#we Are very alike but i actually find her to be far more intense and judgmental and fixed in her opinions

[rucow]

my mom and i both have pisces sun/mars/mercury/saturn in 8H, scorpio IC, and aquarius venus in 6H.....astrology is insane 🫣

[bisexual-horror-fan]

Do-Over-December 8th. Threesome. "Share And Share Alike." Charles Lee Ray X Tiffany Ray Valentine X AFAB! Reader.

SO! I know this is two days late but fuck it, I had some IRL shit going on pertaining to my current shitty job not giving a single fuck about my personal safety, so shit got nuts. On we go with Kinky December 's do over. Anyway, so this is the first thing I wrote with both Chuck and Tiff a while before I even started Through The Heart Is The Only Way, it was fun coming back to it and fixing it up! I hope you all enjoy it!

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Rating. Explicit. Length. 3.4K (Old Length.3.1K) Warnings: Public Sex. Exhibitionism. Voyeurism. Blood. Violence. Murder. Vaginal Fingering. Cunnilingus. Dirty Talk. Teasing. Rough Oral Sex. Blow Job. Vaginal Sex. Strap-On Sex. Sex Toys. Threesome. Smoking. Chucky Is A Bastard, Tiff Is An Angel, What Else Is New? 

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How the three of you met was quite unusual. It was most assuredly not a traditional meet-cute that lead you to getting to know them.

You were working late one night which was strange enough as it was, you normally are not one to do the closing shift, it was a long and hard day, retail work was so damn tedious and tiring. You were almost out of here though, about to pack up and leave, the mall you worked at was almost totally empty by this point, the cleaning tonight ran long after your hectic day. Cleaning like this was not even a usual task, but the dedicated cleaner called out sick, so you had to step up. You were just returning something to the back and grabbing your shit, you would be out of here. No one else was around, or so you thought. 

You were walking across the tiled floor, the back of the house finally in sight, and you started to lose your footing, something wet underneath your shoes making you slip, your arms flying out, steadying yourself quickly, you managed to avoid falling, a close call.  You breathed a sigh of relief at your near miss and looked down to see-

Blood.

Your mouth feels dry, your brows furrow, and you are shocked. It was unmistakable. Thick and syrupy and deep red, near black, the smell of iron hits as you looked around and could hear something, you weren’t actually as alone as you initially thought. You swallowed thickly, and your eyes flicked to the door nearby. 

You could leave. 

Just run and go home and forget you ever saw this-

Eyes back down and you cursed under your breath. Your shoes were in the blood, you’d track footprints, how would you explain yourself? A deep breath as you thought for a moment. 

And then you decided to say fuck it and see if you could find the source. Not the smartest of ideas, but you didn’t have many options. The phone was in the backroom, you couldn’t call for help, and you’d try to be quiet. You proceeded forward carefully and quietly until you found just what you were looking for-but not what you expected to see at all.

There was a body, the source of the blood, yes, but there was something that was much more eye-catching in this aisle. Seems whoever did this wasn’t alone. Now, on an average day? You laying your eyes on this couple would have made you stare but catching them like this? You stopped dead and couldn’t move, transfixed by this couple a few feet away, thus far unaware of your presence. 

They were both a little bloody and, as it seems, currently having what looks to be very passionate and intense sex against the shelves in this aisle, mere feet away from this poor victim. 

The woman of the couple was fucking gorgeous, blond hair and dark lipstick and killer make up, dark clothes with a gothic kind of vibe with undeniable style, skirt hiked up and a heel on one of the lower shelves. She had her hands on the man, one fisted in his long red hair and the other gripping the back of his jacket, fuck, even her manicure looked perfect. And while she was something to marvel at, you were still drawn to the man currently drawing those sounds from her, hushed, but you could still hear them in the deathly quiet store. 

One hand under her thigh, holding her leg up, the other one of the shelves near her head, what you figured was the murder weapon, a bloody knife still clenched in his fist as he fucked into her. He was still mostly dressed, pants barely pulled down enough to get inside of her, his jacket still on, obviously both needing each other right then, and you were unbelievably into the sight of them together. 

Her head lolled back, the most delicious sounding moan crossing her lips as her head now rested against one of the shelves and her eyes that were previously closed open, and she caught sight of you. You should have hid a little better. The two of you made eye contact, and you contemplated running, she tugged on the sleeve of his jacket and said, “Chucky-we aren’t alone.”

Fucking God above, her voice.

The man, Chucky apparently, stilled and looked over his shoulder at you, he seemed none too pleased about being interrupted like this if that intense look was anything to go by, could you recall a time you saw eyes more blue than his? Okay, shit, what was wrong with you right now? He looked about ready to pounce and kill you for disturbing this and for catching them post murder and mid-fuck, and you were over here thinking about how fucking good they both looked. 

“Seems like we ain’t.” his voice too, yeah, you were in deep trouble.

You were frozen in place still, your mind was racing however, you noticed he clenched that knife tighter, and that beautiful blonde woman looked almost excited and urged him on, “Do it.”

You knew it was do-or-die time, you said quickly, before he could make a move,“I won’t breathe a word of this to anyone!”

A scoff and stifled laughter, your heart is hammering as he rolled his eyes, and she covered her mouth with her hand as she laughed, he spoke first, “Oh never heard that one before right, Tiff?”

That wasn’t a good sign. They were both using their names in front of you, uncensored, obviously unconcerned about you identifying them, their intention to kill you is crystal clear. 

“Oh yeah, never, ever heard that one. Real original.” He said is so sarcastically as her laughter was dying off. You need to implore them, appeal to their humanity if you have any hope of getting out of this. Yet to this day you still weren’t 100% sure where this next part came from, but you said,“I can help cover this up! I’ll help, so if I talk I’ll be in just as much trouble.”

You said it with such conviction. They shared a look, confused, clearly. She spoke first, this time looking back over to you, “Now that’s one I haven’t heard before.”

“Yeah. Now, why would you want to do somethin’ like that?”

It took a lot of guts to be honest, you weren’t sure what was making you feel so bold, you so weren’t normally like this. I mean, who does this? Stumbling upon a couple who just killed someone and instead of any normal reaction, fear or just anything, you were turned on. 

Fuck it. You might die tonight, why not lay it all out there? You had nothing to lose.

“Because I…I want in on this-” You gestured vaguely and cleared your throat, “You know?”

It took a moment for the realization to hit, but yeah, they both knew. He smirked and said, “No, I don’t think I know. Why don’t you tell us?”

Fuck. 

They made you spell it out. 

It’s hard, but you do as they wanted, you tell them in a rush, “This, I want to be with you…Both of you, I-I want it so badly that I’ll help you cover this up, just let me prove myself, prove I’m worth your time and the trouble.”

Oh, they liked you.

Just from that they liked you, but when they had you between them, cemented it. The way you gasped when Tiffany fingered you and the way you trembled and moaned when Chucky had you bent over and gripping one of the shelves still standing in the pool of blood they had spilled was something special. You were hot and fun, and took direction well too. 

Disposing a body with three was also easier than when it’s just them. They kept seeing you, and you just kinda slipped into it, they were already together, and you ended up becoming their third. 

They filled you in on what happened that night after the fact, some asshole that they had almost taken out, but he managed to run off, he took off into the backdoor of your store, and they had caught him and killed him right there. You realized your co-worker had left the backdoor open earlier when they took the garbage out which gave the two their way in, you normally scolded said co-worker for such carelessness, but now you were thankful they fucked up that night, or you might have never met them. 

So that was how you met. 

You had been seeing them for months now, you had essentially moved in. Holidays fast approaching, they had been out earlier doing some shopping, you had been as well, fussing trying to figure out what would be the best to get for them but coming up empty thus far. You had got home before them, had started making dinner when they both came in, you heard bags dropped near the door. You had come out of the kitchen to greet them and noticed the pair of them are a little dishevelled, if it was someone else, someone who was not you, who wasn’t used to looking for those signs they might have missed it. 

But not you.

You noticed the smudged flecks of blood and the tension, the overall energy, it was always like this when they came home after another kill. It reminded you of how you met. And the other nights they came home after that kind of thing, it made you squirm.

“Hey sweet thing.”

You loved how she said that when Tiffany greeted you walked over to you first, heels clicking on hardwood and her hands on your face, her gloves felt soft and cold as she kissed you. Your hands reaching out and gripped her coat as you tilted up more into the kiss, fuck, it felt good. She pulled away, hands still on your face, and you were looking into her eyes and she asked, “How was your day?”

“Good.” You responded with a soft smile before asking,“Yours?”

“Wonderful. Better to be home.” She was always so sweet to you, so caring, your gaze broke away, and you saw Chucky there taking his scarf and jacket off and hanging them up. From the body language you could tell just where this was going, you looked back to Tiffany, and she said, “Go to the bedroom, we’ll be in a minute. Okay?”

You didn’t need to be told twice. A quick nod and her hands left you as you scurried off to the bedroom. 

Sitting on the bed, waiting like this. It always got to you. It was always intense when they came home after a kill. You didn’t like knowing all the details, but you couldn’t help being curious about it, if you asked they would tell you, but you didn’t always ask. 

Curiosity got the better of you tonight. 

Soon you were pressed between the two of them, not in a dissimilar fashion to how you were that first night and so many others afterwards. Tiffany was behind you, leaning against the headboard, her fingertips tracing lightly over exposed skin, and you had your back to her chest as your pants were being pulled off by Chucky. You could go on and on about Tiffany’s beauty, but there was something about him that couldn’t be ignored either. Something about the look in his eyes or how he spoke to you, his hair, maybe it was all of it that made him so attractive to you? A deep breath from you before you asked quietly, “How’d it go this time?”

You knew they hadn’t planned on doing anything like that when they went out today, but sometimes things just happened, it was supposed to just be shopping, not slashing more than just prices. They loved to tell you, Chucky in particular liked it, he liked it best when you asked during these times, clothes being stripped away as they touched you. He liked how much you squirmed, almost ashamed by how much you wanted to hear about it while they did this. 

Holiday shopping could always get crazy, some asshole pissed Chuck off, not like that was hard to do, and it was easy enough to get him into an alley and of course he had his knife on him and that was that. You had been stripped by this point, re-positioned, on your knees, Tiffany still leaning into your back, whispering in your ear as her hand was between your legs, touching you softly, fingers stroking through your folds, “Always get so wet when we tell you about it.”

“Mmm they must really like it.” Chucky mused.

They both liked to tease you about how into this you were and that always made it worse, made you want to hide your face and your head dipped down and Chucky didn’t like that. Grabbed by your hair, head forced back up making you look at him in the eyes and he asked, “Do you like it?”

Tiffany stopped touching you causing you to whine, she kissed your temple and she said low, “C’mon, if you want more, you gotta answer him.”

You squirmed and Tiffany slipped her other hand around to palm one of your breasts as encouragement, you forced it out, saying, “Yes I-I like it.”

That was what he wanted to hear, it made him smirk, so smug and self-satisfied, he kept gripping your hair as he pulled you down, you had one hand around him, had been stroking him while they had told you about it, and now he wanted more. You wanted to give and give as much as they gave to you, your mouth opening and tongue running over the head of his cock as you kept looking up at him, and Tiffany resumed touching you. Once you slipped his head past your lips he sucked a harsh inhale through his teeth and as Tiffany’s skilled fingers circled your clit you moaned against him and fuck, it all just felt right. 

Being shared by them was fucking amazing. You loved the dynamic of it all. Particularly for moments like this. 

You had been going at your own pace but good ol’ Chuck had gotten tired of that, pulling you towards him with his hand still on your head and his hips thrusting forward into your mouth, being rough and taking his pleasure how he wanted it from you, Tiffany touching you and being so sweet and soft, encouraging. “You take it so well, sweetheart, look at you.”

One hand stroking down your back gently as she had two fingers fucking in and out of you, one particularly hard thrust into your mouth made you gag a little and that made Tiff click her tongue disapprovingly and speak up, “Why are you always so rough with them?”

A laugh from him, another thrust, harder, another gag from you and he responded, “What? They like it! Don’tcha?”

A hard pull on your hair, another thrust that made your eyes roll back, and you clenched down on Tiffany’s fingers with a nod. You did love it, adored the dichotomy of the two of them being with you at once, “See?”

The look on his face, once again, smug as hell, a shit eating grin, he knew the effect he could have on you, how much him being so hard on you while Tiffany showed you such softness and affection, got to you. He could feel it in every look and action, every single touch and movement.

You swear you could feel Tiffany roll her eyes behind you, her thumb rubbed over your clit as her fingers curled inside of you, making you whine all over again as she said, “Asshole.”

You weren’t sure why, but you loved how they talked to each other, the light kind of teasing they did, banter and name-calling, sometimes a little too harsh, yet you could tell the undeniable love under the surface. 

Such a mess by this point, drool running down your chin from the throat fucking, hair messier from how Chucky had been holding it, deep purple lipstick marks left over your skin from Tiffany kissing you. There was mess on your thighs, shaking, already very needy.

“She ready?”

You were. She asked, “Mmm you want it sweetie?” You nodded once, mouth still stuffed full of cock, and that is how you ended up now. 

This right here was one of your favourites. On your hands and knees, getting fucked, strong hands on your hips, pulling you back onto him as your face was buried between your girlfriend’s thighs. Tiffany loved how hard you tried, it was difficult to maintain a good rhythm when you were being split open on his cock like this, but you were getting better and better at it. How you moaned against her dripping pussy was hot as Hell for her, not to mention how fun it was to watch you struggle to continue to please her, your tongue slipping up through her folds and over her twitching clit.

I mean, it was easy to see why you loved it so much, she tasted amazing and every sigh and moan you could pull from her sounded nothing short of divine. Tiffany was insanely talented with her own mouth and fingers, you only hoped you could give back half of what she did to you.

It was impossible to get over how lucky you felt, how spoiled you were, you had every single thing you could ever want. You were truly endlessly grateful. 

“Look so fuckin’ good.” Of course Chucky wasn’t going to complain about the view, his two favourite people in his life, spread in front of them, buried to the hilt in you as your hands were on Tiffany’s outer thighs as you shivered and moaned and ate her out. 

“Mmmf the best.” Tiffany confirmed, her praise meant the world to you, looking up to her, tongue running over her clit again with another moan, and it was so arousing to you that you clenched down again drawing a moan from the man behind you. 

It always seemed to work out like that, it was easy for the three of you, all feeding off of each other, it often happened, someone doing something to someone else and the reaction it pulled adding to it, making it hotter, made it feel better. And so it went. 

It usually played out like this, Chucky would love to have you first, make you a mess, almost forcing you to cum for him, pulling you over that edge like it was some kind of race. You would be left sore and well stretched, he was rough as always, and after he had cum inside you, he would watch as Tiffany had you. He would relax totally amused, cigarette in hand as Tiffany would play with you, much softer and sweeter, she wouldn’t be rough as you helped prep the strap-on, not like it needed much when your pussy was stuffed with cum. 

“Such a good mouth.” She praised, and she would gently pull you away, your mouth sliding off of the strap-on with a wet and audible pop, and she would lie you down and kiss you so sweetly as she lined up and filled you. 

Your thighs on either side of her hips as she was on top of you, and she would make you cum too of course, the build slow and gentle and damn intense in a different kind of way, and she’d be praising you all along the way.

Or it would be that way until Chucky had enough of just watching and got his hands into the toy box. Having her fuck you while he would use a vibrator on you was nearly too much to handle and they both knew it, the way you would squirm and twitch was too good to pass up, and the way it would make Tiffany lose control just a little bit and get a tad rougher was more than welcome. 

You knew the dinner preparations you had started earlier would be no good, there was no way they were close to done with you. You could always order in later, you supposed. 

It was truly a blessing and a curse having two partners, it usually meant no rest for you, one could take it easy until the other was ready for more, not to mention when they were both using you at once. 

Both of them had such presence and had such strong personalities, they seemed to fight often but again when it came to you? 

Sharing came easy.

[fallout4-reacts]

I don't know if you've played any other fallout game but may I ask companions react to finding out that Sole is actually an Enclave remnant (like the guy from Far Harbor)? If you can't, it's fine. Just swap Enclave for Gunners. Thx!

Yes, I played 1-2-3-NV-4, I scratched and didn’t really like tactics, I scratched and didn’t have time to play 76

I’m a little fallout maniac

Cait : "What the bloody hell is that supposed to do to me?"

Cait and Sole landed on the edge of a good campfire because the area is clear, and the path is still long before Harbor Grand Hotel. Sole wanted to take advantage of the chance to discuss about their past, which had come back to haunt them when they encountered the Great Zealot Brian Richter. The enclave. 

"I... I had to talk about it."

Cait appears to soften as she places a hand on them.

"Hey, we've all made choices in the past that weren't exactly crystal clear, whether it was for the sake of survival or because we believed there were no better options. I'm the living embodiment of that, darling. But we've made progress, and honestly, I reckon we can confidently say we're heading in the right direction."

Sole gives her a gentle smile. Cait can get right to the point. They will always require her to return them to the present.

Codsworth : Codsworth listened as they went through each detail. There is no doubt that Sole has changed since the war. These awful decisions. He does, however, comprehend somewhere.

"You truly believed it to be a commendable decision?"

"I think. And I did. I opened my eyes though, and I left the ranks as I dealt with everything else.”

“Ah, I see you have made the correct decision, indeed. About your brahmin steak, mom/sir, do you still prefer it to be cooked thoroughly?”

“Yes Codsworth, please, with sauce. A lot of sauce.”

Curie : "In this Enclave, did they engage in acts of malevolence?"

Sole sighs.

"Unfortunately, that's what I discovered in the end, yes."

"But what did they do wrong?"

Sole's eyes widen in stupor.

"Brotherhood-like technology, Gunners-like mentality—can you imagine?"

"Have they perpetually exhibited such behaviour?"

They are shaking their heads.

"Not always. For a time, they pretended to be a legitimate military organisation deserving of the title. They then began to think bigger, desiring more authority. That's when I realised the foundations were in bad shape."

"I see."

Curie adds nothing. She'll undoubtedly have additional questions. She's always asking additional questions. But, for the time being, she has discovered a mushroom sample that she is very interested in studying, and her interest in this other subject has waned.

Danse (Post BB)  : The man spends a long time just examining Sole, softly detailing them as if dissecting them completely with his eyes. Sole believed that this story would be forgotten, but on one of their missions, Danse discovered incriminating documents about Sole. Since then, he hasn't said anything. He only gave Sole an intense glance, with his lips pressed in a thin, severe line.

Sole awaits his verdict, and possibly their execution.

"We've all had serious lapses in our judgement, from what I see here," he concludes.

Sole had no idea how nervous they were. It's as if an iron rod has suddenly cracked in their body, and they're on the verge of collapsing. Danse appears to notice and approaches them, resting a hand on their shoulder.

"The past, my friend, is but a distant memory. In the grand tapestry of our shared history, your unwavering camaraderie has been the cornerstone, steadfastly bolstering me through triumphs and missteps alike. I am your companion, Sole; you are mine, and that is the only thing of significance."

Deacon : He's nevertheless having difficulties believing it. He was certain he acknowledged everything about Sole's life. However, P.A.M. is formal here; there is no room for error. He swallows the sensation of betrayal he had after honestly believing he and Sole shared a fairly sacred tie, feeling duped. That evening, over the fire, he is unusually quiet, as if he is painstakingly digesting the information.

"Hey? Are there no jokes tonight? There are no comments on anything? What's the matter, buddy?"

"No 'buddy' with me."

Sole, who was initially a little worried, is now extremely concerned. Being like this is completely out of character for Deacon. Unfortunately, he knows that if he presses the spy, Deacon will simply vanish into the wilderness. Therefore, he endorses this shift in attitude in the hopes to finally discover and resolve the problem.

Dogmeat : The good dog is unconcerned...really… He's here right now with a nice master, and he'll follow them all the way to the end of the earth. Factions are human stories, not canine concerns. But he appreciates Sole's conversation. He like hearing Sole speak.

Elder Maxson : Sole felt compelled to confess everything. However, staring at Maxson's white countenance of hatred while he remains rigid and subdued in rage in front of them, they question whether this was the proper move. They bowed their heads in shame.

"I realise I should have told you sooner... But that was a long time ago, and... I no longer agree with their values."

The Elder remains silent, but it is far from reassuring to Sole. They have no idea how to get out of this horrible situation or how to repair what has been broken. They believe the storm will break. They assumed that their friendship, trust, and respect for the Elder would suffice, but it now appears that they misjudged Maxson's resentment for the fallen faction. When he finally speaks, his voice is filled with disappointment, rage, and hatred.

"Leave immediately, wastelander. Begone from this place and steer clear of my vessel. Do not ever return. You are henceforth deemed an enemy of the Brotherhoods and shall be met with lethal force upon visual contact. I should've had you executed, for the example... *he sighs*. I pray that my frailty shall never haunt me in the days to come. But I shall never desire to lay eyes upon thee again, and I shall never yearn to have thy name grace my ears once more. Set out from the vicinity where the Brotherhoods reside."

Sole is not told twice. They considered it. They were afraid of being executed. They now have certainty.

Hancock : He chuckles. These aren't even close to his main interest. It's not his concern, it's other times and other locations. He offers a good dose of Jet to help Sole relax.

"Um... no thanks."

"Your bad."

The mayor is now focusing on what is truly critical. Fahrenheit will have his head if he does not intervene because the previous caravan did not pay its charge.

Gage : "Is this the outfit where you pick up that sour disposition of yours?"

"Huh?"

"Well, boss, I gotta say, you're really holdin' your own with this Enclave business...Is it akin to the Brotherhoods?"

Sole weighs.

"Yeah, somewhere, a little."

"Are they the ones responsible for making you such a badass?"

“Maybe…”

"Well, ain't that a sight for sore eyes. So, it seems like we've got ourselves a winner here. So, are you planning on conquering these settlements, or do you have another tale to spin that I couldn't care less about?"

MacCready : He frowns. He doesn't want to pass judgement... After all, Sole pays him handsomely. And judging would make him feel hypocritical. He is a former Gunner, not exactly a hero. But he frowns. He is well aware of what the Enclave is and, if we may say so, that they are worse than these cretins of Brotherhoods. Looking back at the parallel between their past and his own, he gives Sole a keen look.

"Have you sorted everything out with them? Are they gonna come at us in the dead of night for a desertion execution?"

"They are no longer in operation. The Brotherhoods have entirely dissolved what remained of their organisation."

"Is that where ya left the ranks?"

"No, before that. I disliked who I had become."

Mac can relate once more. He hands Sole a bottle of beer.

" If those sorry bastards can't even put up a fight against you and you keep coughing up my caps, then there ain't no damn reason to waste breath on it."

Nick Valentine : "Enclave, huh? Yeah, I caught wind of that. The wicked little sibling of the Brotherhoods, as far as I can tell."

Sole attempts to swallow. They are well aware that everyone, without exception, judges the Enclave. They eventually deserted the ranks because it was a big crap.

"Did ya know, partner, that I was once a member of the Institute?"

Sole raises their head to meet Nick's gaze. The old synth is clearly mocking. Sole understands the message.

"I'm making a big deal out of it?"

"A tad, I reckon. Now, if we were to discuss this fresh lead you're bringing back, do we?"

Piper : "A genuine ex-Enclave soldier, huh? Wow! Do ya realise that I churn out one edition a week just with your crap?"

Sole's eyes widen in astonishment. And possibly of terror.

"Are you going to write an article about this?"

" No, I ain't pullin' your leg. Still, it would sell, but I reckon it'd reflect poorly on the reputation of the... General of the Minutemen, you know? I'd rather go after the real villains. I would prefer ask you a hand in proving McDonough is a synth."

"How do you intend to accomplish this?"

Preston : The Colonel remains silent. He doesn't appear to have heard anything. He keeps turning the molerat meat on the stick he's holding above the campfire. Sole can no longer hold for long.

"Don't you mind?"

Preston raises his head to gaze at his General.

"The individual who came to my aid at Concorde was no longer affiliated with the Enclave, friend. This fella, who's always ready to lend a hand to the settlers and those in need, ain't no Enclave member, I tell ya. You speak of the soldier from the Enclave, do you? I'm afraid I can't say for certain, friend. We appear to have designated General of the Minutemen the hero who cleans the Commonwealth. That organisation should be the only one on their service record."

Sole laughs. What else could they have expected?

Strong : "What Enclave?"

Sole sighs. He was looking forward to this discussion. The past usually comes back to haunt us at some point. But he didn't realise he had to discuss it with a companion who doesn't seem to care about much, usually.

"It was a military group. Really something. We were fighting... well, that's all in the past now. A little sloppiness, a few too many smacks to the face by the BoS, and all the former Enclave troops are in disarray and have rebuilt their lives elsewhere."

"Soldier brave. Enclave not soldier."

"What exactly do you mean?"

"Soldier fights to death. Puny human not dead. Not soldier."

“Hm. Okay, but what about this milk?"

X6-88 : "Indeed, it appears that prior to your decision to forsake Commonwealth organisations, you had already forsaken another former organisation."

"Wait a minute, what? I never turned my back on anyone!"

X6-88 indicates the screen in front of him. "You are present within the Enclave records. Do you deny it?"

Sole lets out a long sigh.

"I don't deny it. I was a member of that organisation. But it all crashing down. Like everyone else, I gathered what I could and moved on to rebuild my life."

"You have displayed a distinct lack of loyalty by abandoning them, much like the other factions that facilitated your arrival here. Is the Institute to be included in this package list, sir/madam?"

Sole is now staring at X6 as though he can't believe what he's hearing.

"It almost looks like you're trying to insult me."

There isn't even a wrinkle on the corner of the Courser's mouth.

" Sir/Madam, you have consistently forsaken your allegiances, repeatedly abandoning your organisations in favour of more advantageous prospects. I shall duly retain this information. If you have intentions to depart from the Institute, it is my solemn obligation to relay this information to my superiors."

"Well, as you so eloquently stated, I abandon my 'organisations' when I find a 'better' organisation. Let's play it that way if that's how you want to see it. Do you know of a better organisation than the Institute, X6?"

"Negative, Sir/Madam."

"Then you have your answer."

And the Courser seemed to be satisfied...

[booasaur]

Spoilers incoming

Spoilers for The Show:The Company You Keep ABC

Thank you for the gifs cause now I'm hooked on The Company you Keep haha!! It's funny to see the dynamic between Birdie and Daphne though like I know I read your tags but truly was not prepared for how tense their interactions are. Also getting context for that ASL line bro Daphne knows no bounds and i love it. If this show was fun we would be getting 2 types of cat and mouse type of a storyline with the main m/f couple and then these 2 women but alas but they are fun because their hatred is strong but they are also so alike with their bonds to their families. So thank you cause man this show is fun and these actressss are sooo good in their roles and very pretty!!

Ps: spoiler - There was a throwaway from Birdie where she was like she's a sucker for Irish accents even if they are a gangster and 1) no pronouns, no "I love a guy with an Irish accent" and 2) considering Daphne's potential family ties....👀👀👀 minus the accent of course but who knows lol me being silly over this never gonna happen ship the things your gifs do to me !!!

Thank you again !!

Haha, right, I was afraid people would see the gifs and be like, oh, this is a light, fun thing when actually it's quite intense and a little scary.

Even as I KNOW they won't happen, I'm also like, but what if...? Every ep, I'm like, hmm, do these interactions suggest anything? A part of me feels like if they were going to go there, they would be a bit more obvious, but I'm also looking for other potential love interests and they don't have anyone yet.

For Birdie, I guess her ex is still an option, and then Emma's brother, David, and I really hope it's not Connor, who, lol, fits the Irish accent but he seems quite threatening and brutal. I suppose it's possible Daphne might fall in David's circle at some point, especially if he becomes corrupt, and actually, it kind of feels like Emma's assistant has a huge crush on her, lol, but mostly I just hope she doesn't have a thing for Charlie, that'd be so trite and tired for a fun show like this.

In terms of what dynamics are at play, indeed, if you have Charlie and Emma as crook and cop, you would have Birdie and Daphne as crook and...crookeder, lol. Birdie and David would be crook and politician, which, perhaps some people would call that the same, but outwardly, it feels too close to Charlie and Emma, and presumably, whatever one finds out, the other sibling would too so that reduces a lot of the drama and suspense.

Birdie and Connor would be crook and crookedest because so far Daphne seems much more humanized and sympathetic than any other bad guy, so even though she's currently the antagonist, it feels like Connor's even worse, it would have to be a big pivot to make him suddenly good enough to root for him against Daphne, though of course anything's possible.

I'm just curious in general about where the show will go, even with just Emma and Charlie. It's going to become a bit ludicrous if neither finds out about the other the more time passes, especially when both are so heavily involved with Daphne. Like, she literally left the bar a minute before Emma arrived!

In ep 3, we didn't have any Daphne and Birdie moment at all, but just like you spotted that line about the Irish accents, I really zoomed in on that scene early on, when Birdie's ex calls, she changes the subject with THIS segue:

Like okay, okay, okay.

But yeah, it's such a fun show and already, aside from these main ladies, we've had guest spots from Bridget Regan and Jes Macallan, it's been very easy on the eyes. :P

[just-a-sleepy-idiot]

Valak Imagine: Him seeing you for the first time

Content/Warnings: Nun!Reader, Female!Reader, Blaspemic stuff since it's written out of a demons perspective after all, Based of the movie 'The Nun', Major Spoilers for the Nun!!, Kinda soft Valak

He had paced these holy halls so many times, disguised to sow fear in the nuns that lived here- showing them that evil was among them looking like one of their own. He mocked them with this form, and soon enough death had grasped all of them, all up to one last woman.

Valak wished to take over one of their bodies, but he couldn't deny the satisfaction when the last one chose to commit one of the worst sins the Bible knew, taking her life rather than letting him take over her mortal existence. He thought it was quite funny, to see one of gods devote believers choosing to do this to oppose a demon. He wondered which outcome would have taken on worse judgement- taking her own life or letting her precious little body get taken over by a demon?

He already waited, yearned for others to come which they eventually would. Toying with their sanity and their beliefs, he already felt the arrival of two devote believers coming close.

Eventually you were here- first a priest, and Valak could look deep into his heart and see his guilt haunting him, guilt that the demon would use to torment him later on- this priest and you.

You were wearing a dress, but you might as well have worn the white robes because you emitted something.. pure. No human was ever fully pure, not like they wanted to be, and you too had your yearnings and troubles of course but he saw purity because you were fully aware of them and faced yourself with clarity and judgement.

You weren't a blind follower of the book, driven by blindness, guilt or foolishness.

Valak huffed in contempt, instantly feeling how the opposing nature of his origin and your devotion was stirring up inside of him. Like magnets, wanting to draw each other away.

You stayed now for two nights, and he had already begun playing his schemes with the priest but you.. he still only.. watched. He still only observed you, and he wasn't sure why he was so hesitant.

You were only a mortal after all, you would tremble at the mere sight of him. He felt no fear, so maybe it was.. curiosity?

His demonic nature longed to corrupt you, to teach you fear and see you scream like the other nuns. He was the defiler, the profane, the Marquie of snakes. He wanted to mock and corrupt and watch the ones who serve god crumble in their beliefs.

So why did he keep his distance with you?

A few days went by, and both you and the priest slowly begun to understand what had happened here and how it was tied to the evil that was roaming this place.

Valak had shown you images of the nuns that lived here, and you were believing everything as if it was actually happening. He watched you interact with your environment and with the shadows of the ones that were gone already.

And one day he decided to show himself. Looking like the nun he chose to torment the others with but a little.. softer, a little bit more disarming. With features that he guessed would invoke trust from humans.

When he approached you, you felt someone looking at you without hearing a single step. When you turned around, you were met with green eyes and looked up to a tall nun. There was something strangely.. intense about her, yet you had a feeling like you could feel safe despite of that.

"How do you like it here so far?" How long has it been since he had used words of the human world..

"I like it a lot. I've been treated very well here, the only thing that worries me is the wellbeing of Father Burke. He had horrifying things happening to him."

Valak suppressed a smile, yes he did indeed. "I see."

He continued on talking to you, spying on what it was that a nun like you was thinking by conversing with you.

"Have you been taught about demons, Sister Y/n?"

This question.. had something off-putting, as if you felt like despite her calm and cool expression she was very interested in whatever you might say next.

"Of course, Sister Val." You fumbled with your hands, "Although none of my fellow sisters ever seemed to really take matters of evil very seriously." They concentrated so much on the good that they didn't seem to take the bad forces in the world seriously. They felt too secure.

Valak knew how easily everyone wanted to forget what was waiting outside of their churches, their holy little homes that they felt so safe in. "And what do you think of them?"

You looked up into the green eyes of the tall woman, frowning at that question. No one ever asked about.. an opinion of these things, because it was taught that everything unholy like the creatures of hell were bad and there was no other way to see them.

"The forces of god as well as those of evil are constantly opposing each other. They are bad, they are destructive and against every living being." Your gaze dropped, "But.. I think that is part of the balance, the way it naturally has to be. Of course we have to fight evil, but I don't think just like evil neither does good is supposed to win. And therefore demons are.. just like us," you looked up again and smiled shyly, "something like soldiers?"

Valak stared at you without saying a word.

Just like them?! No, no you were just a mortal, just a flesh puppet. He was above the pity skills of gods creation! There was no way you were alike.

How strange it was to be thinking that while he literally looked like one of them, using the human tongue to communicate and observing this woman instead of following the unholy urges of destruction that were given to his very existence.

And suddenly, you were pressed against the wall, held high up by the nun who's expression now cruelly turned into something demonic. You gasped, unable to look away as he growled darkly at you. He was done playing, he should just snap your neck right there.

But.. he didn't- he couldn't! The demon growled in frustration, harshly pressing you against the wall even more before suddenly letting you go.

"Your foolish beliefs will not earn his favor, little one. You should go back to blindly being his devoted sheep."

You hurried to stand up again, leaning against the wall for stability after your fall with rapid breathing. The green eyes now begun to glow, almost like gold, and Valak loomed over you.

"Leave, leave and send someone as blind as the others, you are not amusing anymore."

You begun to run, candles lit along your way and blew out after you passed. You looked back as you sprinted through the stone corridor and saw the outline of a horned figure watching you go.

You were carrying a forbidden truth with you, something that he did not wish to defy. He wanted you to live, he wanted this truth to blossom within you. Maybe it would corrupt you.. but maybe it would make you even surpass all the others.

Valak would find a way to cross paths with you again.

- - -

I hope you liked it! If you are offended by the religious stuff please know that this is based off a movie and what is written in here is fiction and not a reflection of my actual beliefs so pls don't rage in my comments

[zalrb]

What did you think of Ursula & Cesare’s thing in season 1? I was just watching the season 1 finale and found that scene where he brings Lucrezia to the covenant interesting. I mean at this point we are supposed to believe Cesare’s is in love with Ursula right?

Well firstly, I think even in season 1 we’re meant to believe that neither Cesare nor Lucrezia loves anyone else as much as they love each other, hence quotes like “I will never love a husband as I love you, Cesare” and “Don’t you love God, Cesare?” “More than I love you?” and just the physicality of their scenes and the way Cesare responds to Lucrezia, no one and nothing is coming above that.

Secondly, I don’t actually think we’re meant to believe that Cesare is in love with Ursula even though he says that he’s in love with her and wants her, I don’t think we’re meant to believe that. Infatuation, definitely,

and maybe even a touch obsessed i.e. “you will never be free of me”  but not love, it’s just that it’s very intense very quickly but their entire relationship is predicated on them not knowing each other. Ursula begs him not to confront her husband because she sees him as this spiritual, lives-to-serve-God, “honourable” man, and says that a part of her attraction to him is the fact that he’s a cardinal and Cesare, not at all being that person, encourages that perception, like I still find it so hilariously fucked up that Cesare killed her husband, had sex with her and when she wondered why he hadn’t returned home, he flat out suggests that her husband is having an affair in another city. That last part just makes the whole thing so wonderfully diabolical. And when she finds out that her husband has been killed and she confronts Cesare by saying she didn’t know he would actually be a match for him he says, “to think I thought you knew me...”

What I do find interesting now that I think about it is how Ursula and Lucrezia mirror each other at the time. Like I know there’s a lot of stuff  about how they look alike but their situations are similar. Cesare does not want Lucrezia to marry Giovanni, he can already see what that marriage is going to be

then in the next episode, he sees Ursula again and discovers that she’s been abused and demands that she free herself

something he desperately wants for Lucrezia

then when they actually do have sex, he says this

which doesn’t really track with their dynamic so far because the two of them verbalize their attraction to each other each time they speak

but he and Lucrezia don’t have conversations about what they feel for each other.

And when he explains his motivations for killing Ursula’s husband to Ursula he says

after he had already told Lucrezia this

so whether he’s aware of it or not the attraction to Ursula at least appears to be steeped in the context of what he feels/can’t do/doesn’t do with Lucrezia.

[hyukmoon]

moon. | l.sy x gn!reader

lee sangyeon x gn!reader

word count: about 4.01k

to put it short: congrats! Something you should actually say, right? Your best friend and crush is getting married in two days and you feel,... well, not very good about it. So, wait... he's returning the feelings? Damn.

content warning: ANGST in capital letters, I would add lots of exclamation points but im lazy. So yeah, hella angsty. Some good old making out, it's kind of heavy at some point but no smut at this point lol. I don't condone any of the done actions, so yeah, I would've personally handled everything differently, but you know, y/n is kinda wild. Very awkward sometimes, but that's more the situation in itself. ALSO, NOT PROOFREAD

taglist: @loki-in-hogwarts

note: the second thing i wrote and im somewhat excited!!! Yes! Exclamation points. So,... thanks for reading :)

It was a great day. Well, at least seemingly for everyone but you. Your best friend in this world Sangyeon was about to get married to the love of his life, who is notyou and now you just stand in the hotel lobby waiting for it to happen. Funnily enough, the crushing feeling of desperation and fear didn’t seem to set in yet.

The hotel lobby was filled to the brim with acquaintances and other guests possibly confused by the uproar of the wedding guests. So, who were you specifically waiting for? The rest of your friend group, the ones who will most likely clean up after the wedding whatever will be left of you.

A nervous smile swept up to your lips, casually just avoiding every sort of tension that could come across you. Just with the luck of this entire occurrence an older woman started to approach you, demon alike features spreading around her face almost like she knew you were apparently the only single person here. An aunty, that wasn’t even related to you but had all the business to judge.

“Are you here for the bride or the groom?”, her sweet voice rang a familiar feeling in your stomach. Almost too sweet, making you suspicious of her intent. “I’m here for my best friend, Sangyeon. So, yeah, for the groom.”, you hesitated a second, “What about you though? Do you know the bride?”

“She’s my youngest niece, the only one that still visits, her sisters don’t even care anymore…” You nodded politely, not wanting to anger her now and stepped towards a different direction.

“So, my dear, are you here with anybody?” You already feared that question, the same as always. The eyes of yours started with a panicked expression searching through the room a familiar pair. “No, I am here on my own. I kinda wanted to focus on getting Sangyeon through with it, being there for him.” As a friend.

Possibly this was the first part of feeling despair and fear. People at this wedding were really waiting for them to get married. They weren’t joking, this would change everything.

“Ah, I see. You know, get over him. Well, it is time for you at least, you’re not getting younger. There are quite few handsome men here. I remember the names Juyeon and ah yes! Kevin, get over here!” As far as you were concerned, your facial expression couldn’t possibly look more stunned than a moment ago, yet another one of your good friends appeared, seemingly just as confused.

This only held on for a good second, Kevin knew exactly what to do. “Oh hi, I’m so sorry to steal [Y/N] away from you, but I actually need to talk to them on my own over a gift we both prepared for the couple!”, he grinned at the lady, who was obviously smitten with him. “Yes, of course, hun. Take your time.” She finally hushed into a separate direction.

“So, how are we doing? You seem kinda… stressed.”

“You don’t say”, you sighed, “if I have to go through a conversation like this again today, believe me I’ll-. “

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure I get the sentiment. Even though I meant more the other situation. Like in, Sangyeon getting married and you sitting here all grumpy because of it.”, Kevin was already aware of your “small” infatuation with your best friend, a man too far out of your reach also funnily enough, the man’s wedding you’re attending. However, your friend in front of you didn’t seem to mind talking about it out loud in a place like the hotel lobby. Your lips tightened up into a fine line.

“I’m not grumpy! I just…I don’t really know what to do. I mean, I know I’m going to be there for him but yeah, okay, I might feel a bit grumpy.” The lobby did clear up a lot now.

“Okay, oof. There’s this dinner with everyone in the evening today, do you think you can get through that?”, Kevin asked hesitantly just as stressed with this additional complication.

“I mean, I probably have to, don’t I? This makes me so sick, ugh. Not gonna lie, my stomach feels like a laundry machine.” You laughed quietly and drifted off again into a place where you didn’t need to think about this.

“What did you really expect though? You know I love you, respectfully, but like, this feels like an incredibly bad move to do.”

“Don’t you think it would be worse if I didn’t show up at all? I’ll just need to go through this weekend and I’m outta here. No one will know anything.” It might feel like a nightmare but at least a nightmare you can actually run away from and not actually have to face at some point.

“Well, I hope you’ll keep your confidence. Because imagine I saw the person, I love getting married to someone else. Oh my, believe me, you wouldn’t find me for the next three weeks.”

“Not very helpful, a good three out of ten. I guess, I’ll just stick to sulking around then.” A dead smile crept up your lips following a stern look from your side at your opposite.

“Seems like a good plan, just stick to me, maybe we will find someone to take your attention away from this, huh?” A sly grin was visible on Kev’s face.

“Ughhh, of course. Let’s do this. It can’t get much worse than that”, you cleared your throat, “thanks, though. You actually make this here somewhat bearable.”

“Awww, come on. We should pack out our suitcases.”

No one can really prepare someone for a moment like this. Most older folk turned into their hotel rooms which left you in a party like situation seeing your closest friends turning it up in a huge pavilion while the future groom sits comfortably on a velvety sofa hand in hand with his fiancée.

The air was quite warm even at this time of the evening, not humid, just warm enough for everyone to taste the end of this era with nostalgia and a slight feeling of energy to experience what’s to come afterwards.

You as well sat down, continuously processing your environment. With a cup of your favorite drink, you felt invincible, nothing able to shake you down.

Now while this wasn’t a preferred environment, this was manageable; you could look your best friend into his eyes and proudly congratulate him on his wedding. You would be able to get over this and continue to be a great friend. Black hair with an intense facial expression made its way into your viewpoint along with a somewhat tipsy Kevin. Simultaneously the lighter hair of your best friend fought his way through the crowd.

Lee Sangyeon, the man lighting up your mood with simple touch of his fingertips was now signalizing for you to head outside towards the veranda of the pavilion. He exuded patience, yet clearly waiting for a response of you. You nodded and brushed cautiously over your evening attire.

“Hii, [Y/N]! Can I introduce this someone to you? This is Juyeon, he might look a bit intense, but he’s really nice to talk to! So, I’m gone for a sec then!” Kevin started drifting off into a different direction where you stopped him in his tracks.

“Could this wait? Sangyeon needs to talk to me. I think it’s important, I’ll come back though in a bit!” You gifted both of them an apologetic face and made your way around the men towards the going to be groom.

Surely it wasn’t exactly clear why he wanted to speak to you, especially on his own. He was still waiting for you after all.

“[Y/N]! What has it been? Like three? Four months? I missed you so much.”, Sangyeon pulled you into his chest abruptly and sighed softly into your shoulder. Engulfed entirely in his figure you never wanted to wake up from this again. Was it now 10 seconds? 15 seconds? Neither he nor you really seemed to let go, taking in all the scents of his that were formerly familiar to you.

“Yeah, I think so. You were probably busy planning this all and I just had to work, I guess.” Trying to keep it short was your main goal, appearing distant maybe. He didn’t mind at all though. Not discouraged from continuing this conversation Sangyeon pointed at the veranda, showing the only speck of space with little to no crowd.

The veranda was close to closed off to the party. Non distinguishable palm trees in the far distance were playing right into your cards for not having to look into his eyes. Magnetically glowing, that’s how he appeared. All happy and smiley about the obvious luck he was experiencing. Now again, he sat down with you in the beach chairs without loosing a word.

“The palm trees are so pretty. You remember me wanting to buy some new plants?”, you tried to invite him to the conversation.

“You always want to buy new plants, which time do you mean?” Sangyeon grinned to himself. “You know what? It’s so weird. Everything feels still so unreal. This wedding, also you at my wedding… So weird.”

“I am literally your best friend, where else should I be? Your funeral? At home? Who else is going to charm the hotel staff for some free capri suns and new towels?” Your mouth crinkled up and you let out a soft laugh.

“[Y/N] … You know exactly what I mean!”

“Noo, not at all. I’m so confused right now, not gonna lie.” Your face finally moved towards his direction, seeing his gentle gaze resting on you.

“Do you remember when we were still in school, and we promised each other we would marry each other if we didn’t find anybody else?” His gaze got more intense with each sentence.

“Yeahh, kind of. I was probably tired and it’s like ten years ago. I’m not really sure what you’re trying to tell me.”

“I really thought I was going to marry you. For several years, actually.”, he laughed. “I had such a crush on you and then you met your s/o and all that. Ughh, it seemed so complicated back then. Kind of weird to think about what could have happened if I did ask you out or something.”

“True.”, you turned away again standing up and resting against the wooden railing of the pavilion. “But you didn’t so, let’s just drop it there.” The weather as well started rebelling a bit, the wind hugging your figure slightly too tight for your taste.

“Why are you so cold all of a sudden?”, he whispered closely behind you.

“Well, you’re getting married tomorrow. And you’re telling me about a crush you had on me?”, you croaked.

“I was just being nostalgic, I thought this would be fine with you.” Sangyeon appeared now next to you on the railing, waiting for you to face his concerned dark eyes.

“It isn’t for me. It just feels wrong.”

“What feels so wrong about it? It was a long time ago.”

It is here, the bitterness. Bitterness shouldn’t even be the correct term, the pain of your heart going into a slump didn’t feel like a fitting word. Being reminded again that you will never have a chance again.

“Wait or is it not a long time ago for you?”, The voice of his tried to word his next sentence very carefully.

“I went out with them because I thought you were joking. Then when I thought about you, it was always different. It was too late though, you met her.” Only the close ocean along with the wind were hearable, neither you nor he were able to form another thought put into a sentence.

“You could’ve told me. I would’ve-.”

“Broken up with her?”

“No, I-.”

“Then what could you have done?”, you interrupted Sangyeon’s rambling, trembling while speaking. Terribly spiteful with a bite that wasn’t too often dripping down your lips.

“This.” Sangyeon pressed a fluttery kiss against your lips. Slender fingers tapped onto the skin right under your chin, signalizing you to look at him.

The now much calmer atmosphere made you snake your arms around his torso. Heat rose towards your head, longing after a second out in the cold again just to see his lovely facial expression. Your lips broke off and touched once more in an almost hypnotic fashion.

His hot breath started sliding downwards your cheek to your neck, physically making you unable to resist his entrancing presence. Also his hands broached over from your face down to your waist, holding you with the lightest touch.

Sangyeon’s lips darted away from yours, catching you staring deeply into his eyes. The silence felt warm now as well, filled with the slow and recovering breath of the participants.

“[Y/N], I think I still feel that way.”, a rosy blush swept over the man’s face you wanted to hear say these things so many times and so long ago.

“No. No. No. You shouldn’t! I shouldn’t either! I have to go.” The reality of the situation caught up to you. This was bad. Incredibly bad. Still the disgusting feeling of hope within this made its way up to your head. Stinging alongside the feeling of remorse, you didn’t think clearly, especially now, next to him.

You darted in the fastest way possible from the pavilion up to the hotel to your room, leaving him there.

Today should be the final day. The hopes that already should have been buried a long time ago, crawled up again and clawed its way into your mind. What if he leaves her for you today? Like in those unrealistic rom coms. Yes, again, it was unrealistic.

Leaving her at the altar and running after you. While all those thoughts of hope and wishes came together you found yourself with a stomachache. His fiancée was an incredibly nice person, sweet and kind along with being a beauty. You shouldn’t even dare to think about Sangyeon that way anymore, she deserved a lot more. Quite honestly, you felt pathetic. Who were you to run into their possible future?

Just because of a simple brush over the lips, his eyes staring into yours like no one else existed but you and his soft hands delicately touching your waist. A tap on your shoulder put you out of your trance, “[Y/N]? Can you go up to Sangyeon’s room? He asked for you.” Kevin’s eyes glanced at you with uncertainty. Neither you nor he knew why he wanted to see you.

Even more importantly, why did he need to see you alone? This seemed like dangerous territory after, basically yesterday. Agony rose again, what if he really was going to leave her?

“Sure, I don’t know why he wants to see me again though.”, you said and left to see the groom’s room. You stumbled more and more over every step closer to the door of the man who’s going to rip your heart and air out of your lungs. The normally soft laid out carpet felt in this moment like you were stepping barefoot over glass. There was the door, brightly painted in eggshell paired with the digits of the hotel room.

Before you could reach the door to knock on it, light brown waves greeted your overtly surprised face.

“You clean up well.”, Sangyeon’s rang in your ears clearer than freshly hung-up laundry in your nose. His previously concerned face curled up into a faint smile.

“Same goes for you”, you tried your best to hide the very apparent frog in your throat, “So, why do you need me?”

“Just needed to see you before going out there, I guess.”, his voice got a lot quieter. It got silent.

Not sure if a said word was necessary, you plopped down on a small, velvety stool. Every whisper was to be heard. An otherness surrounded Sangyeon, like he wasn’t there anymore, and his thoughts took over his being. You scooted closer towards him, just wanting to see him up close for the last time like this, smelling his earthy cologne from this distance.

“Why are you doing this to me?”, your voice went close to hoarse after the question. He was just as silent as before. No sound, nothing. This torment of a weekend was supposed to end with no gratification, not feeling free from this feeling on your chest? Your hand slid over his, the most desperate attempt to get his attention while also experiencing his touch again. Sangyeon jerked his hand back and returned to his absent posture.

“Why do you want to hurt me like this? I am your best friend, and you use me like I’m nothing.” The lack of power you had now made you sink down to the beige teddy carpet. Small tears started swelling up in your nearly dry eyes, kind of contradictory, yet the more tear drops rolled down your cheeks the rottener and hollow you felt.

“You were my best friend until you-.”, he stopped midsentence, “made me feel things again I didn’t need, I didn’t want.” Also his face was wet, ridden with tears making his usually calm and cheerful persona look like a painful insult.

“You asked me here. It hurts, Sangyeon. I can’t make it stop hurting, I don’t know what to do”, you reached for him again, “Could I ever be enough for you?” He returned your former attempts to stroke your face. Cornering both of you, the air trapped you in the toxins of heartbreak and hopelessness.

Once again, Sangyeon’s hand glid over your soft skin and halted on your face. Glaringly staring into each other’s eyes, you were there again. The day before, yesterday. Close to baring the soul of each person present.

“[Y/N], it’s not about being enough. It never has been. I have made a commitment I already broke, I…I can’t do this”, he sighed, “you know I love her.”

“I thought you loved me as well.” Overwhelming nothingness overruled you, almost scaring you about this reaction. You weren’t crying, yelling nor having any physical reaction at all. It was convincingly numb; the resting hurt would come later. Sangyeon’s head dropped in the dip of your shoulder and neck.

This sort of closeness would never happen again. You feeling him breathing into you while having his comforting heartbeat close to yours.

“I do, but I can’t do this to her. I would never do this to her.”, he whispered into your shoulder. A sigh came from his side.

“Then, please. Kiss me, for the last time.” The last part of the sentence left a disgustingly bitter taste in your mouth. This was over, right? His head, which was formerly resting on your shoulder, drifted up and towards yours. Also his expression blank and hollow, like he didn’t know anything.

For the last time, his hands cupped your face in a comfortable manner. As always, he felt homely, but he surely wasn’t yours ever. Not even waiting a good second or two, the light brunette’s face came closer to yours. With no hesitation both of your lips touched tenderly, releasing every sort of affection that could be expressed at that second. You inhaled again his intoxicating scent, in the hopes of having him all over you. His now reddened lips moved closer towards your jawline making you gasp for air.

Also, you weren’t completely still, constantly shifting your hands up and down over his torso upwards his neck, desperately feeling everything, you can for the last time. Sangyeon’s locks tickled you softly while he suddenly latched his mouth onto your neck right below your ear.

“No. Please, I just want a kiss on my lips.”, you said lowly, closely resembling a whine afterwards. He complied pretty quickly, leaving you with no thought but him tickling your bottom lip with his warm tongue. With him being this fast, you didn’t want to keep him on his toes. Entirely engaged in this moment, hands surprised you again on your waist, wandering closer and closer under the blouse you were wearing. You moaned into the kiss, making him take the opportunity to maneuver his tongue into your mouth.

Similarly to you, he was also stunned for a short moment when you grabbed up onto some strands of hair. A sigh left his now plump lips, a need of fresh air arrived onto both of you. Yet this was short lived, his hands captured your chin and attached his lips again onto yours in a matter of mere seconds. A bell rang, close footsteps to be heard across the floor reminding you of the situation you were in.

“Why am doing this? I am so sorry.”, you broke off his lips and took a step backwards at the door.

“[Y/N], we both did this, and it won’t happen again. We just need some time without each other. I think it would be for the best if we don’t spend time together alone anymore.”

“Are you doing what I think you’re doing? I don’t know what to say. I-.”, His lips captured yours again fast with a lot more force behind his kiss.

A strong arm shut the about to be opened door again and hovered over your head. The other one caught grabbed your chin with an almost contradictory feeling to it, the lightest touch just to shove you into his direction. You sighed into his lips, waiting for him to commit with his tongue one more time. Buttery lips pressed against yours and clang inside your mouth. Fiercely did your tongues meet, ending with him sucking on yours. Wet cheeks batting against each other with no intent of separating, your movement still came to a halt.

“You know what? I hate this. I want you to be happy, then if it is with her, I will just y’know…go or uhm mind my business.”, you slurred the last part. It wasn’t really one of your most prideful moments. Still flushed with tears and embarrassment you dropped again against the room door.

“I ask for one condition though,” incredibly hearse was your voice after the crying and even more so because of your follow up, “I do not not want to see you for some time, I don’t want to have to see your face ever again.” Tears weren’t anymore swelling up in your eyes, they never seemed to stop running down with no chance of leaving this conversation with an ounce of self-respect and pride.

It wasn’t even really much of a problem to leave him behind for a bit, it most likely would be for the best anyway, yet while his words should only leave a small mark and feel like a ripped off band aid, you felt alone. A sense of loneliness crept stealthily into you leaving you with nothing but a severe feeling of dread.

“If that is what you want, I’ll respect that.” The room got quieter till you heard the last of his words: “Of course, I still want you in on my wedding though, you’re still my best friend.” Sangyeon’s usual soft and kind smile appeared on his face, seemingly reaching you an olive branch. The former assertiveness and confidence drained through the conversation; you were nothing but a wreck.

“Alright, I’ll be there.”

The ceremony was beautiful. Fairy like flowers were hung all across the beach space, making the place more surreal than it was to begin with. Everything light with a hint of light green and an even lighter lavender tone. The air seemed to have evaporated all the tension and sadness from your face. All across the seats were relatives and friends sitting with a nervously happy face. Ironically, he really thought it was going to be you someday.

“You’re [Y/N], right? Everyone always tried to introduce me to you. Now we’re sitting next to each other at Sangyeon’s wedding together! I’m Juyeon by the way.”

[drarryruinedme7]

Last year I made a post with all my fave Drarry fics from my first year of fandom. Have my second year wrap up! Listed by Rating and then length. 

RATING: TEEN AND UP AUDIENCES

Beautiful by @xx-thedarklord-xx​​ (2017; 8.9k)

Summary: With the second task looming closer, Harry escapes to the Black Lake to open the egg, in the hopes of avoiding Myrtle. The Mersong isn't just helpful in figuring out that Mermaids are real, it attracts his very own handsome Merman.

*I didn’t know I love merpeople AUs until I read this one. It was cute and sweet and I’m really glad I read it. 

Hermione Granger's Hogwarts Crammer for Delinquents on the Run by @waspabi​​ (2017; 93.3k)

Summary: 'You're a wizard, Harry' is easier to hear from a half-giant when you're eleven, rather than from some kids on a tube platform when you're seventeen and late for work.

*What can I say. This is a masterpiece, it absolutely entered my heart to never leave it again. Best AU ever!!!

Away Childish Things by @letteredlettered​​ (2018; 153.8k)

Summary: Harry gets de-aged. Malfoy has to help him.

* This has been the turning point of my Drarry passion this year. First, I discovered Lettered (good Lord why hadn’t I before?!) and then, well. This fic brought out so many feelings in me and I’ve already re-read it something like 5 or 6 times in the span of a few months. Amazing.

RATING: MATURE

you’ve got the antidote for me by Kandakicksass (2018; 20.7k)

Summary: When Harry Potter unintentionally severs their soulbond before it can fully form, Draco Malfoy resigns himself to a slow death and decides not to burden Harry with a soulmate he's made it very clear he doesn't want.He's never been selfless before, but for Harry, he can try.

* The angst!! It’s usually not my cuppa, but this was bittersweet and just so well written, I couldn’t stop reading. Find the rec for this one at this post.

RATING: EXPLICIT

Give Me Sweet Oblivion by @tryslora​​ (2012; 4k)

Summary: Italy seems like a long way to go to keep a fetish secret. But the club is exclusive, and the far away location, and Muggle nature, promises anonymity from Wizarding Britain. The only problem is that sometimes, great minds think alike.

*Super hot, I love finding old gems like this one. Plus, Italy. Go, folks!

Shiny Things, Slightly Damaged by @lqtraintracks​​ (2020; 5.3k)

Summary: Harry may not ever have had to see it if McGonagall hadn’t decided it was a good idea to hold a ceremony on the grounds outside before the Sorting in the Hall. And by ‘it’ he’s referring to Draco Malfoy on a motorbike.

*jsklajdksajfa This one! THIS ONE! Slayed me. I read it feverishly and then like, fainted at Draco on a motorbike.... this fic surprised me and I 100% loved it.

A Ghost of Blissful Feelings by @alpha-exodus​​ (2020; 6k)

Summary: Harry hadn't expected to spend his eighth year fucking Draco Malfoy, but it's the only thing that helps him let go.

*Dunno guys, I’m amazed by how much this one hit me. You should read the tags before diving in, but it was darkish in the right way, Harry and Draco suffers and find peace in a ‘’special’’ way, but I stand by it. Hot and intense.

Tell Me (What you Need) by @keyflight790​​ (2019; 6k)

Summary: Even though Harry was paying for his Dom, there were limits; breaking points in which someone would refuse, no matter how many Galleons were pushed in their direction.

*Okay, I may be biased because this is a gift for me, but Chris never lets down with her amazing writing and this has everything I need and more: Dom!Rentboy!Draco and a perfectly sweet Harry with a Daddy!kink. I mean.

Dangerous by Faith Wood (2014; 6.3k)

Summary: Being trapped in a dungeon with Malfoy — who's a werewolf, a former Death Eater, and a giant git — is definitely dangerous. Harry has no reason to be excited. None at all.

*Y’all know Faith Wood is like my n.1 fave Drarry author. I have no idea why I had never read this one though!!! It’s actually phenomenal, scorching hot and just dsjkafjaks love this werewolf!Draco. OMG.

Scent and Sensibility by aidaninkling (2018; 7.5k)

Summary: [...] Draco's always known he'd be married off as a trophy omega, but suddenly his mother's trying to make him king by promising him to some stupidly good-looking alpha and she just won't stop smiling at him. Does fate's cruelty know no end?!

*This blew my mind. A/B/O AU so hot I melted while reading it and I loved it so much that I re-read it three times IN A ROW. No kidding. Read it. 

The Eighth Tale by @letteredlettered​​ (2012; 12k)

Summary: Draco Malfoy tries to fix the past, but instead mucks it up some more. For Harry, it all becomes quite clear.

*Back to Lettered. I love Time Travel fics, and this just delivered perfectly. The ending was also enigmatic enough to keep me wandering, which I always appreciate in these kind of stories. 

Sex, Lies and Veritaserum by @letteredlettered​​ (2011; 17.9k)

Summary: This entire fic is one long conversation about sex.

*LOL alright, I’ve developed a new obsession this year (clearly). This was ...gosh! Hot but it also gives away a certain level of intimacy and trust between Draco and Harry to be so open about their kinks... it was perfect.

On One’s Knees by pir8fancier (2008; 33.8k)

Summary: The war is over and to the victors go the spoils.

* The fic which made me fall in love with DownAndOut!Draco. 

The Pirate and the Prince by @nerdherderette​ (2019; 49.2k)

Summary: Draco can't believe that fate and circumstance have made him a stowaway on the Master of Death's ship. He doesn't know what's worse: the dread pirate's legendary vendetta against the aristocracy, or the fact that his captor is the most infuriating yet irrefutably fascinating man Draco has ever met.

*Okay y’all. Nerd is a great person and author. She is phenomenal. And this fic shows it so well. The pirate!AU the Drarry fandom both needed and deserved. Sublime.

Unhook the Stars by jad (2016; 70.5k)

Summary: [...] Seventy-thousand words of pornographic discourse between two boys-turned-men that still haven't learned how to communicate like normal people – with words. Guest appearances by Pansy Parkinson, Neville Longbottom, Hermione Granger, Blaise Zabini, Teddy Lupin, Gregory Goyle, the Weird Sisters, ex-wives, several Weasleys, a Boggart, and a Honey Badger.

*Again, Dom!Draco and such a beautiful sub!Harry. They stole my heart. In this fic they grow up together through the aftermath of the war and they just... they have this intense Dom/sub relationship, I can’t... explain how much I loved this. Scorpius also makes his appearance and it’s so real and cute!

Such Great Heights by aideomai (2015; 93.3k)

Summary: Draco Malfoy, wide-eyed and pale and in a decidedly ragged shirt, was crouched next to the pile of whatever the dragon had been eating. Harry threw himself to a halt and yelled, “Merlin, how many times do I have to save your life?”

*This is one of the last ones I’ve read. Find my rec for it here. Such a cool fic, with a shunned Draco who gets to be so happy in the end, it made me happy too.

Burn The Witch by @lettersbyelise​​ (2019; 95.8)

Summary: When Harry Potter is sent in to investigate Draco Malfoy’s successful potions company, posing as Draco’s bodyguard, he doesn’t know the case will launch a series of events that will change his life — and Draco’s. A story about choices, scars, Chopin piano pieces, and finding all kinds of love in the most unexpected places.

*I do not have the words to express what this fic means to me. First of all, it’s how I met Elise who’s an amazing person and who I’m glad to call friend. She’s the sweetest. And also incredibly talented. This fic will take your breath away from the first word to the last one. Smol!Scorpius is perfectly characterised and my absolute favourite bit of the fic. 

Who we are in the shadows by @quicksilvermaid​​ (2019; 99.7k)

Summary: What happens when you’re forced to become the very thing you despise? Ex-Auror Harry Potter, tossed out of the Ministry for something he had no control over, has been looking for a way back to his former life. When he comes across Draco Malfoy in the criminal underbelly of Wizarding London and in need of protection, Harry figures bringing him in to face the Ministry's justice is his ticket back to everything he's lost. But nothing is exactly as it seems. Not even Harry himself. And as he gets drawn further and further into Malfoy's world of honour and deception he finds himself questioning everything he thought he knew—about his childhood nemesis, the Ministry job he misses so much, and most of all, about himself. What happens when you’re forced to see that you were wrong?

*Another incredible person who I got to know better thanks to her breathtaking storytelling and her sweetness for sharing it with me. Quick made something amazing with this fic and I urge you to read it. It was my first creature fic ever, first time I read about werewolves and I totally fell in love with it. Sheer perfection. 

Freedom to be by @quicksilvermaid​​  (2019; 169.5k)

Summary: Harry Potter is the Boy Who Lived. 12 years after the war, he's become the Boy Who Lived For Everyone Else. He has the perfect wife. The perfect house. The perfect job. The perfect friends. Only nothing feels perfect. Until one day he stumbles across a club called Release and begins a journey of self-discovery that takes him to a very different place.

*Well, could I just miss out on another one of Quick’s great works? With, again, Dom!Draco!??? No, I couldn’t! This is such a great exploration of BDSM and what it means and Harry’s path into it. 

19 Years and 5 Minutes Later by TheMightyFlynn (2015; 202.8k)

Summary: Five minutes after his happily-ever-after, Harry finds himself locked in the public loos with an angry Draco Malfoy and a need that he has denied for 19 years.

*Find my rec for this fic here. It’s really long and has Ginny bashing, but it’s totally worth it!! 

[stormyoceansmain]

[im very much NOT a writer - i cannot stress this enough - but i truly mean it when i say sambucky is making me go insane. i find no other explanation for ending up writing 3.8k words of sambucky, alpine, and movie night. thank you if you decide to read this, i hope it's not too terrible]

Sam shows up at Bucky’s place for movie night with a case full of beers and ten minutes to spare.

Sarah makes fun of him for this Friday tradition they’ve been carrying out for the past few months, says he should just muster the courage to ask Bucky out on a proper date already. It doesn't matter how many times Sam told her he is just helping Bucky catch up to the 21st century, she always ends up giving him that Look that says she's not believing any words coming out of his mouth, which is kind of unfair, if you ask Sam.

Well, fine, maybe Sarah is right. Maybe Sam does want to take Bucky out on an actual date and hold his hand and kiss him goodnight and do all those sickeningly romantic stuff he used to daydream about when he was 16. Turns out former assassins who are incredibly annoying but also surprisingly kind are very much Sam's type. Go figure.

Still, they worked hard to reach the kind of friendship they currently have, and Sam doesn't want to lose that. He's also not blind to the way Bucky flirts with Sarah, and despite her insistence that Bucky does it more to rile Sam up than for any real interest in her, he’s not about to risk it all on a whim.

This resolution almost crumbles into dust a moment later, when Bucky opens the door wearing sweatpants and a blue shirt that matches his eyes. He is barefoot and his hair is getting longer, losing the harsh edges of the cut and curling slightly behind his ears. He is still all chiseled jawline and defined muscles, but he looks softer, more comfortable in his own skin, and the easy way he smiles at Sam makes a heavy warmth pool around Sam’s stomach.

“Hey,” Bucky greets him, sliding his metal arm around Sam's shoulders to pull him into a brief hug.

This, too, is something of a novelty. There's always been a sort of intense physicality about Bucky, both in how he carries himself and in how he is always aware of the bodies moving around him, but the casual affection, the playful abandon with which he touches and lets others touch him these days, feels like a wonder. Sam would have never expected it, and he had come to love and hate it at the same time.

“Hey yourself,” Sam greets back, splaying his free hand across Bucky's back, allowing himself to hold him there and breathe him in for a second, a fresh lemony smell coming off his hair, before giving him a quick pat on the shoulder and putting a respectable amount of space between them.

He buries his hands deep into the pocket of his jacket and follows Bucky inside, trying to resist the urge to slide his fingers under the hem of Bucky's shirt and feel the warm skin underneath it.

It's the first time Sam steps into Bucky’s apartment since Bucky took home the stray kitten he found on the side of the road three weeks ago, and the changes around it are staggering. Sam was used to empty spaces and few, essential furniture, but now the space in front of the window is occupied by a giant cat tower, and lots of smaller scratching posts are scattered all over the living room, along with different kinds of cat beds and toys.

“I see you redecorated,” Sam says with a grin.

Bucky shrugs, opening two of the beer bottles with a quick twist of his metal hand. “Cats need stuff.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I'm glad.” Sam grabs one of the bottle and clinks it against Bucky's. “Pets are great company and the place looks much better like this. I wouldn't have pinned you down as the crazy cat lady type, but it's always better than Robocop.”

Bucky rolls his eyes, takes a sip of his beer. Sam catches the smile he is trying to hide anyway.

Sam knocks their shoulders together, asks, “So where is she?”

“Hiding, probably,” Bucky says, as if it’s the most normal thing in the world. “She doesn't like strangers.”

Sam stops with the beer halfway to his mouth. “Excuse you,” he exclaims, outraged. “I very clearly remember accompanying you to the vet the first time you brought her in. I also sacrificed two of my shirts for her and have scars on my forearms where she scratched me to death. I think I deserve more than being considered a stranger. We basically co-parented that cat for the first few days!”

“That's nice,” Bucky deadpans. “Why don't you go tell her that? I'm sure the speech will convince her to keep the claws to herself.”

Sam glares at him and Bucky pats him on the arm. “Just relax,” he adds, turning to open the fridge and taking foods out for dinner. “If we let her be, Alpine will come out eventually.”

Bucky is right, of course. Sam had a few experiences with strays growing up, cats and dogs alike looking for shelter from Louisiana's storms under their porch, and no amount of treats he and Sarah tried to give them had been able to lure them out from their hiding spot. The best course of action in these cases was to wait, letting them come out when they felt safe enough.

It still weirdly feels like a rejection of some sort, but he tries not to let it show.

Sam takes a swig from his beer and asks, “Alpine?”

Bucky turns on the stove and shrugs again. He remains silent for a moment, a distant look on his face that Sam has learned to associate to memories better buried and forgotten. He is about to start telling Bucky about the science fair at the boys' school to change the subject, when Bucky speaks again, low and careful.

“She reminds me of the snow on the Alps.”

He doesn't elaborate on that, but Sam nods anyway, like he understands. He doesn't, like Bucky will never be able to fully understand what it means for Sam to carry the shield, but it's okay. They have each other, and that's still something.

Sam taps his foot against Bucky's bare one, watches Bucky's entire being exhale and relax. “Couldn't you have named her Snowflakes or something like that?”

Bucky levels him with a stare that tells him he would rather jump off another plane rather than calling his cat ‘Snowflakes’, and Sam laughs.

The far off look in Bucky’s eyes melts away and they fall into an easy rhythm, Sam sitting at the kitchen table and talking about some renovations he and Sarah would like to do to the house, Bucky cutting the vegetables to sauté.

They have moved on to argue about the best way to season chicken breasts – you cannot leave cayenne pepper out of the spice blend – when Sam catches a flash of white out of the corner of his eyes, and interrupts himself mid-rant.

A second later, Alpine jumps on the kitchen counter, sniffing the air.

It's been only three weeks since Sam last saw her, but she's already grown a lot, and looks much better too: her fur is shiny and clean, her eyes bright, and the slight sprain that caused her to limp around seems to be completely healed.

Alpine lets out a soft chirping sound and headbutts Bucky's arm, rubbing her head against him.

The smile Bucky turns to her is blinding, and Sam has to look away before he ends up doing something stupid, like climb over the table and kiss him.

“I know you're here for the chicken,” Bucky tells her, scratching her behind the ears. “But you can't eat this one.”

He scoops her up with a single hand, ignoring the disapproving meow that follows, and deposits her on the table right next to Sam's arm. Sam freezes, unprepared for the sudden proximity and recalling how quickly she can turn around and scratch, but as soon as Bucky's hand retreats, she is moving away, giving Sam a wide berth. She doesn't go back into hiding, though, just settles on the corner farther away from him and stares him down in a way that reminds him so much of Bucky, Sam doesn't know if he wants to laugh or cry.

He is also struck by the sudden need to make Alpine like him.

“Is she gonna maul me if I try to give her a treat?” Sam asks.

Bucky tilts his head, considering, which does very little to reassure Sam about the safety of his fingers.

“I wouldn’t try hand-feeding her,” Bucky answers, fishing out a bag of treats from one of the cupboards. “But she likes to chase them.”

Alpine observes with quiet intensity as Bucky dumps a few treats into Sam's hands, and when Sam tosses one a few feet away she jumps down the table and runs after it, grabs it with a paw.

“Alright,” Sam declares, “that's pretty cute.”

Sam spends the next few minutes throwing treats at Alpine, inching them closer and closer to himself to test how willing she is to get near him with the proper incentive. The last one he places right in front of his feet, then he sits back and waits. Alpine hesitates, eyes flitting between him and the treat as to evaluate if it's safe enough, until finally she starts to move, slowly, slowly. She gets close enough to stretch her paw out, pull the treat towards herself and take it out of reach to eat somewhere else. Sam still takes it as a win.

Bucky clears his throat and announces that dinner is ready, so Sam leaves Alpine alone and helps him set the table.

Dinner is nice. Bucky makes a glazed chicken with honey and garlic that it's to die for, which Sam finds utterly unfair, considering he comes from a time where spices were believed to be a menace to the public.

He still goes back for seconds, and by the time they move to the living room to watch the movie, Sam feels full and content.

He finds Alpine curled up on one end of the couch, and while he believes they made some progress in their relationship, he doesn’t think either of them is ready to bring it to the next level, so he takes the seat on the other side, careful not to disturb her.

Bucky doesn’t say anything about it, just flops down between Sam and the cat with ease, his knee bumping into Sam’s.

This week they are watching the second movie in The Hobbit trilogy, if only for the horrified look in Bucky’s face when Sam told him that not only they made a movie out of the book, but that they actually managed to stretch it into three. Bucky, it turns out, is one of those people who notices every little changes from the original material, disapproves of them on principle, and is very vocal about his displeasure, exactly like the old man he actually is.

Sam had almost fell off the couch laughing during the first movie, and it had taken him a while to convince Bucky to give the other two a chance. Maybe it was a little assholey of him, knowing that it only gets worse, but just because he likes the guy it doesn’t mean Sam doesn’t want to subject him to some bad cinema for his own entertainment. After all, that’s what friends are for.

It doesn't take long for the comments to start up again. Bucky holds up for thirty minutes, rolling his eyes and grumbling under his breath from time to time, but then Legolas and Tauriel show up and Bucky turns his head to look at Sam, face completely blank, says, “Who the fuck are these people.”

Sam bursts out laughing, and it only gets worse when they reach the scene between Kili and Tauriel in the Woodland Realm: Bucky throws his hands up, exclaims, “Oh, come on,” and starts complaining about how they made the dwarf hot just to add a romance. It has Sam in stitches, and he has to grab onto Bucky's shoulder to stay upright and not end up falling into Bucky's lap.

The tirade ends with Bucky sulking and shaking his head, and Sam is glad for the temporary reprieve just so he can catch his breath. He feels flushed and warm, cheeks hurting from smiling, and the quiet is comfortable, familiar.

After a while, his eyes grow heavy, and he realizes he nodded off only when a light weight sets on his shoulder, jerking him awake.

The movie has ended, screen back on the Netflix title page, and Bucky fell asleep as well, head drooping until it had come to rest against Sam’s body.

The metal arm is glinting gold and blue in the light, and Sam stares down at it, then up at the lines of Bucky’s face, the soft waves of his hair. It always surprises him how vulnerable Bucky looks like this, how younger, and it’s so hard to remember there was a time Sam had actually been scared of him, of what he could do. Now, he would trust Bucky with anything. His life, his family, his home. His heart, too, if Bucky ever wanted it.

Sam knows he should wake him up, send him to bed so he can sleep comfortably there while Sam stretches out on the couch, but he also knows that Bucky still has trouble sleeping sometimes, and Sam doesn't have the heart to wake him up if it isn't really necessary. He’s well aware it's also a little bit selfish, because it's nice, having Bucky this close, warm and solid and smelling of lemon.

Sam takes a deep breath and rests his head on top of Bucky's. He thought he could handle this thing he has for Bucky, keep it under control, but he’s starting to realize he might have actually underestimated the size of his own feelings, which could become a serious problem in the future.

For now, though, Sam closes his eyes and lets himself have this.

The next time Sam wakes up, it's to something walking all over him. He blinks against the sudden light and when his vision clears, he finds Alpine sitting on his lap.

Sam stares at her, wondering for a moment if he is still asleep and dreaming all of this up, but his neck is sore, his arm heavy from Bucky resting against it in his sleep; there’s the beginning of a headache pulsing behind is eyes, and a pressure in his bladder telling him he should probably get up.

Alpine sniffs at his shirt and Sam tentatively raises his free hand, strokes a finger between her ears. She leans into the touch, head tilting up and guiding Sam's hand under her chin. Sam tries really hard not to shriek with delight.

“Oh, you're a sweetheart,” he says, a grin spreading out across his face. “Just like your owner. All tough and fierce on the outside, but adorable and charming on the inside.”

Alpine meows back at him, like she agrees with that statement, and Sam tenses up, glances at the steady rise and fall of Bucky's chest.

“We gotta be quiet,” he tells Alpine, petting her down her side. “We don't want to wake him up.”

“I'm already awake,” comes Bucky's voice next to him.

Sam's entire body jerks in surprise, and Alpine leaps off him, startled.

“Man, don't you do that ever again,” Sam says, a hand placed over his chest. “You almost gave me a heart attack.”

Bucky hums, sounding way more amused than he has any right to be, and sits up.

Blood rushes back into Sam's arm, and while Sam is glad to start feeling it again, he's already mourning the loss of contact between them. Except Bucky doesn't go far, just adjusts his position to angle his body towards Sam and rest his head on the back of the couch. It's easier to look at each other, like this, but they are now so close that Bucky's soft breaths are hitting the exposed line of skin above Sam's shirt, the hollow of his neck, making him shiver.

“So,” Bucky says, dragging the word out, lips tilting up at the corner. “I'm adorable and charming?”

Shit.

Of course Bucky would hear that, that's just Sam's luck. God, he is never going to speak again. He will take a vow of silence like in one of those monastic orders and move some place far and secluded where he won't be able to embarrass himself anymore.

He swallows, makes himself let out a laugh. It's meant to be mocking, but it sounds more nervous than anything else. “I think old age is making you hear things,” Sam still tries to deflect, “I clearly said annoying and self-centered.”

Bucky jabs him in the side with a metal finger. “Nice try, Samuel,” Bucky says, grinning widely. “But I've been told I'm a sweetheart.”

Sam's cheeks heat up. “I was talking about Alpine!”

He wonders if maybe T'Challa would let him hide in Wakanda for a while, just long enough for Sam to regain some kind of dignity. He hopes against all hopes that Bucky will have mercy of him and drop the subject, but of course Bucky doesn't. Sam wouldn't either, if their roles were switched.

“You said she is like her owner,” Bucky points pout, eyes bright and so very blue. He pokes Sam in the ribs again. “Which means, you think I’m a sweetheart, too.”

Sam bats his hand away. He may have embarrassed himself and he's lucky if he ends up this night without Bucky realizing Sam has feelings for him, but he is Captain frigging America. If he has to go down, he will go down fighting.

“What you are, it’s a nuisance,” Sam says. “And a creep. Who the hell pretends to be asleep when they are actually awake?”

“I wasn't pretending, you just assumed I was still sleeping.”

“Anyone would assume that, if you don't say anything.”

“I thought you were going to move as soon as you woke up, it's not my fault you didn't.”

“I was trapped between your heavy ass and your cat. What's your excuse for not moving?”

The argument comes to a halt, an awkward silence stretching between them as Bucky lowers his eyes, scratches the back of his neck. He clears his throat, shrugs.

“Your shoulder is nice,” he says in the end.

It's Bucky's turn to blush, a darker pink dusting his cheeks, and Sam feels like he missed something important.

“My shoulder?” Sam repeats.

Bucky doesn't answer him for a moment, then he straightens up on the couch, rolls back his shoulders like he is bracing himself. He looks up at Sam, and all Sam can see are his eyes.

“It’s comfortable,” Bucky whispers. “And I always sleep better when you’re around.”

Sam's mouth is suddenly very dry, and his heart is drumming against his chest in a way he has come to associate with diving down in midair, or dropping from a high place before his wings open up. This, too, feels a little like falling.

“Buck,” Sam says, because he thinks they are on the verge of something here, but he needs to be sure, doesn't want to mess this up and do something he's going to regret just because his head wants so desperately to see what's not actually there. “You gotta tell me if I'm reading this wro--”

Bucky kisses him.

It's a short kiss, just a soft press of Bucky's lips against his own and he's already gone, moving back to look at Sam with wide eyes, face open and vulnerable.

“Okay?” Bucky asks, and if he didn't sound so uncertain, like he's expecting Sam to push him away at any moment, Sam would laugh at how much of an idiot they both are.

Instead, he holds Bucky's chin between his fingers and pulls him back in. The kiss is deeper this time, turns into a wet slide of tongues and a harsh grate of stubble that makes Sam's insides feel tangled and hot. Bucky's arm slides around Sam's waist, and Sam moves his hand from Bucky's chin into his hair, grips it in a way that makes Bucky exhale sharply into his mouth. Sam wants to touch him everywhere, and he moves his free hand to do just that when a long, loud meow interrupts them.

They break apart just in time for Alpine to jump on the couch and sprawl in the space between them.

Bucky huffs out a small laugh, pets her from head to tail. He looks lovely, with his hair sticking up in odd places from Sam's fingers raking through it, his lips red from kissing, and Sam itches to go back for more, to lay him down and map every single part of Bucky's body with his mouth. He has, however, a horrible feeling about this.

“We will never be able to do anything with her around, won't we?” Sam asks, voicing his thoughts out loud.

Bucky sends him an amused smile. “Someone feels confident.”

Sam rolls his eyes, bumps their knees together. “Says the one who was about to climb on top of me.”

He's pretty sure he was the one grabbing and pulling Bucky closer, actually, but it doesn't seem like Bucky is going to call him out on it.

“It was a good kiss,” Bucky says, smile going soft at the edges, turning shyer.

“It really was,” Sam agrees, and because Sarah is always right, even if he'll never admit it in front of her, he adds, “Wanna go out on a proper dinner, see a movie? Maybe do the kissing part again?”

He's not expecting the way Bucky's lips drop down at those words, and Sam's heart sinks. Maybe he did read this wrong, after all. Maybe Bucky wanted to keep things casual, no string attached, and Sam just ruined everything. He tries to tell himself it was better to know that now, before things got too serious on his side, but it gives him very little comfort.

Bucky takes a deep breath, lets it out in a huff. “I don’t know, man,” he says. “If you make me watch another one of these godawful movies I’m afraid I'm gonna have to break up with you before this relationship even starts.”

Sam blinks at him, then bursts out laughing, sudden and loud. “God, you're an asshole,” he declares, but there's no heat behind it, and when he searches for Bucky's hand, Bucky intertwines their fingers together, places a kiss on the back of Sam's hand as an apology.

“I’m lucky you have terrible tastes, then,” Bucky says.

Sam really has questionable tastes, and if you had told him a few years ago that this was how his life was going to turn out, he would have probably laughed, or worse, tried to stop it from happening. But now, sitting there with Bucky grinning at him and Alpine purring between them, he feels lucky too.

[bard-llama]

The Taint of the Common Man (Meve/Reynard/Gascon)

Okay, so I finally tried to play Thronebreaker again and it turned out that my comptuer/steam/whatever had actually kept my save!!! So I didn’t have to start over, which was good, because the beginning was kinda boring, which is why it took me so long to continue. But it’s also kinda bad, because now I do not remember anything about Gascon’s introduction beyond “they fought, Meve won and threatened to hang him next time”. Which like... I could probably make it work, but knowing the details seems important for writing Meve’s feelings and reactions to Gascon. 

Anyway, this is a continuation of the thoughts that this lovely post inspired, and because I’m me, those thoughts grew a plot. Both the link and the rest of the story involve a VERY dubcon/noncon premise, so please engage only if you can. Also, spoilers for Chapter 1 of Thronebreaker (aka major plot things that happen once you reach Lyria’s capital).

Okay, once again: HUGE WARNING for Dubcon/Noncon stuff. Like, it’s how the story starts and it’s gonna be something dealt with through the whole story. My idea is basically a story that starts with Meve losing EVERYTHING, and then, through her quest to reclaim her throne, she learns how to be a better queen to ALL of her people, not just the noblemen. End game is intended to be Meve/Reynard/Gascon, but tbh, idk how they get there. Like, at first, Meve and Reynard hate Gascon A LOT, so they have to learn to love him and that takes time.

I’m kinda still learning about these characters as I think this through, so apologies if you find them ooc or if I contradict canon (without meaning to. Sometimes i do it gladly lol)

So we start with Meve returning to the Lyrian castle, only to find that her son and the Council of Peers (read: ruling council that advises the monarch and consists entirely of peerage aka nobility) have betrayed her and surrendered to Nilfgaard. She’s thrown in a dungeon and though her son orders that she is not to be harmed, she knows enough about reality to know they’d never let her live. 

She’s on guard, waiting for the guards to come and kill her - only when footsteps approach, it’s not the guards at all, but the fucking Duke of Dogs, the leader of the Strays of Spalla, a gang of bandits that plague merchant caravans and noblemen alike. Gascon, the proclaimed Duke of Dogs, opens the cell door and steps in and tells Meve that he’s freeing her, because the Council of Peers used him and his men and he can’t abide betrayal. But there’s one condition - Meve has to ask him, all nice and polite-like.

Meve, of course, refuses, because she’s nothing if not prideful. So Gascon closes the cell door and leans back against it and says something like, “guess we won’t be leaving, then. Unless, of course, you’d prefer to do something else on your knees,” or some sort of implication like that that makes it clear he’s suggesting that she blow him in exchange for release. And Meve is furious and her pride cuts at her, but dammit, she has no hope of freeing Lyria from Nilfgaard’s grasp while stuck in here. So she goes to her knees. And Gascon is surprised - from his view, she could’ve just begged him??? - but like... the QUEEN is on her KNEES for HIM, a (decidedly un)common bandit who she’d threatened to hang not a week prior. 

Also, I think there’s also a part of Gascon that blames Meve for the massacre of his family. According to the wiki, the year before King Reginald (Meve’s husband) died, Gascon’s family revolted against the king and were soundly squashed, with Gascon at a mere 8 years old the only one to survive. From there, he fell in with the Strays of Spalla and eventually became their leader. Remember this bit, ‘cause I’m definitely gonna come back to it. But anyway, Gascon doesn’t like Meve. He’s doing this because it’s the right thing to do and a little because having the queen indebted to him feels awfully good. Also, Meve is good with her mouth.

So good, in fact, that she drives him crazy, taking him to the edge and teasing him and teasing him and teasing him until his legs are shaking and the cell door is all that’s holding him up. I don’t think he actually begs, because his men are around the cell watching this, but he has to bite his lip hard to keep from doing so.

For Meve, there are many complicated feelings happening. On the one hand, this is humiliating and degrading and it’s shameful that she’s fallen so far as to be forced to service a fucking bandit and even worse that his men are SEEING this happen.

On the other hand... look, Meve was widowed 8 years ago. Somewhere in there (or before?), she comes to love and trust Reynard - who her husband, upon his deathbed, told her that he alone could be trusted. But she hasn’t made a move, because it wouldn’t be appropriate and she doesn’t want to ruin things between them. 

Point is, it’s been 8 years since she’s had sex and she has had cause to desire some sex. Queens can probably get amazing sex toys, but like, an actual cock? it’s been AGES since she’s been able to play with one and she kind of missed it. 

Additionally, in an effort to combat her shame and humiliation, she decides to flip the script on them. Gascon wants her to blow him? Fine, she’ll blow him so well that he utterly falls apart. And maybe she’s a little of practice, but Gascon is young anyway, he probably doesn’t even know better lmao. (But later, she’s oddly grateful that she had this chance for ‘practice’ before it actually mattered)

Eventually, she lets Gascon come - or maybe he uses his grip on her hair to pull her onto him? (She may decide to make it a good blowjob, but that doesn’t mean he’s earned deepthroating) - and the Strays, who have gone from hooting and hollering over the queen’s humiliation to flushed and aroused at the skillful way she destroyed their boss, let them out of the cell. 

Next, they go to the city jail to release Reynard, who was arrested as soon as the coup happened because everyone knows that Reynard’s loyalty to the crown is absolute. Reynard is sitting against the wall and he smiles brightly at the sight of her, so Meve strides into the cell to unshackle him. So of course Gascon, who now stands in front of the door once more, suggests something like, “such faithful loyalty deserves ample reward, does it not?”

And Meve is conflicted. Because AGAIN, the Strays of Spalla are watching them and Gascon is trying elicit sexual favours from her. But also, it’s Reynard. She’s wondered for so long what Reynard’s cock would be like and how he would treat her. And, she justifies to herself, she was already forced to give a piece of filth like Gascon a blowjob. Reynard most certainly deserved better.

So she orders him to stand and goes to her knees and is almost eager to get him in her mouth. And Reynard is caught entirely off guard here, because he was ready to skewer Gascon for the mere suggestion, and then she’s ACTUALLY DOING IT!!! And it’s not like she’s alone in having thought about it, but he always assumed that he would be the one on his knees. So for her to do so... he’s awed and a little horrified that he is party to degrading his queen in this way. And also aroused. REALLY fucking aroused, because Meve is on her knees for him! And unlike Gascon, he has earned deepthroating. Fortunately, he’s already leaning against the wall, so he doesn’t collapse. 

If Gascon hadn’t had the most intense orgasm of his life like 10 minutes previously, he’d definitely try to see if he could join in, even though they really don’t have the time for that sort of thing. But suffice it to say, Gascon remembers each and every moment Meve spent on her knees vividly.

Reynard comes (and Gascon is reluctantly pleased to have a companion in the wait-you-want-me-to-fight-after-how-hard-I-came!? club) and they all leave the dungeons - and get found by a patrol of guards. They have to fight their way out and Meve thinks Gascon managed to slip away - right up until he comes to their aid with his whole crew. With Gascon’s help, their motley crew flees the capital of Lyria (largely by traveling thru the sewers).

That night, they set up camp somewhere and instead of the royal supplies she’s used to, all they have is whatever the Strays of Spalla had, which means stolen and/or threadbare, ‘cause they’re not exactly living the high life. And Meve knows she should get some rest, but she can’t stop thinking about what happened in the prison(s) and she decides that, as long as Reynard was willing, why shouldn’t she pursue the man she loved? 

So she goes to the mess tent and it’s predictably full of drunken soldiers - well, drunken warriors. This rabble didn’t deserve to be called soldiers - and clusters of people playing dice and cards. She spots Reynard at one of the card tables - but sitting across from him is none other than the motherfucking Duke of Dogs. Half-formed plans to kiss Reynard drown under the flood of fury she feels and she summons Reynard to her, ignoring Gascon, who definitely tries to flirt with her. At this moment, she has VERY conflicted feelings about Gascon and most of them are negative. But also, they need him. She is very much aware that his men are the only reason she has any chance at all of taking back her home.

Anyway, Meve confronts Reynard, who explains that he doesn’t trust Gascon as far as he can throw him and whatever mischief Gascon is up to, whatever he thinks he can gain from helping them, Reynard is ready for the doublecross. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer is very much his philosophy, compounded by the way he has learned not to reveal - well, much at all. People probably find him very... is softspoken the word? Not like he speaks soft, but like, he doesn’t say a lot. He learned to keep his mouth shut after he managed to survive insulting the king, so he plays things pretty close to his chest and people find it hard to guess what he’s thinking. 

Gascon, for his part, is helping Meve because it’s the right thing to do (and a little because again, queen indebted to you? Very handy). He’s probably aware that Reynard doesn’t like him, even if Reynard acts friendly enough? Like, literally Reynard is so loyal to Meve that he was imprisoned and she was sure of his fealty. And Gascon has found ways to rationalize what he did i.e. raping Meve - she could’ve just begged! She had a choice! - but even though Reynard got a blowjob out of it, I’m sure Gascon would assume that Reynard would want him dead for the blowjob that he got.

I don’t precisely know what Reynard and Gascon’s relationship is like during this, tbh. I think it’ll be Meve’s POV, so she may have a limited view, but I think it’s definitely complicated. Made worse, of course, by both Meve and Reynard beginning to see the redeeming qualities in Gascon. But that comes later.

For now, Meve accepts Reynard’s explanation and knowing that he would do anything to protect her soothes some of the ruffled feathers from a very trying day. So she decides to subtly ask him something like, “come to my tent?” that like, isn’t blatant ‘cause they’re surrounded by drunk men, but also is pretty clear. And Reynard’s eyes widen and it hurts so much to do, but he tells her no. She’s had an intense fucking day - betrayed by her son and court, imprisoned, forced to give multiple blowjobs and work with lowly bandits and shit. Like, she’s been through a lot and he knows that she’s not able to be in her right mind. So he says no, part of him hoping that if she actually means it, she’ll try again in the morning.

But what Meve hears is no, not interested. Which makes this the third time today that she gets to be humiliated in front of the fucking Strays of Spalla, because not only is the man she loves rejecting her, but like... is he rejecting her because she’s tainted now? How is she supposed to interpret him enjoying a blowjob from her one hour and rejecting her advances the next? 

And the taint... I think that’ll be a theme in this fic (thus the title). Like, at the height of her power before the fall, Meve was “pure” - which in this case means firmly assured that she was right in everything, as she was always destined to be. There’s no questioning of the world order or if she’s qualified to lead. She simply knows that she is.

But now she’s been betrayed, her nobility and her title ripped from her grasp. And not only that, but she’s demeaned herself with a common thug! She even says it in the game - “look how far we’ve fallen, to be surrounded by peasants and deserters and bandits”. For her, this entire situation is almost like “being common” is reaching for her, trying to pull her in, and she wants to resist, because she’s always been taught that the nobles are BETTER than the common people. But as she works with her army of thugs and commoners, she starts to learn that poor people are people too (gee, who’da thunk it?)

That journey takes time, though, and we’re barely at the start of it! 

So, Meve gets rejected. She’s hurt and humiliated and at the moment doesn’t have a kind word for ANYBODY. She maybe cries herself to sleep and hates herself for being weak.

Then morning comes and she has her regular strategy meeting with Reynard, as she did every morning. And it’s awkward and Reynard is as silent as usual, always so deliberate about every word that leaves his mouth. And she wants to ask, but yesterday’s humiliation was enough. She can’t repeat it.

So even though they SHOULD’VE gotten together, they fail to, because Meve is stubborn and prideful and Reynard is closelipped and proper. And Meve kind of hates even the sight of Gascon, but since he IS the leader of the army that is currently only at her disposal because of him, she invites him to join the strategy meetings every morning. If Gascon helps provide a buffer between her and Reynard, so much the better.

Okay, I don’t actually know how everyone ACTUALLY gets together, BUT as they travel through the countryside of Lyria towards the Aedirnian border, a couple of important things happen.

1) Meve sees the real conditions of the people living in her realm. Even in areas that the lords had reported prosperous, people were starving and dying. She starts to learn that these are her people too.

2) Meve and Reynard get to know Gascon. Not just over their strategy meetings, but as they observe him and the Strays of Spalla they (Meve especially) begin to realize that their judgements were all wrong. Because yes, the Strays of Spalla are bandits. They steal from wealthy merchants and even wealthier nobles. That had always been enough to know before.

But now they come to know that that stolen food and blankets and supplies and coin went to the starving peasants in these lands. Hell, most of the Strays are from these areas. These are their people, even if Meve hasn’t figured out that they’re hers too.

Anyway, idk how they get together or how the story ends - is it with them getting together? Getting to Vengerberg to ask for help to reclaim their home? Ousting Villem and taking Lyria back? idk, I haven’t even gotten that far in the game yet lol.

So yeah, here’s a very long synopsis of a story that manages to have almost no porn and lots of angst, despite being inspired by a purely porny post lmao.

[fanfic-collection]

Loki x Pompeii!Reader

It's the Pompeii prompt, but really I wrote it as an excuse to have Loki be shirtless in a hot tub.

No regerts

-

The rush of blood filled your ears, drowning out the crowd around you. Your feet pounding on stone and your ragged breathing the only other noise you could make out as raced through the throngs of people.

Risking a glance over your shoulder, you saw the beast of a man was still after you.

Swallowing hard, your throat dry and burning, you forced your attention forward again.

Ducking around stalls and market vendors, past people and animals alike. On, he pursued you.

The wind was knocked out of you as you felt yourself collide with something solid. You had risked another glance back and did not see the sudden appearance of a man before you. To your surprise though, as the man knocked the wind out of you, catching you in his arms, he shifted his hold on you and spun you about. He had one hand on your upper back and another on your hip. Your hands instinctively moved to his chest, despite his strange clothes.

For just a moment though, as he held you in your arms, slowing your momentum, you spun around. But in that precious time, you gazed up into his face and met his eyes as he stared back at you. The two of you shared a stunned look.

The man had strange green eyes, sharp cheeks, black wavy hair and a tall forehead. He stared at you with an intensity like no other. His thin, pale lips parted slightly as he looked at you clearly confused.

Your face must have mirrored his.

The two of you stopped spinning.

He didn’t move his hands.

Nor did you. The strange material felt so odd under your hands and if you were being honest the broadness of his chest and the muscles… You felt your cheeks heat up and forced yourself to pull back.

A smirk crossed this strange man’s face as he gazed down at you, finally letting go of you.

“Loki! What are you doing? We’re not supposed to interact with the locals, you’re going to mess the timeline up even more.”

You looked over as a man with grey hair and similar clothes came running around the corner.

“Loki?” You asked.

“I am.” Loki smiled, seeming to like you saying his name. “And she ran into me, I merely prevented us from falling over.”

Abruptly you recalled why you were running.

Loki looked at you, seeming ready to ask you that same question.

Before you could speak, the beast of a man finally arrived, charging into the alleyway that the three of you were tucked away in. “Come here, you’re mine.” He reached for your wrist and you tugged away, kicking him as hard as you could. The brute snarled, holding up his hand to strike you with the back of it.

Loki stepped forward and caught it, “That’s enough.”

“Loki…” The grey haired man warned softly. “You know what’s going to happen, just let history progress as it should.”

“I won’t stand idly by and let thugs like this exist.” Loki responded coolly.

You looked between the men fearfully.

Loki held your gaze, “You’re safe, trust me.”

Slowly you nodded.

“Give me it, Mobius.”

“No.”

“Give me it or I’m taking it.”

“I’ll have to report you for defiance in the field.”

“Would you really do that?”

The man, Mobius, sighed, “Loki. Please.”

Still gripping the brute’s wrist, Loki held out his hand towards Mobius. Mobius sighed heavily and tossed a little box to Loki. Loki took the box and touched it to the brute’s arm. There was a soft whir and a flash of fire sparks and then… the brute was gone.

You squeaked, pulling away.

Loki lunged towards you, tossing the box in the same movement back to Mobius. “Hey, hey, easy now.” He said soothingly, “You’re fine, you’re safe, no one is going to hurt you.”

Held by both of Loki’s strong hands, you realized that despite what you had just seen, you did feel safe. Slowly you nodded.

Loki exhaled softly, a smile spreading on his face. “Now then.” He stepped back, removing his hands. Bowing low, he reached for your hand and pressed a soft kiss to it, his lips brushing across it feather light.

You found yourself giggling.

“I am Loki, at your assistance. God of Mischief, current employee of the Time Variance Association.”

You blinked at him.

“And who might you be?”

“Oh!” You scrambled to tell him your name as the man Mobius looked more and more uncomfortable.

“Loki, can we talk?” Mobius hissed. He grabbed Loki’s strange sleeve and dragged him a few feet away, lowering his voice to angrily yell. “What do you think you’re doing? The volcano is going to blow in three days. She’s going to be dead. Why are you making friendly with her? You’re jeopardizing the mission by getting buddy buddy with a local, and if we have to come back and do this again, we could throw even more timelines out of balance.”

The two men looked over at you.

“She heard everything I just said.”

“Oh most definitely.” Loki replied.

“Dammit.” Mobius cursed softly.

You waved at them.

“Look, just give me a little time with her and I’ll clear this whole thing up.”

“Yea? How?” Mobius retorted.

“I’m the god of mischief, I can be very convincing.”

Mobius rolled his eyes. “Fine, fine, whatever. I’m going back to basecamp, but just, don’t screw this anymore than you already have.”

“How is this my fault? She ran into me!”

“It’s always your fault, Loki.” Mobius sighed and shook his head, turning and walking off.

You watched him walk away. “He seems…” Pursing your lips, you searched for the word.

Loki rolled his eyes. “Bureaucratic.”

You smiled at Loki. “So, uh, what’s this about me dying?”

Looking down at you, Loki picked at his hand, his eyebrows furrowed. “Nothing, come on. Show me Pompeii.”

-

“And last of all, this is where I live.” You announced, having given Loki a tour of the entire city.

Night had fallen by now and you were glad to be home. Standing on your doorstep, you were now even with Loki in height. The night chill had settled in and you found yourself slightly envious of Loki’s strange clothes, a jacket, to keep him warm.

Loki looked at the building from the outside with interest, his eyes roving the structure but lingering on you.

“Would you… would you like to see inside?” You offered shyly.

You saw a tinge of pink on Loki’s cheeks as his eyes met yours, “I don’t want to be untoward.”

“It’s just a tour.” You offered your hand to Loki and he stepped in after you, looking around the extravagant building.

Loki tilted his head as he followed after you.

“I’m the daughter of a Senator. He makes sure I’m well looked after.” You shrugged.

As you led Loki through the various rooms and halls, showing him the paintings, mosaics, servants hard at work, and even the gardens, he commented mildly, “Even I’m impressed.”

“Oh, even?” You retorted, unable to stop yourself from playfully shoving him.

Loki chuckled, “You might not believe it, but I am a prince.”

You looked at him in surprise. “Really? Of where?”

“It is a far off place, you would not know.”

“Uh-huh…” You started skeptically, then looked at his clothes and thought of the strange box.

“You don’t believe me?” Loki replied, staring at you intently.

“Actually I think I do.”

“Good, I would not lie to you.”

You hesitated, uncertain about his sincerity. The memory of the man, Mobius, talking about your death came back to mind. “Do you have a place to sleep?”

“I can find my way back to our camp.” Loki shrugged.

“That will not do.” You shook your head.

Loki raised his eyebrow, amused. “Oh?”

Your cheeks heated up again. “And your clothing needs washing. You cannot wear that again tomorrow without having it cleaned.”

Loki smirked.

You reached for the shirt collar and rubbed your thumb along it, there was a grey blemish. “Surely my servants can clean whatever this is.”

Opening and closing his mouth for a moment, Loki stopped, “I won’t stop them from trying. What do you suggest I wear in the meantime?”

“We have more reasonable things to wear, and surely you would like to take a soak, no?”

“A soak?”

“Yes. It is the house bath so you wouldn’t be alone…”

Loki turned his head, uncertainly.

“I figured, I might join you?” Your voice rose in pitch.

The smirk on Loki’s face widened and he hummed softly, “I think that would be delightful.”

-

Modesty shift wrapped around your torso, the servant helped you step into the hot water. Thoughts flashed across your mind on living in a society where such modesty items weren’t the norm. Your cheeks heated up and you knew it wasn’t from the water.

You sank down onto the bench grateful that your servants had kept the pool steaming for your arrival, no matter how late you would get home. Your hair was tied back to keep it out of the water and kept up. Laying back, you rested your eyes, wondering when your guest would arrive.

Were you being too forward? He had just saved you from a terrible fate. And there was no denying how interested you were in him, and not just because he was from some strange existence. This man was breathtaking, you had never seen a man in these lands as gorgeous as him.

There was a soft knocking at the door. “Mistress. Your guest.”

You opened your eyes and looked over, swallowing hard.

Loki stood beside the servant, a simple cloth wrapped around his waist. Your eyes roved over his muscular torso, toned abdomen, broad shoulders, strong arms and…

Loki raised an eyebrow, clearly waiting for you to say something.

“Loki! Wonderful, come, come, please join me.” Your voice was hoarse as you slid over from the stairs to the bath.

Watching him walk, how like a predatory cat he moved, his muscles rippling with each step. No movement was unnecessary, each step deliberate, like a hunter on the prowl, and then he was sitting beside you in the bath.

Sighing, Loki leaned back in the bath and let out a small groan as his muscles loosened in the warm water.

Your heart pounded a mile a minute as you forced a smile looking at him. One of the servants stood waiting in the shadows. “Servant, fetch some wine.” You croaked.

“Wine? I haven’t had good wine in ages.” Loki mused.

“We should change that.” You murmured.

Loki reached for your hand beneath the water, gently lifting it to the surface with both his hands. He gazed at you seriously as his fingers trailed along the palm of your hand then down to the delicate wrist vein. “Your heartbeat is so fast, darling.” He smiled, tilting his head. His black locks shifted with the movement. Carefully he moved your hand over the left side of your chest, just above your breast. Lowering his voice to a whisper, he added, “And loud.”

You could feel your eyes shimmering as you stared up at him open mouthed. How you wished it was his hand and not yours in that place.

The door opened and Loki moved away, the spell broken.

A servant walked in, carrying a pitcher of wine and two goblets. He set down the pitcher and poured one goblet for each of you, before returning to his place in the shadows.

Loki moved opposite you, sipping his wine and stared, his gaze fixated on you. “This wine is incredible.” He purred. “Worthy of Asgard.”

“Asgard?”

“Where I was raised.”

“I have heard of no such place.”

“I am not surprised.”

“Is that where you are a prince?” You asked, reaching out and sliding your leg against his.

Loki smirked, “It is. It is where I am a god.”

“Careful, if the gods hear you challenging them, they tend to get angry.”

Loki shrugged, “So be it. Perhaps my presence is why Vesuvius must erupt.”

You furrowed your brow, “The mountain?” You pulled your leg back, “Is that the death that Mobius was talking about?”

Loki nodded.

“Oh.” You looked away sadly, “I am a distraction then… something to enjoy before, before you leave, yes?”

“No.” Loki shook his head. “I’m bringing you with us.”

You blinked, turning your head sharply to look back at him. “What?”

“The TVA cares too much about the sacred timeline. Their little lizard gods have too much power. If I’m going to burn their organization to the ground, well, I may as well throw it into as much chaos as possible first.”

“So, you’re just using me as a means to an end?”

“Some call me the god of chaos. But no.” Loki slid back around the bath to be next to you, setting down his goblet. “Sometimes there are people in your life that you meet, that you can feel play a part, sometimes a big part, sometimes a small part. I,” he hesitated, “I don’t know what role you’re destined to play yet.” Loki reached for your hand, his larger one engulfing yours, long fingers almost a full bend longer than yours.

The two of you looked at the way his hand consumed yours.

You nodded meekly, as he slid his hand to the side, clasping your hand together.

“I don’t know this feeling, but I don’t want to stop feeling it.” Loki confessed.

You rested your head on his chest. “I don’t want to either.” It was then that you could feel his heart racing and a small smile spread across your face.

-

Eventually you and Loki left the warm water that had begun to cool. You were each given robes and set off in the direction of the sleeping chambers.

“Wait, Loki.” You stopped, dismissing the servant who had indicated a guest room for Loki. “Stay with me?”

Loki looked at you uncertainly, glancing up and down the hallway at the guards standing at attention.

“Please, I’m always so cold after those baths.” You began earnestly.

The corner of Loki’s mouth twitched, “Very well.”

You reached for his hand, wrapping your pinky finger around his and led him along to the master chamber.

It was a grand room, decadent to the extreme. You dismissed the guards with a curt nod, though they stayed within calling distance. Beautiful art and pillars decorated the room with various sitting places should the need arise to entertain.

By the window, was your bed, one of the softest in the city.

Unable to stop yourself, and letting out a laugh at the scandal of it all, you dragged Loki over to the bed. Your legs hit the side and you fell back onto it, dragging him down on top of you.

Loki flushed, rolling over and laying beside you, gazing into your eyes. You gazed back at him, your chest heaving.

“I never noticed your eyes were so green.” You whispered.

“Oh?”

“I was trying to memorize all of you, I didn’t want to forget any details of you.”

Loki lay on his side, hooking his leg over yours so you rolled on your side to face him. Stroking his hand down the material of your nightgown, Loki smiled at you. “You won’t.” His hand came to rest on your waist.

Reaching up you tangled your fingers in his hair, stroking your thumb along his cheek.

Abruptly, Loki moved, gripping his other hand to your cheek, and the one from your waist moving up to guide you towards him and -

And then he was kissing you. His lips pressed to yours, soft gentle, lips brushing against yours, featherlight, mouths moving in sync, the faint tug as you feel him smiling. Your eyes already shut as you sink into the kiss as he rolls over pressing himself on top of you. He pauses the kiss and changes to soft staccato kisses, peppering them down your jaw and throat as you grip his strong shoulders and sigh arching your back into him.

Slowly he stops, the two of you opening your eyes and looking at each other again.

“I think I really like you.” You whispered.

Loki nodded mutely.

Words of confirmation would have been nice, but at least him nodding was something.

You smiled weakly, taking his hand and rolled over, your back to him, placing it on your stomach and closed your eyes.

Loki reached for the blanket, pressing his chin to the top of your head and covered the two of you with it. He laid there in silence, watching as you curled into him. Biting back his chuckle, he smiled as you gripped his arm fiercely, trying to wrap it around yourself as tight as you could in your sleep.

With his hand so occupied, and his other arm somewhat pressed beneath him, Loki focuses his mind on warding the room.

You wake abruptly in the early hours of the morning. Something warm is pressed to your back, a heavy weight across your body. You are entombed, unable to move.

There is a gentle snort, a soft grunt, and then a heavy sigh.

Swallowing hard, the memories of yesterday come flooding back. Craning your head around, and wiggling with all your might, you strain to see the person sharing your bed.

For a moment you are surprised. A part of you genuinely thought he would leave.

Loki’s body starts to react to your wiggling and you stop, face heating up. Biting your fist, you lay still.

Then, with apparent ease, Loki rolls over onto his back, dragging you with him and holding you in place much like a comfort object. He hugs you tight, and you lay on his chest, squeezed in place and unable to move. His physique suggested he was strong but this was beyond anything you could imagine.

Carefully, you shifted your arm free and reached up to stroke his face, “Loki, Loki…” You drew out the word, whispering in a sing song voice.

Loki’s eyes slowly opened, bleary with sleep. Letting go of you, though you stayed on his chest, he rubbed his eyes and yawned.

“Hey Loki.”

“Mmm, hello darling.” Loki hummed, blinking then slowly seemed to come to his senses. He sat up and you fell off of him. “What witchcraft?”

“What?”

Loki’s eyes darkened as he looked at you distrustfully. “I have not slept like that,” he trailed off.

You pulled back and sat next to him on the bed, tugging the blanket with you. The sting of tears welled in your eyes.

“My dear, I am so sorry.” Loki murmured, gripping your cheeks and pressing his forehead to yours. “I did not think I would ever sleep so well again.”

You smiled weakly, still feeling the prickle of tears, “I’m glad I could help.”

Loki pulled you close, hugging you into his arms and burying his face in your hair. “I will not let your fate be the same as this city.”

[taeyongtime]

by chance we meet

genre: blind date!au | fluff 

featuring: NCT’s Doyoung

word count: 3,713 words

a/n: inspired by the aggretsuko episode where retsuko meets her first boyfriend at a singles mixer. also happy late birthday to @chipsandwaffles​ <3

“A mixer?”

Your friend nods eagerly. “Yeah, we’re missing one more for our table of eight, wanna join?”

“Who’s going to this thing?” you frown, not wanting to attend if you weren’t going to know any of the other guests.

“Oh, just some of my boyfriend’s coworkers. Guys and girls alike if you prefer one over the other.”

“I don’t know…” The thought of going out on a Friday night to have dinner with complete strangers didn’t quite sit well despite not needing to wake up early for work the next day. 

“I’m not really in the mood to meet new people right now…”

“Come on, don’t be such a party pooper! See you at seven!”

Without even the chance to object, you watch her go with a heavy sigh. As if the work week hadn’t been tiring enough, now you were metaphorically bound to attend a dinner you didn’t even want to go to. It’ll be easy to play hooky, but recalling the eagerness on your friend’s face when she brought up even the mere mention of a mixer…

Soft. You’d gotten too soft with her and it was time to put your foot down on being roped into any more of her schemes, really.

—

“You’re here!”

Waving a hand, you make your way over to the entrance of the restaurant she’d texted you earlier. A quaint little place not too far from your office, the wooden sign overhead boasts of soju and all-you-can-eat meats amid the chilly wind and darkened sky outside the establishment.

“Actually, I…”

“This way, they’re already inside!”

Again losing the chance to wiggle out of socializing, you finally relinquish yourself to the arm offered and pull open the door to let yourselves inside. The host quickly leads you to the reserved table and you see that there were already two girls and three other guys seated around an already-heated up grill. Recognizing no one, you sit at the seat saved for you and make small talk with the girl next to you, exchanging names and inquiring on where she worked before reaching a halt at any new topics to further the conversation.

“Excuse me, I need to use the bathroom.”

Getting up from your chair, you hurriedly look for the restroom and eventually find the little door at the very back, only to twist the doorknob without much luck in prying it open. Not hearing any sounds either, you knock twice and nearly fall when the door abruptly swings open and narrowly avoids hitting you in the face. Steadying yourself in the nick of time, you cast a glare at the guy who had just exited, mouth dropping in disbelief when he barely even acknowledges you and walks straight down the hallway. 

Unbelievable. The audacity.

Mood now sour, you shuffle back to the table and find the guests in different seats. The girl you’d spoken with before is now talking to a guy so tall he can easily pass off as a tree had not he spotted you staring and offered a taciturn wave. All around, faces blur before your eyes and threads of conversation weave in and out your ears, tangling into a ball that threatens to trip up your feet if you weren’t careful. Spotting an empty seat, you quickly take it and pour yourself a shot of soju to avoid talking to more people. Not alone in the endeavor to deflect from social interaction, the guy two seats down looks awfully familiar as he does the same. Squinting to get a better look, you suddenly remember the incident at the bathroom and storm over, taking him completely by surprise.

“Can I… help you?”

You place your empty shot glass down and cross your arms in distaste.

“I believe you owe me an apology.”

He arches an eyebrow in question. “Excuse me?”

“You bumped into me outside the bathroom and just walked off like it was nothing!”

Realization is slow to sink in, and he rubs his neck awkwardly after it comes to mind.

“Ah, that… I didn’t see you then, my bad.”

“Hmm, you’re fine,” you grumble, not in the mood to hold grudges in the midst of enjoying a free meal. “At least you remembered, unlike some people.”

A low chuckle leaves his lips before he pours another shot of soju into his empty glass and then refills yours.

“That happened before? You being bumped into by the bathroom?”

“Sure.” You nod in thanks and drain the glass in one go. “One time it wasn’t even an accident.”

“Do tell. If you’re willing to share, of course.”

The first smile to grace your face since stepping into the restaurant brightens up your mood immediately and you take the bottle of soju, refilling the two empty shot glasses and holding yours up to toast.

“I’m Y/N. Nice to meet you.”

He does the same and gently taps your glass, clinking in cheers to a new friend at what had been a very unexpected turnout at the singles mixer.

“Doyoung. Likewise.”

—

You’d somehow spent the entire evening eating, drinking, and chatting with Doyoung, the guy surprisingly easy to talk to despite the sour first impression. He had also been dragged along to the mixer, but rather than to find a date, his  reasons in attending were free food and drinks. Clearly the benefits had outweighed the costs of interacting with strangers in the process. 

Perhaps you both had completely missed the point of the event, but enjoying delicious food was always a pleasure, even more so with a kindred spirit who was equally as understanding about the pointlessness in singles mixers.

“Met anyone cute last night?”

“I had a lot of soju and meat,” you answer without looking up from the files you needed to analyze. “Thanks for paying; the food was delicious.”

“That wasn’t the point!” your friend shrieks, hands grabbing the collar of your black blazer and shaking vigorously while speaking. “The point was for you to meet someone so you’re off the market!”

“Love is not all there is in the world,” you retort, prying her hands off. “Some of us are lucky in that department while others like me just naturally fall short.”

“That’s why I’m helping you meet more people!” 

Five manicured fingers slam onto your desk. “Saturday, 6pm, my boyfriend’s place.”

“I’d rather die than third-wheel you and your Taeyongie.”

“He invited two of his most eligible coworkers after I told him I want to set something up for you. So you definitely won’t be third-wheeling.”

The intensity in her eyes is startling, so much so that you offer to get her a cup of water to calm down after making such a heated proposal to obtain your attendance at her little gathering.

“No, I’m fine. But Saturday, make sure to clear your schedule for dinner.”

“This is the last blind date you’re setting up for me,” you warn, promising to save Saturday evening for her event. “I appreciate the gesture, really I do, but you can’t force these things.”

“Fine,” she sighs, nodding in understanding. “I won’t set you up for more blind dates or drag you to any mixers if you want to let these things happen naturally.”

“That’s not exactly what I said, but thank you.”

“You’re my friend, silly. Friends look out for each other.”

◇

Saturday arrived sooner than you expect and here you are, standing before #3622 of the apartment unit your friend cohabited with her boyfriend. Checking that your outfit wasn’t out of place and makeup not smeared during the rush to arrive on time, you take a deep breath and press the bell. The chime travels within and brings the sound of shuffling footsteps and creak of the door frame soon after the initial ring.          

“Finally!”

The excited screech from inside audible from the front door, you exchange with the boyfriend who had opened said door and he shrugs.

“She’s like that,” he smiles, waving you in. “Please, come in.”

Hanging up your coat on the rack adjacent to the shoe cabinet that housed a mix of sneakers, high heels, and other styles telling of a cohabiting couple, you place your shoes on the side and cringe a little at the dark blue bunny socks snug around your feet. Fingers crossed, hopefully no one would notice.

“Cute socks,” Taeyong adds before making his way to the kitchen. “They look just like the pair my girlfriend has.”

A wave of embarrassment washes over your face immediately, already caught when you had harbored the hope that your socks would go undetected.

“Thanks,” you mumble to yourself, letting out a grunt at the whirlwind that crashes into you and hugs you so close that you find it hard to breathe.

“I can’t breathe.”

“You’re here!” your friend squeals, a sound that threatens to dull your eardrums to oblivion at the close proximity. “Thanks for showing up; I genuinely thought you’d bail on me!”

“We’re friends,” you remind her, spotting an opening to wiggle out of the hug. “Plus, I promised.”

“Come, come, I’ll introduce you while Taeyongie makes dinner.”

She leads you to the living room, the black leather couch with enough occupancy for three already occupied by one other.

“This is Doyoung. Doyoung, Y/N. Y/N, Doyoung.”

“You again?” comes the simultaneous chime at seeing each other’s faces.

“You’ve met before?”

“At the mixer,” you explain, not expecting the unexpected twist of Doyoung being Taeyong’s coworker. “We met there.”

“Well, make yourselves at home and I’ll let you know when food’s ready.

“Small world,” she murmurs, letting you talk with Doyoung while she skips to join her boyfriend in the kitchen.

You turn to Doyoung awkwardly and he’s just as flustered, not knowing what to say as you take a seat next to him.

“So,” you begin, “You work with Taeyong.”

“Yeah,” he nods tersely. “Finance.”

“I’m an accountant,” you reply in kind. “Basically the same department.”

“Sure.”

The tension ever growing with each passing second of silence, your eyes wander around and lock in on an opened box of chocolates on the coffee table. On cue, a low growl emits from your empty stomach and your ears pick up a low snort from Doyoung’s end.

“I didn’t eat beforehand,” you mumble in your defense, grabbing the box and uncovering the lid. Six pieces of decadent chocolates wink up at you, waiting to be eaten. 

“You think they’ll mind if I take one?”

“No,” he replies, “I’ll have one too so you’re not the only one responsible.”

Liking his answer, you share the box with him and end up eating four of the six pieces before finding the willpower to talk to him again.

“Here for free food like last time?”

“Partly,” he divulges, leaning back onto the couch. “Taeyong’s a pretty good cook.”

“The other reason?”

“I have nothing else to do.”

The burst of giggles that escape your mouth shifts the topic away from Doyoung and he is quick to send the question back.

“And you? You can’t be here just to steal your friend’s chocolates.”

“This was supposed to be a setup for me to meet some prospective blind dates,” you reveal, still in the midst of catching your breath. “I… I promised my friend I’d show up.”

“Blind date,” he echoes, “That would make sense as to why there were so many people at the restaurant.”

“It was a singles mixer,” you exclaim, dumbfounded at his slow realization. “Why else did you think there were strangers all gathered together at a table?”

“I thought they were just other friends of Taeyong’s. He’s super popular at work; I can only imagine how it must be outside of work.”

“Heard my name.” A head pops in from around the corner. “Need anything?”

“We’re good,” Doyoung speaks up. “Are you good?”

Taeyong reaches his hands behind his back and unties the string of the blue apron over his white tee. 

“Johnny couldn’t make it, so it’s just you two eating with us.”

“A double date?” you whisper under your breath. “What a scam.”

“Sorry, didn’t catch that.”

“Nothing,” you blurt quickly, bumping Doyoung’s elbow. “We’ve been eating your chocolates while waiting; hope you don’t mind.”

“They’re quite good,” Doyoung joins in, picking up on your signal for help. “Where’d you buy them?”

“Homemade,” Taeyong replies, “Hopefully you two didn’t eat all of it when I’m already done with dinner.”

The last two pieces of chocolate are quickly shifted to the front of the case to give the illusion that there were still plenty, and Doyoung strategically places the lid at an angle so only said pieces are seen upon first glance.

“Go,” he whispers, ushering you out. “I’ll be right behind you.”

—

Can it be fate’s call that Doyoung is the one?

You’d already met him on two blind dates, both instances completely by chance that he would be the one you chose to engage with. Great minds that think alike, the vibes between the two of you went along the same wavelength, as if you’d known him forever—even though that wasn’t the case at all. Was he really the one to take you off the market when you’d been available for so long?

After Saturday’s dinner, he had offered to take you home even though his apartment was in the opposite direction and nearly stayed the night if he didn’t bring up the fact that he would miss the last train should the discussion on the joys of eating all of your friend’s chocolates continue further. Letting him go and texting to meet up again the next day, he was prompt to accept the invitation, even returning the gesture for dinner next Friday at another barbecue restaurant for drinks and all-you-can-eat meats. The back-and-forth invitations persisted for a good month, yet neither you nor he ever asked the question about making the relationship as one of more than friends.

Did he not like you back? Or was it all just a misinterpretation of what was clearly becoming a close-knit friendship?

—

“So… anything happen between you and Doyoung?”

“We’re friends now, if that’s what you’re wondering about.”

The disgruntled noise above your head elicits an eyeroll and you tune out the incoming rant about wasting a good friend’s efforts in helping you find the love of your life.

“Are you even listening to me?” she whines, waving her newly manicured hands over your computer screen.

“You painted your nails pink this time.”

“Mean!” She leaves you alone and you can practically see the pout and protruding tongue on her face as you watch her go. Returning your attention to the stack of reports waiting to be reviewed, an hour or so easily flies by. Before you know it, the entire office is empty and dark save the little desk light shining next to your canister of pens. So absorbed you were that you hadn’t even noticed everyone else had already gone home while you were still looking through financial reports.

“Maybe I’m working too hard…”

Grabbing your jacket and briefcase, you remember to lock the doors before taking the elevator down to the main lobby. The security guard on night duty gives a slight nod before holding open the door, and you step out into the chilly cold of the night. No wind, but the relatively thin pants and white blouse on top do little to offer much warmth.

“You have a jacket, you know.”

Turning around, you nearly drop your briefcase at the sight of the figure standing not too far from the curb. In Doyoung’s hand is a cup of coffee, which he promptly offers after you put on your jacket.

“You’re finally clocked out,” he begins, gesturing at the dark office building. “I was thinking you had overtime after everyone left and I didn’t see you.”

“How do you know where I work?” you ask, enclosing both hands around the coffee cup to obtain as much heat emanating from the hot liquid.

“I followed Taeyong when he said he was going to pick up his girlfriend from work today.”

“Ah…”

You take another sip of coffee and he asks if you’d be willing to have dinner with him, the offer too tantalizing to reject when he promised to be the one paying. Giving him the choice of location, you’re even more surprised when he brings you to take the train, getting off at a stop not too far from what looked to be a food fair. Tents propped up along every inch of the path boast of local street foods and drinks while people enjoying the park or who have already bought food sit on blankets by the grassy meadows overlooking the large riverbank. 

Not what you had expected when he said he’d treat you to a meal.

“There’s a food fair tonight,” he explains, naturally pulling you closer as hordes of people push past to reach their favorite stalls. “Anything you want, you pick and I’ll pay.”

You lick your lips in anticipation, prepared to empty his entire wallet.

“Anything I want?”

“Anything,” he laughs, “My wallet has enough to fill you up until you explode.”

“Even lobster?”

Doyoung follows your line of sight to the stall selling grilled cheese lobster, already knowing it would be the first thing you wanted since it was the most expensive item at the fair.

“Get me one too.”

Never one to enjoy crowded areas, tonight is an exception that you find yourself enjoying immensely as you hop from stall to stall with Doyoung right behind. Lobster, spicy rice cakes, meat skewers, fried dumplings, the choices are endless at every corner you turn. Not to be outdone, Doyoung is always one step ahead of you with wanting to try something else when you hadn’t even finished what you currently had on hand, and you eventually call it quits after buying a carton of banana milk from the convenience store to quench your throat from all the hot food.

“I’m full,” you groan when he returns with two soft serves. “You’re going to have to eat those yourself.”

“Are you sure?” he asks, sitting down on the grass. “The lady was kind enough to make these taller for me when I told her it was for my date.”

The word ‘date’ catches you off guard and you quickly look away, not knowing what to say.

“I’ll give it away if you’re sure you don’t want it.”

Extending a hand, you take the cone before he changes his mind and ignore the snicker from his end. The cold dessert is quick to melt despite the chilly air, or perhaps you were just too slow in eating it when you were still full from all the food you ate earlier.

“It’s dripping all over your fingers,” Doyoung nags, dabbing at your hands with a napkin. “Wait, I have another.”

As he wipes your hands clean with a stash of napkins from his jacket pocket, you study his angular face, not quite sure what about him was so captivating that you continued to stare even after he had finished cleaning off the melted soft serve.

“Something on my face?”

“No.”

“Oh. You kept staring at me, that’s why.”

“You… You’re quite handsome, Doyoung.”

“Are you drunk?” he laughs, pressing a hand against your forehead. “No, you’re fine.”

“Why… why did you call this a date?”

“I asked you out and you agreed. Does that not make this a date?”

“I mean…” You shift a little, legs growing numb from being seated in a prolonged position. “You never told me you liked me or anything.”

Now it is his turn to remain silent, and he takes his hand away before placing both palms on the grass and leaning back to look up at the night sky. Following his gaze, the smallest twinkle of a star sparks against the dark backdrop, and you point out another not too far from the first.

“Would it be too late if I told you now?”

“No,” you shake your head, voice growing small. “It’s never too late for that.”

He scoots closer and your hands touch, the sensation shooting up sparks of electricity that warm your face in the cold of the night. Turning towards him, you take a deep breath and press a chaste kiss against his cheek, equally as flustered at your boldness as he.

“So does this mean you’re fine with being my date?” he begins tentatively. “Not a blind date but as a forever kind of date?”

You smile, not at all surprised by his lingering doubt. 

“What do you think, Doyoung? We’ve already had two blind dates and I’ve always showed up. Would I take precious time out of my busy schedule to meet with someone I don’t like?”

“I don’t know, maybe you’re the spiteful type that shows up just to reject me.”

Loud laughter echoes across the park, turning heads to the pair of new lovers who were starting to bicker amid the grassy knolls. Those who didn’t know only see the smiles and warmth in their eyes despite the breeze that blows past, the little bubble encapsulated around the two keeping them oblivious to the rest of the world.

—

“Another mixer?”

“Yeah! Go with me; there’s going to be free drinks!”

“Don’t you have a boyfriend?” you bring up, shutting down your computer and grabbing your jacket from the chair. “Why are you going when you already have your Taeyongie?”

Your friend pouts, blowing a raspberry at his name. “Don’t talk to me about him.”

“You two didn’t break up, did you?”

“No. He’s just working overtime again. For the third consecutive night.”

You let out a noise of understanding, then shake your head at the offer. 

“I do enjoy free drinks, but tonight I’m going to pass.”

“Pass?” She follows you out of the office, heels clicking against the tiled floor. “You have plans tonight?”

“Yup.” Into the elevator you two go, and once the doors open down at the lobby, you step out and spot Doyoung immediately. He raises an arm to wave, holding up what looked to be a cup of coffee in his other hand.  

“I can’t join you when my boyfriend’s here to pick me up from work.”

[acesydneysage]

A Sydney and Eddie retrospective

@vablappreciationweek Favorite familial relationship: The Melrose Twins

Part 1, Books 1-3: The Nice, Cute Trilogy Where a Friendship Blooms and Nothing Bad Happens

Part 2

In Bloodlines, Sydney and Eddie are still getting to know each other. Eddie seems to find Sydney's awkwardness endearing, and they have a certain camaraderie as The Responsible Ones. I think the first time he calls her sis is really cute, even if they don't actually think of each other as siblings yet:

I guess I shouldn’t say everything that comes to mind,” I murmured to Eddie. I was used to being direct in social situations, but it occurred to me that simply saying “Yeah, totally!” would’ve probably been the correct response. I’d had few friends my own age and was out of practice. Eddie grinned at me. “I don’t know, sis. You’re pretty entertaining as you are. Keep it up."

There's a lot of cuteness. Eddie insists on teaching Sydney how to throw a puch, to keep his promise to Clarence. And there's this adorable little fist bump too:

I returned to my desk and received an approving fist bump from Eddie. “Nice work. You don’t have to take a real class. Of course, if she’s got you reading Latin, maybe it’ll be worse than a real class.” “I like Latin,” I said with absolute seriousness. “It’s fun.” Eddie shook his head and said in a very, very low voice: “I can’t believe you think we’re the strange ones.”

That last line brings me to the conflict. Even if the power dynamics for it to be oppression aren't there (and Eddie can't exactly claim his society treats humans amazingly well in my opinion), having someone think that you're an evil, unnatural creature cannot be fun. They mostly don't let it get too far because they're both very professional, so what you get is a thoughtless comment from Sydney and answering jab from Eddie.

“Even a dhampir like you should know that.” He smiled ruefully. ‘“Even a dhampir like me?’” I supposed I’d been a little insulting, but it couldn’t be helped. [...] That wry smile returned. “Everything’s black and white with you Alchemists, isn’t it? Do you think you can really stop her from doing anything? You should know better. Even your childhood couldn’t have been that abnormal.” With that slap in the face, Eddie stalked off, leaving me aghast.

The more explicit conflict they have surrounds Jill's dating life, and the taboo of vampire/human relationships, and that's how we get Lee. The mini-golf family outing is very cute, the twins actually talk in sync at one point, Eddie steps up when he thinks Adrian is making Sydney unconfortable, and he claims that the Dracula statue incident is the first time he heard her laugh. But of course it leads to trouble in the form of Jill's escapade with Lee.

When Sydney explodes about feeling like their mom afterwards (I love that speech), Eddie is included for not scaring off Micah. He's honestly regretful about not pulling his weight, even though she says he's not as bad as the others. I think their relationship is pretty smooth from then on. After that talk they seem to understand each other better.

“Spirit users can take antidepressants, can’t they? If he’s worried about it becoming a problem, then he needs to step up and take charge. He has a choice. He’s not helpless. There are no victims here.” Eddie studied me for several seconds. “And I thought I had a harsh view on life.” “You have a harsh life,” I corrected. “But yours is built around the idea that you always have to take care of other people. I was raised to believe that’s necessary sometimes but that everyone still needs to try to take care of themselves.” “And yet here you are.”

The similarities between Sydney and Eddie's worldviews should be taken as a sign that Guardian ideology is about as messed up as Alchemist ideology, to be honest. But other than her hang-ups about vampires she always thought pretty highly of him:

Eddie was the one who finally spoke, his words soothing and kind. He so often gave off the impression of a do-or-die warrior that it was surprising to realize he was actually very compassionate.

Once Adrian tells her about Mason, she has more insight into the tragic past he hides behind his easygoing nature. I'm keeping this the happy post,more on Eddie's tragic past on the next one. By the end of the book, they've spent a more significant amount of time together, and even though Sydney is not great a reading people and Guardians are probably very good at hiding their feelings, she's the one who notices his feelings for Jill, because she's the one who's paying attention to him.

In The Golden Lily, Sydney is already pretty fond of the whole gang (and feeling pretty conflicted about it), and they clearly like her a lot, too. She spends only a weekend away and she already misses all of them. Eddie is so relieved she's back in town to save him from the crazy. There's more talk about their similarities, "Like me, he understood duty", and they continue to have Mom Friend and Dad Friend solidarity:

Jeans, khakis, a few solid colored T-shirts. They were very practical, very much something a no-nonsense guy like Eddie would pick out. I approved. “The size actually looks right. Good eye. We’ll have to send you out shopping more often.” “If that’s what I have to do,” he said, face serious. I couldn’t help but laugh in surprise. “I was joking.” I put the shirts back in the bag. “I know that couldn’t have been fun.” Eddie’s face gave nothing away. “Oh, come on. It’s okay. You don’t have to play stoic with me. I know you didn’t enjoy it.” “I’m here to do a job. Doesn’t matter if I enjoy it or not.” I started to protest but then thought better of it. After all, wasn’t that my philosophy too? Sacrificing my own wants for higher goals? Eddie was intensely dedicated to this mission. He never backed down. I expected nothing less from him than single-minded focus. [...] “Sydney,” he said gently. “You’re the most responsible person I know, but this isn’t what you’re here to do. You don’t have to take care of everything and everyone.” “I don’t mind,” I said automatically. “It is what I’m here for.” But even as I said it, I wondered if that was true. A bit of the anxiety from the bunker returned, making me question if what I did was truly Alchemist responsibility or the desire to help those who—against protocol—had become my friends. “See? Now you sound just like I did earlier.” He stood up and flashed me a grin. “You want to come with me to Adrian’s? Be responsible together?”

Of course by this point Sydney is unconfortable with her image as the hyper responsible one who's all about duty and never has fun. With Sydney encouraging Eddie in his feelings for Jill, and Eddie thinking Sydney going out on a date isn't a bad idea, thoughout TGL they're telling each other that it's okay to have feelings and relax a little, and not be completely focused on duty all of the time. "I'm not gonna do it, but you totally should."

Sydney explicitly thinks of Eddie and the gang as her friends at this point. I don't have anything to say about this, it's just cute banter, I'm gonna claim that it shows that they already have a more relaxed, friendly dynamic:

Eddie and I exchanged glances. So much for avoiding her indiscretions. “Improving how exactly?” I asked. “In combat, in following the dress code, or in keeping her hands to herself?” “Or in turning off caps-lock?” added Eddie. “You noticed that too?” I asked. “Hard not to,” he said.

Eddie just happens to be hanging around her dorm at the time her date comes to pick her up for reasons, very good ones I'm sure (“And I was here to, um…”). He seems to spend a signicant amount of time discussing Sydney's love life with the gang.

Eddie is now more open and vulnerable with Sydney, talking to her about his feelings for Jill and how hard it is to touch her during sparring lessons, and about how unconfortable he is with Angeline's unwanted advences. He sees her as an ally in that area:

“There’s a Halloween Dance?” Eddie dragged himself from his misery to give me a surprised look. “How do you not know? There are signs everywhere.” I stirred around my steamed vegetables. “They must not be anywhere I’ve been.” Eddie gestured with his fork to something behind me. [...] “How can you memorize entire books but miss something like that?” asked Angeline. “Because Sydney’s brain only records ‘useful’ information,” Eddie said with a smile. I didn’t deny it. “Don’t you think Eddie should go?” pushed Angeline. “He needs to watch out for Jill. And if he goes, we might as well go together.” Eddie shot me a desperate look, and I tried to find him a way out of this.

They already know each other better at this point, and what to expect. Also, this little passage just screams SIBLINGS to me:

“You’re going to this one, aren’t you?” asked Eddie. “With Brody?” “Brayden. And I don’t know. We haven’t even had our second date. I don’t want things to move too fast.” “Right,” Eddie said. “Because there’s no bigger sign of commitment than a Halloween dance.” I was about to get him back by suggesting maybe he and Angeline should go together after all when Jill and Micah joined us.

It really pains Sydney to see Eddie hurting, and she feels like his insistance in staying away from Jill and encouraging her relationship with Micah is masochistic. And she talks him up to Jill when she shows interest.

In the end, Eddie goes along with the plan to keep Sydney out of the loop when they raid the Warrior's compound. He has a whisper fight with Adrian where I assume he convinced him to let it go, and he's the one to put a tracking device in Sydney's purse. Sydney considered the whole thing a pretty big betrayal of all of them, her vampire friends and Alchemists alike.

When the raid goes down, Eddie can't get to Sydney, and she motions at him to go without her. According to Adrian, when Eddie came out without Sydney he was "babbling" about how she'd gone out some random door. He was obviously pretty worried about her:

“Sydney!” he exclaimed. He immediately released Angeline’s hand and hurried over to me, astonishing me with a hug. “Thank God you’re okay. I hated having to leave you there. That wasn’t part of the plan. I was supposed to have gotten you out with Sonya.” “Yeah, well, maybe next time, someone can fill me in on the plan,” I said pointedly. Eddie grimaced. “I’m sorry about that. I really am. We just…” “I know, I know. Didn’t think I’d go along with it, were afraid something would go wrong, etc., etc.” “I’m sorry.” I didn’t entirely forgive him, but I was too tired to push the matter much further. “Just tell me this,” I said, lowering my voice. “Were you just holding hands with Angeline?” He blushed, which seemed ludicrous after the fierceness I’d seen him pull off back at the compound.

Sydney still didn't fully forgive any of the Palm Springs gang for this, but it also drove a rift between her and the Alchemists, which helped do away with the conflict she felt about liking them.

On to The Indigo Spell, Eddie's the only person Sydney trusts with her car which is a high honor.

I took my car keys out of my bag and reluctantly handed them over to Eddie. He was the only one I trusted to drive my car, and I always let him borrow it when I left town, in case he needed to run errands for our group. “Here you go. I better get it back in one piece. Do not let Angeline near the driver’s seat.” He grinned. “Do I look suicidal? I probably won’t even use it. Are you sure you don’t want me to drive you to the airport later?”

When Marcus gives sydney a black eye, she feels like Eddie might want to hunt down her assailant, which I feel goes a bit beyond the immediate protection he'd give just anyone who needed it. When Sydney starts going on super secret meetings with rebel alchemists she decides the Eddie is the man to call for protection:

I’d been a little hesitant to let Eddie in on Marcus. Eddie certainly wasn’t going to turn Marcus or me in to the Alchemists for sideline plotting. That being said, I also didn’t want Eddie to think the Alchemists were involved in nefarious schemes against the Moroi. That might very well be something Eddie would relay back to his own people, which could in turn cause all sorts of diplomatic problems. Even this hint of the Alchemists potentially being in contact with the Warriors was dangerous. I decided that having Eddie as protection was worth the risk of him hearing something he shouldn’t. He was my friend, and I trusted him.

When Eddie hears that there might be a connection between the Alchemists and the Warriors, and that the later might be after Jill, he trusts Sydney to find out what's going on and help him keep Jill safe, which is pretty much the most important thing in the world to him:

“It’s all circumstantial,” argued the scientist in me. “Sydney,” said Eddie. I turned to him and saw something in his eyes I’d never expected to see: pleading. He didn’t care about Alchemist conspiracies or Marcus’s Merry Men. What he cared about was Jill, and he’d heard something that made him think she was in danger. That was unacceptable in his world. He would do anything in his power to keep her safe, but even he knew stealing information from the Alchemists was out of his league. It was pretty much out of mine too, but he didn’t know that. He believed in me, and he was silently begging me to help.

So they both really trust each other at this point. It's Eddie's pleading and her own worry for Jill that convince Sydney to take the pretty big risk of stealing Alchemist files.

I had to stop myself from adding a bunch of instances of Eddie blushing that aren'tactually that relevant to their relationship, so I have to agree with Sydney that blushing Eddie is adorable:

Eddie still looked way too serious for this discussion. “Maybe Eddie would volunteer,” I suggested. “I bet guardian posture would be great on the catwalk.” He blushed, which even I had to admit was adorable.

Eddie talks pretty openly to Sydney about his relationship with Angeline throuhgout the book, and then when that implodes spectacularly he agrees to talk to Sydney about it. They meet at a cafe and when the scene starts Sydney claims they had been there for almost an hour. Eddie Castile spent AN HOUR talking about his feelings with Sydney Sage, I just love that. The serious, dedicated Guardian allowing himself to be vulnerable and to be conforted. Then we get this beautiful, beautiful little exchange:

“Thanks for the moral support,” Eddie told me. “Sometimes it feels like you really are a sister—” That was when my car exploded. Sort of.

Interrupted by an exploding car because I can't have nice things. During that conversation Sydney was feeling pretty terrible herself, and she can't talk about her fight with Adrian. But that makes her wish that at least Eddie could be happy even more.

At this point I consider them to absolutely be ACTUAL TWINS, but I'm gonna have to leave the second half of the series, where Sydney and Eddie prove their love for each other in the most painful way possible, for a part 2.

[sixx02]

Heart Stopping

Art By the Wonderful MRK50!  Commissioned by Myself!

_________________________________________________________

Jaune had experienced a lot of things in his short life, getting new siblings, having the girl he was in love with step all over his heart, having his eldest sister knock him around like a rag doll.  Each of those times had stolen his breath away, only one of those had given him a good feeling afterwards.  However, for the first time since he’d been alive, he REALLY felt his breath stolen.  HIs heartbeat slowed as the vision of the goddess or near goddess in front of him took all of his attention, his peripheral vision blurring out everything else.  “Wow…”  Truly he was a poet.  

Still, he found himself nearly unable to speak or move, despite the distance he felt her gazing into his soul, much like he was doing with her.  His stomach flipped, he felt butterflies swarming around his gut, his heart flipped as his breath became ragged.  He’d never experienced feelings like this before, and despite how embarrassed he was.  He still found himself unable to look away, he half expected her to do the same, but she simply watched him, watched him with an increased amount of interest.  

She was absolutely stunning, in a lot of ways she reminded him of, “FLANNA!”  her, ya her.  Jaune’s attention snapped to Nora, who was practically fuming.  Before he could stop his exuberant sister she darted off.  

“This appears to be bad.”  Jaune turned his attention to his brother, an exasperated look on his face.  Lie simply shrugged as he began to walk after Nora.

“You!  What are you doing here?!”  Nora was practically steaming, how dare this harlot show her face here!  She thought they’d left her behind back home, but no here she was!  Though… she looked a little different, possibly going for a new look, well she’d have none of that.

“I… I’m sorry?”  Pyrrha was incredibly confused, and a little scared.  She’d been watching the newcomers with piqued interest, well she’d been staring at the blonde boy possibly a little too much if she was actually being honest.  Then all of a sudden the orange girl made her way towards her, calling her Flanna?  She’d never heard that name before, how peculiar.  Right back to the girl in front of her.

“You’d better be sorry!  What did I tell you about staying away from us?!”  Oh this was bad, Nora was angry, and when she was angry bad things happened.  Jaune hurried forward, Lie on following along in pace.

“Nora!”  Both boys grabbed a side of their smaller sister.  “Nora!”

“What?!”  She struggled against the two boys, pulling them along with her.  

If there was one thing Pyrrha understood from this strange encounter, it was that the smaller girl was strong, strong enough to drag her two male friends along with her.  She herself hadn’t realized she’d sensed the danger till she noticed that she’d already taken a defensive stance just in case an altercation happened.  She just hoped they wouldn’t bother the other students too much.  

“Nora that’s not her!”  Jaune was doing his best to calm his little sister, hopefully she’d listen to reason.

“What?!  What do you mean it’s not her!  They look exactly the same!”  Thankfully Nora had stopped, her attention now fully on Jaune.  

“What?  No they don’t!  Flanna’s hair is nowhere near as gorgeous, and her eyes aren’t even close to how shining hers are!”  And like that, Jaune realized he was talking aloud, his mouth snapping shut shortly after.  

.

Nora paused, turning towards the girl she started to see it too, “Oh…”  That’s really all she could say on the matter, she hadn’t meant to scare anyone!  She just thought it was that harlot who broke Jaune’s heart, and she’d be damned if she let her or anyone else do it again!  

Still, she wasn’t sure she could trust this newcomer, she saw the way her big brother looked at her, even more so she saw the way she looked back!  That was just asking for bad news, he’d been burned before, and again she’d be damned if she let anyone else hurt him.  “Sorry…”  It was a half hearted apology, but it was the best the girl in front of her was going to get.  Still, she silently fumed, at least till she felt Lie’s hand on her shoulder.  Turning towards her other brother she calmed down as they met eye contact.  “I’m sorry… I thought you were… someone else.”  

“I apologize on her behalf as well.”  Lie simply smiled, choosing to keep his apology for Nora on the short side.

Pyrrha simply nodded, she was feeling many things right now, confused, a little exhausted, and a little scared.  But, at the very least it didn’t seem that the orange haired girl… or Nora as they’d called her, well it didn’t seem like her anger was actually directed at her.  She was curious, but it was impolite to ask these things of people she’d just met.  “I uhm… that’s alright, apology accepted.”  She finally relaxed, lowering her guard.

Jaune took a breath, at least Nora’s little rampage had done something good.  He felt his heart calm, and a new found amount of courage entered his chest.  “I’m sorry too, please forgive us, well… I mean you already did… but still!  Uhm… sorry…”  Wow he was finding it rather hard to talk.  “Nora’s… she’s just an overprotective sister”  

“Sister?”  Oh!  She hadn’t meant to say that outloud, but the two didn’t look anything alike.  Though if she squinted she could sort of make it out.  Nora did have turquoise eyes, and the boy had, well he had the most stunning clear sapphire colored eyes, Pyrrha had never seen eyes like his before.  “I’m sorry!”  Her face flushed in embarrassment, perhaps this wasn’t something she should be asking aloud, or at all.

The trio simply chuckled in response, “It’s okay, we get that a lot.  Oh uhm… I’m Jaune, Jaune Arc.  Short, Sweet, Rolls off the tongue lad… OUCH!”  Jaune jolted up as Nora slammed her heel into his foot.

“Jaune!  What did I tell you about that terrible line?!”  Nora obviously didn’t want to hear it, neither did Lie apparently, he simply rolled his eyes at his siblings antics.  

“But!  Dad said…”

“Jaune… dad’s advice isn’t meant to be taken literally.  Like, when he says all you need is confidence, he means confidence in yourself, not to fake it.  You should listen to mom’s instead.”  Lie’s words caused him to pause, right Lie was right…

“Right I’m sorry… I’m just a bit nervous.”  He didn’t really want to expand on why he was so nervous, not when the reason he was nervous was the incredibly gorgeous girl in front of him.  “I uhm… I’m Jaune Arc, third child and first son of the Arc family.”  

As Jaune reached his hand out, Pyrrha found herself a little flustered, and a little lost.  People rarely approached her, she’d always come off as intimidating, and scary.  She couldn’t even remember the last time someone had gone out of their way to introduce themselves first.  As she took his hand she felt her heart flip in her chest.  This was a nice feeling, hopefully her parents were right, maybe she’d be able to make friends after all.  “I’m Pyrrha… Pyrrha Nikos.”  She smiled, and for the first time in a long time her smile reached all the way.  “It’s a pleasure to meet you Jaune Arc…”  She paused, “and for what it’s worth I quite like the name.”  Crimson began to spread across her cheeks as she realized she’d just flirted.  

Crimson also began to spread across Jaune’s face, he hadn’t expected that to work, his track record with flirting was non existent, mostly cause he hadn’t bothered in a long time.  “I… thank you… Pyrrha’s also an incredibly gorgeous name.”  Oh… “I… uhm… u… I meant pretty…”

Both of them stood there, frozen as to what to do next, till Nora spoke up instead.  SNAP  Both statues turned towards the sound of a scroll taking a picture.  Nora stood there with a massive grin on her face.  “Heheheh~  Wait till mom sees this!”  

If their faces had been simply crimson before, they were now an intense and dark scarlet.  

“Good job Jauney~!”  Nora was obviously happy for her brother, though she was over exaggerating at the moment, but this was nice!  Jaune never talked with other people, well people that weren’t family.  Heck, he did so less than herself or Lie!  Stuffing her scroll in her pocket she stepped forward.  “Howdy Pyrrha!  Again sorry for threatening ya like that before!  Though if you break Jauney’s heart I break your legs!”  

“I… uh… uhm….”  Pyrrha felt like she was a deer lost in the headlights.  She didn’t even know if she liked Jaune yet!  Though he was quite dashing, and appeared to be rather kind, if not a little dorky.  Though, that wasn’t a bad thing, not in the slightest.

“Alright Nora that’s enough.”  Jaune had finally snapped out of his stupor.  Withdrawing his hand, regrettably, from Pyrrha’s grasp.  “UHm… right, well the short orange haired tiny person you’ve been speaking to is Nora Valkyrie Arc, my younger sister.”

“OH!  Getting brave in front of your new girlfriend are you?  You’re in kneecap popping distance Jauney~!”  Though she spoke, her voice was far from threatening, more jubilant than anything else.

Jaune simply rolled his eyes, “And the silent one over here is our brother Lie Ren Arc.”  

“It’s a pleasure to meet you Pyrrha.  I apologize for our sister’s… behavior.”  Lie simply eyed Nora who shrugged in response.  

“It’s alright.  It is a pleasure to meet you three~”  Despite everything that happened, Pyrrha was happy!  People were talking to her, though she was curious, none of them looked even closely related but they all had the same last name and had introduced themselves as siblings.  For now she’d stow that away for later, she was just happy she’d gotten to meet new people.  

The lights began to dim as the headmaster made his way out to introduce himself.  Jaune paid no heed to the dimming lights or the headmaster, instead he continued to watch Pyrrha.  She was really pretty… and she seemed really nice.  Though, even as his hopes grew he still heard the little bit in the back of his head.  You’re going to fail, don’t bother, she’ll just leave you too~  He bit his lip as he turned his attention towards the front.  His heartbeat slowing to a near stop, right he didn’t have the best luck with these things, best not to try.

[outbythehighwind]

Tifa’s Fighting Style

One of the things that impressed me most about FF7R is Tifa Lockhart’s combat. Her mechanics were dazzling. Her combos left me awed. Her style was so realistic, but... what was it? Naturally, I did some digging, and happened to stumble across a blog where most of the work had already been done. So this post is courtesy of Flowerslightning, with thoughts and elaboration on my part. THANKS AND CREDIT TO THIS WONDERFULLY INSIGHTFUL BLOGGER (do check out her tumblr for more fantastic content).

First, let’s note that Tifa’s combat design is very much in the field of fighting games. To some degree at least, developers take inspiration from real-life arts. The style of Tekken’s Lei Wulong, for instance, is based on the Drunken First. Street Fighter’s Chun Li uses the model of Chinese Kenpo.

The FFVII devs - to my knowledge - have revealed nothing on Tifa’s inspired martial arts background. She adopted the monk style (the fisticuffs of FF-verse) from a traveler named Zangan. That’s all we know. She trained (obviously very hard) as his pupil for the 2 years between Cloud leaving Nibelheim and Sephiroth burning the town. Zangan then brought her to Midgar and continued his travels. The only path for discerning real-arts inspiration is through observing Tifa’s fights - though even such attempt is limited. Her style is not as straightforward as Lei’s or Chun Li’s. She seems to employ a mix of martial arts, specializing in the offense and using speed and dexterity to her advantage.

Here are the main styles that Flowerslightning deduced, supported by some of Tifa’s abilities.

1. Muay Thai [demonstrated by Somersault].

This is the known as the “Art of Eight Limbs” and is commonly referred to as “Thai boxing”. It differs from traditional kickboxing (which has its roots in Japan) most notably in being an 8-point instead of 4-point striking system. In other words, Muay Thai employs elbow and shin strikes in addition to kicks and punches. Tifa’s kicks, I would say, are actually more akin to kickboxing, for Muay Thai places emphasis on heavy kicks involving the shin bone. Yet her acrobatic style is very akin to the latter.

In addition to the key boxing techniques of both the Thai and Japanese art, Tifa’s elbow maneuvers provide further evidence for the former. This is most evident during her fight with Loz, where she uses her elbows for offense and defense. One could say she expanded her Thai-based skills during in the 2 years that followed saving the world.

Running a new bar and raising two under-10-year-olds would have left at least a... smidgen of free time, right?

2. Muay Thai [demonstrated by Refocus].

Some may suggest this move of Tifa’s is a Taekwondo technique (we’ll get to that lovable sport soon, don’t you worry), but I agree with Flowerslightning in that her jumping style is more Muay Thai. Almost all Muay Thai techniques use movement of the entire body, rotating the hip with each kick, punch, elbow and block. This to me is the obvious discerning factor. Tifa exquisitely throws her whole body into the majority of her combos and limit breaks, ground and aerial alike. Specifically through that neat hip rotation. Refocus is but one example of many.

PS. Don’t you just love her boots? The gloves are really something but, those red boots... Just look at them.

3. Taekwondo [shown in Overpower].

Literally the “Way of the Hand and Foot”, this is a Korean martial art set apart by its emphasis on kicks. Head-height kicks, jump spin kicks, swift kicks, the list goes on. (But of course, there’s plenty of hand blocking and take-downs too.) Did you know that Taekwondo is part of South Korea’s military training program as well as their national sport? Its skillset is heavy in self-defense.

Tifa is mostly an offensive attacker (and wow, do her strikes deal devastating damage). Yet her aerial maneuvers and acrobatic footwork certainly have elements of Taekwondo. What makes the Taekwondo kick-style unique is its elaborate, advanced forms. Xtreme 720s, for instance, are underpinned by precise technical soundness and accuracy.

Yes, these are literal 720° mid-air turns with a SERIES of kicks timed in utmost precision. They require extraordinary strength. Something Tifa deceptively pulls off with ease, no?

4. Hēi-Hǔ-Quán [displayed in Starshower].

Flowerslightning deduces this ATB ability to be a Boxing combo. Though to me it looks more like Hēi-Hǔ-Quán (lit. ‘Black Tiger Fist’, a Shaolin striking art from China). Watch her hands closely: the thumbs are curled like the fingers rather than wrapped around them to form a fist. Tifa’s wide stances and acrostic kicks are a little less tiger-esque than Hēi-Hǔ-Quán, but there is definitely resemblance of the style there too.

All in all, she seems to employ a mixture of Shaolin arts and Boxing. Her finger-positions for fast jabs (as in Starshower and the Loz fight) are predominantly of the Tiger Fist. Her more powerful strikes, meanwhile, include Boxing crosses, hooks and uppercuts. The sewer cutscene demonstrates this clearly, when Tifa & Cloud encounter the Sahagin.

And damn, do we love the back-to-back Cloti in that scene. Surely I’m not just speaking for myself here.

5. Boxing [displayed in Unbridled Strength].

Tifa’s aforementioned fist moves and powerful finishing punches are no doubt reminiscent of boxing. Also, she always enters a fight with her fists closed in a boxing stance (whether she will employ Shaolin or other hand techniques is irrelevant). Take her cutscene against the Whispers where she, Cloud and Aerith arrive at Sector 7. She begins with a cross and follows with a rotated hook - one of the most basic boxing combos.

BONUS FACT: Rather than orthodox, Tifa always employs a southpaw stance (right hand and right foot forward). This is the preferred stance of a left-hand fighter. Is Tifa left-handed? Considering her fighting alone, yes is the plausible assumption. Here are a few examples:

     - Unbridled Strength has her delivering a finishing blow with her left hand. We would expect such a move to be done with the power hand.

     - Her single strike that hurls Loz across the church is also with the left hand. This punch is not part of a combo; she could have used either hand.

     - In guard position, her left is the rear hand, to both attack and protect herself.

     - And of course, in southpaw stance, she always begins with a left-hand strike.

However, all of Tifa’s general actions (to my observance) - like bartending, catching Aerith in the sewer, carrying the Buster Sword into Corneo’s quarters, etc. - suggest that she is right-handed. So why use the left, the weaker, as her dominant hand in fighting? Could she actually be ambidextrous? That is a possibility. But weighing up the evidence in addition to Tifa's ingenuity, this could well be out of fighting strategy.

Southpaw can give Tifa a strategic advantage, you see, because of the tactical and cognitive difficulties her enemies would have of coping with a fighter who moves in a mirror-reverse of the norm. In other words, she takes advantage of the fact that most fighters lack experience against lefties. Doing this:

     - opens up chance for a variety of surprise combos;

     - puts her human enemies in danger of KOs by what would otherwise be ordinary strikes; and

     - enables her to trick her opponents should she unexpectedly convert to orthodox during fights.

Pretty damn awesome, huh?

6. Gymnastics [dodging maneuvers].

Gymnastics, like fighting arts, enhances balance, strength, flexibility and agility - the four areas Tifa excels at. Now, we’ve talked a lot about her strong points. But what of her weaknesses? Players will have noticed immediately that Tifa has a major setback. She can accurately be described as a glass cannon, due to her low HP and defenses that counter-balance her speed and dexterity. That is precisely what makes playing as her so compelling; you get that sense of life or death intensity. The fight feels REAL. She is the least OP character in the party, in addition to by far being the most difficult to master. Utilized properly, she can be the strongest of them all. And wow, is that rewarding or what?

Because of her weak defenses, Tifa must constantly remain on the move, and gymnastics is the quintessential means in doing so. Hand springs, aerial cartwheels - you name it, she’s got it. As if those kicks and uppercuts don’t scream epic enough already. Doesn’t it just make her even MORE amazing?

So I’ve added Hēi-Hǔ-Quán to Flowerslightning’s conclusion: that Tifa’s combat is Mixed Martial Arts, with her dominant skills as Kickboxing, Taekwondo and Muay Thai. And of course, the interweaving of Gymnastics, which adds an elegance to her epic kickassery.

Tifa lost her teacher after just two years, and spent the last five managing & running a bar, serving as AVALANCHE’s funder & treasurer, and effectively solo-raising Barret’s little daughter. Add two more years, and we have a completely absent Barret, a very sick child in addition to the one she is (now permanently) raising, and a depressed, distant Cloud who has left her to struggle as a solo barkeep, full-time nurse and single mother. How on earth did she find the time and will to master her fighting techniques?

Yes, we are talking about fiction, but this woman is nothing short of incredible. Not simply as a fighter - that isn’t even the start of it. Tifa is, to me, the character who has had it the hardest. Yet she perseveres. And not only that, but she gives. She gives and gives, and doesn’t give up, even when everyone else around her has. In addition, she is the only ‘ordinary’ member of the party: Cloud, on top of military training, had his senses enhanced with Mako & Jenova cells; Barret literally has a gun for an arm; and Aerith as the last Cetra possesses exceedingly strong magic. Tifa, like with everything she does, worked hard to hone her skills. And that, to me, is incontestably admirable.

As Flowerslightning put it, she was “ready to go through hell and yet still remain soft”. And those virtues she held to, where most people would have quit. Compassion and perseverance to the end, the two traits that uphold her - to me - as the most inspiring hero of fiction.

[bonjour-rainycity]

The Long Way Around ~ Chapter 9

Link to previous part: https://bonjour-rainycity.tumblr.com/post/623575983503638528/the-long-way-around-chapter-8-link-to-previous

Pairing: Jasper x Reader 

Word count: 2990

Warnings: None

Y/n’s POV

On the way to the waterfall, I’d done some thinking and come to the unfortunate conclusion that my feelings for Jasper are much more than I originally realized. Previously, any and all feelings I had towards him I interpreted as those I would feel towards a best friend. But I’ve never felt like this towards my best friends before.

Once I’d come to this conclusion, my outing with Jasper became a struggle. I’d had crushes before as a human, but nothing as intense as this and nothing even close to the risk involved when your crush can literally feel your feelings. I had to work so hard to keep myself in check. Jasper didn’t do much to help. He couldn’t have picked a more romantic location, for one. Seeing him doused in water, sparkling in the moonlight and the rising sun didn’t do anything to make me reconsider his beauty. I’d taken special care not to look at his body, knowing the attraction I, and then he, would feel. I’d slipped up once or twice, and I desperately hope he didn’t notice.

And the necklace. Gosh, if he even knew how perfect it is….I’ve never owned anything like it, and the fact that he remembered all those little things from so long ago…well, it makes me feel things.

But I need to keep those feelings under control.

Yes, he’s my best friend and yes, he’s incredibly good to me, but Jasper is way out of my league. Any interest he has in me will be fleeting, especially given how he must view me. I’m wild, barely controlled, a danger to society and monsters alike. Just the differences in our eye color show how incompatible we are. Mine are red, vicious, deadly. His are golden, like melting honey or a dazzling sunset. He doesn’t suddenly become deranged at the thought of human blood. He doesn’t try to hurt the people he owes everything to the minute he smells a human. He’s not weak.

From my side, Jasper eyes me but doesn’t say anything. I swallow the venom in my mouth and try to force my bitterness down with it. As if I needed such a tangible reminder of our incongruity.

Thankfully, it’s only a few minutes before we smell the herd of deer. From the corner of my eye, I watch as he swiftly takes down a doe. He’s so graceful. My own kills are sloppy, desperate. I could never measure up.

Jasper approaches, careful not to startle me in my hunting state. “Are you okay?”

I nod, quickly trying to think of something to say that could explain my sudden moroseness. “I’m just frustrated that my eyes are still so red. I want them to be like yours—the whole family’s,” I correct quickly.

Jasper smiles knowingly. “It takes about a year for all the human blood to leave your system. Only six months to go. But I think,” he takes a step closer to me and peers into my eyes with exaggerated movements, “that I see a tiny bit of gold in them.”

My heart warms, and I do feel better, even if he’s obviously lying for my benefit. “I’m sure you do.”

He gives me a lopsided grin, and I find myself hoping to see more of those in the future.

Quickly, we wrap up our hunting and continue the journey home. About half a mile away from the house, Jasper skids to a stop, his arms flying out to grip me around the waist to cause me to stop, too.

“Something’s wrong.” His voice is calm, totally in contrast to the rod of fear that shoots through me. “It’s okay,” he assures, giving me a gentle squeeze. “Just stay by me.”

Not that I would need any encouragement. If I wasn’t so terrified, I might be able to enjoy the feeling of his hands on my waist, holding me close. But now is not the time, so I push those thoughts away. Instead, I focus on what I can hear, see, and sense around me. Nothing out of the ordinary. But I trust Jasper and his ability, so I stick close to him.

We approach the house slowly for vampires, carefully taking note of our surroundings. When we get to the back deck, Bella meets us outside, looking somber. Before we can ask, she waves us in, and we see Esme sitting in a kitchen chair, eyes screwed shut. She lets out a soft cry, signaling her pain.

“Esme,” I gasp, running to her.

She smiles stiffly, obviously not wanting anyone to worry about her. “It’s alight, it’s just a few little bites. The pain will go away soon.”

Hating seeing this kind, wonderful woman in pain but at a loss for what to do, I go to stand behind her and hug around her neck, letting my head rest on top of hers.

“What happened?” Jasper’s voice is tight, dangerous. I’ve never heard him sound like that before, and, if I didn’t know him so well, I would be scared of him.

Bella’s voice is quiet when she responds, so much so that I almost have to strain to hear her. “Esme went about thirty miles south for a quick hunt. She says another vampire, a female, came out of nowhere and attacked her.”

Just then, the front door bursts open. I jump, spooked.

But it’s just Carlisle, looking like he’s been torn apart. “My love, what happened?” He kneels in front of Esme, taking her hands in his. I pull back just a little to give them their space, though I don’t release my hands from Esme’s shoulders.

In a strained voice, Esme recounts what Bella had told us so far, and then continues. “The vampire came out of nowhere, Carlisle. I don’t know what I did to provoke her, but she seemed intent on finishing the fight. She only stopped when she heard Alice and Arthur coming to help me.” The pain in Esme’s voice is palpable. I can practically feel it in my own bones. I squirm, uncomfortable.

Carlisle doesn’t look any better off. He touches his forehead to Esme’s hands, breathing deeply. “I should’ve been there. You never should have had to go by yourself, I’m so sorry-”

“Carlisle, don’t be ridiculous. I should have known better than to hunt alone, really I-”

Jasper interrupts their pointless efforts to take blame. “Are Alice and Arthur still in pursuit?”

Bella nods. “And Edward, Emmett, and Rosalie. Hopefully they’ll pick up a trail.”

Jasper shakes his head, his mind quickly working through the situation. “It doesn’t make sense for someone to attack out of the blue. Do we have any clue as to her motivation?”

Now Esme shakes her head, looking dismayed. “Maybe I unknowingly entered someone else’s territory? Honestly, I thought we were the only coven for miles.”

Carlisle hushes her and strokes her hair gently. “It’s alright, darling, you just rest.”

But Esme smiles, placing a kiss on Carlisle’s head. “The pain is fading, my love. Don’t fret.”

Carlisle isn’t satisfied. “Would you like to go lie down? I can try to suck the venom out, maybe it hasn’t begun circulating yet.”

“I promise, the pain is barely there now. The vampire must not have bitten me very deeply.” Esme’s gaze softens and she takes Carlisle’s head in her hands. “But I would like to go lie down with you.”

Still seeming very concerned, Carlisle helps Esme up and begins to lead her out of the room.

It jolts us all when Esme lets out a yelp of pain and stumbles. Carlisle immediately swoops her up into his arms, looking absolutely gutted. “I would prefer to try and get the venom out.”

Teeth gritted, Esme nods. “Yes, I agree.” Quickly, Carlisle ascends the stairs, leaving just Jasper, Bella, and I in the kitchen.

Once Esme is out of the room, my discomfort fades, much to my guilt.

Bella’s phone rings, and she quickly takes the call, speaking lowly. When she’s done, she speaks loud enough so Carlisle and Esme can hear her from upstairs.

“That was Edward. They lost the trail of the vampire about a hundred miles south of where Esme was attacked. They’ll be back soon.”

I nod, still feeling terribly down. Poor Esme. Seeing the pain so plainly expressed by her made me feel terrible for the similar bites I’d inflicted on Edward and Jasper. Almost instantly, my guilt disappears, and I turn my head to Jasper, who’s looking at me with concern and curiosity. I don’t offer an explanation though, not quite ready to be so vulnerable in front of Bella, especially as it had been her husband who was one of my victims.

Thankfully, she doesn’t seem to notice my mood. Instead, she leans over, getting a better look at the necklace peeking out over my shirt.

“That’s gorgeous. When did you get it?”

Unable to stop the smile or the feeling of warmth that arises, I let it flow freely. He has a right to know how happy his gift made me. “Jasper gave it to me, actually. Isn’t it just perfect?” I carefully pull the necklace forward, allowing her to see it more fully.

Jasper looks uncomfortable with the attention, but pleased overall.

The three of us spend the next forty minutes idly chatting and doing our best to give Esme privacy to recuperate. Not too much later, the five other members of the family get back to the house. Carlisle and Esme come down then. Thankfully, Carlisle had been able to get some of the venom out, so she seems much more comfortable now. At Carlisle’s direction, we file into the dining room and take our places at the large, imposing table.

Alice begins, recounting how she had a vision of an unknown vampire choosing to attack Esme, reason also unknown, and she and Arthur rushed to help. Edward takes over, explaining that, once he and Emmett and Rosalie had gotten home from the library and Bella told them what had happened, they joined the pursuit. Only six out of the ten of us know the vampire’s scent, leaving Carlisle, Bella, Jasper, and I at a disadvantage.

“I say we continue our usual patterns but increase our precautions. The four of us who don’t know the scent shouldn’t be without someone who does. Also, stay in groups of at least three. We don’t want to risk being outnumbered.”

We all nod solemnly.

“Y/n, Jasper,” Carlisle continues, startling me with singling us out. “You were hunting north, how far did you go? Did you notice anything out of the ordinary?”

I shift in my seat, knowing we’re about to be exposed for our lie. Thankfully, Jasper does the talking.

“We went about a hundred miles north, and we didn’t notice anything unusual. Although, we didn’t spend a lot of time covering ground hunting, so we really wouldn’t know much.” Is it my imagination, or does he look embarrassed? Ouch.

Emmett immediately expresses his intrigue. “Really? What could’ve been occupying your time then? A hundred miles north…alone?” There’s a teasing glint in his eye, but what’s even scarier is the real curiosity behind it.

Edward rolls his eyes. “Now is not the time, Emmett.”

“No, he’s got a point.” Rosalie holds up a hand, staring us down. “What were you two doing?”

I decide to give Jasper a break from always having to explain. “There’s a waterfall we wanted to see.”

Esme smiles, a strange look in her eye, but she doesn’t say anything.

“Just a waterfall?” Rosalie doesn’t seem convinced.

“And a pool,” I supply, defensive now.

Bella chimes in, seeming shy. “She got a very pretty necklace, too.”

Emmett claps his hands down on the table, staring at us like we’ve just given him a gift. “Now that’s interesting.”

“Okay, that’s enough,” Carlisle comes to our aid, but even he wears a soft smile. “Remember the new rules and exercise good judgement. We need to be on our guard until we know more.”

With that dismissal, the family begins to leave the room. Emmett makes a beeline for me, likely to engage in more investigation and teasing, but I hurry to flag down Carlisle. There’s something I want to discuss with him.

“Do you have a minute,” I ask, feeling ridiculously nervous and insecure. I can feel Jasper’s gaze pricking at my back, but I don’t turn. I’m not sure if I could go through with my request if Jasper was sitting next to me, refined as he is. What I am about to ask is going to make me feel very, very, inferior.

“Of course,” Carlisle smiles, gesturing a hand forward. “Let’s go to my study.”

I follow him down the hall and take a seat across from his desk. Carlisle sits, folds his hands, then gazes at me kindly. “What can I do for you?”

I fidget. Carlisle gives me the time I need to breathe and work up the courage. Bless him.

Finally, I just spit the words out. “I was wondering if you would help me get better with my self-control.”

His politeness never falters. “I think you are doing very well already, Y/n, rest assured.”

I sigh. “Thank you, but I want to do better. I want to be able to leave the house and-and go to the library or at the very least, think about human blood without-” Like clockwork, the venom pools in my mouth. I wave a hand, knowing Carlisle is aware of it.

He nods slowly, contemplating. “You have a point, we can’t keep you locked up here forever.” He throws me a kind smile. “I could bring some blood home from the hospital. It has been frozen and stored, so it won’t be anywhere near as potent as it would be inside a living being. That might be a good place to start. Once you get used to that, perhaps we can go near popular hiking areas or the edge of town so you can slowly ease yourself into interacting with humans.”

I smile, endlessly grateful to Carlisle for taking my request seriously and being willing to help me. “Thank you.” I hesitate, not sure if it’s rude to ask what I want to know. Then again, Carlisle probably wouldn’t deny me any information. So I ask. “How long did it take everyone else to be okay around humans?”

Carlisle smiles, thankfully not offended by my question. “It varies greatly from person to person. Everyone is ‘born’, if you’ll excuse my terminology, with varying dispositions to certain aspects of this new life, just as humans are born and grow to find certain areas of life easier for them than others. For me, self-control was never a question of if, but when. It took me nearly two centuries, but now I can be around human blood flowing freely and barely feel a thing. Edward was fairly quick to gain control, and I suspect hearing the thoughts of those he wished to kill aided in his success. I wager it’s hard to kill someone if you’re so starkly aware of their humanity. Esme and Emmett both struggled, and will be the first to admit they slipped up many times. But they put in the work and have gotten much better in the last forty years. The true stars of us all are Rosalie and Bella. Only mere weeks after her transformation, Rose was able to be around bleeding humans and resist the temptation. Bella once began chasing after a human, and then stopped. Both of them are remarkable.” I can hear the respect in his voice, and wonder just how hard it was for him in his early years. He continues. “Alice, Arthur, and Jasper came to us later in their lives, so we weren’t with them to experience the newborn stage. Both Alice and Arthur were vegetarians from the start, with moderate success, and they’ve gotten much better since. Of all of us, Jasper struggles the most.” This surprises me. I never would’ve guessed. To me, Jasper seems so controlled, so refined, so advanced.

I’m unable to curb my curiosity. “What do you mean?”

“Am I correct in assuming you know about Jasper’s past?” I nod, remembering easily the horror stories from Jasper’s younger years. Carlisle continues. “Then you will know that, for over seventy years, Jasper survived solely on human blood, the longest of any of us.” I nod again. I’d known this, too. “When Jasper found us and learned of our lifestyle, he was very curious and committed to changing. But, seventy years of living one way is impactful. It’s nearly a human’s entire lifetime. Jasper became very accustomed to the taste, temptation, and satisfaction of human blood. For the longest time, the memory and temptation of it tortured him. He slipped up a few times, but at each and every point made a choice to come back to our lifestyle. Much like Edward, it’s hard for him to know the feelings of the people he kills. It was destroying him. The animals, while less instinctively satisfying, provide a much more peaceful life for him.”

I let that information settle. Poor Jasper…My heart aches for him. The pain of experiencing death after death through the feelings of your victim…the torture of being surrounded by humans after a lifetime of feeding on them….I don’t know how he bears it.

Carlisle’s soft voice interrupts my thoughts. “All this to say, I honestly have no idea how long it will take you to be confident around humans. But please know that as long as you desire our help, we offer it freely.”

I smile, endlessly grateful for the benevolent vampire sitting across from me. “Thank you, Carlisle.” But my mind creeps back to Jasper, and I know that my next conversation must be with him.

A/n Hi again! I hope you’re doing well and taking care of yourself. Let me know what you thought of this chapter and if you would like to be added to the tag list!

xx, 

Bjr

Link to next part: https://bonjour-rainycity.tumblr.com/post/624011835356626944/the-long-way-around-chapter-10

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