#wanted to do something else for the top section but ran out of time :C

[freckled-paints]

Story time!

this was my contribution for the bluey fanzine!

can you spot the long dog?

[sassyduckqueen]

Don’t Pull My Strings- ML Prompts and One Shots 8

Ok so here's the story featuring Puppet Queen and Marionette. I worked them into a request for my friend, @naruwitch​, where Marinette and Luka get akumatized and Adrien learns his inaction and bad advice has serious consequences. I had a lot of fun writing this so yay me. Also I'm closing requests for these prompts for a little bit. I have a few I need to catch up on so I'll reopen requests when I'm caught up but I'm not sure when that will be. Anyway hope you guys like this :)

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Tears rolled down Marinette's face as she held onto the lucky charm Adrien had given her for her birthday. She was sat on her chaise lounge with a number of her handmade dolls near her. She had a Volpina one on the floor, along with the Bubbler and the Lady Wifi doll. She had been talking to them as if they were their real life counterparts. She was trying not to bottle up her hurt as she knew it wasn't healthy. Normally, it worked but today she was finding it harder then usual. Today in class, Lila had claimed that Marinette had attacked her and had been bullying her. As a result, Alya and Nino had renounced their friendship with Marinette and turned their back on her. They completely believed Lila's lies about her supposedly bullying her and told Marinette in front of the whole class, including Miss Bustier, that they would couldn't be friends with a jealous bully like her, which in turn had caused the rest of the class to turn against her, expect for Juleka. She had been the only one who tried to point out that it wasn't Marinette's normal behavior. Sure, she had her moments when she got jealous of people but always got past it. As usual everyone ignored her but the real blow had came when Marinette tried to stick up for herself and tell them the truth. Hoping that Adrien would tell the truth, she turned to him and asked him to tell them. Adrien, however, didn't. She wasn't sure if he panicked or if he just didn't want to call Lila out but he turned around and said that he didn't know what she was talking about. As if that wasn't bad enough, he then pulled her aside and told her to drop it, telling that 'they were just lies', that 'no one was getting hurt' and long as they both knew, it didn't matter if Lila was lying or not. She didn't stay after that. Despite Miss Bustier calling for her, Marinette rushed home and straight into her room, where she cried for a few minutes before taking out her dolls. She tried to talk them, telling them about how she felt but the real string of betrayal had come from Adrien. Since she didn't have a doll of him, she took out the lucky charm he had given her but instead of talking, she just began to cry again. In a simple act of trying to 'keep the peace', he had broke her heart in two. She jumped a little as she heard a knock on her trapdoor.

 "C-Come in?" The trap door opened and to her surprise, Luka climbed through. As soon as he fully in the room and the trap door closed, Marinette rushed over to him, throwing her arms around him. He caught her and held her close as she began to cry.

 "Ssh, it's ok, Melody," He whispered, leading her back over to her chaise longue. Marinette let him sit her down before he sat next to her and held her close to him. "Juleka messaged me and asked me to come by to check on you. She didn't tell me what happened but mentioned that you ran out of the school in tears,"

Marinette nodded as she held onto him. He frowned a little as he held her, stroking the top of her head.

 "Li-Lila's been telling everyone that I've been b-bullying her," She sniffed, making him frown. He knew she wasn't capable of bullying anyone, giving how she reacted with Chloe. She only ever stood up to Chloe. She never was malicious about how she spoke to her and definitely didn't single her out or torment her. Luka frowned as he held Marinette. He was certain the bully in this situation was Lila. He had met the girl when she came to one of Kitty Section's practice. Unfortunately for him, he ended up with a migraine for the rest of practice. When she had gone home, he told the rest of the band that she cause his headache. The very next day, he ended up getting kicked out of the band. Juleka had tried to defend him but she was outvote by two to one. Since they were discussing kicking him from the band, he didn't get a vote. He was upset by it but suspected that it had something to do with Lila so he did his own digging into her, seeing if he could find out anything on her. He already believed Marinette when she had told him that Lila was a liar and he knew her claims about been Ladybug's best friend and knowing Jagged Stone were bull but he wanted to find out what else he could find. Unfortunately, he didn't find anything other then the ladyblog but it didn't surprise him. Marinette's gentle sobs caught his attention, causing him to frown as he rubbed her back. "T-They believed her, Luka. A-Alya and Ni-Nino to-told me that t-they couldn't be friends with me a-and the r-rest of the c-class d-did the same,"

 "What about Adrien?" He asked, feeling unsure. Marinette had told Luka that Adrien knew about Lila's liars and had given her advice. Not that you could really call it that but while he didn't agree with Adrien's advice, he was happy that Marinette had someone else on her side. Or at least, he hoped that he was but judging by Marinette's heartbroken expression, that was not the case. "Melody?"

 "I a-asked him to tell them and he d-didn't. He said he didn't know what I was talking about and th-then he pulled me aside and told me that L-Lila's lies aren't h-hurting anyone and as long as we knew it didn't matter if she was lying but she's hurting me, Luka," She cut off as another sob escaped her lips. Luka frowned deeply and hugged her again, causing her to lean into him as she closed her eyes. They stayed like that for a good ten minutes or so before Marinette slowly looked up at Luka with an expression that made his heart break. She looked down at the lucky charm in her hand with a hurt expression. "She's hurting me... do I not matter?" 

"You matter more then anyone in the world, Melody," He whispered, gently placing his hand over the lucky charm so she didn't have to look at it. It still hung from her hand but she had glanced up, looking up at him as he gently kissed her forehead. "He isn't worth your time or your tears,"

 "I-" She began before her eyes widen as an akuma entered the lucky charm. Luka's eyes widen at the same time as well before a purple butterfly mask appeared over their eyes. Tikki gasped from her hiding place and rushed over as Hawkmoth's voice echoed in their minds. 

 "Puppet Queen.... Marionette... I am Hawkmoth," The villain said in their heads. "So Lila Rossi has spreading her lies again and turning everyone into her puppets. Well, I'm giving you two the power to make them your puppets and let the truth be known. In return, you will get me Ladybug's and Chat Noir's miraculous... do we have a deal?"

 "Rossi will no longer pull the strings," Luka muttered as Tikki gasped and carefully took the earrings off Marinette's ears before she could reach for them. She flew over the window and gasped back with a sorrowful look before fazing through the window.

 "And the truth will play out," Marinette replied before the purple mist engulfed them, changing the lucky charm into a cross control. Luka's form flopped forward as if he had become inanimate as the purple mist disappeared from Marinette. Her eyes were closed but she was holding two identical cross controls in her hands. Her hair was a little bit longer but in the same style as before. It's color had changed. It was a bright blue with bright pink tips. She was wearing a light pink shirt, a brown corset belt with an over skirt attached to it and dark gray shorts. She had a red jacket with a gold hem and gold buttons and a pink ribbon around her neck. She had white stockings on but one only when up to her calf where the other was thigh high. She had black Mary Jane styles shoes and dark gray fingerless gloves on her. Her mask was light pink and her lips were blood red. However, her skin resembled porcelain and was 'broken' in some parts, making her look like a broken doll. She opened her eyes, revealing cold blue eyes that were dull and lacked emotions. She glanced over to where Luka was stood as the purple mist disappeared from him. He was standing but his torso was slumped forward and his arms hung motionless by his side with his head bowed, causing his hair to flop in front of his eyes, which were closed. Like her, his skin resembled porcelain but there were no cracks across his face. His hair was the same shade and cut but he was no longer wearing his usual clothes. He was dressed in a light blue shirt with a black ribbon around his neck that was secured with a blue brooch, which resembled a sapphire. He had a black waistcoat with a red hem and a dark blue belt around his waist. His pants were black but had patches of bright fabric sew onto them as well as some tattered patches. His boots were dark brown with a red heel. He had a mask around his eyes which matched his waistcoat and his nails were painted black. Unlike Marinette, who had cross controls, he had string attached to each of his fingers and his wrists resembled a doll's joints. She tilted her head aside before walking over to her sewing machine. She placed her cross controls down on the table, next to her sewing machine before grabbing the materials she needed. She turned it on and sat down, beginning to work on more dolls. A purple butterfly mask appeared over her eyes, making her frown as Hawkmoth asked her what she was doing. "Patience, Hawkmoth. We only seven dolls between us and as you well know, those ones will only work for me. He needs his own set. Besides no one knows about us yet,"

 "Very well, Puppet Queen but I expect results," He growled before disconnecting it. Puppet Queen smiled and continued working. She stopped when she heard her mother calling her name and got up. She grabbed one of her cross controls and connected it to the Volpina doll, causing a real life size Volpina to appear out of pink smoke. Like Marionette, she was stood completely still with her torso and head hunched over and her arms hanging at her side. Puppet Queen moved her controls, causing Volpina to stand up before she took out her flute and played a tune, creating a ball of light at the end. She threw it in the room, engulfing it in a bright orange light. The trap door opened, revealing Sabine but she did not see Volpina, Marionette or Puppet Queen. She just saw Marinette and Luka curled asleep on her chaise longue. Deciding to leave them in peace, Sabine closed the door and disappeared downstairs to let the captain know that Luka would be staying over that night. The illusion disappeared, causing Puppet Queen to let out a small sigh before she detached the strings on her Volpina doll, making the full size version disappear before she continued to work on the dolls.

 ~Next Day~

 Puppet Queen stretched as she finished the last doll, putting it with the others. Hawkmoth had checked in on her a couple of times but in the end, decided to let her make the dolls. She had made Marionette a set of dolls based on her classmates. She was unable to make one for Adrien as she didn't have the right material for him and there was no point in making one of herself. She also decided not to make one of Juleka as the girl had tried to defend her. It wasn't her fault that she was easily ignored. Besides, she wouldn't want to hurt Marionette in that way. Juleka was still his sister. She had made some more akuma dolls for herself. Ones with powers she thought as useful. She picked Silencer as his power would be useful to shut people up. She made an Oni-chan doll because she had the power to track Lila and give her a horn. She wouldn't admit as Marinette or Ladybug but she found it very satisfying to see Lila terrified and with the horn on her head. She had a field day when she realized it grew every time she lied. She picked out Malediktator as well as Stormy Weather and Reverser. She picked Malediktator and Reverser because their powers were useful but she actually just picked Stormy Weather because she liked the look. Her inner designer influenced that choice. With all her new dolls done, she picked the class dolls and placed them on the ground in front of Marionette before standing up and gently cupping his cheek.

 "It's time to play, Marionette," She declared, Almost instantly, Marionette opened his eyes, revealing their color. They had changed green again but unlike his previous forms, they weren't full emotion at all. In fact, they looked almost lifeless and glazed over. He straightened up, clicking a little as he tilted his head to the side with a slightly confused expression. She giggled a little. "I made you some dolls,"

 He glanced down at them before glancing back at her with a puzzled expression.

 "I didn't have enough material to make an Adrien doll," She replied, frowning. She would have loved to have seen him been controlled like the dummy he is. Maybe then he would realize how much Lila's lies hurt. She frowned a little before hearing another click as Marionette lifted his arm and gently placed his hand on top of her head, patting it in a comforting manner. She smiled a little before shaking her head. "I'm fine,"

 He moved his hand from her and gave her a smile, making her giggle again. However, he turned his head to the side and lifted his arm, pointing to the trap door. Puppet Queen frowned and picked up her cross controls, reattaching one to the Volpina doll, re-summoning her then attaching the other one to the Lady Wifi doll. She used Volpina to create an illusion of Marinette and Luka leaving the house and saying goodbye to her parents before using the Lady Wifi doll to lock the trap door so they would not be disturbed. She knew full well that Miss Bustier wouldn't notice if she wasn't in class today and even if she did, she wouldn't bother calling her parents right away. Satisfied that they wouldn't be disturbed, she detached the dolls and turned back to Marionette, who was leaned down. He picked up one of the dolls, which happened to be Nathaniel's and tilted his head to the side before looking at her, as if asking permission. She smiled and nodded, causing the strings attached to his fingers to move on their own and connect to the doll, attaching themselves to the arms, legs and neck of the doll. He let go off it, causing it to fall onto the floor, slumped as he held out his hand and wiggled his fingers before he moved the doll, causing it to straight up and look around. Puppet Queen smiled and grabbed her computer chair, moving it in front of Marionette before grabbing her own dolls and placing them in front of her. She picked up the Ladybug doll, allowing her strings to attach to it before letting it fall to her side, slumped as well. She moved her hand, causing the doll to stand up straight.

 ~Meanwhile in School~

 Nathaniel was doodling in his book as he listened to Mrs Mendeleiev rambling on about science when he suddenly slumped against the desk, like he had fallen asleep. Mrs Mendeleiev noticed and began to tell him off before he suddenly stood up and walked from his desk, making her frown. He walked over to the white board and picked up a pen before beginning to write the same sentence repeatedly on the board, causing everyone to gasp.

 Lie-la, Lie-la, fox on fire

 "Nathaniel! Stop that at once!" Mrs Mendeleiev demanded, causing him to stop before he turned his head slowly towards her, making her frown as his eyes were completely glazed over like he wasn't living at all. It made her extreme uncomfortable as he turned back and continued to write. "Nathaniel, that's enough,"

 He completely ignored her, making her frown.

 "Nathaniel! I said stop that at once!" She barked but he ignored her again. "That's it! Go to the principle's office,"

 He stopped, making her think she had gotten through to him before he wrote on the board again. This time he wrote no but then stopped writing on the board before he turned his head slowly again and smiled at her, making her jolt back. However, he turned to the class with slowed movements, causing the class to feel freaked out.

 "Hickory dickory dock, a Fox went up the clock. The clock struck one. The fox fell down and broke her crown, Hickory dickory dock," He sang, causing the class to look at him with a mixture of confusion and fear. "Tick tock, tick tock, tick tock, tick tock,"

 "What the hell, Nathaniel?!" Alya shouted, causing him to turn and glance at him. 

 "Ah, the tabloid writer," He deadpanned, making her frown. "Wait your turn,"

 She blinked as he walked over to Lila with slowed movements. He stopped in front of her, making her blink at him.

 "Lila the Liar. How ironic that your name has lie in it," He replied, making her gulp.

 "I'm not-"

 "I'm not done talking!" He shouted, slamming his hands down on the table before tilting his head to the side. "I know you're a liar. Liar, Liar, Liar, Liar-"

 Alya frowned as she noticed something shining above his head, making her frown. She grabbed the nearest pair of scissors and cut the shining thing, causing her to realize it was a string. She noticed four others and cut them too as Nathaniel tried to grab her, causing him to slump as soon as she cut the last string before he straightened up and looked around confused.

 "What? How did I get over here?" He asked, looking around confused but the sound of slow clapping caught the rest of the class's attention. Alix was slowly clapping in a mocking manner, making Alya look at her with concern before she stopped and looked at her.

 "So you're not as dumb as you look," She replied, making Alya frown as she smirked. "And here I just thought you were nothing more then a trashy tabloid writer,"

 "I'm not a tabloid writer," Alya growled back, making Alix laugh. "Who are you anyway? You're clearly not Alix!"

 "I'm Marionette," Alix replied, doing a dramatic bow before her limps hung a little. She looked up and tilted her to the side as she smiled. "And you're all my puppets now,"

 "Marionette?" Alya questioned, frowning but Lila gasped. 

 "Oh, no. It's Marinette!" Lila cried, crocodile tears rolling down her cheeks. "She must off been akumatized to get revenge on me! It's bad enough that she bullies-"

 "LIAR!" Alix suddenly screamed, cutting Lila off. "One I am not Marinette! Two! Marinette never bullied you! You bullied her!"

 "You would say that, Marinette!" She cried out, causing the rest of the class mutter. It did make sense that Marinette would have gotten akumatized over this. They had stopped been her friend but it's not their fault she was a bully. Before they could get say anything else, Ladybug flew through the window and landed on the floor before straightening up. Lila gritted her teeth but gave a fake smile. "Oh, Ladybug! Thank goodness, Alix has been possessed by Marinette! She's using her to bully me!"

 "No, she isn't," Ladybug replied, causing everyone to gasp. "Marionette isn't Marinette, Lie-la,"

 The class blinked at Marinette's word before Alya gasped. 

 "Wait, how did you know about Marionette, Ladybug?" She asked, causing the rest of the class to gasp and back away from the heroine. "She's only just appeared,"

 "Because, Alya, he's my loyal knight," Ladybug smiled, making the class gasp in shock and question why she was working with an akuma. She completely ignored them as she threw her yoyo up in the air. "Lucky charm!"

 A giant sword appeared out of thin air, causing the class to gasp before Mrs Mendeleiev ordered them to retreat, following them as they ran out of the classroom. They locked the door behind them, causing Ladybug tilted her head to the side before she gave Alix a smile. She would make sure they didn't escape.

 "I'll get the doors," She replied, kicking the door down and walking out as Alix followed. "Lila! Alya!! Why don't you come and say hi to your favorite hero?!"

 ~In the Courtyard~

 The class ran out of the class as soon as Mrs Mendeleiev shouted at them to do so. She locked the door behind her and ordered them to escape the school while she informed the headmaster of the situation. The class ran down the stairs and rushing over towards the doors as they did but to their surprise, Lady Wifi, jumped down in front of them and fired her commands at them. They managed to dodge them but Lady Wifi took the chance to use her lock command on the main doors. Alya gasped and ran over to the locker room, opening the door. The rest of the class followed her, rushing inside as they heard the door been kicked down and the fake Ladybug calling out for Lila and Alya. Nino turned to her, causing her to look at him.

 "Ok, how is Lady Wifi here when you haven't been akumatized?" He asked, making her frown.

 "It must be the akuma," She replied, making most of the class agree with her. "But if Marionette can use akumas, why not just go for that in the first place?"

 "Didn't Ladybug refer to Marionette as her loyal knight?" Mylene asked, causing Alya to nod and for the rest of the class to be confused. "But if Marinette is Marionette... why did Ladybug call her a he?"

 "Isn't it obvious?" Chloe asked, crossing her arms and causing everyone to look at her. "Lila was wrong. Marionette isn't Marinette. I know Hawkmoth isn't very creative but even he's not that dull,"

 "But if Marionette isn't Marinette and is in fact a boy, who is he and why is he after Lila?" Nino asked, making everyone mumble in agreement. Juleka gasped to herself and grabbed her phone, causing Rose to glance at her. As usual, no one else paid attention to her as she tried to call Luka but it went straight to voicemail. As soon as she hung up, she glanced up to see Rose staring at her with glazed over eyes. She gasped again and went to say something but Rose lifted her finger to her lip, making a shush noise before she blinked and looked around confused. She noticed Juleka looking at her.

 "Juleka, are you ok?" She asked, making the goth girl nod before she looked around. "Where's Adrien?"

 "I don't know," Juleka replied, glancing around. The blonde boy was no where to be seen but before they could do anything else, the door was sliced open by the fake Ladybug as she held her sword. Alix stood next to her, along with Lady Wifi. However, Cat Noir's baton flew above them, cutting the strings attached to them, causing Lady Wifi and Ladybug to disappear and Alix to slump before she gasped and looked around as Cat Noir jumped down and ordered the class to follow him.

 "What the hell?" She asked but she didn't have time to think as Nathaniel grabbed her arm and ran out of the locker room. 

 "Cat Noir, the doors are locked," Alya gasped, making him frown before he jumped down in front of the door.

 "Leave it to me," He grinned, lifting his hand. He went to summon his power but a bolt of lightening made him jump out of the way. "What the?"

 "I don't think so, Kitty Cat," A voice gasped, making the class look over. To their surprise, Stormy Weather was hovering above the courtyard. "No one is leaving here until I say so,"

 "Why don't you come yourself instead of hiding behind these puppets?" Cat Noir asked, making her laugh. 

 "And let you take my akuma? I don't think so," She giggled, making him frown. "I don't think so. Marionette, sweetie, be a dear and keep our favorite feline busy while I deal with the liar,"

 "Marionette is gone, Puppet girl," Cat Noir grinned, making her frown a little. "I destroyed his strings,"

 "Dumb kitty cat, I'm not Puppet girl. I'm Puppet Queen!" She laughed, making him frown. "And what makes you think Marionette is gone, just because you destroyed his strings?"

 Cat Noir went to answer back but ducked as Kim suddenly took a swing at him. Ivan suddenly grabbed hold of him, causing Stormy Weather to laugh as he struggled.

 "Take his ring, Mon Cherie," She ordered as Juleka looked around panicked. Nino walked towards Cat Noir, reaching for his ring. "We'll grab the earrings later,"

 Cat struggled, kicking Kim back and freeing himself from Ivan. Kim stumbled back before charging at him with Ivan. Stormy Weather smirked and turned over to the rest of the class, who had moved in front of Lila, expect for Juleka, who was torn about things. She realized that Marionette was Luka which meant this Puppet Queen was Marinette. Somehow, they had both been akumatized.

 "Move," Stormy Weather growled, pointing her umbrella at the class. However, none of them moved out of the way, causing Stormy Weather to narrow her eyes but before she could strike, Juleka moved in front of the class, holding her arms up. Stormy Weather's eyes soften a little as she looked at the Goth girl. "Juleka, move. You're protecting a liar,"

 "I know," She mumbled, making the rest of the class look at her with shock. She looked up at Stormy Weather as the puppet narrowed her eyes. "But I don't care about her. I care about you and my brother. Just tell us where the akuma is, Marinette,"

 "I'm not Marinette anymore!" Stormy Weather shouted as the class stared in surprise as well as Cat Noir, causing him to get punched by Ivan. Stormy Weather flew down and landed on the ground, walking towards Juleka and the class as Lila began to cry fake tears again. "Do you want to know why I got akumatized, Juleka? Because those people you're trying to protect turned on me like a pack of rabid dogs the more Lie-la claimed I harmed her! It didn't matter that some of them had known me for years or that I never even got physical with Chloe! It didn't matter that they were no-"

 Stormy Weather disappeared as Alya cut the strings, causing Juleka to gasp in surprise. Cat Noir kicked out and sliced Kim's strings with his claws before diving out of the way as Ivan tried to punch him. Alya grabbed Kim's arm and pulled him out of the way as Ivan continued to fight Cat Noir. He kicked him back, knocking him to the floor before slashing his strings with his claws. Ivan slumped before sitting up and looking around confused. Cat Noir helped him to his feet before turning to Juleka, who was playing with her hands.

 "How did you know that was Marinette?" He asked, making the class look at her before she sighed.

 "Because of what happened yesterday," She mumbled, making him frown. As Adrien, he knew that but as Cat Noir he had to play dumb. 

 "Why? What happened?" He asked, making Juleka frown as well.

 "Lila accused Marinette was attacking her and bullying her, which caused Alya and Nino to call her out and disown her as a friend," She mumbled, making him frown. He remembered as clear as day. Marinette's broken expression was almost enough to get him to tell the truth but then he realized that if he told them, they would throw him in the trash as well. After all, the class didn't believe Marinette so why would they believe him and the only reason why this was all happening was because Marinette couldn't be the bigger person and walk away. After all, Lila thrived off attention and if she didn't have it and was ignored, she would just disappear like a tabloid newspaper. Also it would keep the peace with the rest of the class since they wanted to get on Lila. He just didn't understand why Marinette just didn't follow his advice and take the high road. He was sure that Lila would end up exposing herself. Of course, he didn't think Marinette would get akumatized over it. She hadn't been akumatized before so he thought she would be fine. "But she isn't the only one akumatized,"

 "What?" Cat gasped, looking up at her. He didn't expect that at all. Juleka was playing with her hands again. "Juleka?"

 "Luka is as well..." She mumbled, making Rose gasp as Ivan and Mylene stared at her, along with a lot of the other class. The color drained from Cat's face as he stared at her too. This was worst then he expected. When Luka was Silencer, he was a formidable opponent. After all, he took Ladybug's voice and was tactical as he thought them but teaming up with an akumatized Marinette... well, this was not a good thing. "Luka went to check on her yesterday to make sure she was ok but he didn't come home last night. Ma said that Mrs Cheng had decided to let him stay over but..."

 "Are you certain that Luka is also akumatized?" Cat asked, making the goth girl know.

 "I tried to ring him earlier and it went straight to voicemail," She mumbled, making him frown. "I think Marionette is Luka as Puppet Queen is Marinette,"

 "Very good, Juleka," A voice echoed before Oni-chan jumped down and landed in the courtyard, causing Lila to gasp and hide behind Ivan, who glared at the puppet. Cat Noir charged at her but she blocked his attack and threw him into the rest of the class, knocking them down before jump over to Lila, who backed away. "Well, you know how this power works already, don't you Lie-la?"

 "I d-don't know what you're talking about," She gasped, backing away.

 "Let me remind you," She replied, taking out the sword but Cat Noir blocked it before she could hit her.

 "Marinette, listen to me, you don't have to do this," Cat gasped, trying to get through to her. "Just give me your object and I'll bring it to Ladybug,"

 "Silly Kitty, Ladybug isn't coming," She grinned, making him frown before she knocked him back and diving at Lila, pressing her sword to her forehead. Cat Noir got up and knocked into her as the class gasped. Lila felt her forehead, gasping as she felt a horn on there. How was she going to lie now? Oni-chan got up and smirked at her before lifting the sword to fight with Cat Noir.

 "Marinette, this isn't who you are," He gasped, holding up his hand. "Didn't Adrien say you were the everyday Ladybug?"

 "Agreste is a traitor," Max growled, making everyone look at him with surprise, expect for Oni-chan. Seeing the chance to run, Lila slipped away and headed back into the locker room. Not that it mattered, Oni-chan could easily track her. Instead, she leaned against her sword to watch Marionette rip into Chat. Max walked over to him and poked the hero in his chest surprising him. "And you sound just like him!"

 "No, I'm just-"

 "Don't lie!" Max roared, causing the class to step back in fear. They should try and escape but they were too interested in what the Puppet had to say. "You don't care about Marinette! You just want to keep the peace, just like Agreste! Well, all of this is because of that dumb model! He's known from the beginning that Rossi is a liar since he was there when Ladybug called her out but he doesn't care that she's lying to his classmates and making people's lives miserable! No, all he cares about is keeping the peace and taking the 'high' road! Well, the high road is bullshit! Lie-la isn't gonna lie herself into a corner and even if she did, it isn't down to him to decide who gets hurt by her lies!"

 "Adrien never said-"

 "Shut up! I'm not done!" Max roared. "He told Marinette that it didn't matter if they both knew. Well, it does matter! Did you know she's nearly been akumatized almost everyday for the last few weeks and every day she resisted because she didn't want to hurt her friends?! Did you know she cried herself to sleep over these people who turned their backs on them every time that lying fox spun a new story?"

 Cat Noir frowned as he glanced down, feeling bad. He didn't think she had been so torn up by the whole situation. She didn't seem like it when in class. Alya stepped forward. 

 "If Marinette had been resisting been akumatized this long, why did she end up akumatized this time huh?" She asked, placing her hand on her hips and holding the scissors threateningly. Max turned to her and smiled.

 "If I answer that and you don't like it, are you gonna cut my strings?" He asked, making her blink before he rushed forward and grabbed the scissors off her. Cat went to charge at him but stopped when Oni-chan pointed her blade at his throat. Max crushed the scissors in his hands, making the class gasp before dropping them on the door, rendering them useless. "No, no...you're gonna listen to me. The reason why this time was different is because of you and Adrien, Cesaire. You turned your back on your so called BBF and having been so for ages but yesterday was the last straw. You believed Lila that Marinette had assaulted her and renounced your friendship with her in front of everyone without a single shred of proof. And you wonder why I call you a tabloid?! Honestly, that's too nice for you! And Agreste! Urg! He knew Lila was a liar and when all of you... expect you, Juleka... turned on her like a rabid pack of dogs and she begged him to tell you the truth, he ignored her and worst denied it! As if that wasn't bad enough, he then proceed to pull her aside and told her to drop it because and I quote 'it's just lies' and 'no one is getting hurt'. Well, news flash, you mangy cat! Her lies are hurting someone and that someone is Marinette or doesn't she not matter?!"

 "Of course, she matters-"

 "Then Agreste should act like that instead of choosing a liar over her!" He shouted, making Chat step back. "And that is what was different this time! The two people who Marinette believed would always have her back turned on her! Marinette had been able to resist the akumas before because she believed that no matter what she had Alya and Adrien on her side. It broke her heart when they turned on her. There's only so much pain and hurt a person can take and this time she just didn't have the strength to fight the akuma,"

 "But Adrien was just trying to-"

 "Keep the peace," Max growled, making Chat gulp a little. "Well, if he hadn't been trying to keep the peace, hadn't given Marinette that frankly awful advice and actually told the truth about Lila, then we would not be here right now, would we chat?! We also wouldn't be here if Alya actually checked her sources like she should have! Tell me, Alya, did you even have proof that Marinette attacked Lila?"

 "Of course, Lila-"

 "Did you seen bruises? Cuts? Injuries?" He asked, making her frown. "How about text messages? Or any witnesses? Did any of you actually see Marinette targeting Lila like how Chloe targets people? Or did you just see her trying to tell the truth? Well, it doesn't matter what you saw,"

 "What do you mean?" Alya asked as Oni-Chan walked over to Max. Cat Noir went to move over but Oni-chan pointed her sword at him as Max moved his arm over to her.

 "Don't worry, Chat. We're gonna make sure Lila shows her everyone her true colors," She replied before her horned glowed and they disappeared, causing Officer Roger to appear in their place. Alya gasped as she looked around, causing Cat Noir to look at her.

 "They're going after Lila!" She gasped, making him blink. "We have to help her!"

 "The best way to help her is to find Puppet Queen and Marionette. Did Marinette come to school today?" He asked, making the class frown and shake her head. "Then she might still be at her home. Stay here. I'll go stop them,"

 He jumped up onto the roof and out of the school, heading over to the bakery. He went to jump up to Marinette's balcony but jumped back as a number of red bubbles were fired at him, exploding as they did. He blocked them with his baton and dodged a green one before he glared up at the balcony. Bubbler was stood on the edge but was surrounded by a number of red and green bubbles. If Chat tried to get in the balcony, he would get attacked and possibly end up trapped in a bubble but he also knew he could get in through the bakery. He rushed inside, causing Tom and Sabine to look up in shock as he rushed by them and into their apartment. Sabine rushed after him as Tom began to tell the customers that they were closed and ushered them out, locking the door behind them before he jointed his wife. Chat rushed up to Marinette's room and tried to open the trap door but found it was locked. He held out his hand and summoned his cataclysm, slamming his hand on it. It broke the lock on it and he forced it open, rushing inside but he found the room empty. He frowned and knelt down as he saw a number of dolls on the floor. He walked over to one of them and picked it up, frowning. It was one of Kim but it had strings attached to it's limbs and neck but the strings looked damaged, like they had been slashed by claws. 

 "Chat Noir, what's going on?" Sabine asked, getting his attention as he turned around. 

 "Where's Marinette?" He asked, making her frown. "Did you see her this morning?"

 "Yes, she left for school with Luka. He stayed over last night," She replied, making him frown. "Why?"

 "Are you sure you saw her?" He asked, noticing the doll of Lady Wifi and Stormy Weather. Puppet Queen was able to use the abilities of the akumas. He gasped as his eyes widen before he turned to Sabine. "Mrs Cheng, what dolls did Marinette have?"

 "Well, she had Ladybug, Lady Wifi, Bubbler, Volpina and of course one of yourself," She replied, making him frown. "Chat Noir, please tell me what's going on?"

 "I'm afraid Marinette has been akumatized," He replied, making her gasp as Tom got there. "She has the power to use these akuma puppets to summon the akumas and use their powers,"

 "But we saw her come downstairs!" She gasped, making him sigh.

 "She must of used Volpina's power to create an illusion," He replied, walking over to her sewing machine and seeing a number of materials that could be used to make dolls. She had a number of akuma dolls and Marionette must be using the dolls that resembled his classmates. He leaned down and picked up the Alix doll. Like the Kim doll, it's strings were tattered. "Had she made any dolls that resembled her classmates?"

 "No," Sabine answered as she looked at the doll in his hands. "Marinette's never showed me that one,"

 "She must of made them before they attacked them," He frowned before it clicked. They couldn't have been akumatized this morning. Marinette, in her right mind, wouldn't make dolls that resembled her classmates and if she did, she probably would have given to her classmates. "Did you see them last night?"

 "Yes, she had fallen asleep in Luka's arms," She replied, making him frown. "It's why we let him stay over. He's been a godsend during this hard time,"

 "Hard time? You mean at school?" He asked, making her nod.

 "We're trying to build a case against the school due to their mishandling of the situation," Tom explained, making Chat frown.

 "Mishandling?" He asked, getting a nod of them. "I don't want to pry but how did the school mishandle? And what situation? It will help me understand why Marinette got akumatized,"

 Tom and Sabine looked at each other with identical expressions.

 "Well, for one thing, her expulsion but she's been severely bullied and when we met with her teacher, she had the nerve to let us about how our daughter should apologize and forgive her bullies!" Sabine gasped, making Chat frown a little. He wasn't sure what to say. "She kept going on about Marinette setting a good example and how she should preach forgiveness and that's not even getting started on Mr Damocles,"

 "Well... correct me if I am wrong but isn't forgiving a good thing?" Chat asked, half expecting the bakers to bite off his head. However, the two of them shared a glance and nodded at each other. "Shouldn't Marinette be the better person and ignore them?"

 "Chat, have you ever been bullied?" Sabine asked, making him frown. Of course, he hadn't. He had been home schooled all of his life and by the time he got into normal school, he was famous. No one in their right mind would try to bully him out of fear of what his father might do. He shook his head, making the bakers frown as Tom gently placed his hand on Chat's shoulder. "Imagine you were in school and a boy in your class came in and told a glorious story that you knew was fiction... but when you tried to tell everyone the truth about the boy's story, he spun it so you seemed like the bad guy and a bully. So that everyone around you began to distrust you. How would you feel?"

 "Well, I'd feel awful but surely my friends would believe me when I told them the truth," Chat answered. 

 "What if they didn't?" Tom asked, making him frown. "How about this one? What if the same boy claimed you had pushed him down the stairs and that you had stolen something off him? Say a watch his grandfather gave him and you were expelled despite the fact that your locker had been broken into on a number of occasions and that there was no real evidence that you had pushed him down the stairs. How would that make you feel?"

 "Well, I'd be frustrated and hurt," He replied, frowning. Those situations mirrored what happened to Marinette.

 "Ok now imagine if you told your teachers what was happening and they just told you to be the bigger person and forgive your bullies. To show them that they don't need to bully but they get worst. They twist your words and make you seem like a bully. That boy continuously targets you no matter what. He trips you and threatens you but when ever you try to stick up for yourself, he makes it look like you were bullying him and begins to convince the rest of your classmates to ignore you and isolate you. He convinces your classmates that you're not worth their friendship and to give you a taste of 'your own medicine'. They begin to bully you in revenge of you bullying the boy despite that you're actually innocent but when you try to tell them, they claim you're just jealous," Tom explained, making Chat frown even deeper. If that really happened to him, he'd feel awful. "But imagine one of the students knows about the boy lying but instead of telling everyone and trying to support you, this student keeps it to themselves, believing that the boy will reveal himself and that no one is getting hurt by it. That they're worried that the boy will ended as an akuma but they don't even acknowledge that you're hurt by this. That you could be an akuma. Now imagine that happening every single day without fail. Imagine your teacher refusing to help you and blaming you for been a victim, even when your parents come in try and get a solution. How would you feel, Chat Noir, if that was what you had gone through? Because that's what our daughter has been going through the past few months. She has been fighting off akumas almost every day. It is exhausting trying to fight them off and we have tried our best to help her but it wasn't enough. She didn't have the strength anymore and now she has fallen prey to that madman, all because of a liar and Adrien's stupid advice,"

 "I... thank you for explaining it to me, Mrs Cheng and Mr Dupain. It has been enlightening," He replied, holding back tears. He had never thought it had been that bad but with the way they explained made him realize it had been so much worst then he realized and he had only made it worst by been quiet. He claimed Marinette was his friend yet he completely turned his back on her when she needed him. All because he believed that Lila wasn't really a threat and would disappear like a tabloid. Well, he was wrong and now Marinette, one of the strongest people he knew, had broken down and Hawkmoth took advantage of her, which resulted in both her and Luka been ensnared. The worst part was he was to blame. Because of him, two people had fallen victim to Hawkmoth. He turned to Tom and Sabine with regretful eyes. "I will do my best to get Marinette back, I swear,"

 With that, he ran outside to find the akumas and recharge Plagg.

 ~Puppet Queen and Marionette's POV~

 Marionette suddenly dropped his control on Max, causing Puppet Queen to look up at him and frown as he tilted his head and looked up at the skylight before pointing to it. She frowned deeply as she looked at it. He had warned her when her parents came up and chances are he could feel someone else coming up as well. Chat Noir. Once he worked that they would going after Lila, he would try and track them down. It's what she would do and though Chat acted like a clown, he wasn't stupid. He would work out that they were at home once the class told them that she hadn't turned up yet. She lifted her second cross and attached the strings to the Bubbler puppet, creating him on her balcony before gasping as she saw Chat coming towards the bakery. She directed a number of bubbles towards him as she turned to Marionette.

 "Collect the dolls that can be used and placed them in that basket," She ordered, causing him to move as she used Bubbler to set a number of bubbles around the balcony to stop Chat from getting in that way. With that done and most of the puppets collected, she freed the Oni-chan doll and Bubbler doll before placing them inside the basket. Marionette gave it to her and picked her up bridal style before jumping up onto her bed and through the skylight. He landed on the balcony as they heard Chat trying to get into the room. Marionette tilted his head and jumped to another roof, just as Chat used his cataclysm to get into the room. Marionette jumped across the city before landing on the top of the Eiffel tower. He jumped down, landing in front of Gustave Eiffel's office before putting Puppet Queen down and ripping open the door to the office. She smiled as he held it open for her and stepped inside. He followed and closed the door as she placed the basket on the table and took out the Lady Wifi doll. She attached her strings to it, making Lady Wifi appear before using her to lock the door as Marionette moved the wax figures off the chairs and placed them in front of each other. He took out his dolls and sat down, taking control of Max again as Puppet Queen switched Lady Wifi for Silencer and took out Oni-Chan again. She needed to make sure Chat couldn't use his power again to get into the office, once he found them. That should keep him busy enough while they dealt with Lila. 

 ~Tikki's POV~

 Tikki didn't know what to do. Marinette and Luka had been akumatized and she knew she couldn't tell Chat. If she told him then he would realize who Ladybug was and it's not like she could turn to Master Fu. There was the chance that he would try and take her from Marinette and she was certain that he would panic. No, she had to find a temporary holder for herself. Keeping herself hidden, she kept an eye on the apartment, hoping that maybe Marinette and Luka would resist been the akumas and break the object. However, they never did. She briefly thought they had when she saw them leaving the house but that thought disappeared when they did. She curled to herself and kept watch. She gasped when she saw Chat Noir come to the bakery and frowned when he had to go through it instead of in the balcony. She kept hidden when she saw the two akumas jump away from Marinette's room and frowned when Cat Noir left about ten minutes later. He looked upset but she had a feeling that he might finally understand Marinette's situation. Her parents must of told him. Her eyes widen and she mentally cursed herself for not thinking about it before. She knew who turn to. After all, the perfect person to save Marinette was none other then her own mother. With new hope and determination, she flew over to the bakery and headed inside.

 "I can't believe we didn't notice our little girl had been akumatized," Sabine gasped, making Tikki frown before she gasped. "Oh no, Luka was up there with her. You don't think she hurt him, do you?"

 "No, I don't even Marinette would, even as an akuma," Tom replied as Tikki flew into the back, causing the two adults to see her. Tom instantly screamed as Sabine looked at her with curiosity. "W-What is it?"

 "I'm a kwami," She replied, making them both blink. "My name is Tikki. Pleased to meet you,"

 "A kwami? But you look like a ladybug?" Sabine asked, frowning when Tikki looked down a little sad. "Is something wrong?"

 "I'm afraid so," She replied, making the bakers frown. "As a kwami, I can power up miraculous and give people super powers. To be precise, I give Ladybug her powers,"

 "Then why aren't you with Ladybug?" Sabine asked, frowning as Tikki looks sad again. "Is Ladybug ok?"

 "N-No, she's not," She gasped, tears in her eyes. "L-Ladybug needs help... she's... she's..."

 "Marinette," Sabine replied calmly, making Tom look at her with surprise as Tikki sniffed. "She is Ladybug, isn't she?"

 Tikki nodded, making Tom gasp.

 "H-How did you know?" She asked as Sabine gently cupped her with her hands.

 "My daughter gets akumatized and then Ladybug's kwami turns up. If Marinette wasn't Ladybug, she would have been saved by now," Sabine confirmed, making Tikki nod. "So what do you need me to do?"

 "I n-need someone to wear the earrings," She explained, making Sabine nod and take them, putting them in her ears. "But you must give them back to me once we've done,"

 "I will... but will you find a new Ladybug after this?"

 "I... I don't want to..." Tikki admitted, surprising Sabine. "Marinette's my friend and she is the best Ladybug I've ever known. If anyone can defeat Hawkmoth, I know she can but-"

 "Then we need to save her," Sabine smiled, surprising Tikki. "How do I transform?"

 "Say Tikki, spots on," Tikki explained, making Sabine nod. "You must capture the akuma or it will multiple and the special power is Lucky charm. Since you're an adult, you won't detransform after five minutes,"

 "Ok," Sabine nodded. "Tikki, spots on!"

 ~Back to Chat Noir~

 Chat jumped across the roofs as he headed back to the school, trying to work out where the akumas would go and hoping to come across Lila before they found her. While Plagg charged up, he went to visit Master Fu and told him that Ladybug was missing. Master Fu seemed shocked to find out that Marinette had been akumatized. He had given Adrien the fox, the turtle and the bee miraculous, telling them who could use them. He was surprised to find out that Rena and Carapace were Alya and Nino but he didn't have time to think about it. He needed to get back to the school. He jumped down and noticed Lila running down the street with Oni-chan and Max chasing them. He jumped down and slashed both of their strings before grabbing Lila and jumping away with her. For once, she didn't try to shout at him and just held onto him. He brought her back to the school and put her with her classmates, ordering them to split up and hide. As soon as the rest of the class began to run off, he pulled Alya, Chloe and Nino aside.

 "I'm so sorry to do this but Ladybug is missing," He explained, taking out the miraculous. "I need Rena Rogue, Carapace and Queen Bee,"

 "About time," Chloe gasped, grabbing the comb and fixing it into her hair. She greeted Pollen before transforming into Queen Bee. "Well, are you two gonna transform or not?"

 "Right," Nino replied, grabbing the bracelet and transforming into Carapace. Alya nodded and grabbed the pendent, transforming into Rena Rogue. "Ok, what's the plan?"

 "It seems that Puppet Queen and Marionette can't use the puppets who's strings we cut," Chat explained, getting a nod of the others. "We have to destroy the strings of all their puppets to force them to come and face us,"

 "Alright," Rena replied. "But how do we get them to send their puppets to us?"

 "They'll come for Lila," Chat replied, walking outside with the others. "Chances are she's probably ran off already,"

 "Really?" Rena asked as Chat took out his baton and smirked. "You tagged her?"

 "I did," He replied, putting the baton away. "She's heading towards Tuileries garden. Let's go,"

 The four heroes jumped up and out of the school, heading towards the Tuileries garden. Almost as soon as they got there, they heard Lila scream as Reverser attacked her. She dived out of the way as Reverser growled and saw the heroes, flying over to them and attacking them. 

 "You're defending a monster!" Reverser growled. "From heartfelt to heartless! Reversion!"

 Chat dived out of the way and ducked as Queen Bee jumped over him and kicked Reverser. Meanwhile, Rena and Carapace rushed over to Lila, who was getting up. They helped her up and tried to get her to move but she gasped and looked at them with worry.

 "I can't move!" She cried out. Rena went to lift her up but Chat knocked into her, causing her to fall as Carapace turned. Reverser smirked and hovered over them as Queen Bee charged at him, slamming her fist into the ground as he jumped out of the way.

 "Queen Bee, what the hell?!" He gasped as she engaged with him. Reverser began to attack Chat and Rena, keeping them busy. With none of the heroes defending Lila and her unable to move, Puppet Queen smirked as Malediktator manifested in the pink smoke on a building near by, waiting for the right moment. "Queen, stop attacking me!"

 "I can't!" She gasped, grabbing him and throwing him. "My body is doing this on it's own!"

 "What do you mean?!" Carapace gasped, blocking her punches as Chat and Rena teamed up to take out Reverser. However, that proved to be very difficult. Seeing the perfect chance, Malediktator lifted his fingers to his mouth.

 "By the power invested in me," He whispered, creating a ball of light and throwing towards Lila's chest. It hit her, causing the heroes to gasp as they saw him. "I order you to tell the truth and nothing but the truth!"

 Rena growled and destroyed Malediktator's strings as Chat took down Reverser. Lila covered her mouth, trying not to tell the truth but it was too late.

 "I hate Ladybug!" Lila suddenly gasped, causing everyone to stop as Malediktator smirked. "I wish she was dead and I'm not her best friend! I despite her with all my might. So much so I willingly took an akuma and helped Hawkmoth. I lied about Marinette too. She never threatened me or bullied me. It was the other way round. I threatened her and bullied her,"

 "Why?" Chat asked, making everyone look at him.

 "Because she knew I was lying and was in my way," Lila replied, smirking evilly. "The best part is she's not the first person I've done this too nor will she be- Aaahhh!!!"

 "What's wrong with her?" Rena asked as Queen Bee threw Carapace into a head lock before she looked at them. Lila was continue to scream, gripping her head as tears filled her eyes.

 "I'm making her suffer, just like how she made my melody suffer," She replied, making the heroes gasp as she smirked. "You had no idea I could do this, did you?"

 "It's Marionette! He's controlling Queen Bee and Lila!" Rena gasped before she threw her flute above Queen Bee, cutting her strings and causing her to blink before Carapace threw her over his shoulder and placed his shield against her neck, making her gasp. Chat went to run over to him but Rena suddenly began to attack him.

 "Rena!"

 "Oh, please, I'm definitely not Rena right now," She smirked, tripping him and pinning him down. "Time to take that ring,"

 "Catac- hmm!" He gasped as Silencer suddenly placed his hand on his mouth, causing his voice to disappear. Silencer held up his hand to his ear and stole Chat's voice, causing Rena to smirk and reach for his ring but before she could a boomerang flew across the area, destroying all the strings. Rena blinked and helped Chat up as they looked around before a woman dressed in a ladybug themed outfit appear. She had short black and red hair, the classic ladybug mask on but she wore a red tunic with black spots with black pants, black gloves and black pants. She was holding the boomerang in her hand, causing Chat to notice that it was Ladybug themed. He gasped but no sound came out, making him frown.

 "I think Chat is trying to stay 'Ladybug?'" Rena replied, causing the woman to shake her head.

 "Not quite," She replied, making the heroes blink. "I'm Lady Beetle, Ladybug's mother,"

 "Whoa," Carapace gasped. "Is Ladybug ok?"

 "Yes, she is fine. The poor dear broke her leg though. Hence why I'm here," She replied, making Chat frown. "Only it only happened the other day, Chat Noir and she was very upset that she couldn't tell you but she needs her rest,"

 He took out his baton and texted something, causing her yoyo to vibrate. Lady Beetle took it out and read it.

 "I'm glad you do," She smiled before turning to Lila, who had ran off after been freed from Marionette's control. "So I see you found the truth about Miss Rossi,"

 "Y-Yeah," Carapace mumbled, glancing to the side as Rena frowned. "She was lying but what I want to know is how Marionette was able to control us?"

 "Marionette?" Lady Beetle asked. "I thought the akuma is Puppet Queen?"

 "It is but it's also Marionette," Queen Bee replied. "He can control people where Puppet Queen can summon and control past akumatized villains and I think I know how he was able to control us. It's public knowledge that everyone knows that Chloe Bourgeois is Queen Bee and since he was controlling our class members, it makes sense that he could control me as well. Since he knew that Chloe and Queen Bee are the same person, he could control me even when I'm Queen Bee,"

 "If that's the case then he must have known our identities too but how did he find out?" Rena asked, causing Lady Beetle to frown. "Only Ladybug knows our real identities,"

 "But where did you think she got the idea to give them to you?" Lady Beetle asked, making them look at her. "Someone must have suggested people for her to pick as Miraculous users,"

 "Oh my god... of course!" Rena gasped. "Marinette must of been the one to recommend us! Well, expect Chloe but she was able to get me that interview with Ladybug... oh god, I've been such an idiot,"

 "Same here, dudette," Carapace gasped before frowning. "We need to save Marinette and Luka!"

 "I assume you have a plan?" Lady Beetle asked, making the young heroes look at her. 

 "Well, the plan was to destroy all of the puppets in order to force them to face us in person but honestly, I'm opening to any idea you have," Rena replied, getting a nod of everyone else.

 "We'll stick with that for now," She replied, frowning. "But I don't think Lila was Marinette's only target. Chances are she's gonna go after Adrien Agreste as well,"

 "To Agreste manor then," Rena declared, jumping off with the rest of the team following her.

 ~At Agreste Manor~

 "Where is he?!" Volpina growled as she, Lady Wifi, Mylene and Sabrina searched through Agreste manor and Adrien's room. Unfortunately, the heroes burst in before they could search farther. Volpina played her flute, creating several versions of herself and Lady Wifi as Mylene and Sabrina tried to attack the girls but with Lady Beetle on their side, they soon cut the strings of the akumas and their classmates. Carapace and Queen Bee checked on Mylene and Sabrina, who were confused. Almost instantly, the Bubbler manifested and attacked them with a full on attack, causing the heroes to jump back and move Mylene and Sabrina out. It was so fierce it was almost desperate, causing Lady Beetle to realize that it was desperate.

 "I think they're running out of Puppets," She replied, dodging a bubble and destroying it's strings, causing a second Chat Noir to manifest. "Out the window!" 

 The group jumped out the window, causing him to chase them. Lady Beetle lead them to the school and landed in the courtyard, spinning her yoyo. Almost instantly, Rose jumped at her but Rena and Carapace grabbed her, allowing Chat Noir to slice her string as the puppet Chat Noir landed on the ground.

 "Marionette!" He called out before jumping out of the school. The heroes chased after him, causing Queen Bee to throw her spintop around his waist. He smirked and disappeared in pink smoke, causing her to land on the roofs with the others.

 "Marionette must have run out of puppets," Lady Beetle declared, making the group nod. "And that Chat Noir is Puppet Queen's last one..."

 "So if we destroy his strings, they'll be forced to face us," Carapace explained as Chat nodded. "But she won't manifest it unless we force her,"

 "We need to find them then," Lady Beetle replied as Chat texted her something. She read it and frowned. "So they were in Marinette's room originally but had to escaped... hmm.."

 She took out and checked something.

 "I think I know where they are," She replied, holding up the yoyo. "The Eiffel tower had to be evacuated after two people, believed to be akumas, broke into Gustave's office,"

 "They must be hiding there," Rena agreed before the rest of them jumped away and headed there. The police were surrounding the tower but hadn't actually gone up yet. The team climbed up and landed on the very top.

 "Cataclysm!" Cat Noir shouted, diving at them with his hand out stretched. The original chat slid over and grabbed the fake, slamming his hand into the door, destroying it before the fake chat began to fight with them. The other heroes rushed over but stopped when they saw Marionette stood in the door way. He tilted his head, causing it to click as he did before stepping forward in a slowed manner. One of his leg was slightly twisted and his head was tilted to the side. The group stepped back from him, creeped out but he took advantage of the situation, firing his strings at them. Lady Beetle and Queen Bee jumped back but Rena and Carapace weren't so lucky. Marionette twitched his fingers and moved his hands, forcing them to fight against the other two.

 "Use venom on him," Lady Beetle ordered, causing Queen Bee to nod and jump up as Rena charged at her.

 "Venom!" She declared, throwing her spintop and catching it. She jumped down and dodged Carapace's attack, allowing Lady Beetle to capture Rena and Carapace with her yoyo. She jumped up and slammed her spintop in the middle of his chest, freezing him, along with Carapace and Rena. 

 "No!" Chat Noir screamed as she did, allowing the real chat to destroy his strings before Queen Bee, Lady Beetle and Chat to run inside the office. Puppet Queen jumped up from her chair and fired her strings at them but they dodged them and Lady Beetle threw her yoyo, capturing the girl. It broke her heart to see Marinette with cracks on her skin, reflecting how broken she felt on the inside. "No! Let me go!"

 "It's ok, Marinette," Lady Beetle spoke in her motherly voice, causing the girl to look at her with tears in her eyes. Her strings stopped in the air as she looked at the woman in front of her. Chat glanced at her, unsure what to do. "It's going to be ok,"

 "How can it?" She asked, tears rolling down her face. "Everyone hates me!"

 "No, they don't," Lady Beetle reassured, stepping closer. "Your parents don't, Luka doesn't and I don't. Lila has been exposed. Your work is done,"

 "I..." Marinette gasped as Lady Beetle took the cross controls out of her hands and broke them in half. Nothing happened with the first one but when she broke the second one, the akuma fluttered out. She opened the yoyo and captured it before releasing it. She took the boomerang off her back and threw it up into the air, declaring the magical words. Marinette collapsed to the floor as she turned back into herself, tears rolling down her face as she looked up and blink, seeing Lady Beetle. "I... I was akumatized, wasn't I?"

 "Yes," She replied, kneeling down. "But it's ok now,"

 "I'm sorry," She muttered before her eyes widen. "Oh no! Luka! He was with me when I was akumatized! Oh god, he's gonna hate me for sure,"

 "I don't think he is," Lady Beetle smiled, helping Marinette to her feet and leading her out of the room. Luka was stood with Rena and Carapace, looking stressed out but as soon as he saw Marinette, he rushed over to her and engulfed her in a hug.

 "Marinette, I was so worried," He gasped, holding her close to him. Marinette closed her eyes and pressed her face into his chest, missing the looks of guilt from Carapace and Rena. Chat cleared his throat.

 "Um we should go," He stated, getting Rena, Queen Bee and Carapace's attention before turning to Lady Beetle. "It was nice working with you, Lady Beetle. I hope Ladybug's leg heals soon,"

 "I'm sure it will," She smiled as the four heroes left the tower. "Why don't I get you two home? I'm sure your parents are worried about you,"

 ~Later that Day~

 "Marinette?" Sabine asked, coming into her room. Marinette looked over as she came in and closed the door. "I think we need to talk,"

 "Y-Yeah," She replied, nodding as her mother sat on her chaise. "The captain wasn't angry was she?"

 "No, she wasn't. She was worried about you," She replied, making Marinette nod but she looked sad and Sabine knew how Marinette was. She was blaming herself for her and Luka been akumatized. Sabine walked over to her and sat next to her. "Marinette, no one is angry that you were akumatized. It was not your fault. I know you feel guilt but you were pushed over the edge. I know you've been resisting akumas for months and I am so proud that you were able to but I need you to know that it is ok that you were akumatized. You're not weak or evil because of it,"

 "I just... I just couldn't take any more, Mama," Marinette gasped, fresh tears falling down her cheeks as she covered her face. "Lila turned the class on me and they believed her. A-And Adrien... he just let her... he knew she was lying and he let her, saying it wasn't hurting anyone but it was hurting me,"

 "Ssh, it's ok," Sabine stated, wrapping her daughter in a hug as the girl cried her heart out. "Let it all out, Marinette,"

 "B-But akumas?" She gasped, looking up at her mum but she didn't seem worried.

 "Don't you worry about those nasty little butterflies," Sabine reassured, rubbing her back. Marinette nodded and just let tears fall as Tikki guarded the house, consuming every single akuma that came their way. Gradually, Marinette calmed down and wiped her eyes as her mother smiled. "Feeling a little better?"

 "A l-little," She admitted but both knew she had far to go. "It still hurts though,"

 "I'm afraid it will but like all injuries, it will heal over time," She reassured, gently kissing her forehead. "But there is something else I need to talk to you about,"

 "It's about the miraculous, isn't it?" Marinette asked, playing with her hands. Sabine nodded. "How did you find out?"

 "Tikki came to me," She replied as Marinette listened to her. "She wasn't originally going to tell me but I worked it out. She was very distressed and worried about you,"

 "Y-Yeah, Tikki's sweet like that," Marinette replied, unsure of what will happen. Will Master Fu take her miraculous away? She knew she couldn't handle losing Tikki but she was glad that Tikki went to her mother to save her. "Thank you for helping Tikki and saving me,"

 "You don't need to thank me, sweetie," Sabine smiled, rubbing her arm. "I'm your mother. It's my job to look after you. I just wish you had told me before,"

 "I c-couldn't," Marinette frowned. "Master Fu... the man who gave me Tikki... insisted that I couldn't tell anyone my identity but I guess it doesn't matter now. There's no way Chat doesn't know..."

 "Well, actually, he doesn't," Sabine replied, making Marinette look at her. "I told him that the reason why Ladybug couldn't make it to battle was because she broke her leg. It does mean that you might not be able to turn up for battle for a few days but when you tell him, just say your leg healed faster because of the miraculous. I know he'll buy it,"

 "But you wore the miraculous?"

 "As far as he knows, I'm just Ladybug's mother," She smiled, making Marinette hug her. "Only me and your father know about your identity now and we have some ideas to help you deal with this burden,"

 "Wait... you're not going to make me retire?" She asked, blinking in surprise. 

 "Part of me wants to but I don't think it's been Ladybug that made you miserable. I think it was everything else," She explained, making Marinette nod. "And I don't think breaking you and Tikki up would be good for either of you,"

 "But Master Fu-"

 "Leave this Master Fu to me," Sabine stated, making Marinette nod. "Now I'm thinking you should get some rest then went you're feeling a little better, we sit and talk about how to go forward,"

 "O-ok, Mama," Marinette nodded before heading up to her bed. Tikki flew in and smiled at Sabine, who smiled back before she went downstairs to her husband. She let him know that Marinette was resting before she started to make dinner. After a couple of hours, Marinette came downstairs and had dinner with them before they began to discuss how to help her. Marinette was prepared for them to send her back to Miss Bustier's class but to her surprise, her mother suggested having her transfer class or if she preferred transfer schools. She said she would have to think about it but she knew she didn't want to go back to Miss Bustier's class. Sabine and Tom agreed. They then decided it was time to talk to Master Fu. Marinette called him and asked him to come to the bakery. It didn't take long for him to arrive but when he did, he was surprised to see her parents. They invited him in and began to talk. By the end of it, he had agreed that Marinette should be allowed to keep Tikki and that if she wished to step down from battle, that Sabine would be allowed to become Lady Beetle again. Marinette couldn't help but feel relieved. It was a nice feeling, not having to lie to her parents about her identity. They swore they would be extra careful about becoming akumas as well. Marinette couldn't be happier with the outcome.

 ~A Few Days Later~

 Marinette took a deep breathe as she looked up at DuPont High. It had been a week since she and Luka had been akumatized and a lot of things had changed. She intentionally thought that Luka would hate her but to her surprise, he didn't. In fact, he reconfirmed his feelings for her and they had grown closer. She took another deep breathe and smiled a little as Luka gently took her hand in his. She asked him to come with her and her parents when they were called to come back into the school. They were also going to use the chance to finalize her transfer to a new school, which happened to be his school. Luka was more then happy to help her through today. They had also brought the family lawyer with them. She glanced at him before glancing at her parents with a nod. The four of them walked inside, causing a number of students to look towards them. Almost as soon as she walked through the door, Alya charged up to her.

 "Marinette, I can't-" She started but Luka stepped in forward of Marinette with a glare that reminded her of Marionette.

 "Back off, Cesaire," He almost growled, making her gulp. 

 "I just want to see how my bestie is," She replied, placing her hands on her hip.

 "Your bestie?" Marinette asked, surprising her as she stepped aside. "I'm not your bestie, Alya. In case, you've forgotten you renounced your friendship with me,"

 "Well, that was before Lila was revealed to be a liar," Alya pointed out, making Marinette frown. "So we can go back-"

 "No, we can't," Marinette replied, making her frown. "I'm sorry, Alya but I can't be friends with someone who's a bully,"

 "But I'm not!" She argued before gasping and stepping back as she realized what Marinette had done. She had used the exact same words that she had when she renounced her friendship. Marinette spared her a glance before their lawyer handed her a file, making Alya blink at it. "W-What's this?"

 "You have been served, Miss Cesaire," She replied, making the girl blink. "My clients are suing you for emotion distress and harassment. As you are a minor, a copy has been sent to your parents,"

 "W-What?" Alya gasped but Marinette ignored her. They moved on, followed by her parents who glared at her. Her shoulders slumped and she walked over to Nino, who comforted her. The next person who walked up to them was Adrien but unlike Alya, he had actually looked remorseful and like he hadn't had a lot of sleep. However, Marinette didn't feel sorry for him. In fact, she didn't feel anything for him. She was officially done and over Adrien Agreste.

 "Marinette..." He muttered, looking at her as she crossed her arms. Naturally, Luka was at her side, ready to defend her if he needed to. Tom was glaring at the young boy as well. The only one who didn't look angry was Sabine but her expression wasn't much better. It was one of pity. She pitied him. He licked his lips and looked at her. "Marinette, I am so sorry. I should have told everyone from the beginning that Lila was a liar and I should have supported you. I don't have the right to call you my friend,"

 "You're right, Adrien, you should have," Marinette stated, harshly. "And we're definitely not friends. Friends help each other and have each other's backs but you never did that because I didn't matter to you,"

 "I thought that she would disappear, just like a tabloid,"

 "I get that your upbringing has affected how you interact with people, Adrien but there's only so much that can excuses," She explained, making him frown. "I can't sue you as technically you did nothing but that's exactly it. You did nothing. Now if you excuse me, Adrien, we have to sort out something,"

 With that, they walked away and headed into the office. To their surprise, Lila was sat on a chair with her arms crossed. Behind her was a woman who they guessed was her mother. Mr Damocles, Miss Bustier and their case worker from the school board was there. She instantly walked over to Tom and Sabine and shook their hands.

 "I am so sorry for the trouble my daughter has caused," She stated, making them nod. "I requested that you be here so Lila can apology for her actions,"

 "Mama!" Lila gasped but her mother glared at her, making her go quiet.

 "You will be quiet unless I say so," She glared, making Lila gulp as someone knocked on the door. Marinette's family lawyer walked over and let Officer Roger in. "Now you will apologize to this girl and her family for the stress you put her through,"

 "I am sorry, Marinette," Lila mumbled but it was obvious she didn't mean it. Miss Bustier, on the hand, stood up and clapped her hands together.

 "Well done, Lila," She smiled before turning to Marinette. "And what do you say, Marinette? Do you accept her apology?"

 Marinette took a deep breathe as Luka squeezed her hand before she looked at her teachers and Mrs Rossi.

 "No, I don't," She replied, making them gasp but her parents gave her proud smiles. "It's clear that Lila doesn't mean it and even if she did, her apology does nothing. It doesn't undo all the pain and suffering she's caused me. It doesn't undo that she tried to isolate me and destroy my life so no I'm not going to forgive her but I am glad she is here,"

 "Mrs Rossi, here," The lawyer stated, holding out papers. "Your daughter has been served and is been sued for slander, defamation, emotional distress, cyber bullying and assault,"

 Lila stared at Marinette in surprise as the lawyer turned to Mr Damocles and Miss Bustier, handing them both files.

 "You both have also been served," She explained, making them blink. "You are been sued for emotional distress, abuse of authority and child abuse and neglect. My clients' are also filing charges against you ad Miss Rossi. I recommend you get yourselves a good lawyer because I will be pressing for prison time. Officer Roger, if you may,"

 "Mr Damocles and Miss Bustier, you are under arrest for child abuse and neglect. You have the right to remain silence but anything you do and say can be and will be used in a court of law," He declared as a couple of other officers came in. "And Miss Lila Rossi, you are under arrest for physical assault, obscuring the course of justice and terrorism-"

 "Terrorism?!" Mrs Rossi gasped before looking at Lila. "What did you do?"

 "According to our sources, Miss Rossi confessed to working with Hawkmoth willingly," Officer Roger explained, maker her mother go pale and gasp. "We have video evidence of her confession,"

 "I was cohered by her!" Lila screamed, pointing to Marinette. "She used her 'powers' to force me to tell that lie!"

 "Officer Roger, my daughter would not-" Mrs Rossi started but cut off as Roger showed her the video showed Malediktator hitting Lila with a ball of light before ordering her to tell the truth before she confessed everything in front of the heroes below the person filming it. Sabine hid her smile as best as she could.

 "As you can see, she was ordered to tell the truth. There was no threat, no blade to her neck," He pointed out, making her sit down as the other office went to place hand cuffs on Lila. However, things took a dramatic turn as an akuma into the room. Lila broke free from the officer and made a grab for the akuma with a wicked smirk on her face, placing it into her bracelet and accepting whatever power Hawkmoth promised her. During those moments, Luka pulled Marinette out of the room with her parents. Lila, now Obscurer, came looking for Marinette. Chat Noir was first on the scene but soon Viperion and Ladybug turned up. Chat was happy to see her and asked about her leg. Ladybug told him that the miraculous made it heal a lot faster before telling him to focus on the fight. Obscurer was defeated in record time and Lila was arrested as soon as she was deakumatized. She was dragged out kicking and scream in front of the whole school and Alya had even caught it on her live stream. She rushed over to Ladybug, asking for an interview but Ladybug refused it. She told Alya she needed to talk to her and Nino and that she would come and see them later before calling Chloe to the side. She explained to Chloe that she could never give her back the Bee miraculous as it was too dangerous, especially if another akuma got a similar power to Marionette. Chloe was disappointed but understood. Ladybug nodded and ran off with Viperion. Marinette came out from her hiding place with Luka. He gave her a smile before they joined her parents and left DuPont for the last time. Marinette linked her hand with his, giving him a smile as they followed her parents to the bakery.

 ~Later That Night~

 Alya gasped as she saw Ladybug at her window. She woke up Nino and let her, followed by Viperion. She was excited until she saw Ladybug's expression, making her and Nino frown. 

 "Alya, Nino.. I'm sorry to say this but I will not be calling on Rena Rogue and Carapace anymore," She explained, making them frown. "As of tonight, you two are retired and should the need for the fox or the turtle come up then new holders will be found. I advise you not to harass the new members when they appear and to accept my decision with grace. Understood?"

 "Y-Yes, Ladybug," Alya muttered, glancing down as Nino nodded. "C-Can we ask why?"

 "There is a number of reasons but the main ones are due to Marionette been able to control you, Chat and Queen Bee having to learn your identities and your recent behavior in your civilian life," She explained, making them frown.

 "But we didn't know Lila was a liar!" Alya argued but Ladybug held up her hand.

 "While that is true, you still had a choice and you decided to harass someone. It didn't matter if you believed her to be a bully or not, you still choose to do that. You turned on someone who you called a friend so how can I trust you won't do the same to me?" Ladybug asked, making the two frown. "But I am partially responsible for this. As soon as I heard about the Lila interviews I should have tracked you down and cleared up the situation. For that, I am truly sorry but it also goes both ways. You never once asked me if I was her friend or tried to check your sources, Alya. Instead, you just believed her and brushed off your friend's concerns as jealous. You never thought to verify Miss Rossi's claims both about me and Marinette. I may be partially responsible it but you are equally responsible for that as I am and Nino, you threw one of your oldest friends under the bus and picked the side of a girl you barely knew,"

 Nino frowned and looked down as Alya looked like she was about to cry.

 "For the record, I wish it had never come to this," Ladybug sighed before turning to to Viperion. "Viper, let's go,"

 "After you," He replied as she went to leave.

 "W-Wait... Ladybug, can I ask you something off record?" Alya asked, making Ladybug stop and nod. "W-Was it Marinette who recommended us to you?"

 "Yes, it was," She replied, making Alya feel worst. "She saw heroes in both of you-"

 "And we turned out to be villains," Alya gasped, sinking to her knees. Ladybug frowned and didn't say anything as she left with Viperion. Nino wrapped her arms around Alya as she cried. "We fucked up so bad, didn't we?"

 "Yeah, we did,"

------------------------------------------------

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If anyone else wants to be tagged for the next prompt, let me know. However, requests are closed for now. I have a number of requests to finish up so I'll be reopening them when I'm all caught up

[that-was-anticlimactic]

22 with Zukka for the prompt list? Also hi :)

"Give me a brush. I'll fix your hair for you." + zukka

Zuko was angry.

He supposed that wasn’t that shocking—he was angry a lot—but the amount of genuine anger and frustration he was accumulating due to his hair, now that wasn’t fair nor normal.

It was stupid—he had to attend some dumb public event since he was the Fire Lord and stand at the side applauding politely, then say a few words. Really, he’d been through more stressful times in his life than that.

Even still, there was an hour left before he had to arrive, and he was getting ready in his chambers. Or, he was supposed to be getting ready. He was still in his sleeping robes, aggressively pulling a brush through his hair

Honestly, at this point, he was just beating his scalp.

No matter how carefully or slowly he ran the brush through his hair, it was still tangled. It still looked greasy, and even when he said “screw it” and just threw his hair in a top knot, he nearly chopped it all off because it looked terrible. The bumps at the top of his head were so large it looked like he hadn’t even brushed his hair in the first place!

Logically, he knew that his dad was far far far away right now and would in no way, shape, or form be attending the same event or see said event, but he couldn’t block out Ozai’s voice in his head telling him how big of a disappointment he was due to the state of his hair.

Zuko grunted, throwing the brush across the room and leveling the cursed object with a furious pout. It’s what the brush deserved.

“Hey, Zuko! I can’t decide whether I should wear my cobalt robes or my lapis robes. I know you don’t think there’s a difference, but I swear to you—are you okay?”

The angelic sound of Sokka’s voice caused Zuko’s face to shift from fury to a soft smile. He turned around, his fingers twitching when the brush left his sight because it needed to know how angry he was, and shot Sokka what he hoped was a soft look.

His boyfriend was also wearing his evening robes, something far too casual for the event they were attending, and it took everything in him to focus his gaze on Sokka’s face rather than his shoulder where the fabric was slowly slipping off.

In his hands were two tunics which absolutely looked the exact same color-wise, but he just chalked that up to Sokka being picky about his wardrobe (no, he wouldn’t acknowledge that he was unsure whether it was that or the fact that he couldn’t see properly out of his left eye).

Sokka’s hair looked impeccable, tied tightly in a wolf tail, much unlike his own.

“Sunshine?”

Oh, he’d been staring, hadn’t he?

“Sorry,” he mumbled, running a hand over his face and collapsing onto his bed. “I’m just trying to get ready.”

He watched as Sokka’s eyes flickered between Zuko’s tapping foot, his hair, and the brush on the floor behind him.

His face morphed into understanding and he carefully draped his clothes over the back of Zuko’s vacant chair, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“Give me a brush. I’ll fix your hair for you,” he said gently, nudging Zuko’s foot with his own.

“Get it yourself, Lazy,” Zuko muttered, but either way he shifted his position so he could roll onto the other side of the bed and reached, swiping the brush off the floor and tossing the cursed object at his boyfriend.

Sokka poked at him with his finger (and Zuko tried not to melt at the way Sokka tapped in patterns of three—it was the nonbender’s favorite type of pattern, he did everything in three’s. It became Zuko’s favorite number as their relationship developed and became not only a form of comfort for Sokka when he had his bad days, but also for him) until he got the signal and turned so his back was to Sokka.

“Your hair is very pretty,” Sokka remarked, gently grabbing a small chunk of his hair and starting at the edges.

“It’s greasy.”

“No, it’s really not. You know I don’t like touching greasy hair. I wouldn’t touch it if it was greasy.”

They both knew that was a lie—Zuko’s hair was an exception.

“You wanna tell me what’s wrong?” Sokka asked, twisting the edges of the now brushed section of Zuko’s hair while separating it into a second section.

“My hair.”

“I got that.”

“It’s not… it’s not perfect…”

And that was it, wasn’t it? The event wasn’t that big of a deal—in fact, it was so insignificant to him that he wasn’t quite sure what exactly it was, but when his hair wouldn’t work the way he wanted, he started getting stiff and on edge.

If his dad saw him like this… Zuko couldn’t help but shudder at the mere thought.

“Babe, Sunshine, light of my life,” Sokka began and oh how Zuko practically melted, “you don’t need to be perfect.”

“That’s rich coming from you,” Zuko shot back. “But I do have to be perfect. Everyone’s watching me—I’m the Fire Lord! If I don’t look perfect then…” he trailed off, squeezing his eyes shut and attempting to focus solely on the feeling of Sokka’s fingers in his hair.

“Oh, I get it,” Sokka said softly. “This isn’t about your hair, is it, baby?”

Zuko just sniffed.

“I know I’m not the best person to talk to about being okay with things being imperfect, but something I’ve begun to learn over the years is that there’s never a time when everything’s perfect, no matter how hard you plan… or brush…”

Zuko chuckled.

“But something that you can always count on is me being there; you know I’ll always be there, right? Because I will be,” he continued. At this point, Zuko was certain Sokka had set the brush down and was just using his fingers, which was somehow more comforting despite the slightly uncouth method.

“Besides, you’re already perfect to me. You don’t need to try and please everyone else anymore. Quite frankly, they’re all idiots.”

Zuko laughed. It was quiet and more half-hearted than anything, but it was a laugh all the same. He could feel water beginning to pool in his eyes, and Zuko let out a choking gasp. “Sorry.”

“Shush, you have nothing to be sorry for.”

“I just… I saw my hair and it wouldn’t—it wasn’t right and I didn’t know what would—“

“Shhh.” Sokka coaxed him into silence, purposefully taking deep breaths along the way to remind him to breathe (which was really helpful since he had forgotten).

“It’s just me. No one else is here—he’s not here. It’s just you and it’s me. And I, personally, think you have the prettiest hair in the entire world, even when it’s greasy.”

Oh, what did Zuko do to deserve someone like Sokka in his life?

Sokka stopped running his fingers through his hair, and Zuko felt the bed shift as Sokka adjusted his position. The nonbender flung his arms around Zuko’s neck, holding him close.

“You’re going to have the best public appearance in the history of pubic appearances today,” Sokka informed him, and Zuko hummed, allowing himself to fall back into Sokka’s embrace. “And if anyone complains about your hair, they may have a run in with my boomerang.”

“Thank you.”

Zuko opened his eyes, allowing his face to fall into its natural frown, but prayed to Agni that Sokka could see the appreciation and adoration in his eyes.

He slowly rose, pushing himself off of his bed and turning so he could see his reflection in the mirror.

His hair it… it wasn’t bad. But it still made his muscles clench and his breath hitch. There were some strands tumbling out of his top knot, falling out of rhythm with the rest of his demeanor.

It was so insignificant, but that’s what Zuko thought when he was younger.

(There was nothing insignificant when it came to Ozai.)

He felt more than saw Sokka stand beside him, and together they gazed in the mirror.

Despite knowing he was being self-conscious, Zuko found himself biting his lip in anticipation as Sokka looked at him. He knew Sokka didn’t think he was disfigured or that his hair was an awful mess, but that wasn’t enough prevent his heart from racing and his fists at the ready to raise to block his—

“You’re beautiful,” Sokka breathed, his eyes so wide that Zuko thought they could contain the depths of the entire ocean, encompass the entirety of the night sky. What made his face flush was that the stars in Sokka’s eyes were directed on him—focused solely and only on him.

“Oh.”

It pained him that that was all he could say. Sokka could compliment him like it was nothing, but Zuko couldn’t do any more than reply with one word.

Sokka frowned and no, that wouldn’t do. Zuko didn’t like when he frowned—more so, he hated being the reason his boyfriend’s smile vanished.

“Are you still…” He cut himself off, his neck jerking and lips pursing, then he waved his hands around for emphasis, as a way to finish the sentence.

Shamefully, Zuko nodded.

Without warning, Sokka grabbed hold of Zuko’s hands and placed them on the top of his head. He intertwined their fingers, almost as if they were holding hands, then started moving them.

For a moment, Zuko held his breath because what was this idiot doing? His hair was the definition of perfection—no strands were loose, he looked regal, the blue and red beads in his hair were perfectly placed… and here Sokka was, guiding Zuko’s hands around his head and messing it up.

Zuko tried to pull away—tried to free his hands from Sokka’s grasp because they couldn’t do this—they couldn’t mess up is hair! The Fire Nation was already terribly critical towards Sokka, being Water Tribe and all, not to mention being the Fire Lord’s boyfriend meant more publicity than either of them were comfortable with… the public would tear Sokka apart if he walked out with messy hair.

“What are you doing?” Zuko hissed through grit teeth, still trying to yank his hands away to no avail. “You’re messing up your hair—I’m messing up your hair!”

Sokka ignored him, but Zuko couldn’t find it in himself to glower at his idiot because his tongue was sticking out of his mouth the way it did when he was concentrating and it was so authentically Sokka and so adorable and—

“There,” Sokka said, interrupting his thoughts. “Now we match!”

It was then that Zuko realized his hands had been released, and he clutched them close to his chest defensively.

Sokka was cheekily grinning at him, his eyes shining, and his hair… oh. His hair was a travesty. His wolf tail became undone and half of it was falling out. The top of his head looked like someone build hundreds of tiny bridges with the way his hair had been tugged at.

As terrible as it was, Zuko was basking in the absolute adorableness of his boyfriend.

“It may not be perfect,” Sokka started, locking hands with Zuko once more, “but we’re doing it together. Okay?”

“Yeah. Okay. Thank you, Penguin.”

Sokka leaned over and kissed his cheek. “Okay, then: should I wear the cobalt or lapis tunic? I feel like lapis is a more luscious color, but cobalt brings out my eyes…”

Most of what Sokka was saying made absolute no sense to him, but Zuko knew Sokka so he knew that his feeling weren’t being brushed aside. Sokka was just trying to distract him—to make him laugh.

So, Zuko sat back down and listened to Sokka ramble about the pros and cons of each color, even though they had to be at the event in half an hour.

Sokka was right (he always was)—it was never about his hair (maybe it was a little about his hair, whenever Ozai was involved, it was about everything). He spent the majority of his life trying to live up to the standards of everyone else—his hair had to be perfect, his back had to be perfectly straight…

The Fire Nation thrived on the idea of perfection. So much so that Zuko knew if Sokka had been born and raised here, he would have been isolated or forced into muteness due to his imperfections, or his tics. It was a terrible thought that was proved true by the looks he saw shot his boyfriend’s way by some elders—from the way that some people would address Zuko rather than Sokka when they were together or ask Zuko why he hadn’t fixed Sokka or what places he took Sokka to to do so.

But they weren’t imperfections, Sokka’s tics. Zuko reminded him countless times that they were just a part of who he was, something that made him as special as he was. And he supposed that’s what Sokka was trying to show him… though through his unorthodox and irritatingly charming methods.

Zuko never did fix his hair for the evening—he wanted to continue matching with Sokka.

[this can be seen as a mini prequel to threshold of eternity hence why zuko gives azula the advice about how to 'handle' her hair and toe kind of inspired this one hehe]

'101 ways to say i love you' prompts

[flowersbby]

Star Struck | Corpse Husband x Reader

Warnings: Fluff, Swearing (If I’m missing any let me know please! :) )

a/n: You’re a model/ streamer in this one! :D I’m thinking about if I should turn this into a series or not? Lmk what you think. I hope you like it <3

It was a nice morning. The sun was shining through the tall windows that showed you a view of your balcony onto your bed, there was a slight breeze so it wasn’t too hot, and you could hear the birds chirping with the occasional honking due to LA traffic. The only reason you woke up was because the sun was shining right in your face. You groaned and put a pillow over your face. I really don’t want to get up right now. Just a few more minutes.. You thought and right as you were about to take the pillow off your face and turn over onto your other side so you could go back to sleep, your phone started ringing. “Ugh!” You groaned once again and reached for your phone that was on your nightstand. You looked at the caller ID and saw that it was your manager, Chris. You accepted the call and put the phone to your ear. “What do you want?” You asked in an annoyed and tired tone. You were definitely NOT a morning person. You hated mornings.

“Oh my God,” He said in a rushed tone, “Have you literally JUST woken up? You have a photoshoot in 2 hours! Makeup and wardrobe are waiting for you down here!” Your eyes widened. You completely forgot about it.

“I-I’ll be right there!” You told him and hung up. You sprang out of bed and almost ran to your walk in closet, your eyes scanning for a top that would match the black leather skirt you wanted to wear for the day. You decided on a black mesh body suit with a black crop top under it. All black today. like your soul. You quickly put on some black heels and brushed your hair, cringing at how the brush tugged on your hair when it reached a knot. You didn’t bother doing your makeup since your makeup team would take it off anyway. You fast walked to the door of your apartment, grabbed your purse off the hook, and opened your door to leave to your photoshoot.

                                                      🖤🖤🖤

After a lot of yelling from Chris for holding the makeup and wardrobe team up, you did your photoshoot and got to go home. When you got home, you took a mirror picture of your outfit and uploaded it to Instagram, putting the caption as “Fashionably Late 🖤💋”. You smiled at the influx of likes right as it posted. You were truly lucky to have your supporters, but you wanted one person in particular to see it. 

Corpse’s POV

I was casually playing Among Us with my friends while they streamed when I felt my phone vibrate slightly on my lap. I began to feel anxious to check my phone since I only have notifications on for one person but I didn’t want to take my eyes off the screen since I was following Jack, who I was sus of. Right when him and I entered electrical, he broke my neck. I felt relieved though since I got to finally look at (y/n)’s post.

My eyes widened when I saw the picture of her outfit. She looked good. Very good. I double tapped on it and immediately went to the comment section out of curiosity of what other people were saying. I looked at all the comments saying how pretty she was and smiled, but the comments made by creepy people made my blood boil. I wish I could just reply to them and say “That’s my girl. Stop.” but we both agreed to keep our relationship out of the public eye and I was truly fine with that. I just wish I could protect her from the creeps out there. 

I wasn’t even paying attention to the game until I suddenly saw “Victory” appear on my screen. “Let’s goooo!” I said into the mic. Everyone else was celebrating as well.

“Hey!” Rae exclaimed, “Let’s get (y/n) in here, she just got home.” My heart skipped a beat and I smiled.

“Yes!” I said a little too excited. Everyone else didn’t notice it though and agreed with me. I quickly texted her out of excitement.

Your POV

After receiving an invite from Rae and booting up your computer, as well as getting everything prepared to stream, you got a text from Corpse. You quickly grabbed your phone to respond back to whatever he said.

My Love 😊💖💖

im so excited to hear your voice

i’ve missed you

<3

You blushed at his messages. You thought about what to text back for a minute until you figured out what to say.

You

I have so much to tell you from today

I missed you so much bb

ft later?

You set your phone back on your desk and loaded up Among Us, joining the discord call while you wait. You were greeted by everyone as you joined.

“(Y/n)! Good noon!” Greeted Rae. You smiled as everyone in the call erupted in hello’s.

“Hey, (y/n).” Corpse said after everyone else had their chance to greet you.

Your stomach did backflips from him just saying your name. “Hi~” You said in a sing songy voice and started streaming. “How are all you guys doing?” You asked as your picked up your water from your desk and started drinking.

“Good now that you’re here..” Corpse muttered. You choked on your water and erupted in coughing, taken aback from what he said. Good thing your were muted.

“Corpse?!” Yelled Poki.

“What did you say?!” Also yelled Felix. The rest were just erupting in Aw’s.

“U-uh,” Corpse stuttered, “I meant that because (y/n) is such a good imposter and I’ve been a little off my game today so I’m hoping we get imposter together so I have some content for a video.” Good cover up.. You thought as your coughing got under control. I think he forgot to mute himself. 

“Yeah!” You exclaimed, “We got this my dude!” You took a glance at chat and saw everyone going crazy. Half of them were typing in all caps asking for someone to clip that moment, and half were shipping you and corpse.

“I can only play one game anyway,” Corpse said, “I have stuff to do.” You frowned at what he said. You haven’t gotten to talk with him all day because of how rushed you were this morning and now you won’t have time to talk with him now because of how different your schedules are. Even though you two loved each other a lot you have had your arguments about this with him. You hate that he lives two hours from you or else this wouldn’t be an issue. You would be over at his house everyday if he lived in LA. You hated long distance.

You had a great time playing with your friends, but when Corpse left you got a little gloomy. He wasn’t answering your texts either. You sighed and changed into his hoody he left in your closet when he visited last and put on some grey pajama shorts. You tied your hair into a messy bun so it wouldn’t get in your way for the rest of the night even though you were just going to watch Netflix in your bed and eat chips. After grabbing your snacks, you walked to your bedroom and opened the glass door to the balcony in your room, turned your LED lights to (f/c), got comfortable in your bed, and turned on your favorite show on your TV.

You were scrolling through Instagram as you heard a knock at your door. A scared feeling washed over you and you paused what you were doing. It was like you were frozen in time and if you made one sudden movement everything would come crashing down. They knocked again. You were scared that some crazed fan found your address to your apartment. Cautiously, you walked to your door and looked through the peek hole. Butterflies fluttered in your stomach and a wide grin appeared on your face as you saw who it was. You quickly unlocked your door and opened it. You wasted no time and grabbed Corpse’s face and kissed him with so much passion you didn’t want to stop. He lifted you up and held your thighs in his hands, walking into your apartment and shutting the door with his foot. “I’ve missed you so much baby.” He breathed as he kept kissing you.

You pulled away from the heated session and Corpse carefully placed you on your feet. You hugged him. “I missed you too.” You said and didn’t want to let go. Corpse placed a kiss on your head as he hugged you and rubbed your back. You realized something and pulled away from the hug. “Where’s your stuff?” Noticing he didn’t have a suitcase.

He looked at you with a blank expression. “Fuuuckk....” He groaned. “I forgot it.” 

You looked at him confused. “How do you forget your stuff. It’s a two hour drive here!” You laughed.

He scratched the back of his neck embarrassed. “I really missed you and I was excited to surprise you,” He explained. “I didn’t want to get here late and have you asleep so I didn’t even think about packing.”

You smiled. “Well, at least you have a ton of clothes here you’ve left.” 

He smirked, looking at his hoodie on your body. “Yeah, I see that.”

You smirked back at him, turned around, and began to walk back into your bedroom, wanting him to follow you. Corpse quickly swept you off your feet and put you over his shoulder, plopping you on the bed as he got on top of you. He looked into your eyes. “I’m tired.” He muttered.

“Let’s cuddle then, baby.” You smile. He smiles back at you tiredly as he moves off you to be the big spoon, pulling you against him by wrapping his arm around your waist. You felt happy in that moment. You finally got to be with the only man who loves you for you physically, instead of two hours away. You both fell asleep, taking in this moment.

[mctwcsty]

What Do I Do?

@sxtanshepherd​​ paged Meredith Grey

Hello?

Hi, is he in the lab?

What?

I know this is Derek Shepherd’s phone, who is this? Who is this? Who is this.

Hello.

     SIX MONTHS. Six months had passed already since Derek had left for D.C. to run the brain mapping project for the President. Six months of running their life and home alone in Seattle. Of taking the kids to school every other morning, picking them up every other night, the rest of them thankfully handled by Lynn, the nanny Meredith had found to help her out with them. Because her husband was off to Washington to take his career to the next level while she had stayed put in Seattle with their kids, which was her choice and she had taken responsibility for it. She still ran her department, alongside Bailey, and she was still working on her research. She was doing it all. She was exhausted, running on little sleep and a lot of caffeine, but she was doing it.

     She was doing it all until a small detail added in, a change of scenery she had not seen coming. A unplanned turn of events that made doing it all by herself a little less possible: she was pregnant. And the best part was, she had just found out. Right in the middle of a surgery, a feeling that had taken her breath away, a pressure in her lower back and a movement. Thing was, she recognized it because she had felt it before. What she did not understand was how was it possible. And then she had the resident close and rushed out, straight to OB, all the while calculating when her last period was, the days and the weeks adding up leaving her running her way up to OB and throwing herself in the nearest room with a monitor, self-examining herself until the OB came in and shut the door, offering to help. 24 weeks. She had not been showing, she still was not. Her stomach was flat, the way the baby was located left her bumpless, even though she had been pregnant before. Those cases happened, it was not out of the ordinary, and the baby was healthy. She was 24 weeks pregnant and practically a single-mother of two, soon three children, her husband was across the states and they barely managed to talk here and there because of their irregular schedules and they were going to have another baby.

     She had sat by the phone that night, after putting the kids down to bed, staring at her phone screen, unable to pick it up. She could feel it now, she could feel the baby moving inside of her. It was moving, it had a heartbeat, it had arms and legs and fingers and toes, ears, eyes, a mouth and a nose, hell it even had hair at that point and she was freaking out. And Derek was not there. She was all alone. She knew she had to pick up that phone and call him, but she could not bring herself to do it. She did not want to tell him they were going to have another baby over the phone? And yet she had to. She forced herself and picked up that phone, tapped on his contact and rang his cell. She leaned back in the couch and waited, hearing the ringtone incessantly ringing, her stomach in knots, just hoping he would pick up. They rarely caught each other, he often called while she was in surgery and she often called when he was in the lab and away from his phone. But the ringing stopped, he picked up. Or at least someone did.

“Hello?”   “Hi, is he in the lab?”   “What?”   “I know this is Derek Shepherd’s phone, who is this?” “Who is this? Who is this.” “Hello.”

Well if you keep answering his phone, at least you could have the decency  to tell me who the hell you are. Where the hell is my husband?

     EIGHT MONTHS. 34 weeks, to be more precise. At least from her calculations since their last sexual encounter, which was about their last actual general encounter - the day before he had left for D.C. - he had never returned to Seattle since, and the measurements of the foetus from her last ultrasound, she measured at about 34 weeks. Exactly ten weeks since that phone call. Not a day went by that she did not think or analyze that phone call, especially because the rare times Derek and her managed to reach other on the phone, he never said anything about it, about any woman answering his phone. She had not told anyone about it, not even Alex. Because saying it out loud made it real, and the truth was, she could not bare for it to be. The idea that she had become the woman who wonders if that woman on the phone was the woman who had been screwing her husband, she could not be that woman. She could not have gone from the woman screwing the married guy, to the woman whose husband is screwing another woman. Not after everything, not after spending literally the past eight months handling everything alone and keeping the boat afloat, and growing that husband’s child in her belly.

     She was sitting in the attending’s lounge, the empty lounge with the big couch where she had come to rest her feet as they were killing her. It had been about four weeks now since she had started showing, and she had been telling everyone that Derek knew, but the truth was, he had no idea. He did not know she was pregnant yet. Over two months and she had not told him. Because the rare times where they had managed to actually get a hold of each other on the phone, she had let the kids speak to him because they missed him terribly, and then he was either rushing back to the lab or was off to some meeting with the President. He did not even know she was pregnant, because he was halfway across their world, busy making his career count while she was back home, keeping it all together, alone. And he was not even seeing it. 

     But Zola had almost spilled it once over a call, thankfully she had caught it in time and spared an awkward way for Derek to find out, and selfishly she did not want him to know until she felt it was the right moment to have the conversation... the whole conversation. She knew she had to tell him. And so she had decided to do it. After all, she was only a few weeks away from her due date. It sure had flew by way quicker than any pregnancy usually would, especially with everything she had going on, but also because she had only just found out and half the pregnancy was done, it would certainly be a shock for him, but she knew he loved their kids and she was convinced he would be excited, deep down. It would be a shock, but he would be excited. At least she convinced herself of that as she picked up the phone and called him on his cell, then brought the phone to her ear, repeating herself those words again and again and again as the tone rang a while. She was sure she would fall on his voicemail and was about to hang up, but the line picked up. 

“Hello?”

     That voice again. It literally sent chills up her spine because she knew. That was not some secretary, or some random woman finding a lost phone and picking it up. This was not a coincidence or an accident. It had been two months, and she still answered his phone. And all Meredith could think about was the fact that she never answered her husband’s phone, at least not until they were actually married and it had happened on rare occasions. She felt the blood in her veins turning to ice and like something was wrapping tightly around her body, suffocating her. She managed to swallow through her tightened throat and speak up. “Well if you keep answering his phone, at least you could have the decency to tell me who the hell you are.” She snapped, pausing a moment before adding, “Where the hell is my husband?”

     The woman hung up. Again. Meredith’s hand fell on the couch and she stared straight ahead, her heart dropping in her chest. It felt like her whole world had just collapsed around her. Shattering, into billions of pieces. Ten weeks of tossing so many questions around her mind, but every time shutting them out because no, Derek would not do that. The he loves me and he loves our family and we’ve been through too much for this to happen - she had told herself it all. But the woman answered his phone again, and hung up, again. 

     The next day, she had called Alex and within ten minutes he ended up at her front door. She told him Derek did not know about the pregnancy, told him about that previous phone call, and then the one from the previous night. Convinced him not to hunt Derek down for her in a trip to D.C. or to give him hell in any type of way. She tried to ring Derek’s phone again throughout the day, every time winding up on his voicemail, until she stopped calling. Maggie and Callie both tried to convince her that he could not be cheating, while at the same time understanding the way she felt. Callie offered to go find him in D.C. but Meredith turned the offer down. She did not want any of them to contact him. She had made the decision to stop contacting him, that he would have to contact her, and she made all of them swear to not try to call him, to respect her request and to above all not tell him about the pregnancy. 

     And within the next 24 hours, what Meredith thought were simply Braxton Hicks turned out to be pre-term labor. Thankfully she had been in the hospital when it started and Alex had forced her to get checked out, and her water had broke on the OB table. Everything else from that point forward went extremely fast, she was dilated at three and within two hours was fully dilated and ready to push, so grateful that she would not need C-section because that had been hell the first time, and the last thing she needed on top of everything was a post-partum C-section recovery. The baby was born within the next ten minutes, a little girl, and Meredith ordered Alex to go with her to the NICU and to not leave her side, as well as ordered everybody not to call Derek, or she would kill them. Literally. 

     The baby stayed a week in the NICU, but was thankfully perfectly healthy and Alex had kept her in a few extra days just to be sure, also hoping that Meredith might change her mind in the mean time and give Derek a call. But she was strong-headed and when she made a decision, she made it firmly. The worst part was, Derek had not even called once since that day. Not once. Meredith was done. She was done trying to keep their family together, done doing everything to make him still be the good guy when he did not have the decency to at least show her enough respect to call her back. She was done. She was exhausted, heartbroken, she felt like dying literally, but she was done. She would not be her mother, this would not destroy her.

     And so when she made it home, Alex having insisted on taking her home himself, Amelia and Maggie waiting for her with Zola and Bailey and a Welcome Home! banner that the kids had made, just stepping into the house had paralyzed her. It was a house, but it was no longer home. She did not feel home anymore in that house. She was suffocating. Being around the house that Derek had built them for their family, it was suffocating. 

     Ever since coming home, actually ever since that first phone call, there was only one person she could not get out of her mind. And for those ten weeks she had desperately tried to toss away, as all the questions and interrogations spinning around in her mind. But that night, after that phone call, she could not get her out of her head. And standing in that house, it was all she could think about. And so while Amelia was off to the bathroom, Maggie putting Zola and Bailey down for the night, Alex had ran out to get them dinner, Meredith stole Amelia’s phone that she had left on the low table in the living room and entered her password that she secretly knew, and she searched for a specific contact, and a specific address. 

     Came night time, Meredith had ordered everyone to leave her be for the night, said she needed her space and to figure things out alone. Alex had promised to be at her door at 7 sharp for breakfast and to take the kids to school and daycare, Maggie promising to come by to help out with the baby and Amelia offering to help if Meredith needed it. The minute they were all gone and she found herself alone at the house, she went to her room while the baby napped in the bassinet, pulled out a bag and filled it with some of her clothes, then she quietly went into Zola’s room and grabbed some of her clothes, then some of Bailey’s, grabbed diapers and bottles from the kitchen counter. Thankfully the diaper bag was freshly packed so she had everything she needed for the baby in there. She packed all their stuff within twenty minutes, and as she found herself standing in the middle of the living room, seeing all the packed up bags, she felt like she could breathe a little better. She nodded to herself and pulled what was left of energy in her, called a cab and then went to wake the kids. She left them in their PJs and just threw a coat over them, put their shoes on, got the baby in the carseat and got them all outside. She stopped at the door and turned around to take one last look at the house, feeling completely numb as she shut all the lights, then turned back around and headed out of the house, closing the door behind her and locking it. She then slid the key out of her keyset and left it under the mat on the front porch, and turned around just in time for the cab to pull in the drive way.

     Meredith got to the airport and bought three tickets for herself and the two oldest kids, and within the next hour they were off on a plane to Los Angeles. Sitting in that plane alone with her two oldest kids and a newborn in her arms was not quite what Meredith had expected her life to turn into, but it was. “Are you traveling alone with all of them?” Some old woman had asked on the plane, to which Meredith had forced a smile and nodded in response. Planes. She hated planes. She would panic the whole flight through. But with a newborn and two kids, there was no way she would sit them in a car for a 18+ hour drive, or a 35+ hour train ride even less so. And she just had to go, she had to do it. She summoned whatever force might be up there to make sure they all got to destination safely and finally breathed again when they landed in LA. She was lucky she had good kids, they had done amazing the whole flight through, had slept it right through, even the baby who had only fed once shortly before landing, which meant she would be good for a while and it was perfect timing. They all got off the plane and Meredith got the help of a man that worked at the airport, helping her getting her things together and even escorted her to a cab. She gave him a good tip and insisted when he refused, thanking him before hopping in the cab and giving them the address. 

     As they pulled in front of the address she had taken from Amelia’s phone, Meredith felt her heart beating so fast in her chest. She paid the cab driver and got all the kids out of the cab, then picked up their stuff. The man was kind enough to help bring the bags up the stairs to the door for her, and she offered him an extra tip that he refused, then watched as he drove away before turning to face the door. Bailey half-asleep in her arms, Zola tiredly leaning against her, her arms wrapped around her legs, the carseat at her feet, next to their bags. Swallowing thickly, Meredith leaned forward and knocked on the door. It was the middle of the night, half past 1AM, surely she would wake her up, but she had nowhere else to go. And so she stood there and waited until the door opened, feeling her heart dropping in her chest with relief when it did and her eyes locked with Addison.

     “He did it again,” she breathed out exhaustedly, her shoulders sinking, the last bit of strength she had going into holding Bailey in her arms and keeping him from falling - or was it him that kept her from falling. “I’m you,” she shrugged. “He’s found another me.” She gulped thickly. “We weren’t supposed to run or walk out on each other, we were supposed to love each other even when we hated each other and to take care of each other when we were old and senile, it was supposed to be forever. It was the post-it. We were supposed to be it but we’re not, I’m not.” She shrugged helplessly. “We were supposed to do this together and he left me to do it all alone, and I don’t know what to do. But you know what to do, so I need you to tell me.” She paused, staring at Addison as she breathed out so desperately, “What do I do?”

[writers-worst-nightmare]

Cooking (Denki x fem!reader)

Pairing(s): Denki x fem!reader

Warning(s): cussing, smut/18+ (minors DNI), sucking d*ck, switch Denki, mentions of ADHD

Word Count: 2,465

A/N (IMPORTANT ONE): everyone in this story is aged up to the 19, UA is a college in this AU but everything else is the same. So they are NOT minors and they are freshman in college!

A/N: request are always so pen so go ahead and drop on by, either leave the request in my inbox OR toy are more then welcome to message me if you want more detail or just want to get to know me :)

Playlist I made so you can listen to coming while reading this: https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6KD7SsmFn8QM4bp3BP6DCV_ML1B2AZC3

You laid on the couch, relaxed and in a comfortable position where anything can happen. You where watching this new anime called Demon Slayer that Mina recommend to you. Saying something along the lines of his hit the guys where. Honestly, you didn’t get the hype, but it was pretty entertaining and you didn’t have anything else better to do then to study and actually get work done so why the hell not? Little did you know a little spark plug was about to attack you. That little spark plug going by the name of Denki Kaminari. He was annoying as fuck and you didn’t want him around. But he kept coming back for more so you let him in your life and you guy’s had this little friends-with-benefits thing going on.

“BOO!” Denki screamed on the top of his lungs, you jumped in fear and got your quirk ready. Your breath coming out in short puffs as you stared at the honey eyed boy.

“You shit head! I was at a scary scene!” You hissed, slapping Denki on the back of his head like Bakugou’s Mom did to him from time-to-time when the bakusquad was over at the angry blonde’s house.

“Sorryyy!” Denki wined, rubbing his head slightly as he mumbled some cussing under his breath. You rolled your y/e/c eyes before staring at the blonde again.

“What do you want?” You asked, annoyance filling your voice and clicking your judgement slightly. The screams of Tanjiro still ringing from the TV.

“Well I had this ADHD burst of energy and I will want to bake a cake but I can’t do it alone because if I do it alone then I will make a mess and then I will clean it up and then I will start cleaning and then—“ Denki kept on rambling about this whole chain of effects that would happen if you didn’t bake with him. You rolled your eyes and stared him straight in his bright electric yellow eyes. You paused for a moment, thinking of ways to shut the teenage male up. A idea popped in your head as you smirked and grabbed the back of Denki’s neck and drawing him towards your lips. Leaning in closer and kissing his slightly puffy lips. He was wearing the same cherry chapstick that you commented that smelled good before you noticed that Denki liked you. You always guessed that this was a way for Denki to get you to notice him. The kids went on for a few minutes before you took over and pushed him on his back against the couch. The blonde gasped between the kiss, his eyes started to water a little at the sudden reaction. Before things to get out of hand you broke the kiss and smiled at the blonde. Keeping a poker face on as you pulled away and swiped away the drool that was connected the two of your mouth’s. You giggled a little, a cocky smile dragging across your face.

“Shut up…” You leaned in and whispered into Denki’s ear, biting his ear lobe a little and giggling a little as Denki choked back a moan that was forcing it’s way up his throat.

“Y-yes ma’am…” Denki whimpered submissively, his lip quivering slightly as you let go of his ear and going towards the dorm room kitchen. Denki followed you like a lost puppy dog, he would be a good little puppy. You chuckled slightly at the joke that you made up in your head.

“What type of cake do you want to bake?” You prompted, getting the pantry open and seeing what cake mixes you guy’s had and if you needed to go get in a car and drive to the gas ration at this god forbidden hour.

“Oooh chocolate!” Denki cheered, a childish smile plastered across his face as he bounced up and down. You chuckled and looked across the pantry to see if you guy’s had any chocolate.

“Well,” you started to say, smacking you lips and staring at the pantry with a disappointment look on your face. “Crap.”

“What?”

”We don’t have any chocolate cake mix.”

“Shit.”

You closed the pantry door and went towards your dorm room to grabs out jacket and skateboard. “Wait dude, did you customize your skateboard?” Denki awed as he stared at your Haikyuu inspired skateboard that had Bokuto on it. You nodded your head ‘yes’ and fully pulled on a y/f/c hoodie.

“Yeah, I started customizing skateboard’s over the summer when we graduated UA” You answered Denki’s question fully and explained it. A smile on your face as you glanced back at the blonde-and-black haired male as he ran to grab his yellow hoodie and skateboard. His late board looked plainer then yours but that is probably because he used it more then you did. You smiled brightly at Denki before going outside of the dorms. Denki spoked followed and the two of you started skating down the street.

”We should do this more!” Denki exclaimed, a playful smirk on his face as he started to do more tricks on the skateboard. You laughed at Denki and started video him for a tiktok. The tiktok was of him singing the lyrics of Alien Boy and having a blast of his time.

“You’re such a dork…” You scoffed as you stopped recording the tiktok and editing it. Not even having to look up to know the way where the gas station was.

“Can you send me the tiktok?” Denki requested, you looked at him and gave him a ‘are you serious?’ Look before agreeing with a nod of your head and sending the tiktok to him the moment you posted it. You guy’s started to skate more, trying to impress the other guy doing some more tricks. But soon, you got to the gas station and stopped the both of your skateboards and set hem down on the outside red brick wall. You and Denki imminently went to the candy section and got some chocolate box cake along with some different flavors of monster. You bought for everything.

“Did you get everything you where looking for?” The cashier asked, looking at the two of you and smiling tiredly.

“Yeah we did, thanks!” You chirped, getting out your card and paying for the stuff. Denki grabbed the monster and opened it up as you guy’s grabbed the skateboard the started heading out the front door. Laughing at dumb jokes that you guys cracked with each other.

*when you two got to the dorm’s because I know y’all waiting for the 18+ part you sinners*

Denki and you started following the directions, baking the cake and putting it in the oven and setting the timer for a hour. “There!” You declared, pumping your fist up in the air. Luckily you guy’s could be as loud as you wanted due to the fact that it is Spring Break and everyone went to there parents house. Well everyone but you and Denki. Your parents never wanted you to begin with, from the very start, they made it very clear that they didn’t want you. So why would you want to got there? Of course the bakusquad knows this. The plan was that everyone I the bakusquad was going to stay so you won’t have to to alone in the dorms but everyone seemed to have plans.

Crimson Riot had a book signing contest so Kirishima just had to go catch up on that, he seemed to be very upset to at he left you and promised that he would call you every night and FaceTime you for hours upon hours. Well, you checked your phone every second it seemed for the past two days and still no sign of Kirishima.

Bakugou’s parents got into a fight and they got a divorce so Bakugou had to go home for that. He didn’t seem to sad or caught up about it, although, you swore to yourself that you heard sobs coming from Bakugou’s dorm room after he told you over text that he couldn’t stay. So far he has texted you every once and a while and checked on you, made sure you where taking care of yourself.

Mina was going to a party and didn’t really seem to care that she was leaving you alone. Not that she was petty or anything she just never seemed to mind if she dropped her plans when they involved you. She gave you a couple of drunk text but nothing more and nothing less.

Sero didn’t talk to you about the thing, he said he would be there for you but he left you alone so you didn’t know where he was. Although, from what his Instagram story told you, he has in Disney with his family and having the trike of his life.

Jiro got her first new hit for a album of her song covers and needed to leave you. It was very emotional and you could tell that she didn’t want to leave you alone but she had to since her family was struggling and she wanted to make them proud.

But Denki stayed with you, the whole time, there was not a time that you thought ‘oh, Denki isn’t going to be there for me’ or ‘oh, I can’t count on Denki to be here’ because he always was and he always will be right by your side. Ever since the two of you where kids and Denki first got his quirk, you still remember that day, he went to hug his best friend but accidentally shocked him and the kid died of electrocution. He cried for hours and hours in class and (from what you heard) in his own home. Refusing to hug anybody until he got into middle school and you came along. You guys had known each other due to your parents working together in the same hero agency but you never started building a friendship until middle school. A lot of people say that relationships end in middle school and high school but in reality. That is when Denki and yours started to bloom.

“Remember when you first got your quirk?” You popped up, laughing a little as the tips of Denki’s ears turned a flush red.

“HEY I THOUGHT WE AGREED TO NEVER TALK ABOUT THAT!” Denki pouted, crossing his arms and trying to be mad at you.

“Oh ok…I am sorry…” You whispered in a pretend hurt voice, knowing full well that Denki will come crawling back to you once you had the slight hurt tone in your voice.

“Wait no! Baby!! Come here!!” Denki exclaimed, wrapping you in a warm hug, you burst into laughter and hugged Denki back. Feeling bad for the honey eyed male for the millionth time in your life (no but like seriously, how did this man get you to feel bad about everything?)

“Its fine Denki.” You reassured the worried teenager with some pats on the head and a kiss on the forehead. Denki smiled innocently at you before pushing you against the couch. “Oof!” You gasped as you felt he fabric press against your back. Denki smirked in accomplishment.

“GOT YOU!” Denki declared proudly, trying to pin you down on your back. You cocked your brow up slightly and flipped you and Denki over so you where on top and he was on bottom. Denki whined and bit his lip, eyes looking at you in a pleading sort of way. You smirked seductively and leaned down to kiss Denki. Your lips crashing with his, biting the male’s slightly pink lips to ask for entrance (which he obeyed instantly). You slipped your tongue into the wet cavern of Denki’s mouth and started exploring every inch of it and sucking on his tongue a little bit. Denki moaned into the kiss and started grinding his body against your pants and whining like a submissive bitch. You chuckled darkly and brought your hand to mess with his hair before yanking his hair and making him break the kiss. A string of saliva connected your two mouths and you just swiped it off and shoved your fingers inside of Denki. Smiling slightly as he gagged.

“Want me to suck your dick slut?” Your horse whisper sounded in Denki’s ear as you bite his ear lobe and tugged on it slightly. Denki nodded his head ‘yes’ before letting out a string of moans. You smirked in accomplishment of breaking the presumably top nineteen year old who flirted with all the girls at school. You pulled down Denki’s sweatpants and boxers in one Swift motion all while keeping eye contact with him. Going down on your knee’s you opened your mouth and started sucking Denki off. Your tongue swirling around his head as you slowly started going deeper and deeper until you felt it go to the back of your throat. Once you felt that your head bobbed up and down, Denki moaned loudly and threw his head back in pure pleasure. Mumbling out praises and barely forming a sentence. You smiled to yourself as you reached down and started rubbing circles along your clit, you tongue almost lolling out to the side of Denki’s duck at the pleasure of hitting the sweet spot.

“You’re such a girl girl yeah you suck my dick yeah you suck that duck so well yeah you do…” Denki managed to say before moaning loudly again at the sight of you touching your self and sucking him off. He is in complete heaven. You felt Denki’s thighs tense up around your head and you stared up at him. Expecting him to say something. “I’m gonna cum…!” Denki mumbled out before moaning again and letting his sex face out. You moaned around Denki’s dick and that caused both of you to cum at the same time. You guy’s where a panting mess on the floor. Denki had his legs spread wide and your head was all fuzzy and not cleared out with good thoughts. You guy’s stood there, a few comfortable in the air as both of you where a shaking mess. Soon, you got up and carried Denki to the other corner of the couch and grabbed a large fluffy gray blanket along with some large pillows. On nights like these, Denki liked it if you took charge in the aftercare stuff. Not even letting you two get changed until the morning. You smiled warmly at the goofy blonde who laid there on the couch, almost fast asleep, while you played Death Note (he says it is to scary so you like watching it when he is asleep or cuddling with you).

“Hey baby?”

“What’s up Pikachu?”

“Did we ever get that cake out of the oven?”

“…”

“…”

“Shit.”

[fandomficsnstuff]

Little Dragon - Part 6

Summary: You were a child slave of Meereen, when one day a silver haired woman sets you free. Though your master isn’t too keen on letting you go, and Daenerys took personal action to see you freed and taken care of.

(Warnings: Angst on Daenerys’ part, and a joyful end to this chapter! At least I hope so)

High Valyrian is in cursive

You arrived at your mother’s chambers, seeing Tyrion, Missandei, Varys, Gray Worm and some of the Unsullied, and immediately Tyrion felt small under your gaze once again “we are under attack” you stated as you slowly walked towards him, hiding your fear as best as you could, Tyrion thinking of what to say “yes it would appear so-”

“ ‘it would appear so’?? That means YOUR plan, which YOU assured me would bring peace, didn’t work!” you snapped, about to say something else when you heard something land on top of the Pyramid, Gray Worm instantly putting you and Missandei behind him as the Unsullied faced the balcony, ready to fight, and you couldn’t help but feel scared, your hand clutching Missandei’s, you were just a girl after all, your thirteenth name day was yesterday. You breathed out heavily once you saw her walk in through the balcony, tears filled your eyes as you pushed past everyone and ran to her “Mhysa!” you sobbed and she held you in her arms, glaring at Tyrion who, once again, grew short a few more inches. You no longer had to be her, you no longer had to live up to her.

She pulled back, whispering something to an Unsullied, who then took you to your room, “I’ll be there shortly” she explained, then she gave you a reassuring look as you were being escorted away.

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You were playing with the doll Missandei gave you when you heard your door open, seeing Daenerys walk in, and once she spotted you she lit up, running to you as you ran to her. Daenerys dropped to her knees and hugged you, holding your little frame against hers, though you were not so little now, something she had noted “you’re so big now!” she whispered with tears in her eyes as she pulled back, studying you as she rested a gentle hand on your cheek “and so beautiful” you grinned widely “not as beautiful as you, Mhysa” she chuckled low at your response, before growing quiet, her smile fading “I’m so, so sorry, Little Dragon. I’m so sorry for leaving you, Missandei told me how you handled it all and I’m so proud of you” she stroked a stray piece of (Y/H/C) behind your ear, her hand once again resting on your cheek, her thumb gently stroking it “I’m so proud” she said once again, tears returning to her eyes “and I’m so sorry for leaving” you shook your head “Mhysa, it’s okay, Missandei explained” you assured her, earning a sad, but kind, smile from her.

After a few hours of you talking together, Daenerys finally remembered, pulling out something from her pocket “I found this while-... I found this while I were away”she opened her hand to reveal a small rock that looked like a dragon skull “and I thought of you, my Little Dragon” she gave it to you and you studied it, feeling the curves under your fingertips as a wide grin spread across your face, looking back up at her “I’m sorry for not being here, for your thirteenth name day” she frowned, disappointed with herself most of all, but you shook your head “you’re here now, Mhysa, that’s what I count” you hugged her and she hugged you back, relieved that you didn’t blame her or were sad about it.

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You watched Rhaegal fly high above you, soaring with Drogon and Viserion. You turned back to Daenerys who was talking with Missandei, but glanced at you, throwing a kind smile your way. You quickly made your way to her, your hands folded behind your back, and Daenerys could just tell by your look that you wanted to ask her something “what?” she smirked a little at you, making you think that you were actually going to be allowed to do what you were about to ask for “Rhaegal… can I please fly him?” you made sure to ask in the common tongue, as a sort of ‘see how good I am? Can I go do this thing now’ kind of way, but Daenerys paled a bit at your question, making you rethink “are you sure, (Y/N)?” you nodded at her question, and she gave Missandei a look, before looking back to you “we’re still on the way to Dragonstone, when we arrive, then maybe” you didn’t let that stop you though “but it’s so far away, please Mhysa? I promise I’ll be careful and Rhaegal is so sweet and I promise that I’ll hold on tight!”

“How would you even get on Rhaegal?” she raised a curious eyebrow at you, making you think, humming low as your brain twisted itself for a solution, “I could… jump! And I could land on Rhaegal, and he could fly really steady while I held on, I promise we won’t fly far” Daenerys looked even more concerned now “you will… jump… from the side of the ship?” you nodded once again, making her share another disturbed look with Missandei before looking back to you “I don’t see how-”

“I can show you!” you ran to the edge of the ship and Daenerys had never, ever in her life moved as fast, quickly catching you by your mid section, lifting you away from the edge quickly “(Y/N)! Please be careful” she put you down and kneeled down in front of you, holding your shoulders as she looked up at you with worry “I will! Please, Mhysa?” she sighed, looking at her dragons above. She loved the energy, the adoration you held for her children, but you were her child now as well, and she would protect you as she protected them.

“We’re still at sea, you could hit the water, be dragged under the current, can you even swim, (Y/N)?” Her whole face was contorted in worry, watching as you looked up at the dragons with a longing look, and she sighed heavily, making your attention snap back to her. Daenerys was deep in thought, you could practically hear her thoughts of worry wash off of her like the waves under the ship. “I-... I won’t do it if you really don’t want me to, Mhysa… I was just-”

“Go... “ your eyes widened at her simple word, your whole face lighting up like the wildfire you had read about. “Really??” she nodded at your eager question, her face still one filled with worry “yes, you're thirteen now, I can't treat you as if you're ten forever, just... try… go to the edge, hold onto one of the ropes that hold the sails… just-... don’t do something too dangerous…” you nodded at her words. She helped you climb up on a ledge on the edge of the ship, your hand clutching the rope that lined above you. Your eyes lit up even more when Rhaegal carefully flew closer to the ship, turning to fly sideways, the tip of his left wing touching the water below him, he held incredibly still as you let go of the rope, jumping to him and holding onto one of his spikes, Daenerys held her breath, just about ready to jump over the herself to hold you up, but she didn’t have to, Rhaegal quickly and smoothly evened out, flying away from the ship so his wings wouldn’t damage it.

Letting out a victorious mix of a scream and laughter Rhaegal suddenly flew up and behind the ship, and out of Daenerys’ view. Daenerys flew to her feet, looking to the clouded sky to locate you when suddenly you appeared on the other side of the ship, laughing and giggling as you rode Rhaegal as if you had done it a thousand times. She breathed out sharply, feeling dizzy as she had when you first encountered her dragons. Missandei was, once again, at her side, holding her steady, Daenerys closing her eyes in a moment of relief, now the problem was just to get you off again. “She reminds me of you, when I saw you fly off on Drogon” Missandei looked at her friend and Queen, earning a small playful eye roll “I don’t believe I instilled that much fear into my loved ones” she countered, making Missandei chuckle “you did, Your Grace” making both of them laugh as they watched you.

[drakewalkerfantasy]

My little angels (Tatum x Claire)

Summary: Two births. Two different experiences. Two sisters. And only 3 years and 3 month apart.

Prompt: 43. A kiss pressed to the top of the head.

Words: 2442

Rating: PG

Warning: labour / emergency c-section / childbirth / pain

A/N: Thank you, dear anon for your request. I hope you will like it, I’m not sure if I’m particularly happy with all parts, and it got too raw too quickly. I literally wrote what I felt, so sorry for any kind of mistakes. Read under the cut

The crucifying pain shot through Claire in a flush, knocking the air out of her lungs and leaving her breathless.

Her breath caught in her throat and the dry lump of emotions formed there with the tears that started to burn at the corners of her eyes, while the feeling of another inevitable bout of pain washed over her. Getting ready to tear through her with the sob and the plea, that she couldn’t push back anymore.

But before she could say anything or plead for mercy... the seconds before she could feel another fit of pain rip through her, she felt two strong hands gently wrapping around her bringing her closer to a firm muscled chest, soothing her… calming her, and just for a second making her forget about the pain... just for a second.

“You are doing so great,” whispered a familiar voice, breaking through the fog of agony she was into. “I’m in such an awe of you,” said the man pressing a soft affectionate kiss to the top of her head.

Her forehead dropped onto his chest while she was breathing heavily, feeling his fingers drawing soft soothing circles into her scalp, making the pain step back for a little bit longer. Her eyes closed from exhaustion, while she tried to breath.

“I cannot...,” she half-sobbed, half-whispered into his chest. Her voice hoarse and dry from all the pain and emotions. The lump still blocked her throat making it almost painful to speak, while his hands gently tightened around her feeling how her body stiffened with another rush of pain. “It hurts... so much,” Claire breathed. Her fingers curl around the crisp material of his shirt, and the pain is so strong that she almost forgets how to breathe. Opening and closing her mouth in a futile attempt. Her eyes squeezed shut, hoping that if they will remain like that, then the pain will not come.

“Hey, look at me, breathe.... just breathe. One in... and one out,” Tatum murmured, cupping her face in his hand. His voice is calming and soothing, guiding her through the process, breathing in unison with her. So gently... so carefully... Her rock... her strength…

One in... and one out. One in... and one out.

“You are almost there,” Claire heard another voice breaking through the fog of her mind and she prepared herself for another wave of pain. Squeezing her eyes even firmer, but breathing at last. 

One in... and one out.

“Soon we will finally meet our little girl,” Claire breathed, finally opening her eyes and raising them to meet Tatum’s, smiling weakly at him. Her hands still curled around the material of his shirt, while she breathed in and out, feeling the calming movements of his chest with every breath he took.

She could feel how another rush of contractions surged onto her. Her forehead wrinkled from pain and her eyes squeezed shut, while she grunted into Tatum’s shirt. Their breathes synced, calming her as nothing else could before another command to push followed after another excruciating wave of pain struck her.

Push... push... push... followed after every contraction and she did just so... following without questions, bravely meeting the pain, but still no result, and she almost wants to give up. Just to close her eyes... and forget all the pain... rewind the days and try next time... but she doesn't.

Instead Claire squeezes her eyes, and pushes with the last bit of strength left in her before collapsing back into Tatum’s arms. Feeling, how they softly curl around her offering her all the strength and support he can... all the strength and support she needs.

“Sorry... I can’t... I just.... make it stop... please just make it stop,” she sobbed into his shirt, while he brushed the strands of hair out of her eyes. His hand cupping her cheek gently, making her look at him, while they still had time before another command and another contraction would inevitably follow.

“Honey, you can do that. I know you can,” he whispered softly, locking his eyes with hers, before pressing their foreheads together. They breathes synced, while another command followed only a second later and she pushed. Her hands dug into his. Her nails breaking the skin of his forearms, while she cried out and pushed with the last effort and strength she could find in her.

Her body fell into Tatum’s embrace in exhaustion and her eyes snapped open, focusing on the midwife and the small figure covered in a red bloody substance in her hands. Both waiting with the bated breath, while the seconds were ticking.

One... two...thr... faint soft sigh... cry.

The baby was crying. Their baby was crying.

And they could feel how they finally could breathe again. Feeling how their own tears started to flow, while Tatum pressed a soft kiss to the top of Claire’s head, to her forehead, her nose and then finally to her lips.

Murmuring the words of gratitude and love over and over, while covering her in small, affectionate kisses. Their tears mixing together before the baby, cleaned and wrapped into the blanket, was finally brought to them and put into Tatum’s hands.

“You did it,” he said in a voice full of awe and love. His cheeks still stricken by tears and his eyes moist, while he pressed a soft kiss to the baby’s forehead.

“We did it,” murmured Claire looking at Tatum with a weak loving smile, before dropping her eyes to their baby girl, letting her small little hand wrap around her finger. “Hey, Lilibeth. Welcome to the world.”

Lilibeth, the filipino name that mixes Lily and Beth, his mum’s favourite flowers and the name of Claire’s grandmother from her father’s side.

————————————————

3 years and 3 months later, same hospital and she once again in pain. Claire’s hand firmly gripping Tatum’s, doubling with a scream, while waiting for someone to come after them. She wasn’t so far into the labour and another three weeks till her due date, but the pain is so much worse than with their first and she knows... or at least she suspects that it’s only the beginning.

Her forehead covered in beads of sweat, while she gritted her teeth. Her waters broke an hour ago, but pain seems to jump from zero to ten in one go... with the gush of water to the kitchen floor where she was laughing till her sides hurt only a second before with Denise and her father in law over one of Tatum’s childhood memories. While he was scowling just meters away, mumbling something under his breath before he heard her gasp and he was right next to her in a flash. Cradling her in his strong, comforting arms before she screamed, feeling how her abdomen tensed and the pain shoot through her, making another young man rush to them with the panicked look on his face.

Should I have coloured my hair back to my natural colour or should I let them wash out... the sudden thought strikes her. The thought that seems to be coming from nowhere through the flush of another spasm and pain. Her brow furrowed in concentration trying to determine where it even came from. Doing everything she could to get distracted from pain. And even though she knows that Tatum loves her in any form and appearance, the doubt still creeping, overlapping with another contraction in her abdomen, that makes it rock solid, and the grip on his hand bone-crashingly firm.

“Everything will be okay. Doctor will be here in a moment,” tries to calm her Tatum, easing her hand gently while it didn't break any bones in his.

“You are the one to talk,” Claire snapped, bracing herself for another wave of pain, her stomach getting firmer and she could feel the pain rushing onto her like a wrecked train. The tears welling on her eyes, while she tried to breathe. “God... how did I even let you do that to me again...,” she sobbed, gripping his hand firmer, while another gripped the lapels of his jacket. “Never again... Oooof.... fuck you and yours.... Oh God...,” she panted, feeling his hand squeezing hers, while another wraps around her waist, letting her bury her face on his chest, whimpering softly.

“I think that was the reason why we got into that position in the first place,” chuckled Tatum into Claire’s hair, rubbing her back softly and kissing the top of head.

Realising the mistake of his words only an instance later, when she hit him hard in his chest. Baffling him only a second later, when he heard a muffled bark of hoarse laugh against his chest. But before he could say anything his eyes stopped on the midwife who was finally approaching them with Blaine hot on her heels. And he could feel how some of the tension left his body, thankful to Blaine for getting someone to finally look at them using his status. The thing Tatum knew for a fact Blaine hated to do, but still done for them.

“Thank you,” said Tatum, turning to Blaine as soon as Claire was put into the wheelchair and rolled to the examination room. “Hey, she will be okay,” tried to convince him Tatum, or was it he himself who needed that, or both when he met a panicked look on Blaine’s face. But before he could say anything else or followed after his wife and midwife they heard an alarm coming from the room where Claire disappeared. Tatum felt instantly numb feeling how the fear that something happened washed over him and they both ran into the room.

The scene they were both met with, made Blaine instantly look away while Tatum froze, the words failing him and he could distantly hear the question that he was asked.

“Yes... yes, I’m her husband,” numbly said Tatum, watching how Claire was moved to the gourmet.

“You shouldn’t worry, we will make sure...,” said the woman placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, but he didn’t hear her, as the only sounds in his ears were the pounding of his own heart and the roaring of his blood.

He didn’t feel how Blaine led him to the waiting area, didn’t hear him trying to comfort him and he didn’t know how much time had passed. The only thing he could feel and hear was a paralysing fear, the one he never felt before, the one that grabbed him with a stranglehold and did not let go... the one that made his breath shallow and his vision blurred... the one he didn’t know how to deal with.

It was minutes... or hours... or seconds. He didn’t know... he just didn’t... the fear unlike any other gripped at his throat, when he felt a hand placed carefully at his shoulder bringing him back to present... tearing him away from the thoughts he was having...

He couldn’t lose her... Their little girl cannot lose her... 

The fear punched holes in his heart, and his breathing hollows, almost like a panic attack he didn’t have in years... since the early childhood after his mother’s death, after he needed to become strong for Claire... and now he was losing her... them...

Distantly he could feel someone’s hand on his, but he couldn’t move, trying to breath, until the hand squeezed his firmer, and he could hear someone’s voice trying to break through to him... through the beating of his heart in his ears... through the fear... until he felt something small got placed in his hands, helping him held something... someone, realisation dawned at him a second later. His eyes dropped to the baby, the small bundle in his hands before raising them to meet Blaine’s gaze who was squatting in front of him, preventing his arms from shaking, helping him to hold the baby... smiling.

“She is okay. Both of them,” replied Blaine to an unasked question, watching how relief washed over Tatum.

“Can I...,” the question stuck in Tatum’s throat while he raised his eyes watching over Blaine’s shoulder at the elderly woman behind him.

“Mrs. Mendoza is still recovering from anaesthesia, but you can see her,” sounded a reply. “She suffered some minor blood loss, but other than that both her and baby are feeling good and will be able to go home within a day or two,” the woman said, while Tatum carefully stood up holding their newborn girl and following the nurse toward the ward.

First what she felt was the dryness of her throat, like she didn’t have anything to drink for days... weeks even or if she would spend some time in a desert.

The second, was the heaviness of her eyelids. And the feeling that she wouldn’t be able to open them even if she would try. So heavy that she kept them closed, trying to adjust her other senses first.

And the last, she felt a fear that quickly turned into relief when Claire heard the voice of her husband... her Tatum, cooing with someone... their daughter. Thanks God... she wanted to cry and laugh at the same time, relief rolling over her in waves together with a raspy cough ripping through her throat before she cleared it.

“Hey,” she spoke, her voice raspy and hoarse and cutting her throat as nothing else did. Her eyes still closed before she tried to flutter them open. “Is she okay?”

“Yes, she is. She is precious,” she hears next to her and she tries to sit or at least she thinks she tries to do that before she feels a warm hand over hers. “You did it,” Tatum’s voice so close to her now, and she can feel his soft lips pressing to her forehead in a lingering kiss, while her eyes finally flutter open to meet his, and to look at their girl.

“We...,” she tries to object, but the soft press of his lips to hers cut her off.

“You did it,” murmurs Tatum against her lips. His arms holding hers securing them around their daughter, helping her to hold their girl.

“She is perfect,” Claire murmurs still hoarsely,

“Yes, she is... and as strong and brave just like her mother,” he whispers, leaning toward the little girl cradled in their arms, pressing a softest kiss to her forehead. His murmur like a rustle of leaves on the wind. “Hey, Ana. Welcome to the word.”

Ana... Anita, the name of the Spanish origin, the middle name of her mother’s, as strong and as brave like the woman who gave her life and who he loves.

Tagging: @kowshikha @sophxwithers​ @itsjustwinter @ramseysrookiex​​​ @lahelasaveiro​ @mercury84choices​ @choices-bound​ @jamespotterthefirst​ @starrystarrytrouble​

[whereisten]

I Know What You Did Last Summer

Part 1 Preview | Part 1 | Part 2 Preview | Part 2

Summary: After a fun-filled graduation night, your heart is torn between your two best friends, Ten and Lucas. A fire is ignited between the three of you that isn’t as easy to calm as it was to start. And this lustful fire, just like any fire, spreads and seeks to destroy anything in its path, for there is no telling what Ten will do for you, or rather, to you.

Pairing: King!Ten x female reader (as well as Prince! Lucas)

Genre: Royalty!AU, love triangle, angst, smut, fluff

Warnings: manipulation, possessiveness, blackmail, cheating!, character death, mention of blood, alcohol use, smut!: threesome, unprotected sex, penetration (v and a), oral sex (m and f), hand job, fingering, fondling, c*eampie, biting, bdsm (paddle use, choking, rope use), orgasm denial, overstimulation, semi-public sex.

Word Count: 33.4k

Taglist: @suhweo @5shotsamericano @alreadyblondenow @khiphoptrash-0 @adorejaehyn @08skrr @ateez-babygirl

A/N: omggg it’s finally here! This fic is part of a group project organized by @neo-cult-ure . We are very excited to share this with you. It is a story set in the 19th century but based on the song “I know what you did last summer” Camilla Cabbage and Shawn Manatee. We took liberties with the time period, just a warning. We worked REALLY hard together and hope you enjoy!! Please reblog and comment, we’d love to know what you think❤️ as always, this is a work of fiction. The way we portray these idols should not be taken seriously or misconstrue anyone’s perception of them.

PART 1

[FEBRUARY 1894]

“You look wonderful, darling.” Your mother tightens your corset one final time as you hoisted yourself up on the dresser.

You look into the mirror in front of you and watch as one singular vein threatens to pop out from the center of your forehead. The thing about the “lovely” corsets you had to wear was that while they gave your body amazing curves, they gave you nothing but discomfort. But in the words of your mother, “A woman is only as worthy as she looks.” So yes, beauty is pain but beauty is also success.

“Ten would be a fool to not choose you as his wife next year.”

Oh, and that too. She wanted you to look good for Ten. She wanted all eyes to be on you at the Graduation Party you would be at later, but most importantly, she wanted you to look absolutely irresistible for the crown prince, aka the wealthiest bachelor in your country at the moment.

You and Ten had been best friends since middle school, and you admit, you’ve admired him since then. You weren’t sure if it was love, lust, or just a small crush..you knew you felt something when you looked at him.

Even so, the butterflies you felt in your chest when you saw a Ten couldn’t hold a candle to the family of birds that flew about inside when you looked at Lucas.

You met Lucas the same day that you met Ten. At the single cherry blossom tree not too far from school, that’s where you three had met a few years back.

You were sitting on the trunk of the blossoming tree, the falling petals decorating your hair and sticking to your wet cheek as you cried. A girl in school had bullied you because the boy she liked actually liked you. She made fun of your looks and even your family while your classmates just laughed.

So you ran as far away as you could. Eventually finding the lonely cherry blossom tree that stood so gloriously in the middle of a large field. You brought your knees to your chest and let your head fall onto your folded arms. It was bright and warm outside, the wind blew off of the lake behind the tree, making you feel comfortable and calm.

You raised your head slowly when you heard the laughter of two boys as they approached the tree.

“Do you think Ms. Hong will tell on me to your father?” One of them asked the other.

“Who cares..grades don’t matter when you’re of high status like us.” The other one sounded nonchalant and boastful.

You quietly sniffled and rubbed your eyes, hoping that you wouldn’t be noticed on the other side of the tree.

They continued to converse and a few minutes later you hear them gulp down something. One of them made a strange hissing sound while the other laughed.

Almost immediately, you can smell the harsh scent of alcohol. Your face scrunches, and suddenly a petal flies into your nose, making you sneeze loudly.

They both yelled out in shock when they hear you.

“WHO’S THERE?” One of their voices is raised in alarm. 

“I’m-I’m sorry..I was just..sitting here to be by myself for a bit...” You sniffled as you stood up slowly.

The two boys stood up as well.“Why didn’t you say something? Were you just eavesdropping like a creep?” The shorter one asked with disgust.

“N-no..I’m sorry I was just-“

“Are you okay?” The taller one stepped forward. He noticed your red eyes and damp cheeks. You looked to the ground to avoid eye contact. You couldn’t see that he had already started to fall. You were so beautiful, and he wondered how he had never seen you before.

You stepped back and nodded. “I’ll be leaving now, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“No-no you don’t have to..” He turned to the shorter one and raised his eyebrows. It was as if he was silently telling Ten to be nice and invite you to their drinking party. Ten got the hint and was hesitant, but he too had a strange feeling in him when he saw you.

“Um..you don’t have to leave. Maybe talking about it will make you feel better.” Ten stepped forward and smiled.

“I’m Ten..this is Lucas, what’s your name?”

You finally looked up at the pair of dashingly handsome young men. Lucas in particular caught your attention because he was just so tall. His smile was warm, as if it was competing with the sun itself. But Ten was just as bright, his eyes crinkling at the sides as his skin dazzled.

“Come on, let’s get to know each other. Drink this and you’ll feel better, I promise.” Ten took your hand and helped you sit back down.

And that was the beginning of your friendship. The three of you did everything together through middle and high school, and had spent plenty more time at the tree.

Today, in your early twenties now, your friendship had reached its apex. You’ve all finally graduated and are able to focus on your individual royal duties. And while you couldn’t wait to be finished with tedious school work, you were nervous for what was to come. You could no longer rely on each other for company at any time in the day. Would your friendship still flourish as you became adults with families and responsibilities?

Ten held the graduation party at his castle because it was the largest one in the land and his parents would be away that night for a trip. It was basically his until he got back.

You bid your parents goodbye once they dropped you off and handed you over to Ten.

Ten stood at the door gawking over you. You always look beautiful but tonight you looked..angelic. Your hair and skin were radiant in the moonlight, and Ten swore you were untouchable, ghostly. It felt as though you were some fairytale brought to life. He had welcomed so many other graduates from your school to his palace that night, but none of them stopped time like you did. Your silver gown was cinched tightly at the waist, making the top of your breasts look especially rounded. 

“What do you think? It’s a bit much, isn’t it?” You laugh when you see him staring.

Ten gives you a large smile. But before he could speak, Lucas’ boastful voice echoes out.“Perfect..you’re perfect, y/n.” 

Lucas steps from behind Ten and closer to you. You didn’t notice Ten’s smile fade as you shift your focus from him and to the tall man beside him instead.

Lucas’ goofy smile and deep voice make you blush and you hope you didn’t possibly look as hot as your cheeks felt. Lucas takes your hand and leads you inside. Ten follows behind and closes his lips tightly.

The two men both wore their royal suits that were decorated with honorary badges and stripes. Their hair was fixed back and they both looked older, more mature. They no longer looked like those rule breaking teens you met at the tree that day in middle school.

The party was filled with every graduate. Live music played and drinks were being served in every corner of every room in the extravagant, gold-filled mansion. Lucas couldn’t help but watch you as you sipped your drink. All the girls watched him, but he couldn’t get over you.

And Ten felt the same way, however, as the host, he didn’t have much time to just stand around and talk with his friends. He had to greet everyone while Lucas spent time with you.

Out of the corner of Ten’s eye, he could see Lucas’ gaze and smile.

It made him feel...left out. But he also couldn’t ignore something else. A desire for you. A desire for Lucas. A desire for requited love. The lust he felt brought out a jealousy that ate at him. He loved you both and he wanted to be with the two of you..badly. This friendship was everything and more to him, and he’d hate to feel like he were losing it.

He finally made his way over to the main ballroom once all of the guests were accounted for.

“You guys look nice and ..comfortable,” You say as you hold your waist and let out a heavy breath.

Ten chuckles. “I’m sorry you have to wear that.”

“Yeah, yeah I’m sorry too.” You grabbed another two glasses and downed them in an effort to numb the feeling of the wires that relentlessly dig into your mid section.

Lucas smirks. “That’s my girl.” He downs another glass too as Ten watches him eye you up and down, the alcohol clearly taking effect on the both of you.

The band started to play a new song, distracting Lucas and giving Ten the perfect opportunity to get some alone time with you. Ten held his hand out quickly and looked at you through wide eyes.

“Dance with me..please.”

You nodded and took his hand, a look of surprise on your face at your best friend asking you for a dance. Usually he’d want to play a game or talk until the sun came out. A dance was very uncharacteristic of him. 

But still, you stepped closer to him. He gently took both hands in his and pulled you closer to his chest, keeping his eyes on yours.

“So this is it?” Ten says softly.

You hum and look down to his neck, his gaze too intense for you to follow as you sway back and forth slowly.

“I guess it is.” You nod.

“We..can still hang out right? You, me, Lucas.”

“I’m not sure..my parents are strict when it comes to me fulfilling my royal duties, I may not have time. I have to get used to wearing corsets and makeup like this all the time..which sucks but..”

“You look amazing.” Ten gives a small smile that makes your throat close up. You had known this boy for years yet it felt like you were dancing with a handsome stranger.

You swallow hard. “Thank you, Ten.”

“I have a feeling we’ll be together for a long time.” Ten knew he couldn’t let you go, he knew that when given the chance, he’d choose you as his wife. Your parents expected the marriage as well as himself. But what about Lucas? Surely he could keep Lucas around, but he wouldn’t be able to touch you or even to gaze at you for long because you’d officially be his.

“What makes you think that?” You ask, eyes low and tracing over his parted lips. The alcohol has made you slightly dizzy and lustful. You started to think of Ten’s lips and how they’d feel on yours

“I see the way you look at me, sort of like how you’re looking at me now.” His heart beat is on yours, slowing down to match the tempo of your rumbling chest, his steamy breath taps the crook of your neck as he leans down.

Your eyes close once you feel his soft surface of his beautiful lips graze your neck. Ten gives you a gentle kiss as you whimper quietly. He wraps an arm around your back to push your body closer to his. Your chest starts to heave and your body begins to feel weak at Ten’s touch.

“Ten..” you whisper but your whining is still loud enough for Ten to hear over the violins.

It’s just the two of you in the middle of the ballroom as Ten nibbles the skin of your neck softly.

And just as you’re about to moan his name once more, you’re startled by a tap on your shoulder. Your eyes open quickly when you recognize the fresh scent of someone other than Ten.

“Lucas?”

Ten also moves quickly to remove his lips from your neck.

“Another drink?” Lucas asks as he forces a smile. Both you and Ten can see that he is forcing it to hide a look of disappointment. He looks hurt and confused.

This felt wrong, but it also felt so right, like you had cheated on a man that you love with another man that you love.

You look at Ten who also looks sorrowful, his mouth falling open but no words seem to come out.

You shake your head. “No thank you…I feel like I can’t breathe...” You hurriedly brush past the two men and head up the large grand staircase.

You walk down the long hallway and let yourself into the room at the very end, hoping that no one will find you as you try to collect yourself.

Your hands fidget as they untie your dress in the back and slide the top half down to your hips. You then start to untie the corset, but get tired, plopping yourself onto the bed while breathing heavily.

“Damn it.” You curse to yourself quietly. How could this happen so fast?

Ten made you feel intoxicated and needy, but Lucas’ face made you feel sadness. You didn’t regret that moment, you’d been waiting to be touched by Ten and it finally happened.

You stood up again and went to untie your corset.

A few seconds pass when you’re startled by the door opening. You turn around fast, your hands covering your chest as you ask, “Who’s there?!”

“It’s me! I’m sorry..I—I’ll leave.” Lucas glances at your exposed body for a millisecond but quickly turns around to leave.

“Wait..Lucas..”

He stops, his back still facing you.

“I need help..”

Lucas turns back to you slowly. You turn your back to him and drunkenly point to the laces in the back.

“Please untie this for me so I can know what it’s like to breathe again.”

Lucas chuckles softly and it’s like music to your ears. He walks over slowly, his heavy steps on the wood floor making your heart race each time he gets closer.

He finally towers behind you, keeping eye contact with you through the huge mirror that stands in front of you.

Lucas goes to untie it, but smirks when you shiver from the light graze of his fingers against your back.

“What was that?”

“I-I don’t know.” You stumble over your words once you break eye contact and look at a painting on the wall to the right.

“Did you like it?”

You look back at Lucas through the mirror. His expression is dark, daring and that’s when you notice that he is untying your corset at an unbelievably slow rate.

“I..”

“I’m your best friend too, you have to be honest with me.” Lucas takes his middle finger and runs it down along your arm, his eyes glued to your exposed shoulders. “What did it feel like to have his lips on you?”

The low lighting in the room provided a sharp contrast to the bright aura in the ballroom you both were in before. The ballroom was decorated by enormous chandeliers. Instead, in this room, there was one single lamp in the corner of the room and the moonlight that poured in through the large window beside the bed.

The new lighting allowed for you to see the sharp features of Lucas’ gorgeous face, how his high cheekbones made him look dangerously handsome. His expression was dark as he spoke, his lips pursed.

“It felt..good.”

“I want to make you feel good too, will you let me?” Lucas’ voice is even lower than it was a few minutes ago. You breathe heavily, but having your corset a little looser than it was before makes it less painful. Your legs close tightly as Lucas’ husky voice makes you wet.

Lucas fixes your hair from one side of your neck to the other side then leans down and kisses you. A weak breath leaves your open mouth as your head instantly falls back. 

Lucas lips are plumper but just as soft as Ten’s. His delicate kisses make your heart race.

“Yes..” Your eyes close as Lucas begins to suck hard onto the warm skin on your shoulder.

His hands hold your waist as he pulls you closer, your back falling flush against his broad chest. Your hands reach behind you and find his head. Lucas moans when he feels your dainty fingers massage his scalp. He then kisses your jawline while you back into him more. He glances down to see your breasts rising up and down rapidly as you grow hotter.

His touch was everything you needed right now. Ten’s kiss made you needy and you knew you needed more.

You moan when you brush against Lucas’ pelvis and feel his hard member poke your back. You reach down and palm it through the fabric, earning a throaty groan from him.

He humps into your hand while still sucking your neck. “y/n... I need you.” His breath, coated in alcohol, hits your neck, leaving it with goosebumps once you hear his low voice.

You turn to him and look into his eyes. They search yours, quietly asking for approval as you lick your lips.

You continue to palm his member, his breathing became shallow and you knew he couldn’t take your teasing much longer.

You push the dress past your hips now and down to your knees. He holds your hands as he helps you step out of it. Your corset still on, you lead him to the bed where you push his chest lightly, making him fall onto it.

He sits at the edge and watches as you shimmy his pants off for him. He then takes his jacket off and unbuttons his shirt before tossing them both to the side where his pants and your dress also lie.

You are about to get on your knees when he holds your arm to stop you. “No..your knees will hurt..on the bed, my love.”

Hearing him speak so softly and tenderly to you while calling you his love made your heart flutter. You couldn’t help but smile widely.

He pushes himself up on the bed and towards the headboard where he sits up straight and rests his back.

“Come here.” He whispers.

You crawl over slowly and watch as his lustful eyes fall onto your breasts still accentuated and pushed forward by your corset. You only keep it on because while it did hurt, it makes you feel unbelievably sexy.

Once you are finally over his hips, you look into his eyes as you draw down the waistband of his underwear, his length sprung free, the tip red and leaking with precum already.

You lick your lips as you marvel at how big he is. You figured he’d be big based off of his towering height, but you didn’t expect this. Your womanhood trembles when you imagine what it would feel like to be filled up by him, you feel yourself leak through your own underwear at the thought.

You run a hand along his abs as he breathes heavily and watches you through wide eyes. Lucas had dreamt of nights with you for so long, he never thought it would actually happen and now he was over the moon. But deep down, he wants to make sure you are comfortable.

“Y/n..we don’t have to..”

“But I want to, I really do.” You lean down and start by kissing his tip, teasing him as you barely stick your tongue out. You look up at Lucas watching his mouth fall open as you flatten your tongue against it.

You lick the shining liquid that trickled down the sides like it was an ice cream pop while your ass stays up in the air. The sight of you like this for him makes him dizzy, he imagines himself pounding into you from behind on this very bed, hearing your moans, feeling you clench around him as you grip the sheets.

His dick twitches in response to his wild imagination and the fact that you finally take the tip into your mouth, swallowing him to hear him groan.

You move your mouth down as far as you could onto his length, but stop when you feel him hit the back of your throat. You use your hands to cover the rest.

Lucas’ head falls back while you hollow your cheeks and lick across every vein. He resists the urge to buck his hips upward and make you gag.

“y/n..God, that feels good.” His eyes close as he listens to the sloppy slurping sounds fill the cold air of the room.

You hum to send a vibration onto his dick and make him tremble, his mouth falling open as he gasps. 

You withdraw your mouth from him and pumped his member with your hands, letting spit fall onto him while looking up at his gorgeous body, the way his abs flexed as he tensed to keep himself from releasing too soon.

You were both too enraptured with each other to notice that the door had been opened.

Ten’s eyes widen at the sight of you bent over, taking Lucas into your mouth while your round ass stuck up in the air. He almost immediately feels his pants grow strained.

He felt a growing tension between the three of you, but he didn’t think that it would lead to this. He enjoyed watching Lucas be pleasured and while he wished it were him being the one to bring these throaty groans out of Lucas he also wished it were him underneath you, watching as your cute cheeks became filled with nothing but him.

He too had imagined many times what it would be like to make love to you. To have you calling out his name into the night.

He knew neither of you noticed that he was watching from the doorway, your moans growing louder as each second went by and Lucas got closer.

He would’ve pleasured himself quietly as he watched, but that jealousy he felt lit a fiery lust that needed to be put out. He had to touch you or Lucas.

He slams the door shut, startling both you and Lucas. You flip your body over beside Lucas’ legs and quickly wipe your mouth with your arm.

Ten walks over slowly, a devilish smirk on his face as he looks at your two bodies.

“Ten! It’s not what it—“ Lucas opens his mouth but struggles to form coherent sentences.

“Shhh..it’s okay, keep going.” Ten shakes his head and watches you intensely. You can’t tell if he is jealous or upset with you, it was a poker face that you just can’t read.

Both you and Lucas felt sorry for what felt like betrayal.

You look to Lucas, your eyes pleading for him to tell you what to do. When you are met with silence you then look back at Ten. 

“Ten..touch me.” You swallow hard and look up at Ten, your look of worry fading into that of lust. You liked them both, you needed them, and since Ten already caught you, why not make the best of the awkward situation?

You and Ten look back at Lucas who gives a small smile and nods. You get back on your knees and reach out for Ten who walks over to the edge of the opposite side of the bed.

Lucas strokes his member which surprisingly hadn’t fallen since Ten arrived, the idea of a threesome only made this hotter for him. He watches as you help Ten take off his jacket then unbutton his shirt with shaking hands.

You don’t know why you were nervous when it came to Ten. The alcohol is wearing off and you aren’t as brave as you were when you first started with Lucas.

Ten’s feline gaze on your body makes your face hot and his exposed chest didn’t make it any easier for you. Ten takes your shaking hands into his and pulls you closer to him. He leans down and kisses you deeply, your eyes closing as his tongue enters your mouth to embrace yours.

You turn your head and let your tongue trace over the inside of his mouth before tugging his bottom lip between your teeth. Ten enjoys the taste, thinking of how Lucas’ precum that once coated your tongue is now on his.

When he finally lets go to breathe, he opens his dark eyes and gazes at you. He leans down, his bottom lip brushing lightly against your ear lobe.

“He needs you..” He whispers lowly and tilts his head towards Lucas.

You nod and head back over to him, you’re still light headed from your passionate kiss with Ten. One that you had to admit was filled with years of sexual tension.

You retake your position over Lucas’ lap and bend down to take him into your mouth once again. Lucas licks his lips and groans.

Ten steps out of his pants and walks to the side of the bed. He begins to stroke his own member as he watches you work your mouth on Lucas while face down, ass up.

You’re beautiful with your heated skin sparkling in the moonlight, your hair pushed to the side and your pretty hands around Lucas’ member.

Lucas then holds a hand out and looks to Ten.

“She’s been a good girl..you should touch her.” Lucas tells Ten before biting his lips and reaching out for Ten’s hard and glistening cock.

Ten lets Lucas take it in his hand and stroke it for him. His mouth falling open as he watches Lucas’ large hand wrap around him, spreading the pre cum as he moves it up and down.

Ten then places his hand onto your butt cheek, circling around it before giving it a smack.

You feel your walls clench after the action and moan, the vibrations in your throat then making Lucas groan as well.

Ten traces two fingers over your covered womanhood, then draws the soaked underwear down your legs so you are exposed to the cold air. You hiss at the exposure, but it’s cut short when you feel two of Ten’s icy cold fingers on your entrance.

Ten’s heart beats wildly as he is touched by Lucas and touches you at the same time.

He feels that this as confirmation that you both love him just as he loves you and it makes his head spin.

He circles around your folds slowly, then on top to collect your juices. He teasingly slides between them with just one finger.

“Ten..please.” You withdraw your mouth from Lucas’ member and cry out. You’re yearning for some friction, anything that will calm the aching between your legs.

Ten chuckles at the site of you begging, then presses two fingers into you. You fall forward and whimper as you clench around his long fingers.

You go back to sucking Lucas as he pumps Ten harder. He bucks his hips into you because he’s close and your moans push him to the edge.

Ten’s fingers curve into you, pushing against your sweet spot over and over. You breathe heavily and close your eyes as you tremble around him.

Ten leaks all over Lucas’ hand while they both watch and listen to the lewd sounds created by your mouth and wet opening.

Ten then thinks of something else he’d like to see, so he takes his fingers away leaving you a moaning mess as you feel empty again.

He takes Lucas’ hand away from his dripping cock then goes behind you, pulling your hair so that you kneel into the bed, your back straight as Ten presses your back to his chest behind you. You lick your lips and look at Lucas.

Lucas looks puzzled as he watches Ten turn your head towards his. He kisses you passionately again, this time from behind and you can feel his member poke your ass.

Lucas was so close to cumming, and he is somewhat annoyed by Ten stopping everything completely to kiss you. You both kiss sloppily as Ten’s hand goes to your front side, tapping against your clit to gain a cry from you.

Ten lets go of your lips, his mouth still close to yours as he looks into yours eyes. “If it gets to be too much say the word ‘gold,’ or tap either one of us three times.”

His voice is softer now, he looks at you with so much care and concern.

You nod before he helps you get rid of your underwear completely. Now, you kneel over Lucas’ lap in nothing but your corset.

“Do you want to feel him inside you?” Ten whispers into your ear as you lick your lips. Lucas bites his own too as he watches you hover over him.

“Y-yes.” You let out breathily.

“Good girl..ride him.” Ten releases his grip on your waist and lets you go forward to Lucas.

Your legs are shaky as you spread them open over his member; still sturdy and up straight.

You sink down slowly. The air is filled with gasps as his cock is enraptured by your velvety walls, filling you up easily and stretching you out.

You move up and down a few times to get used to his girth while he moans. His abs flex under you, his broad shoulders and biceps tense as well. His hair is dark with sweat and still pushed back as he bites his lips and watches your pussy swallow him whole. He runs his hands up and down your thighs as you move.

Ten gently pushes you forward so you press your hands flat onto Lucas’ pecs. You bounce on him and look into his eyes. 

Ten aligns his aching cock with your ass and slowly slides it in.

You gasp at the feeling of his round tip stretching your hole out.

You let out a whimper when he holds your waist to push into you even more. It was a strange feeling, but he gave you time to breathe and adjust. He’s only about halfway in, but you are completely filled up by the two men.

“Do you want me to keep going?” Ten asks, his voice strained as he struggles to hold his desire to push all the way in.

“Yes, Ten.. don’t stop.” You want to please them both and everything was so hot already, you couldn’t imagine stopping now.

Ten pushes more and you let out another cry, this time it’s louder.

Lucas is tempted to tell Ten to stop, he’s worried for you but he swallows hard and holds your hand tightly.You look up at his face of worry and breathe heavily. You give him a reassuring nod before moaning.

Ten finally pushes all the way in as the air leaves your body, you fall onto Lucas, your head in the crook of his neck as Ten begins to move in and out of your small opening.

Ten groans. “You’re so tight, sweetheart.”

“Good girl, you’re such a good girl for us.” Lucas pushes your hair out of your face and kisses your cheek before wiping away a tear. He kisses your lips to help you through it. He can feel your heated body tremble from being so filled up, and while it is hot, he couldn’t help but be worried for you.

For a moment, you are transported to paradise when you kiss Lucas, his lips felt so good on yours, they felt like a warm hug in the winter. You mewl as you lick across his bottom lip.

Ten is jealous by the kiss because he can tell that you and Lucas are entangled with each other. Even when Ten is inside you, even when Ten holds Lucas’ hand, you both are still enraptured with just each other.

Ten holds your neck, lightly tugging you away from Lucas. Your eyes fly open as you are separated. He then runs his fingers through your hair and grips it before pushing you down into the bed. You’re face down in the bed now as Ten’s pounds into you harder, clearly upset that you were not focused on him for a moment.

He pushes faster, letting his thrust push your body forward. Your corset begins to shift downward as your breasts fall out of it from the repeated rough thrusting by Ten.

Your body is in a strange, contorted position as it is fucked into by two cocks. You can feel the two members run against each other, separated by a thin, silky wall. The friction feels amazing, for they both slide in and out of you easily. Lucas helps you by moving his hips and rubbing your back.

He holds Ten’s hand with his other hand, intertwining their fingers and locking eyes with him as they both groan and pant.

They fuck into your lifeless body, filling the room with filthy noises. Your essence runs down your thighs in a steady stream and onto them both. It’s a mixture of pain and pleasure as Lucas’ tip presses into your insides when he goes deeper and Ten continues to bury himself into you, his pelvis making a slapping noise as it hits your ass cheeks. 

You start to kiss Lucas’ neck, then suck onto it.

Lucas moans. “Fuck, I’m close.”

Ten gives you a harsh thrust, causing you to accidentally bite into Lucas’ neck.

Lucas becomes undone with the action. He attempts to slip out of you so he doesn’t cum inside, but Ten smirks, gripping your hips and pushing you back down onto Lucas. Lucas has to release into you as he sees stars and groans. You clench around him as a result, feeling every twitch and vein as he releases deep into you. 

Ten cums too from all of the vibrations he feels against his cock while inside you.

He buries himself so deep while you whimper into Lucas’ shoulder.

You cum hard, your eyes roll in the back of your head as Lucas holds your body still.

You all breathe heavily, your body relaxing into Lucas as Ten pulls out of you and falls to the side.

But Ten isn’t done. He crawls over you and flips your body over so you’re facing him.

“Put your legs on hers.” He instructs Lucas.

Lucas sits up, his back against the headboard once more as you rest in between his legs. He doesn’t question Ten, he only does as he’s told, for he too is curious to see what he has in mind for you. Lucas places his legs on yours, entangling them so he’s in charge of where they go.

You’re too tired to say anything, your chest rising and falling as you are still reeling from your climax. 

Ten gazes at your breasts and hard nipples. “You’re so beautiful, I just want to taste you..I want to taste you both.” Ten gets onto his stomach and crawls over to your opening, his breath fanning it as it leaks of cum from both you and Lucas.

You’re still sensitive so his hot breath makes you flinch, you try to close your legs but Lucas forced them to stay still.

Ten licks his lips. “Open.” He doesn’t look at you, he only looks at Lucas.

Lucas spreads your legs open by moving his longer ones, bending them at the knee so they’re further apart.

Lucas then plays with your nipple, pinching it lightly before pumping your breast. “That felt good, right? Do you want to cum again, baby girl?”

Your eyes are closed when Lucas’ faint whisper enters your ears. You can feel his abs flex against your naked back. His body is hot and comforts yours, almost distracting you from the cold air between your wavering legs.

“Yes..” You murmur before swallowing hard. You were greedy for both men, ready to do whatever they wanted you to.

Lucas’ large hands on your chest has you ready for another climax.

He nibbles onto your ear before kissing your neck again while Ten leaves a sloppy trail of kisses from the crook of your knee to the apex of your thighs.

His mouth latches onto your thigh, sucking the skin hard between his teeth. He then runs his skinny fingers in between your folds, drawing a slow circle to gather your essence as well as Lucas’.

Your mouth falls open into a lousy cry, to which Ten responds to by shoving those fingers into your mouth.

“Suck, baby, taste yourself.” Ten’s breath fans your opening, making you flinch.

You close your mouth and suck hard, licking between the two fingers as your eyes close. Ten watches everything, he enjoys the way your tongue feels on him, and the way Lucas’ large fingers continue to play with your perky nipples.

“Look at me, sweetheart.” Ten beckons your attention.

You open your eyes and look into his just as he licks a long stripe up your opening.

You whimper and try to close your legs again, but Lucas easily overpowers you. You’re more sensitive than you thought.

Ten chuckles and licks you slowly again.

You look at the dark haired man between your legs and cry out when he gives a look so wicked it makes your heart weak.

“I’ve been wanting to do this for so long, how about you, Lucas? Have you wanted to fuck our sweet princess?” Ten emphasizes the word ‘fuck’ and it sends chills up your spine.

He kisses your entrance then buries his face into the apex of your legs, licking into your opening as his perfect nose presses against your clit.

“Oh God, Ten!” You cry out and your head falls back. You’re still sensitive and you try to escape from Lucas’ grip, but you have no such luck.

“Of course, Ten.” Lucas’ warm breath hits your neck as he speaks against it. He watches his fingers flick across the hard nipples that stick out from your perfectly round breasts.

He squeezes them hard as he feels himself grow again. “I’ve always wanted fuck our beautiful friend. I can just imagine how sweet her pussy tastes.”

Ten pulls away and licks his lips. “She tastes like the most expensive meal I’ve ever had, Lucas.”

Hearing them talk dirty about you makes you clench around the tip of Ten’s tongue. The idea that they’ve fantasized about you makes that familiar knot in the base of your stomach begin to grow again.

Ten grows hard as well at the sound of your whimpers and the taste of your wet flower.

He pushes two fingers into you again, all while kissing your clit and eating you out while you were spread open for him.

Lucas takes your hand and places it onto his member. “Sweet girl, touch me.”

You begin to pump Lucas as he groans into your ear. The low tone of his voice makes you clench around Ten’s fingers. You begin to feel dizzy, Ten’s tongue drawing circles onto your clit as he finger tips curve into you and press against your G-spot repeatedly. He licks everything up before flattening his tongue against you while you jump. You moan loudly, and you’re not sure if the other attendees at the party heard you, but you realized that it got quieter. Maybe it was because they were all going home now.

Ten withdraws his fingers when he feels that you are close. He fixes himself over you and holds his cock while licking his lips.

Now that you’ve gotten a good look at it, you see that it’s not as long as Lucas’ but has a curve and girth that is sure to drive you mad.You bite your lips and look at Ten with wide eyes as he strokes it.

“That’s it, baby, you want my cock in your pussy now, isn’t that right?”

You nod, but Lucas takes your chin into his hand. “Use your words, baby girl.”

“Y-yes. Yes, fuck me, Ten.” You beg and whimper.

Ten smirks and lowers himself. He teases you more by tapping the tip of his cock onto your bud a few trikes. He then guides the tip along your folds, parting them to coat his pink tip with your essence.

“Ten..please.” Every time he touches your entrance, you feel your heart begin to race in anticipation.

He watches closely as he pushes into you hard, your body moving upwards against Lucas as the air is knocked out of your heaving chest.

You close your eyes tightly while you adjust. Ten grips your waist hard and uses it as an anchor to pull his body into yours more, pushing all the way into you so your skin slaps against his.

Ten pounds into you relentlessly from the front this time while you pump your hand up and down around Lucas. 

Ten presses your legs further apart, you feel like they might break as his hips snap into yours. You cry out his name, your eyes watering. His cock runs against your walls rapidly as he chases after his high. His hips make a slapping sound. The curve of his cock allows him to press against your sweet spot and his rapid speed makes you clench.

Your head falls back against Lucas as he grunts into your ear. “Fuck this is hot, seeing you like this..”

“We’re gonna make her cum harder than she’s ever cum before...” Ten’s hair sticks to his forehead, his mouth falling open as he gets closer.

“Choke her for me.” Ten demands as he watches your swollen lips. He wished they were wrapped around his cock, but being inside you and feeling your silky entrance tighten around him was enough for now.

Lucas wraps a hand around your throat, squeezing it gently. “Harder.” Ten demands.

You moan as he tightens it, your pussy quivering in response. You arch your back.

Ten chuckles, he grips your knees then leans down and kisses you while sliding in and out of you still. 

“Ah!  Ten!” You can feel yourself clench every time he enters your quivering body.

You’re lightheaded as he rubs circles into you, making you a trembling mess.He bites your bottom lip as he lets go, his movement stuttering. He moves his fingers onto your bud faster.

Lucas grips your throat tightly as he is about to cum as well.

“Cum for me.” Ten’s husky voice enters your ear before he leans down to Lucas. He sucks his neck hard as Lucas cums into your hand, gripping your neck even harder as he climaxes.

You cant breathe, you clench uncontrollably and moan, releasing onto Ten’s dick as he presses against your bud one final time. “Ahh..good girl.” Ten’s husky voice enters your ears.

Ten then releases into you, your convulsing pussy gripping his length into a tight hug as you orgasm. He moves sloppily, thrusting into your still body to push all of his cum deep into you.

Your breasts moving up and down as you try to collect yourself.

Ten pulls out and looks down onto your weak body. Your legs are still open and he can see his cum leak out of you and onto your thigh.

He isn’t pleased with this so he takes his fingers and swirls it around your opening, collecting the juices and pushing it back into you. He was jealous of the way Lucas came inside you, and for Ten this meant that he wanted you to be filled by him, he wants to know that he’s still inside you.

You struggle to get away from his fingers. “Ten..oh my God.” You cry out at the overstimulation.

“I’m gonna make you feel good again.”

“Lucas—“ You whimper.

Lucas distracts you from the overwhelming feeling by tilting your head towards his. He kisses you while Ten’s fingers keep you open.

Ten’s fingers easily glide inside but you’re so sensitive, tears start to fall from your eyes.

There is not more strength left in your body let alone your widespread legs.

“Lucas..you have to feel our sweet girl.” Ten takes Lucas’ hand, placing two fingers over his then pushes all four into your throbbing hole.

They stretch you out as they both pump in and out now, Lucas’ fingers are longer so they press onto your sensitive button repeatedly.

“Oh my-..” you bite your lips and watch as their fingers, coated in mixed essences, disappear into your body.

Lucas nibbles your ear in response.

Ten’s gaze is fixed on your body, so full of him, so beautiful and spread open...for him.

His eyes are low, but you can’t help but notice that it’s a wild gaze that makes you feel wanted, something you’d never seen from Ten before.

“Do you want to cum again, sweetheart?”

You nod.

Ten is weakened by your glossy, wide eyes and swollen lips. He’d give anything to see you like this again. He smirks and lowers himself to your chest and licks the hard nubs that stick out from your breasts.

“Does that feel good?” Ten bites the skin between your breasts.

“Ahh! Yes, Ten!” You cry out and grip the sheets, your head spinning as you start to see stars. Another high approaches. You start to rock your hips on your own to meet the movement of their fingers.

“Ten..touch me there.” You plead and it’s like music to Ten’s ears.

Ten takes his other hand and rubs your bud, watching as your jaw clenched and your head falls onto Lucas’ shoulder once more. All you needed was a simple movement from his fingers to proceed to lustful bliss.

Both Ten and Lucas moan when they feel you tighten around their fingers.

They withdraw their fingers and switch positions quickly, their cocks now hard again after hearing your beautiful sounds and feeling you.

Ten holds you from behind, your vision becomes blurry but you can hear him chuckle.

“Do you wanna play with her Lucas? She’s so wet and ready for you.” Ten says before putting his fingers into your mouth. You lick everything up while moaning.

Lucas smiles and licks his lips as he watches your mouth open wide for Ten’s fingers.

Lucas places both hands on your knees and presses down, he enters you in one swift movement. Your mouth falls open into a loud cry as you are stretched outagain after not recovering completely from your last climax.

“Lucas! Fuck.”

He can’t help but move fast, gliding in and out of your slippery, tight pussy because he is already close to cumming. He pushes into you so deep, your body moves up on the bed. Ten holds onto your waist so you say still.

You pull Lucas down towards you, leaving scratch marks all over his back as he ruins your insides. You wrap your legs around his waist, latching onto him like a koala.

Ten slides out from under you, kneeling beside you and tilting your head towards him by placing a finger on your jaw.

“He’s hard again because of you, sweetheart.” Lucas whispers into your neck, his long lashes grazing your jawline.

Ten strokes his cock in front of you. Your mouth opens and you let your tongue run along the underside.

“Good girl.” Ten groans and pushes forward into your mouth. You whimper as he hits the back of your throat unexpectedly, but then you immediately hollow your cheeks and groan, sending spastic vibrations onto Ten’s cock.

Ten’s head falls back, he closes his eyes and thinks about how good your plump lips feel around his aching member. His hips move steadily as he groans.

With each rough thrust Lucas gives you, you hum a high pitched tone that makes them both go crazy. 

Sweat forms on Lucas’ forehead as he looks up at your cheeks full with Ten. Lucas’ movement stutters and he releases into you once again, collapsing onto your body as he slows down.

Lucas starts to finger you so you can cum also while sucking Ten off. Ten smooths your hair back while smirking, watching as a continuous flow of tears escape your eyes, you’re so sensitive but you just won’t say the safe word because they feel..amazing.

Ten moves a few more times before releasing into your throat. You choke and gag as he pulls out, watching a string of spit and cum drop onto your chin.

Ten pinches your nipples as he recovers from climaxing while Lucas still moves his fingers in and out. Lucas kisses your jaw and down to your neck, his fingers tickling your tender sweet spot. But you just can’t take anymore, your body is weak, your head spins and soon everything turns to black.

Lucas immediately withdraws his fingers when he sees that you’ve blacked out, your body silent and falling completely limp as your arms relax to the side.

Ten also stops playing with your breasts, he only looks onto your naked body and thinks to himself, what a beautiful sight you are. Your body is wet, sweaty and full of their cum. Your hair is messy and lips swollen.

Lucas lays down beside you and loosens your corset completely, tossing it to the side and allowing you to sleep comfortably.

Ten goes to the bathroom and comes back with a wet cloth, he cleans you up then hands another cloth to Lucas.

The three of you then lay together in bed, with you in between them. The boys fell asleep shortly after since they too were tired, but not without sparing each other quick glances first. They were both unsure of what would happen next in their friendship, but they both knew that above all, they wanted you.

In the middle of the night, Lucas wakes up and heads to the bathroom to get a glass of water. He brings it back to the bed and taps you gently.

“y/n..” he whispers as to not wake Ten who lays beside you on the other side of the king sized bed.

Your heavy eyes open slowly and you struggle to make out Lucas’ face in the darkness.

“Here..have some water.” He helps you sit up straight as you look around questioningly. You look around you and see a sleeping Ten then it all comes back to you, you remember what happened a few hours before.

You take the glass from Lucas and drink the water to soothe your throat which is as dry as the desert.

Lucas smiles when he takes the empty glass away. He lays down beside you and takes you into his arms, you wrap your arms around him and close your eyes before falling back asleep.

————

[Three Days Later]

“We should talk about that night..” Lucas looks out into the water as he speaks to you and Ten. The three of you are at your favorite hangout spot, the cherry blossom tree by the water.

It’s been a few days since the amazing orgy the three of you had, and while things hadn’t necessarily been awkward since then, things weren’t exactly back to normal either.

“There isn’t much to say.” Ten is quick to shoot down Lucas’ proposal. He looks at his fingernails and purses his lips.

“I agree with Ten, let’s just...move on. We were all drunk and-we had fun. We’re still best friends, let’s just make sure that it doesn’t happen again.” You look up at Lucas, hoping that he will nod and not question their relationship any more.

Ten scoffs, tilting his head towards you and lifting his lips into a smirk. “Was it that bad? I remember you crying out both our names like your life depended-“

“Ten! Stop! It was amazing, but I-I can’t see myself in a relationship like that or to be quite frank, I can’t see myself with either of you..”

Ten’s face straightens and Lucas turns to you completely, his brows furrowing.

Your eyes move rapidly to and from both curious faces.

“You guys are my best friends, you always will be..a relationship would only ruin what we already have.” You look up to them with pleading eyes.

Lucas swallows hard and turns away. “If that’s what you want, y/n.”

Ten nods, his playful smirk returning. “Okay, understood.” He takes a deep breath before continuing. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow at 1 then? Lucas will you be joining us for lunch?”

“I can’t, I already have an engagement for that time, but I will see you the next day.” Lucas smiles and says goodbye to both you and Ten.

You watch as the tall, built man leaps onto his horse. His strong arms and veiny hands gripping the straps of the holster before calling out to his steed. And you suddenly started to regret the statements you spoke so strongly just moments ago.

If only you could control your lust for him..for them.

————

Ten leads you into his house for lunch. He’s dressed casually, but still looks incredibly handsome, his dark hair is pushed back and his lips are a pretty blush color.

“How are you today, sweetheart?” Ten leans towards you.

Sweetheart.. it was a name you hadn’t heard him call you since the other night.

You ignore your thought and smile. “I’m doing well..excited to finally eat some food!”

Ten laughs, he adores your excited expressions, the way your eyes grow at the sight of food that you love and the way you dance and grin from ear to ear.

He’s happy his parents and Lucas are away so it’ll just be the two of you.

But when you step into the dining room, you’re shocked to see his dining table is empty.

This was unusual for Ten as he always had food out and ready for his guests once they were over.

Ten can’t see your knitted brows as he stands behind you. “The food won’t be out for another thirty minutes or so..what do you suggest we do?” His voice is low as he steps forward, he presses his chest onto your back before placing his hands onto your waist.

You turn around to him swiftly and gaze into his eyes.

“W-what are you doing?” Your questions comes out weakly as Ten’s intense gaze towards your lips takes your breath away.

He leans down and kisses you, but you pull away.

“Ten-“ Your expression of confusion doesn’t faze him, he only grips your waist tighter.

“I can’t stop thinking about you..”

“We..can’t do this.” You shake your head.

“Yes we can, we’re royals, you and I..we can do whatever we want. Have you stopped thinking about me? You couldn’t possibly forget my hands on your trembling thighs, my tongue reaching the sweetest places to make you scream?”

Your heart begins to race as you feel your underwear become wet at his words, you close your legs tightly and swallow hard. Your mouth falls open, you struggle to find the right words to say for you truly don’t know what you want in this moment.

Ten kisses you abruptly again, this time, exploring your mouth with his eager tongue as he pulls your body closer to his.

You let your eyes close and embrace the kiss. You couldn’t fight the feeling any longer. You had to give in..just this once.

Ten presses forward towards the table before laying you down onto it. Your lips separate from each other’s to breathe. Ten quickly drags your panties down before kneeling down. He leaves your dress on and gives you a mischievous smile.

You bite your lips as you watch him lift the dress and go under it, your knees bending as his hands hold your legs at the crook.

He starts first by kissing your thighs and licking them ever so slowly.

“Ten..” You call out his name as you grip the table cloth.

He then flicks his tongue onto your folds, making you yelp. Ten laps up your essence, his tongue moving slowly up and down and in circles, teasing your entrance while you let out cute mewls. You try to hold back your moans so the servants won’t hear. Your head falls against the cold table as you bite your lips.

His tongue plunged into your core, the tip pressing onto a sensitive spot near your bud teasingly. He takes his time covering all areas before kissing your slit, and letting out a throaty groan. He lets his tongue work wonders on your core, flattening against your flower as his nose brushes against your clit.

“Ahhh..you taste lovely, sweetheart.”He says before strengthening his tongue and pushing in even deeper.

You start to clench around him, your back arches. You want to grab his hair as you grind your hips against his face, but Ten pulls away, leaving you clenching around nothing but air.

He withdraws from under your dress and breathes heavily, licking his lips as he looks onto your hard nipples peeking out from under the thin cloth that covers them.

He pulls the fabric down, allowing one breast to escape. He takes the nipple into his mouth, sucking hard as you arch yourself into him even more. You can feel his hard cock brush against your thigh.

“Ten—“ you breathlessly utter out. “Please.”

Ten only hums as he still sucks onto your breast.

He lets go after a few seconds then kisses your lips while taking his pants down.

You wrap your legs around his waist, your dress riding up to your hips as a result.

He goes back to sucking your breast as he pushes into you carefully. You gasp and your head falls back, the veins of his cock providing the perfect stimulation to your core and he gets deeper.

You press your hands onto his butt, pushing him deeper into you with each thrust.

Your moans grow louder as does his. You both no longer care about who could hear, you only cared for satisfying that itch deep within you that was aching.

Ten looks up at you through low eyes, watching as your body tenses and your breast jumps with each push. He once again thinks to himself of how he adores every part of you. He wants to be enraptured by you all the time.

And seeing you like this in the day time, your sweaty skin sparkling and your hair shiny as the rays of sunlight that escaped the curtains fall onto you. You smell like the flowers that bloomed right outside and you taste like the best freshly baked cake.

His hips snap into yours, a strand of hair falling into his forehead, making him even more beautiful than he was before. You both hear the clinking and shaking of the glassware on the table as he fucks hard into your body on the table, but you ignore it, instead listening to each other’s staggered breaths.

“Ten..Ah! That’s it...right there.”

Your sounds are unlike anything he’s heard before. And after listening to your beautiful mewls, his movement stutters as he releases into you, coating your walls with his slick.

You cum as well, clenching around him after he hits your sweet spot with the perfect amount of force.

The two of you kiss through it all, sharing a moment of complete and ignorant bliss. You’re not worried about the past nor the future or even Lucas. You only care for the now.

Ten finally pulls away and falls onto the chair behind him. Your legs relax as you fix your dress and sit up straight.

Ten licks his lips and smirks. “Bring the food in!” He yells to his servants whom he knows are just in the room next door.

“Wait-you knew they were there?” Your eyes widened, but Ten only chuckles as he fixes his pants then helps you off the table.

“We’re royals, love. We can do whatever we want.”

Your lunch continues normally, you try not to think too much about what happened, but it is noticeably quiet at the table.

There’s a heavy energy around the two of you. One that’s filled with questions.

“I could get used to this..” Ten takes a sip of his drink but looks at you over the glass.

“What?” You ask.

“You and I..just the two of us..like this.”

You laugh and take a bite of your food. “You’re funny..you and I both know we need Lucas. Have you forgotten how much we fight when he’s not around? How close we’ve been to tearing each other apart?”

Ten laughed. “You do have a point.”

There’s a moment of silence before Ten asks his next question.

“But it’s not entirely impossible, right?”

You both knew where Ten was going with this. Within a year or two, Ten would have to pick a woman to be married to. It was customary for this to occur soon after graduation as both parties must begin to fulfill their duties together for a better society. In a few months, there would be a pairing ceremony for young graduates to meet others that could become a potential lifelong partner.

Ten was the highest ranking bachelor in your country. And fortunately, he was gorgeous, unlike anyone that walked the land. Any and every woman would kill to be at his side, but he just wanted you, the one woman that didn’t seem so eager to be by his side and attain his riches.

“I don’t know Ten, I think I like what we have already..” you sigh, you knew you needed way more time to think about marriage. “The three of us are perfect as friends. I..don’t want to lose either of you.” 

You spoke honestly, but Ten wasn’t satisfied. You always found a way to bring up Lucas and he didn’t like that. He loved Lucas deeply too, but he was willing to give him up if it meant gaining you to himself.

“Ten?”

He didn’t realize that he had held his utensil so tightly, his knuckles paled.

You reached out and placed your hand over his. 

“Oh.” He finally relaxed and smiled. “I’m sorry—I was lost in thought for a moment. Yes..whatever you wish.” He nodded and finished his food.

————

Ten’s parents returned the next day, so you didn’t expect to see him as often.

Lucas, however, paid you a visit that day.

“Shall we go to the market?” Lucas’ smile beamed when you opened the door.

You grinned and headed out with him. He helped you into his carriage before signaling for the driver to take off.

The two of you walked about the market, purchasing fruits and vegetables that you loved while talking and laughing. Many people were there, some played music on stringed instruments while some painted in the street and others observed.The smell of sizzling street food filled the air.

The two of you shared memories of school. “Remember when Ten lied to the teacher and said that you stole his notebook?”

“Yes! I slapped him so hard once we got to the tree, I’m surprised he didn’t scar.” You laughed.

Lucas bent over, clutching his stomach as he laughed. “His face was priceless, he didn’t see it coming. You would’ve kicked him too if I didn’t pull you away.”

“He was and still is such a mischievous boy.” You giggled and let Lucas take your hand as you headed back to the carriage.

You gazed into the side of Lucas’ face as you endured the bumpy ride from the market. A part of you felt like telling him about you and Ten, but a part of you also knew that you would hurt Lucas. And what good would it do to tell him the truth? It would ease your conscience but it could also ruin your friendship as you were the one to tell them that you would only continue as friends.

You went back on your own statement and now you were disappointed with yourself. You had a growing fondness for both men, but especially Lucas, and this would only end up hurting you all.

Lucas was warm and bright, his smile lit up every room he went into and he was always there to make sure that you were comfortable and happy. You fell in love with him from the first time you saw him. You felt love towards Ten too, but it wasn’t as strong as what you felt for Lucas for some reason.

“Are you trying to find something?” Lucas turned to you with raised eyebrows.

You didn’t notice that you had been staring for too long.

You laughed and looked forward. “I’m sorry I was just..”

“Just what?” Lucas pressed and looked onto your lips.He too couldn’t stop thinking about that night and how good you felt. How satisfied he was once he was finally making love to you after all these years.

“To be honest, Lucas, I was thinking about us..”

“Me, you, and Ten? We’re the greatest of friends to ever grace this land.” Lucas teased, he knew what you meant.

“No..no” you laughed and shook your head. “Me and you.”

“What about ‘me and you?’” He knows what you’re thinking but he wants to hear you say it.

“I-I’m not sure if I want us to..only be friends.” You instantly regretted telling Lucas how you felt. Sure, you felt this way, but what if he didn’t?

“Lucas..wait, I’m sorry, forget I said anyth-“

Lucas leaned forward and took your head in his hands, he placed his lips onto yours for a kiss.

You kissed him back and scooted closer to him. The kiss felt like it moved in slow motion, with each touch of your lips you felt a spark of electricity through your body. You felt your legs become weak as your tongues embraced one another playfully.

It was until a few moments later that you pulled away to breathe.

“We’re here.” You stared at Lucas’ lips as you bit your own.

Lucas quickly gets out of the carriage and opens your door to help you out.

The two of you walk to your door in an awkward silence.

Lucas brushes a hand through his hair and smiles. “I can’t forget..I can’t forget anything you say or do.”

He chuckles as he turns to leave. “What have you done to me? Are you some kind of sorceress?”

You smile. “Please..don’t leave.” You step forward.

Lucas’ lips crash onto yours once more. You stumble into your house and up the stairs. The climb is endless as your staircase is incredibly large.

“My parents... aren’t home.” You say between kisses, you can feel yourself leak in your underwear as Lucas’ large hands hold your waist. You begin to tear off your dress while Lucas shakes off his jacket.

“Perfect.” He holds your hand and stops you from going up any more stairs.

He turns you around and kneels down, taking you with him.

Your back is against his heaving chest, your head is turned towards his as you continue to kiss passionately.

Lucas drags down your dress then pulls his pants down, allowing his cock to spring free.

Your knees meet with the cold stairs during which Lucas pushes your panties to the side. He holds himself up with one hand while the other goes between your legs.

You watch his arms flex and feel like cumming just from the sight.He presses two fingers into your slit, sweeping your juices across the opening while listening to you moan loudly.

Just feeling his touch is enough to make you dizzy. His large body covers yours completely like a singular dark cloud over a small town, except he is light, he is warmth. He makes you feel safe and desired. All you want is to be filled by him, to be loved by him.

His long fingers stretch you out as you lay onto the rigid stairs. Lucas kisses your neck with his plump lips, your body flinching each time his knuckles brush against your clit.

“How do you feel? Are you ready?” He whispers softly before nibbling on your ear.

“Yes, Lucas.”

Lucas takes his fingers away and strokes his member, he taps the tip against your slit before parting your fold slowly and pushing in.

You grip the edge of the stair above you tightly and close your eyes, focusing on adjusting to his length.

He finally fills you completely and begins to move in and out while watching your mouth fall open.

Lucas feels amazing inside you, your velvety walls swallow him up like he’s the perfect fit made just for you.

He places his hand onto the lower part of your stomach, feeling his tip as he pushes into you.

“Fuck.” He curses when you clench.

He moves faster. You start to make that high pitched moan again. Lucas takes your leg and throws it over his shoulder, your body turns to the side so you can now see his face.

He holds onto your ankle tighter. Sweat gracing his forehead as his hair falls into his face.His groans combined with sounds of skin against skin fills the air.

Lucas watches his dick go deeper and deeper into your quivering hole. He takes his fingers and rubs circles into your bud.

“Lucas!” Your back begins to hurt as the edge of the stair digs into it but you can only focus on Lucas pounding into you and dominating your entire body.

“Cum for me.” He demands.

You cum onto him, your pussy pulsating around him as he thrusts into your body a few more times.

He pulls out before releasing strings of cum onto your stomach and thigh.

He pants and lets go of your leg. You lay back onto the stairs to collect yourself. Just then, Lucas takes your hand and intertwines his fingers with yours. He leans down and kisses you.

“I think I love you,” Lucas lets out.

You give a small smile. “I love you too, Lucas..but, this feels..wrong.”

“What do you mean?” His brows furrow and he lifts himself from you.

He doesn’t know that you’ve already done this with Ten, he’s not the only one. You can’t commit to him if you’ve already been unfaithful..or could you?

“We can’t..do this..I love you and I love Ten. I-“You shake your head, you’re so confused, you don’t know what to say.

“I understand.” Lucas stands up and fixes his pants.

“Lucas..wait.” You reach out for his hand but he hands you your dress instead.

“I’ll see you soon.” He states before heading out, never turning to see your teary face.

And so you thought that was the end of it, but it was far from over.

You and Lucas would go on to engage in sex for the coming months, sneaking off into hallways or into empty rooms and even the bath. You couldn’t get enough of each other. But you never told Ten, you knew he would be furious.

No one knows about you and Lucas, not your parents, and certainly not Ten. Ten had been distancing himself for some time, and neither you nor Lucas were sure why. He would rarely make time for you since that time you two had “lunch.” Did he know about you and Lucas? Did he take your answer as a no?

As far as you knew, you were secretly dating Lucas but Ten thought the three of you were still in a simple friendship. It felt wrong, but it felt right.

———

[AUGUST 1984]

You’re woken up by a hard pounding on your bedroom door.

“Yes?” You yell out.

“y/n..it’s Ten..he’s here with bad news.” Your mother states softly.

You quickly threw on a dress and headed down the stairs with your mother.

You see Ten at the door, his eyes are red, like he’s been crying for a long time.

You felt your body begin to shake. Did he find out? Did Lucas break down and tell him? You couldn’t bear to see him like this, especially if you were the reason behind his sadness.

“Ten? What’s wrong?”

“It’s my father..he’s...passed away.”

“Oh Ten..” you immediately open your arms up and hug him. “I’m so sorry.”

He holds you close for a while as you both cry.

————

[OCTOBER 1894]

You never left Ten’s side, you cried with him, made sure he ate, and even slept with him. It would start off with a kiss then lead to something else. You enjoyed the sex but you also just wanted him to feel better.

Lucas would stop by Ten’s place every now and then, but would leave after only an hour or so. You didn’t expect him to be like this especially since he was also Ten’s best friend.

The truth was that after the first two weeks, Lucas didn’t see why you had to be by Ten all the time, every hour of the day. But worst of all, he speculated that you had been sleeping with Ten as well. He had no proof but one night he stayed nearby, waiting to see if you would leave Ten to go to your home.

But you never left.

The next day, he pulled you outside to talk to you. You rubbed your neck and looked to the ground. “What’s wrong, Lucas?”

“y/n..it’s been two months, isn’t this a bit much?” He was angry, his jaw clenched and eyes narrow as they bore into yours.

“Lucas..he lost his father. You know how much he meant to him, how can you even say that?”

Lucas looked away and grit his teeth.

“Who are we to say how long one’s grieving period is?” You scoffed and looked to the side, exposing the hickeys on your neck in the process. “He was staying away from us because he knew that his father was dying, Lucas. He spent his time watching his strong father wither away to nothing, it was and still is difficult for him.”

Lucas looked back at you and spotted the marks, confirming his suspicions.

“y/n..is that bastard forcing you to have sex with him?” Lucas brows furrowed, his fists closed tightly.

“W-what?” You make a look of disgust that made Lucas realize how ridiculous his statement may have sounded.

“The love bites on your neck..did a ghost do that?”

“Lucas..don’t..” you scoff and shake your head.

Lucas looks away, licking his lips while he tries to stay calm.“You think fucking him will make him happier? You think that’ll stop him from thinking of his dead father?!”

“Lucas!” You slap him.

“He’s using you! He just wants to be close with you!” Lucas yells now, you were afraid that Ten would’ve heard him upstairs.

“What’s the matter?” A calm voice startles you from behind. You turned around, it was Ten’s mother.

She looks at you then to Lucas, her facing turning dark and grim. She looks repulsed by the sight of Lucas. She probably heard what he said about her son.

“Nothing..Lucas was just leaving.” You turn to him and shake your head.

He huffs, but turns away swiftly.

“That fool.” The queen scoffed when she realized that he didn’t bow nor bother to acknowledge her presence, a grave mistake on his part.

But you walked up to Ten’s room, holding back tears. How could Lucas be this way? He was trying to tell you that Ten was using you, but that couldn’t be true. You were his friend, you were doing what you could to ease the pain of his loss.

Lucas’ words ran through your mind even as you rode Ten that night. The swivel of your hips, the bouncing of your naked breasts, the glow of your body in the dim light of his room, it all made him weak for you. He bit his lips to hold back a loud groan. But as he got closer, he couldn’t help but notice that you were distracted.

“What’s wrong, my love?” Ten asked, his hands running up and down your thighs as he brows furrow.

“Nothing..it's nothing..I’m just a bit tired.” You place your hands onto his chest and focus on the building pleasure in your core.

Ten raises his eyebrows and shifts on the bed, stopping you by taking your wrists into his hand

“I’ll take over then.” He flips you over quickly, immediately pushing deeper into you.

A breath leaves your chest as your mouth falls open. Ten moves faster while rubbing your clit. “How do you feel now? Any better?”

“Oh, God..yes, Ten.” Your eyes shut tightly.

Based on your moans and clenched jaw, he knows he has successfully gained your complete attention and he couldn’t be more satisfied. Feeling you fall into him night by night was all that mattered. He wanted to be close to you, feel you..to love and be loved by you.

“Thank you..for everything.” Ten whispered softly into your ear, sliding his cock out of you and laying down beside you as you came down from your climax. The two of you cuddled and fell asleep shortly after.

He didn’t say anything about the conversation you and Lucas had downstairs so you assumed he hadn’t heard.

But the truth was..he watched and listened to everything. He heard what Lucas accused him of doing, and now he saw his true colors. 

———

[Two Weeks Later] 

Letters detailing a new order from the widowed queen have been issued to all sub royals in the land. The king and the queen, Ten’s parents, are the highest royals and their orders can never be overturned or challenged. Anything they say, must go because of their family name.

Their letters usually listed new laws that dealt with taxes and such, but every now and then, they detailed a new marriage to be set for a bachelor and bachelorette so that they may merge their houses and operate as one.

“y/n..we’ve received a letter from the Queen, have you heard about this?” Your mother entered your room as you got ready to go to Ten’s house.

“No..what does it say?” You took the letter from her as she gulped.

Your brows knitted at her expression. You looked at the piece of paper and read it out loud.

“‘Dear citizens, it is imperative that a marriage be conducted within the arrival of the next month. The graduation of our finest gentlemen and ladies has allowed them to move forward to becoming profound and hardworking adult citizens of this land. However, we must combine two powerful houses for maximum impact and success. Prince Lucas of the Wong family and Princess Rosé of the Park family will be the first couple to be wed. Once the wedding ceremony is complete, the newlyweds will live in the Park family estate to fulfill their duties for their own precious citizens. Congratulations, and I look forward to a grand celebration for the unification of these two houses.’”

The paper falls to the floor as your hand grows weak. “No..no no..this can’t..this can’t happen.” Your eyes start to water. Lucas, the one you loved so dearly, was now set to be married to another. How could Ten’s mother make such an abrupt order without a consultation with Lucas first?

“Honey..I know you liked him, but it was bound to happen..” Your mother places her hands on your shoulders.

“No..no this isn’t right. The pairing ceremony was postponed indefinitely..We-were supposed to meet eligible mates in a few months..How-Why would she do this?”

“It’s not our duty to question the Queen, y/n. I’m sorry, but there is nothing we can do.”

“No, there has to be something. I have to- I have to talk to Ten.” You jump up and run to your chariot without fixing your hair.

On the way there, you couldn’t calm your thoughts. You wanted to be with Lucas, you loved him. And now he would have to marry someone else and live far away.

Tears ran down your cheeks as you sobbed uncontrollably. The only way that you would be able to see Lucas is to take a train to him.

Flashes of his bright smile stained your thoughts, you only saw him as you panted.

You finally reached Ten’s place. You banged on the door and waited for the doorman to open it. Once inside, you immediately ran up to Ten’s room. But he wasn’t there.

“Ten!” You called out.

You spun around, and was shocked to find him standing there with a small smile on his face.

“What’s wrong, darling?”

“Ten! Your mother..the-the Queen, She’s sending Lucas away, she can’t do that, please don’t let her do that to us.” You choked out as more tears escaped.

Ten wasn’t sure what you meant by ‘us.’ Did you mean the three of you? Or you and Lucas.

Ten nodded and hugged you tightly. “Shhh it’s gonna be okay..I tried already y/n..I tried, but she won’t listen to me. She knows that he’s my best friend and what sending him so far away would do to me..but I couldn’t stop her.”

“Oh God, Ten.. I’m so sad.”

“I know..I am too.” Ten states. A devilish smile covering his face as you cry onto his shoulder.

———

[NOVEMBER 1894]

It’s the day after Lucas and Rosé’s wedding that you and Lucas escape to the tree for one last moment together.

You make love one final time. His back resting against the tree trunk as you kneel over his lap, your body shaking as it approaches its climax. The sun is beaming, the breeze is light and the shade under the blooming tree allows for a perfect balance of heat and coldness.

Lucas grips your thighs as you ride him, pushing up the fabric of your dress slowly. He kisses your neck while you cry.

The two of you spoke about the morning shortly before. You apologized for slapping him and he apologized for being self-centered.

“I love you..” he whispers onto your chest before pulling down the top of it for your breast to fall out.

He lets his tongue out, circling around the firm nipple. “I love you..too,” you let out through ragged breaths.

“Oh..Lucas!” You cry out and release onto him, he bucks his hips upward and into you as you tighten.

He then lifts you off of him and cums onto your thigh.

You sit beside him and rest your head onto his shoulder as you look out at the lake, taking in your final intimate moments with him.

“Please..don’t forget that I love you. I’m not far away.. and Ten..he’ll take care of you for me.”

Lucas runs his fingers along your arm while holding you close. He doubted Ten’s intentions, he had a feeling that it was he who told his mother to conjure up such an abrupt order, but he had no proof. And could his best friend really do that to him?

He could only hope that you would be safe and happy without him there.

It wasn’t customary or even “okay” for a woman to visit a man that had recently been married, but Lucas wanted to be with you..he had to be with you, and he was determined to find a way.

You send Lucas off and take different carriages. You cried but you’re also hopeful that you will see him again.

Later that evening, you have dinner with Ten. Your mind is empty, you don’t speak at all and Ten knows that it’s because you’re thinking of Lucas.

“y/n...you’ll see him again, I promise.. We will visit them as soon as they get settled.” He reaches out and places a hand on yours.

“I..just need time.” You say before taking a sip of your champagne.

“You’ve made me the happiest man, y/n..” Ten gives your hand a light squeeze. “And..the Queen must overturn her power to me, the upcoming King, for she is not fit to rule. But she can’t do that until I am married.”

“There are many Princesses competing for your hand, Ten. I see them practically tear each other’s heads apart once you’re mentioned.”

“I know, but there’s only one that I want.” Ten smiles and it makes your heart race. All you could think about was Lucas but you couldn’t deny the fact that a part of you loved Ten too, you didn’t want to hurt him.

“Ten..” You looked away.

“Marry me..I promise to make you as happy as you’ve made me for the rest of your life.”

“I-now’s not the time.” You pulled your hand away.

“Why not? I want you and you want me, right? Just say yes and all this could be yours, you can see Lucas whenever you want because you’d be the Queen.”

“Ten..I know..I know that, but I’m not sure-“

“What do you mean you’re not sure?” Ten stood up from his chair. “Who else is gonna love you like I do? Who else is gonna give you everything you ask for and more?”

“Ten..it’s not that..” you say back in your chair and stare at the table, your already meek  appetite fleeting even further.

“You’re not sure? That’s not what you said when I was fucking your brains out just last week!”

“Ten!” You jumped up from your chair. “If you think I’ll marry you when you talk about me like that in front of your servants, you’re crazy! The answer is no!”

You left his house hurriedly, heading to your carriage and signaling for the driver’s attention.

Ten ran after you. “y/n..I’m sorry, I was upset. Please just..listen to me.”

You shut the door before wiping the tears from your eyes. 

———

[DECEMBER 1984]

You hadn’t been back to Ten’s house since that night. You spent your time alone, caring for yourself and reading books about the land. You had to be prepared to be a good princess and leader. You had to know the laws.

Your mother would also help you when she had time.

“Did any mail come for me?” You ask every day at the same time, hoping for a letter from Lucas.

Your mother sighs. “No, dear”

She sits on the edge of the bed. “You know..if you want to talk to him..you should just visit. I hear the Park Family will be taking a tour of the villages tomorrow. Lucas won’t be present though as he must train more.”

“H-how did you know?”

“I know love when I see it, dear. From the way the two of you looked at each other during the wedding ceremony..I knew.”

You sighed. “Ten proposed to me..but I said..”

“No. I know you did, because deep down, you feel that your heart belongs to someone else. But my dear, the most difficult part of being a princess or queen, is emptying your heart of all love that it has just to make someone else happy, even if that someone else is not the one that owns your heart.”

You sighed. Your mother’s words were filled with the truth, and even though it hurt, you needed to hear it.

“Ten loves you, that much I know. Lucas loves you too, but that door has closed. And now, another one is open..you shouldn’t waste your precious time banging on the closed door.”

You nodded.

“With that being said..there’s a train that leaves the day after tomorrow. You should see Lucas one more time and say goodbye, for your sanity, you must cut all ties with him and let him go.” 

————

[Two Days Later] 

You gave the door a light knock and waited for an answer.

“Ahhh. Princess y/n..fancy seeing you here!” The doorman’s eyes widened. “It was quite a ride, wasn’t it?”

You smiled. “Hello. Yes, I’m very tired. But I’m thankful to be safe. Is Lucas here?”

He nodded. “Yes. I believe he is reading by that tree over there.”

You walked slowly towards Lucas, his long legs lay on the grass below the tremendous tree.

“Do you hang out by trees because you’re tall like one?” You asked as you got closer.

Lucas laughed out and put his book down, he turned towards you and smiled so brightly you thought he would outshine the sun itself.

“y/n!” He jumped up and ran towards you, his large arms pulling you into his bear hug.

“I’m so happy to see you.. how have you been?” Lucas searches your eyes.

“I’ve been..okay.” You weren’t doing great without him.

“Me too..” Lucas leans down to your face. He wants to kiss you deeply, without end. But he knows the workers around have wandering eyes, he knows they will tell not only Rosé, but her parents as well.

“What’s going on Lucas, why are you here and not closer to your own hometown?”

“Come..sit, we need to talk.” Lucas sits back down and pats the space on the ground beside him.

His expression turns serious as he turns to you.

“I..am stuck in this marriage, y/n. I know you want us to be together, but we can’t. If I leave Rosé, I will be forced to live as a beggar.” Lucas swallows hard.

Your brows are knitted but you then laugh out. “You can’t be serious.. you’re royalty! Leaving her would never turn you into a beggar!”

Lucas shakes his head. “That’s not it, y/n.”

You look to the ground, puzzled as to what he meant.

“I was told that my father, King Wong, was killed in battle when I was 8 years old. The King, Ten’s father, retrieved me and decided to raise me in his kingdom as a gift to my deceased father. The king thought it would be best for me to join him and receive a great education and train to become a royal commanding officer for his kingdom. My mother, however, had to stay while I was taken care of by a caretaker.”

“Your mother is still alive?” You looked up at him and gasped, shocked that he had lied to you.

“Yes.. I’m sorry I lied to you for all this time, but I had to, that is what the King told me to do to ensure my mother's safety. He told me to tell everyone that both of my parents died and that the Wong estate is thousands of miles away when in reality, it doesn’t even exist. He said that if I told everyone this he would take care of me and my mother, so I did.”

“Why—why would he do that?” You shook your head.

“Well, y/n..my mother wrote me a letter once I got here. She received news of my marriage and was disappointed that she could not attend the ceremony, but she sent me this letter through a private courier so that I could now know the truth.”

Lucas flipped through the book and opened the page to the spot where he hid the letter. He handed it to you.

“My mother is a commoner that was loved by the king himself. The king would travel to fulfill his duties while the queen stayed home and raised Ten. And during his travels, he met my mother and fell in love. She became pregnant with me. My real father..is the king.”

Your eyes widened as you looked at the note you held.

“You and Ten are—half brothers?”

“Shhh..no one can know, okay?”

You nodded quickly.

“The king sent my mother money every month with a courier to ensure that we would be well off and keep our mouths shut. We couldn’t tell anyone and even if we did, no one would believe us anyway so my mother agreed. When the king retrieved me, he already knew that he had an incurable illness, that’s why he felt it best for me to live with him. He knew that I could take care of my mother if I received royal status before he passed away. My mother married someone else and has another son, YangYang, that she takes care of. But y/n...”

“Y-yes..” you lean forward on both knees.

“The queen sent me away because she feared that my mother would come forward with the truth, thus keeping Ten from becoming King. And now that the King has died, the Queen has also stopped the courier and my mother no longer receives monthly allowances, she’s poor y/n. I cannot help her or my brother, for Rosé will notice and question everything.”

“I will help you, I will do everything I can Lucas.”

“No-no this isn’t your problem. I have to find a way to appease the Queen.”

“Lucas, you know how stubborn she is. She won’t help you.” It all made sense now, why the Queen despised Lucas. She knows that he’s a product of her husband's infidelity.

“I’ll get you the money..you just have to give me time, okay?” You weren’t sure how you were going to do that, but you had an idea. You love Lucas and as bizarre as this all sounded, you trust him and know that you have to help.

—————

[Two Days Later]

You knock on Ten’s door, anxiously awaiting for his doorman to open the door.

But it’s Ten that answers. He looks tired, his eyes are red, but he still looks handsome in his suit and pushed back hair

“Ten..we need to talk.” You step forward.

“y/n..sweetheart..it’s about time.” He smiles from ear to ear, his breath reeking of alcohol.

You push your way inside and shut the door.

“It’s urgent, I need your help.”

“You need MY help?” Ten plops down in his study as you sit beside him on the loveseat.

“I went to see Lucas and-“

“Ahh..yes I know..I know you went to see him, but I’ll keep it a secret. You just couldn’t wait for Rosé to leave so you could fuck him. What happened to ‘let’s remain friends’?”

“Ten, you’re an asshole. He’s my best friend too. How dare you talk to me like I’m some slut or something!”

“I went to him because he sent for me, he asked for my help.” You lied, but you just wanted Ten to listen to you, because you really needed him. You had thought about using your own family money but you knew that your mother would find out the truth and tell the kingdom.

So Ten was your only option.

“Here..drink some water.” You poured him a glass of water from the sink in the corner of the room.

He gulped it down and watched your figure as you sat on the seat across from him now. He wished you would sit beside him again, he wished he could touch you.

“Lucas is your half brother, Ten.”

Ten gulps down the water, his eyes widen and his grip on the glass weakens.

“You’re messing with me, is this your revenge?” He places the glass on a coffee table.

“No..I’m not.” 

You go on to tell him everything Lucas tells you, explaining how his very own father impregnated a commoner when he was two and a half years old.

Ten was devastated by the news, becoming shocked and disgusted that he experienced such sexual intimacy with someone he was related to by blood.

“Now, his family needs monetary help.”

“What does that have to do with me?” Ten looks at his nails.

“Ten! How could you ask that? Lucas is your best friend too, you wouldn’t want his family to suffer just because your father lied and cheated and your mother is self-centered and jealous?”

Ten’s eyes flickered up to you, giving you a dark expression that made you swallow hard. “Be careful, darling”

“I’m sorry...I’m just worried.” You looked to the side and rocked forward and backward as a million thoughts ran through your mind.

“Well, it seems there is something that you want that I have, and there is something that I want that you have..what should we do?” Ten smirks.

You shake your head as you realize what he is implying. “I...”

“I’ll take care of his mother and brother, y/n..but only if you promise to marry me next month. What do you say?”

“Ten—“ You start but your mother's words danced in your head.

“Yes or no, sweetheart. Don’t waste my time.” He stands up and walks towards you. He takes your face in his hands and tilts it upward so you have to look up at him. “It would be so sad if Lucas loses yet another parent this year..”

You bit your lips.

Ten traces the side of your face with his thumb, sending chills down your spine.

“So..y/n?”

You look up at him through your lashes and nod. “I’ll do it, I’ll marry you.”

————

[JANUARY 1895]

The news of your marriage to King Ten spread like wildfire across the Kingdom of Hearts. Many townspeople were not surprised at this development for your family was one of the closest allies to the Lee family. Also, Ten never made it a secret how much he was drawn to you. It was only a matter of when and where you would get married. Your parents were thrilled at the match as your family’s status would be elevated even more in the kingdom. You were happy in the sense that your family would be provided for but you were even more thankful for Ten’s promise to provide for Lucas’ family.

The Queen, Ten’s mother, was less than thrilled at the match. It seems as though she was aware that you also had feelings for Lucas. She never discussed it with you but what else could explain her animosity towards you when you were Ten’s best friend for all of these years? Queen Lee swallowed her pride and, for the sake of her son, begrudgingly blessed the marriage.

You had an entire team of ladies’ maids at your beck and call preparing you for the ceremony. Your A-line white gown was made of the finest fabrics the continent had to offer. The train of the dress was laced with some diamonds and pearls. Your fitted bodice was also laced with jewels so that the shape of a butterfly ran down to your waist. The Lee family spared no expense to make this the wedding of the millennium. It was definitely one for the books. Your dress was just the tip of the iceberg.

Your mother was on the verge of tears as she helped you fit your cathedral-length veil. The veil ran all the way down to the train of your dress. You gulped, worried that you would trip and humiliate yourself in front of the entire palace.

“My dear daughter, I am so happy for you,” she said as she kissed your cheek and fixed a couple of loose strands of hair from your face.

Part of you was a bit resentful to hear these words from your mother. No one had ever bothered to ask if this was what you truly wanted. What made you change your mind so quickly when you were adamant of your refusal to marry Ten when he first asked. Why would they? It would be ludicrous for you not to marry the most powerful man on the planet. He was gorgeous and ethereal. He was your best friend. He was destined to be in your life forever. You wouldn’t be surprised if your bond remained in the after life, if it existed.

But you and Ten knew the truth. You came to an agreement: you wanted to protect Lucas and Ten wanted you.

Your ladies’ maids led you to the entrance of the cathedral where Ten and the most elite of the kingdom awaited your entrance. You stood in front of the grand double-doors. You were to walk alone down the imposing aisle to meet your fate.

The doors opened and all eyes were on you. A few people gasped. You were a sight to behold and everyone knew it.

And for a moment, you let yourself imagine that Lucas was waiting for you at the end of the aisle. Looking the most lethal he ever has in a tuxedo with his hair slicked back. His smile beaming bright and his eyes crinkling like they always did when he was with you.

Your heart ached, thinking of what could’ve been. It was a good thing Lucas and Princess Rosé couldn’t attend the wedding or else you weren’t sure you could make yourself walk down that aisle.

You looked down the aisle towards Ten whose smile was bigger than you’d ever seen it. He was radiant in this three-piece suit, looking so impeccable and dashing. He had never been so happy than he was at this moment. His biggest dream was finally coming true. You would be all his. His eyes never left you.

You moved gracefully as the string quartet played you in. You kept your eyes straight and concentrated on maintaining your posture. You felt the whispers and gasps as you passed. You could even feel the daggers your future mother-in-law’s eyes shot at you. You pushed it all out of your mind.  You couldn’t afford to fall.

You didn’t want to humiliate yourself. And your family wouldn’t be able to stomach it either. The last person you wanted to give that satisfaction to was Queen Lee. You hoped the marriage and your new title would force her to grant you some respect.

Once you reached the end of the aisle, Ten whispered in your ear. “You are the most stunning creature, my darling.”

You looked Ten dead in the eye, truly looking at him for the first time today. Your heart ached for how you were feeling. You loved Ten. It wasn’t like it would be a loveless marriage. He was your best friend. He was elegant and gorgeous. He would always be there for you. So even if Lucas lingered in your thoughts, you had to let him go and open your heart to Ten.

“Th-Thank you, Your Majesty. You look incredible,” you replied.

He chuckled at hearing you address him so formally. He always insisted you just call him Ten even after his coronation. You broke a deal when you told him you would address him informally behind closed doors. He accepted because he wanted to spend a lot of time with you behind closed doors.

“All eyes are on you, my sweet,” he moved closer to your ear. “You smell intoxicating. This ceremony better move quickly because my patience is wearing thin. And you know what happens when my patience runs thin.”

The minister opened his scripture and began. “Dearly beloved of the Kingdom of Hearts, we are gathered here today to join this king and this princess in holy matrimony.”

He continued. “Now we will begin the exchange of vows. Your Majesty, you may go first.”

Ten sighed dreamily as he looked at you. “Princess y/n, I’ve loved you for such a long time. When we first met, I thought you were spying on me outside of the schoolyard. I had no idea we would reach this moment years later.”

The crowd cooed and laughed at his tale. Your heart almost stopped at his lack of mentioning Lucas for he was a crucial part of the story. Did he have to write Lucas out of the narrative like that? You couldn’t let your frustration show on your face. This was a happy occasion, you reminded yourself for the umpteenth time.

“Sweetheart, you have been my confidante and my best friend in the world. You have given me so much joy and motivation to be the best man I can be and now the best leader I can be to this country. I’m honored to have you as my queen. I adore you. I will love you for all of my days and be loyal to you. Only. You.”

The minister said, “Thank you, Your Majesty. Your Highness, you may begin.”

You nodded, knowing you could not falter with your speech. You were thankful to Ten for his kind words. He truly loved you. You began. “Your Majesty, you have always felt like home to me. You and Lucas…”

You didn’t realize your slip of the tongue and to refer to Lucas so casually...That wasn’t good. Ten’s dazzling smile faltered for a moment but he didn’t let it slip completely.

You took a quick pause and continued. “You and our dearest friends have made my life so much more wonderful. I have never felt alone because of you. You have been my partner in crime and I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone else but you. I love you so much, darling. I will be devoted to you until my last breath.”

A tear escaped your eye. You were a mix of emotions. Joy at marrying your best friend and sadness over the absence of Lucas.

Ten reached over and wiped your tear away. “My darling y/n…”

“Thank you, Princess y/n,” the minister continued. “Your Majesty, do you take Princess y/n to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?”

Ten smiled fondly at you. “I do.”

“And do you, Your Highness, take King Ten to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?”

You forced yourself to give the brightest smile you could muster. “I do.”

“I now pronounce you King and Queen of Hearts. You may kiss the bride.”

The crowd rejoiced as Ten moved closer to you, held your face with both of his hands, and pulled you in for a tender kiss. As you leaned back, your veil almost fell over. You returned his kiss, recalling all of the euphoric moments you and Ten have spent together. You pushed Lucas to the back of your mind for both his and your sake. So Ten wouldn’t grow suspicious. You didn’t want to spoil this day. This moment. Ten was doing you a huge favor. And you needed to play your role to perfection: as a loving and devoted Queen to her King.

————

On the eve of your honeymoon, You and Ten arrive at his vacation home at the beach where you will spend a week with him. You were in a simpler yellow sundress that went down to your knees. The sight of your legs nearly sent Ten in a frenzy. He was in casual clothes as well, his shirt unbuttoned three buttons down. A flame ignited inside of you at the sight of him so relaxed.

Oh, dearest Ten, you loved him so much, you reminded yourself. And he loved you with a depth you could never fathom.

Ten sent the servants away for the evening so that you two could be alone at the estate. He carried you up the staircase and you giggled.

“You finally relaxed,” Ten said, his voice light and free.

“You better not drop me.” You laughed. “Or did you not train enough with the royal commanding army?”

Ten faked shock. “How dare you defy your king, Your Majesty?”

You could not believe your ears at what he just called you. It was a reminder of the choice you’ve made. That you could never go back on. You pushed that thought away. “I think your queen can take some liberties, can’t she?”

Ten reached the top of the staircase and ran into your chambers. It had the finest fabrics and pieces of furniture that were merely there for decoration. The ceilings ran high. The open windows brought in the ocean breeze and the crashing of the waves. You ran out to the balcony and looked out to the beach. The moon hung low in the sky, a bright yellow that matched your dress. You haven’t been to the beach in years because of school, etiquette classes, balls, and more. The last time you escaped to the beach was when you, Ten, and Lucas ran away from home and had your own little celebration after classes ended the year you three met.

Ten wrapped his arms around you from behind. “I get to spend the rest of my life with the most enchanting woman in the world.”

Your face heats up at his words. He was being incredibly gentle and caring.

“How will I restrain myself now?” He says quietly into your ear, making your legs weak.

Or so you thought.

“Ten-”

His fingers crept down to your heat as he kissed your neck. “I hope you’re ready, y/n, because I don’t intend to let you go.”

He spun you around and kissed you, causing your back to bend and lean against the balcony. If you and Ten weren’t careful, you both could fall over. You returned his kiss and pushed him back into the bedroom.

“What?” He laughed. “You thought I would let you fall? How little faith you have in me, wife.”

You embraced him and abruptly rubbed your hand against his bulge. He hissed as he pulled his pants down. His cock sprung up. You bent down to the floor.

Ten stopped you. “Get up, darling. You will kneel on the bed. A queen does not kneel on the floor. Especially not mine.”

He helped you up from the plush carpet and brought you onto the bed. He stood up on the bed, waiting for you to please him.

You decided to be playful. “You’re so considerate, dear. I should prepare you a plate of your favorite cake. I’ll be right back.” You made a show of walking out of the room.

“Hey!” Ten started.

You giggled. Standing right outside the door of the bedchamber, you counted to ten.

“y/n, get back here this instant!” Ten whined, sounding needier and needier each second that passed.

Once you reached the number ten, you ran back in and jumped on the bed, pouncing on Ten and crashing into the soft pillows. You held Ten’s face. “I’m sorry...Was that mean?”

He pouted like a petulant schoolboy. “You will pay.” Swiftly, he pulled your skirt up and reached inside of your undergarments. His fingers tip tapped against your entrance.

“You’re soaked, sweetheart,” he said as you stood still. Ten’s touch always sent you through the roof. When he removed his fingers from your apex, you whined.

“Don’t pout. You brought this on yourself,” he said as he moved on top of you and kissed you again. He squeezed your nipples that poked against your dress. You groaned at the pleasant sensation.

Your hands grabbed his cock and started working it. Drops of precum slipped down to your fingers. You worked harder as Ten grunted against your mouth.

“I don’t know about you, y/n but I’m wide awake,” Ten said as you both finished.

You laid your head against his broad chest and felt the steady beat of his heart. “Are you now?”

Ten laughed and you could feel the rumble coming from his chest. “Do you want something to eat?”

His sweetness didn’t stop at his tender loving, you thought. But then he interrupted your thoughts.

He said, “I need you to have the stamina for the night I have planned for you.”

You got up from his chest and saw a wicked smile on his face. Knowing Ten, he was capable of going at it with you all hours of the night and the evening had only just begun.

————

[FEBRUARY 1895]

Upon returning from your honeymoon, you and Ten returned well-rested and well-fucked. Ten began his duties as King, including tying up some loose ends that his father left to him to complete and draw up revisions for the laws of the kingdom. You were to attend to visiting the townspeople and participating in social events that would elevate the kingdom’s status in the continent. As promised, Ten was providing financial support to Lucas’ family. Lucas sent you a letter of gratitude to your family’s house. You didn’t have to analyze the letter without Ten getting suspicious. He was with you a lot of the time those first few weeks.

Ten’s mother still grieved for the loss of her husband and upon seeing you, she would be cold and condescending. Regardless of the crown on your head, you were still a social-climbing wannabe to her. She still didn’t approve and you simply swallowed it. You didn’t want to drive a wedge between Ten and his mother so you silently took it.

Ten was sweeter to you than he’d ever been. Now that Lucas was out of the picture, he didn’t feel any sort of threat that would take you away from him. He could relax. He could rule his kingdom, honor his father’s legacy, and begin a perfect life with you.

For the first weeks, you and Ten made love and fell asleep in each other’s arms. You laughed and bickered like an old married couple at some points. Ten let his guard down with you, letting you know of his worries over the kingdom and whether or not he was doing a good job in his father’s stead. You gave him affirmation that he was bringing even more honor to his family and to his people.

As Ten got busier and busier with his duties, you began to see him less, which allowed you time to think of Lucas. Your heart ached. Now you both were married and your chances of ever being together have vanished. Tears fell down to the skirt of your dress.

You decided to visit your family one day. Your mother prepared your favorite tomato soup. It was a family recipe. Your mother always made it for you when you felt troubled.

“You haven’t forgotten him, y/n,” your mother said calmly as she poured herself a glass of water. You knew who she referred to.

You sighed. “How can I? I loved him, mother. I still-”

Your mother shushed you. “You’re queen now, y/n. All eyes and ears are on you. I don’t want you to land in hot water because of one thing you said on impulse. Now...how is your dear husband these days?”

You caught up with your mother about the status of the kingdom and how kind Ten had been to you these days. You had some time to explore your old chambers in your childhood estate. Your desk sat right by the large window where you could look up at the stars. You decided to write a letter to Lucas. You hadn’t heard from him since he sent the letter confirming that his family was being taken care of. You made sure the letter was addressed from your childhood home so it couldn’t get traced back to the kingdom.

Dear Lucas,

How are you? How are things in the Park Estate these days? It’s getting colder here. The first snowfall is happening any day now. I’m pretty excited. The palace finally starts preparing the hot chocolate you love so much. I wish you could be here...Anyways...Being queen hasn’t been that bad. I haven’t been suspended from my duties as of now so I’d say there is still hope for me yet. I wish you well and hope you can respond to me soon.

                                                                                Yours,                                                                                     y/n

You asked your mother to send the letter to Lucas on your behalf. She gave you a look but gave in. You thanked her, had dinner with your parents, and returned to the palace.

A week later, your mother asked you to come over so you can help her redecorate the common room. It turned out to be a cover. “A letter came for you today. From Prince Lucas,” she said as she handed the letter to you. She sat down on the couch by the lit fireplace.

Your heart soared at this news and you ran up the stairs like an excited school girl. You locked yourself in your old bedroom, sat down at your desk, and opened the letter.

Dear y/n,

I miss you so much. You have no idea. Things for me...Well, I cannot complain. My mother, her husband, and my half-brother Yangyang are living in a lap of luxury in their small town. Yangyang will be able to train in the Royal Commanding Army soon. He’s thrilled beyond belief, saying he owes it all to me...When in reality, we owe it all to you. Thank you so much for convincing Ten to help my family out. I know what you did for me. I will always be thankful. Just as I will always love you. I wish we could be together during the first snowfall. We could’ve made my caretaker take the night off and I would’ve had my way with you at my old estate. If things had been different, huh? I’ll think of you during the first snowfall here, y/n. Please stay safe. I’m so glad to hear things are going well for you. I hope you can write to me again soon. Your words mean everything and more to me.

                                                                           Yours always,                                                                                       Lucas

Your tears fell at his declaration of his eternal love for you. How you wished things had been different. You decided to keep this letter hidden in your old home so that Ten could never chance himself at finding it. God knows what he would do if he did.

————

[MARCH 1895]

A month passed since you received Lucas’ letter. You two had gone back and forth several times since then. You were overjoyed that Lucas would be attending the kingdom’s upcoming Take Over the Moon Ball to celebrate the lunar eclipse. Princess Rosé would be joining him and while that made you ache with jealousy, you remembered once again that you also were spoken for. In the most permanent manner.

The festivities of the palace extended to the rest of the kingdom. There were firecrackers being launched to the sky. Children played on the streets with life-sized papier-mache dragons. Vendors were making a killing with food, costumes, and spirits. Everyone was ecstatic to witness the lunar eclipse. You were ecstatic to see Lucas again and Ten knew it. There was a spring in your step as you kissed Ten good morning the day of the ball. You two lied in bed together. He hugged your naked body from behind as his cock was nestled inside your rear.  

“You’re in a good mood,” Ten said in a teasing manner.

“I love this time of the year,” you admitted. It was part of the truth.

“I know you do. I expect to find you passed out on the dance floor before the night is over. Just like last year.” He smirked.

You laughed. “And you? You’re bound to take your shirt off and wave it like a flag at the balcony, greeting the townspeople once again. You’ll be sure to give some people a thrill.”

“y/n, I’m king now. I’m not going to-“

“Sure, sure...Keep on believing that a title change means that you won’t get drunk out of your wits, darling,” you joked.

Ten pulled himself out of you and turned you around. The look in his eyes was so familiar to you. He hungered for you. The carnal longing for you never ceased. Your heart raced and the heat between your legs increased. He nibbled at your neck and gave you a silent nod. You knew he was about to make love to you again. At least once before you two had to get dressed for your daytime Eclipse activities.

Someone knocked at the door. Ten frowned at the interruption but today was a day packed with activities for the royals. They couldn’t shirk their duties no matter how much they wanted to indulge in their private affairs.

Ten sighed and kissed your forehead. “Tonight. When the ball ends and we send off the last guest, you’re mine.”

Hours passed and you were about to be announced into the ball. The ballroom’s floor-to-ceiling windows brought in images of the starry night and the fireworks in the sky. The skylight gave the party a good view of the moon so you could dance the night away as the eclipse occurred.

Ten stood beside you. He was dressed in his navy blue winter attire with red accents. His golden crown was at the top of his perfectly coiffed hair. You stood beside him in a satin red ball gown. Your golden crown was accented with rubies. You two matched in the kingdom’s official color: red.

“Announcing His Royal Majesty and Her Royal Majesty, King Ten and Queen y/n,” the announcer announced to the guests in the ballroom.

You and Ten stood on top of the grand staircase. He offered his arm to you and you took it. You both walked down with poise and confidence. You would always be the envy of all of the women in the kingdom. You tried not to let the glares get to you. Ten was beaming with pride and victory, presenting you as his woman, his queen, his wife. The whole world needed to know that you belonged to him and no one else.

Meanwhile, you couldn’t help but scan the room for Lucas and met his warm brown eyes that already found yours. He looked at you in fascination, his mouth agape. Right by his side was his wife, Princess Rosé. She smiled at you out of sheer politeness, never having met you before but knowing you and Lucas were once close.

You couldn’t read her well but knew enough not to focus on them for too long or else others (and Ten) would get suspicious. All eyes were always on you after all..and part of you dreaded it, especially now.

Lucas was spellbound at the sight of you. Your hair was tied up into an elegant bun. Your crown suited you, he thought. You were meant to be queen. How much it hurt him that he couldn’t be the one beside you.

When you reached the bottom of the steps, Ten led you to the center of the dancefloor to begin the first dance of the night. Ten was an excellent dancer so those in attendance were in for a treat. Ten took you into his arms and spun you around to a joyful tune as the live band played. You fancied yourself a good dancer but even you struggled to keep up with Ten’s precision at times. Your nerves caused you to step on his foot. You gasped and felt a collective hush from the crowd as they watched.

You put your hands over your mouth as you pulled away from Ten. “Your Majesty, I am so-”

Ten laughed. “It’s alright, y/n.” He laughed and looked around at the crowd who watched.  He took your hands and pulled you closer to his chest. He smiled brightly at the spectators as he whispered to you, “I’ll make you pay for it tonight,” he whispered.

You gulped and nearly stumbled once more but Ten had a steady grip on you. Lucas watched the two of you. He couldn’t be visibly upset. That would cause people to ask questions. It was no secret that he was a close friend of the happy couple but no one knew of his and Ten’s falling out. No one ever would.

Beside him, Princess Rosé said, “What a beautiful couple.”

Lucas forced his voice to sound even. “Yes, they are, Your Highness.”

She wrapped her arms around his left forearm and snuggled her head against his shoulder. “We’ll take over the Park estate soon enough and throw our own lavish party. Then, we will be front and center, my love.”

Lucas replied as kindly as he could, “I anticipate it, my dear princess.”

You knew Lucas was watching. From your peripheral vision, you could feel him watching you. You couldn’t make eye contact or else Ten would’ve noticed.

The dancing continued. You and Ten switched partners from time to time. You took a respite and drank a glass of wine. Ten was in host mode, talking to the most influential leaders in the continent, including Rosé’s father, King Park.

You were tapped on the shoulder. You turned around and Lucas smiled. “Your Majesty.” He gave a playful bow.

You snorted. Very unladylike, you noted but didn’t care. Lucas caught you drooling in your sleep when you took naps under the cherry blossom tree all of these years so he knew who you really were. A title couldn’t change a person so easily.

“Your Highness,” you said as you curtsied.

He chuckled. “This is strange.”

You laughed. “You’re telling me.”

He offered his hand to you, not wasting any time. “May I have this dance?”

The song that was playing was slow. You took Lucas’ hand and walked awkwardly past Ten’s mother. She unapologetically glared at you and was definitely looking for her son to get his reaction. She would be the first to tattle on you like you just got detention and Ten was your parent. Anything to get you kicked to the curb and shunned.

You chose to ignore it and followed Lucas to the dance floor. He held you by the waist. His large hands easily enveloped you. Making physical contact with him after months of separation nearly drove you up a wall. You had to catch your breath. You moved slowly around the dance floor. No one questioned your dance partner as it was no secret you were friends. But Ten knew better. As his colleagues discussed politics and cranked open another bottle of scotch, he watched you and Lucas like a hawk.

You two looked awfully chummy. It killed him not to know what you two were whispering about. It killed him to see you smile at Lucas the way you smiled at him. It was the same look of adoration you gave him...Except he knew it was a more intense adoration. Ten knew that if he looked deeply into your eyes that he would find something more. He knew a part of you still loved Lucas.

What did he expect? For you to completely forget Lucas? Ten would’ve been a fool to believe that to be true. But these kinds of occasions where the Park family was invited were inevitable so he had to come to terms with that fact that you and Lucas would meet again.

It’s not like Lucas could do anything now, Ten reassured himself. You were his queen now. You would never betray him. Ten relaxed himself and laughed at one of King Park’s jokes.

Lucas spun you and pulled you close, “I missed you.”

You replied quietly, “I missed you.”

Lucas sighed. “You’re beautiful.”

Your face grew hotter. “So are you.”

Lucas chuckled. “I’m happy we can have this moment. No matter how brief it is.”

“Me, too. I wish the Park Estate wasn’t so far away.”

“It’s not that far,” Lucas mused.

You tilted your head in confusion. “Really?”

“I timed my last train ride. It’s about five hours away if the conductor has had a full night’s rest.”

“Five hours, huh? Just like that?”

He winked. “Just like that.”

You rolled your eyes. “You’re still a pain, I see.”

“And you’re still killing me,” he said, his voice huskier.

Your face had inched closer to his as the song continued. You shook yourself out of your bubble. “How angry does Ten look?” You panicked, forcing yourself to look. You were shocked to find him laughing and having as good of a time as anyone else at the ball. You eased up and exhaled.

“He looks plenty merry to me,” Lucas replied and realized. “What about Princess Rosé?” To your shock, Rosé was dancing with her ex-boyfriend Chanyeol. Everyone thought she would marry Lord Chanyeol but she broke it off when he admitted that he wanted to become a man of the cloth.

You and Lucas looked at each other and laughed.

“Why are we so worried?” You wondered aloud. “Everyone is having a great time and so should we.”

Lucas nodded. “Absolutely.”

You and Lucas retreat from the dance floor and eat together. He tells you about his new life at the Park Estate. He is in training to become their next king. He drank considerably as the night went on. Lucas wasn’t trained to be a diplomat or a lawmaker so it was a huge adjustment for him. His passions were in weaponry and hunting. When Lucas still lived in the kingdom, he trained to be a commander in the royal army. Now, he was preoccupied with reading and attended meetings with King Park. Whenever he wasn’t doing either of those things, he would accompany Rosé on trips and parties.

“It’s a lot different from training to be a commander, I have to say,” Lucas said as he frowned. “I’m glad I was able to bring Hazel with me, though.”

Hazel was Lucas’ trusty steed. You were happy that Ten’s mother hadn’t taken that away from him at least. Lucas treasured horseback riding. It gave him a sense of freedom and exhilaration. It was a piece of home he could always keep with him.

“I miss her. Would it be okay if I came to visit sometime? I would love to visit her,” you said as you took a bite of chocolate cake. You and Lucas had many adventures. You and Lucas would take Hazel on trips to the fields and to the waterfalls in the spring. Hazel trusted no other human besides Lucas and you.

“Just her, huh?” He gave you a knowing look.

You laughed as you sipped your glass of water. “I might as well catch up with the future King of the Park Estate. I can give you some pointers. Ten tells me a lot about the goings on in the kingdom.”

Lucas’ tone shifted abruptly. “I’m sure he does…” He’d hoped you wouldn’t mention him again. You’d certainly done a good job to omit Ten from your letters to him, Lucas thought. Why bring Ten up now?

You cleared your throat. “We don’t have to talk about Ten...I’m sorry.” You could see the distant look on Lucas’ face at the mention of Ten’s name. You didn’t want to hurt him even more.

Lucas smiled sadly as he raised your chin. “Chin up, y/n, you’re allowed to talk about your husband.”

The abrupt physical contact startled you. You looked around to see if anyone noticed. A couple of people did. Your eyes scanned the area for Ten’s mother, your biggest supporter.

“Lucas…” You started.

Lucas averted his eyes. “I’m sorry...I believe my liquid courage may have gotten the best of me, my dearest y/n.”

You sighed. “You can’t just touch me whenever you feel like it..You could get in trouble.” You didn’t mind the physical contact, actually. In fact, you craved it. But too many eyes were on you and you didn’t want any trouble. Ten’s mother would certainly give you an earful at your next obligatory tea time.

Your heart was moving a mile a minute, though. You thought you did enough to keep it from showing on your face. But Lucas made it so difficult.

Lucas took your hand from under the table. “Now no one can see. Is this okay?”

As much as you wanted to go back into a bubble with Lucas, you resisted. You felt him squeeze your hand. Your first instinct was to pull away but Lucas wouldn’t let go. “Please let go. We can’t.”

“Why not?” Lucas demanded. “We are childhood friends. There is nothing wrong with this. Why should we have to hide our bond?”

You quickly swiped your hand away. “You know damn well why. Get a cup of sobering tea. Your character is unbecoming of a prince.” You walked away from Lucas.

He got up and grabbed your arm. “y/n…”

“I believe my wife is correct, Prince Lucas.”

You and Lucas froze in your tracks.

Ten’s voice sounded so neutral. It was deceiving. Any man who touched his wife was in for a beating. No matter the title he held. He walked up to you two and pulled Lucas’ hand away, which went limp against his side.

“Your Majesty, my sincerest apologies, I-“ Lucas began.

Ten replied with the same smile he gave to his other friends and peers. “Go tend to your wife. I will take care of mine.”

Lucas’ fear definitely sobered him up. He bowed as a sign of respect and scurried off to find Princess Rosé.

“Ten, I-“

“I don’t want to hear it,” he said with the same smile on his face. He returned to his group and acted like nothing was wrong. But you knew better.

You knew that this was bad. Astronomically bad.

————

[APRIL 1895]

Days pass and Ten has not returned to your bedchamber that you shared with him. He never gave you the chance to explain. To explain that nothing happened and that Lucas was the one who held your hand. You worried that Ten would deem you unfaithful. You pined for Lucas and you would tell him you loved him in your letters but that was for no one else to know. The act of infidelity was not for you. No matter how much you longed for Lucas. You couldn’t betray Ten. He was upset but according to everyone else, he immersed himself into his duties.

Lucas sent you a letter a day in the past week. You scanned them quickly. They were full of apologies and sweet nothings. Part of you was furious at Lucas for being so unabashedly stupid and reckless. Part of you yearned for him even more. However, because you were already in hot water with Ten, you left Lucas’ letters unanswered.

When you saw Ten at public events in which you two appeared as a couple, he kept that same cold friendly smile on his face when he was around you. He would hold your hand and kiss your cheek. At first, you were stiff and confused as to how he was acting but soon, to save face, you also followed his lead of insincerity. You two would leave in separate carriages as he had other engagements to attend to.

After a week, you two finished dinner with the head commander and his wife. For the first time since the incident, you both rode home together. On the carriage ride back to the palace, you rode in silence.

“Ten,” you started meekly.

Ten did not reply as he stared out the window.

“Ten,” you snapped.

He whipped his head towards you with that same condescending smile. “Yes, dearest?”

You rolled your eyes. “Don’t give me that. We’re alone now. What the hell is wrong with you?”

Ten chuckled. “That’s rich, coming from you. Asking me what’s wrong like you have any right to be upset.”

You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion. “Ten, I told you that Lucas and I-”

He moved closer to you and grabbed you by the arm. “Don’t you dare bring up that bastard’s name. The next time you let that name slip from your lips-”

“What, then?” You demanded. “Tell me.”

Ten’s smile faded. “You don’t want to go there, y/n. You seem to have forgotten every single thing I’ve done for you since the minute you said yes to me. You’ve become ungrateful and insolent…”

You tried pulling away but Ten wouldn’t budge. He kissed you, forcibly entering your mouth with his tongue. Between kisses, he said, “You. Are. Mine.”

You pulled away with all of the strength you had and looked him in the eyes. “Ten, nothing happened. I swear to you. I love you. Only you.” You were willing to say anything for him to soften his grasp, soften his expression. He couldn’t kiss you or touch you when he was like this. In the bedroom, he was scary enough when he wasn’t mad at you.

Tears ran down your cheeks and something inside Ten made him relax. He realized he may have taken things too far with you. Lucas was to blame for all of this. Ten’s mother should’ve married him off to a princess in another continent so you two would never see each other again.

Ten sighed. “What happened at the ball, y/n?” He let you go quickly and helped you flatten your dress.

You began, “We danced. We ate and caught up with each other. He was acting like nothing had changed. He’s always been very affectionate. You know this more than anyone.”

Ten glared at the floor of the carriage. “Sure.”

“He held my hand,” you said. “That was all. He wanted to act like nothing changed between us.”

Ten raised his eyebrows. “And what do you mean by ‘nothing changed between you two’?”

He was baiting you. He suspected the worst of you: that you would cheat on him in marriage. After the vow you swore to one another?

You sighed. “Our friendship. I’m queen and he can’t exactly give me bear hugs like he used to.”

Still a little wary, Ten nodded.

You continued, “Things are different now. He’s married and...you and me are married,” you said as you held his hand. “I love you, Ten.”

Ten softened at hearing those three words again. The sound of his name that came off of the prettiest lips. He caressed you and embraced you. “I’m sorry, my love. I was too harsh on you.”

You cried softly. He definitely had been. You hugged him back. You were relieved that he was no longer angry. You hoped things would return to normal now.

When you returned to your chambers to retire for the night, you wanted to surprise Ten with your newest set of undergarments that came in from the country of Soleil. This was in anticipation of making up with him at some point and now you couldn’t think about anything else other than pleasing your husband. Ten returned from the restroom to find you lying against the headboard of your massive bed. Your brassiere barely held up your breasts. You may as well have not been wearing one. Your panties hugged your bottom tightly.

“My king,” you said slowly, looking at Ten from under your eyelashes.

Ten was in his wine red robe and nothing else on, which was his usual bedroom attire. He was shocked to see you so bold. Seeing you take the initiative should’ve sent his cock up.

But it laid there. Limp.

You looked down at his nether region and made the same observation. You shot Ten a look of confusion. Perhaps the week apart really threw you both off of your game. But you continued. You got off of the bed and walked slowly over to him. Ten’s mouth dropped at the sight of you. You looked so...appetizing.

His cock seemed to disagree and he started to panic, which he knew would make things worse. He tried to distract you by meeting you halfway. He wrapped his arms around you and put his hands on your ass. “You want to play with me, don’t you?”

“Well, I’ve been quite bored and lonely in this bed all by myself, Your Majesty…” You wrapped your arms around his neck and kissed his collarbone.

Ten hissed as you grabbed his cock, which to your surprise was still not springing up. You looked up at Ten with big eyes, making him blush a bright red.

As you moved your hand up and down his cock, nothing happened.

Ten tried to distract you as he pleased you. He inserted two fingers into your panties and fingered around your flower. He was hoping his magical fingers could render you silly and distract you. However, you were already upset. Even worse, you weren’t soaked.

Ten picked you up bridal style and tried to spin how this night would transpire. He laid you on the bed. “Can you be a good girl for me? In fact, you still owe me for stepping on my foot at the ball,” he said as he gave you a knockout smile.

You wanted to be the one who pleased him. To have him writhe under you and make you plead for mercy. You shook your head. You knew something was wrong and he was trying to hide it.

“I wanted to be in charge tonight, Your Majesty, but I guess things just aren’t looking up,” you said as you put your own robe on and moved to your side of the bed. As Ten begged you to change your mind, you ignored him and silently cried yourself to sleep.

You couldn’t understand. The mere sound of his name off of your lips usually got him hard. Sometimes to the point that it distracted you from your daily activities together. So what went wrong? What could you have done differently? Were you at fault?

You’ve never felt so small.

————

You woke up the next day to find Ten already left for the day. He left you a glass of water with a note.

My darling y/n,

I am so sorry. I’m not quite sure what happened. I will be seeing a specialist to see if there’s any issue. Darling, this is all on me. I love you and will see you soon. Please don’t be sad. My queen deserves happiness forevermore.

                                                                            Yours Eternally,

                                                                                           Ten

You rolled your eyes at reading his note but in the back of your mind, you wondered if there could be some underlying medical condition he could’ve developed. You thought of his father and now you began to worry.

Perhaps you had been too mean.

You spent time in the library researching King Lee’s ailments that caused his early passing but could find nothing that tied to Ten’s erectile dysfunction. Then, you read up on erectile dysfunction and wondered if Ten had been dealing with too much stress. You would have the kitchen prepare him some tea to help him sleep earlier. He needed more rest. Even now, you still had no idea what emotional and mental tolls Ten’s father’s death had taken on him.

You retreated back to your quarters for lunch. As you walked past the kitchen area, you heard giggles and sighs. You caught a peek inside of the room and saw the maids sharing a smoke.

“He is the most beautiful man.” One of them laughed.

“Oh, please, His Majesty has nothing on Prince Lucas. It’s such a shame he lives so far away now…” Another maid added.

“How naive you are. I don’t think the prince has the same stamina as His Royal Majesty does,” a third maid with the most condescending tone added. She laughed mockingly at the second maid. “I mean, ask Jade.”

The maids didn’t see you and you were thankful that stealth was one of your hidden attributes. The nerve of these maids. You could’ve easily walked in and fired them all but you weren’t Ten. You were more lenient with the help. When someone didn’t fold his clothes the right way, Ten would be on the verge of dismissing them. You always had to talk him down from making that mistake. On the other hand, you tried to give the servants the benefit of the doubt.

Maybe not today, though.

Who the hell was Jade?

“Jade is a trollop who lacks the brain cells to keep her mouth shut,” the first maid said, “And I’m not just talking about spewing her secrets.”

That caused all of the maids to cackle like witches.

These maids had no idea what they were talking about. How dare they talk about Ten in such a lewd manner? And who the hell was Jade?

The name sounded familiar. You believe she worked near the stables.

“Jade should be careful. Any day now that simpleton queen will catch them in the act and there’s no telling what will happen to her,” the third maid said as she blew out a puff of smoke.

“She better hope that day isn’t today. Jade seemed pretty excited to return to the stables after lunch,” the second maid added.

You gaped at that last sentence and ran off. The maids could hear the sound of footsteps fading and their smoke break did nothing to alleviate their worries now.

You made your way to the stables with a few attendants at your side. You instructed them to wait for you outside as you wanted to greet the horses. According to them, the horse handlers and stable workers were on break.

You walked into the stable and pet the horses, feeding them carrots and sugar cubes. They reminded you of Hazel and in turn, Hazel reminded you of Lucas.

A woman’s giggle broke you out of your thoughts as you heard some noise in the back right corner of the stables. The giggle came from an empty stable as the door was left open. You moved slowly down to the end so as not to be detected. When you got closer, that was when you could hear the moans, the slapping of skin, and the sloppy kisses.

“Are you enjoying this, Your Majesty?” You heard a woman ask. Her voice is low and seductive and most of all, very irritating.

You stood there frozen in your tracks. Perhaps this woman and her partner were into using nicknames in their foreplay, you thought. Maybe you were wrong to suspect the worst. Maybe there was a visiting king? But in the stables with a mystery woman?

But then you heard his moans.

“You are serving your master well, Jade. Your family will be provided handsomely for your commendable service to your king,” he said.

It was Ten. And in the shadows, you recognized the outline of his dick. The image of his dick was embedded in your brain. How could it not be when Ten’s thirst was never satisfied?

You caught a peek of the couple and saw Ten completely naked and the maid Jade down to her undergarments. She was riding his dick like her life depended on it. Speaking of your husband’s endowment, it didn’t seem like anything was wrong now.

What a cruel joke. You laughed to yourself. Loud enough for the pair to jump.

“y/n!” Ten looked stunned for the first time in his life. He hadn’t looked this stunned since the news of his father’s passing.

“Hello, darling,” you began, “And this must be the commendable Jade.”

Jade’s satiated smile quickly vanished at the sight of you. She quickly covered herself with the first piece of fabric she could find. And it was one of Ten's robes. The nerve of this underling, you thought. How dare she grab onto your husband’s clothes as if she was entitled to them?

You had the mind to send her to the dungeon. You could finally see the appeal behind dungeons. Ten always wanted to sentence the help to the dungeons for little inconveniences and you always had to be the one to talk him down. But now...you finally had a good reason to put a servant away.

“Now’s not the time to be modest, Jade,” you said as you wrapped your arms around your chest. You walked up to her and placed your heel against her chest. She breathed heavily against your shoe. “I should thank you. And here I thought my husband was falling ill...I was so concerned. But now thanks to you, I know that he is a lecherous and treacherous fiend.”

Jade shrunk. This was so unlike the big mouthed and presumptuous slag you were expecting.

“Cat got your tongue?” You asked sweetly. “Speak up. You do enough of it that thanks to a handful of maids, I could be here with you two today.”

“y/n,” Ten begged as he grabbed your left leg. “Please-”

“Get your dirty hands off of me, husband.” You spat the last word with as much venom as you could muster. You kicked his arms away.

You got your foot off Jade's chest and turned to Ten. You put your heel very near to his nether region. You had the nerve to stomp on it and ruin his chances of producing an heir. Jade grabbed her clothes and scurried away.

“That’s right, vermin. Scurry off to your station,” you said with a fake smile and a fake lilt to your voice. When you turned back to your still naked husband, your voice turned to stone.

“So this is who you ran to when you gave me the cold shoulder the past week, huh? How insulting,” you spat. “You should’ve hid your tracks better. Far be it from me to let you two have your little midday delights.”

Ten breathed heavily from his passionate lovemaking and now because of the murderous look in your eyes. “y/n, darling...I am so sorry. I was upset…”

You raised your eyebrows. “You expect me to believe that this little affair is new? Don’t make me laugh.”

You got your foot off of his crotch and helped him up. You pushed him against the wall of the stables, stunning the rest of the horses. They neighed and jumped in their stables.

“Lucas held my hand because that’s the kind of shit close friends do but since your insecure little ass couldn’t take it, you sent him away. Right? Don’t tell me that that was all your mummy’s doing.”

Ten was about to snap back but you interrupted him, not giving him a chance to spin this on you.

“What will you do?” You asked.

Ten asked, “What-”

“What will you do when that harlot ends up pregnant with your baby? Will you make the child suffer just like your father did Lucas-”

Ten slapped you, unable to control his anger any longer. “How dare you dishonor my father and bring up that bastard…”

You clutch onto your cheek, shocked that he would ever lay a hand on you. After everything he’s done...And he wanted to spin this on you? For speaking out of turn?

A good queen would swallow her pride and forgive her husband. For they were bound together until death did them part. A reasonable woman, on the other hand, would destroy him. Unfortunately, you fell somewhere in between these two identities.

You finished as hot tears ran down your face. “How dare you do this to me? You said that I was all that you ever wanted. I guess you’ll say anything to get anyone into bed. What a fool I’ve been.” You kicked him in the shins and ran off.

“y/n!” He yelled out in physical and emotional pain.

You returned to your parents’ home and spent the rest of the day with them. You weeped near to the point of hysterics in your bed. You have never felt so humiliated. And at the hands of the man who was supposed to treasure you with each breath he took.

Ten knew you were back at your old home and didn’t come to see you. You thought it was a smart choice on his part because had he come see you, you would’ve contemplated the subject of genital mutilation.

Your mother brought you a bowl of fruit and you savored each bite. Ten was repulsed by fruit so if you ever ate it, he would know and it would irritate him greatly. Well, you did a little more than irritate him today. And you didn’t give a damn. You weren’t returning to the palace for as long as you could help it so bring on the fruit, you said.

Ten especially hated strawberries. You indulged on all of the strawberries in the bowl, enjoying it more now since Ten wasn’t around to protest. The things you had to sacrifice to be with him...The strawberries weren’t even the tip of the iceberg.

You told your parents everything. Your father had the nerve to go to the castle and give Ten a beating, royal status be damned. You told them to stand down because they didn’t deserve to get entangled in this mess. They welcomed you back home for at least a few days but insisted you would have to make amends with Ten. Your marriage was until death did you part, after all.

This marital construct was starting to sound more and more like bullshit with each passing day.

Your mother handed you a letter. “He sent you another letter. Shall I throw it away?”

You sighed. “No, it’s alright.”

Your mother gave you a warning look. You nodded, knowing what she said without hearing the words. She left you in your room.

You got up from bed and sat down at your desk. You opened the letter.

Dear y/n,

I know it’s pointless to make excuses but I want you to know that I am genuinely sorry. Under the facade of friendship, I was jealous. That man has the one thing I want. The one thing I need. The one thing I crave. And I can’t have her. I missed you so much and seeing you in that red dress, I was very near to my undoing. I love you, y/n. I always will but I know it is too late for us. I will let you go. For your sake. 

I’m in my mother’s hometown of Wanderlust for the next two weeks. Princess Rosé is away as one of her closest friends will be wed in the Western continent. If you would like to meet once more, I would like that very much.

                                                                              Yours Always,

                                                                                         Lucas

Lucas visited Wanderlust under the pretense of hunting and to take a respite in nature. The Park estate was aware of his whereabouts. They believed him to be staying with a humble host family. They assumed Lucas did it to know what it was like to be among commoners. To help gain their family a new perspective. When in reality the family of commoners were his real family.

Your anger at Lucas faded in the past few days but you couldn’t bring yourself to respond to any of his letters. Until now.

You got your travel bag prepared and told your mother you were traveling to the family cabin in Flame, a town quite close to Wanderlust. Your mother noted the shift in your mood. The restored determination in your eyes. Something in that letter made you want to go to Flame...or somewhere near it.

“Mother, if Ten comes for me, tell him I have retired to our cabin in Flame. I will return in three days.” You prayed he wouldn’t come and find you.

Lucas called to you and it was time for you to stop shoving these feelings aside. If only for a moment.

In the evening, you arrived via train to Flame and settled into your family’s cabin. The next day, you took one of the ranch hand’s horses, Mint, to arrive in the next town of Wanderlust.

You forgot how liberating it felt to ride on a horse. Lucas typically sat at the front of the saddle when you two rode on his horse Hazel. Now you rode on Mint on your own. You felt so liberated and light. The feel of the wind whipping against your face. The quick beating of your heart. The stomping of the hooves against the dirt. You envisioned yourself on an epic journey, as a heroine on her way to save an endangered village. You liked to play pretend when you were a little girl but as a teenager, it was Lucas who would entertain your imagination. He would act as your second-in-command on your horseback adventures.

He was endearing that way. You couldn’t wait to see him again. You followed Lucas’ instructions that he attached to the letter in order to find his family home.

You saw a house in the distance with a large wisteria tree. The purple and blue flowers dangled from the branches. It was a magnificent tree. Your eyes moved downward to the trunk where you found Lucas sitting with his nose in a book again

Hearing the horse coming in the distance, Lucas got up from the tree, dropping his book to the ground in shock.

You were a vision. You couldn’t possibly be here. He was dreaming. He must have fallen asleep reading the history of the Park Estate again.

You pulled the reins on Mint and you stopped a few feet before him.

“Hello there,” you said, acting like a gallant gentleman picking up his lady.

Realizing you weren’t a figment of his imagination, Lucas laughed. “You look ridiculous.” He said it so fondly. So intimately that you knew he was messing with you.

He was right, though. You reached your hand up to your hair to find it tangled from the wind. Horseback riding always looked more impressive when other people did it, you guessed. You just weren’t blessed with a wind-resistant mane.

You were about to hop down from Mint but Lucas helped you, grabbing you by the waist and turning you around to face him. You jumped into his arms and he pulled you in for a hug. He spun you around in circles.  

“You came,” he said, smiling and humming against your hair.

You nodded, shy. “I did.”

“Lucas, it’s time for lunch!” A third voice piped in.

You and Lucas nearly jumped out of your skin. He quickly put you down and you fixed your hair the best you could.

A young man appeared before you both. He eyed you and then he quickly bowed. “You must be the incomparable Queen y/n.”

You gasped. “How does he-”

“y/n, this is my younger brother, Yangyang,” Lucas said as he wrapped an arm around his brother.

“You were holding out on me, Lucas,” Yangyang addressed Lucas so casually. “She’s gorgeous. If you weren’t spoken for, Your Majesty, I would’ve stolen you from both the king and my brother.”

You laughed. “I believe that, Yangyang. You are definitely the cuter sibling.”

Lucas pouted. “You don’t mean that.”

You got up on your tiptoes and ruffled Lucas’ hair. “Maybe not.”

Yangyang rolled his eyes. “Your Majesty, would you do us the honor of joining us for lunch since my ignorant older brother has not done so already?”

You fought back a laugh as Lucas was about to protest. “I would love to.”

You joined Yangyang and Lucas inside their country home. You were happy to see that Lucas’ family lived in a nice and safe house. It was lovely and warm. There were family photos on the wall and paintings as well. There were well-tended plants all over the common room. A fire was lit at the fireplace.

Yangyang led you both into the kitchen. Lucas called out, “Mother!”

“Yes, dear?” You heard a woman call out. She was cutting some vegetables as she cooked some stew.

You entered the kitchen. Lucas continued, “I have someone I want you to meet.”

Lucas’ mother turned around and gasped. “Y-your Majesty!”

The last reaction you expected from Lucas’ mother was shock but then you remembered you were Queen. You coughed out, “H-hello, ma’am.”

Lucas’ mother was gorgeous. You can see where Lucas got his warm smile and his magnetic brown eyes. Her long black hair ran down her back and it was tied back with a baby blue ribbon. “It is an honor to meet you. We welcome you into our home. May I offer you a cup of tea?”

You nodded, smiling. “The honor is all mine. I’ve been wanting to meet you for a long time. And yes, some tea would be great.”

She grinned. “Please take a seat.” She offered you a seat at the dining room table beside the kitchen. “Had I known you were coming, I would’ve cleaned up.”

You, Lucas, and Yangyang looked around the house. It was spotless.

“Mother-” Yangyang started, about to say something sarcastic, surely.

Their mother shushed Yangyang. She turned to her much taller son. “You could’ve given me some notice, Lucas.”

“Actually, this was a surprise visit. Completely my fault. I hope I’m not disturbing,” you said, feeling bad. You didn’t realize how much of an imposition you were being to Lucas and his family. “I won’t be long-”

Lucas interrupted as he took your hand, pleading. “No, don’t go.”

Yangyang snickered and their mother laughed with her hand over her mouth. “Your Majesty, you can stay for as long as you’d like.”

“Th-thank you, ma’am...I would appreciate it if you guys called me y/n when we’re alone…”

Yangyang replied, “You’re kidding.”

You shook your head. “I am not.”

Lucas added, “She’s queen. We have to do what she says.”

You all laughed as you helped their mother prepare lunch. No one wanted you to lift a finger so you used the queen card again. You were allowed to make fresh orange juice. It’d been so long since you’ve been allowed to do something for yourself without a servant. It felt good.

Lucas stole glances from you as you worked in the kitchen. Your heart raced faster each time.

You all sat down for lunch. Lucas’ stepfather, aka Yangyang’s father, came in and greeted you and was brought up to speed on your visit. The five of you sat down for lunch. The stew was delicious. It rivaled your mother’s tomato soup. You wished you could have an endless supply of this stew…

For when you had to go back.

As crazy as it sounded, it pained for you to go back to the palace. In a matter of hours, you felt more at home in Lucas’ family home than you had at the palace.

You wondered just how different things would’ve been had you, Lucas, and Ten never been royals. The pressure would’ve been off. Ten wouldn’t have thrown his power in your face. Lucas wouldn’t have had to leave. Maybe you and Lucas would have run off and moved to a place like this.

And be happy together.

Lucas noticed that you grew silent at the table.

He offered to put his hand over yours. You nodded. He knew better than ever that consent was necessary.

Lucas’ mother and stepfather eyed each other. Yangyang blew a loose strand of hair off of his forehead. “You two couldn’t be more obvious.”

You and Lucas nearly jumped out of your seats.

Lucas’ mother asked carefully, “y/n, are you alright? Did something happen at the palace for you to come visit?”

Lucas frowned as he saw the wave of dread that fell over your face.

“Uh…” You hesitated.

“Mother, wait…” Lucas started.

Lucas’ mother apologized, “I am so sorry, Your-I mean, y/n...I spoke out of turn.”

You shook your head. “It’s fine. I would just prefer to not discuss it. As far as His Royal Majesty is concerned, he has been informed that I took a respite in my family’s cabin in Flame. Not too far from here.”

Lucas could tell something was wrong. And he knew it was Ten’s fault. That son of a bitch, he thought.

You and Lucas’ family continued eating and the mood hadn’t been destroyed. You recounted tales of Lucas’ youth to his family and they were all laughing so hard. Lucas’ mother nearly teared up a few times as she had missed so much for the sake of her son’s future. After her many protests, Lucas’ mother begrudgingly let you help clean up the table. Yangyang and his father retired to get some firewood to roast some marshmallows later. You joined Lucas in the backyard where a stream flowed.

“Hi,” you said as Lucas watched the water.

“You alright?” He asked, focused solely on you now.

You nodded. “Yeah, I feel so much better.”

He patted the grass beside him so you would join him. “I told myself I wouldn’t pry but...what happened?”

You sighed. “Well, after the ball, Ten did a little more than give me the cold shoulder for a week.”

Lucas turned right around and looked at you. “What…”

“He’s been sleeping with the help. Some harlot named Jade who works in the stables,” you said as you picked at the grass with your fingers.

Lucas shot up from his seat on the grass. “I’ll kill him. Don’t know how but I’ll kill him. Let’s go right now-”

You stood up and looked up at him, yearning for eye contact to ease his stress. “No, Lucas. I don’t want to see him. I came here to get away from him but more importantly, I wanted to see you.”

Lucas met your gaze and cupped your face in his hands. “I hate to see you in pain. You don’t deserve this. He was supposed to take care of you. Only you. That insufferable troll.”

You caressed your face against his hands, enjoying the warmth that radiated off of them. “I suppose he thought you and I…”

Lucas’ eyes widened. “It’s because of me…” He had no idea just how much of a mess he’d made.

You shook your head. Ten was blowing things out of proportions, like he always did. “He was always jealous of the connection we shared.”

Lucas let go of your face and held your hand. “I don’t blame him. Before I got married, I was jealous of every moment between you and him.”

A little embarrassed at his confession, you added, “You definitely hid it better than Ten did.”

Lucas shook his head. “There was going to be a point where the three of us wouldn’t be friends anymore. Because of our feelings for you. And now that I know the truth about my real father, it’s worse.”

You squeezed his hand. “I’m so sorry. Queen Lee was always so harsh with you, too.”

“I always wondered why that crone hated me so much. It’s nice to finally know the truth, at least.”

Lucas’ existence was a reminder to Ten’s mother that her husband had been unfaithful. She carried so much bitterness in her heart. After seeing the stunt Ten pulled, you could finally understand her more.

It didn’t mean her any less of an intolerable crone but you understood where all of the resentment came from.

And it made you wonder if Ten had committed more than one indiscretion. With more than one partner. You grew tense just thinking of what awaited you when you returned to the palace. How you wished you didn’t have to go back.  

Lucas continued, “I’m so sorry, y/n. I didn’t want to trouble you. It was the last thing I wanted.”

You sighed and smiled at him. “Ten didn’t make it any better so don’t beat yourself up over it.”

Lucas sighed. “I would talk to him but I’m the last person he wants to hear from.”

“I...You know what, I’m not going to fight you on that. I can’t mention your name or he…”

Lucas grew concerned. “Or he’ll what?”

“He didn’t tell me,” you started, “But I can imagine whatever he had in mind wouldn’t be fun.”

“He wouldn’t lay a hand on you,” Lucas challenged, He then admitted, “As for emotional manipulation? That’s fair game.” He also grew up with Ten, of course. You and Lucas knew Ten better than anyone. Ten’s dear mother only saw what Ten wanted her to see. In her eyes, he was the perfect and devoted son. Ten was an actor. You had to give him credit where it was due.

You sighed. “Well, I’m not going to take that.”

Lucas ran his hands over his hair in frustration. “You shouldn’t have to. God, why did you marry him? Well, I know why...I just...You shouldn’t have…”

You ruffled his hair. “I would do it again. I’m so happy you and your family are safe. That’s what matters to me.”

Lucas looked at you in awe. You were the most selfless and courageous woman he’d ever known. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” you said as you hugged him.

He held you tightly because as he had stated in his letter, this could be your goodbye. “I miss you. All the time. I miss you right now, even though you’re right here with me because I know it’s only a matter of time until you go back.”

You cried, “I wish things could be different but...”

Lucas wiped your endless stream of tears. “Maybe...just this once....”

You froze. His lips were so close. All you had to do was tiptoe and you could have him. So you kissed him and he quickly reciprocated. Each kiss felt as if it was your last. Your panties were soaked at just imagining Lucas on top of you again.

Lucas never wanted to let you go. You were his whole world. A beam of sunlight that he wished he could always keep with him. Even if your time together was brief, he treasured each second more than the last. After a few minutes, Lucas released you. “Do you…” He started. He wanted to make love one last time.

You wanted to say yes. You really did. But Ten’s betrayal was still fresh on your mind. You couldn’t fathom stooping as low as he did. This was not the way you wanted to reconnect with Lucas. You didn’t want your time with Lucas to include revenge sex. It wasn’t even about getting even. You wanted to be with Lucas for the sake of just being with him.

You shook your head. “Let’s just spend the next three days together. With your family.”

You didn’t have to explain. Lucas was just happy to be with you for as long as you both could manage.

For the next few days of your retreat, you checked on your family’s cabin to make sure you had no unwanted visitors. The last person you wanted to see but also expected to find was Ten. You wouldn’t put it past him to come and find you, even after you insisted you would return on your own. However, his schedule was always tightly packed. You always made a note of his upcoming schedules so even you could know where he was at all times. Ten certainly didn’t have a problem with doing the same for you. You could never be too careful.

It seemed like Ten had respected your need for space, which gave you some relief. You wondered if he was with another servant now. It could’ve easily been anyone: a noble, a royal from another continent, anyone. You weren’t sure if getting caught by you would deter him. One thing you learned about Ten was that his appetite was never fully satiated. Perhaps you weren’t enough for him. And that hurt you to the core.

You spent most of your time at Lucas’ family home. You went horseback riding with Lucas and Yangyang. You went swimming in the stream with Lucas. Yangyang and his father taught you how to maneuver a bow and arrow for the palace forbade you from learning. Lucas’ mother taught you about the medicinal herbs she worked with. She was the local physician of Wanderlust. You also baked pastries with her and talked to her about Lucas’ past.

You sat down together the night before you parted for the palace again. You sat outside with her, overlooking the large grassy field.

Lucas’ mother stirred her tea. “I’m thankful to you, y/n.”

You shook your head. “You don’t have to thank me. I wanted to help your family-”

She shook her head and laughed. “No, dear. I meant, thank you for being by his side all of these years. I couldn’t be with my son and I always wondered if he was truly happy at the palace. If he found moments of respite and joy when he wasn’t being scrutinized by his father and his wife.”

You replied, “It was Lucas who was there for me, ma’am.”

She placed her hand over yours. “Give yourself more credit. I see the way he is with you. He adores you.”

You avoided her stare, in fear of revealing too much.

“I know his marriage to the princess was not through his own volition and that his heart belongs to you, y/n. I am truly sorry that it ended up this way.”

“So am I,” you replied as you drank your tea. Your hands shook as you handled the cup.

“Perhaps in the next life, you two will find each other again,” she said as she looked out into the horizon.

“Perhaps,” you said as a tear left your eye once again.

“You are always welcome here. You have become like a daughter to me,” she said warmly.

You wiped your tear away and gave her a bright smile. “Would it be acceptable if I called you Mother?”

Lucas’ mother cried tears of joy. “Of course. Only if you let me call you daughter.”

You held her hands and embraced her. Lucas watched you two from the backdoor and smiled, tears in his eyes.

Lucas accompanied you back to your cabin on his family’s horse. You rode together side by side and stole glances. “We can do this again, right?” He asked.

You pretended to think about it. “Of course, we can!” You laughed at his eye roll.

He replied, “Then the next time I plan to return to Wanderlust, I will send you a letter.”

You smiled, biting your lip. “I would like that.”

Lucas kissed you goodbye. It pained you both but you felt relief at knowing that this wouldn’t be the last time you saw each other.

————

Upon arriving at the train station, you were shocked to find Ten waiting there for you. He was accompanied by a group of servants and guards. The passengers and visitors in the station watched him in awe and adoration.

“Your Majesty!”

“It’s Queen y/n!”

“And His Majesty has come to receive her. How sweet! What an attentive husband!”

“Long live King Lee!”

“Many blessings to the royal couple!”

“Ten…” You started.

He began, “Seulgi, grab her bag.”

You and Ten’s servant Seulgi greeted you with a nod and grabbed your bag. Ten offered his arm to you and seeing as you had an audience and an obligation to your people, you took his arm. “Welcome home, darling,” he said quietly. You walked together to the carriage that would take you to the palace.

“Your Majesty,” you replied.

“How was your time in Flame?” He asked.

“Quiet,” you began, “It was nice to get away from the chaos of the palace for a moment. It has been a stressful time. All of this,” you waved your arms around to the crowd, “is still very new to me.”

He cooed. “Darling, it is understandable. It only pleases me that you have returned home.”

He helped you up in the carriage and he sat himself down beside you. The coachman instructed the horses to move. You looked out the window now, avoiding Ten’s stare.

“y/n…” He started.

You shook your head. “Not here.”

So he waited until you returned to your shared quarters.

“y/n,” he said, more pathetically.

“What is it, husband until death do us part?” You asked bitterly as you untied your hair and sat down at the vanity beside the bed.

He hesitated and you wondered just what the look on his face was. You refused to look at him through the mirror. He was always a very prideful and defensive man, even when he was in the wrong. You imagined he was furious at your attitude. Maybe that wouldn’t be to your benefit. He wasn’t the type to grovel for forgiveness.

“I am deeply repentant for my indiscretion with that maid. It meant absolutely nothing. She is not you, y/n.” He attempted to hug you from behind.

You pulled yourself away from him. You scoffed. “Well, it’s nice to know that she can’t fuck as well as I can. That makes me feel so much better.”

Ten bit back his words. He didn’t want you to be mad at him but your insubordination was not making this easy.

You decided to drive the wedge between you further. You recited the following: “‘I will love you for all of my days and be loyal to you. Only. You’.” Ten’s marriage vows had unraveled before your very eyes.

Ten pleaded. “y/n-”

You finally turned around and faced him. “You. Hurt. Me. Betrayed me. Discarded me. If only for a moment, you discarded me like a used handkerchief. If you were going to treat me like this, you shouldn’t have married me. You didn’t need me to rule. You never needed me. You could be with any woman you want. But you wanted to marry me. Why, Ten? Why did you marry me if you were going to fuck this up so horribly?” You sobbed.

Ten’s conscience reared its ugly head and he had to take pause and consider your words. You were questioning your marriage now. You were never meant to find out about his indiscretion. This was all of his fault.

And now here you were, the love of his life: crumbling, spiteful, and broken.

You had to know that no matter who he laid with, you were always on his mind. Always in his heart. The only woman who could reign beside him. You were his everything. He worshipped you. You had to know that.

If you continued to convince yourself that this marriage couldn’t work, then you would insist on an annulment. And Ten forbade it. He would make it an official kingdom rule. Unless it was through death, a marriage was permanent.

And he intended to live a long, happy life with you and the children that you would give him.

So he would have to treat you kindly and gain your trust in any way he could. “I am so sorry, y/n. I...There is no excuse for the mistake I’ve made. The fool I was, I believed the worst of you and especially Lucas. I thought you had betrayed me so...I found comfort in another woman. A lowly servant of all people! I’ve committed an unforgivable grievance.”

You sniffled and eyed him carefully. “Ten, you were wrong about Lucas and me. You never gave me a chance to explain. You were quick to find someone else to lie with. It makes me wonder if this was the only indiscretion…”

Ten sobbed. He broke down and sobbed. You hadn’t seen him break down like this...ever. Not since his father died.

He got down on both of his knees before you. “I’ve failed you, my love. I am scum. I am unworthy of you. I should be burned at the stake. I am willing to do anything for you to forgive me. I can’t be without you. You have helped me through the darkest moments of my life. The thought of losing you...is too much for me to bear. I...can’t.”

“Ten, please…” You worried he was about to choke. “You need to calm down…”

He shook his head. “I cannot! I need you, y/n! I will not deceive you again. I swear it to you!”

You took the pitcher of water from the bedside table and poured him a glass of water. You offered it to him.

He sniffled and wiped his tears with his sleeve. “Thank you. Even when you’re angry at me, you show me kindness. My queen…”

You sighed. It was going to take a lot for you to open yourself up to Ten again. But he was remorseful beyond your wildest dreams. You had to take his word for it that he would try. It would take a long time but if Ten was in earnest, you had to accept it.

“Okay,” you said quietly.

“Darling?” His eyes widened with a rare childlike innocence.

“Okay,” you said more clearly.

His beautiful smile appeared on his face and he cried happily as he took your hand, squeezing it. “My angel. My everything.”

You didn’t squeeze his hand back but you gingerly removed your hand from his grasp. Ten’s smile faded.

“It will take some time for you to regain my complete confidence. I am your wife. And I will do all that is required of me as queen but I plead with you: do right by me. Be faithful to me and only me. That is all I ask of you,” you said, still uncertain of what the future would bring for you two.

Ten was relieved. You were giving him a second chance. He would do everything in his power and more to regain your trust and devotion.

————

[JULY 1895]

Ten has done nothing short of spoiling you rotten for the past three months. He bought you the finest jewels from the ends of the world, having the country’s best designers fix them into brooches, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and crowns. Knowing you had the biggest sweet tooth, he had the kitchen staff working around the clock to prepare pastries from all over the world. He arranged trips to libraries and observatories all over the country for your thirst for knowledge never ceased.

As for Jade, Ten dismissed her and you hadn’t seen or heard mention of her since that fateful day.

Slowly, you opened yourself up to Ten. You began to joke with him again, acting like you used to when you were friends. You welcomed him into bed again and would sleep together. And eventually, you became one again every night.

In those three months, you and Lucas exchanged letters whenever you visited your parents. He was doing well at the kingdom. The king and queen were fond of him. Rosé was good to him. You were happy he wasn’t in a hostile environment anymore but part of you still longed for him.

Lucas was happy to hear that you were in better spirits but he was onto Ten. He always knew there was something off about his half-brother: an inexplicable thirst that never quenched. He believed that a man like him was capable of deceit and could hurt you again. However, because you sounded happier, he chose to refrain from meddling. Instead, you two constantly reminded each other that no matter the distance or the time, you two would always love each other. And that you would see each other again.

After visiting the orphanage in town, you returned to the castle earlier than anticipated. You walk past the library only to hear a strange noise.

You frowned. That was odd. The library was only open to you and Ten. It was only cleaned in the evenings when you’d both retired for your slumber.

You wondered if it had been a spirit so curiosity got the best of you. You walked quietly down the astronomy section and peaked through the shelves to find…

Your husband doing the one thing he swore he would never do to you.

Again.

Only this time, a different maid was on her knees, consuming the cum from his length. You couldn’t see her face, only her auburn tied up with a black ribbon. He had just orgasmed all over her and she sucked at his length like it was her latest chore. She was an efficient little whore.

As for your beloved husband, he pulled at her hair and grunted like the beast that he was.

Instead of letting him know you were there, you carefully walked out of the library and escaped detection. At this point, he confirmed what you should’ve kept believing: he would never change his deviant ways and if he could help it, he would continue to lie to you.

At this point, you didn’t feel the need to cry. Something inside you just turned off. The pastries that arrived in your bedroom were left uneaten. The pearls were given away to visiting royals. You would fall asleep early before Ten joined you in the bedroom. You didn’t want to confront Ten about it anymore because there was no point. Once a cheater, always a cheater, you realized. What a fool you’d been.

So what the hell were you doing? Why were you sitting here like a sorry fool waiting for him to change?

You’d received notice that Lucas was returning to Wanderlust for the first few weeks of August. Since Ten would be away on a trip to the western continent, you decided to take another respite to your family cabin. This time, your parents were going, as well.

If Ten was going to put on an act, so would you.

You laid in bed with Ten the night before he parted for the western continent.

“Darling, is there anything I can get you while I’m away? I’ve already accumulated a list but just in case…” He gave you his signature dashing smile as he pulled you closer to him.

He was an excellent actor, you had to say. But thanks to all of this time in the kingdom, you’ve also come into your own when it came to acting. “I can only think of your safe return, husband.” You kissed his lips, hating that he still had an effect on you.

You held each other for the rest of the night and you pretended, once again, that this man was faithful to you so you could sleep more peacefully. The image of seeing Lucas again helped you immensely.

————

[AUGUST 1895]

Upon your arrival to Flame, you immediately found Mint and took her to get to Wanderlust quickly. Much to the chagrin of your parents as they settled in. You didn’t tell them where you went because the less they knew, the better.

Your mother knew, though. She always did.

You could see Lucas standing by the wisteria tree, waiting for you now. You stopped Mint and Lucas already met you halfway. He got you down and before Lucas could speak, you crashed your lips into his.

Lucas was shocked at the intensity of your kiss. Three months apart drove him a little crazy but he didn’t expect this reaction from you.

“Whoa,” Lucas said as he got some air. “Where’s the fire?”

“I missed you,” you said, “I don’t plan to leave your bed for the next week.”

Lucas’ mouth almost fell to the floor. “y/n-“

“I tried, Lucas. I forgave his sorry ass and truly believed he would be faithful to me.”

“No…” He started. “He didn’t…”

“He got orally fucked in OUR library. Who knows what else this monster has been hiding?” You finally yelled out into the field, releasing all of your pent-up emotions. You really missed this field. The last time you visited, you could yell all you wanted without fear of getting judged.

Lucas clenched his fists. How he didn’t kill this man yet, he didn’t know. He took a deep breath. “Did you run away, y/n? What if he’s looking for you now?” He worried about you. Even if Ten was in the wrong, you would be punished more harshly for abandoning the king.

You shook your head. “His Majesty is on his way to the western continent to meet the King of Spades. He won’t be back for two months. A blissful two months it will be. Not to worry. I’ve already informed the palace that I have traveled to Flame with my family.”

Lucas was still concerned. You were acting out of anger. He didn’t want you to regret your actions.

“Let’s go inside and get you something to eat,” he started.

“Your parents fond of hard liquor?” You asked. “Ten never lets me drink without him. It’s annoying.”

“Maybe you should cool down first. Let’s go for a swim,” he offered.

“Is your family home?” You calmed down a little. “I hope I didn’t traumatize them with my yelling.”

Lucas shook his head. “They’ll be home in a few days. They’re visiting my stepfather’s relatives in the next town. I arrived early to surprise them.”

“Oh…” You started.

“So if you were planning on sharing a bed with me, our window is limited,” he teased.

You avoided his gaze, coming down from your anger. “Oh, no...Lucas, I’m so sorry. I came on too strong. I was so mad. I wanted to see you. I-“

Lucas kissed you and picked you up off the ground. You wrapped your arms around his neck. You both hummed in satisfaction.

“I missed you, too,” Lucas whispered into your ear. He put you over his back and gave you a piggyback ride into the house. You laughed as Lucas ran faster. You held him tighter, afraid you’ll lose your equilibrium and fall. It was like you weighed nothing but he held you tightly. Like you were the most precious jewel in the world.

He took you to the guest room and sat you down on the edge of the bed. This was where Lucas slept whenever he came to visit. You never slept with him in here before.

Lucas stood by the door and watched you.

You stared up at him with your eyes wide in anticipation. “Is this okay?”

Lucas nodded. “Of course, it is.”

You laid back and moved your body so that it was against the headboard. Lucas crawled over you as you moved back. It felt so carnal and wild and set your blood ablaze.

He gave you little love bites all over your breasts as you jerked him off. You then moved your lips downward and took his entire length into your mouth. You moved up and down his length and when Lucas came, you were coated in his essence. After teasing your entrance, making you cum very easily with his skillful fingers, he inserted his soaked length into your throbbing pussy. You both came together.

Lucas made sweet love to you that day. You lied in bed with each other and talked about everything and nothing. What dreams you had. What dreams changed. And you found yourself wondering…

“Do you ever think about running away?” You asked him as you kissed his hands..

”I do sometimes...You?” He pulled you closer to his naked chest.

“Yes...And now I want to more than ever,” you said.

Lucas sighed. “I would give anything to run away with you. Start a new life where no one else knows us. Where neither the Lees  or the Parks can find us.”

“That would be a dream come true,” you said.

Lucas kissed the crown of your head. “Maybe we can do it. Someday.”

You nuzzled against his shoulder. “Someday.”

For the next few days, you and Lucas made love in the stream. In the woods where he set up the perfect picnic. In the flower field a few miles up the gravel path. You had never felt more alive than you had with Lucas. He made you feel so safe and worshipped with his presence alone.

When Lucas’ family returned, you both pretended that you had just arrived so his family wouldn’t catch on to your affair. You never spent the night so as not to arouse suspicions from your parents either.

You split up your time between Lucas’ family and your own. You wished your parents could meet his family but you didn’t want to drag them deeper into your mess than you already had.

When it was time to return to the palace, you and Lucas once again parted ways, knowing that you would always have these summer memories.

Upon returning to the castle, you resumed your duties. You also kept an eye out for the maid who was in the library with Ten. The maids weren’t particularly chatty these days after word spread that you found Ten and Jade in the stables. You were still the kind “simpleton” queen but you weren’t as lenient as you used to be.

You continued your studies and addressed the needs of the townspeople. Although you weren’t particularly loved in the castle, the people of the kingdom adored you, regarding you as a breath of fresh air with the warmest heart. A recent poll was publicized that you were the best queen. And unfortunately, some of the townspeople discredited the former Queen.

Which meant she was even more hostile to you whenever you interacted.

“Don’t let a couple of commoners’ approval get to your head. You are still unworthy of your crown, child,” she said bitterly.

You came to realize that she was threatened by you and you decided to embrace it. The former queen’s words always stung but you didn’t carry them with you long after. You had more important matters to attend to.

Since Ten continued to cheat on you and you could only imagine he continued to cheat on you in another continent, you decided to have Lucas send you letters to the palace. You confided in Seulgi to always directly hand you his letters.

The months, sadly, moved too quickly. More of Lucas’ letters arrived but Ten’s return home was confirmed. The ship had departed two days ago from the western continent.

You had mentally prepared yourself for his arrival so as not to arouse suspicion from your husband. 

————

[OCTOBER 1895]

When Ten finally returned, though, your mental preparation crumbled.

“Sweetheart,” he laid a bag of scrolls down on the floor at the sight of you receiving him at the palace gates.

The time away did Ten good. His skin was tanner. He looked more vibrant than he ever had. His dark hair was sunkissed, shining a red hue in the sunlight. He probably glowed from all of the western women he slept with, you thought begrudgingly.

Ten pulled you in for a very public and very passionate kiss. In front of the guards. In front of the servants. In front of the parade of townspeople who welcomed him back. In front of his irritable mother.

“Welcome home, darling,” you croaked. He was still an incredible kisser. Your knees betrayed you, causing Ten to chuckle.

He whispered in your ear, “Prepare yourself for tonight, angel. The time apart from you has driven me mad with lust. For. You.”

You gulped. Even though you expected this. You still worried over how the night would go. What if…he could smell Lucas on you? Even if months had passed?

He was a sex fiend and with that kind of identity, he had to pick up on certain things, didn’t he?

Ten walked past you and the female servants that received him all giggled. As he kept walking, they followed him and that’s when you recognized her. Miss Oral.

She had a distinct way of tying her hair up. Her wavy auburn hair was tied up in that same black bow that was permanently painted in your mind. She walked very closely to Ten.

fYou clenched your fists, wondering if he would meet her before your “lustful” evening together. You wouldn’t be surprised if he returned to your bed and claimed he was exhausted. It wouldn’t be the first time. As king, so much was always demanded of him.

So you didn’t stay up for him. You went to sleep quickly. Ten frowned in confusion as he saw you fast asleep.

He left you for a moment. He met up with two of your most loyal servants, Seulgi and Irene, in his study. He polished one of his swords as he conversed with them.

“Any updates from Her Majesty and the bastard?” He asked.

Irene was the first to speak up. “No, Your Majesty. She has not gone to see him since August.”

He then turned to Seulgi. She replied, “They continue to exchange letters, sire. And Hendery was sent to the Park Estate per your request.” Hendery was one of Ten’s closest guards and one of his most lethal men.

Ten was beaming victoriously. “That is all. You are dismissed.”

————

Prince Lucas was summoned to the throne room to attend to a visitor from the Kingdom of Hearts. He wore his crown and a rose gold accented black suit.

He approached the gentlemen in the all-too familiar royal army’s uniform. Hendery.

“Hendery,” Lucas started, “What a pleasant surprise.”

Hendery always hated Lucas and he made Lucas know that since they first met. Lucas  was his fiercest rival when they trained together and he despised how favored Lucas was by the former king, simply because he was best friends with the crown prince. And this fool slept with the Queen behind the King’s back. It was disgraceful.

Hendery smiled arrogantly, “Can’t say the same, Your Highness. I’ve been instructed to pass this message along. From His Royal Majesty Ten Lee.”

Lucas figured this had to do with Ten if he was sending his best guard but that didn’t stun him any less. He dreaded to hear the message. “Proceed,” he said with all of the confidence he could muster.

Hendery read aloud, “Prince Lucas of the Park Estate, please refrain from writing letters to the Queen and from seeking audience with the Queen. Or I fancy setting some country homes ablaze so I can establish a new residence in Wanderlust.” Hendery had a wild look on his face at the conclusion of the message.

Lucas stood. Silent. Despondent. Concerned.

Beaming, Hendery asked, “Can I take Your Highness’s panicked look as confirmation that you accept His Majesty’s terms?”

Lucas snapped out of his panic. “Yes, but under the condition that he is true and kind to his wife. Be sure to pass that message along.”

Irritated at Lucas again, Hendery nodded. “Very well, Your Highness.”

Hendery turned to leave, but suddenly turned back, pushing his jacket back to reveal the handle of his sword.

“Oh, Lucas, and one more thing...”

—————

[DECEMBER 1895]

It’d been over two months since you sent Lucas your letter and his response was nowhere to be found. You asked Seulgi for the fifth time today if you’d received any more letters, since Ten had instructed the post office to no longer send any mail for you to your parents house.

“My apologies, Your Majesty,” she said, avoiding your gaze. She must have been worried that you would yell at her like Ten usually had.

“It’s alright. Thank you, Seulgi. You are dismissed for the evening,” you said.

Seulgi curtsied and left you. As Seulgi left, Ten entered.

“Good evening, darling. Frantic to receive a letter today?” He asked innocently.

“No, Your Majesty.”

“Your Majesty?” He laughed as he shut the door of your chambers. “We’re behind closed doors, sweetheart.”

You sat at the table beside the balcony window and watched Ten join you. His bare foot tickled yours.

“Are you feeling tired, love?” He asked softly. These days you’ve managed to find more excuses to avoid having sex with him. Especially since you’ve been quietly creeping around the castle to catch Ten in the act again. But you’ve been unsuccessful.

And actually, yes, tracking your husband for his lewd activities was exhausting.

But when he successfully seduced you, he set your progress back. Those nights when he made love to you, you nearly found yourself enamored again. Over and over and over.

But when you woke up alone the next day every time, it was just a reminder of the fact that he hid so much from you. Who he was. What he’s done. Who he’s done it with.

You replied as you laid your right foot over his prominent bulge. So he didn’t sleep with someone else right before he came to see you. How remarkable of him. “You tell me…”

Ten’s indulgent smile appeared and he got up from the table and moved to your side. He hovered over you and bent down to kiss you. You were immediately out of breath and before you could catch it again, he kissed you again. He got you up from your seat and pressed his bulge against your pelvis. Your pussy ached for his cock to greet it.

“Ride me. Right now,” Ten hissed.

You did as instructed, noticing how soaked Ten’s pants were from your essence coated with his. He wasn’t finished as he carried you to the bed and penetrated you without clothes to get in the way. You both fell asleep in each other’s arms.

Oh, Ten thought, if you always made love like this, neither of you had to think. Just be in the present with each other. No distractions. No obligations. No former best friends. Just you and him.

Meanwhile, in the back of your mind, you wondered what happened to Lucas and why he wasn’t responding to your letters.

To Be Continued in Part 2

[monstersandmaw]

Non-binary lich x reader (nsfw)

Edit which I’m including in all my works after plagiarism and theft has taken place: I do not give my consent for my works to be used, copied, published, or posted anywhere. They are copyrighted and belong to me.

This has been up on Patreon for a week now on early release. New stories for Tumblr go up on Wednesdays at the moment and are available there for a whole week before they hit Tumblr, so if you want to have access to the next one (it just went up), make sure you’re on the $5 tier. I’d love to have you as the newest member of the Patreon supporters!

Anyway, contents: It's 7688 words long, features a non-binary, skeletal lich, is set in a fantasy setting, and I don't think it comes with any warnings. Looking forward to your reaction!! 

“So, you’re the new librarian…”

The softly rasping voice behind you startled the life out of you, and you dropped the three-volume stack onto the thick, oak table with an undignified squawk. The boom rang out through the castle library and one or two scholars shot glares at you over the top of their research. Turning, you found yourself face to face with a moving skeleton and your eyes widened even further.

Wearing a long, unadorned, shapeless, black robe with the hood pulled right up over the bare ivory of the skull, the figure had a glowing green light in their eye sockets and one of their teeth had been replaced at some point by a silver prosthetic. More than that, you couldn’t say, but it was apparent that their entire body was just a humanoid skeleton beneath the billowing robes.

And then the penny dropped. “Oh!” you gasped, straightening a little. “You’re… You’re Avery… the court mage…” How many liches could one royal castle have after all?

They dipped their head in a curt bow. “Indeed.”

“I’m sorry, I just… wasn’t expecting…”

Another little bow. “It’s quite alright. I realise that meeting a someone like me for the first time can be somewhat… unnerving.”

You opened your mouth to counter them, but realised it was actually true, and just nodded. “How can I help you anyway?” you asked instead.

They seemed to appreciate the segue into safer waters, and told you the name of the tome they were looking for. “It’s essentially a compendium of plants and fungi that grow only on the fringes of Silver Perch Lake in Aragantia,” they added. “A somewhat… specialised catalogue, I’m aware.”

With a nod, you headed to the vast catalogue system and in almost no time at all, especially given how new you were to the post, you and the court mage were walking silently through the shelves of the royal library in search of the book’s location. Avery made no attempt to talk to you, and you assumed they preferred it that way. After all, you supposed, what could a humble librarian have to say to a necromancer and a mage as powerful as them anyway? In your relatively limited experience of mages, they tended to look down on anyone not powerful or supposedly intelligent enough to wield magic.

As you proceeded further and further into the dark stacks, the light dwindled to almost nothing, and in that moment you cursed the innate flammability of paper and parchment, longing for a lamp of sorts.

Slowing, and trying not to fumble, you squinted and ran your fingertips along the shelves to keep a straight course. During your interview for the position, you’d been told about the glowing crystals that the team of three librarians had access to, but apparently you were still too junior to warrant their secrets yet. It had not been expected, it seemed, that someone as important as Avery would require your assistance. Re-shelving returns in the main library was all you’d done so far in your short tenure after all.

“Here,” the lich said from behind you, the word spoken aloud making you jump all over again, and a moment later, a flickering ball of blue light wafted past you to float a pace or two in front of you. It moved when you did, bobbing slowly.

“Handy,” you grinned back at them over your shoulder. “Thanks.”

In the eerie pulsing light, the dark sockets of their skull and the smooth bone looked almost frightening, but you reminded yourself that this was not an old haunted castle from a horror story, and was in fact the hub of a great trading network whose machinations were aided by the work of the court mage, who also just happened to be a lich and, by extension, a necromancer.

With no expression at all to offer you comfort or reassurance, Avery just lowered their gaze and waited for you to move on again.

The book was right where it should have been - thank all the library gods - and once their skeletal hands had taken it reverently from you, little bones clicking softly as they shifted, Avery turned and left you in the stacks with a short ‘thank you’, the light light for company, and a thousand questions buzzing around your head.

Naturally, the first place you went after that was the section on liches and phylacteries, and there you lost yourself for well over an hour.

After that, the court mage found their way back to the library almost every time you were on duty. To your surprise, they were actually quite chatty, answering your tentative questions about their research with long and interesting answers, leafing through the book they’d just taken out to show you a diagram or ritual, constellation, or phase of the moon, and relaying its relevance to their work at the time without reserve.

“I’d always thought mages were secretive about their work,” you ventured one afternoon as sunlight flooded into the open study room at the back of the library where Avery had set up camp for the afternoon.

At your words, they looked up, an oddly tense and intrigued set to their head and you got the impression that, had they had the body to go with the bones, they might have been smiling curiously. “Why do you say that?”

“Well,” you began, feeling a little warm under the collar. Their close scrutiny made you shuffle and turn a little away from them to lessen it. “At the university, your lot always kept to themselves, you know? And no one else was allowed in their section of the library without a mage escort and a note of recommendation from about fifteen different tutors… I got it eventually, of course —”

“— of course,” they interrupted with a wry smile in their voice.

Their tone may have been light and joking, but it carried the weight of enormous respect too, and you choked for a moment before babbling on again. “I’m not suggesting that anyone should just go in and help themselves to dangerous magical texts, don’t get me wrong… It was just… frustrating to be treated like that, that’s all.”

You turned to find them still regarding you with that birdlike curiosity and for a moment you forgot that they were little more than an immense reserve of magic holding together a stack of humanoid bones and wearing a dark robe. It might have been comical to see them that way, but honestly, in that moment, their blazing intelligence and slightly off-the-wall humour endeared you towards them even more. It wouldn’t have been a secret to suggest you had the beginnings of an almighty crush forming. If you didn’t beat it back soon, it would become unwieldy and unmanageable, and it wouldn’t end well for either of you. A member of the castle staff you might have been, but the court mage was one of the most powerful figures in the entire kingdom, and not meant for the likes of you.

And anyway, who was to say that there was anything about you to interest them anyway? The whole point of becoming a lich was to strip away all earthly connections save for the absolute fundamentals - the skeleton - and become an entity largely made of magic, the better to channel it. There were, you had to admit, one or two cases of liches binding themselves to living lovers, and accounts detailing the fierceness and loyalty of those rare unions had left you breathless as you’d scoured the volumes on liches all those weeks ago, but you couldn’t assume that Avery would be such a person after all.

If they had given a reply, you didn’t hear it behind the buzzing, rushing disappointment in your ears at that thought. Closing yourself off a little, you excused yourself politely and returned to your duties in the library beyond, leaving them alone in the study room. After all, Avery still had to figure out a way to harness the power of the sea itself in order to reduce the risk to life of those currently engaged in preparations to dredge and deepen the large trading harbour along the coast. Such complex calculations were hardly in the realm of a librarian.

About a week later, as you sat in the servant’s parlour one afternoon, where most of the castle staff gathered during their time off, a bookish young satyr, with curly, ash blond hair and contrastingly dark brown skin and horns, the stoop of a scholar, and a pair of round, gold-rimmed glasses sliding down his nose, approached and asked for you by name in a warm, stutter-laced tenor.

“Yeah, that’s me…” you said, turning from your conversation with one of the naga guards. “What’s up?”

“Y-Y-You’re the llll… the lllll…” the words just died on his tongue or stuck there like treacle, refusing to leave one syllable and move onto the next, but he took a breath and on the exhale said, “Librarian…?”

“I am,” you said. “If you need something from the stacks though, I think Timothy is on duty today.”

He nodded. “I… I know. Avery… sss-sssent me to… to llll… to lllllook for you. They’d llllike you to… to… to…” At the repetition, his cheeks flushed a bit, but you waited him out and he rallied. “To attend them in their t-t-t-tower to c-c-consult on something.”

“Oh. Really? What… now?” you asked and the satyr nodded. He had a flighty, twitchy energy to him, but his features were kind and open and you decided immediately that you liked him. You turned back to the naga with whom you’d been sharing tea and easy conversation, and shrugged. “Guess I’ve been summoned. See you later.”

She nodded and hissed, “Good luck…” at you and you followed the young scholar out of the parlour. His large hooves clopped conspicuously on the stone of the passageways and he set quite the pace for you to keep up with.

“Are you… like… Avery’s… assistant or something? I’m sorry, I don’t know the technical names…”

He nodded. “Name’s D-Devon,” he said as he ducked left through a doorway and held it open for you to follow. “Apprentice m-mmage and runec-c-caster.”

“Sweet,” you said, impressed. “I studied some very basic runes for another project a long time ago, but I’m not really magical in any way, so… I didn’t pursue it. Is it as complicated as I remember?”

He smiled sweetly and shrugged. “Varies…”

You smirked and said, “That sounds like you’re being modest and generous, but I’ll let it slide. What does Avery need from me anyway?”

With a soft chuckle, Devon pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose and shrugged, beginning to climb a tight, spiral staircase. “Nnnot sure. They’ve been di-di-distracted all morning.”

“Guess I’ll just have to find out. I’ve never been up to the mage’s tower.”

The staircase went on and on forever and you actually had to stop for breath twice, rather embarrassingly. Devon was fitter than his scholar’s physique suggested, but he didn’t comment. You supposed doing this every day would build up anyone’s cardiovascular system in no time. “The view had better be worth it,” you grunted as you started up the last stretch of spiral staircase, and Devon nodded.

“Oh, it is.”

“Thank all the gods,” you hissed.

The door to Avery’s study was open, letting light flood in from the room beyond. For some reason, you’d imagined it would be dark and intimidating, and possibly full of bats and spiderwebs and creepy cursed objects in display cabinets, but theirs was a chamber full of bright light and warm colours. Taking half a moment to catch your breath again, you paused on the threshold while Devon headed on inside with evident and easy familiarity to inform Avery that he’d found you.

“Ah wonderful,” came that papery voice from inside. As you heard it, you wondered how a skeleton - with no vocal cords - could produce sound, deciding to chalk it up to magic and move on. “Thank you, Devon. Would you mind running over the plans for the layline ritual one more time while we have a quick chat?”

“Nnnnot at all,” Devon smiled, and disappeared into another room out of sight.

The delicate tread of footsteps on the bare floorboards announced Avery’s approach, and you stepped inside, not wanting to be seen to be lurking nervously. “Hi,” you breathed, still a tiny bit winded, as they moved into view around the huge trestle table that occupied the centre of the room. It was littered with books and pieces of velum, scrolls, and ancient clay tablets, all stacked at frankly alarming and precarious angles.

“Hello,” Avery said with a real warmth in their voice. You could hear the smile, even if they had no lips to form the gesture. “I apologise for making you come all the way up here. I realise it’s a long way from your usual quarters and duties.”

It was true - the library was in an entirely different wing of the rambling old citadel, and your sleeping quarters were again on the far side of that from the tower.

You shrugged. “It’s nice to see a new bit of the castle, I suppose.”

They tilted their head, the movement almost birdlike. “You haven’t seen all of it?” they asked.

You shook your head. “Only the bits I need to. Besides, I’ve only been here a couple of months now.” And in that time, you’d seen Avery almost every day at your library desk. “What did you need me for?” you asked with no small degree of incredulity in your voice.

With a little chuckle that honestly sounded a little nervous, Avery turned to a small writing desk that was tucked up against the stone wall beside a window with a spectacular view. They picked up a scroll and undid the ribbon that held it together, and you found your eyes fascinated by the tiny finger bones of their hands. You wondered what they’d feel like against your skin and flushed hot again, unable to look Avery in the face.  

“This is a copy of an inscription that was found in a tomb just north west of here, and while I am familiar with the writing system used, I cannot crack the meaning of it. I’m sure it’s right there, but… I wondered, since you mentioned you’d studied the Early Peoples, if you might take a look at it for me?”

You blinked. “You can’t read it?”

“I can read it,” they said, “But I don’t understand the words. I know the symbols upon which the language is based, but not the language itself.”

“I thought there was nothing you didn’t know,” you murmured fondly as you stepped over and took the parchment from their extraordinarily delicate looking hand. The urge to touch grew once more almost overwhelming.

A soft snort of laughter almost in your ear sent shivers down your whole right side, the skin prickling into goosebumps. “Please,” they scoffed good-naturedly. “Besides, if I knew everything already, I wouldn’t need to make such frequent trips to the library, would I?”

“And here I thought you were coming all the way down there just to visit me,” you quipped self-effacingly, turning your attention to the inscription and missing they way they went completely still before shaking their head ever so slightly.

It took longer than your pride might have liked for you to figure it all out, and you sent Avery scuttling about their office for three different dictionaries and half a dozen grammar tables before you were happy that you’d got it right. Devon had long ago excused himself for the evening, but you’d barely even noticed him leaving, though the murmur of their soft conversation had drifted around you for quite some time while you teased out a bit of odd grammar.

When you looked up at last, you found Avery standing alone by the window, bathed in the rosy light of sunset. The rich, warm rays made the black of their robes seem dull and almost drab - humble beyond what you’d have expected of a court mage with the coffers of the castle at their fingertips - and the angle of the light blazing into their face almost eclipsed the green, misty glow in their eye sockets. For just a moment, they almost looked like nothing more than an ordinary skeleton in an anatomy lab. When they felt your gaze on them, however, they turned - every bone animated and shifting fluidly, bone scraping with a soft, familiar whisper over bone.

They cocked their head again and you smiled. “All done, I think,” you said, standing from where you’d been hunched over the small, cluttered writing desk, and cracking the tension out of your neck with a grunt.

“Thank you,” they murmured. “I am indebted to you yet again, it would seem.”

You shrugged. “What’s it for anyway?” you asked. “I mean… I don’t really see how knowing that the sun will hit the back of the tomb on the winter solstice is of much use to anyone…”

They gave another little movement of their head that seemed like a pout to you, though you had only the bare skull to go from. “Honestly, I wasn’t sure. The tomb contained artefacts that thrummed with energy, so it would indicate that the Early Peoples had access to - and some degree of control over - magic too. Perhaps that date was of significance to them too. I will have to return to the site on the solstice to find out. Then we’ll know if it was of any ‘use’ as you say, or if it’s just interesting.”

“I see,” you said and your stomach chose that moment to growl at you like a spoiled house cat.

“Would… Would you like to stay here for some supper? I can have food brought up here to my chambers if you’ve missed out…” they said awkwardly, turning away from the window and back towards the central trestle table. As they moved the line of gilded sunlight slid from their delicate brow bones and plunged their skull into shadow again behind the hood. You’d never seen them without it raised. “It’s… later than I realised…”

“I’d have thought you could just magic some food up for me,” you grinned, honestly hoping it would disguise the fluttering nerves you felt at the thought of sharing a meal up here. Plus, their tone had gone inexplicably sad somehow.

They looked down at the table and said, “I could do that, of course, but transmuted food tastes awful, or… so I’ve been told. I don’t eat any more for… obvious reasons.”

“Do you miss it?” you blurted.

They stilled and trailed a bony fingertip across the wood. “Yes and no. I miss the pleasure that eating my favourite things brought me.”

“You still remember the taste…?”

Fixing you with a steady, if sidelong, look, they said, “I’m not that old, you know?”

“I…” you said and then stopped when they started laughing. “What?”

“I have to admit that I find it immensely entertaining any time someone assumes I’m a thousand years old. I’m not. I’m only thirty.”

“Thirty?” you gawped. “That’s… That’s so young to —” again, you cut yourself off before you said something truly insensitive, but Avery didn’t seem to mind.

“I’m used to it. And it is indeed young to have your physical form completely stripped bare in exchange for unfathomable magical power. It’s not a choice made lightly, and it’s not a choice that everyone would be prepared to make. It’s rare these days for someone to undergo it willingly.”

Horrified, you blinked at them. “Willingly? You mean it’s inflicted on people?”

They shrugged. “Rarely. It’s hard to control a person’s soul like that, but with the right runes on the phylactery, it can be done. Mercifully, that wasn’t the case with me though, and if you’re caught, the punishment is severe.”

“So… how does someone so young get the position of court mage?”

With another rasping laugh like dry autumn leaves, Avery said, “As opposed to someone so old and experienced, you mean?”

You shrugged, still kind of mute with surprise at the new revelation, and they laughed again. “Sorry.”

“I went to university with the princess. We became friends, and she saw what I could do. I was still an elf then though.”

“You’re… You’re an elf?”

“I’m a lich,” they corrected, “But yes, I was an elf when I was officially alive. Did my short stature and particularly fine wrist bones not give it away?” they joked self-deprecatingly, proffering their pale wrist towards you to examine.

When you actually reached out and touched them, however, a spark like static jumped between you and you both gasped.

“Excuse me,” they gasped, withdrawing their hand immediately. “I… That hasn’t happened in a long time.”

“What was it?” you asked, rubbing your fingertips and thumb together where the skin tingled. It hadn’t hurt, and it left your entire body tingling all over beneath the skin, and heat was rapidly pooling between your legs.

“My magic,” they said. “It’s usually not as forward and ill-mannered as that. I apologise if it startled you.”

“Forward? Ill-mannered?” you asked, amused and intrigued. “You say that like magic has a personality…”

“It does,” the lich sighed, the bones of their ribs creaking softly.

While, academically speaking, you knew what any elven skeleton looked like, you still ached to know the exact shape of Avery beneath the black robes that draped shapelessly over them; the exact way their bones fitted together; the exact colour; any breaks they’d sustained, leaving the evidence in their skeleton… “Alright, but why… ‘forward’?”

“And here I thought I was being terribly obvious,” they muttered.

“Obvious?”

A tilt of their head in your direction served perfectly as a rueful glance, the ardour behind it striking you in the chest with an alarmingly painful pang, and exactly as it occurred to you that you’d learned to read Avery pretty well by now, you also realised precisely what they’d been insinuating. “Oh…” you said, imbuing the sound with significance.

“Oh indeed,” they said bitterly. “Never mind. I quite understand that the attentions of a lich are not… not what everyone would aspire to after all… I apologise if… if I made you uncomfortable. I will not persist.”

“Wait, slow down,” you said, stepping forward suddenly and trying to catch their gaze with your eyes. It was hard to tell where they were really looking, given that all you had to go on was the rough direction of their head and the soft glow in their otherwise empty eye sockets, but when you got the impression that they were looking directly at you, you spoke up. “I’m sorry,” you began.

“Don’t be sorry,” they hissed, trying to turn away.

“No, wait, that’s not… that’s not what I meant!” Finding you had no choice, you reached out and latched onto their wrist. The bones beneath the long fabric of the sleeves felt so achingly fragile that you almost recoiled for fear of hurting them, but you made your fingers loosen just a fraction and stayed put. You needn’t have worried anyway; Avery was tethered and still at your touch in a heartbeat. “I mean, I am sorry, but I’m sorry for being dense, not that you… you know…”

“That I’ve been so poorly attempting to flirt with you for the last month?” they finished dryly.

“Now that I know, why don’t we start over…?” you said, releasing them and smiling hopefully.

Adopting a truly sarcastic pose and tone, they held out their skeletal hand and said nastily, “I’m Avery, I’m a lich, and I’m apparently an appallingly poor flirt.” The ugliness in their voice was not directed at you, however. Avery had turned it back on themselves and it galled you to hear someone so brilliant sound so defeated.

Unflinchingly, you took their hand and stared fiercely back at the lich who had become your friend in these first months at the castle, and perhaps something more. “I didn’t mean to start over that far back, but I’ll play your game.” You added your own name and profession, that you were human, and finished by saying, “And I’m very much open to being flirted with by you, however poorly you think you do it.”

“Well, that’s a relief,” Avery said, their thumb playing back and forth over your skin before promptly changing the subject. “You never did answer me about dinner though. Would you like to stay here and eat? Or would my not partaking make you uncomfortable?”

Sensing that they needed a moment’s diversion, you allowed them to skirt around the issue of being interested in you, and shook your head. “Dinner here with you sounds lovely. Plus the view is spectacular.”

“I knew it. You want me for my advantageous chambers,” they moaned, still deflecting defensively.

“I meant that there’s something to keep you occupied while you wait for me to finish, that’s all,” you huffed in response to their teasing. “But if the view bores you by now, I’m sure you could always read to me from some dusty old volume you’ve nicked from the library and neglected to return…”

“You wound me!” they said, placing both hands over their heart, or at least, where their heart would have been if they weren’t just a skeleton anymore. “Is there anything you don’t eat? Would you like wine?”

You shook your head. “No, I’m good with most things, as far as I know, and…” you bit your lip and then reluctantly admitted that actually a glass of wine might be really nice. Your salary was not so meagre that you couldn’t afford a drink or two in the local taverns, but you suspected a wine from the castle cellars might be a little more special.

Instead of ringing for a servant, Avery picked up a quill and a small piece of paper, and dictated their message aloud after a quick flick of their wrist had brought the quill to life. It skimmed across the page like a breeze-blown willow branch trailing through a pond, and as you watched, you wondered if that was what Avery’s handwriting looked like, or whether the script was a result of magic, or the quill itself. Either way, it was beautiful, and you suddenly thought of the rather romantic notion of having love letters penned to you in that hand…

Their voice turned more confident as they dictated the note to the quill. “I am entertaining a guest in my tower tonight. Please have a fine supper for one brought up to the mage’s tower at your earliest convenience, with a bottle of Aktissian red too, if you please.”

“Avery!” you gasped, recognising the quality of the wine purely from it’s location.

They shrugged and finished off the note with another brief gesture, and you watched as it disappeared with a little pop. “I like to dictate my messages in case the person on the other end cannot read. Not all of the castle staff have been blessed with our educations, after all. In such a case, it will read itself aloud.”

“That’s thoughtful of you,” you commented.

They shrugged. “It saves me sending Devon, or going myself and terrifying the wits out of the kitchen staff, or ringing for someone to trudge all the way up here, only to have to go back and return later…” It seemed odd to you now that Avery could be frightening to anyone, but you recalled your own unease at your first encounter, and merely smiled at them again.

Wherever the note had gone, it must have reached the right ears, because twenty minutes later, a knock sounded at Avery’s door and a castle servant entered with a large tray.

“Thank you so much,” Avery said as the half-orc set the meal down on the table.

“Anything else you need, mage?”

“No, that’s all, thank you.”

You chimed in with your own thanks and the servant left.

Avery waved a hand at the table where they’d cleared a space amid the chaos of stationary and books, and you sat yourself down. They lifted the lid of the silver cloche and revealed a beautiful supper that looked fit for the princess’ high table. Eyeing Avery, you caught a little glint in their glowing eye sockets, and you assumed that they were pleased too.

In fact, Avery did not read to you while you ate, but they did watch you rather intently. “You’re going to make me all self-conscious,” you muttered. “This is delicious though.”

“Would you rather I not watch you?”

“No,” you said honestly. “I’m just not used to such… intense attention…”

“You’re gorgeous,” they murmured awkwardly, voice rich and husky, as though their magic was crackling uncontrollably beneath the surface.

After a pause, during which you encouraged your heart to beat normally, and the poor organ took absolutely no heed of your pleas whatsoever, you said, “So are you…”

If Avery could have rolled their eyes, you were sure they would have. Instead, they just pressed their hands to the table and leaned back in their chair. “I’m just a pile of bones and magic now… I’m honestly surprised you permitted me the indulgence of courting you.”

“It’s not an indulgence, Avery. Well, maybe it is, but it’s an indulgence for me. Each visit you’ve paid to the library has left me in quite a state, I’ll have you know.”

The lich went still at that and then very slowly tilted their head to one side. “Oh?” they asked, voice dipping lower with obvious intrigue. “Care to explain that?”

With a half smile, you set down your cutlery on your empty plate and pushed back a little way from the table to make yourself more comfortable. Crossing your legs, you said archly, “Any time you come close to me, you leave me tingling all over. I don’t know if it’s your magic, or you, or what, but… When you were leaning over my shoulder back there —” you nodded over at the writing desk, memories of their right hand pressed to the wood as they peered over your shoulder at your progress, the heady scent of incense and ozone swirling around their robes, the particular timbre of their voice as they hummed in thoughtful understanding at your translation…

“Yes?” they prompted, voice cracking.

Heat coiled between your legs and in your lower body, slowly filling you with a warm, glowing sensation that shot up your spine and made your head spin. “I could hardly think,” you whispered. “It’s a miracle I finished the translation.”

The light in their eyes guttered and flickered before returning with a new, brighter intensity. Where before it had been a pale, pastel green, it now burned with a searingly hot blue.

“Avery?”

The lich sat there and stared at you before twitching their head and shoulders a little. “Forgive me. We… We probably shouldn’t move that quickly…”

You raised your eyebrows. “How quickly?”

“Quickly,” they said. “You deserve to be courted properly.”

“And what if I’m as impatient as you are?” you asked, heart pounding. Gods, you wanted whatever they had to give you and you wanted it now. You ached, inside and out. “It wouldn’t stop you from still ‘courting’ me if you wanted…”

Avery stood and then stalled. “I…” They growled softly in frustration and started again. “I am… I haven’t… not since…”

“Avery… I know what you are. I know what you must look like under that robe, and I still want you,” you said fiercely.

“Gods,” they hissed, turning to face you, eyes blazing blue.

“Your eyes?” you asked. “They’ve changed colour. Is that your magic?”

They nodded. “What… What would you like from me?”

“Touch me,” you said honestly.

“I can conjure… uh… a variety of physical… um… shapes…” they faltered awkwardly and your brain supplied the rest, but they raised one hand and you found that where the bones had been before, they now supported a ghostly hand. They turned it over to show you their palm and then flipped it over again. You could still see the bones through the spectral hand that moved like translucent, living glass.

You shook your head, “Come here,” you said, and they did.

You stood up and ignored their new spectral hand in favour of running one fingertip around the orbital bones of their skull. Avery shuddered, joints rattling audibly beneath the robes as it shivered down their whole skeleton.

“Can I kiss you?” you asked. “Could you create… a tongue for me?”

With a mute nod, looking stunned, Avery opened their jaw and you saw a glowing, green tongue inside, translucent and glistening.

Pressing your lips to their teeth felt odd at first, especially when the cool of that single silver tooth caught your lips, but when the tongue immediately lapped at your lips, begging entry, you forgot the strangeness of it. You came alive again beneath that kiss as Avery’s hands found their way to your waist and then up to the back of your head where they let their bony fingers snake through your hair before gripping you tightly and tugging until you pulled back with a gasp. Panting and dizzy you let Avery nip at your exposed neck, tongue occasionally laving at your skin, shockingly cool and leaving it tingling.

One of Avery’s hands palmed your groin questioningly and your knees nearly went out from beneath you. “Yes,” you gasped. “Oh gods, please… I want… touch me… please…”

Your chest heaved and you let them steer you back into your chair behind you. When you landed, they tenderly began to undo your waistband, and you lifted your hips to slide a little way free of your clothes. Avery’s eyes blazed as they stared at you, your arousal evident with your clothes around your ankles. “May I use this…?” they asked, opening their mouth to reveal that long, thick, prehensile tongue.

“Gods yes,” you blurted, lifting your hips weakly again. “Please… Avery… I need you…”

The lich knelt before you and hesitantly placed their skeletal hands on your thighs. Looking down at them, nestled between your legs, you felt like you could come just from that sight alone.

“I’m not going to last long,” you warned them, practically shivering with arousal. “Gods… Avery, you’re…” Whatever Avery was to you in that moment, you never got the chance to tell them.

The instant their tongue touched you, lapping teasingly at you to start with, magic and sensation roared through you, ripping along your nerves and wiping your mind blank of all but intense pleasure. The slickness of their conjured tongue, supple and almost like a tentacle as it pleasured you, and the coolness of the mouth behind, set against the firm, unyielding pressure of their bare bones digging into the muscle of your thighs hard enough that it would bruise, drove you to the quivering edge in minutes.

Your hands scrabbled helplessly at the arms of the chair, your hips bucked unbidden up into the sensations Avery was offering you, fire danced along your nerves, and your blood sang in your ears. “Avery!” you screamed in warning, and then, with one final flick and press of their tongue against your most sensitive spot, you shattered.

With your mind blank, vision dark, Avery tore your release from you and prolonged it, either with their magic or just by their presence, until you whimpered and slumped in the chair, limp and spent and ironically boneless.

Finally, after lingering just a little longer, Avery sat back on their heels and stared up at you, one hand still on your quivering thigh. “Beautiful,” they rasped. “Gods above and below, but you come so beautifully.”

“I’ve never… come like that,” you croaked, throat raw. Had you come so hard you’d made yourself hoarse?

Avery summoned a goblet of water from the table to their hand and stood. “Here,” they said.

You drank, and as you set the goblet shakily back on the table, you glanced at them and saw a glistening droplet slide down their exposed ankle bone and drip onto the floor. Seeing where your gaze had gone, they chuckled. “Am I expected to remain unaffected by what you just gave me?” they said archly as you did your own clothes up again, just enough not to be completely exposed any more.

“How…? What…?” You began, but then shook your head and leaned forwards. Tentatively, you reached out a hand for the front of their cross-over robes and unbuttoned them at the waist. Drawing the fabric slowly aside, you felt them tense, but you kept going and they permitted it.

As the final fitting came loose, the robes hung open like a coat and revealed their skeleton beneath. To your surprise, they were not merely an empty ribcage and spine, hollow pelvis and slender leg bones. Constantly swirling inside them like a mixture of phosphorescence and ink, was a kind of magical core. Like an entity all of its own, it pulsed and coiled, writhing with tendrils of light and darkness that played along their ribs and teased up their spine like ivy. “Gods, Avery, you’re stunning,” you murmured and looked up to find their face tilted downwards, regarding you carefully.

Your eyes roved down their body to their pelvis, where the phosphorescent light seemed to have coalesced, spiralling around their hip bone like swirling liquid in a glass and… dripping tangibly down their leg.

“Can I… touch it?” you asked and they nodded. There was a long drip of it running down their femur almost to the knee, so you brought your fingertip up and trailed it cautiously through the strange, glowing wetness. “Is it magic?” you asked as your finger went numb and then began to tingle rather enticingly. Gods, what would that feel like against your body… even… inside you? Now there was an unexpected thought.

“It’s… akin to… oh gods,” they hissed suddenly, their hand flying to your shoulder as you traced a circle through it on the very edge of their curving hipbone.

“Mmm?” you asked, not relenting but not moving anywhere else.

Struggling to form words, Avery tried again. “Akin to when a ghost becomes corporeal.”

“Your magic is coalescing like ectoplasm?”

“In a way, oh… oh… ohhhh,” they moaned, staggering as you moved further up the wide scoop of their hip bone towards their spine and back again. “I can’t… I can’t keep upright… if you do that again… I’ll fall… I…”

“You want to move somewhere else?” you asked and they nodded.

Turning and leading you unsteadily without a word towards a closed door that led off from the study, Avery showed you to their bedroom and then hesitated, as though unsure as to quite what you wanted with them now that you had then naked.

“Bed?” you asked and they nodded, encouraged.

The fact that they seemed to be waiting for you to balk and run stung, but it made you more determined than ever to show them pleasure. Especially since they’d apparently not been with anyone since becoming a lich.

“Tell me what you like best,” you said.

“Your touch,” they blurted immediately.

“Alright,” you said with a tiny laugh. That was a start. “Lie back then.”

They lay down on the dark green blankets of the neatly made bed, their robes pooling behind them like ink, and stared up at you as you followed and sank down beside them.

Watching that swirling magical core for a moment, you reached out and traced their wrist first, working up to their shoulder, and then to that ever-present smile on their bare skull. The light in their eyes now burned a softer blue, occasionally flaring to the intense cobalt you’d seen before when you skimmed a particularly sensitive spot, and their jaw worked as if they were panting and gasping but couldn’t summon the magic to make the sounds.

The storm of essence in their ribcage swirled and crackled, tiny forks of lightning dancing through the clouds where their heart would have been, and you watched their spine flex and arch. The bones of their hands clenched the sheets into balls and as you moved lower and lower down their enchanted body, you watched the phosphorescent light begin to condense again as it hit their bones, running down in thick, slow rivulets to pool in the fabric of their robes, leaving only glittering, darker patches behind.

“Where’s most intense?” you asked, assuming you knew already. The point where the two halves of their pelvis met at the centre proved to be extremely sensitive, and as you ran your finger around it, they lurched wildly, the magic in their chest flaring and sparking again. “There?”

“Yes,” they gasped.

The magic began to grow, solidify, and as you circled the cool bone of their lower pelvis, a long, thick tentacle of magic coiled out of it and wrapped around your hand. It was real and tangible, corporeal, and slick as sin. “Avery,” you moaned as it clenched tightly around your wrist like an octopus’ limb.

“Want you,” they said. In the next moment, the tentacle released you and coiled back on itself, creating a soft passage inside them. Taking advantage of this, you slid two fingers into the channel and crooked them against the solid wall of pulsing magic.

Avery yelled with pleasure, spine arching again like a bow at full draw, magic expanding out through their ribs like a storm cloud, unable to be contained. Pressing hard against their walls, you rubbed intense and tiny circles while the magic flared and reached for your hand in return.

Flowing back and forth like waves of the ocean, Avery’s pleasure enveloped you and you felt it in your own mind as suddenly and as keenly as if it were your own. Their magic was reaching out for you and you allowed the connection without hesitation.

“I’m so close,” Avery whimpered, body taut and thrumming.

“I can feel it,” you whispered.

At that, Avery chanted, “I’m… Oh gods, there, like that… I’m… I’m going to… I can’t hold back any more… I…”

“Come for me, Avery,” you begged, and they broke.

Tendrils of black shadow shot out from their body like vines, filling the corner of the room and staying there like webs, while the core of their magic pulsed and throbbed, blazing with blue light. Liquid magic rolled over your hand as they came and came, body undulating and heaving, jaw open wide in a rictus of pleasure. The sight of it was almost enough to make you come too, but instead you simply stared at the magic you’d brought out and the pleasure you’d wrought in them.

Eventually, the black tendrils evaporated into a fine mist and vanished altogether, and the cloud of roiling magic settled down again and retreated back within Avery’s ribcage. The phosphorescent magic lingered on your skin, however, and as you moved to lie down beside them, you slid your hand down the waistband of your clothes and touched yourself with it still on your skin.

Avery was barely able to turn their head to watch as you brought yourself to another blinding orgasm, but their fingertips brushed against your free wrist just as you neared your second peak and you tumbled over the edge with a grunt and their name on your lips.

In the aftermath, you both lay there for a long time before either of you moved. Swallowing, you turned to look at them and found that the light in their eyes had gone back to green again, though this time it was dark and almost imperceptible. “Avery? You alright?” you asked.

They hummed softly in response. “Tired,” they admitted. “That… That was a lot of magic. I didn’t expect…” they huffed a laugh.

“Did I hurt you?” you asked, horrified.

“No,” they smiled, gripping your fingers in theirs for a moment before they lost the strength and went limp. “Quite the contrary. But I’m spent, in more ways than one.”

“Sorry…?” you ventured and they laughed. “Can I stay?” you added.

“Of course,” they replied. “I’m right in the middle of the bed, aren’t I? Do you have enough room?”

“I could use a little more, but if I lie on my side, I can manage alright.”

“I can’t even lift a finger at the moment,” they admitted. “I’m sorry. If you need me to move, you’ll have to lift me yourself.”

The vulnerability they were offering you struck you deeply. “Alright,” you said. “You sure you don’t mind?”

The tiniest shake of their head was all they could muster.

Sliding your arm beneath their neck and your other behind their knees, you tentatively raised them and nearly gasped at how light they were.

As if sensing your surprise, Avery managed a dry chuckle. “Elf, remember? Bones of a bird…”

You set them back down on the further pillow and nestled in beside them. “Can I put my head on your shoulder?” you asked.

“It won’t be comfortable. Bring a cushion over…” they whispered, nodding at the other side of the room where a modest chaise longue, upholstered in what looked like silk, sat against the wall, adorned with a couple of dainty pillows. The sight made you smile for some reason, and you took the opportunity to clean up a little at a washstand in the corner of the room. When you returned with a cushion, you found that the light was completely extinguished from their skull.

The magic still swirled away inside their chest, and as you laid the pillow down on their shoulder and watched their core shifting lazily - contentedly - you found yourself following them into a blank and blissful sleep.

___

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[bungou-stray-dingus]

Unobtainable

Pairing : Poe x Fem!Reader

A/N : I write about this topic too much, and I know I do. But I promise the next four angst scenarios have nothing to do with this stuff! Anyway, I hope y’all won’t cry as much as I did while writing this. 

T/W : Pregnancy ; Death; Stillbirth ; Devastation ; Sadness ; Angst

Word Count : 2.2K

Angstember Day 6

He was always on edge, always so sure that he never deserved the joy that you gave him. When the two of you had gotten married, he was positive that you would end up leaving him, that you would find someone better than him. You promised him that you would never, that you loved him dearly, and you promised him the same thing every day for the last five years. When you brought up starting a family, he was downright terrified, the idea of becoming a father didn't sit well with him. He didn't deserve you, he most definitely didn't deserve one of your children. What if he hurt them? What if he wasn't the father they needed? He couldn't fathom it. It was you who reassured him that it would be okay, that he would be the perfect father, telling him all the wonderful things he could do and teach his child as his mind filled with beautiful images of him, you, and his child.

When you had become pregnant he honestly thought you were joking, that it was just some type of sick joke that you were playing on him. He had a hard time believing that he could ever be that lucky. He had you, the most perfect girl in the universe, a girl that he could have never written in the pages of any of his books, but here you were, and now you were saying that you were carrying his child.

It took a couple weeks for him to actually come to terms that you were legitimately pregnant. Even after seeing the positive tests, he was scared that it was a false positive, always so pessimistic. he refused to accept the tests for what they were. It wasn't until that first doctors appointment, seeing his child on the screen, sure, it looked like a tiny little bean, but that's when it was validated, and he felt like he could actually be happy.

He didn't waste any time, he wanted to let his child know that he loved them already, and that he would always be there for them. Nights were spent with him laying his head carefully on your stomach, smiling up at you as you ran your fingers through his hair. He looked so peaceful, so content, so happy, and seeing him this way made it hard for you to believe that he had ever been worried in the first place. Some days he would spend in his makeshift office, writing out stories that he could tell his child, stories that had beautiful scenery and friendly characters, stories that he spent hours on just to be sure they would be perfect when the child was finally here.

Weeks turned to months, your stomach slowly began to grow larger with his child. Every second he could find, his hands were all over your abdomen, his smile never fading whenever he touched you. Things were perfect, you had never seen him smile so much, not even when you had first gotten married. To him, everything was falling into place, to him, this child was like the missing chapter in a novel that he was working on, and he could finally say that his story was complete.

You both found out that you would be bringing a baby girl into the world, and he was over the moon, he was ecstatic. If anyone looked close enough, they would have seen a small tear fall from the corner of his eye, but you were the only one who had caught it. His hand was wrapped tightly in yours as your daughter showed up on the screen, her tiny fingers brought up to her mouth, an ultrasound image that had been printed and carried around with him everywhere.

Her name was chosen as soon as you found out, and when her nursery room was painted, he had painted it in perfect script across the wall. He had picked the name, something that he was quite excited about doing, much to your surprise. Edlyn Grace, a name he whispered against your tummy often. His love for your daughter seemed to grow more and more with every passing day. It all was becoming more real, she had a name, her room was ready, her closet was filled, everything was ready for her to be here.

"What do you think she'll be like, love?" He asked one morning as you sat at the table. He brought you over a cup of tea, the steam still billowing from the top of the cup. You blew the steam away as you brought the cup up to your lips, carefully sipping before answering.

"I think she'll be perfect. She'll be loved, doted over, cherished, as any child should be. Maybe even more." You smiled up at him as you set the cup down, feeling her kick against your stomach, as if letting you know that she heard you talking about her. You rubbed your stomach to soothe her and he took a seat next to you, watching your hand.

"She'll be happy though, right?" He looked up at you and you could see the small hint of worry in his eyes as he asked the question. You reached out to cup his cheek in your hand, his hand moving up to place it over yours. "That's a stupid question, I'm sorry." He dropped his gaze, and you shook your head.

"It's not a stupid question. I want her to be happy, you want her to be happy, and I'm quite positive she will be. How could she not be. You're going to be an amazing father, she's lucky to have you." You leaned over to kiss him, feeling his lips pull up when you did so. You couldn't take all his fears away, every father had lingering doubts about how good they'll be, but you could do your best to let him know that everything would be okay, and that's exactly what you did.

Time had passed quickly, it seemed like in the blink of an eye you had gone from just finding out that you were pregnant to being thirty weeks in. You only had ten weeks left, and up until now everything had been going flawlessly.

You had woken up one morning with a strange back pain, it had made it almost impossible to even get out of bed, but you didn't want to worry Poe, so you toughed it out, hoping that maybe you had slept wrong. It seemed like a logical reason, you didn't feel anything else was off, your back just hurt. You went through the day, trying you best to not let on that anything was wrong. Poe stayed close, but that was just how he was, he gravitated towards you and the baby, so you had to keep a strong face the entire time.

The pain lasted for a while, and it wasn't getting any better. You tried multiple different sleeping positions, and once you had told Poe about it, he had went out and bought you a multitude of different pillows that he thought would help ease your pain. You hadn't actually worried, not until you woke up one morning, your legs wet, the bed sheets stained red, that's when you started panicking.

You backed away from the bed, one hand over your stomach, the other covering your mouth as you stared down at the stain on the bed. It was too much blood, you knew it wasn't good. You screamed Poe's name, calling him in from the kitchen. He had been making breakfast for you, trying to help you relax so your back wouldn't hurt, but when he walked in and saw the bed, then looked over to you, his mind went blank. What was he supposed to do? This wasn't normal. No. This wasn't supposed to happen.

Dreams shattered, his story all but thrown away as he watched the doctors quickly slice your abdomen open. He wasn't there, not mentally, not emotionally. He was standing right next to you, but he couldn't accept the outcome, the outcome that the doctors had told him was inevitable. No cameras allowed, "it's not something you'll want to remember, sir" they had said as they wheeled you down the hallway towards the operating room, the mask already placed over your face to put you to sleep.

He watched as the doctors pulled his daughter out, she was beautiful, her hair was matted in blood and fluid, but she didn't cry. She couldn't cry. She was gone. She didn't move, she didn't breathe. The doctor quickly handed her off to the nurse standing behind him, as if he hadn't already seen her. His eyes followed the nurses as they whisked her away out of the room. He was emotionless, he couldn't feel anything, not anger, not sadness... nothing.

The doctors began murmuring to each other, the bleeding won't stop, they needed to take it out. He wasn't sure what they were talking about, but he was sure that once you had woken up they would explain everything to the two of you.

Edlyn Grace, she was born dead, not one breath taken, her lips were already a dark shade of purplish blue when they had pulled her out. She had passed away before she was even born, there was no chance of saving her at that point. The doctors had said that somehow the placenta, her life line in a way, had become detached from the uterine wall. They never really gave you or him a hypothetical explanation for how it could have happened, only offering their sympathies after explaining that your daughter had died.

There would be no hope for another child in the future, all dreams of having a family of your own were long gone. The doctors had to remove your uterus due to not being able to stop the bleeding. Not only had you lost your daughter, but you had lost any chances of anymore pregnancies, of another baby, all in the same day.

You weren't sure what hurt worse, the pain of the stitches from the c-section, or the pain of listening to the doctor tell you that your dreams would never come true.

She was cremated, her ashes in a small pink urn that was placed carefully on the dresser top in her nursery. The walls in the room were now lined with pictures, the only pictures you and Poe would ever have with her. At first glance they looked like happy family portraits with you cradling her against your chest, it probably looked like tears of happiness were streaming down your cheeks as you stared down at her, but you and he both knew that wasn't the case.

You and him were only allowed an hour and a half to spend with her before they had to take her away again. Poe never cried, not one tear fell. He was trying to stay strong for you while also trying to come to terms with everything. He had been the one who called the funeral home to ask for her to be cremated, as you hadn't been able to talk at the time, not coherently at least. When he held her, he held her close against his chest, his head bowed and pressed against hers. He whispered to her, and even now you don't know what he had said, but you never asked, and you didn't plan on asking either, some things just needed to stay private.

When her ashes were to be picked up from the funeral home, you both went together. You noticed that his eyes would often drift to the back seat of the car where her car seat was hooked up. He refused to get rid of it, at least for now, worried that she would be upset if her things were quickly removed. He was silent most of the time, moving through the house like a ghost. Sometimes he would stop to wrap his arms around you, kissing your forehead as you broke down in tears against his chest. No words were exchanged, but they weren't needed, you both knew how the other felt, and talking about it would only make it harder.

Her foot and hand prints were framed and placed on both sides of her urn. Her memory box that had only her hat and the blanket she had been wrapped in was set up behind the urn, a beautiful pastel pink box with a white ribbon tied around it. What was once a room where she would sleep, was now a room where her spirit would rest forever. Her crib was never touched, her clothes and toys would slowly but surely soon grow layers of dust, but they would never be removed.

Some nights you would feel the bed shift, he would quietly leave the room, but you never followed. You knew where he was going. He did it almost every night, and you would listen closely, his choked off sobs and sniffles echoed through the empty halls of the house, mixed in with the sound of the creaking rocking chair.

You never knew, and you never asked what he did in the room. It was his private moments with her, and he deserved it. He would sit in the rocking chair, carefully untying the ribbon of the memory box and gently pulling out her blanket. He held it close against his chest and finally let himself cry. True happiness was unobtainable, it had been stolen from him, and he would never understand why.

[samwrights]

Pining After You [hc]

Just some Haikyuu!! head cannons about my favorites pining after the object of their affection—you. I’m gonna limit myself to only one Seijoh 3rd year >_> instead, I’m just gonna make Makki’s super long bc love.

I might turn these into one shots. I’m planning a special series to be released for the entire month of May—let me know what you guys think!

Hanamaki;

Ya know, with my last head cannon, I had such a hard time writing for Makki and now that’s all I wanna do.

Cause THIS BOI is too easy-going, too cool, to ever be blunt and up front about his feelings for you. He can’t ruin his image by stumbling over a confession.

Definitely has been in love with you since your guys’ first year—all thanks to your laugh.

Every time he hears you, even if said laugh is occasionally broken with a gentle, genuine snort, Makki feels every single electrical pulse being sent into his nerve endings.

It was a huge part of the reason that he had started owning the class clown trope, cracking jokes with his peers and even the teachers even though that definitely was not kosher. But his almost dry, sarcastic sense of humor always seemed to be rewarded with the angelic gift that was your laughter.

But he doesn’t know how to talk to you. At all.

He tries really hard not to stare at you, or at least tries not to make it super obvious and fails considering you sit on the opposite ends of the classroom

Makki always has lunch in Mattun’s classroom just so he can freely talk about something you did in class that made him laugh or smile, even if it was something stupid like you dropped your pencil or you raised your hand to answer a question.

In your third year, Mattsun is tIRED of it all.

“Just go fucking confess your feelings, I swear to gOD, or I’ll tell her.”

“Dude no, I can’t she’s way outta my league.”

Did I mention Mattsun is over it? So over it that one day, instead of waiting for his best friend to come to his classroom for lunch, he decides to pay yours a visit.

Makki’s freaking out because the fCK was Mattsun walking over to your desk?!

“She’s coming to our tournament this weekend, so bring your A game.” Was all he said before leaving the poor wing spiker to drown in the blood rising up his neck.

You weren’t friends with anyone on the VBC, but you did actually end up at the tournament with a few friends.

Exhilarating was the only way to describe it, up until Seijoh’s loss to Karasuno.

After the team thanked the spectators for watching, you noticed all the third years crying, signifying the end of their careers.

“Thank you for inviting me to watch, Matsukawa. It was really fun.” You said politely, approaching them afterwards.

Mattsun shoves his best friend towards you, “actually, he wanted to invite you. He just didn’t know how.”

Makki.exe has stopped working. He’s too busy spluttering because he literally has no idea what to say to you now. Cool boy? Not even close.

“I’ve actually wanted to come to one of your matches for awhile. I just thought it was weird because I’m not friends with any of you.”

Oh. O H.

“Y-you could’ve asked me...”

“I was hoping you’d ask me. Why do you think I always laugh at your jokes, Hanamaki?”

“Wait, does that mean you don’t think I’m actually funny?” 💀💀💀 Rip.

“I do. You’re funny, talented, handsome, and I’ve liked you since first year.”

Makki.exe has stopped working.

Akaashi;

Akaashi has studied everything he could about you without ever having actually interacted with you.

He knew you were in Bokuto’s class, he knew your name, and that the two of you interacted often, but never outside of the classroom.

He knew that you always carried your school bag over your left shoulder, and tucked your hair behind your right ear when you felt it was in your face.

Your energy somehow matched his best friend’s while simultaneously calming the owl captain like a gentle wave. You reminded Akaashi of the sun rising over the ocean.

Bokuto, oblivious to nearly everything, never realized that his best friend’s calculations went beyond analyzing the ace. One small section of his brain was dedicated to your ass.

Really, there wasn’t anything extraordinary about you, or at least that’s how you felt about yourself. But every time Akaashi swung by Bokuto’s class to walk with him to practice, his eyes were immediately drawn to you for .067 seconds before he’d look away, so as not to make you feel uncomfortable.

Once in a while, Bokuto would let small details about you slip, like how you were in the art club and that you had a showcase coming up displaying the portfolio you had built over the last three years.

He definitely didn’t ditch practice to be there for your showcase.

Showing up to the venue where the showcase was being held, he suddenly felt very under dressed seeing other third years and teachers adorning formal attire while he showed up in black jeans and a grey button up.

Wandering around the venue, Akaashi looked for you or your artwork, his breath held in his lungs when he saw the arsenal of works displayed on large black boards with your name written elegantly at the very top. Made with various mediums, he was stunned by different paintings and drawings of surreal, exquisite landscapes that could not possibly exist.

Then again, he didn’t think you were real either.

One particular painting invoked a strange emotion in him—a large, desecrated shipwreck amongst of field of bright flowers with the sun setting in the back. Titled “Crack The Sky”, the piece emanated joy and grief in one. It was almost as stunning as you were.

“This one’s my favorite.” You announced sheepishly from beside him and he realized he had never heard your voice before. The setter turned to look at you, drinking in your appearance up close for the first time. “You’re Bokuto’s friend, aren’t you? Akaashi?”

He was kinda hurt to hear you mention Bokuto for reasons unknown to himself jealous much?

“Yeah. It’s nice to meet you.” He bows slightly, remember that no matter how infatuated he was with you, you were still his senpai.

He began walking with you as you explained the creation process of your different pieces. Not that he was actually paying attention, though he’d never admit that. He just liked hearing you talk and he would definitely never admit that.

You excuse yourself as your phone rings, though you don’t walk away, allowing him to hear your end of the conversation. “Yep, he’s here. I owe you dinner. You wanna talk to him?” Akaashi cocks a brow in your direction, staring at your cellphone that you’ve now held over to him. Bokuto’s name flashed on the screen.

“Uh, hi?” The setter asked, confused.

“I made a bet with her that you would ditch practice to go to her showcase because yOu LoVe HeR.”

Aight, imma head out.

Before he could run away out of embarrassment, you grabbed his wrist though you were still on the phone with Bokuto.

“Would you like to join us for dinner? Seems kinda unfair for him to get dinner when you’re the one who made the effort to be here.”

Akaashi graciously accepts to which you respond by telling Bokuto where you would meet him for the evening.

“So you love me, huh?” 💀💀💀 If Akaashi could magically disappear, he would. Or even better, if his blush ran hot enough to melt the skin off his face, that’d be great too.

But you never let go of his wrist until now, opting to wrap an arm around his instead.

“I like you too. Why do you think Bokuto and I made a bet about you coming here, silly?”

Kenma;

Poor Kenma. The worst part of his whole situation was actually being friends with you, knowing he would never get to have you.

Why would you want him, anyway? You were more fit for someone like Kuroo—someone who was as boisterous and confident as you were. He anticipated the day you two announced your relationship and left him behind in your little trio.

Not even Kuroo knew that he was in love with you and maybe that was a mistake on his part but he could never tell his best friend that you were his entire world. It was too embarrassing for him.

It took entirely too much energy to even sort through his feelings alone, how much more exhausting would it be for him to run through every single thing he felt about you to someone else?

Like the way you would nearly skip out your home every morning when the boys came to fetch you to walk to school together.

Or the way you unabashedly asked almost too personal of questions, or questions that were just soooo left field of you were friends with a person. “Hey Kuroo, how many brushes do you think you would break if you finally decided to brush your hair after 17 years?” Was one of Kenma’s favorites.

The way you sing along to every song that plays on your iPod or even the radio, even if you didn’t know the song, you would try to sing along anyway.

Some days, Kenma would look out the window and see you practicing some form of a dance routine in your backyard. He would watch you for hours until you went inside, suddenly feeling shame for being so creepy.

Nearly every night, Kenma just wished he could turn his feelings off while simultaneously wishing you were next to him so he could hold you while he slept.

Your smile was his favorite. Seeing you smile every morning as the three of you walked to school together was what got him through his day. “Hey, hey are you guys coming to my dance competition tomorrow?” You asked in your typical, jovial lilt.

“Of course.” Was all he was able to reply, while Kuroo enthusiastically responded about their attendance.

“Great! I can’t wait to see you guys in the crowd!”

The “C” word, was almost enough to make Kenna regret his decision to come. Even more so when he was surrounded by the masses, all waiting to watch their respective dance teams. But it was for you, and he would do anything for you.

Kuroo was right beside him, a small bouquet of roses in his hand to give to you after you competed. The blood red flowers made Kenna glower and glare in secret, or as secretive as he could be. “I got these for you.” The captain says quietly, handing them over to his best friend.

“Sorry, Kuroo, I can’t say I return your feelings—“

“For you to give to her, you idiot.” 🤡🤡🤡 “I’m not that dumb, Kenma.” The setter really wanted to argue and say that he was, but your school’s dance team was up to perform so he opted to stay quiet.

Have I mentioned that Kenma loves watching you dance? There was a reason he would watch you practice in your backyard. You moved with elegance and grace that was foreign and so opposite to his own demeanor, it was no wonder he was always so captivated by you.

After you compete, there’s a bit of downtime between the other competitors and the awards ceremony, giving you the chance to hang out with your besties.

“These are for you.” The second year says quietly, handing you the bouquet with a blush dusting over his cheeks. The red rivaled that of the roses.

“Aw, thank you, Kenma!” You squeaked out before giving him a kiss on the cheek, his skin burning even hotter. Kuroo’s just over there laughing but ya know.

During the awards ceremony, you’re sitting in a circle with your team not too far from your friends while they announced that Nekoma had taken first. Everyone in the dance troupe began screaming and hugging each other, while you ran straight to your boys.

While still jumping, you were hugging Kuroo so tight, arms squeezing around his neck while sharing the joy. Which made Kenma just a little bit jealous.

Just a little.

Until you’ve settled down from your jumping before wrapping your arms his neck as well. But rather than going for a hug—

Wait what is hAPOENING

You brought your lips to his briefly before burying your face into his neck out of embarrassment because wHY you had thought that was a good idea was beyond you.

Deciding you couldn’t just keep holding onto him, because he was probably embarrassed too, you stepped away, ready to run back to your team. But Kenma didn’t let go, his arms seated securely at your hips as he stared at you.

“I-I’m sorry, I-I don’t know w-w—“

“I love you.”

Wanna see a specific character? Or a different head cannon? Want to see a whole story?

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[synmorite]

Behind These Eyes- Chapter 3

Summary: Life in the bunker, a hunt gone bad, cuteness, and goodbyes.

Pairing: Dean x Reader

Word Count: 3642

Warnings: fluff, angst, injuries, more angst

A/N: This section was definitely written to be more “slice of life.” There’s a few time jumps. One more part after this!

*****************

You settled into life in the bunker quicker than you thought you would. Dean took you shopping and you picked up some essentials so you could be set for the next couple of months with them. You also insisted on picking up food so that you could cook for them. Mostly, you wanted to return the favor. They took you in and welcomed you as part of their family. The least you could do is give them some good home cooked meals. The first time you cooked, Dean moaned at the first bite of chicken. Sam smirked at his brother.

“Hey Y/N?” Sam turned to you.

“Yeah?” You asked, looking over at him.

“Clearly, you’re an excellent cook. Can you bake?”

You frowned at the random question, missing how Dean’s gaze zeroed in on you. “Yeah, I can bake too. Why? Something in particular you’d like?”

“How about cake?” Sam said, smirking at his brother before dodging the spoon that Dean threw at him.

“Sammy!” Dean growled. You looked between the brothers, utterly confused at what was going on.

“Can you bake… pie?” Dean asked, somewhat hesitantly.

“Yea, I can bake pie. Apple, cherry, blueberry, strawberry rhubarb, peach, basically any type.  You got a preference?” You shrugged.

Dean was staring at you. “Can you make all of them?” 

Sam burst out laughing. You frowned at them. “Can you guys eat that many pies?” You asked. Sam dropped his head into his hands, practically choking on his laughter now.

Dean glared at him. “Sammy doesn’t get any pie. They’re mine!” You joined in with Sam’s laughter, finally realizing that Dean must REALLY love pie.

***

One month later...

The boys still looked for hunts, but for the ones they found, Sam usually called another hunter to take care of it. They had a fairly large network of hunters set up. Dean explained that they had ended up in an alternate universe and brought back several people with them from that world. You weren’t surprised when Dean informed you of the existence of other worlds.

“I have an angel inside me. Why shouldn’t there be other worlds?” You shrugged.

It wasn’t long before there was a hunt that they needed to take. Something was killing soldiers that had returned from the Middle East. Wounds they received in the war and had long since healed, were reappearing and killing them. Sam and Dean had never come across this before and didn’t want to send someone else in to investigate something unfamiliar. There was no question that you would stay behind in the safety of the bunker.

Before they left, Dean cupped your cheek in his hand and ran his hand over your cheekbone. He’d been doing this a lot more. Little touches here and there. His olive green eyes burned into yours.

“Sometimes I swear I can see Arti behind your eyes.” He whispered. 

You tilted your head. “What do you mean?”

His hand dropped and he shrugged. “I dunno. I just feel like I see something that isn’t you.” You frowned at him and he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to the top of your head. “Stay in the bunker. Stay safe, sweetheart.”

“You too, Dean. And you, Sam!” You called over to him where he was climbing into the impala. Sam gave a short wave and Dean climbed into the driver’s seat. He flashed a grin at you. “See you soon, princess.”

***

Dean checked in with you each night to ensure you were still safe and inside the bunker. They still didn’t know what was killing the soldiers, but they had tracked down that they all signed up and served together. Sam and Dean couldn’t get a hold of any details of where they served that may have caused them to become targets for whatever supernatural creature was now hunting them. 

However, on their fourth night away, Dean didn’t check in at 10pm as he usually did. You waited and waited, but he didn’t call or text. Neither did Sam. You’d tried calling them both, but their phones went straight to voicemail. You paced through the halls in your PJs, clutching the phone that Dean gave you. You tried not to worry, but as the silence from the boys continued, your anxiety over something being wrong grew. As 4am approached, you heard the growl of the impala and bolted to the garage. Sam was getting out of the driver seat and Dean was leaning against the passenger window asleep. Sam gave a small smile as you approached and gave him a hug. You could smell blood and smoke on him.

“I was so worried when Dean didn’t check in.”

“Yea, sorry about that. My phone died and Dean’s got...damaged.”

“Are you guys okay?” You asked.

“Yeah. Turned out it was a valkyrie. She posed as the army recruiter, and when her recruits didn’t die in Iraq like she planned for them, she decided to take care of it herself. FYI, fire kills valkyries. She hit Dean pretty good and he thinks he has a broken rib so he asked if I could drive us home.” Sam explained. He leaned down and called over to Dean. Dean didn’t move. 

You leaned down to the open driver’s door.

“Dean? Wake up, you’re home.” You called to him. He still didn’t respond. It was then that you noticed the light sheen of sweat across his face and the paleness of his skin.

You ran to the other side of the car. “Sam! Something’s wrong!” You pulled the door open and Dean fell out into your arms. His skin was clammy, but still warm. Sam was right behind you and helped pull Dean from the car to lay on the garage floor. Sam didn’t hesitate to pull Dean’s shirt up to expose his chest. There was dark bruising all across his skin. You could see his chest rise and fall shallowly so he was still alive luckily.

“That’s where the valkyrie hit him.” Sam whispered.

“What do we do?” You looked at him, panicking. Sam just stared at his brother. “Sam! WHAT DO WE DO?”

He shook his head. “I-I don’t know. The closest hospital is half an hour away and he has been bleeding internally for at least 8 hours while we drove back. I- I thought he was just asleep. I didn’t know.” Sam’s voice cracked. “Cas is too far. He can’t help in time.”

“Wait, Cas can heal because he’s an angel!”

“But he’s too far, Y/N.”

ARTI! You screamed internally. You forced all of your urgency and panic into the scream to hopefully reach him.

Little one? Arti’s soft voice echoed through your mind.

Please Arti. Please heal Dean. You choked on a sob.

You felt Arti’s presence move through you and had the odd sensation of him looking through your eyes to what was happening.

Little one, I am still weak. To heal him will weaken me further. I am not recovered enough to even fully heal him.

Please Arti. I need him. I need you to heal him.

Very well, Y/N. Press your fingers to his forehead and let my grace flow from you to him.

You did as Arti said and pressed your fingertips to his forehead just as Cas had done for you. You felt Arti’s warmth spread from your own chest, down your arm, and into Dean. You watched in amazement as the bruising on Dean’s chest vanished. His breathing strengthened and he let out a low groan. 

He is as healed as I can make him, little one. He will live. Arti replied weakly and you felt him recede.

Thank you, Arti.

Sam was staring at you. “Arti helped me.” You said softly. Sam nodded slowly and reached down to his brother. He pulled him up so that Dean’s arm was around his shoulders. Sam dragged his brother down to his room. You followed behind, suddenly feeling very tired. Sam laid Dean down on his bed. You reached forward and tugged Dean’s boots off before tugging the blankets out from under Dean to pull over him.

Sam walked out of the room and you looked at Dean again before following and pulling the door behind you leaving it cracked. Sam was on the floor with his back against the wall, shaking. You slid down the wall next to him and grabbed his trembling hand. 

“Thank you, Y/N. I thought I was going to lose him.” Sam whispered, squeezing your hand.

“I don’t want to lose him either.” You replied softly. 

Sleep didn’t want to come that night. Or rather morning. Sam had retreated to his room and you to yours, but you couldn’t stop worrying about Dean. Eventually, you got up and went back into Dean’s room. He was still fast asleep, but he looked much better than he had earlier.

You tentatively climbed on top of the bed and laid down on top of the covers next to him. You finally fell asleep watching him.

***

When you woke, you could feel fingers threading through your hair. You blinked your eyes open sleepily and realized very suddenly that you were curled up into Dean’s side. He was sitting up slightly in bed, with his computer on his lap. He had a tv show that you instantly recognized playing. Dr. Sexy. 

“I love this show.” You said softly and Dean looked down at you.

“Hey sleepy head. Was wondering when you were gonna wake up.” He smiled at you.

You scoffed. “Some of us didn’t spend most of the night unconscious. Some of us spent it worrying because someone missed check in and then showed up half dead.” You glared at him.

“Yeah, sorry about that. That valkyrie broke my phone when she hit me. And I just thought it was a couple of broken ribs.” He looked sheepish. “Sam said that Arti healed me?”

“Yeah, he did. He depleted his grace again, but he helped me and saved your life.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.” His green eyes held your Y/E/C ones. You broke the eye contact and looked at the computer screen again.

“This is a good episode.” You murmured.

He hummed his agreement and continued to comb his fingers through your hair as you tucked back into him.

***

Another month later...

Dean pulled Baby up to a small park with a little pond.

“Why are we here, Dean? Thought we were doing a supply run?” You asked.

He shrugged. “You spend most of your time cooped up in the bunker. You said most of the places you visited in your haven were nature related so I thought you’d like to get outside a bit.”

You grinned at him. “Really?”

He nodded. “Yeah, sweetheart. I know the bunker covers the libraries part of your haven, but there isn’t much variety to Kansas nature wise. There’s a little pond here. It’s not much.”

“It’s perfect, Dean. Thank you.” You leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, missing his blush. You opened Baby’s door before climbing out and running over to the pond. You leaned over the edge of the water and saw the tadpoles swimming in the shallows. You sat down on the grassy bank and sighed happily. You liked the bunker. But there was no sunlight. No breezes. No nature. Dean came over and sat down beside you. You dug your hands into the grass and felt the warm dirt beneath your fingers. You laid back onto the ground and closed your eyes against the bright sunlight.

“I forgot what the warmth of the sun really feels like.” You murmured.

“I never really thought about what it feels like. But it’s nice. It’s not just a warmth on your skin, but it’s down to your soul.” Dean replied just as softly. 

You peeked your eyes at him and saw him watching you with a soft expression on his face.

“Will you miss it? Will you miss… us?” He whispered. You sat up and laid your hand on his knee.

“Yeah. I’ll miss the bunker. I’ll miss Sam. I’ll miss you.” You rubbed your thumb gently across the fabric of his jeans and he was looking at your hand instead of your face now.

“Do you ever think of not going? Of kicking Arti out?” 

You let out a slow breath and looked across the water. “Yes. I do.”

Dean hesitated. “I don’t think you should.” You looked over at him, surprised. “Arti can protect you. I don’t think you should kick him out.” 

You felt a pain in your chest at his words. You nodded slowly to show that you’d heard him. You sat in silence with him for a few more minutes, but the comfort the pond had given you was gone. You stood up and dusted your jeans off. 

“C’mon. We should get the shopping done before it gets too late.” You were quiet during the drive to the store and you separated in the store to get everything you needed. As you checked out, Dean kept glancing at you. When you got back to the car and were loading the groceries into the trunk, Dean smiled and said, “Would you like to drive Baby back to the bunker?” You dropped the bag you were holding in surprise. Luckily, you had already moved it to the trunk and nothing spilled out or broke.

“What?”

“Do you want to drive Baby?”

You looked towards the car and then back to him. “YES.” He laughed and tossed the keys to you as he returned the cart to the corral and went to the passenger side. You sat in the driver’s seat and stroked your hands down the wheel. You pushed the key in and started her up. Listening to the roar of her engine, you glanced towards Dean. “Are you sure?” You asked.

He smiled and nodded. “Yes, I’m sure. Let’s get home.”

The drive from the store back to the bunker was all too short for you. You pulled into the garage carefully and shut the car off. Sam was leaning against the garage door, and he furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at his brother. “You let her drive your car?” Dean shrugged. “Yeah, why not? Gotta give her something to reference when Arti takes over again.” There’s a weird note in his voice that you catch, but you can’t quite pinpoint what it is. When you turn to look at him, his face is smoothed out with no sign of what it was. Sam raises an eyebrow, but doesn’t comment.

“So you gonna help us unload these bags or what, Sammy?” Dean asked. Sam shook his head and walked to the open trunk to start bringing the groceries in.

***

Two weeks later...

“Wanna go outside, Dean?” You asked, bouncing up to him. Dean raised his eyebrow at you.

“It’s raining.” He replied with a frown.

You grinned at him. “That’s the point.”

“What? To get wet?” 

Still frowning, he said, “I don’t get it.” 

“Haven’t you ever danced in the rain, Dean?”

“No? Why would you?”

Rolling your eyes, you grabbed at his hand and pulled him towards the bunker door. He offered little resistance as you pulled him outside into the summer storm and to the little clearing near the bunker door. You let go of his hand and toed your shoes off so you could feel the wet grass beneath your toes. 

“Sweetheart, I’m getting wet.” Dean whined at you. Closing your eyes, you laughed and tilted your face up as the droplets ran down your cheeks and through your hair. You could feel the warm water soak through your t-shirt and you spun in a slow circle. You opened your eyes and smiled at Dean who was just standing and watching you.

“C’mon, Dean!” You reached for his hand again and pulled him toward you. You gripped his other hand and tugged him further into the clearing and started pulling him back and forth.

“Now what are you doing?” 

“Trying to get you to dance!”

He frowned slightly at you before looking around. He pulled his hands from yours and moved them to your waist. You rested your hand around his neck as he started to sway with you in the rain. 

“Why do you like the rain so much?” He asked with a cock of his head.

You shrugged at him. “It just feels freeing. Like I can do anything. Be anything. Smelling it on the summer air, feeling it run across my skin. The sound of it hitting the trees and the earth. Seeing the clear puddles and the drips off the leaves. It lets me just BE, ya know?” You blushed at the admission, knowing that Dean would think it’s silly.

You looked up and met his eyes. His normally bright green eyes were darker as they looked at you now. You pulled your lower lip between your teeth at the intensity you could feel in his gaze. He started to tilt his head down towards you and your breath froze in your chest as he got closer. 

“What are you guys doing? It’s pouring out here!”

You and Dean jumped apart at the sound of Sam’s voice. You looked over at Sam to see him trying to hold his coat over his head to keep dry. 

“You worried that it’s gonna ruin all that hard work you put into your hair, Sammy?” Dean said, walking over to his brother. Before Sam could even retort, Dean grabbed Sam’s coat and pulled it off. He ran further away, laughing at Sam’s startled look.

“DEAN!” Sam yelled and he took off after Dean. You laughed, watching the brothers chasing each other through the rain. Your heart panged at the realization that you were running out of time with them. With Dean. You could feel Arti inside you again and knew that any day now, your time was up.

***

It was close to 3am and you were still sitting up in bed reading a book when you heard it. Dean was having a nightmare again. His grunts and whimpers could be heard through the wall. You could hear him having nightmares almost every night. You listened for a few more minutes before deciding that you needed to help him. Setting your book down on your bed, you got up and went to his room. The door was cracked open slightly and you could see Dean in his bed. His fists were clenched in the bedsheets and the veins in his neck were sticking out from how tense he was. His brows were furrowed and there was a slight sheen of sweat on him.

Carefully, you made your way to his bed and softly climbed over the top to him. You reached out and stroked your hand through his hair gently. You started to hum ‘You are my sunshine’. Your mother used to sing it to your little sister when you were a kid, so when you needed a distraction, you’d hum it to yourself. Slowly, his body relaxed under your fingers and his breathing evened back out. His head turned towards you and he let out a soft sigh.

“Thanks, Y/N.” He whispered as he fell back into a deep sleep. Once you were sure he wouldn’t wake up, you leaned over and kissed the top of his head before slipping back to your room. You read your book for another hour and waited to hear if Dean had any more nightmares before cuddling down into your blankets and shutting off the lamp. You drifted to sleep quickly.

***

You were sitting in the library of the bunker and Arti was sitting across from you. A grin stretched across your lips.

“Arti! You’re okay!”

He nodded. “Yes, little one. I have recovered my grace. It’s time I take control again.”

Your smile dropped instantly.

“O-oh.” 

“Is everything alright, Y/N?”

“I just- I’ll just miss the boys is all. Can I say goodbye to them first?”

He tilted his head to the side and frowned a little. “If you wish. Let me know when you are ready.” 

You blinked your eyes open in the darkness of your room. You took a shuddering breath. How were you supposed to say goodbye? Dean and Sam had quickly become your family. You didn’t want to give them up. But you had given yourself to Arti so that he could help people. People like you. Rather, like you had been. You realized that for the last couple of months, you’d been happy. Truly happy. And most of that had been because of Dean. You felt so whole when you were with him. How could you say goodbye? You couldn’t. Not really. You pulled a piece of paper and a pen from the desk and wrote a note. 

Dean-

I’m sorry. Arti’s recovered and I made a promise to be his vessel so it’s time for me to go and I’m too much of a coward to say goodbye directly to you. I want you to know that I won’t ever forget you. Or Sam. You gave me some great memories over the last 2 and ½ months. Singing along to music in Baby. Watching Dr. Sexy. Family dinners. Baking pies (and eating them!) Dancing in the rain... I’ll be reliving them in my haven forever. Thank you.  For everything.

Love, Y/N

You folded the note in half and wrote Dean’s name on the front. You propped it up on the desk and looked around your room. At your home. You debated going back to Dean’s room one more time to look at him. But you doubted that you’d be able to walk away from him if you did. You sighed.

“Ok, Arti. I’m ready.” Everything went dark.

Go to Chapter 4 >>>

[withcolebrock]

Night Changes-Baby Brothers Part 2

Summary: Y/N and Colby’s daughter meet their twin sons.

Night Changes Masterlist

Part 1

Warnings: swearing, angst, pain, and yea

Word Count: 1,799

Author’s Note: This one is much shorter than the other one partly because I didn’t know what else to add and the cut off only made sense where it was at haha so yeppp also I forgot to mention in the first one, that the baby names are honestly just names that I really love and they seem wack to you then I don’t know man hahah. Also thank you @curlyhairedbrock​ for helping with baby names haha!! I hope you guys like it! This is my gif!!

He walked up towards the crib with the name, Aidan Samuel Brock. His lips curled up slightly as he looked over the small boy. He slowly reached down and picked up his son, “Hi,” he whispered as he walked over to one of the open rocking chairs in the nursery.

He cleared his throat as he began rocking back and forth, “I’m sure today’s been a pretty scary day for you,” he whispered, “It’s been pretty scary for me too. I’m sorry I didn’t come say hi until now. I guess I just needed some time to-I don’t know, talk to my mom. That’s why we need your momma to be okay, because you are going to look to her for all the answers. I mean, A, I’m pretty cool, but your mom,” he paused as he fought back a sob trying to leave his lips, “Well, she's everything,” he choked out.

“I just know that pretty soon we’ll all be together again, you, me, your mommy, and your brother, and Serenity. Oh you’re going to love her, she’s very excited to meet you and your brother. I hope you're excited to meet her because she is going to be such a great big sister to you and your brother,” he paused and took a glance towards Nia walking towards him.

He sits up straight, “Mr. Brock, your wife is back in her room. There were a few complications during the c-section, but she is doing well,” Colby shut his eyes slowly as he took in every word she said, “She will need to rest for a little while before you can see her,” she stopped for a moment as she smiled widely. Colby let out a long sigh of relief while he wiped his hand across his lips. His eyes began to well up with tears, he blinked rapidly fighting off the tears.

“Oh my god, thank you,” he cried out, his eyes widened, “What about the baby?” he asked, his voice cracking. She nodded her head as she turned her head towards the door.

“Here he is, now,” she waited for one of the nurses to wheel him over to him. The name tag writes, Leo Robert Brock. “I can take Aidan, if you want to say hi to your other little guy,” she offered, Colby nodded while a wide smile crept up to his face. He delicately handed Aidan over to Nia as he slowly shifted his attention towards his other son. “I’ll leave you two alone,”

Colby delicately picked him up as he walked over to the rocking chair, “Hey,” he whispered, “You scared me, little guy, you know that? I really thought I wasn’t going to get to meet you, and that would’ve crushed me. But look at you,” he chuckled softly, “You got your momma’s nose and chubby cheeks. Well, all babies have chubby cheeks, but you know what I’m getting at huh,”

~~~

Over the course of a few hours Colby had split his time between sitting with Y/N waiting for her to wake up and sitting with the twins for a while. He wanted to be with Y/N when she woke up but he also didn’t want to leave the babies alone for too long. He was sitting in the rocking chair holding Leo when Nia began walking towards him. “Mr. Brock, your wife is awake and she is asking for you,” Colby slowly stood up from the rocking chair with a small smile to his features. “I can take him for you,” she smiled as she reached out for Leo. Colby handed him over delicately as he began to head towards the hospital room.

Colby quickly turned into the room, shutting the door behind him, “Hey,” he whispered as he started heading towards her. She tilted her head to face him, a half smile evident to her lips. Her eyes blinked slowly as she watched him walk towards her. Colby pulled a chair closer to the bed as he quickly sat down, “How are you feeling?”

“I’m on a lot of drugs right now,” she rasped as she tilted her head up. Colby chuckled suddenly as he shook his head. He took a hold of her hand while leaning closer to her. “The babies?” Colby nodded and beamed.

“They’re good, really good. Aidan is so much bigger than Leo, it’s kinda crazy. They both have a really strong grip already and, Love, they look like you,” Colby explained excitedly.

“Nia said I can’t see them until I’m stronger,” she said sadly. Colby reached his hand over and ran his hand through her hair while slowly resting his hand on her cheek.

“You’ll see them soon, Love, I promise,” the smile slowly crept off his face as he looked over her paled features. He frowned as his eyes began to well up in tears. He began blinking rapidly trying to fight off the tears.

“Colby,” she whispered as she rested her hand on top of Colby’s. He ran his thumb along her cheek as he pressed his lips together.

“I thought I was going to lose you,” his voice broke.

“I’m not going anywhere,” she whispered, feeling tears begin to fill her eyes.

~few days later~

“Sam said that he is already at the house with Ren and Kat, so that’s all good, I’m going to run and go get the car,” Colby spoke as he rushed around the hospital room they’ve been staying in for a few days. He picked up the bags they brought as his eyes danced around the room desperately looking for something he was missing. “Do you need anything?” he asked as he dropped the bags near the hospital door. She shook her head while brushing a few pieces behind her ear.

Colby furrowed his eyebrows as he walked towards the bed. He knealed down and rested his hands onto her knees, “What’s wrong?” she shrugged her shoulders, “Y/N, tell me,” he spoke softly.

“I’m scared, Colby,” her voice broke as she spoke, “We are leaving with two little boys who look the same and I’m terrified I’m going to mix them up because those things can happen. And poor Renni is so excited but she’s going to be so disappointed when they can’t play dolls with her or that we can’t even play dolls with her. I’m so scared we are going to fuck this all up,” she wiped her eyes while she looked away from him. Colby jumped up and sat beside her wrapping his arm around her waist.

“Oh, Darling,” he pulled her body softly towards him, “It’s scary, I know but you are such an amazing mom. And I like to say I’m a pretty fucking awesome dad,” she chuckled lightly, “We can do this, and we are going to fuck up along the way but that’s just going to happen. My love, don’t stress, we got this,” he kissed the side of her head as she wiped her eye of another tear.

After about an hour of checking out of the hospital and leaving with the babies, they finally arrived at their house. “So good to be home,” Y/N smiled as she pulled the door open. Colby pulled one of the carseats out of the car as he placed it delicately on the ground while he walked to the other side of the car, taking the other carseat from the car.

“Love, if you want to just grab the bags? I got the boys,” Colby commented as he delicately lifted both of the carseats and headed towards the door leading into the house. Y/N headed towards the trunk. Colby pushed the door open, a loud jingle echoed through the house as he slowly walked through the halls. He peeks his head into the living room to see Sam, Kat, and Serenity sitting on the couch. A loud gasp leaves Serenity’s lips as she jumps from the couch.

“Daddy!” she yelled running towards him. He placed the car seat onto the floor as lightly as he could.

“Renni, be careful,” Colby laughed as he picked her up and held her around his waist, “Honey, I’m going to need you to be really careful for the next couple of days. The babies are really delicate, and they can get hurt easily,”

“I will, Daddy, where’s mommy?” she whined while pushing against his chest lightly.

“Renni, you gotta be careful with Mommy too. She’s in a lot of pain, just be gentle with her okay?” Serenity nodded several times while she looked behind Colby waiting for her mom. “Promise me,” he whispered while holding out his pinky. She quickly pinky promised him as she began squirming her body to get down.

“Mommy!” she yelled as she watched Y/N walk into the room. She ran towards her but quickly stopped herself. She slowly wrapped her arms around Y/N. Colby shook his head laughing. Sam walked over to Colby, a broad smile to his features.

“Congrats, Daddy,” Sam said while he placed his hand onto Colby’s shoulder. Colby pressed his lips together as he shook his head, hiding his laughter.

“You’re funny,” Colby said sarcastically, “Renni, go sit on the couch,” she listened as she walked towards the couch. He leaned down picking up Aidan, “So everyone, this is Aidan Samuel,” Colby said smiling towards Sam. Sam’s eyes widened as he smiled.

“Wait seriously?” Sam asked as he bit his lip nervously. Both Colby and Y/N nodded. “Well, what’s up little dude,” Sam gestured a fist bump towards Aidan. Colby carried Aidan over to the couch, he sat down beside Serenity.

“Do you want to hold, Leo?” Y/N asked towards Kat. She nodded excitedly.

“Ren, this is your baby brother,” Colby whispered as he leaned his body closer to Serenity.

“He’s little,” she said while examining him, Colby hummed as he looked over Serenity. Her eyes began to light up as she looked over her new family member. “Hi Aidan,” she whispered while she slowly touched his little chest. Colby watched in aw.

“Renni, come meet, Leo,” Y/N gestured towards Kat. Serenity slowly shifted her gaze towards Kat and Leo. She slid off of the couch and began walking towards Kat. Kat slowly sat down onto the floor while leaning her body towards Serenity.

“Hi Leo,” she whispered as she delicately reached her hand across his chest. “He’s little too,”

“You were small like them too, but they will grow big like you,” Y/N smiled as she leaned down and took a hold of the carseats. She walked out of the room taking the seats to the car.

“I like them, small,”

“Colby, they’re beautiful,” Kat commented as she looked over Leo.

“It’s all Y/N,”

[bindi-the-skunk]

Night is day and day is night In a world that's lost its mind! chapter eight END

This was...concerning, to say the least.

Nothing had been done the past couple of months, everyone was saying it was because of the cameras that had been put up were causing whoever did those horrible things to think twice, but Henry and Robert were not so sure getting rid of someone like this was that easy.

Someone was biding their time no doubt, being eight months pregnant did not lend itself to much coordination, and being so close to birth did not lend itself to much calm thought either, but both hoped whoever it was would just get bored and leave them all alone.

sigh

"Are you alright?" Robert asked, concerned at the other's frown and exhale, depression was not uncommon in pregnancy and his mate was already prone to it...

"Fine, it's just dark and rainy and it makes all this nonsense all the more gloomy for us all" Henry admitted, well he was no stranger to the rain, nor did he paticuarly hate it, but that did not mean he liked having it on top of the other things going on in their lives.

"Rachel is making everyone chili, that should help" Robert smiled, already eager for a bowl of the comfort dish and sure the omega would want something hot to fill his belly.

"Is it spicy?" Henry asked

"She did say it would be sort of hot" Robert admitted "You should not worry, it won't induce you"

"Perhaps, but I would much rather not get any heartburn from it," the omega said, knowing spiced foods were not a sure-fire way to go into labor, but they were a sure fire way to indigestion and that was something he would rather avoid, rolling about in his nest feeling like he wanted to vomit did not sound like a fun evening.

"Well, I can get something else..." Robert started only to be cut off by a kiss to the cheek.

"That's alright, I'm not even hungry right now, enjoy a meal with the others and I'm going to sleep a bit more, perhaps the storm will be over when I wake up" Henry smiled, knowing Robert had to be a little cooped up in the nest, he was in it all the time now ever since he was checked out of the hospital and the nest proved to be a good place for his still-healing body.

Robert nodded, sure his mate wanted some alone time to stretch out and relax, leaving the room, locking the door behind him so Henry could sleep with no disturbances, and headed downstairs. --- Mmm...something smells good...

Henry's eyes cracked open to find to his disappointment, the storm had not stopped, if anything it had gotten worse, but he did smell something nice, climbing out of the nest and opening the door the omega found a blueberry muffin, aw, Robert or Rachel must have left it there for him, wonder where his alpha was anyway? Perhaps he had some work to do or one of the lodgers dragged him off to show him something.

Picking up the treat, Henry headed back inside to sit at his desk so he could eat it properly, no need to get crumbs in his nest, that would not be fun to clean up later on, and the chemist was not in the mood to drag around the vacuum.

Taking a bite he could not help but note it was a bit weird tasting but guessed a little too much salt or something was added, the muffin was still good and it would be horrible to waste it after so much trouble.

He just hoped Robert got back soon...

---

"How on earth did you not know it would explode!?" Robert scolded as he bandaged Sinnett's hand after one of his machines backfired on him suddenly when he was showing off to the alpha what he wanted to display at the next science show.

"I thought I checked everyth-wait a minute...one of the dials has been taken off no wonder it shot off!" Sinnett pointed with his good hand to see that, yes indeed, one of the dials had been taken off and was laying on the floor.

"Who would have done-HENRY!" Robert jumped to his feet and darted from the room, bolting up the stairs two at a time, mister Sinnett somehow keeping up at his heels.

"Doctor Jekyll is upstairs, and he wouldn't have done this anywa-" Sinnett scoffed, thinking the alpha had suddenly gone daft to think his pregnant mate would ever intentionally sabo-

"I mean someone messed with your machine as a DISTRACTION!" Robert nearly screeched, heart pounding as he raced for his lover's office.

"WHAT!?" ---

Of all things to give him a stomach ache it had to be a muffin!

Pacing the room the omega was trying to ignore his hurting gut, now getting a little worried, it seemed like it was getting worse...perhaps it was just stress? Or bad bluebe-oh, that was problematic...his water broke.

He needed to go to the hospital NOW...where was his coat? He would need to calmly inform the lodgers...no need for them to panic...

'you're not due yet! Kid needs to bake another month!' Hyde seemed to complain, but Henry could hear that hint of fear in his voice, he was just as concerned as his split half, and catching a glimpse of him in the mirror, he could see his eyes did look a little softer.

"It will be alright, just calm down...I'll go find Robert or one of the lodgers and they can find him and we can go," Henry said to the mirror, fearing if he tried to mentally talk it would come out messed up and they were alone so it's not like he needed to.

Stepping towards the door a jolt of pain went down the omega's spine sending him to his knees.

This was not right...it hurt...it was too ...it was going too fast...but he didn't feel...this was not normal...the room was spinning

The door opened and he just saw a pair of blue socks coming towards him...

And everything went black --- Robert ran to Henry's side, quickly taking note of how scarily still he was and the fact his eyelids were fluttering oddly, seizure...waters broken...no visible head injury...

"Sinnett! Call an ambulance! Tell them we have an omega in labor who has entered a seizure by an unknown substance!" Robert ordered, the mate in him wanted to cry and attempt to get his love back in his right head as fast as possible, but the doctor knew seizures did not work that way, he did not know what caused it and labor and birth were out of his line of knowledge.

Forcing his instincts down he gently started to rub at the other man's back and held the omega's hand in the other "Henry? Can you hear me? I know you and Edward have to be really scared right now, but Sinnett went to get you help, you are going to be just fine and so will Edward and the baby"

A groan was his response, not comforting.

"Hang on..." Robert whispered as all he could really do at this point was wait...and pray... --- "Thirty-five-year-old omega, thirty-seven weeks pregnant, membranes ruptured and suffered a seizure from an unknown reason" the paramedic relayed as she helped wheel in said omega who was only partially conscious having woken up in the ambulance, only to scream in pain, too out of it and whatever drugs he was given most likely making the pain a lot worse to bother with any form of control.

Robert ran alongside the gurney, being more concerned with the fact Henry was back to being quiet, the screaming at least let the alpha know he was coherent enough to feel pain and react accordingly to the unpleasant feeling.

"Prepping for an emergency C-section!" came another call.

Those clinical words made a cold chill go down Roberts's spine.

C-section? As in, cut open? Like a dead fish!? It made sense though...the doctor in him monotonely said there would be no way his mate would be able to push, whatever he had been given had weakened him badly and caused a SEIZURE, Robert would be lucky if Henry made it out alive! If their baby was alive after being drugged...

The alpha fell to his knees in the hallway, feeling both cold and hot at the same time, why would someone...who could do this...why...

"Mr.Lanyon?" A soft voice went and the alpha looked up to see a blond nurse looking down at him "Why don't you go and get some air? I'm sure your mate and baby will be okay" she smiled softly, green eyes showing empathy and kindness, she looked sort of like how he thought a female Hyde would look in all honesty, though the sweet look was something he was sure would never grace the gremlin's face, it might never grace Henry's face again...

The nurse helped Robert to his feet and helped him walk to the doors and even found him a bench to sit on, offering a cup of coffee before she turned on a heel and dashed back inside the building, leaving the alpha with his thoughts.

The night was still warm, not yet turning cold with the coming winter, the bench was still wet from the earlier rain, but Robert found he could not care less about his trousers, who would benif-wait a minute...

His father...

Was that old windbag really capable of something like this? his family went after people who did things like this! But his father was stuck in his ways...thought he knew best all the time...if he thought Henry was in the way of a goal...he would do it, in a heartbeat.

Robert was going to KILL him, quite literally...

The monster that Robert wanted to break away from stirred inside him as he thought back on how pale his mate had been...how trying to encourage their baby to kick well they waited for the ambulance had proven fruitless...if both of them ...no...don't think like that yet...

He would bid his time if ...when...Henry was out of the woods and they would celebrate or mourn together, then the alpha would sharpen a few knives, perhaps this could be Henry's first kill...wouldn't that be poetic justice? Oh, he knew just the thing to use... --- "You can go in now" the nurse smiled as she watched the alpha attempt to look dignified well carrying a smiley face balloon.

Robert walked as straight and tall as he could into the hospital room, biting back the urge to jump for joy when he saw Henry's eyes were open and the omega managed to smile weakly at him.

"Hey," Robert said softly, stepping forward so he could gently run his fingers through the other's soft brown locks, loving how the strands curled between his fingers as if they did not want to let go.

"W..where is the baby?" Henry croaked, still feeling horrible, and stomach throbbing slightly no doubt from the new cut in it, but...perhaps some good came out of this...just a little hope...was their child alive? Or had it been killed from the-

"Don't you mean 'babies'?" Robert smiled, having hardly believed the news himself, but excited to blurt it out to anyone who would listen and was sure he annoyed a few people in doing so, especially after learning his mate would recover on top of it.

Henry almost felt like fainting again hearing that but found himself grinning loopily, no doubt a side effect of the medication meant to keep him from ripping his stitches going to search himself for the new little ones "Two for the price of one"

'Price of one my ass! We went through hell and got our shit wrecked!' Edward whined, feeling the effects of the medicine himself and also just wanting to see his new little monster! Give them their babies already!!!

"I have a great big surprise for you when you and our children can go home...or at least back to the society, I do believe everyone pitched in to build cribs...and a stroller...and slings...we are going to be up to our elbows in baby-related inventions aren't we?" Robert nearly winced, no doubt several 'improvements" will have been made to normal baby things...

"No doubt, what is the surprise?" Henry asked curiously.

"Oh, it will be a SCREAM" Robert grinned, already having asked one of the lodgers to make a few...adjustments to Henry's cane.

Would anyone want a sequel to this? Or do you guys have ideas for something?

[puckngrind]

What’s In A Name: 4 - J. Toews

Chapter 4

Where we left off: Bekah joined the Lady Jackets with Brynn in Chicago and didn’t tell Jon but he found out.  After the game, he wrapped his arm around her at the arena to head back home making Bekah question things.

Warnings: smut, language

Word Count: 3,468

Series Masterlist ) Puck ‘n Grind’s masterlist

Questions.

Brynn had nothing but questions from the time Bekah returned to the hotel the next morning until the two hit her couch the following weekend after Chicago. Why didn’t Bekah tell her? Why would she not call them dating? How often does he text? Is he good in bed? Most of the questions were met with an I don’t know or I’m not telling you. Bekah was a slightly open book with her best friend but telling her how Jon makes her melt into a puddle wasn’t something she wanted to devolve.

April hit and Jon’s texts became less frequent. The Blackhawks made the playoffs and Bekah found herself most evenings in her apartment watching the game. Wondering if this was the round they would get knocked out. She would text Brynn asking for clarification on a hockey related thing. A day after beating the Ducks in 7 games Bekah looks down to see Jon’s name flashing on her phone.

“Hey Beks.” She can tell he’s laying down and there is a strain in his voice.

“Hey Tae?” Bekah’s questioning reply was noticed. “Congrats on making the cup finals again!”

“Thanks. I was thinking...”. He paused and cleared his throat. “Could you come? I don’t know, maybe starting the June 13th? We will be either be playing game 6 or we will be out. If it goes to 7 games you have the choice of coming to Tampa with me or hanging out at my place?” There was a silence on the line. Jon waited. “Beks?”

“Uh, I was just thinking. Sorry. Yeah, that should be fine. It’s a little short notice for work but I’ll see what I can do.” Bekah started pacing her apartment.

“Awesome. I know I could have just texted you but I wanted to hear your voice it’s been sooo long.” Jon’s voice staggers.

“Oh? I’ve heard your voice a few times during interviews.” This makes Jon laugh.

“I’ll set up your flight and everything as soon as you tell me if you can get me off...I mean get off work...fuck...me. I’m just gonna stop talking.” He cusses to himself.

“The whole no sex during playoffs really messing with you huh?” Bekah bites her knuckle to hold back the laughter.

“Well it’s been a little longer than playoffs so yeah...you could say it’s messing with me a bit. I just keep thinking of you. Speaking of, if it goes to game 6 and 7 you will be staying in a guest room. Sleeping next to you would probably make me explode.” The admission made Bekah’s entire body jolt. They quickly said their goodbyes and she typed out an email requesting off for the week.

Bekah flew in the morning of the 12th. Jon explained that they would be passing ships essentially but wanted to make sure she was set up before he left for the game in Tampa. Jon told her a driver would be picking her up and when she saw Beks scribbled on a piece of paper and Jon’s face emerging from under the Cubs hat she jumped and picked up the pace to him stopping just short of running into his arms. “Can I touch you or no?” She jokes.

“C’mere.” Jon pulls Bekah in and kisses her. Her hand immediately grabs at his beard.

“What barn are you raising tonight, Tae?” Jon chuckles as the two walk to grab Bekah’s bags. “Seriously, I thought it was just the bad rink lighting from my television.”

“My genetics hates the no shave protocols what can I say.” Jon kisses her on the top of her hair. “I’ve missed you, Beks.” He breathes in.

“Same, now let’s get me back to your place so you can kick some Tampa ass.”

Jon left a ridiculously detailed note about how to operate everything in his home. The number for the team manager if he didn’t answer and his house cleaning service just in case. Bekah roamed the halls of the giant townhouse. Taking in the things she didn’t notice before or he added and she didn’t know. She felt tiny in his massive kitchen but realized it was perfect for him in the many conversations about cooking they had. She finally wandered into the room he mapped out as the guest room she would use. Laying on the bed she sees a box. Jon’s scribble on a card laying on top.

You don’t have to wear this but it will look better than the last sweater I saw on you. Always, Tae

Bekah pries open the box to reveal a Blackhawks home jersey. Pulling it out of the box she notices the C on the chest. Flipping it around, Bekah fingers graze over the letters in Toews embroidered across the top. Of course he got her his jersey and not just a blank one. She slipped it on over her tshirt and snapped a pic in the mirror. Typing out a how does this look message she tossed her phone on the bed not expecting the quick response.

Jon: holy fuck Beks. I’ve never seen anyone look so hot with my name on their back.

Bekah: I’m sure 🙄

Jon: I’m adjusting myself right now because that’s how turned on I am. I’ll send proof

Bekah: I believe you. Good luck tomorrow. I’m gonna snoop through all your stuff and then head to bed.

Jon: Knock yourself out! Nothing to hide. I’m gonna take a very very cold shower.

The next night Bekah curled up on the sofa to watch game 5. Win they would come back only needing one more game to win...lose they would hope to go into game 7. Bekah kept falling asleep but the phone call in period 3 woke her.

“Derek thinks you are gonna see them take the cup at home.” Brynn’s voice vibrates in Bekah’s ear.

“Oh?” Bekah rubs her eyes and realizes the Blackhawks just scored with a few minutes left.

“He’s very jealous. Actually stewing about it if I were to go that far.” Brynn giggles.

“I guess I should wear this jersey then?” Bekah yanks on the Blackhawks emblem.

“He got you a jersey? Please tell me it’s his!”

“Yes Rin, it’s his. Not his his because I’m sure that would be swimming on me his sweatshirts do and pads don’t go under them.”

“Friend, I don’t know what you two call whatever this is but men who are just using women for sex aren’t letting them stay in their mansions without them, borrow their sweatshirts, and wrapping their chiseled arms around someone in public they consider their fuck buddy.” Brynn huffed out. Bekah could feel that she’d been keeping that in for awhile. She heard a beep and pulled the phone to see.

“Oh, shit he’s calling.”

“And they definitely don’t call them as soon as they get off the damn ice. Love ya!” With that Brynn hangs up and Bekah answers Jon’s call.

“You won Tae!” She breathe out not realizing she was holding it taking in all what Brynn was saying.

“We did! And we were suppose to fly back tomorrow morning but something got messed up with the hotel and we are heading to the plane. I just didn’t want to freak you out when I came in super late.”

“Oh, cool. Thanks for letting me know. I’ll see you for breakfast then.”

“Bye Beks.” She hung up and headed upstairs.

The slight kiss on her forehead the next morning was the next thing she remembered. “Sleep well?” Jon was dressed in his team issued sweats.

“Good morning!” Bekah answers quietly. “Your guest bed is pretty comfy I might not move.”

“I made breakfast and then I gotta get to the rink.” Jon’s voice sounded deeper to Bekah.

“Oh! Oh!” She rubs her eyes taking in the playoff beard. “Sorry. I forgot about the beard. When does that come off?” She ran her finger down the hard line between his soft cheek and coarse beard.

“When we win it all...or lose but I’m hoping we can win the cup here for once. For the fans.” Jon stands up.

The two make their way up to the rooftop where Jon has bacon, toast, fruit, some drink concoction that is clearly meant for him and coffee for Bekah.

“You don’t eat bread.” She pulls the mug to her lips then sips.

“I don’t but you do. So I made sure to have some for this week.”

“Thanks.” The two fall into easy conversation before he leaves for practice.

Bekah wandered her way down to campus while he was gone and took in the changes in the years since she graduated. She saw Blackhawks gear everywhere. She wondered if she just never noticed or because they were playing for the cup the next day was the reason for the abundance of sightings. She realizes how many times she could have seen Jon play before she graduated. Her best friend, only college friend, was an avid hockey fan from Minnesota. She would try to convince Bekah to go with her all the time. Chances of them meeting back then we’re slim and Bekah was sure as she walked back into his home that there was no way he would have ever noticed her if they had.

Dinner that evening was on the rooftop too. The views were amazing especially at night.

“You okay?” Bekah took in Jon’s demeanor and if that didn’t give away that something was bothering him the clicking of his foot on his chair was hard to ignore.

“Maybe a little nervous about tomorrow. Maybe a little horny. Maybe...I don’t know.”

“Maybe what Jon?” Bekah pulls her knees up into her chest while she waits Jon out.

“You are sitting in the family section.” Bekah gulps but nods. “It was the only seats I could get.”

“Ok...wait seats?” Bekah raises her voice accidentally.

“Yeah,” Jon nervously rubs his neck. “My parents are here and you are sitting behind them.”

“Oh...oh...OH!”

“Please say something else.” Jon squints.

“Fuck. Um. Yeah. That’s...fine. Have you told them about me? I mean why would you...but...fuck. Me in your jersey will look fantastic. Maybe I shouldn’t wear it. Hi, I’m Rebekah Pierce. I’ll be the one releasing your son of all his built up tension tonight if they win...nice to meet you.”

Jon start choking on the bite he just placed in his mouth and keeps coughing. “Shit! Babe!” Bekah rounds the table and pats him hard on the back. He finally stops and turns to pull her into his lap. “You cannot die tonight I would like to see you win this cup thing!” Jon smiles and kisses Bekah. “Oh Captain. That’s against the rules.” Bekah eyes down to where she can feel Jon hard as a rock.

“I’m fine. I’ll just take another ice bath. I’ve come accustom to them lately.” This makes Bekah giggle. “And my parents know I have someone here which is why they are not. They don’t know what we are because let’s be real...we don’t know. And please don’t talk about releasing anything to them. Fuck. I would like to pretend that my mother still thinks at 26 I’m saving myself.”

“Say what?” Bekah bats her eyes processing.

“They will be polite and I’m sure won’t ask too many questions.” Jon kisses her and she feels him jolt below her.

“I’m gonna get up now. I will not be to blame for a loss of anything.” Bekah kisses his forehead and starts to clear the table.

She felt her palms dripping with more and more sweat with each person being escorted to her section. Finally a Toews jersey on a lady that could easily be his mother comes into Bekah’s view followed by several others. Before Bekah can say anything the woman leading the group smiles at her. “You must be Beks.” Her arms come up to hug Bekah.

“Rebekah. Pierce. Yes. Nice to meet you Mrs. Toews.”

“Well...bonus points for the pronunciation.” Jon’s brother, David, laughs out. They made their introductions and sat down for warm ups. Jon skated a few time past them. Andrée turned around talking to Bekah more than paying attention to the ice. Bekah wondered if games ever got old for her. How many games has she gone to in his lifetime?

“I know a little about you. Just not super into hockey. You work in marketing in Columbus. Oh, and you keep my son on his toes. Which is what he needs.” She pats Bekah’s knee as she feels the heat in her face. Jon telling his mom about her added another layer to this whole thing. Thankfully the game started and the attention was drawn away from her and onto him. Bekah was on the edge of her seat. When the horn sounded and the Blackhawks won the stadium exploded. Without even realizing it Andrée had Bekah’s hand dragging her with the rest of the families to the ice.

Bekah leans into Andrée who is beaming since they left their seats. “I don’t belong here.” Bekah admits looking at the families waiting for the team.

“He said you would say that which is why I was told to drag you to the ice with me. He clearly knows you well.” She winked and then there he was. A hot smelly mess with a look on his face that made Bekah forget that she felt out of place. Andrée embraced her son pulling on the beard telling him it looked better every year. The rest of the family gave their hugs of congratulations and the Jon turns to Bekah.

His eyes soften as he pulled her in for a hug. Bekah feels his sweaty lips at her hairline and she laid her head on his chest. “I’m glad you didn’t fight my mom about this.” Bekah looks up and wraps her arms around his neck and he picks her up. “A little more celebrating here then home m’kay?” Jon kisses her temple then skates off to finish the victory celebration and interviews.

Jon busted through his Lincoln Park door with Bekah wrapped around his waist. The high from the Stanley Cup win adding to the need for each other. “Do you wanna head up?” Bekah tried to catch her breath as Jon unlatched her bra from under the jersey.

“Maybe later.” Jon eyes the couch and places Bekah down slowly. She goes take off the jersey and he stops her. “Keep that on. I’ve been dreaming about you in that for days.” Jon licks his lips and sucks his breath in hard.

“Oh. Okay Captain.” Bekah pulls her lip in between her teeth while she pulls off her pants and panties. Jon quickly removes his suit. “If ya want to bend me over the couch I’m already ridiculously wet.” Bekah stands on her tiptoes and presses her lips into Jon’s. The slew of French and English curse words mixed with grunts sent an unknown energy radiating through her body. Jon didn’t answer but spun Bekah around and she bent over the back of the couch. He tapped her inner thigh then moves the tail of her jersey up her back. Bekah looked up at Jon just as he slammed into her rocking both their bodies and the couch forward.

“Sorry.” He mumbled.

“I’m not.” Bekah barked out feeling the familiar stretch of Jon’s length against her walls.

“I’m not gonna last long but I’ll make up for it.” Jon states before leaning over and hooking his finger onto Bekah’s clit.

“Jon. Fuck.” Bekah cried out feeling her orgasm flood her body and then his pulsating deep inside her. His tired body pulls hers up to his chest.

“Sorry.”

“Sorry for what?” Bekah turns around and leans against the couch.

“For the quickie. Not exactly my style. But damnit if you aren’t hot as hell in that sweater.” Jon traces her lips with his finger.

“Well, we have all week, right? I wasn’t expecting a marathon anyway plus watching you holding that cup up in the air was orgasm worthy.”

“Damnit Beks. You do things to me.” He dips down to kiss her lips.

“Now about this beard? Can we?” Bekah uses her fingers to illustrate cutting it off.

“Yes, let’s head upstairs.” Before she can move Jon hoists her over his shoulder and heads to his master bath. He places her gently on the sink’s countertop.

“I have legs damnit and I’m not a trophy.” Jon laughs and kisses her. “Plus how do you still have all that strength?”

“Adrenaline Beks. And you are better than any trophy.” Jon got the razor set, bowl of warm water, and towels out. He reaches for the razor and Bekah’s hand stops him.

“Do you trust me?” She pulls the razor from between his fingers and places it down. He just nods then stands between her legs. Bekah begins with the badger hair brush and cream. Lathering up his already damp beard. Jon’s eyes flash from her to the reflection in the mirror back to her. Using her thumbs she rubs down the bottom of his jawline causing a grunt to rumble deep in his chest. Finally grabbing the razor she whispers...”you trust me right?”

“Yes Beks. With everything.” His admission brought down the first stroke from the razor. She worked methodically down his face and then focused on his jawline making sure not to cut him. Jon groaned with every swipe of her thumb as she checks her work. Finally Bekah reaches for the warm, wet towel and gently wipes off the remaining cream and hair. Jon’s fresh clean face exposed. Bekah leans over to pull the moisturizing cream out from the tub but Jon catches her face and pulls her into his lips.

“That was so fucking sexy.” Jon whispers into her lips.

“Can I finish?” Bekah pulls away and runs the moisturizer down Jon’s face and neck and finally his shoulders. She feels him shutter under her grip. “Now I’m done.” She looked over her work then Jon captures her lips in his again. “I just realized you should be out partying with your teammates.” Bekah pulls away and places her hand on his chest to keep them apart. Jon shrugs. “You should go! The entire city is excited...I’m sure you won’t pay for a single drink Tae.” Jon’s strength over powers her and has Bekah’s body presssd tightly to his chest.

“Nah. I like this celebration better. The partying is more for the young guys and the ones who haven’t won it yet.” Jon’s muscles tighten around Bekah.

“Jon.” She squeaks out his name in protest.

“Beks, I have three cups now, two gold medals, and a world championship. I have partied plenty in my day with the winnings of each of them and I’m only 27. I just want to crawl into bed. Properly give you an orgasm and then do it again in the morning.”

“Damn.” Bekah whispers more for herself in realization that Jon wasn’t just a pro hockey player but would one day be in the hall of fame. Her face caught on fire when she realized that after winning the cup all he wanted to do is celebrate with her.

“You gotta talk to me Bekah.” Jon’s voice finally broke through her thought process. “Babe!” He swipes gently at the strands of hair that have fallen to her face. “Beks, talk to me.” Panic dripping from his voice.

“You called me Bekah.” She finally blurted out.

“And, it IS your name?”

“Yeah but you only ever call me Beks. Even your mother called me it which is conversation in itself later...but I don’t think I’ve ever heard you call me Bekah before.” This makes Jon smile.

“I just gave you the expansive run down of my hockey winnings that had earned me a spot in the Triple Gold Club...and you focus on the nickname I use!” Jon laughs hard and stares deep into Bekah’s eyes.

“Triple Gold Club, what the...what is that?”

“Youngest member too but that’s not what we are talking about.” Jon runs his thumb tightly along Bekah’s jaw line then over her lips she pulls it in and sucks hard. “Fuck Beks... I’m already hard.” She looks down between their bodies to see for herself.

“I just don’t want to be the reason you are not celebrating with your team and fans Tae.” She slides her finger from his collarbone bone down his abs.

“There is exit interviews and a giant ass parade. Plus I prefer my day with the cup over most of the public celebrations.” Bekah hummed taking in this information. “Can we take this to the bed now?” With that Bekah nodded and Jon carried her to his bed.