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#this moment was a masterpiece in and of itself
fayesdiary · 6 months
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If you though that it was weird that the Deers were less involved then the Lions, then don't because the Lions are somehow the only individuals involved. See how some of them like Ashe and Sylvain have chapter where a family member intervenes ? Happens only to them.
I think that's because there is in reality a total of 4 writers for that game and that it seems each route was writen by a different writers.
Oh believe me, I know. 3H shamelessly recycles content in a way I don't think I've ever seen and White Clouds is the shining example. At least with the Eagles you have the hindsight of Edie and Hubert planning to stab them all in the back, but the Deer don't get even that and so feel really disconnected from everything that happens.
Seriously though, if they didn't want to radically change White Clouds depending on the house you chose (as in, having different missions where the students of your house are actually directly involved) they could have at least had some chapters that give students of the other houses the same chance Ashe and Sylvain got.
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goodmorning-rigoberto · 5 months
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does painter of the night have a happy ending?
yes! after a very long, long, looooong path of sorrow and pain but it does and trust me it's worth it, so you should totally read it
let me know if you do! <3
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elevenelvess · 9 months
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Still seething over the fact i didn’t like the rwrb movie. Like, i knew better, but still had expectations so high they couldn’t possibly be reached.
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riki-dazed · 1 month
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Riki can't help but shower you in hickies
suggestive · wc: 649 · requested
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"Rikiiii—" you squirm beneath your boyfriend's large frame, a smile tugs at the corners of your mouth as you pull your bottom lip between your teeth. He hums in response to your whines, his actions against the side of your neck not slowing down in the slightest of ways; your noises only turning him on that much more.
What started as an innocent-enough make out session on your bed, has now taken a sudden turn for the.. better. After some playful bickering between the both of you, Riki managed to pin your figure against the mattress. His hands hold your wrists down by either sides of your head, his body practically laying on top of yours, not allowing you to escape him.
"So pretty for me," his breathy voice purrs beside your ear, soon before grazing his teeth lightly along it. "Wanna taste you..."
The tickling sensation sends you into a fit of quiet giggles beneath Riki, he returns you a sultry smile, his lips now trailing along the skin on your jaw. His actions continue to follow down your neck, causing the playful expression on your face to twist into one that emits pure bliss, and pleasure.
The fact that you can feel him making small movements against your thigh, considering how close your bodies are pressed against one another's, doesn't help your overly flustered situation at all.
Riki's soft lips trace the contours of your neck, as he leaves traces of his warm saliva behind. Feeling his wet kisses against your skin causes you to arch your back off the mattress, your chest meeting his in the process.
He settles his lips on a spot right beneath the back of your jaw, knowing exactly where you like having him. The needy boy wastes no time in beginning to make out with the delicate skin, muffled moans escape his mouth as he starts to suck on it shortly afterwards. He lets go of one of your wrists, his hand now cupping the side of your face, holding you in place for him as he continues sucking on the opposite side.
"Fuck, baby—" you barely manage to utter beneath your breath as your freed hand gravitates towards his hair, your fingers grasping the strands at the back of his head. "Mm, r-right there."
With a final kiss against your skin, and tauntingly slow lick along it, Riki slightly lifts his head back up. His gaze stays focused on the obvious mark his mouth has left behind on you, he can't help but admire it for a short moment.
Feeling a sudden longing for Riki's lips to be back on your skin, you guide his head back down to where you need it. Your fingers, yet again, tug at the strands of his hair at the feeling of having him graze his teeth along your neck. You tilt your head back, surrendering yourself to him completely.
"Does that feel good?" his low tone speaks against your skin. "Hm?"
Feeling lightheaded, your bottom lip finds itself between your teeth again at his question, "Mhm." The smile on his face only grows cockier at your breathy reply.
Riki helps you remove your top before moving his actions to your chest. With the both of your hands now being free of his grasp, you take the opportunity to tug his muscle tee off too, discarding the piece of fabric somewhere across the bed.
He lifts himself off your body, straddling your thigh, as one of his knees settle in-between the both of your thighs. Riki looks down at your figure, admiring you through his hooded eyes. He had become an artist, you, his masterpiece. A canvas for him to leave his marks of desire all over.
As he continues to eye your chest, the newly scattered marks he's left across it causes something within his sweatpants to twitch.
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suhsweet · 8 days
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tied up ⟡ hhj
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wc: 3058 | pair: hj x afab!reader | genre: established relationship, 18+ (minors go away) | tags: sub!hyunjin, tied down!hyunjin, blindfolded!hyunjin, needy!hyunjin, he's desperate for reader, mirror stuff, he swears like crazy
summary: when you had the brilliant idea of tying hyunjin to a chair, blindfolding him, and driving him insane.
authors note: CONGRATULATIONS TO SKZ FOR ATTENDING THE MET GALA, OT8 IS INSANE <3
Hyunjin was confused when he saw the lone dining chair in the middle of your shared bedroom.
He was also confused when you had him by the wrist, pulling him towards said chair, and had him sit down.
But the moment he saw you pull out the blindfold from your pocket, he instantly knew.
And was instantly hard.
You giggled at the tent in his pants while you secured his arms behind the chair with a knot you had learned online, specifically for this moment.
“Baby,” he whispered breathlessly, the kind of whisper he used when observing his favorite artwork. With awe.
“Relax,” you nipped at his ear before standing before him, admiring a masterpiece of your own.
You were very well aware of your lover’s otherwordly good looks. One would think that the blindfold would mask his beauty. You couldn’t see the siren eyes that always burned with desire when focused on you. Yet, the blindfold only enhanced the bottom half of his perfect face.
Your eyes were drawn to the sharp tip of his nose, which you knew he loved to bury between your legs. To the pillowy lips which you could kiss all day. And to the sharp jaw, which was currently clenched.
“I don’t know where to start,” you sighed with mocking defeat as you observed his body. His lap looked so inviting that you just wanted to ride him already.
Hyunjin could hear the soft padding of your feet circling him. The change of air told him you were nearing, and his body grew warm in anticipation of what was to come. Since he couldn't see you, he was eager to feel your touch.
Where would you touch him first while he was restrained like this? He couldn’t help fidgeting around, but he wasn’t going to try to break out of the restraints.
“Touch me already,” Hyunjin groaned. “Please.”
A hand fisted his hair gently from behind, making him jump. Your other hand slid onto his shoulder to feel the firm muscle under the fabric of his shirt. It slithered towards his collarbone and trailed up to the expanse of his neck. The pads of your fingers softly grazed his Adam’s apple.
Your face buried itself onto the side of his neck, leaving a trail of kisses and nips as you smelt his cologne and body wash. Everything that made him, him. Made him yours.
“You always forget your manners Hyun,” you said.
“You drive me crazy.”
“You make me crazy too.” You kissed his cheek loudly.
The erotic, wet sound so close to his ear made him slump in defeat. With his hair freed from your fingers, his head lolled back limply and his blindfolded gaze looked towards the ceiling. The sight of his lips looking so presentable, like dessert on a plate, stole any restraint from you, and you couldn’t help but kiss his lips this time.
Hyunjin eagerly responded by kissing you back with more force than you had first given him. He nipped, and licked, and sucked at your lips like he was a starved man.
Which, to him, he was.
You eventually caught yourself, and abruptly pulled away. Hyunjin's lips were now swollen, a shade of cherry red. The sheen of your mixed saliva around the border of his lips caught the light as you moved yourself back in front of him.
He cursed softly at your sudden absence with a soft ‘fuck’. It was more to himself, than to you.
You kneeled in between his legs this time and rested your hands on his thighs. You giggled at the sight of Hyunjin’s head immediately tilted towards you as if he had x-ray vision that allowed him to see through the blindfold.
His breathing became more shallow as he barely felt the hint of your lips kissing from the side of his left knee, to his inner thigh, and onto his erection.
Your fingers expertly undid the button and zip of his pants and he was obedient when you had him raise his hips for you to slip them and his boxers off. You gripped his length firmly, not moving, not providing him any ounce of pleasure at all. You were simply holding it upright. You smiled up at him. “So hard for me.”
“All because of you.”
“That’s right baby. Say it again, louder.”
His response came out as a desperate sigh. “Mm, all because of you.”
You teased him by breathing hot air onto the tip, right where he was most sensitive. You pressed another wet kiss, making another of those erotic sounds. “What’s because of me?”
Hyunjin’s brows were furrowed under the blindfold. He was distraught, and desperate at this point. Your teasing was pushing him so close to the brink of insanity that he didn’t have the thought to be embarrassed of his pure desperation anymore.
“You make me so hard! Fuck! I’m so hard because of you. Fucking hard, because of you. So fucking hard. I need you, baby, please, please.”
You smiled, pleased as he continued to babble on.
His reward came in the form of a thick glob of saliva dripping off your tongue and onto the tip of his pretty cock. The sensation of it silenced him immediately, aside from his crazed breathing.
Your lips followed as you started practically making out with the tip of his erection, your saliva dancing in between your lips and his skin. Hyunjin groaned in response, the soft breathless sounds only egged you on.
As you finally brought him into your mouth, you looked up at him and tugged on the blindfold so that it fell around his neck.
He blinked at the sudden change of light, after having his eyes closed for so long. But when his vision cleared, and looked down at the sight of you between his legs, he immediately closed his eyes again.
His eyes fixed themselves on the ceiling as he tried to distract himself, trying to ignore the filthy sounds you made while pleasuring him. He didn’t stop the drawn-out ‘fuuuuuuuck’ that left his pretty lips.
“Don’t look away from me Hyunjin,” you warned him. He immediately brought his attention back onto you, and you could see that it pained him to do so from the way his face screwed up.
“I’m going to cum faster if I do.”
“Why’s that?”
He huffed at your innocent tone as if you were licking a lolly pop and not sucking out his soul. “You look fucking beautiful like this.”
“Good,” you replied. Maintaining eye contact, you slowly took him into your mouth. When your lips finally met the base of his cock, and he was at the back of your throat, you bobbed your throat twice before your gag reflex had you pulling away. He shouted your name sharply at you deep-throating him.
Hyunjin found it so hot that his cock had your eyes watering.
He sighed in relief, thanking whatever deity for giving him a brief break as you stood up and removed your hand. He didn’t want to cum yet, not without feeling your tight pussy wrapped around him.
But he went back to cursing as he watched you strip yourself. You even dared to turn your back towards him and bent over to drag your panties down your soft thighs. It gave him the view of your ass all up in his face. The scent of your pussy had him ready to bust right then and there.
You turned back towards him. Your hands gripped the back of the chair he sat on as you bent down to his level. You both gazed into each other’s eyes deeply. The eagerness, and the desperation in his, tracked your every moment.
He could see that you were enjoying this, taking control for once, and fuck, if he wasn’t enjoying this either. He wanted to be good for you, to make you feel good first and get his release after.
You watched as his gaze followed your lips and rewarded his attention with your kisses. His teeth clashed with yours, as you both drew your fill of each other.
Was anything going to be as addictive as your lips? Hyunjin decided that the answer was no. You sucked on his lips in a way that had his toes curling. Definitely not.
When you pulled away to kiss his cheek, then his jaw, he gave an annoyed groan. You stopped kissing him too soon.
“Baby, ride me already.”
You stopped and levelled him with a look.
“Fuck, please!”
“You forgot your manners again, my love.” You sighed loudly as you brought your legs to rest on either side of his legs and sat down on his lap. You purposely sat away from his cock, positioning yourself closer to his knees.
“I know, I’m sorry,” Hyunjin eyed the distance between your pussy and his arousal.
“You were doing so good until you had to forget one important word,” you pouted in mock disappointment. His chin was gripped in the palm of your hand. You took your time, taking in the view of such beauty so close to you.
His brows drew together as his eyes never left yours. He bit his lips roughly before he started pleading. “Shit, I’m sorry baby. Please ride me. I’ll remember my manners, hmm?”
You smirked cruelly as you started moving your hips on his lap. You barely brushed against his cock as you lifted and lowered your hips repeatedly in place. Your arms roped around his neck, pressing your breasts together.
“Oh Hyunjin,” you moaned despite not feeling any pleasure. The sound of your bare thighs meeting him replicated the sound of him fucking you.
“W-what are you doing?” When he checked, Hyunjin’s cock had become an angry red shade. He desperately wanted to bury it inside of you.
“Riding you. You didn’t specifically say what,” you teased.
“My cock! Please, ride my cock! Baby, I’m seriously going crazy.”
“I think I like you begging,” you smirked in his face as you stopped fake-fucking him.
“I’m begging you to fucking fuck my cock already, please!”
“You remembered to say please,“ you laughed as you finally moved your hips closer to his erection. “Wasn’t so hard, was it it?”
Hyunjin shook his head obediently, he bit his lip as he watched your pussy near his cock.
“Okay, okay,” you giggled. You took the blindfold from his neck and brought it over his eyes once more. You were fixing his hair as he asked about what you were doing.
You kissed his nose. “Just making sure you’ll remember your manners. You don’t deserve to watch your cock slide into this pretty pink pussy just yet.”
“Nooo, please, please, please,” Hyunjin’s plump lips murmured the words like a prayer.
You answered him by lining his arousal with yours, running the tip through your slit to gather the wetness that accumulated while you were busy torturing Hyunjin.
When you felt ready to take him, you finally sheathed him into you. It drew a sweet, breathy moan from your lips and a guttural sound from his chest.
“Fuck, thank you!”
You smiled to yourself, pleased at his thanks. You busied yourself with tugging on his hair and nipping at the flesh of his neck. You knew that he loved it when you tugged at his long strands, and he confirmed it when he moaned louder in response.
It took you everything not to start fucking him like a crazed animal while he was so responsive to everything you did to him. He gasped whenever you licked a thick stripe up his neck, and he shuddered when you circled your hips. He bit his lips as he felt your hands greedily groping his rippled chest, and firm arms.
With both hands pressed into his neck lightly, you made out with him lazily. The sound of wet kisses joined the sounds of your flesh meeting. He hummed with approval, taking anything you’d give him.
Hyunjin was becoming used to being blindfolded. It enhanced his other senses, like the scent of your sweat and perfume, your warm soft hands running all over his body, and the soft sighs of pleasure that came from you.
However, he wanted to see you. Needed to see you.
“Baby, please take the blindfold off,” he moaned.
You didn’t stop riding as you considered his question silently.
Your silence had him speaking again. “I need to see my baby ride my cock, please!”
His answer came in the fabric being ripped off his face, and thrown somewhere behind you roughly. Once his vision returned, he almost busted on the spot. Your chest was right in his face, your perfect tits bouncing.
You gripped his face roughly and turned it towards the full-length mirror that sat against a far wall. Your cheek pressed against his as you made him watch.
The mirror showed the view of the two of you in such a filthy, erotic state. The floor lamp behind you highlighted the silhouette of your joined bodies. Hyunjin’s long, slim legs were stretched out in front of him. Your naked breasts were pressed against his clothed chest rippling like water as you piston yourself onto him.
“Look at that pretty view,” you breathed hard. “Do you like it? Being tied down while a pretty girl uses you however she likes?”
You could see Hyunjin’s eyes rolling to the back of his head at your words, his bottom lip pressed between his teeth to keep animalistic sounds from coming out.
You kept his face firmly in your grip as you hid your face onto his shoulder, biting at the skin. The never-ending slap, slap, slap of your thighs meeting his lap was starting to become a countdown to your climax.
You were so close, and so was he.
“Hyunjin, fuck,” you whined. Now that you could feel your incoming orgasm, you were slowly going back to your needy self. “Answer me. Tell me how good you feel because of me.”
Hyunjin knew that when you were close, his words were what brought you over. Yet in his moment, his mind was so intoxicated by you that he could hardly form a complete sentence. His words came out as a drunken slur. “S’ pretty bouncing on this cock.”
You moaned responsively, tugging harder on his hair.
“Yes pretty girl,” he hissed harshly. He let his dominant words come out. “Fucking use me. S’ cute. So sweet and innocent in public, but you’re using me like a fucking toy when we’re alone. I love it. I want more.”
You rode him harder, faster, ignoring the burn of your thighs. Hyunjin watched in wonder as you threw your head back, revealing the graceful curve of your neck. He wanted to mark it up so badly, but the restraints on his arms kept him in place.
His eyes followed the bead of sweat that rolled from your neck, down to the valley of your breasts where the nipples were pebbled. He closed his eyes, licked his lips and trapped the bottom lip under his teeth; all while throwing his head back. “Fuck.”
“Hyunjin,” you started chanting his name like a prayer. “Gonna cum.”
“Good girl, good fucking girl,” Hyunjin’s head remained thrown back over the back of the chair. He was desperately trying not to cum before you. “I want to fill you up, so cum now.”
You obeyed, giving yourself three thrusts on his cock before your eyes clenched shut and you saw stars. Hyunjin kept on calling you a good girl as you came down from your high. Your lids fluttered open to find Hyunjin gazing up at you with a sweet smile.
You kissed him once and wrapped your arms around his neck in an embrace before starting to ride him once more. “You’ll let me make you cum now, hmm?”
“Please,” Hyunjin sighed. He turned to watch the two of you in the mirror once more. He was mesmerized by how perfectly you fit against him, and watched the way your hips moved to pleasure him.
Just as he was about to cum, his face whipped towards you. He needed to look at you as he came. You looked at him with so much love and desire. All for him. All his.
“Mine,” he whispered. You pressed your forehead to his as you nodded. You kissed him.
“All yours. Cum for me Hyun.”
He nodded, switching from looking at your eyes to your lips until he couldn’t take it anymore. His hips involuntarily started to buck as he began chasing his high. You didn’t stop slamming your pussy down his cock, and even started clenching around him.
He responded to that with a loud, “Yes! I’m cumming!”
As you felt a warm pool inside of you, you slowed your thrusting to milk his arousal. Hyunjin breathed out long, deep breaths whilst you lazily kissed his jaw, murmuring praises into his ear.
The two of you sat there, breathing heavily as you recovered. You sat back and ran your fingers through your hair in an attempt to tame it. Hyunjin watched you with stars in his eyes, and when you caught him, you blushed.
You stood up slowly, wincing softly at the tired muscles in your legs. Hyunjin’s release slowly dripped out of you, and the sight was enough to make him slowly harden once more.
“Let’s get you out of these,” you laughed softly.
Hyunjin shook his head fervently. “If you kept me like this forever, I wouldn’t complain.”
“Maybe later. I’m tired from riding, and need to be buried in your sexy, muscular arms.”
He stretched his arms as soon as they were free. They were slightly sore from being in the same position for so long, but he didn’t have any complaints. When he saw your face mould into concern for his sore arms, he immediately lunged for you, pulling you into his arms.
You shrieked at suddenly being carried bridal style. The bed drew closer in your vision. You were thrown onto it. Hyunjin watched as you fixed yourself on the bed while stripping off his white t-shirt. His body joined yours soon after, and he caged you onto the mattress. You giggled as he brought his face down to yours, kissing you like a crazed man.
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bystarlightlore · 9 months
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lord have mercy jesus christ…the love scene
i can barely write about this scene without tears pouring down my face. it’s beyond intimacy.
frame by frame. magic.
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usually all of their touching and tracing is leading somewhere, but in this singular moment, they're just admiring each other. henry is taking his time and alex is leveling all of the air in the room into the most delicate, pointed gaze. there is so much love in that one look. the way henry looks back is so sweet; the most affectionate smile playing at his lips.
alex's breath hitches a bit when henry's hand reaches his heart; and he bursts into the most gorgeous smile.
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alex's affinity for bracing his hands against henry's back and waist is beautiful. the way he molds his fingers to every curve of his body. henry going straight for the hair; bracing his grip to the back of alex's neck.
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alex never takes his eyes off of henry. not once. he's doing so much with that one look; asking, testing, falling, following. letting henry take the lead. they're saying everything to one another without uttering a single word. in the book, it talks about the tiniest of nods that henry does when they're together, and how alex is the one that notices them and knows what they mean -- i love seeing it here.
this is new for the both of them in different ways. their very own "first time." and you'd think that something this exposed would come with a sense of fear from either of them, but that's not what you find in their eyes. there's wonder, curiosity, love, and even a bit of timidness and caution, but no fear. they're so open and willing with one another. giving all of themselves without hesitation.
& hesitation is a big thing for henry because that's all he's ever done. but here, with his alex, he doesn't have to hold anything back.
their synced exhale, henry's whisper of a smile, the way his teeth graze his bottom lip, licking his lips. alex in absolute awe of him.
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the emotional nakedness here is...more intimate than the sex itself. they're both discovering so much about each other in these lines. alex releasing every inhibition and assumption. his words are breathy and loose, like he found it impossible to hold his tongue. like the look in henry's eyes alone is drawing out the very core of his heart. and in this moment, he's realizing that part of his heart is henry now.
& henry. delicate, precious henry. for a boy so filled with passionate, poetic soliloquies, he stripped himself bare with three words. so much about this masterpiece of a boy has to be kept hidden, and this gives everyone around him the ability to make up their preferred versions. he can barely let anyone in.
but here, where for a moment, it's safe, he's letting alex know in just three, life-altering words that alex has all of him. this is everything that he is. and sweet alex takes on every inch, never looking away.
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this kiss is where the tears started coming down hard.
the two of them express a very equal amount of love in two stunningly distinct ways. alex's is very pointed, henry's is incredibly rounded. (ill touch on it in another analysis). alex anchors them, henry surrounds them. they literally created their own yin&yang. they crafted their own harmony. it's madness. beautiful, beautiful madness.
you can see alex's pointed focus here in the way he kisses henry. it's direct & unfettered & insatiable. henry's rounder edges are featherlight. his jaw is relaxed, his lips are soft & loose. his eyes are fluttered closed, like he's sleeping.
he's safe enough here to kiss alex softly.
...& that's why i bawled my eyes out.
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this got me too.
they're taking their time to trace eachother; learn each other. there's some subconscious part of henry that doesn't feel as secure as he is in this moment, and you can see that in the clutch of his fist.
alex opens it; and he laces them together. it's so easy to get lost in a moment like this, but alex is so intentional and attentive to detail that he takes the time to loosen and anchor every inch of henry. he doesn't leave a single piece of him apprehensive or locked up.
henry’s fingers kneading alex’s shoulder. the way alex runs his hand along henry’s arm & the bend of his waist. alex's grip covering henry's hand as he threads it into his hair. holding it there, keeping them steady. stay.
their touches don’t beg, they take, & the other gives — whatever & however much they’re craving from one another. they want so much of each other. & they have all the time in the world. it’s just them.
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they’re both so blissed-out & lost in each other here. there’s nobody else in the world. euphoric in its nature, concrete in its beauty.
the slight tremor in alex’s lower lip, the way his lips gently brush henry's brow. henry’s mouth falling open, eyes flitted closed. it’s all so skin-to-skin. neither of them knows where the other ends and they begin.
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the meticulous release in the flex of henry’s hand. he can feel alex, & his feelings for alex in every nerve, every bone, down to the arched tips of his fingers.
it’s tender & gentle & warm & i’m going to bawl my eyes out. help. 
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neil-gaiman · 8 months
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Greetings, Mr. Neil! I don't even know if you'll answer, but to start, I wanted to tell you that I love your job. I love your shared work with Mr. Terry, the book I consider a masterpiece. I'm also sure Mr. Terry is looking down at you from up above, smiling, with a pleased face, because he is proud of you that you managed to make his wish come true alongside a great group of wonderful actors and directors.
I wanted to share with you this little thing that means a lot to me. It was the year 2019, I was going around various cities to do visits and check-ups for my mental health problems, when one day I decided to enter a bookstore, and there I saw "Good Omens" for the first time. I picked it up and looked at it, but I was in a hurry so I didn't buy it. On the night of that same day I had a dream, a very realistic dream where I saw myself enter that bookstore, pick up the book, pay for it and come out of that store with it in my arms. I didn't pay much attention to it, but then, the next night, I had the exact same dream. I had this dream three nights in a row. On the fourth day I had to go back to the city where that bookstore was, and I finally decided to buy the book. Since that day, I haven't had that strange, all too real dream. It was as if the book itself was calling me. It was an eerie feeling but also very beautiful and intriguing. I read the book and then found out that a TV series was coming out soon! I bought the book of the series, the DVD, and recently also the Script Book! I'm a huge fan, and I'm very proud of being one. Good Omens has helped me a lot in particularly difficult moments and continues to help me to this day.
Now, the question... I have so many I can't make up my mind, but... it's about when Gabriel remembered something for the first time.
He remembered what God had said to Job. He said it, too, but his voice was kind of distorted, and in that distortion, I could hear the voice of God overlapping. Why is it? Was it meant to be heard? Because I remember you saying you didn't need God's voice for this second season...
Thanks for reading this far, and thanks again for bringing such a masterpiece into the world together with Mr. Terry. <3
That's Frances McDormand as God, yes. I didn't need her voice as narrator, but we needed it as God in Episode 2...
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sttoru · 9 months
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STEP ON ME !
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ෆ sypnosis. satoru decides to surprise you by making breakfast in bed since you weren’t feeling well. he leaves the kitchen a complete mess, which only stresses you out more and it eventually turns into a small argument.
ෆ note. had to make some satoru angst (+ comfort at the end).. based on a thought i had of satoru holding back tears & failinf t_t not proofread !
ෆ tags. gojo satoru x female reader. angst, reverse comfort, bits of fluff, satoru holdin back tears because he isn’t used to u raising ur voice.. ehem. that’s all ima say.
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satoru’s tongue stuck out between his lips as he was deeply focused on cracking an egg open without making too much noise. he had planned this surprise breakfast for you in secrecy ever since he spotted the stress and fatigue in your demeanour. it was written all over your face: you needed a break from life itself and as soon as it was possible.
the least your lover could do was make things easier for you by doing the simplest of tasks. that’s the reason behind satoru’s motivation this morning. he was determined to make you your favourite food just to be able to see that smile on your face again.
‘then, add 200ml of milk,’ the voice of a woman explaining the recipe on a youtube video sounded from somewhere in the kitchen. satoru couldn’t even spot his phone throughout the entire mess he made; he just followed what the voice said.
there was flour everywhere on the counter along with broken egg shells, spilled milk, ripped open packages of seasoning, some other pans on the stove which got toasts in them (already halfway burning). all in all, it was utter chaos, though it seemed like satoru’s been used to it.
“okay.. now we mix it.” satoru mumbles to himself and grabs a whisk to mix the ingredients in the bowl. he had a joyful expression on his face, dimples showing near the corners of his mouth, blue eyes glimmering with anticipation at what your reaction could be.
‘she’s gonna be so surprised—can’t wait,’ your lover was already imagining just what your face would look like once he surprises you. it fills his heart with pure and unadulterated love.
little did he knew that you were already awake due to the distant noises of destruction in your kitchen. you had awoken with a headache and were already in a bad mood because of whoever interrupted your (already) poor sleeping schedule. satoru was most likely the culprit since he wasn’t in bed with you right this moment.
you lift yourself up with a groan, mumbling some complaints once you realised that you had been awoken at 9 in the morning. today was the first and last day in so many weeks that you could sleep in, yet was instantly ruined. this only fuelled your stress for the day ahead.
what you didn’t expect, however, was to find the kitchen in such a disastrous condition. you freeze on spot and stare at the mess with wide eyes. the only thing you could hope for in that instant, was that this was all part of a very long and realistic nightmare.
satoru wiped some flour from his face as he was too engrossed on perfectly cutting up some of your favourite fruit. he had a proud expression on his face once the last pieces were sliced up and stepped back to admire his work, “absolute masterpiece. bet she’ll be happy about it.”
a long sigh coming from behind the sorcerer made him turn around. his face lit up at the sight of you. especially because he loves how adorable you look in the mornings; a bit grumpy, tired eyes, pouty lips— although there was no denying it; you seemed even grumpier today which didn’t surprise him. you were going through a hard time after all.
“hi, baby!” satoru greets you with a bright smile in hopes to erase whatever was bothering you, “i made you your favourite breakfast combo. i thought i’d surprise you today, but heh, guess you found out before i could.”
you didn’t even pay any mind to what was said nor did you look up at your lover even once. all your eyes were seeing was the complete mess all around the kitchen, on the tiles, counter and walls.
“satoru,” another deep sighs leaves your lips in attempt to calm your nerves and not lose your temper, “what’s all this?”
satoru hesitates a little to speak up once he senses the slight discomfort—no—irritation building up in you. he’s always been attentive to any changes in your mood and that’s how he easily comes to know when you’re upset. this moment was no different.
“hm? what?” satoru slowly asks, voice lower than it was previously. he really was trying not to accidentally strike a nerve, all the while keeping that big smile on his lips. there was a quiet voice in the back of his mind which was telling him that you were at the verge of breaking down. you’ve been on the edge since yesterday. it was only a matter of time for you to lose your temper.
thus, satoru decides to tread carefully, doing that by trying to change topics and feigning innocence. of course, he knew you meant the disaster in the kitchen, however he figured it’d be the right choice to make you forget about it;
“you mean this? it’s your favourite pancakes and—uhh— your favourite fruits and stuff. y’know what i realised this morning? cookin’ is really har—”
“don’t act dumb. you know damn well what i meant, gojo.”
the harsh words pierce through satoru’s soul. the tone of voice used by you sending an uncomfortable shiver down his spine. it was noticeable, the physical changes satoru went through in under two seconds: his smile dropped, lips slightly parting in mild shock, body freezing and eyes shaky as they looked back at yours.
the last thing he had expected was for you to be so stone cold to him. satoru never has heard you be this hostile against him throughout the entirety of your relationship, hence his reaction.
and the cherry on top? you using his family’s name to refer to satoru as an individual. the only ones using ‘gojo’ to refer to him were his students and strangers. it felt like your long, loving and strong relationship was shattered in that split second.
“b-baby, i..” he stumbles over his own words. what was there left to say, anyway? you clearly felt angry with him to the point your eyes were glaring at him like he was an enemy of yours. not a lover whom had only shown care and love for you all this time.
all satoru wanted was to make you happy. he didn’t want to upset you in any way, but you were too stressed out by everything to even notice his pure intentions. after all, a negative mindset drives you to hyper focus on all the negativity going on in your life.
“just get out.” you sigh as you walk past your lover, slightly bumping against the tall man which-surprisingly-makes him budge and stumble a step back, “i’ll clean this up.”
satoru didn’t even look at you anymore as his gaze was fixed on the cold tiles underneath his feet. there were a thousand questions going through his head. he didn’t want an answer to all of them. he only needed an answer to one:
“are you mad at me?”
satoru’s voice hadn’t sounded this weak and fragile in ages. in fact, satoru hadn’t felt his heart ache this bad in decades. he knows; he knows he messes up sometimes. the mistakes made in the past, which led to disappointment and even breaks of long lasting relationships, haunted him every night. he never blames others for leaving him since the only outcome of staying with him was disadvantageous.
you don’t answer that question, being too focused on cleaning the food and ingredients cluttered everywhere. the fact that you didn’t answer made satoru panic. even if he tried his best not to show his weakness in the moment.
if only he hadn’t made a mess, if only he didn’t try to do something he knew he wasn’t good at, if only.. he never stepped foot in this kitchen today; none of this would have happened. he wouldn’t have hurt another person who was dear to him.
satoru clenches his fists, white locks covering his eyes to hide the pain, panic and despair in them. there was a lump in the back of his throat, one which he had grown to get used to whenever things go wrong.
but, he can handle it; he can just push those feelings away and act like everything was okay. like he wasn’t hurt by your words. he should just go and help you clean up silently; with a smile on his face regardless. maybe it’d cheer you up— it’s always worth a try.
whilst being in hurtful moments like these, gojo satoru couldn’t help but be the most selfless person on earth.
“sorry. i’m sorry.” his voice breaks the uneasy silence between the two of you. without facing him, you could sense the devastation in his tone. satoru clenches his fists so hard that he could feel his nails making a small wound on the palm. he was trying his utter best not to break down in front of you, because that would be unlike him; unlike the strongest.
“please don’t be mad at me.” what he actually meant by that sentence was ‘please don’t leave me’. satoru’s eye twitches a little as tears begin to blur his vision. he turns his back at you so that you couldn’t notice them— or rather— can’t notice his vulnerability in general.
your movements come to an abrupt halt as your ears pick up on a small hitch of his breath. you knew it well; the little gasp of air before somebody starts crying. that’s when you snapped out of your angry trance, your whole demeanour mellowing instantly.
you turned your body sideways and bit your lip once you saw how satoru had his back turned to you—his shoulders trembling a bit from your point of view. you hesitantly took a few steps towards your lover and when you spoke, your voice was a complete opposite to its earlier used tone, “hey, satoru.”
silence.
you felt your heart break as you realised what you’ve said earlier and how bad it could’ve came across to satoru. your gaze falls on the plates he filled with your all time favourite dishes. the mess surrounding it was just evidence of his hard work— his love for you.
“baby.” you try again, placing a careful hand on satoru’s back. he’s never shown you a vulnerable side of his. you were always met with silly smiles or jokes, despite him being at his lowest.
satoru tensed up a bit as your hand came in contact with his body. it was not out of fear for you, but rather for the consequences of that touch. it was like he forgot all about your irritation from earlier and just set his attention on how you tried to comfort him.
a sigh leaves your lips before you step around satoru’s body to face him properly. his head was still held low and his snowy bangs kept covering his beautiful eyes, though there was no doubt about it: he was silently crying.
you reach out for him, pulling his head to rest on your chest, your other arm draped around his shoulders. soft pecks were placed all over his soft hair while his face was buried in your chest.
in a fraction of just a second, satoru’s entire body melts into your embrace. his arms wrap around your waist while his face was squished against your chest. your scent filled his nostrils which bought him a sense of safety and comfort since it meant that you were still with him. satoru sniffles quietly and squeezes you tightly like he doesn’t want to ever let go of you.
“i’m sorry, okay? i’m the one who should be sorry. not you. please forgive me for snapping at you.” you mumble, feeling the guilt hit you in big waves when you took note of the way satoru clung onto you.
quiet sobs, ones that left you devastated, filled the silence in the kitchen. the vibrations of satoru’s soft cries could be felt against your chest and it caused you to hug him tighter than before. you nuzzle your nose into his white, fluffy hair and plant a couple more kisses on his scalp which were meant for comfort.
constant apologies spill from your lips as you realise how bad you must’ve hurt the guy to get him to cry; if anyone else saw satoru straight up sob like this, they’d be baffled yet curious as to what could’ve made such an all time upbeat man finally break down.
all it actually took was you. the most dearest person in his life at the moment, to show a small amount of disappointment in him and satoru felt like his entire future was done for. because, what would a successful future be without you present? it’d all be meaningless, that’s for sure.
“it’s okay.” satoru finally manages to say, his voice hoarse from silently crying in your arms. he slowly pulls his head back to look at you. his blue eyes were glistening with tears, the corners a red hue from all the emotions flowing through him, “i should’ve been more careful.”
your heart sinks at the sight of your lover whom was still insisting on it being his fault. satoru was always like that, no matter the circumstances.
“no, it’s not your fault.” your fingers brushed away the crystal clear drops on satoru’s pale skin, “all you wanted to do was surprise me and make me happy. i shouldn’t have reacted like that.”
satoru looked up at you and then down at your fingers as they gently wiped off his tears. you treated him so delicately in this moment and he loved every second of it. a small smile crept on his face and he eventually nodded,
“thank you.” the two words were simple ones, however you could feel the gratitude radiating off satoru as he slowly regains his usual form. his white eyelashes were wet with tears, cheeks flushed and areas surrounding his eyes gaining a subtly red colour.
it didn’t take much for your lover to calm down. as long as he has you, he can have the entire world and its population against him and he’d still feel the best he ever was. as long as you stayed by his side and didn’t ignore him nor hate him, he’ll live his best life.
no one else mattered to the strongest except for you. and your validation.
“you’re beautiful.” you mutter as you take a good look at satoru’s face from up close. you’ve never seen him properly cry before, so this sight was a first. and oh, what was it an ethereal one.
satoru’s eyes widen in response and he raises his eyebrows at the comment you dropped out of nowhere. all the pain, frustrations and stress were sucked out of his system. from yours as well.
“aht aht, don’t start now, babe”. he playfully scolds while poking your cheek. satoru straightens his back and gazed down at you with that signature grin of his, “we both know you’re more beautiful.”
you giggle and shake your head. you know it’s coming up next; the compliment war. the only battle which satoru hadn’t won just yet. it always ends up with a draw since neither of you want to give up when it comes to showing your love to each orher.
its what strengthens your bond and made it to what it is today. small arguments or misunderstandings, such as the one from earlier, are no match to the purest form of love that lingers between the two of you.
neither satoru nor you will ever give up on your relationship. you both only have each other left in this world after all.
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chocsra · 2 months
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✧ "Salvation; Devotion"
16! stormbringer! Chuuya x fem! reader
✧ summary: being targeted by paul verlaine after being chuuyas friend, though when he comes to talk to you with a european detective, it seems to be more than friendship. ✧ content: small oneshot, fluff, angst (kinda), adam + angsty teenagers ✧ w/c: 1.4k
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Chuuya - meaning "loyalty, devotion"
Nakahara - meaning "central plain"
His devotion was not only his strongest attribute, but his most tender weakness.
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You knew a boy. He was young and short, but fiery and strong. He was mysterious, born with unknown origins, and walked the wrong path, that's why he's not only humanity's most destructive weapon but a lowly, pitiful, criminal.
It was something you weren't, though you didn't mind much.
But under the guise of celestial imperfections, Chuuya was a constellation falling into place. He was beautiful. Sunkissed with the kind of foreign beauty you’d see in actors that would play some sort of prince. Your first examination of him was his wealthy and neatly ironed clothing—the kind of blazers and shoes that you’d find in a modelling campaign. Even the accented cuffs of his clothing were underlined with emerald or other precious stones. Then, his silky russet hair, one thrown into a low ponytail—the hairstyle itself still retained a strong masculinity despite the length. Or maybe that came from the musky cologne he constantly wore. A hint of cigarettes, strawberries and that strong scent of virile.
The soft glow from his copper locks then shifted to the fitted collar around his neck—an odd fashion choice, but it really accentuated the ivory of his skin. Soft, sun-kissed skin that’d make its way to his face. A beautiful face, really. Delicate and angelic features with a permanent scowl tugging on his lips—soft pink lips. Chuuya's eyes reflected a fine smoky quartz. His cheeks and nose kissed with a few scattered freckles.
You wondered why a boy so sublime had the status of an onerous beast. Even he took the words that held the weight of a blade and cut himself until he was reduced to the slit of a knife.
You met that same boy, a masterpiece ripped at every edge, not in the dangers of the mafia, but where a silver line stretches to the sea. Where the sun meets the sky, where the light shines.
But even then, you treated him differently. You didn't treat him like he was something fragile. Neither did you treat him like the monstrosity he was sought out to be. You didn't worship him, nor did you greatly depend on him. Instead, you found his humanity and treated him as such. Once a stranger, then a friend, then..
Nevermind.
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"Chuuya?!"
You heard the calamity of each step he took to reach you, the boy stopping to pant. "[Y/N].. we need to talk." next to the redhead, was a tall European man with short brown hair, he didn't look tired at all compared to Chuuya. "Greetings, my name is Adam Frankenstein." You cocked a brow at his monotonous voice, the way his mouth moved didn't seem in sync with his words either. "You're rather special, Master Chuuya spent almost 7 hours looking for yo-" Adam explained briefly, causing the redhead to grimace and cut him off, "Shut it, will ya?!"
...
You heaved a bothersome sigh, elbows planted on a cafe table as the two men sat in front of you. "So.. why do you need me, Chuuya?" you question, fiddling with your fingers, "And who's he?.." your gaze uplifts to the brunette foreigner, which the man carefully takes a pack of gum and begins to unfold it, popping a piece in his mouth, before swallowing it. Your eyebrows furrow in a moment of youthful distaste.
Chuuya clutches the cup of tea between his gloved fingers and murmurs something intangible, "Adam's a detective from Europole, investigating Verlaine. He wants to know more about him, which is why he's been following me around.." he finally explains, taking a calculated and almost frustrated sip of his tea.
"Verlaine. Who's Verlaine?" You ask momentarily, causing the redhead to part his lips to answer, but you quickly halt as the detective swallows another piece of gum down his throat. "And why is he chewing gum like that?"
"That's what I'm sayin'!" the teenager half-seriously slams the cup of tea on the table, "He swallows it like a nutjob. You need help, tin man." Chuuya scoffs, his Adam's apple bobbing in his throat almost nervously.
"You need help. You spent 6 hours and 47 minutes looking for h-" the brunette explains with a hint of sass in his voice, the redhead's eyes widening in shock, "I said shut up!"
You shuffle in your seat awkwardly as the two men argue. Scratching the back of your neck before Chuuya finally settles down, patting down the cashmere of his suit.
"So here's the thing about Verlaine.. he's this batshit crazy assassin, and uh.. here's the real kicker.." the mafioso mutters, fiddling with his gloved fingers uneasily. "You're gonna be the bait."
Your jaw immediately drops, a hand clasping over your chest in the offence. "Excuse me?! For what?.. to get killed?!" Chuuya looks distressed at your response, seeking Adam's gaze for at least a little help in his later response.
"Your safety is ensured. We just need to lure Verlaine out, so Master Chuuya can eliminate him." the detective explains rather calmly, fishing for something in the pocket of his suit before handing a chocolate bar to you. "Here, sugar helps with stress." the redhead smiles awkwardly at Adam's response, giving a nervous thumbs up.
You snatch the chocolate bar with a bit of attitude, eyes narrowing to Chuuya as the boy inhales sharply, "I thought I wouldn't get involved in your mafia affairs, now I have to die?" you ask with furrowed brows, anger cracking in your voice. Causing the teenager to gulp in slight fear, a rare sight to Adam, as he's never sensed fear from Master Chuuya. Especially to a young girl like you.
"Well, you won't die... More like, almost die." The detective explains, hoping he'd ease your nerves at least a bit. "Doesn't matter! M'not doing it!" You shout in vexation, hopping up from your seat as you pick up your school bag. "Plus, I couldn't if I wanted to, anyway," you murmur,
"Wait.. why?" Chuuya asks with conviction.
your gaze adverts to the different sights in the area: the park bench, passersby, and the cafe's menu. Anything but Chuuya's confused face.
"Uhm.. I have a project that's due tomorrow, and I didn't start yet."
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"You can't be serious!"
The teenager runs up to you in frustration, you clutch your bag as you turn to him. "Oh, but I am!" you remark, walking faster as the brunette detective catches up. "I'm very serious! After all, this is a serious project!"
The redhead pants and wipes a bead of sweat off his forehead, "You're really gonna prioritise a school project over your own life?!" he cries out, still trying to catch up to you.
"Anything is better than being bait for the Port Mafia!" You yell out, settling your argument atop a bridge, ignoring how the sun was starting to set in an arrangement of oranges and pinks. "Shit- Don't say that so loud!"
"I'd rather finish a school project than become bait for the Port Mafia!!"
You repeat again, louder this time. Chuuya pinches his nose bridge in frustration, tilting his head up towards the setting sun. And upon you halting your swift steps, the redhead finally catches up to you, and to your surprise, he grabs your hand to spin you around.
"Look, I had a shitty week too!" the boy lets go of your hand, making you huff a little bit. But instead of letting you go, he cups both of your cheeks and pulls you close, his gaze never averting from yours. "People that mattered to me died, so many of them," the teenager explains, a melancholic glint lingering in his pretty eyes, you could see it all from the close proximity of his face. "and I'd do anything for you to not be one of those people."
You gulp hard as your eyes scan over the glass of his eyes, the once stormy grey now welling holding back tears.
Silence.
Adam clears his throat, standing beside you and the mafioso awkwardly, "Apologies for interrupting. But this whole exchange is very childish. Master Chuuya, don't you think there are better words to articulate your romantic feelings towards [Y/N]?.. Perhaps after this all over, you can solve this by getting into a relationship-" you and the boy both retort at the detective in unison:
"Shut up, Adam!"
...
"Okay, I'll help you." you frown with conviction, "You owe me a school project, though."
The redhead presses two fingers to his glabella, "I'll send someone to complete it for you."
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✧ chocsra™
taglist for those who interacted in this post:
@loserzai @juice1231 @silverbladexyz @soleelia @cherylpoptarts @jackiepackiee @sapphire-tears013 @sstarshroom @n0thum4ny @roujira
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clericofgale · 5 months
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The stars will be our bed
I'm seeing a very popular narrative that asking for physical sex during Gale's act 2 scene is better for his character development, and the astral scene is bad for him. Or at least not as good. While I do prefer the astral version more, I disagree with the notion that either one is better for Gale's plot development. I've done both options depending on the what felt right for that specific Tav at the time. As always, if that's the narrative you want to build, there's nothing wrong with it.
For me personally I think both are narratively sound for his character development. Yes Gale needs to know he doesn't need magic to be loved, but Gale also loves magic. It's his life, his passion and his artistic medium of choice. What he needs is balance, not total rejection. You want the man, and the magic.
"Tactful, Bowing to the player's desires"
If you insist on regular sex, that's the devnote that's attached to it. Gale is acquiescing to what you, the player wants. Gale wanted to share his magic with you, but you refused. He doesn't care either way, as long as he's spending the night with you. The approval numbers are the same. He obviously prefers the astral sex because it's what he's used to and confident in, but either is fine.
One thing we have to remember is Gale also uses magic to find connection. In the act 1 weave scene, Gale and you share thoughts over the weave. It's exactly what he's trying to do in Act 2 as well. It's a mind meld sequence using the weave. I don't think Gale is trying to use magic to as a front in this scene, despite the "I can wow you" sentence if you refuse. I think he's trying to share his inner self with magic as the canvas, and connect with you in this most intimate way. It's akin to Fane's scene in DOS2 where you share Source with each other and also mind meld.
Gale wants to distill a lifetime's worth of affection into one night because he feels he will die soon. The scene is his "Last Night Alive". Gale, the artist of the weave puts on his final and private show for his beloved. He weaves stars and invites light to the land of shadows. He's prepared for days for this whole sequence, and you only need to trust him.
If you do he leads you into his innermost world. First, where he feels safest, and the balcony that brings him comfort. Then the book of a thousand days and nights filled with his love for you. The amount of time he wishes he had left to show you his affection, physical or emotional.
But he only has one night.
"There are endless worlds out there. Countless ways to declare love. Infinite ways to express it. Too much for one night.. but we shall try."
The astral scene is him trying. He multiplies as he refuses to let go your hand. He caresses every part of your mind, body, and soul. Gale tries desperately to sear every fiber of your being, of the one he loves onto his own soul. He wants to feel everything you do, and the weave is capable of that.
"Your bodies and minds weave together in a masterpiece of intimacy. Never have you felt such wonder, such love - as vast as the universe itself, and just as heavenly. "
You are one and the same that night. Where Gale ends and you begin is a mystery; he is lost in you and you in him.
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"We are all sensual vessels. Illusory magic lets us sail farther, and feel more deeply."
The scene is beautiful, both narratively and visually. This is not a man trying to use magic to demonstrate his worth so you won't leave him. This is a man trying to use magic to weave a tapestry from two spools of thread in one night. It's ok to let him do so. It's also ok to remind him he doesn't need to. Whichever feels right in that moment is the right choice.
They all end in giving Gale renewed hope. Magic was merely the medium on which it blossomed and thrived. Whether from a bed of stars or a bed conjured under it, your love is what gave it life.
Thanks for reading this way too long cold take.
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hwaightme · 5 months
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Impressionism
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(masterlist) (taglist)
🩸 pairing: vampire!gallerist/collector!seonghwa x art historian!gn!reader 🩸 genre: fluff, noir, soulmates, supernatural, strangers(?) to lovers, art nerding 🩸 summary: a post-graduate student specialising in impressionism, you were a regular visitor to the many art galleries in the city. who knew that among the paintings you would encounter your favourite, timeless work of art? 🩸 wordcount: 12.3k 🩸 warnings/tags: questionable editing, mention of blood, fangs, wounds, suggestive, many pet names (love, darling etc), art theory/history ponderings, time skips, mention of rituals, philosophy, hwa is centuries-old, yearning hwa 🩸 taglist: at the bottom of the fic 🩸 a/n: happy birthday to @starrysvn!! lheo, ilysm, and i hope you enjoy this little rambling <3 hugs to everyone, all reblogs, notes and comments appreciated! 🩸 playlist: nfwmb - hozier, who is she? - i monster, keep on loving you - cas, la vie en rose - edith piaf, a l'ombre de nous - pierre barouh, les feuilles mortes / sous le ciel de paris - yves montand, moon over bourbon street / until - sting
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‘Love and Pain’ - an enigmatic masterpiece that was painted by Edvard Munch, the famous Norwegian artist, in 1895. In vibrant oil paints a dramatic scene interpreted by millions as something more sensual, darker, revealing was immortalised. Perhaps quite literally. You leaned back on one hand, feeling the coolness of the bench located in the middle of the gallery hall, careful to not let the notebook in your hands slip from your lap. ‘Vampire’ - first, it was a label for the woman with the alluring, long red locks that was leaning over her supposed lover, then it turned into a second name for the work. It was comical how Munch himself had initially stated the piece depicted nothing more than a woman kissing the neck of a man, and yet, the tale had told itself. What followed were six versions of this same subject, with a woodcut titled “Vampyr II”, followed by paintings titled ‘Vampire’ and ‘Vampire in the Forest’, and then through common acceptance that this indeed was the ‘submission of a man to the bite of a vampire’, if you were to paraphrase a critic who had been in an astoundingly similar position as you, except without the decades upon decades of other material to refer to. They had been the firstcomers, the initial perceivers to set the tone for society’s consumption of the artwork, the louder of the many voices in the artwork who often had the final say. In some senses, they were your long lost colleagues - they were there to create history, and you were there to study it.
While it was not exactly a part of the movement you had decided to specialise in, you nonetheless would never reject the opportunity to learn more about the stunning world of visual arts, trying to guess how the artist had felt in the moment, what did they see beyond what they presented to the world, how did they translate the heart into brushstrokes. You were taken by all forms of art since you were little - having grown up surrounded by items that were far removed from what you called your air, you were intrigued by anything that was external to your version of ordinary. In your case, it just so happened to be the little private gallery that you had spent almost all of your monthly allowance to visit when you were a school kid - you had been so dedicated, in fact, that the elderly guard who had often also acted as a guide to the visitors had become your first friend in the art world, something of a grandparent figure, and on multiple occasions - when the lack of eyes would allow, simply let you through with a grin and glance out of the entrance doors.
And so here you were, many years later, many hard decisions and conversations behind you, regarding artworks with an unprecedented soulful closeness that you had initially thought was unattainable. Had you believed all those who remained outside of the walls of your personal paradise, you would have been immersed in the same cycle that had been drilled into the majority of your family members, except maybe a handful who you had never met for the exact reason that they had chosen something for themselves. But you regarded your dream as the thorned path - undoubtedly more challenging, not immediately fruitful, but in the long run leading to the heaven of your design. What more could you ask for?
It was enjoyable to be alone with the paintings surrounding you, portals to new realms that any visitor could have the pleasure of exploring. And what was even more inspiring, was that in the eye of every beholder was a different universe, and no matter who one would speak to, their version of the painting would be different, even if just slightly. You huffed, amused. When was the last time you had visited a gallery with anyone else? You could not quite recall - it was likely that you had never seeked company from another because you were more than satisfied with the company of the legendary works that were regarding you from the many walls. It was possible to compose oneself, spend limitless time on every piece, study the details, and drift into one’s own musings when there was no one to ground them. This was when you dared to say you got your best work done. Even though you, of course, conducted research within university and ventured out to galleries, museums, collectors or auctions only within professional bounds, the bulk of the thinking process was carried out in times such as this. When it was just you, your notebook and pen, and a new point of focus. However, this time, you could not say you were fully attentive to the painting that you had decided to focus on, as a certain someone was appearing to share your level of interest in ‘Love and Pain’ too. 
A gentleman who could not be much older or younger than you, at most a couple of years, stood off to the right of the bench, unmoving, gaze fixated on the painting. Dressed in a pinstripe navy suit, light blue dress shirt, lacquered dress shoes and a matching navy tie, he was nothing short of being a moving work of art. Hints of a glimmer from his thin framed, elegant silver spectacles gave the man a scholarly aura, while the slicked back dark hair - evidently a lot longer than the styling would suggest, added notes of business, entrepreneurship, perhaps leadership. Nothing was out of place, not a crease, not an exposed thread in sight. Needless to say, your curiosity had been sparked.
Much like you found joy in exploring creations in the realm of the visual arts, you were fond of crafting stories about the people who were strangers in passing. You could not help it; perhaps this affinity for creative internal ramblings had come as a package with studying the degree you had selected, or perhaps this was a naturally occurring guilty pleasure that you simply had not had the chance to entertain before you cut yourself off from expectations and predetermined patterns of thought. But now, you had the full pleasure of wondering, letting your mind travel to lands far away as you took the real life masterpiece in, and pondered why the man could be here, what he could be thinking as he studied Munch’s work, and what resonated with him, and only him. 
There was a melancholia with the weight of centuries resting upon his shoulders, that much you could decipher in the stranger’s stance. Even then, there was a gentle burning flame within his heart judging by just how dedicated he was to inspecting the artwork. Like he was seeing an old friend for the first time in years, and was attempting to memorise them anew and recognise each change, bit by bit. You suppressed a chuckle, entertaining the possibility of this man finding a kinship with the painting, but chose to set the idea aside for the time being, instead focusing on sketching his emotional landscape. Was the stranger remorseful? Lonely? Perplexed? You could not quite pinpoint the answer, at least not before you noticed the man’s head starting to turn, and soon enough, his eyes were peering into your own.
They were two pools of deep chocolate, an all-consuming shade that, due to the ever so slightly dimmer lights than in the general halls of the gallery, appeared to be approaching a captivating onyx. The gaze that originated from behind the glasses, and glided across the room that was suddenly too small for two struck you, and you could feel heat starting to rise on your face, blush threatening to reveal the effect of the man’s spontaneous act of confidence. Lowering your head, you gave the stranger a sheepish grin, and pretended to make a random note, pen erratically scribbling over a filled page. He continued to regard you with that same unwavering expression, and only when you looked up again did he seem to catch himself and give you a closed-mouth smile, equally as bashful as yours, and crossed his arms. One step, another, and he was right by the painting, though careful to not obstruct your view - instead, he took his time to read the brief paragraph on the information plaque that had been stuck to the wall off to the side of ‘Love and Pain’. With the same familiarity that is common among those grieving, or in a state of existential sorrow. A bittersweetness prevailed in his aura, one that reminded you of autumn - the falling leaves in red and gold, twirling to join a magnificent carpet, but nonetheless, making a departure, albeit a nearly unnoticeable one. Had he seen many fallen leaves? Was he himself approaching the season? You gasped, but even though the sound was barely audible, you caught the stranger making a minuscule turn in response. 
His footsteps were louder than your thoughts, his departure an irrevocably impactful act that left you breathless. You did not know him, and yet you felt as though you had gotten a glimpse at multiple lifetimes, and were part of a moment that was greater than yourself. In the wordless exchange, question after question had found its root, and something told you that you should not dare attempt to craft him a backstory, and choosing to believe in anything but what would be declared by him would be a gross misinterpretation, much like one that was carried out by those who did not wish to reflect on art and look beyond a first impression. For the first time since you had made your initial discovery of the arts, you felt like you were not alone in the gallery, the other visitor’s presence remained so intense that he could be sat right next to you, scrutinising the same painting, entertaining the same thought. Was the woman with the bright tresses indeed what she had been declared to be over the many years she had been introduced to many venues, many variations of public, and finally finding a home on this wall? Did she settle with her lover, or perhaps a carefully selected victim? Would the man have an answer?
______ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐ ⋆ . It was unlike you to retrace your steps a mere few days after a visit and return to the same gallery, amble down the same halls, and seek for a new source of investigative inspiration among the same selection. This obviously did not mean that you would never return, definitely not, that would be almost criminal of you to possess such intentions, but you tended to try to cleanse your palate with alternative movements, contemporary takes and avant garde interpretations between searches which were more directly related to your studies. And yet, for the first time in a while, nothing was stopping you from your return. It felt only natural, and so right. Moreover, you felt no unease when you headed straight towards the section that housed the impressionists. An individual with an unspoken, mysterious mission, you were on the hunt for the creative streak, something that would help you ponder the next section of your hefty dissertation, and you could sense that it had to be somewhere here. And, like always, you were right.
‘Bazille’s Studio’, one of the most famous works painted by the so-called ‘tragic artist’ of the impressionists, Frédéric Bazille in 1870. In fact, it had been a collaboration between him and Édouard Manet, another gifted artist, though more renowned as a figure leading modernism, and depicted a scene of discussion and creative collaboration in the studio that Bazille had shared for a certain period of time with other spectacular figures of the visual arts, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, who could also be found in this painting. On the walls were works rejected by the Salon, which at the time had been the one of the most influential, famous art exhibitions in the Western World, administered by the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Interestingly, above the piano on the right hung a painting which Bazille had purchased from Monet, potentially hinting at the material ties between them, and the importance the young artist had because of his familial wealth. In a sense, Bazille expressed his support, as well as showed an intimate, platonic scene of the art world where there was a moment of calm, of mutual appreciation, despite the financial troubles and tensions due to character that had been experienced in those walls.
You stepped closer to the painting, trying to detect the transition from Bazille’s to Manet’s hand, the latter of whom painted in the former to take ‘centre stage’, palette in hand. Truly seamless work, though what else could it be? This painting had been a new addition to the permanent collection, and after strenuous, detailed restoration work to give the oil paints their original vibrancy and for impeccable strokes to forget the burden of time, you had the pleasure of seeing it in person. You were an arm’s length away from yet another work essential to history, culture and the arts as a societal colossus.
While it was easy enough to appreciate the technical detail, you found yourself halting to remember the names of all those depicted in the painting, failing to finalise the list in your head. Starting from Bazille, you had determined for yourself the presence of Monet and Manet in his vicinity quickly enough, however where Renoir was, or what were the names of the two other gentlemen in the scene, slipped your mind. You rocked to the side to lean closer to the plaque that was meant to provide you with the information, however you only found the name of the painting, the artist and the medium, much to your misfortune. Clicking your tongue, you returned to studying the faces of each individual, and furrowed your brows in agitated concentration. It was simple to take out your phone and search for the answer, though you knew that just as neutral that action would be, so would be your reaction unless you were to remember, or somebody were to-
A presence to your side caught you off-guard, and you felt a shiver run up your spine. One glance was enough to determine that it was the same man from yesterday, only the outfit revealing a change. Other than that, he had the same impeccable posture and stance, as well as a thoughtful look towards the painting in front of you both. His arms were crossed, though not in a defensive manner; instead they offered an interpretation of philosophy, as though this man was carrying centuries of wisdom with him, history having pummelled down on him and yet needing to support it like Atlas; the titan carrying the world.
Today, he was dressed in a mahogany coloured suit, with a white top underneath and some black boots with thick white rubber soles - quite the transition from last time, when he had been a manifestation of a sleek and pristine office gentleman. Hair, now let down and wavy, neatly framed his face, accentuating the regalness of his features. It was astounding how you were still sure that it would be more likely to find a man of this fashion in a painting, rather than standing beside you. You kept quiet, not wanting to interfere with his musings. Perhaps it was just a silly coincidence that the two of you were at the same place and at the same time again - how else? You did not know him, and you hoped that he did not know you. Though, you truly did not mind his company, and maybe it could serve as your motivation to figure out the rest of the characters in the painting. Once again, your attention returned to the task at hand, but before you could even begin to list off prominent figures of the art world during the era of Impressionism, a deep, honey-like whisper halted you and made you hold your breath. 
“Auguste Renoir is the one seated, Emile Zola, the writer, is on the stairs, Monet, Manet and Bazille are, as you likely know in the centre, and that,” he paused to raise his hand, gesturing in the general direction of the far right of the piece, “is Edmond Maitre. Pianist, art collector, and Bazille’s closest friend.”
“I- uh- thank you. How did you know I was trying to recall? Pardon me, I must look so clueless-” you trailed off, eyes finding the floor, an action which seemed to be your automatic response to being under inspection of the man, though this time, he captured your gaze quickly by stepping closer towards you. Looking up, you found concern and apology in his eyes.
“No! Not at all, I… sorry if I misunderstood and I am sorry for forcing you into such erroneous conclusions,” he gave you an ever so slightly crooked smile, charming, very disarming and so suiting this beautiful stranger, that you were instantly prompted by your instincts to return it, dismissing doubt. 
“You saved me,” you joked, though the phrase contained within itself an unlikely compassion. Two people, alone in the same gallery, sharing a precious dialogue was something to cherish, and with all your might you wanted to make it last.
“Just as you made me regard the painting in a new light, for which I thank you, greatly,” he bowed his head, the smile not leaving his face for a moment. There was a recognition in his gaze, as well as an inexplicable admiration. What did he discover?
“I guess it might be true that no matter how many times you see a painting, every viewing brings something new,”
“Well said. Are you an artist? A critic, perhaps?” He inquired, moving closer to stand level with you, head turned slightly in your direction to spare the occasional glance. You shook your head slowly, wondering if in a retelling of your destiny you could have pursued either of the careers he had mentioned.
“I am in the arts, though rather than looking at the present I remain in the past. Art historian, well, a postgraduate. Nothing too fancy.”
“Oh? But that is marvellous, and what are you focusing on?”
“I like to call it the painting in plenair during the turn of the century. I focus mainly on impressionism, though do sometimes stray into its interplay with post-impressionism, modernism and expressionism.”
“Ah, no wonder I have been seeing you here often. Enjoying the new collection?” he asked, eager to hear your opinion. There was excitement in his voice as though you were a renowned expert and were about to bestow upon him a priceless evaluation. And this was without considering the technicality of you having only half-met. Just crossing paths twice in one week.
"Yes, of course… The collection is unlike any other I have seen. I keep wanting to return and stay here for ages." You explained, glancing at the stranger while he nodded along.
"Incredibly happy to hear it. I swear I have seen you around quite often during the past month that the exhibition has been open? Am I correct?" evidently, your rapid blinking was interpreted rather quickly as perplexion, for the man gasped ever so lightly, as if to catch his own speeding thoughts.
“I- how do you know? I do believe this is our… second time meeting?” you uttered, one eyebrow raised in suspicion, which, to your disbelief, revealed something akin to fear in the beautiful stranger’s features. Nervously, he adjusted a strand of hair that was threatening to cover his right eye.
“Not quite… you were present at the opening event, right?” he quizzed.
“Indeed, my depar- wait. But how? Respectfully, I am starting to think you know me.” you enunciated with newfound caution, while the man pursed his lips. One second, another passed in near total silence, until a chuckle escaped him and he shook his head. It appeared as though he was mentally scolding himself - his eyes held no malice, instead glinting with hope, that melancholic wisdom, and something unidentifiable, ethereal, supernatural.
“I think it is high time I introduce myself before this gets out of hand. See, in some sense I work here, and most of my days are spent in the gallery or labouring for it-”
“Ah, I see-”
“Park Seonghwa, a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” with one arm folded behind his back and the other on his chest, he bowed to you like how you imagined princes in the numerous portraits you had studied would bow. And the most enthralling part was how the gesture flowed, and was so befitting. Quickly, you bowed in return, but while raising your head, you froze. It hit you why he would know. And know a lot. And would remember you, and likely anyone and everyone who visited. In a low whisper, you asked:
“Am I… correct in assuming that you are ‘the’ Park Seonghwa?” quickly enough, you realised that it was a mistake to find his eyes again - clearly, you were not ready for the intensity, nor for the intrigue that was contained within them, nor for the fact that he moved another step closer to you, the rubber of his boots dampening any sound produced.
“I never knew that there was a ‘the’ attached to my name. I simply love art.”
“Well that love translated into the creation of what is possibly the greatest gallery in the nation, if not worldwide,”
“Oh you flatter me too much, ah, your name-”
“L/N Y/N, and I, too, love art.”
“Elated to hear it,” he gleamed, and you swore the room exploded with the illumination of a thousand stars.
Stunning, awe-inspiring, ever so elegant. He was a walking dream. In that smile was concealed a certain something that had been taboo, a well-kept secret until a couple of decades ago, when those like Seonghwa had started to be fully integrated into society, and no longer had to hide, changing identity from one century to another. With that came Seonghwa’s success - you had read in an article that advertised the permanent exhibition a short blurb of his story, and how for many turbulent decades, the man single-handedly collected masterpieces, crafted a meticulous network and introduced genius artists to the world, and the world to the artists. The gallery was a magnum opus for Seonghwa - a presentation of what he had achieved as a collector, as a patron of the arts, and a celebration of his personal culture. 
You could not help but hone in on the fangs, and recall the original reason why it was even possible for Seonghwa to obtain such legendary works and have as much influence as he presently did. It was not spontaneous; submerged in turmoil, he had personally approached artists who, previously abandoned by critics and other prospective buyers, had never considered a future beyond a mysterious tomorrow. Hiding his own true nature, he crafted the tale of a ‘Park’ dynasty, and rose again and again to continue his work. Perhaps, now, some might argue that once he had revealed himself as a vampire the velocity of Seonghwa’s developments had fallen, but you would passionately argue the opposite. It was challenging to believe that any move by this stunning artistic mastermind was not strategic - the announcement had given the gallery more partnerships, more donations, and in turn, an even greater prominence in the community both among professionals and enjoyers. 
“Thank you,” the phrase spilled from your lips inadvertently. It seemed to be the only thing that was reasonable to say in that given moment. You pondered the pains that must have been suffered to make the world that you were consumed by come together, and the painting in front of you, aside from what was contained within the frame,now shined in a new light externally too, possessing its own story, resembling a search for a kindred spirit, a true home. 
Seonghwa remained quiet, the words of gratitude echoing in his heart. It was endearing, encouraging to hear such warmth from you. So, you did know him, at least the parts he had shown to the public - as was expected from someone so deeply ingrained in visual arts and history, but he could not help but identify it as something much greater than mere awareness. The openness with which you had welcomed conversation with him, the kind charm that radiated from you as you engaged in the careful verbal waltz reminded the vampire of times long, long ago when all that existed for him was drive, enamourment and art. Oh, how your eyes glimmered. His heart clenched into near unbearable agony as he read your expressions, and wondered how much you have seen, what have you yet to see, who you were in this temporary life. If only he could ask fate to tell him how much you remembered of who you had been before. 
“No, thank you, for giving this,” he gestured to the gallery around him, graceful hand unfurling as though revealing a delicate flower, “meaning, and reason to exist.”
“I highly doubt I am of much significance, Mister Park,” you responded, a soft smile on your face.
“Would anything hold the same meaning if there was no one to behold it?” he responded. You chose not to answer, catching onto the rhetoricism, “and please, call me Seonghwa. I’d like to say we are to be good friends.”
______ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐ ⋆ .
Sitting across from Seonghwa in the cafe that was located on the top floor, above the main halls of the gallery made you feel strangely serene. Today he had foregone the straighter hair styles that you had begun to get used to, surprising you with a head of tousled, almost curled locks that embodied the world’s softness, though remained to be quite the contrast to the more formal and highly fashionable attire that adorned his stature. A suit, tastefully oversized with a buttoned double breasted jacket that was simultaneously serving as a shirt, the plunging v-shaped neckline revealing perfectly smooth skin, and what you noted to be a solitary freckle right in the centre of his collarbone. The trousers, at least from the glimpse that you had allowed yourself when you had met at the entrance to the cafe were of a loose fit, defining his waist at the top and falling to form an almost skirt-like silhouette should he stand how he usually stood: the echoes of what would be called the ‘third position’ in ballet, more relaxed, but still retaining an elegance that only he could carry. The biggest shock to you, however, was Seonghwa’s choice of shoes - a refreshing point to the visual, he had selected to contrast the formalwear with a pair of limited edition, geometrically intriguing Converses. You could catch a glimpse of one of them from over the edge of the table whenever his slightly shaking leg, positioned over the other, would rock forwards just that tiny bit stronger. 
While the setting was meant to be casual, the circumstances in which you found yourself were nothing short of miraculous. Never in a million years would you have imagined for it to be possible to be sat across the table from, quite possibly, one of the most legendary contributors to art restoration, collection and exhibition. On top of that, Seonghwa was a figure who actively bridged the gap between disparate communities, finding a common language, and using the arts as a salvation. You were in awe, and could not hold back on regarding the handsome vampire as he quietly reported your and his orders to the waiter who had floated to your table.
“Are you sure you do not want anything else?”
“Yes, I am sure. I do not wish to exploit your kindness-”
“-Not at all. I hope you do not mind that I… must make a rather unconventional order,” he smiled sheepishly, clearing his throat so as to attempt to hide his doubts, though you were uncertain as to how much of such emotions could possibly be left after what had to have been centuries. 
“An unconventional order is pouring a sugary energy drink into a triple shot espresso and calling it dinner,” you answered, eyes travelling from Seonghwa’s face to the mural on the wall a few tables away that wrapped behind him and to your left, disrupted only by the occasional floor length window that provided city vistas - rather gloomy, compared to the optimistic illumination of the restaurant. Perhaps out of pity, or out of genuine entertainment, Seonghwa chuckled.
“That does sound like an acquired taste, indeed. Thank you,”
“No need. Thank you for inviting me,” you turned back, nodding a polite bow as he softly waved your gesture off.
A silence settled across the table as you waited for your respective drinks. Your hand, had you not consciously restrained yourself, would have probably reached for the phone that you stored in your purse, but now was fiddling with the sleeve of your shirt, finding the buttons to stress test the threads that had them sewn tight to the fabric. You were not bored, in fact, far from it. You needed a barrier. The grandeur of this man’s presence was almost overwhelming. He was not a mere individual in a room, he consumed it. Had you just walked in, you were certain that your gaze would still settle on his form. Just like the concrete outside was grey, and the pause retained a divine ambiguity, Seonghwa was unforgettable. In an attempt to calm your clouded thoughts, you studied the mural once more.
“May I inquire into your thoughts on the decor?”
“The choice of ‘A Sunday on La Grande Jatte’ is wise. I am guessing you were the one to make the decision?” you heard an exhale, and once more your attention was captured.
“Alas, I cannot take full accolades for this. This stemmed from a discussion that a good friend of mine and I had one late night. Seurat just so happened to make an appearance amidst the chatter, and so… this was born,” he gestured at the surroundings. Clearly, the interior was picked carefully to fit the theme of the legendary painting. 
From the colours to the textures and the greenery that had been intricately set up across the restaurant, every detail had a meaning and a place, and did not take away from the spaciousness of the hall. It was breathable, while still giving the illusion that you were stepping into a whimsical impressionist paradise. Perhaps that was another reason why you could not quite contain your disbelief firstly in your encounter, secondly in its progression, and thirdly in your interlocutor’s warmth. 
“Spectacular, truly. I have heard you have an eye for detail, however this surpasses all expectations.”
“Oh? There is more you have heard?” he interjected, leaning closer to you and placing an elbow on the table, simply to rest his head on his hand. While this could potentially be seen as slightly unceremonious, it hinted at well-kept confidence, ownership, control. A healthy undercurrent of motivation that came with indirect praise.
“I-oh y-yeah of course,” you did not mean to stutter, but some part of you was grateful you did, for the smirk that had threatened to burst on Seonghwa’s lips was enough for you to feel ignited to elaborate, “if my memory is not failing me, you were the one to distinguish a reproduction of a piece some time ago, no?”
“Ah- yes. That was a Degas reproduction. I must say, the attempt was sincere, however when I saw the-, hm, you will not be startled, will you?”
“Please,” you urged him to continue, intrigued by the story. 
“When I saw the original, as it was being made and when it had been finalised, it would be shameful of me to not spot a fake,” he fell back into his chair, just in time for the drinks to be served. 
A coffee for you, and a non-descript beverage concealed by a semi-opaque, tall glass for him. Though, you did not need to be a detective to guess what it was that Seonghwa was bringing to his lips, and what he took a tentative sip of. The only mystery that was remaining for you was what ‘type’ he had picked - was it O+? B-? Whatever else? You joined him in the tasting, lifting the mug and indulging in the wonderful aroma of your americano. It did not strike you as necessary to opt for something fancier and lie to yourself - so you settled for your regular order, much to your joy. Familiar taste and the reliability of the caffeine hitting your system painted the scene in more comforting colours, and gradually, you found yourself easing into the dialogue more and more, until life stories, musings and a surprisingly large common ground came pouring. 
You discovered that Seonghwa possessed a unique sensitivity and attunement to those around him. Focused on the emotional experiences, he felt through time and could recount emotions like the memory was from a mere few days, rather than decades ago. He was well-spoken, eloquent, intelligent, polite in every right as he navigated through the linguistic landscape and guided you like a partner in a dance. You were spiralling oh so quickly, intrigue catching up to you and prompting you to sacrifice all of your senses to the man and the pleasantly intoxicating atmosphere he captured you in. He was enchanting, and it was far too easy to give in. 
“May I reveal something?” in a hushed tone, he inquired, a finger absent-mindedly tracing the rim of his glass. 
“Oh, a little secret?” you raised your eyebrows in jest, lightening the initial seriousness with which Seonghwa uttered the question.
“Perhaps, perhaps not. Depends on how you take it. A confession might be more accurate,” he waited for you to take the final sip of your coffee before continuing, unphased by your unwavering focus, “if I were to be honest, I have been meaning to approach you.”
“Pardon?”
“As you know we have a… common awareness of each other thanks to what is housed under this roof, but ever since we first unknowingly crossed paths… I wanted to speak to you.”
Confused, you did not speak, though the words contained an unparalleled affection within them. What could he possibly mean? You chose to refrain from commenting, your hesitation prompting the vampire to continue.
“Do you remember the most recent opening night? Of the exhibition? I believe you were with someone…” he trailed off, hoping you would continue for him.
“Ah, yes, a friend of mine from university. So?”
“This might sound strange but, I distinctly remember you mentioning a name. An artist from the same era, dubbed as L/N Y/N?”
“Goodness, you overheard that? I am so sorry, it is just that said artist has intrigued me for some time, and I was half-hoping to encounter their work. Maybe it is because our names are the same but still….”
“Elusive, aren’t they?”
“To put it softly, yes. I only vaguely recall seeing… maybe one piece in my lifetime, when I was little, and then… nothing. And there is barely any information on the artist online, let alone libraries and archives.”
“Hm, indeed. I guess that makes two of us…”
“Two of us who are searching?”
“That’s right. It brought me happiness to know that I am not alone in this endeavour.”
“Then we can keep searching together.”
While you were positive that you could not conceal your interest, Seonghwa’s did not go unnoticed either. It was of course possible that he was simply well-versed in political correctness, but the burning depth of his pupils told you otherwise. Enthrallment, the discovery of a kindred spirit, recognition, the rekindling of a bond that had existed at some point long ago - all fantasies that played out in your mind as you returned that look with subtle fervour. You wondered how many people he graced with those charms. How many had succumbed to his influence, becoming a marker on his infinite life path, a fleeting second? How many had his lips known, how many had turned into a decadent treat for a genius man with natural peculiarities? While the researcher part of you was perplexed and aching for answers, the you that was caught in the moment simply let it go on, and the feeling of Seonghwa’s leg brushing against yours, and the pride blooming in your chest as he praised the few articles and papers you had published upon having claimed that he ‘knew some things about you too’ preoccupied you in the most magnificent way.
Naturally, you agreed to meet Seonghwa again. On your journey home, in the privacy of the anonymous metro, immersed in the cacophony of deafening rails and the millions travelling to anywhere, you pressed your phone to your racing heart as the vampire, the man, the beguiling Park Seonghwa sent you a message confirming so. Who knew a simple selection of words could be so captivating?
______ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐ ⋆ .
Under the comforting thrum of raindrops on the large umbrella, you walked down the streets of the grey-coloured city, your hand lightly holding onto Seonghwa’s arm while he ensured that both of you were protected from the elements. Despite the dull light and bitterness of the cooling season, Seonghwa appeared radiant, truly timeless with every gesture and stride. The elegant angles of his face that you could tirelessly study stood out against the monotone buildings and overcast skies. His voice drowned out the sound of droplets racing one another to the ground. A miraculous gentleman who appeared in your life much like a portrait, or a landscape - a masterpiece you wanted to explore in every spare moment, and better yet, this masterpiece was equally as open to you as you were to him. 
“...essentially, yes. It is like another nationality. A marker of species isn’t too far isn’t it? Just another line on a stack of documents. Nothing more,” Seonghwa concluded his explanation, pursing his lips for a moment before letting an exhale turned dragon’s breath escape into the afternoon.
“Makes sense. So would that mean there are separate medical papers and treatment too?”
“Well… when regeneration fails us or when a given case is severe enough… yes. Though it is handled by private clinics run by other vampires.”
“There are private clinics?”
“Of course. Often they are connected to donation points too, and that is how we remain on the right side of the law and stay alive,” he nodded to himself, giving you a bittersweet smile when he noticed confusion overtake your gaze. “Blood,” he stated as-a-matter-of-factly, “I mean blood.”
In a nervous stupor, you cleared your throat and focused on a droplet that was hanging onto the edge of the umbrella, right in front of you, all the way until the gentle motion of Seonghwa’s amble provoked its abrupt descent onto the stone under your feet. 
“Ah, yes, I see-”
“If you find this disturbing, we can forget the conversation ever-”
“-I want to know you better, Seonghwa, truly-”
“Careful-”
“Sorry wha-” 
With an extraordinary swiftness, you were tugged abruptly by the arm. Not registering your surroundings, you merely went with the inertia, caught off-guard by the proximity of your face to the vampire’s as he held you against him with the arm that you had previously been resting your own on. A hand that you raised on instinct went limp and landed on Seonghwa’s chest, feeling the thick felted wool of his coat. The ringing of a bell, going farther away from you by the second, incessant but at least waking you up from the blur, was enough for you to put two and two together - a cyclist who thought they owned every part of the street, like always. You sighed.
“Reckless… my apologies I did not mean to-” Seonghwa tried to detangle himself, refusing to remain in your personal space for longer than necessary no matter how much he did want to, but his efforts were reduced to nothing when your hand moved to a hold on his upper arm - reassuring, comfortable, accepting.
“Thank you,” you interrupted, “that bike would have definitely run into me…”
“It’s nothing,” a low chuckle echoed in your ears as Seonghwa peered into your pupils, confidence that had previously wavered out of habitual caution now restored, growing into a pride as you continued to hold onto him, “the man was slow enough for there to be no risk of harm. I hope you are not too startled though.”
“Oh? You have super powers too? Do elaborate,” you jested, resuming your walk.
“I would call it more like… being a finely tuned machine. Can’t say I have bad reaction speed. Though I must say, it was a little challenging pulling you out of the way,” there was an evident intent behind the words. However, you were too curious to pay it any mind, instead preferring to find out their meaning live.
“How so?”
“I think this,” dropping his arm, Seonghwa’s hand reached for yours, and without a moment of hesitation, his fingers were intertwining with yours, his palm pressed against yours, “would be better. You know, for safety.” As if you could ever reject him. This was a fact you had established for yourself with an unprecedented certainty. His gallant disposition, attentiveness all confirmed a care for you that was impossible to ignore. 
There was something picturesque about the present after meeting this wonderful, infinite pool of art and humanity. You found yourself leafing through articles, art books and biographies with a more wistful and sentimental perspective, imagining what it would be like if it were you who was immortalised in the thousands of brushstrokes, or if you were on the other side of the canvas, how would you go about depicting the scenes unfolding before your very eyes. Timelessness - a quality shared between the art you so adored, and the man you had encountered and over the weeks, let your intrigue be transformed into a shy flame of infatuation. Perhaps it was the underlying reason why you did not reject his advances, nor cower in fear of his true nature with which he was upfront. The other, of course, was the search for the mysterious artist, an adventure that fuelled many of your dialogues, and prompted you to spend more time in the library and the archives of your university than you had ever done before - to the point where Seonghwa himself had encouraged you to take a break from your intellectual expeditions and step into the world as a casual observer. So, you let yourself drift; it finally hit you, what scenes your once again tranquil stroll reminded you of, and you smiled to yourself as you recalled the intricacies of the not quite commonly discussed representation of the Impressionist movement. 
‘Rue de Paris, temps de pluie’, painted by Gustave Caillebotte; his most famous work. Not quite as widely discussed, despite still technically being created in the Impressionist era, perhaps due to the meandering through form, realism and reliance on stronger lines rather than broad brushstrokes and the study of light. You did find it fascinating how Caillebotte’s passion for photography had seeped into this piece, however. Much like how, in recent days, you could easily find a way to mention Seonghwa in conversation, be it related to the arts or not. From the subjects in the foreground being slightly out of focus while the middle ground was crystal clear, to how the shapes of some passersby were cropped were all characteristic of photos, rather than paintings, making this particular work all the more dear to you. It was a reflection of life, of behaviour and of what had been daily back in the late nineteenth century.
Was it any different from now, aside from those grand, global topics that historians dedicated their lives to studying? If one were to whittle down to the intricacies, the miniatures that ornamented the span of a human existence, was it so terribly far away from what you were born into, and Seonghwa saw develop and had adopted? How people shielded themselves from the rain with umbrellas, and then used them as a tool to isolate themselves from other urbanites who were in a rush to take a day-long route out of their homes… and back again. The latest silhouettes of dress and accessory; the same rush to be with the times as now.
You felt your companion’s arm move, prompting you to let go and leave your hand hovering as though you were awaiting some kind of change. You bit back an unprecedented sliver of disappointment, only to be caught by surprise once again as you felt the hand settle on the small of your back. Cautious, like you were going to melt from any more pressure than the brush of a feather. A quick glance was enough to determine that you were being studied intently for any sign of discomfort - Seonghwa was ready to pull away at any moment, any sigh, and most definitely at any word. A meek smile settled on your lips, and you shyly used an oncoming stranger as an opportunity to affirm the gesture, stepping towards the vampire, and sensing the confidence of his protective measure be solidified. With glee he followed your every tilt and turn, angling away from the passing form that neither of you could focus on. The touch was electric, somehow monumental despite being so common and barely present. Your mind was on fire, pondering what it would be like to put your head on the elegant man’s shoulder, and let yourself be carried away into a terrific fairy tale.
“This really is a rainy day,”
“Seems quite sunny to me,” you respond with sarcasm, realising only after the fact that your phrase still did retain an element of truth within it. 
Sunshine did not have to be literal. It was easy to see, you just needed to return Seonghwa’s gaze, and watch as another spring flower blossomed in the soul of one you had initially assumed to be so cold, so distant. In the darkest winter was a safe haven that you could not help but lean into, and regardless of what you had initially thought, with him, you felt more human, more safe and alive than ever. He listened without fail to your ramblings, and could easily pick up the ball and balance it with his own musings that you could listen to for many lifetimes.
Lifetimes; immortality, the one concept you couldn’t quite wrap your head around. Well, the latter was technically not true, as Seonghwa had elaborated some few days ago: vampires did age, albeit at such a slow pace that to the run of the mill human being, it was impossible to notice, and if they did, it would be someone very close, and only over a matter of decades. Maybe it was this exact inability that made you want to stay and learn all there could be about the gallerist - you thought that would make you feel like you have been living forever. His wisdom was beautiful. The kindness with which he treated you, akin to that of how a spouse treats their long-time sweetheart with a mellow and comfortable affection, was not something you asked for nor expected, but something which he introduced himself with through every action, progressively more amiable when you allowed him to advance.
“Mm, no wonder I can’t quite look at you,” he mused out loud, dramatically looking off into the distance. You raised an eyebrow, curious about what was going to come after his theatrical pause, “your brightness is unparalleled,” Seonghwa chuckled, satisfied with your sigh and the way in which you pretended to be annoyed, only to dissolve in a mute giggle. “So, I do suggest we get out of the rain for a moment and stop by that book shop over there, shall we?”
Following his hand, you spotted an antique bookshop a few doors down, marked by an iron sign and ornate shop window decorations that glistened with each hit of the dancing droplets. A warm golden light emanated from the inside, the hue comparable to a summer’s day. An odd feeling of deja vu washed over you, as though you had been in this store before, even though this was quite the distance away from your home, not on any of your usual commutes and in a part of town you barely visited aside from the occasional brisk walk. It had been established over a century ago, sporting a historical plaque and detailing original to the era the date on the sign suggested. Suppressing your internal monologue, you simply nodded, fond of Seonghwa’s excitement as he pushed lightly against your back and walked on ahead. If you were any more of a romantic, you would have assumed that the shop was a representation of his heart, but you couldn’t allow yourself to think that way, at least not when you felt heat rise to your cheeks as he whispered your name, openly planning what you could look for amidst the rare editions together. You and him turned into a ‘we’ so naturally, you barely had time to blink. A new brushstroke on a canvas, brave, bold and bright. Impressionist.
______ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐ ⋆ .
The hypnotising improvisation on a semi-acoustic guitar, followed by a launch back into the theme of a well-known jazz song had you tapping on the counter, unknowingly following every drum beat. The bar turned cosy music venue that Seonghwa had invited you out to was proving to be every bit a wonder of the world, and paradise inside of the otherwise gloomy city which had been plagued with miserable weather and lack of daylight for atrociously long. The classy establishment was a well known favourite among the vampires residing in the city, especially those aligned with a more bohemian and art-focused lifestyle. Critics, painters, collectors, musicians, poets alike all gathered to share ideas and energy, and reminisce days long gone, while the band - one that had not changed since the bar’s establishment, revived legendary pieces one after another. 
With ease, Seonghwa had ordered your favourite drink, having memorised it after your many outings that had smoothly transitioned into dates and shared nights. He remembered every detail about you, holding each one tenderness. Your lover gazed at you as he ended a conversation with a fellow collector who had recently come to town for a few days, stretching out his hand until it just touched yours, guiding it to lie flat on the counter. Seonghwa’s palm, still retaining a pleasant coolness despite him having had a couple of drinks of his own, was another reassurance that in the buzz of the venue, you still had your person by your side. Feeling his digits tap and then proceed to brush the back of your hand, you hummed in contentment, and let your eyes travel over the beautiful vampire, who leaned back, tempting you just for fun, knowing full well that you were wholly his, and even when you turned to look elsewhere, it was his face you saw in the crowd, it was his voice that rang in your ears, it was his touch that ghosted over your skin. 
The bustier from Alexander McQueen, the gorgeous flowy shirt with ruffles and cuts so tastefully sewn and executed, the statement necklace that was worthy of being displayed at a gallery and must be the envy of many, the high heeled boots that were concealed by elegant trousers - Seonghwa was your favourite work of art, and you could never deny it. Each one of his gestures was worthy of marvel, and the care with which he approached everything - even the tending to the items which he painstakingly selected and matched for tonight made your heart skip a beat. It was boggling how each garment and accessory was either an original, or a one of a kind piece. But at the same time, you did not expect anything less of Seonghwa.
He must be impossible to depict in paintings, you concluded, shamelessly staring at your lover’s face, from the shape of his nose, to the plushness of his lips, to the waviness of his night-like inky locks. You bet many had tried, but judging by the lacking evidence in the art world, they must have failed, miserably, to create something more immortal and invincible than the model and muse. You understood them, and Seonghwa gave no signs of being perturbed. 
“So, was that the intent behind our spontaneous trip to this bar tonight?” you gestured at your surroundings, taking another sip from your ornate glass. A sharp exhale accompanied a contrasting soft answer:
“Not at all,I had the business sorted a couple of days ago, and tonight was a lucky crossing of paths to secure the deal,” cryptic as ever, Seonghwa only alluded to the matter at hand.
The matter, or how he had referred to it as ‘business’ was a particular artwork that he had been hunting, by the elusive artist you had been investigating, first in your lonesome, and then joining forces with Seonghwa. Apparently, one of the pieces, by some stroke of unimaginable luck, had been kept safe in the private collection of a ‘Mister Kim’, at least that was how he had been initially introduced to you. Until you put two and two together, and when the very well dressed and styled character had entered the bar and made a beeline towards your partner in artistic musings and romance, recognised the man as a world-famous designer and fashion icon, Kim Hongjoong. And of course, another vampire and kind soul in one. 
Their conversation had happened outside of your earshot; whether it was on purpose or just so happened to unfold that way was for your ruminations to determine, but you did overhear enough to figure out that this was a portrait, a never seen work, and was completed by the artist who as it had turned out had been closer with Seonghwa than you had initially thought. 
“Seems to be very important, and not just in a ‘collector’ sense…” you trailed off, watching as the ice in your drink cracked, “is this why you were interested, you know, back then?”
“If I were to be honest, darling, I was, and still am, a lot more interested in you. The artist was something of an excuse to get a conversation going. And I do hope,” Seonghwa turned and sauntered towards you, “this conversation does not end.” 
Even though you were sitting on one of the bar stools, the heels and stance still left him some room to look downwards, and his sultry expression, orbs glinting at you through dark lashes left you transfixed. In moments such as this, you hated to be mortal. There were so many things that you could not possibly know, and no matter how hard you would try to comprehend the vastness of the angelic man’s mind, you would always remain theoretical, and accept the grand majority of intricacies as axiom.
“I hope so too,” your voice barely rose above a whisper as his gloved hand landed on your neck, gliding upwards to caress your jawline.
“I’m so glad I found you,” his thoughts were elsewhere, you were sure of it, and yet, his gaze remained unwavering, “my eternal love”. Lips stained with bittersweet worship, the words stumbled from them to strike you repeatedly in the heart, forcing it to lose its rhythm. He was regarding you like he had stumbled upon a priceless treasure, a divinity, a paradise. Something far from you and from this planet, but by Seonghwa’s careful selection, etched in your features.
Were you the embodiment of something greater for him? You would not consider yourself to be a model example of a human being, neither were you a pretty statue to display in an exhibition. You were you, but Seonghwa kept on convincing you that it was exactly this that had captivated him and showed him a new beginning. Did you wish to believe that? Of course. But a vampire who was hundreds of years old could keep a grand variety of secrets beyond your understanding, even if he were to exclaim them right in front of you and sketch them out. His eternal love - your version of eternity, or his? A life the duration of a butterfly’s abstract dance to the heavens.
“Love?” he called out to you, eyebrows knitted in concern due to your prolonged silence. You had set your drink down, and were staring at the shine of the glossy chrome silver and pearl on Seonghwa’s necklace. “Talk to me, say anything.”
“I- hm. I think I am just tired. Yeah, that must be it. Tired so I am overthinking, no worries. I’ll just be right here and-”
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?” you tilted your head, noting how Seonghwa immediately straightened out, and instead of attempting to tower over you stepped over to the side to set a protective hand over yours.
“This is a majority vampire bar, full of unfamiliar individuals, this whole deal with the artwork is up in the air and-”
“First of all, I don’t care. Second, you are here with me. And third, I want to trust in the fact that you would not do anything foolish nor harmful. Am I right in my evaluation?” you uttered, still not quite able to look into Seonghwa’s infinite pools of brilliant sienna and dark brown.
“I- I am honoured, but that still does not detract from the fact that we can go get some air and come back. Shall we?”
“You don’t have to-”
“I want to. Hell, need to. Let us have a quick wander?”
“...I’d like that.”
In no time, the winter air hit your cheeks and you were wrapping yourself as tightly as you could in your oversized coat. In your ears the pleasant sound of the vampire’s heels rang out, echoed by the stunning road onto which you were spat out by the heavy black front door of the bar. Warm-toned streetlights liberally decorated the sidewalks and painted the night in honey, gold and copper accents. Reflections of an artificial summer in the puddles and winter chill. Downright magical. Seonghwa seeked out your hand, holding it tight and guiding it into the pocket of his own coat, smirking when you raised an eyebrow. 
“What?”
“Nothing at all.”
You were certain that you were walking through a landscape painting, every element captured by your vision falling into its rightful place, harmonising with the rest. The mumbling and music was long gone, only to be replaced by conversation of other late city explorers and the occasional rumbling of a car lazily rolling past. 
“Pissarro.”
“Hm?” Seonghwa kept looking ahead, but squeezed your hand to ask for you to continue.
“Boulevard Montmartre at Night. Painted in 1897, no?” you pointed at the surroundings with a tilt of the chin.
“Ah, indeed! Your perceptiveness never ceases to amaze me.”
“Well, thanks to you I got to see the original, so how could I not make the visual analogy?” you nudged his shoulder, earning a chuckle.
The painting was the only example of a landscape at night from the artist Camille Pissarro, making it all the more special despite it being part of a series of 14 views of the same location. Snow, rain, fog, morning, varying seasons, but only one glimmering night. It was one of the works that Seonghwa had managed to provide for your studies, resulting in a more than impressive academic outcome. Like Pissarro kept on painting the vista, your lover kept on giving, never asking for anything more than for you to share your hours with him, something you did not need to be prompted to do anyways.
“...I’m sorry I cannot reveal more than I do, at least not just yet,” he apologised, as though what he was committing was the greatest crime known to humanity and the supernatural.
As you looked up at the starry night sky, you swore you had heard these words before, uttered by the same voice, the same fingers interlocked with yours. A stabbing sensation in your cranium made you gasp, but you regained your composure quickly enough to not make it a priority for either of you. At the same time, Seonghwa’s expression altered to a semblance of… hope? Longing? You could not pinpoint it, but one of the many glowing dots above you clearly landed in his shining orbs, and he eagerly waited.
Waited for longer than you could realise in your present state.
On their own accord, your lips moved, forcing out a subconscious acknowledgement, previously suppressed. You swore the phrase belonged to another being, but it was as refreshing as the breeze tousling Seonghwa’s locks.
“I know. I can wait too.”
“Soon, my love.”
“I-I know.”
“I miss you.”
“I-” vision growing hazy, you reached to the vampire for support, which he readily provided, “I- too.”
One blink - oil paints decorated your hands, and those alluring eyes were staring back at you from a canvas. Another blink - Seonghwa was repeating your name, pressing his cheek against yours as he shielded you from falling into darkness with his strong arms.
______ ׂׂૢ་༘࿐ ⋆ .
Your office was inviting and offered a secure haven: a collection of neutral and wooden tones, with dashes of greenery to relax the eyes. From a potted ivy plant settled on the top of a large wall-length shelving unit to an indoor palm tree enjoying the rays in its designated corner, the room was a miniature paradise. You ran your hands over the thick birch desk, cautiously avoiding the stack of documents you had arranged for yourself to go through this day. Artwork restoration reports, contracts, exhibition plans for years to come… everything you thought you would never see, and yet it was right here in your palms.
Time moved slower, or at least that was how you began to perceive it now that it was in abundance. A fountain that did not cease to bestow gifts upon you - again, something you would have never imagined prior to the curious series of events that were your previous life unfolding the way they did. One fateful meeting, and you were a changed person, staring into the horizon and labelling it as a continuation rather than as a termination of all you could achieve. The world was your oyster, and loving dedication was the price. But when the price was so sweet, and so easy, who were you to say no? If you had to pick a concern, it would be the bandages and binding on your right arm; friction from the sleeve of the turtleneck and blazer you had worn today applying uncomfortable pressure to the delicate wound concealed within. 
You stood up from the leatherbound office chair, adjusting your clothes and stepping to the window behind you to look out at the garden belonging to the gallery - a recent expansion. Grand, regal, and as the papers had emphasised, now returned to its rightful owner. You wondered just how much of the city had belonged to vampires at least for a portion of time, and you had no doubt that you would be making more discoveries soon, but for the time being, you were happy with the re-acquisition, or as Seonghwa had called it: your ‘turning’ gift. A particularly strong shift of the arm made you wince, and your other hand shot to nurse your sore arm.
“I’m so sorry darling, does it still hurt?” Unbeknownst to you, Seonghwa had slipped into the office, and immediately rushed towards you, concern painting his beautiful face through furrowed brows and a tiny scowl.
“N-no, barely. The sweater is silly-”
“Let’s not disregard ailments, shall we?” your partner gingerly lifted your arm, and after gaining permission through a few lethargic nods, pushed the sleeve upwards to reveal the bandages, “I- really, we need to apply the ointment again, that must be it-”
“Seonghwa-”
“Work can wait, I just need to-”
“My love-” Seonghwa paused his ramblings to stare back at you, puzzled, “it’s okay. Don’t worry about it. Literally just a bite, isn’t it?” you smiled, the action instantly being mirrored, albeit with a tinge of remaining worry.
“Mm, perhaps I am overreacting, I can’t help it,” your thoughts were numbed by the silken touch of his lips on the back of your hand, wool against cotton as he pulled you into an embrace, “it should heal well once you get used to your new form, I am sure of it,” his tresses tickled your nose, but you ignored it, instead letting your head fall against him.
You stood almost completely still aside from the rocking side to side that was habitual for you both. A lulling motion, one that either of you revealed only to each other. A secret reserved for intimate, loving moments such as this. You shook your head in amusement and buried your nose in Seonghwa’s sweater, inhaling the aroma of his sweet perfume, recalling ‘Love and Pain’ - the painting that had marked the tightening of the invisible string tying you together. Or was it? Coincidentally, on the wall behind your lover was the real inception of your union, one that you had forgotten from one lifetime to the next. A portrait. The one that Seonghwa had been chasing, and what had been his decades-long mission came to an end.
Signed with your own hand, were initials of your name and the year of completion of the painting. None other than the beloved collector and muse, Park Seonghwa, who had posed for you, or rather a version of you, and ever since then, you were the only one on his mind. You had been the master both of the arts and of his fate.
“Please, I am embarrassed…” your partner mumbled, settling for futile attempts to position you in such a way that you would be looking out at the garden, but to no avail. Poking him playfully at the side, you induce a halt, and question him:
“What is there to be embarrassed about? That’s you. Painted by me.”
“Exactly. And you have it in your office, of all places.”
“Well I can’t exactly have you, in the flesh, on display all the time and I would like a work of art around here-”
“Shh-”
“Don’t shush me, Park. Be grateful I don’t keep the sketches out too.”
In all honesty, He would not mind if you did. You could do anything, and the vampire would adore and honour it. Whether it was in your blood or in his nature, he had never regretted almost losing himself in your favour. In your last life, he had gone against all rules set up by vampires, playing against what he swore was the devil in order to have the sliver of a chance to start again and, this time not lose you. Had his plan not succeeded, it was highly probable that he would have been erased from this planet too. But he would rather call himself a masochist than be law-abiding when it came to you.
“Next, you’ll be threatening me with a showcase of just my face-”
“What if I do?” you quipped, pulling back to boop his nose with yours, “I think it would look very pretty. Besides, now that I remember my apparent mastery of the visual arts, can’t I be a tiny bit proud, hm?”
“I would be terribly disappointed if you weren’t. Now, may I put that ointment on you?”
As if you could refuse those sparkling eyes. Promptly following him to the loveseat, which unfortunately for Seonghwa was situated right under the portrait, you sat down and waited. Your partner rushed to the medical cupboard - another new addition installed exclusively to support you as you were getting used to the vampiric nuances in your day to day. With well-practised motions, the required kit was in his hands, and in a blink, set down on the plush cushioning of the miniature sofa. You held back a chuckle as you saw the pout you so loved appear as he focused on unwinding the bandage with utmost care. Before you could feel any hurt, Seonghwa would already let go, or alter the angle at which he was tugging on the material. As soon as the plaster was peeled, you were met with the reason for your eternity and reawakening.
Two deep punctures, still a little irritated, not quite healed, but nevertheless a marking of your future and something you regarded with fondness. Wounds did not hurt when they were merely physical, especially not when you had someone who had bound their immortality to yours to tend to them. Seonghwa bit his lower lip, discontented with the ache as though he could feel it too, and took numerous pauses while cleaning up the wound to glance at you. 
“I’ll be applying the ointment now, tell me if it stings, okay?”
“Okay,” you knew it wouldn’t. You had never heard a man be so adamant on checking ingredients at an apothecary before following Seonghwa after your first appointment as a vampire. But just to appease him, you followed this small spoken routine. 
“You know… I was scared,” his voice was barely audible, and he could not look at you.
“What were you scared of?”
“Losing you again.”
“Well, I am here, aren’t I?”
Even before you were aware of Seonghwa, let alone the truth behind the portrait, all the roads still led to the same resolution. The arts, art history. Virtually synonymous, for without creation, there would not be the past, and without the study of the past, there would not be the celebration and respect of creation. Finally, you understood the beauty of evolution that Seonghwa had undergone all while remaining the same vulnerable yet legendary figure, dedicated to his vision of the arts, having recollected your own. 
“So many things could have gone wrong,” Seonghwa’s mind was reeling from the sheer terror of possibility. He had taken advantage of his high social standing as an aristocrat and pulled rank to avoid waiting for any ritual guides to step in - it was not the first time, but still only the second. And both cases were related to you. 
The first time might have been a foolish decision in retrospect, but considering the dire circumstances the extreme solution was the only one. With one foot crossing to the afterlife he was combatting the reapers, and was not going to let go of you even if it meant being pulled in. This time, when you had approached him a number of nights ago with your final agreement to his tentative proposal and kissed his ruminations away, he was ready. Years of study were not going to waste, after all. And yet when he studied the same irises as those from a time long gone, when he held the same hands, his blood ran even colder. What a gambling man he had been back then. The procedure to regift life to you had been risky, and Seonghwa, having never practised those elements of the dark arts bestowed upon his kind, had been taking shot after shot in the dark. How dare he play with your being like that? How dare he hold your existence on a sinful scale?
“But they didn’t.”
No they did not. Your confidence in him had aided considerably, he had to admit. The positioning of his fangs was perfect, and he had memorised all incantations down to the inflections. Second time a charm, but much more anxiety-inducing. Turning was not the same as revival, either. He could not stop himself from imagining the many scenarios of where he would have gone wrong, and cemented your identity only as a name on manuscripts, dissertation, paintings and reports. 
“Even the ritual, what if you did not remember-”
“I would love you just the same. Whether I had all my memories or not. That much I can assure you of. That is why I trusted you in the first place, Seonghwa.”
You did not need to be a mind reader to know what he was thinking. All you could do was suggest a brighter palette, and be by his side no matter what colour scheme he were to decide on. It was an artist’s duty to know when to set the tools aside and consider a painting finished. The luxury of a collector was to live through many paintings, unify the souls contained in each and sustain a chronology of expression. The keepers, the scholars, made to observe change rather than induce it directly. This was why you were all the more grateful for Seonghwa daring to change your mortal fate not once but twice, risking himself and his image in your favour.
When your partner was satisfied with his medical care, he hummed to notify you and began to clear up, at least until you placed a weak hand on his leather-clad thigh to gain his full attention. He searched for a hint in your features, eyes darting across your face at lightning speed. Relief came when you grinned brightly, whispering sincere gratitude.
Impressionism - the movement and path made by legends. A rejection of traditional practice, a new vision and interpretation of the outside world in the hues of the soul. Light, reality, immediate action. A breath that reset the arts, magnificent and radical for the time, and now, much adored. From its conception to its establishment, you were there to witness and fall in love, and now could look back at the beauty that had bloomed. His irises, your favourite colour. The speckles of various shades, your favourite details. You stared into Seonghwa’s eyes and did not dare blink. Your favourite impression.
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dear-bunnyboo · 7 months
Text
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐄: 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 || 𝐉𝐎𝐄 𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐑𝐎𝐖 18+
important note: my face claim will be madison beer but you can imagine whoever you desire. also the songs mentioned are not all technically all madison’s i will be incorporating other songs from other artists.
all the pictures seen below are not mine, however they were edited by yours truly. credits to the owners.
this is my gift to you lovelies for patiently waiting for this chapter! A lot of important events in this chapter… including our very first smut of the series (I was blushing while writing this btw 🥵)
Y’all need Jesus after this fr.
𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: Joe Burrow x Singer!Reader / Brief Ex!Jack Hughes x Singer!Reader
𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: It’s a busy week for you and Joe— from the VMAs to the Super Bow, you two can’t help but be shameless.
𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: 18+ mature content, smut, cursing, fluff, mentions of injury, tackling, mentions of cheating ex, fluff, alcohol consumption, flirting, media, paparazzi, sexual tension, more smut, victory sex, hair pulling, soft dom!Joe, spitting, oral, choking, Joe motherfucking Burrow
If you are below the age of 18 and or you are not comfortable with the warnings above, please don’t read this!
𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 || 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 || 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐜. 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 || 𝐍𝐇𝐋 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭
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Newark, New Jersey - Prudential Center
Flash, Flash, Flash
Flashing lights was all you could see. Each flash earned you a scream and or a holler from all directions— something you have grown accustomed to.
It was a beautiful Monday, a perfect day for the VMAs.
"Y/N!"
"Y/N, over here, darling!"
"Y/N, give us a smile please!"
"Look over here, Y/N"
"Y/N! Over here!"
As the bright lights of the red carpet dazzle your vision, you take a deep breath, feeling the weight of this very moment. Black and white dots now dancing in your eyes as you stayed smiling and posing for the cameras. The crimson carpet stretches before you like a river of greater opportunity, and you're about to dive right in. Your heart flutters in your chest, excitement and nervousness intertwined— you have attended in such events for years now, yet you still can't seem to get used to all the commotion whenever you were in attendance.
The red carpet is a stage in itself, where every step, every glance, every word must be perfectly measured. You reminded yourself to breathe, to savor the moment, to be present. Your a person of talent, passion, and strength, and tonight, You will shine in the spotlight, alongside the people who support you the most.
The camera flashes are like a relentless storm, and you try to maintain that poised smile, the one that you've mastered after the countless times you've stood in front of cameras. You know that every snapshot is a memory etched in time— which is why Y/BF/N dressed you up in the most beautiful dress. You were wearing a pink skin tight dress, a shimmering masterpiece of silk that feels like a second skin with a slit that goes up to your thigh.
Before you could move off of the red carpet, from your peripheral vision you see your best friend directing Joe to stand right next to you and surprisingly he did earning more flashes from the cameras in front of you and more screams from all around.
Joe's muscular arm instantly wrapped around your form, pulling you closer to him— you were practically glued next to him as he stared at the cameras up ahead.
"Joe!"
"Joe! Y/N!"
"Y/N! Joe! Over here!"
"Give a kiss for us!"
"One kiss!"
"Kiss her, Joe!"
Turning your head to look at the man who shouted the last request, you gave him a teasing wink earning a laugh from them. However, Joe had other plans— your boyfriend squeezed your waist causing you to turn and look at the tall man as he was already looking down at you with mischief written in his beautiful baby blue eyes.
"They are begging, lovebug." Joe whispers to you.
Without giving you much time to think about it— Joe gently grabbed your chin in his large hands of his and directed your face towards his, capturing your lips in his, kissing you shamelessly in from of the cameras that were now flashing twice as much as they cheered you two on.
Pulling back, your face was now red and you were pretty sure you could see Y/BF/N giggling at the sideline as she watches with a childlike look in her face.
You gave Joe a playful glare as he chuckled at the look on your face—the same look you gave him when he insisted on going as your date tonight. You were a bit hesitant to take him, not because of the media or the fans— you couldn't give a rats ass about them. It is because the biggest game of his life will be held this Sunday and you didn't want him to miss out on his training days which he ultimately did considering he is right next to you this very moment.
Standing right next to you was your rock, your boyfriend, the famous quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals who is missing the first day of training for the Super Bowl for you. His strong presence is reassuring, his hand warm as he caresses your back. He's here to support you whether you liked it or not, to share in this moment of triumph, and you are so grateful for that. You feel Joe's silent encouragement, his belief in you, and it fuels your confidence even more.
Walking into the grand entrance of the award show ceremony, You can feel the energy in the room, a palpable buzz of excitement and anticipation. The flashbulbs, once a storm on the red carpet, have now turned into a sea of stars among us. Upon entering, you and Joe were greeted by enthusiastic cheers and applause from the fans that are in attendance, and it's like a wave of affirmation washing over you.
Joe's charisma is in a whole other level— to the people who are just now seeing or meeting Joe, his aura is felt throughout. Joe's presence exuding confidence and charm. He's accustomed to the spotlight, but tonight, it's not just about you or Joe, it's about the both of you— this week is both your weeks.
As the two of you made your way further into the venue, you catch the admiring glances and smiles from fellow artists and industry insiders. It's a warm welcome, a validation of the hard work and passion that have led you to this moment. The whispers of conversation, the clinking of glasses, and the symphony of anticipation in the air heighten the sense of importance.
Once you reached your seats, you were greeted by more familiar faces in the industry as you politely exchanged pleasantries, Your boyfriend watches you silently as you interacted with people and the way Joe looks at you is a mixture of pride and love, which is a source of strength, reminding you that you're not here alone. They would later turn to him and have the same reaction dawn on their face, it was a mixture of admiration, awe, and intimidation— it was an immediate reaction at this point.
Joe is just that... otherworldly.
The red carpet was a prelude, a dazzling introduction to the evening, but now you were inside, ready to take your seats. Your heart races with excitement, and you can't help but be grateful for the support, for the enthusiasm of those around you. It's a night to celebrate, a night to be recognized for the art you create, and you're eager to embrace every moment of it.
With Joe on your right and Y/BF/N on your left, you feel more at ease with both of them next to you. Your hand is intertwined with Joe's as he quietly looks around the room— a music award show was something he has never attended before and you are excited to take him to more as you watched the stage lights reflect in his crystal eyes.
The night went on, performance after performance were presented. You and Joe were enjoying yourself, watching as the first batch of award were given out— you were nominated to three categories tonight which just so happens to be the three biggest categories of the night
As the evening unfolds, you find yourself in a whirlwind of emotions.
"Here are the nominees for MTV VMAs, Song of the Year."
On cue the large screen in front played the video of the nominee for the category— once the video ended the presenter slowly opened the envelope on their hands, you sat in silence as you kept your composure while your hand grasps Joe's who placed a kiss on your ear before whispering your name as if he was announcing the winner himself.
"Reckless, Y/N Y/L/N!"
The applause, the cheers, and the joy of being recognized for your work are beyond your wildest dreams. You gave Y/BF/N a big hug before doing the same to your boyfriend who later places another kiss on your lips as the camera follows you towards the main stage.
You clutch the trophy in your hands, feeling its weight, both literal and symbolic— the hard work you have put yourself through after the incident with your ex boyfriend.
It was a blessing in disguise.
Not long after returning to your seat, you were yet called up on stage. The feeling of accomplishment overwhelming as you received yet another Moonman.
"The Album of the Year is— Teardrops! Y/N Y/L/N!"
The realization that you've won award after award is sinking in, and you can't help but feel overwhelmed with gratitude—one more to go.
After receiving your second award of the night you were rushed immediately backstage for your performance, Y/BF/N already waiting for you with your performance outfit on hand. There were no words exchanged for you were running on borrowed time, your team running along with you as they followed you around as they touched up your make up and fixed your hair.
You headed towards the main stage to your position on the middle of the stage now wearing a little black number that ended mid thigh, hugging your body in the right places. Your dancers surrounding you as they take their places by you as well.
The beginning instrumental of I Did Something Bad started playing in your in-ear— the stage is set, bathed in an ethereal glow, and the audience hushes in anticipation. As the spotlight focuses on the center, there you stand, the pop star sensation, a vision in sequins and stardust. Your powerful voice, like a siren's call, weaves through the air, captivating every soul in the room.
The music surges, the melody infectious, and you danced with an effortless grace that mesmerizes the crowd. Your energy is infectious, igniting the atmosphere with every note. The lyrics are more than just words; they're a story, a journey, a reflection of your heart and soul— the anger and frustration you felt while you wrote the song resonating across the room.
In the front row, Joe watches with a mixture of admiration and love. His eyes are fixed on you, unwavering. Joe has witnessed your journey, the anxiety attacks, the crying, the writing and recording process, the late-night rehearsals, the raw determination, and it all culminates on this stage. He's not just a spectator; he's a witness to the magic you create.
The applause, the cheers, and the standing ovation that follows the performance are a testament to your artistry. You, with your boyfriend's unwavering support, has left an indelible mark on the hearts of those in the audience, reminding them of the power of music and the strength of love. It's a moment to be cherished, a performance that transcends the boundaries of the stage and touches the hearts of everyone in that room.
Once you've returned back to your seat still in your black ensemble, you shamelessly wrapped your arms around Joe's neck as he stood up for you— a warm smile on his face as he nonchalantly caress your body in front of everybody.
"My baby is amazing— so amazing." Joe praises as he helped you on your seat, his warm hand caressing your back while his piercing blue eyes remained on you, eyeing you up and down.
"Thank you, I had fun." you replied slightly out of breath as you gave him a peck on his awaiting lips.
The last award of the night was being presented as you leaned your head on Joe's shoulder, tired after your performance. The blonde places a kiss on your head as he continued to caress your exposed thigh as you waited for the winner to be announced.
"And the Artists of the Year goes to— Y/N Y/LN!"
The moment comes again as you're called up to receive another award. You step forward, and before you can even move another step up the stairs that led to the stairs, Joe leans in and plants a sweet kiss on your lips. It's a gesture of love, a quiet proclamation to the world that he's proud of you.
"Three for three, baby" he whispers against your lips earning a wink from you.
The audience erupts in applause and cheers, sharing in your joy— obviously enjoying the interaction between the two of you.
"Oh my goodness." you started as you reached the mic that was placed on the center stage. You looked at the trophy in your hands, you continued, "I am deeply honored and humbled to stand before you tonight as the recipient of the Artist of the Year award. This moment is not just about me; it's a celebration of the incredible journey we’ve all been on. I would not be here without the unwavering support of so many amazing people, and for that, I am profoundly grateful." you smiled.
"Thank you. To my fellow artists, your creativity and dedication continue to inspire me. This award is not just a recognition of my efforts, but a testament to the power of music in all its forms, and the profound impact it has on our lives. The path to this stage has been filled with highs and lows, challenges and triumphs. It's a journey that has taught me the power of perseverance, the importance of staying true to oneself, and the beauty of creating music that resonates with the heart and soul."
"I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to all those who have been a part of this journey. To my family, who believed in me from the very beginning and provided the love and encouragement that fueled my passion. To my incredible team, who worked tirelessly behind the scenes, helping me bring my vision to life. To the fans, who have been my source of inspiration and motivation every single day— to my best friend, Y/BF/N who is with me right now, thank you for literally everything."
"I also want to thank, number 9 over there." you started before stopping because of the cheers and screams after mentioning Joe who was watching you with a grin on his beautiful face, his eyes never ones leaving yours. "Thank you for taking care of me mentally and physically when I needed the most, I adore you so much it hurts." you moved an inch away from the mic heading back to your seat before deciding to return "Oh, and to the person who inspired my recent album— you know who you are. I literally wouldn't be here without you, so thank you." you smirked and winked at the camera
Once you returned to your seat, Joe placed another kiss on your head "You're trouble." he chuckled implying at the stunt you just pulled. "You love me." you said without thinking.
"That I do."
Your heart flutters with a newfound sense of accomplishment. It's not just about the trophies; it's about the love and support you have in your life. And each time Joe kisses you that night— it's a reminder that you two are in this journey together, celebrating each other's victories.
Los Angeles, California - SoFi Stadium
It is finally Sunday. Its officially the day of the Super Bowl and you simply cannot handle all the emotions that are flowing inside of you this very moment.
Everyone who is everyone is here in the stadium and the weight of today’s events is now dawning on you. The Bengals are yet again going against the Rams for the second time in the Super Bowl— a team they had lost to during their first Super Bowl game. It was the rematch Bengals fans have been waiting for.
You found yourself yet again in the suite where you were surrounded by a lot of Joe’s families and closest friends. Along with Y/BF/N who sat by your side, Your parents were given tickets by your boyfriend— seated next to your other side was your mom and dad who were busy laughing with Robin and Jim.
As you stand in the suite with your arms crossed to your chest, watching the lead-up to kick-off, your heart is a tempest of emotions. The air is charged with excitement, and the entire stadium is alive with anticipation.
Your boyfriend, the star quarterback— Joe Burrow, is at the center of it all. You can see him on the field, surrounded by his teammates, the embodiment of strength and determination. The weeks and months of preparation have all led to this one defining moment.
In just a few minutes, the American flag was brought out, signifying the beginning of the singing of the National Anthem. The National Anthem immediately resonates through the stadium, surrounding the stadium with careful melodies and vocals, and as the final notes echo, You can't help but feel a sense of pride and unity as the hairs on your arms stood up in both excitement and nervousness.
The crowd roars with fervor, and your heart instantly swells with hope.
Kick-off is a heart-pounding moment, and as the game unfolds, every play feels like a microcosm of destiny. With each snap, you can see the intensity in Joe’ eyes from where you were standing, the focus that's been a constant companion in the days leading up to this Super Bowl.
You were up on your feet the entire time, not taking a chance to sit as if you’d miss everything if you did. The sound of cheers and groans echoes in the stadium as the Halftime show started— you couldn’t even enjoy the performance, all you could think about was Joe.
You wanted him to win— he deserves to win.
The competition is fierce, and as the clock ticks away, your anxiety rises. Every throw, every rush, every tackle feels like a rollercoaster of emotions— Y/BF/N grabbing your hand in hers to stop you from potentially ripping your hair out from all the anxiety this stupid game was giving you.
You had a love and hate relationship with football— even more so now that your watching your boyfriend get tackled to the ground.
Then, it happens.
In the final moments of the game, with the score tied; 34-34— which got you gnawing on your lower lip. Joe takes the snap. He surveys the field, and as he releases the ball, time seems to slow down— everyone collectively held their breaths as you watched the ball as it spirals through the air, a graceful arc, and then— with a breathtaking touchdown, the stadium erupts in deafening cheers.
You watched as the rest of the team ran towards Joe as they celebrated on the center one the field— your vision starting to get blurry. It took you long to realize that you were indeed crying, a warm hand caressed your back— turning around you were met with Joe’s mom who was crying herself, she pulled you in for a hug as your family and Joe’s celebrated.
Joe has done it. The last touchdown. Your boyfriend has become the Super Bowl champion. You can hardly contain your joy, and tears of elation filled your eyes once more. The victory is not just his; it's a triumph of dedication, teamwork, and unwavering commitment. You know that this moment will be etched in his memory forever, and you couldn't be prouder. It's a celebration of dreams realized, of hard work paying off, and it's a testament to the power of never giving up. This is a moment we'll cherish for a lifetime, a moment that makes all the sacrifices and struggles worthwhile.
Later that evening you’ve found yourself snuggled in Joe’s side as he listened to Kid Cudi perform at the after party. You and Joe stood by the stage, his arms wrapped around you while you two bobbed your head to the beat— Y/BF/N was on the dance floor dancing her little heart out while both your parents and Joe’s parents already left an hour ago.
As the party roars around you, you couldn't help but feel an overwhelming mix of excitement, joy, and anticipation coursing through in your veins. The Super Bowl win was not only a victory for Joe but the entire Bengals organization as well, who are all found in the room enjoying the party that’s being taken place.
It had been a rollercoaster ride of emotions throughout the game, but now, amidst the celebration, your attention was solely focused on Joe and his on you— you two couldn’t get your hands off of each other. The mixture of the adrenaline from the win and the slight buzz from the alcohol making the two of you bold— completely uncaring of the cameras that surrounded the the two of you.
“So, lovebug, I suppose my touchdown wasn't the only thing that left you breathless tonight.” Joe began, his smirk etching itself on his face as he looked down on you.
“Oh, please, Joe. Don't let that Super Bowl win get to your head. But I can't deny, you definitely scored some major points out there.” You rolled your eyes playfully at the blonde who simply chuckled.
Joe leaned towards you even closer, his lips now touching your ear, “Well, they say a victory is always sweeter when you have someone special to celebrate with. And speaking of sweet, you're looking absolutely irresistible tonight.”
Your eyes lightens at every word that came out of Joe’s mouth. “You know, I couldn't take my eyes off you the entire game. Every time I saw you in the suite cheering for me, it gave me the extra boost I needed. You're my lucky charm, babe.” he mutters kissing your cheek.
A playful twinkle in your eye shone against the colorful lights of the club as you looked up at your boyfriend, “Lucky charm? Well, don't go thinking I'll be letting you forget that easily, Mr. Superstar. But if I am your good luck charm, then I guess you owe me a victory dance, right?”
“Oh, absolutely. But let's save that victory dance for somewhere more private.” Joe smirks as he watched your brain short circuit— he wasn’t talking about dancing anymore that’s for sure.
With each passing moment, your playful banter and flirtatious glances intensified. The electricity between the two of you seemed to crackle in the air, heightening the already electric atmosphere of the party. As you moved through the crowd to get another drink, you couldn't resist stealing stolen moments with Joe—brief touches, whispers of affection, and mischievous grins exchanged from across the room.
Throughout the night, you found yourself falling even deeper in love, cherishing every stolen moment that reaffirmed their connection. It was a celebration of the Bengals’ success— Joe’s success. In that moment, as the two of you continued to flirt and revel in the team’s victory, you knew that love and football had collided to create a truly magical and unforgettable night.
Every interaction with Joe sent a thrill through your heart. You found herself becoming more aware of his presence, his touch, his infectious smile. The way he looked euphoric, lightly drenched in sweat and adrenaline, only added to the magnetism between you. You found yourself across the room from him— talking to your best friend, however, your eyes locked, speaking volumes without a single word being uttered. Each glance whispered promises of a future filled with shared victories, celebrations, and unwavering support.
The tension was palpable— it was suffocating you.
And it continued suffocating you until you and Joe got back to your hotel suite.
Upon entering the room, you and Joe kept quiet— uncharacteristic for the both of you considering how much you two talk when you are together— yet it was quiet, it was painful.
You carefully removed your heels off your feet, leaving them bare as you crossed to the room towards the edge of the bed. You started removing the jewelry you were wearing, carefully and placing them on the bedside table.
It was still quiet.
The hairs on the back of your neck stood up. You knew he was watching you— Joe was stood behind you, leaning against the wall as he eyed you from behind, watching your every move like a predator does to his prey. The heat from his gaze is something you could physically feel on you— but you remained unfazed while you continued removing your jewelry.
The sound of Joe walking towards you made you slightly jump in place, trying to keep your composure— you kept your back towards him.
Joe now stood right behind you, his tall stature towering you from behind as you removed your earrings, placing them on the bedside table along with the rest of your jewelry. You can feel the heat of his body from behind you as it radiated off of him like fire. Slowly, Joe’s fingers caressed your neck as he placed kisses on your neck. “We have a lot to celebrate, lovebug.” he whispered against your neck.
“What else is there to celebrate that is more important then you winning the Super Bowl?” you mangaged to breathe out as you leaned back closer to him as he played his fingers through your hair.
He moved closer and you felt yourself melt into him even more as he wrapped his arms around your waist before slowly dragging his large warm hands against your thighs. “First, our relationship being official— finally. Second, is for all the awards you won last Monday. And then we can celebrate for the Super Bowl.” Joe summarizes as he started nipping at the flesh of your neck.
You trembled from the feelings of desire coursing though your body as you continued listening to Joe who’s hands were now inside your dress, however, he simply continued caressing your thighs, teasing you. “How are we gonna celebrate then, Joey?” you released a shaky breath earning a chuckle from your boyfriend, his laugh feeling like vibrations from your back.
“Three celebrations— which means we can start with my fingers, then my mouth, then I’ll finish you off on my cock, how about that, huh?” You physically shook in response, struggling to get a word out.
Your hands pressed against the base of his forearms as Joe moved you with him to sit on the edge of the bed with you now placed on his lap, your back still pressed against his front.
“I asked you a question, lovebug.” Joe’s stern voice entered your ear as he playfully nipped at it causing you to clench your thighs together.
“I- I think I’d like that very much, Joey.” You managed to muster out as you closed your eyes, leaning your head back towards Joe’s shoulder while he continued to caress your body.
“Good girl.”
Good God, you were gonna pass out— you just unlocked Pandora’s box.
A surge of need and confidence surge in you, you turned around to face Joe slowly, now holding his gaze. Your eyes were dark with passion as you kissed him deeply, your tongues dancing together. Joe’s hands slid down your arms, over your breasts and back down to your waist.
His hands gripped your hips as he pulled you even closer to him. His tongue pushed deeper into your mouth as his lips crushed against yours. “Fuck, I wanted you the second your eyes caught mine when you were singing the National Anthem.” he confessed which shocked you considering that was the very first time you laid your eyes on each other— Joe wanted you from the get-go.
Joe broke away from the kiss only to stare into your eyes again. He looked deep into your eyes as if searching for something. He smiled as he leaned forward to whisper in your ear, "I've been wanting you since the moment I saw you." Joe repeated once more as he saw your reaction to his statement— you felt your pussy throb in anticipation.
You bit your lip as you tried to compose yourself. "Well, we're not going to waste any time, are we?" you asked seductively as you looked up at Joe with doe eyes.
Joe chuckles darkly at your change in attitude, “No, we’re definitely not.”
Joe pushes your body down onto the bed as kneeled down between your parted legs. His baby blue eyes now darken with lust as he watches you— teasingly he kisses your thighs all the way back up to your lips as he rips your tight dress off your body, leaving you in your underwear that Joe immediately rips off of you as well.
“Joe! I liked that dress!” you gasped and lightly glared at the blonde.
“I’ll buy you a whole damn clothing store— don’t worry.” Joe grunts as he eyed your now naked body before undressing himself.
His hands caress your body as he moves them over your stomach and up to your breasts. Joe leans in and sucks on one of your nipples causing you to moan loudly. His hand moves to the other breast as he begins to squeeze it, pinching the hard nipple between his thumb and index finger. You squirm under him as you feel yourself dripping in anticipation.
Joe takes his hand away from your breast grabs your leg and lifts it up so that he can push your knees apart. You feel his hot breath on your pussy as he licks your clit. You moan loudly as you feel his tongue probe your pussy. His tongue flicks against your pussy lips causing you to shudder.
Joe uses two fingers to spread your pussy open as he begins to tongue fuck your pussy. The sensation is incredible as his tongue works its magic on your clit. You close your eyes as you begin to lose control. Your body shakes as you orgasm from his talented tongue. Joe moves his tongue out of your pussy as he looks up at you— watching you with narrowed eyes.
He smiles as he sees the look of pure ecstasy on your face. "You taste so good." he says as he moves his head back down to your pussy. Joe licks and sucks your pussy as his fingers slide inside of you.
He starts to finger fuck you as he licks your clit before spitting on it. He pulls his fingers out of your pussy and brings them to your mouth. "Taste how wet you are." he demands as he slides his fingers inside of your mouth. You suck on his fingers as you taste your own juices. You moan softly as you feel another orgasm building. Joe continues to lick your pussy as he slides a third finger into you.
He fucks you with his fingers slowly as he licks your pussy. He pulls his fingers out of your mouth and slides them back inside of you. "You like that?" he asks as he fucks you faster. "Yes, please don't stop." you begged.
Joe smirked as he picks up the pace. You feel your orgasm coming closer as he fucks you harder. You grab hold of the sheets as your whole body begins to shake. Joe slows down as he feels you cumming.
You bite your lip as you feel your orgasm subsiding. Joe looks up at you as he continues to slowly finger fuck you. "Do you want me to stop?" he asks. "No, no, keep fucking me. I want more.” you reply.
You were addicted.
Joe climbs on top of you and kisses you deeply. You kiss him back as you feel his cock rubbing against your pussy. You wrap your legs around his waist as he pushes his cock deep inside of you. You moan as he enters you fully. Joe thrusts his cock in and out of your pussy. You wrap your arms around his neck as he fucks you. You moan loudly as you feel another orgasm building. Joe reaches down and rubs your clit as he fucks you.
"Oh god yes!" you scream as you explode in another orgasm. Joe continues to fuck you as you cum. You feel another orgasm approaching as Joe thrusts into you faster.
Joe didn’t give you enough time to think, he pulls his cock out of your pussy before he grabbed your legs and lifts them over his shoulders. You wrap your arms around his neck as he drives back into you. "Fuck me harder!" you demand. He rolls you over onto your stomach— He spreads your legs apart as he climbs between them. He pushes his cock back inside of you. You moan as he fucks you harder. “I love fucking you." he says as he thrust in you.
"Me too." You moaned as Joe continued to pound into you, drilling you down the bed. “Oh god! I'm gonna cum!" you scream as you explode in another orgasm as Joe finished in you as well.
Joe pulls his cock out of you before getting off of you to lay next to you. You look into his eyes as he smiles. "That was– crazy. You’re crazy" you giggled earning a laugh from your boyfriend who smiles as he wraps his arm around you.
“The whole hotel knows that now.” Joe stated almost smug.
“Joseph Lee Burrow!” You smacked his bare chest as he gave you another heartily laugh, gently tickling your sides. “I’m kidding— we have a private floor, baby.” Joe reassured you.
“You’re fucking shameless.”
“You and me both, pretty girl.”
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dividers: @cafekitsune
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nicksolemnlyswears · 5 months
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WAYS TO COME UNDONE
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this is part 2 of WAYS TO DESTRESS but can be read as a standalone
summary: coriolanus keeps his promise about making you squirt all over him. what better way to do it than in front of the mirror.
pariring: young! coriolanus snow x capitol! reader
word count: 4.3k
warnings: 18+, smut, cursing, fingering, sex in front of mirror, squirting, pussy spanking, p in v, use of safe word, unprotected sex (wrap it before you tap it people), I DESPERATELY NEED A CORYO IN MY LIFE
a/n: hi 🌚 many wanted this, myself included hehe. it took a turn towards the end where it basically wrote itself. i have no control over what tickles my brain. i hope you guys enjoy it as much as i do. hopefully this oneshot shows more about the machinations of their relationship.
requests open ✨
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From the moment Coryo showed you the racy clip of him using you while asleep, you have not been able to stop the waves of heat that consume your cunt.
You're a stellar student who always concentrates on the lectures and participates in class. Today, you find yourself in the back of the classroom, daydreaming about Coriolanus and his tongue. Focusing was out of the picture for you as you tried not to sneak your hand between your thighs and soothe the ache.
One of the many reasons your relationship works so well is that both of you are extremely perverted. Coriolanus has always been more in tune with that side of himself, but you needed assistance to bring that side out. Coriolanus saw it in you long before you did, and he patiently gauged it out and molded it to fit his crooked ways.
It's why Coriolanus using you while you were knocked cold has you acting this way. He pleasured himself when you were at your most vulnerable, and instead of feeling violated, you thanked him. You savor that instead of finding another whore to fuck his frustration out, he stays with you, no matter the state. If that makes you sick, then be it.
When your last class was over, you rushed to the apartment. You needed Coriolanus to stop this burning inside you. Sadly, he's a teacher's pet and workaholic who only managed to get home at eight at night.
He walks into the apartment calmly, humming under his breath while you watch him like a hawk. Coryo sees you on the living room couch 'lounging' and approaches you to leave a kiss on your head. Your eye twitches when he announces he's going to shower.
His upturned lips give him away. He's tormenting you. As if waiting for him all day wasn't torture enough. It could be worse, though he could've stayed longer at the lab. God knows he has a ton of experiments to work on.
With a huff, you follow him into the bedroom.
"How was your day, darling?" He asks, taking his clothes off.
He's like a masterpiece that has escaped a museum. His fair skin is unblemished except for the scars on his back that you've spent hours running your fingers over. Sometimes, he feels them burn, a reminder of what he's done in the past, but then you're there kissing over them to ease the pain.
"Long," you dryly respond, crossing your arms, inadvertently accentuating your chest.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Coryo says humorously, stepping into the steaming shower.
The foggy glass hides him from you, but you remain watching by the bathroom door. Despite your short answers, he continues to talk to you, successfully getting under your skin.
He's entertained by your lingering presence. Privacy is not in your vocabulary anymore. Coriolanus likes it when you get this needy. It's like an experiment where he tests how far you're willing to go.
It's not complicated; all you have to do is ask, and he'll give you the world, but you're too modest for your own good. It prevents you from coming right out with it. You could've had him the moment he stepped into the apartment if you had only asked.
You look at him hopefully when he steps out of the shower. Shamelessly, you take every inch of him. Coriolanus strong shoulders, his chiseled chest and abs, his pretty pink cock that hangs half hard most of the time.
He deprives you of it as he wraps a towel around his hips. Coriolanus approaches you, water droplets falling from his blonde hair and down his body.
Coriolanus is so close to you, and when you think he'll dip his head down to kiss you, he grabs your hips and moves you to the side to give himself passage into the bedroom. "'Excuse me."
You want to throw him with the vase of roses settled on the bathroom counter. You resist since you need him to be conscious for what you have planned. You're aware of how Coriolanus can read you like a book. So why isn't he asking about your mood or if you need anything?
He sits against the headboard, wearing only his pajama bottoms, his cock clearly outlined by the fabric. Coriolanus doesn't wear underwear to bed, he doesn't like the tight fabric when he's asleep. Having you hugging him throughout the night is enough.
With a huff, you strut over to the bed and straddle his lap. Expecting it, Coriolanus reaches for your hips, holding you tight onto him.
"Do it again," you say, placing your hands on his chest and provocatively arching your back as if offering yourself to him.
"What, darling?" He asks, quirking an eyebrow. He tilts his head towards you as if he didn't hear you properly.
You roll your eyes, annoyed. "Make me squirt," you say blatantly. It sounds wrong coming from your lips.
Coriolanus chuckles, shaking his head, "I said another time, darling. I'm tired tonight."
You punch his naked chest weakly, with your frown turning deeper. He grabs your hand midway through the air as you try to smack him again.
Amused at your boldness, he opens your palm and laces your fingers together. He kisses the back of your hand and holds it to his chest.
"You are mean and cruel, Coriolanus," you spit out, hoping to annoy him by using his full name. Maybe this will make him do it or at least provoke him to do something.
"You knew that when you accepted to marry me." His gaze hardens as he taps on the engagement ring on your fourth finger.
It glints delicately, catching people's attention and letting them know you're taken. He spent months searching for the right ring for you. Coriolanus had to find the perfect balance: nothing too simple where it would pass unseen but nothing too gaudy where you wouldn't wear it.
"I don't care how cruel you are to others as long as it's not me," you respond, cradling his jaw in your hand.
"Give me a good reason why I should do it," he asks, kissing your palm.
"I'll do anything, Coryo. I'll suck you off in the lab, cockwarm you in my father's office, let you tie me up, fuck my throat, anything! Hell, I'll even let you try anal again," you huff, winding yourself up.
You must really want it if you brought up anal. It's the one thing you've tried and haven't wanted to do again. You're pretty open to his suggestions, but that one is your hard limit.
He won't make you do it again. Seeing you needy like this is enough. Although he might take your offer of blowing him under the desk in his lab.
"You make a compelling case," he hums, looking at you carefully. You're flushed without him even touching you, and your nipples are hard under your nighty.
This isn't a whim, your body is visibly begging for him. Coriolanus has to pat himself on the back. This is all his doing.
"Coryo, you don't know how many times I've watched that video," you say as if to prove how much you need him.
"Kiss me," Coriolanus sighs, giving in.
You slam your lips against his, eagerly kissing him until you're breathless. Your fingers curl around his hair, tugging the strands and making him groan into your mouth. Taking the opportunity, you slip your tongue into his mouth, tasting him.
Coriolanus smacks a hand down on your ass cheek, leaving a red imprint behind. In retaliation, your teeth bite harshly onto his lower one, causing a drop of blood to surface.
"I love you, darling," he growls as his eyes darken with lust, and he cups your face with both his hands. You've turned so bold under his tutelage, stealing pages from the book he wrote.
"Yeah, I love you too, come on," you pant, taking off your night dress to reveal yourself to him.
"I've created a monster," Coryo murmurs, pawing on one of your breasts as he mouths the other one.
"Don't act like you don't like it," you moan, rolling your hips down on his bulge. Your lack of underwear is apparent as a wet patch forms on his pants.
Coryo involuntarily unwraps you from his body as he stands from the bed. You chase his lips with a whine when he pulls away from you. Coriolanus sets a chair in front of the floor-length mirror in the corner of the room, sitting on it and motioning for you to sit on his lap.
If he's going to give you what you want, he will do it his way. You need him to make you squirt, so he's going to have you watch so you never forget about the moment. He'll engrave in your brain how it was he who made it possible.
With his hands on your waist, he turns you to face the mirror and pulls you down to sit with your back to his chest. Just like a doll, he positions you with your legs propped up on his knees, exposing your dripping cunt.
"No matter what, you're going to look at yourself in the mirror, or there will be consequences," he growls into your ear, licking the shell of your ear and biting your earlobe.
"Yes, Coryo," you moan, excitedly biting your lip.
Looking at him through the mirror, you notice his wicked stare. He begins to roll your clit on his fingers steadily, earning a sigh of contentment from you.
He's memorized everything about your body. Each stage of arousal is burned into his brain at this point. It's how he knows you've been touching yourself today.
"How many times did you touch yourself?" He questions, digging his nose into your neck to smell the remnants of your lotion and perfume.
"Two before I left for university, one during lunch, and two when I got back," you admit between moans as your cheeks heat up in embarrassment.
You were late to class because of Coryo's video. Still, your arousal persisted so much that you locked yourself in one of the bathrooms of the university and rubbed your clit till your legs shook with an orgasm. You walked out of the bathroom, ashamed of your behavior, but it got you throughout the rest of the day.
When you got home, you fell on the couch, pressing one of the decorative cushions between your legs. You rocked against it for nearly an hour, edging yourself to give Coriolanus time to get home. The last one was in the shower with the detachable head minutes before he arrived.
"Five times and one in public," he chides with a click of his tongue, "What do I do with you?"
Your confession is music to Coriolanus' ears, but you can't know that. So he delivers five sharp slaps down your spread cunt. He covers the reddening flesh with his hand, putting pressure on it to ease the sting.
"Ow, Coryo," you cry, digging your nails into his thighs where you are barely hanging on.
"You should've come to me. I could've helped you much more than your fingers," he tells you mockingly.
Uncovering your cunt there is a dash of red on your skin. Coriolanus didn't hold back with his slaps. It's hard to explain why, but you like it when he manhandles you like that. He makes you cry just to console you later.
"You're busy," you sniff, hiccuping when he gathers your slick to spread it over the stinging skin.
Coriolanus takes his studies and lab work seriously; you never wish to interrupt him in any way, no matter how many times he reassures you it's okay.
"I'm never too busy for you, darling," he responds, resting his chin on your shoulder. His touch returns to your clit, rubbing it round and round until you're moaning out his name.
Finally, Coriolanus slips his finger into you, giving you the relief you desperately want. Even if it is your pleasure, his fingers are better than yours. They are long and strong and know precisely how to curve to give you the pleasure you seek.
The relief that takes over you is so much that you let your head fall back with your eyes closed. In an instant, the fingers are gone, and another slap is deposited on your sensitive skin.
"Eyes on the mirror," Coriolanus reminds you. He wants you to see how he's the only one that can make you crumble.
His free hand, which had been wrapped like a vice around your waist, comes up to your chest to squeeze your breasts and nipples. His eyes darken as he observes how your supple flesh spills between his fingers.
"Look at how pretty you are," he whispers in your ear as he adds another finger into your dripping cunt.
A sense of bashfulness settles on your chest as you do as he says. You follow his hand as it trails down your sweaty skin, your face and chest flushed because of the heat. He traces your nipples with his fingers, and you watch how they turn hard in response. Next, he touches your stomach, his fingers ghosting your belly button from which he has licked his own cum from.
It's like your body harbors memories of Coriolanus Snow, from the multicolored lovebites in your chest and neck to the thick arousal that coats your thighs. Each one was caused by him, for him.
Sensing your mind is slipping, he lightly taps your thighs, bringing you back to focus on the body he considers so beautiful. He takes his wet fingers out of you and spreads your cunt even farther with them.
He traces your pearl, which is bright red, frustrated from arousal and the constant touching it has endured today. Then, your pussy lips that puff out as blood surges to it.
Coriolanus gathers the drop of slick that hangs from your fleshy pink opening. "See? All beautiful and all mine," he says. Only now does he allow you to turn from the mirror because it's to kiss him.
Remembering why you're in this position, Coriolanus slides two fingers into you, fucking them with precision into your g spot. No more teasing and prolonging.
"It feels so good, Coryo," you whine, holding onto his arm as your hips grind further into his hand.
"It looks good, too," he mutters, hypnotized by the way your cunt swallows his fingers. Not even your nails digging into his arm snaps him away from the pretty sight.
With hooded eyes, you keep looking into the mirror, waiting for the moment Coryo promised you. Coriolanus hand presses down on the spot above your mound. It's the key to make you squirt. His fingers bully your spot more forcefully, feeling your walls clench with an impending orgasm.
"Oh, fuck, C-coryo," you choke out, breathing heavily. It's like an orgasm is coming but so much better than the needy, desperate ones from today. It feels much more fulfilling.
"Relax for me," he prompts, slowing his pace. You're always so fucking tense even as he fucks you senseless.
"Ah, ah, ah," your moans staccato as you near your precipice and tears accumulate in the corner of your eyes.
It's a constant climb where you feel the excitement of nearing the top, and then suddenly, you slide back down. A sudden burst of pleasure consumes you as a gush wets Coryo's fingers and mirror. His fingers whip out and furiously rub your frustrated clit, causing a smaller gush to stream down.
Your mouth is ajar as you gasp, your hands bunching up the fabric of his pants. Your cunt visibly spasms as your orgasm prolongs itself.
"You did it, darling," Coriolanus sweetly says, kissing your cheek as he looks at you adoringly, "How did it feel?"
He touches you all over, spreading the drops of squirt that adorn your thighs. Your legs fall down limply as you relax back onto Coryo. He continues stroking your skin, looking at the beautiful, wet mess he made.
"I-I don't know, there was this just sensation of release like everything left my body," you say between pants as you try and catch your breath.
Coriolanus smirks and hugs you tightly, lost in his own world. It's like the post-orgasmic bliss affected him rather than you.
"Can we try again?" You ask minutes after, feeling the spark reignite by just thinking about the stream of fluid that came out of you.
"Whatever my darling wants," Coriolanus agrees, spanking your ass playfully when you get up from the chair.
You kneel on the floor to pull down his pants and find his leaking cock. Going straight for it, you suck him off like there is no tomorrow, swallowing around him and taking him deep till your nose rubs against his pubic bone.
Coriolanus doesn't allow himself to cum, even if his body screams at him to shoot his load into your warm mouth. Pulling you up from the floor, he pushes you towards the bed. You get on your knees and hands, shaking your ass for him cheekily.
Coriolanus has a feeling that today it will be a quick one. You're both too wound up to prolong this any further. His hand curves over your hip as he pushes his cock through your folds, wetting it. Without a warning, he snaps his hips, stretching your walls.
"Love your cock, Coryo," you moan as he fucks you harshly. "So big and thick and so deep," you mumble, acting cockdrunk.
You bury your head on the sheets, arching your back so your chest presses against the bed as you splutter nonsense. The tension of the day gets to you, and you allow yourself to go dumb on his cock.
"It's all yours, darling," he grunts, gripping your waist to push you back onto his cock. At this point, you're a cocksleeve to him as he chases his release. The sounds of his balls slapping against your clit are loud and obnoxious.
Keeping a steady rhythm, he fucks you until you're fluttering around him again. Coriolanus bends over your back, splaying his hand on your pelvis. He had promised he'd make you squirt again. It works as you drench his cock again, soaking the sheets and his thighs.
"Oh my god," you cry as your legs shake. You would've fallen flat on your face if it hadn't been for Coryo, who holds you up as he continues to push into you.
Tears soak the pillow you're hugging. It's too good. His cock is brushing repeatedly over your spongy spot. You don't want him to stop, ever, but you're so sensitive. It's a push and pull. You want more, but you're unsure if your body is up to it.
In a moment of lucidity, a wave of emotions grabs you and pulls you down. It snaps you out of your trance and hurts your chest. Shame, pleasure, desperation, joy, embarrassment, arousal.
Questions invade your brain. Since when have you been like this, letting yourself be treated this way? How are you not ashamed of yourself? This is not how a lady behaves. You're no better than a whore in a whorehouse. You should be ashamed of yourself.
"Rose!" You cry out with a sob as the shakiness localized in your legs spreads all over your body.
Immediately, Coriolanus stops all movement, startled by the use of the safe word. Your soft cries snap him out of his shock, and he, as gently and carefully as possible, pulls out of you.
Your whole body shakes as you cry, worrying Coriolanus to no end. He questions if he did anything that hurt you but comes up empty-handed.
"Darling, are you okay?" He asks, helping you sit up on the bed. He takes the clean blanket by the end of the bed, covering your body.
"Too-too much. I-I'm sorry," you hiccup, hugging the blanket tighter against you.
Coriolanus carefully respects your private space since he's unsure if you want or need his touch. He sits beside you, though, listening to anything you might need.
Humiliation fills your body. You were the one to ask for more and couldn't handle it, worrying Coryo about something that was not his fault.
"It's okay, nothing to be sorry about," he speaks with the softest voice he can muster, "Do you want me to bring you water?"
"Just hold me," you say as more tears trickle down your face.
So, he does. Coriolanus kisses your temple and runs his hand across your back until your sobs settle. He holds you close and whispers reassuring words in your ear.
You desperately want to tell him it's nothing he did. He wasn't being terribly rough or mean. You loved every moment of tonight until your emotions and unwanted thoughts got the best of you.
In your vulnerable state, the pent-up frustration of the day and the negative emotions you kept locked bubbled up and caused a sensory overload. Even now, you can barely speak, trying to regulate your emotions again.
"Don't go," you hiccup, reaching for his hand when Coryo stands from the bed. Terrified, he believes the same things your brain is feeding you.
"I'm not going anywhere, darling. Just looking for our clothes," he says, squeezing your left hand and kissing your knuckles.
Coriolanus grabs his pants from the floor and slips them on. Digging through the drawers, he finds one of his t-shirts and grabs a pair of your underwear. Your comfort is his priority, and he knows how comforting you find wearing his clothes. He helps you put the garments on, wrapping you back up on the blanket.
Leaning back on the pillows, he pulls you towards him, hugging you to his chest. You hug his middle, burying your head in his neck, falling asleep like that.
He stays awake, feeling the puffs of breath on his neck. Coriolanus hand keeps running up and down your back, under your shirt. It works to comfort himself as well.
You've only used the safe word twice, and both times, you had been doing worse things by far. He had understood twice and had been alert in any case. Today took him off guard, and it scared him.
Coryo debates on waking you the following day. He decides to do it to check how you're doing. You can decide if you want to go to university or not. He will walk you there personally if that is what you choose.
He wakes you by running his hand up and down your arm, softly shaking you out of your slumber, "Darling?"
"Mmm," you groan, your eyes fluttering open. He'd kept the curtains closed so they wouldn't bother you.
"How are you? Do you need anything?" Coriolanus asks, brushing your hair away from your face.
You stay silent momentarily, gauging your mental state, "I'm good. Am I running late?" You ask, sitting up on the bed.
"No, it's still early. Want me to walk you to school?" He asks, watching as you get up and head into the bathroom.
"Please?" You ask, turning to look at him before closing the bathroom door.
"Of course," he nods.
"Coryo, I think I know what happened last night," you speak loudly through the door, not a moment later.
"And what's that love?" He asks, standing by the door.
"I got my period," you say simply.
The blood staining your underwear is the reason you lost yourself last night. Your hormones must've been all over the place yesterday. It explains your sudden breakdown and why you were acting like a bitch in heat before that.
"Fuck," he mutters under his breath. He's glad it's just that and nothing he did. He feels calm now as most of his worry is swept away. "I'll go make breakfast," he tells you before he heads out to the kitchen.
His worry is replaced by disappointment in himself. He lost track of your damn period because he was so busy at the lab. He has to share part of the blame. Ever since he started living with you, he noticed those subtle mood changes you got as your period neared and passed through.
First is the neediness, constantly touching him and asking to be touched. You got freakier when you were ovulating. Then there is the bad mood you get whenever he just as breathes the wrong way or places something where it doesn't belong. You try hiding it and holding back your scoffs, but he notices. Lastly, it's the tears. Your emotions are delicate when this time of the month comes around.
Last year, you got your period around the time of The Hunger Games and couldn't watch them. Tears instantly tracked down your face when you usually don't care. Coriolanus had to record them for you to watch later because you wanted to see everything that was implemented, thanks to him.
Because he recognizes how you get, he took it upon himself to make those days more bearable for you. Not to say he tiptoes around you, but he's gentler, more restrained. He tries not to be too mean. Had he known your period was right around the corner, he wouldn't have teased you today or made you wait for it.
He scolds himself as he pieces the puzzle together. That must've been why you took the sleeping pills the other day. You had an emotional day, and your overthinking mind didn't let you sleep.
Sensing he's kicking himself, you hug Coryo's waist from behind as he places the food on the table. "I love you, Coryo," you say sweetly, pressing a kiss on his spine.
Now, this is more in line with your normal, sweet behavior.
Coriolanus turns around in your embrace, hugging your shoulders and pulling you tight against him, kissing your hairline. "I love you so damn much," he speaks into your hair. "You had me worried last night," he admits, kissing your lips slowly before he lets you go.
"I don't know what happened. One moment, I was alright, and the next…well, you know," you shrug, sitting on the chair Coryo pulls out for you.
"Your emotions got the best of you. I know how that feels," Coriolanus nods, understanding better than anyone how it feels to lose yourself in the moment.
That day in the forest of District 12 will forever haunt him.
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There we go! That was the part 2 I promised you! It took an unexpected turn but it felt right to me. Sorry it couldn't be kinkier :(
If you'd like to read more of this pairing you can also read The Mentor. It's a small prequel to this one shot set around three years back when they started dating. That being said The Mentor Pt. 2 is FILTHY.
If you liked it don't hesitate to let me know!
686 notes · View notes
dancingbirdie · 8 months
Note
Your writing is so good! How about a hurt/comfort where a little bit of time after Cazador's defeat, Tav/reader wakes up screaming Astarion's name bc they had a nightmare that Cazador had managed to take Astarion back. They wake up in terror and practically clings to Astarion
Thanks so much for this writing prompt, anon! I hope you enjoy.
PLEASE take note of the warning tags for this one. The nightmare is pretty violent stuff.
Love in the Time of Nightmares
Rating: Teen
Pairing: Astarion x gn!Tav
Word Count: 1.5K
Warnings: Descriptions of physical abuse and mental abuse, torture, blood/bruises/lacerations, fluff and angst.
Consciousness clawed its way through Tav’s body, scraping against their fractured ribs, digging into the bruises that bloomed across their arms and legs like some twisted watercolor masterpiece. Tav groaned as they came to, eyes straining to make sense of their surroundings. 
Wherever they were, it was in near-total darkness. And it reeked of putrefaction. The air was saturated with fetid moisture. It felt like a rotting cloth had been placed over their mouth and nose. Where in the sweet hells were they?
As other senses slowly came online, Tav realized they were lying on their side, curled into a fetal position. A manacle ensnared one ankle, the cold metal biting into their skin. The floor on which they were lying was made of coarse stone. The grit of it snagged against their skin and clothes.
A whimper from somewhere nearby refocused their attention.
In front of them, Tav could barely make out the ghostly pale form of Astarion, half-naked, hunched over his knees on the damp floor. His hands were shackled to a bolt fastened into the stone. His wrists were cut and bleeding from an obvious attempt to slip through the cuffs. He was bruised and battered across his abdomen. And his back. 
Oh, his back. 
Tav released an anguished cry as their eyes beheld Astarion’s back. The infernal script had been cut into anew. The lacerations wept openly, forming rivulets down his spine. 
“Astarion–” Tav croaked, attempting to draw his attention. 
A voice from further ahead interrupted them. 
“Did you honestly believe you could ever escape me, boy?” Cazador’s snakelike hiss reverberated throughout the cavernous dungeon. 
At that voice, that hideous voice, Tav watched, helpless, as shivers wracked Astarion’s body. He began openly weeping, his head bowing over his shackled hands. 
The bobbing light of a torch appeared through the gloom moments later, revealing the vile form of his former master. Cazador sauntered forward, closing in on Astarion. His gait was as casual as any nobleman enjoying a springtime promenade. Bile wrenched itself up through Tav’s throat, searing their esophagus along the way.
They watched as Cazador knelt before Astarion. He began petting his silver curls, tutting softly. It was a profane mimicry of comfort. Sobs only wracked Astarion’s body more violently. 
The sight enraged Tav. Righteous anger surged through them. They smacked the floor, hard,  with the edge of their fist, drawing Cazador’s attention. 
“GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF HIM,” Tav screamed, vocal cords straining. They lurched forward to grab at the horrible creature but were halted abruptly by the chain pulled taut against their ankle. 
Cazador gave a mirthless laugh, rising to full height and acknowledging Tav for the first time. 
“You foolish child,” he spat. “You dare presume to command me? Astarion is mine. Mine to punish. To destroy. To do with as I wish.”
“NO. We destroyed you. You don’t own him anymore!” Tav cried, wrenching at the manacle once more. 
Cazador threw his head back with a barking laugh. In the corner of their eye, Tav noted how the sound caused Astarion to shrink further into himself. The sight eviscerated their heart. To see their lover beaten down so low. 
“I will always own him,” Cazador insisted. “My newest spellwork will see to that.”
With a snap of his fingers, the chains shackling Astarion’s wrists released from the bolt on the floor and flew into Cazador’s waiting hand. He jerked them violently, causing Astarion to lurch forward with a cry, barely catching himself from landing face first on the stones. Another tug, and Astarion was half-crawling, half-dragging behind Cazador as the slavemaster made his way back through the darkness of the dungeon. 
“NO! DON’T TAKE HIM! PLEASE!” Tav screamed, eyes tracking Astarion’s form as he disappeared into the gloom. They kicked against the shackle, ripping their skin to shreds. 
“ASTARION! ASTARION–”
The next thing they knew, strong arms were banding around their waist. Firm. Solid. 
Tav’s eyes fluttered open, taking in their surroundings with a feral sort of awareness. Their heart hammered in their chest. Their lungs heaved with the effort to take in more air. 
“Shhh, darling. It’s all right. It’s all right,” Astarion’s low, melodic voice soothed in their ear. His chest was pressed against their back, spooning them. Tav felt his legs intertwine with theirs, drawing them even closer. 
Tav clutched at his hands as their attention darted around the room. They were in their bedroom, in the bed they shared with Astarion. In their home in the Underdark. 
There was the glow worm terrarium on their night stand. They had fashioned it as a sort of night light, even if it was always “night” here. It limned the room with a gentle bluish hue. And farther away, there was the dresser they both shared, hewn from driftwood Tav had collected above ground. Their collection of paintings - sunrises, mostly - hung scattered about the four walls. The woody smell of incense drifted to their nose, bringing a sense of comfort and familiarity. 
They were home. Astarion was safe. He was here. They were safe. Astarion was safe.
But the mantra couldn’t stop the tears from spilling. The nightmare had felt so very real. It had attacked every one of their senses. They still felt like they could smell the rotten mugginess of the dungeon if they concentrated hard enough. 
“I’m sorry,” Tav sobbed, turning their face into their pillow to muffle their crying. “I didn’t mean to– to–”
“You have nothing to be sorry for, my love,” Astarion whispered, clutching them tighter around the waist. “You were dreaming. It was just a dream,” he murmured, over and over again, kissing their shoulders and neck in between the words.  
“I thought you’d been taken again – that… that he had taken you,” they keened, eyes clenched shut. 
“Never, darling. He’s dead. Long gone. And I’m right here. Right here with you,” Astarion affirmed. But Tav continued to cry. Heartbreaking sounds emanated from their muffled form. 
“Here, turn over and face me,” he urged softly, unable to bear their anguish a moment longer. 
Slowly, he moved Tav so that they were lying face to face in the bed, their noses nearly touching. Astarion lifted a hand to cradle their cheek. The other hand slipped over the dip of their waist. He began rubbing soothing circles against their back. 
“See, darling? I’m right here,” he smiled gently, meeting their teary gaze. 
Tav nodded mutely, eyes never leaving his. Slowly, they raised a hand to trace their fingers across his brow. Down the line of his nose. Over his cheekbones. Around his lips. Across his jaw. They watched as Astarion closed his eyes, soaking in their touch. He allowed them to continue their ministrations, doing what they needed to in order to feel assured. 
“It was a dream,” Tav finally whispered after a few moments of tracing Astarion’s features. Their words sounded more like a question than a declaration. 
“It was only a dream,” he swore seriously, moving his hand to cradle the back of their head. He planted a chaste kiss against their forehead. 
Tav bowed their head into the crook of his neck, breathing in his familiar scent of bergamot and clove. 
“I love you,” they whispered faintly against his neck, feeling utterly spent from the emotional response the nightmare had created. 
“I love you,” Astarion returned. He continued to rub their back, tracing idle circles against their nightshirt. 
“Can you tell me a story?” Tav asked, breaking the comforting silence of the room.
“About what, darling?” Astarion replied.
“Anything. Tell me about the last book you read. Or the plans we’re developing for that commune, to rehome all the spawn.”
“Very well,” he agreed, kissing their forehead again. He began describing, in elaborate detail, every room of the commune they were working to build for all of Cazador’s formerly imprisoned spawn. He provided Tav a verbal tour of all of his plans, his ideas for each of the common spaces, his intended partnership with the Myconid colony to cultivate a community garden. On and on he went, pouring out every iota of his ideas – even the ones that were still half-formed imaginations. 
His eloquent cadence slowly led Tav back into drowsiness. He listened as their breathing became slower, more even. Finally, sure that they were well and truly asleep once more, he quieted. He took in the peacefulness of their bedroom. Observed his partner sleeping in his arms once more. 
It had been three years since Baldur’s Gate. The nightmares still came frequently for both of them. Most of the time, it was he who woke in the middle of the night, needing comfort and assurances from Tav. Other times, like tonight, it was Tav. Astarion wasn’t sure either of their mental scars would ever truly disappear, no matter how long time marched on. 
But the life they had carved out for themselves was a beautiful one. Full of life. Full of love. And full of belonging. Try as they might, that was something the nightmares would never, ever, take from them.
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m00nsbaby · 9 months
Text
Asking for help with your makeup.
Moon system x reader. - headcanons.
Steven.
You had done it for fun, asking him to do your makeup like those old YouTube videos that trended a few years ago.
He didn't hesitate at all, Steven got to work.
But first, he put on his adorable reading glasses.
You discovered he bit his tongue when he was too concentrated, and you just wanted to kiss him.
In the end, it was a bigger challenge for you than for him.
"Oh Gods, look at that." He whispered to himself as he used his finger to correct the mistake on the edge of the blue eyeliner he had applied.
Contrary to what you thought, he chose vibrant colors.
Turns out Steven wanted to try every interesting thing he found in your makeup kit.
"Can you…?" "Mhmm?" "Can you do... like Gus, with your cheeks?"
It wasn't fair that a man could be this adorable, asking you to suck in your cheeks so he could apply bronzer.
"What is this glittery thingy for?" "Highlighter, like the ones you use for your books."
He wasn't too thrilled about using his fingers with your makeup, he immediately wiped them on some surface.
And his hand trembled when he applied a touch of highlighter to the inner corner of your eyes.
Usually, you were the one who made Steven nervous, but at this moment, his brown eyes were so focused on you that you were almost trembling.
So close to asking him to forget everything and kiss you until both of you were tired.
"Blink. Blink. Blink. Blink." He held the mascara wand as you obeyed, until he was satisfied with the amount on your lashes.
No one had ever looked at you with such admiration before.
"Finished?"
Still, he didn't seem satisfied.
"What's missing?" Your voice came out curious, playful. Like you would talk to a child who can't quite express what they need. "I don't know, love."
He just kept looking at you. And your brain worked in seconds.
His eyes lit up when you showed him a palette consisting solely of glitter. In different colors and sizes.
Three gentle taps on each of your cheeks with the glitter, and now you saw him nod, content with his masterpiece.
"Done! How did I do?" He was just so… excited.
You weren't going to burst his bubble by telling him that the look screamed 'I'm drunk at Coachella,' so you smiled. Almost as excited as he was.
"It's perfect, Steven."
Little did you know, you had just triggered this to become a constant activity.
You had so many colors for him to try, and you couldn't refuse if he looked at you that way.
Marc.
Marc was… rough.
Like every second of his life, he had a furrowed brow as he worked on you, and at every moment, he reminded you that you had asked for this.
"You're taking hours." "Rome wasn't built in a day." "And now you're talking like Steven."
He rolled his eyes for the fifth time within a span of 2 hours.
"Lift your face." That request also repeated more than you would have liked.
And his hands could be coarse, but his touches were so gentle that your eyes had started to close a few minutes ago.
He wasn't going to say it, but this almost felt therapeutic.
There was something stupidly relaxing about choosing what he liked without anyone else interfering, not even those little voices in his mind.
No one could judge him for his choice of neutral colors.
You, on the other hand, as relaxed as you felt, had a racing heart.
Turns out Marc and Jake are probably the most stubborn people you know, so neither of them accepts that their body needs glasses outside of Steven.
As a result, he had to be closer to you to focus his gaze on what he was doing.
His warm, minty breath gave you goosebumps.
Did Marc have to be attractive in everything he did?
Your train of thought slowly started to drift away from the situation.
"I told you…" His hand firmly positioned itself under your chin and forced you to lift your head to look at him. "To lift your face."
You swallowed hard.
And you weren't sure if he noticed that you were about to melt on the edge of the bed where both of you were seated.
Stupid Marc Spector, he was the love of your life.
His hand stayed on your chin, his gaze fixed on you until he finally finished.
"Well?"
Finally, that beautiful smile.
"Beautiful. As always."
It didn't surprise you that he had done such a good job. Your boyfriend didn't like to make mistakes, and if he had to do a meticulous job on your face to confirm that he was talented in absolutely everything, he would.
You blushed, needless to say.
And he rewarded your hours of staying still with a chaste kiss on the lips.
"Did you like it?" "I loved it."
And his satisfied expression grew.
Jake.
Jake always organized the best dates.
Even though the looks were starting to wear you out, going out with him always meant something a bit out of the ordinary from the casual you usually wore.
"Jake?" He nearly stumbled as his eyes fixed on you.
You never ceased to surprise him.
"Sí, amor?" "Which one do you prefer?" You showed him two lipstick tubes, one red and the other nude.
He couldn't even look at anything other than you.
"Red." "Got it."
When you turned to the mirror to finish your makeup, you saw him walking slowly behind you.
It was hard to decipher Jake's intentions when he always had that mischievous smile on his lips.
You knew he wanted your attention when he placed a hand on your waist.
"Let me help you, mami."
Ugh.
You couldn't tell him no.
His index finger lifted your chin, and you could already feel the heat rising through your body, settling in your cheeks.
You analyzed his features up close. You would never tire of looking at him, that was for sure.
You handed him the already capless lipstick, and he focused all his attention on your lips.
"Open wide for me." His teasing and flirtatious tone always pushed you to the edge.
You rolled your eyes but obeyed, as always. You parted your lips for him.
He was so… delicate.
No one knew better than Jake how to drive you crazy.
"Stay still, mami." You were going to melt. You were going to die right there in his arms.
When he was done, he used his thumb to clean the edges of your lips, wiping away his nonexistent mistakes from your skin. It had turned out so well that you could safely say there was nothing to clean up.
It didn't surprise you; he always touched you as if you were made of glass.
"Can you do me a favor?" He was done, but his forehead was resting against yours, his eyes fixed on you as you tried to find the right words in your throat.
He stole your breath, quite literally. So you could only nod.
"Give me a kiss, babe."
You understood his request as he tilted his head to the side, giving you space to choose.
You left two kisses. One on his jawline, another on his white shirt collar. Both marks were perfectly formed and in a bright red shade.
Jake was satisfied with your work, and with his own.
He considered it a good way for you to mark him as yours, although he later discovered a much better way when your lips were marked all over his body, leaving not a single inch of his skin untouched by your red-stained kisses.
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flamingpudding · 7 months
Text
Fictober23 Prompt: 6 - "I can't wait for you."
Fandom: DPxDC
Rating: T
Warnings: Mentions of blood and injury
Danny stared at the stars above his head, sitting on top of Fenton Works. Even after a week his arm still tingled with phantom pains from his accident. In his left hand was a dagger he hadn't looked at in years now. Was it 6 or 7 years? Danny couldn't really remember. He had been too young when he had made his first decision for himself only.
The fingertips of his right hand traced imaginary patterns over the blade as his eyes searched out different constellations in the night sky. 7 years ago, he would have never imagined for himself a future where he was allowed to follow his own dreams. A week ago he had talked about his dream of becoming an astronaut, exploring the vast space that existed just outside of their own stratosphere.
Now after that the lab accident he had he felt like another dream had gotten shattered by the wheels of fate. It wasn't even his past life from before the Fentons that shattered these dreams, in the way he had feared in the first couple of years after coming to live with them. It where times like these when he would dug out the dagger to take it with him to see the stars.
His eyes turned from the stars to the blade in his hand.
It was a special blade his biological mother had ordered when she learned about having twins. The blade itself was only one half. The flat surface of the handle and the blade on one side while the other appeared like a high quality blade and greatly decorated handle, spoke of the missing part. His dagger was only half of a dagger, the other half was with his twin.
This was the only thing he had taken with him when he had left at the tender age of 5 or was it six? His memory was blurry and back then celebrating your birthday wasn't as big of a deal as it was in the life he had gained with Fentons.
At times Danny wondered why he had been the only one to see it. His twin had gone through the same teachings, the same lessons, the same training, the same mission. Yet Danny had been the only one who saw the way their grandfather really was. The manipulation, the gaslighting, the brainwashing. Danny had seen it all and realized it pretty soon and when he had talked with his twin about it?
He had hit a wall. Grandfather knows what he's doing. Stop imagining things, Danyal.
"I can't wait for you. Damian, if you can't see what I do, then I can no longer stay here and wait."
These were the last words he had said to his twin after another argument about their grandfather gaslighting them about a mission result. It was right there and then that Danny decided he needed to leave and that he did.
Somehow, as a five years old he had managed to get all the way to America before they found him again. And when he refused to come back they, his grandfather's mans, attacked without remorse. After all it was better to get rid of loose ends than to let them frail your masterpiece.
But ending up near death in the middle of a forest where the Fentons happen to be camping was his luck back then. They probably thought that he wouldn't make it, that Danny wouldn't have the will to continue barely breathing in his own pool of blood but Danny proved them wrong. He did have the will and he had continued crawling until Jazz had found him.
That was how his life had changed the first time. The Fentons took him in, allowed him to dream and to build a future and family of his own. Now this lap accident was making changes to his life again and Danny couldn't help but think back to his previous life. "I wonder if Damian finally saw what I did or if he still is under grandfather's influence…"
Months later Danny was introduced to an apparent family friend of his parents. One Danny felt was too much of a fruitloop and gave him concerning flashbacks to his grandfather but was still easier to deal with. But following all the incidence of conflicts with the fruitloop was also a moment to which said fruitloop somehow convinced his parents to let him drag Danny to a Gala.
Danny hadn't paid any attention to the guests of this gala, no he had taken the first chance he got to escape the way Sam had advised him before to do, and fled to a balcony. Breathing in the clear night air Danny loosened the tie he was made to wear. He did not notice the soft click of the balcony door behind him.
"Danyal." Danny whirled around and pulled out a hidden blade he kept on his person more out of habit than anything else. He hadn't heard his name spoken like that in years, even the fruitloop and a more American dialect when it came to saying his name.
He froze at the mirror image with green eyes that stood before him. That couldn't be could it?
"Damian?" The other teen nodded and Danny only relaxed his stance ever so slightly. His shoulders were still tense and he was still ready to spring into action or use his ghost powers to escape if needed.
Neither of them spoke a word as they took in each other's appearance and Danny hid a small chuckle as his twin clicked his tongue at his defensive stance, crossing his arms.
"I see, you still have that half of a dagger mother had made for us."
"The only thing I took with me when I left."
His twin clicked his tongue once more before reaching into a hidden pocket and pulling out the other half of that dagger. Showing that he also had kept his half of it throughout all these years.
"There is no longer a need for you to wait, Danyal."
Danny blinked and completely dropped his defensive stance, hearing the unspoken words. He let a small smile tuck his lips upwards. It appears that there was a lot he had to catch up on with his twin.
"I never waited to begin with Damian. I ghosted you right after." He chuckled lightly, knowing his brother wouldn't understand until later.
"Don't lie, Danyal. You took your half of the dagger with you." His brother frowned before smirking at him. "You said you couldn't wait anymore but taking it with you was clearly telling me that you would still do so anyway."
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