#whenever i laid down he would come plant himself right on my face and purr and purr

[cqcandchill]

just a goofy pic spam of my fave little guy 🥹

[talesofarcadia78]

Douxie moving in with the reader? Is this ok to request?

Yeah, definitely!

Sorry, my editor took a bit more time than I expected.

Hope you like it!

Beyond Any Doubt || One Shot

Bills, bills, bills.

Bills everywhere.

Douxie was on his laptop, frantically typing away how much money he owed people and how much he needed to pay for all his bills.

Douxie wasn't the type to ask for money from others, but it was an emergency. Now, everyone that he owed money too were chasing after him. And as for the bills, he couldn't pay all of them. Even though he had two jobs, it wasn't enough.

Tipping in Arcadia wasn't the best.

He tried to request the companies more time, but they all refused. If he didn't pay his bills on time, then his internet, water, electricity would all be disconnected. He couldn't afford that.

Many people tried to help him, saying that they'll give him money to pay everything and they won't ask for it back, but he denied any help. You, his girlfriend, even tried to help out but, as stubborn as he was, he just said no.

You were currently at the grocery store, buying some fruit for Douxie. As you were checking out, you noticed the Guardians of Arcadia were all goofing around outside. You smiled. They were finally having some fun after all the Arcane Order business.

Jim had pulled out Excalibur and is still the Trollhunter, Claire had gotten a lot stronger with her powers by the help of Douxie, we were able to save Toby, Archie magically appeared out of nowhere, claiming that he and his Dad had found a way out, Krel had gotten some headphones to listen to his music, since not everyone liked him blasting it out, Aja and Steve were happy with all 7 kids of theirs and Eli loved looking after them.

You walked out of the store and went over to the gang.

"Hey, gang!" you called out.

"Hi, Y/n!" they all called back.

"What are you guys doing?" you asked.

"We're all going to get ice cream," Toby replied.

"Wanna come?" Claire asked.

"Sorry guys, I can't. I need to drop these groceries off at Douxie’s. He hasn't been eating at all, lately," you shook your head.

"Do you need any help?" Jim inquired.

"Nah. I'll manage. You guys enjoy your ice cream!" you waved.

You were about to ring the doorbell, when you remembered that you had an extra key to his house. You pulled it out and opened the door.

You were greeted by silence.

Weird.

Whenever you were at Douxie's place, you were usually greeted by loud music but, today was a different story.

"Douxie!" you called, placing the groceries on the kitchen counter.

You saw the bedroom door fling open, revealing a sleep deprived Douxie.

"Hey, love. What 'ya doing here?" Douxie asked, walking towards you.

"If you haven't noticed yourself, you haven't been taking care of yourself, so I came to check up on you and give you some food," you explained.

"I've been taking care of myself!" Douxie protested.

"Really?!" you crossed your arms. "Says the wizard who currently is obviously sleep deprived and probably hasn't eaten in god-knows-how-many days."

"Well, I've been busy," Douxie said.

"I know, I know. But you have to take care of yourself as well," you said.

"I just… I need to pay these bills and give people money. I just don't have time,' he sighed.

"Well, leave financial problems to the side for just half an hour," you instructed. "And eat."

"Fine," Douxie grumbled.

You unpacked the groceries and placed them all in the fridge. You tossed a banana to Douxie.

"Eat," you ordered.

He gobbled down the fruit in just a few seconds.

"Wow. I didn't realise I was so hungry," Douxie admitted.

"Okay. Now, eat this," you said, handing him a sandwich.

"You're going to just feed me food for half an hour?" Douxie asked, his mouth filled with bread.

"Of course not! After you eat that sandwich, I’m gonna make you go to sleep," you said.

"But-" Douxie started but you cut him off.

"No 'buts' or 'ifs'. You will be going to sleep, that's my order," you lightly scolded.

After Douxie finished his sandwich you pushed him to his room. You confiscated his phone and laptop and put them outside.

"Now, you, Mr. Casperan, are going to sleep," you stated, heading out of his room just before he grabbed you wrist a spun you around to face him.

He leaned down and whispered into your ear, "Not until you kiss me."

He pulled back, waiting for you. You rolled your eyes and kissed him on his cheek.

"Now can you go to sleep?" you questioned.

"I meant- You know what…" Douxie leaned down and smashed his lips onto yours.

You were taken by surprise but you quickly melted into the kiss, wrapping your arms around his neck and started to play with his hair, while he snaked his arms around your waist, pulling you close. Soon after, the two of you pulled away, keeping your foreheads touching.

"Now can you go to sleep?" you repeated.

Douxie didn't reply, he just started to walk forward, making you walk back. Your back suddenly hit a wall.

Your breath hitched as Douxie leaned in for another kiss.

Douxie found your hands behind his neck and pinned them on either side of you, interlocking your warm ones with his cold ones. Archie came strolling into the bedroom, but he quickly spun around when he saw the two of you making out. Giving the two of you privacy, he walked back outside.

Sooner then Douxie wanted, you pulled away for air.

"Now, you're going to bed," you said, pushing him away.

Douxie opened his mouth to speak but you placed a finger to his lips.

"No more excuses," you said, "Sleep."

You pushed him onto his bed and tucked him in and walked out of his room, closing the door behind you.

You plopped onto the couch and opened up Douxie's laptop. As soon as you opened it, you saw a bunch of numbers on the screen.

That's a lot of money.

"Hello, Miss Y/n," a voice spoke.

You jumped and looked towards the source. You realised it was just Archie and leaned back into the couch, while Archie flew to you and sat himself down in your lap.

"Hey, Arch. How's it going?" you asked.

"Good. I, uh… wanted to greet you earlier but you were um… preoccupied with Douxie," Archie hesitated.

You blushed and looked away, "Uh… we were just… umm… yeah."

"Anyways, about Douxie," Archie started, "I'm worried for him. I doubt he has the money to pay for everything. I've been trying to help him out by reaching out to a couple wizard friends of his, but there's only so much that I can do. Y/n, can you please help him out?"

"Of course I will, Arch. I just need to figure out how," you replied.

Archie nodded his head and sat there in silence, while you were thinking ways to help poor Douxie out. You started to absent-mindedly stroke Archie’s fur, earning a purr from him. After a couple of minutes, your eyes began to droop and you stopped stroking Archie. Soon, you fell into a deep slumber. The familiar noticed this and looked up to you, before he realised you were asleep. He carefully removed your hand off of him and he flew to get a throw blanket for you. When he returned, he heard very quiet snores from you. Archie laid the blanket on top of you and let you rest.

Half an hour later

Douxie was up and refreshed, while you were still peacefully asleep on the couch. Douxie opened up the door to see Archie playing with a ball of red yarn on a window sill. Archie noticed Douxie and stopped playing with the yarn. Douxie was about to ask where Y/n was but Archie held a finger up to his mouth and then pointed towards the couch. He walked over to the couch and saw that you were sleeping.

He smiled. You looked cute when you were asleep. Douxie quietly sat himself down next to you, planted a kiss on your temple and started to get back to his financial problem.

After 10 mins

You started to stir awake from your nap. As you opened your eyes, you felt a light tickling sensation in your hair. You saw Douxie was sitting next to you, staring at his laptop while absently ruffling your hair.

"Douxie," you whispered, instantly getting his attention.

"Hey there, love. Had a nice nap?" Douxie asked.

You only nodded your head. You tried to look what Douxie was doing on his laptop but you couldn't clearly read what was on the screen since you could only see half of it. Douxie opened up his arm and you snuggled into him. You once again saw numbers.

"Handling bills?" you guessed.

"Yeah," Douxie replied.

Suddenly, you got an idea.

"Hey, Doux," you called.

"Yes, love?" Douxie asked.

"You know how you don't have enough money to pay for the bills. What if you moved into my place instead and put this place up on the market?" you suggested (idk how housing works, just go along with it), "You wouldn't have to pay for the bills, so less money to give."

He thought about it for a minute.

"Mordrax's miracles! That's a great idea!" Douxie cheered.

"Great! We can start moving your stuff tomorrow," you said.

You looked once again at the laptop screen to check the time, 4:15 p.m.

"Do you want some tea?" Douxie asked, closing the laptop.

"Sure," you nodded.

After drinking the tea that Douxie made, the two of you decided to go out for a walk.

You and Douxie were walking down the path, hand in hand, when you spotted Toby, Claire and Jim. The trio also noticed you and Douxie, and ran up to you.

"Hey, lovebirds!" Claire giggled.

"Hey guys! What're you up to?" Douxie inquired.

"Just hanging around," Jim shrugged.

"Wait, weren't you guys with the rest of the gang?" you questioned.

"Yeah, we were but, they had other things to do. Steve, Aja and Eli had to take care of the kids. Then Krel had to adjust one of his inventions," Toby answered, "They left just before we got ice cream!"

"Yeah, T.P. here is just whining about how we couldn't get ice cream," Claire chuckled.

"I am not!"

"Well, why don't the five of us go right now?" you recommended.

"Yes! 'Mission: Get Ice Cream' is back in action!" Toby cheered, fist pumping the air.

You all made your way to an ice cream truck that was on the other side of town.

Jim and Claire were currently arguing over what ice cream flavour to get, since they wanted to share. Toby was happily enjoying his Nougat Nummy flavoured ice cream, while you and Douxie waited for Jim and Claire to decide. It was currently between chocolate and strawberry. The ice cream scooper decided to step in and suggest a whole different flavour to them. Thank the stars, they agreed. You and Douxie finally got to order. Douxie didn't minded what flavour you got, so you ordered vanilla, the classic.

Toby had already finished his ice cream, Jim and Claire were feeding each other, and you and Douxie were basically doing the same thing as the other two lovebirds.

"Sorry to interrupt your guys' little romantic session, but we should probably start heading back," Toby stated.

"Right," Jim nodded giving the last bite to Claire before he threw the little bowl away.

"Yeah, we should too," Douxie nodded, as you threw away your rubbish.

You all waved goodbye as the trio walked towards the neighbourhood, while you and Douxie made your way to your apartment.

"So, do you think Archie's gonna scratch my couch?" you asked, pointing to your newly bought furniture.

"Depends on how he's feeling," Douxie shrugged.

"Right, cause I don't want a scratched couch in just a few days. I bought that. I'll get something for him to scratch on," you concluded.

After you two had a discussion about tomorrow, Douxie headed back to his place.

Next morning, you had woken up bright and early to move Douxie's stuff to your place.

Right now you were cleaning around the apartment while your wizard was packing.

"Y/n! I'm done packing!" Douxie called.

"Bring your stuff out here!" you shouted.

Douxie came from his bedroom with a suitcase, laptop bag and a gig bag.

"You don't have much stuff," you commented.

"Nope. What are we going to do with the furniture and other stuff?" Douxie inquired.

"Well, we could put it up for sale if you don't want it. Or you can keep it," you replied.

"Nah, I don't need it. We can just put up for sale," Douxie said.

"Right. Now, let's get your stuff over to my place," you said, making a portal and gestured Douxie to go through.

He obeyed and went through the portal as you followed behind.

You were now in your living room where Archie was scratching the scratch post you bought for him.

"Hey, Arch!" you greeted.

"Hello, Miss Y/n," Archie nodded.

"Well, hello to you too Arch," Douxie grumbled as he placed down his belongings.

"Hello, Douxie," Archie added and went back to clawing the post.

You lead Douxie to your room and helped him unpack.

After unpacking his things, you started to make lunch.

You were trying to get oil from the top shelf but you couldn't quite reach it. You were going to ask Douxie, when you felt a pair of arms wrap around you, bringing you back into a chest.

"Douxie, my love, I was just going to ask if you could help me get that bottle of oil down from the top," you chuckled.

"I have a better idea," he said.

You turned around to face him, to see a grin on his face. He grabbed your hand and took you out of your apartment.

You were taken all the way to Sam's.

"Douxie, you know I could've just made lunch, right?" you said.

"I know but, a date is better," Douxie grinned.

As soon as you and Douxie took a seat, a waiter came up to you two and asked for your order. Since the whole idea of coming to Sam's was Douxie's, he ordered. Not long after, the waiter came back with two burgers and two soft drinks. You thanked the waiter before digging into the food.

After lunch, the two of you hiked your way up to the Bluff.

"How… much… longer… till… we get… there?" you panted.

You seriously needed to get out more cause you were exhausted.

"Just a few more-" Douxie started but you cut him off.

"Please don't say 'minutes'!" you begged.

"I was going to say 'metres'," Douxie finished.

"Thank the stars!" you gasped and ran the rest of the way.

You came to halt as you saw the beautiful sunset in front of you.

Definitely worth hiking for.

"So, you happy you came up here?" Douxie asked.

"Beyond any doubt," you breathed.

You tore your gaze from the scene to Douxie.

"So, you happy that you moved into my place? you smirked.

"Beyond any doubt," Douxie repeated your words, stepping forward and bringing you closer to him.

You stared up into his soft, hazel eyes, while he stared into your childlike, e/c eyes. You both leaned in and closed the gap between each other.

Now that Douxie had moved into your place, he didn't have to worry about money that much.

And you? You had company as did Douxie and Archie. A win, win.

Word count: 2, 625

[ka-za-ri]

Pet sitting (Lucifer x Reader)

I said sub Lucifer bullshit. Here it is. GN Reader Pairing: Lucifer x Reader, Mentions of Lucifer x Diavolo and others Genre: PwP Smut Wordcount: ????     Tags: Smut, porn without plot, size kink, sex toys, bondage, over stimulation, Sub Lucifer, nipple play, edging, cock and ball torture, pet play, dirty talk Summary: Diavolo puts you in charge of taking care of his pet while he’s away.

Someone needed to take care of Diavolo’s precious pet while he was away. Normally, that charge would fall on Barbatos, but on the occasion that both of them were gone on business, you were responsible. Luckily, Lucifer was well behaved and knew exactly what to do in preparation for when you came over for playtime. By the time you arrived at the appointed hour in the secluded room in Diavolo’s castle, far away from any prying ears, everything would be set. The lights would be dimmed, but the room wasn’t so dark that you couldn’t get a good look at  Lucifer’s face. All the instruments would be laid neatly on a table nearby. By the time you walked into the room, Lucifer would be nude save for his boxers and waiting for you on all fours at the foot of the bed. “Have you been a good boy?” You asked softly, walking over to him and stroking his face. He pressed into your palm, letting out a soft whimper and nodded. Good pets didn’t speak unless told to. He glanced over at the collar sitting on the sheets and you moved to get it and put it on him. As soon as it was tugged snugly around his neck, it was as if his whole body released all its tension. Whatever stress and worries he had about the world were beyond the doors of the playroom. Tonight, he was your pet and you were going to make sure you played with him. He didn’t need to be told to get onto the bed, though he did regard you with a quizzical expression. You paused for a moment, wondering what he could need, taking in the view of his bulge hanging down between his legs before you spoke. “Hands and knees for now.” you declared and he obediently stayed, keeping his ass in the air, his hands planted just the right distance to keep him stable. You walked over to the bed, your weight dipping the mattress a bit as you joined him. “You’ve been waiting to play, haven’t you?” You asked, your voice soft, the slightest hint of a purr at the back of your throat while you palmed his hardness through his boxers. “Even when you were doing your errands today, I could see how excited you were to have playtime with me.” Lucifer let out a soft whine, bucking his hips into your touch and you pulled away, only to slap his ass. “Oh come now, I know you can behave better than that.” The Avatar of Pride only let out a pitiful whimper, nodding and went back to being the good pet he was, staring straight at the headboard in front of him while you gave him a thorough examination. Your hand caressed his firm ass cheek, giving it a squeeze before you went back to fondling his cock through the last piece of clothing he had on. “You didn’t even fully strip when I came to see you.” you chided, pulling the boxers down his legs. He remained still, letting the garment pool at his bent knees until you allowed him to move. Now that you had access to his cock, you saw how much he anticipated that evening. He was half hard and his dick twitched at random intervals, beads of precum dribbled out of the tip and you tsk’d in feigned disappointment. “Oh how sad. Do I not make you happy?” You cooed, stroking his length and making him shudder. “I know I’m not your master, but I still deserve the same respect, right?” Lucifer let out a whimper, only able to nod in shame as he let you tease his cock until was rock hard and throbbing at your every touch. “On your back, pet. You’re getting tied up tonight for disappointing me so early on.” He was quick to follow your orders, flipping himself over and holding his legs up with his hands and exposing his cock and his hole to you. You took a moment to run your finger down his length and tease his tight hole before reaching over for the hank of rope he had prepared for the evening. You were far from an expert at ties, but having been in charge of a few play times and bearing witness to when Lord Diavolo was in command, you had a fair idea of how he should be bound. With a little bit of trial and error, his legs were neatly folded and bound. His arms were tied to his knees, and Lucifer didn’t need any commands to know he was to keep himself spread wide open for you. “Good boy.” you purred, rewarding him with a lewd kiss and a firm pump of his shaft. You continued trussing him up, dressing him in knotted rope until his body was a work of art. Of course, you were careful to ensure the marks that would inevitably be left behind would be easily hidden under his normal clothes. No one else needed to know just how submissive he could be behind closed doors. That was a secret only a select few were privy to. Looking down at him, you smiled softly, tracing your handiwork and testing the dies to ensure they weren’t too tight on him. Still, you weren’t completely done. Thinner cording was brought to the bed. You took care to bind his cock and balls in a way that kept him from cumming until you were ready. The crisscross pattern matched the one on his body and once you completed the final knot, he was truly breathtaking. “Red really does look good on you.” You smiled softly, getting off the bed to assess the array of toys you had at your disposal that evening. Humming as you looked through the selection, you could hear Lucifer’s breathing hitch whenever your finger traced over something he particularly liked. You would get to them in due time, for now, you needed to make sure he was prepared to last the whole night. Coming back, you affixed a pair of bejeweled nipple clamps to him. The glittering red gems matched the ropes and you couldn’t help but give them an experimental tug earning you a delicious little whine. “Now pet, you may speak. What would you like to do tonight?” You kept the tension on the chain connected to the nipple clamps, pulling at them and making him wince. He blinked, pushing the pain to the side before answering you. “I... I want... I want you to use the toys to fuck me.” Lucifer blushed brightly, the flush traveling down his neck and spread to his chest. No matter how many times he did this, he never got used to admitting what he wanted. It was always a pleasure to see him squirm in discomfort, declaring such debased things from his mouth and confessing to you just what he wanted to happen. “Is that how my pet wants to play today?” You asked softly, squeezing his shaft and fondling his balls. “Well, I’m sure I can oblige to that. But you have to be good first.” With that, you stuffed his boxers into his mouth, gagging him for the rest of the evening while you had your fun. You wanted to start off slow, now that you knew what he wanted. You found a length of chain to attach to the ones already on his nipple clamps and clipped it neatly to the cord that held his cock erect. The tension changed every time his cock twitched and it was a joy to see his expression change with every shift of his body. You couldn’t leave his hole unattended after all. If you were to give him what he wanted later, then you needed to make sure he was ready for what you had in mind. Your fingers grasped a slim anal plug and liberally lubed it up, pressing it into his tight ass and watched with rapt attention as the taught muscle slowly loosened to accept the toy. It was a joy to watch your pet’s body be so obedient, he simply deserved to be rewarded. Once the plug was snugly inside of him, you clicked the button at the base and watched it buzz into life. The way Lucifer’s body arched at the sudden stimulation was magnificent. The chains connected to his nipple and cock tightened as he writhed and accepted all the stimulation his prostate and his body was receiving. To say it was a turn-on was an understatement. His muffled whines were music to your ears and his stifled screams when you pressed a wand vibrator to his cock was simply sinful. Lucifer’s eyes rolled back, drool soaked his soiled boxers and all he could do was accept everything you gave him. He was almost painfully hard, his cock throbbed and beat against its bindings and you simply had to admire how cum still beaded at the tip while you teased him. He could feel himself get closer and closer to orgasm. You were driving him past the point of no return. His climax hit him, even though he could cum he still felt the rush of endorphins rush through his body as the vibrator was pressed firmly at the base of his cock. Lucifer’s whole body tensed as he was awash in pleasure and pain all at once. You were merciful enough to pull the vibrator away from his cock, but you did leave the one in his ass and turned the intensity as high as it would go. Seeing him squirm against his bindings was always a delight regardless of he was being good or not. He let out needy whines, bucking his hips into the air, rutting at nothing, his he used his body to beg for the chance to properly cum. Seeing his desperation, you gave his cock a sharp slap. The muffled scream that came from the back of his throat gave you a rush of power and it was intoxicating to see the usually composed man come undone. Settling between his legs, you tugged his cock towards you, pulling on the clamps and his bindings. He breathed heavily through his nose as he was wracked with pain and pleasure. The feeling of the dry orgasm still resounded in his limbs and his nerves felt as though they were on fire. Still, you weren’t done with him. Once his chest stopped heaving, you took the liberty to pull the plug out of him excruciatingly slowly. The way his expression changed with every inch that slid out of him was divine and for a moment, you wondered if his angelic form had been this beautiful. He gasped for air once the plug was tossed to the side and you rewarded him by also removing the makeshift gag from his mouth. His lips were swollen and glistened with drool, an enticing sight that you couldn’t resist and you helped yourself to a wet, sloppy kiss while your hand pumped his sensitive cock, playing with the chain that connected it to his nipples. He moaned into your mouth, hungrily reciprocating the kiss and leaning into it as much as he could, straining against his bindings to gain more of your reward. “Was I good? Did I do good?” he babbled once the kiss broke. You regarded him with a raised brow, stopping your gentle stroking and gave his cock a hard slap. “Well, I was going to say you were good. But good pets don’t talk unless they’re allowed to.” You chided, this time you slapped his aching balls, making him cry out and you watched with a fair amount of glee when you saw tears forming at the corners of his eyes. He whimpered, pouting magnificently and you felt your chest swell with adoration for the man below you. “Aww, but you know... when you give me such good puppy eyes like that, I can’t help but tell you how good you are.” you cooed, stroking the side of his head. “Now... is my good boy ready to be rewarded with what he wanted?” He eagerly nodded, panting in anticipation for what you had prepared for him. The dildo he chose was a tried and true favorite, but one he always needed some prep for. You were more than liberal with lubricant, coating the phallic object until it glistened in the dim lighting. You didn’t forget to slather his pulsing asshole with a fair amount as well until it was slick and ready for the bulbous head of the toy. “You’re always such a slut for your Lord’s cock, aren’t you, pet?” you crooned, admiring the way his hole stretched out to accept the toy. “Even when you’re away, you can’t help but want him, hm?” He could only whine in pleasure and take deep wheezing breaths as he accepted the toy. “You may speak, pet. But only about how much you love getting fucked like the little pet slut you are by your Lord’s cock.” “Yes, yes. I love it! I love it so much!” He babbled, delirious and giddy when you finally allowed him to be vocal. “I love feeling his cock stretch me and fill me up! I love it when you use his toy cock to fuck me!” He gasped when you slid a rather prominent ridge inside of him. “I’m a good boy, a good slut for what my Lord gives me and the care he provides me!” “Such a loyal pet you are.” You praised, stroking his cock as you continued to press the dildo into him. “All these toys you have and this is the one you always use when he’s away.” “Yes, yes. His cock is the only one that fills me up the best.” Lucifer struggled against the bindings, you could see the light bruising that the ropes were leaving and the thought of knowing you were the ones who put those bruises there only encouraged you to fuck him with the toy even more. “That’s my boy, taking all of this big cock into you.” You sneered, pressing into him and making him adjust faster than he anticipated. He let out a choked cry and the tears started to roll down his face until finally, the shaft was completely inside of him. You could have been nice and let him breathe, but where was the fun in that? As soon as you saw he was fully stretched out, you started fucking him hard, thrusting the toy in and out of him, letting the lewd sounds of sex fill the room and mingle with his screams of pleasure. He was close and you were going to drive him to the brink and beyond that as well. While you continued to plunge the toy into his hole and fuck him as he wanted, you reached over for a pair of scissors with your free hand. A few well placed snips in between thrusts and his cock was free from his bindings. The chain connected to the nipple clamps fell to the side. Carefully placing the scissors to the side, you proceeded to stroke him hard and fast with your free hand while his ass was being pounded by a copy of Diavolo’s cock. “Yes. Thank you. Thank you for taking such good care of me.” He babbled. “No one else pet sits for me as well as you do. You make me into such a good slutty pet!” You felt your heart skip a beat at his praise and gripped the base of his cock hard, preventing him from cumming just yet. “I said you’re only allowed to talk about how you liked to be fucked like a pet slut.” You threatened, plunging the toy into him until the knotted base started to further stretch him out. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I- Ahhh!! Lord Diavolo’s cock fills me up the best! I love it! I love being fucked by it!” “Good boy.“ You praised, pressing the toy into him until it was fully sheathed inside of him, knot and all. Your grip loosened on his dick once more and you resumed stroking him. “Now show me how you like to beg to cum” You commanded, finally allowing him to climax while you pushed the toy as far as it would go into him, rocking it back and forth against his stretched and abused anus. “Ah!! Oh... Oh, please! Please let me cum! I want to cum! You make me feel so good! I’ll be a good boy and cum so pretty for you! I just want to... I want to Please.” The little whine at the end satisfied you and you redoubled your efforts on his overstimulated body. “Then cum.”

He followed your orders with glee, hot, thick ropes of cum spurted from his cock, covering his abdomen and his chest. His back arched violently as he climaxed, his whole body shuddering in its wake. He kept cumming in spurts, his essence splattering against his skin and soiling your hand. Lucifer wheezed, his eyes rolled back in pure bliss and he let out a soundless scream as he was finally allowed to release all his pent up emotions. “Good boy. You did so well.” you purred, crawling up to see his blissed out face and stroking it gently until he came down from his high. “You did make a mess though, so clean it up well, yes?” you cooed, offering him your hand covered in his cum. He happily lapped every drop up, savoring the taste of your skin and his essence. The dildo was still deeply embedded in him and his anus pulsed around it, clenching and sucking it in further while he lovingly cleaned your hand. Finally, the bindings were released. His tender nipples were freed and his limbs were allowed freedom. He sighed in content, his spent cock laying against his abdomen as he let you undo all the knots and ties across his body. The last thing to leave him was the toy he loved so much. The wet squelching sound as the knot popped out of him made his dick twitch and he groaned in pleasure as he was slowly being emptied. “Good boy.” you praised once more, proud of just how much he went through that night. “I’ll be sure to give a good report back to Lord Diavolo of your behavior.” Lucifer rolled over, nuzzling you softly and snuggling against your side. “Thank you for the lovely play date.” He murmured. Now that the scene was over, his submissive side ebbed and his usual demeanor mellowed out as he basked in the aftermath of such an intense session. You laughed softly, enjoying the time you shared with Lucifer as the two of you laid in bed together. You fed him snacks, made sure he drank and was comfortable, offered him soft words of affirmation and plenty of snuggles as he recomposed himself. After a moment of respite between the two of you, Lucifer’s energy returned and there was a proper glint of mischief in his eyes.”You know...” he started, his hands trailing between your legs and rubbing at the obvious arousal there. “I need to properly thank you for being such a good pet sitter.” “Oh, is that so?” you asked, raising a brow and rather intrigued as to how he planned on ‘thanking you.’ “Mmm yes...” He nodded, a smirk spread across his face as he pinned you down, stripping you of what clothes you had in the blink of an eye. Before you knew it, your legs were spread open and a thick, phallic object pressed at your waiting hole. “I know one other person who absolutely adores Lord Diavolo’s cock fucking them relentlessly...”

[hisoknen]

chef boyardon’t || hawks

warnings: fluffy smut, first date with hawks  wc: 2.4k

a/n: this is for my spring time anon @smol-floatyy​​ for the @bnhaclaimedmysoul​ event!! sorry i couldn’t resist the title, forgive my shit humor XD it’s been so nice getting to know you and i would love to keep in touch! this pushed me out of my comfort zone and i learned a lot! i hope you enjoy it! sincerely 🌺 anon

Stretching your body and rubbing the sleep out of your eyes, swinigng your legs over the side of the bed. Your body was sore and your head was pounding against your skull. Your stomach growling was the only thing that had your body moving at this point. 

“Oop, hey there baby bird,” you hear Hawk’s voice coo as you step into the kitchen. Walking over to him, you wrap your arms around his body and breathe him in. 

“I didn’t mean to wake you up Y/n,” he chuckles. Letting out a groan, you reach around him for a bag of chips, before turning to walk over to the couch. “Stay up late again, hm?” He follows in suit, collapsing beside you. This was the first time all week that you’d seen him. 

“Mmhhm,” you fall into his lap, the bag of snacks perched on your stomach while you crunch away. 

“How was work?” You mumble, looking up at him as you shove a handful of the salty chips into your mouth. 

“Ahh, it was honestly pretty boring, I’m just ready to take it easy, here with you.” He smiled down at you, his eyes squinting shut, shoveling a handful of the chips into his own mouth. The relaxed air he was putting off always frustrated you. 

Why wouldn’t he just talk to you more about how he was really feeling. You knew his job was stressful but whenever he was here he cut all conversations revolving around it, short. 

You decided to not push him on it any further, distracting yourself by popping a few more chips into your mouth. At least he was here, spending time with you and holding you after all.

“Hey Y/n, why don’t cha tell me about the best date you’ve ever been on?” He grins, looking down at you inquisitively. You almost choke on your food, your cheeks immediately grow hot as you try to swallow the last of your chips, thinking of how to divert his question to avoid responding. 

“I really enjoyed that one time that we made pasta together.” You smile up at him, your hand shifting to rest on top of your chest, rubbing at the skin.

“I enjoyed that too, but that’s just us cooking together, ya know? What the best date you’ve ever been on?” Hawks grabs the bag you’ve been fidgeting with, popping a chip into his mouth, his hand resting on your shoulder as he waits for you to respond. 

“Remember the time we planted the carrots in the garden.” You counter, racking your brain for something to say. You’d never actually gone on a date. You always wanted him to ask you out on your first, but he was always so busy, and you understood that. 

He was the Number 2 Hero after all. He had more important things to be doing than taking you out on dates. You always saw how tired his eyes looked whenever he came over, how he plastered a happy look on and you just wanted him to relax and spend time with you. It wasn’t all that important for the two of you to go out when you had each other’s company.

“Y/n,” he chuckled, “Once again, that’s just us spending time together, kitten, I wanna know about the best date you’ve been on, I won’t get jealous, just want to know so I can top it.” He gives you a Cheshire grin. 

While Hawks wasn’t someone to take things too seriously, you knew how much he cared about you and that he was sensitive when it came to what you thought of him. How could you reassure him and make sure he didn’t beat himself up over it. It wasn’t that big of a deal.

“I uh- I haven’t ever actually been out on a date.” You stammer, “I mean- we do a lot of fun things! I consider them dates.” You hurry to reassure him but it’s too late. You see his face fall for a split second, his brows furrowing. 

“Keigo, I love the time we spend together, it’s more than enough for me.”

---

Who the fuck is that? You try to rack your brain for people who would be showing up to your house in the afternoon. Hawks had your keys so it couldn’t be him. Had you ordered something? No that couldn’t be it. Shit who the fuck was it?

You felt horrible after what had happened yesterday. You hadn’t intended to make Hawks feel bad. He’d asked you the question in the first place. But as soon as you told him that you’d never been on a date, he had grown silent for the remainder of the night. 

He looked lost in thought and no matter what you said he would just shrug you off. All you ever wanted was for him to wrap you up in his arms and be beside you. You hadn’t lied about that and you couldn’t think to ask him for anything more, it was all you ever wanted from him.

You nervously approach the door, anxiously peaking into the hole. What the hell? Through the small hole you could see Hawks nervously looking at his feet, hands hidden behind his back. Did he leave his key here? 

You quickly unlock the door and his eyes flash up to yours. “Kei-” 

“I uh… got these for you” he cuts you off, flinging his hands before you, a bouquet of spider lilies in his hands. 

“Hey lil bird. Ahh... if you don’t have any plans, I would love to take you out on a date.” His cheeks are blushing as he stares up at you, searching your face. You take the flowers into your hands, your eyes widening sight before you. 

You’d told him about your favorite flower, but you didn’t think he’d remembered. You’d never seen white spider lilies, and they were absolutely beautiful. You look back up at Hawks and see him shifting from one foot to the next, his hand is scratching the back of his head while he looks to the side. 

“I would love to.”

---

You’d never had more fun. After putting the flowers away you grabbed your bag and headed out with Hawks. You’d walked around the city for hours, grabbing snacks along the way, hand in hand. 

You were radiating, the air around you was warm smelt sweet, you could tell that the smile on Hawks’ face was genuine, without a trace of worry, and it made your heart sing. He’d made you wait outside of the supermarket while he grabbed groceries. 

“We should probably start walking home now,” you stroll up to him as he emerges from the store, the sky darkening around you. 

“Can you hold these?” he holds the bag up to your face. You smile up at him and take the bag “Ah ah, no peeking.” He closes your hands around the bag, “Com’er,” he pulls you flush against his body. 

“Kei-” your words get caught in your throat as you watch the ground beneath you disappear. “Shh, just enjoy the view. I insist.” He whispers against your ear, the whirling of his wings surrounding you.

You look below and find the market you were at mere moments ago the size of a miniature diorama.“I’ve wanted to take you up here for the longest time.” Your fingernails dig into his arms, your heart was beating out of your chest. “Don’t worry, love. Relax and enjoy the view.” He purrs and you slowly ease up on the pressure.

The city lights twinkling below you stars in front of you were vibrant and glistening. It all looked like a dream. You lose track of time, taking in your surroundings from a new perspective. 

This is how he saw the world everyday? How small we are in comparison to the things that surround us. He was sharing this beauty with you. 

You arrive through your bedroom window, Hawks gracefully placing you onto the bed, his forehead brushing against yours while he steals a kiss from your lips. 

“Now you stay here.” he grabs the bag from your hands and pushes himself from the mattress. You watch him disappear, closing the door behind him. You dreamily walk over to your dresser to put on a tank top and shorts. 

The whole day had been an absolute dream. You relax against the bed, head propped on the pillow, engraving  the memory into your mind, reliving the moment over and over again. 

“Hey there, dove,” you turn your head to the door to find him propped up against it, striking a sexy pose. You would have been drooling if not for the fact that he was wearing a chef hat, clad in nothing but an apron covered in chicken nuggets. 

“Where did you get that?” you sit up right, trying to hold in the laughter that threatened to escape. He puffs his cheeks out at you pouting, pushing himself from the door and walking toward you. 

“You don’t like it?” The string holding his outfit together looked so flimsy, one wrong move and he would be completely exposed in front of you. The way the hat was thrown on with haste, made him look like he was straight out of a parody porno.

“No, no I love it!” You let out a giggle scooting over to give him space. He laid a soft kiss against your lips, hands grasping at your hips “Chicken nuggets?” You take the fabric into your hands, smiling up at him through your eyelashes.

Breaking out in a cheeky grin, he lifts his eyebrows at you, moving down your body. His mouth covering your exposed skin with feathery light kisses, hands pulling your legs apart, finger ghosting over your panties.

“What are you making?” You let out a sigh, relishing in the feeling of his fingers circling your clit. 

“That, my love.” He lays a kiss against your clothed core, “Is a surprise.” The cold air of the room hits your core as he pulls your panties to the side, his tongue immediately delving into your folds. 

Breath catches in your throat as his tongue laps away at your center, his fingers ghosting over your entrance, looking down at him through your lidded eyes. His tongue flat, trailing up from your slit and flicking at your clit. 

His fingers sink into your core, curling up while he continues his painfully slow ministrations on your clit. His fingers slip inside of your slit, his tongue lapping at your folds, moving at a tantalizing pace. 

“Y-you feels so good.” Your hands thread into his hair, pulling him closer. The breath coming from his nose, sending shivers up your spine. He tugs gently at your folds, working his fingers in and out, brushing against the spot that has you moaning above him. Trying to keep your eyes open is an impossible task as he kneads at the point, clamping his lips around your clit and twirling his tongue around it. 

“You’re always so tight for me, dove.” The lewd words seep into your brain, electricity coursing through your veins. 

Your pussy clenches around his fingers, sucking him in further. “Kei- I’m gonna,” your hips are bucking into his mouth, body undulating beneath him. 

“Come for me, dove,” he purrs against your soft flesh returning to your throbbing pussy. The pressure in your belly builds with each swipe of his tongue, your hands tightening their grip in his hair, eliciting a groan from his sweet mouth. His pace picks up, the pressure he is applying has you screaming out his name, walls convulsing around him. 

Hawks places delicate kisses onto the inside of your thighs, fingers tracing the skin of your shaking legs, your mind is swimming but you're brought back to your senses in moments. Sniffing the air you sit up on your elbows.

“Do you smell something?” 

“Oh shit!” his hands immediately disconnect from your body, dashing out to the kitchen. Quickly grabbing your shorts, you follow after him, dipping your legs into the openings. Hawks is using the hat to waft the air over the pan in an attempt to lessen the smoke. 

“Fuck!” He let out a frustrated growl moving the it onto another burner, trying to salvage the dish. “I can’t believe I forgot to set a timer,” he mumbles to himself, running a hand through his hair. You close the gap between the two of you,   

“That kinda blows.” he huffs, a disappointed look seeping through his features. 

“Is that Mole?” You take another sniff, looking onto the charred sauce in the pan. The sauce looked delicious and you dipped your fingers into it, wincing as the liquid burned the tip of your finger. 

You still pull it into your mouth with a pop, holding back a grimace. You could tell even if it wasn’t burnt it would have tasted.. Unique to say the least. But he went through all this trouble for you?

“It was.” he chuckles, taking the pan and bringing it over to the sink to soak. He’d really gone all out today. 

“I wanted today to be perfect.” His hands reach up to rub at his forehead. 

“I guess for the longest time. I wasn’t really thinking about all of the things I wanted to experience with you. I get so caught up just being with you that sometimes I forget to show you how important you are to me.” Hawks looks down at his feet, a nervous smile taking over his features. 

“But I am glad that I was able to take you out on your first date at least. I hope you enjoyed yourself as much as I did kitten. I really wanted to make your favorite dish but uh…. We still have time to order some takeou-” 

“Hey.” You cut him off, walking to the freezer. 

“What are you doing?” he watches you rummage through the contents. You emerge with a box of dinosaur nuggets in hand, a smile spreading across your lips.

“You know. As much as I love Mole, I’ve been really craving chicken nuggets all day. How about we try to make it another time?” His brows furrow for a moment. Walking over to him you place a kiss onto his lips, pulling the hat from his hands and rearranging it back on top of his head.

“Next time, okay? Everything about today was perfect and the only way I can see the day ending is with a face full of nuggets, so get on it chef.” You hand him the box, landing a playful swat at his butt.

masterlist

[the-last-cuddlebender]

Request for prompt: modern kataang-high school or college ❤️

I’M SO SORRY ANON THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE YESTERDAY

I made the fic a bit longer than normal, so I hope that makes it up😞 I really do appreciate the ask, and I’m soso sorry if you felt like I was ignoring you!! (feat. littleshit!Aang🥰)

(Disclaimer: I am in no way, shape, or form a theatre kid, so apologies for any nonsense🙃)

Words: 1,521

**************************************

Katara groaned. She reminded herself that she loved him, but the repetition was making the reasons lose meaning. That, or her thespian boyfriend’s IQ was plummeting even further below ambient temperature.

Aang was an idiot. A silly, smiling, sarcastic to a fault ball of sunshine idiot.

But he was her idiot.

I love him. I love him. 

Aang swooned. Again. This time, he gave it twice as much flair, and his gasp somehow waxed Shakespearean even though it wasn’t even a word. Katara’s conditioning from the past hour reminding herself that she loved him was the only reason she didn’t immediately drop him when he fell sideways into a trust-fall (that they both knew she would catch him in). 

“Oh, Katara!” Aang arched like a loaded bow in her arms. His sneakers dragged on the concrete walkway that cut through the library’s courtyard. He’s lucky they were alone. Katara wasn’t so lucky. Alone meant Aang could be as silly and make her as flustered as his heart desired. 

I love him. I love him. 

“Oh, my life’s only meaning, my dear dove and daydream~”

Katara blushed, kept walking, and rolled her eyes towards the moon when her melodramatic boyfriend let himself be dragged like a corpse.

She looked down, hoping to smack some sense into him with her glare.

Big mistake.

Aang’s theatre makeup was still on, and his puppy-dog eyes were a compulsion as impossible to fight as the need to keep her heart beating. 

There was a silent little plea in those smartass silver orbs.

Katara grumbled, but forces outside of her control made her adjust her grip to carry him bridal style. It was more than a tad unfair. Aang had a head of height and nearly half times her weight on her. 

(Un)Fortunately, he had pulled this stunt enough times to build her physical endurance to his antics just as much as her mental. 

I tolerate him. I tolerate him.

Aang hugged her neck, nuzzled her jaw like an overly-affectionate lover on his first date with the one he’d been pining for, and Katara only growled a little bit before giving him the little kiss he was after.

I tolerate him. I tolerate him.

Aang was still high on the excitement of another theatre performance. His smile was a floodlight that had Katara dumbly blinking whenever she looked at it, and his giggles were each followed by an equally giddy kiss.

“Love you ‘tara~” He looked at her expectantly and pouted when all she did was scowl at the empty night ahead of them. He rolled his head onto her shoulder and tightened his grip on her neck. “Don’t you love me, too?” The sincerity in his voice was gone in the next second, replaced by his cartoon villain’s cackle. “Come ooooon. You know you do. You love me. You thought I did great tonight, didn’t you?”

“Aang, I swear—”

Aang’s gasp redefined what it meant to be overdramatic. He flung his arm over his head and tightened the other around her neck. “Be gone from me!” He swooned as if wounded and tried to distance himself without leaving her arms. “Aang is my stage name!”

Katara stopped. 

Aang smiled, making the air so concentrated with his mischief that it felt like breathing and moving through fog.

He kissed her again, though it felt like a victor’s flag being planted.

Katara kissed him back.

And then she dropped him.

“Owwww…” Aang rubbed his head but didn’t try to get up. Puppy-dog eyes were a wounded stray that didn’t know what it did wrong. 

But then he saw her disapproving foot tapping, and he bounced right back into character.

“Oh, the pain! It’s nearly unbearable! The lost love *sniff* also nearly unbearable!” 

He clutched his chest. 

Katara pinched between her eyes.

I tolerate him. I love him. 

“—and with that, I die!” Aang hit the walkway supine. His tongue jumped out to hang over the corner of his mouth like it was an old dollar rejected from a vending machine, his last breath sunk his chest to the concrete, and every muscle on his annoyingly handsome face uncoiled into something serene that was ruined by his audible gasp of death. “Bleh!”

I tolerate loving him. I tolerate loving him.

“Aang.”

He didn’t move.

“Aang.” 

It probably wasn’t healthy for him to be holding his exhale this long.

Katara sagged like she was crushed under a theatre curtain, and she looked at the stars searching for answers.

Why do I love him?

Katara was still fighting her existential crisis as she stepped over her thespian love’s supine form. “Goodnight, sweet prince,” she said with all the enthusiasm of a thrice removed cousin at yet another family funeral, “and flights of winged lemurs sing thee to thy rest.”

Katara’s headache was pounding so hard that she didn’t notice the footsteps rapidly pounding after her until her other, tattooed, always smiling, forever loving, never cold human-headache jumped onto her back. 

(Un)Fortunately, Katara had exercised this maneuver well enough times, too.

Aang’s laugh was in her ear, and his smile kissed her temple. His legs and arms found their homes around her like final puzzle pieces sliding into place. 

Katara was supporting him without thinking about it. She was concentrating too hard on trying to still look mad. The butterflies in her stomach escaped into the whole of her, filling her with clouds, when he kissed her cheek. He held the moment that was theirs, and he slacked like she’d just released him from some witch’s curse.

He was human ooze—warm, loving, and laughing so lightly and so consistently that it trembled against her back like a purr. 

Katara smiled. Aang’s ease cooled her over, and her headache limped away. He was her every ailment and every cure. It was more than a little addicting. 

Katara glanced at him in her periphery since his head was limp on her shoulder. His one eye peaked open, and the mischief that danced there created the blanket for a million loving stars.

Katara looked a second more, found her answer, and kissed his cheek long enough to make the moment theirs. 

I love him. I love him.

Aang was a brilliant actor, but he could never play false love. The soft smile she drew from him was genuine, and the way he relaxed was like a theatre mask and costume finally coming off. It was a performance only she could ever witness, and it was one that words couldn’t hope to do justice.

“...I love you, Aang.”

Aang hummed. Katara felt it—and the wavy rhythm of his following laugh—from where he laid limp against her. His arms hung over her chest, and the whole of him grew slack, trusting her grip to keep him from falling. She would never. He knew it, too.

He nuzzled her jaw like he was a lovesick boy on his first date with the girl he had pined over forever. His touch was soft, barely there, like she was something sacred he didn’t want to disturb. His smile was on her temple and trailing its way down her cheek, but his voice was all around her—his words reaching her ears, his bass trembling against her back, and his sincerity brushing her soul—like they were back in the theater dome.

It was still playful, but it was also scratchy and turned to static from sudden exhaustion. 

“...Aang is my stage name.”

Katara’s dancing heart skipped out of tune and tumbled of its stage, becoming a pinball jetting around her insides that hit a bumper and dinged a bell as his breathing grew quieter and calmer—satisfied. Safe.

He loves me. He loves me.

Katara kissed the part of his face she could reach, savored the brightening of the night that came with the widening of his smile, and walked with the renewed strength his giggle gave her.

“I love you, my Forever Boy.”

Aang’s smile was sudden and grand, and it disorientated her with excitement. His laugh, genuine and a gift he only gave to her, flooded her frantic heart with adrenaline that left it bouncing in its seat. He did it to her every time, and she would never grow tired of it. Aang was a classic. A masterpiece. A work of art like no other. 

His next laugh was Andrew Lloyd Webster shaking her world to its core, and his next smile, brought up with new life, was the chandelier leaving the stage to hang from the ceiling above her, making himself the moon and the stars her every question and answer all in one. 

His next hum was an encouragement, and his next nuzzle, though weak and heavy with sleep, to her jaw was the gaze of a phantom kept close to her heart. 

Aang’s voice was more like a thought than sound. “I love you, too, my Forever Girl...” He kissed near her ear. “...My Mighty Katara...” Then her cheek. “...My dear panda lily...” The corner of her lip. “...The song of my heart’s dance.”

His head found its home in the nest of hair pooling in the dip of her shoulder. He took a deep breath, hummed a tune that made the world feel right again, and held the last note like he was asking for her hand to dance. 

And Katara, though stage-fright, wore him like a cape that scared her every fear away, and she quietly added her voice to their music of the night. 

His skipping heart tumbled against her back and told her he could hear her smile just as clearly as she could feel his grin against her shoulder. 

I love him...I love him...

Katara sang a little louder and reminded herself to tell her thespian love just how much she loved him later.

**************************************

.

.

...Idk where Phantom of the Opera come from, okay? It just happened. A happy little accident...I hope you liked it? I swear I’m not theatrically inept I swear—

[littlemeowmeowschimmy]

Yes Please [Taegi x Reader] Smut

credit: littlemeowmeowschimmy 

Requests opened // m.list 

Genre: Smut 

WC: 2.1k

Summary:  “An AU where everyone has a strip of color on their wrist that corresponds to the hair color of their soulmate/s. Y/N, who has two strips, starts to become very concerned for her soulmates’ scalps when her strips are constantly changing colors.” - btsqualityy

A/N: Okay, most of you know my good friend, @btsqualityy​. She created this beautiful social media au called Tinges. Within this au, there is one particular part that I’ve asked her to write. After some complications, she texted me one day saying if I wanted to write it, then I can have it. So, I am giving her full credit for the au that she’s created, linked the master list, and have given credit where it is due. Without further ado, enjoy at your own risk. [If you want more..erm just tell me okay?]

»»————-　★　————-««

They were the only two that were on your mind. Everything else was either stuffed away where you couldn’t think twice about it, or you just didn’t care. Instead, you were rushing around your small apartment. Trying to clean up as you didn’t want them to see what kind of mess you had made. Since your finals were just around the corner, your apartment was a slew of pictures, camera parts, and anything that wasn’t store-bought ramen. 

Scrambling, you tossed your clothes away, fitting into something much more appealing. Grabbing your loose yellow sweater, you flung it over your head, letting it hang from your shoulders. Giving your black fishnets the attention they desired. You didn’t dare put on heels, although the thought crossed your mind. Instead, you slipped on a pair of sneakers and pulled your socks up. 

Looking in the mirror, you double-checked your makeup. Making sure everything was perfect. Meaning, no smudges, no smears, and definitely no flakes. Grabbing a big fluffy, clean brush, you wiped away anything that would show crakes in such a beautiful painted mask. Grabbing a few hair ties, you pulled your hair back and let a few strands hang. You knew they were going to get looser, but if you wanted to look the part, you had to. 

Then, wasting no time, you proceed back to your cleaning. Stuffing papers into folders, pictures into your desk, and making sure every camera part was sealed away for safekeeping. By the time there was a faint knock, you had somewhat cleaned your apartment. At least making it presentable and smelling careful with a few candles. Taking a deep breath to calm not only your pulsating heart but your core, who needed attention, you stood up tall. 

You moved slowly, giving them what dire time they had to fix themselves before devouring you whole. When you opened the door, you were pleasantly surprised to see both of them in beautiful clothes. Taehyung looking more dressed up than Yoongi, however, you knew how lazy he was when it came to dressing himself. That is if he wanted to be casual, but then again, you didn’t keep on that thought for long. 

Taehyung’s whistle brought you back to reality, his eyes hungrily taking insight. He looks over his shoulder, Yoongi’s usually pale face was darker in the afternoon light. He didn’t say anything, instead, basking in all your glory. Reaching out, Taehyung took your wrist where the two strips of color where. Bringing them up, he plants a tender kiss on each, then moving in. 

You took two steps back, giving them enough room to walk in, then move past you. Yoongi did; first, Taehyung staying by your side to shut the door. You assumed Yoongi was going for the wine, the one he gave just a few nights before. You hadn’t touched it, mostly because you wanted it to chill first before popping the cork. 

“I still wish you would have said -” Taehyung clucks his tongue like a mother would scolding a child. He waggles a long finger, then proceeding to press it to your lips. 

“We’ve already discussed this,” he mentions waggling his eyebrows. “Now let us take care of you.” pausing then looking over his shoulder. Yoongi coming back with three glasses, one of them already filled. 

“You were the one to invite us over, weren’t you?” The question hanging in the air, your breath caught in your lungs. Without a second thought, you nod feverously. Reaching out to grab a glass when Yoongi came close. Instead, he shakes his head again, leaning inwards and smiling. Almost teasing you as he hands the full cup to Taehyung. 

Where you three going to drink first? Or where they going to get right into it? You didn’t know; however, you didn’t want to bask in the unknown for too long... 

»»————-　★　————-««

Taehyung was crotched in front of you, his slim fingers grasping your chin. Your torso was laid across Yoongi’s lap, his fingers brushing against the nets across your legs. A small whimper escapes your lips, Taehyung being the source of it. He held the small remote in his palm, controlling the speeds in which he could use against you. 

Yoongi was heightening your senses. Smacking your thighs whenever Taehyung adjusted the speed or doing so to watch your body jiggle due to the force. You could feel your heart against your chest, the pounding of it rapid and hard. Your arousal now being the only scent filling between the three of you. Under you, Yoongi’s own arousal poked at your stomach. 

Begging for its release as much as you wanted one. You tried to reach out, snatch the remote from Taehyung’s grasp multiple times. Making it harder by the second as he punished you for such actions. This time, he held your chin in a firm grip, tilting your head back to look at the decoration of hickies. 

“She’s going to need a lot of makeup, tomorrow baby,” he spoke, his attention now drawn towards Yoongi. You give a surprised yell, Yoongi’s hand connecting with the bottom of your ass. That sweet spot that connected your legs to your cheeks. This time, he hit you harder than before, small tears building at the corners of your eyes. 

Not because it hurt, but because of how sexually frustrated you were. “Then let her,” he growls palm face down and soothing the now pink area. His head snaps to the side, your phone still ringing next to him with notifications. He rolls his eyes, drawing his attention towards it. Unlocking it efficiently, then sending a quick text, only to receive a small smirk. 

You didn’t see he had one because your attention was on Taehyung, but judging from his next carefully picked words, you could picture it. Setting your phone to the side, he gives his attention back towards you. Still rubbing your skin as if he was warming it for some more smacks. Although this time, as Taehyung adjusted the speed, Yoongi’s fingers hooked in the fabric. 

The sound of strings pulling apart and now your nets hanging off your thighs like tattered fabric horrified you. Yoongi had just ripped your favorite nets without even thinking about it. You drag a moan, arching your body upwards since the sensation between your legs grew. You couldn’t even think about the pieces of fabric falling since all that mattered to you was how good the vibrator felt. 

“I think she’s enjoying herself too much.” Yoongi pipes dipping his fingers in your folds, pulling the small egg out. You almost whine in protest, only to be silenced by Taehyung’s sensual kiss. He drops the remote, distracting you as Yoongi plunges two fingers inwards, then three, stretching you out as he goes. Curling his fingers upwards, he finds your sensitive nerves. Making sure to hit them each time, your moans being muffled by Taehyung’s kiss. 

His teeth pull against your lips, wanting your mouth to open. Wanting to have access as he ultimately shifts you. Of course, you give in, his muscle plunging into your mouth and battling your own. His slim fingers move down, pressing against any open flesh. Pinching and pulling as he leaves his own trail down to your breasts. 

Your sweater was abandoned when Yoongi threw you over his shoulder. You didn’t have time to drink your wine before you were then tossed over his lap. They had this planned, straight from the beginning and you were just wrapped in their fingers. Not that you were complaining, because you enjoyed every second of it. 

Gasping for air, you move your head back. Your lower lip still hooked in Taehyung’s teeth, a small string connecting the two. He swipes his tongue across his mouth, eyes slowly opening to reveal his dark ones. “Don’t tire her out too much Yoongi,” Taehyung purrs once again cupping your chin. 

“I want to have some fun as well.” he finishes, Yoongi’s fingers slowly removing themselves from you. Another whine escapes your lips, the feeling almost unbearable as you wanted them. No, at this point, you needed them more than you had anticipated. They both could see this, and they were going to exploit as much as they possibly could. Without saying anything, Yoongi quickly shifts you. Moving your body up and wrapping your legs around his waist. 

“You want some fun?” He clicks his tongue, Taehyung’s face paling for a second. Just as he had power over you, Yoongi had control over the two of you. He presses your back against his chest, eyes narrowing into slits. Taehyung moves closer, Yoongi’s thumb and index finger pressing against his chin. Forcing his head upwards to lock gazes. 

You could only watch with tired eyes. Your own body on fire as you sat naked in front of them. Yoongi’s hand protectively around your waist, rubbing itself up and down your back. “I didn’t say you could have any fun Taehyung.” He growls, shaking his head, his grip tightening. “Not after what happened the last time.” he grins, removing his hand and smacking his cheek gently. 

You didn’t know exactly what happened between the two, but from the looks of it, Taehyung was doomed. He shared the same fate, and all you two could do was listen to whatever Yoongi ordered. He brings a hand up, brushing some of Taehyung’s long strands from his head, pushing it back as he lounges in his spot. 

For a few seconds, you thought that was all they were going to do. How stupid you must have felt when Yoongi stands you. Releasing his grip on both, then unbuttoning his jeans and pushing the chair back. He stands tall, waiting for one of you to finish what he started. You, still in a daze, watched as Taehyung swiftly moves his jeans down. 

Pulling at his boxers as his erection sprang free. He takes Yoongi’s length in one grip, leaning in and sucking on his tip. His face twists and relaxes. Eyes opening to small slits, but enough to make you quickly fall on your knees. You shimmy yourself next to Taehyung, his mouth still focused on Yoongi’s tip. With quick thinking, you lean in, grasping his balls in your hands, rolling them. Then, removing your grip to replace it with your mouth. 

Taehyung notices this, smirking as he watches you, then pushes more of his length in. Both your actions earning a low grunt from Yoongi, one hand on both heads. Gripping your hair as he basked in receiving some stimulation. 

“Look at you,” Yoongi breaths, his cheeks flushed with a red heat, eyes now not leaving your head. Watching as you switch in between sucking him and planting open mouth kisses on his balls. Taehyung does the same, although he kisses his skin above his shaft, his hand rolling and giving him stimulation. “Such a little slut for me aren’t you Y/n?” he purrs yanking your head back, precum building at the corners of your mouth, mixing in with your spit. 

The sight was erotic, only driving Yoongi insane. Watching some of your spit trails down your mouth, chin and dropping onto your chest. His dick twitches in response, Taehyung smirking as he takes more in. So much so, that Yoongi’s eyes close and he pulls at his hair. “Fuck!” he growls, rolling his head back for a split second. 

With his other hand, Yoongi pulls Taehyung off him. Eyes glazed and hazy, looking at his soulmates who both had spit and precum dribbling out of their mouths. He didn’t know who to kiss first, the thought making it difficult for him to choose. Bending down, he takes Taehyung first. Planting a lustful kiss against his lips, tasting himself against him. 

You watch, eyes wide and heart thudding again. Your own core throbbing once more as you knew that the sight was more than erotic. The way Taehyung hadn't wholly stopped giving Yoongi pleasure, stroking his hand up and down his length. As if he had done it a thousand times. Yoongi still twitching as he wanted nothing more than to get off. 

Then, remembering that you were watching, he pulls away with a dark glance. Laughing just a little as he leans in and cups your chin. His face scrunching as his mate still didn’t stop. “Watching us hm?” he questions, Taehyung chiming in shortly after. 

“Don’t you think she’s waited long enough?” Pausing his movements as Yoongi then grins. One that made your heart pound as he leans in closer. 

“Yes,” pausing for a split second to tilt your head upwards. “Yes, she has indeed.” 

[prurientpuddlejumper]

A Deep and Rapid River, Ch. 3 [18+]

<-Chapter 2 | Chapter 4 ->

Summary: The creature feels guilty about having sex with you before explaining that he’s... um... made of dead people. Before things get too steamy again, he needs to reveal the truth. But how will you handle the news?

After you finish re-wrapping his bandages, attending to the healing of his bullet wound, you realize your stomach is gurgling with hunger. He generously offers all the roots and nuts stored in his pockets. You take them gratefully, but wonder if he has anything more substantial, like oats or meat. He does not.

“This is hardly enough for my breakfast, much less split between us.”

“You may have all of it for yourself,” he offers. “I can subsist on less.”

You pointedly refuse. “You need energy to heal; I can’t eat all your food. Besides which, if this is all you have, then I’ll be starving again by lunchtime.”

“I would spend every waking hour gathering every edible leaf and berry from the forest so you may feast as royalty, except this blasted arm. Even with your tender nursing, it is a constant throb of pain. I am unfit for protracted exertion.”

“Then I see no other recourse,” you say, popping a stale acorn into your mouth, “than to return home, or I won’t survive out here with you.” You’re honestly amazed that he can survive on such meager rations, as big as he is.

His shoulders fall, and he takes on an expression of mourning. “Then, you shall leave me after all.”

“Not at all! Come home with me, and I shall see we are both well fed.” You explain that your parents’ farm has a barn and hayloft at the far end of a wide field of grains, at the edge of the forest. It is isolated enough for him to hide within during the day, since you are the most frequent user of the space, as you go about your chores alone. It would be easy to visit him there to continue tending his wound, and they could quickly vanish into the forest.

He is greatly relieved to hear of your plan not to abandon him, though he adds, “I am not keen on hiding in a village full of people again. The last time did not end well.”

“The last time you didn’t have me looking after you,” you smile.

Before returning home, you and your companion roast your small stockpile of vegetables on the embers. He sits close to you the entire time they cook, holding your hand, hating every instant you’re not in contact with him. But he still looks away from you whenever he catches you looking at him too long, and lets his wild black hair fall in front of his face.

You climb into his lap, straddling him, and begin combing through the snarls in his locks with your fingers. He gasps. Though he keeps shifting his face to keep you from seeing all of it, he braces his hands against your back to help you balance as you work, his chest moving up and down more and more rapidly beneath yours. Through his pants, you feel his bulge begin to harden against your thigh.

“Ah—the parsnips are burning!” he cries out, standing suddenly and dumping you off his lap.

After eating, you decide to delay your return a little longer. You strip your clothing off, undergarments and all, and hang them from a tree branch in the direct sunlight.

Your tall companion blushes a deep purple, and begins stammering. “W-what are you—um—”

“The sun is now fully risen, and casts a strong, dry heat, perfect for drying my clothes, which are still unpleasantly damp with the night’s dew. Come, you should remove yours as well: it helps them to dry faster.”

“I… um…”

You interrupt his fussing, pushing him playfully back against the trunk of an old, colossal tree. He gives in without argument, falling against the trunk as if you were the stronger, and leans down to you as you stand on tip-toe to kiss him. He growls hungrily against your lips, rough hands tracing down your body, exploring every inch of your skin.

“You are the most beautiful being in the world,” he pants, voice low and raspy. “An ethereal creature of light who has graced my lowly existence from on high—You are an angel.”

“I appreciate the flattery,” you laugh. “But I’m actually pretty average.”

“You are anything but common! Your heart is the most beautiful and generous I have ever known, to give succor to such a detestable wretch as myself. None has ever been so magnanimous in the history of your species. No human has ever seen past this horrible face.”

“There is nothing horrible in your face,” you purr, pressing your body against his. He whines softly, helplessly, leaning down to nip and kiss your neck, leaving red marks on your skin. You grind your hips against his—or his thigh, rather, as his hips are as high as your chest when he stands. He grows again, impossibly large, straining against the closure of his pants. You slip a hand under the fabric and feel the velvety, hot organ throbbing at your fingertips. You ache with desire imagining him inside you.

“Stop, please!” he cries, taking your shoulders and pushing you out to arm’s length. Sweat beads on his brow, and he pants. “I cannot allow this to continue.”

“What’s the matter? Did I do something wrong?”

He shakes his head emphatically, “No. I want you more than anything, but it is I who am unworthy.”

“Oh, not again,” you whine. “I told you, I don’t care what you look like. Please, you don’t need to beat yourself up all the time. I want you, too.”

He shakes his head in defeat. “You only believe you do because I have withheld the full truth from you. You believe my deformity to be a natural misfortune of my birth, or sustained in a disfiguring accident, do you not? I am sorry to have deceived you, even by omission—I know you will flee in disgust when I tell you the true cause of my fatal defect, and I would do anything to keep you by my side. Yet guilt weighs heavy upon me. I must cast off this burden, and let you choose, fully illuminated, whether to remain companion to me, or to curse and despise me, as any rational being would.”

“You have to tell me… right now?” you ask, fully naked.

“It cannot wait.”

He produces papers from the pocket of his clothing. With trembling hands, he gives them to you, then hastens to the far side of the tree to hide, awaiting your reaction.

The pages are full of grotesque images: anatomical sketches of dissections, human remains taken from robbed graves stitched together with parts taken fresh from tortured animals. The illustrations were not cold and detached, as a typical medical text, but somehow lurid, as if its author were etching his twisted passions onto the page. At first, you don’t understand why your friend showed you this—the notes are all rambling and etched in a shaky hand, difficult to comprehend. When you discern the author’s intentions to build a living man, all of the pieces come together. Your stomach turns. It takes a few moments for you to gather your feelings and return to the huddled form, making himself small clutching his knees to his chest, on the other side of the tree.

“What I read… it's horrible,” you say, voice shaking with emotion.

“I know,” he whispers without looking up.

“This Victor Frankenstein was a monster! The things he did to those poor, innocent animals—not to mention defiling the dead. He has no conscience, and yet he writes as though he believes himself divine! What a pompous, arrogant, self-absorbed egomaniac!” you stomp, crumpling one of the pages in your fist. “Did you see this passage here, he writes: ‘A new species would bless me as its creator and source; many happy and excellent natures would owe their being to me. No father could claim the gratitude of his child so completely as I should deserve theirs.’ Ha! And yet he abandoned you, leaving you at the mercy of an unfeeling world. How dare he?!”

The creation looks up, blinking his wet eyes in astonishment. “But, are you not alarmed? The truth of my nature is too horrid to be borne by the human mind, too fantastical to be believed—surely you are shocked to learn it?”

“To be honest, I knew all along there was something unnatural about you,” you shrug. “I wouldn’t have guessed this, but, you did go on about being an abomination so I could hardly be surprised.”

“But, does it not disgust you? You revile my creator for his profane work, yet I am the result—all of his evils he poured into me, keeping the virtues of beauty and humanity for himself. Any execration you profess against him, you must feel for me a thousand fold!”

“No.” You kneel beside him, hug him and hold him tight, letting the papers scatter to the floor. “No. You share none of the blame for his actions. It is he who darkened his soul with his misdeeds; yours is innocent. You have done nothing wrong.” You caress him, planting tender kisses along his arms, trying to revive his spirits. He unwraps his arms from his knees, unfurling them from his chest, and scoops you into the opened space, burying his face in your neck.

“These are a corpse's arms that hold you,” He sobs, breath hot and ragged. “The skin of a dead man wrapped around charnel-house bones. I am not a person, I am a macabre assemblage. You must be sickened. You must hate me.”

“I care for you; all of my feelings toward you are those of affection and love. You are a person, no matter what your limbs are composed of. A wonderful, generous, selfless person, who did not deserve to be abandoned and alone. Who did not deserve to be scorned for wearing this face. This body is not who you are. You have a soul, which this Frankenstein could not have had any part in bestowing you, for it is far brighter than his own. And besides which, is my own body any less revolting when described in such explicit detail as laid out in these papers?”

He looks you up and down, bare in his arms, your vivid flesh in sharp contrast with his ashen pallor. The corner of his thin lips slowly creeps upward. “I would spare myself no detail on the subject of your body, my dearest.”

Your cheeks flush bright red. “Damn you—I knew the moment I said it!” you playfully clap his chest.

“My apologies,” he laughs softly, trying to repress the salacious grin spreading across his tear-streaked face. “If I spoke too familiarly, I—”

You press your lips to his, silencing him. Timidly at first, his fingers run through your hair, then, encouraged by your moan, he pulls you harder into a deepening kiss, parting your mouth with his tongue, twining with yours. His hands find your waist, guiding you as you slide down into his lap, wrapping your legs around him.

“Do… do you want to…?” he breathes. You nod, grinding your hips against him for emphasis. He smiles, and shifts his weight as if to get up, but then slumps back down against the tree, cringing painfully. “Yet I may not have the strength. My injury fatigues me, and I have exerted myself too much already.”

“Is it alright with me being in your lap like this? I don’t want to hurt your recovery, of course, but you look so crestfallen—if you want, we can do it just like this.”

“Oh?” his eyes brighten.

“Mm,” you purr affirmatively, trailing your fingertips down his chest. “Let me do all the work.”

You undo his pants and free his eager length. Lowering yourself onto him, you ease down slowly, feeling him stretch you as you work, little by little, to take in his massive size. A flurry of shallow gasps issue from his lips with each inch of progress you take, and his eyes flutter closed in rapture. With a deep moan, you sit on his lap, fully sheathing him. He arches and goes rigid beneath you. You lean forward to kiss his eyelids, then begin riding him, arms twined around his neck for leverage, rocking together in a steady rhythm.

Helpless, desperate noises escape his lips with each thrust, and each noise makes you wetter. You love hearing how much he loves it. You take it as a challenge to get him to cry out louder.

“May I touch you?” he asks.

“Please.”

His hands explore your body, seeking out areas that get a reaction from you, teasing your nipples, between your thighs, caressing your lips—quickly finding which buttons to press that will make you moan. He loves that you can find pleasure in him.

As he gets close to the edge, he begins thrusting up into you more vigorously, bucking and writhing, forgetting his need to take it easy. He grabs your hips and moves you at a faster and faster tempo, but he still wants more.

"I want to... To be on top again. Is that OK?"

"God yes."

He flips you back onto the ground, lifts your leg up over his shoulder, and begins thrusting hard, deeper, until he screams out, shuddering as he spills his seed inside you. Then he collapses to the ground, limp, luckily having the presence of mind to roll to the side to avoid crushing you.

“I should not have done that,” he groans, damp with sweat, clutching his bandaged shoulder. “Owwww.”

You caress his chest, smiling contentedly. “Do you need me to re-do your wound dressing?”

“No, no. Thank you, my angel. I just need… to rest…”

And with that last, weary remark, he drops promptly to sleep and begins snoring. By the time he wakes up, your clothes are dry.

[lucian-born]

Agape

Ignis X Fem!Reader

OC

SFW

Fluff with a hint of angst

As promised here is the Daddy Ignis little fluff. Sorry that it has taken so long to get this posted up, but I hope that the wait was worth it for all of you. Please enjoy! And I assure that my other fics won’t take this long to produce as this one has. And now, continuing with the Morning Sex Series! 

       Ignis jostled awake to a clap of thunder that shook the apartment. He sat upright, the sound of rain pelting against the window harmonized with another crash of thunder in a haunting orchestra of the night. Ignis listened to the sound of the storm, hearing something not quite right. Beyond the howl of the wind that banged the tree branches on the window of his and your bedroom. The crescendo of the rain on the roof like the stomping of boots on the ground. Under the boisterous ruckus there was something softer under it all that even with Ignis’s sensitive hearing after his blindness, he had to strain to hear it. The one sound that made Ignis’s heart crack and his stomach drop. The soft cries of his and your infant daughter, Seraphina, emitting down the hall, drowned out by the raging storm.

He pulled the covers off him, stepping onto the cold hardwood floor, not bothering to retrieve his protective visor from his nightstand.

“Ignis?” you asked groggily, “Where are you going? Is Seraphina alright, did the storm wake her?”

“Sleep Love,” Ignis kissed your forehead, “I’m merely checking on Seraphina.”

You nodded, still half asleep yourself. Ignis chuckled as he heard the soft purr coming from your lips, signaling that you were fast asleep.

He maneuvered his way through the eternal darkness toward the nursery. He pushed open the door of the nursery to the terrified cries of his baby girl filling the room. Ignis rushed toward the direction of the crib as another clap of thunder erupted in the night sky, emitting another shrill cry from his daughter. “Daddy’s here,” Ignis cooed in a hushed voice, his best attempt at baby talk. He reached down into the crib, groping slightly until his fingers were grasped by chubby little fingers. “Shh, my little Firefly, you’re all right. Daddy’s got you.”

He cradled Seraphina in his arms, kissing her forehead as he made his way over to the rocking chair. Seraphina’s cries have quieted into hiccups and whimpers as Ignis held her in his strong, lean arms. She nuzzled into Ignis’s chest as her tiny fingers grasped onto his nightshirt. Ignis rested his cheek on the crown of his daughter’s head, rubbing the pad of this thumb along her smooth skin of her hand. When another clap of thunder shook the apartment. Ignis felt Seraphina jump in his arms. Her face scrunched up as another wave of tears streamed down her chubby cheeks.

“Now, now,” Ignis shifted his daughter in his arms so that she was facing him, “My little Firefly, there’s nothing to fear.” He rested his forehead against Seraphina’s before wiping her tears away. “Not while I’m here.”

Ignis flinched when he felt Seraphina’s little fingers groping his face. Her small hand rested on the edge of his scar. Her fingernails slightly digging into the damaged skin as if to try to remove it. Ignis closed his unmarried eye, letting out a sad breath through his nose as he cupped his hand over her small ones, running the pad of his thumb on her smooth skin.  He kissed her fingers before tucking her back into his arms, resting her head over his heart. Ignis kissed the side of her head, rocking the chair as he blinked back tears.

Ignis sang in a low, hush voice.

“When the night has come

And the land is dark

And the moon is the only light we’ll see.”

Seraphina buried her face into Ignis’s chest as if trying to escape the storm that continued to rage outside, finding as much comfort in her father’s warm, strong embrace.

“No, I won’t be afraid.

Oh, I won’t be afraid

Just as long, as you stand, stand by me,

So darling, darling stand by me

Oh, stand by me

Oh, stand now, stand by me. Stand by me.”

Seraphina let out a tiny sound that Ignis could only surmise was a yawn as she nuzzled further into his chest. He continued to hum the melody to his daughter, rocking gentling back and forth in his chair. Ignis couldn’t help but smile as he gingerly shifted her in his arms so that she would be more comfortable as she dozed further into her little dream world. The storm outside began to still with only the telltale drizzle of rain continuing to patter against the windows  

”If the sky that we look upon

Should tumble and fall

Or the mountain should crumble to the sea

I won’t cry, I won’t cry

No, I won’t shed a tear

Just as long, as you stand

Stand by me.”

Ignis turned his head to the direction of the window, sensing the moon peeking from behind the clouds, illuminating the nursery in its pale light. His lips curled into a sad smile, recalling the time he had spent with his friends. Camping in the wilderness with the campfire light that married with the moonlight. In spite the threat of Deamons patrolling the outskirts of the Safe Havens, he still enjoyed those times he had with his friends, his brothers. Their youthful faces forever play in his mind, times he had taken for granted when he had sight. How he wished he could turn back time to see their faces once more. Even though Ignis never regretted the choices he had made that resulted in his blindness, and wouldn’t change a thing. His only regret was to never see your face again or to truly know what Seraphina looks like.

“And Darling, darling stand by me

Oh, stand by me

Oh, stand now, stand by me, stand by me

Whenever you’re in trouble won’t you stand by me?

Oh, stand by me

Oh, stand now, stand by me.”

“Sweet dreams my Firefly,” A silent tear ran down Ignis’s cheek, running the pad of his thumb along the smooth skin of his daughter’s cheek.

He tried to picture what she looked like, for descriptions of what you and others have told him could only go so far. He wanted to see her for himself, to truly see his daughter smile her bright smile that matches her musical laughter that seemed to reverberate off the walls. The bright twinkle in her eyes as he reads her favorite bedtime story. The color of her eyes, were they truly the same shade of seafoam green as his? Did she resemble him at all?

“I wish I knew what you looked like Seraphina,” Ignis gingerly traced her features with his fingers, “Even if it were for only a moment.” He kissed her forehead, “To see your smile, to see you grow to the beautiful woman I know you will become.”

Ignis traced his fingers along the shell of her ears, noting how delicate and small they were. Seraphina stirred in her sleep, gripping Ignis’s pinky finger and moving his hand away but keeping her grip on her father’s finger. Ignis brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her soft knuckles. He continued to rock once more, humming his lullaby until he too drifted off to sleep.

        The chirping of birds woke you up as the golden light of the sun greeted you in your slumber. Chasing away the terrors of the storm of the night before. You groped the sheets, searching for something warm to snuggle with for a few more minutes. To enjoy the little peace and quiet before you had to start your motherly duties by feeding your insatiable four-month-old.

“Ignis?” You scanned the room with groggy eyes when you felt the sheets were cold. “Ignis, Love?” You pouted as you realized that you were alone, “He could have at least left a note saying he was going to be out.”

You rolled out of bed, wrapping yourself in a robe, fighting the morning chill. Trudging toward Seraphina’s nursery you could already anticipate that Seraphina was already awake in her crib. You could picture Seraphina snuggling with her Tonberry plushie that Ignis had bought the day she was born and since then that plushie has remained her faithful bedside companion. When you cracked the door to the nursery open, however, it wasn’t a Tonberry Seraphina was snuggling against. But Ignis.

A warm smile spread across your face as you leaned against the doorframe. In Seraphina’s grasp was Ignis’s pinky, that occasionally, she would stir in her slumber, bringing his hand closer. And Ignis too would stir, pulling Seraphina closer to his chest as if they were both having the same dream and wanted to stay close to one another. They would both sigh in unison when they were settled, making you chuckle to yourself at how much alike they were.

You pulled out your phone from your robe pocket, wanting to capture this rare moment of Ignis sleeping with your daughter in his arms. You turned on your camera as you tried to get the perfect angle of your slumbering family. Once you found the right angle you snapped the shot, cursing at yourself when the shutter blared. Seeming louder in the morning silence. Ignis’s unmarred eye fluttered open.

 “Y/N,” His voice ragged from sleep, “Love, what are you doing?” He sat up in the rocking chair, adjusting Seraphina in his arm so that she was more comfortable as she continued to slumber on.

“Nothing,” You pocketed your phone as you made your way across the room to give your husband a chaste kiss on the lips. “was just admiring the view. Good morning my love.”

“Good morning, Kitten.” Ignis purred planting a lingering kiss on your lips, “I’m sorry love, I must have dozed off while getting Seraphina settled.”

“No need to apologize Ignis, I should be the one to apologize. My poor baby feared a storm and I wasn’t there to help.” You squeezed yourself onto Ignis’s lap, aware of Seraphina and did your best not to disturb her.

You rested your head on Ignis’s shoulder, watching as Seraphina fluttered her beautiful seafoam green eyes open. She furrowed her brows, blinking away the last grasp of sleep. When her vision came into focus a bright smile lit up her face when she laid eyes on the two of you.

“Good morning our little Firefly,” Ignis cooed, kissing Seraphina’s forehead.

“Did you sleep well?” You leaned in to kiss Seraphina as well, laughing softly hearing the sweet music of Seraphina’s giggles, “Aren’t you happy this morning.”

Seraphina flailed her arms up and down a smile still on her face as another round of giggles filled the nursery. That even you couldn’t help but laugh along with your daughter. It was the whimsical sound to ever grace Ignis’s ears hearing the both of you laughing. You both had the same laugh, a kind of laugh that was like windchimes gently being rustled in the wind. The kind of laugh that one couldn’t help but feel happy yourself upon hearing it. That even Ignis wasn’t immune to the infectious sound of your and Seraphina’s laughter. For every time he heard the two of you his chest would swell with so much love.

A tiny hand clawed at Ignis’s chin, hooking his bottom lip. Ignis pretended to nibble on the little finger, promoting more high-pitched giggles and another tiny hand clawing at Ignis’s face. Ignis went after the little fingers again only to stop when Seraphina rested her hand just below his scar of his left eye.

Ignis took hold of Seraphina’s hand drawing it away from his scar, “Y/N,” he paused for a beat as if he was debating on what to say next, “Does—what does Seraphina look like?”

A sad smile curled at your lips, studying Seraphina who was now gnawing at her finger. “She looks like you,” you reached out, plucking Seraphina’s finger away from her drooling mouth, “She has your eyes, such a focused little stare with that little hint of mischief in the sea of green, not unlike her father.”

Ignis rested his head on top of yours as you leaned against his shoulder. Envisioning Seraphina in his mind’s eye as you continued to describe your daughter to him.

“She has your tawny brown hair, though, it does curl like mine. That’s probably the only thing she got from me.” You continued, kissing Ignis’s jaw, “She also has your freckles, which is kinda creepy that they are in the exact same places as yours.“

Tracing your finger along Ignis’s freckles along his face, moving down to the back of his neck. Ignis kissed the top of your head, pulling you and Seraphina closer to him. A small smile crept on his face as he could visualize Seraphina now.

 “Whenever I see her, I see you.” You smiled up at Ignis, “She’s beautiful in every way like her father. I just hope that she gets your accent.” You joked.

“I wish I could see her.” Ignis hung his head with a sad smile. He handed off Seraphina off to you before getting up, “Best I start preparing breakfast.” He left a lingering kiss on your forehead before stepping out of the nursery.

You turned your gaze down to Seraphina, who had found her fingers once more and was desperately trying to devour her appendages. You shook your head, ridding her fingers out of the slobbery mouth. “You won’t love your father any less because he’s blind?”  

Seraphina smiled up at you, showing her two little teeth peeking through on her bottom gum. She clapped her little hands together as a shrill laugh escaped her lips. “Da!”

“I’ll take that as a yes then,” You reached for the top of Seraphina’s dresser for her teething toy that was shaped like a yellow, cartoon chocobo—courtesy of Prompto when he found out that you and Ignis were having a child.

“Let’s go remind your daddy of that love.”

Seraphina gnawed at the silicone toy’s head in blissful relief to her aching gums. With the distraction, you made quick work of her dirty diaper and changing her into a clean one before heading downstairs where you could already smell the intoxicating aroma of breakfast.

Ignis was slaving away at the stove. His normally styled hair fell over his eyes and with no attempt to sweep them away as he continued to work to cook breakfast. When Seraphina laid eyes on her father she threw her teether toy onto the floor. She wiggled in your arms, reaching her arms out toward Ignis. You tried your best to keep a hold of Seraphina in fears that she would fall from your arms. Seraphina struggled, even more, whining that she couldn’t be free and go to Ignis.

Rolling your eyes, you set Seraphina onto the floor. Seraphina scooted across the kitchen floor in an army crawl toward Ignis. You leaned against the fridge, beaming proudly at your little girl as she finally reached Ignis.

Ignis startled when he felt a pair of little hands clawed at the hem of his pant leg, “Well hello my Darling Sunlight!” He bent down to pick up Seraphina, kissing her on the forehead before turning his attention back on the stove.

Seraphina hooked her finger on Ignis’s bottom lip right where the nick lay on his lip. A wide smile on her face, looking up at her father as if he was the world’s greatest being alive, an Astral in his own right. You only wished that Ignis could see how much love shone in Seraphina’s eyes. She didn’t see his scars, his disability. All she saw was a loving father, the first man that she will ever love.

Ignis smiled sadly as he held Seraphina on his hip. He focused on cooking as Seraphina’s little hand gently smacked his cheek, demanding attention. Her hand once again placing at his scar.

“Ignis,” You wrapped your arms around his middle, “Don’t be like that.” You cupped his cheek in your hand, turning him toward you.

Ignis took your hand in his, “I don’t know what you are implying Kitten,” He kissed your palm

“Ignis Stupeo Scientia, don’t give me that,” Your voice was stern, but no less affectionate, “Those thoughts where you think Seraphina wouldn’t love you when she understands—when she’ll learn of your—” You struggled for the right words, “No matter what, Seraphina will love you, blind or not.”

“It’s not that,” Ignis swayed lightly on his feet, “It’s that I fear that I will be lacking as a father to her.”

You remained silent, unsure of what to say, “Oh Ignis, you are a wonderful father to Seraphina.”

“I can’t see her Y/N!” Ignis turned to you, a look of full sorrow masked his face, “I won’t be able to see her walk for the first time!” His voice shook with a thousand emotions, “To see her grow up, to see her smile. To know what she truly looks like! I won’t be able to be the father she deserves if I can’t bloody see all of the milestones Seraphina will achieve in her life!”

Ignis’s bottom lip quivered as he held Seraphina tighter, tucking her head in the crook of his neck. His shoulders shook as he held the tears that threatened to erupt.

“Oh Ignis, you are the perfect father. That I can’t imagine a more deserving father for her than you.” You covered his milky eye with your hand, allowing you to only see his closed, marred eye. “Sight or no sight. Scars or no scars, you are more than deserving to be Seraphina’s father. I thought you of all people would know how much she loves you.”

You removed your hand from his face, replacing it with Seraphina’s. Ignis flinched at her touch but didn’t pull away as he had in the past. He allowed her hand to explore his face only stopping her movements when she came across his scar. Ignis closed his eye as he placed his hand over Seraphina’s, guiding her little hand further up his scar.

He leaned his forehead against Seraphina’s, a lone tear fell from his closed eye as she continued to explore his face. Her tiny fingers dug and clawed at his scar her little face scrunched in curiosity. When her movements stopped did Ignis get nervous about what she would do next.

Ignis snapped his unmarred eye open when he heard the sweet harmony of Seraphina’s laugh. Her hands playfully slapping his cheeks as she continued to coo and cackle. Ignis couldn’t help but laugh along with his daughter. He leaned his forehead against hers feeling a weight lifting off his shoulders.

“See, I told you,” You wrapped your arms around Ignis’s middle, “Seraphina will love you no matter what.” You reached to wipe away his fallen tears before kissing his cheek.

Ignis bent down to kiss you on the lips, “Thank you.” He kissed her forehead as he held you close, “Now let’s go and eat breakfast.”

Ignis continued his cooking with Seraphina attached to his hip and you set the table. Smiles spreading across yours and Ignis’s face upon seeing Seraphina snatching the spatula from Ignis and tried her hand at cooking as well. A joyous scene, even if Ignis could not see it unfold, you knew that he was absorbing as much as he could. Storing it away in his mind as a memory. From the music of yours and Seraphina’s laugh, her tiny touches against Ignis’s skin. Sound of Seraphina munching on her food with you cooing as Seraphina placed more food on her face than her mouth. All becoming a picture in Ignis’s mind into a tender memory. One of much more to come.

[emospritelet]

Empty Corridors - Chapter 29

Last time, Lacey went to Boston and New York for college interviews, leaving Gold looking after the kittens.  Here’s what happened with these two dorks when Lacey got back to Storybrooke.  I’m writing a surprising amount of fluff recently and it must stop :)

AO3 link

Gold took the cats back to his place when he closed up shop for the day, with Severus riding on his shoulder as he drove along, and the other two in the passenger seat.  He had heard from Lacey briefly, to tell him that her bus got in at seven, and he wanted to at least make a start on dinner before he went to collect her.  Once the cats were settled in their basket in the kitchen, bowls out and litter box in the corner, he began preparing the ingredients for their meal.  He had decided to make pasta with mushroom sauce, and so he finely chopped shallots, sliced mushrooms and poured some water onto dried porcini to let them soak.  He then mixed garlic and herbs with butter and olive oil, spooning the mixture onto cut pieces of crusty bread and wrapping them up in a foil parcel ready to go into the oven.  

Looking at the clock, he saw that Lacey’s bus would be arriving very soon, so he put on his jacket and overcoat and sent the kittens a stern look.

“No embarrassing or revolting incidents before your mother gets here,” he said firmly.  The kittens ignored him, and carried on grooming themselves.

The night air was bitterly cold, and he shivered a little as he got back into the Cadillac, the cold sending twinges of agony through his leg.  It was approaching seven, and he pulled up near the bus stop, getting out and standing with the cane planted firmly, ears and eyes waiting for the slightest hint that she was coming.  He felt almost nervous, a fluttering deep in his belly, and he told himself he was being ridiculous.  She had been away for three days, it wasn’t as though she had been gone weeks.  It definitely wasn’t as though she would have met someone else in the few days she had spent out of Storybrooke, and even if she had, there was precious little he could do about it.  He bit the inside of his cheeks, the sharp pain reminding him to stop being a fucking idiot.

The bus turned into the street, and his heart thumped as he craned his neck, trying to catch a glimpse of her.  There was a flash of chestnut hair as it drew to a halt with a squeak and hiss of brakes, and he waited, gloved fingers tapping on the handle of the cane.  Lacey was the only passenger to alight, and his face broke into a smile as she trotted down the steps and turned towards him.  She smiled back, genuine pleasure in her eyes, and almost ran to meet him, throwing her arms around him.  Her perfume filled his nose as he hugged her close, and he felt love for her rise up and spill over.  I should tell her.  I should tell her now.

“Thought I’d never get here,” she sighed, and pressed a kiss to his cheek.  “How are you?  Been waiting long?”

“A couple of minutes, that’s all.”  He pulled back, looking her over.  “You look - well, you look beautiful.”

“I’m starving,” she announced.  “Did you say something about cooking for me?”

Gold grinned.  “I started making dinner, it just needs finishing off.  Here, let me take your bag.”

“It’s cool, I got it.”

She shouldered her backpack, taking his arm as he led her back to the car.

“How are the cats?”

“Delightful and very naughty,” he said.  “I’ll tell you all about what they’ve been up to when we get back to the house.”

Lacey was intrigued at that, but said nothing, throwing her bag into the back of the car when he opened up the door.  The short journey was made in silence, and she gave a sigh of relief as they entered Gold’s warm house.  She shrugged off her coat, and he took it, hanging it on one of the hooks on the wall.

“Drink?” he asked.

“Please,” she sighed.  “Long bloody day.”

“Go and sit down, then, I’ll bring it through.”

She wandered through to the lounge, and heard a prrp from the couch.  Three pairs of eyes watched her from where the kittens were curled on a cushion, and Lacey put her hands on her hips.

“Make yourselves at home, why don’t you?” she said, and Hagrid stood up, arched his back and yawned.

She went over to pet the kittens, scratching ears and heads and picking them up one by one to cuddle them.  Purrs and gentle headbutts made her feel much better, and the sound of Gold’s cane on the wooden floor made her look around.  She put down the cats, reaching for the glass of wine he held out.  His eyes crinkled as he smiled, the light glinting gold in their depths, and her stomach clenched.  God, he’s beautiful.  Why did I never notice  before?  So fucking beautiful.

“I’m making dinner,” he said.  “It shouldn’t take too long, maybe twenty minutes or so.  Join me whenever you’re ready.”

Gold turned back to the kitchen, picking up his own glass of wine from the counter and taking a sip as he turned back to the piles of prepared ingredients.  Water was on to boil for the pasta, and the garlic bread was placed in the oven in its foil parcel.  The chopped shallots went into a pan with garlic, olive oil and a little butter, and he cooked them until they were translucent and glistening before adding the sliced mushrooms, chopped fresh thyme and ground black pepper.  Lacey’s footsteps sounded behind him, and he glanced over his shoulder to where she leaned on the door frame.

“Smells delicious,” she said.

“It’s just pasta.”  He added salt to the pan of water, followed by thick ribbons of tagliatelle.  “Did you eat well while you were away?”

“Well, I ate in diners,” she said.  “It was good.  Couldn’t find a burger to rival Granny’s, though.”

He smiled at that, and nodded to the table.

“Take a seat.”

He heard her pull out a chair, the legs scraping on the floor as she did so, and he stirred the mushrooms, adding tiny chopped pieces of porcini along with the water they had soaked in.  The pan hissed, and he stirred with a wooden spoon, taking a little of the pasta water and adding it while he kept an eye on the timings.  When the mushrooms had cooked to his satisfaction, he tugged the cork from a bottle of brandy, adding a generous glug and sending a wonderful heady scent into the air.

“Trying to get me drunk?” remarked Lacey.  “You totally don’t have to, I’m gonna jump you anyway.”

He grinned at that.

“The alcohol will cook off, it’s just for flavour.”

“Oh.”  She sounded disappointed, and his grin widened.

He opened the oven door, taking out the garlic bread and opening its foil parcel to expose crisp-crusted bread with soft insides golden with butter and studded with chopped herbs.  Lacey sniffed at the air as he set it on a dish on the table and went to the fridge for the cream.  He stirred a generous amount into the mushrooms, the sauce turning creamy-grey as he stirred and tasted it.

“I think we’re done,” he said, and turned off the pasta, draining it and stirring it into the mushroom sauce, coating the ribbons of pasta with the sauce as it thickened a little in the pan.  Lacey watched as he dished up.

“That smells so good.”

It tasted good, too, when he grated on fresh Parmesan and ground a little more pepper.  The mushroom sauce was creamy and a little sweet from the Parmesan, the touch of fresh thyme lifting the flavour, and the brandy added a warm richness to it.  Lacey made noises of pleasure as she wound strands around her fork and speared a piece of mushroom, and Gold watched her with a little amusement.

“So,” he said, taking a sip of wine.  “Tell me how it went.”

She shrugged, chewing and swallowing.

“Hard to say,” she admitted.  “I think the guys at Columbia were more interested than those at New York, but then it could just have been that they were more impressed with my cleavage than my application.”

Gold winced, and she nodded resignedly.

“As for Boston…”  She laid down her fork and covered her face with her hands for a moment, sighing heavily before reappearing to take a large swallow of wine.  “Let’s just say I didn’t exactly cover myself in glory.”

“I’m sure you did well,” he said.

“If shouting at one of the professors is doing well, then yeah.”

“You shouted at them?”

“Oh, the arsehole deserved it,” she said dismissively, reaching for a piece of garlic bread.  “He was looking down his bloody nose at me and I’ve had a lifetime of that, thanks.  And - and when I was rude he seemed to think it was funny, so that just made me madder.”

Gold grinned at that.

“Well, perhaps he enjoys your inner fire as much as I do.”

“Won’t get me in, though, will it?” she said despondently, tearing the piece of bread in half and using a piece to mop up some sauce.  She popped the bread into her mouth, butter making her lips shine.

“I guess we’ll find out,” said Gold.  “When do you get a response?”

“I don’t know.”  She covered her face with her hands again.  “God, I meant to find out!  Too busy yelling at that Scottish wanker!”

“Makes a change for ‘that Scottish wanker’ not to be me,” he said dryly, and she giggled, peeping out at him from between her fingers.

“Come on!  You haven’t been a wanker for ages!”

“Perhaps I should remedy that.”

He winked at her, taking a drink, and she began eating again, an amused glint in her eyes.

“How were the kittens?” she asked then, and Gold sat back with a broad grin.

“Oh, they excelled themselves,” he said.  “Miss Green came into the shop, and they took what you might call an intense dislike to her.”

Lacey snorted.  “Good!  What did they do?”

“Well, Severus bit her leg and Minerva crapped in her designer handbag,” he said, and she burst out laughing, eyes wide.

“Oh my God!” she giggled.  “I hope you gave them special treats.”

“They have enough catnip to keep them permanently stoned, I think,” he said, with a grin, and she giggled again, winding pasta around her fork.

“They’re the best cats ever, right?”

“They seem to have made themselves at home, certainly,” he said, and she smiled at him, her eyes sparkling as she chewed.  Gold tore off another piece of bread, wiping up the mushroom sauce.

“Did you do anything exciting while I was away?” she asked, and he gave her a flat look.

“The most exciting thing that happened to me was going to the diner for a shot of whisky,” he said dryly, electing not to mention that Ruby and Leroy had called him a moron.

“Well, you’re definitely getting lucky tonight,” she said.  “So there’s that.”

She was grinning at him, and he wanted to kiss her, to reach across the table and cup her face and taste how sweet she was.  Tell her, you idiot.  Tell her you love her.

“You okay?” she asked, tilting her head.  “You look a little…”

“What?” he asked, and she shook her head, picking up her glass and taking a drink.

“I don’t know.  Like you have bad news and you’re not sure how to give it.  Nothing else happened, did it?  I’m not gonna find that my apartment burned down?”

Gold shook his head, his tongue feeling too big for his mouth.

“No,” he managed.  “Nothing happened.”

“Good.”  She gestured at him with her fork.  “Eat up, Gold.  You still have to take me to bed and make me scream.”

Some time later, Lacey sighed in pleasure, her body humming from his touch, and Gold bent his head to kiss up her throat, his body pressing down on hers and both of them flushed and breathless.  Gold pushed up on his elbows, the dim light catching on his cheekbones and the length of his nose, and she smiled up at him, feeling warm and sated and wonderfully happy.

“I missed you, Lacey,” he whispered.  “I’m glad you’re back.”

She ran her hands through his hair, feeling the soft strands slip through her fingers, and smiled.

“Me too.”

Tell him you love him, you fucking idiot!

Her mind screamed at her, but the words caught in her throat before she could speak, burning her.  Fear of rejection held her tongue.  What if he didn’t feel the same?  What if he gave her a polite smile and thanked her and told her he wasn’t quite in the same place?  She wasn’t sure she could take it, and she knew that if that was his reaction, she would have to leave.  She would have to dress and collect the cats and go, and she wanted very much to stay in bed with him, wrapped up in the sheets with his body warming hers.  Better to say nothing at all, even if it made her a coward.  Better to wait for the cold light of day if she was going to make a fool of herself over the man.

It was pleasant to wake in his arms, warm and sleepy, and Lacey burrowed down a little further in the sheets, trying to ignore the light pressing against her closed eyes.  Gold tightened his grip, kissing the back of her head.

“Coffee?” he murmured.

“Please,” she said sleepily, and he pulled away from her, throwing back the covers.

Lacey rolled onto her back with a sigh, tugging the blankets up to her chin.  She didn’t want to go.  She didn’t want to pack up the kittens and their toys and leave his home.  But they would be opening the shop soon, and she would have orders to process and she needed to discuss the next online auction with him.  She ran her hands over her face, trying to force herself to sit up.  His bed was too bloody comfortable, that was the problem.

She folded her arms behind her head and lay there contemplating on what she should do about admitting how she felt.  It had seemed sensible to wait until morning, but now that morning was here she was nervous again.  Perhaps she could tell him at work.  Just before lunch, so she could run off and bang her head against the bathroom wall at Granny’s if she needed to.  God, she was losing it!

“Let’s just do a half-day today,” said Gold, when they were dressed.  “We can leave the kittens here and come back for lunch.”

That’s goodbye to my ‘tell him before lunch’ idea, then.  Bugger it, I’ll have to tell him when we get to work.  Then I can run to Granny’s if things get weird.

“Are we having a post-lunch snuggle?” she asked, and he sent her a wicked grin.

“A case could be made.”

Maybe after lunch, then.  When we’re in bed.  Yes.

“Sounds good to me.”  She zipped her boots.  “Admit it, you’ve just gotten used to having the cats around, right?”

“I’ve gotten used to a lot of things,” he said enigmatically, and held up her coat.

It had snowed in the night, and the air was cold, fine flakes still drifting down to catch in their hair as they walked along.  Lacey shoved her hands deep in the pockets of her coat, wishing she had brought gloves, and Gold seemed to notice her shiver.

“How about breakfast at Granny’s?” he suggested.  “You could get more coffee, and that French toast you like so much.”

“You mean the French toast you like so much,” she said, sending him a flat look.  “Last time you ate half of it.  You can bloody well get your own this time.”

“You know it doesn’t have calories if I steal it from your plate,” he said, with a grin.

“I think you could stand to eat a little more, you know,” she said.

“Then you won’t mind donating some of your French toast to my plate.”

“Screw that, I’m ordering you two lots,” she said.

“And are you also funding the gym membership I’ll need to work it off?”

“Oh, I can think of a lot of really fun ways to work it off for free,” she said, winking at him, and he burst out laughing.

“Anyway, like I said, you could stand to eat a little more,” she added.  “Get the toast, drown it in syrup, and start growing some love handles.  Give me something to hang onto when I’m—”

“We have to talk,” he said suddenly, stopping dead, and Lacey turned to face him, puzzlement wrinkling her brow.

“We - are talking.”

“No, I mean—”  He cut off, running a hand through his hair.  “I mean - I mean we have to talk about - about us.”

There was a swooping feeling in her belly, nerves and anxiety making her stomach flutter.

“Well, that sounds ominous,” she remarked, folding her arms.  “Do I prepare myself for bad news, or what?”

His eyes widened.

“No, no!” he said hastily.  “At least, I would hope you wouldn’t - I mean, I don’t think it’s bad news, but then I suppose I’m not you.”

“Gold,” she sighed.  “I can’t take this kind of suspense and I’m freezing my ass off.  Whatever it is, just tell me, okay?”

“I’m trying!” he insisted, lifting a hand and letting it fall.  “It’s - it’s hard to find the words.  Maybe I should have written something down.”

“Well, if you want to go do that...”

“No, I have to tell you,” he said impatiently.

“Tell me what?”

“How - how I feel.”

“Oh.”  Well, she hadn’t been expecting that.  “Oh.  Well, I know you like me.  And - and you think I’m cute, right?  You’ve made that pretty clear.”

Gold smiled, his eyes crinkling, and the tip of his tongue swept across his lips, as though he was nervous.

“Oh, you’re beautiful,” he said softly.  “You’ve always been beautiful, and you always will be, but it’s more than that.”

“Then what?” she asked.  “What - what do you feel?”

Gold glanced away, as though he would find inspiration in the snow-covered streets, and when he looked back he was still smiling.

“You make me laugh,” he said.  “You push me, and you challenge me, and I can feel myself just - just brimming over with excitement whenever you’re around.”

Yes, she wanted to say.  Yes, that’s how you make me feel, too.

“You - you’re so clever and so good, and it’s like - it’s like - when you came into my life, you brought light in your wake,” he went on, pressing a hand to his chest.  “You made me feel again, made me want to feel again.  I - I don’t think I’m explaining it well...”

He trailed off, running a hand through his hair in frustration, and she could feel her heart thumping high in her chest, its thudding beat almost painful.  Gold licked his lips, turning back to her, his breath gusting white in the cold air.

“You make me want to be better, Lacey,” he whispered.  “And I need that.  I need you.  I think - no I know, I’m certain...”  He hesitated, lifting a hand and letting it fall.  “I love you.”

It felt as though her heart would burst, and she pressed a hand to her mouth, tears stinging her eyes.

“You love me?” she whispered.

“Yes,” he said, sincerity in his eyes.  “So, so much.”

Tears spilled over, coursing down her cheeks, and she stepped closer, a sob escaping her.

“I love you, too,” she said, in a tiny voice.  “I’ve loved you for so long, and - and I worried that you might not feel the same!”

He reached up to cup her cheek, his thumb wiping tears from her skin.  His own eyes were bright, and she could see tears welling up, threatening to fall.  He pressed his forehead to hers, and she could feel his cool breath on her lips, his hand warm against her cheek.  He kissed her, and there was salt on his mouth from the tears that had spilled down his cheeks.  She slid her arms around him, the wool of his coat soft beneath her hands, studded with snowflakes to melt on her fingertips.  His lips were warm against hers, and she tugged him close, her body melting into his as the kiss deepened.

Whooping and clapping made them break apart, and Lacey turned her head, glancing over her shoulder to where Ruby was applauding them from the doorway of Granny’s.  She punched the air, a wide grin on her face.

“For God’s sake, tell me you guys said ‘I love you’!” she called.

“He loves me!” shouted Lacey, making Gold chuckle.  “He told me he loves me!”

“About damn time!”  Ruby was still grinning at them.  “What do you guys want?  It’s on me.”

Lacey looked at Gold, and he was staring at her with a broad grin on his face, love shining from his eyes.  Why had she not realised before?

“We’ll have some coffee and some French toast,” she said.  “But for now I’m pretty sure I want more kissing.”

She heard the diner door close, Ruby disappearing back inside, and her hands tightened on Gold’s coat as she pressed her brow to his.

“I love you,” she whispered, and his smile widened.

“Yes,” he said softly.  “Yes.  And I love you, too.”

She reached up to kiss him, her hands sliding up his back as their lips met.  He loved her.

[vcg73]

Witch!Kurt Chapter 26 - A Familiar Situation

This is my second try at writing this piece. I had it part-way completed a few weeks ago but then I somehow lost the file, so my apologies if it’s a little disjointed.

~*~*~*~*~

 Kurt followed Sebastian into the dining room, mouth working silently as he tried and failed to find exactly the right words to express his annoyance at having Sebastian Smythe of all people show up at his parents’ doorstep all ready to move in and take over Carole’s training as a witch.

 Sebastian seemed to experience no such discomfort. He brazenly winked over his shoulder, clearly enjoying the sight of Kurt Hummel reduced to a state of sputtering outrage, then strode up to the breakfast table, helping himself to a sausage link from the small platter at the center of the table and smiling placidly at the seated family as he munched it. Swallowing, he helped himself to a second link and waved the other hand like a prince showing off for a crowd from the top of a parade float. “Sebastian Smythe, reporting as ordered.” He leaned over and looked a startled Carole straight in the eyes, stared at her for a long moment, and then nodded in apparent satisfaction.  “Yep, you’ll do.  Am I too late for coffee?”  

 After a moment spent watching this bold stranger daintily lick sausage grease from his fingertips, Carole gestured towards the kitchen. “Help yourself,” she offered. “There’s a fresh pot on the coffeemaker next to the sink. Cups are in the cupboard above, and there’s creamer in the fridge if you want some.”

 “I hope you got the French vanilla flavor. Or maybe some good cognac or cream sherry instead. No? Well, never mind. I’ll make do.” He wandered in to explore the kitchen, leaving Kurt’s family staring after him with expressions of mixed curiosity and doubt. The latter emotion mostly coming from Kurt and from his father, who still remembered Sebastian from Kurt’s high school days.  

 Kurt sighed and took the seat next to Adam that he had abandoned to answer the door. He pushed what was left of his breakfast away, finding himself no longer hungry. “Now that the shock is fading, I feel like I should have expected this. Things have been going much too well in my life just lately. I should have known that disaster was about to strike.”

 Burt grimaced, glancing toward the kitchen as he muttered, “At least you didn’t volunteer to foster that kid.  If Tubbington sent him, then I suppose he must be trustworthy, but I can’t say that I’m happy about this. He was in Blaine’s pocket for a long time, and he made you miserable for way too long to expect me to welcome him with open arms.  Are you sure we have to do this?”

 Reluctance laced every word as Kurt replied, “Carole needs training, and it will be simpler if her Familiar is on hand whenever she has time to work with him. I’ve only recently learned that a witch and Familiar are supposed to spend as much time as possible together during the first few months for a solid bond to form.  I was lucky that Elliott and I had already become close friends by the time my powers manifested. So even though I haven’t been consulting him on magical things as much as I should have, we still spent a lot of time together. Carole doesn’t have that luxury. I’m willing to take L.T.’s recommendation on faith that Sebastian is up to the job, but I’d be lying if I said this doesn’t make me nervous.”

 Adam craned his neck to get a better look at the newcomer. Sebastian, though he still looked like a human being, was prowling around the kitchen poking his nose into each cupboard and drawer, every inch the curious cat. “Is this the same bloke who flirted endlessly with Blaine, and carried on a dubious friendship with him for months behind your back? The one you told me felt scorned and so decided to toss a chemically laced cold drink in your faces in retaliation?”

 “That’s him,” Kurt sighed. “I don’t even know why it surprised me that he’s secretly a cat. He both looks and acts the part. Elliott is the kind of guy who likes to cuddle up and take care of a person, and that doesn’t change at all when he’s in cat form. But Sebastian is . . .”

 When he trailed off, Burt cut in, “He’s the kind of little shithead that likes to torment smaller animals for entertainment, trip people up, and knock things off shelves just for the hell of it.  Unfortunately for him, you were no timid little mouse. You had claws and you weren’t afraid to fight back.”  He considered the newcomer for a moment. “Tubbington was explaining the whole Familiar thing to me the last time he was out here. This one is a Purebred, I’m guessing?”

 “Of course I am,” Sebastian said, taking that as his cue to return. In spite of his pretense of disinterest, it was obvious that he had been listening in to the conversation. He took a long sip from a cup of coffee that appeared to be about half cream, then set it down and transformed. As there were only four chairs around the dining room table, each currently occupied, he hopped up into Carole’s lap and made himself at home. He continued to project his thoughts aloud. “Tubbington would never have sent some loser Animagus to train a budding but fully mature witch.”

 Kurt glared at him. “Watch it, Smythe. My Familiar is an Animagus. He’s also a good man, a great friend, and an amazing witch.”

 The slanted green eyes widened a bit. “You’re kidding.  I’ve been told that you’re the most powerful witch in a generation, which totally explains my instinctive interest in you, and Lord Tubbington let you bond to a half breed after refusing me?” If a cat could be said to roll its eyes, Sebastian did. “But of course you would be happy with that. After all, you were a New Direction. You probably open your arms to any loser that comes along and wants to join your coven.”

 Burt stood up and planted both fists upon the table, shooting their guest a warning glare. “Listen up, kitty. One more crack like that and you’re gonna be hunting for fish heads in the garbage behind Monroe’s Bass Hut. Elliott is a damn good kid. They’re all good kids, and Kurt’s coven is set to become one of the best in New York, from what I know.” He pointed a finger at the cat. “If you think you’re just gonna waltz in here and act like some kind of snob, looking down on me and mine while you mooch free food and sit on your furry ass passing judgment all day, you got another think coming. I may not have a single drop of magic in my veins, but if I ever catch you harassing my boys, or making a mockery of my wife’s training, I will personally have you neutered. Got me?”

 Sebastian had laid his ears back and was refusing to meet Burt’s challenging eyes. To Kurt’s immense surprise, he replied, “Yes, sir.  I’m sorry, it won’t happen again.”

 Taking his seat again, Burt huffed. “Good, and there’s no need for that formal stuff. You’re gonna live here, you call us Burt and Carole. You respect us, and that includes Kurt and his coven, and Sam if he ends up moving back in, and we’ll all respect you. Deal?”

 Seeming to recognize that he meant what he said, especially after glancing at Kurt, who nodded, the cat said quietly, “Deal.”  He looked at Burt and something about his posture reflected great satisfaction. “I think I’m gonna like it here.”

 Sebastian sat up and bumped Carole’s hand with his head.  Carole was a life-long cat lover, though she had grown out of the habit of keeping them as pets when Finn had turned out to be allergic, and her hands automatically rose to give the newcomer a pleasant scratch about his ears and chin. Sebastian expressed his approval with a loud purr that made Carole, Adam, and even Burt and Kurt smile.

 After a few moments of this, the brown cat hopped back down and crossed beneath the table to take over Adam’s lap next.

 Having heard a few tales of Kurt’s history with this person, Adam had been keeping his own counsel as the family was introduced to this arrogant young Familiar. “Adam Crawford,” he said now, keeping his hands lightly poised upon the table and refusing his natural instinct to pet the glossy brown coat. “Kurt’s fiancé. I believe I’m the other of Burt’s boys whom you were admonished to treat respectfully.”

 He grinned at his future father-in-law, who smiled back as he dipped his chin in agreement.

 The cat gave a low moan in its throat that sounded suspiciously like swearing. “Might have known you’d already have Kurt’s brand on your ass, handsome.” The annoyed swishing of his tail slowed and a sly look came into his green eyes. 

 “Back off, cat,” Kurt said, scooping the Familiar off Adam’s lap and dumping him on the floor. Just because he could, he sat down on the emptied space, ignoring Adam’s amused chuckle as his arms came up to encircle Kurt’s waist. The gesture was both affectionate and calming. “I’m done letting you try to seduce boyfriends away from me. Though, in retrospect I kind of wish you’d succeeded in wooing Blaine back to Dalton when we first met.”

 Sebastian flipped his tail in a dismissive gesture. “I didn’t want him. I just wanted to know what those stupid bird lovers thought was so amazing about him. When I saw how much power Potential you had and how protective you were of Blaine, I figured he must be something extra special.  Especially since he was already manifesting and you weren’t yet.  If I’d realized that he was just becoming a watered-down parlor magician with a talent for sucking the will out of other people, I’d have tripped him down that big Dalton staircase and done us all a favor.”

 “That’s a bit blood-thirsty, isn’t it?” Carole scolded gently.

 Sebastian flew straight back to her lap as if drawn by a magnet, purring and bumping at her chin in a surprising show of apology at the disapproval in her voice.

 “Okay, maybe I’d have just scratched up all his bow ties,” he amended, “but since he’s become little more than a murderer since then, my first instinct was probably better. I’m very sorry for your loss, by the way.”

 He looked at Adam as he said that, and Kurt’s focus intensified as a feeling of intense dread filled the pit of his stomach, making his recently consumed breakfast churn. “What do you mean by that?”

 “You tell me. You’re the one engaged to a zombie. How’s it feel to have come back from the Twilight Zone, Sir Pecs-a-lot?”

 Adam looked at Kurt, as startled as his fiancé.  “How do you know about the Void?”

 Sebastian somehow gave off the impression of having raised a disdainful eyebrow.  “As you’ve all observed, I spent a lot of time with Blaine in the past few years. Even when I told him to buzz off, he still kept coming back hoping for an ego fix.  And since I hadn’t found my own Witch yet, I figured I might as well keep an eye on him. When he returned from New York the first time, after going there to scout colleges, he basically reeked of moral rot. I knew something was up, so I played buddy-buddy. Next thing I knew he was spilling his guts about some English guy he had supposedly killed in a magical duel for Kurt’s honor, or some such bullshit.  I thought he’d finally inhaled too many gel fumes.”

 “So, he did know what he’d done,” Adam breathed. “All this time, we assumed he had been in the dark. Surely the Void wasn’t his intention, though. I didn’t even know it existed, and my family have been witches and magical scholars for countless generations.”

 “He didn’t know exactly,” Sebastian corrected. “He thought he’d killed you, and holy shit you should have heard the paranoid whining that went along with that!  He was sure that some kind of magical police force was going to show up at his doorstep and haul him away. Then nothing happened, and pretty soon he was convinced that he’d not only gotten away with it, but that he had been justified in “saving” Kurt, because Kurt belonged to him, and they were meant to be, and blah, blah, blah.”

 Sebastian made a sound like he was about to hack a hairball.

 “Go on,” Adam said with quiet intensity. He still held Kurt in his lap, but his arms had tightened, using Kurt as an emotional life raft as the revelations washed over them both.

 “Well, Lord Tubbington explained the situation to me last night when he told me to report to Carole, including what had happened to Kurt’s replacement boy-toy and how Creepers the Clown had used his persuasive voodoo to convince Kurt that Adam didn’t exist and he was meant to be with Blaine, until Kurt’s powers finally came in and he was able to fight back.  By the way, do you guys actually know what the space you call the Void is?”

 Four heads shook their denial.

 His whiskers twitched. “Figured.  Lord Tubbington is a powerful Familiar, a creature of great magic, but he has a lot of outdated habits.  It used to be considered very bad manners to share too much information with your charges. You were supposed to just be cool and secretive and only answer questions when your witch put them to you directly.  And you didn’t share with people other than your own Witch at all. Times have changed, but old attitudes die hard, and some of the geezers aren’t too open about giving information.”

 “I’ve noticed,” Kurt said wryly.

 An amused chuff sounded from the cat.  “Anyhow, one of those secrets is that there are pockets of empty space/time. Some buildings have been imbued with them for major spell-casting purposes, mostly because you can ward the spaces if you have enough power. Usually very old covens poured a lot of concentrated magic into building and maintaining those spaces, and sometimes you still come across remnants because that much power doesn’t just vanish. Dalton has a couple.”

“That funny corridor!  The one where time always seems to slow down as you’re walking through it, yet you come out the other end like no time passed at all,” Kurt said, sitting up straighter, eyes brightening as he finally received an answer to a long-ago mystery. “It’s supposed to be restricted, but Blaine took me through there as a short-cut the very first time I visited the school. I thought I was just imagining things!”

“Nope,” Sebastian said. “Definitely a time/space pocket. Just a weak one without much magic left. You must have been starting to manifest without knowing it if you could feel the effects. Most of them are naturally occurring and people never know they exist. The majority of witches couldn’t access them even if they did know, so the fact that you could is pretty impressive.”

“But you can detect them,” Adam clarified.

He looked smug.  “Of course. All cats, including Purebred Familiars, can see them, and use them to slip in and out of places unseen. It’s part of our nature. Shape-shifters and Teleporter witches can do it too, in very a limited way that never allows them to actually see the In-Between. What you call the Void. To them it’s an instantaneous change.  Apparently when Blaine’s sloppy attack technique, amped by Kurt’s massive stolen power, crossed with Adam trying to Transform at the same moment, Adam got pushed out of his body and into one of the In-Betweens; becoming trapped in a pocket between worlds. But his physical body still lived on this side, however limited its existence as wall-art may have been. That’s why he didn’t starve to death, or fade away entirely until you were able to help him come back.  If things had gone on that way for much longer, I don’t doubt that he would have.”

 Sebastian said all this calmly, like a teacher giving a history lesson. Then suddenly, he hopped down from Carole’s lap and went around the table. He stared up at Kurt with a long intense gaze. Kurt stared back, not sure what was happening but instinctively knowing not to break that stare. Then Sebastian dropped his head and bowed low.

  It looked just like any cat enjoying a good stretch, tail up, spine arched, except that his claws remained sheathed and he did not break eye contact.  

 Then the cat’s posture eased and he sat back down.  

 Feeling in his soul that he had just been paid a great compliment, and given a sign of intense respect from a creature who typically respected no one, Kurt nodded back. Still, he couldn’t resist asking, “Did you just give me an apology?”

 Sebastian turned his shoulder and nonchalantly began washing his paw, ignoring the question, and Kurt smiled, feeling that he had received his answer anyway.

 After a moment, the cat looked up at him and abruptly retook his human form, making Burt jump at the sudden switch right next to his elbow. He steadied his rattled coffee mug and shot the smirking young man a glare.

 “Sorry,” he said, not sounding as though he meant it at all. Then his face became serious. “Kurt, I’m not sure you realize just how much magical strength it took to not only locate the In-Between just by following Adam’s lifeline, but to actually enter that space and bring him back without dragging your physical form in and becoming lost with him. Lord Tubbington told me that your new coven anchored you to the physical world, but any other witch would have either been lost or killed. The fact that you went in and fetched him back, and didn’t so much as pass out is beyond amazing. Makes me even sorrier that I was passed over as your Familiar.”

 Kurt stood up, patting Adam on the shoulder as he moved closer to the person he was thinking less of an enemy with every passing moment. There was something very different about Sebastian now than when he had first arrived. Almost as if he had somehow grown up and matured in the space of a few minutes. He glanced at Carole and back at Sebastian, who gave him a very subtle nod. The two of them had emotionally bonded, and Carole’s natural warmth and calm were already influencing Sebastian, and Carole in turn appeared less anxious and more confident than she had been last night.  He wondered whether he and Elliott had similarly affected each other’s demeanor. He would have to ask one of his coven members who had known him both pre and post bonding.

 “That’s the second time you’ve said that. Did you really expect to bond with me? I didn’t even have real magic the first time we met, and frankly you were an asshole.  You badgered and demeaned me that day, and pretty much every other day until this one, and I couldn’t help snapping back. We’d have been like dynamite and matches as a bonded pair.”

 He tossed his hair with an arrogant flip. “I deserved a powerful witch, and you had enough Potential to be a magical atom bomb. It was a no-brainer that you’d need a good Familiar by your side.  Besides, what’s wrong with a good explosion?  Especially if it takes the form of releasing sexual tension.”  

 Sebastian hitched his eyebrows and Kurt laughed, especially as a spark of disapproval floated to him along his bond with Adam. “You really are just a big old alley-cat aren’t you, in spite of all your snobbish ways.”

 He was completely undisturbed by the comparison. “Being of two physical worlds has its advantages when it comes to hot guys. And you have become smokin’ hot since you’ve been at that music school.” He circled Kurt, eyes traveling up and down his form, letting go a slow wolf-whistle. “Sure you don’t want to trade up?”

 “Not possible,” Kurt said, giving Adam a loving look that instantly wiped the annoyed scowl off his handsome face. “Maybe if you’re a good boy, and check the attitude against Animagi, I’ll introduce you to my Familiar. Elliott is hot, smart, funny, gay, and currently single. I think he might even be up for a long distance relationship, given that he’s a Teleporter. But if you act like a snob and hurt his feelings, I will make you pay.”

  They glared at one another, then abruptly both Kurt and Sebastian grinned at each other as the last of the uncomfortable tension that had always existed between them finally dissipated.

 “I think these things must work out the way that they’re meant to,” Adam said with a smile, also relaxing.  “L.T. didn’t actually introduce Kurt and Elliott. Elliott felt his magic from hundreds of miles away and felt the need to come to New York and find Kurt.”

 Kurt nodded. “That’s true, though Brittany tells me that Tubbington did personally assess and approve Elliott when he felt my power beginning to gain strength.  El told me that Tubbington cornered him for a quick chat the day I learned I was gathering a coven, before anyone told me I had a Familiar, and pretty much gave him the third degree all over again. Besides Sebastian, you and I would never have worked out even if I hadn’t had Elliott. By the time I learned about magic, I was already way too uncomfortable around you to ever trust you the way I needed to.”

 Sebastian’s lips pressed together as he made a sour face. “I know, and I know that was my fault. What can I say, I was as much a kitten as you were back then, and I didn’t want to believe Lord Tubbington when he said that you’d need someone naturally mature. Someone young enough to kind of grow with you, but also unflappable, who could quickly help you find a calm and centered place whenever you got too emotional.”

 “That’s Elliott exactly,” Carole chimed in. “I’ve never met a more emotionally centered individual in all my life.”

 “And I’m guessing you needed a witch who was more experienced with life, if not magic. Someone who could benefit from your teaching and protection, but still be experienced enough as parents to not take any guff when you get dramatic or start acting like a bratty little shit,” Burt added, looking very satisfied when Kurt and Adam both nodded and Sebastian made a face that looked like he would be switching his tail if he had one in his current form.

 Kurt gave the petulant cat a friendly tap to one shoulder. “Don’t be offended. He speaks from the experience of getting me through adolescence.”

 For a moment, Sebastian appeared startled; then he reluctantly laughed. “I’ll bet you must have been all rainbow fashion and emo soul when you were a kid.”

 “Something like that,” he allowed. “My point is that you’re where you need to be, even if it took a few extra years to get here. And I’m starting to feel glad that you are.”

 “So am I,” Carole said, getting up from her chair and giving the startled looking young man a warm hug. “Welcome to our family, Sebastian.”

 After a moment, he hugged back. Hesitant at first, but then more firmly when she did not instantly let him go. For just a moment, before he remembered to cover it up with his usual haughty boredom, he looked happier than Kurt had ever seen him before. He looked at his fiancé and saw Adam smiling, also having caught the flicker of honest joy.

 A knock sounded at the door, and this time Kurt felt the welcome presences of his coven mates before he even reached it. He quickly lowered the wards that had been put in place to protect his parents – he would have to remember to key those to Carole and Sebastian before they received an unexpected surprise – and called out, “Door’s open!”

 Santana, Brittany, Tubbington, and Elliott, newly returned from New York, walked inside. “Hey, kid,” Tubbington greeted, punching Sebastian in the shoulder. “Do I know how to pick ‘em? I told you not to doubt me when I made you wait.”

 Sebastian bowed slightly. He was smirking, but it was obvious to everyone that he held the senior Familiar in high regard.  

 “Brittany and I stopped for coffee on the way over and we spotted Sam again,” Santana said, taking Kurt’s vacated chair. “Poor bastard, I’m not even sure he’d left that place since yesterday. Since the Lima Bean has become a 24 hour joint, it’s probably his home away from home. Wait, does he actually have a home these days, or is he back to living in a cardboard box somewhere?”

 In spite of her insensitive words, it was clear that Santana was genuinely worried for their old friend.

 “He does now,” Burt said determinedly. He rose from his chair, taking a last sip of coffee and then grabbed his favorite cap from the rack in the hallway, settling it firmly on his head like a soldier putting on his battle uniform. He moved to give Kurt a firm embrace, then did the same with Adam. “I know you’ll have gone home by the time we get back, but I’m gonna go down to the Bean and fetch that poor kid home. He’s not spending another night out in the cold if I have anything to say about it.”

 Kurt smiled proudly. “My room is all fixed up for him. We changed the linens this morning and I still have some of my old clothes here if he needs them. Tell Sam that I don’t hold any ill will toward him for Blaine, and that I hope he’ll feel well enough to come to my wedding next month.”

 “I second that,” Adam said. “I only met the poor sod briefly yesterday, but I’ve rarely seen anyone who looked more in need of some real friends.”

 Burt looked proud enough to pop. “I’ll tell him. You boys have a good trip home, and keep us up to date on what’s going on in your lives. I want to hear about everything, you got me?”

 Knowing that Burt was reminding him of his promise to be less secretive about both the good and bad things in his life, Kurt nodded and hugged him again. “Count on it.”

 Burt gave his wife’s hand a squeeze and marched off on his mission. Seeing that the others looked ready to go as well, Carole came to hug everyone goodbye, assuring them that she and Sebastian would be fine here alone. “It will give us some time to get to know one another,” she said with a smile. “I really know nothing about Sebastian other than what Finn used to tell me, and frankly I think his opinion was a bit biased by the rivalry between your choirs, and by Sebastian’s friendship with Blaine.”

 Something flickered in Sebastian’s eyes at that, but was quickly shuttered behind a smile. “Well, that phase of poor judgment is long over, so getting to know each other should be fun. You can tell me more about your family, and I’ll tell you all about my adoptive father, the non-magical State’s Attorney, who had to deal with adopting a little kitten who unexpectedly turned into a human toddler just six months later and almost gave him heart failure.”

 Everyone laughed and agreed that they’d like to hear that story one day too. Kurt hugged his step-mother firmly, then shook hands with Sebastian. “I think you and I should get together and chat about a few things at some point too,” he said quietly. He was still thinking about that strange quickly-covered reaction to Carole’s mention of Finn. “Now that we’re getting along so well, I have a few questions.”

 There it was again, that strange flicker. Sebastian smiled brightly for the benefit of those watching. “Definitely. It’ll be good to talk about old times, and I make a hell of a spy so I’ll keep an eye on Blaine for you.”

 He nodded, knowing that was all he was going to get for now. “Sounds good, and feel free to consider yourself invited to the wedding along with the others.”

 “Thanks, maybe I will. I’d like to meet this best-of-New York coven of yours. So far I definitely approve!”  He gave Elliott an assessing look, clearly finding his disdain for Animagus Familiars weakening at the sight of the 6’4” tattooed hunk in the tight jeans and attractively draped purple plaid shirt over a black band tshirt.

 Elliott stood smiling a few feet away as he talked quietly with Brittany and Tubbington, but he looked up as he felt himself being stared at. He grinned and took a frank sweep of Sebastian in turn, noting his pressed khaki pants, green button-down shirt, and the casual brown suede jacket that undoubtedly cost more than his entire outfit. “It’s a great city. You should come,” he agreed, sharp ears having picked up their conversation.

 Sebastian’s sly smile became even more so. “Thanks, I’d love to.”

 The innuendo was clear and Elliott’s cheeks went a little pink, but he did not back down. “I’ll take you exploring.”

 “Not if I take you first.”

 “And it’s time for us to get going!” Kurt said loudly. “Everyone finish saying goodbye.”

 One last round of hugs, and a speedy exchange of phone numbers between Familiars, and Elliott and Kurt whisked their way back to the loft, followed quickly by Santana, Brittany, L.T., and Adam. Adam was still chuckling to himself over the flirty exchange he had witnessed.

 “Elliott, mate, you’re going to have your hands full with that one. So are Carole and Burt.”

 Elliott just grinned at him, clearly okay with that kind of challenge.  Kurt shook his head, but he too was smiling.  “I think they can handle him.  Did you see the way he backed down when my dad called him out? I have a feeling he’s on a pretty strict probation period with Dad right now. And now that we’re out of their way, Carole is probably already fussing over him for being too skinny.” He snorted a little. “And he’s going to have to deal with sharing their attention with Sam. I don’t know why, but I actually feel a little sorry for Sebastian.”

 “I don’t,” Adam said happily, flopping down on the sofa with a deeply contented sigh. He had not said anything today, but it was clear that he had been tense at being away from home, even in the safe space of Burt and Carole’s cozy house. He was already more relaxed just being in familiar surroundings. “He sounded like a rich, spoiled rotten, little sod. The condescending sort who considers anyone not in his elevated social circle to be inferior. He could do with a dose of plain folks with good common sense. And if he was trained by our Tubbington, he’s undoubtedly a more than capable companion for Carole.”

 “Thanks, kid,” L.T. said, helping himself to a bowl of popcorn someone had left sitting on the table. He gestured to Elliott. “What did you think of him?”

 He smiled and ran a hand through his gel-heightened blue and black hair. “Smart, arrogant . . . hot.”

 L.T. raised his eyes toward the ceiling. “Ugh. Kittens with hormones. I might have known. I’m gonna catch a nap. Wake me when lunch is ready.” With that, he transformed into his cat self and curled up on a handy sofa pillow, asleep before anyone could even think to respond.

 Elliott just shrugged and grinned, wandering toward the kitchen where Dani, Monica, and Johnny were currently in conference with Brittany and Santana, getting the low-down on their visit to Lima. Elliott had returned last night to fill them in on everything that was happening with Kurt and Adam, and while it was clear from all the glances being shot their way that the others were anxious to speak with them both, they were kindly keeping their distance and giving the couple a few minutes undisturbed, in case Adam needed to get his bearings again.  

 Kurt could not have loved them more.  A lot had happened in the past 24 hours, more than he could truly process at this moment, but with the wind still howling and snow still swirling outside, he did not feel that it would hurt anything to put off sifting through it all for a while.  

 Dropping down next to Adam, Kurt snuggled in close, wrapping an arm around his ribs and sighing with utter contentment. They both had a lot to do, a great deal to think and talk about, and many plans to make. But not right now. Working with both his coven and Troy yesterday morning, followed by a night filled with both passion and mutual comfort with Adam, had helped Kurt feel that he was making real progress towards becoming the witch that everyone else felt he could be. It also felt reassuring that they had all taken baby steps towards assessing the damage Blaine had been causing in Lima, and eventually freeing his old home town from the scourge that his ex had become.

  Getting a reliable (he hoped) magical companion for Carole only increased that feeling. It was so good to know that his parents were safe, and that the woman he had come to love almost as much as his own mother was in good hands with her developing magic, and that his dad was prepared to help and support all of them in whatever way he could.  

 Tomorrow would be time enough to return to the real world and all of its joys and problems. For now, Kurt just wanted a little time to rest, and to really feel how grateful he was to have all of these wonderful people to call his own.  

  THE END

[wreckedregent7]

A Long, Dark Night

The door in front of me rattled slightly as the wind blew through the mesh screen. Normally I'd be out on the other side of it, meandering about the patio while the rain caressed my skin and weighed down my jeans, though tonight was different. I didn't come here to this replica of my home to enjoy the rain that blankets my planet as I normally do. I came here to think.

I closed the wooden front door, heaving a sigh as I turned back into my living room. I'd spent a few hours earlier pushing the furniture to places that felt most comfortable to me; the couch set immediately to the right of the doorway, one arm pressed to the wall. A rocking chair two or three feet away, angled to look into the corner, where a large television sat. And right next to the rocking chair was a small table with a lamp and a landline telephone on top.

The latter of the two was completely useless, but it reminded me of life before SBURB, and it didn't take up too much space, so, why not leave it there? Of course, this wasn't picture-perfect, but everything being positioned just so felt familiar enough. It made me remember growing up, confiding all my fears, releasing my anger, aspiring to be something great. Things that kept me grounded.

With little effort, I plant my hand on the back of the couch, vaulting over it and sitting comfortably in the middle cushion. Not comfortable enough, I turned on my hip and laid across it entirely. On my back, I stared up at the ceiling for a brief moment, taking deep breaths and steadying my thoughts.

Where do I even begin at this point? I've done so much over the past few years, it's difficult to think about it all.

My job - my second job, anyway. Studying Titles.

I've made a lot of progress lately. I can be proud of that. Not only did I put together a collection of my studies, but I've found so many new possibilities.

But...Even still, I took two whole years not doing anything.

"Two years..." I murmured, staring down at the palm of my hand as I do when time spent comes to my mind.

It always annoyed me, thinking about time. Not just because of the loose concept applied to the Furthest Ring, but...

Dizmar, Athene, and their group have lived for eons. Thousands of Solar Sweeps, way, way longer than should be comprehensible.

To them, two years is practically two minutes.

But I haven't lived even one fourth as long as they have. I only just turned twenty-three not even a week ago.

I'm still used to my 'mortal' way of thinking; every second matters. Make every action count.

I grit my teeth, and I feel my heart start to beat faster, anger raising its tempo. I should've made those two years count for something. Instead, I squandered them partying, fighting, and doing practically anything but my job.

"For /two years/..." I said again, aggravation gnawing at the back of my throat. I sit myself upright, turning again to face the same direction as the couch. I realized all too late the train of thought I hopped on, and found myself wanting to step outside and pummel imps.

Before I could stand up to act on it, though, I felt soft skin and a lock of hair press against my cheek. Shifting my head back, I felt the rigidity of a short horn set low on the side of a person's head.

"^W^ell, theeeeeere ^y^ou are, 'old One-E^y^e'." Came her voice, a subtle vibration ringing out on every sharp letter. Between her warmth and her voice, it was easy to recognize who had found me.

"Oh, hey Dogana," I said, taking shorter breaths in and longer ones out. I remember somewhere that doing that would help calm me down. "You were looking for me?"

"Of course I ^w^as. I ^w^anted to spend the night ^w^ith ^y^ou, but I couldn't find ^y^ou around the bubble. ^W^hat are ^y^ou doing ^w^a^y^ out here?" I sighed, knowing she'd dig the answer out of me one way or another. I let myself relax against the back of the couch, looking up at her plainly. "Thinking."

"About?"

"Life. I've an eternity ahead of me, and it still feels like time is passing by all too fast."

"Oh," She said, some realization dawning on her. "and the 't^w^o ^y^ears' is part of that, innit?"

I nodded, and she crawled over the couch to sit beside me, making an effort to press herself as close to me as possible. She began purring very quietly, just enough that I could hear and feel it. Instinctively, I brought my arm up to wrap around her, resting my hand on her hip.

"S'^w^hat's ^w^rong? ^W^hat d'^y^ou mean b^y^ 't^w^o ^y^ears'?"

"I mean I wasted them."

Not the right words.

Dogana pouted, but stopped shortly afterwards to look me in the eyes with an expression of concern.

"Ho^w^'d ^y^ou ^w^aste them?" She said, her voice completely devoid of her usual excitement. "I remember a lot of ^w^hat ^y^ou did, and I don't think ^y^ou ^w^asted an^y^ of ^y^our time."

"I-..."

I trailed off before I could even start to find the words.

I can't argue with her. I'm being stupid again - my job isn't the first priority, my life is.

But I'm fucked now, I started in on this with nothing to back me up.

"I...I guess I can't think of any time I wasted. I just got focused on one thing, and..."

"And ignored literall^y^ e^v^er^y^thing else." Her words were blunt, but, thankfully, not painful to hear.

"Yeah."

"^Y^ou kno^w^ I'm obligated to make ^y^ou see, right?"

She stared at me almost intensely, not breaking eye contact. I feigned a smile, and forced up a small semblance of a chuckle. "Get it over with, then," I said, doing my best to warmly accept my due punishment. "Rule of Fives."

"For one, ^y^ou'^v^e gro^w^n a LOT o^v^er the past fe^w^ ^y^ears. I mean, look at ^y^ou, ^y^ou're no longer some self-loathing o^v^erachei^v^er ^w^ho pushes himself too far and starts ^w^hipping himself ^w^hen he ine^v^itabl^y^ breaks do^w^n."

I have been getting better about that...

"^Y^ou'^v^e pro^v^en ^y^ourself to be one of the most courageous people that I'^v^e e^v^er met ^w^hen ^y^ou stood ^v^igil for t^w^o da^y^s to protect ^V^asa^v^i, Aphros, and Charan from P^y^rhis."

I was willing to die twice to keep them safe.

"^Y^ou ha^v^e and still are keeping e^v^er^y^one combat-read^y^ just in case something big comes up b^y^ hosting ^y^our tournaments and frequentl^y^ fighting people."

That's not intentional, but I'll let it slide - I just want to hear the end of this.

"^Y^ou'^v^e made a lot of people happ^y^ ^w^ith ^y^our feasts and e^v^ents."

I can't argue with that.

"And ^y^ou'^v^e come a long ^w^a^y^ ^w^ith ^y^our ^w^ork, ^w^hether or not ^y^ou recognize it."

I take a long breath, trying to ignore how thoroughly I've just been called out. I'm glad it doesn't happen often, but I can't help but feel everything is one-sided whenever I run into a personal problem.

"So, ho^w^ long do ^y^ou expect ^y^ou're going to hole up in here for?"

"The night, at least." I say, carefully standing up to avoid moving her around too much. Immediately, she rises to her feet and wraps both of her arms around mine.

"^W^ell, I'm holing up ^w^ith ^y^ou."

"Bu-" My words are cut off sharply. "No 'but's! Diz is ^w^ith Athene, Astor's ^w^ith Dizrae, Shura's ^w^ith Lil, an' Apolos ^w^anted to spend time ^w^ith Atalas."

"And there's nobody else?" I ask, already well aware that it's a pointless question.

"Not tonight." She says in response as she starts to purr louder.

"Riiiiiight."

I know Dogana has an extremely active social life - no matter what, she's always doing something. But, even with the massive amount of people we know, it's only reasonable that she picks and chooses what she wants to do in a day. And she chose to spend tonight with me.

I walked over the metal lining on the floor separating the carpeted living room from the tiled kitchen, moving slowly to keep Dogana in pace. She broke off two steps after we crossed into the room, and pulled one of the chairs out from the table, sitting down and spinning it to face me.

"I s^w^ear, ^y^ou ha^v^e one of the coziest homes I'^v^e e^v^er seen."

"Thanks, but I'm not sure how much that should mean," I said as I casually sidestepped in front of the refrigerator, giving a genuine smile as I blindly opened the door. "I mean, you /did/ live most of your life on Alternia in a cave. Anything with a table and a bed should look like the picture of comfort to you."

She tilted her head from side to side, mocking drawn out laughter with each tilt. "Oh, haaa, haaah. A s^w^eep or t^w^o of adult life is more than enough for me to kno^w^ comfortable places."

I turned around, taking a few quick glances up and down the refrigerator shelves, and one over to Dogana. "You hungry or thirsty?" I said, returning my view to the chilled foodstuffs and boxes full of canned soda.

"D'^y^ou ha^v^e bottled ^w^ater in there?" she asked, despite having a clear view inside. "I've got tap," I responded, not looking away, but throwing one hand to point over my shoulder with a thumb. "over there. Get a cup if you want some."

"A^w^^w^, ^w^eak. ^W^ell, I think I'm hungr^y^, is there an^y^thing ^y^ou can make real quick?"

"Uh, 'real quick'? Let's see..." I reach down, pulling open the produce drawer and taking a package of bacon from it. No sooner than she sees what I pick, the troll's eyes light up. I push the drawer closed with my foot, and lazily swing the fridge door shut as I make my way to the stove.

I look down at the stove top, breathing a low sigh as I recall the differences from then and now. Before SBURB, the stove had fueled burners on the top, with metal grates with eight prongs in a star shape to hold pots and pans over the flame. Now, though, I've had it replaced with an electric stove, the heating plates hidden beneath a smooth surface whose material I'm unfamiliar with, though white rings mark where each plate is.

I place the packaged meat down on one of the rings, then walk to the counter and cupboards to fetch what I need. From the top cupboards I grab a frying pan and two plates - one creamic, one paper, and from the lower cupboards I take a small tin of black pepper. Not an interesting ingredient, and certainly not unusual, but I still like to imagine that it makes this specifically my recipe.

I place the pan on the front-left plate's mark, the ceramic plate over the back-right's, and pick up the bacon to place the paper plate over the front-right's - with the pepper tin right beside it. I move back to the counter for a moment to take a pair of scissors, using them to cut the bacon down the middle. I lay one half to the side, and pull the meat from the other half.

I separate each slice, laying them down on the paper plate in a row, side-to-side, with some small overlap - and when I reach the end of the plate, I place two down beside the row, and sprinkle them with pepper, and start layering over them. Side-to-side, each slightly overlapping the last - and I repeat with the other half until both form a pile on the plate.

"Do ^y^ou al^w^a^y^s do that?" My roseblooded companion piped up, and as I turned to look her way, I saw her knees pressed against her chest, and her arms crossed over her ankles. "What, spice the bacon?" I asked. I looked back, turning on the heating element underneath the pan, hearing Dogana give an "Mhm." in response.

I placed four strips of bacon onto the pan, moving to the counter once more to grab a spatula. "Well, yeah. It's my thing." I said, in a tone alike to answering something that should be common knowledge. "^W^h^y^?"

"Uh...'Cause I guess it tastes a little better with pepper cooked into it? I dunno." "^Y^ou do this all the time and ^y^ou don't e^v^en kno^w^ ^w^h^y^?" It's hard to tell whether she asked as a joke, or out of genuine curiosity.

"I can't even remember why I do it."

"Oh, come on. First ^y^ou can't remember ^y^our name, and no^w^ ^y^ou can't remember ^w^h^y^ ^y^ou cook like this?"

I flip the bacon over, shrugging at Dogana's remark. "I learned how to cook this stuff one day, and another I got particular about it and sprinkled pepper over each piece." I looked over my shoulder again, seeing the genuine curiosity I'd otherwise find so difficult to guess about in her face.

For once, it was easy to see. Her eyes were open and attentive, her brows raised, and her mouth ever-so-slightly open. For once, her face and her personality failed to betray her interest. "...And that was way back when the only things I knew how to cook were microwavable TV dinners and popcorn." I continued, glancing down at the cooking meat.

"^W^hat does that ha^v^e to do ^w^ith it?" She asked, her voice even lending itself to show her interest in the 'why'. I smiled a tad wider, feeling as though I'd found a conversational vantage point for her. "Well, so many years ago I'd always wanted to become a cook or some sort of fancy restaurateur."

"And I was an idiot back then," I added, "so when I got hungry enough to learn how to cook bacon one day, I felt some pride in just adding pepper to it. Within the next year I'd be learning how to really work with spices."

"Pfff, cute as e^v^er." She started to giggle, though she tried to hold it back somewhat out of what I can assume is respect. She stopped her light laughter rather early though, and as I flipped over the bacon again, she started again. 

"...So, kno^w^ing ^y^ou, ho^w^ far out didja ha^v^e this planned?"

"Huh?" I asked, turning entirely to face her with a dumb expression.

"^W^ell, I mean, ^y^ou're al^w^a^y^s planning things, thinking them out, ha^v^ing all this shit in ^y^our head about an^y^ number of subjects. It'd be unlike ^y^ou to just ^w^anna be a cook and not think about ^w^hat ^y^ou'd do ^w^ith it, right?"

"Yeah, uh...Well, I had a name in mind."

"^W^hat ^w^as it?"

I flipped the pieces over again, keeping my eye on them as they started to turn yellow-orange. I placed the head of the spatula into the ceramic plate, and went back over to the counter, this time sitting up on it, though slumped forward. I avoided eye contact with Dogana as I tried to let the next few words out of my mouth casually.

"...'The Fair Fare'."

There was at least a minute of silence between us; enough time for me to return to the stove and pull some finished pieces of bacon out of the pan, and laying four more down to cook. When I returned to sit on the countertop, my kismesis spoke up first. "Actuall^y^, that sounds exactl^y^ like something ^y^ou'd come up ^w^ith."

"...Oh, yeah?" I shook off the timidity, seeing an opportunity to get back at Dogana for punishing me for my single-minded thinking. I still didn't feel any better for it, but nevertheless, it was good to keep the conversation going.

"It's kinda catch^y^. It's almost one of those fanc^y^ literature things ^w^here ^y^ou sa^y^ three ^w^ords ^w^ith the same letter at the start..."

"An alliteration?"

"^Y^eah, one of those. It's reall^y^ hard to scre^w^ up sa^y^ing it, just sa^y^ 'fair' t^w^ice, and kno^w^ing ^y^ou and all ^y^our fanc^y^ ^w^ord^y^ crap, both ^w^ords ha^v^e different meanings. Right?"

"Mhmm. The first is 'fair' as reasonable, and the second is 'fare' - 'eff, ayh, arh, ee' - as in a meal."

Her laughter is almost immediate. "Nerd!"

"Hey, wordplay has helped me a /lot/ over the years. Not when I actually needed it, but it still helped."

With my mind locked in conversation with Dogana, I had almost failed to notice that my body was now entirely in the momentum of cooking. Almost autonomously I had flipped the strips of bacon twice, and was getting ready to do so again.

"So, ^y^ou didn't keep on the ^w^hole 'be a cook' thing?"

"No. A few years after I started thinking about it, I walked another path. Started into martial arts, dropped the whole restaurant thing entirely."

"^W^h^y^ did ^y^ou choose martial arts o^v^er cooking for people?"

"Some unrealistic expectations about a harsh, unforgiving world and a desire to protect those close to me took the reins away from a want to run some fancy-ass diner."

"Unrealistic? Ho^w^?"

"Well, think of it like...There were some parts of Earth that were a lot like Alternia. People'd want to kill you or rob you, or god knows what."

"Thank god ^y^our ^w^orld ^w^asn't some shitt^y^ id^y^llic utopia."

"I hate to say it, but I agree with you. Earth would be shit if there weren't monsters and murderers out there."

"So, ^y^ou expected sometime in ^y^our life, ^y^ou'd ha^v^e to square off against someone like that?"

"Yeah. Whether alone or with someone I cared about, I wanted to be ready to fight."

"Thank god for that, too. If ^y^ou didn't ha^v^e that mindset, SBURB ^w^ould'^v^e REALL^Y^ fucked ^y^ou o^v^er."

Dogana watched me as I cooked, snickering at the occasional recoil from bacon grease popping from the pan and flying onto my stomach. There was a silence between us again, and it stuck around for the minutes until I finished cooking. I turned the stove off, turned the pan so that the handle would face the back of the stovetop, and brought the platefull of bacon over to the kitchen table, sitting it down in a space between the counter and Dogana's seat.

"Thanks for the food!" She exclaimed, pulling one of the cooler pieces out from the bottom of the pile of meat. "^Y^'kno^w^, I ha^v^e to agree ^w^ith ^y^ou, bacon is just the BEST meat."

I gingerly picked a piece from the top, ignoring the fact that it was still fairly hot and soaked in grease. I walked over to the refrigerator again, dropping the cooked strip into my mouth and chewing quickly - while failing to hide the pain the entire time.

"^Y^ou alright there, Regent?" She asked, looking up at me with a cocky grin. I swallow the food quickly, lightly gripping at my throat as I pull the fridge open. A short cough escapes me as I pick two cans of root beer from the middle shelf, closing the door behind me as I take my seat beside the counter. I place one can in front of myself, and another on the side of the plate closest to the mischievous redblood.

"Yeah, ah. I'm glad you like it so much," I do my best to sidestep the question and play off the taste buds I just killed. I pulled the can's tab down, cracking the top open to take a quick sip from it. My tongue is relieved from both the cold drink and the familiar bitterness of it, and I let an uncontrollable sigh of satisfaction escape before I continue.

"But I'm sure it's not your favorite meal, right?"

"No, I guess not. I think m^y^ fa^v^orite meal ^w^ould probabl^y^ be..." There's a long pause, and as Dogana thinks, she idly pulls some more bacon from the pile and eats them without much thought. When she finally comes up with an idea, she and I have already eaten two thirds of the bacon.

"This ma^y^ sound ^w^eird, but I think m^y^ fa^v^orite meal ^w^ould be those steak and ^v^eggie kabobs ^V^ictor makes sometimes."

She takes another two pieces before she continues talking. "So, get this; I ^w^as ^w^andering about LOCAB one da^y^, tr^y^ing to see if I could bother Isabella or ^V^ictor, and I smelled something reall^y^ good," she paused mid-story to take and eat another piece, finishing it off quickly and following it with a long sip of her root beer. "And I mean, I ate before I got there, but this smell bottomed me out."

"So I look around, and just out in front of his house is ^V^ictor, standing at this grill and table set-up. I rush up and ask him ^w^hat he had cooking, and he said something like 'steak faheatuhs' or something like that. I ask if I could tr^y^ some, and he said 'sure, there's a fe^w^ coming off in a sec, once they cool ^y^ou can tr^y^ them.'"

"Did you wait for them to cool?"

"Fuck no, as soon as he set them do^w^n on the plate, I picked one up and che^w^ed a^w^a^y^. It ^w^as AMAZING. If ^y^ou get the recipe off him, I'll be ^y^ours for life. Other^w^ise, I'm gonna bug the shit out of him to grill more often."

I smiled, pulling the four of the last five pieces aside for myself. "I'll make sure to ask him about it next time I see him."

We finished our food and drinks, and Dogana put the ceramic plate into the sink, while I brought the paper plate over to the trash bin. Dogana walked out into the middle of the room, stretching her arms out wide as I made my way to the sink. I poured a small pool of dish soap into my hand, elbowed the sink faucet on somewhere I hoped would be "just warm".

After thoroughly slicking my hands with the soap, I pushed them under the faucet stream, immediately greeted with scalding heat. I bit hard on my lower lip, hissing in pain as I jerked my hands out of the sink and pressed the faucet's lever to the far right side. I wait a few seconds, and quickly wrap up rinsing off my hands in the cold water flow. Even with the sink running, I could hear Dogana stifling her laughter as she watches me fidget in pain.

I groan under my breath, but address her calmly as I wipe my hands off with a paper towel. "So, Dogana, got anything in mind for tonight?"

"I'm actuall^y^ not sure. Lemme think about it for a sec," she paused. A minute passed as she thought, one finger curled over her chin and her eyes cast off into the corner of the room. She shrugged, speaking up once more. "nope, nothing. ^W^anna just go la^y^ do^w^n for a ^w^hile?"

"I don't got anything myself, so, sure." I replied, taking her hand and walking down the hall. The door to the left opened into a spacious room, and immediately to the right inside the room was a large, comfortable bed, if a messy one. Four or five blankets lie lazily crumpled up at the foot of the bed, with three pillows sitting at the head, each with satin pillowcases, which I personally found to be the most comfortable.

Dogana scrambled onto the bed, spreading herself out in the middle, while I sat down on the edge, twisting my body to reach down to my blanket pile. I groped at the mass of cloth, grabbing the fluffiest one in reach and pulling it out. I turned and laid down myself, shuffling back to rest my head against the pillow, as my company rolled onto her side, throwing one leg over me and wrapping both arms around my chest.

I pulled the blanket over the both of us, and moved my arm to wrap around Dogana's back. She was already purring when I slipped two of my fingers under her top, and she started purring louder as I rubbed her uppermost grubscar. She turned her face in towards my collar, and I only barely noticed that she was blushing deep crimson.

"We need to spend more nights like this." I said, wrapping my free arm around her blanketed lower back.

"No kidding......" she murmured in response, drowsiness almost instantly overtaking her.

As she dozed off in my arms, her purring slowly died down, but never stopped. Her purring was one of two sounds I heard for the rest of the night, the other being the soothing patter of rain on the roof and windows of the house.

Despite the calm, I remained awake throughout the rest of the night.