#while i look for a new one and the wave of relief that swept over me made me cry harder

[racingmiku2018]

why is leaving the house so scary

[suppose-i-was-worm]

Ghost on the Stairs

**alright, alright. I asked and y'all answered. Here's my siblings Bruce and Danny fic!**

“Boo!”

Bruce clattered to a stop on the floor, holding his arms out for his baby brother as the boy toddled his way forward.

“Hey, Danny! Did you miss me while I was at school?”

Danny waved chubby arms, clearly delighted that Bruce was waiting for him. He was all of two years to Bruce’s seven, and the two of them were almost inseparable.

Chancing a look over to his mother, Bruce found her and father smiling fondly at the two of them. Alfred was coming up behind them with a tea tray.

“Boo!”

Bruce turned back to his brother, only to lurch forward as his tiny brother took a step straight into a swirling green portal that opened up from nowhere.

Danny’s screech as he fell was cut off by the portal shutting with a snap, leaving Bruce on his hands and knees, reaching for air.

Mother, father, and Alfred all clustered around him as he began to cry, and the four of them began desperately looking for the youngest member of the family.

They never found him, and a year later, Bruce lost his parents to a gun. At least that was something he could fight against.

When Bruce became Batman at the age of twenty-two, he finally erected a gravestone for his baby brother, right next to their parents. If Danny ever came back, he wouldn’t be the same boy who had vanished.

~~~

Red Robin swung into the building, breaking through the window with his momentum. The cult surrounding a magic circle on the floor of the warehouse had been causing a ruckus in Gotham, and the bats had finally had enough.

Just as they finished knocking out the cultists, the magic circle flared to life and a green pool bloomed from the floor.

Tim, purely out of scientific curiosity, leaned closer, only to be pulled back roughly by Batman.

“Stay away from it.”

“B?”

Batman grabbed a batarang from where it had landed in the melee and threw it with a precise hand, cutting through one of the lines of chalk surrounding the pool.

Narrowing his eyes, Tim watched Bruce’s face- his expression right now was all Bruce, no Bat in sight- sorrow mixed with relief.

Once the pool had vanished completely, Bruce pulled Tim into his arms.

“Woah, what’s up B?”

“I cannot lose you too.”

The moment passed, and Red Robin found himself following Batman as the vigilante swept out of the building.

~~~

“Constantine.”

“Bats. Nice of you to call. What do you need?”

“I sent you a data packet. What is the summoning circle for?”

Constantine was quiet for a long while as he perused the files Bruce had sent him. Bruce paced in front of the batcomputer, glad that all his children were in bed for the night. Somehow they had known something was wrong, and every single one of them had come to the manor- even Jason.

“Looks like an attempt to summon a being of the Infinite Realms to me.”

“Infinite Realms?”

“Mhmm. The afterlife, if you will.”

Bruce couldn’t help the small wheeze as his airways caught. Constantine didn’t seem to notice, as he continued.

“The ghosts haven’t been as active lately, not since the new king came into power. It’s been maybe two decades since?”

“I would like to meet this king.”

“Why?”

“It would be politically intelligent of us to make allies.”

Constantine sighed, long and loud.

“Fine. Give me a week to gather up the stuff.”

~~~

Jason glanced over the thin information brief that Bruce handed down, skimming it at first, until something caught his eye.

“B?”

“Hn.”

“According to this, the being we’re trying to summon is damn powerful. Wouldn’t it be better to do this on the Watchtower with more backup?”

“Yeah B,” Dick chimed in, “Constantine’s report does say that the guy is rumored to be a wandering spirit, which limits his power, but what if that’s not right?”

Jason looked back down at the papers, his eyes darting through to find out what a wandering spirit was.

A ghost that couldn’t find its grave. Part of Jason ached at the thought, and he didn’t quite understand why.

“Fine. We will summon the king at the Watchtower.”

Small victories.

~~~

Bruce was not a praying man, and yet here he was, hoping against hope that this ghost could assist him in finding out what happened to his brother.

The sigils on the floor flared to light, and a now familiar green portal swirled into being. The entire room waited with bated breath for a few moments, and then a young woman rose from the portal.

Batman knew what it felt like to be stabbed. There was no way he could have been, and yet there was a knife in his gut as he stared at this girl who looked so much like his mother, except for the inverted colors.

“The Ghost King thanks you for your call- Unfortunately he is currently unavailable. Please leave your message after the-“ the girl’s professional, almost robotic voice petered off. “Wait a minute- it’s here!”

Her eyes were wide, as was the smile she flashed at the group.

“Please hold.”

She sunk back into the pool, and Bruce took a step towards it, despairing of his chance.

And then she returned, dragging a young man up with her.

“Can you feel it, Phantom? It’s here! We can find it!”

“Calm down, Phantasm. We can go looking soon- first we need to find out why I was summoned.”

The young man turned to Diana, who was standing at the front of the group. She had been chosen as diplomatic leader, seeing as she was a Princess and Ambassador.

“Pardon my sister, how may I assist?”

Bruce let their conversation wash over him as he cataloged the young man’s features. They were so very similar- so close.

The man was both too young and too old. Daniel would be in his mid-forties had he lived, and only two if he’d died. This young man couldn’t be older than thirty.

As Diana’s explanation ended, the young man smiled.

“I agree. It would be advantageous of us to be allies, knowing what I know of this reality now. As allies, I must ask- what is the real reason I was summoned?”

He turned his green (wrong, too much like Damian’s) eyes to Bruce.

“Will you explain? The summoning was filled with great longing for something.”

Bruce stumbled forward, and surely to the shock of his teammates, friends, and children, fell to his knees before the king.

“My- my brother. He fell through a portal so similar to yours and I- I need to know what happened to him. Please.”

The king and his sister looked at each other before looking back at Bruce.

“The Infinite Realms are just that, infinite. However, I may be able to help.”

“Phantom!”

The king ignored his sister.

“What was his name, this brother of yours?”

Bruce hadn’t spoken his brother’s name in decades.

“Danny. Daniel Wayne.”

The room was so silent he could have heard a pin drop.

“And you gave him a grave when he never returned to you.”

Bruce looked up at the king, who was looking back contemplatively. The king’s sister was staring up at her brother with her mouth agape.

“I did.”

The king was very, very quiet, and the moment stretched on and on and on.

After a time, the room grew darker as the green pool closed slowly, and the two ghosts landed with barely a whisper of sound.

“I died at age fourteen,” the king began, musing his own thoughts. “As I died, I thought that the color of the ectoplasm surrounding me was too familiar in color and movement for that to have been my first experience with a portal.”

He took a step towards Bruce.

“It was terrifying and I was so afraid that I would be ripped away from everything I ever loved again.”

Two bright white rings circled the king, and Bruce found himself looking at a man who looked just like his mother, but with a twitch of the lips that was entirely his father’s.

“Hello, Boo. I’m afraid I can’t remember your name properly.”

Bruce took his cowl off slowly, wanting his baby brother to see him despite the fact that he was crying.

“We’ve got his chin, Danny.”

The girl was standing a little behind Danny, smiling. She winked at Bruce.

“He always did want to find his bio family.”

Bruce held his hand out, and Danny took it, using his position and apparently superior strength to pull Bruce into a hug.

“Bruce. Bruce Wayne.”

“Danny Nightingale- well. Nightingale-Wayne, I suppose.”

~~~

Danielle Nightingale (Wayne?) watched her original and his brother(!?!) hug it out. The big man in black was obviously not used to hugs.

“Miss?”

She turned to the inquirer, the nice looking ambassador from before. (Sue her, Dani hadn’t been listening to the conversation. She had been trying to pinpoint the location of their grave!)

“How can I help?”

Ambassador lady smiled at her.

“We were unaware that our teammate had siblings, and clearly Daniel has introduced himself. May we ask your name?”

Dani grinned.

“Oh, I’m not a sibling. I’m sibling-adjacent. Sibling clone? One of those. My name is Danielle, but I go by Dani with an i. It gets a little confusing since he’s Danny with a y.”

“I see. Welcome to the Watchtower, Dani. May I ask what you and his majesty are looking for that was found here?”

“Our grave, of course! Since I’m Danny’s clone, I can feel it too- a little distantly, but it’s not like I’ll get my own. I was born dead.”

Ambassador lady was looking a little faint. Dani took pity on her.

“But now I’m a kickass princess, so all’s well that ends well.”

“I suppose so.” The ambassador looked over at Danny and surprise brother with a small smile. “I suppose so indeed.”

[deliciousangelfestival]

The Lady - 5

Character: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader, Eddie Horniman x Female Reader

Summary: After fifteen years away, a step-daughter returns for her Duke step-father's funeral, only to inherit a staggering 8 million pound debt and strike a risky deal with a criminal underworld figure.

Main Masterlist || support: Ko-fi

Chap 1, Chap 2, Chap 3 , Chap 4 , Chap 5 , Chap 6 , -

I'd really appreciate it if anyone who likes this series could leave a comment or reblog with a GIF.

Could you let me know what your thoughts are? Reblogs and comments are the main things that keep me posting new stories. ❤️❤️❤️

"Oh my god. Oh my god. What am I going to do?" You paced back and forth, your mind racing with worry.

Bucky raised an eyebrow, his usual smirk replaced with a concerned frown. "Why are you the one stressed out?" He assured you that you wouldn't have to deal with dirty work.

This was the first time Bucky had seen you lose your composure.

You grabbed his collar, desperation evident in your eyes. "You don't understand, the last person I want to deal with is my stepsister."

Returning home, you realized that if there was an investigation, your job profession could make you a suspect, too.

Trying to calm you down, Bucky suggested, "For the alibi, if anyone asks, just say that you were with me."

You scoffed, feeling frustrated. "Like they're going to believe that I wanted to spend a day with you."

Everyone in your household knew how annoyed you were with Bucky. On numerous occasions, they had heard you complain about him to Cedric, the family lawyer.

You were quiet as you picked up the phone to make a call.

"Y/N?"

The sound of his voice brought a sense of calm over you. "I need your help."

"I'll be there."

A few hours later...

Bucky chimed in with his usual teasing tone. "Ooh, so you choose him over me?"

You rolled your eyes while Eddie checked on you.

Eddie interjected, "Her family will believe me if she spends the night with me."

Your cheeks flushed slightly at his words.

"But there's something missing," Eddie continued.

"What?" you asked.

"They won't believe it if you only say it was a sleepover," Eddie explained.

"What are you trying to say?" you inquired.

Bucky caught on. "Hangover."

Eddie nodded in agreement. "You have to make yourself look hungover. That strengthens your alibi."

"Right," you acknowledged.

Bucky rolled his eyes, realizing that he had suggested the idea first, but you were only listening to Eddie.

"Perfect. I have plenty of alcohol here. What do you want to drink?" Bucky offered.

You replied confidently, "Start with the strongest."

"Yes," Bucky agreed.

After downing three shots of vodka, you started to lose yourself in the night. With the alcohol, the music, and the vibrant atmosphere of Bucky's club, you found yourself enjoying the moment and forgetting about your troubles.

######

As you awakened, the sensation of your stomach churning made you groan. It felt as if your insides had shifted, causing discomfort to spread throughout your body.

Slowly, you managed to sit up, only to discover that you were sprawled atop Eddie, who was still fast asleep and holding you close. Relief washed over you as you realized that both of you were still fully clothed.

However, the memories of the previous night flooded back, each one hitting you with increasing clarity.

"You're awake?"

Your eyes widened at the sound of Bucky's voice. Glancing over, you saw him standing nearby, his shirt rumpled and a distinct lipstick stain marking his lips.

A wave of nausea swept over you, prompting you to grab the nearby champagne bucket and empty its contents in a fit of vomiting.

"Urggh."

Bucky's remark cut through the haze of your discomfort. "Well, that hurts my feelings. You see my face and vomit."

"Urrghh," you groaned, the sickness still plaguing you.

Eddie winced, his hand moving to massage his throbbing head. "What kind of drink did you give us last night, Barnes?"

Bucky shrugged, a mischievous glint in his eye. "It's a new drink I picked up from a celebrity brand."

Eddie chuckled ruefully. "That explains everything."

He rose from his makeshift bed and reached over to pat your shoulder gently. You noticed a faded lipstick stain on his lips, the same color as yours. A blush crept up your cheeks as you realized the implications of the matching marks.

Meanwhile, the incessant ringing of your phone filled the air, causing your head to throb even more.

"Ring, ring."

You cringed, covering your ears to block the sound, but Eddie took the initiative to answer.

"77 missed calls," he informed you.

You grabbed your phone, reluctantly answering the next call.

"Where the hell are you?!!!" your mother's voice pierced through the line.

You sighed. "Mom, don't scream."

"What—? Are you drunk right now? Come home now. Your sister's fiancé died."

You negotiated, "Give me 2 hours."

"One hour."

Turning to the two men beside you, you sought their reassurance. "Do you think they're going to believe me?"

Eddie, suppressing a burp, offered some confidence. "I believe so. You rarely get drunk, and you have a reasonable reason after your fight with Charlotte."

Your eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, how do you know about me and her?"

Bucky yawned lazily. "You spilled the beans last night."

You were shocked.

Bucky leaned back, a smirk playing on his lips as he added, "You spilled your guts about how you missed your stepdad, how your mother missed your birthday for five years straight, and how you had a row with your stepsister."

Eddie chimed in, his expression sympathetic as he confessed, "I did try to stop you."

You sighed heavily, a sinking feeling settling in your stomach. "Oh no."

Bucky, ever the opportunist, concluded, "But it supports your alibi, since half the club heard your sob story."

You couldn't help but huff in frustration, feeling the bile rising in your throat once more. "Great."

Amidst the conversation, Bucky's smirk only widened while Eddie wore a more concerned expression, his brow furrowed in sympathy.

Your body language betrayed your discomfort, with tense shoulders and a hand clutching your churning stomach, while your eyes darted around the room, searching for an escape from the mess you found yourself in.

########

Watching everyone in grief, especially Charlotte, who was sobbing as she watched her fiancé's casket being lowered into the ground. Charles stood beside her, offering what comfort he could.

Susan stood next to you, her voice barely above a whisper, "Give me one thing that would justify your actions."

She sounded grief-stricken seeing Charlotte cry like that, but she seemed oblivious to your own stress.

Wearing sunglasses to hide your red, teary eyes, you replied softly, "He cheated on her."

Susan clenched her fist, her anger palpable. "Good, he deserved it then."

After the funeral, you found yourself face-to-face with Bucky once again. With a roll of your eyes, you couldn't help but remark, "Now I feel like you're the angel of death."

Bucky merely smirked, seemingly unfazed by your comment. "I'm here to meet my client."

Drawing closer to him, you whispered, "You mean the one who ordered the hit on the prince?"

A nod from Bucky confirmed your suspicion, and he subtly gestured towards a woman standing on the fringes of the grieving family.

Your eyes widened in recognition. "Rosie?" Memories of encounters with her during summers spent at Eddie's manor flooded your mind.

Bucky's response was chillingly matter-of-fact. "You know her? Great. She's only paid half. The other half hasn't come through yet."

Your incredulity peaked. "Are you kidding me? Right now?"

You attempted to intervene, but your attention was diverted when you noticed Eddie approaching Rosie.

Bucky's voice cut through the tension with a teasing tone. "Oh-oh. Someone's jealous."

You shot him a glare, cursing inwardly. If even someone like Bucky could pick up on it, then your feelings must be glaringly obvious.

With a dismissive shrug, you replied, "It's just an old crush."

Bucky's smirk widened as he observed your reaction. "Seeing you like this makes me want to tease you more, Your Grace."

Join the taglist? 🩷💙🩷

@bagoffeelings

@darkofimagination

@starsofcloud

@cherrybubblebullet

@winterslove1917

@thezombieprostitute

@namoreno

@sagebarness

@unaxv

@missvelvetsstuff

@kjah97

@kandis-mom

@scott-loki-barnes

@differenttyphoonwerewolf

@ordelixx

@blackwood-bodecker-housewife

@mostlymarvelgirl

@musicandbooksaremyhappyplace

@charmedbysarge

@rebeccapineapple

@almosttoopizza

@cakesandtom

@njavezan

@thealyrs

@sjsmith56

@bellabarnes1378

@valhalla-kristin

@learisa

@choppedgalaxynerd

@terrormonster55

@haciendoquemeamas

@alysianc

@sapphirebarnes

@identity2212

@greenarrowhead

@mannien

@surazim

@scarlet-doll-13

@esposadomd

Author Note: Hey friends,

If you've been enjoying the content, I've set up a Ko-fi account.

Your support through tips would mean the world and help me keep creating.

Only if you feel like it!

Here's the link: Ko-fi

Thanks a bunch for being fabulous followers!

[astaroth1357]

Satan Runs Away

My first NB Satan-centric work. Let me know of any other ideas floating in the ether or any other bite-sized ideas for specific characters (time is of short supply lately lol)

Contents: Angst with some hurt/comfort. Boy literally just wants to be thought about/included so bad, I swear-

~♡♡♡~

Okay, this makes him sound like a disobedient pet, but how else could MC explain why he suddenly disappeared after a fight with Lucifer? They couldn't find him anywhere in the House, the library, or his usual bookstores... it was like he just vanished!

MC was the first to notice his prolonged absence as they were nearly the only person to ever seek him out personally. In the old timeline, Satan dropping from contact for a little while wasn't all that unusual but here it felt far more urgent... What if he wanted to stay gone? What if he didn't come back home???

So it was only natural for them to get swept up in a wave of relief that washed over them when they eventually saw Lucifer march on in through the door dragging a thrashing Satan behind him. The eldest held the snarling demon by the back of the collar while he kicked and fought for his freedom. He was filthy like a stray cat pulled off of the street...

What caught everyone off guard was how quickly they flung themselves at the fourthborn when Lucifer forced him to his feet. It was like the whole room froze, the struggling Satan included, as they wrapped their arms tightly around his midsection. Their cheek flattened against the ruffles on his chest where they kept their ear trained to his heart, finding reassurance in its quick but strong beats...

Meanwhile, both men stared at them like they had just lost their mind. NO ONE touches Satan without permission and expects a good outcome, much less hugs him! What were they thinking??

After seemingly confirming to themselves that the troubled demon was not a just figment of their wishful thinking, the MC pulled themselves back to a respectful distance. Their expression, however, remained laced with frustration, fear, and mounting tears.

MC: "Satan... I was so worried about you! You can't just leave like that, I-I-"

Their voice cracked unexpectedly, making them stop and try to gather their thoughts. Lucifer shot a look at Satan and finally let him go, more or less nodding for him to take over from there but...

Truthfully? Satan was confused. Several new feelings swelled up in his chest and not a single one made any sense... Watching MC tearing up felt like having a bed of nails imbedded in his chest and yet he was... happy? Under all that pain?

For some reason, a part of him felt... joy... to hear that someone had worried about him while he was away... That he wasn't just written off as one less problem to deal with... Happy enough for him to forgive how they had invaded his personal space without asking first.

Satan stood awkwardly for several long moments, frozen in thought as he debated how to respond. Eventually, his brother got impatient.

Lucifer: "Stop just standing there and apologize. Now."

The confusing warmth in Satan's chest was quickly being replaced by the familiar burn of rage with every word out of Lucifer's mouth, and it must have showed, because the MC was quick to jump to his defense.

MC: "No, it's fine, Lucifer! I'm... I'm alright. I'm just glad that he's-"

Satan: "MC... I'm sorry."

Both MC and Lucifer looked at him with surprise, especially given the downcast, almost ashamed, look on his face.

Satan: "I'm sorry the fact that I left upset you... I didn't mean to, I just..."

His eyebrows knitted together as he tried to find the right words... He hated his "brothers" and hated this house but leaving this place also meant leaving MC... Why did it all suddenly feel so stupid in hindsight...?

MC: "It's okay, Satan, you don't have to explain yourself to me..."

Satan guilty frown was contrasted hard by the MC's kind, understanding smile. Though their eyes still glistened with tears, he felt like they were of a different kind now, making his heart practically convulse in his chest. How do they keep doing that...??

MC: "Just... promise me you won't go away again. Not without letting us know where you're going first... Please?"

Their voice was so steeped in worry... a fear FOR him rather than OF him... And in that moment, it was the most compelling sound to ever exist in the three realms.

Somehow, his response felt foreign to his tongue, and yet still very much his own thoughts given right to speak. It was like a powerful force had taken over him, spreading an airy happiness through him to replace the rage that came before...

Satan: "I... won't leave you again, MC. I promise..."

[yangkitties]

bros before hoes ✰ chapter 06: new MCs in town

wc: 0.6k

The contrast of your stylist’s cold fingers against your warm face feels jarring, giving you something else to feel other than jittery nerves.

You concentrate on the way she carefully places each strand of your hair, pushing and twirling it to perfection. You watch the mirror intently, observing the way your face transforms. 

It feels natural, like stepping into your home after going on vacation. 

But even your intense focus couldn’t deter the course of your anxiety, mind swarming with what ifs. 

Being on stage had never scared you. You’d been performing for as long as you could remember, from school shows to award shows, the stage has always been your safe place. But today it was different. 

Although you had done several run throughs with and without Sunghoon, going on stage to MC gave you butterflies. 

You vaguely hear your stage queue as the stylist helps you, adjusting your outfit one more time. You like it, it’s simple, yet classy, and gives you enough confidence to not turn back and run away. 

As you get closer to the stage, you spot Sunghoon. You can’t help but gasp at his appearance, decked to match you. It makes you heart race and your cheeks burn, and you swear you fall a little bit in love with him. 

You stand next to him, nervously shuffling and un-shuffling your cue cards. He gently places his hand on yours, halting your moments. You turn to him in shock, only to be greeted by a calming smile. 

‘It’ll be fine. Don’t be too nervous, you were great during our rehearsals, you’ll do well now too.’ You smile at him, grateful for his presence. 

The music cue begins, and suddenly you’re emceeing with the ease. 

You remember to laugh in all the right places, ask the right questions, and welcome each artist. Every second is a bit of a blur, the time flying. 

Soon enough you’re off stage, letting out a huge breath. Your shoulders relax, body hunching over in relief. You can hear Sunghoon laugh beside you, joining you as you walk back to your dressing room. 

He smiles, ‘You were a natural up there! You did so well.’ You smile in response, glad to hear his natural voice again.

‘And you were incredible too. I thought I’d-’ Your words get cut off as Sunghoon comes to an abrupt stop. Following his line of vision, you instantly spot what got him to stop.

Tsuki. There she was, in all her pink haired glory. For a second, everything feels weird. And then you’re swept off your feet as she hugs you, laughing in your ears. 

‘Y/NNIE YOU WERE SO GREAT ON STAGE! I watched the entire thing from my phone while waiting for you, oh I wish I could’ve seen it on the big monitor!!’ She looks at you with a bright smile, hugging you again. 

Laughing, you hug her back. ‘Thank you Tsuki, that means the world.’ You smile at her, glad to have her with you. 

You finally realise Sunghoon standing towards the side, twisting his rings again. He looks wide eyed, the tips of his ears a flaming crimson. He awkwardly clears his throat, waiting for you to introduce him.

‘Oh! Tsuki, Sunghoon. Sunghoon, Tsuki!’ You smile brightly, swallowing everything you felt. 

Sunghoon raises his hand in timid greeting, face somehow turning even more red. Tsuki seems oddly skeptical, waving back to him. 

She bows slightly, ‘Nice to meet you, but we have to go unfortunately! See you next time.’ She drags you away into the dressing room, shutting the door firmly behind her. 

You want to be bothered by her weirdness really, but as you move to change for the rest of your schedules, you are too happy to care. Today was a success, and you were determined to carry this feeling with you for the rest of the day. 

prev | m.list | next

synopsis > with the help of fukutomi tsuki, park y/n finally gains the courage to face their long time crush, the one and only, park sunghoon. park sunghoon thinks it's love at first sight when he sees her. paired up as the new mcs of music bank, shenanigans ensue when y/n learns about sunghoon's crush...

note: yawl i am so sorry... i rlly dont mean to keep disappearing >:(

©️ yangkitties 2024 do not copy, plagiarise, or repost

[beau-mchale]

Beau stood in the open field of Underwood farm, thunder rolling in the distance. The horses and cows rushed past him to crowd into the stables.

A surge of worry cut through his habitually fearless, nineteen-year-old heart while the air shifted around him. The wind picked up and tried to take his hat with it, forcing him to hold to it tightly.

“Beau!” Rupert Underwood opened the creaky back door of his farm house and called out to his field hand. The wind picked up, nearly knocking the older man over. Beau was ready to rush over and help but Rupert waved him off. “There’s a tornado coming! Just seen it on the news. Betsy and I are gonna head to the storm cellar but we can’t find our granddaughter. She was out with the cows earlier and we ain’t seen her since.”

Worry turned to terror as a sick feeling sank into Beau’s stomach. “I’ll find her!” He promised, yelling over the wind. “You two head underground and we’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Rupert looked concerned but nodded, knowing there was nothing else he or Betsy could do in their frail states. Beau knew exactly where Peach was. Turning the opposite direction of the house, he took off running through the wind swept grass while holding his hat to his head.

✩  ✩  ✩  ✩  ✩  ✩  ✩  ✩

Beau weaved through the peach trees until he finally saw the dilapidated building he’d been looking for. The old farmhouse - the one the Underwood’s had lost years ago in a fire - sat at the edge of the property. For whatever reason, this was Rosie’s chosen area to roam. Rosie, a white and black highland calf, was Peach’s favorite. She’d never leave her behind. 

“Peach!” Beau called out, rain now accompanying the wind and thunder. He raced around the heavy, wet grass until he heard the soft pleading of Peach.

“Rosie, please! We have to go!”

“Peach!” Beau screamed even louder now as he found the small girl tugging on Rosie, begging her to get back to the house. 

Peach turned and her face read a strange mixture of relief and fear. “What are you doing here?” She demanded, “You need to get to the storm shelter!”

“I could say the same to you!” Beau replied as he hurried towards them, giving Rosie a smack on her behind to get her moving. The cow mewled in protest but began trotting slowly - way too slowly.

“Fuck.” Beau muttered to himself as the air shifted yet again. The sky looked green, and felt eerily still, despite the roaring they could hear in the distance. The tornado had touched down and was not far from them. 

Beau looked at the burnt remains of the old farm house and knew it would offer them no protection. “Come on,” He urged, pulling Rosie along as Peach followed close behind. He searched the edges of the home until he found what he was looking for - the old storm cellar with crumbling wooden doors on top. Without a second thought, he kicked through the rotted entrance and coughed at the cloud of dust that followed.

“Come on! Get in.” Beau commanded, helping Peach and Rosie step down the concrete steps. He followed behind and closed the doors just as the rain and wind picked up again. 

“Beau.” Peach’s voice shook as she held onto Rosie, “I’m sorry. I just… I couldn’t leave her!”

“I know.” He replied quietly, trying not to think of what could have happened if he didn’t find them. Peach couldn’t leave Rosie for the same reason Beau couldn’t leave Peach.

Beau secured the doors before heading down to where Rosie had laid on the cement ground. “Lay with Rosie.” He said, watching as Peach curled into the cow’s fur. She let out a little cry for reasons no one needed to voice. Worry for her grandparents, fear for the storm, and the “what if” Beau was still avoiding. They were lucky he came when he did.

Laying his solid body over both of them, Beau covered Peach protectively as the storm raged above them. It lasted only a minute but felt like a lifetime. They heard the old farmhouse’s bones behind torn apart as the wind easily took the charred wood with it. 

Finally, once the wind and rain had settled, Beau sat up off Peach and helped her to her feet. They needed to get back to the Underwoods to make sure they were okay.

“Beau?” Peach said quietly as they stood in the dark cellar, her hand still in his. “I love you, you know?” 

Beau realized then he’d do anything for this girl. This cow loving, freckled, sweet girl who somehow loved him too. He’d die for her. “I love you too, Peach.”

[theladyofbloodshed]

A Court of Tangled Flames - Chapter 30

The ringing in her ears refused to leave. Nesta was faintly aware of Azriel’s hand on her shoulder as she clung onto Eris, eyes fixed upon the spreading stain on his shirt. 

The air changed from the misty cold that swarmed the Prison to the warm, crisp air of Autumn. The sun beat down on her scalp. ‘Home,’ she whispered. Eris tried to smile but it resembled a grimace. Colour was leeching from his already fair skin.

Azriel slung an arm around Eris to help him to the house. For once, Orla was not home, much to Nesta’s dismay. It didn’t take long for Niamh to materialise in the grounds of her sister’s home followed by Ashur and a pack of smoke hounds. 

‘What happened?’

‘Fetch your sister,’ Azriel snapped at her. 

At the sight of Eris’ blood, Niamh went rigid. Fear rendered her immovable. She stared and stared.

‘Niamh,’ Nesta begged. 

‘I’ll find her,’ called Ashur before he winnowed away. 

‘Apply pressure to the wound.’

Nesta had not even registered that Cassian had been winnowed with them and now stood beside her. She was torn between shrieking at him to step away from Eris and asking him for help. With his experience on battlefields and the Prison, Cassian was needed. His hands pressed against Eris’ abdomen, making her husband grunt with pain as he was pushed back against the wall of the house from the force. 

‘Niamh,’ Azriel called. ‘Unlock this fucking house.’ 

Nesta had never seen the female so numb. All of the cockiness had faded to sheer terror as she forced her feet to move across the grass. 

‘Eris, look at me,’ Nesta urged, holding his head up. ‘Orla will be here soon. Just hold on.’ 

A wing knocked Nesta to one side as Cassian increased the pressure on Eris’ wound. A sheen of sweat dampened her husband’s brow as he struggled to stay on his feet.

‘What was it, Vanserra? We need to know.’

His auburn hair leant back against the wall, eyes closing. ‘It had lots of teeth. Fast claws. I don’t know, general.’

The terse look on Cassian’s face brought forth a new wave of horror in Nesta’s chest. A life without Eris was unfathomable.

With a shaking hand, Niamh released the wards on the house so they could carry Eris inside. She stood made from stone as all four of them pushed by her. A weak protest spilt from her lips, banning the Illyrians from entering, but she made no move to truly stop them. Her own face was as pale as Eris’s.

Nesta directed the way to one of the bedrooms downstairs that was reserved for patients that Orla needed to keep a close eye on. It was sterile; white sheets, cream walls, only a small bedside table with no personal items on it. A terrible thought hit Nesta that if Eris was to die, it couldn’t be in this barren room.

‘How bad?’

Orla’s voice echoed from the hall, her steps hurried towards them, and such relief flooded Nesta at the sound of the healer’s voice.

‘Bad enough,’ replied Ashur.

Orla stood in the doorway. She pressed a hand to her heart. ‘Oh, Eris.’

The healer made no mention of the two giant Illyrians crowding the room, or the Harp that Nesta had set down on the bedside table. Orla swept forwards. A strange yellow glow swirled about her hands as she pulled open his shirt. A deep slash had been cut into his stomach.

A cold hand settled on Nesta’s shoulder. ‘Do you need to be here to watch?’

She glanced up to Azriel with tears blurring her vision. ‘I’m his wife. Of course, I need to be here.’

Nesta broke away from Azriel’s touch to seize hold of Eris’s hand. It was cold and clammy. Not a good sign.

No matter how many pulses of magic Orla sent to crawl over the wound, it refused to seal.

‘A blade didn’t make this.’

Tears dripped down Nesta’s cheeks as Cassian explained the potential three creatures that had attacked them in the Prison while she had ran away to hide. He claimed it was too fast, too dark for him to have seen clearly. It could have been claws. Could have been a talon. Even teeth. Nesta gripped her husband’s hand tighter as if that might keep him in this world. ‘Don’t you dare leave,’ she whispered.

‘It will have to be the mortal way,’ Orla murmured.

She indicated to Nesta to press down with gauze while she grabbed a set of needles. The glow of her magic changed to fire that she blazed across the needles, sterilising them.

‘It’s not responding to my magic. There’s venom that’s repelling me.’ Orla uncorked a vial of something with a vibrant green colour and poured it onto the wound.

Eris’s shoulder blades lurched from the bed. He let out a cry of pain and Azriel surged forwards to pin him back against the mattress.

‘You will need to hold him. I don’t have time to numb it the mortal way.’ Orla grimaced. ‘Nesta, I don’t know if you want to see this.’

‘I will never his leave side.’

Orla’s fingers were soaked with blood as she sewed his abdomen back together just as a mortal might. Through it all, Azriel pressed down on Eris’ shoulders, stopping him from rocking or jerking from the pain. Eventually, he stopped moving. He had fallen unconscious. Nesta kept her forehead pressed to her husband’s, whispering about all of the places they would visit, the future they would have together, not knowing if he could even hear her. Nesta needed him. She needed him to tease and to learn with, to knock out of a boat, to give her sleepy kisses in the morning, to match clothes with, to laugh with, to have a future with. She pictured her stomach rounded with his child. She pictured that little boy refusing to hurt his dog becoming high lord of the court he loved so much.

‘Stay with me, Eris. Please, stay with me.’

The final stitch was tied. An angry wound spanned the distance between Nesta’s thumb and smallest finger. In silence, Nesta watched Niamh clean it.

‘We’ve done as much as we can. Time is our best ally now.’ Orla swallowed. There were tears in her own eyes. ‘I’ll wash my hands. I can heal any other wounds in a moment.’ She gave a pointed look to Cassian. Nesta had not even noticed that he had a scratch on his cheek either.

How could a day still go on? How could there still be daylight seeping through the window after the ordeal that they had been through?

She held onto his hands, gripping them tightly.

By itself, the fire lit. For one, small moment, Nesta believed it was Eris’ power, but then Orla returned to them. It was her fire sent there to keep her friend warm.

‘Just the cheek or do you have other wounds?’

‘Just there,’ came Cassian’s reply.

She didn’t bother to look around. Her eyes were only for her husband. There was an expression on his face while he slept as if he was about to sigh with dismay. Nesta learned forwards to smooth his brow. A heavy head plopped into her lap. Firo, one of Eris’ favourite smokehounds, had padded into the room. Her fingers glided over the silken fur of his grey ears to comfort the dog.  

It would be so easy to remain here with Eris. He was the only thing that mattered to her, but there were greater things at play. Nesta managed to raise her head towards the Illyrians.

‘Briallyn knows we have the Harp.’

‘Knows? Knows how?’ The shadows around Azriel darkened.

‘She saw me. I saw her. Emerie and Gwyn need to be protected. She knows about them.’

They exchanged a glance. ‘We need Rhys to ward that Harp.’

‘He is not coming to this house,’ said Nesta through gritted teeth. Logic told her that the Harp did need to be warded, that Rhysand was likely the best option after Helion, but her heart was aching. Eris was vulnerable. She didn’t want so many people to see him this way.

Orla ushered them from the room, likely to be the voice of reason that Nesta couldn’t be right now. She cried again, fingers lacing through Eris’s. ‘I don’t know what to do. I need to feed Cotton-tail but how can I go to the Forest House without you? What am I supposed to do with this Harp? Eris, you chose such a terrible time to be unconscious.’

She could practically hear his reply, the slow laugh as he apologised for nearly dying at such an inconvenient time.

***

‘The house is warded as best as I can manage in a hurry.’ Rhys’s violet eyes canvassed the roof. The last dribbles of light could be seen in the distance as the sun set. ‘It will need more – like the Mask. May we keep a guard tonight?’

The Autumn Court healer puffed out a breath. These were decisions she didn’t enjoy making. Her strange sister was lurking in the grounds with a troupe of dogs, unwilling to parlay with any of the Night Court after disappearing off to the Forest House. The sentry, Ashur, stood at Orla’s side, taking control of the situation. Cassian could not stop looking at him. He had the same sharp features as Eris, same hair, same eyes, same clothes. A body double. Clever. Did it unnerve Nesta that there was another male who looked like her husband? Ashur was a little shorter than Eris, more prone to smiling too.

‘We’ll keep our own too,’ he said, hand tightening around the blade at his side.

Rhys pressed against his mind so Cassian allowed him in.

Can we trust them not to run to Beron? I’d rather not leave any of you here tonight – but if anything happens to Nesta, Feyre will kill us.  

Azriel’s voice echoed in his mind. If Eris dies, I’m worried what Nesta will do to us.

The sister. What business did she have at the Forest House?

Nesta has a pet rabbit apparently and it needed to be fed. I don’t think Niamh is in the right state to summon Beron.

‘Cass will be here. Azriel will relieve him during the night.’

Keep your mind open. Anything at all, call on me, Cass.

The prospect of spending a night hiding in the Autumn Court while Nesta wept at her husband’s bedside did not fill Cassian with any sort of thrill. It had been a long, tiring day. A hot bath and a rest should have been his evening plan. His body was exhausted, stomach grumbling. At least the smokehounds stayed away from him because he was terribly allergic to their fur. He’d once been unable to stop sneezing when Rhys had shifted into his beast form. 

After an hour spent rubbing his hands together to fend off the cold, the back door opened. Light streamed from it and Cassian could just make out the figure of the healer.

‘Are you hungry?’

She was staring off in the wrong direction. He waited for her to call out again to one of her people, but she turned her face, squinting towards the darkened garden. ‘Illyrian? If you’re hungry, come in. I can’t see where you are.’

Reluctantly, Cassian followed her into the house. He was dead on his feet, so it was likely a terrible idea, but the scent of freshly baked bread wafted towards him, making his mind up.

‘I’ve not enough time to make anything particularly fantastic,’ she said, gesturing to a spot at the table. ‘Please help yourself. You must be exhausted from the Prison too. Sorry, I don’t know your name. Was it Cass?’

‘Cassian.’

Her brows raised. ‘Oh. You’re Cassian. Oh. Oh.’ She glanced towards the corridor where Eris lay in his sick bed, with Nesta likely at his side. He could see the healer piecing together all of the bits of information she had heard about him from Eris or Nesta, regretting inviting him in. ‘Oh,’ she said again.

Too polite to kick him from her home, Orla said again to help himself to fresh bread and hot soup. She filled another bowl then slathered butter onto a slice of a bread. It seeped through the warmth, melting quickly. Cassian could just make out the responses as she moved down the hall, if he strained his ears. 

‘-not hungry.’

‘He’ll be passed out until the morning at the least. And we both know, I’ll get it in the neck if you haven’t eaten in all that time, Nesta. You have to take care of yourself.’

He heard a quiet sob that cracked a part of his heart.

‘Do you want to talk about what happened?’

‘Not today. I will. Not today.’

‘Alright. Please eat.’

Nesta sniffed. ‘I will. Thank you, Orla. For everything you do for us.’

When the healer returned to the kitchen, she tucked a lock of hair behind her ears then joined Cassian at the table, asking if he minded her company there. It was her house after all. No better way to keep an eye on him. She pushed another slice of bread towards him after buttering it. Cassian struggled to see Nesta in a place like this. It was quaint. The roof was low with wooden beams running through it. It was tidy, but busy. Orla had many copper pans hanging above the large, ceramic sink. There were herbs growing in pots along the windowsills, attacking the lace that hung in front of the window. One of the dogs had kept a vigil by Orla, waiting for any crumbs – and this did not seem to be out of the ordinary. This was the place that Nesta was first brought to when Eris stole her from Illyria; a secret home in the heart of the Autumn Court.

‘You and Eris are close.’

She gave a nod and dipped her bread into the soup. ‘Since we were children.’

‘Romantic?’

Her lips twitched. ‘No. Sorry to disappoint. My husband was Eris’ close friend.’

‘Why aren’t they anymore?’

The first sign of pain bracketed the healer’s mouth – and Cassian regretted pushing her for information. She wasn’t a spy. Wasn’t a courtier. She was just a healer who happened to be in Eris’ orbit. ‘He died in the war.’

‘I’m sorry for your loss.’

‘Why is he here?’  Nesta stood in the doorway to the kitchen, clutching her empty bowl. Her jaw was tense – hell, her whole body was tense. You wouldn’t have thought they had spent a morning trapped in the Prison together.

‘The High Lord of the Night Court thought it pertinent we keep a guard tonight with Eris unwell and the Harp here.’

‘But why is he here?’

Her eyes were red from crying. But Cassian was happy to see that she had eaten her soup that the healer had delivered.

‘You know I have to feed everybody. Ashur is just outside still.’

It wasn’t Nesta’s house, though Cassian knew she wanted to toss him out of it. Her fingers curled into fists. Then, she mastered her anger, simply shook her head and returned to Eris.

***

Stupid male. Ignorant male.

It wasn’t Orla’s fault that Cassian was sat in the next room. Well, it was. But it was Orla’s house and she couldn’t help but offer kindness to everybody.

It wasn’t the fact that Cassian was here, or their bond, that bothered Nesta. It was that he was here, in her space, while Eris was hurt. He couldn’t do the decent thing and just get out. Her imagination leapt to possibilities where Cassian might steal her back to Velaris or ensure Eris was out of the way.

When the house fell into silence and Cassian was safely locked outside, Nesta found that she could breathe a little easier. Eventually, Orla brought a cup of tea and came to check on Eris. She stroked the side of Nesta’s head as she went by. The sheet was lifted to show the angry, red wound. Her magic curled over it to cool the skin. It would scar due to the strange venom, but Orla believed the vial of whatever she had flushed it with, would remove any lingering traces.

‘I didn’t realise that was Cassian. I would not have brought him in if I had known. I am so sorry, Nesta.’

‘It’s your house.’

‘You are more important than ensuring a soldier is fed. I can already hear Eris’ lecture now.’

It brought a muted smile to Nesta’s lips. ‘A true horror. Eris monologuing. Will he be alright?’

‘He’s over the worst part now. He’s stable. It’s up to his body to heal. When he wakes, we will ensure that he’s hydrated.’ As she spoke, Orla prised open his lips to drip a few drops of honey on them.

 ‘Is Niamh alright?’

Orla pointed upwards to the room above that her sister has claimed for her own in between bouts of terrorising Azriel in Windhaven. ‘She acts tough, but she is a big softie really. The sight of blood makes her uneasy – although she spills enough. Eris is…’ Orla let out a sigh as she pushed a hand through his auburn hair. ‘I suppose he’s the brother she never wanted. He’s gotten her out of trouble too many times. He’s always there to put her back on the path that she tends to dawdle from. She’d never thank him for it. That would cause her to acknowledge she’s messed up and needed help. Eris never minds. I think it scared her a lot because he’s usually untouchable.’

It was nice that Eris could be a big brother figure to somebody when he was denied that chance with his blood brothers.

‘His room is available upstairs if you want to rest.’

‘He has a room here?’

‘The room you stayed in when he brought you here.’

Nesta fought the urge to roll her eyes. ‘Of course, it was his room. That’s how he knew how to climb into the window.’ She smoothed back his hair from his pale face. ‘You have been a pain since day one and I love you for it.’

After yawning, the healer said her goodbyes. She promised to wake during the night to check on Eris, but Orla was certain he would be awake in the morning. Although the wound was from an unnatural creature, his fae blood would allow for quick healing.

When her eyes were beginning to droop shut, there was a soft scuff of slippers on the floor. Niamh peered around the corner. When she caught Nesta looking, she tried to pretend she had simply been walking past, instead of gawping at Eris.

‘It’s alright if you want to see him. Come in. I won’t tell him.’

Reluctantly, Niamh occupied the chair. She avoided looking at Eris as though it pained her to see him in pain. ‘I was making Ash a tea. It’s freezing out there. Can you give it to him?’

Nesta held back her comment about Niamh secretly being a nice person, making teas for sentries out in the cold. It might push her over the edge after their day.

‘He will be alright, Niamh.’

‘I know that,’ she said, shrugging carelessly. ‘I just worried that if Eris dies, which one of the vile Vanserras will be high lord in his stead. I’ve made enemies of them all.’

That thought didn’t bear thinking about. A life without Eris could not exist – but a life where Phelon or Uthor sat the throne? Nesta shuddered. If it couldn’t be Eris, she hoped it would be Lucien.

Because Nesta was foolish, she begrudgingly poured two mugs of tea: one for Ashur, one for the pigeon. As Niamh had said, it was freezing outside. She was still wearing the bloodied clothes from their morning excursion that provided little warmth.

‘Thank you, gorgeous.’ Nesta pressed the mug into Ashur’s hands. He had a circle of flame around him that she was allowed to pass through when he left a little gap for her.

‘My husband is sick, not dead.’

Ashur grinned at her. ‘After a few drinks, you might confuse me with him. How is he?’

‘Unconscious.’

He gave a nod. ‘And has Niamh finally cracked and gone to see him?’

‘Yes. And made this tea. Proof she has a heart.’

The male glanced down at his drink. ‘She still might have poisoned it.’

Her feet crunched over the crisp grass. Frost had made it hard already – and the branches would likely have a layer of ice in the morning. Safera stayed at Nesta’s side, threatening to trip her up as she crossed the gardens in search of Cassian. He flew down in front of her from whatever perch he’d been on.

‘You shouldn’t be out here. That sentry should have escorted you straight back in the house.’

‘If you think Ashur made a mistake, why didn’t you swoop in sooner? Why allow me to comb the garden for you in the dark?’ When Cassian said nothing, Nesta tried to hand him the drink. He refused. ‘Take it. It’s the only reason I’m out here.’

‘Did you ever care about me like that?’

‘What are you talking about?’

Cassian swallowed. He took a step closer so the light of the siphon in his chest illuminated her face. ‘I nearly died. I was cut from chest to navel. You never visited me. You never cared.’

‘My husband has been gravely injured and you want to argue about this?’

‘Just admit it, Nes. I was never a priority. Not like enigmatic Eris.’

Nesta knew she shouldn’t have dignified him with an answer, but her fingers were already trembling. ‘Do you know what happened after the Battle of Adriata, Cassian? I was pacing in the living room, terrified. I asked after you and do you know what your precious Morrigan said to me? To keep my forked tongue behind my teeth when you got back.’

‘She wouldn’t.’

A low laugh left her lips. ‘Oh, she would. When you were cut open, I was helping fill buckets and cut bandages. I tried to stop – to come and see you when I had heard – and Mor wouldn’t let me because she was angry with Feyre for leaving the camp. I did care, Cassian. I cared so much about you. I was ready to die on that battlefield rather than leave you, so don’t you ever tell me that I did not care.’ Her voice was bordering on hysteria. She tried to suck in the cold air to calm herself, but Cassian’s body was so close to hers. His wing was curling around her, trying to block the chill. ‘When did you care? When you laughed at me falling down the stairs? When you threw my hand away because Mor might see me holding your hand? When your high lord wanted to kill me and instead of doing what any other mate might have done and stood up for me, you followed his orders?’

Cassian staggered back a step, shaking his head in denial. ‘I got you to safety.’

‘Feyre told you to bring me home and you still made me suffer.’ More tears broke free of their jail. ‘Eris saved me.’

‘Eris stole you!’

‘I chose him. I chose Eris because he doesn’t see me as his shiny prize that he deserves because I’m his mate. Eris loves me with all my jagged, broken bits. You will never love me more than you love Rhysand.’

When Cassian could find no other words to throw back at her, he bent his knees and pushed off the ground, disappearing into the darkness. Nesta did not care if he sat up in a tree or flew all the way back to Illyria. She was done caring about a male who could be jealous of her injured husband. Cassian would never change. The sooner she could rip that bond in two, the better.

 ***

Where the fuck are you?

Illyria.

Az thought you’d been shot down or captured. When did you go?

Azriel gritted his teeth as he listened to Rhys and Cassian argue in his own head. If it wasn’t bad enough that he constantly had shadows whispering to him, now he had those two bickering. It was unwise of Rhys to have left Cassian on guard duty in the Autumn Court. Maybe he’d hoped those mating instincts would override any pain. He didn’t know when his brother had decided to fly to Illyria, but Mother help any Illyrians who crossed Cassian’s path. His temper seeped into Azriel’s mind, hot and boiling, threatening to spill over.

I fucked everything up because of you. If you had never told me to get Nesta out of the city then-

Silence. Thank the Mother. Rhys has broken the mental bridge to his mind, leaving him and Cassian to war in their own heads, without involving Azriel. As far as he was concerned, Rhys gave an order, Cassian followed it, as always. It was up to Cassian to challenge what he didn’t agree with. He’d lost Nesta as a result. Azriel would never tell his brother, but Cassian lost Nesta on the first day after the war when he didn’t go to her. And every subsequent day after that, the gap widened. These Archeron females would be the death of him.

A cold, wet nose snuffled at his hand. His shadows skittered with excitement. They were obsessed with the smokehounds. They had finally found another being that moved as quickly as them.

‘I don’t know which one you are,’ murmured Azriel as the dog pushed its head against his hand again. It had a plain black leather collar around its neck. Eris – and maybe Nesta – could tell all of the dogs by sight. Azriel still hadn’t managed to work out which one was which. They all looked identical. He knew both of them had a favoured smokehound – but he would be damned if he could tell which ones they were.

Faintly, he could hear the bubbling of a stream somewhere in the forest behind the house, the faint rustle of leaves as they brushed together, the soft breeze that caught on branches. The Autumn Court wasn’t so bad. The nights could be brisk, but they had days of golden sunshine. He could see why Nesta had gravitated towards the place. She was more suited to life as an heir’s wife than a general’s. Where Illyria had scorned her, Autumn had embraced her.

Azriel’s attention was drawn to the bedroom that Eris was in. A strange, silver light seeped from the window.

Then a scream. Not a scream of rage or grief, but of pure terror.

He surged forwards, rattling the door handle, trying to penetrate the wards of the house to get to Nesta. Her screaming went on and on. They had been here before. Only Rhys’ magic had been able to reach Nesta that night – and the mental bridge was shut off so him and Cassian could argue.

Azriel could hear her pleading, No, no, no.

His hands pounded on the front door until finally the wards flew open. He raced through the kitchen. Niamh was dragging Eris from the room. Her sister stood with a cocoon of blinding white magic trying suppress Nesta’s. She lay on the floor, bathed in silver fire, body arching with every rupturing breath. Orla’s hands shook from the force of trying to smother Nesta.

‘She’s so strong. I can’t use fire. I’ll burn her.’

Shadows burst from Azriel, wrapping around the healer’s soft magic to blanket Nesta. A scream ripped from her throat. It was pure pain. Her fingernails scratched at the stone floor until her nails cracked and bled.

Azriel’s feet skidded back and the healer collided with him, forced backwards from the strength of Nesta’s power trying to break free of their hold. She would win too. Azriel could hardly think through the strain of his power and the sound of smokehounds barking from every corner of the house. It was power that he had never met before; pure, undiluted raw magic.

The healer tried to call to her, reminded her who she was, what she had to live for, but Nesta’s body remained contorting on the ground, silver flames rippling from her.

A sudden burst of red fire crawled along the ceiling towards Nesta. It met her flames and plaited itself to them, turning them into golden ribbons. An unsteady hand pushed Azriel away and Eris staggered into the room. The fire engulfing Nesta shifted from ribbons to tiny, golden birds that fluttered towards the fireplace to make their escape. Uneasily, Eris got to his knees, clutching his abdomen.

‘It’s time to go back inside now. She will play with you in the morning.’

The silver flames flickered, as if registering Eris’ voice.

‘You will hurt her if you keep doing this. You like her. She lets you out every day.’

His hand trembled as he reached towards his wife to place a hand on her cheek. Her flames avoided Eris, as if letting him have that touch.

‘Thank you. You like my fire?’ Eris’s voice was barely more than a whisper. A red flame trickled from his hand to greet a silver one. They danced together, twin flames that spun into a golden thread. ‘It’s time to go now. Let Nesta rest.’

Ever so slowly, the magic receded back inside of Nesta. She let out a long exhale, body no longer writhing in pain.

The healer was horror-struck. ‘Her magic is sentient.’

From his knees beside Nesta, Eris gave a nod. Azriel couldn’t tell if he was about to be sick or not.

‘You need to rest, Eris.’

He nodded again then keeled over next to his wife from exhaustion.

Orla remained staring, unblinking at the pair of them. Her hands shook from her own exertion of power. Even Azriel felt drained. His shadows returned sluggishly, dragging across the stone.

‘What does it mean if Nesta’s magic is sentient?’

The healer’s eyes landed on Nesta. ‘It means that she will be the most powerful fae this world has seen.’

@owllover123 @rarephloxes @fanboy7794 @sugardoll22 @kitkat-writes-stuff @this-is-rochelle @sv0430 @embersofwildfire

[salembutnotthecat]

Request: 2 girls get the stomach virus. Both are in a vomitey/feverish/bone crushing chills of a mess to do anything else but be sick. One gets sick while at work and then gets sent home sick. The other cares for her a little bit before also getting sick at work the next day.

tw emeto, fever, stomach bug

Vanessa adjusted her police uniform, the familiar weight of her badge and utility belt a comforting presence. She glanced at Lucien, who was eagerly checking his gear for what must have been the hundredth time that day. Vanessa couldn't help but smile at his enthusiasm. She always loved seeing the new recruits before everything happened last time. Before she stepped away from police work.

Now, she was back. She was training Lucien and honestly, she was really enjoying it. She enjoyed it most days. 

But not today.

As they set out on patrol, the sun was just beginning to dip below the horizon, casting long shadows across the city streets. Vanessa's stomach was doing somersaults of its own. She clenched her jaw, determined not to let any sign of discomfort show.

Lucien chatted about their upcoming assignments. Vanessa nodded along, offering occasional words of guidance. But with each step, the queasiness in her stomach intensified.

She knew the feeling all too well. But, this felt different. She was accustomed to feeling sick, but this felt different.  

As they patrolled the neighborhood, Vanessa's grip on her composure tightened. She forced herself to focus on the task at hand, suppressing the urge to double over. Lucien, oblivious to her internal struggle, continued to talk animatedly about their patrol route.

The minutes stretched into hours, and Vanessa's determination not to show weakness battled against the relentless waves of nausea. She stole glances at her watch, counting down the minutes until their shift would end. Just a little longer, she told herself. She could endure it.

"Vanessa," Lucian said, "Are you okay?"

"Hm?" Vanessa questioned. He told her something, or asked her something, and she hadn't responded. 

"Are you alright?" Lucien asked again, "You're awfully quiet tonight."

"Yeah, yeah," Vanessa said, "I think I'm just tired or something."

"Well," Lucien said, "Let's stop for coffee or something then."

As Lucien suggested stopping for coffee, Vanessa's stomach clenched in protest. She hesitated for a moment, considering the potential consequences, but her stubbornness won out. "Coffee sounds good," she replied with a forced smile, hoping the caffeine might stave off the impending storm within her.

They stepped into a nearby café, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingling with the sounds of chatter and clinking cups. Vanessa ordered a strong black coffee, hoping it would provide a temporary reprieve from her nausea.

As she took a sip, the bitter liquid scorched her throat, momentarily distracting her from the rising discomfort in her stomach. But the relief was short-lived. A sudden wave of dizziness swept over her, and Vanessa's grip on the coffee cup faltered.

"Vanessa, you don't look so good," Lucien said. 

"I'm fine," Vanessa insisted, her words sounding hollow even to her own ears. She attempted another sip of coffee, but the bitter taste only intensified her nausea.

Without warning, Vanessa's body rebelled. The familiar sensation of bile rising in her throat sent panic coursing through her veins. She stumbled away from the table, hand clamped over her mouth as she hurried towards the restroom.

"Vanessa!" Lucien called after her, his voice filled with worry.

But it was too late. Vanessa barely made it to the restroom before the first wave of vomiting hit her with brutal force. She doubled over, retching uncontrollably as her body purged itself of everything she had consumed.

The sound echoed in the small restroom, a stark contrast to the bustling café outside. Vanessa felt utterly defeated as she leaned against the tiled wall, tears stinging her eyes from the force of her illness. 

As she heaved, she felt someone pat her back.

"No… no fuck off…" Vanessa coughed. She hated any sort of anyone looking over her. Well, unless it was Willow. Willow, she didn't mind. But this was not her girlfriend, and the last thing Vanessa wanted was her rookie to see her so vulnerable.

"I'm sorry, Vanessa," he said softly, gently wiping her forehead. "I couldn't just stand out there knowing you're in here alone."

Vanessa's eyes stung with tears, a mixture of gratitude and frustration overwhelming her. "I don't... I don't need your help," she mumbled, but her tone lacked conviction.

"I know you're strong, Vanessa," Lucien replied, his voice unwavering. "But even the strongest need support sometimes."

Vanessa wanted to argue, to push him away and retreat into the shell of her pride. But as Lucien continued to offer quiet reassurances and comfort, she couldn't deny the relief of not facing this moment alone.

After what felt like an eternity, the waves of nausea finally subsided, leaving Vanessa drained and shaky. Lucien helped her to her feet, his support a steadying presence as they left the restroom together.

"Come on, I'm taking you back to the precinct," Lucien said, "And you're going home."

-

As Vanessa made her way to the apartment she shared with Willow, she couldn't shake the sense of defeat that lingered from her public display of vulnerability. She dreaded the thought of facing Willow, knowing how worried her girlfriend would be.

The last thing Vanessa wanted was for Willow to know. Willow was overworked, she was always overworked. Vanessa didn't want Willow to feel a need to work more. 

The apartment was quiet as Vanessa let herself in. She tiptoed through the living room, trying to be as silent as possible.

But fate had other plans. As Vanessa reached the hallway leading to their bedroom, a sudden wave of nausea hit her with such intensity that she staggered, barely managing to grab onto the wall for support.

She had to run, to bolt to the bathroom. Like the times before, Vanessa could feel the way the heaves and gags ripped through her, tearing her throat and leaving her shaky as she violently lost what was left in her stomach. 

Vanessa's resolve to hide her condition from Willow crumbled with each heave that wracked her body in the bathroom. The sound echoed in the small space, a stark reminder of her vulnerability. She hated being weak, hated needing help, especially when she knew how tirelessly Willow worked as an emergency nurse. Willow was sleeping. Willow needed to be sleeping.

Willow, however, was already awake, her instincts honed by years of caring for others. The moment she heard the retching sounds from the bathroom, her concern kicked into high gear. Ignoring Vanessa's protests and attempts to downplay the severity of her illness, Willow rushed to her side.

"Vanessa, love, let me help you," Willow's voice was gentle but firm as she knelt beside Vanessa, one hand rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"I'm fine," Vanessa insisted weakly, even as another wave of nausea washed over her, leaving her trembling.

Willow ignored her protests, focusing instead on easing Vanessa's discomfort. As she rubbed Vanessa's back, her trained senses picked up on subtle cues – the clamminess of Vanessa's skin, the elevated temperature radiating from her body.

Vanessa spit, her breathing ragged as she tried to catch her breath. Willow placed a hand on Vanessa's forehead. 

"You have a fever my love," Willow said softly, her tone tinged with worry.

"No.. no I'm just hot from work…" Vanessa said, "I… I just…. I'm fine."

Vanessa's stubbornness warred with the undeniable fact that she was in no condition to argue. She leaned heavily against the bathroom wall, feeling utterly drained and defeated.

Willow dampened a washcloth to cool Vanessa's forehead. Gently, she brushed her girlfriend's hair out of her face.

"How long have you been feeling sick my love?" Willow asked.

Vanessa shrugged, "Since I started, I guess."

"Did you get sick before this one?" Willow asked. Vanessa wanted to lie, but the look on Willow's face told her to think twice about it. 

"I got sick earlier," Vanessa said, "Just once. Lucien and I thought I was just tired and hungry, We got coffee and-"

"You should know better than to drink coffee if you're feeling questionable like that." Willow said.

"Yeah," Vanessa said, "But you should know better, that I never learn."

"Well," Willow said, "I guess you're just lucky then that you got me as your girlfriend. Come on, let's get you to bed, okay?"

-

Against her better judgment, Willow went back to work. Vanessa was stable, Willow knew that. But also, Willow knew her girlfriend. 

“Let me put this in terms you will understand,” Willow said, “You are under house arrest.” 

"That's not fair," Vanessa whined, "You can't do that."

Willow rolled her eyes, "You'll live. I'll be home after work."

Willow returned to her demanding job as an emergency nurse. She had to go back, two days off probably killed her colleagues, they probably had to scramble to fill her position.

As a safety measure, Willow wore a mask. She felt fine, but she knew she was exposed to Vanessa being sick. She needed to be safe. 

But as the day wore on,  Willow began to feel a familiar queasiness in her stomach. She tried to push through it, dismissing it as fatigue or stress from her hectic schedule.

The nausea intensified, accompanied by a throbbing headache and dizziness. She struggled to focus on her tasks, her concern growing with each passing hour. She tried to keep up with everything, to distract herself. But, it was hard to focus. She felt sicker and sicker and she hated it.

Milan had noticed first. He was almost attuned to Willow, sensing when something was wrong. Willow was the same with him, they both frequently joked it was the only thing to come out of sleeping with the same guy. But, regardless, he noticed before everyone else. To a degree.

"Hey, you look like you should get something to eat," Milan said, "Let me take your next few rounds, go grab something."

Willow did. After all, maybe she was just hungry. But, she could hardly drink from her water bottle without feeling like she was going to throw up. She was back on the ward, doing her best to isolate by checking over patient folders and files and scheduling tests. 

Doctor Nguyen, a seasoned physician and Willow's mentor, noticed her pale complexion and the way she seemed to be forcing a smile despite her obvious discomfort. He approached her quietly during a brief break between patients.

"Willow, are you feeling alright?" Dr. Nguyen asked, his voice filled with genuine concern.

Willow tried to brush off his concern, but a sudden wave of nausea cut her off mid-sentence. She stumbled slightly, clutching the edge of a nearby counter for support. An assistant passing by with a cart seemed to hit at the right moment, Willow snatched one of the sick bags off the cart.

As Willow snatched the sick bag off the passing cart, her stomach rebelled with such force that she barely had time to reach for it before she retched into the bag. Doctor Nguyen's concern deepened, and he quickly guided Willow to a nearby chair, signaling for another nurse to take over her duties.

"Willow, you need to rest," Dr. Nguyen insisted, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Willow, feeling weak and embarrassed by the sudden turn of events, nodded reluctantly. She handed the filled sick bag to an assistant and allowed Dr. Nguyen to lead her to a quiet corner where she could sit and recover.

"I'm sorry," Willow murmured, her voice barely above a whisper as she leaned back in the chair, feeling drained and shaky.

"There's nothing to apologize for, Willow," Dr. Nguyen said kindly, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Your health comes first. Let's get you home."

Willow wanted to protest, to insist that she could push through the sickness and continue working. But the queasiness in her stomach and the pounding headache made it clear that she needed to heed Dr. Nguyen's advice.

Reluctantly, Willow nodded, realizing that she needed to prioritize her own well-being. Dr. Nguyen arranged for another nurse to cover her remaining shifts, insisting that Willow go home and rest.

As Willow made her way out of the hospital, her steps unsteady and her head spinning, she couldn't shake the feeling of guilt for leaving her colleagues short-handed. But Dr. Nguyen's words echoed in her mind, reminding her that taking care of herself was just as crucial as caring for others.

The journey home felt like an eternity as Willow battled waves of nausea and exhaustion. But, Willow was glad she made it.

Vanessa was in the kitchen, preparing a simple meal when she heard the front door open. She glanced at the clock, surprised that Willow was home earlier than expected.

"Hey, you're home early," Vanessa said with a smile as Willow entered the kitchen, looking pale but determined.

"How are you feeling?" Willow asked, coming in after taking off her shoes, going to grab some water from the fridge.

"I've only thrown up once today, so that's an improvement," Vanessa said, "I thought maybe trying to make something small would help my stomach a bit, I didn't expect you home so soon so, do you want something?"

Willow shook her head, "Not hungry."

Willow wasn't. In fact, Willow was the opposite of hungry. Willow felt horribly nauseous.

Vanessa leaned in to kiss Willow's forehead, a gesture of comfort and welcome. But as her lips touched Willow's skin, Vanessa's eyes widened in realization. Willow felt warm – too warm.

"Willow, you have a fever," Vanessa said, concern lacing her voice as she pulled back slightly.

Before Willow could defend herself or rationalize why she felt warm, a sudden wave of nausea gripped her with such intensity that she had to lurch towards the kitchen sink.

Vanessa reacted swiftly, pulling Willow's hair back and rubbing soothing circles on her back as Willow retched into the sink. Despite the discomfort, very little came up, leaving Willow feeling even more queasy.

"Easy, love," Vanessa murmured, her voice filled with empathy as she continued to support Willow. "Just let it out."

Willow clung to the edge of the sink, her body tense with nausea but unable to expel much. She felt utterly miserable, the combination of fever, nausea, and fatigue overwhelming her.

"Here," Vanessa said gently, handing Willow the glass of water. "Try to finish it. It might force your stomach one way or another."

Willow nodded weakly, taking small sips of water as Vanessa rubbed her back in a soothing rhythm. Vanessa could feel the tension in Willow's body, the strain of trying not to be sick despite her body's insistence.

"Maybe a change of position will help," Vanessa suggested, guiding Willow to sit at the kitchen table. She stood behind Willow, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend in a comforting embrace. "Here, let's see how this works for you."

Vanessa stood behind Willow. She hugged Willow from behind. She rubbed Willow's stomach with her hand, putting pressure on her girlfriend's abdomen.

Willow followed Vanessa's guidance, leaning forward slightly as Vanessa hugged her from behind. The gentle pressure and warmth of Vanessa's embrace, coupled with the rhythmic motion, gradually eased the tightness in Willow's stomach.

After a few minutes, Willow felt a release. She burped, once. Vanessa rubbed her stomach harder and it was like a dam was opened. Willow felt hot, chunky liquid rush up her throat. Vanessa let go briefly to turn the sink on, to run it, before going back to Willow's stomach and continuing to rub it. 

"Alright baby girl," Vanessa said, "Let's get it out, and then get you to bed."

[buckysaster]

Bouquet

pairing: bucky barnes x reader

about: this is inspired by this post (photo not mine, credits to the owner) i saw where a guy buys flowers for his gf and keeps one for himself so he knows when they’re dying and knows when to buy a new one for her.

tags: fluff, worried bucky (i guess that's all)

a/n: my first bucky fic!! i thought it was cute and i added a bit of a twist. let me know what you think. i apologize if there are mistakes. reblogs and replies are appreciated! thank youuuu

Waves of hot air from the ground indicate the inescapable blazing heat of summer as the pleasant breeze of spring takes its last breath over the town.  

Bucky gazed through the window on his seat, diverting himself from the clear scenery over the glaring cloudless sky. While Sam, on the other hand, sings along as he drives on the open road. The sound of the car engine competing with the sound of a Marvin Gaye song blasting on the car's radio, that they fought over the cord a while ago on which one they will pick for their trip back to New York. Probably his favorite one from countless times he plays on the speaker, which he’s still trying to get familiar with the way he used to in the 40s. 

He feels it’s been a lifetime after not seeing you. Missing your time together. How the two of you lay one another's arms, without any concerns to look forward to. He felt bad. The little frown on your face every time he turned his away from you. He couldn't help but to stay longer and forget everything else.  

More especially now, the one thing he could ever do.  

After they arrived at the airport from their long, tedious mission. Bucky bolted towards the car with a sparkling smile plastered on his face as he thought about you. Looking like an idiot if Sam saw him like this, but he can’t stop his heart leap with adoration and elation over you. He is enamored because of you. Craving to hear your sweet laugh dripping from your lips and your gentle touch on his skin once again.  

The color on his face drained as soon he pulled out a piece of camellia he kept in the pocket of his bag. Lifeless and shriveled. Away from the deep sanguine that formerly it has. As the other petals disintegrated completely into tiny bits, swept away by the breeze from his palm.  

Mentally slapping his face as he paces back and forth, attempting to remember when he exactly bought the bouquet. He frustratedly gripped his hair and lowered his head trying not to tear when he had no concrete answer. Without wasting time, he rushed to find Sam to go to the nearest floral shop. 

Bucky breathed out a quick sigh of relief, feeling his muscles visibly relaxed, ensuring that you would receive today once he came back to your shared apartment. But his relentless mind did not. It was replaced right away by crashing waves of guilt for not being good enough for you, failing to keep his promise. The thought of it made his heart clenched. 

"Next time give me a warning before you drag me out of nowhere," Sam sips from his cup of orange juice, jutting the straw at him. Bucky pulled back from his thoughts and winced at the memory earlier that morning.  

"I bet next time you'll bring her a whole garden." He breathed out a light chuckle, steering the car on the right lane. 

“Sure, why not,” he remarked. 

If that will be the way to make it up for you, he will visit every flower shop that he can and buy every flower on display. From peonies to hyacinth, hoping you can forgive him. 

Bucky stared down at the tulips resting down on his lap. Assorted shades of pink with faint streaks of red, adorned with dainty baby's breath, secured with a chiffon bow.  He pondered which one he would get and carefully pulled out a single piece of tulip from the bouquet, slipping into the pocket of his jacket after adjusting the ribbon back from its previous look.  

Sam eyed him at the corner of his eye, "Can I have one too?"  

"No."  

"Come on man, not even for your best friend?"  Sam whipped his head on his right, batting him with his thick lashes.

Bucky sighed, squirming on his seat, "that won’t work."  

“Please”

A minute passed, waiting for his answer but nothing came out from Bucky. He turned his head to look at him, surely enough Bucky doing his usual thing. He was glaring at him, eyebrows cinched, narrowing his eyes even more. 

Sam let out a laugh, "I was just kidding,” playfully nudging him on his left arm. “I know how much she means a lot to you and you need to stop doing that staring thing." Earning a light chuckle from Bucky. 

Internally fisting out in the air after Sam successfully manages to distract him from being upset. With his eyebrows lifted, something crossed his mind, intrigued about his actions minutes ago, noticing a pattern every single time Bucky bought a bouquet with him. 

“Buck?”

“Yeah?”

"Why do you always keep a flower to yourself?"  

Bucky drifts his eyes from Sam to the flowers on his lap where his metal hand rests, contrasting from its vibrant hues.  Lips pulled upward and eyes filled with fondness. A secret that Bucky only knows. A promise he vowed forever. 

Back then when he was young, he didn’t understand why his father usually bought two stems of rose but ended up having one for his mother. He asked him why but his father just smiled at him with their little secret that he would understand someday when Bucky found someone that would remind him of the first day of spring.

After a long ride back to New York, Bucky found himself staring at the front of the door after he stowed the bouquet in a paper bag to keep it hidden awhile from you. He swallowed his nervousness as he knocked on the door and took a deep breath in and out as he prepared himself.

“Ah, you’re finally back!” You squealed, throwing your arms on his neck, delighted that he came back safe. 

At the sight of you, Bucky felt a surge of relief through his veins, blinking slowly from his exhaustion as you welcome him for a warm hug that both of you are longing for. His mind drifted as his body filled up with your loving warmth, sending his worries at the back of his mind. Bucky seals tight his arms around your waist, leaning on the crook of your neck as he inhales your scent.  

“Hi, doll.” He whispered before he pulled away. 

A smile spread on your face, "You're just right on time. I just finished cooking dinner.” tugging his hand to get in the apartment. 

The smell of basil and tomatoes wafts in the air, making his mouth water as his body melts from the warmth of your presence. Engulfing all his senses that he’s finally home. Both of you stop your tracks in the living room. Bucky slides down his bag from his shoulder and the paper bag before he takes off his jacket, tossing at the top edge of the sofa.

Pulling you in his arms, “I missed you, a lot.”

"Me, too." Your brows furrowed as you caress gingerly the scratches on his face “How’s your mission?”  

"It was tough, got some cuts but I already gauze them up. Nothing too serious.” Your eyes never wavered, lifting your brow in question knowing his nature, making him chuckle as he shakes his head. Bucky places his hand on top of yours and plants a kiss on your palm before mouthing ‘I’m alright’. 

“Just, be careful, okay.” You sigh, his touch made you lose track from your thoughts. 

“I have something for you.” A hint of nervousness in his voice as he opened the bag and picked up the fresh bouquet. 

A gasp left your throat, eyes flashing at the beauty of the bouquet as he handed it to you. The tinge of blush pink blossoms on your cheeks matches the colors of tulips will always make your heart skip by his gesture.  

“This is gorgeous!" Bending forward to inhale their sweet, fragrant smell. 

“I’m sorry,” Bucky frowned. 

"For what?" Your head tilts over your shoulder, confused at the sudden change of air.  

“I know you deserve every single thing but I failed you… as your boyfriend."  

You put aside the bouquet on the coffee table, “What do you mean?” you ask in a soft manner, still not understanding what causes to bother him. 

He gulped, looking away anticipating your reaction, "the flowers.”

“The flowers?”

Not trusting his own voice, Bucky raised his arm and pointed out the now empty glass vase on the dinner table. You glanced at the direction he is pointing and that’s where you connected the dots. Ever since you got into a relationship with him, he keeps on buying a bundle before it dies. You were overwhelmed at first but he insists that he'll do anything for you to make you feel special.

“Oh, Bucky,” you coo, “They dried just two days ago, there is nothing to be worried about.” You assured him. 

Bucky was surprised, different from what he anticipated. The creases on his face slowly faded away.  

“Are you not mad?” He said in pure disbelief as he rubbed his hand at the back of his neck. 

"Why would I be?"

"Because, I forgot to buy you a new one from the time I wanted to hand it out to you."

“I’m not," you begin, "I know how hectic your job is, saving those lives in need. It doesn’t matter to me if you forgot to buy one." pulling him for an embrace, rubbing a hand up and down on his back in comfort. "To be honest I'm sad when you're not here,” feeling him pecking at the crown of your head. “ But with the flowers you give me. When I see them, it makes me feel that you are still with me. They die, but not your love for me and  I love you. What I mean to say is at the end of the day, all I need is you." 

You tilt your head to look at your boyfriend, erupting a smile with complete adoration at your words, “So don't jump immediately to conclusions, okay." he grimaced, which both of you laughed at. You boop his nose before kissing him against your lips, parting away, "Now, let me prepare the dinner so that you can clean up and we can rest afterwards.” 

Bucky tightens his arms on your figure before he puts down, “I'd like that. Let me help you.”  

You walk around the sofa, taking the tulips with you and the vase from the dining table. Bucky followed and ambled over to the cupboard, stretching out his arm for the plates and utensils. As you wait to fill up the vase in the sink, a thought goes inside your mind. Now facing him, leaning your back against the counter.

"Bucky?" 

"Hmm", he paused from setting the cutlery and moved his head, fixed gaze upon you. The little smirk plastered on your face, squinting your eyes as you chinned up. Studying him closely like you knew something he wasn't telling you. 

"You know, I just noticed. How do you randomly manage to know when to buy a new one even before they're fully dead- or withered?"  

The two of you exchange glances for a moment until his lips tug up to a sly smile, he shrugs, "just a hunch, doll."  

That's the secret you will never know.

[sevikasfav]

Her Darling

Pairing: Caitlyn Kiramman x Reader

Summary: You and Caitlyn try something new.

Word Count: 1743

CW: Bondage, Dom/Sub, Vibrators, Praise Kink, Spanking, Edgeplay, Face-Sitting, Usage of the honorific Mistress

Notes: Mommy dom Caitlyn make the brain go brrrr

https://archiveofourown.org/works/36349519

"You know, I thought you couldn't get any prettier." A voice came from behind you, letting out a low chuckle. "But seeing you like this, I was so wrong." You were tied up, hands behind your back with your feet tied along with them. You laid on your stomach, completely naked and laid bare for her gorgeous blue eyes to see. Your pussy throbbed from being toyed with for the past two hours.

"Please Caitlyn." You finally spoke intelligible words, lips sore from biting on them so hard. Your hips bucked forwards on the soft sheets of her bed and you were grinding against the cover. Your thighs and back muscles ached, cheek flush with the bed. Your face was smushed, one eye closed and the other open. Caitlyn landed a harsh smack to your ass, you jolting forwards and a high-pitched whine coming from your lips. She had spanked you many times beforehand, your bottom sore from the hits that she had laid on you with her hard and calloused hands.

You whined, a new wave of arousal heading towards your pussy. "Did I ask you to speak?" Caitlyn growled, you then violently shaking your head as best as you could to please her. You loved the way she could make you feel stupid with a simple word, look, and even action. You took a shaky breath in, legs jolting forwards when a vibration could be felt on your clit.

You let out a moan, the tips of your fingers digging into your palm. "How bad do you want to cum?" Caitlyn asked, your eyes closed when she went up a setting. "Answer me, or I’ll stop." She spoke, taunting you. “And I’ll leave you here, cold and wanting.” Her voice went deep, you letting out a moan and biting your lip in an attempt of self-restraint. Your cunt throbbed, you wanted to reach out to her but were unable to do so due to the fact you were tied up like a Christmas present.

"So bad, please, please, please." You bucked your hips into the bed. Caitlyn laughed, watching you pathetically squirm like an animal. You frowned when you heard no response. “You took too long to answer me, so you're getting 15 and you're going to have to count them out loud." Caitlyn pursed her lips, eyes trailing over your bound form. "Do I make myself clear?" You hastily nodded while letting out loud moans of 'yes'.

Caitlyn massaged your lower back, you leaning in vaguely to prevent from getting a harsher punishment than what you were receiving. Caitlyn swept some hair out of your face, staring into your eyes for permission, and you hurried to give her a yes.

Caitlyn leaned behind you, grabbing where the rope tied up your hands and feet. She untied the delicate knot, the rope becoming loose around your limbs and you stayed still, waiting for another command from her. You still had the ropes tied around your wrists, your wrists having a tint of red and being slightly sore.

She kept your wrists tied up, your legs being released. You felt her tighten the velvet ropes, your hands now tied behind your back. You let out a low sigh of relief, your legs now free; the appendages losing from being tied up for so long. “On your knees darling,” Caitlyn commanded, and so you did as you were told.

You felt a harsh smack on your bottom, you automatically letting out a squeak of “one!”

“Good pet.” Caitlyn purred, her fingers sliding down the back of your thigh. You waited for the next one, you felt Caitlyn raise her hand before spanking you again, you counted and Caitlyn chuckled. She kept raising her hand, the cold of her glove contrasting to the warmth of your skin. Every time she touched you; you couldn’t help but to make a noise, wanting to hear more praise from the woman above you.

“Fifteen.” You moaned out, wincing from the ache in your bottom.

“And what do we say?” Caitlyn asked.

“Thank you, Mistress.” You replied. “Good slut.” She smiled at your obedience. Even though Cait wanted to punish you more; she saw you were dripping, your thighs damp with arousal.

“You’re ruining my sheets.” She stated aloud, “Sorry Mistress.” You apologized.

“You should be sorry.” The woman sneered, palming your ass before spreading you wide. You whimpered, leaning into her touch desperately. She pressed the wand against your sex, bumping the tip against your clit. You moaned unrestrained, hips bucking when the toy hit the right places.

“Slow down darling,” Caitlyn warned you; and you regained your composure. She stopped the wand completely, like numerous times before. You sobbed from her absence. Her gloved fingers felt along your slit, teasing you. You groaned at her touch. You were turned over, now on your back.

Your eyes met Caitlyn’s, your lover possessing a look of pure lust on her face. Her azure hair fell over her shoulders and in her face as she faced downwards. “What are you willing to do to show me your sincerity?” She asked, your mouth shooting a reply of ‘anything.’ Caitlyn smirked at your willingness, her coming up with an idea.

She backs away from the bed, your neck tilting to watch her form. She undressed, sliding her red velvet button up down her shoulders and then proceeding to slip out of her black skirt. She wore a lingerie set underneath, sheer mesh that was the color black with flowers decorating the cups of the breasts. Matching panties with an attached garter belt that was holding up stockings that matched. She slid her bra strap down, before releasing the hooks of the garment, letting it fall her built shoulders. Your eyes drifted to her breasts, her nipples hard from the cold of her bedroom.

She smiled when she caught you staring. She unhooked her garter belt, sliding her panties and belt down her strong legs; her form naked except for the stockings. She came closer to the bed, raising her leg and settling it on the side of your head. She was now straddling your face; her glistening cunt visible to your eyes and positioned over your mouth. You knew what to do, opening your mouth and using it.

You left soft kisses against her clit, your tongue peeking out your mouth and replacing your lips on the spot. You heard Cait’s soft moans from above, her hips bucking into your mouth, the top of her sex bumping against your mouth. She gripped what she could of your hair, running her fingers through. You whined into her cunt, her fucking your face to get off. You felt her juices drip and soak the lower half of your face, the taste of her on your tongue. You kept moving the muscle going from her clit to circling her hole; her letting out praise in whispers and low moans. The sound of the wetness and the smell of her sex filled your senses, with you also sensing that your lover was close.

“Good slut,” Caitlyn cooed, moaning loudly; her affection making you press your thighs together. You kept going as Caitlyn’s hips kept moving. She came, gushing on your mouth; the entire lower half of your face covered in her fluids. She rose from your face; tongue reaching up to clean her. When she was done using your face as her personal toy, she gripped your chin and said with undeniable arousal, “You deserve a treat.” Then she hopped off your face, strutting to your now closed legs.

“Spread your legs for me, darling.” She breathed out, eyes nearly black from dilation.

You hadn’t even realized that your thighs were pressed together, your body subconsciously trying to relieve the twinge between your legs. You obeyed, and spread your legs as far as you possibly could. Caitlyn came before you, now in between your legs. She pressed the highest setting on the wand before lowering it to the space where you needed it most. She hung right above your sex, smiling when you frowned at her callousness.

“How bad do you want it?” Caitlyn asked, you hurrying to answer her.

“So bad, need your fingers Mistress,” You begged her, your body aching. “I wanna cum,” You said aloud, letting out a loud gasp when Caitlyn finally gave you genuine relief. She placed the wand back on your puffy clit, her fingers sliding effortlessly in your soaked hole. She leaned forwards, fingers twisting inside you, causing your body to melt. She curled them upwards, finding the spot and making you screech in heightened arousal.

Your felt your hands become numb from the weight you were putting on them, but your brain was too fogged to care. She kept rubbing the wand against you, her fingers moving rapidly and swiftly. You let out moans of ‘Mistress’ and gibberish; your insides clenching around her slender fingers. You could feel yourself tipping over the edge, you felt the tightened cord in your abdomen loosen.

Sounds of your sex making your body hot in slight embarrassment. Caitlyn leaned over you, her lips tracing over your neck; the simulation delicate and gentle. She made her way up to your mouth, curling her fingers once more against your spot, the action making you sob in her mouth. She kissed you fiercely, you letting her possess access to your mouth. She leaned back down, enveloping your bare nipple in her mouth.

“So good for me.” She panted; releasing your tit, watching your form become undone under her talented fingers. Your hips stuttered, eyes shutting and lips sputtering. You came; creaming on her fingers. Your body convulsing under hers. You gasped loudly, eyes closing your hips bucking wildly in the air. “That’s it.” Cait reeled you in with her sweet voice, halting the vibrations of the wand and slowing down the movements of her fingers.

You came down from your orgasm, mind now aware. Caitlyn undid your bindings, you reaching out to rub your wrists when you raised them. She helped clean you, passing something cool for your bottom, and clothes to get dressed in. Sliding in the bed, you laid your head down; facing Cait.

“You did so well,” She whispered, caressing your hair. “Thank you for doing this with me.” You grinned, eyes heavy from exhaustion. You fell asleep, Caitlyn following shortly after.

This was definitely something you wanted to try again.

[enchantedflameandflower]

Glimmer 20/? Billy Butcher fic!

NOTES! - Addison wonders if there's anyway this can last as sparks fly. Please reblog or comment if you like ♥

Tag List: @2dead2function @secretdreamlandmentality

Billy Butcher Master list

The next morning Addison woke to Billy murmuring softly against the shell of her ear as his hand rubbed her bare shoulder from beside the bed. “Have to run some errands, love, nothin’ important. Be back in awhile.”

She sort of half hummed, half moaned an acknowledgment then let herself drift off again as he left the room, thinking it was nice that he wanted to tell her before just leaving. But the last few days had taken their toll, and she fell back asleep quickly and slept late. 

When she got up, the apartment was empty and she couldn’t help a little sigh of relief. A half pot of coffee sat on the counter with a note from MM that Annie would be there at 11:30. Addison glanced at the clock on the microwave. That gave her almost an hour. 

She poured herself a mug and indulged in some cream and sugar, then toasted herself a couple pieces of wheat bread and curled up on the couch to watch something light while she ate breakfast.

She was just coming out of the room, having changed and washed her face, when a knock sounded at the door. Addison figured it was Annie but she listened for a moment anyway before she went to answer. A rush of anxiousness swept through her...meeting new people was not her forte, and this - this was one of the 7, a celebrity. But she forced herself to go to the door and at least try not to completely shut herself off.

The young woman standing there was one she’d seen on a million billboards and taxi cabs but never before in person and nothing like she was expecting. Her hair was much shorter, straight and simple, pulled back into a pony tail and she had on jeans and a sweatshirt. Nothing like the starry-eyed and glamorized supe in the movies. 

Addison was relieved. “Annie,” she held her hand up in greeting. “Hi.”

“Hi,” Annie smiled back, genuinely, and Addison felt herself relax a little bit.

“Come in,” Addison gestured, stepping aside then closing the door. “I really appreciate you coming over. I mean, I’m sure you’re so busy, MM just wouldn’t let it drop so I finally gave in.”

Addison gave Annie an apologetic look but Annie smiled, waving the thought away. 

“It’s totally fine! I’m happy to help. Should we sit?”

They went to the table and Addison was trying to think how to start when Annie began herself. 

“MM tells me you’re amazing, but he seems certain you can do more. I think I have some ideas on how I can help you - tap into your powers more, but tell me about them first, what you can do, when you noticed, what it was like, that sort of thing.”

Addison couldn’t help smiling at Annie, her enthusiasm was contagious and she felt a little swell of hope she’d never felt before. Even though it was difficult for her to open up, she told Annie some of her history, and vaguely about her parents, and what she did and was able to do now, while Annie listened intently. 

Annie seemed to be deep in thought when Addison finished, then nodded as she came to some kind of conclusion. “I’m sure we can get you stronger. I think you’ve just...” she paused as she seemed to be searching for the right word. 

“It’s ok, you can say it.”

“Well...repressed it, your powers. And it’s understandable why. Is there somewhere more comfortable we could sit? Maybe on the rug there,” she pointed toward the fluffy rug in front of the couch. “It’s kind of like...” she squinted as she thought, “it’s kind of like meditating.”

“Yeah of course.” Addison stood and they both sat cross-legged on the floor facing each other. Addison took a deep breath.

The door opened just then and MM came in, his gaze landing on them. 

“Oh good,” he said, sounding happy that things were going well, and closing the door behind him. “Don’t mind me, I’ll stay out of the way.”

Both of the women smiled at him, then turned back to each other. “Okay,” Annie started, shifting to get fully comfortable on the floor. “I think of my abilities as a...special kind of extra energy, that comes from deep from inside. Think of it like a box, inside of you, and if you can access that box, and open it, you can draw on that energy for not only strength but your own unique powers. For you I think, you’ve only kind of buried it. So I think we can dig it out."

Addison nodded and Annie continued. “As for physical strength, build your strength whenever you can. Lift - lift weights, furniture, cars, whatever you can, keep working up, using your core energy. There seems to me to be a pretty good correlation between physical strength and healing powers in general. Train as much as you can. If you build that up your healing may improve as well.”

“That makes sense,” Addison murmured, feeling a little encouraged. She had been worried this would all be far beyond her, but everything Annie was saying made sense to her. “My healing has changed over time. At least I think it has...improved as I’ve gotten stronger.”

Annie nodded happily. “The physical side of things will take longer, to build up, but I think if we can tap into your powers, that will change a lot quicker.

“Now...close your eyes and center yourself. Like I said...like meditating.”  

Addison watched as Annie closed her own eyes and she did the same, pulling her awareness inward.

“Search for that energy that is just yours...deep, deep inside of you and concentrate on pulling it out,” Annie said softly and Addison obeyed, trying to connect with herself. It felt like trying to find an outlet for a plug in the dark, but she kept reaching. When she felt she was connecting, she started working on drawing more of that energy up inside of her. 

Annie was quiet for awhile, and Addison was so focused she was almost startled when Annie spoke again. “Now...take that energy and...sharpen it. Like how you sharpen a picture when you’re editing. You're not gathering it, but giving power to each particle."

Addison nodded even though her eyes were still closed and she had no idea if Annie was looking or not. 

“Your power is 'sound' right? I know some supes have super-hearing because their senses are heightened, but I think with you it may be something more. 

“See what you can hear inside the apartment. Then see what you can hear outside. Focus on one sound and amplify it in your mind using that sharpened energy, then block everything else out. In time I think you’ll find it easier to search for specific noises and block out others. With focus and concentration. Keep drawing on that energy.”

Annie was quiet again as she let Addison sift through sounds, playing with her energy and experimenting with how she could manipulate it. She had no idea how long they even stayed like that but it felt good, and Addison swore she could feel her own strength building on itself inside of her. 

Then she heard Butcher’s heartbeat, one moment before he opened the door, and all of her concentration and focus crumbled. 

His gaze unerringly went straight to them where they were sitting on the rug in the living room. “What do we have goin’ on here? A girl-power supe powwow, eh?”

Addison took a breath and MM spoke up from across the room, impatience and annoyance coloring his tone. “Don’t be a dick, Butcher.”

Butcher walked over to the couch, towering over them and glaring across the room at MM. “You can just go ahead and stay the fuck out of this MM,” he growled back at him.

“I actually have to head out,” Annie spoke up apologetically, before MM could answer. “I have a meeting in half an hour.”

Both the women stood, and Annie reached out to squeeze Addison’s arm. “You did great,” she smiled. “Focus and experiment and think about what else you might be able to do. You might be surprised.”

“Thanks Annie,” Addison said. She tried to smile but she could feel her nerves starting to fray again.

“We’ll be in touch and we'll keep working on it. I'll text you soon,” Annie said before glancing toward Butcher and giving him a curt nod. 

“As always, a delight to be graced with your presence, Starlight,” Butcher said with that signature insincere grin. 

Addison turned to retreat into the bedroom annoyed and frustrated, at a loss and needing to unwind her jumble of emotions but Butcher didn’t waste any time confronting the situation. 

“What are ya doin’ with Starlight?” he asked from the doorway. 

Addison shrugged as she busied her hands making the bed. “Nothing,” she answered. 

“You tryin’ to make it in the 7 now?” he asked and she finally let herself turn to him. He was scowling, his eyes dark and intense. 

“Of course not. Don’t be ridiculous, Butcher.”

“Well what am I supposed to think when your fraternizing with the enemy?” His voice rose another notch. 

“Annie is not the enemy. What are you saying?” she frowned at him, then brushed past him to go back out to the living room. Suddenly the bedroom felt stifling. She looked over at MM but he was buried in a sheaf of papers.

“She’s part of the 7 and Vought and if you don’t know they’re the enemy I think we have a big fuckin’ problem.”

Addison rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, turning to face Billy again. “She’s on our side and you know it. You’re being deliberately obtuse. I’m just...” she shook her head and took a breath, “working on myself. That’s all. Wouldn’t it be good if my healing improved? I think it could. It started to without me even trying. I could do so much more, Billy.”

His voice rose again, his accent deepening. “Well then that ‘nothin’’ you gave me earlier is startin’ to sound more and more like a lie,” he scowled at her. 

Addison felt her heart drop and she swallowed. “That’s a low fucking blow, Billy. Even for you. It’s not a lie, I just didn’t want to make a thing out of it. I wasn’t trying to hide it. Would I be right here in the middle of the safe house if I wanted to hide? I’m doing this for me.” She felt her eyes start to sting but she wouldn’t give in to the emotion. “I can make peace with what I’ve done so far to survive but I’ll figure out how to take 100 bullets if it means another kid doesn’t have to die in front of me.”

Butcher was still glaring fire and fury at her but she couldn’t miss the genuine concern in his eyes and it gave her at least a small swell of relief. But she had nothing else to say. 

He shook his head. “Do whatever you fuckin’ like, sunshine,” he rumbled, turning back to the door. “I’ve got a job to do tryin’ to keep you safe, since you can’t seem to be bothered with it.” And then he was gone again. 

Addison sighed but she had felt a spark come to life inside of her when she had been sitting with Annie. She wouldn’t let it go, now.

Billy didn’t come back until late and Addison was already curled up in bed when he came in the bedroom, light spilling through the doorway just as she was about to fall asleep.

“C’mon, darlin’,” he commanded, without preamble, “let’s get a leg on.”

Addison yawned, blinking at the dark figure he made in front of the open door. “What are you talking about?”

“Let’s get on,” he gestured to the door impatiently. “Back to my place.”

Addison sighed loudly as she realized what he was saying. “Oh my god, Billy,” she groaned as she pressed her palms over her eyes. “I’m already in bed here.”

“Well I don’t wanna sleep here again,” he raised his voice, his expression hardening. 

“Then go home.”

“It ain’t safe for you.” He took a step forward, glaring at her. “Ya don’t need to be shirty. I seem to remember a certain someone sayin’ they’d do whatever I told ‘em.”

Addison scoffed at him using her words against her in such a ridiculous circumstance, flinging her arm over her eyes. She was not up for this right now. “Suck my dick,” she grumbled but then she couldn’t help giggling a little remembering the first time they met.

“My ray of sunshine,” he countered, finishing the playact of the memory, his accent adding to his derisive tone. “Now c’mon Let’s get the fuck on.”

Addison let out a heavy sigh. Half of her did want to climb into his arms and just let him do whatever he wanted with her but the other half of her wanted to stay here just to spite him. But then...his bed at home was way more comfortable, and if she was being honest she didn’t want to sleep without him. 

“Someone’s after you, Addi,” Billy added when she didn’t move. “You stayin’ here puts everyone else in danger, too. I ain’t tryin’ to be contrivin’, that’s just how it is right now. The entire system was hacked. Mallory says it’s fixed now but they could’ve had access to all your information and more. This cunt has a lot of fuckin’ money and resources, and I’m starting’ to get a bit bloody worried. My apartment isn’t in me name and it’s the safest for everyone, if ya don’t mind.”

Addison sighed again, finally tossing the blankets aside. God, why did he always have to be right about everything. “Fine. Because of the others. But you are so fucking annoying.”

“Well that feeling’s mutual, love.”

At her insistence they made a show of leaving but they both used all the skills they possessed to make sure they weren’t followed.

As soon as they finally came in the door of his apartment she announced she was sleeping on the couch but Billy would have none of it. 

“Like hell you are,” he scowled at her. “Bed. Now,” he pointed to the room. “Either me on the sofa, between you and the door, or both of us in the bed. Your choice.”

“I’m not taking your bed from you, Billy.” 

“Good, let’s just get some rest, eh?”

They both silently dressed down and climbed into bed on opposite sides. Fuck, Addison thought to herself, this bed really was a thousand times more comfortable than the other. But neither of them had been there in almost two days and the weather had turned cold. Addison tried to curl up and tuck the blankets over her head but it didn’t help. 

“God, Billy it’s fucking freezing,” she finally grumbled as she shivered, alone on her side of the bed. “Do you never turn the heat on?”

“I don’t have daddy’s money to fall back on, princess.”

“Fuck you you fucking asshole,” she huffed, but there was no real anger in her voice. In the next moment she was shifting, trying to get circulation to her limbs until eventually she ended up cuddled against him, then she wriggled there as she gratefully soaked up his heat. 

“How are you always so fucking warm,” she grumbled against his broad chest. 

“Thinkin’ ‘bout you,” he rumbled back, and he wrapped his arm around her, pulling her closer to press against his body.

After a moment of quiet she slipped her cold fingers beneath his shirt to press against his heated skin and smiled to herself when he jumped and gave a startled yelp. She drifted off to sleep, then, but not before wondering if there was anyway this could ever last.

***

Please reblog or comment if you like!!! ♥ Love you all!

Chapter 21

[dark-furure]

Can I get a Lio Fotia x reader? Just something a little fluffy. Maybe the reader was/is also a burnish?

Lio Fotia X Burnish reader

It's been quite some time. A while back all the burnish lost their powers. It all happened so fast. Some of us hate how we lost our burnish powers, others think of it as a blessing we did. People now treat us normally.

It's a nice change of pace.

But a part of me does miss it. Even if we weren't accepted, we had eachother. But out of everyone. I think he was the one who really held everyone together.

Lio Fotia.

The leader of us burnish, he cared for everyone and fought for us. He brought eveyone hope. We all looked up to him, and we still do.

But it's all over now. Us burnish don't have to hide in fear.

Since it's been over, I only saw Lio a few times. But I can tell he's much happier. He works with the Bruning Rescue team now. A complete flip from what he did before.

As for me. Well, I'm working a stable job. It has a decent income. It gets me by in this new style of life.

Walking down the street, I carry a file in hand. It was something I had to put together for work. It's a warm summer day. The air rushes over me, sweeping my hair with it. I was on my lunch break, planning to work on the file while at it.

Suddenly the wind starts to pick up, making it feel like I'm about to be blown away with it. Before I knew it, the file in my hand was swept away with the wind. I look at the files sweep along the ground, I start to give chase. I can't lose those!

I watch the file as I brush my way past people. The wind is only carrying it further and further from me.

a foot suddenly presses over the file, stopping it in place. I jog to a stop and take a moment to catch my breath. The person picks up the file and hands it to me.

"This yours?" A gentle voice asks me. I grab the file with both hands. A wave of relief washing over me as I look at the file. I smile.

"Yes thank yo-" I pause as I look up at the person. He tilts his head as I stoped mid sentence.

"Huh? Whats wrong?" He asks. I blink a few times as I fully stand back up. A wave of surprise washes over me.

It's. . .

"Lio." I say. He tilts his head back, his look of confusion washing away and revealing a small smile.

"I didn't recognize you at first y/n. You've changed quite a bit." Lio says. His smile. I feel my face start to heat up. That smile is definitely something I missed. It's so kind and gentle. It's always been one that put everyone as ease.

"Oh, yea. It really has been." I say as I reach behind my head with a small smile. My arm falls back to my side as my grip tightens on the file.

"So what's in that file?" Lio asks out of curiosity, his eyes on the file. I jump a little at the question and look down at the file in my hand. I lift it a little.

"Oh this. It's just for my job. Got myself a pretty decent one since. How about you? Didn't you join burning rescue?" I say with a small smile. Lio nods.

"Yea, its true. But I'm glad you're doing well y/n." Lio looks at me with a fond smile. I feel the heat rise to my face once more. How dare you smile like that, I feel like I'm on fire. He truly is one to set a person's heart ablaze.

"Are you free by any chance? We can talk more over lunch if you'd like." Lio offers. It took me a moment to process what he said. I perk up with a smile.

"Uh yea, I was just on my break now." I couldn't control my smile as he asked that as I feel butterflies I my stomach. Lio nods with a small smile.

.

We reach a small restaurant and decided to have lunch there. We had gotten our meals and already finished. We talked about more into what happened after being burnish. It was a good time all around.

We both walked out of the building.

"Thank you for inviting me along." I say as I turn twords Lio. He faces me and smiles.

"Glad you decided to come along." Lio responds. I feel my face heat up a little. I turn and face away from him. I can't believe this really happened! I just casually had a lunch date with him!

"U-Uh yea." I stutter out. I hear Lio chuckle a little. I press my lips into a thin line as the blush on my face remains.

"How about we do this again sometime?"

I turn to face Lio. A little taken aback by his words. Again? I couldn't help but smile wide.

"Of course, I'd love to."

Lio reaches into his pocket and pulls out a note pad and a pen. He then starts to scribble down something before ripping the paper off and handing it to me.

"Here's my number, we can talk more about our next lunch date." I look down at the paper and lightly take it from his grip. I look up at Lio and he winks at me. I feel my face instantly heat up. I quickly turn away from him, holding the paper tightly in my hand as I hear Lio chuckle at my action.

"Well I better be off y/n." Lio says, still smiling out of amusement. I slowly look back at him. He starts to walk off with a wave, leaving me flustered.

I look down at the paper in my hands. A smile forms on my lips along with a faint blush. Is this real, and did he say date?! I feel my face go ablaze. What a day to be having.

■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■

Hopefully this came out good. I've never done fluff before this. Also I hope I kept Lio in character enough for this. He's more aggressive in the movie, but this is sometime after, so he's toned down. I hope that worked good here. Also thanks for requesting! Tbh I love promare a lot, so I was pretty happy to get this request!

[beepbeeplettuce613]

“Oh shit! It’s Sea Bunny!” A gator guy exclaimed, pointing up at the roof of the bank with a frantic expression on his face. Sea Bunny stared down at the four gator guys, who were in the process of robbing a bank as their boss requested, tilting their head while stirring the remains of their slurpee with a straw, turning it into cherry red water. “Well don’t just stand there you morons! There’s no water here so they’re powerless!” Another yelled, taking her gun's safety off and pointing it up at the hero, ready to fire. Before she could even put her finger on the trigger, Sea Bunny suddenly jumped high in the air and onto several rooftops of different buildings. The gator guys started to try and fire their pistols at them, but Sea Bunny was hopping along each rooftop swiftly in a circular pattern. This kept happening before they jumped off of a roof, disappearing behind the building. “What the… where did they go?” A gator guy questioned, the group of criminals had their guns out, their eyes frantically darting around as they tried to spot the hero. Then, mist suddenly started to cloud the area, it caused the gator guys to stumble about and bump into each other, stepping on each other's feet and startling eachother.

“Hey… this mist kind of tastes like… cherry?” A gator guy said, sticking his tongue out. Suddenly, he was swept off of the ground by someone kicking his ankles, knocking him to the ground. “OW! Watch out you lot! They’re trying to take us out by surprise!” He yelled out to the other three before yelping as he was suddenly grabbed by the legs and dragged away, “OH SHIT!” He yelled out, as if to alarm the other three. The gator guys were now on higher alert than before, the cherry mist wasn’t clearing up any time soon it seemed. “Everyone stay close together! Sea Bunny can’t take us all out!” The leader of this gator gang yelled, two of the gator guys nodded and stood close to her, guns out and ready to fire. The gator guy on the left suddenly heard something behind them, they jumped and turned around only to see a pebble lying on the ground. They sighed in relief, thinking they were safe, but they were wrong. Arms wrapped around their waist and they were yanked away from the group, a scream escaped their throat. The cherry flavoured mist started to clear up and the gator guys could finally see again. “Alright.. Show yourself you masked freak!” The leader yelled, gun waving about as she had a scowl on her face. Sea Bunny suddenly appeared from behind the large truck the gator guys arrived in, hands above their head as they faced the ground. The gator guys were surprised by this… why were they surrendering? They both looked at each other and nodded, starting to approach the hero. “Good decision, the boss would just love to finally meet you.” The leader sneered, the remaining gator guy nodded with a low chuckle. “Not so tough now are ya? Little bunny.” They started to laugh, walking slowly towards Sea Bunny with menacing smiles.

Those smiles didn’t last forever though, footsteps came dashing towards the gator guys. They turned around and a fist came into contact with the leader's face, effectively knocking her out. Sea Bunny leapt forward and kicked the last gator guy in the back, pushing him forwards and Spaceboy managed to punch his in the face, knocking the last one out. “Stay down.” Was all they said, they sighed and looked up to their partner, grinning at him. Captain Spaceboy returned that smile, he felt his heartbeat quicken as Sea Bunny looked at him. “Nice plan bunny! I didn’t even know you could do that.” “Hah well, I’ve been practising some new stuff lately.” Sea Bunny grinned as they felt their ears warm up. Spaceboy looked at the two gator guys and back at Sea Bunny. “Heh… I’m glad we got to do this one more time. Thanks for convincing me to come along.” “No problem.” The two stayed silent for a moment before sirens blared in the distance.” Ah, the cops. I’ll hand these guys over to them, you go on ahead.” Spaceboy said, Sea Bunny nodded and turned around to leave, before hesitating, turning to look at Spaceboy one last time before jumping up high and onto a rooftop, jumping across several rooftops to get away from the police. Sea Bunny never liked talking to the police for some odd reason, they preferred staying out of the spotlight. Spaceboy smiled as he watched Sea Bunny hop away, he turned back to the two knocked out gator guys and started to put them in the back of the truck with the other knocked out gator guys.

Sea Bunny jumped down from a rooftop, into the garden and grunting as they did so. They sighed and took their blue rabbit mask off, running a hand through their hair and looked at the house before them, it was Spaceboys house. Avery actually had an apartment a couple of minutes away, but they pretty much lived here now given the fact that they hung out at Spaceboys house all the time. They made their way from the garden and to his front door, scanning the little card he had given them so the alarm didn’t go off. If it did, then Orange Joe and the Pink Delinquent would appear, that would be an inconvenience.The door opened and they walked inside, into the room the duo shared and started to change into more comfortable clothing. A black tank top with grey shorts. Avery glanced at the mirror and their eyes widened slightly, they had just noticed some of the bruises they got from fighting villains and there was quite a lot. “Yikes… I gotta be more careful.” They mumbled. Avery exited their room and to the living room sitting down on the couch, their legs were all wobbly from the jumping, not to mention they had jumped across rooftops for seven minutes straight to get back to their apartment, they were tired that was for sure. Avery heard their phone buzz again and they checked it, Spaceboy again. A bubbly grin spread across their face as they read the text.

Sb:Heyyyyy, I’m coming over now, mind if I come in through the window?

A:Hehe sure, can’t wait to continue our night together :)

Sb:Same here, see you soon Bunny :)

A:Later, captain <3

Avery giggled and put their phone away, staring up at the ceiling with a goofy smile. “God I love him so much…” Avery breathed, hand on cheek as they thought about nothing other than Spaceboy. They let out a lovesick sigh before grabbing the remote and turning the Tv on and picking up the blanket that was laying on the floor, wrapping it around themselves and flicking through the channels. They kept doing this until they got to the news channel. They wanted to see if what they and Spaceboy did would make the news, and it did! “Hm, wonder what these guys have to say about what we did.” Avery said out loud, turning the volume up so they could hear better. “Four people presumed to be part of the gator gang have just been arrested by the authorities! The hero's Sea Bunny and retired Spaceboy were the ones to apprehend and stop these villains from robbing the bank.” Avery nodded with a rather proud smile, they were happy that the plan they thought of worked, they’d have to use that mist trick more. “Spaceboy told the police that tonight would officially be the last time he’d do any hero work, the retired hero said that Sea Bunny requested his help and if it wasn’t for them, these villains would have gotten away.”

Avery sunk back into the couch and sighed, staring at the floor. They were really going to miss working with him, all those nights where they’d run across rooftops chasing down villains and how they’d watch each other fight with amazement in their eyes. “Bloody sweetheart…” Avery angrily mumbled to themself as their grip on the blanket got a little tighter. Avery remembered the incident, it was when they were just friends. Spaceboy confessed his love to her and took a pretty bad beating. Avery remembered having to carry the poor guy all the way to the hospital since sweetheart left him with some horrible injuries, they constantly visited him and they’d talk for so long. Once he was allowed out, their bond had grown stronger. It started out with the two being best friends and hanging out from time to time to catching feelings for one another, Avery remembered the night where they confessed their feelings for each other as clear as day. They were both walking home after going to the last resort for dinner and Avery just outright said how they felt about Spaceboy, thank god Spaceboy felt the same way about them or their relationship would have changed.They smiled as they thought back to all those memories, from about a year or two ago, it made their face heat up and Avery sighed in happiness, they were just happy Spaceboy was doing alright now.

Avery stared at the tvs screen for a few seconds before they heard a knock on the window. A giddy smile spread across their face and they quickly ran over to the window and saw Spaceboy standing there with a smile on his face. They opened the window and pulled Spaceboy inside, their smile growing even wider. Spaceboy laughed as Avery pulled him inside, feeling his heart swell with nothing but pure love as he saw how much they were smiling. “Aw you look so happy, did you really miss me that much?” “Mhm! I’m pissed that those gator pricks interrupted our night together.” Avery huffed, they never did respect Bossman and his goons running around Faraway and causing trouble. Spaceboy chuckled and pecked Avery on the forehead and held their hands in his own. “Well at least we kicked their asses together one last time right?” Avery smiled gently and they felt their ears warm up as they held hands, they hummed and nodded. “Yeah. I guess so! Anyways, what movie did you want to watch again?” Avery asked as they both sat down on the couch, Spaceboy wrapped his arm around their shoulder and pulled them in for a cuddle, Avery smiled and rested their head against his shoulder. “It was that one with the two robots who fell in love with each other and went to space.” “Oh yeah! I think it’s actually just about starting.” Avery picked the remote up and flicked through the channels until they got to the right one, when they did Avery grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around the both of them, leaning back into spaceboy and resting their head on his shoulder.

As the movie went on, Spaceboy started to gently run his hands through Avery's hair, he knew that the other always liked it when he did that since it was something that always soothed them. Avery kept focus on the movie, they didn’t mind what Spaceboy was doing, in fact they actually really liked it. They felt so… calm right now, it was nice. Avery’s eyes slowly started to droop, they yawned and rubbed their eyes, it was getting pretty late now. Spaceboy looked down at them and smiled a little. “Hey, if you want to sleep then go ahead.” He whispered, his voice was soft as he made sure not to surprise them. “Mm, alright then. That just means you’ll be stuck like this.” Avery sleepily smiled, Spaceboy chuckled and he slowly started to lie down, pulling Avery down with him so their head was pressed against his chest, he took the fluffy blanket and made sure it was over their body so Avery was warm. Avery smiled and closed their eyes, their ear was pressed against his chest and they could hear his heartbeat. It was like a reminder that Spaceboy was there, that he was alive and well, it calmed Avery and they softly smiled as they felt Spaceboy running his fingers through their fluffy black hair again.

Avery opened an eye and looked up at spaceboy, he had took his fake eye patch off and was watching the movie, they noticed a little smile was on his face and they could tell he was enjoying this, Avery was glad they mutually adored this moment that they were sharing together since it made their heart swell with love, they hoped that they’d have more peaceful moments together in the future, Avery would fight for that for as long as they could. They knew right then and there that they truly loved Spaceboy and wanted to be with him for as long as they could, they made a promise to themself that night. They would fight every criminal, villain and maybe even hero to ensure that Spaceboy was safe, so that they could continue loving each other and being in each other’s presence, that’s what Avery wanted more than anything right now. Just to be with the one that they had fell head over heels in love with. “Love you, captain…” Avery muttered, they shut their eyes and listened to Spaceboys heartbeat, before they fell asleep they heard spaceboys words. “I love you too, Bunny.”

(Hey! So this is something I’ve been working on recently to practise writing and for an early Valentine’s Day post lol. Anyways, it’s a short story about sv spaceboy and Avery! @omori-sv-au )

[betawooper]

Chapter 317 - Taste of Ruin (Transfem AU)

*Joonghyuk uses she/her pronouns

On the way to the auction house, the street was reminiscent of a battlefield. Incarnations and constellations bustled through the market, stopping in front of merchants calling out noisily to buy their items. 

Joonghyuk clicked her tongue frustratingly every time a new blockage occurred. At some point enough was enough. She began shoving her way through. They cursed at her, but she didn’t mind them, instead looking over her shoulder to make sure Lee Seolhwa wasn’t swept up by the crowd. 

... This was like a mall. Joonghyuk had been to enough to last a lifetime, constantly tasked to make sure the girls didn’t get swindled by some seedy salesman preying on their physical insecurities. Even now, she caught Seolhwa further back, waving at a merchant while holding a skill book, and quickly running back to Joonghyuk’s side.

“I told you we don’t have time to shop around.” Joonghyuk said.

“Sorry, I tried to be quick.”

“What skill is that?”

Seolhwa smiled and showed the title.

[Skill — Preserve Humidity.]

Joonghyuk narrowed her eyes. “You bought something useless.”

“And I think you are not considering the applications.” Seolhwa pouted, then the book fluttered open and turned into particles of light. Her already soft cheeks and full red lips gained another level of vibrancy which could only be attained by freshening one’s face with water. She sighed in relief and smiled. “Don’t you need it, too? You wear gloves all the time so the knuckles and backs of your hands will be dry. The city’s temperature is low as well, so that will only worsen it.”

Joonghyuk shoved her hands in her pockets, and rolled her eyes. How many times had she heard this conversation about moisturizing again? “You don’t need skills that aren’t for combat.”

“Haiya, Joonghyuk... you really need to loosen up.”

“The only reason I’m still alive is because I don’t ‘loosen up.’”

Seolhwa still looked around as they moved, then pointed at a stand purely meant for cosmetic and physical appearance modifiers. They emulated Earth’s more feminine branding to appeal to female incarnations and constellations specifically. “Want to get something from there?”

“Absolutely not.”

“What? That was so quick!”

“And I said no.” 

“You should at least consider it...”

“I don’t understand why you keep insisting.” Joonghyuk said, but when she saw Seolhwa nervously glance away while trying not to gnaw on her bottom lip, for her teeth would be stained slightly red from lipstick, Joonghyuk sighed and rubbed her temples. “Is that what this is about?”

“Well...”

God dammit. “I’ll say this then. I don’t like makeup. I never have in the past. That fact has not changed even now.”

Seolhwa grumbled, and her cheeks puffing up cutely. “Are you blaming me for trying to connect with you in this way? You’re a woman. We tend to like this kind of thing! What else was I supposed to think? I barely know you enough as it is.”

Joonghyuk frowned. A silence fell between the two while they continued breaking through crowd after crowd. She knew Seolhwa wanted to ask her something else if the way Seolhwa’s sharp gaze never leaving the back of her head was any indication.

“Joonghyuk, I have a question...”

“Ask it.”

“You said you are a regressor. Does that mean you met me in your previous life?”

Joonghyuk really hoped she wouldn’t ask that one. “No.”

“... I don’t believe you.”

Those words made Joonghyuk freeze in place. Incarnations passed around the two, and it was the only evidence that time kept flowing. “You’ve never had a problem believing my information before.”

“That’s before I got to know Kim Dokja and Lee Sookyung more. Those two may not say anything, but they constantly look at me knowingly.”

Joonghyuk kept her expression cool. “You’re reading too much into it. There is a constellation out there who honestly believes there is something going on between Kim Dokja and I. Those two could simply be as annoying as her.”

[The constellation, Demon-Like Judge of Fire, is appalled.]

Oh, shut up.

“No, it’s not only that. Do you remember the joke Kim Dokja made one time?”

“You’re going to have to be more specific.”

Seolhwa flushed slightly pink and was worrying her snow-white hair. She said one word. “Housewife.”

“House...” Joonghyuk started to repeat, then bit her tongue once the realization came. It had been so damn long since the sixth scenario; she couldn’t believe Seolhwa could even remember that far back.

“You said Kim Dokja was something of a prophet, no? I’ve become rather familiar with his dry sense of humor since his mother is so similar. They don’t joke, unless it is an opportunity to tease. He knows something about us. That is why he said such a thing, right?”

“Again. You are looking far too much into it.”

Seolhwa groaned louder. Her soft tone was unusually charged with frustration. “What about you then?”

“... What about me?”

“Why do you keep putting me on your team? Why do you always let me stick by your side? The first thing I did when I met you was hurt you so badly you almost died, yet you kept treating me so kindly afterwards! Does that make any sense to you?”

“... You have a good healing skill.”

“Ah, yes, of course—” Seolhwa said sarcastically. “Perhaps I should chalk up every time Yoo Joonghyuk handed me mana recovery potions without me asking, quietly complimented me for saving other incarnations, or looked at me softly while keeping night watch simply because ‘I have a good healing skill.’” 

Damn. Seolhwa noticed that last one. The more Joonghyuk countered her statements, the more Seolhwa came back stronger with evidence of careful observance. It was always impossible hiding something from her for very long. 

Joonghyuk sighed heavily, and steeled her resolve. This needed to be nipped in the bud. “Don’t take this as me confirming, but as a hypothetical. Say your suspicions were correct. We somehow magically met before in a timeline which never existed and had a close relationship. Would you still feel comfortable knowing what you know about me now?”

“What do you mean?”

“... I don’t remember you being interested in anyone but men.”

Seolhwa’s mouth clamped shut, and a darker shade of pink dusting her nose and cheeks. Once again, her fingers entangled themselves in white hair. She could no longer meet Joonghyuk in the eye. 

Joonghyuk figured it would go over this way. What she hated more was how badly her traitorous heart took Seolhwa’s silence.

Pathetic. Idiotic. Hypocritical piece of shit. She directed those three phrases at herself over and over when she turned and pushed through one more damn crowd. They were nearing the entrance of the auction house anyway, so whatever happened there could distract both of them—

Seolhwa grabbed Joonghyuk’s arm. “W—wait! Hold on!”

“If you’re going to apologize, don’t.”

“I’m not going to! I’m trying to ask—”

“Ask what?” Joonghyuk hissed impatiently.

“When the hell did I say I was only interested in men?” Seolhwa shouted back.

She immediately slapped a hand over her mouth. Incarnations and constellations around stared at her in surprise. It made the white-haired beauty turn red with embarrassment. 

[The constellation, Demon-like Judge of Fire, jaw drops from the new development.]

[The constellation, Demon-like Judge of Fire, then thinks about a three-way relationship between certain incarnations.]

Joonghyuk couldn’t even make a snide internal remark against that Archangel, too stunned to even speak. 

Seolhwa backed away and sank to the ground, covering her face with both hands. 

“Oh, god—please don’t look at me...”

[jaimebluesq]

WIP Wednesday - 10/26 - Pre-SangCheng Week Edition - Part 4/5

Coming Out November 3rd for the Prompt of War

I would stand at his back, that the world might never overtake us.

~~

He was sorting through a basket of bandages, trying to assess which were getting too worn to be useful anymore, when he heard his brother's voice outside the tent.

“No argument! You get in there and get that looked at – you won't be good to anyone if you lose your sword arm from an infection.”

Nie Huaisang smiled to himself. A soldier's pride was a thing to behold, and the irony was that while Nie Mingjue worked his hardest to make certain everyone under his command ate well, slept well, and received treatment for their every injury, he himself was the worst patient Nie Huaisang had ever met. He heard movement behind him and grabbed another basket of bandages he might need to attend to this new patient.

When he turned to the new arrival, he froze. “Jiang-xiong?”

It was the first time he'd seen Jiang Cheng since the indoctrination camp in Qishan. A wave of emotion swept over him – relief that his friend was safe, grief over the family that Jiang Cheng had lost, and as he took in the bloody sword arm, concern.

“It's not as bad as it looks,” Jiang Cheng muttered, holding a hand over his wound as if to hide it from Nie Huaisang's sight. After several moments of staring at one another, Jiang Cheng broke the silence. “I'd heard you got away... We sent word to Chifeng-zun as soon as we could on our way to Lanling.”

“I know.” Nie Huaisang wondered at times if he was lucky to have missed the fight against the Tortoise of Slaughter, having passed out in the middle of the indoctrination camp before Wen Chao had led the others away – though considering how Wen Chao had taken out his failure on Nie Huaisang after his return, he would have suffered no matter what had happened. “After he received your message, he sent our cousin to get me. With the rest of you gone, their security was down and he was able to sneak me out without alerting the guards.”

Jiang Cheng nodded and released a long breath. “Well, don't get separated from us next time or else I'll have to go find you and drag you out.”

Nie Huaisang chuckled at Jiang Cheng's familiar tone of voice – hiding worry and affection in a scolding tone. “I promise, next time we're being held as hostages by a hostile sect, I'll do my best to pass out at a more convenient time,” he teased as he stepped over to his friend and pulled his hand away from his wound. “This doesn't look as bad as some I've seen, but I won't know for sure until we unwrap it. Take off your outer robe and pull up the rest of your sleeves, then have a seat right here.”

[rainydance91]

New encounter II

The team, enticed by the promise of a new challenge, agreed to undertake the mission. When Adrian departed after scheduling a meeting at the merchant’s office, Ran felt a wave of relief. However, seeing the team excited about the mission, he kept his feelings to himself. He sensed a dangerous energy emanating from Adrian, an energy he couldn’t quite explain. He needed more evidence before he could voice his concerns to the others.

Alex, while gazing at Ran, sensed that something was off about Adrian. He decided to remain wary, not fully trusting him. Strangely, no one else picked up on what Alex and Ran had sensed. They were all too happy about the new mission and the potential rewards. Ran found this odd, considering the others also had the ability to sense energies. It led him to believe that Adrian must be someone extraordinarily powerful.

AT THE MERCHANT’S OFFICE

Upon returning to the office, Adrian hung his outer clothes on the coat hanger, settled behind his desk, and began to laugh maniacally. As he calmed down, he loudly declared to himself, “Darkheaven investigators. They are nothing more than a bunch of losers. I will eliminate them all, ensuring no further interruptions to my plan. This will be easier than I anticipated.”

THE NEXT EARLY MORNING

Before embarking on their mission, the Darkheaven Investigators decided to delve deeper into the history of the mansion. They ventured to the merchant’s office, where Adrian showed them the old documents, what were hidden away in a dusty corner of the office on a stack of  deeds, letters, and records that dated back to centuries.

David said with enthusiasm: “I remember some of it. My teacher did show them to me and talked about the history of the mansion a little. Lionel Devarare had several disturbing hobbies. He was a respected man, but also eccentric. He collected all sorts of items. I won't be suprised if some of it was cursed and it all was brought into the mansion too.”

After a while of looking through the documents Adrian asked: “do you guys want to see the mansion now?”

Ran said: “yes I think we have went through everything and I was able to take some notes too, what could be helpful in the mansion. Please lead us there.”

The sun was just beginning to rise as the Darkheaven Investigators, led by Adrian, made their way towards the mansion. The mansion, shrouded in the early morning mist, stood ominously against the backdrop of the slowly brightening sky. Its towering silhouette was a stark reminder of the mysteries that lay within.

As they approached, David couldn’t help but feel a chill run down his spine. He thought of the stories he had heard about Lionel Devarare’s eccentricities and his collection of potentially cursed items. He glanced at Ran, who seemed to be lost in thought, going over the notes he had taken.

Adrian, sensing their apprehension, tried to lighten the mood. “Well, here we are,” he said, gesturing towards the mansion. “Remember, it’s just a house. A very old, very creepy house.”

Adrian moved towards the door, pulling out a large, old, rust-tinged key, and began to unlock the door. As the door creaked open, an icy breeze swept towards them, sending chills down their spines.

“I thought they left the heating on, not off” Said Adrian with concern.

They moved forward into the mansion despite the cold.

To be continued.