#this fic is purely self-indulgent and I regret nothing

[harryforvogue]

The Queen's Going Away Party*

It's nearly time for Hades and Persephone to part once more. This is that story. But made kind of positive. This is purely a self indulgent fic. It's also an apology for not writing as much as I used to and for the horrendous title.

It's 4.5k words. There's some smut at the end, but it's mostly just Hades!Harry being grumpy as hell and Persephone trying to keep it together.

***

Hades, or Harry, looks at his wife across the table as she speaks with Thanatos to redefine the barriers of the incoming souls for the next day. “The grays,” she says softly, pointing at the map she’s made herself with parchment and ink, “must be spoken to after they’ve crossed the river Styx. I’ll speak with them as well to make sure they’re peaceful and not restless. Hopefully the abode we’ve made for them will keep them satiated and at bay for the day. Charon will be negotiated with later today as well.”

Persephone first introduced the idea of a “going away party” when she arrived back to Hades 6 months ago. She’d excitedly spoken about this new thing that mortals introduce where they celebrate goodbyes with drinks, food, music, and dance instead of sorrow and anguish. It's what she envisioned for her own departure. Now that it's actually happening, Harry isn’t so sure he’s all that excited about the idea.

“To go out with a big bang, as the mortals say,” she’d argued, fluttering around him as he walked away from her at the first mention of it. His fists were clenched, an odd tightness in his chest.

“I will not be celebrating you leaving the realm you belong in,” he’d said, avoiding her.

“I belong in two places, darling. And you’re not actually celebrating me leaving. You’re celebrating the promise that I’ll be back. And spring.”

He had rolled his eyes. “I’m not too keen on celebrating something I never experience. Nor care about.” He'd added the last part angrily and regretted it afterwards, but his wife was too worked up about other things to take offense.

She’d held her ground in front of him, her hands on his chest. She’d slammed the door shut to their room without looking and stared up at him angrily. “I don’t care that you don’t know what spring is. I don’t care that all you know is gloominess and darkness and ghosts. What I do care about is that when I’m leaving, I’ll want us to be enjoying ourselves. So fine. Don’t celebrate my leaving or spring or sunshine, but celebrate the amazing 6 months we’re about to have together.”

Hades had wrapped his hands around her biceps, picked her up, and set her aside. “I will not be happy that day no matter how many heroes and warriors and drinks you bring to this party. I will be mourning the loss of my wife, who I won’t see for the next 6 months.”

She trailed after him as he continued out of their room. Upon leaving, Hades had run into Hermes who had grinned and held a scroll, saying, “Your brother is pissed off. Guess which one?”

“Who invited you in?”

“Hecate of course. Hey, look. Guess the right brother and I’ll spin your queen a dress of pure gold.”

But Harry had waved Hermes away and called for Hecate to secure him somewhere out of his sight. He’d ignored the way Hermes had muttered, “Well, I don’t blame Zeus.” And normally, Harry would have very big problems with others coming in between his feud with his brothers, but he was too angry with his wife to care.

“Listen to me,” Persephone continued, stalking after him. “Why must we weep and suffer when I leave? I hate it too, so can’t we just try this? Something new? You know, the mortals seem to like it just fine.”

Hades stopped, turning to face his wife. “We,” he said quietly, angrily, “are not mortals. We experience emotions worse than them. My sorrow for my wife leaving me is nothing compared to anything a mortal would feel.”

She sighed, crossing her arms. “Let’s just try it. Just once. Let it be a parting gift. Look.” She brightened. “You can help me with the guest list.”

Hermes, being dragged away by Hecate by the scruff of his neck, had called over, “Allow me three plus ones, my King! I have three lovers currently!”

“Remove Hermes from the guest list considerations immediately.”

“You prick!”

“Just think about it,” Persephone insisted. “We have time. Do this for me.”

And Harry had given in. She’d asked so many times and promised so many things, he gave his consent two months in.

She looks beautiful across the table, putting the final touches for tomorrow. He hears her murmur. “Are the musicians ready? Good. And we’ve got all the answers to our invitations, correct? Remind me of who is attending?”

Thanatos goes into a long monologue of those invited. “Amongst the confirmed are Nyx, Eros, Psyche, Pan, Achilles, Hesphaestus, Artemis, Lethe, the Moirae, Adonis–”

“Not Adonis,” Harry groans, imagining the deity fawning over Persephone as he always does.

She just smiles. “It’ll be entertaining. It’s not as if half the invites won’t be falling at your feet.”

“Continue the list, Thanatos.”

“Yes, sir. Patroclus. Nemesis, Apate, though she is, er, in a spat with our mother. Harmonia, Hecate, Hermes, myself…” He continues on and on. Hades falls into a deeper pit of despair.

“Amongst the declined are Hypnos, Morpheus, Keres–”

“Why was Keres even invited?” Harry interrupts.

Persephone shrugs. “Formality. The gesture extends to Acheron, Macaria, Styx, and several others.”

“I see. Not too many of the annoying ones then.”

She laughs. “I made sure not to include them. After all, it’s a party not a riot.”

Thanatos stands from the table. “I’m off to speak to Charon about the souls then. I’ll give him several gold coins for his cooperation.”

“Shouldn’t we consider telling him to stop asking for gold for a trip across the river? It’s been millennia and we don’t even need the gold.”

Harry stands, walking over to take Thanatos’s place when the deity leaves. “It’s not about the money,” he says, sitting down. “It’s Charon who thrives from routine. He doesn’t believe in anything free either.”

“But can’t we be the ones giving him the gold?”

“I give him gold all the time and yet he still asks for coins.”

“I’ve had to ask Hecate to retrieve several wandering souls just this past week because they were unable to pay.”

Hades reaches over and tucks her hair behind her ear. It’s normally braided into a crown around her head, but she’s left it open this morning. He kisses her forehead and holds her hands, resting his head on hers. “I cannot find the words to express how much I’ll miss you,” he says softly, swallowing. “I find myself unable to dwell too long on it.”

He feels her warm hands squeeze his. “We’ve survived it before, haven’t we?”

“Yes but what if something happens this time? What if a new deity of destruction comes along and destroys the Kingdom and I’m left suffering without out?”

She laughs softly. “That will not happen. And you, my love, are far too strong to succumb to any baby deity. Remember when you thought Oizys was a threat to the Kingdom?”

“To be fair, she’s far more gloomy and miserable than I am and yet everyone only thinks of me when they’re talking of that nature.”

“Right. And besides, I highly doubt Nyx and Hecate will allow ruin to this realm. Especially Nyx. You know how passionate she gets about it.” His wife leans in and kisses his cheek gently. “And I will be back before you know it.”

“I tire of it,” Harry admits. “I tire of you leaving me for so long.”

“But don’t you love our reunions? It’s all I can think about when I’m in the mortal realm. The look on your face when I descend back to you.”

Harry holds her face and kisses her. “I could never do what you do. Be in two places. Two homes, both magnetic, pulling you apart. You are too strong.”

She laughs against his mouth. “My love, you rule a realm. The entirety of it. The world is on your shoulders, and yet you claim I am strong?”

“You are strong in ways I could never be. You are in pain more often than I am. Losing both your husband and your mother separately.” He closes his eyes. “Kore, I wish for you to have fun tomorrow. That’s all I want. Whatever you ask for, you shall have.”

She smiles, throwing her arms around his neck, climbing into his lap. She kisses him over and over, hard. “Oh how I love you,” she whispers, hugging him tight. “I’ll miss you so much.”

***

The next day, the entire palace is lively with music, guests, and decor. Hades finds his wife in the middle of all of it, happily chatting with the gods and goddesses. When Persephone first arrived in the Underworld, she had been a shy and ambitious goddess, ready to take on the task at hand. And over the thousands of years, she’s become the terrifying, beautiful queen that this realm always needed.

When he’d look over at her the first few years, he’d see the timid goddess everyone overlooked, trying to raise her voice high enough so people would actually hear her. Now, she’s a ball of light amongst the darkness, her glow radiating off her body to the corners of the palace, her laughter loud, her kindness bold.

Hades smiles as he takes a sip of his champagne. His heart aches. He wishes for her to stay.

She catches his eye. She looks ethereal in her dark dress, a true frightening queen. Her smile is wide as she holds her hand out and beckons him into the group. Nyx glances over at him, her daughter besides her. They both look at him with respect, but also sadness. They always do.

He takes Persephone’s hand. “Yes, my queen?”

“We were just talking about how it’s great that lovers are reunited at the party. We should host more events like these, hm?”

They all look over at Achilles and Patroclus deeply engaged in a heated discussion under the bright chandelier near the musicians. “Yes,” Harry says, “well, I do have to argue that they’re never truly parted as they live in the field together.”

“I cannot imagine being with the same person for my whole life,” Nyx says, taking a sip of her water. “Doesn’t it get, you know, repetitive? No offense to you two.”

Persephone shakes her head and laughs. “Oh do not worry, my friend. Well, the commitment is frightening, but it also proves to be tremendous amounts of fun.”

Harry wraps his arm around her. “She speaks the truth. And I’m positive that life also cannot get boring when you’re also ruling an entire realm.”

“And when your wife is gone half the year.” Everyone turns their cold eyes to the god who’s strutted up to their half circle. He throws a big arm over Apate’s shoulder.

“Ares,” Harry says, downing his drink. “How great of you to join us.”

Ares pushes his sunglasses down his nose and peers at them all with a grin. “Oh how could I miss the chance to be here. Look at all this festivity. I’m itching to wreak havoc, I can hardly contain myself.”

“Would you look at that?” Harry murmurs. “Hephaestus, my dear friend. How are you doing?”

Ares immediately stands straight and glances over his shoulder, swallowing. He finds nobody there, and Persephone giggles next to her husband, leaning her head on his shoulder.

“Prick,” Ares hisses, fixing his blond hair. “He’s not really here, is he?”

“Oh, he is.”

“Fuck.” His fists close and open in, what Harry thinks, is an attempt to ease his temper. He glances back at Persephone and Hades, giving them a slight bow. “My queen, I hope you enjoy your night. We eagerly await your return to the mortal lands.” And then he disappears.

Apate fixes the earring Ares ruffled, snickering. “How anybody could be afraid of Hephaestus is beyond me.”

“I’ve come to realize,” Hades says, “that he can be terrifying if provoked enough. And I for one do not plan on ever getting on his bad side.”

“Yes,” Persephone says, looping her arm around her husband’s. “But he cannot be more scary than you.”

He raises his eyebrows, holding her chin. “Is that so?”

“Well,” Nyx says, grabbing Apate who is watching the king and queen with wide, interested eyes. “We’ll be off to join the party then. We will, of course, be here to see you off in the morning, so there’s no need for goodbyes just yet.”

“But Ma–” Apate sighs as she’s being dragged away. Persephone laughs. 

“How are you finding the party?” Harry asks her, pulling her along until she’s standing in front of him. The gld lights shimmer in her eyes, her pretty lips in a smile.

“I’m enjoying myself greatly.” She sets her champagne glass next to Harry’s on a nearby table and then loops her arms around his neck. “And yourself?”

“I’m enjoying it a lot more than I expected. We haven’t seen a party like this in a while, have we?”

“You host lavish banquets when I arrive every year.”

“Well, that may be, but we rarely have this many people in the palace. Everyone seems to be busy too. With all these gods and goddesses here, I’m wondering how the mortal realm is doing.”

She smiles. “If Ares is here, I imagine everything is calm up there.”

“That is true.” He leans in and softly kisses her, arms around her waist. She sighs, kissing him back. “I realize I never thanked you for not inviting any of my family that are, er, horrendous to be around.”

“Yes,” Persephone says, twirling his curls between her fingers, her eyes hazy. “I did not invite Aphrodite. I doubt she’d even come down here. The mere thought of a party that isn’t in her name would send her in a frenzy. And I myself am glad we did not invite…” she trails off, her eyes hardening. “Apollo.”

“Yes, because if he were here, I’d absolutely lose my–”

“No,” she says. “I mean. Apollo. He’s right there.” Her eyes are wide now, confused. “Wait. I did not invite him. I specifically put him in really big letters on the DO NOT INVITE list. Thanatos knew not to–”

“You’re not serious,” Harry says, frozen. “He’s not really–”

“My king, Lord Hades!”

“No,” he whispers. “Please no. Seph, tell me he’s not really there. It’s a nightmare. It’s just a nightmare. He’s not really behind me.”

But his wife’s eyes are still big. “I’m so sorry, my love. There he is.”

A big hand grabs his shoulder, pulling the king and queen apart. There’s only one person who has the audacity to do that. Well, him and his father.

“Apollo.” Hades says, taking deep breaths. He shoves his hands into his pockets to avoid accidentally punching his nephew in the face. “It’s you. And you’re here. In my house.”

Apollo grins, nodding. His blond hair is swept off his forehead, tucked behind his ears, clad in a white suit. He looks radiant, his eyes clear. He holds a bouquet of flowers in one hand, though they’re wilted and dead, and in another, there’s… a cat? “I am!”

Persephone peeks out from around Hades. She points at the orange cat that seems happy resting in the crook of Apollo’s arm. Its purring can be heard from several feet away. “How did you get that thing past Charon?”

“I gave him 50 gold coins of course.”

“For a cat?”

“Why did you even bring a cat?” Harry interjects. “More importantly, why are you even here? Who invited you?”

Apollo’s laugh is a booming noise. “Ah, I do not ever require an invitation to show up somewhere. After all, where there’s a party, there’s Apollo.” He shrugs. “I should be offended that I wasn’t invited, however, this is no subject to get upset about. All that matters is that I am here and your party is saved from suffering the same tragedy the entire underworld realm does: boredom.”

Harry feels the corner of his eye twitch. “So you invited yourself.”

“That’s an easy way to put it! Here. Let me introduce you to my companion for the night. I wasn’t sure if I should bring a plus one or not, therefore I bring with me a majestic creature that counts more as a friend than an extra.” He holds the orange cat up. The cat squints its eyes at Hades and Persephone. “His name is Apollo.”

“You named your cat after yourself?”

“But of course!” Apollo exclaims passionately. “A creature as beautiful and fierce as this one must be given the name it deserves! A worthy name! A name that makes love bloom, a name that makes the poets wish to write, the musicians wish to play! Apollo!”

For a moment, both Harry and Persephone are too stunned to speak. Harry’s glad it’s Persephone that offers Apollo a meek, “How riveting,” because he doesn’t know if he should laugh in his nephew's face or suggest Zeus exile the poor kid to humble him.

“But I digress!” Apollo says. “Now tell me, which person do you believe I should approach first?”

“Hecate,” Persephone offers immediately, throwing a look at Harry. “Trust me. She’s totally into you.”

“Hmm,” Apollo says, searching the crowd. “You’re right. I’ve seen the way she looks at my triceps. Here I go!”

Harry wraps his arm around his wife’s waist as they watch an ambitious Apollo strut off. “You’re terrible,” he tells her, kissing the top of her head.

“I am,” she giggles. “You are so different from everyone else, did you know that?”

“I could say the same about you.”

“Yes, well, it’s a shame there aren’t enough tree growing vegetation goddesses out there. Oh wait. There totally are. There’s Hestia and mother and Artemis when she feels like it and–”

“Alright, I get it. So what if the world is lacking in gloomy, evil underworld rulers?”

Persephone’s eyes shine. “You may be gloomy, but most definitely not evil.”

“Mm, no? Perhaps I just put on an act in front of you to impress.”

“Ah my love it cannot be an act since you still haven’t perfected it. I can see how you are when you must judge souls. Sometimes it’s hard. Sometimes you don’t want to remove parents from their children, lovers from their lovers.” She smiles. “Whether you like it or not, you get caught up in emotions in regards to mortals.”

“That may be,” he says, yanking her close. He leans down and kisses her softly. “But nothing gets me more caught up than you.”

She grins and kisses him back, arms flung around his broad shoulders. “Good,” she says, holding his collar. “That’s the way it should be.”

***

Near the end of the party, Hades gets on the dais and raises his glass, tapping against it. The crowd falls silent. Even Apollo stops making out one of Nyx’s daughters, looking at Hades with hazy eyes.

“Thank you all,” Harry says loudly, “for being here. When Persephone first introduced the idea of a party before her departure, I was not pleased with it. I didn’t like that we’d be celebrating her leaving, but now I realize that it wasn’t so. This party, in fact, is a celebration of everything she has done to keep the Underworld,” he looks over at her, “and I in tact.”

Tears sparkle in Persephone’s eyes. Hades swallows hard and continues, “Our queen leaving us will never be easy. But while we mourn the loss, we shall look forward to her return.” He points his glass in his wife’s direction, “To my wife. The beautiful and terrifying. To Persephone.”

The crowd repeats after him. “To Persephone!”

She takes a sip of her champagne and whispers thank you, keeping her eyes on Hades. He ducks his head in a small acknowledging nod and then drinks his own champagne. He holds his hand out for her and she joins him on the dais. The crowd cheers harder for her. Harry smiles. All for her.

Apollo the Cat joins them on the stage and rubs up against their legs. Persephone just laughs through her tears.

When the guests begin to leave around an hour later, they both say their goodbyes. To several gods and goddesses, she reminds them she’ll see them soon. To the grays, she tells them to count down 6 months from now.

Harry holds her face when they’re in the privacy of their own bedchamber. He kisses her softly. “You said no tears,” he whispers, wiping away the moisture on her cheeks. “No tears or sadness.”

“There will always be sadness,” she softly cries, surging forward, hugging him tight, “when you leave the ones you love.”

“And yet you manage to do it twice every year.”

“And twice every year, someone welcomes me with open arms.” She lifts her head up and looks at him through her tears. “Oh how I hate this part.”

“My love,” he murmurs, wiping her tears as they fall over and over. He runs his thumb over her trembling lip. “I will always mourn you, but wait for your return. Right by the entrance of our palace. I’ll wait for you for 6 months, a year, several years. As long as you come back to me. To your home. I can wait forever.” He holds her close, resting his head against hers. “I love you, Kore. You’ve always known that.”

“I have.” She kisses him again passionately, pouring all her love into it. She slides her fingers into his hair and tilts her head back when he starts kissing down the column of her throat and down to the dip of her neckline.

She gasps softly when his warm hands tug on the sleeves of her dress, slowly baring her shoulders for him to atack with his kisses. She shudders and grabs his collar, bringing him to the bed behind them.

In a mess of laughter, they fall back against the bed. Hades’s curls fall into her eyes, his hands all over her body as she kisses him through it all. He climbs over her and settles between her legs, watching as she removes her dress, throwing it somewhere behind her.

He holds her waist, kissing her stomach tenderly. Her hips. Her thighs.

Her fingers tighten in his hair. Harry grabs her hips and tugs her down to the edge of the bed, kneeling before her. She sits half up, watching him pull her underwear out of the way, whining when he softly bites her thigh.

“Ow,” she whispers. He smiles in response, parting her legs.

“My queen.”

He licks her softly, chuckling when she dramatically falls against the bed and swears. His hands hold her thighs tightly, keeping her hips down. His eyes flutter shut as he loses himself in the act, tasting her, drowning in her moans and whimpers.

She’s already so wet, and he suspects she has been for some time. Since the party, perhaps. Or since he locked the door behind them when they got to their chamber, as if anyone was going to interrupt them on their last night.

Persephone tugs on his hair. When he sinks two fingers inside of her, she swears again, and the walls around them tremble. He’s reminded of the time she ruined the cabin in the forest from the pleasure she felt. He wonders if he can ever get her to the point where she ruins their room.

“Please,” she whispers, his curls now laced between her fingers. She raises her hips to meet his mouth, helping them mouth. Harry curves his fingers inside of her, grinning when she groans, throwing her head back.

He keeps his fingers in her as he focuses his mouth above her entrance, licking, sucking, and everything in between. She’s drenched him completely as the minute passes and soon, she’s dropping her hands from his hair and grabbing their silk sheets.

She whispers words in Greek, English, French. Everything. It just comes tumbling out as she falls apart on him, her body trembling with her orgasm so beautifully, Harry wishes he could stay there on his knees before her for another century. He suspects it still wouldn’t be enough.

He pulls out of her, wipes his mouth and then grabs her face. He kisses her hard, arm around her shaking frame, holding her tight to his chest afterwards.

Persephone breathes hard, holding his no longer crisp shirt as if to make sure he won’t leave her. He never does.

“I love you,” he whispers, kissing her face again and again. “I’ll wait for you. I always do. I always will. I’ll be here for eternity for you, I swear it, my dear lover.”

He’s not surprised to see tears in her eyes again when he pulls away to help her put more clothes on. Instead of offering her any more words, he lets her cry on his chest as he tucks both of them away into their bed.

She’s still sniffling even as she’s drifting asleep, head buried in his neck.

“Do you want me to wake you when I leave?” she asks several minutes later, looking up at him with her tear streaked face.

“Of course. I’ll see you off. All the way back to Charon.”

She sniffles again. “You’ll have to let the souls back in when you’re returning. I only bribed Charon to tolerate the grays for a day.”

“That’s fine. I’m their ruler. It's my job. But do you want Hermes to be with you? It’s no fun returning to the mortal world alone.”

But Persephone only shakes her head and reaches for her husband’s hand. She tucks it under her chin and sighs deeply. “No. I want you to be the last face I see when I leave, and my mother the first face I see when I arrive.”

“Whatever you wish, my love.”

Harry raises her chin and kisses her once more, finding himself holding his own sorrowful tears back. 

“You are my world,” he reminds her, carding his fingers through her hair. It’s been long released from its braid. “Return to me quickly so that I may resume worshiping you again.”

Persephone closes her eyes and nods. “I love you, too, my king. To you, I’ll quickly return.”

[littledollll]

🕊️me again with another prompt for you dear🕊️

Prompt~ I need a sleepy whiny r that wants their luci and luci is busy and try’s to send someone else in to placate r and they try everything, stuffies, colouring, soothing music, blankies etc but she just gets worse. So now she finds her way to luci despite them being busy they drop everything for their exhausted angel once seeing just how bad r is.

This is purely self-indulgent of me. Todays been rough and I’d actually die just to have that level of care and comfort directed at me. Don’t rush with these prompts I’m just sending them when I get a free moment:) ~shy anon🕊️

#shyanon🕊️

Sleepy tantrum

(Little angel universe, side fic)

Lucifer Morningstar x little!angel!reader

A/n: my mood just got fucking murdered by something that happened and I’m writing this mid anxiety attack in hopes it’ll make me feel better🤺 pt 3 of the little angel series is gonna break hearts btw so I’m pre-paring (get it? Pre- preparing?) some comfort for that☝️

update: this honestly made even me feel tiny so I’m so proud of it I love it alot:(

Warnings: nothing horrible just some tantrums, crying, kinda separation anxiety, and that’s basically it

You’ve taken to wandering around the castle while you’re regressed, anyone Lucifer invites in is trusted enough to see you and when that’s not the case Lucifer makes sure that the meetings are secluded and quick, of course they also give you a heads up.

So here you were, Emery in one hand and blanket wrapped around you and dragging on the floor wandering around with no particular destination when you spot Luci and run to hug them, attaching yourself to their leg. They were busy, sat talking to Mazikeen about something you could probably care less about, so their hand made its way to your hair, giving you headscratches as they talked but other than that made no move to acknowledge you.

Their soft voice and soothing touch was making you even more sleepy than you were, your head rested on their knee as they talked, you felt yourself drifting before two pats on your shoulder made you shake yourself awake. “hm?” Luci smiled at you. “I think it’s time for bed tiny, I still have some work to get done but I’ll join you shortly okay? Mazikeen will stay with you until I’m back and I’ll get you ready for bed then.”

You went to complain but soon enough you were (gently) thrown over Mazis shoulder. “Wait wait wait-!” She ignored you and walked back to your room. As she dropped you into bed you tried to make a run for it out of the room before she grabbed you yet again and sat you on the floor with her. You huffed. “Meanie.” She tilted her head at you. “What was that?” When you stayed quiet she let the scary act drop. “They will be here soon enough, just be patient.” She said as she handed you another stuffie and your coloring book.

You whined and threw the coloring book at her. “Don’t be a brat.” You huffed and turned your back to her. “I thought you wanted to sleep, are you seriously throwing a tantrum right now?” You nodded and threw the other stuffie at her as well (which you quickly regretted and made a mental note to apologize to them later).

Had it been anyone else they would’ve lost their head. But it was you. Adorable, sweet, helpful, Lucifer’s partner, you. That last one did most of the convincing, but she knew you were only whining because you wanted Lucifer and not her, so she went softer on you. “Sweetheart you have to stay here.” “well you hav to leave m alone!” She sighed. “You are most certainly a handful. Let’s see.. we’ll have a coloring competition and whoever wins gets to tell the loser what to do next.”

Stubborn as you were u were also very competitive, how could you turn that down? Kicking your legs in excitement you nodded and handed maz another coloring book. “How kno?” She thought about it for a second. “We’ll do the fastest, but! You have to stay inside the lines.” You gasped, offended. “cheatin!” She shook her head smiling and handed you your crayons.

After a few minutes of coloring and your pouting Maz spoke again. “Done.” You whined and dramatically laid on the floor. “Unfairrrr!” “Nope, little darling I won fair and square. You are going to sit here with your toys and behave until Lucifer gets back and then you’re their problem again.” You pouted and climbed into bed hiding under the blanket. When you peeked to see what Maz was up to you saw her cleaning up the mess you had made.

Quietly you made your way out of the room and begun your search for Lucifer. After checking a few rooms you found them in the main throne room talking to who seemed to be Azazel. You thought you were being sneaky until you heard a voice behind you. “And just what are you doing out of your room at this hour, little angel?” you jumped and squeaked in surprise before jumping into Lucifer’s arms.

“I stay?” You mumbled into their chest with your eyes closed. Lucifer sighed, looking at your exhausted body language, your pouty face convinced them. “Yes, little dove.” You heard Lucifer and Azazel talking for an extra second before you felt Lucifer started talking back in direction of your room, you started crying. Making Lucifer abruptly stop. “Sweet one what’s wrong? Did something happen? Are you hurt?” your arms wrapped around them so tightly it would’ve been concerning if they were human.

“Tiny?” you only responded with a hum. “please tell me what’s wrong.” you sniffled, rubbing your eyes. “don go” they breathed a sigh of relief once they noticed what was going on. “I won’t little dove, not again, I’m staying with you, it’s all okay.” Lucifer continued walking as their hand gently rubbed your back, calming your sobs.

When you came back to your room it was all clean and Mazikeen was gone. Lucifer got you ready for bed in seconds, and placed a kiss on your temple before whipping your teary eyes. Their voice was barely above a whisper when they spoke now. “Luci’s not leaving now, sweet one, I’ve got you, my heart.”

[mod-kyoko]

"Shatter Me" kirumi tojo angst fic

info: gn!reader, established relationship, tw: pstd, scars, mentions of execution, around 3,200 words

type: angst with hurt/comfort, oneshot, post-game AU

a/n: this is a completely indulgent kirumi angst I had cooking up, basically this is set after post-game where everything was a simulation and the damage done to the 'characters' is done to them irl title is a reference to this song which I personally think suits Kirumi well but who knows lmfao

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it was all like a horrible nightmare, a nightmare you weren’t even sure you could ever wake from. all the death, the pain and the misery would never be something you could shake from. every single trial, each passing moment your life was on the line… yet each time someone dies, you just wished you took their place. you survived, at what cost? only to be told that your talent and memories were nothing more than a fabrication to appease an audience? you never really found out if those interview videos were real or not…  you saw yourself, clear as day; “if I were in Danganronpa…I would love to be an Ultimate !3$5&*+...I would kill in a way no one has ever seen!”

did you really say that? was that even you, looking up at the camera with wide, child-like eyes declaring you’d… kill? In some ways, you wished you were the first to go out… so you didn’t have to witness the death of your own lover.

kirumi tojo… the “Ultimate Maid” or so they wanted them to all believe. you instantly connected with her; her calm, composed and almost motherly demeanour sucked you in like a moth to a flame. even from the beginning it seemed like she felt it too, she treated you differently than the others. she kept her ‘devoted’ maid self but she checked on you more often, she always asked if you needed anything unprompted, and poured you more tea when you were finished with a cup. you spent many moments alone with her, she enjoyed your company and laughed at your stupid jokes. the first time you kissed her; it was in the spur of the moment, you weren’t thinking. she was just so beautiful, up close to you and asking you in a soft whisper if you wanted sugar with your tea. yet when your lips connected to hers, she was shocked of course but she didn’t pull herself away from you.

what things you would do just to go back to those days, where the worries of murder and despair weren’t constantly plaguing your mind. nights upon nights you sat in your room, staring up at the ceiling asking yourself why kirumi went to the extremes that she did. It was sickeningly twisted what the motive that was created for her was, the prime minister of japan… it sounded silly now you thought of it outloud, if you knew about the truth behind it all you would definitely have thought that it was some poorly written story by a teenage girl. However, you couldn’t even fathom that thought as you were screaming and crying at kirumi that she was a traitor and betrayed your trust. you regretted those words deeply… as those were the last words you ever said to her before she was executed. you barely watched it and the little moments you did watch were enough to make you heave up. the last memory you thought of kirumi was her lifeless body on the floor, splattered and unrecognisable.

…

you looked up. your eyes just met with pure sterile white walls. after the events of the killing game, the simulation… waking up with wires around your body, you never loved the colour white so much. you were currently sat in the recovery centre, where the various victims and… culprits were recovering from their in-game injuries. it made your skin crawl to think that the simulated deaths acted as if they existed in real life too; it broke your heart to think how everyone else was handling it. However, your mind was entirely focused on one person and one person alone.

how long have you been standing here? staring at the door that led to kirumi’s recovery room? an hour? more than that? it’s not the idea that you didn’t want to see her, you were jumping off the walls in happiness to find out that your partner was alive but not unscathed. you were afraid - afraid of what was on the other side of that door, what condition kirumi would be in. would she be happy to see you?

you swallowed a thick lump in your throat, a shaky hand grasping the doorknob and you already felt the bead of sweat going down your forehead. you knew that you couldn’t just back away from this. bad outcome or not, you were going to see her, you just wanted to see her again.

with a gentle click the door opened and you peered in. there she was, dressed in a patient gown and sat in a wheelchair by the window, her eyes vacant yet staring at the courtyard of the facility. your heart skipped a beat as you held your breath, seeing her alive like this… you had to hold yourself to make sure that you weren’t dreaming and the nightmare would come back all over again.

“kirumi…” you called for her and your voice reverberated off the walls despite the fact you spoke in a whisper. her eyes widened, turning herself as fast as her condition would allow her to. you just wanted to run over to her, hug her tight and swing her around in utter joy. however, stepping closer you really started to see how serious her condition may be. minus the fact she was in a wheelchair it looked like her entire body was wrapped in bandages, at least, based on what you could see outside of the gown. her warm green eyes stared at you like if you were a ghost, hell… to her, you probably were as much as a ghost she is to you she didn’t say anything which worried you, you slowly sat down on a chair that was near the window as well. you looked out the window awkwardly, trying to think on what to even say. you looked back at her to find she was still looking at you.

“uhm… how are you feeling?” that was the only words you could even think of to say, there were a thousand questions running through your mind but you wouldn’t want to overwhelm her. she took a deep breath, it sounded uneven like if she had trouble getting air. finally, she spoke. “I feel pain all over. my head… it hurts.” hearing her voice was a relief even though it had a shake to it. “yeah… I can imagine it does hurt…” your mind flashes to her execution; from the small parts you saw through the cracks in your fingers, she fell head first. the thought made you cringed. “you… understand what’s going on, right?” you asked her. you were told that the others had been given information when they woke up… which was two days ago if you weren’t mistaken.

she gently nods her head in a twitchy sort of motion. come to think of it, her head seemed to wobble slightly even when sitting still. jesus. “all of… that… was fake? a simulation..? our… memories were toyed with…” you saw her bandage-wrapped hands clench which caused you to grit your teeth. you hated this so much.

“y…yeah… we were… fictional characters created for some.. dumb show or… whatever…” you didn’t tell her that there was the possibility that you all signed up for it. you weren’t sure what was true or not. “we are real now, of course… I’m… here.” you reached a hand to gently place it over hers, she flinched and you looked at her with apologetic eyes. “my purpose… was… just an illusion then…” she muttered with her brows wrinkling. “I… I thought I did what was right… for… my people. those people didn’t even exist…”

you grimaced. she meant her ‘fake’ past, right? the people of Japan was what made her murder another, her selfless devotion. “am I a monster?” those very words made your eyes widened and you shook your head vigorously. “no… no, of course not...  if I was in your shoes I would’ve done the same thing.” you said rather seriously and she looked at you, searching for a lie of some kind. she sighed softly. “you do not seem the type to do such a thing at all… you don’t have to try and make me feel better about myself. I see the person I am now.” “but you’re not a monster, kirumi… and I’m not just saying it to make you feel better. you’re not the only one to have motives to kill… the ones after were… much worse than yours…”

you saw the way her eyes darted around in shock, realising that the killings had continued after her death. she looked away and covered her mouth with her hand. she looked like she was going to be sick. “however, I had… betrayed you..”

hearing your own words echo from her lips made a deep guilt sink into your stomach. to think that was the last thing you ever said to her before she met her demise… because you were so damn angry, angry at her and… angry at yourself, angry at the sick twisted minds that constructed  the killing game. 

“I’m sorry.” was all you could say. kirumi looked at you completely shocked. why were you apologising…? she was the one that had killed, betrayed you and threw away everything you created together. despite her feelings, she relaxed into her wheelchair and breathed out, like if she had been holding her breath for some time. “I… I am sorry too…” 

god you wanted to cry right then and there as she said that. she was not innocent at all but something within you just wanted to hold her in your arms and never let go, you never want to lose her ever again. “are you… considering to go through the treatment…?” you asked, hoping to change the topic a bit even if it was still morbid. she nods her head gently. “yes… they said I should partake in small exercises like catching a ball… and… relearning how to walk.” 

you bit your bottom lip at that news. it could be much worse… at least it sounded like she had a chance to get a normal life at some point. “but… until then I will need assistance in basic needs…” she said with disappointment in her voice. it made you ache… simulation or not you know she feels useless right now. “I’ll be there to help you.” you were quite blunt in your words - but you meant it. you would be there for kirumi every step of the way, everything she needed you will provide. she looked at you shocked as she thought you hated her for the acts she did… she nods her head, however. “...thank you, dear.”

…

it had been a full month ever since you reunited with kirumi again, you supported her and helped her through the process of readjusting to this life, like you were. you were there for her exercises and treatment, watching her try to walk again was a heartbreaking but determination increasing experience. she wouldn’t be able to take full steps without assistance for awhile, however for right now she could at least stand from her chair and move to another quickly. it was only just at the start of this month that kirumi was out of the recovery centre and now sharing a ground-floor apartment with you. it certainly made things feel more ‘normal’ and no doubt a lot more comfortable for kirumi as she didn’t need to stare at blinding white walls anymore. you admittedly did everything for your girlfriend as it just became second nature to you at this point; you could see how desperately she wanted to clean or even wipe down a surface to feel like she was doing something. she knows that she was never supposed to be the ‘Ultimate Maid’ yet the yearning to do something, anything was still there. 

as for right now, you were cleaning the bathroom and kirumi sat at the dining table with a book. reading was now one of her popular pastimes, she greatly appreciated that you bought her so many books to read… books that she enjoyed quite a lot. hearing you scrub the tiles in the bathroom made for some interesting background noise, although she found your presence anywhere in the apartment to be relaxing. she would’ve indulged it some more if she didn’t just gain the most head-splitting headache possible that nearly made her drop her book as she gripped her head. no matter what, it didn’t seem like these headaches were ever going to go away. she sighed softly, putting her book on the table as she wheels over to the kitchen counter and opens the medicine cabinet which she could reach for obvious reasons. she grabbed her painkillers and quickly downed them with a swig of water. she closed the cabinet and was about to go back to her book until her eyes spied the set of kitchen knives.

her jaw clenched, looking down at the floor. she just wanted to be like… like herself again, like in the killing game. she was useful in it. everyone needed her, wanted her. she could service everyone and be the perfect girl she wanted to be. she leaned up slightly and grabbed the biggest kitchen knife, wheeling to the fridge and grabbing out a tomato. she just wanted to prove herself… that she could do something. she went back to the dining table, swallowing a lump in her throat as she stared at the red fruit, knife in hand as she positioned it just like how she remembers.

slowly, she attempted to cut slices of tomato as if she was preparing a salad of some kind. the cuts were irregular in size and certainly not perfect at all. kirumi clenched her jaw, trying to focus harder, she had to.try harder. no matter how hard she gripped the knife her hand would shake, becoming increasingly the more frustrating that she couldn’t cut a fucking perfect slice-

she flinched as the knife’s blade grazed her finger, nicking it and making it bleed. she dropped the knife quickly, looking down at her finger as the blood oozed out. she sucked in a loud gasp which you heard clearly. “kirumi? you okay?-” you walked into the dining room and your jaw went slack. “kirumi!” you rushed to her side, looking down at the little injury on her hand then at face. she looked absolutely shellshocked. “what were you doing…?” you asked, eyes darting around at the scene. “I… I just wanted to… show I’m useful…” her voice was no more than a whisper as she brought her finger to her mouth to suck on the cut with her brows furrowed. you frowned, putting your hand on her back and rubbing it slowly. “you don’t have to prove anything, rumi… you’re still recovering and adjusting… please don’t force yourself to do things like this, it needs to be taken slowly…” you massaged the back of her neck with your thumb, feeling her relaxed in your touch she wobbled her head in a nod. It seems she understood you. you hated treating her like she was a vulnerable child… but at this stage that was what she was at the moment. 

“I’ve finished cleaning the bathroom… would you like a shower?” you gently asked her. she didn’t like taking showers or even baths, something about the water made her want to shake all over. she especially disliked getting water on her hands although she couldn’t really tell you why just yet.

she stiffens for a moment, thinking about it for far longer than she needed to. however, she nodded her head and moved herself into the bathroom as you watched with a worried face. you were seriously getting concerned for her… it was like every day was complete pain for her, although that wasn’t far from the truth at all… what you would do just to feel her pain instead.

following kirumi into the bathroom, you closed the door and flashed a friendly smile at your girlfriend. “arms up, please!” she lifted her arms at your request, they were twitching a little but it was fine. you carefully but briskly took off her top, following up with her skirt and then undergarments. “can you get into the seat yourself?” you asked her, gesturing to the little bench inside the shower. she pondered for a few moments but ultimately nodded her head and began to lift herself out of her chair. you looked at her in awe, seeing her gain her strength each day always warmed your heart. you clapped your hands and smiled. “amazing! you’re doing so well, dear... I think you’ll be able to take steps soon!” you giggled softly to keep the air light, rolling up your sleeves as you grab the showerhead and turning it on. “Hmm… you think so? thank you, dear…” kirumi smiled softly. even when she felt useless, or feeling low, you always knew how to make her feel supported. she promised to herself that she would be able to walk properly one day for you, so you could walk along the beach together or even be able to walk into your arms like you used to. you hummed gently as you brought the shower head directly over her, the warm water falling over her severely scarred body. her entire body flinched and she felt like she was getting attacked at the moment. when your fingers combed through her sandy-sage locks to run the water through properly she started to relax into your touch. she was so glad that you were here for her, that you were looking after her and giving everything she needed, even if it embarrassed her or made her feel… incomplete. despite everything she’s done, the pain and misery she felt in her heart knowing that what she worked for wasn’t real - she could forget all of that when you were here for her.

you put the shower to the side and squirted kirumi’s favourite shampoo onto your hands. it was lavender scented and it often helped her fall asleep with the smell of her own hair. you massaged it into her scalp and you could see the moment her entire body relaxed and that she was completely at your mercy. it made you smile so much to see her content and not worrying about everything… you pushed her bang out of the way of her eye and slicked her hair back. her eyes opened to look at yours and the slightest tint of red went over her face. you giggled softly at this, leaning down to press a soft kiss against her forehead. “beautiful…” you whispered to her which caused her to blush more. she? beautiful? how can you say that to her face, when you were right there being perfect? “I love you.” she said it so suddenly that it caught herself off guard however she didn’t back down and stared confidently at you. you smiled, heart melting at such a cute confession. tilting your head to the side, you uttered back. “I love you too…”

perhaps, things will be better.

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-Mod Kirumi

[sskk-ao3feed]

self-indulgence got me(now I have this horrible fic)

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/upRASWo by n_yy_ii pm and ada are in a truce and fukuzawa decided to make a gc because of said truce he regrets his decision deeply.   -basically a chatfic i made for myself but like u can read it too -purely made for fun (and also as a coping mechanism) -uploads like thrice a week maybe; christmas break is coming x Words: 508, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: 文豪ストレイドッグス | Bungou Stray Dogs Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: F/F, M/M Characters: Dazai Osamu (Bungou Stray Dogs), Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs), Akutagawa Ryuunosuke (Bungou Stray Dogs), Tachihara Michizou (Bungou Stray Dogs), Tanizaki Junichirou (Bungou Stray Dogs), Jouno Saigiku (Bungou Stray Dogs), Suehiro Tecchou (Bungou Stray Dogs), Kunikida Doppo (Bungou Stray Dogs), Tayama Katai (Bungou Stray Dogs), Edogawa Ranpo (Bungou Stray Dogs), Edgar Allan Poe (Bungou Stray Dogs), Fukuzawa Yukichi (Bungou Stray Dogs), Mori Ougai (Bungou Stray Dogs), Fukuchi Ouchi (Bungou Stray Dogs), Akutagawa Gin, Higuchi Ichiyou (Bungou Stray Dogs), Ozaki Kouyou (Bungou Stray Dogs), Yosano Akiko (Bungou Stray Dogs), Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Bungou Stray Dogs), Ookura Teruko (Bungou Stray Dogs), Elise (Bungou Stray Dogs), Nikolai Gogol (Bungou Stray Dogs), Hirotsu Ryuurou (Bungou Stray Dogs), Miyazawa Kenji (Bungou Stray Dogs), Izumi Kyouka (Bungou Stray Dogs), Yumeno Kyuusaku | Q (Bungou Stray Dogs), Sigma (Bungou Stray Dogs) Relationships: Dazai Osamu/Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs), Akutagawa Ryuunosuke/Nakajima Atsushi (Bungou Stray Dogs), Tachihara Michizou/Tanizaki Junichirou (Bungou Stray Dogs), Jouno Saigiku/Suehiro Tecchou (Bungou Stray Dogs), Kunikida Doppo/Tayama Katai (Bungou Stray Dogs), Edogawa Ranpo/Edgar Allan Poe (Bungou Stray Dogs), Fukuzawa Yukichi/Mori Ougai (Bungou Stray Dogs), Fukuchi Ouchi/Fukuzawa Yukichi (Bungou Stray Dogs), Akutagawa Gin/Higuchi Ichiyou, Ozaki Kouyou/Yosano Akiko (Bungou Stray Dogs), Fyodor Dostoyevsky/Nikolai Gogol (Bungou Stray Dogs) Additional Tags: Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Self-Indulgent, The Author Regrets Nothing, Fluff and Crack, Fluff and Humor, I'm Bad At Tagging, Author Is Sleep Deprived, chatfic, Idiots in Love, Texting, Gay, Attempt at Humor, if you're here for angst look somewhere else, Mori Ougai Being An Asshole (Bungou Stray Dogs), Dazai Osamu is a Mess (Bungou Stray Dogs), Nakahara Chuuya Is So Done (Bungou Stray Dogs), Kunikida Doppo Is So Done (Bungou Stray Dogs), they're all done, more tags will be added furthur on, might be horribly uncharacterized, author made characters project authors problems read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/upRASWo

[outoutdamnspark]

Lost and Found

Some purely self-indulgent stuff this time; I randomly wrote out the “Reina gets drunk and confesses” scene for my Emmet x OC... Not Fic??? called Watching the Earth Rise.

Not completely relevant to the scene, but this one’s set in the AU version of their story, briefly described here, (though the text doesn’t seem to show up on my blog unless I’m on mobile? 😕 Idk why.)

Tl;dr - Ingo's been missing a decade, Emmet is 39, Reina is 29 and works at Grear Station. They are both Very Fucking Tired™️; emotional hijinks ensue. (Inspiration heavily by leggerefiore's SilverFox!Emmet au.)

So yeah, uh. Enjoy~

CW: depression, grief, alcohol, allusions to past tragedy.

(Sort of hurt/comfort; mutual pining, love confessions, pre-romance.) 

===

It’s well after midnight by the time her last bottle runs dry, but she’s still sober enough to feel the crushing weight of the silence in her empty, unfurnished closet of an apartment. Stupid, cheap, watery vodka; it had tasted like nail polish remover, the smell strong enough to make her sinuses burn, but she’s now two bottles in and it still it hasn’t been enough to get her so drunk she can forget. It’s not even tomorrow yet, not properly, because even though it’s not technically today anymore, there’s still enough of it left, spilling over despite the clock turning the hours from night into morning, that it doesn’t feel like tomorrow - and that’s the part that really matters. All she’s left with now is the aching quiet and the chemical taste of regret lingering on her tongue.

She needs something - a movie, a song, a voice, anything, because the booze isn’t doing its job, the night isn’t passing like it needs to, the 12th won’t end - but right now there’s nothing. She can’t rewatch The Kids on the Bridge for the hundredth time, she knows, because the music and the story, (usually things that keep her sane, keep her going, keep her alive,) will wreck her. Even the musical's 'darkest before the dawn' message won't be enough to help; the 12th isn’t the day for things she keeps close, it’s not the day for the pieces of herself that manage to stay afloat, taking in water but still hanging on for dear life. It’s the worst sort of irony, to have something she can turn to but only on any day that she doesn’t desperately need it. 

Anastasia is out, too, for the exact same reason, though amplified because of its deeper tether to her past - too much of a reminder of the too-few happy childhood memories when people now gone were still here. 

She doesn’t trust herself in her drunk-but-still-too-sober state to go digging through her music, either; the heavier stuff will just fuck with her head right now, too much all at once, and the rest, well. She made the mistake once of trying to put her playlists on shuffle so she didn’t have to choose a song. The resulting mental rabbit hole had almost been worse than the hollowness she’d been trying to drown out in the first place. 

She doesn’t want to wake her pokemon up, despite how much she desperately wants Cloak to wrap her up in her wings. Reina could use the cuddles - alarmingly so - but her team worry enough over her as it is, and they’re all probably asleep by now. She can’t burden them with this. Not again. Not for the tenth year in a row. They deserve to move forward in the way she can’t - or to properly mourn without having to babysit her, too.

Near to tears at the feeling of utter desolation slowly creeping in from the back of her skull, Reina reaches for her phone. She could call someone, maybe? Surely she knows someone still awake at this hour? 

Reina pauses, her tipsy mind defogging for a second, reminding her that she does not, in fact, know anyone. Other than her one friend back in Galar, (who is most assuredly either dead asleep or just barely waking up for work right now) her contacts list consists of the PokeCenter, two numbers that are no longer in service and never will be again, and name that never had a number to begin with, and her boss. Her workaholic, insomniac boss. 

Whom she has the stupidest fucking crush on. 

(Let it be said that poor states of mind, coupled with desperation, mixed with alcohol and budding affection, will dampen even the shrudest of impulse control. It is a formula to be feared.)

Reina’s holding her phone against her ear before she even fully processes she’s hit ‘call’. It vibrates the side of her head, the dull ringing on the line making her feel dizzy as the tipsiness rolls back in. She can’t tell if she likes it or not. 

The phone rings twice, three times, then picks up with a muted ‘click.’ 

“Miss Kageyama?”

Reina sucks in a deep, sharp breath at the sound of his voice. It’s like ice being pressed over a patch of scalded flesh, a soothing balm in auditory form, and for a moment she feels the horrible jitters subside just a little. 

But then she realizes what he’s said and her mouth pulls into a frown. 

“...Helllllllo?”

“Yoooooooooou,” she slurs accusingly, “are still at work.” She huffs. “Why are you still at work?”

There is a moment of silence, wherein her boss is likely blinking at his phone screen in confusion. He chuckles, just once. It’s a tense, unsure sound that doesn’t seem to hold much humor, just exhaustion. It still sends a tingle through Reina’s core to hear it so close to her ear, and she unconsciously presses her thighs together for the span of a heartbeat. 

“You don’t know that,” he says, and it might be either a deflection or an attempt at teasing, but Reina is too far into the bottle to be able to tell right now. 

Instead of picking one, she settles for responding with a, (perfectly mature) “Yuh-huh. Do, too.” 

She hears him take a breath on the other end of the line, readying a reply, so she cuts him off before he can make it. “You said ‘Kageyama.’ Kageyama is what you call me at work. Off the clock is Reina.” Another huff, this one morphing into a faint whine at the tail end. There is a small, quiet pout to her voice as she adds, much softer, “...I like it when you call me Reina…” 

More silence follows; then, finally, there comes the muted crackle of a shallow exhale. “...Reina…”

But she cuts him off a second time with a hum that, again, is more of a whine. “No.”

“No?”

“No.” Reina sits back against the bare wall she’s been cuddled up to this whole time, defiant despite him not being able to see her. “You can’t call me that yet because you’re still at work.” She pouts, harder this time, petulant like a child and just as stubborn. “Go home. You need to sleep.” Her tone shifts, some old protective instinct half-remembered drifting up and out from its dank little corner and coloring her words like a scold. “And… and probably eat something, too. And water. You need to…” She pauses to get a better grip on her words as they get heavier on her tongue, thick with alcohol. She ‘hnn’s through her teeth in frustration. “Mm. Don’t… You’re gonna say you already did, and you’re a bad liar, so I’m gonna know.” A third huff - something that has evidently become a good part of her vocabulary tonight. “You need to clock out and… I care about you, you fucking… you dumbass. Okay? Take better care of yourself.”

As much as she would (and inevitable will) be appalled at herself without the haze of shitty vodka, any and all thoughts of her own plight - of the 12th - have been successfully, albeit temporarily, pushed from her mind as her bottled-up affection and concern for one of the only living contacts in her phone begins to pour out in ernest. She frowns, almost scowls, and feels hot tears prickle behind her eyes. She grimaces; they do not fall. 

“...Reina,” Emmet says softly. It’s patient, ever-so-slightly frosty, like his guard is up, professional mask crooked but in place - but it’s still kind, still that same quiet sort of comforting that’s been wrapping Reina’s heart tighter and tighter around his little finger for months. “Are you drunk?”

She barks a bitter laugh. “Not drunk enough.”

“Oooooookaaaay…” He sounds… worried? Reina isn’t entirely certain since she can’t see him, but from the way he draws out the word, she can picture the little furrow of his brows that Emmet does when he’s out of his depth. 

He pauses. Reina waits.

“I am Emmet. You sound… Not. Alright.”

She can’t think of a lie, and it doesn’t register as important to do so, so she simply tells him, “I’m not.”

She hears him exhale. Not a sigh, just an exhale. (There’s a difference, she’s noticed.)

“Can I help?” he asks her, voice quiet. 

Reina wants to sob. He’s so kind! Even now, at quarter-to-one in the morning, when she’s most likely breached half a dozen boundaries - both professional and personal - by calling him while drunk, and calling him names. She can’t even fathom it, can’t comprehend it; there is no way this man is real, and certainly no way she deserves to be anywhere near him. (Her chest aches as she reminds herself that her love for him has been doomed from the very start, that she’ll never be worthy, will never have anything to offer him besides the tattered remnants of a person long broken past repair.) A tear finally falls, and Reina is suddenly choking. She shakes her head, both forgetting and grateful for the fact that he can’t see her through the phone. 

“N-no,” she hiccups. Her whole body shudders. “No you can’t. It’s… today is bad.”

“Bad?” he repeats. 

She nods again, sucking in a watery breath. “Uh-huh. The day is bad. The… the 12th. It’s bad.” Another hiccup catches in her throat as she reaches up to scrub her sleeve against her eyes. 

Emmet stays quiet as she sucks in another breath that doesn’t fill her lungs. Suddenly she remembers what today is, why she’d called in the first place, why she’d needed to hear his voice. She coughs on an exhale; it becomes a low, pained whine. 

He calls her name softly, gently, Emmet the Subway Boss now replaced entirely by Emmet her friend, Emmet the man she’s fallen head over heels for so hard that she’s surprised she didn’t break something. 

She coughs again, giving him an, “Uh?” to show she’s heard him. 

“Why is the 12th bad?”

Reina makes a sound low in the back of her throat. She doesn’t know what it is, exactly, but it rattles at her chest, leaving her feeling scratchy and raw. Her back bows and her neck bends until she’s folded so far forward that her forehead nearly touches the boring carpet. “I… I can’t,” she chokes, “I can’t. It’s just. It’s bad. Today is bad.” She emphasizes the word again and again, as if that alone will tell him what he wants to hear, what she can’t bring herself to say lest it break her down more than a single night’s sleep will be able to fix. Or at least, tape her back together. 

But she keeps going. 

Reina takes another wobbly, tearful breath. “But you’re not. You’re not, and that’s why I needed…” She sniffs. “You’re so nice it hurts.”

Emmet gives an airy, vaguely nervous giggle, unsure. “Uh. Thank you?”

Reina shakes her head until she’s dizzy. “Nooooo, you don’t - don’t get it. I have to tell you I love you. I have to. That’s what… I have to tell you today because… because…” She can’t get it out. No matter how she tries, she can’t tell him why it has to be today. She can’t tell him that today is the day she needs to cling to the memory of the people she loves and can no longer tell. She can’t give him the words to say that she needs to cling to him now, as well, because he’s the one person she can tell, and it feels like she’ll die if she doesn’t tell him before it’s too late to say it to him, too. 

And yet. 

“...Because today is bad?” he asks. And it’s so, so gentle, like he knows anyway - or if nothing else, he can guess. He knows there’s something important, something painful, even if he doesn’t know what it is. 

“Yeah,” she whispers. And it’s enough. 

Neither one of them says anything for a while after that. Emmet simply stays on the line as she cries openly into her hand. She can hear him breathing faintly, and it’s comforting to know he’s still there despite it all. Eventually, eventually, her sobbing slows, and Reina hears his voice once more softly calling her name. 

“Reina? Still with me?”

She takes a deep breath and lets it back out. It only quavers a little bit this time. 

“...Yeah.”

Emmet hums. “Good.” There’s a pause, like he’s thinking. “You should go to bed,” he says, and though it’s kind, there’s a slight edge to it, the barest hint of an authoritative tone. “Drink water first; you’re going to be verrrry dehydrated after this. Can you do that for me?”

She’s too wrung out to argue anymore. Besides, it’s… nice. To hear him say that; it stirs the same echoes that her own scolding had before - all that remains of a time long past. “Yes, Sir,” she breathes, already feeling the exhaustion settling in. 

“Good,” he says again. Then, gentler, “Do you need tomorrow off?”

Reina feels her stomach sink. “N-no. Please no, I don’t want–”

“Okay,” he shushes (kind, so goddamn kind.) “No tomorrow off. No leaving you alone. It’s okay.” 

She settles back against the wall, relief flooding her veins to drive out the panic. “Thank you.”

He just hums. 

A moment passes before he speaks again. “Reina?”

“...Yeah?”

“Go to bed now.”

She swallows the sticky, scratchy lump in her throat and wipes at the tear tracks on her face. She can do that, she thinks. She can do that now. “...Okay.” 

“Okay?”

“Okay,” she agrees. “But… Only if you do, too.” 

That earns her a quiet chuckle, this one much more like an actual laugh. It’s tired, breathy, but real. 

“I am Emmet. It’s a deal.”

Reina giggles faintly in return. “Cute,” she whispers. 

“I… mmm.” 

Reina giggles again at his obvious attempt to stifle the familiar verbal tic - it’s a sign he’s flustered, and it makes her body feel warm to hear it. “Hee. Cute.”

There is an exasperated (flustered) sigh. “Good NIGHT, Miss Kageyama," he huffs, but it’s a bit less stern than it’s likely meant to be. 

“Reina,” she corrects.

“I am Emmet. Go. To. Bed.”

She snorts. “Going.” 

Her smile fades then, slowly melting into something… not quite peaceful, but calmer than she’s felt in a long time. It’s better, even if it’s not completely better. It gives her the strength to whisper one last thing before she heeds her boss’s orders and passes out on the carpet, wrapped up in her travel blanket. 

“...I love you.”

(And if, right before she hangs up, there’s a too-quiet whisper in return, she just chalks it up to her imagination, not so far gone in the last dregs of her intoxication to believe she’s heard him say it back.)

[katytheinspiredworkaholic]

WIP Wednesday

Title: Extraordinary

Pairings: HotchReid (more to come)

Summary: League of Extraordinary Gentleman/Vampire AU;

Within the FBI there is a specialized team full of an elite selection of people. Unique individuals with very particular skill sets. And their job is to take the unusual cases: the ones that need to not only be solved, but are undetermined if the unsub is human, or something else entirely.

In a world filled with Vampires, non-human creatures, and subspecies unknown, there is only enough information to have them vaguely regulated. Rules that are so easily, and violently broken, all while hidden in plain sight among the unsuspecting public. Unrivaled for eons.

That’s where the BAU comes in. 

Official Posting Date: October 2021

Links: (Masterpost) (Snippet 01) (Snippet 02) (Snippet 03) (Snippet 04)

(TW/CW: Blood, blood drinking, vampirism, alcohol mentioned as context, seduction, hypnosis/trance mentioned.)

(the story so far/what you need to know for this clip at least: our romantic storyline picks up not too long after this oneshot was written, where Hotch and Spencer have formed an ‘arrangement’ that Spencer puts a stop to because of -reasons- of the emotional sort. Hotch can still feed from him when he needs, but that’s all that will happen. They have a small tiff, and Spencer is about to leave the room when he has an epiphany...) 

--

"It's the blood,” Spencer states, eyes wider in astonishment. Any melancholy gone from his face as his realization forms fully in his mind. “My blood is so…” 

Pure. 

“--undebased that you can taste the chemical composition in my blood. Or your palate is just that refined.” Which is amazing, unheard of, baffles him and his mind is whirling a million bits a second trying to process what that means, exactly. “You can... when I'm sad, you can taste it. That’s why you don’t want to feed. You’ve always been able to taste it. When I'm happy, when I’m worried, aroused, when I’m lost in... infatuation." 

Hotch doesn't answer, doesn't give away that he can also intimately feel what Spencer feels when he drinks his blood. But Spencer barely notices, is already falling deep down the informational rabbit hole and barreling towards that disastrous need to know more.

"What does it taste like?" There's a brightness returned to his eyes, and Hotch didn't realize how much he'd missed it until it reappeared. Knows he could never deny him anything, when he’s looking at the undead man like that. He pauses, collects himself, resigns himself to answer -- because by God, does he want to give Spencer an answer he’ll remember.

"It's subtle,” he begins, slow and careful, “like notes in a glass of wine. Not everyone has the nose, or the taste for it." But he explains further, steps closer, the brightness in Spencer's eyes like stars in the sky he can't look away from. Drawing him in; a creature of the night, who should not be lured by something so fleeting. But he is, and he does, and he speaks slow as he crosses the room. 

"Sadness is caused by a lack of dopamine; it tastes bitter, mineral, like charcoal but not always unpleasant.” There’s a time and a place for a sad drink, but he never wants to know Spencer’s sorrow so intimately. 

“Excitement, like what you're feeling now,” the thing in his eyes Hotch can’t look away from, “is bright. Floral. Light on the tongue.” 

“Arousal," said low and closer than Spencer realized he was, "serotonin and endorphins. Pleasure is always sweeter. Juicy, almost, yours especially. Cherries, and black currant.”

“But love…” It almost stops him in his tracks, but he carries on -- as if in a trance. Ironic, the roles reversed. “Infatuation, as you called it. It's more of a texture. Thick and full bodied, like how Chardonnays can be buttery, so can love. Something pleasant that sticks to the tongue and reminds you it's there. Long after it’s gone."

Spencer is breathing hard, pupils dilated, staring back now that Hotch is looming so close and afraid to move. Pinned by that black diamond stare. Prey in a trap of an entirely different sort. 

One he’s not sure he wants sprung from.

--

((if you want to be apart of the taglist just hit me up via comment, reblog tag, DMs or asks 💕))

[cabinofimagines]

Take care

what? self-indulgent Solangelo? On this blog? It's more likely than you think. Jokes is on you "self-indulgent Solangelo" is a pleonasm. This fic- i swear to the gods- took me way to long to actually put down on paper.

Pairing: Poly!Solangelo x reader, Nico di Angelo x reader x Will Solace Request: - Word count: 1.9k Warnings: nothing much, pure fluff.

-Asnyox

Right now you just wanted to curl up in bed and sleep. This morning was fine, although you woke up feeling an impending doom for no reason, then you had breakfast, trained with Nico, had lunch and went to your shift in the infirmary. However, one hour into your shift you decided you regret every decision you made in the past day or so. You felt tired, not just in your body but also in your head. A mix of clouds and a slight headache messing you up. You shook your head and went back to counting the bandages.

“You alright there?” Austin asked behind you. You looked over your shoulder, to see that he also had paused checking the supplies. “Just tired,” you send him a smile, “Probably didn’t get enough sleep.”

Austin looked you over before looking at the supplies he was holding. “You could ask Will to cover and take a nap,” Austin suggested, “Or I let it slip within the next five minutes and he will force you to-”

“Please don’t.” you shot a glare his way, “It’s his day off and besides, it’s not like this,” you gestured at the tasks at hand, “is very taxing in any way.”

A moment of silence fell as you both returned to the tasks at hand.

“Will would kill me though if I don’t-” You hit Austin on his arm and he faked that he was in pain, grinning at you, “Okay, okay, I won’t tell Will.” he laughed and you sent him a smile, happily distracted from the pain in your body. Your peaceful moment was harshly interrupted by shouting as a camper got carried into the infirmary.

Austin and you quickly scrambled to the unconscious body of Cecil Markowitz. You grimaced as you saw the wounds, your head pounding a little harder as if to remind you of your own bodily issues at the moment.

“We’ve done this before, (Y/n).” Austin reassured you and you shook your head. “Not the reason.” you quickly shot back as you both started working in sync, quickly healing Cecil.

After Cecil seemed to be alright, Austin decided to take the last check up alone. You had sat down, and Austin noticed that you looked even worse than before. You let out a breath, closing your eyes to stop your head from pounding, which did not work. You leaned your head back, reasoning that if you just got up and drank some water it would go away eventually, at worst you would just lay down after your shift until dinner. Austin looked you over and sighed as he quickly asked Cecil to both get Will and Kayla. Austin reasoned that Kayla wouldn’t mind starting her shift early, and Will would forgive him for not getting Will sooner to take care of you, at least Austin hoped that much.

You had noticed how your body seemingly seemed to drift off- a familiar feeling settling in when you realized you were on shift and needed. You opened your eyes to see Austin hover above you, about to put his hand on your forehead. You huffed as you quickly pushed it away and sent him a tired glare. “I told you, I am fine.” You stood up from the chair, and as black dots appeared on your vision you thought ‘too fast.’ as you blinked a few times. You hadn’t noticed how Austin shook his head.

“Ouch, (Y/n) you really do look dead.” You heard the familiar voice of Kayla as she entered, “Good thing Cecil told me to take over. How long have they been like this?” Kayla turned to her brother who just sighed. “It only got this bad after Cecil was brought in, but they’ve been off the entire afternoon.” he said gravely. “Hey, I am right here!” you waved your hands around as if to get their attention, “Besides, I am good enough to keep going, so thank you Kayla but you can leave.” She shook her head. “And face Will’s wrath when he sees you? No thanks.”

“Why would I be angry?” your eyes widened at Will’s voice, which quickly turned into a glare towards Austin. “Snitch.” you accused him and he just shrugged with a smile. As Will entered you noticed an awkward Nico behind him, who as soon as he saw you quickly walked to your side.

Will looked you over and concern flooded his body. Nico had told him before that you weren’t one hundred percent during training this morning, but Will never was too concerned, everyone has their off days. However as he saw you he wouldn’t be surprised if you told him that you hadn’t slept at all in the past week. He reached you in two quick strides as Nico softly held your hand and studied your face.

“You didn’t look this bad in the morning.” Nico simply stated, but you could see the depths of his worry in his eyes. Will was tempted to force you into an infirmary bed right away, but he knew that you would be more comfortable in the privacy of their cabin- the Hades cabin. It had become their own sanctuary within camp, given that Nico didn’t have siblings to bother them all the time.

“When…?” he quietly asked Austin, who was still near enough. Austin noticed the danger of either lying or letting Will know he had kept you there when you weren’t well and he gulped, fear crossing his face.

“Just now, after Cecil.” you quickly saved him and Austin sent you a thankful look which went unnoticed by Will, but not by Nico who quickly glanced at you but didn’t comment on it. He knew what it is like to receive the anger of Doctor Solace. It was endearing, but sometimes a bit much as Will didn’t stop until you were fully healthy again. Will eyed you in suspicion, but he reached for your other hand. As you left the infirmary, you sent a thankful nod towards Kayla, who just smiled mischievously in return, she didn’t mind covering your shift if it meant she got to tease her brother about it later.

As your boyfriends slowly walked you to the Hades cabin, you caught your foot on something and stumbled a bit forward, only to be quickly caught by two pairs of arms holding you steady.

“Can’t even keep yourself upright now?” Nico flatly joked and Will shook his head.

“My foot just got caught- I’m fine.” you said as you slightly pulled yourself out of their hands. Nico and Will exchanged a glance of worry as they unwillingly let you go, trailing behind you as they took each other's hands. You hadn’t picked up on the joke- which you normally easily did, you hadn’t joked back and you had shaken them off, not even given them the chance to hold your hands again.

You reasoned that trying to avoid your boyfriends, so you can just sleep and ignore everything for a bit, would be futile, especially since they seemed so admanted on hovering around you right now. You knew it was your tired brain talking- the only reason why they wanted to be close is because they cared, and you normally appreciated that, but today your whole body was against you and it was bothering you endlessly, which you didn’t want to accidentally take out on the people you love the most. You laid your back on the closest bunk bed- one that was unmade and Nico wondered why you didn’t take two more steps to lay in his bed. However, Will seemed to kindly ignore that and started his speech.

“Next time you feel even slightly unwell-” he pointedly looked at your pathetic form on the bed, “You tell me. I could’ve covered your shift, or something!” Will was frustrated because he wanted to take care of you, in fact he liked caring for you, what he did not like was you overexerting yourself even in the slightest, or being in pain. You groaned as you sat up and glared at him. “If you’re going to be like this, I will go to my own cabin and suffer there.” you felt yourself get smaller under the worrying gazes of your boyfriends, Will seemingly losing his will to lecture you. You looked away from them, feeling guilty for sounding so angry.

“I’m sorry I didn’t-” you started, and as you noticed Nico reaching for your hand you moved it away, “It’s probably better if I do that- I don’t want to-”

“No way.” Will said as he quickly crouched down, undoing your shoes for you, “What kind of boyfriend would I be if I let my significant other suffer alone.” He let out a small laugh and as your feet were freed from their prison, Nico softly tugged on your arm, gesturing for you to get up. Nico wasn’t sure why you had moved away from his touch, and he feared you would keep moving away when all he really wanted to do is make sure you would feel better soon. You reluctantly followed him to his bed, and he swiftly grabbed his blanket and put it around you. A warmth filled you as Nico pulled you into his bed, forcing you to join him and as you laid down you closed your tired eyes, snuggling close to him. He put his hand on your head, softly petting it.

“Just take a nap, we’ll be here if you need us.” Nico told you as you hummed in a sleepy agreement. Will looked at his boyfriend, simultaneously loving the sight of the two of you cuddled together and feeling a nasty helplessness. His lecture wasn’t meant to make you feel worse- it was meant to help, to show you he could help, they could help and yet- you had looked so downfallen and angry and it made him feel so bad. He wondered if he could allow himself to hold you, if he could find the words to ask. He looked Nico in the eye, only to see him questioning Will with just his gaze, wondering what the inner turmoil was about.

You on the other hand were finally resting, your body easily falling asleep before your mind did in the hold of your boyfriend. You were still missing another body, so you slowly lifted your head a little and opened your eyes as you yawned.

“Mmm, Will,” you looked at the boy still standing, “C’me here.” When he seemed reluctant to move you sat up a little, noticing the strong hold Nico had on you, as if he was unwilling to just let you get up again. “Will, I thought you wouldn’t let me suffer alone?” you joked as he looked up, a guilty face.

“You have Nico. I-” You squinted your eyes at him as you got your hand out of the blanket. “Please?” you just held out your hand and as Will saw the genuine love in your eyes his heart stuttered again. As he took your hand he realized that you did know that you could depend on them- but like Nico you were stubborn in the ‘needing help’ department. Will pressed a kiss on your forehead, sitting down next to Nico and laying his head on Nico’s shoulder, as he lifted your legs over his. As he noticed you drifting away he pressed a small kiss into Nico’s shoulder, who shivered at the touch, after which he leaned further into his boyfriend.

[444tsumu]

title Not His Type

rating ★ ★ ☆ nsfw content

word count 4,800+

warnings timeskip!mattsun, yes i’m writing that he still practices w the s4, anyways explicit content, matsukawa calls you a bitch, spitting, rough sex, spanking, mattsun fucks you in his car, oral sex (f!reader giving), don't be silly wrap your willy folks

author’s note thanks to @kansroji for forcing me encouraging me to write this self-indulgent mattsun fic, send her her flowers everyone bc this was just muah :*

summary Issei teaches you that the meaning behind the words ‘I hate you’ is a lot different from what you’re used to.

“God, do you ever shut the fuck up?”

“How could someone be such a bitch?”

“I don’t know Mattsun, you tell me.”

There are two things necessary to keep the world spinning on its axis: inertia, and the insatiable hatred between you and Issei Matsukawa.

No one quite knows where it came from. Maybe it was your lack of regard for his permanently disinterested personality, or maybe it was the insufferable habit you had of making a comment every time Matsukawa did as much as make a noise— whatever it was, it was a never ending cycle of pure repugnance.

His tone was light, yet knowing Iwaizumi, you knew it was wavering on a more strict tone you really didn’t want to hear today.

Oikawa watched the interaction between the three of you, eyes narrowing as he did something nobody appreciates from him: he started plotting.

Oikawa watched the interaction between the three of you, eyes narrowing as he did something nobody appreciates from him: he started plotting.

To you and Issei, the nature of your relationship was that there wasn’t one at all. There was nothing but an indescribable hatred that will never go away because you guys just physically can’t stand the other.

To everyone else though? In Hanamaki’s words, “you guys just needed to fuck and get it over with already.” Sexual tension couldn’t fill half of the void the storm you and Mattsun left after every exchanged word. It nearly swallowed the room, the only two not able to see it being yourself and the middle blocker.

With an inquisitive look on his face, Oikawa decided the only way to get rid of this long lasting rivalry being now or never. “My dear Y/L/N, bad news.”

The words brought you back down to Earth, making you bite down a glare at the bored man in front of you and turning towards the setter.

“As much as I’d love to be the one to take you home,” he winks at you, long arm reaching out to lightly press itself against your cheek and you already see where this is going, “I just can’t—”

“Tooru..” Your voice wavered the same way Iwaizumi infamously did.

“Seriously Y/N-Chan, I hate being the bearer of bad news..” The sparkle in his eyes made you clench your jaw to prevent the scream from slipping through your lips. “But I had almost promised Iwa-chan and Makki a ride today.”

You could hear the slick in his voice, and you absolutely hated it. You hated how you knew exactly what was being planned. You knew in Oikawa’s stupid little head, he was formulating a stupid little plan thinking things would work out in his own stupid little way.

“I’m not getting into that fucking asshole’s car—”

“Oikawa I will purposely crash if she as much as steps foot in my car—”

“Get your fucking feet off my dashboard.” You hear his voice growl, long fingers reaching in front of him to press the Start-Stop button on his car and get the engine running.

You didn’t mean to press a sock-covered foot onto it, it’s just that you needed to adjust the anklet resting against your skin. You hadn’t caught when his eyes glanced over at the diamonds either, remaining for a second too long to be appropriate and quickly force it’s way in front of him.

With a slightly exaggerated roll of your eyes, you threw your head against the headrest and stared through the window to your side. You were wishing there was an awkward silence to torture Matsukawa’s ears, but instead, his phone automatically connected to its Bluetooth and began to play a song you surprisingly recognized.

He drove faster than you were sure he was supposed to. As soon as you blinked, he had already backed out of Seijoh’s parking lot and sped through the secluded roads and towards the city you inhabited.

Unwillingly, of course, you managed to steal a few glances at the brown-haired man next to you. His face was (surprise) as uninterested as ever, eyebrows resting dully above his hooded lids and lips turned just slightly down enough to look like a frown. Every now and then, his lips would go along with the song and his tongue would swipe across his bottom lip and into the corner of his cheek.

Matsukawa wasn’t an ugly guy. There wasn’t enough hatred in your soul to even try to lie against the idea. He was extremely tall, extremely fit, had a nice smile, and his voice matched his looks. If he wasn’t such a stuck up, emotionless asshole, he’d probably be one of the hottest guys you’ve ever seen. If and probably, of course.

“Gotta staring problem?” He muttered, head bobbing to the song in the background and that in itself just brought your cholesterol an unhealthy amount higher.

“Shut the fuck up.”

“I see you have a lack of vocabulary too..” The banter between the two of you went back and forth, an awkward silence retching the car’s air after he sadly had the last word.

“I can’t believe there was a time you weren’t such a nuisance.” You nearly mouthed, words quiet enough to get lost within the lyrics of Kanye West, yet loud enough to get into Mattsun’s earshot and cause the car to abruptly park on the side of the nearly secluded road ahead of you.

“Hey, what the fu—”

“What’s your problem with me?” Matsukawa’s words haunted the air, and if you weren’t already awaiting his words, you might have actually been scared of the harshness in his tone.

“Me?” You questioned, using a hand to dramatically smack against your chest and glare at him in disbelief. “What’s your problem with me?”

He didn’t respond, only staring at you blankly and gripping on the steering wheel with enough aggression to taint the knuckles of his large hands white.

“Stop acting like a toddler,” the annoyance looked weird on him, and his usual nonchalant attitude disappeared with a mask of pure frustration that you’d be lying about if you said was ugly on him, “just tell me what the issue is so we can both stop whatever the fuck it is we have going on.”

“We,” you pointed between the two of you, “do not have anything going on, for your information.” You stubbornly crossed your arms across your chest, staring at him blankly and watching his large hand run across his face.

“You wouldn’t even be my type, you know damn well that isn’t what—”

Every word after the first half of the sentence drowned out as you continued to repeat it in your head. You wouldn’t even be my type. You wouldn’t even be my type. You wouldn’t even be my type…

“Earth to Y/N.” Mattsun snapped, glaring over at you and leaning his body back lazily against his driver’s seat. It was slightly reclined back, the comfortability of his position insinuating he didn’t plan on leaving until this conversation got somewhere.

“What do you mean I wouldn’t be your type?”

The words came out faster than you could acknowledge them. You didn’t regret speaking them, but you knew that they only worsened your situation. He would use this as if it was fuel to his never-ending out of fire of an ego and you hated it. The cold air in the car suddenly became more noticeable, goosebumps raising onto your exposed skin and making you feel as if all your senses were being ambushed.

“Well, well, well…” He begins to tease as if he was never angry, his large arms resting behind his head and that stupid smirk back onto his pink lips, “you feel some type of way about what I said?” His voice echoed into your ears as you did nothing but watch him in disbelief.

“You never stood a chance with me anyways.” You bit back at him.

Something in the air changed, but neither of you decided to acknowledge it. It was dark, the light from the dashboard doing nothing but illuminating your features and making Issei smirk to himself in the lack of lighting.

“How so?” He was antagonizing you, itching for you to continue to play his little game back with him because he had a plan. You could see it from the way he lazily blinked over at you, smirk still against his glowing face with nothing but arrogance and faux oblivion.

“You wouldn’t be able to handle me if you tried.”

Those words changed the aura within the car all in itself. You knew the double entendres of a statement could go any way with him. Deep down, you both knew exactly what you meant. Your words remained solid though, eyes staring at him like a fox refusing to glance away from his brown irises.

“Wanna try me?”

You were playing a dangerous game, you knew that. Something about you didn’t care though. There were many ways this conversation could’ve went, but you wouldn’t expect it to go in this direction.

The air in the room was thick, Issei’s brown irises watching you nothing short of predator like. No one spoke after those three words, and faintly, the change in mood also affected the change in genre of music as R&B began to slowly play through his speakers. You wanted to scoff.

His large ring covered hand suddenly inched towards your chin, gripping your jaw and forcing your eyesight on his own face. You weren’t one to blush, but the roughness to his calloused fingers brought a small tinge between your slightly exposed thighs.

“You gonna get in the back or I gotta force you back there?” His words commanded you, the strictness laced within the confines of his voice leaving you no option to do as he told.

Doing what Matsukawa said as if you were following his orders was something foreign to you. The temptation of doing as you pleased crossed the back of your mind, but the curiosity of seeing what he had in store filled you with much more satisfaction.

Without a word and instead settling for a simple eye roll, you kicked your shoes off and found your way between the two front seats and into the cold leather seats of the back of his car. It was cramped, surprisingly cleaner than you'd imagine, and smelt of nothing but Issei.

You would have enjoyed it if the circumstances were different.

Your body sat with your feet resting behind you, leaving a space open for him. The sound of his car door opening and shutting was the cause of the goosebumps rising against your skin.

Subconsciously, you knew were supposed to hate him. You were supposed to despise him for always being such an asshole to you, and you were never supposed to forgive him for anything he’s ever said to you out of his stupid smirking mouth.

You weren't supposed to be hopping into the backseat of his car after challenging him into sleeping with you. You weren’t supposed to be enjoying the feeling of his presence as it finally found its way next to you, the dark tints of his windows hiding his expression but not doing a good job at hiding the bulge hiding in the confinements of his sweatpants.

Your eyes glanced over his, quickly switching between the tent and his irises with an innocent smile on your face. “You gonna take those off or am I gonna have to force them off you?’

Mattsun had never laughed at anything you’d ever said. At least, never to your face. For the first time though, a soft chuckle left his lips as he hunched his body over and rolled his sweats down. You’d be lying if you said you never wanted to provoke that sound out of him again.

He wore Supreme black briefs, a smirk on his lips as he watched your eyes trail over to the excessively large print. His dick was long, curving deliciously to the left and making you fear for your own safety. The thought of that nearly made you drool.

Mattsun made a show of pulling his briefs down, his erection springing to life and showing you that he wasn't even fully hard yet. Maybe you would’ve felt some type of way about not arousing him as much as he was you, and you could thank the pool inside your panties for that, but something about it brought a glimmer to your eye Issei couldn’t ignore.

“Eager to suck my dick, huh?” His words ring against your ears, and you do nothing but give him a glare while getting on all fours across the backseat.

His long torso leaned against the car door, eyes boring onto your frame with a blank expression that drove you insane. You knew this was all an act, he had to have been pretending just to get a rise out of you. There was no way you could’ve missed the way his dick twitched when you got up to take your shorts off.

Your frame was left in a white t-shirt and a seamless green pair of panties known for their cheekster style. He would’ve told you that you looked absolutely delectable, but he'd never let you sit within that satisfaction.

You lowered yourself on all fours once again, holding your hair back with one hand and lowering yourself down between his long limbs. Your eyes just couldn't look away, the large veins running up and down his perfect looking length in a way that made you embarrassingly ready to shove it down your throat already.

And without another word, you opened your lips and allowed a trail of saliva to sliver down the underside of his dick. His thighs tensed up, but as you watched him through your lashes while lowering your lips onto his tip, his bored and expressionless face remained the same.

He couldn't take his eyes off the sight in front of him, as much as he'd hate to admit it. Your ass was up in the air, back arched in a way that nearly made him release a groan as your pretty little mouth left sloppy kisses along his throbbing tip. You used a free hand to run down his cock slowly, hands landing underneath his thick balls and holding them alongside the bottom half of his dick.

He tried to hold the hiss you took out of him, but you used that as an excuse to make him suffer even more. Almost as if it were a competition, you sucked your cheeks in while taking the rest him that fit into your mouth agonizingly slow.

Matsukawa was too big, not that you were complaining. You didn’t have much of a gag reflex, but his size goes beyond that. So in order to accommodate to the situation at hand, you lolled your tongue out across your bottom lip and easily slipped a bit more than half of him down your throat until he felt his tip tickle the back of it.

“Holy fuck..” He breathed out, words stopping as he bit his lip and tilted his head to get a better look at you.

Your eyes began to water, but you ignored the sensation to take a deep breath as you began to massage his balls and lower half with your saliva covered hands. You began to move your mouth in the opposite direction of your hands, touching just enough of his balls with your tongue to get him to grip a chunk of your hair from within your own hand.

“Fuck, just like that.” You never took your eyes off him, and Matsukawa found it even harder to control himself with the way you took so much of him with so much ease.

You hollowed your cheeks as you slipped his now fully-hard dick out your mouth. Trails of saliva followed, the explicit view of your teary eyes and sloppy lips making him groan within his throat.

“Fuck my throat.”

The words were harsh, your expression being just as blank as his once was, and Issei realized he wasn’t really the one in control here. Not if all it took was for you to tell him what to do and he was scrambling to do it like second nature.

His lips revealed that lazy smirk you wanted to fuck off his face, the large hand gripping your hair nearly shoving his dick back into your fresh, wet mouth. “Don’t mind if I do, princess.”

The nickname he called you didn't even have time to register in your mind, the sensation of Matsukawa forcing your head up and down his dick as much as he could being the only thing on your brain. You couldn't help the tears from slipping down your cheeks, eyes opening once again to hazily look over to the ones burning a hole into your face.

Matsukawa couldn’t find it in himself to look away from you. He wasn't sure if it was the tears, or the way you allowed him to fuck your throat so easily, or the drool leaking down into the balls you fondled at the same time, or even the way the hand once gripping your own hair found its way between your legs as he watched you play with yourself, but Issei decided this image was going to ruin everyone else for him.

He already decided he couldn't get enough of you. The sound of your gags filled with car in a nearly pornographic way, yet not once did you ask him to stop and he took note of that. 

“Fuck,” he broke out, eyes struggling to watch yours as his lips parted open, “you’re gonna make me cum,” his words were interrupted by a load groan. Your tongue found its way back onto his balls as his tip rammed into the back of your throat and Issei felt his toes curl. “Fuck, fuck, fuck..”

Right on time, you went against his strong grip and popped his dick out of your mouth with saliva drooling down in a way that looked so forbidden, Issei was sure he would’ve came at that sight alone.

“That was...”

“Not your type?” You bit at him, a mocking smile on your lips as you bit your lip and found your way onto the comfort of his lap.

It was weird, the way you felt like you fit perfectly within his frame as if it was a piece of a puzzle. Matsukawa would agree if he could, hands nearly instinctively finding its way onto the globed of your ass and pulling the fabric of your panties over and over again.

“Never in a million years.”

His smirk haunted you, lidded eyes staring at you once again and you realize Issei Matsukawa is a really hard guy to get a reaction out of. So taking the challenge yet again, you stared at him just as emotionless. Your fingers lifted the patch stuck to your folds, and the trail of wetness that dripped over onto both you and his own thighs was nearly sinful to the sore eyes.

It was hard to imagine taking a dick you were sure you could see in your stomach with such an expression, and you wouldn’t wish that suffering on your worst enemy. You couldn’t believe how much just half of him stretched your insides out, your walls sucking him in and barely being able to hold it in together.

“Don't worry, take your time.” Matsukawa’s tone was beyond condescending, the taunt behind his words bringing an anger within you enough to cloud your mind of all common sense. It was unexpected, the way your body just shoved the rest of him inside of your tight, pulsating hole and rested all your body weight on top of him.

“Fuck!” Both of you yelped out, your hands clawing at his chest while his gripped your ass cheeks apart in nothing but a burning sensation.

He filled you up to the brim, the sureness of him hitting your cervix causing your eyes to flutter at the feeling. You bit your lip, adjusting your body to where your feet were on either side of him on the backseat and your body was more able to move.

His eyes widened in surprise at your actions, the sound of both of your pants alongside the music that was long forgotten struggling to keep you attentive. Without warning, you lifted your body up and slammed back down onto him. The action brought a pretty little gasp out your lips, mouth parted and eyes clenched at just how fucking amazing the curve and thickness of his cock was.

“C’mon baby,” he whispered into your ears, hands reaching over to intertwine themselves with your own so you got better balance, “fuck me like you mean it.”

“You’re such an asshole.” You breathed out, beginning to bounce your body up and down his dick perfect enough to hear the squelching sounds of your wetness after every impact. Issei groaned, eyes glued to the sight of where your pussy swallowed him whole and spit him back out over and over again.

“Mm, what else baby?”

Issei’s bored resolve started to crack, groans slipping through his lips in a way that made you tighten up against him even more if it were possible. Your hands gripped his intertwined ones, bouncing up and down faster than you could probably handle. The sensation of his dick hitting your cervix over and over causing you to arch your back closer into his body as you bounced.

The sound of your body slamming into his began to quicken, the strength of your legs giving up as you realized his started to fuck you back from the bottom and drill his length into you.

“Fuck, Issei…” You moaned out embarrassingly loud, Mattsun’s eyes watching you with curiosity in his irises from the way he wanted to figure out how to get you to moan out like that again.

“Don’t be shy now,” he teased, the strain in his voice telling you that even if he was torturing you with the pounding of his dick, he was enjoying it just as much as you, “where’d all that mouth go, pretty?”

You felt yourself clench at the nickname, head leaning back and leaving your neck open for him to lick a trail over towards your jaw and softly bite the plush skin. The windows began to fog up, the sensation of your poor pussy taking him in and out and quick pace causing the car to jump up and down with each stroke.

“F-fuck,” you stuttered out, nearly crying out when his hands found it’s way towards under your ass to support you as he drilled all of this thickness into your throbbing pussy.

The familiar knot began to grow within your stomach, and your hand found it’s way between his messy locks only to grab it and tilt his head roughly back against the window. A surprised groan left his lips, eyes staring up at you widely with a smirk endured from straight pleasure shot up his lips.

“You gonna cum all on daddy’s dick?”

Usually the words would have made you cringe, and you wanted to bite a snarky remark at him for the name. Yet something in you grew feral at the sentence, beginning to rub your clit against him each time you harshly dropped down as you roughened your grip on his hair.

“Fuck yes, daddy, make me cum,” your words tickled his ears, the moans at the end of each word bringing Matsukawa into a state of euphoria. He could hear you say that to him for the rest of his life, if he could.

“Come on baby,” he groaned out harshly, smacking your ass enough to leave a sting that made you cry out into his neck, “give it to me!”

His words echoed in your ears, your loud cries like music to his ears as he watched you fuck him back just as rough as he was being with you. Your hand pulled his head back once again, his scalp hitting the window harshly but he didn’t care once your lips came crashing onto his.

It was nothing but teeth and tongue, sucking on each other’s muscles and making out as if nothing in this world could ever be right again without it. His hands gripped your ass once again, spreading them harshly apart and spanking them with as much toughness that went into spiking a volleyball.

You screamed into his mouth, words being unable to come out as he began to drill into you even rougher and faster than you knew was possible. Your legs had long given out at this point, simply being tossed up and down like a rag doll by Issei’s strong arms and cocky attitude. You were in heaven, even if you’d never admit it.

“I— I hate you,” you fought to yelp out, pussy beginning to squeeze at the feeling you knew all too well as you stared into his eyes and made him look at you as if he was seeing God, “but you fuck me— fuck, you fuck me so good..”

Your words became faint whispers, stars beginning to formulate instead of his once brown irises and bring you into a state of euphoria.

“Daddy I’m gonna—” The words were stolen from your lips as Matsukawa slammed your lips against his own and gripped your back close to his chest.

“Cum baby,” he groaned into your lips, your own sounds preventing you from being able to kiss him back as your covered tits bounced into the confinement of his chest, “cum on daddy’s big dick.”

The words brought a vibration within you, a mantra of the words daddy and please slipping as you felt the euphoria take over your body and leave you with nearly nothing inside you. Issei could practically feel you cum, his own resolve giving out as his shot his thick cum into your throbbing pussy and bringing another scream from between your swollen lips.

“Take it, good girl— fuck yes..” Words slipped from his mouth without his own permission, the sensation of your pussy holding him within you as if it never wanted to let him go and he really wouldn’t mind.

Nothing but your struggles to catch your own breath filled the car, his own haunting the ghost of your ear as you laid out across his chest with saliva threatening to slip from your lips and cum leaking down both of your thighs. It was absolutely disgusting if you really thought about it, but the idea of knowing you had just slutted each other out so sinfully brought your toes to curl one last time.

No one said a word, and as much as you wanted to comment on how he was still gripping your chest against his own, you decided to go against it and try to find reality from the solitude of his wide chest. You could hear Brent Faiyaz on the radio, the view of just how foggy the windows were making you giggle to yourself.

“What’s funny?” The rumble of the words against his chest caused your pussy to throb once again, and you had almost forgotten he was still lodged inside of you with a load of cum threatening to spill out.

“Nothing.” Your voice was gone, and as embarrassing as it was, Issei mentally found himself obsessing over how raspy it got.

The silence was calm, yet the awkward conversation of what next lingered within the air between the two of you. You knew it was going to come soon, and you weren’t really sure of what could possibly happen afterwards. There was no going back from this, Issei Matsukawa had fucked you so good, you never wanted to fuck anyone else again.

The first to break it was Mattsun, which took you by surprise. His large hands found their way towards you cheek, caressing your head as his pushed you back far enough to face him with fucked out eyes and swollen lips and Issei convinces himself you’re one of the seven wonders of the world.

“We should do that again sometime.” He suggests, bored eyes staring into yours as you noticed the small smile lifting amongst the corner of his lips. You wanted to smile back, but the idea of having some more fun with him seemed quite better.

“Eh,” you replied, lifting your weakened body back into his straddling state and biting your lips as you placed both hands across his broad chest. You notice the way his cock twitches hungrily within you, and you realize you were gonna enjoy this a bit too much.

He’s seeing stars, thinking the hottest thing he’s ever seen is a fucked out you staring at him this way and you realize you’ve finally won. You stare at him, bored eyes and a lazy smirk on your lips mimicking the face he spent all his life mastering.

“You’re not really my type.”

                             © 444TSUMU 2021

[hannya-writes]

What Kind of Men is Your Type?

Title: What Kind of Men is Your Type?

Fandom: Jujutsu Kaisen

Pairing: Fushiguro Megumi x Reader

Other characters: Todou, Panda, Mentions of Gojo, Nanami y Okkotsu Yuuta

Category: fluff? I don’t think this can pass as angst, romance

Warnings: Reader being ridiculously strong at least physically, me making up a curse technique because… why not? Todou beeing a bit OOC because there are circumstances (you’ll see), oh yeah! Reader being a little bit... crazy and overprotective?

Author's note: I love Megumi and I always wanted to do what happens in this fic LOL, so yeah this is pretty self indulgent. Also, this may become a serie of Drabbles (?) BTW gif not mine I took it from google Images

• • •

Todou gave Fushiguro the first punch and it sent him into the sunlight. There was an exchange of words, toads with wings appeared but the older student didn't back away from the fight.

You saw Todou attack your friend, you froze, every punch made your heart clench with pure horror and fear. You had only lost sight of him for a couple of minutes. You wouldn't be so afraid if you knew Fushiguro was taking the fight seriously, but you knew he wasn't. Megumi didn't have in him the cruelty to hurt a fellow sorcerer just because, unlike you.

You weren't from a "respectable" house nor had a family member who was a sorcerer. But your Innate technique had been of great interest to certain curse users that thought it would be fine to use you like a tool for their own achievements. Because with your Innate technique you were able to turn Curses into curse objects besides being able to "eat" curses, which increased your cursed energy. Fortunately, Gojo Satoru saved you. Or at least that was the version of the story he had told you to say since, in his words:

"It's not a good idea to brag about killing people, especially with that pretty face, isn't she pretty, Megumi?"

You were 10 at the time and had nothing. Gojo gave you all, a home, food, a semblance of love, clothes and even your best friend: Megumi. You ate, played and trained by his side, he taught you the pleasure of reading. He had a big, golden heart. You will always protect him, even from his stupid suicidal tendency if needed.

You were allowed to hit him, kick him and even bite him. You were supposed to protect him from this situation.

"I'm not done" you heard the stranger say, your body had moved on it's own. Your foot connected with him in a frontal kick and he broke through the wood structure against which Megumi was cornered.

— Y/n? — Megumi asked surprised, confused probably because of the wound in his head.

— Megumi, what happened? — he shook his head but stopped after a second, regretting his decision since it made him feel nauseous. — you scared me! — you admitted hitting him in the shoulder. — why are you fighting? — you cleaned the blood on his forehead.

He huffed as an answer, which annoyed you but you understood it meant he was alright.

— where's Todou? — he asked and you looked at him perplexed, not understanding what he meant — he might attack back — he saw into your eyes, you were worried. He knew, he understood why. If there was something you were afraid of it was of losing the ones you cared about and you cared about him. He hated himself for making you worry.

— oi, oi — Todou's voice grew closer — what kind of men is your type? — he asked looking at you, Megumi tsked noticing Todou's new interest in you. He did not want you to fight him, you could get hurt and he wasn't going to let that happen.

— don't answer — he said in an angry tone but you did it anyway

— I like smart men that are taller and stronger than me — your answer made Megumi scowl at you, he had heard that description before, about himself.

— I told you not to answer — his anger makes you laugh.

— It will be rude If I don't answer — you said ignoring Todou approaching both of you. It's only when he's almost a step behind you that Panda attacks — besides, it is not like it is a secret — you remind him and he sighs frustrated.

— you have no shame — he mutters scratching the back of his head

— now that I think about it… who's that?— you point behind you with your thumb.

— Todou Aoi, from Kyoto — he says and you turn around to see Panda making a wrestling move over Todou who seems to have lost interest in fighting.

— Panda-sempai — you chastised him seeing how Todou is being contorted, Panda let go of the student and you offer your hand to him — I'm sorry about that — you tell him, offering your hand to help him and his eyes suddenly light up when he sees you. Because this is the moment when he allows himself to check you out, and he likes what he sees, even if you are not exactly his type. In his mind this is the perfect scene for him to meet his beloved Takada.

— Don't apologize — Megumi says behind you and you giggle at his annoyance. Your giggles sound a bit like Takada, Todou notices and he blushes surprised.

— It is a pleasure, miss…? — he says, asking for your name. His big hands envelopes yours. Megumi feels his pulse rising in his temple as he sees Todou making heart eyes to you.

— Y/l/n Y/n, the pleasure is mine — you present yourself politely

— Miss Y/n, wo-would you go out in a date with...— his words trigger Megumi, without letting him complete the phrase he puts his foot in Todous face. Barely kicking him, pushing him away from you, making him let go of your hand.

— Let's go to the nursery — he tells you walking away, you sigh at him. As soon as you reach him and start walk by his side you hug him from the side and he passes a hand over your shoulders leaning for stability since he's still a bit dizzy.

— don't get jealous, he's not my type — you said and he rolls his eyes.

— I'm not jealous — he says matter-of-fact — he's taller and stronger than you — he points out and you laugh softly at his words.

— Gojo, Yuuta and Nanami do too — Megumi side glares at you — but we can cross Gojo and Nanami-san under the excuse that they are too old for me and Todou-san… well, he has too many muscles — you pause on your musing for a moment, he notices that you hadn't excluded Yuuta Okkotsu — so you don't have to worry — you smile, happy with your attempt of comforting him, he doesn't feel better.

He's not stupid, he notices that you didn't cross Yuuta and yes, he knows how you feel about him but he's sure that you only feel that way for the time that you two had spent together. The thing is, he feels the same but can't admit it even to himself.

— I'm not worried — he says avoiding looking at you, your laugh makes him turn a bit towards you as you smile.

— but you're still going after Todou in the goodwill event, aren't you? — you ask, looking at him. He looks away as if afraid of being catch watching you, hiding a tiny spec of pink in his cheeks.

— shut up — he tells you, annoyed as usual but in his tone you can hear that you just hit the bullseye. The arm around your shoulders pulls you closer, but he barely leans on you. He uses the excuse of his head wound to get closer to you.

— uh? Y/n what are you doing here? — Nobara asks you when she's leaving

— I'm waiting for Megumi — you answer leaning into the wall outside the nursery

— makes sense — she said looking at you with curiosity — can I ask you something? — when you nod she continues — what did Todou told you to get in Fushiguro's worst side? — her question almost makes you blush, so he really was jealous

— I have no idea — you lie protecting Megumi's facade

— uh weird he decided that he's going to kick his ass — she comments and you smile, at first your smile is warm, moved by Megumi's decision but a moment later your smile is a bit sadistic.

— no, he won't, I'll get to him first and will beat him half to dead, after all he dared to attack Megumi — Nobara shivers, feeling your murderous instinct. She can't avoid thinking that you two are just made for each other.

[jamaisjoons]

the summer bucketlist | m.list

When the weather sees the return of sunshine and warmth, the joy and exuberance of summer is revived, and everyone rushes to enjoy the season to the fullest. Bonfire nights with your friends, seeing brilliant firework displays or laying under the stars on a humid night and watching the world go by. Learning to surf, or dive or snorkel or simply collecting seashells along the shore. Late nights at the amusement parks, thrilling roller-coaster rides or spectacular views on the Ferris Wheel. Skinny dipping in a lake after dark, attending a film or music festival, or even just visiting the popup street market in your city. Everything you had been dreaming off since the start of autumn, you can do once again. And who better to do it with, than the boys who bring more joy and warmth to our lives than summer itself?

Welcome to ‘The Summer Bucketlist’ - a writing event/author collab hosted by @jamaisjoons​

The Summer Bucketlist: BTS Edition - is an event in which various different authors can sign up to write a story based on traditional Bucketlist Items. Find their stories below!

⟶ song of the sea; knj ⇥ @jamaisjoons​       ➳ fantasy au. little mermaid au.            ↳   ⎡Take a Trip to the Museum⎦

« Captivated by the sight of you, he can’t help but watch you swim around his home. And when you turn to leave, he doesn’t know what overcomes him - but as if spellbound - he finds himself following you back to land. »

⟶ molotov cocktail; jhs ⇥ @yeoldontknow​      ➳ bartender au. arranged marriage au.           ↳   ⎡Take a Cocktail Class⎦

«  You met him January, on a night when you were newly single and newly wanting to break free from your father’s unyielding control. You left him in January, full of regret but full of purpose. You meet him again in July, and now you want nothing more than to run to the ends of the earth with him, to burn down the shape your life has taken in the hope of making something new. »

⟶ luminous; pjm ⇥ @luffles424​     ➳ summer festival au. tentacle monster au.          ↳   ⎡Watch Fireworks⎦

« The Busan summer festival is your favorite event of the year. You like all the food and things to do, but your favorite part is watching the fireworks at the end of the night, gathered with friends and family. It’s fun and joyous. Except this year you’re spending it without them. So you find a secluded spot on the beach to watch alone. Except... you might not be as alone as you thought you were out here.  »

⟶ sticky situation; kth ⇥ @jiminsfault​     ➳ camping au. established relationship au.          ↳   ⎡Go Camping⎦

« You hate camping, but Taehyung is determined on changing your mind on that. »

⟶ pull me in; jhs ⇥ @guccybangtan​     ➳ established relationship au.          ↳   ⎡Go to a Water Park⎦

« In the heat of the summer, there's nothing more relaxing than relaxing than a nice trip to the water park.  »

⟶ a beautiful epiphany; jjk ⇥ @onherwings​     ➳ friends to lovers au.           ↳   ⎡Join an Art Contest⎦

« Who would have thought that falling in love with your muse could either lead to something beautiful or bring you to your own demise? »

⟶ love grows where you go; myg ⇥ @rookiegukie​    ➳ arranged marriage au. pining au.         ↳   ⎡Watch the Sunset on the Beach⎦

« Determined to make you and Yoongi grow closer for your upcoming wedding in two weeks, your parents plan a trip for the both of you that lasts five days long. You know you should be ecstatic about it, considering your longtime crush on your fiancé, but by how you're positive that he secretly despises your whole being, you don't find this mini vacation with him something to look forward to. That is until things take an unexpected turn and suddenly, he makes it apparent he doesn’t hate you at all as you reckoned.  »

⟶ petrichor; pjm ⇥ @taetaewonderland​    ➳ strangers to lovers au. domestic au.         ↳   ⎡Go on a Picnic⎦

« There are smells in the world that can trigger your brain to think of a memory almost in an instant. »

⟶ sun cockblock; myg ⇥ @cremeandsuga​    ➳ best friends to lovers au. summer au.         ↳   ⎡Join a Sandcastle Building Competition⎦

« Cancún was always a trip to remember - sun, beaches, hookups and day drinking, not to mention the annual sand castle competition you entered with your best friend every year. Yoongi smells like Copper Tone sunblock and heaven. Entering a sandcastle competition with one of the least competitive people in the world was pure agony — but it didn’t dawn to you that your best friend wasn’t competitive because he was confident he would win. Upon your loss, he sees you trying to soothe the burn of it (and the sun) with the beach bartender. He may smell like Copper Tone sunblock and heaven, but he’s sure you feel like heaven.  »

⟶ rejuvenation; myg & jhs ⇥ @caught-in-a-seesaw-stigma​    ➳ spa owners au.         ↳   ⎡Treat Yourself to a Spa Day⎦

« You finally get a break from work and you decide to indulge in a little pampering and self-care. During lunch, your friend slips a card into your hand for an exclusive spa with a special referral discount. How can you resist? Let’s hope the Bangtan Blossoms Spa provides the relaxation & rejuvenation experience you desperately seek. »

⟶ just a taste; kth ⇥ @xjoonchildx​   ➳ pwp au.        ↳   ⎡Go Wine Tasting⎦

« He’s hot. he’s considerate. He’s refusing to make a move. weeks of sexual frustration come to a head at a wine tasting and -- this is going to shock NO ONE -- smut ensues. »

⟶ lollipop; myg ⇥ @ironicarmy​   ➳ neighbours to lovers au.        ↳   ⎡Attempt to make Ice Cream⎦

« It’s a hot summer day, he’s desperate, and your ice lollies taste like heaven.  »

⟶ carnival lights; kth ⇥ @taephilia​   ➳ haunted carnival au. horror au.        ↳   ⎡Visit a Carnival⎦

« With half of your friend group graduated and leaving your hometown to move to the city for work, you and your friends decide to have one last adventure together (in the words of hobi even though it’s only may and you see each other like every day). But things are always different in the nighttime and you never know what’s lurking between the funnel cakes. »

⟶ midnight menagerie; knj ⇥ @jooneggs​  ➳ friends to lovers au.       ↳   ⎡Go to a Botanical Garden⎦

« Like water, cradling your fragile soul, Namjoon has held the lily of your heart all your life and you wish you could let him know just how much that means to you. Coincidentally, it just so happens you can: in a week's time when you're stuck in the holiday of your life at Namjoon's father's Botanical gardens. Will you finally get to repay him in a bed of roses or will he be the one to make the bouquet for you? »

⟶ ferris drink; jhs ⇥ @salvejoon​  ➳ pwp au. established relationship au.       ↳   ⎡Ride a Ferris Wheel⎦

« Your boyfriend has a bucket list of places he wants to do the nasty and next up is a Ferris Wheel. »

⟶ hose wars; ksj & myg ⇥ @babybinnyboy​  ➳ neighbour au.       ↳   ⎡Have a Water Fight⎦

« Spending a summer in a little coastal town was supposed to be relaxing. It wasn't supposed to include a broken AC unit, record break heatwave, a hose, 2 ridiculously confident, attractive neighbors with an annoyingly low fence. »

⟶ cut shot; myg ⇥ @kimtaehyunq​  ➳ vacation au. established relationship au.       ↳   ⎡Learn to Volleyball⎦

« He hates the water, he hates the heat, and he hates the Sun. Any form of physical activity is a big no-no, yet Min Yoongi will go out of his way to show that he loves you on your mini vacation. »

⟶ eternal summer; pjm ⇥ @aiimaginesbts​  ➳ childhood friends to lovers au. vacation au.       ↳   ⎡Go Sightseeing on Vacation⎦

« Breaking up with my boyfriend leaves an empty spot on the overseas vacation that I had been looking forward to for a long time. I’m torn between abandoning the trip or going it solo when someone offers to tag along. However, having Jimin, my best friend go with me may not be the best idea — since my crush on him has never gone away. »

⟶ sway with me; knj & jhs ⇥ @minjoonalist​ ➳ established relationship au.      ↳   ⎡Take a Boat Ride⎦

« You love celebrating your anniversary, it was the only special part about summer that you looked forward to every year- But when your husband Is unable to make the availability due to his job- You thought why not make the best of it? »

⟶ ecstatic shock; jhs ⇥ @iluvstrawberry​ ➳ strangers to lovers au. abo au.      ↳   ⎡Host a BBQ⎦

« The garden party your parents throw every year is coming up. Seeing your conservative parents, is something you definitely don’t want to face on your own. But with all your friends being busy, you’ve decided to accept your fate and drown your sorrows at your favourite bar. Enter: Jung Hoseok, bartender, lifesaver and the most gorgeous guy you’ve ever seen. »

⟶ kaleidoscopic; knj ⇥ @boywivlove​ ➳ established relationship au.     ↳   ⎡Go Paintballing⎦

« You and Namjoon decide to blow off some steam and go to a paint balling range, one multicoloured blitzkrieg later; bruised, sweaty and victorious you celebrate your win. »

⟶ undercurrent; jjk ⇥ @jjungkooksthighs ➳ best friends to lovers au. post college au.     ↳   ⎡Go Diving⎦

« After a year and six months of sea fare and many more nights of sunken eyes that had been dotted with the black shadings of sleeplessness that you’d helped to nurse him because of, the fruits of your best friend’s efforts had earned him the completion of his mission to map the entire eastern seaboard. In all his work, though, Jungkook has not gotten the chance to dive at many of the areas scattered around the ocean in the vastness of the seas. You decide to take him to a previously unmarked, unmapped sector of the sea after following his own nautical charts. The catch is this: you’re afraid of the water. What happens when you find yourself following after him and into the arms of the sea after years of pent up sexual frustration that you blame entirely on him? »

a/n: this is incredibly late but onefgeoingoeitng i hope you enjoy reading all of these works! If you participated in the collab but your fic isn’t on here, it’s because it hasn’t appeared in the tags! please feel free to DM with the link to the fic!!

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Drunk, Not Stupid | Shikamaru Nara x OC

HELLO HI YES THIS IS PURE SELF INDULGENT SMUT I REGRET NOTHING. This fic was born from talking about a Band!AU on my discord server for an August event!! I couldn't think of any SFW contributions so I just wrote and drew this LMAO. Check out the full piece on my Twitter and consider dropping me a follow over there and here if you like my work!! I HOPE YOU GUYS LIKE THIS IT WAS REALLY FUN!! Also please let me know if the drunk writing style is too distracting and I will adjust for future fics!! I figured it was better than just putting a lot of vowels on the ends of words HAHAHAHAH

Pairings: Shikamaru x OC

Word Count: 6.1K

Genre: Smut

Warnings: Alcohol consumption, dubcon (drunk sex, but both are consenting)

Contents: 18+ MINORS DNI!! Band!AU, porn with plot, protected sex, dirty talk, pretty tame compared to some other stuff. this is just pure self indulgence okay

Summary: After finally getting her sinking bar afloat thanks to Sasuke Uchiha's band, Yuuna spends some time with the bassist after hours to get to know him a little better.

It wasn't easy owning and operating a bar. It especially wasn't easy trying to organize events in an attempt to keep said bar from going under. But somehow, they had managed. With a few clever marketing schemes and the right band, Haruki had managed to put them back on the map and now their business was booming. Their bar had become one of the more successful venues in this particular strip of downtown, and Yuuna was forever indebted to her best friend for allowing her dream to stay alive.

Of course, Sasuke Uchiha's band had something to do with it as well. Not only was their punk rock music the best in town, but Sasuke himself was quite the looker. Most of the people who attended the shows were women who paid to get in just to get a glimpse of his handsome face. Were the owners complaining? Of course not. More customers meant more money. More money meant they were able to hire back the band for more gigs at higher prices to pay them what they rightfully were due. That was another one of Haruki's brilliant marketing schemes. Pretty boys always make for good advertising.

Sasuke wasn't the only looker in the band, though. Not to Yuuna. In fact, she found herself drawn to the bassist more than anyone else. There was something about the way he stood on stage so calm and collected, with that look on his face that said he didn't care about anything other than playing his guitar. The way he would run his tongue over his top lip as he played those licks that made Naruto's lead guitar sound even better. The way he seemed to look so relaxed while he was up on stage, plucking the strings of his bass guitar with calloused fingers as he closed his eyes and allowed his soul to come through in his music. That, to Yuuna, was much more attractive.

The first time she had spoken to Shikamaru was during the intermission of their first show at her venue. As part of the deal, all the band members got three free drinks. She was surprised to say the least when he came to the bar and refused to take them without paying.

"Look, don't be a pain. Just take the money for the damn beer."

No matter how much she refused, he kept waving that bill around. Eventually she gave in and took the money from him. They'd come to perform at the venue five times, and every time, he refused to take a drink for free.

Sometimes running an entertainment venue had its perks. After the band's seventh performance at the club, Yuuna and Haruki had made enough money that they wouldn't have to worry about paying the building's rent for a few months. Haruki had taken the deposits to the bank for the night and left Yuuna to close up shop. Of course, being one of the owners, she didn't have to close up right away. Instead, once everyone was gone, she decided to celebrate by cracking open a brand new bottle of rum and mixing it with some Coke. She pulled out a beer from the mini fridge and cracked it open, then set it down on the bar top and slid it over to the bassist in front of her whom she invited to stay after hours.

"These are on me tonight, I'm not letting you pay for any more drinks." She stated firmly with a smile, sipping at her mix and walking around the bar to sit next to him. She raised her glass up. "To making money."

Shikamaru chuckled and raised his bottle up and clinked it on the side of the glass. "To making money."

They both pulled their drinks away and he took a swig from his bottle. Yuuna, on the other hand, downed practically her whole drink in nearly one gulp. She set the glass down with a clink and sighed, wiping the excess drink from her lips with a giggle.

"Woah, take it easy. You're gonna make yourself sick." He said, furrowing his brow and staring down at the bartender beside him. "At this rate you're gonna go through a whole bottle of booze."

"Well, thanks to you guys, we did well enough tonight that I can afford to replace whatever I drink." Yuuna chuckled, standing up and skipping behind the bar to pour herself another rum and Coke with an extra shot of booze. She walked around the bar and sat on the stool next to him. The dim lighting of the overhead LEDs reflected off his face in a way that accentuated every little gorgeous detail of his face. She caught herself staring and looked into her drink then took a swig. She placed the glass down with a light clink. "So, thank you. Looks like Haruki and I will be able t' keep this place up and runnin' for a bit longer."

Shikamaru smirked and took a swig from his beer bottle, wiping the dribble that leaked from his lip.

"Glad to help out, I suppose." He drummed his fingers along the side of the bottle. "So how'd you end up runnin' this place anyways?"

She scoffed and rolled her eyes, gulping down a mouthful of mixed drink. She set the half empty glass down with a sigh and rested her head in her hand. "I bought this place with my friend wh'n we turned nineteen. Took out some loans 'n put in a lot of savings. We kept it runnin' smoothly for a few years until one night Kaede said she was goin' t' the bank with some deposits and she never showed up again. Took twenty thousand dollars with her and jus' bailed. Tried callin' her and our mutual friends to get a hold of her and nothin'. Ended up callin' the cops. Turns out she didn't even exist in the city records. She'd been using a fake name 'n a fake ID and she'd gotten away with twenty grand. Never saw her again."

"Jesus Christ," he uttered, pulling his bottle up to his lips. He clinked the empty glass down onto the bar top. "That's a bummer."

"No kidding," She agreed, stepping out of her chair and heading back around the bar to get him another beer. She opened the bottle and placed it on the coaster in front of him. "I thought my life was over. I was twenty one 'n had spent most 'f my savings on this place, and it was gone like that."

"How'd you get it floatin' again?" He inquired, sipping from his fresh bottle. She walked back around the bar and sat next to him again, drinking from her glass.

"I told Haruki 'n she put in her savings to help me out. She didn't have to, but she did. She's been a marketing genius and had managed to get us back in the green. We've still got a ways to go before we've paid off all the loans we took out bu' four years later we're finally able to not have t' worry about if we're gonna be able to pay the rent this month."

"Damn, that whole thing sounds like a drag." He huffed, tapping his nails against the bottle.

"Oh, totally. But we made th' most money we've ev'r made tonight thanks to you an' the rest of the band, so," She smiled at him and nudged his arm with her elbow. "Thank you."

He returned the smile and took another drink from his bottle. "It's nothin'."

They stared at each other for a few moments. She was expecting him to look away, but he kept his mocha eyes fixated on her. Her face heated up but she wasn't sure if it was because she was drunk or because he was making her blush. She inched closer to him, and noticed he was doing the same. Their faces drew closer and closer until their lips hovered over one another's. Their hearts were pounding and their faces were flushed. Without any more hesitation, she closed the space between their lips and leaned into him. He lifted his free hand up to her face where he held it against his, pulling her in closer. She brushed her tongue over his lips and he parted them just enough for her tongue to graze the tip of his own. She licked into his mouth, the taste of his alcohol still fresh on his tongue. She let out a soft moan and he did the same. They pulled away after a moment, the string of saliva connecting their mouths dissipating as they separated.

"...I should prob'ly lock up." She whispered, opening her eyes and looking up into his. He ran his thumb along her cheek and pulled her into another kiss before pulling away and chugging the rest of his beer.

After finishing her own drink, she took the empties back around to the bar and tossed the bottles into the recycling and her glass into the sink where she swore she'd clean it tomorrow. Yuuna ran to the back to get her jacket and almost tripped over a chair on the way back, but managed to catch herself and avoid face planting in front of Shikamaru. He chuckled and took his guitar in his left hand, and shoved his right into his pocket. They walked out into the brisk fall air and she locked the door to the establishment. She checked once, twice, three times, four just to make sure, then turned to look up at the cute bassist that stood before her.

"Welp, I'm goin' this way," She slurred, pointing in the general direction of her apartment.

"You gonna be okay gettin' home by yourself?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at the bartender in front of him.

"S' only a ten minute walk. I'll be fine." She stated, swaying a little as she spoke. Shikamaru wasn't convinced.

"Start walkin'. I'll make sure you get home safe." He instructed. He pulled his right hand from his pocket and used it to push her along. "It'd be a pain if somethin' were t' happen to ya walkin' by yerself knowin' I could've helped."

"I've made this walk every day, m' still fine." She chuckled, leaning into him as they made their way down the sidewalk. "But I 'preciate the concern."

"Doesn't mean it won't ever happen." He protested, reaching into his back pocket to pull out his package of cigarettes. He took one between his lips then pulled out his lighter to ignite it. "Bett'r safe than sorry."

Ten minutes later they got to her apartment without any trouble. She walked up to her front door and hesitated before unlocking it. Yuuna turned to face the man behind her and her face flushed again.

"Thanks fer walkin' me home." She mumbled, leaning her back against the door. "I guess yer gonna head home now?"

"Yeah, I'll call an uber or somethin'." He said, pulling out his phone. "They're a bit pricey this time a' night on a Saturday but s' better than nothin'."

"Actually, I was thinkin'," She piped up, tapping her toes against the pavement beneath her. He looked up from his phone and pulled his cigarette from between his lips. "If ya want, y' can stay on my couch fer the night. S' cheaper than takin' an uber and this way yer not gettin' home at like four in the mornin'."

He replaced his smoke between his lips and took another drag, finishing it off before flicking it to the ground and stomping it out. He exhaled the smoke and looked up at her from the bottom step. "If yer offerin', I guess I wouldn't mind."

She smiled at him and turned around to unlock the door. She fumbled with her keys a little but managed to get them in the lock. Once the door was opened, she stumbled inside and kicked off her shoes. Shikamaru followed after her and shut the door behind him, placing his guitar case against it and slipping off his own shoes.

"Don't mind the mess." Yuuna stumbled down the hallway to the linen closet where she grabbed a blanket and a clean pillow case. She meandered back into the living room where she tossed the linens on the couch, then ran into her room to grab a pillow. She pulled the pillowcase off of it as she walked down the hallway, tossing it to the ground where she'd pick it up and put it in the wash tomorrow. She placed the pillow down on top of the clean linens on the couch, then turned to him with a huff, placing her hands on her hips. "There, that should do it for ya."

He walked over to the back of the couch and rested his hand on it, then looked down at the woman in front of him. "Thank you."

They shared another glance, staring into the other's eyes in the quiet of her apartment.

"Bathroom's down th' hall to the left, 'n my room is down th' hall to the right if ya need anything." She spoke softly, smiling up at him and breaking the silence. "Sleep well, yeah?"

He nodded at her and watched as she stumbled off to her bedroom. The light flooded the hallway, but was gone again when the door closed. He sighed and looked down at the linens on the couch. He sat down on the cushion and stuffed the pillow into the clean pillow case, then laid it against the armrest of the sofa to rest his head on. He covered himself with the blanket and stared up at the ceiling, watching as the headlights from the cars outside shone dimly through the windows and onto the walls. The moment of their kiss at the bar played through his head again and he sighed, closing his eyes to try and shut his brain off. When he felt his face flush and his jeans begin to tighten around his groin, he knew it was going to be a long night. Shikamaru gave a deep sigh and opened his eyes, then sat up on the couch and rubbed the back of his neck. With a scoff, he swung his legs over the edge of the couch and picked up the pillow, then quietly made the trek down the hallway. He noticed a soft halo of light coming from a crack in the door to Yuuna's room.

As he approached, he peeked inside with one eye and nearly choked. She was sitting at her armoire brushing her long brown hair, still wearing the same black t-shirt she wore at the bar, but she wasn't wearing her jeans anymore. Instead, she sat in her underwear. They were lacy and red, with intricate patterns woven into the fabric near the elastic waistband. He flushed about the same shade of red as her panties and swallowed, feeling himself fill out more the longer he stared at her. He gave a deep, quiet sigh, then lightly knocked on the door, pushing it open a little.

Yuuna started as she whipped around to see him standing in the doorway, face flushed as she was half naked in front of him.

"S-Sorry!!" She yelped, then stumbled out of her chair to find a pair of booty shorts to slip on. Once she was decent, she cleared her throat and turned to look at him again. "Wh-What's up? S' everything okay?"

"Yeah," He muttered, taking a step into her bedroom and holding the pillow in front of him. "I jus'...was havin' a hard time fallin' asleep an' was wond'rin' 'f maybe you wanted t' hang for a bit until I get tired."

She looked at him and blinked, then smiled and hopped on top of her bed. She leaned against the headboard with a giggle and patted the empty space by her feet, inviting him to sit with her. He walked over to her bed and laid down on his stomach by her feet, crossing his arms under his chin with a smirk.

"Nice place," He said after a moment, pushing himself up to lean on his elbows.

"S' not bad, right?" She grinned, pulling her knees up to her chest. "S' kinda small, but it's enough."

"I wish I lived closer t' stuff like you do." He sighed. "I've got a nice apartment but s' a damn drag tryna get anywhere since 'm so far from downtown."

"Has its ups n' downs," She shrugged, looking over to her window. "Area's nice but cuz it's so close t' downtown it can get pretty loud. 'Specially on weekends."

He chuckled and sat up on the bed, crossing his legs and pulling the pillow into his lap. She may have covered up, but her shorts were doing nothing to ease the growing throbbing between his legs. She turned back to look at him and smiled.

"I've been dyin' to ask ya somethin'." She murmured, leaning forwards a little as she spoke, mirroring his position and crossing her own legs.

"Go for it." He replied simply.

"Since yer in a band 'n stuff, you've gotta be like drowning in girls." She rocked back and forth, a drunken grin stretched over her face. "D'you have a girlfriend? Cuz if you do I'd feel like an ass fer kissin' you earlier."

Shikamaru gave a playful scoff and rolled his eyes. "Nope. Not seein' anybody right now."

"Right now?" She repeated. "Does that mean you had a girlfriend before?"

"I was goin' out with this girl from a few cities over about a year ago." He explained. "She worked for the government so she had to come here ev'ry now and again for stuff. She was cool, but she lived so far that we didn't get to see much of each other. Decided we were bett'r off as friends in the end."

"M' glad it wasn't a messy breakup," Yuuna smiled. "Been through one a' those before. Not fun."

"What about you?" He asked, his lips curling up into a smirk. "M' sure you get hit on all the time workin' the bar. You seein' someone?"

"Nope. M' a single pringle." She giggled. "I've got a few notches under my belt, but none of 'em clicked enough to make me wanna date 'em."

"Oh yeah?" He chortled. "How many you talkin'?"

"Mmm, six or seven I think." She pondered. "They were good fucks, but none of 'em were really boyfriend material."

He clutched the pillow in his lap and swallowed. She looked over at him and raised a playful eyebrow.

"How 'bout you? You ever go all the way with someone?"

He paused for a brief moment, looking into her emerald eyes as she eagerly awaited his answer. He clutched the pillow in his hand again and thought. The other times they'd spoken to one another, Shikamaru had learned something about Yuuna that he thought might play to his advantage in this situation. She was quite the competitive individual. With enough motivation, he knew this would be a good night. With a drawn out sigh he leaned back on his hands and tilted his head to the side.

"Once, but it kinda sucked." He admitted, staring up at the ceiling. "Was kinda boring. Didn't really have a lotta fun."

She poked her tongue out to wet her lips. "Is that so?"

"Yeah. Decided it was better to jus' not deal with it." He replied, looking over at her. He could see the spark in her eyes and he knew she just needed one more little push. "F' it's not gonna be fun, then why bother? Seems like a drag, y'know?"

She laughed and narrowed her eyes. Yuuna leaned forward on her hands and crawled slowly towards the bassist at the end of her bed. She stopped as her lips drew closer to his, only about an inch or so from his face. She shifted her gaze from his eyes to his mouth and then back again.

"Maybe you jus' weren't with the right girl." She whispered, grinning and biting her lip. He swallowed and smirked at her, not once breaking eye contact.

"Well," He started, his voice a low, raspy whisper. "If you think you can do a better job than my ex did, be my guest."

That was all the invitation she needed. Without a second thought, she giggled and surged forward to close the small gap between their mouths. She wasted no time, licking at his lips to request entry into his mouth. He granted her permission, parting his lips just enough for his tongue to meet hers. She deepened the kiss, pushing herself forward and licking into his mouth. She picked up one of her hands and pulled the pillow from his lap, ghosting her fingers over the very apparent bulge in his pants. She chuckled into his mouth and placed her palm down on his groin where she began to rub it up and down to elicit a reaction from him. He let out a low groan against her lips, furrowing his brow and breathing heavily through his nose. She fiddled with the button on his jeans and tugged them open, then slipped her hand through the front of his boxers to curl her fingers around his throbbing erection. She tugged it out of his boxers and began stroking his length painfully slowly, then pulled away from his face to look him in the eyes.

"I know what you're doin'," She whispered, pressing her forehead to his. "M' drunk, not stupid."

He huffed out a laugh. "Oh yeah? N' what exactly am I doin'?"

"If you're anything like me," She whispered with a smile, giving his cock another slow, steady pump. "You've been wantin' to fuck me since we kissed at th' bar."

He swallowed and closed his eyes. His body quivered at the feeling of her dainty fingers wrapped around his girth, giving it agonizingly slow strokes. She chuckled and leaned forward, hovering her lips over his ear.

"I bet you wanted t' take me right there. Fuck me on the bar top 'til I was screaming your name, hm?" She smiled against his skin and licked a strip from his earlobe up to the shell of his ear. She stroked him again, harder this time and with more purpose, then panted in his ear. Her breathing became heavy and she drew out a string of quiet moans from her lips. He realized then that she was imitating an orgasm and it sent a throbbing right to his cock. Yuuna took note of this and smiled against his skin, pumping his length again and quickening her wrist movements. When she moaned out his name into his ear, he had to stop himself from cumming right there in her hand. He slammed his eyes shut and panted, his body shaking and barely holding itself up. She giggled and pulled away to see his face flushed a deep pink, his eyes sealed shut, and his mouth open wide as he trembled underneath her touch. It was quite a beautiful sight if she ever saw one. "See? Drunk, not dumb."

She resumed her slow, even strokes, focusing more of the attention closer to the base rather than the head. She hummed in satisfaction when Shikamaru finally cracked one of his eyes open, licking at her lips and giggling.

"F-Fuckin' hell," He slurred, barely keeping himself together. His body quivered as he fisted the bedsheets and he let out a breathy chuckle. "G-Guess the jig is up, huh?"

She laughed softly again and pulled back from him, sticking her thumbs into the waistline of her shorts. She pushed them down slowly, her red panties making another appearance. His cock twitched again as he watched her pull her shorts off and toss them to the side of her bed. She took a moment to reach over to her bedside table where she opened the drawer and pulled out a small plastic package and placed it beside her. Slowly, she crawled forward towards him again until she was situated overtop of his lap, the tip of his cock brushing against the damp fabric of her underwear. She leaned forward to press her lips to his in a sloppy kiss, all tongue and teeth. She rutted her hips forward against his girth, moaning softly as the tip dragged over her clothed clit. She shifted forward again, pushing him down onto his back and resting on her forearm. She gave another shallow buck of her hips and smiled down at him.

"This what you want?" She asked, dragging her hips back against his erection and licking her lips. She lowered her hips a bit, the barrier of her soaked panties stopping him from entering inside her. She shifted her emerald gaze between his mocha eyes. "You wanna fuck me, don't ya?"

She lowered her hips against his cock again, grinding down against his length. He swallowed and nodded, leaning up to kiss her. She pulled back from him and he chased after her lips.

"Uh-uh, gotta hear you say it, baby," She keened. She wouldn't make a move until she had his explicit consent. She may have been drunk, but she wasn't an asshole. "Need t' hear you say how much you want me t' fuck you."

Shikamaru scoffed and surged forward, capturing her in a kiss and grinding his hips against hers. The combined actions elicited a moan from the brunette and she licked into his mouth as she matched his movements with her hips.

"Want it," He whispered, pulling away after a heated moment. He shifted one hand up to palm at her breast over top of her t-shirt and she moaned again. "Want it bad. Want you t' fuck me."

He kissed her again and she leaned into him, pressing him down against the pillow she took from his lap. Without breaking the kiss, she reached over to grab the condom she had pulled out of her bedside drawer and tore it open. She gave his cock a few steady pumps then rolled the latex down overtop of his shaft and pulled away from his face. With a lick of her lips and a smirk, she tugged her soaking panties to the side and situated herself over the tip of his cock. She slowly sank down onto him, her mouth falling into an O as he breached her tight entrance. His knuckles turned white as he fisted the sheets beneath him, and he threw his head back onto the pillow with a groan when Yuuna swiftly buried him to the hilt inside of her.

She sat on top of him and ran her hands over his chest, slipping them under his shirt to graze her palms over his bare skin. His hips stuttered as he felt his cock twitch inside of her and he pulled his hands up from the sheets to lay them flat against her waist, digging his nails into her flesh as he squeezed her. Using his chest as leverage, she lifted her hips up until he was just barely kissing her entrance, then shot downwards to swallow him whole in one swift movement. She began to bounce herself along his length, tipping her head to the side and watching through blurred vision as he buried his head back into the pillow and his eyes nearly rolled into the back of his head. With a chuckle, she leaned forward until her chest was pressed up against his. The change in position allowed him to hit deeper inside of her and she moaned as she fucked herself on his cock, frantically bouncing her hips to chase the warm feeling in her gut. He rutted his hips upwards into her, squeezing her waist and beginning to move to match her pace. The tip of his cock kissed her cervix with every punch of his hips as she rode him, parting her lips to allow her tongue to loll out from behind them.

Shikamaru shifted his hands from her waist and wrapped his arms around her back, holding her down against his chest as he fucked up into her sopping cunt. She whimpered as he thrusted upwards, focusing her drunken gaze on his plump lips. He pulled one hand from her back to grab her chin and yank her forward, squishing her cheeks and sealing her mouth with a kiss. He groaned against her lips as he ground his hips against hers. He released his grip on her face and shifted his hand downwards where he began to press tight, swift circles against her throbbing clit with the pad of his calloused middle finger, then shifted his other arm to rest his hand on her waist again.

"Fuuuuuck," Yuuna slurred after pulling away from his mouth to catch her breath. He smirked and grazed his tongue over his upper lip.

"You like that, yeah?" He rasped, slowing his pace down considerably to emphasize the movement of his finger against her nerves. She trembled at the feeling, shutting her eyes and furrowing her brow with a quiet moan. "Feels good when I stuff you with my cock an' I finger that pretty pussy?"

She simply replied with a nod, more than happy to let him take the reins. She continued to grind herself down against his hips and his fingers, rolling her hips in synchronization with his. The warm feeling in her core intensified as he sped up his pace a little, his cock twitching inside her as he felt her walls tightening around him.

"Yeah, you like that don't ya?" He chuckled with a hunger in his voice. "You gonna be a good girl an' cum for me?"

He continued to circle her nerves as he sped up again, thrusting into the deepest parts of her velvety walls with a grunt. She kept her gaze focused on him as she met his pace once more, bouncing her hips along his length and breathing heavily as she felt herself drawing closer to release.

"That's a good girl," He groaned, shifting his free hand down to palm at the flesh of her thigh. "Cum all over my cock, you lil' slut."

His filthy words were enough to send Yuuna toppling over the edge. Her eyes crossed and she cried out in ecstacy, her body convulsing as he fucked into her soaking hole. She ground her hips against his cock as she rode out her climax, her eyes fluttering closed and her tongue hanging from her lips.

The sight of her blissful expression was almost enough to send Shikamaru hurdling over the edge, too. He propped himself upwards and shifted their positions so she was laying on her back and he was leaning over top of her. He hooked his hands underneath her knees and pressed her legs against her chest, pulling his hips back and snapping them forward to hit deep inside her walls. She wailed out as his cock hit her cervix, throwing her head back deep into the pillows. He smirked down at her and repeated the action, receiving the same response from the woman beneath him. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes as she fisted the sheets beneath her; gazing up at him with heavy lashes, her tongue fell from her lips and her brow furrowed upward. She looked beautiful, like she was in absolute heaven. He began to piston his cock into her quivering cunt, her release allowing him to slide in and out of her with no effort at all. He leaned down to capture her in a heated kiss, their tongues meeting on impact.

"Such a good girl f'r me," He slurred after pulling away for a moment to catch his breath. He leaned back down to lick from her jaw to her ear where he let his lips hover. He groaned into her ear as he fucked into her, nibbling at her earlobe and licking the soft flesh. "Want me to cum? T' fill up that pretty pussy a' yours?"

She nodded her head furiously, wrapping one arm around his neck and allowing her other hand to fist his long black hair. He smirked against her ear, then slid one of his hands down from under her knee to flick tight circles against her clit once more. She moaned out loud at the sudden stimulation, still sensitive from her orgasm not a minute ago. She huffed in his ear, holding him tightly and pulling his locks as she ground her hips against him.

"C-Cum, w-wanna c-cum again," She mewled, tears streaming down her cheeks as he made quick work of her nerves again. He pulled back just enough to watch her expression as he fucked into her fast and hard, flicking the pad of his thumb against her swollen clit. Her eyes widened as the pressure in her gut built up quickly again and he snickered.

"Gonna cum again like a good lil' slut?" He slurred rhetorically, because he could tell just by looking at her that it wouldn't take long. Her body shook underneath him as he continued his intense ministrations; her eyes slammed shut and she cried out salaciously, convulsing around his cock as her orgasm flooded through her. Yuuna panted and moaned as he thrusted into her dripping cunt, twitching and writhing beneath him in the aftershock of her release. He smirked down at her and kissed the nape of her neck, sucking a mark into her skin and laving at the bruise. He kissed up to her ear where he nibbled at her earlobe, tugging it lightly between his teeth. "Yeeeeah, that's a good girl."

Shikamaru shifted his hand back under the crook of her knee and pressed her legs back until her knees were beside her head. He fucked into her hard and fast, slamming his hips against hers, eliciting a lewd moan from the woman beneath him. Her eyes crossed as he hit the deepest parts of her inner walls, fisting the sheets again as a sudden third orgasm crashed through her body. She moaned out his name and threw her head back into the pillow and his cock twitched inside her as he felt her clamp down around him again.

"Good fuckin' girl," He praised as his thrusts became sloppy and erratic. The burning in his gut had him dangerously close to the edge. He looked down at her blissful expression and thrusted hard into her before halting his movements. He panted and stared down at her, watching her eyelids flutter and her chest heave as she caught her breath. Emerald met mocha and he surged down to kiss her in a heated display of lust, and it sent him hurtling towards his own release.

He groaned into her mouth as his hips slowly rutted into hers, thick spurts of cum coating the inside of the latex condom. He let out a final soft moan against her lips and pulled his softening cock from her quivering pussy. He drew back with a deep sigh, removing the rubber and tying it off before tossing it into the garbage can beside her bed and flopping down onto the mattress next to her.

"Whaddya think?" Yuuna giggled, rolling onto her side and resting her head on his shoulder. "Better than yer ex?"

Shikamaru shifted his gaze to look down at her without turning his head. He snickered and wrapped his arm around her shoulders to pull her closer into him then situated his other hand behind his head on the pillow and closed his eyes.

"I guess," He replied simply with a smirk. "Dunno, might need some more convincing."

She narrowed her eyes slightly with a grin.

"You don't wanna play this game w'th me, baby."

He raised an eyebrow as he glanced down at her from the corner of his eyes. Suddenly he rolled over to cage her in, resting his forearms on either side of her head as she flopped down onto the pillow. He moved forward to capture her in a lazy kiss, grazing his tongue over her lips before trailing it down her jaw to the nape of her neck. She gasped when he pulled away from her lips and ran her hands down the sides of his waist, then smiled mischievously as she felt his dick twitch against her thigh and fill out again. He pressed soft kisses to her skin, baring his teeth against her flesh as he smirked.

"I think I'll be the judge a' that."

[finn-ray-nal-beads]

A Tight Squeeze

A/N: You all can blame @contesa-lui-alucard for this monstrosity... I literally am in love with this character now and I will never stop... I slept on him SO hard and I REGRET IT! Thank you for the inspiration and this fic is so self indulgent I wish Pat was my true baby daddy... Enjoy loves!🖤

Warnings: tw: pregnancy, tw: pregnancy kink, obscene amounts of marital fluff and love, tw: breeding kink, tw: unprotected sex, tw: doggystyle, tw: very slight edging, tw: body image, tw: slight depression (regarding body image and self esteem), lots of fluff (because Pat is fluffy), tw: daddy kink, tw: hair pulling, creampies (I mean when am I NOT doing a creampie?) a smidgen of Dom!Pat because I CANNOT control myself

(PLZfor the love of Satan lmk if I miss a tag or TW... I am only human and I make errors all the time)

“Goddammit!” you practically cried, seeing the thousandth piece of clothing you owned barely fitting around your new curves. The look of defeat and sorrow running across your pretty face from the mirror as you twisted and turned to somehow wish the new poundage away.

“Honey?” a sheepish voice called from the kitchen in your quaint home, his heavy footfalls coming steadily as he padded back to your bathroom.

His precious features gracing the floor-length mirror as he crowded the edge of the molding on the frame of the closet.

He gasped slightly, surveying the scene before him. His cock stirred in his jeans as he appraised your body, the new planes from the growing baby inside you making you glow with an effervescence he had never seen before.

His Adam’s apple bobbed in his throat as he caught his breath, your tits plunging out of the small tank top, bouncing as you frustratingly tried to pull it over your growing bump, to no avail as the bottom half and your belly button poked from under the hemline.

The leggings barely fitting on your thighs as they clutched onto your globe of an ass. He wished on all the stars that you couldn’t fit into your underwear and had forgone them all together so he could rip the seam and go to town on your backside.

“Pat,” you whined his name, running your hands over your belly, clearly upset you had a dwindling wardrobe as the days progressed.

“I need to get some new stuff honey,” your pretty lips going into a full pout as the tears rolled down your cheeks. You never had any reason to feel as unattractive as you had just now. He had never given you any indication he didn’t think you were the most beautiful creature on this planet. In fact, when he and you had found out about the baby, he was completely overjoyed and more touchy than he had ever been in the years he’d been married to you.

His feral instincts had kicked into hyperdrive when he became a father-to-be. Making sure you were well taken care of in all aspects including but not limited to cleaning, cooking, foot rubs, nightly baths, and of course reading poetry to you and your unborn son as he grew bigger and bigger.

He loved every detail of it. The gross and good parts, and ebbed and flowed with every single mood swing and nauseous feeling you had. He was the perfect husband, and here he was, looking at you as if you were the most gorgeous goddess he had ever seen. In fact, you were to him, no matter how many times he had been in utter disbelieve that you gave him the time of day let alone let him fuck you three or more times a day.

“Okay baby,” he cooed, coming over to wrap you in the biggest hug he could, rubbing your back as you sobbed over this minor detail in your pregnancy.

He hushed and rocked you, petting your hair, while you inhaled his fresh scent, rubbing your face in his cotton t-shirt as he whispered the sweetest nothings into your ear.

“It’s gonna be okay honey,” he murmured, “you still look absolutely perfect to me my sweet love,” the words making you tear up even more as he kept with his praises.

“You’re absolutely amazing,” his chorus kept going, the baby suddenly joining in the party as he kept talking, “we both think you are, mama,” the sobs catching in your throat as your son kicked a series in your stomach, his low baritone only encouraging the movements as he kept on.

“In fact, I think mama could use a nice bath and something sweet to eat… What do you think?” he arched back to see your head pop up from its place, his precious smirk making you smile with glassy eyes while you nodded.

“That’s exactly what I think too,” kissing your forehead with the lightest effort, “okay, go get out of these, and I’ll get it going for you, deal?” his eyebrows raised as he ran a hand over the expanse of your bump, cradling underneath while you wiped your cheeks off with your hands.

He kissed over your face before heading to the bathroom to run the tub, the lavender scent emanating as the water filled the basin.

You struggled out of your clothing, cursing the companies who made your clothes as you did so. You felt like burning them in a fire or ripping them to shreds but settled on maturity rather than violence as the clothes weren’t the issue.

Your body ached from the weight of everything. The baby of course wasn’t your average-sized fetus, being that his father was a whopper when he was born. You never assumed, however, that he could be as heavy as he felt the more he grew inside you. And you also didn’t take into account the toll his size would take on yourself as the months dragged on. But willful ignorance is what you went with, and with that came karma in its truest form.

No matter how much you hurt and complained, you loved your boys, size and all, and you knew you wouldn’t do this for any man except for your precious Pat.

He was truly just the best partner in every sense of the word. And this simple gesture of making sure you practiced some self-care was his way, amongst many, of showing you how much he appreciated the sacrifices you were making for him and your growing family.

You waded into the steaming water, the enveloping hug of warmth shrouding your emotional state into numbness as the floral notes caressed your senses. This was heavenly, you thought, submerging your body as far as possible into the water, the top of your belly poking out like a small island in the ocean as you relaxed.

You closed your eyes, trying to take in the serenity, rubbing slow circles on the sides of your taut stomach as the baby relaxed within you.

Your meditation was so deep after a few minutes, you never heard Pat come in to check on you.

His hand found the exposed skin, calloused fingers enveloping it in a heated touch as he whispered to you, “how are we doing now mama?” he cooed, his soft smile in the warm light bringing you to tears again.

He was the sweetest thing on this planet. You hoped to any entity that was listening that your son had his perfect features. Those golden eyes, his soft lips, the freckles that speckled his body, his calm demeanor.

“Better,” you whispered back, unconsciously pushing your body into his touch, “thank you, daddy,” smiling at his sweet face.

“Good,” holding his gaze for a moment to peer at your perfection for just a second longer, his smile widening as yours did too.

“When you’re ready to get out I’ll help you get all lotioned and dressed… I’ve got one of my shirts and sweats out for you babe,” his lips pressing against your forehead again as you exhaled a relieved sigh.

“We’ll go get you some new stuff in the morning,” rubbing the top of your bump as you smiled brighter and brighter, “that okay?”

You nodded, peacefully, not wanting him to leave this spot until you were finished.

___________________

You spent about twenty more minutes in there until the water became too cold, his cue to get you and little man from the tub.

He helped you get dried off, making sure to gingerly rub your skin before grabbing the lotion from the cabinet. He knew you liked the lavender scent, so he had picked up a bottle when he was at the store earlier in the month. The fact that it was just about gone being an indication of a good purchase on his part.

He rubbed your relaxed muscles, making sure to massage the cream into every crack and crevice he could reach for you, the primal instincts rising within as he ran his hands over the curves and dimples on your skin.

He tried to shake the thoughts, thinking of the task at hand, but being hopelessly derailed after you let out the fifth or sixth moan in pure bliss.

He snapped then, the ambient lighting in the room looking so good on your naked body as you laid out perched in the best way for him.

“Pat?” his sudden stop causing you to look up from your spot, the pillows you had stacked so you were comfortable during his massage able to push you to see his looming body over your belly.

“What’s wrong honey?” gazing at him in the warm light, his hair tousled from the work he had been doing, his lips quivering as he gulped a dry swallow upon seeing your eyes meet his.

“I need you to get on your hands and knees and arch that perfect back of yours before I paint my jeans,” his tone deep enough to cause a stir in your nether regions.

Your eyes dilating immediately upon his sudden domineering behavior, “like this baby?” you made a show out of it all, wiggling your ass as you crawled up the bed, gripping the sheets in both hands as your back arched just the way he liked it.

“Such a good fucking mama,” he cooed, the sounds of his pants unzipping and the clang of them on the floor, coupled by the bed creaking slightly from his weight on the edge, “back up to me honey,” his hands gripping the sides of your hips as he helped you ease your body to meet his.

His tip barely touching your ass, causing a hiss to leave his chest, and a moan to leave yours upon feeling his pubic hair graze your mound.

“I’m gonna destroy this pussy of mine,” he growled, his voice getting deeper and deeper as he grabbed and rubbed his tip in your wet folds, “fuck this wet little pussy until you can’t take it anymore,” gritting as your hole sucked the head in, your warmth coating it so perfectly.

“Fuck Pat,” you whined, his hold on your hips bruising as he stilled his tip for a moment or two before sheathing it to its base, “y-you’re s-so f-fucking b-bi,” not able to even finish as he plunged even further, pushing your hips so you both let out a chorus of groans.

“Y-you t-take t-this b-big c-cock of m-mine s-so w-well m-mama,” he gasped out, picking up his pace as he fucked further and further into you, his hand pressing into your lower back as you arched more and more.

“I-I’m s-such a g-good g-girl,” you mused back, “I-I l-love p-pleasing m-my b-baby,” feeling his dick harden even more in your squelching cunt as he plummeted further into your hole.

“S-such a g-good g-girl,” he recanted, “k-keeping m-my c-cum s-so g-good,” speeding up even further, your moans picking up as he found your G-spot.

“Y-you l-love b-being all f-full of m-me,” the slaps of sweaty skin and balls hammering the room as the moans turned into feral screams.

“I-I l-love c-carrying y-your b-baby P-Pat,” the tears streaming as you felt the shroud of warmth begin to expand from your cunt to the rest of your body.

“T-that’s f-fucking r-right y-you d-do,” he growled, his teeth snarling as the sweat dripped in a waterfall from his short locks, the songs of your cries opening his senses to overdrive as he watched you writhe under him.

“Y-you c-cum on t-this m-monster c-cock of y-yours,” he grunted, feeling your walls vibrate around him and your screams emanate. As a last-ditch effort, he moved his hand on your back to grab your messy bun, pulling the hair to cement your rapture.

“F-fuck P-Pat!” you came, and you came hard. The damn breaking to coat his dick in your sweet sticky release wave upon wave, the wet sounds sending him over the edge as he pummeled the last of his efforts into your spent pussy.

He grit his teeth again, pushing in two more times before emptying his large load into your occupied cunt, the overload spilling out in a thick mixture while he pumped lazily in and out, musing at the sight.

He pulled out slowly, holding your hips so you could relax a little bit before guiding you to the side and surrounding your body with an abundance of pillows once more.

“So much for a bath,” you sighed and laughed, fanning yourself in a sweaty haze.

“I’m sorry honey,” he chuckled too, grabbing a towel to wipe you and then himself off, “I wasn’t even thinking about it… I just got too riled up from the clothes you were wearing earlier, and I…” he trailed off, watching a smile creep over your face as he talked.

“Really?” your curiosity getting the better of you, “you liked me in those clothes?”

“Ummm,” he sheepishly blushed, “y-yes?” itching the back of his head trying to avoid any eye contact with you.

“Well....” you adjusted as the baby began to make himself known for the night, “I guess I know what I need to do in the future,” winking as he found the other side of the bed, curling up to run his hand over your belly.

“Honey,” he whispered, “you don’t have to be doing anything for me to get turned on by you… I’m just in love with you either way,” his admission making you misty-eyed while you felt his light touches on your skin.

“But I have to admit… I really like this kind of look on you,” gesturing to all of your figure from head to toe.

“Well, you made me this way,” inching in to kiss his plush lips, him returning as you both pecked each other for a few seconds.

“I’ll keep you this way if you want me to,” his voice barely loud enough for you to hear, “keep you all knocked up and gorgeous for as long as you let me,” his words going straight to your cunt again as he kissed you again and again.

“As many times as you wish… Daddy,” winking and kissing him deeply, a smile inching over his lips as yours met.

“I love you,” his faint words cutting into your soul as if he was saying it for the first time.

“I love you,” returning it with a smile and a nuzzle into his neck as you began to drift off together in sticky paradise.

___________

Well... What did we all learn today? That I have a total fucking issue with not being his baby mama and that I have staples that I stick to and will not waiver from in my deepest darkest fantasies... Goodnight everyone I love you and I'll be crawling back into my festering hole to think about what I have done.

Oneshot Taglist: @maybe-your-left, @safarigirlsp, @clydesfavoritegirl, @thepalaceofmelanie, @hopeamarsu, @caillea, @historyandfandoms50, @mariesackler, @millenialcatlady, @thepriceofstars, @roanniom, @kathorax, @driversmutbucket, @clydes-hole, @xxcatrenxx, @paper-n-ashes

(Plz lmk if you would love to be added/removed from the taglist... Thank you all for the love and the support for this absolute garbage)

[nikibogwater]

Nature's Fury: A Tales of Arcadia oneshot

The prospect of having his heart carved out was indeed a frightening one, as was the knowledge that he was unable to cast spells in this state. And to top it all off, he still had no idea where his Familiar was.

But even so, Hisirdoux Casperan wasn’t out of cards to play just yet.

Or: The one where Nari rescues her big baby brother from blood mages.

Rating: General Audiences

Content Warnings: Thematic tension, brief mention of blood, but nothing too intense

Read on Ao3

Or in the post below:

Blood magic is mentioned exactly one (1) time in Trollhunters and I went, "Let's make a fic out of that." This story was purely self-indulgent, so it's probably not as polished as my other works, but I had far too much fun writing it to feel any regrets. There is some reference to my rewrite of the series finale, The Final Becoming, but prior reading of that fic isn't necessary to understand this one.

*****

Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.

Douxie let out a muffled groan as the sound of dripping water pierced through the fog that clouded his mind, forcing him back into the world of the waking. Gods, he could’ve sworn he just had the pipes repaired two months ago. Surely there was no way they were leaking already. He blearily cracked an eye open, searching for his phone where it usually lay on his nightstand.

Except his phone wasn’t there. Neither was his nightstand.

Realization hit him with a hard, cold rush. This wasn’t his home in Arcadia Oaks. His eyes darted around his surroundings frantically, searching for something familiar. There were only ancient stone walls, covered with strange carvings that shone with soft-colored lights, casting the otherwise pitch black room in an eerie, shifting glow. His shoulders ached, stiff from the cold, but when he moved to stretch, he was met with the soft clink of chains, and the bite of manacles at his wrists. He was half-hanging, half-kneeling on a very cold, damp stone, his arms pulled out taut by the chains that fastened him to two opposite walls. His jaw was tingling with the buzz of magic, and he found he couldn’t open his mouth. He’d been gagged with a silencing seal. No incantations, then. And his vambrace was gone as well.

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

Breathing deeply to stave off the initial rush of panic, Douxie tried to collect his scattered memories and parse together what had landed him here in the first place. He remembered a lot of muddy water, and thick, swirling mist....Archie huddled on his shoulders, loudly complaining about the damp...

Douxie’s head shot up as Archie’s name rose in his throat, only to be muffled by the silencing seal that kept his jaw clamped shut. His familiar. What had happened to his familiar? Panic returned in full force, squeezing his heart in an iron grip. He frantically searched his soul for their bond, breathing a sigh of relief when he found it; a warm presence in the back of his mind, like the steady flame of a candle. Archie was still alive out there somewhere.

His anxiety lessened somewhat, and after a few moments, he was able to recall what had happened. He had answered an urgent request from the Quagawumps to investigate some strange occurrences in their swamp. Apparently, several Quagawump warriors had disappeared in the last few weeks, vanishing without a trace, and the only thing they all had in common was that they were last seen heading east from the village, towards the deepest part of the swamp. Some had even begun spreading rumors of blood mages dwelling there, though Douxie thought that was highly unlikely. Still, the disappearances were concerning, and with the blood moon set to rise soon, the Quagawumps were getting very nervous. Heaven only knew how they had gotten his phone number, but Douxie had promptly taken the mission, certain that the root of the problem would be nothing more than a rogue magical creature or two. Blood magic had been extinct in Florida for nearly two-hundred years, after all. He shouldn’t have had anything to worry about.

Well, clearly the universe loved proving him wrong. Because only blood magic could explain the way his vision suddenly went dark as he approached the deepest part of the swamp, his legs locking up as the mist coiled around him like a snake, and he then was falling, falling through the endless darkness...

Fuzzbuckets. Well, that was the last time he would ever assume a wizarding mission to be easy or relatively safe.

There was a low rumble, and then the grinding of a large stone door. Douxie winced as a shaft of bright light raced across the floor and enveloped him. A tall, slender figure strolled in, and stood before him. Douxie could feel their piercing gaze traveling up and down his helpless form, even before his vision had adjusted to the light.

The newcomer was a gaunt, shriveled woman, clothed in blood-red rags, her platinum hair hanging around her shoulders in large, shiny curls. She pursed her lips as she sized him up, chin in her hand, before giving him an ugly smile.

“Well, well, well,” she crooned, and the gentle rasp of her voice made Douxie’s skin crawl. “I honestly didn’t believe it. A real Master Wizard--and the last one, at that!--delivered right into our hands in our hour of need. I bid you welcome to the Coven of the Crimson Children. Oh, that’s quite alright. No need to thank me.” Douxie’s hackles rose at the sound of her soft tittering, as she touched a long, spidery finger to his magically sealed lips.

Oh, he hated this woman already.

“Let’s see,” she continued, taking a dagger from her belt. Douxie inhaled sharply as she nicked the blade across his cheek and ran her finger down the cut. “You are...” She studied the blood on her fingertip for a moment, her eyes glowing with a sickly red light. “Nine-hundred and twenty-five...? No, twenty-six. You’ve magic in your very blood. Descended from ancient sorcerers on your....mother’s side, it looks like. Your past is very murky....these memories are clouded in darkness. Whether merely the darkness of time or the darkness of sorrow, I would need more time to determine. But the important thing is that you haven’t lost your love for life.” She placed her finger in her mouth, drawing it out slowly as she smacked her lips thoughtfully. “...Yes, perfect. You are exactly what we need for the ritual.”

Douxie knew little of the rituals of blood magic, but he knew enough to be certain that he did not want any part in one. Fear churned in his stomach, but he kept his gaze cold and steady as he glared up at his captor.

“Well, now that you’ve so kindly introduced yourself, it would be remiss of me not to return the favor,” the witch went on, sheathing her blood-stained dagger. “I am Vulga, High Priestess of the Crimson Children. It is my duty to ensure the continued survival of this coven, and of the sacred and glorious craft of blood magic. To do so, we require ritual sacrifices--pure hearts from magical creatures such as yourself, which are to be offered on the night of the blood moon. As such, this coven was in an unprecedented state of disaster. The blood moon is set to rise this very night, and until now, we had been without a sacrifice. We even began capturing some of the locals out of sheer desperation, but none of them were suitable. So you can imagine my shock and disbelief when my apprentices told me they had captured a real Master Wizard.

“Now, ideally, a sacrifice should be in a state of complete terror when we perform the ritual. I believe there is precious little in the world that is more frightening than the truth, so allow me to speak honestly with you. When the blood moon rises tonight, you will be taken from this holding cell and bound to the Crimson Pillar. There, at the stroke of midnight, I will carve out your beating heart from your chest. It is a very delicate process, carving hearts, so rest assured it will be more excruciating than anything you could possibly imagine. From your heart, we will brew the Nectar of Gehenna, thus restoring and strengthening the magic of the coven, allowing us to persist in our sacred arts. Any questions? No? Good. It was lovely meeting you, Master Casperan. And the Crimson Children humbly thank you for your generous donation.” She tapped him lightly on the nose, much to the wizard’s disdain, then turned and swept out of the room. Douxie slumped in his chains as the door ground shut behind her, shuddering in spite of his best efforts. The prospect of having his heart carved out was indeed a frightening one, as was the knowledge that he was unable to cast spells in this state. And to top it all off, he still had no idea where his Familiar was.

But even so, Hisirdoux Casperan wasn’t out of cards to play just yet.

*****

“Thanks a lot for all your help, Nari,” Jim said as he cradled his infant son in his arms. “I can’t remember the last time we slept for more than two hours at a stretch. Claire hasn’t had the energy to conjure a shadow portal in almost a week.”

“It was my pleasure,” Nari assured him. “He is a delightful creature. I would be happy to watch over him for you any time.”

“Would you like to stay for lunch?” Claire offered. “The neighbors have been sending us more food than we know what to do with.”

“Thank you, but I am afraid I cannot. Douxie and Archie will be returning from a mission this afternoon, and I would like to be home to welcome them. Knowing Douxie, he will likely need some healing.” She sighed and shook her head fondly.

“I’m glad he has you,” Claire laughed. “You take good care of him.”

“I do what I can,” Nari replied. “And he and Archie take good care of me as well. Now...” She lifted into the air for a few moments, lightly touching first Jim, and then Claire, imparting some of her vigor to the weary parents. “Take heart. The burden will lessen over time as this little one grows. I sense that he will grow up strong, courageous like his father, and clever like his mother. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to ask for my aid, should you need it again.” She stooped to place a kiss on the slumbering baby’s forehead, then dropped lightly to the floor.

“You’re the best, Nari!” Jim called after her as she slipped out the open window and onto the roof outside. She giggled and gave the couple one last wave farewell, before leaping into a nearby treetop and vanishing within the leafy branches. “...Do you think she just does that for fun, or does she genuinely dislike using doors?” Jim wondered.

*****

The simple cabin perched on a hilltop just outside of Arcadia Oaks city limits was beautiful in a way Nari could never hope to describe. It was certainly rather humble-looking, in need of a fresh coat of paint, and a bit misshapen in a few places, but it was her home, and she loved it just as much as she had loved the Eternal Forest. Perhaps even more.

She dropped to the ground and emerged from the forest at the back of the house, pausing to greet a butterfly that flittered past. The house was silent as she let herself in through the back door, still awaiting the return of its other occupants. Nari bustled about for a few minutes, tending to a few houseplants, straightening one of Douxie’s posters on the living room wall, and returning an abandoned acoustic guitar to its stand by the piano. Papers shuffled as she gathered up loose sheet music with her magic, stacking it neatly on the coffee table. Douxie’s latest song was lying half-finished on the dining-room table next to an empty teacup. She straightened the papers and placed the cap back on the pen, sending the teacup floating over to the kitchen sink with a flick of her hand. She set out a can of salmon on the bartop counter and fluffed up Archie’s favorite pillow, humming quietly to herself.

The humming stopped short and she drew in a breath, touching a hand to her heart as her brow furrowed. There was a warm pulse in her chest, a push at her soul, the cry of a familiar aura. Eyes widening, Nari raced back outside and dropped to her knees in the grass, pressing her palm to the earth and tapping into her roots. It only took a moment to find Douxie’s soul, somewhere in the darkest depths of the Quagawump swamplands. She felt his spirit flicker with relief as her power touched him.

“Douxie?” she whispered. “What is it?”

A series of disjointed images and sensations came to her in reply. Chains. Darkness. Unable to speak. Glowing runes on the walls. A bloody knife and a shriveled smile. The rising moon. I need your help.

It did not take long for Nari to put the pieces together. Oh, of course her boys had somehow managed to get themselves captured by blood mages, of all things, on the day of a blood moon, during a mission that they had assured her would be quick and easy, no need for her to come along, there was no way it could actually be blood mages, Nari!

“Are you hurt?” she demanded, searching his spirit for any sign of injury. No. But he was definitely trapped, and in very real danger. “I am on my way,” she told him. Douxie’s soul thrummed with gratitude, and he sent another image her way. Archie. Find Archie first. They must have been separated. Still keeping her link with Douxie’s soul, Nari located the familiar. “He is close to you. Unharmed, but he seems to be in stasis. He is not responding to my magic.” Douxie’s aura flared with anger. How dare they...! “I will free him, Douxie, do not worry.” She sent a wave of reassurance through their connection, cloaking his soul with her warmth. “Keep still, and do not cause any trouble. I will be there soon.”

Douxie’s aura glowed cheekily. No promises.

*****

Douxie relaxed as much as his chains allowed, breathing a sigh through his nose. Though she had withdrawn from their connection, Nari’s comforting magic remained with him, burning gently around his soul, warming his stiff limbs. The ache in his shoulders had diminished somewhat, and he readjusted his legs beneath him, hoping to find a less damp portion of the stone he was kneeling on. His fear had now given way to mere discomfort, as he settled in to wait for his promised rescue. He smiled behind the silencing seal.

Vulga had no idea what she was in for.

*****

Since the Gyre Station in Old Trollmarket had been repaired, getting from Arcadia Oaks to the land of the Quagawumps took only a matter of minutes. Nari loathed traveling in the gyres, though she trusted them a bit more than she did human automobiles. She hopped out at the swamp station, staggering for a bit on unsteady legs, before hurriedly making her way to the village.

A group of Quagawumps leapt to attention as she appeared from the thick foliage, and leveled their spears at her warily. They quickly lowered them when they recognized her, and began to press around her anxiously.

“Earth Goddess has come to help with Dark Swamp, yes?” one of them pleaded. “Bad magic is gathering there--not even mud-dragons go near it now! And the blue wizard and his fire-breathing cat--they have not returned yet!”

“Peace, all of you,” Nari soothed. “My power is great in these lands. I will route the blood mages from your waters.”

“Earth Goddess must hurry! Blood moon tonight--bad magic will become much stronger. You find the Dark Swamp to the east.”

“How long since Douxie--I mean, the blue wizard passed through here?” Nari asked.

“Sun was over there when he came,” one of the Quagawumps answered, pointing towards the western sky. “Now it begins to set. Not much time until moon rises.”

“Oh dear,” Nari sighed. “I wish Douxie had been able to reach me sooner...No matter. Thank you for your guidance, and may the bounty of your swamp never run dry.” With that, she darted up the nearest tree and headed east.

*****

The deeper she went into the swamp, the darker it became. Though Nari usually had no trouble seeing even in pitch darkness, she was finding it difficult to make out shapes and colors. This darkness was not natural, and neither was the thick, curling mist that grew ever thicker the further she pressed on. She could sense the tingle of evil magic in the air, and she knew it would only worsen as the blood moon drew closer. If this swamp were not part of her domain, she would have succumbed just as Douxie and Archie had. As it was, even with her heightened powers, she was struggling to push through this heavy veil of darkness.

She dropped out of the canopy and landed in a shallow bog below, taking a moment to check on Douxie and Archie’s souls. She was getting close. Douxie must have noticed her, because she felt his soul give a reassuring hum; Still okay. Don’t worry. Oh she was far more than simply worried at this point. But she sent him another wave of comfort, and pressed onwards, using the glow of his and Archie’s spirits to guide her.

After what felt like hours, the dense trees and muck gave way to a small clearing. In the center of the clearing was a broken down camper van, covered in rust and ivy, half-sunken in the mud. Nari summoned a large root from the ground below, which took hold of the door and wrenched it open. The screech of metal was painfully loud in the dead silence of this cursed place. As she had expected, the van was nothing more than a shell, completely lacking any interior. Instead of seats or a floor, there was bare earth, slimy and cold, and the opening of a very dark, very deep tunnel. Nari could see the faint glow of wicked runes on the walls, and she had to steel her nerves a bit before rushing in.

*****

Douxie’s heart leapt at the sound of grinding stone as the door to his prison slid open, hoping to see Nari and Archie rushing in to free him. His hopes were dashed as, instead of his tiny family, a pair of robed mages shuffled in, their faces obscured by blood red hoods.

“It is time,” one of them murmured, and Douxie’s heart twisted at the sound of a young girl’s voice--far too young to be in a place like this, to be doing magic this dangerous. He strained against the chains anxiously as the two mages approached him, heart beginning to pound wildly. This was starting to get legitimately frightening. The blood moon would be rising in a matter of minutes, and Nari wasn’t here yet. He braced himself, desperately wondering if he could fight his way out of here without his staff. Most likely not, but once they took these manacles off, he might have a chance...

To his dismay, the mages did not reach for the manacles right away. Instead, one of them laid a cold, hard hand on the back of his neck and squeezed, muttering a guttural, ugly-sounding incantation. Douxie’s limbs froze, refusing to budge no matter how loudly his mind screamed at them. The younger mage released him from the shackles, and he flopped to the floor like a dead fish, unable to move. The two mages hauled him up by the arms and dragged him out of the cell, letting his feet drag against the cold stone floor.

The situation was now properly dire.

*****

The underground complexes built by blood mages were always somehow much bigger than Nari expected. She was thankful to have only seen such wretched places a handful of times in her extremely long life. The long, endless corridors lined with unmarked doors and shrouded in complete darkness could easily drive a person mad within the span of a few short days. She was relying solely on the glow of Archie and Douxie’s souls to guide her, but here in the heart of the blood mage’s fortress, it was much more difficult to pinpoint their locations. Too many times she had gotten turned around and found herself going in the wrong direction. Her magic sparked with frustration as she sprinted down yet another empty hallway. The roots of this swamp ran strong and deep. She could feel their sprawling network just beyond these bare stone walls, thrumming with ancient magic. It would be so easy to call them to her, to make them rip this horrid temple apart brick by brick, and let any remains be swallowed by the angry earth...

But she couldn’t risk hurting Douxie and Archie. She had to find them first. And quickly. The dark magic was growing ever stronger with each passing minute. She was running out of time.

She stopped in her tracks with a breath of relief. Archie was very close. She hurriedly felt around with her magic, pinpointing his exact location. One of the many doors in the hallway flew off its hinges with a sharp crack. Nari tore through it, finding herself in a cramped, foul-smelling room. The walls were lined with shelves containing the remains of countless magical creatures, including the Quagawump warriors who had disappeared. There was a grimy table in the middle, a few cruel-looking instruments scattered across its surface. Douxie’s vambrace lay among them, seemingly left there for future study. And there, in the back of the room, a large, softly glowing red crystal containing the foggy silhouette of a small, furry dragon.

Shards flew across the room as the crystal shattered. Nari swept Archie up into her arms and buried her face in his fur, pressing a relieved kiss to the top of his head.

“Mmmgh....Douxie...” he mumbled, still rather disoriented. “Wh-where...”

“He is close,” Nari assured him, pulling back and carefully readjusting his skewed glasses for him. “We will save him.”

“Nari?” Archie shook the last of the fog from his brain, golden eyes widening with recognition. “Oh, thank the ancients.”

“Are you hurt anywhere?” she asked, running gentle hands across his fur.

“A bit bruised, but nothing serious. They came on us so fast--one moment we were slogging through the mud, the next, Douxie was out cold. I couldn’t get a proper flame out in the muggy atmosphere, and before I could even think of shapeshifting, they had me locked in that stasis crystal.”

“You are very lucky that is all they had time to do,” Nari told him, giving him another squeeze. “Oh, I never should have let you boys come here without me! Master Wizards with far more experience than Douxie have fallen to blood mages before. We never should have discredited those rumors.”

“In our defense, we get at least a dozen reports of so-called blood magic every year, and up until now, all of them were false,” Archie pointed out, stepping out of her lap and shaking crystal dust out of his fur. “Now let’s get Douxie and get out of here. I don’t know what they want with him, but it certainly can’t be anything good. And I for one am thoroughly sick of being damp and dirty.”

*****

This was bad. Very, very, very bad.

The mages had dragged him into a large, circular room with dias in the middle. The dias was carved with a large, jagged sigil. At the heart of the sigil was a standing iron beam, rusted and a bit crooked. Douxie’s stomach lurched when he saw a pair of bloodstained manacles hanging from it. There were three other robed apprentices in the room. Douxie could feel them watching him from beneath their dark hoods. Vulga was standing at the foot of the dias, sharpening her knife on a whetstone. She gave Douxie a cheerful, sickly smile as he was hauled up the dias. Yep. He definitely hated her.

The silencing seal muffled his yelp of pain as the mages threw him against the beam and shackled his wrists above him. This would be laughably easy to break out of if it weren’t for the damn gagging spell preventing him from using incantations. The ceiling above groaned and rumbled as it slid open, bathing the dias in moonlight. Blast it, where was Nari?!

“You know, this is a great honor,” Vulga began, stepping up onto the dias, still eyeing her knife. “Your sacrifice here will ensure the continuation of one of the oldest, most powerful forms of magic there is. Your very life...transformed into the magic that grants us our immeasurable powers. What better fate is there, than to become power itself? That being said...” She looked up from her knife, the full moon reflected in her wild, bloodshot eyes as she met his gaze. “Please don’t let this sense of honor lessen your pain or terror. Such things are integral to ensuring that your heart will produce strong nectar.”

The knife flashed in the moonlight. Douxie screwed his eyes shut and pressed back against the iron beam, giving one last frantic tug on his shackles. NARI!!!

Snap!

A brief moment of silence passed. Douxie hesitantly opened one eye, relieved to find himself still in one piece. The tip of the knife was just a hair’s breadth from his chest, but Vulga couldn’t drive it any further. A leafy green vine was coiled tightly around her arm and shoulder, and more were breaking through the floor beneath them, winding around her legs.

Douxie let out a breath of relief and leveled a very smug grin at the priestess.

“What--” Her gasp of shock was cut off as the vines around her jerked back violently, throwing her off the dias and sending her sprawling into the small huddle of mages. The manacles at Douxie’s wrists burst into bloom and split open. He dropped to his knees, limbs still shaky from whatever the blood mages had done to paralyze him earlier. The silencing seal over his mouth sputtered and winked out of existence with a little flash. A familiar weight landed on his back, gentle paws gripping his shoulders as a low growl sounded in his ear. Nari landed next to him.

“Hello,” Douxie greeted her breathlessly. “Sorry for all the trouble.” Nari simply heaved a sigh that was partly fond, partly exasperated, and touched her forehead to his. The tremor in his limbs stilled immediately, and the scrapes and bruises at his wrists vanished, along with the thin slice on his cheek.

“Never, ever investigate claims of blood magic by yourself again,” she scolded, pressing a firm kiss to his temple before handing him his vambrace.

“Ah, now that’s more like it,” he said brightly. The runes on the vambrace glowed cheerfully as it was reunited with its owner. Douxie stood and summoned his staff with a flourish.

“N-no...No!” Vulga cried as her apprentices cowered around her. “What have you done?!”

“The Arcane Order forbade the use of blood magic twelve thousand years ago,” Nari said lowly. “Such practices undermine the foundational laws of magic, corrupting its very nature. I cannot tolerate such wanton chaos and destruction, especially now that you have dared to harm my chosen brothers!”

“You...” Vulga’s eyes widened into perfect windows of fear and disbelief. “No, this isn’t possible! The Order was slain six years ago! You fell with the Titans!”

“Nari’s defection from the Arcane Order and decision to live among the mortals are things we like to keep on the down-low,” Douxie put in. “Both for her safety, and for looks like the one on your face right now.”

“We must have a sacrifice!” Vulga screamed, her voice trembling with an almost animalistic terror. “I don’t care how many of you pigs we have to slaughter--the Crimson Children will not fall so long as I am their priestess!” The coven advanced, readying their magic, but they didn’t get very far. Massive thorny roots wreathed in flame burst through the stone floor all across the room, creating a dense maze that scattered the six mages. Iridescent blue roses exploded into bloom around them, filling the air with thick, flashing smoke, as the electric thrum of Douxie’s guitar rippled through the air like a shockwave.

“We call that one the Blue Rose Bombast!” he thundered, bursting through the fog to land a hit on Vulga with his staff. “You lot have been an abysmal audience, so rest assured we will not be sticking around for an encore!”

“Actually it’s just you who calls it that, Douxie,” Archie put in from somewhere up above. He was flitting in and out of the clouds of smoke, casting strange, flashing shadows that made it even more difficult to navigate between the thorny roots.

“Negyld xaglut!” Vulga snarled. Douxie’s hand flew to his throat as her magic struck him. It was as though an iron hand had taken hold of his neck, crushing his windpipe. He stumbled back with a jolt of panic, unable to draw air into his lungs for a few beats. But he was swiftly released from her hold as he felt Nari’s power surge through him, tearing through Vulga’s blood magic like sunlight through shadow. She streaked out of the mist and raked her claws across the priestess’s face, giving Douxie enough time to recover and retaliate with a spell of his own.

“Elemen-zath!” Vulga screeched as she was thrown back against one of the roots. She crumpled to the ground, winded and clutching at her bruised ribs.

“Your time as high priestess ends now,” Nari hissed. The roots vanished back into the ground as quickly as they had sprung up, and Douxie cleared the mist away with a sweep of his arm. Vulga, though caught off-guard, quickly forced herself upright and threw out her hand to cast another spell...

...only to find the tips of her fingers dissolving into ash.Terror-filled eyes flicked up to the full moon shining through the open ceiling. Midnight had passed without an offering. The dark magic that gave the Crimson Children their powers was snuffed out like a candle.

Nari covered her ears and hid her face in Douxie’s jacket as the temple erupted with the panicked, anguished screams of the dying coven. Archie landed on his shoulder and raised his wings around Douxie’s head, blocking out the horrible sight. As quickly as the cry had arisen, it was silenced. A hollow wind stirred within the temple, scattering ashes across the floor. There was nothing left of the coven, save five sets of blood-red robes lying in rumpled heaps where their owners had vanished.

Wait. Five...?

The youngest mage was still there, standing stock-still and open-mouthed as she looked frantically around the room. Her hood had fallen back at some point in the scuffle, revealing a round, delicate face and a messy shock of dark brown hair. She was little more than a child.

“...Vulga?” she quavered. “Kane? Mara?!” Her trembling voice grew louder with each name, until she choked on a sob. She leveled wide, frenzied eyes at Douxie. “What did you do to them?!” she screamed. A low rumble and an earsplitting crack prevented Douxie from answering her.

“The temple cannot stand without its magic!” Nari cried over the sound of stones crashing to the floor.

“Then it’s time we made our egress!” Archie barked. Douxie snatched up the frantic young mage with his magic and raced back to the dais with the others. Nari’s eyes flashed green as she summoned an enormous root that lifted them to the surface through the open ceiling. The ground shifted and rumbled beneath Douxie’s feet as he scrambled away from the collapsing earth, dragging the struggling girl behind him. Birds took to the air in droves, screeching as, with one final roar of shifting ground, the temple of the blood mages vanished into the earth forever.

“Everyone alright?” Douxie panted. Nari was gasping for breath as she gave him a wordless nod. Archie landed on his shoulder and shook the dust out of his wings with a huff. The young mage was on her knees next to him, frozen and wide-eyed in shock. Douxie tentatively knelt down and put a hand on her shoulder. She snapped out of her stupor and threw it off, scrambling away from him in terror.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” he told her, raising his hands in a placating gesture.

“You....You killed them,” she whispered in horror. “You killed an entire coven of blood mages....What are you?”

“I didn’t kill any of them,” Douxie replied softly. “All we did was stall for time. What happened to the Crimson Children is the natural consequence of relying on blood magic.”

“N-no!” The girl was growing frantic, chest heaving as she cowered against the trunk of a tree, staring at him like he was some kind of monster. “Blood magic is the most powerful magic in the world! Nothing could hurt us as long as we had it! Nothing!”

“While it is true that blood magic grants incomparable power to those who practice it,” Nari began. “It comes with an immense price. Blood magic is the corruption of everything true magic is built upon. True magic comes from the soul. It is developed with experience, and tempered with discipline. It is...” She paused, meeting Douxie’s gaze for a moment and smiling gently. “...mastery over life. But blood mages bypass this process, choosing instead to steal their power from other magical creatures. In doing so, they create a new kind of dark magic entirely, one that can overcome nearly all other known forms of magic. However, because that power does not come from within, it must be renewed with sacrifices each blood moon. Otherwise, the magic will fail, and those who relied on it for prolonged life will be subject to the laws of nature once more.”

The girl’s wide eyes darted between Douxie and Nari’s faces, as though she was gauging their sincerity. She was still trembling. “How old are you?” Douxie asked, dreading the answer.

“...F-fourteen,” she mumbled. The wizard’s heart clenched in his chest, and he felt Nari’s hand tighten on his shoulder for a moment.

“You’ve never had the Nectar of Gehenna, have you?” he surmised. She hesitantly shook her head, looking away as though she was embarrassed. “Consider yourself fortunate, then. You’ve seen for yourself where the path of blood magic ends, and now you have a chance to turn back from it.”

“However did one as young as yourself end up entangled with the likes of the Crimson Children in the first place?” Archie asked. There was a long pause.

“...I’m sick of being weak,” she answered through clenched teeth.

“Well then, I’m afraid there’s not much hope for you,” the familiar returned bluntly.

“Archie!” Nari reprimanded.

“What my associate means,” Douxie cut in. “is that we’re all weak. There’s not a single one of us who isn’t. Even me, and I’m a proper Master Wizard. But Nari and Arch-” He put an arm around each of them. “-they look after me, and cover my weaknesses. And I do the same for them. We’re at our strongest when we rely on each other.”

“Well, lucky you, having a perfect family!” the girl spat. “Some of us don’t get that luxury. Some of us get left behind to rot, and we either have to fight or die.” There was another long silence.

“...What’s your name?” Douxie asked, catching her off-guard yet again.

“...A-Abigail.”

“Abigail, listen. I’ve got a mate back in Arcadia Oaks, California. He runs an organization that helps kids like you, kids with a knack for magic who need a place to stay.” He reached into his back pocket, relieved to find that the blood mages had not liberated him of his wallet, and pulled out a laminated card, which he held out to her. She eyed it warily for a moment, before snatching it out of his hand. “You just call that number and ask for Toby. Tell him Douxie referred you. He’ll have someone out to pick you up faster than you can say, God save the queen.”

“I don’t need some stranger’s pity,” Abigail snarled, though she didn’t let go of the card. “I’m not a charity project to make someone else look good.”

“The offer is yours to take or leave,” Douxie replied with a shrug. “Whatever you decide to do, just know that there are better options out there than carving some poor bloke’s heart out every blood moon.” Silence fell yet again. Abigail looked down at the card in her hand, then back up at Douxie, an unspoken question in her eyes. Whatever it was, she apparently decided it wasn’t worth asking, because by the next moment, she had pocketed the card, jumped to her feet, and vanished into the mist. Douxie sighed and got to his feet, wiping mud off the front of his jeans.

“You have done all you could,” Nari consoled him. “Her fate is in her own hands now.”

“I know,” he replied. “I just....wish I could do more.” He shook off the gloom and smiled down at her. “Thank you for coming. I never wanted to put you in danger, but I knew your magic would be stronger in a place like this, and we didn’t really have any other options.”

“You have braved much worse for my sake,” she returned. “But you must be more careful from now on. I may have some resistance to blood magic, but if they had built their temple somewhere else, somewhere my power cannot reach, I would not have been able to save you. I...” She faltered, looking away for a moment. “...I would have lost you both.” Douxie swallowed and drew her in, gently stroking her hair just behind her antlers as she buried her face in his shirt and clung to his waist. Archie slid off of his shoulders and curled around her legs, purring penitently.

“We will be more cautious with blood magic reports going forward,” he promised. “You’ll be stuck with us for a while yet, Nari.”

“Indeed. I’m not in a hurry to go through all of that again any time soon,” Douxie agreed, giving her a firm squeeze, before pulling back to meet her gaze. “You must be knackered. That was a lot of action for just one day. How about a lift back to the village?”

“I am not as delicate as all that,” Nari huffed, tossing her braid over her shoulder. “...But I will accept your offer nonetheless.” Douxie chuckled as he knelt again, letting her climb up on his back. Archie shifted into a small black rat and dove into one of his pockets.

“I don’t remember extending the offer of transport to you, Arch,” Douxie remarked as he got back to his feet. “In fact if anything, I should be the one riding you.”

“I don’t do well with marshy terrain,” Archie’s muffled voice squeaked. “We can trade once you get us back to solid ground.” Something inside the pocket crinkled as the familiar made himself comfortable. “Hm....Any idea how old this granola bar is?”

“You stay out of that. It’ll ruin your appetite. Remember, the Quagawumps promised us a feast in return for dealing with the blood mages.” Douxie shrugged Nari a little higher on his back as he turned westward. Now that the dark magic had been dispelled, the swamp no longer looked so menacing. Wisps of mist curled around lush green fronds that shimmered in the silvery light of the full moon. Reeds were swaying gently in the breeze. He could feel Archie shuffling around in his pocket. Nari wrapped her arms around his neck and settled against his shoulders with a sleepy hum.

The day certainly could’ve gone better, Douxie thought as he began the journey back. But at least it was ending in his favorite way--safe, sound, and homeward bound, with his loved ones close beside him.

[harrydracobang]

Harry/Draco Big Bang Fic & Art: A Sense of Scale (Mature)

Title: A Sense of Scale Author: @fantalf Artist(s): @dragontamerdame Pairing(s): Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter, background original pairing Other Key Characters: Original Male & Female Characters, brief Neville Longbottom and Narcissa Malfoy appearances, mentions to other canon characters Rating: Mature Word Count: ~70,000 Era: Post-Hogwarts, EWE Content/Warnings: POV Draco Malfoy, POV Third Person, Potions Master Draco Malfoy, Flying Instructor Harry Potter, Powerful Harry Potter, Castelobruxo, Magical Theory, ayahuasca, Misunderstandings, Housemates, Recovery, Mutual Pining, Possession, Dark Magic, Brazilian Folklore, Brazilian Folkloric magical creatures, Past Relationship(s), Getting Back Together, Draco Malfoy is a bit of a liar, POC Harry Potter, a bit of angst, wildfire, villainous character, Manipulation, Implied/Referenced Animal Violence, Animal Death, but it's brief, latin america, Indigenous Culture Magic and Gods, a lot of bonding, but not between humans, Tattooed Harry Potter, Implied Sexual Content, Neville Longbottom & Draco Malfoy Friendship, Supportive Narcissa Black Malfoy, seriously though I don't claim this story makes a whole lot deal of sense, Draco has an obscene amount of nicknames for Harry, he's also so oblivious, but get mad at him not me, a very stubborn sentient school, and a temperamental parrot, don't kill me for this, Domestic Fluff, Drinking, Self-Worth Issues, Minor Character Death, Non-Consensual Entheogenic/psychedelic substance use (brief), Parselmouths & Parseltongue (Harry Potter), Familiars, Draco Malfoy Has Long Hair Summary: Potter merely shrugged, as if it was nothing. After all, it wasn’t his life’s work. “You can try to win it over.”

Draco snapped, “What?!”

“The school. Win it over.”

“How the fuck do I win a school over, Potter?! It’s a bloody school, not a person!” And he didn’t win people over that easily, overall.

“I don’t know. Use your charms. I know you to be very inventive.”

——

In which Draco spends an obscene amount of time thinking of new nicknames for The Living Git, lying to himself and using his charms to seduce an extremely uncooperative sentient school.

Author’s Notes: Somehow, when I joined the fandom back in January, my brain decided that BB was a great(!) fest to start writing fanfic. Boy, was I crazy. I clearly didn’t know better. I still don’t know what I’m doing half of the time, but I regret nothing.

So, let’s do it!

The name of the story and the quotes on the beginning of each part are from a poem called Detail of the Woods, by Richard Siken.

This is a crazy story that has no business making sense 100% of the time. That being said, there are some sentences in Portuguese throughout the fic. It’s totally understandable from the context and not knowing them won’t jeopardise your experience. But, if you’re really eager to know a bit of Portuguese, I left the translations on the endnotes of each chapter. There’s also I really long ending note—you’re free to ignore—about some history JK ignored when building Castelobruxo.

For this story, I researched a lot, and among my resources are the books Geografia dos Mitos Brasileiros by Luis da Camara Cascudo (Brazilian Myths’ Geography), and Lendas Indígenas (Indigenous Tales) by Iray Galrão; the YouTube channels of Felippe Barbosa and Ler Até Amanhecer (Read Until Dawn). The Moriaetem Potion is inspired by a real potion. I don’t intend to offend anyone, and I won’t claim to try to bring awareness about the question, because this story is purely for fun, but this is a genuine issue that has repercussions to this day.

SoS (pun intended) is totally self-indulgent and was born of my indignation with JK for what she’s done to this school. I wanted to make it right by writing something both fun and respectful about my culture, and though it might sound too insane at times, I love it and I hope you’ll also enjoy it.

BIG, incredible, enormous thank you to the following people: Chay, you’re one of the best best friends I could’ve wished for, thank you for putting up with my crazy ideas and encouraging me not to give them up. Tai, you’ve become a dear friend and your excitement and encouragement about this story kept me going (not only one of the OCs is named after you, but the story is also a gift for you). Crazybutgood… What can I say beyond thank you for being such an angel and such an important part of my life? You’re the best. Em and Spaceboundwitch, your eagerness and enthusiasm about SoS was contagious and made me cry. Thank you so much for all your work, guys.

Last, but not least, how can I not mention how perfect Ash’s been throughout this process? You’re the best artist I could’ve hoped for and I’m confident this was the perfect match. You captured so well the essence of my story and its characters and their differences, and I can’t thank you enough for that. Also, thank you mods for your work and for making this match happening. You can find their brilliant illustrations on chapters 11 and 15.

Disclaimer that the only characters I own here are Francisca, Fernanda, José, Berê, Lua, Tainara, Rudá, some school staff I don't remember the names and the animals. Unfortunately.

There's a playlist with the song on Chapter 8 and other songs I think fits the story's mood. You can find it HERE

No beings were harmed in the making of this story.

Without further ado… Enjoy.

Artist’s Notes: It’s been such a delight getting to have access to and illustrate Lory’s (wonderful, magical, brilliant, imaginative, fascinating) story. And for that, I have to give a big shout-out to the mods for being lovely and pairing me with the fic summary of my dreams. The scenes that I have illustrated sparked my imagination and creativity so much, although I felt the urge to sketch practically every scene as I went on to read the whole story. I hope my illustrations bring to life the tenderness and intimacy between Harry and Draco in the first scene, and the intensity and power of the magic in second scene. Please enjoy this wonderful fic!

READ AND VIEW ON AO3

[senju-sekhmet]

The Leash (Part 3)

Summary: Your rescue was supposed to be as smooth as these missions can be. However very quickly, Tobirama faces off against an enemy that has no form, color or smell - and time is running short, very fast. Unless he figures out what truly holds you hostage, your life will be lost. Warnings (for the finished work): Blood, illness, descriptions of heavy injuries and graphic violence, torture (both depicted and implied), needles, morally grey territory, human experimentation, panic attacks, character death ~7000 words (this chapter, finished work: 80.000) Previous: Part 1; Part 2 Read on AO3!   Disclaimer below the cut!

DISCLAIMER! -i reckon I don’t need the paste it again... but in short: this is a purely self-indulgent work which contains a lot of my own headcanons and whatnot. It’ll get darker! And more dramatic. But this chapter is a little bit different, reader gets some pov, though i should say in this fic- it’s.. divided, ahah. thank you so much for reading!! Your world was on fire. Every fiber of your body had burned up as your muscles were cramping. Desperately, you had been straining to free yourself of this  somehow  , alleviate the pain  somehow  , but everything just  hurt  . Both dull and sharp at the same time; either you were being restrained or your muscles wouldn’t obey - but you couldn’t move much. Your head was swimming with a sharp headache that made focusing on anything besides the internal turmoil impossible, and while this certainly was not the worst pain you had experienced by far, it was vexing in its own ways. It felt like splitting open from the inside, slowly; every muscle, every fiber, every single thing that made you was being spliced open, set on fire and was burning, burning, burning. You weren’t even sure how this had started - you merely remembered being rescued. Tobirama had been carrying you out of the dreaded cell you were sure you’d die in. You had been zoning out frequently then, but that hadn’t surprised you. It was just normal for you - first came the torture, then the crushing exhaustion. Actually you were pretty sure he had taken you to the hospital. At least you thought so. You were supposed to be safe, now. So what was happening to you? Had the rescue failed? Did the Stone get you back? Was this a new form of torture? What was Tobirama doing? You didn’t know how much time had passed nor where you actually were now - all you knew was this horrid sensation of burning out from the inside and your inability to escape it. Trapped. As per usual. Very distantly, you thought you heard a familiar voice speak to you - he sounded anguished. Sorrowful. Instinctively, you wanted to console him and his obvious regret. You wouldn’t break now. Frankly, you had endured worse. This, you just… would adapt to, too. Then, you felt your head - at least you thought it was your head - being seized by yet another vice grip. You whimpered. This wasn’t boding well for you. Panic started to flare, but it was hard to feel anything despite the inside burn that ate you alive.

Something reached for your jaw, pressing down and forward behind the joint so hard you knew what this was about: they were forcing your mouth open. The procedure was frightfully familiar by now.

They wanted to drug you again.

Hysteria was rushing through your veins so fast, for a moment it eclipsed everything else.

Peripherally, a deep voice spoke again. To you, maybe. You didn’t know. You’d never beg for mercy. But you desperately wished they’d just stop. You wanted to scream back. Whether or not a sound came out you didn't know.

So it wasn’t over, yet - and you were horribly aware of all that would follow: excruciating pain until you’d pass out, until your voice had broken completely and no sound could come out anymore - and merciless assaults on your mind you absolutely must keep guarded for the sake of everyone at home. It was violating.

Your stomach roiled. Tears flowed.

You were supposed to be safe.

The heavy liquid began to coat your tongue. You wanted to spit it back at them. They were too fast. Whoever held your jaw expertly shut your mouth closed and applied pressure to your airway so that it was near impossible to do so much as utter a single peep.

Swallow, or suffocate. Well, with the way your head was wrenched back, the substance was dripping down your pharynx already anyway.

Under tears, you swallowed.

Instantly, the pressure was gone from your neck, jaw and head.

You stilled. Whatever had been fuelling the fire that had been burning you out died out rapidly. You took a few, even breaths.

It wouldn’t last, of course. As usual, it started with your head swimming - an innocent, lighthearted feeling. Tipsy, even. Then everything intensified. As if someone turned every single sensation of your body to maximum.

It hit you all at once.

You were sure you heard a drop falling from a sink in the room you were in. There had been no sink in the torture room. But you were already lying on the table. No restraints though. Weird. Instead, two people were fixating your body on it with their bare hands, you realised. It hurt. Your whole body hurt. It always hurts. Every single injury they had inflicted upon you echoed through you. These people were pressing down on them. They might as well be driving the knives, saws and drills again through you. That was how intense it felt. Their grip started to loosen up. Had they read your mind? Low rustle of cloth being worn. Someone’s breath, not far away from your face. The scent. Familiar.

Your eyes flew wide open.

The light above was blazing down on you. You were sure it’d signe your skin off with how intense it felt.

You drew ragged breaths.

Your gaze fell on the man’s face whose breaths had been above you.

Recognition hit you like a punch in the gut.

Tobirama.

His expression was shadowed by the way too damn bright light in the ceiling.

Nothing made sense anymore. He shouldn’t be here when it was so obvious all this - all this was the start of yet another session of indescribable agony.

Your hands gripped the edges of the table. It felt like your skin had been peeled off when they did. Bile rose in your throat.

“Y/n,” Tobirama uttered. His voice was - different. Haunted. Wrought with a kind of worry not to be put in words only. And loud. It all was so loud.

You groaned and began to heave your chest off of the table, surprised nobody slammed you back down.

Your breaths came shorter now, more shallow. Your wild eyes darted around the room to take in your surroundings. This wasn’t the terrible room you usually came to when they had forced something down your throat. There were cabinets in here whose contents you already could guess nonetheless - by your feet, someone you didn’t know.

A window? There were no windows underground.

Your heartbeat hammered so hard in your chest, you thought it’d jump out any second, now. The aches in your body were intensifying. Swelling. The noises became louder. You heard the blood flowing through your skull.

This must be a genjutsu of some kind then, no? That was the only explanation. The Stone shinobi were trying a new angle to make you writhe, whimper. To break you. You groaned, a hand meeting your face. The sensation of your own skin on your face felt alien. Like your nails were clawing at your bare muscle tissue.

“What are you waiting for?”, you spat, your voice still broken. It always was. And way too loud in your own ears. Your hand slapped back down on the table. You whimpered for the pain that caused you.

The illusion of Tobirama knitted its eyebrows. Did it look uncertain?

The colors of the room were looking way too vibrant now. Blurring. Each of your past wounds now was searing through your flesh. You trembled.

It wouldn't be long, now. You groaned.

You looked down on yourself and found nothing but a gown on you. Did the thing just move on its own? Was there… was there blood on you?

Had they begun to torture you already?

Your breath came quicker and more shallow now.

“What’ll it be? Sawing my ribs up again?”, you continued, sneering now. Except the tremor made your voice shaky. Hardly arrogant. You’d pay so much for this kind of defiance later. Their loss for not subduing you better. “Or maybe you’ll cut open my arms and legs again? Drill a hole into my bones? Go ahead, you fucking cowards, I won’t break.”

The one looking like Tobirama hung his head low now. His breaths came ragged, his shoulders were heaving each time he took one. When he looked back up, you balked for a moment at how agonized his gaze was. “This isn’t a genjutsu, Y/n,” he began slowly. His deep voice was supposed to be soothing. But there was an undercurrent in it - a slight shake to his timbre you had never heard before. Hah, you wouldn’t fall for that. “We saved you, remember?” He released a hand that was gripping the table to make a familiar sign and mumbled: “Release.”

Nothing happened.

You threw your head back in a bitter laugh. "As if I wouldn't know what comes next by now." Everything in the room was morphing. Forms were twisting. Your legs looked broken - no, they  were  broken by how it all hurt. There was blood on your skin. Gushing wounds that littered your body - it was all breaking up. You were splitting up. "You've already started," you wheezed, giving in to the tremor that shook you and slumping back onto the table.

"Nobody is going to hurt you," the voice that belonged to the Tobirama-illusion spoke - the voice that damn sounded like him, albeit still anguished like you've never heard him before. The jitter had gotten worse. It was… desperation?

A hand touched your shoulder.

You shrieked from the sheer agony that caused you. You were sure they were driving a metal pole through your joint - "No!", you shouted frantically.

You twisted to the side, recoiling from the sensation and ignoring how this must mess up your horribly disfigured limbs.

"Y/n!", another voice was heard. It was familiar, from behind you. You didn't care to look back who it was. "Should we-"

"Wait!"

They were all so fucking loud. If nobody was going to stop you, then -

You rolled to the side to where you knew the table would end, eyes widening at how high up it was. You'd break your legs if you went down there-

Whatever.

In a fluid motion, you were on your feet. At the same time, you heard the voice that sounded like Tobirama's call out: "Y/n, no!" - another hand wanted to seize your arm, probably saw it off-

Blackness framed your vision as your shaking legs tried to support your body's weight. It was painful. So damn painful. You wheezed at the agony past clenched teeth. There were bony splinters sticking out of your skin. Blood trickled down your skin. Your wheeze became a holler of anguish. "Fuck," you stuttered, grasping for the edge of the damn table as your abused appendages gave in and you slowly sunk to the floor.

Within a second, Tobirama was in front of you. You could barely make out his form anymore, everything was becoming a distorted mess and your mind was overrun by sensations. You couldn't tell what part of yourself didn't hurt at this point, you didn't even know how you were sitting on the floor now. Only that you were. Probably.

"Y/n," his voice was panicked now. At least it was supposed to sound like that. You closed your eyes. At this point, all you saw was just frightening. "We're at home, you're safe and whatever is going on - it's not real."

These words alone were enough to drive you over the edge. Your abused voice became wrecked by laughter, a horribly disfigured sound even in your own sound simply for how off it sounded. "Yeah? Then why the  fuck  am I feeling like this?" You opened your eyes. The world was an inhomogeneous mass of colors, moving blotches. The Tobirama-illusion was just a black patch of something in front of you with a voice that sounded way too much like his own. "You fucking drugged me!", your voice rose to a shrill screech that hurt your eardrums so much you thought they'd rip. Not that you'd care.

You heard a perfectly anguished whimper. "I'm so sorry," the voice whispered, again filled with more agony than you ever heard from him before. It made you balk for a moment. "Forgive me, Y/n - please, forgive me. We had to."

A shudder ran through you. You closed your eyes again.

This was too much. All of this.

"You were dying, Y/n," Tobirama's tormented voice reached you again, persistent. Insistent. "We had no choice." Who was he trying to convince?

You stilled completely.

It obviously had to be a nightmare- a genjutsu- anything- "Tobirama would never…", you croaked, voice breaking with despair.

You heard a sharp inhale.

"Y/n," he sounded closer now, his voice almost as broken as yours. "Forgive me. Tell me what to do."

Your heart hammered frantically again and your hands rose to your ears to cover them. You were bursting with everything - the excruciating pain, the overtuned senses, how real Tobirama's voice sounded, not knowing what was real-

Sobs were starting to wreck your body before you knew it.

A hand touched your arm.

You hissed, eyes flying open, swatting it away - but you didn't see anything besides a mush of colors. "Don't fucking touch me!" Your voice was a shrill screech.

He made a sound as though someone punched all the air out of his lungs - a low huff, cutting off quickly but so pained, it felt like someone stabbed his heart. Yours, too. It was hard to register between everything.

You started to scramble away from your current position - blindly, you navigated on your hands and knees. It was like dragging yourself over glass shards. It sure felt like those were digging themselves into your bleeding skin. You pathetically sobbed in pain.

"Tobirama-", the other voice started.

"Don't, Hashirama," he was quick to reply, firm but still anguished.

That anguish in his voice. It was so real.

Frankly it was about the only thing you were willing to believe in.

You must have reached a wall when your head bumped into something. Perhaps a cabinet. You didn't care. You curled up there, tucking your knees to your body and hiding your face. A rocking motion settled in, subconsciously.

"He'd never do this," you muttered. Over and over again.

_________

Tobirama was reeling.

The last time he had felt his very world shaking like this was when they had brought his brother's mangled corpse into the Senju compound.

Everything he had just seen - heard-

Damn, what had he done to you?

Ever since rescuing you, it all had been a series of failures, culminating in this: your haggard form pressed against a wall, whispering to yourself and rocking back and forth in what Tobirama knew was stereotypical behaviour meant to soothe yourself. He had seen this before in victims of torture.

The way you had recoiled from him might as well have been a very physical blow from a weapon.

But your words - your words, they had shattered his heart in a way only you could have. Your abused voice, your wide-eyed, near insane gaze: Tobirama would never.

He had.

He damn had.

He felt he had no right being here anymore - near you. How could he, when he had failed you, over and over again? Not to mention what you had been going through - at the very least, the 'leash' had altered your perception of reality in ways that made you feel pain. Hell, who knew - maybe it had caused you pain. But to see you, your strong and dignified presence so broken down - broken into nothing but a husk of yourself - it made him shudder to guess at what was going on inside you. The ache of his own heart was driving him insane - as was his sheer, mad desire to protect  you - he couldn’t, he simply couldn’t, instead he had done this to you.

Slowly, he started to question if he actually truly could protect you - ensure your wellbeing, make you heal.

He'd go with no right now.

Yet what was the alternative? Giving up - giving up was not an option. Never. Especially not with you. Humbly he’d accept all the anguish his heart suffered from his moment, the crushing guilt from his actions against you - necessary ones, but cruel altogether.

No, he'd never forgive himself.

He could only hope you would.

He blinked at his palms, laying on his thighs after he had sunken to his knees, shoulders slumped. A hand rested on his shoulder. Hashirama's.

"Tobirama," he began slowly, lowering himself to eye-level with him.

Tobirama couldn't help but narrow his eyes to slits. Hashirama had been the one to press for giving you the damn drug-

And he felt guilty right after. Tobirama had allowed it. Shifting blame was the act of a coward.

Besides, Hashirama had been right. Though you certainly were in a deplorable state now, the life-threat seemed to have passed.

Moments of silence passed. Duly he noted the nurse had left the room. Maybe Hashirama had sent her away. Tobirama didn't care anymore.

"Looks like we saved her." Tobirama's baritone voice was caustic.

Hashirama sighed. "We're going to find an antidote. This is temporary, remember?"

Time to pick himself up again and focus on finally solving a problem for once.

This was a new enemy you were up against he needed to figure out and then defeat.

Tobirama sucked in a sharp breath, gaze snapping back at you. Of course. The clock was just reset. But ticking again. "Twelve hours until we have to make her go through all this again. At most." His voice was a hiss with how hard his teeth were pressed together. His jaw hurt.

Tobirama rose to his feet then, his gaze never leaving you. Your sight pained him, but he'd take it - he deserved this. His arms crossed in front of his chest. The mind had begun to race again. "She was different when we found her in the hideout," he began, tongue clicking in thought.

Hashirama followed suit, also considering you with a sympathetic gaze. He nodded.

Tobirama rubbed a hand over his face. "Based on what we witnessed now, it seems after indigestion, this 'leash' has an… immediate effect," his voice became raspy. Frail. He had to take a pause. Then, "Followed by a phase of exhaustion. After which withdrawal sets in."

"It would seem so," Hashirama agreed, humming in ponder himself. The noise annoyed Tobirama.

"Can't you think quietly?", he snapped.

"Tobirama…"

He all but ignored his brother's reply.

"We must synthesise more of this drug firstly," Tobirama darkly ascertained right after, "A cure seems unlikely on such a tight schedule. Focusing our efforts is key; otherwise we'll run out of time." He felt physically unable to phrase the outcome any other way.

Both brothers knew, though.

"In doing so, finding an antidote will become easier anyhow," Hashirama added thoughtfully, sparing Tobirama from voicing what hung in the air. That much was certain. They'd have to understand how this drug was made up before finding ways to counter it.

You were still huddled up at the wall, unintelligibly mumbling while a fine tremor shook your body. If only there were a way to alleviate your torment. Tobirama knew better than to approach you again.

"Is there nothing we can do for her?", he asked, half to himself, half to his brother - the pain was becoming him again with how hushed that had come out. "She can't stay like this." This was beneath your dignity.

Hashirama hummed in ponder again. "We could put her to sleep, I suppose," he finally suggested, but the hesitation was obvious in his voice. "At this point I'm not sure how anything is going to affect her, though."

Tobirama couldn't help but crack a cynical chuckle. Of course it'd come down to that. "Restrain her again and take away what freedom she has, you mean." He absolutely loathed that his choices were restricted between inflicting more torment on you or simply taking you out - confining you to your own mind, really.

When would he finally do something to heal you?

He took a step closer towards you.

"Tobirama, let me do it," Hashirama interjected, readily taking a step towards you, too.

"No." Tobirama cut him off sharply. This was his duty. His burden to bear. He wouldn't run away from it or hide behind his brother.

Hashirama sighed, but knew better than to try and stop Tobirama.

Slowly, Tobirama enclosed you and crouched down right in front of you. At this proximity, he could make out your whispers: "He wouldn't do that. It's a trick. It's all a trick. Tobirama would never do this to me." Over and over. He drew in a slow breath if just to help him deal with the fresh agony that washed over him, hearing this again. Knowing what he'd do next made it no easier.

Briefly, he contemplated to try and get through to you again to announce his intention, but he doubted there would be much use in that - you’d been delusional before, adverse to touch and if he’d do so much as hint at forcing you to sleep, you most likely wouldn’t take it kindly. The cynicism of the situation was cutting, really.

He'd just do this as fast as he could.

Channeling chakra of his own for a moment, his hand shot out and seized the back of your neck within the blink of an eye.

You shrieked, half in surprise, half in pain - your head shot up, eyes wide and the gaze nothing short of crazed. "Get away from me!", you wrenched out, tears forming.

Tobirama's lips formed a thin line, his chakra then grazing over your network in preparation of what he'd do next: sending a strong pulse to your brain; specifically the regions that controlled awareness and consciousness. However he balked when he felt you - really felt you: your chakra network was near mute. The flow of chakra within you was so slow, it might as well have been stopped. He could feel how it tried to repel his own pelting over yours, but no more than that happened. The response was lazy - frozen, almost.

Your hands had seized his forearm then and were trying to pry it off, shrieks mingling between desperate sobs. "Stop it!", you yelled, over and over. But your attempts were feeble at best and the weeks of imprisonment had stolen near all of your strength. You were in no shape to remove Tobirama's iron grip on your neck, which he reinforced lest your assault would impede on his examination - though sadly once more he had to come to grips with this shadow of your former self. It hurt - it just hurt.

Tobirama then took a deep breath, cursing when he exhaled it.

There was an opportunity in this, right now.

He hated himself for the way too logical thought he just had - but he wouldn't pass up the option that just offered itself to him now. Even if going through with it felt like yet another atrocity he’d commit; darkly he realised he’d been setting one new record after the other ever since you had been taken. This, this would be his next feat.

"Y/n," he began, his baritone voice low again, "I promise, I won't rest until I've freed you from this and healed you." His voice shook from sincerity and anguish alike - a broken sound that was testament to the turmoil and yet so quiet again, reserved for your ears only. His heart wanted to jump out of his chest. "Forgive me for all I have to do for that though, I never want to hurt you," he continued. But it seems I will have to, at least indirectly.

You continued to claw weakly at his arm. He held your frightened gaze. How much of all this reached you, he didn't know. Perhaps he could tell you later again. But it helped a little with what he did next.

His free hand seized your thin wrists effortlessly to pry them off his forearm to no hamper his focus. Your wails increased in protest, you pleaded for him to stop desperately, under tears. "Don't do this," you whimpered, over and over again.

His grip on both your wrists and the back of your neck was unrelenting.

It tore at his heart in ways only you could. "Forgive me," he muttered again before closing his eyes to focus on you again - your muted chakra network.

And more importantly, your body itself - to examine the effects of the drug on you, as of right now. It was cruel - he extended your suffering, he hated himself for it, but there was no other way if he wanted to understand what was happening. You, on the other hand, vehemently protested the examination he was giving you; such a procedure did not hurt the slightest - it should not. Therefore he could only guess that right now, it must cause you immense discomfort, but he continued anyway. He had to. Distantly, he felt your body shift, - maybe your legs kicking out, against him? - he all took it humbly and with no more than a huff. He deserved it and then some.

However no matter how hard he looked, he couldn't find a trace of bodily harm inside of you, besides what he already knew of. His focus shifted to your brain then -

He understood.

For all your chakra network lacked, your brain made up. The firework of nerves of each of your sensory cortices was a light that was too bright for Tobirama to investigate further - but if he were to guess, the 'leash' was responsible for this kind of overclocking. Everything made a lot more sense then: your pained reactions, your inaccessibility to logic. To put it plainly, they had taken every single sense and turned it up infinitely. Tobirama wouldn't be surprised if you could hear his own heartbeat right now. Quite possibly you had also been suffering from hallucinations as the unfed mind would begin to devour itself.

It was the perfect outlet for torture. Especially if the goal was to break the mind. Susceptible to everything it was exposed to.

Especially pain.

Tobirama felt the white-hot rage burn in his veins again.

And yet you had withstood.

He quickly understood why. The longer he examined your brain, the more your resistance grew - and he hadn't even done as much as gauge your mental  defenses, much less prod at them - this was just a physical examination. But your otherwise mute chakra had begun to swirl, to gather - and while it certainly lacked the strength to repel him, it began to coat you like a defensive mantle. The connection was withering.

Enough, he decided.

With no small amount of sorrow he let his chakra pelt yours in a familiar, soothing way - a feeble attempt to calm you down if just by trying to make you recall the many times you two had done this.

Convince you it was really him, he, would do just about anything to protect you.

Maybe, just maybe you stilled for a moment.

Then, he let his chakra smother the part of your brain that was responsible for your consciousness. Gently, quickly.

Humanely.

You stilled completely, your fight stilled.

Tobirama opened his eyes.

You were sacked against the wall, head hanging down, feet no more pressed against him.

He felt forlorn, spent. It was all too much.

He didn't even know how to name what was going on inside of him exactly anymore, it was all a garbled mass of sorrow, heartache, guilt and protectiveness.

He pulled you closer slowly to gather your gaunt form in his arms again. The hand that was on your neck snuck around to lock around your shoulders and the other freed your wrists and reached under your legs. Momentarily, he simply pressed his face to your hair and breathed in your familiar scent. "I'm so sorry," he whispered, wetness budding in his eyes again, though no tears would fall anymore. "I'll protect you." He simply was spent.

Then, he rose to his feet and turned towards Hashirama, who had arched up both eyebrows questioningly. The length of Tobirama's endeavour had not escaped him.

"I examined her to ascertain the effects of the drug," Tobirama confessed readily, dejectedly. His head spun, his heart ached so much again he wondered about how it still pumped blood evenly. That particular muscle had hurt so much lately it was a miracle it still worked as it did.

"I see," Hashirama replied, gently. "What did you find?"

"Let's take her to a room first. She'll be staying here longer, it would seem." Tobirama didn't want to speak more yet. He needed to regain his composure again before he'd explain. Besides, he still had to process all that just happened.

Hashirama nodded and motioned for Tobirama to follow him.  

He tightened his grip around your far too light body and followed him, looking down just once - your face looked more peaceful now than it had in hours. That, at least, was a relief. Although he still had wished it wouldn’t have happened this way. The wards were located on the second floor. Tobirama didn't look left or right at any curious faces - they knew better than to stare at you. Eventually they reached an empty room in one of them, Tobirama carefully placed you on the bed and draped the blanket over you. Then, he sat down on the bed, extending a hand to ghost over the side of your face in an utterly tender way.

He took a deep breath before rising up again and meeting his brother's expectant glance.

"This drug," he began slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers, "It has a psychotropic component. All of her senses were extremely heightened." He crossed his arms. “It’s no surprise she was delusional.”

Hashirama himself moved into the room to stand beside Tobirama, but glanced down at you. His forehead wrinkled in a sorrowful motion. "I see. That would… make sense, indeed."

Tobirama could only give an affirmative click of his tongue to that. Cruel sense, indeed. He then ventured to explain in more detail the findings of his examination, as neutral as possible.

The truth was, the exhaustion was taking its toll on him by now. He couldn't remember how long it's been since he slept - he still didn't  feel tired. But he was lightheaded and his concentration was faltering. Telltale signs, he knew.

No good. He still had work to do. Less than twelve hours until you needed the next dose. He needed to start on analysing that drug-

"Tobirama." Hashirama cut in. His warm gaze was on Tobirama now.

"What?", he replied, irritated.

"Go to sleep. You've been awake for more than thirty-six hours. We can't do more now." Sternness was leaking into his tone.

Tobirama gave an exasperated sigh. "Nonsense. I'm fine. We need to start working on analysing the contents and workings of this 'leash'."

Hashirama huffed. "We certainly do. But we will do that much better with some sleep."

"Then go. I'll start," Tobirama's eyelids narrowed to tiny slits, his tone became more icy.

Hashirama wouldn’t be fazed this time. "Go home, Tobirama. Don't make me throw you out." He made a meaningful pause. "Because I will."

"Anija!", he was practically growling now. To think his brother actually had the gall to-

Hashirama was unwavering. He really was serious about this.

Both were staring at each other in a silence that was so high-strung, only the faint sounds of your breaths echoed through the room. Another moment passed, then Tobirama huffed in a way that was nothing short of  very annoyed.

"I want to be notified the moment she wakes up," he commanded immediately, leaving no question about what might happen if he was not. If he was to follow  orders , then he had some demands too.

"Of course. I'll ask Mito," Hashirama found a much more agreeable tone. Throwing his wife's name into the mix was a smart move of course, but it calmed Tobirama only so much.

He should be here.

He reached inside his pocket to retrieve a piece of parchment. A second later, the distinct smell of burnt paper was in the air. He placed the branded item on the nightstand next to your head.  With another sorrowful glance, he considered your gaunt form, still perfectly still and asleep. The next moment, he was in his own home. If he hesitated a moment longer, he'd have stayed by your side most likely - his mind was heavy, his heart torn but his brother was right. He was spent, exhausted and this had been a trip into a hell, back again, and then right back into the next hell.

It still took quite some time before sleep claimed him. His mind wouldn't stop to process the information he had gained today and begin to plan his next moves meticulously.

Truth be told, everything was just too quiet here.

Forlorn.

_______

When next you came to, the familiar powerlessness had you in its vice grip. But you had expected that. It always was like that after… after they had done everything to you.

The blanket over your body felt leaden. You didn't complain. Wait - blanket?

Other than the crushing exhaustion, you weren't too bad off. What disturbed you more was the fact you did, in fact, recognize your surroundings: the Konoha hospital.

Which put everything that just happened in a different light.

Your gaze shot left and right frantically to be certain this really was what you believed it to be.

The memory of what must have been a few hours ago was vivid. Way too vivid, in fact. A nightmarish trip you remembered  most  things of, even though your perception of it had been very jangled, to put it mildly. The voices and persons you misconceived.

The things you had said.

What Tobirama's voice - no, Tobirama - had said-

What he had done. A lump formed in your throat. No, what he had been forced to do. He'd never- You groaned and dragged a hand over your face, happy the sensation felt… normal. But the tiny bit of comfort you had found was blown away. The predicament you found yourself made you uneasy. In fact, you had to fight down the panic budding - The door swung open. A smiling, red-haired woman entered. "Mito," your raspy voice whispered. Her fine eyebrows rose up. "You're awake," a small smile formed on her lips. "Good. There's someone waiting for you." She walked closer to your bedside. Your eyes followed her as she picked a piece of parchment up from the nightstand - and you recognised the seal on it immediately. Your heart skipped a little. "Is Tobirama here?" She chuckled and her smile turned distinctively finer. "Something tells me he will be in a heartbeat." You ducked a little, daring to utter a chuckle of your own. When was the last time you had done that? She winked and turned to leave the room. Instantly, you felt wishing her back. Being alone turned your focus back to yourself - all that just happened - what might happen again? Your breath came shorter. What exactly was going to happen now? Weren't you going to be safe now? Just a few hours ago- Your heart was hammering inside your chest now. With a low groan, you heaved your chest off the bed and sat up. Your abused body protested, but you ignored the aches that pinched and burned through you, echoes of everything the Stone shinobi had done to you. Your eyes were becoming awfully wet- A baritone voice pulled you out of your downward spiral. "Y/n." Your gaze shot up. In the door stood Tobirama, dressed in his black long-sleeved shirt and pants - huffing a little. His scarlet gaze was intense - he was gauging your reaction. When he recognised how laboured your breathing was however and the glint in your eyes, his forehead wrinkled in a worried frown. "What's wrong, Y/n?" He took a step closer. Was he being … cautious? "Are you in pain?" His voice was as firm as ever, but you could tell he was making an effort to be soft. You sobbed. "Tobirama…", your voice was somehow even more frail than before, but shook your head. You beckoned him closer with a wave of your hand, a lead he gladly took. In an instant, he was by your side, sitting carefully down on the side of the bed, giving your blanketed body a quick once over. "Tell me what's wrong, please," he inquired then, now more smooth than before. His hand reached for your shoulder to press you gently back onto the bed. You didn't resist - not that you could, anyway. You shook your head then slightly in regards to his question, already feeling your breathing even out. Your hand reached for his, which again he eagerly took in both of his. With a warm smile you felt his chakra grazing over yours and your network slowly - mingling with yours. You wanted to respond in kind, but you knew your response was too sluggish - your chakra felt drugged still. It had been since your capture. Unsurprisingly, Tobirama wouldn't let go of the issue with a shake of your head. "You were crying, Y/n." His voice was still tender, but there was a certain kind of firmness in it still. You had to smile weakly. Only Tobirama could care for you and still make everything a command. "I think I have a lot of things to cry about." But you were nothing if not known for your sharp tongue. Tobirama visibly flinched. For a moment, you felt bad - perhaps that comment had been too sharp. He closed his eyes momentarily. When he opened them again, he was gazing on the floor, still holding your hand tightly. A thumb began stroking over your skin. "You are right of course," his voice bore a fragment of the anguish you recalled it had born before. "What happened, Tobirama?", you finally asked, gently. He took a deep breath. "You started to deorientate, slowly, after we had rescued you. You were tired first - but then, that turned into somnolence. Not long after, you started to tremble and developed a fever." His voice was sounding neutral, but you could tell there was a low jitter in his baritone voice. "Hashirama and I examined you and we found your chakra network was being disrupted by something - your body had started to repel it. The more it did so, the more you were harming yourself. I … found out it was the effect of the drug the Stone had given you. Or rather, the beginning lack thereof." He frowned, then. "Parts of this drug, anyway." You were silent. It didn't take a genius to figure out how the rest had come to happen, then. A chilling sensation befell you. "They had forced something down my throat frequently," you supplied when Tobirama didn't continue directly. "I didn't realise… at some point, it'd become a necessity." How, anyhow? They always used it to torture you. His grip on your hand became tighter, the brush of his chakra a bit warmer. "We were forced to give you the drug again." He paused, and took a deep breath. "Forgive me, Y/n," he finally gazed back at you. His eyebrows were pulled together in what could only be described as a sorrowful expression, oddly vulnerable. And yet - this being Tobirama - he still carried this air of dignity around him. You gasped - you hadn't forgotten the promise he had made during your delirium. But to hear it from him again, now - it hit differently. Tobirama was a serious man. But the sincerity his voice carried now - the unspoken plea for forgiveness, the guilt - it hurt you. "You had to, Tobirama," you whispered, letting your free hand rub over his exposed forearms to try and alleviate him from his sorrow, to absolve him from his guilt. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking deep breaths. When he opened them again, the sorrow was not yet gone. "We've got no antidote yet, Y/n." A shiver ran down your spine. You gulped. You knew you wouldn't like what he'd say next. "Until we do…", he began slowly, visibly struggling to find the right words. The gentle words, maybe. Tobirama was not a man of gentle words. "You're going to have to take this drug, regularly." The statement hit you like a punch into the gut. Your blood in your veins froze. You closed your eyes which had already begun to burn up already. All of this was supposed to be over now. Except it wasn't. Regularly, you'd be forced to undergo horror trips under the effects of that damn drug. If you didn't, you'd die. You clenched your teeth as you tried to bite back a sob. It was unfair. Well, life was unfair. The weight on the side of your bed shifted. You peeked a bloodshot eye open to find Tobirama now was facing you. His lips were turned down - he looked helpless. You whimpered miserably. "Y/n," he uttered, his voice reveal the hint of a tremor, too. You grasped more tightly at his forearm to pull yourself up with it, groaning lowly with the pain that movement. You felt Tobirama stiffen at first and actually were sure he was sure to shut you down since he'd never stand for you doing anything that hurt yourself - but when you had flung your bony arm around his neck, his eyes widened slightly. Quickly, his hands released yours to hug around your haggard body and pull it close to his. You buried your face in the crook of his neck, breathing in deeply. The sobs still came through, though. A hand rubbed gently over your back, soothingly. "Y/n," he whispered again, your name haunted by anguish. "I don't want to, Tobirama," you breathed against his skin, fisting the fabric of his black shirt with one hand and his silvery hair with the other. "I know," he sighed. "You must." There was no question in his tone, only sorrowful recognition. "If not, the withdrawal will kill you, Y/n." His grip around you became firmer. More desperate. The hand around your shoulder moved to your hair to stroke it gently. "How long… until the next dose?", you asked, dreading the answer already. He sighed. "About four hours. I'm not sure yet when the withdrawal symptoms will set in again." You could only give a whimper in response. He rubbed over your back firmly. "I won't rest until I've got the antidote, Y/n," he continued, the vigour returning to his voice - the tremble, gone. Do not get between Tobirama Senju and his objectives. It reassured you. To know he was the one on this - your face turned slightly to breathe up his neck first, then peck his cheek. "I love you, Tobirama." His response was prompt. He leaned back slightly just to gaze at your face - the determination inside was near tangible. Then, he leaned forward to press his lips against yours, desperate, almost. "I love you too." It wouldn't alleviate the fear of when the next dose came around, no. But you dared to hope now.

[visceraah]

Intrulogical week day 7- Free day

“Smoking causes an extremely damaging buildup of tar in your lungs and, in some cases, cancer.”

Remus licked the edge of it, rolling it up without even looking at Logan. “Maybe I like choking.”

So that was how it was. Logan shoved his hands into his pockets as they walked. “You are aware we’ll have to act as though we like each other for this, yes?”

“You’re saying you don’t like me?” Remus pouted. If Logan didn’t know better, he would’ve thought he saw a flicker of hurt on his face… But whatever it was, it was gone in an instant. “Why, that completely changes things.”

“I am saying, we must act like a couple.” Logan corrected, unimpressed.

-

Or, a ridiculously self indulgent fake dating AU

AO3

Content warnings: homophobia, cannibalism mention, smoking, and the usual for innuendos.

Logan wanted to punch something.

Ordinarily, he was not a violent man. He believed resolving your issues with fists was an outlet for those too unintelligent to properly articulate themselves.

He also believed, had he spent any more time in that room, he would have tried to pummel his father to a pulp.

Hands shaking with rage, he pulled out his phone. It took a few tries to click the correct number, and he slowly raised it to his ear.

“Logan?” Pattons’ voice was full of concern and, for the first time in years, he wanted to cry. He didn’t trust his voice, but apparently his silence was enough. “We’re on our way.”

-

“Allow me to duel them!”

Romans anger might have been sweet at first, but it was beginning to wear thin. Logan rolled his eyes. “Even if I believed they would accept, violence solves nothing.”

“But they deserve it.” Roman muttered, sitting back down dejectedly.

“Hey, no mister! Violence is bad.” Patton reprimanded, although even he wasn’t too firm. Nobody was the biggest fan of Logans’ parents right now.

“I was expecting this. They have expressed their… distaste, for gay people. It was foolish to expect any other kind of reaction.” Logan tried, hating how his voice shook as he spoke.

Patton put a hand on his shoulder. “You’re their son, Lo, it wasn’t fo-”

“I’ve got it!” Roman declared loudly, startling the other two. Patton opened his mouth but Logan, glad for the shift of focus from his emotions (... because that was uncomfortable), shook his head.

“You take home to them the worst boyfriend ever! Fake, that is. He can be rude and dismissive and swear-y and the total opposite to a gentleman. That way, when you actually bring home a boy you like, they’ll be so relieved it’s not.. That.. and have no choice but to accept him!”

Patton clapped politely. Logan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Even if I consented, what makes you think this would work?”

“Oh, trust me. It’ll work.” Roman told him confidently, and Patton leant over to whisper “I’m convinced.”

What was he getting himself into?

“... I assume you have the perfect delinquent in mind.”

Roman grinned.

-

“What do you want, fuckwaffles?”

Roman spluttered, and Logan was already regretting this. The ‘delinquent’ in mind had been his twin, and even though Logan had been his friend once… That was a long time ago. He barely recognised the boy in front of him, lounging on bench and smoking what he sincerely hoped was just tobacco.

Logan figured he would cut to the chase, to spare any more stupidity. “Allow me to be frank- I recently informed my parents I was gay.” Remus seemed to perk up at that. “They did not take it well. Your brother seems to think pretending to date the worst possible influence will persuade them to accept a less abrasive boy, and I… Am out of other ideas.”

“That sucks.” Remus said, sincerely, and took a drag from his cigarette. “But I’m not interested. Fanfic rules say if you fake date, you fall for each other or whatever, and no offense Specs, but I don’t wanna bang a nerd.”

Logans brow furrowed. “Fanfic..?”

“Yeah, you know- works of ‘fanmade fiction’. Where you have a hard on for some made up guy and write about him fucking a different character you project onto. Ro writes it all the time.”

“I do not write smut!” Roman said indignantly, going red.

“I know.” Remus sighed sadly. “That’s why your fics suck.”

Logan was pretty sure they were speaking another language, but he decided to power through. Whatever they were saying, it didn’t seem too important. “It’ll be purely professional.” Logan reassured him. And, because he was a little desperate… “And I can pay.”

Remus stared at him for a long minute, before finally putting out his cigarette on the bench. Logan cringed at the burn mark it left on the wood. “My first job as a male escort… Fine.”

Roman sighed in relief, and Logan nodded, sticking his hand out. Remus eyed it, then spat onto his palm and slapped it against Logans, giving it an unnecessarily tight shake.

Logan didn’t bother to hide his disgust, making note to wash his hands ASAP. Remus just grinned back at him.

“I’ll bring a spliff. When dya need me?”

Ah. Logan cringed “... Now.”

“Lucky for you, my evening’s free. We should probably get a story straight, first though- you wanna go for a walk?”

What choice did Logan have? He nodded curtly, and they started the walk in silence. He heard Remus drag out a sigh, and glanced over to see him pulling out some paper and starting to roll himself another cigarette. He frowned disapprovingly.

“Smoking causes an extremely damaging buildup of tar in your lungs and, in some cases, cancer.”

Remus licked the edge of it, rolling it up without even looking at Logan. “Maybe I like choking.”

So that was how it was. Logan shoved his hands into his pockets as they walked. “You are aware we’ll have to act as though we like each other for this, yes?”

“You’re saying you don’t like me?” Remus pouted. If Logan didn’t know better, he would’ve thought he saw a flicker of hurt on his face… But whatever it was, it was gone in an instant. “Why, that completely changes things.”

“I am saying, we must act like a couple.” Logan corrected, unimpressed.

“So you do like me?” Remus teased, elbowing Logan in the side. “But… Alright. We hooked up at that gig down The Crown the other week- naturally, I was the top- and it’s been non-stop sex ever since. Happy?”

“I am not telling my parents any of that.” Logan said firmly. Once, he would have blushed at that, but he knew by now better than to take Remus’ words at face value.

“Why?” Remus tucked his cigarette behind his ear- just to crown the ‘troublemaker’ look, Logan supposed. Smoking was repulsive and all, but… It did kind of suit him. “Chose it cause you were there- don’t want them to know you go out?”

“No, actually. Whilst that was not my primary issue with your suggestion, it is not a detail they know, or I intend on sharing with them.”

Remus stared at him, and he shifted awkwardly under his gaze. “You didn’t tell them?”

“You… Remember what they are like.” Logan reminded him. “Can you blame me?”

Remus nodded, but for some reason he was still looking at him. “How’d you avoid getting caught, then?”

“Some of us are good at it.” Logan replied with a smirk

Remus gasped and elbowed him again. “Fuck off. Not my fault my parents don’t trust me!”

“I sincerely believe it is.”

Remus laughed, and Logan couldn’t help watching him. For someone so harsh, he was… Cute. He blushed when he was caught looking at him, quickly shaking his head and looking away.

Remus didn’t like silence, though, no matter how comfortable. It didn’t take long for him to open his mouth again. “What happened to us?”

Logan turned to look at him inquisitively, waiting for him to continue.

“I mean…” Remus seemed to hesitate, almost embarrassed. Huh. Logan hadn’t thought he could get embarrassed. “We used to be mates, yknow? We talked about weird shit together, like- fuck, I don’t know, how tigers have spikes on their dick.”

Logan snorted at that. “I suppose we did.”

And the silence was back. It didn’t feel right, though- Logan knew there was more to say, so, reluctantly, he explained, “We were just… Very different. I was interested in my studies, you were interested in…”

“Eh, I get it.” Remus dismissed before he could even finish. “M’a bad influence- couldn’t have the model student associating with me.”

Logan frowned, looking over at Remus. “I don’t see why that should be the case.”

Remus startled, almost dropping his cigarette. He seemed shocked, and Logan almost smiled.

Before either of them could try and make sense of this strangely emotional moment, though, Logan had stopped walking and turned to look at the nearest house. They were there, and he didn’t like it one bit.

“... I am unsure if I can do this.” Logan admitted, taking a step back. He felt a weight on his shoulder, and looked up to see Remus’ hand. It was strangely comforting.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be the worst boyfriend you could ask for.”

Logan snorted and took a deep breath, holding out his hand. When Remus just stared at it, he explained, “To sell it.”

Remus made a small ‘ah’ of understanding, linking their hands and walking forwards with him.

Before he even had the chance, Remus rung the doorbell for him. Once, then again, and again and again and-

His mother opened the door angrily. “Logan, that’s immature and, quite frankly, rather idiotic.” Her eyes landed on Remus and they narrowed. “Who’s that?”

“Oh, I’m Remus. Pogan’s boyfriend.”

Her eye twitched. “That isn’t- Logan, can I have a word?”

Logan, who had until now just been watching in fascination- Remus really did have this down- subconsciously straightened his back. “Yes mother?”

“Alone.”

“Oh, anything you can say to him, you can say to me.” Remus supplied, leaning on the doorframe. “You gonna let us in or what?”

The colour drained from his mothers face and, if he weren’t so nervous, Logan would be genuinely impressed. “I have invited him back for dinner. I hope that’s alright.”

The look on her face said it very much wasn’t, but she forced herself to take a deep breath. She stepped back, forcing a thin-lipped smile to her face. “Of course.”

“Sick.” Remus walked straight past her, dragging Logan with him. “What’re we eating, then?”

“Pie. Your father will be home soon.” She said, message clear as she turned on her heel and left the room.

“I’m a vegan, so leave out any meat!” Remus yelled after her, before shooting Logan a grin. “How much more of a Karen could she be?”

Logan let out a surprised snort. “I must admit, you have this down.”

“Oh, I’m just getting started~”

Logan doubted Remus could get any worse than this, but a large part of him was rather excited to see him try.

-

Remus got so, so much worse. He insisted on sitting on Logans lap despite the whole sofa being free- and he did not blush because of it. Nope- and spoke loudly about how much he wanted to smoke.

When Logans father arrived, the ‘couple’ were met with a stare of confusion and, after a whisper in his ear from his mother, a glare. He cleared his throat. Logan looked up, but Remus just fiddled with a lock of his hair- something that definitely didn’t make him blush, either. His father cleared his throat again, and Remus seemed to acknowledge him.

“Oh, hi. You must be… Pat?”

“Matt.” He snapped, and Logan realised just how well it worked to get someones name wrong. “Aren’t you that kid Logan used to hang around? Real trouble maker, always in detention.”

“Sure am- guess you could say Lo and I have a long history.”

It was honestly impressive how pissed he looked already. Logan squirmed but, before this could get any worse, there was a loud bang behind them. Everyone turned to look, just in time to see his mother slam the plates down onto the table. “Dinner.”

Logan watched in awe as Remus strode up to the table and seated himself at the head, awkwardly shuffling after him. He saw his parents exchange a look, but they thankfully sat down, too.

The next few minutes were painfully quiet. His mother served up the food in a way that could only be described as aggressive, and his father glared at the wall ahead of him.

“You guys read Titus Andronicus?” Of course it was Remus to break the silence. When Logan realised nobody else would reply, and he’d have to continue… Whatever this conversation was, he shook his head.

“The Shakespeare play? I am afraid not.”

“Oh, shame.” Remus picked at the food. “This Roman war criminal, Titus, brings back like four prisoners whose family he brutalised and whatever. They’re kindaaa pissed so, as revenge, they kill a couple his sons and mutilate his daughter. He finds out and kills them, then cooks them into a pie and serves it to their mother. He’s killed by the emperor or whatever, but that’s not important. This just… Reminded me of that.” He poked the pie again.

Logans mother actually turned green. “I… Thought you were a vegan.” Was all she could think to say, thoroughly disgusted.

“That’s the thing about vegans!” Remus jiggled his fork in her direction. “We won’t eat animals or animal products, yeah? But we eat human products. Soooo, by that logic, we could eat a person, too.”

“Are you saying you’re a cannibal?” Logans father asked coldly, speaking for the first time since they sat down.

Remus shrugged in a way that concerned even Logan. “Just a hypothetical.”

“This boy’s a maniac.” Logan heard his mother mutter, and his fist curled around his cutlery. His knuckles turned white.

“Don’t.”

Everyone looked at Logan in surprise, Remus included, and he found himself going red- not from embarrassment, but anger.

“Excuse me? You bring a fucking… Deviant, like this, into our house, and then you have the nerve to speak to your mother like that? Apologise, right now.” Logans father snarled. He clutched the cutlery tighter.

“Only if she does.”

“This, uh, really isn’t necessary-” Remus whispered to him, cut off by a shrill laugh.

“That’s the first thing you’ve said all day to make any sense.” His mother spat.

“Probably.” Remus agreed, easily, and Logan stood up suddenly. His chair clattered to the ground.

“Don’t agree with them.”

Logans mother glared up him. “You sit down and stop this right this second”

For the first time in his life, Logan ignored her. “We are leaving.” He said coldly, grabbing Remus by the arm and storming out.

-

The second they were out of sight of the house, he stopped walking. He shut his eyes, pressed his back to the nearest wall, and slid down against it. Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

He’d forgotten he wasn’t alone until Remus’ voice, uncharacteristically soft, called out “Lo..?”

He looked up, wiping at his eyes. “Apologies. That- none of it was fair on you.”

“What? No, I don’t give a shit about that. I signed up for it.” Remus dropped down next to him. “More concerned about you.”

“... Me?”

“Yeah, that was fuckin rough- just give the word and I’ll feed ‘em to the pigs, because damn.”

Logan laughed, a half sniffle. “I believe the phrase is ‘feed them to the fish’.”

“Well that’s stupid. Everyone knows you feed bodies to pigs.”

Logan decided not to question that… Instead, he hesitantly leant into Remus’ side. To his surprise, the other boy put an arm around him. “Specs?” He asked, after a minute.

“Hmm?” Logan shifted a little to meet Remus’ gaze.

“How come ya reacted so badly?”

Ah. Logan swallowed. He wasn’t too sure himself, really, but… “They had no right to speak to you like that.”

Remus stared at him quizzically, and Logan found himself meeting his gaze. They stayed like that, for longer than Logan cared to measure, before Remus finally asked, “Can I kiss you?”

For some reason, the question didn’t take Logan by surprise. He nodded and, grinning, Remus brought his mouth down to meet his.