#ugh and just like the wedding ring in the back shot is just so ... MMM lovely to me

[fizzytoo]

happy birthday, adrien <3

and this shot of adrien digging his nails into rua's back..... good for him good for him

[dammitadolfnomorecake]

Once Bitten, Twice Stupid prt 205

205

Wolf. Human. Exhausted. Horny. Exhausted. Wolf. Exhausted. Human. Horny. Exhausted. For the next two moons, Keith was... very instinctual. Very, very, instinctual. He couldn’t keep his hands off Lance when he was awake, nor when he was asleep... Lance wasn’t sure what they hadn’t fucked on, only that thankfully they were locked away in one of the very many rooms of VOLTRON where no one ever seemed to go. Coran had skipped giving them a bed, instead they’d been gifted the use of what seemed to be some kind of storage room for ex-training equipment. Their “bed” a stack of old gym mats. Keith too horny to care about where Lance would sleep, and Lance kind of too horny to sweat the small details around the sleeping thing seeing he seemed to now have the talent for sleeping anywhere as long as there was a bathroom closish.

In the space of twoish days, they pretty much dissembled the room. Keith had boundless energy in his wolf form. Having him “work it off” during the day meant only one leg humping incident, and that was only very minor as Keith had been ashamed when he’d realised what he was doing. Trying to be proactive, it turned it to “How to train your werewolf fiancé”, with Lance building different obstacle courses for Keith to conquer and amuse himself with. No. He wasn’t above playing fetch with Keith... and Keith wasn’t above being bossed around if it meant head scratches for being a good boy. His fiancé mortally embarrassed to find that he’d walked all the way to Platt simply because he missed his vampire. Coran stepping in and giving them complete privacy for the duration of the moon, meaning no nagging from Shiro over Keith’s safety.

Still, Lance was happy to have Keith back to himself after the moon had passed. His boyfriend much softer and much gentler, taking into account that Lance wasn’t really feeling like having sex seeing how vigorously they’d gone at it during the few hours Keith was awake around lunchtime. Keith stupidly apologetic for his wolffish ways, with snuggles and pampering that Lance sorely needed. Despite ensuring him repeatedly that he’d be okay, Coran decided that they needed and extra few days with Lance resting and on fluids thanks to all the “mating” they’d done. Launching into a long story involving sex with a very persistent vampire queen who was set on wedding him, Lance completely mentally banned the word “mating” from his own vocabulary. He now knew how much of a kinky demon bastard Coran was, and he’d never be able to scrub the graphic descriptions of Coran being pegged from his mind.

Allura had been highly sympathetic towards the pair of them when she’d brought his precious Blue back. Her blue rhinestone collar had been replaced by a pink one with a little bow, obviously she’d been “pampered” by her aunt Allura and hated every moment of it. Cradled in Lance’s arms, she made sure to glare up at him, letting him know he was only allowed cuddles as she didn’t wish to be held by Allura or Keith. Lance felt as if he’d been the worst cat dad to his beloved princess. She not only had to put up with a vampire for a father, she also had to put up with a werewolf as her other father, and she was expected to rule her household with incompetent staff in his absence. Not that Lance would ever admit it, but he missed the days when it’d been him and Blue off on another adventure together. He missed taking her for her walks, and spoiling her rotten as she loved him simply for the fact he was the one who operated her wet food. He’d never tell anyone this, nor would he change how things were now, he just really missed Blue and everything crazy that came with owning a cat. Kosmo was bestest boy, but Blue would be princess forever.

Without a lot to pack, they nearly made it out of VOLTRON and into his bronco before Coran was calling Keith away. Kissing him on the cheek, Keith sent him on ahead, Lance trying to block out the conversation between the two men, not completely sure he wanted to know what was being said, but mostly out of privacy. Thanks to the talk, when Keith climbed behind the driver’s wheel, his fiancé seemed in a bad mood, Lance not pushing as he wasn’t sure he’d like the answer he’d get if he did. Still, they were finally going back home for the next two weeks, where he’d finally get a look at Rieva’s engagement ring, though he wasn’t supposed to know about it as he’d heard Curtis and Shiro being all mushy and no one had actually told him about it directly... or if they had, he’d forgotten it and thinking about that was far too scary a prospect.

*

Fucking fuck fuck. Keith knew that Lance knew that he knew that Lance knew he was angry. Fucking shitty vampires. Not Lance though. Never Lance. No. Fuck Lotor. Fuck Lotor and his big prick of an ego. Keith wasn’t sure what he wanted to hit, only that hitting the open road hadn’t calmed him down.

Okay. He was not the best werewolf. He was not the strongest, the smartest, the scariest, or even the biggest. His instincts had gone into overdrive over not being able to find his mate and he’d walked the whole goddamn way to Platt to find him. Not that he really remembered that night, but still... That was totally beside the point, because fucking Lotor was coming back. He was coming back and he’d oh so graciously volunteered to spar with Keith to hone his new skills before they worked on him shifting into a werewolf.

The wank stain couldn’t come back for Allura, noooooo. That’d be too easy. No. He had to come back right when Lance was nearing the end of his pregnancy and play some damn fictional hero like mentor to his dumb wolf arse. And Coran had picked right when they were finally heading home to drop this piece of news on him. All those times he’d wanted to punch Lotor in the face and restrained himself seemed for nought now he had to be nice to him. Yeah, he was grateful the vampire had “tried” to protect Lance. But there was absolutely no way he wanted another vampire cozening into his mate. Though it would have broken Allura’s heart, Keith would have been happy if Lotor just stayed away in Europe with those ridiculous suits of his.

Lance hadn’t said a thing. Keith didn’t know if he’d heard, or if his fiancé was simply trying to be polite. Knowing Lance, option two seemed the sure bet. He was too old and too fucking exhausted for Lotor’s shit. Then there were Lotor’s witches to think about too... The only useful thing in this situation Lotor could possibly bring with him was anything Honerva had on breeder pregnancies. Yeah, it’d be information probably too late, but if there were to be any complications, he’d rather know before hand so he could figure out how best to support Lance.

Home was a welcome sight. Blue bolting from the bronco the moment Lance had his door open. Matt and Rieva coming out to wait for the pair of them as Keith dragged himself out from behind the steering wheel. How was he supposed to tell Lance he’d have to make pretty much daily trips to Platt starting in three days time? He didn’t want to do that to Lance. He didn’t want to have to deal with sorting through Lenny’s files when he also had to cope with Lotor’s training. Ugh. Adulting sucked. Forced into a hug with the two werewolves, his ego made him growl at the pair. Rieva slapping him upside the back of the head as she scolded him for running off. He’d never be living that one down.

Inside, Hunk, Shay, and Krolia were waiting in the living room. Krolia holding back a very excited Kosmo who’s whole body was wagging

“Kosmo!”

Crouching down, Keith opened his arms, Kosmo bowling him over as he rushed at him, licking his face as Keith tried to push him down

“You’re a menace... yes, who’s a menace? You’re a menace!”

Chuckling at the pair of them, Lance sidestepped them. Keith mood instantly lifted by Kosmo’s pure joy at seeing him

“I’m not going to say a word... but if you’re going to cheat on me, I suppose you can cheat on me with our best boy”

Keith snorted

“As if I’m going to cheat on you... besides, Kosmo is best pupper”

“As far as I’m concerned you both are. Hey, guys. Got room on the sofa for a sleepy vampire?”

Lance had made it one to the sofa and into one of Hunk’s hugs before Keith managed to get Kosmo calmed down. Sitting on the floor, his idiot fur son was sitting between his legs. This was home. He was home...

“You guys didn’t have to come visit us”

Hunk had work and so did Shay, as did his who was clearly giving herself the day off. Kicking lightly vaguely in Keith’s direction, Lance then snuggled himself into Hunk’s side

“Says you. Don’t worry, Hunk, he’ll change his mind when he gets one of your sunshine cuddles”

“I have plenty of cuddles. I bet you’re happy to finally be released”

“Oh, man. You have no idea. I’m still tired as heck, but Coran said as long as I don’t start sleeping without eating, I should be fine to nap as much as I want to”

That wasn’t quite what Coran had said, but Keith didn’t want to be a nagging fiancé

“That’s great, dude. I’ve gotta say, you all had us worried when you ended up there again”

“It’s like a second home by now. Plus I got some quality time with my gremlin, which was nice. Now I’m looking forward to having a bath and sleeping in my own bed...”

Hunk chuckled as Lance closed his eyes

“I’m glad my shoulder makes a good alternative”

“Mmm. You have great shoulders. And great arms for hugging. You’re the best cuddly Hunk in the universe”

“Aw, Bud, you’re not too bad yourself”

“I know. It’s my gift and my curse. Anything new to report while we were gone?”

“Ummm... Shay and I are looking at renting a place of our own”

Lance shot up, beaming as he wrapped his arms around Hunk

“I’m so happy for you guys!”

Keith was happy for them too, supposing he was being a tad anti-social staying on the floor rather than getting up and sitting in one of the recliners. He couldn’t let his Lotor problems bring the mood down

“That’s great, guys. Are you going to house share with Pidge or are you striking out on your own”

Shay giggled, Keith assuming she was happy to talking about it, otherwise her giggle made no sense

“Oh, definitely on our own. It just feels the right time. You guys are having twins. Matt and Rieva are engaged. Work’s been going really well, plus our parents both want to chip on the bond... I don’t think Pidge would like living with a couple...”

Keith noticed the way Lance’s smile wobbled. He’d mentioned that Pidge had been kind of feeling down about her friendship with Hunk drifting. People grew and changed, it sucked but it was a fact of life, and unfortunately for Pidge she was surrounded by couples. Matt came up behind him, ruffling Keith’s hair hard enough that it felt like his brain was being shaken

“Don’t worry about, Pidge. She’s been coming home from work to crash here. She’s never been one for love. All the kisses and the cooties, she’d rather be coding”

Matt only served to make Lance frown, he must have set his ego off

“Pidge is perfectly fine the way she is. I’ve already told her we’ll start looking for somewhere nice sufficiently haunted once the twins have come”

Hunk groaned deeply at Lance

“Man, you’re not still going to go ghost hunting, are you!? This is change to get out of going to creepy buildings in the middle of the night”

“Someone’s got to keep our little Pidgeon safe. You know how over excited she gets”

“But, dude. I’ve got grey hairs... I’m getting grey hairs thinking about going back”

Lance and Hunk would never fight, but Lance had said Pidge was upset. His fiancé would do whatever it took to make her happy again... and Lance did have a point about Pidge needing a babysitter... aaaaand Pidge chasing after ghosts was a hell of lot safer than her pursuing her interests in werewolves and vampires

“I don’t mind. I mean, I’ve already been there before and it wasn’t that bad”

Lance nodded quickly

“See! The gang is totally getting back together, even Keith agrees it’s going to be just like old times again. You split up the band”

“Yeah... but that... I mean, we know it’s real now...”

Matt chimed in with a scoff

“Yeah, really mostly explained by science”

Lance didn’t take too well to Matt’s unwanted addition to the conversation, snippy in his retort as he moved himself to shoot Matt a deathly scowl

“Ghosts are real. I know you werewolves don’t see them like vampires, but they’re there. They’re not something to just go poking out. If Pidge wants to go, I’m going with her”

Matt released Keith’s head, Keith feeling the fellow werewolf’s ego flaring. Matt had no right to be shitty towards Lance wanting to be there for Pidge

“Dude, you can’t let her boss you around forever. There’s a time for moving on”

“She’s not bossing me around. At the moment this is what she’s into. Running around the occasional haunted place was kind of fun. She’s fun. Yeah, death feels absolutely horrible. Shadows on the edge of your vision. Body so cold your breath comes out in puffs of condensation. But it was fun. Watching how into it all is fun, and when she started making connections in her cases I couldn’t have been prouder at the time and effort she’d put in. I want to be there and I want to support her. Yeah, she took her job at VOLTRON because she was already a firm believer in the paranormal, but she also did it so she could understand us better. Forget it, I’m getting cranky and we all know that’s Keith’s job, isn’t it, babe?”

Keith had wisely kept his mouth shut, yet he had been cranky all morning and Lance was owed an explanation

“Lotor’s coming back”

Maybe a better explanation than that. Keith cringing at his own bluntness. The cringe turning into a wince as Matt yelled, hurting his ears

“What?!”

Unhappy about his sore ears, Keith huffed

“You don’t need to fucking yell about it. I’m going to be training with him in Platt starting next week. Coran dropped it on me this morning as we were leaving”

Casting his gaze entirely to Lance, Lance smiled at him, rather looking freaked out like Keith thought he might. Cocking his head, Keith was confused

“Babe?”

“He’s... well, he’s him. But I think it’ll be good for you”

What?! No. Lance was supposed to support him staying at home... or maybe even say he wasn’t ready seeing he’d only been through two moons

“How is this a good thing?”

“You need someone to help you hone your skills now you’re a werewolf. You already hate him, so you’ll also get a lesson in how to rein your ego in for when you go hunting actually bad vampires. Plus, you don’t have to worry about hurting Lotor seeing he’s already dead so you can go all out”

Lance and his damn ridiculous logical approach

“But it’s Loturd...”

Whining only earned him a chuckle from Lance

“I know. I’m going to have call Allura later and scold her for not telling me about it. She’s supposed to be my adopted sister and she kept her mouth shut”

“Maybe she can distract him so I don’t have to put up with him?”

“Or maybe I’ll come along and kick your arse if you’re not training. He’s not my first choice of teacher, but I do think you need someone right now, and until I’ve given birth, I can’t help you train”

“You know I hate it when you’re right”

“But you love me”

He couldn’t argue with Lance’s logic there either

“I do. I don’t really want him and you in the same place”

“Babe, you’ve got nothing to worry about. I’m might be fat, but I can break through an ego now. He tries anything funny and I’ll neuter him”

“Not if I get there first”

If Lotor so much looked in Lance’s direction, Keith would kill him. Lance was his mate and as painful as it was, vampires probably belonged better together than a werewolf and vampire. Lance might not have any feelings towards Lotor... yet Keith couldn’t keep his jealously at bay. He deserved to be fucking happy, no matter how selfish it was, until he’d worked out how to interact with Lotor, Lance wouldn’t be going anywhere near him.

Shooting him double finger guns, his fiancé was trying to make him happier

“That’s my boy. Now, I don’t know what you’ve all got planned, but I want to take a bath. Growing babies is exhausting. Your amazing shoulder is going to have to wait, Hunk-a-roonie”

“That’s okay, Bud. We only really came to see that you guys got back safely. We’ve actually got a house viewing at 12 o’clock, so we’d better head out. It’s so good to have you guys home”

Lance smiled at Hunk

“It’s good be home. Don’t forget, you’ve got a team of werewolves to help you move. I’m happy to volunteer them”

“Yeah, we’ll keep that in mind. Right, we’ll see you guys later”

Leaving them, Keith dragged himself off the floor and into the space Hunk had vacated. Matt leaving them to join Rieva in the kitchen where she’d been making lunch before they’d come home. Lance not moving for this bath he wanted, instead kissing Keith on the cheek, before snaking his arm around him with a content sigh

“No bath?”

“Not yet. Honestly, I feel really bad, but I keep thinking about Pidge and it’s setting me off”

“Why don’t you invite her over?”

“I’ll send her a message. I used to get jealous over how close she and Hunk were, but we were always the “Garrison Trio”, you know. I know I can’t cling to the past, but it hurts that she feels on the outside”

Nosing into Lance’s hair, Keith nodded

“I know that feeling, but she’s got us and she’s got all our other friends. We’ll make sure she’s okay”

“I know. Babe, I know you’re upset about Lotor. If it doesn’t work out then it doesn’t work out. Both of you have egos and sometimes you’re just not compatible with someone. No matter what, I’m proud of you”

Hauling Lance up into his lap, Keith hugged his fiancé tightly

“Thanks. I’m kind... pissed off, but this is for the best, right?”

“Yeah, babe. I want you to finally feel safe as a werewolf and think this is a really good step. You’ll always have me in your corner”

“I’d rather have you in our bed”

Lance groaned at him, slapping his arm lightly

“That’s enough, Casanova. If I spread my legs anymore, they’ll fall out”

“We can’t have that. I love your legs”

And Lance’s arse... and his tummy... and pretty much every single bit of him...

“I know... God, it’s so nice to be home”

“Yeah, it really is”

[queenmuzz]

Deep Blue Sea: Chapter XI

Father Knows Best

Read the full story on Ao3 Here

WARNING: WHILE THIS CHAPTER DOES NOT CONTAIN OUTRIGHT ABUSE, BE WARNED THAT PARENTAL EMOTIONAL CONFLICT IS INVOLVED. THIS IS NOT NORMAL BEHAVIOR FOR PARENTS, NOR SHOULD YOU BE FORCED TO ACCEPT IT, IF IT IS HAPPENING TO YOU.

The young man opened the door for you as you slowed to a stop under the alcove.  He was impeccably dressed, and smiled professionally as he took your keys from you.

While he got in the driver's seat, you straightened your dress, your purse, and stiffened your posture.  You’d gone so long without makeup, that by just putting it on this afternoon, you felt that old shot of confidence you felt when you first tried it as a teenager.  And today, you’d need all the confidence you could muster.

Vergil that evening had seen you just before you headed out, and a couple of weeks ago, you’d have not batted an eyelash at his reaction.  But now?  With the knowledge that you’d gained?

“You look lovely,” he had said as you approached the glass.  He’d been swimming lazy laps around, and stopped dead in his tracks, (or was it in mid stroke?) when he’d seen you, and you instantly flushed.  Ever since your meeting with Vergil’s rambunctious sibling, every word, action, and smile was now interpreted under a filter of the feelings he felt for you. 

Or was it now all unfiltered?

“Thank you Vergil,” you smiled as you put on your heels, (ugh, how you detested the things) and checked your makeup in the mirror one more time.

“What is the occasion?”

“Well, my father,” you could swear you saw him tense up, “has finally come home from his business venture, and has invited me out for dinner, so I have to dress up a bit, to keep up appearances.”

“You don’t seem to be looking forward to this”

Drat, the merman was far too observant for his own good. “Well, meetings with my father tend to have the added pressure of him mixing his business in everything, so I always kind of feel tense at these gatherings.”

“Will your future bondmate be there? Perhaps he will be able to smooth things out for you.”

You glanced down at the engagement ring that fit snugly around your finger.  Was it just you, or did it feel heavier nowadays?  And had the pink diamonds lost their sparkle? “Unfortunately, he’ll be gone for another week,”

“But isn’t your bonding ceremony very soon?” “Yeah, he’s gonna cut  it real close…” you chuckled without any sort of happiness as you placed your handbag strap over your shoulder.

“Sifa?”

That damnable name.  You should have asked him to stop, he would have acquiesced, if reluctantly.  But you’d been selfish, and you liked the meaning behind it, so you let the tragic charade play out.  But it wouldn’t be much longer now…

You summoned all your acting skills and pasted on a smile.  “It’s just the stress of planning this whole thing, I’m glad it’s almost over.”  You looked up at the clock, “Shoot, looks like I’m cutting it close now too, gotta go!  Seeya  later Vergil!”  And you practically ran out the door, as fast as the wobbly shoes could take you.

“Ah, good to see you miss,” the maitre’d smiled graciously at you as you walked in, before grabbing a menu, “Your father is waiting for you,  this way please.”  You followed him to one of the private rooms.  Thank God, you thought.  You needed the much needed privacy for your conversation this evening.

“SWEETHEART!” Your father bellowed as he got out of his chair, and threw his arms around you in an embrace that you honestly had to admit you really missed. “How is my wonderful daughter doing?  It feels like ages since I saw you last,” he sat down as a waiter refilled his glass of water, and then filled yours.  He had a bowl of clam chowder in front of him, and at your place, there was an appetizer sized bowl of chicken caesar salad, “I took the liberty of ordering it for you, it’s always been your favourite. Now,” he said as he placed his spoon into the creamy concoction, “let’s enjoy this long overdue father-daughter date!”

“So, your future father-in-law was so busy showing me his gun collection that he forgot to set the timer on the oven, so I says to him ‘Jerry, you smell something burning?’ and he starts cursing in both English AND Japanese as we both race to the oven.” Your father dug into the roast baby potatoes “mmm, I missed this… Rice is no substitute to the humble tuber.  Anyways, he and I open it up and it’s like the literal gates of hell with all the smoke pouring out.  Couldn’t get the smell of burning bread out for weeks!  And the poor loaf,” he looked genuinely mournful.  “Snatched away far too soon, before it could even fulfil its destiny”

You couldn’t help but giggle at his dramatic re-enactment as you chewed a biteful of tortellini. Your father was right, it had been far too long since you’d spent time with him.  His corny puns, his wacky stories, and his boasts. It made you almost forget why you were being tense around him.

“Ah yes,” he speared a cut of his steak, “almost forgot to pass along a message from Fredrick.  He’ll be here in about a week, says he’s really sorry he didn’t come home sooner.  Apparently there were some last minute certification delays with the government,  But,” he said as he chewed “I’m sure you’ve got nearly everything under control.  By the time he arrives, all he’ll need is a tux fitting, a low key bachelor party, and you’ll both be good to go!”

A waitress, dressed prim and proper poured both of you some wine.  It was hard to ignore the way your father stared just a touch too intently at her form fitting dress as she bent slightly to pour you a glass.  

When she had slipped out of sight, he chuckled, “there’s one thing I miss about Japan, it’s the ladies…” he stared into space for a little bit, before shaking his thoughts.  You definitely did not want to know what he had been thinking. “So, you’ve probably been a busy bee, for the past few months, you must be grateful that your big day is almost here, and that your mother is finally off your case.”

“Yes… about that.” you wiped your mouth politely with a napkin, before taking a deep breath.  It was time.  It should have been done a long time ago, but it was now or never.  Your father picked up on the change of tone and paused, his forkful of lobster halfway to his mouth.

“I… I don’t think I can go through with this.”

The only sound, aside from the distant murmurs of other diners outside your room, was a sharp CLINK as the seafood loaded fork clattered on the plate.

“Pardon?” he asked, unbelieving.

“I don’t think I can marry Fredrick.” you repeated.  This was the moment, the cat was out of the bag, and you forced yourself to continue, refusing to meet your father’s dumbfounded gaze. “There’s nothing wrong with him, he hasn’t hurt me, or cheated on me, but I can’t see him as the man I would spend the rest of my life with, let alone raise a family, or run a business.  I… I just don’t think we have what it takes…”

After a few moments of agonizing silence, and you grew the balls to look up at him.

He was just staring at you, before breaking out in laughter.  

Your hands, currently on your lap, balled up into fists as he just threw back his head in uproarious cackling.  Here you were, practically baring your soul to the man you trusted most in this world, and he had the fucking gall to laugh?

“Oh man,” he said, wiping up a stray tear, “Sweetheart, of all the jokes you could tell me, this is one of the more creative ones.”  He was on attempt number two for the forkful of lobster.

“It’s not a joke, dad!  I’ve never been so serious in my life!  I’ve been thinking all these past few months,” you tried to keep your voice down, but your emotions, once held back by a dam, were now breaking through, “and I really believe getting married, right now, to this man is the wrong thing for both me and him.”

“Sweetheart,” your father crooned like you were a tantruming toddler, which made it even more infuriating, “I know what you’re feeling.”

“Then you agree?” you asked hopefully.

“You’re getting cold feet.  It happens to a lot of newlyweds.  Hell, it happened to me and your mom.”

“Yeah, and now you guys can’t stand to be in the same room as each other, so” you spread out your hands in a ‘duh’ motion. “I think that proves my point.”

Your father’s face darkened.  “You have no idea what’s at stake here, how many connections will just be snapped in half if this wedding doesn’t go through.  I’ve made so many deals, so many business negotiations with Fredrick’s family.  All hinging on this one ceremony.  Do you want to take all the hard work I’ve done and throw it all away?” “But-”

“And think what it will do to our family’s reputation, your reputation!?” He slammed the fork down, jostling the dishes on the table, causing you to jerk in surprise.  It had been a long time since you had seen him angry, and frankly, it kinda scared you.  “Your mother is going to be heartbroken, she’s wanted this to be the perfect wedding for you.  And your bridesmaids!  They look to you for leadership.  Are you going to be the one to let them down, to have them think of you as the lady that was too cowardly to take that final step.  And Fredrick!  Are you willing to be remembered by him as the woman who broke his heart?”

“I-”  you couldn’t respond.  You had expected resistance to your decision, but not outright hostility.  And as much as you hated to admit it, your father was right.  This wedding, this marriage, it wasn’t just about you, it never had been.  And as much as you tried to fight it, the damage you would cause by breaking this off would be catastrophic.

“Look”, your father’s voice returned to its gentle tone, “Don’t think I don’t care about you, nothing further could be from the truth, it’s just that I’ve been in your shoes before, and I know what’s best for you…”

“Dad…” you whispered, your eyes blurry from unwept tears, as your father slowly got up and walked to your side of the table, before wiping your eyes delicately with his napkin.

“Now, now,” he murmured as he smiled, “this is supposed to be a happy time.  If it puts your mind at ease, I can have my lawyer draft you up an iron-clad prenup.  That way, if things go pear shaped, you’ll be covered.  But you said it yourself, Fredrick is a very nice man, and if I had the slightest inkling that he would hurt you, I would have never let him even meet you.” He knelt down, and placed both of his hands on your cheeks, “Just trust me...trust in yourself.  You can do this.”

And that was it, you broke down in tears, the months of stress making you crumble in your father’s arms.  He hugged you close as he murmured soft reasurances into your crown.  And you believed him.  You needed to go through with this.

After a few minutes, you felt emptied, like a wet towel that had been put through the wringer.  The emotional weight was gone, but instead of feeling relieved, you just felt...hollow.  Your father slowly let go of you and made his way back to his side of the table, almost as if nothing had even happened.  Your breathing had almost returned to normal, but there was still an ache in your chest, as if you had almost drowned.

“Now,” your father said, as he raised up his glass in a toast.  “To a promising future”

You raised up yours, and repeated numbly, 

“To a promising future.”

******

You’d returned home,  tossed your heels into the closet and went straight to the washroom to clean off the makeup, once immaculate, now smeared on your face.  The valet’s look of concern and pity was too much to bear, and you slipped him a hundred just for him to stop looking at you that way. 

It took several rinses to not only wash off the makeup, but to make your face look presentable to Vergil, to place that pleasant mask you had to wear for just a few more days.  Checking your calendar, you assured yourself that in three days time, the full moon would appear, and the weather forecast had predicted clear skies.  The stars...or in this case, the moon had aligned perfectly.  All you needed now was to locate the damn sword.  That would be easy though, the warehouse was the place Doctor Griffon kept his ‘research’, at the behest of your father, and there was a walk in safe there.  You’d have to access  security footage to make doubly sure, but if there was any place it could be, that would be it.  You’d have to do the break in on the very night, to avoid any suspicion that a prison break was about to take place, but you had keys and knew codes.  Just slip in, slip out, and drop Vergil off like he was a package.  Simple.

It was actually making you feel better, as you typed on your laptop, with an oblivious Vergil chowing down on some ramen and a plateful of bacon nearby.  The fact you had something that was 100 percent in your control, that you alone were responsible for, grounded you.  

You watched the security feed, as the Good Doctor got ready to leave for the day.  He was placing manilla folders in a filing cabinet located in the safe, its dim light making it hard to see-wait, there it was.   Leaning against it, there was the familiar long slender case, unmistakable due to its size and shape.  Doctor Griffon, obviously satisfied with his work for the day, looked to be whistling as he left.  It would be a cinch to do this.

You closed the laptop, and looked up at Vergil, who was watching you with interest.

“How was your dinner?” he asked as he slurped up the last of the noodles.

“Pretty good, all things considered,” you lied.  It was getting easier and easier to do.  “Fredrick should be showing up next week, so all I gotta do is finish up the final touches, and…” either the wine or the play acting was affecting you, because your head was starting to ache.

“Are you alright, Sifa?”  his voice seemed to take the pain away, slightly.

“Just tiredness, I suppose.  All this planning has been keeping me up at night.” “Would you like me to sing?” he offered, and you were disinclined to accept, before your tiredness changed your mind.

“That would be very kind of you to do so, your singing is very soothing to me.”

He almost looked as if he was beaming as he opened his mouth to sing, his voice taking an echoy quality in the open space.

Isil shem’ore

Isil lin’ore

Mira pharar, mira ofar, mira kanar,

D’rashana karif’ore

Isil dilshonin sa oplalim

Sa kintal o sa polim

Sa racarto shipal o sa whelik

Nekalin parand’ore fa pishim

Ah, mira sifa, mira sifa

Winik fa pishim lin’more.

And as your mind slowly became comfortably numb to the day’s events, you idly wondered to yourself, Strange, I thought this was an ode to the Sun?

******

You weren’t quite sure what was more painful, the driving rain that beat into your exposed body like hail, or your fingertips as they clung to the craggy rock, being cut to ribbons as you lost and regained your grip on sharp edges.  

Or maybe it was the gale-force winds screaming as they whipped around you, through you like knives of ice.  Strange, the winds did not howl or scream, as winds ought to do.  No that would have been preferable to what you heard.  Snatches of voices, reminding you of your failures, of your shortcomings…

“Will you now….make me the luckiest man in the world?”

“I understand you're eager to put all your knowledge to good use, but you deserve a break”

“It doesn't speak, they don't have the intelligence to”

“Never satisfied with their lot in life, they take, and take, and take…”

“Look, my father said that was usually the reserve of the ladies, and you're getting a top notch wedding planner, so how hard could it be?”

“But you do not love him.”

“This is YOUR day, you need to go all out!  With luck, this will be the most important day of your life.” 

 “This is supposed to be YOUR day, you shouldn’t be such a doormat”

“You don’t just call anyone Sifa, it's a fairly dedicated term, and Vergil wouldn’t just call you that if he didn’t mean it.” 

“Sifa”

Out of nowhere you felt a calming presence holding you, protecting you from the brunt of the storm, but it still didn’t block out everything.  But it was so comforting, so you relaxed for just a moment.  That was a mistake, as your bloody fingertips slipped off the rock, and you began sliding into the churning waters below.

“SIFA!”

You awoke, gasping for air, hands gripping on nothing before you realized it had just been a nightmare, no doubt caused by the day’s events.  You must have dozed off to Vergil’s singing, right there on the platform.  Speaking of which… the only thing that remained of the dream was the sensation of being held…. 

Clammy webbed hands held you, ever so gently, around your waist, and spreading wetness was at your back.  Usually, you’d find the coldness to be unpleasant, but instead, it felt… comforting. A stream of unintelligible soft words were being murmured into the back of your neck. “Vergil?” you hesitatingly asked.

“A nightmare, nothing more, Mira Sifa.” you felt his breath still momentarily, “it was the only way I could think of to calm you down, I will go, if you desire…”

What you SHOULD have done was to thank him graciously, but then get up, wish him goodnight and plod off to much needed sleep.  You SHOULD not encourage these feelings you had for him, nor his for you.  You SHOULD not endanger the new chapter of your life that was about to begin. But tonight….tonight, SHOULDS could go to hell.  Tonight, you would be selfish, and you snuggled into his arms, earning a soft intake of breath as he continued to hold you, to softly sing you back into sleep, into dreams as calm as the waters beside you.

Ah, Mira Sifa, Mira Sifa…..

Winik fa pishim lin’more?

[coralstories]

Assignment: Supergirl

CW Supergirl x OC Aurelia Castillo, eventual Winn Schott x OC Aurelia Castillo

A/N: Will probably do a part 2 of this. Maybe. Probably. Maybe.

Word count: 1614

Aurelia Castillo sometimes regretted moving to National City. It was fine before Kara Danvers became Supergirl, but after that, it was like the city became a hotspot for weird. And don’t get it wrong, she was pretty weird herself. But usually, her weird didn’t lead to people being admitted to the hospital in droves, like after Supergirl battled a colorful human-hating alien. 

Oh, you caught that? Yes, Aurelia Castillo knew Supergirl’s true identity. No, she wasn’t an alien herself, or some sort of evil mastermind; she worked as a photojournalist under James Olsen at Catco Worldwide Media. Kara Danvers, Jimmy Olsen, and Winn Schott weren’t exactly subtle when they talked about Supergirl. 

“Hey, Aurelia, can you bring these new spreads up to James?” 

“Sure. I’ll head up now.”

Aurelia took the stairs one floor up, then turned the corner onto the busy floor. Phones were always ringing here, Kara Danvers was always running to and fro and people were always coming and going in and out of the elevators. Aurelia personally liked it better downstairs, but she always got a laugh when she saw Kara, Winn, Cat, and James. 

She made her way past the pink lion statue and started towards James’ office. She glanced in Ms. Grant’s office on her way and saw the blonde shark sitting at her desk. 

“Kira!” she called. 

Aurelia quickened her pace towards the art department, pushing the door open to find James talking to Lucy.

“Oh, sorry, am I interrupting?” Aurelia said.

“No, it’s fine,” Lucy said. “I was just saying hi. I see that you’re busy, so I’ll let you get back to work.”

“See you, Luce,” James said. “Did you need something, Lia?”

“Nope. Just dropping off my team’s new layout.” She placed them on his desk with a smile.

“Aren’t you supposed to be on a plane to Japan?”

“Nah, they needed my help, so I postponed that until next week.” She leaned on a cabinet and looked out over the city.

“Well, we always love having you here when you’re not flying around the world,” he said.

Aurelia laughed. She saw a red and blue blur streak by the window. Speaking of flying around the world, she thought.

“Oh, come on, James, you know I love it. Don’t be jealous, honey.” She winked at him.

“Alright, well, in any case, I’m glad you’re on our team,” he said, laughing.

“Me too.”

She closed the door behind her and made her way to Winn’s desk. He was too focused on whatever he was doing on his computer to realize she was coming up behind him. She crossed her arms and shifted her weight to one leg as she waited for him to notice her. She saw that he was looking at radiation signatures for different elements. Finally, he saw her silhouette in the reflection on his screen. He looked up.

“Oh, Lia!” he exclaimed. “You almost gave me a heart attack, I thought for a second you were Ms. Grant.”

“Nope, just me. Took you long enough to notice me, though.” Aurelia laughed.

She took out the packet of French dragees from her back pocket and handed them to Winn. He gasped excitedly and took them with a silent thank you.

“For helping me last month,” Aurelia said. “You saved my trip. Cat would have killed me if I couldn’t bring her those photos before the deadline.”

“Hey, anything for a friend,” Winn said with false modesty.

“Well, there’s more where that came from if you stop by my desk later.”

“Really?”

“Yup. You’ve always helped me out, ever since my first day here. The least I can do is be your drug supplier, right?”

“Mmm, you do know I need my sugar kick to function at my best. Thanks.”

“No problem, Winn.”

She patted his shoulder and made her way back to the stairs. She noticed Kara was still not at her desk. Aurelia figured she’d probably hear what she was doing later on the news. She went back to her desk, which was decidedly superhero-free. 

Her lunch hour was brightened by a meeting with her best friend in all of National City: Ingram Capello. Aurelia and Ingram were basically complete opposites. Whereas Aurelia was tall with light brown hair, dark olive skin, a strong build, and a shapely figure, Ingram was of average height with pale, almost sickly-looking skin and black hair, and she was almost as thin as a stick. Added to that, Aurelia was the outgoing and friendly daughter of an Air Force pilot, while Ingram was the reserved (and often misread as condescending) daughter of two powerhouse business leaders. Aurelia laughed and smiled a lot, while Ingram’s smiles were rare. There was one thing they both had in common though: they both had supernatural abilities. Aurelia had a regenerative healing ability and could heal others at will. Ingram was a witch with the power to alter the fabric of reality itself. Neither of them used their powers often for fear of being exposed and persecuted, but it was becoming harder and harder for them to ignore the sense of responsibility that came with these powers. 

“So how was that wedding in Paris?” Ingram asked as she sipped the last of her drink. 

“It was a wreck,” Aurelia groaned. “I mean, the wedding was great, I got some great shots and everything, so that part was fine. But, oh my Lord, if I never have to see any of those people again it will be too soon.”

“Uh oh. What happened?” 

Aurelia waited to respond until Ingram finished crunching on one of the ice cubes at the bottom of her cup. 

“The women in attendance were all bubbleheads and the men were all gross, entitled snobs.” Aurelia shivered. 

“Did they touch you?” Ingram asked in a dangerously calm voice. 

“Yes, but it’s okay, I handled it.”

“But still, you wouldn’t mind giving me the names of a few of these sticky-handed men, would you?” Ingram’s gaze was innocent. 

“Yes, I would. Besides, if you ever read Catco magazine, you would see them there.” Aurelia smiled. 

“Ugh, you’re no fun.”

“Listen, I just don’t want to see you go to jail for killing someone whose only crime was to call me a bitch.”

“It’s a punishable offense.”

“So is murder.”

Ingram crunched an ice cube. They sat quietly for a minute after they finished eating, digesting their meals. 

“How was it seeing everyone again?” Ingram asked. 

“Like I’d never left. What’s the golden girl been up to?” 

“Well, today, I saw her thwart some bank robbers.”

“Oh, is that what she was doing earlier? I thought I saw her zip out of the building.”

“Yes, the bank was across from my dry cleaners. J’onn let me go to lunch early so I stopped there first.”

“How unfortunate for you.”

“She actually kept it pretty contained this time. The only thing that left the building was the criminals.”

Aurelia snorted. 

Aurelia dropped Ingram off at the bus station before returning to Catco. Winn greeted her at the elevator upon her return. 

“Lia!”

“Winn? What’s going on?”

“Ms. Grant was looking for you!”

The color drained from Aurelia’s face. She dragged Winn to the stairway before saying anything further.

“Why is Cat Grant looking for me?” she demanded.

“I don’t-I don’t know, but you should probably go to her office right now. James already told her you were on your lunch break,” Winn said nervously.

Aurelia took a deep breath. She spun away from Winn and marched up the stairs, heading to Cat Grant’s office. She knocked on the glass door before entering. The blond media mogul glanced up. 

“Ah, Miss Castillo,” Cat said. “Come in.”

Aurelia cringed at the way she pronounced her last name. She stood a foot away from Cat’s desk. 

“Did you enjoy your lunch?” Cat asked, still writing. 

“I did, thank you for asking. I just went down to that diner on the corner to meet my friend and catch up. I told her about the assignment I was on.”

“Ah, yes, the super wedding in Paris. It doesn’t seem so super now that we have our own Supergirl, now does it?”

Aurelia chuckled nervously. 

“But I looked at your articles. You had some good prose in there and good points. The pictures were beautifully done.”

“Thank you.”

“You did so well on that, I’m going to have to ground you,” Cat said. 

Aurelia blinked owlishly, stunned. 

“Excuse me?” Was all she could say. 

“From now on, you’re not going to be jetting around the world. I have a special assignment for you here at home,” Cat said. 

She finally stood and walked around the table. Cat smiled victoriously, one hand on her hip as the other supported her weight on the desk. It made Aurelia curious and slightly nervous. 

“What’s the assignment?” Aurelia asked. 

“I want you to photograph and write articles about… Supergirl.”

Aurelia burst into laughter. As Cat’s expression fell and her brows drew together, she quickly recovered. 

“I’m sorry, but… how do you expect me to photograph Supergirl? She flies at the speed of the wind,” Aurelia said reasonably. 

“Not when she’s apprehending criminals or helping babies stuck in cars,” Cat countered.  

Aurelia’s mind was racing. It’s not that she was wholly opposed to the assignment. She had been traveling so much for work lately, staying in one place, and not living out of a suitcase, would be a nice change. However, the problem lied with the fact that she knew Supergirl’s secret identity. She didn’t know if she could write articles about the hero without accidentally revealing something. 

“You start tomorrow,” Cat continued.

[replicarters]

ooohhh tonight’s murphy thoughts are gonna be good because this was the one i attended, so i can spill some cut content!!! hell yeah!!! i’m actually really torn up about one of them because i loved it so much

okay first thing’s first the magic of editing is amazing. editors really out here doing the lord’s work making things pop. some things i actually thought were funnier live, like phyllis’s line about the ketchup marrying “not being as fun as it sounds”. i was dying, but this time i was just kind of like, “oh ok lol”. maybe that’s because we had to watch that about 4 times? just didn’t have the same punch this time around.

the whole thing with s-h-s is just so creepy and bizarre lol, i mean, this bitch out here right now lying her fool ass off and propping up this repugnant admin but hang on guys, let’s hear all about miles’s SEXUAL FANTASIES ABOUT HER???? aaaaahhhhh!!!! first of all miles you need help. second of all ugh don’t even give this propaganda overlord the benefit! this is the kind of situation i feel they need to be WAY more careful of and the kind that makes me fear a little bit of bubble-living going on among the staff. this craven demon is doing the worst RIGHT NOW. how much can you joke about it before it leaves a bad taste?

the scene between murphy and avery at home was everything, man. and poses a valid question. what is the right course of action for reporters right now? well they couldn’t have foreseen jim acosta calling s-h-s a liar to her face mere days ago, so has the question already been answered? one wonders. this is the territory i wish they would stay in as opposed to miles jacking it to his bad place femdom daydreams.

and now what i know you came for, the DELETED SCENES:

corky had lines cut in the beginning, she was lamenting... something, i think reacclimating to a morning schedule again. what made it stick out to me was it was very reminiscent of when she lamented early on in the show those times when you can’t remember if you locked the door before you left, so you go back, then you can’t remember if you locked it when you went back, so you go back... faith was gr8 and nailed it each and every time.

the stage manager had a line threatening death for... coffee pot misuse? i think? probably should have written this stuff down but i figured cuts were all probably made already. surprise! on the one hand it wasn’t a very funny line and we struggled every single time to force laughter for it but on the other hand let the man have a line! bring us a new john even if he’s a little vindictive and high-strung! he was the only black guy with a line too so give us all these fancy people of color you were talkin up hmm hmm hmm!

the scene with the secretary seemed shorter and didn’t really do that actress justice in the end. there was a little more of a moment devoted to when she was about to barf where murphy pushes the hell back from the table and it felt like they blew by that.

the scene between phyllis and the daca kid had a line that we actually saw cut right in front of us which is a shame because i think it told us a lot about phyllis as a character: exasperated, a little spanish slips out and the daca kid was surprised and delighted, she revealed she did know quite a bit from some time spent in........ mmm puerto rico? maybe? then she made him call her la reina and said it had a great ring to it.

at the very end when avery is playing the “i’m sorry” ringtone, murphy says, “you are such a brat.” he responds, “yeah, but i’m your brat.” i am GUTTED that this was cut. i remember that moment so clearly, i was ecstatic over it, and that was when i thought to myself, “yes, this is gonna rule, they still GET it.” what a horrible thing to have to cut for i’m assuming time. surely we could have tossed something else. there was a lot going on in this one, though. but STILL. out of everything, that’s what they tossed? i don’t know how i feel about that. but we had to have room for miles’s weird erections, you see.

diane english was wearing a new york times shirt about truth. it had a lot of words on it and we didn’t get a good look at most of them, but what we could catch we were big fans of. media and journalism is essential to a free society, you know, just some run of the mill stuff like that.

while setting up the last scene at murphy’s townhouse, it took a bit to get everything ready over there, so faith and joe wandered over and thanked us, the audience, so much for coming, shot the shit, revealed embarrassing wedding dance songs. it was very nice! felt like being welcomed into somebody’s home. my new friends, faith ford and joe regalbuto.

this was also not long after aretha franklin’s passing, and they were still feeling it. they played the clip (remastered!!) of murphy and aretha, and faith was sobbing the whole time. (she said afterwards she’d just been “verklempt” since they started production.) candice shook her head at herself like, “lord. me.”

for those of you still keeping track of this sort of thing, during the filming of the scene at phil’s, candice made a quick face at grant and got them both going. STILL AT IT.

i hope if you were able to go to a taping of an episode, you share your secrets with the crowd! how much more cut content am i missing from my life?!

[fifteenleads]

well, he has his moments.

@viktorweek day four: family/friends

Viktor Nikiforov can be both endearing and annoying all at once, but it’s exactly these qualities that have captivated people’s hearts in more ways than one.

(Five moments in Viktor’s life, as told by other people.)

AO3 | stories on (and off) ice

.

i.

Yuri should have known when Viktor shoved the tub of ice cream and kitty treats into his hands.

"Please please please watch Makkachin for me!" the old goof all but pleaded, his hands clasped together like those silly anime girls and his puppy-dog eyes welling up and threatening to spill over any moment. He sure is upfront with his requests, if anything, and Yuri wouldn't be surprised if this sudden favor he's asking has something to do with --

"Yuuri and I are going out on a date tonight! It's the most perfect Valentine's Day ever!"

-- Fucking called it.

It was so obvious at this point, he didn't know why he even bothered.

The large poodle bounding over and tackling him didn't help things, either, and his face is all sticky from the mutt's slobbering saliva, and it's so disgusting as fuck, and Katsudon is now peering in from the doorway, and --

"Fine, already!" Yuri snapped, throwing his hands up in irritation. "I'll keep it until you come back, okay? Just get the hell out of here!"

Katsudon and Viktor couldn't be out the door sooner enough. The teen chased them to the veranda and hollered at them not to be late.

The pair returned at three o'clock in the fucking morning, one very much intoxicated and the other very much covered in - ugh, hickeys.

Really, he didn't know why he even bothered.

  .

  ii.

Yakov should have known when Vitya asked for the rink to be closed off the day after tomorrow.

His student is quite the whimsical man, always doing as he pleases and never (for once!) listening to his sensible coach's sound advice -- not when he decided to add four quads into his program, not when he suddenly dropped his whole skating career to coach Yuuri Katsuki, not when he just-as-suddenly made his comeback, insisting on coaching and competing against said Japanese skater at the same time.

And especially not when he plans on proposing to Katsuki over a romantic, candle-lit dinner on the ice.

"Isn't it a great idea, Yakov?!" Vitya enthused, his eyes practically shining with excitement. "We'll dance together after dinner, and then I'll ask him to marry me!"

Frankly, Yakov thought his protégé could have come up with something better. Still, he has no intention of dashing the younger man's hopes with an honest remark.

"Surely, you prepared very well for this?" he asked instead. "It is quite an ambitious plan, if you ask me."

"Oh no, it's not as grand as yours was," Vitya teased (and Yakov winced because it's true), "but I already have everything down, no worries. All that's left is to pop the question."

He then grinned earnestly, a luminescent shade of powder pink coloring his cheeks. There are times the coach doesn't understand how Viktor Nikiforov can be both endearing and annoying all at once, but it's exactly these qualities that have captivated people's hearts in more ways than one, himself included.

That said, today was the proudest Yakov was yet of his silly (but nonetheless star) student.

And he hated to ruin the moment, but --

"I thought you are both already engaged?"

"Then I'll propose to him again! Yuuri deserves nothing but the best."

-- Katsuki should have married this man years ago.

  .

  iii.

Christophe should have known when Viktor came in wearing a different brand of lip gloss.

(Or rather, a certain someone's lip balm.)

He never thought he'd see the day Viktor would use a cosmetic product other than the expensive ones he owns (and if all those commercial endorsements are of any indication, they are a lot), but he supposed this is what love does to people, especially to those who are tying the knot in a few hours.

Viktor immediately made a beeline to his side and gave him a tight glomp. Chris returned the hug with one of his own, patting his friend's back encouragingly for good measure. "Love the new lips," he commented, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

"Why, thank you, my friend," Viktor accepted the compliment, smacking his lips playfully. "Mmm, I like strawberry."

"His favorite flavor?"

"I don't think he has a preference," Viktor shrugged absently in thought. "It was actually green mint last time. I'd like to think he likes the Chanel one I usually use the most, though."

"More like he likes the taste of its owner on his lips, if you ask me," Chris suggested with a wink, and caught the small tube Viktor all but chucked at him in embarrassment. He's glad he hasn't lost his Friend Touch.

And because he's such a good friend, he's gonna make sure this hopeless man gets to the altar in one piece. (He doesn't even want to think about how Chulanont is handling poor Yuuri's nerves right now.)

"Your man has good taste," Chris remarked, playing with the long-worn lip balm. It's a cheap brand he sees most women use, probably bought from a downtown supermarket. "Can't wait to see the look on his face when he finds out."

Viktor smiled in part-nervousness and part-mischief. "I love to surprise him."

If one weren't listening intently, they might have heard an "I love him" instead. And for all intents and purposes, it might as well have been that.

"Good," Chris nodded approvingly, pocketing the pilfered cosmetic. "Go get dressed. I'll give this back to Chulanont for you." Viktor hummed in thanks and did as he was told.

Halfway out the door, Chris turned back to his friend, who was admiring the plain gold engagement band on his ring finger.

"It will be a lifetime full of surprises," the groom whispered, his voice choking with happiness.

Chris smiled in agreement. "Sounds promising."

And he knew, at that moment, that Viktor will be fine.

(The way Yuuri's eyes widened in recognition as Viktor dipped him into their wedding kiss was absolutely priceless.)

  .

  iv.

Phichit should have known when Viktor clung to him like an overgrown child during practice.

"Haha, what's this?" he asked jokingly as he pulled the older man along the curve. The new not-really brother-in-law is so fun to tease. "Trouble in paradise so soon?"

At once, Viktor's forlorn expression was replaced by one of incredulity. "What? No, of course not!" He still didn't let go of Phichit's arm, though, further tightening his grip instead.

And if the way those pale, manicured nails digged into rich, brown skin is of any indication, Phichit now had a second differential in mind.

He never imagined The Viktor Nikiforov, of all people, to join the legions of victims tormented by his ongoing web serial, but he supposed that that, too, was an accomplishment of its own right. At least his minor from college is paying off well -- and handsomely, too, at a hundred dollars per chapter.

"I warned you, it wouldn't end well," Phichit laughed. "I even spoiled half the story for you."

More like Viktor actually lived through half of it, since it was a fictionalized version of his life and all. But Phichit wouldn't tell him that - not yet.

(If anything, he's actually more than surprised that his subject hasn't figured it out for himself yet. Even Yuuri already has, and he's currently getting a lot of hell for it over Skype.)

"I can't believe he wanted to break up all along," Viktor whined at him mournfully while shaking his arm. "Their relationship had so much promise, and he was willing to throw it all away? It's unacceptable."

Phichit simply raised an eyebrow in amusement. Barcelona. Of course. He shot the poor Russian a devious shit-eating grin over his shoulder. "Triggered much?"

He wasn't even being subtle anymore at this point; Not-Brother-in-Law's denseness is losing its novelty pretty fast.

Phichit received an adorable scowl in return, and the pressure on his arm is gone as Viktor left his side to bother Yuuri instead. He laughed as his best friend stumbled over his code-switching again, mixing up English, Japanese and Russian phrases in confusion. The way Viktor's face lit up at once as he glomped his husband on the ice was simply too precious.

He snapped a photo as always, of course. Those two dorks really are the best for each other, and as their friend and one of their best men, he is willing to fight anyone tooth-and-nail for it.

And if posting endless photos of them weren't enough, he'd write whole novels and dissertations for them.

Speaking of which, he has a new side story for his serial now. Spasibo, bratan.

Phichit skated away from the kissing couple, immensely satisfied.

("Viktor says he loves your new update. How do you even come up with ideas for it?"

"Aw, shucks, Yuuri! Thank you so much! Stay in love always, okay? I'll be watching~."

"Phichit, STOP.")

  .

v.

Yuuri should have known when Viten'ka, for lack of a better word, lost it.

And by "it," he meant both the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle and his husband's sanity.

The almost-completed picture of Van Gogh's The Starry Night was left abandoned on the table, in favor of getting down on their hands and knees to look for the missing piece. The puzzle pieces were quite small, and losing only one shouldn't really be too distracting, as long as the right frame is used and the guests kept their distance.

Yuuri had considered talking Viktor into just hanging it up as is to spare them both the time and effort, but the puzzle-shaped blank space smack dab in the middle of swirling blue skies ticked even him off. That, or a year into marriage has made him as nitpicky as his husband about such trivial things, like twin peas in a pod.

Or maybe not, because he also appreciated said husband's well-endowed ass, as it constantly shifted in position while the man was looking under the couch. Admittedly, far-from-innocent thoughts have filled his mind while it was sticking up like that, but no, he would never go that far. He isn't a bit sorry for not helping out at all, however.

As Viktor moved to the CD stand next, Yuuri affirmed the last statement as the truest of them all.

That was one more thing that had changed over time, he supposed. And Viktor, too, knows this all too well, if the generous affection he lavished in bed at night was of any indication. Those times were the most fun.

Even now, Yuuri couldn't believe how much things have changed since they first met. Back then, Viktor had been someone akin to a god -- perfect, immaculate, unattainable. Over time, he came to learn how his god turned out to be as human as he was, with various faults and quirks and random eccentricities of his own. And though he's practically run the whole gamut of emotions for it, he considered himself very lucky that Viktor Nikiforov came into his life the way he did -- like a flashy, exploding supernova that surprised him and set everything on fire.

Viktor, for his part, would never tire of telling their story this way -- how everything in his life had been falling apart like the thin ice beneah his feet, then how it all suddenly fell into place when he met the love of his life, and he felt more than whole again. Phichit certainly cried buckets when Viktor called Yuuri Katsuki the best surprise of his life, and how truly, immensely lucky he was to be married to him. (They completed each other like perfectly-fit jigsaw puzzles, he'd said. Ha.)

They couldn't have found each other in a much better way, Yuuri mused as he spied a small piece of blue cardboard under the television set. As he reached his hand forward to retrieve it, however, another larger hand closed in first and pulled out of the dark space just as quickly. His husband let out a silly grin as he raised the puzzle piece between his fingers, and Yuuri was overcome with a wave of unexplainable feelings as he pinned the other man to the floor.

"What's this?" Viktor asked with amusement. "Are you that happy we finally found it?"

"Maybe," Yuuri answered teasingly, bending down to kiss the other man senseless. Maybe it wasn't only Viktor who lost his sanity this round, after all. (And how, indeed; all this over a single missing puzzle piece.) "I've had a lot of thoughts today, is all," he confessed breathlessly as he pulled away.

"Wow, do share," Viktor commented, his flushed form clearly betraying excitement and arousal. "I'm all ears, since we've already finished the puzzle and all."

"No, thanks," Yuuri declined with a smirk, taking the puzzle piece instead and lifting himself off the ground. He enjoyed the way his husband's face comically fell at the blunt rejection. Viktor whined as he got up and joined him at the table. "Yuu-chan!"

Yuuri looked back over his shoulder. "You have your moments, Viten'ka; let me have mine."