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spaceyaceface · 1 year

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Snow, Scarves, and Schemes

Sebastian Sallow x f!Reader (unspecified Hogwarts House)

Word Count: 14.8k (oops)

Content Warnings: Slight angst

Summary: Y/N is sick of Leander Prewett trying to court her. Luckily, she has a best friend named Sebastian Sallow who would love to help put an end to it. They devise a plan to pretend to court up until the Yule Ball. Should be simple, right? If only.

Or, the classic friends to lovers, idiots in love, fake dating scenario.

Also available on AO3

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Y/N paced back and forth nervously in the Undercroft. This was a stupid idea. Utterly rubbish. She considered going back to her common room, but knew it was already too late–she’d sent him an owl, after all. A bloody owl with a bloody note asking for help and to meet her in the Undercroft. She couldn’t flee now; he’d just track her down and badger her about later.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when the door to the Undercroft opened with the boy she was waiting for waltzing through. He’d shot up in height the summer after their fifth year—he now nearly had to duck coming in the doorway. He’d been a twig for a brief moment after his growth spurt (a fact that Y/N had taken to her advantage and teased him with) but he had quickly filled out in the months that followed. Now, Sebastian Sallow stood tall and broad before her, the changes from the last two years evident to her eyes. It made her feel a little intimidated. Not that Sebastian himself was intimidating—she knew him too well to ever fear him. And he knew her well enough that she wouldn’t put up with any of his nonsense. The last two years of friendship had made them very close—of everyone in Hogwarts, Sebastian was easily the person she trusted the most, despite some of the difficulties throughout their time together. He’d really come far in proving himself redeemed—the fact that Anne now spoke to him attesting to his progress. It was her trust in him that led to this moment now.

“I got your owl, what’s happened?” He’d seen her nervous only a handful of times before. For the most part, Y/N was a girl who didn’t let things get to her—she made a habit of running headfirst into danger, thinking of the consequences only in passing. So, the way she was wringing her hands was most unusual. “You said you needed help, are the poachers back around Hogwarts?”

She shook her head quickly, finally meeting her eyes. “No, nothing like that. It’s just—oh this is stupid, I shouldn’t have sent that owl—”

“Too late,” Sebastian teased. “I know something’s afoot, I won’t rest until I find out what it is.”

“I know, I know!” She sighed. “You can’t laugh, alright?”

A signature smirk settled on his face. “No promises.”

She groaned. “Look, you know Leander Prewett, right?”

The events leading up to Y/N’s hastily scribbled note came back full force. Leander had followed her from her Herbology class down to Potions. Most of the time, Y/N had Sebastian and Ominis by her side, and could quickly dismiss the arrogant Gryffindor. But today, Sebastian had ‘accidently’ spilled a bag of dung all over Garreth Weasley’s feet, and Professor Garlick had insisted Sebastian stay behind to clean it up. Poor Ominis, guilty only by association, had been roped in as well. So Leander had taken his chance and walked out of the classroom with Y/N.

Because their conversations were usually cut off by Y/N running off to Sebastian and Ominis, Leander would typically ask how she was, make some snide remark about a Slytherin, and then ask her out. Sometimes she answered with a simple “No, thank you,” sometimes she made excuses of how busy she was, and sometimes, when she was really at her wit’s end, she’d pretend she hadn’t heard the question before claiming she saw Ominis’s blond hair up ahead and running off. But today she couldn’t find a reason to run.

And so, Leander strode up to her in the hall. “How are you, Y/N?”

“Just fine, thank you,” she stated simply, not even meeting eyes with the red-headed boy.

“Pretty low of Sallow to dump that dung all over. Typical Slytherin. Serves him right to have to clean it all up.”

She didn’t give him a reply this time, electing to roll her eyes instead. The whole Slytherin-Gryffindor rivalry had always seemed pointless and melodramatic to her, though she had to admit she disliked it coming from Leander a lot more than hearing it from Sebastian or Ominis.

“What would you say to a trip to the Three Broomsticks with me this weekend, eh? My treat, of course. Could make a date of it.”

She let out a sigh. “I’d say no thank you, Leander.”

He scowled a bit. It was no secret to the majority of the students in their year that Leander had been chasing after Y/N for some time now. Ever since she became the “hero of Hogwarts” (a title she loathed to be remembered by), he’d had his eye on her. She had always felt it was less than actual attraction and more of a claim to fame that had him on her tail. But he was persistent.

“Why won’t you let me take you out, Y/N? We could end up enjoying ourselves, you know. I pride myself in being good company.”

“Because I don’t want to , Leander.” She was growing exasperated with him quickly.

“Want to? Or don’t think you can?” Leander frowned at her. “I know your friends with Sallow, and if I’d hazard a guess, I’d say he’s trying to poison you against me.”

She stopped walking, aghast. “I’d say it’s yourself who led to any ill-feelings I have toward you.”

“Then why not give a chance at settling some of those ill-feelings?”

Her fists clenched at her sides, and before she knew what she was saying, the words came tumbling out of her mouth—the words she almost immediately grew to regret.

And now in the present, Sebastian's eyes narrowed. “That prat? What about him?”

Y/N couldn’t help but chuckle a bit at his sour reaction. “Well, it’s to do with him. You see, he keeps asking me out—”

“You’re not planning on saying yes, are you?” he asked, an edge to his voice. Ah, that Slytherin-Gryffindor rivalry.

“Of course not! Like you said, he’s a prat. A prat who won’t take no for an answer. Well, at least he wouldn’t, until I told him was already seeing someone…” She bit her lip, looking away from him.

Sebastian’s eyebrows raised. “You’re seeing someone? That’s news to him and me both, though I thought as your best friend I’d be a bit more entitled to that information.”

“That’s the whole problem, Sebastian! I’m not seeing anyone. I just needed a way to get him off my back, and now he’s suspicious, it was obvious he didn’t believe me—”

She was interrupted by a laugh. Sebastian was holding his arms over his stomach, nearly bent in half with the laughter shaking his body.

“You said you wouldn’t laugh!”

“I said no such thing.” He stood up straight again, still chuckling. “So, you need someone to pretend to be courting you, is that it?”

She blushed deeply, covering her face with her hands. “Yes, Sebastian. That’s what I need help with.”

“Well, I’m honored.” He grinned ear to ear. “What made you choose me over Ominis, if I may ask?”

“For one, most everyone has heard he’s courting Anne now, which would add some tension if he was supposedly courting both of us—”

“Ah, right,” Sebastian conceded. Ominis and Anne’s developing relationship was rather new, one that had completely blindsided Sebastian (which was ridiculous in Y/N’s opinion, she could see it from a mile away. The protective twin had simply been in denial), though he had approved nonetheless.

“And secondly, to be quite frank, Prewett… has a stronger distaste for you than for Ominis. I figured it would throw him off his game a bit more.”

“Strategic. I like it.” He clapped his hands together. “So, when do we start?”

Y/N brightened. “You’ll help me then?”

“Of course. You’re my best friend, Y/N, I’m happy to keep a slimy chap like Prewett off your back any day.”

She launched herself forward, tackling Sebastian in a hug. “Oh, thank you! You’re bloody brilliant, you know that?”

He gave a sly smile. “‘Course I do, though it’s nice to be reminded of it now and again.”

The two sat side by side, snacking on some of the nicked food they’d stored in the Undercroft. After practicing spells for a bit, they had gotten hungry and decided to take a break. Y/N broke a roll she was holding in half, setting one part into Sebastian’s outstretched hand. It was an unspoken system between them—always sharing what they ate.

“So,” Sebastian said between bites. “We should probably discuss the details of our arrangement, shouldn’t we?”

She glared at him. “You want some sort of payment for it?”

He put his hands up in surrender. “Not at all. I’m doing this out of the kindness of my heart. And seeing Prewett’s humiliated face.” He smiled at the chuckle this brought out of her. “I meant things like how long we plan to ‘court’, or how we want to go about… displaying it.”

She nodded, thinking. “Well, the Yule Ball is coming up. I think it’s part of why he’s upping his game.”

He hummed in agreement. “That’s in what, three weeks, is it?”

“Precisely. I figured we could court until a few days before the ball, then ‘break it off’. That way, you could ask whoever you wanted to be your date, and I could attend with Ominis as he helps me through my devastating heartbreak, like the true friend he is.”

Sebastian chuckled. “Sensible. Speaking of Ominis, you know we’re going to have to tell him we’re faking it, don’t you?”

“Oh, absolutely. He wouldn’t believe it otherwise. He’d call it out for what it was, and it’d all crumble before it started!”

Sebastian laughed. “He’s a decent liar. And he hates Prewett too, he won’t have any qualms with it.”

A chuckle made its way past her lips as she pressed another bit of food into Sebastian’s hand. “Now, as far as the ‘displaying it’ nonsense goes…”

Sebastian nodded solemnly. “This will be the most difficult part. I’ll have to tolerate your company, won’t I?”

The shove she gave him nearly tipped him over.

“Come on now! You know I’m joking!”

She rolled her eyes. “It’s me that tolerates you , we both know that. We’ll have to do a bit more than tolerate, anyway. I don’t imagine it’ll be too much, though. Perhaps holding hands, and occasional loving embrace, that sort of thing.”

“So I’m not getting a proper snog out of you is what I’m hearing?”

This time, the shove did tip him over. “You’re nothing but an overconfident rake, Sebastian Sallow!” Even as she said it, she smiled down at him.

“I’m not, and you know it. I’m a right and proper gentleman.”

“Right and proper gentlemen don’t talk about snogging in front of young ladies.”

“You’re my best friend, Y/N, you hardly count as a lady.”

There was a slight twinge of pain in her chest as he said those words. Since when did she not count as a lady? Sure, she preferred trousers to skirts and dresses, but they were simply more practical. She could out duel any witch or wizard who stood against her, but she liked to think she kept some amount of poise while doing so. And she thought herself quite respectable, at least until she got talking to Sebastian… perhaps he had a bit of a point. Most ladies would be aghast at arranging a fake-courting situation, and talking so plainly while doing so, but it was Sebastian . He felt more of an extension of herself at times than a boy she had met just over two years ago.

Y/N was in the middle of rolling her eyes when another voice joined the conversation. “What was that about snogging? Do the two of you need a moment alone?”

She grinned at the sight of Ominis walking toward them, his wand outstretched. “Oh, thank God you’re here Ominis. I don’t know if I could have spent another moment in the hell that is Sebastian’s company.”

“If that’s really how you feel, Y/N, our plan is doomed to fail,” Sebastian said, gathering more of their nicked food to share with the new addition.

“Plan? What trouble are you trying to get me into now?” Ominis asked as he sat on the floor beside them. Sebastian pressed an apple tart into his hand.

“Oh, nothing horrible, unless you think giving Prewett a heart attack is indecent,” Sebastian said.

“As… un-fond of Prewett I am, I still need to know what’s happening before I let anything proceed. What is it?”

Y/N sighed. “Well, Ominis, as someone who shares similar sentiments about Prewett, I… needed a way to get him to stop asking to take me out. I stupidly told him I was seeing someone, and Sebastian has graciously decided to step in and be that someone. Pretend to be that someone, I guess I should say.”

Ominis frowned. “And you need my help in what way?”

“Not in any way, really. Just go with it. Confirm it if people ask. Spread rumors when possible,” Sebastian said.

Ominis thought hard. Y/N could practically see the gears turning in his head, calculating every which way things could backfire. After a few moments, he seemed to come to the conclusion that nothing could go too terribly wrong. “All right. Whatever keeps Prewett at bay.”

Y/N threw an arm around him, startling him a bit. “Thank you, Ominis.”

He chuckled. “Anything for you. Now, if only I had someone to place bets with on how long the pair of you last.”

Ominis and Sebastian walked side by side back to the Slytherin common room. Y/N had departed a while before them, needing to catch up on a bit of her homework.

“Seems like an interesting plan the two of you have conceived,” Ominis said.

“Interesting indeed. Though I do have to say, it was pretty much Y/N who conceived it,” Sebastian replied easily.

“It’ll be… fascinating to see the two of you pretend to be a couple.” Ominis sounded thoughtful.

Sebastian frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

“Well, if I’m honest, there’s been times I thought the two of you might have something between you.” Ominis tilted his head to face Sebastian a little bit more. “Never certain of it, though. Should I have been certain of it?”

His frown deepened. “Are you trying to say that one of us has feelings for the other?”

Ominis shrugged. “More or less. Any truth to that?”

Sebastian found himself thinking about the thought of that. Truth be told, he hadn’t done much of it before. He enjoyed spending time with Y/N, of course. It was always fun to throw her off by saying something unexpected. What was more was how well she did the same thing back. It kept him on his toes, always letting him expect the unexpected. She was talented, too, of course. He’d never forget that first duel they had, nor the ones they fought side by side in afterwards. She was an incredible witch. Beautiful, too, though that was common knowledge among most of the students in their year. It was just a fact. A statement. Y/N was beautiful, talented, funny, and exciting. Sebastian knew all of these things–-that didn’t mean he liked her, did it?

He realized there had been a bit too much of a pause after Ominis’s question. He quickly spat out the conclusion he had drawn to. “No, Ominis. She’s my best friend, right beside you. I haven’t felt that way, and I seriously doubt she’d ever feel that way towards me. Purely platonic.”

Ominis nodded, seeming like he expected as much. “Figured. Was just curious if this whole arrangement would bring anything out of the two of you. Perhaps it’s for the best—if the two of you really did start courting, I have a feeling the very walls of Hogwarts would have their days numbered.”

“Are you saying we’d be an awful couple?”

“Awful, or perfect together. I don’t think the castle would stand a chance at your mayhem in either case.”

Sebastian chuckled before changing the subject. What he had told Ominis had been true… hadn’t it? She was his best friend. They were nothing more, never had been, and never would be.

So why was he so glad Ominis couldn’t see how flushed he’d gotten at the thought?

Y/N picked at her breakfast the next morning—she’d only eaten a couple bites of her tart before setting it back on her plate, moving her eggs around instead. She imagined this is what it felt like for those on the Quidditch teams before a match. It was only by sheer luck that none of her friends around her seemed to notice her unease; perhaps they figured she got a bad night of sleep or something. They talked animatedly to one another. Y/N tried to listen, but found herself distracted with constant glances at the door.

It was very usual for Sebastian to be late to breakfast—or at times to miss it entirely. With all his late night mischief, he tended to sleep in as much as possible before coming down at the last minute to grab some leftover pastry and rush off to class. She started to wonder if he would show at all before they had to start heading to Defense Against the Dark Arts.

As if the thought had brought him into existence, Sebastian Sallow strode through the doors of the Great Hall, Ominis trailing behind. He glanced quickly around the room before his eyes landed on Y/N, a smile appearing on his face as he walked over.

Seeing him let something settle in Y/N’s stomach. What was she so worried about? Of course he would show up for her. He always had, hadn’t he?

Sebastian arrived at Y/N’s table and didn’t hesitate to reach over her, grabbing an apple off her plate. “Lovely morning, isn’t it?”

Y/N scoffed. “Have you even looked outside yet? It’s a blizzard out there. I’m only grateful we don’t have to walk to Herbology in this mess.”

He shrugged. “Just because it’s snowing doesn’t mean it’s not lovely.”

A chuckle escaped her lips. “I suppose.”

He held out a hand to her, a prompting to head to class. “Come on then. Best we start our way over.”

The gesture wasn’t unusual coming from him, so she dedn’t hesitate to take his hand and stand. However, instead of letting their hands slide apart, his grip tightened as he laced his fingers between hers.

She turned away from him quickly, heading straight for the door. With their hands interlocked, he had no choice but to follow. She hoped she had turned quickly enough to keep him from seeing the blush that had crept up her cheeks. He had done that so… naturally. It stirred something inside her. She figured it was just her being impressed with his acting skills, and God knows Sebastian’s ego was already big enough—no need to let him know her astonishment of his actions to boost it further.

Once she felt she had collected herself enough, she turned her head to face him. “Did you finish your essay yet?”

He frowned. “What essay?”

“The one Professor Sharp assigned us in Veritaserum. Figured you’d find the topic interesting.”

His eyes lit up a bit. “Ah, yes, that one. Haven’t even started it, actually. Though I’m not nervous—I’d say the both of us know plenty to fill eleven inches of parchment.” He winked down at her, eliciting a smile on her lips. He was right about that. There was a period of time in their sixth year where Sebastian became determined to brew as many restricted potions as he could get the ingredients for. Veritaserum had been included in these, and the batch had resulted in an interesting night with Sebastian, Ominis, and Y/N spilling secret opinions on their classmates. “Perhaps we should brew another batch. I have a feeling Ominis isn’t telling me all the details of his letters with Anne.”

Y/N laughed and bumped shoulders with him, their interlocked hands keeping them both balanced. “Don’t torture your best friend for details about love letters, with you sister, no less.”

“Exactly! She’s my sister, I have a right to know!”

“I have the distinct feeling you wouldn’t want to know all the mushy things they write to each other.”

He rolls his eyes, but any annoyance comes across as ingenuine with the grin plastered on his face. “I’m not going to admit it, but maybe you’re right.” He leads them into the classroom, walking to the desk where Ominis already sat. Sebastian pulled out Y/N’s chair, allowing her to sit before taking his own beside her. A nice touch, she thought. Very in character.

Ominis chuckled to Y/N’s side. “The rumors have already begun. I overheard Poppy whispering about the two of you holding hands to someone, now that she’s got ahold of it, it’ll spread fast.”

Y/N grinned, meeting eyes with Sebastian beside her to see the smirk that had settled on his face. He stretched his arm above him, letting it settle on Y/N’s chair behind her. This was all too simple

The rest of the day continued on much the same. Sebastian was quick to hold her hand between classes, and with that the whispers around them became increasingly pronounced. It seemed too easy, really—Y/N supposed her close friendship to the boy leading up to this gave them some credibility as a believable pair.

By dinner, she couldn’t help but notice Leander Prewett positively fuming at the sight of them. He glared past all the tables, seemingly unable to tear his gaze away from Sebastian as he helped load food onto Y/N’s plate. She had to stifle a laugh.

“God, would you look at the awful sight of him?” she said, pulling her plate in front of her. “He’s livid.”

Sebastian smiled mischievously. “It’s beautiful to behold, really.”

Ominis frowned. “Well don’t leave me out of it.”

“Oh, you’re not missing much,” Sebastian replied, finishing up with his own plate and getting ready to dive into the meal. “Just Prewett tried to curse me with his glare alone. I suppose I should be grateful he never took to nonverbal spells.”

It wasn’t long until Imelda came over to the trio, Poppy and Natty trailing close behind her. Y/N held back a wince. Besides the two boys sat on either side of her, these three were her best friends. It was inevitable that they would confront her—especially with Imelda being, well, Imelda.

Her arms were crossed over her chest, a determined look in her eye. Natty stood off to one side, looking fairly unconcerned. Poppy, on the other hand, seemed nearly fearful.

“So,” Imelda said, looking between Y/N and Sebastian. “There have been rumors.”

Y/N raised an eyebrow. “About me? Pray tell.”

“About the two of you. ” She gave a tilt of her head to indicate Sebastian.

“I’m right here, you know,” he said.

“So am I,” Ominis interjected. “Though go on treating me like a broken broom, if you’d like.”

Y/N held back a laugh, trying to remain serious. Imelda rolled her eyes. “Just tell us if it’s true or not. Are the two of you… courting?”

Y/N shot a quick glance at Sebastian. The slight up-ticks in the corners of his mouth were all the reassurance she needed. “That we are. I’m surprised it took you all the entire day to ask me about it.”

Poppy let herself smile a bit behind Imelda. Funny, Y/N thought. She looked pretty happy about the development.

“We were surprised we weren’t the first to know,” Natty said.

“Well, to be fair, it’s a very new thing.”

“Long time coming, though,” Ominis mumbled.

Imelda’s suspicious eyes softened. “Well, alright. We just wanted to… confirm it, I suppose. It all seems a bit out of the blue, to be fair.”

Y/N shrugged, thinking fast. “These sort of things almost always are, aren’t they?”

“Not usually,” Poppy piped up.

“Well, this one was. In any case, I promise I’ll tell you all the whole story soon enough.”

“You better, L/N, or I’ll knock you off your broom,” Imelda said, smiling.

Y/N grinned back. “If you can catch me, that is.”

Imelda chuckled, waving a quick goodbye and leaving. Natty followed, but Poppy lingered for a moment. “She means well, you know. And for the record, I think the two of you complement each other.” After that, she scurried away.

Y/N turned back to Sebastian. Was his face a bit red? No, couldn’t be… though she admitted that last comment from Poppy had thrown her off a bit. “Well, the cat’s out of the bag.”

Sebastian smiled. “That it is. Seems like you have a story to come up with, too. I only ask you don’t make me too pathetic.”

Y/N groaned. “Bloody hell.”

When the next morning rolled around, Y/N somehow wasn’t surprised to see Sebastian standing at the entrance to the Great Hall. It seemed that his dedication to ‘courting’ her had trumped his need for a little more extra sleep. As she walked toward him, she watched his eyes scan the throng of students rushing back and forth. Something stirred in her stomach as she saw how intently he looked through everyone—the fact that his eyes were searching for none other than her.

How wonderful to have a friend who looked forward to seeing her that much.

Finally, his eyes landed on her. He… lit up, for the lack of a better term. A smile settled onto his face, and he pushed off of the wall he’d been leaning on, standing straighter. It was only a moment later he met her by her side.

“Morning, darling,” he said, as if he’d been waiting since the day before to say it.

That silly feeling in her stomach flared up again. “Good morning. I see the weather hasn’t gotten you down.”

His grin widened. “Down? You’re joking me, you know I love the snow.”

That much is true. She’d been teasing him all winter for that very fact; he’d looked like a child when Mr. Moon had started putting out the Christmas decorations—that elation only grew as the first flakes of snow settled on the castle grounds.

“It’s beautiful, Y/N, I seriously can’t see how you dislike it,” he says, taking her hand and leading her to the table.

“I don’t dislike it, it’s just… cold,” she replied. It was an honest answer. She’d always appreciated the snow from the distance; it was quite lovely to see Hogwarts and the surrounding hamlets covered in a blanket of snow. However, she wasn’t a fan of the chill–-it greatly limited her ability to go out and explore.

Sebastian sat down beside her. “Well then, I’ll take it as my responsibility as your companion to keep you warm.”

She wished she had something witty to reply back with. Instead, a blush fought its way to her face and she frowned. “You… yes. Do that, then.” She cleared her throat, looking around. “Where’s Ominis at?”

“Common room. He’ll be down shortly, he was just sending another letter to Anne before coming.”

She nodded. “We have Herbology today.”

“That we do.” He chuckled. “Merlin, am I excited to see Prewett’s face up close.”

“I hope it’s not too close. I wouldn’t put it past him if he were to try to duel you.”

“I almost hope he does,” Sebastian said, pulling some of the food off of Y/N’s plate. She slapped his hand away, but it was already too late. “I’d love to hex him onto his arse again.”

She shot him a warning glare. “Don’t you go starting anything. Ominis would kill us both if he had to pull his strings.”

He puts his hands up in a surrender. “Any spells I cast will be in self-defense only. I promise you that.”

It’s not long after that Ominis joins them, and then they were off to class. Once again, Sebastian’s hand found Y/N’s. There was still that slight pull in her stomach, a trace of unease in his fingertips. Normal things, she was sure, to have when holding hands with your best friend.

When they arrived in Herbology, the trio set themselves up at a table. The rest of the students came piling in and Y/N distinctly ignored the piercing gaze of Leander Prewett. She felt it on the back of her neck as class began and Professor Garlick gave instructions. It lingered as Sebastian pulled the pot they would be sharing onto the table, not giving her the chance to do it herself. And as the three of them spread soil into the pot, it bore into her still, not letting up for even a moment.

She felt she was about to combust from the heat of it when she noticed Sebastian’s grin beside her. Of course he was enjoying the whole thing—she’d have been a fool to think he’d feel any differently. She lightly slaped his arm with her gloved hand.

His eyebrows raised, not even phased by the ‘attack’, if one could consider it that. “And what was that for?”

“You’re enjoying yourself entirely too much .”

“Really? I was about to step it up a notch, I feel I’m not enjoying the moment to its fullest.”

And obviously, she couldn’t help but laugh at that. She always seemed to have a weakness for his quick remarks. His grin stretched further, if possible.

“Now, my dear, allow me to gather some seeds.” His face became terribly serious. “Don’t fret, I’ll only be gone a moment.”

She wanted to roll her eyes as he left, but instead, another chuckle made its way through her. Ominis let out a sigh. “And I thought he was insufferable before the two of you started this nonsense.”

The class carried on and Y/N found herself baffled again and again by Sebastian’s antics. First he insisted on not letting her leave the table for anything, running back and forth in the classroom to gather supplies. (Ominis didn’t complain about this aspect; he was completely content letting him weave through the tables like a mad-man.) Then he pulled the bag of soil away from her. When she tried to reason with him, he rattled on about how no lovely lady like her should get her hands dirty, to which she reminded him of all of the many, many times she’d proved herself most unlady-like in that sense. He didn’t relent. And finally, when class was over, he stood faster than a blink, offering his hand to help her up—to which, she rolled her eyes and took. It wasn’t this that surprised her—no, helping her up wasn’t extreme. It wasn’t something she would have even found outside of their friendship on a normal day. What caught her off guard was the bow he bent into as she stood, and the lips that pressed lightly, so very lightly , on the back of her hand. Her eyes widened.

He really was insistent on milking every last ounce of Prewett’s agony, wasn’t he?

In the bustle of students getting up and heading to the door, she doubted that many, if any at all, had seen this supposed display of affection. Even so, a tingle shot throughout her, settling right onto her warm cheeks. It was nerves, she reasoned. She was nervous about being caught in the scandal of one such as Sebastian Sallow being so physically affectionate toward her.

But as a figure stormed out of class, she realized the action had not gone completely unnoticed—as was the intention, she was sure. Leander Prewett strode past them, ears redder than the accents on his robes.

She’d have slapped the self-satisfied smirk off of Sebastian’s face if it didn’t look so bloody good on him. You know, in a completely platonic way.

Obviously.

They walked to Potions, and Y/N couldn’t help but notice that Ominis seemed in an awfully good mood, too. “I’m assuming the tantrum-like stomping I heard leaving the class was Prewett?”

“Tantrum-like,” Sebastian echoed. “A fitting way to describe him.”

“The two of you are awful, you know that?” Y/N said. She couldn’t help but be quite pleased with the outcome as well, though.

“‘Course we know that,” Sebastian replied.

Ominis grinned. “We’re not in Slytherin for nothing. Though to be a little fair to Prewett, I myself was getting a bit nauseous in there listening to the two of you. I only kept it together knowing it’s an over-the-top ruse.”

Sebastian scoffed. “Over-the-top. Not in the slightest, my dear Ominis. You just don’t know the first thing about romance.”

Y/N made no comment, though she was fairly certain Sebastian didn’t know much more about romance, either… He was doing a decent job at pretending to know, though.

They were fast approaching the classroom, and she winced to see Leander standing in the corridor leading up to class, arms folded and leaning against the wall in a sulk. His eyes shot up when he heard their footsteps, and he glared daggers directly at Sebastian. As they approached, he stood straighter, glancing between the three of them. She could see the nerves hidden behind his eyes.

“Could I talk to you, Y/N?” His eyes narrowed at Sebastian coldly. “ Privately?”

Sebastian tensed beside her. She was well aware of his protective streak. It was as deeply rooted in him as his charm, immovable as the freckles on his face. It was a part of her dear friend she both admired and grew tiresome of. But she was (almost) always good at talking him down, wasn’t she?

She tightened her grip on his hand. This time, it was a gesture of reassurance, not any sort of display for Leander–-though it could easily be taken as such. She looked up at him. “Go ahead into class. I’ll be right there, alright?”

He took a deep breath. It shuddered a bit on the way out. After a moment, he nodded. “Alright. But if it takes more than a few minutes, I’m coming back for you.”

He let go of her hand, and she found herself missing the comfort of the contact as he and Ominis continued down the corridor. She now faced Leander alone. “What is it you wanted to speak about?”

The red-head’s frown deepened. “It… seems,” he started, speaking as if each word physically pained him. “That you and Sallow are… involved. ”

About as much as she had been expecting. “And how is that your business?”

He gaped at her, as if she dare question his involvement in her affairs. “Because I thought you were a sensible person, Y/N. I still think you are, you’re just lost in this… nonsense.”

A small flame flickered somewhere in her chest. “Nonsense, you say?”

“Alright. It’s more than nonsense. It’s complete and utter rubbish. You’re blinded by Sallow, his false charm and party tricks.” Leanders fist clenched at his side, voice growing louder. “You’re better than this. Better than him. ”

Her jaw tightened. The flicker grew, sending heat down her arms and legs. “You’ll stop talking now, if you know what’s good for you.”

“No, Y/N. It’s I who knows what’s good for you. And what isn’t good for you is that conniving, sorry prick with no life ahead of him. He’s in detention every night. He’s ambitious for nothing but trouble, bound for nothing but a penniless life and an early grave.”

She hadn’t realized she’d pulled her wand out until it was aimed squarely at the Gryffindor’s chest. A raging fire burned inside of her, aching, needing to burst in a wave of fury. She had never felt anything like it.

It surprised her how steady the words were when she spoke them, how in control she was of the fire. “You are a fraction of the man Sebastian Sallow is. You know nothing of who he is, how it’s me who is undeserving of him . I would happily live a thousand penniless lives by his side before I ever even considered wasting a mere moment with you. So I’d suggest doing the greatest kindness you have the ability to provide, and piss off.”

Leander Prewett was stunned speechless. He stared at the girl–-no, the beast stood in front of him, at the wand poised to end him, and in the wisest decision he’d ever make, fled.

Y/N stood in the hall, just breathing for a moment. How dare he—how dare he even suggest he knew a single thing about her Sebastian? He saw only what he chose to, only what his jealousy allowed him. He was wrong.

It was a minute or two before she walked toward the classroom, still half-blind in her anger. It was this blindness that kept her from seeing the figure using a poor disillusionment charm, just a few steps down the hall.

Sebastian slipped into the classroom just after Y/N, charm dispelling as he entered the door. He saw Ominis’s head face toward them, and he’s sure he can feel the anger rolling off of her in waves. It was so tangible that there was no need for sight in sensing it.

She plopped into her usual seat next to Natty, not noticing how Sebastian sat after her at his own desk, even when he had been given very specific instructions to go on ahead of her.

As for his part in the incident, he was stunned .

He didn’t think he’d ever taken a Stupefy that had affected him as much as this.

While Ominis had continued down to the classroom, Sebastian had cast a disillusionment charm over himself and hid against the wall. He was very aware that this was likely an invasion of privacy, and that Ominis was right in scoffing and rolling his eyes at the action, but he was Sebastian Sallow, for Salazar’s sake. How could he resist listening in to a conversation bound to be about him, especially when the circumstances for eavesdropping were so simple?

(There was also the fact that something could go wrong. And if it did, he couldn’t leave the girl he was supposed to be courting to fend off Prewett on her own, as capable as she was.)

He’d heard every word leave Prewett’s mouth. He’d been ready to jump out and defend his honor when Y/N had done so for him.

And what a bang-up job she’d done, hadn’t she?

The words still echoed in his head. A thousand lifetimes… the ridiculous claim that she didn’t deserve him. He couldn’t wrap his head around any of it.

Ominis leaned over to whisper, pulling Sebastian out of his head and into the reality of Sharp’s droning about their assignment. “Seems like the conversation went swimmingly. Is she mad at you for butting in?”

“I didn’t butt in,” Sebastian whispered back. “She handled herself just fine.”

“It is Y/N we’re talking about, we’ve both known she’s completely capable for years now,” Ominis said. He frowned. “She’s still angry, though, isn’t she?”

“Oh she’s fuming. ” It was true. Natsai was looking quizzically at her friend, concerned at her stiff posture and clenched jaw.

“What is it she’s mad about?”

“She—” He found himself not wanting to say it. Not wanting Ominis to read into the things she had said, make them into something they weren’t.

He didn’t want to allow himself to read into it, either.

“Prewett was being a pratt. Said he knew her better, tried to convince her he knew better than she did. She told him to piss off. ”

That was enough of the truth, wasn’t it?

Ominis seemed to think so, giving a low hum. “Serves him right.”

Y/N didn’t calm down, even when the instructions were over and she and Natty went to gather the ingredients for their potions. Sebastian kept an eye on her, watching her chop ginger with much more force than was necessary. It doesn’t look like she told Natty anything–-the poor Gryffindor looked at her friend, completely at a loss. Blimey, he might’ve thought he was looking in a mirror. Sebastian decided he better do something about the situation.

He abandoned his meager start to the assignment and strided over to Y/N’s table, approaching her from behind. “I do believe the textbook says to cut the ginger into even slices, not to mutilate it.”

She gave a small start, turning to face him. He sees just a bit of the fury drop off her shoulders as they meet eyes. She let out a sigh, looking down at the ginger and wincing. “I’ve made a mess of it, haven’t I?”

“I bit, if I have to admit it.”

She groaned. “I’m sorry, he’s just… it was infuriating.”

“Don’t apologize to me, apologize to your poor ginger. Let’s put it out of its misery, shall we?” He pulled out his wand, vanishing the sorry mess on her table before summoning the untouched ingredient he’d left on his desk. He set it down, smiling at her. “There. A fresh start.”

“Thank you.” He can tell by the look in her eyes that it’s more than just the ginger she’s talking about

“No, thank you.” As if it had a mind of its own, his hand found hers, giving it a light squeeze. “I quite hope he takes your advice and pisses off for the foreseeable future.”

Her mouth dropped open, but before she could say a word, he winked and walked back to his table.

The next few days went off without a hitch. Y/N and Sebastian played the part of the ideal courting couple, and none were the wiser. With each passing day, it became easier to hold hands, to lean in close and share conspiring whispers, to flirt and blush and play pretend.

(Curiously, the strange feeling in her stomach didn’t stop, as natural as these things became. Always nervous someone would see through it, she supposed.)

The rumors that had once been the very exciting topic of meals and corridor whispers turned slowly into accepted truth. There seemed to be no denying it. And as the Yule Ball loomed nearer, Y/N felt more and more at ease that she would not be asked to attend with Leander Prewett. He’d kept his distance since the Incident, as she’d taken to calling it, but felt that she’d be celebrating too soon if she thought he was done for good.

The Incident seemed not only to have an effect on Prewett. She hadn’t foreseen the consequences of Sebastian overhearing what she said, but really she didn’t think she would go back and change a single word she’d uttered. It had all been true. She knew him very well, as a friend, and she’d spend a thousand lifetimes with him, as a friend, and she sure as hell didn’t deserve him, as the bloody brilliant and completely wonderful friend he was.

Sebastian knew that.

Neither of them had spoken about it. They didn’t need to. There was nothing to address. Prewett had been stupid, Y/N had defended Sebastian, like a good friend , end of story.

So why did she still feel the weight of it whenever she saw him?

She figured it must be the leftover anger that coursed through her when she thought of Leander’s words, or the guilt that he had ever had to hear such things said about him. Yes, that was it. She wanted to reassure him. Say it straight to his face that that prat Prewett had it all wrong, and that he shouldn’t ever even consider things he said as truth. But that would have been an awkward conversation, and it was all implied anyway, so each time she thought about the Incident, she’d push it to the back of her mind.

She had been doing just that when Imelda caught her arm in the courtyard. “There you are! We’ve been trying to talk to you for ages .”

Y/N smiled at her, seeing Poppy in tow. “Oh? What about?”

Imelda rolled her eyes. “Don’t play coy, L/N. You still never told us the story about you and Sebastian. I mean, it's increasingly obvious the two of you are courting, but how? When? Why?”

“And have you kissed him yet?” Poppy added, grinning.

Y/N’s eyes went wide. “Poppy!”

The Hufflepuff smiled not-so-innocently.

Y/N shook her head in exasperation. “Look, it’s not as exciting as you both seem to think it is. We were walking together one day, he said he cared for me a bit more than friends, I said I felt the same, and here we are. And no, we haven’t kissed.” She’d thought carefully about the story she’d tell them, coming to the conclusion that a short, safe story was best. Fleshing it out with extreme detail would make it outlandish.

It was also hard for Y/N to think about how she and Sebastian might get together, for some reason. It caused that silly feeling in her stomach to turn.

Imelda frowned. “If I’m honest, I expected there to be a bit more to it. It is Sallow we’re talking about.”

Oh dear. Y/N shrugged, trying to hide any discomfort in the action. “Don’t know what to tell you. Sorry to disappoint.”

“You two have been getting along, though, haven’t you?” Poppy asked. “It seems like you are.”

“Of course we have been,” Y/N answered. “I mean, we were best friends before. Most of it feels… natural, really. Just a few added things. It’s… nice.” She was surprised that she didn’t get that uneasy feeling she normally had when telling a lie at those words.

They stopped pestering her about Sebastian (thankfully, she wasn't as good at coming up with lies on the spot as he is) and instead caught up on other things—homework, poachers, Quidditch, the usual. It was good spending some time with them. She almost didn’t notice the cold of the courtyard. Almost.

She started shivering at some point—with just her uniform and robe, the chill was quick to settle in. The slight breeze didn’t help, either, whipping away any warmth before she could keep it.

“And just what are you doing out here without a proper coat?” a voice said from behind her. She felt a bit warmer already. Sebastian smirked from beside her, looking over her shivering frame.

“I wasn’t planning on spending a lot of time here, we just… happened to meet,” Y/N explained.

He gave a playful scoff. “Ridiculous. Here, take this,” he said, removing the scarf from around his neck. Her hand opened to grab it, but… there was no need. Instead, he stood directly in front of her, passing the scarf over her shoulders and tying it snuggly without a word. He ran a hand against it, smoothing it out and pushing her hair out of her face. “There we go. Color suits you pretty nicely, too.”

He seemed very satisfied with his handiwork, taking a small step back to admire it. There were several moments of silence until Y/N realized she should probably say something.

“Um, thank you. That’s… much better now.” She was in fact, very warm now.

He chuckled. “I’ll see you later, darling.” And with that, he left.

She didn’t feel the chill at all anymore. Her stomach fluttered with that silly feeling, and her head spun with the scent of old parchment and fireplaces.

The snow fell in gentle flakes around her, and she realized it really was beautiful when she could feel the cold.

The Yule Ball was now only ten days away. It had come up faster than Sebastian thought it would—very recently, three weeks had seemed like a lifetime. Now each day went faster than the last.

With the winter chill growing ever stronger, Y/N had taken to wearing Sebastian’s scarf constantly. She could have swapped her own scarf out and returned his own, but… she hadn’t. He reminded himself that it added a very believable level to their act. It was physical proof that they were tied together, present even when they weren’t standing side by side. When they were apart, Sebastian sometimes thought of her somewhere off in the castle, his scarf tied around her neck, and Ominis would have to tap his shoulder out of his distant thoughts.

He wasn’t really sure what that was all about.

But right now, Y/N was by his side, sitting in the grass as they listened to Professor Garlick’s lecture. Herbology was mostly a hands-on event, but as they progressed toward their N.E.W.T.s, there were some plants to study that even Professor Garlick hesitated to put in front of them. Today she had ushered them outside, insisting that if they had to listen to her ramble on, they should at least feel the sun while doing so.

The snow had melted over the last couple of days, leaving the ground drier than it had been all winter. Sebastian missed the white blanket that had coated the trees and fields. He hoped it would snow again before Christmas. While the sun was out, it was still rather cool. Which was why, even in her coat and scarf ( his scarf), Y/N had begun to shiver.

Sebastian chuckled. “Still cold, are we?”

She frowned, giving him a small glare. “What gave it away?” She looked back at Professor Garlick. “I don’t know how I’m going to make it through class without turning into a block of ice.”

“I’ve got an idea. Come here,” he said, scooting closer to her. Before she could protest, he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her softly into his side.

He wasn’t sure what had made him do it. Instinct? His natural and irresistible flirtatious charm? Who knows. But as soon as he had done it, the weight of it settled on him. Other things had become normal. But this, Y/N pressed against his chest, where she could likely feel his rapidly beating heart, this was new. His body stiffened at the realization. Was this ok? Had he gone too far?

For a moment, she also seemed surprised—but only for a moment. He felt her body relax a bit against his, allowing herself to lean into his warmth. He let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding and did the same.

Class continued, and Y/N stopped shivering. (Sebastian found this very fulfilling.) He was hyper aware of her breathing; he’d never heard it so close for so long. Over and over again he found his gaze drifting down to look at her, eyes unconsciously following the slope of her nose and curve of her lips. As soon as he’d realize he was staring, he’d whip his head forward again, begging himself to keep it that way. It never seemed to work.

After what felt like eternity, class ended. Y/N moved to stand, but Sebastian was quicker, jumping to his feet to offer his hand. A mischievous glint twinkled in her eye. She laid back on the ground, reaching up for his hand lazily. “The class really took it out of me. I’m not sure I can go on.”

Sebastian feigned annoyance. “Are you trying to take advantage of my kindness?” He grabbed her hand anyway, attempting to pull her up. She acted like a limp doll. He couldn’t help but laugh at the way she slumped forward when he finally pulled her into an upright sitting position. She stuck her tongue out at him. Leaning down, he grasped her other hand, forcing her to her feet. Still halfway committed to her game, she rose off balance, and to steady her, Sebastian placed a hand on her waist.

When she finally stood straight, he noticed how close the action had made them.

He was still holding her hand, still gripping her waist. He could feel her breath on his lips—it made his heart lurch. For a split second, he could only think of getting closer, seeing how not only her breath felt, but her lips against his—

His hands dropped to his side and he took a large step back. He couldn’t look at her. Couldn’t see the expression she was wearing. He didn’t know what he wanted to find.

So instead, he cleared his throat. “Lot of work to get you on your feet. Come on, those potions won’t brew themselves.”

Smooth, Sebastian.

Ominis Gaunt was no idiot. In fact, he fancied himself pretty sharp, especially when it came to certain topics.

One of these topics happened to be Sebastian Sallow.

He didn’t need working eyes to see that something was changing . Well, less changing, really, and more uncovering what had been there all along. He could hear it in the tone of Sebastian’s voice when he spoke to her, the way it went all soft. He felt it in the way Sebastian froze in place every time she entered a room. There was this small stupid sigh he’d let out when he couldn’t walk her to her next class, a lingering frown that wormed its way into his speech every time she wasn’t around.

They were little things. But they were there.

And now, after that Herbology class, his friend walked beside him in silence . It was something he had scarcely beheld.

Ominis wasn’t completely sure—not yet. But if he’d hazard a guess, he’d say his best friend had fallen in love—he just didn’t know it yet.

It finally hit her when she realized she missed his smell on his scarf.

She’d worn it every day since he gave it to her—it was cold out, why wouldn’t she? Why not appreciate the gift her friend had given her?

Why not take the chance to always feel he was near her, even when he wasn’t?

Over the days, the scent of fireplaces, old parchment, and a trace of his cologne faded away. She sat in her room and took a deep breath, realizing in that moment that she had spent every moment she could basking in it. It was in the absence that she finally figured out that silly feeling in her stomach. And now that she had a name for it, it was painful.

She wasn’t supposed to feel this way for a friend—her best friend . She wasn’t supposed to be excited when he held her hand, wasn’t supposed to feel the burn of his hold on her waist, wasn’t supposed to wish he had closed the distance and kissed the life out of her .

She wasn’t supposed to be in love with him.

Because that’s what it had been all along, hadn’t it? She couldn’t even trace back to the beginning of the feeling, it was like it had been there all along, lingering, waiting to be discovered.

Now that she had, she worried it would destroy her.

There was no chance he felt the same—he would never have agreed to her stupid plan if those feelings had existed. He would have said something a long time ago. Perhaps he would have kissed her in Herbology.

Where was she supposed to go from here? How could she continue with their awful, awful plan, longing in every moment that it was the truth?

How could she give up the chance to pretend it was real, if only for a few days more?

She wouldn’t ruin this. The plan. Their friendship. She would continue on, and when the day came for it to end, she’d be heartbroken, and pretend to be that damn good at acting . She’d get over it, and she’d never let anyone know that she had ever been in love with Sebastian Sallow.

Ominis bounded into the Great Hall, which was a distinctly un-Ominis thing to do. Sebastian raised an eyebrow as his friend approached, grinning ear to ear. “Have you gotten a letter from Anne?”

“I haven’t checked my post yet,” Sebastian answered as Ominis sat in one of the empty seats beside him. Y/N hadn’t come down yet, which was a distinctly un-Y/N thing to do. Blimey, was everyone off today?

“Then I’ll do the pleasure of sharing the good news myself. She’s been feeling well these last several days, and if it keeps up, she plans to come to the Yule Ball!”

Sebastian understood his friend’s good mood immediately—his own heart soared at the thought of his sister enjoying herself and dancing the night away, and didn’t even feel bothered that it would likely be in Ominis’s arms (he had given his approval, after all). “Really? Have you asked her then, officially?”

“Of course. I’ll be right beside her, Sebastian. You won’t have to worry.”

Sebastian patted his oldest friend on the shoulder, grinning right back at him. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“This does leave a bit of a complication, though, doesn’t it?” Ominis said.

Sebastian frowned. “What do you mean?”

His friend sighed. “I was supposed to be going with Y/N after the two of you broke it off… it wasn’t official, or anything, but—”

“Don’t worry about it, Ominis. She wouldn’t want you to miss going with Anne.” Sebastian thought for a moment. “It is rather close to the ball, anyway. Perhaps it would be best if I went with her. Left the ‘breaking it off’ until afterwards.” Why did that thought make his heart beat faster? “If she’ll have me, of course.”

A strange expression crossed Ominis’s face. “That sounds like a wonderful idea. Why don’t you ask her once she arrives?”

“I will.”

For some reason, it became infinitely harder to eat after that conversation. Each bite of Sebastian’s toast had lost its taste, no matter how much butter he put on it. His pumpkin juice was the same.

What if she said no? What if she was disappointed to go with him, her longing lying elsewhere?

And why did he care so much if it did?

He pushed those thoughts aside as she arrived in the Great Hall, uniform slightly rumpled and hair askew. Had she stayed up too late studying?

In any case, he had a question he needed to ask. He rose to meet her, unable to wait for her to sit at the table. She started a bit, looking up at him.

“Morning, Sebastian,” she said.

“Morning. I had… a question to ask you.”

She tilted her head. He wondered if she heard the worried tone in his voice and quickly cleared his throat, trying to get it to leave.

“What’s the question?”

“Well, you see, there’s a bit of great news, and a little bad news that comes with this question.” Her eyebrows furrowed. “Anne is feeling well–well enough that she plans to attend the Yule Ball.”

Her eyes lit up. (He was glad he got to tell her, just so he could see that.) “That’s wonderful! I’ll be so excited to see her! What’s the bad in all of this?”

“She plans to attend with Ominis, who was going to be your date.”

She shakes her head. “That’s alright. I would never want to come between the two of them, I can stay in that night. Be heartbroken, and all that.”

Sebastian shifted on his feet, nervously. His arms came up to cross over his chest in a protective gesture. “But that’s where my question comes in. I thought—and, please feel free to say no to this—that we could go together? Most people would be expecting it anyways, and we could push off the end of our courting a bit, I wouldn’t mind. And it would keep Prewett trying to ask you last minute, I wouldn’t put it past—”

“Sebastian,” Y/N said, smiling. “That sounds wonderful. I’ll look forward to going with you.”

He held back a wide grin. “Good. I figured it would beat sitting in your dormitory being miserable.”

She laughed, and something shifted inside him. “That it will.”

And with that, he took her hand and led her to the table, his smile refusing to be hidden any longer.

The week leading up to the Yule Ball was a frenzy. Students were restless in class, whispering about who was going with who, figuring out if someone didn’t have a date yet, making plans on buying dresses and robes and discussing how to style hair. By the time the last class was out, a mere three days before the dance, the professors were sick of it. There was an excitement in the air—it was difficult not to get swept up into it.

It was inevitable, Y/N realized, that she wound up in the dress shop in Hogsmeade. Imelda, Poppy, and Natty were with her, all trying to find dresses of their own. Poppy had settled on a lovely gown with a light floral print. Natty found a deep maroon one, accented with flecks of gold–-the perfect dress for a proud Gryffindor. Imelda was set on a navy dress, a little less fancy than some of the other ones, insisting she needed to be able to move properly to dance.

Y/N, on the other hand, was at a loss. She felt like she had tried at least a dozen gowns on and hated every single one. She was nervous—more than she’d like to admit. She knew Sebastian didn’t feel the same for her as she did him, but she still wanted to put her best self forward. And part of that meant the perfect dress.

She sighed as the shopkeeper put away yet another reject—this one a frilly pink number than Y/N had nearly vomited on. She buried her face in her hands. “It’s hopeless.”

Poppy came to her side. “Of course it isn’t! We just have to keep looking!”

“What about this one?” Natty asked, pulling a dress forward for them to view. The Gryffindor had a proud glint in her eye, as if she already knew she had won. “I’m sure he’ll love the color.”

That much was sure to be true. It was a deep emerald green, one that Y/N thought would compliment Sebastian’s lovely brown hair nicely. She blushed at the thought, looking closer at the dress. “I can try it on and see.”

As the shopkeeper helped lace up the back, Y/N knew before looking in the mirror that this was the dress she would wear. It was a simple, but a little scandalous—the neckline allowed her collarbones and tops of her shoulders to be put on display, and the short flowing sleeves showed off her arms. It was lovely. She felt lovely.

When she was dressed, her friends grinned at her. “If you don’t get that dress, I’ll force you into it,” Imelda said.

“No need for force,” Y/N said. “I love it.”

She could only hope Sebastian loved it, too—even if it was just as a friend.

Sebastian’s fingers drummed on the table as he stared at the ground of the Undercroft. Ominis gave an annoyed hum. “If you don’t stop that tapping, I may have to blast your fingers off.”

He frowned at his friend, but stopped his tapping. “You act like I killed your puffskein.”

“If I had a puffskein, and you killed it, I promise I’d act much worse. ”

Sebastian rolled his eyes, trying to read the book on the table in front of him. The words had no meaning to him.

“You’re tapping again.”

Sebastian groaned. “I can’t help it.”

Ominis raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t used to get so antsy without seeing her all day.”

“Y/N’s been gone for hours . Aren’t you a little concerned?”

“She’s dress shopping, Sebastian. I hardly think that’s an event to worry over.”

Sebastian pouted, arms crossed to keep from drumming the table.

“I didn’t say who her was, by the way.”

His head shot over to look at Ominis. “What do you mean?”

“I never mentioned who you were antsy about not seeing. Could have been Anne. Could have been Professor Weasley, for all the context there was. But you thought of Y/N. ” Ominis smiled to himself. “I wonder if it means what I think it means.”

Sebastian swallowed thickly. “And what exactly do you think it means?”

He shrugged. “That you love her.”

It was like a fire ignited inside his chest. “What are you—why would—I don’t— ”

“With that reaction, I rescind my previous statement.” Ominis grinned. “It’s no longer what I think it means. It’s what I know it means.”

“You don’t know anything, Ominis. I’ve told you before, she's my best friend, I don’t…” he trailed off. He couldn’t say he didn’t.

“Are you quite certain of that?” Ominis closed the book he’d been tracing his wand over with a gentle thud . “Let’s review the facts before we come to a conclusion, dear friend. You’re nervous about the dance tomorrow.”

“It’s a ball, why wouldn’t I be–”

“Hush now, Sebastian. You’re going to listen to me for once in your life. You’re nervous because of her . Think back, is there anyone else you would have asked to the ball?”

Of course there bloody wasn’t. But that was a rule Sebastian made for himself, wasn’t it? Not to think about it? Not to let his heart race, his days revolve around her. Not to admit what these things meant.

“You’re insufferable when she’s gone—and believe me, I know the difference between normal Sebastian and insufferable Sebastian. You trusted her from the moment you saw her. You’d do anything for her, including torturing yourself by going along with this ridiculous scheme of hers. You lie to yourself, again and again, and for what? To protect her? To protect yourself? You love her, Sebastian.”

Sebastian held his head in his hands. He’d put up so many barriers, so many walls around that truth, that he felt himself crumbling. He couldn’t love Y/N, not because she wasn’t worthy of it, not because he didn’t, but because he couldn’t bear the thought of living without her. That was torture. That was insufferable.

The walls had been demolished. The rules all broken. The truth was out there now, spoken into existence by Ominis, and as much as Sebastian longed to put it back in the careful little corner he’d made for it, he couldn’t.

He was supposed to deny every word Ominis said. He was supposed to push these things aside and lie and go back to the way things were. But instead, his voice came out small, uneven, and raw.

“What am I going to do, Ominis?”

For all the snark he gave, Ominis truly cared for his friend. At the sound of his weak voice, he placed a gentle hand on Sebastian’s shoulder. “Telling her would be a good start.”

Sebastian gave a humorless laugh. “As if that wouldn’t ruin everything.”

“I seriously doubt admitting you care for her deeply would result in her hating you, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Ominis said. “If she had the capability to hate you, I feel you would have crossed that line long ago.”

“Which is exactly why she could never feel the same.”

Ominis sighed. “Sebastian, throughout everything, she has always been right at your side. I’d say that loyalty reflects feelings a bit deeper than friendship on her part.”

Sebastian didn’t have a reply to that. Admitting to Ominis, to himself, the feelings he had for Y/N had been challenge enough. To consider that Y/N might feel the same… It was too much. Ominis seemed to recognize that. “Look, just… think about it, alright? Go to the ball with her tomorrow. Let yourself enjoy it. Stop acting for one night, and see how it goes.”

Ominis gave him a pat on the shoulder, then rose to his feet. “I’m going to the dormitory. Anne is arriving tomorrow; it’s best if we both get our sleep.”

Sebastian scoffed as his friend left. As if he’d sleep at all after any of that.

The ball was only an hour away. After greeting Anne, Natty, Poppy, and Imelda had whisked Y/N away to begin getting ready. At first, Y/N didn’t understand why so much time was necessary—but as the minutes ticked away, she found herself nervously scrambling to pin her hair. They had all settled themselves in the Room of Requirement, figuring it was the perfect space for all of them to prepare. The other three girls had left just minutes ago, rushing off to see the other girls their year, and Y/N couldn’t help but admire their lovely gowns.

As she was leaving that morning, Y/N had hastily explained to Anne how to get to the room; she could only hope her instructions were clear. Evidently, they were—Anne came bursting into the room, bright smile on her face. She held a dress in her arms. Y/N tore her stare away from the mirror in front of her to turn to the girl. “Anne! You’ve made it! You haven’t left much time to get ready, you know.”

“Oh, I know,” she said, settling in front of the mirror beside her. “But I couldn’t tear myself away. It was wonderful seeing Ominis again.”

“I’m sure he made up for the hardship of seeing your brother,” Y/N joked.

Anne laughed. “And then some. Sebastian left a while ago to get ready. I’m glad he’s taking you, seeing as I stole your intended companion. Quite the plan the three of you had, hm?”

Y/N froze with a pin clutched between her fingers. “Ominis told you about it?”

“He did. I have to say, I’m sorry I missed seeing Prewett’s reaction. From what I’ve heard, you gave him quite the talking to.” Anne turned to the mirror, beginning the work on her own hair.

“O-oh? Well, um, yes, I suppose I did,” Y/N said, trying to distract herself by looking at her reflection. “I do appreciate Sebastian’s help with all of it.”

“He’s horrid, but he’s always there when it truly matters.” Anne glanced over at her. “Your hair looks perfect, why do you keep fidgeting with it?”

Y/N shrugged, trying to maintain a look of innocence. “I just want to look my best.”

“Nervous, are we?”

She froze. “W-why would I be nervous?”

Anne gasped, reaching out to grab Y/N’s arm. “You are nervous! Please, you must tell me, do you fancy him?”

“That… that’s ludicrous, Anne, he’s my best friend, you know that.”

The brunette smirked, and it looked much too like her brother—mischievous glint and all. “I won’t tell him.”

“I…”

Oh, what was the point? Why try to keep it in any longer—it was bound to drive her mad, might as well let someone know why she was doomed for an asylum.

“I do fancy him, Anne. In fact, I fancy him so much, I hardly know what to do with myself.” She sighed heavily. “It’s maddening . I’ve only realized it recently, though I now know I’ve felt this way for much longer than that. And now, with this idiotic plan—” She held her face in her hands. “Well, it’s easy to see how things… how it could be , if he only felt the same.”

She was too busy wallowing in her misery to see Anne’s grin widen with her words. “Perhaps tonight will change things.”

Y/N groaned. “I doubt that. He only asked me because he wanted to make sure Prewett didn’t.”

“And why would he want to make sure Prewett didn’t?”

“Because… because he’s a good friend, Anne.”

Anne shrugged. “I’m going to ask you to do something tonight, Y/N. Oh, quit groaning like you’ve been cursed, it’s not difficult —keep an open mind. That’s all. Try to see what’s there, and not what you’ve been so focused on avoiding. Let yourself be happy tonight.” Anne turned back to the mirror, finishing up her hair. “I won’t push you any more on the subject as long as you try to do that.”

Y/N didn’t think she had much choice but to accept.

As they walked to the ballroom, Y/N could only repeat the words don’t trip over and over again in her mind. Anne had gotten ready quickly, and she looked stunning in her blue dress. Her health had improved greatly in the past few months—a nurse and St. Mungos had been experimenting with different potions to ease her pain, and it had been working. Her face was no longer as thin, and Y/N could finally see her as the trouble-making girl she had always heard about.

Together, they turned the corner that led to the top of the stairs. Ominis and Sebastian stood at the bottom, speaking to one another. They hadn’t noticed them yet. The sight of Sebastian’s well-fitted black suit left her a bit breathless. She took Anne’s hand as they began down the stairs. Sebastian looked up.

If she thought she had been breathless a moment ago, now she was simply drowning . There was a softness in his eyes that traced over her, looking down at her gown and then back up to her face. For a moment, he seemed too stunned to move. And then, he smiled.

Oh, God, Y/N. Really don’t trip now.

He walked with Ominis to the bottom of the stairs. He didn’t take his eyes off of her. He took a deep breath, she thought, and then… relaxed. Something about his disposition changed, ever so slightly.

Her hand slid into his as he offered it. “I can’t begin to describe how wonderful you look.”

His words made her heart race. “You clean up nicely yourself.”

He grinned, holding up his arm to escort her. “Shall we?”

She looped her arm through his. Anne and Ominis followed them. Y/N smiled. “They look happy together, don’t they?” she said softly.

Sebastian hummed in agreement. “There’s a part of me that thinks I should disapprove, but really, I couldn’t ask for someone better for my sister.”

The ballroom was decked ceiling to floor in Christmas decor. Floating lights twinkled through the air, making Y/N stare in in wonder. “It’s beautiful.”

“It is,” Sebastian said quietly. She turned to face him, his own head swiveling away from her. Around them, couples were preparing to dance. He cleared his throat. “May I take this dance?” he said in an overly posh voice, bowing to her.

She laughed. “Careful, you’re sounding a bit like Ominis there.”

He grinned before taking her hand, leading her to the floor. A wave of nerves came over her—she wasn’t much of a dancer. Sebastian seemed to notice this. “Don’t worry, I won’t hold it against you if you step on my feet. For long.”

She hit him on the shoulder. Rolling his eyes, he brought her into position, stepping closer to her. His free hand came to settle on her waist. He held it softly—she could barely feel the weight of it. It wasn’t hesitant, but… gentle. It was careful. She brought her own hand up to his shoulder—only then did she realize how close they truly were.

She could have counted every freckle on his face—and wouldn’t have minded the time it took to do so. His lashes were longer than she remembered. And his eyes—had they always had those flecks of green in them?

The music started, and he began to lead her in a dance.

Any nerves she had felt faded away once she realized how competent of a dancer Sebastian was. He led her effortlessly, bringing her in and out of twists and spins with ease. She found herself getting lost in the motions; it was rather like a duel, in some ways. Her awareness of her body was heightened, having to be ready to react to each move Sebastian made. She and Sebastian had proven themselves to be excellent dueling partners—why would dancing have been any different?

He pulled her into the basic position as the song shifted from one to another. This one was slower, less complex. It allowed them to stay face to face. Y/N grinned. “You never told me you could dance.”

He smirked a bit. “You never asked. My parents taught Anne and I when we were young. Thought it would only be proper for us to know, they at least tried to raise a gentleman.”

She chuckled. “Their efforts have been noticed. Although, it does make me wonder what other secrets my Sebastian might be hiding from me.”

His eyebrows raised. “Oh? Your Sebastian, is it?”

Her mouth opened quickly and then closed. A blush fought its way to her face. “I… This is about you and your secrets, Sebastian. Don’t try to change the subject.”

He laughed. “All in due time, my Y/N .” He didn’t give her the time to reply, pulling her into a quick spin that left her dizzy.

Several more songs came and went, each leaving the pair more restless than the last. It was only with great hesitation that Y/N asked to stop for a drink, thoroughly enjoying the exhilaration of it all. Sebastian led her to a table, returning a moment later with Butterbeer for each of them. Y/N sipped at it eagerly.

“Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, don’t they?” Y/N said, watching Imelda dance stiffly with the Ravenclaw boy she had come with. As well as she flew, she didn’t move nearly as well on the ground. However, this fact didn’t keep her from smiling and laughing as she danced.

Sebastian nodded from beside her. “It is a bit crowded, though, don’t you think?”

She couldn’t help but agree. The room was nearly stifling. “It is a bit warm.”

“Then let’s go somewhere to cool off for a bit.” He smiled down at her, twinkle in his eye.

“Oh? Do you have something in mind?” she asked with a tilt of the head.

“You’ll see in just a moment.”

He led her out of the ballroom, and even the hallway alone gave her some fresh air she desperately needed. But they didn’t stop there. Instead, he dragged her through hallways and up staircases (and she didn’t even care how far it was—she’d go anywhere with him) until finally, they were at the top of the Astronomy tower.

The cool air hit her skin as she took deep, appreciative breaths. It had been a while since she had been up here—she hadn’t pursued a N.E.W.T. on the subject. The view was astonishing—how had she forgotten it?

Sebastian sat on the ground, overlooking the world around them. He patted the ground beside him, a clear indication to join him.

“It’s been a while since I’ve been up here,” she said, sitting. The moon was dancing in and out of the clouds, its pale light reflecting off of the Black Lake below them.

“I still sneak up here sometimes, to think.”

“Isn’t that what the Undercroft’s for?”

He smiled. “Sure. But sometimes a little risk of getting caught makes things a bit more worth it. Besides, the Undercroft has nothing to this view.”

She hummed in agreement. The heat of the ballroom had disappeared by now, and she found herself starting to shiver in the cold winter air. At the very first trace of this, Sebastian removed his coat, leaning over to wrap it around her shoulders. She was grateful the moon had hidden behind a cloud, concealing the redness in her face. Old parchment and fireplaces. “Thanks.”

“Of course.” He laid back on the ground, staring up at the sky above. “I’m going to be sore until next Tuesday with all that dancing we did.”

She fell back, laying beside him. “Maybe that’s their plan. Tire us all out at the beginning of the break so we don’t have energy to cause any mischief.”

He snorted. “You really think a lack of energy is enough to stop me?”

“Absolutely not. But perhaps the professors underestimated you.”

“Then I’ll have to show them how wrong they are then, won’t I?” He shifted, bringing one arm up behind his neck, resting his head on it. The other—the one next to her— stayed stretched out by his side.

She mirrored his position. “Don’t go too far. Ominis might have your head if he has to save you from expulsion. Again. ”

“He’ll forgive me. He always does.”

It was then she finally felt the heat of his gaze. She turned her head to look at him, meeting his eyes. How long had he been staring at her? There was a softness there—one that had been there all evening. She hadn’t realized it until then, but it dawned on her that the uneasiness, the fear that she had felt before the ball, had disappeared completely from the moment he smiled at her. It occurred to her that she should do something with that courage. She looked him right in the eye, a voice whispering in her mind— tell him. Just tell him you love him.

But he looked away, back up into the clouds. She let out a small sigh, doing the same. Was it really all so hopeless?

A warmth overtook her fingertips as Sebastian took her hand in his. Their fingers intertwined. She could feel the calluses of his thumb brush against her knuckle.

“It’s snowing,” he said softly, barely more than a whisper.

It was. The flakes came down slowly in fluttering paths that made her head spin as she stared up at them. They caught the moonlight, flickering just like the lights in the ballroom.

“It is,” she said. “And you were right. It really is lovely.”

She half expected some witty remark, a Sebastian-esque reply of obviously , he’s always right.

But instead, he just tightened his grip on her hand and watched the snow fall around them.

Four days. That’s how long it had been since the ball, since something had shifted.

Y/N didn’t know how to explain it–-her and Sebastian hadn’t spoken about that night, yet the weight of it was felt in every moment they spent together. They both continued on, pretending to be more than friends, while toeing that very line in reality. The first day or so, this shift had given her hope. Perhaps Sebastian did feel the same. He had held her hand without the world watching. He had looked at her with that softness. It had to mean something, didn’t it?

But the days continued to pass and nothing else changed. If they were still following the initial plan, they were supposed to break the whole thing off any day now. And yet… neither of them had brought it up.

She didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t keep living with this in-between thing, caught between a blissful lie and a heartbreaking truth. With every passing hour, it felt heavier and heavier. The words between them piled up. She worried she would soon drown in them.

They were in the courtyard when it finally happened. With the Christmas break, most students had returned home—the quiet wouldn’t last long, though. They would all be back for class the next day. Maybe the thought of the coming hustle and bustle is what drove Sebastian to speak. Y/N had cleared off a bench for the pair of them to sit at, snow lazily falling around them.

“What are we doing?”

Her eyebrows furrowed at his question. “I thought we came out here to enjoy the snow. Isn’t that what we planned on?”

He shook his head, sighing. He couldn’t meet her eyes. “I think we both know that’s not what I’m trying to talk about.”

Oh. Oh. “I… I’m not sure, Sebastian. If… if you want to break it off before everyone gets back, I understand. It would cause less of a stir that way.” I don’t want to break it off. I want to start over. I want to do it right this time around.

“You really want to break it off? After everything?” Where had that softness in his eyes gone?

“I don’t know what you want me to say, Sebastian. Wasn’t that the plan?” Why was she getting angry at him? If he felt the same thing she did, why couldn’t he just say it?

“That damn plan. Is this really all that’s about?” His voice rose in volume. “Still some stupid ploy to keep Prewett away?” He stood up from the bench, moving to pace in front of her.

“I…” She faltered. She watched his movements, back and forth, the way his brow furrowed and his lips fell down into a frown. “I don’t know, Sebastian. Maybe this was all too much to ask from you, but you’re my best friend and I—”

He interrupted her with a scoff. “ Friend. Don’t you know how it kills me to hear you say that?” He turned to face her, eyes aflame. “Since that bloody ball, every time I’ve even thought about you in that way, it tears me to bits. Each time I look at you, all I see is that night in the Astronomy tower, you, and the snow in your hair. It took everything in me not to kiss you that night, don’t you know that?”

She swore she could hear each snowflake hit the ground in the silence that followed. “You… you wanted to kiss me?” Her voice was timid. “Why?”

“Because I love you, Y/N. That’s why.”

And there it was.

Like a dam bursting, the truth poured out. “You asked me to help you with Prewett, and of course I agreed. You’re everything to me, why would I not help you? But then I realize, well I realize it’s you, and it’s always been you. I want it to be real, Y/N. Every last bit of it. I want—”

He hadn’t processed her jumping up from the bench until her lips were pressed against his in a short kiss. He didn’t even have time to close his eyes before she pulled away. Her hand still held his cheek.

He gaped at the girl in front of him. “I… I want… what was I saying?”

She smiled— really smiled, one of those ones done more with the eyes than the mouth. “I'm pretty sure you were telling me that you love me. You kept going on about it, though, so I thought I’d interrupt to say I love you, too.”

He didn’t waste another moment before kissing her. His hands cupped her face, pulling her closer than she ever thought possible. Her own hand skimmed across his cheek and then on the back of his neck, and goodness, was his hair as soft as it looked . The other hand held tightly onto the front of his coat—she swore it was the only thing keeping her on the planet.

It was him who broke the kiss, and she instinctively leaned forward to chase after his lips. He chuckled, pressing his forehead on hers. “I’ve had a thought,” he said, breathless. “I think I’d like to court you, if you’re interested.”

She laughed as he kissed the corner of her lips. “We’ve gone a bit out of order, don’t you think?”

“I couldn’t care less,” he said, moving to kiss her again.

The last coherent thought she could make was that the snow made for a very, very lovely morning.

When the students all arrived the next day to continue classes, no one paid much attention to Y/N L/N and Sebastian Sallow. Old news. An obvious pairing, looking back at it. No one really cared that she wasn’t just sporting a Slytherin scarf around her neck, but a green sweater that was much too big on her.To most, there was no difference in the grins on their faces, the excitement in their voices. Well, no one except Ominis.

When Sebastian took a seat beside him, Ominis chuckled. “Seems I was right. Absolutely nothing to worry about.”

Sebastian rolled his eyes, but his wide grin countered any annoyance he might have felt. “Don’t start.”

As Y/N sat beside him, giving a quick kiss for good morning, he thought that maybe it was ok that Ominis was right every once in a while.

A/N: I really hope you all enjoyed this! I definitely had a lot of fun writing it. This is my first work with Sebastian, and I’m very much looking forward to writing more! I have plans for a few mores oneshots and a series, so stay tuned for those! Thanks for reading :)

#sebastian sallow x reader #sebastian sallow #sebastian sallow x mc #hogwarts legacy #sebastian sallow hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy sebastian #hogwarts legacy mc #ominis gaunt x anne sallow #fake dating au #fluff #angst #friends to lovers #idiots in love #first kiss

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so-long-soldier-writes · 4 months

Text

It's a Cruel Summer, With You

kai parker x reader | requested

summary: kai's never had anyone tell him they love him. he panics when he hears it for the first time.

tags: based on cruel summer by taylor swift, mild enemies to lovers, drinking / alcohol, secret relationship, summer love, love confessions, fear / panic, past trauma affecting relationships, emotional hurt, unrequited love (but not really), break-up, heartbreak, unhappy ending, one teensy edgar allen poe reference

word count: 5k

a/n: anon, i apologize once more for the amount of time this took! i hope you like it, and i hope i did taylor swift justice. 🩷 i also hope it makes sense bc sometimes i feel like my thoughts are just all over the place 😅

You were staring daggers into the back of his head, three days after a drastic turning point in their lives. And he, feeling your eyes upon him, turned to face you and smiled. That enraged you like nothing else; no man had ever had such an audacity with you, to raise the hell that he had and still offer a smile. You looked back down at your drink, still fuming, and still aware of him watching you, and texted your friends about it. One replied with an equal disgust, another sent a funny-to-her joke, and there was no response from the third.

“Maybe he’s got a sweet spot for you,” she had said.

“Ha.”

A sweet spot that’d make him kill you last, maybe.

You rolled your eyes exhaustedly, but by the time you looked back down, someone had slunk into the booth across from you. You jumped, then rolled your eyes a second time at the realization of who it was.

“Hey cutie.”

“Don’t call me that.”

Kai shrugged, unbothered. He kept eye contact with you in a way that made it hard to look away; his blue eyes seemed to pierce right into your soul. They weren’t bright, like Damon’s, but instead had a touch of darkness in them. Like storm clouds rolling in on a bright, sunny day. They threaten rain, but you’re not sure if the downpour will come today or tomorrow.

Kinda like how he came into Mystic Falls.

“What do you want?” You bit, after about thirty seconds of staring.

“Are you scared of me?”

“Excuse me?”

“Are you afraid of me?” He repeated, eerily softly.

“Why would you think that?” Forced bravery is better than none, especially when faced with Kai Parker.

“There’s a slight tremor in your voice. Only one finger touches the table, as if you’re unable to settle. You struggle to meet my eyes.”

“What are you, a psychologist?”

“I’m a sociopath.”

Shocker.

“So?”

“I notice things.” He took a sip of your coffee. Reached out across the table, met your eyes, and sipped your drink. Again, the audacity. “I spent a lot of my childhood isolated. I had a lot of little brothers and sisters, and they were all taught to be afraid of me. I know how to read the signs.”

“I’m not afraid of you.”

“That’s what they’d say, too.”

“Well I’m not your siblings, and I’m not putting up an act. I don’t trust you, and I think you’re an ass, but I’m not afraid of you.” Your statement’s bold, but he had struck something fierce in you. A nerve, maybe on purpose, that wasn’t going to let him win this time.

Kai smiled at that. His gaze dropped to the table, surveying your hands once more. His own pointer finger dragged along the wood. “I like you, Y/N. You’re plucky.”

The words took a moment to register - Kai saying he liked you. Kai didn’t like anyone.

He got up to leave, causing you to turn towards him, prepared to jump out of the booth if you had to. “Well don’t.”

He cocked his head. “What?”

“I don’t want you to like me. I want nothing to do with you; you said it yourself, you’re a sociopath, and I don’t need that kind of bad energy in my life.”

That seemed to be funny to him, judging by the way he chuckled. “Okay, Y/N.” He put his hands up in surrender. “I won’t like you then.”

And with that, he was gone.

Of course, he wasn’t gone - gone. Kai was never gone - gone from anything, even when people yelled at him to leave. He would disappear for a couple days, but he always came back.

And somehow, after your interaction, you’d see him more frequently at the grill, too. He’d never talk to you, but you could feel his gaze. His stone cold blues would linger on you, almost like an animal stalking prey.

It made you anxious, jittery. But somewhere, secretly, also a bit excited.

He was dangerous in a way that drew you in. He had this aura about him that intrigued you as much as it scared you. You knew what he had done, and what he was capable of, and yet he still occupied the curious corners of your mind.

And somehow, he seemed to know that.

♫

How it happened from there is something you still question. Death glares became stolen glances, became blushing smiles, and by the next time he joined you at your booth, you didn’t try to fight him off. Kai ordered an uncharacteristically pink cocktail to match your own tropical choice. Neither said much as you both drank the rum mixtures down to the ice. You communicated in eye contact, mostly, as if daring the other to speak. Your stubborn personalities that should’ve clashed seemed to meld together instead. An intense staring contest was born. You found yourself entertained in the game, and quickly, enjoying it, too.

The booze soaked your brain as you continued to drink; your thoughts were fuzzy, and whenever you tried to catch them, they’d dissipate like cotton candy dropped in water. When Liv closed the restaurant around midnight, she unknowingly crashed the floodgates that weakly stood between you two. Ten feet out onto the street, you fell into him and he held you up. You laughed in his arms, partly due to your own drunken state, but partly that it’s Kai keeping you on your toes. He held you tight until you found your footing, just for you to crash your lips onto his unsuspecting own. The witch, taken aback but not opposed to it, let you taste him for a moment before kissing back. He pushed you up to the nearest wall, feeling and exploring, before hailing a ride back to your place.

It had been forever for both of you. The uber driver with a ‘no touching’ rule sobered you up a little, but not enough to make you think twice about it. By the time he laid you down on your sheets, any doubt in your mind had fizzled out. He was a gentle lover, much to your surprise, likely because it was such an unfamiliar feeling to be so intimate with another. The little control you tried to take was met with a laugh, and you understood the signal. You didn’t mind being underneath him, though, nor did you mind him staying the night.

Guilt struck you when you first woke up in his arms, but not enough to barr yourselves from meeting again. The first few times you had to be drinking to convince yourself it was okay, but the more morning-afters you spent together, the less ashamed you started to feel. With time, nights started to feel less like hookups and more like something else. He became something you adored when you had, and craved when you did not. The feelings were mutual, though harder to pull out from the siphon, until you asked him directly, putting both your hearts out for the other to grab.

“What are we?” You asked, head leaning on the vending machine as he fetched himself a post-high gatorade. A bag of cookies were held in your own hand from the exchange you made one minute prior.

“Having fun,” Kai replied.

“Kai…”

“Or so I think,” he followed his words, questioning the look on your face.

“Are we anything more? Will we ever be?”

A loud voice down the hall that vaguely resembled his sister made a sharp remark to another person. His response sounded closer, as if they were heading in your direction. Kai grabbed your arm and muttered a simple cloaking spell until they both passed. Liv and Tyler both disappeared into her room, then Kai removed his hand. His touch lingered on your skin for a moment. You’ve grown to quite like the feeling.

“I don’t know,” he confessed, “I’m not exactly the person for relationships, if you aren’t aware. I’m a sociopath that was locked in complete isolation for eighteen years.”

“I don’t care.” You grabbed his hand and laced your fingers together. “I like you. I don’t want this to stop. I want it to be more.”

“I’m not built for this.”

“But do you want it?”

His mouth went dry as he already knew the truth. He did. He wanted you so much, but fear held him back like a dog on a leash. He didn’t have much slack. “I want you,” he finally said. “I want this to work.”

“I’m not good at relationships, either. We’re figuring this out together.”

Kai seemed to accept that better, and two minutes later, he climbed back under the sheets with you, turning on a movie and sharing snacks until you fell asleep.

♫

As your relationship progressed, it was tested, like all relationships ever are. You grew closer, more comfortable, as summer went on. Much of your time spent together was at night; you hadn’t told your friends, not ready for their questions nor their judgment, nor did you want the word out to his coven yet, afraid of whatever wrath his father could bring if he were to disapprove. You were still figuring things out, still learning about each other, and testing yourselves through time, and that was okay. Life isn’t something to be learned in a day, it’s something in which to be present to see where it takes you.

So, you let yourselves live, to do just that. On top of rooftops and beside small creeks, you snuck out to enjoy each other’s company. Mystic Falls has a lot of places to hide if you know where to look.

A couple times, you’ve almost ran into others. More than anyone being Liv and Tyler, also avoiding her father. Once, you’ve ducked under bushes to hide from Bonnie. Kai kissed your neck while his hand was clamped over your mouth, daring you to give away your position, while playfully inhibiting your chance to do so.

Sometimes, you were drunk when you found yourselves venturing the town together. The bar in which neither Matt nor Liv worked became a hotspot for you. But instead of ending the night short, you opted to explore the late hours in each other’s company. The alcohol wore off quickly, but the drunkenness brought on by your unconfessed love never did.

Kai, as it turns out, was easy to fall in love with. He was charming when you first met, but you were tickled to learn that underneath his manipulation tactics, he could be just as endearing authentically. He was a jokester and a flirt, whether across a room when you’d spot each other in public, or when you were hanging out together alone. You were never afraid to be alone with him. If your friends knew you were out with him, alone, at night, they would’ve freaked, but he always made you feel safe. And, once he felt comfortable being vulnerable with you, he revealed a side that could be sweet, too.

Even after arguments, you were able to patch things up as if they hadn’t happened. Sometimes, he’d be bristling and volatile, but you knew that a lot of his anger came from a place of fear. You learned what to say that would calm him down; you told him what he needed to hear to feel safe again. You’d provide him with the comfort he’d always desired, and when he settled, he’d melt into your touch and softly request forgiveness.

You complimented each other perfectly. And while it took you a moment to name the emotion, the feeling had been there all along. It was love.

♫

You were only slightly drunk the first time you realized the truth. Kai was painted in perfect, purple lighting, and his eyes seemed to sparkle when they met yours. You stumbled towards him and put your arms around his neck. He caught you, hands finding your waist. The music seemed to fade out as you swayed with him to the beat. It was as if a bubble captured you both, drowning out the rest of the world, making him your world, and in that moment, nothing else existed. You kissed him quickly, desperately, like an addict gone too long without a hit. He met you halfway, equally addicted.

And then, because you were young, and stupid, and courageously in love, you blurted out the words swimming restlessly in your mind,

“I love you.”

You looked up at him, not expecting an answer just yet, but to offer an encouraging smile. Before your gaze even reached his, his body tensed. His hands felt like ice upon your nervously warmed skin, and his once-strong grip on your waist loosened. Kai wore an expression of confusion, different from the emotion that you tasted on his lips. You opened your mouth to retract the words, but nothing came out. The bubble that consumed you seemed to crack; the music previously blocked filled your eardrums once again.

A fraction of a second later, you were guided to a hallway by your fingertips. The narrow path reduced some of the music, but most of the traffic. The man of your affection took to one wall, leaving you in the middle. You tried for his hand after he let it go, but dropped it at the discomfort he seemed to feel in having you hold it.

You racked your brain for the right words, but nothing seemed perfect. You stared at the ground beneath your feet for a half second longer until he spoke,

“You can’t do that.”

“What?”

“You know what I mean.”

“I’m sorry? I don’t. What did I do wrong?” He only shook his head, prompting you further. “Was it what I said or when I said it? Because I don’t think it’s wrong of me to confess what I feel for you when I know that it’s true.”

“It can’t be true. You can’t feel that for me.”

“Why not?”

“Because…”

“Provide me with a reason,” you interrupted, “or let me do as I please. I want to love you. I do, and I won’t apologize for it.”

“Y/N-”

“We’ve had some tough times together, I know we have, but we’ve gotten through them. We - us, together - have worked through so much to get here. Of course I love you, there’s so much effort and, and, love, that connects us.” You paused, letting your thoughts catch up to your mouth. “You don’t have to say it back. You don’t even have to acknowledge it, if you’re not ready. I know it’s a big step.”

“You can’t go there, Y/N.”

“I know, okay, maybe it was too much, too soon. I’m sor-”

“No, you can’t ever go there. You can’t love me and you shouldn’t. I’m not designed for relationships, they’re not meant for me. Do you not remember the things I’ve done?”

“We’ve talked about this, Kai. You confided in me about your fears, but we handled them, I thought. Do you not remember what I said?”

“I do, but-”

“‘Tell me every terrible thing you ever did, and let me love you anyway’.”

“By Poe,” Kai finished.

“And it’s true. I don’t care about the things you’ve done. I want to love you, and I do.”

“But you shouldn’t. You shouldn’t excuse the things I’ve done just because you want to see me for someone who I am not. You shouldn’t be so desperate to see a difference in me that you convince yourself you love me.”

“What?! Kai, I’m not excusing nor am I desperate. I know you’re different from the you that wrought pain upon the town. That guy’s gone, buried, with this you in his place. And I quite like this you, and I’ve learned to love him, because his progress is worth loving. He is worth loving. You are.”

“The old Y/N would never say such things about her sworn enemy. You’d never dare hold his hand, nor kiss his lips, nor say such things, because you’d know better, and if you did, it’d be because of some horrible nightmare, or some instance where I spelled you to get what I needed, because Y/N, we’re living in a fantasy, and none of this is real.”

“I don’t understand! This is real! We’re here, together, and we were dancing, and we were happy, and now we’re in this hallway. Still together, but now questioning if the summer we’ve spent together has all been a hoax, or if that’s the booze talking.”

“I’m not drunk.”

“You have to be, to think what you’re saying is true.” You paused, heartbroken, and afraid to show it, but pretty sure the choke in your words already had. “So are you saying you’ve never meant it? All the times you’ve kissed me were just folly? Or the nights we stayed up until the sun rose again were only dreams I made up?”

“That’s not what I meant, Y/N. I know what we’ve done, and I know we’ve shared moments, but a fantasy is all this is for us. Something we want, but cannot have. We have to wake up some day.”

“I disagree, I think we can make it work.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. This was never supposed to be a long-term thing.”

“But we said it could be! We said it could make it work!”

“And that’s what makes it a fantasy! We both know that’s a lie.”

“Kai, I don’t understand. Ten minutes ago, we were fine. Yesterday, you gave me a kiss that swept me off my feet; that replaced all my organs with butterflies; that made me feel like full-bloomed roses on the nicest day of the year. You made me feel cherished, and happy, and beautiful, but now, I feel like I’m on the end of a well-thought out joke, and everyone’s finally allowed to laugh.”

“I’m not saying this to break your heart. I’m just trying to be realistic.” He reached out to wipe a tear from your cheek, but you smacked his thumb away.

You couldn’t stop the tears from falling, but you still tried to talk through them. “I thought we were being realistic when we stayed up talking, all those nights, about how we knew each other’s flaws but were willing to work through them anyway. I would think, if we weren’t, we wouldn’t have spent a whole week together and considered getting an apartment to share, because we work just that well.”

“That only proves my point further. We haven’t been together long enough to make big decisions like that.”

“Then we’ll put it on pause and address it later.”

“Y/N-”

“Why are you doing this? Why does it seem like you’re giving up on us? Why are your words sounding like a preface to a break up?”

“Because they are,” he confessed, “because they have to be.”

“What do you mean, ‘they have to be?’”

“We can’t work. You can’t love me.”

“But I do, and I want to, and we do! We’ve managed to make it work, despite our-”

“But how long do you think we can keep this up? When will our differences outweigh our desires to stay together? When will we tell your friends about us? My family? We are too different for us to work, and I’m too damaged to be loved by you. We have to stop living in this fantasy.”

“I can’t believe you’re saying this. Do you even know what you’re saying?”

“I’m not drunk, Y/N.”

“So what, have you been planning this? Have you been waiting for the perfect time? Funny, that the perfect time seems to be when I tell you I l-”

“Don’t,” he interrupted, “don’t say it again.”

“What?”

“The less you say it, the less you’ll believe it.”

“That’s bullshit. I believe it in the deepest corners of my heart. You’re etched into my bones. You’re the shimmer of light in the darkest parts of my mind. I love you, Kai Parker. I love you, and I don’t want to apologize for it, and I won’t believe that I’ve made this all up in my mind. It’s okay that you don’t love me, but don’t you dare try to say you feel nothing.”

“Y/N-”

“‘Tell me all the terrible things you’ve done, and let me love you anyway’.”

“You can’t. I won’t let you.”

“You don’t have a choice. I don’t. I can’t control my heart nor its desires. It wants you; you have it. Tell me you don’t crave it. I know you crave love, Kai. I know it in the way you kiss me, and in the way you hold me. I know it from the time you confessed, at two in the morning when you were too tired to hold back, and I know it from when you told me, clear as day, on that Wednesday afternoon. I love you, and I’m not afraid to love you. Why don’t you give in to what I know you want?!”

Because your love isn’t mine to take.

Because I don’t deserve it.

Because you’re a gemstone, perfect and pure, and I’m the dirt from which it was pulled.

“Because I don’t feel the same for you,” he said instead, “I’m not capable of love. I’m a sociopath, and anything I’ve ever said was for my own fleeting pleasure. It’s over now. I’m done. I’m bored with us.”

“What? No. Something’s wrong. This is not the same Kai I spent the summer falling in love with. Are you Damon in disguise? Pulling some sick prank?”

“I’m not, Y/N. It’s me, being realistic, and telling you I don’t love you, and I never will. It’s time to go home, Y/N, and to your own bed, in your own sheets.”

The tears streaming down your face run your make-up, but you can’t find it in yourself to care. “But my sheets smell like you.”

“Then wash them.”

The harshness in his tone was unlike anything you’ve ever heard before. When you finally brought yourself to meet his eyes, there was no light inside them, no humanity. His jaw was tensely set, and for the first time in months, you saw the Kai that everyone feared when he had broken himself free of his eighteen-year punishment. Scared and sorrowful, you backed away from him. He didn’t follow. You backed further and further away until you were stumbling out of the bar. The wicked August heat kissed your neck like he used to - passionately. You grabbed your hair, fumbling it up into a bun to get it off your skin, then searched for your phone to call a ride.

As the white sedan approached your meeting spot, you trained your blurry vision on the door, but Kai never came out. He never shouted your name, hurried down the steps, nor caught you in an apologetic embrace, blaming his temporary ignorance on too much to drink. He never peered through a fingerprint-stained window, watching you from the glass, wondering if it's too late to take back what was said. It was just silent, as car engines roared and drunk couples chattered around you.

When your ride finally came, you cried harder than you ever had in your life. Your driver glanced to the backseat, but didn't know a good time to interrupt, so he didn't. He offered a polite smile as you got out, thanked you for the five-star rating, and made sure you got in your apartment safely before pulling back onto the road.

You barely made it through the door before crashing on the couch. Exhaustion settled in your bones halfway through the drive, and you couldn’t even think about climbing the stairs. The worst headache of your life pounded in your skull. Water was too far of a walk, so you let it throb.

You tried your best not to think about Kai. His words rang in your head on repeat like an old antique bell - loud, heavy, constant. It almost felt like the whole night was a fluke. A nightmare. A spell, perhaps done by his father, or one of your disappointed friends. When you wake up, he’d be there, kissing your fingertips as the smell of coffee fills the air. You let this thought comfort you, and let it soften your heart. Although, deep down, you knew the truth.

He wouldn’t be there. He didn’t want you.

You’ve never known pain like this before.

♫

You can only ignore your friends for so long. Blaming a long to-do list can only give you so many excuses, and when Caroline messages you mid-afternoon on a Friday if you’d meet them at the Scull Bar, you realize you don’t have any more excuses left. So, cautiously, you pull yourself from your bed and drag your feet to your closet. You still haven’t washed your sheets, despite wanting to be rid of his once-comforting smell. It’s more stubbornness than anything, refusing to do the chore. If he thinks throwing a piece of fabric in the wash will rid you of him, he’s a damn fool.

You hadn’t been lying. He owns a part of your heart, and that can’t be simply washed away with some eco-friendly detergent.

Truthfully, you think, ignoring the heaviness in your bones as you enter the Scull Bar, the only way to remove him would be to carve out your heart entirely; to separate it from its lifeline and from all that’s familiar. But, you can’t, so you choose to let it bleed instead, and hope it doesn’t seep through your clothes.

A vague sadness hangs above your heads, but none of your friends know the cause. You told them you were tired before joining them. You must not have gotten a good night’s sleep.

After all, it’s the first time in Mystic Falls where something tragic isn’t happening. Damon and Elena are planning out their lives, Stefan and Caroline are newly together, and Bonnie and Enzo, a quite unexpected pair, seem to be happy. Jo is five months pregnant, and Kai has left her alone. The girls wonder if that’s of his own volition, or if someone or something is distracting him, but you don’t offer any suggestions. When they then ask you about your own dating life, you only shrug. They tease playfully, having no idea about the wreckage your heart is still trying to piece back together. The cause seems hopeless. You don’t even have the energy to confide in them.

The topic finally changes, but only because the one who dropped your glass heart enters. You turn when you catch a bit of his familiar cologne, but remind yourself he’s no longer yours and turn again just as fast. The girls let their gazes linger on him as if daring him to bother them, and for a moment, Kai wonders if you told them. But then, as they shrug and go back to their conversation, he knows you didn’t. Otherwise, they’d be hurling bitter words and sharp tools at him for breaking their best friend’s heart.

And honestly, he wishes they were.

It’s what he deserves, after all.

♫

“I love you,” you had said, only a couple weeks ago.

His heart stopped. His throat went dry.

The words seemed to have been shouted at him, despite the booming bass around them. You weren’t yelling, though, you were simply telling the truth.

A truth he wasn’t ready to hear. A confession he didn’t know how to process.

How could you, a perfect person, love him, someone so tainted and dark?

How could he ever love you the way you deserved?

He did love you, of course. He knew it long before you ever confessed, but it was never something he felt okay to share.

You always made him feel safe. Comfortable. Dare he say it, loved.

But love was something he had never felt before, and to have something means that it can be lost. And to not lose it tragically, he must be the one to take it away.

Hearing the words fall from your lips was both the best and the worst thing he could ever hear. He craves love, he knows he’s admitted it. He craves it more than anything else in the world. But wanting it and having it are two very different things, and now that he has it, he regrets asking for it.

He had to hurt you then, before your soul could be completely shattered later. He had to stop it. Right then. Before he let you in too much and you got too attached.

So, he lied.

He broke his own heart with every word, but it was nothing compared to the damage he knew it was doing to your own. He wanted nothing more than to sweep you into his arms, hold you tightly, and say it was all just a spell - an outside force trying to drive you apart - but he couldn’t. His fear of hurting you triumphed over his love for you. His mouth spoke before his mind could process the words he professed. He became unrecognizable to himself by the time he delivered his final blow. Your tears stained your perfect face and your posture was defeated, but he was no longer the one that could offer any solace. He was now the one that ruined you, and there was no coming back from what he had done.

How terrifying it is, that three little words can make or break you.

How terrifying it was, to wake up the next morning and realize the damage caused. To have to come to terms with the fact that he had broken the only good thing in his life. To imagine the love of his life sitting on the couch, stirring coffee, with a head full of questions neither will ever be able to answer.

“I love you, Kai Parker. I love you, and I don’t want to apologize for it…”

“I love you,” ain’t that the worst thing you’ve ever heard?

#malachai parker x reader #kai parker x reader #tvd fanfiction #kai parker oneshot #kai parker angst #requested #taylor swift cruel summer #kind of a songfic but not really?#kai parker fics #unhappy ending

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literary-motif · 4 months

Note

EXTREME DONTIS FLUFFFFFFFF I BEG IM STARVED PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Check Mate

Dontis x Reader

“Check,” Dontis said, moving his black queen to take one of your rooks.

You raised an eyebrow, looking at him in disbelief.

The last thing you had expected when Dontis had invited you over to play a game was him presenting you with a chess board, picking up two pawns, and hiding them behind his back to determine which color you would be playing.

Still, you could never refuse a relaxing game of chess. There was no clock to tick down, which allowed both of you to get lost in your head for as long as you needed to consider your next move.

Dontis had just spent over ten minutes coming up with that one, offering up his queen to you on a silver platter. There she stood, lonely and isolated, entirely unprotected.

You chuckled, moving your bishop to take his queen. “I suppose you got so lost in your head, you lost sight of the pieces as they are,” you said, amusement in your voice at his pout.

“I suppose,” he said, taking a sip of his tea and sighing in annoyance at his stupid mistake. His entire strategy just went up in smoke. “I did not ask before,” Dontis said, looking up at you with warmth in his eyes and the slight upturn of his lips back in place, “would you like to eat something? A snack perhaps? I bought fruits.”

“Sure,” you said, nodding towards the chessboard, “but make your move first.”

He groaned, staring intently at the disarray his pieces were in. You were decidedly more organized, and your pieces were well-secured. There was also the glaringly obvious advantage of your queen standing discreetly behind a wall of pawns while his lay beaten by the side of the board.

Clicking his tongue, he rested his head on his hands, thinking about different chains of events, trying to tip the odds back in his favor.

“Sometimes the best answers are the ones right in front of us,” you said cryptically, giving him a smile.

Dontis gazed back with a frown. “I saw your little trap. I am not taking your knight, hunter.”

“Fine,” you muttered, taking a sip of your tea and turning your head to watch the trees gently sway in the wind.

“I planted them myself,” he muttered, hesitating before touching one of his pawns.

If he moved it there, what would you do? What game were you playing? He did not want to give you an opening, but he feared it would only be a matter of time until you tightened the knot around the king’s neck and pinned him in place.

You continued gazing at the sturdy trees outside. They were massive, bigger than Dontis’ house, and absolutely breathtaking, especially now during summer, when their leaves were freshly green and appeared to shine in the sunlight.

“Sometimes I forget how old you are,” you said, watching Dontis move his rook. “Seriously?” You chuckled, stifling your laugh. “No need to get the fruit, I’ll beat you in two.”

“Two?” Dontis asked bewildered, searching the chessboard. “Impossible. You’re lying.”

“Come now,” you feigned hurt, “when have I ever lied to you? Watch” — you moved your rook, taking Dontis’ knight to do the obvious move and beat your now unprotected bishop, then took your queen out of her hiding place and moved her directly in front of his king — “Check Mate.”

He blinked, processing your moves before he sighed, accepting defeat and offering you his hand. “Well played, hunter,” he said.

“You were not so bad yourself,” you said, ducking your head at Dontis’ scoff. “With a bit of practice, I’m sure you can improve greatly.”

“Good thing I have you, then.”

#sakuverse #zsakuva #dontis zsakuva #dontis #dontis x reader

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lovingdilfs · 2 years

Text

Do you know who I am

Part 1: your time hasn’t come yet baby

Summary: Elvis has developed some things for you over the summer, but you both pinky promise nothing would happen.

Word count: 2247

Warning: slow burn

1955

"You didn't wait for the right person," you said steadily "I was young and dumb, but that doesn't give you the right to make the same mistake!" Elvis said back in a harsh tone. There it was the first fight you and Elvis ever had, over some stupid guy that wasn’t even worthy to make you a real woman, but you didn’t realize it yet. “Elvis you can’t tell me who I can be with or who I can’t be with, you suppose to be supporting me in the stupid choices I make, that’s what best friends d-“ he cut you off before you even could finish your sentence.

“There it’s “stupid choices,” ya said it yourself” he let his hands rest on his hips. “You are right I should be supporting you but right now I can’t”.

You frowned your brows at him “why Elvis… it’s like you are crazy in love with me or something” you kept on going with your words not noticing Elvis standing there, trying not to react to your words “you are crazy in love with me”

Elvis hadn’t told you this, because he was scared it would change things between you two and he was sure it was only a slight crush that would be over again as the days went on. But over the summer he had started to look at you differently.

He had been more observant of the changes on your body, over the summer your body had become more curved in all the right places and fuller in some other places. And he knew he never could admit it, because of your pinky promise you made with each other back in 7 grade.

"Promise me, we'll never do anything that friends wouldn't do" you held out your pinky finger "I promise" But oh gosh now he never wishes he had curled his pinky finger around yours.

“So no Elvis you don’t decide who I screw around with, because I didn’t have a chance to get an opinion on who you screw around with-“ “All right I get it!” The words flew out of his mouth, his hands ran through his jet-black hair. “Go on! Screw whoever you want! But don’t ya come back here when you’re crying over some fool who treats you like trash” his chest was pumping faster than ever, and his eyes almost filled with water.

You just sat there numb, you had never seen Elvis react like this before. “Trash? Did you just refer me to trash? Wow, Elvis…” you rose from the bed, straighten out your dress, looked at him with dreadful eyes, and walked out of his bedroom. You didn’t stop at his words “Y/N you know what I meant, not you being trash b-but” he followed you right behind “can you just wait! Goddamnit woman!” He grabbed your arm to stop you from walking further.

“What!” You said in an annoyed tone. “You can’t just walk away when I’m talking to you” his eyes softened at the look at you, and he loosened his grip around your arm.

“But honey, ya know what I mean right” he looked at you with confirming eyes hoping you knew what he meant, of course, you knew what he meant or some of it. “Elvis, you can’t keep me underneath your protection forever, you got to let breathe and feel fear sometimes. Just like I did with you, I didn’t hold you back-“ “But you should have, there are probably over ten girls out there, that are wondering where their baby daddy is” he looked serious at you. “Elvis what the “you didn’t even get to finish your sentence before he broke into laughter “I’m joking!” You hit his arm “don’t say that! You almost got me a heart attack” He wiped a tear from his eyes.

“No, but in all seriousness honey, if you’re 100% sure of this guy then go ahead and become a woman. But even the slightest second of doubt you run away… you hear me!” He looked into your eyes for a real answer.

Before answering him, you played these words through your head again. “Of course I’m not you, not dumb,” you said playfully. He opened his arms to you, and you gently laid your head on his chest before squeezing your arms around him.

“Oh gosh, I can’t believe it my baby is growing” he mumbled softly in your hair, taking all of your scents in. “Elvis you sound like my dad… stop it” you mumble into his chest.

“Your dad sounds like a reliable man” You punched him slightly in the back with your hand.

You loosened the grip around him and looked into his deep blue eyes. You had to remind yourself sometimes of the pinky promise, Elvis was a handsome, funny, and sweet guy so who hadn’t had a thought about him before? You even remember the first time, when you first got the thought about him, you couldn’t look at him for 2 days because you were so embarrassed by yourself. But every time you just brushed it off like it was nothing because it was nothing. But oh god, how badly you wanted to try to kiss his perfectly red puffy lips.

“What?” He said, causing you out of a trance.

“What- oh nothing” you turned red so fast that it was almost embarrassing. You cleared your throat “well I gotta get home” you squeeze his forearms.

“Do you want me to drive you home?” He asked “No, don’t bother Elvis, it takes ten minutes,” you said before walking down the last steps of the stairs. “Ya sure honey?” He walked down the stairs, following you right behind.

“100% you should be getting some rest, big day tomorrow remember,” you said while talking your shoes on. “Oh yeah right, what time shall I pick ya up,” he asked “I’ll be ready at 6 pm” you slipped the last shoe on and opened the front door.

“Great! Goodnight upcoming women” he chuckled while leaning against the railing of the stairs “Elvis stop it! Goodnight” you closed the door.

Elvis let a breath out, throwing his hands up to his face in disbelief. “Oh god why, let me fall for any other woman than her! I beg you!”

“Just be safe alright, and stay in sight with Elvis… okay baby,” your dad said from the living room “Yeah yeah dad, I will,” you said while pushing your foot into your shoe. “And honey…” a loud car honk came from outside, it was Elvis telling you to hurry up.

“What dad, I gotta leave-“

“Love you” he smiled at the sight of you in your pretty dress. “Love you too dad” you hurried over to his and gave him a small peck on the cheek. “Say hi to Elvis from me”

“Will do” you opened the front door and saw Elvis sitting in his car.

“Hurry up, we are late!” He yells from the passenger side. You ran down the stairs and hopped into the car, Elvis stared you up and down, lifting his eyebrows at the sight of you.

Pfft* “You look beautiful” his words made you blush and twisted a knot in your stomach. “Stop it Elvis, and drive!” You demanded “Yes lil’mama as you say” he turned on the car and drove off.

His eyes kept wandering over at you, twice you caught him staring at you more than the road. “Elvis eyes on the road” He cleared his throat “yes sorry”.

“Are you nervous or something?” You asked to cut off the awkward silence in the car. “Ye-no I mean of course I am, four thousand people that’s a lot of people” Elvis always wanted to be on the big stage, ever since he told you back in 3 grade.

You remember it so clearly, you two were sitting in the school cafeteria eating PB & J's sandwich, Elvis was smacking with his mouth mumbling over the sandwich in his mouth "one day I'll be standing on a stage singing" he looked confident at his own words but you only laughed at him, cause Elvis never sang in front of you, only in the later years of high school. "Ya just wait and see, we'll travel around the world and see everything we ever dreamed of" and then he smacked further onto his sandwich. “And I will finally be able to get the prettiest caddie”

“Elvis just remember to breathe and to that little shaky thing, all the girls love it” you flatten out your dress “Oh really,” he said while following every moment you made.

“What?” You looked at him with annoyed eyes, because you knew what he was about to say. “All the girls… does that include-“ “Elvis doesn’t even finish that sentence” you cut him off, leaving him with laughter “I know” he chuckled over his words

“What do know” you just stared down at your drees. “I know you like it too” he leaned over to whisper in your ear. His warm breath on your skin had thought weak in the knees. But you didn’t let him get to you, you slowly turned your head towards him. Leaving inches between your faces, your eyes traveled slowly up to his eyes. “Elvis,” you said in a low voice “Mhmm” he formed his charming lip crawl “eyes on the road”. He rolled his eyes at you, turning away from you to look at the road.

“Ready,” you asked, Elvis was pumping himself up before his name was announced. “Not really” he chuckled.

“You got this” you grabbed his hand, making his eyes wander toward you. “Thank you” his eyes softened by the look of you. And for a minute you both looked at each other not saying anything.

“ELVIS PRESLEY” sounded over the speakers, making you both break out of eye contact, clearing your throats. “Good luck,” you said while he walked off, he just looked back and smiled at you.

When he was out of sight, you let a breath of relief out “oh gosh”. You left backstage to find your seat when a male voice shouted your name from the crowd. “Y/N” you looked around before noticing it was James.

James, the guy you and Elvis were arguing over yesterday, was the whole problem that caused you two to get into an argument. You and James had been seeing each other for some time now, and you were a hundred percent sure that you and he had something special. “Wow, honey… you look stunning” he said while looking at you down. James was a charming guy, but it was like was missing something and you could never point it out. “Thank you” you gave him a peck on the cheek. “I saved you a seat” he gestured you to the seat, as you seated the lights went down and Elvis walked out, you could tell he was nervous. “Was he nervous?” James asked, you didn’t hear him enough to answer him. You just looked at Elvis and reminded the moment that happened backstage. It had left you with a strange feeling, not sure what to do with it.

“Was he” James' words went straight to your ear. “Who?” You looked at him with confusion. “Elvis, was he nervous?”

“A little” you looked at the stage again, when Elvis hit the first guitar string, causing music out in the room. As the show went on, James' hands had been nuzzling your bare legs “should we get to my place after?” He leaned over and whispered in your ear. “Oh, I had promised Elvis to go to the after-party with him” James threw his head back in annoyance. “What?” You looked at him with concern, “it's always Elvis this or that, can this man do anything on his own” Of course, he could do things on his own, but it had always been Elvis and you that did everything together.

You let a slight sigh out “I can ask if I can be free from him tonight” you leaned into a small peck on his lips. “Thanks, baby” he whispered against your lips.

“Wait for me outside,” you said as you slipped out of the crowd, the show was almost over. You went backstage to meet Elvis when he was off-stage.

“Elvis you were amazing out there!” You said while he lifted you off your feet. “You’re not joking about it right?” He chuckled while putting you back down. “Elvis, the crowd was going crazy for you” you wiped his forehead with a small towel.

“Yeah, just happy it’s over… we are celebrating after right?” He was out of breath. you held his forearms “well Elvis, James is here and you know-“ His eyes filled with sorrow “yeah, go on, just be a hundred percent sure… that's all I ask of ya” he forced a small smile onto his lip. “You’re all right Elvis?” You looked into his eyes

“Yeah, just tired” you knew that was something wrong but you wouldn’t poke the bear.

A cough sounded behind you, James was standing there looking at you holding Elvis.

“Well, I better go” you hugged him tightly, taking his scent in before letting go.

“Ready?” James said while holding his hand out. You looked at Elvis the last time for approval, he gave you a small nod with a small smile.

Part 2: Do you know who I am

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xxwhiskeyxx · 2 years

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Mountain’s Problem w/ Throwing People

So Mountain is obviously a very big boy and as an Earth ghoul, he is the strongest of the ghouls in the band. So he discovered that throwing people is in effective way to prove he means business and/or get them to stfu.

Dew, Swiss, and Sunshine are his main victims, they do annoy him on purpose just because they love being thrown and he knows it, even though they piss him off he still does it because their giggles and begs for more make it worth it.

He has thrown everyone in the band at least once, both for fun and out of annoyance, even Aether. The ghouls had gone down to the lake one summer day to cool off and have some fun. Aether had snuck up behind him and tackle-dunked the unsuspecting Earth ghoul. Cue Mountain emerging from the water Grudge style and slowly turning towards Aether, “You have 5 seconds to get as far away as possible.” Not even questioning what he’ll do, the Quintessinal ghoul tries to scramble away but sadly running in water is not an easy thing unless you're a Water ghoul or an 8-foot Earth ghoul. Aether makes it about 6 feet away before he hears Mountain move, before he can blink, he suddenly yoinked up and absolutely launched a solid 10 feet through the air. He bursts through the surface, gasping for breath, to cheers and he sees Copia, Cirrus, and Cumulus holding up whiteboards with a 10, 7, and 5 on them.

A fun activity Sunshine and Dewdrop like to play that involves Mountain throwing them is what they affectionately call “Ghoul Bowling”, Sunshine and Dew have the other ghouls stand in a small group before calling Mountain who scoops them up and absolutely sends them into the others, usually aiming for Swiss and Aether and sees how many they can knock down. This is done at random and has even been done using Siblings of Sin once, but they got in trouble and were on cleaning duty for 4 months.

Once Aether and Mountain decided to mess with Cumulus, so Aether scooped her up from where she had been happily purring while snuggled up with Cirrus, and they begin to toss her back and forth to her fearful delight, happy screams and yelps every time she is tossed. It quickly becomes a game of monkey in the middle as Cirrus tries to get her down, but since both Mount and Aether have a good couple inches on her it is for naught. They fortunately do not drop the Air ghoulette and eventually put her down, Cirrus hisses at them, smacking their arms for scaring her before dragging a giggling Cumulus back to their room.

Now the first time he did it was both the most terrifying and hilarious one, when Mountain had first been summoned, Alpha and Omega were teaching Ifrit and Aether how to play while Pebble gave him the rundown of drums. Alpha had always been a slight show off/asshole and would sometimes he rude to the new ghouls, especially Ifrit, and he would always make fun of Mountain for being a “boring rock with a stick up his ass”. Eventually Mountain got tired. One day Alpha was mouthing off again, but this time he upset Ifrit enough that he stormed out of the practice room they were occupying, Alpha coming out afterwards talking about how he’s such a crybaby and that he was just playing. Mountain had crept his way behind the older Fire ghoul without him noticing, Omega tried to warn him from where he was talking to Ifrit but before he could, Mountain yanked Alpha off the floor, held him by his ankles and told him to apologize to his friend, Alpha had let out an uncharacteristic, high-pitched scream as his world turned upside down (much to Ifrit and Dewdrops delight who howled with laughter), he walked him over to Ifrit who now had a shit eating grin on his face, “Well?” he asked, leaning down to look Alpha in the eye, who mumbles he’s sorry, “What was that, I couldn’t hear you?”. Alpha was about to curse him out when Mountain let go for a split second before catching him, earning another scream, “I’m sorry dammit! I’ll be nicer, now put me down ya oversized kit!” This was not the correct set of words but Mountain shrugs before flinging Alpha towards the couch in the corner, to which Alpha screamed yet again. This is where the others learned not to fuck with Mountain or his friends or you get your ass yeeted.

Speaking of holding people by the ankles, he absolutely does it whenever he doesn’t want to put in the energy of throwing. He will sneak up behind or catch you and hoist you up until you apologize.

#mountain ghoul #whiskey's burbling barrel #whiskey is running on 4 hours of sleep and caffine #mountain uses his height for evil

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strawbrygashez · 2 years

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More p1/p3 hcs bc I still don’t have the energy to make them a fic yet 😔

•When it gets closer to summer or just around a time it gets hotter out in general, P3 will cut P1s hair for him. P1 usually did it himself but one year he just kept putting it off until p3 offered to do it for him. Since then he does it for him. They never go too short. P3 knows exactly what p1 likes done with his hair eventually.

•The other postal dudes are happy for them. Especially for p1 bc whenever they visit they can tell p1 seems to be getting happier & more relaxed :) his life seems to be improving in general. They are also glad that p3 has become (just slightly) less of a asshole over time. Both p2 & p4 tease them both a bit though saying shit like “ ;) you guys been practicing self love??”

• p3 loves coming home to champ and P1 after a long day of working (or whatever he got himself tangled up in). The first thing he does when he gets back is go “honey I’m home :D” or if he can already see p1, he’ll try to ‘crash’ on him. Like if he’s sitting on the couch watching tv, he’ll just plop down and lay across his legs. Or if he’s standing, he will hug him from behind and watch whatever P1s doing. (this is all of course if p1 is okay with being touched in the moment)

• Most days before he leaves for his chores or whatever, he has made it a habit to grab P1s face and ‘annoyingly’ kiss him all over before telling him he loves him. P1 half heartedly tries to shove him away or just lets him do whatever if he’s too tired to fight it.

Slight angst here. I feel like p3 has a very slight fear that one day something might happen to himself bc he’s always getting into dangerous situations (without meaning to or not) and doesn’t wanna think about how much that would scare p1. Also p3 (more so toward the beginning of their relationship) is sometimes a bit worried to leave p1 alone all day bc he’s came home to p1 having panic attacks or breakdowns before. But he learns to trust p1 more or whateva after some time passes.

•If p3 comes home with new wounds p1 patches them up. And likewise if p1 has new (possibly self inflicted) wounds p3 will help him as well. P3 is more likely to act like he’s completely fine after getting a pretty bad wound and wants to go about the rest of his day like he usually does so p1 has to remind him to take it easy and sit the hell down!!! Smh.

• They both like the same kinda music. P3 likes country music though and p1 is a little 😬 about that. He likes the slower romantic country songs though. (This is a cringe, too soft thought to add here but, they would maybe try to slow dance to one of P1s favorites if they both drank or something but p3 keeps stepping on P1s toes and his hands keep ‘accidentally slipping’ lower 🙄🫤)

•They both have no shame when it comes to walking around with hickeys and both of them go after each other’s necks so 😳😳😳

P1 has learned if he wears his hair up he’s more likely to- 🤭🤭🤭

•p3 tries to support whatever p1 is into or has a special interest in. He will get him things related to it or he will listen to him talk about it any time he wants to talk about it. P1 takes notice of things p3 is into too and loves hearing about whatever he likes. It also really helps if he needs something to distract him.

•They share their gloves :)

•They share their sunglasses too. They honestly gotten theirs mixed up at some point and just never really cared since. (Unless one is prescribed??? But tbh both need prescribed ones) if something happens where they are both out and one of their glasses breaks, the other will not give up on trying to make the other one wear their glasses until they get home/can get a new pair. Ends up in a slight argument :/

• Once or twice they’ve sat on top of buildings or whatever together at night and held each other 🏳️‍🌈👨‍❤️‍👨👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨 p3 knows some really cool and interesting spots to take him since he’s out so much.

• They both prefer cartoons than live action kinda stuff. P3 is more willing to watch either though. But both already have so much going on in their lives that they’d rather just relax and watch something fun at the end of the day.

•I’m gonna be silly and goofy in this last one and say that p1 initiated the first kiss. He thought p3 wasn’t into him back for a moment because p3 didn’t kiss him back but it was really bc p3 was like ‘🤖💨?!’ and a lot more bashful then you’d expect him to be

#postal dude #postal 1 #postal 3

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rk-ceres · 1 year

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2 ) The Year The Dynamic Changed

PLEASE CHECK ALL TW IN MAIN MASTER LIST FOR THE BLOOD OF MERLIN

Masterlist 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

“Youre lying to us. Why are you lying”

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’ARTEMIS!!’ Lucious yells from downstairs in the library where she had flashed too “yes master Lucious?’ She said handing him the Daily Prophet he takes it in his hands with a curt nod. Anger filling his features ‘have i done something to upset you master?’ She asked cautiously ‘kneel pet’ he told her in disgust ‘yes sir’ she said quietly ‘your owl for your second year has come in, along with several letters from the Weasleys’ his voice filled with distain ‘i do not like the fact that you are friends with those those.. blood traitors!’ His voice gets slightly louder ‘theyre good people sir they care about me’ she said softer as his cane hit her ribs she rolled onto the floor clutching her side ‘theyre muggle lovers!’ He yelled again ‘theyre my friends!’ She said breathlessly coughing up blood as he continued to bring his cane down throughout the length of her body ‘you think they care about you?! Filthy orphan! Youre nothing!’ Yelling obscenities at her while he beats her when suddenly Narcissa shakes her gently fixing her blouse “best stop thinking about it huh?” She gives her an empathetic smile “was he always this mean?” She asks as they walked through Diagon Alley she looks into Stars eyes and gives her a slight nod “did you read those letters i got for you?” She questioned “yeah. Charlie’s got an offer waiting for him in Romania at the dragon sanctuary when he graduates this year. George was teasing his twin and inviting me to stay for the last two weeks of summer at the burrow” She smiles sadly at Narcissa as they approach Florish and Blotts “aunt Cissy?” She looks at the girl who cautiously looks at her “di…. Did you know my mum?” She asks softly “i knew Athena well. She was the only Ravenclaw that was tolerable. She’s the one that asked me to take care of the animals in your bag before you came to us. She knew she was dying. She.. she was my best friend. You look and talk like her sometimes.” she said gently “when you were born she named me your god mother. Your god father was — your dads Friend his best friend” she shook her head thinking back to James and Sirius. As she checks out the books for her second year “alright Artie. I will see you at home for summer. And if the Weasleys invite you over for Christmas Holiday. I dont see an issue with it with how hard you fought” Nacrissa said as she turned to face her outside of the gate “please keep your sleeves down and collar up dont need people asking. One more year darling. And youll be free” she whispers more to herself than Artie “if Lucious dosent kill me before my 14th birthday” she mumbles looking up into her aunts eyes flashes Draco and the feeling of fear “aunt cissy Draco will always be safe with me. Hes a good boy and will always have an escape with me no matter what.” She sheds a tear “off with you before you miss the train.” ‘Youre a good girl Artemis. Draco and i love you’ Narcissa thought to her as she ran through the gate quickly getting onto the train where her Charlie Lee and the twins sat in while the boys were still outside or getting to the train she quickly shutting the door and going into her bag she lets out a huff of air as she gets to the library taking off her shirt and rubbing a new potion she had developed on her ribs where a big angry bruise sat hissing out in pain as the potion seeped into her skin sighing out at relief washed over her she pulled on her robes just as she heard footsteps “ARTIE!! YOU IN HERE!!” She heard Charlie’s voice yell “IN THE LIBRARY!” She yelled back “i just wanted to put the books i borrowed before summer back” he smiled when he finally got to where she was with George following close behind “hey George. Good summer?” She smiled to the younger twin ”yeah. Bill said he cant wait to meet you” George smiled

“someone and Charlie wouldnt shut up about you.” He wiggles his eyebrows “yeah. He only complains about me you know that George” she rolls her eyes at him “wheres Fred and Lee?” She asked putting her clothes in her trunk “theyre guarding the bag up top” Charlie said with a smirk “stop Charlieeeeeeaghh” she groaned out as he laughed “so have you thought about what i said?” George asked “FINE! One prank. ONE!” Just so this prank war can be over” she rolled her eyes at him “you gonna stay and pick more books Septimus?” She teased “…… h…. How do you know my middle name?” “I know all your middle names Charlie. George told me them when we played Veritaserum or dare one night studying.” “William Arthur, Charles Septimus, Percy Ignatius, Frederick Gideon, George Fabian, Ronald Billius, and Ginerva Molly Weasley. Besides you know my middle name Char. Whats the big deal” She laughed “I hate my middle name thats the issue at hand here” he grumbles “i dont know your middle name this is so unfair” George huffs she nudges him as she points up walking out “my middle name is Kahali’alaulani Naleopilimehana. And awh. Grouchy Charlie, how ive missed you” she teased he flipped her off “I can only deal with one sassy sister at a time.” He laughs looking to George “I wish you luck when Ginny finally comes to Hogwarts” George and Artemis leaves Charlie in the library as they walk out of her bag “what does it mean?” He asks as they walk up the ladder “my name?” She asks him “yeah what does it all mean?” He asked her stepping out of the bag before her holding out a hand to help her out of it “Artemis is the greek goddess of wild animals, the hunt, vegetation, and chastity and child birth, Kahaliʻalaulani means the remembrance of heaven. And Naleopilimehana means ‘the voices blending in warmth’” she looks over to him seeing Lee and Fred waving “so what were you guys talking about?” “George was asking me my middle name since George spilled his guts about all of yours” she explains to Fred sitting next to him “wheres Charlie?” Lee asked “looking at more books” she shrugged “well are you going to leave us hanging whats your name?” Lee teases “Artemis Kahali’alaulani Naleopilimehana” she shrugs off a few moments of them talking

Charlie emerges from her bag with a bunch of books in his hand and a thin black box “hey Lia whats this thing? It hit me on my head grabbing your extra advanced potions book from last year” Charlie asked as he handed it to her “its a walkman. Music player” she said takes it from him pops open the top and looks at the tape that was in there “Aerosmith” she chuckles to herself “whats Aerosmith?” They all look at her confused “you know ‘oh sing with me sing for the year sing with me for the laughter for the tears’” she said slowly “not ringing any bells” Lee says she rolls her eyes unhooking her headphones and pressing play dream on begins playing she slowly hums to the words leaning her head on the window when the chorus starts playing she softly sings along watching the trees pass silent tears slip from her eyes as the song plays she sniffles opening her mouth barely audible “Oh, sing with me, this mournful dub Sing with me, sing for a year Sing for the laughter, and sing for the tear Sing with me, if it's just for today Maybe tomorrow, the good Lord will take you away” Fred looks at her in amazement listening to her quiet voice singing he stares at her his heart starts to speed up as she gets louder as the song progresses he’s staring in awe Charlie notices him staring and cocked an eye brow at the oldest twin his inner turmoil began as he started to question if this was really hatred and discontent he felt for her as she sang softly she continued to look out the window humming to herself he notices shes crying just when hes about to ask whats wrong when the bridge of the song starts she sings louder everyone snapping their head to her as her voice carries out the compartment “Oh, sing with me, this mournful dub Sing with me, sing for a year Sing for the laughter, and sing for the tear Sing with me, if it's just for today Maybe tomorrow, the good Lord will take you away Dream on Dream on I dream on Dream a little, I'll dream on Dream on I dream on I dream on” as aerosmith kept up their high note she went higher “just keep on dreaming ooon aaaaaaaaaa ah ah ah ahhhhh” taking a deep breath out shutting her eyes tightly as more tears fall out from her eyes she hums the rest if the song not tearing her eye from the window somebody starts playing she hums with the lyrics taping on her trousers not wanting to look at the boys in the compartment “i didnt know you sang” her trance on the window was broken hearing still letting out tears as she looks up at Charlie after he broke the silence smiling holding out her hand he takes it putting it on his cheek and holding out the other hand for the other three to touch she closes her eyes as the memory over takes her a four year old Artemis, Apollo and a very pregnant Athena dancing and screaming along to Aerosmiths dream on when her mom picked her and Apollo up under their arms and started dancing around the room ‘my loves your daddy used to sing this song to me when we first moved in together. It was one of his favorites’ Athena smiled to her daughter ‘ITS THE BEST PART MOMMY!’ The four year old screamed Marlene laughed at her daughter as she took her tiny hands in hers “DREAM ON DREAM ON I DREAM ON DREAM A LITTLE ILL DREAM ON I DREAM ON DREAM ON’ they all scream with eachother ‘all you Lia girl’ Athena whispers to her daughter who screams AAAAAAAAAAAAAH’ hitting the high note they fall back onto the bed Apollo jumping onto his sisters stomach in a fit of giggles ‘Apollo! You brat!’ Artemis yells laughing at her twin ‘alright twinnies. Thats enough’ ‘baby Regulus is kicking… want to feel? Artie? Pollo?’ She asks they both nods excitedly to Athena she takes her hand back from Charlie wiping stray tears off her face “i havent listened to that song since she died its one of the last memories i have of her.”

George and Lee let go of her hand Fred’s stayed put intertwining his fingers with hers trying to comfort her not looking down or meeting anyone’s eyes not really knowing why he was still holding on to her hand grounding her he wasn’t sure why he felt the need to keep his hand in hers seeing as how he had tormented and bullied the girl all last year his feelings or lack there of were confusing and it was making his head spin when she spoke again pulling him out of his deep thought “last memory of me mom and baby Regulus really she got sick right after and i never saw her again i havent even seen that thing since that day actually” she looked at Charlie who looked down “im sorry Lia” “sorry??? What for?” She asked him “you have no reason to be sorry Charlie” she laughs “i’m okay. I was just happy is all” she Felt Fred squeeze her hand she looked his direction and he was staring out the cabin door as he slowly let go the blush on his cheeks not well hidden she smiled at the sentiment

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A week into the new year she Fred and George were sitting together in potions “Alright class get to your seats” Snape sneers “today we will be making swelling solution. Please copy the recipe from the board and collect your ingredients.” He drawled as he walked back up to the front of the class just as snape and the rest of the class started lighting under their cauldrons slime bombs went off in every corner of the room she looked to Fred with a guilty smile on his face “what did you do!” She hissed at him watching the potions class room fill with fluffy slime “we modified your slime capsules “YOU DID WHAT?!?” She yelled at him in disbelief “it wasnt just me it was George too!” “Dont drag me into this! This was all you Fred!” George yelled back she stands up and snaps her fingers trying to get rid of the foam when it wouldnt work she looked at him “you took put the Dillyweed infused toad stomachs!!!!” She screamed even more “i didnt think that it was necessary” Fred said panicked seeing as she couldnt stop the foam from rising “you idiot!! It stops the constant reproduction of Foam!” She yelled as she pulled out her wand “scourgify” she waved her wand around the room cleaning everything placing ingredients back on shelves straightening out Snapes robes and cleaning off the second year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws when she was finished and the foam was cleared out of the room she turned to see a very upset Professor “MR. WEASLEY MISS. BLACK! DETENTION THREE MONTHS ONCE A WEEK TWO HUNDRED POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR!” Snape yelled as class went on she turned in their potion he dismissed the class “professor Snape i just wanted to apologize” “enough. Youre not getting out of detention” he sneered at her “b….but professor i” “i will not be writing home since this is your first offense ms. Black. I suggest you never do anything like this ever again.” He sneers as she puts her head down on the desk letting out a breath of relief Fred nudges her hand with his slipping a piece of paper under it she takes it and reads it under the table ‘im sorry you got in trouble it wasnt my intention’ the corners of her lip turn up into a smile she looks up at him into his eyes

‘its okay. You didnt know Fred’ she thought to him ‘why are you so nice to me?’ He thought back ‘because i think you are a brilliant wizard.’ She turned her head looking up at him making more of an eye contact with a small smile blush creeping on to his cheeks ‘you come up with amazing pranks. If i didnt have the upper hand with this legitimacy thing. You wouldve gotten me. Each and every single time. Youre an amazing wizard.’ ‘Then why are you so scared about detention?’ He asked looking down at her ‘it wasnt detention’ she thought back ‘w… what do you mean?’ He asked ‘its nothing Fred’ she finished putting her books away “and quit worrying about it Fred. Its seriously okay. I’ll see you in Detention yeah?” She smiles heading to her next class she walks down the halls silently saying the password to the fat lady walking up the stairs to her dorm pulling her legs to her chest HEY!” Charlie calls out to his little brothers at the end of the day “have you guys seen Lia around? She wasnt in transfiguration.” George raises his eyebrow at him “you know now that you mention it she wasnt in divination either” he says scratching the back of his neck “she wasn’t in herbology either” Lee calls “we got detention in potions today” Fred said looking down George pulls out the map “i solemnly swear that i am up to no good” George said pointing his wand at the map. “What is that thing?” Charlie asks “a gift from Freds girlfriend” George said “Artemis is not my girlfriend!” Fred exclaimed “not your girlfriend yet.” Charlie said looking over Georges shoulder “sod off” crossing his arms leaning against the wall next to Lee “shes in her dorm room” George calls out “Mischief managed” he closes the map rushing up to her dorm room “theres her bag, lets go” Charlie said

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As he made his way down the ladder the closer they get to her the more they can hear the strumming of a ukulele ‘island baby youre so beautiful you drive me crazy you know youre all that I need and so much more’ her voice sounds from out side the door ‘your strength and beauty I can see in your eyes I lose sight of my world baby love no words can hold whats truly on my mind just feel the beat of my heart and youll know what I need youre my pualena youre so beautiful god knows I love you and youre all I need pualena you take my breath away pualena’ they open the door to see her caring for a small animal in her hands still singing “you know lately… all I can think about is holding you closely and never leaving your side… I’ll keep you warm time passes by and still youre on my mind I cant imagine living my life without you the special moments you and I can only share will keep us together and never apart” she sings as she places the small bird down “youre my pualena youre so beautiful god knows I love you… and youre all I need..” She sings crushing up the birds potion stirring her cauldron as the stare at her in shock “pualena you take my breath away pualena time passes by and still youre on my mind I cant imagine living my life without you the special moments you and I can only share will always keep us together and never apart” she rubs the potion on the birds wing “youre my pualena youre so beautiful god knows I love you youre all I need pualena you take my breath away Pualena” she hums the ending of the song “well. Tiny. That should do it.” She smiles to the bird “I should probably think of a better name than tiny huh?” She talks to the bird ‘I was called igneous’ she giggles “igneous it is, where ever did you come from” she asks manually cleaning up the pot ‘i fell off my mothers back flying’ “well youre welcome to stay as long as you want. Youre from the deserts so i’ll enchant a stall for you when im through here” she said putting her phials on a tray with her potions she turns to see three boys standing in her room “JESUS FUCKING” she jumps dropping the cauldron “CHARLIE!” She puts a hand on her chest “How long have you four been standing there?!?!” She yells steadying her breathing “you didnt show up to any of your classes we just wanted to check up on you and apologize for Fred being a git” George said Fred shoots George a glare as he looks to Artemis “what is that?” Fred asks her “a baby thunderbird. landed in my lap. I had to help him” she shrugged

you have a wonderful voice Artie’ Fred thought to her ‘why are you using telepathy to talk to me fred?” She thought as she cleaned up the shattered glass ‘so they dont tease me’ he shrugged ‘not that im complaining why are you being so nice to me?’ “Because youre nice to me’ “so what do you lot want?” She asks brushing the hair out of her face “are you okay Artie? You seem off” Charlie said as he came to stand next to her “im fine. I just wasnt feeling well after potions decided to lay down for a bit” she said not making eye contact. Fred noticed the subtle twitch in her nose Charlie, Lee, and George seemed to have accepted that answer but a loo of concern flashed over his features as he realized he’s seen that twitch before when she fibbed in front of Migonigal. She was lying his breath caught in his throat as he watched her. In reality potions was a close call and she was fighting off a panic attack thinking that if Professor Snape sent an owl home she wouldve been beaten, and she couldnt stomach the rest of her classes “youre lying Artie.” Fred said looking into her eyes red spread across her cheeks “I know youre lying your nose twitches when you lie.” He said stepping closer to her “give us a minute guys?” Fred said to his brothers and Lee they nod to him leaving the room “Why are you lying to us?” He asks her softly “dont act like you suddenly care about me now Weasley” she said quietly “was it because of what happened in potions? Are you mad at me?” He asks “no Fred im not mad at you. why are you so invested in this.” She said with a sigh picking up the tiny bird “it has to do with what happened in potions. But not to do with you.” She said not looking at him “then what?” He asks standing next to her mimicking her stance leaning on the table “you wouldnt care even if i told you. We’re barely even friends youre reluctantly friends with me cause im best friends with your two brothers” “im trying here” he sighs running a hand through his hair “after trying to torment and bully me all last year and the begining of this one?” She quips “just answer the damn question Artie!” He raises his voice she flinches he picked up on it “a…artie” he stuttered “i… i wouldnt.. im sorry” he started she smiled a sad smile cocking her head “wouldnt what?” She asked softly “hurt you” he breathed out “you flinched” “you were just a little loud. Nd standing right next to me” she lied again he cocked an eyebrow at her expecting an answer “I didnt want Snape to write back to the family im staying with. Ive never gotten into trouble for a very specific reason” she stopped before she could spill her guts to him “why?” He asked “its a long story Fred. I just didnt feel like going to class is that enough for you?” She bit back at him she dropped her head his eyes widened in surprise “im sorry.” She said finally looking back up at him he brushes a piece of hair behind her ear his fingers leaving a trail on her skin that makes her shudder pulling his hand away “you can talk to me you know that right Artemis?” He asks looking into her eyes “you dont even like me” she grumbles “you can trust me. You mean a lot to my twin. That means you mean a lot to me.” He whispers as he pulls her in for a hug his words hurt himself for a reason he couldnt quite place or that he didnt want to place he was afraid. Shes making him feel things that hes never felt before and it scared him. It chilled him to the bone not that he’d admit it.

“I know Fred. I just cant say.” She said turning back to her desk “im not forcing you to say anything. I just want you to know that you can trust me. Im here for you” he brushed an arm on her shoulder “thank you” she leaned her head on his shoulder blush creeping onto her cheeks as they stood there together a couple minutes had passed when her eyebrows furrowed “Fred?” She asks softly “what would you do or say if i said that i was afraid?” She asked “what do you mean?” He looked at her as she sighed out “im afraid. All the time… and it really dont seem like its getting better. I mean my aunt says that as soon as i turn fourteen im free. But.. fourteen seems so far away” she said with a far off voice”id tell you that youre safe. And id do anything to make you feel it youre Georges best friend” the words best friend stung on his tongue the feeling of fluttering in his stomach and the aching in his heart and the heat that consumed him was almost enough for him to break. “I could be a friend to you too. If youd let me. give up on this whole pranking war, constant bickering, we could be friends. Get to where George, Charlie and I are. Who knows.” she smiled at him softly he took a deep breath out after answering her question. “what does you turning fourteen have to do with anything?” He asks ignoring her insinuation like the only reason theyre talking right now is because of George and Charlie. He tried to convince himself but the feeling in his chest his heart doing cartwheels wanting to accept her proposal of being friends. The beating of his heart speeding up at the thought of her smiling at him laughing with him touching him being able to touch her. To call her his he shook his head no. Its strictly because of George and Charlie that all it can ever be he argued with himself turning his attention back to her. “fourteen i get set free. The bank vault my grandmother left for me becomes mine. The way that her will was written. Legally i will be an adult when i turn fourteen” she replies to him “so you get control of your grandmas vault and you get to live on your own whats wrong with where you’re living now?” He asks gently leaning over her desk to face the same way

“my aunts not bad. Neither is my cousin. Most of the time… its just” she trails off pulling the sleeve of her jumper to cover her hands his stomach drops ar her making herself smaller in fear he could read her easily. As if he was reading a book her emotions splayed out in her eyes for him the walls she had put up around herself started to crumble and fall infront of him a feeling that scared him even more ‘youre getting too deep Fred’ he thought to himself before he could stop the conversation short “is somebody hurting you Artemis?” Her eyes widen as she looks at him “what? N…no its nothing like that..” she says back peddling “calm down Artemis youre okay. No ones going to hurt you” Fred coos “i see you like the jumper mom made for you” he smiles down at her “its one of my favorite things to wear its really warm and i do enjoy it” she said walking to the door the uneasy ness in Freds stomach still present as he followed her out and they see the other three “she was just having girl problems. She’ll be back to class tomorrow” Fred shrugged walking away empty. Thats all she felt was empty.

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“George?” Fred asks him sitting in their dorm room “i think somethings up with Artie” Fred sighs as he lays back on his bed “what do you mean somethings wrong?” He asked his brother turning to his side to face him “she asked me something when we were talking and its been bothering me” Fred elaborated “she asked me what would i do or say if she was afraid” Fred sighed out “what do you know about her home life?” Fred looks over to George who thinks about it “I cant say i know anything other than what shes told us. Her twin brother’s traveling the world with their uncle. Her other brother died with her mum. Sirius is in Azkaban. And shes staying with a family” George shrugs “she doesnt talk about it much.” Fred sighed out at the thought “why do you care so much? Its not like youve ever wanted to be her friend. All you do is complain about her.” George asked his twin “i dont. I just have a really bad feeling about this” Fred said turning over and shutting his eyes. “Freddie, are you sure you dont fancy Artie?” He asked “i dont ‘Fancy’ anybody George. Im just a good person with a big heart just like you” “sure mate. Keep thinking that” “what’s that supposed to mean” Fred huffed at his brother “it means you dont hate her. Theres a thin line between Hate and Love Freddie, and youre not on the side of hate. Good night Fred” George said pulling the covers over his head the next day after their classes they showed up to the potions room

“Ah yes Ms. Black, Mr. Weasley. So nice of you to show up” Snape sneers at the two twelve year olds “for the duration of your detention with me you will be cleaning cauldrons every Monday Wednesday Friday for the months leading up to christmas holiday no magic.” Snape sneers. “Yes sir” Artemis said as he exited the class room. She sighs starting to get to work hours. Days. A Month passed as they quietly cleaned cauldrons he shook his head looking at her her up do was coming apart her hair was falling out from the plait she had done sweat beading on her forehead as she scrubbed the cauldrons she handed him the next one getting to work on the next they had been switching who washed and who dried and seasoned the cauldrons every detention they were in he sighed out as he continued to steal glances at her as she hummed she snapped her fingers and the walkman snapped out of her bag she pressed play as the soft sound played through out the room he watched her fingers gingerly washing the pots he shook his head not being able to handle the silence anymore “alright.” Fred breaks the silence she looks at him his amber eyes looking into her golden ones with a stare that could make her melt “truce.” He said looking into her golden eyes “i want to know you” he sighed out taking her hands out of the soapy water “what do you want to know?” She sat facing him “tell me about Apollo” he asked “he was a lot like you” his eyebrows shot up waiting for her to explain “when we got separated. He took after the pranks more than i did. He’d get into so much trouble before mum… he was loud and out going never had any trouble with making friends. Making me smile. He was kind and gentle. Innocent would be the right word for him. But oh was he brave. He was braver than i was am. I pretend to be and it works out in my favor. Courage isnt the action of having no fear. Its the action that you do despite fear. Apollo was fearless. I had to swallow mine like a bitter pill. Apollo had this way of making everything really bright and happy.” She chuckled at the memory “what?” He asked glancing down to her perfect smile “before we moved into my grandmas house. He pranked our uncle moony. He made me brew this potion in my chemistry set with metamorphmagus hair in it. His hair wouldnt stop changing colors for weeks” she laughed as he chuckled with her. “He sounds amazing” Fred stopped laughing “youd probably really like him if you ever got to meet him. He was born second you know” she looked over to him “so youre the older twin? He asked “yeah. I am. I was born December 31st 1977, at 11:50 PM. He came eleven minutes after me. January first 1978.” She smiled he looked at her shocked “even though he’s technically the brother i was the protector. The quiet one” she softly said “you didnt have an issue making friends with Charlie and George?” He said more of a question than statement “Charlie and George led the dance i just followed in step” she shrugged “me making friends goes more along the lines of me and you. Bickering. Pranking. And hurting” she sighed “hurting?” He asked her “Fred. I may put on a brave face and laugh the things thats said to me off but sometimes words do hurt” she said picking up another cauldron “i already feel like a burden everyday. It hurt when you called me a waist of time and space in first.” guilt washed over his features “im sorry, i didnt mean to hurt you. Itll never happen again” he said placing a hand on her thigh “i mean it. The pranking, bickering, bullying. Everything it stops here. I promise. It all stops. Id like to be friends if the offers still on the table” he looks from her eyes to the ground and back up again “well if we’re going to be friends” she smiled at him “my names Artemis Kahalialaulani Naleopilimehana, im 12 turning 13 in December, my favorite colors are Black and Red, my favorite song is Pualena” she starts the conversation

“Frederick Gideon, im 12. Turning 13 on April 1st, George is younger than me by two minutes, my favorite color is purple and orange. My favorite song is well. My dad had brought home this muggle contraption it was a dude with really puffy hair and he called himself the king” Fred sat there confused “the words were like ‘you aint nothing but a hound dog’ she looks at him “never pegged you for an Elvis fan” she chuckled snapping her fingers her tape comes out and she starts playing the song “THIS IS IT!” He smiled at her as she giggled “its my dad’s cassette tape” she laughed as he started tapping his foot on the ground she giggled as he wiggled around in his seat “so, what do you like to do?” He asked as the song skipped. “I picked up playing the guitar with dad before he got taken.” She shrugged “i make jewelry, and dabble in crocheting and knitting” she started to scrub again “what about you?” He looked at her “what do you want to be when you grow up? What do you see your life being?” She glanced to him “i want to open a joke shop with my brother one day. I want to expand to all parts of the UK. I want to have a wife and kids, a house like the burrow but a little more spacious” he shrugs “i want to become an attorney, I've been taking muggle classes with the money ive been getting from my grandmothers will. Ive also invested in some companies in the muggle world with the money i save so im getting income that way. But if that fails, i want to work with animals. Husband. Kids lots of them” She smiles “whats the burrow like?”

“Its not much, but its home” he smiled bumping into her shoulder “its a tall building that looks like its held up by magic, its small and cramped but it always feels alive it smells like cinnamon and the fireworks me and George have. It has scorch marks from Charlie and wanting to bring home the magical creatures to have as pets and it always smells like foods cooking” he reminisces “whats home to you?” He asked “home is where the people that love me are. I havent been home in a long time” she sighs out he cocks his eyebrow at her “the family that im staying with. Theyre cold. Mean. And cynical. The house before was cruel. My grandmother, she gave me this” she gestured to her face he looked at her with a shocked expression. She just smiled warmly at him. “she cursed me, it was actually meant for Apollo. He broke her favorite mirror and i wouldnt let her touch him, since my dad was disowned she treated us like house elves. We spent our days cleaning dusk to dawn Kreacher taught us magic. How to write and read. He acted cold tward the children of a blood traitor but deep down i think he cared for me and Apollo. The scarring happened a month before she died Kreacher held the cloth to my head til it stopped bleeding. He cleaned out the cut gently he wiped my tears. Deep down im sure. He cared.” she shrugged as she thought back “its fine. It was only me i think scars look intimidating” she made her voice weird “howd you get the one on your side?” He asked “from a whip. Pissed grandma off somewhat awful. I couldnt get Apollo to stop crying we were four or five at the time. He missed mum. and she just slipped. It didnt hurt as bad as it looked” they finished the last of the cauldrons and started stacking them “are you doing anything this winter break?” He asks her “oh.. no nothing much staying here. Homework. The usual” she smiled “would you like to join us at the burrow? Maybe change your view on the world a bit?” He asked “i wouldnt want to impose” she said scratching the back of her neck “you wouldnt be, Bills coming back home for boxing day and Charlies been nagging you since first to come with us. I want you to come spend Christmas with my family” he smiles softly

“Fred Weasley. Being nice to me? Hell must really have frozen over” she jests “shut up” he laughs at her “just come back with us. Mum wont mind. Shed actually enjoy another girl in the house” he smiles softly at her “fine. Only if i can be in on your next prank on Slytherin.” “Deal” he smiles at her “does this mean i get to call you Freddie now?” She asked as they stacked the cauldrons “over my dead body” he stuck his tongue out at her playfully. She rolled her eyes at him and smiled. The conversation progressed she was laughing care free as she told her story he watched in awe at the beautiful girl hanging off his arm laughing her heart out ‘you deserve to feel this happy all the time Artemis’ Fred thought as he watched her laughing gleefully she turned to look in his eyes while continuing her story “This one time, Mum hit my dad with a pan on accident. She was so freaked out.” She said between laughs “she thought someone was breaking into our house but it was actually Dad and uncle James” she laughed harder with him as they walked up the moving steps “Uncle James thought he had saw a ghost when mum came with a cast iron pan and two toddlers in her arms smacking dad right across the face” she put her hand against the wall “she had to repair his broken teeth he never came home at 3am drunk ever again” she laughed clutching on to his arm he looked down at her laughing with a loving expression on his face youre so pretty he thought to himself shaking his head from the thought “Ron once broke my toy broom when we were younger, we took his favorite teddy bear and transfigured it into a spider and chased him around the room with it hes been scared of spiders and teddy bears ever since. I think i bruised his view on both spiders and bears. I feel bad about it but when youre a kid and mad you do ridiculous things” he blushed back at the memory “dad got really mad once. For us tricking him into almost doing an unbreakable vow.” Her eyes widened “dont feel bad. i once bled Apollo’s nose. Its something all kids do.” He looked at her in shock “pumpkin spice” she said to the portrait as it opened for her and Fred “he broke my necklace. The last thing ive ever gotten from mum. It was a gold oval locket. With a rose and star on it, it had a picture of mum dad me and Apollo in it. When we were happy. She was dying. In the hospital trying to hold on just long enough to give birth to baby reggie. But i think she knew.” She looked up at Fred who was listening intently “Apollo and i when we got to grandmothers house. We got into a fight. Because of something stupid. He was pissed. He grabbed me by my necklace and it snapped the chain. Then flushed it down the loo. I didnt speak for two months after that” she said sadly “he got me my favorite to make it up to me. Black roses” she smiled back at the memory “you miss him?” Fred asks as they sit on the common room sofas talking “every day. I asked to be separated. He deserved a childhood. And a life outside of what we knew.” She sighed out leaning back watching the fire burn. Closing her eyes “after all these years im protecting the people i love.” She sighs out “you tired?” He asked “its been a long day” she murmured out to him “want to head up” “mmm” she let sleep take her he sat there watching her face as she slept she looked so relaxed he closed his eyes leaning further into the sofa with his hands crossed behind his head signing out when he felt her move she turned toward him her head dropped onto his shoulder he smiled butterflies filling his stomach as he let sleep take him.

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The morning sun filled the common room as the fire that was once a roaring flame burnt down to cinders soft snores could be heard from the common room Charlie and George walking down the steps George stops his older brother from walking any further George turns back to Charlie “quick. Go get your camera” he whispered to Charlie they snuck to the front of the couch snapping the picture she stirred awake from the brightness of the flash the arm that was tight around her waist got tighter as she lifted her head from what she thought was a pillow she glanced to Charlie who held a camera in his hand she lets out a groan “what are you doing here? Was i screaming in my sleep again?” She asked as she tried to get up from her laying position Charlie wildly smiling at her but something held her tight

she looked down to see Freds arms wrapped around her waist blush creeped on to her face “wake up” she smacked his hands from her waist standing up right Fred groaned putting a pillow over his face “The picture came out great Charlie. This could be the center piece for their wedding” George snickered to his brother showing the picture to her her face snuggled into Freds chest his left arm protectively wrapped around her shoulders her left arm draped around his middle his right arm around her waist fingers touching the skin where the shirt had risen pulling her into his side as he laid on his back head buried in her hair as he slept “George Fabian you give me that picture right now” she says a furious blush spread on her cheeks “now why would i do that Artie” he laughs holding the picture up and away from her grasp “GEORGE I WILL HEX YOU” she screamed at him chasing him around the room Fred finally sits up looking up at Charlie “so. Detention went well?” He wiggled his eyebrows to his younger brother “oh shut up. Nothing happened. We just talked and fell asleep out here.” Fred rolled his eyes at Charlie standing up “sure. Thats exactly what that looked like “well it is. Ask her to show you. Oh. I should write mom. Shes coming with us over winter holiday” he said as he turned away from Charlie who had a shocked expression on his face watching Artemis shoot hexes at George with a smile on his face “ive spent the entirety of last year trying to get you to go home with us on one of the breaks but when Fred asks you you say yes?! No convincing needed?!?” “I did have to convince her. Only way i got her to come home is to let her in on the next time we prank Slytherin.” Fred rolls his eyes “THATS ALL IT TOOK!!!” He yelled “what can i say Charlie bear? Im a sucker for a good prank” she rolls her eyes at him “Charlie bear?” He asks with an annoyed expression “yeah. You wanna take pictures rudely of people sleeping you get a pet name in exchange” she rolled her eyes at him “keep rolling your eyes that way and youll get them stuck at the back of your head brat” he mumbled playfully “ooh im the brat?! I wasnt the one complaining about me not agreeing to go with you on break!” She wordlessly pointed her wand and George suddenly his legs stopped working “CHARLIE! CATCH!” He said between laughs the picture folded itself into a paper airplane and flew to him

“Charles Septimus Weasley. You better give me that picture right now” she points an accusing finger at him “no can do Artie” he laughed leaving the common room “come on we’re going to be late for breakfast!” He called behind him to the rest “So. You and Fred?” George asked when they were far enough back from the other three “nothing happened. We just became friends. He called a truce. We got to know eachother. And fell asleep on the couch” she shrugged at George “wow. So you guys are friends now?” “Well. Sort of. I hope so” “what do you mean?” He asked she put her hand to his cheek showing him last night “woah. He’s never told anyone that story before” George looked gobsmacked “he was just being Friendly George. Im waiting for the other shoe to drop” she sighs out. “Itll be okay Artie. I’ll always be here for you” he smiles “but believe me. Hes never willingly admitted that he emotionally scarred Ron” George said bumping into her shoulder “he never tells that story. But you brought it out of him” he smiled softly at her “i dont know what youre getting at George. But its literally nothing” heat rises to her cheeks “what about you and Alicia?” She teases gently “shes great Artie” he smiles “i think theres something there” he admits scratching the back of his neck. “Are you sure theres nothing there with Fred?” He asks “i dont know. Maybe?” She sighs. “I dont want to get hurt George. I dont think i can handle it if i get hurt” “what do you mean Artie?” He asked genuinely “its nothing George.” She smiles “this conversation isnt over” he warns as they sit down at the gryffindor table “so. How much longer are you and Artie in the dog house for Fred?” Lee asks as he bit into his roll “we’ve got another month of scrubbing cauldrons.” He rolled his eyes “oh come on Fred it cant be that bad. Maybe tomorrow nights Detention is going to be better than the last” Charlie teases making kissy faces at him “Shut. Up. Charlie” he gritted his teeth “hey Katie, Alicia” Artemis smiles “hey Artie” “are you going to try out for Quidditch this year?” Artie smiles “we want to make the team as chasers” she smiled “what about you?” Alicia asked “i was thinking about it. But i dont know. Hula is more of my thing.” She sighed “youll do great though!” She smiled “i think the twins said that they wanted to try for beaters” “whats hula?” Alicia asks “something from back home. Its dancing” she explains quick turning her attention back to the conversation “we are. And the captain has to pick us cause we’re his little brothers!” George sticks out his tongue “that is not how it works George” Artie said with a teasing grin “youre just jealous Charlie likes us more” George scoffs in fake hurt

“uh… no i dont… my favorite siblings in order is Ginny, Bill, Artemis, Ron, Fred, Percy then you George” george gasps “MY OWN FLESH AND BLOOD! SURELY I AM HIGHER ON THE LIST THAN BIG HEAD PERCY!” He said over dramatically the entire group started laughing “i’ll see you guys in class” Artie said as she left the great hall shaking her head Classes went by so did the days and before either of them knew it they were walking back to the dungeons for their last Detention “i cant believe its almost over!” She sighs “i know. This is the most Snape has ever given so far” Fred complains “you ready for break?” He asks as they walk “as ready as i’ll ever be. I just dont know” she shrugs “youre still coming right? Mum’s already set up Ginnys room for you” he bumped into her “i am. Im just a little nervous im not the kind of per-on people necessarily like” she looks down at the floor as she walks “what do you mean? You got my siblings to like you. Even Bill and he hadn’t even met you yet. The only exception is Percy. He doesnt like any one” Fred scrunches his nose “but even he doesnt seem to mind when youre around” “its probably a respect thing” she sighs “i havent given him a reason to not like me. Or yell at me. So im sure that he doesnt know what to think about me.” She looks at Fred “you read people very well for someone who’s absolutely terrified of them” he continued the conversation as they entered the potions room “so very nice of you two delinquents to show up.” Snape sneered at the pair “we’re sorry we’re late Professor. I lost track of time.” She sighed out “dont let it happen again” he said before he turned to leave “oh. Severus i finished that book i borrowed” she said stopping him she snapped her fingers and a extra large potions book came out of her bag “thanks for letting me borrow it. Igneous’s wing is looking so much better. He’s starting to flutter now” she smiled “not a problem Artemis i was happy to be of assistance” he takes the book “youll let me know how much i owe you for the wormroot later?” “No need Artemis, just take care of the animal.” He says and leaves the room

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once hes gone she grabs the cauldrons off the shelves “its not that im terrified of people. Im terrified of what people can do. I see the world through cracked rose colored glasses. My view on people has been damaged.” She looked down as the bucket hes filled with soapy water “youre a mystery you know that?” He asks “whats the fun if somethings too easy?” She asks hoping he doesnt see her facade how broken she truly is. “If it makes you feel any better i think that youre really smart, kind, loving, and gentle. You have a great sense of humor and i think that its nice how you protect people you love. Youre like a lion, and its intimidating. But thrilling all at the same time.” he said as he started to wash the cauldrons she looks at him with reddened cheeks “im really not Fred. If you really knew the things that fly through my head.” She said as she rubbed the protective oil on the pot she was working on. “I dont know what flies through your head. Youre right. But id like too. youre so strong and you dont even see it. You deserve to have people in your corner and you think that you’re undeserving of love and friendship.” He continued as he handed her another cauldron “because im..” he cuts her off before she could say anything. His hand flies to his hair ruffling it in an exasperated sigh “Dont you dare say youre not because you are Artemis.” He snapped raising his voice slightly. his eyes soften when she sees her flinch at the harshness of his words he was just fed up with her thinking so lowly of herself he wanted her to see herself from his eyes he shook his head sighing out his voice much softer. “Im sorry… i shouldn’t’ve raised my voice at you.” He sighed continuing his sentence

“from the little youve told me about yourself, and you didnt tell me much all youve talked about was your memories with your family. But the parts of YOU that you let slip those tiny minuscule things youve said the jigsaw pieces you left out. They’re enchanting and its beautiful. Its so hard to get to know you. Why is that? you dont see yourself the way my siblings. The way that i see you. The happiest youve ever gotten in when youre talking about your Mum dad and Apollo other than when youre going on and on about your animals. You think your cowardly for being afraid of things but when something happens or goes down youre the first one into the fray even when youre shaking. especially if George or Charlie is in the middle of it. Like last year when Slytherin picked a fight with George after their beater broke Charlies arm with a bludger. If George didnt hold you back from hexing him you wouldve killed the poor bloke” Fred said finally looking up at her “youre protective. Brave. Always willing to fight for people you care about. You dont even see how pretty you are. You walk around school like youre this damaged person but youre stunning. Your smile it’s contagious. And i think you’re beautiful. anyone would be lucky to know you the way my siblings do. But they dont really know the true you do they?” He asked softly she shook her head no “Anyone would be lucky to have you as their friend youre fierce Artemis, and its a good thing start viewing yourself the way George, Charlie, and….. and i… see you why wont you let us know who you truly are?” He looks back down heat rising to his cheeks hoping that she didnt see it focusing really hard on the pot, the pot he was scrubbing. “Because if people knew me for who i really am. Id be alone and no one would want me id get abandoned again… and i dont know if i can handle getting abandoned another time.” her voice cracked he turned his body to face her reaching a hand out but slightly pulling back ‘fuck it’ he thought to himself his hand cupped the side of her face “thats not true” he said softly running a thumb catching the tear that fell from her eye her breath caught in her throat as she leaned more into his touch soft and gentle “its okay to get close to people, and let people get close to you. I know my brothers. Theyll never leave. I wont abandon you either. I can promise you that i will never abandon you.” he whispered she opened her golden eyes to look at him to really look at him ‘stop trying to read my mind Artemis. Im not going to hurt you. Let me in’ he thought to her the only thing that left her lips was a sigh “thank you Fred.” She shuts them tight “let me in. Let me know the real Artemis” he whispered “okay, we have all winter break” she whispered back pulling away from his hand the blush never left his cheeks as he thought back to their conversation through out the detention. The next morning when Charlie came to collect her from her dorm There was a knock at her door before it opened “why you get a dorm room all to yourself is beyond me” Charlie said laying on her bed “oh hush you. You get your own room too” she said rolling her eyes folding her jumper to fit in her bag “yeah im head boy.” He said with an eye roll she looks to him

“i…. I have nightmares…” she said softly letting Fred’s advice seep into her head he props himself up on his elbow to look at her “nightmares?” He asks “yeah. I wake up in the middle of the night screaming. And my magic.. it hurts people i cant control my magic when i have my nightmares. So Dumbledore put me in my own dorm to protect the girls in my year.” she looks down sitting back on her chair he looks at her with concern “why havent you said something before?” He asks sitting now to face her “i was afraid” she said looking away from him “afraid of what?” “That you wouldnt want to be friends with me if you knew the scary parts of me” she said playing with her thumbs he looks at her for a long minute shock running across his face then sighs out and smiles “you know… when i was six. I used to get nightmares. Really horrid ones. My mum used to tell me that id charm tiny dragons out of scratch parchment that singed holes in the wall paper of the room. Id get so scared that when id run into their room there would be burned holes in my night clothes saying the monsters got me” he chuckled.

She taught me this spell, that made the magic stop. It didnt help the nightmares. But there was no more magic dragons and burnt holes in walls” he said softly “come here kid” he smiled holding his hand out for her to take she grabbed on to it he moved to make room for her on the bed she sat down next to him he grabbed both hands in his. “repeat after me” he said as he said the spell in latin “it means stop the magic that seeps through the dead of night, protect me from myself and those around me” he said squeezing her hands she looks up at him “kid, you can tell me anything. And nothing. I mean nothing will ever make me not want to be friends with you. Youd have to do something really horrid for me to not want to talk to you” he smiles at her which she returns to him “youre the bestest big brother anyone could ask for Charlie bear” she teases “theres my girl” he laughs at her sarcastic comeback ruffling her hair “come on. Lets get to the train” he said grabbing her bag for her. “You guys ready to go?” He asks the three boys waiting in the common room “we’ve been ready we’ve been waiting for you Charlie” Percy rolls his eyes “sorry i was dealing with Artie” he said softly “she needed boy advice” he jests “did not! He fell asleep on my bed while i packed my crap!” She fired back causing Fred and George to laugh hysterically On the train she starts to fidget with her hands Fred raises an eyebrow at her putting his hand on hers “you okay?” He asks gaining the attention of his twin. Charlie and Percy still engrossed in their conversation “what if they dont like me” she said softly “they will. Mum n dad like everyone.” Fred rolled his eyes “i shouldnt have came. Im sorry” she said as the anxiety started to fill her “Artie” Charlie called she snapped her eyes to him “calm down. Youll be okay.” He smiled “Bill wants to meet you. So does my mom and dad.” He continued “dont forget about Ginny. Ginnys been writing me letters asking if shed play house with her when we get there” Percy rolls his eyes she lets out a breath of relief “besides. Its only a week” he gives her a soft smile which surprises everyone she looks to his papers “you got something mixed up there” she points scooting between him and Charlie “this part is right but this needs to be here and this goes here.” She pointed to his paper she snaped her finger and the text book came out she opened it to the correct page showing him her reference “itd make more sense if you put this line here” she added “i wrote a paper on this last year for my biology class.” She said softly his eyes widened “you take Biology?” He asked “im enrolled in an online school.” She said quietly “what would you put in this section here?” Percy points

“i highlighted this section here for that it looks like youve got it covered. Just keep going the way youve been going. When i did my paper it got an A but i compared the years from 1879 to current time from ward A and ward B for what developed over that time. And cited this book in mine.” She talked as she read more of the paper “i wouldve never thought of this. youre brilliant Percy” she whispered under her breath his eyes shot to her face gobsmacked “and this is for muggle studies? This is advanced work” she looked at him he had slightly red cheeks she looked up at the cabin to the three boys looking to her in shock “is Percy really asking someone their opinion?” George asked “and he’s listening!?!?” Fred added on “this is a first even for you Percy” Charlie added mouth gaping open “she’s smart i respect her input” he mumbles out “can i borrow this love?” He asked “LOVE?! YOU NEVER USE NICKNAMES!!!” George points an accusing finger at him “shes a friend” he rolls his eyes “its the same thing i call Ginny” he shook his head ‘i see youre taking the advice’ Fred thought to her smirking looking at her eyes ‘shut up. This dont mean that youre right’ she shook her head sitting back down next to him ‘happiness looks good on you’ he shifted in his seat “so. I barely know anything about you” Percy started “im the third oldest in my family” he looked at her “im the oldest of three.” She smiled to him “when do your siblings start school?” He asks “my twin is home schooled. Hes traveling the world with our uncle. We got separated after my gran died. The youngest didnt make it to his first breath. Mom died before she could give birth” she smiled a look of horror crossed his face “dont feel bad. You didnt know. Its okay” she smiled kindly at him “my twins name is Apollo.” She kept the conversation going as the train ride went on Charlie and the twins joining in on the conversation

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Charlie grabbed his trunk and Artemis’s bag as they de boarded the train he makes eye contact with his mom walking up to her and giving her a hug “hey mum” he greeted “Charlie” she smiled moving to Percy Fred and George hugging them “so wheres this Friend youve been talking non stop about?” She asks as Charlie looks back “mum this is Artemis” he said pulling her front and center “ah hello Artemis its so good to finally meet you!” She said pulling her into a hug “come on now. Lets get home!” She said running through the platform “Dad Bill Ginny and Ron are back waiting at the burrow” she smiled to her boys the drive from Kings Cross to Devon was a long one “Alright kids. We’re here, Fred, George. Show Artemis around” Molly smiled “come on.” George smiled at her leading her into the burrow where a wall of cinnamon hits her nose she closed her eyes and let the scent engulf her she opens her eyes and drags her eyes around the quaint house filled with color and it felt like everything is alive she sees the clock with all of the faces on it and smiles she turns around with a huge smile on her face to a nervous Fred shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot “this place… its amazing!” She said excitedly. Bouncing with excitement he lets out a shakey breath “this is where you grew up? I love it its so home-y and warm” she walks up to him her grin never fading from her face his heart beats faster she stops in front of him “its better than what I imagined!” She walked spinning around with her arms out wide “you explaining it didnt do much justice this place is amazing!” She continues

turning back to face the twins when an adult man comes into view “well thank you dear” he said smiling “Arthur Weasley” he introduced himself “Artemis Black” she said as she shook his hand “its nice to have you here for the holiday” he smiles as Charlie runs down the steps with a little girl on his back who is laughing really loud “alright Ginny. Can you show our friend Artie to your room?” Charlie asked she sees her and runs right up to her she kneels down to her height “hello im Ginerva Molly Weasley but everyone calls me Ginny im nine” she said with a big smile on her face “Charlie told me so much about you! My name is Artemis, but you call me Artie” she smiled softly booping her nose “will you come play dolls with me?” She asked shyly “I’ll have you know that im the best doll player in the whoooooooole world, even better than Fred! my favorite thing to do is make the knight fight the dragon for the princess!” She said as she used her hands to give the full effect Arthur Fred George and Charlie watching shushing his mum as she came in Molly turned her head to watch Artemis interact with the youngest of the bunch “watch this” she said as she held out her palm so Ginny could see she covered it with her other hand whistling a special whistle a puff of smoke seeps through her fingers as Igneous flutters his “hello iggie. Can you do me a favor?” The adolescent thunderbird looks at her “can you get me my doll?” The medium sized bird nodded to her spreading his wings as he flew around and into her bag he comes back out with a small baby doll that she holds out for Ginny “thanks Iggie” she said petting his head giving him a treat “wooooe what is that!!” She said excitedly the bird looked to her cocking his head “its alright, you can come closer” she said to Ginny “hes a thunderbird, he landed in my lap with a broken wing” she said “his name is Igneous” she smiled “you can pet him” she smiled as Ginny slowly petted his head she whistled again Igneous flew back into the bag she turned back to the youngest Weasley smiling “if you like that doll, I might even have a few more of my own that you can have. BUT on one condition! We need to have a tea party with princess crowns fluffy boa’s and teddy bears” Artemis said with a big smile

“YES!! COME ON LETS GO!” She yelled excitedly pulling Artie up the stairs as she laughed Fred tracked them with his eyes up the stairs heat rising to his cheeks and tips of his ears as he heard them talk about the things that they were gonna do how his sister accepted her completely “well there goes our best friend” Charlie nudged George “its cute” George said “who knew she was so good with kids” he continued as he glanced over to Fred who stared up the steps to where Ginny had dragged Artemis up to “if you stare any harder it’ll burn a hole through the floor” George snickered “shove off George” Fred rolled his eyes at his twin “ya got a little drool there bud” Charlie wiped the corner of his mouth teasingly “you didnt tell me Artemis was so good with animals” Molly said her mouth gaping “yeah. Shes really good at potions she healed him, she has a big heart. Alittle touchy sometimes needs a lot of reassurance and kindness, shes been through a lot” Charlie said looking to his mum “she showed me a little of what shes been through, but she bottles up a lot inside. Shes afraid to let people know her. She opened up to me for the first time leaving for the train today” he said crossing his arms over his chest Fred looked over to him “she did?” He asked surprised “yeah. Whatever you said to her at detention got to her. She was scared to tell me about it. You could see it. But she told me what was bugging her.” He shrugged “shes a special kid mum. George and i really like her. Fred even more than us not that hed admit it” Charlie gestured to his brothers who nodded “shes alright” Fred blushed leaving the room in a huff “little Freddies got a crush” George chuckled “George be nice to your brother Molly scolded going into the kitchen Ginny stopped at the door before hers knocking a storm when someone opened it “BILL! WILL YOU COME HAVE A TEA PARTY WITH US!!!” She asked as he smiled at her “give me a second I’ll be right there” he laughed looking up to Artemis “you must be Artemis. Charlie has told me so much about you. So has Fred.” “Only good things I hope” she chuckles out scratching the back of her head “Bill” he gives her a side hug “Artie” she said “COME ON LETS GO!!” Ginny yelled “sorry gotta fly!” She smiled as she got pulled into the pink room they sat down at the table as Ginny gave her her tiara that she placed on her head “why thank you princess Ginny of Devon, its so lovely to be joining you for a spot of tea” she said crossing her legs under the table “my pleasure indeed duchess.” Ginny replied pouring the fake tea out into the plastic cup “sir pippins would you like a biscut to go with your tea?” Ginny asked a small bear when Bill came into the room “princess, and duchess i have come to accept your invitation for tea” he smiled “ah sire, how good of you to join us” Ginny said placing the crown on his head Bill smiling they finished their tea party

as she snapped her fingers her bag zipped open and three dolls came out “here. These are for you” Artemis smiled at Ginny who squealed excitedly “TIME FOR DINNER KIDS!!!” The house hears as the three people sitting around a tiny table looked at eachother “Come on Gin, time to go” Bill said as he picked her up off the chair waiting for Artemis to walk out of the door first “why thank you your majesty” Artemis curtsied walking out the door “the pleasure is all mine Duchess” he smiled chuckling Fred stands up as they see her entering the kitchen pulling out the chair next to his for her “thank you” she smiled at him as she sat down pushing her chair in for her he smiled down at her sitting back down “thats Ron our little brother” Fred pointed to the boy across the table “hello Ron” she smiled as he looked down and he blushed getting choked up “looks like someone has a crush” George whispered into her ear she smiled at the boy across from her “so Artemis, how did you meet the boys?” Molly asked with a smile “i actually stumbled into Charlies compartment on the train and he offered me a place to sit” she smiled “and she pulled a brilliant prank on the twins, her and George became instant friends” Charlie continued “she tutored me in potions last year and on the train ride here she helped Percy with his muggle studies homework” he continued grabbing the bread from the middle of the table “her and Fred didnt get along so well at first. It wasnt until he got both of them in trouble and detention before this break to actually be friends. Hes actually the one that invited her to come” George said to his mum “im sorry to be an imposition Mrs. Weasley, they wouldnt let me say no” she said shyly “its Molly hon. And youre not an imposition. We’re glad to have you” she smiles sweetly “how was the tea party Ginny?” She asked “it was great mummy, Bill and Artie made a great Duke and Duchess. She even gave me her old dollies!” She said putting a spoonful in her mouth “she said we can play house after dinner!!” She added “yep! And i’ll read you a story before bed i have Apollo’s favorite book” she smiled with puffed cheeks to the girl Molly looked to Artemis “who’s Apollo dear?” Molly asked confused “hes my twin brother” she smiled lightly “well why isnt he here with us! Fred! Did you not think to invite her brother!” Molly scolded “oh no Mrs. Weasley, he’s not….” “This is unacceptable!” “Mum her brother doesnt go to Hogwarts he’s traveling with their uncle” Fred said with a sigh she snaps her head to Artie “we got separated when our grandmother died in 1985.” She said with a shrug half way through break After everyone had gone to bed she let out a sigh knowing that she wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight she grabbed her Romeo and Juliet book from her bag and snuck back down to the sitting area where the fire was still burning she sat there quietly reading when she heard footsteps come down the stairs slowly she was so engrossed in her book that she didnt hear him until his voice called out to her “Artie?” Percy said in a tired voice she jumped out of her skin “Percy?” She asks “are you okay? What are you doing up?” He asked in a concerned voice “im fine, just couldnt sleep. Thought id read for a bit” she held up a book in her hand “i was up getting water. Want one?” He asked “no thank you” she smiles he got his glass and sat on the couch opposite of her “what are you reading “Romeo and Juliet” she answered “whats it about?” He asks “star crossed lovers. Forbidden romance. Violence. The good stuff” she summarized “can you read me some?” He asked she smiled and rolled her eyes

“ROMEO He jests at scars that never felt a wound. JULIET appears above at a window But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief, That thou her maid art far more fair than she: Be not her maid, since she is envious; Her vestal livery is but sick and green And none but fools do wear it; cast it off. It is my lady, O, it is my love! O, that she knew she were! She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that? Her eye discourses; I will answer it. I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks: Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven, Having some business, do entreat her eyes To twinkle in their spheres till they return. What if her eyes were there, they in her head? The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars, As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven Would through the airy region stream so bright That birds would sing and think it were not night. See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand! O, that I were a glove upon that hand, That I might touch that cheek!” She read from her spot as he listened to her read as she quoted the book she read to him for about an hour as they fell asleep heads opposite of eachother on the sofas they had been sleeping for two hours when Percy was shaken awake he opens his eyes to Fred standing over him he looks over to Artemis who is fast asleep with the book on her face he smiled “need help carrying her up?” He asked “i got it” Fred answered taking the book gently off of her face and on the table picking her up bridal style Percy comes to her and brushes her hair out of her face “thanks for reading to me” he whispers placing a strand of hair behind her ear walking up the stairs she buried her face in the crook of Freds neck he looked down at her pink tinting her cheeks he feels his heart slowly speed up looking down at her turning his attention to walking up the stairs he gets to Ginny’s room slowly placing her on the bed taking off her shoes and pulling the covers over her he looks to her one last time placing a gentle kiss to her forehead “sleep well Artemis” he whispered lips still attached to her forehead he breaks away her heart pounding in her chest at the feeling of his soft lips pressed to her skin she breathes in smelling the cinnamon and pumpkin mixed with gunpowder and fire on his night clothes heat rising to her cheeks keeping her eyes closed

“thank you Fred” she whispered turning over to her side facing the wall letting out a sigh before letting sleep take her his heart speeds up “youre telling me you were awake this whole time?” He asked in a whisper “i woke up just half way up the steps” she whispered back “bad dream..” she explained “Fred?” “Yeah?” “Can you do the nightmare spell Charlie told me about… on me please? I dont want my magic to hurt anyone.” She asked her voice soft and scared he walks over to her and sits next to her on the bed “you have nightmares?” She nods still looking at the wall “mostly of my grandmother, and the things that took dad. Ive always had them. It got worse after moving in with the family im living with currently.” she whispered out the silence over whelmed her she reached a hand back placing it on the bed she felt the mattress dip and a hand over hers “im still here, i was just listening to see if you were still talking” he whispered out the feeling of electricity flowing through his hand confused him why was he feeling this way toward her thoughts ran through his head at lightning speed before he could think about the words coming out “do you want me to stay? I can sleep on the floor” He asked almost afraid of the answer “i wont ask you to do that” she whispered again his heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest its because she wouldnt ask why he’d do it for her “i want too” he said “only if you want too” she said turning around “promise me you wont let go?” She asked scooting over to the edge of her air mattress he wraps his pinky around hers “promise” he whispered with the incantation following the word. He moved over sliding off rhe bed their pinkys still together as he laid on the floor with his free arm under his head as a pillow she pulls the blanket on her to where its over him as well grabbing the extra pillow and handing it to him “sleep well” she whispered to him “sleep well Artemis” he sighed out

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She woke up with a note in her hand that Fred had been holding ‘morning Art, i had to get out before mum got up and found me. Just wanted you to know i stayed for as long as i could. I promised i wouldnt abandon you, i never will. Merry Christmas -F’ she smiled at the note putting it in her bag she stretched her arms over her head seeing Ginny peacefully still asleep it was about five thirty in the morning she slowly got out of bed changed from her night clothes to her day clothes seeing everyone still asleep Artemis snapped her fingers and the broom started to sweep the floors in the livingroom ‘island baby youre so beautiful you drive me crazy’ she sang as she focused on the chores that needed to be done walking into the kitchen the placemats and dishes set themselves on the table ‘you know you’re all that i need so much more’ she sang quietly as she washed the dishes that was in the sink she looked in the fridge as her magic tidied the Weasleys living space rags polished the glass of the windows

your strength and beauty i can see in your smile i lose sight of my world’ she poached eggs fried potatoes and made pancake batter toasted English muffins fried ham sausage and bacon and prepared her hollandaise sauce and gravy steaming some veggies ‘baby love no words can hold whats truly on my mind just feel the beat of my heart and youll know what i need’ when everything was done she assembled her eggs Benedict on a large serving platter with sauces on the side she mashed half of the potatoes and kept the rest as chips putting those on serving trays as well ‘youre my pualena youre so beautiful god knows i love you and youre all i need pualena you take my breath away pualena’ she sang silently washed the cooking utensils and put on a pot of water for tea and coffee quietly singing to herself ‘you know lately… all i think about is holding you closely and never leaving yourside ill keep you warm time passes by and still youre on my mind’ snapping her fingers again the trash bin empties its self and the couch cushions fluffed up when Molly came into the Kitchen putting on her apron seeing the well made breakfast and Artemis singing to herself while doing chores she had planned to get done ‘i cant imagine living my life with out you cause the special moments you and i could only share will always keep us together and never apart youre my pualena’ she sang turning around with the hot water in the kettle almost dropping it when she sees the matriarch of the family “OH!” She yelped “im sorry mrs. Weasley i didnt hear you come in” she apologized floating the kettle to the table snapping her fingers cleaning off the flour on her clothing “i hope you dont mind but i tidied and made breakfast for everyone, i just wanted to thank you for having me. Happy Christmas” she smiled “you didnt have to do that dear” she smiled giving Artemis a hug, “just where did you learn elf magic from?” She asked kindly “its a… its a long story.” She smiled as she sat pouring them each a cup of tea “we’ve got about thirty minutes before everyone is down for breakfast” Molly smiled at her “my mum passed when we were five, when we moved to my grandmothers house since dad got taken to Azkaban.. my grandmother saw us as a stain on the Black family tree. We were burnt off and well. She treated us like house elves. We learned how to do basics from Kreacher. When she died in 1985, i went to live with the family im living with now. Theyve pretty much kept up that tradition.” She sipped her tea not looking at Molly “i didnt get good at it til i moved in with the current people im staying with. Ive been meaning to tell you. Thank you for the jumper by the way. That was my first birthday gift ever” she smiled at Molly who looked at her with a shocked expression

“dear, you never have to worry about that you’re always welcome here. You are not allowed to wash up after dinner you are going to be a normal kid while youre in our care do you understand me?” She said in a soft but stern voice “wow mum breakfast looks amazing” Bill called out from the living room “Artemis made it for us” Molly smiled as he kissed her forehead “you did? I didnt know you knew how to cook” he sat down she snapped her finger and poured out a mug of tea for him “th…thank you” he said “i hope breakfast is to your liking” she smiled at him soon the table was filled with Weasleys Fred sitting down next to her giving her a soft smile When everyone started to eat Bill groaned “oh. My. God. This is amazing” as he took another spoon full of eggs Benedict in to his mouth “Artemis how did you learn how to cook like this?” He asked looking up at her from across the table “wait.. Artemis cooked this?” George and Fred said at the same time heat rising to her cheeks Charlie looked over “you cooked all of this?” He asked her “i…. I learned from my mom. She used to make this all the time. I wanted to thank you for having me for Christmas” she said looking down “its amazing” they all said “can she stay forever mum? She needs to teach us how to make this stuff!” Ron spoke up from scarfing down his food she let out a soft chuckle at his wanting for her to stay

after breakfast they all sat down in the sitting room getting ready to open up presents she snapped her fingers individually wrapped gifts floated from her bag to each of the Weasleys as Molly handed out everyones gift she got a hand drawn card from Ron which she gave him a kiss on the cheek for, a Friendship bracelet from Ginny, George got her some sweets from honeydukes, Charlie bought her a few muggle books Bill brought her back a souvenir from Egypt, Percy gave her one of his old textbooks with a note ‘i saw you looking at this when we were correcting your term work. i dont read it anymore its yours’ she smiled at him Molly made her a jumper and Arthur gave her one of his old journals the last gift she opened was Freds. He had made her a pendant out if wood in the shape of a thunderbird with the shape of the island she was from in the middle of it “here.. if you tap it here with a wand it enlarges what it says” he showed her ‘Home is where love is remember puʻuwai love is eternal and it will give you peace’ “i got the quote from the photo album you showed me a couple of days ago. When we were feeding Igneous. The persons name who wrote it on the pages name was Gary. I assume thats your grandfather?” He asked nervously tears sprung to her eyes holding the string brushing the beads that encompassed the pendant “dad helped me make it and Ginny showed me how to knot the rope with the beads.” he rubbed the back of his neck she dropped the necklace back into the box and tackled him with a hug “thank you” she whispered as she let out the tears that glistened her eyes he hugged her back slightly as she pulled away she handed him the pendant and moved her hair facing her back toward him he opened the necklace and tied it on to her neck “its beautiful. Thank you Fred, Arthur, Gin.” She said holding the pendant in her hand “no one has ever gotten me something so precious before i’ll never take it off” she said smiling as they got to her gifts she got Arthur muggle trinkets, Molly two sets of dragon hide knitting needles and a crochet hook, Bill got a leather jacket, Charlie got six new issues of dragons weekly, George got zonkos trinkets, Ginny got brand new dolls and doll clothes Ron got a new toy broom Fred unwrapped his gift and saw a scarf mittens and beanie set he looked up at her “i hope the colors are okay… i used to make my brothers scarves and hats you said your favorite color was purple and orange i didnt know what hue so i guessed. You said your old set wasnt getting warm enough” she blushed as he took out the purple scarf with Fred G. Weasley in a muted orange crocheted into the body of it he had only mentioned that in passing before and she had listened “i figured me and your mom could coordinate, so i wrote her sending her spools of yarn that i used to make those and” he put the scarf back in the box and opened his mums gift to a jumper he smiled pulling her into another hug “its perfect Artie. Thank you” he said letting her go. “Alright kids, lets put away everything put on your clothes we’re gonna go play in the snow” Molly informed everyone as Arthur came to talk to her asking about how to use the muggle things she had given him “so that is a french press, you put coffee or tea in the bottom with hot water let it seep and then pour it out the lever thing pushes down the leafs so nothing goes into your drink, and this is a pen, you click it and write the ink is built in.” She smiles as he looks intently at his gifts “this is wonderful! How interesting!” He said excitedly “thank you so much dear!” He says as he writes with the pen “no issue Mr. Weasley” she giggles as she looks down to her book

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“Id like to recognize the student that has shown the most promise in my class with the most promise in potioneering i have ever seen, and while we give this award usually to sixth or seventh years at this time id like to present my award to a marvelous second year that i had the privilege of teaching, shaping, and guiding into the world of potions” Snape droned on Angelina’s eyes twinkled in suspense as he talked “Ms. Artemis Black please come and collect this certificate for potions excellence a copy will be posted in head master Albus Dumbledore’s office on the wall of excellence. Congratulations the next award that will be presented is charms, Professor Flitwick please take the stand” the great hall erupted into cheers as Artemis walked up to Snape. Angelina’s eyes narrowed at her as she scoffed seeing her shake hands with the tall potions professor Artemis turned to Fred and smiled brightly at him the excitement in her eyes was alluring and his heart sped up Charlie bumped him and he broke out of his trance she sat down across from him “good job Lia, howd you manage to get Snape to like you?” Playful smirk adorning his features she laughed rolling her eyes at him “oh dont act like you dont help. Youre one half of the potions team remember? I usually make the harder one you make the easy one he may not show it but he’s quite fond of you too. Though i’ll take credit for that part. I am the one that makes you do the work” she jests throwing a piece of her bread at him “posh” his cheeks burn red at her she laughed “congratulations love” Percy kissed her head “thank you Perce” she smiled at him “i want to read pride and prejudice tonight i’ll read this time since you read last?” He asked “sure” she smiled “you two in a book club now?” Oliver asked his Scottish accent thick as he sat down. “No” Charlie shook his head looking to Oliver “if those two aren’t bickering about school work, Lia bug wins every time by the way. Theyre talking about books and reading together it drove me absolutely mad all Christmas break hearing them drone on and on about stem cells and biology” Charlie slammed his head on the desk “really?” Oliver asked “Percy actually lost a debate?” He laughed unbelievably “yeah. She stunned him. Our Artie -tartie is a genius” George said throwing his arm around her shoulder “best second little sister i couldve asked for” he added to his praise “hes just praising me because i bought him quidditch supplies and pranks from zonkos. Don’t listen to him. Artemis Black.” She held out her hand to Oliver “Oliver Wood” he shook her hand “anybody that can shut my roommate up is a hero in my book” he chuckled “shut up Ollie! Youre worse! Just start talking about quidditch and you never shut up” Percy rolled his eyes “did you catch the Irish vs Puddlemere game on boxing day? I listened to it on the radio it was a good game! Saoirse caught the snitch just before Dandervoet did it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time” she engrossed in the conversation as they went back and forth about which team is better

“No! Sheffield is a crook and you know it!!” She huffed out “HOW DARE YOU MADAME HE IS NO CROOK HE IS THE BEST KEEPER IN THE GAME!” Oliver said in fake offense “HE IS NOT HE CHEATED AGAINST THE HOLLY HEAD HARPIES LAST YEAR!” She rolled her eyes looking at Fred who was clearly impressed with her “I AM DEEPLY OFFENDED! THEYRE GOOD ENOUGH TO GO FOR THE WORLD CUP!” He said laughing “but yes they did play a good game against the Irish im happy I won my bet. The Irish is the best team ever” “it was a stolen game” Oliver frowned “shame really. You like seekers?” He asked “only position ive ever played” she smiled at him she glanced back to Charlie who dropped his jaw “sorry folks please excuse me and Lia bug I need to talk to her” Charlie said dragging her out of the great hall and into the quidditch pitch “why have you never said anything. Im captain I could’ve put you on the team!” he rolled his eyes handing her the broom she looked down taking the broom in her hand his tone of voice sounded angry and hurt instantly she flinched away from him he picked up immediately his eyes softened as concern overcame him “hey.,, Lia buggie… whats wrong?” He asked noticing her face she teared up “Buggie… hey. Im not mad” he cooed softly “I didnt tell you because i dont want to play Quidditch…. I want to be like my mum” her voice broke his eyes widened “Lia-bug” his voice worried and soft “she was a lawyer she wanted to merge muggle law and wizard law together, she… she never got to see it happen. She fought so hard to keep dad out of Azkaban…. All I want in life is to finish what she started” she looked up to Charlie “Quidditch is fun. Im good at it. But I have other ambitions in life especially with all the muggle classes im taking its just too much for me please dont be mad” I looked down he was taken aback “im not mad” he lifted her head with his hand once she was looking at him “im not mad” he said again “i just want to play some quidditch with my little sister. Sound good?” He smiled softly she nodded at him “okay” he smiled “lets go” he smiled again getting a smile out of her as they played more people joined in playing to where there were two teams of seven her team won against Charlies “who wouldve thought you were so good at quidditch Artie-tartie” George laughed ruffling her hair “oh hush you.” She rolled her eyes at him

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“So a lawyer?” Charlie asks sitting down next to her “youre up late” she whispered back to him trying not to wake Percy “couldnt stop thinking about your reaction. I wanted to make sure we were okay” he sighed out “we’re fine Charlie-bear. Im sorry i reacted that way. I dont do well with confrontation” she smiled. “You have nothing to apologize for” he smiled “yeah. I want to be a lawyer” she smiled “im proud of you little sister you know that right?” He kissed her forehead “thank you Charlie” she smiled leaning into him “get some rest Lia-bug” he sighed letting her rest her head on his shoulder and fell asleep Fred came downstairs to see Charlie still up and reading her book like Christmas he shook Percy awake “hey.. get to bed” Fred whispered Percy smiled “thanks Fred. You want help this time?” He asked like always its been some what of a tradition. Every night theyd read and fall asleep on opposing couches and Fred would wake up wake him up and take Artemis back to her room “ive got this. Ive got her” Fred said walking up to Artemis sighing out ��not a word out of you” he hissed at Charlie who just continued to read he carried her up the stairs placing her on her bed “sleep well Lia” he kissed her forehead like always “Sleep well Freddie” she said half asleep he froze in his spot for a second before leaving descending down the stairs he ran a hand through his hair sighing out “come sit with me for a while” Charlie called out to him he just nodded to his brother “have you figured it out yet?” He asked flipping the page “i know that its not platonic” Fred sighed out. “What i feel for her. I mean. I know that its not platonic and thats all ive got. Im only twelve im still figuring this stuff out. Why cant this be as simple as girls have cooties. And boys are awesome anymore. Why does everything have to complicate itself” he huffed Charlie closed the book and placed it on the table in front of them “because growing up sucks. But, the more we do the more we feel, the more we feel the more we mature” Charlie started making Fred look at him in shock

youve got something here with her, and its okay to be scared of that. But shes changing you for the better, Mums written about it shes noticing it too. Youre making her proud. She asked me to talk to you about it” Charlie smiled “she didnt think it was a good idea to talk to you about it herself she thought that your big brother talking to you would be better. She knows you stay with her and leave before Mum does bed checks” Charlie said softly Freds eyes widened “easy Fred i had your back” Charlie smiled at him “i told her about the nightmares and the spell and everything thats came after that. Mum understands. But told me to tell you. No funny business.” “Charlie its not like that we’re… we’re not like that” Freds cheeks heat up “but you could be. Some day” he smiled “what im saying is we all like her. And we all like what shes doing to you. Get some sleep” Charlie saoid standing up and leaving him in the common room

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breath-of-eternity · 2 years

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Snow Cones

Imatar suggested maybe they steer clear of the library and the people who knew what they were, but the minute the doors were unlocked, Ereshkigal zipped right in. And in spite of what she implied, they were not trying to get out of studying. Or not just trying to get out of it.

But it was so boring. The books were heavy even though they were resting on a table. The words all ran together. Imatar gave up and shoved them aside so they could lay their head down and sleep. When they dreamed, they could almost remember all they had given up, they could graze against it but never fully hold it. They surrendered it willingly, they would do it again, but sometimes the price felt like it had been too damn high.

This is so cool, they said in their dream, once again working at controlling their power over wind. There were sorcerers who spent their lives mastering magic Imatar could conjure with a flick of their wrist.

We’ve had enough training, Melusine said. It’s time we pick our first target.

Obviously the Land Of Eternal Summer, Agni said.

Their sorcerers won’t make it easy for us.

It is the source of most of the world’s woes, Ereshkigal said. Anything else will be raging against a storm until they are taken care of.

Imatar brought their hands together, calling the wind. Speaking of storms…

Voices, not coming from inside their own mind. They opened their eyes, and Ereshkigal had a book spread open in front of her, one finger marking her place, but she was actually looking at whoever was speaking with her. It must have been important.

The weights hanging over their eyelids lifted and they found Bella standing in the doorway, one hand resting on the eave as though she feared she would have to push herself away to make an escape.

“I thought you didn’t need to sleep,” she said.

Imatar got up and folded their hands behind their back to stretch. “We don’t. We still can, though. Especially when we’re really, really bored.”

Bella gave a nervous smile. It seemed she still didn’t know what to make of them. Maybe she’d blab eventually, but who would believe her?

“How’s the studying going?” Bella asked.

“Dull,” Imatar said.

“I still have a lot of catching up to do,” Ereshkigal said. “I only have a grasp on about a thousand years of what you call the Era of Reclamation.”

“That’s more than I have,” Bella said. “There’s not a lot of information on the early years. Most of it’s been lost. I… Wow, I guess you guys could probably rewrite a lot of history books.”

“Undoubtedly,” Ereshkigal said. “But not from this era.”

Bella chewed on her lip, as if uncertain whether Ereshkigal was serious. If she spent any more time around her, she would soon realize Resh was always serious.

“Do you guys take breaks?” Bella asked.

“Yes please,” Imatar said, getting to their feet. Ereshkigal frowned at them, and they reminded her not needing to sleep was one thing, not needing to rest was another. She still sulked when she pushed the books aside—or sulked as much as Resh ever did. It was kind of a slight downturn to the corners of her mouth.

Outside! Fresh air! Real sunlight! The air wasn’t as oppressive, and there were a lot more people on the field tossing discuses back and forth. A ringing bell caught Imatar’s attention and a person with a cart was handing out what seemed to be brightly colored snow to people and Imatar wanted it right now.

#writing #fantasy fiction #writeblr #fantasy #knights of eternity #fiction #epic fantasy #high fantasy #i do enjoy snow cones #and the word patience isn't in their vocabulary

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stardustbarbarians · 2 years

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Honey, You’re Familiar

A Daniel Wagner / Samuel Kiszka fic

Summary: Sam catches Daniel in a lie.

Tags: blood, slight angst, getting together, fluff, vampires

A/N: I wrote this at 2 am because @ofthecaravel gave me an idea and it wouldn’t let me sleep. So yeah, enjoy this. Title taken from Hozier’s From Eden. Also special shout out to @mintysammykiszka and @t00turnttrauma for gassing me and this fic up, I love all of you so much.

Words: 2.2 k

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Daniel wiped blood off his chin with the heel of his palm, a devious grin on his face as he looked down at the body he just drained, his sharp fangs dripping of that crimson ichor that sustained him. Feeling satiated, he tipped his head back and gazed at the moon, a satisfaction in his veins that one could only experience after having a full meal.

Realizing that he was wasting precious time escaping the authorities, Danny cut his moon bathing session short, wiping all the blood from his lips off and cleaning his hand with his tongue.

He walked back to the hotel, making sure he wasn't going too fast to arouse suspicion.

Giving himself a good once over, Danny walked into the lobby free of any blood. The only evidence of his crime was the sweet metallic tang coating the inside of his mouth, but no one would be able to find that. Well, maybe one person might, but he wasn't likely to snitch on Danny.

Daniel walked into his shared hotel room, spotting Sam messing around with his black and red bass as he sat on the bed closest to the window, the sheer white curtains billowing with the summer wind.

"Did anyone see you?" Sam questioned, not even bothering to look up from watching his fingers play the chords and tabs he wanted to hear from his beloved instrument. Danny was expecting that question, he also knew how to deal with it.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he deflected, trying to make his way into the bathroom to wash away the evidence with his toothbrush.

"You've got some blood on the corner of your mouth, Wagner," Sam smoothly replied, continuing to strum his bass, the buzz of the strings just barely audible.

The drummer stopped dead in his tracks, his heel off the ground from trying to step into the washroom. He'd been caught red handed - well, red lipped in this case. The hum of the bass guitar ceased, Sam setting it aside and getting up from his spot on the mattress.

"Are you still gonna try and deny it?" The bassist pressed, walking to place himself between the vampire and the door to the sink. He crossed his arms over his chest, a slightly disappointed look in his eyes as he took in Daniel.

"You're bluffing," Daniel retorted, his eyes tracing the features of his best friend. Normally anyone else who had come this close to him would've been shaking in terror, fearing for their lives. Hell, even the twins still flinched when Danny got too close too fast sometimes. But not Sam; never Samuel.

He should've seen it coming. Daniel, immortal Daniel who had lived through empires rising and falling. Daniel, who had witnessed the birth of modernization and all its flaws and perfections. Daniel, the creature who had come to learn human nature from sheer amount of experience and interaction with them; he thought nothing could surprise him anymore.

Oh, how wrong he was.

There he was, utterly baffled by the man in front of him. He should've known better than to hold Samuel Francis Kiszka to the same standards and assumptions as everyone else.

Without any warning, Samuel leaned forward and captured the vampire's lips with his own. It was clear he was on a mission, his tongue searching the caverns of Danny's mouth, a soft whine slipping past his lips that only someone with supernatural senses would've been able to detect. Daniel was overwhelmed by the utter taste of Sam, the warmth of his skin, the energy he possessed, and just over all everything that made him Samuel. It was over before Danny knew it, Sam's tongue grazing against his fangs before he detached, resting their foreheads together as Sam panted. Danny would've been at a loss for air if his lungs functioned anymore.

“Blood," Sam managed between breaths, "I tasted blood."

"You gonna try and gaslight me and say that I'm imagining it, or whatever?" Sam continued, his own grip on Danny's curls getting tighter.

"No," Danny blurted out under his breath, “no I'm not.”

The hum of night was the only sound in that room, that and Sam's vitals thumping rapidly in order to keep him alive. But only Danny could hear that.

The vampire heard the click of Sammy's throat as he swallowed, the human pulling away so that he could look Daniel in the eye. He needed to look at him, he needed to.

"You know you could've just asked me instead of risking your life out there,” Sam reminded softly, his voice wavering with emotion. And there it was: the reason Danny had lied to his best friend. He didn't want to worry him and all he managed to do was panic Sam anyway.

"I know," the drummer replied, hanging his head in shame.

"Then why didn't you?" This time, the waver in Sam's voice was from anger. Daniel felt the human's grip tighten even further. If he were still human, he would've been in a lot of pain.

Daniel took a moment to reply, trying to compose his thoughts without making him sound like a cliche and also one of the worst movies he's ever seen in his entire life.

Sighing, Danny decided to just go for it, rip the bandage off to quote an old adage. "Because I wouldn't be able to stop."

Despite sounding like none other than Edward Cullen himself, Sam was struck by the words his best friend admitted to him. Unable to stop? He was afraid of killing Sam?

"Oh, shut the fuck up with your vampire angst, you walking cliché," Sam criticized, pulling away from Danny's grip. He wore a face of disbelief as he leaned against the wall next to the bathroom door, his arms crossed and his leg propped against the wallpaper.

"I tell you that I'm afraid of taking your life and you call me a cliche?" The vampire asked, making sure he was understanding what just happened. His tone was steady and low; dangerous almost. He ran his fingers through his raven curls, a nervous habit of his he was never able to kick from his time as a human.

Suddenly with a point to prove, Daniel grabbed Samuel by the throat and pinned the bassist against the wall, his other hand pinning both of Sam's hands above his head. The once serene calm and quiet of the night was replaced by the rapid thrumming of Sam's heart as fear courses through his veins. Danny heard it kick up a notch as he used the grip on the human's throat to tip his head to the side and expose the vulnerability of the skin there, mesmerized by the pulsing of his best friend's jugular as it jumped up and down. The lightning fast rushing of Sam's blood was filling Danny's ears as he leaned in and lightly pressed his fangs against the tempting vein.

"Where's that blasé attitude now, Sammy?" Danny purred into the human's ear, feeling the goosebumps rise under his grip on Sam's skin.

Sam didn't respond, only letting out a small whimper at the drummer's words. He swallowed again, the feeling of his Adam's apple against Danny's palm just another reminder of the dichotomy between the living and the immortal.

Daniel took that as an involuntary admission of Sam's terror, too stubborn to voice it aloud. The vampire chuckled darkly, "Goddamn right, you should be scared of me," he growled.

"Not fear," Sam blurted out, his breath shaky as he inhaled.

Not fear

It resonated in Danny's mind for a moment as he tried to understand what Sam was trying to tell him. If he wasn't afraid, why was his heart racing? Why was he releasing hormones that Daniel's unnatural smell could detect? Why was he breathing so shallow?

It hit the vampire like a freight train.

Not fear-

He slotted his leg between Sam's legs.

-Arousal

"You're-you're not scared?" He asked, that predator attitude all hit removed from Danny's demeanor. He kept his grip on Sam, continuing to pin him to that wall. There was no reason for this other than the fact that he just couldn't seem to let go.

"Far, far from it, baby," Sam admitted, his hands squirming against Daniel's hold on his wrists.

"But... I've killed people." It was so quite, so small. It was clear it wasn't something the vampire was proud of. He knew it was in order to keep himself alive, but why did his life matter above those he's slaughtered over his life to maintain it?

"And? That just adds to it," Sam argued, his voice strained and high pitched as he was slowly losing the brain functionality in order to hold a coherent conversation.

Daniel was truly taken aback. That was twice in one night that Samuel was able to bewilder a man who had seen a large chunk of humanity unfold before his eyes.

"I could kill you." Once again, Danny pressed the front of his fangs to the pulsing jugular of the man in his grip. His teeth were aching to slip into that thriving vein despite having just returned from feeding. They yearned with unfettered desire to know the sensation of marring Sam's perfect and otherwise untampered neck. It was the first thing he noticed upon meeting Sam, it wasn't just their fans who appreciated that feature of the bassist.

"Once again, adds to it," Sam repeated, his patience wearing thin. Daniel was torturing him with this grazing of his fangs against the human's neck. He was so close to just outright begging Danny to bite him, but he knew that if he took that route he would never get what he desired. Sam was so close he could taste it.

It was finally dawning on Daniel; Sam really and truly accepted who he was, all of him. The pretty parts, and the one he hid from the rest of the world. Sam dug through the mud and the trenches to unearth all those ugly flaws and treated them with nothing but unbridled and tender affection. He didn't just overlook them, no Sam held them close to his heart and nurtured them and allowed them to know love. It was too much for Danny. He felt a mix of love, pride, acceptance, and lust swirling in his mind.

In the end, it was the lust that won out when Daniel gazed upon the flush and pleading face of the human in his clutches. He as begging Danny to do something, anything to Sam. He was willing to take whatever Danny was going to give to him at that point and that was enough to make his fangs ache.

"I'm going to bite you," Daniel warned, his voice gone husky as it all dawned on him.

"I thought you'd never ask," Sam replied, a bratty bastard to his core. That quickly vanished when the vampire finally sank his fangs into the human's neck, the pain stinging and harsh but welcome.

The both of them let out noises of pleasure; Sam from the knowledge and experience of finally having his fantasies coming to fruition and Daniel from pure ecstasy of his best friend's taste.

It only lasted momentarily, Danny detaching himself before he reached a point where he couldn't pull back. It was a dangerous road that he just veered down, one that he now knew had no exit ramp. He'd had a taste of Sam, he knew the tang of his best friend's blood, and he knew immediately that he wouldn't be able to live his life without at least one hit from Sam a day. He was hooked, the claws of yearning and addiction sunk deeply into Daniel just from that one sip.

Sam was also ruined, seeing the affect that his blood had on Daniel. He saw the way his pupils were blown, his nostrils flared slightly and his eyes unable to be ripped away from the spot on Sam's neck he just tapped. Even though he didn't need to breathe, Daniel was nearly gasping for air, his chest rising and falling in large motions. Sam could feel the blood steadily but slowly seeping from his puncture wounds, the rivulets inching their way to stain the white button up he was adorned with. Danny was also covered in blood, but not his own. His lips were stained with Sam's blood, the corners of his mouth dripping with it. It was too much for Sam to know that that was his own.

"You're a messy eater," Samuel commented, out of breath and with a tired but wide smile. "Only when I get a taste of something I can’t resist,” Danny replied, mirroring Sam's smile

The vampire heard the human's heart stutter just a little at that, causing him to smirk. Leaning forward, Daniel licked Sammy's neck clean of blood, his saliva sealing the would he left.

"That's handy," Sam remarked after he felt no wound on his neck.

"You can say that again," Daniel agreed, reminiscing on the times where he had gotten out of a few vampire hunts by erasing the evidence with that trick.

"Thank you, Sam," the drummer spoke after a beat of silence, "for accepting all of me."

“I wouldn't have you any other way than the way you are currently, Daniel."

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A/N: Zara and Karou keep asking for a part two, so maybe that will happen as well. Thank you so much for reading! (also please feel free to make as many twilight jokes as you want it gives me a good laugh)

Taglist:

@doodle417 @sammykiszkasunusedshoes @jmks-housewife @ageoferin @alwayssotiredbutneverofyou @etoilesnoor @ascendingtostardust @godlygreta @s0livagant @gretavanflowerpower @morganic-goods @dannythedog @baguettejuliette @fan-girl-97 @gaby-gvf @age-of-nyahh @mzbrightside @myownparadise96 @xserenax-13 @sammysvanfeet @loofypoofy @chalametpwk @seventieswhore @razorbladekiszka @kdarling1 @capturethechaos @unfortunatelykristin @welightthefire @gretavanfleas @sammiejane22 @satanplayshisfluteforhim @starsasone @mintysammykiszka

Taglist Form

#greta van fleet #greta van fic #danny wagner #sam kiszka #sammy kiszka / daniel wagner #samuel kiszka x daniel wagner #daniel robert wagner #samuel francis kiszka #daniel wagner #samuel kiszka #sanny gvf #jake kiszka #josh kiszka #jake gvf #josh gvf #sammy gvf #danny gvf #sam x daniel

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baldwinboy5ive · 3 years

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I call this Cobra Drive. AU where a sad boy meets another sad boy in his building elevator and they just stare longingly at each other for extended periods of time. (Daniel LaRusso, who made the crane kick famous, gets to add to his repertoire of bird karate moves by stomping Mike Barnes to death in the same elevator like a secretary bird.)

I also wrote some crap for this AU, even though I am not much of a fanfic writer. However, it’s not that bad. It’s just regular bad.

“If I drive for you, you get your money. You tell me where we start, where we’re going, where we’re going afterward. I give you a five minute window when we get there. Anything happens in that five minutes and I’m yours. No matter what. Anything happens a minute either side of that and you’re on your own. I don’t sit in while you’re running it down, I don’t carry a gun, I don’t do karate - not anymore. I drive. Do you understand?”

The well-rehearsed speech was delivered in an accent that was undeniably East Coast, but from a man who knew well the 100,000 streets of Los Angeles. Daniel ended it every single time with a secret tribute to his beloved mentor, whose life lessons were always punctuated with “Understand?”

And Daniel did. He always understood what Mr. Miyagi had told him, and replied “Yeah, I understand,” even if some of his lessons had taken awhile to really make their impact on him.

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Daniel moved frequently. It was routine now for him. Funny how things changed. He often remembered how monumental that first cross-country move had been, how the course of his entire life had shifted that summer of 1984. Now, his moves were quick, efficient, and all within LA.

On his second day in his newest building, Daniel returned to his apartment by elevator. Another building resident stepped in with him, hauling a basket of laundry from the basement.

He was familiar. Daniel kept his eyes trained at his feet while he felt the familiar man’s gaze on him for a moment. He allowed himself one quick glance, but didn’t manage to time it as well as he’d wanted. The golden-haired man who now shared a building with him was still staring back at him.

His eyes were beautiful and sad.

It was Johnny Lawrence.

-----

“You just move back to LA or something?” was the question Johnny finally settled on after he and Daniel hauled his groceries into his second story apartment. There was too much he wanted to ask. It had been 34 years. Something in those 34 years had hardened the look in Daniel’s eyes.

“No, I’ve been here for awhile.”

“So just new here?”

Daniel nodded.

“What are you up to now, LaRusso?”

“I drive.”

“Like, those internet car things?” Johnny asked, a touch of confusion on his face.

“No, for the movies.”

“You mean all the car chases and stuff?”

“Yeah.”

Johnny let out a soft laugh. “Isn’t that dangerous?”

Daniel fully met Johnny’s eyes, and stared challengingly, the words “Oh, now you care about my safety and well-being?” hanging between the two of them unspoken. Daniel’s lips quirked into a slight grin. So did Johnny’s. Then Daniel knew. Johnny remembered it all.

The intensity of Johnny’s bright blue eyes and the pain they carried eventually became too much for Daniel, who was the first to drop his gaze. He broke the silence by saying placatingly, “It’s only part time. Mostly I work at a garage.”

“Where?”

“Reseda Boulevard.”

After a few more beats of silence, Daniel nodded his head towards the teen boy sitting at the kitchen table doing his homework, as if only just noticing him even though he’d rode up in the elevator with them. “He yours?”

“They sometimes just come with the apartment. Old place here is infested. Overrun with roaches, children, teens. You might want to check under your kitchen counters and shit if you haven’t already, LaRusso.”

The boy snorted, not offended in the least. “I’m Miguel,” he said.

A door in the apartment slammed open, and another teen boy wandered into the kitchen. “Who’s this?” he asked, pointing at Daniel.

“This is LaRu- Daniel. Daniel, this is Robby.”

Daniel stared at the two teenagers. Neither of them resembled Johnny. Perhaps Johnny hadn’t been kidding about them surfacing from under the kitchen counters.

-----

At the garage, a sly smile spread on the face of the man who’d given Daniel all of his jobs. “Oh, you and the kid know each other,” he said, gesturing rapidly between Daniel and Johnny while leaning over the open hood of a car he’d been working on.

“Don’t,” Daniel warned. He stalked off, but not without grinning at his employer.

“Uh…” Johnny began. A “He kicked me in the face when we were teenagers, but I did sort of deserve it a little, and it’s actually at least a 126 minute-long story” died on his lips.

“We’re neighbors,” Johnny said.

“Ahh,” said Daniel’s employer, as if that was all there was to know.

Johnny explained in more detail what was going on with his Firebird, and was told that the repairs would take a few days.

“Miguel, call us one of those car things from your iComputer.”

“It’s an iPho-”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” cut in Daniel’s employer. “You and the kid are neighbors! He’d be happy to give you a ride.”

Johnny met Daniel’s eyes from across the garage. He did indeed look happy.

---

“Hey, I know you. Come on, we met last year! Well - met again. It’s me. Snake. You drove me and Dennis back from Palm Springs. Hey, I got this sweet job planned out --”

Fury blazed in Daniel’s eyes. Someone both recognizing him and talking to him about his jobs was more than enough to make Daniel disappear for a few months, but this wasn’t just any someone. This was one of Terry Silver’s men. Over the years, Daniel had done everything he could to be free of Terry and his mob. But every time Daniel thought he was safe, eventually, Terry would always come back. And there would always be a job.

Terry’s man - and therefore Terry himself - reappearing in his life would have been bad enough before, but now? Now he had Johnny. He couldn’t just pick up and leave. He realized with anger burning up in his chest that he didn’t want to pick up and leave.

Daniel cut Snake off with a low whisper. “How about this? Shut your mouth. Or I’ll kick your teeth down your throat, and shut it for you.”

All Daniel had wanted was to finish his dinner and coffee in peace, until it was time to drive Johnny to the bar for his night shift. Daniel stared at Snake, never taking his eyes off of him until Snake quietly retreated from the diner. Only then did Daniel feel comfortable returning to his food.

-----

Daniel’s face took on a detached and aloof manner when he addressed the man Terry had sent.

“When you get your money, his debt’s paid. He’s out for good. And you never go near his family again. Do you understand?”

-----

Daniel did everything in his power to keep his voice even. Confident. Balanced. But that voice on the other end of the phone would always terrify him. Some things never changed.

“I’m going to give you a time and a place and you’re going to come and get your money. Do you understand?”

Terry barked out a laugh. “What do you get out of it, Danny boy?”

“Just that: out of it.”

Daniel hung up. For once he had the satisfaction of dictating terms with Terry Silver.

-----

“They came to my apartment. How did they know where I live?”

“I told you, I was going to call Kreese, I just wanted him to know that… that it wasn’t about the money… that you’re not interested in the money… that you just did it for him.”

Daniel exploded at the man who had been his longtime employer. So this was how Kreese and Silver and known it was him. “Why?! You told them about Johnny! Why did you tell them about Johnny?!”

“Calm down, kid. Just calm down.”

“I should fucking kill you - you told them about Johnny! That’s how they figured it out, you know - that it was me. You told them about Johnny and then they knew it was me.”

“I just wanted him to know… that as soon as you returned the money, that was the end of it, that’s all! I didn’t know. I didn’t know. How was I supposed to know?! How was I supposed to know… that everything led to Silver!”

Daniel’s voice was breaking as he screamed at the old man. Daniel’s eyes were wild and he was breathing hard. Breathe in, breathe out, echoed the voice of his dear sensei in his head. Soon, his racing heart slowed just enough for him to calmly tell his employer, “They came for me, and now they’re going to come for you, too. You have to get out of here. Do you understand?”

-----

John Kreese pleaded with his lifelong friend. “Anybody finds out you stole from the family, we’re both dead. The money always flows up, Twig. You know that!”

Terry Silver fell uncharacteristically quiet amidst their shouting match. He looked at Kreese ruefully. “That’s why this driver’s gotta go, Johnny. That’s why he’s gotta go. He’s gonna tie me to this robbery.”

It was too bad. Terry had always been fond of Daniel.

-----

Daniel hoped he would never again have to fear for Johnny’s and his kids’ lives. He flicked his eyes up to the rearview mirror. Miguel and Robby were fast asleep in the backseat - and safe. Alive.

Daniel did, however, find comfort in knowing that he didn’t have to pretend anymore, didn’t have to keep his karate hidden and tucked away. If Johnny ever needed it again, Daniel would use it. He’d help Johnny remember his. He thought fondly of the way Mr. Miyagi had once insisted that only Daniel’s root karate came from Mr. Miyagi, and had urged him to make his karate his own.

If Daniel could do it, so could Johnny. Johnny’s Cobra Kai would be better - different, new. A product of the goodness Daniel was confident Johnny had inside of him. Johnny would use that goodness to teach Robby and Miguel. And Daniel vowed to be there with them.

If anyone ever again tried to hurt any of them, the four of them would be ready.

Another Mr. Miyagi lesson surfaced in Daniel’s memories as he continued driving. Back in 1994, Mr. Miyagi had returned to Daniel in LA after a long stay in Boston, and over the course of several days, had told him all about Julie Pierce, and the lessons he taught her. The final lesson had been: “Fighting not good, but if must fight - win.”

That was what Daniel had done.

Daniel smiled at the beautiful man in the passenger seat next to him, whose sadness never left his eyes, but who, despite this, could now smile back warmly at him. Daniel checked the rearview mirror once more, never taking his attention from the road ahead of them. Miguel and Robby were both still asleep.

Daniel turned his gaze back to the road for a moment, feeling the hum of the car around him and those he loved.

“I’m yours. No matter what. Do you understand?”

-----

OH SHIT i forgot to mention, the idea for the cobra on the back of the jacket AND for including Robby both come from @idontknowkaratebutiknowcrazy !!!! Thank you for your moral support and help on these concepts! I always knew I wanted Daniel to be the Driver, so it didn’t even OCCUR to me to have the cobra on his jacket, until @idontknowkaratebutiknowcrazy said it, and then she said he can give it to Johnny later (even though it won’t fit him haha!). Just a note - I changed up the cobra design from the Cobra Kai logo though because the original logo looked kinda goofy as a silhouette.

#lawrusso #my art #cobra drive #that read more thingy better DAMN work hahaha cause this is long but... if for whatever reason it didn't i am sorry #this does feel kind of empty without the Favorite though hhahaah #there is definitely a bird shaped hole in this AU and i miss my lil Hawk

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kohakuarisaka · 3 years

Text

Untamed (chapter 4 of 5)

Takami Keigo x (fem!)Reader

[ SUMMARY ] Every year, without fail, Hawks went into a rut: when autumn began, and then again in early spring. He would honker down up north in a secluded cabin. For the first time, he brought you with him.

[ WARNINGS ] R18+ for graphic sexual content and language. Non-canon compliant: Hawks’ quirk does not work like this. Reader is a hero that works at Hawks agency. Pre-existing relationship. Reader is a female with female genitalia. Feral behavior. Rutting. Biting. Spanking. Slight BDSM. Consensual sex. Wing kink. Oral sex. Romantic relationship.

Chapter 1 • Chapter 2 • Chapter 3 • Chapter 4 • Chapter 5

[ My BNHA Fanfic Masterlist ] ~ [ Also on my AO3 ]

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Hawks had gone on an early morning flight the following day, before you had stirred from sleep, leaving you alone in the cabin for the first time.

He was reaching the apex of his rut. The cabin was beginning to feel like the inside of an oven. That was great for keeping his mate warm, but not so great for him in his current state, where he felt like he was roasting alive.

Outside, the winds were cold, almost punishingly so. Under normal conditions, he would have been wrapped up in his fur coat. However, now, he was wearing a loose T-shirt more suited for summer, baggy cargo pants and military boots.

He took off into the sky, soaring at great speeds that would make him near impossible to see with the naked eye, assuming anyone was actually around to spot him in the first place.

He'd soar up high, then let himself descend in a tumbling spiral, then catch his fall above the trees and rocket between the branches, sometimes letting the bottoms of his boots skim the trees to shake the snow off.

He always loved the feeling of the wind through his feathers; but, the sensation was more intense during his rut. While pain receptors didn't exist in his feathers in the same manner as his flesh and bones, he could still process feeling.

During his rut, feeling was intensified in his wings. He almost thought he could breathe the air through his feathers. Perhaps, it was why he felt so unbearably warm, why your touch had reduced him to a blabbering animal.

It was difficult to resist the desire to bring you with him on his flights, to hold you against his chest and feel your body clinging to him while he descended.

It was exciting to think about what kind of noises you would make. He hoped that you would find it exhilarating. He wanted to feel your heartbeat thundering away from the rush, to see red tinting your cheeks and tears in your eyes.

Instead, Hawks floated alone and let the late winter air bite away at his skin while the winds brushed along his feathers. It was soothing more so than chilling. Despite how unfitting his clothes was for the weather, not even the tips of his fingers felt cold.

The winter breeze had relaxed him, but not for long. Despite the obvious chill in the air, Hawks was still sporting a painful erection. He avoided touching it, knowing full well that masturbation was pointless. Enduring this alone for years taught him that it would likely only irritate him further.

You were here, you were safe, you were his, you wanted to be here, you wanted him. Your scent was all over the nest and his bite mark was a heavy eyesore on your throat. There wasn't another human for miles. But, despite the obvious fact that there was no reason for him to feel uneasy, his nature wouldn't allow him to rest.

His rational side wanted to let you relax, to give you some reprieve from him, from what he did to you and intended to do again. The beast, however, clawing under his skin, wanted to have you again.

Hawks flew some, and then some more, letting time slip away, until he was agitated to the point that his hands were digging into his outer thighs, nails threatening to rip his clothes.

Snow began to fall on his way back to the cabin, and the gentle wind hurled it to and fro. He could feel the soft droplets fluttering against his skin. The snow felt cold, of course, but he didn't really process it. All he could think about was getting back to you.

When he crossed the threshold, it was like entering another world. The outside whistled with the harsh wind and kicked snow inside, suddenly silenced when he slammed the door. He felt the sudden security of being in his nest, enclosed, private, safe, where it smelt like freshly cut logs and you.

As Hawks stepped into the living room, he realized that you had migrated away from the bed, likely due to the cold. You had brought some blankets and pillows over and haphazardly arranged them in front of the fireplace. You had even dug a rolled-up futon out of the supply closet to pile the bedding on top of. He had forgotten that was even in there.

His boots thumped against the wood floor as he walked, catching your attention. You peered up at him, your eyes failing to mask your excitement at his return.

At a glance, Hawks could see that you had showered while he was away. Your hair was clean, just a tiny bit damp at the ends. As he got closer, he could faintly catch a whiff of the well water that fed into to the cabin lingering on your skin.

It was only natural that you would want to clean off after what he had done to you the past couple days. Hawks was well aware of that and was trying to remain calm about the whole situation; but, the truth was, he was annoyed by your actions.

You had washed him away.

Of course, that could easily be remedied.

Hawks advanced towards you, mindful to not step on the blankets with his boots, to not dirty the nest you made. He lowered onto his haunches first, taking in the sight of you, the sight of the bedding you had arranged without him. You had slipped on one of his shirts and a pair of shorts, not suitable for the weather, but suitable for him. Like this, your body was very accessible, that much was certain.

"I made breakfast, if you're hungry?" you offered, clearly not at all perturbed by his looming and staring. He didn't look annoyed, but oddly intrigued, maybe even flattered by your behavior.

"You have snow in your hair," you observed, smiling at the sight of pale white crystals caught in his blonde locks. You leaned up and reached for him, carefully tousling his hair to shake the snow free.

He waited until you were done preening him and suddenly jerked forward, pushing you onto your back with his torso. He followed with you, knees pinning you beneath him, one falling between your thighs.

When you peered up at him, unperturbed by his behavior, Hawks' gold eyes narrowed and his fangs bared. A sound that you didn't know he was capable of making snarled from behind his teeth and echoed around the room.

It was a growl, not like anything you had heard from a dog, or any animal, really. You didn't know that he could make noises like that. It seemed unfitting for the calm, polite hero that you knew so well. Then again, he had warned you about this.

Maybe, this whole experience was doing something to you, changing you; or, more likely, he was helping you discover things about yourself you never knew existed.

The growl didn't frighten you at all. It made you tremble with excitement, made your skin prickle with goosebumps and heart flutter, made wetness pool between your legs.

Spurred on by him, maybe wanting to rattle the beast's cage a little, you decided to be daring. You lifted a leg, pressed your foot against his chest, and pushed against him. Of course, he didn't budge at all. He was much stronger than you normally, and especially unwavering in this state of mind.

"Take off your clothes," you requested, trying your damn best to sound powerful, unyielding. You sounded firm, sure, but you didn't sound as strong as you wanted to, maybe not strong enough to coerce a beast.

Yet, Hawks' gaze softened, surprising you. He had told you he wanted you to be yourself, to not succumb to his every emotion. It kept him grounded, reminded him that you were here of your own free will, because you wanted to be. Your demand sobered him.

"Whatever you want," he uttered, sultry and low, and it made you tremble with excited goosebumps.

He leaned back, rising to his feet, and began shucking off his clothes in record time. His boots hit the floor noisily before he fumbled with his belt, having it barely undone before it was dragged down his hips by his pants.

He wasn't wearing underwear, you realized, as he shucked his pants off his feet. He lifted his arms and tugged his shirt over his head. The fabric hit the floor and, rather than throwing himself on top of you, Hawks remained standing.

His wings were spread out behind him, crimson feathers bright and imposing. His gold eyes were vibrant, staring you down like a predator seconds away from laying claim to its prey.

However, it didn't go unnoticed to you that he was standing there to allow you to appraise him, as if you had never laid eyes upon his nudity before.

Despite the cold, he had a faint sheen of sweat that was glistening in the light coming from the fireplace, outlining taut abdominal muscles. He hadn't eaten much since his arrival, and that much was obvious by the exaggerated tightness around his core, muscles more enhanced than you had ever seen before.

It felt almost shameful to stare at his crotch, but it was damn near impossible to not admire the heavy cock between his thighs. It was a sight to behold, just like the rest of him. The trail of pale blonde pubes leading from beneath his belly button was practically begging you to stare.

Still, you dragged your gaze back up at his face, where he looked surprisingly anxious, as if there a chance in hell you would tell him no. Sometimes, it was astonishing to think that someone so beautiful could have an ounce of self-doubt. But, he did. Even if he managed to hide it well, you could always spot it, the fear of not being good enough.

"Keigo," you uttered, voice sounding weak over the sound of the crackling fireplace.

Your arms lifted, hands reaching out for him, beckoning him into an embrace. You blinked and suddenly, he was on top of you, torso ushering you back into the sheets while his hands clawed at your shorts, dragging them down your legs.

Hawks panted into your neck, nails biting at the fleshy meat of your thighs as he tried to will himself to calm down. He was being nonsensical. You had been together for a while now. He had fucked you in every position he could possibly think of, held you at night when he could and kissed your mouth like you were his.

Because you were. Yet, despite all that, he felt so pleased that you still chose him, again.

When your hands slid over his shoulders and felt the burning heat of his skin, you felt a tinge of guilt at his state. Deliriously, you wanted to take care of him, to be able to give him everything he needed.

One hand cradling the back of his neck, you pulled him up until his face came into view and you kissed at the corner of his mouth. Encouraged, he followed, tilting his head to capture your lips in a proper kiss.

You felt his shoulders relax as his body slid atop yours, legs tangled and torsos coming together. His hands released your thighs, opting to slide up your sides, beneath your shirt and along the expansion of your ribs, where the pads of his fingers traced the outlines of your bones.

Despite the insistent, throbbing erection trapped against your thigh, burning hot like forged iron, his kisses were gentle, ushering your mouth open to accept his tongue. He kissed you like he had forgotten what your mouth tasted like, tongue slotting over yours eagerly, moaning into the kiss senselessly.

After sometime, you pushed back against his chest until he finally got the message and pulled back from your lips. You tried not to laugh at the childishly irritated scowl on his face, his expression silently reprimanding you for stopping him.

"Lay down," you urged. "I wanna touch you."

"Don't need any more teasing, babe," he protested weakly.

Still, despite his protest, you nudged him pleadingly. Hawks groaned like you had struck him, but complied and began rolling over, bringing you above him.

You watched his wings flex and fan out comfortably beneath him, spread out across the sheets like twin, elegant blankets, mindful of the fireplace. He propped his back up with some pillows, giving him just enough leverage to lean up a little, but not quite in a seated position.

As Hawks got situated, you tweaked one of his nipples between your fingers. He yelped at the touch, shoulders twitching and wings shuddering faintly beneath him. Your hand was ripped away by a grip at the wrist; but, you couldn't hold back a smile as he glared up at you.

That glare disappeared off his face when you started wiggling down his lap. Of course he knew what was coming, especially when you cupped his weeping cock and tenderly lifted it off his abdomen. Yet, excitement clawed up his spine as if he was sincerely surprised.

He hardly registered your tongue lapping at the swollen tip, where he was sticky with precum. He did, however, painfully so, notice when you sank down, enveloping his length in your hot mouth.

For a moment, you just held him against your tongue, reveling in the salty taste and moaning when you felt him throb. You slid up to the tip, failing to notice how tense the rest of him was, back arched and staring down at you intensely, muscles tight from head to toe. When you sank back down, tightening your mouth around his shaft, Hawks cried out suddenly.

His loudness startled you more so than the sudden gush of his seed. His hands grabbed at the bedding. In the corner of your eye, you could see his feathers shuddering beneath him.

Hawks' cock throbbed with each spurt, heavy where it rested against your lax tongue. He was deep enough that his seed spilled right down your throat. You relaxed and swallowed it carefully, cheeks tinted red as Hawks whined above you.

When he came down from his high, he was still impossibly hard, throbbing against your tongue as if he hadn't come at all. You began bobbing your head, excited at the thought of getting him to come again. However, his hands suddenly flew up, grabbed at your cheeks and pulled you off.

You hadn't expected that, resulting in a wet pop and a string of saliva dangling between your drooping bottom lip and his member. Hawks stared for a moment, almost in disbelief at the sight, like something taken straight out of a porno, and not reality.

"God, you look so fucking naughty," he snarled, dragging your face in towards his, forcing you to arch over him. "Dirty fucking girl, aren't you?"

His tongue lapped against your bottom lip, catching your dripping saliva, before entering your mouth without preamble. The wet organ thrashed around senselessly, enjoying the taste of himself on your mouth. After a few seconds, he pulled back with a growl and dragged your shirt up, forcing your arms above your head to free you from the garment.

"Keigo, let me-" you whined.

"Be good," he silenced you in a gentle, albeit commanding, voice.

The world flipped when he spun you back around and your back hit the bedding. His wings fanned out above the two of you, beat against the air once, and flexed, plumes spread out majestically.

"I wanna touch you more," you protested, fingers weaving through his hair with dangerous intent. You gently dug the pads of your fingers into his scalp and watched his head lull from the pleasure, eyes fluttering shut.

"That's not being good," Hawks commented with a groan, making no immediate movement to stop you.

"I wasn't done," you retorted, leaning up to drag your cheek against the stubble on his jaw. You couldn't hold back a shudder at the sensation, soft yet rough hair dragging against your skin.

"Fuck," the winged hero growled, eyes opening to take you in with a faint glare.

Your felt a wandering hand smack gently against your inner thigh, forcing your legs to spread to give him space to settle between them. A digit suddenly grazed your slit, circling your entrance to gather wetness before slipping inside.

It was almost laughable to think he had gone out into the snow to cool off; yet, the heat of your core was tantalizing, so inviting that the touch alone threatened to undo him. You were already slippery and when he effortlessly sought out your sweet spot, you mewled.

Hawks groaned like you had wounded him, the sound practically vibrating from his throat and traveling through him onto you. He tilted his head to nibble at your jaw, breath hot enough to burn your skin where he exhaled against you.

"You're ready for me," Hawks commented lowly, driving his finger inside until his knuckles brushed your folds. "Did you like the taste of my cock that much? -my cum? Feel this - fuck. You're begging for it."

"You're begging for it," you retorted softly, hands carefully untangling from his hair and sliding down to cup his face. You pulled him back, away from your neck, so you could look into his eyes.

"Yeah," he agreed in a low sigh, forehead bumping against yours just a little too roughly. "Want you so fucking bad."

"How bad?" you hummed encouragingly, hiking your legs up on his waist to pull him in.

His finger slipped free, hands shifting to slide over your hips, dragging you into a place more to his liking, pinned beneath him, where you were helpless to much more than squirm. You hiked your legs up on his hips, groaning when he humped at your core, causing his cock to drag against your folds.

"Kinda hurts, if I'm being honest," Hawks groaned out lowly.

"I'll take care of you," you promised, blinking slowly as you stared back at his vibrant gold eyes.

"Yeah?" he uttered weakly. "I can just-"

His tip prodded at your entrance and Hawks cut off, moaning in a wounded manner that had your head spinning. You had seen him get pent-up and frustrated before, after week long missions and months apart; but, he never sounded quite like this.

"Yes," you whispered back harshly.

With a shift of his hips, he was suddenly buried inside you. The sudden intrusion wasn't as startling as the loud noise that escaped Hawks. He shuddered above you, crying out, wings flexing and beating the air, driving him down against you.

"Oh, fuck, Keigo," you whined, realizing he had finished the moment he slipped inside.

His cock throbbed as if to remind you that he wasn't done yet. There was a wet squelch as he slipped out and rammed back inside, nearly drowned out by a guttural, "f-fuck", that he breathed against your neck.

He thrusted a few times, rough rolls of his hips, forcing your walls to accommodate his girth. You couldn't hold back a weak groan. As prepared as you might have been, it was inevitable that there would always be some strain to take him.

Hawks must have assumed that he was taking you too hard, for he slowed down, uttering a weak, "s-sorry."

Yet, the dissatisfaction from his slow pace was far worse than the slight ache when he took it too fast. You didn't want it slow and soft. The last couple days had you wound up, prepared for the promised, carnal passion. You wanted him to fuck you like his life depended on it.

"No," you hissed out, trying to angle your hips up to bring him in harder, fast. "God - no - Keigo, harder-"

With a faint growl, he obeyed that command, the sudden hard roll of the hips forcing you to break off into a loud cry.

"Babe, I'm gonna lose it if you talk like that," he warned, words throaty and rough where they breathed against your skin.

You worked one hand into his hair while the other grabbed at his back, nails biting deliciously into his skin, holding him close, forcing your bodies together.

"I want you to," you uttered between broken moans that he forced out of you with his cock.

Hawks uttered your name lowly, a clear warning.

"God, Keigo, just-" you growled, wiggling around helplessly beneath him. He shifted his weight, holding you down with a growl, as if you were dare trying to escape him.

It was exciting, and had you babbling at him wantonly, "you're so f-fucking sexy and I - I want it. Want you to just - f-fuck me like - ahh, Keigo, your mate."

His arms suddenly wound beneath you and hoisted you off the floor. You cried out, clinging to him in a startle at the sudden verticality. Hawks leaned upright, on his knees in front of the fireplace, holding you up, pressed against his chest, hands gripping your meaty hips to hold you at the perfect angle to fuck up into you.

"My mate? -fuck when you say things like that, makes me fucking - ghhh - fu-uck - you want me to fuck you? Yeah?" he babbled on, whispering harshly right into your ear.

It was a little too close, a little too loud, and left a ringing sensation in your head. Yet, you didn't want to shy away, especially not when he started growling. Clinging to him desperately, you could feel his back muscles shifting as his wings flapped with enough force to knock some logs off the stand.

His head tilted back and took in the sight of your face. Your eyes were struggling to remain open, lips parted lewdly, cheeks tinted a brilliant shade of red.

"You look amazing," he whispered, hot breath fanning over your face. "Fucked stupid on my cock, where you belong."

You moaned lowly, head lulling against his shoulder. You felt his lips press a kiss against your temple and he continued uttering into your hair.

"Gonna fill my pretty mate with cum. Is that what she wants?" he whispered, low and sweet, sultry and downright vulgar. You didn't answer; but, he felt your nails bite into his shoulders, heard your breath briefly catch in your throat.

"Yeah, she does," he agreed, breaking off into a pleased hum.

The wet, fleshy sounds drowned out the noise of the fireplace, accompanied by your helpless mewling and Hawks disgruntled moans and grunts. You were so close like this, held up by his strong grip, chest to chest.

You sought out the strength to peer up and catch a glimpse of his wings shuddering, flexing out from his back either for balance or unconsciously, you couldn't determine. You tore one of your hands from his shoulder and dragged your fingers through his plumes, along the growth until you met his back.

Hawks cried out in a sharp roar. His pace increased exponentially as he rode out his orgasm, wheezing and panting into the space beside your head. That white-hot pleasure overtook you at some point, forcing a startled scream from your throat.

He kept going and going, only slowing down when he was certain you were finished. Suddenly, he slipped out, and the emptiness had you whimpering, head spinning and body aching.

Your back hit the bedding and then your front when Hawks rolled you over. Focused on the ache between your thighs, you barely processed the rustling of the bedding, until Hawks shoved some pillows beneath your abdomen to slightly elevate your lower half.

He propped himself up on his hands and knees, fingers splayed out across the bedsheets on either side of your torso. You felt the tops of his thighs slide against the backs of yours, cock heavy and wet against your core.

The realization of what he was about to do seemed to slap him in the face at that moment, for Hawks suddenly stopped, freezing up behind you.

"Fuck, I need you," he uttered, voice hoarse and low. "Please - please, can I keep going? -still so fucking hard."

You almost didn't recognize the sound of his voice, hoarse and desperate; but, then, his wings beat against the air, sharply reminding you that this was Takami Keigo.

Your cheek was pressed against one of the pillows, arms splayed out above your head, and you realized faintly that you must have been quite the sight, spread out lewdly for him, back curved, ass in the air, presenting to him like a bitch in heat.

There was no sense of obligation spurring your unity; or, if there was, it was an afterthought. All you felt was desire, longing for more, aching to be filled, trembling and void of any coherent thought beyond Hawks.

You could feel his throbbing cock at your entrance, his knees pushing yours apart, his arms trembling on either side of you. He was hovering some odd few inches; yet, he was panting so heavily, you could feel it fanning over your back.

"Keigo," you whispered weakly. "Don't stop."

Your scream drowned out the inhuman growl that escaped him as he shoved his hips forward, sheathing himself inside your velvety heat, as deep as he could possibly go, trying to push his hips further forward as if it wasn't enough.

Hawks fucked you wildly, huffing out sharp breaths mingled with pleasured moans. It didn't take long for him to reposition his hands, one settling on your waist while the other fisted in the bedsheets above your head. He arched over you possessively, wings beating the air to drive him forward. As unnecessary as it was, you couldn't deny the way it stoked the fire inside you.

Before you could even think to ask, one of his feathers wiggled between your thighs, nuzzling against your pearl where it flicked and twirled, pinching at the bud with just enough friction to be pleasurable, but not too hard to be painful.

"Keigo!" you cried out, hands gripping the sheets with enough force to nearly tear them.

"Say my name," tumbled from his lips, like a broken baritone. "Yeah - fuck - my name - say my name. Gonna - ahh - stuff you with my c- ahh - fuck, you feel so good - so good," he babbled on, leaving your head spinning.

He was fucking into you at the perfect angle, ensuring his cock reached your sweet spot with each and every thrust. At some point, coherent thoughts died. Nothing existed beyond the bed sheets, the fireplace, the cabin. All you could think about was the sweet scent lingering on the sheets beneath you and the explosive pleasure Hawks was forcing through your body.

He came again at some point; but, you could hardly tell. Everything was already sopping wet, seed dripping from your cunt and down your thighs, as well his. The sounds he made never ceased, inhuman groans deep in his throat that mingled with each hurried inhale and exhale, in harmony with his thrusts.

His dominant hand slid down your spine, carefully curling at the back of your neck to hold you down. As mindless as it might have appeared, you were acutely aware that he wasn't holding all his weight down.

You were familiar with the power he held, the brute strength hidden beneath his charming and silly demeanor. He could hurt you very easily if he wanted to; but, he never did. Even in this state, his self-control was mind boggling, pinning you with just the right amount of pressure to keep you still, but not enough to cause any discomfort.

'Keigo' fell from your lips, again and again, as if it was the only word you knew. Above you, Hawks seemed to be in the very state he had been worried about, that he had warned you about: blinded by the pleasure of your core, lost to the desires overwhelming his every thought for days.

At some point, he hunched over even further, hardly thrusting properly anymore and just rutting into you, and you felt his lips touch the space between your shoulder blades.

It was hardly a kiss and you realized vaguely that he was drooling a little before you felt the sting of his teeth. Hawks gnawed a path up your back, leaving behind pink, blossoming bruises, before digging his teeth into your shoulder. It wasn't as strong as the last bite, a brief sting before the pain was lost to the pleasure.

He growled into your skin, whole body quaking with sharp tremors, signaling that he had reached orgasm again. You had lost sense of your own awhile ago, always ablaze in white hot pleasure. The mere touch of his hand along your skin, every shift of his hips, the union of your sexes, had you vibrating.

You lost track of how long that went on, how long Hawks kept going, mouth latched onto your skin, slobbering and whimpering into your flesh, while his hips rolled against yours, pinning you between the floor and his unwavering form.

Everything felt too good for you to process how tired you had become, brought to the brink of exhaustion, glistening with sweat from head to toe, kept awake only by his invasion of your body, the drag of his cock along your velvety walls.

Eventually, Hawks began to slow. He carefully removed his teeth from your shoulder and gave a few more thrusts, letting out a low whine that you could guess was one last, final orgasm.

His feather departed your slippery folds, leaving you aching and spent, and he remained buried as deep as he possibly could, hips pressed tightly against yours.

Hawks nuzzled his face into the back of your neck, panting wildly, and you felt what you could only describe as vibrations rumbling from his chest, so violently that it had you shaking beneath him. It was almost alarming, but the tremors steadily waned as his breathing relaxed.

Carefully, Hawks turned you onto your side, shoved the pillow beneath you away, and curled into the space between you, pressed tightly against your back, skin touching in every spot that was possible. His wings stretched out behind him, past the boundary of the bedding and spread out across the floor, lax like the rest of him.

Hawks adjusted your legs carefully, stretching them out with his own until they were comfortably laying side by side, all whilst ensuring his cock remained lodged inside you. The strain wasn't unpleasant; rather, you were surprised by how good it felt.

"Keigo?" you uttered weakly, voice so low, you were surprised he even heard you.

You felt his lips kiss at your throat and a hand settle over your tummy, fingers splayed. He uttered your own name back, as if reassuring, before his fingers moved around, sliding up and down your side soothingly.

You willed your eyes to open and watched the flames inside the hearth dance briefly before your gaze darkened and you drifted off to sleep, lulled by the sounds of the storm brewing outside and Hawks breathing softly behind you.

He didn't join you in the abyss, but watched over you cautiously, as if you could possibly be in any danger. The storm outside wasn't particularly worrisome, but it made it impossible for him to pick up sounds beyond the boundary of the cabin.

If you had turned to look upon his face, you would have seen his pupils miniscule, gold iris vibrant and wild. There was no chance that anyone would possibly disturb you, and his sensible self would have known that; but, as he was now, rut peaked and beast sufficiently satisfied, Hawks couldn't be told otherwise.

An arm drooped loosely over your waist, holding you close, and he listened to the soothing beats of your heart as you drifted into a peaceful slumber.

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