffaines that had siblings.

“If I had never given her that watch” Mr. Kubdel buried his face in his hands.

“You didn’t know but maybe she did… She was always a spitfire, I don’t think we could have stopped her if we tried” Jalil told his father. Neither men wailed, they simply hugged each other for a while.

“No! She𑁋She can’t be gone!” Ella and Etta had viciously tried to beat at Tigress as he kneeled down to them. The hug she gave the twins seemed to trigger the waterworks as they devolved to sobbing.

“I couldn’t protect her…”

“You can’t blame yourself for this” Blue Beetle tried consoling Nora as she sat on the couch, hand on her head as she hid her face from everyone; he knew that if he heard about Milagro he’d feel the same. 

“He’s too lame to be a hero!” Chris yelled out “You’re lying!”

“You know we’re not,” Miss Martian said soothingly from her place with Ms.Lahiffe, trying to help the crying woman.

“I hate him! I hate him!” Chris’ yelling got louder 

“No you don’t” Robin spoke next to him, “No matter how much you fight, no matter how much you get on each others’ nerves, no matter how much you wish you’d never see him again… You still love him. He’ll always be your big brother”

“How would you know?” Chris’ voice cracked as he finally realized that his denial would do nothing to bring Nino back.

“Because I lost my big brother too”

I love you; I miss all of you

No warning what had happened then

I won't ever say goodbye

Metropolis June 20, 08:30 EST

“So now that Hawkmoth’s gone are coming back to Gotham?” Robin asked from behind Taurus, the hero engaging in a fight with one of the drones, headbutting it into the other one.

“Don’t know replacement,” he grunted “I kinda like it there, but I do miss the English language, as annoying as it is”

“Well,” Robin continued, using his bo-staff to push away the drone blocking the main device, “You know you always have a place back home, right?”

With one last dash he pressed his egg onto the MFD, deactivating their device. The two heroes looked at each other proudly as Taurus smirked.

“Yeah I know”

Birds are singing

Clouds are drifting

Trees are rustling

They cover the night

Gotham City June 20, 08:30 EST

“Hey Ma fée?”

Nightwing leaped across the street, throwing an EMP on one of the drones before Ladybug used her yo-yo to throw them away.

“Yes, Mon coeur?” Ladybug looked at him curiously

“I was thinking” he touched the MFD with the egg, letting the machine fall onto the Gotham street, “Maybe it's time we take a break from the whole hero business. I doubt we’ll be able to fully take off the capes like Wally but𑁋”

The two shared a tender kiss, the last strike of lightning disappearing from the Gotham sky.

North Magnetic Pole June 20, 13:50 UTC

They missed two MFDs.

Their locations blocked them from the initial search until Blue Beetle and Tyger told them that there were still two out there in separate parts of the world.

Ladybug had volunteered her Team to go, originally just planning to go by herself and Chat Noir while Rena Rouge and Carapace could get the other; Viperion and Bunnix immediately objected and instead her whole team was deployed to go.

They were herself, Monarch, Paon, Taurus, Viperion, Ryuuko, Tyger and Souris. The other team was Chat Noir, Rena Rouge, Carapace, Abeille, Bunnix, Pegasus and Roi Singe. Pegasus would teleport both teams to their destinations due to the simple fact that there were no Zetas in the Arctic or Antarctic.

She would lead the team to the North Magnetic Pole; Chat Noir would go to the South Magnetic Pole.

“We’re too late…” 

Ladybug’s crestfallen expression was felt by her team as they watched the Magnetic Field disruptor reach its chrysalis state as they watched the ice cave collapse in on itself. The Earth will fall in a new ice age… 

South Magnetic Pole June 20, 13:50 UTC

“Both MFDs have reached Chrysalis state” Chat Noir informed the Watchtower. He didn’t think it would all end like this.

After everything they went to, after finally defeating Hawkmoth, after finally getting his mother back and the literal end of the world had to happen.

‘No! This isn’t how it’s supposed to be!’ Plagg’s voice echoed in his head, ‘We can still stop this if we combine our powers’

“Ladybug, is Tikki𑁋?”

“Yes, she also says we can do it.” Ladybug’s steeled voice responded before he finished asking.

They could still save the world, they could still stop the Reach from winning.

But Chat Noir knew better than to think that there would be no consequences to their wild plans.

“Are you in, Noir?” 

“Always, my Lady”

Adrien could only hope they could forgive him, and that the letter would get back to them in safety before feeling his consciousness merge with the god’s.

Time passes by

With merciless pride

The sun will rise again

Mount Justice Remains June 21, 00:02 EST

Batman found the need to stop himself from gaping at the remains of Mount Justice. Sure it had been sabotaged and destroyed partially before, but now it was gone.

All of it thrown with chunks of rock and metal scattered around the beach.

As he and the others descended with help from the Green Lanterns, Hal and John. He couldn’t help but fear it was too late. 

They were too late.

“By the Gods” Diana gasped, suddenly clutching at her head, “Something is wrong”

With a gust of wind they were greeted by Flash, followed by Miss Martian’s bioship landing on the beach. One by one the Team came in various forms of disarray and emotionally compromised.

“Oh” Martian Manhunter sumbered, likely reacting off of the wave of sadness the teenagers made no effort to hide. Batman missed the look of remorse and sympathy sent his way.

“What happened?” He hadn’t meant to growl it out, but there were only so many reasons why the whole team would feel this way; there were casualties.

Batgirl and Nightwing could barely look his way before Robin decided to take a step forward. Tim had always been able to push aside emotions better than Barbara or Dick.

Our lives are truly in a world of wonder

A poem of my life - it's a pretty song to remember

We already acted a thousand lives

For the briefest moment in our long history

“The Reach left one last surprise for Earth in an attempt to cover their tracks; Magnetic Field Disruptors meant to cause natural disaster before forcing the next ice age. All but two MFDs had been deactivated, each located at the two poles. By the time we arrived they were already at their chrysalis stage. Those sent were able to deactivate them… at a cost” Tim choked out as he heard Diana, Kal and Sheyra take sharp breaths, it had to be bad for him to get so emotional.

“Robin?” Batman kneeled as he placed a hand on the younger’s shoulder.

“T-There were no survivors B”

“... Who was dispatched?” Diana asked, fists clenched in frustration of being too late and having others pay the consequence.

Batman must have been too distracted by Tim’s state to have noticed Nightwing launch himself into his arms and silently cry.

“I’m sorry Batman.” Flash stepped forward, and he knew Barry well enough that the man was probably holding back tears. Batman felt a familiar sense of dread build up inside him; the last time he felt this way had been when….

“Team Miraculous was sent.” 

Bioship June 20, 13:55 UTC

“Whatever they’re doing, it's working!” Atom’s voice could be heard on the comms as Miss Martian, Kid Flash, Tigress, Robin and Nightwing sped as fast as they could to the North Magnetic Pole. Aqualad, Superboy, Impulse and Blue Beetle made their way with Sphere to the South Magnetic Pole.

“The power’s too strong” they could hear Chat Noir mutter with Plagg’s familiar echo.

“Can’t stop! Won’t stop now!” Ladybug gritted out as the interference with their comms got stronger.

“AHH!” The sudden screams made their blood freeze as they could only think of the worst case scenario.

“It’s not time, not yet!” their mantras continued as the static became painful.

Both groups made it to their destinations as the bright white light of the MFDs became tinged with color. The rainbow of lights shot up higher in the air before a similar bridge of light joined it, both Team’s powers combining in that moment.

“They’re doing it!” M’gann and Bart cheered before Jaime and Tim interrupted.

“Something’s wrong!”

“What do you mean fade!”

Suddenly the light began to expand, encasing the heroes inside before their figures began to shimmer and break.

With one last look the lights gave one last powerful glow, it dissipated, spreading a warmth like that of a hug to each of them.

But by the time each group managed to look, the cold finally seemed to reach them.

There was nothing left behind.

Paris, France June 26, 10:00 CEST

The official story was a kidnapping.

The teenagers that disappeared some time last week during what many had taken to calling “The Reach Invasion”; Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Adrien Graham de Vanily, Luka and Juleka Couffaine, Chloe Bourgeois, Kagami Tsurugi, Alya Cesair, Nino Lauffey, Max Kante, Le Chien Kim, Alix Kubdel, Nathaniel Kutzberg, Marc Anciel, Rose Lavillant and Jason Todd-Wayne. The fourteen children and single adult had been caught up during the chaos of the Reach’s invasion and had been taken when looking for shelter. 

There is always a little truth in every lie.

The amount of missing children cases in general had been increasing since the Reach had arrived on Earth, but even after sending them off to Oa they had yet to find evidence of all of them. Only a small percentage had been freed, now having to undergo Metahuman training, and sent back home or relocated. 

Over half had been deemed unsatisfactory and were subsequently terminated.

But that still left about forty percent of potential victims to be found and rescued.

But their parents knew that their little heroes would not be part of that percentage.

They had saved their planet at the ultimate sacrifice.

“Today… We would like to honor the fallen heroes of Paris by lifting a new statue in their memory for all their services… One that is long overdue and that we can only hope they will see from wherever they are'' Mayor Bourgois spoke, though his eyes seemed so far off, not that anyone would blame him after they caught word of his daughter’s disappearance. There was a major turnout for the unveiling, it seemed as though all of Paris was present; guests like Jagged Stone, Clara Nightingale, Bruce Wayne and his sons Dick Grayson and Tim Drake, Oliver Queen and his newly found son Roy Harper, Lex Luthor, Prince Ali of Achu, Audrey Bourgois and reporters like Lois Lane, Cat Grant and Iris West-Allan were in charge of reporting live.

The statue was golden, each hero caught as though they were in the middle of action with it’s two longest heroes in the center, the rest surrounding them for a 360 effect; 

Ladybug and Chat Noir back to back, one with her scarlet yo-yo flying midair and the other using his baton to jump like a cat with a black gloved hand behind him. On Ladybug’s side was Viperion strumming his harp, his arm’s bangle glowing turquoise, while on Chat Noir’s was Rena Rouge caught playing the orange flute in the middle of a leap. Next was the newest heroes Monarch and le Paon on Ladybug’s side, one with a white with purple butterfly about to fly away from his outstretched hand, the other blowing into a single blue feather, while Tyger and Souris were on Chat’s, Souris also leaping while using her pink jump rope and Tyger getting ready to roar, magenta claws cusping around her mouth. Roi Singe was in the back of Ladybug and Chat Noir, his yellow glowing bo staff frozen mid twirl before calling for “Uproar”, assisting him was Bunnix, using her umbrella with a baby blue glow at the tip as a sword, and Pegasus with his horseshoe boomerang, arm encircled with a blue ring. Ryuko, in the middle of transforming into Wind Dragon form, with her ruby sword at hand and Abeille, launching her glowing spinning top, charging into the fray. On the sides were Carapace, with his shield armed up in front of them, the beginnings of his shield being formed in a translucent green glass, and Taurus, with his fists in the middle of punching and eyes glowing red, defending the group from oncoming attacks.

“I’m so sorry,” Dick found himself whispering once the ceremony was done and everyone had left their offerings. If only he had done better; if only he had asked them to join the raid; if only they had caught everyone instead of leaving them divided and scattered;

The rose gold ring weighed heavily in his pocket.

I love you; I miss all of you

No warning what had happened then

I won't ever say goodbye

They talked about what would happen in the future; neither saw themselves leaving the hero business anytime soon, it was too hard to after so long. She  had dreams of becoming a top-tier designer while he wasn’t sure what he’d do. They jokingly said he’d be a stay-at-home father or a model for her line.

Now none of that would be happening.

“He looks different from when he was Robin” he heard Tim whisper, melancholy and reminiscence, in his look as he stared at Taurus. Definitely more brute stregth and hands on but that look of mischief and cockiness were the same as Robin II. 

“He was always a little shit” Dick laughed softly, remembering that they’d be adding the Miraculous team to the new Grotto at the Watchtower, Jason’s being specially made to display both his time as Robin and Taurus.

Today would be his last day at the Watchtower for a while.

He was tired, after all of this, and was ready for a break. He knew Conner also planned on doing the same thing while Artemis was coming back to active duty despite Wally’s reluctance. He wasn’t too sure about his best friend, but the redhead insisted that he wanted to get his degree first before going back to the hero business, even part time, he even began hinting that Dick could go to college and try and get a semblance of normal life; they both knew it was in vain but neither said anything.

But before any of that he still had business to take care of.

Paris, France June 19, 00:20 CEST

Marinette woke up in a cold sweat.

The same nightmare she’d been having for the past week.

Her Team would fall for the sake of the world.

“I think we both know what this means Mari,” Adrien said silently as they watched the Parisian night atop of the Eiffel Tower.

“I don’t want it to come true” Marinette could feel the tears starting to sting her eyes.

“Then we’ll do our best to stop it” Adrien’s determined face made a soft smile appear; something told her that as hard as they’d try it wouldn’t change a thing.

But it was nice to hope.

“Why should we make these goodbye messages?” Chloe asked skeptically that morning after the team had gathered. They had just been told to do them or write any  requests for someone to follow if anything should happen to them. After all Marinette and Adrien had finished theirs.

"Come on Chlo, just do it."

"Better to do it than regret not doing it."

"Think of it as a little thing to look back at when we come back after missions. A motivation to come back and destroy it"

They just hoped they’d be forgiven.

Paris, France June 26, 12:30 CEST

Walking into the Dupain-Cheng household he found that it was much colder than anytime he’d come to visit. Sabine and Tom had let him in with no hassle, the duo still reeling in the fact that Marinette was gone, he was too. They made little small talk for once, just checking to see how the others were doing and to not be strangers, before they excused themselves to meet up with Tom’s parents. Dick went up to the familiar step of stairs and opened the familiar hatch.

Her room looked the same as it ever did except it was missing a certain shine, an aura of creativity. He supposed that with the owner of the room and the goddess of Creation missing that would happen.

Her scattered design sketches and pieces of fabric reminded him of the latest project she told him about. Balls of yarn from when she started knitting or would use to play with the Kwami, and Adrien from time to time. Schedule reminding him of all the plans they had for once Hawkmoth was caught.

He made his way to her desk, a secret compartment on the side of the desk had been almost invisible to all except those who were aware of its existence. Opening up the small door he let out a small gasp, the Miracle box reminding him so much of her again; 

The box was in the shape of an apple blossom, fading from red at its center to white at the tips, overall its appearance was rather simple but then again they always said appearances are deceiving. He then took out an old phonograph, a tablet, and an ancient book, the Miracle Book or Grimoire. With a sad sigh he pressed the small apple blossom’s center at the top before tapping the top petal, followed by top left, bottom right, bottom left, top right and center again. The lid to the compartment lifted, revealing seven empty slots, before opening up its petals, two layers of six petals stretching themselves so as to not cover each other. Only four compartments were being used. Using a bag he carefully stored the box inside the phonograph while using a satchel for the Grimoire and tablet.

He already told Zatanna and Zatara about the Grimoire, the two assuring him that it would be safe and that they’d even get other magic users like Constantine and Doctor Fate, who seemed to think he owed a debt to the Kwami and would honor their remaining comrade, to help protect it. The tablet could go to Tim and Barbara who’d have the best bet in perfecting the translations and encrypting it further so even if someone got their hands on it they’d have a hard time even unlocking it.

But he hadn’t thought of the Miracle box.

He looked up at the pink room with nostalgia, remembering every video chat, midnight meeting, talks at the terrace, impromptu sleepovers, designing frenzy, fashion talks, modeling session, strategy meetings, emotional breakdowns and kisses they shared in the very room.

He couldn’t help but want to take it with him.

Dick looked at her desk, a photo from when they were still Ladybug 1.0 and Robin, one he took as Dick Grayson when he commissioned her to make him a suit for the Wayne Gala (only to wear it to the Sweetheart’s Dance), one from Rolling-Stone wedding as he was twirling her around the dance floor and another from a few weeks ago when they were celebrating Hawkmoth’s capture with the Team. More photos littered her wall; Adrien and Wally arm wrestling, Artemis and Alix doing parkour, Kaldur learning some guitar from Luka, Conner being subjected to a makeover from the girls and Adrien (which he needed after his third year of wearing the same outfit), M’gann meditating with Barbara, Nino and Marc, Tim and Max looking at some sort of schematics on screen, of Jason during combat training with Kagami, Chloe and Black Canary.

It felt like a lifetime ago.

“Are you alright?” Dick hadn’t realized that the tears began to fall again. He turned around but saw no one there.

No one would be there.

“We miss her too” the voice spoke again, Dick knew he couldn’t be hallucinating, looking inside the bag he noticed the Miracle Box glowing even as it was held shut. With far more patience and calm than he truly felt Dick opened the Miracle Box again with four bursts of lights appearing as he did so.

He barely remembers Marinette explaining the Miraculous to him but he did recall the kwami’s names and powers;

Barkk, dog kwami of Bonds and Foraging.

Ziggy,  goat kwami of Endurance and Speed.

Daizzi, pig kwami of Abundance and Ingenuity.

Orikko, rooster kwami of Forethought and Cycles.

“I miss our Guardian” Daizzi cried into Ziggy who seemed to be in a similar state, Orikko looked quiet but clearly saddened given his downward feathers and comb, Barkk was the one who had been speaking to Dick.

“You loved our Guardian, she loved you very much” Barkk sniffled sadly.

Dick realized that they not only lost their Guardian but their fellow Kwami as well;

He wasn’t the only one left with a gaping hole in his heart by the love of his life and little brother.

“Hey now,” he said, taking the miniature gods into his arms in a small embrace, “You won’t be alone. We’ll make it through this, together”

As Dick made one last glance at the room, memories playing out like ghosts before him, he secured the bags containing Marinette’s precious items and made his way out of the cold apartment.

He didn’t know if he’d ever recover, just like with his parents; But he knew he wouldn’t be alone.

He just hoped that he’d make them proud, from wherever they were watching.

Nothing to fear

Forever in my hear

Blooming flowers prevail

Ko-Fi

[peter-pan-on-neverland]

I hate you, I love you?

Request : Felix au where he and Y/N hates each other but they fell in storybrooke under the black curse and they fuck each other everyday and they are a couple. How would they react when they "wake up" imagine (or if you like it more, a headcanon)

Pairing: Felix x reader

Warnings: smut

"Felix~" I moaned as he possessively pushed me up against the gym lockers, causing them to shake while peering deeply into my e/c eyes.

"Don't talk." He commanded, attacking my neck with thousands of tiny kisses as his hand danced over my body, tugging and pulling at my uniform.

"But what if someone catches us." I worryingly whispered while my hands tangled themselves in his hair, not wanting him to stop.

"They wont." The blonde boy reassured me, nibbling on my ear lobe, a delightful chill ran up and down my spine.

My back arched into his muscly chest, want and need overwhelming my body while my lust-filled search for his. The feeling of his fingertips lightly gripping the exposed skin at the back of my legs, lifting up my school skirt before giving my ass a squeeze made my cheeks flush bright red.

I yelped out in delightful surprise as the heat in my pants grew more and more intense by the second.

“Felix, please~” I begged, wanting, needing, longing for his hands to be on my bare flesh, gripping his polo shirt I pulled the tall boy towards me.

He seemed to know what I want, he always dose, “Your wish is my command, princess.”

Without warning he tightly gripped more forearm, flipping me around so that my stomach was against the cold, hard surface of the gym lockers. Lifting up my skirt, revealing almost everything to him, his slender fingers hooked around the sides of my panties, slowly pulling them down. 

I grew more and more excited with every passing second, getting wetter and wetter as my panties hit the floor. I could feel his long fingers trail up and down my sensitive are, causing a pleasurable moan to slip from my lips. Suddenly, I could feel him slide into me, my juices coated his fingers which seemed to excite him more and more.

“Wait,” I managed to huff out, but we both know I didn’t want him to stop, “What if the boys come back.”

Felix’s fingers still slid in and out of me as he spoke, “Don’t worry, I told Pan you were going to pay me a little visit.”

The elf like boy sprung to mind for a split second, getting his nick name from an old fairy tale we all know and love, however he didn’t seem to stay in my mind for long as Felix pulled his fingers out of me.

I childishly whined, missing the pleasure he gave me, but those feeling were soon disregarded as the sound of his zipper coming undone filled the sparse room. 

Biting my lip, I excitedly waited for him to slip inside of me, wanting him to fill me up like no one else could. The head of his hard cock teased my folds, I grew more and more impatient.

“Stop teasing.” I hissed at the boys, causing a low chuckle to echo around the room before it quickly got drowned out by the sound of my moans, "fuck."

He pounded in and out of my dripping pussy, showing me no mercy as his grunt floated to my ear like the soft notes of a flute.

"You like that?" His words were breathy but didn’t fail to make me scream.

"Yes~" I threw my head back in pleasure, but he took that as an opportunity to wrap his fingers around my neck.

"Yes what?" He hissed, burying himself deeper inside of me.

"Yes daddy" I screamed, not caring who heard.

“Good girl.” I could feel the devilish smirk radiating off of his face as the words left his mouth.

As his thrust became harder and faster my moan not only increased in volume but in frequency too, the boy had to clamp a hand over my mouth to make sure no one else could hear what we were up too. 

“Felix, Felix, Felix.” His name tumbled from my lips with ease whilst the tight knot in my stomach slowly started to unravel itself, I tried to fight off my release for as long as I could, wanting the tingly feeling down below to never go away.

“Don’t hold anything back, princess.” He growled, wanting nothing more than to be covered in my juices, which drove me crazy.

I couldn't stop myself for another second longer, his sultry words had tipped me over the edge once again as I came all over his cock.

"Felix!" I screamed, my face scrunched up in pleasure as he burried himself deeper inside of me, fucking me harder.

His thrusts became slipper as I rode out my high, my body enveloped in pure bliss as the faint sound of our skin hitting filled the empty room. Fingers that were wrapped around my neck grew tighter, making my eyes roll into the back of my head before his seed spread inside me, Felix's fists banging on the lockers as he came.

"Fuck Y/n." He whispered, slapping my ass hard as he admired the way his cum dripped down my thighs, "You're such a naughty girl."

Once again his words left me a wet mess, instantly wanting him back inside me again and the whine that sounded from my lips seemed to give away my thoughts.

"I'd love a round two more than anything, but I can't," he stated, placing a finger for under my chin so I would look at him, "I'll pay you a visit tonight though-"

"Felix." Pans stern voice carried through he gym, causing us to freeze.

My cheeks instantly heated up, if Felix wasn't standing right behind me, his best friend would have the perfect view of my naked behind.

"We've been waiting on the pitch for you for ten minutes now," I didn’t even have to look at his green eyed friend to know he was pissed off, "I don’t mind keeping your rendezvous a secret but try not to be late for practice next time, I'll give you two time to change."

As soon as we heard the door click shut behind him we both let out a little giggle as he zipped his pants back up. Slowly sinking to the floor Felix went to grab my long forgotten, lacy, underwear before handing them back to me.

"I have to go now., I love you" He whispered before nibbling on my neck.

"I love you too." I replied, watching him walk off into the distance.

I silently stood there, unable to move, unable to do anything other than watch him walk away. What was this feeling? Its was like nothing I had ever felt before.

A whirl of emotions whizzed around inside my body, lust, happiness, longing, hatred, passion, love.

Silently, I shrugged off all these thoughts, grabbing my bag and walking home with a huff.

Raindrops fell from the stormy, grey sky, making my uniform stick to my body and hair stick to my forehead as my feet hit the wet, puddled floor. The front door to my house was in sight, but for some reason it didn't feel like a home, with each step I took the feeling of dread became more prominent. My feet hammered against the steps, rushing to get inside, I could hear the shouts and screams of my parents from outside.

I tried my hardest to ignore it, forcing my feet to be as quiet as they could, so I would go unnoticed. Creeping up the stairs I made my way towards my dimly lit bedroom, not daring to even breath in fear that they would hear me over their yelling.

I let out a breath of relief as I closed the door behind me, leaning against the white wooden door. Their muffled shouter were still loud, making my way over to my bedside table I grabbed my headphones, turning my music all the way up just to drown out their voices. Flopping onto my bed and closing my eyes I let my music move me.

...

Green.

That's was all I could see. Just an endless ocean of grass and trees.

What was this place? Why did it seem so... familiar?

"Y/n." A voice barked, I could recognize that voice from anywhere, it was Felix, "take this ti the cages."

His cold eyes stared into my e/c ones, they were fully of hatred, I wanted to ask him what was wrong but I couldn't seem to open my mouth.

"Whatever," another voice snapped, I only realized it was my voice when my hand reached out to snatch the tray of food from his hands.

...

I instantly shot up put of bed, what the hell was that? It couldn't have been a dream, I was awake the whole time, wasn't I?

Confusion crossed my fractures as I racked my brain, looking outside I saw the sky was a jet black. Maybe I did fall asleep, but it all felt so real.

That's when the sound of my phone buzzing pulled me out of my thoughts, I turned to see who was calling me: Felix. His name isn't what startled me, the time was, 3:37 a.m, had I really been asleep for that long?

"Hello?" I answered in a hush tone.

His voice sounded muffled, as if it were under water, "hey, are you ok? You didn’t respond to any of my texts."

"Yeah, I just have just fallen asleep, why are you up so late?" I inquired.

"Well I told you I was going to pay you a visit didn't I?" I could practically feel the smirk radiating off his face.

Rushing to my window I flung the curtains open, peering down at my front door. Low and behold there he was, standing out in the rain, nothing but a black hoodie keeping him from getting soaked.

Our eyes met, he shot a wink my way before talking again, "Are you going to let me inside or what, princess?"

Shaking my head I smiled at him, "I'm coming, I’m coming." I spoke as I quietly made my way down stairs.

"You will be later." His words never failed to make me blush, I was just thankful he wasn’t here to see it.

The door swung open as the tall, blonde boy rushed in, not a single words fell past my lips before he pushed me up against the wall and passionately kissed me.

All the energy was drained put of me as I forced myself to part from his kiss, "Felix, what if my parents catch us?" I worryingly inquired.

"Then come back to my place." He spoke, lacing his fingers through mine.

The boy had lived in his own for a while now, after hoping from one foster home to another he decided to get a part time job and rent an apartment in town. I have rarely visited Felix at his own place, I knew my parents would never approve of the two of us so instead we met up at school, I only managed to sneak over when I had a believable lie.

I couldn't seem to stop the smile from crawling onto my face, "Ok." 

We giddily tip toed out of the house, quietly closing the door behind us as we hopped into his car, swiftly driving off. The streets were vacated apart from the odd drunk here and there, barely any time had passed and before I knew it he had unlocked his front door, eagerly pushing my inside.

Without warning the blonde boy took me by my face, pushing me up against the door as I let out a low moan. He wasted no time stripping me of my clothes, leaving me in nothing but my bar and panties while he stood back and admired my figure.

“So beautiful,” He whispered before attacking me with kisses, with each passing second we grew more and more hot, need taking over our bodies.

Felix pushed me down onto his couch, crawling on top of me without a second thought. The trail of love bites he left all over my neck sent delightful shivers up and down my spine as my fingers tangled themselves into his blonde hair.

“Felix, please” I moaned, “I need you inside of me.”

“Please what?” He growled, wanting nothing more than to hear me say it.

“Please, daddy~” My hips bucked into his, need and lust filling my e/c eyes as my body moved in order to be closer to him.

With a proud smirk of his face Felix undid his trousers, tossing them on the floor somewhere before he slowly slid inside of me. A loud moan sounded from my lips as he pounded in and out of my wet pussy, his sharp finger nails digging into the soft flesh of my hips, driving me crazy.

“Fuck.” He hissed in my ear, his hot breath dancing over the sensitive skin of my neck.

“Felix, I- I-” And just like that something came over me, like I was waking from a dream.

All kinds of thoughts filled my head, no not thoughts, memories, much I like one I previously today. I remembered Neverland, the boys, Hook, Tink, everything, even the twisted relationship me and Felix shared. 

The former lost boys thrusts seemed to come to a stand still as we both pondered in deep thought. Hatred took over my body, but as soon as I looked into those stormy grey eyes my heart couldn’t stop itself from melting.

“F-Felix, do you-?”

“Remember? Yes.” He spoke, his voice came out as nothing but a confused whisper.

“I was gonna ask if you still hate me.” I stated, afraid of what the answer might be.

Yes, us two hated each other back in Neverland, but this isn’t Neverland, everything I felt for this boy was no illusion. I still loved this boy, but did he love me too?

He smiled at me, “How could I ever go back to hating your princess?” He asked, placing a kiss as light as a feather on my fore head, “I love you.”

“I love you to.... Daddy.” I teased, but my words only seemed to make his eyes turn dark as he once again began to pound into me. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm sorry this is being posted a little late but I hope you all enjoyed this! 🥵🥰🎄🌟 Xxxx

@nevereverlandboys @lonesome-loser @lady-of-lies @celestial-neverland

[meloncholor]

Writing Masterlist (4/7/2020 Update)

Blog Exclusive

Trevor, You’re an Idiot - Trevor and Sypha try and name their first child.

Christmas Memories (Part 1) - (Prompt) A fluffy story about Trevor, Adrian, and my Bloodborne character name Ezio giving each other simple presents for Christmas and talking about their lonely past.

Reading - Trevor Reading over Sypha’s shoulder to annoy her.

Come to Bed - Sypha is an early riser and Trevor is a lazy boi; Sypha snores and it sounds like purring

Please Put Me Down - Trevor can speak french; Sypha gets injured and Trevor has to carry her

Remembrance - Trevor opens up to Sypha emotionally.

Mi Oso - Sypha tries to teach Trevor Spanish

Dog Days - Sypha brings in a stray German Shepard because it’s scruffy and soft and it reminds her of Trevor.

Magic Spider - Trevor and Sypha have to decide who kills the spider.

Birthday With the Dirty Boy - Trevor’s birthday.

Star Children - Sypha and Trevor looking at the stars.

Winter’s Bounty - Trevor makes a cloak like his for Sypha.

Your Laugh is Funny - Sypha is ticklish.

Goodbye, I Guess - Trevor visits his parents’ graves with Alucard and Sypha.  

Castlevania Mafia AU - Just what the title says.

Osito - Trevor asks why Sypha calls him that.

Birthday Girl - Trevor celebrates Sypha’s Birthday

Finish - Carmilla and Godbrand hate s*x. (Lemon)

In Bed Alone - Trevor isn’t feeling great.

A First - Elinore’s first words.

Singer - Trevor asks Sypha to sing for him.

Destino - Trevor likes Sypha’s singing.

Castlevania Warmup #1 - Elinore goes hunting.

House Call - Lisa treats a young Trevor.

How Lovely to See You Again - Vlad greets his wife (reader) when she gets home.

It’s Alright, I’m Here - You wake from a nightmare and Trevor comforts you.

Training Pains - The Belmont kids train together

No Matter the Cost - Vlad would do anything for you.

All for You - Reader and Vlad spend some quality time together.

Archive of Our Own

General

Warm - Trevor and Sypha share a moment by the fire. (Lemon)

A Snowy Relief - Sypha and Trevor have fun in the snow

Thunderstorm Blues - Sypha gets hurt by a night creature, Trevor is left to watch over her

An Unexpected Fortune - Trevor and Sypha have to share one bed at an inn. (Lemon)

A Few Drinks Together - Sypha insists on coming with Trevor to the bar. (Lemon)

A Cottage In The Woods - Alucard pays a visit to the Belmonts after a long time away.

You’re a Mean One, Ms. Carmilla - Carmilla calls on Hector when she’s bored (Lemon) (TW: R*pe/Non-con)

One Lie -Trevor nearly drinks himself into a coma

Old Friends - Trefor visits the new home of Leon Belmont

Castlevania 2185 - The gang breaks into Vlad Inc.

The Hanged Man’s Prize - You are hired by the famous crime lord Vlad Tepes, and his interests start to reach far beyond the scope of your duties. (Lemon)(Incomplete)

Hidden Charms -  Alucard likes SOME things about Trevor. (Incomplete)

Grace - Trevor saves you from a witch-burning and you are left with the aftermath of what you’ve seen.

Indulgences - Trevor is a filthy dirt man who only functions on spite, even when it’s to his detriment. Alucard fixes this.

Fifty Shades of Carmilla - Hector and Carmilla have a tit for tat relationship

I’m Waiting, My Lord -  Trevor Belmont is the only son of the poor noble house Belmont, he's invited into the service of King Vladimir Tepes after the death of his ailing wife and is assigned to be the retainer of Prince Adrian along with the court magician Sypha Belnades, and the Prince has plans of his own for his personal knight.

People Watching (Complete) - You and Vlad have a falling out.

Belinda and Leandra Belmont - Exploring Trevor’s parentage

Light Reading - Sypha finds a book on vagina spells.

Mother Dearest - Sypha finds a journal on Trevor’s Grandmother.

Blog Exclusives

Tone Deaf - Kyoka/Bakugo AU where they’re musicians

Seeing Stars - BNHA boys smoking weed and girls dropping acid.

Dancing Queen - Todomomo trying to learn to salsa dance.

I Didn’t Know - All Might forces Endeavor to reconnect with his family.

Torment - Students find a bottle of Aizawa’s scotch.

An Early Morning - Emi and Aizawa’s morning with Kiwa.

Please Stop Asking Me - Emi is the first to push for kids.

Bakugo’s Lament - Bakugo explains why he didn’t become a villain.

Unpolished Kiribaku Warmup - The family goes shopping.

BNHA Kyoka/Kaminari Warmup - They’re hanging out.

Little Wonders - Ochako and Izuku in their home.

Parent-Teacher Conference - Emi and Aizawa are asked to come to Kiwa’s school.

Save Me - All Might almost drowning, based on the scene from Aladdin.

A Forgotten Memory - Enji and Yagi before everything changed.

Archive of Our Own

Two Bros in a Hot Tub and They’re Definitely Gay - Kirishima visits the number 2 hero Bakugo in his expensive home (Lemon)

Mom Swap - Katsuki and Izuku switch moms, that’s it.

Mom - Mitsuki visits her son in the hospital

Tired - She hasn’t seen Shoto in a while

Is this a Porno? - Izuku doesn’t think Mei has a medical degree… (Lemon)

Holding a Vigil - Momo waits for Shoto

Alice in Wonderland - Izuku has conflicted feelings when he sees Hitoshi at a strip club. (Lemon)

A Memory Preserved - Toshinori and Enji have passed their times in the limelight, it’s time for them to finally talk about what happened.

A Knight’s Honor - Fantasy AU; Bakugo and Midoriya spar.

Blog Exclusives

Spoken through Pen Strokes - Charthur fluff.

Just a Little Bit Longer - Jovier Fluff.

Sunny Days (Part One) - Charthur Fluff

Happy Valentine’s Day Arthur - Albert pays a visit.

What Once Was - Arthur finding out about his ex-wife and son.

Dance With Me - Dutch asks Hosea to Dance.

Charthur Warmup - Pure Fluff.

Wasted Opportunity - John is an idiot.

Again? - John can’t sleep.

You’re Always A Party - Sean and Karen go on a date.

Archive of Our Own

Two Sides of the Same Coin -  Albert Mason is a fool.

She’s All I’ve Got -  Hosea has to save Dutch from her brothers.

Soaked to the Bone -  John takes Javier fishing.

Starry-Eyed - Arthur gets distracted while Charles is tracking animals.

Blog Exclusives

Anwar and Nadia Warmup - Nadia tries serving traditional Haitian food.

Muriel and Lillian Short - She likes playing in his hair.

Trouble in Paradise - Lucio isn’t paying enough attention to Ophelia.

Noise - Lillian has a panic attack.

Another Warmup - Avina has trinkets Asra’s never seen.

Dandelion Bouquet - Julian gets an idea.

Archive of our Own

General

Mala -  Lillian takes Muriel to her favorite shop, and then she meets a new friend.

A Short Reprieve -  Lucio and Ophelia are late for a banquet.

Here in the Garden - Julian has to walk through the woods to get home, and on his way intrigues the interest of the woman who makes her home there.

Arcana Thirst

Let My Love Adorn You - Ophelia’s sanctuary is invaded. (Lemon)

Greeting the Sun -  Anwar and Nadia spend the morning together. (Lemon)

Deviating Divination -  Avina gets home late with her supplies. (Lemon)

Sanctuary - Lillian wants to give something to Muriel. (Lemon)

Be My Muse - Donovan is having an art block, Julian helps. (Lemon)

I Missed Your Warmth - Monica comes to visit Portia during a snowstorm. (Lemon)

A Nightmare’s Only Cure - Nadia has a nightmare. (Lemon)

Archive of Our Own

A Lone Sword - Alistair and Leliana have a short conversation about their leader. (Dragon Age)

Sharing - Sten wants to give the Warden a small gift for returning his sword. (Dragon Age)

Gift of a Sword - Valmiro finds out what Kadan means (Incomplete)(Dragon Age)

Romantic Philistine - Catria and Lukas sneak away from camp (Fire Emblem: Echoes)

Shhh… -  Python and Forsyth forgot to be quiet. (Fire Emblem: Echoes)(Lemon)

Apples -  Catria and Lukas share breakfast. (Fire Emblem: Echoes)

Black Wine and Good Times -  Genji is escaping the mansion for at least a little while, he meets a stranger in a bar. (Overwatch)

Missing You - Genji finds out Jesse is coming home. (Overwatch)

Sickness -  Carol is a bit unsettled when she couldn’t grant wishes for a period of time, she goes to Strange for help. (MCU)

The Entrance - Grim is waiting in jail, he gets saved by an elf and he really likes what he sees (Kingdoms of Amalur)

It Was You All Along - Geralt has to rediscover feelings after the jinn takes some away. (The Witcher)

Secret Stash - Shane is invited to a barn party. (Stardew Valley)

Spoils of Conquest - Sawyer just wants Max and Felix to get along.(Outer Worlds)

The Quietest Nights - Forsyth realizes he might miss Python. (Fire Emblem)

The Witch Who Set This Flame (Personal Favorite) -  Tulma, an Altmer from a farm near Ivarstead, is contacted by the Thalmor to be an inside source on the happenings of Ulfric Stormcloak. Things don't go as planned and the Dragonborn will get justice.

Blog Exclusives

Another Geralt/Dandelion Warmup - Shameless fluff (The Witcher)

Final Defiance - Geralt fights a crudok. (The Witcher)

Spookfest 2019

Halloween Prompt #1 - Ophelia and Lucio go for a walk.

Halloween Prompt #2 - Donovan gives an autumn gift to Julian.

Halloween Prompt #3 -  Symone and Elinore freak out over losing a grimoire.

Halloween Prompt #4 -  Lillian has a bad habit of bringing home animals.

Halloween Prompt #5 -  Izuku and Bakugo go to a haunted location.

Halloween Prompt #6 -  Emi surprises Kiwa

Halloween Prompt #7 -  Avina gets flustered.

Halloween Prompt #8 -  Charles and Arthur go hunting.

Halloween Prompt #9 - Sam tricks Dean and Cas

Halloween Prompt #10 - Dean doesn’t realize what he’s done. (TW: Gore).

Thanksgiving 2019

Thanksgiving Prompt #1 - Anwar and Nadia Short

Thanksgiving Prompt #2 - Trevor and his Mother

Thanksgiving Prompt #3 - Elinore, Elias, and Symone Belmont

Thanksgiving Prompt #4 - Avina and Asra

Thanksgiving Prompt #5 - Clair doesn’t like eating flour.

Thanksgiving Prompt #6 - Ophelia and Lucio

Thanksgiving Prompt #8 - Leandra and Belinda

Thanksgiving Prompt #9 - Dean and Cas

Thanksgiving Prompt #10 - Geralt and Dandelion

Christmas 2019

Feliz Navidad a Los Muertos - Javier is missing what used to be his home.

Winterfest Prompt #1 - Jaskier has a habit of predicting things.

Winterfest Prompt #2 - Nadia and Anwar curl up in front of the fireplace.

Winterfest Prompt #3 - Lillian brings gifts for everyone.

Winterfest Prompt #4 - Bakugo returns home to a surprise.

Winterfest Prompt #5 -  Arthur is running from bounty hunters.

Winterfest Prompt #6 - Emi and Shouta are just trying to take a picture

Winterfest Prompt #7 - Monica and Portia are baking some cookies.

Winterfest Prompt #8 - Trevor is doing something a little out of the ordinary.

Winterfest Prompt #9 - Alm has an idea to take Celica away.

Winterfest Prompt #10 - Geralt doesn’t want to ice skate with Jaskier.

[let-it-raines]

Not Your (soul)Mate {7/15}

Killian Jones doesn’t like the idea of soulmates. He sees how happy his friends are with theirs, but he still doesn’t like the idea, not when he’s found love and lost it time and time again only to still not know his sign. He has no markings on his skin, no voices in his head, but then one day he meets Emma Swan and everything changes. Because, well, he may not have ink on his skin to tell him who to love, but the very first time that he hears Emma’s voice he knows that she’s the one for him. Then again, that could simply be his desire talking. After all, for every word she speaks, he becomes aroused.

It’s not the worst thing in the world to be incredibly attracted to a beautiful woman, but things aren’t that simple when she doesn’t have any interest in being his soulmate.

He’s screwed. And not in the good way.

Rating: Mature

A/N: Hey, hi, hello! So as you can see, we have a chapter count, which means I’m finished writing the story (except for some edits I need to make in the final chapters), so I may post a little more often! I really appreciate the enthusiasm you guys have for this story, and I promise there’s going to be a payoff! 😉

Chapter 7 & 8 cover one day, and, well, that should tell you that something big may be happening soon! 

Thank you to @captainsjedi for her always incredible artwork, and her all-around support💕

Found on AO3: Beginning | Current

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-/-

Sitting down on the bench on the balcony of his apartment, Killian props his feet up on the railing, crossing his right ankle over his left, and takes a long swing of his bottle of beer, letting the liquid trail down his throat while the rain pounds down around him, coating the edge of everything in a thin sheen of water. He’s thankful for the covering that he has to shield himself from it all because he loves watching storms happen from outside, getting to feel the thunder tremble through the air and hear the rain water mix in with the depths of the ocean as waves crash onto the shoreline and darken the sand. It’s weirdly soothing. The weather never gets bad enough up here for storms to make him nervous, for him to have to take shelter, so with the soothing sounds of the ocean roaring, he takes a few moments to relax and not feel any tenseness in his shoulders.

Summer has fully come into effect in Storybrooke, the sun heating up and the tourists rolling in with the summer storms, and he’s in the midst of most of his days being spent giving sailing lessons or simply taking families out sailing because he and Liam can’t seem to find anyone who is competent enough to work for them and not drink on the job or nearly cause a crash. He knew that this would be a part of his job when they decided on adding it as a service. He enjoys it, really, but it’s been especially busy for the last week of June and the first three days of July. Everything in the office seems to calm down as the peak of summer hits, so the lessons and community engagement are really for supplemental income and to keep their company name relevant.

Right now he could go for a little irrelevance.

It’s mostly because he’s got a sunburn on his shoulders that hurts when he stretches the wrong way and that makes him agitated because he almost religiously applied sunscreen to protect himself and his skin for all of the time that he spends outside. And he’s tired, so damn tired that he could fall asleep in this uncomfortable chair with the cushion that kind of hurts his ass.

Next week he’s buying new patio furniture, and he’s making Will and Robin haul it up here since the only reason he has this uncomfortable chair is because Roland broke his last one when he decided to jump up and down on it. And Will can help because he has to owe Killian at least five favors by now. Will always owes him something.

Really, he still feels like he owes him for that set-up with Emma, which Will fully admitted to being a set-up last week. It was a bit of vindication even if he already knew that.  

But he likes watching the storm, watching the ocean and the people who have taken it upon themselves to wander in the rain to get dinner when it would be so much easier to simply order in like he’s doing. Delivery from Granny’s is by far the most genius business decision that woman has ever come up with even if it’s always a toss up between whether it’s going to be Felix or Ruby delivering the food. Either way, it’s unlikely that he’s not going to be missing a fry or two. They tend to snack on the way here.

Every system has its flaws.

His doorbell rings, speak of the devil, and he swings his feet to the ground to stand, sliding open his glass door and walking into his apartment and the few feet through the kitchen to the front door. His place isn’t that big, but it’s enough for him to have nearly everything but the bedroom and the bathroom in one area. The view of the ocean is worth it.

Looking through the peephole, he sees Ruby standing outside with a red hood from her raincoat perched atop her head, and he unlatches the locks and swings the door open, a smile already on his face from how put out Ruby looks.

“Hello, lass.”

“I hate you for making me come outside during this weather,” she mumbles, shoving his food in his hand so that he grabs onto the paper bag. “Seriously. Don’t you know how to cook?”

“Not as well as your grandmother.” He hooks the bag on his wrist and digs into his back pocket for his wallet, opening it and thumbing through the bills. “It still $12.58?”

“And a tip if you want to thank me for my great service.”

He smiles to himself and pulls out a twenty, handing it over to Ruby. “Thank you, love.”

“It’s my pleasure. You coming to the Nolans’ house tomorrow?”

“Is the British man coming to a party to celebrate America’s independence from my home country?”

She pops her lips. “Yep.”

“Aye,” he laughs in response, shaking his head, “I am. I’ve been here for nearly half a decade, and your holidays are my holidays. Plus, I hear Dave grills a mean steak.”

He doesn’t know the Nolans that well despite most of his friends spending time with them, but he feels comfortable enough to go to the party with his brother, Elsa, and their kids. Their first year here they felt so odd not celebrating the holidays that everyone else was celebrating, but in the three years since then, they’ve really embraced it all. Luis and Luca definitely helped with that because all of their school friends celebrated Independence Day and Thanksgiving (bloody hell does he love Thanksgiving), and they’ve integrated themselves into the town ever since. Storybrooke feels like his home as much as Brighton did, and after the initial culture shock of moving countries and time zones to set up their business after retiring from the Navy and needing a change of pace, he enjoys all of the little charming traditions.

That first year he’d still been so heartbroken over Milah and her leaving that the fourth of July fireworks could have gone off in his apartment, and he wouldn’t have cared.

It’s...different now.

“He does. See you tomorrow, Jones. Wear your best patriotic gear.”

“I’ll wear my Queen Elizabeth costume. I’ve simply got to find my purse and my corgi.”

“Whatever you say,” she laughs. “There’s a little surprise in your order, by the way.”

At that, she turns around and walks away while he shakes his head from side to side and closes his front door, locking it and turning to place his take out bag on his kitchen counter.

He opens his bag to grab his container of lasagna only to see a white napkin with black markings written across it. He guesses that’s the surprise.

In case you spill your lasagna.

PS: You’re going to have to imagine if my underwear matches because that is something you’re never going to see.

Your Secret Not Admirer

He chuckles under his breath at Emma’s note. He knows that’s who it’s from because it echoes his note from after he watched her spill her water on herself at Granny’s. He knew he was being a little cheeky last week when he’d left her the napkin teasing her about spilling her drink and about her wildly mismatched socks (he’s thinking it must be a thing for her to not take the effort to keep pairs of matching socks together) and implying that she did the same with her undergarments, but it was too good of an opportunity to pass it up. He didn’t see her after that, not for the entire week except for the one time he saw her across the street from the office while talking to Marcus, so he figured that he’d kind of pissed her off.

It’s a fine line talking to Emma Swan, whether it be risking it by actual conversation or by text. Sometimes he can flirt with no problem, sometimes she even flirts back, but other times he knows that he hits a sore spot that he needs to step back from. She’s a bit of a mystery to him, and she intrigues him. He wants to know more about her, to know her, and about half of the time he kind of thinks that maybe she wants to get to know him too. He knows that she’s against the whole soulmate thing, that she thinks this whole arousal thing between them is idiotic (it is even if he thinks it could have some rather pleasant results), but he’s sure that she can’t deny that they have some kind of connection.

Oh he knows that she would, but deep down, she has to feel it too.

To feel it past the physical attraction that they obviously both have for each other, weird aroused by each other’s voices thing or not.

Or maybe they’ll live a life of sending teasing notes and text messages and riling each other up whenever they’re in the same place and then not doing anything about it.

They’re both entirely too good at that even if his feelings of arousal and desire don’t feel quite as intense as they did on that first day. The day out on the boat had been bad, but he thinks a part of it was driven by how little Emma was wearing.

God, she’s stunning. Sometimes he still can’t believe that.

No matter, though, this is his life, and as confusing as it is, he’s having a damn good time having this little tete-e-tete with Emma.

He’s got to figure out how he’s going to respond to this note. But first, he’s going to eat this lasagna because his stomach is rolling nearly as much as the storm outside is.

Priorities.

-/-

“Uncle Killian,” Luca screams when he pulls up to his brother’s house the next afternoon, stopping before he gets to the driveway so that he doesn’t drive over Luca’s chalk drawing. It looks like she’s been out here for at least an hour drawing some kind of mythical forest, and he couldn’t mess that up after all of her hard work out in the sunshine. “Look what I drew.”

“That’s beautiful, love,” he smiles, closing his jeep’s door and jogging over to her, sweeping her off of the ground and into his arms as she giggles. She’s almost too big for him to hold her like this, but not yet. He’s going to kill his back to hold his niece, but he doesn’t care. He loves her too much to. “Do you want to tell me all about it?”

“Nah,” she sighs, tilting her head back as her legs swing, the girl practically a dead weight. “I’m not finished, so I can’t tell you about it because it’s a secret.”

“A secret?”

“Yep.”

“And you can’t even tell your favorite uncle in the world?”

“Mommy said I can’t have a favorite uncle because it’s not fair to Uncle Kris.”

He snickers at that, knowing that she loves him more than she loves Kris, but that’s mostly because Kris still lives in England with Anna and not down the road like he does. And maybe it’s because he knows that he’s a hell of an uncle. Lifting Luca a little higher in his arms, he lugs her through the yard and up the front steps of Liam’s porch. Elsa has gone a little crazy with the gardening lately, and there are flowers blooming along the railing and pathway that seem to bring a lot of life to the brick home.

But not as much life as Luca and Luis bring.

“Hello,” he bellows as he walks into the house, tossing Luca over his shoulder so that she’s hanging upside down, giggles still rolling through her body. “I have found this interesting little creature outside, and I think that someone needs to come and capture her.”

“I’ll do it,” Luis yells, running to him from the living room and practically taking him down with the force of his hug.

“Hmm, I don’t think you’re big enough.”

“I am too.”

“I’m taller than you, Luis.”

“Only by a little.”

“Three whole inches.”

“Two and a half.”

“Okay, okay,” he laughs, ruffling the blonde curls on Luis’s head, “Luis is definitely big enough to help me lug Luca inside because he knows the most important information of all.”

“And what’s that?”

“Where is your mummy?”

His shoulder starts to ache so he puts Luca on the ground and plops himself down on the living room couch, making sure that he hasn’t gotten anything onto the cream material or onto their rug. Liam and Elsa have two eight-year-olds, but they somehow manage to keep everything inexplicably clean, especially since Liam isn’t as much of a neat freak as he used to be. Personally he thinks this entire house screams Elsa with its shades of blue and white with little bohemian touches everywhere. Honestly, it kind of reminds him of Emma and Belle’s apartment but with furniture that was definitely bought in a set and not found at different stores.

“She is putting her makeup on,” Luis tells him as he sits next to him on the couch and goes back to playing whatever video game he’s obsessed with this week. “And Papa is making a cake for the party.”

“That sounds good.”

“It’s not chocolate, so I don’t like it.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” he sighs, stretching his arm out over the back of the couch and tilting his head to see Elsa coming down the stairs, her steps so light that he almost doesn’t hear them, “I think all cakes are good cakes.”

“Amen. My children are simply picky.”

“We are not,” the twins protest together, both of their mouths flattening into frowns.

“You are,” Elsa insists, stepping behind him on the couch and leaning down to press a kiss against his cheek. “Have you guys been torturing your uncle?”

“They have been almost perfectly behaved, but I would like a piece of this cake to make up for it.”

“Nobody gets the cake until we are at the party,” Liam shouts from the kitchen, obviously eavesdropping on their conversation.

Elsa pats his shoulder sympathetically. “I have a cookie that you can eat to tide you over.”

“That’s why I love you.”

“And me?” Luca asks.

“Of course.”

He watches Luis play his game, which is apparently a Lego’s video game that he had no idea existed, for about twenty minutes before Liam announces that his cake is finished and that they can make their way to the Nolans’ house. He really should have driven himself, but he didn’t want to be the guy who was creepily sitting in his car outside of their house while he waited for Liam’s family to show up. Usually he’d march on in to whoever’s house it was, but not really knowing the owners has kind of kept him from that. Plus, he wanted to spend a little time with his niece and nephew because he knows that they’ll run off as soon as they get into the yard.

It’s a fifteen-minute drive out to the Nolans’ farm since they live on the outskirts of town, and by the time they get there, there are already cars parked all down the street, lining the gravel road almost as much as the trees are. It’s as beautiful out here as it was the last time he was briefly here for some kind of Christmas party, and he wonders just how David and Mary Margaret seem to host the entire town for a holiday each year.

The moment they’re out of the car, just like he expected, Luca and Luis run off to a group of children that are climbing on the treehouse and swing set, leaving he, Liam, and Elsa in their dust. He remembers what it was like to be that young and free in everything, even after his father abandoned him, and the thought of that has him reaching up around his neck to toy with the chain that holds his mother’s ring. His parents’ marriage wasn’t a good one, but the ring was his mum’s and is a memory of hers that he likes to keep resting over his heart.

When they walk in the door to the farmhouse, not bothering to knock, it’s a mess of people, everyone practically packed in like sardines. He nearly knocks Tink over when he’s trying to get past the staircase and into the kitchen so that he can place Liam’s cake in there. He doesn’t even know how he ended up with it in his hands, but he somehow did.

“What’s that?” Will questions, nearly making him jump out of his skin from surprise.

“Some kind of coffee cake Liam made. I’ve been told I can’t have any until we all eat dessert.”

“That sounds like a pain in the ass.”

“It is.” He places the container down and leans back against the wooden cabinets, the cool marble digging into his waist just above his jeans. “Where’s Belle?”

“What? You don’t want to talk to me, so you ask where my girlfriend is? I thought we were mates.”

“Nah, I’m just in it for Belle. She has access to every book I’d ever need.”

“So does Amazon.”

He rolls his eyes and taps his nails against the countertop. “But no, seriously, I wanted to talk to Belle about a field trip idea for next month since she’s still looking for some for the summer programs.”

Will nods his head toward the window. “She’s outside with Emma talking to Mary Margaret and David as they grill the burgers. They must have spent a fortune buying the meat. I can’t imagine so many people in one place.”

“Me either,” he mumbles, twisting his head to look out the window to see the grill situated at the end of the patio, Mary Margaret standing at it with Emma and Belle next to her. Damn, Emma has on the same jean shorts that she had on when they went out on the water, and he doesn’t think he’s going to survive those again, not if she acts the same. Not even if she doesn’t. He’ll probably have to avoid her at all costs tonight. He can tell that Mary Margaret is the one talking, the way she’s swinging the spatula around pretty obvious, but he knows that Emma isn’t saying anything because he can’t hear her voice. He’s close enough to her to be able to hear her voice, right? That’s how this thing works. “Especially because that big head of yours takes up so much space.”

Will lets out a low whistle. “You have spent too much time with Rob if those are the kinds of jokes you’re making.”

“He makes a mean dad joke.”

“That he does. And, for your information, if there’s any part of me that’s big enough to be taking up too much space in this house, it bloody well isn’t my head.”

He doesn’t want to laugh at that, but he does, biting his bottom lip and closing his eyes as he tries to keep from laughing out loud. Sometimes he swears that his humor is that of a teenager, even if he teases Will about that very thing.

“Where’d you get the drink?”

“They have a cooler of water and beer outside, but I know that Mary Margaret has some lemonade in the fridge and that David has whiskey in the pantry.”

He’d really rather have the beer, but he doesn’t want to be near Emma. It’s far too early in the day for him to be sporting an erection, especially when he doesn’t feel comfortable relieving himself in someone else’s home. He’d done it at Ariel’s, but that was a one-time thing. It’s not happening again. The thrill of almost being caught isn’t really there when he’s a gross man masturbating. That just...it’s wrong.

And he got caught the last time.

Damn, that was awkward and embarrassing, and he has no idea how he’s been able to look Emma in the eyes without melting into the ground or something. Probably because they had a few more pressing issues to deal with that day, and it’s hopefully almost forgotten.  

He knows it’ll never be fully forgotten.

Changing the weight on his feet, he turns to the side and opens the fridge, grabbing the pitcher of lemonade, freshly cut lemons floating at the top, and pours himself some into a disposable cup, quickly writing his name on it with the marker that was left on the counter. He’s about to put the cap back on the marker when he sees the stack of napkins at the same time that he hears the faintest echo of Emma’s laugh. Scribbling down a note, he decides that maybe it isn’t too early for him to have to suffer from hearing Emma talk. And maybe avoiding her all day isn’t the best plan.

It’s certainly not what he really wants.

“Where are you going?” Will yells as he opens up the sliding door to their backyard.

“Use some common sense and guess.”

“Asshole.”

He doesn’t even blink at that as he strides across the yard, waving to the few people who wave to him, before he’s standing next to Emma and wrapping his arm around her shoulder so that his hand holding the napkin dangles down onto her biceps. Her feels her tense for a moment, all of her guards obviously going up, before her shoulders relax a bit.

Huh. Not what he was expecting.

“Hi, Killian,” Mary Margaret greets, a bright, cheery smile on her face. “It’s so nice of you to be able to make it.”

Emma groans, something he thinks only he hears, and he pulls her a little closer to his side. He will never get over how undeniably fun it is to bother her. “It’s nice of you to have us all here. I don’t think there could be a more gracious host in Storybrooke.”

He watches as Belle’s eyes roll at that before she takes a sip of her water. “Don’t let Killian charm you too much. He’s full of it.”

“Oh, love, don’t be jealous that I haven’t complimented you yet. I was getting around to it.”

“You spend too much time with Will.”

It’s funny how conversations with two different people still end up being similar.

“And what does that say about you?”

“That I am not as influenced by others as you are.”

“This is true,” he sighs, jumping a little when he feels Emma pinch his side under his button down. He was waiting for some kind of retaliation for her since he’s very obviously invading her personal space and talking to annoy her and drive her mad, not that anyone but the two of them knows that. “You are an unshakable force, my dear Belle. So do you need any help with anything, Mary Margaret?”

“You’re a guest. I couldn’t ask you to do that.”

“Oh come on, lass, I’m sure there’s something you need help with. Emma and I would be happy to assist you.”

Emma pinches his side again, this time the force another to actually cause him a little pain, and he slides his hand down from her shoulder and deftly puts the napkin in her back pocket. He fully expects her to punch him and knock his teeth out, but he thinks he manages to give it to her without her noticing too much. Maybe she’s too on edge to even notice.

“Oh, well,” Mary Margaret says, taking a few of the burgers off the grill and placing them on the tray, “if you two could get all of the side dishes from the kitchen and set them up on the tables out here, that would be great.”

“It’s not a problem, milady. Come on, Swan.”

He steps to the side and starts making his way back to the house. He doesn’t check to see if Emma is following him. He doesn’t need to because as soon as he gets back inside and into the little alcove between the back door and the kitchen, Emma shoves him and slaps at his chest.

“What the hell is wrong to you?”

“Whatever could you be talking about?”

Her eyes roll in what he believes is her signature move around him now, and he has to suppress his smile at how red her cheeks are and how much of a scowl her lips have formed into. “You’re a jackass. I was in the middle of a conversation, and you come out there and wrap your arm around me and then start talking because you know what happens when you do that!”

Gooseflesh rises on his arms, and he tries to regulate his breathing as Emma keeps talking. It’s not as bad as it could be, but it has the potential to get worse.

“And what the hell did you put in my pocket?” she huffs, reaching behind her and pulling out the napkin. “‘You’re right. I wouldn’t know what kind of underwear you wore because the only time I’ve ever seen down your shirt you weren’t wearing any.’ You’re ridiculous.”

“Never claimed I wasn’t.” He bends down and whispers in her ear, making sure to get close enough that his lips brush skin. “For the reference, mine have a delightful blue and white striped pattern today.”

“J-just get the damn side dishes,” she stutters, her voice visibly catching.

“As you wish.”

[lysung]

Wabi-sabi (part 1)

Genre: angst, fluff (in the upcoming chapters :))

Pairing: Minsung (Jisung + Minho)

Words: 2,750

Summary: Wabi-sabi means imperfect or incomplete beauty. This is a central concept in Japanese aesthetics, which comes from Buddhist teachings on the transient nature of life. A pot with uneven edges is more beautiful than a perfectly smooth one, because it reminds us that life is not perfect.

Han Jisung and Lee Minho are two average high schoolers who have differences in common; two of them are being from the other high schoolers are being a part from the LGBT community and too thoughtful in an unhealthy way, besides many other things society would see as "flaws". After accidentally knowing each other through Twitter, they eventually became best friends but both of them still had colorless and monotone lives outside internet, until that, someday, one of them is about to get beaten up for being LGBT and the other one defends a random guy from getting beaten up by one of his best friends.

Warnings: bullying, homophobia, depressive thoughts

A/N: hello! i'm alexis and this is my first au :) i know this blog is supposed to be a fluff imagines blog, but i've been feeling like writing some ansgt lately. i hope y'all don't mind it ^^ i've worked hard on this since it's my arts homework as well, so i didn't have all the time to write this, but i did write it on my pace and, honestly, im still a bit unconfident about this one. if this gets a great reaction, i will definitely continue this asap ❤️ i hope you enjoy and please leave a heart and/or reblog, it would help me a lot and make my day 💕

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

Legend says that, as soon as you’re born, you get a red string tied to your finger, connecting you to someone you’re destined to meet, regardless of time, place or circumstance. The string may stretch or tangle but it will never break.

Han Jisung always found the Universe majestic but crazy at the same time. Isn’t it weird how everything happen as it wills? Or, maybe, would it be They? Who is in control of the universe, if there’s someone with such power? Would they be God? But who is God, actually? Is there someone above God? — This kind of thought dominated the teenager’s mind every once in a while and, when it did, it would always keep him up at night. The thought of living his own life but, actually, being controlled by a divine existence, would scare him sometimes.

But, the thing is: the Universe, be it "it" or "they", never did anything out of the blue. Everything happens for a reason; whether if we trip or fall, cry out of pain or laughter, fake or genuinely smile, nothing happens “just because”. And we live to grow up as individuals and learn each and every lesson “it” has to teach us, even the small and silly ones.

Laid down on his bed, Jisung, who strongly believed in such legends, turned off his phone and stared at his dark-ish room’s ceiling, slightly bright thanks to the street lights outside.

These thoughts were, once again, haunting him. All he could do was wonder 3 things: What is he supposed to learn? Why? And, specially, who is going to help him?

These thoughts were soon replaced by self depreciative ones as soon as he looked through the window and noticed the sun rising. He would soon have to be up to get ready for another monotone day of school. He turned around, his back facing the windows, closed his eyes and, one more time, tried to fall asleep. But, as time passed, his thoughts wouldn’t go away; neither his usual philosophical thoughts or the self depreciative ones. There were hundreds of voices screaming in his head – some were calling him, some sounded mad, you would be afraid if you could hear them too. And when he least expected, his alarm ranged, meaning not only it was time for him to get ready for school, but also that he lost another fight to his strong mind.

Later that morning, during class change, he noticed 3 of his seniors in the other side of the corridor. Changbin, Hyunjin and Felix were staring at him and laughing out loud; he tried to ignore them and got his material for Math class. Walking to his classroom carefully, trying his best to avoid them, but they eventually came to him and Changbin pinned him to the nearest locker.

"Where are you trying to go, you shameless fag?" Changbin, their "leader", said to his face in provocation.

"Leave me alone, Changbin. Mind your own busin-" The younger tried to say and break free from his strong grip, but failed and was cutted out by Changbin.

"What are you gonna do? Are you gonna run away? Huh?" The oldest said, the provocation never leaving his tone.

Jisung was speechless. The small anxious boy didn't know what to do — should he fight back? Say something mean to them? Run away? He was totally alone and lost; there was nothing he could do.

"What is going on in here?" A high-pitched voice echoed through the, now, empty corridor, and, right next to them was the school's principal, looking pissed off as usual.

"Oh, nothing, Mrs. Kang! I was just... just... asking him how he'll go back home after school, so that I would know if I should take him home or not, hehe! I love this guy, Mrs. Kang. You have no idea how much I lo-"

"Detention. The 4 of you. And, Mr Seo, I'll let you go this time but, if you ever try to lie to me again, it's detention for a whole week. No buts." Mrs. Kang said and left, cutting Changbin's excuse off and getting a sigh from each of them in response.

"Listen up." To turn back to Jisung was the first thing Changbin did as soon as Mrs. Kang left. "I will get you and teach you how to behave like a real man, annoying faggot. Wait for it." Changbin threatened again, looking deep in Jisung's eyes and left. He watched their figures get smaller as they walked through the long corridor, fear and regret as evident in his eyes than never. Changbin had something in his eyes that made Jisung even more confused and lost.

As soon as the group had finally disappeared, Jisung bursted to the school's restroom without looking back, not being able to hold back the tears. Poor boy wouldn't make it to Math today and he was very aware of it.

This was just a tiny bit of Jisung's daily life, but it always shattered his heart in a billion pieces. He wondered, how can people be this heartless? Why are people like this to people like him, who were just born "different"? What's so wrong in being different? In being yourself? In loving someone, not minding their gender identity? What did Jisung do to deserve to live in such a inhumane society?

What did people like him did for the universe to punish them like this? What did they do to deserve such pain?

Jisung eventually lost his hope on society and hated his mind even more for being so cruel to him. All these voices calling him out, calling him names and saying stupid things would never shut up. How great would it be if he had somewhere to scream freely, without fearing to be heard...

As he walked through a dark path in life, it only seemed to get darker. He tried his best to run away, but something was stronger than him, pulling him further into the endless darkness, regardless of how much he fighted back, until he couldn't fight anymore. That's when he gave up.

After two hours spent locked in the bathroom, including some time to calm down a little bit and reduce the swelling in his eyes at least a little bit, he finally left the restroom and safely got his stuff and went to his classroom, lowering his head to hide his swollen eyes.

And this is how Jisung spent the rest of his time at school: hiding himself from everyone, specially his eyes. No one should see his eyes, or else he would be bombarded with questions and feel even worse with people pretenting to be concerned.

When he was finally back home, his safe place, the first things he's done was locking himself in his room and throwing himself on his bed. It was a way too long day for Jisung and all he wanted was to sleep forever.

Hence he couldn't sleep, he unlocked his phone and tried to look for a calm and soothing song to sleep when he received a message from one of his favorite people ever: Lee Minho, a friend he knew through Twitter. They were like best friends; sending memes, using matching icons, tagging each other in random "love yourself" tweets and even writing sweet things to the other, just to remind them that they are loved and appreciated. It was the kind of friendship people either envy or ship. They would never stop talking to each other and Jisung would never find the exact words that can express all his gratitute for having such an amazing person in his life.

"hey, how was school today? did those dumbasses disturb you again?" Minho asked him in the most "Minho" way as always. Jisung's heart always skipped a beat whenever he would receive a message from him - he's one of the few people who actually worry about him and he loved this feeling.

"it actually sucked as always, but there's not much I can do about it anyways. and yeah, they did, that's why :(" Jisung replied, trying hard not to remind of what happened earlier.

"wait right there bub, i'll brb i will get some tickets to go to your city and kick some asses to mars" Jisung smiled at his reply. Ever since they talked for the first time, Minho's personality amazed Jisung. They were completely opposites, and that was the fun part - their differences made everything perfect.

Minho was, unfortunately, the only person Jisung told about Changbin and his "crew". He just couldn't gather the courage to tell anyone but him, blind by scenarios of his family's possible reactions.

"you're so weird" "i love you so much" Jisung replied and smiled as wide as he could. This kind of reply between them would be pretty common. Now, the question is: is it really a joke or not? Did they mean it, or not? They never even thought about saying this, but it obviously made both of their hearts best crazily fast.

"now that's a lie because i love you more" and tons of heart emojis and memes were shared.

They were each other's happiness, home, a safe place. It was incredible how each message would melt both their hearts. Happiness was endless whenever they would talk. "If only universe could make us live near...", Jisung said to himself. He just wanted to hold tight this bright light that had been brightening up the path Jisung was going through.

"hey, I didn't go to school today so i kept on reading about random facts and found out about a japanese legend that says that two people who are destined to meet are connected by a string tied to their hands and i thought of you" "you said you really like legends like this, so i was wondering if you knew about this one..." Jisung's cheeks began to hurt for smiling for so long. Minho makes him feel so loved, which is a feeling he's still not used to, but he wish he could feel all this in person.

"you're so adorable :( and yes i do know this one, it's one of my favorites!" "i wonder who's on the other side of my string..."

"if you're not gonna be on the other side of my red string then what's the point."

"i love you. i wish i could say this in person."

"i love you too bub and that's fine. some day this will happen, okay? we can and will make it happen. promise?"

"promise."

(...)

It was time for another monotone day at school. He would always know what was going to happen because it's been like this for a while now: he goes to school, sleeps in class, is bullyied, sometimes sleeps a bit longer and then, go back home. It's like he's stuck in a viscious loop - in the end of the day, he would always come back home with a sad expression in his face but he couldn't change this.

At school, waiting for biology class to begin, Jisung decides to try talking to someone. If he wants to stop avoiding people, he should be able to have short conversations with anyone. While talking to this girl who sits beside him about a test they would have later that day, a group of boys sat next to him and started to talk in a much higher tone. Jisung couldn't see their faces before they sat, but it was, surely, Changbin as his crew. Soon they started "talking" about gays and how they are ridiculous. Nice. What a beautiful place with sympathetic people, yay. Poor boy could barely focus in class because of all the noise they were making.

As his class ended and he was about to get his materials for his upcoming biology class, the same group of boys pinned Jisung just like the day before. He was shaking; it was happening one more time and he still didn't know what to do. Shaking under his breath, he didn't say or do anything. He wouldn't dare.

"Hello fairy, we're back." This was enough for Jisung to want to disappear. No, not these feelings again...

"H-hey... b-b-back for w-what?" Jisung asked, stuttering, in deep hopes it wasn't about what he thought.

"I told you we we would teach you how to be a real man, didn't I? And we'll do it now. You'll thank us later when you finally understand what being normal is." Changbin said, clearly trying to scare Jisung even more but, unfortunately, he couldn't get anymore scared. He could barely move or speak. He definitely gave up when he saw Changbin's fist in the air, getting ready to punch him, but another yell from the other side was calling for Changbin this time. His attention was divided between Jisung and the mysterious guy.

"What are you even trying to do?" The guy asked, trying to separate Jisung from them.

"N-no, it's not like that, I swear-"

"What is this supposed to be, then? I saw what I saw, and heard what I heard. So, you're gonna teach him how to 'act like a real man'? Because of what, he's gay?"

"Minho, what are you doing?" Changbin tried to reach him and grab his arms, just like how they would do when they were children, but, this time, Minho wasn't feeling like it. He completely understood what was going on and something must be done about it. He wasn't going to keep anything to himself in such moment, even if the one he's confronting is one of his best friends.

"First of all, he is a man. He's not 'less manly' than you, just because he like boys. Love is normal. Don't you even dare try to say it is not normal, or a sin, or whatever excuse you want to give." Minho kept on yelling and pushing Changbin and his other friends. It did hurt him inside, but he wouldn't stop. "You believe in God, right? Well, God wants you to respect His children as who they are. Also, stop acting as if 'gay cure' exist. You think beating a gay up will 'cure' him, huh? Well, this is not and will never be the right option, Changbin. He's done nothing wrong and there's nothing to be cured. You are the one who should learn to be a man. I thought you had finally understood me when we had that talk, maybe you really weren't paying attention at all, apparently. I can't with all this. You have absolutely 0 respect for people who aren't like you, and I won't stand this anymore. I can't do this. You will never change." At this point, there was a crowd watching Minho, their jaw dropped. He really thouched each of them deeply. Jisung could feel the pain and suffering in his voice. All he wanted to do was to hug him, if it means it would make Minho feel better, even if just for a while. He thought he is so brave for standing up for someone like Changbin because of a stupid dude he didn't even know. This is insane.

Maybe you can still have hope on this society, after all.

[sunsetstudiesx]

Film Recommendations!

I thought I’d recommend some of my absolute favourite movies, because I love sharing my love of movies and just things in general with people. So, in no particular order, here is my list of recommendations:

1. Tombstone (1993)

So I just watched this movie a couple days ago and absolutely loved it. Yes, it is a western. Do you need to like westerns to watch it? Nope. That’s why it’s great. And, it’s based on real people/real events. I sobbed hysterically at the end, but I’m also a huge sap. Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday is perfection. I love love love him.

Here’s the plot summary: Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) and his brothers, Morgan (Bill Paxton) and Virgil (Sam Elliott), have left their gunslinger ways behind them to settle down and start a business in the town of Tombstone, Ariz. While they aren't looking to find trouble, trouble soon finds them when they become targets of the ruthless Cowboy gang. Now, together with Wyatt's best friend, Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer), the brothers pick up their guns once more to restore order to a lawless land.

Quotes:

“I’m your huckleberry.”

“Why, Johnny Ringo, you look like somebody just walked over your grave.”

“You gonna do somethin’ or just stand there and bleed?”

2. Fight Club (1999)

Okay. Okay. I just watched this one, too, and let me tell you. If you haven’t seen it/haven’t been spoiled for it, you have no idea what it’s really about. Honestly. It’s so fuckin’ weird and it blew my mind which is something I thought only M. Night Shyamalan could do. Wow, just. . . wow. Watch it, I implore you. I think everyone essentially knows the basic plot, but here it is if you want it, straight from google:

A depressed man (Edward Norton) suffering from insomnia meets a strange soap salesman named Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) and soon finds himself living in his squalid house after his perfect apartment is destroyed. The two bored men form an underground club with strict rules and fight other men who are fed up with their mundane lives. Their perfect partnership frays when Marla (Helena Bonham Carter), a fellow support group crasher, attracts Tyler's attention.

Quotes:

“You met me at a very strange time in my life.”

“The things you own end up owning you.”

“It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything.”

3. Unbreakable (2000)

Speaking of M. Night Shyamalan. While every one of his movies I’ve seen (Split, Glass, Lady in the Water, The Visit) have all been fantastic and mind-blowing, Unbreakable still has my favourite premise and my favourite Shyamalan twist ending. I love this one, even though I don’t really care for Bruce Willis.

Plot summary: A security guard, having been the sole survivor of a high-fatality train crash, finds himself at the centre of a mysterious theory that explains his consistent physical good fortune. When news of his survival is made public, a man whose own body is excessively weak tracks him down in an attempt to explain his unique unbreakable nature.

Quotes:

“Do you know what the scariest thing is? To not know your place in this world. To not know why you’re here.”

4. This is the End (2013)

Seth Rogen. Jay Baruchel. James Franco. Jonah Hill. Danny McBride. Craig Robinson. Playing themselves. The apocalypse. Hilarity ensues. Cameos from Emma Watson, Kevin Hart, Michael Cera, Rihanna, Paul Rudd, Channing Tatum, Aziz Ansari, Jason Segel, Mindy Kaling, and the Backstreet Boys. It’s so funny, I absolutely love it.

Plot summary: In Hollywood, actor James Franco is throwing a party with a slew of celebrity pals. Among those in attendance are his buddies Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Danny McBride and Craig Robinson. Suddenly, an apocalypse of biblical proportions erupts, causing untold carnage among Tinseltown's elite and trapping Franco's party in his home. As the world they knew disintegrates outside, cabin fever and dwindling supplies threaten to tear the six friends apart.

Quotes:

“I don’t want to die at James Franco’s house.”

“Oh, no, no, no. I’m drinking and smoking weed. I’m on a cleanse, I’m not psychotic.”

“Take it easy, Dumbledore.”

5. You’ve Got Mail (1998)

Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks. This might be my favourite romantic comedy, and I watch a lot. They’re adorable, and Meg Ryan is everything. This one made me cry twice. Once from sadness, once from happiness. Also it has Dave Chappelle in it, who I absolutely love.

Plot summary: Struggling boutique bookseller Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) hates Joe Fox (Tom Hanks), the owner of a corporate Foxbooks chain store that just moved in across the street. When they meet online, however, they begin an intense and anonymous Internet romance, oblivious of each other's true identity. Eventually Joe learns that the enchanting woman he's involved with is actually his business rival. He must now struggle to reconcile his real-life dislike for her with the cyber love he's come to feel.

Quotes:

“There’s the dream of someone else.”

“But I just wanted to say that all this nothing has meant more to me than so many somethings.”

“I love daisies. They’re so friendly. Don’t you think daisies are the friendliest flower?”

6. A Hard Day’s Night (1964)

For anyone who loves The Beatles. Here they play themselves, and show what their lives are like. It’s ridiculous and hilarious and god, if I didn’t love them before I loved them dearly after watching. It’s such a fun, easy watch and I adore it.

Plot summary: Over two "typical" days in the life of The Beatles, the boys struggle to keep themselves and Sir Paul McCartney's mischievous grandfather in check while preparing for a live television performance.

Quotes:

“How did you find America?” “Turned left at Greenland.”

“Hey mister can we have our ball back!”

“You’re a swine.”

7. Dazed and Confused (1993)

My favourite movie to watch at the beginning and end of the school year, and let’s be honest, every month in between. I’ve seen this movie more times than I can say. I love the ‘70’s setting, the actors, the plot. Another wonderful, easy watch that just makes me happy. Killer soundtrack, too.

Plot summary: The adventures of high school and junior high students on the last day of school in May 1976.

Quotes:

“You just gotta keep livin’, man. L-i-v-i-n.”

“It’d be a lot cooler if you did.”

“I just wanna look back and say that I did it the best that I could while I was stuck in this place.”

“I’d like to quit thinking of the present, like right now, is some minor, insignificant preamble to somethin’ else.”

8. Dirty Dancing (1987)

Anything with Patrick Swayze is wonderful, and this is no exception. Johnny and Baby are perfect. This movie also has the best soundtrack of any movie I’ve ever watched. Fantastic love story, fantastic movie. Watch it.

Plot summary: Baby (Jennifer Grey) is one listless summer away from the Peace Corps. Hoping to enjoy her youth while it lasts, she's disappointed when her summer plans deposit her at a sleepy resort in the Catskills with her parents. Her luck turns around, however, when the resort's dance instructor, Johnny (Patrick Swayze), enlists Baby as his new partner, and the two fall in love. Baby's father forbids her from seeing Johnny, but she's determined to help him perform the last big dance of the summer.

Quotes:

“Nobody puts Baby in a corner.”

“Fight harder, huh? I don’t see you fighting so hard, Baby. I don’t see you running up to daddy telling him I’m your guy.”

“You’re right, Johnny. You can’t win no matter what you do.”

“Go back to your playpen, Baby.”

9. The Sound of Music (1965)

This is such a beautiful movie, and I love it so much. My mom and I try to watch it every Christmas as our little tradition. Julie Andrews as Maria is so wonderful, and all of the songs are so, so good. I love all of the children dearly, and oh, do I love Captain VonTrapp.

Plot summary: A tuneful, heartwarming story, it is based on the real life story of the Von Trapp Family singers, one of the world's best-known concert groups in the era immediately preceding World War II. Julie Andrews plays the role of Maria, the tomboyish postulant at an Austrian abbey who becomes a governess in the home of a widowed naval captain with seven children, and brings a new love of life and music into the home.

Quotes:

“You cry a little, and then you wait for the sun to come out. It always does.”

“God bless Louisa, Brigitta, Marta, and little Gretl. Oh, I forgot the other boy. What’s his name? Well, god bless what’s-his-name.”

“I want you to stay. I ask you to stay.”

10. Gladiator (2000)

“Are you not entertained?” I think everyone has heard that line, from this amazing movie. One of the many that has made me cry, it’s such a beautiful story. Also, gladiators. That immediately sells it for me. All of the performances by the actors are top notch as well.

Plot summary: Set in Roman times, the story of a once-powerful general forced to become a common gladiator. The emperor's son is enraged when he is passed over as heir in favour of his father's favourite general. He kills his father and arranges the murder of the general's family, and the general is sold into slavery to be trained as a gladiator - but his subsequent popularity in the arena threatens the throne.

Quotes:

“My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius. Commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, and loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance. In this life or the next.”

“What we do in life echoes in eternity.”

“Falling down is how we grow. Staying down is how we die.”

[ryik-the-writer]

Chapter 22 - Reflections pt. 1

[A03]

Chapter 1: Pan meets a Wendy Chapter 2: Scars (Felix’s Story) Chapter 3: Day One Chapter 4: Revenge and Fireflies Chapter 5: Brighter than Stars Chapter 6: filler: The Tigress Chapter 7: Operation Spotless! Chapter 8: Operation Spotless: Reporters Down Chapter 9: A Dance with the Devil Chapter 10: filler: Felix and the Pancake Chapter 11: The Girl with Blue Eyes pt. 1 Chapter 12: The Girl with Blue Eyes pt. 2 Chapter 13: The Girl With Blue Eyes: Underground Chapter 14. Recovery Chapter 14.2 Recovery some more Chapter 15: Trapped Chapter 16: Filth Chapter 17: Fairydust pt. 1 Chapter 18: Fairydust pt. 2 Chapter 19: The Mystery of the Dead Nun pt. 1 Chapter 20: The Mystery of the Dead Nun pt. 2                                         Chapter 21:  The Mystery of the Dead Nun pt. 3

                                       0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Funfact: working in a small-town newspaper is very BORING xD. Peter and Wendy have a hella more fun than I do!

But somehow, someway…I’m going to find my Cruella de Vil…

0-0-0-0-0-0

It was too quiet. She couldn’t even hear herself breathing. Or the sound of the door she was pushing open squeaking from aged hinges.

“It’s not supposed to be silent. I know I heard noises when I came in here.”

But…where is ‘here’?

Wendy answered her own question when she saw the familiar setting of Mother Superior’s office. Her thick magnolia desk. The shelves overflowing with old files. The half of an old metal cross—

“Wait…that’s not supposed to be there…”

The chair moved. Someone was in it, and slowly turning it around.

“No, I shouldn’t be here. Why am I…”

No.

Mother Superior was gawking at her in her chair, her tongue spasming as her lower jaw rotted of and landed in her lap.

With a yelp Wendy shot up, her foot flying in the air to hit the cold-water handle of the bathtub and sending her into instant awareness.

“Bloody everlasting fuck!” she screamed, struggling to gain a grip on the porcelain as her pants soaked through. She hastily turned the water off and composed her self to proper cognition as the events from last night slowly trickled back.

She glanced down her window, catching just a glimpse of Pan’s back door. She wondered how he was handling their shared suspension on top of last nights truth bomb. Despite everything she had an urge to go check on him, but her pride won over. Let him grovel to her for once.

With a groan she pulled herself from her bathtub, making a mental note that she would collapse in her bed the next time she wanted to have a meltdown.

She yawned as she stripped from yesterday’s clothes, leaving a trail of her misery through her living room as she felt for her tea kettle.

Yesterday’s events began to replay in her mind. Wendy was holding onto a very dark secret now, one that would not doubt tear the town a part if it got out.

She wondered what she could do with such information—if she wanted to do anything with it at all. Keeping it tucked inside was the safest bet. But if Wendy had learned anything in her short time in Storybrooke, it was that secrets had a way of making their selves known.

Wendy groaned and poured her tea. She needed to let it go for now. If the revelation was destined to destroy the town, then it would be on her watch.

“Hmm.” Wendy pondered. She really was becoming darker.

After a cup of tasteless tea, Wendy coerced herself to dress. Even while her brain was still on autopilot she wouldn’t allow herself to lounge around all day.

She took her time going down the stairs not entirely unconvinced that there wouldn’t be a mob outside her door.

Or Pan. That would be much worst but just his style.

But there was no Pan or mob awaiting her. In fact the streets were empty and foggy, the asphalt frosty from the early morning cold.

Wrapping her scarf more securely around her, she locked her door and set off towards the town, sparing a glance in the direction of Pan’s flat.

No. This was his problem to fix, not hers.

She breathed in the morning air as she made her way down Storybrooke’s main street. Businesses were just opening up or pajama-clad citizens were just now getting their morning papers. It warmed her stomach to see such a setting so like her London’s; though most people at home didn’t even know each other’s last names unlike here. Such closeness produced a kind of domesticity with a thin layer of uncertainty in Wendy’s mind.

Such closeness clung to the diner, the towns heart where news and gossip alike sped through there before it could even be printed.

Everyone knew her now. Her position, her name. And her recent involvement with Mother Superiors demise. She recalled her near-death experience with Cruella de Vil and how the entire town seemed to be watching her just like now.  How long ago had that been? Months? Years? It seemed so long ago that Wendy couldn’t even remember what the devil woman had looked like.

What had happened to her?

As she neared the tight gap between the diner, globs of her memory began to resurface. Yellow police tape. The tight gravel-filled alley that she had been held at gunpoint at.

She crept further in the alley, running her fingers across the door that had saved her from de Vil’s bullet. The blood stain that had been there before—her blood at that—was gone. Washed away by rain and a quick scrub. As if she nor de Vil had ever been there.

Had they?

Wendy could almost deny that the whole thing had ever happened. It felt so long ago, and all the trauma she had been through as a result of it had just filtered out of her bloodstream.

“No,” she muttered aloud. She couldn’t just be over it. She’d almost died. Her father tried to take her back to London…

Edward.

Wendy grimaced at the thought of her extinguished flame. She had never liked him the way everyone expected her to, but their final words had been hard to say…even if she was having trouble remembering just what she said to him.

She shook her head and began speeding past diner, away from the memories the small space held.

She hadn’t realized she’d made it to the park until she stopped at a bench in front of the dirty lake…the one she had been sitting at moments before she had heard Storybrooke’s missing dogs.

A chill ran up her spine as the barks of the dogs echoed through her head. Those poor creatures had pounced her when she snuck into the dognapers truck, terrified from being snatched from their loving owners and crammed into a dark, unknown future.

Of course, Wendy knew what their future held. her throat tightened at the thought of the pregnant cocker spaniel that met her demise to the rusty end of de Vil’s chainsaw.

She eased into the woods were the truck had been parked, the ghosts of the barks tangled with a phantom hum of an engine. She could see the path of broken trees the truck had created, and knew that if she went down that path what she would find.

Did she dare follow it after all she went through to heal from Cruella de Vil’s torture?

It would be unwise, and stir up fear and anxiety she did not need.

Yet Wendy found herself following the trail even as the familiar town began to disappear behind her. The path felt like an entrance into a post-Armageddon dimension. Broken furniture and car shells were scattered all around, as if someone tried to set up house in the middle of a landfill.

Wendy scrunched her nose at the mess. No wonder de Vil and her goons were able to run their dog-stealing operation here. Storybrooke had dumped its trash and left.

And smack dab in the middle of the landfill was the ominous slaughter shed, ghosts of police ribbons dancing on the windows.

Wendy released a wet bark of laughter at the giant hole in the side of the shed, recalling vaguely that it had been the pilfered truck that had caused it. A detail she could have easily forgotten had it not been for the absurdity of who had rammed it into the wall to begin with.

The young journalist sighed at her delirious self. She’d been in such shock after her and Pan’s rescue that she actually kissed the little bugger…and been caught by her father and ex at that!

She wondered as she caressed the smoother edges of the gap if Pan had actually been trying to save her or if he was just being reckless to add to his story. They hated each other more back then than they did now.

It was too dark to make out anything past the bent wires of the cages, but the foul smell that ventured from the shadowy depths was enough to keep Wendy’s curiosity bared.

Even if moments of that day so long ago were a blur, Wendy would never be able to unseen the splatter of blood and guts that de Vil had spewed on her shoes.

She’d seen all she needed and made a quick pace back to the lake lest Cruella’s vengeful spirit come after her.

Wendy felt a numbing sense of euphoria as she left the old haunt. She had had such mixed emotions the first time she stumbled upon the case. Fear. Excitement. And then afterwards, the disbelief that she had survived the entire ordeal. She couldn’t even leave her home for a week because of the paranoia that came afterwards!

Now, while there was a bubble of nervousness just in the pit of her stomach, she couldn’t feel the same apprehension. In fact the memory barely stirred up any feeling, as if she just watched the most subpar movie of all time.

Wendy pondered as she circled the pond if this was a sign of recovery, or one of impending boredom. How did her other misadventures compare to her first if she looked back on them?

She looked up and saw a sign declaring the entrance to Storybrooke’s Firefly Hill. The journalist smile at the insane but pleasant memory from her first official story in Storybrooke.

A quick listen to the radio had led her to an unseasonal firefly migration, and right into the center of Pan’s ire. But oddly enough it had ended in her favor, and a shift in her and Pan’s relationship. He still treated her like dirt, but he didn’t quite sneer at her as harshly as before, and he ended up saving her hide a week later.

Wendy sighed, the swaying trees around her reminding her of the time she and Pan had to flee from August Booth’s deranged turkey, only to have to take shelter in the car of their rotting foe.

Her stomach flopped at the memory, and more so at the strangely sweet moment that followed between her and Pan. He allowed his walls to crack while he was spread out in her lap, and she as well revealed a bit more about herself.

Surprisingly the things she learned about Pan then, and subsequently the day to follow, weren’t as terrifying as she feared they would be. Sure, he was the mysterious brother of Wendy’s new possible foe, and he was an ex…something…to Jekyll and a couple of other people whom she couldn’t quite place. He had a cat.

Pan was layered, she learned, and if he would stop being such an ass, she could even consider being a friend.

Weren’t they friends though?

Wendy thought of the people she’d met in Storybrooke, and tried to place what each of them were.

Lily Tigress had flirted with her when they first met, but Wendy was thankful the young woman didn’t push it further than that.

She could call Sydney a friend if she squinted and craned her neck. Sure, the only time they associated with one another was when Wendy and Pan had stumbled into trouble, but he respected her and looked out for her. Afterall, he had used himself as a human shield the night Jekyll’s goon attacked her. Who else other than a friend would do that for her?

Tink, Felix, Astrid, August, Belle, Mr. Gold…so many faces that were a part of her story, whether good for bad.

Yet in that story, Pan was there too.

Yet Wendy couldn’t place just what they were.

They hated each other more often than not, yet they worked together so well. They had built something between each other, and it was theirs alone. Maybe to everyone else it was odd and dangerous, but Wendy could tolerate it and hopefully build off it.

She returned to the edge of town and could just see the tip of the hospital roof. She gulped lightly, remembering how every single one of her adventures had led her there. Cruella, Jekyll, hell even Mother Superior.

Despite that unpleasant knowledge, she pressed forward without fear, lead there by the whispers of the past past hazy nurses and glass-eyed patients that only turned her way after she had passed them.

Only when she came at the entrance of the abandoned wing where Jekyll had performed his unholy and mysterious deeds, she found the area to be heavily guarded with police tape and warning stands not to pass.

Wendy almost rolled her eyes. Where were such precautions when she wondered in there the first time? Or when Belle was dragged down to an undeserved hell, kicking and screaming?

“Wendy?”

The pacified journalist shot around at the sound of her name, and the site she met both shocked and tickled her.

Peter Pan—who just last night had nearly framed Wendy for murder, knocked out Dr. Whale, and betrayed a slew of people—was standing in his Sunday best with a bouquet of freshly pruned flowers clutched in his hand.

“Hey.” Wendy greeted as she withheld a snort.

“Hi…” Pan returned.