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starogeorgina · 21 days

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𝐊𝐞𝐩𝐚

Paring: Daemon Targaryen × reader, Harwin Strong x reader, Criston Cole x reader

Warnings: Swearing, smut, child birth

1.03

You blink away unshed tears as you stare up at Ser Harwin; the look on his face was earth-shattering. No traces of anger or bitterness could be detected on his handsome face; the softness in his eyes made you feel nothing but guilt. You should never have believed the rumors, given into your husband's taunting or gone near Criston Cole.

You’re unaware that you’re crying until Harwin wipes them away with the pads of his thumb. “Prince Daemon told me your news; congratulations, princess.” He leans forward and kisses your forehead, and in a quiet voice, he says, “He also told me what he said to you. I wish I’d known sooner.”

Ser Harwin wasn’t a fool; he knew his beloved princess’s outburst of believing the rumors surrounding him and Princess Rhaenyra being true hadn’t come from thin air, but he had no idea Daemon was the one behind it. The Targaryen prince thrived in chaos, but after causing so much damage, the knight was grateful to be away from the keep for some time; otherwise, he might have done something to get himself executed.

“Do you forgive me?”

Harwin sighs, “There’s nothing to forgive. It was a misunderstanding.”

Pouting, you shake your head. “I should never have doubted you... henujagon īlva, valzȳrys.” (Leave us, husband.)

You wait until you hear Daemon leave; he didn’t need to be involved in your conversation, and you knew he wouldn’t be able to resist if he was within earshot. You take Harwin’s large hand in yours and say, “I love my husband; he’s the other half of me. Targaryens are made to burn together, but I love you too. I don’t know how to explain it; it’s a different kind of love. Since I was a girl, I always knew I’d marry Daemon, regardless of how I felt, but I chose to be with you. You make me feel safe and—”

“What is it you’re trying to tell me?” Harwin wipes away another fallen tear. “I’ve memorized each time you’ve confessed your love to me, which is how I know something is wrong. I can see it in your eyes.”

“I don’t know whose baby this is. I forgot to drink moon tea after the last time we lay together.”

His blue eyes fill with tears. “Prince Daemon will be the father.”

“I’m sorry.”

Your heart aches a little when Harwin hugs you; he was a good man. A far better person than you, Daemon, or Criston. He wasn’t selfish, violent, or entitled. You only wish you’d never questioned his loyalty to begin with.

“There’s something else I need to tell you.”

—

As the months passed, your body changed, and the gorgeous gowns you had made could no longer hide how large your bump had gotten. Rhaenyra often thought you were carrying more than one baby when your bump first started to swell, but now you were convinced she was right.

Daemon smooths his hand gently over the fabric of your dress, feeling the baby kick beneath. You were comfortable laying on your left side with multiple pillows fluffed around you to keep you in that position. Your husband lay behind you with his face nuzzling into the side of your neck.

“Have you spoken much with Ser Harwin?”

“No,” you say, feeling your lip tremble slightly. “Perhaps it is for the best; the less he is near during my pregnancy, the less people will talk.”

Daemon kisses your cheek. “The baby could look exactly like us, and the Greens would still gossip. I suspect the same will happen with Rhaenyra as soon as she has an heir.”

Your sister and her husband, Ser Laenor, had gone to visit various houses in the realm on behalf of your father, who was too ill to travel the distance himself. Although they had gone on dragonback, a large number of knights, including Ser Harwin, had been sent to protect them. When you confessed your antics with Cole to Ser Harwin, he was mad for a while but insisted he still wanted to be with you; he just needed some time.

“And what if the baby doesn’t look like us?” You knew no matter what, you’d love and protect your child fiercely, but you needed reassurance from Daemon. “I’ve been beyond foolish; I’ve given them the opportunity to make my child’s life miserable before they are even born.”

“I will cut out the tongues of anyone who dares question the legitimacy of our child. Any baby you have will be an extension of you; it would be impossible for me not to love them.” He rubs his hand along your stomach again. “This is my son or daughter growing inside you. Nothing anyone says will change that.”

—

“Princess, it’s time to push again.”

“I can’t! I can’t!” You sob, clutching onto the bed sheets tightly. The pain was overwhelming; you were convinced this is what dying felt like.

“Push!”

The midwives help guide you through the last few pushes until your daughter finally enters the room. She is placed on your chest, and you sob with happiness, “She’s perfect—oh fuck.”

Your daughter is quickly carried away to be cleaned up as the midwife pushes your legs open again. “Time to do this second time, princess.”

—

Daemon hums while gently rocking your daughter Daella to sleep, while your son Gaemon suckles at your breast. They were only a few hours old, but it already felt like you'd spent a lifetime loving them.

“Perhaps when you are feeling up to it, we can pick dragon eggs for the baby’s.”

You smile and say, “That would be nice.”

With Syrax having laid another clutch of dragon eggs, you were on your way to the dragon pit to pick one while being accompanied by your husband and sworn protector, but before you could leave the courtyard, your waters broke. Ser Harwin immediately picked you up and carried you back to your chambers, while Daemon sent for the maester and midwives.

“There, there,” Daemon says before gently placing your daughter into the crib next to your bed.

You smile down at her. Daella shares your pale complexion; her silver hair and the shade of her purple eyes were an exact match for yours. Gaemon got almost all his features from you, like his sister; his skin was pale and his hair silver, except his eyes were a dark brown.

“I think he’s had his feed,” you say when Gaemon stops feeding and his eyelids slowly start to close.

Daemon takes him from your arms so you can readjust your nightgown. He kisses the baby on the forehead. “They really are perfect.”

—

Sitting underneath the weirwood tree, she smiles as Daella attempts to walk along one of the thick roots sticking out of the ground, with your loyal knight Ser Harwin right behind her, ready to catch her the second she slips. Gaemon lays back, his head resting against your legs, as you read a story about dragons out loud. Both eggs had hatched in the cradle, and your children were now getting to the age where they understood how powerful and magical dragons are.

“Careful, princess,” Harwin says softly. “Slow down before you fall.”

Daella grins up at the knight before jumping onto a different root. It wouldn’t be long before curiosity got the better of her, and she attempted to climb the tree.

When screeching comes from the distance, Gaemon points to the sky and says, “Mama, look! It’s kepa!”

You look up and see the Blood Wyrm flying in the direction of the dragonpit. Daemon always made a point of returning from dragon riding before supper time so he could dine with his family. When you lower your gaze from the sky, you are met with the cold gaze of Ser Criston Cole. You often notice the knight observing your son and daughter from a distance, but he makes no attempt to interact with them.

Although Cole would never admit it, you had a feeling he would risk his life for them just as Daemon and Harwin would.

—

Harwin takes one of the pebbled nipples into his mouth while you lean over him, your hands pressing against his chest. Daemon kisses the back of your neck, occasionally nipping at your sensitive skin with his teeth as he thrusts into you from behind. Over time, the three of you had come to an agreement that when the time came and you wished to have another baby, you and Harwin couldn’t fuck as you normally would, eliminating any chances of him getting you pregnant since you wouldn’t be drinking moon tea. But you still wanted to be intimate with Harwin, and your ever-devoted husband came up with an idea.

Daemon’s voice is cocky as he says, “So, Ser Harwin, how do you feel about our princess taking what she wants from us at the same time?”

Harwin grins. “Do you think you could take both of us?”

“Yes, I want you both.”

“Greedy girl!” Daemon smacks your ass.

Your heart races with anticipation at the thought of having both of them inside you at the same time. You're used to making love to them both, but this would feel different—more intimate, more primal. Harwin and Daemon had mutual respect for one another, but they mainly bonded over how much they loved your little family.

Your husband chuckles softly, his warm breath caressing your ear. “You’ll get what you desire, my love. I’ve bet you’ve thought about this plenty of times before, haven’t you?”

Feeling your cheeks heat up, you nod.

A princess is desperate to feel her husband and lover fill her up at the same time.

Daemon slowly withdraws his shaft from your cunny, leaving you aching for more. He sits down on the bed beside Harwin, but before you have the chance to move over to his lap, the knight hooks his hands under your thighs and pulls you up until you are hovering over his face. Not wasting time, Harwin starts flicking at your sensitive clit with his tongue.

Daemon smirks as he listens to your whine. He had already ‘prepared’ both your holes before Harwin joined you in the bedchamber. After coming apart on Harwin’s lips, Daemon gently pulls the small cock-shaped object from your anus, then pulls you onto his lap so you are facing him, and slides his cock into your cunny again.

He leans back and pulls you down with him, gripping your shoulders and spreading them while Harwin readjusts himself behind you. The thought of having them both causes your clitoral area to throb, “Please.”

Harwin guides his thick cock to where you’re aching for him. With a gentle nudge, he pushes past your resistance and enters your tight hole. You gasp as he fills you completely. The sensation of having them both inside you is foreign and exhilarating. Harwin begins to rock his hips gently, slowly pulling them out before pushing them back in again, while Daemon thrusts upwards at a harsher pace.

“How does it feel? Daemon asks, pinching your nipple between his fingers. “Good as you imagined?”

“So, so good.”

Your mind becomes hazy with pleasure when one of them starts rubbing fast circles on your clit. You come apart, squeezing both of them tightly. Harwin shoots his seed inside you, then Daemon follows shortly after, coating your cunny in his seed, which he will hopefully take.

The knight slowly pulls you out, then brushes your sweaty hair out of your face and kisses you deeply. Daemon smirks, “Take your time catching your breath, my good knight, as we will be here all night.”

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themissinghand · 1 month

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Genshin Impact: The Overworked God [2]

Part 1

Summary: In which one of the lore writers who help write the world of Genshin Impact was suddenly thrusted in the very world they created.

Well, testing characters is one thing, but playing God, and raising 7 children at a time?

Oh boy. He just wants to go home and sleep.

Note: Finally back from break!

Part 2 of the Overworked God! Creator! Male OC!

What if we had a smarter Creator that never forgot his initial wish of going home?

Warning: Genshin and SAGAU themes, some OOC and angst.

★・・・・・・★

Tempus, or Kai has been in the world of Genshin Impact for a very long time, since its creation where it was just him and Celestia.

He struck a deal with Celestia, promising to be the Creator and consequently the God of Time to help create Teyvat, but on his own terms. Doing what he can to save his creations from unnecessary pain and suffering.

So, he’s still overworked, stressed and sleepy all the time, especially now that he has to take care of 7 children too.

But finally…today is the day he could finally go home.

Home sounds foreign to him, after all, he spent more years in Teyvat than on Earth, but he has never given up on returning after fulfilling his duty as the Creator.

It’s going to be a difficult announcement to make, considering how attached his children could be, but perhaps, he could twist the narrative just a bit to appease them.

“Tempus!” Speaking of, two bundles of mass hopped towards him as usual, and he caught them with both arms as if it was a routine. He stumbles a bit, sighs, but pats them on the head.

“It’s been so long since you visited Monstadt! I missed you~” Venti hugged his waist as he peaked up with puppy eyes. Before Kai could respond, Furina beat him to it.

“It’s because he likes Fontaine better! He’s been in my country the longest!” Furina quipped back with a proud expression on her face.

“That’s because you suck at ruling your country!”

“Says you, Mr. Drunkard Bard!”

At least they both have trustworthy people like Neuvillette and Jean to take care of their country…

“That’s enough, you two.” A spark of lightning scared the two to cling onto Tempus even more, but Ei easily picked the two off.

Ah, one of the more responsible leaders…

“Please ignore these two, Tempus.” Ei says stoically, as she sends a deadly glare that shuts the two up.

“It’s fine.” Tempus greets every single Archon with a nod, before taking a seat at the head of the table, his expression showing his tiredness despite the light-hearted banter that usually happens during these meetings.

“Have a seat everyone.” All the Archons did a curt bow before taking their respective seats.

Materializing snacks resembling that of an English afternoon teatime, he smiled when even the stoic Tsaritsa seemed to enjoy his food.

It’s a shame though, this will be his last time.

“Tempus.” He turned to the Tsaritsa, who seemed to notice his distress.

“I’m fine.” He brushed it away, before he felt a cold hand on his.

“Let us know if anything is bothering you.” Zhongli added on, and Tempus shook his head.

His children could handle Teyvat without him, what else would he be worried about?

“Tempus, are your worries the reason why did you call us all today?” Sharp as always, Nahida asks, gaining everyone’s attention all at once.

In the end…Rukkhadevata chose her fate. There are things that could not be changed…

“Yes.” Feeling everyone’s eyes on him, he felt even more estranged.

"As you know, I've overseen Teyvat, guided you all, and tried to make amends for the mistakes of the past," Tempus continued.

“After much thought, I believe it’s time for me to rest.”

Multiple teacups fell onto the table with a loud thud. With a wave of his hand, the spilled tea disappeared.

“T-Tempus! What, what do you mean?” Murata stood up abruptly, knocking over a flower vase, which Tempus easily dissolved to nothing.

“Tempus, how could you abandon us!”

“Calm down.” But it seems to have no effect, instead, he felt the cold hand squeeze his own, sending a shiver down his spine.

“Tempus, you belong to us.”

“As I’ve said, I will be going into deep slumber-” Suddenly, many eyes shot towards the Bard who looked very pale.

“-to take a break.” A teacup shattered, but Tempus paid no mind to it.

“My decision is final, and I hope you can take care of Teyvat while I rest.” For eternity.

“Tempus.” Scoring golden eyes burned into Kai’s soul, and he forced himself to remain neutral as he stared at Zhongli-Morax.

“Please stay. I’m begging you, please, Your Eminence. Please don’t leave us.”

"But what of Teyvat? You've become integral to the stability and well-being of this world, and us." There were many nods that followed.

“We need you.”

There was desperation in his voice, and while it did hurt Tempus to leave them, he doubted he could stay any longer knowing that he could finally leave.

“All of you are strong and are capable enough to rule your countries, which I am very proud of. Teyvat will be in good hands." Some Archons smiled briefly, but it was short lived.

"Which is why it's time for me to step aside and take a break."

They had grown accustomed to Tempus's guidance, his wisdom, and his tireless efforts to steer them towards a better path, so for them to lose his support is like fighting without a weapon.

“W-Where, will you be resting? In Temporium?” Furina’s shaky voice filled the silent room.

“Stay here, the Fortress of Meropide will keep you safe. Fontaine and I will keep you safe.”

“Yes.”

“For how long?” Venti asked, anxiety in his voice.

“I’ll find you, I’ll find you no matter where you run.”

“I do not know, for as long as my body needs.” Their faces became pale at thinking of the possibility of not seeing Tempus again.

With a sigh, he stood up, making others rush to stand too.

“Come here, each one of you.” In an instant, they rushed over and Tempus pulled them one by one into a hug. While he made himself tall and muscular, he felt small in the group hug that lasted an incredibly long time.

He felt arms around his waist, chest, arms and back, being hugged by 7 people at once was somewhat suffocating.

“You all will do great. I will miss you all.” This was not a lie.

“Time flows like water, and perhaps I will wake sooner than you all expect.” This was a lie.

Tempus heard sniffles, and felt hands grabbing his robes and weaving through his long hair.

“Tempus…do you have to leave us?” Nahida asked, tugging his heart strings as he saw such a wise person tear up.

Did she read my thoughts?

Tempus got rid of that idea as he forbade her from doing so, and with his current power alongside Celestia’s authority, she should be blocked from doing such a thing.

“I am not leaving, Nahida. I am merely resting.”

Finally, with some coaxing, he managed to peel them off one by one.

“I leave Teyvat in your hands.”

With that, Tempus bid farewell to the Archons and quickly prepared to depart from Celestia. The longer he stayed, the more unbearable this would become.

However, once he left, the atmosphere shifted once more. The Archons, loyal to their Creator beyond measure, exchanged anxious glances, and a heavy silence settled over the chamber.

“Tempus lied.” Nahida said, as tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Nahida?” All of the Archons felt their heart drop at her words.

“He may be resting in Temporium, but there’s more to it. I can’t read his mind completely, but…he’s going to leave us if we let him go.”

“What are we waiting for then?” Suddenly, the atmosphere turned cold. The Tsaritsa stepped forward with her Ice scepter, Permafrost. Like many other Archon’s weapons, they were gifted to them by the Creator himself.

“If Buer’s words are true, then while his body remains in Temporium, his soul is elsewhere.”

The Archons soon came to a consensus.

“We cannot let him go into slumber.”

Or they will lose him completely.

[Are you ready, dear Creator?]

Tempus laid in his resting chamber on the edges of Temporium, in a makeshift mountain. He created this place in secret, so no one else by him knows.

He felt bad for his kingdom, as he told the royal family that he will be gone doing his Godly duties for a long time, but never informed how long.

Regardless, they should be able to live without a god, considering the technology and time Tempus gave them.

[Yes]

As he lay in his comfortable bed with minimal decorations or other items, he shut his eyes and reminisced about the past.

Although it was a very long time, he was never really alone.

But he has seen much more than a normal human on Earth, from war to life and death, to the repetitions of stories by going back in time many times to fix his mistakes.

“Stop him! He’s going back in time!”

Truly, it takes a mental toll on his mind. He can’t let his emotions take over, otherwise, he would have to redo everything again.

[Thank you for your work, dear Creator]

[Just make sure you fulfill your side of the deal]

[Of course]

When he shut his eyes, he felt safe, comfortable and oddly relieved, relieved of his duties at last.

“Tempus!”

His eyes snapped open and saw his chamber shake with vigor. All of his protective mechanisms activate, indeed, he prepared for this.

“Tempus!”

Voices slowly became louder and the earth seemed to roar.

How did they find him? Was it Buer? It must've been.

“Tempus!”

There was desperation in their voices, and Kai assumed that they seemed to have figured something out.

Perhaps honesty was better, but in the end, this was always the outcome.

Yes, Tempus already knew that no matter what he did, the Archons would rebel, would seek him out.

Even if the walls seem to crumble, it did not affect Kai’s chamber, after all, it was sealed and protected with his powers.

But perhaps with a bit more persistence, they would soon destroy the mountain all together, leaving him and his chamber exposed. But, Tempus was not worried, after all, he had prepared for this moment too long ago.

[Farewell, dear Creator]

Suddenly, he felt a bright light engulf him as he felt incredibly sleepy.

Through his blurred vision, he could see the stormy skies, and all seven Archons rushing towards him.

“Tempus!”

“You can’t leave us, Tempus!”

Seeing them in their prime, in their Archon outfits was a little nostalgic.

Hearing a crack in his chamber’s shield was somewhat surprising, but also, incredible. His children have grown up well.

[Farewell]

With a fleeting smile, Tempus bids farewell to his second home.

“Tempus!”

His eyes close, just as the light takes him whole.

“Tempus!”

Morax and Murata pierced through the tough protective layers desperately, and Ei and Venti whiz past them to reach their Creator.

But, they were too late.

“No, Tempus is…he’s-” Barbados was crying as he held Tempus’s hand.

“Kai! Kai!” Furina bawled her eyes out, calling his real name repeatedly as if it would bring him back.

But he won’t come back.

Bal held his body as she froze in shock (in regret), as if she was reminded of her past.

“Tempus, you’re cruel.” Buer, the one who got them so far and so close but not enough. She knelt down beside him and cried while pressing his hand into her face.

“You’ve left us with death, not slumber. You lied, you lied!”

It was like they lost a part of themselves.

After all, Tempus was there whenever they needed guidance, he sacrificed his own personal time to make sure they were alright.

“K-Kai…” Morax stumbled towards the still body that used to be his friend, mentor, benefactor, love, and everything.

Even in death, he was still so beautiful, kind and holy.

Tempus was their everything.

The Tsaritsa dragged herself towards Tempus with her scepter. She was known to not show her emotions, even when Tempus encouraged her to do so to stay emotionally healthy. He was the only one that saw her vulnerable side, and knew who she really was, and never judged her for it.

“Tempus. How dare you…abandon us like this?” She stood by Tempus’s feet and her eyes did not leave his body at all.

While others wept, her tears were turned into weapons.

Murata stood by her with the same dark, solemn expression.

It’s not fair.

How could he treat them like his everything, and then leave them so abruptly?

If only he could open his eyes again and say it was nothing but a terrible joke.

But Tempus is gone, leaving his lifeless body as his final memory and gift.

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cheeseceli · 11 months

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SKZ falling for their make up artist

Pairing: skz ot8 × Black gn!reader (individually)

Genre: fluff

Request: yes! (lmk if it's like you wanted)

Warnings: Reader has braids in Hyunjin's one and is implied to paint their hair in Felix's one, mentions of food in Minho's (and food places like restaurants in Chan and Jeongin's)

A/n: I accidentally posted this one before it was ready and then I had to delete it now I am mad💀 i really need to pay attention to the things i do

Bang Chan

Ok so fun fact

He met you before knowing you were his new make up artist

He just saw you at jyp cafe looking like an angel when he decided he would make small talk with you

But luck was not on his side (or was it?) because it was golden hour and you guys were sitting near the window

What does that mean? The sun rays were all over you, making your brown skin glow and your eyes hypnotized him

Consequences? He was so focused on appreciating you that he forgot to ask for your number

You can imagine how sad he was once he realised it

But! Imagine his surprise (and happiness) when he met you at the recording of one of their mvs four days later

He made sure to ask for your number properly this time

He always makes sure he is the last you'll make up so there is no rush and he can have you all for himself for some moments

Absolutely adores how excited you look like when talking about your work

He even convinced the management crew to put you as the tour's make up artist because he needed wanted you there

Lee Know

You'd probably hate him

He just happens to be a menace to people he likes

So he might or might not wipe off and ruin pieces of the make up just so you have to retouch it

"did you make up here? And here? I think you should check or do it again yk" typa thing he'd say

Don't get him wrong, he just wants to spend a little bit of time with you

But he doesn't know how to do it without making you rethink all you life choices and pissing you off

But he also brings you food backstage to make up for it

And if you have any pets he would be like "our pets should meet each other!!"

Anything to see you outside of work

And if you're on backstage during one of the stages/recording/practices he will put 200% effort on his performance

He needs to impress you of course

Changbin

Compliments you right away

He doesn't even know your name but he is already telling you you are blessed by Aphrodite, the prettiest person to ever exist in earth and all those things

He has no shame

You know that cute couple thing people do with make up/skincare where one of them sit in the other's lap while applying the products?

Lmao him

He will not loose one single chance of having you close while you're making up him

So if you ever want to try something new like a new trend or just something that came up on your mind, he will be the first to volunteer

And if you have an account on any social media to talk about your work, he follows you and comments on every single post

Hyunjin

He's beautiful and he knows it

100% use this as an advantage

Will make eye contact with you all the time being

And will smile to you in the sweetest way possible everytime you are close to his face

Once you were making him up for the s-class mv recording but your hair kept falling in your face

So he just pushed one of the braids off your face and kept smiling and looking at you like it didn't make you malfunction in 30 different ways

Has the audacity to giggle after you're embarrassed

But try to flirt with him and suddenly he is the blushing mess

He is also such a hype man, it's so cute

If he ever publishes a pic of him on insta where you're the one who made his make up, he will praise it on the caption

Han

He didn't even know you existed until he visited Chan while the eldest was doing his make up

He was speechless when he first saw you

And he had a really serious talk with Chan concerning the reason you weren't his make up artist

The next day you were asked to add Han in your list of who you needed to make up

Totally a coincidence, it's not like he begged chan and the management crew to have you as his artist

The moment he gets to talk with you he tries to impress you

Jokes, talent, beauty, anything

If you laugh at at least one joke, his efforts will be payed off and this man is on cloud 9

Felix

You'd probably hate him pt 2.

I'm sorry but he just can't shut up lol

You're applying lipstick on him? Well, he has this urgent gossip to tell you so good luck with that lipstick

You're applying eyeshadow? Unfortunately he cannot keep his eyes closed because that would mean not looking at your eyes, and he has his priorities straight

The list goes on and on

It might be a little tough but! it's so worth it

After you're done he is ready to compliment your job and praise your skills every single time

As he should

You know how some couples match outfits? He'd like to match make up even if you're not on the dating stage yet

And maybe even match hair colour

Seungmin

The most subtle one

And your dream client

He keeps still while you're applying make up, compliments your work and is always so polite

He tries to be the first one you'll make up so after you're done with him, he can follow you around while you make up the others

Will talk to you during the process (and will take advantage of the fact the kids cannot reply because they need to be still) and will even try to help you with organising your products and handing them for you if you let him

Will try to learn a thing or two about make up on his free time because he wants to impress you

If you do artistic make up as well he would love to see your past works

Might even suggest the management to have something like that in future mvs

I.N

Doesn't move

Doesn't blink nor talk

Actually, sometimes he doesn't even breathe so you need to remind him

He will giggle and brush it off but let's be honest

He is so nervous around you

Once you notice it (trust me, you will notice. It's so obvious it hurts) you will try to small talk and this will, slowly, make him relax

Now that you guys are comfortable around each other he will initiate most of the conversations

He talks to you during breaks, he asks your opinion on his outfits and sometimes he also wants you to make him up for casual outings like going to a restaurant

Even after dating, he still gets nervous because of the proximity

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hazbin-a-helluvamagines · 2 months

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Can you do Octavia/Loona/Veroskia x male reader who is a living human that met the denizen of hell when both were small kids somehow and figured out a way to keep in touch with said friendship evolving into romance as the two got older? Thoughts on how others might react to learning of this?

"Childhood Friends" ; Loona, Octavia Ars Goetia, Verosika Mayday

You met through one of her old owners. And "owners" is the correct statement here, because Loona was nothing more than a pet to them.

Of course, they didn't introduce her like that. But since her previous owners were a pair of succubi, they were able to go to earth. They brought her on their honeymoon, where Loona was able to meet you. Her owners introduced themselves to your family as her mothers in the hopes of not drawing suspicion of abuse (because it's pretty frowned upon to treat your "child" like an animal, after all).

Loona was really aggressive and hostile at first, not allowing you to get close to her, touch her, or even look at her for too long. But you were little, and were easy to distract from her blatant rejection of your friendship.

She slowly began coming around more, though, over the week that her owners remained on their vacation. She started confiding in you. And since she was just a kid, she had no concept of keeping secrets. So she basically spilled her guts, about being a Hellhound from Hell, considered her "mothers'" pet, the fact that she never had a real family, and everything.

And when you hugged her, she was... heartbreakingly confused?

"S-S/O... What's this? This... thing you're doing."

After that, you lost contact. But she never forgot you. Her first friend.

A few years later, she was adopted by Blitzø, who loved her like a father rather than a pet. She was finally valued as a person, and not someone's possession.

But she had one request.

"There's this... human that I knew. He was my first friend. You can come or not, but I have to go see him. At least once."

And so she does. Loona comes to see you, using her adept sniffer to find you in the madness that is Earth. She of course takes on her human disguise for the first time since her previous owners, and she was amazed you even recognized her.

"Loona?! Is that you? What... What are you doing here?"

"Long story short, a lot has happened and sorry I didn't visit sooner. I'll explain everything, I promise. God, S/O, I missed you so fucking much."

And so she did. She explained everything that happened, and later on, she introduced you to Blitzø. It was odd, she introduced you as though you were her boyfriend...

Blitzø could see the feelings brewing in Loona, but you seemed like a stand-up guy and you made and excellent first impression on him, so he didn't mind that much. Even though he was still a tad overprotective of her.

It didn't even take long for you to start dating. You saw her for Vortex, she... isn't the most subtle.

The only difference is she's more protective and aggressive over you. You're a human after all, you could get hurt!

She loves you so much, and she's so grateful that her boyfriend was her very first friend. :)

Same with Loona, you probably met Octavia during some kind of vacation that her family went on, where she was stuck on her father's side like glue.

She seemed really timid around you at first, this being her first experience in the human world and the first time she's stuck around humans who don't understand her.

But you were just so friendly, and so persistent. She couldn't resist getting close to you, and even looking up to you at some points.

And honestly? It was a welcome distraction from her parents when her mom clearly hated her dad. You wouldn't believe how beyond grateful both Stolas and Stella were for your involvement in Octavia's life to distract her.

And throughout the years, because of her parents' appreciation of you for distracting their daughter during their fights, they'd help her keep in contact with you.

You two essentially grow up together. Sleepovers, playdates, the works. And eventually, that turns into casual hangouts, discovering hobbies together, and eventually, even mutual crushing.

Now, obviously, she's an angsty emo teenager, and doesn't know how to sort out these feelings. So who does she go to? Honestly, probably the worst person for that: you.

"S/O? What does love feel like?"

Cue a very awkward explanation trying to explain to your crush what a crush feels like... thinking she's referring to another guy, no less! So the heartbreak was also present.

Fortunately for you, it was very momentary and fleeting.

"I see... And what if I had... a crush... on you?"

"Via? Are you saying what I think you're saying?"

She's as shy as they come, and very nervously nods, fearing the harsh rejection and the end of your friendship that seemed inevitable. She couldn't have been more shocked than when you said those words she wanted to hear...

"I feel the same, Via."

"Really? Then... would you... maybe... want to... try going steady?"

You snorted out a little laugh, tilting your head.

"'Going steady'? What are you, ninety?"

Of course, you were only teasing, and she momentarily pouted at you before you finally gave in, taking both of her hands in yours.

"I'd love to go out with you. Just convince your mom not to kill me when she finds out you're dating me."

She let out a hoot-like laugh and nodded.

"I promise I will."

You were her absolute everything, and she was so happy she finally got to be with you. :)

Okay, so headcanon that Verosika's childhood wasn't the nicest. Not necessarily awful, but she never really felt wanted by anyone.

That all changed when she met you, though! As little three-year-olds, and her parents living on earth for a few months out of the year, she became immediately attached to you, clinging to your affection like she thought it'd leave if she ever let go of you.

She's clingy to a fault, always wanting to hug you and hold your hand and play those "physical" games (tag, leap frog, etc.). Sometimes, though, she'd sucker you into playing dolls with her. But hey, at least she (usually) let you be Ken. And have a personality.

"Hey! S/O! Let's play! I wanna be Nicky, but you can be Ken! :D"

She was so adorable and sweet, how could you possibly resist?

She maintained close contact with you, and her parents really didn't mind that she sometimes went off on her own to spend time with you.

You were there when her career began taking off and when she began getting famous, even to the extent of tabloids discussing rumors that you were an item. You weren't, though, although you started crushing on her near the beginning of her idol career.

So the tabloids made you uncomfortable in a... strange way. You didn't want her knowing how much you loved her, especially considering she was already with some imp guy...

...and then he broke her heart.

You consoled her, held her, reminded her how perfect and amazing she was, and how she didn't need someone who never saw her value the way it should be.

In this moment, she realized how amazing you were to her. You were always there when she needed you, you were never mocking or cruel with her, you never made her feel unwelcome or unloved... You were an amazing guy.

But you didn't think of it the same way. You didn't want to confess under the precipice of her possibly thinking you were glad to see her get her heart broken just so you could virtue signal about how much you loved her.

It wasn't instant, but that night, she began to develop her own feelings for you.

A few months later, she was head over heels, the same way you were. She was mean and catty with a lot of people, but oh, not with you. She adored you.

You'd already be close with her posse, but they set you two up, convincing Verosika to tell you the way she feels.

"Heya. So, like... I kind of like you, and all, but if you don't feel the same, totally fine. I don't mind."

A lot more chill when she isn't actively plotting against someone, actually. And of course, you accepted her confession that you thought would never happen.

And so, in the end, the tabloids were proven right... eventually. :)

Until then... she's content to keep your relationship a secret for now. ;)

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promptedwordsmith · 4 months

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LADS Prompt

LADS guys finding out you like someone else

Another angsty thing but i have a LOT of prompts ready for posting now haha I'm working on a part two for the angst i posted :D

Rafayel:

Rafayel would probably have some sort of sad rage. Who is this person who thinks they are good enough to take your time and attention, and why are you letting them? You’re his bodyguard, and you’d been getting closer for a while now so how come this person just appears and you fawn all over them? It wasn’t right, you promised him!

You promised you wouldn’t ever make him wait again but now you’ve chosen to have someone else be your priority? He knows his anger is a front for the disappointment and betrayal he feels, and he feels stupid for letting himself hope you wouldn’t abandon him again. He doesn’t talk to you for a week, doesn’t initiate any contact with you or even just pop up in the same area as you like he used to. You notice, of course you do but whenever you ask about it, he gives curt responses until eventually his spiralling ends with him telling you he doesn’t need you to be his bodyguard anymore, deciding its best to abandon you before you abandon him.

Xavier:

Only finds out because his balcony doors are open, and you are laughing at this guy’s stupid jokes on your own balcony. Instantly feels like he’s been hit by a truck. This isn’t the first time this has happened; in the multiple lifetimes he’s known you, you’ve liked someone else before. But this is the first time in a while. The past few lives whether he’s tried to or not he has eventually wooed you. He forgot how truly awful it feels to not be that person. He holds a pillow closer while he lays on his couch listening to you laugh and chatter away thinking about all the times you would talk away at him and he would happily listen. He realises with a start that he has buried his face in the pillow because it still smells like you, since you visited a few hours before hand. He can’t bring himself to pull away. He definitely doesn’t get Jeremiah to look into the guy’s background, make sure there’s nothing shady. He half wants there to be something so he can chase the fool away, his worry of hurting you just about outweighs that wish though.

Zayne:

It certainly makes it easier for him to keep his distance. He always feels that pull towards you; it never goes away. But knowing you have someone else you want is both a huge relief and the greatest heartache. Found out when he went to that little café, he had met you in when you first reconnected and you were there with another man. You were facing away from him so he thought better than to greet you and decided he would just go somewhere else. He knows he is forbidden from being with you but there is always the selfish part of him that wants to throw caution to the wind and show you how desperately he loves you. How deep his affection for you goes if you’d give him the honour. But he can’t, this guy – whoever he is – has no idea how lucky he is. He’s checking this guy out, making sure he has no skeletons in his closet and that he’s good enough. It’s during these checks that a thought occurs to him, what on earth could make anyone else good enough for you in his eyes? He gives you up, he will always want more of you, he’ll just have to wait for when he can.

#love and deepspace #fanfic #xavier love and deepspace #xavier #xavier x reader #zayne #zayne love and deepspace #zayne x reader #rafayel #rafayel love and deepspace #rafayel x reader #angsty

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shatterinseconds · 5 months

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Hoverbike

Inspired by @froopa-coopa’s art from a few months ago

After three years stuck in space, and another two roaming the galaxy leading the Blade of Marmora on relief missions, Keith’s hoverbike fell into major disrepair. The hot desert air and sand gunked the machine enough for it to spit black fumes when Keith tried to kickstart it again. That had been a week ago, where after visiting Lance’s family in Cuba for a month they decided to head to Keith’s shack for some needed alone time, but the new parts finally arrived, and Lance was unfortunately jostled awake way too early in the morning to “help.”

He sits cross legged on top of the hoverbike while Keith works underneath. They trade short conversations back and forth, mostly Lance guiding them. But a large part is spent in silence, knowing that the other is there in close range being enough for them. Lance doesn’t mind. He gets to enjoy the warm sun on face and think of his family and realize how glad he is to be back on Earth for an indefinite stay this time.

Keith slides out with grease smeared on his cheek and hair bunched up from welding goggles. It’s a super cute look. Too bad Lance’s phone is charging inside. Keith stretches up his hand above, waving it around a bit, wordlessly.

“What do you want, Mullet?” Lance leans forward, bracing his hands on the leather seat so he doesn’t fall off accidentally.

“Over there. Tool box,” Keith finally uses his words, a bit exasperated, which causes Lance to roll his eyes. It’s not Lance’s fault they never met an alien race that could grant them mind reading powers—which would have been so cool.

Instead, he mumbles, “I don’t speak mechanic.” But he still digs around in the tool box, having a vague idea after watching Hunk for years and Keith more recently. A note of triumph echoes in the back of his throat as he finds the potential tool. “This?” he asks as he leans over the bike, Spiderman style, staring at Keith upside down. He holds out what he thinks is a screwdriver but with an odd shaped head.

“Yeah.” Keith grabs the screwdriver without so much as an ounce of gratitude but Lance doesn’t care. He huffs a laugh until Keith pops back out, remembering himself. “Thanks.”

Lance grins and taps his lips. “You forgot something else.”

“I smell like motor oil. You don’t want a kiss.”

“I always want a kiss, Mullet,” Lance says with ease. His smile grows, almost starting to stretch wide enough to hurt. “If I can soldier through your bad morning breath, I can handle this.”

Keith grumbles something unintelligible but sits up enough that he and Lance are mere inches away now. “You have the bad morning breath,” he mumbles as he pulls Lance towards him. A grimy hand gently cups his face. The smell of sweat, hard work, and engine grease scratch the inside of Lance’s nose. And yet, it’s in his top five of Keith kisses—right up there with their first kiss, their post-sex kisses, and that time Keith caught him by surprise during a Coalition banquet because jealousy had started to get the better of him.

Lance digs his hands into Keith’s tangled hair, pushing back the goggles, and deepens the kiss. Keith’s free hand slides to Lance’s waist, stabilizing him so they don’t both crash to the ground. Every place Keith touches buzzes from the warm contact. Those fingerless gloves brush over a smooth patch of skin, exposed by his shirt falling forward and catching under his armpits. Keith pulls on his lower lip before separating, biting down in a way that causes Lance to mutter a curse and for Keith to break out into a pleased grin.

“See,” Lance says as he knocks his forehead against Keith’s. His chest heaves from the lack of air. Keith always makes him breathless, quite literally most of the time. “You almost missed out on that.”

Shaking his head, Keith laughs. “I’m glad I didn’t.” He pecks Lance’s lips one more time before he disappears under the bike again and Lance returns to lying on top, very content.

#klance #voltron #vld #voltron legendary defender #klance fic #keith x lance #my writing #starting your year off with klance!

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carionto · 8 months

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What if we just hollowed it out?

Progress on the Dyson Ring was unbearably slow (by Human standards) and Captain Knoslark and some of his crew were busying themselves with a twice-a-week extended D&D session. He was banned from GMing after trying to introduce the Deck of Many Things, so relegated himself to a Wild Sorcerer Drow build. When it was not his turn during combat, he would make sure when his turn did come up, the holographic projections he programmed would show off his descriptions of his magics in the most spectacular fashion. He was irritatingly good at the visuals, and nobody wanted to praise him outright for fear his ego might explode, but it did pass the time well enough.

The construction efforts have become so routine and uneventful that the only people who had anything stimulating to do on the clock were the observation officers. Even then, it was just ships going in and out of the system, sometimes big groups of civilian craft would bunch together in the Oort cloud for a race, other times an alien diplomatic vessel and escort would jump in for a visit or to drop off a person who had "made a mess on a vessel not outfitted to handle Human strength", which typically meant somebody forgot alien doors don't have a manual override and broke it by opening it by hand without much trouble. Most exciting was when a new Dreadnought or other large military ship was constructed and it set out on its first voyage outside the shipyards around Earth.

Of course, their main job was monitoring celestial objects and make sure any wandering meteors or debris weren't on a collision course with anything important, and if there was one, tell the nearest patrol ships and they would go out and redirect or destroy it.

Today, Officer Xiang spotted something a bit bigger. A rogue planet! Trajectory analysis indicates it will pass into the Oort cloud in two years and pass through Sol over the next forty three, only once coming relatively close to Mars, but not enough to influence its orbit. It was, however, big enough that they could complete a significant portion of the Dyson Ring. Big enough that, in theory, it would then be able to output enough power at once to power the planetary Warp Gate for anything up to the size of the Moon.

Unfortunately, deeper scans showed it once had living organisms on it, and was thus protected under intergalactic preservation laws: "The surface of any rogue planet that once housed life shall remain untouched, and the planet shall be marked as a historical landmark and scientific object for study purposes only."

To this, Captain Knoslark inquired: "Hmm... but what about below the surface? It's just cold rock at this point, right? What if we find a natural crevice and just dig a little further? For Science!"

As a junior officer and there being almost no people who are experts on such niche intergalactic laws yet, Xiang and the others couldn't find a reason why this wouldn't work, but it felt... off.

"Just think, it'll be fine - we'll reinforce some of the ore and create a porous interior, preserving the structural integrity of the planet as a whole and keeping the surface as is. AND we get about 85% of a whole planet to further our progress - that's a whole 17 moons worth! And and it would be within our jurisdiction during the time. It's a win-neutral as far as I can see."

That sounded like logic. Maybe? Either way, we would have to talk to the higher ups about this plan. Even if anybody wanted to, hollowing out a planet is not a thing you can do in secret. You need, well, literally a planet's worth of ships, equipment, and crew to do something like that within just over four decades, and we want to get it done in less than one.

No matter our advancements, dedication, willpower, grit, force, or cunning, the two foes Humanity cannot defeat, but must always accept and handle properly - logistics and the accompanying bureaucracy. Still, it would be nice if we didn't have to use up more of our moons so quickly for one project.

#humans are space oddities #humans are space orcs #humanity fuck yeah #humans are deathworlders #humans are space australians #hollow planet #carionto

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dexlabs · 6 months

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Headcanon: Anodite Mandark

I'm going to make a bulletpoint thing because there's A LOT of stuff. This is a headcanon based on the Fusionfall Universe (of course DUH XP)

About his Parents:

Oceanbird is herself an anodite, arrived on Earth after hearing about it from Verdona, Ben and Gwen's grandmother;

She met Windbear in a secret USSR facility where he worked as head scientist studying alien life. She was captured right after arriving on Earth;

She convinced him to leave the job and follow her around to explore the world and he did, being fed up with all the atrocities he had to see in name of science;

Oceanbird completely fell in love with Earth and Windbear and decided to abandon her anodite form and live with him in Flowertopia.

Before the war:

Mandark doesn't know about his parents past and tbh doesn't really care about it;

His first encouter with magic was because of science, when he used an old jewel case (the one from Mandarker) from his mother to build an interdimentional portal. It just happened that that particular jewel case was infused with magic, so the portal directly opened into Legerdomain;

Unlike in the cartoon, here he actually met someone else who taught him about magic and its powers and how they could be used to rule the world. That someone was actually Charmcaster;

She lied about her name to him (called herself Jojo) but decided to reveal him some secrets since she felt he had something more and evil deep inside and she was actually impressed he managed to get there in first place;

Charmcaster also made a deal with him: once he would be older and in complete control of his powers, he would join her side and become loyal to her. He accepted, knowing too well somehow that that was never going to happen (and it didn't... for now);

Just to be sure, Charmcaster altered his memory so he wouldn't remember about visiting Legerdomain.

Even with this new knowledge, he was still more interested in science, and didn't use the book too much;

He can actually read minds as shown in Dexter's Rival, that's the first sign of his powers awakening, even if he didn't realize it at first;

He used the book again at the science fair to get Dexter, summoning a monster he actually believed to be the Jojo he met years before;

He decided to let go of magic completely because he wanted to get Dexter using science only. He also started hating it because Dexter did.

During the war:

We have an actual mission from him called "Mag-ICK" where you need to investigate magic readings around Steam Alley. Even if you find the Wishing Skull, Mandark tells you to "Stick with science and avoid magic at all costs. It's for losers!" Which tells us that, again, he DOES know magic exists. He just hates it. Honestly this mission is what started this whole mess you're reading lmao. Anyway:

Here we go with my favourite dynamic coming from this headcanon, which is Gwen and Mandark interaction;

Somehow (gotta work on this tbh) Gwen gets to know that Mandark owns a book about magic, and asks a recruit to go get it from him so she can study it;

Mandark actually forgot he had that book, but asks the recruit to go search his old lab for it;

The book is found and Gwen gets it, and immediately knows Charmcaster had something to do with it, so she asks Mandark to get to her on Pimpleback Mountains so they can discuss about it;

Mandark is against the idea, claiming the book is only "a mistake his younger self used when he didn't know better";

Gwen manages to convince him, so they meet at her station to talk about it;

The girl is disappointed he can't remember how he got it, but also realizes Charmcaster might have altered his memory, so she tries to detect magic around him and almost has an heart attack finding out he has MORE than she expected;

She immediately feels he is an anodite and that his powers are right there, ready to pop out anytime, but he keeps repeating it is impossible because his parents are just normal humans;

Gwen manages to convince him to try something, and with ease manages to have him form a mana energy ball in his hand;

She's excited about it but Mandark just freaks out and she has to calm him down. She actually explains him how mana works and they end up talking the whole night, not only about mana and magic, but about the universe, science, the war, dreams and fears. The next day Mandark goes back to Tech Square being... actually happy. Not about magic itself, he still doesn't want to use it. But that he actually found a... new friend. His very first friend.

Mandark makes her promise not to tell anyone about magic powers or the fact he is an alien magic being, because he wants to first study the thing himself and find out where this could come from;

Because of the war he doesn't have time or resources to investigate it, so it's a thing that's gonna come back when the war is over.

The rest of the headcanons come from my other "5 years after the war" headcanon, where Mandark starts a long journey to understand and accept himself completely and finally be happy with who he is.

Let me know what you think!

#fusionfall #dexter's laboratory #ben 10 #cartoon network #gwen tennyson #mandark #headcanons #anodite mandark #aduahrt

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daveykimy · 5 months

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old-timey folk remedies (& folk magic?)

I've been neglecting this tumblr for awhile (TBH I forgot) But I'm back to my slow journey of reconnecting with my Chinese side of my ancestry and I got a treat for you all! Here are some old timey Chinese folk remedies.

TW: gore

The best part of chatting with your elderly members of your family is when they start spilling stuff from the past. I love it when my grandma and grandpa starts recounting folkloric shenanigans they did and the small folk remedies their parents and grandparents gave them. These remedies are all oral traditions, as it's the norm for most Chinese folk religion-related things. From a time when your average person didn't have access to a physician, doctor, or hospital. Or when the did, they couldn't afford to visit for non-urgent reasons.

A SMALL COLLECTION OF FOLK REMEDIES:

-TO REMEDY DIARRHEA: when you buy pomegranates, save the peelings and dry them under the sun. They can be simmered in water into a tea and given three times a day to those with an overactive bowel.

-TO GET RID OF WARTS: roll a blunt out of well dried mugwart leaves that was collected and hung on the front door during Duanwu Festival (dragon boat festival). Light the blunt and place it just close enough above the wart that you can feel the heat but not so close that it burns you. Make circular motion around the wart with the lit blunt while gently blowing on it. Do this when you wake up and before you go to bed. Repeat daily until your wart disappears. Collect the ashes of the blunt every time and rub it onto the wart.

-A SALVE FOR BURNS: obtain a dead newborn baby mouse, place it in a jar of sesame oil and seal it. Bury the jar in the earth near the hearth. Check on it often, and when the oil has become a putrid liquid, it is ready to be used to treat burns.

- TO HELP RECOVER FROM A FLU OR COLD: roast a tangerine, unpeeled, just until it is soft and hot. Eat that between meals and it shall help you recover fast.

-FOR CONSTIPATION: drink a shot of sesame oil. easy.

-FOR MIGRAINES & HEADACHES: rub tiger balm on your temples in a circular motions. You can put two slices of fresh daikon (the giant white asian radish) on your temples for 15 minutes.

-FOR FROST BITE: simmer dried eggplant stalks and leaves in some water and strain. Let it cool just a little and soak your frost-bitten feet or hands in it. Repeat daily and it should heal fast.

-FOR PSORIASIS: Mix some dried powdered orange peel or orange zest into some sesame oil. Use it as a salve on the affected area.

-FOR IBS OR STOMACH PROBLEMS: take 2 hawthorn berries, 3 dates, and 7 peppercorns and crush them all together. take it with a shot of vinegar.

#folklore #chinese folklore #chinese folk religion #ancestors #folk remedies #witchblr #history #oral tradition

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only-lonely-stars · 1 month

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A Shintaran Gala

Oneshot – (FFN) (AO3)

Summary:

In Shintaro, a gala is hosted every year to celebrate the holiday season. Vania looks forward to it every year, and now that she is the one to host it, she's invited Cole, her dearest friend, to join her. However, both of them know they want something more than friendship, if they could only find the words to tell each other.

Cole Brookstone stood in his room, adjusting his suit in front of the mirror, feeling like something was off. He tied his tie, then retied it, finally getting it tidy, but still felt wrong. He finger-combed his hair into place for the millionth time, getting the sweep away from his face perfect, but it still wasn't good enough. He straightened his jacket, making it hang just right, but it didn't fix the problem. Finally, he groaned and left the room, knocking on Jay's door.

"Jay? Can you help me out for a sec?"

"Come on in!" Jay called. Cole opened the door to see him sitting on the floor, mashing buttons on a controller as enemies went flying in Prime Empire. When he heard Cole come in, he paused the game and looked up. "Woah, what's with the suit? You going to dinner with your dad or something?"

Cole shook his head. "Nope. The Shintaran gala is tonight."

Jay whistled. "I forgot about that. It lasts all night, isn't it?"

"Yep. I'm pretty sure it does, anyway."

"You leaving soon?"

"Yeah, but something's not right. Can you help me or get Nya or something?" Discomfort crawled up Cole's spine.

"Why? You look fine. You sure you're not just nervous?" Jay asked, still sitting on the floor.

"Yeah, I'm nervous, but still. Can you just… make sure I didn't forget anything?"

Jay rolled his eyes and got up. "Fine." He scanned Cole briefly. "Seriously, you look just fine Cole. Your nerves are just getting to you."

Cole sighed. "Yeah, you're probably right. It's just weird going back for something so fancy."

"I haven't seen you this nervous in a long time. Just hang out and enjoy getting to catch up. Dance!" Jay grinned. "Maybe you can dance with Vania."

Cole flushed. "If she wants to, maybe."

"As if she wouldn't. Besides, you clearly do."

"Am I that obvious?"

"Oh yeah."

"Ugh, okay." Cole sighed and resisted the urge to mess up his hair. "Just gotta stay cool... I'd better get going."

"Have a good time!" Jay said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Say hi for us."

"Will do. See you tomorrow." Not more than five minutes later, he was on his dragon and flying over to Shintaro.

-----

On the ground in Shintaro, a whirlwind of activity had come to a stunning conclusion. Queen Vania looked over her palace with a satisfied smile, ignoring her exhaustion in favor of enjoying the fruits of her and her staff's labor. The holiday gala had come together with nary a hair out of place, and she could finally relax and enjoy it with possibly her favorite person in the whole world, Cole.

At the thought of him, she smiled even more. Despite her albeit childish hopes, during the Ninja's first visit to Shintaro, nothing had happened between herself and him, so she'd done her best to put away those hopes for the time being and focus on her people's best interests. She hadn't seen him for a long time, anyway. However, that was changing. This gala was a celebration for the people of Shintaro, and it would only make sense for her to invite one of their saviors to celebrate– why not the one who had singlehandedly brought down her father? It was the perfect opportunity to see if there was any potential for something meaningful between them, and more importantly, if he wanted it to. If not, well, it was still good to see him.

As the time of his arrival came nearer and nearer, she eventually went out to the gardens, amongst the beds of flowers and shrubs. In the back of the garden was a particularly large open space, where she had told Cole in a letter that he should land. It was just large enough for Chompy to land when he was large, so she knew it would fit his earth dragon, and it was wonderfully private. In only a few minutes, he would land there before her. Sure enough, while watching the sky and considering that night's upcoming events, she spotted his incoming brown figure, flying in through the beginnings of the sunset.

When Cole landed his dragon on the ground, Vania did her best to slow her heart and breathe deeply, attempting to keep her composure. Nevertheless, she grinned when he dismounted, letting the dragon dissipate into the air. Then he stood before her, wearing a black suit and tie that fit him perfectly, just as tall and strong as she remembered, with not a hair out of place. Not for the first time, she silently thanked whomever had made him the Black Ninja for his or her taste, for it suited him so well. He was smiling as if nothing had ever bothered him in all his life as he came to meet her, and she could barely believe he was even there.

She watched him approach, barely containing her excitement. When he got to her, he waved. "Hey, Vania!"

"Cole! It's so good to see you!" She threw self-control to the wind and put her arms around him in a hug.

"You too!" He laughed and hugged her back. Warmth flooded through her. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." He stepped back after a few moments. "Happy holidays."

"Happy holidays!" As they parted, she kept hold of his hands, but only for a moment. "You look so handsome in a suit."

"Thank you." He grinned, looking the smallest bit awkward, but spoke softly anyway. "You look beautiful, Vania– not that you don't usually, but… really beautiful."

"Thank you." She smiled, touching the fabric of her skirt nervously, the champagne fabric shimmering in the fading light. Silently, she thanked her stylist for suggesting going for a lower neckline, despite her misgivings.

"You're welcome." He smiled, so sincere and genuine that it almost hurt.

Her heart pounded. "I'm so glad you could come tonight."

"Me too. How have you been?" he asked, taking her hand. "It must have been so much work to put this together."

She laughed. "I'm exhausted! There's always something to do or fix." She looked behind her and through a great doorway into the ballroom, where quiet music was playing and a few stray couples were beginning to dance. "At least it turned out well."

"I'll say. Time for your day off." Cole grinned. "Want to join the party?"

"That sounds great." She laced her fingers through his. "Let me show you around a little bit."

"That sounds great, your Highness."

She smacked his arm lightly. "Okay, Sir Cole. Are you gonna be like that all night?"

"If you'll let me, maybe."

-----

The whole time she showed him around the palace, Cole couldn't help but marvel. Every room was bedecked in the loveliest of of decorations, with lights and garlands hanging from every high point. As the sun set, pink and orange light streamed in the windows. Glass and crystal prisms caught the light and reflected a million rainbows across the room, accenting the sparkling decorations of every color and shade. Chandeliers hung low from the ceilings, even more crystal adding to the grandeur of the moment. Every inch of the palace was gorgeous, a testament to Vania's hard work.

Cole would never admit it to himself, but if he wasn't looking at the palace, he couldn't help but look at her. Instead of her normal whites and golds and blues, she wore a dress the color of champagne that shimmered in the light, reaching all the way down to the floor. The sleeves hung just barely off the shoulders, exposing her pale skin to a greater degree than he'd ever seen, and he struggled not to stare. As they walked and talked, he tried to look anywhere but her, but failed every time, only barely paying attention to their conversation.

"...I told the Upply that we needed to make this place classy, but Korgran just didn't understand! The others got it, though," she was saying as she showed him the main ballroom. She pointed up at the very top of the grand ceiling. "Adam was the only one who could get up there to hang those lights."

Cole smiled. "I bet. I think I see webs he left."

She groaned, crossing her arms and peering up intently. "Really? I told him not to leave any! Adam!"

He laughed. "I'm kidding, it looks fine." He grinned at her. "Everything looks amazing, Vania."

"You think so?" She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Yeah." He looked around one more time. "I think so."

"Good." She smiled and looked away, glancing at the ballroom floor. On the floor, a number of Shintarans, Geckles, and Munce were dancing together, laughing and cheering to their heart's content. However, the music was changing. Idly, Cole noticed that it was in waltz tempo, but he tried to ignore it, like all the things he'd learned about music. Vania looked wistful.

"What's up?" he asked.

She looked back at him. "What?"

"You looked like you were thinking about something."

"Oh." She smiled. "I just was thinking about the dancing. I used to look forward to the gala every year just for it."

At this, Cole had to smile. "Dancing? I didn't know you danced."

"Of course I do! I'm a queen, Cole. What queen doesn't know how to dance?" She nudged him jokingly.

"Good point." He looked at the dance floor, then back at Vania, and a probably foolish idea came to his mind. "Do you want to?"

She blushed a little, pink settling over her cheeks. "I don't have a partner..."

"Sure you do." Cole grabbed her hand, ignoring his rising heart rate. "What do you say?"

After a moment, she grinned. "I'd love to."

Together, the two walked hand-in-hand to the dance floor. Out of the corner of his eye, Cole spotted a few people watching them, but he ignored them in favor of Vania, who still held his hand. They reached the center of the floor without much ado, and he put his free hand on her waist, while she put hers on his shoulder. As they waited for a fitting time to start dancing, their eyes never left each other.

The music dipped suddenly, the tune starting again, and they were off. One, two, three, the music told them where to go, and they spun and twirled around the floor.

In and out she swung, going to and from his arms seemingly every moment. For a moment, she brushed against his arm, close for milliseconds before she flew out again. A point of emphasis came in the music right as she came back to his arms, and he dipped her, causing her to start laughing. As he righted her, the music suddenly slowed, and the two of them began to box step, laughing in glee and unable to look anywhere except at each other.

"Where did you learn to dance?!" Vania asked. "You're amazing!"

Cole grinned and spun her out once more, slower. "My dad taught me when I was a kid. What about you? You're beautiful!"

She stifled more laughter. "Private tutors. You would not believe how much spinning Chompy endured while I practiced in my room."

"Oh, I believe it." The two of them twirled, her skirt flaring out widely. "My dance partner got so dizzy back in the day."

"Your dance partner?" she asked.

"My next-door neighbor." He grinned. "She's wasn't very nice to talk to."

Vania laughed at that, the bright sound like bells as it drowned out the music for a moment. "I'll take your word for it!"

The music picked up, and the two began to dance again, faster and wider. At one point, Cole put his hands both on her waist and lifted her up into the air, swinging her around nearly a full circle before sitting her down. For a moment, she felt like she was flying, and she told him so. Then, she asked another thing, which struck him to the heart.

"Did you mean to call me beautiful?"

His face heated up and his breath caught in his chest. "You heard that?"

"Yeah, I did." She looked away, smiling bashfully.

"Oh." He almost froze, but managed to spin her again, the music slowly climbing to its highest point. "Yeah, I did. You really are beautiful, Vania."

She blushed prettily. "I guess that means I can call you dashing, then. I've never seen you so dressed up."

"Me neither, but I'll take it." As he said it, the music reached its climax, and he dipped her low, such that she could almost reach the floor. She leaned into him, and as he lifted her back up she put her arms around his neck. Their eyes met, and she smiled.

The tune was over now, and those who weren't dancing were applauding the musicians. There was a quiet rustling as sheet music was flipped, and the two were unable to break the moment for a few seconds. When they did, it was reluctant. Vania lingered in his arms, and Cole wondered whether he was imagining it. What if she really wanted something between them? Could he be that lucky?

"That was the most fun I've had in a while," she eventually said, happiness filling her voice.

"Me too." He smiled, fondness taking over his whole body. "You're a lot better than my old partner."

She snickered. "I would hope so! You're more fun than my old teacher."

"Good to know." The first strains of music struggled to be heard over all the sound of speech in the ballroom, but they picked them up anyway. In a fit of drama, Cole took her hand and kissed the back of it, intent on being chivalrous tonight if he couldn't any other time– if he could pretend that she was his for a night, maybe she'd one day want that for them. Slowly, he bowed his head, then looked up at her. "Another dance?"

Vania smiled bashfully, transfixed on him. "I'd love to."

-----

Vania and Cole danced for hours, whispering as they turned and stepped. At the beginning of every tune, he would step back and kiss her hand, before asking to dance again, ever the picture of gentlemanly charm. She would smile and say yes, and they would step out in time, beginning a new dance for each that only ended when the music did. It was like a dream to them, and Vania thought it had to be some perfect version of a romance.

As the evening passed them by, the sun slowly sunk under the horizon. The rainbows cast by the crystals faded, being replaced by soft lighting afforded by the chandeliers. The golden light diffused throughout, making the place feel otherworldy, as if enchanted by fae to be inescapable, such that no one would ever dream of leaving. The whole scene was too captivating to forget.

Idly, Vania thought that she never would leave that night behind, even if she wanted to. That night, as short as it was, would have to be her eternity, because Cole held her close, whispering words of admiration and adoration in her ear as she spun and they twirled together. More than once, she expected him to do something rash– he would stop their dancing, lift her out of a dip and kiss her softly– but it didn't happen. It was hard for her to feel upset about that, though, when they never stopped spinning.

After a couple of hours of bliss, however, they tired a bit. Laughing, they escaped the ballroom hand in hand and found a quiet terrace outside the ballroom. There, in the trailing flowers that threatened to overgrow their beds, they sat on a bench, still laughing over some odd joke as they caught their breath.

When she could finally speak, Vania found herself almost at a loss for words, so she leaned against Cole and smiled to herself. "I haven't had that much fun at one of these events in so long."

He laughed quietly. "You sure were having a good time. I haven't danced that much in years."

"Why not? You're so good at it."

He turned his head to look at her. "Guess I've never had the opportunity. I don't do many events like this, y'know?"

"That makes a lot of sense. They're pretty rare even for me."

"Makes sense, considering all the planning that went into it."

Vania met his eyes, examining how their dark brown variegation. They betrayed only happiness, except for something she couldn't quite name. All night, she'd been unable to figure out what she had been noticing, but it was even more poignant now, and she saw it in him. As quiet settled in, she felt an incredible urge to break the tension and ask him if he knew what it meant.

After a minute of stillness, she spoke, but not about the mystery of that intangible something. "You have such beautiful eyes," she said instead, transfixed. "I don't know why, but they're just… gorgeous."

Cole raised his eyebrows and blinked, looking at her in surprise. "...What?"

"Your eyes. They're beautiful."

He was quiet for a few moments, and she tried to shrug off the feeling of having done something irreparably stupid, but then he smiled, sweet and true. It was a smile that exuded happiness, and she knew it was sincere within an instant. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She beamed at him.

Cole glanced away, then back at her. "...You're beautiful, Vania. Just... in general. Especially tonight."

Heat came to her face. "You really think so?"

"Yeah." He waved his hand, gesticulating widely. "Everything tonight is gorgeous, and it's all because of you. You worked so hard on this gala." His smile turned bashful. "I really missed seeing you."

"I missed you too." Her heart clenched. "It's been so long since you were here."

"Being back is worth it." He grinned. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world; you're one of my closest friends."

"I am?" She tried to ignore how that phrase both excited and devastated her.

"Yeah. I was really happy to get your invitation."

Her stomach flipped, and she decided to be bold. "You were the only person I really wanted to invite. I'd happily just have a gala for two. It would have been just as fun."

It was Cole's turn to blush, his cheeks turning a moderate red, and she wondered if he might be thinking what she hoped– that they might have a chance. "A gala for two sounds really nice. It'd be a nice day off."

She smiled and scooted closer to him on the bench. "It does, doesn't it? Plus, all the dancing we could want." She turned and pretended to put a picture frame around the ballroom. "Food and drinks, too! It would be perfect."

Cole laughed. "Lots of cake. We wouldn't be able to eat it all!"

"Oh, no. Not at all. That's what makes it sound so good!" She grinned at him, and he only laughed more. "Are you laughing at me?"

"No, not at all," he lied.

"You are!" She smacked him lightly on the shoulder.

"The queen's attacked me! I'd better flee the country!"

"Oh no, you're not leaving yet! The gala's not even half over!" She bumped him with her shoulder. "You're staying, you here me? Royal order."

He crossed his arms. "I'm not sure I want to stay somewhere I'll be unsafe."

"Oh come on. I was kidding!"

"I know. So am I!" He chuckled. "Really though, I'm staying. How long is the gala supposed to go?"

"All night– as long as people can stay awake. I stay up all night every year."

"Do people dance that whole time?" he asked, incredulous.

"Some of them." She laughed. "You don't have to. If you need to go to bed, nobody will stop you."

He took a moment to think, but then grinned and nudged her. "I'll stay up with you. I want to remember tonight."

"Remember it?" she asked. "That can be arranged."

"I'm counting on it." He took her hand again and kissed it, just like he had so many times before as they danced. "Everything with you is memorable."

"Likewise." She beamed, and for a moment, it felt like her hopes weren't unfounded. Now was the perfect time to tell him, if she could only find the words. Would he be surprised, or would he expect it? Could he ever reciprocate? She didn't know, but she almost thought it could work. Just as she was building up her courage, however, he spoke instead and dashed her hopes.

"You know, there's a lot of this palace I never got to see last time. Would you show me around again?"

After a moment of silence for mourning her lost nerve, she smiled. "I would love to."

-----

For hours and hours, the unlikely pair danced, a ninja and a queen creating something beautiful out of nothingness. They stepped and spun, and whenever he could, Cole would dip her lower than the last time, so her hair would brush the floor. She'd laugh every time, and every time the music stopped, they'd start another dance, spinning again with only the music to guide them, as if they'd never have to stop.

Every once in a while, however, they would steal away to some new and hidden place to rest for a time, telling stories and jokes and reminiscing. With each passing moment, it seemed like they would tell their most pressing secrets, but they somehow remained unsaid, though many others were. That intangible feeling only grew, but it was so impossible to address it... Nevertheless, they grew closer and closer, until it was nearly impossible for them to part.

"I can't believe you ran away!" Vania exclaimed at one point while they hid in a little alcove off a hall, pressed almost together in the small space. "Your dad must have been furious!"

Cole laughed awkwardly, sweeping his hair back with one hand, knowing it hadn't looked proper in quite a long time. "He was angrier about the fact that I didn't tell him I was a ninja– he found out when I accidentally told him I was going to steal a trophy to stop the Devourer."

"You were going to steal the Blade Cup?" She stared. "Everyone says that you competed for it!"

"We did! Then he didn't mind."

Vania laughed. "There's always some secret side to the stories people tell about you, you know that? It's so much better hearing them from you." She leaned against him, and his heart took off at high speed. He had known that she wanted to hear their stories, but was that the reason why she cared?

"Some of them aren't very interesting," he muttered. "People like to embellish, too."

"It's hard to embellish anything when you ninja are involved!" She poked him.

He rolled his eyes. "You'd be surprised. Some people absolutely swear that huge chunks of Ninjago were just lifted into the air and made into some new continent where sky pirates lived. So far that hasn't happened."

A look of disbelief overtook Vania. "How does that… how do you even make something like that up?"

"Beats me."

She chuckled. "Well, okay. Even so, there are some things you just can't make up– that one not included."

"You sure? It's pretty easy to just lie." Cole examined her, trying to figure out what she was thinking.

"Yeah! Like… I can't make up how I didn't know Chompy could grow so huge when he gets angry, and you can't make up how you found your mom's temple!" She smiled, and then gestured between them. "We can't pretend about our friendship."

Cole had to smile back at her, unable to decipher all the emotions he was feeling. The opportunity was coming, if he could only get the words out– if he could just tell her! He could tell her, here and now, about how he felt. Was it the right time, or would it ruin everything?

"I guess you're right about that," he eventually said. "I wouldn't want to, anyway– being friends with you would be impossible to fake. Better just to actually know you. You're too unique to fake."

"Are you saying I'm weird?" she asked, squinting.

"Indescribable," he corrected, watching her reaction as she let her jaw drop in shock, mixed emotions filtering through her dark eyes. As she grappled for words, he explained. "Honestly, you're incredible. You're really strong, and smart, and you can fight. Everyone says you're an amazing queen, and they're not lying! You'd run the world if you could."

She watched him in growing surprise. "You mean all that…?"

"Every word. You're really special to me, Vania." He couldn't say anything else.

She floundered for words, but he didn't press her. When she finally had them, she took his hand. "Cole, I don't know what to say. I should be the one to say you're incredible! You're a hero– you're smart, a leader. You never give up! You've saved the whole world… you saved me. I can't compare to that." She ducked her head.

"You don't have to compare anything. I just want you to know what I think about you." He rubbed his thumb along the back of her hand soothingly.

She smiled and looked down, the fact that she was smitten obvious to everyone but him. "I think a lot of you, too. You're my best friend– I care about you a lot."

Something flip-flopped in his chest. "I care about you, too." He wondered what it meant.

For a few moments, they didn't speak, but then she lifted his hand to her cheek and pressed it softly there. "I don't really know how to handle what I feel for you. I missed you so much when you were gone, Cole. Tonight's been a dream come true... I don't want to forget any part of it."

Cole took his hand from her grasp and cupped her cheek fully, as gently as possible, trying to impress how he felt without having to verbalize it, if only to make it easier to explain the unexplainable. "I don't either. I've never felt this way for anyone– I don't even know what it is. Maybe…"

"...Maybe we feel the same?" she finished.

"Exactly." He smiled, painfully sincere, hoping this was the moment. "Vania, you make me feel so many things I can't even name. I don't know what comes next."

"Me neither." She nestled into his touch. "All I know is that I want to dance with you all night."

"I think that can be arranged." Cole laid his forehead against hers, the little hiding space they inhabited so small he felt he could have heard her heartbeat if his wasn't so loud. "We have all night to talk about this."

"We do." She looked up at him and smiled. "I'm so happy."

"Me too. I'm happy being with you."

-----

The night was no longer young, but it didn't matter. With the moon high in the sky, the gala was less crowded, as even most of the young and fit had left, only the most dedicated revelers remaining. The holiday was passing, and celebration was still in full swing throughout the city, only visible through the great windows to the ballroom. Outside, people cheered and danced in their own spaces, lights and decorations strung all across the ivory flagstone streets.

After the a few hours of the gala, the live musicians had left, but music kept playing through speakers, so the dancing continued. Now the music turned more informal, switching genres frequently. Cole and Vania found themselves doing whatever suited them, whether it was waltz or swing or no choreography at all, just having a good time with the others who celebrated. The unexplainable feeling had somewhat subsided, but it clenched in their chests every time they came together in their dances.

At one point, the music shifted back to a sort of waltz, just a bit faster than the live music had been. Vania cried out in laughter as they spun, twirling in and out of Cole's arms fast enough to make her head spin, the music their only guiding star. The music rose and rose, and Cole couldn't help but laugh as they took up the entire dance floor, others stepping away to give them room. Neither took their eyes off the other, too transfixed to notice the small crowd that had gathered to watch them until near the end of the piece, when a pause came in the music.

When they noticed, they locked eyes. In moments, a silent agreement was made between them, somehow in perfect clarity. With no hesitation, they threw themselves into the dance in impossible synchrony and danced with yet more spirit.

The music crescendoed, and deceptively it seemed to reach its climax, energy building higher and higher. Cole put his hands on Vania's waist, and as the highest note was struck, he lifted her up and spun her. Her skirt flared out as he did, and she laughed. It only lasted a moment, and as she came back down to earth, the music began to swell again.

The final climax was coming, so the two came back to dancing hand-in-hand again, their movements ever more dramatic. The end came incessantly forward, and for a moment the music stopped, the sound of breathing and hearts beating drowning everything out.

Then the end came, and Cole dipped Vania deeply. She leaned against his arm, hands clasped tightly together, breathing hard. He leaned down, holding her safe and steady, for once happy that his father had made him take so many lessons. He held her low for a surprisingly long time, as their audience watched in suspense.

As the suspense slowly lapsed, some of those who watched them began to clap, appreciative of the show. Slowly, Cole lifted her back up to a standing position, gently supporting her. As Vania gained purchase and stood on her own, they slowly came closer together, and the others in the ballroom began to cheer rowdily as they stood only inches apart.

Cole grinned, and Vania grinned back. They looked around at the other people, some of whom were drinking some sort of fizzy drink and cheering without inhibition, and then back to each other. After a moment they bowed and curtsied to the group, and Cole chuckled quietly. "They liked the show," he said under his breath.

"So they did. Want to take another break?"

He grabbed her hand tightly. "Let's find somewhere private."

She grinned, heart racing. "I know the perfect spot. Follow me!"

Before anyone could follow them, they left the ballroom, and Vania led him into a side room and shut the door. Once inside, they paused, staring at each other in partial awe at what had just occurred.

Then they began to laugh. They laughed for a long time, only stopping when their stomachs hurt. As they calmed down, however, a heavy sense of reality descended upon them both.

Their eyes met, an unspoken question passing between them. They had felt that undeniable something during that last dance, but it seemed to have no name. What could it have been? Maybe it was the exhaustion and their emotions playing tricks on them, but maybe it was what they had been hoping for– maybe it was what they longed for– maybe it was a possibility.

It was a long time before either had the strength to speak.

-----

The sun peeked over the horizon once again in its own due time. Its pale light shone into the palace, striking the garden and illuminating the vibrant greenery. Rays passed through the crystal chandeliers, too, creating minute rainbows that slowly scattered across the ballroom, shining onto the faces of sleeping and waking revelers. Not many remained awake, but those who did smiled at the reappearance of the light. The holiday was over.

For the last few hours of the gala, the music did not play at all. Those that remained awake talked, laughed, and joked to pass the time. Some drank that fizzy drink that had lowered their inhibitions. Some drank too much, and there were many foolish moves that had been made, such that the beauty of the ballroom was marred by the chaos they enacted. None of the mess bothered those that did not slumber, however– despite it all, they still remained.

Cole and Vania found themselves sitting together in one of the vacated palace rooms, leaning against one another, with Vania practically in Cole's arms. They had spent the hours telling jokes and stories. At one point, they had each drunk some of the fizzy beverage, leading to a barrage of compliments and jokes, not the least of which could have construed as anything other than veiled romantic attention. However, nothing had come of them, and the drink had worn off. Now that the morning had come, they roused themselves from half-sleep, ignoring how they ached to stay next to each other and spend the day asleep.

As the morning came into its own, the hired palace staff began to tidy up the gala's mess, and it was time for many to go home. Those who had eventually slept were awoken, and all were slowly sent away with holiday well-wishing. Cole, however, stayed close to Vania, nearly hand-in-hand. As her obligations came ever closer, however, it slowly became clear that he would have to leave soon.

When they finally had to part, Vania walked with Cole to the gardens, hand in hand. Among the greenery and flowers, where they were alone, she put her hand to his cheek, stroking gently with her thumb, looking into his dark brown eyes.

"I'll miss you," she murmured. "Come back soon."

Cole put his hands on her shoulders, still bare from her dress, and no less distracting. "I'll miss you too, Vania. Maybe next time you can visit Ninjago."

"I'd love that." She smiled at him, her eyes heavy but her heart full, and his just the same. "Show me everything?"

He chuckled. "That'll take more than one visit, you know."

"I'll just have to come more than once."

"That sounds good to me." He took her hand away from his cheek, and for a final time he kissed it, like he had so many times that night. "Thanks for the dances, Vania. I'm not gonna forget this anytime soon."

"Me neither. Have a safe flight home."

Vania watched as he slowly walked away from her, trying to memorize the moment. When he was at a safe distance, he summoned his earth dragon, its form becoming corporeal just as he jumped on, despite his tiredness. From his vantage point, he waved to her, and she waved back. Moments later, he took off, his dragon launching itself off of the ground.

Vania watched him go. He disappeared slowly, and when he was but a speck in the sky, she put her hand to her lips and kissed it softly where he had, already telling and re-telling herself the moments from that night. The next time she saw him, she'd tell him how she wanted to share something with him. She'd find a way to explain that mysterious feeling, even though she already thought she knew. Then it was his game... then she would wait for him again.

As he disappeared over the horizon, she smiled. "I'll see you soon, Cole… maybe I can tell you then."

-----

When Cole returned to the Monastery, he landed his dragon in the courtyard, the weight shaking the building. He sat on its back for a few moments, gathering his energy, and then dismounted, letting it dissipate back into nothingness as he entered the building, yawning widely.

As he passed the dining room, a voice called out to him. "Cole, you're back!"

Cole ducked his head in to see Zane, decked out in his old pink apron and making breakfast. "Hey, Zane." He yawned again, trying not to let his exhaustion show.

"You look exhausted. Why have you returned so late– or should I say, early?" Zane asked, blunt and to-the-point as ever.

Cole shrugged. "The gala lasted all night. Why are you up so early?"

"It is seven in the morning. Is that not a respectable time?" Zane asked.

"Nah, it's fine. I'm gonna go to bed. See you later."

"Sleep well." Zane smiled graciously, a twinkle in his mechanical eye, and Cole took that as a ticket to go straight to his room, avoiding the others.

After changing quickly into something more comfortable and far less formal, Cole laid down. He stared up at the ceiling, replaying all the moments from that night over and over in his mind. He put his fingers to his lips, trying to remember what it felt like to be with Vania, and smiled at the memories.

Maybe there was a chance for them after all. He knew what he had been feeling, even though he'd never felt it before. One day, he'd tell her– he'd tell her that he'd come back to her every time.

After that, anything could happen. All Cole knew was that he was looking forward to it.

#ninjago #ninjago cole #ninjago vania #colania #cole brookstone #princess vania #vanillacake #vanillacakeshipping #conia #ninjago fanfiction #OLST fanfic #OLST writing

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