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boobo13cambridge · 10 months

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Drifting Apart I | Kylian Mbappé

Pairing: Kylian Mbappé x f.Reader

Warnings: Angst, physical violence (Y/N slaps him)

Summary: Y/N and Kylian’s relationship is crumbling as they navigate the most difficult moments of their lives. Will they stay or fall apart due to the pressure?

A/N: Hello, everyone! This is the first time I’ve ever written angst, so I really hope you guys give it much love. As always don’t forget to like, comment, and repost! Enjoy, lovelies ❣️

Tired.

Exhausted.

Drained.

Three words that fully encompassed her emotions as she finally put the triplets to sleep after a long day of cleaning up dirty diapers and writing a thesis. Y/N felt close to tears as she felt overwhelming guilt for being worn out at taking care of her babies when she loved them with all her heart. To make matters worse, she and Kylian had been getting into a lot of arguments lately. She knew how important and stressful this year was for him, and in the back of her mind, she wished that they had waited a bit more before having kids.

After getting married in the summer of 2021, the young couple wanted to enjoy a few years together before starting a family. Getting married so young, at the ripe age of 20 and 22, came as quite a shock to some (which in her eyes didn't make sense because a lot of footballers had kids even younger), but they were in love, and despite their parents' skepticism, they tied the knot on July 12, 2021.

Fast forward a year, and Y/N found herself staring at the two dark lines indicating that she's pregnant. Getting pregnant a few months before the 2022 World Cup was definitely not part of the plan, but with the support of their families, they made it through somehow. Throughout her whole pregnancy, Kylian was the best husband any woman could ever ask for, always so attentive and understanding of her every need. When they found out they were having triplets, and all boys at that, Y/N almost had a mental breakdown because she could never in a million years understand how she could ever be a mom to one kid, let alone three. It took Kylian, her mom, and two nurses and a doctor to calm her down.

And needless to say, the triplets, or as Kylian loves to call them 'his perfect hat-trick,' were born on December 4, 2022, right when Kylian had scored two goals to qualify France for the quarter-finals. In all honesty, she really wished she could have just given birth in Doha, but she was under strict surveillance and wasn't allowed to travel. Needless to say, in the moment, she was quite happy that she was having a c-section instead of a normal birth but regretted that soon after as it took way longer to recover. Kylian was definitely devastated to have missed his sons' birth and was this close to booking a flight back to Paris. It took Marcus and Ousmane to calm him down and talk him out of it.

A couple of days after that, France lost the World Cup, which absolutely broke her heart, but she was happy that her husband would be by her side. Post-World Cup, Kylian Mbappé was a very attentive father and husband, but she knew how much the loss had affected him and tried her best to cheer him up. She was secretly glad he had injured himself because he would finally get a break from playing with such a shitty team. Now, back to the present, May 28th, 2024, Post-Transfer Kylian Mbappé was moody and had a frown permanently etched on his forehead.

Once again, she tried to understand, knowing he had so much pressure on his shoulders from transferring to Real Madrid. He was Kylian Mbappé, the current greatest footballer, and people never gave him a break, always demanding perfection every match. He had a huge burden to carry, with the fans pointing out every little mistake he made on the pitch. The Madridistas had long anticipated his transfer, and they were out for blood. If the fans were demanding, then Kylian was even more demanding of himself. It was like living with the shadow of her husband. Gone was the sweet man who would make her breakfast in bed and massage her feet. In his place was someone who only had one thing on his mind: winning everything.

La Liga, Copa del Rey, Supercopa de España, UEFA Champions League, Euros, Summer Olympic Games.

She was going crazy just thinking about it. Lately, it was as if the only thing on his mind was trophies, and she couldn't stand it. The day before the La Liga final, which was held at the Bernabeu just two days ago, Kylian had once again started an argument just because she told him that she was tired of putting his dirty clothes in the laundry and that he should do it himself. The argument was so bad that she didn't even want to be there at the last match of the La Liga season, but on the day of the match, Kylian had profusely apologized and begged, so she forgave him and came to see him lift the trophy. This morning, Kylian had woken up in a foul mood and just seemed to want to be an absolute dickhead. He nitpicked at everything she did before leaving for practice, loudly complaining that she had put too much protein powder in his shake.

The whole day, she tried to text him and call him, but he was ignoring her calls. She had had enough; she couldn't deal with it anymore. Time and time again, she had tried to be understanding, swallowing and smiling through every single complaint and whine he let out. So what if he had his first Champions League final with his new club in three days? She didn't deserve to be treated like such a nuisance.

As she went to the kitchen to grab something to drink, she broke down into sobs. It was too much. She hated feeling like she wasn't enough. Kylian hadn't kissed her, much less said, "I love you," before storming out. For months, all he did was complain, complain, and complain.

The young woman heard the door open and close, instantly recognizing her lover's footsteps. She tried to muffle her sobs so he wouldn't hear, but she forgot that the kitchen lights were on.

Kylian walked right through the archway leading to the kitchen and stopped in his tracks when he saw her teary face, instantly feeling guilty. He knew he had been treating her horribly these past few months and that he should stop, but he had been so stressed with everything that he took it all out on the love of his life and the mother of his children.

"Bébé, are you okay?" he asked slowly, approaching her and trying to wipe her tears, but she moved back. Her action pained him because he realized how much of a jerk he had been.

"What do you think? Do I look like I'm okay?" she snapped at him, wiping the tears with the back of her hand, her voice filled with frustration.

"I'm sorry, my love. I've been such an ass-" he said apologetically.

"Yes, you have! You have no idea what I've been going through because of you!" she replied angrily, her tone laced with resentment.

"Bébé, you have no idea how sor-" he tried to explain, but she cut him off.

"Save your fucking apologies, Kylian! I don't fucking care anymore. You've made me feel like the biggest piece of shit these past few months," she spat out, her words filled with bitterness.

"You know how stressed I've been with the transfer and-" he started to defend himself, but she interrupted him.

"AND SO YOU DECIDED TO TAKE IT OUT ON ME WHEN I-" she yelled, her tone conveying a mixture of anger and hurt.

"STOP INTERRUPTING ME! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH WITH ALL THESE PEOPLE PUSHING THEIR EXPECTATIONS ON ME WHILE YOU SIT AT HOME-" he retorted, his voice tinged with frustration.

"SIT AT HOME? WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU EVEN DO THE WHOLE DAY EXCEPT KICK A FUCKING BALL AROUND WHILE I TAKE CARE OF THE KIDS, CLEAN THE HOUSE, COOK FOOD, WRITE MY FUCKING THESIS, WHICH YOU NEVER EVEN BOTHER ASKING ABOUT BECAUSE OF COURSE THE WHOLE FUCKING WORLD TURNS AROUND MR. HOTSHOT HIMSELF!"

"KICK A BALL AROUND ALL DAY? ME DOING THAT IS THE ONLY REASON WHY YOU SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS BUYING USELESS SHIT-"

"I USE MY OWN MONEY TO BUY SHIT, YOU DICKHEAD! AND THE ONLY USELESS SHIT I BUY WITH YOUR MONEY IS CLOTHES AND FOOD FOR THE CHILDREN YOU KNOCKED ME UP RIGHT AFTER I GRADUATED! I'VE SACRIFICED SO MUCH FOR YOU-"

"SACRIFICED?! WHAT HAVE YOU SACRIFICED FOR ME, HUH? STOP ACTING LIKE I KNOCKED YOU UP WHEN YOU WERE MORE THAN WILLING TO SPREAD YOUR LEGS FOR ME!"

SLAP.

The sound reverberated through the kitchen, accompanied by a sharp sting on Kylian's cheek. Pain radiated through his face, mingling with the shock that coursed through his veins. His hand instinctively reached up to cradle his burning cheek, his eyes widening in disbelief. The room seemed to spin as he struggled to comprehend what had just transpired.

Y/N's expression mirrored his own disbelief, her eyes wide with horror at the consequences of her actions. Tears streamed down her face, mixing with the remorse that consumed her. She trembled, overwhelmed by the magnitude of what she had done. It was a moment of raw vulnerability, where the line between love and anger blurred into a haze of anguish.

"Kylian, I'm so sorry," she choked out, her voice quivering with remorse. Each word dripped with the weight of her regret, desperate to erase the irreversible damage she had caused.

His throat tightened, a turbulent mix of emotions swirling within him. The pain on his cheek competed with the anger that burned in his chest. He fought to find his voice, to process the torrent of thoughts that assailed his mind. The apology hung in the air, suspended between them, as he grappled with conflicting impulses.

Gulping down the lump in his throat, Kylian felt the anger surge within him, fueled by his own frustrations and insecurities. The relentless stress, anxiety, and guilt that had plagued him clawed their way to the surface, intertwining with the raw ache on his cheek. It was a toxic concoction that threatened to consume him, driving him to respond with his own fury.

But beneath the anger, a part of him acknowledged his own culpability. He was not blameless in this dance of discord. The weight of his actions pressed upon his conscience, intertwining with the pain on his cheek. The realization of his own flaws clashed with the indignation that simmered in his veins.

In that moment, Kylian made a choice. A choice to channel the anger, the hurt, and the guilt into something different. Instead of lashing out, he took a deep breath, summoning the last remnants of self-control. The anger flickered in his eyes, but he suppressed it, focusing on the vulnerability before him.

He approached Y/N slowly, his steps cautious and deliberate. His hand reached out, hesitantly, aiming to wipe away her tears, but she flinched, pulling back as if his touch were a reminder of her own transgressions. The ache in his heart matched the pain on his cheek, the longing to bridge the chasm that had formed between them.

Words hung unspoken, heavy with unexpressed emotions. They both knew that apologies alone were not enough to heal the wounds they had inflicted upon each other. The room remained steeped in anguished silence, punctuated only by the echoes of their shattered love.

As the weight of the moment settled upon them, Kylian and Y/N stood at a crossroads. A crossroads where anger and remorse converged, where past mistakes collided with uncertain futures. The path forward was shrouded in shadows, their once-solid foundation crumbling beneath the weight of their anguished hearts.

Time seemed to stand still in the wake of their confrontation, the air heavy with unspoken words and shattered expectations. The kitchen, once a sanctuary of shared laughter and intimate conversations, now felt like a battlefield, scarred by the aftermath of their verbal warfare.

Kylian's gaze never wavered from Y/N, his eyes tracing the contours of her tear-streaked face. He longed to bridge the distance between them, to mend the rift that had widened with each bitter exchange. The ache in his heart intensified, a poignant reminder of the love that had once bound them together.

Y/N's body trembled with a mix of regret, fear, and a longing for reconciliation. The weight of her actions bore down on her, leaving her feeling small and vulnerable. She yearned for solace, for the reassurance that their love could withstand the tempestuous storm that raged within them.

With measured steps, Kylian closed the physical gap between them, his heart pounding with a mixture of trepidation and determination. He reached out once again, his hand hovering in the space between them, a silent plea for forgiveness and understanding.

Y/N hesitated for a moment, caught in the crosscurrents of conflicting emotions. Her gaze met Kylian's, searching for a glimmer of the man she had fallen in love with—the man who had once cherished her and their family above all else. Slowly, tentatively, she extended her trembling hand, allowing their fingers to intertwine, a fragile connection in the face of their shattered trust.

In that delicate touch, an unspoken promise lingered. It whispered of their shared history, the moments of tenderness and joy that had been eclipsed by their recent turbulence. It spoke of a willingness to rebuild, to confront their flaws and the demons that haunted them.

The silence, once heavy with resentment, now became a sacred space for introspection and reflection. The unspoken words hung in the air, their weight acknowledged by both parties. It was a moment of surrender, a recognition that love could not thrive in the absence of vulnerability and forgiveness.

However, despite their fragile moment of reconciliation, the scars of their previous altercation still festered beneath the surface. The guilt and anger that plagued them now resided like smoldering embers, waiting for the slightest breeze to ignite their fury once more.

The following morning, the house was shrouded in an uneasy silence. Kylian moved cautiously, as if walking on eggshells, acutely aware of the tension that lingered in the air. Y/N, her face etched with traces of weariness and apprehension, busied herself in the kitchen, desperately trying to maintain a semblance of normalcy.

Suddenly, the sound of shattering glass pierced the fragile peace. Kylian's hand trembled as he gazed at the broken fragments scattered across the floor, his breath catching in his throat. The weight of his mistake crashed down upon him, triggering a surge of self-loathing.

Before Kylian could even react, Y/N's voice lashed out, sharp and cutting. "Kylian, how many times have I told you to be careful? You never pay attention to anything!" Her words dripped with frustration, a reflection of her own mounting resentment.

His heart sank, a mixture of shame and frustration swirling within him. The bitterness that had consumed him since their previous argument threatened to overflow. He could no longer bear the weight of his guilt and his bruised pride.

The room seemed to close in on them as Kylian's retort hung heavily in the air, each word a dagger aimed at Y/N's wounded heart. "Oh, what now? Are you going to slap me again, Y/N?"

The accusation cut through the air, leaving a palpable silence in its wake. Y/N's eyes widened in disbelief and hurt, her body trembling with a mixture of shock and anger. The triplets, sensing the rising tension, began to cry, their innocent wails intermingling with the growing storm of emotions.

Y/N's voice quivered as she fought back tears, her voice heavy with a mixture of sorrow and indignation. "How dare you say that, Kylian? I never wanted to hurt you, and you know it!"

The room trembled with their voices, each word a dagger aimed to wound, tearing at the fabric of their fragile bond. Kylian's face contorted with anger, his voice laced with a bitterness he could no longer contain. "Of course you never wanted to hurt me, right? You've done such a fantastic job so far!" Kylian spat, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Complaining and nagging every fucking day like I don’t already have enough of that every time I open social media"

Y/N's eyes filled with tears, a mixture of pain and disbelief etched on her face. She struggled to find her voice, to make sense of the torrent of emotions crashing over her. "I'm trying, Kylian. I'm trying so hard to hold us together, to be there for you and the kids. But it feels like nothing I do is ever enough!"

He scoffed, the bitterness in his voice turning his words into venom. "You? Trying hard? Don't make me laugh! All you do is complain and criticize. You're so quick to point out my faults, but what about your own? Or do you think you're perfect?"

Y/N's voice trembled with a mix of anger and hurt. "I never claimed to be perfect, Kylian. But I've given up so much for you, for our family. I've sacrificed my dreams and aspirations to support you, only to be constantly belittled and dismissed!"

Kylian's eyes blazed with fury, his fists clenched at his sides. "Oh, so now it's all about your sacrifices, is it? What about mine? What about the pressure I face every single day, the weight of expectations on my shoulders?"

Their words collided in the air, their voices filled with resentment and unspoken pain. The triplets' cries grew louder, their innocence caught in the crossfire of their parents' anguish.

Unable to bear the suffocating atmosphere any longer, Kylian turned on his heels, his voice dripping with disdain. "I don't have time for this. I have a plane to catch, a team to lead. Maybe being away from you for a while will do us both some good."

As he stormed out of the house, the door slammed shut behind him, leaving Y/N standing in a sea of shattered hopes and shattered glass. The anguished cries of their children echoed through the empty rooms, a haunting reminder of the fractures in their once-unbreakable bond.

In that moment, as the gravity of their fight settled upon them, both Kylian and Y/N were left with a hollow ache in their hearts, each tormented by their own regrets and the uncertain path that lay before them.

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siriusly-sapphic · 1 year

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okay wait i’m scrolling through your blog and saw the post about your blackcest wip and now i need a snippet from dutch au – black amnesia, please!

I am OVERJOYED you asked!

SO background: I'm Dutch, and in this country a "coffeeshop" is where you get weed (bc it's all legal here). So when I was young and found out that coffee shop AUs were like really popular, I was confused for a bit bc why would weed be so romantic?? I was surprised to find actual coffee in the coffee shop AUs.

While talking with a friend of mine, I decided to make a Dutch coffeeshop AU, just for fun. And naturally Sirius/Narcissa would be a hilarious ship for it. I found out there's a weed strain called Black Amnesia which is just perfect.

The basic set up of this is that Alphard runs a high end coffeeshop in Amsterdam and Sirius works there to give him something to do. Rodolphus (Narcissa's best friend) regularly orders some joints but forgets he's not in the country when he's supposed to pick them up, so she's become a regular customer there without ever even smoking weed at all. Sirius thinks she's uptight and bossy and could really do with some loosening up, so offers to let her try some.

Cue to... this. (Intoxicated kissing)

“I kind of wanted to kiss you back then,” Sirius admits with an easy, unabashed smile. Narcissa hears Rodolphus clear his throat but she can’t understand why. She thinks back to those nights, when they were younger and more naive, drunk in the best ways imaginable, dancing like reputations, family, and tomorrow would never exist again.

Narcissa imagines, not for the first time, what it’d have been like to kiss Sirius at that party — imagines what it would have felt like if he’d pulled her aside in an empty hallway and snogged her until she forgot her name. Her cheeks heat up not in embarrassment but in anticipation as she moves closer to him. “I think I’d have liked that,” she tells him without thinking of the consequences of her words, lost in the haze of Sirius’ handsome gaze and the Black Amnesia they’ve been smoking.

“Why don’t you take your chance now?” she asks, barely even hearing the way Rodolphus coughs awkwardly. Narcissa only has eyes for Sirius, feeling electrified at the sheer possibility that he might lean in and take her up on the offer. She wants him to — it’d be the perfect ending to the night.

I think this fic comes close, but this WIP is definitely the most lighthearted smut I've ever written for them. They are just vibing, just so happy. There's way less trauma, way less resentment between them. They're laughing all the way through because they're just happy doing this for one night and then never again. It's delightful honestly I'm so excited to finish it.

#sirius x narcissa #sirius black #narcissa malfoy #blackcest #harry potter #answered asks #thank you for asking lmao i like this oneshot #deadgayfurrywizardsinthe70s

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fortunebookie-ph · 8 months

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Geekerella

synopsis:

part romance, part love letter to nerd culture, and all totally adorbs, geekerella is a fairy tale for anyone who believes in the magic of fandom. geek girl elle wittimer lives and breathes starfield, the classic sci-fi series she grew up watching with her late father. so when she sees a cosplay contest for a new starfield movie, she has to enter. the prize? an invitation to the excelsicon cosplay ball, and a meet-and-greet with the actor slated to play federation prince carmindor in the reboot. with savings from her gig at the magic pumpkin food truck (and her dad's old costume), elle's determined to win... unless her sterpsisters get there first.

teen actor darien freeman used to live for cons - before he was famous. now they're nothing but autographs and awkward meet-and-greets. playing carmindor is all he's ever wanted, but the starfield fandom has written him off as just another dumb heartthrob. as excelsicon, draws near, darien feels more and more like a fake - until he meets a girl who shows him otherwise.

book details:

geekerella II once upon a con II ashley poston II 336 pages II paperback II quirk II romance, young adult, contemporary, retellings, realistic fiction

thoughts:

okay, this story was very cute. i really enjoyed all the references to popular fandoms- most of which i'm shamelessly a part of - and i kind of like how the author shows the toxicity of some of these fandoms as well. there is a lot of gatekeeping that goes on - almost subconsciously - within these groups and it makes it very difficult to draw people into it. then there are times that this book shows why it's sometimes necessary to do so.

the beginning of the book was a little rough, if you ask me though. i feel like the author was trying really hard to show that she knows the references to certain fandoms and so the first few chapters were just full of awkwardly placed jokes and easter eggs. sometimes they just straight-up confused me because they made no sense as someone familiar with the story she was referencing. this also led to the dialogue being a bit stilted overall and a bit unrealistic.

it's hard to make a cinderella story in the modern-day because a lot of the actins within the original story are unrealistic in a contemporary setting. there were a lot of moments where i thought, "there's no way someone would do that!" and then there were moments that i just couldn't relate to some of the characters. elle was kinda frustrating at times and she seemed like she was constantly having a pity party for herself. she was definitely a tomboy at times which i normally don't mind but she was kind of annoying about it. she had the "i'm not like other girls" type of attitude and seemed to judge other women when they liked girly things. i wouldn't have minded it if she grew from that eventually but it was kind of rewarded rather than admonished.

once we got further into the lead characters' lives, it got a bit more interesting and cutesy. i honestly wished something like this could happen in real life but i know i could never trust someone i only knew through texting and not meeting in person. i may have trust issues but that's another problem for another day. by the last part of the book i was excited for them to meet each other and the anticipation was absolutely killing me. that anticipation was probably the biggest redeeming quality of the book.

all in all, this was a fun book to read and i enjoyed it for entertainment purposes but it's not going to be my go-to recommendation. if you're in the mood for a quick and easy read, however, this would be on the list.

Rating:

3.91/5

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dearcraziness · 9 months

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Chapter 50.

Bright wonderful day. The sun's rays made their way through the soft leaves of the trees, penetrating into the stems of flowers and branches of bushes, creating pleasant shadows. Everything around breathed the life of the autumn mood, magically shimmered thanks to the strong light.

The friends' house was just as cozy and wonderful: everyone found what they would like to do. Boris was reading a newspaper, Alice was watching various movies in a mini-cinema, and Bendy and Lara were rehearsing a new production of a play that Bendy had written. The sweethearts also discussed some organizational issues, such as the choice of costumes and decorations. Soon after, they decided to relax a bit, sitting on a soft yellow sofa. Bendy looked at his script again, took a pen, saying, "Dear, do you think it would be better to replace the words in the third line of my hero's speech?... Instead of: 'Our love will always illuminate the path of living together,' write: 'Such strong feelings, strong spiritual ties will always be in our hearts'..."

"I like both options: leave the one you think is more suitable..."

"Alright, Laurie, perhaps I'll choose the second one... Well, now let's move on to other things... What do you want to do, starlight?..."

"I haven't thought about what's better to do yet, what do you suggest, Bendy?..."

"We can listen to our favorite songs and sing some of them ourselves afterwards, if you don't mind..."

"I'll be happy..."

"Great, then let's get started, dear..."

Bendy and Lara went out into the corridor and headed to the recording studio, however, they were stopped halfway by Boris, who hurriedly approached them and said, "Bendy, Lara, I have a request for you, could you help?"

Bendy and Lara exchanged glances, after which Bendy replied, "Of course, Boris, what's the problem?..."

"I need you to find some of these magic stones, they are located near the Large Forest..."

Boris took out a map and showed the marked places. The devils looked attentively with their eyes lit up with anticipation of a new journey.

"I suppose you needed such stones because of their interesting features?" Bendy asked. "Most likely, they produce much more energy for devices than our generators?..."

"True. How did you know?"

"Otherwise you wouldn't have paid attention to the article in your newspaper..."

"Damn, you're right," Boris said in a friendly tone.

Friends smiled, and Bendy continued, "We'll be glad to go on a trip, right, Lau?..."

"Of course, it's always interesting in new places..."

"Definitely, dear... Boris, don't you and Alice want to go too?..."

"I'd go, but..."

Boris didn't finish, because the door from the mini-cinema suddenly opened, Alice came out. Boris looked at her tenderly and she reciprocated. Then she went to her room, and Boris, turning to Bendy and Lara, explained, "I promised my pumpkin today I'll read new issues of the interior magazine with her..."

"Have a great day..." Bendy replied.

"It's always fascinating to read about the interior..." Lara added.

"Totally agree with you, sweetheart..." Bendy smiled, looking tenderly at Lara.

She smiled too.

"Well, good luck on your journey..." Boris said. "Take the map with you."

The mechanic held out a light gray sheet, which Bendy took.

"Thanks. See you."

"Bye."

Boris went to Alice, the imps began to pack their things for the hike. The demon put everything necessary, as well as things for leisure. Soon, after rechecking the contents, the young man put the rucksack on his shoulders.

"Berry, are you ready to hit the road?..."

"Of course, lemon... Did everything fit in the rucksack?..."

"Definitely everything we need... There are a lot of pockets and divisions, so everything is in its proper places... Let's go outside, Larry..."

A magnificent view opened before the sweethearts: the trees shone in the rays of the sun, which also gave its warmth to flowers, bushes, soft bright green grass; small birds flew through the clear blue sky, as if hurrying to distant lands. Bendy and Lara walked along the garden with pleasure and admiration and continued their way through the Big Forest. The magic stones were nearby, so the devils walked slowly, enjoying each other's company and the landscape around.

"We'll reach the desired point soon..." Bendy said. "Do you like it here, sunshine?..."

"Of course, fluffy, I already see so many wondrous sights..."

"Also so calm and peaceful... You can also find a lot of new plants for yourself, because every corner is full of miraculous surprises..."

"That's for sure..."

"Let's see what exactly we find today..."

Only Bendy and Lara went outside the forest, they were surrounded by swampy terrain and several boulders overgrown with moss. The devils went a little further, as shown on the map. Suddenly they heard a rustle coming from somewhere nearby. Bendy looked incredulously at the dry tree, when suddenly a heavy branch fell from above - the young man pulled the girl to him, making a protective field over her head with his magic.

"Are you okay, honey?..." the demon asked.

"I am..." the imp replied.

"Sorry for such an unexpectedness, I should've used the protective spell earlier..."

"No need to worry, dear, you quickly realized what to do..."

"The main thing is your safety... I think other nuisances will get in our way... After all, the stones are located here for a reason..."

"Do you think they were left here so that no one could find them?..."

"Most likely, or there was an outbreak of an uncontrolled clot of magic in these parts, which made the stones have magical powers... But we'll get them, and we'll have a great time... Although, the world around always impresses and delights with you, Lau..."

"With you, too, Bendy... I can't wait to see what those stones will look like..."

"Very soon we'll be convinced of their uncommonness, starlight, we are almost there..."

The devils noticed a floating blue glowing artifact near a small stump of a broken tree.

"So we found the first of the stones..." Bendy began. "How interesting and wonderful..."

"It's obviously magical..." said Lara.

"You're right, dear... I think I can take it..."

Bendy felt the warmth of the artifact. The demon put the stone in a box and placed it in his rucksack.

"Apparently, it was a Cyarok - the stone which gives the most energy at night... Soon we'll find the Phaodis, which gives its light throughout the day, but in smaller quantities..."

The beloved ones continued their way. They met red bushes with sharp thorns. Bendy gently pulled Lara to him and stood in her place, closer to the dangerous plants. The clouds were thickening, the sky turned a dark gray colour. The devils understood it was going to rain soon, so Bendy took out a black umbrella just in case. However, the bad weather bypassed the travelers, leaving behind only a few clouds.

After a while, the magicians faced something they couldn't be prepared for: the road of massive stones on which they were walking ended, and after they saw burning bright orange earth. It was possible to walk on solid slabs located far from each other. Bendy took Lara in his arms and ventured to walk such a dangerous path. Fortunately, everything went well, and the devils found themselves at the end of a terrible road, which gave way to the green soft grass with many bright flowers.

"If you want, I can carry you further, honey..."

"Aren't you tired, dear?..."

"Of course not, Larry, on the contrary, delighted by new adventure..."

"Me too... Then I don't mind being in your arms, it's cozy here..."

"Glad you're comfortable, sweetie... Look, the same orchids bloom here as in our garden..."

"So do red roses..."

"Your favorite flowers... And you like white lilies, though only pink ones are visible here so far..."

"Also pretty..."

"Completely agree with you... By the way, we'll reach our destination soon... I'm sure this stone will be just as impressive and wondrous..."

The devils soon discovered a magical mineral - it was lying on one of the flowers, sparkling and shimmering with green light in the sun. Bendy put it in a special pocket, and they continued on their way.

The next landscape was rather surprising: not a single plant on the black earth, which Bendy and Lara approached after visiting a beautiful meadow. The trees weren't blooming and had no leaves - darkness, silence enveloped the land. Only occasionally a strong wind blew, shaking the branches. Bendy put a warm jacket on Lara, and they didn't stop until they saw black boulders with some runic inscriptions. Bendy translated to Lara what was written: the drawn words pointed the ways in different directions. After walking along the path, the devils saw a bardur leading to a dark pedestal on which a red sparkling stone was shining. When Bendy touched it, he felt a small electrical current, and then put it in his rucksack. The imps soon came out of the gloomy place and saw a wonderful forest in front of them, the trees of which were bluish and lilac in hue.

The evening came, and Bendy set up a tent, where he provided warmth and comfort with the help of magic, then cooked dinner. The demon lit a bonfire on which the lovers fried marshmallows, discussing the incredible adventure.

"I think the most exciting place was the quiet calming forest, surrounded by marvelous flowers and other plants, where the green stone was located..." Bendy said. "Which one did you like better, Larry?..."

"Probably the blue stone..." Lara replied. "It radiated a very bright light..."

"You're right, berry, also fascinating... Although, everything we saw today was very memorable and impressive..."

"I agree... It's great..."

"The main thing is you like it here, princess... Hmm, I think I have some ideas for a new song..."

Bendy took a guitar out of his rucksack and started playing a new tune. The demon played the intro and asked, "What do you think, sunny?..."

"So wonderful... What will the song be about?..."

"About you, dear, and how delightful it is to travel together..."

The imp played a couple more chords and then quickly came up with words he immediately sang. The song was only in its original form, but it already sounded brilliant and splendid... The last lines with which Bendy ended his song were: "And now we're walking through the feelings of the brightest eternal side,

I want to be like this with you all the time..."

After hearing Lara's applause, the demon grinned kindly and said, "Thank you, sweetie, glad it was nice for you to listen..."

"I really liked it... Moreover, you performed this song only for the first time..."

"It's always so delightful to write songs about you, the words and melody seem to go by themselves, as they should..."

"Don't be modest, you compose songs greatly..."

"Thank you very much, Lau... You're also so wonderful and great at writing songs... If you want, I'll sing our favorite compositions for you..."

"Go ahead..."

"Great, then I'll start..."

Bendy performed a lot of songs that he and Lara loved to listen to. His strong melodious voice sounded so pure and soulful that it seemed he had sung those songs hundreds of times, although, of course, the demon very often performed melodies for his precious Lara.

It was dark in the forest. The light came only from the campfire, near which the sweethearts were sitting. Bendy put the guitar back in his rucksack and hugged Lara tightly, looking at her tenderly. She rested her head on his shoulder and looked down dreamily. He knew what she was thinking and decided not to distract her from her thoughts. The devils sat in silence and tranquility for a while, enjoying each other's company...

Night soon fell. The imps settled down in the tent, where Bendy covered Lara with a blanket, kissed her on the cheek and said, "Sweet dreams, dear... May we have the same exciting day tomorrow..."

"Good night, darling... I think we'll see a lot of miracles..."

"Of course, starlight, it will be great... Have a good rest..."

Lara fell asleep, and Bendy, watching her sleep, also fell asleep after a while...

The next morning the demon got up quite early: he cooked breakfast for Lara and returned to the tent, where he was watching her, immersed in her dreams, smiling slightly. A little later, the girl woke up, and the sweethearts came out of the tent, had breakfast. Then Bendy put all the things back into his rucksack, and the devils continued their journey under the bright warm sun...

A wonderful view opened up before the imps: small hills overgrown with soft yellow grass; small trees from which golden months hung; many birds were walking near huge bright red flowers; animals with two blue horns and with lush violet tails looked like unicorns, however, their face resembled a cat's. Soon Bendy and Lara discovered a yellow stone which hovered directly over the hill, leaving behind a light with sparkles.

"Wow, what a magnificent stone... Perhaps the most energy comes from it..."

"I think it's the most interesting of all we've seen..."

"You're right, tulip, also the brightest and most miraculous..."

Bendy put the stone in a box and shoved it in his rucksack.

"So, we have Cyarok, Faodis, Plumbaus and Ralevist... Now we've collected all of them, so we can go home!... What do you think about our trip, Lora?..."

"It was wonderful... How about you?..."

"I was also impressed and inspired... Although, I'm looking forward to how we'll return home through all those extraordinary places... Let's go, dear..."

The beloved ones passed the delightful landscapes they saw yesterday, approaching their garden and home. A couple of hours passed, and the devils reached their native lands, leisurely walking down the path. The imps went into Lara's room, where Bendy laid out all the things. He wanted ask his beloved what she would like to do, however, he noticed how the imp was lying on the bed fast asleep. The demon covered her with a blanket and watched her having beautiful dreams. Bendy looked at her tenderly, hugging her with one hand and stroking her head with the other. Suddenly Boris came into the room and said quite loudly, "You're back! Great, what kind of st..."

"Shh..." Bendy interrupted him. He immediately got up from his knees, took four boxes from the table and left the room together with Boris.

"Lara is sleeping..." he whispered. "She is tired after a long journey... We found all the stones..."

"What good fellows you are..." Boris answered just as quietly. "Thanks..."

"You're welcome... Tomorrow we'll distribute all the stones to the generators in our studio..."

"Agreed... I'll take a look at them for now... See you soon..."

Boris took the boxes and went to his room, while Bendy returned to Lara's room, looking at her beautiful face, wondering what she could have dreamed...

When evening came, Lara woke up and, seeing Bendy in front of her, smiled. He also smiled and, hugging her carefully, looking tenderly into her eyes, asked, "How did you sleep, Laura?... Have you had wonderful dreams?..."

"Of course, I have... Is dinner ready?..."

"I'll cook the dishes now, honey, you can go to the kitchen very soon..."

"Okay... I'll fix myself up for now..."

"You always look perfect, princess..."

Lara smiled, and Bendy, seeing her joyful expression, also smiled. He kissed her on the cheek, on the top of her head and went to cook dinner for the imp and the others. Soon everyone gathered in the kitchen and, having tasted delicious dishes, talked about interesting topics. Bendy and Lara told about their adventure, pleasantly surprising and delighting their friends. Everyone returned to the things they had started and had a great evening. Demons watered flowers on the windowsill, solved some sudoku. When they finished, the young man gently asked his devil, "Honey, do you want to go for a walk in the Amusement Park tomorrow?... Or, we could do quieter things..."

"I don't mind going... Despite our journey today, I'm almost not tired..."

"Wonderful, dear, so it's settled: we'll have an inspiring, splendid day... Although, it can't be any other way with you..."

"With you too, dear..."

"Thank you for everything, sweetheart... I love you very much, Lara..."

"I love you very much, too, Bendy..."

"With you life shines with bright colours, darling... Please remember..."

"And you remember that you radiate a special light around you, fluffy..."

"Thank you, berry... You are so dear to me that it is difficult to describe in words... I have a lot of sincere, deep feelings for you, Laurie, I'll always treasure you..."

Bendy hugged Lara carefully, and she hugged him too. The imps kissed each other on the lips and, smiling, continued to do their favorite things. When they finished, they talked for a long time on various amazing, impressive topics...

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writerchickmarie · 2 years

Text

John Lloyd Young’s Mostly Soul At Cabaret At The Commons - Opening The Season In Style

This was the way to start a season - filled with magic and done to perfection.

There’s always great anticipation on an opening night...excitement builds as it gets closer to the moment the show begins, and people who are not familiar with the production wonder if it will live up to that expectation.

They needn’t have wondered, because John Lloyd Young not only lived up to it, he surpassed it.

The audience at Cabaret At The Commons was about 95 percent new to JLY’s shows. Most of them are season ticket holders for this series in Columbus, Indiana, and come to enjoy whichever performers are chosen and decide on their favorites. There was a handful of us present who come often to JLY’s shows, and we got to hear the anticipatory conversation beforehand among the crowd for this opening night of the series.

Many of us know this Mostly Soul set well, so it was special to see others experience it for the first time. From Tommy Faragher’s instrumental opening of “What’d I Say” and JLY’s first song “So Amazing”, the audience was held spellbound as they were taken on a magical, musical journey of soul, complete with stories and surprises.

The night was a combination of soul classics and Jersey Boys, because as JLY mentioned, there definitely has to be some JB in every set. Some of our favorites like “My Prayer” and “Show And Tell” not only thrilled us, but all of the new audience members as well. And speaking of thrilling, he came around the room to see all of us for “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me”, much to everyone’s delight. The crowd also loved Tommy’s soulful “Bring It On Home”, and JLY’s Little Anthony stories, followed by his emotional performance of “Hurt”.

The audience also enjoyed his wonderful, endearing stories about filming the Jersey Boys movie and working with Clint Eastwood. He included a couple of new stories this time, which I will leave for him to tell at future shows as well. But they are every bit as entertaining and interesting as the others! JLY not only performed our most-loved songs, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” and “My Eyes Adored You”, but also added “My Mother’s Eyes” into this particular evening’s set. (I’m noticing an “eyes” theme here...see you...!)

JLY and Tommy included an original song as well...and this time it was “Almost There”, written by Tommy and Adam Zelkind. I love this song for a variety of reasons, and of course now there’s another one - it will be the title track of the new album when it’s released. The album is getting closer, and has been mastered...so it’s - wait for it - ALMOST THERE. Looking forward to the finished product when its ready!

It was also wonderful to hear the newest addition to Mostly Soul again, “Mean To Me”. JLY’s beautiful, emotional interpretation shows his incredible vocal range, and I hope he keeps it in his sets. This song in particular blew everyone in the audience away!

The evening concluded with the stunning “You Are Everything”, followed by all of us on our feet for “Working My Way Back To You” and “Sherry”. Seeing so many new people singing and dancing along, with all of the energy in the room, made the evening even more magical. And the two standing ovations proved just how special this night was.

Those of us who purchased VIP tickets to the show also got to be part of a meet and greet with JLY and Tommy, which capped off an incredible night. So many new people not only enjoyed the show, but also loved meeting both gentlemen, and I know there are many new fans in Indiana now. And it’s so good to add new friends into the fold! The best is truly yet to come. Thank you to JLY and Tommy, and everyone at The Commons, for a wonderful night!

#john lloyd young friends #john lloyd young #concert review #mostly soul

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violet-knox · 3 years

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Hi, I would like to make a request but first I would want to thank you, regardless of whether my request is accepted, It really makes me so happy how you portrait and write for Severus, it means so much to me, I don't think I can thank you enough but thank you, thank you so much and about my request, if you can I would like to request a young Severus x reader sweet smut story with lots of tender, meaningful touches and words, he deserves so much to be loved and wanted and feel good about him.

Study Break

Pairing: Young!Snape x Female!Reader

Summary: Fed up with Severus studying for your N.E.W.Ts 24/7, you decide to give Severus a well deserved study break.

Warnings: Smut. Lots of smut (Oral sex, vaginal sex, hand job, fingering, humping, implied light dom/sub)

Word Count: 6061

A/N: Oh my anon! Thank you so much for your lovely words!! 😭😭 You are too kind and your ask made me smile every single time I read it from the first day I got it! I will truly miss having it in my draft box, but I’m very honoured to finally have written your request.

I think I’m beginning to get more comfortable with smut. I definitely need more practice but considering the word count of this one shot, I’d say there is definite potential. Hopefully I’ll eventually find the write style for me and we can get to the more.. raunchy stuff 😏😏😏

You watched Severus pick up what had to be the tenth set of books that evening, placing them next to the others on the table in your own little corner of the library with a thump. You sighed and set down your quill, your eyes so strained you weren’t sure if there truly were four towers of books around you or if you were just seeing double. Severus took a seat back beside you and resumed his quest to memorize every spell, every potion and learn everything there was to know about the Wizarding world. That’s at least what you’d convinced yourself that he was doing because no one in the history of time had to have studied for their N.E.W.Ts as intensely as he was currently claiming to do. Day after day, week after week, you’d walk up to find him with a book in his hand barely eating a thing as he made his way to the library. You were beginning to feel more like his overly concerned mother than his girlfriend and that really didn’t sit well with you. You were tired of having to force him to take breaks if only to eat and sleep. His health was important to you and it hurt to see him suffering so much for a grade.

“Sev, I can’t do this anymore,” you told him with a heavy sigh, your fingers rubbing your temple as you closed your eyes to try and regain your sanity. Severus snapped his head towards you, his eyes wide as he studied your posture. His heart beat rapidly, sweat trickling down his forehead as he anticipated your next words. “I think we need a break.”

His heart broke and he felt it fall to the floor, shattered in a million pieces. He’d always feared this day would come; the day you realized you couldn’t handle him anymore, the day you realized you deserved better than him. He could sense the tension, the frustration you felt these past couple of weeks as he buried himself in his studies to distract him from the truth. He’d used it as an excuse to escape this moment and found himself in a downhill spiral of denial and avoidance.

“F-from us?” His throat was so dry, he could hardly find the courage to speak, afraid that when he did, it would truly be over. He wanted to tell you he could do better, that he hadn’t been himself these past few weeks, letting his fear of losing you cloud his judgment, but he couldn’t find the strength to do it knowing you were right to ask for a break.

“From studying!” You lightly pushed his shoulder with a chuckle, a bit taken back by his assumption. Your smile slowly faded as concern returned to your face. Had this been why he’d thrown himself into all these books? Did he want to end things with you?

“I-I know (Y/N). I know I haven’t exactly been the best boyfriend lately and I truly am sorry for that,” he said, taking the second chance the universe had granted him to try and make things right with you. By Merlin’s grace, you hadn’t broken up with him and he knew if he was that scared of losing you, he had to do something to change how he was treating you. “But these exams, they will determine our entire future! They’re important!”

“You’re important Sev! You can’t keep pushing yourself like this,” you argued back, hoping to knock some sense into him and help him let go of whatever was driving him to act this way at least long enough to unwind a bit. “You need to take a break every once in a while.”

You smirked as you moved your hand from your lap to his, slowly sliding up his leg. Severus rose a brow at you, unsure about your advances until he felt you cup him over his trousers. His eyes widened as he jumped out of his skin, quickly grabbing your wrist and pulling your hand off of him, only to be reminded you were a Slytherin for a reason. With your free hand, you slipped two fingers beneath his trousers before he tore you away from him once more.

“What the bloody hell do you think you’re doing?!” he asked in a hushed voice, his face burning red, hoping no one was around to see that smirk on your face while he was holding your wrists in the air like he was just about to push you against the bookshelves and claim the entire library as your own personal make out room.

You said nothing as you pressed your lips to his, smiling as you kissed him. Severus jerked back, but you were persistent, keeping yourself interlocked with him as he kissed back and finally began to ease up on the tension he held, slowly letting go of your wrist to lean into your kiss. He turned towards you and held you by the waist as you kissed him, your own hands subtly returning to his body. You did your best to distract him, one hand pulling on his tie as the other fell down to his lap. You could tell he’d lost himself in you as he usually did when he deepened the kiss, giving you the opportunity you needed to cautiously slither your fingers over his bulge. For a brief moment, you thought Severus had finally seen it your way and taken the chance to indulge in the moment when he moaned only to be stripped away from such hope as he broke your kiss and brushed your hand away.

“Severus, relax. No one ever comes to this corner of the library.” You needed him to trust you, to let you help him take a break for once because you weren’t sure how much more strain your relationship could take if he kept pushing you away like this, claiming the exams were more important. “Trust me and just let go.”

Severus found himself enchanted by your words, sweet whispers of lust and devotion, all meant for him and him alone. His eyes softened as his shoulders dropped, letting you place your hands over his arms, your lips trailing soft, sensual kisses along his jawline. He looked over your shoulder and down the only corridor leading to your forbidden corner, his hands holding your waist as you got closer to him. His gut told him to keep watch, worried you’d get caught and banned from the library forever, but his heart, his mind were with you and how good your lips felt against his skin, sucking on his neck, leaving small love marks as your fingers lost themselves in his hair.

His breath thickened, a small whimper escaping his throat as he gave into your seduction. With one hand firmly gripping your waist, the other slid up your side, resting on the side of your breast. You moaned with delight when you felt him accepting the idea of a well deserved break and pulled on his hair just enough to encourage him to continue. Eagerly, he cupped your breast over your uniform, kneading it in his hand as you continued your quest to ease his stress. With your free hand, you slowly slid it down his chest until you’d found the outline of his cock. Severus bucked into your hand as he squeezed your tender breast, feeling a spark ignite within him. He held himself back, suppressing the need to let go as he reminded himself where you both were.

It had been so long since he’d felt like this, free from the stress, from the pressure of school. It had been so long since he’d felt this close to you. Your relationship had never been defined so physically, neither of you relying on the sexual passion between you when it came to the love you had for one another. When you’d started dating, he knew he’d never let your relationship end up that way, partially afraid of his own physical abilities and partially as a reminder of why he fell in love with you in the first place. But he’d forgotten how good it felt to trust you completely, to let himself be yours for just a brief moment. He forgot how unwinding it was to mindlessly lose himself in your caring touches, your soft kisses and tender words.

“You’re so brilliant Sev,” you whispered to him between kisses, loving how he always fell apart at the compliments you’d give him in such heated moments. “You’re the most talented Wizard I know and I’m so proud of the person you are, the achievements you’ll make.”

You spoke like you were predicting the future, knowing all Severus needed was to realize there was someone who truly believed in him. He only ever threw himself into his studies like he did the past few weeks when he was feeling discouraged and abandoned. You’d hoped when you got together that he’d never feel that way again and it was true for the first two years. But it seemed the pressure of graduation and the idea of building a future affected him more than you’d realized and you didn’t notice until he’d buried himself in books and parchment.

You’d made yourself a promise that day you’d finally shared your first kiss, one you intended to keep now until the end of your days; you’d never let Severus feel alone or unappreciated again. And indeed, you’d kept that promise today as you felt him through his trousers, his mind completely off the need to study until he passed out. You could feel his arousal growing as he tightened his hold on you, feeling as much of you as he could until you found him pushing you off him once again.

For a moment, you thought you’d completely failed and was about to grunt in frustration before you saw him quickly packing up his belongings like the library had just been set on fire. You relaxed in your chair as you watched him so eager to pack up. Crossing your legs, you made no notion of leaving, getting his attention as he stopped what he was doing to stare at you.

“We’re going somewhere private,” he stated, throwing his bag over his shoulder as he wordlessly commanded you to pack up your own belongings. A part of you wanted to tease him, to lightly protest and claim you already were in private, but your own need for him had grown sufficiently and you couldn’t wait to unbutton his shirt and watch him pull off his trousers for you.

Pushing yourself to your feet, you gathered your things and let Severus take your hand as he marched out of the library. He looked so focussed as you both made your way after what felt like an endless amount of stairs. Neither of you knew where you were going, all your past adventures usually taking place in the boy’s dorm when no one else was around, but with exams coming up, students were scattered all over Hogwarts, every corner scattered with books and endless rolls of parchment as everyone studied. Finally, you made it to a floor that wasn’t swarming with people, walking down a hallway that became less and less occupied until you began to near the end. Stopping near a tapestry that depicted the attempt of Barnabad the Barmy to teach trolls ballet, you both looked around, trying to decide where to go, Severus making his choice first and pulling you with him as he started walking down the hallway which you knew would only lead to more classrooms.

“No Sev, let’s go this way,” you told him, tugging him back as you pointed to the corner you’d never explored before. Severus however didn’t agree with your decision, pulling you back towards the hallway.

“Are you mad? We’ll be lost for days if we go down there,” he claimed. You smirked, wondering if that was really so bad. It would at the very least give you both some privacy which is what you were currently looking for and if some tragic accident were to occur to his textbooks and they were tossed out the window, perhaps he’d finally take a proper break.

“Wait Sev look!” You pulled him back and stopped to look at the wall where a door had suddenly appeared. Severus looked at you in shock, swearing it wasn’t there a moment ago. He didn’t stop you as you went to turn the knob, opening the door to what looked like a bedroom stripped straight out of the honeymoon suite at a fancy hotel. A large king-sized bed was standing in the middle of the room against the back wall surrounded by a sheer silver curtain. Candles were the only source of light in the room, floating around the ceiling, lower than the ones in the Great Hall.

Without a second though, you ran inside, dragging Severus with you, closing the door once he’d entered. You put down your bag and looked around in awe, absolutely astounded that such a room existed in the castle. It felt surreal, like the room was alive, enchanted in some way to serve you in any way you pleased. Hogwarts was such an amazing place and you’d learned long ago never to take for granted what the castle had to offer, and this was no exception.

You walked over to the bed, shedding your clothing along the way. You dropped your robes and removed your shoes and socks before you pulled back the curtains and took a seat on the bed, smirking at Severus as you removed your tie. You sighed as you got comfortable, staring him down and kneeling on the bed with legs spread wide, slowly undoing the buttons on your shirt.

“(Y/N), don’t you think this is a little too-”

“Nope!” you protested before he could even think to finish that sentence. “Severus this is absolutely perfect and after these past few weeks, we both deserve some time off, just a few hours to relax. A release from all that stress.”

You shrugged off your shirt and tossed it to join the rest of your scattered belongings. Slowly you began to crawl to the edge of the bed, Severus hesitantly dropping his own schoolbag as he walked towards you. Your smile grew as you watched him remove his robes from off his shoulders. He took a seat beside you and began removing his shoes as you snuck up behind him and placed your hands on his shoulders. Slowly, you began to massage him, Severus leaning into you as he closed his eyes, smiling at how caring your touch felt. You watched him with content as he finally seemed at peace, nothing around him to remind him of the burden he’d created for himself, nothing but your love for him to fill the room.

Slowly opening his eyes, he looked up at you, returning your smile before you gently pressed your lips to his. You took your time with this kiss, your lips completely in sync as he lost himself in your soft lips, his hand buried in your hair as yours slowed their motions and wrapped around his waist and shoulder. Without parting, he kept his hold on you as he crawled backwards onto the bed, leaning back and letting himself go as you took control, throwing your legs over him and settling atop his lap. Severus moaned as he dropped his free hand over your leg, slowly slipping it under your skirt.

You finally parted, Severus pushing himself up as you sat, happily smiling at him. Tugging on his tie, you removed it from his neck before you helped him unbutton his shirt, quickly throwing it to the side, looking forward to the struggle of finding your clothing again when it was time to get dressed. Severus pulled you in by your waist as you pushed his hair over his shoulder, grinning with content before you began to pepper him with kisses. You pressed your lips everywhere you could reach as you buried your face between the crock of his neck, one arm thrown over his shoulder, your hand in his hair. Severus pressed you into him as much as he could, merging your bodies together before unclasping your bra, needing to feel as much of you as he could.

Briefly parting from him, you happily relieved yourself of your bra, wasting no time pressing your lips to his, your bare chest against his, hands wrapped around one another so tightly. You grinned against his lips as you shifted in his lap, feeling his hard cock strained against his trousers. He definitely wasn’t thinking about those exams now.

Breaking away, you slide your hand down his chest to feel him through his trousers, Severus leaning back as he let you explore him with a smile. He watched you intently as you moved off him and undid his belt, tugging on his trousers enough to release his shaft from its clothed prison. Your fingers gently wrapped around him, his breath held in anticipation, his heart raging against his chest as you slowly moved up his length only to stop at the head. You locked eyes with him, happily watching his torment as your thumb grazed his slit, smearing precum as you made small, slow circles.

“(Y/N),” he moaned as he bucked his hips in desperation. His voice was caught in his throat, his mind barely able to form a thought as you slowly began to slide your hand down your shaft, your grip on him so loose, taking your time and twisting your wrist along the way. “Please.”

His whispered plea, was a moment you immediately committed to memory, never wanting to forget how easily undone he became from your touch. You were pleased with yourself and your mischievous spur of the moment plan to help him relax, grateful it ended like this with him squirming beneath you for your touch.

“Please what?” you whispered back, keeping your pace steady as you waited for him to make his demands, knowing full well it didn’t matter what they were. You were in control and he was all too aware of that.

“F-faster.” You could tell he was holding back the temptation to try and take mastery over you like he always did, but it was suppressed by his need to let go, something you were rather grateful to see. If this were any other time, you knew he’d tease you back or do anything in his power to keep his pride and hide the fact he’d completely submitted to you. But the stress of the last few weeks had truly gotten to him more than you knew. It was clear to you that at times, he needed someone to take control, to help him steer through life, someone to show him he was loved, that he mattered and was worthy of such a pure thing.

Instead of adhering to his request, you dipped down and pressed your lips to the head of his cock, your tongue very gently licking up precum before you wrapped your lips around him. Severus became a moaning mess as you continued to tease him, taking your time as you sucked on the end of his cock. He bucked his hips in desperation, all his energy focussed on restraining himself, but he couldn’t help his growing need as you slowly stroked him, sucking him so gently.

Satisfied with the groans of frustration he let out, you took him into your mouth as far as you could manage. Severus fell back on the bed with a thump, fisting the bed sheets beneath him as you set a slow even pace, bobbing your head and gliding your tongue on the underside of his shaft. You listened to every sound that came out of his mouth, your panties dampening at how lustful his moans were, how much pleasure was seeped off his tongue from your touches. Increasing your speed, your hand stroking what your mouth couldn’t reach, you heard him coming completely undone, doing his hardest to stay in control, but it had clearly been too long since his last release.

“I-I’m close,” he barely managed to mumble as his cock twitched in your mouth. With a pop, you pulled yourself off him and immediately, he regretted trying to warn you at all. He groaned as you sat up and leaned over him, stroking his hair as he rolled tumbled down off the edge of his climax. You felt bad for denying him his release, knowing he so badly needed it, but you couldn’t let the evening end just yet. You were just getting started and by the end of it, you were sure Severus would thank you.

“What the bloody hell did you do that for?!” he blurted out, his eyes closed shut as he felt every muscle in his body tighten, his heart pounding so hard as he tried to focus on your fingers running through his hair rather than the agony he felt in his groin.

It tore at you to hear him so upset, guilt growing in your chest from the weight of his words. You thought perhaps it was a mistake to pull away, but it was too late now. All you could do was hope to make it up to him and eventually give him the release he so very much deserved. You said nothing, fearing no words could sooth him now. You focussed your attention instead on comforting him as you continued to stroke his hair, your lips finding his jaw as you desperately kissed him. His breath slowed, his muscles relaxing as he felt you pour out your love for him. Staying in that position, you waited until he’d completely eased his hold on you without exchanging another word.

Severus had almost wished he could spend the rest of the night cuddled in your arms, a small whine of protest slipping his tongue when you pushed yourself off of him. He watched you hop off the bed and begin searching the ground of your robes, removing your wand from them before setting it on the bed and smiling at him as you pulled on the waistband of your skirt. He found himself once again enchanted by you as you pulled down your skirt and panties, leaving you completely bare standing in front of him before you stepped forward and reached down to free him of the remaining clothing he had on. He felt that lustful spark reignited itself as you crawled back on the bed and watched you cast a protection spell before seating yourself in his lap, pushing him back to meet the soft cloud like pillows.

He let out a groan of bliss, his hands sliding up and down your legs as he enjoyed the light pressure of your hands over his chest, your eyes burrowing into his. You leaned down and kissed him passionately, your tongue gliding against his bottom lip before you found yourself fighting for dominance, Severus submitting rather quickly as you explored the inside of his mouth. You knew what he was anticipating, and though the guilt from before still lingered, your mission to keep the evening as lengthy as possible remained your top priority. It seemed however, that despite Severus’ willingness to give up control, he was hoping to push your buttons enough to bypass any further teasing and give him what he wanted. As you kissed, you felt his hands exploring your body, one finding itself over your breast, squeezing and tugging while the other lay over your thigh, his thumb pressed to your clit and running circles over your dripping slit.

You moaned into his mouth and felt him smiling in satisfaction, leading you to break the kiss in retaliation, grasping the hand on your thigh as you began rocking yourself over his hard cock. You slid across his length, eliciting a moan from him as his hands immediately went to your hips, pressing into them, urging you to go faster. You held back from giggling as you regained the upper hand, controlling his needs as your pussy rubbed against his cock.

“(Y/N),” he begged in desperation, his eyes shut as he threw his head back, his brows furrowed with frustration. You loved hearing your name spoken in such a needing tone; a tone you knew he’d only speak for you. Planting your hands on either side of his head, you stopped your motion all together, Severus wide eyed as he wouldn’t dare blink and miss a second of this moment, his heart pounding with anticipation for what you would do next.

Slowly slipping one hand down, you grabbed hold of his cock and lined it up to your entrance, slowly sinking down until you were completed seated on him, Severus moaning the whole way down as you held your breath. You both panted as you adjusted to the feeling, your warm dripping wet walls tight around him, his hard length filling you up to the hilt, fitting so perfectly inside you. Without warning, you began to move your hips, grinding yourself on him without pumping his cock, knowing it would drive him mad. Nothing could ever compare to the feeling of Severus filling you up as you rubbed your clit against his pelvis, the slightest movement sending waves of pleasure through you. But the first time you’d done this, Severus had flipped you over in frustration, pounding into you with such force and clearly that same thought crept to the forefront of his mind now as you continued to tease him, leading him to believe you were ready to spend the next ten hours prioritizing your pleasure before you’d consider letting him come. You continued to grind yourself until he couldn’t take it anymore, his grip on you so tight as he groaned in annoyance.

“(Y/N), please,” he moaned for you once more, pleading for you to ride him and send him over the edge. He’d always loved your smile, but in this moment, he could truly see the mischief behind it, and it frustrated him to no end knowing you had complete control over his pleasure and his ability to feel release wash over him.

“Please what Severus? You have to tell me what you want baby,” you said almost innocently, like you had no earthly idea what he could possibly want.

“Please ride me. Let me come.” His voice was barely above a whisper as he made his demands clear. He was rarely ever so direct, his feelings hidden behind a barrier it had taken years for you to break down and you couldn’t lie, it felt good to have him beg for you like this.

“All you had to do was ask,” you whispered with a smile.

Deciding he’d suffered long enough, you removed yourself from him, slamming your hips back down hard and fast. He’d been so good for you tonight, so compliant, even dragging you out of the library for privacy, earning him a well deserved reward. You began to ride him as fast and as hard you could, your breasts bouncing with every thrust, his moans filling the room as you panted from the friction between your legs. You felt the knot in your core tighten, threatening to snap as his cock reached deeper and deeper inside you with every thrust you made.

Severus couldn’t keep his eyes off you, his mind entirely focussed on the pulses of pleasure he felt every time you slammed back down on his cock. His eyes flickered between your breasts and the sight of you taking him so fully. One hand eventually slid back up your body to grip one of your breasts, enjoying the moans you gave when he twisted and teased your nipples. He let out his own groans as his line of sight dropped back down to watch his cock appear and disappear inside you. It didn’t take long for him to feel his release building up, electing to opt out of warning you in fear you’d deny him his much needed orgasm again.

It all happened so fast, Severus stopping his motions as he held your hips still, pressing them down on him, his cock pulsating inside you as he came. You were shocked and more than a little disappointed that your ride had been over so quickly, your own needs still not fulfilled as you watched him groan, his eyes closed, his release lasting longer than you’d seen before.

“Severus!” you shouted, playfully shoving his chest, the frown on your face was the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes. You removed yourself from him and sat back as he planted his elbows behind him, looking up at you. He felt guilt and sadness seep into his chest as his high died down. He’d never felt so good in his life, the release you gave him one he was sure to remember but was it worth it if you were to be upset with him for not following the unspoken rules of the bedroom?

“I-I’m sorry,” he said, almost choking on his words, hoping you felt the sincerity in his apology. He knew it was wrong to have focused on his pleasure, neglecting yours, but in the moment, his cock begging for release, it was all he could think of. Grabbing hold of your thighs, he took you by surprise as he flipped you over, hovering over you as he stared deep into your eyes, apologizing with everything he had. “I can make it up to you.”

“You better,” you whispered, that warm look he gave you melting away any resentment you had towards him. His eyes always carried so much weight with them, reflecting a much older age than the rest of his body and you absolutely loved them. They were always the one thing that helped you decipher is emotions while charming you in times like these, coaxing forgiveness from you. Resistance was always futile, but you tried anyways, tried to remember not to let him off so easy, to make him earn forgiveness. Yet even in this moment, you found yourself completely enchanted by him, knowing if he asked to head back to the library right now, you’d oblige against your own wishes.

You carefully watched him as he slowly leaned down, his lips meeting your chest, planting a kiss between your breasts before circling each one; a kiss placed on every side. You arched your back into his touch, your hands gripping his hair as your head was thrown back, your eyes closed. A cloud of lust enveloped you as he continued his path down, leaving a hand over your breast, very gently squeezing. Severus focused his full attention on you and the sounds you offered him as his lips found your hips, a kiss placed on each of them before he planted a final one right above your clit. You moaned with desire, your hips bucking before he used his free hand to hold you down.

Severus couldn’t help but tease you as you did to him earlier, his tongue barely grazing your swollen clit as he sucked on your skin before slowly moving down. As he began to taste you, he pulled back and gave a light lick from your entrance to the end of your clit, the gasp you gave him exciting him further. Letting go of your breast, he hooked his arms beneath your thighs, lifting you up enough to give him full access as he began to lap up all the juices that had flown out of you, your moans music to his ears. Severus had only eaten you out once before, the pleasure you felt that day something you’d never forgotten, but this felt so different. He was more experienced and determined this time, he was confident as he sucked and licked your clit, his tongue teasing your entrance.

Every lick sent shivers through your body, your core aching for more when his tongue began to prod you. You felt his nose press against you, grinding into your clit as he pressed his tongue inside you. It didn’t feel nearly as fulfilling as his cock, but you loved the feeling he gave you now as he pumped his tongue in and out of you, flicking every which way as he pressed his thumb to you the nub between your folds. He ran circles in sync with his pumps and you couldn’t help but try and grind into him despite his hold on you.

“More,” you moaned desperately, feeling a knot form as he moved his lips back up to suck on your clit. He pressed two fingers to your entrance and easily slipped them in, pumping you hard and fast. You moaned with every push, every lick of his tongue sending waves of pleasure through you, his fingers long enough to reach deep inside you. Hooking them as he pulled back out, you couldn’t help but squirm beneath him, that knot you felt threatening to snap with every move he made.

Burying your fingers deeper into his hair, you gripped him tightly, eliciting moans of his own as he fastened his pace, wanting to feel you cum around his fingers, your juices spilling out of you more and more as he continued to please you. The faster he went, the more you could feel your release building up, bringing you closer to the edge, your nipples so hard, your clit throbbing from the stimulation. It only took a few more pumps to find your release, your insides exploding with pleasure as your walls collapsed around his fingers, his tongue lapping up all your juices. He slowed his pace and helped you ride out your high until your groans of satisfaction turned into soft, satisfied moans. He licked his fingers with a hum of his own, smiling as he crawled back up to you, kissing your lips and letting you taste yourself on his lips before rolling over to lay beside you.

“Have I been forgiven?” He whispered with a smirk as you rolled over to meet his eyes with yours. You smiled in return and let out a soft sigh. Once again you found yourself completely enchanted by the look he gave you, so desperately needing your approval, to know he’d done right by you and repented for his mistake.

“Always,” you whispered back to him as you brought a hand up to brush his hair away from his face. Severus gently captured your hand in his as you brought it down to his cheek, pressing it against his skin as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the afterglow surrounding you both in the magic room made just for you.

“Good,” he mumbled under his breath, unable to bear the thought of disappointing you. He was beyond happy in this moment, your relationship feeling stronger than ever before, thankful you’d pushed him to let off some steam and take a break from studying. He was so beyond lucky to have you, he couldn’t imagine living a day without you and your care for him. “I love you.”

His eyes were so soft when he opened them again, whispering those three little words to you as he gave you the first genuine smile you’d seen from him in a while. You could tell he was content, that he hadn’t regretted running away from his studies with you and wasn’t thinking about leaving any time soon. Silence fell around you as you finally found him at peace with himself, a balance struck between self-care and responsibilities. Of course, you’d always be there for him to help when the scales tipped over, but for now, you took tonight as a win, a step towards your future together.

“I love you too,” you whispered back, letting the room settle as your hand dropped to his chest. You cuddled into his side, his arms wrapped around you with so much love for you. No more doubts lay between you, nothing but trust and love remained in this room that you hoped would only be a template for your future, one where you shared a bed every night and a life every morning.

A/N: I’ve used the room of requirement before in the past for plot convenience and I really need to find new and creative ways to give them privacy 😅

@sleepysnapesnake @darkthought15 @bush-viper-cutie @fluffymadamina @dracos-mudblood @mitchiesdungeon @severuslovebot @ravenhopeflyte54 @cuddlebunny0330 @flowerdementia

#Severus Snape #Severus x reader #Severus Snape x reader #Snape x reader #young Severus Snape #young Snape x reader #my fanfic #my writing #pro Snape #snapedom #female reader #smut #snape smut

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clarissalance · 3 years

Text

A sneak peck on the corner of your lips

Pairing: Xingqiu x G/N!reader, Chongyun, mention of Xiangling and Liyue trio

Warning: a peck, hugging, reader and Xingqiu are the same age

Word count: 3943

Summary: You are going on a ghost-hunting trip with Chongyun and Xingqiu to Mingyun village.

A/N: Last time I said I’m going to write shorter fic, well, my fingers accidentally slip and tada, here it is. I feel like this Xingqiu is a little bit too shy compare to the game but I want to make him blush (or any character in general). This one takes me quite a long time to write but I hope you all enjoy it. Maybe I should write Venti next, I totally forgot his birthday until my feed was flooded with his fanart. I’m sorry Bartobas ;-; Anyhow, please shower Xingqiu with a lot of love!! He’s the reason why I can pass abyss floor 11.

Picture credit: Pinterest. ( I really don’t know the author of this picture. If you find the source, please comment so I can add. Thank you (❁´◡`❁) )

Hanging out with the Liyuen trio has always been an adventure full of thrill and excitement. Usually, there would be someone who ends up with all troubles and mischiefs the other two sets up. Chongyun is our center, holding a strike 10 times in a row, while Xiangling sometimes gets bombed by them, but it’s nothing compared to our popsicle boy. Xingqiu, you have never heard of him getting into any troubles, but he has been the famous one in the town for plotting pranks and tricks. The victim is Chongyun, and he’s somehow still very oblivious, despite many times falling into the holes.

Maybe the boy is just too naïve and trusting for his own good.

“ Xiangling is not coming today. ” Xingqiu announces, successful getting your attention and Chongyun’s. “She’s busy with the restaurant, so today, there will be only three of us.” Letting out a commital sound, you return your focus back onto the unfinished charm on your hand, fingers skillfully waving through the strings.

“ Guess we’re off to Mingyun then.” Chongyun stands up abruptly from his seat, the sound of clothes rustling together. “I got a reliable intel this time about a ghost there.”

Glance up from the unfinished charm, you shoot a questioning look to Xingqiu, to which he sends you a wink and a charming smile. The source of ‘reliable intel’ Chongyun is telling you here definitely comes from Xingqiu. Somehow, the boy has managed to stay away from the Chongyun’s suspicion list, even after those obvious unrealistic intel disguise as pranks. You wonder how has he manage to deceive the poor exorcist this time.

“Chongyun, there are only hilichurls in Mingyun village. No one is there.” You state the obvious. How can he fall for this so many times? The light blue hair boy turns at you and tilts his head in confusion, waiting for you to anticipate more details. He is really dense, isn’t he?

“ So, how did you get intel about a spirit at the place if there is no one lives there?” Letting out a huff, you fold your arm, feet tapping impatiently.

“ Someone sends me the request this morning.” He pulls out a white envelope in his pocket and hands it to you, smiling a bit enthusiastically. The envelope has no trace that indicates sender, yet the exorcist assures you it’s a reliable source. You have no idea what his standard of ‘reliable' is anymore.

Inside the envelope is an expensive-looking card, the curving and neat writing dances on the piece. Bringing the paper closer, you can faintly make out the scent of floral perfume mingles with the fresh wooden smell of crisp paper. “By the look, this looks more like a love letter than a request of exorcism to me. You’re sure it’s not from one of the maidens?” A little further away, you can hear the sound of someone choking on breath and a muffled laugh. Chongyun then mutters something about no one would send him a love letter anyway. Oh, so he doesn’t know then. Did this boy live under a rock or something?

This is too well-crafted for a mere prank. Did Xingqiu handwriting improve this much over the past month? Eyeing the blue boy suspiciously, you carefully watch his interaction with the young exorcist while reading the content.

This letter is pretty legit, but you’re still very suspicious of a certain someone over there who meticulously crafts this. If you ask, will he answer truthfully or skit around the subject again?

Putting the card back into the envelop and return them to Chongyun, you finally raise your hand in defeat. Coming with them might be a better solution, in case the exorcist condition gets out of control, you can help Xingqiu carry him back.

“Fine, let’s see the spirit ourselves then.” You stand up, hand dusting your clothes. “ If we’re lucky enough, we might be able to see the adepti on the mountain before catching the ghost.” Shrugging, you beam brightly at the shoulder-shaking Xingqiu and the scratching-head Chongyun. You can already guess what will happen in the village after so many times witnessing Xingqiu’s prank. Is this what we called… experiences?

---

Mingyun village is located on a mountain and surrounded by many dried up ores mines, which result in people leaving their homes and moves to the Chasm and Harbor. As your group slowly trek to the written address, you notice an unusually high activity of hilichurls. It’s common for them to move to an abandoned village but isn’t this a little too much? From broken bridge connect the Guili Plain, there are many groups clustering, wandering among themselves. Even Chongyun tries to avoid them, not jumping on their head as usual.

Imagine fighting this many hilichurls, you don’t think your group can make it back to the harbour in one piece. Padding quietly, you walk faster toward Xingqiu, hoping to stick close to him. At least if fighting is bounded to happen, he can protect you. The young master still keeps his unfazed face, following Chongyun while eyes glued on his book. You remember he already finished reading this book?

“ Psstt.” You whisper. “ Are you sure we’re heading the right way? That direction is crowded with monsters.” From here, they can barely see the beast but you can sense an abundant amount over there.

“ It’s this way. It’s marked on the map.” Chongyun answers, eyestrain on a piece of paper, which results in his misstep and tripping. Behind, Xingqiu looks up and worriedly calls out to be careful. You trust Chongyun map-reading skill, but right now, you’re very concerned about his navigation. How can he navigating if he does not even look at the road?

As the scorching sun blazing down the heat, big droplets of sweat dripping down your forehead, and your shirt starts to stick on your skin. Ah, you forgot summer has arrived. The path is sun-drenched, not a single shade can be found. The sweltering heat in this village is almost unbearable, despite the area is borderline with Dragonspine. How can not a single breeze from Dragonspine drift to this area?

As you lazily following the group, your mind starts going into vacation mode. You imagine staying under the shade, enjoy the cool breeze and munching ice cream. The village is quite close to Yaoguang Shoal, maybe you can convince the guys to head down there after they finish their task. In this weather, dipping your feet in the cold water while enjoying popsicles are the best. Stealing some from Chongyun might not be that bad.

Next to you, the Chongyun and Xingqiu are not affected as much as you, maybe because they carry visions? You wonder how their visions help them to cool down?

“ Xingqiu.” You call, hand fanning your face. The boy looks up from his book, humming, unfazed by the boiling weather. Is he not feeling hot at all? Under all of those long sleeve shirt?

“Can we hold hand?”

As soon as the question leaves your mouth, some things don’t feel right. Did you phrase it, a little bit weird?

The cerulean-haired boy chokes on his saliva, eyes widen in surprise, almost drop his precious rare novel. You think you definitely phrase it wrong.

“ Are you okay?” Chongyun turns back abruptly after noticing the coughing sound, his blue eyes filled with worries.

Xingqiu shakes his head and waves his hand, motioning the exorcist to turns back to his map. After a few second of heaving, he finally returns back to normal, shooting you stinky eyes and put his book away. It’s not your fault that he chokes on his own saliva. He chokes it by himself.

“Why would you want… to hold my hand?” Xingqiu questions, cringing at his cracking voice.

“Don’t you feel hot under this weather?” You point your finger at the sky, bright rays hitting your face. Xingqiu nods in confusion, still not understand how your request related to this question.

“If we hold hand, maybe you can share with me some of your coolness.”

Xingqiu stares owlishly at you, and you elaborate more on how the pyro transfers heat through physical touch, and maybe, hydro has a similar mechanism.

As you explain, you notice how his shoulders shaking, while his face remains perfectly calm, except for the betraying light curve on his mouth. Is he trying to contain his smile?

Finally, Xingqiu folds in half and blurts out in laughter, tears forming at the corner of his eyes. In between his howling, the boy breathlessly explains how you misunderstand the elements and visions aren't used for this situation.

Potato, potato, you don’t believe the mischievous vision-holder over there has never tried using his vision for different purposes other than fighting.

Your face burns up, you’re not sure if it’s because of the burning sun, or the embarrassment caused by the hydro user over there. Pouting, you turn away from him, stomping toward Chongyun direction instead.

Hmph, if Xingqiu isn’t going to help you to cool down, then you’d have to ask the exorcist. Somehow, you already know the man is going to hesitate because it might disturb his congenital condition. Well, you’re just going to bribe him with two or three popsicles when you are coming back to the harbour. Nothing a little money can’t fix. And maybe a lot of persuasions too.

As soon as you make your mind, you rush toward Chongyun, calling out for the cryo user. The exorcist is a distance away from you both, and he doesn’t turn back even when you call out for him. Does this mean he didn’t hear the conversation between you and Xingqiu?

Casually skipping toward Chongyun, you call for him again-

“Chongyun, can I... ” before, suddenly hands from behind wrap around your neck, pull you into a wall of meat. You wince at the hard collision with the chest, sensation of callous fingers on your shoulder bring your longing desired: Coolness. Surprised by the sudden touch, you shoot your eyes wide open and crane your neck behind, immediately meet with a sly amber orb.

What is he doing?

Followed by your call, Chongyun curiously turns back and his gentle light blue eyes unwavering. He doesn’t seem to be surprised at this scene.

Does Xingqiu always this touchy?

The young exorcist raises his brows at you but behind, Xingqiu waves his hand dismissive, successfully driving the young boy away, even before you can form your word.

You see the exorcist shrugs and turns his attention back on the piece of paper, heading deeper into the abandoned village, distance between the cryo users and you two starts to grow.

You gawk shockingly into his small figure starts to get smaller, mouth gapes open slightly.

Did Chongyun just leave you behind? What kind of cold-heart friend is he? He definitely saw you are being held back by Xingqiu, right?

Behind, you hear Xingqiu mumbles something about Chongyun being ‘unbelievable’, ‘workaholic’ and ‘careless friend’. Shouldn’t you be the one who says that?

All of a sudden, you realize your back touching his chest, his hands wrap around you from behind. From here, you can smell the faint vanilla and a mix of woody, musk scent.

He reminds you of old books, the feeling of immersing yourself in a dusty library.

Blood rushing to your face, and the first thing that comes to your mind is to escape from his hold. The hydro user somehow able to read your mind, his grip tightens, holding you close.

In an intimate position, with you both fall in silence, your senses suddenly heighten. Even separated by layers of clothes, you can still feel the heat from Xingqiu. The rapid beat of your heart thumping in your rib cage, the coolness from his palm seeping slowly into your skin.

Somehow his touch doesn’t cool you but heating you up more, your body slowly burns up like a furnace. “ C-can you let me go ?” You stutter, squirming helplessly inside the young hydro user, avoiding his teasing gaze.

“ You asked me to touch you, so I comply with my liege's request.”

“ I didn't ask you to touch me.” You quip back at the shameless hydro user, body twisting weakly inside his hold, the sound of clothes rustling. How come you both learn martial arts, yet your strength is nothing compared to him?

“ This is not holding a hand.” You point out at his long arms wrap just under your neck, sulky. “ And stop hugging me. It’s burning in here.”

Xingqiu gives you a grin, amber orbs shoot you a questioning gaze. Well, it’s not true. His long-sleeved are rolled up, exposing the long slender arms, now is pressing on the thin layer of fabric, resonating with coolness. It feels like hydro is running under the vein of his arm. His fingers wrap on your shoulder, constantly transferring the calming sensation of flowing water.

“Isn’t this position more efficient than holding hand?” The hydro lazily rests his face on your shoulder, smirking devilishly. You have to admit this is much cooler than holding a hand, but this is too intimate. Flustered by his alluring gaze, you turn your head away, feet start moving toward the exorcist direction.

“W-we sh-ould catching up with Chongyun, he’s quite far away.” Stammering like a mess, you point your finger at the general direction where the exorcist was heading, the image of a light blue boy is getting smaller, slowly mending into the heat under the scorching furnace resting on your head. A chuckle is followed, but Xingqiu doesn’t say anything else, hands still wrap loosely around you, trailing steps after you.

You are too naïve to think that walking fast will break his hold. The young master of Feiyun Commerce Guild has proved your effort is futile. He effortlessly adjusts to your pace even when you purposefully try to quicken your step or stop abruptly. He doesn’t faze by your antic, instead, leaning close to your ear and blow hot air into your ears teasingly, knowing well how flustered you are.

From here, you can see Chongyun still having his eyes glued on the piece of paper, still not noticing his companions drift far behind him. Indeed he is careless, maybe you two should keep a close distance to protect him.

“ Are you getting cooler?” Xingqiu suddenly leans close, his face just a few inches away from yours.

You hold your breath in silence, heart almost drops at his close proximation. Can he not scare you like that? “ It's getting cooler.” As much as you tempted to elbow the hydro user away, you know how hot it will be without having his arms wrap around you, so you easily give in.

The two of you keep a decent pace while the boy wraps his hand around you, clinging like a koala. Look around, you realize this place is mostly dry trees somehow manage to root in the barren soil, broken wagons and holed baskets lying around in this place. Luckily, this area has much fewer hilichurls compares to the entrance of the village. Look like they’re also trying to find a shade in this weather. This place is closed to Dragonspine, and you still have no idea how the land doesn’t receive a single cool breeze from the frosted city.

“Why did you pull me back earlier?” Hesitantly, you ask him.

Xingqiu let out a confusing sound, not registering your question. Should you elaborate some more?

“When I was calling out to Chongyun.” You quickly add, trying to keep your voice steady and casual.

“ Oh, that.” He hums, his arms tighten around you. Why did he even hold you closer than before? You didn’t try to pry off his hug, why all of a sudden?

“ Because… you were… about to ask Chongyun to h-hold your hand right?” Freeze at his words, you twist your neck, curious at the face he is making right now. It’s rare for him to sound this uncertain about something. As a second son of the Guild Manager of one of the biggest trading guild in Liyue, the young man has been trained to speak with perfection. Every word coming from this young man is carefully formulated and spoken with utmost confidence.

As you face him, the young man furrows his brows, amber eyes fill with hesitant and worried. Why is he acting like this? A sudden wave of guilt washing your stomach, uneasiness slowly sinks deep into your skin.

You… are not supposed to call out for Chongyun?

“ B-but you laugh at me when I explain about the coolness exchange?” Tilting your head in confusion, you can’t help to not follow the hydro user thoughts. He refused you first, wasn't he? It should be normal for you to find Chongyun instead. The exorcist will probably agree to anything as long as he can help. “Wouldn’t it make more sense if I go to find Chongyun instead?”

“And holding hand with Chongyun? Archon, no!” Your skin jumps as Xingqiu raises his voice, and you have no idea what tickles him. Why fuzzing over something so trivial like this?

“ We always hold hands. There’s nothing wrong with it.” You can’t help to shoot back. “ You also hold his hand too.”

“N-no, our holding hand is different.” He can weakly defend, trying to rack his brain out to think of a time when they hold hands. He gives up soon afterwards. “Besides, you shouldn’t be holding hands with anyone.”

“ For your information, this is much more scandalous than holding hand.” You meekly point out, finger poking on his arm bares smooth skin. Twist back, you lean in closer, eyes crinkle into the shape of crescent moons. “And what’s wrong with us kids holding hand?”

Xingqiu can’t help but let out a defeated sigh, face drops down your shoulder and sulky buries his face in the crook of your neck. His hot breaths tickle the sensitive skin, cerulean locks brushing your cheek. Under his breath, you can barely make out his muffle word, saying something about don’t understand.

You slowly trek toward Chongyun’s direction, humming along with familiar tunes. Sudden changes from Chongyun and Xingqiu have no longer made you felt lonely or sadden. Boys at this age are unusual. They aren’t being closed with you as before, no longer inching close to you or hugging you from behind. They are more cautious when being close with you, more mindful when your fingers accidentally graze their.

If you ask them directly, will they answer you why they're acting like a married woman, always jumping every time you innate skinship?

You have a feeling they probably won't answer that.

“ /N… Y/N! ”

Abruptly, you raise your head, forehead almost hitting with Xingqiu’s. Your face is a breath away from his, so close that you can see his long lashes fluttering like a butterfly, shying away from the captivating eyes. His porcelain skin is smooth and flawless, a sudden urge tells you to caress it. A blush slowly creeping up his cheek, and finally, the hydro user shies away, staring at the road.

Xingqiu clears his throat. “ I was talking to you. You were spacing out again?” You can only offer him a sheepish smile.

“ S-sorry, I was thinking about something.”

Xingqiu looks up and stares at your face intently like he is trying to make his way into your maze-like mind. You shift away from his fierce gaze, but the hydro user is faster. His fingers easily catch your face, your cheeks fit perfectly into his cool smooth palm. Xingqiu lets out an amusing chuckle, fingers squishing your cheek playfully like a stress-reliever.

You feel like he has you wrapped around his little finger, literally.

“I don’t know what you were thinking, but whatever it is, it’s incorrect.” Despite the mean fingers toying your cheek, his voice is awfully soft and reassuring. Is he trying to comfort you? Carefully, you gloss your eyes over to his direction, observing the mischievous feature on his face slowly melts into a soft and mellow.

Before you can enjoy the rare gentle side of his, the amber eyes slowly gleam with playfulness, and he leans closer, only stops when your face is just a breath away. His hot breath fanning on your cheek, tickling. He is so close to you, so close that if you tilt your head, our lips will meet.

“ A moment ago, I said that you shouldn’t let any male hold your hand right?” His voice drops low, golden orb flickers like a torch. What is he planning again? You carefully nod.

He isn’t going to… bite you right?

“ You see, holding hand...” The young man chuckles slyly, the arm was wrapped around your neck makes the way down and nudges into your hand, fingers interlocking. " can easily drifting to this." You turn back fully to face him, the other hand still glazes your cheek.

“ They can easily slip their arm around you into a hug…” Slowly, the coolness in your palm slips away and snakes around your shoulder. “Then, they can…” Xingqiu’s grip on your cheek slowly relaxes, fingers slowly inch down on your neck.

Take a big gulp of saliva, you can only widen your eyes, nervously follow at the tracing fingers of his. His long digits don’t stop after wandering around your neck, they slowly creep up, follow your jaw, and then cup on your cheek. The cooling sensation you craved a moment ago now feels like frost nipping on your skin. Heart thumping loudly in the rib cage, you unconsciously hold your breath, waiting for his next move.

In the comfortable silence, his thump delicately brushes your cheek, caressing the sensitive skin. You notice his touch is loving and delicate, it makes you want to snuggle your face into his palm, enjoying this lasting moment.

“…then what?” You open your mouth impatiently, voice light and mushy.

A light pinkish blush quickly dusts on his cheek, you feel the man in front of you tenses up, but he remains his eye contact with you, refuses to avoid your gaze. His lips quiver but nothing coming out. Is he… hesitating? Finally, you hear him mumbles something quietly.

…you

“ What ?” You cock your brows and inch closer, eyes training on his plump lip. They remain still.

Feeling an intense gaze on your head, you feel a light squeeze on your cheek so you curiously tilt your chin up, just to see Xingqiu leans down and presses a light peck at the corner of your mouth.

His plump lips brush yours like a feather, almost non-touching. It’s soft and plush, but the moment only lasts for a few second. Abruptly, the coolness on your cheek leaves hastily, follows by his sleeveless arm around your shoulder.

As soon as you realize what just happened, the young master of Feiyun Commerce Guild has already dashed away, leaving a burning tomato behind. You shyly lower your head, face heats up profusely. Fingers slowly draw up to your lip, you recall the feeling of his lip touching yours.

You feel like you can combust right here and right now.

Unknownst to you, if you look in his direction, you might have spotted a pair of red ears and his inelegant falling on his butt.

#xingqiu #genshin xingqiu #genshin impact #xingqiu x reader #chongyun #xiangling #kiss #clarissalance #a peck #fluff #friend to lovers #best friend to lovers #genshin impact x reader

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dialovers-translations · 3 years

Text

DIABOLIK LOVERS DARK FATE Official Visual Fanbook Short Story: Mukami Ruki VS Mukami Yuma

Source: Diabolik Lovers Dark Fate Official Visual Fanbook

Release date: 2015

Disclaimer: Both sides portray the same story, but from a different perspective. The first story is written from Ruki’s POV, while the second portrays the events from Yuma’s POV.

RUKI’S SIDE

With the book in my hands still turned open, I gaze at the TV.

Yuma’s disrupting presence as he sits next to her does cross my mind, but I do not let it show on my face.

On the screen which she watches with her full attention, a movie is playing about a gravely ill young girl and a doctor who tries every option available to him to cure her.

While watching this cliched story unfold with a cold expression on my face, a thought emerges in the back of my subconsciousness.

Would I be capable of doing something for another person? Would I ever find myself growing utterly desperate for the sake of just a single individual, just like the man in this movie?

While lost in thought, my gaze involuntarily shifts to her, as I go against all of my principles and start to ponder.

...If she were to be the young girl in this movie, what actions would I take? Would I be able to save her?

Since she is a human, she should fear death. In that case, if she were to become a Vampire like me, she would be freed from this fear of one day meeting her end.

“...Uu...”

I hear a small grunt which snaps me out of my trail of thought. I can tell she is crying even without looking at her face.

Seems like the movie had ended at some point. Not only did I break character by showing interest in some wordly movie, but I ended up putting her in place of the movie’s protagonist.

“Wouldn’t that shit get cured from eatin’ Sugar-chan?”

“That is impossible if you think logically.”

I subconsciously reacted to Yuma’s carefree statement. Of course, I know that Yuma was only saying that as a joke as well.

However, perhaps it is because I replaced the protagonist with inside my head, but my tone sounded quite harsh.

As respectively human and Vampire, our vision on death is different. That being said, life is not easy for either of us.

“...Being alive comes with a lot of pain and suffering...”

When I look at her while she continues to sob quietly, she seems somewhat dazed, as if the movie is still lingering inside her head.

I can only assume that this tale embraces something only a human can comprehend.

“...They say that one’s soul weighs 21 grams. Did you know?”

When I pose said question, she lifts her head to look at me.

“Heeh, I see...I wonder if that’s heavy?”

I have trouble answering her question. However, I could definitely declare the weight of her soul in particular.

“Livestock, your soulーー”

Your soul should be heavy. She has a definite value after all. Without being able to finish my sentence, I am interrupted by Yuma.

Looking at Yuma as he states a soul weighs the same as five sugar cubes, her eyes start to glimmer.

The feeling which quietly wells up inside of me as a result isn’t rivalry towards Yuma. I simply did not like how she seems to have forgotten who she belongs to.

“Lemme suck yer blood. I’ll suck ya plenty to make up for all this time ya kept me waitin’!”

Yuma restrained both of her wrists as he purred. She looked at me to seek rescue, but those teary eyes of her only lured me in instead.

“To find out the weight of your soul, your blood is the best way.”

I gently lift her chin, locking eyes with her.

“I’ll teach you one more time who you belong to.”

I was the only one reflected in her eyes, which twitched either out of fear or anticipation.

ーー End.

YUMA’S SIDE

I wonder how long it has been since I sat down next to her?

“Come on Sow, open yer mouth.”

Even if I bring Sugar-chan to her lips, she won’t even bat an eye.

“Want me to thrust it in there again, huh?”

This time I try to force her to look my way, but she grabs hold of both of my wrists and attempts to break free. On top of that, her eyes remain glued to the television screen.

“This is an important scene, so hold on for a bit.”

I get the same response again. I don’t think I’ll able to able to understand what’s so fun about these kind of tearjerkers.

If you’re wondering why I’ve remained seated next to her regardless, that’s because there’s one other person present in the living room right now. I want to avoid leaving her all alone with Ruki, who was sitting a few inches away from us on the couch.

Since she didn’t seem to be in the mood to entertain me at present, I had no idea what to do now that my hands had let go of Sugar-chan.

“...Uu...”

When I glance at her face after hearing a soft sniffle, tears were pooling in the corners of her eyes.

I wonder how she can cry this much from some movie about a girl who is gravely ill?

“Wouldn’t that shit get cured from eatin’ Sugar-chan?”

“That is impossible if you think logically.”

It was meant to be more of a nonchalant remark, but Ruki immediately responded in his usual fashion.

“...Being alive comes with a lot of pain and suffering...”

Ruki gazes off into the distance, speaking those words as if he seemingly just came to a realization.

Even though I had been sitting here messing with her, her mind seemed to have been fixated on the television screen this whole time. Knowing I’ve been kept waiting for some stupid movie triggers my temper.

“...They say that one’s soul weighs 21 grams. Did you know?”

My thoughts get interrupted by Ruki’s sudden statement.

“Heeh, I see...I wonder if that’s heavy?”

The Sow looks up at him with reddened eyes.

If Ruki starts to ramble about the weight of souls now, her attention will be completely on him. First that darn movie and now Ruki, huh...!?

“Livestock, your soulーー”

“One Sugar-chan weighs ‘bout four grams...Which means a soul is give or take five Sugar-chans, huh? That’s lighter than I thought.”

“Wow! You make it so easy to understand!”

She smiled at me after I blurted out those words on a whim.

“Well, your blood is way more delicious than Sugar-chan tho.”

When I say that, I suddenly get an overwhelming craving for the blood pumping through her veins. This sensation which is unlike anything else became vivid inside my mind once more through my own words. The desire was further spurred on by the relief when she finally looked my way, as well a sense of fulfillment from winning over Ruki.

“Lemme suck yer blood. I’ll suck ya plenty to make up for all this time ya kept me waitin’!”

While saying that, I tightly grab hold of both of her wrists with one hand. Those slender wrists are within my grasp in no time.

“To find out the weight of your soul, your blood is the best way.”

While I purr, Ruki lifts her chin with a dissatisfied expression on his face, looking straight into her eyes.

I’d love to tell him to back off, but I’m sure that having Ruki and I suck her blood simultaenously will make her blood all the more delicious.

While imagining how interesting that could be, I plunge my fangs inside her fair skin.

ーー End.

#diabolik lovers #dialovers #ruki mukami #yuma mukami #diabolik lovers dark fate fanbook #diabolik lovers short story #diabolik lovers versus story #diabolik lovers translation

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viltrumitesuperboy · 3 years

Text

The Cure for Nightmares (Nico di Angelo x Male Reader)

This is probably the longest thing I’ve written for this account. It might jump around. It’s also like 3k words of world building lmao and I’d put this as two parts but fuck that

Disclaimer: I did not read the Kane Chronicles so I know nothing about Egyptian mythology or the books. Tried my best to put some bullshit lmao

Requested by: @imgayandilikeit Well I'm think that let change the hole Greek Demigod love each others , we have other religions for heaven sake and so I'm thinking that Nico x Egyptian demigod!male reader , son of Anubis =))) both of their fathers is the gods of dead/underworld

Word Count: 4639

Moving to New York was probably one of the worst ideas anyone gave you.

You ran away once you found out you were a demigod. It was too dangerous for you to be around. You grabbed one large duffel bag worth of clothing and supplies and didn't look back. You hadn't anticipated how much worse it would be in New York City, with a population larger than you could imagine.

Of all the gods that could have been your parent, it was the god of the dead. You'd never met him, so you had to assume that he either didn't know you existed or that he didn't want to meet you. And coming to a new place was going to be a new start for you. There was something refreshing about a new life, but the city was suffocating. It was confusing and loud and the buildings were a bit too tall. You decided to look for any hangouts for demigods.

Somehow, it wasn't as hard as you thought it would be. With the blaring neon sign of "Half God, Half Mortal," you figured it was worth a try. The name might have been a bit too obvious, but at least it helped the newer people like you to spot it. Once the bouncer realised that you were much to young to be there, he opened the door and pointed towards your right.

"Walk straight into the wall."

You gave him a nod as a thanks. Passing by him, you noticed something was off about him, as if his appearance was rippling. You figured he wasn't exactly human, and continued on.

The door was literally the wall. You touched the wall warily, then pushed it open a bit further with more force. The bouncer grumbled.

"Murray, you're not tricking the kids into running into the wall again, are you?" said the man clearing a counter.

You didn't hear the rest, walking fully into the room and letting the door shut behind you. There was a shimmering film that surrounded the room. It seemed to be the wards in place to prevent monsters from entering and the scent that demigods gave off from leaving. The room was much like the bar behind the wall-door, but had brighter lighting and no colourful neon lights along the walls. A few people sat at joined tables, though the room was full of tables and chairs throughout. You counted about 7 other people, with 2 of them who were definitely grown adults. Only two of the people around your age acknowledged your presence, then looked back at their conversation. They all seemed to be speaking to one another, but some were clearly speaking for the first time. You walked over to the other end of the room, where a generally hairy man with a goatee was stocking things behind the counter.

"Hey, how's it going? This is a pit stop for any demigods, no matter the parents, no matter the backstory. I'm Corbin."

He stuck his hand out, which you hesitantly shook.

"I'm sorry, I don't actually know... uh, is there somewhere... I can stay?" you asked hesitantly, not wanted to drop any larger questions.

"There are some rooms here, but keep in mind that we are not at all funded properly, and the gods aren't exactly the best with taking care of their kids. But everyone who works here does care about you and the anyone else who passes through. There have been some recent developments because one demigod — bless him — made a deal with the gods to pay their child support," Corbin said.

He paused suddenly, rubbing his neck as he looked away and laughed.

"Sorry, didn't mean to ramble. We'll get you situated in one of the rooms. Promise we won't steal anything. We don't want anything you own."

You gave him an awkward smile to try and alleviate his nervous ramble, following him to the rooms that were in the back. He had a strange skip in his step, like he was limping but wasn't in any pain. His confident first impression was clearly practiced, but the rest of his speech wasn't as much. He showed you to the third door on the left.

"You can go back out and mingle with the others. We'll have dinner soon, and you can contact anyone you need to via Iris messaging," he said, hobbling back to the entrance of the hallway to grab some towels.

"Is there supposed to be a main place for demigods? I know you said this was a pit stop, so... what isn't a pit stop?" you asked.

"Oh, you're really new, huh? Well, there's Camp Half-Blood. It's right on Long Island, so it looks like you came to the right place. I can get you a ride there tomorrow, but prepare for a long drive," he said.

You felt like it was too rude to ask what mythology it was supposed to be. After all, none of the gods were really myth anymore, were they? And Corbin was definitely not of Egyptian... whatever.

"If you need a shower, there's one in the back. You are so lucky we don't have roaches. The magic or something. Can't say the same for my apartment..."

You took the towels he provided and put your bag down to get a hold of your surroundings. You started to take out the things you needed, starting to feel the weight of the journey and the toll of everything you left behind. You didn't let yourself break. You could leave that for when you finally got to the camp.

The shower had hot water. And it lasted for as long as you were in the shower. The place might not have been funded well, but by the gods was the magic amazing. You found more of the magic as you finally got clean and went out to the larger room, with the other demigods having moved around going to their rooms and such.

"Hey, join us," one of the older ones said. "We don't bite."

You sat at the empty space they left you, and some people started to bring in large dishes of food and plates to hand out. This place was definitely meant for kids like you who weren't ready for the world yet. They had to be accommodating and giving all supplies possible. You really hoped that whatever gods were funding this cared about their kids.

You didn't talk too much to the others, focused more on the food. You learned that they were from all over, their godly parents Greek or Roman, some not knowing the names. You felt out of place when you said Anubis, but everyone gave you reassuring looks.

"How did you know, since you only found out recently?"

"Kind of hard not to know when you bring your dying friend back to life from a car accident," you explained, pushing the leftover food around your plate.

They showed you where the offerings were, and you scraped the leftover food into the fireplace.

"Have fun with those potatoes, Anubis," you mumbled.

The sleep was welcoming, and you felt how tired you were as your eyes finally shut.

———

You woke up to a loud clanging, instantly jumping out of bed as if ready to fight.

"Hey, keep the fighting out of the bedrooms! You know we don't get paid enough!"

You heard some voices grumbling, and swords being sheathed or placed onto a table. You decided you might as well get ready. In the peace of your own temporary room, you heard the others talking or laughing as they got ready as well, excluding the ones who were already up. They were talking about fighting techniques. You knew nothing about them, but were aware that demigods like you were usually better at handling physical combat than full mortals were. By the time you got to the main room, both swords were nowhere to be seen and it was as if no one had used one at all.

Breakfast was the same. You refused to get too close, knowing that you had to leave the demigods you just met anyway. So you were silent and focused on your food, remembering any information from them about creatures and gods whenever they mentioned it. After you threw in your offering to the gods, you turned to find Corbin again.

"I've got a ride for you, and it'll be here in about an hour. I'll grab you the stuff you might need," he said. "And... not everyone is comfortable with them, but we have some weapons. If you need them. We're supposed to ask everyone."

You followed him to another hallway opposite of the hallway that led to the bedrooms. He opened a door to a large room, weapons ranging from knives to spears against the walls and laying on tables.

"Our blacksmith doesn't come until noon, so unfortunately you won't be meeting her. Still, you're welcome to try out anything you need. And don't worry about not knowing what to do with them. Your instincts always come in."

You looked around in awe, noticing the older ones were clearly battle-worn and on one side as the blacksmith was working on them. You looked to the opposite wall and the one on the right, picking up a knife to feel the weight. You ended up choosing a sword. It didn't feel quite right, like someone else had just been using it and handed it over to you temporarily. It was balanced enough that you could use it.

"Oh, that one was from someone from Camp Half-Blood. I'm sure the camp would be glad to have it back. Sometimes I feel like we're playing hot potato with other spots like these and the different camps," Corbin chuckled.

"What happened to them?" you asked, preparing yourself for a horrible answer.

"The previous owner? They're still alive, but felt like they could put down the sword and picked up a spear instead. Turns out they fought a lot better with it."

You nodded, feeling a bit less disturbed, and grabbed the sheathe for it. You really hoped you wouldn't need it.

Half an hour later, everyone gave you a quick goodbye, and you got in the car with your bag and the sword. The driver gave you a salute and played your favourite music. You assumed it was enchanted because they were definitely not listening to the same thing you were. You didn't feel tired throughout the entire ride, your nerves eating at you despite the calming drive. Your hand twitched on the sword constantly, and you ached to pull it out every ten minutes when you thought you saw anything moving within the trees.

Eventually the driver stopped in what felt like the absolute middle of nowhere, not even the slightest hint of the suburbs.

"This is as far as I can go. Keep that sword on you. Follow the rest of the road, and then there's a dirt road past those trees. Good luck, kid."

They drove away quickly. You had the slightest feeling they weren't mortal. You continued to walk, bag in hand and sheathed sword in the other. You found the dirt road, following it as far as you could even when you could see it turn into grass in the twists and turns in the distance. When you reached the end, you finally glimpsed the strangest twinkle through the trees. You smiled, knowing you finally found the camp, but a rustling caught your attention instead.

The smile fell off your face and you flung your bag and the sheathe to the side, readying your weapon. You stayed half-hidden behind a tree, using the gaps between the other trees to stay on the lookout. Through the trees, one side seemed to growl, and you jumped back just in time for a massive paw to swipe down the tree you were just hiding behind. You yelped, and your back hit another tree, but you moved away from it to hold up the sword.

The massive dog turned to you, and the glint of your sword shined in its eyes. You let the sun reflect into one of its eyes, which only annoyed it more as it charged in your direction. You dashed to the side and slashed at its leg. It gave a loud, angry bark and turned on you. You could see the camp's borders, but you wouldn't reach it in time if you ran. And the overgrown dog wasn't exactly something you could outrun.

"Need some help?" you heard someone say.

You whipped your head around to see a pale teenager. The only colourful thing about him was his sickly skin. Even his eyebags seemed to be as dark as his clothing.

"What the hell is that thing?" you shouted, dodging another charge as you jumped away from him.

"He's a hellhound, and I don't think he wants to be friends," the teen said.

"No kidding!"

The teen was clearly better with a sword than you were. You and the teen returned every swipe of the hellhound's paw with your own attack. You finally stabbed the sword straight into the hellhound's side. Instead of the blood you were expecting, it let a quiet whimper as it crumbled to dust and blew away with a wind you didn't feel.

"Nico," the teen said, going for your stuff and handing you the sheathe.

"What?"

"That's my name. Son of Hades."

You took the sheathe and put the sword back, picking up your duffel bag as well and beginning to walk with him.

"(Y/N). Son of Anubis."

He looked confused, then looked you over.

"Anubis is a god of death, too, isn't he?" Nico asked. "So what's your power?"

"I'm not really sure. I just know I brought someone back to life once," you said.

"I raise the dead. Like, in an army."

"Nice."

You both began to approach the camp's entrance, the banner a bright orange that could hurt your eyes if it was right in the sun. And it was. You shielded your eyes and looked back down. You gestured to the many campers training with weapons or just hanging around.

"Why were you the only one that came to help?" you asked.

"I'm the only child of Hades. Figures I'm the only one who would know if my godly parent's pets are running around near me."

You nodded in understanding, following him to a centaur. As if sensing you, the centaur turned and clip-clopped over to you.

"Welcome! I'm Chiron, the camp- you're hurt."

His bright smile fell into a concerned look, and he began to usher you further into the camp.

"Nico, be sure that our new camper is cared for in the Big House."

Nico made a noise of agreement and continued walking with you to a large, wooden building.

"Sorry. You didn't say anything and I couldn't really tell you were hurt. You'll get some clothing when you're getting healed."

The adrenaline began to wear off now that you were no longer fighting. Then you looked down and the pain started to kick in. A scratch from the hellhound became a gash on your lower leg. You suddenly became aware that you had been limping your way into camp, if not just powering through the pain. Nico looked guilty, so you reassured him quickly.

"Really, it's fine. I didn't know it was there."

He helped take your bag and onto one of the cots in the infirmary. You looked at him, noticing that he didn't seem to be hurt or even disheveled, and not a single part of him seemed different than when he first helped fight the hellhound.

"Thanks, Nico," you said sincerely.

He just nodded and turned to get someone to help. Then he left the infirmary as a demigod came to give you a small cube to eat, and another started to find supplies for your leg.

———

When you'd finally been let out of the infirmary, the sun was making its way towards the horizon. It was getting closer to sunset, but it wasn't there yet. Nico was waiting outside, poking at the scratches in the wood.

"I thought you left," you said.

"I did. But obviously I'm not going to just leave a new camper that I brought in to fend for themselves, so I came back after I was done with training," he huffed. "I'll bring you to your cabin."

You followed him past campers chasing each other or wrestling or fighting. He paid them no attention, but everything was new to you. Now that you weren't focused on an injury, you saw that the camp was beautiful. He pushed open the door to the cabin with familiarity, and dropped onto a bed. It looked lived in, and clothing and objects were strewn around the area.

"You can pick any one of them. Doesn't matter where," he said, grabbing a pair of black jeans from the floor and folding it.

"Is this your cabin?" you asked, hesitantly picking up your duffel bag that was placed by the door and putting it on the one next to his.

"Well, child of the Greek god of the underworld, and child of the Egyptian god of death. Chiron probably figured it was the best option for you," he muttered.

You opened your bag, beginning to take out the things you might need for the next few days. It wasn't much. You looked back up and noticed an orange shirt within the rest of his clothing, similar to the ones many campers were wearing.

"Is that the camp shirt?" you asked, sitting on the bed to face him.

"Uh, yeah. I don't always wear it," he said.

"What, keeping up the emo aesthetic?" you chuckled.

He looked like he almost cracked a smile, and he looked up at you before it completely disappeared.

"And what about you? Not gonna adopt the same style for your godly parent?"

You shrugged, noting the teal shirt you didn't normally wear. It was some of your more athletic wear, and you figured you needed it in your journey. Turned out you were right.

"I thought I'd be living in here with a sibling someday," Nico admitted. "It's still cool to have a new friend anyway."

Now you were sure he was smiling a bit. He stood up then, the smile gone.

"C'mon. I gotta show you the camp. And my friends."

You followed him until it was time for dinner. You met most of his friends along the way. They all had such wildly differing personalities, but they were still such good friends. You wondered why the gods couldn't do the same.

Dinner had the same procedure with everyone eating then using the rest as offerings. Nico continued his tour, bringing you further out than most campers would normally (according to him). He brought you back to the camp in time for the campfire, his friends beckoning you both over.

"So, you're the new Egyptian demigod, right?" a new person asked. "I'm Annabeth."

"She keeps the group together," Percy added.

"That's not really true," she laughed.

"She keeps Percy from falling apart," Nico said.

"Okay, that's fair," Percy said, and Annabeth shrugged in agreement.

Annabeth sat you down next to her, asking everything you knew about Egyptian mythology. Anything you didn't know, she ranted on her own. She spoke a mile a minute and somehow you understood her every word. After the sun was long set and there was a clear change in the stars moving through the night sky, she finally seemed to snap out of it. You looked to your side to see Nico and Percy watching the two of you, but lost in their own conversation.

"Hey, it's getting late and almost everyone's gone. We should probably get to bed," Annabeth said.

She stood and held a hand out for you. You smiled and grabbed it, letting her pull you up. She gestured to Percy, who stood with Nico. You continued talking all the way back to the cabins, and you dropped her off at her cabin first.

"Thanks for teaching me about Egyptian mythology? I mean, it's a lot to know for someone who's a Greek demigod," you commented.

"I'm still a daughter of Athena. If I don't know things, who would I be?"

You smiled and settled for a very awkward fist bump after debating if it was appropriate to shake hands or hug her. You and Nico waved to Percy as he headed towards his cabin, and you went to the Hades cabin.

"So. How was today?" Nico asked.

"Tiring, but really great. Maybe I'm not supposed to be here, but I feel like I belong for once," you said.

"I get that."

You passed him as he held the door open for you. The bags under his eyes looked less prominent in the shadow from the moon. The crease between his eyebrows was gone entirely, like something wasn't weighing him down anymore. As you both got ready for bed, you couldn't help but think what his story was and what he gave up to come here.

"Good night, Nico."

"Night."

———

Nico's nightmares didn't stop. He thrashed, screamed, and woke up with a startle only to find out that you had been trying to wake him up the whole time. You started to understand why his eyes held a perpetual feature of dark circles. You found he didn't quite enjoy physical touch, but calmed instantly if you grabbed his shoulder or arm during his sleep. The others seemed to just know about him and what he went through, so they would sometimes check on him. They'd come with gifts or something, which he tried to decline. You forced him to take them because it was just the polite thing to do. (Some of them would try to pass them on to him through you, and you didn't need another incident of shooting an arrow that nearly hit Dionysus in the head.)

No one gave Nico much trouble. His rage was dangerous as someone who could raise dead armies. He was powerful, and his fellow campers would not dare get on his bad side.

It seemed it was the same for you, when you had a bad day and ran off into the trees. You'd touched a tree to get balanced again, and sank down with your back against it to rest and think. When you focused back to reality, Annabeth had just run into the clearing. She found you in a circle of death, the sickly tan leaves on the floor around you with brown blades of grass. You found a dead bird behind the tree after you stood and inspected the area in panic. You avoided Annabeth's attempts to comfort you and went to the Hades cabin.

You slept on the opposite side of the cabin from Nico for a week.

You finally talked to him after that. He gave you a rare smile. He assured you that your powers were not something to fear, and that you should learn to embrace them. Even if his powers were different, he thought of them as a curse, the same way you did. The god of death did not come without life, which he said was a reason you were able to bring someone back from the dead in the first place. If you could control that, you wouldn't need to worry.

You went back to your training, as Chiron was notified of your previous situation and didn't interfere. Annabeth threw herself at you in a hug a week after when you were comfortable again. The summer was nearly over, and the three demigods out on the quest would be back soon.

"Usually, we're only here for the summer. But a lot of us have to stay behind because we don't have places to go outside of here. And you already know about the Mist for your weapons and the monsters. It's not always safe out there, but Percy's managed every year."

You looked around at the camp, which would be missing most of its current campers within a week. You looked at Annabeth sitting beside you sharpening her knife.

"How do you avoid the monsters?"

"You don't, really. Most kids don't have problems. Percy does because he's one of the Big Three and he's had to fight a monster before coming to camp every year. Nico rarely ever leaves camp, and no one's looking to fight him so he's left alone. I don't think you'd have much of a problem if you go back home."

You saw Percy, splashing Grover with water and running away laughing. You saw Nico, Stygian Iron sword in hand, sparring with someone else. The purple glow glinted to a slightly lighter purple as the sun shone down on them. He suddenly stepped behind a pillar, reappearing by a tree and taking the camper by surprise from behind. She laughed, and his shoulders shook in a quiet chuckle as he pulled her up from the ground.

"It's a bit far, and I kind of gave the people there the impression that I might not be coming back. Maybe I'll wait," you said.

"Wouldn't hurt to be with Nico for a little longer, huh?" Annabeth teased.

You scoffed and pushed her lightly, which might not have been the best idea considering the very sharp object in her hand. She laughed anyway, and put the knife to the side.

"Really. It's not every day you're nearly living with someone who isn't your sibling in your cabin. You've waited long enough, I think. Both of you."

She nudged your shoulder, and stood up with the wooden sword at the ready.

"You've still got a lot to learn. Pick up your shield, c'mon."

You groaned and grabbed the shield from the floor. The hits of the sword put you in a mode of concentration to think about what she said.

———

That night, you stared up at the ceiling. It was slightly illuminated by the moonlight, and you could barely make out Nico's form on the bed. It was one of those nights where you were both up late, but the rarer ones where neither of you spoke for a while. It was clear one of you were going to break the tension because you both wanted to say something.

"Hey, (Y/N)?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm gay."

"Alright."

It was silent for a bit, even his breathing quieted.

"That's it?"

"No," you sighed. You sat up, facing him as he followed suit, but more slowly. You watched as he flicked on the small nightlight that one of the Hephaestus kids made upon request, as you both struggled to sleep sometimes. It cast a comforting purple glow, probably a joke about Nico's sword. "I don't know how else to say it."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I was talking to Annabeth earlier today. I think of you as someone I would like to be with. As more than friends. But this... world is still new to me, and I'm..."

"Scared?"

"Something like that."

You moved over to his bed, taking a seat facing him. He shuffled to face you as well, and he took your hands in his cold ones.

"I've had feelings for very few people in the past. I think it wouldn't hurt to try."

You leaned over and pulled him into a hug, which he returned.

"Yeah, I think that would be nice," you whispered.

You slept side by side that night, the side of your arm and leg pressed together as your hands were grasped tightly. You woke up to the sounds of birds chirping outside and Nico, who didn't move at all that night.

No nightmares.

#x male reader #nico di angelo x reader #nico di angelo x male reader #nico x reader #nico x male reader #nico di angelo imagine #male reader #male reader insert #request

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jaskiersvalley · 3 years

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Ur wolficorn fic sent me into a catatonic laughing fit I straight up couldn't breath for almost 2 min thank u

I'm so pleased the Wolficorn fic had you laughing so much. It was definitely one written in a spur of the moment idiocy XD While I don't have anything quite so silly to offer today, how about some idiot shenanigans of less outlandishness?

Sharing Is Caring

There was something unique to Wolf Witchers that nobody outside of their school knew about. their mages had been experimenting with not just the body but the mind too. Knowledge was essential to being a successful Witcher and little did anyone know but the mages were highly competitive, wanting their school to be the best. The Wolf mages had secretly perfected a formula. They called it Moss because it spreads and links minds so they can share knowledge without issues.

It's all well and good, Lambert, Geralt, Eskel, and Vesemir get together each winter and spend nights linked, sharing stories from the path, helping figure out whether harpies have a blind spot they could exploit to make contracts a little easier. However, the year Jaskier, Cahir and Aiden were with them, and Aiden can smell the unusual potion on Lambert, the ruse was up. They all wanted in on what sounded like quite a lot of fun.

"It requires a lot of control, adepts learn it together while they're still young," Vesemir grumbled, reluctant to share.

"Well, I'm a Witcher, I have control," Aiden shot back, pulling himself up to his full height and puffing his chest out.

Not to be out done, Jaskier was next to him, looking equally entitled. "I am nothing if not a quick study."

Somewhat slower and a bit more shy but no less determined, Cahir cleared his throat from behind them. "I won't be left out either."

Which was how, outnumbered and threatened with being pestered, sung into madness and soulfully stared at, Vesemir relented. They set the great hall up, pillows for comfort, more than usual because Jaskier demanded it and the vial of Moss was brought out.

"As the strongest in Chaos, Eskel goes first, he'll ground us," Geralt explained. One by one they took a sip and passed the vial on, then got comfortable, lying down and reaching for the person either side so they formed a circle of sorts. Like a gentle wave, something tugged at them, dragging them from the present into something warm and comforting.

The memory surfaced gently, there were pangs of fatigue and aching muscles but muted. The focus was very much on the nest of harpies that had been disturbed. Through Eskel's eyes they could see how he worked, corralling the creatures and approaching from the side. An inner monologue started up.

"I'd noticed that the harpies tended to approach at a 20 degree path from the rockface over the years. And if they swarm, they stay at a 25 degree angle to each other. So I set about testing a theory."

In the memory the harpies shifted as Eskel jumped but did nothing else. When they zeroed in on him again, Eskel moved too.

"I suspected that the harpies have a blind spot in the 20-25 degree range. It is something that is worth exploiting. In a group they will try to guard each other's blind spots but can be used against them, especially with projectiles."

There was a soft clamour in the memory of multiple not quite voices brushing together, a feeling of intrigue and gratitude. Eskel's memory was followed by Geralt's a review of some of the flowers and the regional mutations he had found in them. Lambert brought forth his contract on a werewolf whose stomach had been filled with stolen silver jewellery, probably in the mistaken hope of it preventing the transformation. Though he quickly stopped sharing about what he then did with the found silver, Aiden's memories picked up. There was glee and excitement in there. They had sold some of the silver to get a nice room for the night as well as a bath to share.

The problem was, there was no way to look away from a memory and Aiden seemed to have no shame in sharing the knowledge he'd learned on the Path that year. Namely, he'd discovered a new way to flick his tongue during a blowjob that had Lambert keening, head thrown back and tendons in his neck standing out.

Somewhere in the muted mixture of outrage, humiliation and pride there was one clearer voice.

"Thanks for the tip, I'm so trying that." Which was how focus moved from Aiden to Jaskier. The first thing that hit them all was exhaustion. Aching legs, a creaky knee a back that screamed to be allowed to lie on a flat surface. Instead, Geralt stepped through the doors of the tavern, looking equally drawn and in the memory they could all feel the wide smile Jaskier sent him before looking to the tavern owner. The set Jaskier played was no different to his usual by the looks of it, however this time there was an increasing wave of concern from Geralt as Jaskier struggled at hiding his fatigue and sadness. It wasn't that he didn't like performing but his heart ached that he had to push himself at every opportunity because people didn't take kindly to Geralt. The memory ended when Jaskier trudge upstairs, forcing his chatter and smile until his head hit the pillow and he was out like a light.

There was silence in their joined consciousness, an uneasy shifting from Jaskier at his secret having been spilled until Geralt mentally enveloped him, gratitude and sadness.

"There's a lot that's done out of love," Cahir mused. There had been absolute blankness from him for the whole joining which had been unnerving. It made Lambert and Aiden turn their attention to the void that shrouded him and began poking, pulling and trying to tease something out of him. It was Eskel's warm push that jolted them all into a memory.

"I remember this," Eskel thought. "You said nothing had happened."

That might have been a small lie. Eskel had been out to track down fiend that had been terrorising a king's hunting grounds. He'd said it would take at least three days to track it and kill it before dragging a head back as proof of completion of the contract. While he was gone, Cahir had been permitted to stay at the castle as a guest. With his knowledge of Nilfgaard, he was a valuable asset and many often tried to draw information from him in a variety of ways.

The fiend was taking longer to sort than anticipated, not that Cahir was worried. It was only the fourth day and he'd ride out the next day if there was no sign of Eskel, that was fine. However, he had been invited for an audience with the king in the throne room. What was nice was that the king stood rather than lounge in his throne though that was probably more to do with his sciatica than the desire to treat Cahir as an equal. It did mean though that when a messenger came in, Cahir heard it all.

"My King, there's news that the fiend has struck again. Rumour is that the Witcher has failed, might be injured in the forest."

"How unfortunate," the king had drawled.

"Do we send a rescue party?"

"Why bother? He's just a Witcher?"

The flare of fury and protectiveness was overwhelming and the memory was choked by it, only brought back into focus by the sound of a slap as Cahir delivered a swift, hard backhand, making the king's head snap to the side.

Immediately there was the sound of swords being drawn and guards advanced on Cahir who gave a nonchalant shrug.

"What? He's just a king."

Spluttering, the king waved his guards off and glared at Cahir. "People love me. I matter to them. A Witcher doesn't."

"I don't love you. But I love my Witcher, he matters to me." Cahir glanced at his nails, the perfect image of disinterest even as his stomach was in tight knots. "You're say here, getting fatter each day. Eskel's out there actually protecting your people. So tell me, who matters more? A king who is easily replaced and they're dime a dozen on this Continent? Or a Witcher when no more of them are being made and the only ones who can conquer a fiend when it hunts in the same area you wish to pursue for sport?"

The memory closed off at that, Cahir finally getting control back over himself. He shrank back into his void, a soft murmur of embarrassment echoed in the connection. "You weren't meant to find that out."

Breaking the circle, Eskel pulled himself from the effects of Moss and the others broke out of it too, just in time to see Eskel roll on top of Cahir and kiss him.

"You could have died you idiot."

"So could you." Cahir refused to feel remorse or regret for his actions. "From what I recall, the king paid you handsomely for your efforts when you came back the next day."

The moment was broken by Jaskier clearing his throat, hand in Geralt's and tugging. "If you'll excuse us, we have a new tongue trick to try."

Without a word, Vesemir walked into the kitchen, down into the cellar and got started early on the moonshine.

#geraskier #lambden #eskhir #geralt/jaskier #lambert/aiden #eskel/cahir #gerlat of rivia #jaskier #lambert #aiden #eskel #cahir mawr dyffryn aep ceallach #vesemir #tldr: witchers share memories of their year to share knowledge

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milenadaniels · 3 years

Text

Still Waters, 7k - Buck/Eddie, post s4 (AO3)

As Eddie lays on the hot pavement bleeding out, his eyes locked on Buck’s bloody face, his hand reaching out towards him, what washes over him isn’t his hard-earned stillness nor is it shock.

It’s clarity, edging slowly into focus from off-stage.

And when he wakes up in the hospital bed and registers a soft, slim hand in his, he thinks, "no, that’s not it.”

----

Or, Five Ways Eddie's Body Feels Different After the Shooting

Eddie takes comfort in living with a certain stillness.

Being an army medic means walking into gunfire without being able to shoot back. It takes a steadiness that’s hard to train and while the army did help him grow into the man he is today, they couldn’t teach him that. That stillness, that restraint and level-headedness — he showed up to basic training with it. It makes him a good medic, a good firefighter, and it’s what makes him a good son. (If he’d countered his parents’ yelling with his own, if he’d let loose the caustic retorts he has tucked away, it wouldn’t be long until they were out of his life for good.)

He lost that stillness after Shannon died and he nearly lost everything else he’d worked so hard for because of it. So he built that restraint back up brick by brick until he was safe again. It was a little harder to breathe sometimes, but it was a familiar kind of pressure. Like a jacket you’ve grown out of but still love the look of enough to wear out sometimes.

And then he gets shot, and he doesn’t move, doesn’t say a word, doesn’t react at all. But it’s not his stillness kicking in.

It’s having a bullet tear through his body on a sunny afternoon in L.A., thousands of miles away from where this should have been a hazard of the job.

It’s hearing the bullet go off before registering the pain, but seeing the blood spray across Buck’s face before any of that.

It’s falling and Buck — open, emotional Buck — not reacting at all.

It’s collapsing on the street and smelling iron and finally putting together all these pieces and understanding why it’s so hard to breathe.

It’s not stillness, it’s just shock. Pure and simple.

But after that moment passes, as Eddie lays on the hot pavement bleeding out, his eyes locked on Buck’s bloody face, his hand reaching out towards him, the stillness that washes over him isn’t his hard-earned restraint nor is it the shock.

It’s clarity, edging slowly into focus from off-stage.

Clarity like he had in Afghanistan as the bullets rained down around him and he bled out in the sand, the clarity that nothing in the world mattered to him more than Christopher and nothing would ever keep him from his kid again. Not the army, not his problems with Shannon, not his parents.

This clarity, this epiphany, is seeping slowly into his consciousness and he grasps at it, tries to pull it in closer to understand. But just as it starts to trickle into him, Buck screams for him, his voice breaking, terrified, and a strong hand lands on his arm. Anything else his mind was trying to tell him is drowned out by his own screams.

When he wakes up in the hospital bed, lights too bright and his throat sore from the extubation, he feels...strange. He feels a stillness take hold of him, but it’s not a familiar one. His body and mind are calm, but anticipating something. He feels like he’s woken up from an important dream he can’t remember. Like he’s late for something but doesn’t know where to go. Like he was mid-conversation when the other person vanished.

Then he registers a soft, slim hand in his and thinks, no, that’s not it.

Eddie’s skin feels different after the shooting.

He knows that from the moment his mind and body reconnect and half-asleep he tries to pull his hand out of Ana’s, but he doesn’t get the extent of it until his welcome home party where he tries to lean in for a kiss but diverts himself to her cheek, lingering there longer out of guilt. Her skin is as soft as always, warm from the heat of the house, but that small thrill of learning intimacy with someone new is gone and he’s not close enough to her to feel the deeper, warmer rightness he feels when he kisses Christopher’s forehead or Abuela’s cheek.

Carla’s comment has been rattling around in his head since before the shooting, trying to find the unfinished puzzle inside him it could match up to. Ana sidles up to him at the party, lacing their fingers together and a faint rush of no crawls up his arm. He squeezes her fingers to compensate and smiles, blaming its weakness on fatigue. He looks at her, so beautiful, kind, and patient, and suddenly he hears Buck’s voice in his head saying, “Overcorrecting” as the puzzle piece slides into place.

Eddie’s parents were wrong about Christopher, about Eddie as a father, and he will forever be angry that they made him feel like nothing, like worse than a deadbeat dad when he was already at his lowest. But he still loves them, still understands they were trying to do the best they could for Christopher, and in that their values will always align. He knows that if the day comes that he needs their help, they’ll be on a plane in a heartbeat.

They’re family.

So he can’t dislodge the seed of hurt buried deep in his gut when they tell him he’s failing in their eyes. And they weren’t wrong in their accusations, really. He works crazy hours, the extended family doesn’t live here, and every other week with a specialist or new consultation makes him feel like he’s playing catch-up on what his son needs to be healthy and happy.

And then Ana was placed in his path. A schoolteacher turned vice-principal with a Ph.D, who could cook, and who was kind, beautiful, Latina, and worked almost exactly the same hours Christopher would be in school for. And so, just like he had with the skateboarding, Eddie had overcorrected and tried to make up for his deficiencies.

Eddie breaks up with her over coffee during her lunch break while Christopher is at school and Buck is at work. She’s as understanding as she has been since they started this little courtship and he’s grateful to have known her, to have tried this, even though it didn’t work. She squeezes his hand on the table as she gets up to leave and he smiles politely, stretching his fingers in and out only once she’s completely out of sight.

He passes out on the couch when he gets home, grateful to have the excuse of recovering from a major injury to do absolutely nothing but blank out for a bit, and is woken up by warmth cupping his shoulder. He opens his eyes to find blue eyes and an amused smile tugging at full lips.

“Hey, dinner’s on,” Buck says. There’s a question written across his face, a hint of worry creasing in the corners of his eyes, but Eddie smiles back tiredly and the shadows on Buck’s face clear. Mostly.

“We’re having ziti!” Christopher yells from the dining room, and Eddie is not surprised. Buck has been staying with them for three days and they’ve had foods easy to eat one-handed for those three days.

“We are having ziti,” Buck echoes with raised eyebrows to convey the nonexistent significance of having ziti.

“Well I’m definitely getting up for ziti.”

Unexpectedly, Buck’s hand slips into his good one and his other hand goes to support Eddie’s shoulder to help him upright on the couch. He backs away once he’s sure Eddie isn’t listing sideways and shoots him a smile with a cocked head before hopping back to the dining room to supervise. Eddie takes an extra moment on the couch opening and closing his fist, letting himself revel in the electric tingle racing up and down his arms, and the feeling of sweat prickling along his skin where Buck’s slid.

Eddie's hearing things differently after the shooting.

Between being a young, single parent and his military training, Eddie has mastered the art of sleeping lightly to keep alert to any sounds in the night. He’s so good at it that when they first moved into this house, he only lasted 3 weeks before he had to get his toolset out, take Christopher’s bed apart and reassemble it with a copious applicable of WD-40 to stop the one damn metal slat squeaking just loud enough for him to hear all the way from his own bedroom every single goddamn night.

He thought he’d naturally start sleeping more soundly as Christopher got older and more independent, but then Shannon died, and the tsunami happened, and being able to spring up at the first hint of a cry overrode any other instinct his body could manifest.

And now he’s recovering from an injury, which never lends itself to a deep sleep, which works out well because Christopher is processing his father getting shot at work and Eddie needs to be ready to reassure him that he hasn’t lost both his parents when the nightmares come.

So when he wakes to Christopher shaking his arm and whispering, “Daddy”, he immediately springs awake, his hands already reaching for his crying son….who isn’t crying. Which Eddie can see clearly by the strong light of the sun filling the room.

“Mijo?” Trying to blink himself into alertness.

“Are you awake?” Christopher asks, a crooked smile on his face. “It’s breakfast time.”

“Yeah, yes, I’m awake,” he says, though his mind is trying to tell him otherwise. “Breakfast? What time is it?”

“Breakfast time!” Christopher repeats, shaking his arm again for good measure. “It’s gonna get cold!”

“I’m coming,” he says, but grunts as he actually tries to lever himself up.

“Hey, hey, you were only supposed to see if he was awake, not actually wake him up,” Buck admonishes as he rushes the room. He pokes Christopher in the side a few times as punishment until the boy is shrieking with laughter. Then he moves into Eddie’s space to slip a strong arm under his back and practically lifts him up into a seated position without Eddie’s help.

Eddie blinks against a small rush of dizziness and Buck’s hands stay on his shoulders until he nods that he’s okay. The feeling of them stays on his skin like tattoos long after.

They make it to the table and Eddie finds himself still disoriented as he takes in the impressive spread on the dining room table. Buck is many things but he is not a quiet man, especially not while cooking and this is a minimum of a half hour’s work. Probably closer to an hour judging by the very uneven shapes of the hashbrowns pointing to Christopher’s appointment as sous-chef.

He didn’t hear any of it.

But the biggest blow comes ten minutes into the meal when Christopher, who’d been all energy until he got to the table, suddenly seems to have lost his appetite and slumps into his chair as he plays with his food instead.

Eddie’s hand comes up automatically to check for a fever despite the lack of redness in his cheeks but Buck catches his eye and shakes his head, assuaging that concern. Buck, Eddie now notices, is sporting quite the bruises under his own eyes.

“Nightmares,” Buck mouths silently, tipping his head towards Christopher.

And for a moment, Eddie’s parents stand in front of him, telling him he couldn’t even be there for his son when he needed him and the guilt and shame curls between his ribs and suffocates him.

But then Buck negotiates Christopher into eating one half of a banana in exchange for two more squirts of ketchup for his eggs and Eddie lets the guilt wash into him, through him, and then away.

He wasn’t there for Christopher, but Buck was. And would forever be. Eddie has had nearly a year to come to terms with that fact, to grapple with what little doubts he had that Buck would pass on the responsibility — not because he didn’t want it, but because he’d forever find someone else more worthy of it — and yet he’s still caught off-guard every time he’s reminded he isn’t alone in this anymore.

Still, he feels the need to be there himself for Christopher if he’s needed, so he tries to train his mind to stay alert while he sleeps that night.

He lets himself drift, cataloguing the sounds of nighttime. The periodic hum of the fridge, the air conditioning kicking in, the crickets outside. He slips away at some point, pulled into darkness by a healing body and a tired mind, but he’s gratified to find himself waking suddenly at 1:13am at the sound of murmuring voices down the hallway.

Buck is up with Christopher again.

Eddie’s stomach muscles make a valiant effort to try to get him up but the rest of his body and mind are unconcerned. He tries to flare up some adrenaline, something to tell his body to respond to his child who’s in distress, but all he gets is the molasses-heavy pull back to sleep. He knows he should be bothered, should be scared that he can’t do this. But he’s just not. Because Buck’s got this.

A month ago, footsteps in his hallway at night would have him waking up tense and alert, ready to respond to the intruder, until he remembered that Buck stayed over, or Tía Pepa came in early and he would slowly, consciously release the tension in his muscles until he was calm again.

Tonight, the sound of heavy footsteps going back to the living room doesn’t even pass into conscious thought. Before it can even get to his higher thinking, it’s interpreted as safe.

Eddie’s seeing things differently after the shooting.

Eddie’s back to work a week after the shooting, on light duties, and while he hates not being able to jump in the truck and watch his team’s back on calls, he doesn’t hate taking it easy. Just for a little while anyway.

Today, however, they’re all taking it easy. It’s a slow day, and they have an open house for several local high schools’ career day. The firefighters of the 118 are spread out, some leading tour groups, some recounting PG versions of intense calls, some handing out snacks and pamphlets. Civilians are milling about as though this is a museum and not a functioning firehouse that could get a call any minute, but he’s not stressing about it. That’s Bobby’s job.

He does raise an eyebrow at whichever parents feel it’s okay to let their toddler toddle off in a strange place full of dangerous equipment though. Eddie sees the tyke waddle past him and almost moves to block her path when he sees her destination.

Later, he’ll remember this moment as time slowing down to a crawl just for him, but what really happens is his heart realizes something just moments before the rest of him does and his brain has to pump the brakes to align everything back up.

What happens is Buck crouches down to the level of the little girl whose pudgy arms are reaching up for him, like she recognizes the safest place in this whole new, strange environment. He puts his hands around her — his fingers spanning from her hips to underneath her arms — and lifts her up high above his head in one quick swoop that has her shrieking with delight. And the people drop away, the cacophony dies down until all Eddie can see is Buck and the little girl backlit by the sun pouring in from the open bay doors. And at the crest of the arc the little girl makes in the air, everything stills and something in Eddie’s chest just cracks right open. Something deep and consuming. Something that resonates through him until he’s shuddering with it. Something that yells,

I want that.

It’s a picture of achingly beautiful contrasts — a child the size of a doll over the head of a towering form, taut biceps straining against his uniform short sleeves to hold her fragile body with just enough force to keep her safe in his hands, the dark masculine line of his uniform against her light purple princess tulle dress — but their beaming smiles are matched perfectly.

And Eddie wants. He wants to the point of breathlessness and he doesn’t know what to do with that. He just knows he wants to be looking at this exact image again a couple of years down the road, but when it happens next he wants the little girl in Buck's hands to be his, and that is some fucking news to him. He’s never thought of having more kids. Well, he has, but in the same abstract way he thinks he might someday get a dog. It would be nice, but not in the cards for now, not something to spend time thinking about in realistic terms.

But maybe that’s what his brain is straining to catch him up on. That he wants more kids. Like a biological alarm clock coming to life. He could deal with that. He could.

Only Buck is putting the little girl down and she’s walking away with her parents and Eddie can’t pull his eyes away from Buck’s deep dimples and the whites of his teeth, and that warm pressure in Eddie’s chest sinks down into his abdomen and curls into something hot and he can hear the blood rushing in his ears, and he thinks wildly that it may not be about the little girl at all. But it may be that if there is a little girl in his future, he’d want her to be theirs, like —

Like Christopher is.

His mind supplies him with the image of Buck carrying Christopher to bed last night — in those same strong arms, tenderly removing his glasses and tucking him in — and just like that this kernel of panic that had been building in his sternum bursts like an overfilled balloon whose contents are unexpectedly soft because they rain down over all the fear and anxiety until all he can feel is a bone-deep calm.

Eddie wants that. And maybe that’s okay.

“You okay, Eddie?” Asks Bobby, coming to stand next to him.

Time is winding back up to normal speeds, and the sun framing Buck is slowly lowering back down to the brightness of a regular sunny day, but Eddie is still staring.

“Yeah,” he says in a voice he barely recognizes as his own.

“You sure?”

Buck is saying something to a parent, then asks them to wait, running behind a truck for something and finally releasing Eddie’s gaze.

He takes a deep breath and sits with the feelings pulsing through his veins before turning to Bobby, his eyes maybe a touch wide if the captain’s concern is anything to go by. He wants to say something, wants to blurt it all out, wants to be that person who wears their whole heart on his sleeve...but he’s not that person yet.

“We had a conversation not long ago,” Eddie begins, sounding as shell shocked as he feels, “about focussing on the wrong thing. Missing out on something.”

Bobby is quiet and when Eddie finally turns his head he finds the man looking past him, to where Buck has returned.

Bobby’s lips into a small, satisfied smile. “Yes, we did. Found something to focus on?”

“Yeah,” Eddie admits. “I think so.”

Bobby claps him on the back, and leaves his hand just long enough to feel like a blessing.

Eddie’s breathing is different after the shooting.

He wishes he could blame the bullet but the same kind of luck that had gotten him out of the well had somehow seen him come out of a sniper attack with mostly muscle damage and a cleanly fractured scapula that should heal if it's kept immobile. His ribs, collarbone, and lungs have all gotten off without injury.

And blaming the bullet was always going to be a hard sell when his breath only hitches and constricts when Buck lets himself into his house at the end of his shifts. When he toes his boots off and hangs his jacket up in the closet like he means to stay. When his socked feet bump into Eddie’s under the breakfast table because they’re both too damn long in the legs to be sitting across from each other. When their shoulders brush when putting the leftovers away. When Buck is the one to let Abuela into the house and chats with her easily as Christopher gets ready to leave. When —

Suffice it to say proximity may be more a factor than the bullet. Though Eddie can understand how Buck’s gotten it wrong.

“Don’t tell me you’re not hurting, tough guy” Buck chastises him later that night with a knowing glimmer in his eyes as his fingers reach out for his shoulder, “I’ve been listening to you flinch for three days straight.”

It has been three days since the open house. He doesn’t know if he should be grateful Buck waited until Christopher was at Abuela’s to bring this up or terrified he’s lost his child-buffer.

“Buck, it’s fine,” Eddie protests even as he holds still for Buck to palpate the area gently. “I am a medic, in case you forgot. I know what to look out for in healing wounds.” The warmth leaves his shoulder and he misses it instantly.

“I don’t know if you’ve heard, but apparently doctors make the worst patients,” Buck informs him, hands on his hips which pitch forward in a way Eddie desperately tries not to interpret as suggestive. This is just Buck peacocking to drop some knowledge. “There’s a reason docs aren’t allowed to diagnose or prescribe themselves anything. Meds and beds, Eds!” he decrees sunnily like the dork he is.

Buck slides one of the pain pills out of the child-and-shoulder-injury-proof bottle and Eddie takes it because breathing issues aside, he did overextend himself in physical therapy today and he’s not going to get any sleep without it.

“Come on, let’s go.” Buck tips his chin imperiously towards the hallway, expecting Eddie to lead the way to his bedroom where he’ll take off his shirt for Buck to inspect both sides of the wound, clean it, and redress it, like they’ve done nearly a dozen times before. He’s dodged it for the past few days in deference to his sanity but he’s not getting out of it tonight.

Eddie gets up and leads the way, telling himself he’s only doing it as a pretense to turn away so the heat crawling up his neck isn’t be on full display but as he gets closer to his bedroom, his mind lifts the image of Buck’s large hands from the little girl’s waist, and the electric warmth of his touch on the couch, and drops it onto the image of Eddie’s bare, shirt-and-bandage-off skin and now his feet are just following orders from higher up the chain.

Eddie sits gingerly on the edge of his bed and forces himself to breathe normally as his eyes track Buck’s easy familiarity with the inside of his bedroom. Buck turns the bedside lamp on, then crosses to the dresser to pull a fresh shirt for bed which he chucks at Eddie’s head (only once he’s sure Eddie’s aware it’s coming), then ducks into the bathroom quickly to grab the dollar store basket with everything he’ll need.

Then Buck is helping him out of his sling and shirt and stepping closer until Eddie’s field of view narrows to a broad chest and flat stomach covered only by a thin, soft-looking dark red henley. Buck inches closer still as he concentrates on carefully pulling off the old gauze and his thighs press into the inside of Eddie’s knees.

His breath hitches.

“Sorry, sorry,” Buck mumbles.

Eddie doesn’t correct him.

This close, the heat from Buck’s body is slowly seeping into Eddie’s space, the skin on the inside of his knees already past the point of overheating, much like his face, neck and chest are.

Buck’s hands are light as the pads of two fingers press around the skin around the stitching. “It’s...actually looking really good,” he says, puzzled but pleased. “Not red, no sign of infection. You do feel a little warm though.”

No shit.

Buck shifts, moving one leg outside of Eddie’s knees to better look at the back of the wound and he says something but all Eddie can focus on is the 5 inches keeping Buck from essentially riding his thigh.

“Eds? Hey.” Buck calls for what sounds like the second or third time. “What’s hurting? Where are you feeli—”

Buck is leaning back to better look at him and Eddie doesn’t know what his face is saying but no part of his body is less than overheating and thinks his eyes may be communicating this.

“It doesn’t hurt,” Eddie manages to get out.

“But…” Buck looks down, his body becoming tense with uncertainty. “You keep—”

“Yeah,” Eddie interrupts and he wants to blame the pain pill like he wanted to blame the bullet but Tylenol 3 barely makes people drowsy, it sure as hell isn’t responsible for people feeling up their best friends. And yet that’s what’s happening, apparently.

They both look down and watch as Eddie’s good hand slowly reaches out and settles on Buck’s hip, under his henley, fingers curling too naturally around his leather belt, the backs of his fingers pressing into Buck’s warm skin. Not only does Buck not reject the touch but he leans forward into it, his hands rising towards him but not landing. Eddie’s heart aches at the aborted motion and recognizes it for uncertainty. Buck’s not fully sure what’s happening but he’s willing to go along with whatever Eddie wants to do.

Eddie doesn’t want that.

He uses the hand on Buck’s hip to move him back just far enough to leverage himself up so they’re on equal footing, though only one of them is half-naked.

“Eddie,” Buck begins, though it’s obvious he doesn’t know what words were meant to follow. He swallows convulsively and narrows his wide blue eyes to roam over his face. Eddie doesn’t miss the naked hope filtering into his expression, nor does he miss the anxious self-doubt behind it.

“Buck,” Eddie murmurs so reverently he’ll be embarrassed about it later. He lets go of Buck’s belt, and lays his hand flat on his ribs before slowly sliding it up to the crook of Buck’s neck in a move that leaves nothing to interpretation. Buck breaks out in a full-body shiver and he laughs breathlessly, embarrassed.

Eddie keeps his hand soft, careful, on Buck’s shoulder, his thumb brushing against his collarbone and Buck’s eyes are glued to its motion, his mouth parted slightly.

“Are—” Eddie clears his throat quietly. He doesn’t think he’s misreading but he has to know. “Are you into this?”

Instantly, Buck’s eyes snap up to his, vulnerable until he properly processes the question, then all traces of doubt clear in a blink and he’s treated to the laser focus of Buck’s hyperfixation dragging down his face to his mouth and Eddie’s breath hitches again. This time, Buck looks up with a cocksure grin tugging at his lips as he comes to understand what Eddie’s problem’s been these past few days.

Then the statue of Evan Buckley explodes into motion — his hands split their focus, one gliding across the bare skin of Eddie’s waist and gripping, the other carefully cupping his head a moment before his lips follow, landing just in front of his thumb on Eddie’s cheekbone and for a moment Eddie’s upset to have gotten this far and not have Buck’s lips on his. But then he realizes Buck is just as wound up as he is, and a wound up Buck is an aggressive force of passion looking for safe outlets who probably needs a moment and Eddie’s heart constricts tightly in his chest.

Finally, the wet drag of lips against his cheek veers downward and across, and Eddie’s mouth is engulfed in softness and heat. He’s pressing up into it, pushing up from the balls of his feet with his hand on Buck as leverage, pressing up and forward into Buck who takes it without moving an inch. He’s never had to reach up to kiss someone before, never felt evening stubble brushing against his and he’s keenly grateful to have this with Buck, something so different to mark this as not just another kiss, but a kiss with Buck. No ordinary thing.

One of them is making a noise but he can’t focus on that when he needs to get closer, needs to press in and through, needs to turn them and get Buck on the bed so he can—

“Ah!” Eddie gasps.

Buck’s lips are wrenched away, though his hands remain like hot brands on his skin. His eyes are wild and unfocused, his lips red and bruised and he’s panting, but his face is puckered with concern.

“Okay, that one was definitely pain,” Buck gasps, blinking back to some kind of lucidity.

Eddie winces, unable to deny the agony tearing through his shoulder. “My fault,” he hisses.

Buck frowns and only then realizes that the arm that should be in a sling is out of place because Eddie’s hand has gone rogue and reached out to hook into Buck’s pants pocket to pull him closer.

Buck winces in sympathy, though he’s not able to fully erase the laughter from his eyes or from the corner of his lips. He takes pity on Eddie though, and drops his hands to gently untangle Eddie’s clamped fingers and guide it back across Eddie’s body where the sling would be keeping it.

Once it’s back in its healing position, Eddie releases the breath he’d been holding and settles back into the familiar ache. Instead of releasing him, however, Buck covers the hand laying on Eddie’s ribs with his own, pressing enough to convey the command: don’t move, before leaning back in slowly to capture Eddie’s lips in a kiss achingly sweeter than before. It’s little more than their lips resting against each other but Eddie’s heart goes wild in his chest, matching whatever the hell butterflies are wreaking havoc in his stomach.

Buck leans back for a split second, just long enough for them to open their eyes and check in before he’s swaying back in for a short kiss once, twice, and one final time before properly moving away and leaving Eddie cold.

“Meds and beds, Eds,” Buck orders with finality, softened by a rueful smile.

And Eddie, who’s never had a single positive thought about Abby Clark, thinks of her fleetingly as some kind of saint because somehow she resisted Buck — kissing him, touching him, even seeing him — for months on end and if Eddie wasn’t suddenly struck with a physically deep fatigue borne of pain and emotional epiphanies, he thinks he would be on his knees begging for Buck to come back into his arms right now.

As it is, he studies Buck’s boyish grin and the fear in his eyes that his stopping this is a problem, and Eddie is filled with a helpless love that steals his breath again. Buck catches the hitch, understands it for what it is, and the tension leaks out of his shoulders.

He lets Buck help him put the night shirt and sling back on, his mouth curling into a smile with every gratuitous touch Buck allows himself, and catches that errant hand as it leaves his body, squeezing once before dropping into his pillows and giving in to sleep.

Eddie’s heart is definitely not working the same after the shooting.

He had a heart scare in high school that freaked him and his parents out. It benched him from the football team for nearly half a season until the doctors said it was something called premature ventricular contractions. It was supposedly benign and something most people will have at least once in their lives. It didn’t feel benign. It felt like his heart was stopping suddenly, then pressure building up in his chest before the next beat came and overcompensated by beating three times as hard as normal like a goddamn punch in the chest. It had kept him up at night, not from anxiety or anything, just because it was so disruptive, as if your head jerked on its own just as you were falling asleep.

But he’d grown out of it after a few months and never really thought of it again until he got shot, realized he was in love with his best friend, and his heart started going out of whack again.

He was fairly sure it wasn’t PVC. Much like the breathing, there seemed to be a clear and defined trigger.

Such as Buck pressing a kiss to Christopher’s curls at the dining table as he geared up to leave for a Saturday shift. Then turning to Eddie waiting at the door, his eyes a lot darker than they’d been a moment ago, and pressing a lingering kiss to his cheekbone, in the very same spot as he had two days ago in his bedroom.

“Be good,” Buck murmurs, tugging lightly on Eddie’s sling strap before straightening out to pick up his bag.

Eddie wants nothing more than to catch his hand and pull him back in, hold him close so he can’t leave, and he’s pretty sure all that is painted clear as day on his face if the regret and longing that washes over Buck’s face is anything to go by.

It’s a problem.

Eddie’s been trying to reign himself back in. Trying to find that stillness so he stops feeling like he’s going to buzz out of his damn skin.

But then Buck is back from his shift and locking the door to Eddie’s bedroom, assuring him it’s “just so we have time to get some clothes back on if he needs us,” with a rakish grin and fuck if it doesn’t feel exactly like PVC - a sudden pausing of his heart as he tries to deal with all these emotions before they crash into him on the next beat.

And he’d worry about it but Buck’s laying him out, pressing his hot mouth on every inch of skin he can uncover, setting his nerves off like electric pulses until all Eddie can hear is their panting and the rushing of blood in his ears. His heart is trying to beat its way out of his chest by the time Buck’s divested him of his sweats and boxers. But then Buck pauses and looks up for permission before continuing, and Eddie gets to look down and take in his best friend’s darkened blue eyes and ruddy cheeks and what his heart does is definitely not sex-related. Not only sex-related.

He nods helplessly and Buck grins with delight before taking Eddie’s dick into his mouth and if he thought his body felt different before, it’s nothing compared to being suddenly engulfed in the velvet heat of Buck’s mouth. Eddie’s good hand slaps down on the mattress and grips the sheets tightly. He’s about to bring up his fist to his mouth to do something, he doesn’t know what, when Buck anticipates danger and his strong fingers are gripping his other hand, forcing it to stay in place on his ribs. Eddie laughs breathlessly — the man can multitask.

Eddie twists his fingers until they’re threading between Buck’s, who catches on and properly holds his hand as he takes Eddie apart.

And Eddie...Eddie hasn’t had sex in a really long time, and he hasn’t been so fucking in love during sex in an even longer time so he’s not surprised when it’s only minutes later that he’s squeezing at Buck’s hand and gasping. “Buck...I’m gonna—” and he’s somehow not surprised when Buck hums his acknowledgement and presses himself closer and closer in until Eddie’s toes curl and his back bends and he’s shooting down Buck’s throat who stays in place until Eddie’s hissing from overstimulation.

“Oh fuck,” Eddie says helplessly, his heart galloping, and another small laugh escaping him as he brings his good hand up to his forehead.

Buck climbs his way back up his body, sitting lightly right over his spent dick and he knows he shouldn’t torture himself but Eddie looks down and lets himself commit the image to memory until they can do that properly. Then he drags his eyes up and over Buck’s straining erection, his panting chest and up to that pleased goddamn smile.

“Good?” Buck asks, cocky as he’s ever been.

“Good,” he laughs sarcastically. “I think you broke me. Dios, I think I need an ECG.”

Buck actually looks mildly concerned so Eddie reaches for him and Buck lets himself be pulled down by the nape until Eddie can lick into his mouth, going a little nuts over the taste of himself on Buck’s tongue.

Eddie pulls his hand away from his nape to reach down for Buck’s dick, but Buck takes that as direction to sit up so Eddie pulls him back in until their lips are barely touching. He squeezes Buck’s nape, says firmly, “Stay,” and marvels when Buck’s eyes go wide, his face slackening, and a shiver running down his back. Fuck.

When Eddie pulls his hand away again, Buck stays, pressing his elbows on either side of Eddie’s head to keep himself in place until he catches onto Eddie’s plan.

“You don’t ha—”

“I still have one good arm,” Eddie retorts. “As it happens, I’ve gotten a lot of practice out of this one.”

Then his fingers curl around hot flesh and Buck jerks like he’s been struck.

“Easy,” Eddie soothes, craning up to remind Buck what he’s supposed to be doing. To his credit, it only takes the soft press of their lips to get him refocused, then Buck’s tongue is in his mouth while he pushes helplessly into Eddie’s hand. It’s dry because they didn’t plan this out beyond a heated look in the living room, but Buck’s leaking enough to provide at least some lubrication. In the end, he’s got about as much stamina as Eddie did and a few minutes of rutting into Eddie’s fist and attacking Eddie’s mouth is enough to set him off, his cum spilling over Eddie’s stomach in long pulses.

Eddie’s hand uncurls and smooths over the skin of Buck’s side, making long passes from hip to shoulder as Buck comes down from his high. On the fourth sweep, he trails his hand inward, over Buck’s waist and back up his ribs and chest in a move reminiscent of the night of their first kiss, but this time he stops in the middle, in the dip between his pecs.

“Looks like I’m not the only one who needs an ECG,” he grins.

Buck huffs with a grin that grows to overtake his face. “Less of a concern for young guys like me. You should probably get checked out though.” He leans back in to occupy Eddie’s mouth before he can think of a retort, but as the kiss devolves from heat and passion into sweet and lazy explorations, Eddie feels a distinctive disruption of rhythm in Buck’s chest and smiles.

Later, Buck gets up and gets them cleaned up with kleenex, except for the drops of cum caught on Eddie’s fingers. Those he takes into his mouth to clean thoroughly until Eddie feels himself getting hard again and has to call uncle. Buck dresses himself perfunctorily and helps Eddie back into his boxers before reaching for the sling and carefully threading it over Eddie’s arm and neck, squeezing his fingers before pausing and looking unsure.

“Should I—” He looks towards the door, beyond which is the hallway and living room where he’s been bunking down because Christopher’s in the house and they haven’t had time to talk about all this yet.

Instinctively, Eddie’s good hand reaches for his hip and grips gently but firmly.

“Stay,” he says again, watching with clear eyes now how Buck’s eyes grow wider and his throat convulse. They’re definitely going to be exploring that in the future.

For now, Buck nods absently before smiling. He moves to the door only to unlock it and crack it open before returning to the bed and the domesticity of it twists Eddie’s heart one last time before he’s folded into Buck’s arms and succumbing to the darkness more easily than he can ever remember doing so before.

Eddie suffered a near-death experience on the job. Christopher almost lost his father. Buck almost lost his best friend. Getting shot again aggravated his PTSD. The bullet created cracks not only in his bones but in the shell casing he built around himself, the effects of which he’ll probably carry his entire life.

But he survived, he came home to his son. He’ll learn to be okay with loud, sudden noises again. He’ll learn to deal with the nightmares if they come back. He’s in physical therapy for the pain. And in the end, he can’t find it in himself to wish it had never happened.

Not when he wakes up to Buck’s arms pressed against his bare skin, sharing his heat and feeling that electricity coursing softly just under his skin.

Not when he hears Christopher inching the door open in the morning and Buck beckoning him in while whispering, “We gotta be quiet, your dad’s still sleeping.”

Not when he loses his breath at Buck’s casual parental love as he twists to grab Christopher by the waist and heave him into the bed between them, causing the boy to giggle way too loud.

Not when he paints an unimpressed smile on his face before rolling over dramatically, finding two too-innocent faces smiling back at him and he's struck dumb for just a second at the picture they paint, eyes wide and curls askew.

Not when Christopher throws Buck under the bus, giggling “it was him!” and Buck takes his revenge in the form of tickles until they’re both pink-cheeked and laughing and the bed is shaking like it may not support them, and Eddie’s heart is so fucking full it may not even be able to beat anymore.

Eventually, Eddie does feel a stillness rebuilding within him after the shooting, but it doesn’t feel like walls, it feels like love. It feels like peace.

#buddie #buddie fic #evan buckley #eddie diaz #buck x eddie #9-1-1 #my fics #my first smut in 15 years I'm so proud lol #with a side of 7k words of feelings realizations

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pomegranatebitch · 3 years

Text

make it better, make it better

sambucky┃2k words┃mentioned civilian death

Summary: Sam comes home from a hard day of being Captain America, and while Bucky can’t shoulder the burden for him, he can take care of his boyfriend and show him he’s loved

((Just soft sambucky, Bucky taking care of Sam because he fucking deserves it))

_________________

“I can’t do it. I can’t fucking do it anymore!”

Sam came bursting into their shared Louisiana apartment at a full 10. He ripped the wings off his back with such force Bucky thought he might break them even though he knew they were indestructible. Sam practically threw the shield across the floor like it had burned him, crashing it into the kitchen table.

Bucky quickly rose from where he’d been half paying attention to a late night Golden Girls marathon while waiting for Sam to get home. Blanche and Rose bickered quietly in the background while Sam huffed out rapid breaths, desperately trying to yank the suit off with shaking hands.

“I can’t get this fucking thing off!” He nearly yelled into their otherwise still apartment.

Bucky approached him tentatively, hands out but unsure what to do with them. “Here, let me help—”

“I got it! Just don’t— I…” Sam snapped but the fight drained out of him as soon as it had appeared. He stumbled to the living room and sat down heavily on the couch, his face buried in his hands as he hunched over himself. The soft chatter of the TV was the only noise in the room as Bucky stood frozen, watching Sam’s back rise and fall with slow deliberate breaths.

After a minute of dead silence, Bucky circled around the couch slowly, clicking the TV off and gingerly sitting down on the opposite side of the couch, leaving plenty of room between them.

When Sam finally spoke, his voice cracked with unshed tears. “I can’t do it anymore.” Even with his super hearing, Bucky had to strain to hear him.

Bucky nodded slowly, though Sam wouldn’t have been able to see him, still hiding his face with his palms. “Can you tell me what happened?” Bucky whispered.

At that, Sam laughed. But it wasn’t his usually sunshine-filled, pure joy laugh. This was dark, sarcastic. Exhausted. “What didn’t happen?” He bit back.

It took a minute and several more deep breaths but he finally continued.

“I was in Dallas on an emergency call, supposedly some threat against a Senator’s life and I got called in. Fuck, it was half pony show and half media circus. They didn’t need me there. They just wanted Captain America standing behind some politician trying to pass some bill with some agenda, hell I don’t even know.

“Then they had a press conference and stuck me in front of a microphone. Some reporter…I don’t know who…he asked why I’d chosen to stay there in Dallas rather than help with the evacuations in Miami.”

Bucky made a small, confused noise but otherwise let Sam go on.

“Apparently, while I was being paraded around for some asshole Senator who probably didn’t need any extra protection in the first place, someone set off a pipe bomb in a café in Miami. I didn’t even know about it until that reporter asked. They caught the guy in minutes but fourteen people were injured and one girl—” he had to pause to collect himself, “one girl died in the blast.”

Sam finally took his face out of his hands and turned to look toward Bucky. Silent tears were streaming down his face but his eyes looked like he was a thousand miles away. “I saw the news after the press conference, Buck. She was 20. She was studying aerospace engineering, had an internship at NASA this next summer. She looked—” a sob wracked his hunched frame, “she looked just like Sarah did when she a kid.”

At that, all the fight left Sam’s body and Bucky caught him in his arms, waiting to see if Sam might pull away and when he only curled around Bucky further, he pulled Sam even closer to his chest. Bucky could feel where tears were soaking through the shoulder of his t-shirt as he rubbed one hand soothingly in circles across Sam’s back, the other coming up to cup the back of his head.

Bucky didn’t say anything. There was nothing he could say to Sam that Sam didn’t already know himself. Sam knew there was nothing he could have done to prevent the attack. Sometimes terrible things just happened, and there wasn’t a rhyme or reason why. People died in tragic accidents and no amount of superheroes was ever going to change that.

Even if he’d flown to Miami the second the blast went off, it would have taken him hours to get there and by then first responders would have taken all the survivors to hospitals and with the perp detained, there would have been nothing left for Sam to do but stare at the rubble.

Bucky couldn’t change the events of the day, he couldn’t make Sam not secretly feel guilty for the young woman’s death, he couldn’t shoulder that burden for his partner. But he could sit with him here in this moment and just hold him while he cried.

And so he did.

Neither of them knew how much time had passed when Sam’s sobs turned to hiccups turned to sniffles. Bucky just stayed there with Sam wrapped in his arms until Sam finally peeled himself off Bucky and rubbed at his eyes.

“I’m sorry I snapped earlier,” Sam whispered.

“Don’t be,” Bucky replied definitively.

“I actually…could use some help getting out of the suit.”

Bucky offered his partner a half smile and gently led Sam from the couch into their shared bathroom. He started running a hot bath, adding in the lavender oils he knew Sam loved best.

In silence, Bucky undid all the hidden zippers and buckles that kept the vibranium suit in place and slowly peeled it off Sam’s body, stripping him too of his underclothes until Sam stood naked and dazed on the cool tile floors.

Bucky stepped in front of him, studying Sam’s face, searching for every little emotion written across his delicate features. Bucky reached up, running a thumb across Sam’s cheekbone, wiping away a stray tear as Sam blinked his eyes closed.

With one last check of the water’s temperature, Bucky helped Sam step into the tub and get settled, Sam’s eyes drifting shut under the comforting heat of the bath.

Bucky dropped a single kiss to Sam’s hair before pulling back. “Come out when you’re ready,” he whispered, not wanting to break the calm quiet.

Sam just nodded and slipped lower under the water and Bucky took that as his signal to go.

It was almost two hours until Sam finally emerged from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist and looking decidedly calmer and more present than before. Seeing the crisis had passed, Bucky unashamedly took a minute to admire his boyfriend, the planes of his stomach cutting sharply downward, gesturing to more, and his dark skin practically glowing in the soft light coming from the kitchen. And god, those arms. The things Bucky wanted Sam to do to him with those arms…well his brain was short circuiting a bit at the moment but he’d be sure to lay kisses over every inch of them as soon as he had Sam in bed with him.

When he spoke, Sam’s voice was still a bit gruff from crying hours ago and wow it should not have been as sexy as it was but it was doing things for Bucky. “I know it’s like 2am… but any chance there’s some leftovers or something in the fridge? Between the emergency call this morning and all the meetings and press conferences I don’t think I ever stopped for lunch. Hell, I’d bite into a raw onion right now just to get something to eat.”

Bucky laughed at that. “Slow down, Sammy. I’m sure we can get you something better than that,” he said, gesturing at the kitchen table.

“Is that—” Sam started, eyeing the mound of food that he hadn’t noticed when he came in.

“Two steak burritos from Delmar’s and a metric shit ton of chips and guac. Still don’t know why you like that stuff, tastes like baby food if you ask me.”

“Hush up, Delmar’s in sacred,” Sam said, already digging in to the feast while Bucky watched him with a dopey grin on his face.

Sam cut him a side glance. “Staring,” he grunted out between bites as he’d already inhaled the first burrito.

“Get used to it, Wilson.”

“Fuck, how’d you get it this late, I thought they closed at 11?”

Bucky shrugged. “You left in a hurry this morning, didn’t even grab coffee. If you’re forgetting coffee, you’re definitely gonna forget to eat. Got it ordered to here while I was waiting for you to come home.”

Sam finally paused just before shoving a massive tortilla chip in his mouth. “You ordered it here? Like what, on a delivery app?”

“You know, technology’s really not as hard as you think it is to learn. I mean, they make it easy enough for an idiot to use.”

“Oh so you’re finally admitting you’re an idiot?” Sam grinned.

“Your idiot,” Bucky smirked right back.

“Damn straight.”

Bucky eyed the empty tinfoil wrappers and crumpled paper bag, Sam having finished the meal in record time. “You sure you ain’t a supersoldier?”

Sam laughed, once again bright and warm. “Man, shut the hell up.”

“Make me.”

“Mm, that can be arranged.” Sam got up from his seat and the table and sauntered over to Bucky, still wrapped in only a towel that was slipping lower and lower down his hips.

The kiss Sam pressed to Bucky’s mouth was impossibly sweet, all the biting quips falling away as Sam pulled away, lingering just a hair’s breadth away from Bucky’s lips, nearly making Bucky moan in anticipation, though he caught the sound in his throat.

“Thank you,” Sam breathed. “For everything.” His eyes had fluttered closed but his brow was smooth and free from any stress that had craved it’s way there earlier.

“I’ll always be here for you,” Bucky murmured back. “Thank you for coming home to me.”

They stayed there in that moment, neither wanting to break the soft thing cradled between them, until a yawn forced it’s way over Sam’s face.

“Alright,” Bucky laughed, scooping Sam up with his hands under his thighs, Sam immediately responding by wrapping his legs around Bucky’s waist and grabbing Bucky’s face between his hands. “Bedtime for superheroes.”

“Make me,” Sam joked, but the words were cut short by yet another yawn.

Bucky just snorted as he lugged his half-naked boyfriend back into their bedroom, depositing him on their bed and turning to rifle through their dresser until he found a soft pair of flannel pyjama pants and a light pink durag and tossed both to his partner. Bucky detatched his prosthetic arm as he’d recently started doing more at night and laid the vibranium arm on top of the dresser.

Crawling into bed, Sam let Bucky pull his back to his chest with one strong hand until Sam was snuggly positioned under Bucky’s chin, their legs tangled together under the covers.

“You got anywhere to be tomorrow?” Bucky asked, easily falling into their usual short nightly discussion.

“Uh, got a briefing at 2 with Torres, but I should really get up at 6 for a run and—”

“Take the morning off, Sam. You need to sleep.” Bucky squeezed the arm he had thrown across Sam’s chest a little tighter. “The world can wait for Sam Wilson for another couple hours.”

“But—” Sam started.

“I’ll make pancakes if you agree to sleep in.”

Well now Sam was backed into a corner. Everyone knew Bucky’s blueberry pancakes were things of legend. He’d once seen AJ and Cass wrestle each other for the last one before Bucky broke it up by agreeing to make one more.

“Fine,” Sam huffed, sure that Bucky could hear the smile creeping into his voice. “But I’m out of bed by 10 or you’ll pay for it, Barnes.”

“Aye, aye, Captain,” Bucky teased.

When Sam finally drifted off to sleep, it was with a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth and his heart feeling lighter than it had all month.

#sam wilson #bucky barnes #sambucky #sambucky fic #my fic #tfatws #the falcon and the winter soldier #sam wilson deserves the world #and by god bucky is going to try his best to give it to him #fanfic

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chai-tealattae · 3 years

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Pen Pals

soul mate /ˈsōl ˌmāt/

noun; a person ideally suited to another as a close friend or romantic partner.

✒️ Pairing: Taehyung x reader

✒️ Genre: Fluff

✒️ Word Count: 2.4k

✒️ Warnings: Swearing

A/N: This is my first fic pls be nice AKSDK

~~~~~~~~~~~~

You tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Tomorrow was your 21st birthday, the day your soulmate connection would be revealed to you. You’d heard stories from your parents, family friends, and even some of your friends that were a year or two older than you about the different connections. What if you got one that would make it damn near impossible to find them? What if your soulmate was older than you, and already knew, but gave up since you were too young? You sighed and laid flat on your back, staring at the ceiling, giving up on your futile attempts at a decent night's sleep, your mind hot with the different scenarios baking within it.

The next morning, you groaned and begrudgingly swung your legs over the side of your bed, stretching as you opened the curtains, the mid morning sunlight flooding into your room. You cringed slightly at the brightness, your eyes struggling to adjust. Yawning as you walked into your kitchen, deciding on a bowl of cereal for breakfast. Scrolling through your phone as you ate, you smiled as you read the birthday wishes from your friends and family. After replying to as many as you felt like doing, you opened Twitter to see what fresh hell awaited you on your timeline. Surprisingly there wasn't really anything bad being mercilessly tweeted about.

The one thing that caught your eye was the lovely photo on your screen, tweeted a couple hours ago, staring back at you. It was embarrassing how infatuated you were with a certain man by the name of Kim Taehyung. He was the perfect man, in all honesty, by your standards at least. He was devilishly handsome yet charmingly adorable from the tip of his nose down to his toes, the smallest details all adding to the things that caused him to worm his way into your heart.

You smiled as you saved the picture to your camera roll before setting your phone down on the table. Your smile quickly turned into a surprised squeak as you felt an oddly ticklish sensation on your wrist, and you stared down at it in shock. Appearing on your skin before your eyes was writing, but it wasn't just any writing. It was a greeting.

“Hello?”

This must be it, your soulmate bond. You didn’t know anyone personally with this particular bond, but you’d read about it through your countless nights of curiosity and excitement driven research.

You nearly tripped on your own feet as you scrambled to find some kind of writing utensil, eager to respond to the stranger. Not just a stranger. Your soulmate. You felt your heart rate quicken just at that thought. You found a pen on your counter, quickly scribbling a response below their message.

“Hello!” You wrote back. Not 30 seconds later, you felt the tickling sensation again, impatiently tapping your pen on the counter as you awaited their response.

“It’s you! You’re finally getting my notes!” You smiled to yourself, your late night suspicion confirming itself. They were definitely older than you, but hopefully not by much. You’d hate if you left your soulmate waiting for too long for you.

“How long have you been trying?” You wrote, a little smaller this time near the ditch of your elbow, so you wouldn’t take up too much valuable space on your skin. You bit your lip as you felt your skin tingle again, hoping it wasn’t too bad-

“Four years” Four years. Four whole years they’d been writing on themselves with no response. You sighed, feeling awful. Well, at least you knew how old they were. Twenty-five, twenty-six tops, if their birthday was coming up sometime soon.

“I'm sorry you waited so long… today is my 21st birthday” you wrote back, twisting your arm at a slightly awkward angle as you did this. You smiled softly, growing familiar with, and anticipating the feeling as they wrote.

“Happy birthday :)” Was written there. You smiled and wrote your thanks, not really sure how to proceed with finding them. You’d read that there were specific guidelines when it came to the different connections, things you weren’t able to do, since that would make finding your soulmate too easy. Things like their exact location, names, things of that nature. The catch is, you were able to reveal that when you were in the same vicinity. As if trying to find them wouldn’t be hard enough.

Over the next month or so, you’d learned that your soulmate was a man that was born in South Korea (you didn’t know how you’d ever be able to swing a trip there, or vice versa). You learned that he enjoyed drawing, painting, photography, singing and dancing. He was fun to talk to (at least until there wasn't any more space on either of your bodies for more ink). He had a pretty time consuming career from what he told you, but he still liked to draw you pictures to wake up to, or write you little good morning messages. You found yourself becoming incredibly fond of him, even without ever seeing his face.

One day, you found yourself staring at your laptop and phone screens, focusing excruciatingly hard on trying to score tickets to see BTS in your city. After nearly missing the opportunity, and a decent amount of money you’d surely have to pull quite a bit of overtime to make up for, you scored a decent seat for their show in a couple months. Eager to share the news with someone, you wrote on your arm.

“I just got tickets to see BTS!!” You wrote with a shaky hand, your already poor penmanship suffering even more. This would be your first time seeing them, seeing the man you’d had your eyes on for so long.

~~~~~

Taehyung smiled when he felt you were writing or perhaps drawing something for him. He loved reading your short messages about your day, getting to know you. Over the past months he was growing more and more impatient, half tempted to fly to the States and wing it. His heart nearly thudded out of his chest when he read what you wrote.

“I just got tickets to see BTS!!”

Holy shit. This was good. This was great, actually. Now he knew you were a fan. Jimin looked over when he saw the stupid grin plastered on his bandmate’s face.

“What is it, Taehyung-ah?” He asked. Taehyung didn’t answer verbally, just angled his arm so Jimin could see what you wrote. He broke into his own smile. “Oh this is good! Maybe you're closer to meeting her than you thought.” He said, patting the younger man’s back. Taehyung smiled with a nod, you being the only thing occupying his mind at the moment.

~~~~~

It was the day of your concert and you could barely contain your excitement. You barely slept the night before, knowing you would be exhausted, but couldn't find it in yourself to care all too much. You’d been waiting for what seemed like forever for this day, and weren't going to let anything, not even your lack of sleep, ruin it for you.

The day seemed to drag even longer than usual, before you figured it was a good time to start getting ready. You got dressed in an outfit that you purchased specifically for this event, a more affordable version of the Dior outfits Rap Line sported during their performances of Tear, and you put on your TaTa headband as the final touch. You know, so everyone knew specifically who you were there for. You looked at yourself in the mirror one last time, smiling and letting out an excited squeak as you grabbed everything you would need, before you made your way to the venue.

The venue was absolutely packed. There was no way you’d be able to even get any merch without missing half the concert standing in that line. You sighed quietly to yourself and went to your seat, busying yourself with syncing your lightstick so it would light up with everyone else's. You looked around from your seat, in awe about how many people were here. Crazy how many people could fit into one space.

While you waited for the concert to start, you decided to write him a message about how excited you were, and that you would keep him updated throughout the show. You decided to draw a small heart on your hand, in the space between your pointer finger and thumb, just because. You smiled when you saw his words appear on your arm.

“Have fun <3”

Oh, you would. You would have the time of your life. Little did you know, in more ways than one.

~~~~

Taehyung knew you had to be here somewhere. You just had to be. He ran a hand through his perfectly groomed hair, effectively rendering his stylist’s hard work useless. He couldn’t help it. Not when he knew his soulmate was in this building. His mind started to race. What if you didn’t want to be with him? What if you liked one of the other members better than him? What if you couldn’t deal with his lifestyle? He was pacing now, and everyone but him seemed to notice.

“Taehyung-ah, relax. I’m sure everything will work out fine.” Namjoon smiled reassuringly. Taehyung nodded and let out a breath, sitting down. They were called to start getting into position, and Taehyung knew he had to do it, now or he wouldn’t have time, and you would slip through his fingers. He pulled out his pen, writing one word on his forearm in larger than usual letters. He put his pen in his pocket, heading to where his microphone and earpieces were waiting for him, hoping you would see his message.

~~~~~

When the concert started, you could barely focus on anything else other than the men on stage in front of you. You felt the familiar tickle on your arm that your soulmate had written you, though you ignored it for the time being. You couldn’t keep your eyes off of Taehyung, witnessing his incredible stage presence and the massive amount of fan service he was giving was mesmerising, to say the least.

When time for the intermission came around, and the VCRs played on the big screens, you took a moment to see what your soulmate wrote to you. You gasped when you saw the big, capital letters spread along the length of your forearm.

“TAEHYUNG”

There was no way. Absolutely no fucking way. Kim Taehyung was not your soulmate. You had to have been some sort of saint in your previous life to deserve such treatment from the universe. You stared at your arm for a few more seconds in complete disbelief, before taking your pen out of your pocket, writing your name under his on your arm. A minute later, you felt him writing, and you anxiously chewed at your lip as you awaited his response.

“Where are you?”

You hurriedly scribbled your section and seat number, your brain barely able to process what was happening.

Within 5 minutes, there was a man approaching you, asking you to confirm your name. When you did, he told you to come with him, you did without asking any questions. The man led you backstage, and you looked around, frantically trying to find the familiar face in the crowd of stage hands.

When your eyes finally met his, you felt like you couldn’t breathe. Was it anxiety? Excitement? A spicy mixture of both? You couldn’t really tell, but there were some things you needed to see. His long legs effortlessly closed the distance between you, until you were standing toe to toe. You looked up at him and he looked down at you, neither of you truly believing you were here at this moment. You studied his face for a moment, then without a word, you took his hands, inspecting them. There it was. You brought your hand up and compared, the tiny heart you drew on your hand matching the one on his. He rolled up his sleeves, revealing the messages you’d written to each other throughout the day.

“Y/N…” He said quietly, only loud enough that you could hear. “I finally found you. You’re even more beautiful than I imagined.”

“I can’t believe it’s you.” You said as you looked up at him, tears beginning to form in the corners of your eyes. He smiled and brought his hand to gently cup your cheek, his thumb lightly brushing against your cheekbone.

“Are you disappointed?” He asked with a chuckle, his tone teasing. You shook your head, letting out a quiet laugh.

“Not even a little bit.” You reassured him, smiling softly. He gave you a toothy grin before leaning down and closing the small space between you, and you couldn’t help but melt when his lips finally met yours. The kiss was soft and careful, as if he was testing the waters. When you pushed slightly against his lips, he deepened the kiss just a little more.

He was the first to pull away, seemingly remembering his surroundings, and you caught the faintest tint of pink creep onto his face. It was almost time for him to go back on stage, and he rested his forehead against yours for a moment, his eyes locked with yours as he intertwined your fingers with his.

“Wait for me? I plan to talk to you for hours, now that I can finally hear your voice.” He said, and you nodded without hesitation. He smiled widely before pressing a kiss to your forehead, jogging off to wherever it was he was needed. You sat on the couch that was there for the members beside the stage, running a hand through your hair. Never in your wildest dreams did you think something like this could happen. Not to you, at least. You felt him writing again, and this time, you paid full attention to the words appearing along your arm.

“I love you.”

Your heart skipped a beat as you read those 3 words, pulling out your pen and writing your response.

“I love you too.” You wrote, carefully, easily readable. Never had you meant something more in your life. You couldn’t wait for him to come back to you, for him to execute his plan. After what felt like a very long time, you couldn’t wait to finally begin your life with the man you happily called your soulmate.

#taehyung x reader #taehyung fluff #taehyung x you #taehyung #Kim taehyung #taehyung fanfic #taehyung fanfiction #bts fic #BTS v #bts #bts fanfic #taehyung fic #kth oneshot #kth #soulmate!au #soulmate!taehyung #taehyung au #bts au

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mermaidsirennikita · 3 years

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bridgerton--the good, the bad, the ugly

The short of it: Bridgerton excellently captures the tone of Regency romance novels and offers a lot of escapism and great sex scenes, but could definitely use some serious work in terms of how it depicts race and it should have made some further alterations to the dated and flawed source material. Definitely loved a lot of it and am hotly anticipating the second season, but I want to see more work done and I HOPE that this encourages the adaptation of better (and less inherently flawed) romance novels.

Now for the longer take.

The Good

Bridgerton depicted sex and romance in a way that is totally different from anything I’ve seen in period dramas, for sure, but possibly different from anything I’ve seen on TV. The romance of it all was woven into almost every aspect of the show. There is the handsome and seemingly severe but extravagantly wealthy and sexually adept duke sweeping into town. The (multiple) rakes who just want to have fun while also being hot messes. The awakening of female sexuality and the copious use of the female gaze. (Note the pretty modest and minimal focus on female nudity, while we get plenty of lingering shots on Simon.). People want love! There is pretty minimal violence and perhaps the most physically violent scene involves Simon beating a man up because HE IMPEACHED DAPHNE’S HONOR~.

The sex scenes themselves focused on Daphne’s pleasure for the most part, and were probably among the best I’ve seen since Outlander in terms of chemistry, in terms of the visuals, in terms of focus on sex as an act of emotional connection and FUN. Yes, there was some Unlikely Vaginal Orgasming, but we also saw Simon tell Daphne about masturbation. On the wedding night, he was pretty clearly touching her to help her enjoy it. He ate her out... a good bit.

And aside from that, we got all of the grand speeches, the stolen glances and touches, an excellent buildup of sexual tension that led to some pretty hilarious moments.

I also really enjoyed many of the performances on this show. Rege-Jean and Phoebe had great chemistry and excellent back and forth. Jonathan was a GREAT Anthony. I would argue that as lackluster as I found his relationship with Siena (more on that in a minute) it largely existed as a way to set him up for his romance with Kate. He now has even more of a reason to be down with love, as opposed to solely relying on a kind of flimsy tragic backstory. Additionally, his overprotectiveness of Daphne added tension to the story and made him a source of comedic relief for me? I loved it. Give me disaster Anthony all day; can’t wait until he falls to the enemies to lovers trope just like Simon fell to his FLAW-FREE fake dating plan.

A lot of the changes I found were really good. Obviously, it was important that the show incorporated greater diversity (though they need way more). Benedict was INFINITELY more fun and interesting than he was in the novels, and acted as another standout for me. As much as I hate Portia Featherington, I think that the elevation of her to a proper villainess is probably necessary and Polly Walker excels at those types of roles, though they need to maybe have her be less like, actively racist. I adored the addition of Queen Charlotte; she was excellent comic relief. Lady Danbury’s expanded role and relationship to Simon was one of the best moves they made. It touched my entire soul.

Buuuut....

The Bad

The show needs to work on casting more men that are frankly on Rege-Jean’s level. It feels a bit awkward to see a guy that is by most people’s standards kind of stunning and then.... Colin looks twelve. Lord Philip is like... a farm guy. Get rid of the sideburns, we’re in romance novel territory.

In the same note, the girl who played Siena wasn’t a great actress and wasn’t super stunning, so even though I’m fine with her being a placeholder.... Eh. Go for better casting. The woman playing Madame Delacroix would’ve played that role so much better and I really enjoyed her dynamic with Benedict because she was just fun.

Frankly, I don’t know what the fuck they’re going to do to make me want to watch Penelope and Colin fall in love. Their book was already a bit basic--fun, but far from revolutionary. I don’t really get why they would receive attention similar to that of Kate and Anthony, basically. The issue is that Colin, again, looks and sound rather young and twerpy. It obviously wasn’t great for him to be tricked into raising another man’s child, but.... For fuck’s sake, how much would that have affected his life on a practical level. He’d never know unless he was told, thanks to the lack of DNA tests. He was marrying far out of his league in terms of attractiveness. He’s a rich white guy in England with a supportive family.

I really disliked the fact that Colin told Marina in his huffy little tantrum that he would have married her anyway--because would you have, buddy? Really? The thing is that Marina had no way of knowing that and her entire life (and the reputations of her cousins) was on the line. She didn’t know if she could trust Colin to keep her secret. They barely knew each other. He basically came off as a whiny child and I’m fine with him staying in Greece if that’s the plan.

Penelope was just... psychotic. And that was really disappointing, because I love Nicola and would love to have loved to see the fat girl get her sexy love story. But first off, lol, it wouldn’t have been sexy because Colin was miscast. Second, she basically tried to destroy Marina’s life and that of her sisters? And herself? Because Colin? Because Colin, a guy who hasn’t even shown any amount of attraction to her at this point? Her tears, her whining, it was all too much. Penelope was dealing with a crush and Marina was dealing with the real Grown Woman issues of a child out of wedlock and as it turned out a dead lover and they were not on equal footing.

I mean, Penelope could very well make a great villainess at this point, and if done well I’d embrace it. But I do not know how the fuck they can make me interested in her love story. And the idea of her basically being launched into villainy because she was this chubby white girl obsessively jealous of a beautiful black woman...... not a great look.

The show definitely needs to explore diversity in terms of sexuality too--I don’t think it’s correct to read Benedict as straight because he still seems to be open to exploring. Once he has more screentime, I think he could totally end up being bisexual, and it’s possible that the writers were trying to feel the audience out in terms of their receptiveness to taking a straight character who has a big straight love story in the books and making him LGBT+. Eloise could also easily be a lesbian, and I’d be thrilled to see that happen. They need to do something to expand the world, and if there are 8 Bridgerton kids, all of them being straight as an arrow seems SO unlikely.

The Ugly

Obviously, the rape scene was bad and should have been written out. Simon could have gotten caught up in the moment and blown up at Daphne after he accidentally didn’t pull out in time. Men.... accidentally don’t pull out in time... a lot. That’s how babies happen. It would’ve been believable, and due to our sympathies being with Simon largely, I don’t think he would have become irredeemable if he was more at fault than Daphne.

As it was, I will say that the scene was somewhat better than it played in the books because Simon was conscious and totally sober, and it was a bit? Confusing? That he didn’t just roll Daphne over and pull out? Because she wasn’t really clearly trying as hard as she was in the book to wrap her legs around him and hold him tight. But it remained a rape scene. The show also did a better job, I think, of establishing how fucked up it was that Simon took advantage of Daphne’s lack of knowledge. Whatever he said about thinking she knew what was up--he knew she didn’t even know about masturbation. He had to know she wouldn’t understand what pulling out meant. He did very clearly mislead her to think that he was sterile and therefore denied Daphne her ability to give informed consent. Did that justify what Daphne did? Nope. Two wrongs don’t make a right. But both of them did a fucked up thing and I think that we honestly could’ve stopped at Simon’s misleading.

The issue too is that this leads into a bigger problem the show had. It wanted to include diversity (yay!) but did not consider the total implications of what was happening (not yay). Daphne and Simon’s dynamic is inevitably influenced by the fact that she’s a white woman and he’s a black man, regardless of whatever handwaves happened. This influences the sexual assault and makes it even more messy.

Speaking of mess, I’m not sure what exactly would have fixed the “we don’t want this to be a colorblind casting” issue... but the explanation they came up with wasn’t good. Never mind that this makes everything SUPER confusing (racism is over like..... maybe 50 years MAX after Queen Charlotte’s marriage if we assume she was a teen when she married and is in her 60s now?) but Lady Danbury’s dialogue explaining this was HORRENDOUS. “One of them fell in love with one of us”. The implications are awful. I don’t know if perhaps setting back the integration of society centuries earlier would have helped? But this wasn’t it.

Additionally, the writers and casting directors didn’t seem to get that diversity is all well and good, but what about the fact that almost every black character has a light skin tone? Why are there so few black female characters? Why is Marina, the most prominent woc on the show, given the “pregnant and desperately trying to trick a man into marrying her until her jealous white cousin fucks her life up and she is humiliated into settling for a loveless match” plot? I desperately hope we see her next season, falling in love with Sir Phillip or perhaps having experienced a plot twist that gives her someone else... And she better not die. Eloise can find someone else if Marina really ends up with Sir Philip.

Ultimately, again, I really loved the show. But it needs to work on some things. I think that a lot of its issues can be addressed and fixed in a future season, and I HOPE they do that.

#bridgerton #but fuck polin for life lol

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