Please tell me about actual catboy kyo sohma 👀

OOOOOOH yeah so that one's been kicking around in my WIPs for a few years at this point; I keep coming back to twiddle with it, but the issue I'm running into is how to resolve the plot in a satisfying way. I'm stuck on the "And then they come up with a cunning plan!" part of things, basically. BUT, the basic premise is that like... rather than humans who are cursed, the Sohma zodiac members are hybrids who are essentially kept as pets/status symbols by the head of the family. But there's no, like, mystical compulsion element, they're literally just held captive. So Kyo, treated especially poorly just as in canon, escapes, and runs away to find Kazuma, who he'd known as a child and always wanted to try and help him get away but could never manage it. Kazuma is living in an apartment next door to recent-high-school-grad Tohru, who runs into Kyo and thereby gets pulled into the whole thing because now she's seen him and she knows he's there and Kazuma could really use someone else's help to keep Kyo out of trouble anyway etc. etc.

Snippet under the cut!! <3

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Tohru has never met an actual, real hybrid. She's... occasionally seen them from a distance, especially when she was working at that big office building in high school; sometimes she'd be there late at night, and one of the men who worked on the upper floors would also be there late, and with them would be a woman, usually young, usually with a cat's tail or rabbit's ears or, sometimes, little horns peaking out of their artfully styled hair. And, of course, it's impossible to escape hybrids on TV and things--she'd been just the right age when the first all-hybrid idol group had debuted, and while Tohru had never really been interested in idols, it was impossible to miss regardless.

But. There's a difference, isn't there, between seeing the giggly, flirty girls on leashes in that big empty office building from half a floor away, or catching a glimpse of an idol on television who happens to have dog ears, and having a hybrid slumped across her doorstep. And there is.

A hybrid on her doorstep, that is.

On Tohru's doorstep.

The fact that he's a complete stranger would have been surprising enough, but the ears, the tail, his vividly orange hair--all of that is... more. Stranger. Decidedly outside of the norm.

She's only lucky, she supposes, that he's sleeping; otherwise he no doubt would have noticed her walk up, and she'd be gawking and stuttering with an audience. But, thankfully, the boy--man--hybrid--person--is slumped against her doorframe, his legs haphazardly spread out in front of him, arms crossed tight across his chest, chin tucked in, fast asleep. 

Is she seeing things? Maybe she's seeing things. She's just off a long shift at the cafe, and there had been an even longer shift at her other job before that, and she still hasn't quite recovered from working overtime this weekend, so maybe this is just... exhaustion? Maybe Uo-chan and Hana-chan have been right to worry about her after all. Oh, it's going to be terrible to face them after she admits that she really has been working too hard, so hard that she's started hallucinating beautiful hybrid boys on her doorstep, especially because she really can't afford to cut back on her hours, not if she wants to keep her doorstep--

Abruptly, the boy in question shifts, letting out a short little sound that might be a snore, and Tohru squeaks so loudly she's worried she'll upset the neighbors, let alone wake up this--this--whoever-he-is. And, sure enough, he does begin to wake, or rather, he spends a few seconds slowly meandering toward wakefulness and then snaps to attention all at once, staring up at her with big amber-brown eyes that narrow within seconds, clearly trying to sort her out.

"What are you looking at?" he snaps. Tohru jumps a little at the sound of his voice, both because she, somehow, hadn't been expecting him to speak and because of the fact that he sounds--well--mad. His expression is easy enough to read even without hearing him speak, of course, but... still. The vehemence comes as a bit of a shock, and she finds herself holding her hands up in front of her nervously, her heart thumping wildly in her chest. 

583.

Do you know anyone who works in a laboratory? Not off the top of my head, but I'm sure someone does. What was the very first social media site you signed up for? Bebo or FriendsReunited lol. Can you see yourself marrying your current partner? (if you have a partner) We are married. If you were in a coma, who would be making healthcare decisions for you? My husband, but I bet good money that he'd be taking advice from my parents before agreeing to anything lol. Are you the type of person who knows exactly what they want in life? I just want to be happy and to have a good time. It seems to be working pretty well so far.

Do you have commitment issues? Nope.

What was the last thing you had an allergic reaction to? I can't remember. Have you gone out to dinner in the past week? Not dinner, but we went out for brunch on Saturday. If you were to start a business, what kind would it be? I run my own dog walking business lol. I love what I do. What was the last thing you felt nostalgic about? A picture from the TV cartoon "Madeleine" came up on my Facebook the other day lol. I used to LOVE that show. What’s something you’ve done that sounds too crazy to be true? I don't think there is anything really. Are there any flowers planted outside your house? No. What was the last thing you drank? Pepsi Max.

What’s the weirdest decoration you’ve seen in someone else’s home? Dead animal heads. Why do people decorate with corpses? <-- ha yep, this is so weird when you think about it, though I know it's considered normal in lots of places. Did you have your own bathroom when you were growing up? Not as a little kid, but when I was 11 we moved to a bigger house and I had my own bathroom there. Do you live near the ocean? Yeah, it's about a two minute drive away. I remember when I was little I always dreamed of living by the sea. I'm so happy that it happened. What has been the worst thing that’s happened to you today? Nothing bad has happened today. Do you know anyone who never disciplines their children? Ha, one of my clients has a toddler who never seems to get told off. It doesn't really impact me as I only see him for a few minutes a week. He's a cute kid though. What’s the longest you’ve gone without leaving the house? Several weeks but it's not good for me. I love the idea of staying home and not going anywhere but in reality I get cabin fever after 2-3 days and need to get out and do something. Are you more of a practical thinker, or more of an imaginative thinker? It depends on the circumstances. When was the last time you were sick? What did you have? I had a really awful bug back in February. I had to take two days off work which I NEVER do. I was vomiting and felt horrendous - I spent 24h in bed apart from going to the toilet lol. Does anyone in your family smoke? No. Name three random colors: Purple, Red, Orange. Color 1: what’s the nearest object that is this color? The blanket that the dog is sleeping under. Color 2: would you ever paint your living room this color? It already is - well, two walls are painted red, the other two are grey. Color 3: would you ever dye your hair this color? Nooooo. What’s your opinion on hunting? It's fine if you're going to eat what you catch. How well do you know your neighbors? I know them well enough to say hello in passing, but that's about it. I cat-sit for one lady over the road actually, but we don't really see each other much outside of that. How far are you into the book you’re currently reading? I'm not reading anything. Have you ever had a pet escape and run away? Both Layla and Toby got out and went AWOL for a couple of days. Purrlock comes back if we let him out and Simba is too young to go out yet. Archie has run off on walks a couple of times on a scent but he always comes back to where he left us (eventually). Do any of your exes know each other? Yes, some of them do. What’s an opinion you find impossible to take seriously? Anti-vaxxers. What was the very first election you voted in? Uh, a local election when I was eighteen, and then a national election a couple of years later. Do you know how to make omelettes? Theoretically but they always turn into scrambled eggs <--- haha yep. I am rubbish at cooking eggs in general though. Do you feel positive and optimistic about your future? Sure, for the most part. Life is pretty great right now anyway.

Nobody asked for this but I'm gonna do it anyways...

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Fluff Alphabet: Takeru/Aguni Edition

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A = Attractive what do they find attractive about the other?

Takeru: only reason he let Aguni wear regular clothes and not swimwear is because he saw ARM in that tank top and was like "oh damn okay 😳." So, y'know, that. (And he'll never admit it but he kinda likes how Aguni is a little bit taller than he is....) Also likes that Aguni has a really dry, deadpan sense of humor—he ways finds a way to make Takeru laugh, even when he's not really trying.

Aguni: I think the physical aspect of things wasn't really a make-or-break for him at first—like, yeah, Takeru's a good-looking guy, but that's secondary. He liked how Takeru is such a live-wire, very loud and colorful and seemingly fearless, no matter what kind of trouble they got into. (But also...he likes the hair. That's a thing for him.)

B = Baby do they want a family? why/why not?

Takeru: If they end up with one somehow, then, sure. But, like. He's not going out of his was to make it a thing. (But also, he has his cat, Ziggy, who he calls his baby, so...)

Aguni: Would secretly love to be a dad but is too worried he might mess the kid up or something. Is more than happy to be 'unofficial parent' to the neighborhood kids, though. Handing out ice pops to the kids that show up at the shop, keeping an eye out and telling them to get home before dark, maybe even showing one or two of them how to throw a better curveball...you know. Real Hallmark channel shit. (And yes, for those who were wondering: Ziggy the cat loves him and often curls up on his lap while he watches TV)

C = Cuddle how do they cuddle?

They don't really "cuddle" outside of bed. Just kinda sit next to each other, shoulder to shoulder, no big deal. But in bed, Aguni lies on his back with his arm sorta outstretched while Takeru...well, my man is worm on a string but OFF the string, he just flops all sorts of ways and a lot of them don't look comfortable but he falls asleep in minutes so whatever.

D = Dates what are dates with them like?

I don't think they do "dates"—they've got a long-term thing going on, so they often end up on the couch eating takeout and watching movies. I think they'd go to the movie theater sometimes (and talk shit for the entire film lol) and every once in a while grab dinner somewhere nice...but, usually because they have some cool limited-time-only dessert item that Takeru insists they try. (And Aguni pretends to be upset about having to get dressed up and go out, but is actually rather pleased to have a little romance...and get something to satisfy his sweet tooth.)

E = Everything you are my ____ (e.g my life, my world…)

Aguni: Emergency Medical Contact

Takeru: Co-Signer On The Apartment Lease

F = Feelings when did they know they were falling in love?

Takeru: About a week after Aguni (drunkenly) confessed his crush. Literally spent a whole week like, "Wow, it's a shame I don't love him back. He's so kind and handsome and smart and funny...too bad, I guess..." until one night he sat up straight in bed and said "Hold up." He then immediately called Aguni and began demanding why Aguni didn't tell him he was in love with him this whole time.

Aguni: They had been friends since they were kids, so it's hard to say when his feelings went from "you're my best friend" to something different. But, once he figured it out, he swore never to mention it because that could complicate their friendship.

G = Gentle are they gentle? If so, how?

Takeru: Yes and no. He's got a bad case of "grabby hands" and often yanks Aguni to and fro to look at something or whatever. Just zero respect for the man's personal space. But otherwise...I imagine he's not particularly rough or gentle, just kind of normal. EXCEPT when it comes to the emotional stuff—like, the real heavy things. I think he's very gentle with that, not asking too many questions and just sort of taking care of him where he can.

Aguni: Generally gentle—physically, emotionally, whatever. But I do think that he's confrontational, like when there's an issue, he comes straight out and asks Takeru what's going on. Even corners him, sometimes. He seems like a "no bullshit" guy, and since Takeru is "Mr. 99% Bullshit" he's gotta deal with it as best he can.

H = Hand/Hold how do they like to hold hands?

The only time they "hold hands" is when Takeru is grabbing Aguni's wrist to drag him somewhere (or run away lol) and when Aguni is pulling Takeru's hand back to stop him from touching something...

I = Impression first impression/s

I headcanon that they met very young, like grade school age. After school, in the park, where Takeru was chilling in a tree and Aguni walked by and he was like "Hey, there's a spider up here, wanna see?" and Aguni is like "Not really, I don't like bugs..." Now, Takeru, being "weird bug kid extraordinaire" can't believe his strange little ears and hops down from the tree and starts explaining why bugs are so cool and that Aguni is wrong...and Aguni listens as this funky, tiny firecracker just talks his damn ear off. Aguni liked how excited Takeru got about things, and Takeru liked how Aguni actually listened to him. And they were fast friends after that!

J = Joker are they into pulling pranks?

Takeru fucks around all the time...and doesn't often find out, because Aguni tolerates all his antics. (To a certain point, but still.) Every once in a while, Aguni will tell some harmless little lie just to watch Takeru freak out—he told him once that Lady Gaga was leaving the music scene forever, and Takeru screamed so loud the neighbors filed a noise complaint.

K = Kisses how do they kiss?

I think they most often do quick pecks—at the breakfast table, when they get home from work. You know. Domestic stuff. But when it's not like that...I think 9/10 times it's Takeru initiating, and Aguni reciprocates by wrapping his arms around him in a big hug (because he likes it but also to keep that skinny little weirdo from wiggling so damn much, he's always moving, he can't just be still—)

L = Love who says I love you first?

Neither! I don't think they really say it at all! Why say something that doesn't need to be said? (At least, that's how they see it...)

M = Memory their favorite moment together

Aguni: It's not really a memory, but...just how they have breakfast together some mornings. Sipping coffee, discussing whatever's going on in the world, the general "togetherness" that comes with it is one of his favorite feelings.

Takeru: The time they spent a full 24 hours in a karaoke booth singing 80's hits and knocking back tequila shots and ordering way too much food.

N = Nickel do they spoil? do they buy the person they love everything?

Takeru: Absolutely buys stuff for Aguni all the time. Mostly random snacks, or little knick-knacks that catch his eye. And also clothes, but...Aguni doesn't always approve.

Aguni: Doesn't buy Takeru stuff BUT leaves vases of flowers he grew on the table for Takeru to find.

O = Orange what color reminds them of their other half

Anything bright and obnoxious reminds Aguni of Takeru—red in particular, which also happens to be Takeru's favorite. And Takeru thinks Aguni has calm and soothing blue-green vibes. Like the ocean, beautiful and serene, but also dark and capable of incredible destruction.

P = Petnames what pet names do they use?

Takeru: All of them. Darling, babe, sweetheart (but he calls everyone those lol). Aguni-specific ones are always over-the-top and ridiculous like "brightest star in all of the heavens..." and he always gets an eye-roll for his efforts.

Aguni: Absolutely does not use pet names. Just says "hey you" or something. Once called Takeru "babe" and Takeru had to stop washing dishes and sit down because he was laughing so hard.

Q = Quaint what is their favorite non-modern thing?

Takeru: I feel like he would collect a ton of vintage stuff—clothes, records, just random little bits and bobs he comes across. But his favorite is definitely his record player—it belonged to his dad, and he keeps it in a place of honor in the hat shop.

Aguni: A set of very old and well-cared-for gardening tools. Takeru got them for him for his birthday, and he legit treasures them.

R = Rainy Day what do they like to do on a rainy day?

Lay on the couch and do literally nothing. Takeru gets the left end, Aguni takes the right, and they binge trash TV shows all day. (And also they make box-mix brownies and eat them straight out of the pan. It's "their thing.")

S = Sad how do they cheer themselves/each other up

Takeru: Aside from all his self-destrictive behaviors (binge-drinking, dangerous situations, etc.) he just really needs a good laugh. And Aguni somehow always manages to make him laugh with an unexpected, deadpan comment. Also, he makes Takeru actually talk through his problems instead of ignoring them...

Aguni: if he's in a bad mood, you just need to let him work through it on his own. He hates being "talked down to" and feels that most attempts at cheering up are cheap, so most people don't attempt. Buf...Takeru is not "most people" and breaks out his most ridiculous jokes to try to get Aguni to crack a smile.

T = Talking what do they love to talk about?

Other people! You know Takeru is the "XOXO Gossip Girl" of the neighborhood, but Aguni...he's like a little old church lady and ADORES hearing all the latest drama.

U = Unencumbered What helps them relax?

Both of them have the same method of relaxation and it's...bubble baths! Aguni does a basic, skin soothing soak and just hangs out in the warm water with a book or maybe just his thoughts to keep him company. But Takeru? He's got some fancy bath soaps, and he takes in a glass of wine and lights a few candles and does a face mask and it's a whole EVENT.

V - Very thoughts about each other

Takeru: Thinks Aguni needs to loosen up and take more risks...but also just loves the guy to pieces.

Aguni: Kinda wishes Takeru would calm tf down sometimes...but also knows that it's just how the guy is and wouldn't dare change him.

W = Wedding when, how, where do they propose?

They're not really the marrying type! They just have a mutual understanding of commitment and that's that.

(But if they did have a wedding... I think it would be a relatively small affair with all their closest friends and family. Like a dinner party, but somewhere extra nice and with lots of good food and alcohol. Intimate and meaningful, with just enough "extra" to satisfy Takeru.)

X = Xylophone What’s their song?

"Total Eclipse of the Heart" because they hid out in a karaoke booth (different from the 24-hour event that Takeru cherishes so much) to es ape the Yakuza and Takeru sang it over and over to pass the time.

Y = You the ___ to my ___ (e.g the cookies to my milk, the macaroni to my cheese)

"Breaking" to my "Entering." The "Assault" to my "Battery." (They both hate this sort of thing and try to come up with the worst answers possible lol)

Z = Zebra if they wanted a pet, what pet would they get?

They already have the cat, Ziggy, who is their perfect little angel.

(13) do you read manhwa if you do what is you're favourite? (14) What's the craziest and wildest thing that you've ever done?(15) If you had to live on an island, what 3 things would you take with you? (16) What Pets Did You Have While You Were Growing Up? (17) What’s Your Favorite Day Of The Year? (18) How Do You Relax After A Hard Day Of Work? (19)What's Your Favorite Disney Movie? (20)What’s The Most Useless Talent You Have?

13) OMGOSH I am reading so many!! I've got a favorite for everyday of the week. I'll put whatever is tying for first. (These are the official English Titles) (These are just the manwa. I also read a bunch of comics from other places)

Monday - The Little Rabbit and the Big Bad Leopard (Tapas), A Contract Concubine (Tappytoon)

Tuesday - A Wicked Tale of Cinderella's Stepmother (Tapas),

Wednesday- Touch my Little Brother and You're Dead (Tappytoon), The Villainess Deserves to Die (Tapas)

Thursday - Dutchess of Debauchery (Lezin)

Friday - Waiting Where the Shooting Star Falls (Tapas), I Shall Master this Family (Tapas)

Saturday - Falcon Princess (Tapas), Like Wind on a Branch (Webtoon), Men of the Harem (Webtoon), Your Throne (Webtoon)

Sunday - The Fantasie of a Stepmother (Tapas)

(you guys have no idea how many ads I watch to read some of these. I'll have my phone just running ads while I work on things.)

14) The most dangerous thing I've done was probably give emergency first-aid to a child when I was a counselor. We didn't have enough gloves to protect everyone and I was the only person who could get him to stop crying while we cleaned his gash and put on a temporary bamdage. He ended up needing stitches. It's dangerous because blood carries disease.

The craziest/more shocking things I did were in middle school (ages 11&12). There were a group of boys that were bullies to me and my friends. They would verbally abuse us, and vandalize my things. I ended up fighting back a few times. I even gave one a black eye. I found out years later that at least two of them had a crush on me throughout the years, and were the types of boys "to bully the girl they like." It just made me hate them. Those are stories I wouldn't mind telling at some point but they deserve a post all on their own. -Wait!! Trying to take justice into my own hands was definitely a bad habit I had when I was young. XD

15) If I was going to a deserted island I'd bring a tactical shovel, a pot or something I can cook and boil water in, and benedryl (in case I have an allergic reaction to something).

16) I've had a bunch of cats and one beta fish named Fishy (I'm super good at names UwU).

The cat my parents had when I was born was a long haired taby named Tiger. A year after he passed away, my dad brought home a kitten that looked like he was wearing a tuxedo and gloves. We named him Rascal, but normally called him Ru-ball. When I was 8ish I got a calico kitten that I named Princess. She lives only in my room for the first 6 months, so I could learn to take care of her and so Rascle could get used to her smell. She ended up liking my mom the most and started mimicking her voice, so my cat sounded like a chain-smoker trying to mimc my mom's nasally voice. A few years later my sibling got Shadow, a small black kitten, but he died of feline leukemia about 1.5 years later.

We ended up taking care of some strays: Rusty, Momo, and Memers. Rusty and Momo were both orange boys. Momo was deaf. Memers was a small grey young boy that followed Momo everywhere. Rusty turned out to be a neighbor's cat that spent most of his time outside.

Our current cats are General Coconut (Coco), Captain Neapolitan Anderson (Neo), and Corporal Marzipan (Marmar). We got all of them as kittens at the same time. Coco is younger than the other 2 by about 3 months, and she stayed small even after growing up. Neo is the biggest. Coco and Neo are both black cats with small white tuffs on their chest. Neo and Marmar we're labeled as brothers so we had to get them together. Marmar seems to be a Norwegian Forest Cat.

Coco is the one looking at the camera. The nickname for the group of them is Catfectionaries because their names are all based on dessert food/ingredients.

17) I don't have a specific date that's my favorite. But I like days that are a little cool with warm sunshine. They're really nice for taking walks. I also like to walk in summer rain storms and like sitting on the porch and watch the lightning.

18) When I get stressed I like to drink something vanilla. I like vanilla black tea with a little white sugar, and vanilla chai milk tea with cinnamon the most. Sometimes I make hot chocolate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. If I need something cold I'll get A&W Root beer or a cream soda and make it a float with vanilla ice cream. The process of making the beverage is a part of what helps me relax. If I'm wound up, I'll start my exercise routine early.

19) When I was a baby my favorite Disney movie was apparently 101 Dalmatians. Then until I was 6 it was Beauty and the Beast. Then Aladdin tied with it for my favorite. Now my favorite might be Tangled.

20) My most useless talent is probably how flexible I am. I did ballet and other forms of dance for 13 years, so I'm very flexible. I still do stretches, but I'm not as flexible as I used to be. I have no use for it now that I have a desk job XD

For "the way I said I love you", no. 14 please :) thanks!

I - this ran away from me. All I know is I was watching Tangled and this happened and it ran away from me. Thank you for the prompt! ❤️

The way you said “I love you”, 14: A whisper in the ear.

The first time Draco saw the thief, he thought perhaps he’d imagined it. It was the middle of the day, the middle of town, and he looked out the window of his big big house and saw a thief slipping out the window of the house across the street. 

No respectable thief would dare steal at noon, he thought, and definitely not from the home of one of the wealthiest men in town, it was simply too odd. He convinced himself that he’d imagined it. It wouldn’t be the first time, what with it being the twelfth consecutive year he spent locked in his house with no company other than Bernoulli, his cat, the weekly visit of the man who brought him groceries and the biweekly visit of his adoptive father. He wasn’t the sanest person in the world, he knew. 

Having decided that, he put the incident out of his mind.

The second time he saw the thief, it was a much more reasonable hour for thieving activities - the small hand on the clock just about grazed six, the sun barely peeking over the horizon - and as Draco looked out the window he saw him again, knew it was the same man because of his messy black hair. The thief went into another of his neighbor’s houses. Draco rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t making it up. The thief came back out with a bag full of things and left swiftly, silently, unseen by everyone but him. 

The third time he saw the thief, looking out the same window, he found him walking on top of the roof of the house across the street as if it was nothing. It was the middle of the night and Draco couldn’t sleep, so he was looking out the window and he saw the thief, caught him with a bag in each hand and one foot in front of the other, keeping his balance. Draco must have made a sound, because the thief froze and looked right at him. Their eyes met. 

Not knowing what to do, not even seeing him properly because of the meters separating them, Draco raised a hand and waved. The thief stared for a moment, two, then left. 

That encounter set the tone for the next handful of months of Draco’s life. Any sane person would have tried to alert someone - anyone, really - to the continuous presence of a thief, but given that Draco was both locked up and not the sanest person around, he didn’t do anything. He would sit in his tiny balcony right outside the window and wait and wait until he saw the thief, and when he did, he waved. 

And the thief waved back. Startled, at first, a hesitant jerk of a hand before scurrying away. That was the first few times, but after a few weeks, the thief would wave with more vigor, give Draco a big, toothy smile that made his stomach twist. 

One day, Draco looked at his window and found the thief standing on his balcony, leaning casually against the glass. With his heart pounding, he opened and let him in. 

Introductions happened. His name was Harry, Draco discovered, his eyes were green, his skin brown, his voice rough, low, and when asked why he had decided to dedicate his life to crime, he threw his head back and laughed heartily and uninhibited. 

It was a Sunday night. Earlier, Draco had baked chicken pie, and he offered the thief two slices. 

“Why are you locked up?” The thief, Harry, asked, shoveling his pie into his mouth as if he hadn’t eaten in days. 

“My father says it’s to keep me safe,” Draco replied. “It’s dangerous outside. I don’t know what he means, but I trust him.” Harry hummed. Then he asked, very politely for a thief, Draco noticed, if he could please have some more pie. 

After that, Harry would visit him often. Twice a week, at the very least. Some weeks Draco saw him everyday, would wait for him with dinner served on the small table of his room, and Harry would come and they would sit there for hours, eating and chatting about what Harry had done that day. 

If his adoptive father, Mr Riddle, noticed anything different in the two hours he visited Draco every two weeks, he didn’t say, and so Draco didn’t see fit to tell him. He didn’t think he’d like it. 

So he and Harry talked. It quickly became apparent that Draco hungered for details, wanted to know exactly what the bakers’ street smelled like that morning, the color of the sunrise, because the sun rose behind his home and he could never see it. 

Harry would indulge him, he’d say, “I’m pretty sure it was chocolate cookies, this morning,” and he would say, “the sun was a big red ball behind the clouds, and the sky looked half pink, half orange.”

“What kind of orange?” Draco would urge. 

“Like — pff , I don’t know, Draco. Like peaches.”

“Peaches…”

And then when Harry left, he’d smile over his shoulder and say, “see you tomorrow, blondie,” and Draco’s heart would pound inside his chest and he felt it didn’t stop until the next evening rolled around and he saw him again. 

He wasn’t blind. Harry was very attractive - almost too attractive, an assault on the eyes - with his broad shoulders and slim waist, the crooked nose, those thick eyebrows and lashes and his green eyes that made Draco lose his mind when he was alone at night in bed. 

He was 20 years old, had been locked in since he was 8 and hence had never been kissed, never been touched in any way other than a fatherly pat on the head. But he was 20, and he knew the things that happened in bedrooms, had read about them and couldn’t stop himself from thinking them when he saw Harry in his tight white shirt. 

Not being the sanest person around, but certainly one of the cleverest, Draco knew Harry looked at him too, thought those things about him too, and every time he caught Harry staring at him silently, chest rising with shallow breaths, goosebumps broke all over his skin. This went on for months, a tension tight like a string tying them together. 

A year after the visits started, it became unbearable. Draco felt half out of his mind with it, his palms sweating when Harry leaned close, when he whispered and brushed Draco’s hair back. 

One of those nights, right before slipping out of Draco’s window, Harry hesitated. 

“I’m leaving town. I won’t see you in a couple weeks.” 

It wouldn’t be the first time it happened, so Draco nodded. He started to say he would find a way to entertain himself, but found he couldn’t, because Harry was kissing him. 

Startled, Draco couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe, and it lasted all of two seconds before Harry pulled back with a smile warmer, shyer than the usual.

“Think of me, blondie.” And he disappeared into the night. 

Draco almost passed out, and think of him he did. 

When Harry came back, two weeks later, Draco gave him his virginity. Three times in one night. 

It was glory. 

Things didn’t change much after that. Harry visited, they ate Draco’s food, talked about what Harry had done, but now there were kisses in between, touching, more than touching. Now, sometimes, they didn’t go straight for the food, they stumbled into bed, slow, rushed, young and ancient. Their sex was the most honest thing Draco had ever known, sometimes they’d laugh in the middle of their kisses, sometimes they’d be silent the whole time, clutching the sheets, clutching at each other, overcome. 

Draco was over the moon. He’d never known what it felt like to be someone else’s favorite human, have someone bring him sweet, warm bread and flowers because they’d reminded them of him, had never gone days with butterflies inside his chest whenever he so much as thought about someone. 

“You stole my heart,” he’d tell Harry, smiling into his lips. 

“You already knew I’m a thief.” 

And it was true, but in Harry’s hands, Draco knew he was safe. He told him as much once, when they were lying together naked and breathless, still a bit sticky. He leaned close to him, kissed the corner of his mouth and whispered it, right into his ear, he said, “I love you.” 

“Do you?” 

“I do.” 

“Then I’m one lucky, lucky thief.” 

Harry said it too, in different moments. Like when he walked in and found Draco had made his favorite tart, hugged him tight, lifted him up and said it,  “God, I love you.” Right before leaving, with a kiss to Draco’s forehead, “Love you. Sleep well.” With a smile, whenever Draco blushed. “Damn, I love you.” 

He was liberal and open with his love, demanded the same back with a hunger. Would say, “hmm, you love me” whenever Draco rolled his eyes at him, would ask “how much?” after Draco said he did. 

“How much?” Draco would repeat, trailing his fingers over Harry’s naked chest. “Green eyes, I’d run away with you. That’s how much.” 

It was true. He’d never considered it before, Riddle said Draco was safe inside, and he had never wanted to go out into the world that had destroyed his parents, but for Harry, he knew he would try. 

One day, Harry came in nervous and twitchy, refused to sit, refused to eat. 

Draco sighed. “Okay, out with it.” 

Harry looked right at him, swallowed and said, “Do you want to go somewhere with me?” 

Draco froze. 

But the answer was always going to be yes. With Harry, always yes. 

“Yes.” 

He sneaked out. For the first time in twelve years, he slipped out his window and set foot on the street and ran. 

Harry took him to the woods, and they ran along the trees and over the grass, Draco almost crying with how much he was laughing. They had a picnic under the shade of an oak, orange and cheese that gave flavor to their kisses after. Almost like magic. 

When Harry took him home that night, Draco said what had been on his mind all day. He said, “Let’s do it.” 

Harry didn’t even need to ask what he meant, only asked, “are you sure?” 

Draco nodded. 

The following week, the day after Riddle’s biweekly visit, Harry showed up with two bags, one full and one empty, and Draco knew it was time. He packed clothes, food, all the money he had into the empty bag Harry gave him, took his cat and its food and they did it. 

They ran. They walked and ran and were out of town in three hours, had crossed another one in five. They had two weeks until Riddle found out, but Draco wanted to put as much distance as he could between them, as soon as possible. 

So, for a week they walked. It could have been awful, and Draco’s feet were certainly killing him, but it was also the happiest week of his life. They would wake up with the sun, eat fresh fruit and start walking, fingers laced between them. At night, they would find an inn and cuddle up in a tiny cot, have uncomfortable sex that made them laugh, made them cover each other’s mouths with frantic “shhh”s, because the inns were full that time of the year and they didn’t want to get caught. 

By the time the second week rolled around, there were seventeen towns between them and Riddle, and Draco woke up feeling light. Harry stirred next to him, threw an arm around him and pressed a kiss to his shoulder. 

“Mornin’”

Draco turned his face, angled for a kiss. “Morning, thief.”

Harry smiled. The previous night, the owner of the inn had offered them both a position in the kitchen in exchange for the room and food, they were even offered a few coins a month, and they had said yes. They had made calculations and, if they worked hard, they might be able to move into a small place of their own in a little under a year. Their present, that possible future, it was everything. 

There was so much they didn’t know. They didn’t know, for example, that the following week there would be a town fair celebrating the lost prince’s birthday. They didn’t know that they would feel like dancing, they didn’t know that, in the middle of their dance, a palace guard would see them and recognize his queen’s features in Draco’s face. They didn’t know that they’d be called in to the palace. They didn’t know that what Riddle had told Draco when he’d kidnapped him all those years ago was a lie, that his parents were alive. They didn’t know Draco had a family. They didn’t know they were rich, that they would stay together for years, and live a happy, happy life. 

But they knew they had each other, had their present and a future full of hope. And it was enough. It was enough. 

How Haikyuu Characters Go Trick or Treating (Karasuno Version)

I’m sorry I couldn’t fit everyone in!! But I will be posting all the teams over the next few days. ~ Kai

(Askbox is always open if you would like to request something!!)

Hinata Shouyou:

Drags all the first years to go trick or treating with him.

Matching costumes with Natsu

“Come on kagayama just put on the cow costume!!!”

He will be chased around by Tsukishima in a ghost costume.

Pretends he is braver than he actually is and watches a “scary movie” (AKA jurassic park) and cries the whole time, his sister will probably end up comforting him later.

He ends up eating about half his candy in the first hour and will save the rest for “breakfast”

Tobio Kageyama:

“I am not going to put on that stupid costume”

Gets dragged out anyways by Hinata

Bullies Hinata into watching an actual scary movie but stops 10 minutes in when he wouldn’t stop crying.

“What do you mean milk isn’t a halloween drink? Do you want me to dye it orange or something?”

Kageyama secretly loves the halloween season but he would never tell Hinata that.

Tsukishima Kei:

Believe it or not, halloween is his favorite time of year

He went as slender man last year and stood in the bushes to scare the neighborhood kids.

“Tsukki, you cant keep scaring toddlers...”

He went trick or treating with the first years for the sole purpose to scare Hinata (and Tadashi asked him too.)

“I’ll trade you all the sweet tarts for you snickers”

He hid in Hinata’s closet after he went to bed and walked out carrying a butcher knife. (kageyama recorded the whole thing)

Yamaguchi Tadashi:

Hides behind Tsukishima to make sure he doesn’t get jumpscared by the second years

He was one of the only people in their class who dressed up for halloween but Tsukishima joins to so he doesn’t feel left out.

It may be surprising but he is a huge fan of horror movies, the gorier the better.

He makes his costume by hand, took him about 2 months.

“You can’t eat all your candy in one night, you’ll get sick.”

“watch me”

Yamaguchi spends the whole night sorting his candy by flavor while watching all the Purge movies.

Tanaka Ryuunosuke:

“Come on! Trick or treating is for babies we gotta do the fun stuff!!”

Tanaka thinks halloween is more about the “trick” than treat. He spend the past 4 months coming up with the plan of pranks for the most beautiful 24 hours of his life.

His whole halloween costume consists of a white sheet with two slits for the eyes.

“How much did those eggs cost?”

“I don’t know, about as much as my life savings”

Tanaka didn’t even make it until midnight before the cops showed up and took him home.

“Don’t tell my mom!!”

Nishinoya Yuu:

CANDY CANDY CANDY CANDY

“Put your hands up! This is a candy robbery!”

“You can’t say that at every house Noya...”

Nishinoya put in a slight bit more effort in than Tanaka but barley. His costume consisted of a pair of cat ears and some vampire teeth.

He tagged along with the first years before he joined Tanaka in his pranks.

“Don’t let Ennoshita know, he’ll tell Daichi”

He spent the rest of the night in a jail cell with his friend before he had Daichi bail him out, but it was worth it.

Asahi Azumane:

Asahi is incredibly terrified by halloween, he spent the first hour passing out candy before a young kid got scared by his face so he went and cried in the bathroom

“I promise you have a beautiful face Asahi!!!”

He couldn’t even go outside and walk his dog in all of october because of his neighbors incredibly...lifelike skeletons.

He spent the bulk of the month getting pumpkin spice flavored things and going to orchards.

“Let's watch The Great Pumpkin and eat popcorn!”

He left the passing out candy job to Daichi as he forced Suga to carve pumpkins and watch movies with him.

Sugawara Koushi:

Suga wasn’t a big dresser upper for Halloween but he puts on a cute cat face for the kids going to his door.

All the third years go over to his house for a “big party” maybe a few drinks here and there but nothing to get them drunk

Suga is very try hard when it comes to decorations. He has blow up decorations, skeletons (which scary Asahi a great deal), and animatronics. He was the hottest house on the block.

He buys an extra bag of goodies for kids with allergies because he thinks everyone should be involved in the holidays

He rarely gives out small candies, Suga goes to the dollar store and buys as many boxes of full size candy bars as his wallet will allow.

“Time to make pumpkin cookies!!!”

Daichi Sawamura:

Daichi doesn’t really care about halloween but he will celebrate it

He has been wearing the same costume since his second year of middle school but his friends have been trying to convince him to buy another one.

Daichi is the one who brings the drinks to the third year party because he was the only one who could pull of being of age.

Spends most the night watching movies when he isn’t passing out candy.

“We should do couples costumes next year!!”

His night always ends the same way... a phone call from the police station.

“I didn’t know it was illegal to throw eggs at peoples windows!”

“You better be paying for a new windshield for Mr. Ukai”

no one requested this but this was in an awkward au meetings prompt list and i had to do it. “My cat steals underwear and I come home to find you chasing my cat to get your underwear back.”

Maddie isn’t quiet sure where it’s coming from. The underwear that is. She knows how it’s getting to her back porch, by the way of her cat Monty, but she has no clue where he’s getting it.

No one has come pounding on the door of her new home demanding their underwear back, and without her meeting any of her neighbors, she really has no idea who they could belong to.

Monty purrs loudly, a pair of red boxer briefs between his teeth as his tail proudly swings back and forth. Monty’s always been more of an outdoor cat, which is fine by Maddie, and he seems to be liking LA so far, with the warm climate and hot sun that he can bask in while he lies in the window. He’s allowed outside with supervision, but sometimes Maddie loses track of him while she’s digging weeds out of the area next to the fence and he just disappears. How an almost 4 foot long, 14 year old Maine Coon manages to find a spot in the fence to fit through, Maddie has no idea. 

He had a habit of stealing Doug’s socks out of the dryer, and while Maddie had thought it was adorable, it only made Doug scowl. When her and Doug divorced, she got Monty, no strings attached, as Doug had said he “never liked the mangy thing anyway”.

Well Monty never liked him, so all’s fair.

Monty’s brought her 4 pairs so far, today making 5, all of different colors, and she wonders which one of her neighbors is wearing size medium mens Hanes.

Maddie takes the underwear from his mouth, scolding him gently.

“Monty, no. You can’t keep doing this. These do not belong to us.” She’s shaking the underwear in his face, and she’s suddenly very glad that no one can see her, lest her new neighbors think she’s out of her mind.

It rains the next few days, which deters Monty from going outside, thus deterring his underwear thievery. On Saturday, the sky opens up and the sun comes out in full force, a hot spring day that is perfect for getting some cleaning done and dancing around the kitchen. 

Maddie’s wiping down the counters when she hears a loud crash in the backyard, followed by a muffled, “-GOTCHA you little bastard”.

She grabs the baseball bat that she keeps next to the fridge (a gift from Buck) and she opens the screen door of the back porch, armed and ready.

“Whoever you are, I’ve-” 

There’s a man.

A man in jeans and a t-shirt, lying on the grass in front of the fence that now has a piece of the top broken off it, and he’s got Monty by one paw. 

Monty’s got a bright orange pair of boxer briefs in his mouth, and he looks scandalized.

The man looks at Maddie, clearly embarrassed as he glances back at the fence. “Uh. Hi. Sorry about your fence….I’m Howie.” 

“It’s...okay, uh. That’s your underwear isn’t it?”

Monty makes a satisfied noise, mushing his mouth together as he chews on the underwear. 

“Yes. It is. I’m assuming this is your cat?”

“Yeah that’s Monty. He uh….likes to steal underwear, it seems.” 

Maddie puts the bat down, stepping into the yard and pointing a finger at Monty. “Young man, you drop that.” 

The underwear falls from Monty’s mouth with a soft “mrrrp”, and Howie lets go of his foot when Maddie scoops him up into her arms. Monty snuggles into Maddie’s neck, but she just shakes her head.

“Listen you little thief, you’re in trouble. You snuck out when I shook out the rugs didn't you?” She turns to Howie, giving him an apologetic smile. “I’ll be right back, don’t move.”

She runs inside, dropping Monty off in his cat tower in the living room, and grabbing the other underwear from Monty’s collection off the top of her washer.

When she comes back outside, Howie is up and standing, brushing the dirt and grass from his clothes, stolen underwear back in his hand. Maddie sheepishly holds out the pile.

“Here’s all the others. Sorry if you’ve been missing them.” 

“I have been, actually. My dryer broke a few weeks ago so I’ve been hanging my stuff outside to dry and this is the first time I finally saw him take it.” Howie nods over to the right of the yard. “I live two houses down, and well….I was very determined to catch him I guess.”

Maddie sees the broken fence pieces and nods. “I guess so.”

Howie rubs a hand over his face dramatically, tipping his head back. “God, I feel like an ass. I mean it’s just underwear and I broke your fence climbing it.”

“No, it’s okay! Trust me I get it, Monty’s a hellion when he wants to be.” 

Howie sighs. “Let me fix your fence? It’s the least I can do. I can come back tomorrow.”

Maddie’s about to say no, but then she sees the state of the fence and realizes, yeah maybe this man ought to fix it. 

“That would be great, actually.” 

Howie gives her a relieved smile, and it’s a nice smile, and they both stand there in silence for a moment before they realize it’s been just a bit too long staring at each other.

“Well ah, I better get going-”

“Yeah, good idea.” Maddie chews on her bottom lip, nodding towards the house. “You wanna go through the house or just uh, climb the fence again?”

Howie laughs, clutching the underwear to his chest. “House, please.”

everyday job au | lee minho

listen to — Cemetery by COIN

chan | MINHO | changbin | hyunjin | jisung | felix | seungmin | jeongin

、 policeman!minho

the minute you walked into your apartment, something seemed odd, but you shook the feeling off because your whole day seemed weird to you

you were ready to take a nice hot shower and change into some pjs before eating some warm soup and rice in front of some star wars the clone wars reruns

during the middle of your conditioning step that you heard a small thud from outside your bathroom

the people upstairs must be moving their furniture again

you tried to convince yourself that this was true, but even your heart started beating pretty fast

you were usually fine with living by yourself, but after learning some of the recent robberies on the other side of town, you couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy at the sounds you were hearing

besides

that sound seemed a lot closer than coming from upstairs

you were fully dressed when the crashes from your kitchen came, nearly screaming and dropping the lotion bottle on your foot

there was no way you were checking it out yourself, but luckily, your neighbor next door was a cop - as mrs. kim down the hall told you when you ran into her to get your mail

“have you met your new neighbor?”

“i have a new neighbor?”

“of course, dear! you were probably too busy too notice with you and your stubborn need to get home and stay home all the time.”

“guilty as charged.”

“he’s a nice young, good-looking boy who’s even a cop! you should introduce yourself, y/n.”

you might have been pretty spooked because you would have never run to your neighbor’s apartment in your pajamas if you had known that he was a total dreamboat

not to mention that he was still fully dressed in his police uniform

the boy standing in front of you, needless to say, knocked you off your feet when he opened his door - you nearly went speechless when his eyes widened at the sight of you, his long eyelashes and sharp nose and pink lips almost taking your breath away

but at this moment, you needed to put your hormones aside and figure out what the heck attacked your house

“hi, i don’t think we ever met but mrs. kim down the hall told me that my new neighbor was a cop and i wanted to introduce myself but you were never here but nevermind that i’m y/n and i need your help because i was in the shower but then i heard a bunch of thuds and then there was a loud crash in my kitchen and i think someone broke in because some glass shattered and - ”

“y/n!”

“yes, officer?”

“take it easy, okay? i’ll take a look at it right now. just minho by the way. officer makes me sound too adult-ish.”

minho gives you a soft smile before brushing past you after locking his door

so you follow him back into your apartment - basically hiding behind him as he tiptoes around the rooms

“where’s your kitchen?”

you point but simultaneously grip onto the back of his shirt

minho freezes but doesn’t hold back a small smirk before continuing to make his way to the kitchen, giving you a small pat on the arm to reassure you that it’s going to be okay

at first glance, you know that there isn’t anyone in the room - there’s no place to hide in your small kitchen but there’s definitely someone or something in here

your face is practically buried into his back as he rounds the corner to see who - or what - the heck is going through what seems to be your trash can

minho can feel the features of your face against his back, and he can’t help but realize that he’s enjoying the warmth radiating off of you as you try to bury yourself further into him from your fear of being attacked at any moment

when the two of you turn the corner of your counter, he sees a very familiar orange ball of fluff on the floor

“soonie?!”

“huh?”

“it’s my cat! wait, there’s doongie and dori under the table.”

and low and behold, you see three cats rolling around on the wooden floor, munching on leftovers in the cans of tuna you used for your tuna sandwich this morning

and a pile of glass shards from a candle holder next to the sink

relief floods over you, but embarassment follows when you realize how tightly you had been holding onto your neighbor’s shirt

while taking out the broom, you apologize profusely as you make sure he and his cats don’t step on the glass

he only waves it off with a crooked smile, saying that it’s his fault for leaving the shared balcony door open, but telling you that you should probably keep yours closed too

before he leaves, he gives you his number so if his cats or any other dangers decide to pay a visit, you can text or call him rather than showing up on his doorstep in pajamas

“if you ever want me to come over, just shoot me a quick text or call. it doesn’t have to be police-duty, because it’ll always be an emergency for me to come see you.”

Into The Wild: Prologue

Update: I wasn’t satisfied by how short this was initially, so along with some minor dialogue tweaks I’ll be adding in an entirely new scene that was originally going to be the start of Chapter 1.

“Before the clans had reached the point they are at today, a prophecy was given out many, many moons ago...

A prophecy of fire, of unity, and of a cat who could either save the clans... or cause their end.”

Read On AO3

The night sky shimmered softly, a silver crescent shining its light gently onto the world below. Against the moon, a feline silhouette sat atop a large boulder, back turned from the several sleeping bundles curled up into their nests below. His emerald eyes, swimming with thought, reflected the stars above that they were fixated on.

The reddish - brown tom’s focus only broke when he heard the sound of claws scratching against stone, turning to see an old, gray tom approaching to sit with him. The latter settled beside him, on a ledge only slightly shorter than the rock’s peak. The gray tom’s mismatched yellow and blue eyes followed his company’s look at the sky, then turned to face him with a look of concern.

“Goosefeather.” The brown tom spoke, not turning to face the other cat but instead giving a quick nod. “I take it you had trouble sleeping, too?”

Goosefeather grumbled. “You know this is a stressful time for all of us. It feels as if not a moon can pass without the threat of bloodshed rearing its head.” the old tom shifted his paws as he spoke.

“We are lucky Thunderclan is full of strong warriors,” the leader sighed. “Otherwise we may have had to follow in our past neighbor’s pawsteps by now. Still though, it’s… hard for me to keep my head held high at a time like this. It feels as though whatever progress we attempt to make is ripped away within a heartbeat. We can only hope that, perhaps, the warriors of the future will be able to face the danger head on...”

The two old cats sat atop the rock’s peak in silence for a few more heartbeats, contemplating their situation. Goosefeather’s gaze at the stars above began to cloud over with unease.

“Starclan hasn’t given me a vision in quite some time…” The gray cat muttered to himself, squeezing his eyes shut in an attempt to focus. Something felt… warm beneath his paws. The sounds of the night began to fade and instead he could sense a cacophony of whispers as the warmth grew to envelope his body. His eyes snapped open in an instant, growing wide as his breath caught in his throat.

Goosefeather found himself not sitting on the rock as he had been prior, but instead in the middle of a vortex of shining flame. Upon a closer look, there were cats in the storm, cats of all shapes and sizes, their pelts not made of flesh but of the same blaze that they had run and danced in a harmonious sequence with. Beyond the fire, dark figures with crimson eyes glared at the tom, not daring to try and cross the inferno.

The whispers were now growing louder and synching up into one phrase

Fire alone will unite the clans

“-sefeather? Are you alright?” Goosefeather was shaken from his trance by a pair of large, brown paws. His vision focused to see his leader turned to look at him with concern.

“A vision… from the stars…” Goosefeather was so stunned that he could barely rasp out the words. “F - Fire…”

“Goosefeather? What is it? What did you see?” The reddish - brown cat mewed urgently.

“They showed me…” the old gray tom continued “A cat with a pelt the colour of flames; one from the outside... one able to bridge the gap between the four clans… as well as the living and dead.” He looked at the other tom with a hidden ember in his eyes. “Fire alone will unite the clans.”

“Fire?” The leader responded in an almost shocked tone “But fire is an enemy of the forest! Fire is an unstoppable force that leaves only ash in its wake!”

“It can be that way,” the old healer responded, “But fire can also bring about change. It can be either a scorching storm of destruction, or a source of warmth and a guiding light. It depends on how it is used.”

The other tom hummed with a quick nod. “Hmm, well… you do have a good point. And Starclan has never led us astray with a false prophecy before, so it must be so.” He looked to the sky with a newfound determination. 

“Fire alone will unite the clans...”

---

“Then, with a flash of light, Starclan was brought into existence. Or so they say, at least.” An old cat rasped as he concluded the story the two young toms in front of him were listening to intently. 

“Another!” Cheered the young orange cat, bouncing on his paws. “Tell us about the mountainside!”

The older tom wearily lifted himself to his paws, shaking the stray blades of grass out of his coat. “I think you’ve heard enough for today.” He yawned “Besides, I’ve got to get back in before dinner. My humans will be looking for me.”

With a disappointed groan, the orange tom watched as the elderly cat walked inside his human’s home. He stayed to look at the backyard door a few seconds longer, then both slipped under a hole in the fence back to their own gardens.

The orange tom felt a soft paw tapping on his shoulder, and looked over to see his friend looking worried.

“Hey, um... Rusty?” The piebald tom mewed “The stuff Pinecone said, about the clans and stuff? Do you... uh... believe it?”

“Well, I mean... yeah? No reason not to, right? especially since neither of us have ever even went into the forest and all.” Rusty responded. “Why do you ask?”

The other cat shook his head, the bell on his red collar jingling softly. “I don’t know. I mean - I just- I can’t help but worry, y’know? The cats in the forest sound pretty vicious. What if someday they cross over the fence and attack? What if I have to face them? What if they make prey out of me, or SHARPEN THEIR CLAWS ON MY BONES, OR-”

“Smudge!” The orange tom yowled “Calm down! None of that’s gonna happen!”

“You don’t know that!” Smudge retorted.

Rusty sighed and placed a reassuring paw on his friend’s shoulder. “Listen. If something like that does happen, you won’t be alone. I’ll be right by your side, ok?”

Smudge's worried expression slowly turned into a small smile. 

“If you say so...”

A List of Pets My Muses Have

**Not all of my muses have pets. But, I will be listing the ones that do.  Cassandra: Her son, Mario, begged her to get a pet rat after watching Ratatouille. After being convinced that rats weren’t as bad as society made them out to be, she purchased him an all-white rat. His name is Remy Salvatore Scozzari (Mario believed that since his pet was white like his granddad, he had to honor him.) Because Mario’s still quite young, it’s up to Cassandra to make sure Remy is taken care of and consequently he has become Cassandra’s own pet. She adores that rat so much and if something happened to him, she would be devastated.

Bianca: Bianca has always been in love with deer, unfortunately reindeer are not allowed to be pets. Even as a child Bianca felt Italian Greyhounds had deer-like qualities, but her parents already their own family pets ( and Sal always felt Italian Greyhounds had smug auras. ) so she couldn’t get one. But now, as an adult, she has a tan & white colored greyhound named Luca. He’s a year old, and the light of her life. He wears sweaters when going on walks through New York, of course. 

Louis: Louis has always loved cats even though he spent his childhood chasing his parent’s cat. He likes that cats, ‘don’t ask for much’ and they’re ‘more or less’ they’re own masters. There are two stray tabby cats that live outside his apartment building that are quite well-acquainted with him. He named them Slick and Sly. He likes to say that they’re brothers since their coats are identical.  Leah: Leah grew up around cats as her mother had two of them - they’re okay. Mischievous, but okay. And Ben got bit by a dog, so she’s not super fond of them. What Leah does like is birds. All and all, she feels like they’re underrated pets. She has a cockatiel named Harmony. It seems like the bird is just a ‘decoration’ for her house, but when Leah is prone to letting her play outside her cage.  Tony: Tony owns one dog, a Boston Terrier named Rocky. He likely qualifies as a therapy animal ( with Tony having purchased the dog after his rehabilitation ) and hanging out with his dog is the only time he feels genuinely happy. If he’s not making music, or on the road, then Rocky is present at his side.

Sheila: Sheila owns a brown & black streaked Maine Coon named Hamilton. Hammy, for short. He’s not only enormous, but he’s plump like Garfield. She’s had him for a few years now, and she purchased him after interviewing a woman who was selling her deceased husband’s Maine Coons. They’re inseparable now. She can be spotted trying to take the cat on walks, much to Hammy’s disdain. Shawn: Unlike his sister, Shawn is not a cat person. Actually, Shawn is responsible for Sheila’s first pet cat running away, but if you ask him: “the cat wanted to go outside.” A dog person, Shawn owns a Rottweiler named Ozzie and more recently, a grey pitbull named Sheba. Sheba was actually owned by a former neighbor, and was frequently being abused for supposedly biting on furniture and ‘acting too wild,’ so Shawn took her for himself.  Cecilia: Use to have a ferret named Slink the Bandit when she was a kid. They were like Lilo and Stitch together. As an adult she has a white/orange/black colored short-haired guinea pig named Wilbur that she more or less regards as her very own child. One day she’ll have a ferret again, but I’d say she’s still heartbroken. 

Grigori: Like Sheila, Grigori owns a Maine Coon named Vanya. But unlike Hammy, Vanya has black and white fur. He’s less of Grigori’s cat though - and more of Tatiana’s. She’s always dressing Vanya up, or forcing him to sleep in her bedroom. Grigori just makes sure the feline is feed. ( Though he is a cat person. He once smuggled a cat on campus in the 90s. )

day 1: shenanigans

foxes den shenanigan (1)

summary: snippets into the slice of life of being one of the few young women who interact with the inarizaki volleyball club. every member is all tough on the outside until they meet kira, yn: the one who had been neighbors with the miya twins all her life. her best friend, nakiri-chan, is convinced at least once in their life all three of them (osamu, kira, and atsumu) had loved each other. this mini series is a going to be a little reflective, a little dramatic, and overall deals with themes of growing up to learn the difference of love. 

genre: slice of life/ angsty-teen love/ rated pg-15+ for language and juxtopostional humour. 

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-------[Inarazaki High School, 11:47 a.m.]-------

“you can’t be serious,” my best friend’s voice of disbelief tells me. we were on lunch break when we decided to head to the vending machines by the gym. there were various students talking amongst themselves buzzing with excitement for the annual art festival. 

“oh, but i am,” i said. i took a deep breath when i gripped her shoulders. upon my exhale i nodded.

“b-but your class representative said your homeroom was putting together a maid cafe all because she found out you know how to bake?”

“i blame the last bake sale my cooking club did to raise funds for a new mixer. all the members of the boys’ volleyball team bought a bag of my ‘cosmic star’ cookies.“

“i see. well, it can’t be all that bad, right? if you’re going to be the one coming up with the menu and the baked treats, you don’t really have to wear the maid outfit.”

i hum in response when i place my bill into the machine. the vending machine rumbles before dropping my can of mango nectar. once she buys her drink, she and i head back to our class on the third floor; before we separate, she wishes me luck with coming up with the menu.

“so, what did you have in mind kira-chan?”

“macaroons and maybe tarts. i don’t know what kind yet though. i’ll see ya after classes are over so we can walk home together. later nakiri-san!”

***

the day of the festival approached even faster than you had thought. after many attempts at making various macaroon flavors and tart ideas that paired well with the boba-styled drinks being served, me and the other bakery/cafe volunteers were ready for business. the other students in your class were divided between servers and baristas. the girls and boys who were selected as the maids and butlers were thankfully the only ones that had to wear the full garb. since it was the day before the festival, i decided to do a sampling of the sweets i chose to make for the servers and baristas so they can help our prospective customers tomorrow with describing the menu items. my fellow classmates, the team of five standing next to me (our bakers team consisted of six), were able to try out their own treats and thanked me for showing them how to make the treats. aside from macaroons and cookies, we collectively added two parfait flavors: one was strawberry themed for our school colors and the other was themed around sunset colors.

before the meeting was adjourned, i breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the news from our class rep up until she mentioned something about the bakery staff wearing cat ears and other nicknacks of cafe worker approved jewelry. when i got home that evening, i screamed into my pillow to relieve some excess stress over the maid cafe. 

i immediately called my neighbor and although i wasn’t expecting him to answer the phone, i felt relief wash over me when i heard his normal greeting on the other end:

“miya residence and no, atsumu isn’t the better twin.”

i chuckled at his statement. after years of living next door to them, i can only say that miya osamu was right (also, he was the first person to express the same level of joy in cooking for others). he immediately cleared his throat when he heard me laugh.

“ahem. oh, hey kira-san. what’s up?”

i am not surprised i heard a short lived scuffle in the background as well as atsumums “ack!” in the background followed by a soft thud that only chucking a pillow could have made.

“osamu? it’s me. say, do you still have the cat ear hair clips from last halloween?”

***

the festival was in full swing: streamers lined the hallways as the people visiting came to enjoy what our school had to offer. i heard from nakiri that her class voted on doing a paint by numbers mural. other classes in our year were doing their renditions of living portraits and face painting. apparently, my class along with our neighbors across the hall divided up the cafeteria to encompass both a savory restaurant booth along with our class’ maid cafe. 

i was busy with the other members of my team making sure orders were being ran on time while placing the finishing touches for the treats on the tray. even though i was allowed to wear my pistaschio green chef coat, i couldn’t get away with just wearing a macaroon earrings. to push my bangs back, i had a pair of cat ears clipped into my hair. 

“shift change kira-san!” my class rep’s voice said in an exuberant manner. she was in charge of patrolling the hallway trying to gather more guests to come into our side of the cafeteria. business was steady to say the least, but i recalled i had signed up to take over the advertising part once hers was over. 

“ok! can you give me a few minutes? i need to fix my make up real quick.”

elsewhere, the members of the inarizaki volleyball team were seen wandering around campus enjoying the festival. the twins along with suna had long sinced branched off and found nakiri’s class. 

“hey guys! come to paint?” she offered them a sponge brush and a little to-go container. 

“isn’t kira-chan supposed to be with you?” osamu asked perplexed i wasn’t near by.

“yeah, aren’t you two joined at the hip?” his brother chimed in. nakiri rolled her eyes at the blond before shaking her head. 

“oh? you didn’t hear?” nakiri asked slightly taken aback by his question.

right at that moment, nakiri pointed behind the boys toward where i was standing speaking with over festival goers who were looking at the menu for my class’ cafe. i had a smile on my face when the guests mentioned they’d absolutely stopped by for a refreshing treat. when they waved their good bye to me, i was suddenly greeted by a different family who asked what i would recommend for their five year old (while they would opt for teas, their child really wanted something sweet). after asking a few questions (are they allergic to anything? does their child prefer strawberries or oranges? etc), i pointed out our strawberry parfait as a great option for them to all share. 

“i heard one class chose to do a dessert cafe, but i didn’t think it would be a maid cafe,” rintarou stated flatly. he took the paint and the brush from nakiri before stepping inside to paint his section of the mural. on the other hand, the blond twin elbowed his brother. there was a teasing glint in his eyes. 

“kira-san looks really cute, doesn’t she ‘samu?”

nakiri caught on to how pink the gray haired twin’s cheek became when his brother teased him. for the life of him, osamu couldn’t help but wonder why his neighbor called him asking to borrow the cat ear clips the night prior and now it was all making sense. 

“shut it atsumu.”

“hmm,” nakiri hummed. she tapped her index finger on her lips in thought. “my shift is almost over for the hour, so why don’t we all go visit the cafe, yeah?”

***

“oh my god!” 

my class rep burst through the kitchen doors again when my shift was over causing me to almost drop the parfait in my hands. i had successfully placed the dessert on the tray. one of the front of house staff members gripped her shoulders to calm her down a bit. thankfully, none of the ingrients toppled over, but we did lose a cookie straw in the process.

“breathe class rep,” i saidx. i was trying really hard to not laugh at her panicked expresion. “what’s going on?”

“h-hot miya twins outside.” 

that was all i needed to hear before i pinched the bridge of my nose before cursing my best friend and her family nine generations back for slipping out my secret assignment for the festival.

seeing my neighbors through the window of the kitchen swing doors was honestly the last thing i needed today, but of course we couldn’t always win the fortune of the gods. mumbling a quick, ‘the gods are testing me again,’ caused one of the cooks to snicker. to be fair, i could live without the thought of hearing atsumu’s teasing jokes or osamu’s sass, but alas, i did not win fortune’s favor that hour. also, this was the last outfit they’d expect to see me in because half of the volleyball team had tried (keyword:tried) to get me into a maid outfit for y e a r s. that campaign stopped as soon as shinsuke became captain.

“they’re asking for you to serve them too,” the front of house manager said when he walked into the kitchen shortly thereafter. i was having a good day up until this turn of events, and although it took every fiber of my being to not kill those two, i realized i should handle this in an appropriate manner. i mentioned i’ll handle it relinquishing my duties to my second. 

when i walked outside, i noticed that not only were my twin neighbors outside, they also sent a text to their entire team asking to visit the cafe area. i calmly turn my lips upward in a saccharine smile as i approached their table. it’s the same familiar smile which caused atsumu and osamu’s blood to run cold; they knew i was pissed as soon as i let the spirit of customer service take over my body.

“welcome to the foxes’ den masters,” i greeted them with a bow. “how may i be of service?”

atsumu’s eyes bounced back and forth between me and his brother who seemed to have found the parfaits description very interesting. 

“can i order something off the menu?” atsumu asked in a teasing way. if looks could kill, i’d sent the setter back home with a killer bruise on his shoulder, yet I remember how violence is frowned upon at a festival.

seeing as i did not object to his question when i replied with, “if it is your wish master.”

“can i buy an hour of your time from ya for my dearest younger brother?”

i blinked caught off guard by his forwardness on his twin’s behalf. all of our patrons had ceased speaking to other members of their parties after hearing his proposal. where was a pillow when i needed to scream into one? all color drained from osamu’s face. nakiri looked just as shocked as i was mouthing a ‘sorry’ toward me; she gave me an encouraging smile. (it’s been four years since both of the miya siblings gifted me friendship chocolates on white day as an apology for poking fun at my wacky homemade candies. my parental figure thought it would have been nice to make some for the neighbors’ twins in middle school.) 

my smile disappeared while i pondered my answer to the setter’s eager eyes. to spare both osamu and i further embarrassment, I spoke the first thing that came to my mind:

“if that is what your brother wishes, young master, then he should ask me himself,” i said kindly.

this caught osamu’s attention real quick; his eyes snapped up at me with a curious stare. suna had his phone out obviously documenting the whole thing. i tilt my head to the side and posed my hands under my chin prentending to think before i shrugged.

“he should also know that my shift ends at five-thirty and he should meet me here if he doesn’t mind walking me home. now, if you’ll excuse me, i have to garnish table seven’s parfaits.”

the murmurs of conversations began up again once i bowed and took my leave back into the kitchen. the last thing i heard was nakiri laughing as atsumu exclaimed that they were seated at the table i mentioned and osamu claiming that he’d kill his brother for fourth time that day. 

“i’ll have you know that i could have asked her at any time right?” osamu seethed. “i don’t need you to line up dates for me.”

“yeah, yeah. you hate me, i hate you. we punch each other a little, and then you get to date kira since you’re clearly not going to do anything about this one sided love you think you two have,” atsumu said before resting his chin on his hand. suna caught what atsumu said all on the video he was recording, including nikiri’s stunned face.

“woah, back the fun bus up. seriously?!” she asked. “no wonder kira had been acting a bit more strictly with her recipes lately. look at the little drawings on the menu.”

she was quick to point out the little drawings of the chibi macaroons (“one was blueberry the other was mango orange, a silent reference to you three’s friendship,” she briefly explained) the design team made and colored.

“must be true, look at how red his cheeks are becoming & i don’t think that’s because of anger,” suna replied.

“c‘ mon, let’s go.” atsumu suggests, rising from the table. “i suddenly recall having passed by the boardwalk games section. osamu, you stay here and tell me what i should order.”

—to be continued—

An Evening Alone With Sharpen

The calico kitten Pocky and his dad Sharpen have their first adventure.

After Sharpen said goodbye to Jiroki, Talthorne and Kon who had visited him… Well, Sharpen had tried to discretely wave Jiroki back inside the cabin while they were all hugging and saying good bye. But Jiroki seemed to be having far too much fun walking off with those two and joking around, so Sharpen didn’t have the heart to stop her.

So, Sharpen was finally on his own. Satisfied, relieved his first big house party—well, it was a dinner—had gone well. He walked back inside, shut the door, and looked around at the mess he would have to clean up. It wasn’t long before Sharpen was distracted by the sound of some wild animal. Wasn’t it just outside the door? No, it sounded like a baby crying. But that was odd, Sharpen didn’t have any neighbors and he certainly didn’t have a baby. Unless…

Swearing softly, Sharpen ran back to the door, yanked it open and picked up his little kitten. Sharpen remembered at the last moment, the last desperate second, that sometimes kittens sound like little babies crying. He wasn’t sure if the kittens, kittens everywhere, were clever enough to figure that out and mimic babies, or if babies mimicked the kittens, or if it was a giant coincidence or Elune’s power at work helping save cats from forgetful owners or what… Anyway, his mind was racing and Sharpen was starting to feel so dizzy… Sharpen tried to calm and look at the little cat cradled against his bicep.

“Pocky. Don’t tell anyone I locked you out in the snow, especially not Jiroki. Please, please, don’t ever tell on me, okay?”

Sharpen wandered to another part of the house, away from the cold front door and the big empty living room. The fire was dying down in the fireplace. When Sharpen got to the kitchen and poured out the saucer of milk, he realized that the milk and the kitchen were even colder.

“Alright. I am a bad kitten dad so far…” Sharpen looked around for something to warm the milk or the cat, fast. The stove? No, not the stove of all things! Pocky didn’t wait for Sharpen to put the milk on the floor near his dish. The little orange and black cat with tiny white feet had hopped up onto the counter and started its supper all on its own.

“You’re shivering!” Sharpen placed his large hand over the kitten’s back. He was forced to wait and watch quietly however, while the tiny hungry cat filled up on milk. “It’s because I left you outside in the cold. And now you’re drinking colder milk.” Sharpen felt bad, and now he was worried and not thinking clearly. His big frostsaber cats could easily keep warm in Winterspring’s climate. And they had warm hay inside the stable if they ever needed it. Big cats like that were always wild to an extent, they weren’t meant to stay inside the house with people. Should he then… put Pocky in with them?

“Erm. I haven’t taught my larger pets that you aren’t a meal yet, Pocky. You’re about winter hare-sized.”

Sharpen picked up his kitten. The kitten mewed and reached its little paws out for the milk saucer. It arched its back and set its fur on end.

“Okay, bad plan. But look, Pocky. It’s too cold down here and you’re freezing. I have to move you—”

This time, the little cat hissed at him. It even managed to flip over in Sharpen’s grip and scratch him.

“Wow! That didn’t hurt, but I also didn’t realize you had such defensive instincts at a young age. And that you could twist into a pretzel.”

At last, Sharpen couldn’t take it anymore. Watching that little cat tremble, and that it was all his fault was agonizing. Sharpen picked up the saucer, and when Pocky went for him a third time, Sharpen picked up Pocky and tried to keep them both... level. Cat and saucer. Sharpen somehow waddled forward, the cat in one hand and the saucer close to Pocky’s little cat head, moving quickly through the house. He tried very hard not to drop kitten nor milk, and that was a feat. The kitten did a mix of hissing and purring whenever Sharpen separated little Pocky from his saucer, then swore softly and tried to get them back together again. Any of his friends might have noticed that the kitten Pocky was making too much eager noise to not be enjoying this, enjoying this and his new kitten-dad’s frantic state, on some level.

Sharpen waddled through the kitchen, then through the living room with the cold, empty fire place. Sharpen waddled around and up the stairs, then he almost tripped on the stairs. Then he finally got to the top of the stairs, down the hallway, and found his bedroom. He let Pocky down on the carpet and closed the bedroom door. Much warmer. But the kitten was still shivering.

“Oh, please don’t do that!”

Sharpen raced around, putting things away. He cleared his bed mainly, made it up with plenty of blankets, set the pillows right. He sat on the floor with Pocky anxiously, scooted close and tried not to touch the small cat again. Then finally, at last, Pocky finished all the milk.

“Aha—now you don’t have a choice!” Sharpen carefully picked up the cat who no longer missed his saucer. Sharpen got into his big bed and curled up under the blankets. He kept Pocky in the crook of his arm, close to his chest where it was warmest.

The kitten looked at him for a long time, licking his little pink nose.

“… You’re not shivering now. And you’re not hungry anymore?”

Pocky curled up into a tight ball and let the tip of his fuzzy tail cover his nose.

“Yeah, I can’t help with cold noses all that well. I’d end up covering your whole face. But you’re really okay? You’re safe and warm, right?”

Pocky’s breathing evened. The little calico cat seemed peaceful, steady. Sharpen began to feel his breathing even out as well. Oh, how he wished Jiroki could have seen this. Well, the good part of Pocky getting saved from the cold wintry world outside.

Pocky flicked one of his oversized kitten ears, as if to say, ‘Good boy, Sharpen.’

Why not? Sharpen had said it to him enough times. It seemed right just then.

“…Please, please don’t tell Jiroki.”

@bread-elf @talthorn-sylvoran​ @konietzko-lumenstone​ ((Jiro, thank you again for the pet kitty!))

DrownedSilver Week Day 6: Supernatural

WARNING: This story contains a short part with a near death experience/drowning. Please stay safe.

***** A gust of wind rippled through the papers of the sketchbook, almost making Ben lose his grip on it, finally snapping out of his thoughts, looking back at the sunset from the small hill he rested on.The ocean tainted in a mesmerizing pink and orange, sparkling even still far away. But Ben drifted away, having looked at the blank paper, trying to will himself for any kind of drawing. He hoped for the view to fuel his creativity, yet all he can think off was what was told to him last dinner when he talked about the beach. * “Oh, you wanna visit the beach on your own? I’d advise against that.”, his grandfather said, though still trying to keep his slight toothy smile, while Ben poked around in his stew, absentmindedly. “After all, you don’t want any mermaids to snatch you down.”

“Again? You need to stop with these fairy tales, you’re gonna make him paranoid.”, his grandma retorted, rolling her eyes, “Benjamin’s a big boy now, no longer six. There’s no need to try and impress him with these anymore.” She turned her attention to her grandson, smiling as she gained his attention, Ben having been rather curious what his grandpa wanted to keep telling: “If you’d like, the best time to visit is around 5 pm, but be back before 7.30. My poor heart wouldn’t be able to take it if something happened.” Ben simply gave a small sheepish smile and nodded. “Of course I don’t want anything to happen either, that’s why I’m warning him. Just the other day a sailor said to have spotted one-”“Enough, Vincent.”, Ben’s grandmother demanded, yet to no avail. “Why?”, Ben finally spoke up, almost surprising his grandparents due to him usually staying silent often, “What are these mermaids actually doing to humans? And what are they like?” He didn’t miss his grandfather giving a cheeky grin to his wife, who resigned quietly and kept eating as he started gesturing along with his story: “It is believed that they entrance you with a song, clearer than any human voice could muster. They lure you to the water, pulling you under as you see their red shining eyes…” “And then?” Vincent tried pulling off a sinister smile: “They eat you.” “Thank god I’m done, I’ve lost my appetite”, Mary sighed, getting up with her empty plate, “And now I’ve got TWO mermaids fanatics, god give me strength”. That sentence seemed to be more of a mutter to herself than towards her family. Ben chuckled: “Well, I enjoy fantasy and magic, it was bound to happen.” He swiftly got up. “Let me help you with the dishes-”“It’s fine, finish your meal first. I may be old, but I still feel fitter than ever”, she joked, as Ben settled back down, “But I appreciate your help.”His grandmother leaned down and lovingly pinched his cheek, which he accepted, though still not too happily. “Our daughter raised such a responsible young man.”Ben stayed silent towards that comment, yet hid it behind another small smile as he finished his food. The evening fading into a comfortable session in their warm cottage, talking about all sorts of things, of course Vincent going on and answering Ben’s questions regarding the legends. With Mary retorting almost everything with one remark after another, but never fully stopping her husband, considering how interested Ben seemed. And instead prompted to give him her old straw hat to wear at the beach. * ‘Not that you get sunburned. And remember.’ Ben thought back to what Mary said, as he pushed his straw hat back up, looking back at the sun setting, the sunflower on it brushing against his fingers. ‘These stories are just fairy tales to keep the children away from the beaches and lakes. Your gramps is just a bit crazy for these.’ He breathed out a slight laugh as he recalls them mentioning he wanted to become an author for a reason and the bickering between them that ensued. At home it would have surely frightened him. Ben wasn’t sure why, but something told him there was more to these stories. So he watched as the sun finally disappeared at the horizon and went back, his sketchbook still empty. * Ben sat up, the cottage’s sounds during the slightly stormy night having awoken him. It sounded almost like something big hit it, so Ben got up and to his window from his attic room to see. And he notices that the clothing rack was almost destroyed by the wind, a long fabric still hanging on, swaying in all directions.He panics, remembering how much his parents scolded him when he forgot the laundry one day, and a storm ruined some of their blankets. So without much thought, Ben hurried down, still as quiet as a mouse, a skill he picked up and put on his shoes, to at least get the fabric.Thanks to his fragile stature he almost got pushed back in once he stepped outside, but slowly makes his way over to the rack, the fabric only held on by one clip. However it breaks off, making Ben speed up and grab it, noticing the storm starting to pass

perhaps, or at least the wind. Satisfied he turns heel to go back to bed. But before he could enter his picked up a soft sound, and just like that, he dropped the fabric, it staying in place thankfully, turning around. At first he was motionless, just listening, before it become stronger. Ben quickly identified it as a song being hummed, his body moving on it’s own, trying to find the source.It was incredibly dark and lonely, not a single soul around, but Ben followed, the voice guiding him towards the cliff. He walked closer and closer, but then hesitated shortly before plummeting down, another sound distracting him for a moment. A cat, presumably the neighbor's, having meowed, but too late, as Ben turned around, but losing his footing. He feel down, creating quite the painful splash after a long way down. Ben was thankful he was out of his trance as he quickly swam back up, trying to keep his head above water, yelling, screaming, begging for someone to help. He started flailing more as something grabbed at his ankle and pulled him down, trying to kick towards it, not seeing what exactly it is. He flails, kicks, screams, his entire body tiring itself out. Before he sank however, he felt that whatever held his ankle let go, but it didn’t matter as he started sinking, too tired, even when the water filled his lungs. His eyelids grow heavy as he passes out. Before they’re fully closed, he saw some sort of shadow above him, the form seemed that of a human, yet not.But the one thing ingrained in his mind as he finally closes his eyes, going limb, was two pairs of shining red dots, staring down at him. ‘So this is it, huh…’ * It was black, pitch black, but it seemed he was still breathing, lying down on something both coarse and soft, his clothes sticking to his body like glue. ‘Am I… dead?’ Ben felt something at his arms, then shortly at his face, he presumed a hand, but it felt cold and… almost like fins for a moment?Perhaps it were his grandparents, having noticed him being gone, but surely, he’d hear them talk then, right? And he wasn’t hearing nothing, he heard faint waves and something… squeaky. The hand wandered to his chest, he believes they’re pushing down. Finally a bit of strength came back as he flinched ever so slightly, letting out a groan, though barely above a whisper. Along with the strength came something else, something rising up from his throat. But before he can ponder more, he turned to the side, curling up and coughed up the water still having rested in his lungs.Once he could fully breathe again, he manages to crack his eyes open, his mind and sight still foggy however. He sat up, noticing the presence not having left, ready to thank his savior. “Thank you, seriousl-”, Ben stopped as his eyes adjusted. In front of him wasn’t a human. Well, their upper body was human. But instead of legs they sprouted a giant fish tail, a pattern akin to a black and white koi-fish, as Ben has seen only in zoos and aquariums before. The spot where usually humans had ears had something like fins at the side of their head, but still being framed by dark, black hair. But the most noticeable thing were their eyes. Vibrant crimson, seemingly taking Ben in with just as equal confusion or perhaps fascination. Said eyes sparkled with interest, but still looked worrisome for a short moment, before scanning up and down and going back to staring. Alongside came a smile though, as they tried to laugh seemingly, but only a chirping sound came out. “...You… You are…”, Ben stammered, still staring in disbelief, looking them; him, judging by the chest; up and down multiple times, “You’re a mermaid, right? Or a merman-” Suddenly the merman leaped forward, his face inches away from Ben. ‘Is it normal for them to not understand personal space?’ He started sniffing Ben a little, going down his neck, tickling it, but Ben kept being stiff, even if he could feel his face heating up. He shut his eyes, not sure what to expect, if maybe the merman would turn a 180 and start attacking. Ben shivered, not sure if from fear or the cold, due to

still being soaked. Suddenly the merman stopped above his chest and instead pressed his head against it, listening to Ben’s heartbeat. Ben wondered if it was even that calming or nice for him, considering it must be pounding like crazy. Ben realized his body slowly gaining back it’s motion and he slowly created distance between them again, leaving the merman dumbfounded for a moment. “I...I’m- Thank you, again.” The merman tilted his head a little. It seems he didn’t understand. Instead he tried answering, back to his innocent smile, but just like before chirping sounds came out. It sounded like bird tweets almost, if they were under water. Regardless, it was clear there was some sort of language barrier here. Ben tried once more: “Hey… It’s okay, um… I should just go back-” The merman looked up, alarmed, his face like an animal having picked up near danger, Ben then hearing it too. Calls of his name. His grandparents.Without another sound the merman turned and dove back into the ocean, disappearing, even though Ben yelled for it to wait. But then promptly giving up, and going up the hill, where he spots Vincent, only a jacket over his pajamas. When he saw his grandson, he raced up as well as he could in his age, but Ben instead just ran up to him. He steadies him when he was close enough, despite being all wet and covered in sand.Mary wasn’t far behind, having looked just as relieved, when she saw them both, Ben promising he will tell them at home as they walk back, trying to dodge all the questions, regarding the moment just now. The sun began to rise behind, signaling morning. * Ben hasn’t seen the merman or any mermaids since then, almost as if it never happened. And he didn’t bother to tell his grandparents, not wanting them to be even more worried. Though their grandchild sleepwalking off a cliff wasn’t an any less worrying explanation.And yet, he swore he sometimes still heard faint singing, maybe even chirping, until he spotted him again, down at the beach. His grandparents noticed his insistence to keep going down to the beach, despite just almost having drowned there. How he would seem slightly more relaxed, or sometimes frustrated. Sometimes he even had a shell or something similar with him. Like usually Ben was in the living room, drawing in his sketchbook. He became very creative lately, drawing all sort of casual human objects, his grandparents are being left clueless. But they didn’t miss his smile when he went down to the beach again, or when he started drawing a certain figure over and over. A merman with black hair. His grandmother had long given up to try and make him forget about those creatures, while her husband provided many more stories. But as they watched him, she sighed with content and leaned over, telling why she no longer minds. “This is the happiest I’ve ever seen him.”, she whispered, “I think he made a good friend.”

Eidolon (M)

About: You inherit your childhood home, and with it, the things that still dwell inside. Pairing: Ghost!Dino x Human!Reader Genre: Smut Warning: Explicit content, ghost sex, oral (receiving) Word Count: 3.3k

Rickety old floorboards creaked under your weight as you climbed up a set of stairs. Everything about the home was familiar yet distant. An old family home that hadn’t been lived in for many years.

It was passed down through family members for years, as a child your parents had moved into it as well, and now it was yours. Despite the work the home needed, it was cheaper than the apartment you were formerly living in.

You felt the crisp and cool fall air coming through one of the open windows. With the cold, the air also lets in the midnight sounds of frogs, chirping insects, and the soft babbling of the culvert outside that keeps the lake’s water from flowing over the road.  

The view was just as calming, the red and orange of the fall leaves muted under the nearly-full moon’s light, just a few shadows of clouds obstructing you from seeing the celestial body in its full glory. The lake itself was still and quiet, but always carried that special feeling of childhood nostalgia. It all seemed so much bigger when you were a kid.

As you rested your weary hands on the windowsill, you were startled from your daze by the orange tabby that came with the house, mewling loudly and staring at something unseen down the hall. He had been acting strange since you moved back in, and as you heard the echo of footsteps down the hall it almost made you jump. Thankfully, nothing but the cool night air and your paranoid feline shared the home with you. It was just the house settling in.

“Don’t scare me like that, Chan.”

You mutter, going back to your stargazing for a few minutes. You chuckle to yourself a little as you do so. Chan was something of an imaginary friend during your childhood, it’s almost silly to bring him back up as an adult after you’ve inherited the house.

You even had a crush on him for the longest time, which only makes the whole deal even more shame inducing. The place has been here since the late eighteen-hundreds and made strange noises all the time. Your parents thought it was haunted due to some of the goings-on, and when you were young, so did you.

The cat, of course, doesn’t care about your stance, still staring unblinkingly down the hallway, slowly looking up and happily purring at some unseen force. After having already been here a few weeks, you couldn’t bring yourself to pay it any mind. You don’t even jump when the stairs groan behind you. Instead, you simply proceed through the creaky wooden-floored halls to your bed, and promptly get undressed, flop down face first, and pass out for the night.

It’s late at the very least when you awake again. Tired, sleepy-eyed, and with an unfamiliar noise echoing through the empty vistas of darkness around you. Distinctly of a man crying. The cat is going ballistic, scratching at the door. You’re still entirely nude in bed, hugging at your comforter and trying your best not to make any excess noise.

You stared at the exit to your room, still not quite sure what you’re hearing. The voice sounds familiar, tugging at some unseen strings in your mind. You had been living there alone for the past several months, your nearest neighbors being miles away. It was near impossible for this sort of thing to be happening. Stranger still was the insistent notion that the noise was coming from within the house.  

Covering yourself up with nothing more than a too-long sweatshirt and some tiny shorts that hug at your hips, you managed to drag yourself up from under the covers to tiptoe across the creaky wooden floors. You nearly jump with each loud noise the boards made as they settle underneath you.

Your steps are barely illuminated by the full moon leaking through the old windows. You’re reminded of sleepless, late nights in childhood summers when you’d sneak out to the pond, having to walk past that very room without waking up your parents.  

Following your ears, your heartbeat soared as they lead you not to your doorstep, but your old room at the end of the hall. You had since turned it into an art studio. You questioned whether you left your computer or tablet on as some soft, blue, spectral light leaked from just past the barely ajar door. The noise was louder than ever, but the crying seemed to be dying down. Hopefully whatever is within had not quite heard you yet.  

Overwhelmed by curiosity yet still taken by fear, you gently pushed at the door. Each inch it moved was like a mile in your mind, and with each passing moment, the thing you feared most was the door’s hinges squeaking.

Just barely looking inside the tiny gap, you finally see him. A semi-translucent man glowing a soft blue was crumpled on the floor. Wearing a torn shirt that was once white but had since been stained with years of dirt and grime, ripped down the back edges. His high-waisted pants seemed to be similarly stained, almost looking like fashion from another era.

Your hands tremble, as you near stumble back at the sight. As you slowly approach the figure, you can finally make out the little sniveling whispers coming from his mouth. “Why can’t things just go back to the way they were… she’s back… but she can’t even…”

Something clicks in your mind as you whisper a name, still staring from your darkened corner. “Chan?” He slowly looked up, his eyes white, featureless and glowing. He gasps at the sight of you… and you shriek at the sight of him, falling backward and landing bottom first on the ground. You crawl back across the floor, not quite daring to take your eyes off of the spectral man inside of your home, yet some strange insistence that you remember him seems to take over.  

He doesn’t seem to be crying anymore, although his voice is still shaky and saddened. He’s still quick, and that old twenties manner of speaking had not faded a bit. “You… can see me now? Why are you scared? I missed you…” He gets up, tears still staining his pale cheeks. His expression only carries with it an immense worry, not quite sure what to make of your presence.  

You shook your head, staring at something that should not be, something that your rationality was demanding you not see. His demeanor carried with it some level of calm, and past your initial terror even serves to invoke the feeling in you as well.

He’s rather cute, now that you get a look at him. That feeling of familiarity gnaws at you though, you can swear you had seen that face somewhere, long ago. “I’m sorry, I just… this can’t be real. You’re Chan. Am I dreaming?”

The ghost smiles, offering you his hand. “And it’s been a good while since you waltzed those pretty little stems outta here. I told you, it’s me. This is real. I’m real.” He offers a nervous little laugh, sniffling and wiping his face on his sleeve. “Now quit staring, you’re startin’ to make make me nervous about my good looks.”

You sigh, shrugging for a moment before you grab his surprisingly corporeal hand and let his surprising strength drag you to your feet, enfolding you straight into a tight hug. He feels a little damp, but it doesn’t get into your clothes, and it’s as nice and cool as the fall air. All of a sudden, you felt yourself tearing up. In an almost whimpering, near breaking voice, “I missed you too, you know.”  

You squeeze him a little harder, dwelling on all the nights spent by the lake or just staying up late and talking in your room. You later had thought yourself crazy for it, but now you have some form of validation, at least in your mind.  

His arms hold you nice and tight, one firmly holding you around your back. The other hand gently moves through your hair, his nails working across the back of your head and neck. He rubs his head against yours just the tiniest bit, and you start to feel him float off of the ground for a few moments.

You happily nuzzle back into him, sniffling and wiping the tears leftover from your tender embrace out of your face. Your eyes close for a moment before you withdraw, blushing and just a little worked up. It seems that being in such close quarters with someone like him, especially when pre-existing feelings are there, might have you a tad worked up.

Chan chuckled, looking you up and down as his legs moved up into the air behind him, the boy leaning forward and freely floating in the air. His finger gently boops you on the nose as he starts to smirk. “Boy, you haven’t changed a bit have you? Still blushing at the slightest of touches, huh?”

Chan observes you for a moment, before letting his body move through the air behind you to put his hands on your shoulders, resting his chin on your neck. “As flattering as it’d be though, I’m not even sure I’d believe it myself. Some cute little thing like yourself has better business than to be stuck on a dead guy.” His voice was cheerful but carried some measure of bittersweet sadness.

You stutter for a moment, not quite having a response to the ghostly man’s… flirting? You finally gulp, and manage to get a hold on your words, not daring to move… you do feel comfortable in his grasp. “Not exactly,” you mutter out. No matter how you try to speak, your voice came out tense and nervous.

Chan raises a brow, reeling back for a second. “Y’know I was only messing with you right? But…” Hhe rests his forehead against yours, wrapping his arms around the back of your neck and looking up at you. “But if you wanted, I suppose it wouldn’t be the worst thing to take advantage of this empty house.”

He smirked, pushing you backwards a few steps until you were right up against the wall of the hallway. Trapped between Chan’s cold, slim, ethereal form and the century-old walls of your childhood home.  

You stay there, mouth nearly agape, spellbound by the man who just wrapped himself around you. Your thoughts were racing, you couldn’t even formulate a reply other than just shakily resting your hands on his hips, feeling his body effortlessly move through the air in front of you. You simply hold him a little closer, your blush getting a bit deeper as you try to find somewhere to rest your gaze.

He happily wiggles your hips in his grasp before letting one of his hands move up your midriff and underneath your loose hanging sweatshirt. He chuckles as those fingers find nothing but skin, moving upwards to your breasts. The fabric hikes up with Chan’s wrists, and the ghost smirks as he cups one of your soft mounds of flesh.

You attempt to gasp at the feeling, but your words are quickly muffled by Chan’s soft lips as he passionately kisses you. His lashes flutter before his eyes close, and you find the same happened to you. You lose yourself in the lips of your childhood crush as he works desperately at your breast while brushing the back of your neck.

Chan brings his mouth along your cheek and down to your neck, the sensation of his fingers sinking into your sensitive chest still sending tiny little waves of heat through your body. His lips were like velvet across your skin, and you feel his ethereal energy spread across your skin with each skilled movement of his mouth.

He delivers kiss after kiss in a line towards your collarbone before suddenly he bites down.  Chan sucks hard at your skin and the stinging sensation of a hickey forming at the base of your neck becomes apparent and only drives you further into the depths of lust. His breath plays across your skin, just colder than the fall breeze around you.

By that point you had tossed aside any notion of decency, your hands grabbing a little lower on the spectral man’s hips, feeling the plush pillow of his backside through those high-waisted pants. With each passing moment of his ministrations, you have to stifle little gasps and attempt to fix your stunted breath, all for naught. You had truly lost yourself to his wiles.  

His eyes seemed to have gained pupils of the purest, deepest black while you weren’t looking, staring up at you in some doe-eyed gaze. He peels his lips off of your skin to speak. “You know, if you wanted that you could’ve just asked.” His free hand takes itself off of the back of your neck, to simply raise in the air and snap. All at once his clothes shred themselves to pieces, decaying at a rapid rate and falling off of his body until they’re nothing but floating dust the same blue as he was.  

All at once you’re graced with the appearance of his naked form. A slightly toned abdomen, broad shoulders offset by a smooth chest. You dared to look down, noticing his half hardened member.

Before you know it, his free hand had since moved down your hips and effortlessly pulled down your shorts, letting the little garment fall to the floor around your ankles and expose your sex to the chilly fall air. He takes his hand off of your breast to let it slide down your sides, down to the rounded curvature of your backside. Instead of a gentle caress, Chan offers one little squeeze, chuckling and looking up at you with a playful smile.

All at once his face lowers down to your thighs, his body accommodating and lowering itself as well. All at once you can feel the cold air of his breath on your sex in a way that makes you shiver. One hand moves between your thighs to spread the flesh of your folds and further expose your needy core to the open air, barely lubricated and just flushing with the beginnings of arousal.

Chan licks his lips before his tongue slinks out of his mouth. He giggles for a moment before the tip of it just tickles at the entrance to your sex. It laps circles around your needy entrance, just brushing past your clit and sometimes tracing little circles along its outline.

The ghost has to have noticed your stifled moans and gasps by this point, you’re practically clawing the walls. You manage to gain some composure, your hand now on the back of his head. You breathe deeply, wanting or perhaps needing that inhuman tongue inside you.

Your fingers scritch a little behind Chan’s ear, before shoving his face between your thighs. You squeeze hard at the feeling of that organ moving as deep as it will go inside you. His breath only gets faster and faster now, excited by the way you’re handling him.  

You feel your thighs tremble, pleasure coursing through you as he manipulates your body. With a teasing kiss against your throbbing clit he moves from the ground, holding you up against the wall. He captures your lips in a kiss, fingers tracing the marks he left against your once perfect skin.

He sinks his cock inside of you, his body feeling as hard and firm as any natural one would. You both sigh out at the feeling, his cold breath mixing with your warm one. Your legs wrapped around his narrow hips, anchoring yourself to the spectral form. The muscles of your core tighten around him as your fingers pick up where his tongue left off.

His hands dig into your hips, moving your body along his length as you whimper in unison. You can barely breathe with how quickly you were panting, the air around you feeling almost suffocating with heat and passion.  

You can feel it in your core, the orgasm slowly building up within with the relentless thrusts of his cock. Each one brings with it enough force to shake the walls. Carelessly you let it build, threatening to overtake you any moment now.

Both of you were shuddering, tongue intertwined in an attempt to muffle the never ending streams of moans that you both emitted. Your legs squeezed harder around his waist, pulling him deeper inside of you. You were dangerously close to your climax, the taunt string inside of you was pulled so tight you could almost count the seconds till you spilled over.

He bit down on your shoulder to stifle a groan and that was it. You felt your orgasm wash over you, that familiar, gentle warmth rushing all around your body. Your legs gave out beneath you, causing you to let go of the ghostly man in front of you and fall against his body. He spilled inside of you, the glowing substance was cool inside of your heated body.

You both sink to the ground, sliding against the wall as he finally pulled out of your core. His body slowly moves back up into the air, and he smiles dumbly in your direction, before pulling you up with him. He spoke up again, not even giving you time to truly respond, especially in your current exhausted state.

The only noise you were capable of really making were tiny little whimpers. “I missed you so much, I’m happy I could give you something of what you wanted at least once. I used up a lot of energy there, so I can’t really…” Chan was cut off by his voice fading into nothingness, his body slowly becoming more and more translucent, before his becomes invisible again altogether.

Looking out the window, dawn was peeking up over the mountains outside… somehow you were up all night, or maybe it was just close to morning? Either way, tired would be an understatement to truly describe how you’re feeling. Your eyes rebelliously drift closed as black overtakes your vision, leaving you passed out on the hard floor.

The sound of your alarm going off was the first thing you heard when you awaken, and yourself off of the covers of your bed… wait, your bed? You raise a brow as you experience a sense of displacement upon awakening in the same position on top of your own covers, the cat still nestled at the foot of the mattress.

You sat up, blinking and taking in the reality of what this might mean. Tears form in your eyes as you hug yourself and fall backward atop your pillows… only to feel a stinging sensation on the side of your neck. You press inward on the mark, only for the feeling to intensify with aching pain. Surely it was a bruise, but you rush to the bathroom regardless.

You fling the door open and don’t even care that the knob slams into the wall. You brush your hair aside to inspect it in the mirror over the sink. It takes a moment to realize the implications of what you witness. Sure enough, it’s a hickey, small marks of teeth and fingerprints mark your skin. Your eyes widen as you stare in disbelief.

Through the mirror though, you notice something else peeking from behind the shower curtain, a pale hand glowing with some faint blue light. All of a sudden the curtains are shoved aside to reveal the translucent form of Chan. He laughs wholeheartedly, staring at you through the mirror, smiling nice and wide. “Y’know, I think somethin 'bout last night made me a bit more permanent. I hope I didn’t scare you too much.”

Last 10 Fics Tag Meme

Rules: Post the first lines of your last ten fics read or written and then tag others to do the same.

No one tagged me, but I saw it in the tags of one of my ships and it looked fun.

1. Untitled WinterFrost Single Dad AU (Bucky/Loki)

The sound of his front door opening and closing pulled Loki from a deep sleep. So deep, it took him a moment to remember where he was and how he knew that was his front door. His eyes opened slowly once, twice, and then again, to nothing but the darkness of what he was sure was his bedroom. Then the pounding started. Incessantly, pulsing around his entire head. Damned migraines. Loki let out a low grain, thought fuck it, and buried his face deeper into his pillow. Moments later, the door to his bedroom pushed open.

“Time to rise, Sunshine.”

Loki grumbled at the familiar voice, and slowly, he turned his body, rolling onto his back. “Why are you always so chipper in the morning? Oh, for Norn’s sake!” He threw a pillow over his face as the curtains were pulled open and let the blinding daylight flood the room. “I’ve got a damn migraine!”

2. Untitled Stucky Modern AU (Steve/Bucky and a healthy side of Sam/Natasha)

Bucky, his mind drawing a blank, was idly strumming his guitar when he heard the hard slam coming from next door. He surmised his neighbor and best friend, Natasha, had returned from her date, and assumed she’d be over in a few minutes to tell him about it. But when he heard a couple more distant slams and one very heavy thump against their shared wall, his curiosity got the better of him. Setting aside his black Fender, and stepping carefully over a dozing Avalanche, his tuxedo cat, Bucky walked barefoot through his apartment, into the hall, and breezed right into Natasha’s apartment.

He didn’t see her, but Bucky heard Natasha swear sharply, followed by something rattling against the hardwood floor. Waiting, he slipped his hands into the pockets of his dark sweatpants. Bucky watched as the top of Natasha’s head, burgundy hair in a stylish messy bun, popped up as she’d bent to pick up what he suspected was the cap to the bottle of vodka in her hand. “Hey, babe.”

Natasha turned dark green eyes on him, a sour expression pinching her usually attractive features, and said nothing, only moving to pour herself a full tumbler glass of the clear liquor. Bucky watched her swallow down most of it then waited silently as she filled it up once again.

He moved to rest his elbows on her pub height dining table. “Bad date?”

“You think?”

3. A Boyfriend for Christmas (Bucky/Loki)

“I need your help.”

Loki stared at the man in his doorway for a good five seconds, his lips in a thin red line, and his perfectly groomed black brows arched in curiosity. The man — his neighbor, Loki knew — was good-looking, Loki thought as he took the time to look him over, lips turning up in a soft grin. “Good evening to you, too, 9B.” The man’s lashes fluttered as they did a quick change from widened panic to a more relaxed gaze. Norns, his eyes were an impossible blue. “I can’t promise to help, but try me,” Loki drawled, taking a casual stance, crossing his arms as he leaned against the door jamb.

“Okay. Believe me, I know how this is gonna sound, and I swear I’ll make it up to you — somehow — but…well…okay. Here goes…” Loki cocked a brow, amused. “I need you to be my boyfriend for one night.”

Surprised, and maybe even surprising his neighbor, too, Loki laughed, a tickled near-giggle, and straightened. “You need me to do what now?”

4. Welcome Home -- working title (Bucky/Loki)

Bucky woke with a start, shooting up in his bed, and opening his eyes to near darkness, but for the faint orange glow of the streetlamps outside his bedroom window. For a moment, he was still in the dream; back in the desert, embedded in dirt, surrounded by heat. And flanked by Steve. On his right. He rubbed at his eyes, harder than necessary, willing the image of his best friend smiling and laughing to fade away again. 

Two years had passed since it all happened. The first year was the hardest. Stuck in the hospital, healing, speaking to no one but nurses and doctors — and the occasional military personnel, looking for the gory details. The minute he was out, Bucky was hounded by government officials wanting him to attend various memorials in the good captain’s name. Wanting him to relive the worst day of his life — which is saying a lot for a kid from Brooklyn who wasn’t far from ground zero on September 11, 2001. Was it any wonder that Bucky chose to up and disappear and go into hiding once it all finally ended?

5. WinterFrost Tumblr PWP Prompt (Bucky/Loki)

Bucky barged into the loft apartment, a dark expression screwing up his face, and paused just as the door slammed closed. His eyes, hidden beneath the black face paint smeared around them, like a burglar’s mask, did a quick scan of the layout of the open space before him. He kicked off his muddy boots, leaving them near the door, knowing his ‘loftmate’ wouldn’t take kindly to him leaving a dirt track through the well-kept place. He made a quick mental note to take care of the boots first thing in the morning. His mouth in a deep pout, Bucky thought to himself that it was times like this when he returned from a mission exhausted and not in the mood for company, that he wondered why he ever decided to move in with Loki, resident God of Mischief.

6. Post-Civil War/Ragnarok Frostiron AU (Tony/Loki)

There was no doubt in Tony’s mind just exactly what -- or rather who -- brought that subtle shift in atmosphere into the lab. He’d been expecting it, at some point, if he was honest with himself. And while a small part of him felt relief, there was, always had been, that slightly narcissistic part of his personality that would resent not being at the top of a certain someone’s to-do list.

Tony felt the faint flutter of air sweep across the back of his neck first, which reminded him he really needed to get a haircut. His nose tickled at the sharp tang the wafting scent of ozone often left in its wake. Realization about what exactly was about to transpire had Tony’s stomach doing a bit of a flip; pride, though, forced him to remain with his back to where he felt someone else’s presence. For a fleeting moment, Tony wondered if he could handle this.

Recalling everything that had happened since he last saw his visitor -- the mess with Ultron, the devastating truth about his parents’ deaths, the ends of friendships he actually mourned, the airport, Rhodey, the kid, the Accords -- all of it was a rollercoaster ride for which Tony had never signed up. But this...this one had hurt. The worst part was having to hide the hurt, the heartbreak, because no one knew. No one; not Pepper, not Happy. Not even Rhodey. Nobody knew the blow it was to the one they called Iron Man. How could they? No one knew that Iron Man had fallen in love with the God of Mischief.

7. Untitled Royals AU (Tony/Loki, with a splash of Bucky/Loki)

“Do you enjoy embarrassing me like this?”

Odin, King of Asgard, aimed a dark look across the conference table at Loki, the younger of his two sons, his anger and frustration growing by the second. The air of arrogance and disinterest emanating from Loki, raven-haired and more handsome than was good for him at an aggravating twenty-four years old, was making Odin curl his weathered hands into tight fists on top of the table. Loki looked at him, a questionable flash of surprise crossing his pale, chiseled features, his mostly-green eyes all but twinkling at him, mocking and laughing. 

“Of course I don’t.”

He was no fool; not Odin Borson. His expression darkened further, as he waited for the next words to come from Prince Loki’s mouth. 

“It’s not that I don’t enjoy embarrassing you. It’s more that it’s…a perk.” He smirked at Odin, like the brat he was, and Odin’s response was interjected by the Queen’s subtle astonishment. 

“Loki.” His eyes moved to her, and her disapproving look, and the smirk vanished. 

Odin slammed the newspaper that he’d been keeping in his lap to the glossy top of the long mahogany table. The headlines of Loki’s chaotic week in the States screamed about alcohol, fast cars, and the general recklessness of a perceived overly-spoiled son of royalty. “This is not a joke, Loki.”

8. Take A Bow (Tony/Loki)

Loki rushed through the narrow hallway, coughing to clear his throat of the makeshift fog that had filled the stage for the final moments of the play. By the time he reached the haven of his dressing room, his necktie was undone and his shirt was half unbuttoned. The hurried shouts and stomps of people working backstage were blissfully drowned out as Darcy, his new young assistant, quickly closed the door behind him.

“Great show tonight, Boss,” Darcy chirped as she took the discarded tie Loki handed over and waited to take his costume jacket and vest. Loki chuckled a thank you as she turned away from him. He urged her several times already to just call him by his name, but she insisted on calling him Boss, like he was a gangster in the 1930s. Darcy returned with a glass of water and Loki smiled his thanks before taking a long drink.

9. The House Guest (genderswapped FrostIron, fem!Toni/fem!Loki)

Loki sat in the front seat of a beat-up red convertible and stared blankly ahead. A mixture of hurt and anger had her brow furrowing, her lips pressed tightly together, and her chin, goddammit, was trembling. As Fandral droned on, giving his pathetic explanation, Loki did her best to focus on the other sounds around her — the birds chirping in the late summer morning; a neighbor’s dog barking in the distance; someone’s car alarm down the street malfunctioning — and fought to keep her eyes, fixated now on the white garage door in front of the car, from filling with tears.

Bullshit. She was hearing noting but utter bullshit. Her high school days behind her, Loki had spent the summer constructing plans for the next few months that didn’t involve going to her father’s alma mater in New York and spending the next four years of her life behind more piles of books. She had no interest in swapping high school jocks for frat boys. What she’d had were plans to go on a road trip across the States — and beyond — with Fandral, making love and making music.

But, apparently, Fandral had other plans. And the shitty reasons he was giving for not staying with Loki weren’t helping her understand any better.

10. WinterIron Bodyguard AU (Bucky/Tony)

“Founder and CEO of Stark International and Columbia professor wife critically injured in car accident.”

“Howard Stark, 69, runs car off-road in upstate New York.”

“Socialite couple Howard and Maria Stark injured in car accident. Condition, for both, critical.”

Tony watched the words all but screaming at him from the two flat-screen televisions mounted side-by-side on his bedroom wall, frozen in the spot where he stood by his bed. The words the news anchors spoke, giving details of the accident, were nothing but white noise in his ears. He’d gone numb. He processed nothing. Except that his parents had been in a horrific car accident — a shot of what was left of father’s silver Cadillac made Tony’s knees give out and he dropped to the foot of his bed.

How could anyone survive that? he thought to himself.

----

Tagging @teadrinkingwolfgirl @incredifishface @maeve-curry-writes @stephrc79 and literally anyone else who wants to/feels like doing it (tagged peeps, don’t feel obligated!)