#update: i have now listened to it and they sound beautiful together just like i knew they would <3

[mythesque]

EMURUI DUET EMURUI DUET THIS IS NOT A DRILL‼️‼️🎉🎉✨✨

[iamtired10]

sick in love

pairing - pham hanni x female reader

genre - pureeeee fluffffffffff!!!

synopsis - your girlfriend has this weird obsession with getting drenched in the rain, even though you’ve told her so many times not to. of course, she doesn’t listen, and now she’s sick—and somehow, it’s all your fault. now you’ve got to deal with this clingy, whiny kid, who's acting like it’s the end of the world while you play nurse.

warning - nothing much... just some fluff and whining

word count - 1.5k

a/n - guess who’s about to get super busy next week and won’t be updating for a while :)

it all started with the rain.

nah, scratch that—it started with hanni’s bizarre love for the rain, the way she romanticized every single drop that fell from the sky as if it were some poetic blessing from above.

you knew better.

rain, to you, was wet and cold, and most importantly, the perfect recipe for catching a nasty cold.

but hanni? oh, hanni couldn’t care less.

but you tried everything to convince her.

everything.

“hanni, it’s literally pouring out here! you’ll catch a cold!”

you had pulled out your umbrella as soon as the clouds started weeping above the two of you, but hanni had other plans in mind.

she beamed, those signature crescent-shaped eyes gleaming as raindrops began to land on her cheeks.

“come on! it’s just a bit of rain. what’s the worst that could happen?” she took a playful step backward into the downpour, her carefree giggle piercing through the sound of the rain.

“i’ll tell you what’s gonna happen—you’re gonna get sick, that’s what!”

you were grumpy by nature, the forever practical one, always two steps ahead when it came to worrying about things like catching a cold.

you tugged her wrist back, trying to shield her with the umbrella.

but hanni? nope.

she shook her head like a puppy and ran further into the rain.

“catch me!” she twirled around, arms outstretched, water soaking her through.

you couldn’t help but watch her for a moment. she was beautiful, even when she was being an absolute menace.

but now wasn’t the time to admire her stubbornness.

now was the time to stop her from getting drenched head to toe.

“i swear to god, pham hanni, if you get sick because of this—”

oops, too late.

three days later, you found yourself exactly where you didn’t want to be: sitting in bed with a feverish hanni clinging to your waist, her breath slightly hot as she buried her face in your shirt.

“you’re so mean,” she grumbled between coughs, her voice raspy and whiny, the kind of voice that made you want to sigh in frustration and kiss her forehead at the same time. “you didn’t stop me from getting sick…”

you raised a brow, leaning back against the pillows. “i literally tried. multiple times.”

“yeah, well…” she sniffled dramatically, leaning more of her weight onto you, practically becoming deadweight. “you didn’t try hard enough.”

she looked up at you with the most innocent pout. the fever had made her eyes a little glassy, but she was still just as demanding as ever.

you loved her so much, but oh god, she was getting on your nerves today.

“hanni,” you said in your most grumpy tone, “you’re impossible, you know that?”

she only responded by hugging you tighter, squishing herself against your side. “i don’t feel good… i need cuddles.” she nuzzled into your neck, her breath fanning over your skin.

you could feel her warmth.

and not just the warm-you-up-on-a-cold-day kind of warmth, but the i-have-a-fever kind of warmth.

you sighed, pressing the back of your hand to her forehead to check her temperature.

she was still a bit too warm for comfort.

“you need to rest, babe," you whispered, though the gruffness in your tone barely masked the tenderness in your voice. “you’re burning up.”

hanni shook her head, her hair brushing against your neck. “nooooo, i need youuuuu,” she mumbled, her words slurred together like a stubborn child.

you rolled your eyes but pulled her closer, knowing full well that she wasn’t going to give you any personal space until she felt better. hanni had always been clingy, but when she was sick?

she was ten times worse.

if you even moved an inch, she’d whine and pull you back into her arms.

it was cute, you’d admit, but it was also exhausting.

“stop moving,” hanni grumbled, tugging on your shirt to pull you back against her. “i can’t get comfy if you keep wiggling around.”

“i have to get up and get your medicine. and water. and maybe some soup.”

“noooo,” she whined, her voice muffled by your shoulder. “i don’t want soup. i want you.”

you sighed again, this time with a softer edge, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to her forehead. “now you’re literally attached to me like a baby koala.”

“not a baby koala,” she mumbled, pouting again. “a sick, sad koala. big difference.”

“oh, sorry. a sick, sad koala,” you corrected, rolling your eyes playfully as you wrapped your arms around her, pulling her even closer. “better?”

she nodded, snuggling back into your chest, her fingers gripping the fabric of your shirt. “better… but i still feel awful. stay with meeeeee.”

you sighed, your grumpy exterior faltering as you softened under her gaze. it was hard to stay mad when she looked at you like that, all doe-eyed and needy.

you leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, brushing some of her messy hair out of her face.

“okay, you big baby,” you murmured, “i’ll stay for a bit. but you need to promise me that you’ll take your medicine later, alright?”

“mm-hmm,” she mumbled, snuggling further into your embrace. “i promise.”

for a moment, it was quiet.

just the sound of her shallow breathing and the faint rustle of the sheets as she shifted closer to you. you closed your eyes, resting your chin on top of her head as you let the silence wash over you.

but of course, hanni had to break it.

“hey,” she whispered, her voice still soft but with a mischievous edge to it. “wanna kiss?”

you blinked, turning your head to look at her. “hanni, you’re sick.”

“so?” she pouted, her bottom lip jutting out in the most adorable way. “i still wanna kiss…”

you raised an eyebrow, your lips twitching as you fought the urge to laugh. “babe, you’re literally a walking virus right now. i’m not kissing you.”

hanni whined, her grip on you tightening as she buried her face further into your neck. “pleeease?”

“nope,” you said, shaking your head firmly. “not happening.”

“but i miss kissing you,” she mumbled, her voice small and pitiful. “just one little kiss?”

“hanni, you’ll get me sick,” you said, gently pushing her head away from your neck. “and then who’s going to take care of you?”

“i’ll take care of you,” she muttered, her voice muffled by the blanket she had wrapped herself in.

you couldn’t help but chuckle, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead instead. “nice try, but no. you’re gonna have to wait until you’re not contagious.”

hanni pouted again, clearly not happy with your answer.

but before she could whine any further, a sudden fit of sneezes cut her off.

you handed her a tissue, biting back a laugh as she wiped her nose, her expression utterly defeated.

“fine,” she mumbled, slumping back against you. “but as soon as i’m better, i’m kissing you everywhere.”

you snorted, rolling your eyes. “yeah, yeah. we’ll see.”

later that evening, after coaxing her into taking her medicine (which involved more whining and pouting on her part), you finally convinced her to settle down for a proper nap.

she curled up against you, her head resting on your chest as her breathing slowed and evened out.

you gently ran your fingers through her hair, the soft strands slipping between your fingers as you hummed quietly.

she was so peaceful when she was asleep, all of the day's frustrations and complaints forgotten.

but you knew as soon as she woke up, she’d be back to her clingy, whiny self.

and honestly, you didn’t mind.

you loved taking care of her, even when she was being a handful.

there was something special about being the one she relied on, the one she clung to when she didn’t feel well.

as the minutes ticked by, you found yourself growing more and more tired. the weight of the day and hanni’s endless need for attention had finally caught up to you, and your eyes began to droop.

just as you were about to drift off, you felt a pair of warm lips press against your cheek.

you blinked, opening your eyes to see hanni grinning up at you, her feverish cheeks still pink. “gotcha,” she whispered, her voice soft but full of mischief.

you groaned, pulling the blanket over both of your heads. “go to sleep, han.”

she giggled, snuggling closer to you as she closed her eyes again. “okay, okay. goodnight, babe.”

“goodnight,” you murmured, pressing one last kiss to her forehead before finally drifting off to sleep.

and despite everything—the rain, the sickness, the whining—you couldn’t help but smile.

because at the end of the day, hanni was your clingy, whiny baby, and you wouldn’t have had it any other way.

a/n - fluff sucks..

[luciferlightbringer]

Talk to Me

Chapter 1

Lucifer x Fem Fallen Angel Reader

Word Count:4.1 k

CW: Angst, abuse, lies, slowburn,

Chapter 1|Chapter 2 (Updated through Chapter 5)

Welcome back friends! I will be tagging all chapters now under #punching-pentagrams if the tags ever have issues or if you are looking for updates from me 😊

Once upon a time, there was a glowing city protected by golden gates, known as Heaven. It was ruled by beings of pure light. Angels that worshiped good and shielded all from evil. Lucifer was one of these angels. He was a troublemaker with “fantastical ideas” for all of creation, and was seen as such by the elders of Heaven. For they knew his way of thinking was dangerous to the order of their world. So, he was to watch as the other angels began to expand the universe in their ways.

From the dust of Earth, they created Adam and Lilith. Equals as the first of mankind, but despite this, Adam worked to take charge over his responsibility to care for Earth, and Lilith refused to work alongside him. She fled the Garden. Drawn in by her rebellious nature, Lucifer found her and troublemaker seduced her to his cause. Together, they wished to the ruin the future of humanity with their selfish dreams and ideas, offering the Fruit of Knowledge to Adam's new bride, Eve, who accepted, unaware that this “gift” came with a curse. For with this single act of disobedience, evil finally found its way into the Earth. With it, a new realm of darkness and sin. And the order Heaven worked to maintain was shattered. As punishment for their reckless act, Heaven cast Lucifer and his mistress into the dark pit he had created, to live out his days as the King of the cruel and the wicked.

This was the Parable of Lucifer, known by every Angel in Heaven, memorized, but rarely spoken. His name, or even the threat of falling was akin to swearing, which wasn't forbidden but it was frowned upon. For many eons, his name was rarely mentioned. That is, until the morning his daughter came to visit Heaven.

You watched that morning as Emily, the young seraphim you served under, danced around her room as she got ready that morning, singing and flitting about while talking about how excited she was to be at the the side of Sera, the High Seraphim, later at a meeting with the daughter of Lucifer and Lilith.

You listened and nodded at her excitement, trying hard to keep your own thoughts to yourself. You didn't understand how she could be so excited, being in the room with anyone related to Lucifer sounded like a fate worse than death. You were not important enough to be in the room where it all was going to go down, and you were perfectly ok with that.

"And then! Oh! What about the zoo?! Do you think they have zoos in hell? Maybe we have different animals.... Oh I'll just ask them!" Emily squealed with excitement as she brushed her hair.

You were trying so hard not to roll your eyes, why would some hellspawn want anything to do with a heaven zoo? And why did Emily insist on showing them around? It almost seemed cruel to show them around something more wonderful and beautiful than they probably had back home in their dark pit of evil. But it couldn't be helped, that is just who Emily was. Kind and full of desire to make people happy.

You were a "right hand man" of sorts to Emily, a sort of "lady in waiting" or "aid", and had been ever since the beginning of her time as the Seraphim of Joy. You enjoyed a higher status, that was marked by your four wings, but not as many as Emily's six, which marker he status as a seraphim. You liked being by her side, she was sweet and playful. It was her job to keep the people of Heaven happy, and it was your job to assist her in that. She was gentle and kind, and that made your job easy. She treated you as an equal, even if she didn't need to, you were happy to serve her.

"Sounds great, my lady, I hope you guys have fun," you say trying to hold back any sass you wanted to add to your comment in response to the idea of her field trip with the Princess of Hell.

Emily looked at you with a smile, "Oh! You're coming with us, of course. Aren't you?"

You held a strained smile, of course she would want to include you.

"Oh... I wish I could. But I can't I have plans," you responded coolly.

"Plans? Like what?" Emily pouted.

"Well... there uhhh... there is the updates to the Golden Girls theme park! Now that Betty is here, I figured it was important to meet with her and make sure it is correct...ya know... get her ideas..." you start.

Emily floats over and grabs your hands, "Oh but that can wait, can't it? Pleeeeease? This is so exciting and I want my best friend their with me!" She gave you big puppy dog eyes.

You can't help but feel a little shy when she calls you her best friend, you were honored that she thought of you as a friend, but you knew that was not your place, even though you had been by her side for several thousand years. It wasn't forbidden for you two to be friends, just... discouraged. Due to the difference in status. You sighed, she knew you couldn't say no to her when she got all pouty and pulled the "best friend" card.

"Alright, alright! I'll go... Just... Please don't expect me to be all buddy-buddy with them? I mean no disrespect, my lady... The idea of having beings of Hell in Heaven just... makes me nervous..." you nervously confess to Emily.

Emily smiles and pulls you in for a hug, "Yay! Oh (y/n), it's going to be ok! How about this? If you get uncomfortable, you can flap your wings quickly twice and I'll give you a reason to leave, ok?"

"But won't that leave you alone with them? What if they should try to harm you?" you say with worry in your voice.

Emily squeezes your shoulders, "It will be fine. Come on! We are gonna be late!" Emily grabs your hand and she half drags you out the door and out the the main plaza to meet up with Sera before going to welcome the guests from hell. You bow respectfully to Sera in greeting and wait as Emily and Sera fly out to the front gate while you wait inside with Sera's aid, Lily, who also had four wings like you. You rarely talked to Lily, but she was also nice, more serious like her seraphim she served.

"How is your lady feeling about the meeting?" Lily asked calmly, looking forward instead of at you.

"Very excitedly, as is her nature. Almost a little too excited, but that is not my place to tell her, of course. And what of your lady?" You asked Lily.

She shook her head, "Nervous, but collected. She was very distressed by Lucifer's request for his daughter to meet with the council of Elders. Her ideas sound... preposterous, and dangerous. Just like her father's," she responded flatly, her nose crinkling slightly.

"What ideas?" you ask.

Lily looked around for any nearby souls before leaning close and whisper, "Something about trying to redeem souls to get them to give them a second change in heaven."

You blinked, what? She is trying to redeem the souls of sinners? "Is that even possible?"

Lily shrugged, "It is not our place to ask such things, besides, we have no idea why they would want to try that. It sounds fishy to me, and I think it sounds fishy to Sera, too. We have a system in place for a reason."

"Of course, that does seem silly to try to change things," you go back to your neutral stance and start to think. The daughter of Lucifer wants to redeem souls? Why? That seems like a good thing to try to do? But how could they prove they were actually "redeemed" to even attempt something like that. As far as you knew, this had never been done before. This thought left you with so many questions, that from that point on would start to unravel your very understanding of everything you thought you knew.

Eventually you see the gates open and Sera and Emily enter with two others, a girl with long white hair, wearing an eye patch, named Vaggie, and a young woman with long blonde hair in a ponytail and a red suit, who was introduced to you as Charlie Morningstar, the daughter of Lucifer. You wanted to focus on the Morningstar child but... something about the other one seemed off about the other one, especially in the way she looked at all of you. Specifically she looked... uncomfortable? That seemed like such an odd way to react to Heaven. But maybe a place this beautiful was just hard for a demon like her to feel comfortable in. A pity.

You shifted your attention back to Charlie, you were only briefly introduced as Emily's aid, she greeted you warmly and then went back to talking with Emily and Sera. You liked it this way, it gave you a chance to just watch this daughter of Lucifer at a distance. As you toured Heaven with them, you were surprise by how sweet and bubbly she came off. She talked, mostly with Emily, about how excited she was about the meeting and looked in awe at everything she came across in Heaven. Your face remained a pleasant neutral, but you were processing everything through the lens of what you had been told about Lucifer and the information given to you by Lily about her reason for being here. What was her deal?

Eventually, Charlie and Vaggie were set up in their room, and Vaggie decided to stay at the hotel while Charlie went off with you and Emily to the zoo, and Sera and Lily went off to prepare for the meeting. Great... now there was more of a chance that you would have to interact with the Morningstar child, but you were good at remaining pleasant and neutral. You stayed to Emily's right while Charlie walked on Emily's left as they went through the zoo. Luckily, the Princess of Hell was more interested in fawning over the animals than paying attention to how little you were interacting with her. You exchanged some pleasantries and small talk when addressed, but not much beyond that.

The longer you were around her, the more curious she made you. She didn't act at all like how you expected a hellspawn would act. You know you shouldn't be making assumptions but... something was not adding up. How could this be the spawn of the most hated and dangerous being in all of creation? Either she was a very very very good actor, spinning colorful and exciting tales to disarm her victims and seduce them to her side... or somehow... despite having such an awful and cruel creature of a father... this young woman had an actual passion and love for others. You were worried at how much you felt like you wanted to agree with the latter, especially with how in-sync her personality fell with Emily's. You tried to shake the questions out of your head, again it was not your place to ask such questions.

Before long, it was time for their meeting with the angelic Council of Elders, which meant it was your time to separate from Emily and the Princess. You bid them a farewell and went off to take care of that meeting with Betty White to make any additions or suggestions to the theme park. You had a pleasant meeting with her, luckily there were only a few additions that needed to be made, so you were able make note of them with the construction team and get back to Emily's suite to prepare her some tea for her when her meeting was over.

Before long you heard the quick open and shut of the door, signaling that Emily had returned home, "Welcome back, my lady Emily! How was..." you stopped as you heard the sounds of... something you had never heard before... little sounds in quick secession that would get quieter, she'd breathe in, and then the quick secession of sounds would happen again, but starting louder and growing softer.

You peaked out around the corner to see Emily curled up on the floor right next to the door, face in her hands, making her little sounds. You had heard about this, was... was she... crying? She had never seen anyone cry before. You rushed over to her side.

"My lady? Emily? What's wrong? Why do you cry?" you asked with a slight panic, you had not idea how to help her with this, you had never seen someone sad before.

She let out different higher pitched sound and shook before she looked up at you, tears rolling down her round cheeks.

"Oh (y/n), it's terrible! I'm so angry!" Emily cried.

"What's terrible? What did the Princess do? Are you hurt?" you start to look her over.

"No!" Emily cried, "It's Sera, and Adam, and Lute... They have done something terrible!"

You blinked, you had never heard her speak of her superior sister like that, and you new the First Man to be... a colorful character, but what could he have done? "What happened?"

Emily took a few breathes before looking up at you, "They have been allowing a yearly extermination on human souls in Hell to control the overpopulation down there... Adam has an army of angels that go down with him to kill and erase human souls!"

You sat back a little, taking in the news, "Wait... why... That does not make any sense... why would they do something like that?"

Emily let more tears fall, "It's how they control the overpopulation of souls, trying to keep them from thinking about uprising against Heaven... that's why Charlie was here. She's trying to redeem souls into heaven so that we would stop killing them. She-she's just trying to protect her people, and we have just been slaughtering them! For... centuries!"

You sat in silence as Emily continued to freak out and cry, this was the worst thing you had ever heard of. How could heaven allow something like this?! Sure, the sinners had all earned their place in Hell, and they needed to stay in their place... but the does not mean anyone should be erasing them!

"Who could have allowed this?" you ask quietly.

"Sera..." Emily snarled, you look up at her, and she looks at you... with anger in her eyes, it made you jump, "Sera allowed this it happen, and what's worse... she kept it from everyone! From the rest of the Elders... from me... Only Sera, Adam, and his army of angel exorcists know... The rest of us were in the dark..."

You just sat there on the floor next to her, trying to breathe, trying to work through the thoughts and feelings in your body, this was bad... this was... really bad. You never knew this try of bad could exist, not here, not in Heaven, and you felt it all over your body. Your chest felt tight, your thoughts were racing, everything was a blur.

You looked at the young angel next to you, "What do we do now, my lady?"

Emily's expression went serious and she sat up straight looking at you, "This can't be a secret anymore, we must tell everyone."

Your eyes widened, "E-everyone? Even the human souls? My lady... I don't know if..."

Emily got up, "Yes! Everyone! They have been keeping this secret from everyone! They are breaking one of God's base commandments! Now that we know we must tell the truth! Everyone must know!"

You get up to meet her, "But... that would cause an upheaval! What if..." you change to a whisper "What if this causes you to fall? Like Lucifer?"

Emily shook her head, "If something like this is what caused his fall... then maybe there is more behind his fall than they told us in the first place..." She looked at you, "After hearing Charlie... it's worth the risk... I need to do this. Are you with me, or not?" Emily grabbed your hands.

You froze in place. Do you defy Emily, your seraphim that you are sworn to serve and support? Or do you go against something that you know will make the elders unhappy, and risk both you and her falling? You knew this look on her face, there was not talking her out of it at this point.

You sigh, "Ok... I'm with you." She smiled and hugged you, and you hugged her back. You had not idea what was going to happen next, but you couldn't bear the thought of not supporting her. It's all you knew.

You spent the rest of the night planning with Emily on how you were going to get the word out to the people. Unfortunately for the both of you... Sera had been worried about Emily's outburst in support of Charlie and went to go check on her. Emily was not watching her volume, no matter how much you reminded her, so before knocking, she was able to hear Emily talking out some ideas out with you. With a heavy and broken heart, Sera went to go alert the rest of the Elders.

The next morning, you and Emily did not have a chance to start telling anyone before Emily was brought to stand trial before the Council of Elders. You were brought with to stand witness for the conversation you had with her. Emily fought and cried, angry tears running down her face as she pleaded for the safety and protection of the people of Hell, quoting how the Elders were breaking commandments. The Elders responded of how they were doing what they needed to do to maintain the order in Heaven, and Emily teared back about how they were only proving Charlie's point about "angel's getting to do whatever and remain in the sky" while the people of hell suffered by Heaven's hand. Sera warned Emily not to press but she didn't care, saying if this was the truth that she no longer wanted to be the Seraphim of Joy.

"If you don't stop this now, you may soon not be a seraphim at all!" one of the Elders warned.

Adam sat over on the side, grinning. He was quieter than yesterday, he was trying to play nice after his major slip up the day before when he revealed the existence of the exterminations, but he was still enjoying watching the drama. Sera looked over to you, eyes pleading with do something to stop this. You looked over at Emily. There was only one way you could see getting her out of this, it wasn't going to be pleasant, but it was all you could do.

You stood up and looked over to the council, starting to cry and shake, "I'm sorry! I'm so... so sorry, my great Elders!" You whole room was looking at your now, even Emily.

"Please... please do not blame her! It was my fault! I... I was so excited to see the Princess of Hell, know why she was here. I know I wasn't allowed at the meeting... but I still stood outside of the door and listened! I couldn't bear the news! I've gone mad! Emily came back and didn't want to talk about it... but I did! I made her! I filled her head with ideas of telling the people of Heaven the truth! The angels deserve to know! It's barbaric! All of you refused to listen to Charlie and I can't stand that!" you say grabbing your hair. "Please! Emily is innocent of everything besides being to close to me! Please spare her! Punish me instead!"

"(y/n) what are you doing?!" Emily cried.

"I'm telling them the truth, my lady! Don't try to cover this up for me. You've suffered enough!" you cried, flying down to the floor and standing in front of Emily, fanning out your wings to block her, "Punish me instead! I should fall for my madness! My lady Emily has done nothing wrong! Punish me for my sympathy for Lucifer and his daughter!"

Sera frowned, looked at the others, and shook her head, "What a shame, but not unexpected from you, unfortunately." That comment almost made you flinch, what did that mean? Sera looked to the others, who all nodded at her and looked at you with distain.

"Very well," she said, lifting a hand to prompt two other angels to remove Emily from the floor, leaving only you in the middle, all eyes on you. "(y/n), for your attempt of treason against Heaven and attempted corruption of a seraphim, you have fallen from Grace and will be cast into Hell."

You give Emily one last look as she screams, whispering a goodbye to her. A portal opens up in front of you, giving you a clear but distant view of the rings of hell. Intense fear flooded your body for the first time. You take a step back, only to be stopped by Adam who had flown over an landed behind you, a wicked grin on his face.

Behind you he whispered "See you on extermination day", before breaking off one of your wings and kicking you into the pit, the sound of your screams of pain mixed with his laughter as you began to fall.

What an absolute piece of shit.

Most of your fall was spent in searing pain from your one missing wing, the other three fluttering in the wind as hell grew closer, golden blood oozing from your new wound, your first wound ever. You cried the whole way... out of pain, out of fear, out of hope that you saved Emily from this fate, out of confusion...

As you got closer, you felt more pain sear through your body, but for a different reason. You watched as you hands stared to turn into black claws, horns sprouted from your temples, a tail lashed out behind you, eyes watering as they changed to red, some of the feathers of your wings burned red. More tears burned down your cheeks as you fell, mixing in with some feelings of... anger? You wish that Emily had not dragged you into this... but it was your job to serve her... and you did it until your falling day... Who knew what awaited you in hell. The second fallen angel in all of history...

You realized then, yes, would would be the second fallen angel, would Lucifer seek you out if he found out another angel had fallen? You wanted to avoid that at all costs. As the ground grew nearer, you knew you had two choices, use your wings to ease your fall and risk being seen, or tuck them away and have a much harder hit but hide your identity as an angel. You swallowed hard as you forced your wings to tuck away. It was something angels could do, but it was not common, as it was more comfortable to keep them out.

You were almost to the red floor of the Pride Ring. God Above, this was going to hurt... You braced yourself as you plummeted into the hard rock of the upper part of the ring, making a small intend in the ground from the length and power of your fall. Your body seared with more intense pain, bones were definitely broken, but by some grace you were still barely conscious.

After catching some amount of breath, you looked around. With as much information as you could process at the moment, it looked like you had landed on some old battle ground near the edge of the ring. At least some luck was still on your side. With one good arm and leg, you clawed and crawled your way across the red brimstone ground, leaving a trail of golden blood, before finding a pile of stones that were set in just a way that you could hide. Probably something someone had built for cover at some point.

With the last of your energy, you crawled into the hole, took off your robe, and stuffed it under your head as your felt yourself suck into unconsciousness.

_____________________________________________________________

Hello! Just wanted to let everyone know that this one will have less of a back and forth between Lucifer and y/n's point of view, it will still have that, but it will be a lot more focused on y/n until they meet. Also it might take a little before they meet, but we will get there! Let me know if you want added to the taglist!

Taglist:

@sapphireravensworld @cimadreamer @froggybich @randomstranger703 @tiredlillypad @melday0105 @btsgangleader @hawke1917 @gbshdhd @pandaquick @littleladydemon @wonderlandangelsposts @hulyenl @willow404

[and-so-he-rambled]

Library

(An excerpt from the prequel to Gotham Rogue Vlad Masters. Vlad is 29, Jazz is 6, Danny is 4)

Masterlist

Vlad was still a weak man, no matter how much he tried not to be.

He sat in the castle library, knees pulled to his chest and eyes trained on the cassette player sitting on the oak coffee table. The library was one of his favorite parts of the castle and one of the reasons he’d fallen in love with the place. Most of the books had been about cheese, its history and the many ways to make it, but he was slowly replacing them with his own collection. Currently it was mostly the well loved science textbooks he’d obsessed over in his teens, but he had several boxes of the classical literature he’d started reading in his free time. He’d despised fiction for most of his life, but he could appreciate it now.

Vlad leaned forward and pressed the rewind button.

“Hey Vladdy!” The tinny voice of Jack filtered through the speaker of the cassette player. “Remember how Maddie was pregnant? Not anymore! We have a daughter Vladdy! Can you believe it?”

Vlad stared at the black plastic speaker, a mask of emotionless on his face even as every emotion rushed through him.

“She’s beautiful V-man! Has her mother’s hair! She’s six pounds, did you know how tiny babies are? She’ll need to do a lot of catching up to me!” Jack laughed boisterously, air whooshing through the speaker as the phone was moved.

“Say hi to Vlad!”

There was a crackling sigh, tired but fond, and then she spoke.

“Jack, I’m feeding the baby. Hi Vlad, hope you’re well.” Vlad took a shuddering breath, mouth tasting like bile. She sounded so serene, so alive.

“Can’t wait for you to meet her Vladdy!” Jack yelled as he took the phone back, a little baby crying briefly before Maddie’s cooing quieted them. “We should all get together soon, the four of us! Jazzy is going to love her uncle, I just know it!”

The last day he saw Jack and Maddie in person was the lab accident. He’d obsessed over pictures and recordings, over website updates and phone calls, but he hadn’t seen them once since he died. Ten years, in a few months it would be ten years since the accident, and nine since he died.

“Is that my dad?”

Vlad jumped, the leather in his armchair tearing as his claws slipped out.

He fought the urge to walk away, to continue putting on a strong facade and not caring about Jack and Maddie’s deaths. To not acknowledge it, maybe for the kids sake and maybe for his.

“Yes.”

Jasmine hesitated in the doorway, hands tucked away in the sleeves of her pajamas. She had plenty of nightgowns, but she loved keeping her arms and hands covered as much as possible. After a long moment Vlad motioned her to come in and watched her slink around the edge of the room until she stood at his side.

“I recorded these a long time ago. This was when you were born.” He reached down and pressed the rewind button, the mechanical wirr filling the room at the tape rewinded.

“Hey Vladdy!”

They listened to Jack’s boisterous voice together.

“Why…” Jazz sniffled, trying to hide her tears with her sleeves. “Why didn’t you ever come? Dad always called you, and he’d get sad, and mom would say you’re busy. Why didn’t you wanna see us?”

“Oh Jasmine, it wasn’t anything you and Daniel did.” It wasn’t. It was the idea of them, the idea of the perfect happy family of his enemy and first love while he learned to puppet his own corpse. He couldn’t face that until he was forced to.

Jazz set on the edge of the leather ottoman, eyes drawn to the tape as it ended with a click. She watched him silently as he opened the shoebox and placed the ejected tape inside.

“…can I pick one?” Vlad hesitated. Nobody had ever seen his tapes, let alone touched them. They were precious to him, the only weakness he had allowed himself, but Jack and Maddie were gone now. These memories weren’t ones he could selfishly hide, they belonged to Jazz and Daniel now as well.

He pushed the box towards her, watching her fingers peek from beneath the fabric of her sleeves and run along the cassette labels. She pulled out a tape labeled for Daniel’s birth, handing it to her godfather. She continued to look through the tapes as he placed the cassette inside and started it.

“V-man! I bet I just missed ya! I come with big news, you’re an uncle! Again!” Jack laughed loudly, probably throwing his head back and screwing up his eyes the way he always did, with his cheeks and nose flushed from joy and his eyes bright. Vlad’s chest ached.

“His name is Daniel James Fenton and he’s a chip off the old block! Still small, but he’ll be just like his dad, I know it! Jazzy is so excited to be a big sister!” The audio crackled before a small child was heard.

“Hello!” A two year old Jazz yelled.

“It’s Uncle Vlad!“

“Vlad! Unk Vlad! Hello!”

“He’s not actually on the line dear.” Maddie could be heard in the background. She sounded exhausted, but fond of her husband and daughter.

“Oh. Bye-bye.”

Jack laughed again, so uncaring and free and infuriating.

“I’ll call back later since you’re busy, V-man. Love you!”

“Jack, it’s talk later, not I Love You.” Maddie corrected.

“But I love him?” Jack sounded confused as the line clicked and the tape reached its end.

Jazz was trying hard to keep her composure, but there were tears in her eyes.

“Jasmi-“

“When I was little, I thought you were like Santa.” Her voice was wavering, eyes wide as she tried not to blink and let tears fall. Vlad didn’t correct her that she was still little.

“I thought all kids had an Uncle Vlad that their dad made up to make them feel better. But you were real, you were real and you still didn’t come see us. Not until mom and dad died and you had to!”

Vlad didn’t know what to say as angry tears spilled over against the six year olds best efforts, hands flying up to hastily scrub away the evidence.

“Why do you keep pretending you want us? I don’t wanna go back to the hospital and I don wanna lose Danny but you didn’t want us!”

Vlad hadn’t wanted to suddenly have his former friend’s children in his home, but he couldn’t fathom them being with anyone else. He dug to the bottom of the tape box to find the only college photo he hadn’t torn up or defaced. They all looked so young, all wearing lab coats and hanging off each other. No one was looking at the camera and Jack had pulled both Vlad’s and Maddie’s feet off the ground from how hard he hugged.

“I loved your parents.” He handed her the most precious thing he had, even more than his signed football that he’d viscously outbid a children’s hospital for. Though, maybe it wasn’t anymore.

She took it gently, scarred fingers peeking out and running over her parents faces.

“Then why?” She whispered, lip quivering as she brushed her knuckle down her mom’s curls.

Why indeed.

“I got hurt, and I had to get better.” Her father had caused it, had killed him, and he’d suffered, but she didn’t need to know that. As much as he hated Jack he wouldn’t corrupt her memories of her father. “I was hurt for a long time, and when I finally was better I realized how much I missed, and it was far too late.”

“Dad used to say you were busy, when I was little it was because you were sick, but last time he said you had a company now, and you were a business man. He was really happy.”

Vlad bit his tongue until he tasted blood, setting down the tape he was holding before he crushed it. How did Jack have the right to be happy for him after ruining his life?!

“I see.”

“Uncle Vlad?” Jazz brushed hair from her eyes, looking so much like her mom aside from the light streak. Maddie always had naturally straight hair despite the hours spent making it curly each morning.

“Yes dear?”

“You promise you won’t make us leave when you don’t want us anymore?”

Vlad’s core twinged as white hot pain shot through it. It was still healing after his obsession break, but it had been doing much better lately. Henry played off the pain without showing it, huffing a puff of smoke out his nostrils and leveling her with a serious look.

“Jasmine.” He offered his hands palms up, and she slowly reached out to touch the very tips of her fingers to them.

“I am never going to not want you and your brother. In fact, I will commit crimes against humanity before I let either of you be taken from me.”

Jazz considered that for a moment.

“What if you die?” She whispered, betraying her worries.

“Oh Jasmine.” He grinned, perhaps with too many teeth. “I’m a very hard man to kill.”

They listened to a few more tapes until Jazz was fast asleep curled under his arm, finally relaxed in the presence of her parent’s voices. She was easy to carry back to bed, but he took his time crossing the house to the kid’s room.

[katsukiib]

───── After Date Night

❥ (Aged Up) ; Katsuki Bakugo , SMUT 18+

❥ CW : Cursing, Kissing, Oral sex, Fingering, Protected sex.

❥ IN WHICH, after their long-awaited date night, Y/n invites Katsuki in her home, both with a needy desire.

❥ WC : 1073

Tonight, Katsuki had taken Y/n out to a fancy upscale restaurant, treating her to a much-needed date. His busy schedule as a pro hero, intertwined with agency obligations, left little room for his relationship, making it difficult to spend time with his girlfriend for weeks, until tonight.

Of course, Y/n understood completely as a pro hero herself, and was grateful for his thoughtful gesture. His efforts never went unnoticed by her.

Even though he didn't express it too much, he missed her a lot and yearned for her deeply.

He missed having a deep conversation with her, listening to her voice while gazing upon her beauty, and being with her...

But damn... Y/n looked so good tonight.

She walked in her high heels that showed off her confidence and her figure draped itself within her dress. The color she wore perfectly complimented her complexion along with her fragrance, captivating Katsuki in.

Throughout the entire date night, he was fixated on her and admired her while she discussed all the exciting updates in her life.

They both savored the moment, relishing in each other's company as they allowed time to slip away during their date.

After many weeks of being apart, this special time together reminded them of just how much they cherished each other. And after their date, Katsuki drove to her house, and was now parked in front of her home.

"Thank you for taking me out. I know you've been busy and all, but I appreciate you making time for me." Y/n expressed happily with a smile while caressing his hand that was rested on her thigh. "I had a nice time."

"I did too, babe." He muttered, glancing at her hand that gently slid up his arm, focusing on her touch.

"Can you come inside for a bit?" Her mesmerizing gaze effortlessly drew him in, and he was ready to just grab her and kiss her and fuck her in the backseat of his car, but he resisted.

He could hold himself back for at least one more minute.

In her home, Katsuki had Y/n pressed against the wall near the door, passionately kissing her with his hand on the edge of her face.

Y/n couldn't help but feel a rush of excitement and arousal as Katsuki's lips moved against hers, his strong frame towering over her like a protective wall.

As his hand traced along her waist, a shiver ran down her spine, intensifying the desire within her. The taste of his lips lingered on hers, leaving her craving for more, craving for him.

Unable to resist any longer, as their lips were inches away from each other, she whispered in a breathless voice, "Take me, now."

He wasted no time, picking her up by her thighs and headed to her bedroom. Closing the door behind him, he then laid her down on the soft bed and went down to kiss her neck, making her let out a soft quiet moan.

"You're so fuckin' beautiful, Y/n." He whispered against her skin as he lifted her dress, revealing her upper body, then kissed down her body, cherishing her.

She felt his lips as he whispered the words that made her heart skip a beat. With every touch and every kiss, she became more aroused and desperate for him.

She closed her eyes as she let herself be carried away by the moment.

Every part of her was alive and burning with desire as he made his way down her body, kissing and nuzzling against her skin. She let out a small moan as he reached the juncture of her thighs and pulled her underwear down, dropping them down to the floor.

Katsuki's tongue moved swiftly to her clit, and started to rub it while he held her thighs apart. His mouth pleasured her, causing her to moan and arch her back in response.

His body reacted to the arousing sounds emanating from her and his cock grew harder, hearing the sweet sounds that was music to his ears.

Katsuki continued to lick and suck on her clit, and his tongue made quick circles around the sensitive nub. He slid a finger inside of her, starting to finger her and rubbed against her G-spot, causing her to shiver with pleasure and reach her high.

Just as she was about to orgasm, he stopped and teasingly kissed her thighs. Moving up her body, he connects his lips to her lips and she could taste her sweet juices on him.

It was a moment of pure ecstasy, and she knew that she would never forget the way that he made her feel.

Before she knew it, they were both fully undressed and they shared their love for each other as he felt her body in his hands and slid his cock into her.

He moved inside her and she wrapped her arms around him and held on tight, never wanting to let him go during the great pleasure they both experienced.

"I love you so much, Katsuki..." She moaned into his ear, which encouraged him to thrust faster against her, hearing her moans grow louder from each stroke.

"Fuck... I love you too, Y/n." He groaned, feeling his control slipping slightly, nearly bottoming out from how tight and warm she felt, almost getting lost in the pleasure.

As he moved against her, their bodies created a mesmerizing rhythm and Y/n felt her own climax rising with her heart racing in anticipation.

"Katsuki, I'm gonna cum..." She felt her hands grip onto his shoulders. He began to pound into her harder, causing her to gasp as her eyes rolled back.

And then, with a powerful spasm, she came, her body shuddering as she let out a shriek of pleasure, her hands still gripping onto him as he continued to move.

His moans muffled against her neck as he stopped deeply inside of her, cock slightly twitching inside of her throbbing cunt as his cum began to fill the tip of the condom.

Once coming back to her senses, breathing heavily, she gently rubbed his upper back. It was a moment of pure bliss for her as she realized that she had just experienced one of the most amazing moments of her life.

"Stay the night, Katsuki. Please?" She whispered soothingly, receiving a "Mmhm" with a nod in response from him.

"Let's go take a shower."

[planet-marz1]

Is It Over Now?

Summary: Still reeling from Joel's revelation, you find solace in someone new. Pairing: Joel x F!Reader Word Count: ~7.1k

Tags/Warnings:18+MDNI no use of y/n, jackson!joel, established relationship, angst, somewhat? happy ending, infidelity, joel just kinda sucks honestly,alcohol consumption, implied smut (not with joel), lots of joel tears, pet names (sweetheart), jealousy, insecurities, self doubt, reader is in her healing era, reader slaps a bitch (it's deserved, I swear)

A/N: Hi! This is the second, and final part of this series, though I have a few more drabbles & oneshots planned to write and post. This is dedicated to my love @kajashe 💗 and thank you to my beloved @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin for beta reading this for me! and yet another thank you to all of my friends who listened to me ramble on about this for the past several days in discord 💜

beautiful dividers by @/saradika

follow my fic updates blog @planetmarz1-notifs

| part i | series masterlist | main masterlist |

The passing weeks were a blur of emotional turmoil and quiet introspection. The once-familiar routines of life felt like a distant memory, replaced by a persistent ache that accompanied every moment of solitude. Your days were marked by the slow process of healing, a journey undertaken one painful step at a time.

Joel had respected your request for space, retreating to the refuge of his brother Tommy's home. The absence of his presence in your shared space only served as a constant reminder of the void that had opened up in your life. Jackson carried on with its daily rhythm, oblivious to the personal upheaval that had unfolded within its walls.

Nights were the hardest. The quiet darkness seemed to amplify the echoes of the past, and sleep became an elusive visitor. The couch where you had waited for Joel that fateful night became a throne of solitude, the cushions bearing silent witness to the nights spent wrestling with the fragments of a broken heart.

In moments of vulnerability, you allowed yourself to revisit the memories of the life you had built together. Photographs adorned the walls, frozen moments in time that now carried the weight of bittersweet nostalgia. The laughter, the shared dreams, and the quiet moments of connection—all now tainted by the knowledge of his betrayal.

The settlement's whispers reached your ears—a mix of sympathy, curiosity, and the well-intentioned attempts of friends trying to fill the void left by Joel's absence. Their concern was palpable, but the wounds were still fresh, the healing a slow and arduous process.

Alone in the quiet living room, the remnants of your shattered relationship lingered like ghosts in the air. The moon cast a cold glow through the window, illuminating the space where the truth had been laid bare. The weight of Joel's confession hung heavy in the room, and you were left grappling with a mix of emotions that threatened to consume you.

You sat on the couch, staring into the darkness outside, your mind racing to make sense of the betrayal. Every corner of the room seemed to echo with the whispers of the life you thought you knew, now tainted by the harsh reality of Joel's infidelity.

The silence was deafening, broken only by the distant sounds of the settlement outside. You replayed the moments leading up to this revelation, searching for signs you might have missed, clues that could have prepared you for the storm that had now engulfed your relationship.

The ache in your chest deepened, and you could feel the hot prickle of tears threatening to spill over. Anguish, betrayal, and confusion mingled in a tumultuous storm within you. You wanted answers, an explanation that could somehow make sense of the wreckage now surrounding you.

The clock on the wall ticked away the seconds, marking the passage of time in a world that suddenly felt unfamiliar. As you sat there in the quiet, you wondered how the foundation of your life had crumbled so swiftly, like sand slipping through your fingers.

Outside, the settlement continued its slumber, blissfully unaware of the personal cataclysm unfolding within your home. You needed time to process the truth, to navigate the emotional minefield that now lay before you.

The door creaked open, and Joel stepped back into the room, his eyes filled with regret. The air tensed as he hesitated, unsure of his place in this shattered reality. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice heavy with the weight of the words.

You looked up, your eyes meeting his. The distance between you felt insurmountable, a vast chasm that had opened up in the wake of his betrayal. "I need time to figure this out," you said, your voice steady despite the tempest of emotions within you.

Joel nodded, a silent acknowledgment of the consequences he had brought upon himself. As he left the room again, the door closing softly behind him, you were left alone with the wreckage of a love that had weathered countless storms, only to be undone by the tempest within.

So here you are now, at the Tipsy Bison, with its low hum of conversations and the comforting clink of glasses, served as a temporary escape from the turmoil within. The dimly lit bar offered a semblance of solace, a place to drown the sorrows that had become constant companions.

You sat alone at the bar, nursing a drink, the amber liquid reflecting the flickering candlelight. The weight of recent events lingered, a heavy burden you sought to momentarily cast aside. The soft music in the background provided a melancholic soundtrack to the evening.

As you stared into the depths of your drink, Noah took the seat next to you—a familiar face in the crowd, someone you'd seen around the settlement but never really paid much attention to. His attempts at small talk were met with your usual indifference. In the past, your loyalty to Joel had been unwavering, and the idea of entertaining advances from others never crossed your mind.

Tonight, however, the rules had shifted. The wounds of heartbreak were still raw, and the empty space beside you echoed the absence of a familiar presence. Noah persisted, undeterred by your initial disinterest.

"Rough night?" he asked, a half-smile playing on his lips.

You looked at him, a mixture of exhaustion and pain in your eyes. "You could say that."

Noah nodded, understanding glinting in his eyes. "Sometimes a drink is the only company we've got."

A subtle smile played on your lips as you reciprocated his banter. "Seems like you're here for more than just the drinks."

He chuckled, a warmth in his voice. "Well, it's not every night I get to share the bar with someone as intriguing as you, sweetheart"

The dance of flirtation continued, the bar becoming a stage where you and Noah played out a scene of shared laughter and camaraderie. The soft music provided a backdrop to the banter, a temporary escape from the weight that had settled on your shoulders.

Noah leaned in, his voice a low murmur. "You know, I've seen you around, but we've never really talked. What brings you here tonight?"

You sighed, a moment of vulnerability slipping through. "Just trying to forget for a little while, I guess."

He nodded, his gaze thoughtful. "Sometimes, a little distraction is all we need."

As the night wore on, the boundaries between reality and the fleeting connection blurred. Noah became a temporary ally in a battle against the memories that threatened to engulf you. In the shadows of the Tipsy Bison, you allowed yourself a momentary escape, a reprieve from the heartache that still clung to the edges of your world.

The hours passed in a haze of shared stories and laughter. Noah proved to be an unexpected source of comfort, his presence a balm to the wounds that had yet to fully heal. The Tipsy Bison became a refuge, a sanctuary where, for a brief moment, the weight of heartbreak was lifted.

As the night progressed, Noah's conversation turned more earnest, his gaze holding a sincerity that resonated with you. "You know," he said, his voice softened by the dim ambiance of the bar, "Sometimes it helps to talk about what's going on. You don't have to carry it all alone."

The vulnerability in his words echoed the vulnerability you had been avoiding. The temptation to open up, to share the burden, tugged at the edges of your restraint. "It's just been a tough time," you admitted, a hint of gratitude in your voice.

Noah nodded, his eyes filled with understanding. "I get that. Life has a way of throwing curveballs when we least expect it."

The moment stretched, the connection between you deepening. The bar, once a backdrop for distraction, now felt like a space where two people navigating the complexities of life found common ground.

As the night neared its end, Noah leaned in, his voice a whisper. "I'm not an expert in fixing things, but if you ever need someone to listen, I'm here."

His sincerity resonated, and you nodded appreciatively. "Thank you, Noah. It means more than you know."

The Tipsy Bison, with its flickering lights and the hum of conversations, witnessed a different side of you that night—a side that embraced vulnerability and sought solace in unexpected places. As you parted ways, the weight on your shoulders felt a bit lighter, and the bar's exit became a threshold to a world where healing, though uncertain, seemed a little more attainable.

The night air felt cool as you and Noah stepped out of the bar, the soft glow from the neon sign casting a gentle halo around you. The settlement slept in the quiet darkness, oblivious to the shared moments of connection that had unfolded within the bar's walls.

The walk back to your house was a journey through silent streets, the hushed conversations between you and Noah punctuated by the occasional rustle of leaves in the night breeze. The weight of the evening's revelations lingered, but in Noah's company, it felt less burdensome.

As you approached the front door, you turned to him, a newfound warmth in your eyes. "Do you want to come in? Maybe have another drink?" The invitation hung in the air, a testament to the unexpected bond that had formed between you.

Noah's response was a gentle smile "I'd like that," he said, his voice carrying a sense of genuine camaraderie.

The door opened with a soft creak, and the familiar comfort of your home greeted you both. The living room, once a witness to heartache, now seemed to hold the promise of shared moments and tentative healing.

You settled on the couch, the echoes of the night's laughter still lingering. The air felt charged with the unspoken, a connection that transcended the confines of mere friendship. As you poured another round of drinks, the silence between you felt comfortable, a space where words were unnecessary.

Noah's eyes met yours, and in that shared gaze, there was an understanding that words could not fully capture. The vulnerability of the evening had laid bare the complexities of your heart, and Noah, in his quiet way, seemed to offer a respite from the storm.

As the night unfolded, the connection deepened. Laughter, shared stories, and the gentle ebb and flow of conversation filled the room. In that unexpected companionship, you found solace—a reminder that, even in the aftermath of heartbreak, there were still moments of connection waiting to be discovered.

The time you two had spent together at the bar had been a catalyst for change, and now, in the quietude of your home, you allowed the night to unfold, unsure of where it might lead but grateful for the warmth that had found its way into the cracks of a wounded heart.

The ambiance in the room shifted subtly, the air thickening with a newfound energy that danced between you and Noah. The shared laughter and easy conversation took on a softer note, and the space on the couch seemed to shrink, drawing you both closer.

You caught Noah's gaze lingering, his eyes holding a warmth that went beyond mere camaraderie. The flickering candlelight cast a gentle glow on his features, highlighting the sincerity in his eyes. A charged silence settled between you, one that spoke volumes without the need for words.

As you sipped your drinks, the magnetic pull of the moment intensified. The shared vulnerability of the evening had forged a connection that transcended the ordinary, and in the quietude of the living room, the boundaries between friendship and something more blurred.

Noah's fingers traced absentminded patterns on the rim of his glass, and his gaze met yours with a subtle intensity. The unspoken tension hung in the air, a delicate dance that neither of you seemed eager to disrupt.

The air seemed to hum with anticipation as you leaned in, drawn by an invisible force that defied explanation. The room held its breath, and in that suspended moment, your lips brushed against each other in a gentle, tentative kiss.

Time seemed to stand still as the kiss deepened, the warmth of Noah's touch sending a current of electricity through you. The weight of heartbreak momentarily lifted, replaced by the promise of something new, something uncharted.

You don’t care about anything else but losing yourself in the feeling of being loved even if just for tonight. As the passion between you continues to escalate with each passing second, all thoughts of tomorrow fade away into oblivion leaving only this one perfect moment stretching out endlessly before the two of you like an eternal embrace.

The air in your home was filled with a mix of holiday scents — the piney aroma of the Christmas tree, the faint whiff of cinnamon from the candles scattered around the room. It was Christmas Eve, and the settlement was adorned with festive lights and decorations.

You stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the collar of the deep green dress you had chosen for the occasion. Despite the outward festivities, a quiet melancholy clung to you, a reminder of the heartbreak that still lingered beneath the surface.

As you finished getting ready, the soft knock on the door signaled Noah's arrival. His presence, a comforting constant in the weeks that followed that unexpected encounter, had become a source of solace. Tonight, however, the prospect of a Christmas party loomed, and the idea of celebrating seemed to clash with the healing wounds of your past.

Noah entered, a warm smile on his face as he took in your appearance. "You look stunning," he remarked, his eyes reflecting a mixture of admiration and concern.

You managed a small smile in return, the weight of your unspoken thoughts evident in your eyes. "Thanks, Noah. I'm just not sure I'm in the festive mood, you know?"

He approached and gently cupped your face, his thumb brushing away a stray tear. "I understand. But Maria insisted, and maybe being around people, even for a little while, might help."

Reluctantly, you nodded, acknowledging the truth in his words. Maria had been a steadfast presence in your life, offering support and encouragement as you navigated the aftermath of heartbreak. Tonight's Christmas party was her attempt to bring a glimmer of joy into your world.

Together, you and Noah made your way through the decorated streets toward the town center. The settlement buzzed with festive energy — laughter, music, and the scent of holiday treats wafting through the air. As you approached the venue, the warm glow of lights spilled from the windows, casting a welcoming glow.

The Christmas Eve party in town was in full swing, with the warm glow of lights and the spirited energy of the season enveloping the settlement. As you navigated the festive atmosphere with Noah at your side, the subtle shift in your mood was palpable. The healing process was slow, but the comfort of friends and the shared moments of celebration were working their magic.

As you entered the bustling venue, your eyes caught a familiar figure across the room — Joel. Time seemed to freeze for a moment, the shock of seeing him after weeks of absence coursing through your veins. His presence cast a shadow over the festive scene, and the room suddenly felt smaller, the air heavier with unspoken history.

Noah sensed your tension, his grip on your hand tightening in a silent reassurance. "Are you okay?" he asked, concern etched across his face.

You nodded, attempting to mask the surprise that rippled beneath the surface. "Yeah, I just… I didn't expect to see him here."

Noah glanced toward Joel, his expression thoughtful. "Do you want to leave? We can go somewhere quieter."

You considered the offer, but something in you resisted the impulse to retreat. "No, let's stay. I need to face this."

Together, you and Noah approached the gathering. As Joel noticed your presence, his eyes met yours, a mix of surprise and a hint of remorse flickering in his gaze. The air crackled with the unspoken tension of past wounds and unanswered questions.

Maria, ever perceptive, approached, greeting you with an exuberant hug, her eyes filled with warmth and understanding. Her warm smile faltered as she sensed the dynamics at play. "I didn't know he would be here. I'm sorry if this is uncomfortable for you."

You offered a tight smile, the weight of the situation settling around you. "It's okay, Maria. I can handle it."

The party unfolded with the spirited energy of the season — people dancing, laughter filling the air, and the exchange of heartfelt wishes. As you moved through the festivities, Noah's hand found yours, a subtle reassurance in the midst of the crowd.

The night progressed, and despite your initial hesitations, a subtle shift occurred. The music, the laughter, and the shared moments with friends began to chip away at the walls around your heart. The healing process was ongoing, and in the company of those who cared, the weight of heartbreak felt a little lighter.

A moment of stillness settled over the room. In that quiet pause, your eyes met Joel's once more. The unspoken history, the shattered pieces of a relationship, and the complexity of emotions were etched in that shared gaze. Noah's hand found yours again, a grounding force amidst the emotional storm.

As you navigated the remainder of the Christmas party, the unspoken tension with Joel remained, but in the company of friends and the warmth of the season, you found solace. The dance of emotions continued, and as the night unfolded, you carried with you a newfound resilience, a testament to the strength found in facing the unexpected and the hope that lingers in the aftermath of heartbreak.

Amidst the swirl of holiday festivities, your eyes inadvertently caught a glimpse of Veronica across the room. Her presence, unexpected yet inevitable in a close-knit settlement, stirred a complex mix of emotions within you. As she engaged in conversation with others, a subtle ache of self-doubt crept into your thoughts.

What did she have that made Joel cheat on me with her?

The question lingered, not born out of jealousy, but rather a yearning for understanding. The doubts festered like quiet shadows in the corners of your mind, threatening to overshadow the celebratory atmosphere.

Noah sensed the shift in your demeanor, his grip on your hand tightening as a silent gesture of support. "You okay?" he asked, concern etched on his face.

You forced a small smile, attempting to dispel the doubts that threatened to cloud the festive evening. "Yeah, just unexpected seeing her here, you know?"

Noah nodded in understanding, his gaze a reassuring anchor in the sea of emotions. "You're stronger than you think. Remember that."

As you continued to navigate the party, the glimpses of Veronica sparked moments of introspection. The dance of doubt and self-reflection unfolded, but amidst it all, a deeper truth emerged — the strength to confront insecurities and the resilience to rise above the echoes of past heartbreak.

Joel remained on the periphery, a figure in the background of the unfolding drama. The unspoken tension with Veronica echoed the complexities of relationships, and in the midst of the holiday cheer, you found a quiet resolve to focus on the present and the connections that mattered most.

As the party continued, a lingering curiosity pulled you toward Veronica. The desire for closure and understanding overshadowed the self-doubt that had surfaced. The pulsating beat of the Christmas music seemed to align with the tension in the air as you approached Veronica. The crowd hushed in the wake of your confrontation, and even the festive decorations couldn't quite drown out the charged atmosphere.

This is it, you thought, your fists clenched by your sides. Time to confront the source of this mess. "Veronica," you said, your voice edged with a simmering anger. "We need to talk."

She turned, a sly smile playing on her lips. "Well, look who decided to show up. Didn't think I'd see you here."

Hold it together, you reminded yourself, swallowing the initial surge of rage. She's not worth it. Ignoring the jab, you pressed on. "Cut the crap. What happened between you and Joel?"

Veronica chuckled, a snarky glint in her eyes. "Why don't you ask him? I'm sure he's got his version of the story."

Like I haven't already tried, you thought, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. But I want to hear it from her.Your patience wore thin, and a flash of anger ignited. "I'm asking you. What did you think you were doing?"

Veronica rolled her eyes, an unapologetic tone lacing her words. "Oh, please. Don't act clueless in all of this. Joel and I, we had our reasons."

Reasons? The word echoed in your mind, a bitter taste settling on your tongue. The retort stung, and you shot back,"What reasons could there possibly be to betray someone like that?"

Keep her on the defensive, you urged yourself. Make her face the consequences of her actions.

Veronica's smirk persisted, her snarky demeanor unyielding. "Maybe you should ask Joel what he was missing at home."

No. Don't let her deflect the blame. The anger surged again, a tempest threatening to consume reason.

The words hung in the air, a venomous revelation that fueled the anger within. The crowd around you seemed to blur as the confrontation intensified, each word exchanged an arrow that pierced through the facade of festive cheer. 

Everyone knew, you mused bitterly. The whole damn town knew you and Joel were together.

As the exchange reached its peak, the energy between you and Veronica crackled with unresolved emotions. The pulsating beat of the music in the background seemed to align with the tension in the air, the crowd still hushed in the wake of your confrontation. Each word exchanged felt like a seismic tremor, shaking the foundations of the festive atmosphere.

"You're unbelievable," you seethed, the anger boiling over. "I hope you're proud of yourself." Stay strong, you reminded yourself, fighting against the torrent of emotions. You've got this.

Veronica shrugged, a nonchalant expression masking any hint of remorse. "I did what I wanted. Life's too short for regrets."

Regrets, the word echoed in your mind. Is she really that callous? Keep it together, you urged yourself, clenching your fists by your sides. Don't let her see how much she's getting to you.

Noah, sensing the escalating tension, remained by your side, a silent pillar of support. The confrontation with Veronica had become a battleground of emotions, a clash between hurt and defiance.

This is it. The moment of truth.

In a flash, the weight of anger, frustration, and betrayal coalesced into a surge of raw emotion. Without a second thought, your hand connected with Veronica's cheek in a resounding slap. The crowd, which had been observing in a stunned silence, erupted into gasps and whispers.

Veronica stumbled back, her hand on her cheek, eyes wide with a mixture of shock and indignation. The slap reverberated through the room, a cathartic release of the pent-up emotions that had been building since the revelation.

"You deserved that," you declared, your voice steady, though your heart pounded with the intensity of the moment.

As Noah guided you away from the charged atmosphere, the weight of the confrontation lingered. The Christmas party resumed its festive cheer, but the encounter with Veronica had become a defining chapter, a moment where you asserted your strength and reclaimed a sense of control in the aftermath of betrayal.

The brisk night air greeted you as you and Noah stepped out of the lively Christmas party. The settlement was adorned with a soft blanket of snow, and the crunch of each footstep echoed in the quiet winter night. The atmosphere outside was a stark contrast to the charged energy that had filled the party just moments before.

Noah kept a reassuring arm around you as you navigated the snowy path toward your house. The silence between you was a comforting one, a respite from the emotional turbulence of the evening. The distant sounds of laughter from the party gradually faded into the serene stillness of the snowy landscape.

The glow of the settlement's lights reflected off the pristine snow, casting a soft illumination on the familiar path. The events of the night lingered in the air, and as you reached your doorstep, you turned to Noah with a mixture of gratitude and exhaustion.

"Thanks for being there," you said, your voice carrying the weight of the emotions that had unfolded.

Noah nodded, his expression filled with understanding. "Anytime. You handled that with a lot of strength."

You managed a small smile, appreciating his support. "I just want to move forward, you know? Leave all this behind."

The snowflakes continued to fall, adding a sense of serenity to the moment. As you opened the door to your home, the warmth inside offered a stark contrast to the chilly night. The familiar surroundings provided a sense of solace, a haven away from the echoes of the confrontation.

The air in the room felt heavy with unspoken tension as you confronted Joel about his infidelity. The harsh reality of betrayal lingered, casting a shadow over the relationship you had thought was secure.

"Why, Joel?" you demanded, your voice a mix of pain and anger. "Who was it? Who did you cheat on me with?"

Joel hesitated, his eyes avoiding yours for a moment before meeting your gaze with a mixture of regret and guilt. "It was Veronica," he confessed, the weight of the revelation hanging in the air.

Veronica's name echoed in your mind, a face from the town, someone you had known, someone whose presence had been intertwined with your life in the settlement. The shock of the revelation was like a punch to the gut, and for a moment, the room seemed to spin.

"Veronica?" you repeated, your voice barely above a whisper. The name felt like a betrayal in itself, a person who had shared the same space as you, someone you had considered a part of the community.

Joel's expression shifted, a mix of remorse and desperation. "I messed up, It wasn't about her. It was about me, about the mistakes I made."

The words did little to ease the pain, and the room became a battleground of conflicting emotions. Anguish, betrayal, and disbelief swirled within you, a storm of feelings that threatened to overwhelm.

As you absorbed the revelation, the weight of the truth settled. Veronica, a name that had been a mere background detail in the tapestry of your life, now held a significance that cut deep. The confrontation with Joel had peeled back the layers of the facade, revealing a reality you had never anticipated.

In the midst of the emotional maelstrom, you took a step back, needing distance to process the harsh truth. The room, once a sanctuary, felt foreign and unwelcoming. The echoes of the revelation hung in the air, and as Joel sought words of apology, you grappled with the shattered pieces of a relationship that had crumbled in the wake of betrayal.

The weight of that night lingered in your thoughts. Veronica's presence, once a casual detail in the fabric of your life, had become a symbol of a painful chapter in your past. The journey of healing continued, marked by the scars of the confrontation and the resolve to move forward, one step at a time.

The soft murmur of pages turning and the hushed whispers of readers created a peaceful ambiance in the small settlement's library. As the librarian, you were engrossed in arranging the shelves when the door creaked open. A tall, rugged man entered, a hint of unfamiliarity etched into the lines of his face.

Joel, a newcomer to the community, you’d seen him around town with a young girl practically attached at his hip. He cast an assessing glance around the room before approaching the counter where you stood. His eyes, weathered and guarded, met yours as he cleared his throat, his voice gruff but not unkind. "I'm lookin' for books about space."

You looked up from your task, offering a warm smile. "Space, huh? Planning a journey to the stars?" you teased, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

Joel's lips twitched into a small smile, a rare expression on his usually stoic face. "Not exactly. Got a kid back home who's mighty interested in space. Wants to know everything there is."

Interest sparked in your eyes as you couldn't help but inquire, "Your daughter, then?"

He hesitated, a subtle shift in his gaze, but he didn't correct you. "Yeah, somethin' like that."

Your smile widened. "Well, you've come to the right place. We've got a stellar collection—pun intended."

Joel nodded, a silent acknowledgment of your attempt at humor. "Good to know."

As you led him through the aisles, the conversation flowed easily. He shared stories of Ellie, a girl he watched over, protected, and cared for deeply. The love in his words painted a vivid picture, and when you mentioned how wonderful it was that he and his "daughter" shared such interests, he didn't correct you.

"So, what's her favorite subject?" you asked, your tone playfully nudging towards the unspoken connection.

He chuckled, a soft warmth in his eyes. "Space, definitely. She's got a million questions about stars, planets, you name it."

You grinned, leaning slightly closer. "Well, Joel, it seems you've got a budding astronomer on your hands. Lucky for you, I'm an expert in celestial matters."

Joel's expression remained stoic, but there was a subtle glint of amusement in his eyes. "Is that so?"

You nodded, your gaze meeting his with a hint of mischief. "Absolutely. But my expertise doesn't come cheap. I'll need payment in the form of a good conversation and maybe a coffee sometime."

Joel's chuckle deepened, and a grin tugged at the corners of his lips. "Coffee, huh? You got yourself a deal."

As Joel left the library with a stack of books, you couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth. The door closed behind him, leaving you with the subtle hum of excitement and the gentle echo of playful banter that seemed to linger in the air. The library, once a quiet haven of solitude, now held the promise of a story unfolding—one with celestial wonders and perhaps a touch of romance.

in the quiet moments of reflection, your mind often wandered to the time when you and Joel first met. The memory used to bring a warm smile to your face—the genuine laughter, the shared dreams, the promise of a future entwined with his. But now, each recollection was tainted by the bitter sting of betrayal, and the nostalgia had become a source of pain.

As you sat alone in the dimly lit room, the flickering shadows seemed to mimic the turbulence within your heart. The memory of your first meeting played in your mind like a melancholy film—a reminder of the love that had once been untarnished. The weight of what had transpired since then pressed down on you, leaving a bitter aftertaste to a memory that had once been so sweet.

The soft hum of a distant song, a melody you both used to share, brought a wave of conflicting emotions. Your mind wandered back to that day—the laughter, the stolen glances, the electric feeling of a connection that transcended words. It was a time when you looked into his eyes and felt like you had found something extraordinary.

But now, those memories were haunted by the echoes of his infidelity, and the rose-tinted glasses you once wore shattered, revealing the painful truth beneath. The laughter had become an echo, the glances a cruel reminder, and the connection a frayed thread threatening to unravel.

In the midst of the emotional turmoil, you found yourself thinking, almost wistfully, about what life would have been like if you'd never met Joel. The thought was a bitter pill to swallow, a testament to the depth of the wounds inflicted.

You replayed the scenes of your shared history—the highs and the lows, the joy and the heartbreak. The almost-wish lingered in the recesses of your mind, a testament to the profound impact of betrayal on the once cherished memories.

Joel has shown up at your door, trying to extend a tentative olive branch, an attempt to breach the chasm that had widened between you. His words were carefully chosen, an apology that carried the weight of remorse. He expressed a longing for resolution, a desire to face the consequences of his actions and rebuild what had been lost. “Can I come in?” he says hesitantly, trying to gauge your emotional state.

Reluctantly you nod, and step aside, allowing him into the house.

The weight of Joel's confession hung in the air. The room steeped in a heavy silence, and charged with the weight of unresolved emotions as you and Joel sat facing each other. The revelation of his infidelity with Veronica had unearthed a raw vulnerability. It had left your relationship hanging in the balance.You needed answers that transcended the initial betrayal. You both needed to confront the difficult question of where to go from here.

"Why, Joel?" you questioned, your voice steady but edged with a yearning for understanding. "I get that you were lost, but why did you keep cheating with her after the first time? Why not just admit it to me after it happened once?"

Joel's gaze met yours, his eyes carrying the weight of guilt. He took a moment before responding, as if grappling with his own internal turmoil.

"I didn't know how to face it," he admitted, his voice tinged with regret. "The shame, the guilt—it overwhelmed me. And every time it happened again, the weight of that guilt just grew. I was trapped in a cycle, and I couldn't find a way out."

Your brow furrowed, a mix of frustration and disbelief settling within you. "So, instead of admitting your mistake and trying to make amends, you kept it a secret and continued to betray our relationship?"

Joel nodded, the admission heavy on his conscience. "I thought if I could just stop, if I could find a way to break free from that cycle, I could spare you the pain of knowing. But each time, I failed. It became a vicious cycle I couldn't escape."

The room seemed to close in as the gravity of his words sank in. The cycle of betrayal, a web of lies and shame, had perpetuated itself, leaving both of you ensnared in the consequences.

"But why?" you pressed, your voice a mixture of frustration and sadness. "Why not face the consequences and be honest with me? We could have worked through it together, Joel."

His eyes reflected the internal struggle, a war between the truth and the self-imposed isolation he had subjected himself to. "I was scared. Scared of losing you, scared of facing disappointment. It was a selfish choice, and I see that now."

The admission hung in the air, a painful acknowledgment of the choices that had led to the fracture of trust. The room, once a sanctuary, now felt like a battlefield of emotions.

"So, you kept hurting me to protect yourself," you whispered, the weight of the realization settling on your shoulders.

Joel's gaze remained fixed on the floor, his silence confirming the painful truth. The unraveling of the secrets and the depths of his struggles became a sobering reality, and as you navigated the aftermath of betrayal, the room seemed to echo with the weight of unspoken regrets and the yearning for a path forward.

The room felt like a suffocating space, each revelation adding weight to the heavy air. Joel's admission of infidelity hung between you, a chasm that seemed impossible to bridge. After a moment of tense silence, you found the strength to voice the truth that had been echoing in your heart.

After a moment, you gathered the courage to voice the question that lingered in the room like an unspoken specter. "What now, Joel? What does this mean for us?"

Joel looked up, his eyes meeting yours with a mix of desperation and remorse. "I messed up. I know I can't change the past, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make things right. If you're willing to give me another chance, I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you."

Your gaze met his, and for a moment, the memories of a time when love flowed effortlessly between you resurfaced. There had been a time when you looked into his eyes and couldn’t imagine a future, a universe, where you didn’t stare into them for eternity. The love you had for him was one like no other, the strongest you’d ever felt for someone, for something.

But now, those eyes hold the weight of betrayal, and the road ahead seems uncertain. You took a deep breath, searching for the right words to navigate the delicate conversation.

The sincerity in his voice tugged at the frayed edges of your heart, but the wounds were fresh, and the scars of betrayal ran deep. The room seemed to hold its breath, awaiting your response.

"I can't, Joel," you said, your voice steady but laced with a profound sadness. "This- 

 It's too much. I can't see a way forward for us."

Joel's eyes pleaded with a mix of regret and desperation, but the gulf between you seemed insurmountable. "I messed up, I know I did, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make things right."

The sincerity in his voice clashed with the shattered trust, and you shook your head, tears welling in your eyes. "No, Joel. It's not just about saying sorry or making things right. It's not just about the mistake," you began, your voice measured but carrying the depth of your emotions. 

"It's about the trust we had, and that trust has been shattered. This is a betrayal that cuts deep, and I don't think we can come back from it."

His face fell, the weight of realization settling in. "We've been through so much together. Please, don't end us because of one mistake."

The room seemed to close in as you grappled with the heartbreaking decision. "It's not just one mistake, Joel. It's a pattern of choices that shattered the foundation of trust we had. I can't continue a relationship where I constantly question if I'll be cheated on again.”

Joel's eyes glistened with unshed tears, and his voice wavered with a mix of remorse and desperation. "I'll change, I'll do anything to make this right. Just give me a chance."

But the echoes of his pleas couldn't drown out the resolute decision forming in your heart. "I'm sorry, Joel. It's best for both of us to move on. This is too much of a betrayal, and I need to prioritize my own well-being."

As you spoke those words, a heavy silence descended upon the room, punctuating the end of a chapter in your lives. The pain of parting, though agonizing, seemed to carry a semblance of closure. The room, once a space of shared dreams and memories, now bore witness to the painful conclusion of a relationship that had weathered too many storms.

He nodded, a somber acknowledgment of the consequences of his actions. "I know. I never meant to hurt you like this. If I could take it back, I would."

The air in the room hung heavy with the weight of a relationship on the precipice of its demise. Joel's desperate plea for forgiveness echoed in the silence, but the wounds were too fresh, and the trust too shattered to rebuild easily. You took a deep breath, a heaviness settling in your chest.

"Joel," you began, your voice steady but tinged with the pain of realization, "I appreciate your willingness to make amends, but the truth is, I can't see a way forward for us."

His eyes, once a source of comfort and love, now mirrored the anguish of a relationship slipping away. "I messed up, and I understand if you can't forgive me. But please, don't end us like this."

The sincerity in his voice tugged at the frayed edges of your heart, but you knew you couldn’t continue a relationship with him. You met his gaze, a mix of sadness and resolve in your eyes. "Joel, we had something special, something I cherished more than anything. But what we had is broken now. I can't ignore the betrayal, and I can't keep holding onto a past that's been tainted."

He reached for your hand, a desperate attempt to bridge the growing distance between you. "I'm willing to do whatever it takes, anything. I just can't imagine a future without you."

The weight of his words hung in the air, and for a moment, you allowed yourself to be transported back to a time when the future seemed boundless, and his gaze was a promise of forever. There was a time when you looked into his eyes and couldn't imagine a future where he wasn't a central part of it. But now, the love that had once felt unbreakable had shattered, leaving a void you weren't sure could be filled.

"I need to let go, Joel," you said, the weight of those words lingering in the room. "For my own sake, and for yours. We both need a chance to heal and find our own paths forward."

He nodded, a defeated acknowledgment of the reality you both faced. "I never thought we'd come to this," he admitted, his voice heavy with regret.

As the words settled, the room seemed to hold its breath. The love that had once been the anchor of your world now existed as a bittersweet memory. Joel, his gaze lowered, nodded with a heavy understanding.

"I won't forget what we had," he said, his voice breaking slightly. "I'll always love you."

And with that, you uttered the finality that had been hanging between you. "Goodbye, Joel."

The door closed behind him, marking the end of a chapter that had once been a love story. The room, once a sanctuary for shared dreams, now bore witness to the closing of a door that could no longer be left ajar. In the aftermath of goodbye, the echoes of a love that once lingered, a poignant reminder of the fragility of connection and the resilience required to forge a new path forward.

tag list: @pertinentpostmortem @party-hearses @mandoisapunk @bastardmandennis @catchallfangirl @chaotic-mystery @beskarandblasters @amanitacowboy @littlegrungegirlaf @pamasaur @pedrodascal @sweetercalypso @ilovepedro @cool-iguana @pascalpvnk @alwaysmicado @lovers-liability @futuraa-free @morgaussy @pedritoferg @spookykoolkat @wethairjoel @chronically-ghosted @buckyispunk @pattwtf @morning-star-joy @elvinaa @tinycozycomfort @magpiepills @pr0ximamidnight @joelscurls @janaispunk @5oh5 @farmerlarrry @maximoff-forevermore @atinylittlepain @joeldjarin @spookyxsam @honey-dip-24 @hiroikegawa @mcira @mrsmando @hyzer34 @limerence4u @sin-djarin @reddedmiller @joels-shitty-puns @elvinaa

[katsus-world]

“The air always is better at night. And the stars are out and no one is bugging me. It’s like when the sun sets, I’m alive ‘suks.” Your voice fills his ears, tone relaxed. You switch your camera to show katsuki the sky, beautiful bright stars on display and not a cloud in sight.

“If you get caught, aizawa will give you house arrest again.” Katsuki’s eyebrows furrow at the thought of you not in front of him in class. He grumbles as he lays on his side, bed creaking under the weight of his toned body.

“Geez, don’t say that. You’re gonna manifest me getting in trouble!” You giggle softly, a little wave of nervousness met in your laugh.

“You shouldn’t even be out. Curfew was at 9.” You hear him smack his lips and you switch the camera so it showed your face.

Even though katsuki couldn’t see you properly, he read your features easily. You had a grin on your face and a glow in your eyes that showed defiance.

“Live a little Kats. Plus the weather is amazing.” You lifted the phone and spun. A smile plastered on your face. Your lips ear to ear. Eyes closed in bliss as the cool air made your hair lift ever so slightly, just enough to make you take in a big gulp of the crisp oxygen.

The sight of you like this, so happy, so relaxed, so beautiful. Oh, how it made his heart melt, a small smile pulled at his pink lips. How he longed to be outside with you right now. To have his hands on your hips, to spin you around himself in the air.

To be frank, he missed you. Even though you were on the phone with him right now.he missed the closeness of having you by his side. Of hearing your voice ring close to his ear. Of your pretty lips on his whenever he said something cheesy that you just have to give him a peck.

“Yer’ pretty.” He says lowly. And it makes you bite the inside of your cheek. He “hmfs” in satisfaction, knowing that your face is probably hot right now. His is too but the lights in his dorm are off and the little light raiding off his phone only illuminates his beautiful scarlet eyes who are currently staring right at you.

“What a romantic.” You finally say and katsuki clicks his tongue in response.

“Hurry up and get back. Aizawa’s gonna kill you if you ain’t back by 10. Y’know he does his check ups at 10.” You nod with a sigh and the sound of leaves crunching under your shoe makes katsuki sigh in relief that you’re listening to him.

“Katsuki, when we get old and if we’re still together, let’s own a farm. Away from the city and just us.” You say softly and katsuki pauses his shifting.

“That doesn’t sound bad.. and of course we’re still gonna’ be together. Don’t say stupid shit.” You smile at his words, knowing that you and the hot head aren’t going anywhere but up.

“You know what does sound good right now though, two weeks of house arrest.” Your body freezes and katsuki’s breath gets stuck in his throat.

Slowly you turn around and see your teacher with his scarf hovering around his neck and head, eyes red because of his quirk, and face in a fit of annoyance and anger.

“And don’t think I forgot about you Bakugou.” And for the next two weeks you were stuck cleaning dorms and having to zoom call the class. And for your boyfriend, he got three days of detention for knowing and letting you go out into the U.A woods.

(≖᷆︵︣≖)👎 (≖᷆︵︣≖)👎 (≖᷆︵︣≖)👎 (≖᷆︵︣≖)👎 (≖᷆︵︣≖)👎

Hiiii!! So little life update but now I have two jobs! 😭 but I do have a lot of drafts that need tweaking and finishing!! And a lot are more on the darker side, (stalker, Yandere) and will have smut!! But for right now have this little fluff, I have been loving the weather right now, it’s so fresh! ^~^

[doumadono]

hii it’s the twice & dabi anon again.

i’m sorry to ask for another emergency request but i’ve been having so much difficulty with my mom over the past year and a half, maybe two. it’s only been getting worse and now she doesn’t even talk to me. i only get updates from my little sisters and— oh my god it’s just horrible. i feel so bad that i had to leave them. but, i just couldn’t stay, you know?

could you maybe write something about twice & dabi comforting their partner/gf about the situation??

you don’t have to write for both!! either or is perfect!!

i just love the comfort you’re willing and able to provide. (even though you don’t have to. it’s truly heartwarming seeing you do this all. i really appreciate what you do.)

i really hope you’re doing well and taking good care of yourself. please be sure to eat properly and drink water!!

A/N: I'm really sorry to hear that you're going through such a difficult time. It's important to prioritize your well-being, and I hope things get better for you soon. Also, thank you so much for your kind words! Your appreciation means a lot. Even though I'm not doing well lately, I'll make sure to take care of myself. Wishing you all the best too! 🌟

EMERGENCY REQS MASTERLIST

Twice

Amid the chaos that permeated your mind, Jin Bubaigawara appeared with a boisterous greeting that momentarily broke the heavy silence that surrounded you. "Hey, babe! Twice is here to lift your spirits!" he declared with his characteristic energy, though his eyes held a genuine concern as he noticed the weight on your shoulders.

As you poured out the complexities of your strained relationship with your mom, Twice listened attentively, his empathy shining through. "Dang, that sounds tough. But you know what? You're strong for facing it head-on, I admire that," he remarked, his voice carrying a mix of reassurance and admiration.

He enveloped you in a tight hug, and his voice softened, "You did what you had to do for your own well-being. Don't beat yourself up about it." He pulled back, looking into your eyes. "You're not alone, okay? The League's got your back, and so do I."

Twice pondered, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps you'd like to engage in something? Not sure what exactly. Toga mentioned once that staying busy is beneficial - it keeps your mind from wandering into overthinking territory. And hey, if you ever need a clone to handle some mom-related drama, I got you covered. Double the trouble, double the fun!"

Dabi

The faint glow of Dabi's cigarette illuminated his face as he leaned against the wall, his stoic demeanor unwavering. "Come here, doll," he said, gesturing to the spot next to him.

As you recounted the painful saga of your relationship with your mom, Dabi listened in silence. When you finished, he took a slow drag of his cigarette before speaking. "Family can be a real mess, I know that. Sometimes, you gotta step back to save yourself."

He placed a comforting hand on your shoulder. "Leaving doesn't make you weak, ya know? It takes strength to break away from toxicity, in fact." His voice was low, carrying a raw honesty that resonated with your own emotions.

His long fingers traced soothing patterns on your back as he continued, "You're not alone in this. The past doesn't define you, and you're building a future for yourself, not for them, yeah?"

Dabi's lips curled into a smirk. "We're both well aware of the hell it is to deal with toxic nonsense within our own families. Parents messing up their own kids? That's a special kind of mess."

He lightly tapped your nose. "Take it easy, and find ways to keep that beautiful head of yours focused on other things. Overthinking is just a slow way to kill your own self. Don't let it consume you."

He extinguished the cigarette and looked directly into your eyes. "Just so ya know, if you ever need someone to lean on, I'm here. We're in this together."

[blues824]

I really liked your twisted wonderland yui komori s/o! By any chance can you write the same thing but with vice dorm leaders minus ruggie?

This is a yandere fic, and does not include Ortho. I do not condone this behavior in real life.

Trey Clover

The two of you became known as the parental figures of Heartslabyul, and he loved perceiving you as his future spouse. He often pressed light kisses upon your ring finger to greet you and it made you a bit flustered. Your view of him was as sweet as the desserts he makes just for you, with icing in your favorite color that spelled out your initials.

However, you were wearing rose-colored glasses. You couldn’t tell that he was buttering you up at all. To you, he was a simple baker trying to win over your heart. To everyone else, they were able to see that Trey slowly started to isolate you from everyone. You even talked to him about possibly joining a club, and he talked you out of it by telling you that it would keep you apart for longer than your classes originally did.

He called you ‘sweetheart’, and it was your contact name in his phone. You were just so nice and kind to everyone, and so naive. He would tell you that he needed help with anything, and you would be there within moments. Being the Vice Housewarden to a tyrant was just very difficult and he’s sorry he’s been busy and now you were pulling him into your chest while telling him that it was all alright.

One day, you were helping him decorate a cake in the kitchen of Ramshackle, as he stayed over because he knew of your fear of storms. He checks the weather app frequently and keeps you updated. He saw that there was a thunderstorm later, so he wanted to be there to comfort you. You let out a squeak before running into his arms after hearing a loud crash of thunder, and he knew that it was time to head into the living room.

There, he had an entire set up because he had you prepare it ahead of time. You would sit in his lap as he wrapped a blanket around the two of you, and he would have you lean in specifically to his chest where you could hear his heartbeat. He assured you that you would be completely fine and that he would protect you from everything. As innocent as this man seems, he really knows how to get you to trust him in your most vulnerable moments.

Jade Leech

Oh, you were so naive that you couldn’t even tell he was poisoning you bit by bit with his mushroom teas. You grew dependent on him, which is what he was aiming for. Don’t worry, this tea will surely heal you and cure you of your illness. And you loved him, and he gave you no reason to not trust him. He will take care of you, don’t worry, darling.

He didn’t want to kill you (obviously), but he wanted to be the one to pick you up and carry you to the infirmary or your dorm. He wanted to be the one to actually nurse you back to health. He wanted to be the provider. He wanted to establish a dynamic early on, because that’s when your isolation started as well. After all, you needed rest and quiet, and Grim, Ace, and Deuce were the exact opposite of that.

During your bedridden periods, you really got to know him better. You would listen as he told you about some of the flora that he saw when he was on his most recent hike in the mountains, and he promised that he would show you the beautiful view when you got better. This gave you a bit of hope of recovering, and there were days where you were well enough to attend classes in-person. However, Jade would swoop in when your friends tried to warn you about him and ask if anything was the matter.

But, on one of these days where you were enjoying your lunch outside with your boyfriend, you heard a crack of thunder. The eel looked up and saw that some thunder clouds were rolling in, and he said that he should move his mushrooms outside to get some rain. When he looked back at you, however, you were shaking in fear at every single crash that sounded. Jade put two and two together real quick, and he picked you up and ran back to Octavinelle.

There, he wrapped you in his blankets on his bed as he rushed to bring his mushrooms outside. Once done, he gave you one of his hoodies so that you could be further enveloped in his scent before he started to cuddle you. He would quietly shush you whenever you let out a squeak at the thunder, but because the dorm is underwater, the sound was kind of muffled. Thus, it was way better than being at Ramshackle during the storm.

Jamil Viper

He thinks that he doesn’t cling to you, and he really doesn’t in public. However, he’s insanely possessive. You don’t pick up on this, and you just think that he’s being a typical boyfriend who doesn’t want his lover being bothered. One thing that you did notice was that he was a tad insecure about himself, so you thought that he just needed love.

Having you by his side brought him comfort. You were always there for him, the one person he could go to when Kalim was being frustrating. When you agreed to be his significant other, he knew that he had to defend his title as your boyfriend. He would pull you away from every other guy (including Grim) who tried to ask you to hang out with them. He made sure you were in the front row of the bleachers during each of his basketball games. He also made sure that you were wearing his old jerseys as well.

His favorite moments with you are when you help him perform his duties around Scarabia, because it means that he can spend even more time with you. For example, if you help him cook dinner, and you’re chopping vegetables; he will sneak up behind you to wrap his arms around your torso while burying his face into the crook of your neck, inhaling your scent. His breath tickled your shoulder, and you let out a small giggle that made his heart swoon.

However, there was a day where you didn’t make it to Scarabia. He asked around to see where you were, and it was raining at that point. Eventually, he got to Ramshackle and found you huddled with Grim in the living room with a blanket, clinging onto the cat’s fur despite his complaints. You looked mere moments from crying, and Jamil just about ran to you and kneeled down to ask what was wrong. Then, a loud crash of thunder sounded and you jumped and started to cling to him instead.

So, he sat down and pulled you deeper into his embrace so that you could seek comfort in him. He would tell you some funny stories about his years growing up with Najma, and how she would love to meet you if (when) you visited the land of Scalding Sands. It made you feel better, and eventually you fell asleep when the rain got lighter.

Rook Hunt

I hope you have a lot of room in your room for the amount of poetry this man is going to write you. What you don’t know is that he’s watching you read them through your window, and he sees the way you kick your feet in the air and squeal whenever you read them. To know that he is winning you over brings both pride and joy to his heart.

Then there’s the serenading, where he will recite poems from memory that go into depth about the love he harbors for you and how you have captured both his mind and soul. Eventually you couldn’t take it and you rushed downstairs to pull him into a kiss. This kind of fueled his obsession, but you never saw that. You saw the romantic side of the hunter, while everyone else saw the possessive side.

He loved bringing you flowers and going on picnics in the woods with you. He wanted you to know how much he treasures you. He loves taking your picture, and you love posing for them. You have become his muse, and that can be seen with the boxes upon boxes that he has of pictures just of you. You were just so beautiful and kind, it was hard to not capture you in a photo for all of eternity.

Because he liked to stalk you, he knew of your fear of storms. He, too, always checks the weather app just to see if there is a storm. If there is, he will prepare his dorm so that you can cuddle with him in his room. You didn’t even think twice about it, as you just saw it as your boyfriend looking out for you. 

This happens every time there is a storm. He convinces you that you shouldn’t be alone when you are scared, and that he will always be there for his beloved. He often whispers a small poem that he wrote for you to help you go to sleep, and then he tells you that he loves you as he sees your eyes closing. However, he just watched as you slept, not daring to catch a wink. After all, he needed to make sure that you were alright and that no one would disturb you two.

Lilia Vanrouge

He scared you in the hallway, and he had to admit that it was love at first sight. That mostly means that he keeps teasing you as he walks with you all over the place. He is also the pure definition of a gentleman. He will carry your bookbag for you if it’s heavy, and he will pull out your chair for you and push it in when you both go on a date. 

To everyone else, the two of you are moving quite fast. However, Lilia just keeps spinning you around so that you don’t notice anything. He greets you with two kisses: one upon your knuckle and one upon your lips. The entire Diasomnia squad sees you as their other parent because you’re so kind and tender, which means that you can’t escape even if you wanted to. They all had their claws on you, so it’s too late.

Not that you minded, because your heart beats for the old general. Every time he surprised you by hanging upside down, you gently grabbed his face and placed a light kiss on his forehead. He loved walking you to your classes to make sure that you got there safely and without Ace or Deuce causing any disturbances. After all, he doesn’t want his darling getting mixed up into more trouble when they deserve only happiness and peace.

When he found out you were scared of storms, it was when Malleus was causing one because he was ranting to you two about how everyone was scared of him and no one invited him to anything. The thunder rang throughout the dorm, and you clung onto the bat fae. He pulled you into his arms as he brought you to his room after calming down the dragon fae. 

It was going to take a bit for the storm to calm down, so he just cuddled you on his bed until the noises quieted down. You fell asleep eventually, and he made sure to tuck you in properly. However, he knew that he would have to scold the prince for daring to do that to his darling who doubled as his other parent. He warned the other dorm members that if something like this were to ever happen again, they would know what it’s like to be part of a casualty number.

[bestfriend491]

Hey. I'm sorry to ask this, but my mental health isn't doing so good lately. Ramonda is my comfort character. Could I maybe ask you to write something where she takes care of a F reader who struggles with nightmares about a past abusive relationship? Maybe she holds reader, and promises reader will always wake in her arms?

~ Holding you tight tonight

Queen Ramonda x Female Reader

Summary: There comes a time when one must be honest about their past. When your turn arrives, Ramonda's more than ready to listen.

Author's note: I am so sorry this one took long to deliver in particular. I wanted to get it out quickly for the beautiful anon (I hope you're doing okay now, though) but I had some bad avoidance with writing for the past few months. Luckily, I'm slowly getting there. I hope you enjoy. Tell me how you like it.

Word Count: 6.2k

Angst, Hurt/Comfort

Warnings: A little Self-deprication, brief mentions of past abusive relationship, tears and panic

“You don’t have to leave places where you are wanted, merely because other places have rejected you” - A

“My queen, we are home.” Ramonda heard the words of the General from where she sat. They were on the quinjet, with Okoye flying it. 

She looked up, having been too preoccupied to notice the horizon of her home country coming into view. 

Okoye, noticing the obvious absent-mindedness of the queen, turned to look at her. Seeing that she’d been writing something down, she raised a brow. 

“Are you planning something, Kumkanikazi?”

The queen, smiling now at the notes she’d been making, nodded her head in confirmation. “Just something special for me and Y/n.” 

At the mention of your name, Okoye needed no further explanation as to why the queen was preoccupied. In the three years that the two of you had been together, if it was about you, she knew that Ramonda would be going above and beyond. 

The same went for what she was planning right then. Simply put; it was a date. One where you and her would spend the evening in your shared room, or out in the garden, just enjoying your reunification. 

Ramonda had been out on travel for a few weeks, unable to see you. It felt like a foreign concept, being away from you for so long. She’d been lucky enough to have rescheduled any travels when you’d just moved into the palace, not long after she’d proposed to you. 

Though you were familiar with being in the palace since even before your relationship started, she still wanted to make sure that she didn't leave you alone until you were comfortable. Surprisingly, she made it 4 months before her travels could no longer be postponed, delegated or cancelled. 

Though you’d assured her that you’d be okay, she’d still stayed worried from the moment she left. The nightly calls that you had to check up on each other became less about her updating you on how the alliance proceedings with the other nations were going, and more about you reassuring her that you were okay.

With all that time away from you, all she wanted was to be close to you. To refresh the fading memories of small things you did. To see the creases by the edges of your eyes when you smiled. To hear your boastful laugh whenever she said something you thought was comical. 

She wanted to see you in your happy state. Doing all your happy state things. And the best way she knew how to get you there was with a date. Just you and her. 

“Do you think you could dismiss all the Dora working on our wing of the palace tonight? I know she’s not a huge fan of them being around in the later hours.” Ramonda went on to ask, unintentionally including Okoye in her date planning. 

Okoye went on with what she said, letting her throw ideas out to see if they sounded okay. By the time the quinjet landed in the royal hangar, Ramonda was sure that she had a finely planned date on her hands.

The two women were met with Aneka standing outside of the vehicle, smiling in greeting. With pleasantries out of the way, Ramonda continued looking down at her notes, Aneka on her left, and Okoye on her right. 

“What have you got there my queen?” the former asked.

Ramonda angled the notebook towards the other woman, letting her read off of it. 

Aneka nodded in understanding, a soft “oh” leaving her lips as she smiled at the revelation. 

Though most of the Dora were close to the queen, sharing a respectful bond with her as their ruler, some of the Adored Ones got more than just that. Some, like the General, or even sweet Aneka got those glimpses of unprofessionalism. The hints of times when Ramonda was no longer the queen of the nation. Rather, just a friend who talked about the love of her life just as any other person would. 

“How is she?” the queen found herself asking Aneka. The call she’d had with you only hours before seemed promising enough but she still needed an outside witness of assurance. 

Aneka seemed slightly stumped by the question, looking for words that usually came quite easily to her. Okoye, knowing how lacking the woman could be in subtlety, cleared her throat as a signal; get to the point, soldier. 

“She’s well!” She quickly let out, in a higher pitch than she normally spoke in. Seeing the pained look of embarrassment on the General's face, she tried again. “She looks refreshed… is what i mean. Very well rested.” 

Ramonda sighed at that, relieved that her absence hadn’t brought you sleep problems. You’d looked beyond tired when she’d left, and she’d spent many hours worried that her departure was the reasoning for this. 

She didn't notice the look of concern taking over the General’s face at Aneka’s words. 

“Aneka…” the General started to speak, angling her head to the side. Another signal. What actually happened?

The normally outspoken Dora Milaje grew nervous at that, making it very obvious to even the least vigilant that there was definitely something missing from her story. 

Unfortunately, Ramonda wasn’t being even the least bit vigilant. 

Her body and mind were elsewhere as they entered the palace, making their way to her living-quarters. She was searching for you in anticipation, waiting to see your frame enter her view and brighten her day. 

When she finally did see you, unknowingly coming out of your shared room to her and the Dora looking at you, she was overcome by relief. 

“Y/n. My love.” you raised your head, knowing that voice as coming from one woman and one woman only. 

“Sthandwa sam…” you let out breathlessly, a surprised smile coming to your face as you approached her. 

Ramonda wasted no time separating from the two women that had accompanied her to go to you. The two of you were reunited in a warm embrace. 

“You’re back early.” you expressed, taking in her serene scent and light energy. 

“The last meeting was cancelled so I told Okoye that we should leave early and surprise you.” 

You laughed at that, “I'm sure she was all too pleased to hear you talk about me for weeks on end.” 

“She’s polite where she can be, but she’s definitely sick of hearing your name.” you both laughed at that.

When the two of you finally detached from each other, She took a good look at you. You looked just as Aneka had described. Refreshed and well rested. Ramonda found herself looking at you in complete amazement. 

She never could get used to looking at your beautiful face and knowing that it was all hers to look at. 

She looked at what you were wearing, noticing that you were still in more formal attire. 

“Do you have somewhere to be, my love?” 

“I was just rushing here to find something I forgot for work. I still have to go back.”

Ramonda nodded in understanding. She smiled at you for a little while longer, holding your hands in hers for a moment  before fully letting go of you. 

“I’ll be back by 6.” you said, before leaning in to kiss her softly. She remained with a smile plastered on her face, now having a lingering tingle on her lips.

“I’ll see you then, my love.” Ramonda said, kissing you once again for that euphoric feeling before letting you go on with your day. 

Though she usually grew slightly sad when you had to work long hours, in her mind now, this gave her plenty of time to prepare everything without worrying about whether you would catch her or not. 

With her mind back onto her original intentions for the day, she turned to where she’d last seen the two Dora that were with her. Surprisingly, she was met with only Aneka behind her, wearing a rather guilty look on her face. 

“Where did Okoye go?” She asked, gaining only more hesitation from the Adored One. 

“I informed her of a task that needed to be done… elsewhere, My Queen.” 

“Should I be worried?” 

“No, no, not at all. Everything is well with the nation, Queen Ramonda.” 

Feeling satisfied enough with that, Ramonda breathed out a sigh, returning back to her warm and loving expression. She let out a chuckle or two. “Good. I was starting to think you already needed me to leave for another nation again.” 

Aneka tried her best to give off the same lighthearted emotion, but failed as her eyebrows creased in worry. 

Ramonda entered the room finally, trading her more uncomfortable pieces of clothing for some more homely attire. 

Once in the clear, she announced her decency to Aneka, who further let herself into the room. She watched as the queen went about looking around at where she’d place everything for later on in the night, and the thing that had been on the tip of her tongue seemingly since the royal figure had arrived finally came to the surface. 

“You know, Queen Ramonda… there was actually-” She stopped when the queen looked directly at her with intrigue. Suddenly feeling the weight of her impending words. “There was something that I meant to inform you of when you first arrived. Something about when you were gone.” 

“The Dora didn’t wreck another one of the training rooms, did they?  Ramonda laughed to herself, clearly not noting down the tension building in the room.

“No,” Aneka tried to laugh off with her, but then realised that she needed to get to it before she missed her chance, “It’s about Y/n.” 

Now, Ramonda was focused. “What about her?” 

“Do you remember how you told us to keep an eye on her for the first few days just to make sure that she was okay?” 

Ramonda nodded at the question. 

“Well, we did that. Or at least I did that. I always did a morning, afternoon and evening visit just to see how she was coping. But after a few mornings, I noticed that I would catch her coming into your room rather than leaving.”

“Like she was waking up early?” 

“No. Like she was breaking back in after sneaking out.” Aneka clarified. Ramonda’s expression grew serious at this implication. 

“So what you’re trying to say is…”

“What I'm trying to say is that I don't think Y/n spent a single night here after you left. I didn’t ask her, so I could be wrong, but I think she went back to her house by the river.”

Ramonda sounded speechless, “I thought she sold that place.” 

“I did too, but according to the people who lived near her, that place was never sold.” Aneka went on to explain, as she’d spent a significant amount of time talking to farther away residents of the river. People who likely lived closer to your old home than they did to her and Ayo’s. 

Aneka approached Ramonda in worry now that the news was out. Fearing that she’d grow sick from stress. Instead of welcoming the approach though, Ramonda waved her off. “I’m okay, Aneka. I just- I need time to think about this. You can have the rest of the day off. I’ll sort all of this out.” 

“Should I still tell the others to leave this side of the-'' Aneka asked, unsure of whether this meant the date was cancelled. 

“Yes. Everything will proceed as intended. I just need some time with her. Alone." She emphasised, feeling herself grow more uneasy at her own assertion. 

The still worried Dora Milaje nodded, crossing her arms over her chest once before leaving the room.

Without the added presence, Ramonda felt herself starting to see the room she was in with a new perspective. She sat on a chair, looking at the grandly sized place in its totality. 

It was clean. It smelt of potpourri. Strong potpourri. The type of strong that could only be achieved for a few minutes after a deep clean. Before the scents would shift to more signature ones owned by the bodies that entered the room. 

That scent wouldn’t be there had you been living there. Not unless there had just been a deep clean, and as far as the queen knew, that wasn't on schedule for the day. 

Looking then at the bed and the tables that laid on each side of them, she had another realisation. The drawers, the tables, the bed; they all looked untouched. Not lived in. 

Had she been so caught up in wanting to make you feel at home that she'd slowly chased you away? That had to be the answer. You told her everything. She'd have known if you had affairs to attend to that required weeks of sleeping elsewhere. 

Though her mind briefly thought of possible infidelity, she took that off the list of possibilities faster than the time that the idea took to formulate. This matter didn't involve anybody but the two of you.

This was a personal matter. 

And if Ramonda knew one thing about confronting personal matters with you, she knew that it took 3 things. Time, patience, and a little nudge.

Tonight would indeed proceed as she'd intended. This date would be her nudge. 

She just hoped she wouldn't push you too far. 

“Hm.” Ramonda heard you sigh next to her. She looked in your direction, a smile spreading across her lips as she watched you try to form words. 

“What?” She asked, eager to know what that hum meant. 

“Nothing,” you laughed, your hand finding hers instinctively. “I just didn’t think this would have been your favourite movie.” you pointed your head towards the tv screen that showed a stream of naming credits relating to the movie you’d watched. 

“What did you expect, my love?” She questioned, raising your intertwined hands to her lips; kissing them gently. 

You felt yourself shift closer to her warm body, leaving a large gap on the side of that bed that you’d been on only moments before. You snuggled up close to her, cuddling her as you looked at your intertwined hands. 

“I didn’t expect anything, specifically. I just didn’t think romantic comedies were your thing.” 

Ramonda let out a full belly chuckle. Short, direct, but loving. Kind of how she'd been the entire night.

“Don’t I look like the romantic type?” she asked, and after being met with your playful hesitation, “I planned this beautiful date, didn't I?” you nodded at that. 

“And it was good, wasn’t it?” 

You looked up at her, the distance between your lips suddenly becoming noticeable to you. And though you knew she was asking the question matter-a-factly, your want to kiss her after the effort she’d put into the day felt like the most appropriate answer.

Your eyes being fixed on said lips told her everything she needed to know about how you liked the day, but still she waited. Wanting to hear it from you directly. 

“You did, sthandwa sam. And it was a good date.” 

WIth your stamp of approval, she relented, letting her excited smile escape from its regular confinement.

You had a feeling that she'd wanted to get everything just right tonight. And though you’d been dating for a while, you knew that she still felt that hesitation that surrounded you all the time. You sensed how much she wanted to give you a day where none of that hesitation was needed.

You hoped that the way you’d been looking at her all day gave her some type of reassurance that she'd done her duty well. You hoped it made her feel certain enough to ignore whatever she might have heard from the others. 

You'd seen Aneka and Okoye speaking when you'd first seen Ramonda earlier, and although all your attention went to your fiancée, you weren't as oblivious as she was in relation to what they were likely talking about. 

Okoye had gone down the same hall path as you, choosing to catch up to you when you'd both left the conversation. 

"General Okoye." You nodded and smiled at her as you walked. 

"Y/n." She acknowledged. 

You subtly tried to attempt walking at a brisker speed, failing to do so without catching the General’s attention. She matched your pace at every increase, even letting out a few chuckles at your sad attempt to get away from her. 

"Do you need something, General?" you asked, finding yourself slowing down to accommodate a comfortable walking conversation. 

"No, but I feel inclined to ask you that same question." 

"If I need something?" 

"Mhm." She nodded. 

"Well, I don't believe that I do." 

She looked at you sceptically,  "Is that so?" 

You were nearly at the doors to the palace, knowing that this conversation had to get somewhere if you wanted to make it back on time for the rest of your work shift. 

You fully stopped walking, turning to Okoye, who did the same. "Does it look like my answer should be on the contrary?" You huffed, getting frustrated. 

"That's not my place to say. What is my place to say, however, is that whatever you may or may not have needed while the queen was gone was observed by more than just yourself." She pointed in the direction of where you'd left Ramonda and Aneka. 

"I don't know what it is that happened, but my advice to you would be to give her details before she starts coming to her own conclusions." 

She left you with only that, a soft smile of concern planted on her face as she went on with her required duties. 

That one sentence had sent chills down your spine, your mind stuck on it for the remainder of your afternoon, and most of your night. 

Now, you still thought of what she'd meant. On whether it was what you thought she meant. That you'd been found out in that one way that you'd somehow kept secret for so long. 

Now, looking at how late it was, your anxiety grew to its peak. 

That old hesitation that you'd been trying to hide for the whole night caught wind again, strengthening enough to peek through your once smiling face. Now a frown plastered itself on your lips. 

“It’s getting late.” you said bluntly. More to yourself than to her.

“Are you tired, sthandwa?" Ramonda asked, drawing. circles on your arm with her free hand. 

You nodded. 

“We can go to sleep if you'd like. Three movies seems like more than enough for one night.” She smiled at you again, loosening her hold on you to pack everything up for the night. You watched as she rose from bed, watching you with those always loving eyes. You felt a sudden pit of anxiety seeing it. A feeling that needed immediate confrontation. 

“I’ll pack these away.” you said, getting up from where you were and grabbing the uneaten snacks from the side tables ready to go out of the door with them. 

“It's fine. I’ll just take-.” you heard her start to say, but you were already halfway out of the door before she could finish. You raced down the hall of your section of the dwelling, finding that your mind was working on autopilot getting you where you needed to go. 

You moved through the halls, tears threatening to fall already as you made your way to the kitchen. 

You heard a few muffled mentions of your name coming from where you'd just been but its lack of volume increase gave you enough information to know that Ramonda wasn’t approaching you. 

You still had time.  

You rushed around, finding yourself in the kitchen putting everything where you remembered it usually sat. 

Heart racing, you felt yourself getting to one of the spare bathrooms. Going straight to the sink, you finally got the first look at yourself for the night, and one thing was very clear. You were panicked. 

"It's just sleep." You said, trying to ration with yourself. 

"Just sleep." You said it more than a few times, thinking, hoping that one of the attempts would end in you believing yourself. Hoping that one of them would end in you having the epiphany of a lifetime, where it all clicked and it really was just sleep. 

Instead, though, when the repeated words hit the +10 mark, one of them ended in tears. Hot tears that burned your eyes getting out and left an even hotter feeling on your cheeks as they rushed down. 

Old memories of life in the palace before Ramonda left came to mind. All the nights where you pretended to sleep just so she wouldn't worry. Where you pretended to have been well rested every morning just so she'd go on with her day not being worried about you. Where you hid in corners soothing yourself when you had chosen to sleep, only to be met with nightmares that woke you up anyway. 

With all those feelings still fresh, you knew that you couldn't go back to that. Telling her wasn't an option but hiding it from her wasn’t either. 

"I need to go." you opened the tap, letting water rush into your cupped hands before you brought your hands to your face, letting the water wash over you. The cold temperature of it reset your body, the tears slowing down and your breathing stabling. 

The water did nothing for your unbalanced mind, though. You were still set on your words. You were leaving. 

You wiped your face down with a towel, washed your hands and left the room, contemplating whether to let Ramonda know you weren’t staying or not. 

You heavily considered it, even walking in the direction of your room, but at the last minute, you turned, deciding that it wasn't worth the trouble. You weren't worth the trouble. 

I'll be back; you told yourself. 

You'd come back tomorrow and you'd tell her that something came up and you had to go. You doubted that she'd believe you but it would be better to do that than tell her the truth. 

Reaching the front entrance of the palace, you found yourself more overwhelmed than relieved, feeling more weight on your shoulders. You walked around, finding yourself nearing the garden. Off to a corner you saw a bench. The one that you'd discovered all those months ago. The one you’d sat on most nights while Ramonda slept. 

You sat, gripping the edges of your seat as a means to ground yourself. You were in no shape to get yourself all the way to the river province. Your best solution was to sit there for a while. 

You thought about how ridiculous you were being, avoiding the love of your life all because of something as trivial as nightmares. But it wasn't nearly as simple as that. 

There was that history. That poisonous history with the person who had broken you in ways that never felt fixed all the way. 

Ramonda was nothing like your ex. She was kind and gentle where your ex was rude and aggressive. She was patient where your ex was short tempered. She was genuinely loving where your ex was hateful with a fake loving disguise. 

Ramonda was everything you needed her to be, and yet somehow that only made you feel less worthy of her. 

Don’t leave. Don‘t leave. Don’t leave; you tried to tell yourself 

But at the back of your mind the words that plagued your body during the day and terrorised your mind at night were seemingly always the strongest opponent in the battle. 

Just leave, just leave, just leave; they used to say. Reminding you of how disposable you were to your ex. If you were disposable to them, then what difference was it to Ramonda? A queen. You were an inconvenience at best. 

You’d always heard of people saying that past relationships could ruin your perception of love and life, but they always said it got better.

For you, that wasn’t the case, because if it were, you wouldn't be sitting there, years after you’d escaped, with the same words still running through your mind. 

You wouldn’t be fearing the thought of sleeping every night and you wouldn't be hiding from the woman you loved trying to come up with more lies to tell her. 

Tears were once again forming. 

"My love?" You jumped at Ramonda's voice, startled more at her sudden appearance than you were of her serious tone.

You turned, looking up. Another fake smile being thrown her way. 

“I'm okay.” You said before she could even ask. You wiped at your face instinctively, knowing that the tears would come down and expose your words as being false. 

She approached you slowly, going down to sit next to you. 

"Sthandwa sam, what's going on?" She was resorting back to the way she spoke to you when you were still in the early days of dating. Lacing her voice with the once emotion that got you to open up. Desperation. 

"I thought I'd be back tomorrow." You said, and though you knew that the thought of you wanting to leave probably hurt her, she still held you as you found yourself placing your head on her shoulder. Needing to feel that sense of safety. 

This small action was monumental. Not completely untouched territory, but unfelt. Unexperienced by you. 

It’d taken months to convince you to let her show you that she could love you. It took twice as long for you to truly believe her when she said she did. 

If there was one thing she knew about you, it was how long it took you to ease up your walls when it came to romance, and how easily you backed away whenever you were even slightly unsure of yourself. She didn’t want what was supposed to be a good day to end up becoming the reason you were 10 steps backwards in your trust again. And you knew that she was fighting to keep you for that reason alone.

You knew that if she let you leave, this version of you wouldn’t be the one to come back to her. It would be a more deceptive one. One that was better at executing your lies. 

In all 3 years of your partnership, you'd never resisted the temptation to leave like you did now. You'd never been sick of the deception like you were now. 

“I-” Ramonda ran through her mind trying to find something, anything to say.

“Are we okay?” she asked, because she needed to know. You failing to leave didn't mean that you wanted to stay. 

“Sthandwa sam,” you sighed. All previous desires that you’d had to go without explanation flying out of the window at those words. Words you knew all too well. 

You sat closer to her, not even a centimetre separating you. “We’re okay.” you reassured her. 

A sigh of relief left her system, though she tried to make it seem unintentional. 

“Today was perfect. You’re perfect.” you started, “I don’t want to go. But, I have- ” you stopped yourself there. 

“You have what?” she asked.

“I can't.” you said, suddenly realising that your excuse lacked validity. 

“What’s wrong?” She said in a tone so gentle, you nearly melted. 

You tried to smile it off, “It’s nothing.” 

Not taking that, she led her hand to your cheek, cupping your face.

“It’s not nothing.” she counter-argued. The glistening of your eyes told her that much. 

“It's nothing reasonable. I mean.” 

“So tell me…” 

Breathless now, you couldn’t take your eyes off hers.

“I’m not a good sleeper.” you kept it brief. 

Ramonda, though sceptical, felt her expression soften. “Meaning?” 

“I’m restless and I wouldn’t want to disturb your sleep.”

“I can handle a little disruption.” She smirked. 

“I wouldn’t call it little, Ramonda.”

“Well you've never disturbed me before. Why are suddenly worried about that now?” 

You fell silent then, your body still with fear. Before you knew it, she was wiping tears away. 

Embarrassed, anxious, and all other types of uncomfortable, you tried to get away from her, standing up.

“Please- don’t leave.” you heard. Again, it was firm and confident. But it was also thinly laced with a concern for you that only Ramonda possessed. 

Your mind rushed with memories of earlier in the day. When you’d arrived back at the palace after work only to be greeted by just Ramonda. No Dora, no crown. Just the figure of her that bore no burden other than loving you. 

That burden showed more that she’d have liked to admit. And though she always heavily denied that it was just that - a burden- something always rang at the back of your mind, telling you that she was lying. That she was holding the world up trying to please you and it was weighing her down more than ruling an entire country ever could. 

Still, with that she welcomed you into her world once again. Knowing that you had one foot out of the door from the very beginning, but still holding some hope that maybe you’d choose to let the one inside the door lead you. 

With a calming day indoors, filled with your usual banter and conversation. You knew that she thought it was going well. In your heart, you wanted it to be going well too. But that cloud of doubt never ceased to exist above you. 

 “I’m sorry.” you said. You were chuckling at yourself now, swiftly wiping your tears away before taking a deep breath in. 

"I'm a mess and I can't tell you why." You lied again, deciding to pile on as many as you could now. 

She stood up, "Come inside, my love. It'd be much easier to work this out without being in the cold." You couldn't disagree, nodding acceptingly, allowing her to wrap her arms around you and lead you back inside. 

You can’t leave now. You'll have to wait until she makes you go. Which won’t take long; you thought.

She guided you inside of your room, letting you settle yourself on your side of the bed before sitting next to you. 

You sat in an uncomfortable silence, Ramonda waiting to let you calm down more. When you seemed more stable, but you still refused to say anything, she sighed looking up at the ceiling. 

"Aneka told me that you still have your old place by the river." She started. Your focus immediately went to her, her hand rushing to find hers. She let you hold her hand, but still she couldn't look at you. 

"Is it true?"

"It's not lik-" you started, sighing and trying again, "Yes." Now she looked at you.

"My love...” You heard her whisper. 

"It's not you. It's never been you." 

"Then what is it?" 

"It's… it's… complicated" 

You spoke like you were ready to leave.

"I've got all night. We can uncomplicate it." 

"I don't think it could really work like that, sthandwa." 

“Why won’t you at least try to tell me so I can see for myself whether that is true?”

“Because if I do, and I am right, it’ll break me 10 times more than the first time.” 

“What was the first time?” 

Tired of the back and forth, and quite frankly tired of the secrets, you relented. "I have these nightmares…" you started to explain it all to her. From the very beginning. 

You described the memories of you and your ex. The moments where the love that you had built suddenly turned into hate from them. How you could feel your uncertainty about them build up overtime. And how that feeling of safety that you'd often had before, faded into a mere foreign concept. 

You told her about the worst days. When the abusive and toxic nature of the relationship had started to seep into your mind, flooding your thoughts even when you were far away from them. 

You continued as Ramonda held you closely, listening to your every word.  

"When I left, the nightmares started. Heightened memories of our worst days. The days when their words got to me the most. I stopped feeling safe entirely. My life, dictated by their words. I lost control of myself.” You wiped away your now, few tears, finding yourself thinking about the good that came after all that you’d been through. 

“Then you came along. And you made me feel… wanted. You made me feel like I wasn't as bad of a person to deal with. Like my existence wasn’t a hindrance. 

And for so long I hoped that that would be enough. That your love would wash away all of the bad nights and I'd be fully at peace for once. But it's never that simple. I still have those nightmares.” 

Ramonda only held you closer now, feeling the weight of the burden you’d been carrying. 

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” she asked gently. Not angry, but curious. 

“I didn’t tell you because it would make you think that I wasn’t happy. That you don’t make me happy and Bast, Ramonda, you make me more happy than anybody I’ve ever crossed paths with. I never for a moment wanted you to think that all your loving actions were in vain. I still don’t want you to.” 

That final admission, where you felt yourself become your most vulnerable, was like a release in the chain of bad events that had happened to you in your life. It made you feel more than any other day with Ramonda ever had. 

It felt better than the day you’d gone on your first date. Or the day she’d proposed to you with the sweetest speech you’d ever heard. It was more than all the gifts she’d gotten you and all the late night conversations you’d had. 

It was so much more, because this time, you were finally able to give her the honesty that you’d longed to give her all this time. This time, you were putting your fear of hurting her feelings aside in an attempt to give her the reassurance that you trusted her. 

That relief of being able to subtly say those words; I trust you. That was special. 

You laid there, watching her process it all, and for a moment, even with your relief, you felt yourself begin to panic. Maybe it was too much. 

“I’m sorry. I shouldn't have said all of that.” 

“No. I’m glad you did. I’m glad you don’t have to keep it to yourself anymore.” she said, “I’m sorry you felt like you had to keep that in for so long.” 

“Don’t apologise. It has nothing to do with you.” 

“But it has everything to do with you. And anything that has to do with you is immediately something I want to know.” she looked at you with the faintest smile on her face, her signal to you that told you she wasn’t mad. 

“I want to be here for all your moments, sthandwa sam. I want to celebrate your good news with you and I want to cry at your bad news just as intensely. You’re worth every minute of sleep that I lose at the hands of holding you after those nightmares.” 

Hearing that, you tried to shake your head in disagreement. 

“No I’m no-”

“Yes you are Y/n.” she kissed your hand tenderly. 

“I don’t expect you to believe me just yet, but I’m willing to let you know that you are, over and over again. I’m willing to hold you as close to me as you need every night until the day I die. I’ll do it all if it means you’ll feel safe again.” 

You were left speechless, trying to find the words to respond to that, but honestly you knew that you wouldn’t be able to. She meant every word, and you felt every bit of her emotion. 

With your hand still in hers, she settled herself in bed, looking at you as you watched her hesitantly. 

“Let me hold you tightly… and let me choose to never let go.” she said. 

Hours later, when you felt yourself begin to stir awake, your heart racing as yet another night terror played itself out in your head, you felt yourself rising up. 

Opening your eyes, and finding tears in them, you wiped them away in embarrassment. 

More doubt crept up in you, and once again, the odds seemed to be stacked against you. 

There was no way this could all work. 

You were just too much. 

When you tried to rise up from bed, wanting to get your things and leave, you felt an arm touch yours. 

You looked down, seeing what you’d previously thought would be a sleeping Ramonda, definitely awake. 

She laid, watching you with barely awake eyes. You’d clearly woken her up. 

“I’m sorry.” you apologised. 

But when you thought you’d be met with anger, or pity, you were only met with a warm and welcoming expression, Ramonda sitting up and opening her arms to you. 

“Come here.” she said, waiting patiently but firmly. 

You were slow, but after a few deep breaths, you found yourself drawn to her touch, wanting that protection. 

Her warm embrace seemed to ease your mind for the first time in a while. Her presence calmed you, and you felt cared for in a completely new way. 

“It’s you and me, my love. I can assure you that you will never have to wake up without me by your side to ease your worry. My arms are your new home to know forever. They will be here whenever you need them. And I will always be here for you.” 

[liliumsabyss]

heyy! could you do a newt (film newt) x male reader storyy that takes place after the opening scene in the third film and they're sitting together on the beach talking about everything in the world they've missed out on (and like staring into the open ocean) when the reader decides to finally tell newt he loves him after putting it off for months :))

Don’t go

Newt(TMR) x male reader

Minor angst to Fluff

Word Count: 1.168k

Tw: Normal Maze Runner stuff

A/n: First thing is it leans more towards gender neutral however considering the whole concept of the maze runner by logic the reader would be male. Second matter is sorry I just dropped off the face of the earth a lot of shit happened but im back and this request has gotten me even more motivated to write again so thank you have an amazing day/night<3

Update: I made a sort of prequel to this its here if you want to read!

The normal winds of the world they had seen had been softened to a light cool breeze that brushed past their bruised and cut skin providing relief to the higher temperatures of the world. Sitting on the sand with your legs bent in front of you, your head gently rested against your knees, your right cheek being squished as you stared at the beautiful blonde in front of you. His eyes remained focused at the ocean in a soft stare, he was talking, you could see his mouth moving, your brain just couldn’t figure out what he was saying. You caught bits and pieces here and there. Something about…missing? Majority of the time you would listen to every word Newt said grasping onto every word he said like it was the water to a man dying of thirst. He was brilliant absolutely brilliant when he spoke, just now you were struck with reality. The reality was that you loved him, you loved him with all your heart and you so so many times had wanted to tell him but you were too cowardly to ever do so and now either of you could die at any minute. Every second now you were scared to die without telling him, whether it was for yourself or for him to know that someone out there has loved him you weren't sure. The thoughts swirled your head as you stared intensely at him. You were able to catch a few more of his words, he was talking about everything you've missed out on in the world, he sounded…sad? No, not sad. He sounded bittersweet, his head eventually turned towards you, his eyes catching the gleam of the sun making them appear much more shiny than usual. He looked so so beautiful, inexplicably beautiful. That's when the words tumbled out of your mouth, you only heard them after you had said them all watching Newt's face taken aback. “I love you” the three words that would ruin your relationship with him, I mean why would he why would he love you as far as you were aware he wouldn’t like someone like you,  just look at his face that wasn't the face of someone who reciprocated not like you even thought he would but it stung and so you did what this world has taught you most to do and you fled. You scrambled up onto your feet in a clumsy panicked motion similar to an animal cornered. You turned around wildly ready to sprint off, to where you weren't sure you weren’t even sure you were thinking in the first place you just couldn’t stand to see what he was to say. A hand reached up grabbing your arm tightly tugging gently but swiftly at it, your turned your head to look down your eyes meeting Newt's, his face filled with worry, his eyes shone in the light and his lips were slightly parted as if they were about to speak. He stood on his knees with most of his weight on his one leg to make him more stable against his weaker leg, his one arm was stretched up grabbing right below your elbow firm enough to cause you to stop but gentle enough to not hurt his other hand had grabbed yours.

“ Did you mean it?” Newt questioned his eyes searching yours for an answer.

“ I,” you started pausing in hesitation searching his eyes back for an explanation “ Yes.”

“ Then don’t go, not without letting me say anything first, please” He pleaded towards you and you did a small nod to let him speak.

“ I love you, I love you so much.” He stated simply as if it was as easy to understand as a fact. 

That's when both of you realised that either one of you had done everything but say it. From the moments like when you helped with the pain in his leg, to when you saved him from a crank by full on tackling the crank stabbing it in the head multiple times, or even just listened to his little rants and info dumps, meanwhile he had showed his through bandaging every cut and scrape you’ve gotten, to when he shielded you from the bullets that WICKED rained down upon the group as you escaped, or even how when you inevitably would fall asleep at the bonfires he would carry you to your bed and tuck you in. Of course there was so much more just both of you had never had the words till now…actually that wasn’t quite true. You had tried to tell him before it just never felt right, in fact everything in the maze had felt wrong but that was probably to do with the fact you were in a psychotic social experiment and not Newt. Newt on the other hand never tried or planned to tell you nor was he ever going to till now the only times he ever got close were on accident in passing moments when he couldn't help admire you just ineffably you. The closest he got was when you tackled the crank that was just on the verge of biting him, he was terrified for you, why had you done something so so stupid you were willing to subject yourself to the possibility of becoming a monster for him and that would have been his worst fear come true. It didn’t but he could still remember how your future flashed before his eyes, the awful awful image of your eyes slowly turning into a black void, dark blood spilling from your mouth, your veins showing off the changes, and worst of all, your beautiful mind gone. That was when he almost slipped up his biggest secret, the one he was sure wasn’t mutually returned and yet here you were. Words rolling off your tongue like the tide that was rolling in front of him. He tugged your hand a little once again, you softly falling to your knees staring at him with shock and adoration all compiled into a swirling gaze.

“ You…do?” You asked your head slanting to the side ever so slightly with your lips twitching upward but still a twinge of doubt that none of it was real.

“ Of course I do.” He scoffed jokingly as a laugh escaped his lips slightly smiling back his head tilting to match yours.

He turned back to facing the ocean, his stronger leg bent with his other straight and him leaning back onto one hand with his other arm held in a slight arc in the air indicating for you to move closer. You scooched forward still on your knees, a wide smile creeping onto your face as you crawled under his arm allowing for his arm to go around you holding you softly as you matched his position.

“Don’t go please,” he whispered slowly, leaning his head on you.

“ I don't plan on it anytime soon as long as you don't,” You replied lightly with a slight chuckle still meaning every word of it. In this world after everything youve gone through together even death couldn't separate you.

Thanks for reading <3

[latent-sense-of-loyalty]

Ch. I

Word Count:3637

Masterlist ¤ AO3 ¤ Ko-Fi

~

CW: Graphic depictions of violence

AN: I'm ferally excited to begin sharing this with everyone. The idea has been in my head for a long while and now I get to put it out there! Big big thank you to @enterthedreams for proofing and just being generally amazing.

If you wish to be updated for future chapters, let me know, and I'll add you to the tags! Now, enjoy!!

“Resignedly beneath the sky

The melancholy waters lie.

So blend the turrets and shadows there

That all seem pendulous in air,

While from a proud tower in the town

Death looks gigantically down.”

-”The City in the Sea”

Edgar Allen Poe

Tendrils of smoke pooled from his mouth and nose, dancing around him. The next was a breath mixed with the midnight sea breeze, carried away towards the distant ships of the harbor. With the sounds of the old ships groaning at the docks, the occasional shout and laugh of the late night stragglers, it was almost as if the smoke had some kind of harmony to dance to. A fleeting one, as the next breeze whisked it away into the far unknown of the city. 

The Gate always seemed so different at night. 

If one were to excuse the robberies, murders, and other unsavory activities that seemed to thrive at this time, it was almost beautiful. But maybe, to him at least, that was part of the splendor of it all. The unclean, the unsavory, it all had its appeal, he supposed. He was like that once, and he was nothing if not charismatic.

The sound of metal on stone broke him out of his thoughts, heavy steps making their way towards him from one of the alleys. It was the scent that really tipped Enver off first: a suffocating mixture of rot and dust. With another pull from his pipe, he emptied the contents into the inky black void of ocean beneath him, watching the ash dissipate and sink. 

For a moment, he could see the bodies he had placed in that very same spot. Vacant eyes staring up at him as they sank below. Hundreds of unspoken curses, each one paving the path closer to his ambitions. 

“Honestly, you’d think one of your station would at least have the common decency to bathe” The lord turned up his nose as he finally faced Ketheric, his cane leisurely staying at his side. “At the very least, it wouldn’t kill you.” 

He only received a huff from the cloaked figure. The Man strode up beside him, taking a moment to take in the ocean air before he removed his hood. The silver of his hair and beard seemed to illuminate from the moonlight above. Out here, he almost seemed alive. 

Almost. 

“The last person I would think about taking any kind of advice from is you, upstart.” The timbre of his voice reverberated inside Enver’s chest. Even in monotone, that voice still commanded power. Authority. It made even Enver shiver. They stood together for another long pause of silence, the tension growing quite palpable. “This could have been much more efficient if we had this meeting at Moonrise, or even in your...fine abode, Gortash.” 

There was something about the way Ketheric spoke his name that just irritated Enver. Like he was talking down to some child, in lieu of the fastest growing political powers in this city. 

“Unfortunately, we are still in a position where we need to be concerned about the walls listening to us. Besides, anyone that passes by here will either be too drunk to understand what we are discussing, or will be dead before sunrise.” Gortash waved his hand dismissively to the general, twirling his cane just so he had something to do with his hands. 

Under normal circumstances, Enver usually was far more in control and composed with these kinds of situations. Yet the general just unsettled him to no end. Was it the aura of undead? The separation of age? Or did he just see the Lord of Bones in those dead, lifeless eyes?

Ketheric simply raised a brow, looking the other up and down.

“So tell me, old friend, how does this new lease on life that your gracious lord gifted you feel?” Enver straightened his back a little. If the General was going to inspect him, might as well give the old man a show. 

The general scoffed at the assumption of friendship, wanting nothing more than to take that irritating smirk off of the lord's face. 

“He sees I still have a vital part to play. My devotion to him will not sway. I am his  justice -” The speech was quickly cut off by the lord’s snickering beside him as he balanced himself on the cane. 

“Gods, and I thought I was the one with the potential for grandstanding.” The scowl on the old man's face elicited another snicker. “Truly, Ketheric. If this whole general business doesn't work out for you, I'm sure you'd have a wonderful time in the world of politics.” Gortash motioned to Thorm with a flourish. “The Baldurian's, at least, would love you.” 

“Unlike you, Gortash, I did not have to scheme my way into power.” 

“No, only betray your greatest values. A few times, if I’m not mistaken.” The way Ketheric tensed tipped Enver off that he was indeed on thin ice. 

“Do not worry though, I'm sure most of us have surely had our own moments of weakness. Besides, with recent potential investments, I'm sure most would look over your past mistakes.” 

“How reassuring.” Sarcasm dripped like rotted ichor from his mouth. “You have quite the amount of confidence for one that is relying on a lot of… potentials.” Ketheric looked out to the ocean again before his eyes went back to Gortash, much more serious. “I'm not here to play silly political games with you, Gortash, and I'm sure our predecessors would agree. Now why have you asked me here.” 

“We haven’t  been chosen on a whim, dear General.” It was Enver’s turn to change his tone. “To save you the speech, it is time for a centuries old pact be reignited. With recent events taking place, we now have the greatest chance we could be gifted for absolute domination… and it starts with what is below your home.” The look of befuddlement on Ketheric's face was enough to quell any remaining nervousness Gorthash had felt. 

“I've devised a plan-” 

The sound of gurgling took the words from his mouth, both staring back into the alley. The golden eye, illuminated by brilliant crimson steel, froze Gortash in his place. Even Ketheric stood straighter. Slowly, they saw the crimson blade make their way from the stranger’s throat to his groin, body spasming in its death throes. 

All the while, Gortash stared into those brilliant liquid gold eyes, the stare almost searing into his brain. The grotesque sound of the man's entrails slipping onto the wet stone below, followed by the body, could only make the General shake his head. 

Slow, wet steps came towards them as the moonlight illuminated her face. Gortash had only met her a handful of times, yet the sight still made his throat tighten.

Ketheric was the first to regain composure, clearing his throat. Those eyes went to the General before she removed her hood. Her hair was damp, black strands clinging to olive skin. 

“A pleasure… to finally meet Myrkul’s chosen.” The Bhaalspawn inspected Ketheric, the look in her eyes flickering between predatory and admiration. 

When those same eyes landed on Gortash, they quickly changed to annoyance. 

“Lovely to see you again, my dear.” It took everything within Enver to hide his indignation. 

Just seeing how she smirked at his feeble attempt to gain some kind of control filled him with a silent rage. Judging by how her smirk grew, he was not surprised if she could smell it on him. 

“Never expected one of your kind to be so…” Ketheric was almost at a loss for words, the woman seizing the bit.

“Eloquent? Civilized? Lucid?” The Bhaalspawn circled around the man like a vulture, the image almost making Gortash laugh. “Oh, don’t fret, you're exactly how I expected one chosen by Myrkul to be. Dead, covered in the dust of his former life.”

Now that made Enver laugh. The two looked at him as he did his best to cover it with a cough. 

The tension was palpable for a few moments, all three waiting for the other to make a move. The Bhaalspawn cleaned her blade on her cloak, staring back at the body wistfully before sheathing the blade. The look on Gortash’s face tipped her off that he was less than impressed with the spectacle. 

“What?” She grabbed the body from the alley, dragging it so it could slip off the pier into the water below. “I was doing you a favor.” The three just silently watched the horrified face sink below before Gortash cleared his throat. 

“Well, “Gortash said, clapping his hands, “since we are all introduced now, I feel it is time to speak of why we’re truly -” The woman was quick to step in front of Gortash, smirking as he stumbled on the words. 

“Yes, the plan that I came up with that you so graciously tried to take the credit for.” She sneered at the lord, gold eyes brimming with irritation. “But you might as well finish what you started.”

“I would if the interruptions would cease,” Enver hissed. 

Ketheric rolled his eyes at the immature display. With a shrug from the Bhaalspawn, Gortash continued. 

“As you’re both well aware, we have all been chosen for a purpose, and it seems that our lord's have decided it best that we all work towards the same goal. Just as in the past, we continue the Pact of the Dead Three.” There was little reaction from Gortash’s compatriots, steeling himself before continuing.

“After some... collaboration,” His eyes flicker to the woman, “It seems a perfect plan has been laid out before us. All that stops us is our willingness to work together and take it..” Enver raises his hand, clenching it into a fist. The others could not help but roll their eyes, waiting for him to get on with the rest. 

“General, it seems that you hold one of the key figures to this plan, right beneath the very stone of your home.” 

The gleam of joy in Enver’s eyes was undeniable as he watched the General go through the stages of confusion to disbelief. 

“To even entertain the thought of any of us somehow using, let alone convincing, an Elder Brain, not to mention the colony surrounding it to work with the Dead Three? I see that Bane has chosen a man on a suicide wish.” Ketheric shook his head, scoffing at the mere notion that the three of them stood a chance against such a creature. 

“Hear him out.” She nodded for Gortash to continue. The spawn stepping in to support Gortash was enough to make Ketheric pause in shock for a moment. “Trust me, it is worth the risk.” 

“Thank you.” Even Enver was a little surprised at her sudden change in behavior. Shrugging it off, he kept going. “I agree, Ketheric, it would be a foolish endeavor for us to even try convincing the creature. But, what if we had means to control it?” 

The lord’s trademark smirk grew wider, which in turn made the General’s frown deepen. “Unless you have suddenly become the greatest archwizard of all time, I highly doubt it. This is becoming a waste of time -”

“The Crown of Karsus.” The Bhaalspawn looked directly at Ketheric now, gold eyes alight. “We may not be able to convince it, but we can bring it to heel and make it obey us.” 

Restless, the spawn began pacing back and forth, her eyes still trained on the General at all times. 

“Tell me, child of Bhaal,”  Ketheric arched a brow, his stare condescending as the girl laughed,  “How is it you know of such an artifact? Is that common knowledge around your circles?”

“Honestly, do you think of me as an untrained rabid dog?” Venom dripped from her tone, Gortash noticing her fingers twitch for just a moment. “I do know my fair amount of history, thank you. My father made sure I was born with a proper brain.” 

He almost considered stopping her if she were to lunge at the other’s throat. 

Almost. 

“Anyways, the plan is relatively simple.” Enver took the lead in conversation again. “We get the crown, place it on the Elder Brain, and use it to create an army worth the names of our lords.” Ketheric was quick to wave his hand dismissively. 

“If it does actually exist, how do we expect to find it?” The smile on the spawn’s lips grew, rocking on her feet a little. 

“We already know where it is located. It seems that after the fall of Netheril, Mephistopheles himself claimed possession. Now it remains sealed in his vault in Cania.”

“And how did that information fall in your hands?” The General stood much straighter now, that dismissive look now shifted to one of trepid curiosity. 

“My father showed it to me.” The toe of her boot scuffed itself on the cobblestone as she looked down. “In a dream.” 

Gortash couldn't stop himself from pinching the bridge of his nose. The bark of laughter that escaped Ketheric made the two of them jump. It was not a sound they ever expected to hear from him, making it much more unsettling. 

“So, that’s what we’re basing this entire plan? Dreams?” He motioned between the two of them, eager for some kind of answer. 

“Oh? I would think you would be the last to turn your nose up at a divine gift from your lord.” She got closer to Ketheric, staring up at him with a dangerous glint in her eyes. “Or are you really that unappreciative? Does Myrkul know? I'm sure he would be quick to resurrect another’s decayed carcass to do his work.” 

The General swallowed the lump in his throat, eliciting a larger smile from the spawn. 

“Either way,” she went on, turning her back to Ketheric and pacing back closer to Gortash. “Bhaal has shown us exactly where to go. Now, all that is left is to get there and get the crown.” 

Shaking his head, Ketheric let out another chuckle, this entire plan reaching levels of absurdity. “So what you’re saying is that the three of us make our way to the eighth layer of the hells, and perform one of, if not the most, ridiculous heist of all time.” 

“Exactly.” Both Gortash and the spawn agreed at the same time, giving each other a put off look before making the space between them slightly larger. 

“There has to be more to this than what you're saying. This can’t be it. Say we actually manage to steal the crown, how do we even control the Elder Brain?” Ketheric’s voice was tense, eyes kept flashing between disbelievement and genuine curiosity, his head tilting to the side. 

“There seem to be three foci that resonate with the crown itself. Using these three stones, we can control whoever, or whatever wears the crown. Convenient, for us.” Gortash said, shrugging his shoulders. “With that control, we can use the illithids to infect others with the parasite. With enough infected, who is there to stop our masters?” 

Gortash felt the muscles tense in his throat at the word. The spawn could see him tense, quickly flitting her eyes away before she was noticed. 

“Besides,” she spoke, motioning towards Ketheric. “You will be staying here. There is a different plan for you in all this.” 

Ketheric was taken aback, confused at the possible implications. “Are you saying I am not capable of such a heist?”

“Well we certainly wouldn't want one of your age and accomplishment to be over exerting themselves now, would we?” The glares Gortash received not just from the General, but from the Spawn made him put his hands up in feigned surrender. “Easy now, merely a joke. But in all honesty, we find that there is much more important work for you to do up here.”

“Such as?” Ketheric raised his brow.

“Even with my followers, we do not have the proper numbers to stage an invasion on the illithid colony.” The girl tried her best to keep her tone strong. Ketheric noticed the uneasiness in her voice. “If we are to have a chance at getting the crown on that brain, we need a big enough army to pose a distraction. Keep its attention away from us. Which is where you come in.” She motioned to the general, taking a deep breath before she continued. 

“We need you to raise a number of undead. Canon fodder, to throw at those squids until we can secure the crown on its head. So, while the upstart and I are gone –” She could not help but smirk as he hissed a breath through his nose. “--you will be building this army. I will have my sister, Orin, bring some cultists to you at Moonrise to… procure necessary ingredients, let's say.” The unsure look in Ketheric’s eyes fed into her anxiety, but she had to have some faith. “Don't worry, I'll make sure she is kept on a proper leash for you.” 

“Not the only one who needs it…” Gortash mumbled under his breath. 

She did not look back to him, but he could see the Bhaalspawn tighten her hand into a white knuckled fist, blood slowly blooming from her nails. 

“And what is your way to actually get into Cania? Not exactly a short distance to travel for the two of you.” Ketheric questioned, his eyes darting between the two. 

Gortash was the one to speak before the spawn.

“That, General, is what I am just completing. An old contact of mine has the means to make a temporary portal between here, and Cania. With that supplies, once we reach the vault, we can easily teleport the crown straight to your door. No sense in lugging such a heavy thing back.”  

The spawn jumped in after. “We will travel to the eighth layer by the barge on the Styx. Both the upstart and I have been able to procure a fair amount of Soul Coins. I'm sure Charon wouldn't mind giving us the lift.” 

There was another long pause between the three Chosen. Each looked between each other for some kind of affirmation. It wasn't until they started hearing faint birdsong that they were snapped out of their contemplation, all three looking into the horizon, now starting to show signs of morning bleeding in. 

“I will not go against the plan set in motion by our masters.” Ketheric’s voice was tense, yet firm. “If this is what we must do to see their grand design come to fruition, who are we to object?” 

Adjusting his cloak, he covered his head with the hood, readying his departure. 

“Wonderful!” Gortash clapped his hands together, his face positively radiating with cheer. “My business with this colleague shouldn't take too long, so I would expect us to see each other again within the week, at your humble abode.” Enver motioned to Ketheric  “We will bring those cultists in tow, best to get an early start on that army.”

Giving Gortash the slightest nod of the head, Ketheric turned his attention to the Bhaalspawn, her face calm. 

“Praise be the Dead Three,” she said quietly, bowing her head as Kethric turned on his heel, disappearing into the shadows. 

“Well, as enjoyable as your company is, I am a busy man with many things -” Enver was cut off by a crimson blade, the tip poking into his throat. 

“I am surprised, upstart, that you would take credit for this plan so quickly.” Her golden eyes burned with curiosity as she looked him up and down. The spawn stepped closer, forcing Gortash to put his back to the wall. “Interesting that you would omit how it was me who brought this to you.”

Her eyes narrowed as a small smile grew on her lips. Enver tried to mirror the expression, yet his own wavered in nervousness. 

“As the one who perfected the plot, I felt it was only right.” He knew he was treading on thin ice, the woman easily able to end him here and now. 

But both knew, there would be no other replacement capable of fulfilling this heist. Taking another step closer, the spawns face was mere inches from Enver’s, their breaths mixing. He was surprised how hers faintly smelt of mint. 

“Well, it is a good thing I am understanding. The credit is yours.” Her voice was menacingly quiet. “Now, if the plan fails spectacularly… our Three Lords know exactly who to direct their disappointment and rage at.” With a slight flick, the blade tip was removed from his throat, not without making the slightest incision on his adams apple. The woman’s eyes flickered to the blood beginning to bloom. “By the way…” 

Her hand reached out towards their right, her hand twisting and emanating a red glow. From the shadows, another figure slowly walked out, their eyes glowing the same hue that resonated around the spawn’s hand. Gortash quickly made out the emblem of the Guild on his chest, swallowing the lump in his throat. 

“Your throat, cut it to the bone.” The spawn hissed to the spy. 

The spy slowly took out their dagger, and after a brief pause, began cutting into their throat. Like a saw, the man cut left and right, blood pouring to the stone as their jugular was brutally torn apart. The smile never left the girl's face as, after another few seconds, the body collapsed before them, knife stuck in the guild member’s throat. 

“That is yet another favour. Be careful, lordling. Would hate Arden to not be around for your death.” Turning away, the woman stepped on the body, eliciting another hiss of blood to spurt towards Enver as he watched her walk into the shadows, quickly disappearing. 

It was when she was out of sight that Gortash realized two things: First, his heart was pounding in his chest, ears filled with each throbbing pulse. 

 The second: His lungs shrieked for air that had been denied them since the moment she nicked him.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tags: @theannoyingurge @enterthedreams @rivthewriter

[couldbebetterforsure]

I said I would redo my thoughts on all of Ryuseitai's songs post one day. Well that day is today!!! My thoughts on the ones I already talked about haven't changed much but I'll still put them down here. And I can finally talk about all the songs from the TRIP album! By the way, I got the limited edition version of that album 😊 It's nice to have a poster of my beloved sentai idols~!!!

Anyways, main takeaway you'll get from my post is RYUSEITAI NEVER MISSES!!!!!

Once again, the only songs I'll list are the ones featuring Ryuseitai as a whole and their solos, I won't discuss the shuffle songs here since those aren't specifically Ryuseitai songs. And there's no real order or ranking to this list, like I have my preferences among them but I sincerely love ALL of Ryuseitai's songs and just wanna lovemail~!!!

Yumenosaki Ryuseitai Uta: Dakara FIGHTING! ✊ (FIGHTING!) FIGHTING! ✊ (FIGHTING!) Still a great song that gives you a good intro of who Ryuseitai is as a group and a general sense of each member's personality. I really enjoyed hearing everyone saying (or making an attempt to say in Midori's case) their catchphrase. Ryuseitai's in universe first and oldest song from the early days of the unit's formation. Now that Yumenosaki's Ryuseitai is closed I would love to see what the updated version of this song will be! My theory is that whenever Meteor Impact receives its anime adaptation that's likely when we'll find out what the new version of the song is.

The Unrivaled Meteor Ranger: Absolutely catchy classic! The way I was ready to end it all with how many times it took me to full combo this song on hard mode in the English version of Music....And then full combo it first try in Japanese Music 😂😂😂 The boys sound absolutely fantastic during the chorus of the song in particular I adore how their voices blend together! It really makes me feel like I'm right there in the crowd watching Ryuseitai put on a fantastic performance. I think this was the second Ryuseitai song I ever heard back in the years before I properly got into Enstars.

Goshiki no Shooting Star: Shooting Star! Shooting Star! Kagayake! Seigi koso...Shinjitsu to! Shinjiteru! Inochigake! Mamorinuke! Doro ni mamire nagara mo!!!

I mentioned this in the original post but yeah, once again, this song does such a good job of showing how much of a kick Chiaki's vocals give to lines. He has the deepest voice among Ryuseitai and you can easily pick him out in a group. And his voice gives lines the extra oomph needed to make them work well!

Super Nova Revolu5tar: The opening build up before the boys start singing is still so damn classic, I never get enough of it! And yeah Ryuseitai's vocals as a whole are really on display in this song. Their voices merge together so gorgeously in the chorus. I love the part that goes from violins to guitar as the boys talk it's beautiful! The whole last minute and a half of the song is gorgeous and I won't budge on that. Just.....MAN those violins and guitars in this song!!!!

Ryuusei Hanabi: This incredible masterpiece of a bop is a fave among fans, even if they aren't RyuseitaiPs. AND IT IS DESERVED! HA HA HA HA HA HA SOIYA! HA HA HA HA HA HA WASSHOI!

The more traditional Japanese instruments, the chants, the beat. I don't know what the music team was on when they created this song but it is absolute perfection from start to finish! By the way I finally managed to full combo this song like a month ago! Success!!!! And yeah this was the very first Ryuseitai song I ever heard years back before I got into Enstars. And what a phenomenal intro to my beloved idol power rangers~!

Growing Starry Days: I always smile when listening to this song because it is truly soft and loving and happy sounding. And I maintain my hot take that Ryuseitai needs more soft sounding songs, they do them so well whenever they get them! This song is the one that does the best job of getting across what I said earlier about Chiaki's voice giving lines an extra kick. He adds a special something to them that really makes them work.

Unlimited Power: Ryusetai throughout this song: Thank you everyone for all your love and support! 😊 Me, sobbing hysterically as my heart is overwhelmed with love: No...Thank YOU....It really is so damn sweet that this song is a thank you to the fans, I really feel the love and gratitude drip from every word they sing. And that part when they do their mini roll call (except for Kanata with his puka puka-ing) is still cute!

Meteor Scramble: Who was the person who said "hey let's work every Ryusetai member's name into the lyrics in a fitting way?" I hope they got paid extra for that, because it was a genius decision! Chiaki (ichi ichi akirametecha), Kanata (negau kanata e ikenai), Tetora (tachimukatte toraburu o), Midori (saa let me dream), Shinobu (manazashi no bun). I enjoy the high pace energy of the song, and I ESPECIALLY love the guitar solo section! And it's adorable watching the boys do air guitar in that part of the MV.

Suisei Halation: I'm just gonna copy everything I said last time about this song, because it's still so true. I fucking love this song, it feels like such a 80s-90s sounding anime opening in all the best ways! The beat once the chorus hits is so high pace, it's so much fun to listen to and just as much to play in the rhythm game. I can picture waking up to watch an anime with this opening on TV whenever I listen to it. My favorite part is when the boys all take one line each from the beginning of the chorus, it has a cool feel to it! And gosh that part in the MV when Chiaki very briefly looks stressed/sad guts me so bad considering what Comet Show was about as a story. Which, by the way, I hear that Comet Show is apparently disliked??? Like, c'mon, it has such good drama and angst and really builds up the conflict of what Ryuseitai goes through in this half of the story! Like I came out of Comet Show eager to read the other stories and see how tings get resolved!

Heart Heat Beat: I still feel like this song is a hidden gem of Ryuseitai's discography, I rarely hear anyone speak of it but it has such a fun and adorable feel to it. I am so happy it was added to the TRIP album, I hope that gave this song more attention and love because it is sooooo deserved! This is another one of Ryuseitai's softer songs, though it has a fair amount of pep to it. Like you wanna bounce along to the song with it's light, airy feel. And yeah, Midori's powerful sounding "ikou yo" is still stuck in my brain, I love when Midori gives more strength to his lines!

Nekketsu Ryusei Ninpouchou: That classic video game sounding opening is still perfect! This song makes me feel like I'm on a roller coaster, and I mean that in the best way. Like the beginning part of the chorus in particular has this wavy feel to it that I enjoy. This song never loses the energy, even when it chooses to slow down for bits. And yeah, I still love how Shinobu sounds here, his voice is great in this song. Still bitter that his card was the only one I couldn't get from this event. Sorry Shinobu, honey, but 3.5 million is just too much......

Colors Arise: Once again just copying everything I said last time about this song. Another song that sounds like an anime opening in all the best ways! The guitar sounds absolutely fantastic in this song and really gets me so pumped up. I think my favorite part is when the song suddenly sounds like a completely different song a little over two minutes in before swinging back to the main chorus. It's such a fun change that manages to not feel awkward. You know the first time I listened to this song and watched the MV I came out thinking "MAN I really wanna watch one of Ryuseitai's shows!" In universe Ryuseitai fans continue to be the luckiest fuckers ever.

Relax Paradise: RELAX~! ☺️ Like I said in the original post, the first time I listened to the MV version of the song I didn't click with it. But I gave it a few minutes and tried again and that's when I really started to embrace it. Yeah, Midori, you're right I DO wanna cast off my stress and worries and relax in a jungle filled with friendly fluffy animals! So happy that Happy Elements finally freed this song from their dungeon with the TRIP album! Hearing the full version helped me to fully embrace the bubbly, relaxing atmosphere. It's nice seeing the boys goof off and have silly fun together instead of being sentai idols again!

Seishun Emergency: Wooo, get a chance! Woooo, make a chance! Don't give up! Don't give up! Be my girl! Yuzurenai battle!!! Ryuseitai and Knights do such a great job of giving this song an energetic and lively feel! I still can't believe this song is unpopular in the fanbase. A wacky romcom-esque song about two rivals who love the same girl but slowly end up thinking of each other as friends as well? Priceless as a concept and fun as a song! Literally the only negative I have about this song is that I can never full combo it because it constantly lags for a second like halfway through, breaking my combo every time....

Hamutaro Tottoko Uta: CRINGE IS DEAD, LET'S GET YOU GUYS SOME WHIMSY AND JOY!!!! How can this song be disliked, it is so cute and fun, and the marching beat makes you wanna clap or tap your feet along with it. I mean, c'mon....It's fucking Hamtaro!!!!! I know Midori lost his fucking mind when he first learned about this. I wanna know who in the team thought of the idea of "Ryuseitai and Ra*bits working together to cover the Hamtaro theme song". Who was the galaxy brained employee who suggested this? I wanna shake their hand! Daiiiisuki na no waaaaaaaa~! Hiiiiimawari no taneeeeeee~!!!!

Always Hero: BURNING HEART!!! JUSTICE BLAZE!!! 🔥🔥🔥 I still maintain that while the song itself isn't cute I came out of it thinking Chiaki is such a cutie pie! The song suits his hero persona perfectly, a very Chiaki-like song!

Marine Blue Rendezvous: Puka puka~ Love the slow feel of this song, I feel like I can sleep to this song. Kanata's gentle singing slowly lulling me into a peaceful relaxing nap~ 😊

Mahiru no Zanzou: Some of Midori's best singing is in this song. It has such a melancholy feel to it and there's so much emotion at its heart. Perfectly fitting Midori, especially his feelings about himself and his place in Ryuseitai in the early half of his time with him. Also, no joke, I actually teared up listening to this song the first time. I mean it, maybe it's just because it was like 2AM but I was actually laying on my bed like

Iron Heart Tiger: This song has such a high pace energy to it that doesn't let you rest and I love that. And yeah, as I said in the original post, Tetora's vocals don't get enough love, he sounds so damn good and has only improved over time!

Shippuu Jinrai Shinobi Michi: This truly is such a Shinobu-esque song, perfecly suiting him for his first solo! I still adore the high pace, bouncy feel it has and how it goes from one end to the other when it comes to general speed. Like I feel as though I am watching a ninja in action while listening to this song.

Bokura no Stella: Stella, Stella~! Stella, Stella~!

Kanata, thank you for coming through and giving Ryuseitai another softer style song. This song has such a gentle, elegant feel to it and was a beauty in every way. The music, the lyrics, the costumes, the MV...all sheer perfection from beginning to end~! I still can't get over that one lyric that's like "it's like we've been connected since before we were born". Like man, what a beautiful way to describe the bond between Ryuseitai. Five people who came together by chance and grew to love each other so much, to grow a bond between them so powerful it feels as though their souls have been entwined since forever, before they even existed. The strings in this song are so gorgeous!

New Daybreak: My actual reaction after I listened to this song in full and watched the MV for the first time

I loved how in the MV at the beginning everyone's movements were in time with the ticking of the clock. This is another song that feels like a classic sentai style anime opening, and I adore the power behind it. Fitting when you know it was worked on by people who ACTUALLY create songs for tokusatsu style shows! I especially loved how the juniors are the ones who take a more lead role in this song. I mean all of Ryuseitai are there and there's a lot of trading going on in terms of focus but it is essentially Tetora, Midori, and Shinobu are taking charge for this song. And I adore how that is in part representative of what the whole "all five members of Ryuseitai are leaders" thing is about. The juniors wanted to be equal to their seniors, especially wanting Chiaki to stop burdening himself, both in terms of work and dealing with drama/pressure/negativity. So this shows how the juniors are capable enough to take charge themselves once in a while!

Unmei Power Energy!: If this song doesn't get more people to respect Tetora's vocals, I don't know what will. This is honestly some of his best singing on display, he sounds absolutely phenomenal in this song! I adore his energy (fitting for the title)!

Green to the Sky: The way Midori sounds so happy and energetic in this sound compared to how soft and sadder he sounded in his first solo....The way this is a perfect way to show off how much he has grown during his time with Ryuseitai, how his love for them and their love for him helped him to grow and change 😭😭😭 I love how this song shows Midori's growth through its upbeat energy and the power and quick pace of Midori's words~!

Seisei Doudou Ouenka: A bouncy and fun song for my dearest Shinobu~!!! It has a different type of energy from his first solo but it still has a fun energy that makes you wanna get up and cheer him on the whole time! Like yeah, Shinobu!!!! GANBARRE!!!!! FURE FURE!!!!

Kokoro de Pittari Ai ni Naru: I still love how everyone and their mother was thrown off by this title for Chiaki's solo and to this day no one knows for sure how exactly to discuss what it means. But my gosh this song is soooo fucking cute! Chiaki, baby, why are you the cutest being in the world? How dare you be such a gumdrop?! I kid, I love cute boy Chiaki so much, I hope we get more and more of it! I just love how loving and sweet he sounds, like it has classic Chiaki energy to it but it still feels like he's showing off something different all the same.

Happy Drops: Kanata's song has a bubbly energy to it, and I am happy it matches the energetic feel the rest of Ryuseitai are giving off in their own solos. Like I seriously couldn't stop bouncing around in my chair when I was listening to this song for the first time, I loved hearing how energetic and bouncy Kanata was!

And DONE! That's my thoughts on every single Ryuseitai song released to date! I guess I'll reblog this post to add more thoughts as more songs are released over time. But yeah, Ryuseitai are the kings of releasing bangers after bangers, there's not a single bad song in their discography~!

By the way, I mentioned this before but I wanna say it again. I love how every member's center song (Suisei Halation, Relax Paradise, Colors Arise, Bokura no Stella, and Nekketsu Ryusei Ninpouchou) all give off different feels and energies, basically showcasing how unique and different the member being focused on is. Meanwhile everyone's second solos are very similar in feel in terms of being energetic and happy sounding. It's unique: the center songs AKA the group songs are the ones showing off how unique and different every member of Ryuseitai is while it's the solo songs showing off how at heart they are all the same, all part of the same team.

But anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed my thoughts~!

[bengiyo]

La Pluie Ep 8 Stray Thoughts

Last week, we wrote so many good posts about this show, especially the importance of Tai's pleasure from giving pleasure to Patts. Lomfon proved mostly ineffectual, but Tien has placed himself firmly between Lomfon and Tai. Nara turned up at the camp, and Tai witnessed her kissing Patts. It's time for the drama.

I don't mind starting a few minutes back to reset the timeline and pacing of this so we can see how Nara approached Patts.

Oh, Patts is not feeling this at all.

I really appreciate that Patts feels bad about this situation between him and Nara. I don't think I'd like him for Tai if he didn't care about Nara.

The backing track for this Nara scene is incredible. This show has really solid sound mixing.

I feel for Nara, because her greatest fear was Patts leaving her for his soulmate, and now he's found him. She's gotta be feeling upset, embarrassed, and a little foolish at this point. I really appreciate that the show has shown her great respect.

Once again, I love how engaged Patts is with everything going on. He saw a dropped bento and immediately worried that Tai saw Nara and misunderstood.

Bow and Kung are holding hands. I know we're worried about Tai, but I NEED TO KNOW.

Man, I love how quickly everyone pieced together what happened and focused on the immediate problem: locating Saengtai.

Lomfon's insistence that Saengtien not endanger himself too is quite reasonable.

Oh, Tien. He's such a little brother. I love him.

Great transition. I'd recognize Tai by his rings and sweaters anywhere.

I must say the music for this episode has been so well-selected.

NOO! MY SWEET BOY!!!

Interesting. Lomfon has hearing loss, too.

Patts is so strong. Carrying our beautiful boy all the way down a mountain.

I knew Tai was running up that goddamn hill because he doubted the truth of the soulmate connection and was confused by Nara and Patts being compatible!

That was beautiful. I love Patts so much. He's not mad at Tai and just listens quietly to Tai finally opening up about his Soulmate fears. They can finally arrive at the conclusion the show has been arguing for literally two months: It doesn't matter if they're ordained by the universe or not; what matters is they love each other.

Patts just put his whole heart on the line when he asked Saengtai to be his boyfriend. I love this man. I will be tolerating no more slander on him.

I really like how specific each of these have felt each time.

I WILL NEVER GET OVER BOY SOMPOB SINGING OVER BIG MOMENTS IN BL. NINE YEARS AND COUNTING.

Bow and I are the same. I also cried over my boy.

I absolutely adore the relationship between Tai and Tien.

OH. MY. GOD. LOMFON HEARD BOTH TAI AND PATTS!!!!! The implications of this are huge.

We get to meet Saengnuea next week!

I am absolutely in love with this show. This is my favorite show from this year that's not Moonlight Chicken. I love how much grace is given to every character. I like how seriously it takes itself, its ideas, and its audience. I love how much this feels like a classic romance novel I might have read when I got into this 15 years ago. I love the choreography of all of the kisses. I'm haven't cried this much of a BL in a long time.

Shoutouts to @lurkingshan @kyr-kun-chan @wen-kexing-apologist @liyazaki and @ginnymoonbeam for sending me updates while I was busy this afternoon.

[ivorysyrniki]

chapter three: small (venti)

pairing: venti/reader

title: Everything I Know About Love

summary: You finally find the place where they sell Dandelion Wine.

tags: fluff, friends to lovers, slow burn, eventual smut, love confessions

notes: biweekly updates. also posted on ao3. fridays.

parts: chapter three - chapter four

Mondstadt is beautiful. With the wind ever-present and the moon high up in the sky greeting its citizens. The people are all walking around, running errands, shouting from their stalls, even at this time of night. Bards play their lyres and sing their archon's name, who left just about a year ago, but still, the memory of him appears to be fresh in their minds. Children run around and play together, while some of them sell flowers to those that venture from other nations.

The winds carry the fragrances of cecilias and windwheel asters, dancing with bright green leaves. 

Barbatos is hiding in your bag, but his tiny face emerges from a little hole to look around. He emits a sound akin to a whistle of the wind, exuding a bright tone almost as if he is telling you that he is content with what he is seeing. You have always found his techniques odd, for he does not govern his people directly. It is so starkly different from the other gods that you have met in the past, and those gods have already started their gentle yet firm reign on their nations as soon as they received the right to one of the divine seats. He did start his immediately, but left after he decided that his people could take on life in their own ways. 

He does, in a way, remind you of a parent.

Before this little sightseeing, Barbatos had insisted you call him Venti, and had told you that he had left his nation yesteryear to avoid being a tyrannical leader. Having known him from the legends, you vehemently disagreed that he would make one given the stories passed down by word-of-mouth, but he only shook his head at you and said that by any means, he wouldn't take any chances. And so he transforms from the form of a young boy to a wisp and hides in the worn bag you drag around everywhere. 

You had no right to complain. After all, this is his nation, you have to obey his rules. You begrudgingly headed to the City of Winds and Idylls, and marvelled at the scenery before you. Now, you are clueless about where to go. Where was the tavern that sells the marvellous Dandelion Wine?

You try to scan your surroundings, listening to the stall and shop owners. 

"Meat is on sale!"

"Come and join our group!"

"There is definitely something that will catch your eye!" 

Nothing seems to head in the direction of the finest wine. You are too occupied with looking for a way that you do not notice your bag buzzing like a bee. You open the bag discreetly after realizing it. Barbatos looks at you and flies in the right direction of the bag. You look at him and the direction he pointed to. And sure enough, it leads to an alleyway. 

You close the bag and allow him to hide once more. You head to the alleyway he pointed at, walking faster and faster until you reach the tavern. 

Angel's Share. 

"May I help you?"

A man dressed to the nines approaches you. Red hair flaming down his shoulders, piercing red eyes staring at you as the question rolls softly off his tongue.

"I- uh…" you stammer, feeling the slight buzzing that nests in your bag. "I came here for Dandelion Wine." 

"Ah, I see." he smiles, icy exterior melting away. He points to the door with an open palm. "Please come this way. We sell the finest." 

You stare at him for a few seconds, before walking towards the door slowly. You press your hand and wrap your fingers at the doorknob. The doorknob turns under the weight of your hand.

The music from lyres, guitars, flutes, and even the ice from beers ring from the tavern in complete harmony. The chatter adds to it like a cherry on top of the cake. Aromas of wine, beer, and alcohol haze through the air in a hot mist that envelops you as you enter.

Another man greets you as you close the door behind you. He asks for your order, and you meekly say, "One cup of Dandelion Wine, please."

He laughs, "Ha! Once you have a taste, you won't stop!" 

You simply stare at him as he pours a drink on a silver goblet. He states, "Now, let this sit for twelve minutes. That's what the folks in high-class society do."

"Thank you," you take the goblet from the counter and turn to the seating area. You decide not to fight the other customers with the seat at the back, walking upwards the stairs with the silver goblet at hand, carefully trying to steady it so as to not let the wine escape the goblet. It reeks of its alcoholic tones however it does smell delicious, that you would admit, but it does look pretty unassuming, not as good-looking as other wines. 

When you find your seat, you sit for twelve minutes in total silence, with Barbatos—now out of his wisp form and back to the young boy—beside you, also admiring the silver goblet. His eyes blink as he smiles. He wipes his mouth from time to time as if trying to avoid himself from salivating. 

You assume that Dandelion Wine is indeed his favourite. 

Once twelve minutes pass, Barbatos gestures for you to taste it. The smile is still on his face. He does look like he is shining—features ethereal. If you were a human, you would be suspicious if he was truly one of your kind.

You move your arm and take the goblet, sniffing the aroma of the wine, before taking a sip. It took you a long, arduous time for this one sip and with the expectations rising in your heart, you close your eyes for the whole experience. 

As soon as the famed wine hits your tongue, however, you say…

“It doesn’t taste so good…” 

[afterdarkprincess]

The Devil’s in the Details (But You got a Friend in Me)- Part 3

Samijey Fic- AU from the Royal Rumble

Back with a nice juicy update for you all!! It's a long one :)

Probably gonna be a couple more parts to this coming, I have so many ideas for where this is going.

Thank you so much to @elementaldoughnut12 for the prompt and cheering me on through this whole process 🥰

Tags for @feelschicken and @southerngirl41 - if anyone else would like tags in the future please let me know!

Part One

Part Two

This fic is Explicit and contains: Anal Sex, Unprotected Sex, Fingering, Rimming, and Body Worshipping

---

The morning comes and as tired as Jey is, he pries himself out of bed just as the sun rises. If he only has a handful of hours with Sami today, he’s going to make the best of them.

He throws his gym gear silently in an effort not to wake Jimmy, who’s still snoring away in the other bed, and creeps out of the room in the pale morning light. He makes his way down to the hotel gym, yanking the door open to find Sami perched on the weight bench.

Despite how tired he is, Jey’s face lights up into a smile. Sami looks up at the sound of the door opening, cheeks full as he smiles and pushes himself up to standing.

Jey’s eyes scan the room, checking to be sure that they’re alone, before cupping Sami’s face in his hands and pulling him into a deep kiss.

Sami’s lips taste like coffee and the tiniest hint of toothpaste, and it’s perfect. Jey still can’t believe he gets to have this now, after all this time.

They break apart and Sami laughs. “Good morning to you too,”

They pick up a familiar routine from the months they spent traveling and training together, though Sami still can’t do much. Jey spends time on the different machines, music blaring in one ear while the other listens to Sami, engaging in conversation.

You’d think they wouldn’t have much to say to one another, after being in constant contact via text and calls, but they don’t miss a beat, talking about anything and everything.

After Jey finishes his last series of reps, dripping sweat and enjoying the familiar ache in his muscles, as he racks the weights he lets himself just look at Sami.

Sami, who is beautiful in the light pouring in through the windows, the sun lighting up that wild ginger hair that’s pulled back into a bun. He’s doing arm curls, unintentionally showing off the added bulk and definition he’s put on them in the last few months, and he’s still talking between reps. He fills the space with his warm voice, and as Jey watches he notices that Sami’s face and cheeks are definitely fuller now too. How he didn’t notice last night, he’s not sure, but it’s all he can look at now.

“-and I just think that after all these years they’re doing Kofi dirty, you know?” Sami seems to finish his thought, looking up to meet Jey’s eyes as he racks the dumbbell he was using.

Jey nods, hoping that its not too obvious that he hasn’t been paying his full attention to the conversation.

“I really fuckin’ missed you, Sami.” The words tumble out of his mouth, but he can’t regret them when Sami is smiling like that.

“Missed you too,” He replies, standing up from the bench again.

Jey takes a few steps, intending to cross the room and show Sami just how much he’d missed him, but he’s stopped by the sound of the gym door opening.

His youngest brother stands in the doorway, face impassive as usual as he glances between the two of them.

“Mornin’ Solo,” Sami says cheerfully, as if they haven’t been caught alone together twice now.

“Yeah- uh’ Morning, uce.” Jey tries for nonchalant and fails miserably.

Solo fixes him with a stare that seems to know way too much, but he simply grunts in response and puts his headphones on.

Jey sneaks a glance at Sami, who’s still smiling though now his cheeks are dusted with a blush that makes Jey want to bite at them. He’ll file that impulse away for later.

They finish up their respective workouts and head back to their rooms, sneaking one more kiss when they have the elevator to themselves.

“You sure we gotta get breakfast with everybody else?” Jey knows he’s whining but he’s dreading the idea of sitting across a table from Sami under the ever watchful eyes of his family.

Sami tangles their hands together. “You’re the one who insists on keeping this between us right now,”

He groans, hating that Sami is right.

But the fear is still there, as its been a solid 12 hours since their defeat and both he and Jimmy have heard nothing from Roman. While usually no news would be good news, this silence is uncharacteristic of the Tribal Chief and it’s unsettling.

He needs to take care of this situation with Roman, find some way to get out from under his thumb before he’ll feel secure enough to tell them about Sami. It’s been a long three years of living under his cousin’s control, and now he has a brand new reason to fight.

“Soon,” He says, pressing their foreheads together as the elevator climbs. “Soon, okay?”

They reach their floor and go their separate ways to shower and get ready for breakfast.

Jimmy is still snoring in their room, but it’s late enough that Jey doesn’t feel bad making noise and shaking his twin awake.

“We gettin’ Waffle House, Uce! Get yo’ ass up!”

Breakfast goes about as well as Jey imagined.

The four of them crammed into a too-small booth, he’s both blessed and cursed to have Sami pressed in next to him, hyperaware of all the places their bodies touch in the tight space.

Jimmy asked Sami about a million questions, everything from his recovery to the shows he’s been watching and anything in between.

Solo chimed in every now and again, his soft spot for Sami showing.

Jey himself tries not to say too much, since he’s gotten to have so much time with Sami where they haven’t. As much as he wants to be selfish, his family is still important to him, and ultimately it makes him happy that they all get along so well.

It’s easier to forget the pressures on them all when they’re like this, stuffing their faces full of shitty diner food and laughing over each other’s goofy antics. Behaving like the family that they are, and not whatever twisted version of family that Roman presents for them all.

Keeping his hands off Sami is still difficult, when he wants to press kisses to his face at each smile.

Sami’s hand finds his under the table, as their plates are cleared away, intertwining their fingers together and rubbing his thumb in slow circles on the back of his palm.

How Sami understands exactly what he needs at any moment Jey will never know, but he’s grateful for it all the same.

His phone unhelpfully shows the time, the morning having slipped away. They’d have to return to the hotel soon for Sami to collect his things and get to LAX to make his flight back home.

And then he’d have to face whatever grief Roman would throw at them for losing the match, surely it would be a shouting match before Roman’s fight and Jey was not looking forward to it. Still, he’ll take it gladly if it keeps the Tribal Chief’s eyes on him and not his brother or his… partner? Boyfriend felt juvenile, not quite right, and lover was closer but it felt too intimate for casual conversation.

They’d have to talk about that at some point, what they are to each other, but for now Jey is just satisfied to be able to call Sami his.

—

They all pile back in the rental car and return to the hotel without much fanfare. Jey volunteers to help Sami with his bags and get him into the scheduled Uber, which earns another searching look from Solo, but thankfully he doesn’t ask any questions.

They make quick work of Sami’s bags, meaning that Jey is holding both of them and refusing to let Sami carry anything, and make their way back down to the lobby to wait for the Car.

Jey feels brave suddenly in this crowded room full of strangers, watching Sami talk about his travel plans. He grabs a hold of Sami’s jacket to get his attention before cradling Sami’s face in his hands and kissing him, closing his eyes in an attempt to savor every moment.

When they break apart, Sami’s face breaks into the most beautiful smile.

“What was that for?”

’Cause I love you. ‘Cause you ain’t even left and I already miss you. ‘Cause you’re the best thing I’ve ever had in my life. ‘Cause m’not gonna see that smile in person for a long two weeks.

Jey doesn’t say those things, he’s never been great about expressing his feelings verbally. He’ll have to show Sami how he feels in other ways for now.

“Just tryin’ to shut you up, for real.”

It gets a laugh out of Sami, but his phone rings in his hand signaling the arrival of his Uber, and Jey tries desperately to keep his emotions in check.

He follows Sami with the bags and puts them in the waiting car as Sami talks with the driver.

Sami looks at him again, sighing. “I’m sorry I gotta go, babe,” He opens his arms, and Jey flies into them like a magnet, burying his face in Sami’s neck.

He holds on for too long, and feels Sami press a kiss to his hair and clutch him tighter to his chest.

Jey finally lets go, pressing one more lingering kiss to Sami’s lips.

“Have a good flight, manamea” He says softly, barely above a whisper.

Sami nods, taking one last opportunity to hold Jey’s face in his hands like he’s the most precious thing in the world. “You’re gonna be sick of me messaging and calling you.”

Jey playfully rolls his eyes. “Ain’t no way. Fact, you’re gonna be sick o’ ME,” he sniffs, trying to cover the thick emotion creeping up in his throat.

“Never,” Sami presses one last kiss to his’s nose, before releasing Jey’s and turning to the open car door. “Be careful, please make it home in once piece.”

“Can’t make no promises,”

The door shuts, blocking his view of Sami waving, and the car takes off. Leaving him standing alone with his hand raised. He feels breathless, like Sami went and took all the air with him.

—

Jimmy and Jey are told by Paul that their services aren’t needed at ringside for Roman’s match that evening. It’s a clear dismissal, bearing no arguments, and it sets Jey’s nerves on edge.

He wins, with Solo’s help of course. The petty side of Jey almost wishing that Roman too would lose the belts and the glory just as he and Jimmy had, but realistically the loss would have hurt him too, not just their family standing but their roles within the company would be on the line without them.

Jey gets messages from Sami the whole day, letting him know when he lands and makes it back to the house, settling in for the evening.

Jimmy went out for drinks with some of the other members of the roster, giving Jey some alone time in their room. Which he uses to call Sami, curled up in bed and if he closes his eyes he can just imagine that Sami is right next to him instead of thousands of miles away. Close enough to touch and hold and kiss.

When it’s late and they’re barely awake, risking Jimmy’s return with every minute, Jey just can’t bear to hang up the line. He feels like a damn schoolgirl, head over heels and nearly ready to ask Sami to be the one to hang up.

“Jey?” Sami’s voice is soft, tired.

“Yee?”

“I love you,” There’s silence, and the sound of Sami’s breath. “And I don’t mean in an ucey way this time.”

Jey feels heat rising in his cheeks, as he processes what Sami is saying to him.

“You don’t have to say it back yet, I’ll understand if you don’t, but I just wanted you to know.”

Tears well in his eyes, but his mouth is dry, his tongue glued to the roof of his mouth.

what is the MATTER wit’ you, uce?! You LOVE him!! He is the sun and the air that you breathe!! He is the only HOME we ever had, open yo’ damn mouth!

“I wanted you to know that I love you, Jey. Titles or not.” Sami’s voice cracks at the end, betraying the sincerity of his words.

Jey wants to tell him, wills the words to come, but there’s an old fear in him, a deep repression of his feelings that sticks into his throat.

“Jey?”

Finally, Jey opens his lips, but he can’t find it within himself. “I- Sami, I do…”

Sami immediately talks over him, “it’s okay, Jey, really. I don’t need to hear it right now, really. It’s okay, I know, baby.”

Jey’s spluttering, frustrated and angry with himself. “Can’t right now. I don’t know-”

“It’s okay, baby. Get some rest okay? I’ll let you go.”

As much as he hates to end the call, Jey feels like an open wound has been torn into his chest. It should be easy, three little words. In fact he’s said them before, on live television and in front of his whole family.

Not like this though. You said you loved him like a brother that ain’t the same.

The thoughts in his head are loud and confusing and frustrating, and he can’t deal with them.

“‘Kay,” He sighs into the phone. “G’night, manamea”

The term of endearment rolls of his tongue so easily, such a contradiction. Maybe its easier because Sami doesn’t know what it means.

“Night, Jey.”

The line goes silent, and Jey’s exhausted. He wraps himself up in the blankets and falls into a fitful sleep.

—

Despite how much he’d been dreading them the following two weeks fly by pretty quickly for Jey.

Neither he nor Jimmy hear from Roman, and so they deal with the loss of the titles the only way they know how, by harassing the Brutes and demanding a rematch.

They’re booked for house shows on their off nights, but Jey still calls Sami every night. They trade messages all day, but still find ways to talk late into the night.

Sami tells him that he loves him every night before hanging up. Jey still can’t bring himself to do the same.

He vows to himself to show Sami, in every way that he can. Sami knows, as always understanding Jey in ways that no one else has ever bothered to try, but he deserves to hear it, in whatever way Jey can deliver the message.

It’s announced that Roman will be present at that friday’s smackdown, the night before Jey is set to take his week off, and some part of Jey is relieved to have a face to face with Roman. This waiting game is making him unsettled, no matter the punishment it’s gotta be better than the silence.

Jimmy and Jey arrive to the arena together, early as usual. They don’t have a match on the card for the evening but the segment with Roman will surely end in some kind of altercation and it’s in their best interest to be prepared.

Jey’s bags are packed and with him, ticket on his phone for a red eye flight that’ll get him to Orlando around 9 am, where Sami will be waiting for him.

This is the last obstacle, the last hurdle before their week away together, and Jey is filled with nervous energy.

He expects to see Roman in their locker room before, but Solo arrives alone, headphones covering his ears. His younger brother has been around them less since Wrestlemania, and it doesn’t help Jey’s feelings of unease.

Paul shows up with 15 minutes to spare until the start of the show, loud and annoying as ever, informing them that their segment will start the show.

“Where big Uce?” Jimmy asks.

“The Tribal Chief is a busy man, you must understand. He’ll be arriving just on time, not to worry!”

Dread creeps up in his stomach, like he’s back in the Thunderdome again. Jey is all too familiar with these kinds of mind games, and it doesn’t bode well to how the night will go.

He looks at his phone one last time, finding a message from Sami.

Good Luck out there tonight <3 6:50pm

He sends back a thumbs up and a heart, and stuffs the phone in his bag before following his brothers to gorilla position.

Roman is waiting there when they arrive with a smile on his face. He claps each of their shoulders as they prepare for their entrance, but there’s a look in his eyes that is anything but reassuring.

Jey plays his part, going through the familiar motions of their entrance, the slow walk to the ring and Roman’s posturing before demanding acknowledgement from the crowd.

He then launches into a tirade, first about Royal Families, then directing his speech to Solo. Praising his abilities and his dedication to solving the family’s problems, the way he’s dealt with Sheamus and Drew McIntyre in the proceeding months.

Solo mumbles something too low for Jey to hear, eliciting a laugh from their cousin.

“See how good he is! Worrying about our problem with the rest of the Brawling Brutes, they did take out our Honorary Uce after all. But no Solo, don’t worry about that, those mangy mutts aren’t our problem.” Roman paces like a shark, looking to draw blood.

“The real problem here are your brothers.”

Jey feels like he’s been doused with cold water. No matter how much he knew this was coming, it doesn’t help the rising fear as he moves closer to Jimmy, putting himself between his twin and Roman.

“What did y’all think was gonna happen, huh? You thought you’d just lose in the Main Event at Wrestlemania and we wasn’t gonna talk about it?”

Jey keeps his gaze downward.

“You were supposed to take revenge on those idiots for injuring Sami, correcting the fact that you let him get hurt at all, allowed him to take that fall for YOU.”

Roman’s face is up in his and it’s all Jey can do to bite his tongue. He feels the sting of his nails digging into his palms.

“And what did you do? Not only did you lose the match, but you lost the Tag Team Championships! And you’re just gonna beg for a rematch?” He circles around them again, menacing. “You EMBARRASS me. You embarrassed our family. Our Bloodline.”

Jey feels sick to his stomach. Feels waves of discomfort coming off of Jimmy, that distaste for authority thats dogged them both their whole lives.

Roman pushes an accusatory finger to his chest. “You should know better than this, Apologize!”

Jey’s eyes flick up, meeting Jimmy’s and immediately Jey knows that his twin does not understand the situation they’ve found themselves in. He’s making faces, talking under his breath. “Can you believe this shit, Uce?”

Jey knocks a hand into Jimmy’s side, shaking his head no.

It’s not enough, Roman’s in their space again. “Don’t look at him! Look at me, I’m dead serious, Apologize!”

Jimmy cracks a smile, laughing in the face of stress, like they’re schoolboys in detention again. “You can’t be for real, right now-“ He’s not mic’d up, it’s for their families ears only.

“Oh you’re smiling? I’m here to make you laugh? You think I’m a clown?” Roman shoves Jimmy, hard enough to knock him off balance and Jey feels his stomach fall to the floor.

All he sees is the cell match again, his nightmares of Roman’s hands on his twin, on Sami, he has to do something to fix this and make this right. Has to swallow his pride, make it home to Sami in the morning.

He steps between them again, grabbing a microphone. “We apologize, Uce. Alright?”

Jimmy glares at him, but he can’t focus on his brothers hurt feelings. He has a job to do to protect the people he loves.

“We apologize- you’re right. Yo, give us one more shot, Uce. We’ll bring the tag titles home. We’ll get revenge for Sami. Just give us another shot, Uce.” Jimmy bristles behind his back, but he blocks him.

Roman rubs his hands in his beard, appeased but clearly still not happy. He brings the mic back to his lips. “You have one more shot to fix this.” Then, he drops his hand away, leaning in close to Jey. “You know what happens if you don’t.”

Terror washes over him, but he tries desperately to keep it together, rubbing his face to hide in his hands.

“Tell ‘em, Wiseman.” Finally Roman retreats from them, and Jey can at least breathe.

“My Tribal Chief has authorized me to inform you all of a confirmed match for Backlash in Puerto Rico! The Tag Team Championships will come home to the Bloodline when The Usos avenge their fallen brethren and defeat the disgusting Brawling Brutes.”

They had another shot. One last shot if Roman’s words rang true, and in Jey’s experience his cousin was not one to lie.

—

Roman clears off once they exit the ring, no doubt taking a private flight back home that night.

Jimmy is pissed at him, giving him grief the second they get back into the locker room.

“The fuck was that about, Uce? Why you apologize to him? We didn’t do nothin’ wrong! How you jus’ gon’ let him treat us like that?”

Jey collapses onto the bench, shaking his head. “You don’ understand, Uce. It was bad ‘nough when it was jus’ us he could fuck with. It ain’t jus’ about us no more.”

“What you talkin’ bout? Roman’s already fuckin’ with us, gettin’ in our face like that! Shit’s messed up, Uce.” Jimmy paces furiously, and Solo watches him with his eyes.

Jey rubs his hands against his temples, trying to will away the headache thats brewing behind his eyes.

“Uce-“

“Can’t you understand why I don’ like him gettin’ at you like that?” Jimmy stops in front of him, pinning him with his eyes.

He sighs, “Yea- I jus’-“

“Jus’ nothin’!” He rolls his eyes, grabbing his bag and shrugging it onto his shoulders. “Guess I gotta deal wit’ this ’til you get back.”

“Jimmy-“

“Have a good vacay, Uce. Tell Sami I said hello.” He sounds disappointed, and it’s a hard pill to swallow. Jey hadn’t said a word about where he was going, figures his twin would just know.

The door slams shut behind Jimmy with a loud bang, and he winces. This whole evening felt bad enough without this added guilt on top of it. He’s about to dig into his bag, to get his phone out to see if there were any messages from Sami, who for sure had seen the whole thing on TV.

He hears a cough from the corner of the room, where Solo sits with his arms crossed and a particularly deep scowl on his face.

“I know, Uce.”

Jey’s head snaps up. “What you mean?”

He hears his heartbeat in his ears, the dread from earlier creeping back. Solo has spent so much time with Roman recently, and as much as he still wants to love and trust his baby brother, he’s cautious.

“I seen you and Sami, at the hotel after ‘Mania.” Solo’s face changes, looking visibly uncomfortable, nervous rather than angry, and as much as his hackles are raising he stays calm.

“What you see, Uce?”

Solo blushes visibly, something Jey hasn’t seen in a very long time, when Solo was just a shy little boy.

“Saw you, uh, kissin’. In the lobby. When he was leavin’.”

Jey nodded, “And you didn’t tell big Uce?” It was clear, if Roman had any idea about him and Sami he would have known by now.

Solo shook his head. “Nah- I get it.” He slowly approached, still sheepish. “Jus’ wanted you to know. S’cool with me.”

Jey could cry with relief. The fact that Solo knew and was okay with him and Sami meant the world to him. “T-Thanks, Solo. That- um, thanks.”

“Can I-?” Solo holds out his big arms, looking more like an overgrown teddy bear than the terrifying enforcer of the Bloodline. Jey stands in an instant and crashes into his younger brothers arms for a tight hug. “I might- if the Tribal Chief, if he wants me to hurt you, I won’t-“

“S’okay, Uce.” He nods, “I get it, I do.”

“I don’t want to,” Solo says, voice low. “Don’t wanna hurt any of you.”

“I know, we all do what we gotta do.”

Solo finally releases him. “Did Sami keep the bear?”

The question takes him off guard, and it takes him a second to realize what Solo’s talking about.

“Yea, actually. Keeps it on his bed and everything, big softie.” Jey laughs, scratching at his neck.

“Cool,” His younger brother nods, a small smile on his face. “Have a good week, Uce. You deserve it.”

Jey smiles, his heart full. Solo gathers his own belongings and heads out with a small wave.

Jey finally checks his phone, finding a slew of concerned text messages from Sami. He fires off a quick reply as he exits the locker room, dragging his suitcase behind him.

M’okay, Sami. On my way to you. 8:30pm <3 8:31pm

—

His flight is uneventful, he sleeps for most of it despite the nervous energy filling his body with every mile he gets closer to Sami, to home.

He collects his bags, making his way to the terminal, where he sees Sami, standing with a sign like the absolute cheeseball he is. The sign reads “MAIN EVENT JEY USO” and it warms his heart.

“Been a long time since anyone’s called me that,” He laughs, pulling Sami in for a kiss. It’s been a very long two weeks and waiting any longer to have Sami’s lips on his is intolerable.

Sami tastes like the fancy coffee he drinks and the vanilla protein shakes they both typically have for breakfast. He kisses like he does everything else, with boundless energy and enthusiasm, and Jey knows he’ll never get tired of it.

When they part, Sami replies, “Such a shame honestly, you have so much potential they aren’t tapping into. You’d make a great singles competitor.”

Jey scoffs, “Nah, m’already in hot water as it is. Tribal Chief ain’t gonna let me do singles anytime soon.”

Sami rolls his eyes, “Roman doesn’t know everything. He’s more worried about the threat you’d pose than anything else.”

“Still…” His cousin’s words linger in the back of his mind.

“Let’s not talk about it now, huh?” Sami wraps his arms around Jey’s torso in a warm embrace. “Missed you, Jey.” The words are whispered into the skin of his neck.

Jey drops a kiss to Sami’s hair, where it’s pulled back into a half-bun. “Missed you too, manamea.”

They part, gathering Jey’s backpack and suitcase and head out of the airport hand in hand, Sami handing over the keys to the car. The warm Florida sun streams into the car, and they talk during the whole drive, Sami asking him a million questions about the previous night’s events.

Sami assures him multiple times that there’s no reason for him to feel guilty about losing to Ridge, that seeking revenge like this can’t bring anything good. Sami wants to take a piece out of the brutes himself, but he wouldn’t be cleared for months still.

His follow up appointment after Wrestlemania had gone well, he’s progressing ahead of schedule but it’s still a long road ahead before he’ll be back in the ring and training.

Jey watches Sami’s face as he talks, staring at him a little too often despite the fact that he’s driving. Sami’s cheeks might be even fuller than they were two weeks ago, and Jey can’t wait to kiss and bite each of them.

They arrive to the house and get Jey’s bags dropped inside the door and Jey is on Sami in an instant, scooping him into a bridal carry. He peppers kisses all over his face, even as Sami laughs in delight.

Jey takes them into Sami’s bedroom, depositing him onto the bed gently and yanking his own shirt up and over his head.

Sami stares at his chest openly, and Jey feels heat pooling in his gut. Even with talking to Sami every night, there’s no privacy with life on the road, especially not with his brothers.

Their first (and last) physical interaction had been rushed, an act of desperation in a backstage locker room, and Jey was determined to make this time special, to truly give Sami the love and care that he deserved. If he still couldn’t make himself say the words to tell Sami how much he loved him, this would have to convey it.

Sami’s sat up at the edge of the bed, smiling at Jey like he hung the sun and the moon. The bed sits high up enough that he can kiss Sami without having to bend down too much, standing in between his legs that just dangle at the edge.

The first few kisses are short, sweet. Jey can’t get enough of the feeling of their beards touching, the way their noses press together when he moves his head. Sami’s hands run up the exposed skin on his torso, coming to rest around his neck and keeping him close.

They stop to breathe for a moment, but Jey stays close, closing his eyes to take in this moment. Pressing another few kisses to the light freckles on Sami’s face.

“Thought about this all the time,” Sami says. “Even before the injury, even when you didn’t like me.”

“Was an idiot,” He mumbles, remembering the cold distrust in his heart. How could he have ever not trusted Sami?

Sami brings his hands to hold Jey’s face, pulling them apart enough to fix him with a stare. “You were scared, Jey. Justifiably so. And angry that I willingly signed up for what had been beaten into you. I wouldn’t have liked me either.”

“Don’t matter, you’re family now,” Jey kisses him again. “Even Big Uce can’t give you shit nomore.”

“Yeah..” Sami trails off, sounding unsure. “Don’t wanna think about him now, honestly.” His giggle is precious, lighting up his face.

Jey’s close enough to finally indulge himself, gently biting at the fullness of Sami’s cheek, which causes him to laugh even more. Jey threads his fingers gently in Sami’s wild curls and turns his head to bite at the other cheek, then licks up the side of his face to taste the warmth of Sami’s skin.

“Ugh, you’re so gross.” Sami teases, playfully shoving him away.

“Still love me though,” It’s a smart retort, meant to tease Sami back, but the ginger’s face gets soft again and he’s pulled back in for another slow, achingly sweet kiss.

“I really do,” Their lips connect again. “Love you so much, Jey- you have no idea-“

Jey takes advantage of Sami’s open mouth to deepen their kiss further, sliding his tongue in to explore Sami’s mouth. He samples the moan it elicits, savoring the flavor that is so uniquely Sami.

He reaches down to take the hem of Sami’s shirt into his hands, pushing it up before breaking off their kiss to take the shirt up and off, yeeting it into the corner of the room. He’s delighted to notice that Sami’s tits are even a little bit bigger and he takes one in each hand, squeezing gently.

“I’m in for it when I get cleared,” Sami mumbles, a light blush tinting his cheeks and neck.

Jey tweaks one of his nipples, admiring the way the flesh jiggles. “You ain’t need to lose none of this.” He ducks his head, sucking the other nipple into his mouth, swirling his tongue around the sensitive nub before nipping lightly. “Love these pretty tits, so perfect.” Sami’s head falls back with a groan, exposing the long line of his throat. Jey makes his way there, dragging his tongue along the way. He presses more kisses there, before stopping. “Can I…?”

Sami lets out a garbled moan and he nods, and Jey takes that permission to suck and bite at the tender pale skin of Sami’s neck. Under him Sami’s hips buck rhythmically, and Jey is painfully aware of how hard he’s becoming. He pauses to admire the bruise that’s formed, licking it a few times just to see it glisten in the light.

Hands pull him back up to eye level and into another kiss, falling back together until Sami’s head meets the mattress and Jey gets to relish in the feeling of finally being on top of this man. He plants his hips to the side of Sami’s torso, his hard dick just ghosting against the tops of Sami’s plush thighs and it drags a groan out of his mouth.

It makes him aware of the amount of clothes that they both still have on, and Jey didn’t travel thousands of miles and wait two weeks to come in his pants again.

He pushes himself back up, despite the pout that comes across Sami’s face.

“Got too many clothes on,” He grumbles.

Jey tears his pants and boxers down his legs, nearly tripping as he steps out of them in his haste.

“Damn, Jey.” He looks back at Sami, sitting back up now and staring at his dick with open longing. “That all for me?”

Jey nods, giving himself a few dry strokes, collecting the precum thats dripped from the head and using it as lubricant. “Ye, Sami. Been so hard stayin’ with Jim n’ Solo, never have a second to myself.”

He gives Sami another quick kiss before helping him to his feet and guiding Sami’s shorts off as well, guiding the fabric around the bulk of the knee brace. He steadies Sami as he kicks off the offending garments, and comes eye to eye with those delicious thighs. He’s put on weight here too, with delicate stretch marks in the creases where his legs meet his torso. Jey’s mouth waters at the thought of putting his dick between those thighs, wonders if Sami’s ever known that pleasure before and if not delights in the idea of introducing him to it.

He takes the opportunity while he’s kneeling to lick at the stretch marks, and nip at the skin. Sami squirms, but he holds him fast, taking his time to give his thighs the attention they deserve. He switches sides, deliberately avoiding Sami’s cock, tempting though it is.

Sami’s fingers run through his hair, nails scratching lightly at his scalp and sending tingles down his spine. Jey thinks he’d gladly spend hours here if given the chance, but he has so many plans.

He plants one more kiss to the sensitive skin before rising to his feet and picking Sami up again, taking him by surprise. He moves them around to the side of the bed before gently putting Sami down into the pillows at the headboard and snagging a few others.

In Jey’s late night frustrations the last few weeks, he’d kept himself busy researching, figuring out positions and tricks to keep Sami’s knee comfortable during sex. The last thing he wants to do is injure the man further.

He carefully folds one of the pillows and tucks it under the brace for support, then hauls himself up onto the bed with the last pillow. He gently takes Sami’s hips in his hand and pulls them up, helped with Sami’s good knee bracing himself. He slides the pillow under Sami’s ass and letting him rest his hips there, raised up from the bed.

Jey takes the opportunity to get a handful of ass, squeezing and pinching playfully, while he settles himself between Sami’s splayed open thighs. He catches sight of Sami’s face, the other man looking at him with an expression that he can’t read and suddenly Jey feels nervous.

“This- uh this alright? Guess I never asked if you ever- if you even want-“ Jey covers his face in embarrassment.

“No- no, Jey! I mean- yes! This is more than alright.” Jey’s hands are pulled away from his face by Sami’s warm hands and his face is right there, stealing a quick kiss. “I’ve been thinking about getting you inside me for ages, are you kidding me? This is exactly what I want.”

Jey kisses him again, relieved. As usual Sami is four steps ahead of him, but still meets him where he is. He still has a hard time believing that he can just have this, that he deserves this man at all.

“Okay, good-“ Jey pecks his lips again. “Great. You stay here, get comfy.” He hops back off the bed and goes to grab the bag he dropped, quickly grabbing the bottle of lube and condoms he purchased just for this and returning to the bedroom.

He pauses in the doorway for a moment, admiring the morning light streaming in from the windows, the way it plays on Sami’s pale skin, the way it turns the ginger of his hair to flame. His head rolls, turning his face to look at Jey and hitting him with a smile.

His heart is in his throat and he crosses the room in quick strides. It’s always been a struggle to keep his hands off of Sami when they’re in the same room, and he has no reason to hold himself back anymore. He gives Sami another sweet kiss before taking his place again on the bed between Sami’s tempting thighs. He runs his hands over the soft flesh, humming softly. “Wanna fuck these thighs later,” He flicks open the cap on the bottle of lube, pouring a liberal amount onto his fingers. “But right now, wanna open you up Sami.”

He starts with one finger, slowly working back and forth across the tight ring of muscle, teasing him with slow circles and not quite enough pressure to sink in. He hears a soft moan of his name come from the pillows and pushes in, feeling the soft warm heat envelop his finger as he explores and stretches Sami’s hole.

Jey’s dick is diamond hard just thinking about how good it will feel to buried inside, but he’s going to take Sami apart before then. Today is about Sami.

He takes his time, listening to the moans and reactions that each motion draws out of the other man. Jey adds another finger, coating them in lube, searching for Sami’s prostate as he scissors his fingers to open him up. He feels the spot with the pad of one finger and hears a cut off cry from Sami and he knows he’s found what he was looking for.

Jey massages the spot with both fingers, watching as the motion causes more precum to leak from Sami’s dick, drooling out to puddle on his plush stomach. He can’t wait to lick that up later.

“Takin’ it so good, Sami, so good for me.” Jey’s unoccupied hand runs up and down Sami’s side, blunt nails just barely scratching at the skin. “Wanna make you feel so good.”

Sami starts talking, and in typical fashion, doesn’t stop. A litany of praises fall from his lips and it’s music to Jey’s ears. “More, more baby- need you inside me Jey, want it so bad, please please give it to me.”

The words go straight to Jey’s dick, and he’s ready for it too but he also doesn’t want to break Sami in half. Jey’s dick is, well it’s certainly not small, above average in length and thick. He adds another finger into Sami’s hole, earning another delicious moan and pleas for more and harder.

He flexes his hand, spreading his fingers wide against the velvet walls of Sami’s hole, getting him nice and open and wet. He drills his fingers in, deep and slow dragging against his prostate each time and hearing Sami’s moans creep higher and higher. He stares at his fingers going in and out, the sweet wink of Sami’s hole when he pulls them out.

Sami whines, but Jey ducks down and licks into Sami’s hole, filling him again with his tongue. Jey feels Sami’s hand clutching at his while his whole body trembles, and he wraps their fingers together as he feasts on Sami’s sweet taste.

“Oh god, please baby, please I’m so ready, so ready Jey- come on,” Sami’s mouth is still running, and Jey decides to give in to him.

He pulls back, licking his lips and running his hands back up Sami’s thighs, changing directions and trailing up to Sami’s stomach, loving on his tummy rolls and the swell of his tits. He finds Sami’s face wet with tears and he panics a little, brushing his cheeks to wipe the tears away.

“You okay, Sami?”

Sami nods, breathing heavily into a smile. “Yea, m’okay baby. Just need you now.”

Jey gives him a quick kiss, “Got you, Sami- Gonna give ya what you need.” He reaches for the condoms sitting behind him, but Sami stops his arm. “Sami?”

“I know you’re good, baby. You know I’m clean. If you’re okay with it-“

“You gon’ let me go in raw?”

Sami nods feverishly. “Want it, want you-“

Jey wastes no more time, moving to line himself up with Sami’s hole, the fat head of his dick just kissing the pink skin that glistens with lube and Jey’s spit. He moves, pushing from his hips and drilling his cock in slowly, watching as he’s enveloped in Sami’s body.

He buries himself inside, pausing when he’s finally all the way in and fighting the urge to immediately start fucking, giving Sami time to adjust as he feels his hole twitching around him. He’s tight, even with the lube, and warm and perfect and Jey’s seeing stars. He blinks a few times. looking down at Sami’s face where more tears are leaking from his eyes.

“Please, Jey, move baby I can take it, give it to me, feels so big, so fucking good-“

Jey drags his hips back, feeling the drag of Sami’s hole clutching him before he plows back in, slow and deliberate, aiming each thrust to Sami’s prostate and driving the man underneath him wild.

He looks down at Sami’s chest, watches as each tit jiggles deliciously when he bottoms out, and he increases his speed for a moment just to watch them bounce.

Sami is begging him for more and right there and he has no problem with that, grinding his hips with each deep thrust, feeling his orgasm coil hot in his low belly, creeping closer.

He takes his hand to Sami’s still-weeping cock, wrapping it in his hand and working it up and down, smearing it in Sami’s precum, and hearing the words coming out of Sami’s mouth fall away into those sweet little breathy moans that mean he’s about to cum.

“Jey- baby, right there! Fuck-“

Jey feels the moment that Sami cums, his ass milking Jey’s cock for all its worth. Jey pulls out for one last push inside to put his cum as deep inside Sami as possible. He falls apart, his vision whiting out as he fills Sami up, imagining for a moment that Sami’s tummy might be a little bit rounder now filled up with his cum.

Sami’s panting as Jey finally pulls out, watching the cum drip out behind him. He takes one of his thumbs, absentmindedly pushing the cum back inside where it belongs, before collapsing on his side next to Sami on the bed.

It takes Jey a moment to catch his breath, running his hands up and down Sami’s chest while his brain comes back online.

Sami looks over at him, smiling. “Damn babe,”

“Ye?”

“Ye,” Sami repeats, and its the cutest thing. “Gonna be feeling that for days.”

Jey wraps his arm around the other man’s chest, dropping his forehead onto Sami’s shoulder. “Good. Mine.”

“So articulate,” Sami laughs, teasingly. “I think we both might need a nap now.”

Jey just nods against him, cuddling up as close as he can, twining their legs together and just enjoying the feeling of having Sami so close. He nods off to sleep feeling the most content he’s ever felt.

___

Thank you so much for reading!!! Next time: more smut and Jey learning how to communicate his feelings!