#this is the gist of it

[starry-bi-sky]

i have been unmedicated for the entirety of spring break and thus have had little interest in writing this down, but i have been thinking about this for the entire week (as well as a dpdc clone danny au that resulted in it becoming its entirely separate batman au that includes a teenage vigilante bruce wayne, an ocarina, and me entirely incapable of making a batman au without making bruce dirt poor but we're not talking about that) and so i've finally went 'fuck it' and forcibly grabbed my laptop. I will get this done in one sitting even if it kills me.

BUT. This is about neither clone^2 danny nor about who i am calling Ocarina Batman. This is about my Danyal Al Ghul Au and more SPECIFICALLY it's me thinking about his relationship with Sam and Tucker specifically.

Tucker and Sam? Adore this asshole (affectionate) with every fiber of their being. And it is very much a reciprocated feeling, but Danny's thoughts will not be delved into much other than he would kill for them.

Tucker? The only person currently capable of getting a deep, loud, belly laugh out of Danny. Sam can get him to smile and to laugh, but it's the kind that's a chuckle-under-the-breath. The quiet, looks-down-while-huffing laughter. Snorts once with laughter and then grins stupidly.

But Tucker? Tucker can crack a slew of stupid jokes and Danny will be incapacitated for the next five minutes because he's laughing so hard that he can't breath. He lands one well-timed pun or quip and Danny will be close to tears. His laughter is their favorite sound in the whole world.

Sam is lowkey jealous of this ability, and she's gotten a belly laugh out of Danny a few times. But alas, it is Tucker who wields this power and has gotten it the most times out of the two of them.

-

They're also both physically affectionate with Danny as much as possible. It started roughly around when they were 12-ish, a year since they befriended Danny, and they noticed that he sought after touch but never seemed to initiate (and was in some ways repulsed by it). They started slowly being more touchy with him. Hooking a finger around his to lead him somewhere, tapping his wrist, looping arms. Little touches, grabs, etc, to get him used to it, and once he started doing it back they started increasing it.

It's gotten to a point where he will now just. Lay on them. Like a lizard sunbathing on a rock. Leaning on their backs when they're sitting in class before the bell rings, his chin on their heads. He'll talk about anything with his arms looped around their shoulders.

If they're sitting on a couch at either of their houses, he'll lay his legs on theirs. Him and Tucker will press their feet against the other's and try and push against them (newsflash: Danny always wins, Tucker claims its the ghost strength but Danny's been winning since before his accident)

-

Naturally, both Sam and Tucker know where Danny keeps his weapons on his person, and are allowed to grab them off of him if they need it. His only requirement is that they don't lose his weapons if they take it and forget to return it immediately.

They both understand how big of a thing this is from Danny, and so they do their best to treat his weapons with a lot of respect and care because they know its his way of saying he trusts them.

-

Sam and Tucker are so fond of Danny it's insane. Like fr. That's their goddamn best friend, and they are so protective of him. Emotionally, physically, you name it. They will tear the head off a grown man if they need to, Danny's had scars since he arrived in Amity Park and Sam and Tucker both are going to find the person who put them there and make them pay for it.

One time, Tucker overheard a bunch of upperclass girls speaking nastily about Danny and about the rumors surrounding him, calling him names like 'freak', 'monster', etc. Danny was with him and heard it, and seemingly appeared unbothered by it, even telling Tucker that he was used to such rumors.

Tucker was so furious that hacked into the school system later that night and tanked those girls grades. They were kicked out of their clubs and had to go to mandatory tutoring for the rest of the year. He made sure to leave some way of letting them know it was him who did it.

And Sam doesn't like using her money for things, doesn't like abusing that wealth. So instead, whenever her parents talk bad about Danny, she causes a media incident that has her parents scrambling to deal with. She does something wild, outrageous by her parents' standards.

She heard some boys on the basketball team making fun of Danny once, similar to those girls had. She kicks up a fuss about something eco-unfriendly at school and forcibly holds a protest on the same day of the big home basketball game, forcing them to cancel the event and reschedule to a visiting school.

She anonymously donates money so that there's new uniforms for the team but oops! Looks like she "forgot" to donate enough money for them to get uniforms for all the team members, and strangely enough those boys in particular didn't get them! Looks like they'll have to wait until more money gets donated for the basketball team to get their new, nice uniforms. The old ones look so ratty in comparison, right?

And since the football team gets most of the sport money, that might just take awhile. And if (and when) they kick up a fuss? oops! Off the basketball team you go, :) such unsportsman-like behavior is unfit for the team.

(The only good thing about how corrupt the school system is is that she can use it to her advantage too.)

The both of them know that Danny suspects them for the sudden misfortune falling on these people, but he doesn't call them out on it. He's kinder than he used to be, but not kind enough to vouch for people who speak badly of him. Sometimes, he might just congratulate them on not getting caught.

Because Danny is their wonderful, hurt friend with a "slightly" Blue and Orange Moral code, and enough scars that people have been calling him a criminal (and worse) since he arrived in Amity Park when he was ten. And they'll be damned if he gets hurt anymore.

[nohomie]

Hey what are the relationship/how the characters feel about each other in the hunt vs. hunted au ? I love your au by the way :)

I think I can answer this properly now.

Info below the cut

Basically the main characters are separated into two groups:

There's the Hunter's side: Howdy, Eddie, Barnaby, Home, and sliding my own oc, Dolly here.

They all have a more professional relationship with each other if not having met each other at all.

• Howdy and Dolly are close friends that gradually grew apart after they both started focusing on their professions more.

• Eddie is Howdy's assigned work partner for the week™.

• Dolly is Home's direct affiliate, acting as Home's direct assistant and spokes person when it comes to work stuff.

• Barnaby hasn't even talked to any of them yet except for Home and by extension Dolly.

And there's the Hunted: Frank, Julie, Sally, Poppy, and Wally

Their relationship is more of a found family situation.

• Poppy is like the mother figure to all of them.

• Wally is like the angsty kid that would keep himself locked in his room and sleep for years, occasionally going to Frank for mental and physical check ups.

• Frank acts like the tired private physician/older brother, he's closest to Julie because she pesters him often about his work.

• Sally is the second most energetic person in the group that would give unsolicited advice to people and set up plays to entertain everyone in their shared space, she's closest with Poppy, who she confides in with her own troubles and secrets.

• Julie is the last person to join their little group, hyper excited to just hang out with everyone. She just immediately tried to be everyone's best friend.

And then there's Y/N who initially has no connection to any of them. They're just a fella that got tangled in the middle of a crossfire

[beevean]

So we were saying about N!Dracula being somehow more sympathetic than Dracula because he cares about his friend

[red-hood-vigilante]

s1 is just. i love you grainy unfocused shots of cemeteries and foggy roads no one travels. i love you john’s journal as a bible. i love you sam driving the impala casually with dean sleeping in the passenger seat. i love you jessica moore and sarah blake and cassie robinson. i love you dark motels with neon signs and dusty libraries with huge lore books. i love you side character serving as a mirror to the winchesters. i love you cleaning guns and wounds and sharpening of knives and gas stations and flip phones and laptop stickers. i love you small towns where time stands still with something unknowable and hungry lurking in the shadows. i love you angry psychic sam and dean trying his best with a leather jacket too big for him. i love you looming presences of john and mary. i love you homemade and flawed equipment. i love you horror and tragedy and blood. i love you dramatic lighting and silhouettes. i love you folklore and local legends. i love you -

[eggplantmandudeguy]

dont know anything about chiikawa but i like this guy

[darkthare]

Does anyone else think he should have a Lestat moment

Still learning how to draw them

[inkskinned]

okay i almost never address the very small amount of internet fame i have. and sometimes yes it sucks. people often repost my work, or clip it out of context, or flat-out steal it. but like it can be very funny. once a follower dm'd me to say a guy on hinge was pretending to be "inkskinned", and actually had even started his own insta. when she said "i've followed her for years i don't think you're her", he said - actually r.i.d is like seven people, we just made those initials up. (rude). when i found his insta and messaged him, he begged me to just lie and say he was r.i.d because "it's hard for men to date."

once someone said she should be allowed to plagiarize my work because she was a body-positive influencer and that if i "made a big deal" about this and "got her cancelled", i would be doing damage to my own community and i was never "actually" an ally.

i bear these things with the aura of a martyr, the way my catholic father raised me to. i message privately. i handle things quietly and quickly. i do not complain because i am very, very, very, very blessed and i know that. mercy and gentleness literally pour out of me every morning when i wake up, and then i have to mop the floors for how very Good i am.

however today is the first time i have ever had a very specific problem that neither requires me to correct this person nor throw them to the dogs but is somehow worse than years of hatemail, reddit thread death threats, and pinterest reposts:

someone quoted me and just got it, like, a little wrong.

[theartintrying]

jayvik dune au?

[foldingfittedsheets]

So one thing I’ve noticed is that people’s DnD characters may vary but there is usually an underlying thread that they all have in common. This thread is typically related to what that person struggles with the most.

For instance, my betrotheds DnD characters: a bitchy warlock we had to bust out of two different pacts, a sassy barbarian, a reformed drow cultist, and a sunshine fighter cleric.

All these characters were wildly different but at their very core struggle was them grappling with their self worth. My betrothed struggles with their worth a great deal and even with different facets showing their characters all have that too.

Mine all tend to contend with different themes of loneliness and acceptance. Surprise, surprise, the little autistic gremlin yearns to have been met with more love and lasting friendships.

So we’re at breakfast. I am meeting a new friend of my betrotheds for the first time. It’s been twenty minutes since I’ve met this man. I say my theory. He laughs. He starts to describe a few of his characters but specifies that he often has healing aspects. He gives a very broad overview of their character arcs.

I ponder for a moment then said, “Would you like to have my assessment?”

He laughed, “Sure!”

“We’ve just met. It’s gonna get real.”

“Bring it on.”

“I think your struggle is that you feel you must offer something of value or service to people to be worthy of their love.”

His jaw dropped. His fork froze midway to his mouth. A potato fell. He stared into space as this sank in. Quietly he said, “Oh.”

[historicity-was-already-taken]

Ok so the ICE arrests of US citizens and veterans of Hispanic descent.

Read Between Dignity and Despair by Marion Kaplan. Because this is part of a process called “social death.” We already have high level dehumanizing and quasi-genocidal rhetoric about Latinx Americans. We have internment camps. Now we have the Trump Admin and its just-following-orders ICE enforcers arresting citizens.

“Social death” is the process by which a group of citizens has its identity as lawful and ideological citizens questioned to such an extent that it becomes normalized among the “fits ideological notions of citizenship” group to view them as an inherently foreign Other before anyone starts revoking citizenship.

And we’re already ass deep into that process.

The USA is not a country in which ANYONE should feel as though they have to carry their citizenship/naturalization papers on them. That is not normal, and you cannot let the media normalize it.

Also, read Imagined Communities.

[hughmanbean]

Loving Threats

Inspired by a song and its remake. But I am trash at syncing lyrics to storybeats.

Danny and Jason met in the ghost zone when Jason was dead, but he forgot it all coming back to life. When the two of them were together, they went through the entire song and dance (literally) of asking each other out.

I'm serious. There were like 10 different musical scenes with varying themes. It was Fenton Romance at its finest. And Jason's old school romance heart was certainly played a large part too.

It was their love language. Dramatic acts, vague threats and all.

Post revival and reconnection with the Batfam, Jason spots a familiar face. A flood of memories wash through him, and with it a bout of giddiness. Though he's currently dressed as Red Hood, Danny'll be able to tell who he is and keep quiet. Just have to greet him in a way that he'll recognize.

---

Danny is out taking the kids for a walk. Dan was grumpy since he wasn't allowed any ecto chips, for both his health and as punishment for severely beating a guy who tried to mug Danny without permission yesterday. Ellie is quite cheerful, since she's going to visit the Crocodile and Zombie sewer-dudes when Danny's not looking.

All of a sudden, Red Hood, casually wielding a gun, approaches Danny. He makes an overly familiar gesture, wrapping an arm sideways around Danny's waist. He whistles under the hood, a faint green glow from the white eyespaces.

"Well who do we have here? You look half dead, honey."

Danny looked at him. Horrible pick up line? Check? Thin veneer of confidence? Check. Zero self control around Danny? Check.

Jason. The rancid ecto signature is new, though. Honestly, not surprised he's a crime lord now.

"Well, you know how it is. The kids have been running me ragged. And you sure haven't been any help."

Danny puts on an innocent smile. Jason sidles closer. A few bystanders watch them with varied expressions.

"Well you don't need to worry about that now. How about you and I go somewhere more private?"

---

"A crime boss, huh?"

Dan is raiding the fridge. Ellie is watching a fight on TV.

"It was a... necessary step. I promise I would've visited you sooner if I had known."

"It's fine. What else happened while you were gone?"

"Well..."

[cringefail-clown]

been thinking about no-sburb/alternia escapees au

[gearboxsys]

what the fuck is going on

[monocaelia]

apricity.

even if the sunlight filtering in through the window is warm, nothing beats the comforting embrace of your lover beside you; aka, mornings with the love interests. feat. caleb, rafayel, sylus, xavier, zayne. genre : fluff note : can you tell what i desperately want to do with all of them lol anyways… waking up to a handsome and pretty boy what a dream.

❀ CALEB

the morning sun is barely peeking through the closed curtains of the bedroom you lay in. you can hear the faint chirping of birds as they too begin to rise from their slumber and begin their day. it’s cold in the room, a nice contrast from the warmth and comfort of the duvet you’re curled up in. the scent of fruit mixed with a masculine perfume fills your senses as you bury your head further into the blanket as you try to get back into the lull of sleep. you’ve had a long night, and with the promotional banquet lasting for so long, being awake at this hour was criminal.

but with the lack of another body in the bed to comfort you back to sleep, sleep slowly slips away from you and the ceiling is all you can focus on. with a heavy sigh, your body slowly slides off of the plush mattress and you begin your sluggish trek out of your lover’s bedroom in search of him.

the smell of breakfast is what attracts your attention as you enter the kitchen of caleb’s home. as you turn your head to the stove, the man of the hour is standing in front of it. there’s a pink frilly apron tied around his waist and from behind you could tell that his hair is a mess. honestly, this man’s sleeping habits haven’t changed a bit seeing how horrible his bed hair remained from the time you were both young. you feel a smile grow on your lips, heart warming at the sight of his familiar bed hair.

until caleb turns around and reveals the mess of yesterday on him.

along with the mess of hair on top of his head, lipstick marks are covering your lover nearly from head to toe as if some crazed lover attacked him last night. there were marks all over his face, his neck, even down his shoulders possibly, and his lips were smeared in the pigment that you’re well acquainted with. however, despite the mess on his skin, eyes of amethyst shine brightly seeing you stand in the kitchen doorway and his lips pull up into that boyish grin tat you’ve grown to love through all these years.

if anything, caleb looks like he’s proud wearing your lipstick all over his skin.

“good morning, shortstack! did you sleep well?” caleb asks with a wide grin. his eyes follow you as you make your way to him to get a closer look at the mess of hair and lipstick on his head. you feel his lips press onto your forehead as you get close enough to the taller air pilot.

“i think so,” you begin as you peer over the stove to peek at the breakfast he was preparing. “more importantly, did you sleep well? why didn’t you stop me?” you ask him. it’s clear you’re referencing the mess you’ve made of him, but caleb only gives you a pleased smile in response.

“i enjoyed the attention,” caleb says as he flips the sizzling omelette in the frying pan. “besides, it’s not everyday you come home so eager to shower me in affection.”

you sigh in response to your lover’s words. your hands raise up to hopefully flatten a strand of caleb’s hair that tries to defy the laws of gravity by sticking up and out of his head. as if reading your mind, caleb squats down just enough for your hands to reach where they need to and enjoying your touch in the process.

“you’re a mess, you know?” you murmur softly as your fingers stray from his hair and onto the skin of his cheek. your heart melts seeing your lover lean into your touch. but, before you could fully pull away from him caleb’s hand reaches for your own. his hand is much larger than yours, palm calloused and rough from years of training in the deepspace aviation administration, and pulls you closer to him. you hear the faint click of the stove turning off before you’re met face to face with the playful man in front of you.

“if you’re so bothered by it, why don’t i pay you back tenfold for what you did to me, pipsqueak?”

your lover ignores your pleas as he leans forward, pressing his lips all over your face and covering as much skin as he possibly could. your giggles echo in the kitchen as you beg for caleb to release you from this prison, but he’s much stronger than you and he’s relentless in his punishment to you. despite his body being rugged and big, suited for being the colonel of the farspace fleet, he holds you firmly against him but never enough to harm you. your lover lands a final, sloppy kiss on your cheek, releasing the kiss with an obnoxiously loud smooch as your laughter quietly dies down from his onslaught of affectionate attacks.

lavender eyes gaze into yours, taking in every inch of your face that he loves so much as the morning sun continues to fill his home with warmth. but nothing could ever compare to the love and warmth that caleb shares with you as he leans down once more to press his lips onto yours in a gentle kiss filled with nothing but the deep affection and adoration held for only you.

❀ RAFAYEL

the gentle warmth of the sun is beginning to rise over the horizon, showering the glistening waves in a golden hue. the crisp morning air flows through the cracked windows of your lover’s home and causes you to retreat deeper into the plush duvet of rafayel’s bed. the ocean air is cool and your body seeks the comfort and safety of the blanket wrapped around you. as the chill begins to seep through the cracks of the blanket and rouse you from your slumber, you feel the dip of the bed of another body joining you. your eyes crack open slightly and catch a blurry purple blob pull back the covers and a familiar warmth encase you.

the familiar scent of the sea breeze and clean laundry brings a sense of comfort to you and you automatically wrap your arms around your lover as he buries his face into the crook of your neck. it seems he stayed up a tad too late on his artistic endeavors and is only now going to bed just as the day is beginning. your fingers play with the ends of rafayel’s purple hair, twirling them around your finger as you gently massage his scalp.

“g’morning,” you mumble out sleepily. rafayel doesn’t say anything and responds with his nose nuzzling the side of your neck. you sigh sleepily and pull away from your lover for a brief moment to look at him.

through your half-asleep daze, you could see your purple haired lover looking at you with his beautiful azure-pink eyes. his gaze is as fiery as his evol, filled with passion and so many emotions that sometimes it's hard to read just exactly what he's thinking. as if on instinct, your hand finds its way to the side of rafayel's face and cups his jaw. your thumb rubs gently across his cheek and your heart flutters as the artist leans into your touch. soft, pillowy lips gently press against the sensitive skin of your palm, but his eyes never leave yours.

"go back to sleep, cutie. don't wake up so early because of me," rafayel whispers against your skin. his hand encases your own and he buries his face into your palm, indulging himself in the warmth and familiarity of your skin on his. he presses another kiss this time on your inner wrist before shifting so that he's eye to eye with you.

you can see the dark eye-bags beginning to form underneath your lover's eyes and your thumb gently caresses the skin.

"shouldn't i be telling you to sleep more?" you murmur as your eyes rake over his face. it's impossible to hide the furrow in your brow as you examine every inch of your lover's face for other signs of fatigue. "you know your life shortens when you sleep less, and you already get little to no sleep."

rafayel pauses slightly at your words before chuckling softly. the purple haired lemurian wraps his arms around your body, pulling you closer into his embrace and closer to the eyes that have captivated you. he rests his forehead on yours, his warmth melting the coolness of the air around you as he encases you with nothing but the comfort of his body.

"there's nothing in the world that could take me from you, my beautiful love," rafayel whispers to you. he presses a simple, yet loving kiss to the top of your head before looking at you once more. there's a loving smile blooming on his rosy lips and an even more loving expression in his eyes as he affectionately brushes the skin of your cheek with his finger. "don't worry, for i'm yours to have. and i'm here resting with you now."

your lover's eyes show nothing but sincerity as he leans down to press the gentlest of kisses to you, your lips moving immediately to his act of love. despite the kiss being short, there was no hiding his deep adoration for you and the promise he'll keep of being by your side until the end of time. your hearts beat as one as the sound of the sea and the solace of each other's embrace quietly lulls the two of you back to sleep.

❀ SYLUS

dawn has not even broken through the horizon yet when you begin to stir from your sleep. even though exhaustion seeps through every single bone of your body, the quiet shuffling of clothes and the faint click of the door closing into place is enough to alert you that you’re no longer alone in the safety of your lover;s bedroom. although your eyesight is a blurred mess from waking up from your sleep, you know that whoever is in the room as of now is not a threat. if anything, you’re well aware of just who is in this room.

not that any person who poses as an actual threat to you would ever dare try to break into onychinus’ headquarters, let alone think about harming their leader’s one and only.

“good morning, kitten,” sylus’ voice is a calm whisper beside your ear, finger gently brushing away the hair that has fallen over your face. you can hear his deep chuckle, most likely at whatever expression you have in your half-asleep state, and shortly after his lips press against your forehead. “i didn’t mean to wake you up, dear. you should go back to sleep.”

your vision begins to clear as sleep is gradually blinked away from your eyes. your tall, silver haired lover is hovering above you with a soft smile; unbefitting of the leader of onychinus but absolutely expected as the one you hold closest to your heart. he looks haggard; eye bags heavy and dark underneath his beautiful ruby eyes. sylus must be exhausted having to work all through the night, but he tries to never show it in front of you even though you can always tell.

your hand reaches up to cup his jaw and, like a dragon obeying his beloved other half, obediently leans into your touch. the night must have been cool for his skin to be colder than your touch, or maybe it’s because you’ve been comfortably curled up in the thick duvet covering his bed. sylus sighs with closed eyes and only opens them once he’s satiated with your touch.

a calloused hand encases the hand over his jaw and ruby eyes stare directly into your own.

“i can’t. i have to get ready for work, anyways,” you murmur back to your lover. sylus frowns at your words. a finger gently pushes you forehead down when you try to sit up.

“and walk in with those eyebags? kitten, the organization would think you’re a wanderer if you walk in looking like that,” sylus quickly quips back at you. at his words, you send him a glare; of course, instead of being sweet to you in the morning and making sure you slept great your boyfriend decides to humble you. but… would he be sylus without a remark full of sass?

“stay in a while longer, it’s not like you’ll be reprimanded for coming in late this once,” sylus tells you with a playful smile. “besides, it’s not like you’re the only person coming in late all the time because they’re busy sleeping.” you roll your eyes at his dig at your coworker. your lover traces his finger across your cheek and behind your ear, his large hand sending your skin ablaze with every inch that he touches. but you find comfort in his touch and your body yearns for the comfort and safety of his arms.

“oh, alright. but go shower first, you smell like sweat and blood and i don’t want that to cling to me,” you give in with a heavy sigh. sylus chuckles at your request and leans down once more to kiss you; despite his rugged appearance, his lips are always soft to the touch. each movement against you is filled with so much passion and love, almost as if his body has been yearning for you for a thousand years. as you begin to pull away, you could feel sylus take a breath before eagerly chasing after you to kiss you again and again.

after being fully satiated with the kisses and love received from you, sylus pulls away, teeth gently pulling your bottom lip in a playful manner before letting go and leaving you behind to patiently wait for the return of his warm embrace until the sun begins to filter in through the dark curtains of his bedroom window.

❀ XAVIER

it is way past sunrise by the time you’ve gain consciousness in your own apartment. the morning light shines into your bedroom, the rays of pure sunshine peeking through the curtains of your bedroom window and filling the room with nothing but the warmth of the sun. the morning songbirds sing their songs through the sky and the bustling of the city in the distance is comforting in a way.

though, not as comforting as the weight of the body lying on top of yours. or rather, not as comforting and not as heavy. the sleeping hunter snoozing away on your chest is in a deep sleep; his breaths are quiet and even as his head rests comfortably on your chest. the golden rays of sun make his blond hair glisten and shine even brighter than he normally is. from the angle he’s at, you cannot see his face, but you’re assured that he’s peaceful in the comfort of your warmth. and your chest.

as much as you would like to stay in bed all morning, you know staying in longer than necessary would cause your body to be sluggish for the rest of the day. and so you begin to shuffle out of bed being careful not to awaken the slumbering prince on top of your body. however, your plan quickly fails as the lack of warmth underneath his body is enough to awaken him.

“mmm… morning,” xavier mumbles sleepily, his voice groggy with drowsiness dripping from his voice. the blond hunter mumbles something incoherent to you before he nuzzles his face into your chest then rests his chin on your body to look at you. his beautiful pale cerulean eyes are half lidded as he gazes up at you. in this light and in this moment, you have to admit how utterly cute and charming he looks. you’re tempted to close your eyes and go back to sleep with him, but you know your body will regret it in the long run.

“morning, sleepyhead,” you whisper to your lover. your hand comes up to brush away the blond strands cover his face. as if on instinct, xavier leans into your touch, leaning into it and remaining unmoved to bask in being in your palm. for a hunter who killed 70,000 wanderers, seeing him become so supple and obedient at your simple touch melts your heart. his blue eyes, akin to the sky, stare into your eyes, never wandering far from your face as the both of you begin to pull away from the intoxicating arms of sleep.

“don’t you want to sleep a bit more? you can; i’m just going to get ready for the day,” you murmur to xavier. your thumb rubs gently across your lover’s cheek, admiring how smooth his skin is despite his job as a hunter. he closes his eyes for a mere moment and takes in the feeling of your finger rubbing across his skin.

“as much as i love sleeping,” xavier begins, pressing his lips against your palm, “i’d rather spend our day off awake and with you.”

his eyes are twinkling as if stars were caught up in the vast sky that is his eyes and you feel your own heart skip a beat at the sincerity of his words as he smiles up at you. you sigh as your hand slowly slides up his cheek and-

“hey…!” your lover exclaims softly as your fingers gently squeeze his cheek, tugging his skin and shaking his head back and forth. your brows furrow as you shake him, annoyed at how cute he can be so early in the morning.

“that’s what you get for being so charming this morning,” you say as you pull your hands away. xavier looks up at you, eyes wide and his bottom lip jutting out just enough to get the perfect pout. but his little act doesn’t last for long as the blond hunter sits up and hovers over your body on the bed. his hands rest beside your head as he leans down so you’re eye to eye with him. there’s a playful glint in his eyes as he smiles down at you.

“then, starlight, do i get to punish you for being so cute, too?” xavier asks. pale blue eyes glance down at your lips, a signal that you know far too well.

your arms reach up to wrap around your lover’s neck, pulling him down as he eagerly leans forward to capture your own lips in his. his kiss is gentle, nothing short of loving and affectionate. but you could feel his eagerness for you, the heat rising with each movement of his lips on yours. your hands gently push against xavier’s chest before anything could go any further.

you almost laugh out loud seeing his pout as he obeys your wishes; his expression gives away all of his wants and needs to you and you can’t help but find him endearing. you reach up to lean up to quickly peck the corner of his lips, but your lover moves faster and, with a quick turn of his head, he’s kissing you again. the morning is warm and filled with sunshine as xavier showers you with affection he has been withholding this morning. but no sunlight could ever compare to the star holding you within his loving embrace.

❀ ZAYNE

the quiet buzzing and ruffling of the bedsheets is all you can hear before your body begins to rouse from your deep slumber. although your eyes haven’t completely opened yet, you recognize the blurry, dark blob beside you as his long arms reach over the nightstand to turn off the alarm. the comfort of his embrace is enough to lull you back to sleep, but you’re well aware that the warmth that you two share is fleeting as the day begins and the dreaded hours of work begin for the both of you.

unfortunately for you, the sun has yet to rise and the darkness is enough to truly drag you back into the depths of sleep, but you begin to truly wake up as zayne’s arms pull away from your body.

“mn…” you mumble as words try to form in your bedridden state. your arm drowsily reaches forward, clinging onto the body beside you and preventing him from immediately leaving your side.

you can hear his soft chuckle at your antics and a rough hand touching the side of your face; he’s cold to the touch, but you don’t mind it at all. it’s a beautiful contrast compared to the warmth hidden underneath the blankets you share. you pull zayne closer to you in hopes of enticing the poor heart surgeon into staying with you for just a bit longer; not that you don’t want him to go to work but because it’s just so comfortable being here with him. you hum in content feeling your lover’s stubble poking at your neck, an unusual feeling but one you welcome as it’s zayne’s body on your skin.

“good morning, beloved,” zayne whispers to you in a quiet voice. for being known as a cold and reserved doctor to others, he has shown you nothing but warmth and love as your boyfriend and you wouldn’t have it any other way. the calmness in which he speaks to you, his tone filled with nothing but adoration for you and only you makes your heart melt completely despite his evol being ice.

“you know i have to get ready for work, dear,” zayne murmurs softly as he begins to pull away, much to your despair. your hands reach for him again, but he’s far from your reach now. instead, hands covered in scars from his field of work encase one of your own and you can feel his lips press against the sensitive skin of your palm. his kiss is gentle despite the ticklish feeling of his stubble against your skin.

your eyes begin to open now, slowly focusing on the man above you. zayne has sat up now, olive green eyes looking down at you with nothing but sincere adoration and the longing to fall back into your arms and sleep for another hundred years. it’s not like he doesn’t yearn to be beside you, but duty calls and he cannot let more lives fall because of his hands.

“…i know,” you mumble back to him. zayne whispers an apology to you as you begin to sit up alongside him. rough hands intertwine with your own and you feel your body being slightly tugged towards him. his scent, clean with a hint of pine, nearly intoxicates you as you try to fight back the urge to wrap yourself around him and pull him down again.

“i love you,” you whisper to him. zayne’s breath hitches at your words and you can feel his forehead gently lean against your own.

“can i kiss you?” he asks you, his words a mere breath as if you’ll deny his request and shame him for his desire for your lips on his. you don’t have to say a word, a mere nod is enough and your lover leans forward to capture your lips with his. he’s gentle with you, kissing you with so much ardor yet so hesitantly as if you’ll break from his touch. before you could do anything else, zayne pulls away from your kiss. although he doesn’t return your words of affection to him, his actions and his kiss alone are enough of a reminder that he returns your sentiments the same amount, if not tenfold.

he loves you, and he wishes for the day he can say it back to you again and again and again.

[ughmerlin]

WHAT COULD'VE BEEN... 11 years after "The Diamond of the Day" (24.12.2012) Merlin returns (in/sp.)

[maturiin]

piece i made for a local exhibition in occasion of trans day of visibility. the title is "maltese scene"