#amaryllis chapter 12 | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

megacarapa · 3 years

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i saw everyone doing this challenge on twitter n really wanted to do it too but i don’t super. Have an active twitter so i’m gonna do it here instead ^-^

warning LOOOOOONG post under the cut

i’m gonna leave the first question for the end bc it’s so fucking long😂😂

2. Who’s your favorite character? Why?

gen ofc🤣🤣 i’m sorry i always end up loving the gay ones o(-(

also i love yuzuriha bc she has the same interests/work ethic as me ^-^ tho yea i only really started loving her in stone wars/age of exploration, andd ofc i’ve always liked suika from the beginning but she has REAAAAALLY grown on me in the current arc

3. Who was the first character that caught your eye?

chrome actually! i really loved the whole bit that’s like “even if tsukasa killed senku there would always be people interested in learning new things and science would always come back”, that part really stood out to me at the time n i’ve loved him ever since :’)

4. If you were in the Kingdom of Science, what would your role be?

definitely manual labor or any repetitive tasks dhhd but i could also help w handcrafts or anything that requires dexterity

5. Which character do you think you relate to the most?

yuzu again xD

SO fucking true

6. What do you love about Dr. Stone?

idk if i know how to put it into words but its like, the appreciation and love it has for humanity as a whole n all the progress we’ve made so far, my favourite parts are always the ones that are like hey here’s a cool thing humanity invented, let’s learn about it! stuff like that gshdhjd

7. Best character outfit in Dr. Stone?

gen’s original outfit😩😩😩😩 but i also love kohaku’s outfit in treasure island!!

(also everyone’s winter outfits are too fucking cute)

(actually you know what, every gen outfit, all of them, special shout out to casino outfit, fashion icon)

8. Thoughts on the most recent Dr. Stone arc?

i still always have fun reading the new chapters but they really have been so fast paced lately like it constantly feels like they’re rushing through the new developments, but now with the introduction of sai it looks like things might finally be slowing down a bit, i’d love if they could give building the computer a lot of attention like with the perseus but i guess we’ll wait and see, fingers crossed

9. Any story/chapter you wish could’ve been explored more?

everything. if drst was 10 billion chapters and showing every invention in minute detail i could die happy /slapped hdhdhfa ok but for more specific stuff i wish we could have seen more of gen’s time at xeno n stanley’s fortress in america arc, like he arrives there n gets a few moments n then it mostly focuses on the other characters until hr gets rescued, like i feel it was a missed opportunity both for him and for learning more about the americans through him (as in the characters other than xenostan)

10. Which character do you want to see more of?

amaryllis 😩 /slapped ok i get that she’s basically served her purpose in the story so there’s not much reason to bring her back, as for characters that i feel like are still kinda under utilized - ukyo n matsukaze

11. Favorite Dr. Stone chapters/episodes?

episodes - s2ep3 i fucking love how this episode was adapted🤣🤣

chapters - 99, 110 and 144 (of course) (but also all the sengen chapters ofc😂)

12. Favorite Dr. Stone panels?

…

13. Who do you ship in Dr. Stone? Why?

obv sengen is the only ship i reaaally give a shit about but on a smaller scale i also love taiyuzu, chrome/ruri, koharyllis n xenostan

14. Who is the funniest in Dr. Stone?

kohaku n chrome i fucking love this genre of panel with them being dumb fuck together

15. Which characters do you think would go along with you well?

YUZUUUUUUUUUU AGAIN

16. Are there any characters you think you’d find hard to be friends with?

also if i ever met xeno i would immediately start beating the shit out of him but like affectionately.

17. What’s your favorite arc in Dr. Stone?

age of exploration!! it’s so much more low stakes n slice of life than the other arcs in the best way possible, i really love the focus on everyone working together and the work on the boat branching out to various other jobs like farming, making clothes, cooking etc etc, it’s really the arc where i feel almost everyone gets their chance to shine

18. Things you would like to see in future chapters? (E.g. a character’s backstory, the characters reuniting, etc.)

obv i would love to see gen’s backstory but lbr i don’t really think we’re getting it at this point TwT as for things we will actually get - i can’t wait to see joel and kaseki meeting up and i’m really excited to learn about how the medusa and the petrification in general even works and how they will base it in science

19. Was there an episode/chapter that made you cry?

the suika chapters but i’ve already blabbed about them at length fdggf o(-(

20. Favorite invention/science moments? (E.g. making ramen, suika’s glasses, cellphone, hot-air balloon, etc.)

does gen’s battery song count🤣🤣🤣

21. Were there any characters you disliked but now is one of your favorite characters?

SENKU😂😂😂😂😂 i’m being real here i fuking hated his guts when i first tried reading the manga GDHDHDJ i thought he was so annoying with how smug n smartass he is n how he’s always like i dont give a shit about other people i only care about science blabla so basically i didn’t understand his character at all🤣🤣🤣

22. Which characters do you think are best friends?

for canon i need to give a shout out to kohaku n chrome again bc i love their friendship so fucking much😭

as for friendships that aren’t really canon but i just like to imagine - gen and ruri would be such good friends😭😭

23. Are there any characters or ships that you started to like after seeing fanart/fanfiction of them?

kohagen gshsgdhsa i just thought their friendship was funny at the beginning but when i saw ship art of them i was like OH I SEE n then i liked them even more🤣 n also i really liked the idea of ryusui/tsukasa when it was brought up in the manga but then it was just kinda dropped after that so the fanart is the only thing keeping my love for the ship alive gdjdkd

along w that i really couldn’t warm up to kohasen as a ship in the actual manga so it took me seeing different fanart of them to become a bit more ok with the idea of it tho i do still prefer them as friends😅

also ryugen…. rawr ha ha

24. Any speculations/theories on why-man?

do i LOOK like somebody who Thinks 🤪 idk i can only see whyman as this far off entity that i cannot understand so i am just sitting here like guess we’ll wait n see o(-(

1. What made you start Dr. Stone??

drst is by far the weirdest relationship i have with a piece if media ok i’ll do my best to explain, strap in folks [fair warning: LONGGGGG and deranged]

ok so back when drst started serialization in 2017 i was very into following all the popular shonen jump manga and i was checking out all the new series and one day along came the first chapter of dr stone, i had VERY mixed feelings for it bc on the one hand i was very interested in the premise and especially in chapter 2 i really liked the part where you see how long senku has been working towards the revival formula all by himself so basically i was digging the story, but on the other hand i absolutely fucking HATED the artstyle mainly the way the girls are drawn

like you start reading and immediately on the first page you see a girls statue with all her tits out and another one in that action movie girl pose so you can see both her tits and ass and i already felt my eyesballs reclining to to the back of my head but anyway you keep reading and yuzuriha is introduced and she’s nice and all but she has that fucking eyes far apart fish face n she’s constantly blushing and it all looks so weird and annoying and it was just pissing me off so much HDHDJFJKD

back at that time i was 17 and tho i had already read manga with a ton of fanservice before i still hadn’t been desensitized to it (for better or worse🙄), basically it still pissed me off every time i saw it, right now i can be like ok i acknowledge that this art is really weird and uncomfortable looking but i can put it aside and enjoy the story but back then i really couldn’t stop noticing it every time it happened

so i kept on reading for a few weeks but the artstyle just kept grating on me more n more especially after yuzu was revived and eventually i decided well the story is ok but this manga is just making me pissed tf off every time i read it so i dropped it on chapter 9 i think n that was that for some time

so then some time passes and i keep hearing here n there that drst is sooo good now it gets so much better after the first arc its amazing etc etc, i mostly got interested again after hearing super eyepatch wolf talk about it in his shonen jump videos so i was like ok i’ll give it another shot, i think this was around when there were 40-50ish chapters out total

and so i try to read it again, and again i get pissed off by the artstyle at every turn but i do my best to press on and get to the new arc everyone is hyping up, then kohaku is introduced and it all comes flooding tf back but even worse than before hdhdhd you KNOW how boichi is with drawing kohaku. but anyway i don’t let it deter me and i keep going and i get to ishigami village

and once again i could admit that i was genuinely enjoying the story, especially chrome’s introduction as i mentioned earlier, but alas the art was STILL too grating to my eyes and i just wasn’t able to get used to it so in the end it was just like last time, i kept getting pissed off with every chapter until i gave up again and dropped it at the end of vol3 (that’s right, thats around the time gen was introduced😂, not even he was enough to keep me there like i literally wasn’t even paying attention to him bc i was so done with it at that point, i was like who’s this asshole now– nevermind i don’t give enough of a shit *stops reading*🤣🤣)

and so after that i just kept ignoring drst no matter how many good things i heard about it, until eventually the anime was announced so i decided i would give the anime a shot bc the art could be easier to digest than the manga, and i was pretty much right on the mark, the anime is a good enough adaptation overall but it doesn’t really have any stand out animation and admittedly it has a lot of jank, but this was like the one time that the jank actually worked in its favour

bc the art in the anime was so toned down n less detailed than the manga, it was so much easier for me to consume and the fanservice parts weren’t the glowing-bright-red level of distracting that they were in the manga, i kept watching it every week and by the end of the anime’s run i was finally able to view drst as a story and i had finally fallen in love with it

but after the anime ended i still didn’t want to go back to read the manga even tho i was really obsessed with it at the time, my trust in the manga had been broken twice before and i just wasn’t ready to give it another shot

but i still was really into the story and as the anime went along i had started following a bunch of drst artists on twitter, and along with posting art they of course talked about the new manga chapters at the time as well (this was around the time of treasure island) and that was my main way of experiencing the fandom so i just decided i’m gonna stay like that for now

i kept following people on twitter and lurking basically and i really didn’t do much to try to avoid manga spoilers and so as time passed thanks to the fandom i had pretty much gotten acquainted w all the post-anime arcs n characters to a pretty close degree even if i hadn’t actually read the manga

like i knew who ryusui and francois were n i knew that yuzuriha was my second favourite character and that age of exploration was my favourite arc even tho i!!! literally hadn’t read it!! THAT’S THE POWER OF FANDOM I GUESS DHDHJD, after some time as we got to the climax of treasure island i had actually become so invested in the story that every time a new chapter came out i would like flip through it to get a grasp of what’s going on but not actually read it, i was a manga reader without actually reading the manga, I WAS A FAKE FAN BASICALLY 3

and so this weird relationship w the manga continued for like 2 years until finally earlier this year when s2 started airing, as is the case with whenever a new season of an anime starts airing it started up a new wave of hype for drst and i was all there for it, i was watching the new episodes every thursday and following all the discussion on twitter and tumblr and i was having a fucking blast with it honestly

and so i think it was after only 3 or 4 episodes of s2 were out that i was finally like ok i really fucking love dr stone. i think i love it to the extent that i can finally give the manga another shot. so i did and i fucking ate it up GDHDJD I LITERALLY COULDN’T STOP READING, ofc the things that bothered me before were still there but i guess after so much time i had finally learned how to put it aside, i sped through the whole manga and i didnt even feel like i was forcing myself to read it like the first 2 times, i was genuinely having fun with every chapter and loving it so much and having a great time with it

and so like that i had finally become and Official manga reader and the rest is history

ok that’s all anyway should i get cancelled for consuming manga in this way? leave your thoughts in the comments below ty for coming to my longass ted talk, hope u enjoyed

#pete blabs #dr stone #drst #drst rants #I GUESS THIS COUNTS DFDFG #if u make it to the end of this one u deserve a reward #anyway this was fun im happy i did it ^-^#pete blabs ALOT

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someone-elsa · 3 years

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Chapter 18 (part 7 of 12)

🔙 Chapter beginning ⬅ Previous part • Next part ➡ 📝About the story and characters

Still hesitant, Alex was next. "You have had troubles in your past... Things... Habits... People... you hope you have left them behind... For good... But I can see... An old friend comes back to your life." "...a friend? Who is that?" Alex asked.

"Who... or what," she said eerily. "What do you mean?" But Amaryllis didn't answer that, she just pointed at her tipping jar. Alex felt anxious and he wasn't going to listen any more. "Never mind."

Continue ➡

#sau sims story #sims story #sau chapter 18 #ts4 storytelling #sims storytelling #ts4 #the sims 4 #something about us by someone elsa

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goldleafacrossyourlips · 4 years

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Uneasy Lies the Head - CAOS - Dark Lord/OC - Chapter 13[Finale]

Chapters - 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13

A/N - Thank you for reading! This chapter is clocking in at almost 10000 words alone. So enjoy! If you have any suggestions for another fic or shorts PM me!

Chapter 13 - Finale - Amaryllis and Heliotrope

Warning of Smut and Graphic Violence

Had it really only been less than 24 hours that Lucifer had been able to walk the Earth in his angelic form? That Samara had slaughtered her Mandrake? Samara’s mind whirled at all the sudden changes that had happened in the past few hours. How could a day feel like a lifetime had passed?

She hadn’t been able to continue to admire the throne room as one of Lucifer’s servants swept her away. She was led to a door where she was told to freshen up. Apparently the coronation would need to take place again.

Lucifer had explained quickly that since the aristocracy of his world were not present, the crowning was not valid. He’d gently removed the towering crown from her head, smirking at the pout she’d worn.

Samara cast a longing look at the luxurious bed she saw as soon as she entered the room. The enormous thing was taking up a large portion of the room, covered in smooth looking silks and plush pillows. All she wanted to do was curl up in those sheets and sleep. If the strong, secure arms of her King happened to join her, then all the better.

Heaving a deep sigh, Samara continued through the room to the opened bathroom. Taking a look in the mirror she suppressed a grimace. Her makeup looked great. Her hair on the other hand was a wreck. Her lips pursed as she ran her hands through her hair, smoothing down the flyaways. Her dress wasn’t wrinkled or crimped; she was pleased to note.

She was slow to walk back to the main room, her feet carrying her to the bed. She gingerly sat on the edge of the bed, her hands splaying across the fabric on her thighs. Her eyes took in the room around her. She could tell that this was Lucifer’s room. If not by the sheer presence of his energy that filled the room, then the lingering of his intoxicating scent was what clued her off. Even just this little bit of him that she could sense helped ease her mind. Yet still her thoughts continued to spiral.

Perhaps she should have expected this outcome. She’d heard her family’s reactions to her newfound powers as well as the prophecy. She should’ve taken the clues. But it was her family; she never thought they could betray her as they did.

Samara felt a shiver of fear race down her spine. They had planned on binding her magick, erasing her memory! Who in their right mind would do something like that?! She was familiar with the rituals for binding someone’s magick. There was no guarantee that only certain parts of the witch’s magick would be blocked; more often than not that witch lost their powers completely. On top of all that, Samara could guess the potion that Hilda had planned on using. There were only a small handful of potions that tampered with memory loss. All held the same cautions as the power binding rituals; there was no guarantee what memories were being erased. She could have lost everything. Her family was willing to risk that.

A Shadow wrapping around her ankle caused Samara to surface. Taking stock of the room she realized that everything was now cloaked in darkness. A small smile curled the corner of her lip. She wasn’t surprised to see all of her Shadows darting around the room; with them riled up from not only recent events but also the fear she’d felt from her current thoughts. She reclined back onto the bed, her legs still dangling from the edge. Her eyes slid closed as she sent out a pulse of reassurance to her Shadows. Almost instantly she was consumed.

Her Shadows flew around her, their physical presence like a whisper dancing over skin. They smothered her with their assurance. She felt the ball that had been settled in her chest unravel and fade away.

Perhaps a more typical person would have been appalled at the messages her Shadows sent her. And maybe Samara had thought herself typical, but stepping back and checking herself now, she realized that she was wrong. What typical person would feel relief at the images her Shadows were showing her? Of Hilda and Zelda rushing at her menacingly, one holding a vial, the other holding a book of runes. Before they could touch her, her Shadows swirled up their feet, legs, torsos until they were engulfed in darkness. The Shadows made quick work of them but allowed her to hear their horrified screams and to smell the penny-copper of their blood. What typical person would find comfort in the vision of Sabrina, eyes glowing white and hovering in the air, ready to use her ramped up powers against her; only for the girl to find herself quickly pinned to the floor, Samara’s shadows swarming her like maggots in a festering wound? Like Hilda and Zelda before, Samara could hear her screams and pleas and scent rust and metal.

What typical person would be pleased by any of that? Not a normal person. And Samara knew she wasn’t typical. The thought cementing in her head as she felt herself melt into the bed at the comfort her Shadows were bringing her.

Lucifer might have gifted her with the Shadows when she was still a fetus, but over time they had become hers. Nothing short of losing her powers could separate them from one another. Even then, Samara thinks her Shadows would still be with her, she just wouldn’t be able to sense them as easily.

“Well, this looks cozy.” Lucifer’s tone was teasing. Samara peeked one eye open at him. Through the darkness surrounding her she could see him leaning against the doorframe, his arms crossed.

“They were worried.”

“I figured the sudden brightening of every room had something to do with you as most Shadows fled.” He walked towards the bed, her Shadows parting around him like hydrophobic sand in water. As he sat next to her, her Shadows dissipated, returning to the edges of the room. They trusted Lucifer to watch over her. Samara sent a pulse of gratitude their way, content filling her as she felt Lucifer do the same.

“The past few weeks have been filled with change and unease. They’re tense, upset.” Samara remained laying back as she spoke, her eyes flitting around the room as she watched her Shadows dance. Her gaze snapped up to Lucifer as he brushed a strand of hair back, his hand cradling the side of her head.

“I dare say that they are not the only ones upset. Much has happened to you so recently. A time I planned to have filled with joy and admiration has since been muddled with betrayal and sorrow. I hope you can one day forgive me, my flower.” His voice was soft, his eyes even softer. Samara would bet that few had ever witnessed the Dark Lord be so gentle; even fewer hear him ask for forgiveness. She reached a hand up, her thumb stroking his defined cheekbone, her finger trailing to trace his ear.

“There’s nothing to forgive. The only ones in charge of their actions are the people in question themselves. My hurt will pass in time. That still doesn’t negate from the content and happiness I feel that I’m here. With you.” Samara smiled as his eyes slipped closed as she continued to trace delicate patterns onto his skin.

“We must work on your overwhelming mercifulness, My Queen. But not towards me. Never towards me. I intend to take every bit of your mercy for myself. Let the rest fend for themselves.” He hummed, slowly leaning down towards her. His hand slipped down and below, cupping her neck. He gently raised her by his hold, bringing her up towards him. Just as she felt his breath tickle her lips, a knock rattled the door. Fire licked inside her at the displeased growl that rumbled his chest.

“Your Majesty? They’re ready for you.” A timid voice spoke from outside.

Samara grinned at the heavy sigh that escaped the man holding her. Darting up she pressed a quick peck to his lips, dancing up and away before he could catch her. His narrowed eyes caused a giggle to escape her. She took in his form as he stood, her eyes roving up and down. A snap from his fingers and she felt her hair and dress smooth out.

She was running a hand down the front of her dress, her eyes following it’s path, double checking that there were no wrinkles when she felt his hand grasp the back of her neck. He pulled her forward by his hold, forcing her head to tilt up. Her core clenched at the fire flickering in his gaze. Once again he leaned down, but this time it was to speak nearly against her lips.

“Soon, My Samara; you will not be able to escape my grasp so easily, nor will you want to.” Despite the heat flaring in his words, the kiss he pressed to her lips was soft and gentle. She began to press back, her body stepping towards him but his fingers tightened the grip he had, forcing her to stay still. Disappointment flooded through her as he pulled back.

“Come. We have a crown to place on your head.” He released her neck and extended his hand towards her. She released a soft huff before setting her hand in his.

Unlike before, the guests of this coronation were unmasqued. Samara took in every demon she could see, their odd features all prominent. Also unlike before, there were many many more people.

Samara stayed at Lucifer’s side as he led them through the throne room. The demons and other beings parted a path for them, bowing and curtsying as they passed. She could feel the thrum of anticipation and unholy glee in the air. Samara could only guess why the crowd was so pleased. Perhaps they had never expected their King to take a Queen. She wondered how they would take to her Ruling.

He was quick to lead them up the stairs to where the thrones sat. Their thrones. Near identical to the ones that had been at the Academy. The only difference being these two seemed larger, more menacing. Power seemed to radiate from them like a heady cloud. Maybe the thrones themselves weren’t radiating the power though. Perhaps it was just the lingering of Lucifer’s own powers saturating a place he spent much time in.

Samara hardly noticed as the crowd’s quiet murmurings silenced. She did, however, feel their eyes devour her as Lucifer helped seat her in the more curved throne. As he did earlier that night, his thumb swept across her knuckles as she sat down. She made sure to send a grateful smile his way before he parted from her. This time her crown was held by a mouthless demon. Curiosity quirked inside her. Why did this demon have no mouth? She’d noticed that most of the demons in positions of servitude were much like that one; mouths, eyes, noses, ears were all missing in different variations. She’d make sure someone explained it to her.

Her thoughts were paused as Lucifer stood before her again, the golden glinting crown secure in his hands. Her eyes slipped closed as the warm metal was placed on her head once again. Just like earlier that night, the feeling of right, mine, power echoed through her.

Unhesitantly Samara slid her hand into the one Lucifer had extended towards her, helping her rise once again. Still, the congregation beneath them remained silent. There was a heaviness to the air this time that wasn’t there before. At the front of the crowd below, stood three demons more lavishly dressed than the rest. She could only assume they were the Kings of Hell. Their presence was a necessity to her coronation Lucifer had explained. They would make sure her status was upheld and spread in Hell.

“My loathsome subjects, I gather you here today to celebrate the crowning of a new Ruler. I present to thee, Samara Spellman. Proud lady of Pandemonium, Maiden of Shadows, and Queen of Hell! Hail Samara!” Lucifer’s voice echoed through the silent hall. She could feel his power pulsing from him, a cloak-like feeling settling around her.

“Hail Samara! Hail Satan!” The congregation below crowed. While the glamoured crowd earlier in the night had chanted the same words, the group chanting now held jubilation and anticipation in their words. Samara felt any unease that had been settled on her shoulders evaporate. No doubt she’d still have a few hiccups from some demons and others testing her boundaries but it was nice to know that there were no immediate protests.

“And now, we shall dance to the Mephisto Waltz, as Queen and King.” The music that started up was similar to what had played during their dance earlier. It was heavier this time, darker, more resolute. Samara’s hand was held tightly in Lucifer’s as they quickly descended the stairs. The crowd parted for them once again, this time leaving the center of the room clear.

It was as easy as breathing, assuming the positions they’d held before. Her waist cradled in his grasp, her hand resting on his chest, his hand leading them through the steps. The air between them crackled, not just from the want that seemed to flare any time they were together, but from an intimacy. Samara could tell from Lucifer’s gaze that their dance was different this time. The steps and tune might all be the same but the magick and power surrounding them now was different. It continued to build with each step they took, blaze increasing with every spin she made.

“You can feel it too.” His voice was a whisper, nearly as soft as his gaze. Samara’s eyes couldn’t break away, nor did she want to. The fingers on his chest drummed gently as she hummed in assent. “This is how it should have gone. Our subjects in awe as our powers grow and meld. All watching as their Queen came to be.”

Now that he’d said it she could pinpoint what was going on. Before, she had been able to feel the difference but not exactly what it was. Now, she could tell. Lucifer’s power was vast, unending, all consuming. It was a seductive darkness that crooned and devoured. She’d been able to feel that from the moment she’d met him. But now, she could feel it swirling around her, not just in protection as it had done earlier. Now she could feel her own power surge up to meet him. Swirling and dipping and twisting and turning. Where one went the other followed. To take and taste and touch and have. It continued as their dance did. Until she could no longer tell where her power began and his ended. Until it all felt like one. Changed, the same, different and similar.

She felt drunk off the power that swirled around them. Her eyes raised from the delicate patch of skin exposed at the base of his throat that she hadn’t realized she’d been eyeing. Lucifer’s eyes were glazed over, no doubt from the same heady surge that was rushing through her.

No longer were either one of them consciously in charge of the steps they were taking. The dance was controlled by instinct and intuition.

They twirled faster and more grandiose as the music reached a crescendo. Her body pressed closed to his, swirling out under his arm to be quickly tucked back in. Only to come to an abrupt halt as the last, echoing note reverberated through the room.

Samara came back to herself. Her body dipped low to the floor, the ends of her curls brushing the marble. Her crown steady on her head. Her hand splayed on Lucifer’s neck, her other grasped tightly in his own. The small of her back held securely in his arm. His eyes sparkled in triumph and smug pleasure as he looked down at her. A smile broke through her lips. She was quick to crane her head up, his arm tightening and bringing her body the rest of the way to be flush against him, still dipped down.

Their lips clashed together, adrenaline coursing through her; their shared power smothering them. She bit his lips open, working her way inside. The taste of him, electricity and promise would haunt her to the end of her days. She’d never get enough. His hummed moan something she wanted to listen to for days on end.

It was easy to forget that they were surrounded by a crowd. It was too easy to just get lost in him. But Lucifer was a skilled man. And cruel she thought briefly as he pulled away from her.

His eyes were near black with desire; not only from the power exchange but their heated kiss as well. He was a stronger person than she as he stepped away, releasing her from his hold. He bowed, to which she curtsied. As soon as their social decorum was finished, her hand was once again ensnared by his.

Immediately as soon as her hand met his once again, the crowd around them roared in cheer. Samara shared a grin with her King. He began helping her back up towards their thrones as the music started back up. Now was the time for their guests to enjoy themselves. After all Hell was a place for indulgence.

A servant was quick to offer her a glass of red wine as she was seated in her throne. She accepted it as she tilted her head, watching Lucifer sit regally upon his own throne. Still their hands remained intertwined on the arm rests.

“Now My Queen, all is as it should be. You upon your throne. Our subjects celebrating down below. Us side by side together.” Lucifer’s silky words met her ears. She hummed softly as she sipped her wine.

“Perfect.” Even as she answered, her thoughts flashed images of her family and their betrayal. Her mood threatened to sour but was diverted as Lucifer squeezed the hand he held.

“Do not let thoughts of earlier spoil Our night, my flower.” While his words held some demand in them, she could tell he only meant for the best. She shot a small smile at him, squeezing his hand back.

“Like I said earlier, it will take some time but it will fade. Besides, I plan on sitting here with you and enjoying our evening.” Her words rung with promise. A promise to herself to try to not let what happened earlier rain down on her mood.

Feeling mounting anticipation and dark glee swirling within Lucifer, she shot him a questioning look. A grin was directed her way before he answered.

“Perhaps I have something that would lighten your thoughts once again.” His tone was suggestive. Samara chuckled, rolling her eyes. “Besides, what kind of King doesn’t gift His newly crowned Queen something the night of Her coronation?” He gestured one of the servants forward, whispering into his ear. The demon scurried off down the stairs.

“Lucifer, I don’t have any gift for you though.” Samara worried her lip between her teeth, her brow creasing. The Dark Lord released her hand, reaching up to release her lip from its prison. He ran a soothing thumb along the abused flesh.

“Trust me when I say my gift from you will be watching what’s to come.” He whispered, a smirk pulling at his lips. Samara’s eyes narrowed at him in question.

Her attention was pulled towards the crowd below them once again as they became hushed. She saw as they watched two figures at the doors. The servant Lucifer had sent away was now back, tugging along another beside him. The second person was cloaked in ragged, ripped, sweaty attire with a black sack covering their head.

The servant guided his guest to the center of the room, kicking their legs and forcing them to kneel. Samara turned to look at Lucifer, who was leaning forward in his seat. With a kiss to her knuckles he stood, a tug from his hand having her join his side. He guided them to stand at the railing, resting their still entwined hands on the warm marble. Their guests silenced at the new position their King and Queen held. Which made it all the easier for Lucifer’s words to echo in the room.

“Now for tonight’s entertainment! I present unto My Queen, a gift, for her coronation. May it help make this night even more memorable.” His voice boomed around them. With a nod of his head, the servant ripped the black sack off the unknown person’s head. Samara felt herself freeze.

“Did I not promise you, My Queen? Did I not say that he’d be dealt with? I can think of no sweeter revenge than for you to take him in hand now. To do with him as you please. And when his physical body tires, his soul can go wherever you direct. To keep him as a plaything for your frustrations forever more.”

Now she understood why he’d been feeling so giddy. She squeezed his hand gently before letting go. She trailed her finger along his back and she walked behind him, to descend the stairs. Her steps were slow and echoed with each click. She could feel the eyes of not only her King but their subjects as well as they tracked her every move. All too soon her journey was done, her feet carrying her to the trembling man knelt before her.

Faustus Blackwood stared up at her, terror and rage intermingling on his face. She could only imagine how he felt. Forced to kneel before a girl he’d once tried to molest. Kneeling before someone from a family he loathed. The knowledge alone, that she was now his Queen, must’ve been eating him up inside.

Her memories began overtaking her again. Not so much the images of what once happened, but rather the emotions. The all consuming fear and sorrow she’d felt when he’d tried to take her in his office. The rage and loss she’d experienced when she’d learned Zelda was to marry him. How he’d taken so much from her. Her sense of security, her community, her family, her home! But Samara was many things, and thoughtlessly cruel was not one of them. She’d extended mercy to almost everything she’d known at least once. Perhaps that’d be how she’d Rule. Merciful to an extent, then she could let the cruelty that’d been buried down deep out to play.

With those thoughts in her head, Samara stared Blackwood in the eyes as she slightly bent at the waist to bring her face level with him. Still she could see the fear and anger swirling within him.

“I hold no fond feelings for you. In fact, I couldn’t care less if Witch-hunters came along and burnt your body to a crisp. However, I’ve been told I’m a merciful Queen so far. So. I’ll give you an ultimatum. Bow down, kiss my feet, beg for your life like the pathetic useless worm that you are, recognize me as your Queen and you’ll walk out of this room alive and well. I’ll assure it. Or do nothing, and I can’t promise for your well-being.” Her words were firm. She could feel the surprise that rang through her King. No doubt he’d expected her to fly into a rage as soon as she’d seen Blackwood. But she’d never been like that. No, Zelda had taught her to be rational. So here she was, being rational. An ultimatum. Ultimately, Blackwood’s fate was in his own hands. Which he chose swiftly.

She heard him before she felt it. Hot saliva trailed down her cheek, her eyes closed from the startling action. She heard the crowd around them gasp and curse, getting worked up. White hot rage pulsed behind her from Lucifer. She sent a soothing pulse back, not wanting him to interfere.

“I’ll die before I bow before any Spellman; much less the mutt they took in.” Blackwood bit out. Samara hummed as she delicately wiped the spit off her face with her hand. Using the soiled hand, she ran it over his face, wiping off the wetness before grasping his chin. Her sharp nails dug into the hollows of his cheeks.

“A mutt I may be. But you will die with the knowledge that I, Samara Spellman, am your Queen. In a position of power you could only dream to be in. And now, for eternity, you will suffer under my direction, my instruction and my will. So mote it be.” She snarled out, her nails causing drops of blood to appear on the skin they pierced before releasing him and stepping back.

Pleasure curled within her at the startled gasps and shouts she heard. Her Shadows had been creeping in closer and closer as she’d stood before Blackwood. Now, they gathered at the bottom of her dress, blurring it with darkness. Some climbed up her back, flaring out behind her in a mockery of wings.

She took satisfaction as all colour drained from Blackwood’s face, his trembling increasing.

She could feel the eagerness that swelled and swirled within her Shadows. It’d been so long since they’d been able to cause any real violence. And to have a subject that’d caused her fear and pain, they were all the more ready to pounce. They twisted and writhed around her, climbing up and leaping off her body, hurtling to the floor but not touching the man knelt before her. Not yet.

Tilting her head back, her eyes slipped closed. Samara could feel them pleading with her. Their thirst for blood and violence nearly overwhelming. Their whispers of safety and promise caressed her ears. A smile played on her lips. Inhaling deeply, she slowly breathed out as she once again looked at Blackwood. His utter terror caused a malicious grin to grow.

All at once she grabbed the walls she’d held in her mind. The ones she built to help control her Shadows. To stop them from mindlessly causing violence. She gripped those walls, and proceeded to rip them to shreds. Directing all her ire towards the man before her, she made sure the only thing her Shadows would maim was the worm. And maim they did.

At feeling the gates she’d used to contain them vanish, there was a moment of utter stillness. All Shadows in the room stood still for a beat. This type of freedom was unusual to them. It caused an unnatural lull in its movement. Any warmth in the room was instantly sucked out, breath able to be seen in condensation clouds.

Then, they descended. To the guests it was impossible to see what was happening. But they could hear the agonized wails of a man in pain; a man in fear for his own life. Shortly after the screams started, the overwhelming scent of penny-copper emanated from the darkness at the center of the room. Hot crimson blood began splattering from the darkness, striking guests and marble alike. They might not have been able to see what was happening, but they could make a well-educated guess.

Samara, on the other hand, had no trouble seeing through her Shadows. She watched, as they dove from every corner and crevice of the room around her towards the kneeling worm. He wasn’t kneeling for very long. They lifted his body up, tossing him around like a tissue in the wind. Up was down, left was right, she could only imagine how disorienting it’d be. They’d lift him high then let him hurtle back towards the marble, smacking his flesh off the now cold floor.

When they’d had their fun tossing him around, they began a new game. While her Shadows were often able to be walked through, untouchable; they could become physical if they wanted, as solid as a hand. Now, she watched as they morphed themselves into infinitesimally miniscule spikes. Then they began racing along the cloth and skin of Blackwood. Almost instantly blood welled up in their wake. Blackwood screeched and swung his arms. Attempting to fight off an attacker he’d never be able to touch. Millions upon millions of little spikes wrecked havoc upon his flesh causing an unidentifiable amount of lacerations. None of the wounds were especially deep though. Each cut placed to cause as much pain as possible.

Samara felt irritation grow as his screams turned to curses and eventually begging. Sending a brief thought to her Shadows, she felt a smirk curl her lip as they were quick to comply.

They pried his mouth open, his words slurring. They worked in tandem. Some to keep him still. Some to keep him facing her. Some to hold out his tongue. And finally, some to rip out the squirming appendage. His screams turned to shrieks. But no words left his lips, she noted, pleased.

Finally, her Shadows moved on to their last act. With blood covering the outside of the man, they wanted to see the rest inside. Quickly her Shadows entered whatever orifice they could find. They smothered themselves inside the body that’d caused her so much trouble. They kept going and going and going and going. All too soon or maybe not soon enough, they began razing. No part inside the man was left uscathed. They rampaged around inside his body, slicing, burning, ripping and tearing anything they could. Samara watched as they ripped around inside and then tore themselves out. Only to enter from the new hole to do it all over again.

His screams finally stopped but not before she could meet his eyes. She connected with his tear and terror filled eyes. She could tell he was begging her to get them to stop. Her only response was a quirked brow. She’d given him a choice and he’d made one.

Eventually her Shadows retreated, going to the corners they came from. Some nudged her back, stopping the puddle of ever-growing blood from reaching and staining her feet. She looked down at the still husk before her, apathy overtaking her features. Silence reigned around her. Shock present in all of their auras. She could even feel the shock Lucifer held. He didn’t expect her Shadows to cause damage like that. A chuckle threatened to escape her. However it was halted as she caught movement below her.

Blackwood’s soul crawled from his mangled corpse. With a snap of her fingers a collector was at her side.

“Take him away for now. I’ll let you know what I want done with him at a later date.” Her tone was short as she gestured below. The collector was quick to drag the soul out by his hair. Blackwood was still reeling from the remnants of what had happened, and therefore didn’t feel the further abuse.

Samara hummed before turning around and facing her King. She tilted her head back to look him in the eye as he stared down at her from the railing. She sent a pulse of satisfaction, gratefulness and finality towards him. Sure, it was a lot to send at once but her King was smart, he’d figure it out. She was finished for the night. She was ready to return to their chambers.

She watched as he quickly descended the stairs, joining her at her side. He raised her hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss on her skin. His eyes belied the raging want swirling within him.

“Let this be an acknowledgment from you all. Your new Queen may seem merciful. But rest assured Her cruelty can know no bounds.” He bellowed, not that their guests had even whispered anything, silence still reigning around them. “We thank you for joining us for tonight’s events. Please, enjoy the festivities but your Queen and I will be retiring for the night.”

With her hand held in his, he escorted the both of them out of the room, passed the bowing and kneeling guests. Neither spoke a word to the other as he led her towards their room. But the air between sparked with words unsaid and lingering intimacy.

Perhaps in another world Lucifer would’ve ushered her into their room and crowded her up against the door. Ravishing her there. And perhaps in another world she would’ve greatly welcomed it. But that didn’t happen in this one. Instead, he guided her into their room. She could feel that he wanted her. He wanted to do what she’d imagined, but he didn’t. While he might’ve been aroused and heady with desire, she wasn’t. She’d just watched a man she’d loathed be tortured to death. There was no way in Heaven she’d be able to feel desire tonight.

Instead, he gathered her into the lavish bathroom from earlier. With a snap of his fingers the oversized tub was filled with steaming water and amaryllis petals. He’d also divested the both of them of their clothes, she noted.

He entered the tub first, leaning back against the side with his long legs stretched out. He held a hand out to her. She could see the desire in his eyes as he visually devoured her bare body, but she could see his restraint too. For that she was glad.

She was quickly settled resting back against him. He stroked a wet hand through her hair, a soothing hum building in his chest. She ran gentle fingers down his thighs that were bracketing her body.

“Thank you.” Her voice was soft, not wanting to break the intimate atmosphere around them.

“I did make a promise to you. It was magnificent, by the way. Your wrath.” He rumbled, his chest vibrating along her back. She hummed and leaned her head back against his chest.

“Mmm. Hopefully you’ll never be on the receiving end of it. You don’t think it was too much?” She tilted her head to the side to peer up and back at him. He fixed his eyes onto hers.

“It was a sight they needed to see. No doubt they’d have thought you weak. A meer witch. Had they not seen your display. Now, they’ll be much more inclined to listen to you.” He explained, reaching up to brush some hair out of her face. She hummed once again, settling back against her King. If this was her first day as Queen, she was interested to see what the rest held for her.

Waking in the arms of her King was a new experience. One that she was looking forward to repeating for all of eternity. What was strange was not seeing the sun rise. She knew that there was sun in areas of Hell. But here in Pandemonium there was no sunlight. A part of her was eager to explore Hell and see what this realm had to offer.

The arms that encased her waist briefly tightened, pulling her forward and flush against the bare chest she rested on. A low hum met her ears as she tilted her head up.

“My Queen.” His words were laced with content and possessiveness. She ran a hand up his bare flank to rest on his pectoral beside her face, fingers stroking the skin there.

“My King.” She whispered the words. Hearing him inhale deeply, an overwhelming sense of fondness squeezed inside her chest. Lucifer, while not a good man, was good to her. She looked forward to what forever held for them. She turned her head to press soft kisses to the bare skin before her.

Feeling his hand trail up along her bare back, she shivered as she realized they were both still unclothed. She’d fallen asleep during their soak and Lucifer had deemed it unnecessary to clothe either one of them as he put them to bed apparently.

His hand was quick to clasp the back of her neck and drag her up his body. His free hand continued to stroke meaningless patterns along the expanse of her back, minute trembles of her skin followed his fingers.

Now that she was closer, she could see the blatant hunger that shone in his eyes. With a small grin, she craned herself the rest of the way forward. Their lips met in a series of searing, wanting caresses. She trailed her hands up his body until they rested on his shoulders. Their kiss quickly careened into more heated territory. Teeth catching flesh, battling to see who would yield first.

Samara hummed before she began moving. Never parting her lips from her King’s, she braced her hands against his shoulders and quickly straddled her legs along his torso. His hand that had been running along her back ran down to grip the outside of her thigh, his fingers digging into the flesh. A soft sound escaped her, her lips finally parting from him for a moment. Their harsh breathing filling the room.

Before Lucifer could do anything, Samara’s head ducked down. Now trailing soft, heated kisses starting from the corner of his lips across his jaw to down along his neck. She felt as both his hands now gripped her thighs, moans rumbling in his chest. Absently she recognized as his hands began crawling up towards her waist. She was still too busy pressing her lips to his exposed skin. Now at the hollow of his throat, a wicked thought crossed her mind. Quick as a flash her sharp teeth snagged the delicate skin and bit down. She heard his tortured groan before the world flipped.

Feeling the bedsheets and pillows at her back now, she blinked up at Lucifer. He now hovered over her, her legs now wrapped around his torso, his one hand gripping her waist, the other hand pinning her shoulder down. She grinned up at him, licking away the taste of blood on her lips. She watched in delight as crimson trickled down from his throat.

“Naughty little Queen. Perhaps a vampire has come and replaced my darling witch.” He rumbled, leaning down and silencing the giggles that were escaping her. She raised her arms and twined them around the back of his neck.

In the blink of an eye her arms were wrenched away, his hands pinning her wrists above her head. She narrowed her eyes at him as he leaned back once again.

“Ah ah, naughty Queens don’t get to touch. Keep your hands there for me, will you my flower.” He demanded, a smirk curling his lips as she pouted. She huffed but nodded her head.

He went to work quickly. His hands trailed down her arms as he began moving back. His head leaning down to lavish her throat with scorching presses of his lips. His hands continued down, stopping as he gripped her waist. He raised his hands a bit, able to slowly swipe his thumbs along the delicate skin under her breasts.

Her panting breath filled the room with sound as she clenched her hands into fists. He’d told her to keep her hands there, and dammit she was going to try.

Her back arched slightly as his mouth trailed lower, going along the flesh of her sternum down to the valley between her breasts. He pressed a final kiss there before as quick as a snake ensnared her one nipple in his unforgiving mouth. His hand palmed her free breast, stroking the skin and pinching the little bud.

A sharp moan escaped her lips as he deliciously tortured her sensitive flesh. His sharp teeth lightly worried the hardened bud he had captured. Pulling back he admired the now darkly flushed skin, running a finger along it, flicking it as he went. Another moan left her as he ducked down again, this time to leave quick little nips at the sensitive underside of her breast. Her legs tightened around him, her hands twining in the pillows they rested on. She felt him chuckle along her skin.

“You are being a very good girl, my sweet. And good girls get rewarded. Now, let me get my answer to a question I’ve had since we’ve met. Do you taste as good as you look?”

He abandoned his ministrations he’d held on her breasts. His hands lingering as he began kissing lower. Down the middle of her stomach before stopping just above her soaking core. He gripped her thighs once again in a bruising grip, his nose tucked along her neatly trimmed curls.

Her eyes squeezed shut as she heard him inhale deeply, a flush racing down her body. Only to snap open at the guttural growl he released before he dove in. And really there was no other way to describe it as diving in. She’d barely had time to twitch before his arms were pinning down her hips and his mouth sealed on her core. His tongue traced a torturous pattern on her heated flesh, dipping in and tasting her arousal. Her hands flew to tangle in his hair, her back arching off the bed as his lips and tongue found her little button. She felt herself leak more arousal, her hips unconsciously trying to twist away from the onslaught he brought against her sensitive litte core. He was unrelenting, his arms tensing and pinning her, unallowing her a chance to escape. Her moans filled the room as she tugged at his hair, her thigh trembling. He pinned her down just as easily with one arm as he’d done both. He brought his free hand down to join him by his mouth. His fingers trailed along the slickened flesh, before finding where he wanted them to be and began slowly pushing in. She felt herself flutter along his thick finger, not feeling any discomfort until he began pressing in more fingers. She hummed and tugged at his hair, his tongue beginning another attack on her little button. With three of his fingers caressing hidden places inside of her, she felt as electricity began racing down her spine. Her moans grew in pitch and her back arched off the bed as he increased the intensity of his onslaught. White-hot pleasure erupted inside her, her core clenching around his fingers, more arousal leaking from her, her thighs squeezing around him.

She collapsed back against the bed, gasping breath. She felt him pepper kisses along her thighs and lower belly. She ran an apologetic hand through his hair, no doubt her grip had gotten unreasonably tight.

“If feasting upon you was to be my only purpose for the rest of my days, I’d spend that time in ultimate bliss.” His words made her chuckle softly, stroking a hand down his chest. He looked beyond appetizing; skin flushed, his lips still wet from her arousal, hair a riot.

“Who am I to stop you?” She teased, her feet resting against the bed but her legs still parted around his body. He shot her a wicked grin before climbing his knees closer. Their lower bodies nearer now. Anticipation shot through her as he palmed her hip, stroking the skin there.

“Now, my little witch, let me have what I’ve dreamed of since I’ve seen you blossom into the young beauty you are. Let me have you.” He murmured, staring into her eyes. Samara felt her cheeks heat once again but nodded her assent. His pleased hum caused her to flush even further.

His free hand reached down to help guide his member to her core. He kept their eyes locked together as he began pressing in. Samara’s lip was captured between her teeth as he continued slowly. The feeling was unusual, of being filled and stretched. Some pain threatened to drain her arousal but a twitch of his hand and it was gone. She panted as he continued to press in. It felt neverending. Until finally he stopped. His hips flushed with hers. She felt stuffed to the seams. It was wonderful.

Her head collapsed back onto the pillow, her eyes rolling up into her head as her lips parted to release another moan. Taking this as encouragement, Lucifer began pulling back, only to quickly glide forward once again. A punched-out moan ran from her lungs. She’d never felt like this before. Full and whole and pleasure coursing through her veins.

She could feel as their power grew around them again, much like during their Waltz the night before. Sex magick was a powerful thing. But it was different than that. More than that. This was more than just their power mingling together and complementing one another. Now, it was merging to become one.

Her hand fluttered down, trembling, looking for his. Delighted she felt as he quickly grabbed hers, sensing how overwhelmed she felt. Both his hands clasped hers, his body rising and arching over hers, surrounding her. His lips pressed against hers, his hips starting up a punishing rhythm. He pressed her hands into the pillow on either side of her head, pulling his head back slightly. She took in gasping breaths as he continued on his quest of pounding her into the mattress. Her legs snaked up to wrap around his hips, craving the closeness of his body. She heard him huff before he released one of her hands to reach down and cradle her lower body, suspending that part in the air. Her now freed hand raked claws down his back. She heard him growl in satisfaction, his pace somehow increasing.

“Please please please please.” Her whispered mantra began chanting. She heard him chuckle against her throat that he’d been laving his tongue along.

His hand that had still been pinning hers to the pillows let go, running down until he managed to snake it under her back. Using his new hold he pulled her up as he sat back on his heels. Now seated in his lap, he used his hold on her to start a filthy grind of his hips. Her lips parted in pleasure, her eyes rolling up as this new position caused sparks to zip through her body. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, burying her face in his throat, panting in his intoxicating scent.

She felt as his movements grew more frantic, faster. His breath now panting as he seeked his release. She shivered as he snuck a hand down, feeling where they were joined, until he found her little button. He set a merciless pace both with his hips and with his fingers. She felt as her spine began to tighten, the ball of pleasure in her belly growing and growing and growing. When she felt she couldn’t take anymore, she felt the same white-hot pleasure of before erupt inside of her. Her back arched and she strained into Lucifer, her cry of pleasure echoing in the room. She could hear him murmuring under his breath, it took effort to focus on his words. When she realized what he was saying her core clenched even tighter around him. Mine, mine, mine they were whispers along her skin. He continued his onslaught, her body jerking from the overstimulation that wreaked havoc on her body. Finally she felt his movements stutter before a groan escaped his lungs, pinning her body still to his.

Pulling her head back, she looked up into his eyes. An exhausted smile played along her lips before she ducked in and pressed a sweet thankful kiss against his lips. His hand reached up and brushed her hair back, tilting her head to deepen the kiss. She giggled as he tipped them over onto their sides. He held her close, her head once again resting on his chest, listening to the thump of his heart. Her fingers stroked lightly at the skin of his chest. He played with her hair, starting at the roots to stroke through the tousled strands, down her back only to start again.

“My first official decree as Queen is that you are required to do that to me everyday for the rest of eternity.” Her words caused a guffaw of laughter to shake his chest, her head bouncing with the movement. She grinned at his laughter. She looked up at his mirthful face, his eyes sparkling.

“Well, My Queen, while I may be a cruel King, I would never be so cruel as to deny you anything. Consider it written in brimstone.” He murmured as he stroked a finger along her cheekbone before tapping her nose. Her scrunching nose earned her another chuckle.

“Is it always like that?”

“For us, yes. Now, it’s time for naughty Queens to rise and ready. It’s your first day of Court. We have business to attend.” His words were punctuated with a sharp slap to her bottom. Her sharp yelp was more from surprise than actual pain. Still it spurred her up and out of the bed, but not before pressing another kiss to his lips.

Her legs wobbled for a moment before blood rushed down to settle them. As she took slow steps towards the bathroom, she could feel an achiness from the activities they’d just partaken in. She could hear him chuckle behind her, causing her to throw him a sharp look which only increased his amusement.

As she was in the bathroom, she cleaned herself up. A quick look in the mirror showed her the disarray her hair was in, as well as the darkening bruises that trailed down her throat. With a dismayed sigh, she waved her hand and a glamour covered them. Sure she could’ve healed them and made them disappear but what was the fun in that. Plus, it was a naughty little secret she could have, knowing that her King had claimed her and she had physical evidence.

Entering the bedroom once more, she noticed the golden dress laying across the bed. This one more sleek than the ballgown she’d worn last night. Turning to look at Lucifer, who was now dressed in another elegant grandiose golden jacket and pants combo, she gestured towards the dress. He approached her, his eyes slowly trailing along her body.

“As much as I hate to have your delectable body covered, it is nice to see you clothed in such appropriate attire.” With his words he grabbed her hand and spun her quickly towards the mirror, releasing her as she went.

Coming to a dizzying halt at the mirror she went to cast a dark look at Lucifer but was stopped as she realized he’d had the dress appear on her as she spun. Sniffing she turned to inspect herself and the dress. This dress, while more sleek, showed far more skin than the one the night before. The floor-length skirt was half sheer lace; and the sleeves fell from her shoulders, showing off much of her chest. It was more elegant than she’d originally thought. Especially paired with her hair now raising in some elaborate style with her crown resting regally around her head.

“There, fit for a Queen I would say. I fear My Court will be more enamoured with your attention than they could ever cast towards me.” Lucifer’s hands settled on her hips behind, peering into her eyes in the mirror. She leaned back into his embrace, sighing.

“Then I shall endeavor to remain on my best behavior.” While her tone was joking, she still felt nerves race through her. Lucifer’s hands squeezed briefly.

“I can feel your uneasiness, My flower. Trust that I will not lead you astray. Learning all the ins and outs of Court will be easy for you. You’re a natural. Besides, with your little display last night, I won’t be surprised to see a few of mine own lay fealty at your feet.” He assured, turning her in his arms. She ran a hand up his chest, trailing a finger along the exposed skin of his lower throat.

“I trust you.” Her words rang clear throughout the room. She could feel as his triumph and pride swirled around them. He leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead before stepping back and extending his arm.

“Then to Court we go.” At his urging she laid her hand within the crook of his elbow. He made quick work of the twisting hallways. Her head spun at all the turns they made as they went to the throne room.

Finally, they reached the open doors of the throne room. While the room itself looked similar to as it did the night before; now there were rows of seats lining the perimeter of the room, creating an aisle down the center. Each seat was filled with a person of some kind. Closer to the stairs sat the three demon Kings of Hell.

As Lucifer led them down the aisle and towards the stairs, all persons stood and bowed deeply, silence reigning over them. An occasional ‘Your Majestys’ would reach their ears, but was ultimately ignored. As she was led past the three demon Kings, they all three greeted her with a ‘Your Majesty’ and a bow. She inclined her head in acknowledgment before being led up the stairs. Lucifer stopped at the railing in front of their thrones.

She looked out over the sea of neatly lined people as they stared up at her and Lucifer. There was a crowd beginning to form outside the door. No doubt demons and such coming to Court to have their problems fixed.

Not even a month ago, she’d thought herself nothing but an orphan. With a family who loved her and a successful business she’d built from the ground. She had been content with it all. Now, she stood before a people, their Queen. With a handsome and menacing King at her side that cherished her. She’d experienced loss and betrayal at his side sure, but she’d never felt happier. Finally, she felt complete and that she’d found somewhere she belonged. She was exactly where she was meant to be. That she was sure of.

With those thoughts, she slid her hand down from the crook of his arm to settle it on his hand that was resting on the marble railing. She could see the corners of his lips start to curl from her periphery.

“As this is your Queen’s first day of Court, we will be keeping it short. Court is now in session!” Lucifer’s words overtook the silence of the room. Their subjects still stood from their seats. As soon as Lucifer was done speaking, the people down below began chanting.

“Hail Samara! Hail Satan!” The words of the people rang around the room. Samara shot a quick pleased smile up at Lucifer as he turned them towards their thrones. Much like the night before, he helped her to her throne before sitting in his. He kept their hands interlaced over the arms of their thrones.

She watched as someone from the doorway stumbled in, their hands fidgeting with each other as they walked down the aisle. One of the demon Kings rose to meet him. Samara released a pleased sigh, her sound causing Lucifer to raise her hand and press a kiss to the back of it. Meeting his curious gaze, Samara sent a pulse of content and happiness his way. To her pleasure, she was sent back his own wave of pride and happiness. Squeezing his hand she turned her attention back to their subjects below them. Content in the knowledge that yes, she was exactly where she was meant to be.

#caos #Chilling Adventures of Sabrina #dark lord #dark lord x reader #dark lord x oc #satan x oc #satan x reader #satan x ofc #Lucifer Morningstar #lucifer morningstar x reader #lucifer morningstar x oc #lucifer morningstar x ofc #sabrina #spellman #zelda #Hilda #ambrose

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tss-grimmverse · 4 years

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Mahogany and Teakwood: master list

"You've seen the posters. You know, the ones for missing kids. The ones hung on grocery store bulletin boards and gas station walls, dog-eared and ancient-looking under their scratched, yellowing glass. All those names and dates and blurry, weather-stained snapshots. Look at those faces sometime, really look. Because I’ll tell you a secret.

It’s a lie.

The ones who vanished without a trace? Missing for years, even decades…just gone, like they’ve dropped off the face of the earth? Those are Fae kidnappings.

My name is Virgil Storm, and I was one of them."

Virgil escaped from Arcadia after sixteen years of faery imprisonment, bearing colored rings around his pupils and the ability to sprout flowers from any substance. He thought he was free.

Two years later, his faery master tracked him down.

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Chapter 1: Clematis Chapter 2: Gloxinia Chapter 3: Lilac

The first three chapters can be read in their entirety here on Tumblr. The rest will have an excerpt, and a link to the AO3 and Wattpad chapters.

Chapter 4: Rosemary Chapter 5: Fern Chapter 6: Hydrangea Chapter 7: Pine Chapter 8: Iris Chapter 9: Daffodil Chapter 10: Lily Chapter 11: Shamrock Chapters 12: Tamarisk and 13. Arcadia Chapter 14: Petitgrain Chapter 15: Basil Chapter 16: Buttercup Chapter 17: Thistle Chapter 18: Amaryllis Chapter 19: Carnation Chapter 20: Hyacinth Chapter 21: Eglantine Chapter 22: Begonia Chapter 23: Cherry blossom Chapter 24: Dahlia Chapters 25: Hellebore and 26: Zinnia Chapter 27: Amaranthus Chapter 28: Willow Chapter 29: Asphodel Chapter 30: Rue Chapter 31: Jonquil Chapter 32: Cinnamon Chapter 33: Tansy Chapter 34: Bluebell Chapter 35: Daisy Chapter 36: Petunia Chapter 37: Astilbe Chapter 38: Snapdragon Chapter 39: Monkshood Chapter 40: Mock Orange Chapter 41: Lobelia Chapter 42: Oleander Chapter 43: Hemlock Epilogue: Rose

Soundtrack: Here

Artwork:

Virgil Storm Logan Ursae Roman Reis Patton Foster

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gracie7209 · 10 months

Text

Amaryllis Chapter 12: Home

Pairing: Frankie x f!Reader

Word Count: 7.3k

Warnings: Light on the angst this time, kissing, fluffy-fluff, language, the baby is present in this one, descriptions of breastfeeding said baby, dad!Frankie, TOM - he IS his own warning, there’s some violence, reminder that Frankie is still healing from his injuries, reader being a badass, slight time jump, Frankie being the most endearing human being on the planet (I’m biased, sue me)

Summary: Picks up immediately AFTER Chapter 11. Tom comes home to confront you about what he saw on camera.

A/N: We’re to the last full chapter for this story before the Epilogue. It’s very bittersweet for me because I have had so much fun writing this story and interacting with everyone, answering questions etc I’m sad that it’s almost over, but I’m excited to get going on some of my other WIPs. I’ve dabbled, but wanted to dedicate the majority of my time to getting this one completed. Thank you all for the love you’ve shown my little story. I appreciate every like, comment, reblog and ask more than you know 💖 🫶

Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist

You wake up to the sound of crying. The monitor on your nightstand signaling a very unhappy baby, and by the full feeling in your chest, you decided it was definitely time for a feeding. You stretch your tired limbs and notice that the spot next to you is surprisingly void of Frankie.

You’d asked him to stay with you, hesitant as he was with Tom’s absence, but Santi would let him know if they had anything to worry about. So, he stayed. The problem was that you guys fell into bed rather suddenly. The weight of your confessions to one another came to a fiery crescendo as you both left behind a brazen trail of clothing and other items strewn throughout the edge of the living room and hallway.

You smile at the memory of Frankie’s mouth on your neck, his hands on your body… Shaking your head, you make your way to the nursery, only to find Frankie standing over the crib. You decide to just lean against the doorway. Frankie hasn’t noticed you yet, so you decide to watch him for a few minutes, interested in seeing how he would interact with a baby. Your baby. The image immediately makes your heart squeeze in your chest. Tom never really helped with him, only when directly asked. He never seemed exactly interested in his own son. Yet Frankie’s face showed pure fascination —He was trying to soothe him. Your son was fussy, yes, but not completely ravenous yet.

Frankie seems unsure of what to do as his hands fidget with the side of the crib. It’s like he wants to reach in and pick him up but he's hesitant. Instead, he reaches his hand in and lightly traces over the soft hair of his eyebrows— Something you knew your son took comfort in. Your mother had done it for you as a small child and so it came naturally to you with your own. You’re not sure where Frankie learned it, but it seemed to be doing the trick as the little whines began turning into coos. You knew it was short-lived though as your breasts were already heavy, but for now, you were just enjoying the view.

Watching Frankie take care of your son - You had almost forgotten that this wasn’t your actual life, or at least it wasn’t up until now. For the first time, you had hope that things were about to change drastically.

Surely enough, like you had anticipated, within minutes the soft coos turn grumpy, and the hungry cries start up in full force. Frankie looks slightly panicked, but with a quiet resolve, he takes a breath and tries to reassure the crying babe with his words. “Alright buddy, I’m not super great at this stuff, but here we go…” And with that Frankie reaches in and cradles his delicate head and neck in his large palm, gently wrapping the other hand behind him to support his bottom. Slowly, Frankie pulls him out of his crib and brings him gently onto his chest. He’s still a little fussy, but the change seems to calm him slightly.

Frankie pats his bottom and is slowly swaying from side to side— “See, that’s better huh?” Frankie says in a whisper. He takes a second to just look at him. “You’re such a little guy… you look just like your momma.” As Frankie continues his light babbling, you notice the baby’s head moving, rooting around against Frankie’s chest. Getting fussy again, it’s obvious to you that he’s looking for something that Frankie doesn’t have. Unaware, but getting there, Frankie keeps talking to try and soothe him, but finds that he’s getting a little overzealous, “Sorry pal. I know my chest isn't nearly as comfortable. I just don’t have the same equipment as your— Oh!” Frankie does a quick face palm, annoyed at himself. “God I’m dumb….” You giggle softly to yourself as you knew Frankie would figure it out. He hadn’t put a shirt back on before coming to check on the baby, so being skin to skin has your son thinking he’s about to get fed.

“Here, let’s go get your momma buddy.” He turns slowly to make his way to the bedroom where you are, presumably, still fast asleep, but he stops when he sees that you’ve been there almost the whole time. You just smile and meet him halfway.

“I was trying to let you get more sleep, but uh, turns out I’m lacking in the proper equipment.”

“That’s ok,” you reach up and put your hand on his cheek after Frankie passes him safely to you. “Thank you, babe.” The little endearment has Frankie’s cheeks feeling warm and he smiles. “You’re welcome. I’m sorry if this was uh, weird, at all. I was just… You looked so peaceful. I didn’t want to wake you.”

“Not at all. And I trust you, Frankie. I know you would never hurt him. You looked like a natural.”

“Yeah, well I’ve never been around babies before…” Frankie’s focus turns to him yet again. “They’re just so little…” He brings a hand up to the baby’s head and rubs between his eyebrows again.

“Would you want to help me feed him?”

“Uh, yeah of course… I’m just not sure how though, he just… Um… just drinks from you right?”

“Yes,” you snicker a little, “but it’s easier to get situated with an extra pair of hands.”

“Ok then, lead the way Momma…” Your eyes shoot up, and your stomach does a little flip at simply being called what you are — Momma — It shouldn’t make heat coil in your gut while simultaneously making your eyes tear up. The endearment means so much to you. Frankie acknowledging you as a mother just makes you want to climb inside of him forever…. He’s so giving with his affection that it overwhelms you sometimes.

You sniffle lightly as you turn and make your way to the bedroom. Normally, you stay in the rocking chair in the nursery, but you want to stay as close to Frankie as possible. Once inside, you turn and hand him the baby as you grab your nursing pillow and go to sit up in the bed. You fuss with the other pillows behind you until you find a comfortable and relaxing position and motion for Frankie to bring him back. As Frankie hands your son back to you, he watches in awe as you do the most natural thing in the world and feed your child. You bring your breast to his mouth, it taking a few tries before he finally latches and then you take a slow deep breath, willing your body to relax. Frankie is still standing next to you, just watching. Completely enthralled at seeing you this way. He had watched you nurse him before, but it had only been during the day, and mostly by yourself in the nursery. He’s never been present from start to finish. Without another word, Frankie comes around to rejoin you on the bed, nuzzling as close to you as he can without disturbing you or the baby.

“You’re incredible—” He whispers into your shoulder. “I know it’s just nature, but you make it look beautiful.”

The love you see in his eyes makes your stomach swoop. He constantly surprises you with how very different he is from Tom. The two men are polar opposites in such a way that you don’t think you’ll ever be used to. You’ve never had Tom look at you like that. Have never been given such open affection that it starts making you emotional. The tears escape without warning, but you’re so happy you feel like you could burst.

“Hey, hey…” Frankie whispers, “Are you ok?”

“Yes, yes sorry. I just… Thank you Frankie. You are such a good man. Thank you for being here with me. It really means a lot.”

“I’m not going anywhere.” He brings his thumb up to lightly stroke over your shoulder. “It’s almost over, Bonita. And I’ll to be here in whatever way you’ll have me.”

“I’m gonna to hold you to that.” You smile, a small chuckle escaping your lips as you swipe away a stray tear.

“I’m counting on it….” Frankie lays a gentle hand on the back of your head and kisses your temple. His lips linger against you as he whispers, “I love you. I love you so much.”

“Mmmm,” you sigh. “I love you too.”

Leaning back slightly, Frankie makes room for you to lean more into his chest without moving around a whole lot. You both just sit there, soaking up this time together. Getting a glimpse of what the future, your future, may look like. A future with you and Frankie and your son. No Tom and no worries about anything other than the three of you.

—

When the baby is full, sleepy and sated, you go to put him in his crib. Frankie had fallen asleep again and it was your turn to try and let him sleep. You slip out of the bed with practiced ease, slowly laying down your sleeping babe and checking that the monitor was on before closing the door. You make your way to the kitchen for a glass of water and see Frankie’s phone sitting on the counter. When you go to check the time it's dead. Grabbing your glass, you take the phone back to the bedroom with you and put it on the charger next to your side of the bed. After a minute or two, the phone starts buzzing, almost constantly with notifications. You look and see message after message coming from Santi.

The first thing you see makes you suck in a breath, feeling as though the ground has opened beneath you.

CAMERAS!

Your mind is racing with every possible worst-case scenario. You turn to Frankie, trying to gently shake him awake.

“Frankie! Frankie, wake up!” You speak as quietly as you can, but with urgency, because cameras can only mean one thing.

“What? What is it?” He sits upright and looks to you, reaching his hand over to yours. “Are you ok? The baby, ok?”

“Yes, yes, it’s your phone…. It died, so I put it on the charger. A bunch of messages just came through, but I only saw one about fucking cameras. I think Tom saw us!”

“Fuck… No, no, no, shit…” He opens his phone and quickly scrolls through Sant’s messages,

CAMERAS!

Pick up Fish! Tom is ON HIS WAY!

Me and the boys are following but he’s got a head start.

CHARGE YOUR FUCKING PHONE PENJEJO! JESUS...

If you’re getting these, he doesn’t know about you yet, but if you’re there when he gets home…. You need to leave, NOW!!!

Frankie scrambles up to find his clothes, still mostly in the hallway. Nearly pulling his hair out by the roots as he frantically runs his fingers through his messy curls.

“Tom’s on his way here. I don’t know when these came in, but the safe house is only an hour away.” He grabs his phone again, typing a quick reply to Santi.

Fuck, how long??

He is hoping like hell that these had just been sent. Frankie tosses the phone back on the bed and comes over to you.

“Come with me. Both of you, we could all just go. Right now. We already have his confession…” He doesn’t want to leave you any more than you want him to leave, but you know you can’t yet…

“Frankie, it’ll be ok. You go.” His face falls, but he’s not understanding. “I want to go with you. But we need more time. If I’m gone when he gets back, it will make it even harder to pin him down. I’ll be fine here until we turn him in. By then, Tom will be in jail and then we will be free to go.” You’re not completely sold on your own words, but Frankie’s current dilemma left little room for argument. If you were gone when Tom got here, he would know without a doubt that something was up.

“You’re right…. I just don’t want to leave you again….” He’s looking down at you with those big brown eyes that make you instantly want to say to hell with it and just leave. Tom be damned.

“It’s ok...” You reach up to kiss him, rubbing his cheek with your thumb. He brings his forehead to yours— Breathing you in and kissing your lips again before turning to go. You get up to follow him and see him off, but before he even reaches the door, headlights shine through the window.

“Oh, fuck….”

“It’s ok, it’s ok…. Just… go hide…”

“What? No…. I’m not gonna go hide… Where would I even go, under your bed?”

“No, smart ass,” neither of you are angry, but you don’t have time…. “Go to the nursery. He hardly ever goes in there. He shouldn’t need anything either, so once he’s in the bedroom, you can sneak out. Now GO!”

“Fuck, ok…” He’s spouting small curses as he practically runs to the nursery, softly opening and closing the door. You go back into the kitchen to the fridge to look like you’re making a snack when the front door opens and Tom walks inside.

The click of the door being closed makes your stomach swoop and now in a good way, but it's Tom's voice that truly makes your skin crawl.

"Babe?" He hollers as soon as he steps in.

“Tom? What are you doing home?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?”

“Tom, it’s late… I just got done feeding the baby and wanted something to eat. Whatever it is, can it wait until morning? I’m tired.”

Like he doesn’t even hear you at all he asks, “Anything you want to tell me? Or better yet, you got anyone back there you want to introduce me to?”

“Are you serious? What are you even on about Tom?” You swallow…. A hard lump in your throat.

“Just saw something on the cameras that your little boyfriend left behind. Care to explain?”

“What? Tom, I swear, sometimes I think you get off on the thought of me with someone else. Do you hear yourself right now? How crazy you sound?”

Tom is moving around looking for something. When he spots the hat, still sitting undisturbed on the coffee table, he points a taunting finger toward you, then aims it toward the living room… “What about that sweetheart? Care to explain who's hat that is?”

You pale and swallow thickly. Fuck fuck fuck. You thought you had grabbed everything, but Frankie’s hat had fallen off at the very beginning and then left both of your minds altogether. “I’m not sure.” You can feel the shake in your voice, but you press on. “Maybe Santi left it the other day?”

“Nope. Try again babe.”

“Seriously Tom, this is nonsense. It’s a hat. I’ve been cleaning, or at least trying to with a newborn and I probably just set it there to get it out of the way without realizing it.

Tom makes his way over to the coffee table and picks it up abruptly — flipping it over, it takes just a second before it drops unceremoniously from his hands as if it had burned him.

“What? Where the fuck did this come from?!” He’s practically yelling now….

“Tom, quiet down! You’re going to wake up the baby… It’s just a hat. Stop this.”

“No! This,” he picks the hat back up, twisting and flinging it around. “Isn’t just a fucking hat. This... This is…. What the fuck??” He takes just a moment to breathe. “How did Frankie’s hat get in my house?”

“What? Why would you think that it’s Frankie’s?

“Standard. Heating. Oil. Sweetheart.” He points to each word as he says them, each one punctuated and sharp. “This is Frankie’s motherfucking hat. How? He was… He was wearing it when… He was fucking wearing it when he fell….”

You’re speechless. You honestly don’t know what to say to that. There was no lying your way out of this. So, you don’t say anything at all.

“Answer me… How did you get this?” You look up at the ceiling, begging for words to find you. The only connection you had to Frankie was through Santi. Maybe he’d buy that Santi had gone back for it? Maybe it would give you just a little time to work up something better?

“Santi gave it to me.”

“He what now?”

“Santi, he gave it to me. Said it was the only thing he found and knew Frankie would want me to have it. Said he hid it from the rest of you. He didn’t say why.”

“Is that so? Then why’s it just sitting out?”

“Because it’s the only thing left of someone I cared about! I… I miss him, Tom. So, I took it out to try to feel closer to him. Guess I just forgot to put it back.” You’re shocked at how easily the words keep pouring out of your mouth now that you’ve started.

“I don’t fucking believe you. Santi would’ve told me if he found anything of his. You’re lying.”

“Then you tell me Tom. How else do you explain how a dead man’s hat just magically appeared in our house huh? A man that you killed, unless you’ve forgotten that fact?? Frankie was your friend and you pushed him off a cliff and made it look like an accident. All because you were jealous! You killed him because you were jealous that he touched one of your precious toys!!”

“He fucking got what he deserved. And You — You liked him more than me. My own wife… Wanted another man.” God, he was pathetic…. Pretending as though you had betrayed your loving marriage to have a fling with someone else. You don’t say a word as Tom continues blithering. He wouldn’t let you get a word in even if you tried.

“And yes, he was supposed to be my friend. My friend….” He emphasizes ‘my’ by aggressively tapping his chest with his fingers. “I didn’t go to Colombia planning to kill the bastard originally. It just happened. He opened his fucking mouth and I shut him up.” You wince. The visual makes you shudder.

“But sweetheart, that still doesn’t explain how this motherfucking hat ended up on my coffee table when he was wearing it when I shoved his sorry ass off the cliff!

At that moment, Frankie couldn’t handle anymore. He was going to deal with Tom, and he was going to do it now. He opens the door and closes it softly, slowly walking down the hallway to the living room. He takes a breath and steps out.

"Sorry ass off the cliff!!!"

Tom is facing you in the kitchen, so he doesn’t see Frankie right away. Instead, Tom stalks over to you and gets in your face, but before he has a chance to start yelling again, Frankie taps him on the shoulder, hitting him square in the jaw as soon as Tom turns around.

Tom falls like a fat sack of rotten potatoes, hitting the ground with loud ‘thunk.’

“Fuck you, Tom!” Frankie straddles his legs and starts laying into him. Landing a few well-deserved hits right across Tom’s face. His adrenaline was so high that he didn’t stop to think about the fact that his broken ribs were still healing… but is quickly reminded when Tom gives him two quick hits to the side which has Frankie doubled over almost instantly.

“How the fuck are you alive? I watched you die…”

Tom stands up and hovers over Frankie’s prone form, taking in the sight of his former friend. His anger has him laying a kick directly to his ribs and Frankie groans out in pain.

“You just couldn’t stay away, could you? You should’ve fucking stayed dead.” Another kick and Frankie is on his stomach, unable to defend himself any longer.

“Tom fucking stop it! STOP!”

He just looks at you with disgust and leans over Frankie. “Maybe I didn’t give you enough credit Frank. But I won’t fuck it up again. This time you’re going to stay fucking dead—” At that Tom grabs a handful of Frankie’s hair, slamming his head down and he goes limp. You are screaming at Tom to stop, but he doesn’t hear you, nor does he care.

Tom is running his disgusting hand through Frankie’s hair as he says, “it’s almost over sweetheart!”

You run to try to pull Tom off of him. You know you’re no match whatsoever for Tom’s strength, but you think if you can give Frankie even a little window of time, that he’ll be able to get back up. Tom easily dispels you across the room, hitting the couch with a small thud, but you’re quick to get back up. In their scuffle earlier, what must have been Tom’s gun was dislodged and is lying behind them. You make a quick move for it and instantly aim it at Tom’s back.

“Tom, get the fuck off of him now!”

“And why would I do that, huh?” Tom is still looking down but turns on his knees to face you. “Should I just”— Looking up, he stops short at the sight of you aiming a gun at him. At first, he seems shocked, but then his expression turns amused.

“Huh, whatcha got there darlin? You even know how to work that thing?”

You hold the weapon steady, feeling every ounce of the weight you hold in your hands. That weight includes the life of your husband, whose chest is directly in your aim. “Tom, get the hell off of him, and go— “You wait a moment to gauge his reaction. His features still harbor amusement at the mere idea of you holding a gun, let alone threatening him. He doesn’t say a word, so you continue…

“Get away from him Tom.” Your voice is smooth in warning. “I’m done with this. With you. I won’t fucking hesitate. And I will take absolute fucking joy in watching you take your last breath.”

Tom still makes no move to get away from Frankie. His honest refusal to believe that you could do such a thing has you feeling bolder by the minute.

“Come on babe. You and I both know you’re not gonna shoot me.”

“Tom, I promise you. I’m not joking…… Get away from Frankie and get out. I’m going to give you to the count of three before I pull the trigger….”

“Uh huh…”

“One…….”

“Here we go…” The condescension in his tone has you grinding your teeth.

“Two…….”

“Two and a half,” comes Tom’s cynical reply. “TOM!”

“What?? Two and three quarters…. Come on now, do I have to do all the counting for you? What are you waiting for?!”

You say his name one last time in warning. Measured and slow.

“Tom….”

“One, two, three! See? I fucking knew you— “

You pull the trigger before he can finish.

“Fuck!” —Tom looks down at his shoulder that is now steadily bleeding through his shirt and jacket, then brings his gaze back to you. Your eyes don’t waver even slightly.

You still have the gun aimed directly at his chest. “That was a fucking warning, Tom. Get the fuck out of here — Leave us, ALL of us, alone, or so help me GOD, I will not miss!”

Tom slowly gets to his feet, never breaking eye contact with you as he slowly goes to the door. He takes one last look down at Frankie. He huffs slightly, before opening the door and slamming it behind him. You run to quickly latch the deadbolt before backing away, keeping the gun trained on the door until well after his taillights have faded, not trusting a single thing at this point. Before long, another set of headlights pull in. You’re not even aware of how long it’s been, but it couldn’t have been too long as Frankie has yet to move. Your worry for him was barely overshadowed by your fear of taking your aim away from the door. You hear a car door slam, and you tense, slowly moving closer to Frankie, who is still seemingly unconscious on your floor. You hear knocking - faint at first, but it quickly becomes more urgent when you don’t answer.

“Hey! It’s me, it’s Santi! You guys, ok!?” You run to the door and quickly undo the locks, swinging it open to let Santi inside…. “Is he out there? Is Tom out there?”

“No, no one’s out there except Will and Benny. What happened??” He takes a moment to take in the scene in front of him—The terrified look on your face, the fucking gun in your hand and then he sees Frankie’s crumpled form on the ground… You follow his line of sight and quickly run back over to Frankie, gently cupping his cheek. At this time, Will and Benny start making their way up the porch steps. You’re slowly going over Frankie’s features, checking to see if he needs to be taken to the hospital now that it was, presumably, safe with Tom gone and the guys here to help if he decided to show up again.

His breathing is steady, his chest moves easily with every breath, so you move on to his face. Tom had smacked his head pretty hard on the ground, so he was sporting a bloody nose and bruised cheek. Having only been maybe 10 minutes or so, it felt like Frankie had been out for hours. You’re hoping that he’ll walk away with a slight concussion if anything, but the worry is written all over your face.

“Don’t worry…He looks pretty pitiful now—” Santi is backtracking quickly, raising his hands in surrender at your scowl that could cut glass… “Shit! —No, no…. I mean he may look pitiful now, but Fish is a tough motherfucker.” Santi reassures you. “I’ve watched the man take bullets, shrapnel, survive a helicopter crash and walk away from falling off of a goddamn cliff! He’s gonna be fine. Just give him some time.”

Will and Benny choose then to come inside and at that same time Frankie finally starts to move. “M’ sorry, sorry.” He mumbles, looking up to you. “— still healing.”

“No, no Frankie… It’s ok…. It’s ok... I’m just glad you’re alright… Do you think you can get up at all?”

He grunts and holds his arm against his now at best, badly bruised ribs and manages to get to a sitting position, leaning heavily into your side for support.

“Frankie?” Comes Benny’s hesitant reaction to seeing his friend again.

“Hey Ben.”

“Fuck, man,” Benny runs over to him and pulls him into a hug, but Frankie’s grunt of pain makes Benny release him immediately. “Sorry, sorry! I just can’t fucking believe you’re here…”

Benny pats him on the back and Frankie is trying to be reassuring, uttering “It’s alright… I’m alright man,” more than a few times before Benny seems to believe him. They continue to make small talk while you take in your surroundings, the adrenaline wearing off to the point of exhaustion on your part. You honestly can’t believe that the baby hadn't woken up during any of the commotion. You had checked the monitor and sure enough, he was still sleeping, safe and sound.

Will and Santi are now talking over by the door. Will had come over shortly after Benny and said a few kind words of hello to Frankie, but he’s always been the quieter Miller brother and decided to let Benny get some time. You and Frankie are now sitting on the couch. He grabbed your hand for support when he made to get off the floor, but he never released you. Keeping some part of himself always connected to you.

The police were called soon thereafter, as Tom was still technically a problem. You didn’t feel safe staying in your house even one more night, so Santi said you all could stay with him for the time being until things sorted themselves out. The police took your report, and a copy of the recording was given to them as well.

Tom was eventually wanted for attempted murder and assault - Not only for Colombia, as jurisdiction would only go so far, but everything that happened that night was caught on camera, as Tom himself had made sure they were turned on. Tom had not only admitted to what he had done to Frankie on recording, but you both would testify that he intended to finish the job.

An emergency order of protection was immediately filed on behalf of you and Frankie as well as your son.

After a few weeks, Tom’s previous actions had made the judge’s decision an easy one when it came down to signing off on the extended ex parte orders.

No one, including Santi or the guys, had heard a word from Tom since.

After so long, you were finally able to start living your own life. A life free from Tom, for now, but you were technically still married to him. You decided you would have to worry about that another day. For the time being, you just needed to breathe and start figuring out this new life for yourself.

And just like that, something you had only ventured to imagine, yet never thought would be possible; you were able to be with Frankie openly and, to some extent, without fear. There was no longer the weight of being caught together and you would never be under Tom’s constant watch or possession ever again. Whatever problems arose in the future, you and Frankie would face them together.

—

And so, time moved slowly after that as none of you could anticipate how things would go with Tom. Would he just show up one day? Would he let you go—?

There was no way to know, but with time, you ultimately became less afraid. You became less anxious about running into him at random times. That constant need to watch your back at every turn had also significantly diminished. So much so, that eventually, you and Frankie decided to move into his father’s cabin.

Frankie had been slowly trying to fix it up here and there, getting it ready just in case it could be of use to you and the baby so you could feel more comfortable.

Not that staying with Santi wasn’t comfortable, and you were so very grateful for him allowing you to stay there. However, you hated feeling like a burden on Frankie’s friend, your friend. Housing three additional people was a lot to take on and you didn’t want to overstay your welcome even though Santi preached that you all could stay with him as long as you needed to.

There was also the added benefit of Tom never having known about the cabin in the first place. It had belonged to Frankie’s late father, who he hadn’t had the best relationship with in the end, but he left the cabin to Frankie nonetheless when he passed. Frankie never really cared to do much with it in the time following his inheritance. His relationship with his dad, along with some memories he would rather forget, kept him from trying to utilize the space, but he also didn’t feel right just selling it either.

Back when Frankie had come to your rescue after Tom had gotten violent for the first time, the cabin was where he brought you. He had offered you shelter and essentially a home with not one ounce of hesitation. The timing of course wasn’t right, but you never forgot about it. Frankie had eventually brought it up to you, offering you the cabin yet again. He claimed that he could either stay with Santi or go back to his old place, having stayed with you this long. He was giving you the choice to do this without him if you wanted to. Now that all the dust had settled for the most part regarding Tom, at least the imminent threat that he posed that is, Frankie didn’t want to just assume that you were his. He knew that you loved him as you told him every chance you could, but he was desperate to give you the space and opportunity to choose him as opposed to feeling obligated by everything that had happened.

You listened to Frankie’s reasoning, let him get it out of his system so that he knew you were taking all things into consideration. You have known for months now what you wanted, and you weren’t about to let his anxiety and self-doubt get in the way.

The cabin would be a home to all of you, or to no one. Even if you decided to live somewhere else, home would always include the three of you so long as Frankie was willing.

And so, Frankie got to work making the cabin into a home. He was ready to make new memories here, memories that weren’t darkened by his past or that of his family. He couldn’t work fast enough and before long, the three of you moved in. It was also closer to the city, which meant that you were much closer to your mother and Frankie would be closer to work once he was finally cleared to go back.

Only a few weeks after moving into the cabin, you desperately needed to be rid of your connection to Tom. You were still legally married to him, and you weren’t even sure where to start. How would it work if Tom couldn’t be found to sign divorce papers? If he even would. It was terrifying to say the least, but you had to try.

You and Frankie went to a lawyer to begin the process and see what options were even available to you. The thought of staying married to Tom while being with Frankie made you feel like a horrible person. Even though you knew what your marriage was, it still felt wrong. You wanted to be done with it, with Tom in general. The looming threat where your mother was concerned had diminished significantly as well, now that Tom was pretty well out of your lives. There was too much at stake for him to risk trying to expose her, without also risking himself now that he was a fugitive in his own right.

The lawyers assured you that everything would be ok. In your situation, you were looking at something called Marital Abandonment. The court would have to attempt to serve Tom with divorce papers, but when unable to do so, they would then have to Service by Publication. Basically, letting an ad run in the newspaper referring to the case regarding your pending divorce, for a minimum of four weeks. It would need to be left unanswered before divorce proceedings could officially begin, but for Tom to answer, he would then have to come back out of whatever hidey hole he was staying in, and you honestly weren’t too worried.

That also left the question of your son who, while never exactly there to begin with, was currently without a father. Frankie had taken on the role beautifully and without complaint. He loved your son and treated him as his own since day one. You and Frankie had discussed that once the divorce was finalized, you would be taking whatever steps necessary to make it official.

Not six months after Frankie seemingly came back from the dead, he asked you to marry him. It was perfect. Sweet and simple. Very much like your Frankie. Your mother had taken the baby for the night, giving you and Frankie a much needed and (unbeknownst to you) very well-planned night out. It was just supposed to be dinner, but then Frankie surprised you with a detour down to the landing to watch the fountain show beside the lake. The landing was essentially an outdoor strip mall, with a large pathway in the center that led to the giant water fountains overlooking the lake behind it. Hotels, restaurants, as well as clothing stores and gift shops lined the strip, and it was like nothing you had ever seen before. You had lived in the city for a long time, but this was well off the beaten path, at least for you. You could feel the tone shift when you arrived, but you figured it was due to this being a place completely new to you.

The weather was nice that evening for once, not too cold, but cool enough that you would use the excuse to snuggle up as close to Frankie as possible to stay warm. When the water started shooting up towards the sky, there were bright flashing lights that would change patterns to all kinds of different music that was played to accompany the area surrounding you. It was absolutely beautiful.

About mid-way through the show, you were both still standing together in a secluded area that was away from the bigger crowd, but still had a perfect view of the fountain. The sun had been beginning to set so the sky was streaked with pretty pinks, blues, and oranges; Golden Hour as Benny so liked to call it.

Suddenly, Frankie grabs your hand and turns you to face him without warning. You had known you felt a sort of tension throughout the whole evening, but in a good way, so you didn’t feel the need to question it before. You were taken off guard by the quick change, but it subsided almost instantly when you saw the smile on his face as he took both of your hands in his own.

He started by telling you how much he loved you, how much he adored your son, and how he couldn’t see himself living without either one of you again. You were unconsciously nodding your head yes before he even asked the question, but he continued.

…

“I never thought that I could want something as much as did when I thought I had lost you. Every day in Colombia was torture, but you got me through it. I talked to you…. Every day, I would ask your opinion on the things I was planning. Would ask your advice on what I should do. I would tell you everything about myself, but afterward, I was sad. I hated to think that there was a real possibility that you would ever actually learn those things. I realized then that I desperately wanted you to know me.”

His gaze is heavy, his eyes somewhere else entirely as he recounts his time in Colombia. You can’t do anything but listen to him. He’d mentioned before that he would talk to you when he was there, but he never went into detail before tonight.

“I wanted to know you too. What little I did know about you, before everything, seemed too intimate for someone that you shouldn’t exactly know that way. But I couldn’t help it. You were my best friend and I always wanted to know more. I told myself in Colombia, that if I somehow made it back to you, that I would do anything to have you in my life in some way. Even if it meant that we weren’t together, I just needed you in any capacity that you would have me.

Now that I’m back, you have stayed my best friend, my biggest support and my biggest ally. Don’t uh, don’t tell Santi that though….” That makes you laugh as you knew Santi was the proverbial “best friend.” You knew what he meant by it all the same.

“Since day one, I was yours. I’ve never been able to deny you anything. And I would never dream to. I want you - and that means everything and everyone that comes with you.”

You’ve been crying, heavy tears streaming down your face. Your smile reaching ear to ear is probably a sight, but you could care less. You were ready…. You just needed him to ask.

“If I ever do anything blatantly selfish in this life, I will gladly make it this—"

“Yes!” --You squeak out, unable to stop yourself…. Frankie smiles despite your interruption.

“But I haven’t even asked you yet.” He says coyly, his eyes taking a sly turn.

“I don’t care, Frankie…. My answer is yes.”

His smile is breathtaking. His eyes crinkle at the corners and there are tears just on the verge of falling, but he takes a breath. Determined to see this through.

“Ok, ok… Just, let me finish…” You nod as he takes a deep breath in and slowly lets it out….

“Ok… I knew — from the moment I met you, that you were special. And every meeting after that left me wanting more. Even though I knew it was wrong, I couldn’t go very long without thinking about you. I didn’t know very much about you at the time, but then we would meet randomly…. At the Doctor’s office, the diner…. And then it became a regular thing to just sit and talk for a while. No expectations, no judgment. You listened to my story and never once made me feel less about my past. I fell in love with you over coffee, of all things….” He lets out a chuckle. “I noticed things more and more every time we would meet, things I most certainly shouldn’t have, but I did anyway. You made it easy. And after everything that’s happened? I wouldn’t trade those days for the world.”

You look up into his eyes as he slowly lowers himself down onto one knee, pulling a small box out of his jacket pocket.

“I love you.” His voice is firm and even. You would think that this would be a time where his constant visage of strength might waver ever so slightly. Nerves taking over at the prospect of asking someone to share their life with you. However, Frankie is solid. He seems completely sure in what he’s about to do. And so are you.

“I love you too Frankie.”

“I’m gonna ask you now, ok?” He whispers into your hand, still looking into your eyes.

“Ok,” you sniffle, trying to hold in a laugh. Your smile is so big it hurts.

“Bonita?” The anticipation is killing you.

“Yes?” You’re practically vibrating now…. His thumbs are rubbing slow, steady circles into your hands.

“Will you marry me?”

He’s looking at you with the biggest puppy dog eyes… You know that you could never say no to him and just like Frankie, you would never dream to.

“Yes.” Your voice breaks as tears stream down your face, but you get yourself together and continue. “Yes, Frankie, I would love to marry you.”

“That’s my girl,” and he surges up and meets your lips with his. You can taste the salt of both his and your own tears — Your arms wrap around his neck, and you kiss him with everything that you have. Finally, when you both pull away, you realize that he’s still holding the ring box and you motion towards it with a smirk…

“Shit… Here…” Frankie grapples with the box, opening it and quickly plucking the ring out, before putting the box back in his pocket. He grabs your hand and slowly slides the ring onto your finger, holding it up so he can see the reflection of the lights as they change colors, on tempo with the beat of whatever music was currently blasting through the speakers.

His gaze is still focused on your hand as his mind circles with how much it means to him that you said yes. However, you can’t stop looking at him.

When he eventually looks up to you, he brings your hand to his lips placing a kiss just above the ring on your finger. His eyes never break away from yours.

The fountains continue to go off behind you, the sun now almost fully set— The lights and music are a perfect background as Frankie leans forward to capture your lips again, sealing your future together with a kiss.

—

Taglist:

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A/N: I should have the Epilogue out within the week! Thank you all so much for reading!

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