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brunchable · 2 years

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Part 1 - Drawn to You || Doctor Strange x f!reader.

Word count: 2.7K

Warning: References to Multiverse of Madness. Flirtatious Banter, First meeting, mild profanity.

A/N: This will be my first full story and this will be following the storyline of Multiverse of Madness while adding my own twists in it. I hope you enjoy!

***Strictly do not: claim, repost, copy, translate my stories anywhere else***

Dandelions - Part I: Drawn to You

Context: Stephen meets you at Christine's wedding, to his surprise, he finally found the girl that he couldn't impress.

Next Chapter

•••

You sat comfortably in front of a well-lit vanity while the make-up artist Christine hired for her wedding did your eyeshadow. You could hear Christine sigh for the fifth time in a row, and you took the opportunity to peek at her while the artist grabbed another brush.

“Christine, are you okay? You can’t seem to stop sighing.” You asked softly and reached over to her chair to place your hand over hers.

She let out a nervous laugh as she shook her head and stared at her reflection in the mirror, “Yeah, I’m just feeling all sorts of emotions right now. One minute I’m excited and the next I’m a nervous wreck.”

“Oh love, that’s normal. Just take a deep breath. This is you and Charlie’s special day.” Emilia, also one of the bridesmaids, gave Christine some reassurance. There was no doubt in your mind that the look in Charlie’s eyes every time he sees Christine, was something you’d love to have as well someday.

“Mhm, plus he’s so whipped for you, I can’t imagine him getting cold feet.” You nod your head while you trace a heart in the air with your fingers, causing Christine to laugh.

•••

The Bride's party has gathered outside of the cathedral, waiting for the organizers to provide you with further instructions. You and the other bridesmaids were standing in line by the door looking very sophisticated in your tulle Bardot dresses and the small bouquets of flowers that you each carried.

When the doors to the cathedral opened, everyone got ready for their turn to make their way down the aisle. As soon as the song "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Kina Grannis started playing, the guests turned in their seats to see the bridesmaids as they made their way down the aisle, one by one.

You were the last maid to walk. You find it kind of funny that you were supposed to get married too but everything changed after you blipped, and now you think fate is mocking you by making you walk as a bridesmaid at all of your friends’ weddings.

Your train of thought was cut short when the event organizer asked you to proceed on your way down. When you entered the room, people's eyes fell on you, so you made sure to keep your head up and flash a faint smile. You tried walking as gracefully as you could while keeping time with the song, and the short train of your dress trailed behind you as you went.

While you were making your way towards the altar, you daydreamed about the day when it would be your turn; you pictured the person who would be waiting for you at the end, and you imagined that everything would be perfect.

When you reached the altar, you stood at the very end next to your friend. You were both anticipating Christine's entrance; you had the brightest smile on your face as you watched your friend walk down the aisle, filled with overwhelming joy that she had at last found the person who was meant to be her partner for life.

•••

Stephen got a letter from Christine inviting him to her wedding. After reading the invitation, his heart shattered, and he even considered not going because he still had feelings for her. However, because of their history together, he didn't want to disappoint her any further by not attending the wedding. Thus, there he was present in body but not in mind, suffering through Dr. West's tragic life story while seated a few rows from the back of the room.

The song began with an instrumental part played on a guitar, and everyone, including him, turned their heads as the bridesmaids began walking down the aisle. Stephen recognized several of the bridesmaids due to the fact that the majority of them had worked alongside him and Christine in the past.

Stephen looked down as the music broke out into the song, fully expecting that it was going to be Christine's turn to walk down the roe-petal-covered aisle. He was mentally preparing himself for the pain of seeing Christine in a white dress. What he wasn't ready for was the fact that you made him lose his breath.

You had your head held high, holding the flowers close to your chest. You had your hair done up magnificently, and it showed off your features excellently. Your eyes reflect the sunlight beautifully, making them shine brighter.

‘Wow,’ he thought. Stephen was so drawn to you that his eyes, head then body followed your figure as you walked past him. He had this feeling like he had known you for a very long time, because you looked very familiar to him. However, he was unable to recall how or why he got that impression from you.

You had no idea that Stephen's encounter with you had been completely captivating for him. You didn't pay much attention because he was just another face in the crowd.

You were attentive to the ceremony that was occurring before you, and while Christine and Charlie exchanged vows to each other, you still wore that same smile on your face.

You couldn't help but feel that someone was watching you. Your eyes shifted away from your friend for a moment, and you locked eyes with Stephen, who was seated at a distance and observing you with curiosity.

You quickly averted your gaze and pondered the subject of his gaze, 'What is he looking at?’

You switched your gaze back to him, and even now, his eyes were fixed on you. You made a gesture to Stephen that meant, "What are you looking at?" by having to raise your eyebrows at him.

You were aware that he laughed and turned his gaze away from you at that moment. After moving your bangs out of the way, you focused your attention on the couple in front of you. You sneaked a peek to see if the man was still watching you, but to your relief, his attention had moved on to something else.

•••

Amongst the crowd, you held the bride's bouquet while you watched Christine and Charlie cut the cake; once again, you were the one who caught the flowers, even though you avoided it. You slammed the flowers over the counter, and you asked for some shots.

"Two shots of tequila please." The bartender looked a bit concerned at your request, "What?" you asked.

"Isn't it too early?" He asked.

"To be all up in my business? Definitely. " You retorted sarcastically, your eyes glistening with sarcastic humor.

"Ouch. Can't I worry about my cousin? Jesus (Y/N)." Eric pretended to be hurt. Thanks to your recommendation to Christine, he was able to get this job.

"Don't worry about me, worry about your... eyebrows." Your eyes scanned his face and noticed his eyebrows were unkempt, which was unusual.

"OK. Now that's a low blow. " Eric turned around to get you a bottle of tequila to drink, "Are you alright though? I've seen healthier corpses. " He asked and slipped the shots of magic gold liquid that would make you forget all your miseries.

You let out a breathy chuckle at his comeback, "I'm stoked, look what I got." You picked up the bouquets and waved them lightly.

"Again? And still, you're not married." Eric scrunched up his face.

"I was supposed to, but then I got dusted, remember?" You smiled bitterly at the memory and wrinkled your nose. Eric wasn't paying much attention to you as he formed a naughty smirk on his lips as he looked over your shoulder.

"Tall, blonde-haired, blue-eyed bachelor at twelve o'clock, approaching you as we speak. It looks like the flowers are doing their magic." Eric leaned over the counter to whisper to you and winked at you before beginning his slow retreat.

"Don't you dare ditch me!" You demanded but Eric didn't give you a chance to threaten him.

"You're not the only guest here, so good luck." Laughing, he turned his attention to the other guests.

"Is this seat taken?" The man asked, he got a breath of the last cigarette on his teeth, which turned you off.

"No, go ahead." You said as you took your shot while glaring at your cousin.

It was then that the man cleared his throat and took his position next to you, his body slightly facing your direction, saying, "I must say, you took my breath away when you walked down that aisle."

You furrowed your brows and stared at him suspiciously. Then you noticed he was one of the groomsmen, "Thanks, I tend to have that effect on people."

He laughed and offered you a hand to shake, "I'm Richard, Richard Rider." You simply took his pointer and carelessly shook it, which made the other person laugh even harder.

"Nice to meet you, I'm (Y/N)." You smiled. You found him very handsome, but you weren't interested. You were more interested in the conversation you were hearing behind you.

"I wish it would've been different– I never stopped caring about us, but I had to make sacrifices… to protect you, I’m sorry." You heard Strange say to Christine. You discreetly turned your head to make sure you were hearing things correctly.

You were too interested in eavesdropping, you couldn't pay attention to what Richard was saying. As your friend made it clear to Stephen that they were never going to be able to work things out between them, you were shocked. Oof, that one probably stings. You were not aware of the fact that the thoughts you were thinking were representing the expressions you were making.

"Why not?" You heard him ask. The fact that he didn't object during the ceremony was a surprise to you.

"Because Stephen… you have to be the one holding the knife, and I've always respected you for it but I couldn’t love you for it."

Your peripheral vision allowed you to catch a glimpse of the couple, and you could make out Christine leaving. You pretended that you weren't listening as you grabbed the bottle of tequila from the bar and poured some for yourself.

“... I was wondering if I could have your number?” Richard asked, “(Y/N)?”

“Huh?” Your attention landed back on Richard, who was anticipating your answer.

“Your number?” He repeated, “Can I have it?”

"No." You spat before you even paused to think.

“Oh. Okay, this has never happened to me before... Um, can I ask why?” Richard tilted his head, as though he were offended.

“It’s because she isn’t interested in you, dipshit. Get a clue.” Strange, who was now in a sour mood, butted in. It looks like you weren’t the only one eavesdropping. He was so taking his frustrations out on blondey.

“Excuse me, I don’t remember you being part of this conversation,” Richard replied to Stephen in a smartass tone.

“And I don’t remember her wanting to take part in one with you, let alone give you her number.” Stephen was quick to refute. You sat quietly, your gaze ricocheted between them.

Richard scoffed, “Who do you think you are?”

“Doctor Strange.” Stephen proclaimed arrogantly, as he stood in front of Richard, and he smiled mockingly at him, “Now you know who I am, you’re free to leave the lady alone.”

He looks at you, rolls his eyes, and then walks away without another word.

“Wow, just Doctor Strange, huh?” You blinked innocently, not knowing what to make of what just happened.

“What did you expect me to say? Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist?” Stephen then took a drink of the martini that he had ordered for himself.

“Are you?” You cocked your head to the side.

“Am I what?”

“A genius, billionaire, playboy, philantropist?”

“Billionaire and playboy? Nah. A Genius and a Philanthropist? Yes.” Stephen moved over to the seat that was on the opposite side from you.

“Really? And what things have you done to help create a better world? Doctor Strange?” You asked as your eyes drifted downward and your fingers traced the edge of your glass.

“Protecting our reality, not to brag, but I also helped you dodge that cotton-tip.”

“Oh… so you’re that Doctor. Why do I sense that you have some ulterior motive?” You narrowed your eyes at him because he felt compelled to bring up the fact that he rescued you from Richard.

Stephen was about to take another drink, but he paused to laugh, “A woman of intuition? I guess I can’t hide nor deny that I feel somehow attracted towards you.”

You couldn’t hide a flattered smile at his boldness, and to be fair to Stephen, your conversation with him has turned to be far more interesting than that guy Richard.

“Is that why you were staring at me during the wedding ceremony?”

“Maybe.”

“I usually don’t go for my friend’s exes.” You blurted out and glanced towards Christine, who was slow dancing happily with her husband, using it as reference, “Or men who has a lot of baggage to unpack.”

It seemed to Stephen that you had been listening in on his recent conversation with Christine. "You eavesdropped?" he asked.

“I wouldn’t call it eavesdropping when you’re literally right there, where I can hear everything. What do you want me to do? Block my ears and sing?” Leaning on the table, you mimicked his raised eyebrow and placed your chin on your hand.

Stephen chuckled to himself, “Fair enough.”

“Mhm.” You replied. There were a few moments of silence before Stephen opened his mouth to speak.

“So what kind of man do you go for? Asking for a friend.”

“I already told you.”

“No, you told me what kind of man you don’t go for.”

“Take the opposite of that and what do you get?” Your lashes flutter as you smiled smugly knowing you caught him at the corner again.

Stephen was about to oppose you, but you came to accept that you had a point, so he just nodded.

“And tell that friend of yours that I still remember the night he stood me up when Christine set us up for a blind date a few months ago.”

Stephen cocked his head to one side while thinking back to the time he decided not to show up for a blind date, his eyes widening in surprise when he added things up, “That was you?”

You nodded, “Yup, surprised Doctor?”

“Dumbfounded.” He confessed, and the air between you suddenly felt awkward and cold.

You snorted and shook your head at his reaction. It was visible to you the moment where his soul left his body, knowing that he had just blown his shot, “Don’t worry, I’m over it. At least I got to eat some great steak that night. Nice try though, Doctor.”

You smiled at him like you had won an award and patted his shoulder. You stood up to leave, but before you could, he stopped you, “(Y/N)? Right?”

“Yes, remember that name okay?” Your lips curled into a confident smile, leaving him by the bar to join your friends. Stephen, on the other hand, was left with his mouth ajar. He had the urge to bang his head on the table for his previous choice.

“I must say, I felt some chemistry there.” Eric who had been drying off glasses the whole time while you and Stephen were exchanging banter in front of him, commented.

“And who are you?” Stephen narrowed his eyes at the younger lad.

"Hello, I'm Eric—" A loud crash from the street interrupted Eric's words. As Stephen rushed towards the balcony, with a glass of martini in hand, he watched chaos unfold in the streets, caused by something unseen for the naked eye.

Before putting the glass back on the server's tray, he downed the alcoholic beverage immediately. He reached into the pocket of his blazer and pulled out his cloak, then leaped over the railing and twirled off the balcony. His cloak landed on his shoulders as he transformed into his blue tunic through magic.

You peered over the guardrails as Stephen plummeted down, his cloak carrying him straight to the source of the trouble. You attempted to make your way through the crowd of people that were heading in your direction so that you could make a quick escape back inside.

You hurried quickly down the hallway while undoing your hair and letting it fall over your shoulders by itself. Eric chased behind you and grabbed your wrist to try to prevent you from going. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"I will try to help."

"Are you crazy? You have absolutely no idea what kinds of abilities you possess yet!" Eric got closer to you while yelling at you in a whisper.

•••

"Well, if that's the case, I guess we'll find out today!" You quickly removed your arm from Eric's grasp while giving him a wink.

Next Chapter

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momobani · 2 years

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Plus One - 10.3k

ceramics teacher!joshua x fem!reader

Sum: in which you find your friend’s unusual bachelorette party brings you to find your wedding date.

warnings: swearing, slight mentions of alcohol, smut (MINORS DNI); fingering, oral (male receiving), cock warming, cunnilingus, penetrative sex, unprotected sex (be safe!)

song rec: Can’t Help Falling In Love - Kina Grannis

A/N: this was sitting in my drafts for a while then Mr Hong Jisoo threw a bucket of ice and water over his head and reminded me to finish this fic, so thanks Joshi for that. Just a little something for the soul, i hope you enjoy <3

This is so not what you’d expected when your friend invited you to her bachelorette party. You pursed your lips at just how dumb this situation was. You were there, five of you standing outside of a ceramics shop. Most people went a bar and drank the night away, having what is arguably a good time, but no, you were going to make ceramic fucking bowls.

If she’d disclosed the location and activity, you would have dressed appropriately, but she’d refused to spoil it. Now you were standing in a black semi-cocktail dress and tiny blazer in the foyer of the shop, feeling incredibly self-conscious. Your other friends had dressed fairly casually, only one of them wearing a dressy skirt a little like yours, but otherwise with the programme. You wondered what they had thought you were going to do.

Obviously you thought that you were going to herd together and become menaces to society as it was only acceptable at the time of such an occasion as you hopped bar to bar and drank to her upcoming marriage. Well, this was a far cry from your prediction.

You found yourselves in an open room in the back, clearly one of the rooms meant for classes judging by the various equipment set ups and array of aprons hanging from a row of pegs on the wall. You were waiting for the assigned instructor to arrive, having been let in by some big guy with a name tag that read ‘Mingyu’. He’d smiled cutely and congratulated the bride-to-be enthusiastically when you’d arrived; you were under the impression he was more excited about it than you were.

“Hello, ladies.” You hear a voice behind you. Finally, you think, the faster we get it done, the better. You needed alcohol.

You turn and you’re struck by lightning.

You can’t think anything, struggling to take in the man in front of you, except He Is So Fucking Hot. Suddenly you don’t mind the pottery, or ceramics or whatever. He’s tall, broad, dark haired and probably handsomer than Adonis, that’s all you needed to mind for a second. You snap yourself out of it and attempt not to gawk as you all say hi.

Adonis introduces himself as Joshua and you think it suits him. He motions for your group to get ready, aprons and all and settles you at the part of the room which is set up with six wheels and stations curving around in a circle. You end up immediately to his left through no fault of your own and you think it’s going to be a long night. Your friend hadn’t been totally mean and had bought a bottle of wine, which you’d poured out in red paper cups, offering one to Joshua, who’d declined it with a smile.

You drank little and laboured hard to focus on exactly what he was saying about the slab of clay in front of you. You’d never been one for arts and crafts but you were going to try your best, out of respect for how passionately Joshua spoke about it and instructed you. That and it wouldn’t hurt to be in the hot dude’s good books.

He explained the process of how to make a bowl, which is the first item you were going to attempt, setting up his own station and starting to demonstrate. You were so close you could see his biceps flex under his white t-shirt, the veins in his arms protruding gently under his skin as he worked the clay, using his big hands to mould it into shape. He stepped on the pedal expertly to spin the wheel around and added the perfect amount of water, the action automatic and calculated through obvious years of practice. You found yourself fascinated with how easy he made it look.

When it came to your turn, you realised that it most certainly wasn’t.

Your friends were doing a much better job of it than you were and you shrunk back a little, trying to figure it out on your own as Joshua made rounds to help everyone here and there. You were smoothing out a slight kink on one side when you felt him materialise behind you.

“That’s not bad, but you need to support that part too.” He pointed somewhere and you stopped functioning. He sensed you freeze up and lowered himself to your level. “May I?” He asked politely. May he what? Your brain screamed. You nodded to whatever it was.

You blacked out for a sec when you felt his arms graze your own, skin on skin since you’d removed your blazer, as he positioned your hands on the clay correctly and helped you properly shape the rim of the bowl. You watched as your fingers glided over the clay, hands held in between Joshua’s big ones and it struck you how close you were with a stranger. Yet, you didn’t jerk away; it was surprisingly comfortable and somewhere in the back of your mind, you thought you could get used to being in his arms.

Wishful thinking.

After helping you with that, he made another round until you were all done and you moved on to making a cup next. For the rest of the session, Joshua watched you from the corner of his eye but didn’t come near you again, only checking on you from afar, and you know you shouldn’t take it personally, but it felt like he’d rejected you.

Your friends were making idle conversation about this and that while Joshua replaced some of the clayed up water you were using, but you were too consumed in what you were doing, so you didn’t notice the question directed at you until you found the silence zeroing on you.

“YN?” You hear. You hum and snap up away from your clay. “You didn’t say if you had a date for the wedding, do you still want me to reserve a plus one spot for you?” You feel the group’s slightly pitiful eyes as they look to you - the only single one of your friends left. It’s not that they were trying to shame you, but their concern felt like a bucket of cold water being thrown on your face.

“I-uh,” you attempt.

“How’s everyone getting on, ladies?” Joshua rejoins your circle and you’re so thankful that you don’t have to answer the question. Truthfully, you didn’t have a plus one and it was unlikely that you would in a three months time when the wedding was. You look up at him, seeing if you can catch his eye, maybe to thank him silently but he strictly refuses to look at you so you give up.

You finished after about an hour and the five of you thanked Joshua. You washed up and left your aprons at the pegs, your friends chattering away happily as you turned your head. Joshua was cleaning up the stray bits of clay and throwing out the dirty water. He must have felt you staring because he looked up and met your eyes. The coward in you would have usually looked away immediately but something made you stand your ground and you half smiled.

“YN!” You hear from a million miles away and you tear your eyes away from Joshua’s to see your friends looking at you expectantly.

“Yeah?” You say, ignoring the awkwardness. If you didn’t let it permeate through you, it wouldn’t be awkward you maintained.

“You ready to go?” The bride-to-be asks you, her eyebrows raised in question. You smile and nod.

“Sure, let’s go, where to next?” And with that you spare one more glance at Joshua, who’s still watching you for some reason, and you’re on your merry way.

It’s a few days after the bachelorette party and you’re pacing across the pavement in your uncomfortable low heeled work shoes. They clack against the cement and it’s driving you insane but at the same time you feel like a main character, paving your path through hordes of people, as you hurry to get to your destination.

It wasn’t in your plans to go anywhere after work, but your friend had called and asked if you could pick up the finished products of your creative endeavours. You’d agreed a little too quickly because somewhere in the back of your mind you were hoping to meet Joshua again. You hadn’t been able to stop yourself thinking about him for the past few days. He was hard to forget, you’d conceded.

It was almost closing time all around town and you worried that you might be too late today but you got there with three minutes to spare. Mingyu was already on his way out, jacket on and bag slung over one shoulder but when he saw you, he unlocked the store door and welcomed you in. You thanked him and waited at the little reception area, basking in the quiet.

“Hi, YN, right?” You hear and Joshua emerges from one of the back rooms, empty handed you notice. He’s wearing a black t-shirt with a grey cardigan over the top and you suddenly want to bury your face in the softness of the material (or did you just want to feel how hard his pecks were?) You snap out of it, quickly.

“Yes, hi again. I’m here to pick up the s-stuff.” You stutter slightly.

“The cups and bowls?” He helps you out.

“Yeah, aha, that, exactly.” You feel the awkwardness starting to build and you blame yourself for that one.

“Sure, follow me.” He smiles and overlooks your clumsiness in social interactions. You swear you’re not that bad usually, but he doesn’t know that. You follow him to what looks like a storage room with several million shelves that are filled with boxes of various sizes, presumably full of finished products.

Joshua searches through a list pinned on a cork board by the door and finds the right shelf number, walking over and pulling the box out.

“This is it, but we need to check if everything’s intact, come with me.” He instructs. You’re not really paying attention, too busy ogling at him as discretely as you possibly could, but hum in agreement and follow on autopilot.

You go into what you presume is a break room; there’s a small couch with some pillows and a blanket, a dinner table and a tiny kitchenette to one side. He leads you over to the table and opens the box.

“So, did you like the class?” His question catches you off guard, finally attempting some small talk and you don’t answer immediately. You worry your hesitation comes off as rude but it’s more you’re not sure how to tell him that you liked him more than the clay.

“It was … a new experience.” you hear yourself say. Joshua looks up at you from unloading the contents of the box. There’s a playful smile on his face and you’re moved by how cute he suddenly looks.

“You can say you don’t like it, you’re allowed an opinion.”

“It’s not that, really, it was fun. I learned something new.” You try. You feel like you’re trying to scratch out the wrong answer in a test paper but the next one you write is equally incorrect too so now you’re left with a series of ugly scribbles and you’re most certainly going to lose points.

“Do you just not like pottery in general, or?” He asks, inspecting the bowls carefully. He senses your hesitation again. “Just out of curiosity, I might even be able to convince you otherwise.” He smiles assuringly. Something about his demeanour convinces you that he’s not trying to get offended, but does want to understand. So in a bout of honesty, you tell it to him exactly as it is.

“It’s not that I don’t like it,” you pause. “I just wished we’d gone to Magic Mike and got sloshed, no offence to your pretty pots.”

Your explanation makes Joshua laugh, a bright and sweet sound and you feel a little proud you did that. You weren’t exactly a comic usually.

“Magic Mike, huh?” He puts down the last cup and nods to himself. “I could work with that.” He adds as an afterthought. You look at him, bemused. What was he talking about? He deposits the contents of the box back again and looks at you.

You’re surprised in his sudden change in demeanour. The lighthearted cuteness is gone and he’s staring at you, apparent charm and sexiness turned up to the max. You feel your heart picking up pace in your chest, anticipating but also worried it’s all in your head and you’re just having a friendly staring contest.

“Do you still want to see Magic Mike?” He asks tentatively. You’re trying to figure out what it is that’s going on between you there, but it’s obvious to you the sexual tension that’s been rising since he opened the box.

“And what if I say I did?” You test out carefully.

“Then I would tell you to sit down and enjoy the show.” He smiles brightly. “A strip tease for the lady?” He holds out his hand and you’re positive your face is betraying your surprise. You can’t help but chuckle as you take his hand.

“You’re really set on making me like pottery, aren’t you?” You joke. He guides you over to sit on the chair and he moves the box to the couch. You’re amused that this guy you met once, in his cute little cardigan, is about to give you a private show. Had you fallen asleep in your office again?

You watch as Joshua stands in front of you, closing the space between you and towers over your sitting figure, lowering his face to yours and you think you’re crazy and that he’s going to kiss you, but he pulls away and starts unbuttoning his cardigan. He pops each button, slowly, keeping watch of your face and you can only imagine how entranced you must seem.

He smirks and turns his back to you, taking several steps away and throwing you a glance over his shoulder. The whole thing feels very surreal since there’s no music and he’s obviously not a professional, just a ceramics teacher who’s a total flirt. He lets the grey material slide down his frame, exposing his wide shoulders that are straining against his tight black tee and he brings it back up. You bite back a laugh at how cute the action came off as instead of sexy.

He slides one sleeve off and doesn’t miss the opportunity to flex as he stretches, triceps exposed as he raises his arm over his head, bent at the elbow. It makes the hem of his t-shirt rise, exposing the soft skin of his abdomen and you know it’s exactly what he was going for as he fans the material, as if he’s trying to cool down. There’s a goofy smile on his face and you know he’s just trying to make you laugh at this point but you can’t help but think he’s super hot anyway. Just because he’s a goofball doesn’t make him less sexy.

You’re on the verge of bursting into laughter so you shake your head. You’re about to tell him to stop but the cardigan hits the floor and he’s walking towards you in that black t-shirt, and you forget what you were about to say. Instead you watch as Joshua comes closer and closer and you’re looking up at him before he comes down to your level. And you’re suddenly face to face, silliness gone in an instant.

“No offence, but without a dance they won’t hire you.” You whisper, your brain starting to switch off as he looks at you intensely, his soft brown eyes filled with a playful mirth.

“I don’t dance, but I’m good at other stuff.” He says just as quietly, watching your expression. You gulp, unsure of whether you should push it. You decide you want to.

“Like what?” You ask.

“I’m pretty good with my hands.” And you’re sure you’ve completely veered off the topic and you’re talking about something entirely different now. You almost feel his hands on your thighs as soon as you hear him say it, and you realise you want to feel it; his skin on yours, setting a trail ablaze over your leg.

“I don’t believe you.” You purse your lips, teasingly. Except, of course you believe it; you know it as cold, hard objective fact that he’s brilliant with his hands, if his skills with the clay were anything to show for.

“May I show you?”

And as soon as you breathe out a ‘yes’, his lips crash onto yours hungrily. You bask in the feeling of his mouth moving against yours and you feel the electricity flowing through you at his touch. His hands glide over your thighs, resting where your skirt meets your skin and you wish he’d just keep going.

“Please…” you say in between kisses. You’re reaching down to guide his hands under the material of your skirt, and he obliges, tracing up to where your underwear sits already slicked with your arousal. It had been a while since anyone touched you, especially with such clear intentions.

“A little eager, are we?” He smiles against your lips and you nod. “I’ll have to fix that.” He mutters. His fingertips trace over your pussy and you jolt at the featherlight touches, suddenly wanting, needing more. Your legs spread slightly at their own accord to accommodate Joshua’s figure in between them. He gets a little bolder, pressing the pad of his thumb over where he thinks your clit is located and true to his word, he is good with his hands, finding it with no problem.

You gasp into his mouth as he starts rubbing slow circles, drawing it out and making you go crazy with the anticipation. Your hands fall to rest on his shoulders and you hold on to him as he starts to work you up, still touching you over the material of your panties. It’s not long until you feel yourself trying to rock into his ministrations. It makes Joshua withdraw his hand and break your kiss.

You’re confused as to what he’s doing before you watch him reach for the waistband of your underwear and look at you for approval. You’re practically vibrating with need and you don’t just nod but start to help him wriggle it off. It makes a sweet smile spread over his face.

“Look at you so desperate, do you like it when I touch you, baby?” He asks, face merely inches from yours and you’re maybe too far gone already to answer.

“Yeah, please keep going.” You surprise yourself with the begging lilt in your voice. You spread your legs a little wider, inviting him in to see your slick pussy.

“My, my, what a wet little cunt, and it’s all mine to play with.” He whispers. You’d be shocked at his dirty mouth but it didn’t phase you any more since he’s the one who had tried to give you strip tease, albeit somewhat as a joke. He runs his fingers through your folds, sending prickles of pleasure over you as you move your hips, trying to find some sort of relief. He takes it that you’ve had enough teasing and instead places his thumb over your clit and reattaches his lips to yours.

He’s kissing you but you’re focused on the way his thumb applies pressure and his fingers look to tease your entrance. He gets more confident and reaches a little more, sinking in one finger first and pumping experimentally then adding another after a while, stretching you slightly. You moan into his mouth, the sound muffling as it escapes your lips. It feels crazy good, the way his fingers graze your walls and you clench over his digits, bucking your hips ever so slightly.

You feel like you’re getting closer and you think Joshua must sense it too because he stops his actions completely but keeps his fingers buried in your pussy, keeping you full. You pull away from the kiss and look at him. His eyes are dark and mischievous and you wonder what you’ve signed up to just now.

“I told you I’d try to fix that. Be patient, baby, and I’ll let you come.” You sigh and whine at him, but he doesn’t continue. Your shoulders sag and you frown at him, trying to give him puppy eyes but he doesn’t budge. So Joshua the flirty ceramics teacher has a slight sadistic side, you note. Not that you were going to complain.

And you let him kiss you again, his plush lips against yours and it feels like you’ve been here before, done this with him before, a strong sense of déjà vu washing over you but of course it’s impossible. Yet, there’s something oddly familiar, but you don’t let your mind wander as you feel Joshua start to move him fingers again, pumping them in your hole slowly and picking up pace. It makes you arch your back into his touch, desperate to feel him in your guts.

You’re heating up incredibly and you know you’re really close, clenching over Joshua’s fingers. He’s working your cunt so hard and you relish in the satisfying wet squelch that echoes through the break room. It’s only moments later that you moaning loudly as you gush all over his hand, coming hard as you eyes roll to the back of your head and you mouth hangs open, breaking your prolonged kiss.

“That’s it, good girl, you did so well.” You hear Joshua’s voice somewhere faraway even though he’s right in front of you. You pocket the praise and focus your eyes on him to find him admiring his dripping fingers. He sees you looking and smirks as he brings them up to his swollen lips and licks them while staring into your eyes. You’re panting you realise, chest rising and falling, and all you can think is how hot he is, the way he just did all that and had the nerve to stare you down and clean his fingers shamelessly.

It makes you think he’s got a wild, unhinged side, the way he stares at you with that glint in his eyes. And you were hoping to find out if you were right.

You realise it’s been a little while after closing time and you start to clean up a little, looking for your discarded panties. You’re about to ask Joshua if you could return the favour but he declines, seeing your fucked out state. Next time, he promises. And you’re buzzing at the possibility.

“Listen, um, I know I may have done this in the wrong order, but do you want to go out some time?” He asks, a little sheepishly as he scratches the back of his neck, triceps on show again.

“I’d like that a lot,” you smile, watching as he fishes out his phone and hands it to you. You put in your number automatically. “And the order doesn’t really matter, to be honest.” You assure him. And with that you let him help you with the box, carrying it to the cab you called a while before. You thank him and get in, bidding him goodbye.

You stare out the window and you see him watching after the car, long after you’re already gone.

Your date with Joshua had gone splendidly well.

You’d gone to an art gallery; your idea because you wanted to prove to him that you weren’t at all against the arts, and he’d believed you as you walked, arms interlinked, admiring the pieces adorning the walls.

After that you’d gone to get some dinner and had a couple drinks, laughing about this and that as you let him walk you home afterwards. You didn’t invite him up, opting to plant a searing kiss on his lips and then leave him wanting more as you closed the door to your building with a little wave, knowing exactly what you were doing.

It had gone very well indeed. So well that you were now preparing for your second date only a couple days later. You were about to undress to go in the shower when your door bell rang. You were confused; surely it’s not him - there was still an hour till he was supposed to arrive. It was half past five and you’d agreed to meet at half six, Joshua to come to pick you up.

You frown but go to open the door. Sure enough Joshua waits on the other side, the two of you equally surprised to see the other.

“Hey,” you and Joshua say at the same time, looking at each other, unsure of who’d messed up.

“I thought we said six thirty, didn’t we?” You ask when you let him come in.

“Shit, we did? I’m so sorry, I totally zoned-” he starts apologising profusely and you shake your head.

“It’s totally fine, you just have to hang out and wait for me to get ready, no big.” You smile at him and take him in for the first time. He’s wearing a dark blazer, dark t-shirt and slacks. He cleans up really nice, you remembered. You avert your eyes before he catches you checking him out.

“Well, I guess there’s no point in me leaving and coming back. Take your time though, the last thing I want is to stress you out by being here.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not, I don’t take too long anyway.” You lead him to the living room. “Make yourself at home. I’ll be just a while.” You promise and whizz away when you see him sitting down on your couch, and in your heart you feel like he belongs there.

And you don’t take too long, showering with military precision, used to it in order to optimise your sleep every morning and still make it to work on time. You’d taken a grand six minutes since you’d skipped washing your hair, as you stand in front of your fogged up bathroom mirror and you apply some skin care stuff, the exact same thing as every day - working through it on autopilot, a sharpened habit that you’d fooled yourself into creating.

You don’t notice your elbow close to one of the moisturiser bottles and it’s too late when you do since it hits the floor with a loud thud. You sigh at your clumsiness and bend to pick it up.

“Hello?” There’s a knock on your bathroom door. “Are you okay? I heard something fall.” Joshua’s voice sounds muffled from the other side. You stand up.

“You can come in,” you say. And he does. “I’m fine, I just dropped something.” And you’re not really thinking about the moisturiser as you realise that maybe you’d been confident to let him see you in a towel but now you were looking at him looking at you and you felt a little exposed. But you couldn’t deny you loved the way his eyes honed in on you and zeroed in on the damp skin of your shoulders.

You move to leave but Joshua doesn’t budge and now you’re standing in front of him, less than a foot between you, feeling the breeze of the corridor enter the bathroom and collide with the steam from your shower.

“Did you have a nice shower?” He asks quietly, eyes flitting down to your lips, or so you thought. Or wanted.

“Yeah, it was really hot,” you gulp, feeling the tension buzzing between you two. Joshua smiles, the corners of his mouth tugging up.

“You’re hot.” He says and closes the space between you, just like you’d been wishing he would. And then you’re kissing in your half-steamed bathroom, your damp hands resting on to Joshua’s shoulders and his hands holding your cheeks.

You vaguely feel your towel slide down until it hits the floor but you don’t care, a thrum of excitement flowing through you, head to toe as you feel the colder air hit your skin. Goosebumps travel up your arms and you feel your nipples perk up, a shiver working its way through your body and making home in your chest. But you’re not cold, not in the least.

Joshua breaks the kiss but keeps his eyes closed, aware of your bare body so close to his. He bends down and attempts to retrieve your towel, bringing it up and holding it towards you. You smile at the gesture, impressed with what a gentleman he was. You take it and only slightly hold it up against your body, mind lagging behind in processing what you were deciding to do.

When he opens his eyes, he finds you staring at him, ready to devour him. He tries his best not to glance at the mirror, in which he can see your exposed figure as you hold your towel in front of you but barely cover anything, but his eyes flit to it, undoubtedly seeing your naked profile in the now cleared-up pane. He licks his lips ever so slightly.

“W-what are you doing?” He stammers.

“It’s next time, you made me a promise, remember?” You perk up an eyebrow. Joshua thinks for a moment, recalling the second time you’d met at the ceramics shop. Recognition washes over his face and he nods, bemused.

“So that’s what you’re doing.” He clicks his tongue against his cheek. “Okay, I am a man of my promises if I’m not much else.” You smile at his half-joking demeanour and you throw the towel over the railing to your side before you step up to Joshua and entwine your arms behind his neck.

“I’m glad to hear that.” You breathe out, your faces merely centimetres from each other. You waste no time in kissing him again and push him to walk out of your bathroom, basically holding you in his arms as you guide him to walk backwards to your bedroom.

You make it through the door frame no problem, working to throw Joshua’s blazer off his shoulders and his t-shirt follows, the discarded items hitting the plush carpet of your room. You manoeuvre to make Joshua sit down on the edge of your bed, pushing him down, your lips still locked onto his. Your hands roam over his shoulders, his neck, his torso, as if you’re memorising his body through touch.

Sliding to your knees, you break the kiss, gasping and settle in between his legs. You look up at him inquisitively, trying to catch your breath and before you can ask him, he nods.

“Go ahead.” He whispers, a hand coming to thumb at your cheek tenderly as you reach to undo the zipper of his trousers, fingers brushing against his obvious arousal. He helps you as you tug the material down his legs, eagerly taking his underwear down with it. You’re met with his hard cock springing up against his abs, smacking softly against the muscle there. You grip his thighs, getting comfortable and you look up at him as you bring your mouth to the head of his cock, making sure to hold his eyes as you wrap your mouth around his leaking head.

You tongue over his slit, one hand snaking up his thigh to grab on to the base of his shaft to keep him in one place as you start to draw shapes over his head with your tongue. Joshua takes a shaky breath as you let your spit run down his shaft, meeting your hand and you start to pump him slowly, spreading the wetness over his cock. You keep your mouth over the head, making sure to keep him stimulated as you squeeze his cock harder while you pump.

You’re rewarded with a low moan escaping Joshua’s lips. One of his hands is resting against your head, caressing your hair every once in a while as you move to suck on his cock. You move your tongue to accommodate his length as you start to take more of him into your mouth and attempt to deep throat him.

“F-fuck…” you hear the soft sound of Joshua’s voice floating in the air above your head and you look at him again, focusing on how gorgeous his face looks when he’s completely at your mercy. His eyes have fluttered shut, jaw slack. You note the way his chest is rising and falling, the curve of his pecks, and his shoulders and the way his mouth hangs slightly agape as you continue pleasuring him. You were convinced that you’d stumbled upon a work of art, no - a whole deity - and that the image of him like this would linger on your eyelids and as you feel tears forming in your eyes at how hard you were taking him, you wished it would.

You feel him twitching in your mouth and you prepare to swallow whatever he gives you, but instead you feel him gently pulling you off him. You let go of his cock with a wet slurp and look up at him in concern.

“Are you okay?” You pant, holding his thighs again, thumbs moving soothingly over his skin.

“I’m more than okay,” he smiles, almost as breathless as you feel. “I just don’t want to come in your mouth the first time we do this.” He says softly and he helps you up, massaging your knees a little and you’re touched at the gesture. Joshua kept doing all these little things that made you fall for him, harder and harder. As if you needed help.

You make your way up the bed, crawling to where your pillows are at your headboard and you hold out your hand to Joshua, who follows your lead, crawling over to cover your body with his. You lean up and capture his lips with yours and bring him down closer to you, letting him rest over you. You feel his hard cock nudging on your inner thigh and you realise how worked up you’d gotten too, your core dripping with want.

“Second drawer.” You say in between kisses and Joshua hums in approval, reaching over and grabbing a condom. You wait as he rolls it on, running a gentle hand over his dark hair, taking a moment to look at him up close and start to learn his face from this perspective; you wanted to remember every detail and know how it changes in the years to come. You were set on seeing his face, holding his hand, feeling his lips on yours, for a very long time…

Needless to say, you never made it out of your bedroom, let alone out of your apartment for your date that day. Instead you decided to reschedule and go for a walk the day after, strolling around in a nearby park, taking in the late autumn scenery. The trees were starting to become barren, shedding their leaves, their bright colours covering the streets and forming a path of little flames. You walked and you heard the crunch under your feet, smiling at the sound.

Everything around you was slowing down, withering away, the world readying itself for winter, for hibernation and the end of a cycle, but you didn’t feel it; not when you felt the excitement of falling in love blossoming in your chest, letting new feelings grow in your heart and smiling brightly enough to forget the absence of the sun these days.

You held hands as you walked, your hand snug in Joshua’s bigger one and it felt warm, and good, and totally right.

You ended your walk at his shop, coming in to warm up for a while and you spot a bespectacled Mingyu behind the reception desk, tapping away on the keyboard of the desktop in front of him. He looks up, surprised to see you but smiles real big when he sees your joined hands and goes back to his task.

“What are we doing?” You ask as Joshua leads you to the back, to the workroom where you’d had your first class. Joshua moves to a table to the side, tinkering with something for a moment. You see there’s a half finished vase in place on one of the wheels across the room, currently abandoned. He catches you looking at it and forgets about what he was trying to get.

“You want to have a go?” He asks. You consider it for a minute and nod.

“Sure, I might do better than last time.” You say uncertainly. Joshua chuckles and grabs a couple of aprons of the hooks for you.

“I’ll make sure you do.” He replies with a quick kiss to your lips as he pulls the apron over you. You go to tie it yourself but feel his hands already on your back, starting to knot the ends together.

“Thanks,” you mumble and let him sit you down at the wheel, pulling up a chair to sit next to you.

“Remember how it works?”

“Sorta,” you purse your lips, embarrassed because not only had you been somewhat bad at it, you’d tried to listen and focus but all you remembered was staring at Joshua the whole time.

“It’s okay, I’ll refresh your memory.”

You work at it for a while, following Joshua’s instructions. It’s not too bad, actually. You put your hands on the clay where he tells you to, sometimes supporting your wrist with his fingers, and you treasure the little touches of his skin on yours as he helps you shape the vase.

You’ve been working serenely, letting yourself relax under Joshua’s instruction and focusing on the task in front of you. The vase becomes taller and curves at the base and you shape it to have a wide opening, envisioning the bouquet of flowers it could one day hold.

Then your mind wanders and you envision Joshua turning up at your door with said flowers and you put them in the vase you made together, and for a second, there’s a pang of certainty in your heart at the image in your head.

“You got it!” Joshua’s voice is full of pride as you put the finishing touches of the vase, smoothing out one of the slight mistakes at its opening. The wheel stops turning and you sit for a moment, admiring your handiwork.

“Not too shabby for a beginner, huh?” You say, surprised at yourself with being able to keep up with Joshua’s lesson. He turns to you, watching your face and reaches over to grab a tissue.

“You’ll be a pro in no time.” He whispers, beaming at you and he brings the tissue to your cheek and wipes away a tiny bit of clayed-up water that had managed to jump to your skin. You see the pride on his face and the way lips curve into a soft smile and you can’t wait to keep making him look at you like that, over and over again.

It’s no surprise when another week goes by, then another two and another three and you feel yourself elated. Your step is lighter, your heart fuller and your eyes brighter as you go about your life. Except it’s not just your life now; it’s your life mingling with Joshua’s life.

The two of you see each other almost every day, even if it’s just you stopping by the shop after work or Joshua coming to yours for dinner. The first few weeks he doesn’t stay over, claiming you needed your space and that you’ll get it to it eventually, and you agree with him, but secretly you crave to be closer. Waking up next to each other type of ‘closer’.

If you don’t see each other, you text throughout the day then talk on the phone, usually before bed, saying goodnight before you turn off your light and drift off. Some of those days you find yourself dreaming of him, seeing Joshua smiling at you and it’s somewhere bright, where it’s sunny and you feel the warmth inside and out. You imagine that’s what spring and summer with him will feel like.

It’s early December by the time you find yourself waking up in his arms. He’s wearing a spare t-shirt he’d left at your place one time or another, the drawer of his things at your place growing steadily, and you breathe him in; he’s part of your yesterday, your today and your tomorrow. It feels staggering when you realise you could never go back to the way things were before you met Joshua.

Christmas comes and you spend it alone together, slow dancing to some song on the radio whilst waiting for your cookies to bake.

He becomes your first New Years Eve and Day kiss and you start the year off correctly (unable to get enough of each other as you make yourself comfortable in your bed, ready to spend the whole of the holiday there).

You find yourself going to his place one day after meeting up at his shop and he drives you there. You’d briefly been there before once but only to pick him up before going to a nearby restaurant. Your place was much closer to everything; the shop, your work, downtown. It had just been practical to stay at yours.

You enter and take it in.

It wasn’t like you’d never seen a guy’s apartment before, but you’d never seen the apartment of a guy who was into ceramics. In some ways you weren’t surprised that when you entered you were greeted by the variety of mugs, vases, plates, pots, and plethora of other stuff you couldn’t quite find the words for decorating most of the spare counter space and cupboard space. The man had one of those wood and glass cabinet displays full of presumably his own creations. You were a little taken a back but found yourself admiring them.

“They’re beautiful.” You say out loud. You didn’t mean to share your observation but you did and Joshua looks to you and smiles proudly.

“Thank you.” He helps you take off your coat and hangs it up on a metal hanger by the door. You wander further in and take in the space; it was fresh and neat, a soft pastel green couch taking up one end of the room with a coffee table, a small dinning table on the other side and just beside that a small pottery making station. Joshua had left a half finished something on the wheel, and some of his tools were left to the side, as if he could reach out and grab one in a heart beat.

“So, would you like a private lesson?” He wanders to you, closing the space between quickly and placing his hands on your hips gently. You feel the pressure of his finger tips and your mind wanders to just how skilful those fingers are. The promise of something in his voice makes your heart kickstart in anticipation.

“Shua, is that supposed to be a line?” You ask him, hands intertwining behind his neck and suddenly you’re very close; cozy, ready to leap out of your skin and kiss him but you hold back.

“Only if you want it to be.” He chuckles and you feel his warm, coffee infused breath on your lips. He pecks you swiftly. It makes the hairs on your arms stand up, the excitement of his touch never failing to wake you up, as if you were moving in a dream before.

“And if I did, then what would you teach me?” You let one hand wander teasingly over his broad shoulder and down to where his white sleeve meets his skin, tracing your fingertips over the muscle. Joshua uses it as an opportunity to come ever closer and suddenly you’re nose to nose, your eyes widening ever so slightly at his move.

“I think you’re ready to master a vase from scratch this time.” You’re so close you think he’s going to kiss you but he doesn’t. Instead he pulls away and you let him take you to the pottery station in the middle of his living room. “But don’t worry, I’ll help you.” Something in his voice makes you suspicious but you agree.

Oh, he’s helping you alright.

The two of you had ended up naked and sitting in front of the wheel, you in Joshua’s lap, back to his chest, whilst his hard cock was buried inside you snuggly as you struggled to focus on the slab of clay in front of you. His arms snaked around your frame and helped you pat and manoeuvre the clay into shape. You were’t very good with the added distraction but with Joshua’s help it was starting to resemble something with a little semblance to a vase. All you knew was that it had been ten times easier finishing it rather than starting it.

You would be doing better if the feeling of his cock stretching you open wasn’t so goddamn overwhelming. You were aware of how flushed you were, your blood boiling under your skin as you tried not to move too much or the sensation got that much more delicious, making you roll your hips and sigh quietly, hoping Joshua wouldn’t hear it. It was a ridiculous task granted that his chin was resting on your shoulder to try and keep the vase in view as he pressed the pedal to turn the wheel. Unlike you, Joshua didn’t seem that desperate, he was sitting calmly underneath you and sticking to the task in front.

Every time he pressed the pedal, his leg made you bounce ever so slightly over his cock and you had to bite your lip to keep from whimpering out loud. You were starting to wonder why you hadn’t just jumped at the opportunity to straight up fuck instead of working up to it. You weren’t very good at being patient, which is perhaps why you weren’t great at pottery yet, sometimes abandoning your efforts in frustration, as Joshua had speculated earlier when you first sunk down on to his cock and made as if to grind down on him but he’d stopped your hips with a firm hand.

“Did you hear what I said?” He says quietly. You jump slightly even though his voice is basically right next to your ear. You feel a wave of shame wash over you for not listening to him carefully, but could he really blame you when his cock was brushing your sweet spot every few movements.

“No, I’m sorry.” You admit.

“I said, we’re almost there, babe, look,” you watch as he guides your hand to one side of the clay and helps you hold it at an angle. “I’m going to spin the wheel, and you need to make sure you’re holding on to that part.” He explains, voice warm as it permeates through you.

“Okay, I got it.” You reassure him, keeping your hands how he positioned them. He gently presses down and the wheel spins. The movement makes you dip slightly, moving your pose over his lap slightly and it makes his cock graze against your walls hard enough for a moan to escape your lips. You’re still stubbornly holding the vase though and it actually works as the wheel turns several times in succession before Joshua reaches over, pressing himself into you, to stop its motion. Your hands are trembling and you let go of the vase to make sure it doesn’t get ruined.

“Good girl, you did a good job.” He praises, the whisper directly below your ear and it sends a shiver through you, anticipation just barely trumping the praise he gave you. “I think you’ve been patient tonight, you deserve a reward, hmm?” Your head lolls over his shoulder, your body losing the strength to stand straight.

“Please,” you sigh, no longer able to keep up the facade of being okay. “Please do something. Move, fuck me, anything.” You mumble. Joshua kisses the spot under your ear and you feel the smirk on his face.

“I would, darling, but we should wash our hands first.” He makes a move to stand up, effectively tipping you forward and you land on your feet, sliding off his cock in a fluid motion and it you swear it almost kills you to feel the emptiness.

“You’re a little mean, has anyone told you that?” You throw a glance over your shoulder as you force yourself to walk on very shaky legs to the sink and turn the tap, not bothering to wait for Joshua to answer.

“I guess, but you can’t tell me you didn’t enjoy that.” He joins you at the sink. You finish rinsing your hands and shake off the drops a little, and it’s a big mistake not moving straight to the towel as Joshua directs some of the water spray towards you and it catches you off guard, the cold water drops hitting your breasts and abdomen suddenly. He can’t contain the slight giggle that bubbles up his throat at your wide eyed reaction. You scoff lightly at his playful actions, licking your lips.

“Okay, I take it back, you’re not a little mean, you’re a lot mean.” There’s no bite to your words as you watch Joshua rinse his hands off from the soap.

“Yeah but I’ll make up for it.” He says, turning to the towel in your hands. You hold it out to him but don’t let go as he dries his hands.

“How?” You challenge, feigning a frown.

“Let me show you.” He says, voice low as he discards the towel to one side and moves towards you. You’re very aware that you’re in fact naked in his kitchen, the blinds not drawn and his apartment thankfully has no neighbours on this side and is high enough but you can’t help but see your reflection where the lights hit the windows.

You find your back hits the island counter and Joshua uses it to his advantage to lean in and kiss you, pulling you gently into his grasp. You grab onto his shoulders, your warm palms running over his skin. You’re not sure exactly what he’s trying to do but it becomes clear when his hands grip the back of your thighs and suddenly you’re off the ground and your ass hits the countertop. You gasp at the cold on your skin and break the kiss.

“It’s okay, baby, relax.” He says softly. He moves to stand between your legs, spreading them open to reveal your dripping pussy before making himself comfortable by adjusting one leg over his shoulder. He starts to kiss down your sternum, travelling lower until he reaches your cunt. You were struggling to keep yourself semi upright, desperate to watch him against you, eyes burning to see the image, but body wanting to slump against the cold counter.

Joshua looks up at you, eyes scanning your face, the tiniest smirk playing on his lips.

“I said I’d make up for it, so tell me, do you want my fingers or my mouth, sweetheart?” He quizzes you. You blink, taking in the choice, the image of the red or blue pill swimming in your mind and you realise there’s not really a choice; Joshua’s going to make you come no matter the method.

“Tongue,” you say automatically. It comes out a little too quietly but you’re sure he heard you in the silence of his apartment. It doesn’t exactly phase either of you that you just glossed over either of the options and supplied your own. He hums in approval, amused.

“First time I’m actually eating on this counter,” he mutters before kissing the inside of your thigh. You can’t help but let a half laugh out at his comment. You want to clown him properly for his dad jokes but you settle for a quiet ‘dork’ and a pat on his head lovingly.

You’re still smiling as Joshua’s tongue licks a stripe through your folds, spreading your arousal around and you gasp at the contact, joke forgotten in an instant. Your hand makes its home in his soft locks, resting against his hair as Joshua’s tongue circles your clit. His hands come to rest on your thighs, keeping your legs spread for him. He switches between teasing your clit and fucking his tongue into your hole, not settling on either for too long and trying to build up your pleasure steadily.

You sigh, moan and whine and it’s too good. You’d been so worked up from cock warming him for the better part of a half hour and you were itching to come already but here he was, taking his precious time to eat you out properly, like he always did.

“Joshuaaa, please, more…” you let yourself groan out as he opted to suck on your clit for a second longer before letting go with a quiet slurp. He kissed it for good measure before looking up at you. You make an effort to meet his eyes but are instead enticed with the image of his face; eyes bright and hungry and your wetness smeared all over his chin. He grins.

“I thought you knew how to be patient, baby?” He doesn’t wait for an answer but dives back in and this time you’re floating, your back hitting the counter and arching as Joshua continues to drive you crazy with his tongue. You’re starting to run your hand through his hair, stroking his head, trying to cope with the pleasure. He hums against you, vibrations hitting your slit and you feel really close.

The sounds resonating through the kitchen are positively lewd, loud and a melody to Joshua’s ears, the mix of your whimpers and whines with the obvious slurps and smacks of lips on skin creating a symphony that only you and he would ever enjoy.

It’s only a few seconds more that it takes for your body to finally come undone and you tremble, coming hard on his tongue. He licks it up, nosing at your skin with enthusiasm and you think you’ve seen heaven.

“You made up for it alright.” You mutter, brain foggy and not really registering the words leaving your mouth. Joshua’s suddenly leaning over you, checking you’re still with him. His cups your cheeks gently and caresses your flushed cheek with the pad of his thumb.

“You don’t think we’re done, do you?” He tilts his head inquisitorially. You shake your head. “That’s right, we’re not.” he confirms as he helps you stand up from the counter. He hold you flush against him and you feel his hard cock between you, and it sparks you back into action. You lean in to kiss him and let your hand slide down, taking his cock gently.

You feel it rock hard, leaking from the tip and you realise how turned on Joshua must have been the whole time he was taking care of you. You attempt to start jerking him off but he pushes your hand away gently. You look at him, searching his face.

“Couch,” he says, reassuringly. And he leads you, hand over your wrist as you step on shaky legs again. Joshua sits and pulls you over his lap, back to your previous position with your legs straddling him and your back flush against his chest.

“I want to feel my cock stretch your pretty pussy, baby.” He murmurs next to your ear. “Think you can ride me?” He asks, hands running over the skin of your ass and thighs. You nod. One hand lands a light slap to your ass. “I didn’t hear you, angel.” He presses.

“I will,” you turn to him as much as you can. “Please let me ride your cock.” You breathe against his mouth, knowing it’s what he wanted to hear. He smiles and leaves a chaste kiss against the side of your mouth, as much as he can reach in this position.

“Go ahead, babe.”

You reach down, fingers grazing your cunt as you press his cock into your waiting hole. Joshua groans in your ear as you sink down slowly with a sigh. His lips attach to the soft skin of your shoulder and he leaves a few stray kisses as you adjust to his size before starting to grind down. The stretch is just right and you mewl as his cock moves against your walls snuggly. It’s hard to focus on creating a steady pace since you’re overwhelmed by the pleasure again, but you keep trying, rolling your hips as your ass rubs against his abs.

Joshua’s hands wander over your torso, stopping briefly at your hardened nipples and pinching and massaging them gently as you rock against him. You let out a garbled moan at a particularly hard roll between his fingers and he repeats the action, nose brushing against your neck.

“You like that?” You stutter over his cock as he asks. And you nod quickly.

“Y-yeah, I like it when you play with my tiddies, keep going.” You encourage him. You and he both knew each other better by now but you still checked in. His large hands roam a little more, one settling over a breast and kneading it softly whilst the other is flat against your abdomen, helping you to stay flush against him.

You feel yourself clench over his cock and you think you’re getting closer to your second orgasm. Your pace stutters slightly and you struggle to keep it up, your legs getting tired and almost giving out. Joshua senses it and stills you. You gasp as your orgasm is staved off.

“Get up,” he helps you stand and guides you to the closest side of the couch. “Get on your knees.” He motions to the arm rest and you get what he means. He gets on behind you and helps you bend over the arm rest, already teasing the head of his cock over your slick folds. You moan and grip on to the plush material of the couch.

“Please fuck me, baby please…” you beg. It’s all it takes for Joshua to push into you, bottoming out and grabbing your hips for leverage. It’s crazy to you how deep he manages to get and you raise your ass up subconsciously, trying to get the most of the new angle. It doesn’t escape Joshua’s notice as he lands a slap against your ass. You jolt at the sensation as it sends a thrum of pleasure straight to your cunt.

“Look at you, acting like a greedy little whore for me.” He says as he starts moving. His pace starts off slow but turns into a frenzy only seconds later. You can’t help the moans that fall out of your mouth at each snap of his hips. It was animalistic in moments; his pace and your moans nearing the decibels of a scream. And you feel yourself fall apart on his cock.

He holds you tightly in his big arms, pressing you forward into arm rest, his cheek against your shoulder, hugging you sweetly as his hips snap into overdrive. Your brain empties and all you can focus is on the way his balls hit your ass, the way the head of his cock hits a particularly sweet spot deep inside you and you’re not even totally sure what’s happening as you clench hard around his cock and scream, feeling your orgasm crash over you like an out of body experience.

You swear you hear Joshua moaning behind you too as he slides out of you. You’re semi resting against the arm rest when you feel hot spurts of cum hit your back and ass, and you manage to find the strength to turn your head to witness Joshua’s handsome face contorting in pleasure; eyes fluttered closed, mouth agape slightly, a warm flush adorning his cheeks and weaving down his broad shoulders and neck. Your eyes are blessed as you body starts to recover from all that, and it’s moments like this that you’re grateful for your friend’s wack idea for a bachelorette party.

After cleaning up, you’re in his bed, wearing one of his shirts, his arms wrapped around you. You keep a hand over where his heart is, feeling the steady beat under your fingertips. You’re not really thinking about anything but you realised that you almost forgot to ask Joshua something.

“Are you busy on the thirtieth?” You shift, throwing a leg over his torso under the covers and clinging to his frame.

“No, little koala, why do you ask?” He strokes the back of your head absentmindedly.

“It’s my friend’s wedding, you remember her, right?”

“Oh, of course. That’s odd; I thought she already got married.”

“And you think I wouldn’t have made you be my plus one if she had already?” You ask, moving your head off his chest. You narrow your eyes at him, feigning suspicion.

“No way, I’m your plus one forever, you’re stuck with me now.” Joshua hugs you tightly, bringing you back to his chest.

“Of course I am.” you murmur. And it you wouldn’t have it any other way. You lie in Joshua’s warmth and it makes you forget your conversation as you stay like that for a while. You feel safe, tucked away and relaxed and it’s peaceful. It puts your heart at ease.

You drift in thought, fantasising about being at the wedding, having Joshua by your side and enjoying the day with him. You imagine the way his eyes would wander over your figure in whatever dress you chose to wear. Even an image of you catching the bouquet flits through your mind.

Eventually you remember you were talking about something and you tap Joshua’s chest lightly, trying to get his attention again.

“What colour tie are you going to wear; I wanna be one of those annoying couples that match.”

***

#seventeen #joshua #hong jisoo #hong joshua #seventeen scenarios #seventeen imagines #seventeen x reader #joshua scenarios #joshua imagines #joshua x reader #seventeen smut #joshua smut #hong jisoo smut #seventeen joshua #momobani.writes

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bm-pacific · 3 years

Photo

Spirit Figure, 20th century, Brooklyn Museum: Arts of the Pacific Islands

Standing figure made of peat moss. Arms at sides extending down towards hips. Features fashioned out of moss: large ears project at sides; broad irregular nose; gaping open mouth. Features inserted into and added to surface: series of top and bottom row teeth; strings of glass beads and white seeds around neck; cord with suspended elements including fragments of animal bones (pig and opossum), pieces of shell, and Kina shell pendant; black woven yet tied across waist as loin cloth. Material has spongy yet brittle texture which gives form abstracted and abbreviated contours. Color: brown. Condition: Fragile, expected due to the nature of the material. Size: 20 x 8 3/4 x 8 3/4 in. (50.8 x 22.2 x 22.2 cm) Medium: Plant matter, teeth, glass beads, white seeds, cord, pig and opossum bones, shells, kina shell, woven net

https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/148093

#artsofthepacificislands #brooklynmuseum #museumarchive

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steverogwrs · 3 years

Text

can we kiss forever? | feel loved. (1) | s.s

pairing: sebastian x fem!reader.

summary: you and sebastian like each other a lot but you had to separate due to personal conflicts, but in one night you meet and the feelings come back to the surface.

warnings: heartbreak, angst.

a/n: hello! i was inspired by the songs can we kiss forever? by kina and feel loved by thomas reid. i hope this doesn't flop and i hope you like it. and if you enjoyed any of these, please reblog and comment. feedback is always appreciated!!

notes: i do not allow the reposting, rewriting or translating of my fics. these are works of my own and i do not give permission for any of the acts stated above.

series masterlist. || masterlist.

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰

it was raining like never before, every drop of rain could very well hurt someone, my shoes were already soaked and my coat was extremely wet and i would definitely come home with the flu, i let out a sigh, there was endless traffic on the street and several rows of cars of all kinds, ready to go to their respective homes, i should be home. my house. on the sidewalk of fifth avenue i could only hear the noise of the rain, i start walking towards the lighter side of the city, looking for shelter until the rain stops. i take long strides on my way to the crosswalk, and wait for the light to turn on to cross the street, look at my watch and it's already past nine in the evening. when i look up i notice that a man across the street was paying attention to me, his pale eyes were surprised and at the same time melancholy. he straightened his hair quickly and nodded embarrassedly, as i paid attention to his face i recognized him and it was at that exact moment that all the emotions surfaced, all the laughter and all the sadness, all the fights and all the times his arms came around. my body when i needed it most. i take a deep breath and after a few seconds i wave back. he was the great love of my life, the man i dreamed of every night, the man i longed to spend the rest of my life with, the man i said i love you to for the first time...but life plays tricks on you and there are times you find the right person but at the wrong time, he was that person of mine. at that moment i felt all the butterflies back in my stomach and god i hated them always because i knew that at some point they would disappear and they were at the moment i waited the most, the moment he decided to leave, the moment he said goodbye for us and decided to leave us in the distant past, but at that moment for the first time i didn't mind the butterflies coming back because i knew i still loved him and would always love him, he was part of my life and was always in my moments well, at times when i got the job i wanted so much in a job, at times when i fulfilled almost all my dreams, at times when he almost asked for my hand...when i saw him standing there across the street i wanted to run and go to your presence maybe to give me a hug or maybe to kiss your lips that i missed so much, i missed waking up in the morning and feel your lips on mine wishing me good morning, i missed him. for a few moments i feel my breath catch and i keep watching his features, he remains the same, the same man i had fallen in love with years ago, the same man i loved unconditionally...and then the car's horns catch my attention, warning that the signal was released and that it was time to cross...

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰

thank you for reading!

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inventors-fair · 3 years

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Deck the Hauls - ‘Tis the Season Runners-Up

As mentioned in the winners post, competition was fierce, and several cards got swapped on and off the podium as I wrote commentary. However, @hiygamer, @hypexion, and @nine-effing-hells should be very proud of their entries this week. Let’s get into it!

Maelstrom Tribute - @hiygamer Very rarely is the first submission of the week one of the strongest, but alas, here we are. I vaguely recall seeing an earlier version of this card with some much more unwieldy flavor text, and I’m glad you changed it, because this scans so much better. It’s very obviously placed on Alara, and the implications are very interesting. So the maelstrom needs maintenance of some sort, and the folks of Alara have turned it into a holiday? And they choose champions to… give up their magic? That part is a little unclear to me, but you know what, I like it that way. As a standalone card, this would encourage me to scour the rest of the set for clues, or go hunt down the online story to see what happens. That’s exactly what I wanted from this contest. The effect is nothing super splashy, but it fits really nicely as a cross-shard celebratory effect, one that gets stronger if you have a representative from each shard (or just one five-color creature to do everyone’s job, I guess). It’s a very good card, and probably should have been a winner, but it was just up against some very stiff competition.

Effigy of Yawgmoth - @hypexion You know, I’m honestly surprised that we haven’t seen more effigy-inspired cards in Magic. It seems like a very easy way to combine real-world holiday rituals with spooky arcane magic. The Effigy of Yawgmoth is just a solid common, a decent blocker that adds a little more damage when it finally dies. I like how it alludes to Yawgmoth, who had a whole identity relating to life loss and payment, but I find there’s just a small disconnect in the flavor, where people celebrate the destruction of the effigy. Is the life loss supposed to be a good thing? I think if it turned into a drain effect, it would come off a bit more clearly, but that might just be a me problem. The flavor text is also a bit long, but ends on a bang. I honestly think you could’ve shortened it to just mention the Legacy Celebration, and then ended with the last sentence. Nitpicks aside, this is a very solid draft chaff common, one that would find a home in a lot of limited decks.

Xenagalia - @nine-effing-hells This is a very fun card. It has a lot of strong modes, but they’re tempered by the fact that it’s a 6 mana enchantment, and by the fact that you can’t choose which one you get. Making it trigger on ETB as well as upkeep is a solid choice, since a 6-mana investment that makes you wait a whole turn cycle for payoff kina feels bad. The modes also all feel suitably revel-ish, with the impulse draw, the destruction of property, and more folks joining the party. Obviously you’re going to want the land destruction 9 times out of 10, but the fact that you can’t choose it makes it a lot more fair. It also leads to some hilarious (if sucky) moments where you roll the second mode several times in a row, leaving your opponents wondering if they should double check your die. Honestly, my one main nitpick is… you didn’t need flavor text. Sometimes less is more, and I think this is the sole submission this week where I got everything I needed to know from the name alone. The flavor text doesn’t give me any extra information, and it makes the rest of the card look a bit cramped. Without the flavor text, this card honestly probably would have secured a spot as a winner.

And that’s my second contest all wrapped up with a bow! I’ll see y’all sometime soon for commentary.

judge @naban-dean-of-irritation, chilling out

#inventors-fair #custom Magic card #runners up #tis the season #naban-dean-of-irritation #mtg

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wkemeup · 4 years

Text

Take My Hand (Take My Whole Life, Too)

summary: Bucky waits at the end of the aisle for the love of his life (heavily inspired by that scene in Crazy Rich Asians) pairing: bucky x reader warnings: a ridiculous amount of fluff a/n: This was written for @mermaidxatxheart‘s 500 follower challenge! I had the song prompt of Falling in Love with You by Elvis Presley, though I was really drawing off the cover by Kina Grannis in the link in the summary. Congrats on 500(+) Jamie!! 🌸

Bucky’s hands were stuffed into his pockets, pulling at the seams of expensive threads as if the unraveling string could release a piece of tension in his chest, let him breathe a little easier, let his head feel a little less numb. Leather wingtips of his shoes were tight around his toes, the tie draped around his neck a little too snug, sweat beading at his temples. His breaths were heavy in his chest, thick like anvils on his lungs as he swayed from one foot to the other.

It smelled faintly of lavender and incense as he managed to take in a shallow breath; memories of Sunday mornings with his Ma and sister traveling into the city adorned in baggy suits and frilly dresses, a pout on his face through his teenage years. Stained glass windows to his left, marble statues to his right; colorful light filtered through the room and touched against the faces of stone, sun kissed, heaven sent.

His hands gripped to fists in his pockets and Bucky gazed out to the rows of old, wooden pews. It was filling up quickly with women dressed in beautiful gowns and men in black ties, talking quietly amongst themselves, stealing looks to the back of the room and then up to Bucky. Nervous excitement, joyful smiles he wasn’t used to be on the receiving end of.

“You alright there, man?” Steve asked to his left, nudging his shoulder teasingly. Bucky nodded quickly, maybe a little too quickly, because Steve started to chuckle under his breath. “There’s still time to run for it if you want? I can get the car started.”

“Not a chance,” Bucky replied without hesitation, his voice rough and raw like stone, unused all morning. He nodded to himself, pulling in a deep breath as he stared down at the double doors at the end of the aisle. “I’m marrying the love of my life today.”

“Yes, you are,” Steve nodded, smiling to himself as Bucky kept his gaze focused on the wooden doors. He patted Bucky gently on the shoulder. “Take in all in, buddy. You deserve it. After everything you’ve been through, to come out of all of it and find this? Love and happiness and all those things you never thought you’d see again? Who would’ve thought, huh?”

Certainly not Bucky.

But Steve nudged Bucky’s side because he believed from the very start, from the moment he’d introduced the two of you the day you moved into the tower nearly a year prior and he saw the slight part of Buckt’s lips, the rendered shock on his face as he stood frozen, staring at you as you extended your hand to him. Something had changed in him that day, like a spark igniting a flame, a drop to a desert, the cry in a first breath.

Your hand slipped into his, a shy smile on your face as you met his eye, and Bucky didn’t know what to say. His voice was sandpaper in his throat and Steve was the one who told you his name, though Bucky was almost certain you already knew. Your eyes only flashed to the reflective panels of his left arm once upon walking up to him and even then, it had been in admiration, never fear, never disgust.

Your name was honey on his tongue and he repeated it a few times after you left, as he held his hand close to his chest where you’d touched him, like velvet and silk, and he wondered how something so tender and kind could stand to touch the flesh of a monster.

You turned over your shoulder as Steve guided you around the floor, introducing you to the team, and your eyes kept returning to Bucky from the distance, even as you met Sam and Wanda, then Tony and Natasha.

He’d met your eye from across the room and for the first time in years, he felt the corner of his lips push to his cheeks; aching in their disuse, a little worn for wear, but it made you smile even wider, crinkling up by your eyes, chewing on the edge of your lip. It warmed like the heat of a gentle fire to his chest, a relief sweeping through the tension he carried. It was your smile that started to pull him from the darkest parts of himself.

He wasn’t quite sure how it happened, how you managed to start peeling away at the wall he kept built carefully around himself, fortified under brick and stone and standing so tall he no longer could see sunlight around him.

Brick by brick, they started to disappear with the smell of coffee filtering through the kitchen as the sun rose and he’d stumble out of his room after a night of restless sleep to find you waiting at the table with two cups of freshly brewed coffee, tapping your fingers against the wood anxiously, a bounce of your knee underneath. So sweetly nervous until the moment you saw him and everything in your body seemed to relax.

He lost a brick from the walls around him as he sat down beside you each morning, first under comfortable silence, until enough mornings passed and soon, the kitchen was filled with laughter before the sky had filtered to an even blue.

The bricks disappeared every time you laughed, every time you smiled at him from across the room when you thought he wasn’t paying attention, every time a flush would touch your skin as he’d catch you staring and you’d look away bashfully, only to return home to ocean blue and he’d smile back for you.

They disappeared as your hip pressed up close to his on the couch and you fell asleep against his shoulder on movie nights, a bowl of popcorn slipping from your fingers. They crumbled with every soft snore, every time you curled against him, finding comfort in the cool embrace of his left arm as he brushed the hairs from your eyes.

Brick by brick, you managed to dig through the cement under brittle nails and calloused hands, tearing away another piece of the protective guard he’d mounted in his decades under Hydra until suddenly, steady streams of light started to peak their way into the darkness, until the touch of it warmed his skin, stung a little in his eyes, until the shadows no longer had a home around him.

The first time you’d kissed him had been an accident.

Something so innocent, so familiar as you pulled back from the warm hold of his embrace under fuzzy blankets and movie marathons, and touched the sides of his face. Lost in the way he was watching you, caught up in the dim lighting of the kitchen, the haze of sleepiness, you’d kissed him.

Short and gone in an instant once you realized what you’d done and you raced off to your room with frantic apologies under your breath. He tried to go after you, tell you how badly he wanted you to kiss him again like that, but there wasn’t time. He had a mission in the morning and you’d boarded yourself up behind the walls of your room.

By the time he returned a week later, the line bordering between friendship and something more was all but shattered as he stumbled off the quinjet with a limp on his right side, a nasty scar over his forehead and an exhaustion dragging him under after four days of no contact, no reassurance, and complete radio silence.

You had raced into his arms in tears and threw yourself to his embrace, holding onto him like he was your only lifeline. He had stumbled back a bit at the impact of it, surprised, and you didn’t give him a chance to question it before your lips were on his.

The start of it all, the tailspin into the unknown.

It all happened so quickly after that. The nervous dates with pretty red dresses and disheveled ties, the hands intertwining as you walked together for hours through Brooklyn under starlit skies, the kisses outside your bedroom, the cozy embrace on the couches.

The ‘I love you’s. The falling between sheets, bare and desperate for one another. The question that scared him more than any mission ever could. The ‘yes’ that changed his life forever.

He fell in love with you faster than he knew how to catch himself.

It was a freefall through the heart of an open abyss. It was stepping off the ledge knowing there was nothing securing you to the surface. It was a leap of faith, an instinct of trust, a determination of love. When he fell for you, there was no fear, no panic. There was only absolute certainty.

He loved you. You loved him.

There was nothing else. No amount of time that could make his love for you more real, more acceptable to what others deemed appropriate for this level of commitment. He spent too much of his life not being able to make decisions for himself, too much of his life without the autonomy to say ‘no’ or ‘yes’, his freewill stripped from him like a piece of his soul.

So, this was his choice, every day. Every morning, every night, every hour. He chose you.

“Anyone check on Y/n yet?” Sam quipped up from beside Steve, tugging at the neck of his tie. “We sure she didn’t make a run for it?”

“Sam,” Steve warned, but Bucky started to laugh, feeling the tension slip away.

“I’m just saying,” Sam shrugged with that teasing grin of his, “I’m pretty sure we were all shocked she agreed to a lifetime with this nutjob. I wouldn’t blame the girl for jumping ship.”

“She’s coming,” Bucky replied evenly, a soft smile on his face as he kept his eyes on the back doors. “She’ll be here.”

There was no doubt, not a single trace of it running through his bloodstream. The tension faded from his shoulders and he realized with a quick look in Sam’s direction, that he’d done it on purpose, reminded Bucky exactly why he was standing where he was to begin with, reminded him of the unbreakable trust he had in you.

A moment of peace, of ease, and then—

The soft strumming of a guitar began to filter through the church, high up into the arches as a hush fell over the crowd. Bucky’s stomach fell, like at the highest peak of a free fall, and he straightened his back, tried to fix his already perfectly straightened tie, hands shaking just a little. The guests all turned to the doors as wooden archways slowly parted and Bucky exhaled a shaky breath.

“You’ve got this,” Steve whispered beside him. “Best day of your life, right?”

Bucky nodded, turning to find Steve smiling at him, Sam giving him a short thumbs up with that cheeky grin of his. His brothers, his family. He exhaled again, this time more even, like a weight of release on his chest, and turned to the parted doors.

A gentle voice carried over the hushed whispers of the crowd, light and breathy, heavenly, as Peter took his first step into the church.

Wise men say only fools rush in But I can't help falling in love with you

Awkward smile as he tried to make eye contact with every phone in the crowd, a slight flush of pink in his cheeks as he walked a little too quickly down the aisle. He wore a tie that matched the color of the flowers pinned to Bucky’s suit jacket and he paused for a moment by Tony and Pepper’s aisle as she begged him for a picture.

Shall I stay? Would it be a sin? If I can't help falling in love with you

Wanda stepped out into the open doors. Long, flowing brunette hair over her shoulders, braided in a crown from her face, she carried light pink roses and white dahlias in her hands. Dressed in a beautiful shade that reminded Bucky of cherry blossoms, she gave a soft glance to the crowd before she took her place beside Peter leading up to the alter.

Like a river flows surely to the sea Darling, so it goes some things are meant to be

Then, Natasha. Lethal and cunning, dressed in soft pinks and a subtle smile on plump lips, an enigma within herself. She looked up to the woman sitting on the edge of a stool at the corner of the room, the one singing the beautiful song that had Bucky’s heart stammering so fast in his chest, he wasn’t quite sure how he was still on his feet.

She began to make her way down the aisle, a subtle glance to Steve from the corner of her eye before she found her place beside Wanda, leaving him to cough back a blush rising on his cheeks.

Then, a silence came over the crowd, the music lingering up into the highest peaks of the church as Bucky held his breath. A soft echo of the guitar nestling into his chest and falling into a pristine silence, Bucky watched as the crowd stood from their pews, turning to the back door, his heart pounding like thunder, loud enough that even the furthest row could hear it.

You stepped out into the opening and everything just... stopped. Time dissolving around him, the gasps of the crowd numb to his ears, and you paused under elaborate archways, framing you like a portrait to be admired amongst masterpieces. Dressed in a gown that touched your skin, floated along your curves, your body, the way his hands had; with a carefulness, a tenderness, unlike he’d ever seen.

Then, you smiled at him; something soft, subtle, filled with every rush of emotion swimming in his own chest. Stunning. Magical. The most beautiful woman he’d ever seen in his life.

A calmness swept over him, the nervous stuttering of his heart falling back into a gentle rhythm, his breaths even and full in his lungs. This was where he was meant to be.

You took your first step into the aisle.

So take my hand

Tears welled in Bucky’s eyes, blurry as he tried to take in as much of this moment as he could. You chewed on the edge of rouge stained lips, disregarding the room full of people, of family and friends, as you kept your focus on Bucky in every step. He was the one you always ran to, his arms you sought out in a crowded room, his watchful smile to calm your nerves, and he was waiting for you. He was always there waiting for you.

Take my whole life, too

In every step, he saw the days he spent curled up on the couch beside you, the nights pressed against you under sweat damped sheets from the demons in his sleep. He saw the dates at the sub shop in Queens and the coffee joint in Brooklyn. He saw the trust he put in you, the instant devotion, the internal instinct to give every piece of himself to you. He saw the free fall.

He saw the bricks you dismantled from the walls around his heart, the way you so carefully nurtured the most vulnerable pieces of him to something stronger, something protected and adored until he believed it himself.

For I can't help falling in love with you

You were within reach now and he extended a hand to you. Your fingers slipped into his palm, warm and soft and everything that every grounded him to this earth by a tether, and he guided you up the stairs to the alter beside him.

He let out a heavy breath, smiling through the tears in his eyes as he chuckled quietly, still unable to process how quickly you’d fallen into his life, how easily you turned him upside down and brought forth the pieces of himself he’d lost over the years.

Your hand touched the side of his face, gently wiping away his tears with a smile that must have ached from how constant it was, how all-encompassing and infectious, full of unbridled joy and love. This was where he was supposed to be, where everything in his life led to – this moment – where you mouthed ‘I love you’ because you couldn’t stand to hold it back another second.

He kissed the palm of your hand, an intimate gesture shared between you witnessed by friends and family in the crowd, and he whispered, “I love you, too.”

His home. His sweet girl who reminded him who he was under years of fortified walls caging him from sunlight. His whole heart.

A new start. A new life.

For I can't help falling in love with you

Thank you so much for reading! ❤️ If you enjoyed this fic, please consider supporting me at my ko-fi account ✨

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes #bucky x reader #bucky barnes x you #jamies500writingchallenge

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nottheweirdest · 3 years

Note

Damn, working on the weekend isn't fun 😔 Hope you still get some rest. As for the ask game, can you do 🎶 The First Law of Thermodynamics?

Nope haha it sure isn't! Second weekend working in a row with like 16 hour days sometimes so I'm/ about to lose my mind.

I will absolutely do that for ya Sam, or just about anything else because you're awesome! There is only one song that I used for this fic and I SOBBED while I wrote it. The whole time. Start to finish. I Will Spend My Whole Life Loving You - Imaginary Future, Kina Grannis

#still crying #ask game #ahhhh this fic destroyed me #all the feels #musical inspiration #thanks for interacting with me!!

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jess-the-vampire · 3 years

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Sky And The Forces Of The Multiverse, Chapter 45

Previous / Next

It was hard to get everyone comfy, especially since King Lucitor was keeping watch, the demon waiting for janna to finish so he could properly rest with the others. It was so many people to pack into this room and not everyone seemed to be able to get as comfy as they wanted. Sure, they had Jackie and Kelly guarding them but at this point they wouldn't be surprised if a sneak attack happened.

No one felt safe, there was no security anymore.

Even if nora's family just up and left they couldn't guarantee they'd be safe, it was an uneasy feeling all around. If no where was safe then was there any point in even trying to go anywhere else? At least here they had a magic user...well a whole bunch of magic users to protect them, but their debate in all this already left nor a a nervous wreck, not knowing how long she might be with her friends anymore.

And it wasn't just her.

Sky had woken up in the middle of the night and she just found herself mostly keeping an eye on judas and angel overall, since she was the most concerned about them in particular. Angel wanted to put himself in danger for the sake of their plan and judas well...he had a lot going on in his head, and his want to get over his issues was something he needed to work on.

Basically right now both of them had a lot going through their heads and now sky was just worried about the both of them.

She hoped they could rest easy despite all this, frankly they probably needed it more then her.

She just wanted her friends to get some time to relax and taker care of themselves, was that really too much to ask for? She might as well have gotten a front row seat to watch them all descend into complete madness while also being sent into complete panic attacks that someone in a mask would pop out and destroy them in their sleep. That of course wasn't including the parenteral issues.

God they would need therapy after all of this.

Like, LOTS of it.

But at least they were all ok physically.

For now.

"Sky?".

The princess turned to find nora nearby, wide awake, "My parents told me angel's mother has finally had her parasite drawn out of her, it was weak enough so...they may of had to uh...magically pull it from her body...she's not awake yet, she's resting and well...she might not exactly be the same as before but...y'know, hopefully she'll be awake by the time angel's father arrives".

"Wait, angel's dad? He's coming?".

"Did eclipsa not tell you? i know you saw her earlier, so i just thought-?".

Sky clutched at her forehead, "Honestly i might of been too distracted by meteora to remember if she told me that or not but...yikes, angel has more on his mind then i thought, his dad isn't terrible or anything but it's gotta be awkward with everything that's gone down".

She rubbed her face, nora trying to be comforting but knowing this was all a lot of deal with,

"But...I was told i'm getting me book back...now that have time, i can focus on judas...so that's really good news, i missed that cluttered thing!".

She seemed happy to help still with judas, though that's when it hit sky.

Right, judas had considered trying to control his arm instead of remove the curse after speaking to eclipsa, he must not have told nora he had this new idea on how to deal with it.

Nora probably wouldn't take any offence to that but judas might panic about getting nora to spent so much time on him only for him to go off and figure out another idea and ignore the time she spent.

He had probably been too distracted to really mention in all yet.

Nora's face dropped though, seeing sky's.

"What's wrong?".

And sky was quick to come up with another answer, judas needed to spill the beans, not her.

"Oh uh...just felt bad for uh...landon...with bernard and everything?".

Actually that wasn't a total lie, that entire situation must've been rough because landon set up his bed pretty much away from everyone else. Bernard already back on earth with his parents, but this time they had company. Honestly no one could blame the parents too much for wanting bernard off mewni but having hekapoo and rhombulus there was enough to tell landon he wouldn't be welcomed back at their home for now.

This entire uproar had gotten their attention, it wasn't ignored.

And star hated even getting them involved after the trail but they needed strong figures to protect everyone and at the very least it kept them from spying on them if they were off dimension. She just hoped Rhombulus didn't accidentally start anything while he was there, the Bonderios were already shaken up at this point, and having them around was only agreed upon because of defense purposes.

As long as they didn't break anything, they'd probably be fine.

But landon, having seen his crush be dragged away from him after such an event, and a failed confession attempt, wasn't.

He barely even got to see him after he was saved. He was landon's best friend and he wasn't even allowed to see him after he was kidnapped for so long, he was only able to get in a few words with him and some glances. Even Bernard clearly wanted to speak to him, and got frustrated he wasn't allowed to. Was it because of his markings? Did he do something wrong?

He couldn't even bring the nerve to text him, what if his parents confiscated his phone?

God, imagine he confessed and his parents were the ones to see it.

He felt embarrassed already and no confession had even happened at this point.This all could not have gotten worse and landon found himself touching his face as if his marks were somehow something he could feel, He'd never felt magic surge inside him like that and just processing the thing was driving him nuts. He found himself wondering if he could do it without the wand like his mom did if he just could figure out how, maybe.

His mom could do it, so he had to be able to do it too.

Did he have to dig deep down inside of him or something to use this kinda magic? He never really questioned how his mother did it before because he never cared so much before, he had just accepted...if angrily, that he wasn't as powerful magically as his brothers. That he didn't have the kinda power they did, and now he was left wondering just how powerful he could get.

Maybe more powerful then his brothers.

It was a scary feeling, but a feeling he also couldn't help but find...intriguing, he never had...power before.

Power that came from his music either, if the fact his wand was a violin seemed to mean anything. He almost wished to borrow a wand again just to see what else he could do but his parents were not going to approve and he had already learned his lesson enough from sneaking around and getting himself in serious trouble as a result. He sure knew the stuff sky did with magic that were less then ideal.

But he couldn't help but think about it either.

What could he do? If he had help...if he had sky's help to train him with the wand a little? Not that sky was currently sure about giving him her help with his current anger but still.If he had known sooner, maybe he could've prevented this kidnapping from even happening to bernard, saving everyone so much trouble. Though maybe that was his dumb teen boy side of things, just trying to picture himself as a hero saving his crush from evil, with how things had gone so far, he probably would've been blasted aside and bernard would've been taken anyway.

Or maybe he would've instead.

It was hard to rest with so much in his head, even though he really needed sleep since he barely got any the night before. He nearly considered leaving to another part of the safe room to try and see if he could get his magic to work but with a room full of people, he was bound to get caught pretty much immediately. He wasn't surrounded by idiots and they were well aware of what he might do.

Maybe he could considering getting eclipsa to train him?

She might be able to teach him some things without having to worry about his parents getting on his case, unless she and his parents talked more then he thought they had. He could ignite a small flame in his palm, staring at it within the dark room. He wasn't sure how to activate sky's kina of magic but he could feel his cheeks puffing up as he concentrated on the flame.

Maybe he could turn it a different color? Or freeze it? or make it water if he thought hard enough about it?

Though the flame remained itself.

Demon magic came more naturally to him, it was...easy despite his issues with it, and that's only because he was surrounded by a family of demons to learn from and to teach him how to do demon magic. Butterfly style magic usually had the wand for a reason, to help them practice and control it, and without it he was basically trying to row a boat without a paddle.

The flame went out, the grump demon pressing his face into his pillow and growling.

He could hear the sounds of fluttering wings nearby and sitting up suddenly he saw mason watching him, out of bed and sitting comfortable close by, his wings moving around to stretch as the boy was startled by his brother sitting up and seeing him there. Landon now felt more embarrassed, was mason gonna spill what he was doing while he was at it?

But he instead looked sad, and landon realized he hadn't seen his brother much since he went to earth after being caught red-handed, and he was left wondering how much mason had been told about...what happened when he was gone. The small boy almost trying to hide his face in his hat and run back to where he was sleeping, having been caught.

But landon just crossed his arms, his moodiness still there but he didn't want to upset his brother anymore then he might have already.

"W-what are you doing here?".

"Why are you conjuring fire?", he asked, both sadly and curiously, not really making eye contact with landon at all and just looking to the ground, landon rubbing at his arm and looking to see if anyone had noticed yet. But considering it was janna now in charge of he watch, his father fast asleep, naturally she didn't seem to care at all about them talking, texting on her compact and laying on the couch.

"I uh...nothing...just wanted light", he lied, not wanting to deal with this right now.

"I heard you have...", he pointed to his own little cheeks, squishing them together playfully,

"The marksssss...". Landon suddenly feeling more embarrassed and pulling up his covers, "Y-yeah...so?". Guess it figured mason would find out soon, though at least he wasn't being weird about them or anything, the boy blinking at him for his answer and reaching out to touch landon's cheeks.

Much to landon's dismay.

"Where are they?".

"I dunno...they vanish or whatever...like mom, like i'm not sure how to activate them exactly...i mean they showed up when i got upset and eclipsa saw them...but".

And that's when it hit him.

He nearly forgot how much magic was effected by emotions, that what a spell did could change depending on how the person conjuring it felt, like how sky destroyed that chandelier, oh his father's anger issues. Maybe that's what he was going to need, he would need to find something out emotionally in order to possibly trigger his magic, maybe.

But mason's curiosity continued to peak, crawling over closer to his brother , his wings folding up behind his back. He blinked at him with his warm brown eyes and landon knew he was getting the puppy dog stare, "What are they? Did you get moons? Suns? I always thought flame markings could also be really cool but i also think violins might make more sense for you-".

"They're crosses...", he said with a grumble.

"Oh? Why?"", he asked to the blushing demon.

"Look, i dunno, the queens don't really pick their marks or anything...though sometimes it does seem convenient their marks matched their interests. But whatever...that doesn't matter...look...i don't know much about having them or anything, i've never had to care that much before, there's n point in asking too much...i don't have much answers myself...this whole wand and markings thing is new and weird and i have no idea how it even really works".

That seemed to cool his brother down a little bit more, landon did have to admit, there was something nice in mason finding him cool...well, mason always thought he was cool but maybe for once landon actually believed it because he felt he was actually cool...or at least a little cooler then he did before this whole mess, he couldn't exactly deny having a wand and markings in a way was actually rather neat...because not many could say they had that kinda ability. But he needed to pull himself together, getting back to his grumpy self, "You uh...you better go back to bed...we have a lot to do tomorrow...so better we rest i guess...", which was saying a lot since he was very much not trying to rest.

But Mason ignored him.

"What was your wand?".

Mason was just not one of those people you could just shake off, no matter how much you tried. You had to tell him everything or he'd keep pestering you until you spilled all your secrets. Seeing no way out of this whole thing, landon gave in, at least if he kept mason entertained a little he'd maybe stop soon and leave the demon to his privacy and rest.

"A violin...it was golden...and whatever...", he sounded like he was trying to make it seem so unimportant but even landon knew at heart the wand he had was a lot more then

"Whatever".

The boy seemed to light up at that, "So the wand knew how amazing you are at violin! That's so cool, I wonder what would happen if you played any of your music on it, like would it make a spell or just be a normal violin? Just...i've never herd of a wand being an instrument before...that means it can't fully function like sky's or anything, it's gonna have it's like...own quirks".

"Well it did ok when i used it...", landon trailed off, "Like i'm not amazing at magic but...i got it work...even if i was doing what was a hard spell. But i mean, i guess that's something worth asking...i haven't even had to try". Guess if he ever got his hands on a wand again he'd have to check that idea out, maybe, he didn't wanna risk something bad happening if he tried either.

God forbid he made an attempt and caused an apocalypse situation by merging dimensions or killing off countless beings or something just because he didn't know how his own wand even worked. But now he actually was more eager to actually practice these new abilities, his sadness was still there about the bad events that went down but maybe this gave him strength that he could get passed everything.

And that was something, landon wasn't much for hope after all.

"Well...i think that was really cool, you didn't have to do any of that...even judas never tried to use the wand before", landon ruffling his younger brother's hair affectionately,

"Well...bernard was in danger and no one else could do it...so...it was better then me sitting there and doing nothing when he could've been hurt, even if it was stupid".

He kinda felt he blurted it out without thinking really, that he was so desperate that he was willing to try anything at this point to save his crush. Not that he regretted it at all, if he hadn't bernard might've still been in that cell, and landon could not have handled that.

Though he wanted to think with enough time the human would've broken himself out after learning about the key swallowing.

A smile creeping on his face at the thought, bernard was way too cool to him honestly, he didn't care what anyone thought. No guy he knew could seem to be that smooth or stay that calm while being taken hostage by a maniac in a mask, bernard seemed to think he was disappointing and worry about impressing everyone or living up to expectations but landon already felt he was perfect...no matter how weird he might be.

Most people with crushes would blush over their crush doing the silliest and most adorable things, like tripping or laughing, or just doing something sweet. Meanwhile landon was blushing over his crush swallowing a key and managing to cough it back up in order to try and escape after being kidnapped. Guess judas and sky were right in saying he had...interesting taste in guys.

"Thinking about him?", landon had nearly forgotten mason was staring at him, the tiny boy smirking to landon who coughed into his hand, trying to hide his red face quickly. "Yeah uh...anyways...", but he couldn't figure out what to change the topic too, instead becoming silent, mason blinking at him as his red cheeks returned. "I need to confess...i know...though after this...and how upset his parents were...maybe it's not meant to happen...".

Mason's face dropping.

"What? But you should! He's your friend!".

"I know but...i don't know how he feels, his parents just had a kidnapp scare that only happened because he and i were friends, and with everything going on maybe it's a bad idea...i just...i know i should but...", but mason pressed a hand to his mouth, looking at him stubbornly, wings outstretched, "Then confess to him like you think you'll never see each other again! If you think you might not get another chance better to do it now then like...when you can't..."

Landon was baffled, seeing his brother get like THIS before.

Usually he was a ball of fluffy sunshine, but here he almost seemed more like celeste. He was kinda angry and fierce and more pushy then he usually was, but not in a mean way either. In a way that showed this really mattered to him and that he cared, that he wanted the best for his older brother even if landon had been a little mean to him before at times.

He felt bad all of a sudden, he'd never seen mason so aggressively care about him this much.

"Mason, i-".

"If you're worried you'll never see him again, then you HAVE to confess, or he'll never really know how you feel! He'll live the rest of his life never knowing you felt that way about him and you might never have a chance with him! If you don't do it now you'll never do it!".

Guess mason had a point, which was weird for him to admit.If he might not be sure what'll happened with their relationship past this point, maybe it was better to let everything out in the open. At least if he did, he wouldn't have to carry the pain of not saying a word and Bernard wouldn't risk hearing about it from someone else and things getting even more uncomfortable. He had to admit though, it didn't make him feel any better.

It'd get it off his chest...sure, but...he was terrified about his reaction, even if he knew bernard wouldn't be mean to him about it.

But mason was right, he was just going to have to get it off his chest, no matter how much he didn't want to, though maybe he needed some time to think about his approach. Otherwise he risked making everything more awkward between him and bernard by not thinking things completely through before he decided when to confess and how to confess.

"Can i help...this time?".

Mason twiddled his thumbs, "I know before i was pushy maybe about your crush and it was not ok of me...but this time, i'm going to ask you first. So...if you want me to help you...y'know, make things easier...i'd be happy to". Landon bit his lip, he didn't really want anyone involved in this private affair but at the same time he knew having company was a good thing because of how awkward it already was.

"I'll think about it...ok?".

He rubbed at his eyes, now suddenly tired and not in the mood when it came to magic and wands and cheekmarks. He was going to need some rest if he was going to work on this properly and not look like a complete idiot, he must've looked tired too because mason crawled over and hugged him suddenly, a thankful smile upon his cute demon face.

"Thanks landon, get some sleep ok?".

"Yeah...you too, try to rest...and we can talk more later...ok?".

His younger brother seemed rather giddy and actually very excited, and landon actually felt...happy about that. Usually he was the least likely to get this kinda reaction out of his brother and it felt...nice. Mason fluttered his wings before heading back to his sleeping bag, trying not to wake anyone else up from the large bunch of sleeping adults and teens.

Landon lying back down in his makeshift bed, his brothers could be annoying but they did have his back all things considered.

Maybe he really had been too harsh on them in the past to an extent. Judging them just because they seemed to get more attention and didn't seem to suffer like he did, yeah that was annoying but his brothers were never mean to him, and they did care about him. They never had to be that nice to him either, especially with his attitude all things considered.

He'd have to figure out more of his feelings tomorrow, finally managing to drift himself into a nice sleep.

This was the largest gathering to a breakfast any of them had really ever had before, even more then regular royal breakfasts. It was a lot of mouths to feed but really it just felt like a big sweet family breakfast, everyone seemed actually in a better mood after they got some sleep. Maybe having a plan to work off of did them some real wonders emotionally.

It was still in the butterfly safe room though, not ready to head out just yet. Not to mention star had put protection spells all over the walls and no one was willing to touch the door just in case she hadn't turned them off for the moment. But the sleep in general seemed to refresh everyone, though that wasn't to say there was no tension at all right now.

Judas was clearly still worried for luna.

Angel was worried to see his dad and potentially his role as bait.

Landon was still thinkin about...a lot.

And Sky was worried about all of them, even more then losing her own wand it seemed.It was funny that way, her wand was broken but it felt so minor to her in comparison to everything else going on. She found herself more worried about her own friends then if she got it back, like her focus had derailed from her thoughts on being a certain kinda queen and more on the people around her that she cared about. Making sure they were ok and came out with some sanity left.

How had she become such a mom all of a sudden? Typically that was judas, not her.

Speaking of moms, hers were scarfing down sugary waffles like they hadn't eaten in weeks, probably to get a head start on the day but sky was sure for her mewman mom it was to cope, her granny coming over was not something to be taken lightly. If she was coming then that meant Star had screwed up BADLY and there was nothing she could do to tell her mom otherwise.

Basically it meant she had failed somewhere as a queen.

Something that freaked her out, but at the same time wasn't too shocking to hear either since what was going on was...painful. She'd have been more shocked if her grandmother hadn't shown up after all of this went down, sky's mom might not have burned down the kingdom but it felt that way sometimes with how mad and terrified toe people of mewni were.

Though in the back of sky's mind she almost felt angry at her grandma, would she really have done a better job in this position? Because somehow sky actually highly doubted she would've. She knew her granny could be harsh but for once she kinda wanted someone to give her mom a break, this was all stressful enough without grandma moon making it more stressful.

Hopefully Queen Star's eating didn't make her sick, she really didn't need to vomit up sugar in the middle of handling all of this.

"We're going to interrogate luna today...", Marco sipped on their coffee, eyeing their oldest son, "Judas...you'lll be coming since you're her friend, and sky too...after that...sky can work on her costumes sunny mentioned...and you'll be having your checkup you missed yesterday". Judas still felt bad about missing out on that, but it wasn't technically his fault luna ended up in prison at that very same moment either.

They didn't protest, nodding.

"You gonna use a truth potion on her? Cause she has no reason to really lie to us, i mean unless you're assuming she might have other motives?", the truth potion they had was important, they didn't want to waste it. Luna could lie to them but at the same time judas didn't know what she'd gain from it if she knew they were going out of their way to help her,

But his mom had to explain, even though they didn't want to use the potion either for similar reasons.

"Well it's better safe then sorry, besides, she trusts you...I'm honestly not sure how much she trusts any of us considering she left the moment we had knowledge of what happened.", i guess when they put it like that, they had no idea for sure just how much luna trusted the adults with whatever info she was holding on her person. Though perhaps it was best to ask if luna wanted to use it first...just to be careful.

Luna might be a little mad if she figured out they slipped her one secretly.

Just a little.

"Uh...is meteora going to be there?", hey turned their attention more to sky, who looked suddenly a bit anxious, "She uh..let us know she's in charge of luna and her investigation...like a LOT, so maybe i might just be a bit nervous about running into her and having her around when we're trying to have a private conversation about something she kinda can't know about?".

Star's eyes seemed to widen, she hadn't known meteora was in charge of the investigation, just that she was assigned to get luna.

Oh Dear.

"Look, we'll do the interview, not tell meteora everything, and if she decides to go in, let her potion wear off before meteora even gets a question in. Nothing against meteora but well...this matter is best left without her knowing, she tends to kinda...well...do what she wants", Tom butted in however, placing a comforting hand on marco's shoulder, "What my love is saying is meteora and them haven't had the best relationship and they personally don't want it becoming more messy if you can prevent it".

Marco was flustered and embarrassed but no one was really teasing them either, it wasn't something any of them could really protest over.

"Well, guess we'll see how things go then-", judas said, going back to eating his eggs, looking rather nervous. He had no reason to be, he and luna were friends, but he had to admit things were still shaky between them and he wasn't sure what to expect when he went to speak with her next. Luna had an aura around her that made everyone nervous, and she was a mystery in general.

He didn't know if he was scared about what'd she say or if he was just scared her thoughts hadn't changed from when he last saw her the day before.

Could always just be a combo of both.

But as they cleaned up and had to leave the others in the room to go with his mother and sky, he quickly tried to take hold of himself, he needed to be strong, needed to keep pulling himself forward. This was important and he needed to focus and get this task completed, and at the very least he had his best friend and his mom just in case he needed support or anything.

And if he needed to leave the room and take a moment to himself he had permission to do so, no one would make him stay if this whole thing got to him.

He felt thankful, his mom kissing his cheek and checking on him outside of the room luna was kept in. The sooner they spoke to her the better, before anyone else could get their hands on her and make her spill her secrets, mot to mention they could warn luna about anything that may happen after they leave so she'd be more prepared about how to handle it.

As long as she hadn't tried to run away already of course.

Though with the guards parting the door for them to enter, they could see they were very much expected, luna sitting on the bed, eating what seemed to be cold soup and crackers, her expression not changing at all as trio came inside to see her. They were bound to come in soon anyway, and she wasn't surprised who was the ones selected either, though she may of almost been expecting either of her own moms.

It was sometimes chilling how calm luna could be under these kinda situations, though underneath judad felt she was freaking out just as much she had been when she was still unused to the changes of a new universe that sent her into a meltdown she had tried to hide.

If he could read her mind he almost felt inside would've been luna screaming internally.

"Hello".

They all just kinda stared at her, the girl setting her food aside and sitting with her hands in her lap, she wasn't wearing the costume anymore, but had changed into what seemed like pjs, her costume probably taken to be tested. They could still spot the ring on her finger, glistening and grabbing all of their attention, they nearly had a heart attack thinking it was stolen.

They almost felt they had to stare at it just to reassure themselves.

"So...what do you want to know?".

She was ready at this point, she saw it coming from a mile away, better to get this all over with.

"Um...wait...why aren't we doing this in an interrogation room?", judas looked to their parent, marco shaking their head, "We considered it but the costume isn't here and we don't want people to know who was under that mask right now so moving her would just mean more risks. So we have to keep her in this room for now and talk to her like this...the room is soundproofed, don't worry".

"You're lucky i have a bathroom in here...", she said, eyeing a nearby door.

"You would've probably made one if you didn't...the castle has so much magic activity no one would've noticed your use that much".

Luna shrugged and got them back on topic. "For the record, i had tried doing charms to ward off any evil spells before i went to sleep, i did not go unprepared after i gave you that charm judas...i did everything i was supposed to do in a situation like this...so don't assume i just let this kinda thing happen to me, i least wanted to have my own body taken over by anyone...and i'm not pleased it happened despite what i did".

"Yeah...well...who exactly wants their body taken over anyway...?", sky was mainly joking but honestly living the life of someone now going through the problems she was currently going through actually sounded not all that bad. Though considering who took over luna's body, maybe she really outta rethink that, it's not a good feeling to have your own body be put in any kind of danger that you can't prevent.

Just imagine if luna's body had been thrown off a cliff or something while she was unable to control it.

That only made her more happy that she hadn't possessed someone like angel in all this.

"They really got passed all your prevention spells? They'd have to know a counterspell for that to work!".

"Oh i'm well aware, trust me...my notes had a lot to do with the fact they had knowledge in some forms of magic i hadn't known much about before, they seem to be rather powerful...but at the same time...rather dumb if you ask me, everything i've gathered leaves me with the impression they don't know what they're doing much at all, and the only reason we haven't caught them is because we're making equally rash choices...".

"You think they're...dumb", marco crossed their arms, raising an eyebrow and not yet convinced, "They've diverted us too well, how could they really be that foolish if they're able to get passed all of us so many times and outfool every single kingdom? Sure maybe they did some stuff irrationally but so have we, thinking on the fly is a thing that tends to happen sometimes".

"Because most of their plans and choices feel unplanned...", she grumbled, "Sure there's some planning, like they obviously planned the heist, and the break in, but as far as i can tell, they're doing random things for the sake of it...what exactly was the point of these break ins? For objects with no use? Then after they're a criminal they just come right back in !".

"Luna, i get what you're going for...honestly some stuff does feel...random...but...we need more...evidence to claim this".

Judas agreed, "For all we know there might be something more behind this we're unaware of...though yeah, some of these choices might of been...a little dumb for a villian to do, like if you're going to get help from someone to do bad stuff...angel would not be a logical first choice...even if he was easy to convince in the first place...he's just...not powerful enough...nor really evil".

"it's not just that, they tried to murder him, in an open field, ignoring all the problems they'd gain from harming a royal member of a kingdom, that entire situation could've easily gotten the attention of anyone, instead of simply taking over his mind or wiping it, they clearly had gotten mad and considering murder before really thinking about it, an on a whim choice".She wasn't wrong about that either.

"It feels to an extent they act out on their emotions, do things based on impulse to get out of a current unfortunate conflict, and it leaves me with the thought we're being danced around by an utter fool rather then some tactical genius with the powers of a god, whoever this is...they're winging most of this...i must give them props...but these are some pretty foolish mistakes on their part too".

Sky had never seen someone be both so nice and so mean about a person before in her life.

"So...what are you proposing with all of this...exactly?".

She stretched her arms, yawning, "I'm saying it provides weakness, and weakness means capture...of they really are like how i think they are they should be easy to fool into a trap, the important part being to predict their moves in case they catch on...they think quick after all...so you need to be prepared for any choice they might back to get out of any situation suddenly".

"Yeah...well..we're working on that...", sky mumbled, "So we'll catch you up on that later...but...um...we have to ask more about what you got up to and uh...we need to know if you're ok with taking a truth potion for us". Someone was going to have to get it out soon so better now before they forgot about it, marco holding out a small vial of the stuff, the liquid swirling around inside.

Again, luna didn't seem surprised one bit.

There was a real likelyhood she had been through something similar to this before back wherever she was from, luna seemed like the type to use truth potions often to get stuff she wanted out of people. Even she would have to admit if she were in their place, she'd probably take out one of these potions too, even if it's results weren't always the definition of perfect,

She nodded, "I'll take it, i have nothing to hide at this point, you might as well...". Though this was done for the purposes of questioning her about her capture, judas had other questions in mind in the back of his head, and so did sky. Luna had a lot of secrets, stuff she kept from the others, and it made her harder to trust, now was the time to finally get answers from her.

About her marks, about her family, about why she was like this.Honestly judas was surprised she was just...ok with this, he felt a little taken aback, he had been expecting luna to protest a little or ask to only ask specific questions and avoid others or find a loophole. Even sky looked a little shocked luna was allowing them to just ask whatever it was they wanted, it seemed luna had done some thinking at some point before making this choice.

But they couldn't help but still feel a bit hesitant.

"Are you sure?", judas asked rather seriously, looking right into her eyes, "Nothing to hide?".

She closed her eyes, thinking hard about this, before letting out a deep breath.

"Nothing to hide...".

She only took a little of the potion, not wanting to be like this for long, but it would be long enough for now. After she was finished she sat rather relaxed, like the calm before a storm, getting luna to open up to anyone was hard, but now she was just letting them do so, They were free to ask her anything they needed to know, and they had much to ask.

"So...what should we ask first?", the demon looked to sky, and then back to his mom, before sky chimed in.

"Well, let's just see if it's working right first...ask something minor...?", they seemed to agree to that so sky proceeded to ask her first question as luna decided to take a drink of tea, knowing they'd be here a bit. Though luna would soon regret this as sky crossed her arms and gave luna the most smarmy look she had probabaly ever given in a long while.

"So uh...whose ashton?".

Luna coughed as tea spilled from her mouth onto the floor, looking extremely embarrassed.

"W-what? Why is THAT your first question? Don't you have anything else you'd rather-? I...I don't...". Sky gave her a look and luna felt the potion kicking it more as sky looked to her company, "Look, i hate people comparing me to the queens, luna compared me to this dude one time when she was mad with me...wanna know how comparable we actually are".

Actually that seemed to amuse judas, especially since it seemed to get a big reaction out of luna, who had not been expecting that kinda question at all.

Guess that's what she gets for having outbursts like that.

"A...companion...of mine...who works under me but also mutually as well, is rather critical of my actions, and um...i'm simply very fond of", the friends looked at each other and back to luna, unimpressed. She was telling the truth but she was also being extremely vague about the truth as well, so it didn't seem she was as well...into this as she claimed.

Though sky seemed to relish a little in seeing luna like this considering how many people she had hurt, including her.

"You mean like a crush?', she asked, reminding both judas and marco a little bit of her human mom with her smile, the words only bothering luna even more, her face even more red then before.

"I am fond of him", luna answered angrily, "Now, move on...".

"Well, i guess we don't have a lot in common then, you sure ain't fond of me", sky said, snorting and sitting back in her chair, luna trying to pull herself together. Judas did find the fact luna had any friends back home rather interesting though, everything about luna seemed like she was more of the loner type of person, not someone with a lot of company.In fact he swore at points she denied having friends much at all.

But that wasn't important, though to some extent it did make judas a little sad to hear, guess her rough relationships did extend back home as well, not just with her parents either. Luan seemed happy to move on from the topic though, but judas wanted to ask at least one more question he felt might've been necessary. "Luna, i hope it's ok to ask but...why do you have...such a rough relationship with your moms?".

Luna looked at him for a split second, but the question seemed a lot more comfortable to her then the last funny enough, though it clearly was something troubling luna.

"We're...dealing with a conflict back home, a conflict started by them...one i'm mostly dealing with the situation because they never leave the castle anymore...they keep telling me how much they wish to connect with me and help me...but they put me into a scary position and i had to grow up fast...and then have the nerve to complain about it. I'm just...it's a very complicated situation...it's why i know memory spells...i had to learn them for...my cause".

She clutched her fists, more angry then anyone had even seen her before, which was saying a lot considering who luna was, she seemed on the verge of hurting someone, or even worse.

She was even shaking a little and sky was worried she was about to combust or something. There was no telling how much all of this pained luna, but it was clearly enough to scare everyone in the room.

"They broke me...my marks...aren't normal...because of them, i never would've had to prove myself to not be some bug if they hadn't broken me before i was even hatched".

"You were hatched just like me...", sky mumbled, touching her own marks.

"And broken like me...", judas mumbled, marco in the back shifting to judas's words.

Luna huffed, "I know you'll ask and i don't...know why my marks...work like that...glowing on one side sometimes...it's just something that happens when i use powerful magic...if it's more light the white one lights...if more dark...the dark one does...your guess is as good as mine as to how that happens...it's been a thing for as long as i can remember but it's certainty not supposed to be that way.".

"I'm sorry...".

"No, honestly...i'm actually a little happy to say it to someone...i rarely talk about it...for...reasons.", and indeed she looked like a large weight had left her chest, "I'm not going to get too into everything because it's not something you need to worry yourself about, my world, my problems, but...i guess if you wanted the "Full luna story", take it, it might help you defend me out there if you need to".

"You sure you're ok with us knowing?", it was worth asking, luna had kept this from them for a reason, they were worried they might have gone to far with this whole thing, and no matter what luna was like, they still felt better knowing this was what she wanted.

"I have nothing to lose at this point if i do tell you, now i'm in deep trouble...this...this is no longer a time i can prioritize my needs", her voice grew stern though, "I didn't want to say for reasons, but i feel i have no choice if i'm getting out of this mess...not to say any of this will help but it's better you know just in case you actually have to know any of it".

"And if we don't need it-?".

"Consider it a serious sign of trust...i wouldn't say this to just anyone, and i wouldn't say this if you were someone i didn't trust to any extent. I know i've been a locked box since i arrived here but i'm not so stubborn i'd put this over maintaining my safety...so i'll...learn to deal with it", luna didn't share anything to anyone since she'd been here, it'd all been secrets with her, she had been a locked safe and refused to even hint at what went on in her mind. The fact she even told them at all was shocking enough, but her saying she even trusted them at all was...another level.

Sky would almost find this sweet if it wasn't well..coming from someone like luna.

But it'd have to do, they were lucky she said anything at all, she easily could have not and risked her fate in the hands of people who didn't know her secrets.

Judas, probably still processing luna saying she trusted him, worked to ask something else to continue their conversation before they got distracted away from the reason they were even here.

"What happened...since you left?", Judas had to ask, he wanted to know more, there was so much that could've went on he had no reason to know about, and maybe there were clues somewhere they could use. Luna seemed to be thinking back, it had been awhile since she left without a word, and she had to find a good starting point if she was going to talk about this.

"Well, i was quick to set up camp...nearby in the woods, i had already gotten food from the kitchens to last me a few days, was able to stay in some monster ruins and spend the next few days investigating. I remembered awhile back when we helped that child they seemed to remember the masked figure, having seen them in the woods, and i felt maybe it was a good place to investigate myself", she reached up to clutch her chin in thought.

"I did not find anything easily...there were rumors helped from the monster town nearby, though a lot had more to do with well...your spider friend, however it made it more clear where i outta look for a hideout. That it could only be in woods in close proximity to angel's kingdom, but also close enough to where the monster town was and near enough to where they could take advantage of the secret tunnels to the underworld...", and the three looked to each other, having not considered much of any of that themselves in their search.

"Did you-?".

"I found...what remained of that old hideout...by the time i got there they clearly bailed, i assume they thought angel would rat out their hideout so they were quick to grab everything to go find somewhere else to plan and scheme.", but she didn't seem upset by this, folding her hands together and looking directly at marco, "But then you found their new hideout...so i guess in the end it worked out...i'd been tracking for a good while but by the time you found them i had only dimmed it down to a few other locations where activity had been high".

"We only really found it because we had help...not to mention we well...tracked bernard's phone", luna raised an eyebrow and marco coughed into their hand, "Janna tracked my phone a lot back in the day and i learned how to counter it...it figures i might pick up something out of it...almost makes her creepiness actually worth having...almost...don't tell her i said that".

"Anyways of course i ran into you judas and by the time i found out about you finding the place it wasn't long before i went to rest and found myself here...confused and maybe a little scared.".

"How'd you know about eclipsa's little...home area?".

"I knew about it a few weeks before, saw eclipsa coming from it at one point, and knowing her, she'd have a stash of food somewhere all to herself, thought i'd help myself considering she sure doesn't mind invading my privacy in the slightest, so she probably doesn't mind if i do the same and take what i need out of it", her bitter tone was almost reminiscent of celeste.

"How'd you eat before that point?".

"Hunting, foraging, i've done this stuff before...in fact so had ash back home as well...not to say those meals were amazing by any chance but hey...it's not that bad if you know what you're doing and fish is rather wonderful with berries". she then smiled a little sheepishly, but then back to something more devious, "I also might've raided eclipsa's actual kitchen as well, i don't think she ever noticed considering how much globgor eats".

"What else did you find out about this...person?", marco hated to interrupt the fun but they needed to focus on the masked person at hand, and get whatever they could get if luna had more information to share about them, the sooner the better. Luna sighed to herself and got back on point, "Well, they're sloppy...and they either want to be seen on purpose or maybe they found out that outfit doesn't help them "Blend in" the hard way...because they get spotted often".

Marco suddenly had flashbacks to hearing all those mole people go off about the witch who had been running around, yeah, they weren't the peak of subtlety. They might as well have been holding a lighted sign pointing to themselves with "Evil villian" in flashing red lights. No one in their right mind would walk around dressed like that regularly unless they were from one strange dimension.

"Well i mean, i guess the idea about them doing this for attention had been floating around...", though judging by marco's tone they had been really unsure, it had been mostly guesswork on motivations. But luna had more to say, "Honestly, it feels like they have it out for sky in particular...she seems the be the one they're mostly framing, mostly attacking the friends of, and so on...i get the impression sky is someone they're purposefully trying to affect and ruin. The fact she is in the spotlight so often just feels...strange...".

"Even with the spiderbite attack?".

"Well around that time judas and sky apparently snuck out to see nora and spend time with her before her book was stolen, so it seems likely, i mean they have yet to touch a kingdom that wasn't related to sky like that...and even hid out in one sky never went to...i mean, it's a likely theory...". her eyes bore into sky's as if sky would start listing potential suspects.But sky just said nothing instead, just making a sickly face and avoiding eye contact with her own sister, thoughts swarming her head.

"Oh and as a bonus...i heard...about angel's mother...and the pest...she consumed...", the girl seemed to smile a little, quite eerie considering the harshness of the situation. "Being so close to his kingdom for a bit it seemed the news had traveled a bit fast...so...it appears the citizens are under the impression the spiderbites poisoned her as some racist attack...though i have some other suspicions...".

Leaving the three to share worried looks, wait, luna had gathered information relating to that? How? Did they want to know what the truth was?

"I only looked into it just in case it tied back into masky somehow, but...it turns out not long before she started getting sick, there had been a big dinner celebration sharing cultural meals between other kingdoms...now obviously angel had been banned from attending ceremonies outside his kingdom, but that didn't mean other kingdoms couldn't come to him-".

"Wait wait...are you claiming-".

"I just said i didn't think it was the spiderbites...and it couldn't have been, the only kingdoms that attended were monster ones, it was apparently the last part of any kind they've had, and turns out...globgor and meteora were there...with the knowledge of meteora being a spy...my suspicion is she was very likely to have been in another dimension before this...and might've dragged something back with her...on accident or on purpose.".The three were stunned in silence and the blonde had to quickly make her point.

"I know this is a bold claim...VERY bold...but i only went in for information about it because i thought it might be helpful, it wasn't a big event, well maybe it was for the monsters...but there's at the very least a decent likelyhood she had been infected there if only because of just how many people from outside the kingdom had attended...it's decently likely it attached to someone and ended up there or someone didn't know any better bringing it in".

"Yeah but...why meteora? People go in and out of dimensions all the time, if we're to assume she got sick because of this whole party, then anyone could've dragged something in!"., granted, this was assumptions even from sky, she really didn't know how often anyone left mewni, dimension hopping was fun and all but there was always a safety at being in your own home dimension.

But Luna had more to say on that.

"The people who were attending were mostly royals, How many other royals attending really go to other dimensions? Especially ones with THAT thing lurking around? Especially when not everyone has scissors out there? But anyways, It's an idea overall so i'm not going to claim it to be true...though i won't rule out a possible assassination, everything i know about this kingdom is that it's both weak and invaluable...if they really wanted to do some damaged they should've poisoned your friend, the prince, breaking the line would've been much worse, but neither of the others had been affected...meaning she either had been singled out...or it had been an accident and she just so happened to have been the one that got hit".

There was no denying, she had a point.

There was nothing anyone could gain from doing this to the queen.

Not unless she had made some serious enemies, but this was a kingdom trying it's damnest to be friends with everyone, even at the expense of their own prince. Whatever, it was only a theory anyway, an interesting theory but just a theory. There was no confirmation any of this was actually the case, though it did get sky thinking a little, because really, how his mother got infected mattered less then saving her.

But now she was really thinking about it.

Really, how had something as dangerous as this from another dimension just end up at their kingdom? It was well worth asking, and with everything else going on no one had considered it to be tied in all that much, and for good reason, it started awhile ago, much before the girls, the masked person, everything. It was much more likely the situations weren't related, unless some serious planning had been going on.

And the idea of doing all this to just mess with angel or manipulate him was a stretch, there was too much that had to go into play for that to even work and even then , it didn't really end up working out at all in the end.

Still, it was worth keeping in mind, maybe to ask meteora about next time they saw her, if maybe meteora did know something about that dinner.

"Is there anything else you want to tell us about? The potion might not last too much longer...".

And Luna took a moment to see what she could remember, before parting her lips thoughtfully, "That i feel i was being watched, not just by meteora, but the masked person too, i think they knew what i was up to, that i was close and looking for them...i can imagine they wanted me to get out of the picture as fast as they could and this whole set up was perfect...but i'm not sure if they know...who i am or not".

"You mean like...from another universe?".

"Well, it's obvious whose under the mask is a magic user so...i would imagine...they would have assumptions about me being one to pull it off, if not that then they'd be a fool to use me as someone to frame...basically i'm just a little suspicious, it sorta depends on how smart they actually are...but even then, if they knew i was magic they should've gone for my wand or something".

Good point.

There was more they could dive into, but their time was growing shorter by the minute and last thing they needed was for someone to walk in right in the middle of this, the group in silence as the adult in the room clapped their hands together. Judas had to go to his check up after all and sky had other places to be, and Marco had to get them moving."Well, i think that's a good start for now...though be careful...meteora wants to speak to you next, and well...she's not in on the group exactly. I'm not sure what she might ask you and how she might do it-", though luna didn't react much at all, shrugging, "This isn't the first time i've been interrogated, trust me, i can handle it and anything she might try and throw at me...".

She seemed confident, then again, she seemed confident she wouldn't have her mind taken over either and that didn't really work out for her. Regardless, they couldn't stay, she was just going to have to handle that by herself. Marco stood up, processing what luna had told them to report back to the others, same as Sky and Judas though the demon lingered on her, worried.

He was a worrying person at times, he couldn't really help it, he wanted to make sure his friends were ok and luna was a friend.

But luna was ushering him to leave, to get going and he sadly turned away from her and to join sky and his mom.

"Good luck out there judas...".

He paused, not quite looking at her but moving his head a little, his ear twitching.

"Same for you...".

The door shutting behind them with a thud.

"Heyo sunny...", sky said, entering her room to spot the cheerful girl sitting on her bed, wiaitng for her, "Judas and his mom left for his checkup so we're finally going to get this whole costume idea you got working on...and uh...". Sky rubbed at her eyes, seeing Galexia had also been invited, scribbling on the floor, pages all around her, "Oh uh...i guess we have three of us now...".

"Well jackie's guarding us today and she said it was cool...so...i thought lexi would love to help out since she's also very artistic!".

Well, sky couldn't argue that.

Plus, she said lexi should and could help them out and she wasn't going to protest against that, shrugging and heading off to get her materials ready, "Yeah ok...so...i hope you have a idea of what you wanna do...because like...making costumes takes awhile and we don't have years to do this, not to mention disguises...or did you have something ready for me?".

"Actually...i remembered something...that they perform...at that place, i remembered talking about it with landon once but he was clearly not interested in it, but well..."."Yeah?"

"Well, maybe i can perform there!", she was practically giggling from ear to ear and sky had to protest despite her cheer.

"Sunny...take this seriously...like i know you like performing and everything but-".

"I am, it's a perfect way to hide in plain sight...we can go in as performers! It's a good idea for a cover, you might be able to listen to things backstage and stuff!".

Actually, that wasn't a bad idea, if they really wanted to go in looking for info, maybe having people as performers might be beneficial. Though Sky wasn't sure how this spying thing was going to work, it was all to see if they can hear more gossip from some well...unruly types and that was all by chance. Granted, this was the place that apparently led landon to fae and a clue so maybe there was more then meets the eye.

"Are you sure about this spy thing? I mean it might not even work, this is kinda all up to chance...".

"That's true...i guess the reason it feels like a good spot to go is it's a place were you said meteora went to get info on her missions, and was where fae went when landon found her...it might be at the very least, a place of some useful activity, at worst...we go somewhere else after all. Besides. we all don't even have to go...only a few of us are needed...".Sky still looked nervous, like even she hadn't been sure of her own ideas.

"Sky...think of it this way...it's an idea, and an idea is better then nothing...if you hadn't made any suggestions who knows if we'd have come up with anything. At this point, we all need to try something, if we get something out of listening in for info, it'll be all worth it, trust me, besides, mewmans and demons love to gossip, just imagine what info they might be passing around we never hear about!" Sunny was trying to pump her up and sky could at least be grateful for that.

"I guess it's ironic...the person we're after seems to not know what they're doing and neither do i...just throwing anything at the wall and seeing what sticks...".

She felt her sister behind her, patting her shoulders in comfort, "Hey no, don't be so harsh on yourself, truth is...it's hard to be a leader...to do everything perfectly and have perfect plans. We all sorta have to make sudden choices or sometimes do things without thinking too hard, i know it's rough though...i'm only 14 and everyone comes to me for advice all the time...and it's kinda just a lot of pressure to know so much and do so much for everyone".

"Wait...really? I didn't know it was THAT bad for you, no offense, i just assumed because you were so young people wouldn't come to you for so much...", sky was only a year older and people didn't go to her like that before all this mess.

The small girl nodded, sheepish, "I'm a child prodigy...back home everyone practically sees me as like...a tiny adult and they go in expecting me to know so much and be so great and...sometimes it gets overwhelming...". She took a seat on the floor, her tail moving around under her dress, "Everyone expects a lot out of me and i think it hurts more when i can't be as great as they want...i'm just...a kid still, a smart kid...but..".

"I'm sorry sunny...".

"It's ok sky, that's my issue, not yours, i'm just saying i know what it means...it's not embarrassing to not know everything, i sometimes get the same way...overwhelmed and unsure of myself", sky took a seat next to her sister, and now it was her turn to comfort sunny back. "Yeah...it's a lot of pressure...to put on you...and me for that matter...i know we're both going to be queens but...we're still like...normal kids...we're not well...like luna".

"Luna struggles too...i mean she's in well...well actually you just saw where she was...i guess maybe she's just the least open about y'know...being imperfect...she seems to really prefer to seem flawless compared to everyone else...it's hard to get her to really admit her issues or insecurities", sunny's ears flickered, "I know she doesn't completely like me, ever since she saw me use my powers and everything, i think she might feel like i'm more powerful then her despite not having the wand for so long...".

"Sunny that's-" cut off as sunny's hand pressed against sky's lips, giggling .

"It's ok sky, i've had that assumption for a long time and i've had to deal with it. I could kinda always tell luna felt a little weird around me...for the record, i'm not mad at her...she has her own issues and i can't blame her if she feels upset, cause sometimes...even i don't want to be so powerful". She stood up and looked over Galexia's drawings, her face now a smile.

"But y'know, it's ok, because you and judas and lexi don't care about how powerful i am, you guys like me outside of that...it's really nice being around people who don't care about that and see me as a kid and stuff. I don't tend to hold grudges...and i don't hold one to luna, because she's troubled, like us...like celeste, like lexi, like judas and angel and nora...even landon...we don't have to agree with her or get along with her...but we can try and understand her more...".

"It's pretty noble of you to not hold a grudge...", sky mumbled.

"I think of people as complicated...i don't like...think it's ok for luna to well...be mean to you and landon and celeste, but with everything that comes with being queen...sometimes it's hard to deal with it without becoming cold like that...it's not a fun job...not unless you choose to do it in your own way. And you know...your way right now isn't perfect, but it's you...".

"Thanks sunny.".

The demon princess handed sky some blank sheets and markers, before getting lexi's attention, "C'mon, enough sad talk, we're gonna make outfits and it's going to be awesome! We're going to go out there and show them all whose boss!". The small girl pulling them in for a little hug as they all got started brainstorming ideas between the three of them.It might take some time for them to fully connect with luna, but at the very least they could say this was a step up from how she had been before..

A step forward.

They all had work to do and hopefully the best was yet to come between all of them.And that not only applied to them as not far away a young demon boy sat to himself, violin in hand as he went over his music sheets over and over again. A lot of thoughts running through his head, some better then others. One in particular caught his eye as he began to play by himself, his eyes closing as he was swept away in the music, more focused then he'd ever really been.

He'd done this before of course, but this time it was different, far more different then his usual practice sessions.

Something about this felt more personal and intimate, and with new context it felt like he was breathing new life into the piece he hadn't before.

He could feel his mind start to drift as it did usually with music, at a point it became less about making sure he hit the notes and more about getting lost in his own music, his fingers working instinctively like they were separated from him, playing everything perfectly. The prince humming to himself as well, this had been what felt like the 100th time he played today, testing for results.

No reaction yet.

But this song, this song had the best chance if any.

He made it for him after all, if anything was going to work it had to be this one, he had gotten himself worked up just creating it after all.

He just needed to focus and not stress so much, needed to push back his anger and keep focus, like his father did with his magic and his mother did as well. Taking slow breaths as he played, keeping his mind focused despite the struggle and sure enough he felt his face warm up and saw light, his markings were glowing due to his playing and emotions.

Though as quickly as they came they went, he had gotten distracted,

But rather then get mad, he smiled.

"Alright, let's do that again".

#sky and the forces of the multiverse #star vs the forces of evil #tomco bby #starkie bby #janstar bby #spiderslime #tomstar bby #ostar bby #marco diaz #marco #janna ordonia #my art #fanfiction #fanfic

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