#I feel like Hunter is overdoing it

[avatarmerida]

My hobby is imagining that the huntlow interactions we got in For the Future are parallels to moments we would’ve gotten of them in a full season of human realm stuff.

Like the pinky hold™ is just so specific that I feel like it was Willow’s subtle way of reassuring him when tensions got high during countless failed portal attempts or when they’d be walking around town and didn’t want to get separated when he was still getting used to physical touch. And him pressing back has an even deeper meaning and it make me feral.

But also like the iconic catch I feel could be such a cute parallel because I imagine Willow in her attempt to be the strong, dependable one is extra confident around Hunter because that’s just one way of her concealing her developing feelings for him. Like nothing bothers her, nothing gets to her especially not this silly, bubbly feeling she gets around him. Like she flirts with him, of course, but she never lets herself get flustered, ya know? She is always in total control.

Until she’s not.

So one day they’re outside hanging lights or something to plan a surprise for Camila and Willow is standing on the ladder trying to make everything even. Amity has paired them up for nearly everything (part of her attempt to show Willow her support and that she’s a supportive friend) and Willow has been having a blast making him blush at every turn. She’s complimenting his hand made decorations, his organization, just every little thing. And this loser doesn’t know what to make of it. He just know he likes impressing Willow and he’s spending the whole day trying to find a non loser way to communicate that.

But our girl is unstoppable, she’s adding vines to the string of lights, flowers here and there to make it extra stunning and Hunter’s holding the ladder below her in total awe. She’s completely aware of his eyes on her and so maaaybe she overdoes it a bit showing off and twists her ankle and falls off the ladder. Hunter quickly leaps to her rescue and catches her like it’s nothing.

But she’s not hurt. She’s not embarrassed. She’s not worried. She’s entranced.

Hunter is asking her a million questions but it’s like she can’t hear anything over how much she’s just focused on him. On the way he’s figured out how to style his hair so you could see his face better. The way his eyes looked brighter in this light. The way his nose and jaw were just so sharp and defined and demanded to be seen. It’s like all the times she didn’t let herself think too long about how cute he was were adding up now. Her brain is pure white noise and she just knows her face is bright red.

But Hunter is to concerned to follow suit as he would normally being so close and he thinks he red face is a sign that she’s hurt. And then she’s not responding? Never mind that this is definitely not the highest height Willow has fallen from nor is it one that could do much damage, Hunter is in full protector mode. So he rushes off inside to Camila and when he runs his hair blows back gently in the wind and he scrunches his face all determined and she’s like woah, okay. He tells her to hold on and she gladly tightens her hold around his neck like you don’t have to tell me twice.

She’s speechless and he’s not even trying. He’s just thinking about her and being so gentle and sweet and… handsome.

And then they get inside and he’s telling Camila what happened and Willow is not helpful because she’s in full loser mode. Camila is trying not to laugh at the contrasting expressions because she herself was once a loser and knows the signs. But then her mom/doctor mode activates and she asks Willow if she’s hurt and Willow’s response?

“Who’s Willow?”

Not a panicked inquiry like her disaster friend Amity, but dreamy and light as though she’s having an out of body experience. She’s hypnotized, she’s delirious, she’s delusional. Hunter panics, thinking she’s somehow concussed.

But Camila assures him she’s not, not explaining how she knows as she examines her ankle. Camila touches it just enough to break Willow’s trance and she lets out a small wince of pain. It’s not broken, just sprained but she shouldn’t walk on it for a few days.

Hunter says without hesitation that he’ll happily carry her should she need to go anywhere and Willow definitely does not hate the sound of that. Camila says it’s not necessary and Willow nearly tells her to shut up, but she would never talk to her that way. She says she has some crutches in the basement somewhere and Hunter makes it his mission to find them. He carries her down to the basement and places her gently on the couch as he looks through all the old things.

Willow just watches him, trying to catch her breath. She didn’t realize that by trying to moderate her feelings that they would burst to the surface with such force eventually. She thought she had a handle on them but every so often Hunter did something that was just so Hunter that she just stopped working. Usually she could excuse herself to another room to sort through them and compose herself when she was locked safety in his arms and she forgot the ground even existed. And now he was playing nurse, telling her all the thing he could help her with so she would heal as soon as possible. He wasn’t even trying to be charming, she can’t imagine how she would function if he was aware of what he was doing.

He brings out the crutches and adjusts them to her height without her even having to say anything. He tells her how they can add something to the bottom so they won’t get stuck in the mud when she gardens and how he was sure Camila wouldn’t mind Clover flying her up the stairs in the meantime and if not he could carry her upstairs no problem.

He talks so much when he worries, she thinks. His mind moves so quickly when he needs to plan something, when he’s certain about what to do. When he cares.

And yes they have the crutches and yes she has Clover and magic and infinite ways to work around her barely present injury but when Hunter insists on carrying her she turns to mush and just doesn’t have it in her to object. And he doesn’t always put her down right away and she doesn’t remind him to. Like they’ll come downstairs for breakfast and he’ll walk around the house before bringing her to the kitchen. It becomes a harmless habit. Gus joins in eventually, jumping on Hunter’s back and Willow is only more enamored. But Hunter sees it another way to help his friends and being helpful makes him focused and when he’s focused Willow’s heart beats like a beehive.

And it’s just a sprain so the need disappears quickly since Willow heals within a week. But it confirms what she had been contemplating for awhile now. She was so gone for this loser.

#huntlow #huntlow fanfiction #willow park #Hunter toh #toh #the owl house

[teriri-sayes]

Reactions to Deal Maker's Chapter 196

TL;DR - Game console has a fingerprint recognition function, so Cale couldn't play it. Wi tempting Cale and Raon to stay longer. Alberu and Cale talk about Ahn Roh Man. Cale meets GoB and GoH.

Unplayable Game

So the game console wouldn't let Cale play it because there was a fingerprint recognition function. Even creating a new user needed the fingerprint of the previous owner of the game console. Thus, Cale asked Ron to borrow for a while Blood Demon's arms that got cut off before she turned to dust.

There was some details about the game. The player's avatar was a child, though the child's sex was unclear to Cale. The child stood on a meadow and five planets in different colors were in the sky.

One funny part here:

Cale: (Wait, is it okay for me to show myself operating this game console so naturally to Ron? Uhh... it's too late now though...) Cale: *smiles awkwardly at Ron* Ron: *has a strained smile* Cale: (Did he just look at me as if I'm very funny?) Ron: *reverts back to his gentle smile* I will be heading to Chief Eunuch Wi then. Cale: ...Uh, okay.

Now that this arc is nearing its end, are we finally going to have Cale's conversation with the Molans? I'll be cheering for you, Cale! 😂

Wi's Temptations

The chief eunuch pleaded to Cale to stay in the Central Plains longer by offering him lots of stuff. Slacker life? We'll grant that dream for you! Central Plains food tour? No problem! Raon wants sweets? We have the most delicious fruits, though it will only ripen in 6 months.

Cale's reaction to that was to avoid Wi and try to leave the Central Plains as soon as possible. 🤣🤣🤣 He even found Wi scary when Wi attempted to tempt Raon with sweets. But c'mon, Cale. Someone's finally offering you a chance at a slacker life, but you're running away from it?

Then again, given how the murim people were keeping their distance from Cale as if he was someone so amazing they couldn't dare to approach, Cale's reaction was not a surprise. Yes, Cale. Your bad feeling is right. They are your Caleism believers.

However, HD was now following CH around instead of Cale. What? What about my HD x Cale ship? Did I just see it sinking? Nooooo... 😭

Bright Alberu

We had another conversation with our bright sun, and they discussed about Ahn Roh Man. Cale dismissed the possibility of Ahn Roh Man being a hunter, and Alberu said he would contact Ahn Roh Man through the customer service line of Taerang to get more information.

Cale noticed that Alberu was brightly smiling, and when he asked why, Alberu replied that he had just finished talks with other countries about Cale's mine exports. Cale viewed his smile as insidious, but the author poetically described the smile as "fresher than the flowers blooming on a spring day."

Cale wanted Alberu to come with him in his world hopping, but realized that if Alberu did that, it would only be if Zed was involved and it was a dire situation. Ah, I guess we won't have Alberu going to other worlds too. 😞

Cale and the Gods

Cale finally read GoD's message, and immediately refused meeting GoB. But GoD insisted, even suggesting Cale to just have a peek of GoB's face.

However, things didn't work out for Cale because GoD told Cale that the very impatient GoB was actually heading his way! Cale was still in Blood Demon's childhood bedroom, but he suddenly heard the sound of heels and found himself alone in the room.

Just like GoD, Cale froze and found himself unable to move at the presence of GoB. And when GoB spoke, Cale thought that GoB's voice resembled an elegant old lady... YES! My theory was right! GoB's a woman! 🤩 Our dom mommy Goddess of Balance! Or was it grandma because her voice sounded like an old lady?

GoB explained to Cale that his actions were causing imbalance, and the other worlds and gods had to carry the "counteracting weights" to maintain balance. But Cale and his companions were overdoing it, so the others were having a hard time.

She was grateful to Cale for his work against the hunters, but still warned him that despite his good intentions, balance had to be maintained. And cautioned him that some of the imbalance he created might even come back and harm him and his companions who caused the imbalance. This was something that even she could not stop.

Cale was shocked at her words, and she laughed "Fufu" before proposing a solution - become a god. Okay, I seriously laughed hard at this one. 🤣🤣🤣

GoB said that if a god's myth spreads across worlds, the "laws" of those worlds would accept it as reality, and thus create a new balance. She whispered to Cale's ear if he wanted to become a god, and added that rejecting it was a bad idea.

Her voice sounded gentle and soft, but was also oppressive and insistent. Her words had an irresistible charm, but Cale resisted it. Or more like, Cale was busy trying to resist DA from running wild. 😂

However, while GoB was talking to Cale, another god arrived. It was the God of Hope (GoH), whose arrival was signaled by the flickering lights in the room. And DA's response to that was cutely hilarious. 😂

GoB: *tries to recruit Cale into godhood* DA: Don't stop me, Cale! I want to make a god kneel! Cale: (No.) DA: LET ME OUT, CALE! Cale: (Why are the ancient powers so crazy?) GoH: *arrives in the room* DA: Oh, two gods are too much. Okay, bye! Haha! Cale: (This crazy bastard...)

Ending Remarks

I very much enjoyed today's chapter. The gods part was the best. Cale's slacker life dream keeps getting further from him though... 😂Next chapter would be a continuation of Cale's meeting with the gods. Will GoH also recruit Cale to be a god? 🤣🤣🤣

P.S. GoD, you lucky guy. You get to have mommy Goddess of Balance to dominate you? 😳

#tcf spoilers #trash of the count's family

[spectres-fulcrum]

(I normally try to limit my Swiftieness to mostly music but sorry)I like Travis Kelce. I like him a lot. And he's not afraid of the media circus that is Taylor Swift's life right now. And he's making safe places for her to join his life, his family and friends.

Idk I just saw a video where he said he's welcoming the current chaos and he's spoken before about how the NFL is overdoing shit but knowing that until the NFL backs off he's all in for the chaos and not trying to hide her(Unlike another man), that they will continue their slow romance on their own terms and he can handle that...

She's sung about having to hide love to protect it for nearly a decade. Since Harry Styles. That's how long the people with cameras were hunters and she was an animal. And they were trying to kill her happiness. She believed romance wasn't dead only if you kept it hidden, that her greatest luxury were her secrets. She and Joe had such a love bubble that they so very rarely left.

But she seems so happy, learning there are men that aren't scared of hunters with cameras. Who wants things to calm, but will take chaos over hiding her. Who makes her feel safe at his games and talks about her-gasp-multiple times a week in public with a lovestruck grin. Joe Alwyn couldn't do that multiple times a year.

I feel like he'll probably go to her LATAM concerts on his bye week but I could be wrong/he could choose to see hang with his nieces and SIL and dad in Philly or whatever else he does.

I just. This feels good in it's bones. I can tell it'll be enough for him if she can never give him peace. And it makes me cry in hope.

Idk. You ever see a video and know-finally-your fave is loved by someone who can handle their anxieties? Nah. Just me. Okay

#Tayvis #taylor swift #travis kelce #No I do genuinely like travis tho #I have to remember to sign into prime video before work #yb is so far into the past

[kyokutsu-sama]

Hear me out : Primal play Kenpachi Zaraki x Fem!Reader Heavy nfsw, but only if you're comfortable with it, of course! ❤❤❤

Author's note: Hi !! I've never write something like this before but when I scearch about the topic I think it really suit his personality fr. I hope you like it ❤️ Primal play : From what I understand, it's a kind of role play in which they act as a kind of "Hunter and prey" and where they try to explore the basic and primordial impulses that can be "animalistic". Tw: Nsfw content below (it's heavy!)

You were feeling a little defiant that day and when you were like that you always ended up overdoing yourself and teasing the wrong person, which in this case was Kenpachi. You were looking for him and ended up finding him in the bedroom, he was taking a nap and you smiled when you saw him "too quiet". You went to him and sat on his lap running your hands over his body over the clothes, he seemed to be sleeping soundly but he was perfectly aware that you were there. When you placed one of your hands on his neck he grabbed your wrist and opened his eyes, making you startle a little.

"What do you think you're doing?" He said in a low and sleepy voice.

"Don't worry, I was just watching you sleeping" You said smiling teasingly

He let go of your hand without taking his eyes off yours, you lowered yourself until you were level with his ear so you could whisper your true intentions.

"I want to try something"

"What ?"

"Have you ever heard of primal play?" You whispered

"What the fuck is that?" He frowned

"A kind of hunter and prey game where you show me a little of your more animalistic side. I'm going to be your little prey and you can do whatever you want to me if you catch me" You bit his ear, giving emphasis to your words

It took him a while to process it but once he realized it he chuckled and you smiled when you realized he was playing along.

"Are you really sure what you're asking for?" He said, holding your neck and whispering next to your ear

"Why not? Do you think you can't handle it?" You teased

"Are you tempting me?"

"Maybe" You said before moving away from him and starting to run

"Where are you going?"

"Come get me" You blinked and ran

He sat on the bed and looked at the door when you ran out, he didn't like chasing his opponents but since you offered to be his prey so he got up and went to get you.

You were running around the corridors of the division and looking back and to the sides to see if he was behind you. You heard footsteps and hid behind the hallway wall and peeked a little, he was coming towards you and you smiled thinking you could lose him but when you turned to the side he appeared right in front of you making you hit him and fall on the floor. You wondered how he had gotten there so quickly and caught you, but what could you expect from a man like him? Not only was he strong, he was also fast and you underestimated that.

"You didn't really think you could run away all the time, did you?" He smiled sadistically as you got up from the floor

"Actually, I…"Your sentence was cut off when he turned you around and slammed you against the wall

"You are my prey and now Ill do whatever I want, don't forget it" He said biting your neck and taking a slight moan from you

"Yes…I didn't forget"You said feeling your body heat up

"You better not" He put you over his shoulder and taking you to the bedroom

He closed the door, throwing you on the bed and starting to undress while you were still trying to process everything that was happening around you, you wanted to play so he would play too.

"You talked about the animalistic side, get ready then because you're going to see a beast"He said before placing himself on top of you and ripping off your clothes in a matter of a second

Your body was shaking and your breathing was starting to become unregulated, he kissed your lips voraciously and you could barely follow the way his tongue swirled with yours which made your legs tremble. He moved his lips to your neck and he sucked and bit your skin, leaving bruises and bite marks, you moaned a little in pain and pleasure when you felt his teeth dig into your skin and draw even a small trickle of blood.

He seemed so out of himself at that moment, the way you had submitted to him and the way your body seemed to be wanting him. He moved to your breasts where he ended up leaving more marks and where you arched and grabbed his hair while he devoured you, his lips felt like fire that burned you and made the moisture between your legs increase. He left your breasts and placed himself between your legs, keeping them open with his strong hands and starting to kiss your slid. You opened your mouth to moan when he started devouring you as if he were starving, you tried to close your legs a little but his hands were holding you to keep your legs completely still. He passed your wet folds between his teeth making you whimper and your body shiver, you felt drops of sweat run down your skin and the heat accumulated even more.

"Are you enjoying this?" He asked between strong sucks around your clit

You couldn't say in words how much you loved it and so he insisted again

"Answer me"He said slapping the side of your thigh

"Yes I love ahh…I love it" You said between moans and whimpers

He laughed at your expressions and continued using his tongue and lips to give you one of the greatest pleasures you would ever forget and maybe so you wouldn't tease him like that again. You felt your insides tighten and your cum flow out as his tongue drank everything that was dripping out, you pulled his hair and arched your back. You had already had plenty of proof that he was fierce, but asking him to treat you like prey and do whatever he wanted with you turned him on in a way he couldn't explain. You felt your legs weaken a little as he was coming, he however didn't stop tasting your flesh until you were coming into his mouth for the second time, he seemed insatiable. He let go of your legs and licked his lips, he was dazzled by the sight of you being so submissive and with your body covered in sweat and his marks that only made him even harder.

"You have no idea how hot you look right now" He said in a breathless voice

You only had time to give him a little smile before he turn to your body and pulled your hips up placing himself behind you. He held your arms behind your back with one hand and you moaned when you felt his hard cock slide through your folds before entering you and making you arch, he started thrusting into you from behind and it wasn't at a slow pace, his other hand squeezed the flesh of your hip, marking you with his fingers. Being filled like that was something that made your body weak, he didn't slow down for a moment and the more you called for him the more he felt the need to fuck you.

"You don't seem so strong and full of yourself now, what happened? Do you like being helpless prey in my hands so much?" He asked thrusting hard into you

"Yeah…" You whimpered

"Tch! You should see yourself now" He let go your arms and held your hair in his fist which turned you on

You grabed the sheets to try to relieve that heat that was running through your body, you knew you were close to come when his body was slamming against you harder now.

"I'm going to fuck you until you can't run away from me anymore, that's what you wanted, isn't it?" He said pulling your body against his chest and kissing you hard

"Fuck yes" You moaned against his lips

He bit your neck as he felt your insides tightening his dick and your fluids gushed out, you were coming and your vision became blurred when you felt him continue thrusting into you. One of his hands squeezed the flesh of your hips while the other pulled your hair, keeping your head lifted back, at that moment you could no longer feel your legs and your entire body was exhausted. He let out a heavy sigh against the skin of your neck as he came inside you, his hot cum filled you until it was oozing out. He withdrew from you and used his fingers to put what was dripping out back inside you.

"Do you still think I can't handle this?" He whispered next to your ear

You shook your head in denial and he smiled satisfied, he kissed the marks on your neck and then laid you down on the mattress. You looked completely ruined, he really didn't fail with the words.

"You’re such an animal" You said, giggling and taking a smile from him

"I warned you but you doubted and ran away like a weakling" He lay down next to you

"I'm not weak"

"It wasn't what it seemed like moments ago when you was there almost unable to breathe properly, defenseless prey" He grabbed your chin and looked deep into your eyes

"What wrong? You're not thinking about running away and trying me again are you?" He asked after seeing that you hadn't responded

"When I feel my legs again, maybe I'll do it again"

He licked his lips and laugh, he couldn't wait for the second round.

#bleach #bleach fandom #gotei 13 #bleach imagines #zaraki kenpachi #bleach x reader #kenpachi x reader

[demonologue]

Can we talk about the dragons some more?

I will be. Forever.

Many have already noted the care and detail that went into the design of each dragon, and I love watching the fall of Emon over and over to see new details each time.

But we also see so much of their personalities in this scene, and I love it so much?

Thordak is there to establish dominance, show his power, and accept worshipers, like a true red. He focuses on property damage (yes, people die, too, but that will happen when you nuke a mountain!) and showing off, because he wants lots of the ants in the city to survive. He needs their terrified adoration. We stan all of his "Is this your king?" speeches as he claims his throne.

Umbrasyl is doing what they've been told to do. As the least powerful of the remaining Conclave members, they are raining death from above but not overdoing it. Thordak has no domain and subjects if they melt it all. Bonus content fight between Umbrasyl and KimAllura. (P.S. they're not dead, guys!) I have a big soft spot for Umbrasyl, and I'm curious how much we will get to see the dynamic between the dragons as the story moves forward. They barely get along, and I hope we get to see them interacting with each other more. Something went down between them after Umbrasyl took over Gatshadow, and I want to know what it is that left the black dragon alone and stranded out there with busted palantiri.

Vorugal, it's been mentioned, we don't see a lot of in the fall of Emon. But that's exactly as it should be. Think about it: Vorugal is an elite hunter. They live a solitary life, always seeking more challenging prey to indulge in their favourite pastime. What is the point of destroying a city of helpless ants to Vorugal? So they go for the most challenging targets first, i.e. Allura. I'm disappointed that we didn't get the iconic shot of Vorugal perched on the side of her tower before they destroy it, but at least Vorugal still destroyed it in this version. Then it's almost like they're searching the city for worthy prey, doing the bare minimum to satisfy Thordak's orders. Of course Vorugal tracks them to Greyskull Keep. VM are worthy targets for the white dragon. I'm sad we didn't get to see Vorugal wrestle Thordak for dominance there. That was such a fantastic scene in campaign. Hopefully we'll get to see the two of them butting heads in a different way later on.

And Raishan, clever little pixie. She's just having fun with it. You see her casually flying around the city, blowing smoke here and there before she eats Scanlan's biggest fan. But she knows what she's doing. She killed Uriel with her first attack, and after that she's pretty much like a cat. What can I do that will satisfy Thordak's command but is the most amusing to me? Playing with VM, for one. She makes sure they know who she is, and that she knows who they are. After that, she's going to do what a green dragon does: be sneaky and infiltrate their keep even before they flee to Whitestone. She was a lot more subtle about it in campaign than she is about it here, but we want new viewers to feel like they've spotted something hidden, too (LARKIN WATCH!). Good job. Raishan was the first to give her name during the attack in the campaign, and of course she gave it to us here in the fall of Emon as well. We stan a queen. You'd better put some respect on her name.

Really looking forward to seeing more of her--and all the dragons--this season. Even if they just do cut-aways to their territory or Pike has dream sequences to show what's going on with them, I'll take it. We deserve more than just their death scenes. They are legendary villains and deserve as much love as the Briarwoods.

#the legend of vox machina #dragons #raishan #thordak #umbrasyl #vorugal #lovm #lovm season 2 #legend of vox machina #tlovm #lovm spoilers #vox machina spoilers #tlovm s2 #tlovm season 2

[jessjad]

Christmas magic

Summary: Sometimes all you need is a little christmas magic to help you be at ease with the decisions you made.

Pairing: AU!Dean Winchester x Reader

Prompt: "Santa is real"

Warnings: none really, a little fluff and some wonders.

Word Count: 1439

A/N: Hello! :) This is my contribution to @spnfanficpond 's secret santa 2023. This is for @spnexploration. Originally, I had this planned out as a post-series Oneshot. But she asked for it not be, so... I had to change some things. 🙈

This is a AU-setting now and it's around season 13 age-wise. They're still hunters, though. Otherwise the plot I thought of wouldn't have worked. So, I hope you like it. :)

The christmas lights were twinkling throuh the whole house, it smelled of freshly baked cookies and the christmastree was already up and shining. It had such a strong feel of home now that Dean hat to shake his head a little in disbelieve. If someone had told him a year ago that he would have this kind of peace around christmastime, he would've not believed it.

But everything changed after he met Y/N. He never thought that she would be as interested in him as he was in her but one night out celebarting a very sucssesful hunt loosened their tounges. Dean didn't really know why he wanted this to be so serious at first, but seeing Sam being so happy with Eileen showed him over time that he missed something. When they both told him that they were having a baby, the older Winchester felt a crack in his heart.

And then, on one faithful hunt, he met Y/N. Not thinking she would stick around, she surprised him and stayed. From that point on he was lost. At first he was hesitant and feared that she would be hurt more than anything if he didn't keep his distance to her, but she did not shy away from him and in the end, they landed here. In their own house. Rowena warded the hell out of this place with her magic, of course.

Footsteps on the stairs in the hallway brought him back out of his thoughts and he started to smile when he saw Y/N appear in the livingroom followed by Sam and Eileen who held a litte bundle of fabric in her arms, their babygirl sleeping soundly.

"We're ready." Y/N said and gave Dean a small kiss on the cheek. "You still sure that you don't wanna come with us?"

"I'm positive, sweatheart." Dean replied and curled his arm around her waist, pulling her a little closer. "Me and the man upstairs don't have the best connection. We're not really compañeros."

"I... that's probably not the... right word you wanted to use, Dean." Said Sam and frowned a little at his brothers use of the spanish language.

"Shut it, Sam."

"Ok, guys. Can we go?" interrupted Eileen grinning.

"Sure." Y/N turned fully to her boyfriend and tried one last time. "Ok, last chance, Dean. Mr. Harris will be there too, playing Santa Claus and handing out presents."

Dean knew that she was trying to lure him out with that and he had to smirk.

"That sounds nice, try to bring me one with. I'll wait here and chop some more firewood."

Y/N sighed, but smiled lovingly up to him. "Ok. But don't overdo it. It's cold outside."

They kissed and then he watch the other three people leave to go to the christmas mass. After the door closed behind them, Dean put his warm wintercoat on and went out to the backyard. Y/N was right, it was really cold. He went over to the firewood, picked up his axe and started to split it.

Time past quick and all of a sudden Dean started to here some bells in the distance. He stopped with his work and started to look around, wondering where the sound came from, but he couldn't quite make it out. Just before he wanted to keep going with his work, he heared the fence door open. Have they already been back?

But it was not who he expected. Into the backyard came Mr. Harris fully dressed as Santa. Dean had to smile and shook his head a little. The lengths his beautiful girlfriend would go for him.

"Hello Mr. Harris." welcomed Dean and shook the other man's hand.

"Hello Dean." He replied.

"Did Y/N convince you to come over and give me your present in person?"

"No..." the old man laughed. "They're all still in church. But I wanted to come over here now. After all, Santa has to be in many places at the same time at Christmas."

"Well, what do I get, Santa?" Dean played along.

"I hope, you will like my present for you, eventhough it's not a physical one."

Dean chuckled. "Who would have seen that coming?" He turned fully to the other man and was now really curious what was about to happen. "So, what is it then?"

"My present for, Dean Winchester, is this:" He returned the smile, but then became a little more serious. "You did good."

Now Dean's smlie faltered and he started to frown. Putting his hands into his pockets of his jeans he needed a moment before he spoke again.

"What?"

"You've seen a lot of bad things in this world. From very early on your life was full of horror and nightmares."

"How do you know..." Dean said, but his visitor didn't stop.

"You had to go through a lot of things noone should go through. You had to make a lot of difficult decisions, but in the end, you always did good."

"Is... is this a joke?" Dean already going into hunter mode.

"No. Not at all." He raised his hands in a defensive position. "I know, you've seen many big bads in your carrer and I get that you think that I may be one of them too. But I promise you, I'm probably the only real good one out there."

Dean wanted to say something again, but he didn't get a chance to do so.

"And as the only good one, let me tell you: you're a really good man too."

The look in his eyes told Dean that he really meant it, he was sincere, and the defends that had build up a minute ago faded away.

"All the worries and guilt that you carry around with you... you need to let it go. All the decisions you made that you thought maybe weren't the right ones... you couldn't have done anything differently."

Dean felt a lump forming in his throat, making it difficult to swallow. Whatever was happening here was affecting him, making the big, heavy burden on his shoulders smaller and smaller.

"You saved so many lives, Dean. You have made so many people's lives better. And that alone makes you one of the best people ever. So be proud of yourself! And stop worrying too much."

Dean didn't know what to say, so he just nodded which the man infront of him returned. Then, it looked like he wanted to leave, but he turned around once more.

"Oh, and don't worry about Y/N. Her heart is yours. And it will stay that way for a very long time." He winked.

"How... how do you know that?" The Winchester managed to ask.

"Well, who do you think sent her to you on that hunt last year?"

Was he really serious? This was getting weird and ridiculous.

"Dean?"

Y/N voice sounded through the house and Dean looked over to the livingroom, seeing her standing there and taking her jacket off. The cold was really getting to him now and all he wanted to do was to go inside and take the woman he loved into his arms and let her bodywarmth wash over him.

But, when he turned around to say goodbye to Mr. Harris he was already gone. And than he could here the bells ringing again. What? That was really weird.

Dean went inside and greeted his girl just like he wanted to and she welcomingly molded into him.

"There you are. Are you done with the firewood?"

"Yep. Just need to take it inside."

"Great. Oh..." Y/N pulled away from his arms a little. "We brought Mr. Harris with us."

"What?" Dean looked puzzled at Y/N.

"Yeah. He started to feel dizzy in church while he was handing out his presents. He's in the kitchen now and Sam's calling his son to come pick him up."

"But... but he... was..." Dean looked quickly out into the backyard.

"Is this okay with you?" Asked Y/N with worry in her voice.

"Yeah. Yeah, of course. Go back into the kitchen. I'll just got and bring in the wood real quick."

"Okay." Y/N mood enlighted a little more and she gave him a short kiss on his lips before she left.

Dean hurried outside and took a quick look around but there was noone to be found. And then he heard a laughter from above his head. Looking up, Dean couldn't believe his eyes. Right there, infront of the moon, was the dark silhouette of a sleigh that looked just like Santa Claus's.

And for once in his life, Dean Winchester truly believed that Santa is real.

@lyarr24

#spnfanficpond secret santa 2023 #fanfiction #dean winchester #christmas

[animeyanderelover]

I’m still amused by the fact that in Naruto Classic Itachi and Kisame went into the village with their cloaks on and apparently thought that wearing some big hats would be enough to hide their identity.

Tw: Yandere themes, unhealthy mindset, unhealthy relationship, possessive behavior, obsession, mentions of abduction, overprotective behavior, threats, intimidation, sexual harassment

S/o gets harassed in town

🍡 Itachi, despite having been the one who isolated you thanks to his paranoia and possessiveness getting the better of him, tries to keep his darling sane by still taking them outside. This mostly means somewhere outside in nature since it would be really dangerous if someone would recognize him and would see you with him together. Not only would you be put in the bingo book since people would assume that you're connected to him, it would also mean that some bounty hunters would look for you. He's dragged you into enough troubles already. He's aware that eventually the lack of social interaction gets to you though because he's the only one who you really have now. He's no substitute for you though, you still despise him for having taken you away from everyone and everything you loved.

🍡 Itachi can't just take you out to a town or village either or to be more specific, he doesn't want to. He might come up with logical reasons as much as he wants, part of him just doesn't trust you enough yet. If you try to run away and ask people for help, there will be a problem because his selfish side couldn't let you go. Not now that he has abducted you. There would have to be a level of trust between you two for him to even consider this and even then he thinks a bit too much about what might go all wrong. Seeing you withering away because you are so unhappy that you are stuck inside pulls painfully on his heartstrings until he caves in and asks you if you'd like to accompany him to a town not too far away but also not too close to where he keeps you. You haven't looked as happy as you do in that moment since he's taken you and i has his heart racing.

🍡 You think he's overdoing it when he forces you to wear clothes to conceal yourself more as he does the same. He ties his hair up in a bun, takes off his headband and changes in a new set of clothes since his cloak would give him away instantly. You complain but have to comply with all of this since you know that otherwise you won't be able to go with him. It's a longer walk than you expected but that's because Itachi wants to make sure that no one will be easy to track you two down in case something happens. You call him out for being way too overprotective and that he's overthinking but he doesn't listen. On the way to the village he also lists a couple of things he wants you to do when you two arrive. You are to stay within his field of vision, you don't tell anyone your or his real name, are forbidden to try to ask for help and if you run, he will hunt you down. You reply bitterly that you know all of that already.

🍡 You're so giddy when you finally arrive since now the long walk and the pain in your feet is finally worth it. Itachi even offered you at one point that he can carry you on his back if your feet hurt so much but you obviously refused. You run around but stop when you hear Itachi calling for you to wait. He allows you to buy some items you want and food you desire with the money he has as he indulges you in your wants. He just can't reject that lively and joyful sparkle in your eyes as you act like you're on a festival. There's undeniably a little painful stinging in his heart though to see how happy you are by now simply because you're in a town. Something that is mundane for all the people around you because they have the freedom to do this whenever they feel like it. You don't though.

🍡 You run from one shop to the next whilst Itachi is trailing closely behind you, eyes checking his surrounding every few minutes to make sure that no one is suspecting anything. He's slightly stiff and you notice but just huff a bit annoyed. Itachi would normally be not that paranoid when in a town but now that he has his darling with him, this is a whole other story. At least your happy smile is soothing him a bit and he spends more money than he initially intended to do as he just wants to spoil you a bit more to make you a bit more happy. The day passes by without any hitches though, no one seems to pay you two too much mind. That is until you turn your attention to a stand where you can win prices by winning a game. You try a couple of times but fail, a pout on your lips. Something that has Itachi chuckling a bit before he offers to try for you.

🍡 It is when you step away from him a bit to watch him doing what you failed in previously that you notice some guy motioning you to get closer to you. You're hesitant at first, glance shortly at Itachi who is still focusing on the game and apparently tries to win more than one price. You can't help but think that it's adorable. You'd technically still be in his field of vision o it should be fine, right?Curiosity eventually gets the better of you, especially considering that you haven't talked with other people like Itachi for the last couple of months. Curiosity quickly turns into dread the moment you step to the man and he suddenly pulls you closer by your waist, his hand dangerously close to your ass. You're pressed flush against his chest, smell his bad breath when he leans way too close to your face. He asks you what someone as lovely as you is doing here and you feel your heart beating faster out of fear.

🍡 You try to excuse yourself with a stuttering voice, tell him that you're already here with someone and should return now. Instead his grip on you tightens as he gurrs at you to stay a bit longer with him. He'd love to get to know someone as adorable as you better. Your breath starts being cut short as you start to panic, start trembling. Why is this man doing this to you with such a sickening smile on his face? Is he having fun right now, scaring you like this? You turn your face away when you notice that he's closing the distance between you two, expect the feeling of disgusting lips on your cheek, or in worst case even lips. Instead suddenly he lets you go as you stumble back. You hear him letting out a painful yelp and when you open your eyes, you sag when you see Itachi. You're so relieved right now though to see him, the man on the other hand is terrified.

🍡 You don't pity him but can't blame him for nearly crying though. Itachi's onyx eyes stare at him with icy wrath inside them, one of his hands applying a painful amount of pressure on the guy's hand. He asks in a low voice what the guy is thinking, touching you and scaring you like this? The guy can only stumble out apologies, he didn't know that you were already taken. He cries for Itachi to let go or otherwise he'll break his arm. One look in his eyes and the man suddenly knows that Itachi actually plans to do this. It isn't until you stumble to Itachi and cling to his side, asking him in a shaking voice to stop. People are looking and you want to go back now, you've lost all desire to stay in this city any longer. Itachi listens to you, notices how some citizens have stopped to look at the scenario unfolding over here.

🍡 He gives the man one last glare, one that would make any man piss their pants, before he pushes him harshly back so that the guy lands painfully on his rear. He quickly scrambles away from Itachi, presses his hurt arm close to his body as he still stutters apologies before he runs away. Itachi on the other hand grabs your hand in a tight grip and drags you with him. He is aware of how people stare at the two of you, hides his face as good as he can in his clothes whilst you just stumble behind him. His steps are rash and you're barely able to keep up but he doesn't slow down a bit until both of you are out of the village and a little bit deeper in the forest. That's when he stops for a moment and turns his attention to you, checks over you with a worried look on his face. When he asks you how you're feeling and if that guy has hurt you, you can't look him into his eyes. Instead you manage to press out in a strained voice that you want to go back quickly.

🍡 This time you let yourself get carried on his back and both of you arrive significantly faster to the cottage where you have lived for the last few months. Once you two are inside, you just sit down on the couch and wrap your arms around yourself. The encounter with the man didn't even last 50 seconds yet you're shaken up to your core. You've heard of sexual harassment before but this is the first time it has happened to you. You can't help but start to overthink yourself now as you imagine what might have happened if Itachi wouldn't have been there to protect you. Itachi just stands next to you, unsure if he should touch you to comfort you since you've been touched without your permission in the town. He blames himself, he shouldn't have let himself get distracted like this and should have instead kept his eyes on you. You're visibly trembling, a wet shimmer over your eyes.

🍡 You're stuck in your own paranoid thoughts right now as you can't help but vividly recall the touch of that man's hand near your hand, the gleeful look in his eyes and his disgusting breath. You flinch when you suddenly feel something being wrapped around your shaking form before you hear Itachi's voice hushing you, murmuring that he won't do anything to you. That's when you snap out of your train of thoughts and realize that he's fetched his cloak and has used it almost as some sort of blanket to wrap you inside of it. You're aware what that cloak means but right now, in that moment, it's weirdly comforting with his scent etched into it. You huddle yourself into the material whilst Itachi sits down next to you. You feel his hand carefully rubbing your back in a comforting manner to make sure that you're fine with being touched by him. For a few moments both of you just sit there in silence before you say in a dejected and still trembling tone that you're sorry. You should have listened to him. If you would have just stayed with him, this wouldn't have happened.

🍡 Your trembles intensify and you sound like you're on the verge of crying. That's when you feel his arms carefully engulfing you and for the first time, you don't push him away. Instead you press your head against his chest, taking deep and jittery breaths to not break out in tears whilst he does his best to comfort you as good as he can right now. He tells you in his usual soft tone that it isn't your fault, whispers sweet nothings to you in hopes to stop your trembling. You don't want him to leave even after you've calmed down a bit, grow very clingy as you seek him out for his comfort and the feeling of protection. And Itachi indulges you in your needs.

#yandere naruto #yandere naruto shippuden #yandere itachi #yandere itachi uchiha

[zoeykallus]

Relationships have their ups and downs! It’s not always romance, sweet and spicy times! Do the bad Hatcher’s have any pet peeves or habits that their S/o either deals with or helps with?

I hope I got that right ^^'

The Bad Batch x Reader HC's - Bad Habits

Hunter

His nails look like hell. He has the bad habit of biting his fingernails when he gets emotionally, mentally nervous. You always have to tell him to stop or slap his fingers. On bad days, his nails are bloody because of his bad habit.

He's an overthinker. Hunter can dwell on decisions and incidents for days. "What could I have done differently?" It can get super annoying and distracting. There are days when he just seems far, far away with his mind.

Echo

He tends to explain or tell things twice and even a third time. He's used to some of his brothers being with their heads in the clouds, but he does it with you, too. Sometimes it feels like mansplaining and is super annoying. It makes you feel patronized. Echo is not doing it on purpose, though.

Echo has the habit of being overprotective. It can be sweet and flattering to have him care so much, but he tends to overdo it, which often ends up being rather annoying.

Wrecker

This guy snacks a lot, which by itself is not that bad. But he tends to do it everywhere he goes, also in bed, often leaving a mess you have to clean up before going to bed again. He's also very impatient and a little annoying in the kitchen when you make food. It's never done quick enough for him.

His super hyper personality provides for a lot of fun, but can be exhausting on days when you rather try to get some peace and quiet. Wrecker can be a little miffed when you tell him to tame it down, but he's over it pretty fast.

Tech

We talked about mansplaining before. Now, I guess you haven't heard of Techsplaining before. It's worse than the other thing. Tech knows a lot, about pretty much everything. He tends to analyze and evaluate everything you do and explain most things, even daily things, in all detail, plus a lot of uninteresting background information. As you can imagine, it's annoying and exhausting. You either have to get used to it or bring a lot of patience to work on that habit with him.

Tech has nervous ticks. When he is deep in thoughts, he's somehow always moving. He does that in bed too, when he doesn't go right to sleep but ponders on something with his holopad in hand. It's pretty hard to fall asleep for you sometimes.

Crosshair

....where should I start, this man is a construction site.

He's closed up and aloof a lot. Even when you got through to him at some point, he tends to fall back into old patterns, especially when something threw him off emotionally.

Crosshair's humor is dry and snarky. Can be funny, but not when the joke is made at your expense. His sarcasm can be exhausting at times.

He is a demanding partner. Crosshair is the type to expect you to always be at the ready for him, and gets easily miffed when you are not.

He has a pretty big ego and often behaves accordingly. Although he is actually emotionally insecure, he often considers himself superior in many areas. Now and then he lets his entourage feel this clearly.

Crosshair doesn't play well with others. He might accept you, but never expect him to accept any of your friends anywhere near him. He is jealous of them rather than befriending them. Crosshair doesn't like to share your attention with others.

The pickiest eater you'll ever meet. He's very critical of any food that comes his way that is not a ration bar or made by himself.

Ko-Fi (If you feel like giving me some coffee)

@rintheemolion

@andyoufollowyourheart @clone-whore-99

@brynhildrmimi @kaliel2310

@misogirl828 @tech-deck

@meshla-madalene

@chxpsi

@thebahdbitch

@nahoney22 @ladykatakuri

@darkangel4121

@ttzamara

@arctrooper69

@padawancat97

@agenteliix

@puppetswithteeth

#hunter #bad batch hunter #headcanon #tbb headcanons #star wars headcanons #echo #wrecker #tech #crosshair #star wars #star wars bad batch #bad batch #hunter x reader #crosshair x reader #bad batch echo #bad batch wrecker #bad batch tech #tbb x reader #asks #bad habits #echo tbb #tbb wrecker #bad batch crosshair #hunter bad batch #tbb tech #tbb tech x reader #bad batch x reader #bad batch headcanons

[rosemaze-reveries]

― no promises

pairing. martha behamfil x you summary. gentle mornings with marfa <3 ⚠️ mentions of wounds & scars

Your days begin when the first rays of sunlight spear through the morning sky, when the manor halls are shrouded in a comfortable silence, and when Martha is lying beside you. It’s a routine you’ve grown fondly attuned to. Rarely will you find another moment of peace before chaos claims the day. Waking up entangled in Martha’s arms is the time you cherish above all else, and today would be no different, if not dampered by a curious realization: you don’t recall how you came to bed last night.

You had been with Martha, of course. She is never more than an arm’s reach away. From the haze of your memories, you can pull out the sound of her shouting, and the stringy mess of her hair — falling in tufts over her eyes, which were wide and frantic with rage. In her desperation to toss you out of the hunter’s way, her nails had left sharp indents in your shoulders.

Whatever happens from that point on, your mind falls blank.

You turn to face her. Compared to last night’s memory of her, she looks entirely at peace: lashes fluttered shut, her rhythmic breaths gentle against your neck. Your eyes trail further to see a fresh batch of bruises and bandages have joined the scars on her arms. You’re unscathed and she is not -- it doesn’t take long to piece together what happened.

Martha doesn’t seem bothered when you run a gentle finger along her arm, tracing each streak of raised mauve skin. She only lets out a soft good-morning hum to let you know she’s awake, and hooks her arm tighter around your waist. Her touch is gentle, but with it you feel the grip of guilt take hold of you, stubborn to crush out whatever comfort she tries to give you.

“Martha,” you say, suddenly overwhelmed. She tilts up her head to meet your gaze. “I don’t want you covering for me anymore.”

Your words come out a touch more exasperated than you mean to. It’s the first thing you’ve said to her since you blacked out yesterday. No good morning first? Or even a how are you feeling? Regret burns through your tongue seconds after, but Martha eyes you with her usual tenderness, as if once again trying to soothe you.

“It’s better it happens to me than you,” she says. Then, shrugging her scar-ridden arm: “I’ve got a collection going, anyway.”

“Don’t joke like that.” You reach for her wrist, protectively securing that arm against your chest. “I don’t like seeing you get hurt.”

She flashes you a playful smile. “Isn’t that my line?”

Martha never resists your hold on her. But with deft and practised movements, she snakes her hand from your chest to clutch your face, fingers spreading into your hair. A familiar warmth blooms across your skin as her thumb rolls over your cheek, and you’re reminded of how weak you are to her touch. You have half a mind to turn into her hand, to press your lips against her palm, hindered only by that unease still sitting in the pit of your stomach.

“You’re going to overdo it someday,” you warn. Your voice has something of a quiver to it, making you sound more fragile than anything.

“I can watch myself.” She props herself up onto her free elbow, shoulders rounding above you. “And it’s worth it, for you.”

Your breath catches when her lips find your neck, more greedily than before. She knows she can’t give you the reassurance you want from her, but hopes you’ll forgive her -- you’ll have to make do with her warmth and presence, and knowing that she would give any other part of herself to you fully.

#identity v #idv x reader #idv imagines #identity v x reader #martha behamfil #martha behamfil x reader #idv coordinator #coordinator x reader

[triskhellion]

Intarsia

Rated: Explicit (12.2k)

Relationship: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski

Characters: Derek Hale, Stiles Stilinski, Isaac Lahey, Peter Hale

Tags: POV Derek, POV Isaac, Alpha Derek, Emissary in Training Stiles, Canon Divergence, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Explicit Sexual Content, Top Derek/Bottom Stiles, Light Bondage, Hickeys, Consensual Somnophilia, Idiots in Love, Cooking, Pack Shenanigans

Summary: Derek asks Isaac to make him a scarf for Stiles for reasons. The following weekend the pack is asked to check out potential supernatural activity at a cabin near Klamath Falls, Oregon. The others are unavailable, so it’s just the two of them. Derek brings along the scarf and ends up giving Stiles much more.

Artwork by Goss!

A playlist of my favorite songs by The National because Isaac's listening to them and Derek is broody and they're perfect broody fall music. (In no particular order.)

For WIP Big Bang 2023. (One of the first fics I actually started writing, begun about a year ago.)

Equiknots: Harvest & Hunter's Moon prompts: Apple, Between, Falling Leaves, Flame, Knot, Song & Travel

Intarsia — a knitting technique used to create patterns with multiple colors. As with the woodworking technique of the same name, fields of different colors and materials appear to be inlaid in one another, fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.

Isaac

Isaac was listening to The National on vinyl and idly knitting the second of a pair of chocolate brown, chunky slipper socks for Scott’s upcoming birthday when Derek returned to their new loft apartment, trudging around downstairs. He straightened up on the navy loveseat in the second floor lounge area (or “cozy zone” as Stiles liked to call it) and rolled his eyes as the Alpha’s angst vibes preceded him. 

“Hey, Derek” he said to the ascending werewolf, finishing his row before looking up. The older man nodded and his expression lightened from straight up scowling to mere resting bitch face. 

“Isaac.” 

He glanced out the window at the purpling sky then turned back to his project, pausing a couple minutes later when Derek didn’t move from where he leaned against the railing across from him. Isaac could feel him watching and heard the sound of his mouth opening and then closing again several times as Matt Berninger’s melancholy baritone crooned.

I wanna hurry home to you, put on a slow, dumb show show for you and crack you up. So you can put a blue ribbon on my brain, God I’m very, very frightened I’ll overdo it.

Another minute passed and he rolled his eyes again, taking a deep breath before meeting the waiting sheepish gaze, which then quickly slid away. 

“Yeeeesss?” he inquired, raising an eyebrow. 

“You make…” Derek began, then started over. “Could you make a scarf for me? Please.” 

“For you?” Isaac asked incredulously. He’d never seen Leather-Jacket Jeans McHenley in a scarf. 

“It’s for someone else. To give to. From me,” Derek mumbled haltingly. “Whatever you need…use the pack account.”

“Sure,” he said, grinning at the flustered Alpha. “Any particular pattern or style? Type of yarn? What color?" There was a harsh exhale of frustration.

“I don’t know, a regular scarf.” Derek threw up his hands and then waved them around making snake like motions. “Kind of…deep red with like, some goldy-brown parts? A warm one.” 

“Hmm,” he murmured, going through options in his head for several moments. “I’m thinking merino wool…cable knit…intarsia.” Blank stare. “Kind of a maroon with dark amber, yeah?” A frown and a single shoulder shrug. ”Riiight,” he drawled, smirking. “You know, like a certain hyperactive human’s favorite hoodie…” He tapped his finger against his chin like he was just now figuring out a mystery. “And perhaps the color of said human’s eyes in the light?” 

Derek sputtered and shoved off from his perch with a glare, seeming as if to deny it before snapping his jaw shut with a growl instead and abruptly turning to walk towards his bedroom. Isaac laughed and called after the retreating wolf. 

“I should have it done before the end of the week. I have to go to the craft store to get that special amber yarn.” The door slammed shut and he heard muffled grumbling about “goddamn chuckling betas” and how “back in the day Alphas were shown respect.” He leaned over and laughed even harder. 

Derek

Derek walked out of his building practically buzzing and started running once he crossed the parking lot and made it past the first trees. It was a Monday night, the one before the full moon, and he was feeling antsy. Even more so than was usual. He figured another patrol of the territory would calm him down and satisfy his wolf’s extra protective instincts, not to mention get him away from his so very amused and impertinent beta. And if he happened by the Stilinski residence at some point, well it was on the way, okay? 

Derek sighed. He asked Isaac to make the scarf yesterday after he and Stiles had gone searching that afternoon for a special type of lichen that Deaton wanted for some ritual or potion or whatever. He wasn’t really listening to the druid and just tagged along when he ran into Stiles while doing errands near the vet clinic. The perpetually excitable teen had been wearing a backpack and mentioned that he’d be going into the Preserve for “herbs and shit” after meeting with their sort-of-emissary and Derek hadn’t wanted him to go alone. Things had been quiet on the Creatures Eating Faces & Causing Havoc front for a while, but you never know. 

It had taken them a few hours to collect enough of the sporadically growing, pale green vegetation to fill the container they’d been given and between the dampness of the forest and working up a sweat climbing over logs or partway up trees it had gotten pretty chilly for the human, especially once the sun started to set on the already overcast autumn day. Stiles had had his hands in his pockets and the hood of his Beacon Hills Community College sweatshirt up on the way back, but had still shivered when the wind blew through it and across the exposed skin of his neck. 

That lithe, fair column with its smattering of chocolate dots, so perfect for marking. Derek groaned at the thought of it. So yes, Stiles needed a scarf. Both to keep him warm and to hide his dangerously alluring attributes. The only one not already covered in layers of baggy denim, over sized graphic tees and corresponding flannel. 

(Well, except for his mouth, but it’s not like people went around in face masks all the time, haha. Or muzzles and the like in public. No those were for private activities, or so he’d seen on the internet. And could Stiles even function without putting pens and spoons and straws and toothpicks and pops of the lolli, freezer, and cake variety (courtesy of Lydia) between his lips on a regular basis? Or his own fingers? He even had the nerve to make eating chicken wings look good.)

But necks! He could do something about that. And then maybe he’d stop thinking about his packmate this way quite so often, at least until it warmed again. Definitely no other pervy wolves or similarly bestial shifters should catch a glimpse if it could be helped. He’s ours his wolf snarled and he couldn’t help agreeing before his all those negative thoughts and emotions kicked back in. No, he’s not. I can’t…I shouldn’t…

Derek ran through the forest until his muscles ached and then walked through the city in the wee hours, stopping for a few minutes by a particular house in the west part of town. One with a police cruiser and a beat up blue Jeep in the driveway. He could hear the steady heartbeats and slow breathing of two slumbering humans and could faintly smell the toasty man-soap-sweat scent of his a blanket-wrapped Stiles through the open left side window. He inhaled a few big lung fulls worth, making an unconscious rumbling sound, and then continued on toward home content for the moment.

A few days later he was brooding contemplating the Stiles situation again while making cheesy eggs, bacon, red skillet potatoes, and toast for a late breakfast. Isaac kept giving him these looks like there was something gross on his face (there wasn’t, he checked) before snatching up his portion of the meal, minus the toast, as soon as the platter hit the table. The younger man divided it between the two large flour tortillas he’d had waiting in front of him, added salsa verde, hot sauce, and sour cream, rolled them into burritos, and wrapped one in foil before shoving it into his messenger bag. He then grabbed a thermos of coffee, wedged it into his left elbow as he started eating the other burrito gripped in the same hand, and hurriedly went out the door, shaking his head and mumbling something that sounded like “enough“ and “idiots.”

Huh. Derek wasn’t sure what that was about, but hoped his beta got through his Thursday classes okay. Maybe Isaac had to work on that group project he’d been complaining about, the one that his least favorite professor assigned him with that girl who argued about everything and that guy that didn’t do any of the reading. Oh, college, he commiserated, glad that he’d never have to put up with that particular aggravation again.

He cleaned up and then spent a few hours wrapping up the Spanish to English history textbook translation he’d been working on for a client over the last several weeks. When he was done he got up, drank some water, and began stretching for his daily calisthenics. He was just about switch to the beginner’s tai chi he’d been learning online recently (a suggestion from the visiting weredingo therapist he saw for a while last year and still Skyped with occasionally from Australia) when his phone chimed. It was a text from Isaac. 

Apparently, some human, but in-the-know acquaintance of his near Klamath Falls, OR was freaked out about quote unquote “potentially supernatural activity” around their family’s vacation spot/rental property and wanted to know if the Beacon Hills Pack could check it out this weekend. 

<What kind of phenomena are they experiencing?> he asked, praying it wasn’t some real sketchy shit like artfully arranged piles of mutilated small animals, screaming haunted trees or arcane symbols drawn in blood and bile all over the place. If he ever had to deal with another hag, hostile non-corporeal entity or darach again it would be too soon.

<Clothing, trinkets, and plants from both inside and outside the cabin have gone missing.> Issac replied. <Strange noises day and night and several objects made of stones, mud, brambles, feathers, pine cones and owl pellets have also been found along the trail to the lake. The feeling of being watched and the reoccurring smell of electricity and honey. Sounds like some kind of fae creature to me.>

Derek concurred. Likely a troupe of pixies, though a mischievous witch or other magic-user wouldn’t be out of the question. Whatever or whoever it was seemed annoying, but pretty harmless. He had nothing better to do and it was an opportunity to keep his tracking skills sharp, so he agreed to investigate and shoo away the troublemaker. 

The pack in residence was currently just him, Isaac, Stiles, Malia, and Peter. Technically. His crafty uncle remained mostly an enigma, holed up in some no doubt fancy penthouse somewhere and scheming who knows what. He generally saw the elder Hale every 3 weeks or so when he stopped by the loft to irritate Derek, feed him takeout, and “borrow” something from his library before disappearing into the ether again. 

The others were away at college (Lydia and Jackson,) living in France (though Chris and Allison were really more pack-adjacent,) staying with relatives out of state (Erica and Boyd were in Ohio looking after the latter’s grandmother post hip replacement surgery and probably wouldn’t be back until after Christmas,) or “talking a break from all this mythical bullshit” (Scott, Co-Alpha Emeritus, snort, probably lost somewhere in Prague on his pre-vet school backpacking trip which was totally, definitely, he absolutely swore not going to take him through France. Uh-huh.) 

The cabin was only around 3 hours away, but driving there and back and having time to properly assess, find, and confront the mischievous entity could end up calling for more than a day trip. Isaac had 3 classes on Fridays and shifts at the movie theater afterward and all day Saturday so he was out. 

Derek messaged the rest of the pack in town to see if anyone else was available. Peter was surprisingly the first to answer, but it was a crying laughing emoji followed by a succinct “No.” Stiles replied between his two Thursday classes with a “You son of a bitch, I’m in” gif, multiple exclamation points, and a thumbs up. Derek rolled his eyes and grinned. 

Malia didn’t respond at all. It was equally likely that she was either coyoted-out or forgot about the existence of her phone and left it to die in her couch cushions again. So Stiles and him it was then. Perfect. The eager sophomore had only one late morning class on Fridays so they could leave by 2:00pm tomorrow after grabbing their bags. 

<Pack your shit tonight> he texted Stiles, knowing the fledgling Spark and resident researcher would want to bring all manner of reference books and magic-user supplies. If left to his own devices the impulsive, but thorough human would be running around like a chicken without a head tomorrow afternoon looking for this and that very essential item at the last minute. <Alpha order.>

<Yes sir, Alpha sir> Stiles replied with a picture of a young adult wolf wagging its tail and showing its belly. Aughruuahhgg, his brain shorted, making him first imagine Stiles as a beautiful russet wolf frolicking with him in full shift (if only) and then as his very human young adult self exposing his belly in the same way, neck bared and open mouthed… 

“Moooving onnn” he said out loud to himself, shaking his head to try to derail that train of thought.

Isaac told Derek that his grateful former classmate, a young man unfortunately named Todd, was going to prepare the cabin for them. A housekeeping service would clean everything and put out fresh linens, the fridge and pantry would be fully stocked and completely at their disposal, and he’d also make sure that any amenities were ready to use. The beta also passed along that they could stay through Monday if they wanted to as thanks for their efforts regardless of the outcome and then gave him Todd’s number in case of emergency. 

<Sounds good> he replied. He was actually looking forward to this.

The last time he’d gotten out of town was the weeklong All Pack trip to the beach after a bunch of them graduated from high school the previous summer, a good 16 or 17 months ago. The seemingly never-ending torrent of “mythical bullshit” (Scott wasn’t wrong about that,) psycho hunters, and whatnot had finally slowed to a crawl and the pack had yet to begin scattering. Everyone had been there, including Allison and Chris, Melissa and the Sheriff, Parrish, and even Danny. Before then it had been when Cora had come up for a visit that Spring with her girlfriend, Dominque, and he, Peter, and Malia had gone to Portland for a weekend with them.

Sigh. Last year they had finally gotten their shit together. He had finally gotten his shit together. He’d strengthened his bonds with Boyd & Erica, the three of them apologizing to each other and him promising to be a better Alpha. Derek showed Isaac and Jackson how much he really cared and he’d spent time ranging in full shift with Malia and teaching her to navigate human bureaucracy. He called Cora at least once a month. 

Derek screamed, cried, fought, and hugged it out with Peter one night when his uncle came over with a veritable Japanese feast — okonomiyaki, karaage, gyudon, yakisoba, and shoyu tonkotsu ramen with chashu pork and soft boiled eggs — and they both got proper drunk on the accompanying wolfsbane-infused 12 year old Yamazaki single malt whisky. They hadn’t spoken of it since, but much of the heaviness, distance, and weaponized cruelty that remained between them faded after they finally said all that they needed to say to each other, waking up the next morning with aching heads and wearing each other’s blood and tears, but with Derek held in his uncle’s arms. 

Hell, he and Scott even kind of started getting along and figuring out how to be two Alphas in the same territory with allied and somewhat overlapping packs. Erica, Boyd, Jackson, Malia, and Peter were straightforwardly his; Liam, Corey, Mason, and Kira were Scott’s (though Derek was checking in with them while the younger Alpha was away finding himself,) but Isaac, Lydia, and Stiles kind of belonged to them both, however that worked. 

I think I know exactly how Isaac wishes it worked, he snickered, wondering if his beta, the True Alpha, and the Huntress would ever resolve whatever the hell was going on there. Scott and Allison were currently on a break (again), Isaac was not-so-subtly mooning over Scott, but was known to make heart eyes at mention of them both (what’s a stabbing or 20 between crushes?) 

When Scott and Allison were last officially together at the pack hangout a month before she went to France they’d taken to giggling and blushing while stealing glances at the beta, who pretended not to notice, but ended up crocheting an exceptionally fugly oven mitt that night, which Stiles dubbed “The Cursed Hand.”  

As for the others, Kira had dated Scott briefly during one of his and Allison’s earlier off-phases, but they’d called it quits amicably. The kitsune was currently dating Jordan Parrish and Derek made sure to keep a fire extinguisher around. Liam was single after he and Hayden broke up and she moved away last year, Corey and Mason were still adorably together, and Peter was no doubt happily slutting it up across Beacon County and beyond. 

Malia wasn’t much interested in romance, but every once in a while she’d feel the urge to go hunt down some willing frat boy or open mic performance artist and drag him off to her studio for what Derek once overheard an astonished college student covered in hickeys call “the most terrifying, confusing, and hottest sex of my life.” When she answered her door he took one look at her smug, predatory face and decided he could go over how to do taxes another time.

Lydia and Jackson kept their medium-distance relationship going, her in Cambridge, MA (MIT) and him in New Haven, CT (Yale.) 

Derek missed having everyone home and hoped most, if not all of them, would be back for good within a few years. At least Erica and Boyd would return in a couple months. In the meantime they’d make it work.

<You know the drill> he messaged his Second. <Hold down the fort and let me know if anything happens. If you don’t hear from either me or Stiles twice a day, by noon (6:00pm tomorrow) and again by 10pm, call and if one of us doesn’t respond within the hour inform Peter and the Sheriff first, then the others if need be.>  

<Will do> Isaac replied. 

<And see if you can track down Malia if you have the time.> 

<Okay. By the way, the scarf is done. It’s on the couch upstairs.>

 <Thank you.> 

<You’re welcome. winky face, smirking face, 2 guys with a heart between them, eggplant, peach, halo face emoji.>

Goddamn sassy betas.

Derek managed to get them on the road heading out of Beacon Hills at exactly 1:57pm due to the sheer force of of his glare and grumpy eyebrows alone. He’d herded Stiles out of his house at 1:35 sharp, threw his crap next to his own duffel bag in the trunk of his car, and followed him to the loft. He shoved open the passenger door as soon as the Jeep was parked and locked and the teenager promptly jogged over, tripped on the door sill and half-fell into the seat. Derek silently shook his head at the clumsy human, waiting until he fastened his seat belt while pointedly ignoring him, then peeled out of there like a bat out of hell. 

They were taking the Camaro because there was absolutely no goddamn way that Derek was going to trust Roscoe for more than 5 miles at a time and even that was pushing it these days. Maybe if he got Stiles a trip to the mechanic for his next birthday he would actually accept someone else getting it fixed for him. The guy was stubborn as a mule.

Isaac had asked to borrow it while they were away for some errands involving the carrying of large objects and Stiles had reluctantly agreed. The loft was closer both to his BCCC campus and the highway, so he was planning to leave Roscoe there anyway so that he could go straight to school if they were running late on the way back. The beta and the Spark might not be the best of friends and seemed to live for getting on each others nerves, but they had an understanding about the important things and Stiles actually trusted Isaac to be careful with his baby. The extra set of keys were already inside, kept in its designated place so that Stiles would never lose both of them (again.)

They made good time, only stopping once for around 20 minutes to pee, get gas, stretch their legs, and load up on snacks and caffeine. The cottage was close to the Upper Klamath Lake, which according to Stiles was “the largest body of fresh water in Oregon.” Upon arrival they immediately checked the perimeter of the cabin and then cleared the rooms before bringing their stuff inside. Stiles had only just recently begun to learn about his birthright, but he knew enough to feel for magical residue and said that he didn’t sense anything unusual so far. 

Deaton was teaching him the basics, including how to create simple wards for warning and protection, which he quickly drew on the front door and on trees at 4 points around the property as Derek stood guard. Stiles would eventually need another mentor to truly develop and master his abilities, but he was already so proud and excited to be able to help the pack beyond whacking things with a baseball bat, being bait, and using Google-Fu. Or, in one memorable instance, annoying and confounding a trio of hobgoblins so much that they left the city. 

The cabin-style cottage had a larger bedroom with a queen sized bed, a smaller bedroom that was set up as an office, and a modern kitchen with granite counters, a gas stove/oven, and an island with stools. There was an adjustable 4-6 person table in the dining area, a couple of closets, a mud room with a stacked washer & dryer set and a chest freezer, and a bathroom boasting a 2 person clawfoot tub, a shower with two rainfall shower heads, and a toilet with a bidet attachment (oooh, fancy!) 

The living room had an oversized dark beige sectional couch, a coffee table with a few art books, a mid sized smart tv equipped with a blu-ray player and a few gaming consoles, and shelves with an assortment of novels, memoirs and biographies, board games, movies, and video games. Needless to say, they were set.

Surprisingly there were not one but two fireplaces as well. Across from the couch and below the mounted tv was a larger, remote controlled gas powered one for quick and efficient heating. The right side of the living room still had the smaller, original wood burning fireplace which would be safe for cooking and was able to provide that traditional ambience of crackling wood and campfire smells if so desired. Taking up much of the space between them was a large, tan plush rug that looked made for lying on.

Outside there was a front porch with a bench swing and around the back there were two picnic tables, a Traeger grill, and a hot tub. Derek was impressed and based on the grin plastered on the younger man’s face so was Stiles.

After settling in and seeing what was in the fridge, pantry, and chest freezer (all the things, apparently) they went out to investigate the trail towards the lake. Stiles brought a messenger bag with a few amplifying objects to help his spark with detection and protection, a couple books on fae creatures, and some binding elements such as iron, salt, mistletoe, and mountain ash. Derek made and packed 4 ham and cheese sandwiches in his backpack along with some trail mix, two insulated liter sized water bottles, a flashlight, digging tools, and…the scarf. It was a beautiful piece of work, the colors rich and complimentary and so fitting for his mate packmate. 

Derek had actually worn it to bed last night and then around the loft this morning while getting ready until it was time to get Stiles. He’d made absolutely sure that Isaac had already left for the day before leaving his room because he’d have never heard the end of it if the beta had seen him with it. He could just imagine the embarrassing pictures with even worse captions on Instagram.

Now the plan was to wait until it got cooler in the evening to give it to Stiles and then the human would be wrapped in his scent. For his safety of course. To make sure any shifters or other supernatural beings knew that he was under the protection of an Alpha wolf. Anything else, like the surely intoxicating blending of scents was just a bonus. Hurry up and go down, sun!

They began by walking together in what was more or less a widening spiral that kept the trail in the center, but circled out to either side through the trees. Derek tried to pick up any scents, sounds, or movements while Stiles reached out with his magic, occasionally focusing so much that he misstepped, tripped or nearly ran into one obstacle or another while shuffling through the fallen leaves. 

After the third time he tugged the far-eyed Spark around a log he joked that Stiles should learn to levitate, but then he’d just run into branches instead.

When they got down by the lake Stiles paused to watch the sun slide below the horizon and Derek figured it was a good a time as any. He opened the backpack and pulled out their water bottles, unable to resist honing in on the motion of the human’s throat as he swallowed in the pink-orange light. He wanted so badly to rest his fingertips there, brush them over that unmarked skin.

Right.

He took a few swigs from his own bottle and set it down, reaching back into the bag and pulling out the carefully folded scarf. 

“Oh hey, this is for you,” Derek said as if he just now remembered that he had it.

Stiles sputtered a bit as he turned in surprise, looking down to where he was being nudged with the bundle of fabric. He quickly wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, closing and setting down the container before reaching for the scarf.

“For me?” he asked curiously, unfurling it and running his fingers over the pattern.

“Yeah.”

There were at least a half a dozen questions in Stiles’ eyes when he lifted his head again, but instead of voicing them he just made a little humming noise and looked it over again, his scent going warm and sweet with happiness.

“Thanks, man” he said softly.

Derek ducked his head. “You’re welcome.”

Stiles lowered his hood and wound the colorful wool around himself, securing it with a loose knot. Derek coughed to hide the rumble starting in his chest when his scent on the scarf was starting to blend with Stiles’, seeping into into his skin. He drank some more water and got himself together, continuing to be immensely pleased. Mission accomplished.

They stayed out for a few hours after dark thanks to a ring that gave Stiles enhanced night vision, making sure to get back into reliable cell range by 10:00pm to make contact with Issac. There were only a few dead zones or spots with just one bar of service thankfully and they’d checked every 15 minutes or so to give them an idea of how far and how long it’d take to get out of them. It was just after 11:00pm by the time they got back to the cabin, around 5 hours of looking for signs of supernatural activity with nothing out of the ordinary so far.

It’d been a long day for both of them and the yawn Stiles let out was contagious. It wasn’t time to turn in yet though, the miles of hiking burning through the sandwiches and trail mix from a few hours ago. 

Stiles had shown interest in the fireplaces earlier, so Derek figured he’d turn on the gas one for a bit to warm up the place while he got the other one going for snacks. He saw the Spark jump out of the corner of his eye when the flames suddenly foomfed to life and he grinned to himself, turning the fan on medium. Going over to the stack of wood near the traditional one, he began arranging hunks of it interspersed with kindling and then started it with a wand lighter. It wasn’t long before it spread, the wood charring and crackling, and he could feel Stiles’ eyes on his back.

When he turned the Spark was watching him with a curious and concerned expression, his head slightly tilted like a wolf. Derek cleared his throat.

“For a long time I couldn’t…but I…it’s not the same.” 

This was clean burning oak and birch, the stuff of happy outdoorsy memories, not stained wood mixed with the scent of burnt plastic and fabric, scorched metal and chemicals. He shrugged. 

“It smells different. We…we used to go camping or have bonfires at celebrations…”

A warm hand rested on his shoulder and he realized that his own were clenched into fists. He took a deep breath, inhaling the unique and comforting scent of Stiles and met his eyes. “I didn’t want that to be yet another thing ruined so I worked on it,” Derek whispered. “It’s okay now.”

Stiles squeezed where he was holding and leaned in for a quick side hug before nodding and heading into the kitchen. Derek pressed the off button on the remote. 

They cooked bratwurst and then marshmallows over the fire for s’mores, teasing each other when one of Stiles’ melted right off the roasting fork and then Derek managed to turn a poofy white confection into charcoal. They washed it down with hard apple cider and then read for a while taking over opposite sides of the sectional in companionable silence, him with an old Popular Mechanics magazine from the bookshelf and Stiles with one of his quote unquote “Spark Notes.”

It was around 1:00am when sleep crept up on them again, Derek the one to start yawning this time. He got up and stretched, talking their dishes and utensils to the sink while Stiles put out the fire. (“It’s been a while, but I’ve gone camping too,” he retorted when Derek looked at him skeptically.)

They did a last brief check outside around the cabin — finding nothing of note again — and then came back to get ready for bed. 

Oh right, bed. As in singular. 

There’d been a handful of times over the years when the two of them ended up sleeping — or more accurately, at least one of them ended up passing out — together, but it had always been unintentional and there’d usually been other people around as well. Not just…getting into bed together. He could feel himself blush at the thought, but thankfully Stiles was unaware in the bathroom. By the time he came out all minty fresh Derek was leaning casually against the doorframe. 

“You go ahead and take the bed, I’ll sleep out here,” he said, grabbing his night clothes and toiletries to take his turn bathroom. Stiles rolled his eyes.

“Nope, I’ll take the couch. You drove and I can sleep anywhere as long as I have my pillow.” The Spark grabbed the aforementioned fluffy object from on top of his stuff and hugged it to himself in a way that wasn’t at all adorable, no siree. “Besides this thing is pretty comfy,” he added, nudging an arm of sectional with his knee and then launching himself to flop over it and onto the cushions like a salmon leaping upstream.

Derek snorted and shook his head, opening his mouth to argue further. “I said I—“

“Nope, too late,” the grinning human cut in. “I’ve physically claimed this epic beigeness and anyway, I’m pretty sure the Alpha is supposed to get the nicest digs and all that.”

And there went his brain short circuiting again at Stiles saying the words “physically claimed” and “Alpha” in the same sentence, especially the latter in that joking, but somewhat suggestive tone. His closed his mouth and whirled around, muttering “Fine” over his shoulder as he made a hasty retreat. The sound of laughter trailed after him.

If he took a longer shower than intended, well, he could use some relaxation, okay? And the fan was still on, so between that and the strong, heavenly spray he wasn’t too concerned about certain sounds being overheard by weak human ears.

Stiles was fast asleep by the time he finished up and Derek paused to watch him fondly, finding himself jealous of the pillow under his head and the throw cushion clutched in his arms. Sinking onto the thick mattress and pulling up the green sheet and blanket he couldn’t say if he was more relieved or disappointed that Stiles didn’t suggest sharing.

Derek woke up first, passing by the couch and having to hold back laughter so as to not wake up the oddly sprawled human. That could not possibly be comfortable and yet Stiles remained fast asleep with one leg extended up a back cushion and the other bent beneath it. He had an arm dangling off the side, hand resting on the floor, and the other forearm thrown diagonally across the right side of his head, somewhat squashing his face between it and his bicep. This was causing him to snore lightly, mouth open with a hint of drool on his cheek. 

Derek quietly heated water, removing the lid off of the kettle before it could start to make noise. He choose some loose leaf spiced orange tea to put in the infuser. It’d been quite some time since he last made tea this way, having only some bags of mint, ginger lemon, and Earl Grey at home which he usually just tossed in a mug and put in the microwave when he wasn’t making coffee. He was looking forward to trying the selection of beans too, but grinding them would be quite loud so he would wait until Stiles got up.

Mug in hand Derek slipped outside to check the warded perimeter and again found nothing out of place. There was one moment where he'd stilled when a sudden gust of cool wind sent leaves swirling wildly around him, but it was just the capricious fall weather. Back inside, he read a naturalist’s autobiography from one of the bookshelves for an hour or so and then started making breakfast.

After slicing some peaches he began preparing a pot of old fashioned oatmeal with water and a pinch of salt. While that was cooking he put bacon on to fry and it wasn’t long before he heard the telltale signs of a semi-conscious Stiles. Smiling, he added milk, brown sugar, maple syrup, and sliced almonds to the oatmeal and covered it, leaving it on warm. 

By the time the groggy Spark managed to get himself upright, stumbled to the bathroom, and then came grumbling into the kitchen a mug of French press coffee was on the counter waiting for his grabby hands. 

“Thanks,” he said after a couple sips with a blissful expression on his squinty face. 

“You’re welcome. Food is ready if you want some.”

Stiles shot him an incredulous look as if he were crazy to suggest he might not. Derek snorted and took it as a compliment. 

He’d only recently gotten back into cooking after years of mostly subsisting on noodles, sandwiches, and protein shakes. It had just seemed pointless for a while, a waste of time when he didn’t care what the source of calories were that fueled him as long as he could function. Why bother when the world was ashes in his mouth? When he felt he didn’t deserve those comforts or found it too painful to be reminded of better times, the memories that certain smells and tastes would conjure. 

But he was trying to hold onto the good that was and to make new memories. Cooking for his pack made him feel useful in a tangible way. Providing like an Alpha should. Not only training and discipline, but comfort and nourishment too. And it was something he simply enjoyed. Trying different recipes, tweaking and perfecting old ones. It calmed him. 

Derek chopped half of the bacon strips to put on top of their bowls of oatmeal, sweet and salty-savory just like his paternal grandmother used to make it. The rest he placed on a plate with peaches and set between them. 

Once the coffee kicked in Stiles was animated again, thinking up ways to entice or summon the supernatural creature, assuming it was still around. They planned to go out on another hike after taking it easy for an hour or so. Neither of them sensed any malevolent entities then, so they decided to split up a bit to cover more ground while remaining in earshot just in case. He reminded Stiles to watch where he was going when the teen headed off into the forest, Derek going down to walk parallel on the lakeshore.

When Stiles cried out in pain Derek’s heart leapt into his throat. Was there something out here after all and did it just attack his mate? He ran toward the sound as fast as he could, claws and fangs out and ready to tear into any hostile creature who dared to hurt the emissary-in-training. They hadn’t gone far from each other so less than a minute later he came skidding to a halt in front of the younger man who was currently half sitting and half sprawled on the ground, wincing and holding his right leg out straight, resting it on his left leg. 

Derek looked all around and honed in on his hearing and sense of smell for signs of another presence even as he started talking to Stiles, who was attempting to get up.

“Are you okay? What happened?”

The human groaned and cursed before settling back and sighing heavily. 

“Just me and my clumsiness. I tripped on a root and and then caught myself by stepping in a gopher hole or something. Landed wrong. I think it’s sprained, not broken, but it still hurts like a bitch.”

Derek stopped scanning for threats and let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. Stiles might be the worse for wear, but he was okay. Would be okay. He let his beta shift melt away and closed his still red eyes.

“Der? Hey, what’s wrong? You’re, um, shaking dude…”

What? He looked down at himself and he was indeed trembling, especially his hands. Derek swallowed.

“Don’t call me ‘dude,’” he grumped quietly for old time’s sake. He crouched down and looked Stiles over, pausing to take in the scarf around his neck and the scent of them, and wondered if he was really going to do this. 

If not now, then when? If something terrible had happened what would you regret more? Bright brown eyes watched him curiously, waiting for him to continue. He took a deep breath.

“I thought something had happened to you. That you were hurt...“ Stiles looked down at his now impressively swollen ankle and then back at him, raising an eyebrow. Derek smirked and huffed, the moment of levity releasing some of his tension. 

“That you had been attacked, he clarified.” Stiles nodded, but still appeared a bit puzzled. Here goes.

“And I…Stiles, if anything happened to you…I couldn’t bear it.”

The scents of happiness and surprise overtook the bitterness of pain and the nineteen year old smiled at him affectionately. 

“You’re not getting rid of me that easily. Don’t worry, you won’t have to learn how to navigate web forums or need to get your own subscription to JSTOR or anything—“

“No, that’s not…” Derek growled in frustration. He had been so adamant about not showing his feelings — and promising a world of hurt to any of the young wolves who figured it out should they let it spill — that Stiles truly had no idea what he thought of him. That and the human’s self-esteem issues, which he tried to hide behind sarcasm and self-deprecating laughter that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

Fuck it. Derek reached out and placed a palm against Stiles’ jaw and cheek. The younger man inhaled sharply through his nose and stilled.

“If anything happened to you, specifically, I couldn’t bear it. You’re very important to me, Stiles. And I’m sorry for not making that clear.”

Stiles licked his lips nervously, eyes searching Derek’s face.

“Uh, do you mean because I’m your packmate or…?”

“Or.”

There was a soft sound that was surprise and disbelief and longing all at once. Derek wanted to hear all of Stiles’ noises. He ran his thumb across the soft skin and was rewarded with a whimper as the teen leaned into his hand. Derek then leaned toward him.

Their first kiss was was slow and sweet, reassuring and exploratory. They rested their foreheads together breathing each others air. 

“Wow,” Stiles whispered.

“Mmhmm,” he agreed.

Then the human went to adjust his position and hissed in pain. Oh right. 

“Let’s get you back,” Derek said, rising to his feet and then carefully helping Stiles up without putting weight on his injured ankle. The stubborn youth tried awkwardly hopping while braced against him, but after a couple minutes of the very slow going, obviously tiring, and all-around ridiculous movement Derek had enough and swooped a squawking Stiles up into a bridal carry.

“Hey, I could make it just fine on—!” 

He shot the Stiles a flat look and he huffed, crossing his arms and turning away with flushing cheeks. Derek’s nostrils flared as musky-sweet arousal soon overtook the sour-salt burn of embarrassment. The action wasn’t missed and those cheeks grew redder still as did the strength of both scents and he grinned, hefting him higher and more firmly against his body. 

Derek already knew that Stiles liked it when he manhandled him. He had both tried to avoid it as much as possible and did so deliberately at different points in times, which now that he thought of it was kind of an asshole thing to do. The thing was that he knew the human was attracted to him, but he hadn’t realized there were serious feelings on his end too. Derek sighed. A mess. 

A while later he could feel Stiles staring at him and he turned to look at him inquisitively.

“Don’t mind me, I’m just wondering if I actually hit my head when I fell and this is all just a trauma-induced hallucination.” Derek laughed and brought his lips to Stiles’. “Hmm, still not sure, better try that again.” A few minutes went by in silence before he continued. “But seriously, I can’t believe this is happening. I mean, you used to hate me and now—“

“I never hated you,” Derek interrupted. 

“Not even when I helped get you arrested?”

“Not even then. Frustrated and annoyed by you, definitely. Angry at, for sure. But hate you? Never. You’re my—“ he cut off when he realized what he was about to say. Despite his truly extraordinary levels of denial at the time he knew when they first met that the trespassing teenager was his mate. It was surely too early to talk about all that, though. He didn’t want to freak out the human, who was of course now observing him with a sharpened gaze.

“I’m your what?”

“My soon-to-be emissary who should really pay more attention to where he’s going in the future,” he replied with a shit-eating grin. Stiles narrowed his eyes. Derek knew better than to expect him to drop the matter, but hopefully some deflecting would buy him time. “Oh, and what was it that you called me once? ‘Issues City’?”

Stiles cringed in his arms.

“Oh god, I’m sorry, Der. I didn’t mean anything by—“

“I know,” he replied, grinning and rolling his eyes. “And, it’s not like you were wrong.”

Stiles giggled. “True. And obviously, I’m right there myself in the yurt next to yours.”

“Why would we be living in yurts? Those are for camping and stuff or, you know, actual  nomadic people. Not cities.”

“I dunno dude, cuz they're cool and it’s fun to say? Step out of your box. Use your imagination. Live a little—”

“In our imaginary city,” he deadpanned.

“Yes, Derek! My yurt...” Stiles paused, the tip of his tongue adorably poking out the side of his mouth as he thought. “Has a moat full of Baja Blast and is guarded by an army of angry quokkas.”

“Well my yurt is—“

He was suddenly holding an armful of convulsively laughing teenager and he raised his eyebrows, shaking his head when it subsided only after a whined “Oww.” A few moments later Stiles was mocking him, repeating “my yurt” with an exaggerated seriousness of voice and facial expressions, setting himself off again with the same results.

“Are you done?” Derek asked, trying to keep a straight face.

The impish youth nodded, attempting to portray the very picture of innocence.

“My…” Stiles leaned ever so slightly forward and Derek narrowed his eyes, taking a deep breath. “Collapsableportablecirculardwelling is—” 

This time they both dissolved into laughter, Derek sliding his hand further down to brace the injured leg so it wouldn’t be jostled too much.

When they returned Stiles removed his shoes, hoodie, and the scarf, uncharacteristically careful with the latter by taking a moment to hang it over a chair instead of just tossing it aside. He then dug around in his bag and pulled out a bottle wrapped in a runed token with relief. 

“I should’ve brought this when we went out in case of—“

“You?” 

He chuckled as Stiles glared at him. Just because he finally made his feelings (well, some of them) known didn’t mean he was going to stop giving the younger man shit. 

The Spark swallowed a dropper full of the purple liquid and Derek couldn’t help watching the movement of his Adam’s apple on the once more uncovered throat. He forced himself to stop staring and listened to Stiles explain how it sped up the healing of at least non-severe injuries to near werewolf levels. Apparently it also used a good deal of energy because shortly after he was fast asleep on the couch and once again in an awkward position. Derek shook his head fondly and gently straightened out his neck and arranged his limbs so that he wouldn’t wake up so cricked that he’d have to take the purple stuff again. 

He busied himself going through the impressively stocked fridge, freezer, and pantry again and figured out what he wanted to make for dinner. For Stiles. Filling, nutritious, comforting and seasonal foods that also served to show what he could make, how he could provide, if he made the effort. 

Brown stewed turkey wings cooked low and slow, which he learned from his mother who was herself taught by a Jamaican friend in college. He roasted butternut squash and sweet potato, the later of which he used to make a creamy soup with caramelized red onion, garlic, sage, and an intriguing smelling curry blend he found called rogan josh, but held off on the blending for now. Then came the baking: a simple, crusty loaf of bread and ginger chocolate chip cookies. 

There were mulling spices and red wine so he heated some on the stove and lightly sweetened it with honey. For a cold beverage he put some of the delicious fresh pressed honeycrisp apple juice into a carafe with optional bourbon and cardamom bitters on the side. By the time he was preparing a spinach salad with kale, walnuts, and apple with an orange vinaigrette Sleeping Beauty was beginning to stir from his slumber. 

“Mmm, something smells amazing," Stiles mumbled sleepily before sitting up and stretching his arms above his head. Derek was instantly drawn to the strip of belly revealed when his shirt rode up and he swallowed. When he looked up Stiles was watching him, head slightly tilted and a rosiness to his cheeks. 

"Um, d-dinner's ready," he stammered, turning abruptly to start dishing things up as the scents of amusement and low grade arousal wafted over to him. 

This evening was cooler than the last so they ate snuggled up in blankets sitting in front of the remote controlled fireplace on the thick, fluffy rug. It was indeed even more comfortable than it looked. Stiles had the scarf on again and Derek couldn't help glancing over repeatedly, pleased to see his mate wearing his gift, smelling more like his, and enjoying the meal he prepared for him. 

"God Derek, you need to keep cooking like this when we get back. At least sometimes. I'm begging you," Stiles said, scraping the remaining bits together and moaning obscenely as he ate the last bite. 

Derek felt his eyes flash red and he could just make out Stiles' pupils dilating in the flickering glow of the firelight. The human took a shaky breath and scooted over to him, gaze falling to his mouth and up again. Derek turned further and wrapped his arms around him, drawing Stiles close and sinking his face against that them scented throat, inhaling deeply. 

A hand grasped the back of his head and then legs were scrambling as Stiles awkwardly climbed into his lap to straddle him, rubbing against him and whispering, “Please.”  

Derek lifted his head and caught those soft, parted lips that he’d dreamt of for so long, pressing against them and then sucking the lower before slipping his tongue inside. Stiles made a desperate, needy sound and he smiled, deepening the kiss.

He leaned forward, bracing a hand on the floor to set Stiles down below him and laid between his legs, rutting against him while continuing to his plunder his mouth.

“Off,” Stiles gasped when they came up for air, tugging at his shirt. Derek rose up to obey, pulling it off with a single motion and not above flexing when the younger man paused to stare. Smiling, he grasped a hesitant hand and brought it to his chest to assure Stiles that he was allowed to feel. The other soon joined and slender fingers roamed over him in tandem and separately in turns, up to his shoulders and upper arms and along his sides then across his twitching abdomen. 

“You’re so gorgeous, Derek,” Stiles said quietly. 

He couldn’t help blushing. Many people found him attractive, generally to his chagrin, but no one  else ever sounded like that. Like he was precious and beautiful, not just an object to be imposed on.

After another minute or so of exploring, the human started wiggling to remove his own clothes and Derek splayed a hand on his half-bared belly.

“Let me,” he said huskily. Stiles nodded and sank back against the rug, raising his arms above his head.

Derek unwrapped his mate like the gift that he was, starting with unwinding the scarf. He put it aside, his other palm running over that pale column possessively, and then came the shirt, pushed up and off to expose lean muscle. Unable to resist anymore he dove to taste and mark at last, latching onto Stiles’ throat to nibble and suck from one side to the other. 

Working his way down over Stiles’ left clavicle, Derek pressed an ear directly over his rapidly beating heart for several moments before proceeding to mouth at a raised nipple, earning a light gasp. Tweaking the other between his fingertips, he then switched to soothe it with his tongue. 

When he moved toward his belly button, scruff brushing lightly against the skin, Stiles jolted up part way and giggled. Derek joined in the laughter and seeing those ever moving hands fly up to where he was ticklish gave him an idea. Picking up the scarf and holding it taut between his upturned palms he looked down at the curious youth with a hint of red in his stare.

“Can I?”

Stiles dropped his gaze to the length of fabric, swallowing as understanding bloomed in his eyes.

“Yeah.”

He bound his mate’s wrists together with one end and then looped the middle twice around a leg of the coffee table before wrapping the other end around the first and securing it with a snug knot. The ties were loose enough to not damage the material and they could be worked out of with a bit of effort, but it would serve as a reminder and stay any errant movements.  

Slowly, he divested Stiles of his pants, his heart racing when Derek bent down to nuzzle at the bulge in his red boxer briefs and breathed in his deepening arousal before pulling those off as well. 

“Beautiful,” Derek said, leaning back to survey the enthralling sight before him. The resultant all over blush made him even more lovely. 

He nudged strong yet supple thighs further apart and made himself comfortable between them, grasping Stiles’ cock in his left hand as he reached to fondle his balls with the right and took one into his mouth. Palming the underside of his thighs, Derek then pushed up to expose his prize, lapping over his mate’s pretty hole. 

Spurred on by breathy expletives, he delved and teased until the human was a writhing, whimpering mess, easing off and squeezing at the base of his cock when Stiles got close. Derek set a knee over his shoulder and licked up and around the shaft, finally engulfing the head and sinking down down down and up again, hollowing his cheeks. He popped off momentarily to let saliva flow into Stiles’ cleft, coating his thumb and circling it over the rim as he got back to work and met dazed whisky colored eyes. 

When Stiles approached his peak again Derek pressed the thick digit through his tight entrance, groaning at the feel of him as he found and rubbed against his prostate. Moments later Stiles was crying out and coming down his throat and he was determined not to lose a single drop. Derek didn’t release him until he was sure he’d swallowed it all, pulling off the spent member and licking the tip for good measure, still continuing to finger the trembling Spark.

“Lube…my bag,” Stiles said, panting.

Derek withdrew and got up, making a stop to the bathroom and returning with some damp cloths before retrieving the bottle from the duffle and grabbing a throw cushion from the couch.

“I wasn’t being…presumptuous,” Stiles suddenly blurted, trying to emphasize with his hands before remembering he was restrained. “I use it, you know, myself when—“

“Stiles, relax. I’m very glad you brought some.” He set the stuff down on the coffee table. “Besides, apparently you would’ve been right to be.” Derek smirked as he unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, pushing them down and stepping out of them.

“God, I knew it. Of course you go commando,” Stiles whined, eyes wide while taking him in. 

He flashed a predatory grin.

“Only sometimes, but I’ll keep your approval in mind.”

Derek took hold of his rock hard erection and stroked himself lazily, enjoying the way Stiles watched him, biting that plumped lower lip as he advanced toward him. He wanted to feel them wrapped around his cock so he set himself over the youth and got down to straddle his chest. Stiles gasped and licked his lips and Derek gently gripped his face, running a thumb over his cheek.

“Okay?” he asked.

Stiles nodded enthusiastically and croaked, “Yeah.” 

He opened his mouth and Derek leaned forward, running the tip over those cupid’s bow lips and sighing in pleasure as he finally entered that welcoming wet heat. Stiles began to bob and suck as well as he could in that position as Derek met his eyes, caressing the side of his face with the back of his right hand. 

How did he ever get so goddamn lucky? 

Truth be told, he assumed that Stiles would’ve been long gone by now and he hadn't planned to do — to say — anything to hold him back, but the stubborn young man stayed and now here they were and if he wasn't literally being blown this very instant he wouldn't have believed. Hell, it still felt like a dream. 

He blinked as he realized that encompassing warmth had pulled away, tongue flicking over him playfully instead, and he refocused to see his mate's amused expression. 

"You alright there, big guy?" 

"Yeah, sorry,” he murmured, embarrassed by his distraction and hoping Stiles didn’t think he’d been anything less than wonderful. “I just…I can't believe I get to have you. I never expect—” 

“Well, get used to it, Alpha,” the mischievous human interjected, delighting his wolf and drawing out a possessive rumble. “Now come down here and kiss me and then fuck my face.”

Derek’s jaw fell open even as Stiles flushed at his own brazen command yet refused to look away. He hurried to comply, tasting traces of himself as their mouths slotted together, soft and slow and deep. When they came up for air Derek got back into position, eyes dark with desire,  but hesitant.

“Go ahead, Der,” Stiles said, seductively licking his lips. “I want you to and I know you want to, don’t even front. Plus, it’ll give my neck a break,” he added, smirking before opening up wide.

Derek chuckled and slide a hand through Stiles’ growing hair and around to the back, holding him in place as he shifted forward and leaned on his other hand as he fed his cock to the eager Spark. His hips started jerking as soon as those lips stretched tight around him and he groaned as he began to thrust in earnest, finding a rhythm. He was wasn’t sure how experienced the younger man was so he did his best to stop shy of choking him. 

The signs of his mate’s enjoyment at being used so, the half-lidded gaze and the pleasant vibrations from his muffled moans, only served to bring Derek closer to the edge. As amazing as it would be to come in that lovely mouth though, he wanted to fuck Stiles even more, so he would save that for another time. Many many other times if he had his way.

Stiles pouted when he withdrew and moved back, but began jiggling a foot in anticipation once he reached for the lube. Derek pressed two slippery fingers inside where his tongue and thumb had been not long before, pumping and twisting and scissoring. He slipped in a third, growling at the sight of Stiles rocking onto him, his cock erect and leaking once more. 

With apologies Derek brought his hand away to slick himself up, promising his mate that he was about to give him what he needed. He settled over Stiles and between his spread legs, leaning down for a sloppy kiss before drawing back enough to push his knees up. When Derek had him bent almost in half he pressed the tip of his cock against the teen’s fluttering hole and waited for him to exhale.

There was a moment of resistance before the head popped through that tight ring and then he was plunging slow and steady into Stiles’ hot channel. Derek put a palm to his hip to drain his discomfort and he felt the younger man relax as he bottomed out. Holding still, he ignored the urge to thrust fast and hard so that his mate could get used to him. 

When Stiles indicated that he was ready Derek started off with short, gentle strokes that gradually increased in intensity, dragging over that special bundle of nerves and making the Spark close his eyes in pleasure. Capturing those parted lips, he used his tongue in time with the snap of his hips, wanting to be inside his mate in every way possible.

Derek broke the kiss and reached above them to tug open the knot and loosen the loops of the scarf so that Stiles could slip free. He’d greatly enjoyed their evening playing with it — the trust, vulnerability, and submission —  but now he needed something more, needed to feel his mate’s touch. 

As soon as the teen had stretched and shaken out his arms they were wrapped around his waist and upper back, the hand of the latter sliding up to burrow in his hair as Stiles rocked up to meet every thrust and chanted his name. Derek held him close, their movements becoming a slow, deep fully body grind as they resumed kissing like they could only breathe the other’s air. Pressed flush together until he didn’t know where he ended and Stiles began, their scents no longer just their own, but imbued with them.

Stiles’ orgasm took them both by surprise, the human crying out and digging blunt fingernails into his shoulders as liquid pulsed between them and he clenched rhythmically around Derek’s cock, taking him over the edge as well. He buried his face in the cast off blankets to muffle his roar as he filled Stiles with his essence, already longing to do it again when they separated at last and he floated euphoric between wakefulness and sleep.

“So, I’m your mate, huh?” 

Derek’s eyes flew open some indeterminate amount of time later to find Stiles watching him with a wry smile.

“C’mon dude, you can’t be surprised I figured it out. ‘I can’t hate you, you’re my dot dot dot,’” the human mimicked, giving him a pointed look. “I’m only mad I didn’t see it earlier. I chalked up all the lurking, sorry, ‘checking in’ by my house to me being a vulnerable human and stuff.” Stiles snorted at his stunned expression. 

“I have wards, duh. And I made them so that I basically get a daily proximity report for non-hostile activity around the house just in case there’s still something I should know about,” he explained, shrugging. Derek cringed and Stiles patted him on the shoulder, squeezing  before continuing. “Or maybe it was something you did with all your packmates, I never asked.” 

There was a hint of something — anxiety? insecurity? — that led him to think that the Spark hadn’t wanted to know for sure that it was the same with everyone. Or to learn that he was being treated differently, but not for reasons he wanted. So he just didn’t in order to be able to maybe imagine sometimes… 

Derek understood perfectly, his heart aching for his mate who’d apparently been doing his own dance of pining and avoidance. How very fitting and silly of them.

“But add in the scarf,” Stiles continued — reaching across him to grab it and drape it over himself, fingers tracing its patterns lovingly — “and the sniffing and looks and providing since we’ve been here and well, I finally put 2 and 2 together. I might be fairly oblivious, but you, Mr. Wolf, are not subtle.”

Derek barked a laugh and grinned, unable to be annoyed at his pushy instinctual side when this was the outcome.

“Yes, you’re my clever, ridiculous mate.” 

“Sweet.”

The subsequent reflective silence lasted approximately 37 seconds.

“Sooo…do you have a knot?” 

Derek groaned and flopped onto his back, closing his eyes. He tried not to giggle when Stiles began poking him in the shoulder, complaining that he had a right to know about things which may or may not make an appearance in his ass. Sighing, he turned back over. 

“After the mating is complete, apparently.”

“Seems pretty complete to me,” Stiles joked, wagging his eyebrows. Derek rolled his eyes. 

“I suppose it’s time to borrow those books from Peter for you. The short version is, well, there has to be certain…intentions and behaviors and then a mating bite with my wolf teeth if—if you decide you want it someday and—“

“When,”  Stiles emphasized, matter-of-factly.

“When,” he repeated with a smile, pulling his mate close and nuzzling him to revel in their combined scents. 

The conversation continued, astute inquiries and humorous asides becoming intermittent murmurs until Stiles drifted off and he soon followed, lulled by the sound of his mate’s breathing.

Unsurprisingly, Derek woke first again and laid there for a good 15-20 minutes just watching Stiles sleep. Taking in the sight of him so soft and disheveled, beautiful and all his. His mate. When the desire to touch and taste won out over his contentment to observe, he made his way under the blanket haphazardly covering the human to part his thighs just enough to suckle at his dormant cock.

He’d mentioned last night how intense his cravings for his mate would be, especially this first month, now that they’d slept together. Stiles had grinned smugly and given him permission to have his way with him unless he stated otherwise.

Derek savored the evidence of arousal growing on his tongue and began to work slowly up and down the hardening shaft, coaxing the human back into consciousness. 

“Well, hello there,” Stiles mumbled, petting his head with a smile in his voice. 

In response, Derek redoubled his efforts and those slender fingers curled, tugging at his hair, and he moaned in approval. He encouraged Stiles to thrust upward in time with his movements, playing with his balls and then pressing behind them until he was rewarded with cries of pleasure and swallowed down his warm release. 

There was still no sign of any supernatural activity later that morning, fae or otherwise, as they reported again to Isaac. Whatever mystery being (or human prankster) had been there before had seemingly moved on, but they figured they might as well enjoy one more lazy day and cozy night alone together. Stiles fired up the grill that evening and it was Derek’s turn to be provided for and impressed by his mate’s cooking. They had filet mignon kebabs with zucchini and red onion accompanied by salted foil wrapped baked potatoes served with sour cream, chives, and smoked paprika. 

After one last walk around the property and down to the lake and back Derek got the whirlpool going and they blissed out soaking in the hot, turbulent water. The noises Stiles let out as the tension in his body dissipated, sliding down in the seat until his head was thrown back against the edge and his throat on full display, had Derek promptly wedged between his legs, sucking new bruises between yesterday’s blooms and grinding against him. 

He wasn’t about to attempt penetration in the water, but had another tantalizing idea in mind. Derek hauled Stiles up and turned him around before carefully placing him down with his torso on the surrounding deck and his legs and and ass hanging over the side. All but ripping off his trunks, Derek knelt back on the seat in the hot tub and spread his cheeks, eating him out with abandon until Stiles climaxed untouched with a guttural moan that he vowed to wring from him again.

Then he got out and carried his mate inside over his shoulder, snagging the bottle of lube from the living room and heading to christen the bedroom. Derek set the loose limbed teen onto the mattress on his belly and propped his hips up with a pillow. Impatiently, he slicked himself up and tested Stiles’ still ready hole with a couple of fingers before mounting him and sheathing his cock in a single motion. 

Derek pressed against his back and pinned him down, thrusting in long, deep strokes that made the teen gasp, increasing in speed until they grew erratic. His balls drew up and he howled as he planted his seed deep inside Stiles’ pliant body, remaining there until the human began to squirm. When he finally pulled away he dropped down beside his fuck drunk mate and peppered his smiling face with kisses. 

Stiles swatted his ass playfully and then grabbed hold of a cheek as they snuggled.

“Next time you can fuck me if you want,” he whispered, laughing at the surprised and hungry look on the teen’s face. 

They got up shortly before dawn and packed the last of their things, only bothering with a cursory shower because most of the time they had to spare was spent with Stiles’ kneeling on some extra towels in the stall with Derek’s cock in his insatiable mouth. 

Miraculously, they managed to leave at a quarter to 8:00 so Stiles could get back for his noon class barring any lengthy unexpected events. They passed the time with a combination of radio roulette, talking about whatever came to mind, and comfortable silence as Stiles read or gazed out the window and Derek had his thoughts, which were actually pleasant for once. How could they not be with his mate by his side?

To think that going on this random and apparently unnecessary, but strangely amazing trip had changed so much for the both of them. It couldn’t have been more perfect if it had been planned.

He glanced over and Stiles was idly playing with the end of his scarf with his right hand and Derek took his left, their fingers interlocking seamlessly like the red and amber yarn. It felt like they’d been doing this for ages. As if they belonged there, bound together. 

They did. 

Isaac:  

Recently returned from his morning English class, Isaac was getting a jump on the reading assignment when he heard the Camaro pull up outside.

He thew down the paperback and hurried over to the window to peer outside through a gap in the curtains. Derek and Stiles — who was wearing the scarf, yes! — were talking and standing rather close. He crossed his fingers. 

Moments later Derek took both of Stiles’ hands in his own and the human laughed, leaning in for a kiss. Isaac pumped his fist.

 “Hallelujah,” he whispered, turning away and picking up his phone feeling incredibly smug.

<They’re back. It worked.> 

<Thank fuck> replied Z-ter. <If I had to listen to one more longing sigh I would’ve gone and gotten myself killed a second time.>

Isaac snickered. <Dramatic much? But now we’re probably gonna have to put up with the loft smelling like a whorehouse.> 

<Like you’ve ever been to a whorehouse. Anyway, that would still be an improvement over the stench of sadness, frustration, and failure.>

<Lmao.>

<But speaking of your taste in music…>

<Oh, fuck you.>

<Sorry, this is Peter, not Scott or Allison.>

Blushing fiercely and mouth hanging open, he tried to think of a response, but the elder beta continued on like he didn’t just casually wreck him.

<I’m glad it was successful. Not that I had much doubt, it was my plan after all.>

Isaac huffed. <*Our* plan.>

Sure their resident zombie wolf had the associate with a decked out cabin who owed him a favor, but the idea to send them off somewhere together after Derek asked for the scarf —  which he then beautifully made, thank you very much — had been his.

<Tomayto, tomahto.>

He sent a middle finger emoji.

The Jeep struggled to life out front and Derek walked in shortly after with a big, stupid grin on his face. Isaac just looked at him and shook his head though he was secretly happy for his Alpha. God knew he deserved some joy in his life, even if it was with Stiles of all people. He only hoped that he didn’t have to see or hear any activities as well. Isaac would bet anything that Stiles was a screamer. 

Later that afternoon he received a message from the loud mouth himself.

<Glad to see my baby is still one piece.>

<I know your clumsy ass isn’t talking about breaking things.>

<Lol, fair. Hey, do you think you could knit me a beanie sometime? That scarf you made is pretty awesome, btw.>

Isaac sighed heavily. Of course.

<Hmm…for a price.>

<Well that sounds ominous.>

<Grinning devil emoji. Just a small favor at some point in the future. No first borns, I promise.>

<Uhhh…okaaay…>

<Deal. Now let me guess…gray with green. Perhaps with some blue and gold accents?>

<Holy shit, how did you know?!?>

<I’m psychic.>

Isaac rolled his eyes as he set the phone back on the side table. “Idiots, the both of them,” he muttered.

Still he couldn’t help smiling as he began looking through his supplies. 

#sterek #sterek fanfic #stiles stilinski fanart #wip big bang #sterek & stuff events #equiknots #equiknots apple #equiknots between #equiknots falling leaves #equiknots flame #equiknots knot #equiknots song #equiknots travel #equiknots trisk #trisk

[harloqui]

I see there's new people in the tags? 👀

I'm kinda concerned about the amount of shifters trickling in and your safety, so I hope y'all don't mind if I offer up some information and tips for newbies looking to safely navigating the community:

Avoid people who start talking about doomsday conspiracies. They never come true, and tends to create unnecessary drama and anxiety. Also be wary of people who talk about hunters a lot - those who talk about them aren't typically dangerous but it can still lead to a lot of unnecessary paranoia and drama, so you might want to avoid those conversations if you're not in a good headspace for them.

Never pay for any claimed tricks or secrets to shifting. Never give any of your personal info (as in, photos of yourself, your address, etc.) to someone offering to turn you. Never meet up with someone who claims to be able to turn you. Most (if not all) of the people offering "the secrets to p-shift" freely like this have nefarious intentions, and you don't want to get caught up in their plans.

Don't feel pressured to do things that make you feel worse, or impair you. Nobody should be forcing you to shift, cut off connections or friends, hurt yourself or do anything that you don't feel comfortable doing. If they are, cut them off or tell someone who can help.

If you're the pack-faring type, remember that packs should be democratic and fair to all its members. A pack should not be a dictatorship, or a place where some members gang up on others. An alpha or beta should not be power-hungry and controlling. Packs are more like found family, a group of friends, or an online forum, not an abusive cult.

Keep up with your health and life. Don't neglect it because you're a shifter, make sure you're healthy (or as healthy as you can be.) Shifting sucks when you're sick, so make sure you're taking care of yourself! But don't overdo it (don't take too much vitamins or drink too much water, for example) - even too much of a good thing can be dangerous! And don't do anything that seems too dangerous for your body. Even as a shifter (and even when shifted) your body still has limits.

Also, don't forget to take care of your mundane duties either. You may be a shifter, but you're also living in a human society, and unfortunately you can't survive in one without living like a human. (I know younger shifters tend to get a little overzealous and forget about their everyday lives for a bit, so this is moreso geared towards them than the experienced ones.) Stay in school, learn well, pick up a new hobby or two, enjoy what human society has to offer.

(Also take this, it will help you on your journey)

I'm pretty sure most of you know this already, but since I don't know who knows, I thought it wouldn't hurt to have a refresher. Stay safe out there!

#sorry I don't mean to come off as a concern troll but I do genuinely want you all to stay safe #p-shifting #real shifters #shifting #real supernatural #real werewolves #p-shifter #physical shifter #physical shifters #proudphysicalshifter #physical shifting

[naffeclipse]

Hoooooooooooooo boy! That chapter huh! So here we go!

(Oh god I'm looking at my notes and I'm already afraid of how long this is gonna be fgkdjhñjgf they're usually like half of this)

Ok, ok so! I was already hooked before even starting to read because of how last chapter ended! The way they were all mostly silent as they fled from the motel. That certainly was a situation for everyone involved. Aaah I was having so many feelings at seeing the boys shaken by what happened with the seal! And so was y/n since they were concerned and wanted to reassure them that they would protect them from being taken away.

(As a sidenote it's a bit funny but heartwarming too, because for so much of this fic the hunter has made an effort to calm them whenever they (mistakenly) thought the boys were scared and now that there is a situation where they are actually anxious about something, they can genuinely do just that. Say they will protect them.)

And ooo the boys are very confident that FEI wouldn't be able to control them, but it seems a bit reckless to be dismissing the hunter's concerns so quickly given the spook they just went through. I'm sure their experience as an ancient being has made them sure of certain things, but just like y/n's recently got upside down and all their convictions shaken, maybe they shouldn't be so quick to discard the possiblity that FEI has some more tricks in their sleeve. If there's a seal that can prevent them from touching it, what else could be out there right?

And ohoho, we got a bit more info on the salt's effect! Of course, I already know what happens at the end of the chapter, but I'll still put some of my thoughts as I read haha. And here I was wondering if by learning of Sun's inability to cross the salt, but Moon being able to, then a possible loophole for the vow could exist. Because technicaly they can cross the salt, just not all the time, and so they would be able to go there by technicality. Although that's a bit irrelevant now kjfhgfjds

But speaking about vows and trust, aaah the way they wake them up! Because they promised they would not leave them wondering again! Though ouch, when the hunter pleads with them not to go after the hunters. It must hurt a bit, having their vow being questioned like this, but they understand why that is. And y/n understands that it must hurt, because they apologize quickly. It makes sense though, since the constant lies from before must be a nagging thought even if it is unwanted.

I gotta say, I love the bit of wholesomeness you threw at us right before crap hit the fan XD Freddy’s description was so sweet. He certainly has that politeness about him and the fondness with which his chapter was written is plain to see. Henry really had a good time hanging out with Freddy! Also I love that this gives y/n ideas to study their own demon later on, like using the voicebox to hear their real voice. They want to know if there is something they have been saying that they haven’t been able to hear and that’s pretty cute X3

And then…

Oh, as soon as that brief call from Vanessa ended I had a suspicion of what might happen next. The boys were gone, specifically to eat a heart, the hunters were in their mind, and the sounds through the receiver were terrible. Doubts, doubts, doubts. Of course to us readers it’s plain to see that it wasn’t the boys even before cutting to their perspective. We know Vanessa has been possessed and now the hunter highly suspected it too. But stuff has barely had a chance to calm down, the book mentioned the ability of demons to be cunning and play the long game, and though y/n desperately wants to trust the boys, there’s been a salt shaker full of doubts accompanying them since after the reveal.

(Sidenote: “Your lovely, tired face” You know you overdo it constantly when tired is added to the list of your descriptors gfkjhdñs)

Ahhh Eclipse’s brief section makes the ones that follow hurt so much more. They’re reflecting how y/n will trust them. Does trust them. They’re so hopeful and tentatively happy hhhhhhhhhhhh So when they see all the signals that something is wrong. That they are being regarded so carefully, just ouch. The “What are you afraid of?” Pain. Pain because just last chapter y/n assured them desperately that they weren’t afraid of them. But now it feels like they are, but Moon asks because they remember that, and it must be confusing and that fear that their heart is scared of them lingers.

And oh gosh, not surprised that no hunters survived that but darn it, of course Singh is the first one to be found. Since the trio’s appearance I had a small feeling that oh no something will happen, but I had the hope that after last chapter’s escape maaaaybe they would get to walk away (mainly Singh, sorry I got attached gfdhsgñ). But oof. What a gruesome end for all of them. Cafaro even was dismembered and a hundred percent sure that happened before he killed her. It really highlights how sadistic the cornfield demon is.

But ooooough, the heartbreak of what happens next! I have to wonder how orchestrated it all was, because dang, that notification calling attention to the phone though. Right were all the ugliness of the consumed hearts is on display, basically triggering a bad flashback for them. All factors combined made such a recipe for disaster. And how could it not? Reading Henry’s book, it would seem clear that each demon seems to specialize on eating a single type of organ and so far none of them have been repeated. It’s Eclipse’s word against the evidence, and given their history their word doesn’t hold up to much yet. (But it will after this, I think. Even when everything points at them, the truth is the truth.)

And oh. Oh, I say!

“a warning echoes your name in betrayal” That right there? Hurts. 

Because god. Y/n is so sure they have been betrayed again themselves. They’re feeling used and stupid and gullible. They think the boys are trying to save face to continue fooling them (even if they actually cared a little). And so they fool them right back. Y/n thinks they are playing along with the demon’s game, and use their care (which they no longer think is genuine) for them to trick them. And what a way to do it! They know when they are vulnerable, the boys’ response is to comfort them. And I just knew they were scheming when they admitted out loud to being scared. Because, if I remember correctly, they’ve never done that before. Yes, they have expressed that they do feel fear when they hunt, but always they try to put a brave face during the fact. They hate looking weak and incapable. They’re always the one swearing that it will be fine and they’ll take care of things. And internally that’s their mindset right now. They use what they know about the cryptid to set a trap. They bait them and they trap them.

And oh!! I know it’s a tense moment but I felt a bit validated when they pointed out precisely what stood out to me when they killed the hunter back then. The fact that it was right after they got told about their encounter with the other demon. It does seem like a very damning detail after all. And they plead that they never meant for this to hurt them, but the hunter is now panicking with hurt and trauma induced panic and definitely not in a place to want to listen to them.

(Sidenote: “You are abysmal” oooo that seems like such a low blow because it’s precisely the word the boys have used before. When they asked to stay and prove they are not. That they are not a complete monster. And right here y/n tells them that no, they are)

So! What I said last time about them fearing being the hunted ones, huh? They did get to experience it in the end. And in such a raw way. Unable to flee or fight back even if they wanted to. A paper and a couple of words away from ceasing their lengthy existence. Helplessness in a way they have likely never experienced, even with the seal, because then they could still move their vessel. Sun and Moon stared at death in the face and it was crying.

But hhhh if it was their lies and casual violence that nearly brought their demise, it was their love that spared them. In every act of caring, in every moment they spent together with the hunter. Because they love them back. As much as it makes them ashamed right now they do. And it must be such a conflicting realization when they were this close to an exorcism, but I can only imagine what they saw in their face. Grief at the idea of killing them? Their steely look suddenly falling apart as soon as they looked at them? Aaaaaagh! And then the warning 

(Sidenote: oh I’m just thinking of how long they’re gonna have to sit there with the corpses! I know it’s probably not much to them, and their mind is mostly occupied with worrying about how to fix this mess, but I can’t help being curious about it. They probably never lingered long around any other victims, theirs or otherwise. Admittedly, half a day is not long for a demon who has lived as long as them, but as the hours pass I wonder if they’d turn their thoughts to the fallen hunters for a bit.)

(Sidenote to the sidenote: Now they sit in a heartless room. Both physically and metaphorically :( )

Oof, and then we cut back to y/n. Facing the nightmare, but in no shape to do so. But they are very objective oriented, and so when Vanessa is right there and she needs help and they can do something about it, they push everything aside to focus. They find their strength in that. But oh gosh. Their kind heart might be one of the things that saved the boys, but right now it’s what betrayed the hunter. They saw Vanessa in distress and couldn’t resist running to her aid even when they were not finished with the incantation.

And then, after the episode triggered by the photo, now they see what was supposed to remain just a nightmare become a reality right there. And of course the nightmare recognizes them back. Aaaaaa when he licks the scar!!! Like, I didn’t know it was possible to rub salt over a closed wound! But then again, it never really closed in a way, did it? And now as they stare at their night terror in the flesh, now instead of (or added to) the regret of having failed as a hunter in their own eyes, there is also the regret of what they did to Eclipse, right at that moment when there is nothing they can do to fix it.

Ahhh, I was always so sure that in that first encounter the demon meant to possess y/n!! The way you describe it if I remember correctly, was that they felt trapped by those eyes and it seemed to me more like losing themselves rather than being about to die. Of course it could be he was just prolonging it, but I wonder if there is a certain affinity that would make a demon consider a human a good vessel.

(Sidenote: again very tense moment during the possession, but I was also so excited to see the reference to Help Wanted, with the locked door and the chains and the darkness as they were possessed. Even the bit about everything turning purple when it happens in game!)

Ok, ok, I also just have some rambling about predictions and stuff about the future! That seal is definitely not gonna stay in that pocket just doing nothing. I wonder if they would use it on themselves to trap the demon and guarantee an exorcism where it can’t escape, or maybe the cornfield demon somehow learns about it and uses it against the boys to hinder them when they eventually arrive (though this one seems less likely to me). And following that train of thought, I’m wondering how the exorcism might go (if there is one) to free y/n. They are certainly strong-willed, but also very quick to deem themselves as expendable to get the job done. (Twice regarding the vampires for example, willing to let the vampires drink from them to kill them with holy water even if it could kill them and also when they talk about finishing themselves if they were to turn into a vampire. Also once when just after the reveal, they contemplated not letting Eclipse have a fresh human vessel.)

Also, I’m just so unsure about what might happen to Vanessa! She has spent the most amount of time with this demon. He might kill her, but it’s just as likely that he would abandon her there. She’s dehydrated and famished, and physically weak. If he were to leave her there, it would likely be with the hope that she will die to the elements. Though it would certainly provide a moment for the boys to find her. And Vanessa has a lot of valuable info on this demon’s modus operandi.

And ahhhh I’m also just thinking about the aftermath! Y/n probably desperately wants to apologize to them. But with their self-doubt and how they told them to stay away, they might think they will not come for them. So when everything is said and done, when Eclipse does come for them, I can see a lot of teary exhausted apologies and maybe, just maybe a new vow being made. 

This last part was so scattered but gjkdhñg lots of thoughts as always hehe

Awesome chapter as always, Naff! Thanks for the pain, looking forward to more! X3 

And that’s it from me! I am so excited for the resolution! I can’t believe we are almost there!

Chaotik, I am spinning you around, ahhh! I have been rereading this over and over, and I am smooching your big brain *mwah*

One thing I have to talk about because you pointed out (and so far the only one to have done so) is the moment Y/N said "I'm scared" because as you put it, "...they have expressed that they do feel fear when they hunt, but always they try to put a brave face during the fact. They hate looking weak and incapable. They’re always the one swearing that it will be fine and they’ll take care of things."

That really is them using the boys' care against them, as at this point, Y/N intends to use it to play along, letting the boys' think Y/N is still so gullible and frail (much to their own chagrin) and distracting Sun with their sudden need for comfort. Y/N has never admitted to being scared in the middle of an encounter or otherwise gruesome scene. This was entirely about trapping a demonic cryptid in a salt circle.

I'm really happy you noticed that! Y/N is still a cryptid hunter and they are intelligent and cunning when it comes to their craft. Of course, they were oblivious to their dear friend being a cryptid, but now that there's little doubt in their mind that Eclipse just slaughtered fellow cryptid hunters? Y/N can't let them go. Y/N was on the hunt, they just couldn't finish it ;-; (and for the best, it would turn out hehe)

Thank you so much! I look forward to your comments and I love your analysis! I'm so excited for the ending ♥ Thanks, babe!

#chaotikanvas #cryptid sightings spoilers #moots #*mwah*

[halt-kun]

My Hero Academia Chapter 400 - To the Limit

Finally at chapter 400

It feels weird for me because it means we finally caught up with Hunter x Hunter in term of number of chapters

I really don't like the growing trend of milking every success shounen to the bone

Let them end without some weird sequels and let the author rest, learn from their first manga and come up with a new concept

If we hadn't done that with Yu Yu Hakusho we wouldn't have Hunter x Hunter

Anyway, let's dig in !!!

NICE HAGAKURE

Can't you make only some parts visible ?

Oooooh she's saying that she didn't think about it right after

You will learn to deal with that eventually, it's fine

So there was too much light to refract and she became visible ????

Well Aoyama is going + ULTRA today

CANNOT STOP TWINKLING YOU TO OBLIVION

Well if anyone could replicate new order I'd be very scared

He'll probably die

Deku won't have succeeded but at least he's doing good

he isn't dying for nothing

good luck All Might

Overdo it one last time

He must be a KID

right ...

his body is so small

I FEEL SAD

tears are welling u

he's still smiling but people don't recognize him

also why let your kid watch this grandma ?????

OOOh so far away

but how did you access some japanese stream

GOOD LUCK my boy because All Might just lit another fire far from Japan

THE END OF ALL MIGHT IS NIGH

Toddler AFO

oooof it'll hurt

Why ??? HOW ????

STAIN

I'M SO GLAD

Oh my god that's the best last second save I've seen in a while

Sooooo unexpected too

END HIM END HIM

bye bye AFO

sleep well in hell

#mha 400 #mha spoiler #mha liveblog #mha manga

[alkalinefrog]

MAN so i was thinking about how you draw Hijack, but it used to be Death Note, but now all I can think about is the idea of an Inuyasha-type au, like a portal between worlds kind of vibe.

This just appeared in my brain and I needed to share with someone who enjoys both Hijack and anime, I hope you don't mind haha. Feel free to ignore if you want to!! :)

I tried to think of a DN au for Hijack just now but neither of them are horrible enough people to fit into the DN world LMAO

YOU KNOW WHERE THEY WOULD FIT THO??? NARUTO.

Just as there was a sort of expectation put on Tobirama and Naruto to lead due to lineage, Hiccup would be assumed as next in line to be Hokage in the Land of Fire after his father Stoic (dude like even in the second movie they carve his head into a mountain on Berk it’s perfect). All the villagers are super skeptical of this scrawny book-smart academy student who can barely throw a shuriken straight and gets his ass handed to him during spars.

But lo and behold, when the academy does an intro-to-summoning jutsu class, little Hiccup surprises them all — he’s the first ninja in three hundred years who can summon DRAGONS. At least, we think it’s dragons, the first one he summoned was this tiny black lizard looking thing with no teeth.

Years later, Hiccup has grown into a fine young jounin with his go-to summoning companion, Toothless the dragon. The pair of them dubbed the “Night Furies of the Leaf”! But disaster strikes, and Stoic gives his life to save the village from their invaders. Hiccup steps up as the youngest Hokage in history at just eighteen years old.

So at this point you can guess how wary the village would be to any outsiders — and how unwelcoming they are to this blue-eyed, white-haired refugee from the Land of Water stumbling to their gates.

It hasn’t even been a week after the attack when Jack, the last known descendant of the Yuki Clan, known for their famous ice-release technique, comes fleeing with like ten bounty hunters in tow. Every village he’s run to has turned him away, fearing the “curse” his bloodline brings. The border guards are about to deny him when Hiccup and Toothless swoop in and fold those ten guys like a ninja-lawn chair.

Despite everyone’s protests, Hiccup welcomes Jack to join their village and even offers him rank as a chunin ninja. Everyone’s like wtf dawg and shun the outsider, ignoring Jack and pretending he doesn’t exist.

Jack’s used to this since his clan was ostracized long before he was born, and plays pranks on people just so that they notice him. The last straw is some rather “inspired” graffiti on Stoic’s mountain face, and Hiccup assigns him to be an academy teacher to keep him in line. However, to everyone’s (except Hiccup because he’s always believed in Jack) surprise, Jack takes to the job like a duck to water — he LOVES kids!! All the students flourish under his gentle guidance and have so much more fun going to school! Slowly but surely the village warms up to him.

Eventually he gets promoted to jounin given his talents and assigned his own team of genin (you bet Jamie’s in there) because of how great a teacher he is.

However, he gets very reckless when it comes to protecting his students, and ends up in the hospital a lot for overdoing it on missions. Hiccup reprimands him constantly and definitely only visits him in the hospital to make sure he’s learned his lesson and not because he’s fun to talk to and is genuinely so kind and has really pretty eyes and wait what was he talking about, he lost track.

ALL THAT IS TO SAY yes I enjoy Hijack and anime, thank you for swinging by with the fun ask I hijacked (hehe)

#I’m. such a nERD #ask #anonymous #hijack naruto au #lol

[darkmoonravewolf]

Do you think that like Willow, Hunter, and Amity like to workout together?

All of them have a background which made them more active so it seems like a fun thing for them like-

After the grudgby game, Willow started training on her own and became interested in Flyer Derby. She wasn't good at it at first but after a few tips from Amity, Viney, and Flyer derby videos, she got Really good at it and it shows!

Meanwhile Amity, after healing up, starts to workout out again due to realizing how fun being active was. She quit due to hurting her teammates so her love for the sport and competitiveness never really went away.

Hunter is a now ex guard, but I still feel like he'd do routine stretches and exercises to stay fit and it's also a good mental relief for him. Though the others do have to get him to calm down sometimes, cause if he's super stressed, he'll overdo it

Amity and Willow started doing joint workouts together at first and then after getting to the human realm, Hunter joins them. Every morning they'll go out running, and then do thier individual routines while just talking.

Luz joins them occasionally though she's still not that good at proper workouts. Her form is a bit off (not that Amity minds correcting her) but she still would rather go on adventures to test herself even if her friends and girlfriend scold her for it.

Gus tried to exercise once and nearly died as the others just assumed he'd be able to keep up since he usually does in thier adventures. Turns out adrenaline is a hell of a drug, and so he'll join them on runs and light stretches but after that he'll just sit back and watch.

#the kit's cartoons #the owl house #the kit screams! #amity blight #hunter toh #willow park #gus porter #luz noceda #lumity #dumb... dumb ideas #but still fun!

[moxleys-darlin]

The Real Man's Man

Pairings: Bryan Danielson/Wheeler Yuta, Bryan Danielson/Wheeler Yuta/William Regal, implied Shield/BCC/Renee

Summary: Bryan shows Yuta the Real Man’s Man

Sequel to Do You Still Love Me?

Disclaimer: I don't claim anything but the idea; characters (unfortunately) and gifs aren't mine.

(Gifs aren't mine)

Yuta holds the phone between his shoulder and ear as he unlocks the door, and he can hear Roman laughing at him.

“I can hear you struggling baby boy.”

“How about you shut up, Roman.” He chuckles and can hear the twins in the background laughing at them. 

“How is everything going since your birthday?” Roman asks suddenly and it makes Yuta pause. “Yuta? Please tell me he’s not being an ass again.”

“No! No Ro he’s been really sweet actually.” He says as he kicks his shoes off and putting them and his bag away in his cubby by the door. “And I don’t mean he’s overdoing it. He’s just- it’s like it used to be and that’s how I want it. We train, we cook together, and we just do things with each other again. I love it.” He sighs happily and smiles when he hears a rumble from Roman. 

“Good, I’m glad to hear and I know Seth will be happy to hear it too.” Yuta stops in the doorway of the living room, and he knows he has a dumb smile on his face. “Baby? You still there?”

“Can I call you back, alofa?” Bryan lets out a small chuckle and pats the sofa cushion next to him. 

“Everything okay?” Bryan waves his hand for the phone as Yuta sits down and puts the phone on speaker. 

“Everything’s great Big Dog but I’m gonna steal him for the rest of the day. Is that okay with you?” Yuta laughs softly when Bryan places a kiss at his temple. 

“Yeah, you two have fun and text me later. I love you both and tell everyone else I love them too.”

“We will! We love you Ro and tell Seth the same. I’ll text you definitely before bed.” Yuta calls out and Bryan says the same before hanging up the phone. “So, what’s all this?” He asks as he looks at the blankets and snacks.

“Well, I figured that since we have some time to ourselves with Mox and Claudio being gone and Regal taking care of some business with MJF, we could spend some time together.”

“Where’s Renee?” He asks as he lays back against Bryan.

“She decided that since she’s not needed at AEW until Wednesday she would go meet with Seth and surprise Roman.” Yuta smiles when he feels Bryan kiss his cheek. 

“What are we watching?” He turns his head to look his Dragon when he starts to laugh.

“There’re some episodes of WWF that I’ve wanted to show you. An old lumberjack/working man gimmick of William’s that he’d never let me show you if he were here.” Yuta leans forward to grab the remote and one of the snacks from the table, handing the remote to Bryan. 

He settles back against his boyfriend and covers them with a blanket. “Oh! Mox has talked about this before, but I haven’t looked the episodes up.” He says excitedly as he holds some popcorn over his shoulder for Bryan to take and blushing when he eats it from his fingers. 

They get comfortable as one of the episodes start only making noise when they laugh. After a few episodes they decide to move to when Regal came back to the WWF and follow their older lover’s career at the Fed. He even jokingly changed William’s ringtone to the Real Man’s Man entrance song.

“That’s your gear!” Yuta points out and it makes Bryan laugh. 

“I’ve never told you about that?” At Yuta’s head shake, Bryan jumps into the story of how Regal gave him the gear and Yuta can’t help but be mesmerized at the happiness in his boyfriend’s voice. 

*****

“I can’t believe they got away with this crap!” Yuta states wide eyed and shocked. “I mean I get that it was like the Wild West and no holds barred but what the fuck?” 

“Yeah, they pushed a lot of limits back then. I think Hunter once said that he almost got fired because of some the stuff DX did. They edited out the really awful scenes, but it was pretty bad.”

They both hear the door open and close. “Darlings? I’m sorry I’m late but I’m home now.” Yuta smiles happily as their English lover appears in the doorway and he hops off the couch to greet him. 

“Welcome home!” He leans up slightly and kisses him before helping him out of his jacket and belt. 

“Thank you, Sunshine.” He takes the jacket and belt upstairs quickly and comes back to see Bryan and William kissing, watching them pull away when they notice him back. “Are you two hungry or are you full on snacks and such?” 

“We have snacks William so why don’t you just come join us? Mox and Claudio won’t be back until tomorrow and we have plenty of snack food to fill us up until breakfast tomorrow.” Yuta doesn’t give him a chance to say no as he grabs his hand and pulls him to the couch. 

“I believe I have not been given much of a choice, have I?” Yuta gently pushes him down into the nest of blankets and sits in between Regal and Bryan. 

“Hm, no I don’t think I’m gonna give you choice, your chest happens to be one of my favorite pillows and I feel like I haven’t gotten to see you in forever so I’m going to take advantage of our time.” William opens his mouth to speak but Yuta cuts him off with a deep kiss and pulls back to situate himself and William so that he can lay on his chest. 

“I think it’s just best you do what our Yoots says William and lay here with us.” Their Dragon says as he puts Yuta’s feet in his lap and rearranges the bigger blanket over all three of them. 

Yuta purrs as Regal runs a hand through his hair and he cuddles deeper into the Englishman’s chest. “What are you two watching?”

“2001 of WWF, Mr. Commissioner.” Yuta and Bryan burst out laughing when Regal yanks on Yuta’s hair for the statement. 

*****

“Have any of you seen my phone? I had to use Bryan’s phone last night to call Roman, but I still can’t find it.” He says as he looks around where they were laying the night before.

“Don’t worry my Sunshine, I can call it.” Yuta’s eyes widen and Regal’s already pressing his name as he tries to stop him.

“Wait-.” His face turns beet red as the Real Man’s Man ringtone blares out from the couch cushions and Regal just stares at him as Bryan is dying laughing from the kitchen. 

“I-is that my old entrance music, Sunshine?” William asks as he’s trying not to smile.

“And if I say no?” Yuta asks as he finally finds his phone and shuts it up and puts it on silent. “I’m not changing it.” He says as he passes William and gives him a quick kiss before hurrying into the kitchen with Bryan, listening to his oldest lover burst out laughing. “Shut up, Bry.”

Bryan puts his hands in the air. “I didn’t say anything.” He states in between laughter. 

I'm alive! I just forgot to post two of my stories lol! This is the sequel to Do You Still Love Me? My darling big polycule and the light of my life 😍

Thank you for reading and I hope you like it! 😘

Alofa: love

#the shield/bcc/renee poly #the shield #blackpool combat club #blackpool combat polycule #blackpool polycule #bryan danielson #wheeler yuta #william regal #the real man's man