#they are so tiny and so young but already so clearly different after some time watching them

[healingheartdogs]

If any of my followers know mouse behavior or follow blogs who do, I have a question. The more active, stronger of the two mice babies I'm taking care of does this thing consistently when I take him out for feeding and I'm wondering what it means. I've also observed him doing the same behavior with his sibling whenever they find each other in their cage before they cuddle pile so I thought it was play or greeting behavior but I'm curious if that's actually what it is. The other mouse baby does not display this behavior toward me/my hand, only toward the sibling.

So when I take them out to feed them I usually keep my hand cupped around them like a wall blocking off most directions except for a little opening where I place the brush with formula on it to limit their ability to wander off and get distracted from the food. The stronger mouse baby, when I do this, presses itself into my palm, rolls over onto its back, and starts lightly kicking at my hand with its feet while rubbing his face against me. It doesn't make any distress sounds or try to nibble at me or anything, just kicks me for a bit then cuddles up to my hand and eats. When I move my hand away while he is doing this little kicking display he follows after my hand and continues trying to do it until he's apparently satisfied and ready to eat.

These are abandoned wild white footed mice babies who have not yet opened their eyes, for context for people who haven't seen my previous posts about it. I don't know how species specific mouse behavior is and I know these guys are not generally kept outside of labs so this might be a long shot, but I figured I'd ask y'all since Google seems to have absolutely no clue what I am looking for.

[empresskylo]

cod men headcanons in an age gap relationship?

i have such a thing for age gaps...i blame society. also, i’m only including ghost, price, and alejandro because the other men are too young imo. ik some of their ages are debatable, so in my mind, ghost is at least 30.

Ghost

♡ honestly, i don't think my guy really gives a shit if there is an age difference between you two. like his morals are all skewed, and the last thing he'd waste time worrying about would be a *legal* age gap.

♡ being younger than him would just make his nicknames for you that much more adorable. he likes to add the words 'little' and 'tiny' in front of a lot of the things he calls you. "little mouse" "little dove" "tiny girl/boy"

♡ regardless of how much experience you have (with relationships, sex, etc) he will always act like he knows more than you. he can find himself treating you like you’re so innocent and new to everything--even if you do the same line of work as him, i.e. killing people. and it can definitely annoy you.

♡ it doesn’t matter how many people you’ve been with or how many people you’ve killed; no matter what, he knows more than you. and honestly, even tho it can annoy you sometimes, him being so dominant is just super hot.

♡ “simon, i know how to do it” you whined, as he wrapped his arms around you, showing you how to properly use a sniper. you were used to so many other guns, but not snipers. “mhm,” he mocked, stepping away from you. when you shot the gun, you missed your target by quite a few feet. your cheeks warmed and you hesitated before looking back at simon. his arms were crossed over his chest as he eyed you. you could tell he had a smug smile plastered across his face under his mask. he did not need his ego inflated any more than it already was.

Price

♡ price was definitely concerned when he first realized he had feelings for you. he knew you were of age, but that didn't stop the odd feeling he got when he was around you--like he was taking advantage of you.

♡ and his way of flirting was to act like your father… he thought he was being nice, showing you how to do stuff, always having your back. but my god was he appalled when you were frustrated with him one day after he keep hounding you about something.

♡ “Ok, dad! i get it!” “what did you just call me?” You heard the anger in his tone. shit, you were getting too comfortable around your captain, you should not have teased him like that. “S-sorry, captain. I didn’t mean—“ He cut you off, clearly agitated for a different reason than you being smart with him. “is that how you view me, doll? like a father?” if you said yes, price would know he needed to back off. he could take a hint. “No… I… You just wouldn’t get off my back. I was just trying to be funny.” You felt so embarrassed as you explained yourself. Price got into your space and grabbed your chin in his hand, titling your head up to look at him. you gulped. “you wanna call me endearments? go ahead. but don’t ever call me that again.” he looked at you a moment longer before turning away. suddenly fueled with adrenaline, you called after him. “what about daddy?” Price spun around quicker than you could register before he was pushing you backward, his hand tight in your hair as he yanked your head back to look up at him again with a gasp. “fuckin’ brat,” he muttered, a sly smile crossing his lips.

♡ as much as price truly does not care about your sexual history, he’d be lying if he said it didn’t turn him on a bit knowing how much more innocent you were than him. you could have slept with a bunch of people for all he cared, but knowing you were that much younger than him, he knew he had more experience than you regardless. and something about that sparked a flame in his chest. he had a thing for wanting to show you the ropes.. but he definitely felt guilty about thinking that way. he wouldn’t have been any less attracted to you knowing you slept with a hundred other people. he knew you being “innocent” shouldn’t turn him on. but it did…

♡ he is very possessive of you. doesn’t like the idea of other men thinking they have a chance with you. but he can get a bit self-conscious whenever a younger man approaches you or checks you out. “you really wanna be with an old man like me?” he’d ask. as confident as he is, in the beginning of your relationship, being so much older than you made him second guess himself. shouldn’t you want to be with someone your own age? “jesus, price. you’re only 37. you act like you’re knocking on hell's door.” he’d start tickling you for your bratty remark, but it definitely placated some of his nerves.

♡ and since he has more experience dating wise, he’d say “i love you” pretty early on. he’s not dating you thinking it’s some fling. he’s serious about you. and he’s lived long enough to know when he’s in love. and he’s not afraid to say it.

♡ you were saying goodbye to price as he went off on a mission. he’d only be gone a few days, but you’d hate every minute of it. he kissed you, his mustache tickling your lip. “i love you,” he murmured when he pulled away. he smirked as he appraised your stunned face. and he’d turn and leave before you had a chance to process his words, knowing you wouldn’t be able to get them out of your head the whole time he was gone.

Alejandro

♡ definitely feels bad at first, like he’s taking advantage of you. he reminds you all the time to tell him if you’re uncomfortable. that you can say no. he just doesn’t want you to feel used.

♡ as he gets more confident in the way you want him, he starts to use it against you. same as ghost, he mocks you as if you’re so innocent and inexperienced. “see, this is what they call a—“ “Yes, Ale. I know. I’m the one who showed you that.” resulting in a cheeky wink from him.

♡ during training, he embarrassed you in front of the others. when you messed up a move, he made a big deal showing you how to execute it properly even though you’ve been in the army for years now and knew how to do it in your sleep. he liked to see the way you’d get flustered with all the other guys around as he teased you.

♡ he definitely exudes a dominant side and it definitely comes out around you. he wants to do everything for you. wants to carry shit that’s too heavy for you. he wants to be your ride. the first person you call when you need help. he wants to be your everything.

♡ he also acts a little more dominant in bed than he would if he was with someone his age. something about you looking up at him with your sweet little doe-eyes sparked a dominating need within him. he takes control. he leads. he tells you what to do. he barks out commands. he punishes you for being bratty. he takes control in every sense of the word. The only time you can really hold anything over him is when he’s getting close to finishing. you’ll be able to get him to say whatever you want him to, his mind lost in a haze, wanting nothing more than to find the release you’re about to give him. “Please,” he begged. you smiled as you hovered above him. you sank back down on him and continued your motions, and he quickly climaxed. his hands squeezed your hips as he groaned. “fuckin’ perfect.”

[bonny-kookoo]

Jungkook

TERRITORIAL. | Pretty Baby

Who would've known that the big bad wolf isn't actually all that bad?

Tags/Warnings: Punk!Jungkook, Wolf!Jungkook, Good girl!Reader, Dom!Jungkook, Sub!Reader, Corruption kink, strangers to crushes to lovers, Fluff, Adult themes

Length: uuuh long idk

There is no taglist for this fic.

-> Masterlist

⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──💗── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅

Strawberry milk is your favorite.

It's always been a comfort thing for you- just like certain snacks or fabrics make you feel comforted, strawberry milk gives you that little bit of extra braveness at night after work has ended to finally make your way back home into the safety of your apartment.

But tonight, it's a bit different. Tonight, there's a group of vamps outside, clearly trying to agitate the wolves who've been ruling the streets for a while now.

It's not actual gang-behavior. They're not actively fighting or anything, there's never any guns or other violence involved- at least not on the surface. Underground, you're sure this must be a different story- but on the streets, the wolves play the tune everyone else dances to- the vamps only occasionally trying to provoke something, which never actually happens.

But that doesn't mean it won't tonight. Maybe tonight's the night it'll escalate.

And on nights like this, you sometimes feel like moving into the big city was a big mistake too, because this seems so normal to everyone else around you.

Back home in your little town, there wasn't anything like this at night. People would go to bed at reasonable times, you'd know every neighbor by name and house number, and you never had to fear going home alone. But here, things are different. Here, things are a lot more dangerous, especially as nothing but a human with no connection to either group.

You kind of want to stay neutral- even if, deep down, you feel more drawn towards the wolves with their more laid back approach to life.

Outside the small convenience store, you throw away the empty bottle of strawberry milk, before you reluctantly make a few steps- looks from a few vampires immediately making you retreat however, pulling out your phone to appear occupied. You can hear them snickering amongst each other already, laughing and talking, making comments about you.

You can't do this, fuck that.

You look around a little, when you notice someone from the nearby wolves looking back at you- a young man, golden eyes a tell-tale sign of what he is, as he sits on his bike that's perched up on it's kickstand. He's watching you, but not in an intimidating way- he's more so calculating it seems like, scanning the situation before he looks towards a friend nearby, who nods, some others nodding as well as they move closer.

He's got his hands in the pockets of his jacket, beanie hiding the slightly faded blue-ish strands of hair. Everyone of the tiny group appears relaxed and non-threatening. But there's a certain confidence in them that intimidates you a little as they walk closer.

That is, until he smiles at you-

and his black tail behind him wags, swaying from side to side.

"Alright guys, can we make some space here for the lady to pass through?" He asks towards the group of Vamps, who laugh, before they reluctantly make space for you to walk. The young man carefully moves to walk a little behind you, the other's shielding you just as much on the side that's turned towards the blood-dependent human variants. It just confirms to you that yeah, you're definitely more drawn towards wolves.

"There we go. Is your home far?" The young wolf asks, still keeping a respectful distance towards you.

"Uh.. no, not really." You deny, and he nods. "Thanks, by the way." You bow to him and his friends politely, everyone just waving it off- though you can see all their tails swaying a little. It's honestly.. cute, if they didn't all look like they could probably break your neck at a moment's notice.

But they don't. Instead, they all agree to your request to walk home now by yourself, and let you go-

though you can feel one person's eyes on you for a little longer, and when you turn around, he smiles that smile again.

A smile that's just.. genuine.

⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──💗── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅

You meet him again the day after at the convenience store, though he's sporting a fresh scratch on the top of his cheekbone. He doesn't seem to be in too much pain as he spots you however, having just bought your typical strawberry courage to go home tonight. "Do you always work this long?" He wonders, and you nod, sitting down next to him at the narrow table at the windows of the small store. He's been eating something, bowl now empty though, faint redness on his lips the last remnant of his meal.

"What happened?" You ask, pointing to your own cheek, when he seems surprised, touching his own before hissing at the sting. "No don't touch it-" You whine, before you look for something in your bag, opening another, smaller, makeup bag. "here- or... do you want me to help?" You wonder, making him nod and lean forward with a faint smile on his lips, hands holding onto the chair he's sitting on between his legs as he closes his eyes so you don't feel watched.

As you clean up the scratch and put a bandaid on, you kind of have to think about the fact that he seems awfully.. less threatening than you thought he'd be, considering he's a wolf from the big city. But maybe the one's you know from the smaller towns are just.. a little too full of themselves, pride getting the best of them.

"Oh-" You suddenly say, noticing the little cartoon fish on the bandaid you just placed on his cheek.

"What, 'oh'?" He wonders back, and you hold out another bandaid to him so he can take a look.

"I'm sorry, I didn't- I forgot I only have those…" You mumble a bit caught off guard by your own actions. But he just laughs, giving it back to you with a smile and shake of his head.

"It's fine- they're cute!" He simply shrugs, not bothered by it at all. "Thanks." He offers, tail swaying behind him. "So- can I ask what you work as?" He wonders, and you nod, putting your stuff back into your bag.

"Just data management. It's pretty boring." You shrug to yourself. "But I can work by myself and I like that." You explain, zipping your bag shut before you look at him again. "Although.. I might have to get myself maybe a dog, when I go home at night. A big, scary looking one you know? But they've got to be nice so I can bring them into the office with me.." You mumble, drinking the last of your milk as he turns his body to face more openly to you again, a playful smirk on his lips.

"How about I'll be your big bad dog then, huh?" He flirts, tail swinging side to side behind him. "Though I'm probably not allowed in the office.." He laughs, especially when you roll your eyes and still smile at his joking attempt at flirting. It was a joke.. right?

"Ha-ha." You say because of that, though he just widens his eyes, feigning innocence.

"Hey I'm serious!" He offers, leaning a bit closer. "I could take you home every night- and if I can't, someone of my pack could do the job instead."

"I- I'm probably not even gonna stay in the city for too long." You sigh, playing with the fluffy pom-pom ball attached to your bag. "I don't like it here very much.. it's too.. I don't know. I don't belong here.." You mumble.

"Maybe you've simply not seen the good parts of the city." He shrugs. "I could show you some."

"And by some you mean your bedroom?" You sigh, looking at him with a bit of an attitude- and he can't help but be intrigued by that little hint of spice you seem to have, underneath your pretty visuals and rather introverted appearance.

"If you'd like to visit, the door's always open for a pretty girl like you." he purrs, and at that, you clearly turn shy. "..And I don't ever open that door for anyone but myself, typically." He adds on, and at that, you look back at him, searching for the deeper meaning of that statement-

and you seem to find it, in the warmth of his eyes and the slight redness to his ears.

⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ──💗── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅

"Have you ever been a backpack before?" Jungkook asks, as he waits outside of your apartment, one helmet on his bike and the other in his hand.

"Uh.. no-" you say, honestly never having heard the phrase.

"Would you like to try?" He asks, motioning towards his bike, holding out the helmet. "Got this one from a packmate. Should fit you." He says, black and grey tail wagging as you take it somewhat reluctantly. "And I'll drive extra careful too." He says, helping you put on the helmet properly before his hands adjust the strap under your chin.

"What if I fall off?" You worry, but he just laughs, putting on his own helmet. You notice that his hair seems freshly dyed- nor black.

"Not if you hold on to me." He explains, sitting on the bike after putting up the kickstand. "Hop on- I'll keep it stable." He reassures you, as you somewhat awkwardly climb onto the back of his bike. Only when his hands pull yours around his middle do you notice he's only really keeping you both and the bike stable with his feet alone.

And it makes you wonder how strong he might be.

"There we go. You'll figure things out as we go, trust me." He chuckles, small speakers in his head connected to his own too so you can talk properly. "Good to go?" Be asks, and you nod-

That is until his bike roars to life, and you instinctively cling onto him for dear life as he turns to drive off onto the main road.

He laughs. You're not sure what's so funny.

"Oh look at Jungkookies new passenger princess!" Someone jokes suddenly over the speaker, and you look around just to find three people on bikes as well at the same red light.

"Nervous?" Another voice asks, and Jungkook growls a little in front of you.

"You're making her nervous, hyung!" He complains, making the stranger's laugh. "Don't worry, they just want to mess with me.." he mumbles towards you, hand squeezing yours for a little in comfort.

"Yeah of course, after all Jungkook's finally all grown up!" The first voice laughs. "Finally up for an actual relationship now, fuckboy?" He asks, and at that, you grow a bit nervous.

Fuckboy? Relationship?

Just who is Jungkook really? You've got no idea. Sure, you've texted over the past few days, but you basically know nothing about him. He could just try and get into your pants, maybe that's his whole thing- maybe he likes them innocent and stupid to have a quick fuck and then drop them again. With looks like his that must be easy.

You're easy.

"Please don't listen to them, they're just assholes-" He tries to explain as the light finally turns green, but you're quiet, and Jungkook has a feeling that something's wrong. "You okay?" He asks occasionally, but you just nod and move on, not really up for talking anymore. He just wants to screw you anyways. Maybe he really is just a big city wolf down the line.

The scenery is nice, but you don't really feel like enjoying it too much as you just want to go home right away again. It's something you do- you hide from things, because confrontation just ends in you being at fault all the time. And maybe, this time, you are at fault.

You shouldn't just trust someone like that. You both barely know each other.

He parks at a gas station, turning off his bike in a more secluded parking area, before he takes off his helmet, and helps you take off yours too.

"What's wrong?" He asks, hair a bit wild, but eyes serious as they look at you, reflecting the light from the neon signs a little like mirrors.

"Nothing." You shrug, avoiding eye contact.

"He was just messing with me. They're always like that-" he tries to explain, and as you sigh, he knows that that's exactly what must've set you off. "Listen, I won't stand here and tell you I'm a church-going virgin because I'm not. Yeah, I fucked around, because sex is fun to me." He shrugs, and you're caught off guard at how boldly he says that. "But that doesn't mean I can't take things seriously." He offers, finally catching your gaze again. "And I want to take.. you seriously." He offers you, but you're not sure.

"...why?" You wonder. "Cause I'm pretty and innocent?" You jab at him. "Cause I'm the small town girl you can corrupt and then drop after you finally got into my pants?" You accuse. "Sucks to be you, I'm not a virgin anymore. I've had sex already, and for me it's not fun." You deny, crossing your arms almost defensively, though you quickly move your hands back on the bike as it moves slightly the moment he sits on it again, facing you however.

"I don't care about that." He tells you. "I won't lie that the corruption part isn't something appealing to me-" he chuckles, as he tests the waters, hands on your thighs not moving, just resting on the tops of them. "-But I'm not dropping you, if you ever let me have you." He purrs.

"What if I'm not ever letting you have me?" You respond, trying to act tough so he won't think you're easy.

"Then that's your choice." He nods.

"So if I say no right now, you'll leave me alone?" You ask.

"Depends on what you say no to." He shrugs leaning back a little, your legs feeling cold without his hands on them. "No to sex? Alright, we won't fuck then." He explains. "No to being with me? Cool, we'll just stay friends then." He goes on.

"No to me entirely?" He offers, eyes unreadable. "I'll accept that, and back off."

"That easy?" You ask a little caught off guard, and he nods. "So you're.. huh." You mumble to yourself, defeated. So he's not even up to put any effort in you. That's slightly disappointing, and honestly makes you feel a little ashamed even.

"So what is it?" He asks, and you shrug.

"I don't know." You answer honestly.

"Then how about I'll work for it?" He smirks, and you look at him now. "Let me take you out. Let's go on dates, I can take you to pack meet-up's so you can get to know those assholes better, hell, I'll even have you meet my mom if you want!" He excitedly proposes to you, tail wagging, hitting his bike occasionally. "Just- you seem really cool. Exactly what I've been searching for." He explains a bit softer now. "Let's try.. okay?" He asks.

"... okay." You answer, and at that his lips turn, part in a happy grin, before he gets up from the bike and punches the air once in his excitement before he returns.

"Okay!" He giggles to himself, helping you back into your helmet. "I know an awesome place to get some food-" he instantly rambles, kicking up the stand for his bike again before he drives off with you-

Eager to show you that he's the one for you.

[pedge-page]

Plushies : Bonus

Joel Miller x F!Reader

Plushies Series Masterlist

Lactation, Bump

Can be read as standalone

Notes: Starting to think Plushie!Joel and Belly bump/lactation!Joel are in fact, the same Joel x reader couple but at different points in their lives. Plushies takes place when they're young and dating and breeding kink happens after they've been married or at least moved in and long term committed. So here's a fic that joins the two!

Warnings: assisted masturbation, stuffed animal masturbation, pregnancy kink, breeding kink, unprotected sex, pet names, language

18+ ONLY

- - - -

You hadn't exactly planned on getting pregnant. You wanted to switch birth control plans to another dosage to help alleviate some of the hormonal side effects of your current brand. Joel did not take the news of having to practice safe sex for at LEAST 6 MONTHS too kindly.

Anyway, that was 4 days ago when you had officially switched over your pills. You now find yourself pinned in full mating press with Joel over top you, your ankles locked around his ass as he's already dumping an extra big load of his seed deep inside you after YOU had ripped the condom off his dick in a desperate haste to have him inside you 10 minutes ago.

And when you had to bare the news to Joel, oh my FUCK was he elated. He fucked you every way till the cows came home. He kept insisting the plushies stay ON the bed each time you made love so the baby (which you had to remind him was no bigger than a seed at this point) had a soft and loveable daddy that liked soft and loveable things.

Once the initial wave of morning sickness and irritability passed, you were just as much of a horndog. He'd come home and find you sitting on your giant Costco teddy bear, humping its legs while hugging it. He could see the small but new little bump in your lower tummy clearly pressed against Teddy's large cotton stuffed one. Joel made you ride so many plushies, asking you how each one felt as you gushed on them, all the while gently planting his palm at your tiny swell.

Sometimes you wondered if he was actually asking you or if he was asking the baby which one felt right.

He'd fuck you with you you on top, pushing two plushies against your tits to "practice feedings", loving the way your sensitive nipples rubbed against the beaded noses. Or planting you on your back with a soft flat plush under your back so you were comfortable as you spread your legs wide and welcomed his fat cock into you again.

Joel would find excuses to massage you as often as possible, making you sit in his lap, back pressed to his chest as he rubbed your shoulders, your aching and swollen tits, and of course your little pulsing pussy, who was just dripping of her own accord whenever. It'd be the perfect opportunity for him to peer over your shoulder and rub a stuffed animal between your legs, loving how each week, he could see less and less of the plush and his hand, slowly becoming obscured by the growing baby on the way.

Joel's naughty appraisal was off the roof. Only difference was now babygirl, kitten, whore, slut, were replaced with baby momma, little momma, momma hen, or just straight up Mommy (THAT one surprised you the most).

And oh HELL did he eat up his Daddy appraisal, constantly reminding you "fuck yeah, Daddy fucked ya up so good, put a baby in ya" or "Papi's gonna keep you round all fuckin year, pump ya full of baby batter" with "Love breedin ya, gonna make me the happiest fucker in the world" and "Daddy's gonna give you a whole fuckin kintergarden".

At night, when he thought you were asleep, he'd brush your hair lovingly, hand caressing your naked round belly, surrounding you in plushies and whispering to the baby, asking which one they like best, gauging based on how much the little feet kicked up inside you to feel the stuffed animal through your skin. He'd kiss your tummy, and barely above a whisper, tell his baby how excited he is to meet them soon.

Least to say, as unexpected as it was, Joel was thrilled to be a dad.

-

"No peeking."

"Joel I can't even see, please move your hands, I can just close my own eyes."

"No no, I got you OH NOT RIGHT THERE ok right—ok perfect. Aaaaaand—" he removes his palm from your eyes.

Your eyelids flutter open, adjusting to the bright light. Joel had just finished building the baby room, complete with custom shaved and engraved wooden crib he spent all week making.

You instinctually caress your growing belly, smiling in awe. "Oh Joel, it's so—" your eyes scan the room, lost for words at his beautiful work.

He rests his chin on your shoulder, his arms wrapping around your middle securely over yours. "Ya like it?"

You loved it. Soft and sweet, touches of little details in the woodwork, spoiled with bunnies and floppy ears, a smoothly sanded rocking chair in the corner, cloud brushed skys painted on the walls. You glaze over the crib before something catches your eye, doubling back. You seeing the contents inside more clearly, a cotton pink blanket, some onesies, and--

Your infamous Kitty plushie.

You smile drops as you rush and bend over haphazardly with your swollen belly in the way, snatching the plush out of the crib like it was diseased. You hold your arm out and stick it right in front of his face. "Joel what the FUCK is THIS doing in here??"

"What? It's your kitty! For the baby!"

"Not THIS kitty! This one's— its— filthy!"

"I washed it. Like in the actual machine. Not the tub. It's clean."

"She will never be clean of her sins, Joel Miller."

"Oh now its a she?"

"Burn. This." You growled, the animal helplessly jiggling with each word.

"Being so harsh to Kitty, she don't deserve that," he said, taking it from your hands and cradling it gently, kissing its squishy head.

"Burn it or I'm buying that pregnancy pillow and kicking you on the couch where you can share with Kitty for the rest of the year."

"I'll go get the wood for that fire."

[rubykgrant]

Idea for a Magnus Archives AU (that I don't have time to write all the way out, but it still intrigues me~)

At some point after Martin's father left, but when he was still very young, somebody offered to bring Mrs Blackwood some furniture. Used, but still in good condition. She refused, insulted by the idea that she needed "pity" or "charity", despite the fact that her health is already making things difficult... one day, while her son is at school, she hears a knock at the door. It takes her a while to get there. When she finally opens it, whoever knocked is gone, but they have left behind a table.

She assumes it was the same person as before, and is now irritated that they have "dumped" their old junk on her doorstep. A neighbor sees and offers to at least bring it inside. She decides it may as well be put to use, so she lets the neighbor move it in. Alone in the house, she looks the table over. It certainly isn't new, but isn't too beat-up or broken. It has a VERY unique pattern... almost like an optical illusion...

When Martin gets home from school, he's surprised to see that his mother is in the kitchen, getting ready to cook dinner; she hasn't done that in a year! He offers to help, or just make himself a sandwich and canned soup if she wants to rest, but she assures him that she's feeling MUCH better. This continues for several months, the doctors are amazed by what seems to be a miracle recovery! All the neighbors and old friends agree, she's also had a change in attitude lately, but it all seems for the better. Her son is especially happy... his mother seems so much more "gentle" than she used to be, and she doesn't even make him drink oolong tea with her anymore. She's decided that Earl Grey is better.

Nobody notices that her hair is a different length, a different color. Nobody notices the shape of her eyes and jawline has changed. Nobody notices that she's taller. Not any friends, neighbors, doctors, or family. Even all the photographs in the house have changed. A different woman is holding a tiny, newborn baby. A different woman is sitting next to a small Christmas tree, helping a child open a present. Nobody notices... except for one person.

When Mr Blackwood heard from an old friend that the wife he left had recovered, he suddenly had second thoughts. He really had thought she would die, and he must have had some sort of break-down. He couldn't handle it, so he ran away... but he's thinking clearly again. It has nothing to do with the fact that he also heard his wife recently got a new job, a very well-paying one with the kind of health plan that a spouse could share. It has nothing to do with the fact that he isn't feeling well himself lately, and he's noticed that he has nobody to take care of HIM. It has nothing to do with the fact that he hasn't been able to find work, and he also can't find a place to live. He just wants to go back because he misses his wife and son. That's all.

When Mr Blackwood returned, he brought flowers. To apologize. He knocked on the door, and heard a muffled voice call- "Come in!". He picked a time of day when he knew Martin would be at school, so he and his wife could reunite with some privacy. He expected his wife to be upset. He expected his wife to be angry, maybe cry, or try to throw something at him. He expected it would take time for his wife to let him explain, then forgive him. He expected HIS WIFE. The woman in this home was not his wife... she said she was, she smiled, used his name like she knew him, but she WASN'T. Her voice, face, EVERYTHING was different! This was wrong, why was this strange woman here?

He ran away, even though she called for him to stay. He tried to speak with their friends, her family... everybody acted like he was crazy. They acted like the woman claiming to be his wife was right. After months and months of trying to talk some sense into people, he finally remembers Martin; surely a child would know their own mother? Mr Blackwood has been watching the house, and he sees little Martin kiss the woman good-bye, then leave for school. As if everything was normal. He can't stand it anymore! He bursts through the door, shouting at the woman to tell the truth, but the noise alerts the neighbors, who call for help, and he leaves...

He stays away for more than a year, but he never went far. He kept watching. He tried to figure out WHY somebody would pretend to be his wife, and HOW she could fool everybody. It never makes any sense. He comes back again, in the middle of winter. Martin is sleeping over at a friend's house. Mr Blackwood has been sleeping in an old treehouse, long abandoned by the kids who built it. He can't stand the idea of that strange woman sleeping in the bed that SHOULD be his (that would have been his, if he hadn't left). He uses his key to open the back door. She hasn't changed the locks. He goes in, ready to be rough if necessary; he will get the truth if it kills him.

Around 2 in the morning, Mrs Blackwood calls for help. Her husband, the one who left her, the one who came back and threatened her, just tried to attack her! She fought back, and he ran off again. No trace of him is ever found. When Martin comes home, they have a discussion, and decide it isn't safe to life here anymore. So they move, not too far, Martin can still visit people he knew growing up. The new house is much nicer, in a safe neighborhood.

They take just about everything with them, except for a few large pieces of furniture they sell. Mrs Blackwood wants to keep the table with the unique pattern, though. She's grown rather fond of it. The movers she hired are... odd, but they get everything to the new home very quickly. When his mother speaks with the two of them beside their truck, Martin watches from a window, and he has the strangest feeling that... his mother might just step up into it, and ride away with them. Then she'll be gone, and he'll be alone. He can't explain why, but he almost expects it to happen.

She doesn't leave. She comes back inside, smiling, and hugs her child. Why wouldn't she? As the years go by, Martin wonders about his father; why the man left, why he came back, why he seemed so confused about who his own wife was. Martin also wonders what his father looked like, as none of the pictures they saved show his face. Mrs Blackwood tells her son- "I suppose there's a resemblance, but when I look at you, I just see YOU, not him. I love you too much to see your father in your features".

Martin grows up happy and safe with his mother. He's able to finish school, and eventually starts working at a bakery. Later, when he moves out to get his own place, he finds a job at a restaurant-confectionery in London. His mother didn't want him living so far away, but he really wants to sort of "get out in the world", have some experience on his own. Someday, he'd like to have his own tea shop and cafe. He works from the middle of the day to late shifts at the cafe, and he gets to know some of the regulars very well. One woman, Sasha, comes in often to get food and drinks for her coworkers. Martin likes chatting with her, and eventually meets Tim when they come to have lunch together. He considers them to be friends.

One day, they call and tell Martin they want to order the most extravagant cake possible for their boss; it is his birthday, and they are going to be obnoxious about it, but also trick him so he doesn't know they've planned something. Martin offers to bring it over himself, so they can pretend to not be up to anything. This is how he enters the Magnus Institute. This is how he meets Jonathan Sims. This is how he starts learning about the strange things they research here. This is how he sees a picture of a table with a very curious pattern. This is how he asks if he can listen to the statement about that table...

[thetempleofthemasaigoddess]

Marriage of convenience and public sex with Roronoa Zoro

Reader can't join the crew unless she gets married; Zoro decides to help... but they have no idea what such a commitment actually entails.

Roronoa Zoro x reader. NSFW!!!

*****

💚 Having previously been invaded by various foreign armies, your island has voted itself to complete seclusion, in order to protect its people and avoid being attacked again. Even friendly relations with nearby lands have all but been abandoned, and while foreigners have been prohibited from entering, another law dictates that the natives are prohibited from leaving, even for commerce or asking for help in case of famine or natural disasters. In short, your island is a little self-contained world: no one comes in, no one goes out, and in time, knowledge of its very existence has almost been lost.  

💚 You are a young warrior, tasked with patrolling the village and keeping peace among the population; you are dedicated to your duties, having sworn to protect your people and your island with your life if need be, but in the privacy of your heart you can’t help wanting more… to explore the world beyond your shores, meet people and lands different from your own, leave the quiet and predictability of the village where you have been born and are probably destined to die, know adventure and even danger. You know your ancestors had the best intentions in choosing a policy of isolation, since foreign armies had brought death and destruction, but you can’t help wishing they had at least allowed the natives to travel freely; while you are generally satisfied with your life, and feel accomplished in your role as a warrior and with the friendships and interests that fill your existence, sometimes you feel suffocating, not unlike a prisoner kept in a tiny cell. By the time you were fifteen, you had already met every person on the island, and seen every little corner of it; you always found a way to keep yourself occupied, training and working and making yourself useful in some way, but at the same time you felt so bored.

💚 Luffy and his crew are the first foreigners who arrive on the island in three centuries, having reached the island in the course of their travels, completely unaware of the deadly fate reserved to trespassers. You meet them when your team is tasked with finding and apprehending them; a battle ensues, in the course of which you and Zoro fight each other, and in the end the Straw Hats are captured and brought to the village. They spend a few days as prisoners, and while most of your people keep away from them, mistrust and tradition making them fear those few, clearly well-intentioned young people could bring about the Gods only know what catastrophe or devastation, you find them fascinating, aware that they mean no harm and found the island completely by accident, after the tide had pushed them to your shores. 

💚 You offer yourself to keep an eye on them, patrolling the village’s tiny jail to make sure the prisoners don’t escape and bringing them food, which allows you to become familiar and even friendly with them; Luffy and the others in turn take a liking to you, and gladly tell you about their travels and adventures, which you listen to intently, both awed and envious, and wishing you could do the same, no matter how dangerous it could be - wishing you could be free, as you have always wanted. You find yourself confiding your desire, and your frustration, in Luffy, who is sympathetic, and urges you to follow your heart, instead of allowing a centuries-old law to dictate how to live your life. You explain that, as a warrior part of the village’s guard, you can’t very well defy the rules you have sworn to uphold, even in the remote case you did find a way to leave; but the straw hat-wearing captain simply smiles in return, undeterred by the fact he and the other might be sentenced to death in a matter of days. “If you want you can join my crew; you are a good fighter, and you’re doing your best to take care of us. Instead of just listening to our adventures, why don’t you come living one of your own?”

💚 That night, sleeping proves impossible; you toss and turn in your bed and stare at the ceiling, imagining a future in which you accept Luffy’s offer, and join his crew in taking to the sea, seeing a different dawn every day, meeting people you haven’t known since the day you were born, escaping that mortally boring routine that makes your life feel unworthy to be lived. You can’t, of course; the law is very clear, and no matter how much you wish you could run away, you won’t become a criminal in the eyes of your own people, defying the law you were tasked with enforcing.

💚 While you like listening to Luffy’s stories, and find his enthusiasm and determination in the pursuit of his dreams very endearing, Zoro is the one you feel at ease with the most; you are both trained warriors, and have developed a mutual respect for each other’s strength in the course of the battle. He looks nothing like the men of the island, but you do find him attractive, even though you had never cared much about that sort of thing. Once you are done with your duties, instead of going back home to rest, you sit out of his cell, hand him a drink you have purchased with your own coin (just like you have bought better food for them all, and clothes for Nami, since hers had been torn in the course of the battle and yours don’t fit her; you’d be in serious trouble, or at least accused of a suspicious confidentiality with the prisoners, if you were found out, but that doesn’t stop you) and spend long hours discussing your best fights, the training you received, and the differences in fighting with his swords and your own weapon. Perhaps, you think, you could convince the village’s council to let the others go, if Zoro remains and joins your team: he’d be a great addition to the troops, and you’d be happy to fight by his side. But you doubt he would ever leave his friends, especially Luffy, to whom he has sworn allegiance; that is a thing you can respect, even admire, and in your heart, you pray your Gods to spare them, so that they can return to their ship (the largest you have ever seen, a giant compared to the small dinghies used by the island’s fishermen; after all what use could large ships be, if you are forbidden from sailing more than a few yards from the shore?) and to their wandering, exciting life, while you remain at home. 

💚 In the end, the day before the village’s council is meant to gather to decide what to do with Zoro and the others, an enemy army invades the island, its general aiming to conquer the treasure they believe your village is guarding. The councilmen insist the treasure has been stolen already, by the last enemy that invaded you centuries ago, but the army wreaks havoc in the village, destroying your houses and taking the people prisoners. You and the other warriors oppose them valiantly, but everything would be lost if not for Luffy and the others, who you have taken the initiative of freeing, begging them to help you; thank all the Gods, Luffy, Zoro and Sanji weren’t lying when they told you about their fighting abilities, and Usopp and Nami find a way to destroy many of the enemy’s weapons. You and Zoro fight side by side as you had hoped you would, defending each other and joining forces to face a large number of enemies. In the end, the enemy army is forced to flee and the island is saved, largely thanks to the Straw Hat Pirates’ intervention.

💚 Grateful, the councilmen decide to allow Luffy and the others to go, but when the captain asks them to allow you to leave with them, they refuse; the recent invasion has demonstrated their ancestors were right in believing the outside world could bring nothing but trouble and danger, and they are reticent to let one of their own leave the safety of the island; what’s more, you are one of their best warriors, and they need you to stay and protect their people. Helpless angers fills your eyes with tears, frustration and disappointment heavy on your heart, when suddenly one of the council members (the only woman, a sort-of friend of yours) tells you in confidence that there is a way for you to be allowed to leave, using a different law to oppose the island’s isolationist policy. According to your rules, when a couple marries a woman has to move in with her husband, either in his family’s home or in a new one he has built for them; until a few centuries ago, when your homeland still enjoyed close relations with other islands, many women moved to it to live with their spouses. “Now, a ship is not properly a house, but your pirate friends do live in it, and among them there are four men; do you think one of them would be willing to marry you, (name)? In that case, you would be free, even required, to move in with your husband, and depart since the council has ruled to let them go!”

💚 It’s a good idea; a very ingenious one, and while you have always found it unfair that your law puts a woman under her husband’s (or her father’s, her brother’s, or even her son’s) authority, strongly limiting her autonomy and rights, it feels appropriate to use those very customs and traditions to realise your dreams of freedom. On the other hand, marriage is no small matter: even if the union were in name only, and your husband left you free to live your life as you liked, pledging yourself to a man you have only known for a few days feels… weird. Wrong, even; you are usually not the romantic type, and have never given much thought to the possibility of marrying and raising a family, but what if one day you do want to do it, after meeting the right person? And what if one day your husband falls in love with someone else, and is unable to marry them? He would probably come to resent you, and regret his decision to help you, and for that you could never forgive yourself. Also, even if you asked them, you’re not sure your new friends could help you; none of them has ever mentioned a spouse, and in that case why aren’t they living together?, but perhaps either Luffy or one of the others have their eyes set on someone… 

💚 You’re sitting on a large rock on the outskirts of the village, mulling over your problem and feeling too embarrassed to even just ask your new friends for help, when suddenly you’re no longer alone. “Scoot over.” Zoro tells you, his attitude not brusque but direct, just like you like it, as he approaches, and you obey, making space for him and his swords on the rock. “How is your arm?” you ask, referring to a superficial, but still dangerous for a swordsman, wound he had received during the battle; Zoro shrugs and explains that one of the village’s doctors has already seen him, and that the wound will heal perfectly in a matter of weeks. “The lady from the council came to talk to us.” he adds after a moment, which you should have expected; you and Zoro may have become friendly, but he doesn’t seem the sort of man who simply looks for another’s company without having something important to discuss “What are you planning to do?”

💚 You have no idea; but you know what you are doing right now, that is, blushing furiously. No matter how grateful you are for her help, you wish the councilwoman had let you deal with the matter, embarrassed and even humiliated of having to ask for the help of the pirates your people are already so much indebted to. “I am so sorry, this is… this is a nightmare.” you admit with a sigh “The truth is… getting married to one of you is my only chance of leaving this island, and living the life I have always wanted; but it would change the life of one of you as well as mine, and ever since you came here, we have been giving you nothing but troubles, I can’t…”

💚 “It’s all right, (name).” “No, it’s not. You don’t understand, I don’t even want to get married, I can’t ask a person I have only known for a few days to…” “It’s all right, I tell you; I… I can do it. I can marry you.”

💚 Zoro, sure of his decision and still slightly tense, looks at you, waiting for your reaction, but for a whole minute you simply stare at him, too flabbergasted to utter a single word. “... are you serious?” you whisper in the end, and Zoro shrugs. “Yeah. I mean, I don’t really care for marriage either, I don’t think I’ll ever want a wife or children, and this would be… only a formality, right? We wouldn’t have to… live like a couple, sleep together and all that. So in the end it doesn’t really matter, right?” he points out; you nod, because strictly speaking he is right, and whatever the two of you will do once the Straw Hat Pirates’s ship has left the island’s shores won’t matter, but at the same time, even though Zoro is old enough to decide for himself, you feel guilty for all the trouble you’re about to cause him. “And you would do this for me? A week ago you didn’t even know me…” “We fought together; where I’m from, that counts for something. I have left my village as well, in order to improve as a swordsman and become the best; I can’t imagine what I would have done, if I had been forced to remain. So in a sense… I’m doing it because I wish someone had done the same for me, were I in your place. I know that… sounds weird…”

💚 It does, perhaps, but not for you, it makes perfect sense and it’s a decision worthy of the man you had already perceived Zoro to be; neither of you is used, or inclined, to physical contact, but you can’t help it, and a moment later you have thrown yourself in his arms, holding him with a sudden, fierce affection you had never experienced before. Give me just a year in the world, you ask the Gods in your heart, just a month, even; and then I’ll give my life to save this man’s, if he needs it. “Thank you.” you whisper, aware of how small those words sound compared to what you feel, the gratitude so deep and encompassing it hurts “I… I can’t begin to tell you how much this matters to me; you are literally saving my life. Whatever happens, I will be in your debt forever; I’ll never forget this, Zoro. I promise.” Zoro is not used to being hugged, by a woman even less, but after a moment of embarrassment he rests his hand on your shoulder; it’s almost as if you were hugging each other. “It’s all right; after all, it’s just a ceremony. Can we get this over with quickly, so we can depart?”

💚 You’re so excited, and anxious to depart before some other obstacle prevents you from fulfilling your dream, that you wish the two of you could call Zoro’s friends to act as witnesses and get married right now; in the end, the wedding is scheduled for the next morning, and while aware he’s only doing you a favour and the marriage will be all but forgotten once you leave the island, Luffy and the others are enthusiastic about it, and insist on doing things as is appropriate in a situation like this; the boys bring Zoro to a tavern to get him drunk, while Nami accompanies you to the island’s hot springs, to pamper yourselves and make you look your best. That night you couldn’t sleep even if your life depended on it; you spend it preparing a bag with the few things you intend to take with you, and taking a night walk to say goodbye in your heart to the places that have seen you be born and grow, and that despite everything you will always carry with you.

💚 And then, almost sneaking up on you, the sun rises, and it’s your wedding day. You meet Zoro at the council house; knowing the potency of the island’s alcohol you were afraid he would feel sick after a drunken night, but he seems in excellent health, and extremely handsome in the black wedding attire prepared by the island’s men, his three swords by his side as usual. “You… look very good.” you murmur, suddenly shy like you have never felt in your life, and “You too. I mean, not to say that… you usually don’t, just… ah, you know what I mean.” he whispers back, which makes you smile; you’re wearing your mother old wedding dress, and while you’re not the famed beauty she was known to be, you do feel unusually pretty and you’re glad your groom approves. After all, even though you’ll have left the island behind you in a few hours, you don’t want to make Zoro look bad, having the men of the island say his bride is not attractive.

💚 Your fellow warriors and Zoro’s crew surround you as witnesses as the councilwoman leads the rite; you and Zoro use a ceremonial weapon to cut the palm of both your hands and then press them against each other, mixing your blood with his. Your heart is pounding, and even though you keep reminding yourself this is not a real wedding, not a real marriage, that Zoro is only doing you a favour and the moment you depart from the island you will be free to forget the whole ordeal and even begin a new relationship if you so desire, it doesn’t feel like it; after all, you’re calling your Gods as witnesses of your union, promising in front of them to love, protect and support Zoro for the rest of your days - which you do plan to do, you’ll be happy to, just in a completely platonic way. You know in your heart you will be forgiven for the sort-of deception you are carrying out, exploiting what should be a ceremony focused on love to fulfil your wish to get away from the island and explore the world, but then why do you feel like this? Why is your heart full of… trepidation, in a sense, excitement and a sliver of fear, as if you were committing yourself to something you don’t know the full consequences of, destined to change your life much more than you expect…?

💚 Looking at Zoro doesn’t reassure you, since he looks even more shaken than you feel; he is pale, almost struggling to breathe and apparently unable to meet your eyes while you formally pledge yourselves to each other, but his voice is confident as he speaks the words, and when he takes your hand to mix your blood his grasp is firm, not so much it hurts you but determined, and that is enough to make your hesitation disappear, and an happy smile blossom on your lips… until a moment later, when the councilwoman invites you to share a kiss to seal your union. You and your groom share a look, and for a moment you are sure he’s about to dash, leaving you and your broken dreams behind him… and then his eyes fill with determination. “May I?” he murmurs, and you nod silently, and then his cool, chapped lips press against yours, and that is not your first kiss (even though the list is embarrassingly short) but it’s your first with him, and it’s your wedding kiss, and that makes it special beyond any possibility of trivialisation. Your friends are clapping, the councilwoman is binding your hands together with a cord, but you have become blind, and deaf, to all of it; the only thing you perceive in this moment is Zoro, and your heart racing in your chest. 

💚 “The claiming ceremony will take place in the square in an hour.” the councilwoman announces, and the other warriors rejoice once more, while Zoro’s friends look perplexed - just like him. “What is the claiming ceremony?” he asks in a whisper as you depart from the council house, the short procession of your friends following you “Isn’t the wedding over?” “Of course; now it’s time for the second part, where we demonstrate our commitment to each other.” you explain to a more and more perplexed Zoro. “You mean it’s… some kind of test? Do I have to face your father in a fight to the death to prove I am worthy of being your husband or something like that?” “Of course not; we have to sleep together in front of the whole village.” you explain, equally surprised you need to; this is how weddings are conducted on the island since time immemorial, unless the spouses are advanced in age or in the case of a physical impediment, and the possibility that other places in a vast, diverse world might do things differently hadn’t even crossed your mind. (It does now, for what it’s worth.) “In this way our bodies will be one as well as our minds and hearts, our flesh married just like our spirits.” “And… we really can’t do without it, can we?” “Of course not; the vows and the blood mixing are little more than a formality, it is the claiming ceremony that makes a marriage valid; you… you didn’t know? Isn’t this how weddings are conducted where you lived?”

💚 You are now standing outside the council house, your friends having left you to enjoy a moment of privacy before the ceremony. Zoro looks appalled, shocked, and while he didn’t betray, and feel, an ounce of fear while, during your recent battle, he found himself surrounded by eight enemies thirsty for his blood, now… now he’s terrified. Making a huge effort to remain calm, he explains to you that no, this is nothing like the weddings he was used to in his village, and any marriage ceremony he has ever heard of; usually the physical part of the affair is conducted privately, and is technically not necessary for the validity of the union. He had no idea this would happen, you realise with horror; how could you not think about it? Your island, its traditions and way of life, are everything you have ever known, and Zoro hails from a very far away land. How could you not realise that what is ordinary and common for you might not be the norm in other places, and that your idea of marriage, and of wedding, could not perfectly match his? This poor man simply expected to have to utter a few words, a chaste kiss at most, and now finds out he has to… to perform in front of dozens of people, virtual strangers and his friends both! No wonder he looks horrified!

💚 “Listen, if you want to… reconsider, I’ll accept it.” you tell him; knowing that the prospect of having sex with you outweighs Zoro’s evident strength of character and determination would be more than a little embarrassing, but still, you will not force this man to have sex with you against his will. No dream is worth that; not even your freedom “It must be… traumatising for someone who wasn’t expecting it, not to mention you barely know me; if you feel uncomfortable with it, Zoro, I understand…” He looks at you. “Won’t it be uncomfortable for you? I mean, maybe for your people this is normal, or even pleasant…?” he asks, curious, and you admit that no matter how in love with their partner, and proud of their body and sexual prowess, they are, most married people do not think back fondly to the claiming ceremony, which is usually an uncomfortable, embarrassing obligation, to carry out simply because it can’t be helped, as quickly and simply as they can, reserving the rest for a more intimate setting. Most couples sleep together before the ceremony, because no one wants their first time with their spouse to be witnessed by the whole community, and while it is normal and even appreciated for friends and family to be present at the claiming ceremony of a loved one, most spectators feel no pleasure in it. “Listen, let’s… let’s forget the whole matter, alright? This is absurd, I don’t know why I accepted… you don’t deserve this, Zoro, this will be unpleasant in the best of cases and traumatic in the worst, I can’t ask you…” 

💚 “I’ll do it.” “... what?” “Yeah, it doesn’t matter; I mean, it’s weird and I’d rather not to, but I don’t want to let you down, and we’re already halfway there.” Zoro points out; he’s not looking at you, again “After all, like the whole wedding, it doesn’t really matter, does it? It’s not like doing it with… with your partner, or a person you care for.” You nod in response, overwhelmed, and then the two of you part, Zoro to talk to his friends (who have just been briefed by yours about what the claiming ceremony entails, and who wear matching expressions of shock and horror) and you to the closest solitary place you can find, to fight a sudden panic attack. 

💚 An hour later, you and Zoro are face to face once more, on a slightly raised altar that has been quickly prepared in the village’s main square; your friends, and relatives, and literally anyone who you have ever known since birth surround you, and while it is true that no one present will take advantage of the occasion to look at your intimate parts and you will all feel happier and relieved once the whole ordeal is over, you feel… how? Upset? Excited? Simply anxious to get over it? Perhaps all three things together, a peculiar, nameless sensation you had already felt, years ago, before your first battle, when the fear for your life mingled with the joy for the moment you had trained for since childhood. This is a battle as well; and you will bleed, but your comrade in arms will be by your side, and the two of you will protect each other like you have done already. Drawing strength from that thought, you walk to the centre of the altar, where Zoro meets you; complete silence has fallen on the square, your people respecting the moment’s importance and sacrality. You look at each other for a moment, and then Zoro takes off his robe, that falls on the floor around his feet, and you hurry to do the same, and then you are both naked like the day you were born, and all you can do is look at each other. Many of your fellow warriors are strong, athletic men, but you have never seen any of them like this, and you feel yourself blush as you admire Zoro’s strong, deliciously masculine body, a shiver running through you as you see it reacting to your nudity, his dark eyes set on the area between your thighs. 

💚 “I… I am not sure what we should do.” you confess in a whisper, and a smile brushes against Zoro’s lips. “Me neither.” he admits, and those words, the admission that this is the first time for both, fills your heart with an unexpected, fierce feeling of tenderness, a protective instinct you didn’t expect to experience towards a man who can clearly hold his own against the most dangerous opponents “Maybe… maybe we should simply go with the flow, you know? Let our instincts guide us.” You agree, and when in a whisper Zoro asks permission to kiss you again, you nod, eager and even relieved, and a moment later your bodies are pressed against each other, your mouths made one once again; you can feel Zoro’s erection pressed against your thigh, and this is already miles beyond what you had ever done before with a man, beyond what you had ever wanted to do, but knowing that that very part of his body will be inside you in a matter of minutes makes you feel… well, desirous, almost hungry, for things you don’t even have a name for. You moan out loud when you feel Zoro’s lips descend to your throat, sucking and gently biting, and instinctively wanting to return the courtesy you slip a hand between your bodies, quickly finding his erection; perhaps you should have asked permission, just like he did, but you don’t have the time to consider your own inappropriateness because Zoro is whimpering against you, rutting his hips against your hand in a wordless invite not to stop, please, keep going, this is so good…

💚 You feel the crowd murmuring around you, approvingly or with some other sentiment you don’t care; long forgotten are the embarrassment and self-consciousness you had feared you would feel now, you don’t care about them, you don’t even care if your friends and compatriots were to spend days discussing the attractiveness of your body and your skills as a lover. All you care for, all you can focus on, is Zoro, who you were already grateful for the way out he is offering you from the restrictive prison of the island, but who you never thought would also give you something so special and precious. You want it to be good for him as well, you decide as you palm his heavy, hard erection, suddenly feeling yourself burning for it, for him; you want to be good for him, you want to give him pleasure and joy and make the whole matter worth it. “Fuck, (name)...” Zoro whispers, and then he moans again when he sees you kneel, meet his eyes for a moment to make sure he is alright with it (it is) and then awkwardly but hungrily take him in your mouth. He tastes acrid, vaguely pungent, and delicious; you feel his hands in your hair, and while he utters no more words, his groaning and moaning reassure you you are doing a good job. 

💚 The altar has been furnished with a bedding made of soft blankets and pillows; it is on that that Zoro gently lays you down, his agile but strong body quickly covering yours, a hand on the back of your head to protect it. Your hands move on his body, Zoro’s skin hot and taut, as if he were straining to control his impulses and not simply devour you and fuck you to the ground, his chest and shoulders and hips, and he is so handsome and sensual and masculine, you can’t wait to be one with him; you want him, you realize, the feeling both terrifying and inebriating, you want Zoro to take you and share his pleasure with him. You want him to scream your name, to make him harder than he has ever been… and to make him come so hard he will never forget this moment. Yours is not a love match, not a proper wedding; but this is real, genuine and a source of joy, and you want it to matter.

💚 Emboldened, you open your legs, letting Zoro observe what exactly his generosity is earning him. “Take me.” you whisper; you can see his hard cock standing proudly against his belly, and you feel a sort of exciting, until-now-unknown sense of pride knowing that it is you, your body and the way you were able to stimulate him, that is responsible for that transformation “Zoro, please… I want you. I want you so much.”

💚 Zoro roars. 

💚 He’s kissing you again, hungry and lascivious, while he clumsily tries to find the right position to enter you. You instinctively find a way, lifting one of your legs around his hips, and Zoro is murmuring your name as he finally takes his hard cock in his hand; a moment later you can feel his head pressing against the opening between your legs. You would have imagined both of you were beyond words at this time, instinct and passion having overcome the capacity for intelligible speech, but he meets your eyes and “If I hurt you…” he whispers; he’s already struggling to control himself “Just tell me… I can stop…” He’s clearly sincere, even worried his impetuosity and ardour could end up harming you, and tenderness fills your heart. You kiss him once more and “I don’t want you to stop.” you whisper; you are soaking wet, much more than on the few occasions you have touched yourself in the privacy of your home, and you feel happy, even proud, that he can feel it - feel the effect he has on you, like you have seen and tasted the one you have on him “Zoro, please, I’m yours… make love to me, I want to feel you...”

💚 He does, and you do, so much and so hard in the end you are screaming, and Zoro screams with you, he screams your name, as he pounds into you, his messy and hungry kisses leaving a trail of fire on your mouth and skin as you cling to his biceps (he has well-muscled arms, as was to be expected from a swordsman) and circle his hips with your legs, your embrace so tight you can barely perceive where one ends and the other begins, and still you’re not satisfied, because you want more, you want to be one with him, not for a few, magical minutes, a joyful, pleasurable experience you already know won’t happen again, but forever, viscerally, so that neither of you will ever forget this, the intoxicating, intimate feeling of giving oneself completely and uncompromisingly, a complete exchange from which you are both made richer. Zoro is more than well-endowed, and this being your first time it does hurt, no matter how wet you were for him, but that pain is only a drop in the sea, even pleasurable in its own right, and you barely notice it, too engrossed as you are in the intense sensations Zoro is gifting you. Push after push he gets closer, to what you could not describe but you feel it, you feel you are approaching your climax, your body already singing, and you both can’t wait for it and wish this would last longer, just a minute more, because you’re not satisfied, not yet full, and you want him more, you want all of him and you want him to have all of you…

💚 All around, the whole village is witnessing your union, with Luffy and the others in the front row. The Straw Hat Pirates are among the very few aware of the true nature of your and Zoro’s pact, while most of the others are convinced you and the swordsman have fallen madly in love with each other after fighting side by side and he asked for your hand to have you follow him in his travels with the crew; but even they, aware (or perhaps just convinced?) that he’s just doing a person he has fought with a favour, can’t deny what they are witnessing is completely different… awkwardness and fervour mixed in one, two people grappling with feelings they did not expect to experiment but that they can’t help to follow, passion born of an instinctive empathy and the raw desire for a person offering themselves completely to them. Would you feel the same if, say, Luffy were in Zoro’s place, or he with another of the village’s women? You don’t know, you have no way of knowing; what you know is that he is with you, and you with him, and you have never felt so happy and blessed in all your years. 

💚 Zoro moves relentlessly inside you, claiming your body and at the same time offering himself to you; you are both sharing a piece of your very soul with each other, and this is precious and terrifying at the same time. He moans when he feels your hands move on his body (his muscled shoulders and arms, his soft hair, the firm roundness of his backside) and “Yes, touch me.” he whispers between a sloppy, ardent kiss and the other “Touch me, (name)... it’s… it’s so good… so warm… I’m getting close… I-I am gonna… (name)...” 

💚 Maybe it is the undaunted pushing of his hips inside you; maybe it is the simple sensation of his sweet mouth worshipping yours, kissing every inch of your body it can reach; maybe it’s the sound of your own name falling from his lips, because no one has ever pronounced it like this, with so much passion, with awe and jealousy, as if you were something precious he didn’t intend to share with anyone. Whatever the reason, the last ounces of self-control leave you, and your first true orgasm hits you, violent, irresistible, and utterly satisfying. You cry Zoro’s name, holding on to him in the instinctive fear the wave of pleasure might destroy you, and feeling your body tremble around him is enough to push your groom beyond the brink as well; a satisfied, relieved moan, a last look of his awed, sweet eyes, and you feel Zoro spill inside you, his whole body shaking. He falls on you, his cheek pressed on your breast, and remains like that, savouring that sweet sensation of intimacy, your fingers in his hair and the warmth of your body surrounding him, for what seems like hours to both. In the end, he lifts his head to smile at you; no one has seen him smile like that since he was perhaps seven, the childlike wonder that something so amazing could happen to him. “Hello, wife.” he murmurs, and your laugh is pure happiness.

💚 The whole village, not to mention the other Straw Hat Pirates, have witnessed the whole event; no one speaks, most of those present aware it would be inappropriate, almost blasphemous, to disturb what is clearly a magical, intimate moment. In the end, the councilmen approach to inspect the two of you, an essential part of the ceremony but that, on the two of you, has the same effect of a cold shower: you stiffen, suddenly aware of how exposed you are, while Zoro looks away, the intimacy of a moment ago already forgotten. Embarrassment falls on you both while he slowly, carefully pulls back, separating the two of you; someone hands you the robe you gratefully accept, because suddenly you are cold, too cold for a warm summer night, and you felt no pain, so why do you suddenly have to fight back tears?

💚 A minute later you are both standing, and clothed, once more, on either side of the councilwoman as she declares the ceremony complete and valid, to the exultation of the village and the cautious, awkward approval of Luffy and the others, who are wondering how they’ll be able to look Zoro in the face from now on. You are married, you think numbly; you can feel his semen drip down your thigh, still dazed with the intensity of your shared, already distant, passion. You are Zoro’s wife and he is your husband, and whatever happens from now on, whatever path the two of you may take, this is a truth that you will never be able to forget.

💚 The next morning, you and Zoro meet with the council, and you are formally permitted to leave the island together with your husband. Your life dream is finally becoming reality, you should feel happy, and you are, you are delighted and excited, but you cannot ignore the awkwardness between you and Zoro, a perhaps normal situation given the circumstances, but still unpleasant given the quiet harmony that had existed between the two of you until last night, a silence neither felt the need to fill with words or actions. Having left the council house, you take a little walk together, tacitly deciding you need a moment for the two of you. “So… is everything alright?” Zoro asks in the end, unsure, and you nod. “I have met with the islands’ doctors and made sure I did not get pregnant last night.” you explain, which Zoro admits is a good thing; absurd but true, the possibility of getting you pregnant had never even crossed his mind, but a child is obviously something you are both unprepared for. “Actually, I meant to say… I didn’t hurt you, did I? I’m sorry, I… perhaps it’s stupid, but I had never… done it before, so I don’t know…”

💚 You look at him, your heart once more full of tenderness and fierce affection for this brave young man, whose kindness and generosity are carefully kept hidden but you have already perceived. “I am fine, thank you.” you answer; you are about to say you feel more than fine, actually, since you can’t stop thinking about what the two of you shared last night and given the way your husband blushes every time your eyes meet you are pretty sure he won’t be able to forget your wedding ceremony anytime soon either, but a moment later you realise the less you talk about it, the better you will both feel. The fact that you enjoyed what happened on the altar is a good thing, not to mention probably natural given the fact sex is meant to be pleasurable, but your union was a necessary requirement, not something you had chosen willingly, and considering you and your husband (you and Zoro; you need to stop thinking about him like that!) will be travelling together from now on, you need to remember you are comrades in arms and friends, and nothing more, or life on the ship will be unbearable. “Zoro, I… I can’t thank you enough for this; you have made my greatest dream come true, and for that I know I’ll be in your debt forever.” “I haven’t done it because I expected something in return.” “I know; I’m sorry, what I’m trying to say is…” you begin, and then you hesitate, because you don’t fully know either “... that I think we can remain good friends forever; and that whatever happens, I’ll never forget what you have done for me.”

💚 For a moment you could swear you have seen disappointment filling Zoro’s brown eyes; but then he smiles, briefly but genuinely, and answers that being friends sounds good, and having another trained warrior in the crew is even better. 

💚 An hour later the ship is leaving the island’s shores. You wave your hand, saying good-bye to the people and the land that have been your world until now, the wind playing with your hair; Zoro is standing with you on the Merry’s deck, and finds himself unable to look away. “No regrets?” he inquires after a while; you shake your head, because it’s a little early for a change of mind, but even in a month, or a year, or a decade, you know you’ll never doubt you have done the right choice… nor the deep, sudden affection for the man by your side. “None.” you reassure him; you are smiling, and Zoro has never seen something so beautiful in his nineteen years “I can’t wait to see what the future may bring.”

💚 The next weeks are hectic, and often dangerous, as you finally begin your journey into the world. You quickly become fond (well, fonder) of the rest of the crew, who easily welcome you in their midst; the hypothesis of leaving to travel on your own, which is what you had planned on doing if you ever found a way to leave the island, is quickly, tacitly set aside, and soon you consider yourself a Straw Hat Pirate in all respects, utterly devoted to your captain and your new friends. You fight side by side with your crewmates, explore new places, meet new people; you feel happy, hopeful, satisfied, maybe for the first time in your life as an adult. Really, you couldn’t find a reason to be upset or saddened even if you tried, except for a tiny, mostly irrelevant but still hard to ignore detail… that is, your relationship with your - with Zoro. 

💚 Most of the time things are fine between the two of you. You have tacitly decided never to speak of your marriage, and your wedding ceremony specifically, again, and to simply consider each other a comrade and a friend, a sibling in arms you enjoy fighting side by side with; you sleep in different rooms (you with Nami, he with the other guys), help each other with your training and immediately look for each other in times of danger, making sure you are both ready to defend your comrades. At night, when the others are sleeping and darkness envelops the ship, you like to sit on the deck, a drink in your hands and your eyes lost in the immensity of the starry sky above you (different from the one you admired in your village, but equally breathtaking) as you reflect on the events of the day and enjoy the freedom of the sea, that after months you are still unable to take for granted. You like those moments, and you like them even more when Zoro joins you, sitting by your side, and as you pass the bottle sometimes you talk, discussing matters of the present and of the past, but mostly you keep silent, simply enjoying each other’s presence as your shoulder brushes against his.

💚 He tells you about Kuina, and about Mihawk, who he fought shortly before meeting you; in turn, you tell him about the loss of your parents, a painful subject you had been unable to share with anyone until now. Having spent your entire life within the familiar, limited borders of the island, you are sometimes too inexperienced or naive to understand the events or the people around you, and when it happens Zoro intervenes to help, but you never feel belittled or treated with condescension. You trust him, respect him, sincerely enjoy his company, and more importantly you know he feels the same for you; you’re not the sort of people who discuss feelings, but you soon come to consider Zoro your dearest friend. 

💚 Which at one point proves to be a problem, because as far as you know people don’t lust after their friends, do they?

💚 You simply can’t help it. After all you couldn’t forget your wedding ceremony, and the passionate, intense sex it entailed, even if you tried, and while the embarrassment between you is fortunately soon forgotten and your friends are kind enough not to joke about it, you sometimes struggle to ignore the memories that moment brings. A few weeks after you joined the crew, at the beginning of a particularly hot day, leaving the girls’ cabin you find Zoro training on the deck, his shirt discarded on the floor. His torso is already bathed in sweat, a view you never thought you would find enticing; and yet, you suddenly feel unable to look away, your eyes avidly drinking the sight in front of you: his muscles tense with the effort, his flat stomach, his strong arms and shoulders… you had seen that already, and much more, as you lay together on the altar, but nonetheless you find yourself swallowing, caught by a sudden desire to just reach for him and touch, to feel the firmness and warmth of Zoro’s skin under your hands, to caress it, maybe even to…

💚 … and then suddenly Zoro, until now focused on his pushups and who seemed not to have noticed your appearance, turns to look at you, an eyebrow raised as if he were wondering what you are doing, just standing there; a moment later his eyes, and his mouth, open wide, as if he had perceived the lurid, less-than-friendly thoughts you are entertaining. You feel blushing furiously, blabber some kind of excuse, and quickly retreat, opting to remain out of his way for the next two hours. When you meet later, you once again pretend nothing happened, and you desperately try to forget it; unfortunately you can’t, but in the end, should you really be surprised? Zoro is an objectively attractive man, and you have already been intimate; it is normal that you still feel attracted to him, and instinctively wish you could… repeat the experience, preferably in the more private setting of the spare cabin on the ship. Who knows, perhaps… perhaps he feels the same about you…

💚 Determined not to ruin your and Zoro’s friendship, you decide to ignore that uncomfortable-but-sort-of-pleasant urge, which at first simply means keeping away from him when he is even partially unclothed. You still occasionally feel your eyes linger on him, even when he’s fully dressed (on the tight fit of the shirt on his shoulders, on the expressive beauty of his eyes, and how come you never noticed what a lovely, firm little bottom he has…?), but otherwise you are fine, and as your bond deepens, as you get used to his quiet, comforting presence by your side, Zoro’s hand brushing against your arm when he wants to quietly attract your attention on something or that way he has to ask you if you’re alright with a single glance, without the need for words, you feel happy and grateful that he’s part of your life… and think that one day, when he’ll finally give his heart to someone, there won’t be a more blessed person in the world.

💚 Speaking of potential partners, Zoro never seemed interested in relationships, and doesn’t even notice the looks of admiration he regularly receives. “I don’t have time for a partner.” he curtly explains when you ask him “And since we never stop in a place for more than a few days I couldn’t maintain a relationship in any case, right?” His reasoning makes sense, even though, for some reason, you feel suddenly shy… as if you were the one who had been propositioned. A few nights later, Zoro meets another swordmaster at a bar, and the two of them spend hours talking about their weapons, past battles and the like - and flirting, at least on the other person’s part, since they keep touching Zoro’s naked arm and pressing their leg against his under the table. Your friend doesn’t notice, as usual, but you do, and that makes you feel… weird; lonely, abandoned, even, and while you tell yourself it is simply because you and Zoro usually hang out together when your crew goes out for drinks, your hearts tells you otherwise, and you can’t help wishing you were in the swordsman’s position, Zoro’s attention focused on you… and brave enough to be so brazen in expressing your interest. “What’s wrong? You seem upset.” Zoro points out later when you’re all going back to the ship; you simply shrug, both unable and unwilling to share the reason for your bad mood, for the instinctive but petty resentment you feel towards your friend, and that fills you with shame since Zoro has done nothing to earn it. 

💚 The next night, the town is celebrating a festival. To avoid being left alone again, you ask Nami’s help and buy a new dress to wear for the occasion; it is much more daring than what you are used to, and while the others compliment you, Zoro simply looks away, and you’re pretty sure you’ve seen him blushing. At the festival, your dress does have the desired effect, because a few people show interest towards you. A young man seems especially taken, since he asks you to dance, escorts you to a stand to grab something to eat and then invites you on a walk to a nearby pond. He’s good company and his clear interest flatters you, but in the end you gently reject him when he tries to kiss you, aware that your heart is not into it. Nevertheless, you feel happy when you go back to the others… and meet Zoro, who is fuming. “Where is your boyfriend?” he sneers “Gone to get you a drink?” You see regret in his eyes as soon as those hurtful words leave his lips, but the damage is done, and the two of you don’t speak or look at each other for the rest of the night. 

💚 You spend an almost sleepless night (again), grappling with feelings that have never been so clear, and terrifying, in your mind. You do care for Zoro, you feel happier and content when he’s by your side, you can’t help feeling attracted to him and fantasising about repeating the experience of your wedding day, and feel jealous when someone else expresses an interest in him; you like him - really like him, as much more than just a friend and a comrade in arms, and while you’d feel happy with a purely platonic relationship, you can’t help wishing for something else. Does Zoro feel the same? You can’t rule that out, especially given how annoyed he looked after you had spent the evening with another person, but what if you want different things? Maybe he only does consider you a friend, but still hasn’t forgotten what you shared that night on the altar; you couldn’t resent him for that, even though the possibility of being desired, as a sexual partner and nothing more, would paradoxically break your heart. 

💚 When you join the others the next morning, you are not particularly surprised to discover Zoro has left soon after dawn, announcing he’ll be back in a while and wants to be left alone. “What happened? Did you two have a fight?” Luffy asks, and you shrug helplessly in reply, not quite sure of it yourself. You spend the following hours hard at work, helping your crewmates repay the damages the Sunny had sustained during a recent battle, and then preparing a speech for when you’ll face Zoro - which will have to be soon, since you are set to sail in the morning and then avoiding each other will be impossible. Having grown up without a mother or another close female relative, you don’t really know how to approach the subject, but after reflecting on it for a while you admit to yourself that no matter how close the two of you are and how much you trust him, you are not ready to confess your feelings to Zoro, not until you have strong reason to believe they are reciprocated, both because that would ruin things between you, potentially forever… and because you simply lack the courage to, and would rather face a hundred enemies unharmed than risk being turned down. On the other hand, it will probably be impossible to pretend you don’t feel anything for him, both because you have always been a terrible liar and you can’t very well make a fool of yourself any time Zoro takes his shirt off. The only possibility, you decide in the end, is something warriors like you are often unable to do: to compromise… and hope things develop from there.

💚 It is mid-afternoon when Zoro finally returns, reaching the small harbour you are docked at; he ignores Nami, who is chewing his ears off for leaving the others at work while he went who knows where, and waves at you. “Can you come down for a minute?” he asks “I have something to tell you.” You obey, both relieved and nervous, and follow Zoro away from the most crowded area of the harbour; he doesn’t talk, but you notice he’s hiding something behind his back, making sure you cannot see what. In the end, and after you had to retrace your steps twice, you reach a small berth, almost hidden among overgrown bushes. Zoro turns to look at you, more serious than you have ever seen him, and suddenly you are sure this is the day you are going to lose him forever, that he’s going to tell you that while he cares about your friendship he feels too uncomfortable with being reminded of your wedding ceremony, and perhaps, since he was there first and he’s the Straw Hat Pirates’ first officer, you should leave the crew and go your own way, like you had planned to do initially… “Wait!” you stop him when Zoro is about to speak; you have never felt fear in battle, not even when the odds were overwhelmingly against you, but right now you’re shaking, utterly terrified you are going to lose the person you love (yes, love; you couldn’t say when you have fallen for him exactly, when he offered to help you realise your dream no matter the commitment and the embarrassment required of him or in some other moment, but it is true, you would wage your life on it, and while you haven’t given up hope that Zoro will one day return your feelings, you would be ready to do whatever it takes in order to keep him in your life) more than any other you have ever met “I… I have something to tell you as well; something important. Please, may I go first?” 

💚 A moment of uncertainty, and then Zoro nods, tense and… vaguely hopeful? “I… I know we had sort of decided to forget what happened that day on the altar, and that we are married, to simply be crewmates and comrades in arms; believe me, these last months have been the happiest in my life, in no small part because of you, Zoro. I…” I love you, fully and desperately. I want to be important for you, I want to be your partner, as well as your best friend and fellow warrior. Zoro, I want to be your wife.  “... I have never cared about anyone like I care about you, and… while I’d be happy with being your friend forever, I can’t deny I am attracted to you, I think you are very handsome and… I fantasise about us kissing and touching each other and making love. If I have to keep hiding my feelings, and the fact I feel my heart tremble every time you smile at me, I’ll go crazy. So I wanted to propose… well, I don’t know if you feel the same, but we could… be together, you know? Have sex, to relieve tension and simply have some fun; there would be nothing wrong, and since it was so amazing the first time, I trust it would be the same again… and our friendship wouldn’t necessarily be ruined, perhaps it would come out… strengthened, even…”

💚 You hold your breath, waiting for Zoro’s reaction; you force yourself to meet his eyes, because you have opened your heart to him and have no reason to feel ashamed for it, and the emotion you feel reflected on his handsome face is the last you could have imagined. Not excitement, not embarrassment, not relief… but disappointment. “Is this what you want?” he asks after a while, a touch of disbelief in his voice, as he searches your eyes “What would really make you happy? To sleep together… to have sex, and then pretend nothing happened and we are simply friends?” The contempt in his voice is both discouraging and surprising; you never guessed Zoro would be the judging type, but perhaps it is not a matter of morality… “... yes.” you lie in the end; while a sexual relationship with Zoro would probably make you happy, at least for a while, it is not what you want, not even remotely “I mean, I think it would be… convenient for both of us…”

💚 “Convenient…” Zoro repeats, shaking his head, as if he had never heard a more absurd proposition; he laughs softly, but there is no trace of amusement in his tone. You bite your lip, suddenly uncomfortable, and since he doesn’t seem inclined to give your proposal an answer, you dare to ask: “What did you want to talk about?” “It doesn’t matter anymore; you… you sort of answered me already. Listen, I’ll see you later, all right? And these… these are for you, for what it’s worth; you can throw them away.” These are a bunch of colourful, sort of messy but for this even more beautiful flowers, that Zoro must have picked himself in the fields behind the harbour, and even tied with a ribbon found who knows where. 

💚 He brought you flowers. Oh, for all the Gods, Zoro brought you flowers!

💚 Left utterly speechless as you admire the bouquet that has been shoved in your hands, you don’t realise Zoro has left, turning on his heels and walking away. “Zoro, wait!” you call him, starting after him, but it’s useless; your friend, who has never run from a fight and would gladly face ten enemies on his own, pretends he doesn’t hear you, picking up the pace until he’s almost running - running away, from you, because of the catastrophic misunderstanding you have inadvertently created. “I’m so sorry… please, let me explain, you got it wrong!” you beg him, but Zoro is deaf to your protests and, even worse, can run much faster than you, and he can’t obviously avoid you forever, since you are part of the same tiny crew, but you know you have to explain yourself here and now, and you will, if only he would listen… “Zoro, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” and then, finally fed up with running after him like a parent with an unruly child: “Husband! Stop right there and let me talk, dammit!”

💚 He does. 

💚 You both need a moment to catch your breath, and you use your free hand to grab his and stop him from running again. In the end you look at each other, alone in the middle of a tiny meadow, and you just know, without the need to touch his chest with your hand, that your hearts are beating as one. Zoro looks at you, almost scared. “You called me husband.” he points out softly “You… you had never done it before.” “I haven’t.” you agree “And you don’t know how much I regret it. Thanks for the flowers, they are beautiful, but… what have you given them to me?” “Well…” he begins, rubbing a hand on the back of his head “It is tradition in my village that a man offers flowers to the woman who he… he wants to court. I know it doesn’t really make sense between the two of us, but I thought it could be… well, a statement of intentions, if you want. If… if that’s what you want as well…”

💚 You quickly inform him you have no intention of beginning a courtship with him. “Because.” you add still holding him by the hand, as you use the other to leave your bouquet on a nearby rock; you are blushing furiously as you look at him, but at the same time your heart is soaring, higher than the cloudless sky above you “There is no reason; you don’t need to woo me with gifts or compliments, because… because you have already won me over. I love being your friend, but that is not what I really want, not even if we sleep together on the side. I… I just want to be with you, like couples do. I want you to be my husband, and I want to be your wife. In a sense, I have always been, ever since that…”

💚 The rest of the sentence is pushed back in your mouth by Zoro’s lips, his scorching hot kiss making you forget your words; his arm is holding you by the waist, his free hand already lost in your hair, and only a moment passes before you are kissing him back, your open mouth greedily welcoming his tongue, your hands running on any inch of Zoro’s skin they can find, covered by his clothes or, even better, naked. “You know.” you murmur after a while, as Zoro is busy sucking a bruise on the side of your neck, the sensation so sensual and delicious you have closed your eyes to better savour it “There is technically a way for our marriage to be declared void, and for us to divorce. So, if you wanted to… change your mind…”

💚 You can feel Zoro’s grin against your throat. “The only reason I would divorce you is to court you again from the start.” he murmurs “I… I have wanted to ask you to be together since we left your island; I told myself it was only that, only sex, but I knew it wasn’t true, and I never found the courage to tell you how I felt, and when the other day at the festival I saw that guy dancing with you and it made my blood boil…” He takes your head in his hands, smiling at you; a more than throughout repetition of your wedding ceremony awaits you that night, but in that moment the purest, most inebriating joy fills both of you. “I promise I will never dance with anyone but you.” you murmur, locking your arms behind Zoro’s head, and he smiles again.

💚 “You better not forget your promise.” he points out before kissing you again “Wife.”

[kazz-brekker]

hotd episode 7 thoughts

let me tell you, i have been anticipating the funeral drama in this episode for WEEKS and it absolutely did not let me down.

as always i am happy that we got to see some of the dragons but i would have loved even more. where is syrax! i want to see her all grown up!

i’m glad we got the velaryons mourning laena, but it really did make me wish that we’d gotten to see more of her alive. laenor is clearly grieving his sister, but i honestly don’t think they ever had any significant scenes together.

corlys and rhaenys with their grandchildren was really sweet, i especially loved seeing rhaenys comfort rhaena and baela at the funeral.

helaena targaryen continues to be a weird little girl and i support her!

i love the idea of making aemond care more about helaena than aegon does, it’s a good characterization bit and also incredibly evil (cannot wait to see Certain Events that happen as a direct result of aemond’s actions utterly ruin their relationship).

why was this episode so dark. i could see everything but it was really gray :(

however i did like the part where everyone was standing around awkwardly after the funeral, the interpersonal drama was delicious.

matt smith and emma d’aracy have great chemistry, all the staring they did at the funeral made me SO impatient for them to actually interact, and their conversation on the beach was fantastic. 

loved getting to see them confront all their thoughts and feelings about each other that have built up over ten years. i’ve always found their relationship compelling to watch even though it’s obviously. you know. incestuous. it’s just fun to watch! and i feel less “step away from the underage girl” now that rhaenyra is older.

i know harwin strong is dead and never coming back but i’m still glad that we got to see jace mourning him and rhaenyra talking about their relationship.

a brothel …. a shack on the beach … daemon i am literally begging you to bring rhaenyra somewhere actually nice on your next date.

the scene of aemond claiming vhagar was both funny and awesome, the visual of this tiny little kid riding a huge old dragon and screaming his head off was hilarious but the moonlight dragon ride was very cool.

truly family solidarity as exemplified by the targaryen-velaryon kids is when your cousin that you just met for the first time that day wakes you up in the middle of the night to tell you your uncle stole her dead mom’s dragon so you go beat him up together!

i like the added detail that rhaena was planning to claim vhagar, it adds even more betrayal to aemond taking her instead.

is house of the dragon actually an extended psa about the dangers of giving young children knives? maybe so!

mom rhaenyra looking after her kids and making sure they’re okay is very important to me :)

honestly, i felt pretty bad for aemond in the big confrontation scene, he was kind of a jerk to the other kids but it can’t be fun to get yelled at by your dad when you’ve just lost an eye.

i absolutely LOVED the tension in that scene and the way that it built and built until alicent just went for it and tried to stab rhaenyra. characters going completely feral and unhinged in the BEST and alicent dropping her mask of cordiality and screaming at rhaenyra was so, so good.

viserys your parental favoritism is reeeally showing…

the scene between rhaenyra and laenor was wonderful, i’m so glad the show made it clear that even though they have their differences and have been basically forced into a marriage together they still care about each other and their kids a lot.

loved that larys was like “hey alicent want me to stab a kid’s eye out for you? :)” and alicent was like “no dude i’ll actually TELL you when i want you to kill someone.” she’s learning!

there were 3 dragons when the boat was sailing away, does that mean helaena has already claimed dreamfyre?

when rhaenyra and daemon started talking about getting married i was SO worried that i was going to see them engage in some not chill behavior together and kill laenor so i’m glad that didn’t happen.

i do have to respect this show for avoiding another bury your gays by having laenor fake his death but. uh. is anyone ever going to tell corlys and rhaenys that their son isn’t dead?

the valyrian wedding between daemon and rhaenyra was really cool but tbh i was kind of laughing at them passionately making out with tongue in front of their kids.

i say this every week but i am VERY excited for next week, looks like we’re in for even more family drama.

[v3nusxsky]

Hi,

Would you maybe consider writing a part 2 to ‘Little love’ but this time with young Larissa and reader? 😌

My darling| Agere

*Authors note~  Agere has made a reappearance and I'm so excited to write it*

Trigger warnings~ little r cg Larissa young morissa cgs shapeshifting r regression

Prompt~see ask^^^^

✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿✿

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Previous~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~That was how Larissa Weems stumbled into her dorm to find the pair of you a few hours later, snuggled up as morticia had holding you securely to her side. She wanted nothing more than to be the one holding the adorable child, who looked and absolute copy of yourself. Prehaps one day you'd trust her with Emery too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Since that day Tish kept your secret not knowing Larissa had walked in on you both. You hadn't felt the need to regress in a while. But today was completely different. You'd had a rough night, feeling rather I'll through the night, your sleep had been anything but restful which meant your mindset and headspace was already so fragile. It wasn't surprising when you woke up feeling rough and the need to slip. Tish had left for an early morning class so when you felt your body shift, emery taking place in your bed.

Larissa was certainly an overachiever so it was unsurprising that she had naturally completed most of her subjects work for the semester. Allowed her to have the mornings to herself while you and Morticia normally would leave for class and she could relax. Unlike today, she turned around to be met with a sniffling two year old child. The blankets seemingly swallowing her tiny frame. Larissa knew of your shape shifting abilities but apparently the little girl who was snuggled up to your other roommate.

Emery heard some ruffling noises which seemed to startle her, a strangled whimper of dread was all that came from the blankets. Larissa came close to the bed where she could see the mess of curls from the little girls head. "Oh hello darling" Larissa murmured moving the blankets to peak at the little girl. "Da? Mm emry" she sniffled causing the blonde to smile. "Very pretty name baby" she whispered to her not wanting to startle the girl, "are you sick little darling?

A sniffle and dry crackly cough wrecked through her tiny frame, a whimper following it as she began to cry. "Hurts" the little girl sobbed reaching for Larissa. The blonde happily came to lay with the little girl as she clung to Larissa immediately, "da dada." The shock hit Larissa instantly, she'd called her da? But she'd never trusted you enough to slip. Clearly the little one thought highly of you. "That's right baby, I'll be who you want me to be."

It was as if something switched in her brain, as she snuggled close to Larissa, exposing her now raging fever to the blonde. "Oh baby! You're burning up my love" Larissa gasped, "let's get you a bath baby." Apparently Emery was a fussy little who became clingy. So Larissa had to draw the bath with Emery sat snuggly on her hip. When it came to putting the little in the bath that was harder. Larissa adverted her gaze while settling you in the bath, whispering words of reassurance to Emery as the cool bath worked to bring her fever down.

After the bath, Larissa settled her little darling into bed, blankets tucked around her. A quick message to all your class teachers excused you both for the day, where she could now spend all day comforting you and helping you through this sickness. After some medicine was taken Larissa snuggled with you. And that's where Tish came back to see Emery snuggled onto Larissa's chest as she read a book.

"Is that?" Was all she murmured before Larissa nodded and you whimpered in your sleep, "mommy?" She was drowsy and truthfully she wanted to be held by her two favourite people as she battled this illness. That's exactly what she got which is how it came to be that Larissa and Morticia would be Emery's care givers.  The little girl happy she was mommys little love and dadas little angel.

Word count~ 697

[ranposbabe]

Delightful | William James Moriarty x Reader

Chapter Six

How does one find themselves in a sunken dark abyss and how do they stay there ?

It replays on your mind as the sheets fail to drag you down to eternal darkness.

The curtains are suddenly drawn.

“Are you unwell ?” Louis asks. It is clear as the irritating day that he stands over you as you remain under the covers.

“When did you come in ?” You scoff, peaking through the top of the sheets.

“It is not normal to lie in so late.” Louis states, blatantly ignoring your comment.

“And it’s not normal to be wearing a suit this early in the morning !” You groan, already contemplating throwing a pillow at the blond.

You’ve yet to speak with the quiet lad Fred and the head of the manor, Albert yet you already can tell that Louis will be a challenge for you. You suppose that maybe his brother will be too.

After meeting William you not so discreetly ran out of the room, leaving the young man standing in his own study bewildered.

The whole interaction makes your eye twitch in embarrassment.

Perhaps it may be as to why you didn’t want to get up this morning. That or the fact that you wouldn’t dream of it recurring that you’re woken up by the professor’s younger brother.

You’re not looking forward to seeing William again…or Louis for that matter.

“I suggest that you find some work to do.” Louis states, finally taking his leave.

Yet clearly needing the last word in before he leaves you. “Better then staying in here all day.”

Your head rises from the pillow, brows furrowed as the door shuts behind him.

You groan, practically slamming your head down once again on the pillow.

“Five more minutes.”

By miracle, you manage to find yourself out in the gardens. After yesterday you’re not too eager to indulge yourself in searching the other rooms. However, now that you’re outside your plan at finding something from your timeline is at fault.

Deep down, everything is still a blur.

Surely you can’t be expected to accept this so suddenly ?

You sweep around at the ground quite ineffectively. Yet you continue so because you can somehow feel as if someone’s eyes are on you through the windows. Probably Louis. Nonetheless you continue as-

“What the fuck ?” You groan as a tiny piece of bark from a tree bounces off your head as if it appeared from thin air.

There sitting up on the high wall was a crow. A big huge crow whose wings shined purple when the sun temporarily shines over. The crow unmistakably has a mischievous look in his eyes.

“The fuck are you looking at ?” You mutter, picking up the bark before throwing it down before the bird.

The crow croaks back at you almost as if it was picking a fight. “You started it !” You point. Oh how you hope Louis isn’t glaring at you through the windows.

The bird eagerly bounces his head up and down. Now it is definitely trying to tell you something. That or the bird has got the bird flu. You can’t tell. Your hand subconsciously reaches for your neck and it is then your eyes widen in shock. “The necklace !” You gasp, staring down at it. How did you forget about it ? You’ve been wearing it this entire time.

The crow starts to spread his wings, clearly pleased that you understood so quickly.

Looking away, practically looking for an excuse to walk away, you find just the person you’d want to find in this unusual situation.

“Fred !” You call while constantly looking back to see if the bird is gone. He’s not.

“Hello.” He simply states. At that he continues to pluck the thorns from the roses. You stare in confusion.

“You know Moran said you were quiet but I think Louis is more quiet than you.” You nod in confirmation. Fred continues tending to the flowers as you’re left awkwardly kicking the gravel beneath you.

“I tend to the flowers here.” He states it as if maybe he does so, you may leave. You can’t really blame him. You get the idea that he prefers his own company. “All by yourself ?” You ask, looking around upon the seemingly endless amounts of different flowers.

“It’s my role here.” He nods.

You wonder. If each of them has a role here then what could be the others roles ? Fred attend to the gardens, Louis you assume most of the manor which can’t really be that fair. Albert must have an important role you assume as he’s head of the manor. You’re definitely curious as to what the hell Moran does. But William ? He’s a professor.

But is that all that he does ?

A sudden shock of pain comes over you, almost as if something hit your head. Almost like the bark. Like a really bad headache when you’re hungover.

“Are you alright ?” Fred softly asks, his attention no longer on the flowers as he turns to face you. “I’m fine !” You raise a hand in reassurance. “I think I need to lie down for a while.” You sigh, rubbing at your forehead at a attempt to soothe the jolting pain. “Do you need any help at all ?” He politely asks, already offering you his hand. “No thanks. I’ll manage.” You groan.

“Alright, take it easy then.” Fred states.

His face shows that he isn’t all that convinced.

You make your way to inside quickly yet before you make your way inside, you glance back to see the crow watching your every move. The once mischievous look in his eyes are replaced by a seemingly serious one.

This time he doesn’t make a noise.

Neither do you.

You wince, somehow when stepping inside you’ve already found comfort.

Though you lean against the wall to steady yourself.

“You’re still here ?” A familiar voice teases.

Your body practically does a one-eighty as you turn to face the man you hadn’t seen in some short time. “Moran ?!”

“Louis hasn’t thrown you out yet ?” He chuckles, taking off his pristine white gloves. “He’s about to.” You huff, following the tall man down the corridor like a lost puppy. He doesn’t wait for you to catch up as he’s confident in his stride.

“So you met William yesterday ?” Moran asks. “He told you ?” You nod.

“Yeah, even told me how you ran off like a scaredy-cat, what a rascal you are.” He scoffs . You suddenly stop, standing at the end of the stairs. You place a hand on the bannister to keep your balance. “I was not scared !” You pout like a child being told off.

You lack finding the effort to drag yourself up the stairs so you turn back, deciding to make your way into what you assume is the sitting room. Oh how assumptions have clearly gotten you far.

“You’re gonna regret that.” Moran smirks, already turning his back on you as he walks off. “What’s that supposed to mean ?” You scoff, without a care in the world you simply walk in. Just then you’d discover what Moran truly meant. Unfortunately.

If you wish to be added to the taglist please comment below to let me know!!!

TAGLIST: @elvyshiarieko @queenofspades403 @rayonfirethe2nd @simpy-geli-lol

[blackbird-brewster]

Had a hearing assessment today because I had a nasty ear infection that began in like October and ruptured my eardrum and hasn't fully healed all this time later (even after multiple rounds of antibiotics)

The hearing test results were what I expected. I already knew I had hearing loss after my last test in 2020.

Today, however, the audiologist let me try out some hearing aids just to hear the difference they could make.

And I burst into tears. Because I heard Doom Them's voice, clear as day, for the first time in years. And they were sitting across the room while wearing a mask. The audiologist went to the hallway and asked me to a repeat a random number she said and I could hear her perfectly. She went further away, I could still hear perfectly! It was so emotional, because I honestly didn't realise how much I've been trying to compensate for my hearing loss.

The heartbreaking part was when I realised the audiologist was clearly used to 'young' people shutting down the idea they could benefit from hearing aids, because the first ones she showed me were tiny, discreet, ones even though she explained they're not necessarily great for long term use. And she was very hesitant in her wording when showing me the more visible behind the ear types, repeatedly saying 'I know they're more visible...'

I am obviously the type of person who doesn't care about that sort of thing. I use a walker or wheelchair for mobility, I got over hiding my disabilities long ago. I don't care if people can visibily tell I'm disabled, not when those visible aids are granting me independence and improving my quality of life!

After such an instantaneous and emotional response to testing the hearing aids and realising how much I could benefit from them, we already made an appointment to return so I can talk about my best options.

So, this is your reminder, whatever aids you need to improve your life, get them if you can! Whether it's a mobility aid, hearing aids, glasses, joint support braces, or anything else - - you deserve to have the best quality of life possible.

[hotxcheeto]

HI!! I was wondering if you could go headcannons of Josh Washington with a cane user s/o? And how he helps them and mabye how he introduces them to group? G/n reader please if not that's okay! Please and thank you <33

━ 𝐉𝐎𝐒𝐇 𝐖/ 𝐀𝐍 𝐒/𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐒 𝐀 𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐄

𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜(𝙨) - Josh Washington x G/N!Reader

𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 - Cursing, slight angst?, super fluffy!!

𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 ? - Yeah/Nope/kind of?

𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧'𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚 - I hope you liked it!! had to do a tiny bit of research for it lol and I'm sorry it took so long!!! ily <33

You didn't know each other at first, you knew Sam though

You two had met after running into each other at the park, you were sitting on the bench and she was on a run and sat next to you take a breather

You kind of clicked and soon enough you became great friends, friends enough that she wanted to to introduce you to her other friends

Well one specific friend, because she just knew who you'd click with

And at first you were kind of nervous, you understood that you having to use a cane so young was a bit different then what people were used to

Especially people you're age

But Sam took you to the café anyway and there is where you met Josh who didn't even know Sam was bringing you

But he was enamored, and Sam knew it, he could barely form a full sentence without stuttering over at least one word

Then it was only worse when she had to 'leave early' and it was only you two

And somehow he finally asked if you wanted to go out, and of course you said yes

It came very clear very quickly that Josh didn't mind helping you and even liked when you smiled, giggled and asked despite some people in the past who were assholes

Being your boyfriend was his favorite thing

He always waits for you to ask, or if it's obvious you can't do something completely on your own

Josh doesn't just like to swoop in and do it himself, you're capable and he knows it, he's not your savior

He's your assistant, as you so clearly joked one time while he rolled his eyes and kissed you

Helps you up the stairs if need be, especially in crowded places and will tell someone to shut the hell up if they start complaining too loudly for his liking

Same with public transport, will fight a lady from her seat if you absolutely need to sit down, will even sit you on his lap if he's gotta

With carry anything you need carried if you can't hold it, he doesn't care how heavy it is

If you're ever in pain you know who to go to

But Josh is a huge jokester so prepare for him to playfully make fun of you sometimes, but only when the time is right if you're upset he's not gonna randomly turn into a comedian

He also probably has a ton of cane jokes up his sleeve, will tell them to you why you're both relaxing in bed until you're begging for him to shut up and sleep

And if you EVER get a little tiny bit insecure about having to use a cane he's right there reminding you that it wasn't the cane that made him fall in love

You're amazing, an amazing person that is so kind and sweet that if anyone made fun of you they're stupid idiots

That makes you laugh

You're just as nervous to meet the rest of his friends as you were to meet him

But he doesn't care, and if they make fun of you or don't like you he promises that he will borrow your cane just to give them a quick beating

Because they're obviously dumb if they don't like you

But surprise, surprise they very much do

Especially Chris since you know he's Josh's best friend, he's just also very sweet and helps you all the same

You guys get along great and Josh is over the moon

You even answer their questions because they are nice about, except for Emily who comes off slightly rude but doesn't really mean it

Quickly thought you become one of them and if you ever need anything, they're there to help always

ESPECIALLY his sisters, they're your sisters now sorry if you liked being an only child or if you already have some

They're pretty sure they like you more than him

And again, they'll always support you, they're the sweetest

Also will tell someone to shut up if they're rude, Beth does not hold back

[hirik0]

Save with you part 3

part 1 | part 2

09 Soap/Ghost, Omegaverse, Alpha Soap, Omega Ghost

Price ends the video call he had with a mated pair, that is in a similar position then he has at his hand. The Omega Chris being just like Ghost a very capable solider, with a lot of solo missions. He looks at his notes, still not understanding everything he was told. The only think he agrees with is that they need to start getting used to the new situation before Ghosts next heat. He still thinks about what the Omega told him, that Ghost should not be treated different then before the incident. When Price ask for clarification because he don't think anyone in the 141 would treat Ghost as less, he got an answer that made his blood boil. According to Chris its not unusual to get treated like a shiny think, something you want to show around, something some Alphas want to own for an ego boost. They will have a lot to communicate to define the boundaries also made sense to him, but the rest? Forget it, maybe it was because they themselves could not really explain it, something about ignoring instincts and adjustment periods. But beeing told they needed 2 years to figure it out, felt disacoruishing and they were only 2 people. At least they offered to observe if thinks don't workout as expected. "This sounds so easy on paper", Price says in the room knowing that Ghost will have to show a lot of vulnerability for the establishment of boundaries and they will fight over every little tiny interaction.

Ghost is out of medical for just short of 20 minutes and he wants to stab the next person that even thinks of talking with him. The amount of young soilders and recruits looking starstruck at him is already to high. They are lucky has no knifes on him, he would use them. Roach walks next to him, clearly having the feeling he needs to scare these people away what annoys Ghost even more. He can do this himself, he understands that it's probably Roachs Alpha instincts causing this behavior, but he's not a fragile Omega. "Roach I appreciate your attempts to be all scary and intimidating but I think I'm better at this, don't you think?", Ghost says after Roach scared away a group of Omega recruits. "I'm sorry, I know this but the instincts are overwriting this knowledge." "Fucking hell Gary", Ghost curses pinching the bridge of his nose if his Sergeant is already struggling like this how bad will Price and Soap be. And Roach really trys not to, but when some Alphas are clearly trying to get in Ghost pants and not taking Ghost no for a answer he growls at them. And they still don't back of and Ghost already non existing patients is snapping. In just 30 seconds the the leader of the Alpha group is pinned down, face pressed in the dirt with maybe a bit more force then necessary. Roach just smiles proudly at seeing how strong Ghost is, before being horrified about his own behaivor. This is Ghost of course he can pin every Alpha down, hell he was pinned down a lot by Ghost over the past 3 years. Price talked with them over this, to not let the Alpha instincts control how they interact with Ghost. He can do this he will not treat his best friend different, he just needs time to get back to normal and hope Ghost has the patience to wait. He needs to talk with Ozone about this, he looked like he understood what Price told them this morning. Ghost is no Omega that needs to be protected he can protect himself just fine, fuck Ghost is saving his ass more time then he ever needed to save Ghosts.

Soap needs all his self-restraint to not tear some of the Alpha recruits apart. All of them drolling over Ghost, trying to flirt with him and emberressing themselves. Ghost is out of medical for 3 weeks and about to be allowed back on missions and he thinks it's for the best of everyone because he has to take away a few of Ghost knifes so they don't end up in a recruit. At the same time he himself is really struggeling with his own instincts. Every part of his brain screaming at him to claim Ghost, so they keep their hands by themselves and not touch whats his and this is the next problem. He sees Ghost as his mate. Ghost very clearly don't want a mate and he will not push this on him, he will respects Ghost wishes. He's pressing his teeth together in rage, forcing his body to stay in place to not interfere Ghost can handel this fine by himself. Later he can punish some of this Alphas for in apropaited behaviour towards a commanding officer. If its so bad Ghost training some recruits how will thinks turn out when Ghost is sent on his first solo mision? He nearly told Price to go fuck himself for putting Ghost on the next team mission. His mind screaming that Ghost needs to be save and protected on base, but thats not how this works. Ghost is one of the most capabel soilders of the 141, he cant just try hide him away on base because hes stupid brain tells him Ghost is his mate. He really needs to talk with this mated pair Price mentioned to him, he struggels so hard with the situation. He also feels how he gets right out jealous of Ozone and Roach who seem to handel everythink a lot better so Ghost natrually just spends at much time with them as possibel. God everythink feels like its going south and he just cant stop it. He really hopes hes not around for Ghost first heats, he would do something he will regarde. Like biting Ghost mating glande the secound he gets the chance to it.

Price surprisingly also struggels harder then he thought, catching himself making up reasons to not send Ghost on missions solo or team. So he put his ego aside and is in a voide call with Chris again. "To be honest Captain it sounds like that you're just now realising that Ghost is in fact a Omega und not a Beta like you all pretended." "I'm very aware that Ghost is a Omega", Price saying clearly angry. "But do you? To my understanding you never meet Simon before Roba. So it was easy for your instincts to not clock him as a Omega till the incident", Chris says a bit condescending. "What's that supposed to mean", Price demands a explanation, his instincts stelling him to put the disrespectful Omega in his place. "Identifying an Alpha or Omega is mainly scent based and if there is no scent you basicly have no prove of the secondary gender other then gene testing. The primal parts of your brain need to smell Omega to know someome is a Omega." Price pinches the bridge of his nose, slowly making sense of what he's beeing told. "So the cave men parts of my brain just now are catching on the fact that Ghost is a Omega something i know for years", Price repeats what he's understanding so far. "Yes, you can say it like this. You see a sick Omega and your protecting insticts are kicking in, you smell a Omega in heat you want to fuck them. Just like a Omega will beg a Alpha to be knoted when in heat, will defend their nest, yada yada." "I think I understand", Price says a bit unsure. "Lets hope you dont need 2 years to figure it out", Chris jokes about his own expirience. "I dont think Ghost has the patients to give us 2 years", Price agrees. "Oh does has one of you time to talk to Captian MacTravish?" "I will ask, but MacTavish has to felxibel with the time." "Perfect, he is handeling all of this the worst."

Ghost was never so fucking happy over a long tidius solo mision in his career, all the Alphas on base are driving him insane. So it will be just him for the next 2 months, hopefully with out any heat incidents. But if the scedule of the Professor is right he has a minimum of 4 months left. He rarely left Roachs site in the last 7 weeks and it is staining their friendship. Roach is very clearly trys to not be a over protectiv Alpha and the incidents where he has to are decraising. But they are both super stressed, Ghost because he loves spending time alone what is now basicly impossible and for Roach because he basicly has to fight his own instincts the hole fucking time. They had some ugly arguments that ende with Ghost having to spend time with Ozone and Archer, what is the only normaly he hasn't lost. Ozone perfectly knowing where the lines are from having a Omega mate on the field for years. Giving him and Roach both time to cool down and breath. One time he and Roach fought so bad he hit in Price office for 4 days till they talked with each other again, Ghost did it so Roach can talk with Ozone. What sucks the most is spending time with Soap. He seeing Soap as a mate at this point, is really testing his own restrains. The amounts of times he wanted to climb in Soaps lap or purr at him is honestly embarresing. The moments he had to claw at the chair to not rub himself all over Soap or trying to scent him is getting higher and higher. Just earlier this day he nearly called him Alpha and he had to bit his lip to stop himself. So some time away, will hopefully reset some parts in his brain and thinks will return to how they where before the incident. When he walks to Price for the last briefing he hears angry shouting. Price and MacTavish are fighting, his mood is sinking the only reason these two would be fighting like this his mission. "Soap, i heard your concern but Ghost is the only one fitting to do this." "What.." "Drop it Soap, it was a risk for 7 years and it was never a problem. You cant keep him around base forever, he dont wants this, it will make him unhappy. And this is my last word on this, let him do his job or leave Soap", Price screaming can be heared over the hole hallway. Ghost heart sinks Price cant really mean that Soap should leave the taskforce can he? He walks in to the office predenting he did not hear the 2 scream at eachother and Price threat. "I still have paperwork to do", Soap says leaving the office fumming. "How much did you hear?", Price ask knowing that Ghost over heared atleast some parts. "Just the end.", Ghost say voice empty, chocking down the question if Price would really kick Soap out the task force. "Im sorry, Simon, its just Soap cant keep behaiving like this towards you.", is all Price says before going back to buisness.

[bonny-kookoo]

Heyyyy, listen I'm obsessed with someone older...OBSESSED!!?! I'm not very creative with drabble ideas but I'm a hørny whøre and I wanna ask for more intimate scenes cus the last one left me high n dry heheh 😅 so like can we get maybe a drabble after the sofa scene in her apartement, when they went to his apartement 👉👈

Your wish is my command 👉👈

--

You were supposed to put up the tree. Hang up the Christmas stuff that's stuffed into two bags left at the door- one of them tipped over in a hurry, left aside for now just like your shoes and coats, carelessly on the floor, creating a trail of clothes.

It leads into his bedroom, where he's already eagerly kissing you, still high on your confession, and the fact that everything clicked into place for you both. How his home feels warmer already, how his life feels lighter, less about work and the force of having to stay alive, and more about finding appreciation for being alive to experience this with you.

Jungkook isn't innocent. He's had sexual encounters before- has fucked in some rather risqué ways and has surely accumulated quite the experience. And sure, he's also had some mind blowing moments he'll always remember- but this?

This is different.

Because as cliche as it sounds, he's drunk off of love, the realization of it, the fact that he knows right now with your body beneath his that you're it for him. You're his final destination, a young woman he believes might just be exactly what he'd dreamed of when he pictured out his life in the future back when he was younger.

Breaths speed up, this time there's no holding back as he already has the condom wrapped around his aching length, pulling you closer by your thighs. You're beautiful like this, in between his sheets and pillows, a lot more of them here after you'd mentioned how little he has- and how many you possess. A small detail, a tiny hint that you would appreciate a more filled bed- and he happily provides just that for you, if the reward for it is such a beautiful sight beneath him.

You're reaching out for him, helping him find his way, but he teases just a little, runs the head of his cock through your arousal slicked lips, before he pushes himself in, claims you once more. But this time, it's not so unsure. This time, he's not hesitant.

This time, he's sure. He wants to mark you up, leave remnants of his affection with you to look at tomorrow and the days after. Jungkook isn't usually this hasty with things, but right now, his head is empty, not even lust fueling his actions, but the need to have you as close as he possibly can manage.

He wants your head to be filled with him, just like you fill his own every minute he isn't occupied with something else.

So when he thrusts into you, it's a lot more forceful. Never agressive, never uncontrolled- simply more confident, sure of himself. And you clearly thrive under his care, eyes closed and lips parted as his name leaves your lips in every second breath you exhale. You're free right now, no sign or trace of insecurity or fear on you, and he prides himself in being the person to gift you such a moment of bliss.

You deserve it. And one day, you'll always feel like this around him. He'll get you there.

Your legs wrap around his waist as he leans over you, kisses you with hunger, open mouthed and a lot less careful as he did before. He's taking control of the situation, and you gladly let yourself fall into his hands.

He can do as he pleases- you trust him to handle you with care.

His lips wander, from the edge of your jaw to the side of your neck, hands on your breasts as he grabs and touches, thumbs occasionally playing with your hardened buds. You've never had someone pay so much attention to your body, and you can't help but simply arch your back to aid his hips in their angle- rolling up into him, causing him to breathe out deeply, a sign of his own growing pleasure.

"I love you." You breathe out and he can't help but grin, chuckle as he picks up his pace, growing sloppy as he finds his end sooner than you- but he's not one to leave you hanging, instead pushing himself in deep as he cums, hand between your body traveling down to your core, using your slick that's coating the inside of his thighs to flick your pearl, making you whine beneath him.

"I love you." He responds, hiding his face in the crook of your neck, kissing your skin while he still can't wipe the smile off of his face as you clench around him.

You're spent, surely a bit too exhausted to really do much more than clean up and take a nap- but he doesn't mind staying up late with you afterwards. He's taken time off after all, to spend it with you-

And he plans on making the most out of it, making every second count.

[paperstorm]

After the finale, I saw the Carlos/Andrea scene from 4x12 a tiny bit differently. Still maybe a bit sloppily written, but I think it makes a little more sense what they were going for. Carlos is saying that TK and Owen have had a special relationship since TK was little but Carlos says he just started his relationship with his dad, and Andrea said that wasn’t true…but based on the VHS of little Carlos and Gabriel, we see that Andrea was right. Carlos did have a special relationship with his dad when he was little. However, somewhere along the way, they lost it and I don’t think they quite acknowledge that fact enough. What made them go from that sweet scene on the video to a relationship where Carlos believed he wasn’t enough and was too soft and his parents’ love was conditional? Since Carlos doesn’t really even remember the close relationship, he must have been quite young when it changed, so I really put the blame on Gabriel for whatever happened between them, even if it wasn’t intentional on Gabriel’s part. And of course that’s what Andrea really fails to acknowledge because clearly there’s a lot more going on there than Carlos’ parents not knowing how to talk about his sexuality with him. The issues between Carlos and Gabriel must have started years before Carlos came out. I’m not quite sure whether the show is just cutting corners and simplifying things by pretending there’s not more going on or whether it’s supposed to be Andrea who’s doing that within the universe of the show. Of course, on a show like this, they’re just not going to have the time to delve into this stuff nearly as much as I would like, so I think a lot of the nuance just gets lost. It’s unfortunate because I love this nuance and I’m fascinated by what went on in the Reyes family. Unfortunately, they���re background characters in a show that already has like 10 main characters to balance plus the need to focus emergencies/rescues at times, so we’re only going to get Reyes family details when it’s needed for the plot. The most we can hope for is that the details given to us are able to be woven together in a way that makes some kind of sense and then fandom discussions and fic can fill in the blanks!

Yes all of this! This is a great explanation. It’s such fascinating nuance and it was a somewhat clumsy portrayal of if. There are parts that were great but it always rubbed me the wrong way that Carlos’s pain is sort of dismissed by his family. It’s canon that his relationship with his dad was so strained that he literally doesn’t remember it ever being good. So it feels unkind to have his mother and sisters act like he was just imagining it all. But, that is also in line with how families with bad communication function. It feels unkind but it’s maybe not unrealistic for Andrea to also have a hard time being honest and facing the truth because it’s painful to admit how much they hurt him. Parents aren’t perfect and Carlos got that avoidance from somewhere. It’s really fascinating nuance that they touched the surface of but I wish had been examined more.

[i-have-not-slept]

Animalec Fest 2023

@animalecfest

The first four days of prompts will be one continuous story, and after that I plan to write stand-alone prompts.

September 18: Ring

The water was blue and cool, pierced with shafts of sunlight, moving gently with the rhythm of the waves overhead. Magnus swam slowly through the water, causing barely a ripple as he went. This part of the ocean was full of coral reefs, and every surface gleamed like a bright jewel under the light of the sun. Light skipped and sparkled off the edges of the coral, the tiny fish that darted in and out of the reef, and the green-gold scales of Magnus’s tail. 

Magnus slipped between two rock outcrops, careful not to let his tail brush against the sharp edges of the coral. He scanned the seabed, eyes open for anything out of the ordinary. A reef shark swimming nearby gave him a surprised look, before turning and swimming rapidly away. 

Something caught Magnus’s eye, half-hidden in the sand. He dived, scooping up the object and holding it up to the light.

It was a silver spoon— a welcome find, but not groundbreaking. Magnus already had several spoons in his collection, and so he put this one in his collection bag with a small sigh of disappointment at not finding anything more interesting. 

He was about to head towards a different section of the reef when he caught a glimmer of movement in the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he realised that it had come from above the surface. 

Without really meaning to, he’d swum quite close to the great palace that stood at the edge of the ocean. He’d seen it from a distance many times but he’d never been this close. There were white marble steps leading down from the palace into the ocean, with several small boats tied up and bobbing on the waves. And there was, Magnus could now see, a figure sitting on the edge of the steps.

Curiosity got the better of Magnus. He swam cautiously towards the steps, keeping well below the surface so he wouldn’t be seen. Magnus had always been fascinated by humans, the strange, two-legged creatures that lived on the land. He’d spent many years secretly watching them, learning all he could, and he had a lot of experience in staying hidden. 

Close to the steps, he concealed himself behind a coral outcrop jutting out of the sea, and peered around it. He could see the person on the steps clearly now. It was a young man with dark hair and pale skin, sitting on the steps. His shoulders were slumped and there was a hard, bitter line to the set of his jaw. His clothes looked expensive, and Magnus guessed that he must be some member of the royal family— a prince, perhaps. Magnus noted, with some interest, that his eyes were the exact colour of the ocean on a clear day. They were rimmed with red, like he’d been swimming in the sea— or crying. Merpeople didn’t cry, but Magnus knew that humans did, and their tears were salty like the sea. 

His heart gave a painful lurch, and he felt a sudden wave of pity for the man. Magnus had never seen anyone who looked so miserable, so lost. All his life, he’d been warned to hide from humans, but he had a sudden wild urge to call out and ask what was wrong. He fought down the feeling, knowing it was too risky.

As Magnus watched, the young man stood up, staring out to sea. Magnus held his breath, staying absolutely still so he wasn’t seen. The prince’s face was blank, his eyes empty and hollow. He slid something off his finger, something that glittered gold in the sunlight. He looked down at it in the palm of his hand, then a look of bitter anger crossed his face and he hurled the object far into the sea. Then his shoulders slumped again and he turned and walked away, up the steps and back into the palace. 

Magnus stared after him for a minute, feeling a strange sense of sorrow. Then his attention turned to the small gold something that the prince had thrown into the sea. It had fallen quite close to Magnus and was sinking fast. He dived after it, snatching it up before it hit the seabed.

It was a simple gold ring, surprisingly heavy for its size and engraved with a pattern of flames. There were markings on the inside of the band, but they didn’t mean anything to Magnus. He turned it over in his hands, examining it. He’d never seen anything like this before. It was beautiful. 

Magnus swam to the surface again, the ring cupped in his hands. He looked around, but the young man was gone. Magnus hesitated a second, then slid the ring onto his own finger. He held out his hand, admiring it. The metal felt warm, and for a moment he pretended that it had been a gift to him from the prince. Then he shook off the fanciful thought, and with one last glance at the palace, he slipped beneath the water again, heading towards home.

_______________________________________________

Part 2

[triforce-of-mischief]

Safe to Heal

Febuwhump Day 28: "You're safe now"

Whump count: mention of stitches, mention of injury and cause

Word count: 770

Summary: Red offers comfort after Legend wakes up with stitches in his shoulder.

AO3

Reblogs > Likes!

Legend’s return to consciousness was slow, stubborn tendrils of sleep trying to drag him back down. Something pulled uncomfortable at his shoulder, and he groaned.

A soft, high voice came from beside him. “It still hurts, doesn’t it? I wish I could help…”

Legend opened his eyes to see Red, whose worried expression instantly gave way to one of relief.

“Oh, you’re awake!”

“Yeah,” Legend said quietly. “…What happened?”

“You were shot by an arrow,” Red explained. “A-and we had to stitch it up.”

Suddenly Legend remembered everything that had happened after the battle. Pain, panic, resignation, and pure fear that had overwhelmed and endured even after everything had ended. He could feel the fear coming back already, rising with his pulse as he fought to ground himself in the present.

“Hey, hey, hey- you’re okay, though, you’re safe now. We found the others and carried you to an inn so you can heal properly.” Red’s hands twisted in his lap, hesitant to reach out for some reason. “I… understand if you’re afraid of me. I don’t blame you if what Four- we- had to do ruined your trust in us. I hope we can make it right.” Tears filled the young smith’s eyes and he avoided looking at Legend.

Legend took a deep breath as he realized what Red was convinced that the vet must have thought of him. “No, I'm not afraid of you at all.” He patted the bed in an invitation to sit with him, and carefully pushed himself up while Red stood. The stitches made his shoulder ache as he placed his weight on his arm, but he ignored it.

“Are you sure?” Red asked, earnest nervousness clear in his voice as he anxiously shifted his weight instead of joining Legend on the bed.

“If I wanted space, you know I wouldn’t be shy about it. Come here.”

Red finally climbed up, still keeping plenty of space between them despite obviously wanting to be closer. “You know, Four only let us split because I really wanted to hug you.”

“Is that so?” Thankful that nobody else was in the room to see him acting so soft, Legend grabbed Red’s hand and pulled him into a hug. The younger hero giggled as Legend rested his chin on his head. “You did nothing wrong, Red. You did what you needed to in the moment. I wasn’t thinking clearly but you saved my life despite my protests.”

“I wish we could’ve handled it differently though. I hated seeing you like that. You were so scared, Lege.”

Legend sighed. “There’s always going to be things that scare us, bud. That’s just the truth of adventuring. As long as I make it through in the end, I’ll be fine.”

“No, that can’t be the only way. Vio said you have a phobia, a really bad one. There has to be something we can do to help you feel better. Actually, what am I doing? I’m supposed to be the one hugging you, not the other way around.” Red shifted so his arms could fully encircle Legend’s middle, though it was still more like Legend was holding him.

“I like it better this way,” Legend hummed, and pulled Red closer. “If you were holding me, it would- it would feel like earlier.” It would feel like being restrained. It would feel like a kind embrace that only existed to prevent escape. It would feel like fear caused by his own friends. And yet- “I… don’t know how I feel, completely. Wars and Rule were… nice. Too nice. Anybody else would’ve just held me there and gotten it over with. I was bleeding out and they wasted time making sure I felt even a tiny bit better. I just… don’t understand.”

He heard a small gasp from Red, who looked up at him with eyes too full of understanding. “You’ve been hurt before. By people you trust,” he said simply. Goddesses… for all that the other Colors liked to poke fun at their emotional counterpart, Red didn’t seem to get enough credit for being so sharp.

“Yeah, I guess I have. Not the first time either,” Legend whispered.

Red murmured sadly, snuggling closer to offer as much comfort as he could. “We can talk more about that later. You should probably get some rest now, you’re still hurt after all. No matter what you’ve been through before, you’re safe with us. I promise.”

Legend blinked back tears of his own, unsure how to process the unexpected and unconditional support. His brothers were there to help, and he was ready to heal.